Mistaken for a Ma-shin
Divine Realm. The term literally referred to the domain where gods lived, not humans or other created beings. Some Divine Realms might house just a single god, while others could be home to hundreds. No matter how many gods resided there, these grand spaces where gods dwelled were called Divine Realms.
And the place Kim Jihun had arrived at was none other than the Allei Low-level School Divine Realm.
"So this is a Divine Realm."
His eyes caught sight of an enormous wall and gate. It gleamed with a soft golden light, sparkling faintly, and every grain and fiber was infused with sacred divine power that protected the structure. A building truly made by a god. Even though the plain wall and gate lacked any decoration, it evoked a profound sense of reverence, as if one had entered a temple.
"Impressive."
The pinnacle of simplicity combined with the holiness from divine power. Entranced by something, he slowly moved his feet toward the grand gate before him.
As he approached the gate, two goddesses blocked Kim Jihun's path.
"New student? We'll check your identity."
They were low-level gods in adolescent forms, from the combat division—guardians made up of the school's students. Clad in silver armor with small white wings folded behind their backs, they were low-level guard gods belonging to the school's student council. They were stationed at the front gate as usual, and when they saw an unfamiliar god approaching, they moved to verify his identity.
But upon spotting Kim Jihun, they couldn't help but be shocked.
"Ma-shin Clan!!"
One of the guardians pointed at Kim Jihun and shouted. Her finger was aimed at his hair.
That's right. Kim Jihun's hair was black, like most Koreans. And it wasn't just his hair color—his eyes and eyebrows were all a deep, dark black. This intense blackness was a trait that appeared in those the god race despised above all else.
The Ma-shin Clan. Gods who, despite being of the god race, were seduced by the power of the Void and its downfall, throwing themselves into the emptiness. His appearance matched exactly the physical characteristics of the Ma-shin Clan—fallen gods who drew their blades against their fellow gods.
Thus, they mistook Kim Jihun for one of them and drew their swords.
"It's a Ma-shin Clan member!"
"Don't be scared! His divine power feels like just a low-level god! We can take him!"
"Idiot! Divine power isn't the issue! He'll have the power of the Void. Hurry and fetch the Creator God!"
They drew their swords and slowly encircled Kim Jihun warily.
Jihun could only stare in bewilderment.
'Ma-shin Clan? What's that?'
Kim Jihun had never even heard the term Ma-shin Clan. He was merely a half-baked god who had coincidentally been born with Creation Talent and somehow gained divine power, so he knew nothing about the Ma-shin Clan. He'd never heard of them.
Yet here they were, pointing weapons at him without warning. He had no choice but to be flustered.
Kim Jihun tried to communicate.
"Put away your swords! I'm not dangerous!"
He said this while raising both hands to show he had no intention of fighting—a universal gesture of being unarmed.
But the moment the guardians saw Kim Jihun raise his hands, they jumped in fright.
"That stance! Be careful! He's drawing in the Void!"
"It's a large-scale attack!! Run!"
"Kyaaah!"
At that tiny gesture, all the guardians surrounding Kim Jihun fled in panic. They tossed aside their ornate spears and swords, even channeling divine power as they scattered in terror.
Watching the guardians run off in a frenzy, Kim Jihun muttered in disbelief.
"What the hell is this?"
He was left standing alone at the now-deserted school gate.
...
"Ah, sorry about that, Mr. Kim Jihun. Must've been a misunderstanding."
How long had Kim Jihun stood there in a daze, not understanding what was going on? The firmly shut gate finally opened, and an adult god appeared.
A handsome man with a soft smile and white hair. This god, who looked so refreshing just to behold, approached Kim Jihun and apologized.
"I heard you were coming, but it seems my kids mistook you for Ma-shin Clan because of your hair color. Ah, my name is Klaus. I'm a mid-rank combat god of the god race and in charge of managing the combat division here."
Klaus apologized to Kim Jihun with a genuinely sorry expression.
Jihun felt his irritation fade at the polite apology.
Kim Jihun glanced at Klaus. It was his first time seeing a male god, so curiosity got the better of him.
'He's handsome.'
Indeed, he was strikingly good-looking. A beautifully refined man who made one feel refreshed just looking at him, with white wings folded behind him, sincerely apologizing to Kim Jihun.
Jihun awkwardly accepted the apology.
"No need to apologize. Misunderstandings happen."
"Thank you for your magnanimity. Then, allow me to guide you around the school grounds right away."
With Kim Jihun's forgiveness, Klaus's expression brightened.
Jihun began walking the grounds following his guidance.
"That building over there is the combat division lecture hall, that one is the management division lecture hall, and that is the creation division lecture hall. Since you have Creation Talent, Mr. Kim Jihun, you'll be using the creation division lecture hall from now on."
"I see."
"Yes. Normally, even gods with Creation Talent could choose to transfer to combat or management divisions based on personal preference, but due to the shortage of Creator Gods in the universe, the policy has changed to mandatory assignment to the creation division."
The god race's society seemed surprisingly rigid. Forcing career paths due to shortages in certain fields wasn't something that happened in modern society outside of a few communist countries, right? If even gods were doing this, the lack of Creator Gods must be severe.
Kim Jihun listened attentively to his explanation, inwardly surprised.
"That's why gods with Creation Talent take creation division classes from the start. They need to be deployed into actual combat as quickly as possible."
Thus, Kim Jihun was scheduled to take creation division classes right away. Unlike other gods who could decide their paths midway, the god race was too pressed to stop the universe's end.
They needed more Creator Gods, even a second faster. That was the situation the gods faced now.
"Still, it's good news for you, Mr. Kim Jihun. Because Creator Gods are so scarce, the higher-ups are pouring in tremendous support to deploy more of them quickly. Does it make sense that even a low-level school receives more divine power support than mid-level gods?"
"...I get it."
Generous support was definitely positive. It meant faster growth.
Klaus's explanation continued.
"Thanks to that massive support, they even hold separate promotion battles. Combat and management divisions do theirs together, competing for one essence, but creation division holds solo promotion battles with support for three essences."
"Ah, that reminds me—I have a question."
A question arose while listening to Klaus's explanation.
Klaus paused at his query.
Jihun asked.
"What exactly are the ways to graduate low-level school and advance to mid-level school?"
That's right. Kim Jihun had zero information right now. All he knew beforehand was the holographic image Asrie had shown him of her low-level god days.
For him, Klaus's timely appearance as an explainer was perfect.
Kim Jihun intended to learn the basics from this friendly explainer beside him.
Klaus began answering Kim Jihun's question earnestly.
"There are two ways to graduate low-level school. One is raising your tier, and the other is winning a promotion battle to obtain an essence."
Contrary to Kim Jihun's expectations, advancing from low-level god to mid-level god wasn't solely about winning promotion battles.
If your tier rose, you could advance.
Jihun asked.
"What exactly does 'raising your tier' mean? I'm from an intelligent species background, so I don't know much about god race society. Please explain in detail."
"Yes, 'tier rise' means your divine tier literally increases. If a low-level god achieves a divine tier comparable to a mid-level god through training and cultivation, they graduate low-level school and move on to mid-level school. In fact, most gods graduate this way through training. Only a rare few talented gods advance by winning promotion battles."
In summary, by gathering divine power, training, and elevating one's divine tier to mid-level god standards, one graduated low-level school.
Kim Jihun felt inwardly relieved.
'So I don't have to fight brutally like that.'
That's right. Jihun had been somewhat scared coming to school after seeing the brutal scene Asrie showed him—gods rolling on the ground in droves.
For him, acquiring mid-level god tier without promotion battles seemed quite appealing.
With a face full of hope, Jihun asked Klaus.
"Then, how long does it take to go from low-level god to mid-level god through training?!"
Jihun asked brightly, brimming with hope.
But Klaus's answer was more than enough to shatter that hope mercilessly.
"Usually around 100 years."
"...Pardon?"
"It takes an average of about 100 years to go from low-level god to mid-level god. Ah, but for creation division, with the high divine power support, it's possible in 50 years. Well, it can be shorter depending on talent."
'50 years?'
Kim Jihun's mind went blank.
It was far too long for him.
'In 50 years, I'd be a 70-year-old grandpa!'
Jihun was stunned inwardly.