On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons-Chapter 155: #Immaculate Propaganda!

Just as I was about to use my healing ability, I looked at Il-Ho in disbelief.

“You’re okay, Il-Ho?”

-Keke! I’m completely fine, this is nothing.

Il-Ho sounded quite cheerful. He brushed off the dirt on his body.

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Still in the dark about what they were doing, I asked, “What are you guys up to?”

-I’m trying to overcome my weaknesses!

“Your weaknesses...?”

-Indeed! The recent incident made me realize that my muscles are vulnerable to lightning attacks! It motivated me to overcome that weakness and attain the strongest muscles possible!

“Wait, Il-Ho. Is that really necessary? It looks extremely dangerous.”

-It is dangerous! But for the sake of attaining the strongest set of invincible muscles, not even gods can stop me from treading this path!

Il-Ho flexed his bulky muscles.

“Okay, then.” Seeing him so active, I was sure he’d be okay.

-Also, I just discovered a surprising effect of this lightning!

“What is it?”

-It’s perfect to loosen up my sore muscles after training! Would you like to try it out, Lord Yu Il-Shin?

He used the lightning as an electric massage?

“No, I’ll pass...”

-Muuuscles! I shall proceed with my training, then! Rollie! Give me another good one!

-A-again? Can’t we call it a day?

Rollie was almost in tears. Though heaving heavily, he still slapped his chest confidently.

-Haa...! Haa...! Rollie! I need it! I need more electrifying lightning strikes! My tense muscles are begging for them!

I quietly turned off God-Maker.

Gosh, Il-Ho scares me sometimes.

He started as an ordinary ant, so when did he turn into such a muscle freak? Was it my fault? Was there an issue with my training?

“I told you to shut the fuck up!”

A shadow loomed over me with a roar.

Wondering who it was, I finally realized that it was the room leader. I calmly appraised him. Although he was pretty bulky, he wasn’t as strong as my naturally built Il-Ho. Apparently, not everyone could be like that guy.

Something felt off, though. Why did this burly man look strangely familiar?

“Have we met somewhere before? Hey, do you recognize me?”

His face contorted ferociously. “You punk. Are you making fun of me right now?”

His pupil-less white eyes glowed menacingly.

Oh no, how insensitive I was! How could I say that to a blind man?!

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! It was a slip of the tongue!”

I tried apologizing, but he still looked merciless. The giant clenched his fight tightly.

“Die!”

A barrage of blows came at me.

“Eeek!”

“M-Mr. Cheol-Du! You’ll kill him at this rate!”

Startled by the turns of events, the other Hunters stuck closely to the walls, shuddering. Moments later, Cheol-Du’s arms fell. Like the breadman, his fists were now swollen and twice their original size. Blood dripped from his knuckles.

“Huff! Huff! You bastard!”

I uncurled myself as soon as he stopped attacking me.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Just how strong are you...”

Despite being beaten up, I was unscathed. Ever since I became a Mid-tier God, weapons could no longer harm me thanks to Il-Ho’s Strong Body skill.

Cheol-Du sniffed and cautiously asked, “Y-you. What’s your name?”

“I’m Yu Il-Shin.”

“Yu... Il-Shin?” He slowly turned pale as if he were having flashbacks. Shocked, he stumbled backward.

What’s wrong?

“Hyii! Aren’t you Sword Demon’s master? W-why are you here?!”

He recoiled in surprise as if he saw a cockroach.

If my memory was correct, we indeed had met before. Wasn’t he called Cheol-Du?

Cheol-Du, Cheol-Du, Cheol-Du... Cheol-Mi?

Oh right, I remember now!

“Oh, you’re Cheol-Mi’s brother!”

Apostle Johan had once hired him and his sibling to kill Sword Demon.

What a small world! To meet them again here, of all places—this must be fate!

I extended my hand. “It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“H-he’s going to kill me! Warden! Save me! I’m going to die!” Cheol-Du screamed like a child.

Where had the overbearing man from earlier gone to?

“Shh! Quiet!” In a panic, I instinctively slapped Cheol-Du on the back of his head.

“Blegh!”

Along with a loud, bone-shattering sound, Cheol-Du’s head was smashed deep into the prison floor.

Ugh, I failed to control my strength.

“Are you alright?!” I gasped and pulled Cheol-Du up in a hurry, seeing his face all bloodied. Moreover, there was a dent in the floor, shaped like a grim death mask.

“Hic! F-forgive me for not recognizing you... and being rude!” The junkie was so terrified that he wet his pants.

The other Hunters had similar expressions, making them look like a group of rabbits locked in a cage with a lion.

“Uhm, guys? You misunderstand. I’m not a bad guy...”

“Aaargh! Someone save me!”

“Excuse me?”

“No! Let me leave! Aaaargh!”

One of them even tried to grab the iron bars, electrocuting himself and frothing at the mouth.

“D-Double Sword has been attacked!”

“He’s going to kill us all!!”

“Guys? Seriously, please calm—”

“It’s us or him! Get him!”

“Kill him!”

Like cornered rats, the Hunters swarmed toward me, trying to retaliate against the cat.

“Haa...”

What the hell were they doing to a good puny citizen like myself?

Smaaack!

***

“This way, please.” The warden led a lady in a black suit, doing his best to steady his pounding heart.

I can’t believe I get to walk alongside Sung Mi-Na!

Indeed. The lady he was escorting was South Korea’s top celebrity and S-rank Hunter Sung Mi-Na, the blue chip of the advertising world.

Comedian Charlie Chaplin once said that a flower was the prettiest just before it bloomed. Although Sung Mi-Na was far from the image of a glamorous mature lady, she had an innocent-like beauty that was reminiscent of Wendy from Neverland. Her black suit only made her seem like a young girl trying to look like an adult—an out-of-place yet cute attempt.

“Fucking hell! I’m not even his guardian! Why do they always look for me whenever something happens to that asshole?!”

Seeing this unexpected side of her, spewing profanities off camera, was also refreshing...

“Mr. Warden, which cell is that man in?” she finally asked in annoyance after endlessly traveling down flights of stairs. They didn’t build elevators in this special facility for security reasons.

“He’s temporarily incarcerated in a cell on the forty-fourth underground floor. Even though there weren't many casualties, the incident was apparently too big to ignore, so we had to take proper precautions.”

“The forty-fourth floor? Isn’t that where they keep heinous criminals with dangerous abilities? Did you put him in there with them?”

“Wait, you didn’t know? There’s no such thing as solitary confinement here. And surprisingly, they’re pretty well-behaved. As long as there's a mix of A-rank criminals among them, there are fewer troubles. Cheol-Du is the leader in the cell where he’s kept right now. He should be fine, provided he didn’t provoke the guy. You don’t have to worry—”

“What?! You locked Il-Shin together with A-rank criminals? What were you thinking?! Let’s go!”

“Huh? Ah, yes!”

The warden hurriedly led Sung Mi-Na down the stairs. He was an A-rank Hunter himself, so it didn’t take too long for them to reach the forty-fourth underground floor.

“Mr. Warden, are you sure this is the place? Didn’t you say this is an infamous special prison where only the worst criminals are kept?”

“It should be...”

Nothing could have prepared them for the sight that awaited them. A group of rugged men knelt before Yu Il-Shin.

“All hail Yu Il-Shin hyungnim!”

“Praise hyungnim, our savior!”

There was neither coercion nor tension in the atmosphere. They looked more like a group of fanatics worshipping their leader.

***

“I’ll never forget the grace of Yu Il-Shin for restoring my vision! Even A-rank healers gave up on my eyes! I never thought I’d be able to see again! Hic, hic...” Cheol-Du cried wholeheartedly, leading the other Hunters from the cell. His eyes now had large, black pupils that were full of life.

I broke out in a cold sweat, stumbling backward. “Mr. Cheol-Du, your eyes are so round and beautiful, but... how do I say this? They’re making me uncomfortable. Can you please back off a little?”

The bald, skinny junkie had also transformed beyond recognition.

“Aah! In my whole life, my mind has never been clearer! I’m ashamed for wasting my time seeking meaningless thrill! I, Lee Cheong-Myung, vow to never use drugs ever again.”

The junkie’s cheeks had regained their rosiness. Above all, his gap-tooth teeth shone white, like those models in toothpaste commercials.

“Alright, alright. Get off me.”

“Waaaah! I will never use my powers for evil again!”

“All hail Yu Il-Shin hyungnim!”

“Today, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel! Hyungnim, I’ll follow you for the rest of my life!”

The criminals flocked over to me. I wasn’t aware I was in a cult. It was never my intention to begin with. They suddenly panicked and lunged at me, so I acted out of self-defense. I lost control and roughed them up a tad too severely, though, so I healed them using the Healing Ring Finger of God.

It was a bit too effective, if I might add. Besides healing their wounds, it kind of affected their minds a bit too.

[Infinite Abundance patted her bountiful chest, pleased with how you healed the criminals and guided them to the right path.]

[Silently Crawling Nightmare glared at Infinite Abundance, screaming if she was flexing.]

[Infinite Abundance puffed up her chest proudly, suggesting she could build up good karma if she was envious.]

Haa, when will these stalkers start getting along?

“What are you doing?”

Hearing the familiar female voice, I turned around to see Sung Mi-Na and the warden. They both looked at me in disbelief.

“Ah! Mi-Na noona! Are you here to bail me out?”

Sung Mi-Na clutched her head, letting out a sigh. “Tsk. Serves me right for worrying about you! Now get out.”

The warden deactivated the currents on the iron bars. As he opened the door to the cell, he glanced warily at the prisoners. However, they merely clasped their hands together and watched me leave with eyes that made them look like lost lambs.

“I’ll be leaving first, then. Once you get out of here, be sure to lead a good life!”

“Don’t worry! I’ll make sure to repent and visit hyungnim when I get out.”

That made me flinch.

“N-no. You don’t have to. Go about your own business and live righteously in your own place. We don’t really have to meet...” I made sure to draw a clear boundary, hoping that none of them would come looking for me later.

Ding!

Just then, messages from God-Maker appeared.

[You have gained Cheol-Du and nine other humans as followers (Fanatic).]

[You should nurture them properly and form a legion of fanatics.]

Ugh, why is it always like this?! I don’t want to!