Chapter 1: The Return of the Saintess

Ten years ago, Earth underwent a cataclysm.

Many countries had to face the invasion of aberrations from dimensional rifts.

The ones that suffered the most were China and India, which had the largest populations.

Over a billion people disappeared just from these two countries.

The dimensional rifts, from which the aberrations emerged, never closed.

Of course, Korea wasn’t spared either.

Thanks to the sacrifices of China and India, allied nations like the United States were able to prepare for war and fiercely resisted the aberrations.

As a result, many countries began producing superhumans known as ‘awakeners’ who, affected by the dimensional rifts, used their strange powers to expel the aberrant monsters.

Although Korea lost North Korea, which had been ruined due to poor handling, they at least managed to protect the remaining land.

The same happened in other countries.

Very few nations were left unscathed, but thus the world entered the era of the awakeners.

“In short, the times have changed.”

“Yes.”

Nodded the goddess in response to my remark.

But this woman—she’s still connected to me, even after sending me back to Earth.

“So, you were trying to tie me to the hero and give me a happy ending in that world?”

“Defeating the Demon King was also the saintess’s mission. And the being we brought from another world was particularly strong. Usually, the saintess just marries the hero and lives happily ever after.”

“You really thought I’d let a guy stick it in me?”

-Sorry. I didn’t think you’d hate it that much.

“And why is my body like this?”

-Uh, I can’t return it. I’m sorry.

“What? How can you be so irresponsible?”

-It’s modeled after my own body! Of course, there’s no way to refund it!

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

-Anyway, if you went back to your original body, you’d get beaten up the moment you stepped outside. It’s better to live in this body in this world.

Now that I think about it, that world was…

-Aww, you’re so cute. Wanna be my secret friend, mister?

-Die!

On the first day, I was almost raped.

-You’d make a perfect host for our queen!

-Just die, already.

I almost became the host for a demon once, too.

Looking back, I’ve had plenty of close calls with this body.

I was lucky that I had a man’s mind and could fight back. It was really dangerous.

“Hey, I almost got raped there, for crying out loud. No wonder I’m the ‘physical saintess’ now!”

This body is seriously beautiful.

I mean, even I fall for myself when I look in the mirror.

The problem is that it’s me. Anyway.

Before learning the saintess’s miraculous magic, I first swung a club, so my body’s balance naturally shifted toward strength rather than magic.

I’m truly a physical saintess.

And with a body this good, it’s not so bad, right?

It distracts enemies, making them let their guard down and allowing attacks to slip through.

Yeah, I like that.

This cursed voluptuous figure of mine can’t help but catch the eyes of men, even my enemies.

While the bandits and monsters were ogling my body, their heads were sent flying by my club.

“Are you a prostitute? Look at this outfit you gave me. It doesn’t need washing, doesn’t tear, offers high defense, and even has a morale boost buff! This isn’t a saintess outfit; it’s a nun cosplay with cleavage and thigh slits! Is this for a steamy night with a boyfriend?”

It’s such a cheat item that I can’t take it off.

The goddess claims she can’t use her powers to create new clothes or alter this outfit because she has to conserve energy to send me back to Earth.

I’m a performance-driven gamer.

It’s absolutely not because I want to wear this.

No way.

It’s just that the stats are good.

That’s what I’d like to say, but when I look in the mirror, I find it so visually pleasing.

When I look in the mirror, I don’t feel embarrassed wearing this at all, seeing myself as a woman from a man’s perspective.

-You sure do like to talk back to the goddess! You’ve gotten used to it yourself, haven’t you? And for the record, my outfit as a goddess is more revealing than this! I did this much for you because you’re one of my believers! If anything, it’s human clothing standards that are weird! What’s with all the fuss over a bit of exposed skin? Honestly, the world you came from is strange. Why should I adjust to the standards of my creations?

To be honest, I’ve gotten used to it.

The problem is that this is my body.

If only the goddess had given me a clone to do the hero’s work instead of me.

That way, I wouldn’t have to look in the mirror every day and see this body.

Wait, hold on. How naked is the goddess, then?

Well, in any case, I enjoy this body.

The clothes I’m wearing are secondary; this body is perfect.

It’s like this: I might as well enjoy it while I have it, though I do miss my original body.

Sure, it feels bad to show it off, but it’s also effective in battle.

If anyone stares too much, I’ll just smash their skulls.

Anyway, it’s certainly good for eye candy.

But first things first, where am I?

“Anyway, where is this place?”

Looking around, it seems like a ruin.

I know there are monsters outside.

The concrete buildings are smashed to pieces.

A gray sky and a gray city.

That’s all there is.

It feels like an apocalypse just by looking at it.

Is it really?

-We’re on the outskirts of New Seoul. Judging by the ruins, there are probably monsters out there. For now, you should focus on recovering your strength, so don’t contact me too often. You should be strong enough with that power.

The goddess said what she had to say and then went silent.

Why is she always so one-sided?

It’s really too much.

The goddess put a filter on my mouth because I curse too much, at least forcing me to use polite language.

At least, I think the filtering on my mouth has been lifted.

I’ll be content with that.

Honestly, when I think about it, this body is probably better than my old male body in Korea.

“Alright then.”

I decided to assess the situation.

It’s good that I’m back on Earth.

It looks like an apocalypse around here, but according to the goddess, the world is still functioning, not actually in an apocalypse.

Korea is still intact as a nation, so the cities should still be standing.

“New Seoul”

Must mean a newly built version of Seoul.

For now, I’ll aim to reach Seoul.

As I stepped out of the building, I saw monsters everywhere.

They were green, small, and ugly, looking just like goblins.

“Oh, spotted a goblin-like creature.”

“Kieeeek!”

It saw me too and pointed its finger at me, calling for its companions.

“Grrrrahh!”

Smash!

I swung my mace with all my strength, aiming for its head.

I held back a bit, but it was as if the goblin’s head never existed in the first place—it completely disappeared as though it was just an extension that could be removed at will.

“It’s like they just pop with a single touch.”

That’s one down.

“Kikikikik!”

“You shall be trampled softly as you disgust me on your way to hell.”

That’s two.

I kept moving forward, killing them one by one.

One goblin, though, was shyly staring at my body.

Specifically, my chest.

It was eyeing my cleavage intently.

I remembered the faces of those goblins who tried to use me as their breeding host.

This little bastard.

I won’t forgive you.

“Hey, where do you think you’re looking? Holy Crash!”

Boom!

The goblin disintegrated on the spot, not even able to scream.

Yeah, that’s more like it.

“I’m very upset. Only I’m allowed to look at this body.”

I really want to go home already.

“Hm? What’s that?”

Something huge was moving in the distance.

It looked like an ogre, but slightly different.

A giant creature was fighting what appeared to be humans.

Humans, huh?

Could they be from Seoul?

“Damn it, when is hunter support arriving?”

“They said they’re pulling some from the 4th Gate and sending them, but we need to hold on longer!”

“How long do we have to hold on?”

“They didn’t expect an A-class monster to appear!”

“Damn it!”

Ugh, it’s been so long since I’ve heard Korean.

I missed it.

It’s nice to see them fighting so hard.

Should I go ask them to help me get to Seoul?

That seems like the best option.

If I help them take down that monster, they might escort me.

“We’re dead!”

You shouldn’t say things like that.

I don’t know what the situation is here, but I’ve been a saintess in another world for five years.

Even though this is Earth, I’m still a saintess.

A saintess has a duty to protect humanity alongside the hero.

So, I ran toward the giant ogre.

Dashing through the ruins, I leapt up a broken streetlight, propelling myself straight to the ogre’s head.

Then, I swung my mace with all my strength.

“Skull-crusher!”

Crash! Crackle!

The ogre’s skull began to shatter beautifully.

“Guuuuaaaahhhh!”

The ogre’s head was smashed in an instant.

Completely shattered. It was quite a sight.

“What the? That was easier than I thought.”

Monsters from the other world seemed stronger than this.

Is this world just starting to experience monsters?

Holding my mace, which had just shattered the ogre’s head, I slowly approached the two men.

“Hello?”

I tilted my head slightly and smiled.

“Uh-uhm. Who are you, and where did you come from? I’m Park Yoon-il.”

At least he’s got an eye for beauty.

Another guy falls for this body.

It’s annoying, but it’s my own fault for attracting attention by wearing such an outfit.

“Let’s skip the small talk. Which way is Seoul?”

“Head north from here, and you’ll reach a checkpoint. But, seriously, who exactly are you?”

At least the other guy responded more calmly.

Though his eyes briefly glanced at my chest before he turned his head away.

I guess it’s best to be honest here.

“I woke up and found myself here. Hearing your voices made me realize this is Korea.”

“Korean? But you look more like a Westerner. Are you Korean?”

Platinum blonde hair that sparkles like diamond dust.

Pale white skin and a face with finely defined features.

A body with perfect curves in all the right places.

Just by looking at me, you’d think I’m more Western, but my face has a somewhat Eastern vibe.

A woman with a truly mysterious and captivating appearance.

Korean women probably wouldn’t measure up.

“Where were you before? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Where was I before?

“Another world. After defeating the Demon King, I was finally supposed to return to Earth, but then I ended up in this situation.”

Who would’ve thought Earth would end up in a fantasy-like situation, too?

“Wait, so you’re a ‘returnee’?”

“Huh?”

A returnee? What’s that now?

Wait, do they call people who come back from other worlds ‘returnees’?

“Another returnee, huh?”

I think I need to get to Seoul.

“Would you mind guiding me to Seoul?”

“Guide you to Seoul? Before that, we’re going to die here. But, more importantly, why is a nun like you in a place like this?”

One of them is still trying to act all smooth.

Seriously, this body belongs only to me, so why do they keep trying to mess with me?

“I told you, I woke up and found myself here.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that each returnee comes back under different circumstances.”

Are there others like me who came from different worlds?

Well, whatever.

It doesn’t matter to me.

No need to tell them my whole story, anyway.

“So, you’re asking why I came here from another world, huh? Does it really matter?”

“Yes. Some of the monsters are human-shaped, too.”

Unbelievable.

They’re calling me a monster?

Even after seeing this face?

This perfect face, unmatched even by the goddess, despite her bad attitude, and they’re calling me a monster?

That made me a little angry.