The Burden of a Sly Raccoon

The Otherworld War. A being possessing such overwhelming creative power was a blessing to the Divine Realm ruled by the Main God, yet a catastrophe for the Demon Realm. No matter how thoroughly the Divine Realm was shattered, it would be restored in the blink of an eye, forcing them to fight from scratch all over again. By that standard, the partial destruction of the Divine Realm was hardly a significant blow to the Magic God of Dimensions.

‘The only real problem is that damn reputation as a dark mage who mastered black magic. If anything goes wrong in the Divine Realm, outsiders will definitely intervene, and if it piles up, it could become fatal.’

He understood that he needed to make everything appear normal at all costs. But change was clearly necessary. The current situation, where no gods followed him with genuine loyalty, meant he was not truly the Main God of the Divine Realm. Only after the Divine Realm suffered a certain level of destruction and demonstrated its creative power would others recognize the true worth of the Magic God of Dimensions.

That was why he had left the chaos alone for a short while. And in just half a day, the Divine Realm that belonged to the Creation Realm had been reduced to half-ruins. The sheer absurdity of that power was staggering. Moreover, there were more than ten powerful Main Gods he knew of who could restore such massive damage on their own.

The fact that they were repairing everything themselves only widened the rift between them and the Main God of the Divine Realm. The real issue was that he had never imagined these problem children were not only exceptional but also possessed lethal creative abilities on top of it. And there were more than ten of them. No Main God of the Divine Realm could possibly handle such a situation.

“Fine. Since it was partly my mistake, I’ll overlook the matter of restoring the Divine Realm. Then why are the Sage of Omniscience and her group still being left alone? Are you ignoring the fact that she is an Origin of the Almighty Race, just like Almighty Hwi? Anyone can see she’s clearly spying on us, yet you call her a guest?”

“She is someone who can become an ally to Gaiana. From what I saw this time, our existing forces are far too outnumbered compared to the Goddess Alliance or the Spirit Lord Gods. If we include the primordial war gods and the goddess Origins of the Almighty Race, at least a situation like this won’t happen again.”

“Huh? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“According to my original prediction, the moment the goddess lords of the Goddess Alliance rebelled, the Divine Realm would have been destroyed. However, when the Spirit Lord Gods joined in, the scope of damage was cut in half. No matter how enormous one’s military power is, if the opponent is equally strong, the resulting damage inevitably decreases. Now, if Gaiana and the primordial war gods build up forces comparable to the other factions, even if another civil war breaks out, the maximum damage would be reduced to one-third.”

“What kind of nonsense is this? Are you running the Divine Realm like some battlefield command center? So what exactly do you plan to do with them?”

“Their mere existence is already a benefit to the Divine Realm. They are powerful Main Gods who possess such strength and leadership that they could manage the Divine Realm on their own even without me. Above all, my position is too precarious to dispose of them as I please. As a dark mage, it would be nearly impossible for me to obtain Main Gods of that caliber again. You already know why a dark mage cannot become the Main God of the Divine Realm in a Master Universe, don’t you?”

“That is certainly true… but hearing it from your own mouth makes it feel rather strange.”

It was an undeniable fact that no dark mage had ever become the Main God of the Divine Realm. The main reason was that their notorious reputation for using any means necessary, to the point that even demons ground their teeth, meant no gods would gather under them. To the immortal god race, honor and trust were more important than anything else. For a Main God, that went without saying. Even the direct subordinate gods of the Main Divine Realm could easily be obtained, yet no one would willingly bear the stigma of serving under a heinous dark mage.

That was why an honorable reputation was the most crucial asset for any Main God of the Divine Realm. And the reputation of a dark mage was the absolute worst. Most likely, even the goddess lords and spirit lords gathered here would have left long ago if they had anywhere else to go.

The Shuddering March found herself at a loss for words before the Magic God of Dimensions, who spoke such cold, exact truths without a trace of emotion.

Kuuuung—!

The Seat of Glory within the fully restored Main God Temple once again rang out. It was the sound signaling the completion of the divine artifacts being manufactured with the full power of the Divine Realm. The aftereffects of the Divine Realm’s ego pouring out its full support caused the ringing to continue without pause, so he stabilized it with his own divine power and rose to his feet.

He lightly extended his hand toward the Shuddering March, who had been sitting.

“The weapons are complete. It is time to create the battlefield. Before that, would you like to take a walk around my Divine Realm with me? I am confident that its standard is above even the Creation Realm.”

“Ohohohohoho. Is this what they call all show and no substance? Are you truly satisfied with this? A Divine Realm that isn’t even truly yours?”

“For a dark mage like me to even be the Main God of the Divine Realm is already something to boast about.”

“Hmmm—! Well, it doesn’t matter. After all, everything will be resolved once you become a demon god. Until then, this might simply be entertainment for you. I shall gladly ride along.”

The Shuddering March took the offered hand with one of her own. The Magic God of Dimensions nodded and began his incantation.

It was the 11th-circle magic he had only just obtained. Even while being beaten half to death by the Origin of the Mage God, he had not forgotten to organize his spells. However, he could not avoid the side effects of forcibly raising his realm through black magic. As a result, his incantations became a chaotic mess, and without the support of the Divine Realm, they remained incomplete.

Yet their effect was undoubtedly among the best of the transcendent authorities, and with the support of the Creation Realm, they could reach the absolute level. He chanted while denying the constraints of reality one by one.

The Shuddering March felt the magic power and divine power connected to the Magic God of Dimensions surge explosively. It was a body and divine spirit manifested from oblivion through the fully released Dimensional Authority title. That was why the current state, with the title sealed, felt extremely unstable. If not for that, the Sage of Omniscience, who was currently roaming another’s Divine Realm as she pleased because no one could stop her, would have already settled the matter.

Before she could even be surprised that her own body was stabilizing without any issues, the next words left her even more stunned.

“Now, even without me, there will be no problem with your existence. And since there will be no demon who would dare challenge the Shuddering March, who can simultaneously use two transcendent authorities, I hope you will replenish your forces to the fullest.”

“You intend to turn even the demons of the Shuddering Demon Race and Marching Demon Race into forces for the Divine Realm? It is possible since you are a dark mage who possesses black magic power. If I, who was once the female demon emperor of two demon races, step forward to negotiate with the demons, a fair number should come to me. Especially now that the two races have split again and their power has weakened. Although the Main God of the Divine Realm is a dark mage, he is stronger than anyone, so there should be no problem. And since this is the Creation Realm, the support will be immense, so they will respond even more readily to my call. But can these people truly handle them?”

A smile full of pride spread across the Shuddering March’s face. The Shuddering Demon Race and Marching Demon Race were strong. They were among the few prestigious demon races capable of fighting nearly on equal footing with the Substitute Gods even at a one-to-five power ratio. Moreover, the successor race she had chosen remained as supreme demons, further strengthening them. All of it was thanks to her having unified and developed them.

She had begun as a hybrid of the two races, elevated their racial authority into a transcendent authority, and eventually risen to become the female demon emperor. She became a supreme demon, and in the end, she had fought against higher-ranking Substitute Gods and perished. It had been a truly satisfying life.

Of course, because of her sudden growth, she had been checked by those around her and forced into a certification battle against higher-ranking Substitute Gods. She had overexerted herself and ultimately perished, but thanks to the Magic God of Dimensions finishing things properly, her race had been recognized as a supreme demon race. Now that they had become a higher ruling species, they were born with a complete transcendent authority as their racial power.

And that racial authority was specialized not only in killing gods but also in war. Its power would explode as their numbers increased. If she brought even a moderate number of her kin, even those bombs would not be able to move recklessly.

“Good—! I shall actively participate in your short entertainment. I will also join this chaotic Divine Realm. First, it’s been a while. Shall I have a bout with the Sage of Omniscience? Seeing her move around however she pleases despite being a guest is quite irritating. That should be fine, right?”

She was saying she would fight the Sage of Omniscience right here in the Divine Realm. If the Sage of Omniscience, who had reached demon king level, clashed with the Shuddering March while she simultaneously activated her transcendent authorities, the damage would be on a completely different scale from what the Wolf God and Snake God had caused. Of course, it was a joke.

“Please limit the battlefield to the Old Divine Realm area as much as possible. After all, we need to quickly demolish those shabby buildings to welcome the newcomers and guests.”

“Oh? Since there is precedent, it doesn’t matter? But wouldn’t that mean I am also being excluded from divine authority?”

When the Lord of the Flipside Lokina had mobilized the Wolf God and Snake God without permission and nearly destroyed the Divine Realm, having her divine authority immediately suspended had been a shock. Of course, it was only until the Divine Realm was restored, and her authorities and divine power remained intact, so no one could ignore her. Still, for a Main God, there was no greater humiliation.

Thanks to that, she was currently driving the Spirit Lord Gods to restore the ruined areas of the Divine Realm to standards befitting the Creation Realm. Since it was heavy labor, she was probably feeling tremendous regret by now.

Yet the Main God of the Divine Realm was encouraging and permitting the battle she had mentioned as a joke.

“I will permit it. I will also handle the restoration. After all, I need to show it to those who will become my forces. What matters now is not the buildings of the Divine Realm, but the combat power of the gods. We need even more power to fight the Main Divine Realm. Therefore, Shuddering March, you must be in perfect condition before the Main God Tournament begins. The Sage of Omniscience would be the perfect opponent for a sparring match against Almighty Hwi.”

“What are you thinking? Demons can’t participate in the war, can they?”

At the Shuddering March’s question, the Magic God of Dimensions let out a sinister laugh. The problem was that it suited him far too well with the robe covering even his face.

“Fuhuhuhuhuhu—! Did you really think that a dark mage like me would obediently follow rules that favor the strong? Rules can be changed as much as needed depending on the situation. And since I won’t be the one breaking them, there is no need to worry.”

“I still don’t fully understand the way you think. But I’ll go along with it. Shall I loosen up my body then? I am quite looking forward to the power of the Sage of Omniscience, who has become a demon king.”

Step. Step.

As the Shuddering March walked out of the Main God Temple, the Magic God of Dimensions spent a moment examining the divine ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠artifacts he had created. Their number had already surpassed a million, and they were absorbing divine power without issue. Though they were low-grade, when stacked together they would temporarily manifest an increase in divinity equal to his intended goal.

The preparations were proceeding extremely smoothly.

After finishing the countless divine artifacts embedded throughout the Main God Temple one by one and reaching the main gate, he saw the Beast God sprawled out asleep beside it.

‘This guy is the most suspicious and sinister of all.’

No matter how simple his personality seemed, a god who had lived for eternity could not possibly be foolish. There was no need to curry favor with the Main God of the Divine Realm, whom everyone kept at a distance, yet he was doing exactly that. That was why he had been watching him closely, and the Beast God had taken the bait beautifully.

“Beast God.”

“……”

He spoke calmly to the Beast God, who continued snoring as if lost in deep sleep.

“I know you’re awake. You must have felt frustrated since you couldn’t grasp the internal situation of the Main God Temple, which the Divine Realm’s ego can only support and has otherwise been blocked from perceiving. You were pretending to sleep in front of the door while mobilizing every sensory authority you possess to figure out what was happening, weren’t you? It was an authority so impressive that even a Main God would admire it, to the point that I wouldn’t have noticed if not for my Dimensional Authority. However, my Dimensional Authority perceives the actions, roles, and authorities of every god within the Divine Realm. Although the Divine Realm’s ego is hidden, you, the Beast God, are the Divine Realm’s watchdog and final guardian—a primordial war god more powerful than any other.”

‘The most dangerous existence to the Divine Realm would be an incompetent and rampaging Main God of the Divine Realm, so the being who stays closest and offers unconditional help would be the one, right? Of course, if it truly becomes impossible, you would also naturally take on the role of cutting off his breath.’

He understood the desire to monitor the dark mage—who could potentially become the greatest threat to the Divine Realm’s safety—from as close as possible.

“Thinking of me as the previous Main God of the Divine Realm is a mistake. I am the mercenary god who once wandered the battlefield alone, boasting the worst and most heinous notoriety while remaining undefeated. Who would dare question my ability? Furthermore, having let go of all power, I feel neither loneliness nor solitude. If you are not helpful to the Divine Realm, I will expel you. The charge will be violation of the duty of sincerity by not exerting your full effort. As the guardian of the Divine Realm, you may find it absurd, but with my current position, it is entirely possible. If you refuse, then come at me.”

“Just tell me what you want. Do you want a purge? Or a massacre? That was my specialty in the past, but with my current power, taking on more than two of the goddess lords at once would be too much. The same goes for the Spirit Lord Gods sitting at the round table. You really have gathered only monstrously strong individuals. At the very least, I cannot deny that the Divine Realm’s combat power has grown tremendously.”

Realizing that his identity had been exposed and there was nothing he could do about it, the Beast God dismantled his tent-like temple and stood up. He had already confirmed that no one was around. In fact, with only the divine tree directly connected to the Main God Temple standing here, any covert approach was impossible.

Therefore, the Beast God who revealed his true nature looked completely different. Gone was any trace of the previous playfulness or vacant expression. The aura he emanated was sharp and cold. It was the very image of the ferocious yet noble god of beasts who presided over the cruel fate of survival of the fittest and natural selection.

“Continue living and acting exactly as you have been. A hidden guardian of the Divine Realm is certainly necessary. Also, give the Hero God experience in proper god-race combat. The time limit is one week. Educate him at least to the point where he can endure a Main God’s full-powered frontal assault while evading. With his Indomitable authority, it should be possible.”

“Do you truly intend to use that Lower God in the Main God Tournament? No matter how much he is strengthened ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by divine artifacts, he can never stand against beings above the Main God level.”

“Those who will not participate in the Main God Tournament have no right to interfere. Those who are not helpful should shut their mouths.”

Kuuuung—!

At the low resonance of the Magic God of Dimensions’s words, the Beast God felt his entire body stiffen. He had not even released any killing intent or fighting spirit, yet the overwhelming sense that this was an opponent he could never handle washed over him. Ambush or anything else would be meaningless.

“Everything is for the victory and glory of the Divine Realm. If anyone interferes with this battle, I will eliminate them all. As the Main God of the Divine Realm, I will stake everything on the prosperity of the Divine Realm.”

“I hope that resolve does not change, unlike the previous Main God of the Divine Realm.”

The Beast God bowed his head in genuine admiration for the Magic God of Dimensions’s determination and began to withdraw. Then his eyes widened to their limits.

Kwarururung—! Uruururung—!

Beyond the forest of divine trees in the distance, the remaining half of the Divine Realm that had still been relatively intact was shaking violently from its very foundations. The ones rampaging in the sky above were the Sage of Omniscience and the Shuddering March. It was a clash between a supreme demon who had become a demon king and a supreme demon who could activate multiple transcendent authorities, surpassing even preliminary demon kings in power.

There was no way the buildings of the old Divine Realm—not even the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Creation Realm—could withstand the aftermath. The goddess lords and Spirit Lord Gods, startled by the sudden battle, rushed to stop it, but there was no way they could easily control it. If anything, it was like pouring oil on a fire.

Watching the old Divine Realm’s buildings shatter into pieces, the Beast God felt his waist go weak. Although they had been shabby, they were still built to the standards of an upper Main Divine Realm. Considering how much effort had gone into creating them in the past with insufficient vitality, seeing them demolished in such a manner left him speechless.

Had the situation been any different, he would have stopped it at all costs.

‘Can I really trust this? Is this what a dark mage is like? It feels like the Divine Realm will collapse before anything else. The previous Main God of the Divine Realm, who was honest about his desires, was much easier to understand. Now I have no idea what is going on. This Divine Realm has become far too powerful for me to fulfill my duty as guardian. I should just quietly do what I’ve been told.’

Watching the Beast God shake his head and head toward the Hero God, the Magic God of Dimensions began analyzing the fight between the Shuddering March and the Sage of Omniscience. A smile naturally rose to his lips.

It was exactly as he had thought.

‘I felt the momentum was unstable and strange, but she really has weakened. Her power has grown stronger, but what are those openings? Compared to when she fought the gods of the 500th Master Universe, her overall combat power has decreased by at least ten percent. Is this a side effect of her realm suddenly rising? If the Sage of Omniscience, who has become a demon king, is like this, then Almighty Hwi, who became a Creator God, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠must be the same. Heh heh heh—! I can push them even harder and more spectacularly now. Shall I also decorate the traditional god-race battlefield? It must be incomparably luxurious.’

What the Magic God of Dimensions was looking at was the moon.