The Demigods' Conspiracy
The goddesses of the Goddess Department were staring at him with such heated intensity that something felt off. ‘Their breathing is ragged, their hearts are pounding—they’re in a state of extreme excitement. Not a single goddess or demon goddess refuses an essence exchange, and even the female Transcendents are in an uproar. I really should have considered this appearance. At this rate, there’s going to be trouble.’
He cleared his throat inwardly and cast a Complete Restoration spell over the arena beneath the Main God Temple. “Looking Back at Oneself, Past and Present Are the Same.”
- Magic Type: Spacetime Magic, Restoration, Manifestation
- Effect: Returns the target to the best physical state remembered by their conscious mind. Regardless of the type of damage to the body, mana, or stamina, it always maintains peak condition. It is a divine miracle realized through magic. Its original purpose was to counter Granzoa, the High Elf goddess specialized in healing and vitality, in a decisive battle. During their first encounter, he had been unable to defeat her due to her terrifying regenerative power and insufficient mana.
- Limitation: Because restoration is based on the target’s own memories, it cannot activate if the target is unconscious or disoriented.
- After first manifestation, the protagonist’s remark: “Why should only you recover? Now I can do it too.”
Within his personal divine temple, any injury or death could now be instantly reversed. He had also imbued the magic cast over the plaza of the Holy Empire of War with the authority of an 11th-circle mage capable of restoring even Main God-level beings. ‘Restoring an equal number of people would be impossible, but anyone below the 10th circle can be handled without issue.’
The structure had been reinforced to the point that, short of an 11th-circle assault, it could not be destroyed, and no sound or vibration would leak out. The women would soon regain their original strength and senses, supplied with abundant essence-derived divine power and mana in a state of infinite struggle.
“Fight to your heart’s content. Confirm your positions and strive onward.”
At this transmission of will, they all bowed their heads and left the audience chamber, heading for the arena prepared underground. Every face was filled with resolve and fighting spirit. Yet glances cast back at him were brimming with heat. Those gazes, filled with fervent affection, were utterly different from the wary looks the gods had once given him.
‘Only my appearance has changed into that of a youthful Main God, yet everything has become so much easier to live with. Was all my hardship truly because of the human appearance I chose in the past?’
He sighed deeply and sank into the golden throne in the now-quiet audience chamber. It would take some time for them to reach a satisfying conclusion among themselves. ‘All I have to do is wait. The lower divine realm meant to punish the Absolute Beings of the Middle World who are falling into corruption is nearly ready.’
With an army of over a thousand, he would give no time to the fewer than one hundred 10th-circle Demigods and Transcendents, killing them to lower or absorb their divinity and stabilize the realm. If he could also recruit Transcendents from other worlds, he estimated he could reach the Upper God realm. ‘Originally, I intended to simply kill the Transcendents and reclaim only their divinity and divine power, but the situation has changed.’
Due to the strengthening of the Substitute Gods, signs were appearing that both the Divine Realm and Demon Realm were regaining vigilance and beginning to realign. ‘This Divine Realm, having safely concluded the authentication war against the Substitute Gods, remains a stable source of divine power as long as the Middle World does not fall into corruption and become a Demon God Star. Moreover, as a Main God Star directly created by a Creator God, it is an endless wellspring of essence. It will inevitably be targeted.’
The Divine and Demon Realms, drained of essence after a full-scale war with the Substitute Gods, were in a position to eye neighboring realms that had suffered less damage. ‘Before they make their move in earnest, I must forge a Divine Realm so powerful it cannot be challenged. Otherwise, we risk being dragged into invasions from neighboring realms and reduced to colonial status.’
He controlled the full-scale war and its outcome in the main universe; such minor matters did not concern him. With a just cause, full-scale war was always possible. Most causes stemmed from a Main God of the Divine Realm being incompetent due to low divine power, or possessing a karma that was not “extremely good” due to serious moral flaws. ‘The eight female Main Gods here have been repeatedly invaded because of the moral defect of having killed their husband Main Gods. Now that the swindler Main God has shown weakness—losing an arm in the previous war—other Upper God Main Gods will surely come to test him. Once the swindler Main God begins facing challenges from neighboring Main Gods, it will be too late. Before that happens, the Divine Realm must be strengthened beyond anyone’s reach. Otherwise, this already chaotic Divine Realm will be thrown into even greater turmoil by external instigation.’
If the Divine Realm collapsed, it would naturally have a negative impact on the highest-ranking god of the Round Table, the Dimensional and War God. This place had to remain safe until all contracts were completed and he received the goddesses’ innate divine power through their Devotion Pledges. ‘The first step in reviving the Divine Realm is stabilizing and developing the Middle World, the foundation of essence, and dealing with the Demigods and Transcendents who are falling into corruption.’
While opposition to the Demigods and Transcendents of the Middle World existed, the greatest problem had been the strange tendencies of this Divine Realm dominated by the Goddess Department. Yet he had already obtained the most efficient means and confirmed its effectiveness. Now he was confident he could obtain whatever he desired with ease.
“I’ll use everything I can to win.”
He smiled at the mirror he had summoned. Even to himself, the reflection of the Main God with thirteen pairs of wings—a breathtakingly beautiful and adorable divine youth—smiled in rapture.
A massive palace had been built atop the highest mountain in the Middle World. In its grand plaza, over a hundred Demigods and Transcendents were engaged in heated discussion. Though they were great beings who had reached the 10th circle as both Demigods and Transcendents, they had been denied ascension to the Divine Realm because their karma was not “extremely good.” Thus they remained in the Middle World, serving as intermediaries who protected their races and facilitated smooth exchanges by performing divine miracles. They also processed the essence and divine power gathered in the Middle World into forms suitable for the Divine Realm and offered it upward.
However, weary of eternally repeating this unpaid service to the Divine Realm, they had united and were already organized. ‘We can exert our full power in the Middle World.’ ‘In the Middle World, we are the strongest beings, capable of holding an advantage even against the highest gods.’ ‘Then why must we continue playing the role of subordinates?’
With a hundred such Demigods and Transcendents gathered, they had become a force the Divine Realm could no longer ignore. Leveraging that power, they had been gradually extracting rights from the Divine Realm. ‘Because we manage the divine power of the Middle World and send it to the Divine Realm, if we unite, we possess sufficient negotiating leverage.’
In practice, whenever they slightly reduced the supply of divine power and cited insufficient authority, their requests had been approved. Now, as their final demand, they were requesting permission to directly establish their own lower divine realm in the Middle World, using increased essence offerings and divine power growth as bait to build favorable public opinion among their superior gods. ‘We have already secretly formed a new Divine Realm organizing committee, so once approval is granted, we can establish it immediately.’
‘Yet a Main God with 20 billion divine power has handed management of the Middle World to the Dimensional and War God, who possesses only 1 billion.’ ‘We can demand even more forcefully now.’
Because their opponent was a relatively weak Main God they could potentially overpower, they had shifted from petitioning for the establishment of a lower divine realm to making a firm demand and were awaiting a response. However, lower Transcendents with prophetic abilities had sensed an ominous future and requested an emergency meeting, so everyone had gathered. ‘We cannot be certain that beings above the Main God level are involved in this future, but all of us sensed a despairing future.’
‘Now that the authentication war with the Substitute Gods has ended, there should be no danger. What is going on?’
There had been no response from the Dimensional and War God regarding their demands. Only then had they hurriedly inquired with their superior gods about the Divine Realm’s situation and the handling of their requests, yet their anxiety continued to grow.
“Has there still been no reaction from the Divine Realm to our previous demand for a lower divine realm?”
“Not yet. It really is strange.”
“Even a polite petition used to bring furious threats and warnings in the past. Has the Dimensional and War God become afraid of us? Or is he simply ignoring us?”
“Why hasn’t the Divine Realm’s Round Table meeting been held yet? We can’t obtain any information at all.”
Most decisions in the Divine Realm were made by majority vote at the Round Table meetings, which all high-ranking gods could observe. They had used friendly superior gods there to gather information and negotiate effectively with the Divine Realm, but suddenly all meetings had been suspended. With no information available, confusion was mounting.
“After concluding the authentication war with the Substitute Gods, the message is that everyone is resting. We were warned not to act rashly. They say the Dimensional and War God’s radical tendencies and immense authority are concerning.”
“They say the fighting spirit and power he displayed in the duel with the Substitute God Main God make one doubt whether he is truly a lower Main God.”
“The Dimensional and War God, administrator of the Middle World, supposedly went to the outer universe as a mercenary god and has returned to recover.”
“A mercenary god? Why would a Main God do that? If he steadily increased his divine power, a star would naturally be granted to him.”
“No one knows the reason. They say the only being who can intervene with the current Dimensional and War God is the great Main God of the Divine Realm himself.”
“They say he cannot be treated lightly because of his great contributions toward becoming a Creator God, and strangely, even the highest-ranking goddesses of the Round Table support him.”
The Demigods and Transcendents, well aware of the Divine Realm’s situation where the Main God of the Divine Realm and the female Main Gods of the Goddess Department were always in fierce conflict, finally felt a genuine sense of crisis.
“This is truly a dangerous situation.”
“For the first time since our establishment, the Divine Realm’s will is unified.”
Having managed the races of the Middle World for what felt like eternity, they had accumulated countless experiences. Their successful negotiations with the Divine Realm had been built on that experience. Yet now their experience and intuition were sounding a fierce alarm based on the current situation and his disposition.
‘The Divine Realm has long been plagued by severe conflict between the Main God of the Divine Realm and the Goddess Department, and we have exploited that gap to our advantage.’ ‘They were too busy checking each other and expanding their own factions to pay deep attention to the Middle World.’
As middle managers, the Demigods and Transcendents had gradually gained rights as gods and seen their divine power increase dramatically, leading them to dream bigger. They wanted to create their own divine realm in the Middle World and rule as complete gods. That was how their gathering had begun, and it was nearly complete when the Dimensional and War God had appeared as an impurity.
‘The Dimensional and War God was a 10th-circle dark mage Transcendent who, upon obtaining divinity, fought against the highest gods of the Divine Realm and became extremely antagonistic toward it. He was a lone wolf who wandered as a mercenary god without any interaction with us.’
The Demigods and Transcendents had ignored the dark mage whose karma was “extremely evil” and had not contacted him. They had believed he would eventually disappear at the hands of the Divine Realm. Yet that forgotten existence had killed two Demon Kings and millions of dark mages, changed his karma to “extremely good,” continued to grow, and ascended to become a Main God.
‘Even we, who have served the Divine Realm for so long, have not received official appointments. This makes no sense.’ ‘Jealousy must have played a part.’ ‘It was pride—we could not bow our heads to a mere young Transcendent.’
The Demigods and Transcendents had hoped the Dimensional and War God, troubled by their obstruction, would bow his head and negotiate. That was why they had not merely requested but demanded the “establishment of a lower divine realm” from him, the Divine Realm’s administrator of the Middle World.
‘Though the Divine Realm here is somewhat strange, this can clearly be seen as rebellion.’ ‘The term “lower divine realm” is not good—it implies creating another country within a country.’ ‘This is a dream that could never have been realized if the administrator had not changed from the Main God of the Divine Realm to another Main God.’
Even while knowing it was excessive, they had made the demand. Now, with no word from the Divine Realm, only incomplete ominous prophecies, and the Divine Realm’s silence, the Dimensional and War God’s lack of response, the breathing room after the Substitute Gods authentication war, and the unified support of all gods, everything was tightening around their necks like a noose. If their near-rebellious demand became public knowledge, the worst outcome would follow.
Finally, from the mouth of the relatively rational moderate Absolute Being came the ominous conclusion.
“In the worst case, would it be a punitive expedition for rebellion?”
“……”