The God Who Did Not Understand Human Hearts

Iva and Meryl lived peacefully in their Miracle Garden, embracing each day with carefree wonder.

When no visitors came seeking wishes, they would play hide and seek throughout the garden, engaging in games Meryl had taught him. Their presence graced every corner of this demigod's domain.

Meryl would peek out from the tall flower sea, her beautiful golden hair flowing beneath an elegant flower crown.

"Iva," she called out playfully.

"No using your powers, and no cheating!"

Iva agreed to her terms.

Meryl added another condition: "You also can't read my mind, because I have my own freedom."

Iva nodded in assent. "I won't read your mind."

Following Meryl's rules, Iva relied solely on his mortal vision to search for her through the garden, just as any ordinary person would. Meanwhile, Meryl darted through the flower sea like a clever little fox, weaving between blooms while playfully taunting him with her voice.

The flame within Iva's lamp remained singular but burned brighter than before. Through Meryl, he discovered joy's many flavors.

Joy could be gentle, seeping into his heart like morning dew, or overwhelming, sweeping through him like waves upon the shore.

They would chase each other through palace halls or race among the flowers. Sometimes they would ride their small boat down the mountaintop waterfall, with Meryl letting out thrilled screams before quickly covering her mouth in embarrassment.

Iva would mimic her screams, trying to ease her shyness and self-consciousness. But Meryl would turn it around, teasing that he was the frightened one before dissolving into giggles.

One day, several young people arrived at the Sunrise Mountains, their eyes burning with intense desire. They ventured into the treacherous forests and peaks with reckless determination.

One held a crude map supposedly showing the path to the sky-bound Miracle Garden. Yet the road to God's miraculous garden could never be found through mere maps and directions. It existed where the heart yearned and desire pointed the way.

"I heard it's dangerous in there, with dragons and monsters," one member of the group said, shrinking back at the sight of the deep forests and layered peaks.

"What are you afraid of? If we die, we die. But if we succeed, we'll have everything!" The map-holder berated his companion harshly.

"That's right. If we find God's Miracle Garden in the sky, we'll have it all," the others joined in, looking down on their fearful companion.

They pressed forward through mountains and waters, gradually making their way deeper into the vast mountain range.

At first, they worked together methodically to search for the Miracle Garden. But soon they found themselves lost.

In their confusion, a wild Land Dragon discovered them.

They fled in terror as the fearsome creature pursued them, viewing them as a bountiful feast. In their panic, the snake people found themselves trapped in a narrow valley, unable even to split up and escape separately.

As the Land Dragon drew ever closer, they faced what seemed a dead end.

The formerly timid young man, desperate to escape the Land Dragon, suddenly erupted in violence. He shoved his companions to the ground and even wounded one with a weapon.

He left his companions as food for the Land Dragon while he alone escaped the valley. After feasting, the Land Dragon departed.

The young man returned the next day, not to search for his companions but to retrieve the scroll showing the way to the sky-bound Miracle Garden from among their nauseating remains.

Holding the blood-stained scroll, his once-fearful face transformed into an expression of wild abandon.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"It's mine!"

"It's all mine!"

"Everything belongs to me!"

As if possessed, he searched for the path to the Miracle Garden with the scroll in hand.

His desire now burned far stronger than before, for he had paid such a terrible price to obtain this scroll. He had to find the legendary Miracle Garden.

And the path that had eluded them before suddenly appeared.

The sound of rushing water filled his ears as he stumbled forward.

Following the sound, he discovered a river.

Silver light danced on the waves as fish leaped from the waters. The river flowed from a distant waterfall, and above that waterfall floated a garden in the sky.

A rainbow arched behind the garden. He stood transfixed at the sight of this miraculous structure.

At last, he stood before what he had sought for so long.

His expression transformed from initial bewilderment to uncontrolled laughter until he collapsed to his knees from the force of his mirth.

His eyes, fixed upon the ground, blazed with unbridled greed.

"I found it!"

"Countless treasures, supreme power, I can have it all!"

"It's all mine... all mine!"

A small boat descended from above, coming to rest before him.

He boarded the vessel, watching in wonder as it sailed up the waterfall, passing beneath the rainbow.

Finally, it arrived at a garden that could not possibly exist in the mortal world.

The man stepped onto a path of precious stones and crossed a bridge of pure crystal.

From the bridge, he gazed down into the river's depths. Instead of riverbed stones and silt, he saw a mirror world shimmering below, filled with mountains of gold sand and countless coins.

He reached toward the water, trying to grasp the treasures, but found them forever beyond his reach.

Forced to move on, he continued forward into the castle's great hall. The entire structure defied mortal imagination.

The castle's splendor overwhelmed his senses—precious gems studded the domed ceiling, ornate oil lamps lined the crystal-clear walls, and sacred murals depicted stories beyond mortal understanding. Each element spoke of divine craftsmanship.

He believed that even the smallest piece from this place would be worth enough to buy an entire village or town in the mortal world.

His gaze wandered across the treasures until falling upon a maiden in magnificent robes who suddenly appeared on a golden throne above.

She possessed flowing golden hair that matched her golden eyes.

Her dress spread across the red carpet with indescribable nobility and elegance.

She looked exactly like the spirits of legend.

The man fell to his knees. "Noble sacred spirit, Lady Meryl!"

"This humble mortal has braved great dangers to reach this place, yearning for your blessing and salvation."

The maiden seated above asked him directly: "What do you desire?"

Everyone who came here sought something, without exception.

The man replied: "I want treasure, enough wealth to spend lavishly for a lifetime."

What an utterly ordinary wish, so commonplace it had become tedious.

A slight smile curved the maiden's lips as she addressed the man.

"Very well."

"Your desire is greed. Are you prepared?"

Hearing his wish granted so easily, the man danced with excitement.

He paid no attention to the true meaning behind her words about his desire being greed.

"I am fully prepared!"

The maiden extended her hand, and a copper pot appeared before the man.

"It is called the Pot of Greed."

She explained: "This pot can automatically gather nearby treasures into itself, but each time you use it to obtain wealth, it will consume a portion as payment."

The man clutched this precious object, his eyes gleaming with avarice.

With this treasure, he believed all the world's wealth lay within his grasp.

What did it matter if it took a portion? He could simply use it more times to make up the difference.

This was, in truth, a Divine Artifact.

Ordinary Divine Artifacts consisted of three parts: incantations, activated spirit power, and a vessel.

But this type of Divine Artifact was constructed from God's desire incantations, items infused with God's mythical power, and mortal emotional energy.

If one's desires and emotions carried beauty and blessing, if they were controlled, then the Divine Artifact would also manifest beauty and blessing. It would continuously draw upon those beautiful emotions to help fulfill one's wishes.

If one's desires and emotions were evil, it would continuously draw upon those evil and ugly emotions until finally, that evil desire would grow beyond control and consume its bearer.

Of course, if one underwent a profound transformation partway through, they could reverse their fate.

This was God's way of giving mortals a chance for redemption.

Sadly, most failed to grasp this opportunity.

The man departed with the Pot of Greed, clutching it desperately as if afraid it might escape.

At that moment, a man in silver robes appeared behind the maiden.

The maiden told the silver-robed man: "Someone like him is destined to return here."

"But his story will surely become a folk tale, warning and cautioning countless others."

Iva sighed. "Why are nine out of ten who come here such people?"

Even faster than either had imagined, within just a few months, the Pot of Greed returned to the Miracle Garden.

Iva held the Pot of Greed, examining it carefully.

Where once there had been only patterns on its surface, now an ugly face had appeared.

"Back so soon?"

"This man's greed far exceeded my expectations."

Iva tapped the copper pot, and treasures immediately gushed forth like a golden fountain.

At the same time, Iva witnessed the man's story.

After leaving with the Pot of Greed, the man quickly became his hometown's wealthiest person, using the pot freely to gather riches.

But greed, like an insatiable beast, knew no bounds.

At first, the Pot of Greed consumed only one-third of the treasures.

Later, the Pot of Greed required half of all treasures gathered with each use.

Greed's hunger grew stronger each day, never satisfied.

Eventually, the Pot of Greed no longer needed the man to activate it. It began operating on its own.

With each activation, it devoured increasingly larger portions.

Finally, the Pot of Greed not only consumed all newly gathered treasures but demanded the man sacrifice his existing wealth to satiate its hunger.

If denied, it would consume its master whole, for its desires stemmed from him. Only by devouring him could it end the endless hunger of greed.

The man cast all his treasures into the pot, yet still could not escape being consumed by greed.

His greedy and ugly face remained forever etched upon the Pot of Greed's surface.

Iva shook his head as he witnessed the man's fate.

Yet he did not sigh for the man's end.

Instead, he suddenly realized he might have taken the wrong path.

"We have failed."

"What do you mean?" Meryl asked, confused. "What failed?"

Iva explained: "This method cannot fulfill my mission. We are not drawing forth wishes."

"We are only attracting desire."

"But we're doing great!" Meryl protested. "Look at everything we've done!"

Iva shook his head. "No."

"This isn't right. We need to stop."

Meryl looked at Iva, sudden fear gripping her heart.

She feared Iva would leave because she couldn't help him fulfill his mission.

"Wait!" she pleaded. "Let me try again! I can do better, I promise!"

Iva held the Pot of Greed. "If we're going the wrong way, nothing else matters."

Iva looked at Meryl. "We seek wishes, yet we draw forth desire."

"Though I am a demigod of desire, this is not my mission."

Meryl felt hurt, sensing Iva's criticism of her.

Iva was not one for subtle speech, especially regarding his mission.

"Please listen," Meryl said. "I know we can make this work. Just give me another chance!"

Iva shook his head.

He insisted on abandoning this plan, for he required the power of wishes.

"You don't trust me!" Meryl cried out.

"I promised I'd help you! Remember?"

"You should believe in me. I can find a way, I know I can!"

In truth, Iva had noticed his power growing stronger through these methods.

If Iva sought only to increase his power, perhaps he walked the correct path.

But this was not what Iva wanted. His power came from the Creator, and Dream Sovereign Hila had set him upon the Path of Wisdom.

He had not even qualified as a demigod until the Creator granted him a portion of power to make him whole.

Completing his mission remained his highest priority and greatest need.

Meryl's persistence troubled Iva deeply.

Meryl kept explaining her ideas to Iva, insisting she could make things better.

She begged Iva to listen to her, to stay with their plan, to remain in the sky-bound Miracle Garden.

"I'm special!" she insisted. "I'm smart! I can help!"

Iva contemplated what to do next.

Meryl's stubborn persistence troubled him.

Uncharacteristically, he snapped at her.

"You are merely a mortal. You cannot do this."

"You speak only empty words."

Meryl fell silent.

She bit her lip as she looked at Iva, tears welling in her eyes.

Iva regretted his words the moment they left his lips.

For the first time, he experienced irritation, though he knew not from where this emotion arose.

He was an exalted god, yet a mere mortal caused him such distress.

"Why do I feel such irritation and anxiety?"

He realized he not only failed to understand mortals but also struggled to understand himself.

He discovered that gaining emotions was not always pleasant. It differed from his imagined welcome sampling of all emotions and desires.

If joy felt like drinking wine while floating among clouds, then irritation felt like thousands of mosquitoes swarming around you, occasionally biting.

Iva pondered long.

He decided to leave the Miracle Garden to seek true methods of planting wishes.

Yet it appeared more like an escape.

Meryl sat upon her throne like an exalted queen.

But she was only truly a queen when Iva stayed by her side.

Her every accomplishment and source of pride came from this divine being, a god who had crossed two hundred million years of time to reach this moment.

Yet in truth, Iva remained naive and pure. He had spent his earlier life among the star sea, his two hundred million years merely following the Creator across time's river.

Iva met Meryl's gaze and spoke.

"I must leave."

"I must continue seeking ways to complete my mission."

Iva did not know that wish-light had already begun crystallizing within the Divine Cup.

The sacred names of spirits echoed constantly around the Divine Cup, carried by the voices of countless people calling out in reverence.

He did not understand the core secrets of the Dream Ability, nor its methods of operation.

He simply pursued what he believed were correct methods, following his heart's search for beautiful wishes.

"I haven't failed!" Meryl protested.

In truth, Meryl also suspected her methods might be wrong, but she refused to admit failure.

Iva frowned. "Why deny what is clearly true?"

Meryl pressed her lips together.

After a long moment, she spoke softly: "You won't believe anything I say anyway."

Iva wished to end this conflict quickly to seek new methods.

He had already wasted much time. Though the Creator never set a deadline, Iva believed he could work slowly but must constantly progress toward completing his mission.

He could not rest, for that would betray the Creator.

"You may choose to stay here," Iva said gently. "This will always be your home."

"Of course."

"You may also choose to leave, for you are not my slave."

Iva looked toward the Miracle Garden, having no intention of reclaiming it.

"I hope you will protect yourself well. If you wish to leave, you may take things from here."

"Choose and take whatever your heart desires."

"I don't need your help," Meryl said, trying to sound brave. "I can do lots of things on my own."

"I don't need anyone to protect me."

That feeling of irritation rose again in Iva's heart. He could not understand why Meryl always acted this way.

"You cannot protect yourself. You are too weak."

"Yes I can!" Meryl insisted.

Iva did not understand how contradictory humans could be.

He could only depart in confusion, without another word.

Iva put everything in order. He blessed the Cups of Desire in the garden and left Meryl's mark upon the Gate of Desire.

He left this garden to Meryl.

He left a final gift. If one day Meryl wished to leave, his gift would ensure she lived well, protected from harm.

He expected he would not return for a long time, at least not before completing his mission.

He went to say his final words to Meryl.

"Take care," he said softly. "Goodbye, Meryl."

Meryl's voice trembled as she spoke.

"You're right. I'm not smart or strong."

"But I really wanted to help you."

"You'll be fine," Iva said. "I know you will."

"It's time for me to go."

"Stay safe. I left some gifts for you in the garden. The Cups of Desire will show you where to find them."

Iva couldn't see past Meryl's proud pose to the uncertainty beneath.

Meryl watched him turn away. Her hands gripped her throne, ready to stand.

But something held her back, and her grip loosened.

She wanted to beg him to stay, but pride made her say instead:

"I'll be fine on my own. I'm not scared of anything out there."

"Just go!"

"I don't need you anyway."

Meryl wished desperately that Iva would read her mind and see her true feelings.

She wanted nothing more than for him to stay.

But Iva had promised not to read her mind.

Because she had asked this of him.

Iva nodded slightly and turned away, his heart heavy with confusion.

He rose into the air from the garden's center, his silver robes flowing around him.

He soared away like a freed bird, leaving behind the garden that had become his cage.

Meryl sat alone in the garden and castle Iva had built for her.

She bit her lip hard, refusing to cry even now.

For she was nothing compared to Iva.

He was a god.

Without even her pride left to cling to, she would truly have nothing at all.

Iva departed.

Yet Meryl remained, as countless people continued seeking their desires, climbing to this garden suspended between sky and reality.

Sometimes lucky ones found their way into the garden and met its queen.

But the Queen of the Miracle Garden had changed. Gone was her bright smile and playful nature.

She sat in sorrow, barely noticing the mortals who entered her palace.

She gazed always toward the garden, watching the silver cups swaying in the wind.