The Heart of the Root School
In the war of the Otherworld, there were countless ways to win. ‘I simply avoided it because I didn’t want to take any damage.’ From the perspective of efficiency, the most terrifying secret art of dueling—one that instantly turned a one-on-one fight into a one-against-two while exploiting the synergy between warrior and mage—was nothing more than the lowest-ranked book in the Root School’s collection.
A mage of the Root School had their circles engraved directly into the brain. This made their bodies nearly immortal against physical blows. However, severing the neck and leaving the body in a half-immortal state to be controlled was hardly without consequence. Since the same applied to himself, the Magic God of Dimensions had released the technique the moment he achieved his goal of drawing out the full power of Hwi of Omnipotence. Considering the long-term recovery he would need later, it was absolutely not a losing trade.
Still, he hadn’t expected the Sage of Omniscience to link with him and unleash even the power of a Holy Demon. At this point, he could no longer claim the opponent was too weak to warrant such measures. He, too, would have to give it his all. He cast aside the thought he always kept in the back of his mind—the idea of running away the moment things got dangerous.
“Then let’s begin.”
Having made up his mind, the Magic God of Dimensions let his grey robe flutter as he unleashed his fighting spirit. Hwi of Omnipotence’s body descended from the air and landed back on the ring. The moment he took his stance after glaring with killing intent, he unleashed an ultra-high-speed strike that slipped past the Magic God of Dimensions’ perception. It happened simultaneously.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!
The ring floor, which had been instantly repaired by magic, shattered under the assault. Cracks spiderwebbed across it as fragments shot into the air. If the previous battle against the Magic God King of Dimensions had been a war of maneuver to dodge the Claw of Chaos and land a single blow, this was a barrage of heavy, full-power strikes each aimed at delivering a fatal wound.
With the formal divinity of a Creator God and the activation of the All-Powerful Holy Radiance, he was at least an upper-rank Creator God. Moreover, these were consecutive punches that fully mobilized the demonic power of a Holy Demon.
Tutututu—!
Attacks carrying destructive authority that a Preliminary Creator God could not withstand rained down to pulverize his body and limbs. The plan was to completely crush him so he could never summon the Magic God King of Dimensions again by severing his neck. And every single one of those attacks landed perfectly.
Pasuk—!
Pasuk—!
Pasuk—!
Yet the sounds that rang out were not those of impacts. It was as if there were no body beneath the robe, only empty space being struck. However, the legs visible beneath the robe and the clear silhouette proved there was indeed a body. Realizing something was wrong, Hwi of Omnipotence immediately followed up with a side kick to the Magic God of Dimensions’ flank.
Pagagagak—!
Jjaaaaak—!
The robe couldn’t withstand the full-powered side kick and tore apart, revealing what lay beneath. Sure enough, there was a body. The only difference was that it flickered like a firefly—blurring as if it didn’t exist, then becoming clear again. At the same time, from the heart and limbs struck by his punches and the waist that had just been bisected by the kick, brilliant golden light burst forth, making the form even clearer.
Yet there was no fluctuation in divine power. Most of the physical damage he had inflicted was nullified and restored. Seeing this sight, a low groan escaped him involuntarily.
‘It’s an overlapping phenomenon of time and space. When the body is destroyed, intact body parts from another time and space are swapped in to normalize it. The only way is to simultaneously destroy all the time and space occupied by the Magic God of Dimensions in a single instant. No… with that level of dimensional authority, I’d have to erase the world itself.’
Either option was possible for him right now, but neither would be easy. There had never been a god who could so casually receive and recover from full-power attacks carrying all of his divine power and divinity. Only someone from the Almighty God Tribe, who could manifest authority over time and space, could launch such effective attacks so easily. For any other divine race, this dimensional authority would have been truly impenetrable.
“As expected of the Dimensional God, it’s quite troublesome. This won’t be easy.”
However, defeating him was by no means impossible. He could simply obliterate the entire body along with the surrounding world at once. Alternatively, he could endlessly destroy the body to exhaust his divine power. Naturally, he chose the former.
He lightly stepped back. The ring was narrow, but he needed a running start.
Tap—!
Paduk—!
Woooong—!
Uddduduk—!
His right foot slid back a step while his left foot stepped forward. His left hand stretched out with fingers spread wide, while his right hand rested lightly on his waist. They were light movements, yet the surroundings changed dramatically. A single footwork dug into the ring floor and turned it to dust, while a mere hand gesture began erasing the surrounding space. It was a strike he had repeated and refined until even the simplest basic motion carried authority.
The content was simple. Gather all his divine power into his right fist, charge at the enemy in an instant, and strike a vital point with full force. It was the combination of the basic straight punch he had practiced countless times and the endlessly trained divine power. If it landed, even a Main God of the Substitute Gods would suffer a fatal wound or die. The Magic God of Dimensions’ frail body wouldn’t even be able to defend against it.
However, it required preparation time, and if dodged, he would be temporarily defenseless. In that defenseless state, he could only exhibit physical abilities similar to an ordinary god. Against an opponent of equal rank, it was literally a life-or-death strike.
“The repetition of basics is the secret art, and the repetition of the secret art is the hidden technique. Only endless repetition and training of the basics can allow one to grow stronger without limit. This is the first and last principle of the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors. This is the strike I am most confident in—the one I have upheld until now. Receive it. If you can withstand this, I will acknowledge you as qualified to be the God King.”
There was no way such light provocation would work, but maintaining this composure was necessary to further condense his divine power. A desperate and urgent mindset would inevitably create cracks and openings. And the years of repeated, mastered training would become the decisive blow that brought victory.
Wooooong—!
As he focused even more divine power into his lightly clenched right fist, the brilliant light of divine power blinded the surroundings. The Magic God of Dimensions seemed to have finished healing the damage he received by swapping in body parts from another spacetime. He had restored his torn robe with ease.
Using creative power was naturally far more difficult than ordinary destructive authority and consumed far more divine power. That was why most battle gods didn’t bother restoring shattered divine weapons or torn clothing during combat. Yet he was doing it so effortlessly.
‘That robe is at least a divine artifact containing magic of the 10th circle or higher. To restore it so easily in the middle of battle…?’
Even for him, it would require at least several minutes of concentration and a massive expenditure of divine power. Against an equal opponent, that would be a fatal opening. Yet the Magic God of Dimensions used it casually, showing not even the slightest gap, let alone any fluctuation in his divine power. It was incomprehensible without knowing the level of creative power he possessed.
‘Is his creative power really more than a hundred times greater than mine? Then why did a Mercenary God and Battle God focus so much on creative power to create his authorities? For what reason…?’
Such questions arose, but he soon focused on the next strike. The Creator General and the other Creator Gods were watching. He couldn’t afford to drag out this brawl forever. A weak display or disappointing battle would become a serious obstacle to his life as a Creator God. It was a waste of his talent, but he had to win without fail. His victory meant the death of the Magic God of Dimensions and his exile to the Spirit Realm.
It had already been a while since he cut off the connection of will from the Sage of Omniscience, who had been noisily flying around.
Duk—! Duk—!
Having finished restoring his body, the Magic God of Dimensions lightly loosened his joints as he observed Hwi of Omnipotence’s ready stance.
“As expected of Hwi of Omnipotence. To destroy my body to that extent in an instant is truly impressive. Even with defense, the damage I received left me unable to do anything but recover. And you said that if I receive the strike you are preparing, you will acknowledge me as qualified to be the God King? I gladly accept. However…”
He pointed at the heart area of his own body with a finger.
“It seems you are aiming for this spot again, but it looks like you haven’t figured this part out yet. That won’t do. If you truly wish to kill me clearly, it is neither the heart nor the body. I tried to handle this as naturally as possible, but now I have no choice.”
After glancing at Hwi of Omnipotence, who was ready to unleash his full-powered strike at any moment, the Magic God of Dimensions sent a message to the Hero God and his companions, who were still stepping on Red Cloud—now transformed into a parrot—on the battlefield of the lower gods.
“Stop that over there. No matter what you do, it won’t deal any real damage to Red Cloud. And it’s getting in the way.”
“Huh?”
The startled Hero God looked at the parrot, whose feathers had all fallen out, leaving it in a pitiful state. He had clearly knocked it unconscious with the attacks of intermediate gods, yet it had almost no damage. It didn’t make sense.
“As a mortal, he single-handedly surpassed his limits and pioneered the realm of dark magic. He is undoubtedly a powerhouse worthy of the title of the strongest. He possesses a magic that even my predecessor, the sect leader, could not kill despite using every means at his disposal—and even came to admire. Before that magic, most physical attacks or impacts are completely restored. Do you want me to reveal everything myself? Show your true power already.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the parrot’s body burst into flames. Its body fully recovered as it emitted tremendous heat. While it wasn’t enough to affect intermediate gods, the intense white flames not only engulfed the parrot but soared into the sky.
Hwarurururuk—!
The mass of white flames took the form of a giant firebird. The massive blaze consumed all the surrounding air and even melted the rocks on the ground. It then charged at the Hero God and his companion gods, who were suppressing the main body of the parrot.
Hwaaaaaak—!
The Hero God and his companions were all engulfed in white flames. The heat was so intense that even the lower gods nearby hurriedly retreated. However, it had no effect on the Hero God and his companions. Only words of disdain could be heard.
“Tsk—! Is it the legendary immortal bird, the phoenix? Did he manifest the divine bird that revives from flames using dark magic to restore not only his body but even his magic power? And on top of that, he obtained the ultimate flame attribute worthy of being called the Fire Spirit King. He truly deserves to become a legend among dark mages. But this guy really…”
The Magic God frowned slightly at the heat attack from the flame bird before nodding at his companions. At the same time, merciless kicks rained down on the fully recovered parrot’s body. What had been playful before was now completely ruthless, even mobilizing their authorities.
The Hero God merely sent a pitiful look while waiting for the Main God of the Divine Realm’s words.
“Peeeeeek—!”
Kwak—! Kwak—! Kwak—!
A pitiful cry echoed. Feathers shattered and scattered wildly from the fully recovered parrot’s body.
“You still don’t understand the situation or your own position? Do you know who I am right now? I am an intermediate god who officially received a temple in the Divine Realm from the Main God of the Divine Realm and even had my authority awakened! And do you think the divine artifacts that raise one to upper-rank godhood are just toys I wear for fun? Yet you attack me with a mere divine beast at the level of a lower god? What do you think that will accomplish? Do you think pure heat without any authority will work on a god with immutability? Are you trying to disgrace the name of mages?”
“A mere Transcendent who hasn’t even become a lower god dares to challenge us—!”
“Pretending to be unconscious here? As expected, I can’t stand the sly minds of you mages—!”
Tuk—!
The sword god’s voice, filled with accumulated resentment, caused all movement to stop for a moment. Their own Main God of the Divine Realm was also a mage. It was obvious what would happen if they insulted mages. Punishment was immediate.
The lower gods, sensing the ominous atmosphere, began quietly slipping away. As expected, the punishment came swiftly.
Woooong—!
Kwaang—!
A compressed planet of appropriate size to deliver punishment appeared, slicing through space, and fell directly onto the heads of the Hero God and his companion gods. There was no time to dodge, and since it was clearly the authority of the Main God of the Divine Realm, they couldn’t defend against it either. All they could do was raise both arms above their heads and endure to survive.
Uddduduk—!
It was a weight that the four intermediate gods could barely withstand only by squeezing out every ounce of their strength to the limit. They had to pour all their divine power into controlling their bones that threatened to bend and muscles that threatened to burst. If they tried to slack off even a little, they would all be flattened.
“Ugh—!”
“Kuh—!”
“That… that bastard’s razor-sharp tongue and beak, I swear—!”
The Hero God, who hadn’t even participated yet was caught in collective punishment and forced to hold up the planet, spoke in a tone that was almost resigned. It was thanks to his indomitable authority that he could still endure with some strength to spare.
“He… he told us to back off. You guys are really making this impossible to live with. What the hell are you trying to do? We might actually die at this rate.”
“……”
Whether it was Red Cloud, now a parrot, or themselves, none of them understood their situation. They were painfully realizing that they were only doing things that made them fall further out of favor with the Main God of the Divine Realm. After all, they were personally receiving the punishment of holding up a planet—a penalty usually given only to traitors among the gods.
The Magic God of Dimensions, who had so casually punished the intermediate gods, clicked his tongue.
“Tsk—! I said you were in the way. These clueless bastards.”
The Hero God and his companions were useful, but they still knew almost nothing about the gods or the Divine Realm, so they had zero sense. It was similar to when he had first ascended to the Divine Realm, so it seemed it would take quite some time before they could be of real help.
Above all, Red Cloud—who was supposed to naturally leak information about fighting a mage of the Root School to Hwi of Omnipotence—was now completely unconscious. No matter how phoenix-like his recovery ability was, consecutive attacks from intermediate gods with authorities had knocked him out cold.
If he had simply shown a glimpse of his memories fighting the previous sect leader, Hwi of Omnipotence would have read them using the privileges of a Creator God. But now he had no choice but to hand over the information directly.
‘He’s completely lost consciousness? Then there’s no helping it.’
The Magic God of Dimensions pointed at the exact center of his forehead with a finger as he spoke to Hwi of Omnipotence.
“My vital point is my head. In the Root School, the magic circles are located in the brain, not the heart. Unless you destroy this central point, I will never die. Even if my body is shattered, it does not mean I am dead. As long as my magic power remains, I will eventually restore myself. But if my head is destroyed, it is truly over.”
Hwi of Omnipotence’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He had never faced an enemy who so openly revealed his own weakness.
‘It’s either a lie, the arrogance of a novice… or a trap.’
However, the Magic God of Dimensions, who was also a Mercenary God, did not fall into the latter category. If he had, he would have died long ago. And the God of Light could not speak falsehoods. Doing so would weaken his authority, so he would rather remain silent. Therefore, it was obviously a trap.
At Hwi of Omnipotence’s reaction, the corners of the Magic God of Dimensions’ lips drew a faint smile. He had roughly guessed what his opponent was thinking. Even after being told the weakness, the fact that he was looking for another decisive opening meant he would have to make the first move himself.
“It is a weakness, just as you thought, but it is also a trap. An unchangeable weakness is the best way to lure an enemy into a trap, so I cannot afford to miss it. However, it is certain that the head is my only fatal vital point. The fact that there is no abnormality even after my neck is severed is proof. Now then—come. It is time to settle this.”
With those words, he walked toward Hwi of Omnipotence completely defenseless. At the same time, the full-powered strike that had seized the perfect opportunity struck true.