On Hiatus: God's Personal Reasons

Chapter 68: Reaper, The Second Apostle, Gustav

Chapter 68: Reaper, The Second Apostle, Gustav

Whiiiing!

The siren blared for the first time since the Hunter Academy's establishment. The cause was none other than the hooded, tattered man.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Aarrgh! Save me!”

Too many noisy insects.

The strange man, Gustav, thought.

Punch! Crash! Thud! Bam!

At least their numbers were going down. Humans were just too fragile. A slight wave of the hand and they exploded like a balloon, dying.

“Fuckkk! Die!”

Flicker! Baaam!

As a last-ditch effort, the students unleashed various elemental abilities at Gustav like the future Hunters they were. However, like an egg thrown against a rock, they couldn’t graze him. Gustav bent down, picking up a pebble from the ground, clutching it.

Craaack!

The pebble shattered into pieces!

The pebble shattered into pieces, and tossed them like shooting shotguns at the students attacking him.

Pew pew!

He flung them at the attacking students with the velocity of a shotgun blast!

“Ah...”

Cough! Plop!

Small holes opened on their bodies. Soon, the students collapsed helplessly on the ground, coughing out blood.

“Stop it, you murderer!”

Shadow loomed over him, and Gustav looked up. It was a man in his sixties, his hair almost fully white, while his face red with anger. He swung down his sword at Gustav.

It was no ordinary sword.

Crackle! Flash!

Like lightning, the sharp blade struck Gustav’s neck in an instant. The old man, a retired Hunter and a teacher at the academy, was nicknamed the Thunderbolt Sword. He was Park Jeon-Geom, an A-rank Hunter.

“What?”

However, his expression twisted in shock and horror.

Unexpectedly, Gustav had blocked his sword with his outstretched arm. His sword, which could even cut through steel. His enemy didn’t even budge an inch.

Shaaah!

Gustav’s eyes turned yellow like a reptile’s. He opened his mouth and hissed, sounding like a rusty hinge being pried open.

“Only slightly useful...”

Although the old man in front of him was slightly better than the other worms he’d killed, he was still unworthy of a sacrifice to offer to the gods.

“Not good enough.”

Then, something akin to a whip flew over, crashing into Thunderbolt Sword’s head. It burst open like a watermelon, scattering chunks in every direction. That was how the old man, one of the academy’s strongest teachers, met his end. Witnessing his demise, nearby teachers had a look of pure horror on their faces.

“All students, evacuate!”

“Any news from the Association?!”

“Due to the incident at Gangwon province, no S-rank Hunters are available at the moment! Baek Yoo-Hyun is rushing back, but it’ll take at least half an hour!”

“Darn it! A-rank Hunters are fine too! Argh, of all days, Principal Choi Kang-San isn’t around!”

Gustav glanced at the buzzing insects. In less than a full minute, silence was all that remained.

Thud thud thud!

Standing alone, Gustav looked at his vicinity. He examined the floor, littered with gore and flesh.

Where did the sacrifice sought by god hide? God had personally sown seeds in it to be reaped in the future.

“Found you.”

There were two. One in the east, one in the west.

Sung Mi-Na was in the infirmary, while Sung Mi-Ri was in the sparring room.

Gustav tilted his head. “Why hasn’t one of them ripened yet?”

He couldn’t understand. The seed should have blossomed by now, or, in human terms, reached its full potential. The sacrifice should’ve at least risen to Rank S. Just like Sergey Brin, the Russian S-rank Hunter he had offered as sacrifice not long ago.

Gustav pondered for a while. In the end, the sacrifice still bore the seed, albeit unripe, so maybe he should still harvest it anyway.

Trudge trudge—

Following his beastly instincts, Gustav went for Sung Mi-Ri, the weak.

Crunch—

But then, he halted.

“...?”

Suddenly, Gustav became confused. His reptilian eyes scanned the sparring room again. S-rank Death Knight; two A-ranks, including Sung Mi-Ri; ten B-ranks; and a bunch of worms. Definitely not an issue for Gustav. It’d be a different story if the hundreds of high-ranking Hunters and troops dispatched at Gangwon Province were there.

However, his instincts warned him that the place was dangerous. It reeked of a threatening, deadly scent of nightmare. Gustav trusted his guts and decided to change his destination.

Trudge trudge—

He went to the infirmary instead. Although not as great as Sergey, Sung Mi-Na was about to ripen and fall from the tree. Surely, his god would be pleased to receive such a tantalizing offering. But before that...

Ssss—

Gustav raised his hand. He had to ensure that his sacrifice didn’t escape and that no one got in the way. He could sense a few S-rank Hunters coming this way at breakneck speed.

Bam bam bam bam!

From his hand, darkness erupted like a volcano. It formed a huge dome around him, enveloping the entire academy compound. The S-rank Hunters wouldn’t be able to break through this easily.

“Time for reaping.”

Afterward, Gustav leisurely went for Sung Mi-Na.

In the sparring room...

“Phew, I’m saved...”

When they saw Gustav walk away, the students breathed a sigh of relief.

The teachers, once renowned Hunters, had been slaughtered by Gustav. Although the students had awakened, they were still hatchlings. What chance did they have against such a monster?

“T-thank god. I was so scared...”

“Who the heck is that guy?! How did such an abomination...?”

Yu Il-Shin had collapsed from exhausting his divine power to evolve Hades.

Meanwhile, Sword Demon seemed to have decided on something. With a look of determination, he turned to Hades, the Death Knight.

“I can’t go.” Hades shook his head. He looked at Yu Il-Shin, and then his summoner, Ko Myeong-Ji. “I must protect God Yu Il-Shin and Master.”

Looking at Yu Il-Shin’s pale face, Sword Demon nodded. “No problem. I’ll feel at ease if you’re by his side.”

As if reading his mind, Hades said, “Don’t go, God Yu Il-Shin’s familiar. It’s too dangerous. I’d survive at most ten blows facing it head-on, let alone you, who’d lost an arm.”

Sword Demon closed his eyes, recalling the past.

“When Mr. Sword God spared my life, in exchange for taking me under his wing, he asked if I could lead an honest life. With my life and my sword, I swore to him that I would. So, I should go—no, I must go.”

“U-Uncle Sword Demon! I’ll go with you!” Sung Mi-Ri clung onto Sword Demon’s hand.

Sword Demon shook his head. “Please stay back, Mr. Sword God’s disciple, it’s unsafe. I’ll take care of this.”

“But it’s too dangerous alone!”

Snorting, Sword Demon raised his huge, dark iron club. It was his sword.

“Don’t worry, I have this precious sword and the Demon Lord’s Divine Arts he bestowed me.”

Ssss—!

Then, Sword Demon transformed into shadow and vanished.

***

After hearing the siren, Choi Eun-Bi hurried out of the infirmary with Sung Mi-Na and a few other students. They hid in the basement shelter. However, the shelter, designed for a nuclear bombing, couldn’t stop that man.

Bam bam bam!

Along with the explosions, the shelter shook violently. Its sturdy exterior, akin to a turtle’s shell, crumbled. Soon, Gustav’s reptilian eyes found Sung Mi-Na, who was in Choi Eun Bi’s arms.

“Found you, Sacrifice.”

“Aaaaah! Stay away!” Sung Mi-Na screamed, commanding Gustav, but to no avail.

Roooooar!

Terrified, Sung Mi-Na’s hair stood on end. “You monster, die!”

Even S-rank Hunter Baek Yoo-Hyun would get seriously injured because of that.

Puuunch!

Gustav’s head jerked backward as if getting punched, but that was it. Black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it while smirking at the girl.

“As if someone blessed by god can be commanded by a human.”

Then, Gustav reached out for Sung Mi-Na’s head.

“Kujitolea kwa Mungu (Sacrifice for the god).”

Sung Mi-Na instinctively understood what he meant. Her expression was etched with terror as her tears streamed down. “N-noooo... Mommy, Daddy, save me...”

Gustav's palm split apart. He opened his jaw wide, revealing his hideous fangs.

“Aaaaah!”

“Not even S-rank Hunter Sung Mi-Na can deal with him!”

“S-save me! Anyone?!”

“These worms.” Gustav grimaced.

Even though he was about to offer the sacrifice to his god. How dare these worms intrude upon such a sacred moment? Gustav picked up some stones and crushed them with his fist.

Crunch!

He was about to throw those rock shards at the students when...

Lurch!

His shadow wriggled, and a man in black appeared from within. Gustav turned around to see a familiar face. The A-rank human who was with Sung Mi-Ri.

“I didn’t want to use my assassin skills, but you leave me with no choice.”

With a cold gaze, Sword Demon leaped, a massive sword aura exuding from his heavy sword. Then, he charged at Gustav.

Baaam!

Sword Demon swung his sword aura directly at Gustav’s head. Despite being caught off-guard, Gustav appeared indifferent. This A-rank human was nothing but a pesky worm to him.

When Gustav raised both arms, attempting to block the attack, Sword Demon grinned.

“Fool.”

He shouldn’t have done that.

This Demon Lord's Heavenly Sword was bestowed by Sword God himself. He worked hard to master the secrets of the sword. Although it took some time, he finally did it.

The first stance of Demon Lord’s Heavenly Sword.

“Demon Lord’s Descent.”

Baaam!

A somber, black sword aura shrouded the heavy sword. At the descent of the Supreme Demon, Demon Lord’s Descent shook the heavens and earth.

“Kneel!”

Crunch!

Instead of stopping Sword Demon’s attack, Gustav’s arms broke like a twig.

“...?”

For the first time, Gustav’s eyes were filled with shock. A mere A-rank worm?

“Kiieeek!”

Crack! Baaam!

Gustav was pinned to the ground, feeling as if he was crushed by a giant.

“W-who is that person?” Everyone stared wide-eyed at Sword Demon.

Sword Demon looked down at the hole beneath his feet and mocked.

“Hmph, you won't be able to kneel in that position.”

***

On the day Johan was made to become an apostle for an unknown god, two others were also baptized. And one of them wasn’t human.

To begin with, it was absurd to think that humans were the sole owners of Earth, especially with a notorious being around devouring them.

The king of Lake Tanganyika in Africa was a cannibal who’d reportedly killed over three hundred people. He was the strongest creature alive, both persuasive and manipulative. Horrified and in awe, the people named him Gustav.

It wasn't a coincidence that he heard the voice of god.

-You’re a lowly but useful beast nonetheless. I will allow you to be my second apostle.

Having killed countless people made Gustav think he was the best. Hearing that voice taught him how mistaken he was.

The merciful god bestowed his power and wisdom to his lowly self. On top of that, he was also given the role of tending to the sown seeds and harvesting them when they were ripe. Such an honor it was!

Left mangled by Sword Demon’s attack, Gustav’s eyes fluttered open.

-Grrr. It's been a while since I shed my skin.

Low growl came from the beast in the ground.

“T-this man. Is he a monster?” Sword Demon paled.

Crunch, crunch!

Then, the sound of something breaking and reconstructing could be heard.

In a hurry, Sword Demon turned to Choi Eun-Bi and yelled. “Hey, Woman! Take Sung Mi-Na and the kids to the Sword God and run!”

“W-what?”

Ruuuumble!

A huge shadow loomed over Sword Demon. When he turned to look at the owner, he became speechless.

A giant crocodile towering 8 meters in height stood before him. It was the second apostle’s, Gustav’s, original form.

“Darn it.”

Flick!

Gustav whipped his tail at Sword Demon.

Slap!