{Chapter: 159: The Composition of Divine Power}
Underground.
Dex, who was currently immersed in his relentless pursuit of uncovering the secrets of divine power, remained completely unaware of the heated debates occurring elsewhere. His focus, however, was soon diverted—not by any noise or intrusion, but by the growing urgency of the warnings coming from one of his innate abilities.
His unique ability, [Revelation—Awakening], had begun triggering with increasing frequency and intensity, issuing silent yet persistent warnings that something was amiss—very amiss.
From the rhythm and intensity of these alerts, Dex didn't need to consult an oracle or decipher an omen. He arrived at a straightforward conclusion almost instantly: "A large group of unruly people are planning to murder me."
This passive ability, while unable to provide detailed foresight or visuals, had proven itself invaluable time and again. It didn't offer specifics, but it always responded in real-time to danger directly connected to him. As soon as events, even indirectly, began affecting his fate, it lit up like a flare.
And now? That internal flare was burning like a forest fire.
As for who these "unruly people" might be, Dex had already narrowed it down.
Over the past few months, he'd encountered and clashed with several other abyssal entities—vicious monsters, arrogant demons, and greedy opportunists. But Dex, never one to tolerate nonsense, had simply slain them when he deemed them too bothersome. That left no room for grudges or revenge—because all potential grudge-holders were long dead.
So then, it couldn't be other abyss creatures. There was no large faction of abyssal beings that held animosity toward him and were plotting together.
By process of elimination, only one group remained: the natives of the surface world—the defenders within the fortification line.
That realization, however, didn't concern Dex in the slightest.
He had expected it. In fact, he had anticipated it from the start. After all, his actions had been anything but subtle.
But anticipation didn't mean fear.
He didn't worry about their tactics or machinations, because when it came down to it, their options were painfully limited. Whatever strategy they employed—ambushes, traps, coordinated attacks—it would eventually boil down to a direct confrontation. And that was where Dex thrived.
Unlike those so-called champions who walked with pride in their titles and relics, Dex had no glaring weaknesses. Every flaw in his nature was either concealed or compensated by an array of diverse skills and synergistic abilities. His very existence was a patchwork of enhancements.
If they wanted to kill him, they had only one viable method: overwhelm him with brute force.
But such a feat was easier said than done.
Given the current global situation, the true [Gods] and mighty [Greater Demons] were locked away in a bloody battle on a distant plane. They could not descend upon the material realm, not even temporarily. That left only the [Demigods] and [High-Ranked Demons] to hold the line.
And those, Dex had already fought—and survived.
He had recently gone toe-to-toe with two senior demigods at once, all on his own. While they were well-known figures—formidable and fully equipped with divine-tier weapons—they had still been pushed to their limits. They had to retreat and call for help. One of them had even required a death-substitute artifact to avoid fatality.
And Dex had walked away from that.
So why should he fear them now?
In his estimation, if ten more of those so-called "strong male dark elves" had joined the battle, they might have stood a chance at defeating him. Might. But they would also be insulting themselves by needing such a number. He was just a middle-ranked demon, after all—or so they thought.
Unlike these natives, who traveled in groups and relied on long-standing camaraderie, coordinated strategies, and divine support, Dex was a solitary figure.
An orphan in both spirit and allegiance.
He didn't view his fellow abyss creatures as comrades or allies. To him, they were merely mobile assets—expendable resources to be used when convenient, discarded when not.
Not that he could blame them. In truth, most abyss-born beings had minds that leaned toward chaos and madness. Their temperaments were volatile. Their loyalties fickle. They were terrible teammates, if one could even call them that. More likely to stab each other in the back than coordinate effectively.
Still, even these chaotic minions had their uses.
They served as a barrier—one that could make it difficult for surface-dwellers to track him down directly. If anyone among the defenders truly wanted to do something against him, they would have to wait until he appeared again during the next demonic tide.
Until then, it would be a passive hunt. A long, frustrating game of cat and mouse.
And that was a game Dex was more than comfortable playing.
After all, he once spent an entire century hiding within the magical flower valleys of the wizarding world. For a hundred years, he evaded pursuit, sending only distant projections to toy with his enemies. Patience, misdirection, and delay—he excelled at these.
He was a master of hiding when he needed to be.
Finally, as his thoughts wound down, Dex turned back toward his current task—studying divine power. The last traces of the divine essence he had obtained were beginning to fade.
But it had been a worthwhile experiment.
Through careful observation and comparison, Dex had reached a simple but startling conclusion: divine power, in terms of pure energy density and utility, was vastly superior to his own magic.
One unit of divine power equaled approximately fifteen units of his own very refined magic energy.
That was no small difference—it was a chasm.
Considering how advanced and mutated his magic power already was—elevated by various talents, abilities, and enhancements—this gap was monumental.
Most [Higher Demons] didn't even have magic of his caliber. And yet even his formidable reserves were dwarfed by the smallest amount of divine essence.
This discovery would shape his future plans.
Not only did it confirm the necessity of studying divine mechanics, but it also hinted at the terrifying potential of wielding divine power personally.
And if he ever found a way to create it...
Then not even the gods themselves would be safe from him.
And He Did See a Way
In that moment of silence, he saw a path—unclear, unconventional, and perhaps even dangerous—but it was a path nonetheless.
In Dex's eyes, divine power was not some mystical force that required blind worship or ancient lineage. Instead, it could be broken down into a relatively simple, if abstract, formula:
Will of all living beings + World Authority + Personal Willpower Energy = Divine Power.
This equation made sense to him. It was far easier to grasp than the cryptic philosophies of other abyssal scholars. Unlike magic power, which stemmed entirely from his own existence—his own body, mind, and soul—divine power was something far more layered, mixed with external influences and environmental factors.
The first component, the will of all living beings, represented collective thought: the worship, belief, and awe that masses felt toward a higher power. Faith. But that meant he would need followers, believers—essentially a herd of loyal pigs fattened on ignorance and desperation, ready to offer their minds and hopes to him. Unfortunately, at the present moment, Dex had no such thing.
The second component, World Authority, referred to the essence of godhood itself—priesthoods, divine domains, and the rights bestowed by the world's fundamental laws. That, too, was currently beyond his reach.
Only the third component, his own willpower, came easily to him.
Dex had long explored the nature of personal resolve. He had survived the abyss, challenged higher demons, and wielded forbidden knowledge. His spirit had been sharpened like a blade over years of abyssship. He understood himself and the force that came from belief in one's own existence.
After a long moment of thought, Dex devised a detour—an unconventional, even heretical, route to reach divine power.
If he couldn't obtain the original, then why not try a pirated version?
If he couldn't gain access to the authentic power of collective faith, then perhaps there was a substitute. The will of all living beings was ultimately just thought—whether born of awe or fear. It represented collective emotion and directed belief. If worship created one kind of divine energy, why couldn't hatred and resentment create another?
Of course, Dex was well aware that he lacked any form of goodwill from others. People didn't adore him. No one offered him reverence or gentle prayers. He was a monster to most—feared, hated, despised. The only way he could generate worship was through forceful domination or perhaps brainwashing.
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