The Permanent Candidate's Exile
Hwi, the Almighty, a Preliminary Creator God of the Spirit Realm War, shook his head—still throbbing from the hammer blow that had only just finished healing—and rose from the Seat of Glory.
“Grrrgh—! A blow exceeding 400 billion divine power, more than double my Innate Divine Power… even Omphale couldn’t fully nullify it. How excessive. To unleash such an attack on one’s own subordinate.”
Seeing the surrounding Highest Lords sigh in relief at the sight of his face, he instantly grasped the situation.
‘I’ve caused an incident.’
The mistake had been attempting to placate the Highest Creator God with gentle words instead of driving him away. ‘What need was there for conversation with those who came looking for a fight? The answer was to end it as swiftly as possible. Yet because of his lofty rank, I tried to observe formalities… and then his next words snapped my reason. Everything after that is a blur. He may have looked weak, but he was still a Highest Creator God—he must have dodged on his own.’
Even now, recalling what that bastard had said made his blood boil.
“An Almighty tribesman who can’t even become a Creator God, was it? I’ll have to meet the other tribes of the Outer Universes again and teach them proper manners. Along with the truth that power is everything, far above hollow ranks.”
Crackle—! Crackle—!
His 100 billion Innate Divine Power roared and surged to 200 billion. Lightning, sunlight, heat, and a chill that seemed ready to freeze everything around him stormed forth in a vortex. Space and time itself burned, froze, and vanished. The Highest Lords nearby erected full-powered divine barriers in alarm, yet the energies ignored attributes and slowly eroded them.
This was the Almighty God’s Fighting God: the ability to hone every attribute to its extreme and manifest them simultaneously. It meant that, unless facing an exceptionally unique authority, he could instantly master and manifest it at more than double the strength. Furthermore, the male gods of the Almighty could replicate any authority, just as the female gods could manifest every creation-type authority of other goddesses at least one stage higher. Thus the Almighty females were praised as Star Creator Gods, the males hailed as Almighty Fighting Gods, and the entire tribe reigned above all others.
‘Immunity and replication of every authority. That was the power of the Almighty tribe, appointed Creator Gods the moment they were born in the old universe. Yet during the Eternal War that engulfed his universe, most of the Almighty perished or fell to Lord God rank, unable to withstand the overload while synchronizing divine power with the Creator. The vacancies were filled by hidden powerhouses from other tribes who had lain low—those who had never even been considered rivals before.’
Countless such Fighting Gods had appeared from nowhere, earning Creator qualifications amid the war between the Demon Gods and the Substitute Gods. Before the Almighty could regroup after losing their near-monopoly on power, the restructuring was already complete and resistance impossible.
‘Even the vaunted Omphale authority of the Almighty Fighting Gods could not replicate the unique authorities of the new Creators, nor match the brutal training and Fighting Spirit they had accumulated through desperate survival. Moreover, the Almighty females proved incapable of creating the Main God Stars needed to sustain tens of trillions of followers. Their fall was instantaneous. In the qualification battles that spared no exceptions, the majority of the Almighty were defeated, exiled to the Spirit Realm, and chose annihilation rather than endure the humiliation. It was a time so dire that even treating the wounded from the war with him had to be abandoned.’
Yet the Almighty who survived that upheaval were growing stronger and more prosperous once more—strong enough, in fact, to massacre Almighty tribesmen who had risen to Highest Creator God in the Outer Universes. The near-infinite vitality and followers granted by Main God Stars, and the influx of powerhouses from outside seeking opportunity, had erased all hesitation.
‘More vitality, more Creator Gods. Survival in the future matters more than past glory. Even if it means starting over as a Lord God.’
Under that decree from the Almighty Council of Elders, every male and female god began anew from the Lord God rank. After ten thousand years, he had finally seized the position of Preliminary Creator God in this universe.
‘It was a grueling qualification battle and an era of bone-grinding patience for the sake of the Divine Realm’s development. Though our forces had dwindled severely, without the full support of the still-influential Almighty tribe, even I would have had to brace for annihilation several times during those trials. The result is an Innate Divine Power exceeding 100 billion and a perfected Omphale capable of manifesting any unique authority below a certain threshold.’
In the old universe, this level would have made him nearly a Creator General. In the current universe, he was still a pathetic figure unable to withstand even a single strike from an ordinary Creator God. Worse, because some of his tribe had defected to the Demon Gods, he had been unable to pass the qualification battles for ten thousand years and was treated as incompetent.
‘I considered fleeing to an Outer Universe more times than I can count, but the conclusion was always the same.’
He could not deny the rank and power earned through countless battles and slink away in defeat.
‘I will die here if I must. Annihilation is preferable to watching that despicable bastard become Demon God King and swagger about.’
Ten thousand years of endless fighting had forged not friendship, but deep-seated animosity. The desperate resolve never to let his rival ascend first made every clash all the more ferocious. Moreover, Highest Lords supplementing their lacking offensive power by manifesting partial magic was no longer a secret or taboo.
‘Now, as long as one’s karma is high and one is strong, any tribe is accepted and made a Lord God—regardless of whether they were once Demon Gods.’
The reason was the Substitute Gods’ merciless territorial invasions. What had begun as an all-out effort to strengthen forces against them had become a survival struggle among the divine races themselves. Alliance with the Demon Gods, who possessed superior offensive capabilities, was essential to that struggle.
‘To defeat the Substitute Gods rushing to become the ruling race in place of the gods, we formed a limited alliance with the Demon Gods—and they, being equally desperate, accepted. Thus, defecting to the Demon Gods is no longer something to be condemned if done for the tribe; if one becomes Demon God King, it is even praised. Yet this cowardly bastard, after defecting, challenged his own tribesman.’
The reason was singular: because they were of the same tribe, their authorities were easier to analyze and defeat. It was a coldly pragmatic motive, and despite his own superior ability, he had yet to win.
‘The Council of Elders left him be, knowing that one of the two would inevitably become a Creator God or higher. But when the stalemate dragged on, they hastily intervened—yet the accumulated grudges had already reached a point of no return.’
The qualification battles, where each sought the other’s very existence while pushing past their limits, had rapidly strengthened their abilities to the level of ordinary Creator Gods. Yet both now bore disgraceful nicknames within the Lord God and Creator God Realms.
‘My nickname is Permanent Preliminary Creator God? Whoever coined and spread that title—if I find them, I will kill them.’
The label “permanent” instead of “ten-thousand-year” had finally made him explode at the provocation from the Outer Highest Creator God.
‘Because of me, the ten-thousand-year Preliminary, even my assigned Creator God cannot ascend. I cannot lift my head.’
At least the Absolute who had received his title had ascended to Lord God in the Middle World, allowing the assigned Main God of the Divine Realm to become a Preliminary Creator God and earn bonus points for his own promotion—a stroke of luck. The problem was that Preliminary Creator Gods remained on standby until they passed their qualification battles.
‘In the past, expecting the “Greatest Lord God” to rapidly increase his divine power because he was once called “the Maddest Fighting God,” the Creator God had been furious upon seeing his Innate Divine Power halved or worse. The sparks flew to me, and the divine energy hurled my way still makes me shiver. And now, of all times, that bastard picks a fight here—how excessive to throw divine energy at full power?’
Even in his rampage, he seemed to have driven the enemy back. The gazes around him were tense, and he appeared to have taken heavy damage, yet everyone was unharmed. To assess the situation, he asked the Highest Lords of greatest rank.
“The enemy?”
“You killed them all.”
“What? What did you just say?”
“During your rampage, you slew all five Outer Universe Highest Creator Gods who had invaded the Spirit Realm’s Defense Divine Realm, confiscating their divine power and vitality. The Outer Universe Highest Creator Gods lost their physical bodies and fled as divine spirits only. The remaining enemies are currently reorganizing outside the domain. Their numbers continue to grow, and the number of other Creator Gods is increasing as well.”
“……”
Hwi’s hand rose unconsciously to his forehead as he collapsed back into the Seat of Glory. He had only needed to drive them away to avoid provocation, yet in his blinded state he had apparently annihilated them.
‘Still, how could all five fail to escape and suffer a drop in divine rank? Were they not Highest Creator Gods? How could they all perish so easily against a mere Preliminary Creator God?’
Clinging to a sliver of hope, he asked, “Did the Creator God intervene personally?”
“No. You acted alone. And the Creator God left this, instructing you to train against them.”
The screen displayed a combined technique between the Creator General and the Demon God King. It looked extremely difficult, but success would allow one to finish even opponents of Circle 1 or higher—a priceless technique.
‘Its power is astonishing. No wonder we cannot leave this place.’
There was no other Main Universe where such authorities and techniques were openly provided in such abundance without cost.
‘For the Almighty tribe, capable of replicating authorities, there is no better Main Universe in which to train.’
While Hwi stared blankly at the screen, the Highest Lords spoke in an extremely cautious tone.
“Lastly, you have been appointed temporary Main God of the Spirit Realm’s Defense Divine Realm until this matter is resolved.”
“Is that so? Of course I must. Whose words are these? Wait—what did you just say I must do?”
Distracted by the combined technique, which even he found difficult to replicate, he had answered vaguely and now realized he had heard something he should not have. The Highest Lords sighed deeply and repeated themselves.
“From now on, Hwi the Almighty, you are the temporary Main God of the Spirit Realm’s Defense Divine Realm.”
“U-until when?”
His voice trembled involuntarily. Every god knew this place was the exile the Creator God sent people to.
‘The label of Permanent Preliminary Creator God is already dreadful enough. If I am exiled on top of that, the tribe will bury me in shame.’
The thought of the Demon God King candidate mocking him made him dizzy. He had to escape this situation somehow.
“Until the situation here is resolved.”
“Immediately transmit a summons to every Main God not currently engaged in qualification battles! Offer compensation to the Main Gods of independent Divine Realms as well and order them to participate. From this moment, we fight with all our strength.”
“Pardon? But how will we provide compensation?”
The surrounding Highest Lords began to stammer in confusion. The price of hiring independent Main Gods was exorbitant. They were undeniably powerful and effective enough to solve any problem, yet hiring them meant preparing to be completely drained.
‘Since this is not a qualification battle where annihilation is risked, it should be relatively cheap, but the Lord God Realm has already expended all its vitality maintaining the strengthened Substitute Gods.’
‘Every higher Lord God is in the same situation, so we cannot demand support.’
‘Has the Lord God Realm not been supplementing vitality to each Divine Realm while catching its breath?’
‘Then where could such an enormous price possibly be secured?’
‘Does he possess another pocket—or rather, another Divine Realm?’
As they voiced their doubts, his next words made their eyes widen to their limits.
“It’s right here! We’ll give them the vitality and divine power recovered from those pathetic Outer Highest Creator Gods!”
The amount of vitality and divine power gathered at the fingertips of the Preliminary Creator God was truly immense. Each Highest Creator God, having died so absurdly and helplessly, had left behind 500 billion vitality after a single-stage drop. Individually, each had lost nearly 100 billion vitality and divine power.
‘That much would more than suffice as payment for hiring forces on a battlefield of this scale, but that stockpile must never be touched.’
Returning the vitality was the only way to end this cleanly.
“Using that will make reconciliation impossible.”
“Shut up! Do you still not understand? This is not a provocation from a single Main Universe—the others are watching from behind. If we show even the slightest sign of being pushed back here, every one of them waiting in reserve will invade. Then the Creator God Realm will intervene, and a full-scale war between Main Universes will erupt. If the Substitute Gods join and resolve it, the Creator will finish us before we even reach the race-determination battle.”
“Huuuuh—!”
Only now did they see it. As Hwi the Preliminary Creator God, acting as the core of the Defense Divine Realm, expanded the defensive domain and detection to the Main Universe boundary, countless hidden gods and Creator Gods appeared.
‘Already more than twenty Highest Creator Gods.’
‘This is an alliance of at least three Main Universes.’
‘Just what did the Creator do in the Creator Realm to make such a massive force move under the mere pretext of a provocation?’
Obviously he had scraped their pride to the bone and beaten them half to death, but this was excessive. Even as allies, they made no effort to conceal their killing intent—they wanted total annihilation. Seeing five Highest Creator Gods perish so easily despite a combined assault on a Preliminary Creator God, their authority had suffered a severe blow; they too were desperate.
Yet the solemn voice of the one who had caused this situation through his rampage rang out.
“We must somehow block and repel them with our own forces alone. The moment we receive help from another Creator God Realm, the battlefield expands and other Main Universes will invade in succession. We must confine this to a localized conflict justified by the boundary provocation. Our Main Universe is not yet ready for an all-out war against the alliance.”
“……”
If they were outright enemies, crushing them would be simple. But as awkward allies, they could neither advance nor retreat.