On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons-Chapter 247: #Everyone has a Plan, Maybe (2)

“What’s wrong? Are you cold?” Ant Emperor asked nonchalantly.

“N-no. It’s probably because I’ve just transformed. I still can’t get used to it. Haha!”

“Clearly, your divine power has increased since your evolution.”

Uh, Buddy? Why are you saying that while licking your lips? You’re scaring me!

I genuinely considered the emperor as a friend, but our relationship felt as tense as the one shared between a wolf and a sheep!

Ant Emperor sat on the throne adorned with jewels, oblivious to my thoughts, while the gorgeous spider woman, Arachne, attended to him.

“You’re concerned about the sacrifices you needed to offer to elevate your godhood? What a waste of time. Just kill a billion or so, like in your previous life,” said the tyrannical emperor with brutal indifference.

“Hey, I can’t kill my own people so rashly.”

“My subjects number in the trillions. Add in those still enslaved yet absorbed into the empire, and the total is even higher. A mere billion is nothing.”

That many? Well, I did hear the number of insects on earth exceeded tens of trillions somewhere before. I was conflicted for a moment, but eventually shook my head.

“No, forget it. They’re pitiful lives after all.”

Even if they were just insects, they were also living beings with personalities just like myself.

Ant Emperor stared at me, and my heart pounded.

“W-why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re always too soft. How did a cowardly fool like you even become a High-tier god in your previous life?”

I was furious.

Hey! Friends or not, some things are better left unsaid! I’m only holding back because I’m nice—no, because I’m scared!

Ant Emperor sighed lightly, muttering ever so softly that I couldn’t quite catch him. “But since someone like you has saved me, I have no right to complain. It’d have been easier to destroy the empire than to risk my life persuading you...”

“Huh? Emperor, what did you just say? I couldn’t quite hear it, so could you repeat yourself?”

Ant Emperor clicked his tongue and switched the topic. “Following God-Maker’s quest without making sacrifices might not be a bad idea. You did mention that divine powers gained from God-Maker don't work on Despair and that abominable god.”

Ah, that’s right! I couldn’t even leave a scratch on Despair in my previous life!

“W-what does that look supposed to mean? Did you not think of that?”

“O-of course I did! I have fleshed out everything!”

So spare me that scary look, Buddy!

Ant Emperor fell silent for a few moments, then said, “Based on centuries of research and observation, I’ve found that escaping this Tutorial requires meeting two conditions. One is to attain the highest divinity possible—High-tier godhood—which could surpass causality. The second would be to become the last survivor.”

Sss—

He reached out a finger.

“I was originally the last survivor in this Tutorial until you arrived, which now makes the number of survivors increase by one.”

He then showed a second finger.

Gulp!

I swallowed dryly. Was the ominous feeling just my imagination?

Sss—

Ant Emperor rose from his seat and extended his hideous hand toward me. My breath caught. Even in my past life, I’d seen him as a formidable foe—and by now, he’d likely surpassed a Mid-tier god. Feeling as if a giant were reaching out to crush me with his finger, I unconsciously shut my eyes tight.

Instead, he gently patted my shoulder. I cautiously opened my eyes.

“I believe in you, Yu Il-Shin. I hope you’ll work hard and find a way to tear apart and kill our enemy.”

Despite his monstrous appearance, his eyes held the same innocence and deep trust he had when he was first dragged into the Tutorial.

I screamed with all my might, “Of course! Believe in me, Friend! I’ll make it happen!”

Ant Emperor smiled at the word friend.

“It’d be a bit sad to devour a friend—so keep trying.”

Uh... Pal? Buddy? What did you just say? Did I hear that correctly?

“Bwahahaha!” Ant Emperor burst into maniacal laughter as he left the room, leaving me frozen like a statue.

You’re a toxic friend!

I cursed him in my heart as I watched him leave.

Meanwhile, Arachne stayed behind, staring wistfully at the emperor’s departing figure.

“His Majesty truly cherishes you, Noble One. Kuku, I’m almost jealous of you.”

“Him?”

Despite having so many eyes, how was her judgment so off?

“Yes, it’s been three hundred years since I last saw him laugh so heartily.”

I’m not so sure about that. He looks like a child playing with a toy instead. Anyway, fine!

“Arachne, is what I asked of you before still possible?”

Arachne bowed her head respectfully. “Yes, all preparations have been completed.”

“Great.”

Though time flowed somewhat differently in Antrinia and on Earth, it was time for me to act. One of the reasons I’d chosen Ant Emperor to be my ally was to bring Goddess Arachne to my side. In my previous life, she had traveled between Earth and Antrinia to transfer Gustav’s children over.

I clenched my cute little hands, “Let’s go to Earth!”

Wait for me, my followers! Yu Il-Shin is coming back!

...Well not for real.

***

In a university hospital in Seoul, South Korea, specializing in Awakened individuals...

“Kyaaaa!”

“S-save me!”

The hospital was in complete chaos. A bald man, wrapped in skull-shaped bombs, had held the nurses hostage.

“Don’t move or I’ll kill everyone!”

“Eeeek!”

Screams erupted from all directions as people cowered on the floor, frozen in fear.

“Stay there, Thunder Emperor! One single move and I’ll detonate these bombs!”

“Tsk, you coward!”

Going against the bald man was Thunder Emperor, who wore a black helmet and insulated tights—Sung Mi-Ri.

How nostalgic. I was also on the same scene back then, and Baldie thought I was on his side, causing me a lot of trouble. I even wrote about it in Chapter 35 of my serialized novel, titled Feeling Uncomfortable Because of Some Weird Baldie Acting Chummy. Like Ant Emperor, I was bound by the law of causality and couldn’t descend to Earth. Instead, I watched the scene through Arachne’s crystal ball.

“Test... test... One, two, three. Ready? Count?”

-Mwehehe! Ready for your order, Noble One!

“Alright, let’s go!”

-Yes sir!

Whiiiing!

One of the Ten Swords, Blood Sword Count Mosto, shook his head.

It was one of the Emperor’s Ten Swords, Blood Sword, Count Mosto.

“Did you not hear me! Do you all really wish to die!”

As Baldie screamed at the top of his lungs, Mosto landed on his shiny head.

Pswoosh!

Mosquito drank his fill of blood, then left.

“I’m going to sacrifice all of you to Johan... Ugh... Why am I suddenly so diz—Koff!”

Suddenly, bright red feverish spots erupted all over him, and his eyes turned completely white.

Plop!

“H-huh?”

The bald man collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth. Sung Mi-Ri and the people around were confused, and their faces seemed to say, “What the hell is this moron doing?”

Alright, one down, next was...

***

In the dead of night, at Incheon Port, where not a single ray of light shone...

Thud!

A towering giant, over two meters tall with muscles like plated armor, emerged in the port lined with towering stacks of containers. He seemed to have sprinted at breakneck speed through the complete darkness for a while. His white eyes, marked with an old slash wound scar, were fixated on a single point.

“No wonder the scar you left throbbed. You’ve indeed returned to Korea, Sword Demon.”

He stared at an arrogant, black-haired swordsman sitting above a container stack.

“Today, we end this. Let’s determine who’s the best assassin on Earth!”

“I don’t care. All I want is a worthy opponent—someone I can cross swords with at full strength.” Sword Demon looked down at Cheol-Du blankly. “You’re lacking. If you really want to fight me, you should’ve brought your sibling along, Cheol-Du.”

“Still so arrogant?! I’ve changed in these three years, Sword Demon! Let’s go!”

Crack crack!

Cheol-Du roared like a bear. Darkness engulfed him and his massive muscles swelled until they almost burst. Sword Demon’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“Oh, have you been practicing in secret?”

Shrnggg—

Sword Demon smirked, drawing his sword. “This will be interesting.”

Meanwhile, as I watched the tense situation through the crystal ball, I thought to myself, This feels weird.

I couldn’t get used to Sword Demon’s lonely, solitary aura at all. Then again, that was probably how he was before he met me and turned into a fanatic.

Anyway, the project starts now.

“Master Assassin, are you ready?”

-Assassin Sword Killerbee and direct descendants are awaiting your orders.

“You mustn’t kill them under any circumstances—especially that swordsman, got it?”

-Please rest assured. We have diluted the poison from our family’s secret recipe to one-tenth of its original strength.

“Okay, charge!”

Killerbee and his relatives, resembling a swarm of wasps, silently flew through the darkness at my command. If there were assassins like Sword Demon and Cheol-Du on Earth, then they were the assassin clan in Antrinia!

Pswoosh pswoosh!

Like a bolt of lightning, Killerbee’s poisonous darts pierced through their necks.

“Ack! What’s that?”

“A-ambushing me with poison... You c-coward...”

The men glared at each other, clutching their necks as they fell motionless to the ground. Alright, phase one was complete. I looked at Il-Ho, who was sweating buckets behind me. His muscles seemed about to explode. He’d bulked up so much in that short period while I was in the empire. As expected of Il-Ho, always so reliable.

“Il-Ho, you’re ready, right?”

“B-but my Lord, I don’t dare to touch your divine body...”

“Hurry! Do you intend to disobey my orders, Apostle Il-Ho?!”

“Urk! Lord Yu Il-Shin! Please forgive me! Muuuscles!”

Il-Ho shut his eyes tight and smacked the back of my head as hard as he could.

Wham!

G-great. Marvelous punch Il-Ho.

“I shall begin the dream ritual now.”

***

“W-where am I?” Sword Demon looked around the pitch-black darkness, flustered.

I could see why anyone would be flustered. He was just about to engage in a fight against Cheol-Du, only to find himself here.

It seemed that the dream ritual I’d asked Arachne to perform was a success. Indeed. I was now in Sword Demon’s dream. Although I was bound by the laws of causality and couldn’t return to Earth, I could still reach them through dreams.

Just then, Sword Demon spotted me.

Clang! Swaaaa!

He pulled out his sword, and before I knew it, the sharp blade was at my neck.

“A child? W-who are you!” Sword Demon was wide-eyed.

Seeing him break out in cold sweat as if sensing the unusual aura from me, I tried recalling the past. I probably did this? I forced the most wicked and cruel smile I could possibly muster, and drew Demon Lord strung on my waist.

“Keke, I want to kill!”