The Blood-Red Carpet
The unexpected voice came from the side during the Otherworld War.
“I’ve brought them here.”
Two blood-soaked figures were thrown before the Dimension Genesis God. Naturally, they were the Origins, now reduced to complete rags. With heavy thuds—thump!wham!—the Creator God King and Demon Emperor frowned at the sight of the Origins pierced by dozens of Swords of Ruin and Soul, barely clinging to life.
They had followed orders and rescued them from the Dimension Genesis God’s disposal. However, no one had told them to turn the captives into such mangled wrecks.
‘Still, they’re definitely alive.’
‘If not for the non-lethal property of the Sword of Ruin and Soul, they would have died several times over. But they’re alive.’
As long as the Origins remained alive, no matter the damage, the protection over their clan would hold. Their attitude and handling of the matter were far too reckless for his taste, but since the task was completed, he had to let it slide. Causing a problem in front of the Wind Family’s Dimension Genesis God could easily make them the problem instead.
Moreover, seeing the Magic God of Dimensions speak in such a calm tone suggested the situation was far more serious than expected.
“The heads of the Origins or the administrative gods are no longer necessary. I alone am sufficient. I will complete the Otherworld dispatch using only my own power. I swear on the honor of the Dimension Clan that I will handle it to your complete satisfaction. Please trust me and leave it in my hands.”
The Magic God of Dimensions had spoken those words remembering the Creator God King’s order to send him elsewhere by any means, but the reply was utterly terrifying.
“Oh? Including the power I granted you, I assume? Otherwise the result might be the complete opposite. And it sounds like you’re telling me that if I have no business here, I should return to the Wind Family. It seems you have no need for Dimensional Authority.”
The implicit threat—if you act in a way I dislike, I will take it back immediately—sent a chill surging through the Magic God of Dimensions.
‘The “99-second Hero God” granted by the Dimension Genesis God-nim and the Dimensional Authority personally tuned for me caused my computational power and physical abilities to skyrocket. Thanks to that, I can operate all authorities and magic without any burden or need to supplement with the heads of demon gods or other means.’
Because of it, he had been able to push the Origins without any restrictions. Yet now the most crucial part was about to be taken back. He was so flustered that a hollow laugh escaped him.
“Ahahaha… Of course, it is all thanks to the help you provided.”
“Titles and the power granted alongside them are not truly yours. The Dimensional Authority I bestowed is the same—it is not your own power. Do you understand what happens when you grow complacent and arrogant with it? Always remember that in a true battle where even a moment’s carelessness is unacceptable, you will inevitably collapse. And you know what happens if you stake the honor of the Dimension Clan’s Origin and then lose, don’t you?”
“Yes…”
It was obvious—he would be dragged back to Wind Star, turned into an insect, and trained from the very foundation. The realization that no matter how much stronger he had become, nothing had truly changed left the Magic God of Dimensions completely deflated. He lowered his head.
The Wind Family’s Dimension Genesis God looked at the Origins twitching on the floor. They had already recovered enough to desperately try to escape this predicament.
‘I must avoid showing such a disgraceful sight at all costs.’
‘The Creator God King-nim and the Demon Emperor-nim came in person to witness this.’
Moreover, with those two kneeling and only bowing their heads, any sense of dignity as an Origin had long been discarded. They frantically pushed out the Swords of Ruin and Soul embedded in their bodies, then, since their arms still lacked strength, bit down with their teeth and yanked them free.
Drip— Thud— Thud— Thump—!
The extracted swords clattered to the floor. The Origins, now barely able to stand, rose with blood gushing from their bodies. Though their injuries were so severe they should have died long ago, they walked with unshaken steps behind the representatives of each race.
Then they dropped to both knees, straightened their upper bodies, and bowed only their heads. Blood still poured endlessly from their forms, yet they projected an unyielding image that spoke of no defeat whatsoever.
Seeing this, the Wind Family’s Dimension Genesis God broke into an incomparably bright smile.
“Hah—! What stubbornness, refusing to acknowledge defeat even when broken and bent? Truly to my liking. I heard the level of the 499th Master Universe has risen so sharply that the 10 Mainstays are suffering headaches to maintain the standards of the Absolute Realm. Now I see why. And to receive such hospitality on my way—truly an honor. Huhuhuhuhu—!”
He rose from his seat and began to walk. With every step of the Dimension Genesis God, blood soaked the ground and splattered around him.
Thud— Thud—
The red blood that had flowed from the Origins and pooled on the floor lay like a carpet. The Dimension Genesis God walking upon it wore an expression of pure delight.
To a God of Combat, blood shed in a desperate battle and the wounds that accompanied it were both pride and honor. Moreover, for mere Creator Gods of a Master Universe to endure being shredded by the Sword of Ruin and Soul and still rise on their own—they could be considered the finest warriors. Walking across a battlefield drenched in the blood such beings had shed was an incredibly thrilling experience for a God of Combat.
‘Their authorities and power are still weak compared to the Absolute Realm, but their will is on par?’
Because he was of Grandfather Truth’s bloodline, he had spent peaceful days without needing to enter battle, focusing solely on research. Most of the time, simply creating clans and providing support was enough. But the Wind Family was, after all, a martial house.
‘Training to grow stronger is life itself. Battle and struggle are like fate, and life-or-death combat is an opportunity to prove oneself.’
The fighting instinct that craved all-or-nothing contests would never disappear. That was why walking upon blood so thickly spilled felt as enjoyable as standing on a true battlefield.
On the red carpet made from the precious blood of powerful warriors, every footprint he left filled him with childlike excitement. He even leaked a bit of fighting spirit, reveling in the sensation.
However, the Creator God King, Demon Emperor, and Creator Gods watching this sight could not stop the chills running down their spines.
Shudder— Shudder— Shudder—!
It felt as if they had caught the absolute predator’s attention and were now prey marching willingly to their deaths. The overwhelming pressure of fighting spirit that brutally threatened even divine spirits left them desperately clinging to their fading consciousness, able only to swallow their internal groans.
‘Krrrrgh—!’
‘Huuuuurk—!’
‘Cough, cough, cough—!’
The Lord Gods and Main Gods whose divine rank was too low to even sense the gap in power had already lowered their heads in panic, trembling violently.
Having driven the supreme rulers of the Master Universe into terror with nothing more than a slight leak of fighting spirit, the Dimension Genesis God spoke with a smile.
“Very good. This is quite satisfactory. I shall do as you wish. Now, I should go see Uncle, have some tea, and chat for a while.”
Woooong—!
He opened a dimensional gate right there and began walking toward it. The Creator God King, Demon Emperor, and special-duty Creator Gods let out sighs of relief.
‘It… it’s finally over.’
‘We… we survived.’
‘Aaaah. If he had enjoyed himself even a little more sincerely, we all would have gone insane.’
The fighting spirit and killing intent of a higher being naturally exerted enormous influence on lower beings. Of course, if the gap was too vast, there was no effect at all. But beings like the Creator God King and Demon Emperor possessed divine ranks high enough to be called near-Eternal Beings. Having been fully exposed to the fighting spirit leaking from the Dimension Genesis God-nim, failing to endure it could turn them into berserkers who rampaged madly.
Merely withstanding an Eternal Being’s presence was difficult; when a Wind Family Origin whose divine power exceeded 1,000 trillion showed even a fraction of sincerity, maintaining sanity was already a struggle. It was admirable that the lower-ranked Creator Gods, who received only a tiny fraction of the influence, did not immediately lose consciousness. Still, this was an enormous relief.
The Origins who had been forcibly summoned by such a terrifying figure and feared erasure had survived, even if reduced to near-death states. And since he was leaving immediately like this, the Creator God King and Demon Emperor breathed deep sighs of relief.
“Ah, right—! I almost forgot.”
Spin— Thud—!
With those words, the Dimension Genesis God-nim’s body spun halfway around to face them again. A sound loud enough to stop hearts rang out.
“!!!”
“!!!”
“!!!”
Just as they had relaxed thinking it was over, the atmosphere suggested everything was returning to the beginning. The Creator God King, Demon Emperor, and special-duty Creator Gods were literally stunned. A small murmur, almost like talking to himself, reached their ears.
“I must officiate their happy wedding, after all.”
Looking at the Origins trembling over there and the men and women present, he instantly understood the situation. The marriage fraud and handsome-man schemes that had occurred during the previous authentication battle were already infamous.
Yet he had not expected it would affect even them, so he felt a surge of anger—but immediately offered a solution.
“Please do not worry. Everything will proceed exactly as the Dimension Genesis God-nim desires.”
“As the Demon Emperor, I will do my utmost to ensure a favorable outcome.”
“Anyone who interferes or opposes will be completely annihilated—along with their clans and territories—by my Jinmyeol.”
The Origins, who had barely held onto their minds despite the severe damage and the pressure of an Eternal Being behind them, showed resolute will. If they became obstacles, they would personally eliminate them.
However, the Dimension Genesis God did not seem satisfied. He shook his extended right index finger from side to side.
“Pfft—! That is not what happiness means. Both the parties involved and those around them must be satisfied. If only one side is content, that is not happiness—it is mere self-consolation. Therefore, extremely delicate consideration and measures are required. Don’t you agree? Magic God of Dimensions? No, I suppose I should call you Dimension Creator God Core now. What do you think, Core?”
“O-of course, that is correct.”
The Magic God of Dimensions had been just as heavily affected by the Eternal Being’s sincere fighting spirit moments ago. Thanks to sharing the same Dimensional Authority, he had barely managed to answer. Only an overwhelming sense of injustice rose within him.
It was because the Creator God King and Demon Emperor had sent him blatant, murderous glares that clearly said they would not let him off if he answered wrongly and complicated matters.
‘Why is it me again all of a sudden…’
Feeling the situation twist once more, he tried to find a way out, but the words continued.
“Using handsome-man schemes that crossed the line between divine and demon races, resulting in the fall of clan honor and positions. The fierce opposition from the enraged Origins cannot possibly be persuaded. In human terms, they would not forgive it even if dirt entered their eyes. Therefore, I thought the only option was to exclude these two. I planned to cut off their heads and present them to Core, then appoint temporary Origins to proceed. Once they suffer in the Otherworld with only their heads remaining, their thoughts will change. We can call them back then for the wedding.”
“……”
“……”
As expected of such an exalted being, he knew every hidden detail. And his disposition was merciless. Since it was natural for the Origins to interfere with a happy marriage, he would send only their heads to the Otherworld until their minds changed.
From the listening Origins’ perspective, it was an endlessly terrifying story. Only now realizing they had been in a situation where death was certain, they felt their minds grow even more distant.
The Creator God King and Demon Emperor thought, as expected.
‘As expected of the Wind Family’s Origin-nim. Anything that interferes with the task is completely eliminated. The rumor that there is no persuasion or compromise is not wrong at all.’
“However, since I must go see Uncle now, a method that takes too much time will not do. Come, speak. Dimension Creator God Core. What will you do? If you cannot handle even this, I cannot accept you as the代理 of the Otherworld, a place with neither above nor below. Though it is a world with nothing, do you truly possess the qualification to go there as Grandfather Truth’s代理?”
“……”
Only then did the Magic God of Dimensions realize why he had intervened directly in the Master Universe.
‘So that was the reason after all. Even I find it absurd that I was dispatched as Truth’s代理, so of course the Wind Family’s Origins would feel uneasy.’
Whether there was work or not did not matter. The mission was to stand as the one and only ruler above the Absolute Realm and the Master Universe through power alone, as Truth’s代理.
‘Originally, either one of the 10 Mainstays or a descendant of the Wind Family should have stepped forward. Sending the Lord God of a Master Universe out of nowhere—there is no way they could feel at ease.’
After thinking for a moment, the Magic God of Dimensions looked at the very parties who were the root cause of this entire incident.
‘If I beat the Origins a bit more and make them suffer, their thoughts will naturally change, but that is not the correct answer.’
As he had been told, it would take too much time, and if done clumsily, they might return to their original mindset and interfere again.
‘Above all, while others are risking their lives in war, those who only play at love are extremely displeasing.’
Having finally made his decision, the Magic God of Dimensions opened his mouth.
“You two…”