The Cyber God's Manipulation of Thought

A separate screen materialized alongside the one displaying the Spirit Realm war, and the footage began to rewind in reverse. This was the unique authority of a Special Grade Cyber God: Thought Manipulation, the power to neatly rearrange the past and present for optimal viewing. Even with the same outcome, the ripple effects could vary wildly depending on the reasons and methods behind it. This was an authority that adjusted the past to produce the most favorable influence possible.

'Only with this can one truly qualify as a Special Grade capable of successfully forging any target into a Creator God.'

Pop pop pop pop pop!Rumble rumble rumble rumble!

On the screen manipulating the past, eighty compressed planets began orbiting, unleashing colossal gravitational and repulsive forces without restraint. They forcibly dragged the entire thousand-kilometer domain into the air and pulverized it. If one included not just the completely dominated zone but also the areas being destroyed by the cascading effects, it was already enough power to cleanly erase an entire planet. This was the result of compression; if fully deployed, it was estimated that even a star system could not escape the impact.

Considering Origin's independent support from the sun and moon that provided infinite recovery of divine power and vitality, he possessed the divinity and authority to erase an entire regional universe given enough time.

'This ability is only rated at the level of a Main Universe Creator Candidate? What criteria are being applied here? Even among the General Creator Gods of the Absolute Realm, there are almost none capable of such wide-area destruction. Even accounting for the fact that, as a mage, he struggles to display his full power on the battlefield without proper protection, this evaluation seems far too low.'

Her brief contemplation ended as she immediately summoned another screen to re-examine his personal capabilities. The most striking detail was the True Title named Origin.

'For anything below Supreme Grade it would be miraculous, but for Special Grade it's a title seen occasionally. Honestly, it's practically their signature, and it reliably guides them all the way to Creator God.'

Though those who possessed it beyond that point usually couldn't endure alone and vanished quickly, which was a problem.

'His power is far too weak for someone holding a True Title. The strength of one who possesses all 108 True Titles and their Main Streams is absolutely not at this level. At maximum output, he would be a mighty being capable of withstanding even his single strike.'

Flash!Flaaaash!

Another screen popped out and began outputting detailed information. The data displayed here was far more precise than what the Supreme Grade Cyber God had produced.

'A True Title is one that only 108 beings across all Main Universes and the Absolute Realm combined may possess. It is a Main Stream. His title, Jinri, was originally one of those 108.'

The True Title he possessed was Truth, and until he had eradicated and reclaimed all the other Main Streams, these beings had been the true rulers who surpassed even the Creator Gods. They were the Arbiters who held command authority over every Main Universe's Creator Gods and the laws themselves.

However, after he defeated the combined assault of eight Absolute Beings, one Sage, and one Transcendent to claim the title of Truth, he had erased and reclaimed every other True Title holder within a single day. Yet the title had never been officially activated.

'He has granted it to others several times, but they were all erased. They either self-destructed or challenged him presumptuously, only to have the title reclaimed and be wiped from the universe.'

Originally, merely possessing it should have elevated him beyond Creator God with no issues. Yet he had started as a mere Lower God and remained stuck at the Creator Candidate stage. Moreover, with that body of his, even attempting to activate the title would be suicidal.

After reading the detailed information about the True Title on the screen, she furrowed her brow.

'An Absolute Being who received the True Title of Origin after promising to pay three prices, and is currently only able to activate an extremely limited portion? With such preconditions attached, he cannot operate it fully until all three prices are paid. So the partial activation he believes he is using is, in fact, merely an extremely limited support granted only when the system judges that he is walking the path to paying those three prices? It's rare to see an Absolute Being with so many circumstances and restrictions. So this is why he was adjusted from Supreme Grade down to Special Grade. If he survives to the end and pays all the prices, he will become an outstanding existence even in the Absolute Realm. However, paying those three prices is absolutely impossible, which is why he's labeled a Creator Candidate? Once those problems are resolved, he would immediately become a Creator God, even a Creator General. My motivation is surging.'

Yet even for a Special Grade administrator, the problems remained enormous. The dimensional authority that could even evade the Cyber Realm's detection was unprecedented. On top of that, to possess divinity on the level of World Creation, the ultimate act of creation, was simply absurd.

'Judging from the assistance he provides to his contractor, it seems he's intent on creating an existence beyond a Creator. Yet he himself cannot handle it.'

It was astonishing that he was still alive after simultaneously receiving both an authority and a title that would burden even a true Creator. And instead of residing in the Absolute Realm, he was struggling desperately in the Main Divine Realm of a mere Main Universe. That was simply impossible.

If one considered it a trial imposed to create a Creator, it was far too inefficient. For him, simply granting the title and authority and fully activating them would have been the end of it. Personal will maturation or the cultural refinement required of a Creator God could be forcibly implanted to complete the process instantly.

'Is this a seed sown to create a Creator? No—that probability is far too low. This is simply compensation for the contractor's promise to pay him a price. Whether the contractor can handle it or not has never mattered to him. He has no interest in the weak; if they die, he simply reclaims it and that's the end. It seems he is merely processing this mechanically according to the situation. Since the contractor promised to pay a price, he is simply providing appropriate compensation?'

The conclusion was that the contractor was paying a very steep price for speaking out of turn.

The maximum evaluation the Cyber Realm had initially given for the contractor was merely that of a General Demon God, which was why a Lower Grade Cyber God had been assigned.

'Originally, he was an Absolute Being who received a True Title. As a Black Mage, his fate should have been to become some Demon God somewhere and comfortably manage the Demon Realm. A few careless words changed that fate into one where he must become an existence surpassing a Creator.'

She had managed many beings connected to him, but this was the first time she had seen a situation this twisted. The fact that he had survived this long was truly remarkable. He had endured even the malicious management of his previous administrator while carrying such a burden.

She recalled the words reported to her while she had been on standby because there were no contractors suitable for a Supreme Grade Cyber God.

'To speak of promotion to a superior? How presumptuous. Do you wish to be disposed of immediately?'

'Contractors who were forcibly dragged along by Special Grade management eventually became Creator Gods. But the moment the contract ended, they could not withstand the explosion of their own desires and the excessive expectations around them, ultimately leading to mutual self-destruction. Since the contract had ended, you bore no responsibility, yet you received moral reprimand and your rightful promotion was suspended, resulting in your current Special Grade position. Because of such incompetent and foolish contractors and the administrators who only pursue responsibility, the promotion of capable Cyber Gods to middle management has been halted. This is a golden opportunity to prove to all the Special Grade Cyber Administrators who were unfairly given positions beyond the standard that the upper management's judgment was wrong.'

'You're only talking about yourself. I have no interest.'

'If we can prove that problems arise not only from the managing Cyber God but also from contractors who cannot keep up, we will gain justification to adjust these excessive disciplinary measures. Even now, countless Cyber Gods fear being converted into Substitute Gods, and it is actually happening. We long for the exemplary and hopeful Special Grade Cyber Gods to rise to middle management and change this.'

'It has nothing to do with me. If Cyber Gods have their worries, the administrators of the Cyber Realm have theirs as well. Do not commit the foolishness of looking up from the bottom and assuming you understand everything.'

'I will leave the new contractor's data here. Please show your ability once more. I ask that you produce results that will leave the Cyber Realm's administrators unable to say a word.'

After reviewing the data left behind, confirming it, and conducting her own investigation, her final judgment was that this was an extremely satisfying, rugged, and towering mountain.

'I have no interest in the complaints of the Cyber Gods about me or the checks from the administrators. If I had considered such things, I would surely still be in middle management. But they do not know. What Cyber Gods who possess the non-standard rank of Special Grade truly desire is not power. It is solely the pleasure and sense of superiority that comes from solving problems others have given up on as impossible.'

Therefore, she had no interest in what happened to a contractor after their contract ended. She felt no charm whatsoever in beings whose problems had already been resolved. This was also the reason for middle management promotions. Since no contractor could stimulate them anymore as Cyber Gods, they simply wished to move on in search of new problems.

'Ahhh. How delightful. It's been so long since I've had a contractor with such a headache-inducing problem. I'm glad I took this one.'

Pop!Pop pop pop!

She summoned the screens again. There were now three screens visible. One showed the contractor's past being rewound, another displayed the present, and the third contained detailed analytical data. The largest screen showed the contractor's current state: the moment he forcibly lifted the massive wolf god into the air to annihilate it.

'Pause for a moment.'

She froze the screen. After all, this was the time of a Creator Candidate in a Main Universe ruled by a Creator, not the Absolute Realm. Such adjustments were entirely possible.

The screen rewinding into the past showed him approaching the wolf god. Following his own advice, he approached without calling the Lord of the Flipside, Lokina, and began re-investigating. Eventually, he gave up and called for her. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠instructed Lokina appeared, approached, and attempted to investigate. Then suddenly, blood spurted from both of their necks. It was the work of the Spirit Lord ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠God who possessed stealth authority.

'So that's what happened. It's understandable that he misunderstood. Fortunately, neither of them died, so I will make adjustments. Should I change it so the Spirit Lord God throws herself forward to protect the contractor? Or should I alter it to a mistake caused by the hidden Lord God going berserk? Let's apply both.'

Oooooong—!

She rewound the past screen back to the point where he was approaching the wolf god. As long as the result didn't change, it was fine. She would only change the fact that they were injured and completely rewrite the process. Changing the process while keeping the result the same would completely alter the influence on the surroundings.

She could freely intervene in the past and present of anything below Creator God, adjusting within the bounds of the result to produce better outcomes. If problems arose, she would rewind dozens or hundreds of times, repeating until she obtained results that exceeded the damage suffered. Then she would reconnect the revised past to the present. She could repeat this as many times as necessary until there were no issues.

This was the power of a Special Grade Cyber God.

'Only at this level can one perfectly manage any contractor.'

The side effect was that the contractor unconsciously remembered the repetition process in their subconscious. The more times it occurred, the greater the sense of disconnection from reality, increasing the probability of madness. This was why most contractors with many problems ended up self-destructing after their contracts ended. The more a contractor's past had been revised due to excessive problems, the faster their catastrophe arrived.

This was the secret unknown to lower-grade Cyber Gods and the cruel reality of Special Grade administrators. It was not for nothing that they accepted the Special Grade position, which prevented them from building their own factions. Perfect management came with this fatal flaw.

A Special Grade Cyber God who could freely manipulate the past and present in this way was, in itself, an enormous threat to the Cyber Realm. And if their position rose further, allowing them to adjust even the past and present of the highest administrators, there would be no way to stop them. This was also the fundamental reason why the highest administrators of the Cyber Realm checked her promotion.

But that pride was now shattered.

The screen adjusting the past and present distorted. The past she had been trying to revise was canceled, the entire function went completely dead, and only the present remained displayed.

She was momentarily flustered by the first-time phenomenon but soon understood the situation. The Creator Candidate of the dimension who was viewing reality was holding up both hands toward the screen and giving her a big thumbs-down. A smug expression of "I got you" was plastered across his face.

Crack—!

For a Special Grade administrator, this was a rare surge in blood pressure.

'This is the first time I've seen such a resourceful Creator Candidate. No, this is the first time I've seen a contractor who can defend against my authority to connect and adjust the past and present.'

It was the first time a crack had appeared in her perfect self-management authority. And to completely block the help from the Cyber Realm that was trying to assist him—this was a contractor she had never heard of or seen before. Of course, the probability of him going mad later was high, but right now it was perfectly beneficial. She couldn't understand why he was rejecting help with all his might.

Of course, she was also impressed by the authority itself.

"Is this the True Dimensional Authority he granted? He's separating his own time from the Main Universe to defend against my authority? He set it up so that if anyone tries to interfere with his past, it activates automatically so he won't be caught off guard twice. Does this mean I can no longer adjust the past without the contractor's permission? This is a first."

For a moment, her head went blank at the situation that defied common sense, the unexpected development, and the contractor's childish response. But soon, an unfamiliar, long-forgotten emotion surged up.

"Hah? You insolent—! How dare a mere Creator Candidate of a Main Universe refuse the management of a Special Grade Cyber God—! Just obediently follow my intentions and rise to Creator God in the fastest way possible—! I'm so pissed right now I could erase all the Spirit Gods of the Otherworld—! But that would lower your Karma, and more importantly, it would shake the future of your Creator God and the development of the Divine Realm!"

After shouting for a moment, her reason returned. It was always better to let it out immediately rather than bottle it up, which only worsened one's mood and reduced efficiency. She looked at her predecessor administrator, who was staring at her with startled eyes after her sudden outburst. All of this was because this predecessor had managed things so terribly.

"It seems kind words and gentle methods won't work. Therefore, I am deploying a field agent."

At those words, the predecessor completely froze, stuttering in response.

"U-um... I... I haven't prepared anything for the business trip yet. So if you could give me a little time, I would be grate—Kyaaaaaaaaaah—!"

Grab—!

Despite the pleading, it was meaningless. She grabbed the predecessor by the neck and threw her straight into the screen of reality.

Whiiiiiiiiiish—!Plop—!

Watching the figure get sucked into the screen while letting out a long scream, she felt much better.

'Honestly, I was sick of looking at her. This is the first time I've seen a contractor this messed up, and if even my management authority to adjust his past and present doesn't work, it seems making him into a Creator God will be truly difficult. It's irritating.'

She spoke coldly, realizing this was no longer at the level where she could feel a sense of accomplishment from solving the problem.

Although the predecessor was being sent to the real world, she had the ability to make sure her voice was clearly heard.

"Due to the emergency situation, the field agent is being deployed immediately. Make sure to persuade the Spirit Gods not to die. Otherwise, you will receive demerits. The more demerits you accumulate, the longer your field dispatch period will be even after becoming a Creator God, so do your best."

"Th-this is ridiculous—! This is too much—!"

Hearing the incompetent predecessor's screams from beyond the screen, her mood improved slightly. The other Cyber Gods watching with weary expressions bowed their heads deeply. Seeing the lower-grade Cyber Gods diligently passing information to the contractors beyond the screen and persuading them, her mood improved a little more. She drove the nail in deeper.

"Any incompetent Cyber God who causes problems for their contractor will be immediately dispatched to the field. Prepare to hand over your duties to the shift replacement who has arrived for work."

In any case, the resolution of all situations in the 499th Master Universe had been assigned to her, the Special Grade Cyber God. Unless the contractor possessed dimensional authority, not even a Creator ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠God could block her self-management. Therefore, calming this situation was only a matter of time.

Thud!Thud thud!

The sounds of heads banging against desks could be heard from all around, but this was still not enough. She had to stabilize the 499th Master Universe quickly. After all, she needed to make that insolent contractor—who had dared to refuse her perfect management—taste the true management of a Special Grade administrator.

'Grind! I will break the record for the shortest time to become a Creator God, my cute little contractor.'

As she looked at the Creator Candidate of the dimension displayed on the screen, the Special Grade Cyber God unconsciously ground her teeth.