On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons
Chapter 270: #Forging Divine Weapon

Chapter 270: #Forging Divine Weapon

Swoooosh!

I raced into Queen of Destruction’s flames with Lazenca.

Ding!

[Trial of Steel and Fire begins now!]

Crackle!

“Uuugh!”

Was this how it felt to be burned in hell? Even with the soul armor on, the heat was extremely unbearable!

Tsss!

I could even hear the armor beginning to melt. How much longer could I last here? Five minutes? Maybe even less than that.

-Become one with me now, partner! Ahahaha!

The mad Queen of Destruction cackled menacingly.

Perhaps, I could defeat Eight with Machine God’s power and my divine power. However, I had no intention of killing Eight, or of dying myself.

I recalled what Guardian of Fire and Smithing had said before.

-You must smelt your divine weapon in the Trial of Steel and Fire.

I know, but...

What exactly was this divine weapon? I recalled the strongest gods I knew of. Eternal Seeker, Silently Crawling Nightmare, Infinite Abundance, All-Cutting Heavenly Sword. There was also the War God of Carnage and Madness, seeking revenge on God of Destroyer by stealing other gods’ divine powers. They were Top-tier gods, their power so vast across both my past and present lives that I could never imagine reaching their heights. Even then, they still didn’t stand a chance against God of Destroyer.

I contemplated about God of Destroyer. All I knew was that they existed since the dawn of time alongside their companion, God of Creation. After the passing of God of Creation, they went berserk and turned into a walking disaster.

Once, All-Cutting Heavenly Sword had sacrificed everything to defeat God of Destroyer, shattering the latter into a hundred fragments. However, instead of perishing, God of Destroyer sent their alter egos to countless other worlds to bring about destruction—an absolute evil, and also my archnemesis for wanting to destroy both me and Earth.

Tssss!

Queen of Destruction’s flames nearly melted my armor to its core—and soon, I began to burn as well. I heard burning to death was the most excruciating pain a human can endure. Even as my soul was torn apart, I kept racking my brain.

What exactly... is my divine weapon?

No, the premise was wrong. What divine weapon did I have to create to defeat the absurd God of Destroyer?

I don’t know...

Even if I could truly forge a divine weapon, could I—a mere human—succeed where even the Top-tier gods had failed?

Tsss!

Most of my armor had melted away by now, reduced into molten steel. Like a bodhisattva set ablaze, I became an unrecognizable lump of charcoal. Though this world was like a game made of 0s and 1s, I couldn’t hold on any longer. There was no time left. I had to make a choice!

Ding!

[Blind Eyes of God sees your essence.]

The eyes were windows that I used to see the world. However, after they were burned by the flames, I saw something else instead.

Who... are you?

A small and frail child, roughly ten years old or younger, stood before me. In his arms were a huge bundle of paper so heavy that it seemed impossible to carry. He seemed strangely familiar. Those deep, dark circles, glowing red eyes, and pale cheeks... he was Sam-Shin’s lookalike.

That’s right. He’s me.

A few pieces of paper fell from the bundle he was struggling with. I couldn’t help but steal a glance at them. They were blank. Even the stack in his arms was all blank. Yet, he still held them tightly all the same.

I watched him run toward me in bewilderment. Then, he handed me the stack.

Are you giving them to me?

My younger self smiled brightly and answered, “Yes, Il-Shin. Fill them up in my stead.”

***

My hands, charred from the flames of destruction, moved with much difficulty. I had everything I needed to create my divine weapon. I still had the Soul Mecha that was once the Machine God, albeit most of it had turned into red molten metal. I also had the flames that could create and destroy everything.

-No matter what you choose, the price will be steep. To gain immense power, one must be ready to pay the price.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

I could hear the hammering from Guardian of Fire and Smithing.

I will pay the price, even if it costs me my life.

Crushing Forefinger of God.

Convicting Middle Finger of God.

Healing Ring Finger of God.

Proliferating Thumb of God.

And, Regressing Pinky Finger of God.

I reached out my hand into the air.

Tzzz!

All my powers concentrated in my hand, merging into one.

Thud! Thud!

I reached for my divine weapon, which was being forged from the flames. There was a flash.

Then, I whispered to Soul Mecha NT2512R-1004, which was originally Eight, “Partner, will you join me?”

Wooong—

As if giving permission, my divine weapon hummed softly. With my divine weapon in hand, I stared distantly at the world that had been reduced to a mere game by God of Destroyer.

“Demon Lord’s Heavenly Technique,” I recalled the ultimate technique of my master, who had altered fate with a single stroke of his brush in the void. “True Demon Lord’s Disintegration.”

I picked up the pen, which was emitting a dazzling, golden light.

Ssss!

At the same time, words were etched on the blank papers that I’d received from my younger self.

***

On a superior planet called Lunatic...

Eight stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him. There was a beautiful, peaceful golden field before him, where crops grew in abundance. It was blessed by Infinite Abundance, who presided over agriculture.

However, there were also alien scavengers present. Those monsters swung their massive, scythe-like arms, easily capable of slicing through necks. They let out savage screams that sounded like a signal to the start of a massacre.

-Kieeeek!

-Kyaaaak!

The reactions of those who witnessed them were beyond anyone’s wildest expectation.

“Gosh, stop rushing me. I’ll go over after having the last one.”

-Kyaaak! Krrr!

The aliens howled once more.

“Alright, I got it. Hey, everyone! Stand up! Let’s finish them up quickly and rest!”

The humans were huddled together, smoking on their e-pipes as they gathered their farming tools and slowly got to their feet.

“Come on, let’s go.”

-Kyaaaak!

Swish swish—

The humans and aliens were harvesting together in harmony. This wasn’t the only scene that defied common sense.

Thud thud thud!

Instead of using their cutters or energy guns to ruthlessly kill the monsters, armored robots were harvesting crops on their backs.

-Kieeee!

The alien dragon—once hailed as humanity’s despair—now flew with massive wings, carrying harvested crops on its back and distributing them across the universe. There was no trace of the past, when these factions had waged war, each seeking the other’s extinction.

Everything here is like a dream.

A utopia where humans and aliens had achieved an unimaginable harmony. Moreover, in this perfect world, the Human Union no longer relied on genetic engineering to continue their race. Instead, they built families with partners they truly loved. There were even cases of interspecies marriages with humanoid aliens.

“Eight, how much longer are you going to stand there?!”

Thud thud!

Eight stood in a daze, lost in the miraculous scene, until he heard a familiar voice. It was Zernard, piloting a Soul Mecha transporting crops, waving at him urgently.

“Hurry over and help! We need to move fast if we want to meet the delivery deadline for the Human Union and the Alien Federation! The reputation of Zernard Il-Shin Farm is on the line!”

“Ah, yes, Father!”

Eight snapped out of his daze, running over to his agriculture Soul Mecha.

***

Ding!

[Congratulations! The Third and Fourth Floors of the Tower of Gods: Trial of Steel and Fire has been cleared.]

[You have been rewarded with 2 Fate Alteration points and divine weapon.]

[Fate Alteration Points: 4/100]

Ding!

[You have challenged the next floor of the Tower of Gods.]

I continued climbing the Tower of Gods. Various worlds appeared, which transcended time and space—one even felt as if it had come straight out of a fantasy novel. I saved the Fairy Queen and the Octopus Princess in place of Il-Ho in this life.

I embarked on an adventure with a powerful wizard, who was in distress after coming into contact with forbidden magic. I aided a hero who joined forces with a demon to save his brother, all while battling great evil. Then, I was accidentally summoned by a genius baby. I helped a duke from Hell who was struggling with childcare, showcasing my diaper-changing skills, perfected through caring for my niece.

In this tower, there was also a world that resembled a futuristic virtual reality game. There, I joined a guardian created for revenge and a lovestruck alchemist to defeat an evil guild, overcoming the trials lurking beyond.

I also teamed up with a demigod hunter—whose womanizing habits were a serious flaw—to defeat an evil god corrupted by God of Destroyer’s power. In a world very much like Earth, I aided heroes in fighting the Seven Great Calamities, who used an app called Warble to travel across dimensions.

Some worlds in the Tower of Gods mirrored my imagination, while others stretched far beyond what I could have ever conceived.

And now, here I was.

Tap tap tap!

A beautiful lady with long black hair and horn-rimmed glasses was tapping her fingers fiercely on the cafe table.[1]

“Have you been dieting recently? You look much prettier.”

“...Shut up. So.” My editor-in-charge’s face crumpled like a goblin’s after listening to my story. “Is that your reason for the hiatus? You climbed the what's-it—Tower of Gods?”

As I carefully watered the potted black rose in my possession, I smiled brightly at her.

“Yes. The tower was relatively tall.”

1. Either our brains fried and did not recall this change in detail, or the author decided to make the change without giving context yet. We shall see;;; ☜

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