The Ruthless Path Forward
The Spirit Realm War. Twenty-six pairs of light wings and one dark wing shone, illuminating a Creator God-level divine realm. It was already a massive planet on the verge of surpassing star-system scale, boasting over a quadrillion followers. The number of sentient beings had grown so vast that accurate measurement was impossible, and it continued to multiply endlessly. Yet the most terrifying aspect was that the planet’s expansion rate was accelerating with each passing moment, overflowing with vitality. At the heart of that power stood a Creator God King of unprecedented strength, wielding ten quadrillion innate divine power. This was the divine realm he ruled.
‘This is the core planet of the 499th Master Universe, boldly named Creator God Star.’
Even now, he was unleashing an overwhelming fighting spirit within his magnificent and colossal Creator God Temple, pressuring a single Creator God. Hundreds of Highest Creator Gods summoned around him could not hide their troubled expressions. The fighting spirit of the Creator God King, who possessed over ten quadrillion divine power, was directed at an ordinary Creator God with only one hundred billion divine power. This was a gap that could never be endured. Yet the individual in question merely smirked, responding with a lazy attitude and clear irritation.
“Garam! I told you I’m on vacation! My sector is fine, so why are you picking a fight?”
“Jinmyeol. I need you. Take the vanguard in the all-out war against the 500th Master Universe. For the sake of the God Clan.”
“Ah, damn it! Are there really no other capable people? You had to come looking for a good-for-nothing like me? And you know full well that even in this state, we can’t beat the Substitute God Clan in the next generation’s Race Determination War, right? Just give up on the 499th Master Universe that’s doomed to fall anyway, convince the Creator, and let’s all head to the Absolute Realm together! Abandon all those God Clan trash who’ve only just started indulging in corruption and debauchery now that things are going well, select only the decent ones to prosper, and start over! Then the Substitute God Clan will clean up this universe on their own, and we can grow stronger before striking them down later! He doesn’t mock those who bow their heads to become stronger! In fact, if we tell him this plan, he’ll support us even more than before. This is the only way left! These people are far too weak to face the enhanced Substitute Gods!”
The claim that the God Clan could never defeat the Substitute God Clan and would be destroyed, so they should abandon the universe and plan for the future while addressing their superiors with such outrageous language, left no room for rebuttal. The Highest Creator Gods could not even grow angry or raise their voices; they were completely overwhelmed. ‘We were summoned for a meeting regarding the 500th Master Universe when this suddenly erupted.’ ‘The moment the Creator God King began ordering this Creator God to participate in the war, an unprecedentedly vicious killing intent filled the air.’ Even they, who possessed strength far beyond their past levels as Creator Gods of the God Clan, felt a power and killing intent so immense it could tear them apart in an instant, leaving them unable to move. Only now did they realize that the source of this killing intent and power was a God Clan member bearing the title of an ordinary Creator God. The one restraining that killing intent and power was none other than the Creator God King, and they knew that if it were unleashed, none of them would survive unscathed. They could only break into cold sweats. ‘My entire body and authorities are warning me that one wrong move means death or annihilation.’
The Highest Creator Gods let out involuntary sighs at their own powerlessness, while the mercenary Creator Gods who had come from outside felt a wave of despair. ‘What kind of monsters does this universe have?’ ‘I was praised as nearly invincible in the outside world, yet here I’m treated like an idiot and a weakling. I can’t live like this.’ ‘If it weren’t for the debt and the divine realm, I’d want to run away, but that’s completely impossible.’
While sharing this hollow sentiment, they now openly witnessed the ordinary Creator God radiating fighting spirit, his title fully revealed. The pattern formed by his fighting spirit and divine power was horrifying. ‘It depicted a humanoid—or something else—whose head and limbs had been torn apart.’ Those distinct shapes easily pushed back even the pressure from the Creator God King’s ten quadrillion divine power, intimidating every Creator God present. The killing intent was so dreadful that it conjured illusions of blood and death running rampant. It made clear that, regardless of divine rank or power, this was a God of War whose nature meant he must never be opposed. ‘So he’s a Creator God whose authorities and title are specialized in group warfare and mass slaughter? That’s why the Creator God King wants him as the vanguard.’ ‘This is truly becoming an all-out war.’
Everyone knew that the 500th Master Universe was attempting to break through the defensive divine realms of the Spirit God Realm. Logically, no matter how many Highest Creator Gods from outside with one hundred billion divine power there were, they could never topple a Creator God-level defensive divine realm protected by Candidate Creator Gods exceeding one hundred billion divine power. That was how it had been designed, and when the countless Spirit Gods’ vitality was fully mobilized, it became a force powerful enough to repel invaders instead. ‘It’s only natural, as it’s a defensive divine realm meant to block the invasion of countless beings of equal rank from outside.’ ‘Yet absurdly, even an external Creator God King has been mobilized, determined to break through at all costs.’
Of course, they understood that the 500th Creator had, in his rage at the 499th Master Universe’s Candidate Creator Gods dying in droves, accepted some of the Substitute God Clan. But that was hardly a consideration for those currently being attacked. And no matter how urgent the other side’s circumstances might be, invading their territory was absolutely unacceptable. ‘There’s no issue with an all-out war breaking out, and war preparations are nearly complete.’ The joint ultimate technique ‘Ayuta,’ developed to annihilate opposing Creator Gods, had mostly been mastered. Although it wasn’t a joint technique with the Demon God Clan and couldn’t annihilate those above the 2nd Circle, annihilating those above the 1st Circle was sufficient since they shared the same Creator God divine rank. Having evolved through endless battles against the Substitute God Clan, they already held more than a 1st Circle advantage over outsiders. ‘The basic directive has already been decided: once war breaks out, annihilate them immediately, seize their bodies, and send their divine souls to the Spirit Realm to completely bury the opposing Creator Gods.’ ‘If the numbers were equal, no defeat would be anticipated, but the potential of a Master Universe cannot be ignored, so hesitation remains.’
If the situation was judged hopeless, there was no telling what they might do, making the war unpredictable. Yet seeing the Creator God King trying to mobilize even this Creator God who radiated such terrifying killing intent and fighting spirit, it seemed he intended to see things through to the end. Indeed, a resolute voice echoed throughout the Creator God Temple.
“I am the Creator God King. I protect and defend the great God Clan and the universe. There will be no retreat or concession.”
However, the ordinary Creator God’s reply was utterly rude and direct. Mixed with profanity, it was clear he had no intention of yielding or obeying. Instead, he pressed his own views, as if the Highest Creator Gods gathered here were beneath his notice.
“Bullshit! You know full well that without progress we’ll only regress and meet our end, yet you spout nonsense? Do you really think he, who calls himself the great God Clan and an Absolute with his own title, would tolerate defeated weaklings? They’ll all be used as materials for the Substitute God Clan. Before him, there is no great God Clan or lowly Demon God Clan. Only races strong enough to endlessly advance the universe will remain. You know that better than anyone, don’t you? Have you already forgotten how you survived his battlefield? And now you’re thinking of going back? Even thinking of being dragged there after losing? If development is delayed like this and the Master Universe is defeated, everyone will be turned into Substitute Gods and forced to participate in the war. So let’s at least salvage some and aim for a comeback. Jinma, the Demon Emperor, would agree this method is good and even easier to execute. Hell, he’d probably take the lead himself!”
“I am the Creator God King. I cannot abandon the God Clan and the divine realm. I will seize the territory of the 500th Master Universe, increase the number of Main God Stars, absorb their God Clan as well, and create even stronger Creator Gods. If I can forge and multiply God of War capable of defeating the Substitute God Clan with only the God Clan, victory will surely be ours. We still have one generation’s worth of time.”
“Tch! You really think you can do it with these lazy bunch? Watching them while resting was quite the spectacle. They’re busy with political infighting and pointless territorial disputes. Do you even know that? Well, fine! Right now I’m still a Creator God under you, and wiping out the divine realms of the 500th Master Universe isn’t that difficult, so I’ll go along with it. But before that, let’s do this. I hate pointless battles, after all.”
The conversation paused briefly, and then a killing intent far more intense than before came crashing down like viscous slime. The words that followed carried a meaning just as horrifying.
“Let’s purge exactly half of the Creator Gods who have no chance of defeating the Substitute God Clan by killing them, then begin the all-out war. Once I take the field against them, these people will be unnecessary anyway, and before expanding our territory, we need to clean up our own deficient God Clan. And you won’t have to dirty your hands. I’ll kill and dispose of them all. I’m also a God Clan member born in this universe, so I don’t enjoy watching it fall into ruin. That’s why I’ll help in my own way, proactively.”
“……”
The Highest Creator Gods were left speechless. If they hadn’t misheard, this Creator God had just proposed purging half of those present—simply because they were weak and had no chance against the Substitute God Clan. And he spoke of killing and disposing of half the Creator Gods by himself as if it were nothing. The problem was that it didn’t seem impossible at all. As the killing intent grew even thicker, his voice shook the Creator God Temple.
“The Race Determination War he presides over is approaching soon. Fortunately, it’s been postponed by one generation, but the Substitute God Clan has grown that much stronger in return. You know as well as I do that we cannot win with lazy and weakened Creator Gods. What we need now are true powerhouses capable of dealing a fatal blow to the Substitute God Clan. However, due to the checks and balances of these trash who are satisfied with the status quo, obsessed with maintaining power, and only emphasize the justification for domination while constantly forming and breaking factions, their numbers may actually decrease. At this rate, no matter how much we double our territory or increase the number of Creator Gods, we can never win. To defeat his enhanced Substitute God Clan, which judges solely by the universe’s advancement, we need a stronger standard. Therefore, we must kill more than half to reestablish discipline within the God Clan. Otherwise, like most of the God Clan in universes already purged by the Substitute God Clan, only a tiny fraction will survive to await extinction. So for the survival of the God Clan, I will bear all the disgrace. That has always been my role and my resolve, so it’s only natural. You, the Creator God King, need only nod your head. No—state it clearly. O Garam, who protects and tempers the God Clan that prospers the universe! Command me to kill and eliminate all enemies that threaten the God Clan. Order me to annihilate not only external enemies but internal ones as well! I am ‘Jinmyeol’—I shall strike down, kill, and annihilate all things. That is why he used me, was satisfied, granted me my title, and bestowed upon me the reward of a vacation, ordering me to stay away from all conflict. Though I am the Absolute who embodies his true battle mindset, because I am a Creator God of this universe, I rest until the time comes. Therefore, if you wish to use me as your blade, you too must have the corresponding resolve.”
“……”
The fighting spirit of Garam, the Creator God King, and the killing intent of Jinmyeol, the Creator God, clashed endlessly. The Creator God Temple trembled as if it might collapse, yet neither side yielded. Their desire to protect their homeland—this universe, its divine realm, and its God Clan—was the same. The threat of the Substitute God Clan, superior in every way to the God Clan, was simply too great, and they both recognized that continuing like this would lead to extinction. That was why they had volunteered to join his battlefield, growing stronger and returning with the titles they desired. However, because their methods differed to the point of having completely opposite titles, one became the Creator God King while the other sealed away most of his divine rank and title, choosing seclusion under the guise of vacation as an ordinary Creator God. Otherwise, one of them would have had to disappear, and with it, the power to keep the Demon Emperor in check. Yet if even the power of this secluded individual was needed, it meant acknowledging their own limits. Now that there was no longer any need to restrain Jinma, the Demon Emperor, the Creator God Realm could no longer afford to be selective. That was why he revealed all his power and emphasized his own method. The conversation they had shared in the past resurfaced.
“Kill and annihilate the God Clan members who rot and weaken from satisfaction with endless prosperity, then rebuild the God Clan with the true powerhouses who survive. That is choice, and that is evolution.”
“Expand and elevate the divine realm, giving more God Clan members opportunities and training so that all may grow stronger. That is development, and that is evolution.”
Their ideologies differed, but their desire for the God Clan to evolve further, defeat the Substitute God Clan, and survive as the ruling race was the same. Thus, in the distant past, they had said to each other:
“My friend. Let us devote everything we have for the glory and survival of the God Clan.”
The two who had sworn this oath volunteered to participate in his battlefield, overcoming countless battles and crises to survive. They earned his recognition, obtained titles, and even achieved the great divine rank of true Origin. Having grown strong enough to shoulder the God Clan alone, they returned and faced each other, realizing:
“Our goal is the same, yet our paths have completely diverged?”
“Since we cannot coexist, we can no longer call each other friends.”
“But we are both necessary for the God Clan.”
They decided to choose the path with fewer sacrifices because they were of the God Clan, and one gladly accepted, becoming the Creator God King, while the other became a mere Creator God and secluded himself. If he had gone to an external Master Universe, he would have been a powerhouse who could immediately become a Creator God King, yet he had endured that horror and grown stronger anyway. He had abandoned his position to unify the God Clan and restrain the Demon Emperor. Thus, he accepted a seclusion akin to sealing himself away for the sake of his homeland’s divine realm and Master Universe. That was why, when the formal agreement was made with the Demon Emperor and the ruling race, he stepped forward without any compensation. ‘Though he was incomparably strong, he sealed away most of his divine rank and authorities to hide himself, devoted himself only to training, and endured with a smile even as the absurd reputation of being lazy spread.’ He had sacrificed so much as a friend from the past, but now his power was needed. The 500th Master Universe was weak but possessed the same potential as them. That Creator God King was still too weak now, but he would never be able to finish them off as a Candidate Creator God. That was the existence known as the God Clan’s Origin, a being that would grow endlessly stronger until the threat to the God Clan disappeared or was completely eradicated. And if the war dragged on, they had no idea what kind of powerful enemy might emerge, and if their forces were depleted, restraining the Demon God Clan would become difficult. That was why the friend from the past, asking him to participate in the battle, spoke.
“If you want victory in the war against the external Master Universe even at the cost of sacrificing half, then the time has finally come for me to step forward. So as the Creator God King, give the order! Annihilation of all enemies of the 499th Master Universe!”
“……”
The Creator God King could not bring himself to answer. He knew all too well what his war entailed. ‘The friend from the past who achieved the greatest results on his battlefield and received a title as reward was never one to speak empty words or hesitate, making him all the more ruthless.’ If mobilizing that friend now meant that purging half of their own deficient forces was necessary for final victory against the Substitute God Clan, then so be it—and he knew that continuing as they were was not an option. That was why he had planned an all-out war with the external Master Universe, prepared to accept a certain degree of losses. ‘He had wanted the participation of his old friend who had secluded himself to minimize casualties. However, while the enemy’s annihilation was naturally within consideration, if it meant sacrificing more than half of their own forces, he could never recklessly start a war. I am the Creator God King who cares for the entire world, and I am also the God of Light.’
Sacrifice for the sake of the goal was necessary, but it could never be the majority. Otherwise, it would be no different from the Demon Gods, who demanded that the weak majority sacrifice themselves for the strong minority. Yet he recognized that some purging of the God Clan was necessary for the divine realm, so he could not immediately refuse. Two beings who shared the same goal but had chosen different paths had once again met at a crossroads. However, there was no hostility between them. Because their hearts for the world and the divine realm had not changed. Their wills clashed, and their paths crossed. ‘My friend from the past. Are you now willing to bear even the stigma of a kin-slayer? You are trying to walk an incredibly difficult path.’ ‘My old friend. It is a path someone must walk. With only the bright, straightforward path, the divine realm can never win or survive.’
It was time to choose their path once more for the fate of the divine realm, while once again realizing that war could call forth such extreme destinies.