Karma's Unyielding Grasp
The war in the Spirit Realm was no place to let your guard down just because your Karma read “Extreme Good.” Encounter a higher tier of Extreme Good or Absolute Good, and you’d be stripped clean. “Lucky for them, but for those caught in the crossfire, there’s no greater misfortune.”
Almighty Hwi, the Creator Candidate, had nearly reached Absolute Good through the explosive growth of his divine realm, the evolution of life, and the prosperity of his followers. His power and Karma both surpassed the Dimensional Lord’s. If caught in that current, one would likely be exploited without any compensation.
Having once suffered terribly at the hands of Extreme Good beings while his own evaluation sat at Neutral, the outcome was obvious. “They reap all the rewards while I do all the work.” Even the protection of Extreme Good was relative; fall under something greater—Absolute Good—and there was no escape.
“Do you really think I’ll let them use me again? Dimensional Genesis! Conditions: partial Karma control, search evasion!”
He mobilized every authority at his disposal, minimizing the Karma principles applied to him and restricting any searches. “Now only a Creator God can find me, and even Karma’s influence is somewhat avoided.” Of course, the excessive use of authorities would drastically reduce his maximum output, but that was still infinitely preferable to being dragged into a battlefield without compensation.
“I’m not a Main God who received a Main God Star, so I have the right to choose whether to participate in the war. Isn’t this an overreaction? Don’t underestimate the blessing of Absolute Good Karma. If you trip over your own mistake in an empty place, someone will appear out of nowhere with spatial movement to help you up. Fall off a cliff and some kind dragon that shouldn’t exist will save you and even hand over its own Dragon Heart, telling you to grow stronger. Drown and a mermaid princess will appear to save you and become your devoted lover. If you’re buried underground, the Dwarf Emperor from below will rescue you and gift you a mountain of treasure, wishing you well.”
With high Karma, events that should never happen in the ordinary course of things occurred with alarming frequency. In other words, if there was even the slightest possibility, every being without superior Karma would move to protect him.
“The biggest problem right now is that only Creator Gods or the highest-ranking Main Gods on par with Almighty Hwi can assist someone of his level.”
Creator Gods were naturally higher Absolute Good and would scoff at the notion. That left only the highest-ranking Main Gods, most of whom were already participating. The few who had not joined would inevitably be pulled in as circumstances shifted, regardless of their own will. “They probably already know this much and are preparing defensive measures like I am.”
The effectiveness was uncertain, but being exploited without compensation had to be prevented at all costs. “If it were just me, maybe, but with each of us managing our own highest divine realms and trillions of sentient beings, moving without compensation would immediately make us look weak to the other Main Gods. The Main Divine Realm and other highest Main Gods would dump every troublesome matter onto us and our affiliated realms.”
Generosity might be mercy to those below, but to equals, such kindness became a weakness that invited reckless challenges and burdened entire divine realms. To prevent that, one had to become equally calculating and ruthless—someone not to be trifled with. “It’s harsh, but in this universe, a thorough meritocracy, there’s no choice.”
As expected, the moment he partially suppressed Karma’s influence, a reaction came. His senses, sharpened to the level of a Creator God, detected a wave of power.
Hum—! Clunk—! Hum—!
“Hah—! A search authority? A moment later and it would’ve been disastrous.”
Someone was searching for his existence, hidden within this universe. Obviously, it was the work of the administrators of the Absolute Realm who managed Karma. The near-Absolute Good Creator Candidate had caused trouble in a fit of temper and was now searching for useful beings to resolve it.
“How can they force participation when the person refuses? They make it so you have no choice but to go.”
One way or another, it would happen. The only way to avoid it was to separate from this dimension entirely, rendering detection impossible.
“No more free work, even if it kills me! How long do you think I’ll keep making unfair contracts? I’m Extreme Good now too, and I’m not alone—I’m a highest-ranking Main God of a divine realm!”
The Dimensional Lord grumbled to himself and checked the battle results of the Machine Mother. “A 1-to-9 result. The Magic Machine Idols were utterly crushed. The sole victory came, as expected, from Break Through, the first hero I named.”
He had activated his maximum-output spatial movement authority without regard for his own body, combining it with the Magic Machine Idol to shatter the enemy. “The rest feared the pain of injuries that would heal within the magic authority domain and ultimately lost. I expected it, but the result is still brutal.”
Both sides fought for survival, yet the difference lay between those desperate for even a single victory for their race and those who had room to spare. Or perhaps between challengers and those merely trying to hold on.
“In the end, my prospective believers lack trials.”
The gap in machine body levels could be overcome with newly granted divine power and authorities, but overwhelmed by pain and the enemy’s fighting spirit, they failed to utilize them properly and suffered defeat. The defeated Magic Machine Idols and their pilots fell to 5th Circle and lost their youth.
“Uwooooooh—!”
The pilots of the victorious Machine Empire’s planetary suppression weapons leapt from their cockpits, shouting in ecstasy. The souls within their machine bodies had reached 6th Circle and been strengthened. Separate from their main bodies, they were now guaranteed a hundred years of life. One more victory would grant them 7th Circle and two hundred years.
“Because it is a manifestation of my dimensional authority, youth is natural, and even their machine bodies are transforming into optimal forms.”
The evolution of the soul combined with the strengthening of the machine body. Their machine physiques grew stronger and more beautiful, and even they could not hide their rapture. They had become mightier than their original bodies and souls. “That evolution is the form of mechanical humanity the female Main Gods of this place desired.”
Rumble—!
In contrast, the sole victorious Magic Machine Idol also transformed. Its single pair of wings became two, signaling the ascension of its divinity, and the Magic Machine Idol itself rose to become the Idol of the Cave. Its authority was the utterance of personal divine words—limited miracles that overcame the diverse problems each individual faced.
What Break Through truly desired was the power of youth. Having missed every opportunity and become a powerless old man who had lost hope, the thing he had fought desperately for was a return to the prime of youth, filled with infinite possibilities. That became his unique authority.
And the first Magic Machine Idol in this universe to reach the third stage spoke its divine word.
“The Dream of Youth.”
Passion returned to the eyes of the pilots who had fallen to 5th Circle and grown despondent. What he had wanted from people was not attention, but the burning passion for life and fair competition. Thus, his authority called forth youth and hope within his domain. Those inspired by him who became believers and remained within the domain would become the most vibrant youths, living diligently.
“If they grow stronger and achieve victory while increasing their followers like that, they will become 7th Circle transcendents. As long as they remain pilots of Magic Machine Idols, they will become Lower Gods. That is the reward I give to the victors. Other Main Gods might call it too generous.”
The souls of mechanical humanity and the Machine Emperor rejoiced in their hard-won victory, their vitality growing stronger. Still far from ideal, but improving enough that maintaining a subordinate divine realm seemed feasible. Reactions to the colossal machine female Main God who had revealed herself were also extremely positive, with believers increasing at a rapid pace. Even those who had once worshipped the overwhelmingly powerful planetary suppression weapons were now showing faith, captivated by the beautiful form of the female Main God who possessed power beyond common sense.
“As the Main God of a subordinate divine realm, I’ve quickly secured the minimum faith and vitality needed to maintain it. Everything is going well.”
“Now I must assign personal trials to the losers.”
At the appearance of the Dimensional Lord, both the cheers of victory and the sighs of defeat vanished, replaced by silence. The god who had toyed with and ravaged the Machine Empire that had dominated the star cluster, then reorganized the cluster in this manner, had descended. With thirteen pairs of light wings unfurled across the entire star cluster, his dazzling figure left no one daring to speak.
“A god who suppressed the entire star cluster with transcendent power, drove the Machine Empire to the brink of extinction, and forced this battle upon them—his descent fills them with terror.”
Especially the reactions of the defeated newly created planetary suppression weapons, the Magic Machine Idols, and their pilots were quite the sight. “How amusing that those massive machine bodies are trembling.”
They surely knew how cruel their Dimensional Lord was to the defeated. “Yes. Just as you expected, I will administer punishment.”
Snap!
With a simple flick of his fingers, he transformed them into fitting forms. Tremendous pain accompanied the immediate change in their bodies.
Snap—! Crackle—! Crunch—!
“Graaaaaah—!”
“Aaaaaah—!”
The massive, powerful metallic bodies rapidly shrank and sprouted fur. Adjusting the forms of beings belonging to the material realm who were not gods was far too easy for a Main God. Ignoring their divinity and size, he transformed the defeated into small dogs and cats, then spoke in a cold voice.
“Because of you pathetic fools, I had to personally intervene despite being busy. You lost so easily. Now I’ll make defeat worse than death. Become beasts befitting the worthless trash who lost so meaninglessly as warriors, and await the next battle. As for additional measures—since I’m still a novice at recruiting believers, I’ll provide a manual for reference.”
The entire star cluster’s humanity held their breath at the cruel and cold measure. The planetary suppression weapons and Magic Machine Idols that had moments ago displayed power capable of destroying cities had ignored their metallic bodies and become small cats and dogs, mewling pitifully.
Meooow! Woof woof woof!
The pilots had naturally transformed along with them, leaving no trace. Even in the face of this brutal scene, the Dimensional Lord, whom they had acknowledged as their god, showed no emotional disturbance as he spoke and acted without hesitation.
When he reopened the Believer Recruitment Guidelines for Novice Main Gods Creating Divine Realms, the previously read content continued, broadcast to all humanity in the star cluster.
“Granting short-term trials to believers is very simple. It is ‘proselytization.’ The goal is to increase divine power, so you must find ways to grow the number of believers. Show your own mercy and authority to inspire and bring happiness to believers so that it naturally spreads to others. The foundation of proselytization for the God of Light is the spread of happiness. If believers feel happiness and peace within the warm embrace of the god, those around them will see it and proselytization will occur naturally. For Main Gods who possess such immense authority as to become Main Gods of divine realms, this is truly an easy task. Simply grant greater happiness and abilities to those who believe. Do not forget to give additional rewards to believers who have proselytized many others. In summary, proselytization that recruits many believers is the easiest short-term trial, so simply issue guidelines and rewards. It is truly a simple trial.”
“……”
Whoosh—!
A sudden chilling atmosphere swept over all humanity in the star cluster. The Dimensional Lord, too, resolved to thoroughly verify matters in advance before causing any further incidents from now on.