Chapter 8: Spiky Rhinoceros and the Electrifying Girl

Chapter 8: Spiky Rhinoceros and the Electrifying Girl

Sung Mi-Ri recalled the event from earlier.

A man had approached her.

“Miss, I don’t usually do this, so don’t take it the wrong way.”

She initially thought that the guy was hitting on her. As snobbish as it sounded, it was a daily occurrence for her. She had never met anyone like him, though.

The man had pasty white skin that made her wonder if he had ever gone out into the sun. Moreover, he was sporting an unkempt training suit, horn-rimmed glasses, and a penguin-themed bandaid on his forehead. At a glance, anyone could tell that he was a typical jobless man from the neighborhood.

What truly took the cake was what he had told her, though. “Uhm, are you feeling a spark right now?”

Silence ensued between them. Suspecting him to be a pervert, Sung Mi-Ri clenched her fists.

Beeeep!

The man’s face suddenly turned red. “Excuse me, I have to take this call!”

He then swiftly ran away.

Recalling his beet-red face, Sung Mi-Ri chuckled quietly.

What a weirdo. He didn’t seem like a bad person, though.

“Number 49, Ms. Sung Mi-Ri,” the officer-in-charge called in the waiting room for examination. “This way, please.”

“Okay.”

Sung Mi-Ri’s smile disappeared as she clutched her queue number.

Today, I have to...!

***

Slap! Slap!

In a daze, I went to a park and sat down on a bench. All the while, slaps kept raining on my cheek.

“Uncle, are you okay?”

I glanced at Chae Seong-Yeon, my five-year-old niece, who had been unintentionally slapping me. She had her hair tied into twin tails today. How did I even end up at the park with this kid?

After asking the high school girl at the Supernatural Phenomenon Center a ridiculous question, I received a sudden call from Yu Shin-Ja, my older sister.

“Noona, what is it? Huh? You want me to babysit Seong-Yeon? But I’m busy right now...”

— Busy? When you don’t have a job? Stop whining and help me take care of her.

“Tsk, here we go again. Calling writers unemployed just because we hole up at home writing. Do you even know how painstaking and difficult it is to come up with a story?”

— Come on, just help me out. There’s a last-minute seminar that I need to attend. I’ll treat you to a good meal later.

“Hmpf, what am I? A kid? As if I can be bought with food!”

— Il-Shin, don’t you need some allowance?

“Dear Noona, where is my beloved niece right now? I would love to see her.”

It had been roughly an hour since I had become a last-minute babysitter.

“Your uncle had just made the darkest chapter in his life,” I kindly replied to my niece.

Seong-Yeon tilted her head to one side. “What’s a ‘dark chapter’?”

Ugh, she’s so cute!

Such a sweet baby girl coming from my wicked older sister was nothing short of a miracle.

“Come here, Cutie Pie! Let Uncle hug you!”

“Eek! Get your face away from me, Uncle! Your beard is pricking me!” Seong-Yeon pushed my face away with her little hands, which only made me want to tease her even more.

“Aah! Eep!”

Around five minutes later...

“Seong-Yeon? Won’t you look at Uncle?”

Having been hugged for a while, Seong-Yeon had crossed her arms and turned away, refusing to look at me. My ex-girlfriend once did the same thing, which stung my heart a bit. Girls were difficult to understand.

“Hehe, is our cutie pie upset? I only did that because I love you a lot~”

“Hmph, I hate Uncle!”

Ugh, this is more painful than when I broke up with my ex! How do I soothe this girl?

Puzzled, I stared at her back.

Ding!

[The innate power Blind Eyes of God has been activated.]

[Appraising the target...]

[Appraisal complete!]

[Yu Il-Shin’s Niece]

A female human. Around for 5 years.

Special note: Wants to eat chocolate ice cream.

Just like magic, my ability had come into action.

Does she really want to have chocolate ice cream, though?

Just to be sure, I patted Seong-Yeon’s head and asked, “Seong-Yeon, want to go get some ice cream? Maybe a sweet cone of chocolate ice cream~?”

Seong-Yeon quickly turned around, beaming as if she hadn’t just been throwing a tantrum. “Yes!”

Usually, she would sulk for at least an hour. Had it always been this easy? Despite being the worst, my ability had just come in handy during babysitting. It still had some use, it seemed.

Monsters first appeared on Earth twenty years ago using this exact method. Gates and dungeons would emerge through cracks in the air, destroying cities at random. However, humanity quickly adapted and neutralized the threat.

Now, we had a defense system that operated around the clock and S-rank Hunters with 99% predictive abilities intercepting the gates and dungeons. These days, Hunters and soldiers would normally arrive on the scene and keep the situation under control before a gate could even open. However, that wasn’t the case now.

“Kyaaaa! It’s a monster!”

“Aaah! Save me!”

The streets were instantly thrown into chaos. Screams of terror reverberated in the air as people scrambled like ants.

“U-uncle...”

Seong-Yeon’s shaky voice pulled me back to reality. My niece looked pale—she only had me to rely on. Without hesitation, I lifted her and dashed away with all my might.

I had to escape! At least, until the Hunters and soldiers had arrived!

Now completely out of the gate, the Spiky Rhinoceros let out a voracious roar as it went for the fleeing people!

-Roaaar!

Baaaam! Baaaam!

As if bombs were being detonated, I heard loud explosions go off. I couldn’t afford to turn around and face the situation, though. I rushed toward the least crowded area, hoping the monster would chase the fleeing crowd.

Baaaam! Baaaaam!

However, the roars didn’t seem to be moving away from me at all. On the contrary, I could hear it slowly growing louder, making me feel as if I was about to be trampled at any moment.

“Waaaah!”

Despite carrying her in my arms, I didn’t know when I had stopped registering Seong-Yeon’s cries.

Clang!

The front leg of the Spiky Rhinoceros came crashing down from behind, making the ground shake as if another bomb had exploded. The impact sent me tumbling down.

“Waaah!”

I didn’t know how long I rolled on the ground, but I kept my arms around Seong-Yeon the entire time. Considering she no longer moved at all, she seemed to have fainted from the shock. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to check on her.

Huff! Huff!

The monster spewed revolting, pungent breath as its spikes, which jutted out of it like mountain peaks, cast a shadow over us.

All of a sudden, information about the Spiky Rhinoceros appeared before my blurry vision. I seemed to have unconsciously activated my ability.

-----

[Spiky Rhinoceros]

An asexual monster. Around for 400 years.

Special note: Wants to devour the Nameless God to gain divinity.

-----

Chills went down my spine. God-Maker usually referred to me as the “Nameless God.”

It’s not a coincidence? That monster is really after me...?

Driiip!

As if to confirm my suspicion, the maw of the Spiky Rhinoceros opened wide. Sticky saliva dribbled down as a repulsive stench touched my cheeks.

Death.

The realization of inevitable death came to me.

Was this how I’d die? Really? Just like that?

“S-save me! Someone, please save me! Please! Anyone!?”

Where are the Hunters?! The soldiers?!

Hot tears flowed from my eyes. It might be embarrassing coming from a man, but this was a fear that no human could resist.

Amid this crisis, a thought flashed in my mind.

Is this how the ants in God-Maker felt when I was about to kill them?

I stared at the set of hideous teeth and the seemingly bottomless throat that was about to swallow me whole.

Just then, the voice of a little girl reached my ears.

“Un...cle...”

She was crying.

In an instant, I got a hold of myself.

No.

It doesn’t matter if I die here. I can totally see myself writing a third-rate novel that won’t even sell in the foreseeable future.

But Seong-Yeon is still a child. She still has many years ahead of her. And what about my precious family? Dear God, please... If you really do exist, please grant me a miracle.

“Don’t worry. Believe in your uncle.”

I covered Seong-Yeon’s eyes with one hand and raised the other toward the mouth of the Spiky Rhinoceros.

-Graaaaa!

Finally, I stuck out my index finger.

“Crushing Forefinger... of God!”

... Click!

Flash!

Rumble! Baaaam!