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Chapter 61: Even Gods Feel Anguish at Times

“Die! Just die already!”

Nothing worked. Neither a firestorm, a blizzard, a steel-cutting gust of wind, nor a meteor rain could take down that beautiful, gigantic flower.

-Kieeeeeek!

Despite unleashing all attacks she could muster, Sung Mi-Na couldn’t even pluck a single petal.

She fell into despair—it was as if she was reliving that harrowing, fateful day all over again. The nightmarish day where everyone was devoured by that abomination, leaving her and Sung Mi-Ri behind.

Flick flick flick!

The taunting flower wrapped its vines all over her body, before revealing its hideous fangs.

Grrr!

Abyssal darkness stared back at Sung Mi-Na.

“Ahhh! N-nooo!” She screamed, tears welling up in her eyes.

However, the Night Rose only chuckled, as if relishing her terror.

“P-please! I still have things left to do... I can’t die like this!”

Night Rose cared not for her pleas. Like an insect caught in a venus flytrap, Sung Mi-Na was devoured by the nightmare incarnate.

Gulp!

***

Snore—

As I sank into the swamp of the mental space, I wrapped the darkness around me like a blanket and drifted to sleep. It was cozier than I thought. Maybe I could use this method to cure my insomnia...

“God, p-please save me...”

The voice of a scared little girl interrupted my sleep.

“Wahhhh!”

“D-don’t cry, Mi-Ri. Unni is here.”

Mi-Ri? The familiar name made me curious.

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

[You’re watching Sung Mi-Na’s “nightmare.”]

Flash!

All of the sudden, I was no longer in the world of darkness. Then, the figures of two children entered my sight. The older child hugged the younger, both shivering like cold, drenched ducklings.

The youngest seemed to be about my niece’s age. In her hand was a golden cross. As soon as I saw it, information about it appeared in my head. It was given by her parents.

After hiding the two in the basement, their parents acted as decoys, before ultimately getting devoured by it.

-Kyaaaa!

-Arghhh! Save me!

“Oh, God... Please save me...”

The desperate cries of people.

Praying pitifully to God, the younger child clutched the golden cross so tightly that her palm bled. Her prayer went unheard amidst the ensuing hell.

-Grrr!

Then, I saw a gargantuan dragon. Its long, forked tongue swept through the city, devouring humans. Such a horrifying and surreal sight it was, like an anteater swooping through an anthill to eat ants.

I finally realized what it was. The strange horns sprouting from its head, resembling a spiky crown, was a dead giveaway. Fifteen years ago, a massive earthquake struck South Korea. Following that, a seemingly endless SSS-rank crack opened up on the ground, bringing forth the worst monster in history.

Abysm Dragon. The legendary monster that had turned the world upside down and claimed millions of lives, before being slain by the World Alliance.

The younger child cried and wailed, scattering yellow sparks around her.

Tzz! Tzzz!

”D-don’t cry, Mi-Ri. The monster won’t be able to find us. When have I ever lost at hide-and-seek?”

The child’s eyes turned blue.

Ssss—

The air around them warped as a bluish barrier enveloped them, hiding them from those outside.

“Look, how is it? Isn’t it amazing?”

Forcing a smile, the older child, Sung Mi-NA, stroked her little sister’s head.

“Wow.”

After seeing the protective barrier and her older sister’s smile, the younger child finally stopped crying.

“That’s right, my little sister is so sweet.”

With a trembling hand, Mi-Na continued patting Mi-Ri’s head. The latter was still giving out small electric sparks.

In truth, Mi-Na wanted to cry so badly. The sight of her parents being swept away by the dragon’s forked tongue, before being devoured alive, was seared in her memory.

Still, she couldn’t afford to cry. Not when she had promised her parents to protect her little sister no matter what.

How much time had passed? Before she knew it, the screams were no more. The abrupt silence brought hope to Sung Mi-Na. Did they survive from that horrible monster?

How wrong she was.

Ruuuumble! Bam bam bam!

With a deafening sound, the ceiling of the basement they were hiding in was torn open! At the same time, a yellow reptilian eye peered into the basement. Mi-Na shivered while burying her little sister’s head in her arms.

It’s fine, Mi-Ri. Don’t worry. That monster will never be able to see us.

Rumble—

After scanning the basement, the monster’s eye stopped.

-Strange. I was sure I’d smelled a worm here, but where is it?

That wasn’t a voice, but a telepathy. It was so sinister, like fingernails clawing her brain. Already an accomplished psychic at such a young age, Sung Mi-Na could connect with the dragon instantly. Although only a glimpse, she could see its essence.

What the hell... a demon?

No, the word “demon” wasn’t even close. Describing it as that would be far too generous.

The best fitting term was likely "extinction"—the end of all beings.

Shwishhh—

Succumbing to fear, Mi-Na peed in her pants.

The dragon narrowed its eye, as if mocking her. It could see them from the beginning. It was simply playing with its last prey.

Flickkk!

The black, forked tongue that had slaughtered millions effortlessly shattered Mi-Na’s protective barrier, wrapping around the children.

“Aaaaaah!”

The dragon opened its jaw wide, revealing what seemed like an entrance to the abyss, just as its name suggested.

No! Unable to watch this any longer, I attempted to save the two girls.

Swish!

However, my body passed through them, as did my attacks on the dragon. I was a captive audience in this nightmare, being made to watch as the dragon swept the children into its mouth, just like it did with millions of others.

But then, something seemed to have changed its mind. The dragon’s tongue stopped as it glared down at the children. Mi-Na was paralyzed in fear, whereas the crying Mi-Ri was firing electric attacks.

-It’ll be a shame to eat both of you right away. Despite being mere worms, you have quite the potential.

The dragon blinked several times in contemplation. Seemingly having made its decision, it nodded.

-Alright, I’ve decided. Even if I consume every human on this tiny planet, my divinity will remain unchanged. In that case, I should just raise them myself.

Crackle—

Then, a skull mark exuding a malicious aura appeared in the air. The pair of siblings screamed and wailed as the mark was branded on their chests and backs.

-Kukuku. I think I finally understood Infinite Abundance a bit. Sowing seeds, was it? It’s quite thrilling.

The dragon smiled sinisterly as it looked down on the crying pair.

-Worms, I’ll wait until the day your abilities fully mature. The brand of sacrifice I left on you will help you transcend the limit of your potential. I look forward to you becoming worthy of me and my master until doomsday.

Chuckling, the dragon vanished, leaving the branded sisters behind. That day marked the start of Mi-Na’s nightmare and time passed like a panorama.

Roughly half a year later, Mi-Na heard rumors of the dragon getting slain, but she didn’t buy it. It might’ve been for a brief moment, but she had witnessed the dragon’s essence, and therefore, she was sure it wasn’t the kind of monster that would easily be killed by humans.

Thus, in order to escape from the fate of becoming a sacrifice, Mi-Na pushed herself to the extreme. True to the dragon’s words, the mark helped Mi-Na’s abilities grow by leaps and bounds. Despite her tender age of fourteen, Mi-Na became the youngest S-rank Hunter globally. To top it off, her abilities were only getting more powerful.

I can become stronger. And when that time comes, that Abysm Dragon will...!

Her growing power convinced her that she’d be able to rise into Rank SSS one day, the so-called god’s domain. At the same time, Mi-Na realized that it also came at the cost of her life.

For some reason, her body had stopped growing at some point. Her organs were degenerating, and she experienced hemoptysis repeatedly.

Regardless, Mi-Na was willing to endure everything as long as she could exact revenge on the Abysm Dragon. But then, an incident occurred when Sung Mi-Ri was nine years old...

“Unni, look at this. Isn’t it amazing?”

Mi-Ri blew up an entire hill with a single lightning flash, proving that she’d reached S-rank.

“Unni...what’s wrong? I’m scared...”

Mi-Ri did it to be praised by her only sister, who was akin to a parental figure, but she ended up terrifying Mi-Na instead.

Mi-Na could live with this curse, even if she only had less than a decade left. As long as she could get her revenge, she’d die with a smile.

But what about Mi-Ri? What if her parents’ only legacy died without ever growing into someone she wanted to become?

No, not on her watch.

“Mi-Ri, look at me.” Mi-Na’s eyes shone blue.

“U-Unni? What’s wrong?”

Trickle!

Rotten, black blood spilled from her eyes and nose. Despite having become an SS-rank Hunter, she still couldn’t remove the mark left by the dragon.

But at the very least, if she risked her own life, she should be able to seal it.

The essence of Sung Mi-Ri’s power, the Thunder Beast within her soul.

“Aaaaargh! Unni, it hurts! Stop it!”

“Shut up! You talentless idiot! Don’t ever think of becoming a Hunter!”

And yet, I could hear the voice of Mi-Na’s heart.

-You should lead a normal life, Mi-Ri. Before I die, I’ll get rid of everything that stands in your way. So please, my dear little sister, please... live on.

Ding!

[Devoured by Night Rose, Sung Mi-Na’s consciousness is breaking down.]

[You have destroyed the Mental Space restricting you.]

Along with those messages...

“Gasp!”

I woke up from her nightmare.

***

Humans were tormented beings. Throughout the tribulations of life, humans faced countless problems and struggled to solve them. And I, a Lowest-tier God, was no different on Earth.

Sword Demon crept up on me. “Mr. Sword God, I have an idea.”

“What is it?”

“We’re in a deserted mountain right now. Why don’t we get rid of her quietly?” he said, silently unsheathing his sword.

“Hahaha, Mr. Sword Demon, no—Sword Demon.”

“Oooh! You finally decided to forego the honorifics! Yes! Mr. Sword God! I’ll do whatever you ask!”

“Shut up and stick your head on the ground.”

“Understood!” Sword Demon obediently followed his master’s order.

Meanwhile, with a throbbing head, I cautiously turned to Sung Mi-Na. She was curled up on the ground.

“Uhm, Ms. Sung Mi-Na?”

She looked up at me, giving me an innocent smile that no one had probably witnessed before.

It made my heart flutter, but for a different reason.

Please don’t smile at me like that. I’d rather you glare at me or treat me like trash.

Whether she knew what I was thinking, Sung Mi-Na tilted her head sideways and said, “...Mommy?”

I clutched my head.

Fuck, I’m about to lose my mind.