That meant all lands except the Pantheon of the Divine Realm. At the same time, lands where living beings lived ordinary lives, like Earth.
But now, all those lands had become colonies of the gods.
The reason was that lands without gods would perish or face invasions from the Cruders, and thus needed guardians.
And in return, the inhabitants had to offer labor, faith, and tribute to the gods.
Of course, by now, it had become a given that they unilaterally served the god as the ruler of their planet, rather than a give-and-take.
In fact, as the colonies were mobilized for the wars of the gods, countless lives died for the gods, performed hard labor for the gods, and worked.
Sometimes, they were sold in various forms for the gods’ profit, or used as chips.
It was the same even now, when the Divine Realm had flown to Igeon.
[Bring the tribute!]
[Your faith shall become the power of the god!]
"O god, there is already nothing left to offer!"
[It matters not. Even your lives become authority for the god.]
[Willingly offer your lives and become the god’s power.]
The gods had no intention of bowing to Igeon.
"Mobilizing supplies for war is only natural! Open the gates of the colonies!"
If tens of thousands of gods finished preparing for war in the colonies, even Igeon would not be able to handle it.
All of them could increase their power by at least one stage, or many by several stages.
"Do not be played by a greenhorn!"
"We do not acknowledge Greater Divine Gods aside from the Eight…"
But it was right then.
Kugugung!!
A change occurred in all the colonies where the Divine Gods had given orders.
[Retracting the Ruler’s authority.]
[Blockading the colonies.]
[138,398,990 dimensions are blockaded.]
[All gods cannot bring goods from the colonies.]
[Retracting the colonial lands.]
[Retracting.]
[Retracting.]
……
[Retracting.]
With that notification, all Divine Gods in the Pantheon instantly lost contact with the colonies.
Tens of thousands of Divine Gods were greatly flustered.
"W-wait…! The connection to the colonies has been cut?! What do you mean!"
"Authority has been retracted!"
"Retracted? Then you mean we can’t bring tribute from there?"
"Is tribute the issue right now?! Faith is also cut off, so our power is declining!"
"My money! My assets!"
Those were the inherent rights of the Divine Gods. But due to the sudden retraction, the gods were in an uproar.
"Whose doing is this?!"
"The only one capable of this is the King of Gods, the Primordial God…!"
"No, it’s those Mystic Beasts! They’ve placed a seizure!"
"What? Those beast bastards?"
"Find them!"
At the sudden retraction of authority, all gods couldn’t hide their bewilderment—except for one.
The new Greater Divine God was laughing as if delighted.
[Mystic Beast 38 retracts the 32,893rd colony.]
[Mystic Beast 39 laboriously retracts the 32,894th colony.]
[Mystic Beast 40 retracts the 32,895th colony while whining.]
Retraction. Retraction. Retraction. Retraction!
Using the Mystic Beasts to seize the gods’ property, Igeon laughed heartily.
"You idiots. Try preparing for war without capital!"
And watching that laughter, Igeon’s subordinate gods were sweating profusely.
"Is such a thing possible?"
"Well, for starters, the Mystic Beast gods are high-ranking officials of the Divine Realm."
Among officials, they were directly under the Primordial God!
The Mystic Beasts, who were the direct eyes of the Primordial God, were close to spirits and could distinguish good from evil.
Thus, most worked as Divine Realm officials, overseeing promotion screenings for Divine Gods or capturing fallen gods. In the process, they could confiscate property.
It was a task they could handle because Mystic Beast gods, being close to spirit gods, had no desire for material things.
‘A power granted by the Primordial God.’
Anyway, if the Creators were the direct artisans of the Primordial God, then the Mystic Beast gods were the secret inspectors.
Of course, even if it was property retraction, it was for a certain period, and because it was a power akin to provisional seizure, it wasn’t outright theft, but in the current situation, it was a tremendous advantage.
As expected.
[The Mystic Beast gods have executed the highest-level seizure.]
[The Divine Gods cannot bring tribute from the colonies.]
[The Divine Gods cannot obtain faith.]
[The Divine Gods cannot use all their powers.]
Having tied the Divine Gods’ hands and feet tightly, Igeon smiled as if this was enough.
Of course, the Mystic Beast gods whispered as if asking if this was really okay.
‘We’re doing it because it seems we can use the authority, but is it really okay to retract everything like this?’
‘Won’t we incur karma?’
‘No. We’re simply seizing the Divine Gods who violated the rules.’
The only problem was that all the Divine Gods had violated them.
As proof, when the Mystic Beast gods stretched out their hands, a long paper like a scroll shot up into the sky.
[378,378th colony] Payment unpaid, wages unpaid.
……
[482,939th colony] Payment unpaid, wages unpaid.
Igeon looked at that and laughed.
"Seems like these bastards only extorted and gave nothing to the colonies."
And for hundreds of years, longer for thousands of years at that.
But at those words, his subordinate gods looked at him strangely as if he were spouting nonsense.
"What do you mean, you have to give something to the colonies?"
"Why would the Divine Gods do anything for colony residents…"
Then the Mystic Beasts immediately flared up in anger.
[Shut up, you damn gods! Do you even think the very word ‘colony’ makes sense?!]
“???”
When all the gods opened their eyes wide as if asking what they meant, the Mystic Beast gods gritted their teeth.
[Agh! How much time has passed since we died?]
"Well, when the Primordial God disappeared, you all disappeared together…"
In other words, it was a very long time ago.
As expected, the Mystic Beasts were indignant.
[No wonder it’s the seizure phase, has time flown that much? Anyway, the original term was not ‘colony’ but ‘guardian land’!]
"G-Guardian Land?"
[Yes! Originally, it was a concept where Divine Gods protected each dimension, and in return received faith and tribute from the inhabitants!]
[Aha. Now I see. So they killed us to turn the guardian lands into colonies and exploit them?]
At that, Igeon smiled with interest.
"They?"
[The current Greater Divine Gods, I mean!]
"!"
The gods were surprised.
"Then the Greater Divine Gods killed you Mystic Beasts?"
[That’s right! They probably found us, who kept watch, troublesome.]
His subordinate gods looked at them as if they didn’t understand.
"Troublesome? Colony residents can survive just by the god’s existence alone."
"If there are no gods, the residents can’t exist…"
At that, the Mystic Beasts’ veins bulged.
[No. It’s the opposite! It is because of the inhabitants that the gods can exist!]
The gods were greatly surprised.
It was as if they were asking what are they saying now.
But the Mystic Beast gods looked at Igeon and said.
[You know well that if Divine Gods go to a colony, the colony is destroyed, right?]
"Yeah. Isn’t that the Divine Realm’s law?"
That’s why the Divine Gods had saints. If they didn’t seal their abilities, even Earth would have been destroyed.
But then the Mystic Beast gods said something unexpected.
[‘Divine Gods must not go directly to the ruled land.’ ‘If violated, the land the Divine God heads to will be destroyed.’]
[It was the Primordial God who created that law.]
"!"
Just as they were about to ask why, the Mystic Beast god said.
[At that time, the Greater Divine Gods killed creations to grow stronger and tried to squeeze out their blood.]
[The Primordial God thought creations were beings to be protected, but the Greater Divine Gods thought creations were slaves for their own well-being.]
Anyway, that was the story of how the Primordial God and the Greater Divine Gods had been in conflict over such matters.
[So he ordered the Creators to create the Rulebook, and prevented them from going to the guardian lands…]
No matter how much they were Divine Gods, they wouldn’t destroy their own money pouch themselves.
At those words, Igeon had a knowing look.
"Ah, so that thing, was it made by the Creators?"
[That’s correct.]
Igeon recalled the rulebook he had taken, though it was a copy.
‘No wonder it could be edited and read.’
And it was then.
"!"
Was it because Igeon had made the Primordial God his subordinate god?
[There is a remaining achievement.]
[[Legacy of the Primordial God]]
[With that achievement, even the Primordial God’s subordinates, the Mystic Beasts, can be brought in as subordinates of the Serpent Master Constellation.]
[Will you use the achievement?]
"!"
Igeon immediately used the achievement.
And at that moment, a massive light enveloped the Mystic Beasts.
[You have made all Mystic Beast gods subordinate to the Serpent Master Constellation.]
[You have acquired the Mystic Beast gods’ ability: Eye of the Great Spirit.]
[Using the Eye of the Great Spirit.]
But the light did not end with only enveloping the Mystic Beasts.
And seeing the direction the light was heading, Igeon seemed to have realized something.
Sure enough.
"Ah. These crazy bastards."
"Master? What is it?"
Having realized something, Igeon immediately pulled something out instead of answering.
It was the divinity of Echo, a subordinate god of Olympus that he had recovered earlier.
And when he transformed it into material with his creation ability, surprisingly, an object resembling a small microphone emerged.
[Made from the Nameless One (EX)]
-Microphone made of Echo (reverberation)
-Transmits voice to all within range
Igeon immediately brought that object to his mouth and used it.
Then an astonishing thing happened.
[Ah. Mic test. Can you hear, you vermin-like gods?]
“!!!”
At that sound, the gods nearby screamed and covered their ears.
"M-Master’s voice…!"
"Resonating in my head…!"
Screams came from all directions.
Surprisingly, Igeon’s voice covered the entire Divine Realm.
In short, all gods within range could hear Igeon’s voice inside their heads.
The targets were no exception even for the Greater Divine Gods.
It was possible because Igeon was at the Greater Divine God level.
As expected.
[Can you hear, you retards? Oh, and for reference, the voice is one-way, so I can’t hear whatever you say anyway. So don’t bother screaming your heads off.]
“……!!”
[You insolent brat…]
Tongcheonju glared as if asking how dare he transmit his voice directly into their heads.
And each time Igeon’s voice resounded, the gods were also enraged with pain that felt like their heads would burst.
"Aack! My head is splitting! Stop talk…!"
"Damn! This bastard, what if he puts the divine might of a Greater Divine God into his voice… Keok!"
But regardless, Igeon continued speaking.
[You can’t even procure supplies from the colonies now. And those colonies have been seized, so your power has dropped too. What are you going to do now? You seemed to be planning to start a war, capture me, and make me a slave—but that’s screwed now.]
“……!”
[Why. Try kneeling and begging? Then I might get the urge to fix the Divine Realm.]
"Th-That…!"
[Why. Is there anyone other than me who can fix this?]
Then the gods could only tremble in rage, unable to say anything. Their teeth chattered, but it was because those words were true.
Igeon raised the corner of his mouth.
[Well, struggling is useless. Even if all of you in the Divine Realm attack me at once, I’ll win.]
At those words, the Divine Gods glared as if their pride was wounded.
To make such a provocation in front of tens of millions of gods!
It was when the gods who were about to head to other sites were about to approach Igeon.
[So you are provoking us on purpose, Snake God.]
"!"
A familiar voice resounded throughout the Divine Realm.
It was a Greater Divine God, different from Tongcheonju.
Tongcheonju seemed to have realized Igeon’s intention.
[Isn’t it that you’re trying to provoke us and tie us down here so that we cannot move to the colonies?]
Igeon laughed.
[Shut up, you murderers who killed the Primordial God, the Mystic Beasts, and even the Creators. Because they wouldn’t listen, you killed them all, right?]
The gods stirred greatly.
"The Greater Divine Gods did?"
"What?"
"Why?"
At that revelation, the direct subordinate gods of the Greater Divine Gods were greatly surprised. Then, as if troubled, they urgently looked at Tongcheonju.
"O Tongcheonju! Do not exchange words any further! His goal is disruption and division! He’s trying to hold a conversation on purpose!"
"Now that it has come to this, even if there is a risk of the colonies being destroyed, we have no choice but to directly invade the colonies and gather power…"
However, Tongcheonju laughed as if disgusted.
[You can’t go there anyway.]
"Huh?"
[Because he has noticed the existence of another 6-star achievement.]
“……!!”
That was, aside from the Rulebook, the Eye of the Great Spirit.
Tongcheonju frowned.
[All gods had made the Primordial God their king. And that Primordial God, that bastard has made him his subordinate. Do you know what that means?]
"…N-No way."
The gods’ expressions froze.
Having made the king of gods his subordinate, the people that king had led were now his as well.
This meant that all gods, including the Great Deities, now fell within the scope of Igeon’s retinue.
It was, of course, only theoretical.
But the moment the Phantom Beast God became Igeon’s subordinate, the situation changed.
‘If this goes wrong, even the Great Deities could become that bastard’s subordinates.’
Of course, to embrace all these gods, he would need the corresponding reserves of power.
In reality, while Igeon was strong, he hadn’t yet attained the strength to swallow them and all gods.
But Tongcheonju’s eyes could see it.
Faint as it was, the Serpent God’s power of domination was rising from its feet.
[Entering the Serpent God’s subordinate range.]
If this power of domination covered its head, it would become that bastard’s subordinate god.
And given the bastard’s growth rate, the time needed to accumulate that reserve didn’t seem far off.
In other words.
‘He must be dealt with before then.’
Igeon knew this, and had tried to pin them down so they couldn’t flee elsewhere.
Because fighting gods gave him achievements.
With that power, he could grow, cultivate the reserves needed to make them all his subordinates.
That was why Tongcheonju laughed.
[Serpent God. You have racked your brain, but you know one thing and not the other.]
[?]
[We possess the complete Rulebook, and since you try to make us your subordinate gods, there is something we can do.]
As soon as the words fell, Tongcheonju activated his authority.
Flash!
With a burst of light, Tongcheonju and the Great Deities vanished.
[Whoa, the Great Deities are trying to sneak into Earth.]
Igeon laughed as if dumbfounded by the sight.
“Even so, Earth is my territory. A place where I hold the advantage. Are they crawling in there to commit suicide?”
Then the vanished Tongcheonju’s voice rang out.
[I know you no longer have a subordinate god with 600% faith.]
“……!”
[As long as that 600% is gone, there’s nothing to fear. We can pull your residents over to our side as much as we like.]
“Ah. So, in short, you’re going to NTR on Earth?”
As if daring them to try, Igeon manifested his power.
“That measly 600%. The difference with or without it is barely…”
But as he tried to use his authority to chase them, Igeon’s face twisted.
[You have blown away the Divine Realm.]
[You have made the Phantom Beast God your subordinate.]
[You rampaged in 6th Stage form.]
[Divine Prestige is critically insufficient.]
[Divine Prestige is critically insufficient.]
[Divine Prestige has replenished by 0.0000001%.]
[Divine Prestige has replenished by 0.0000000000001%…]
Crack.
The recovery speed of Divine Prestige, which had surged when Hugo was present, was excessively slow.
In the end, Igeon laughed, furious.
“Ah, that son of a bitch. I really won’t kill him cleanly.”
“M-Master?”
“First, I need to jack up the faith of my kids. That measly 600%? Don’t need it. I’ll just make it 1000%.”
“Master?!”
Whatever his plan, he immediately sent a telepathic message he could dispatch to subordinate gods.
It was to none other than Yeonwoo.
“Yo, Yeonwoo, it’s me. Tell the kids to gather up—Uncle’s granting all wishes.”
\- Wi-Wishes?
“Yeah. And you, if there’s something you want to wish for, wish away. I’ll grant it all.”