On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons

Chapter 119: Saint of Miracles, Yu Il-Shin

Back on the 41st floor of the Tower of Warriors, Il-Ho stood in the training grounds of the Fairy Castle, checking his tanned arms.

“Hmm...”

Then, he raised a boulder hundreds of times larger than himself.

“Hyaaaa!”

Rip! Riiip!

His arm muscles bulged rapidly until they were about to burst, while his tendons protruded like spiderwebs.

Baaam!

The boulder shattered into a million pieces, causing a hail of pebbles to rain down.

Il-Ho grinned from ear to ear, cheering, “Muahaha! I’ve finally gotten used to my new arms! My muuuscles have returned!”

“Kyaa! Aboo!”

Watching from the side, the baby fairy clapped in celebration.

Il-Ho pounded his chest, boasting, “Kekeke! Little One, work as hard as I did, and you’ll get muscles like these!”

“Ugh, please don’t teach Her Majesty any more weird stuff,” Governess Elise appeared with a look of disgust.

Il-Ho greeted her with a bright smile. “Oh, here you are! I’ve been waiting day and night for your return!”

Elise sighed while handing him a jar of honey.

“Just be honest, you’re waiting for this honey, not me.”

“Keke, thank you!”

Il-Ho respectfully received the jar with both hands. Then, he rejoiced. Honey tasted the most delicious after the training session!

Just as he was about to take a huge scoop like a bear...

Ruuuumble!

Suddenly, the calm blue sky split, revealing a monstrous giant head. It was God Yu Il-Shin, whom Il-Ho claimed to serve. Elise let out an ear-piercing shriek, falling to the ground in a heap. She could never get used to his horrifying and wretched appearance! Above all, the black aura coursing through his body radiated pure evil to her.

“Kya! Aboo!” the baby fairy greeted with a smile, waving her hands.

Il-Ho bowed deeply with enthusiasm. “Have you descended, O’ great and merciful God Yu Il-Shin?! Huh?! That scruffy appearance... D-don’t tell me you’re still lost in the mountains?”

-Yes... I can’t seem to find my way out. Speaking of which, Il-Ho. Can you share your honey with me again?

Flinch—

As Il-Ho held the jar of honey, his arm muscles twitched.

“O-of course! Il-Ho isn't reluctant to share his honey with God Yu Il-Shin—not at all!” Il-Ho offered the whole jar with a trembling voice.

After accepting the honey from Il-Ho, God Yu Il-Shin sighed deeply.

-Thank you. You’re a real lifesaver. Once I get back home, I’ll be sure to give you lots of sugar cubes.

“Oh! Thank you, great and merciful God Yu Il-Shin! Puck puck!” Il-Ho salivated, praising Yu Il-Shin.

Indeed! My faith must never waver!

“But God Yu Il-Shin, I have a request.”

-Hm? What is it?

Il-Ho raised the baby fairy toward God Yu Il-Shin. “The Little One doesn’t have a name yet. I want her to grow up healthy. Could you please give her a name, just like you did for us?” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Aboo?”

God Yu Il-Shin pondered for a while, then spoke,

-...Aboo sounds good, but maybe it’s unsuitable for a girl? Ah! How about Aran? It’s the name of the main character from the novel I wrote a while back!

“Oh, that’s a nice name! Thank you! Kekeke, Little One. Did you hear that? From now on, your name is Aran!”

“Kyaa~”

God Yu Il-Shin smiled benevolently as he watched both the baby and Il-Ho cheering.

-Okay, see you.

Ruuumble!

God Yu Il-Shin disappeared and the sky returned to normal.

[Congratulations! The Forty-First Floor of the Tower of Warriors: Save the Fairy Queen has been cleared.]

[Would you like to challenge the next floor?]

Then, messages from the tower appeared.

As Il-Ho put Aran down, he looked at her straight in the eyes. “Little One, it’s a pity, but it’s time to say goodbye.”

The quest had come to an end. Il-Ho had tried to extend his stay using the excuse of rehabilitating his new arms, but he couldn’t remain any longer. His duel against the malevolent god had made him realize his own shortcomings. In order to protect God Yu Il-Shin, the Saintess, and the people of his beloved homeland, he had to become stronger!

Sniffling, Aran flapped her tiny wings and flew to Il-Ho’s head.

“Aboo.”

She held Il-Ho’s face with both hands, as if holding a precious treasure, then kissed him on his forehead.

Smooch—

A flower shape was imprinted on his forehead.

Ding!

[The challenger has been rewarded with Blessing of the Fairy Queen (Enlarge).]

“T-this is...!” Il-Ho’s eyes widened in surprise.

Whenever Il-Ho fought stronger enemies, the size difference always put him at a disadvantage. No doubt, Aran’s blessing would be a great boon for him!

Il-Ho gently stroked Aran’s fluffy hair. “Thank you for your gift, Aran. If fate allows, let’s meet again. I pray that you’ll become a good queen, worthy of muscles.”

“Aboo!”

Leaving behind Aran and Elise, who seemed concerned, Il-Ho was transported to the next floor.

Flash!

***

“Even the tall Taishan is a mere speck under the sky.”

While licking the honey given by Il-Ho, I recited the poem Beautiful Women written by Yang Sa-eon. Doing so evoked a certainly scholarly feel, which didn’t help my situation in the slightest. I raised my phone to find a signal, but had no luck. Decades ago, Taishan used to be a famous tourist destination, but it all changed after a gate opened. Naturally, not a single soul could be found in the area.

I pulled my hair, screaming, “Fuck you, Malevolent Yu Il-Shin! Because you killed everyone, there's no one left to show me the way out!"

Of course, screaming didn’t bring me any comfort, just more depression. If only Lilith was here with me... I could’ve used her subspace skill to get back home somehow. Unfortunately, I left her behind in Korea.

“Ms. Lilith! If you hear me, please come here! I need your help!”

Since we were connected as a god and familiar, I tried to send her a telepathic message, but to no avail. Later, I found out that she was enjoying grilled sirloin with Ko Sa-Deuk back at home.

“It should be somewhere around here...”

I wasn’t wandering aimlessly in the mountains. According to the Black Moon Leader’s memories, there should be a village nearby—the place where the sickly family members of the Black Demons were gathered.

I wasn’t familiar with the mountainous terrain, so it was difficult to locate. Nevertheless, I wasn’t stuck here for the past three days for nothing?

Thus, as the sun set and rose again, I continued my search through the mountains.

“Haa... haa... Found it, finally...”

I spotted a group of old shacks hidden at the foot of the mountain.

***

For South Korea's S-rank Hunter, Sung Mi-Na, it was early morning, 5:30 a.m. When her eyes fluttered open, she found herself inside the embrace of her younger sister, Sung Mi-Ri. Her round eyes gazed at her as if she was a precious treasure.

Despite having just woken up, Sung Mi-Na felt as if she was dreaming. After all, their relationship had been strained until recently because of what she did in the past to protect Sung Mi-Ri.

Briefly, Sung Mi-Na gave her sister a tender smile, before tip-toeing outside, careful not to wake her. After a quick shower, Sung Mi-Na put on a Mickey Mouse box tee and headed to the kitchen, about to prepare breakfast for Sung Mi-Ri.

It was just a simple breakfast. A sweet french toast, some fruits and vegetables salad, and a glass of coffee.

“Hmm...”

After some thought, Sung Mi-Na decided to lightly burn the edges of the bread as a finishing touch.

Then, she hurried back to the bedroom, waking up her younger sister.

“Mi-Ri~ Wake up~ Have some breakfast and go to school~”

“Mm...”

Sung Mi-Na pushed her half-asleep sister into the bathroom.

After a quick shower, Sung Mi-Ri sat down at the dining table, but she barely touched her meal. Sung Mi-Na knew why. Yu Il-Shin had been missing for ten days. Regardless, she couldn’t let Sung Mi-Ri skip breakfast.

Time to unleash her secret weapon!

“Hic, you don’t like it? Unni worked hard preparing it for you.” Sung Mi-Na tearfully stared at her younger sister.

Surprised, Sung Mi-Ri wolfed down her breakfast. “Of course not, Unni! It’s delicious!”

Sung Mi-Na smiled brightly. Her little sister was indeed kind-hearted.

“I’ll be back, Unni. Call me right away if anything happens.”

“Uh-huh! Study hard at school, Mi-Ri~”

Right before her younger sister left for school, Sung Mi-Na pulled her into a tight embrace.

Sung Mi-Ri had missed a lot of classes recently because of Hunter activities. As such, she’d been complaining more often. Soon, I’ll also be resuming my Hunter activities. Thinking that, Sung Mi-Na began her own routine.

Trickle—

After filling a large cup with the best milk from Jeju Island, Sung Mi-Na sat elegantly on the sofa. She stuck to milk instead of coffee due to lingering feelings for growth. Using her tablet, she accessed news portal sites, browsing through political and economical news. She also checked the latest updates on the notices and the status of recent gates posted by the World Hunter Association.

But then, a certain news caught her eye. A recent missing people case that happened to S-rank Hunters all across the globe. Apparently, at least twenty S-rank Hunters and countless other high-ranking Hunters from China, including Lin Xiao Ming, were missing.

Sung Mi-Na’s face became grim.

Did he...?

Sung Mi-Na shook her head in disbelief. Yu Il-Shin wouldn't be killed that easily—she trusted and depended on him that much. So, she concluded that he had his hands full with something of utmost importance. Hence why they lost contact with him for the past ten days.

After reading the news, Sung Mi-Na launched NewTube. It delivered news the fastest, although most of it was fake.

“What's this?”

One video was rapidly getting more views in real-time.

[Miraculous beggar appears in China! Is he an SSS-rank Hermit, or the Second Coming of God?]

However, when she skimmed through the replies below, there were hundreds saying this was fake or a scam.

SSS-rank Hermit? The Second Coming of God?

Nevertheless, the video title lingered in her mind, so she decided to watch it while listlessly sipping milk. It featured a long-bearded, ragged, and grubby beggar traveling through the epidemic-ridden cities of China. The highlight of the footage was him healing people en masse, many of whom had collapsed and were unable to be admitted into hospitals.

「Healing Ring Finger of God.」

Dazzling white light came from the beggar’s finger, enveloping the dying patient. In the next second, the patient recovered instantly like nothing ever happened. Naturally, chaos ensued as people erupted in cheers.

Then, the one who recorded it asked the beggar.

「Who...are you? Are you god?」

The video zoomed in on the beggar’s face.

「I don’t speak Mandarin.」

Tears streamed down his solemn, saintlike face.

「I want to go home. Please. Huhu...」

Pfft!

Sung Mi-Na spat out the milk she was drinking.

“What the hell are you doing there?!”