I looked around again.

The corpse of Tis-ha, with only the lower half remaining.
A shattered window.
Figures with dark purple spheres on their heads.
A silver-haired girl held captive among them.

And a girl with purple hair.

It was clearly a disaster site.

If someone were to walk in, they’d probably torture both me and Hyungkeshni.

What if I pointed at Hyungkeshni and claimed the witch was to blame?

Hmm.

They’d kill me, calling it an introduction. Only Hyungkeshni had intruded, but no one would be foolish enough to not realize I was the true culprit.

Even though my neck had just been severed, my life remained intact, so I likely wouldn’t die easily. But I know that being hard to kill can sometimes be a curse.

Moreover, I had a gut feeling that moving recklessly would be dangerous. Every time I tried to exert strength, it felt as if the cracks were growing larger.
Am I really that heavy?

I commanded one of the figures with the dark purple spheres—let's call them "Sphere Humans" because the term is too long—and had them block the entrance. If someone were to come in, they’d serve as a shield.

Still, these Sphere Humans were peculiar. When I took Tis-ha’s warmth, I also absorbed theirs.

And their memories.

Yet, there were no significant mutations. The light was black—faintly tinged with purple, but still black.

Huh?

Something’s strange. This isn’t how sacrifices usually work.

The light of a sacrifice twists and shrivels like dried fruit, turning black. The faint purple hue here belongs to someone who received a blessing.

For those blessed by me, I can see through their eyes.
However, none of Tis-ha’s descendants—or even his direct children—have ever been visible to me.

Frankly, I never thought I’d be able to interfere with Tis-ha’s lineage directly.

It was only when I impulsively grabbed everything in sight that I realized I could touch his descendants too.

And now, having devoured them, I can even control their movements.

But isn’t the sphere shrinking bit by bit?

It feels strangely like a candle burning down.

I have no idea what will happen when it’s gone. In the worst case, I could be expelled from this world again.

That can’t happen.

I need to persuade Hyungkeshni.

No matter what it takes, I must ensure she leaves behind a book.

I locked eyes with Hyungkeshni. She was glaring at me, her defiance clear, despite her earlier vehement rejection.

We need to talk first.

Normally, it wouldn’t be easy for me to push Hyungkeshni into a corner, but I currently have the upper hand. She’s been captured and is terrified.

If the situation were equal, my chances of winning would be slim. But right now, I hold the leverage, and I must make the most of it before losing it.

"Hyungkeshni. Why won’t you help me?"

She didn’t respond.

I need to find a way to make her talk.

Beating her would only fuel her defiance. She’d refuse to tell me anything, and even if she did, she might spitefully leave out the summoning method, which would only hurt me.

So, I need a different approach.

If I knew some groundbreaking technique, I’d use it, but I’m no expert in communication. The faded memories of a gray man reveal a few potential methods.

Among them, there’s one I’ve successfully used before.

Yes.

I’ll provoke her.

If you blatantly state something obviously untrue while treating the other person like a fool, they’ll get angry.

It’s like hearing pseudo-science claims, such as the Earth being flat—you feel an irresistible urge to correct them.

Hyungkeshni, the Witch of Delight.

She has nothing to do with the Mirae Hope Sect. On the contrary, she’s a much older witch. Long before Yasle became the leader of Yonglang Sect, she was an enemy of the sect, hunted down by them. She’s lived a very long life.

After Yonglang Sect was destroyed by the Ansellus Kingdom’s invasion, Yasle, consumed by vengeance, sought her out.

Amused, Hyungkeshni decided to help Yasle.

She passed along a few arcane techniques she knew, but those weren’t central to Yasle’s plans.

In truth, the ritual to summon me was intended to bring forth a monstrous being for sheer power. Initially, Yasle was very disappointed.

But once I used my blessings and he realized their potential, his view changed.

It’s hard to resist the ability to summon three powerful soldiers with unique abilities every day.

During the first three months, Yasle rejoiced on days when many blessed individuals had extraordinary powers and lamented on days when few did.

Looking back on these memories, I found it unfortunate he didn’t realize their full potential.

In any case, Hyungkeshni was merely an advisor to Yasle, not part of the Mirae Hope Sect. She left Yasle the moment he ignored her advice.

I don’t care whether she’s guilty or not, but what about her conscience? Let’s test that first.

"Why refuse me? Hyungkeshni, you’ve killed far more people than I have. And you’ve done so horrifically, sacrificing them on altars. You abducted the innocent Rebecca Rolfe, tore out her heart, and used it as material to summon an evil being. Who’s worse, I wonder?"

To emphasize her guilt, I commanded a few idle Sphere Humans to point their fingers at her, isolating her as if she were the target of a witch hunt.

Although only Hyungkeshni and I are sentient here, wouldn’t the sheer number of humanoid figures add to the pressure?

I want to corner Hyungkeshni as much as possible.

Her teeth clenched.

"Who’s worse? You just gave them power, huh? Then how many people have died because of those you blessed? And how many more will die in the future? You said you wanted warmth. You also said sacrifices were Yasle’s choice. Then doesn’t that mean you can gain warmth through blessings too? Am I wrong?"

Wow.

Smart people really are terrifying. Did she deduce all that just from my comment about sacrifices being Yasle’s preference?

But she lashed out, clearly angry. There’s something bothering her. What could it be? I’ll probe further.

"Did I kill them? It was their choice. Did I force them into evil acts? No. If you need an example, look at Tis-ha. This man didn’t counter violence with violence; he responded with compassion. He embodied righteousness and virtue. He’s nothing like you, who captured innocent people and sacrificed them grotesquely for a cult."

Hyungkeshni stayed silent. No rebuttal.

Hmm.

That means she doesn’t object to me taking warmth from people. At least on that point, she agrees with me. She neither denies that she killed people recklessly nor criticizes me for consuming human warmth.

Then why is she so afraid of me?

I haven’t done anything particularly cruel.
I was just a tame beast following orders.

Even if she saw me as godlike in strength, I was still a controlled creature, bound by contracts, according to Yasle.

There must be another reason.

What is it?

Let’s consider it from a different angle.

The Witch of Delight, Hyungkeshni.

Her title likely stems from her expression—she smiles when afraid.

Laughter born from fear.

Could it be that she’s someone who instinctively flees from danger? Yasle’s memories even show her fleeing after bidding farewell.

Fleeing?

Fear. Terror.

I know something similar.

Cowards can be ferocious. Being weak and cornered, they cross lines they shouldn’t. The logic is simple: "They hit me once, so I’ll kill them."

Even the ancient Code of Hammurabi only allowed a one-to-one exchange—an easily broken limit.

"I’m the victim, so I’m right, and they’re wrong."

Thus, every action they take becomes justified.

Everyone makes such mistakes. That’s what makes Tis-ha’s capacity for forgiveness so remarkable.

But I’m digressing. In any case, Hyungkeshni is a coward. What do cowards fear most?

Personal loss. They can dress it up however they like, but at the root, it’s self-preservation.

Hmm.

Which is it? Typically, such people crave power, but she finds my blessings repulsive.

Then, let’s offer her a deal.

"Hyungkeshni. I’ll make you an offer. No matter what, I won’t take your warmth. In exchange, write me a book that can summon me. How about that?"

Her eyes wavered as she looked at me.

Aha.

I’ve found it. This is it. She’s terrified of what might happen to her.

She lowered her gaze, as though she wanted to bow her head. But a Sphere Human’s hand was gripping her left cheek, forcing her to face me.

I released the hand.

As I suspected, her head drooped immediately.

Heh.

I approached her, gently cupping her trembling cheeks. Her skin was cold with fear.

She’s deliberating.
Shall I relieve her of her guilt?

"Hyungkeshni. If I were to kill you here and now, I’d take your warmth and memories. But I’m not a bad person, which is why I’m asking like this."

I worded it to make her think nothing would change even if she died. Of course, it’s true, but I can’t organize memories into a book myself.

Naturally, I’m not a bad person—I’m just an Outer God.
And as far as I know, that term inherently carries a negative connotation.

Am I right, you who named me?

I smiled brightly.

"Will you help me?"

For a long moment, Hyungkeshni remained silent.

Then, in a very small voice, she replied.

"Fine."

I successfully persuaded her.