Chapter 39
War of Liberation (4)
“What? They won?”
“Yes.”
“Goodness, that’s wonderful. Take plenty of food to those little ones. Last time I saw them, they were eating nothing but weeds and instant noodles... Get them some pork belly—no, buy them beef! Our house became bigger and our lives more comfortable thanks to those little ones, didn’t it? We should know how to share the blessings we’ve received.”
Lee Shin’s father, Lee Younghwan, was delighted as well.
“Driiiink—!”
“Don’t leave a single drop of alcohol behind!”
The dwarves of the Small but Deadly World were in the middle of a grand celebration. They had achieved several victories before, but this one carried an entirely different significance.
It was nothing like their previous battles, when they had merely defeated giants, waged guerrilla warfare, and devastated workshops.
This time, they had defeated the governor—the commander who had destroyed the dwarves’ world and condemned them to a hellish existence.
“Does that mean they’re completely independent now? Is there no one left to torment them, so they can live peacefully and leisurely? Then I suppose the genre has changed from a strategy simulation into a relaxing life-simulation game...”
“No. Apparently, there are still more enemies.”
After a fierce battle, they had defeated Governor Johan.
However, enemies still remained in the Small but Deadly World. As the status window had explained, Governor Johan was merely a pawn belonging to the evil god who had invaded the dwarves’ world.
The truly terrifying beings had not yet even revealed themselves.
‘An evil god...’
It felt different from a demon.
Aside from himself, the only god Lee Shin had met so far was Blue Star. And Blue Star had possessed a presence that could not even be compared to that of demons or giants.
That meant their future enemies would be even more formidable.
Even Lee Shin, who had only recently become a god, could already exert an enormous influence upon entire worlds. According to the status window, that evil god had conquered hundreds of worlds.
It was obvious that such a being possessed power incomparable to Lee Shin’s current strength.
“So there’s another god... If this were a game, it feels like the tutorial has just ended and now you’re about to begin proper PvP content against other players.”
Lee Shin’s father hummed thoughtfully.
“We’ll have to prepare thoroughly.”
Ever since he began helping Lee Shin manage his worlds, Lee Younghwan had spent far less time playing mobile games. The process of helping actual other worlds was far more interesting than playing games in a virtual world.
It had been quite some time since Lee Shin’s father became deeply invested in all this.
“Should I bring some jokbal from the restaurant?”
“Bring some makguksu too. I’m hungry.”
“All right. I’ll tell your mother.”
“......”
In any case, thorough preparation was necessary.
And to prepare—
「TIP: Check your accumulated status notifications!」
Lee Shin first needed to organize everything he had gained.
***
「You have broken an ancient yoke. The dwarves currently living in the small world, as well as every dwarf born in the future, will praise you.
Your existence will become slightly more distinct.」
「Your existence has become exceptionally distinct.」
「Creator LV. 3 → LV. 5」
First, his trait had gained two levels at once.
It was still difficult to notice any significant changes. If he had to identify something, it was that he could now hear his believers’ voices more clearly while observing a world.
He also felt as though time flowed more slowly whenever he used [World Observation].
Thanks to that, he could survey vast worlds much more easily.
In any case, now that his trait had reached level five, he could appoint up to five apostles. Eve, Santiago, and Jude already occupied three positions, leaving two vacancies.
Lee Shin filled one of them.
「Lower believer Hephaestus has been appointed as your glorious fourth apostle.」
「His believer rank increases.」
「Congratulations! Lower believer Hephaestus has become an [Intermediate Believer]!」
Hephaestus, who had been enjoying the celebration, suddenly jerked his head up and stared at the sky.
Holding a mug of beer, he trembled all over. Then he raised the mug high and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Thank—you—very—muuuuuch—!”
His voice thundered across the area.
It appeared that becoming an intermediate believer had strengthened his voice.
As Hephaestus happily gulped down his beer, the dwarves around him noticed his transformation. Eve, who was especially sensitive to divine power, hurried over and gasped with her mouth wide open.
“Hephaestus! You’ve been chosen as an apostle!”
“Yes! I feel as though I’ve grown a little closer to God!”
“Hmm... I don’t think you have enough seniority.”
“...What?”
“Nothing! But Hephaestus, God has granted you an irreplaceable blessing! You can’t possibly show so little joy! Hurry up and express your happiness with your entire body!”
“Excuse me?”
“I think forty somersaults should be enough!”
Apostle No. 1: Eve.
Unlike the drunken dwarves who were reveling and shouting for everyone to drink, she had not consumed a single sip of alcohol. She was saying all this while perfectly sober and clearheaded.
A true bright-eyed lunatic.
“Kyahaha! Hurry!”
“Jude too! Jude too!”
The haloed Saintess demonstrated a somersault while the clattering skeletons spun around alongside her.
Absolute chaos erupted.
Hephaestus leaped with an awkward posture, slammed his head into the ground, and passed out in a daze.
Still, it was an amusing sight.
「Hero candidate Hephaestus has been appointed as an apostle. One of the conditions required for Hephaestus to awaken as the Hero of [The Small but Deadly World] has been fulfilled.」
Apparently, being appointed as an apostle was one of the requirements for becoming a “Hero.”
As Eve used her healing power on the dazed Hephaestus, who was foaming at the mouth, Lee Shin watched the next status windows appear.
「You have exerted an enormous influence upon the world.」
「Your Interference permanently increases by 2,000.」
His Interference had increased.
Next came the achievement notifications.
「You have saved the inhabitants of a fallen world from destruction.」
「You have accomplished an extraordinary achievement.」
「“As long as you do not give up, anything is possible.”」
「You have overcome a “natural-enemy relationship.”」
「You have accomplished a great achievement.」
「“The strongest hope is born from despair.”」
「You have overcome the difference between species and defeated a superior species.」
「You have accomplished a great achievement.」
The status window had not been exaggerating when it said he had accumulated an overwhelming number of achievements. There were so many that reading them individually was difficult.
Considering even Blue Star had been surprised upon hearing about the “natural-enemy relationship,” overcoming it must truly have been an extraordinary accomplishment.
However—
‘There’s only one reward?’
Despite achieving so much, he had received only a single reward.
When Lee Shin muttered in puzzlement, an answer appeared.
「TIP: Your numerous achievements have been combined and calculated as a single reward.」
「TIP: Even gods renowned throughout the [World of Stars] cannot easily obtain a Mythic-grade achievement reward!
It will be far more valuable than all the other rewards combined!」
In other words, all those achievements had been consolidated into one reward.
If even the status window spoke so highly of it, what kind of reward could it be?
Lee Shin immediately checked.
「Reward: Skill [Guardian Angel]」
Guardian Angel?
It was a term he had often heard in children’s cartoons when he was young. The first things that came to mind were adorable little characters who hovered around children and protected them.
Lee Shin read the skill’s description.
「Guardian Angel: Designate one of your apostles and awaken them as a [Guardian Angel] who protects you. While in the [Guardian Angel] state, all attributes increase significantly, and the apostle will receive the physical body most suitable for protecting you.」
「This skill grows alongside your divine rank.」
「Current maximum Guardian Angels: 1」
「Cooldown: 168 hours」
After reading the description, Lee Shin realized it was similar to what he had imagined.
‘I can choose one of my apostles and turn them into my Guardian Angel... It looks like I can switch between them depending on the situation. For now, I can maintain only one.’
It seemed different from directly summoning a believer into Lee Shin’s world. The skill consumed no Interference, granted the selected apostle a new body, and appeared to have no time limit.
It was essentially a permanently available bodyguard.
By exerting influence upon worlds and receiving assistance from his believers, Lee Shin could wield combat power that surpassed most hunters. However, his own body was still that of an ordinary human.
This was the perfect skill for him.
If he had a Guardian Angel constantly by his side, Lee Shin would rarely face danger in the real world again.
He had recently revealed his identity and attracted considerable public attention. Although Manager Kim Dongseok was helping him, having a Guardian Angel would undoubtedly provide far greater security.
The question was whom he should choose.
‘I currently have four apostles.’
Eve, Santiago, Jude, and Hephaestus.
‘Santiago needs to care for his grandchildren. Besides, I’d feel terrible making an elderly man remain beside me all day just to protect me. He must be much older than my father...’
Bringing Hephaestus was also problematic. He would no longer be able to fulfill his natural calling as a blacksmith.
More importantly, Lee Shin did not want to disrupt Hephaestus’s life. After finishing his work at the forge, Hephaestus always spent peaceful, affectionate evenings with his grandfather, Vulcanos.
Then what about Jude?
‘...He would certainly be reassuring.’
Jude looked like an adorable little skeleton to Lee Shin, but how would other people react if he brought Jude into the real world?
The skill said Jude would receive the body most suitable for protecting Lee Shin, but there was no guarantee that body would have an appearance humans found familiar or pleasant.
Walking through the middle of Seoul with a skeleton...
Just imagining it made Lee Shin think they would attract far more attention than necessary. Some people might even report that a monster had appeared.
Ultimately, only one suitable candidate remained.
She spent the entire day praying. Instead of spending time with family or friends, she constantly chattered to Lee Shin about every insignificant detail. Unless enemies appeared, she spent most of each day doing ridiculous things.
Put that way, she was perfect for the role of Guardian Angel.
Of course, the most important factor was what she wanted.
Lee Shin entered the Small but Deadly World and went looking for Eve. She might dislike the idea of remaining beside Lee Shin all day.
If his apostles refused, Lee Shin intended to leave the [Guardian Angel] skill unused. Mythic-grade reward or not, regardless of how extraordinary its abilities were, Lee Shin did not want to become someone who forced others to do things they disliked.
No one should behave that way.
『My Eve.』
“O God, O God! This lowly Eve is listening!”
Eve’s star-shaped eyes sparkled.
Lee Shin explained the situation to her.
Then—
“I absolutely! Want! To do it! No other apostle is allowed! That role is most suitable for this lowly Eve, who is the first believer and first apostle of the Church of Lee Shin, as well as the most trustworthy and dependable of all! I will never surrender it to anyone else—!”
Eve began rampaging excitedly.
『A-All right...』
She was perfectly suited as a candidate, and her wishes could not have been clearer.
There was no reason not to choose Eve.
‘To be honest, I’m most comfortable around Eve too.’
Had he not spent more time watching her than any of his other believers?
He had also grown deeply attached to her small, adorable appearance.
And so—
「Intermediate believer Eve has been designated as the First Wing who will protect you—your [Guardian Angel].」
「Intermediate believer Eve’s status has been updated.」
Lee Shin chose Eve as his Guardian Angel.
And then—
「The body of the [Half-Dwarf] will be reconstructed into a form suitable for your world. Intermediate believer Eve will receive a new body.」
A brilliant light flashed before Lee Shin’s eyes.
A woman appeared from within the dazzling radiance.
Her silky hair flowed below her waist, and her skin was as white as snow. Her face had almost entirely lost its childish features, while the jewel-like eyes beneath her long eyelashes gleamed in the shape of stars.
The girl who had once been smaller than a water bottle was gone.
In her place stood a woman approximately 160 centimeters tall.
“O God, O God!”
“Urk!”
The instant she appeared in the real world, Eve charged at Lee Shin without the slightest hesitation and threw herself into his arms.
She resembled a golden retriever that had no idea how large it had grown before leaping at its owner.
When Eve crashed into him at full speed, Lee Shin nearly lost consciousness.
Her strength was no joke...
“This lowly Eve is honored beyond words to spend the rest of her life beside God, closer to Him than anyone else! I could die now without a single regret! This new body is overflowing with strength too! To celebrate receiving such a blessed body, I feel like performing a hundred somersaults for You—!”
Overwhelmed with excitement, Eve grabbed Lee Shin and shook him wildly.
“Uh... Uh...”
Lee Shin grew dizzy in her grasp, but Eve was too delighted to notice.
He could hardly bring himself to scold her.
“I’m so happy! I feel like I could truly fly away!”
Eve was smiling more brightly than ever.
Seeing her completely sincere smile, Lee Shin unconsciously smiled as well.
Eve finally stopped shaking him, wrapped her arms tightly around him, and whispered shyly,
“This lowly Eve will never forget today. Not for all eternity.”
They were such pure, heartfelt words.
Of course—
“Son...?”
“Ahem! H-Hmm...”
“......”
The problem was...
Lee Shin did not live in this house alone.
“Uh... Everyone, say hello.”