Chapter 433 - Extinction (2)
‘It’s natural for the strong to stand on top.’
That was why the gods thought the mortals existed for them and were duty-bound to serve them. Gods were overwhelmingly more powerful beings, so why did they have to cater to the mortals? ‘Humans are merely beasts walking on two legs.’
‘Why do beings like us have to be nice to them?’
‘They are no more or no less than livestock.’
Due to this, all gods were dissatisfied with the Primordial god’s strict rules. The Primordial god punished any gods who dominated and killed the humans.
Coexist with humans. Do not rule them with strength. Get to know the humans and protect them.
These were the ironclad rules of the Primordial god.
However, all the gods had complaints about them, especially the Great Spirits who served the Primordial god. They were very dissatisfied with these rules since they were the strongest gods after the Primordial god.
Being told to coexist with the livestock was a disgrace to them. It was also why they hated the Creators.
The Creators supported the Primordial god’s edicts and created items that supported the Primordial god’s wishes. In the end, they strengthened the Primordial god.
Therefore, the Great Spirits got rid of the Primordial god and the Creators. They did it by turning Galan.
Of course, the Creators’ abilities were a waste to lose, but the Creators had refused the Great Spirits’ orders when they had asked them to create a new Rule Book.
After the Primordial god’s death, the Great Spirits had gone to order the Creators to make a new Rule Book. However, Aslan’s father, the then-chief of the Creators, hadn’t bothered answering the request. Instead, he had said,
- You used my son’s Steal ability.
- …!
- Are you using it as a substitute for the Primordial god’s Power? Are you substituting it for Exoneration?
Exoneration was the sixth and final ability of the Primordial god. It also had a different personality than Creation, Transformation, Elimination, and Maintain.
It was the ability most coveted by the gods dissatisfied with the imposed restrictions. However, they could never possess this ability.
The Great Spirits had stolen the abilities when they had killed the Primordial god, but they couldn’t steal all of them.
This was why they had been eyeing Galan’s Steal ability and had used it as a substitute.
In the end, Aslan’s father had glared at the Lord of the Fire Wheel.
- The Great Spirits were the ones who drugged the Primordial god’s food, right?
- What are you talking about?
- You tried to weaken the Primordial god’s power to steal his abilities.
- I have no idea what you are talking about. The Primordial god became weakened at the hands of Eternal Change. I heard that filthy beast committed a brutal act when he invaded the Primordial god’s bedroom.
Aslan’s father had a bitter expression on his face.
- I see you plan to place all blame on others. This includes your sins and Karmic debt.
Arrogant Creators! They were mere artisans, yet they dared chastise the Great Spirits.
It was why the Creators got on their nerves the most. And so, they had used Galan’s anger to make him kill the Creators.
It was an easy task for Olympus’s Great Spirit, who possessed the Divine item of In. He could easily turn rage into killing intent. Galan had been brainwashed to kill the Creators.
When Galan and the Primordial god were both gone, Ennead’s Great Spirit had thought he would never get to use the precious Exoneration skill ever again.
* * *
[Snake god. You have the Exoneration skill, right?]
Ennead’s Great Spirit burst out laughing.
Lee Gun was dumbfounded. By Exoneration, he was probably referring to the weapon Lee Gun had created using the Primordial god, the Head Smasher.
It was true. The basic ability of Head Smasher was Exoneration. This was why Lee Gun could blow up the entire Divine world without receiving any Karmic debt. It didn’t matter how much he rampaged.
‘Of course, there are limitations.’
The system was set up in a way that Head Smasher’s durability suffered depending on the size of the Karmic debt being exonerated. For reference, the weapon’s durability had taken a 60% hit when he had destroyed the Divine world.
Ennead’s Great Spirit had caught onto this, so he let out a menacing laugh. Exoneration was no longer an ability. It was easy to use now since it had taken on the form of a Divine item. Naturally, he coveted it.
[Hand it over. I want that hammer.]
Actually, it wasn’t a hammer. It was a book.
Lee Gun inevitably reacted in anger.
[Life cannot be felt.]
[There are zero survivors left on the earth.]
It was to be expected since the entire planet had been blown away.
Of course, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to revive the earth once again like before, but he needed an extreme amount of power. Still, he would be able to recover the earth to normal if he used Life and Time.
However, Lee Gun knew he shouldn’t regenerate the earth.
‘He’ll kill it even if I revive it once again.’
It was easier to destroy than create. Moreover, humanity wasn’t just dying. The humans had died a painful death as they were burned alive by the fire of Ennead’s Great Spirit.
It had lasted only a moment, but Lee Gun wasn’t someone who would just stand by as humans burned alive.
‘I might be able to revive the earth ten more times. That’s probably my limit.’
The regeneration wasn’t unlimited. While his power was a problem, there was a limit to the life force possessed by the earth and the humans’ souls.
Well, he could sacrifice his own life using Exoneration, and he could make it so that the earth got revived forever. But…
‘That won’t solve the problem.’
Unless he put an end to Ennead’s Great Spirit, the Great Spirit would repeatedly blow up the earth whenever he got bored.
If that happened, the only one to suffer would be humanity.
The Great Spirit’s victory was assured if he kept coming back to life.
The Constructs had realized the score, so they started to let out cold sweats as they looked at Lee Gun.
[Master…!]
[The goddesses of fate said the Master had no future. Were they referring to this…]
Lee Gun was a Great Spirit, but he was too young. He hadn’t developed enough internal force that would allow him to be reborn again.
‘At the very least, he needs several hundred years.’
To go through the process of inheritance, one’s data needed to remain with the universe. However, the trace left behind by Lee Gun’s life was too short. Not enough data was amassed.
In simple words, reviving something that the universe couldn’t remember was impossible.
In contrast, Ennead’s Great Spirit had built up his internal force for the past several thousand years. This was different from Time. There was no limit to how many times Ennead’s Great Spirit could be reborn.
Even if Lee Gun died, Ennead’s Great Spirit would continue to be reborn, and the earth would be destroyed every time.
[Do you understand now? You cannot be compared to me. You are like a clump of cells that hasn’t been fertilized!]
Ennead’s Great Spirit extended his hand toward Lee Gun.
Kwahng!!!
Kunlun’s Great Spirit blocked Ennead’s Great Spirit. Ennead’s Great Spirit glared at him.
[Damn dragon! You want to die alongside him!]
Ennead’s Great Spirit threatened him, but Kunlun’s Great Spirit didn’t back down as he protected Lee Gun.
[You are the one that has to die!]
[Hmmph. You always like them young. You have no standards now!]
The next moment, enormous powers clashed against each other.
Kwahng!!
The one to appear first from the enormous explosion was none other than the Lord of the Fire Wheel. The gods were taken aback.
[No way. Did Kunlun’s Great Spirit lose…?!]
Lee Gun let out a cold smile as he watched Ennead’s Great Spirit let out overwhelming power.
[I won’t kill you until I acquire Exoneration. Of course, the transfer of ownership has to happen. It’ll allow me to use the item without any problems.]
It seemed Ennead’s Great Spirit had experience with this. When the Primordial god had been killed, he had been able to partially steal the Exoneration ability. However, he wasn’t the owner, so he had been unable to use it.
Ennead’s Great Spirit wagged his finger.
[What are you doing, Goddesses!]
His overpowering voice rang out. He had given an order to Valhalla's goddess of fate, whom he was overseeing.
At the same time, something surprising happened.
[All gods cannot possess Divine items. Only the king of the gods may wield the Divine items.]
A sound rang in the sky as all the Divine items owned by the gods fell to the ground.
[No way…!]
[My Divine item!]
A change had been made to the Rule Book.
The gods tried to pick up their Divine items, yet it was useless. They had lost the rights to their weapons. They could never pick those weapons ever again. However, it didn’t end there.
[Every god must worship the king of the gods]
[Kuh-huhk!!]
The Constructs got on one knee as if they were about to pledge their loyalty to Ennead’s Great Spirit.
“Ji,” which was in the possession of Kunlun’s Great Spirit, fell to the ground.
Ennead’s Great Spirit blew a whistle, and a hawk appeared out of his shadow. It snatched up all the Divine items.
When Ennead’s Great Spirit held Ji, he smirked. Since the Primordial god was gone, he was the strongest Great Spirit, so he was considered the King of the Gods. It seemed the universe had registered to be true.
As he leisurely picked up the Divine items, he gave an order to the hawk, which was absorbing the Divine items into itself.
[I don’t care about those trash items. Go and bring me the most important one.]
[I’ll bring it right now!]
Ennead’s Great Spirit wanted Lee Gun’s Exoneration ability the most. In other words, he wanted Head Smasher.
‘If I possess it, I’ll be the Primordial god.’
[Uh? Where is Exoneration?]
The hawk became flustered.
Hweek!
[…!!]
Ennead’s Great Spirit, who had his arms crossed, flinched. Lee Gun had appeared above his head.
He had to uncross his arms to block Lee Gun with both arms.
Kwahng!!!
That wasn’t all.
‘This bastard…!’
Lee Gun wasn’t empty-handed. He had Head Smasher. In other words, he was aiming for Ennead’s Great Spirit with a Divine item.
Ennead’s Great Spirit held an uncontrollable anger when he saw Lee Gun swing the hammer.
[Why can you pick up a divine item?]
The Rule Book had been changed. Only the greatest god or the king of the gods could pick up the Divine items!
Ennead’s Great Spirit was supposed to be the only one capable of picking up the Divine items. However, his shock lasted only a moment. He let out a harsh laugh when he realized something.
[Can it be? Are you also considered the king of the gods?]
Ennead’s Great Spirit glared at him. He looked exasperated.
[You are being registered as being the best amongst gods?]
“What else could it be!” Lee Gun contemptuously laughed as he summoned the Fetters of the Underworld.
The cracked Fetters of the Underworld was restored in a flash. The power of Creation possessed by the Ten Heavenly God interacted with Lee Gun’s power and fixed the weapon.
Ennead’s Great Spirit also used his Divine items, but this scene left him exasperated.
A brat who hadn’t received any inheritance was considered to be on the same level as him.
Ennead’s Great Spirit was pissed as he used the ability of Ji, intending to control Lee Gun’s body.
Kwahng!!
However, Kunlun’s Great Spirit, whom he had assumed to have been defeated, ruthlessly bit into the neck of Ennead’s Great Spirit.
[Koohk!]
Kunlun’s Great Spirit stole Ji and tossed it to Lee Gun.
Tuhk!
[Aside from Elimination, you possess all the abilities of the Primordial god!]
Angered, Ennead’s Great Spirit let loose the power of Elimination.
[Maggots!!!]
He shouted as Kunlun’s Great Spirit was swept up by the power of Elimination.
[What are you doing, goddesses of fate!!! Change the rule! Put in an age clause that says any gods under a hundred years old will be turned into humans!]
It was enough to have one king of the gods.
“They did a good job.”
As those words rang out, the sound of the Rule Book breaking reverberated in the sky.
Kwah-jeek!!!
[The Rule Book has been damaged]
[A partial change occurred to the clause.]
[All gods over a hundred years old will become humans.]
Ennead’s Great Spirit glared at them in anger.