Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: A Sudden Miracle
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* * *
――I want to stop.
To think this was the ironic end result after wishing "I want to live" more than a hundred times.
Erin no longer wanted to continue living. Even in that moment when she barely escaped with her life, she hadn't abandoned hope for life—but that lasted only an instant.
Erin recalled the opening line of the Holy Scripture, the verse the nun from the village cathedral always recited to the gathered children.
―In the primordial era when light and darkness existed, there was a God.
"Mother, like it says in the Holy Scripture, does God really watch over us? Does He cherish us tenderly?"
"Yes, child. God always watches over us with merciful and compassionate eyes."
"Then why did the plague ravage our village? What did the Millia Family do wrong to get massacred by those bandits? And that bandit gang—why are they living it up without facing any punishment for what they did?"
"……Erin."
When she asked such questions, her mother would place a hand on her shoulder with a look as if she'd said something utterly forbidden.
"Don't ever say things like that outside, understand? No matter what, never speak words that deny 'God.' Got it?"
"But—"
"You're old enough now, aren't you? Listen to your mother for once. Please…… If you leave my side too, then I……"
"……."
Her mother was the only one who survived the plague without losing any kin.
……Because she ended her own life first.
'Wh-why…….'
The bandits who had turned the influential Millia Family's home into a wasteland.
With their stored food supplies running out, they had apparently begun plundering the surroundings again.
To save Erin, her mother threw herself in their way instead, and Erin managed to escape the village amid the chaos, preserving at least her life.
Public order had completely collapsed due to the plague.
The guards meant to maintain security had all died or fled, and the royal family had no viable solutions, leaving them utterly abandoned.
If God truly existed, would He just overlook something like this?
If He did nothing, could that really be called a god?
……Such half-baked philosophical musings lasted only until the second day after her successful escape.
'So thirsty…… Water…….'
Her stomach ached fiercely from hunger.
But even more critical was how impossibly long it had been since she'd last had water.
Finding even a stagnant puddle of rotten water was no easy task. Even when she miraculously stumbled upon water during this drought, swarms of flies made it obvious that drinking it would lead straight to death.
Of course, if she put her mind to it, she could probably find water somehow. There had to be a way—climb the mountains to trace a river, or…… some method known only to seasoned adventurers.
But Erin lacked the strength and resilience to actually carry out such plans. She had no relevant knowledge either. Ever since the plague, she hadn't eaten properly, leaving her body in ruins—what could she possibly do now?
'I want to live, I want to live……! I really…… really want to live……!'
Suddenly, she remembered what the nun from the church had said.
Believe in God. God definitely exists. Someday, at a truly pivotal moment, He will surely whisper to you that He has never left our side.
'God……'
Please, watch over me.
If You pity me, show me a path to survival.
Even just point me to water. Or send rain—I'd drink it gratefully. Please, please……
As futile pleas circled her lips, her vision gradually blurred.
Her desire to live weakened bit by bit.
Everyone was gone. Her family was dead, and the villagers had been brutally slaughtered by the bandits.
Even if she found water and survived alone…… would it mean anything?
Even if she quenched her thirst, did she truly have a future?
So, she decided to give up.
She wanted to stop.
She wanted to join her family now, return to where her departed friends were……
With those thoughts, she slowly closed her eyes.
And whispered to her own heart: It's over. Prepare slowly for the end. There's no hope. God…… never watches over us.
She thought she'd calmly sorted her feelings on the brink of death.
That was what she believed.
'……No…….'
Tears began streaming from Erin's eyes.
No.
She hadn't sorted anything.
She didn't want to die. Even now, if she could live, she wanted to.
God. Are You there? Are You really looking down on me?
If so……
Just as Erin lost consciousness without finishing her sentence—
<<[I'm watching you.]>>
'Huh?'
A strange hallucination echoed in her mind—
――Pssshhhhhh!!!!!!
"……?!"
A miracle occurred.
* * *
'No, what kind of plot twist is this……?'
She'd gotten a notification for a reply comment: "Next chapter uploaded!" and checked the next installment without much thought.
The title: "Suddenly, a Miracle Occurred."
And the content was outrageous.
A girl named Erin collapses in agony while fleeing—fine, whatever—but then she calls out to God, and suddenly a jet of water erupts from the bare ground.
Such an abrupt, contrived development!
'Well……'
The girl Erin was startled by the sudden geyser at first, then beamed with joy as she hurriedly drank the water.
And then, like a narrated scene, the author's note ambushed at the bottom.
[Lord Igugwoden has sponsored 1,000 won! Thanks to you, Erin could drink water! Thank you! Erin's benefactor, Lord Igugwoden!]
'Assigning comic panels just to shill this hard?'
It was obvious pandering, but thinking she wouldn't have to see a cute girl die in agony from thirst for a mere 1,000 won felt like a pretty good deal.
Gore wasn't her taste anyway, and donating felt surprisingly satisfying.
'I guess I'm the type swayed by recognition cravings without realizing it……'
She scrolled to the last page.
'……Huh?'
This time, Erin clutched her stomach, wandering around hungry.
The crowning touch was the final [Author's Note].
[She succeeded in drinking water, but she still hasn't eaten! For Erin to overcome future trials, she needs food! Only sponsorships can feed Erin!]
"Hah!"
She burst out laughing heartily.
The donation baiting was so blatant it wasn't annoying—instead, it reached peak hilarity.
Fine. You win. Another 1,000 won it is.
[ Igugwoden (Sponsorship / 1,000 won) : If you're feeding her, might as well give her food too lol ]
The reply came lightning-fast, as expected.
[ Please Donate (Author) : Thank you so much for the sponsorship! I'll notify you as soon as the next chapter uploads! Thank you for looking after Erin, Lord Igugwoden! We will never forget your good deed, Lord Igugwoden! ]
'Nice reaction.'
Even internet streamers started donations at 2-3k won these days, up to 5k for big ones.
Though the tactics were transparent, the enthusiastic response to a 1,000-won punch—plus drawing exactly what she wanted—made her feel like she was spending wisely.
'Good business. This one.'
And so, from that day on—
She became the sole reader of this sponsorship-bait webtoon by the author "Please Donate."
* * *
Starting with Erin "quite by chance" finding unspoiled food in the grass, she sponsored 1,000 won per chapter, aiding Erin's journey.
The girl, who'd known only failures, grew happier with each stroke of luck, her expressions brightening. Whoever the artist was had real skill in capturing those details—why resort to this absurd donation shilling instead of competing on story? She wondered, but overall, it was enjoyable.
One day, while happily following her not-quite-journey and helping out over many chapters—
'……Huh?'
This chapter's plot was heavier than usual.
Erin had encountered the bandits who massacred her village.
A life-threatening situation.
The author's note was something else.
[Erin needs your sponsorships to escape danger! Without them, she'll suffer greatly ㅠㅠ]
That emoticon at the end was infuriating—clearly from someone masterful at pulling aggro.
The staging was creepy too. "Suffer greatly" was a polite way of putting it; the scenes blatantly foreshadowed exactly what would happen.
'Ugh. Plot's too grim.'
Before sponsoring, she left a comment first.
[ Igugwoden : Is the plot supposed to go this way? Hmm... ]
As expected, a reply followed immediately. The author clearly monitored notifications constantly.
[ Please Donate (Author) : Lord Igugwoden! No need to worry. Sponsor her, and Erin will safely overcome this crisis! Don't forget—the plot changes based on sponsorship amount! ]
It was blatant cash-grabbing, but since a few 1,000-won punches made the comic fun, she wasn't annoyed.
What caught her attention more was that last line, sounding familiar from before.
[ Igugwoden : What exactly do you mean by plot changing with sponsorship amount? ]
[ Please Donate (Author) : Very simple. Think of it as 'fate altering in proportion to sponsorship amount'! For example, a 10,000-won sponsorship has ten times the power to change fate compared to 1,000 won. Of course, even 1,000 won is enough to escape crisis, so no pressure! ]
'Haha. Now openly begging for big donations.'
Sure, it said 1,000 won was fine, but fate proportional to amount……? Too intriguing to ignore.
Fine, let's try 10,000 won as suggested.
[ Igugwoden (
Sponsorship / 10,000 won
) : Lmao I lose, take it ]
[ Please Donate (Author) : Oh my! Lord Igugwoden! Thank you so much for the 10,000-won sponsorship! 10,000 won! How generous! Next chapter uploads next week! We will never forget this tremendous 'good deed'! ]
'We?'
The last line nagged a bit, but probably writer and artist or something.
A separate writer for this comic would be legendary in itself.
'Alright, a week it is.'
With that, she shut off the computer without a second thought and headed to bed.