Mid-level God Awakening
“My body feels amazing.”
Kim Jihun clenched and unclenched his fist a few times before murmuring. He was deeply satisfied with his greatly enhanced divine rank. While he slept, he had ascended to the rank of Mid-level God.
He glanced at the mirror. There reflected a completely transformed version of himself. For starters, his appearance had evolved dramatically in terms of sheer beauty. A divine radiance, like a sculpture meticulously carved by a god, now bathed his features. If the old Kim Jihun had ranked among the handsomest celebrities, the current one could be called the dizzying pinnacle of beauty.
Staring at his face, he swallowed a disbelieving breath. “Hah.”
Words utterly failed him. He himself possessed an overwhelming beauty beyond description. As if a halo glowed behind him, simply walking would turn him into a living masterpiece. That was the image staring back from the mirror.
Even if it came off as narcissistic, there was no helping it. His changed looks were so brilliantly stunning that even he was astonished.
And so, Kim Jihun was utterly shocked by his new appearance.
“So this is what a Mid-level God is like?”
Jihun said, still a bit surprised. Then he pondered to himself.
Like Leila when she grew up—did the same happen to me? But I’ve got no more physical growth left, so maybe it just changed my looks?
Leila had physically matured upon reaching Mid-level God. But Kim Jihun was already fully grown. No further bodily development possible. So he could only guess that the usual growth had manifested externally in his appearance.
In truth, gods becoming more beautiful at higher ranks was merely a side effect. As their divine circuits and souls matured, their bodies optimized accordingly—and in that process, their looks underwent dramatic enhancement. Thus, the stronger and more soul-mature a god, the more exquisite their appearance.
Kim Jihun kept gazing into the mirror, marveling at his transformed visage.
...
“She still hasn’t woken up.”
Three days had passed since Asria lost consciousness. She remained lying on the bed in Kim Jihun’s room.
Watching her, Kim Jihun thought, She’s not gonna stay asleep forever, is she?
A flicker of anxiety arose, but he dismissed it. A god’s body was ageless and immortal, immune to illness. And hadn’t he fed her that precious essence of divine power? Shaking off the worry, he muttered,
“Well, now that she’s recovered her strength, maybe I should fix up the house first.”
He surveyed his room. Peeling wallpaper, cramped space, stains and traces of age everywhere. The whole house was riddled with such flaws.
He wanted to restructure it. Being old and sloppily built, it had plenty of uncomfortable aspects.
Rusty water too.
The house’s structure was downright abysmal. Rusty water flowed out constantly from sheer neglect. He had some attachment, having lived there his whole life, but calling it comfortable would be a stretch.
Thus, having reached Mid-level God, he decided to pour his newfound divine power into renovations.
He recited the great divine incantation.
"All things exist."
⟨ Great Divine Incantation ⟩
-Flash!
A far more intense divine power and Creation Force condensed within his body than before. It pulsed through his veins toward his heart, merging there into an even more advanced Creation Force.
-Brum!
Feeling the fiercer flow, Kim Jihun closed his eyes to concentrate. He was manifesting Creation Force purely through his own computational power, breaking the habit of relying on aids and honing his innate calculations.
He decided: First, the frame.
The house’s framework was perilously frail. Concrete with woefully insufficient rebar that screamed shoddy construction—and now corroded to boot. A strong quake would’ve flattened it instantly.
Scanning its durability, his heart sank. I’ve been living in this deathtrap?!
A chill ran down his spine, but relief followed. Good thing I caught it before collapse.
He channeled Creation Force into the frame, seeping into the hidden rebar.
Then came the great creation. It birthed a new material: harder and more durable than any known substance. Matching carbon nanotube strength yet with concrete-like thermal expansion for perfect construction use.
He reinforced and shored up every rebar throughout the house. Soon, a foundation capable of safely bearing the load was complete.
Walls stabilized for now.
Next, he smoothed the concrete surfaces—ragged from hasty build—erasing stains and mold, applying premium paint. The exterior now gleamed beautifully.
Surface treatment done. Next...
His gaze shifted to the floor. Time to fix the foundation supporting the house.
Tch! Shoddy foundation too.
The building’s base was weak. Rebar hadn’t penetrated deeply, limiting load capacity. As a single-story, it held so far—but five years was the limit. After that, it’d start tilting.
Sighing inwardly, he began fortifying it deeply.
Drive new-material rebar deep, thicken and reinforce the base.
His Creation Force plunged into the deep earth. He embedded the signature new-material struts. The foundation transformed into something unbreakable.
Now, even a massive quake wouldn’t budge Kim Jihun’s house.
Speaking of which, let’s redo the plumbing.
He recalled the rusty water. His eyes turned to the pipes—rusted from years without replacement.
Tsking, Replace it now.
Creation Force flowed into pipes and fixtures. The corroded mess became a new alloy: metal-strong yet rust-proof, with antibacterial properties to boot!
Now, water from his taps would flow pure enough—no purifier needed.
Finishing walls, foundation, and plumbing, his gaze rose to the ceiling.
Reinforce the roof too.
He sent Creation Force upward, swapping ceiling beams for the new material and roofing for lightweight yet sturdy stuff. The upper structure now secure and light—no collapse risk.
With everything done, he planned to beautify the exterior.
People outside?
But exteriors were tricky. Narrow alley but still urban—witnesses could complicate things.
Yet Kim Jihun had a clever solution.
Create an illusion.
He’d craft a mirage enveloping the house—a magic-like refraction of ambient moisture, water vapor, and light to project his desired image. Advanced creation, but his Mid-level God computations handled it effortlessly.
"All things exist."
⟨ Great Divine Incantation ⟩
His sacred incantation echoed once more. Nearby moisture warped form. He calculated light refraction, image angles, projecting the old house perfectly.
Magic unfolded around his home. A new illusory layer overlaid it like a mirage.
Now, passersby wouldn’t notice his creations.
Jihun resumed renovations, channeling Creation Force outward.
-Brum!
The grimy exterior transformed. Flaking paint renewed; age’s filth vanished. Windows expanded grandly; the facade reborn in sleek, modern design—like a luxury penthouse.
He admired it. Perfect!
A celeb mansion vibe.
Scanning outside with subtle divine power: No one passing. Good.
He morphed the illusion—from old house to “under construction.”
Keep this up a week—no one’ll question the change. They’ll think it’s a remodel.
To avoid suspicion, he’d preempted with this ruse. A week later, drop the illusion; they’d assume routine upgrades.
Finishing, he opened his eyes.
“Whew! Haven’t flexed like that in ages.”
A swell of pride and fulfillment made him smile. Pent-up since the Void incident, unleashing power and expending Creation Force and divine power felt liberating.
Stretching contentedly, he muttered,
“Alright! Time for some Creation Force training—been too long!”
Elated, he dove into his subspace.
...
“That intelligent-being origin guy’s coming next semester?”
At Allei Mid-level School, a few Mid-level Gods chatted. Most looked near-adult: some mature, others youthful—like a modern high school. But they’d attended for centuries, ancient by human standards. Mere kids among gods, though.
They discussed incoming freshmen.
“A god from a mortal origin? Having to share classes with that.”
“Makes my skin crawl.”
They clearly resented Kim Jihun’s arrival at the prestigious school. Proud students, they had no desire to rub shoulders with a half-baked mortal-born god.
The Kim Jihun talk continued.
“And get this—he even seduced Leila, direct descendant of High Creation God Ray.”
“No way!”
“Didn’t she have that haughty rep?”
“Must’ve tricked her somehow. No way she’d fall for a mortal-origin scrub.”
The slander flowed. High gods were mostly upright, but these were just Mid-level Gods—bratty and impulsive. Centuries old, yet kids in god society. Hence the pettiness.
One said,
“When that Kim Jihun shows up, let’s give him a taste.”
“Teach him god society’s harsh side.”
“Can’t let mortals pollute the school!”
They plotted to haze him on arrival. Who’d end up thrashed remained to be seen.
============================ Author's Note ============================