On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons-Chapter 214: #Hunter War of Destruction (2)

A decade ago, the Eiffel Tower fell in Paris, France's capital. The Arc de Triomphe was in shambles, without a single stone left intact. In less than half an hour, the world's most beautiful and romantic city, with centuries of history, was reduced to ruins.

All of that was done by a single monster, the Abysm Dragon. The enemy of all mankind, despair, the living catastrophe, and Antichrist incarnate.

A girl, reminiscent of wilted flowers, stumbled across the ruins. The worn cross hung from her neck swayed unsteadily with every step she took. She clutched something tightly in her arms—a bloodstained child's cloth, with no owner.

Sss—

A group of men, seemingly her henchmen, snuck behind her. She didn’t seem to be all there, but her torn clothes and sensual skin underneath the dirt and dust stirred their instincts. They probably wanted to relish what was left of the already fucked up world.

When the girl turned the corner into an alleyway, a pair of rough hands grabbed her. A terrible scream rang out, but it didn’t come from the girl. She walked on, casually wiping the blood splatter from her face. She arrived at a nearby church, surrounded by a cemetery. Unable to escape the claws of the Abysm Dragon, it was half-collapsed and hideous. The cross on the roof teetered on the brink of falling.

The girl knelt on the graveyard and dug the soil with her bare hands.

“...God watches over us with endless compassion.”

A disturbing voice reached her ears.

Looking up with her unfocused eyes, she saw an old priest flocked with a group of survivors. The survivors were ragged, like war refugees, while the priest’s robes remained pristine, untouched by a speck of dirt. Was it because the latter was favored by God?

No. The priest had often boasted to his congregation about his connections with politicians. He’d taken shelter in a top-notch air defense shelter, safe from the Abysm Dragon’s attacks.

Then, the priest turned to the survivors. “The trials before you are not beyond human endurance. God never burdens you with more than you can bear and always provides a way through. So let us stand together and overcome them...”

“Silence!” the girl cursed. She closed in on the priest, her seemingly vacant eyes burning with fire.

If God truly existed, He wouldn’t have taken everything away—her kind, loving parents, or her five-year-old brother. He wouldn’t have kept her alive. The priest survived through his connections, while she survived by mere chance.

“SIster, I understand your feelings. But please, quell your anger and come to me. Let’s overcome this trial together.” The priest mustered a compassionate smile as he reached out to her.

However, instead of taking it, the girl ripped off her metal cross necklace, clutching it tightly.

Creaaaaak!

A sound far too powerful for a young girl rang through the air. The priest went pale, but it was only the beginning.

She hurled the cross that was mangled beyond recognition at the half-destroyed church.

Ruuuumble! Booom!

Wrapped in a blue aura, the cross struck the church, razing it to the ground like a bomb.

“Eeeek!”

The priest and survivors scrambled on all fours, looking for cover. Moments later, they looked up to find that the twenty-year-old Awakener, Zan le Mang, had vanished.

***

The Bone Dragon let out a roar.

-Destrooooooy!

Zan Le Mang grabbed a hold of herself. It couldn’t be the Abysm Dragon! Nevertheless, the resemblance stirred her nightmarish memories and the emotions that came with them. She traveled the world to hunt the dragon that took her family, earning the nickname Berserker. Along the way, she had slain many monsters and saved countless civilians. Before she knew it, she was considered one of the best Hunters in the world.

However, she stood no chance against the Abysm Dragon. As the ultimate monster, it was impervious to humanity’s strongest cold weapon—a barrage of nuclear warheads. She’d barely escaped the Abysm Dragon raid with her life.

“Ugh...”

One day, Zan Le Mang had a bizarre dream.

Tzzzz!

A mysterious figure, enveloped in blinding light, whispered to her.

-Lady, what would you offer in exchange for the power to exact your revenge?

Zan Le Mang gritted her teeth, crying out, “Anything! Even my life!”

-Good. If you’re that determined, use me.

To this day, she still didn’t know if it was merely a dream, or a revelation to her rejection of God’s existence. Nevertheless, in the S-rank dungeon she raided, she found a gemstone that became her weapon, Dragon Slayer.

Of course, her newfound weapon didn’t ensure her victory against the dragon—the invention of Ragnarok did. Eventually, she became known as one of the greatest heroes to mankind, clearing countless dungeons and gates. SS-rank Hunter Zan Le Mang presently ranked third on the official World Hunter Association.

Upon witnessing Sam-Shin’s transformation, her eyes took on the fierce gaze of the Berserker. At the same time, she noticed that the Bone Dragon lacked the demonic aura and overwhelming despair of the Abysm Dragon.

Zan Le Mang gritted her teeth. She couldn’t allow it to stand! Slash! Crush! Destroy! She had to do everything in her power to stop it!

“Aaaaaaargh!”

Swoosh!

The Dragon Slayer’s tentacles dug into her, sapping her energy rapidly. However, it wasn’t the end—Dragon Slayer multiplied in the next moment.

Bone Dragon Sam-Shin looked up, his glowing red eyes reflecting the colossal serpent forged from blades. Meanwhile, Zan Le Mang had turned as pale as a sheet—perhaps even as transparent as glass. She seemed to have poured all of her power, going beyond her limits.

In spite of all that, her eyes were blazing.

“Tueuse de Dragon (Dragon Killer)!”

With a bloodcurdling shout, the serpent opened its maw and lunged at Sam-Shin.

-Destroooooooooy!

Sam-Shin roared, charging at the serpent, determined not to lose.

“S-stop them!”

“Increase to maximum power!”

In a desperate move, the organizing committee pushed the invisible barrier to its absolute limit.

Ruuuumble! Boooom!

The impact from their collision shook the colosseum.

“W-what happened?”

The spectators zoomed in on the arena, filled with horror and anxiety. Both the massive sword serpent and the Bone Dragon had vanished, leaving a rain of bone shards and blade fragments in their wake.

“Oh! Over there!”

A drone caught two figures in the corner of the devastated arena: a fallen Zan Le mang, and a boy with black helmet sitting on her chest.

Zan Le Mang’s giant sword, lying about ten meters away, was split in two.

D-did I lose?

Zan Le Mang’s blurred vision caught Sam-Shin on top of her.

Clack!

Sam-Shin pulled up his glass visor.

Tzzz!

His glowing red eyes pierced Zan Le Mang.

“Des...troy!”

In her battered state, she couldn’t survive another of his beams.

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“Urk...!”

Having nowhere to run, she shut her eyes, bracing for demise.

And yet, no matter how long she waited, nothing happened. Zan Le Mang cautiously opened her eyes and saw Sam-Shin looking back at her.

In the past, she wouldn’t have understood. But now, as a mother, she instinctively knew. Despite emitting an ominous red glow, the child’s eyes bore no malice.

“Des...troy?”

On the contrary, they showed concern. As an SS-rank Hunter, Zan Le Mang was ashamed. What had she done to such an innocent child?

“I admit defeat.” She then turned to Sam-Shin. “Child, I have a favor to ask.”

“Des...troy?” Sam-Shin was puzzled.

“Can I...just hug you once?”

Though they were of different nationalities, Sam-Shin’s face, up close, resembled her long-lost younger brother, who hadn’t lived past five.

“Des...troy.”

Sam-Shin leaped into Zan Le Mang’s embrace with arms wide open, as if expressing his gratitude. She flinched slightly at the coldness of his touch—his temperature didn’t feel like that of a living person. Yet tears welled up as his small hands soothed her back. Strange. She hadn’t cried since burying her brother, so why now?

“...Thank you.”

Ding!

Just then, God-Maker responded.

[Alter Ego Sam-Shin restored part of Berserker Zan Le Mang’s wound.]

[Increase Zan Le Mang’s favorability and trust to turn her into a follower.]

[Zan Le Mang suppresses the germination of the seed she is carrying.]

Meanwhile, the MC was stunned by the confrontation. He stood up and picked up his microphone.

—T-This was the greatest Hunter War match I’ve ever seen! Even after witnessing it firsthand, it’s unbelievable! Team Korea’s Hunter Yu Il-Shin has claimed victory in the battle of the century!

However, the shock was simply too much for the audience. They sat in the stands, staring at the two Hunters, unable to applaud.

As the Bone Dragon’s transformation unraveled, Lilith returned to her original form and sat on Sam-Shin’s head.

“Kya! Kya!”

Lilith clapped, smiling widely as she watched the two Hunters. Was her action the trigger?

“Wah! Uncle Sam-Shin is so cool!”

“Waaah! He’s the best!”

“I never knew we have Hunters like this! I feel reassured now!”

Thunderous cheers and applause finally erupted from the stands.

Tzzz!

Feeling a powerful, Faith-like energy surging through himself, Sam-Shin turned toward the audience where Seong-Yeon was, and gave her a V sign.

“Des...troy!”

***

Meanwhile, in the 2nd-ranked divine realm, where two certain gods resided...

Ruler of Abyssal Swamp, a High-tier God infamous across countless worlds; and Beast of Deceit and Rapacity, a hippopotamus-like beast resembling a combination of numerous mountain ranges. The two looked at each other, grimacing.

-Hohoho! The time has come!

-Krrr! It’s faster than expected! As expected of our chosen representative! He’ll be able to kill that lowly god and sacrifice him to us!

Woooong!

Between them stood a huge cocoon emitting a dense evil aura. Something slashed through the cocoon with its razor-sharp insectoid claws and burst free.