The Worthless Titles of the Otherworld

The titles of the Otherworld were created by extracting the authorities and memories of the rebels who resisted Jinri to the very end. They were the ultimate manuals and helpers for becoming stronger. ‘By following a path that has already been verified and perfectly refined, one can grow at the fastest possible speed. In emergencies, activating a title can even unleash power beyond that of a Creator God.’

Those who received such titles were undeniably powerful, so they had no choice but to fall under Jinri’s direct management and continue growing stronger. If they failed to prove their strength by reaching the 13th Circle or if their potential for further growth was not acknowledged, they would be dragged to Wind Star and turned into insects. There was no room for choice.

‘As expected of the authorities once held by the First Generation of the 10 Mainstays who resisted Jinri until the bitter end—they’re certainly powerful. But why are even the title holders in the Otherworld so weak? And they’re using their titles without any restrictions, too.’

The way they flung their titles around at the slightest provocation made it seem as though there were no limits to fully manifesting their power. However, abusing them like this could lead to the residual memories within the titles taking control instead. The user’s body would be completely dominated by an authority too powerful for them to handle.

‘Did Jinri simply dismiss the Otherworld as too weak to bother with? Well, given this environment and level of training, there’s no chance of a title reaching full release anyway, so there’s no risk of rampage either.’

In the Absolute Realm or the Main Universe, where full release was possible, carelessly activating a title without the divine power or authority to control it would cause chaos and earn one Eternal Judgment from Jinri. That was why no one dared. Being turned into an insect on Wind Star prevented any rampage, but the effect was so certain that everyone coveted them. After all, simply receiving one guaranteed at least Main God level strength.

‘In short, these bastards received titles and then just lounged around? What the hell? Why the discrimination? Ah—! Is it because the Otherworld is useless to Jinri? Hah. So being labeled a useless world grants them the special privilege of being neglected? How enviable.’

Since the Otherworld was useless to Jinri, it seemed the management of its title holders had been kept to an absolute minimum. Yet despite the terrifying restriction of Eternal Judgment, for any warrior who sought strength, receiving a title was something worth risking one’s life for. To be this weak after obtaining one was nothing short of a sin.

Moreover, the fact that they could use their titles freely without consequence was absolutely unforgivable to someone who had barely survived Eternal Judgment, been dragged to Wind Star, and clawed his way back.

“How foolish I was to have even the slightest expectation. Now I understand why Jinri dealt so harshly with those who received titles. This is unacceptable. The warriors of the Main Universe and the Absolute Realm would do anything to obtain such a treasure, yet you lot are letting it rot like this. I cannot forgive it. Just what the hell are you all living for? If this is how it is, you might as well die and hand over your titles. It pains me to even look at you, you pathetic wretches—!”

There was no need for further words. Dimension Genesis God Coa grabbed the line that bound the necks of the title holders together and swung it like a whip, brutally beating the one who had tried to flee at the very end.

‘These fools couldn’t even perceive my spatial movement or my mage-style reality negation attacks. They’re practically useless.’

He had thought the last one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠looked somewhat strong and decided to check personally, but judging by the level of authority in his attacks and his escape speed, there was no need for further inspection.

“Huk—! W-wait—!”

Dis of Disobedience was stunned into disbelief as the bodies of his four bound comrades whipped toward him like a lash. The line connecting their necks was moving at a speed that laughably surpassed light, even though none of them were deities. Once it exceeded top speed, there was no way to dodge.

“Guh—!”

“Kha—!”

The sounds of the four bodies connected by the line beating someone senseless rang out for a long while before finally falling silent.

Having finished subduing them, Dimension Genesis God Coa created a desk, placed the list upon it, and sat down in a chair. Before him, the title holders knelt with their faces and bodies half-destroyed, necks bound together by iron chains, heads bowed low. They had no idea what was happening; they had become criminals in the blink of an eye.

‘What the hell is this?’

‘Why is this happening to us?’

It was an absurd situation where they had suddenly become the criminals and he the interrogator. But they weren’t brave enough to complain to a being strong enough to beat them half to death simply for being weak. Their spirits completely crushed, they remained silent as Dimension Genesis God Coa scanned the list of title holders who had received their titles from Jinri once more.

He even took out a golden pen that could make immediate corrections ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and, in a businesslike tone, pointed the tip at the person on the far right.

“Title and name.”

“Demon God… Buu….”

“…….”

When the surly answer came, silence fell for a moment. It was their first meeting, and he had been beaten and subdued without warning. There was no way his mood would be good. He knew that resisting would be pointless and that holding out would only bring harsher treatment. But after resting a little and recovering some strength, there was no reason ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for his answer to be obedient.

‘I may be a fugitive, but I am a strong one. I deserve respect.’

That was the problem. Their standards for strength were simply too different.

Dimension Genesis God Coa compared the name on the list with the face of the one who called himself Demon God Buu, then finally let out a snort.

“Hah—! You’re a Demon God? Really? The Demon Kings who challenged me and were left with nothing but their heads would laugh. If you’re a Demon God, then I’m the Demon Emperor. Kahahahahaha—!”

He burst into laughter as if it were truly ridiculous. Naturally, the other party was about to explode with rage, but Coa beat him to it.

“Haha—! The Otherworld really is ridiculously weak and hilarious. All you people do is spout lies dressed up as truth. And you dare give me one-word answers when you’re this disgustingly weak? You have no manners at all. Tsk—! The medicine for rude weaklings who expect the strong to show mercy is exactly this.”

In an instant, the familiar sight of a wooden sword appeared, followed by a crisp, refreshing sound as it slammed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into the man’s head.

“Kwaaaaaaaaaa—!”

When struck by the Sword of Ruin and Soul wielded by a superior being, there was no way to endure the scream. The attack could have annihilated him, yet it refused even death and delivered only that much pain. All he could do was shriek in agony.

As he screamed and slammed his head into the ground, the line around his neck yanked his nearby comrades along with him.

“Hik—!”

“Huk—!”

The title holders nearby, who had already tasted that wooden sword many times, turned pale with terror. They knew all too well that if this madman’s anger flared while beating one person, he would casually extend the punishment to everyone around him. They had already tried to stop him once and ended up getting beaten even worse while dragging the rest of them into it.

‘If I try to help a comrade for no reason and end up irritating that filthy temper, things will only get worse.’

‘Right now, if we just keep our mouths shut, there’s a high chance he’ll stop after beating just one.’

Although their encounter with Dimension Genesis God Coa had been brief, his brutally honest words had taught them a great deal. Sure enough, once the surroundings fell silent, the insolent responder who had become the target of his wrath was beaten into a complete pulp and passed out.

While the victim trembled violently, unable to even scream from the unbearable pain, a cold voice descended.

“You all received titles together, yet some of you suffered like dogs while you lot lived comfortably just because it’s the Otherworld? Jinri gave titles to beings who are only at Main God level? You’ve all been playing around. And you dare speak casually to me, a Creator God? So in this weak world, you at least managed to keep your mouths and your pride intact, huh? The only medicine for you is the rod. Then be beaten thoroughly by the Sword of Ruin and Soul—you won’t even be allowed to die.”

Still not satisfied, he summoned several more wooden swords. Then he began mercilessly striking the title holder who was still face-down on the ground, trembling uncontrollably from pain that could shake even a deity’s soul.

WHAM! WHAM!

“Agh—! Agh—!”

The title holders who were being beaten could not understand why the Truth Deputy was hitting them. They only felt wronged. They had realized that the reason was because they had lived comfortably in the current world while he had suffered, making them too weak. But they had so much they wanted to say.

‘We suffered too!’

‘If we made even the slightest mistake, we’d be given heavier punishment. We couldn’t even settle down or build a faction, so we were forced to live as wanderers.’

‘I really possess power worthy of being worshipped as a god by the demon race!’

Whenever they tried to create even a small force on a planet and live comfortably, the warriors and Creator Gods of the current world would swarm in like mad and interfere. In the end, the only options were to work alone or commit crimes, so most of them lived as fugitives or nomads.

Above all, although they didn’t know much about the Void Realm, in the current world they had definitely been among the strong. If they fully released their titles, they could fight evenly against the Creator Gods of the Supreme Committee.

However, they had already realized that no matter how much they protested, it would be useless. So they could only scream without being able to speak as they were beaten for a long time. When Demon God Buu finally lost consciousness and fell silent, the gaze shifted to the next target.

“You. Title and name.”

“It is Dis of Disobedience. It has not been long since I received my title from Jinri, so I am still weak. Everyone says that although I am weak now due to lack of time, my future is highly anticipated.”

A very polite answer came, completely contrary to the meaning of the title ‘Disobedience.’ Having seen what happened to the person who answered rudely right in front of him, he had become extremely courteous.

‘My neck is also tied to the line connected to my collapsed comrade’s neck. It’s dangerous.’

He was grateful that the title ‘Disobedience’ he had received was a conceptual authority that improved in stages rather than a simple power boost.

Dimension Genesis God Coa compared the list with him and made a few corrections with his pen. As he revised the contents, he muttered as if lamenting.

“It was originally ‘Absolute Obedience,’ but it has mutated into ‘Disobedience.’ A title specialized in domination that grants absolute command authority over lower deities or beings with weak mental strength—how could it turn out like this? Now it’s merely specialized in rejecting the influence of opposing authorities and counterattacking. What a waste. You’ve turned a powerful title into trash.”

Dis of Disobedience, who had just been openly called trash right in front of him, was the second strongest after Vein of Void. The title holders who had been silently bowing their heads with chains around their necks opened their mouths wide in shock.

After finishing his revisions to the list, Dimension Genesis God Coa began the real interrogation.

“The mutation aside, what about you? Why is the influence of your conceptual authority so weak over laws? Is it because of your weak will? Whatever—! It doesn’t matter. If I kill you and extract the title, it will return to its original form anyway.”

“W-what do you mean by that?”

The declaration that he would kill them and extract their titles jolted them back to their senses.

‘The title is already fully integrated with our divine souls and bodies. If only the title is extracted, there’s no way our divine souls would survive.’

It was a simple way of saying he would annihilate them. And judging from everything he had done so far, he was more than capable of it. But the fact that he had stammered in surprise became another fatal blow.

“Haha—! Every single one of you is beyond salvation. All your titles have mutated and are being used pathetically. I won’t waste words. Since annihilating you all is bothersome, do any of you have the intention of committing suicide and returning your titles?”

“…Please spare us.”

The order for them all to commit suicide did not sound like a joke at all. Moreover, if this was Jinri’s deputy who showed no mercy to the weak, it was clearly sincere. The fact that their necks were bound together like condemned prisoners proved it.

“Hah—! Isn’t your title Disobedience? Then isn’t this exactly the moment to step forward, sacrifice yourself, and commit suicide to demonstrate your true value against unjust oppression and violence? Shouldn’t you grit your teeth and live according to your title like a proper recipient from Jinri? That’s why you ended up like this, isn’t it? The smell is bad, but how about a splendid self-immolation? If you don’t want to commit suicide, do you want to die by my hand instead? If it’s hard to decide because you dislike both suicide and being killed, should I keep helping you like this? If you obediently follow my order to commit suicide, there will be no pain.”

He lightly loosened both hands. The sound of muscles possessing immense power flexing and joints shifting into combat readiness echoed.

Crack. Pop.

‘If you’re the Creator God of Light, you should know this is unjust and not do it, and you definitely shouldn’t recommend suicide. But he really intends to kill us all because we’re weak. And he still hasn’t used his full power? That physical strength is no joke.’

Even the power he had shown so far was irresistible, yet the fact that he still had endless reserves left made them shudder. Moreover, every single thing he said was so cold and ruthless that it sent chills down their spines.

From the way he spoke, it seemed he had already nearly finished analyzing all the title holders.

‘If he even knows about titles that are on the verge of changing, there’s nothing we can do.’

The biggest reason they had been driven into this corner was that list he kept looking at and correcting. It looked familiar—it was the roster of title holders that Jinri had held in his hand.

‘Is that list perhaps something he received from Jinri? It is definitely the roster Jinri personally recorded when we first received our titles.’

‘With that, he can see our locations and everything about us as if it were the palm of his hand. We can’t even hide, let alone run. If he really wants to, he can kill us all.’

To truly practice disobedience, one had to accurately understand the opponent’s intentions and the situation. Dis of Disobedience, who had precisely grasped that the intent was not a threat to make them obey but to kill them all and extract their titles, turned deathly pale.

‘When I saw him completely destroy Seourina earlier for some unknown reason, I thought he wasn’t in his right mind, but telling us to commit suicide because we’re weak? This guy is definitely insane.’

What was even more terrifying was that he possessed more than enough power to carry out every single one of those absurd, crazy ideas. Having clashed with him directly, the difference in strength was so overwhelming that even if all the hidden title holders banded together, they would not be able to stand against him.

‘He views us extremely negatively for weakening ourselves by mutating our titles, so the probability that he will really capture and kill us all to extract only the titles is very high.’

In the end, there was only one way to survive. They had to produce a result that would satisfy the battle-crazed Dimension Genesis God Coa.

‘We just need to tell him about the strong ones.’

No matter what, it would mean selling out their comrades, but judging by that momentum and the personality he had shown, the result would be the same anyway. He would find them all and do as he pleased, so they would end up meeting him eventually.

“Among the title holders in the current world, the one who would satisfy you is hiding near Seourina.”

“Speak. You wretch who ruined and mutated the Absolute Obedience you received from Jinri into Disobedience. You deserve to die.”

The faint killing intent mixed in his eyes made it clear he really intended to kill them. Fortunately, however, there was a lifeline. No—it was a way to divert his attention elsewhere.

“He is the only one among us whose title has not mutated, which is why he is strong. He is also Vein of Void, who occasionally meets Jinri in person, converses with him, and pressured the Supreme Committee to limit their actions to surveillance only. His name is probably written at the very beginning of the list.”

At those words, Dimension Genesis God Coa shifted his gaze back to the list. Dis of Disobedience let out a sigh of relief inside. As expected, diverting attention to someone else had been the correct answer.

“Hm? This guy written at the very top? So he at least lives up to his rank as number one. He really met Jinri several times and survived?”

Since this was his first time receiving a title, he didn’t fully understand the meaning, but there was no lie in his words.

“He was the first to go into hiding, but he is our representative who has maintained the balance of power in the current world until now. Because there was Void who survived facing Jinri and remained silent on external matters, even the Creator Gods of the Supreme Committee could not act too extremely. And when we caused trouble and were captured, he would even defend us and get us released. If Vein of Void steps forward, all the other title holders will follow him. There is no need for you to handle each one personally like this.”

“Hmm. Well, at this level, there is indeed no value in me stepping forward personally. It would be a waste of time, so I should make him do it.”

Dis of Disobedience, who had somehow survived the worst first meeting where he could have been killed immediately for being weak, inwardly begged for forgiveness from someone.

It seemed he would meet Vein of Void right away and dump them onto him. They had survived.

‘I’m truly sorry. Vein of Void.’

Vein of Void was powerful, but if they all gathered, he could be subdued. Given the nature of his mighty title that absorbed all authorities and turned them into nothingness, it seemed he would at least be able to escape. But if attention was drawn to him like this, there would be no way out.

‘Jinri was the one who personally pursued a small number of rebels all the way to the current world while he was the Creator of the Void Realm.’

If he was sending his deputy this far, that deputy would be even more vicious and persistent, never giving up until the very end. However, considering Vein of Void’s desire to live quietly in seclusion after becoming disillusioned with the world and focusing only on training, this kind of ungrateful behavior from someone who had only received help from him was no different from betrayal.

‘I had no choice. Let’s struggle together even if it’s hard.’

Vein of Void had been the first to cut off interest in a world with no future or hope and go into hiding. Yet he was still a grateful being who had stepped forward several times for the sake of his comrades who held titles. To do this to him made Dis of Disobedience’s heart ache unbearably. However, since he was still in the position of a condemned prisoner with his neck bound by a chain, there was no other way. Repaying loyalty was something one could only do if one was alive.