Becoming the Supreme God

The Neutral Ground

"The spatial tear is stable." The City System notified as a vertical rift opened in the center of the wooden room. The edges of the portal crackled with blue energy. "You may now enter the City of Gods to trade and form alliances. This location serves as the neutral hub for all active deities in the realm."

Leo stared at the swirling vortex.

Everyone that steps through this portal must have realised that the old world was gone. They had to accept this new existence or they would be erased by rival deities. Leo took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and stepped through the portal.

The scale of the divine capital defied human logic. Towering structures carved from white stone pierced a cloudless sky. Wide cobblestone streets stretched out in all directions and teemed with diverse life. Deities of varying ages browsed open air merchant stalls and grand pavilions.

Leo watched a tall man in golden armor hand over a pouch of glowing currency to a merchant. In exchange, the merchant transferred a legion of winged soldiers directly into the man's domain via a mirrored slate. Other gods negotiated over mythical beasts, elemental wards, and weather control runes. The economy of this realm thrived on warfare and territorial protection. It was an arms race fueled by human prayer.

He opened his interface to check his own standing. His balance sat at 129,900 Power of Faith. He possessed more wealth than some of the older deities wandering the streets. He could buy a formidable army right now but doing so would paint a target on his back.

He might be rich but they are stronger

He dismissed the blue screen and pulled the collar of his jacket up to blend in with the crowd. He needed intelligence before he spent a single point of his fortune.

Leo navigated the main thoroughfare until he reached a sprawling central plaza. A group of teenagers in school uniforms huddled near a marble fountain. Some girls wept quietly while boys paced in frantic circles and stared at their empty hands.

Trent stood on the raised steps of the fountain holding court. He looked comfortable. The fatal crash had not humbled him at all.

"You need to stop crying and look at your interface," Trent told a shivering boy in the front row. "This is just a resource management game. We died. We respawned. Now we conquer."

"I have zero believers," the boy whispered. "My city is dying of a plague. I do not have any power to heal them."

"Then let the weak ones die," Trent scoffed. "You thin the herd. You save your starting faith to buy military assets instead of wasting it on sick peasants. I have the Valorian army. I am already setting up a command structure to tax my citizens. Every coin they offer goes directly to my armory."

"What if our neighbors attack us?" another student asked.

"They will," Trent said. "That is why you need an alliance. If you pledge loyalty to me today, I will protect your borders when the tutorial ends. You will supply my army with raw materials and I will keep you alive. Refuse me, and you stand alone against the ancient gods."

Three students stepped behind Trent. They traded their autonomy for the illusion of safety. Trent smiled and welcomed them into his faction.

Trent scanned the crowd and locked eyes with Leo. The arrogant smirk widened.

"Look who decided to show up," Trent called out. He pointed directly at Leo. "I thought your starving beggars would have eaten you by now. How many hours until you go bankrupt?"

Leo did not react to the taunt. He kept his hands in his pockets and studied Trent's aggressive posture.

"Did you hear me?" Trent stepped down from the fountain and closed the distance between them. "You do not belong here. People like you are meant to be stepping stones for actual leaders."

"Trent, please stop yelling."

Chloe walked into the plaza. She hugged her arms across her chest and looked around the alien city with wide eyes. Her yellow sweater was covered in dust from the crash arena. She looked lost and overwhelmed by the towering architecture.

Trent dropped the aggressive posture and walked toward her. He put on the charming smile that Leo recognized from their school hallways.

"You look lost," Trent said. "Come stand with my group. My Valorian soldiers are elite. I will funnel resources into your city and make sure nobody touches your borders."

"I do not know how any of this works," Chloe said. She wrung her hands together. "My people are just peaceful fishermen living on a coast. The system says I have zero believers. They do not have any monsters attacking them so they do not pray for salvation. I have no faith currency and no idea how to make them look up at the sky."

"I have enough for both of us," Trent promised. "I can buy you a disaster ward or a sea leviathan to scare them into worshipping you."

Leo stepped out of the crowd and placed himself between Trent and Chloe.

"Do not accept his protection," Leo said. "He views your citizens as the enemy. If you let him control your economy, he will sacrifice your people to fund his own wars."

Trent grabbed Leo by the collar of his jacket. The aggression was a reflex from their past life.

"I told you to stay away from her on the bus," Trent snarled. "I will break your jaw right here."

Leo felt an ache in his heart but he forced his posture to remain relaxed. He is not a school boy anymore, he is the god of Ashguard and he will not be scared.

"You should be careful, Trent," Leo said. His voice was calm and precise. "This is not the school halls. There's no teacher or daddy's money to protect you here"

Trent tightened his grip. "You think you're a high tier god now? My soldiers will obey my commands and I can lead them to destroy your kingdom"

"You are an aggressive player, Trent. Your soldiers will obey you until you demand too many sacrifices," Leo countered. "And when they leave you, you'll be left with nothing! No power, no miracle, just a poor boy without daddy's backing anymore"

The surrounding students went silent. Nobody had ever spoken to Trent like that without taking a severe beating. They waited for the inevitable violence but it never came.

"God or human, a bully is a bully," Leo told Chloe. "A real religion requires a foundation of genuine trust. He does not know how to build trust, he only knows to threaten."

"He is right," Chloe said. She took a deliberate step away from Trent. "My father always said you rely too much on intimidation."

Trent released Leo and stared at Chloe in disbelief.

"You are choosing a beggar over me?" Trent asked. "I have ten thousand points of faith. He is probably still wondering where he is."

"I am choosing the person who understands strategy," Chloe replied. She walked over and stood next to Leo.

The public rejection fractured Trent's ego in front of the class. The charming facade vanished. His face contorted with raw fury as he glared at the two of them.

"You think you are so smart," Trent shouted. His voice echoed off the marble buildings. "You think a board game strategy will save you from a real standing army."

Leo adjusted his collar and met the furious stare. "I think you are going to bankrupt yourself before the month ends."

"Listen to me very carefully." Trent pointed a finger directly at Leo. "You have thirty days of system protection. Enjoy every single second of it. The exact moment those borders open, I am marching the Valorian army into Ashguard."

The sycophants behind Trent murmured their support.

"I will burn your city to the ground," Trent promised. "I will s*******r every mortal who speaks your name. By the time I am finished, your religion will cease to exist and you will die a final death."

Leo absorbed the threat without blinking. He did not raise his voice. He did not offer a counter threat. He possessed a secret multiplier and an upcoming investment plan that would render Trent's military obsolete.

"We will see," Leo said.

He turned his back on Trent and walked out of the plaza. Chloe followed close behind him. They left Trent boiling with rage in the center of his broken court.