Chapter 285: #God of Oompa-Oompas?

The banquet began, attended by Ant Emperor, the Ten Swords, me, and some of my close Gayami Tribe members.

“Hey! Bring more alcohol to the table!

Hahaha!

”

“Your Majesty the Supreme Emperor! You’ve drunk too much!” Arachne tried to stop him.

“When else can I drink if not on a day like this!” Ant Emperor simply ignored her, raising his wine cup high. “To the god of gods who will fulfill my wish! Let us all toast to my friend, Yu Il-Shin!”

“Cheers! God Yu Il-Shin, puck puck!”

Cheering at the top of their lungs, the emperor and members of the Gayami Tribe drank their wine in unison.

However, that wasn’t what shocked me. There was an unexpected dark horse right under my nose!

Bang!

Anty emptied her cup in one go and wiped the foam off her lips with her sleeves.

“A-Anty. You can hold your liquor quite well, huh?”

“

Hehe.

I’ve been sneaking into my father’s cellar since I was young and tasted all kinds of wine! Besides, to be a saintess, I must also become skilled in making holy wine!”

“Oh, so that’s why...”

Did that mean Anty was a rebellious kid?! Was she even old enough to drink? She looked pretty young to me... Well, now that she was running the empire, she was considered an adult, so maybe that was good enough?

Actually, Il-Ho was even more shocking.

He’d been pretending to drink, but the liquid in his cup didn’t decrease at all. Amused by this behavior, usually seen only in humans, I placed a hand on his shoulder and laughed.

“Il-Ho, you can’t drink?”

“That’s not it...” Il-Ho’s bulging muscles tensed. “I can feel my muscles instinctively rejecting the alcohol! I don’t understand why, but I have a bad feeling! Something tells me that drinking will cause muscle loss!”

Oh, right. I’d forgotten that Il-Ho was a hardcore gym rat through and through.

Anty butted in between us. “

Hehe

, Lord Yu Il-Shin! Sir Il-Ho! Let’s have a toast!”

“I-I’m fine, Your Majesty!”

When Il-Ho declined, Anty narrowed her eyes, her cheeks flushed.

“What’s that? Do you mean to say you can’t drink with me?”

Hey, Anty. You are drunk, aren’t you?

“N-no, Your Majesty! It’s not that, I’m just...”

Anty teared up as she looked at Il-Ho, who was struggling with the threat of losing his muscles.

“I’m so, very disappointed, Sir Il-Ho. The great warrior of the Gayami Tribe can’t even drink this much...? Also, how could you keep your distance from me even in a private setting?! I’m hurt!”

Thud!

As if the sky had fallen on him, Il-Ho instantly changed.

“How could that be?! Now, look at me, Anty! I can handle this much alcohol! Muuuscles!”

With his bulging arm, he grabbed a nearby wine jar, pouring it down his mouth with gusto.

Wow, what a guy!

A handsome guy who’d willingly sacrifice his muscles for love. After emptying the wine jar in one gulp, Il-Ho smiled brightly, revealing his pearly white teeth.

“Did you see that, Anty?!”

“

Kyaa!

So cool! Let’s have another jar!”

“

Hahaha!

Of course!”

As if his reins had been cut loose, Il-Ho began guzzling down jars of alcohol recklessly. In truth, I knew since my past life that Il-Ho had been crushing on Anty for a while. I didn’t know how their love would turn out in this life, but I was sure about one thing: Il-Ho was firmly bound to her.

~

As the banquet went on, more people started dropping out.

Il-Ho had passed out early from drinking straight from the jars. Anty was sleeping soundly next to him, with a face red as an apple.

“

Uuugh

, my precious muscles... No...”

“

Hehe,

Lord Yu Il-Shin. I’m so happy to see you again...”

One seemed to be having a nightmare, while the other was giggling in her sleep. They looked cute together when they were drunk.

“Lord Yu Il-Shin, I shall bring these two back to their quarters.”

“Yes. I’ll leave them to you, Yi-Ho.”

Yi-Ho was one of the last few standing people. Watching his leaving back, I wondered what happened to the Eternal Seeker Yi-Ho in the Tower of Gods? What about Abundance noonim and Ms. Nightmare? Were they safe?

Ding!

As if reading my mind, an answer came immediately.

[The second Eternal Seeker is safe thanks to God Yu Il-Shin’s mercy. He sends his gratitude.]

[Infinite Abundance and Silently Crawling Nightmare are slowly recovering their divine powers, so you will be able to see them soon.]

That’s a relief.

I moved to sit down next to the emperor, who was lying face flat on the table, completely drunk. Behind him was a mountain of empty wine jars.

“Emperor, aren’t you drinking too much?”

He lifted his head slightly, looking at me with unfocused eyes.“

Keke.

When else would we drink if not today? I recall that you drank quite a bit earlier too, but you seem sober still.”

“Yeah. Lately, I can’t seem to get drunk no matter how much I drink. Could it be the immunity I gained from the Tower of Gods?”

“

Tsk tsk

. You’ve lost the joy in alcohol. It seems that reaching Top-tier godhood isn’t entirely a good thing."

“Emperor.”

“Don’t call me that. I’m no longer the emperor.”

Alright. That’s what I’m curious about.

“Why did you abdicate the throne to Anty?”

I knew what the empire meant to him. Although it had started with hatred toward his mother and the disgusting men, in truth, the empire he built was the most precious thing in his five hundred years of solitude. Hence why I couldn’t forgive myself when I destroyed it in my previous life.

“No reason. While you were climbing the Tower of Gods, I decided that I should train and cultivate my power too, and the throne was nothing but a hindrance. As for why I chose her...” His voice wavered slightly. “I just thought she would make a better ruler than me.”

He didn’t say it, but was it because I was his god and he was my follower? On his grotesque face, I could see the guilt he felt toward the massacres of the weak tribes he’d done over the years.

I reached toward him with a wine cup in hand. “You're a great emperor yourself—at least for your own empire.”

“

Hmph

. Don't say things you don't mean,” he grumbled, then clinked glasses with me.

Clang!

At that moment, like a signal of some sort, the space around us split apart, from which something emerged.

A huge greatsword.

Woooong!

The blade—emitting eerie, red aura—slowly descended.

Riiip!

Then, like a gate opening, the rift widened, and a pair of menacing red eyes appeared.

-At last, I could leave this place!

It was War of Carnage and Madness, or War God.

Our eyes met.

“Oh? You came out faster than I had expected.”

Although time flowed differently in the world I’d created using False Creation, I thought it’d take him much longer to escape. Not just that, he seemed to have gotten stronger. I could sense that his divine power had increased.

His scream boomed like a thunderclap.

-Yu Il-Shin! You bastard! How dare you use such petty trickery at the Gods’ Sacrificial War! I will never forgive you! Never!

He squeezed through the rift, attempting to descend into Antrinia.

Ruuumble!

The banquet—no, the entire castle was shaking as he made his descent. I scratched my head, then looked up into the sky. Compared to the ant-sized me, War God was as gigantic as a titan.

“

Aargh... Haa... haa...!”

Ant Emperor went pale at the overwhelming divine power War God displayed as a Top-tier god, and clutched his chest as he groaned.

“Are you alright?”

Placing my hand on his shoulder, I injected my divine power into him, and saw color return to his face.

“H-how are we supposed to face him? His divine power is much stronger than yours! If he truly descends, the impact will reduce Antrinia into shambles!”

“It's going to be fine.” I stared at War God and said calmly, “Someone has been itching to fight him. Since he’s much stronger than me, I’ll just leave it to him.”

“What? Just who is it...”

War God stared at me with bloodshot eyes as he swung his greatsword.

-Die, Yu Il-Shin!

War God’s greatsword came down on both me and the emperor, bent on splitting the world apart.

Claaaang!

However, it was blocked by a pair of swords emitting a black aura.

-Y-you!

War God glared at the god who stopped him. He had an elegant pair of black wings and two, majestic-crown-like horns. Yi-Shin had personally descended in Antrinia.

Although I was separated from my alter egos, we were still one. We all shared senses, which was how Yi-Shin arrived this fast. Besides, he’d been waiting to engage in a final showdown against War God.

A faint smirk appeared on Yi-Shin’s face as he stared at War God.

“Honestly, I disliked his plan of sealing you with False Creation. Today, we’ll settle this once and for all.”

For an alter ego, he sure was cocky. Just in case, I still asked, “Hey, you sure you don’t need my help?”

“

Hmph!

Just sit back and watch! That old man is no match for me!”

-How dare a mere alter ego like you interfere!

“Mere alter ego?” Yi-Shin’s face crumpled. “Look here, old man. I am the true pinnacle of gods, and the strongest of them all!”

Like an eagle grabbing its prey, Yi-Shin grabbed War God by his neck and soared into the sky at tremendous speed.

Swoosh!

The two swept up and broke through the atmosphere, disappearing into space. Soon, a fierce battle between the two Top-tier gods began. The impact was so overwhelming that a single strike of their swords could shatter stars. However, it only seemed like a grandiose firework display from the ground, perfect for a drink.

How did War God manage to escape?

After all, in order to escape from the world, he had to meet some specific conditions. Driven by curiosity, I peered through the rift from which the War God had appeared.

Inside, I saw the creatures I’d created using False Creation swarming like silver waves. They were the Oompas, with their fish and salamander-like appearances, along with shimmering silver scales. Such cute and adorable creatures! I personally thought that they were a well-made species.

“

Oompa oompa!

”

The Oompas bowed diligently before what looked like a statue of War God, before dividing into groups.

“

Oompa oompa!

”

“

Oompaaa!

”

Why were they fighting each other with such intensity? They clashed with their short limbs, but didn’t engage in a fierce battle that’d send blood and flesh splattering everywhere. Actually, they just seemed cute fighting like that... I observed further and discovered that the victorious Oompa would kiss the defeated one.

Chu! Poof!

An egg appeared between them, shining like a jewel. Thus, their child was born.

“

Oompa oompa~!

”

“

Oompa♡!

”

The parents, who were just fighting a while ago, nuzzled their newborn’s cheek lovingly. This was happening everywhere.

Um, this doesn’t look like a battle, more like a courtship behavior... Alright, let’s stop watching.

I might have accidentally created a terrifying species. Moreover, the determination War God displayed by obtaining the Faith from those creatures was most admirable.

“Impressive. Is that the battle of the Top-tier gods?” Ant Emperor murmured as he watched the two gods fight it out.

“Friend, what did you say your name was again? As you said, it feels weird to call you emperor now.”

“...I’ve long since forgotten my name.”

“Should I give you one then?” With a serious expression, I suggested a name that had been on my mind for the longest time. “Oh-Shin. Yu Oh-Shin. How about that?”

“No.” He shot it down instantly.

What a heartless jerk.