Kill It Without Fail
When I was first summoned to the Dark Heavenly Realm, the immortals were on the verge of collapse from exhaustion.
Back when aberrations were crawling everywhere, it was simple—just kill every one you saw. But by the time I arrived, they'd learned from their kin's deaths. They hid away, launching hit-and-run attacks day and night without regard for time. Even the weary immortals, who normally wouldn't stand a chance of falling to such foes, were losing their lives.
Hunting them down one by one risked getting picked off individually, but waiting passively for them to appear only let the damage snowball across the entire realm.
So when I was finally ready to hunt aberrations in earnest, I'd grown adept enough with my Spiritual Eyes to produce them in droves.
First, I used them as reconnaissance drones to pinpoint the aberrations' exact locations. Second, as bomb drones to take them out.
Spiritual Eyes are made by condensing refined qi, and since they're easier to summon and dismiss than a full body, I could make them vanish in a flash for scouting—or turn them into explosives. It was a hunch, but it worked.
The immortals were horrified at first by my methods. Later, they'd watch with gleaming eyes, hoping any Spiritual Eye that spotted an aberration would explode even more spectacularly.
Even those immortals, who preached mercy, patience, and compassion like it was breathing—who believed even the world's worst had some spark of good—were driven to disgust by the aberrations' sheer viciousness.
As the explosions grew more spectacular day by day, the immortals asked if Earth was full of such dangerous things.
Truth be told—and this isn't boasting—I suspect that's part of why I was the one summoned when they called for the being the Dark Heavenly Realm needed.
The entity they invoked at their altar, offering sacrifices and prayers—the one whose name I still don't know—might have required an Earthling's knowledge to combat aberrations.
Not that the Dark Heavenly Realm lagged behind Earth in combat techniques. But I could think differently from the immortals.
Earth's history might be a blip compared to the realm's, but when it came to massive wars, it dwarfed the realm. The wars on Earth probably outnumbered all those in the Dark Heavenly Realm combined by dozens, hundreds of times over.
I'd never cared much for wars or advanced weapons, but I knew enough about Earth's big conflicts—what wars they were, what weapons were used.
Anyway—
Right now, I'd summoned the Light Refined Spirit because my precious, one-of-a-kind Spiritual Eyes were too valuable to waste as bombs. The Light Refined Spirit would do instead.
Of course, it wouldn't obey willingly. It wouldn't vanish on exploding, but the sensation of its body scattering and reforming wasn't pleasant.
Plus, the Light Refined Spirit had a temper.
Unlike the Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void Refined Spirits, the Light, Dark, and Heart Refined Spirits lashed out recklessly when crossed—headlong, no holds barred.
They weren't seething with malice like evil spirits, eager to kill, but they were willful.
Even if something tempting was dangled before them—even if you begged or commanded, promising heaps of it—they might still turn nasty or prankish on a whim.
That's why, even as the Great Immortals rejoiced at successfully summoning the first five and resolved to call the last three, they repeatedly warned me.
Light, Dark, and Heart wouldn't be easy.
When I pressed for details, they explained simply: the first five arose with nature's birth; the last three with the universe's.
In short, different origins, different essence.
Light and Dark made sense, but Heart? I tilted my head. Where did Heart fit in the universe's birth?
Rarely lost for words, the Great Immortals demurred—it wasn't for mouths to speak, but for personal enlightenment.
And in the end, when I first tried summoning the Light Refined Spirit, I let my guard down just a fraction despite their warnings. I spent days bedridden, wasting precious time.
And endured the Great Immortals' piercing stares, laden with "We told you so."
Even knowing and experiencing that, I was boldly commanding the Light Refined Spirit now—out of urgency, and because I had a trump card.
The Heavenly Wood embedded in my right palm. Even if it threw a massive tantrum, I could suppress it with the Heavenly Wood's authority.
It worked in the Dark Heavenly Realm too, but the Great Immortals forbade it.
It yielded quick results, sure—but relying on such shortcuts would lead to the easy path, devoid of trials and effort, stunting growth.
So I nodded and gave it up cleanly.
Had I lived an unremarkable life on Earth before being summoned, I'd have scoffed at the "effort" talk as preachy nonsense.
But as someone the immortals helped rise, move, walk—I'd have chewed a stone if they called it chewy rice cake.
Now, though, this was my second life. Reenacting Dark Heavenly Realm feats on Earth.
Trials and effort? I'd had plenty.
Before opening other eyes, before seeing Mom—Park Young-sook—and little sister Kang Seol-bin, filling my gaze with their joy—
I focused on the task at hand.
Annihilate that evil spirit. Keep Bin-i safe. Mom safe.
Alright. The Light Refined Spirit heard my command—it'd charge in furious any second now—
「All.」
「Gone.」
「Somehow.」
The Fire Refined Spirit, Wind Refined Spirit, and Void Refined Spirit all muttered before vanishing swiftly.
They didn't want to get dragged into the hassle.
"But Mom, doesn't the air in the room feel nicer today? Did they air it out more?"
"Oh, I thought so too. San's complexion looks better."
"Maybe they changed his meds?"
"Or his feeding?"
"Should I ask? Log it as effective."
"No, they're busy now. They'll come later if we stay put. Don't wander—might miss each other."
"Okay."
"Anyway, they must've cleaned extra hard knowing we'd visit. Look at that glow on San's face."
"The old caregiver was so..."
"Yeah. Remembering the bedsores back then... Sigh."
"A fist-sized hole in his hip. Ugh."
"I thought I'd faint. How could they let a person get like that? Lucky we found it then."
While cherishing their familiar voices, I waited for the Light Refined Spirit.
And—
Sparkle!
A tiny light flickered before my Spiritual Eye.
The Light Refined Spirit had arrived.
「Human. You. Commanded? Dare.」
Fuming voice. But...
Too small.
This size, I could handle without the Heavenly Wood's authority. Within my power alone.
「Human. You. Summoned? Commanded? Dare.」
Unlike the Fire and others who'd grudgingly complied, it spoke fluidly, packing in layers of rage. But smaller than expected—no tension at all.
【Yes. I called you.】
「Dare. Human.」
No reason to yield, so I tossed it out curtly.
The flickers quickened. From sparkle! to sparkle-sparkle-sparkle!
Very pissed.
So what. What're you gonna do?
【Do I seem like just any human? If so, your eyesight matches your level—poor.】
「No. Human. Right. I, saw—」
No need for long talk. Straight to business.
I drew up my accumulated qi, and its words cut off.
「Human. Not? No. Human. But why.」
「Special. Human.」
The Void Refined Spirit chimed in.
Far off, Fire and Wind watched anxiously.
Thought they'd fled, but they were monitoring.
Sent the chatty Void one over, probably.
「Special. Human?」
「Special. Human. I. Know. Deal. Satisfied. Qi. Lots. I. Changed. So. Know. Special. Human.」
The Void Refined Spirit spoke confidently.
「Oh?」
Suddenly, like a wave rippling a calm surface, the Void Refined Spirit shook.
「Oh!」
I knew why. From our deals, steadily fed pure, refined qi, it'd ascended a step.
Two finger-widths above Fire and Wind, but progress was progress. Those two worked hard, but Void worked harder—rewarded with more qi, hence the gap.
Before, just a faint shimmer signaling "here." Now, a proper droplet shape.
"Huh? Suddenly feels more humid—"
"Mm. I feel it too, Mom. Weird."
Even Bin-i and Mom noticed.
「Whoa.」
「Whoa.」
Fire and Wind envious; Light Refined Spirit mildly surprised.
「Human. But not. Human? Really?」
【Yeah. See it now?】
The Light Refined Spirit hesitated, then continued.
「Such. Humans. Long ago. All. Gone. Thought. Where. From.」
Long ago? So they existed back then?
【Were there humans like me in the old days?】
「Human. You. Similar. I. Heard. Traces. Remain. But now. No such. Humans. Many. Like me. Waited. Faded.」
So long ago, Earth had immortal-like beings.
「I. Know too. Saw. Traces. Can. Tell. Where.」
The Void Refined Spirit buttressed, circling the Light Refined Spirit—jealous of my attention, maybe.
「Not-human. Human. What. Want? Me. What. Do? Want. To. Do. More.」
The Light Refined Spirit surged with enthusiasm, unlike before.
Makes sense. It'd seen Void ascend live—greed would stir.
【Your job: slay the evil spirit.】
「Evil spirit. On. That. Girl? Me?」
【Yes.】
It wavered, glanced at Void, then me.
【At your level, solo's tough, right?】
「Right...」
Flickers slowed in shame.
【I'll lend my power.】
「Grateful.」
【But kill it without fail. No failure tolerated.】
My voice laced with killing intent made Light and Void shudder.
Dare an evil spirit touch my family?
Vaporize it utterly, leave a warning trace loaded with meaning.
Killing always leaves marks; even spirit annihilation does. Sloppy traces draw more; thorough ones scare them off at sight.
Like butchering foes cruelly, hanging corpses high to instill fear—I'd do the same.
【Alright. Here's the plan...】
I whispered sinisterly; Light and Void drew close, entranced.
Fire and Wind crept over, peeking, then clung to my side.