The Burden of Proxy Authority

The Otherworld War had concluded, and both the Main Divine Realm and the Dimensional Divine Realm were now operating in perfect order. All major facilities and administrative gods had already been relocated to the provisional Main Divine Realm within the Creator God Star, meaning everything simply needed to be restored to its original state. Moreover, the Dimensional Mage God had already repaired every trace of damage inflicted during the war. The only thing left was for everyone to accept that the Main God Star had changed hands.

Yet that was far easier said than done.

Internally, the situation remained stable. Most of the gods had witnessed the decisive battle in person, and the majority of administrative authority had been delegated to the provisional Creator Gods of the Round Table. Externally, however, the story was entirely different. Public opinion was already sparking friction everywhere.

‘You expect us to accept that the Dimensional Mage God has succeeded the Hero God—the Origin of the Almighty God Tribe who mastered the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors? Even if he is the current Grey Absolute, one of the Ten Mainstays, is it truly justified for him to hold the top rank? Shouldn’t the number one prove his strength directly?’

Anyone who had personally witnessed the battle for the Main God Star between the Dimensional Mage God and Almighty Hwi would never have voiced such doubts. Unfortunately, battles between Main Gods and higher completely distorted reality, making it impossible to record video footage. Without seeing it firsthand, the complaints seemed perfectly reasonable. Even the other Main God Stars who had been unable to utter a single word against Almighty Hwi were now stirring.

The Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors ranked among the highest of absolute authorities. It was a terrifying power of a war god that could ignore even a Creator God’s attacks and counter them. No matter how many Main God Stars of equal rank attacked together, they could not win. That was why none of them had dared challenge Almighty Hwi. But the Dimensional Mage God’s magic and divine power were different. There was the time required for incantations, and because he had also trained in magic power, both his divine power and physical body were comparatively vulnerable. It was common sense that a being who had dabbled in many fields could never defeat one who had reached the pinnacle in a single domain.

Thus, aside from the second-ranked Main God Star—who had fought the Dimensional Mage God multiple times and clearly understood his strength—the other Main God Stars were beginning to clamor for a Main God War to readjust the hierarchy.

‘Still, their reaction is far too quick. The cause must be that Highest Creator Divinity.’

The Highest Creator Divinity was one of only about twelve such treasures even within the 499th Master Universe. Since not even ordinary Creator Gods could possess one, the Main God Stars could not hide their greed. What made it worse was that it belonged completely to the Dimensional Mage God. He was the Main God of an independent divine realm and had paid the full promotion fee. If they could defeat him in a Main God War, it would become theirs. That alone made restraint impossible.

‘At least the notoriety of the Mad Grey is helping.’

The recommendation had come from the Grey Absolute, who had opened his domain to the Substitute Gods and nearly annihilated it after the previous rulers dared challenge him. Because of that, no one was willing to confront him directly. Even so, the constant petty provocations meant the face of the administrative Main God—who oversaw the operation of the entire Main Divine Realm—never relaxed.

‘Since Almighty Hwi has become an ordinary Creator God and is now focused on properly managing his own divine realm, we cannot expect any help from him. No, it would be ridiculous to ask after he has already handed the Main Divine Realm over to his successor.’

The bigger problem was that the Dimensional Mage God had spoken truthfully when he said he would share power. Because of his mercenary god activities, he was almost never present in the divine realm. Other Main God Stars would retreat to the Creation Realm to recover from injuries after a Main God War. Yet the Dimensional Mage God recovered completely in the blink of an eye with a regeneration ability that astonished even demon gods, then immediately left for another request. It was truly shocking.

With the Main God Star absent, most matters naturally fell to the administrators.

‘During Lord Almighty Hwi’s time, when he boasted perfect control, we only needed to carry out orders. Now that we hold most of the authority, we must also bear the responsibility. The mental burden only grows heavier by the day.’

The other provisional Creator Gods had initially rejoiced at receiving their own domains, but they were gradually growing exhausted. The administrative Main God could not even ask them for help. Moreover, as an administrative god, his combat ability was lacking, so he could not compete with other divine realms through force. He had no choice but to rely on the Main God Star. He needed to report directly and receive instructions, yet he could not locate the man. It was enough to make his stomach burn.

No—he could locate him. But contacting him, let alone visiting, filled him with dread.

“Where is Lord Dimensional Mage God? Is he still there?”

“He is at the dueling arena of the Ten Mainstays in the Absolute Realm. He is carrying out a request from the Wind Family.”

“……”

At this rate, nothing would get done. Even a low-ranking warrior from the Absolute Realm was equivalent to a mid-to-high-ranking Creator God in the 499th Master Universe. Everything was decided purely by strength, so they were truly powerful beings. The Ten Mainstays, the highest ruling class, were so exalted that even the Creator Gods could not speak down to them. They were the personal guard force under Jinri, who jointly ruled the 499th Master Universe with its Creator. They managed the Absolute Realm—a dimension one hundred times larger than a Master Universe—by dividing it into ten sectors. Simply managing their assigned territory placed them in a far higher position than a Creator General of a Master Universe.

‘Even if he entered the divine realm on the recommendation of the Grey Absolute, for a mere Main God Star to freely enter and exit the Absolute Realm while working as a mercenary god? And on requests connected to the Wind Family of the Ten Mainstays? This is absurd.’

The administrative Main God was growing increasingly restless under the mounting pressure and conflicts from the surrounding Main God Stars when a message arrived. The Creator General had sent an official directive directly to the Main God Star. Most official documents were for situational awareness and were automatically reported by the Main Divine Realm’s ego, but the fact that a physical document had arrived meant the matter was extremely important.

‘Not from Proprieties, my direct superior Creator God, but from the Creator General himself. Immediate action is required.’

Since all official documents for the Main Divine Realm first passed through him as the administrative Main God, he immediately summoned the document into the air and read its contents. His breath caught in his throat. In his long career as an administrative god, this was the first time he had seen anything like it. He suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to interrogate the new Main God Star about exactly what he was doing and where.

The content was extremely brief, so he read it aloud to confirm once more.

‘A dispatch order to the Otherworld and instructions to appoint a proxy for the Main God Star? I’ve never seen an order like this before. No, this is like pouring oil on a fire. The other Main God Stars will never sit still. They will definitely aim for the proxy position.’

While the Dimensional Mage God was dispatched to the Otherworld, the Main God Star position would naturally become vacant. Leaving the final defensive fortress of the Substitute Gods without a Main God Star, even temporarily, was unthinkable. That was why the order instructed him to appoint a proxy before departing. However, the position of Main God Star was not one that could be easily filled by a proxy.

‘As one of the gatekeepers of the Creation Realm, the proxy must possess authority and power equal to a Creator God.’

Yet since it was still beneath a true Creator God, no Creator God would willingly take on the role of proxy. The only alternative was for another Main God Star to concurrently hold the position, but that was absolutely not advisable. Since they each had their own Main Divine Realm to manage, priority would naturally shift there, and nothing good would come of it. That left only the provisional Creator Gods, and only the most powerful among them could possibly qualify.

Among the thirty-four provisional Creator Gods currently in the Main Divine Realm, the third-ranked Cross Sword of Brilliant Light was the most likely candidate. However, he had only recently been revived after dying in battle against the successor of the 500th Master Universe’s Creator General. His injuries had not yet fully healed.

‘In that condition, it is impossible for him to serve as proxy for the number one Main God Star.’

In this situation, the other Main God Stars who were already drooling over the Dimensional Mage God’s Highest Creator Divinity would never remain quiet. If someone were arbitrarily appointed as proxy and a dispute arose, leading to a Main God War, the consequences would be catastrophic. Whether they won or lost, the Dimensional Mage God returning from his dispatch would never let it slide. One could already imagine other divine realms collapsing under his dimensional authority and planetary magic.

‘What about the other provisional Creator Gods? Judging from the results of this Main God War, none of them could possibly endure.’

No matter which possibility he examined, there was no provisional Creator God capable of serving as proxy. Furthermore, because the Dimensional Mage God had spent his life as a mercenary god, he had almost no personal connections within the divine realm and possessed no supporting faction. Even though he was the current Grey Absolute, the moment it was perceived that the Absolute Realm would not intervene or would turn a blind eye, countless challenges for a Main God War would pour in. After all, he was guilty of possessing a treasure without the strength to defend it.

“Ugh…”

An involuntary groan escaped the administrative Main God.

And the exact same headache was occurring within the Dimensional Mage God’s own divine realm.

An official document containing nearly identical content had arrived for Gaiana, who had been appointed as the proxy Main God of the Divine Realm.

“Is this accurate? Why has such an order been issued? I am already the officially appointed proxy Main God of the Divine Realm.”

“The contents are correct.”

Unable to understand why such an order had been issued when she was clearly serving as proxy, Gaiana urgently sought out the Sage of Omniscience, who was still resting in the divine realm. The Sage of Omniscience also oversaw the wisdom of the Almighty God Tribe, so she had come to seek advice from an Origin.

Though the Sage of Omniscience found matters concerning the god race tiresome, this concerned a goddess of the Almighty Tribe, so she carefully read through the directive. For a long time, she remained silent.

‘With your current ability, we cannot recognize you as proxy Main God of the Divine Realm. If you lack the power, step down on your own. Or rather, prove your strength yourself.’

Even though she herself served as Main God of the Divine Realm for the Demon God Star, she would never have been this cold. She truly disliked this ruthless side of the god race. She looked back and forth between Gaiana, who was waiting anxiously for her words, and the document, then let out a deep sigh. She was already worried whether someone as gentle as her could overcome this trial.

“Haaaaaaa—! Are the god race truly more vicious than the demon race in this regard? Well, a divine realm possessing both a Highest Creator Divinity and an attached Main God Star is certainly important even to the Creation Realm. This is an order to inevitably dispatch the Main God of the Divine Realm, but to also perfectly fulfill the duties without causing even the slightest chaos by reselecting and reporting a trustworthy proxy. The fact that such a directive has been issued despite you already being the officially appointed proxy means they do not trust a simple appointment. They are demanding additional proof of your qualifications. In that case, I cannot intervene.”

“?”

Seeing Gaiana’s face filled with confusion, the Sage of Omniscience sighed once more, this time with clear pity, and continued.

“Haaaa. Please, get your head straight now. You are no longer the carefree partner of some insignificant mid-tier independent divine realm on the frontier. You are currently the proxy Main God of the Divine Realm for a Highest Creator Divine Realm that possesses one of only twelve Highest Creator Divinities in the entire 499th Master Universe. You are also the second-in-command of the Dimensional Divine Realm, which will become the core force in the upcoming racial war against the Substitute Gods. That position carries considerable weight even within the Creation Realm, so even the slightest carelessness or optimism can be fatal. There is no longer anyone who would dare question the qualifications of the Dimensional Mage God, who possesses the absolute authority known as the Troop of Creation God, now that he has become a Main God Star. The problem is that you, his proxy Main God of the Divine Realm, are merely an Upper Main God. If you were at least a provisional Creator God, they would not have gone this far, but even those above have no choice. Still, it seems they are giving the Almighty God Tribe a chance by not immediately dismissing you. The Creator General is saying that he cannot trust the strength of an Upper Main God like you to serve as proxy for the Main God of the Divine Realm of a Highest Creator Divine Realm, so you must prove yourself.”

“Ah—!”

A gasp of realization escaped Gaiana’s lips. If she still did not understand after such a detailed explanation, she would be a fool. A Main God of the Divine Realm’s power surpassed that of a mid-tier Creator God. For the proxy to be only an Upper Main God made no sense. Naturally, the divine realm could not be properly managed. This was a polite way of ordering her to be replaced by a powerhouse on the level of a provisional Creator God. Of course, since there was currently no one inside the divine realm stronger than her, it meant she had to find and appoint someone from outside.

The Sage of Omniscience delivered her final conclusion with a truly troubled expression.

“It means either you voluntarily step down from the position of proxy Main God of the Divine Realm, or you must prove that you possess power equal to a provisional Creator God.”

“Aaaaah—! What should I do?”

Watching Gaiana teeter on the verge of panic at this first direct trial she had ever faced, the Sage of Omniscience felt a genuine headache coming on. The reason she, a Demon King, could remain in this divine realm was not only because she was a Holy Demon, but primarily because the proxy Main God of the Divine Realm was Gaiana of the Almighty God Tribe. As the Origin of the proxy, she was being treated as an honored guest. If Gaiana were to fall to third place, she would be forced to leave. A new proxy Main God of the Divine Realm would never tolerate a Demon King staying here. Thanks to the help of the Highest Creator Divinity, her body’s proficiency was rising rapidly. Being driven out now would be disastrous. Moreover, the situation of the Almighty God Tribe’s goddesses currently undergoing treatment would also become dangerous.

The Devotion Pledge, in which the goddesses gathered to raise a male god’s power, worked to some extent even on provisional Creator Gods. The battle gods of the 499th Master Universe, who spared no expense when it came to increasing their divine power, would not hesitate for a second. The Dimensional Mage God had already become a Creator God and no longer cared, but there was no guarantee that a newly arriving provisional Creator God would remain indifferent. Naturally, the situation would arise where they would demand payment in the form of a Devotion Pledge if the goddesses wished to continue receiving treatment here. That could not be allowed, but the Almighty Tribe currently lacked the power to refuse or offer an alternative. Yet they could not afford to be driven out now. If the Truth Deputy was dispatched to the Otherworld, there was no telling when the Dimensional Mage God would return. That would significantly delay the revival of their tribe.

If the Dimensional Mage God was absent after being dispatched to the Otherworld and the proxy Main God of the Divine Realm ordered her and the Almighty God Tribe’s goddesses to leave the divine realm, they would have no way to resist. The problem was their weak position: she was the Origin and Demon King of the Almighty Tribe, while the goddesses were focusing solely on treatment without any official position or duties. Since the master was absent, telling the guests to leave was perfectly reasonable. There was no way to avoid it.

Having understood the situation but still at a loss for what to do, Gaiana floundered. The Origin, the Sage of Omniscience, laid out the path forward for her.

“You must either capture one provisional Creator God for yourself, or lead the current divine realm into a Main God War against a divine realm led by a provisional Creator God and win. Those are the minimum conditions.”

“!”

At the sudden talk of duels and war, Gaiana felt her mind go blank. Yet the Sage of Omniscience continued speaking smoothly.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

“Since you are of the Almighty Tribe but only an Upper Main God, facing a provisional Creator God is out of the question. Let us look for an easy provisional Creator Divine Realm. Given the past grudges with the goddesses of the Goddess Alliance and the constant disputes over ownership of the Highest Creator Divinity, this is actually fortunate. You can pick anyone. And since the Main Gods here are powerful, a Main God War offers better odds. Steel your heart and go that route.”

Of course the Main Gods were powerful, but they were also at each other’s throats, unable to stand one another. Moreover, they were not the type to step forward if asked to fight for the position of her proxy Main God of the Divine Realm.

‘They are not the type to fight without compensation. How can I get them to help?’

The thought of leading such beings into a Main God War made everything go dark before Gaiana’s eyes. However, the Sage of Omniscience merely looked at Gaiana’s expression with an expression that said she was worrying over completely useless things.

Whether they were goddesses of the Goddess Alliance or Spirit Main Gods, none of them could maintain their current positions as administrative gods of the divine realm in any normal divine realm. The god race traditionally held male gods as the stronger sex. A Goddess Alliance that had practically massacred such male gods and emerged victorious would never be accepted by the current Main Divine Realm. The same applied to the Spirit Main Gods who had lost their divine realms, been defeated, and exiled to the Spirit Realm. The current powerful battle gods would never acknowledge past powerhouses who could disrupt order. If a normal provisional Creator God became the new Main God of the Divine Realm, they might not be expelled thanks to their past contributions, but they would no longer be allowed to remain in the ruling class.

‘They should consider themselves lucky if they are not ostracized or insulted.’

Fortunately, both the goddesses of the Goddess Alliance and the Spirit Main Gods seemed to understand their position and did not even approach the Main Divine Realm. Even though the Dimensional Mage God had moved an entire planet and divine realm right next to the Main Divine Realm, creating the perfect opportunity to build friendships with its high-ranking gods, they pretended not to know one another and kept their distance.

‘Does that mean they understand their place? It is only natural that they would not be treated as equals by the Main Gods. Even though the elite and ruling class of the god race are right next door, they cannot even interact and are frozen in place. In such an awkward position, they have no choice but to accept Gaiana as proxy Main God of the Divine Realm—no one else.’

Therefore, Gaiana’s current thoughts of trying to get the goddesses to help her were pointless. If they wished to prevent a new proxy Main God of the Divine Realm—who viewed them unfavorably and might seek to dispose of them—from taking the position, they had no choice but to help.

‘The more useless worries she has, the wiser she becomes.’

Thinking this would be good medicine for Gaiana, who had experienced almost no harsh situations outside of the war against Jinri, the Sage of Omniscience turned her gaze toward the Main God War sector. When she saw what was being completed there, her mouth fell open involuntarily.

“Haa—! He really made it like that. Just what is the Main God of the Divine Realm doing inside his own divine realm? The Main God War zone is practically a completely separate combat fortress?”

An absurd scene was unfolding where another divine realm existed inside the divine realm. Towering Cosmic Trees rose high into the sky, encircling the entire Main God War zone as if to protect it. Using the enormous vitality they produced, they endlessly generated dimensional barriers. Anything that approached those barriers was pulverized. Their power was so great that not even high-ranking gods, let alone Main Gods, could withstand them.

‘Infinite overlapping of dimensional barriers? Any ordinary Main God would be torn to shreds the moment they made contact. And it looks like the Guerrilla Volcanoes from the Spirit Realm have been incorporated as well. It is literally an iron wall containing extreme poison that will surely kill anyone who touches it. Why on earth would he install something like this inside the Main God War zone of his own perfectly protected divine realm?’

Moreover, as the Cosmic Trees grew, they constantly changed their divine power patterns, making them impossible to disable. Attempting to force one’s way through would require enduring the shock of countless dimensional breaches—enough to inflict critical injuries even on a Creator God. It was not a natural barrier like the Great Cavity of the Great Forest that the Dimensional Mage God had grown, but a murderous defensive screen designed to completely exclude external intruders.

And the only entrance was the main gate. There, instead of a temple, stood a demon temple radiating enormous black magic power. Above the demon temple—filled with sharp spires rather than a rounded dome-shaped ceiling—a female demon god with a languid expression looked down at the scene below. At the end of her gaze, demon gods possessing extraordinary magic power were all kneeling, awaiting her command alone.

‘Their numbers do not even reach one hundred, yet their combat strength is tremendous.’

They were the elders of the Shuddering Demon Tribe and the Marching Demon Tribe, both renowned as prestigious clans even within the demon world. Though they were ferocious demon gods, they had lived so long that they had abandoned attachment to life and power, pursuing only strength. They were no longer active, yet they represented the hidden power of their tribes.

‘The fact that all the elders—who normally only step forward when the fate of their tribe is at stake—have come means… Even with the restriction of being regenerated summoned gods, their influence must still be intact. Or rather, the moment Shuddering March was annihilated, the tribes must have grown even stronger out of desperation.’

When the unparalleled demon god known as Shuddering March—one who could never be reproduced by her tribe—had regenerated and called them, every single elder had answered the summons. It was only natural. After she had perished together with a Main God of the Substitute Gods, the two tribes had been split and weakened to their worst state. Upon her return, they had immediately sworn loyalty.

Although they were no longer active, the fact that every elder—who were essentially the elite—had left meant one could easily imagine the current state of the Shuddering Demon Tribe and Marching Demon Tribe.

‘They must be in an uproar, like a hornet’s nest that has been poked.’

For now it was only the elders, but the active members would gradually follow. The influence of elders who had lived for their tribes for countless years could not be ignored by the current rulers. The elite were either their disciples, successors, or blood relatives. Therefore, the current rulers of each tribe were more likely to bow their heads to Shuddering March. The strength of Shuddering March, who could freely wield the tribal authorities of two prestigious clans that no one else had ever managed to combine, made such a thing possible.

If this continued, an unprecedented event might occur in which two top-tier demon god clans became part of a divine realm. It was something that could prompt the Demon King Realm to intervene directly, yet Shuddering March showed no sign of stopping.

‘Shuddering March. Does she truly intend to bring the entire Shuddering Demon Tribe and Marching Demon Tribe here? Anyone would covet a Highest Creator Divinity, and the Creation Realm will not sit still, yet she still intends to proceed? I cannot fathom how far she plans to go.’

A divine realm administrative god of demon origin was openly expanding her forces like this. There was no way the god race would remain quiet. Gaiana had been using the help of the divine realm’s ego to observe the situation, and it was terrifying.

‘Although the Main Divine Realm has turned its back on the goddesses of the Goddess Alliance, their notoriety is also a great asset.’

Any god who had lived through the previous Main God War would know their names. Many battle gods who remembered their past strength were gathering. Their scattered forces from the past were also reassembling. Since it was a Highest Creator Divine Realm, there were no issues with vitality or space, so they were absorbing them without restraint and expanding their power.

‘At least ten or more divine realms with Upper Main God-level combat strength have already been created. That alone is enough to rival a Highest Creator Divine Realm.’

Since the Goddess Alliance—their old enemies from the previous Main God War—was doing this, the Spirit Main Gods were not sitting idle either. With the help of the Highest Creator Divinity, they had nearly restored their bodies to their peak condition and were rapidly regaining their original strength.

‘Since most of them were originally Main Gods of the Divine Realm, they were gathering their past forces by any means possible to expand their power.’

On top of that, the sight of Lokina, the dark mage, mass-producing enormous artificial monster gods—as if stamping them out like factory products—made one’s head ache. No matter how much she had strengthened her dark magic as the Lord of the Flipside with the authority of a Main God of the Divine Realm, it should have been impossible for her to do alone. Yet with so many Spirit Main Gods assisting her, she was producing one per day. The countless artificial monster gods surrounding the residential areas of the Spirit Main Gods like a wall instead of ramparts made one’s head throb.

‘Even one or two would be a headache. With that many, even I would be helpless. Moreover, they even include the functions of artificial divine realms. They are creating something absurd. No, at this scale, is it basically mass production?’

She had been astonished when she saw ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠those artificial monster gods during her previous clash of strength with Shuddering March. They posed no great threat to her, but for Main Gods they possessed such immense life force and defensive power that one would grow tired from attacking them. Furthermore, they were specialized in divine realm destruction; even a graze would shatter a divine realm. Just two of them were capable of turning half a divine realm into ruins in a single day. If the Spirit Main Gods boarded them, strengthened their authorities through the artificial divine realms, and all those numbers ran wild, this divine realm would be annihilated instantly.

‘However, they are not the biggest problem. Just where are they? To think that even the divine realm’s ego is forbidden from identifying the location of the Main God of the Divine Realm’s direct forces. This is the first time I’ve seen anything like it. To thoroughly conceal one’s personal guard force inside one’s own divine realm—what exactly is he doing?’

The locations of the past Origins and Main God-level gods from the 500th Master Universe who served as the Dimensional Mage God’s direct forces could not be confirmed. Moreover, most of the lower gods who had originated as Transcendents and had recently distinguished themselves in the Main God War had naturally become his direct forces, and their whereabouts were unknown. Over nine hundred thousand lower gods had moved from the Dimensional Creator Star into the divine realm, yet their positions could not be detected. In other words, two hundred Main Gods, one thousand Main God-level gods and demon gods, and Transcendents were inside the divine realm, yet even the senses of a Demon King could not locate them.

‘Two hundred Main Gods qualified to be Origins, one thousand Main God-level beings from a Highest Demon God Star, and nine hundred thousand lower gods. How can they all vanish so cleanly inside a divine realm? If this force were to operate normally, it would be an overwhelming power that would render the goddesses of the Goddess Alliance and the Spirit Main Gods irrelevant. And yet the proxy Main God of the Divine Realm, Gaiana…’

Throb— Throb—

Her head was truly beginning to ache. It was no longer a joke. As an Upper Main Goddess of the Almighty God Tribe and a former Creator God, there was no individual goddess who could defeat her. However, when their forces were combined, her power looked utterly shabby in comparison.

‘Her entire force consists of only one hundred primordial battle gods from the past Main God level. And even they are not truly loyal. They only came to this side because they could not join the Goddess Alliance or the Spirit Main Gods. There is no telling what they will do if the situation changes. At this rate, I cannot possibly leave things as they are. I feel like a mother with an immature daughter.’

The real reason she was staying in this Highest Creator Divine Realm—despite the difficulties of adapting to her newly acquired Demon King body—was because of this. Leaving the only Upper Main Goddess of the Almighty Tribe as the proxy Main God of the Divine Realm of a Highest Creator Divine Realm was incredibly不安. Given her personality, it would not matter in a peaceful divine realm, but this place was the furthest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thing from peaceful. Everyone was endlessly raising their strength against one another. Sooner or later, something would explode. In the midst of that, Gaiana would not survive. She would be hard-pressed to even protect her own life, let alone suppress a rebellion.

‘Being kind-hearted as a member of the god race is not inherently bad, but this divine realm is like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Gaiana must increase her forces by any means necessary. The moment she shows even the slightest weakness here, she will be devoured.’

In such a situation, it was only natural that the Creation Realm had already begun questioning the qualifications of Gaiana as proxy. No matter how strong an individual was, without a supporting faction they could not perform organizational management duties. No matter how outstanding one’s intellect and authority were, without a faction to follow and support one’s words, one could never become the leader of an organization. A leader with almost no supporting faction was naturally considered incompetent.

Therefore, the fact that the proxy Main God of the Divine Realm, Gaiana, possessed almost no direct forces to respond to internal rebellion or crises when the Main God of the Divine Realm was dispatched to the Otherworld had become a fatal flaw. The earlier statement about capturing one provisional Creator God or defeating a provisional Creator Divine Realm was an extreme method. In reality, all she needed to do was demonstrate the power to suppress an internal revolt.

‘Main Gods are precious. There is no way they can find a provisional Creator God willing to serve as proxy under normal circumstances.’

If it could not be done alone, the hidden answer was to build a powerful faction capable of performing the duties of proxy Main God of the Divine Realm independently.

‘It seems the Creation Realm wants the Almighty Tribe to pour their forces here to help normalize the situation. However, although the Almighty God Tribe was once a prestigious clan, most of their Main Gods are currently sealed or in the middle of training. The only ones immediately available for action are myself and Almighty Hwi.’

Of course, if she regained her normal physical condition, she alone would be sufficient. But that could not be allowed. If a Demon King and a Creator God intervened in another divine realm without any justification or compensation, they would face severe punishment. The enormous compensation required for participating in mercenary battles was equally important for both Creator Gods and Demon Kings. Since it provided massive help in managing their own divine realms, they would not tolerate free participation that disrupted that order.

‘Even in an alliance, an acceptable price that the surroundings can understand must be received.’

If she could not receive help from the tribe, Gaiana would ultimately be left alone. That was why the judgment had been made that her ability to respond in emergencies was critically lacking. Even from an objective standpoint, if a civil war broke out right now, there was almost nothing Gaiana could do. Unless there was a Main God of the Divine Realm who actively supported her, her absence made her unqualified as proxy.

‘In a place like this, where each faction is divided and on the verge of civil war, one’s own faction is crucial. Given the atmosphere of this divine realm, even that powerful Dimensional Mage God must have continued making concessions and staying silent while steadily increasing his personal guard force. I think I finally understand why he turned the Main God War zone into a complete fortress. It is to use as a strategic point if civil war breaks out.’

The divine realm was on the brink of war, and the Main God of the Divine Realm was preparing. The answer was already clear. The Dimensional Mage God had removed all restrictions so that each faction could build their own forces, allowing him to openly create his personal guard. Even Shuddering March, a member of the demon race, was proudly gathering her personal forces. There was no need for Gaiana, a member of the god race, to hesitate.

‘It feels like I’m being swept up in the will of the Creation Realm, but I can no longer give up on this place.’

After watching Gaiana, who was frantically trying to find a solution on her own, for a moment, the Sage of Omniscience turned to the goddesses standing behind her and spoke with absolute resolve.

“As the Origin, I command the goddesses of the Almighty Tribe. Awaken all the sealed goddesses of the Almighty God Tribe and bring them here. Assign them directly under Gaiana’s command. I will now tell you the reason.”

“!”

She glanced over the startled expressions of Gaiana and the goddesses, then turned her gaze outward once more. She released the killing intent and fighting spirit of a Demon King. A female demon god who had mastered the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors and become a Demon King—someone who could make even her shudder—seemed to sense it. She turned toward her with a smile overflowing with killing intent and fighting spirit.

‘It seems the goddesses of the Goddess Alliance have noticed as well. They are raising their fighting spirit and authorities and soaring into the sky.’

The enormous artificial monster gods of the Spirit Main Gods also reacted, letting out monstrous roars. The Spirit Main Gods already stood atop their heads, gazing forward. At some point, walls had sprouted from each of their residences and defensive devices had revealed themselves. The splendid divine realm that had been filled only with sparkling temples transformed into a brutal war fortress in an instant.

‘It has already been destroyed twice, so they’ve gone ahead and rebuilt it entirely as a fortress.’

The most drastic transformation was occurring in the Main God War zone. Around the Cosmic Trees that formed the dimensional barriers, black brick-shaped magic power bodies rose into the air, constructing three-dimensional magic circles. The feeling emanating from those magic circles was one of brutal killing intent and fighting spirit. It was such powerful magic power that even she, a Demon King, felt that touching it would mean death.

At the sudden transformation of the divine realm, Gaiana and the goddesses who had been watching jumped in fright.

“Eh?”

The peaceful divine realm had, the instant the Demon King released her killing intent, transformed into a frontline fortress on the verge of war. The Sage of Omniscience found the expected reaction absurd, yet a smile naturally rose to her lips as a demon.

‘Even the demon world, where insubordination and betrayal are everyday occurrences, does not switch to combat fortress mode this thoroughly or this quickly.’

If she were to score their combat readiness, it would be a perfect hundred points. At this point, one could no longer even call it a divine realm. This was the heart of a battlefield.

“Hohoho—! What an excellent battlefield. The reward is so good that I must accept the danger.”

She laughed briefly, then withdrew her killing intent and fighting spirit before speaking to Gaiana. If Almighty Hwi’s creative power had been trustworthy, there would have been no need to go this far. But she no longer had the luxury of waiting tens of thousands of years.

‘The moment I became a Demon King, the invisible checks and pressure became severe. The moment they confirm it, they will come rushing in. There is no time.’

Using underhanded schemes and conspiracies to eliminate threatening rivals in the future was basic behavior for the demon race. The Almighty Tribe’s weakness was that, excluding the Hero Gods like themselves, they had almost no forces capable of immediate action. The moment their enemies became convinced of that weakness, they would target it mercilessly and charge in earnest. Therefore, they needed to quickly restore a force so powerful that other Demon Kings would not dare attack recklessly. If all the goddesses of the Almighty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Tribe recovered and established themselves within the Highest Creator Divine Realm, no Demon King would be able to ignore them. If left to Almighty Hwi, it would have taken hundreds of thousands of years. Here, it could be completed in an extremely short period. That alone made it worth risking their lives.

She gave Gaiana an order in a solemn tone completely devoid of jest.

“The goddesses of the Almighty Tribe must settle this matter here. You, an Upper Main Goddess of the Almighty Tribe, must also resolve yourself for death and not retreat. You must protect the position of proxy Main God of the Divine Realm at all costs.”

“!!!”

At the sudden command to risk her life for the position of proxy Main God of the Divine Realm, Gaiana’s face turned pale. Yet she seemed to finally understand the severity of the situation. Without her realizing it, the divine realm had changed this much. She understood that she too must change. Moreover, the situation of the tribe that she had heard from the goddesses of the same tribe who had come for treatment had always been as precarious as walking a tightrope. She even felt that her own life in a remote independent divine realm had been comfortable by comparison. Therefore, she bowed deeply to her Origin—who had given up everything as a member of the god race, even becoming a demon, to sacrifice herself for the tribe—and answered.