The 99-Second Hero God
The war in the Otherworld was one thing, but the opponent was simply too far above him to recklessly challenge. Their actions were impossible to predict. The Magic God of Dimensions had frantically searched for materials related to what had just been said. Among the data obtained from the Otherworld, he had finally confirmed the identity of this so-called concept.
A story about a hero who protects the masses, sacrifices himself for the world, and burns out gloriously. In my case, does that mean I have to accept sacrifice for the sake of victory? I've been forced to do that plenty of times myself, and all it ever left me with was regret. I came back half-dead, and not a single person remembered me. My achievements were all split up and claimed by others. And where have I heard this before? Was it from an Otherworld novel? A tale of Otherworld heroes? There really were a ridiculous number of stories like that.
Something had felt incredibly off, and now he finally understood why.
Aaaargh—! Damn it—! This is just an Otherworld fantasy novel, isn't it? The kind where the protagonist gets some ridiculous power to avenge his family or his tragic childhood, then goes around causing trouble for everyone while getting his revenge. By the end, he's caused so many accidents that the situation can't be salvaged, so he either dies as a wreck or secretly builds a harem. It's all just a self-satisfaction clone novel. Did you read that stuff and decide to make me act it out in real life? Why the hell would I, as the Truth Deputy being dispatched to the Otherworld, have to do such insane things? Aaaargh—! My head's starting to throb again.
But he couldn't just lash out according to his temper. With almost no foundation in the Divine Realm, this was one of the few higher-ups he had managed to meet through requests who was even remotely friendly. That was why, even though the being was an eccentric with power beyond comprehension who acted however they pleased, he couldn't rebel.
The higher you climb, the less of a problem disobedient subordinates become. Dealing with eccentric superiors is far more difficult.
At least with subordinates, there was the hope that once he grew stronger he could settle the score later. With this, there was no hope at all. Thanks to that, the pain born from all the worries and dissatisfaction piling up in his heart was on the verge of becoming a chronic condition.
As the Magic God of Dimensions pressed his throbbing forehead with his right palm, the voice of the Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family continued to flow into his ears.
“If one claims to be justice, why do they fight alone while hiding from massive organizations instead of receiving help from those around them? Moreover, if the situation becomes unfavorable, they could simply retreat, yet why do they foolishly charge straight in? Since I cannot understand why they act this way at all, experience it for yourself in the Otherworld using this authority. The deputy mission in a barren ruling territory with nothing in it can be done roughly, so this is a practical test. It is the life of a hero who overcomes hardship, grows, finally avenges his family, and disappears in a brilliant blaze.”
“……”
Once again, the words about doing the Truth Deputy role roughly and living as a hero for the faceless masses before disappearing brilliantly left him speechless. But an answer came immediately. Fortunately, these were the kinds of books he had read a lot during difficult times, so he had plenty to say. Though after experiencing it himself later, he had been so dumbfounded that he never searched for them again.
“I have neither family nor enemies. With that much power, I have no intention of stupidly creating a situation where I absolutely must seek revenge. Besides, are those who go around killing or crippling anyone just because they caused slight harm to their family or lover even in their right minds? They’re completely self-indulgent like children, with zero social awareness, fairness, or sense of justice. I also don’t understand how they can proudly destroy not just the person responsible but everyone around them when taking revenge. On the other hand, if they were to suffer the exact same thing and become the target of revenge themselves, they might understand. Whether their disposition is good or evil, allowing one person to turn their entire domain into a mess is a clear dereliction of duty by the responsible Main Gods. If such beings exist in my managed territory, I will erase them immediately. Above all, even though I am of the Main Universe, I am a Main God of the Divine Realm. My position and way of thinking are completely different from those crazy brats who have nothing, steal from those around them with force, and scream that they are justice.”
“Not a splendid hero, but crazy brats?”
“The jewel is embedded in the forehead, not the chest. This is my new life. If I burn out gloriously here, I won’t be able to be dispatched to the Otherworld. Above all, I am not being sent as a mere grunt. I am the Truth Deputy. My mission is to go to the gods of the Otherworld who offer no help to Truth yet constantly pester for assistance and make sure they can never say such things again. Even though they receive help, I have no intention of taking the side of the weak who only make demands. Even the same gods would act that way, so why would I do it for mere humans? And the humans of the Otherworld are growing weaker as living beings, to the point they can’t even produce vitality properly, while polluting their own planets. When I blocked the descent and interference of gods to reduce vitality consumption as much as possible, they started saying that gods are dead because they don’t appear often. Why should I protect such beings? Disposing of the useless, weak, and rude humans of the Otherworld is the correct answer.”
“……”
The Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family stared silently at the Magic God of Dimensions, who was clearly opposing the idea. A chill ran down his spine, but he absolutely could not back down. The difference in position was not the issue. The Wind FamilyOrigin of the Mage God’s interest in Otherworld heroes was, after all, nothing more than personal curiosity.
Whether it’s the Wind FamilyOrigin of the Mage God, a blood relative of Truth, or me who has received a title, neither of us can deviate from Truth’s guidelines. To maintain endless progress for eternal happiness, only the strong are prioritized and the weak are ignored. There is no room to play at being a hero for the weak. More importantly, I need to get this authority modified somehow. Since it was given as a reward for the request, it should be possible.
This authority was so effective that he had never seen anything like it without a time limit. It was to the point where he wouldn’t need to cut off the heads of the managing Main Gods and take them despite serious backlash. He had to receive additional corrections somehow and use it.
Above the Divine Spirit Purgatory, that ridiculous number indicating the remaining time is decreasing. There’s already less than 60 seconds left. Does this thing really kill me when it runs out? I only have two lives of complete denial. Just what am I supposed to do with a 90-second Hero God?
No matter how good the ability amplification was, becoming a Main God and walking around with something like this was impossible. From experience, possessing power far beyond one’s capacity inevitably led to encountering necessary crises. Drunk on power one couldn’t control, one would eventually challenge an overwhelmingly strong opponent recklessly and disappear someday. If it were a decent amount of time it might be fine, but only 99 seconds? That was absolutely unacceptable.
However, it seemed the Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family had no intention of giving up on their plan.
“I’ve already done that far too much. When you experience it yourself, it’s not cool at all. The person living it finds life itself so difficult they’re on the verge of death. Why do you think the protagonists of those novels smile as they die or disappear at the end? It’s from the sense of liberation that their painful life has finally ended.”
“Eh? Is that really how it is?”
Most such heroes, while fighting their final powerful enemy, ultimately choose to burn out together, accepting that they will exceed the time limit and die. Hearing that such a death was suddenly being called a self-abandoning surrender of life, the Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family looked at him with an expression of utter disbelief.
But even though he really hated it, as someone who had been forced to experience it himself as a mercenary god, he knew it all too well. Reality was brutally cold and cruel, demanding equivalent effort and price for any result. Feats that made others marvel were built upon an even greater price paid. If someone born in the lowest class rose to the highest, the effort and suffering involved were beyond words. The inside of the brightest sun was a blazing inferno. Therefore, there was naturally a reason people chose suicide or extreme decisions.
They do such things because they have no lingering attachment or hope in life. If there was even the slightest joy, would they do it? They would try to survive no matter what. Don’t you know just by looking at me? Just thinking about the past makes me feel like vomiting blood.
Success or life after overcoming hardship might draw admiration from the outside, but to the person themselves, it was merely a past that made their teeth grind. Seeing the Wind FamilyOrigin of the Mage God, who had been born into such power and could not understand such difficulties at all, making a face that said “surely not,” the emotions that had been boiling over finally exploded.
“Don’t you have an experienced person right here? Is that why my future self, the Grey Absolute, became a suicidal hopeful who turned into a bomb saying that life is too hard and if anyone touches him he’ll die together with them? Did he receive the Gray Realm from Truth with the instruction to manage it properly, only to be unable to hold back his temper and turn it into that mess? It’s because he suffered so much hardship that he feels no hope for the future or the world and has given up on everything—! Even after finishing his revenge against the Authority of Black Flame, he can’t disappear right away because of the cleanup. He’s frantically trying to regain his composure and sort things out right now. Above all, with this kind of restriction, every time I fight I’ll face a crisis, so I obviously can’t perform the Truth Deputy role. No, there’s no reason for me to fight directly there in the first place. I’m not going as a mere mercenary. I’m going as part of the ruling class. All I have to do is speak plausibly and match the mood. I must not engage in such reckless behavior anymore. Therefore, if you’re giving me a reward, please give me something stable instead of this 90-second self-destruct authority.”
He had even said things that essentially denied his own life, but he was desperate to persuade the Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family, whose position was so different that they could not understand hardship itself.
Having read the true feelings of the Magic God of Dimensions, the Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family eventually had no choice but to accept it. It had been a form of consideration and interest in their own way, but if the person in question opposed it so fiercely, it was difficult to give it as a reward.
“Tsk—! Is that how it is? If you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do.”
The Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family made a sound like a sulking child and simply activated the authority. The decreasing number inside the Divine Spirit Purgatory stopped. But the moment the decreasing number halted, a tremendous roar erupted from his bones and muscles.
Crack—! Crunch—!
Once again, the freedom of his body vanished. The face of the Magic God of Dimensions went completely blank. He had thought that after barely managing to persuade them, the damned time limit had disappeared, only for his body to freeze again. However, it wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t move even a single finger like before. It was almost back to normal, but the absolute power and senses he had felt earlier had completely vanished.
It was as if he had been thrown from the ends of the sky into the ground. The sense of deprivation was naturally enormous. He couldn’t possibly not know who had done this, but he had no choice but to ask.
“U-um… Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family. What is the meaning of this?”
“You don’t know high risk, high return? You have to be prepared to lose your principal to make a profit. Investment methods that guarantee the principal have no loss, but almost no profit either. In fact, as time passes, you slowly lose a little bit due to inflation without even realizing it. It’s much better to take on a bit of risk in the long run.”
The Origin of the Mage God of the Wind Family, whose expression had completely changed from that of a mischievous child to that of a businessman managing assets, spoke leisurely.
“To make a lot of money, you naturally have to aim for a big strike. That’s why the personal exclusive Dimensional Authority I gave you compresses all the life and possibilities given to the Magic God of Dimensions who has become a Creator God and unleashes them in a single instant. That’s why it has such great power but comes with a time limit. It’s a miracle made possible by compressing nearly eternal time possessed by a spiritual being into 99 seconds using dimensional authority. Other than this method, is there any other way to fully withstand the Main Universe dimensional clan’s Origin while simultaneously manifesting the authority of a magic god, the Incomprehensible Eight Founders, and even the Authority of Black Flame? There isn’t in the Main Universe. Now that the time limit has been stopped, it only puts a slight burden on you, so you should be able to move as usual, but nothing more than that. If you want the power, possibilities, and talent from before, either train properly to become stronger or reactivate the time limit. Of course, it’s not a permanent decrease. The reduced time limit will recover if you rest and train. If you exceed the time limit, even a spiritual being would be erased, but this is truly the authority of a genuine hero who overcomes any danger and seizes victory. The ‘99-Second Hero God’ is a test piece of an authority I am confident in.”
“……”
Upon hearing those words, he didn’t dare utter it out loud, but inside his heart he let out a silent scream.
In the end, I’m just a test subject—!
However, he agreed with the fact that there was no authority in the Main Universe with this level of effect. Therefore, it was only natural that there would be that much risk, so he had nothing to say. Yet something inside him began to boil again. He had also roughly figured out the hidden intention.
Against the Otherworld, which is mostly made up of Main Gods, this is far too powerful. So the opponents are the rulers of the Otherworld? It seems you want to see me use this without fail, turn everything into a mess, and fight. By the way, there are about 60 seconds left? And the more I use the authority and magic power, the slower the time limit decreases or something. What should I do with this? Power? Or stability?