The Outer God Needs Warmth-Chapter 103: Climb the highest (3)

The next day.

Today, I decided to spend time with Sooga.

Because today is the day when the preliminaries are over and the main promotion battle begins. On this day, the Heavenly Demon is busy.

Of course, everyone else is busy too.

First, Gapjae and Byeongil are participating. Gapjae is burning with enthusiasm to rise higher, and Byeongil is doing the same to protect his position.

Jungjaewoo is attending only as a guard for the Heavenly Palace's leader, and Woljedang doesn't usually show up for this match.

Any complaints?

No one in the Heavenly Demon Church has a complaint against Woljedang. If you’re the leader, there’s no reason to involve yourself with the lowest-ranking Woljedang, and if you're below that, you disappear.

That’s why they’re processed as sacrificial offerings for the Buddhist sects and taken to the point where the ritual takes place and plunk.

That’s how the sinister methods are run.

I think I might need to learn this method.

A suitable cult to gather warmth from.

But that’s something I’ll think about slowly. For now, since no one was coming today, I started a big cleaning of the house.

“Do we have to clean on a rare day off?”

“Yes, we should. I’ll teach you how to do it step by step.”

I have memories of cleaning experts, including Joanna. I’m quite familiar with cleaning methods. Unlike food, cleaning doesn’t depend on the world.

So, rather than making her work, I taught Sooga and we diligently cleaned the small house together.

If there’s a stain, how to remove it, how to store clothing or other things for a long time.

Various everyday tips that might come in handy.

There’s a lot of information that might be needed someday.

It’s better to learn as much as I can.

Because, in truth, there are things I haven’t learned yet.

How to communicate with people. How to distinguish between what to say and what not to say. How to get up after being hurt. How to comfort someone else’s wounds.

Collectively, this is what we call social skills.

Unless we live in a more developed society, you can’t go far alone.

I hope to live long, even for the sake of warmth.

There’s a saying, right?

Either die young and become a hero or live long and become a villain.

Neither the Heavenly Demon nor I, and not even the people of the Heavenly Demon Church, have had enough time to learn conventional social skills.

So, I’ll have to learn them later or teach them in advance.

Thinking this, I finished the big cleaning of the house.

And by the time it was done...

Under the red-tinged sky, a person stood in front of a broken fence.

A guest had arrived.

A woman, wearing the traditional clothes of the Heavenly Demon Church.

It’s Goomilmil.

This was the outfit that the Heavenly Demon had worn once and had left in a corner, never wearing it again. When I think about how the Heavenly Demon handled that outfit, I thought there might be some lingering attachment.

Looking at the person in front of me, I think I understand.

It seems the Heavenly Demon had some thoughts about Goomilmil.

“Welcome, Goomilmil.”

When I greeted her, she showed a very surprised expression.

“You... you’re the kid who was here before?”

Looks like she finally remembered.

I must have changed so much that it was hard to recognize me.

“Who?”

Sooga jumped down from the roof. I had sent him up to tidy the roof, but I’m not sure if he was done yet.

“The one who gave medicine to remove the bugs from Sooga’s body?”

“Oh! That person! Uh, weren’t you an old lady?”

Sooga looked at Goomilmil with surprise. But there’s no sign of gratitude on his face, more like curiosity.

I pointed to the porch with my hand, and Goomilmil walked inside.

Goomilmil came in and was about to enter the room.

Huh?

Ah, come to think of it, when guests come, they’re supposed to enter the room, but...

“It’s better not to go inside.”

“Is it because the house is old? I don’t mind such things. Eek!”

As soon as the door opened, she groaned.

It’s extremely hot in there.

It’s fine in winter, but in summer, it’s unbearable. I’m not exaggerating; if she went in there, she’d die of heatstroke.

With a stunned expression, Goomilmil looked at the room.

“Are you trying to bake to death?”

“It’s due to a flaw in the structure, since the kitchen is right next to it. It’s fine in winter, but in summer, it’s difficult.”

“Then you can’t even go in.”

I pointed to the porch, and Goomilmil nodded and sat down.

“Sooga. Bring some water.”

“Choseol, we only have one ladle at our house.”

Now that I think about it, we didn’t use cups separately.

The water jar, when placed near the stove, heats up from the residual heat, so we don’t need to boil it separately. And strangely, the water never clogs.

I feel like I could make a steam engine with just a little bit of tinkering, but the constantly burning fire would be too obvious...

I should go.

I had Sooga sit in my place and entered the kitchen.

Then I went out the back door, picked up two stones from the ground, and twisted them.

Cup completed.

A crack appeared in the air, visible only when you looked closely. I should ask the Heavenly Demon for some dishes.

Thinking this, I opened the lid of the sufficiently warm jar and scooped out two cups of the clear water inside. Then, I returned to where Goomilmil and Sooga were.

Some people’s memories say that the water should be brought on a tray, but we’re not living a life where we worry about that much.

Goomilmil doesn’t seem like the type to expect too much from a poor place.

So, when I came out with the water, I saw Goomilmil and Sooga talking.

The conversation was mostly about asking if Sooga was feeling better. Sooga responded awkwardly with honorifics.

The good news is, Sooga has learned how to behave with elders.

So, they’re having a cautious but smooth conversation. It’s fortunate that Sooga has acquired some minimal social skills.

“Sleep.”

“Thank you. But you two. Why are you two alone in a place like this? Wouldn’t it be better to go to the village if you can?”

It seems like an innocent question, but when I looked at Goomilmil’s expression, I saw she was watching us carefully as she asked.

Is she trying to offer an out in case someone reacts negatively?

“No. I can’t go to eat bugs again.”

“Ah, I see. Right.”

The Heavenly Demon Church lives with parasitic bugs in their bodies. For Sooga, who had a rejection to bugs, this place is harsh to live in.

“Better to live somewhere else... it’s tough.”

Goomilmil’s gaze subtly rested on Sooga’s hair. That’s right. Right now, the Harvester is a wicked Ma-do in the martial world.

At the place full of monks, once Omyoungseong fully became a Harvester, they drove him out immediately. They probably have the ability to distinguish Harvesters.

If I leave, should I aim for that place?

Anyway, back to focusing on Goomilmil.

“You came to hear about Omyoungseong’s mutation, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. You said you knew about the reverse Heavenly Demon energy, right?”

Hmm. Now that I think about it, I heard that rare proper nouns were used in places where monks were present.

“What’s reverse Heavenly Demon energy?”

“You don’t know? It’s an energy only the Heavenly Demon can use. Even my father couldn’t figure out its nature; it’s an exceptionally evil and demonic energy.”

Guseongyong didn’t speak to Goomilmil about the traces Eunjae left.

So, she doesn’t know the details. But I’m attached to that ominous name.

That’s quite accurate.

Now, let me explain everything one by one.

“First, Omyoungseong changed because he used the Absorption Technique.”

As soon as I said that, a sword shot out from Goomilmil’s hand.

No, it stopped as it came out.

“What are you doing?”

Sooga’s hand stopped right in front of Goomilmil’s carotid artery. The killing intent was about to explode.

I raised my hand to stop them.

“Calm down, Sooga. The Absorption Technique is a martial art that, once learned, brands you as a public enemy in the martial world. It’s understandable that Goomilmil reacted sensitively.”

Sooga frowned but, after I waved my hand, he reluctantly pulled his hand away from Goomilmil’s neck. He stepped back and drew his sword.

“Just one year, and you’ve become an amazing expert.”

Goomilmil looked at Sooga with surprise and slowly put her sword back. Just last year, she must have seen inside Sooga while removing the bugs, so she knows immediately.

“You must have a good teacher.”

I deliberately swallowed the answer “the Heavenly Demon.” Instead, I shifted the topic elsewhere.

“Omyoungseong stole the reverse Heavenly Demon energy from the person who was using it. So, if that’s why he mutated, do you understand?”

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In response to my words, Goomilmil frowned and answered, “No.”

I see.

Then, it’s time to reveal the truth.

“I give myself to people. Those who receive my blessing have all their wounds healed, become smarter, stronger, and their hair turns purple.”

Goomilmil looked at me with an expression that didn’t quite understand.

After some time passed, she finally understood what I had said.

“You... are you the reverse Heavenly Demon?”

Goomilmil understood.

“Are you going to call me that?”

I then gave her this answer.

A demon who rebels against the heavens.

That’s one way to see it. I was trying to explain the contract to Goomilmil. But faster than I could, Sooga interrupted me.

“Choseol isn’t like that!”

Sooga shouted loudly.

He came over to me, hugged me from behind, and pointed his blunt sword at Goomilmil.

“He’s my benefactor and my family. Don’t call him that.”

Somehow, Sooga’s honorifics disappeared. A chilly wind that didn’t fit the season passed by, and Goomilmil took the stance typically used when greeting someone in this world.

“I apologize. Sooga Soje.”

Then Sooga silently glared at Goomilmil and withdrew his sword. After a small sigh, he pointed to me.

“Not me, to Choseol, please.”

And he went back to speaking honorifically. After all, Goomilmil is an adult in many ways. She’s a couple of years older than me.

“I’m sorry. Choseol Soje. Is it alright if I call you that?”

I nodded.

“Yes. I don’t care how others call me. Anyway, let’s go back to the topic. Goomilmil, I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

And I returned to talking about Omyoungseong.

I hope this story shakes the Heavenly Demon Church to its core.