Evangelist Eve (1)
"Everything's turned into ketchup."
The World Interference Action tab was a function that allowed a god to directly exert physical force. Lee Shin had simply selected an action a moment ago, lifted his foot, and stepped on them.
That was the end of it.
It was clearly a matter of difference in size. No matter how vicious those bastards were, they were still smaller than a two-liter water bottle—how could they possibly withstand Lee Shin's mass?
"I'll have to be more careful from now on."
At least Eve wasn't seriously hurt. Even though she'd been hit by a motorcycle, Eve just brushed the sand off her body, stood up, and recovered almost instantly. Is that a dwarf trait?
"O God, O God! We've acquired transportation!"
Having gotten back on her feet, Eve climbed onto the motorcycle they had left behind and skillfully started the engine. Then she looked up at the sky and flashed a grin. Even had a tough kind of charm.
"I'm offaaaaa!"
Of course, putting on a show aside, Eve's driving skills were absolute trash. Lee Shin felt grateful that he wasn't riding with her and instead existed from the sky in an overseer's perspective.
The performance of the motorcycles the bikers had been riding was undeniable. Cutting through the wasteland that had seemed endless even after walking for ages, Eve drew closer to her destination—the Red City of Jepet.
As buildings came into view beyond the horizon, the interference power dropped to nearly zero. This time, Lee Shin told Eve in advance that he would be leaving, then instructed her to go ahead and take care of what needed to be done.
"O God, O God, just trust meee!!!"
Considering Eve had caused a total of four accidents on the way here, it was hard to say whether she was trustworthy—but Lee Shin decided to believe in the "professional mode" of Eve, who had once been a priest.
Please show some gap-moe this time!
All interference power has been consumed.
**
Having stayed up all night and even packed a lunchbox before using World Observation, fatigue had piled up to the brim. Coming back after floating around as a bodiless soul made it feel even more pronounced.
Lee Shin, who had passed out just like that, didn't wake up until evening—but he felt far more refreshed than usual. Had it been a long time since he last slept well?
The faith level of the lower-rank believer [Eve] is very high.You and your believer are connected.
The soul of the lower-rank believer [Eve] is affecting you.
You are sharing the skill [Self-Healing].
Shared skills will disappear if the faith level decreases.
The reason he'd been able to sleep so deeply was thanks to Eve. Lee Shin couldn't help but smile at the thought that the new friend he'd made was proving useful in so many ways.
"Hey, Lee Shin! How long are you planning to nap?"
When he got up and walked into the living room, Choi Bom was already sitting casually on the sofa in comfortable clothes.
"How'd you get here? Is it already the weekend?"
"What weekend? I got time off."
"Time off…?"
At Lee Shin's words, Choi Bom nodded.
"I was training hard and twisted my ankle, so I'm taking two days off. Just so you know, I didn't come to see you—I came to see your uncle. When I'm here, I start craving home-cooked food."
"Uncle Seungbaek would be hurt if he heard that."
"If he gets home from work and his daughter whines at him to cook, he'd be even more hurt. Anyway, forget that and look at this. It's pretty bad."
Wearing only shorts, Choi Bom thrust her leg forward. Sure enough, her ankle was visibly swollen.
"If it's hard, you should pray."
"Pray, my ass. What, are you a god? …Oh, right, you actually are. Idiot!"
Choi Bom lightly tapped Lee Shin's shoulder with the sole of her foot, then burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. Feeling how refreshed his body had become, Lee Shin thought to himself,
"It'd be nice if I could heal Bom too with my power."
The only skill he'd shared from Eve was Self-Healing. Just as the name suggested, it was a skill that could only heal one's own wounds.
That was probably why Eve had been fine even after getting hit by a motorcycle and sent flying. Lee Shin didn't mind if his own fatigue couldn't be cured—he quietly wished that this power could be passed on to Choi Bom instead.
"If I get closer to Eve, maybe I'll be able to heal other people too."
There were many people around Lee Shin whom he wished would never get hurt. Starting with Choi Bom, who had just sprained her ankle, then his father with a bad disc in his back, and his mother who often suffered from minor illnesses… If he could gift health to those precious connections, that would be wonderful.
"Next time you get hurt, I'll heal you."
"What are you talking about? Still, thanks—even if it's just empty words."
"It's not empty words. I awakened."
At Lee Shin's offhand remark, Choi Bom, his father, and his mother all froze at once. As everyone stared at him with blank expressions, Lee Shin spoke again.
"It's true."
"W-what kind of ability?"
"Otherworld exploration. I haven't been awakened for long, but from what I saw this time, it feels like I can gain abilities over there and do all sorts of things. I'll definitely cure Dad's disc and Mom too."
At Lee Shin's words, his father, Lee Younghwan, let out a chuckle.
"But why is Bom the first one? Do you like your girlfriend more than your dad, huh?"
"Sir! What girlfriend—this idiot's not my boyfriend. Take that back right now, I'm seriously getting mad."
"Heh, becoming in-laws with Seungbaek wouldn't be bad."
"I agree. Honestly, Bom, if it's not you, who's going to take our son? He's so dense he'll probably only ever know you for the rest of his life."
While his parents joked around in that very middle-aged way, Lee Shin simply shook his head, not even understanding the joke.
"But Mom's a woman too, you know?"
At that, Younghwan replied,
"Is your mom a woman? She's an ajumma."
That was more than enough to earn a hit. As Younghwan yelped after getting smacked on the back, everyone burst into laughter. In the middle of it all, Lee Shin poured cold water on the mood.
"Oh. I know Eve now too."
"...?"
"She's a friend I met over there. The way she acts is really cute. I want to bring her out and live together, but I guess that's not possible yet."
"E… Eve?"
Choi Bom said stiffly. As his father shook his head, Lee Shin, completely oblivious to the mood, continued speaking clearly and without hesitation.
"Unlike you, who's about the same height as me, she's really small and cute. She follows me around everywhere, and last time she cried her eyes out just because I didn't go back for a day. So I'm waiting for my trait cooldown."
Younghwan slapped his forehead.
His mother did the same.
Both of them were thinking the exact same thing.
"Our son really is an idiot."
Why was it that such incredible insight and divine perceptiveness always applied only to others, never to himself? Watching him innocently prattle on, Lee Shin's parents felt like their insides were about to burst.
Even after revealing that he had awakened, his parents didn't recklessly suggest that he try becoming a hunter or start making money. No matter how playful they usually were, they were always grateful people who respected Lee Shin's will.
Honestly, if they'd been greedy for money, they would've made Lee Shin become a shaman or fortune-teller from a young age. And even if they had, Lee Shin loved his parents so much that he would've followed their wishes without complaint.
Even after Younghwan brought out braised short ribs, Choi Bom only picked at her food. Considering she usually ate well no matter what, it was strange. Worried that maybe it was because her ankle hurt, Lee Shin kept piling ribs onto her rice. Choi Bom spoke in a snappy tone.
"Hmph. Why don't you take it to Eve instead?"
With her lips sticking out in a pout, Choi Bom kept grumbling. Lee Shin scratched his head, wondering if he'd said something wrong again.
"You're more important than Eve."
"... You said she's small, cute, and follows you around everywhere, right? Sounds exactly like your type."
Choi Bom was 177 centimeters tall. Lee Shin didn't really know it, but Choi Bom had a complex about being too tall.
That was because when they were kids, Lee Shin had once said while looking at puppies that he liked small, cute things best. It was something Lee Shin didn't remember at all.
"Why do you keep talking about random stuff while we're eating?"
"You have to eat well so you don't get hurt. You said you'd live longer than me. Hurry up and eat."
"I'm going to die before you."
"Don't say that. I can't live without you. Hurry."
At Lee Shin's words, the corners of Choi Bom's mouth twitched.
"... Really?"
"Yeah. And Eve's about the same height as this braised rib dish. She's not human—she's a dwarf race."
"Damn it, you should've said that earlier. Sir, one more bowl for me...."
Only then did Choi Bom polish off three full bowls of rice. Telling Lee Shin to see Choi Bom off since her ankle was injured, his father shoved him hard in the back. I mean, what was there to worry about when she was a trainee hunter who could bend steel with her bare hands?
Choi Bom kept twitching her lips, then went back with a bright smile, telling him to be sure to visit her next time. After watching her tap her transit card and get on the subway properly, Lee Shin turned back—and ran into some strange people at the station entrance.
"You have such a great face."
"Thank you."
"Looks like your ancestors were blessed with a lot of fortune."
Reading ancestral fortune just by looking at someone's face? Lee Shin wondered if these people might have been born with abilities like his as well.
"Can you see destiny too?"
But the people who had approached him so cheerfully fled in less than three minutes once Lee Shin began a full-fledged barrage of questions. Having secretly harbored some expectations, Lee Shin was disappointed when he realized they were just cult recruiters. Scratching his head, he thought to himself,
"If I can't even be fooled, then no one can."
Was there really anyone who fell for stuff like that?
"Waaahhh! O God, O God! No one recognizes the greatness of the divine!"
The moment his interference power refilled, Lee Shin used World Observation—and was immediately greeted by Eve crying her heart out. Not only had all of Eve's evangelist activities failed, she claimed she'd even been treated like an outcast and insisted she should just go off and die.
"Why would anyone dislike a cute, mouse-like kid like Eve?"
Lee Shin suggested they try together. Reinvigorated with renewed resolve, Eve clenched her small fist tightly and headed back out into the streets.
Following Eve's gaze, Lee Shin took in the Red City of Jepet—it was a peculiar sight. Since the people were small, the buildings were small as well, making it feel like a miniature city. True to its name, everything from the buildings to the roads was dyed red, which left a strong impression.
But there was something even more striking.
"You have such a wonderful face!"
It was Eve in full professional mode.
"Looks like your ancestors accumulated a lot of virtue—"
"Never show your face in front of me again."
Being publicly humiliated right in front of Lee Shin made Eve feel even more miserable. Soon, she began crying as if the world were ending.
"Waaahhhhhh!!"
Even to Lee Shin—who was nicknamed an idiot at home—this was too much. For the first time in his life, he felt like he'd met someone even more of an idiot than himself.
Fortunately, Lee Shin soon came up with a solution.
"My Eve, do not be sorrowful."
"But...."
"Tell me. Do the people of the Red City of Jepet also lack food and water?"
Sniffling, Eve nodded. The staple food here consisted of mud cookies and dried plant peels.
Then there was one method that was guaranteed to work. Lee Shin decided to take out something he'd originally planned to gift to Eve and use it here instead.
"Gasp… T-there's a way like that?!"
A short while later, Eve was huffing and puffing as she dragged an ultra-large gas burner and an ultra-large pot into the middle of the street. Of course, they were only "ultra-large" by this world's standards—in reality, they were portable.
Tododok. Using her whole body, Eve ignited the gas burner. When the flames burst to life, eyes turned toward them from all directions.
"What is that?"
"That thing…"
They'd drawn attention, but it couldn't stop there. Eve hoisted a water container and poured it in, and soon the water began to boil vigorously. Spinning through three somersaults, Eve added the flakes and soup base. Finally, she dunked the noodles in with a splash.
And then—
"On Sundays!"
The magic phrase Lee Shin had taught her.
"I! Am! The jjajang ramen chef!!"
He'd wanted to show Eve the taste of ramen for the first time in this world, but it couldn't be helped. What could possibly draw attention more powerfully than the smell of ramen?
Even at a PC café, if one person ordered jjajang ramen, everyone else followed suit. As far as aroma went, it was top-tier even among ramen.
And jjajang ramen being cooked by someone else when you were starving?
Even Lee Shin, who'd just eaten, found his mouth watering at the smell. What about them?
"That smell… it's insane."
The residents of the Red City of Jepet—
every single one of them started to drool.