NoveLight ™
With Yasle’s death, the heretical cult known as the Future Hope Sect came to an end.
However, the fighting continued long after Yasle died. This wasn’t like a game where the boss’s death signaled victory.
If anything, things became busier afterward.
This was especially true because the three kingdoms had been working toward a shared goal.
While the Ansellus Kingdom had essentially collapsed, the Rasbe Kingdom and Cogni Kingdom still stood. The division of spoils—determining who got what—sparked disputes.
As a heretical cult, the Future Hope Sect had hoarded an incredible amount of treasure.
Faith alone isn’t enough to sustain people. Faith needs to be supplemented with tangible, enticing gifts to keep it growing steadily.
Thus, the sect had amassed many valuable items, including those from where I had been staying.
And so, there was only one thing left to do.
Pillage.
Tis-ha and the Ansellus Kingdom forces merely watched it all unfold.
Unexpectedly, Rebecca didn’t head toward any of the kingdoms. Instead, she silently left on her own. Some in the Ansellus Kingdom believed they should stop her, but Tis-ha let her go.
Instead, he led his people south to return to their homeland. Though the kingdom’s core had already fallen, they were unaware of this and simply moved forward, intent on going home.
Meanwhile, Witga gathered his followers and met with Andrew’s subordinates. There, he gave them a choice: follow him or remain loyal to the Future Hope Sect.
Those who chose the sect were killed.
After about five executions to set an example, the rest abandoned the sect and pledged themselves to "Miri-Gyo," the new religion.
These were people who had joined the Future Hope Sect because they had nowhere else to turn.
Such people easily switch allegiances when a new opportunity arises.
As for Andrew, he proved remarkably resilient. Though he disappeared from my sight for a while after fleeing alone, he eventually reappeared.
One of Andrew’s close aides suddenly summoned a blessed individual without explanation and took them to a specific location.
There, Andrew was waiting. It seems this group will safely reunite with Witga.
And finally, there’s Wide.
He’s still scavenging around the capital, consolidating resources and sending them to the royal palace.
This is the story up to the point where I stopped spreading my knowledge.
And then, I directly pushed all of Yasle’s knowledge into everyone connected to me.
Warmth flowed in.
Enough for fifteen people.
I obtained it.
Hmm?
No, wait.
Can they not withstand it?
Those who could see and hear beyond their immediate surroundings—the ones unable to perceive with their naked eyes—clutched their heads and screamed as they died.
The others, those not blessed with such senses, merely grabbed their ears or heads as if hearing tinnitus.
There’s a problem.
I need to find the reason and resolve it.
The corpses—what about them? Examining the circumstances of their deaths, it seems their brains simply melted into mush, like soup.
It’s clear they couldn’t handle the information I forced upon them.
Could it be an issue of scale? Yasle’s memories were vast, but it shouldn’t be impossible to fit them into a human mind.
Then, I must try a different method.
A new approach.
What if I edited the necessary memories, broke them into smaller pieces, and inserted them bit by bit? Would that work?
But how long would that take?
Skimming through the memories as I edited them, I realized there was quite a lot.
Short terms, like "Outer God," were fine. When I introduced that phrase, people began using it as if it had always existed. But when it came to longer segments, problems arose.
If the amount I can push is limited, what should I do?
Experimentation.
I need to experiment.
And I must increase the number of blessed individuals, just in case.
I need to ensure none of them explode like before.
The sensation of blessing someone is still fresh in my mind.
Let me summarize.
Both are crucial to me.
First, I’ll reach out to a flickering light hovering just above the surface.
Like watching a video of water streams in reverse, a thin stream rises upward. Then, instead of merging with it directly, I recite the words I always use during contracts.
But it doesn’t understand.
Ah, right.
Of course.
The language is different.
Language is crucial.
What should I do?
Perhaps I’ll taste the light first? Carefully, more delicately than when I bestow blessings, I touch the light gently. Then, I lick it.
This person’s name is Eunjae.
Memories flow in. The world this person inhabits resembles a martial arts novel. They use special techniques to gather energy, wield swords that fly through the air, and sometimes their blades emit light.
A world of such people.
But I’ve learned the language. Was it always this easy to pick up a language? I’m not sure.
Since it doesn’t hinder my current task, I proceed. Using the language I now know, I ask:
"I’ll give you my power. In exchange, when your task is complete, you’ll give me everything you possess. How about it?"
They eagerly agree, saying they’d promise anything if it gave them the power for revenge.
Oh? I never said I’d grant them power, so why assume that? I mean, it’s true my blessing makes people stronger.
I was preparing a persuasive argument in case they hesitated, but they agreed immediately.
Fine.
It’s a contract.
I blessed them.
Please don’t explode.
Please don’t explode.
Ah! It worked!
The connection is established. While I can’t see exactly how they’ve changed, their skin has definitely turned pale.
In other words, it’s similar to past blessings.
They glance down at their body, muttering something about shedding their old self. Then they move a few times and marvel at their transformation.
Is that it?
It’s true martial arts stories often feature similar concepts. Fascinating. True martial arts. They grab their sword, drawing energy from their core.
Is that their "danjeon"?
As I watch, tracing through gray-tinged memories, they suddenly clutch their head.
Is there something wrong with the blessings in this world? Did I miscalculate the capacity?
Huh?
This time, something streams down from their head. The faintly glowing sword transforms into a massive purple greatsword.
They laugh maniacally, declaring they’ve obtained tremendous power.
If they’re satisfied, so be it.
Surprisingly, the blessing issue resolved quickly.
From now on, I’ll apply this method to all lights that come near the surface.
It yields more warmth than explosions. Besides, people driven to despair and ruin who suddenly gain a healthy body and immense power rarely do good.
They’re bound to wield that power destructively.
So, one goal remains.
To spread the technique for summoning me.
Simply transmitting memories failed. Since capacity seems to be an issue, I must compress the knowledge as much as possible.
I need to analyze this. But how can I, when I don’t know how to analyze?
While editing memories to split them into pieces, I must still organize and interpret them.
Someday, far in the future, I may need to do so. But that feels exhausting. There must be a simpler, more efficient method.
First, let me assess what I can do.
I can bestow myself upon others.
Too much at once leads to explosions. Given in precise amounts, it strengthens and transforms the body.
I can distort the world.
This means I can edit reality. It’s a powerful ability some call "reality manipulation," but it has its limits.
Simple shapes are fine, but when I tried to make a phone, fractures appeared in space. Cracks formed, like heavy objects pressing against a glass pane.
Things I can’t do are simply impossible. So why can’t I produce fire or beams? It’s strange, but perhaps I lack imagination.
And whether this belongs to the same category or not, I can transmit knowledge to others.
Two experiments.
First, the word "Outer God." A short term that many people began using naturally, as if it had always existed.
This isn’t a blessing but rather a reality-altering ability.
Even those unblessed used the term seamlessly.
Based on current information, the recently deceased blessed individual had an ability to detect things beyond ordinary human perception.
This means they could better understand others’ intentions.
Did their brain shatter from receiving too much information, like the cracks caused when I tried to create a phone?
It’s a plausible hypothesis.
Let’s reduce the capacity. If I simplify and divide memories, they should shrink.
By inserting them piece by piece, testing the limits, and determining how quickly I can repeat the process, I should be able to teach the summoning technique.
Now it’s time for experiments.
Here, I have plenty of time.
Soon, I hope countless people will call for me.
Hehe.