The Ring of the Main God War
The Almighty Hwi of the Otherworld War wasn't entirely pleased with being unable to vent his anger, but receiving the formal respects of an army exceeding a million wasn't an entirely bad feeling either. In fact, this was a first. As the Origin of the Almighty Race, he stood as a king-like existence to more than a hundred million gods. Yet because nearly all of them were still in the middle of regeneration and restoration, the number of Almighty Gods actually capable of movement remained under one hundred thousand.
The fall of the Almighty Race—which had once commanded over a billion gods, more than ten thousand Main Gods, and over a hundred Creator Gods, even producing a Creator General—had been utterly devastating. The entire tribe had attempted to copy the Indescribable Eight Stanzas of Truth that he had mastered through a parallel connection. The result was, naturally, catastrophic failure. In a single mad attempt to elevate themselves to equality with Truth, nearly every member of the Almighty Race had been wiped out.
They had been the primary force opposing Truth precisely because they were the strongest, and they had overreached. The consequence was that they had become a pitiful minor tribe on the brink of extinction. If not for the minimal courtesy and deliberate indifference shown by the other gods—who still remembered the sacrifices made during the war against Truth—the Almighty Race would have been annihilated during the Main God War.
Instead, having lost most of their administrative territories, they had reached the point of self-destruction. To minimize vitality consumption, both he and the Sage of Omniscience had put nearly all their gods to sleep. Because they had worked as mercenary gods across various battlefields, accepting enormous prices in order to revive the sealed deities rather than let them perish, he had no memory of ever receiving such formal honors before.
For the past billion years, they had flattered the emerging powers led by Creator Gods whose strength now dwarfed their past selves, holding their breath and enduring in silence. That damned predecessor—! If you were going to attempt something, why did you have to stake the entire clan's fate on challenging Truth of all things—! Damn it—! Still, we've barely restored things this far. Once we create a Creator Godhood, the revival of our tribe will happen in no time.
Simply thinking about the situation when he had unknowingly become the Origin made his blood boil with rage. After the decisive battle with Truth, the only survivors had been either young gods too immature to fight or ancient elders who had lived so long they had nearly given up on existence itself.
Yet those very elders, faced with the sudden impending extinction of the Almighty Race, had stood in stunned silence for a long time before beginning their madness. Under the pretext of offering the children one last hope, they had indiscriminately implanted the Indescribable Eight Stanzas—obtained from Main Gods who had returned on the verge of death—into the young ones.
Those elders had lost their will to live. Their vitality had been severed for so long that they were utterly exhausted and could no longer fight. It had been a desperate, last-resort measure. But in the process, an enormous number of gods had died once again, and vast amounts of vitality had been consumed. This continued until, by some miracle, he and the Sage of Omniscience had mastered the stanzas.
After struggling desperately against the elders while being treated as nothing more than a consumable test subject for mastering the Indescribable Eight Stanzas, he had been genuinely overjoyed upon becoming the Origin. But that joy had quickly turned to utter dismay once he realized just how completely ruined his tribe had become.
When he and the others, having mastered the stanzas, went mad with rage and pain, seeking to unleash all their accumulated suffering, the elders had offered no resistance. Only later did he understand why they had died smiling. Though they had given up on life after countless irreversible failures, they had once known an age of glory. And it was the Almighty Race that had created that glorious era.
Their military power had diminished to the point where revival through normal means was impossible, so they had staked everything on creating an absolute powerhouse. It was an act born of the conviction that even if they themselves died bearing any shame, the glory of the tribe must continue. Seeing the two of them overwhelm all the warriors the Almighty Race could muster, the elders had been convinced of their success and chosen a peaceful death.
Suicide was forbidden to gods, after all. After killing off all the elders who had wished for death, the position of Origin that he inherited held no glory whatsoever—only starving orphan-like young gods who looked to him with nothing but desperate eyes.
How had they fallen so completely? The glorious Almighty Race he had learned of in the past was nowhere to be found. What remained was nothing more than an orphanage for beggars on the verge of collapse. The elders had used up every last bit of vitality they possessed for their experiments.
Having become the Origin, he could not step down. Just as the tribe would never forgive a god who betrayed the Origin, an Origin who abandoned the tribe would never be tolerated. If he had been a mere child without any authority it might have been different, but having earned the qualification of Origin, every action was recorded in the Divine Realm.
That is why I cannot be defeated. Gods neither forget nor forgive. Even a single defeat is remembered forever. The glorious revival of the Almighty Race is right before our eyes now that I have become a Creator God, so why... at this exact moment...
He looked toward the Main God Star. He didn't know what exactly had been done, but the completely ruined Main God Star was now thickly covered by the Dimensional authority. From the very start of the war, he had been reduced to a clown dancing helplessly on stage. He vividly remembered how the Main God in charge of the Main God Star had looked as if he would cough up blood, insisting they should immediately invade the Dimensional Divine Realm and initiate the Main God Battle.
Of course, he had voted it down. He had absolute confidence that he could defeat the Dimensional Mage God in a fair fight at any time. Giving the Mage God time and opportunity was the mistake. That had been arrogance and error. He should have launched a surprise attack on the Dimensional Divine Realm first.
Even during their first meeting, it had been he and the Sage of Omniscience who captured the Creator General of the 500th Master Universe and the Absolutes bearing that title in the Spirit Realm. Yet it was the Dimensional Mage God who had toppled the main base and defeated the reinforcements. And now he had grown incomparably stronger once again.
Judging purely by ability and compatibility, Hwi had no choice but to acknowledge that this was no longer an easy opponent. Though his thoughts were complicated, the review of the seemingly endless army of Transcendents ended as he flew forward at high speed.
Even after receiving the divinity of a Creator God, their morale was unexpectedly high and their control nearly perfect. He noticed that this was due to the authority of the Intermediate God guiding them with a polite attitude before him. A wide-area authority similar to the Dimensional one? Choosing to strengthen the legion rather than himself—there really are many rare gods in the Dimensional Divine Realm.
Wide-area authorities grew stronger the larger the army they led, but carried the weakness of making the user themselves relatively weaker compared to equals. From an overall perspective it was a transcendent authority, yet the user mostly experienced effects below superior authority. A god weak as an individual could never become a true leader and would remain in a supporting role. This was why most gods learned only personal authorities.
However, the Dimensional authority alone was so overwhelmingly powerful that he could scarcely believe it had truly been granted by Truth. In the Cyber Realm, the Dimensional Mage God had been designated a special management target, with information fees so astronomically expensive they defied imagination. Yet the value had been worth it.
The Troop of Creation God. An absolute wide-area authority that perfectly raises every being by one full circle to the user's own level while activating all additional effects—it's ridiculous. If he uses that, even I...
He had been relieved thinking there were no usable Main Gods, but the sudden appearance of Seongmyeol, the highest-ranked Black Flame Creator Great God from the Absolute Realm's top tier, left him stunned. Though there would be restrictions, he was growing tired of the Dimensional Mage God's seemingly endless reserves of power.
And if the Goddesses of the Goddess Alliance he had fought in the Dimensional Divine Realm earlier, along with those powerful Main Gods, all rushed in after becoming Creator Candidates, it would truly be difficult to handle. Of course, having reached the ultimate pinnacle of close-combat warrior gods, he would not be defeated. But he would have to prepare for an endless battle and the complete destruction of both the Main God Star and Dimensional Divine Realm from the aftermath.
Before facing the Dimensional Mage God in the Main God Star, there was something he needed to confirm, so he asked.
"You are the Indomitable Hero God, correct?"
"Yes! Thank you for remembering me."
"If I had chosen to return to the Main God Star instead of heading to the Divine Realm at the beginning, what would you have done?"
"I would have shown the same respect and guided you along the path."
"Hmm. Is this an order from the Main God of the Divine Realm, the Dimensional Mage God?"
"No. The only order I received was to not block the path of one returning from the Dimensional Divine Realm. How could lowly Lower Gods possibly commit the rudeness of challenging a Creator God? Escorting you with full courtesy was entirely my own judgment."
"I see. I'll remember that."
It was strange how likable this god was, but that wasn't what mattered. At least now he understood. The Dimensional Mage God had wanted a duel with him from the very beginning—and not just any duel, but one where he abandoned every possible advantage in a true fight to the death.
He's asking for a truly fair match with the position of Main God on the line. The Mage God, famous for using any means necessary to achieve victory? The same Dimensional Mage God who once bore the worst and most vicious notoriety? For him to suddenly act this way is truly strange.
Thud—!
He descended onto the Main God Star, which emitted light so brilliant it blocked vision through the Dimensional authority. And he could not help but be astonished. The Main God Star he had seen earlier had been a complete ruin—every temple collapsed and scorched by the Dimensional Mage God's assault.
Yet what am I seeing now? Did he really complete perfect restoration work in that short amount of time?
The temples, even more splendid and larger than before, shone with greater glory than ever. The Main God Star served as a fortress guarding the entrance to the Creation Realm, its rank comparable to a Highest Creator Realm. It was even possible to convert the Main God Star into a Creator Star. However, because both the realm's ego and rank were so high, ordinary Creator Candidates could not even dream of controlling it.
Even he had to delegate all non-combat aspects. To perfectly control such a difficult Main God Star and restore it to this degree in such a short time was truly remarkable. Creation ability beyond that of a Creator God. So he completely destroyed the Main God Star and recreated it with his own hands to take it for himself? Interesting. It seems he's serious.
Kuuuung—!
The massive doors of the Main God Temple on the Main God Star opened with a tremendous roar. Immediately visible were a round table and, in the surrounding seats, fully armed warrior gods who had not lowered their guard. Their concentrated gazes were fixed on the Dimensional Mage God, who sat casually in the second-ranked seat.
Seeing that their fighting spirit remained but all killing intent had completely vanished, it appeared they had been overwhelmed. Indeed, even he lacked the confidence to restore the Main God Star so perfectly. It was possible, of course, but it would require an enormous amount of time and vitality.
Destroying the Main God Star—the fortress against the Substitute Race—and restoring it in an instant? He really is impressive.
Regardless of origin or personality, his ability could not be denied. Step. Step. He walked forward, his footsteps ringing as he approached his seat.
"Almighty Hwi—!"
"Welcome, sir."
The Main Gods, only now noticing his presence, greeted him with bright expressions. He returned their greetings with a light nod and moved to the first-ranked seat. The Creator Candidates at the round table hurriedly rose from their chairs and bowed their heads. Their expressions showed embarrassment at having been so utterly and anticlimactically defeated. However, with an existence possessing this much power and creative ability, it was impossible for mere Creator Candidates to handle.
He should have been guarding this place from the beginning. I underestimated him by only considering the Dimensional Mage God from the Spirit Realm battle. Is this the true power of the Dimensional authority? Have I grown arrogant as I've grown stronger? Or has it simply given me confidence?
The Dimensional Mage God, who had not risen even as he approached and thus remained in the second seat, showed a faint smile on the lips that were the only visible feature beneath his robe. He gave a light bow of greeting at the same level as Hwi himself. Even as second rank, offering only such casual courtesy to the Main God General was not proper. Yet none of the gods pointed out the rudeness. They were too intimidated to make accurate judgments or even feel jealousy.
Indeed, the displayed martial prowess and creative power were far too overwhelming to ignore or despise. The gap seemed far too vast even to the other Creator Candidates. It also meant that the Creator Candidates and Main Gods of the round table—who had not even considered him a proper opponent for the Main God Battle—now acknowledged that he possessed the qualifications of a legitimate challenger.
"Be seated."
All the Creator Candidates and Main Gods sat down. But the Dimensional Mage God immediately rose from his seat. As he stood, he spread his right hand over his heart in the customary greeting of the gods, bowed at the waist, and spoke.
"The second-ranked Dimensional Mage God pays his respects to the Main God General as the official challenger. How did you find the review of the Dimensional Divine Realm? We prepared a great deal—I hope you were satisfied."
"Hmm. You mean the review of the Divine Realm?"
When he had arrived, everyone had stood to show respect, yet now that he had told them to sit, they rose again. It was an open challenge, but the meaning behind the words was not light. If the recent battle was considered a review of the Divine Realm, then it was not an official match, meaning his defeat would not be officially recorded. Of course, the evidence of that defeat still remained in the Seat of Glory.
Seeing how the ego of the Spirit Realm had been brought under control, it was clear the Mage Brain attached to the Seat of Glory in the Main God Star possessed the ability to suppress it immediately as well. He could smash it right now, but such technical matters were not his specialty, so he lacked confidence in handling it properly. Or perhaps, seeing the restoration of the Main God Star, the suppression might already be complete.
He glanced briefly at the Mage Brain placed above the Seat of Glory in the Main God Star behind him before answering.
"I received many reports that the Dimensional Divine Realm was a complete mess, a total disaster."
Drip—! Drop—!
Only then did the smile on the Dimensional Mage God's lips freeze solid. He clearly hadn't expected such blunt words. The surrounding Creator Candidates and Main Gods also looked flustered. Such crude language like that of a common thug had never been used in the Main God Star before. But what could they do? After suffering continuously at the hands of the Dimensional Mage God, it seemed the old vulgar speech and behavior from his days as a mercenary god were resurfacing.
"However, I acknowledge it. It is now excellent. The gods were all brave, strong, and united."
This was genuine praise. Even when a powerful Creator God had invaded, not a single one had fled or retreated. Their incredible fighting spirit—reviving immediately no matter how many times they died and charging forth again—was worthy of recognition. Whatever the circumstances, this point at least had to be acknowledged.
"But can you maintain it? With your power, it will be difficult."
This statement was also the truth. He knew that while developing a Divine Realm was easy, maintaining it was hard, so this point needed to be made clear. If the Main God of a Divine Realm could not handle his own subordinates, that realm would inevitably collapse into civil war.
The Goddesses of the Dimensional Divine Realm were clearly close-combat warrior gods like himself—at the highest level, no less. If there were more than eight such powerful Main Gods, no matter how strong the Dimensional Mage God was, he could never manage them as a mere Creator Candidate administrator. The difference in attack speed between close-combat warrior gods who strengthened their bodies with authority and an administrator who had to chant spells while fighting was simply too vast.
Based on his calculations after directly experiencing the Goddesses' power, the current limit for the Dimensional Mage God was six. Of course, the Dimensional Mage God could unleash wide-area attacks powerful enough to abandon everything including the Divine Realm and its planets, but for a god tasked with managing a universe, such an act would be catastrophic self-destruction.
"I've been hit where it hurts. I will acknowledge that maintenance will be difficult. However, I have a solution, so let's conclude the review of the Divine Realm and proceed quickly with the discussion of the Main God Battle."
The Dimensional Mage God smiled again and lightly clapped his hands. Grrrrrrung—! A square stage-like floor appeared before the round table. Each side measured about five meters, and four thick black ropes that looked elastic were tied to metal posts at each corner, enclosing the space on all four sides.
As Hwi looked curiously at this unfamiliar structure, the Dimensional Mage God began to explain.
"In the Otherworld, they call this a ring. Inside it, two fighters battle using only their bare fists to determine the winner. I wish to hold the final decisive battle of the Main God Battle here."
"...Is this a suicide request?"
At a glance, it was a battlefield with no room to escape whatsoever. For an administrator god, battles against regular warrior gods were usually decided by how well they could maintain distance to buy time for proper chanting. This proposal was completely incomprehensible. The more he saw, the less the Almighty Hwi understood what was happening.