The Substitute God's Desperate Gambit
All beings capable of grasping the situation in the Spirit Realm war watched the scene in silence. Even Garam, Jinmyeol, and Jinma—who had nearly transcended into spiritual beings—wore expressions of both admiration and deep frowns. Judging the proper countermeasures had become impossibly difficult.
Garam surveyed every detail his perception could confirm and let out a sigh laced with awe.
“Is this a miracle born from the will to survive? The Substitute Race, forbidden from conversing with other species to prevent ideological contamination, now attempts negotiation through threats. Their sole purpose is to maintain the ‘eternal happiness’ he envisioned, yet even their absolute instincts of ‘struggle’ and ‘evolution’—which prioritize the universe’s development and annihilate all obstacles—are being overridden. Can the instinct for combat, whose only goal is victory, truly overpower their fundamental nature? To what kind of existence did he grant both title and authority simultaneously? Even I cannot initiate dialogue while possessing a Substitute body.”
‘Too valuable to dispose of. Yet the chaos he has wrought cannot be tolerated. He must be eliminated before greater disorder erupts.’
The authority of ‘Dimension’ and the title of ‘Origin’ were wide-area support powers on par with Garam’s own growth-focused abilities. ‘If my growth support combined with those powers and titles… the result would be terrifying. But a being who is not even a Creator God King has committed the ultimate taboo by restoring and operating a spiritual-being Demon God King.’
Of course, if the individual were strong enough to ignore external influences, intervention might not be necessary. But the person in question was far too weak. ‘If any malicious entity sought to exploit him, he would be defenseless. Restoring past existences is far too dangerous. One mistake and ancient god races or monstrous beings once eliminated for their savagery and incompetence could be endlessly restored. That outcome must be prevented at all costs.’
Jinma, the Demon God Emperor, shared the same dilemma. The Magic God who had mastered magecraft could become a Demon God at any moment. Killing him felt wasteful; sparing him felt deeply unsettling.
“His power is pitifully weak, yet he keeps surprising us. I’ll at least acknowledge his persistence.”
‘No matter how I look at it, he doesn’t seem suited to remain a god of light. He’ll likely become a Demon God eventually. It might be wise to put him in our debt… but if he restores every Demon God King and Demon God I’ve eliminated and they come charging at me, that would be troublesome. I’m not strong enough to face such a horde. Still, we’ll need him for the coming racial war against the Substitute Race. What a dilemma.’
Unlike the Creator God King and Demon God Emperor lost in thought, Jinmyeol—who was on forced vacation to digest the Substitute Gods he had absorbed during the first racial war—held an entirely different view.
‘There was some connection through the mercenary contract, but I have no obligation to save him. The opponent who once challenged those stronger than himself has become just another mediocre foe.’
The reason he had offered various forms of assistance upon their first meeting was simply because he found it amusing that a mere Intermediate Main God had willingly challenged an Upper Main God of the Substitute Race. But now, having become the Substitute Race’s Creator God, with his reason and will suspended due to insufficient computational power and only instinct remaining, attempting dialogue was, in a way, the only option left to him.
‘If obtaining the body of that mighty liberated Substitute Creator God only allowed him to do this much, then it would have been better when he was still an Intermediate Main God fearlessly challenging the Substitute Race’s Highest Main God.’
No matter what authorities one possessed, if the individual remained this weak, they would inevitably become this fragile. The former Creator God King’s abilities had far surpassed Garam’s, yet he had ultimately lacked resolve and will. After countless brutal battles where his body was repeatedly restored, the victor had been Garam, who fully activated the title he had earned as the Absolute Realm’s mercenary god. Originally, the Creator God King should have been unbeatable by any god race, but the title he received and the miracle born from his desperate will to win had overturned that fate. Even now, Jinmyeol could vividly recall the Creator God King’s face at the final moment—eyes wide with disbelief as he vanished.
‘Compared to the battles back then and everything since, this is nothing more than child’s play.’
The tension he had felt while anticipating the arrival of a powerful being capable of threatening him had dissipated, and the backlash was returning. His gaze grew hazy once more, and a yawn escaped him. The drowsiness from digesting the Substitute Gods’ vitality was creeping back. He wanted nothing more than to lower his head and sleep, yet when he saw the gods and demon gods glaring at him with dagger-like eyes, he clicked his tongue in exasperation.
‘How dare they bare their fangs without even understanding the difference in power? Foolish creatures. Be grateful this isn’t the Absolute Realm.’
Disrespect from the weak toward the strong would have been a grave crime punishable by immediate death and vitality extraction under the former Absolute Realm’s mercenary god. But this was Garam’s Master Universe, so he merely yawned.
‘Those two have spent too long as absolute rulers of their respective races. Their senses have dulled.’
‘Who exactly are they planning to save or kill? They’ve completely forgotten that he is watching. That’s why they’re having such trivial concerns.’
“You idiots. His judgment will come before yours. If you fully open your titles and fight, you must either annihilate him in a single strike or achieve a perfect victory without taking a single wound to avoid disposal. Now the Absolute-grade Karma Contract has been activated as well. The victory conditions have become even stricter. And yet you think you can survive fighting in that pathetic state?”
At those words, Garam and Jinma’s expressions shifted as they shook their heads. Absolute beings who possessed titles were under his direct supervision. Those lacking the power or will to bear the burden yet who fully opened their titles as a last resort—or who fought desperately to win at all costs—always faced judgment afterward. When that judgment was carried out, all title-bearing Absolutes gathered.
‘The outcome was almost always annihilation or erasure. In the worst cases, they became insects possessing will.’
They would be forced to endlessly repeat the birth and death of mayflies—creatures with lifespans of mere hours—while retaining the intellect of a Creator God or higher. Beings who once held the power to rule universes would become the weakest of all lifeforms. There was no greater misery. Yet there existed an even crueler path of escape: becoming the strongest among the transformed insects. The power accumulated for that purpose would be inherited and promoted even after death.
‘Most of the insects and beasts—indeed, all lifeforms—on his planet are the result of 50 billion years of invasion. There, the insects and promoted creatures he judged and transformed fight to the death, and the hierarchy of life is different. Even ordinary gods would die instantly if they set foot on that planet.’
Since killing stronger beings was the most effective way to advance, every lifeform on the planet charged forward with the intent to kill or be killed. The planetary barrier formed by the immeasurable vitality emitted by countless lifeforms that had independently grown transcendentally powerful while possessing Creator God-level intellect could not be breached by any spiritual being, regardless of their authority. Even without defensive measures like divine or demon realms, the planet’s defensive and offensive capabilities rivaled those of the entire Absolute Realm. The star he had visited to earn merits and receive titles and guidance in the Absolute Realm was on an entirely different level from the Absolute Realm itself.
“Ahem—!”
“Huuuuh—!”
The mere thought of being incorporated into that absurd ecosystem sent chills down their spines.
“Why not wait and see the results before passing judgment? Stop pretending to be rulers.”
With that brief remark, he surveyed the battlefield. The atmosphere had shifted once more under the pressure of the liberated Substitute Race’s divine power and authorities. Yet the gap was not so vast that surrender was inevitable. Above all, those who could unleash unlimited combat divine power while nearly naked and remain unharmed—the so-called Hegemony Gods—would never yield to mere threats. Their bodies, forged through endless battles and training, had surpassed even Creator Gods.
‘They are not the type to retreat even against the Substitute Race. That bluff will be exposed the moment they clash.’
Indeed, the expressions of the 500th Master Universe’s main forces showed no sign of retreat. ‘They avoided exposing their authorities at all costs, but after suffering the humiliation of being urged to surrender, they would do well to abandon any thought of becoming war gods.’
As expected, the Divine Realm Guardian Gods and Hegemony Gods exchanged glances and nodded. A faint smile naturally returned to his face. Even though nothing had happened yet, his instincts warned of danger.
Garam and Jinma also sensed the shift and began gathering their divine power.
“So you’re finally serious. Then let’s see the 500th Master Universe’s answer after 10 billion years of preparation to fight him. Prove the potential of the god race, just as we did. Prove your worth as the ruling race of a Master Universe.”
A blinding radiance of divine power began to fill the screen.
Flash—!
The fighting spirit and killing intent of the momentarily overwhelmed Hegemony Gods surged endlessly. What clothed their nearly naked bodies was divine authority itself. Brilliant golden armor spread across their skin as though claiming ownership. The forms of the Divine Realm Guardian Gods grew hazy. As they fused with the Guardian Gods’ divine power and authorities, completing their transformation, a resolute cry erupted from the Hegemony Gods’ mouths.
‘Even their individual divine powers had already exceeded the trillion mark.’
‘This hardened body was obtained for this very purpose.’
The defense-specialized Divine Realm Guardian Gods and the offense-specialized Hegemony Gods had fused, temporarily attaining strength comparable to Eternal Beings. When fully activated, no one in a Master Universe—save for the handful who had obtained his secret techniques—could hope to surpass them.
“Without the successor who would become the core of our authority or the Creator God King, we cannot display even one-tenth of our true power. But we cannot forgive this.”
“How dare a god detain the divine spirits that are the foundation of the universe and disrupt the operation of spiritual beings who live eternal, immortal lives? This is a sin worthy of death for any god. Restoring spiritual beings is an act of open rebellion against the order of the Master Universe governed by the Creator. It is annihilation.”
“Even death and annihilation are too lenient for you. A mere human becoming a glorious god race was already unacceptable, yet you became a Substitute God instead of a demon—! We shall erase your very existence.”
The Hegemony Gods, having revealed a portion of their original power, and the fighting spirit and killing intent they radiated stirred the basic combat instincts engraved into the Substitute Race’s nature.
“Uuuuung—! Uuuung—!”
‘Negotiation failed. Switching to forced combat posture. However, due to the inability to activate will and reason, switching to basic combat posture. Amplification through magecraft forcibly halted. Current strength: 200 billion from support of two divine realms plus original 7.5 billion. Against an enemy force composed of spiritual beings exceeding one trillion, victory is impossible. Retreat per protocol denied. Retreating now would result in immediate disposal via Absolute Karma Contract. No other non-combat response available. Commencing rampage! Aiming for mutual destruction with the enemy.’
The light wings of the Substitute Race’s Creator God—whose colossal body surpassed even the Main God Star, a planet one hundred times the size of an ordinary world—began to glow white-hot. Fusing with the authority and divine power of the Divine Realm Guardian Gods, which exceeded ten thousand units, the Hegemony Gods—who had temporarily surpassed spiritual beings—began their charge, cleaving through the pressure of divine power. Through the Substitute Race’s inherent emergency response protocol, they initiated a rampage against an overwhelming foe, temporarily approaching Eternal Being status.
Whoosh—!
The Machine Gods, now appearing as mere satellites due to the Substitute Creator God’s massively enlarged body, glowed red as they protected the colossal form. Originally, Machine Gods were material manifestations of part of the Substitute Race, so there was no strain. Of course, the price of filling the gaps had been transforming even the authority’s wielder into a Substitute, but the fundamental system of absolute obedience to higher Substitute commands remained unchanged. The Substitute Race’s authorities were likewise unchanged—indeed, those related to combat had been enhanced.
‘The Substitute Race’s automatic response is to retreat and rebuild forces whenever facing an unmanageable opponent. Yet that priority has been overwritten by the need to repel invaders.’
‘Through a rampage that even accepts self-destruction.’
Rumble rumble rumble—!
The Substitute Race’s unique serial-parallel integrated connection, operating at a level never seen before, pushed their divine power to the absolute limit their bodies could sustain. Then, the instinct for struggle—which had transcended even the Substitute Race’s own instincts—activated the massive magic circle engraved upon the planet’s surface. Most of it had been designed precisely for situations like this: magic of mutual annihilation. The same was true for the other Substitute Creator Gods orbiting like satellites. In the face of an inescapable survival crisis, their magecraft had partially returned.
“Uuuuung—!”
‘Rampage objective: total enemy annihilation! Self-destruct at the center of the enemy formation.’
Even without reason, the killing intent and fighting spirit that were second nature to war gods did not vanish. This was especially true for a Substitute Creator God whose size rivaled a Main God Star. The gods gritted their teeth and shouted as the colossal Substitute form and its authority bore down on them despite having witnessed only a portion of their strength.
“Will you resist to the very end? Even with such a vast difference in power?”
“Accept your rightful judgment, Magic God of Dimensions—!”
Without realizing it, they had stopped using the derogatory term “god of lowly human origin” and instead used the formal title “Magic God of Dimensions.”
‘For some reason, despite the desperate power gap, there is no retreat or surrender.’
‘He keeps clinging on endlessly, and with the unpredictable magecraft he employs, there is no more difficult opponent.’
This was an impossible transformation even now, and power that defied common sense for a prospective Creator God. The reason they—who could defeat even the 499th Master Universe’s Creator Gods by partially releasing their power—hesitated to charge forward was precisely because of this. Yet they had to stop the rapidly approaching enemy. If they allowed him to close the distance, their precognition warned of catastrophic consequences. Thus, they concentrated their divine power and prepared long-range attacks.
‘Even though small in size, each strike is powerful enough to erase an entire star system.’
‘If thousands rained down at once, even the Substitute Race would not endure.’
Just as they were about to clash for the final time, an anomaly occurred. At the midpoint of the collision, a small yet incomparably brilliant pair of light wings shone, repelling both forces simultaneously.
BOOOOOOM—!
The Main God Star-sized Substitute Creator God was flung backward, and the Hegemony Gods—who had partially unleashed their power—were hurled back, unable to withstand the recoil. It was the result of the Dimensional Magic God and Hegemony Gods failing to overcome the pressure from superior physicality and authority that transcended the difference in divine power.
“The objective has been achieved. We have won, and the war is now over. Hegemony Gods and Divine Realm Guardian Gods, withdraw to the Divine Realm immediately. This is an order.”
A still-youthful god race figure fluttered his light wings as he issued the firm command. The twenty-six pairs of light wings rising from his back and the single translucent pair of dark wings announced his status as the successor to the Creator God King. Yet blood continuously flowed from the cross-shaped wounds carved across his entire torso. Even more severe was the sword of light still embedded hilt-deep in his chest, its blade protruding from his back and radiating a blue glow that widened the wound. It was clearly a fatal injury, yet he accepted the pain and damage without concern as he rapidly recovered. Worse still, his right arm had been cleanly severed below the elbow. Even for a god race, losing an arm was a devastating injury requiring immense time to heal. Yet a satisfied smile lingered on his bloodstained lips.
In his slowly raised left hand, he held the Seat of Glory of the Divine Realm—stained with his own blood and that of the defense-realm Main God. It was obvious at a glance that it had been obtained after an intense battle; it was damaged in several places besides being covered in blood. Needless to say, the state of the defense-realm whose Seat of Glory—the core of the divine realm—had been stolen was catastrophic.
“This is proof of victory. O great Creator of ours. I have fulfilled your command to break through the 499th Master Universe’s defense realm.”
Flash—!
With a single ray of light, the Seat of Glory of the defense realm vanished. Spatial movement undetectable even by spiritual beings was possible only for Eternal Beings. Then a brief will resonated throughout the Master Universe.
‘Acknowledged. Full deployment of the Substitute Race will be postponed.’
The body of the Creator God King’s successor, having barely achieved his objective, staggered for a moment.
‘The Hegemony Gods and I—their core—are nearly one in body and mind. Thanks to the battlefield information they transmitted and my desperate charge upon the appearance of the threatening Substitute Creator God, I barely made it in time.’
The immortal-attribute sword of light embedded in his chest fortunately lacked the “god-slaying” property, so he had wrapped it in muscle and rushed here in haste. Yet the aftereffects of the injury were far from gone. ‘If my body had been that of an ordinary Creator God rather than the Creator God King’s successor, I would have died alongside them. The fact that I allowed such severe injuries is what allowed me to suppress them so quickly. But if I don’t receive treatment soon, my body will die. Moreover, the Creator God King seems to be in a difficult battle as well—his condition is worsening.’
It was the expected outcome. ‘How could someone who isn’t even a war god fight against the 499th Master Universe’s war gods? I tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen. He is ultimately a management-type Creator God King, not a war god meant for the front lines. Yet he volunteered for such a reckless battle, claiming he needed the war gods’ authorities from the 499th Master Universe. There is absolutely no romance or luck in battle, unlike what the management gods watching from beyond the screen might think.’
He had naturally tried to dissuade him, but had been forcibly confined to the Divine Realm by the “Absolute Command Authority.” When that authority wavered, he had rushed out in desperation and barely managed to bring some order to the chaotic battlefield. Yet the defense-realm Main God—who had transformed into a Substitute—remained deeply unsettling.
‘Despite being flung away pathetically after abnormally raising only his output to the point where his body couldn’t withstand the density of his divine power, he still radiates a crisis sense that even affects me.’
This was clearly entering the final stage of the Substitute Race’s automatic response. ‘Detailed data on the Substitute Race was already disseminated 50 billion years ago. Of course, only the Creator God King and his successor know it due to information control. If that information is true, there is only one action this Substitute will take: annihilate or kill all beings of equal or lower rank.’
If the defense-realm Main God—who had been desperately clinging to him until moments ago—was now a Substitute of nearly equal rank, that was dangerous. ‘In my current condition, I cannot handle it.’
The immortal sword of light he had embedded in his own chest after being defeated, filled with desperate resolve, could not be removed by his own power. If left as is, it would deal damage severe enough to even lower his circle. ‘Now that the objective has been achieved, I must quickly receive treatment from the Creator God King.’
The Hegemony Gods and Divine Realm Guardian Gods showed no sign of retreating despite his urgent circumstances, and a harsh voice burst from him involuntarily. Flames of rage surged within him once more.
‘My father, whom I trusted in matters of governance despite his low combat ability, is attempting a suicidal war because he lacks reliable strong individuals and is bound by his own duties. All that exists are hollow politicians who value personal honor over victory. On top of that, I took this attack upon myself to steal the defense realm’s Seat of Glory before the enemy Creator God could arrive.’
He had been pushed to the brink of death by an unexpectedly powerful foe, but the objective had been achieved. As always, he would have to resolve this situation himself.
“The enemy is preparing to self-destruct. If a Substitute Creator God of that scale detonates, it won’t be a star system that vanishes—it will be an entire constellation. The explosion is specialized in destroying spiritual beings like god and demon races. Even you would struggle to endure it. I don’t have the capacity to protect you while simultaneously fighting and negotiating. So either erase your fighting spirit and killing intent that are provoking that Substitute, or get out of the way!”
Rumble rumble rumble rumble—!
An ominous vibration emanated from the Dimensional Magic God, who had grown colossal as a liberated Substitute Creator God.
“Th-this… is it too late? He’s been preparing to self-destruct since the moment he began his charge! He’s charging in saying he’ll die with us before we even fight? Why are there only these insane war gods in the 499th Master Universe?”
Whoosh—!
The liberated Substitute’s colossal body began to vibrate and glow white-hot. A heat surpassing that of the sun began to rise, instantly scorching the entire universe. A brief silence fell at the sight of a typical spiritual being’s self-destruction.
‘If a Substitute self-destructs, even a decent-sized constellation would be obliterated. Every lifeform living within it would be annihilated, and spiritual beings would be wiped out as well.’
‘At the very least, you need to be a 1st-circle god or higher to withstand it.’
The 499th Master Universe’s Creator Gods were well aware of the Substitute Main Gods’ occasional self-destructions and their power. That was why they needed the demon race—to eliminate them during the preparation phase. Since Substitutes were also god race, the demon race’s unique authority of “god-slaying” worked effectively, which was why this countermeasure existed. But if a Substitute Creator God possessing over a hundred times the power of an ordinary Creator God self-destructed, what would the result be? Factoring in the enhanced authorities and liberated power as well produced an absurdly catastrophic estimate. Soon, shouts erupted from all the 499th Creator Gods in the vicinity.
If this weren’t a battlefield protected by his Absolute-grade Karma Contract, they would have all fled.
“Stop him—! Within this ‘Dimension’ authority, long-range spatial movement is restricted. There’s no time to escape far.”
“The Substitute’s ‘God Annihilation’ explosion nullifies any defensive authority you possess. Kill him immediately—!”
A simple calculation showed that an entire local universe would be obliterated, every being below Main God level within it would vanish, and even Creator Gods would be unable to escape death. Most of the annihilation zone—excluding the Boundary—would be the 499th Master Universe itself.