The Mercenary God and His Origin
The wave of divine power emanating from the Highest Lord God who called himself grandfather was unmistakably that of the Sky God Tribe—his own bloodline. Yet he could not recall any battle god powerful enough to manifest the Sky Corridor simultaneously. ‘At that level, he would be the strongest in the entire bloodline. But that lofty divine aura and the authority to freely leap through space while wielding countless divine techniques feel far too familiar.’
Perhaps he had deliberately tried to forget. ‘How could I not know of the one who possesses such a rare innate authority among the countless Sky God Tribe members? The child who created his own innate authority, who shone with the greatest talent and the most ferocious fighting spirit, who once ruled the battlefield to the point that even the demonic race feared him as a terror.’
Had his mother’s status been high enough, his strength would have made him a worthy successor. But the moment his mother vanished for some reason, he changed completely, becoming a mad battle god, and reports eventually came that he had disappeared. ‘He lived drenched in blood, annihilating demons within the tribe’s territory, until his power ran out and he fell on the battlefield—yet here he stands.’
And not only that—he possessed strength equal to the tribe’s own Origin, standing as an enemy in a war that risked the fate of the entire divine race, not just their tribe. ‘I know all too well that blaming everything on that child would be far too unjust. After all, it was I who halted the investigation into the reason for his mother’s disappearance upon discovering the horrific truth.’
Because of that mistake, the tribe’s strongest battle god had turned against them, and now he suppressed their allies with a wide-area authority even the Origin struggled to undo. At the most desperate moment in a war that decided the fate of the entire divine race, he blocked their path. Knowing his own responsibility in all of this, his heart ached as if torn apart.
Yet his voice remained indifferent as he spoke. “It is the wide-area version of the regional authority Sky Fang. I named it Azure Heaven Sky. Within this authority’s domain, I can attack with divine techniques from anywhere, and aside from the Sky authority itself, every being suffers a one-circle drop while their physical activity is also reduced. Of course, manifesting all attributes of the Sky Corridor is possible as long as my divine power allows. With this, I became the Highest Lord God of an independent divine realm holding a Main God Star in this Main Universe. Are you satisfied, dear grandfather?”
There was not a single trace of hesitation in his tone. He had already confirmed there was no turning back and raised his fighting spirit. ‘This war cannot afford sentiment toward a single blood relative. If we are careless, we will have to fight the Substitute Race—far stronger than demons and impossible to reason with—over the territory of the Main Universe.’
At minimum, over ninety percent of the bloodline was expected to perish, forcing even the Origin to step forward. And right now, with this Sky wide-area barrier binding the entire divine race’s ankles, that child was the greatest obstacle. “Kuh…! So it really was Sky Fang—that omnidirectional spatial barrage of divine techniques? I heard you perished charging the demonic race, yet here you are. And you’ve grown this strong.”
“I discarded that name when I fled the tribe. Address me as the Highest Mercenary Lord God, ‘the Lord who reigns above the heavens.’ Now, I continue. Having received payment as a mercenary, I will not spare even my kin.”
“You still engage in such base acts. I knew from the moment you would do anything for victory, but have you now completely fallen? And to bare your fangs directly at the tribe’s head and your own blood—how deep must your grudge run? Where did you throw away your pride and honor, still chasing only victory and profit? That is why you were rejected despite your talent—!”
“For a mercenary god, nothing remains but proving one’s worth through victory. Having received payment, I merely demonstrate utility. And, respected grandfather—”
Rumble rumble rumble! His blue divine power surged endlessly. The divine power he had expended in the massive barrage moments ago had fully recovered thanks to the divine realm’s support. ‘As expected of a Creator God-level divine realm—the level of support is different. At this rate, no matter the gap in divinity, I will not lose.’
Though absurdly forced into the base-defense line by the divine realm’s ego even as a Highest Mercenary Lord God, the highest authority here—the Creator Candidate—was fighting alongside him. ‘All-Powerful Splendor stands at the forefront, grumbling yet fighting the strongest enemy simply because he is the strongest.’
It was a battlefield as gruesome as the past, yet such a thing could never occur in an external Main Universe. ‘That the most noble supreme commander would personally face the most dangerous and powerful enemy, risking annihilation—I could never understand it. All misfortune was always the direct line’s share because their mother’s blood was lowly, and because I stopped at nothing to survive, my reputation only worsened.’
Adding honorable victories on the battlefield was the dignity of the ruling divine race; breaking that was taboo. Yet this Main Universe treated such taboos as natural. That was why he remained here, even if it was difficult. ‘Here, the purity I so desperately longed for still remains. Just evaluation of victory and praise for the strong. A primordial battlefield of battle gods untouched by the primitive barbarism of the law of the jungle.’
The strong could rise as far as they wished and receive praise. Therefore, he—a fugitive from an external Main Universe—had been able to reach this far without restriction. ‘In external Main Universes, I, who pursued only power and victory with an utterly alien ideology and was cast into deadly situations without support because my mother’s status was lowly, became a Main God of a divine realm surpassing even my tribe. That fact alone is reason enough to risk my life fighting for this Main Universe.’
Originally, he could have tied down the Origin of his own tribe—difficult even for him to face—and suppressed other Creator Gods. Of course, he claimed it was work for proper payment, but this battle was already far more dangerous than the compensation warranted. Still, he could not retreat. ‘I cannot let these self-proclaimed “just” beings defile the place I finally settled in.’
Though his direct descendants were always incompetent yet greedy, causing trouble, and his companion and concubines only threw childish tantrums, they were family he had obtained with his own power. ‘They are true family who rely on me, not blood relatives who always sought my weaknesses and glared at me. I am the head of this household. Therefore, I am prepared to accept any criticism.’
He fought solely for the sake of his family and divine realm. That was the resolve of the mercenary god who had become a Highest Main God of a divine realm. Thus, he could speak to the Origin of the tribe he once respected. “The world does not require such complicated contemplation to live. If you lose, you die and vanish; if you win, you enjoy glory. Struggle is simply that.”
“Do you think I would accept such beastly logic? You are a noble light divine race—! And among divine races, the highest noble house, the Sky God Tribe!”
“I am a mercenary god. Having received payment, I merely pay the price with victory.”
“That is why you were cast out. I cannot tolerate your cruelty that stops at nothing, surpassing even the demonic race. As the Origin of the Sky God Tribe, I reject you for the honor of the bloodline. I will erase both this authority and your very existence.”
Whoosh!Flash! Twenty-six pairs of blue wings spread wide, beginning a fierce contest to claim the surrounding azure sky domain. However, though the divinity of a Creator God was higher, the rank of the authority was clearly superior, so the domain did not release easily. Thus, the two Sky authorities clashed, emitting a thunderous roar.
Whiiiiing—! Whiiiing—! The Lord who reigned above the heavens sighed inwardly at the sight. It was a lament for his own weakness. ‘Because he is a Creator God, his body recovers from physical blows almost instantly. I should have completely blown his head apart in that earlier surprise attack. Still, remembering the small kindness and consideration he showed when I developed my innate authority made me waver emotionally and miss. A mistake I have no excuse for, even if I die.’
It was clearly a fatal error. ‘That old man is the only one who can escape my Azure Heaven Sky authority because he is the Origin of the Sky God Tribe. If I give him more time, he might even undo it.’
If he had killed him when he had the chance earlier, his divinity would have dropped to at least a General Creator, and this could have been prevented. Now he had to take the risk. ‘As long as the gap in our divinities exceeds one circle, I must maintain this authority at all costs. Even if I hold the advantage through combat experience and the might of my authority, once they grow accustomed to it, it is over. I must kill them quickly, before they gain experience, and drop their divinity.’
Because he had to bridge the gap in divinity, he was forced to desperately maintain the wide-area authority. Moreover, as the Highest Lord God of this Main Universe, the power of his basic transcendent authority was rapidly closing the gap as the Origins of the divine race stepped forward. ‘Seeing that old man analyze my transcendent authority and prepare countermeasures in such a short time—truly, he is the Origin of the tribe.’
Origins were originally core figures who would never leave their tribe. They were the tribe’s pride, beings like the origin of the highest authorities; if even one were annihilated, the entire tribe would shake. ‘If Origins are appearing, it seems the Main Universe over there has been driven into a corner with Creator Gods dying and being annihilated absurdly.’
What the Creator had done was obvious if even the Creator General was rampaging on the front lines. ‘Why cause such chaos by killing and annihilating? They could have just beaten them a few times, left them half-dead, and driven them out—!’
The Creator Candidate, the main culprit behind all this, was locked in a life-and-death struggle with the Creator General, so anger did not rise, but suddenly laughter came. ‘Hahaha! Does this mean I have achieved the success I wanted?’
Seeing the Origin of his tribe competing with him in the Sky authority, he felt both dumbfounded and proud. In the past, though he was a direct descendant of the Origin, because his mother’s blood was lowly, he could not even look at them and was not permitted to call them grandfather. After countless hardships, when he manifested his innate authority, he finally received some recognition. ‘I, once called a disgrace and calamity by the tribe, now stand here facing the tribe’s Origin? I, who endured harsh beatings from those around me, desperately called him “dear grandfather” while begging for affection and attention? That me—is now blocking them as a key force of the enemy?’
“Kuk! Kahahahahaha—!” Laughing madly, he aimed his now-recharged divine techniques. As if in a similar situation, the Highest Lord Gods of the surrounding independent divine realms also smiled the same way, concentrating their transcendent authorities and divine power. ‘It seems everyone has encountered past, nostalgic connections like me.’
Amusingly, the Origins of the tribes they could not endure and fled from were all over there. Each had flowed in believing only the rumor of this Main Universe—that it respected only strength, regardless of past or ideology—after experiencing the harsh fate of strong ones with low origins. ‘At first there were many comrades, but most perished during mercenary battles, leaving only the true strong. So they are almost all direct descendants of Origins.’
They were direct descendants who, despite talent, were oppressed because their environment did not support them, and when they refused to yield, even their existence was threatened, forcing them to flee. ‘Such tragedies were common across countless divine realms with similar fates, so now there was not even any emotion left. Reminiscing about the past was a luxury in this Main Universe, where the present was far too fierce.’
Rumble!Hum! The charge of the Highest Creator Gods toward the main gate had already halted. They had realized that the closer they came to the domain of his wide-area authority, the greater the restrictions. Hum!Whoosh! All of them unleashed their full authorities and divine power, trying to dispel the authority as they slowly approached. And the Lord Gods of the independent divine realms advanced to meet them.
All wore smiles that looked ready to burst, hiding their hollow feelings as they moved toward the Creator Gods they knew best and thus found easiest to face. ‘They are like the origins who gave birth to them, and opposing them as blood relatives is an unforgivable grave sin. It is a crime incomparable to unauthorized departure from the tribe.’
Switching opponents with other independent divine realm Lord Gods was an option, but there was no such luxury on this battlefield. ‘The Origins of the tribe are enemies one cannot afford to be careless with, and since they are the pinnacle of authority in each field, only direct descendants with transcendent authorities surpassing theirs can face them.’
‘After this battle, I can never return to an external Main Universe.’ ‘So this is why the danger-sensing authority opposed it so strongly.’ Yet another question arose. The danger level was still rising. But he had already permitted participation and received excessive payment. Therefore, he had to pay the appropriate price. That was the only remaining pride for those who could not endure and fled their tribes to become mercenary gods. ‘Because only strength proves one’s worth, they throw themselves into battle without hesitation.’
Whoosh!Tatatatatatata—! With grim resolve, fighting spirit and killing intent surged as they turned toward the Origins of the tribes they once belonged to. They prepared to release their now completely blue-tinged divine techniques again, aiming for their respective Highest Creator God opponents. ‘If our lives had flowed as we wished, we would have been standing in their place, fighting the Lord Gods of independent divine realms—honorably, risking the survival of our tribe.’
The longing in his heart flowed out on its own. ‘O noble Origin of the great Sky God Tribe. I too wished to fight by your side for the bloodline. No matter how coldly treated, there was a time when I believed that if I risked my life fighting demons—no, demon gods—for the tribe, someday everyone would acknowledge me. But it was a childish dream. Not everyone dreamed such dreams. Therefore, reality can never reflect ideals.’
Those who risked themselves for the revival of the tribe were noble and beautiful. Those rejected by the tribe and fighting only for themselves were base and ugly. Unable to deny this fact, he could only do his best in the present. ‘I cannot deny that I too wished to fight for the tribe.’
The noble and the base could never coexist in external Main Universes, yet here they stood together on the front lines. And the result they desired was the same. They wished only for victory. For that was the only path to achieving what one wanted in a Main Universe that challenged one’s domain. ‘Where else in external Main Universes would a Main God of a divine realm be driven out by the divine realm’s ego to defend its weaknesses, yet still be accepted like this?’ ‘Where else would mercenary gods risk danger to block the enemy’s Creator General to reduce sacrifices?’ ‘Nowhere but here.’ ‘Nowhere but this Main Universe gives mercenary gods such enormous rewards for being strong.’ ‘Nowhere but here recognizes us—mercenary gods who lost our honor as battle gods protecting our tribe—as Main Gods of divine realms.’ ‘Therefore, we must defend it desperately.’ ‘Though the payment is important too.’
Unable to help becoming mercenary gods, they shouted the words they had repeated to themselves countless times. “Such things as justification are unnecessary for mercenary gods. Only payment and victory are everything.”
Whoosh!Flash! Unlike before, without any hesitation, he released his divine techniques into space, filled with the utmost killing intent. ‘A single mistake swayed by emotion on the battlefield is a mortal sin. I must kill the Origin of the Sky God Tribe, drop his divinity, and secure victory.’
He cast aside the all-too-painful past in this moment and charged. It was the moment when the battle began between the most noble and powerful Origins of the divine race and those abandoned by their tribes—or who had broken away themselves.