Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: First Warrior (2)
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‘Doesn’t look like much of a threat.’
I didn’t know the full details yet, but the other side didn’t seem interested in escalating things.
Putting surveillance on Ji Ye-eun was just like how my ants scattered scouts to gather intel on enemy movements—nothing more than reconnaissance.
「We’re both still short on power, aren’t we? Avoiding unnecessary clashes seems like the smart move.」
“You pick the fight first, get caught, and now you’re saying that?”
「Look, you’re new to this, right? One wrong move, and a higher deity could suck you dry and toss you aside.」
The other side argued that any infighting between us would just feed the established higher deities, who already had their claws in everything.
Not wrong.
Earth had been in the grip of deities since the moment hunters first appeared twenty years ago.
Countless beings competed over humans, land, and resources, all trying to carve out their share.
Only the oblivious civilians—like I used to be—still thought they were the masters of this world, playacting in a grand illusion.
‘And you’re fine just watching that continue?’
My goal was set in stone.
Until now, I’d poured everything into supporting the ants in Edelion.
But they were growing even at this very moment.
Now that they understood who they were and who had been nurturing them, their growth had hit its stride.
“Sorry, but I’m not backing down.”
「Foolish... You sure you can handle the fallout?」
Fallout. I chuckled at that.
As we’d just discussed, infighting could draw in other deities to swoop in and claim the spoils.
But I wasn’t without my aces.
In the end, I was the sole deity born on this Earth—the true master of this land.
As long as I had subordinates and territory, a deity wielded transcendent power in their home turf that no one could touch.
Putting humans like Baek Jin-seong and Ji Ye-eun out front was just my fragile human side wanting a peaceful world where they could keep living without drama.
“There’s a faction war rule in the system. Let’s do this officially.”
True to the Divine Net deities—who despised chaos, loved order, and prided themselves on playing by their own rules—there was a faction war mechanic.
The hunter system they’d built wasn’t just about competing over hunters’ achievements and results.
Deities often waged full-on wars, with the victor absorbing the loser’s forces. Smaller factions constantly clashed to build their initial capital and power.
The frequent news of mid-sized hunter guilds merging, mysterious terrorist attacks, disappearances, and “accidents”—most were fallout from those shadow wars.
「Bitten by the wrong evil god.」
Realizing they couldn’t refuse, the war began.
It wasn’t just the ants anymore—competition with other deities was heating up around me too.
“So everyone, get ready. This is war. Kill or be killed, where laws and police don’t apply. Another order of this world.”
Of course, I had to share this with all my subordinates—President Baek Jin-seong, Team Leader Ji Ye-eun, and the rest.
No worries about betrayal. Every company member was already linked to Ji Ye-eun’s hive mind.
A diluted clone of the system’s power couldn’t match Asmodai’s full influence, but her hive granted fully developed brains with individual egos to everyone under her.
In other words, they were all under my protection and knew how to wield the hive mind themselves.
“...Shocked much?”
I gave a wry smile at Ji Ye-eun’s pale, frozen face after hearing it all.
No surprise there. The world’s hidden truths were massive and nauseating.
And now that we were part of it, escape wasn’t an option.
“Just tell me this. If He drives out all the other deities, will peace return to this land?”
She wanted firm assurance about the future.
Ambitious and driven, sure—but her desire to save people burned just as bright.
“His will never changes.”
I could give her that certainty.
Even Saintess Seira couldn’t grasp the full intent of a deity’s oracle, but as the deity itself, I had no such limits.
“Then... I’ll make sure we succeed.”
Her eyes flashed red, resolve hardened by my words.
“Team Leader Ji Ye-eun and her team are heading to the meetup spot now.”
Late evening, President Baek Jin-seong’s tense voice came through the phone.
I’d been watching via screen, so I didn’t bother saying it.
I’d worried about traps, but scouts found none.
‘They figure they can win a straight fight—no need for tricks.’
The other deity and I had agreed: no dragging this out with complications.
Full forces, head-on clash, winner takes all. Simpler than scheming.
Only possible because we were evenly matched small fries.
“Uh... is this really okay? Byte’s hunters are mostly stronger than ours. Excluding Ji Ye-eun, their average rank and records are way higher...”
“Don’t worry too much.”
Baek Jin-seong was anxious. On paper, the enemy outclassed us.
Our side topped out at C-rank without Ji Ye-eun; theirs had multiple B-ranks and solid C-to-D averages, no As but plenty of muscle.
Their confidence stemmed from that gap.
But most people still didn’t get it: hive mind tactics let you punch above your weight.
I’d seen it plenty.
Once united as a hive, they transcended old hunter rankings.
“They really showed.”
The duel site: an abandoned, cleared dungeon. Hard for non-hunters to enter.
Their hunters waited, fully geared like they were off to fight monsters—same as us.
‘B-rank hunter, deity’s subordinate, Byte’s team leader Park Kang-hyuk.’
I spotted the grinning man as Ji Ye-eun and her crew entered.
“Would love to see a hotshot like you screaming under my boot.”
“...We’re strangers. No grudges here.”
“Talk like that, and your boss might feel slighted. We’re just pawns. If He says smash you, you’re my enemy from then on.”
Park Kang-hyuk snorted, flexing his thick knuckledusters, as Ji Ye-eun’s face hardened.
His loyalty to his deity was off the charts.
Enough to laugh while fighting—and killing—humans on command. The deity knew their stuff.
“Attack!”
No long stares.
Park Kang-hyuk’s shout unleashed both sides—weapons drawn, abilities flaring, charging to kill.
‘Different from the ants.’
Ji Ye-eun’s human hive had its own tactics.
Unlike ants, these hunters kept their egos and diverse skills—no uniform castes.
Hunter fights hinged on synergy.
You had to account for enemy and ally powers alike.
“How is this...”
The hive-linked hunters blew past that.
Byte’s C-rank sneered at the incoming E-ranks—then froze at their flawless moves.
Superior stats should’ve crushed them, but the enemy flowed like one body.
Thrust from front, low sweep from side, fireballs sniped from behind—all seamless, like veterans of decades together.
“Gahk.”
Overwhelmed by the combo despite the power gap, he hit the dirt.
Writhing, he looked up in disbelief.
But the low-ranks showed no reaction to the quick win—just flowed to the next target.
“Now that’s familiar.”
Watching it all, I let out a hollow laugh, seeing my ants in their forms.
“Aaaagh!!”
Meanwhile, one lone figure faced three B-ranks amid the takedowns: Ji Ye-eun.
Eight swords floated, whirling under her control.
She yanked one from Park Kang-hyuk’s screaming thigh, gritted her teeth, and launched it at another foe.
‘Human hive and ant hive. Could they link someday?’
I managed both on split screens.
Ji Ye-eun’s crew crushing Byte hunters; ants multiplying to conquer Edelion.
Different races, same deity—my subordinates.
I figured merging would help. Not impossible.
“Ugh... aaah...”
But later. Now, cleanup post-war.
Defeated foes groaned on the dank dungeon floor.
Including bloodied Park Kang-hyuk—we’d won sparing lives where possible.
「This can’t be. How?」
“Since when was prying trade secrets allowed? Accept defeat and scram.”
The overconfident deity panicked too.
To follow rules, they vanished after yielding subordinate rights.
Hunter system quirk: forfeit rights, and blessings auto-revoke.
“No... no!”
“One more chance, please!”
Instant effect. Byte hunters wailed and begged.
I didn’t know the feeling, but everyone else showed crushing emptiness, freaking out.
“Don’t let their suffering drag. Start now.”
“Got it.”
Ji Ye-eun approached sobbing Park Kang-hyuk.
To fold them into her hive.
Hive members obeyed compulsively. Voluntary was smoother; resistance risked mind-break from forced override.
Only possible for a human queen like her.
Asmodai wouldn’t bother anyway.
“---!”
Horrific screams rose as she touched heads, forcing hive links.
I felt my power swell.
Gaining subordinates boosts deity rank.
Dozen-plus new ones? My strength surged.
Now the real game begins.
Devour, expand, clash—inevitable.
But those clashes would fuel our growth.
[End of Chapter 124 - First Warrior (2)]