Hesitation Is Forbidden
The war in the Spirit Realm left an uneasy feeling brushing across his senses. The distinct impression that he shouldn’t move right now rose up, pulling him into a brief moment of contemplation. It wasn’t a sense of crisis—more like the vague notion that something would go wrong. His absolute authority, Always Heads, was twitching ever so slightly.
Does that mean I shouldn’t act now? Against an opponent with a mere ten billion in innate divine power? Me—one of the Eight Absolutes?
It was an utterly incomprehensible situation. He tried to ignore it and move anyway, but a sudden chill raced down his spine.
I forgot because it’s been quiet for so long. The restriction attached to me.
It seemed the condition had already activated; his forehead was itching. No matter what, he couldn’t afford to be struck in front of his entire clan, his partner, and their newborn children. He had reached the point where he cared about dignity even within the fighting spirit of the Black Flame.
“Stop—! I will not move from this spot, just as my absolute intuition commands. The Black Flame never hesitates. It moves the instant the feeling comes, and as the Black Flame Absolute, I know that is always correct. That is the true essence of Always Heads.”
A wooden blade forged from cosmic law itself. It delivers absolute agony to both soul and body, yet can never kill. Its sole purpose is to punish hesitation and doubt.
A low vibration rang out—Booooooong—! Before he realized it, the Sword of Ruin and Soul hovered right in front of his forehead, trembling as if disappointed. Because it was part of his own authority, he could neither block nor dodge it. Not even Always Heads could activate against this strike. The only solution was to endure it with his body.
He watched the sword vanish once more and ground his teeth. Thanks to my intuition I avoided the hit, but it’s completely meaningless.
The Sword of Ruin and Soul was the automatic punishment that struck the instant he hesitated or pondered while training Always Heads. Any judgment or choice that wasted time through doubt would trigger an unavoidable attack. And it was no ordinary strike—it was the first form of the second of Jinri’s Eight Temporal Authorities: Bottomless Earth Time, specifically Strike to See the Bottom.
No defense, no body, can avoid it unscathed.
Unless one reached a higher level of mastery, even one of the Eight Absolutes or Origin of the Wind Family had no choice but to endure it physically. The number of times he had been beaten into near-death by it exceeded ten thousand. Of course, that count excluded the light choices he had hesitated over. At that level, he could now dodge surprise attacks from any other being with a smiling, reflexive ease.
“Damn it—! One day I’ll shatter you into pieces.”
Whether the target of his curse was the Sword of Ruin and Soul that automatically attacked him or the one who had given it to him—Jinri—even he wasn’t sure. He stopped moving entirely.
When you tally up the grace I’ve received from Jinri, there’s no way to repay it. He granted me a title and let me reign as a powerhouse of the Absolute Realm. Yet when the enemy proved too much, I opened everything and fought, only to be dragged here as a bug for failing some absurd condition.
In the end, Jinri had even bestowed upon him the Wind Star, whose vitality rivaled that of the entire Main Universe, and the Black Flame Clan, one of the strongest forces outside the Wind Family. He was a benefactor among benefactors, allowing him to stand tall in the Absolute Realm.
But he’s also the one who has beaten me the most. If not for the Sword of Ruin and Soul’s authority that forbids death under any circumstances, I would have already become dust. When it comes to sheer number of beatings, no other of the Eight Absolutes has suffered as miserably as I have. Just how badly must I have needed correction for Jinri to personally make the sword strike me automatically?
After becoming the Black Flame Absolute he had tried to rebel, but only realized the dizzying gap in their levels. So I did as ordered—preserved the Black Flame Clan, got married, and had children. The ones who found marriage annoying and refused, I beat them as much as I had been beaten.
He had finally breathed easy after prospering the clan, yet the nightmare from his past had nearly resurfaced. The Black Flame Absolute let out a small sigh, crossed his arms, and looked at the Magic God of Dimensions, who had pulled his black robe deep over his head.
A mere Main God of the Main Universe with only ten billion in innate divine power. For me to consider stepping forward personally is ridiculous.
No, not even an ordinary member of the Black Flame Clan could be defeated by the Magic God of Dimensions. Once a human ascended, they would absorb Black Flame vitality on a scale that nearly reached a trillion. That required nearly a hundred million years of training and vitality absorption just to become a true member of the clan and unlock its full effects. Therefore, it was almost impossible for anyone below human level to defeat and absorb a member of the Black Flame Clan.
The Magic God of Dimensions had reached this point smoothly through various loopholes and the absolute-level authorities granted by Jinri, but the absorption time required would still be enormous.
Even if he used time acceleration authorities, a few tens of thousands of years would only let him operate a fraction of the Authority of Black Flame.
Yet the killing intent and fighting spirit radiating from the mage vibrated softly like a quiet hum. It seemed he truly intended to try. Only now did the Black Flame Absolute understand.
Countless things are hidden throughout the surrounding space. They must be part of his dimensional or magical authorities, and they are obviously aimed at the Black Flame infants.
A child officially born into the Black Flame Clan possessed high base abilities but poor adaptability; until it grew somewhat, it would struggle to defeat even a puppy. Still, because it was undeniably of the Black Flame Clan, victory meant instant acceptance. Most creatures of the Wind Star coveted such children, yet targeting an infant under the protection of the official Black Flame Clan was nearly impossible.
In the end, the Magic God of Dimensions would fail. And the only way to truly win—becoming an official member of the Black Flame Clan—still lay unimaginably far away.
Once the Sword of Ruin and Soul disappeared and he regained his composure, the Black Flame Absolute spoke.
“Hoo—! Well, the difference in rank is obvious. If you want to pass the Eternal Judgment so easily, just pick any member of the Black Flame Clan. Win and you pass. If not, give up immediately and use your authorities to contribute to the Wind Star and the Black Flame Clan. I’ll even help shorten your training period. If that doesn’t suit you, defeat me—the one who made that decision—and you instantly become Black Flame.”
Kekeke—! Puhahahahahat—!
The surrounding Black Flame Clan members’ mockery and booming laughter rang out. Those who had properly learned the Authority of Black Flame possessed ten times the physical ability of equals. Even if their authorities were weak, their peerless physical prowess more than compensated. Naturally, the gap between a human of the Wind Star and a member of the Black Flame Clan was more than tenfold in physical specs, so they could not inflict even a single wound.
Therefore, to become an official member of the Black Flame Clan, one had no choice but to develop the Authority of Black Flame through personal training.
If ordinary Black Flame clansmen have such a difference in level, then for a human to face the pinnacle—the Black Flame Absolute—is absolutely impossible.
When the Black Flame Absolute began showing clear signs of annoyance, the partner holding their infant beside him stepped forward. Even so, the opponent was an Absolute who possessed a title. If his pride was trampled this brutally, he might charge in despite knowing he would die. Child-rearing, which always provoked one’s temper, was equally difficult for female members who possessed the same Authority of Black Flame.
Absorbing the vitality of the Wind Star is already difficult to digest, yet with childcare piled on top, the growth rate is noticeably slowing. At this rate the gap with the males will widen, but for the prosperity of the clan we cannot give up childbirth.
Turning humans of the Wind Star into members of the Black Flame Clan required an absurd amount of time and effort. Therefore, the fastest method of proliferation was childbirth, and to shorten the problematic childcare period, they needed to skillfully coax the Magic God of Dimensions who possessed Dimensional Authority.
Only then could they avoid falling behind the clans of the other Eight Absolutes in numbers. The matter had already been discussed and decided among the females.
Coax the newcomer with Dimensional Authority well and maximize his absolute-level time and space abilities to increase the clan’s numbers.
Even if his other abilities were lacking, his value was more than enough.
“The base ability of a Black Flame clansman is one trillion. However, with the Authority of Black Flame we possess physical ability surpassing ten trillion. To break our bodies and win, you need an authority or divine power with output exceeding ten trillion, or at least twice that much physical force. We will treat you at the level of an ordinary Black Flame clansman, so stop this.”
Yet the fighting spirit and killing intent still did not subside. The density and strength of his aura were nothing to be ashamed of as a member of the Black Flame Clan. He looked exactly like a warrior fresh from the front lines of a battlefield, drenched in blood.
But surviving a match against the Black Flame Clan was extremely difficult.
The Authority of Black Flame is fundamentally specialized in destruction and slaughter. Once it enters battle frenzy and runs wild, it often leads both the user and the enemy to ruin. It would be a waste for someone who ascended from bug to human this quickly to be able to use it immediately.
Seeing the Magic God of Dimensions’ eyes burning with killing intent and excitement as he stared at the Black Flame Absolute, it was clear the man had lost his mind. In the end, he had to drive the point home firmly. He didn’t know why the attack had been abandoned midway, but if a real fight broke out, the mage would never survive.
“The Black Flame Absolute’s base divine power is one hundred trillion. With ten times the physical ability, that creates destructive power approaching one thousand trillion. On top of that, the Authority of Black Flame nullifies all attacks below one thousand trillion, invalidates any defense, and strikes back. Even if struck by greater force, the mighty body minimizes damage, continues to strengthen, and eventually surpasses the opponent. No matter what magic or authority is used, Always Heads will keep making the correct choices until the enemy is overthrown. Any method of hiding that is perceived as hostile will eventually be found and annihilated. This power is absolute even within the Absolute Realm. Killing you would not require more than a single strike. Even the other Eight Absolutes could be erased if it came to close combat. The only beings who surpass the Creator-level Eternal Beings in pure strength are the Eight Absolutes, and an insurmountable gap exists between them—along with the Wind Star clans and Main Universe beings who take them as Origin—and you. Furthermore, the Black Flame Clan possesses the strongest physical ability in the Absolute Realm outside of the Wind Family. You have been given the opportunity to become a member of that clan. It is a chance that ordinary humans of the Wind Star or beings of the Absolute Realm could only dream of.”
Twitch—! Crack—! Crack—!
Perhaps shocked by the numbers of one hundred trillion and one thousand trillion, the Magic God of Dimensions’ body repeatedly tensed and relaxed. Finally, his mouth opened. The voice was low, but the content was completely different from what had been hoped for.
“So this is the authority of the Black Flame Absolute among the Eight Absolutes? Always Heads, is it? You really defend the core area of my authority without knowing anything about it? I even stepped forward as bait myself, yet you blocked it so perfectly. Heh heh—! Still, the result doesn’t change. It’ll just take a little detour. Regret giving the Magic God of Dimensions time to prepare.”
Vrrrrrrrrrrrr—!
Black magic power howled. Something was being summoned in resonance with the Authority of Black Flame. Bricks formed from condensed dimensional authority and magic power were summoned, filling the surroundings. The Magic God of Dimensions lightly grasped them and took a throwing stance. The target was, of course, the infants of the Black Flame Clan.
One hundred trillion? So what? Who cares who the opponent is? And the target was decided from the beginning. Don’t think badly of me. I have absolutely no intention of staying trapped for hundreds of millions of years just to become a member of the Black Flame Clan. I am the Magic God of Dimensions—the Absolute of Origin and Dimension.
Whoosh—! Whoosh—!
He lightly hurled the bricks straight ahead and they vanished instantly. The Black Flame Absolute’s muscular body froze for a moment. Wearing a contemptuous expression, he focused his Black Flame fighting spirit on a place that could be neither seen nor felt.
Boom—! Crunch—!
The bricks that had been attempting to trigger dimensional transition toward the Black Flame infants turned to dust and scattered. Whether dimensional transition or anything else, they were simply pulverized before a power that surpassed them.
But that was not the end. Dozens more bricks were thrown, aiming for the infants again. The Black Flame clansmen had blocked the dimensional transition bricks, but it was ultimately only by feel.
Completely blocking a perfect dimensional transition with nothing but maximized physical ability is difficult even for the Black Flame Clan.
Yet when the other Black Flame clansmen also stepped forward to protect their children, the ever-increasing number of dimensional transition bricks were completely crushed. The clansmen grew irritated by the dust flying from the pulverized bricks and the tricky mid-air interception required to deal with the dimensional attacks that demanded full concentration.
“How annoying! There’s a way to kill even an absolute-level dimensional authority.”
The Magic God of Dimensions watched the Black Flame clansmen gradually show signs of rage and wore a faint smile, but when he saw that the Black Flame Absolute had not moved an inch from his position, he bit his lip hard.
He stays in that spot during the most critical time and place? Without any prior knowledge, purely by instinct? What kind of absurd, cheat-like absolute authority is this? If I don’t force the Black Flame Absolute away from that position, my final magic cannot activate.
Whoever had evaluated the Black Flame Clan as stupid and slow—he wanted to find them and make them pay. Of all places, the spot he’s standing on is the activation point for the final magic I’ve prepared over tens of thousands of years. He’s holding that position as if specifically preventing activation. So of course I’m the one whose eyes are rolling back in fury.
It didn’t have to be the Black Flame Absolute’s own child. With his current ability, he could defeat the infant of any Black Flame clansman. But the prerequisite for that was located right there.
Whether it’s one hundred trillion or whatever—if I dodge, that’s it. Who in their right mind would fight the Black Flame Absolute head-on? But why did it have to be exactly that spot? I’m going crazy. To complete the magic I need to go there myself, but the moment I approach, it’s over.
The Black Flame Absolute didn’t know, but the center of the tens of thousands of bricks secretly laid out was the exact place he stood. Simply by standing there, the mage would have a chance even in direct combat against the Black Flame Clan. Yet in this vast space, the only place where the magic could activate was there. Even when the mage showed himself, provoked with dimensional transitions, or tried to incite a chaotic melee by riling up the other clansmen, the Absolute showed no intention of moving.
No choice. I have to take the risk again. Fortunately, the rest of the clan is easy to lure.
Twenty-six pairs of wings bent, seizing bricks from the air. Bricks were also grasped in both hands, for a total of twenty-eight bricks that flew through the air simultaneously. Their target was, naturally, the Black Flame Absolute. Then he calmly steadied his breathing and grasped a specially crafted brick made by concentrating an enormous amount of magic power. It was the moment he confirmed that the most hot-tempered member among the Black Flame clansmen—whose infants had been targeted— was rushing toward him to attack.