The Root School's Descent
The Substitute God War. “Only by fighting and winning shall my existence be proven here. All who are defeated shall die and vanish.”
His mind grows cold and still. How long has it been since I last used this magic? The spell he was invoking was the highest—and most dreadful—art of the Root School, one he never wished to use again. It was the pinnacle of black magic, and its worst.
“Let us praise this struggle for survival where victory is the only alternative to death. I offer my body as sacrifice and desire only victory—!”
The Guide of the Origin, its mana completely depleted, rose above his head. From it, black demonic energy began to swell and surge upward.
“Uuuuooooong—!”
Sensing the ominous surge, the Substitute God Main God poured even more power into his God Destruction Cannon, enough to nearly shatter a star. Too late. I’ll slaughter you horribly soon enough.
His eleven mana circles blazed with desperate light. As the incantation neared its end, the cannon’s radiance engulfed him.
Fwoooosh!
Kraaaash—!
Watching the star he had used as a shield shatter completely under the God Destruction Cannon, the Creator God clicked his tongue.
“Tsk—! He lost. Still, I had some hope.”
A Substitute God Main God normally required at least ten Main Gods and Demon Gods of equal rank to defeat—and even then, half of them risked annihilation in the process. Because even with equal divine power, their fundamental capabilities are different.
Considering the Substitute Gods’ signature God Destruction Cannon barrages, spatial interference, and their race-specific bio-armor, one would need at least one full rank above in Main Gods and Demon Gods to overcome them alone. No matter how many attacks you land, that star-sized bio-armor renders most of them ineffective. It’s always a razor’s edge.
In this situation, only two Main Gods of the Divine Realm and Demon Realm plus one lowest-rank Main God had challenged the highest-ranking Substitute God Main God. That was why he had held some expectation. Yet while they had fought well, they ultimately failed to win.
“Still, you fought admirably. Brightest sword of the Divine Realm.”
Even in defeat, they had driven the enemy to the brink of annihilation. Such a feat was unprecedented for a Main God of the Divine Realm. To single-handedly annihilate an elite Substitute God tribe and then hold out that long against a Main God of the Divine Realm in single combat… truly remarkable.
The Creator God activated the Guillotine of the Incompetent. The Main God of the Divine Realm and the Demon God of the Demon Realm, their divine power now reduced to that of Lower Gods, came into view.
It would be a waste to let them perish completely. Reviving a Highest Main God requires over two million years of reserve budget. At that cost, it would be far more efficient to promote an Upper Main God instead. Early revival is absolutely impossible.
Even the Creator God could not act purely on personal sentiment. If the Creator or the Creator General later demanded an accounting, it would become an enormous headache. He subtly floated the idea to the Demon God King.
“He’s still your direct descendant, after all. Why not save him?”
With both the Demon God King and the Creator God of the Substitute Gods present, he could not move alone. If either took offense, the Demon God King—who overlapped heavily in administrative domains and was even more hostile toward the Divine Race than the Substitute Gods—would gladly join in attacking him. They’re like impurities in this beautiful universe ruled by the absolute laws of karma!
The Creator God ground his teeth inwardly, yet he could do nothing. Even fighting either of them one-on-one, he would be pushed back. Of course, in a war where the fate of an entire race was at stake and the highest-ranking Main Gods joined forces, the Divine Race’s strength in group combat would prevail. Still, he could not afford to give the Substitute Gods a pretext for an interstellar war. His suggestion was reasonable, yet the reply was as infuriating as ever.
“Impossible! He may be my direct descendant, but he lost to a Main God and was annihilated by a Substitute God Main God. He is useless. If he survives this time, I will grant him the right of succession once more—but that is all.”
“Even so, he is your own direct clone, is he not? Are you not reluctant to lose him?”
“I am reluctant, but it cannot be helped. If I spare him here, then every other Great Demon God who loses to the Substitute Gods must also be spared. Are you telling the Demon God King to commit such madness? It violates the law that demands we select only the true strong.”
“You only remember you’re the Demon God King and talk about laws at times like this? Tsk!”
The fact that the Demon God King had invoked the law meant the situation was already hopeless. One precious Highest Main God is about to be lost. A Main God brave and zealous enough to fight Demon Gods like that is rare. I even gave him a Main God Star and told him to rest for a while, yet it came to this. I was genuinely pleased when he became a Main God and qualified as a Creator God…
The Demon God King continued, as though he still had more to say.
“Besides, it is not over yet.”
“What? His divine power is completely diminished and he has almost no mana left.”
The Creator God already knew that the Lower God had originally been a mage who later obtained the divine power of a Main God. The Demon God King gazed with undisguised interest at the place that was now little more than wreckage. The look in his eyes was pure, unconcealed greed.
“A Transcendent of human origin has appeared on a star managed by one of the highest-ranking Demon Gods. That being sought to create a world belonging only to humans by forcibly mixing other races with humans over long periods, bypassing karma’s restrictions. I care nothing for the details, but maintaining diversity is fundamental to progress, so even the Demon Race could not tolerate it. When he descended to the Middle World, his power was reduced to one-tenth, yet he was still an 11th-circle powerhouse beyond what even a highest-ranking Demon God could handle. So they summoned Main God–rank mercenary gods. They hired a wandering 10th-circle black mage who was also a Main God to drain his strength. After a desperate struggle, that 10th-circle mage annihilated the 11th-circle being.”
“Is that even possible? To overcome an entire circle difference alone? That would be like an ordinary god defeating a Main God.”
By all common sense, it should have been impossible. To defeat a higher circle, one normally needed at least four supremely skilled experts.
“The foolish Demon God erased all memories and records of that star regarding the battle to avoid responsibility for negligence. Confirming the authority that allowed someone to defeat an existence one circle above was hundreds of millions of times more important to him than the star and the survival of its many races. Naturally, we destroyed everything and pursued the truth, but we could find nothing. Even the Cyber Realm refused to disclose his location and information under the pretext of an unfair contract with karma. We had to destroy countless Transcendents and mercenary gods before we finally tracked him down.”
The Demon God King looked at the Dimensional and War God with clear displeasure.
“Karma acknowledges the strong’s priority, but it also gives the weak a chance. Yet this one knowingly entered an unfair contract to obtain the weak’s opportunity and resolve karma’s injustice, prioritizing the deal with his contract partner. Still, he probably never expected his opponent to be an 11th-circle. After that, he became extremely wary of Demon Race contracts, hid his power, and only repeated safe but unfair contracts with Main Gods. Eventually he resolved karma’s injustice, reached the ‘Extreme Line,’ became a Main God, and thought it was over—only to recklessly start this fight? We waited for him to show an opening and finally cornered him here. Hohohoho—!”
Whooooosh—!
A wicked smile spread across the Demon God King’s face as twenty-six pairs of dark wings unfurled. It was a truly satisfied, ecstatic expression. In mere moments, that adorable and sweet demonic energy and transcendent authority would be within his grasp.
“If I can obtain the authority to defeat someone above my circle, I am willing to offer not only my direct descendant’s vitality and demonic energy, but my own as well. After all, this is a world where one cannot survive without power. There is only one rule he set that I like.”
The Creator God and the Demon God King nodded and began chanting together. Even the Creator God of the Substitute Gods rumbled in agreement.
“Praise the strong.”
“Revere the victor’s efforts and sacrifices to become stronger.”
“Uuuuung—! Uuung uuung—!”
The divine words of the Creator Gods were once again engraved upon the universe. The Demon God King’s demonic energy stimulated his mana.
I don’t know what nonsense they’re spouting, but the Demon Race has always been unpleasant to work with. There’s a limit to how unfair a contract can be! If the reward is tiny and the burden is all on me, it’s a death sentence. I would never associate with them unless I were in a desperate situation trying to resolve karma’s injustice.
This was the inevitable result whenever the Demon Race prattled about generous contracts. Both the demons and anyone foolish enough to contract with them deserved to be slaughtered so no one would ever suffer again.
First, I’ll annihilate that insolent bastard right now.
From his staff, the Guide of the Origin, a dark soul emerged, radiating vicious demonic energy.
“Ancestral lords who lived desperately as black mages—descend upon me now.”
Goooooooh!
The previous lords were also vicious survivors; their demonic energy was equally ferocious. Yet they dared to threaten even the current lord.
They think this is another good chance at resurrection.
He showed no mercy to anyone—previous lord or otherwise—who threatened his life.
“Six circles and above—Advent of the Root.”
⟨ Advent of the Root ⟩
- Magic Type: Summoning Magic / Chimera Lineage / Necromancer Lineage / Black Magic, Offensive
- Effect: All deceased Root School lords of six circles and above have sealed their mana, knowledge, and souls within the staff, the Guide of the Origin. Using chimera-lineage doppelgänger magic, the user provides bodies based on their own flesh for the lords to descend into and fight alongside them. The descended lords can use all magic available to the provided bodies through the Root School’s unique knowledge sharing. If the user is 7th circle, all become 7th circle; theoretically, there is no upper limit beyond that.
- Restriction: The manifester must undergo the doppelgänger’s sole-survivor trial. They must pass the Root School lord qualification test administered by all previous lords.
- First Manifestation — Protagonist’s Line: “Who the hell calls himself a black mage and uses such pathetic ultimate magic?!”
Papapapapapapapapapapa—!
The noble and great black mage’s form began to split into dozens of entities. Each wore a black robe with the Guide of the Origin shining above their heads—identical bodies, all one and the same. Yet countless different wounds began to appear across those identical bodies. Their faces shifted slightly as well, but they all shared one common trait: fighting spirit and demonic energy that declared they would kill and destroy everything.
From their mouths came voices filled with delight.
“Is this already the second time? The current lord really lives a hard life.”
“Unprecedented in history. Most only use it once and die to become our comrades.”
“Is the current lord really 11th circle? Kahaha—! At this level, I’d be far more useful than you.”
A cold voice erupted from the noble and great black mage’s mouth upon hearing the previous lords’ sarcastic remarks.
“Shut your mouths. If you’ve been summoned, then go kill that thing! I don’t have time for this.”
“Kukuk. You’ve gotten quite rough. Look at you—the innocent, clueless child who used to struggle against the succubus you summoned!”
“Our Root School’s current lord has certainly suffered a great deal.”