The Otherworld War: Everything Is Going Well

The Otherworld War was proceeding perfectly. In fact, it was going so smoothly it was almost terrifying. He had arbitrarily altered the original plan, intensifying the situation and making it far worse. Under normal circumstances, no matter how strong or accomplished he was, a human-born like himself could never become the Main God of the Divine Realm. That was why he needed chaos exceeding even war itself. Even if this deviated from the intentions of the Origin of the Mage God and his future self, the Grey Absolute, there was nothing he could do about it.

'I've finally dragged things this far. The Grey Absolute has created an atmosphere of fear throughout the Absolute Realm, halting all combat activities that would normally be reported to the 10 Mainstays. That means they'll definitely take interest in a battle between members of the same clan—especially one involving the Grey Absolute's past. Then I endure a crushing defeat while activating the All-Powerful Splendor and the Authority of Black Flame to their maximum. The sight of the Black Flame clan being miserably overwhelmed by a Creator God wielding the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors will enrage the Black Flame Absolute, drawing him here where the waiting Grey Absolute will deliver the fatal blow. That was the plan.'

Yet there was one massive problem that his future self hadn't recognized and that he himself could not prove. On top of that, it was impossible for a human-born like him to become the Main God of the Divine Realm, and to the Grey Absolute he held no value, so he had been ignored. But somehow, they had still reached this point.

The ranking battles among the 10 Mainstays were currently in a state of truce. With their primary duty—the war in the Absolute Realm—also suspended, there was no way they would miss a spectacle like this. Especially not a life-or-death struggle involving the Grey Absolute's past and the Black Flame clan.

That was why the task originally entrusted to him had never been victory over the Almighty Hwi. It was to endure a defeat so miserable that the Black Flame Absolute couldn't ignore it, holding on stubbornly until the moment he charged in. He couldn't win, but enduring was possible.

When he had first heard the explanation, rage had surged through him and he hadn't fully understood, but he had no choice but to accept that he could never defeat the Almighty Hwi. Still, he couldn't stop his hands from clenching tightly.

Squeeze—!

'Still, this is the opportunity granted to me as the Main God of the Divine Realm who can fight the Almighty Hwi one-on-one, and as a member of the Black Flame clan! In exchange, I received three perfect reality negations with no downside whatsoever! One will be used dying against the Almighty Hwi, and another will clearly be spent dying again from the aftermath of the battle between the Black Flame Absolute and the Grey Absolute, which is why I was given an extra one. So in the end, only one of the three truly belongs to me. That is my limit, and a fair assessment. Neither the Origin of the Mage God nor my future self ever believed in my victory. And I acknowledged that fact. The truth that no matter what means or methods I employ, I cannot win if I fight directly.'

Though it is the truth—!

Oooooooo—!

The circle of magical power churned violently in response to his surging emotions. The destructive force was so powerful that the Creative Sword of Radiance sitting beside him had to hurriedly erect a barrier. The divine realm was being flooded with it.

Originally, simply enduring while fighting with the All-Powerful Splendor and the Authority of Black Flame would have nearly completed the commission. It could have ended far too easily. But the position of Main God of the Divine Realm—which granted even greater honor, authority, and immunity than the Main God of the Divine Realm—had been too tempting. It was the fastest path to the Absolute Realm.

That was why he had gone to such reckless lengths: using the goddesses without warning and forcing the lower gods who served under him into battle. But it was already too late for regret or turning back.

'But… however… Origin of the Mage God. Please grant me the opportunity to challenge this! Bestow your protection upon me, who has survived by any means necessary, bearing any dishonor to win! And allow me to keep my promise….'

His eyes stung with tears, so he squeezed them shut. The moment he did, the prayer that always echoed in his heart surged up again with fierce intensity.

'Make the impossible possible, and let me become the pride of Truth.'

The darkness behind his closed eyelids always showed him the same image: his own pathetic figure struggling inside the Great Cavity of the Great Forest. His master had stored food in a subspace, but the High Elf Empire's surveillance network had been so thorough that he had been starving, completely blocked from acquiring more.

Leaving the Great Cavity would have given him access to infinite ingredients. But against five High Elf Queens who had also reached the ultimate level of 7th-circle, he could neither avoid them nor escape.

In the end, just before he starved to death, in a moment of despair when he considered summoning a demon god and trading his soul, Jinri had appeared. And from him, he had received the title of Origin—a compilation of the power and experience of the Absolute Realm's past powerhouses—the Authority of Dimensions, and even 8th-circle magic.

Any mage, any being that pursued power, would have offered not just their soul but their very existence to obtain even one of those things. Yet he had received them without any price. Normally one would be endlessly grateful, but having dimly sensed the immense value that no living being could bear, he had made a bold demand.

'In exchange for the title of Origin, I will live longer than Jinri and organize his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠end. In exchange for the Authority of Dimensions, I will become his pride. And in exchange for magic, I will be of help to Jinri. All of them are nearly impossible, and violating even one means receiving direct judgment from Jinri. It is the shackle and the pride I spat out in ignorance and stubbornness. I thought I would never have another chance, but the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠opportunity has come. This is the commission I seized by gritting my teeth and enduring in the divine realm as a dark mage who uses black magic. It is the golden opportunity to officially enter the Absolute Realm under my own power by becoming a Main God equivalent to a Creator God—the minimum requirement for entry that will never come again. I will pour everything I have as the Magic God of Dimensions into this.'

Hooooooo—!

The Authority of Black Flame, anchored in his survival instinct, writhed. The Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors engraved in his body screamed, sensing the coming deathmatch against the Almighty Hwi. Even the Authority of Black Flame, a mass of fighting spirit and killing intent that ran wild like a madman, had come under some degree of control thanks to the influence of his survival instinct.

He had somehow managed to learn the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors, which was praised as undefeated even in the Absolute Realm. Though its power was infinitely lacking compared to what it should originally possess, he had at least gained the strength to challenge.

'So let's do this. Almighty Hwi, the great origin of the Almighty God Tribe who has mastered the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors. Even if my power is insufficient and losing the contest is only natural, in the end, the one who achieves victory in battle will be me. Both becoming the Main God of the Divine Realm and completing the commission to strike down the Black Flame Absolute will succeed. If my own power is not enough….'

He opened his eyes wide and gazed at the Hero God visible beyond the screen. A blessed talent and disposition completely different from his own narrow-mindedness as a dark mage. Though he must have faced hardships fighting the Demon King as a hero, his life overflowed with the brightness of having received goodwill and respect from others his entire life.

Originally, he would not have left him alone out of annoyance and jealousy alone, but now he had no choice but to use him somehow. There were many gods in the divine realm, but far too few usable combat forces.

'For the first time, I will trust in my subordinate's talent. The talent of a human who is loved by all.'

The Hero God raised his divine sword high above his head and shouted with dignity as he commanded. The other Transcendents followed suit, raising their divine weapons and concentrating all their divine power. They were preparing to fire in unison at the Hero God's command.

Whether this volley would have any effect, he had no idea, but the confidence and courage flowing from the connected Authority of Indomitable gave them trust. They prepared their maximum attack, ready to move the instant the order came.

And finally, the command fell.

"For the sake of the great Creator ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠God, raise your divine weapons—!"

The Hero God's divine sword pointed as high as possible into the sky, radiating divine power. From its tip, a sword of light formed from divine energy shone endlessly upward.

Chachachachak—!

The same was true for the other Transcendents. Those who had been concentrating their divine power in a state of peak tension reflexively fired it exactly as the Hero God commanded. The effect of Indomitable, whose activation conditions had been completely fulfilled through the half-forced but life-risking trust of his comrades under the Dimensional Magic God, was immense. Once they permitted it, they followed commands reflexively regardless of race.

Without even knowing what they were doing, they all fired toward the empty sky. A million beams of divine light burst upward like fireworks, creating a spectacular sight that drew gasps. It was a fountain of light soaring from the ground into the heavens.

It was beautiful, but with this, the combat power of the Transcendents' army had been rendered almost nonexistent in a single instant.

"!!!"

"!!!"

"Ugh—! Doing something incomprehensible again—!"

The Magic God's scream rang out. At the same time, the faces of the Hero God's comrades, who had fallen into momentary exhaustion after firing their divine power with all their strength, turned ashen. Having become Intermediate Gods, they immediately understood what they had just done and what the situation was.

Having radiated their divine power through their divine weapons at full strength, they were now essentially defenseless for a certain period. In front of a Creator God radiating tremendous fighting spirit and killing intent, the Hero God had just hurled the army's full-powered attack—the one thing he could rely on—into empty air.

They were now in a state of complete disarmament. Literally, even a slight display of the Creator God's authority and power would be enough to annihilate them all.

"!!!"

The Almighty Hwi's shock was even greater. He had thought it pathetic yet convenient that these mere Lower Gods were relying on numbers, concentrating their divine power into their weapons ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and aiming at him. The continuous defeats in the Dimensional Divine Realm had filled him with unbearable fury.

Having been pushed to his limits by the goddesses of the Goddess Blood Alliance, the High Gods of the Round Table, and even Gaiana—an Almighty clan member under the protection of the Sage of Omniscience—his anger had reached its peak. He had even considered killing every last one of the Lower Gods who had dared deceive him with empty bravado on his way back.

But what the Transcendents showed was not an all-out offensive. Instead, they were firing their divine power into the empty sky as a salute—an extreme display of respect toward a superior god. Of course, it also meant they had no intention of attacking, having temporarily rendered themselves defenseless by consuming a massive amount of divine power.

Suddenly acting this way left him with no justification to act. Even if the opponent was a Creator God, massacring Lower Gods who had shown respect and exhausted their divine power in a salute would become a scandal that followed him forever. Moreover, from the Intermediate God leading this army of Transcendents, he sensed no hostility whatsoever—only pure respect and goodwill—which made it even harder to act.

Yet the Dimensional Magic God watching this scene smiled wickedly in his heart.

'As expected, he reacted this way? It really is instantly effective. As I thought, reconciliation and negotiation should be handled by someone likable.'

The sight of the Almighty Hwi's face, completely at a loss for how to respond to the sudden development, was exactly what he had been waiting for. He didn't know exactly what the man was thinking, but seeing his fighting spirit and killing intent dampened proved the plan was working. Of course, he had only instructed them to preserve their forces as much as possible and let him pass; he hadn't expected them to go this far.

'There was a method like this too. It's hilarious to see the Almighty Hwi, who was so furious, looking this flustered. No matter how much of an enemy he is, when a model god who has received blessings from countless divine clans and the divine realm itself leads an army and shows extreme courtesy, even someone as hot-tempered as him can't just mercilessly slaughter them. There is such a thing as a Creator God's dignity. Still, this worked out well. A High God who has lost his reason is even less trustworthy than a demon god.'

Moreover, the Hero God was controlling the army of Transcendents remarkably well through the Authority of Indomitable. As expected, Indomitable was an authority focused more on enhancing command ability than on strengthening the army itself. He had thought that since heroes were the type to draw out their comrades' and allies' power rather than relying on their own, it would specialize in maintaining morale and raising fighting spirit.

And the effect created by a massive number of one million combined with his comrades' half-forced but life-risking trust was outstanding even among wide-area authorities.

'Its true ability isn't basic power enhancement but maintaining the army's morale and command under any circumstances. This situation is perfect for it.'

Normally, the difference in divine rank between a Creator God and Lower Gods should have left them prostrating on the ground, trembling in fear. Yet they were maintaining the army's formation even in the face of the Almighty Hwi's powerful divine rank and killing intent. On top of that, they were executing what amounted to suicidal orders with perfect coordination. It was beyond expectations.

Just as he had hoped, an indomitable army had been created—one that would not abandon battle against a superior god no matter how hopeless the odds or how many sacrifices it took. The only amusing part was the dumbfounded expressions on the Hero God's comrades, who had been preparing for battle while never stopping their surveillance, only to suddenly abandon combat and perform a salute instead.

'Heh heh—! How ridiculous. Mere Lower Gods daring to think of fighting a Creator God? Even a million Lower Gods charging at a High God with 2nd-circle divine rank or higher could only buy time at best. And we already lack forces for the next stage—would I really be crazy enough to waste them here? Just pray that the Almighty Hwi doesn't suddenly go mad and start rampaging.'

Those who had followed the hero chosen by the gods in his superior position, only to betray him the moment they became equal gods, were targets that required constant vigilance. Even though he had linked their authorities together, the fact that they continued to doubt and hesitate endlessly showed they had accumulated quite a lot of resentment. But in the current situation, he could not tolerate it.

'That aside, the Hero God truly has incredible talent. At that level, it could almost be classified as a transcendent authority.'

If he had encountered a hero alone during his days as a human mage, he could have won easily. And even though it was a wide-area authority of Indomitable, it was still ultimately a superior authority, far below the dimensional authority that had already evolved into an absolute-level authority.

Even setting himself aside as a comparison, when objectively compared to the High Gods with superior-grade authorities currently belonging to the divine realm, the difference in basic creative power and combat ability was beyond comparison. The High Elf Queens were basically stronger than the hero. Among the Transcendents there, several could surpass him in combat power if given the chance. Even some of the Hero God's comrade gods surpassed him in pure fighting strength.

It meant that without the full support of the divine realm and his comrades, a hero was ultimately nothing more than a common 7th-circle Transcendent. However, there was only one reason he had made the Hero God an Intermediate God first and entrusted him with commanding the army of Transcendents.

'It's because of the talent to be loved and trusted by everyone. Since he can draw out endless goodwill from superior gods, equal comrades, and subordinates alike, he can create an elite army like this in such a short time. The fact that even I am somewhat affected by it says everything.'

The hero's true talent was the power to receive everyone's love. By gathering the trust of superiors, friendship with comrades, and respect from those below, he created a great army that would risk their lives against a Demon King that humans could not possibly defeat.

'Originally, ants cannot defeat humans. But if tens of thousands of ants are willing to sacrifice themselves, the ones who ultimately win are the ants.'

The hero's talent for drawing out goodwill and trust, combined with positive thinking and endless hope, created an enormous influence on his comrades and subordinates, making them willing to risk their lives even against a Demon King. The ability to make them endure tremendous sacrifice yet ultimately win was his real talent and power. Even the superior-grade wide-area authority he had awakened upon becoming an Intermediate God was trivial in comparison.

'Is this a power that someone like me, who chooses only the result over the process, can never obtain? How truly enviable.'

In the end, the Almighty Hwi crossed through the army of Transcendents with a sour expression as if he had chewed on a bitter persimmon, guided by the Hero God. It was obvious at a glance that he wanted to vent his anger immediately, but the pure gazes of respect and wonder from the Hero God and the salute he had received from the Transcendents were forcing him to hold back.

A superior being could not help but be generous toward those who genuinely respected him and subordinates who trusted him without conditions. If he himself, who calculated everything, had been leading that army, he would have charged in to tear them apart the moment he saw them.

And no god currently subordinate to the divine realm, with their calculating nature, could calm the enraged Almighty Hwi. However, the divine clans could not help but feel goodwill toward the Hero God, who had been chosen by the divine clans from birth and had faithfully exterminated Demon Kings. It was because he had been more helpful to the divine clans than any saint or pope, combined with the overlapping blessings granted to him and his original talent.

The Hero God, whom he had trusted and relied on with great difficulty this time, had finally borne fruit.

'I said I trusted the Hero God's talent. I never said I trusted in his power.'

Of course, to a god he was not an equal being. It was more like looking at a very cute pet, but the effect was tremendously powerful. The Almighty Hwi had truly stopped his killing intent and fighting spirit. He had expected this to happen, but it was still incredible. He had suppressed the Almighty Hwi's fury and was commanding the army of Lower Gods with perfect order even before a Creator God. It was an achievement that none of the highest gods currently in the divine realm could accomplish.

'Is gaining favor the greatest talent of all? With nothing more than showing pure respect, he resolved a situation where, according to calculations, more than half the forces would have become combat-ineffective from the Almighty Hwi's wrath. In the end, is success or failure determined by human relationships? I made the plan, but I left the detailed execution to him. I expected this, but seeing it in person is absurd. It's enviable, but ultimately it's the path of the weak who can do nothing alone! The talent of flattery is not something for me, who will become the pride of Truth, to pursue. Heh heh—! I just need to do what only I can do.'

He needed to prepare to greet the Almighty Hwi, who would arrive soon. The area around the Main God Battle Arena of the Main Divine Realm, empowered by the Dimensional Magic God's Authority of Dimensions, slowly began to be enveloped in light and change.