I Reborn as a God Within a Statue, And You Ask Me to Enslave All Gods?-Chapter 172 --The Trample of Life

Lassal had devoted everything—his faith, his time, his divine resources—to surpassing the previous first-place winner.

Those five tier-4 devotees under his command were not the result of luck. They were the product of painstaking cultivation, each one handpicked and nurtured with meticulous care. In his mind, they were the pinnacle of what a deity could achieve.

He had believed that he had ascended to a realm beyond comparison. After all, it was already a miracle for other gods to produce even one or two tier-4 devotees—how could they possibly rival his five?

But the higher the hope, the greater the despair.

And in this moment, his dream was shattered—obliterated like a fragile illusion crushed beneath the weight of cruel truth.

It wasn’t just disappointment—it was a freefall into hopelessness.

"No... Impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

Lassal’s eyes turned bloodshot, madness rising like a tide. He couldn’t accept it. He refused to.

So many tier-4 Awakeners? And even tier-5s? That wasn’t just extraordinary—it was inconceivable. Such numbers should not exist. It defied all logic and common sense.

"You must have cheated—used some vile, underhanded method! This can’t be real!"

His voice cracked as he lashed out, desperate to justify the impossibility before him. His pride clung to denial like a lifeline.

Because if this was real—if Owen’s army truly was so overwhelmingly powerful—then what hope did he have?

How could he even compete for divine points?

It wasn’t a battle. It was annihilation. A complete collapse of dimensional tiers.

The other three gods seated on the divine thrones turned their eyes to Owen as well. Their confident composure evaporated, replaced by stunned silence.

"...By the heavens... this is insane," Jennie muttered. "I was elated when I trained even a single tier-4 Awakened devotee. That took months!"

"And now you’re telling me tier-4s are coming out in droves?!"

"There are tier-5s too? This is... monstrous!"

"Even if we all joined forces, we’d still be the ones getting crushed!"

Then, with a playful smile and a sparkle in her eyes, Jennie added, "Hey, handsome—just tell me straight. You were the first-place winner of the last tournament, weren’t you? And with all these elite devotees... you must be a 2-Star Peak Ancient God by now, right? How did you do this?"

The three gods chimed in, voicing their shock and awe like an unending stream.

Their eyes now brimmed with curiosity and admiration as they stared at Owen.

Just how many lower-tier devotees did he command if his elite army already looked like this?

They had all risen to godhood around the same time—how had such an enormous gap opened between them?

Their minds inevitably wandered back to that divine tournament.

The first-place winner back then... had utterly outclassed them. The point disparity had been so wide that many whispered of foul play.

But now, looking back, they understood.

That margin had been real.

It had simply been the difference between a god... and a supreme being.

"He was already that powerful then. It only makes sense that he’s far beyond us now..."

"He took one step ahead—and then never stopped. At this point, he’s beyond what we can even comprehend."

The three gods exchanged glances, each seeing their own sense of despair reflected in the others’ eyes.

But that despair swiftly morphed into something else—something better.

Hope.

Because this time... they weren’t his enemies.

They were his teammates.

And that meant one thing: as long as they held tight to Owen’s metaphorical thigh, losing would be impossible.

"Brother Owen, from here on out, we’ll follow your lead completely!" Devorah said, eyes sparkling.

"That’s right!" Harrington nodded emphatically. "Whatever you say goes—we won’t utter a single objection!"

Jennie echoed their sentiments: "We know our place. We trust you completely."

They all understood the situation now. The dream of first place might be beyond them—but with Owen on their side, a top-tier rank was guaranteed.

But Lassal...

His face turned an ominous shade of gray.

He clenched his fists as the bile of resentment rose in his throat.

Just moments ago, these same gods had dismissed his offer to lead, hiding behind hollow excuses about "mutual consultation."

But now?

They eagerly handed command to Owen without hesitation.

The contrast was unbearable.

Lassal could barely contain his fury.

But Owen simply waved his hand with indifference and said, "There’s no need for that. Just focus on directing your own devotees."

"My devotees already know exactly what they need to do. I don’t have to guide them."

Hearing this, Devorah, Harrington, and Jennie all twitched slightly.

So what if you’re stronger? You don’t have to act like we’re irrelevant...

But they couldn’t deny the truth—Owen’s devotees were beyond reason. They could probably march into battle blindfolded and still win.

[Devotee Battle—Initiated!]

A system notification flashed before their eyes.

At that moment, a chilling aura of blood and war filled the air—like a silent reaper awakening in the heart of paradise.

Within the Devotee Army.

Owen’s voice transmitted directly into Thomas’s mind, cold and precise.

"Thomas, this time the enemy’s dark god devotees might be strong. Eliminate them as quickly as possible."

"Don’t bother engaging with the rest. Your sole priority is to wipe out the opposing dark god devotees."

Thomas’s eyes lit up with resolve.

He turned and scanned the ranks behind him—Frank, John, Revan... these were the pillars of Annasi Town, each a first-rank general among Owen’s divine hosts.

Ever since Owen had bestowed the Array of Immortality upon them, they had trained day and night, pushing themselves to the limits.

From humble beginnings with fifty-man teams, they had expanded the array’s synchronization to a hundred, then three hundred, then two thousand... and eventually eight thousand warriors.

The more people who joined, and the higher their rank, the more devastating the array’s power became.

And now, with Owen’s command ringing in their souls, they would not falter.

"Frank," Thomas ordered, "your combat style is unique. You will serve as the spearhead—lead the elites to form the Immortality Array and launch the initial assault!"

He swept his gaze across the others. "Remember: our god—Deus Initium—is watching us."

"This battle is not just a battle—it’s a trial, a performance. We must show our best!"

"This is the first time the Array of Immortality will be unleashed in front of Deus Initium. I know none of you want to disappoint him."

A fierce cheer rose among them.

"To annihilate the dark god devotees—we shall not fail our Lord Deus Initium!"

Their gratitude toward Owen was immense. His gifts had elevated their power and will. But now, they would prove they were worthy of his favor.

Thomas and his vanguard surged forward like a tidal wave of divine steel.

He and the other tier-3 Awakeners fanned out across the flanks and rear to provide support and strategy.

Thousands of devotees surged across the field like an unstoppable flood.

At the front, Thomas radiated an awe-inspiring light—a brilliant white aura blooming from his chest like a sacred sunburst.

From that light, a massive six-pointed star array emerged.

Within its luminous geometry, the life force of every warrior was drawn together.

It condensed—transformed—into a towering silhouette.

A Giant of Life.

This radiant colossus mirrored their collective vitality and will.

BOOM!

The Giant of Life stepped forward.

The ground shuddered violently, quaking as if the earth itself were rebelling against reality.

Shockwaves rippled outward in concentric rings, decimating mountains and rivers in their path. The surrounding landscape was erased—flattened—by its presence.

It was like a higher-dimensional being had descended, a force of nature wrapped in divine essence, shattering the world beneath its feet.

Devotees on both flanks, even those not in the path of the blast, felt the terrifying resonance. Their hearts trembled.

It was as if Death itself had brushed past them.

Their charge momentarily faltered—not out of fear, but awe.

"H-Heavens above! These devotees... each one is like a rampaging spellbeast! So this is the so-called ’ally force’ our gods mentioned?!"

"With soldiers like this, the enemy dark gods might as well be made of paper. CHARGE!"

In moments, shock gave way to elation.

The entire army roared back into motion.

They now believed with absolute certainty that this battle was already won.

They didn’t hope for victory—they could see it.

Soon, Thomas reached the battlefield’s front lines.

There, beyond a thick mist, he heard chaotic screams.

"Kill them!"

"Kill them all!"

Dark god devotees—full of bloodlust—emerged from the fog like hyenas. Their eyes gleamed with cruel confidence, utterly unaware of the doom approaching.

Thomas took a single glance and sighed.

"This level of power... you dare bark in this battlefield?"

High above, the Giant of Life raised its hand.

Its fingers clenched toward the dark god army like the closing grip of judgment.

"Trample of Life!"

The words echoed like a divine decree.

And in the next breath—those hundreds of dark god devotees were obliterated.

Their bodies exploded mid-charge—no warning, no resistance—nothing but gory mist left in their wake.

A spray of blood painted the battlefield crimson.

And in that moment, all who witnessed it realized:

The true battle had only just begun.