The Divine Realm, Paonir. Known as the Garden of Dimensions, it was the only place among hundreds of dimensions where the true bodies of the gods resided. Each god managed their entrusted dimension, wielding Divine Power under the authority of the Creator and Supreme God, Excellia.

They supported dimensions facing crises and sanctioned gods who violated the rules. Beirimp, the God of Desire, was one such case. The seventeenth dimension, Tainworth, was currently suffering a massive crisis due to the exiled Beirimp and the summoning of the Evil Dragon Kadumallian. Because the dimension itself had become severely distorted, no direct countermeasures could be taken.

The Dimensional Rift allowed summons to be pulled from the outside in, but entering the dimension from the outside was impossible. Amidst this crisis, the gods attempted to intervene by temporarily descending through other lifeforms or artifacts, but even these attempts were thwarted by Duke Nikunbel, who held a portion of the dimension's authority. Ultimately, with even the interference of Dimension Travelers sealed off, Supreme God Excellia's concerns grew by the day. Then, a glimmer of hope emerged thanks to a single Dungeon Master.

"That's right. You're the one I'm making a deal with. No, to be exact, it would be all the gods of the Divine Realm. You can just consider yourself their proxy."

It was none other than Balak's Dungeon Master, Taehyun. He had turned the Divine Realm upside down by making an unprecedented proposal: changing Demonic King Kraktio's affiliation to strike a deal with the gods. A mere human who had traveled across dimensions proposing a deal to the gods was, in itself, ridiculously laughable. However, given the dire situation in Tainworth, they couldn't easily dismiss it.

Certainly, if they were to contract with Demonic King Kraktio himself, they would have to offer a price equivalent to the Dimension Management Authority. But by changing the target of the deal, Taehyun had absolutely nothing to lose.

Instead, by dealing with the gods directly, the Divine Realm would be forced to pay a price equivalent to the Dimension Management Authority. It was a brilliant paradigm shift. By bringing Demonic King Kraktio under Balak's affiliation, he had turned the Dimension Management Authority into his own bargaining chip.

"You're right. Even if I change his affiliation to Balak, I won't be able to possess the Dimension Management Authority. I won't be able to use its power, either. But it becomes viable as a bargaining chip during a contract. Why?"

"Because it resides within Demonic King Kraktio's very body. If he becomes affiliated with Balak, Kraktio is mine. How I handle him is up to me. Isn't that right?"

He laid out his argument without hesitation, right in front of a Demonic King who had reached the realm of a demigod. It was reckless bravado that an ordinary human wouldn't dare even think of, yet it made perfect sense. The gods, watching the scene through the God of Contracts, Morpina, stared at Taehyun with utterly dumbfounded expressions.

"S-So, you're saying you want to deal directly with us? A mere human dares to deal with us gods?!"

"He's crazy. I've seen countless humans, but this is the first time I've encountered one with such audacity. Even for a Dungeon Master, this crosses the line."

"But the seventeenth dimension, Tainworth, is in a situation where even we cannot intervene. With Supreme God Excellia herself deeply troubled by this, if we can resolve the Dimensional Rift through that man, there would be nothing better. First, connect him with us, Morpina."

Resolving the situation in Tainworth took priority over protecting their lofty pride. Recalling the system applied to the continent, Morpina brought up a screen connecting the Divine Realm to the Mental World. The gods, watching the trio through the crystal sphere, were about to unleash their anger, but Beod, the God of Order, stepped forward first.

"We heard your piece. As you said, if you change Demonic King Kraktio's affiliation, a direct contract with us becomes possible. However, since we have our own positions to maintain, we cannot carelessly contract with a human..."

"Shut up."

"What?!"

"It's entirely your fault for letting the situation get to this point in the first place. And now you're hesitating? I thought gods would have better-functioning brains, but I'm disappointed. You guys should be on your knees begging me right now."

"Seeing you act so high and mighty just because you wield a little Divine Power leaves me absolutely speechless. Ah, right. You're saying you don't care what happens to the dimension. Forget it if you don't want to. You're the ones in a hurry, not me."

He hit the nail right on the head. The gods standing before the crystal sphere trembled with rage, but having no proper counterargument, they snapped their mouths shut. Behel, standing in the back, felt a sense of responsibility for Tainworth and spoke up.

"...Then what should we do?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Who are you?"

"I am Behel, the God of Light. You can consider me a god who stands on the exact opposite side of a Dungeon Master like yourself."

"...Right, the Holy Kingdom. Just thinking about the atrocities the Ain Kart Holy Kingdom committed while worshipping you makes my blood boil. In a way, things might have gotten this bad because of them. One could say your responsibility in this is also extremely large."

The gazes of the gods watching the crystal sphere instantly converged on Behel. If the Holy Kingdom was one of the causes of the crisis on the continent, she wouldn't be able to avoid responsibility either. She had to make this deal happen, even if it meant giving up some of her own Divine Power. As the atmosphere took a sharp turn, Behel broke into a cold sweat.

'Balak's Dungeon Master, Taehyun. He spat those words out fully intending to create this mood. At this rate, I might be the only one sacrificed.'

Although they maintained each dimension under the Supreme God's authority, there was a strict hierarchy even among the gods. Some formed separate factions and held antagonistic relationships, so from the perspective of the other gods, a reduction in someone else's Divine Power would be highly welcomed. Behel hesitated for a moment before glaring at the God of Plenty.

"I-If you put it that way, isn't Harmang, the God of Plenty, also a problem? It seems the Druids sowed quite a bit of chaos on the continent as well."

"W-What? Why are you dragging me into this? Are you trying to take me down with you? If you put it that way, Ameria, the God of Nature, is a huge problem too!"

"Who are you calling a huge problem right now? It got this way in the first place because Morpina, the God of Contracts, took that kind of attitude."

"Why am I being singled out? I only came here to fulfill the contract. If you put it that way, aren't all of you who treated him as a mere human the problem?!"

What started as the problem of a single god became the problem of many, and then the problem of everyone. The gods exchanged wary glances, glaring at each other. Since they were negotiating over the Dimension Management Authority, one wrong move could result in only their own Divine Power being drained. Just then, an entity brimming with mighty Divine Power revealed herself in the garden.

"What on earth are you all doing? Are you telling me that the gods who manage dimensions are putting on such a pathetic display just because you're afraid to use your Divine Power?"

It was none other than Supreme God Excellia, the Creator of all dimensions. She walked past the deeply bowing gods and stepped up to the crystal sphere.

"And who are you?"

"I am Excellia, the Creator who manages the dimensions. Child, as you said..."

"If you're the Creator, you must be the Supreme God. Come to think of it, you created this continent too. Your responsibility must be the greatest out of all the gods."

"Seeing how you've just been a bystander until now and are only showing your face at this point, you're not much different either. Don't try to act all solemn and clean up the situation after showing up last. It's fucking annoying to watch."

Excellia was rendered speechless.

A long silence fell. The human holding the Dimension Management Authority was taking a defiant attitude toward the gods and openly insulting them. The bowing gods looked at Excellia in sheer horror. The Supreme God's wrath meant a state of emergency for the entire Divine Realm. However, she soon let out a sigh and acknowledged her responsibility.

"I have nothing to say to that. But please understand our circumstances of being unable to interfere with a distorted dimension. I apologize for only appearing now to try and sort out the situation. Please, tell me your contract conditions. I will try my best to fulfill them, even if I have to draw upon my own Divine Power to do so."

Even if it was only the remaining half of the Dimension Management Authority, since they were contracting with the entire Divine Realm, the other party's conditions were extremely important. Especially in a situation like this where even the gods' responsibilities were being called into question, the demands of the contract were bound to skyrocket. Taehyun casually pulled out a quill pen and unrolled the contract.

"Good. Now I feel like making a deal. I'll say this upfront: this contract is a trade for a portion of the Dimension Management Authority, but don't forget that saving the distorted dimension is also part of the deal. And since each of you will have to take responsibility for this incident, that will be added separately as well."

A total of three conditions were applied. With even Supreme God Excellia expressing her intent, Taehyun was the one holding all the leverage in the contract. For the gods, they had to fulfill the contract conditions and retrieve the Dimension Management Authority no matter what. No matter how steep the demands were, since those three reasons were applied, any refutation was impossible. In a way, it could be seen as the entire Divine Realm being swayed by a mere human, but if Beirimp, the God of Desire, obtained the dimension, it would become impossible to handle.

And so, the gods swallowed dryly, keeping their eyes fixed on Taehyun.

---

"...I knew you were quite an interesting bastard, but to think it was to this extent. To make a contract with the entire Divine Realm... Are you truly in your right mind?"

He had finalized the contract while holding the gods accountable. If Supreme God Excellia had simply flown into a rage, he could have been cursed by the entire Divine Realm. Yet, Taehyun had laid out his demands without hesitation. Even as a Demonic King who had reached the level of a demigod, he wouldn't dare adopt such an attitude.

"From the moment those bastards messed with me, there was no turning back. I'm only moving forward. Now, first up, Demonic King Kraktio, you're signing the contract."

"Hey, when did I ever say I was joining Balak?"

"Seeing you smiling while saying that, it seems you're damn terrible at managing your facial expressions. Don't forget that your responsibility in this is also huge, in a way. If the war with the Celestial Realm hadn't broken out in the first place, none of this would have happened."

"Do you think I, a Demonic King, would feel any sense of responsibility for a war? The emotion I'm feeling right now is purely anticipation. I am incredibly curious to see exactly how you will tear down Nikunbel and Beirimp."

It was Duke Nikunbel who had usurped the position and seized control of the Demon World after Kraktio disappeared. As a subordinate of Beirimp, the God of Desire, he was even targeting Kraktio himself, so the Demonic King's thirst for revenge must have reached its peak. Taehyun handed over the contract and presented his condition.

"I will kill Nikunbel, who betrayed you and crawled under Beirimp. You can consider the God of Desire a bonus."

"You're crazy. You're absolutely, thoroughly insane. I truly cannot fathom the depths of your madness!"

No matter what kind of entity he faced, he had no fear. He had long since abandoned his desperation to return to modern Earth. Solely to make those who had played him for a fool pay the price, Taehyun chose the path of a conqueror. Gripping the quill pen, Kraktio made his demand.

"What I desire is the most agonizing death for that bastard Nikunbel. Even if I escape this bitch Kamiel's body, it will be impossible for me to fight right away anyway. Furthermore, if I become affiliated with Balak, I won't be able to unleash my original abilities. At best, I'll just recover my Demonic Energy and that'll be it. For now, I will leave everything to you."

Soon, the contract began to glow.

[The contract procedure has been completed.]

[The contract has been activated.]

[The God of Contracts, Morpina, observes Player Taehyun and Demonic King Kraktio.]

With this, Demonic King Kraktio's affiliation was changed to Balak. Taehyun looked at Morpina, who was waiting behind him, and handed her another contract.

"I'm going to present the contract conditions now. Take good notes."

"A-Alright. List them off, one by one."

"First. The exercise of authority over the remaining Dimension Management Authority."

"Hmm, you're not thinking of extending the period of ownership, are you?"

"I have no intention of doing that. I plan to return the partial authority held by Duke Nikunbel to you guys as well, just as the contract states."

"Understood. Tell me the second condition."

"The authority to revive annihilated beings."

The movement of the quill pen in her hand stopped. Morpina raised her head with a stiff expression.

"Are you saying you intend to bring back those who have already been annihilated?"

"Then are you telling me to fight those bastards with no soldiers and no Main Forces? It's a problem if you guys can't even offer any help but won't let me do this either. I could just hand Kraktio over to them, you know. You'd better think carefully."

"...Just a moment. I'll go ask Excellia."

"Ah, wait. Listen to the final condition before you go. That way, the Supreme God can give an answer for both at once."

"Haa, alright. Still, it's a relief that it's the final condition. If any more conditions were added, I would have gotten pissed off and thrown the contract away myself."

"I may not look it, but I'm saving an entire dimension, so I should get my reward too. Especially since I'm contracting with all the gods over the Dimension Management Authority, I might as well raise the stakes a bit. The final condition is..."

Gradually, the jaws of those in the room began to drop. Even Kraktio, sitting nearby, was filled with shock; the impact of the final condition spared no one. And so, with a dumbfounded face, Morpina went to get permission for the contract conditions.