The Mercenary God's Contract

Le Saluvia's eyes gleamed as she instantly grasped the entire battlefield situation in the Spirit Realm war. This was the perfect opportunity to resolve a troublesome predicament in one stroke. 'A deal seems possible.'

She spotted a General Creator God fidgeting helplessly after throwing all his preliminary Creator candidates and direct subordinate Lord Gods into a battle meant to build justification. 'I can understand his position. He's been harsh and strict about etiquette and protocol in normal times, but these are beings he's nurtured and raised over eons. It would be a lie to say he feels no affection for them.'

Although he was scheduled to receive sufficient compensation for their revival, regaining their original power would require an enormous amount of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time, and weakening would be unavoidable. On top of that, Hwi of the Almighty — who had faithfully fought under his command for most of the new generation — was on the verge of death. It was enough to drive anyone insane.

'Hwi of the Almighty obtained that enlightenment through talent and luck, manifesting it in his very body. If he dies, he'll truly never regain that strength again. The collapse of the Almighty God Tribe, which had maintained stability as a central force in the local universe, would happen in an instant. The hard-won hierarchy among all the god clans would collapse into complete chaos.'

Setting those circumstances aside, watching his own subordinates die miserably while being unable to move because of his position as a Creator God was causing his emotions to spiral out of control. Though a higher Creator God was monitoring him to prevent any reckless actions, conversation should still be possible.

'Do you require assistance? The Cyber Realm's Cyber Gods have a way to help.'

As the Cyber God's covert will reached him, the Creator God slightly pulled back from the emotions that had been on the verge of exploding.

'Becoming a Creator God and tasting this utter helplessness for the first time, contact from the Cyber Realm that once helped me is incredibly welcome. However, with even the Creator General having stepped forward in this war, I cannot allow external forces to interfere.'

Despite the situation, the Creator God's loyalty to the great Creator General, Sangharama, remained unchanged.

'State your name and rank. This is no place for a highest-grade Cyber God to intervene. If you lack authority at the Master Universe level, do not interfere. Furthermore, I have no rewards to offer since everything is under control. I will listen only to advice.'

Though he was so desperate he could barely breathe, he immediately drew a clear line on the terms of any potential deal. The Special Grade Cyber God smiled, thinking that only with this level of reason and judgment could one truly be called a Creator God.

'Heh heh! This makes conversation much easier.'

Reason and mutual interest were the very foundation of all a Cyber God's authority.

'I am Special Grade Cyber God Le Saluvia. I have been granted full authority over the war situation between the 499th Master Universe and the 500th Master Universe. If you wish, I can provide proof.'

'What I want is for the Defense Divine Realm to avoid being breached, for this war to end as it is, and for my subordinate Lord Gods to survive without dying. What countermeasures do you have?'

As expected of a Creator God, his words were concise and to the point. Since advice that wasn't accepted would end the matter anyway, there was no need to verify its truth. Even if this fact leaked outside, it was a natural desire for the responsible Creator God, so there would be no issue. The mere fact that he was watching his forces die without doing anything was already a huge problem.

'Now the initiative in this negotiation belongs to me.'

The unfortunate part was that he had no choice but to make a deal. She answered lightly.

'There is one powerful preliminary Creator God who is prepared to do anything for an increase in Karma and to secure the vitality needed for his promotion.'

'...What?'

The Creator God's response carried a tone of utter disbelief. It made sense — even if one more preliminary Creator God were added in that situation, the tide of battle wouldn't change.

'Hwi of the Almighty, who has mastered his enlightenment, is undeniably a powerhouse who has surpassed the standard of a preliminary Creator God. Yet even he is on the verge of death after fighting alongside a Demon God of similar caliber. Adding another preliminary Creator God below that level won't change the outcome.'

Since the situation here had already been transmitted to every god in the entire Master Universe, he couldn't possibly be unaware.

'I can hardly believe there's a crazy preliminary Creator God willing to enter a battlefield where death is certain, but I have no choice but to try anything. If I sit here doing nothing while all my Lord Gods die, I'll never be able to face them again.'

Even if he compensated them with vitality and protected them until their recovery, it was a matter of pride as their superior. After thinking for a moment, he finally decided to make the contract.

'I will provide 200 billion in contract vitality. Anything more is impossible.'

This was four times the contract amount of the Demon God King candidates currently participating. For a god clan contract, this was an extraordinary offer. However, this time the Special Grade Cyber God's will did not come through immediately. Only after a brief pause did a slightly mocking reply return.

'It seems you're not in any particular hurry. Well, whether your subordinate Lord Gods live or die, your promotion is already set in stone. Thanks to this war to build justification, your position as an intermediate Creator God is completely confirmed. Compared to that, the deaths of the Lord Gods you'll receive as compensation are of no consequence. After all, with enough time and effort, you can recover them again. The fate of your past subordinates was never a consideration. My apologies. In that case, we will consider this trade offer nonexistent.'

'Have you finished spouting all that nonsense?'

Crack!

For the first time, veins bulged on the Creator God's forehead and his divine power surged violently. This was the part he found most distasteful right now.

'As compensation for this incident, my position as an intermediate Creator God has been confirmed, and I've even received intermediate Creator Divinity. A new divine realm is being established. Having been promoted to intermediate rank, I could take general Creator Gods as direct subordinates, but if things end like this, no one will want to serve me as their superior.'

The higher one climbed, the more important reputation became. She had struck precisely at that point.

'Fine! What price do you want for his participation?'

'Equal acquisition of all military merits as the Demon God clan.'

'Approved.'

After all, it was the Lord God Realm of the local universe under his management, and since this was a battlefield where death was certain, he could grant as many special exceptions as needed.

'Originally, god clans receive no additional compensation beyond the contract fee. Military merits are compiled in the Lord God Realm and rewarded later. However, that battlefield is practically beyond a Substitute God clan certification battle. Even that Creator General, though currently weaker than himself, would be equal to them if the full power of the 500th Master Universe were gathered.'

Every Master Universe held the potential for equality, so the longer preparation time passed, the less future that battlefield had. He could already sense powerful beings equal to the hidden Creator Gods of the 500th Master Universe beginning to stir.

'The basic strategy is for the Creator General who formed the alliance contract and the Demon Emperor to eliminate any transcendent beings who appear before they can all be deployed. It's an absurd war that seeks to end a Master Universe versus Master Universe conflict — which normally spans billions of years — within a mere hundred million years through ultra-high-speed blitzkrieg.'

That was why most beings above the Creator God level had gathered here now. They were simply waiting for the justification that the Defense Divine Realm had been destroyed by invasion.

'That—!'

A matter extremely sensitive even to a Creator God had emerged. While a Creator God could not modify basic development matters related to Karma, certain exceptions were possible. These included prioritizing the protection of contracts or controversial areas like mass slaughter in battle. Deciding such things was one of the main authorities of a Creator God who created and managed a local universe. This was an extremely limited exception granted to him, and a great honor.

'Very well. I will recognize it only within the battlefield of my territory. Anything beyond that is outside my authority.'

'Please submit a formal proposal. The 499th Creator General will surely wish to show generosity in this difficult situation.'

'Ugh! I will do so. Any other conditions?'

After thinking for a moment, he realized that every high-ranking being above the Creator God level shared the same awkward position regarding this war to accumulate justification. No justification could make the Lord Gods dying on the frontlines understand the necessity of their sacrifice. Moreover, nearly all Divine Realm Main Gods were battle gods. They were true warriors and the very embodiment of war itself — beings whose hot blood surpassed reason, having passed both the Demon God clan and Substitute God clan certification battles.

Creator Gods had gone through this process themselves, so they knew how coldly the Lord Gods would react to this incident. The problem was especially severe with the powerful battle gods who had suffered discrimination in other Master Universes before becoming Lord Gods of independent divine realms in this one. They were already openly sneering that the weak were being sacrificed again and beginning to clash with Lord God Realms across various regions.

These beings could not be considered equal to ordinary Lord Gods; they overflowed with powerhouses comparable to Creator Gods.

'The Lord God Realm cannot stop them, so Creator Gods must step forward. But even that won't be easy. If things go wrong, a civil war could break out before the Master Universe war even begins — an extremely dangerous situation.'

War fundamentally upended and destroyed all order, without distinguishing between enemy and ally. That was why the Creation Realm was also troubled, rushing the start of the war while increasing their direct subordinate Lord Gods. They were even forcing absurdly high promotion fees on the Creator Gods themselves.

'Completely delegate all operational authority and command rights in that region. If you entrust the Creator God with full authority over that war, the preliminary Creator God who wishes to participate will fight with all his strength.'

'Uuuuuuuugh—!'

An involuntary groan escaped the Creator God.

'In short, it means do not interfere no matter what kind of war is waged.'

The question of whether he truly had the confidence to seize victory in that war flooded in.

'In the current situation where he is practically being suppressed by higher Creator Gods, command authority is meaningless anyway, and even if he stepped forward personally, defeat would be certain.'

His mind began to lean toward acceptance. He was also curious about what kind of preliminary Creator God would demand such conditions to enter that kind of battlefield.

'Is the preliminary Creator God who will participate stronger than Hwi of the Almighty?'

'He is weaker. He probably wouldn't last even ten minutes in a direct fight against the 500th Creator General. He is top-tier among preliminary Creator Gods, but he cannot be compared to Hwi of the Almighty who has surpassed the standard.'

“What—!”

The moment the Creator God unconsciously shouted, the eyes of the intermediate Creator God who had been watching him narrowed sharply, radiating killing intent as if ready to strike him down at any moment.

Oooooooong!

In this situation, even subduing a lower Creator God displeased him greatly, making his mood extremely foul. The clear will that he would not tolerate any defiance or resistance was transmitted fully. And he was the type who would certainly follow through.

'Though Creator Gods have strengthened reason, they are ultimately battle gods who passed the certification battles through their own power. They deliver the impartial judgment of strength against anything that defies or resists them.'

Fortunately, it seemed the transmission of the Cyber God's will had gone unnoticed. The general Creator God, who had instinctively felt a chill, hurriedly bowed his head respectfully and transmitted his will once more.

'Then how exactly does he plan to command? No — what help could he possibly provide? Even the Creator General is in that state, barely holding on for more than three minutes. Is he going there determined to die? If he dies, all compensation will be canceled. This is not a situation where any reward would be worth going, is it?'

'The preliminary Creator God who will participate is the undefeated battle god who has taken charge of wars that all gods had given up on, achieving victory in every one and surviving alone….'

The Creator God flinched at the Cyber God's will and paused. For a while, it had been a hot topic even in the Creation Realm.

'There was a mercenary god whose danger level was uniquely special grade among Lord God ranks.'

Among Lord God rank mercenary gods, there was one whose Karma was 'extreme evil,' yet he was so overwhelmingly powerful that he had somehow survived and continued making unfair contracts repeatedly.

'They said he was deployed into battlefields with desperate war situations to be dealt with by the Lord God Realm. Could it be that he still exists and has even risen to the position of a preliminary Creator God?'

It was astonishing that some insane Divine Realm Main God had formally accepted a being with extreme evil Karma into the god clan. From the rumors he had heard, that special grade mercenary Lord God was not only strong but had mastered the demonic path, making him a battle god whose viciousness no one could match.

'His cold-heartedness that spared no means or methods was so severe that even the Demon Gods he faced ground their teeth in frustration, earning him a special grade danger level.'

A mere Lord God rank mercenary god had been designated a special grade threat capable of endangering the order of the divine realms, causing an uproar even in the Creation Realm. Now that he was a preliminary Creator God, it was impossible to imagine just how dangerous he had become.

'The preceding conditions feel increasingly ominous. But there's no room to fix them now.'

What was urgent was the Creator God himself.

'This is merely an extension of the wars the undefeated battle god has already experienced. And even if he actually fails, there is no great loss. After all, isn't this a war you are destined to lose? Any compensation becomes void upon defeat. That is the contract of a mercenary god.'

'A war we're destined to lose, you say? Even though I am personally holding the Spirit Realm's Creator-level Defense Divine Realm in my local universe and mobilizing all forces to block them, it is indeed a war that cannot be won.'

The Creator God already knew the outcome. But a surge of boiling anger began to rise within him.

'Why did those damned bastards have to invade my local universe of all places?'

From the moment his own Spirit Realm Defense Divine Realm had been decided as a sacrifice to build justification, his insides had been twisted into knots, reaching a peak of unbearable frustration.

'At the very least, I need to inflict several times more damage on the enemy than they inflict on us to feel even slightly relieved. And I will make my revenge absolutely devastating.'

He had already begged to stand at the forefront and received permission. Since he wanted to use the mercenary god as his own asset, there was no justification to stop him.

'Fine—! I accept the contract. As long as Karma recognizes it, I will accept all additional conditions. The Creator General has gladly approved the recent request for an exception to negative Karma accumulation. He is pleased that there exists a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠valiant mercenary god willing to participate in this desperate battle for the victory of the god clans. Therefore, send him in now. To his allies he is called the undefeated battle god, but to his enemies….'

He paused for a moment.

'If that mercenary god achieves victory even in this war, his fame will shake the entire Master Universe. No — even if he is defeated but merely survives, it would be truly remarkable. Though victory is impossible, even surviving while winning would grant an enormous amount of vitality and fame. It would serve as a stepping stone to becoming a being above the Creator God. Just how strong would he become? It's impossible to predict.'

Because he was a special grade dangerous entity, this decision could turn into a blunder. However, a mere preliminary Creator God could neither win nor survive on that battlefield.

'If he can't even last ten minutes against Hwi of the Almighty, his chances of victory are slim at best.'

He approved with the hope that the hated enemy would suffer as much damage as possible.

“I speak of the mercenary god known as the Most Evil and Most Vicious Demonic Path God. I expect military exploits befitting the greatest fame and the worst infamy.”

Crackle-crackle-crackle—!

With the Creator God's decision, the space of the universe split apart. An enormous Karma contract document appeared. Moreover, its color was not the familiar golden light but a brilliant rainbow jewel radiance.

'It was a special grade Cyber God contract that even a Creator could not modify — one used only by beings above the Creator God. If anyone attempted to modify it or exert a negative influence, he would personally intervene and pass judgment. Of course, regardless of good or evil, if it hindered development, all involved parties would be erased without exception.'

It was the greatest authority granted as a reward to a special grade Cyber God who had surpassed the standard, and the reason the Cyber Realm was troubled. Thus, the authority of a special grade Cyber God from the Cyber Realm — something even Creator Gods had rarely witnessed — was now being exercised.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The Creator Gods, their eyes wide like startled rabbits, wore expressions of utter bewilderment, unable to comprehend what was suddenly happening. On top of that, the contents of the contract from a moment ago were automatically being inscribed. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say they were being declared.

Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble—!

The very laws of the Master Universe were shaking and changing.

The Creator God was momentarily ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠surprised by the appearance of an out-of-grade contract, but the content remained unchanged. However, he could not help but feel goosebumps from the wave of power emanating from the contract, causing his body to stiffen.

'No matter the grade of a Karma contract, there is no being who would dare violate it. Everyone knows full well what happens to those who receive negative Karma.'

Countless Creator Gods had seen their divinity plummet and faced extinction after attempting even minor modifications. However, not wanting to show an unsightly appearance in front of his colleagues and superiors, he gritted his teeth and signed. Watching his name being engraved onto the contract, he took a deep breath and shouted. The fighting spirit he had been suppressing until now burst forth completely.

“I am Creator God The Proprieties—! I swear upon my divinity and authority that I desire this Karma contract for the sake of victory!”