On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons-Chapter 304: #Epilogue (1)

Chapter 304: #Epilogue (1)

Team Leader Lee, veteran and ace editor of the Rocky Media publishing company, was welcoming a very special guest today. In this area, authors submitting manuscript printouts directly to publishing companies was almost unheard of. All the more so when the author appeared to be a mere ten-year-old child.

We must sign this kid, no matter what!

With a few years of proper training and nurturing, this child could become a rising star in the genre fiction world. Team Leader Lee’s eyes gleamed with ambition.

“The original title of this unfinished manuscript was The Child Who Dreams of Destruction, but as I wrote it, I realized it didn’t fit the story very well. So, I changed it to The Child Who Dreams of the World.”

Team Leader Lee was puzzled. How would The Child Who Dreams of the World fit the manuscript he’d just read?

The story itself was of the cosmic horror genre, dealing with humanity’s fundamental fears and despair. It took the form of an omnibus, where multiple short stories were connected to form a huge, single narrative. And the ending of that story...

“Hmm, I enjoyed the manuscript. Um, you said your name was Yu Il-Shin?”

“That’s right, sir.”

Team Leader Lee decided to treat the boy like a proper writer despite his age.

“This ending is too open-ended. Readers don’t really appreciate such ambiguity these days, they prefer something more straightforward. Does the story end with Eugene Lee killing this monstrous child who dreams and materializes nightmares?”

Yu Il-Shin picked his nose with his index finger. “Not sure. Uncle Hamlet said something similar before, right? To be or not to be, that is the question.”

Seeing that annoying face, Team Leader Lee instinctively clenched his fist. However, the person in front of him was still a child—one with an extraordinary talent at that, and must be nurtured into a great writer!

He had to hold himself back, for the sake of promotion and bonuses! Moreover, even though it was their first meeting, he felt a strange familiarity, as if they’d known each other for a decade.

Stashing the manuscript away, he reached for the child. “I’m truly amazed by the quality of your manuscript! You’re definitely a young prodigy! If you join me, I’m sure you’ll become the best writer in the genre fiction world—not just at our company, but worldwide! Please consider working with me, Mr. Yu. I promise you the best treatment in the industry. Besides, if you publish your work while you’re still young, you’ll get extra points for admissions to related majors for your school progression!”

Marveled, Yu Il-Shin gave a thumbs-up. “Gosh, editor-in-charge. You’re great at flattery! A true veteran editor!”

“Haha, I guess I do know how to...” Team Leader Lee scratched his head awkwardly when he flinched, coming to a belated realization.

What was this strange feeling? Was it his imagination?

“But I’m not young. I’m actually quite old.”

“Huh? How old are you?”

"I’ve regressed countless times, climbed the Tower of Gods, and defeated the God of Destroyer. If you count all the years spent trying to restore the world she destroyed... it's probably been a century. I’m ancient. But according to Earth’s records, I’m 23—so let’s go with that. Good enough is good enough!"

“Haha, Mr. Yu has a baby face! You look like you’re only ten!”

“Hehe, I guess I do have a baby face. I get that a lot.”

Team Leader Lee clenched his fists again.

Hold back, hold yourself back. It’s not your first time dealing with a writer’s fourth-dimensional fantasy anyway.

Finally, Team Leader Lee came to a conclusion.

”Mr. Yu. To be honest, I really like the cosmic horror genre you showed me, but I don’t think it has much commercial potential. Why don’t we try something more in line with the current trends, like an academy-style, or a story about gods bestowing blessings? Or maybe a story about Hunters?”

“I wrote about the universe and Hunter stories before, though.”

“Oh, really? I’d love to read them.”

“I’ve just completed them, so I’ll send them over.”

“Ooh! You’ve completed them too?!” Team Leader Lee’s heart was pounding with excitement.

If a child genius wrote novels aligned with the current trends, what kind of masterpiece would be born?! Just as he was getting ahead of himself, Yu Il-Shin smiled and bowed his head.

“Editor-in-charge, thank you for your time. I wanted to show you this manuscript first.”

“Huh?”

Somehow, Team Leader Lee felt a huge wave of unease. Even though they shouldn’t have met before, this situation and the child felt awfully familiar. To top it off, Yu Il-Shin had been calling him “editor-in-charge” from the beginning.

Yu Il-Shin stood up. “I’ll be leaving then.”

“W-what? So soon? Why don’t you stay for a meal?”

“No thanks. I’m actually quite busy.” Yu Il-Shin waved goodbye.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the stack of manuscripts on the table danced in the air, completely obstructing his vision.

Team Leader Lee then heard Yu Il-Shin’s voice whisper in his ear.

“I have to write the epilogue of this story.”

Swoosh!

There was a blinding flash of light. Moments later, the pile of manuscripts returned to the table, neatly arranged as if nothing had happened.

“M-Mr. Yu? Mr. Yu Il-Shin!”

Feeling as though he’d been bewitched, Team Leader Lee looked around for Yu Il-Shin, but he was long gone.

***

Leaving the publishing company’s building, I stepped onto the streets. Skyscrapers pierced the sky, streets bustled with people, and vehicles rushed along the roads. A common sight in daily life. The world was at peace, much more so than my own.

his world had no dungeons or gates appearing out of nowhere, and no monsters attacking its people. Neither did it have Hunters with special abilities. The concept of Hunters existed only in genre fiction or commercial media as a fictional profession.

After all, I’d made it this way, using All Phenomena Author’s new skill: Creation.

Until now, I could only use the incomplete, restrictive version—False Creation—because I wasn’t God of Creator.

However, when God of Destroyer sacrificed herself and tried to reduce everything into chaos, it was born.

She’d mentioned that the world was governed by the endless cycle of creation and destruction, life and death made by God of Creator. Just as life blossomed again from death, if she perished, then he would resurrect again one day.

Unfortunately, she was only half right.

I was able to perfect Creation thanks to its help and the Child Who Dreams of Destruction from my incomplete manuscript. And that was how I managed to alter the fate of the world right before its fateful destruction.

Nevertheless, it came with a price, namely my existence. My editor-in-charge didn’t remember me.

My heart ached out of the blue. When I was young, I’d promised to show him that manuscript once it was completed.

While I stood out on the streets in a daze, a familiar ad appeared on a building’s LED board.

—Seductive and deadly allure. Top Star Sung Mi-Na never forgets to bring this on her travels! The only choice to protect your skin! Amondra Perfect Essence...」

“It's Mi-Na noona.” I smiled.

Despite not being a Hunter in this world, her charm would always get her far.

“She’s indeed pretty.”

I knew her when she was under Despair’s curse. Her growth had halted in her teens, leaving her with the delicate appearance of a budding flower. Now, the beauty on the board was akin to a flower in full bloom, exuding a mature charm.

Regretfully, I could only look up to even see her at all.

“Well, it can't be helped.”

Shaking off the regret, I began walking on the streets. Soon, I came across a middle-aged woman, a young boy, and a young girl holding hands happily.

“Hehe, this is delicious! Do you want some, Uncle Sam-Shin?”

The young boy shook his head. His glowing red eyes gazed lovingly at the little girl, who was enjoying her giant ice cream.

Ah, what a happy little family. They’d seem beautiful in a painting.

I smiled gently as I walked past them.

“Huh? Mummy! Uncle Sam-Shin! A man who looks exactly like uncle just walked past us!”

“Hmm? Seong-Yeon, what are you talking about?”

I heard Seong-Yeon and my older sister's surprised tone from behind, but I was no longer around.

Swoosh!

Just then, a familiar notification from God-Maker rang.

Ding!

[You walk the world dreamed by Creation.]

I continued overseeing the world where the people I loved dwelled. Sung Mi-Na was filming a drama, while my disciple Mi-Ri watched her with eyes full of admiration.

“Phew, I'm exhausted.”

“Waaah! You’ve worked hard, Unni! Have some drinks!”

“Tsk. You should be studying for your exams. What are you doing here?” Sung Mi-Na grumbled as she received the cup of coffee handed by her younger sister.

Then, there was Steve Choi, a blond young man who was cast in the same drama as her. He walked up to Sung Mi-Ri, asking hesitantly, “Um, Ms. Mi-Ri, is Ms. Xu Zhu not with you today?”

“Do you need something?”

“Oh! You're here!”

His face lit up when a slightly plump girl with a bag of dumplings walked over.

That kiddo, he likes her that much?

The Xu Zhu I knew was a sturdy-looking girl reminiscent of a character from The Three Kingdoms. Perhaps it was her early martial arts training that shaped her current build. In this world where martial arts wasn’t required, Xu Zhu became an ordinary girl with a slightly petite figure.

Rejoice, Bong-Shik. I’ll unleash divine retribution upon you if you date her before she graduates.

“...Unni, what's wrong?”

“I felt like someone's watching us... Huh? Who's that kid?”

Sung Mi-Na spotted me among the filming crew. Her eyes slowly widened.

Ugh, she's still sharp as always.

“W-wait! Hey! Stop for a moment!”

I took my eyes off her and turned around to walk away.

Swoosh!

“Huh? Unni? Why are you crying? What happened?”

“I don't know... my heart just hurts all of a sudden... Waaah!” Sung Mi-Na cried inconsolably, staring blankly at the place where I stood earlier. Sung Mi-Ri was at a loss, trying to comfort her.

How strange. My existence had mostly been wiped out, so she shouldn't have any memories of me left.

I’m grateful for it, but my heart aches too.

Swallowing the melancholy in my heart, I went on my way again.

“Haaa! Muuuuscles!”

A loud cry of a gallant warrior rang in the air, instantly dispelling the gloomy mood I had.