The Goddess Department's Surrender
The Goddess Department’s war had reached a critical juncture. Even as the goddess generals unleashed their full might, the Dimensional Lord remained seated upon the Throne of Glory, showing no sign of rising. Nor did he release the Dimensional Net that blanketed the Middle World. This was no mere arrogance—his instincts screamed endlessly that any attack from the goddesses would bring mortal danger.
‘Their fighting spirit and killing intent are so thick my teeth are chattering on their own.’
The administrative goddesses, who had aligned themselves with him for now, trembled with horror as they desperately herded the combat goddesses forward.
‘There’s no doubt the Dimensional Lord’s power completely overwhelms ours—!’
‘What are we supposed to do now? We jumped in reflexively because it looked like you were going to die, but if we get wiped out here we’ll have our divine power stripped and be thrown straight into the Spirit Realm Waiting Area!’
‘If the Dimensional Lord wins and makes a suggestion to the Creator God, even our innate divine power might be taken.’
The virgin goddesses who had coveted the divine power reclaimed from the demigods were drowning in regret.
‘I-I’m sorry… I never imagined he would come out this aggressively.’
‘Do you not know what kind of being the Chief God of the God Realm is? He’s someone whose strength is the strength of the entire God Realm itself, even without receiving separate support of divine power—!’
‘You’ve seen the records. You know exactly how sensitive the Dimensional Lord is about anything that threatens his survival or his divine power. He was finally living comfortably—why did you have to provoke him and create this emergency—!’
‘Even if a highest-ranked goddess falls to the lowest rank, if each of us trains hard, it will take a long time but we can eventually return, right?’
The combat goddesses stepped in to mediate.
‘It happened because she was thinking too much about her subordinate gods. Let’s stop this and decide whether we’re going to fight or not.’
‘Are we all supposed to die—! Can’t you see that? He’s maintaining a dimensional barrier across the entire Middle World, yet he still hasn’t bothered to rise from the Throne of Glory despite only being at the intermediate lord level. And you still don’t feel the crisis closing in?’
‘Right now every god in existence is reorganizing their divine realms with full power. If his barrier is released now, they will all suffer massive damage and be forcibly summoned back to the God Realm—! Do you think the gods will tolerate that? Even if we win, we’ll face impeachment—!’
‘You idiots—! Why do you still not understand how different this is from the situation where the former Chief God of the God Realm, whose only supporters were the primordial war gods who coveted his divine power, stood against the Dimensional Lord who enjoyed the fervent support of every god in the God Realm?’
‘You want to fight the male gods for no reason and end up getting us all killed. That’s exactly why we stayed hidden all this time—why don’t you get that—!’
‘I’m truly sorry. I simply couldn’t ignore the pain of my subordinate gods—the ones who followed me all the way here and even became companions to the primordial war gods—watching their divine power decline. Personally, the Dimensional Lord had always been considerate and kind. If I had known he would react this seriously to matters of the God Realm, I never would have done it. My greed went too far. I’m really sorry.’
‘Personal conduct and the conduct of a Chief God of the God Realm are inevitably different—! Besides, if we fight and lose, the minimum is having our divine power confiscated. Even if we win, we’ll be impeached by the gods of the God Realm and still have our divine power taken.’
‘This is the worst of the worst!’
The administrative goddesses had refused any true alliance with the combat goddesses—whose excessive hatred toward the male gods who made up the majority of the Main Divine Realm would obviously lead to ruin. They had cast aside the dignity of goddesses, endured the stigma of hiding for eons while secretly stealing vitality, and yet they had been discovered by the new Chief God of the God Realm.
Fortunately, they had encountered the Dimensional Lord, who judged solely by divinity and merit. They had secured the position of Chief Administrator Goddess of the highest divine realm—a role even the highest goddesses yearned for—along with the status of concubine (though not official partner), free of any forced obligations. They had solidified their footing in the God Realm, had all past sins erased, and regained clean bodies.
They had been filled with dreams of establishing a fully autonomous upper subordinate divine realm that required no certification battle, of becoming a Chief God of the God Realm themselves, and of the relief that they no longer needed to hide. All of it had been shattered by the virgin goddess’s reckless provocation. They were simply dumbfounded.
‘Still, since we’re friends, I joined in to save her… but this worst-case scenario is utterly bleak.’
‘I knew it would turn out exactly like this, which is why I refused to form an alliance even though we became friends.’
It was too late for regret or beating their chests.
From their combat senses, the odds of defeating the Dimensional Lord in battle were nearly zero.
‘Even if we somehow win by a miracle, we’ll be impeached by every enraged god.’
They were tasting a despair so profound it made their minds go blank.
No matter how much they pondered, the conclusion was the same.
‘There is only one path.’
‘Huh? W-what are you doing? Why are you releasing your sanctuary?’
The administrative goddesses severed their parallel divine power link, dropped to their knees, and prostrated themselves on the spot. They completely released their full-power divine deployment, unsummoned their divine weapons, and returned to a completely defenseless state.
I swear loyalty. I will not betray. I will obey all commands.
“O Dimensional Lord, Chief God of the God Realm. We beg your forgiveness for our rudeness and ask for your mercy.”
“If you forgive us, we will swear a Karma Contract of loyalty that we will never oppose you again and will follow your every command.”
They bowed their heads so deeply it was as if they were anchoring them to the ground, both knees pressed firmly against the earth—the very image of subjects greeting their king. Their enormous breasts were lowered until they nearly touched the floor, while their raised hips—formed by knees planted and legs bent—completed a posture of total submission.
The combat goddesses began to panic at the sight. It was an utterly humiliating posture that would have been unimaginable for intermediate goddesses who had once been Chief Gods of the God Realm.
Oooooooong—!
Even the Dimensional Lord seemed startled; his fighting spirit and killing intent thinned noticeably. Then, Karma Contracts bearing each of their names floated up before him.
‘I swear loyalty, will not betray, and will obey commands.’
It was a simple yet perfect declaration of loyalty with no traps whatsoever.
The combat goddesses were so stunned by the unconditional surrender that their mouths fell open.
Into their ears poured the desperate will of the administrative goddesses.
‘You too, hurry up and beg for forgiveness—! Whether we win or lose we die—either by battle or by impeachment. This would be a completely shameful, meaningless death. No matter what conditions we have to accept, we cannot fight the Dimensional Lord—! Hurry—!’
‘Are you trying to get even us killed in this absurd battle?’
‘If you truly think of us as friends, beg for forgiveness right now.’
‘Please, just bow your heads for now. An opportunity this blessed will never come again.’
‘Which highest-ranking Chief God of any divine realm would appoint us—who are shunned even in the Main Divine Realm—as Chief Administrator Goddess and even grant us our own divine realm?’
‘If you believe in the Devotion Pledge, come to your senses—! If other goddesses in different divine realms learn that he accepted every condition we wanted and even guaranteed us fully autonomous subordinate divine realms with the position of Chief Administrator Goddess, there will definitely be goddesses who come forward wanting the same. That’s how much we received—!’
‘Given the Dimensional Lord’s nature, he will never carelessly kill someone who is completely defenseless and begging for mercy, as long as they do not threaten his survival. Especially if that person is a powerful being at or above the lord level.’
‘He even accepted Granzoa—his former enemy—as a subordinate god, healed her, and spared her life, didn’t he? If we keep acting like this after he went that far, the goddesses may lose all trust in the Dimensional Lord and it could be the end for us.’
At the mention of Granzoa’s name, Granraha’s body trembled slightly.
‘The situation progressed so quickly and urgently that I momentarily forgot. My daughter, who distorted a Karma Contract, failed to produce results helpful to the God Realm, and instead drove the God Realm into crisis. As punishment she received Karma’s judgment, fell to the rank of lower god, and even her very existence was threatened in the Middle World.’
The Dimensional Lord had accepted her daughter—who was nothing more than a corrupted lower god—as a subordinate deity. He was using the divine power of the former War God, who had reached the highest rank, entirely to block Granzoa’s Karma corruption. And he was bestowing additional divine power, raising her to the level of upper intermediate god.
‘Though she made one mistake, my proud daughter—who has developed authorities worthy of an upper lord—is using her own power to rapidly strengthen the High Elf race once more, preparing for a splendid return. With just a little help from the Dimensional Lord, who possesses endless divine power and vitality, she will soon become a full lord god.’
Having witnessed the Dimensional Lord’s hidden tendency toward recognition and mercy, they had chosen cooperation over hostility, seeking to become his allies and maintain a good relationship by helping him. It had been a turbulent path, but they had ultimately succeeded.
Yet if any problem arose with the Dimensional Lord now, everything would end.
Above all, the current incident was them repeating the same reflexive opposition they had once shown toward the former Chief God.
‘Failing to acknowledge one’s own faults is a far heavier sin than the honor of a goddess of the God Realm.’
Thud—!
Granraha released her sanctuary and knelt beside the administrative goddesses, prostrating herself as well.
“Granraha—!”
The combat goddesses let out voices like groans of despair. Especially the virgin goddess who had caused this incident—her body a mangled wreck—still forced herself to prostrate beside her.
“I will take full responsibility for breaking the discipline of the God Realm and committing rudeness toward the Chief God of the God Realm. I will do anything, so please let it end with me alone. I beg you not to punish my friends as well.”
Her tearful plea, filled with genuine sincerity, moved the other combat goddesses. One by one they prostrated themselves beside her.
All twelve goddesses’ names now floated upon the Karma Contracts that swore loyalty and obedience.
Now, the Dimensional Lord needed only to sign, and he could command them like complete subordinate gods without any compensation. He could even enforce the Devotion Pledge early by promising them stars later.
‘I can maximize profit without fighting or suffering any loss.’
Yet he found the situation displeasing, and an involuntary groan of endurance escaped him.
‘Ugh… The strong must be respected for their effort and achievements. One should not exploit weaknesses and do as one pleases. What value or efficiency can there be in loyalty gained through threats and coercion? Do I need such beings on my path as Chief God of the God Realm? Am I a being who can only receive loyalty and obedience through oppressive contracts? If I fear rebellion from those beneath me and mobilize Karma Contracts while pursuing only one-sided gain, how am I any different from the former Chief God?’
Immediate profit and his ideals clashed endlessly.
If he followed his ideals, he should accept their apology and give them another chance. As for betrayal, once he grew overwhelmingly strong and guaranteed greater benefits than anyone else, it would naturally become irrelevant—and he was confident he could do so.
Yet he could not simply forgive the goddesses, who were filled with personal grudges against the male gods and private factions tied to the former Chief God of the God Realm, without any restraints.
‘I will often be away from the God Realm for long periods due to training and mercenary god contracts. If the goddesses cannot control their emotions and act out again during those times, the highest divine realm will cease to develop and fall back into the old political infighting.’
It was a situation that naturally drew a sigh from him.
“Ugh—!”
The Karma Contract had once been something he loathed, back when he had been weak and ignorant and forced to accept unfair contracts from the contractor Chief God. Now that he had become stronger than any other lord god, the positions were completely reversed, and it tempted him with perfect benefits.
‘If I simply sign, I can do whatever I want with these powerful and beautiful goddesses who are prostrating defenselessly at my feet, heads bowed, even writing Karma Contracts as they beg for forgiveness. It won’t be complete subordination, but the oath of loyalty and obedience to the Chief God of the God Realm carries that much binding force.’
He would no longer need to pay a price for breastfeeding of the enhanced Blessed Breastmilk, sharing of divine power, or authorities. He wouldn’t even need to grant them planets immediately through the Devotion Pledge.
‘Even if this is part of a scheme that exploits my weakness for affection, the risk is far too great. If I sign without any adjustments, they would be forced to serve me at a level close to complete subordination.’
Knowing all these dangers, they had still entrusted their own punishment to him in order to cover for one person’s mistake.
‘It’s easy to say, but creating a star requires more troublesome spirit gods than these women, and I still can’t get a clear sense of what to demand in negotiations, which is why I’ve been hesitating until now.’
The thought that it would be better to jump over mercenary gods to obtain stars rather than seek the cooperation of these goddesses kept recurring.
Yet with a contract of loyalty and obedience like this, he could enforce the Devotion Pledge early and delay granting them stars until after becoming a Creator God, and they would never be able to rebel.
But he soon shook his head.
‘That is not my path as Chief God of the God Realm. I walk only the path of a true strong one like him.’
The path of an ugly strong one who fears challenges from those beneath him, hates hard work, chases only profit, and oppresses others through coercive contracts was something he did not need, no matter the benefits—it would only turn him into a weakling in the end.
“I will become stronger than anyone and survive until the very end.”
His true feelings slipped out unconsciously as he adjusted the Karma Contract that the goddesses had signed, swearing obedience and loyalty. Even as the greedy desire to simply sign it surged within his heart, he pressed his lips tightly together and suppressed it.
‘Any contract must be fair and show consideration for the other party. Only by maintaining a continuous relationship can we achieve long-term development and prosperity.’
He pushed forward the principles he believed in.
‘Because of this belief I have suffered only losses. Yet Karma viewed me—who holds such convictions—as a being helpful to this universe. It hid my divine nature and raised me, who had become “extremely evil” due to the God Realm’s traps, at least a little toward “good.”’
Since he could not escape Karma’s “extremely evil” status through any means, he had wandered the entire universe as a mercenary god, trusting in the tiny, sand-grain-like support for the weak. He had repeated only contracts that prioritized the other party’s benefit—so much so that others called him a fool or insane—and had ultimately reached the rank of highest lord god.
‘Countless survival crises and self-loathing flooded me during the process of unfair contracts, but I overcame them all and grew stronger. The mercenary gods who lived only for their own profit and desires are still wandering the universe to survive.’
Knowing the outcome, his decision had already been made.
‘Hesitation is my weakness, so I ignore it.’
Swish—!
He revised the unconditional loyalty and obedience contract.
When performing the duties of Chief Administrator Goddess, they shall place the interests and development of the God Realm as the highest priority, devote themselves to the advancement of divine power, and shall not oppose the Chief God.
In matters concerning the development of the God Realm and their own divine power training, they shall absolutely obey the commands of the Chief God of the God Realm.
If they receive instructions that would bring harm to the God Realm or cause a decline in divine power, they shall have the right to challenge the Chief God of the God Realm. Upon defeat, they must complete their assigned duties but shall suffer no further disadvantage.
This contract shall remain in effect only while the parties themselves maintain the position of Chief Administrator Goddess.
Oooooooong!
The Karma Contract emitted a brilliant light, authenticated the completion of the contract, and vanished.
He turned his gaze away from the goddesses, who were stunned into silence, unable to comprehend how he had changed the contents of absolute loyalty and obedience into ordinary contractual terms.
Then he stared quietly at the virgin goddess, whose entire body was drenched in blood from the pressure.
‘She took a direct hit from my Lord Slayer and Dimensional Divine Annihilation Cannon. Her authorities have suffered tremendous damage. Natural recovery will be difficult.’
It was like giving someone a disease and then offering the cure, but since he was the one who had manifested the Lord Slayer authority, he had to treat her.
He lifted the virgin goddess into the air with his divine power and drew her before him. Then, just as before, he concentrated a massive amount of divine power into his mouth.
The virgin goddess flinched in terror, and the other goddesses twitched in surprise, but they stopped when they saw that the divine power gathering at his lips was focused on healing authorities.
‘She took a direct blow from the Lord Slayer authority. At this rate, natural recovery will take an enormous amount of time and she will be unable to perform her duties as Chief Administrator Goddess.’
There was no helping the fact that unnecessary increases in workload made his measures harsher.
He grabbed the virgin goddess’s face, pressed down on her jaw, and forced her mouth wide open.
“Kyaaaaa—! Mmph—!”