Regret Comes Too Late For Both Gods And Humans (2)

The Demonic Realm was just the beginning.

The beings that the Creator delighted in, those who received greater love, had thoughts but also harbored desires.

And he had to watch as the creatures consumed by desire destroyed planets.

At first, he tried to intervene. He attempted direct interference, but the ‘order’ that assisted the Creator caused a fierce rebound against such interventions.

The worst rebound was a dimension where thinking beings lived by type.

It was a dimension made up of beings with varying depths of emotion, different levels of response to external stimuli, and diverse appearances, yet possessing intellectual abilities sufficient to form unique cultures.

However, this led to the worst outcome: the disappearance of meat to eat. Animals. There was no target for meat consumption.

Initially, no one thought it was strange. They had lived on plants and mana alone.

However, all changes tend to move in the direction of increasing disorder.

A single mutant accidentally ate the bones and flesh of another species. And that mutant became healthier and stronger than others.

It was perhaps the beginning of a foretold disaster. Starting with the mutant that pulled the trigger, the tribe grew stronger by consuming the bones and flesh of other tribes.

Then other species also ate their bones and flesh, drank their blood, and devoured their brains. It led the dimension into a massive whirlwind of war.

No one knew how it spread, but the war for flesh and meat dragged on and spread endlessly.

The situation inevitably escalated to a catastrophe. Instead of struggling to attack neighboring tribes, they chose to consume the powerless or criminals within their own tribe.

This change occurred simultaneously, as if orchestrated by someone.

The act of consuming one’s own kind led to bizarre genetic diseases and true mutations.

Unlike the flesh and bones of other tribes consumed initially for strength, consuming their own kind weakened them.

Nevertheless, the craving for the meat and blood they were once addicted to could not be broken.

War. More war. War without distinction between friend and foe. The only positive function of such wars was the development of killing skills, eventually leading to the emergence of many powerful superhumans.

The awakened superhumans thought that if things continued this way, all races might perish due to mutations.

Having reached an agreement, they stopped the war. No, they banned it.

Perhaps that could have been the end of it.

However, the Creator deemed the situation dangerous with the emergence of many superhumans and intervened at that moment.

And as a rebound to this cause, the act of reproduction among races was taken away.

As a result, creatures that did not become superhumans gradually died out, leaving only superhumans and equivalent beings.

A dimension without war and without the need for conflict.

On the surface, it appeared to be a dimension maintaining perfect peace, but in reality, it was a place that could collapse at any moment.

This place was called the ‘Celestial Realm’.

Since then, many dimensions have repeatedly emerged and disappeared.

However, problems arose as the first beings to become superhumans gradually grew in power and began to be revered by those who had not reached superhuman status.

The beings at the top of each dimension caught a glimpse of divinity. However, the nature of a god is something supreme that creatures cannot possess.

Thus, the superhumans who caught even a glimpse of divinity prayed and prayed to the Creator.

At that time, the Creator, who was struggling with the massive backlash from intervening in a dimension that was increasingly worsening, heard the superhumans’ prayers and came up with a good idea.

Administrator. Like the feudal lord system of the Middle Ages, the Creator made himself the emperor and ‘bestowed’ divinity upon the superhumans in each dimension and planet, turning them into gods to correct the problems of each dimension like lords.

Many superhumans became gods.

Initially, with gratitude, they faithfully carried out the Creator’s commands. The Creator was pleased with the dimensions gradually finding stability.

However, the blessing of semi-immortality that came with being endowed with divinity tainted these gods with arrogance.

Not all gods were like that. There were still gods who loved the Creator and followed him.

The arrogant gods and the gods who followed the Creator.

The gap between them gradually widened, and as time passed, it only grew larger.

Perhaps it was an inevitable outcome?

After all, divinity was not something they acquired on their own but something bestowed upon them, so the more they were loyal to its owner, the stronger they became.

The gods who feared but did not follow the Creator were not pleased with the widening gap.

No, it wasn’t just that; they felt a sense of crisis and searched for a solution.

And the solution they found was not to receive power from above but to draw it up from below.

Receiving reverence and listening to the prayers of humans or intelligent beings.

The method was not difficult. Just show a few simple miracles and grant a little power, and they would serve you on their own.

However, the beings to be served were limited, while there were many gods who needed to be served.

Of course, there were far more intelligent beings than gods, but sharing power, which was insufficient even if taken completely, was unsatisfactory.

Unsatisfactory, uncomfortable, and they disliked each other. Yet, there was an excess of power.

The result led to war.

Unlike before, it was an enormous war. On a small scale, it was between nations, and at worst, it was a war between dimensions.

The Creator, who watched this series of events, tried to retract the power from those who caused the wrongdoing with tears in his eyes.

This was something that would cause a severe backlash, as it was a blow to the Creator himself to revoke the divine words he had affirmed as an absolute god.

However, he could not just watch the war where corpses piled up like mountains and blood formed seas every day.

At that time, someone proposed a system called the ‘Battlefield of the Gods.’ They would resolve disputes by appointing representatives in a proper battlefield.

Initially, it was a place where the representatives of the gods in conflict would duel, much like an arena.

However, disputes arose constantly, and as the rules gradually changed and were revised, the current ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ was created.

The ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ which started this way, gradually deviated from its initial intent over time and is now used as a political tool by the entities known as gods.

Every thousand years, the ‘Slave Game,’ held to resolve disputes and protect the persecuted creatures from indiscriminate wars, began to be politically exploited by the gods who needed to be revered by the creatures.

They made them praise the gods even more and never forget. They wrapped themselves in noble existence and considered it an honor just to become an agent to enter the battlefield for themselves.

There were places that held survival games to select agents, and in extreme cases, the number of deaths during the agent selection process exceeded 10,000.

A death game where only one must survive.

An insidious agent selection game that felt even looser than the rules of victory in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods.’

Moreover, the political rivalry between factions representing celestial gods and demon gods.

It was seen as an opportunity to stand out not only among creatures but also in the world of gods, and this reckless competition between the two factions worsened the situation.

“So what?”

“So what?! You, no, you and your comrades, your legion, are being told to achieve what you desire.”

“…Abolish the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think I would wish for that at the end of the battlefield?”

“I did, but now it’s full of conflict.”

Annoyingly, the thought of wanting to smack the face of the Creator who knew exactly what was going on crossed my mind, but I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

“This time, I’m thinking of proceeding a bit differently.”

“Differently…?”

“Yes. But is it okay to talk with me for so long like this? When we first met, clearly…”

“Oh, it’s fine. To borrow your expression this time, a mop and a crazy woman wanted me to meet you by taking away your preparation time. Since it was their wish to meet, the longer the time, the happier those foolish women would be.”

“Well then. Anyway, this time, I’m going to give those two celestial and demon gods a big unforgettable lesson for tens of thousands of years.”

“Ho? How?”

“The reason the beginner’s village, Exorsus, is safe even though it’s surrounded by the Monster Belt is because of the beings that live there, right? That’s why it’s called the beginner’s village.”

“That’s correct.”

“Do you know about the drunk hunter and the foul-mouthed herbalist in the northern residential area of Exorsus?”

“…You?!”

“Yes, I’m going to befriend them.”

“Are you really going to do it?”

“I was a bit hesitant at first, but after hearing what you just said, there’s no reason for me to hesitate. If I just close the ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ will all the problems be solved? If a mistake was made, punishment is due. Ah! By the way, what penalty is there when sending a new agent into the battlefield after one dies?”

“…You are a scary guy. The basic rule is to deposit 10% of one’s true power into the ‘Battlefield of the Gods.’ That power turns into divine energy that envelops the battlefield. Of course, if the agent wins, you can retrieve all that deposited power. In fact, the authority that stayed in such a good environment becomes even more refined and helpful.”

“Really?”

I’m probably smiling right now. Widely. With a deep, murderous smile.

“But are you really going to do it?”

“Yes.”

“Truly, ‘causality’ throws things at me that even I couldn’t predict. Well… maybe that’s ‘the way of the world.’”

The Creator’s voice, sounding self-deprecating, makes him seem much older. Well, he is old. He’s lived a long time…

“I’m not old! You brat!!”

“Well, anyway, what do those two women want?”

“Uh? Ah! Calling me over for that, see the nerve of theirs. So, they claim that if you assimilate combat skills, you’ll exceed the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ entry limit I’ve set.”

“Foolish women.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Though they’ve had competitors, they’ve lived for tens of thousands of years without a natural enemy. Maybe that’s why they often seem thoughtless. Like now.

Anyway, applause for the foolish antics of these two women!! They’re practically handing me the leash themselves. How foolish can they be?

I mean, how do they even know if I’ve Assimilated or Dived? How do they know it’s combat skills I’ve Assimilated?

It’s no different from a kindergarten kid telling the teacher, “Teacher, Kim ×× has their eyes open,” when the teacher says, “Let’s all close our eyes and pray.”

“Thank goodness they’re foolish women, and I’m grateful. So, before that, does that mean the Creator is my ally? A friendly force? Can I see you that way?”

“Uh? Sure, if you want.”

“Post-dive skill assimilation is up to three. How about that?”

The Creator asked back with a surprised expression at my words.

“Really? You’re planning to do that?”

“Yes. Well, when the muck is churning, you should avoid it. Getting angry at a swirling cesspool only makes me dirtier. I never intended to assimilate many combat skills anyway. Except for a few special ones, the active skills created on this dimension’s Earth can’t be used in battle. The ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ is teeming with monsters who’ve honed their paths for decades. And you want me to face them with one-directional skills? No way.”

“Right. That’s a separate ability from Ludicer’s power.”

“So from the start, I wasn’t interested in such skills. So, it seems like one is trying to make a show of giving something unnecessary. In this Dive, it’s probably going to be something like Clear Water is a Mirror, War God, and Weapon Mastery.”

“I see. If it’s such a skill, huh! Plus the power of those two eccentrics…! You! You won’t have any complaints against me, will you?”

I chuckled at the Creator’s joke and continued speaking.

“Joining in on those two women’s senseless actions ends here. Now, I should get something in return, right? First of all, I want to be completely out of the sight of not just those two women but other gods as well. Except for Ludicer. I think this request is only fair to prevent recurrence in me, don’t you think?”

“You are right.”

“And as a reward, can I get some skill points?”

“…That’s difficult.”

I had a feeling it might be the case. Even the power granted to me now would be controversial if fully known.

“Instead, if you truly achieve what you boast about with those two eccentrics in Exorsus, I will give you a greater reward.”

“Sounds good.”

I just threw this request out there, and it worked. Very nice. A smile naturally formed on my lips.

“This is my real request. From the moment I enter the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ until it ends, please allow me to locate the positions of the agents of the celestial and demon gods anywhere. They spied on me, so it’s only fair I do the same. Moreover, who knows if the gods, having watched directly, know my weaknesses or strengths thoroughly? We’re talking about the two highest gods here, huhuhu.”

“It’s an obvious question, but of course, without those women knowing, right?”

“Why do you bother stating the obvious? That’s the basics of peeping. Isn’t it the custom to repay grudges about 25,000 times over?”

“The word ‘custom’ that I created doesn’t mean that, you fool.”

With those words, the Creator nodded at the air and snapped his fingers.

“Alright. You’ve passed. Your request is reasonable. It’s not like I’m giving you any penalties, just location information, so it’s approved. As you said, until the ‘Battle of the Gods’ ‘ends,’ the location information of the agents of the celestial and demon gods will be provided as compensation for violating the rules.”

“Thank you.”

After the Creator’s declaration, I felt something passing through my body. It must be the effect of the supreme god’s divine words.

Afterwards, with a bit of humor, we discussed future plans before moving from the Creator’s room to my bed.

It seemed as if no time had passed; the clock showed only a few minutes had gone by since I Dived.

Opening the skill list, I saw that the cooldown for the Dive was in progress, but the skill of the ‘One Punch Man’ character was missing due to the canceled assimilation.

“Oh, I forgot about this?”

―I will convey the Creator’s words. ‘Eight days is your punishment for surprising me.’

“Wow, the Creator is petty…!”

I gained tremendous rewards and significant benefits for my plans, but it was still a shame. I had to spend eight days doing nothing.