NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4
* * *
‘No…….’
I was left speechless as I mindlessly checked the latest episode titled ‘God Exists, and He is Igguoqueden.’
Even a thousand won donation had brought about what could only be described as miracles. Water suddenly gushing forth, or clean food just lying on the street.
Just that level of interference gave me a strange sense of elation, feeling like I could stir this world to my liking.
Each episode, begging for donations felt a bit cringe, but… well, I could enjoy it in my own way, so I didn’t want to blame it now.
But.
Just because it jumped from a thousand won to ten thousand won,
now my nickname appeared in the credits, and the character Erin was openly shouting my nickname.
After that, a beam of light shot down from the sky, piercing through the bellies of the third-rate villains who were tormenting Erin.
The most astonishing part was the artwork describing this moment.
It was already a pretty decent picture, but it transformed into a remarkably polished, high-quality depiction that couldn’t shake off the amateur vibe it once had.
As if a different artist had taken over!
Moreover, an endless stream of messages– ten thousand won donation hurrah!
The cherry on top of this incredible boost was the author’s note at the end.
[Thank you so much for your generous donation of 10,000 won, God Igguoqueden. God exists, and we call Him 'Igguoqueden.' This world will never forget the immense generosity of Igguoqueden, who donated a whopping 10,000 won.]
‘…….’
…Oh dear. I couldn’t help but twitch my lips in amusement.
The more ridiculous truth than being coddled this much was… I was actually quite enjoying this ‘coddling.’
Well, I guess I wouldn’t have been donating to save Erin in this comic that no one watches if I didn’t enjoy it.
[Igguoqueden: It feels worth spending money on ㅇㅇ]
ㄴ [돈좀주세요(Author): Of course! Given the immense investment you’ve made, it’s only natural for the world to change accordingly, right? I’ll make sure to notify you as soon as the next chapter comes out, so please keep watching Erin’s journey until the end!]
‘Wow. Look at the speed of those replies.’
I couldn’t help but marvel at how incredibly fast they were.
At any rate, fortunately or unfortunately, there was no donation begging at the end of this episode. Was it a sign of restraint since I had donated ten thousand won?
Amidst all these mixed feelings, one emotion stood out clearly—
‘Spending ten thousand won was worth it.’
It didn’t feel like a waste to spend money on changing a comic that nobody watched.
* * *
Since that day, I became the sole reader closely watching Erin’s chronicles.
Though I was curious how things would unfold next, I continued to watch because the subsequent developments were quite a sight to behold.
After hearing the voice of God and witnessing her tormentors pierced by a spear of light, Erin became convinced that her destined path was to be a saint.
From that moment on, she recognized that everything like water springing forth or food appearing wasn’t mere coincidence but ‘divine power.’
Well, it was only natural to act that way since the phrase ‘God exists’ kept echoing in her mind…
The problem was that now she was overly conscious of my existence even when she made a one-thousand-won donation.
Moreover, even when facing a dangerous situation during her travels, instead of casually leading into a donation request with a ‘author’s note’—
[Our only God, Igguoqueden. I humbly beseech you, please have compassion once more for this young lamb. Grant me the chance to overcome this trial and deliver your words, please……!!]
‘…….’
—She started speaking through the character ‘Erin.’
[Igguoqueden: What happens if I don’t donate?]
ㄴ [돈좀주세요(Author): Of course, whether you choose to donate is entirely up to you, Igguoqueden! Erin will never blame you even if the miracles don’t come. Although without your blessing, Erin would have to accept her originally destined fate… but what can we do? It was her fate anyway, so please don’t feel burdened.]
It was her fate either way.
Saying that made it impossible for me not to feel concerned!
‘Sigh… This guy is really good at business.’
Why on earth would someone like him be obsessively drawing this trashy comic that nobody watches?
‘What should I do?’
Was I starting to form a bond with Erin, who kept calling my name?
Knowing that the author typed in every single line, I still couldn’t bring myself to ignore her.
What should I say? It brought back feelings I had long buried, a painful memory from my childhood—I wanted to be a hero.
It was this desire to save someone with my own hands.
At least the difference from back then was that the author wasn’t scamming me now.
Anyway, my donation relay continued.
Feeling a little hungry?
One thousand won donation!
[Igguoqueden’s grace allowed me to eat safely today. Thank you.]
Haven’t bathed in a long time and feeling grimy?
One thousand won donation!
[Thanks to Father Igguoqueden, I was able to soak in hot spring water. He’s shown me kindness once again. With this, I believe my conduct toward Igguoqueden will become even more refined.]
Even though it was infuriating marketing, seeing Erin smile and thank me made me feel oddly good, leaving me smiling as well.
When was the last time I felt recognized by someone?
I once heard that the human brain is simpler than we might think, that just reading a book can trick you into feeling like you lived that experience.
That means, filling my need for affirmation with Erin’s words, who is merely a character in a comic, isn’t all that foolish. …Surely.
Especially infuriating was the fact that Erin’s artwork noticeably improved with every episode.
Initially, she was a girl who barely ate and ran away here and there, but thanks to my continuous thousand-won punches, she now donned well-fitted traveler’s attire, ate well, and bathed cleanly in hot springs.
Her appearance that I didn’t pay much attention to naturally caught my eye. Platinum blonde hair flowing down, blue eyes reminiscent of the sky, and now that she wore decent women’s clothing, her rather voluptuous chest was no longer hidden.
For someone who didn’t eat properly and managed to grow to that size, one couldn’t help but wonder how much she would have grown up in a good nurturing environment— I stopped that thought, feeling it was blasphemous to think such things about someone who called me ‘God.’
Especially eye-catching was the scene of her bathing in the hot spring I provided.
I unknowingly paused scrolling, admiring her naked form.
Well, it wasn’t entirely naked; only part of her upper body was visible. She was in the bath after all.
That said, the presence of her big, white chest couldn’t be diminished… I couldn’t help but swallow my saliva.
‘This… how about… umm… not possible…?’
Having thought that far, I shook my head.
Even so, asking for her to ‘reveal more of her body’ while donating would leave my reputation in shambles.
But still… a compliment or two should be okay, right?
[Igguoqueden (Donation / 1,000 won): Author, Erin is looking… cute… I really like the Holy Power Pouch… heh heh.]
ㄴ [돈좀주세요(Author): Thank you. I’m honored that you like Erin. I’ll make sure to relay that to her. She’ll surely be very pleased!]
‘This concept is just ridiculous.’
Even saying that, I couldn’t help but smile to myself.
Yes. I’ll admit it.
I had gotten so into her and her journey that I even entertained these thoughts. The thousand won slipping away didn’t feel much like spending money anymore.
If it meant Erin could safely become a saint, it wasn’t that high a price to pay, was it?
Of course, donating just one thousand won wouldn’t solve everything.
[This one…….]
What appeared before me was an enormous boulder.
Before the massive stone blocking her path, Erin dropped to her knees and began to pray.
[I humbly beseech you, Igguoqueden, please grant me the strength to overcome this trial. I beg you…….]
I was somewhat familiar with this pattern when suddenly, the author’s note caught my attention after a long time.
[This time, it cannot be resolved with a 1,000 won donation! ㅠㅠ Considering the mass and destructive power of the stone, it seems only donations exceeding 3,000 won will help Erin. Please do not turn your back on Erin!]
“Ha!”
As soon as I saw the author’s note, an absurd laugh escaped me.
[Igguoqueden: Haven’t I been able to solve everything with just a thousand won up to now?]
ㄴ [돈좀주세요(Author): I’m sorry. I too wanted to solve it with 1,000 won, but… it seems 3,000 won is necessary to clear this stone. I greatly apologize for my audacity, but if you have a mind to help, I would humbly request a donation of 3,000 won or more.]
‘You, as the author, can simply take 1,000 won and make it work!!!’
…I wanted to write that as a comment.
Nonetheless, the important thing is that I still didn’t feel too displeased about it.
[Igguoqueden (Donation / 3,000 won): Let’s get this done quickly.]
ㄴ [돈좀주세요(Author): Thank you! You are truly generous! We will never forget Igguoqueden’s bold ambitions, guts, and his judgment of when action must be taken!]
The next episode depicted the stone being struck by lightning and shattered.
Erin, looking touched, immediately turned her gaze to the sky and began to pray.
[Thank you, Igguoqueden. You are watching over me…! I will never forget this grace for the rest of my life…!!!]
‘Yeah, yeah.’
Even considering the fact that money was continuously flowing out, I was having a pretty enjoyable time.
* * *
How much time had passed like this?
Finally, Erin arrived at the Papal Basilica, but—
‘What the heck?’
What awaited me was a despairing story that she could never become a saint.