The Weight of Honor
As the excitement over the Otherworld War began to subside, the Magic God of Dimensions spoke in a calm, measured tone. He had to settle this matter clearly—for the sake of what lay ahead.
‘Reporting to the Creation Realm that I intend to wage a Main God War cannot be justified by personal honor alone. As the one ranked first, punishing a lower-ranked god for insubordination won’t hold water unless I step forward myself. This must be framed as maintaining discipline within the Main Divine Realm that I rule. It has to be presented as a war to discipline the lower Main Divine Realms for their deliberate obstruction of duties and disruption of order. I must claim this is for the preservation of the Main Divine Realm’s hierarchy, not personal vengeance. The war must be perceived as a means to sustain the Main Divine Realm’s development, not a petty grudge. And for that, I cannot offer personal rewards for participation. It must appear that they are volunteering purely for the sake of the Main Divine Realm. I doubt many would join if there were no compensation at all… but it can’t be helped.’
If the Creator God King only cared about his own safety, he could simply ignore the lower ranks’ interference. Even if their meddling caused the Main Divine Realm’s affairs to suffer and its overall ranking to drop, his personal rank would remain unchanged unless he lost a direct duel. However, the Main Divine Realm’s ranking was a comprehensive evaluation. Any breakdown in command structure or cooperation would send it plummeting to the bottom. This war was necessary to prevent that outcome, which meant personal compensation could not be offered.
“This war is being waged for the dignity of the Main Divine Realm. Therefore, there will be no compensation for participation.”
“……”
“……”
At those words, a faint flicker of disappointment crossed the faces of the Creator Candidates. They had expected some form of reward. After all, the Magic God of Dimensions had become obscenely wealthy from the vitality he earned as compensation from the battle in the Spirit Realm against the 500th Master Universe.
‘So what he’s saying is that even if we fight, he can’t give us separate rewards. We’re to participate purely as warriors of the Main Divine Realm, for its sake alone.’
But in truth, what they sought now was not vitality—it was the honor of being recognized as victors. They already knew they stood above the other Creator Candidates of the lower Main Divine Realms. Yet they had never proven it in direct combat. They had simply trusted the comprehensive ranking decided by the Creation Realm.
That trust had been shattered. The Creator God King’s recent directive—to re-evaluate ranks based purely on individual strength—had caused massive upheaval. The Magic God of Dimensions was now facing challenges for the very same reason, and they too would soon be flooded with challenges from those below them.
‘No matter how many times we win, as long as there’s even a chance of victory, the challenges against us—the highest-ranked—will never stop.’
A single loss would send them plummeting. And in countless battles, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t eventually encounter a terrible counter-match. To avoid such unnecessary risks and effort, they needed to demonstrate overwhelming power.
‘Proving that the highest-ranked Creator Candidates of the number one Main Divine Realm can thoroughly suppress those beneath them is not a problem unique to the Magic God of Dimensions.’
And for Creator Candidates standing at the threshold of becoming true Creator Gods, the honor of victory held far greater value than mere vitality.
‘The easiest way for the strong to gain honor is to lightly crush those who rely solely on their own power and dare to challenge them. And the only way to obtain such victories in bulk is through war.’
In other words, this war was not only to restore the shaken prestige of the Creator God King ranked first and stabilize the Main Divine Realm, but also to protect the honor and ranking of every warrior serving under him.
Without needing to exchange a single word of intent, they simply confirmed the burning resolve in one another’s eyes. As one, they bowed their heads and recited in unison.
“We shall prove ourselves as the strong through victory alone—for the sake of the Main Divine Realm.”
The Magic God of Dimensions, who had expected at least half of them to withdraw at the mention of no compensation, found himself momentarily speechless. Then a warm smile bloomed in his heart.
‘Heh heh heh! My prediction was completely off the mark… but it feels good.’
He had briefly misjudged them, thinking only of his own past circumstances and environment. These were not mercenary gods. They were official warriors of the divine realm. Mercenary gods would never fight without pay. Only a portion of the officially affiliated warriors had ever fought with true sacrifice.
‘Sacrifice for the divine realm is the glory and honor of a warrior.’
He had seen many such warriors smile as they died in battle against the Substitute Gods or the demon god race. They had neither sought nor received any reward for offering their lives. At the time, he hadn’t understood it at all. Now, he was beginning to.
‘To those lowly beings who could die at any moment, survival comes first. But to those whose lives are already guaranteed, is honor more important? Or perhaps it’s simply the difference between mercenary gods who can survive alone and Main Gods who must lead their subordinates. I’m not sure if that’s exactly right, but let’s go with that for now. Since my subordinates are like this… I suppose I need to change a little too.’
With a rare, genuinely pleased smile, he spread both hands wide and declared,
“Hah—! Very well. As the Creator God King, I cannot offer personal compensation for a battle fought for the Main Divine Realm. However, I shall add one condition.”
The bowed heads of the Creator Candidates lifted at once. They felt a divine power far denser and more potent than the Magic God of Dimensions’ own divine power, along with an authority they had never sensed before. Though unfamiliar, the overwhelming might of that authority surged forth, transforming into divine speech that resonated throughout the entire Main Divine Realm and was officially recognized.
“To all warriors who participate in this war for the Main Divine Realm without seeking any reward and achieve merit, I make this vow. I shall regard them as ‘Special.’ ”
“!!!”
Utter shock bloomed across the faces of the Creator Candidates. As immensely powerful warriors who could threaten even the position of a successor, they understood the nature of dominion all too well.
‘Special means receiving the unconditional protection and favor of the Creator God. Is he truly allowed to bestow such a thing upon his subordinate warriors? Does he intend to win this war without fail?’
For a leader to have special individuals was tantamount to revealing a massive weakness. The easiest way to maintain power was through fair rewards and punishments—treating all subordinates equally. The reason was simple: even the harshest rule could be endured if everyone suffered together, but the moment some received special treatment, rebellion would erupt.
‘There is no such thing as special. Why create such troublesome and dangerous targets? Aside from the Main God of the Divine Realm, everyone is an equal weakling and subordinate. That is the easiest way to rule.’
Those had been the drunken true feelings of some Main God of the Divine Realm, but they laid bare the essence of dominion. To leaders and ruling classes, the only special beings were successors or blood relatives who shared their fate. Everyone understood that much. But designating anyone else as special was an extremely dangerous act for a ruler.
That was why the word “special” carried such immense weight when spoken by a high-ranking ruler like a Creator God.
‘To be special to a Creator God means being forgiven for a certain degree of mistakes. For a high-ranking leader who commands countless subordinates, that is incredibly dangerous.’
They thought the reward of a Creator God’s favor was excessive, yet they could also understand it. Radical change never arose from ordinary thinking or standards. Warriors who offered loyalty in exact proportion to what they received were everywhere. They had seen plenty of hypocrites who refused to risk their lives because they saw no value in it—especially since they weren’t even mercenary gods.
‘Those kinds of trash were useless in real wars. The warriors who fight knowing they might die are the ones who set the mood, lead the charge, and ultimately decide the outcome of the war. But such special subordinates are not easily obtained. I too must treat them differently and protect them.’
In a way, the fact that some warriors would risk their lives for the divine realm regardless of personal gain was itself a radical act. A commander who merely upheld the basic rules of dominion while hiding behind regulations and laws could never create such subordinates. There was no doubt that drawing out such radical loyalty from one’s followers was proof of a commander’s own special nature.
It meant bearing the burden of special treatment—which could destroy fairness and paralyze dominion itself—in order to earn true loyalty.
‘It would be better to simply give them vitality than to treat someone as special. Vitality can be regained, but once fairness is broken, restoring it is nearly impossible.’
Yet the Magic God of Dimensions had chosen to do exactly that for the victory of the Main Divine Realm.
‘To a Creator God, the only special beings are successors and blood relatives. And yet he has now promised this as a reward to the warriors who achieve merit in this battle.’
If they won this fight, it was tantamount to a public declaration that they would not be disposed of unless they committed treason. The Magic God of Dimensions, newly risen to the position of first-ranked Creator God King, had already proven his overwhelming strength to them in direct combat. He would undoubtedly become a high-ranking Creator God in the future. To be designated as special by such a being was worth risking one’s life for. It was a background that even the successor of a Creator God would envy.
Having organized their thoughts, the Creator Candidates exchanged glances, brought both hands together in front of their faces, and bowed—not just their heads, but from the waist as well—before shouting in unison.
“LOYALTY—!”
The battle cry of subordinates pledging their lives to carry out their commander’s orders on the battlefield rang out.
In response to their resolute will, the Magic God of Dimensions rose from his seat, brought his own hands together before his face, and answered.
“Sincerity. I accept your hearts with true gratitude. Since we must wage a great war anyway, let us handle everything at once. Administrative Main God.”
“Hah—! Yes—!”
The Administrative Main God had been growing increasingly anxious. The other Main Divine Realms were no longer cooperating at all; instead, their interference had become so severe that the problem was spiraling out of control. He had already begun to regret submitting an urgent report to avoid taking responsibility himself.
Yet at the sudden summons, he answered loudly in surprise. Even as he rose in haste, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
‘I thought it would end with a show of force or a stern warning. I never imagined he would immediately declare war on the other Main Divine Realms. How am I supposed to stop this?’
He had to prevent war at all costs, but with the Creator Candidates now burning with even greater fervor and charging forward like they were in a frenzy, there was nothing he could do. He had been desperately searching for another solution when he was suddenly singled out, causing him to panic even more.
And that panic reached its peak with the next words that followed.
“Notify both the second-ranked and tenth-ranked Main Divine Realms that are under our direct command. The overall person responsible for this insubordinate refusal of duties and interference must bring their head and come personally to apologize to the Creator God King. This is an official directive from the one ranked first. Refusal will result in immediate war to punish this insubordination.”
“Guh—!”
The overall person responsible for this incident was obviously the Administrative Main God of each respective Main Divine Realm. There was no way they would accept a demand to cut off the head of the very Administrative Main God who handled all divine administrative duties in their stead and bring it before the Creator God King. In fact, it was questionable whether the Administrative Main Gods delivering such a report would even explain it properly.
Even gods who lived forever suffered immense damage if they died and lost their bodies. Their divinity would drop, and restoring it would require the assistance of higher gods, an enormous amount of time, and a staggering quantity of vitality. The higher the god, the harder recovery became—which was precisely why they did everything possible to avoid death. A Main God would use any means necessary to evade such a fate.
‘If they want to apologize to avoid war, they’re telling the reporting Administrative Main God to bring their own head? Even I would try to persuade the Creator God King to start a war instead. This is a complete declaration of war.’
Even against a second- or third-ranked Main Divine Realm, winning would be difficult. Against two or more, the situation became overwhelmingly unfavorable. Yet the Magic God of Dimensions was declaring war on all nine of them at once. The sheer audacity left the Administrative Main God stunned.
He was frantically trying to think of a way to soften the message, smooth things over, or end it with an apology—when another thunderbolt of an order struck him.
“Report this to the Creation Realm as well. Due to the chaos caused by the lower Main Divine Realms’ unjustified refusal of legitimate orders, I will personally punish the overall person responsible and accept the apology of the corresponding Creator God King. If this legitimate directive is refused, I will wage a Main God War and punish them directly. And if you change even a single word of this message, I will charge you with treason against the divine realm.”
Once the Creation Realm received this report, there would be no turning back. And the Administrative Main God now understood all too well that altering the content would indeed result in him being executed for treason.
But war could not be allowed to happen.
The image of Main Divine Realms being shattered by the Magic God of Dimensions during a Main God War flickered before his eyes. Even without the All-Powerful Splendor at its core, he had single-handedly crushed the number one Main Divine Realm as if it were a joke. The problem was that if their own Main Divine Realm suffered the same fate, no one would tolerate it. It would lead to a nightmarish bloodbath.
Wishing that only their own Main Divine Realm would remain unscathed while fighting nine others was pure greed.
‘Even if we win, neither side will emerge unharmed.’
Yet attempting to mediate in the middle would result in him being executed for treason. He was trapped with nowhere to turn. His head throbbed so violently he felt it might explode.