On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons

Chapter 29: Why Did You Come Out From There?

Ding!

[You have contributed to world peace by subjugating the minion of a malevolent god.]

[Your good deeds have increased by 1,000.]

[Good deeds accomplished: 1,012/100]

[You have exceeded the number of good deeds required for the quest.]

[Congratulations! You have completed the quest: A single good deed a day makes the world a beautiful place!]

[You have been rewarded Tears of Infinite Abundance from the quest.]

[The effects of Tear of Infinite Abundance cured the diseased bud of the World Tree.]

Ding!

[Infinite Abundance shows great favor over you for exceeding the number of good deeds done.]

[She will continue to carefully watch you and your good deeds.]

...

I dreamed of eating deliciously at the most luxurious restaurant.

Nyam nyam, chew chew chew!

It tasted similar to chicken, but so much better at the same time, for it was both nutty and clean on the palate. A fine delicacy, fitting of an expensive restaurant! Hehe, it was so delicious.

Just as I was enjoying my food...

Craaack!

I chewed on something tough like stone.

“Ugh!”

My face contorted voluntarily. Not only was it hard, it also tasted absolutely disgusting, like a dishcloth soaked in water that had been left overnight.

Tweh!

“Blergh!”

I spat it out immediately and opened my eyes, vomiting in the process. It was definitely a dream, yet the revolting aftertaste lingered in my mouth.

Ugh, I didn’t have a weak stomach, the taste was just that horrid, so much so that I was afraid it’d appear in my dreams again.

Huh, where am I?

I suddenly recalled the acrophobic experience I had with the old man earlier. It was so traumatic, I ended up fainting. By the way, said old man was sleeping nearby, snoring loudly.

“Why is he sleeping here? Ugh!”

My nose crinkled in disgust as I approached him. He was covered in sticky, black liquid, and the stench was no joke.

“Damn, did he fall into a sewer? He smells horrid!”

My guess? He must’ve tripped and fell after getting drunk.

“Hic, Mommy. I’m scared...”

Wow, he’s even talking in his sleep.

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“Haa, this doesn’t make any sense.”

How could this man be an S-rank Hunter? The future of our country sure looked bleak. He’d just be an endless source of headache, so I better avoid getting tangled with him in the future. Thus, I decided to return home.

“Let’s see...”

I looked around for a while, and spotted a stack of newspapers on the ground. I couldn’t bring myself to leave him lying on the streets.

Flutter, flutter.

I laid one piece over his body, one over his legs, and the last one over his head. Whew, I’m such a good person. Just as I was wondering if this action would count as a good deed on God-Maker...

“Huh?”

I noticed that not only had I exceeded the number of good deeds, the quest had also been completed. The description was also unexpected. I contributed to world peace by taking out the minion of a malevolent god? Since when?

That old homeless man couldn’t be the minion of a malevolent god, right? What happened while I was out?

[The innate power Blind Eyes of God has been activated.]

Just as I was having doubts, the innate power activated on its own, and my view shifted.

A gigantic tree stood magnificently before me, like a pillar holding up the sky. Its leaves shone splendidly and mysteriously in an array of rainbow colors. Fruits resembling eggs hung from its branches, each emitting mystical white light. Nevertheless, the presence of the mysterious tree paled in comparison to the woman who prayed devoutly beneath it.

Her snow-white hair flowed to the ground, with a veil draped over it. Her charm made it impossible for anyone, including me, to take their eyes off her. All of a sudden, she turned around, and her veil fluttered, revealing her face.

Lift.

Her beauty could only be described as god’s work of art. Her red eyes, radiating the majesticness of a queen and the sacredness of a saint, bore into me. Soon, a bright smile akin to the arrival of spring appeared on her face.

Thump! Thump!

My heart began pounding. Why? Why was it going crazy all of a sudden?

Her red lips parted, and a mellifluous voice came in a whisper.

“Aah, you have returned, O’ great and merciful god...”

Whiiing!

The sudden loud siren pulled me back to reality, and the mysterious tree from earlier vanished from my sight. Instead, I saw a termite and a group of black ants bowing down before me as they surrounded the bud of the World Tree.

I inadvertently rubbed my eyes. My body must’ve been deteriorating to the point that I started hallucinating. Maybe I should have a bowl of ramyun with two eggs to nourish my body. I hurried away, seeing the police car and ambulance coming my way.

Ding!

[Congratulations. You have successfully revived the World Tree.]

[Foundation for the revival of the black tribe has been laid.]

[As the number of followers increases and thrives, so will your divine powers.]

Ding!

[In honor and appreciation for the revival of the World Tree, the black tribe has erected an additional statue, Yu Il-Shin Statue (2).]

...As soon as I got home, I found a second statue identical to the one I had given to Sung Mi-Ri.

Oh, come on! Don’t do this to me!

***

Lee Ji-Tae, chairman of the Hunter Association, was reading a report in his office. Before him, stood a well-dressed man in his late thirties, wearing silver-rimmed glasses. He was Choi Woo-Shin, an A-rank Hunter who was also the chief of staff and Lee Ji-Tae’s right-hand man.

“As expected of the Cleaner, Choi Kang-San. Despite having a gap period, he could easily handle an S-rank monster from a gate.” Choi Woo-Shin nodded satisfactorily while going through the report. “But I heard that he was hospitalized, how is he doing now?”

“He was unscathed.”

“Hoho, I expect no less from. He’s as strong as always.”

“But...” Choi Woo-Shin trailed off.

“Hmm? What’s wrong...?”

“During my visit, I brought him some flowers, but then he started convulsing...”

Choi Woo-Shin began, recalling the incident that happened a few hours ago. Choi Kang-San was roaring adamantly that there was nothing wrong with him, demanding to be discharged.But he instantly fainted and even frothed at the mouth at the sight of the flower basket.

“Hicc! Flower! Monster! Arrrgh!”

“Was he always so averse to flowers? I never knew he had such weakness. Be careful next time, since he’s one of the strongest pillars of South Korea.” Lee Ji-Tae tutted.

“Yes, I will make sure of it.”

“Anyway, how are things going at the Hunter Academy?”

“Everything is set in stone. We will begin the project as soon as Mr. Choi Kang-San gets discharged from the hospital.”

“Okay, he’s getting on in years now, so it’d probably be best for him to focus on training the young ones rather than running on the front lines. Oh, which reminds me, isn’t that girl also a student at the Hunter Academy?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Despite her young age, Thunder Emperor was a rare Lightning Combat-type Hunter. Recently, she had also been promoted to Rank A. If she kept that up and rose to Rank S, she’d become a great pillar in preventing future disasters.

“I’m sure Choi Kang-San will become a great mentor for her.”

There was no better catalyst for growth other than a good mentor. The chairman laughed wholeheartedly as he recalled both Thunder Emperor and Choi Kang-San. As long as those two were around, the future of South Korea would remain bright.

***

“Ms. Sung Mi-Ri, are you ready?”

“Yes!”

“I’m going to start the timer now. Ready, go!”

Flash! Rumble!

A striking flash of lightning was followed by a deafening roar of thunder moments later.

Click!

I pressed the stopwatch as soon as the lightning flashed in front of my eyes.

“Mister! How many seconds is that?” Sung Mi-Ri asked, her eyes gleaming as her body emitted residual sparks.

Tzz tzzz!

That blinding gaze aside, I was feeling some sparks—literally, probably because of the lightning.

Let’s keep some distance between us.

“Wow, 1.84 seconds.”

“Yay! I finally broke my 2 seconds record!”

As it had been a while since I did some math, my brain was confused for a moment. Since she ran at 54 meters per second, her speed would be approximately 200 km/h.

Ms. Sung Mi-Ri, let’s work a bit harder and catch up with KTX. At your current pace, it should be possible.

“It’s all thanks to you, Mister!”

“I didn’t do much. It’s all because of your own potential.”

I secretly took a look at the gigantic monster bound in chains within her. It resembled a certain pocket monster that emitted electrical sparks. Then, I subtly directed my forefinger at her.

Pzzz! Pzzz!

In the beginning, that lightning beast would growl fiercely at me. But now, it was wagging its tail gently as if feeling glad to see me.

Good boy. On a second look, it was quite adorable, like a huge cat. I cast my innate power on it.

“Crushing Forefinger of God.”

Click! Craaack!

One of the chains binding it shattered. Under the pretext of training, I had released almost half of the seal that restricted her power. In proportion to that, her power had also risen significantly.

What would happen once her seal was fully broken? My heart throbbed at the thought that I personally helped the growth of the tenth S-rank Hunter in South Korea.

“You’ve worked hard today.”

“Yes, Mister! See you tomorrow!”

I bade goodbye to Sung Mi-Ri. She gave me a ninety-degree bow and left. I headed back, thinking that I had a fruitful day. Upon reaching home, I was greeted by another statue. The excitement in my heart dissipated.

Another one?! Enough of these statues!

“Sigh, it’s really ugly.”

Pretty sure I didn’t look like that. Those ants needed to get their eyes checked. I pushed the statue away into a corner and sat down. Now, what should I have for dinner?

Thick Neoguri noodles drizzled in spicy broth would be nice. The rich taste of black soybeans mixed with the MSG in black bean noodles also sounded good. After agonizing over them, I decided to have a mix of both.

Hoho, the best decision that even lone eaters would admire!

I went to boil a pot of water on the stove.

Ding ding!

But then, notifications came from God-Maker. Right, it was time to feed the ants. I fetched the sugar box.

Hm, I, Yu Il-Shin, will once again bestow upon you blessings of Housewife Baek.

But after launching God-Maker, the first thing that appeared was...

[Some of your followers are seriously injured.]

There were some black ants lying on the ground, with some others helping to nurse them.

Damn it, why are they always reduced to such a state whenever I wasn’t looking? Are they the neighborhood punching bags?

“What happened this time?!”

I focused on the ants and activated my power.

Ding!

[Appraisal complete!]

-----

[Incapacitated Black Tribesmen]

Followers serving Yu Il-Shin.

Special note: Attacked by a demon.

-----

“...Demon?”

Huh? A demon? Whatever the case, how dare they touch my ants! Unforgivable!

Just as I was fuming, the Saintess crawled to me in a hurry and said something.

Katalk! Katalk!

I was wondering who had sent me messages, but...

Saintess: O’ great and merciful God Yu Il-Shin.

Huh? Why are you here?