The Weight of Karma
The Dimensional Lord settled back into his seat after effortlessly driving both the Machine Empire—who had tried to capture him as experimental material—and the Substitute Gods who had challenged him directly into a desperate struggle for survival and progress amid the Goddess Department War.
'Now that I've secured divine ownership of this star cluster, my words are law. Of course, as the God of Light, this comes with the premise of universal evolution and advancement.'
Humans could defy divine law through free will, but they would have to pay the price. In simple terms, what humans called "misfortune" became the terrifying "negative karma" for those above mortal rank. This was precisely why he had suddenly altered his approach toward the machine race.
'Damn it—! Becoming a Highest Main God means my influence across the universe is no joke. One word or action creates this much damage and ripple effect?'
The God of Death and Cleanup would suffer less penalty from massacres and might even gain positive points against such pests. But as a god of birth and development, his actions were judged after penalties were first deducted, requiring extreme caution.
'Even now, the Cyber Realm is frantically analyzing my behavior with that karma value, only to display a slight tendency before concluding. I was attacked first, and after confirming the karma values, the number of deaths among those with remaining lifespan in the star cluster after destruction is minimal. Yet because this is a dominant species with massive influence, it reacts like this.'
The Chief God of the God Realm could do as he pleased so long as he didn't ruin his own planet, but the Dimensional Lord's decisions and judgments affected the entire star cluster, so the system added those broader impacts to its calculations.
'I thought there would be no issues with absolute karma, but I forgot this isn't my own divine realm under my Main God authority—it's not even solar system scale, but star cluster scale.'
The machine race were indeed parasites devouring the star cluster, but as a dominant species their importance was high. With over a hundred million individuals still possessing remaining lifespan, the negative effects from their ruling species' collapse would hold even a God of Light accountable.
'I've obtained ownership of this star cluster's humanity, but without my divine realm here, I hold no dominion. That means there's no additional tolerance from the Chief God of the God Realm.'
The karma values fluctuating wildly up and down made his heart sink. In haste, instead of handing the Machine Empire's machine humans over to the Goddess of this realm to be rightfully slaughtered, he had driven them into his own divine combat as disciplinary punishment for recycling. Only then did the values stabilize with a slight upward tick.
'What I've learned from this situation is that from the outside, the only scale I can handle is planetary at most. And even that must end with the planet itself. If I don't like that, I must create my divine realm here and incorporate it into my management domain.'
However, this star cluster's vitality was too weak to make it worthwhile. Unless it was a temporary divine realm for a subordinate system, that is.
'Vicious bastards. Would it kill them to show a little leniency? These things really tried to use me as experimental material. No matter the reason, even a Highest Main God cannot tolerate excessive interference in a star cluster he doesn't rule. This is how the order of this universe is maintained... but it's stifling.'
If a Highest Main God could enforce star cluster-scale discipline without any restrictions, lower Main Gods wouldn't need to struggle so desperately to become Chief Gods of the God Realm. Higher gods could seize planets at will without opposition, and the universe would instantly become a battlefield like in the old days.
This was why, aside from the Creator Gods who granted the stars, only absolute free will and guaranteed territory were permitted. 'If a Chief God of the God Realm is extinguished without cause, even a Demon God King or Creator God would face judgment. Just like that time the Demon God King I mentioned earlier couldn't control his instincts and extinguished a Main God, only to become a divine fugitive and suffer terribly.'
Even Creator Gods could not casually punish or extinguish a Main God whose karma was above "extreme good." Beyond these fundamental reasons, the greatest factor was that a Chief God of the God Realm was an essential requirement for forming a divine realm.
'In this universe, there is one divine realm per star, and no being can violate this.'
This was his directive to manage even one properly, which explained why the number of colossal Main God Stars kept increasing. With battles between Main Gods for stars forbidden, a Main God capable of creating a divine realm became essential to secure territory, and those at Main God rank who could establish subordinate divine realms received special treatment.
'This is also why I subordinate only Main God ranks even if I kill and dispose of the rest. If done well, I can create additional subordinate divine realms and earn tremendous profits. Moreover, I wouldn't need to undergo those terrifying qualification trials that make even me tremble.'
If the current him received a star and established a divine realm, the Demon God race would likely send a Demon God King candidate, and the Substitute Gods would dispatch a Creator Candidate.
'No matter how much I amplify divine power through dark magic, I cannot guarantee the opponent lacks similar techniques, so it would truly be a fight to the death. Therefore, I must grow stronger and expand my forces by any means to create my own divine realm. Of course, traveling to another Creator's universe is an option, but I'd rather be a president in a developed city than a king in a backward rural area.'
Other main universes were busy fighting among themselves, lacking even a Main Divine Realm for support. Naturally, there was no Cyber Realm, making communication and travel impossible.
'In other worlds, whether operating a divine realm or traveling, everything must be done through self-reliance. Without competition to raise divine power or win qualification trials, it's completely chaotic—a hellish mess.'
With planetary Chief Gods of the God Realm changing countless times and worlds reduced to wasteland without any control, the level of humanity available as believers was far lower than here—a true disaster. Consequently, even if a divine realm was created, the increase in divine power was minimal, and battles between divine realms occurred in extremely dirty ways.
'Main Gods tired of fierce competition flee to another Creator's main universe, only to return trembling and regretful, eventually working as mercenary gods.'
When obtaining a star as payment for mercenary work, only the compensation from the Creator God's domain where the star was located was provided. This was a ten percent vitality tax, which every Chief God of the God Realm paid, so it was acceptable. Additional compensation was received separately for performing missions or participating in battles.
'A Main God's missions include taking over troublesome divine realm management like mine, suppressing rebellions in the Middle World, handling Destroyer Gods, and participating in Substitute God battles—but all of it can be freely chosen.'
Paying only the ten percent vitality tax while receiving separate compensation for other missions or choosing them freely was what mercenary Main Gods desired, and it was the position he currently aimed for.
'Think of it as starting a company with personal funds, paying a small fee to a large corporation for management support, securing fixed profits while running personal business on the side. However, if you receive a star from a Creator God, you lose the right to refuse missions. If you don't like it, return the star and become a mercenary god.'
Management support from the Main Divine Realm was the same, but the obligations were far greater. Then wouldn't it be better to work as a mercenary god, receive only compensation, and avoid paying the vitality tax?
'Ultimately, fixed income is necessary for stable divine power growth and comfort. Above all, participating in battles as a Chief God of the God Realm allows the other party to trust you, leading to greater compensation. In the long term, it can develop into alliances and build forces. After all, trying to survive alone means being blown away by even a small breeze. Chief Gods of the God Realm actively form forces and alliances, helping each other, but a Main God without a divine realm isn't even accepted into the same alliances. In the Main Divine Realm, they're naturally outcasts.'
Without a divine realm, one was nothing more than a rootless mercenary god treated as disposable. Of course, a powerful mercenary Main God could quickly become a Chief God of the God Realm and thus received high evaluation—which was exactly his current position.
'Having obtained temporary qualification as a Creator Candidate, I am now evaluated higher than a Chief God of the God Realm. So when I tried to vent on a star cluster scale for whatever reason, this is what happens.'
The conclusion was that to live well as a God of Light, one must not act on temper and should live virtuously for now.
'Even if you cleverly evade consequences like that swindler Main God, ruin will eventually come.'
Unless the "Creation" unique to the God of Light was added to the dark magic he had granted, and the absolute beings who received titles from the Demon God race didn't desperately try to kill him out of fear, absolute beings would find living as "Demon Gods" far easier.
'After all, I was once human too. In difficult environments, the darker aspects of human emotion grow stronger, and with power comes the pursuit of authority and pleasure. It's only natural.'
The Dimensional Lord himself had once grown drunk on suddenly increased power and rampaged, only to barely survive a battle against a Creator God's Substitute Gods. As a Highest Main God who could only enforce planetary-scale restrictions, attempting star cluster-scale enforcement without a divine realm here or dominion triggered immediate negative karma. Even now, the memory made him dizzy.
'This karma I raised by enduring countless unfair contracts—must I lose it over something like this? I need to live a bit more virtuously. Without experience, having power close to a Creator God's level could lead to disaster. As the Dimensional Lord broke into a cold sweat looking at the karma values the Cyber Realm displayed, the goddess before him spoke in apparent surprise.'
"This universe is fascinating. Originally, a Highest Creator God faces no restrictions whatsoever, yet you're bound by something so obvious. I don't understand it. You're currently being called a Highest Main God—one step down—but you're still a Main God. To think you're managed so thoroughly."
"Becoming a Chief God of the God Realm allows for even greater dominion than before, but it requires passing the qualification trials."
"Qualification trials? Ah—! You mean having to fight and defeat the Demon God race and Substitute Gods to become a Chief God of the God Realm... It looks incredibly difficult."
The Dimensional Lord couldn't help but laugh inwardly. 'Haha! If it were just a matter of raw power, everyone would choose to become a Chief God of the God Realm. Who would bother with the annoying management duties that come with being incorporated into the Main Divine Realm?'
In a way, the management god positions in the Main Divine Realm existed to provide places for Main Gods who feared the qualification trials and refused to attempt them.
'One wrong move means extinction, and without the Main Divine Realm's enormous support, you'd lose a stage of divine power and vitality, forcing you to start over from upper-level gods. This applies even to Main God ranks who don't need to undergo the trials if they're only managing subordinate divine realms.'
"It seems we'll have to wait until the machine race's lifespans are completely exhausted for their cleanup."
"That appears necessary. In return, I request support for my sisters' divine power recovery."
"When you say sisters...?"
"In the previous universe, we were the three sisters symbolizing past, present, and future as Highest Creator Gods under Creator Lord Hwi. I served as their manager and representative. While preparing for battle against him, I felt our forces were insufficient and rushed the development of machine gods to supplement our power. This is the result. Still, they are undoubtedly Highest Creator Gods, so they can serve as trading parties."
"Restoring four individuals to the level of Highest Main Gods—twenty billion in divine power—is an excessive price no matter what knowledge or authority is offered, and it's impossible within a reasonable timeframe. Above all, your physical vessels are on the verge of collapse and cannot withstand divine power recovery. This requires special measures at the Creator God level and long-term treatment. Your request is impossible."
As if she had anticipated the Dimensional Lord's cold response, the still-blurry goddess spoke again.
"Of course. We're not asking you to replenish all two hundred billion. If you can treat us up to the point where we can recover twenty billion in divine power on our own, we'll handle the rest ourselves."
"Twenty billion each means eighty billion for four. Even an ordinary Highest Main God would need nearly eight hundred years of seclusion to recover that amount. Moreover, the resources and time required to restore the bodies of those who were once Highest Main Gods and are now nearly reduced to empty husks... the numbers are problematic."
When the Dimensional Lord lightly inputted several values and presented the results, even the blurry projection from Idea could only gape.
To replenish eighty billion in divine power required eight stars with an average population of ten billion each. Restoring bodies transformed into empty husks to normal would take nearly ten thousand years. If restoring all two hundred billion, the calculation showed it would require eighty stars and over forty thousand years. And that assumed consuming high-concentration vitality on the level of a World Tree.
"I didn't realize it would be this much... No, it makes sense. Our divine rank is that of the current world's Highest Main Gods, so filling it would be difficult. Moreover, having become nearly empty husks makes it even harder."
The larger the vessel of the body and the stronger the authority, the more difficult recovery naturally became. The biggest problem wasn't just the enormous size of their divine spirit vessels, but that their bodies had almost completely vanished.
'Right before becoming empty husks, we urgently evacuated into this star cluster suppression weapon. We didn't even have the resources to create a single avatar.'
They had to create the bodies of Highest Main Gods with two hundred billion divine power from scratch. Even this was the minimum estimate. No wonder the Dimensional Lord was horrified.
"The authority and technology for a two-circle advancement to upper-level gods through fusion with machine gods certainly holds value, but not to this extent. You acknowledge this, yes?"
"We acknowledge it. The price we seek is indeed excessive. However, there must be something else you desire from us."
Idea had existed for eons as a Chief God of the God Realm and possessed vast experience. Thus, she immediately recognized that the Dimensional Lord wanted something.
As expected, the Dimensional Lord continued speaking as if communication was easy.
"In exchange for helping recreate your divine bodies and raising your divine power to Main God rank, hand over all current knowledge and authority regarding machine god fusion. Additionally, I wish to establish a subordinate divine realm in this star cluster to manage my Magic Machine Idols, Machine Gods, and machine weapons. If you become temporary subordinate Main Gods, I will raise you to twenty billion each. The contract period lasts until the conflict between the Machine Empire and my Substitute Gods is settled. Any additional contracts or terminations afterward can be decided as you wish."
"......"