The Outer God Needs Warmth-Chapter 104: Climb the highest (4)

"Gu Mill Mil, who was quietly staring at me.

Sooga, who was hugging me from behind and giving a stern look at Gu Mill Mil.

I sat in between them and first brought up a topic that I thought she would be most curious about.

'Gu Mill Mil, if you want him to return to his original form, give up. It's impossible to do so.'

At my words, Gu Mill Mil furrowed her brows.

'Why? If I give him to you, can't I just take him back?'

Well, maybe that could be done?

I haven't actually taken him back, so I don't know what would happen.

However, I have no intention of taking him back.

How did I make him into a Harvester?

But if I explained that directly, I would probably get stabbed.

So I’ll just explain the facts while pushing the blame onto someone else.

'This is a contract, Gu Mill Mil. What kind of situation did he enter into a contract with me? Have you ever imagined what would have happened if he hadn’t made that contract back then?'

At my words, Gu Mill Mil falls into thought.

Then she realizes something and slowly her expression hardens.

That’s right.

The day Oh Myung Seong made the contract.

They were both dying at the hands of the five swordmen group led by Yoo Jo Young in Ak Sa Gyeok.

Especially Gu Mill Mil, who was in grave danger, and Oh Myung Seong, who tried to save her, suffered serious injuries.

With defeat clearly inevitable, Oh Myung Seong made a contract with me to survive.

He spoke to the power within him as a last-ditch effort to survive, but it was enough for me to make contact with him.

In an instant, I healed all his wounds and killed Yoo Jo Young. But after coming back to life, Oh Myung Seong became the murderer of the leader.

Trying to change the situation, he went to a place filled with monks, but at the entrance, he was branded as Ma Du and went on a long run.

So, if Oh Myung Seong hadn’t made the contract?

They would have most likely died in Ak Sa Gyeok. If lucky, Gu Mill Mil might have survived, but she knows it would have been difficult.

'The choice was yours.'

Sooga also made the contract to survive, and the Heavenly Demon did too.

This is the result of the contract. The light of despair at the very bottom of the surface is the same for everyone.

When a person cannot do anything with their own strength, when they can no longer move their body, when there’s nothing left but to die.

And yet, I make a contract with those who don’t want to die.

Surprisingly, those who have simply accepted death and resigned themselves don’t end up in a place like mine.

A person who has willpower but is at the very bottom of despair, unable to rise any longer, falls to the depths of hopelessness.

'So, you’re saying he can never return to his original state again?'

'Yes. Whether it could even be done is uncertain from the start.'

I don’t even know myself. I don’t even know why I get stronger when I push myself into situations. I vaguely speculate, but it’s never been clearly revealed.

'Do you want to go back? Do you want to undo everything before the contract?'

I emphasized the moment they chose, thinking it might raise their hostility too much if I pressed too hard.

Then Gu Mill Mil fell silent.

She knows too.

Hehe.

'People who know already know, but Gu Mill Mil, I can't push someone back in again once I've already done it. It means it’s impossible to make another contract after sustaining a great injury.'

At that point, just die quietly and offer warmth.

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It’s better not to say such things.

Gu Mill Mil pointed to Sooga, who was by my side.

'So did that child make a contract with you too?'

'He was on the verge of death.'

At that time, the Heavenly Demon was an enemy, and I didn’t know what would happen if I met you. If they found out I had pulled the bug out of my body, the possibility of being killed was high.

So, to erase the traces, I made the contract in a hurry. And because of that experience, the Heavenly Demon became a Harvester.

At least, I saw the healing with my own eyes.

I never thought he would become a woman.

'At that time, you made a contract with the Heavenly Demon.'

Ah.

You must have seen the Heavenly Demon resurrecting and killing Guseongyong.

'Yes. It was the Heavenly Demon who called me into this world.'

'Called you into this world?'

Gu Mill Mil asked, looking puzzled, while Sooga next to her glanced up at me with a questioning look.

The Heavenly Demon didn’t speak about it.

Ah, right.

There’s a way to make them not doubt my strength here.

'It seems there was something left from the contract with Eun Jae. Originally, I am like a cold sea quietly stagnant down there.'

Gu Mill Mil likely knows Eun Jae’s name. However, she never went to Eun Jae’s place where Guseongyong and the Heavenly Demon entered.

At least, as far as Guseongyong and the Heavenly Demon know.

The power from the past, though not verified, gives the illusion that it might be fine. That’s why old traditions don’t disappear easily.

Because it’s been done for so long, people trust it blindly.

They don’t know the reality, so they trust only what happened in the past.

'God...!'

She seems genuinely surprised. From her expression, I can tell she’s understood. Even though nothing has actually been revealed yet.

'God had the same hair color as you. Could it be that, because you made a contract, he also became God?'

Ah, I need to clear this up.

I shook my head.

'No. The reason he became God was purely because he was capable. Even if I gave myself up, most people die trying to wield power and get matched against greater power.'

So, even if I send memories, I can’t build a foundation to call me.

There are wise people, but they’re satisfied with their circumstances and live.

But since I didn’t explode and pushed myself in, turning into a Harvester, I’ve seen hundreds of people, yet...

None of them died satisfied, thinking they had lived a happy life.

Very few died of old age.

Most of them were killed for some reason during their lives.

So, I know that I was right. If I give power without demanding anything in return, they automatically head towards destruction without me needing to say anything.

Even faded memories, and the occasional writings of intellectuals left in the world, carry similar words.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Yes. Great power eventually becomes a great evil.

Of course, not everyone turns that way.

The most extreme exception I know is Tisha.

He reversed that and grew old properly and died.

Exceptions do exist. But those are like defective products.

And even those defective products gave off a lot of warmth. Because sometimes, there are enemies you can’t stop unless you don’t die.

People live more emotionally than rationally, and even if they’re good, right people, if they’ve killed someone within their fence, they have many people who hate them.

Even if the person who died clearly deserved it, from a mechanical perspective, it’s not rational or logical.

'I only give myself. Everything obtained afterward is theirs.'

So, don’t call me bad, that’s my prevention.

'Choseol. Then, what do you gain from this?'

Gu Mill Mil pointed out the good part.

That’s right. A contract means that both sides exchange something important.

There’s a profit in it.

'At the end, we make a contract that says everything gained after death will be taken.'

In fact, all that’s taken is warmth. But I made the contract this way.

Then people brought up the concept of the God of Death.

I used that.

It worked so well that everyone became a Harvester.

Ah, back then, I was so happy.

I thought the world was flowing according to my will.

But who would have known that the glass bottle wouldn’t withstand and would break?

'How terrible. To say you’ll take everything achieved up until that point? Does that mean that after making a contract with you, their life is yours?'

That’s right.

I’ve been watching all along.

'So, did I do something wrong?'

I didn’t do anything wrong. I seek warmth, and they need the power to change their reality. It’s a fair exchange.

Though, it’s technically a fraudulent contract.

At least, in countries where human rights are on the constitution.

But not here.

'Or are you saying it’s wrong to want the power to overcome immediate danger, even if you have to mortgage the future?'

The person who received that benefit?

I subtly dropped a hint. Then, she would understand. It’s a question accusing her of holding double standards after getting everything but criticizing me.

A normal person would leave shamelessly here.

They’d say it wasn’t what they wanted and would criticize me. I am me, and you are you.

But unfortunately, good people find it hard to do that. So when checking the final balance, they often gain much bigger benefits than those who act selfishly.

But that’s not easily visible, right?

Foolish people can’t even calculate that.

'At the end, what will you do?'

And the wise person asks again. To learn something they don’t know.

'When you die, the warmth a person holds is taken. That’s all.'

Since we are connected, there’s no need to search for it.

I know the contract passes to the child, but I don’t plan to mention it.

I’ve told the truth, but I’ve never said I would tell all the facts, right?

I know because I’m not smart enough to remember everything and set up the game.

If I force it in, it will definitely go wrong somewhere.

Rules only have strong power when they are followed.

Gu Mill Mil stares at me intently.

'In the end, what I’ve learned is that this contract cannot be undone.'

At that moment, Sooga gently tugged at my clothes. I looked at her in surprise, and she hesitated before asking.

'Then, does Choseol want to go back to where Choseol was?'

'No.'

Ah, this answer came out remarkably fast.

'There’s nothing there. I’d rather be here.'

I patted Sooga’s back as I said that. I wonder if I said it too soon. If I’d said it when I felt a little more rebellious, it would have hurt her feelings a lot.

If I’d said it too late, it would have been a bigger shock, so I said it when we weren’t that close yet.

Maybe we’ve gotten a bit too close.

To the point where I can confidently call her family.

Ugh.

This is my mistake.

I turned my gaze back to Gu Mill Mil. It’s impolite to change the subject while talking to someone.

Gu Mill Mil looked at Sooga and me, then smiled in a strange way.

'Well, I think I know you both now.'

Gu Mill Mil got up, saying it would be rude to stay too long. I saw her off, and then, suddenly remembering something, I casually spoke.

'Gu Mill Mil.'

'What is it?'

'I want to remove the bug inside the Heavenly Demon Church members.'

Humans who aren’t free can hardly cause big events. If that happens, the warmth decreases.

'I feel the same. But let’s talk about it slowly. The night is coming, after all.'

Her tone conveyed a faint goodwill.

I know she dislikes bugs in people’s bodies, as she carries medicine to remove them. I still remember her saying that a year ago.

In the faded memories, I adjusted what could be called fondness.

I greeted Gu Mill Mil, who was walking away, and then approached Sooga.

'Let’s have dinner now.'

'Okay.'

With Sooga nodding obediently, we headed to the kitchen.

And so, another day passed."