The Black Flame Clan
The Spirit Realm's war raged on with a deafening crunch—! A violent crack—! Time and space twisted beyond recognition, the frenzied void swelling as if it would swallow the entire Wind Star. What appeared was a colossal vortex of spatiotemporal chaos so dense that even a Main God would have no guarantee of survival the moment they were pulled in. It expanded explosively, devouring mountains and entire mountain ranges. A black maelstrom of magic that denied and distorted reality shook the fabric of spacetime to its roots, encroaching on everything around it. Left unchecked, it threatened to consume even the Main God Star.
Yet before this storm of twisted spacetime, several figures materialized. Every one of them was a giant well over two meters tall with dark crimson hair. Their entire bodies rippled with muscles that looked ready to burst into song at any moment, and the same was true of the females among them. One of them frowned at the spatiotemporal distortion hurtling toward them and let out a light shout.
It was a small sound, but the result was catastrophic. The spatiotemporal distortion—large enough to erode even a Main God Star a hundred times the size of an ordinary giant planet—shuddered for an instant before vanishing completely.
Boooooooom—!
The space fell silent as if nothing had happened. Not a single trace remained. Everything had been erased by the overwhelming wave of aura. Even the destroyed mountains and plains began to restore themselves as though they had never been damaged. Countless more figures appeared, surrounding the instantaneous planetary restoration fueled by the immeasurable vitality of the Wind Star. They looked like a single clan, and indeed they were—the Black Flame Clan of the Wind Star. A race of powerhouses who had risen from insects to humans.
Above these figures stood a man nearly three meters tall, his presence alone enough to choke the life out of anything nearby. His hair was blood-red and darker than the darkest night. He opened his mouth.
At his dignified words, every giant present lightly bowed their heads and took a step back. The only thing radiating from both his voice and appearance was the sheer arrogance of one who could conquer everything through raw power alone.
Among the female giants, one with an especially beautiful face stepped forward. Strangely, she was cradling a newborn baby who had barely grown teeth. She carefully wrapped the infant in both arms and spoke.
Though she phrased it indirectly, everyone had rushed out the moment they witnessed the time-distortion ability. Beings with authority over time and space were rare, difficult to acquire, and incredibly powerful—making them extraordinarily valuable. More than strength, the range of applications for such authority was beyond compare with any other. If someone had even fused time with spatial authority to manifest their own independent world, reaching the level of 'Dimension,' they would have been equivalent to a Creator General overseeing an entire major universe in the past. No, at their current level, it would not be an exaggeration to call them one of the Highest Creator Gods.
Though it's still somewhat crude and tattered, there are plenty of ways to make good use of it on the Wind Star.
The astonishing time-acceleration ability that had even forced the lifeforms of the Wind Star to retreat for a moment could solve their biggest current problem—accelerating an infant's growth to adulthood. That was why she was so interested.
The largest male among them clicked his tongue as he watched the woman gently stroking the baby with one hand. Even though he was the clan chief and had to show restraint in front of others, he knew he would get an earful later if he wasn't careful.
He glared at the giant who had blown away the spatiotemporal distortion with a mere shout, as if scolding him. The giant bowed his head lightly and answered.
They had trained destruction and creation to their absolute limits. Their bodies had been reinforced to the point where only they could compare to one another. Yet they all understood how precious the 'Dimension' authority of a Creator God was. The evolution and development of lifeforms required an enormous amount of time, and those with time-based authority could drastically shorten that process. That was why, in the early days of divine races or planets, beings with time authority usually became the rulers. Of course, once a certain level of development was reached, expansion became necessary. If such a being also possessed spatial authority, they would be an absolute ruler without question. A few of the ruling class in the Absolute Realm were still actively operating even now.
Above all, they fully recognized that this ability had the most absolute and fatal effect on the lifeform that had become their own body. Now that their clan was just beginning, they had to secure it by any means necessary.
At that answer, the giant called Chief shook his head in confusion and scanned the surroundings.
Under the sharp glares of the women holding babies, who were now narrowing their eyes like axes, the surrounding figures finally began searching in every direction. They had come out personally to capture the newcomer because they too desperately needed the 'Dimension' authority he possessed. Yet even though their sensory organs—capable of perceiving beyond the entire planet—were working at full capacity, they all failed.
Only then did the Chief and those around him show expressions of dismay.
Looks like we hit it too hard and it got erased.
I told the weakest one to hit it as lightly as possible, yet we lost a useful time-ability newcomer without even getting to use it.
When something died on the Wind Star, it would fall to the level of an insect while retaining its authority. But if it was erased, they would have to implant a divine spirit into a naturally occurring insect body. That process naturally took an incomparably longer time to recover the authority, with a high chance of damage. Then they would have to suffer through endless nagging and baby cries again.
The Black Flame bodies were incomparably strong, but they had zero talent for delicate control. They could only open or close completely. Yet on the Wind Star, where extremely dangerous lifeforms ran rampant, closing off all senses no matter how strong one was meant preparing to die. Therefore, they could not use the method of opening and closing their senses and had no choice but to endure.
Even after becoming human, they're no better than beasts—always looking for a fight at every opportunity. Right now, there are endlessly many who are eyeing my position as Chief of the Black Flame Clan.
Thinking of those lurking behind him, waiting for any opening, he wanted to smash them all to pieces. But since they made up more than half the clan, that was impossible. Moreover, they weren't doing it with any real brains; it was simply instinct born from physical strength, so he couldn't stop it.
Even the endlessly evolved ears that can hear and analyze the heartbeat of every lifeform on the planet make listening to a mountain-shaking cry from right next to one's own baby an unbearable torment. On top of that, the body is so weak it can't even control itself, so it must be protected at all times. Even though it's a baby, because it's human, other lifeforms are constantly watching for a chance to use it for their own advancement.
However, the time-acceleration authority they had just witnessed could instantly raise the absurdly long infant state of both mind and body—compared to spiritual beings—to adulthood. That was why they had stepped forward personally.
Yet that frail bastard overused his power and completely blew it. Looks like we'll have to keep suffering through human childcare.
The more he thought about it, the more infuriating and angering it became. His temperament, now fully adapted to the body, began to flare like black flames as fighting spirit surged forth, exerting pressure.
Hrrrrrrrr—!
At that sight, the people around the giant who had erased the spatiotemporal distortion with a shout began slowly backing away. And as expected, the Chief's strike landed on the one who had made the mistake. Without even being able to scream, the giant was sent flying endlessly into the distance.
Even though they were of the same Black Flame Clan, the difference in level was simply too vast. Annoyance and sighs spread across most of the figures' faces.
Ah—! Violence again. That filthy temper is impossible to stop. Not that I'm any better, though.
Sigh—! What can you expect from the Black Flame Clan?
Controlling one's strength was the most difficult thing for the Black Flame bodies that possessed nothing but endless might. If they were careless around the Chief's attacks, they could easily get caught up in them, and surviving that would be difficult. After all, if they took damage they would probably get angry and start fighting back, which would definitely lead to death.
But such overwhelmingly powerful bodies naturally had no concept of patience. Moreover, for the Black Flame Clan that strengthened their bodies with fighting spirit, combat was the fastest shortcut to becoming stronger. That made it even more inevitable.
However, if the opponent was the Chief—who was called the reincarnation of the Black Flame among the Eight Absolutes—they absolutely had to avoid him.
Among all authorities, Black Flame grants the most powerful body.
Against the Chief, who had trained that to the current highest level, the entire clan attacking together would still have no chance of victory. If it weren't for the side effect that strengthening the body also produced a simple mind and violent temperament, he would have passed the Chief's test, made an appropriate deal, and already left the Wind Star behind. But because their heads were incapable of such complicated negotiations, they were all stuck here on the Wind Star against their will.
The other clans of the Wind Star have already advanced into the Absolute Realm and are actively working, yet here we are. I don't understand what went wrong.
Still, at least the Chief had a better head on his shoulders, which was why everyone was sighing so heavily. However, the Chief himself was suffering even more. He couldn't say it out loud, but before he had been dragged here, he had been praised throughout his world as the greatest sage with the most rational mind. Now he had become nothing but a thug who solved everything with his fists first.
I consoled myself that beating these idiots was a hundred times better than trying to persuade them, but the body created by the Eternal Judgment training is simply too strong. I'm gradually becoming stained by it.
Since almost nothing couldn't be solved with a powerful body, that only made it worse. After all, the Black Flame Clan was notorious for being brainless. Most problems could be ended with a single punch. No wonder the previous Chief had looked so amused when he—the one who had come to negotiate after barely becoming Chief—tried to talk.
In the end, after just three minutes of trying to discuss deals and negotiations with a brain that wouldn't turn, he had gotten so frustrated with his own stupidity that he stormed out. Even though he had said it himself, he couldn't understand a single word, and even the stories he told based on his past memories didn't sit well with him.
He knew that talking with him would be beneficial, yet he couldn't suppress the boiling rage inside. And when he tried to fight, he could immediately tell the gap in power was too great, so he had no choice but to give up.
When he came out fuming like that, the clan naturally went wild, but after he sent the ones who charged first flying back to insect form with single blows, they quieted down. The funniest part was that solving everything so easily with force had made him too lazy to even think anymore.
Like now—if someone made a mistake or caused a problem, he could just beat them until it stopped. Then everything would sort itself out.
Why bother talking for a long time and hurting your throat? When you have transcendent and overwhelming power that can solve everything anyway.
Because the Chief was like this, the Black Flame Clan these days had taken to saying such self-mocking words.
That's just how Black Flame is.
Sigh. How did I end up getting dragged to this brainless Black Flame Wind Star and end up like this?
Golden would have been perfect. Great God would have been good too. Why did it have to be here of all places?
Argh—! Stop thinking with this brain that doesn't work.
Even though the Chief's head didn't work well, thanks to his recent constant presence here, his senses had sharpened considerably.
When it comes to using force, he's even more ruthless than I am. If I hadn't turned my non-functional brain as much as possible to respond properly, I would have already been turned into minced meat by that Sword of Ruin and Soul.
Every time the humans who had ascended on the Wind Star caused incidents that destroyed mountains and rivers, the fact that he silently beat only him on a regular basis had helped him find the answer—thanks to his past experience. In the end, by gathering all the humans who had ascended into the Black Flame Clan and placing them under his control to stop the accidents, the beatings had finally ceased.
And since males and females were gathered together, all sorts of things happened, causing the clan itself to enter a growth phase.
Of course, whenever any crime or accident occurred, he took full responsibility and punished them fairly by turning them into insects, maintaining order. This was the Black Flame Clan—the slowest to stabilize among the Wind Star clans, yet now preparing for prosperity.
Still, as their Chief, seeing the crumpled faces of the clan whose every thought was plain to see, he stopped hitting them and scanned the surroundings again.
Did that new recruit really get erased? He didn't seem like the type. If that's the case, it's a shame. I was planning to protect him a bit and raise him to be useful.
Anyway, once you adapted to it, the Wind Star was an incomparably good place. There was no other location in the entire Absolute Realm or major universes where vitality overflowed to the point that damaged parts of the planet recovered instantly.
Although they were dragged here as insects for failing to unlock their titles and pass the criteria, or for falling short of the standard to become Substitute Gods after fighting him, this place offered the best environment for becoming stronger.
Especially since it was the best place for physical reinforcement, once they reached human level, almost none of them thought about leaving. There was no reason to leave a place where vitality was endlessly supplied and one grew stronger just by existing.
Once the newcomer becomes more than human, his thinking will change too.
But the question was whether he could endure until then. He had provided that and tried to make good use of him, only to fail to even properly confirm his survival. That alone was enough to make him angry.
Then, suddenly, the Absolute-grade Karma Contract began spitting out victory declarations again.
Sparrow Victory—!
Pigeon Victory—!
Victory—!
The victory declarations came at an absurdly fast pace. The lifeforms of the Wind Star, even at the sparrow level, possessed vitality so tenacious that killing them with external authority or normal attacks was nearly impossible, along with recovery abilities close to instant restoration. That was why battles between equals usually took nearly a hundred years.
Yet a brand-new recruit was continuously winning against lifeforms above the insect level—creatures far beyond sparrows—almost every second. No, the biggest problem was that they still couldn't locate where he was.
The Black Flame Absolute, who had been scanning the surroundings along with his clan members, looked at them from afar with eyes full of genuine pity. And the other three watching the screen with dumbfounded expressions were equally stunned.
At his descendants' continued questions, he rested his chin on his hand with a headache-inducing expression.
The Black Flame Clan, whose bodies grow stronger while their heads grow weaker with each passing day, is a huge headache. Their bodies may be the strongest in the Absolute Realm, but if their brains are the weakest, it's truly problematic. The only reason they're holding on is because their Chief was once an outstanding sage. If it continues like this, they'll just be used and eventually wiped out no matter where they go.
Yet even that Chief had recently started swinging his perfectly functional fists instead of using his non-functional brain, which only made the worry worse. Still, they had barely restored the Black Flame Absolute and his clan to this point. While the other eight Absolutes had been relatively easy, the Black Flame—which granted bodies that surpassed even Eternal Beings—had gone through far too many trials and errors. The amount of vitality and resources invested was already enough to create an entirely new major universe. In comparison, the Magic God of Dimensions trying to pass the Eternal Judgment through such loopholes seemed almost cute.
On the screen, the Magic God of Dimensions could be seen hiding his body from the Black Flame Clan and the lifeforms of the Wind Star using a cleverly undetectable dimensional barrier. He was engaged in a fierce battle with opponents he had summoned through dimensional transition. He was still delaying the insect regression with time authority and fighting in human form. That was an enormous advantage compared to the other competitors who had become insects or birds after achieving human form.
He was winning easily with a familiar body, and above all, the biggest factor was that.
One by one, the old Origins who had transferred their authority to their successors and resolved to participate with desperate determination were fighting well after being promoted. They were utilizing the Magic God of Dimensions' clone bodies and dimensional authority. They were pouring concentrated attacks on each enemy that was sequentially summoned through dimensional transition.
Originally it should be done alone, but a clone body is also a type of authority. Above all, without that, the dimensional authority would be nothing. So I can't even stop it right now and can only watch. In any case, he's passing the promotion test well.
But when he saw an eagle unable to withstand the concentrated attack of two hundred Creator Gods and die, turning back into an insect, an interested expression appeared on his face.
He's winning while barely staying within the acceptable line. I'll have to judge based on the final results, but so far I can approve it. Above all, the authority itself that allows such battles is coming from the individual.
The Magic God of Dimensions, who was doing such things, had left the enemies necessary for his promotion to the Origins connected to him through the blood contract. He was simply concentrating all his power and mind on continuously launching specially made bricks outward. A muttering voice could be heard.
It seemed he wasn't paying the slightest attention to the fact that he was currently mobilizing all the Origins to fight.