Becoming a god in a low-key way in the supernatural world

"It's almost New Year's!" Kotekawa sat cross-legged on the giant eagle, sighing slightly. Fortunately, he was smart enough to know that he couldn't outrun his competitors by relying on his own two legs to cross mountains and valleys, so he caught an eagle and directly surpassed so many competitors.

“Giant eagles are truly a treasure! Their meat is delicious, and they can even carry people…” he exclaimed, then suddenly seemed to realize something, his face lighting up with a look of sudden understanding: “That’s right! If we get one of these giant eagles, wouldn’t we save a lot of travel time when we come back here? Man-made planes can’t get in here, so why not just find a natural one like this? Besides, I’ve already ridden in one twice…”

He was lost in thought on the eagle's back, while the evil god ahead of him was already descending amidst dark clouds.

He also controlled the giant eagle to follow.

The reason for his earlier action was twofold: firstly, to assess the gap in strength between himself and the Demon King, and secondly, to inquire about spiritual herbs.

Now, the first goal has been achieved.

So once we get the elixir, we should be able to go back.

Well, although he also wanted to kill the evil god, the opponent could fly, breathe fire, and control lightning; its attack and defense were both high...

Therefore, we cannot rush things; we must proceed gradually.

Chapter Ten God

On a peak that appears to be nearly a thousand meters high, colorful rays of light illuminate half the sky and hang down like tassels, a truly miraculous sight!

Kotegawa looked up in shock, but didn't forget to take out his phone to take a picture.

He took a lot of photos these days, including landscapes, strange-looking monsters, and even some rather cute ones, like the big white rat he encountered not long ago.

There was a rumbling sound echoing in the distance. He glanced back and saw the swirling white snow and countless shadows.

A few hundred meters ahead of him, the six-legged, three-eyed demon king was bowing his head and climbing step by step toward the mountain peak, his every move revealing a trace of piety.

Kotegawa watched its retreating figure, pondered for a moment, then strode off and immediately followed.

He couldn't think of anything other than a magical elixir that could drive the Demon King to rush here at any cost and drive countless monsters mad.

Looking ahead, he suddenly had a guess: "Perhaps what is recorded in the Kojiki in Fujiwara-sensei's house is not entirely accurate. Maybe the demon king did not become a god a thousand years ago because the elixir was stolen, but that elixir may not have been its own. At that time, it may have just been one of the contenders for the elixir."

If this guess is correct, then will we see many great monsters like the Demon King, who are only one step away from becoming gods?

Realizing this, Kotegawa felt a chill run down his spine, and his Nightmare Domain silently opened, concealing himself.

Although not all monsters are hostile to humans, if even one of them has a similar temperament to the Demon King, then he is in for trouble.

Of course, if you could kill them all, you might really become a god?

He secretly followed behind the Demon King, pondering to himself.

We need to find an opportunity to kill it first. This guy is the source of the Evil Spirit Society, and it has to pay the price for all the killings committed by the Evil Spirit Society.

After we kill it, we'll go after the other great monsters.

However, this is not something that can be done just like that. In the previous battles, when he did not use Nightmare and the Demon King did not breathe fire or summon lightning, the two sides were barely evenly matched.

However, the Demon King's flames and lightning were too destructive. But Nightmare was not weak either. Although it could still detect him, it was probably only in a very weak state and could not lock onto him at all.

So in terms of overall strength, it's a 50/50 split.

"However, although I can appear and disappear like a ghost, if I don't have a move that has a miraculous effect, then it will be its turn next: fire and lightning strikes, these indiscriminate area attacks. It's a 50/50 chance, you can kill me, and I can kill you... or neither of us can kill the other, and after a fight to the death, other monsters will get the benefit."

Kotegawa looked past the Demon King and gazed at the distant mountain peak.

Let's put killing it aside for now and get the elixir first.

The path to the summit is a narrow, sloping road covered in snow, with towering peaks on either side.

Kotegawa glanced back at the dark mass of yokai in the distance, slowly making their way forward, minimizing any disturbance.

"It shouldn't be because he's afraid of avalanches; it seems there's something else going on at the summit." He put his two longswords into his sword pouch, slung them over his back, and began climbing at a leisurely pace.

Since none of the monsters behind them were in a hurry, it means that it wasn't a "first come, first served" situation.

This is not just wild guessing. Judging from the fact that those giant eagles dared to attack the Demon King, they are not too afraid of the Demon King.

So he remained calm.

Moreover, without fully understanding the situation, it would be easy to suffer losses by rushing in – what if it wasn't a elixir but a banquet hosted by the Ghost King? If he rushed in headfirst, wouldn't he become a takeout customer?

The road leading to the mountaintop is long and narrow, giving the illusion that it will never end.

The sky gradually darkened, and correspondingly, the colorful rays of light falling from the mountaintop became even more dazzling, and the gathering of monsters grew larger and larger.

Near the summit, Kotegawa looked down into the distance. He had just heard several roars from monsters that were no weaker than the Demon King.

But these monsters didn't "cut in line"; instead, they mingled with the rest of the monsters and gradually made their way up.

He sat down cross-legged, lost in thought and silent.

Does the elixir itself possess the domineering power to make all demons, whether minor or major, obediently walk up the mountain?

I don't think so! Otherwise, why would monsters fight over it?

Why did these monsters obediently walk up? And why did they all conceal their ferocity like believers?

He couldn't quite understand it, so he looked up at the mountain peak, which was only a dozen meters away.

The demon king in front of him had already gone up.

He wasn't in a hurry.

"This medicinal herb, it must have an owner, right?" he muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing as an exaggerated thought grew larger and larger in his mind.

The Demon King almost became a god a thousand years ago. Ishikawa Yasuhiro also said that the Demon King's combat power ranks among the top three in the divine hierarchy.

Even so, it still had to obediently climb the mountain step by step...

Is the owner of the elixir a deity?

After all, only a god could do something like that, right?

This guess is a bit absurd, but it's the only option right now.

So far, although he has seen the divine light and the white-bearded old man in the Shirakawa Shrine, neither the divine light nor the white-bearded old man are true gods. The white-bearded old man is just a wisp of divine essence left behind by the gods, and he only responds to the prayers and fortune-telling of believers... To put it simply, he is a tool god, not the true form of the gods.

"Gods...are we going to see the real gods this time?" he murmured, stood up, pushed [Nightmare] to its limit, and then walked towards the mountain peak.

He has come this far, and there is no reason for him to give up.

If it is truly a deity who oversees the distribution of medicinal herbs every thousand years, then he must also be qualified to participate; otherwise, he shouldn't be able to come up here.

Looking at the mountain peak so close at hand, he bowed slightly, leaped up, and looked toward the place where the seven-colored glow was most intense.

The glow there was as rich as crystal, and the six-legged, three-eyed demon king knelt beside it.

Kotegawa's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, and a chill ran through him from the bottom of his heart.

A woman in an ancient-style long dress, radiating a pure white divine light, sat beside the rosy glow, playing with a strand of her hair in her hand.

The air in front of her was distorted, making it impossible to see her face clearly, and looking at her for too long would cause a stinging pain in her eyes, like being pricked with needles.

Although it lacks a lofty and boundless aura, and doesn't possess a heart-stirring power, but...

It is undoubtedly a deity!

He shifted his gaze and looked again at the end of the sunset.

On a small, colorful tree, about half a person's height, hangs a fruit that looks like an apple, and the rich glow of the sunset emanates from within the fruit.

Miracle cure!

A sudden jolt ran through him, as if a clear, refreshing voice, like a sweet spring from a snow-capped mountain, suddenly echoed in his heart: "It has been many years since I have seen a human come here. Welcome. I am the mountain goddess of this place, and also the guardian goddess of the spiritual herbs. There are still three hours until the competition for the spiritual herbs begins."

Kotegawa clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "Nice to meet you, Lord Mountain God. It is an honor to participate in this competition for the spiritual medicine."

He quietly joined this group.

The woman in palace attire didn't look at him, still playing with her hair: "Please find a place to wait. Before the competition for the spiritual medicine begins, please don't do anything impolite."

Kotegawa clasped his hands in a fist salute again and sat down in a spot near a rock.

As expected, the [Nightmare] domain could not be hidden from the gods.

However, it was quite unexpected that this place had its own mountain god.

The mountain god fell silent.

Kotegawa continued to maintain the nightmare, watching one monster and demon after another appear from all directions, and then, imitating the Demon King, knelt in a circle around the mountain god.

They seemed to be truly devout believers.

These few hours passed quietly yet felt incredibly long.

Kotegawa looked the approaching monsters up and down, memorizing their appearance.

Snowflakes fell silently from the sky. After three hours, the mountain god sitting next to the medicinal herb suddenly stood up.

The monster kneeling on the ground did not move.

His voice resounded in the hearts of all living beings: "The rules for the competition for the elixir are the same as they were a thousand years ago... Please decide the winner yourselves."

As the mountain god's voice faded, he and the elixir slowly rose into the sky.

The monsters crouching on the ground began to feel uneasy.

The Demon King, his face contorted with murderous intent, searched back and forth for traces of Kotegawa.

It could sense that the Furude River was nearby.

Kotegawa temporarily ignored the demon king's search, focusing part of his attention on the elixir of ascension and part on the mountain god.

As for the Demon King... let it search aimlessly.

"Moo!" A deep, heavy roar suddenly rang out, like a signal to attack, and a massive melee erupted instantly.

Chapter Eleven: The True King

At the summit of the mountain, a goddess in flowing robes lay in the air, her head resting on colorful clouds, and she even stretched lazily.

Below, however, lay a scene almost like hell.

Countless monsters, their eyes red, were fighting each other. They had no teammates and were surrounded by enemy monsters on all sides!

Kotegawa concealed himself with [Nightmare] and wandered among the many yokai, making no other unnecessary moves except to finish them off.