“No way…”
I stared speechless, at the latest episode of “God Exists, and He is Igogodon.”
Even with just a small donation of a thousand won, miraculous things had happened.
Water would suddenly spring forth, or clean food would just lie on the ground.
Just with that level of intervention, I could feel a strange sense of exhilaration, as if I were shaping this world according to my whims.
Sure, constantly begging for donations in every episode got a bit tacky, but… well, I didn’t mind.
I was having fun with it too, so I didn’t blame them.
But now.
Just because my donation went from one thousand to ten thousand won…
My nickname appeared directly in the episode, and the character Erin openly shouted my name in the comic.
After that, some kind of holy spear from the heavens pierced through the bellies of the third-rate villains tormenting Erin.
What surprised me the most was the quality of the artwork portraying this scene.
It had always been decent, but still with that unmistakable amateur touch.
Now, it suddenly transformed into high-quality, polished artwork, as if a different artist had taken over!
And to top off this excessive praise, endless messages of gratitude followed: “Long live the ten thousand won donation!”
The crowning jewel of this overwhelming adulation was the author’s note at the end:
“Thank you so much for your generous donation of 10,000 won, Igogodon. God exists, and we address Him as ‘Igogodon.’ This world will never forget the immense generosity of Igogodon, who donated a full 10,000 won.”
…Seriously, I couldn’t help but let a grin slip out.
The ridiculous part wasn’t the over-the-top flattery… it was the fact that I was actually enjoying this “over-praise.”
No wonder—I had been donating to this obscure comic, saving Erin all along, even though nobody else was reading it.
[Igogodon: Spending my money feels worth it, lol.]
[Author (PleaseGiveMoney): Of course! Now that you’ve invested such a large amount, it’s only natural for the world to change accordingly, isn’t it? I’ll make sure to leave a notification comment as soon as the next episode is out, so please stay tuned until the end of Erin’s journey!]
“Wow. Look at the speed they reply with.”
I was impressed at the almost unreal speed of the reply.
At least, there was no begging for donations at the end of this episode, whether it was fortunate or not.
Could it be that receiving ten thousand won made them feel a little humbled?
Amid these mixed feelings, one thing was clear—
“Spending that ten thousand was worth it.”
I didn’t feel it was wasteful to spend money to change the plot of a comic nobody else read.
******
From that day onward, I became the sole reader, the only one witnessing Erin’s life.
I was curious about what would happen next, but the real reason I kept reading was the outrageous turns the plot was taking.
After hearing the voice of God and seeing the bandits who tormented her impaled by a holy spear, Erin became convinced that her path was to become a saint.
From then on, she recognized that all the miracles, from water appearing to finding food, were not mere coincidences but acts of God.
It was only natural, given how often “God exists” echoed in her mind…
The problem now was that even with a mere thousand-won donation, she was overly conscious of my existence.
On top of that, during perilous moments on her journey, instead of the usual “author’s note” asking for donations—
“Our only God, Igogodon. I humbly ask, please, have mercy on this young lamb just once more. Grant me the strength to overcome this trial so I can carry your words…”
—she began praying in-character, as Erin.
[Igogodon: What happens if I don’t donate here?]
[Author (PleaseGiveMoney): Of course, whether you donate is entirely up to you! Even if a miracle doesn’t come, Erin would never resent Igogodon. If the blessings of Igogodon are absent, she’ll simply have to accept the fate she was destined for… but please, don’t feel burdened.]
“She has to accept her fate, huh?”
Now, how could I not care after hearing that?
“Ha… this author is a marketing genius.”
Why was someone like this obsessively creating a comic that no one else read?
“What should I do?”
Had I grown attached to Erin because she kept calling my name?
Even though I knew the author was scripting every line, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore her.
What would you call this feeling?
It was like the urge to be a hero that I once held as a child, an old desire to save someone with my own hands.
At least this time, the author wasn’t trying to deceive me.
So, my streak of donations continued.
Need something to eat?
One thousand won donation!
“Thanks to the grace of Igogodon, I’ve managed to find a meal for today. Thank you.”
Feeling dirty from not washing for a while?
One thousand won donation!
“Father Igogodon, thanks to you, I was able to bathe in hot springs. I can now purify myself in your honor.”
It was a cheeky sales tactic, but when Erin smiled and thanked me, I couldn’t help but grin.
When was the last time someone acknowledged me?
I once read somewhere that the human brain is so simple that merely reading about an experience can trick it into thinking you’ve lived it.
Reading a book, in essence, gives you the same effect as living another’s life.
So, it wasn’t entirely foolish to fulfill my need for validation through the character Erin in this comic.
…Certainly not.
What was most frustrating about this sales technique was… as the episodes went on, Erin’s artwork noticeably improved.
Initially, she was a girl constantly on the run, unable to eat or bathe properly, but with my one-thousand-won punches, she now wore a proper traveler’s outfit, ate well, and even bathed in hot springs.
Her appearance naturally caught my eye.
Long platinum blonde hair, blue eyes as vast as the sky, and a surprisingly full chest that, now dressed in proper clothing, was hard to ignore.
Despite her poor upbringing, I wondered how much more she would have grown in a better environment… and then I stopped myself, feeling like I’d been disrespectful to someone who worshiped me as “God.”
What truly caught my attention was her bath scene in the hot spring I “provided.”
I found myself pausing to take in her figure.
Though only her upper body was shown submerged in the water, I couldn’t help but gulp at the sight of her white, full chest…
“Is there… any way to… uh…”
I shook my head.
No matter what, asking for “more exposed scenes” while donating would be unbecoming.
But well… a compliment or two wouldn’t hurt, right?
[Igogodon (Donation/1,000 won): Artist, Erin looks… cute in this episode… That divine power pouch of hers is delightful… heh.]
[Author (PleaseGiveMoney): Thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying Erin. I’ll make sure to let her know—she’ll be thrilled!]
“This gimmick is ridiculous,” I muttered, grinning like a fool.
All right. I’ll admit it.
I had become utterly engrossed in Erin and her journey.
Spending a thousand won each time didn’t even feel like spending money anymore.
Honestly, if it means Erin safely becoming a saint, it’s not such a high price to pay, is it?
Of course, a thousand won couldn’t solve everything.
[What is this…]
Before me stood an enormous boulder, blocking Erin’s path.
She knelt down, praying before the stone that blocked her way.
“Igogodon, I humbly ask, please grant me the strength to overcome this trial. I beg you…”
This was familiar by now, but then, an “author’s note” appeared on the screen for the first time in a while.
“This time, a one-thousand-won donation will not be enough! Given the weight and impact of the stone, it will take a donation of at least three thousand won to help Erin. Please don’t abandon her!”
“Ha!”
A laugh escaped me, stunned by the absurdity of it.
[Igogodon: Hasn’t one thousand been enough until now?]
[Author (PleaseGiveMoney): I apologize. I, too, wanted to resolve it with one thousand won, but to remove a boulder of this size, a minimum donation of three thousand won is required. If you’re willing to help, I’d be incredibly grateful.]
“You could just draw her pushing it with one thousand won!”
…I wanted to comment that.
Well, the point was, I wasn’t exactly irritated yet.
[Igogodon (Donation/3,000 won): Let’s get it done quickly.]
[Author (PleaseGiveMoney): Thank you! Your generosity is unmatched! We will never forget Igogodon’s bold vision and decisive judgment!]
The next scene showed lightning striking the boulder, shattering it.
Erin, awestruck, looked to the sky and began to pray.
“Igogodon, thank you. You are watching over me, aren’t you? I will never forget the blessing you’ve bestowed upon me…!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Even if it meant spending money, it was an enjoyable time for me.
How much time passed like that?
Erin finally reached the papal capital—
“What?”
But awaiting her was the heartbreaking revelation that she could never become a saint.