The Only Path is War
The situation compiled by the administrative Main God of the Main Divine Realm for the Otherworld War was unmistakably urgent. External affairs that had once resolved themselves naturally were now almost entirely suspended due to protests and delays from the lower Main Divine Realms. Had he become the lowest-ranked among the Main Gods, matters might not have escalated this far, but the greatest problem was assuming the number one position in place of All-Powerful Splendor.
The Main Divine Realm functioned as each faction’s defensive stronghold, yet as the final bulwark of the Creator Realm, it naturally maintained an integrated alliance and unified command structure. ‘Higher ranks hold no direct command authority, but they must be able to request cooperation and issue guidance. Yet everyone from rank two to ten—those with direct ties—refuses to acknowledge my succession to first place. They’re voicing dissatisfaction and applying pressure little by little.’
They could not compare to Almighty Hwi, of course, but as commanders of the Substitute Gods’ final defensive fortresses, they were the strongest existences in their respective domains. Moreover, they were the mightiest battle gods who had seized the position of Main God—equivalent in status to a Creator God through raw power—while standing as the strongest preliminary Creator Gods within their own Creator Realms.
When such beings openly displayed their discontent, the existing cooperative system could not possibly hold. Added to this was the growing indifference or outright dismissal from other Main Divine Realms. The resulting problems had already pushed him to the brink of being challenged for incompetence as the top-ranked Main God.
The administrative Main God had reported directly that even attempts at mediation through concession or negotiation proved futile. ‘Now I understand why I told him to kill Almighty Hwi if the bastard made excessive demands or picked a fight. They’re high-ranking gods and powerful battle gods—words simply don’t work. They acknowledge nothing unless you prove your strength. Show even a hint of weakness and you’ll be driven out immediately. Or die in a duel.’
Until now, he had maintained a degree of familiarity through concession and consideration. This was his first time facing such a crisis. Supreme gods, Main Gods of the Divine Realm—none of it mattered. From the perspective of the entire Divine Realm, they were ultimately mid-to-upper tier weaklings. Because each side needed something from the other, negotiation and compromise had always worked. ‘Even with enemies, if you grant benefits or concessions that look excessively generous to outsiders, familiarity can be maintained.’
The female Main Gods of the Goddess Blood Alliance and the Spirit Main Gods continued to restrain their enmity and operate the Divine Realm solely because of the enormous benefits only he could provide. However, once one reached the level of a Creator God capable of creating Main God Stars, such incentives no longer held sway. Supreme powerhouses who could accomplish everything alone had no reason to entertain familiarity or negotiations that did not suit them. ‘They are powerhouses with absolutely nothing to lose from one another, which leaves no room for negotiation. Almighty Hwi, who would have undertaken any hardship for the revival of the Almighty God Tribe, was actually in a better position. He could still negotiate somehow, but it doesn’t work with other Main Gods or Creator Gods. How do you negotiate with an opponent who lacks any needs whatsoever?’
As gods, the positions of Main God and Creator God stood near the absolute pinnacle. Beings who attained such ranks could not possibly possess ordinary forces or talent. Each had risen while flaunting the greatest power and talent within their respective domains. Yet upon reaching the Main Divine Realm—the boundary separating the Main Divine Realm from the Creator Realm—they found themselves surrounded by equally powerful entities. At the supreme tier, the overwhelming secondary benefits from the forces they had once enjoyed no longer applied. Only personal strength remained, and because they served as the core of the defensive fortress known as the Main God Star, strength alone decided everything.
‘When even official position carries no weight because the forces are comparable, all that remains is individual power.’
Thanks to this reality, although they had ascended to the ruling class of Creator Gods, the hierarchy operated exactly like a food chain among apex predators—everything determined purely by strength. He now understood that common sense, right and wrong, meant nothing. Only the superiority of force and power dictated all outcomes.
The competition was so fierce that factions formed through contracts or mutual interest could not even gain a foothold. After all, if the opponent was a Main God, the reward worth risking one’s life for—a Main God Star—could be paid as the price of betrayal by a Creator God. In the end, only a perfect Common Destiny like the relationship between an Origin and their clan received recognition. ‘For a Creator God, possessing not only personal strength but also a proper force was the most basic requirement.’
There was no chance the other Creator Gods would acknowledge him when he had not even satisfied this fundamental standard. Under normal circumstances, they would never have tolerated him standing on equal footing with them. It was only thanks to the protection of Origin of the Mage God that everyone had been given this opportunity. ‘They cluster together and scrutinize qualifications so thoroughly that it’s impossible to stand alone. That’s why I aimed to become the Origin of the Dimensional God Tribe. I thought there would be time since the appointment ceremony hadn’t even taken place, but things have already reached this stage?’
If the administrative Main God was delivering such a grave report, the issue was on the verge of becoming public knowledge. His Innate Divine Power had not yet reached one hundred billion, so there was no immediate way to create the Dimensional God Tribe. Negotiation was necessary, yet it seemed unlikely to succeed. A mere non-Origin—a Mage God no one had ever heard of—had suddenly seized the number one rank. There was no way the established powers would accept it.
He had considered creating Main God Stars and distributing them to buy goodwill, but bowing his head from the outset would mean he could never be recognized as the head of a powerful, prestigious clan. ‘From now on, every action will be evaluated not as the individual Dimensional Mage God but as the Origin of the Dimensional Clan. I absolutely cannot lower my head.’
The correct path was to invest time and subdue them one by one through force, earning acknowledgment of his superiority. It would become possible once he established the Dimensional Clan and produced his own Main Gods. When his thoughts reached this point, he ground his teeth.
‘But how? I have neither time nor leisure. At this rate, even the most optimistic calculations show it will take at least ten million years to reach one hundred billion divine power.’
Having obtained the basic qualification as Origin of the Dimensional God Tribe, he could create not only the power required of a Creator God but also a completely trustworthy force. Yet producing one hundred billion Innate Divine Power could not possibly be easy. Even Almighty Hwi—a Hero God possessing the finest talent—had invested nearly one billion years to reach his current level. ‘Considering how much harder divine power becomes to increase the higher one climbs, the era of ultra-rapid growth like before has ended.’
At least the Divine Realm of the 499th Master Universe had developed significantly, causing the divine power support effect to surge and drastically shorten the required period. Still, it would demand enormous time and effort. There was no chance those around him would remain idle during that span. The 499th Master Universe stood on the verge of the race-deciding war against the Substitute Gods. If the birth of the powerful Dimensional Clan was delayed because of him, the Creator God King would personally intervene to coordinate. ‘If the Dimensional Clan—which holds the potential to become not mere assistance but a strategic weapon—cannot be created because its Origin is too weak, even the Creator God King would not sit still. If no potential is shown, he will replace me by any means necessary.’
He had obtained what he desired, yet lacked the power to protect it. Nevertheless, this was the position of Origin of the Dimensional Clan earned after suffering greatly in connection with the 10 Mainstays. Although he had received it more easily than expected, considering the additional price he would have to pay later, he could not retreat. At the same time, as a Main God, he could not disobey the Creator God King’s legitimate orders concerning the future of his divine race. Failure could force him to surrender his qualification as the Dimensional Origin and handle the revival of the proxy of Truth and the Dragon God Tribe in the Otherworld instead. ‘I would rather die than do that. There’s no other choice. I cannot lose something that isn’t fully mine yet, so whether I live or die, I have no option but to try again.’
A sound like grinding teeth and scraping bone and muscle echoed from the Dimensional Mage God as he finished organizing the situation. Golden Dimensional Authority settled completely throughout his body. The thirteen layers of magical wings belonging to the Mage God rapidly transformed into wings of divine power, becoming a perfect twenty-six pairs of wings of light. The entire Dimensional Divine Realm shook under the Dimensional Authority as the Mage God’s divinity was replaced by Dimensional divinity.
Whoooooooosh—!
The whole Divine Realm was engulfed in golden brilliance. Magic vanished, leaving only the divine power of light to shine with blinding intensity. The divine power support of the Divine Realm—now entirely converted to Dimensional divine power—concentrated upon the Dimensional Mage God floating in midair. The golden wings sprouting from his back expanded endlessly, stretching beyond the horizon.
At that moment, the Origin of the first Dimensional Clan in the Master Universe revealed his true form.
Having completed his transition into the Dimensional Origin with the Divine Realm’s support, the Dimensional Mage God gazed at his own realm—radiating with brilliant golden light—for a brief moment with a touch of melancholy. Then he teleported directly to the Main Divine Realm.
Rumble—!
The defensive fortress that was the Main Divine Realm reacted differently from the Dimensional Divine Realm. The instant it sensed its Main God’s divinity had changed, it began reshaping itself into the optimal defensive configuration based on Dimensional Authority.
The Main Divine Realm and its six surrounding satellite Main God Stars were enveloped in radiant golden light and covered by a Dimensional barrier. That barrier immediately expanded to an enormous scale, swallowing not only the Main Divine Realm’s territory but also the Dimensional Divine Realm and even the entire stellar system.
Based on the power of the Origin of the Dimensional Clan, the Main Divine Realm had formed the highest-level barrier across the entire stellar system—one that not even Creator Gods could breach. While the Dimensional Divine Realm had only been structured to support a Main God of the Divine Realm, strengthening the barrier to stellar-system scale proved that the gods of the Main Divine Realm possessed an entirely different level of power. ‘A Divine Realm is an aggregate of the authorities and divinities of its affiliated gods. This difference could easily be considered at least tenfold.’
Had he mobilized his subordinates for a direct confrontation, he would have been defeated instantly. He had only won by stubbornly insisting on a one-on-one anomalous match with Almighty Hwi until the very end. Or rather, it would be more accurate to call it Almighty Hwi’s concession. The fact that he alone could restore the circle of divine power for the female Main Gods of the Almighty Tribe without burden had been decisive. Had Almighty Hwi not considered their future relationship until the final moment, victory would never have been his. ‘As expected of the Main Divine Realm. Winning was truly fortunate. No—it was thanks to Origin of the Mage God and my future self.’
What his future self had envisioned was correct. Becoming Main God should have been impossible under normal circumstances. It had only been achievable thanks to Origin of the Mage God, who had turned his future self—defeated by Almighty Hwi—into the Grey Absolute and granted the present self this opportunity in the form of a request.
Yet now that he had climbed this high, he no longer entertained any thought of stepping down or retreating. ‘No future or opportunity could possibly be better than the present. I will stake everything to protect what I have now.’
Thump. Thump.
He felt the authority of the Dimensional Origin being exerted almost perfectly with the support of both the Dimensional Divine Realm and the Main Divine Realm. The sound of the Dimensional Mage God’s heartbeat reverberated throughout the Main Divine Realm. It was the majestic presence of a body strengthened beyond imagination by the Authority of Black Flame. Moreover, the incomprehensible defensive authority of the Eight Ancestors—whose activation conditions and methods he had never understood and had left to luck—now began to make sense.
Both the Authority of Black Flame that rampaged within his instincts and the incomprehensible defensive authority of the Eight Ancestors that had been forcibly driven into his body through training gradually found stability within the endlessly expanded world of possibilities. The authorities he had only been able to learn imperfectly due to the limits of his talent were now revealing every one of their possibilities.
Since the Eight Ancestors of the Incomprehensible could neither be learned nor understood without talent on the level of the Wind Family, this phenomenon carried only one meaning. ‘Is this the fundamental authority of the Origin of the Dimensional Clan within the Master Universe? It creates a new world and turns every impossibility into possibility. It shatters all limits and grants potential on the level of the Wind Family? What an astonishing power and authority.’
With the limits of talent erased, he could see the endpoint of every authority and feel the path forward. Yet although he could see and understand everything, he could not yet possess it all. ‘The authorities that even I as Origin could not control have simply become adjustable to perfectly match my current level. If even I am like this, the clan members will be able to learn them, but they will only reap results equal to the effort they invest.’
Then came the warning from the Origin of the Wind Family in the Absolute Realm. It was a message automatically triggered upon opening his divinity as the Origin of the Dimensional Clan.
The Dimensional Mage God, having opened the divinity of the Dimensional Origin, walked down the corridor of the Main God Temple. No guards blocked his path. There were not even any ordinary sentries. In fact, those who had originally been present had withdrawn the moment he returned. Stationing additional guards at the residence of the Main God—the mightiest battle god in the Main Divine Realm—would be an insult. Therefore, when the Main God stayed within the Main Divine Realm, all guard forces were reassigned elsewhere.
‘When I first took over duties in the Main Divine Realm, I was bewildered that everyone except me had disappeared, but I soon nodded in understanding.’
The statement that the strongest force in a Divine Realm was its Main God was obvious. The Main Divine Realm, however, did not merely speak the words—it practiced and proved them. Therefore, unlike ordinary Divine Realms, there was no need to consult or coordinate with subordinates. ‘Any order related to the interests and strengthening of the Main Divine Realm is carried out without question. Subordinates incapable of obeying are disposed of.’ These words were formally written into the regulations of the Main Divine Realm.
Unlike his time in the ordinary Divine Realm, he no longer needed to worry whether subordinates would follow orders. Even simple commands produced immediate action and reports. Unlike ordinary Divine Realms, the value and justification granted to the high-ranking gods of the Main Divine Realm was singular: ‘Become stronger in order to protect the Creator Realm.’
In such an atmosphere, the Main God needed only to issue correct orders for the sake of the Main Divine Realm without involving himself in politics. And the words of the Main God—the strongest battle god—were generally correct when it came to matters of strength. Any issues stemming from lack of experience were offset by swift decision-making and the resulting gains, allowing development at a pace on a completely different level from ordinary Divine Realms.
‘The only problem would be if the Main God were weak, but that possibility does not exist. Even without passing the authentication battle, the position of Main God—equal to a Creator God—is coveted by countless powerhouses like myself.’
The weak could not endure. The Main Divine Realm ruled by the strongest of the strong was, in every sense, a perfect army.
Kiiiiiii—!
The doors to the round table of the Main Divine Realm opened. The preliminary Creator Gods who had risen from their seats upon seeing him placed their right hands over their hearts and bowed their heads. Every seat was filled except for the original second rank and the third rank—Radiant Cross Sword—who was still stabilizing his revived body.
‘All thirty-four preliminary Creator Gods of the round table responded to the summons. They all agreed? Not bad.’
A satisfied smile rose naturally to his lips. He had already notified them of his decision through the summons itself. Those who refused would either have to leave the Main Divine Realm or accept disposal at his hands. Yet with the sudden replacement of the Main God having shaken dignity and created difficulties, this was the only method to restore order in a short time. ‘We haven’t even held the appointment ceremony yet. If it’s already like this, nothing will go smoothly later.’
Many Main Divine Realms wished to see the number one Main Divine Realm fall. From the perspective of immortal divine races, the fall of those above was necessary for those below to rise; therefore, the number one rank had no allies. The only option was to use overwhelming power and force to prevent any thought of challenge. Even Almighty Hwi had done the same. Extreme measures were required.
‘Now I understand why the Black Flame Absolute was so obsessed with the honor of the Black Flame Race, said to possess the strongest bodies in the Absolute Realm. If it’s already like this, the problems will only grow worse. There is no time to persuade or subdue more than twenty thousand Main Gods one by one. In the end, it must be war. We will use the lower Main Divine Realms as sacrifices to prove our strength.’
The preliminary Creator Gods had already recognized this reality, and above all, they possessed more than enough will to fight in order to protect the power they had finally obtained. Even if they later became Main Gods of some other Divine Realm, their experience holding power within the Main Divine Realm would prove an enormous asset.
The Dimensional Mage God, seated at the glorious position of Main God, delivered his final decision.
“Then let us wage war.”
At the utterly natural statement, the gathered preliminary Creator Gods showed neither suspicion nor surprise. For those lacking the status and forces to become successors to a Main God of the Divine Realm, the best path was to become a Main God. They were beings who had reached this point through strength alone. Now that the Dimensional Mage God had been confirmed as Main God, nothing else mattered. All that remained was the burning desire to prove their worth by obeying orders and accumulating merit.
‘This is the chance to prove to every Main Divine Realm the results of our efforts—efforts we continued without abandoning the opportunity to become Main God even while serving under Almighty Hwi, the universally acknowledged Hero God.’
They could prove that not only Almighty Hwi but also those who had endured and grown beneath him existed within the number one Main Divine Realm. Other Main Divine Realms that had never dared provoke or challenge Almighty Hwi were now preparing to move in earnest. A little more, and they would have sufficient justification for war.
‘If it is the Dimensional Mage God who defeated Almighty Hwi, victory is certain.’
The victories they achieved against other Main Divine Realms would become brilliant glory for themselves. At last, the opportunity had come to escape the label of Almighty Hwi’s subordinates and make their own names known. More than that, although the Main Divine Realm was the final defensive fortress against the Substitute Gods, they had rarely engaged in actual combat—only training and sparring. Yet after clashing with the Dimensional Mage God for the position of Main God, they felt as if they had awakened to something new. They expressed that emotion with a short, spirited response.
“Ha—!”
Both the Main God and every preliminary Creator God seated at the round table felt their blood as battle gods boiling. All that remained was trembling excitement at the fact that they could finally fight with their full strength.