Divinity

Karduk-

The final piece was crushed.

Table, food, human and spirit were all pulverized.

I raised my entire body, including my head.

Kusssss-

Having emerged from the ground, I coiled like a snake.

The scene where Governor Hulani and the spirit Raniaké were killed.

There wasn’t even a trace that such an event had just occurred.

“You’ve succeeded, White Sovereign.”

Hakan approached leisurely from a distance.

He had hurriedly fled to escape the aftermath.

He successfully performed the decoy role I had instructed.

I commended him for willingly taking the risk.

[Well done.]

“Haha! It’s nothing! Assassins are beings who live with their lives on the line from the start!”

[Without your cooperation, the plan would have been very difficult to execute.]

“Well, to be honest, I was a bit scared… The opponent being none other than the legendary divine archer Hulani. I thought I might get an arrow straight through my head at any moment.”

Hakan, smiling awkwardly, crossed his arms within his sleeves.

“It’s fortunate he was completely off guard, trusting us, but if he had used his divine power to confirm my true intentions and detected the White Sovereign’s position with his mouth open right beneath the table…? I don’t even want to imagine it.”

[I was also somewhat surprised before devising the plan that you had already seen through him.]

Hakan stroked his beard with a serious face.

“Assassination groups operate truly diverse information networks. I’d say those who know his true identity could be counted on one hand on this continent.”

The plan was simple.

The assassination of Tasham Governor Hulani Alibakshu.

We set up a banquet at a location where I was hidden outside the village.

And I waited underground with my mouth wide open.

I listened to the conversation of the two dining above ground.

Then I carefully judged and judged again.

The final decision-maker was, of course, me.

The conclusion I reached was the assassination of Hulani.

I truly seriously turned the calculator of judgment.

Should I spare Hulani and take him with me?

Or would it be better to dispose of him?

In the end, this was the only choice.

This action is the result of cold calculation.

It’s not simple vengeance or lust for power.

I had no choice but to reach this conclusion.

This was the better choice for me and everyone.

Honestly, I was intrigued when he mentioned becoming friends.

I think Hulani’s power and mine were almost equal.

He would have found it difficult to inflict significant damage on me in Steel Mode, but I also would have found it very hard to catch someone so small and fast.

Having such a powerful person as an ally would have been very useful.

But I considered a completely different aspect.

There’s the fundamental difference that I am a monster and he is human.

Could we have harmonized like me and the Rashka of Akran?

Would our close relationship have truly lasted until the end of my journey?

In the end, my judgment was this:

At some point, I was certain a moment of conflict would come again.

He was exceptionally upright and stubborn, like a rock.

I judged that I couldn’t completely make him my person.

[It’s the first time I’ve thought that a good-hearted fool might be scarier than an evil genius…]

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

The memories of Hulani that I observed were simple.

A typical narrow-minded and dull hero from a royal road story.

A perfect warrior’s, by a warrior, for a warrior’s ballad.

A being dedicated to the peace of the people, willing to sacrifice himself when necessary.

In the end, it’s his character that’s the problem.

I might commit inhumane acts to survive.

There was no guarantee that such a paragon of uprightness wouldn’t stop me.

I couldn’t tolerate someone I thought was an ally becoming a constant obstacle.

My judgment after looking into his memories was ultimately correct.

Perhaps even if I were still human, we might have clashed on certain issues.

There’s simply no way around the perfect warrior mindset archetype.

He would have eventually blocked me with his tremendous will.

The battle also had to take the form of an ambush.

Hulani was an apostle of the palace deity, blessed with divine power.

Divine power is the strongest force that can only be countered with divine power.

It’s like an absolute metaphor that far transcends even the difference between bow and gun.

From the moment Hulani deployed his divine power, he would become unapproachable.

There was no chance of victory in a fight against Hulani using divine power.

Though cowardly, in the end this was the only method.

The plan was successfully executed.

The bitterness of killing a good person.

Therefore, there was a regrettable aspect.

But I could never tolerate someone becoming my obstacle.

I despised the idea of a narrow-minded and dull person who didn’t match my disposition obsessively trying to become my friend and interfering.

Nothing is more troublesome than having my path blocked.

It was an unavoidable choice.

“I feel like the scale of incidents keeps growing. It’s somewhat interesting because it’s unpredictable, and also somewhat concerning. Hoho…”

Hakan spoke while observing my contemplative mood.

“So we’ve ended up killing even the governor. What shall we do now?”

[We crossed the river long ago. There’s no need to feel awkward.]

Hakan grinned with his characteristic optimistic smile.

“Don’t worry. Well, whatever happens, you have us.”

[Right. We have each other.]

“What are your plans from now on?”

[First…]

Just as I was about to answer Hakan.

Whiiing-

A wind carrying five-colored energy suddenly blew.

[Hmm…?]

Along with the strange wind, my surroundings changed.

A night sky where the Milky Way flowed as countless lines.

A five-colored flower field of flowers I had never seen before.

“So you have killed my apostle after all.”

A majestic male voice echoed throughout the world.

I turned my body toward the direction of the voice.

There stood a strange man.

“I am greatly disappointed by your choice.”

Black disheveled hair hanging down to his waist, and six arms.

Revealing a muscular upper body that was half-naked, and wearing silk trousers adorned with elaborate gold and silver jewels on his lower body.

[Palace Deity… Shatra?]

I could immediately recognize who he was through Hulani’s memories.

The palace deity worshipped in the northern region of the Arubian West Continent with Persian-style culture.

A being of the divine tribe belonging to the divine realm, and the constellation of the Palace Demon Hulani.

“…That nomenclature is not precise. I am only called that here in the West Continent. To the barbarians of the Northern Continent, I am Hagenbald, Guardian of Archers; to the civilized people of the Central Continent, I am Altein, the Sharp Bow Deity; to the jungle natives of the Southern Continent, I am Torongo, the Hunting Deity; to the fairies of the Eastern Continent, I am Eshan, the Wise Archer Deity.”

Palace Deity Shatra answered my question directly.

“There are many other names too. It’s not just the names. In my case, unlike other gods who enjoy transformation when descending to the lower realm, I haven’t particularly taken a different appearance from now… but for some reason, my appearance and traditions are described slightly differently.”

Shatra, who introduced himself, half-opened his eyes narrowly.

“The true divine name of the divine tribe is unknown even among fellow gods except for themselves, and can never be called. A god is not a being that can be contained by the extremely limited concept and understanding of names from mortal beings of the lower realm…”

Shatra raised all his right arms, pointing at me, and spoke.

“It’s the same in the original world from which you came. The absolute deity believed in various religions is only one, yet humans interpret as they please and quarrel over it.”

The first god I’ve encountered since my transmigration to another world.

Shatra was seeing through my identity.

I was honestly quite surprised, so I immediately asked him.

[How did you know I was originally a human from another universe?]

“Seeing the color of the soul, the essence beyond the physical body, is also a simple matter for a god. In human terms, it’s like determining whether the race of a person beneath their clothes is black or white.”

[Where is this place? Why have you called me here?]

I looked around at the world spread before me and asked him.

It was filled with the energy of divine power that I had felt from Hulani.

Clearly a special space created with divine power.

“I am greatly disappointed by your choice… and because there are things to retrieve and matters to attend to.”

Shatra stretched one of his right arms toward me.

“First, I’ll take that back. It’s an item I must give to my next apostle.”

Shwook-

In an instant, something left my body.

It was the bow that Hulani had used, which had been mounted on the saddle of the spirit horse Raniaké.

Despite surely being crushed by my bite force that could destroy even tanks, its form was completely restored.

It was truly a strange occurrence.

“The reason I attached Hulani to you was because I believed my apostle would become an excellent companion. But I’m disappointed that such a result did not materialize.”

Hulani’s bow was grasped in Shatra’s outstretched hand.

Sarrrrrk…

Immediately, the bow transformed into a five-colored divine power crystal and disappeared.

With my curiosity exploding, I asked him.

[Why are you trying to help me?]

Shatra crossed his six arms and sighed again.

“It’s simple. Because I too was asked by another me. Without that, I wouldn’t have any reason to be so fixated on you, who are merely a not-so-rare otherworld transmigrator.”

[Another… you?]

For a moment, a strange melancholy clouded Shatra’s expression.

“…Are you familiar with the theory of parallel universes?”

[I know it roughly.]

“Do you also know that countless branches diverge according to current choices?”

[What…?]

“For instance, a branch where I, enraged at losing my apostle, immediately inflict divine punishment on you. Or a branch where I don’t intervene now. Or perhaps, a branch where you died in your first battle after transmigration, at the hands of the three warriors who chose to gang up on you…?”

I was dumbfounded by the sudden topic.

Why would a god suddenly bring up such an abstruse subject?

“…Let me change the question. Do you believe that gods are the greatest and most supreme beings?”

[Aren’t they the beings who cultivated the world after the creation of stars?]

“No… not at all.”

Now his expression clearly showed fear.

“…The power of time. A concept known to be perfect and eternal. Even we, the divine tribe, are not free from the perfectly completed power of time. Going back to the distant past, or flying to a somewhat distant future. Or creating a world identical to the current time period. With the creation of parallel universes, a being like me was a cheap product that could be mass-produced in tens or hundreds. To think there was a higher concept than me, who possesses the most flawless understanding of bows…? When I learned this truth, I was truly shocked for a while.”

I simply maintained silence.

“…The message I received from myself, who arrived in this world covered in blood and in a miserable state, was this: to unconditionally search for you as quickly as possible and assist your journey. The other me from a parallel universe who had completed that end exhausted his power and disappeared. That is how I came to search for you, a being with a great human soul trapped in a monstrous body.”

Shatra’s blue wall-like eyes were filled with deep contemplation.

“Gods, known to be the highest beings living for eternity, are never perfect. No, that’s why we fear death more than anything else. The me from another universe transmitted a message to me for unknown reasons and then disappeared. And there’s a high probability that the Spacetime Demon Tribe is connected to this. That is the conclusion I’ve drawn.”

Shatra, clearly gripped by fear, gave a faint smile.

“Stop those who are currently the main enemies of Gaia and Elzeria. They will also be obstacles in your journey, so it’s not an excessive request.”

[Aren’t you indignant that I killed your apostle?]

“Not particularly. I can simply designate another apostle. It’s problematic to measure the concept of a god who lives eternally by the standards of mortal beings.”

[I don’t understand these conversations right now…]

“…Just, there’s nothing that can be done now. Since you killed my apostle who was meant to assist you, you’ll have to face things on your own.”

Shatra extended one of his slightly trembling right hands to me.

“How peculiar… Originally, when an apostle dies, the apostle’s divine power should be immediately returned. Yet, it has properly imbued you as divinity. What exactly are you?”

[Is that what divinity means…?]

“That’s right… Eventually, you too will become a god. The proportion of myth will increase as you consume other gods’ apostles who possess divine power. I actively recommend doing so. Not just for our simple well-being, but because we must protect the universe, a concept beyond the world.”

Shatra wore the bitterest of smiles.

“Even the blessing of me, the Bow Deity, is unnecessary. From now on, you will be reborn as a divine archer who can gather divine power in your eyes to glimpse distant places like clairvoyance, and shoot projectiles of exceptional power from your mouth and teeth.”

As he spoke, five-colored divine power gathered in Shatra’s right hand.

Tusing-

A small lump of divine power immediately flew toward me.

Shuuuuu-

My entire body was dyed and rippled in five colors.

The aftermath of divine power soon disappeared.

[Insight Eye has blossomed.]

A new system message immediately appeared.

It seems I’ve gained some new ability?

Shatra crossed his arms again.

“…I’ve added a minor ability. That should be more helpful for your journey.”

Wiiiing…

Suddenly, my surrounding background blurred.

It was just like slowly sinking into deep water.

Shatra’s voice echoed like a resonance.

“Win this time… and liberate everyone.”

With those words from Shatra, the strange phenomenon dissipated.

“White Sovereign?”

Hakan’s voice returned me to the original world.

I turned my head toward him.

“Ah, you’ve regained your senses now. I was wondering why you suddenly fell silent during our conversation.”

As I recognized him, something rippled before me for an instant.

[Hakan Niven Kabas Hal Amutar]

[Gender: Male.]

[Height: 202cm.]

[Weight: 118kg.]

[Race: Human.]

[Age: 40.]

[Occupation: Akran Village Chief, Black Scorpion Assassination Corps Samara Assassin, Sand Tribe Rashka Great Warrior Captain.]

[Characteristic: Assassin.]

[Rank: A-rank Level 3.]

[Emotion: Excited, Tense.]

Hakan’s information window suddenly appeared, arranged before my eyes.

What on earth is happening right now?

[What is this…?]

“Pardon? What are you saying?”

Hakan, looking up at me, tilted his head.

This apparently wasn’t visible to his eyes.

This time, when I happened to look down at my body.

[White Sovereign]

[Gender: Male.]

[Height: 54m.]

[Weight: 1,050t.]

[Race: Death Worm.]

[Age: 1,286.]

[Occupation: Lord of Grabadra Sea.]

[Characteristics: Monstrous Magician, Hydrokinetic, Recovery Magician, Reinforcement Magician, Manifestation Artist, Swordsman, Wind Direction Magician, Barrier Magician, Elemental Magician, Lightning Magician, Hypnosis Magician, Fire Magician, Telekinetic, Transformation Magician, Archer, Spearman.]

[Rank: S-rank Level 4.]

[Emotion: Calm.]

Even my information appeared.

I couldn’t help but marvel.

[Hmm…]

It seemed I had obtained what could be called a status window.

Its activation was free; it appeared with will and recognition.

However, it currently appeared arbitrarily, so some practice seemed necessary.

[I’ve gained something very good.]

“I still have no idea what you’re talking about?”

Palace Deity Shatra seems to have given me a better gift than I expected.

This is an ability that allows me to see information about what I perceive.

Literally Insight Eye, which sees through and obtains information.

I focused on my stats, which I was seeing for the first time.

My current power level was S-rank Level 4.

It seems I recently broke through the wall of S-rank Level 3 from early in my transmigration.

Hulani was also S-rank Level 4, on par with He Chen.

Given his youth, had he continued to grow stronger, he might have rivaled the S-rank Level 6 of Earth’s strongest human, and the S-rank Level 6 of the Sword Warrior, said to be the strongest in Elzeria of the Central Continent Allos.

But for a being like me, the flower of his growth was quickly plucked.

There are many other S-ranks in the world.

On Earth alone, there are approximately hundreds of S-rank hunters and villains.

The power levels of the other three lords of the Shahar Great Desert range from S-rank Level 3 to Level 5.

And the Spacetime Demon Tribe, the mortal enemies of dimensions.

The power level of all Demon Kings is S-rank Level 6.

The Great Demon King Angolmoa is estimated to be S-rank Level 7.

With the prediction that Earth’s strongest humans and the other world’s Sword Warrior can only match two of the Demon Kings, the outlook for both worlds was very bleak.

It’s useless to consume those of the same S-rank Level 4 as me.

Just as an F-rank hunter’s growth is slow no matter how many goblins they defeat.

Though the process would entail enormous risks, I need to look for opportunities to consume those stronger than me.

The journey to survive in this other world and return to my original world.

The key is to become even stronger than I am now.

My purpose has not changed at all.

“Would it be better to immediately reinforce Akran’s defense system? Or would it be better to organize a pursuit team to search for the water merchant from the caravan? Before he brings greater calamity.”

In response to Hakan’s question, I affirmed my definite ambition.

[…No, there is something more important than those.]

I spoke with firm strength in my voice.

[Now we invade the governor’s castle and occupy Tasham Province.]

Now is the opportunity, before the news spreads.