The Black Flame Absolute's Analysis
The Spirit Realm War was etched without omission into the senses of the Black Flame Absolute, and he began to analyze the phenomenon it produced. He could not quite grasp what shape those millions of bricks were forming. 'If it were my past self, maybe. But the Black Flame Absolute has no need to study. Intuition handles everything.'
Yet the result his intuition delivered was astonishing. He looked down at the Cyber God kneeling before him, awaiting orders, clicked his tongue, and spoke.
"Correct. Originally he was merely a 10th-circle Magic God, but the title amplifies him to 11th-circle usage."
At those words, the Black Flame Absolute's face stiffened slightly as he nodded. Since it defied his common sense, pondering it would only be a loss for him. Yet ignoring his intuition would trigger automatic re-education. This was precisely why the Cyber Realm existed.
The Cyber God was so startled it reflexively questioned him.
"Damn it—! How the hell should I know? It just is."
When the Black Flame Absolute spoke without hiding his irritation, the flustered Cyber God hastily bowed its head. Explaining information gained through authority without any prior knowledge in a way that convinced others was impossible. It had momentarily forgotten that the Black Flame Absolute could never explain facts obtained through intuition.
This was why the Black Flame Absolute had no problems when acting alone but was unfit to govern any part of the Absolute Realm. That was precisely why the Cyber Realm and his clan were necessary.
"Ah—! Please wait a moment."
Complex, dazzling lights intersected within the Cyber God's eyes as it examined the shape formed by the countless bricks filling the empty space of Wind Star. Countless shining magical power manifested characters of sorcery, while authorities that denied reality and strengthened the self overlapped and connected, creating a single phenomenon.
'Is it a simple magic amplification array combined with a conversion array that turns vitality into magical power? It covers an entire planet, yet it's merely a flat sorcery circle—extremely primitive. But how is it manifesting 14th-circle?'
It was familiar with something similar. It was the magic amplification array that Jinri had engraved on the surface of the strengthened Substitute Gods' planets. Compared to that, this was extremely outdated and inefficiently formed, yet precisely because of that, it was pure. It drew forth the most refined magical power possible and was strengthening the Magic God of Dimensions at the center of the sorcery circle.
"A planet-sized magic amplification array? But how can something like that handle 14th-circle? And how can his body withstand an output exceeding 10 trillion? Summon additional Special Grade Cyber Gods. Parallel processing connection."
Though it was an incomprehensible situation, the other Special Grade Cyber Gods linked in an instant and derived the closest answer.
"The body reinforced by the Authority of Black Flame can fully withstand 1 trillion in output."
"The body whose life force is strengthened by Origin's title guarantees immortality and regenerative power as long as fighting spirit is maintained. It is currently regenerating a body that has exceeded 10 trillion and is collapsing. The body alone cannot handle 14th-circle, which temporarily requires over 10 trillion in magical power. Computational power is insufficient."
"However, it is currently manifesting 14th-circle magical power."
The number of magic rings endlessly amplified and expanding around the Magic God of Dimensions was exactly fourteen. An impossible event was occurring. Compared to themselves, who freely manipulated time, he was lower in rank, yet this Magic God possessed dimensional authority that gave him superiority in certain aspects. Moreover, because it was sorcery rather than a familiar authority, additional assistance was required.
"Judged as sorcery, not authority. Additional judgment required. Propose the return of Special Grade Cyber God Le Saluvia, who was in charge of the Magic God of Dimensions currently awaiting disciplinary measures."
"Judgment complete. Approved."
The return of the Special Grade Cyber God—who had failed an Absolute-level Karma Contract, had her position revoked, and was awaiting disposition—was completed in an instant. Normally, no matter how special a Cyber God, this would never happen. But the Black Flame they were currently dealing with was one of the 10 Mainstays. The 10 Mainstays, who held veto power over all dispositions in the Absolute Realm, consisted of the 8 Absolutes, 1 Transcendental, and 1 Sage.
In addition, the ruling faction led by these 10 Mainstays—the highest powers of the Absolute Realm—included the clans of the 8 Absolutes, the representative of the Wind Family (bloodline of the Transcendental), and the Cyber Realm, which inherited the lineage of the Grey Sage. Though it held no real power due to the lack of anyone comparable, it still existed.
'These are the ten centers that support the Absolute Realm and form the core of all power.'
'The development of the Absolute Realm is driven by their will.'
'And so, the goal of Jinri—which once seemed so distant—gradually comes into view.'
These ten centers worked solely toward the absolutely impossible goal called 'eternal happiness.' If they deviated from this goal, Jinri would intervene directly and impose punishment. These ten created and executed major agendas, but even a single objection from one would halt any matter. This was one of the reasons the Black Flame Absolute could not leave Wind Star.
'The newly created 8 Absolutes fought over rank and veto rights. In the process, the Black Flame Absolute went mad and rampaged, incinerating the other 8 Absolutes, their escort forces, and the sector universe designated as the battlefield.'
Such damage was nothing in the Absolute Realm, but because all 8 Absolutes were severely wounded and forced to cease activity, the explosive increase in the deployment of mercenary gods from other Main Universes to fill that void became the problem. Those who returned to their own Main Universes were irrelevant, but those who remained began to establish themselves in the Absolute Realm, claiming rights and territories based on strength.
Thanks to that, the development of the Absolute Realm—which had been expanding and strengthening incomparably compared to other Main Universes through the existence of endlessly pure powerhouses—slowed down. The punishment for that incident was to serve as the executor of 'Eternal Judgment' until the completion of 'Always Coin Heads.'
'Thanks to that, all external affairs in the Black Flame's domain are handled by the Cyber Realm, and we are needed most right now.'
However, there was a separate reason the Cyber Realm was now clinging to the Black Flame. If even one of the ten objected, everything stopped—nothing could be advanced. Each faction had different interests, after all. Therefore, one additional clause had been added.
'If the 10 Mainstay who exercised their veto is defeated by the other 10 Mainstays who voted in favor, that veto becomes invalid.'
To put it simply: 'Majority vote or whatever—when the strong oppose, it's over. But if that strong one is defeated, the opposition is also nullified. Therefore, if you want to enforce your will, become stronger and fight.'
It was an iron rule perfectly suited to the Absolute Realm, where only the strongest of the strong gathered. It was also the reason the Cyber Realm—which managed all Main Universes and the Absolute Realm itself—had been driven to the brink of existence.
Even if the representative of the Cyber Realm exercised veto power, if even one of the other 10 Mainstays defeated that representative, it was over. The overall capability of the Cyber Realm was powerful enough to handle one of the 10 Mainstays, but they were, after all, administrative gods.
In direct combat power, they could not withstand even a single strike from any of the other 10 Mainstays. Of course, the other 10 Mainstays could not safely exercise veto power alone when the majority approved. They would have to engage in endless battles against the others who had approved. Therefore, most matters flowed toward aligned interests without individual vetoes being exercised. Yet the 10 Mainstays who possessed independent information management systems were advocating for the abolition of the Cyber Realm.
The ones opposing that were the 'Wind Family'—bloodline of the Transcendentals who could not leave their designated territory due to Jinri's restrictions—and the 'Black Flame Clan,' who were under disciplinary measures and possessed the lowest computational and administrative ability among them.
However, the Wind Family felt uneasy because management gods who already surpassed them existed within their own bloodline. 'They cannot step forward due to territorial restrictions, but the moment permission is granted, they will come forward to seize authority in place of the Cyber Realm.'
'No—they do not even need the other 10 Mainstays.'
'Everyone knows that the Wind Family, despite having challenged Jinri in the past and lost, still views those of us who practice moderation with displeasure.'
With Jinri's permission, they would immediately rush to seize control of the entire Absolute Realm. In that case, the Cyber Realm might truly become what it was originally intended to be—a prison for those who followed the Grey Sages.
In the end, after eliminating all other options, only the Black Flame Absolute remained. That was why even the other proud Special Grade Cyber Gods were desperately cooperating to provide accurate information. Moreover, by drafting an Absolute-level Karma Contract with the title fully unlocked, they had even urgently recalled the Special Grade Cyber God who had been managing the Magic God of Dimensions—the one who had summoned 'Eternal Judgment,' had her position revoked, and was awaiting punishment.
The number of Special Grade Cyber Gods gathered this way totaled exactly ten. One was the representative, while the other nine thoroughly analyzed the 10 Mainstays or took on tasks where other Cyber Gods had failed.
'When ten Special Grade Cyber Gods possessing the authority to manipulate the past and change reality gather, any past can be adjusted.'
Even if the opponent possessed Absolute-level dimensional authority, they could not avoid it. Moreover, if the assigned Cyber God intervened directly, no opponent could escape.
The returned Special Grade Cyber God Le Saluvia reconstructed all the pasts that had previously been too blurry to analyze. Alone it would have been impossible because the Magic God of Dimensions existed in the same time series, but with ten gathered, there was no problem unless they were one of the 10 Mainstays.
In a mechanical voice produced by the Special Grade Cyber Gods linking their computational power in parallel, they reported the information read from the Magic God of Dimensions' past. Once fully grasped, they could speak in such detail it was as if they had experienced it themselves. This was an even more advanced form of the technique granted to the Demon Emperor that read the opponent's past to discover weaknesses. It revealed all information about the opponent and established countermeasures without fail.
"Confirmation complete. Sorcery name identified as 'Planet Magic Tower.' Its ability transforms the entire planet into a magic tower that amplifies sorcery and magical power, then amplifies magical power based on the planet's vitality. What assists computational power is an artificial ego made of magical power in the form of rectangular hexahedrons, implementing serial and parallel computation simultaneously. The amplification of circles varies according to the amount of vitality the planet possesses."
The eyes of the Black Flame Absolute listening to the report turned ominous. In other words, using the vitality of Wind Star—which rivaled an entire Main Universe—he had manifested 14th-circle sorcery. Yet there was no way the vitality of the Black Flame's Wind Star, which endlessly produced countless Black Flame clansmen possessing over 1 trillion in divine power, would amount to only that much.
No matter how low the efficiency of this sorcery's authority was, it should have at least surpassed 15th-circle with over 100 trillion. Instead, it was barely clinging to 14th-circle. Above all, it was unstable. Had it not been for the title granted by Jinri and stable sorcery, it would have self-destructed before even reaching 13th-circle.
"Is it sustainable? And what is the final limit?"
"It is temporary. The moment it activates even once, both the sorcery and the body will nearly collapse. However, theoretically, there is no final limit. As long as the planet transformed into a magic tower possesses sufficient vitality and preparation time is given, it can continue to increase. Furthermore, if Planet Magic Towers are installed on other planets as well, infinite expansion is possible. Since the burden is only placed on the body at the moment of activation, there is no problem with preparation."
"How much time is required to install a Planet Magic Tower? Also, what is the absorption efficiency for converting the planet's vitality into magical power?"
His head spun rapidly on its own as he judged the situation. If what they said was true, it was a serious problem.
'The 499th Main Universe has Main God Stars. Compared to Wind Star, whose vitality cannot even be measured, they possess 10 trillion in vitality—over ten thousand times that of an ordinary planet. If he can keep installing them on those, there is no telling what kind of catastrophe might occur.'
Moreover, if there were more than ten Creator God Stars possessing 100 trillion in vitality, that would exceed 1,000 trillion. Above all, since he had absorbed the Black Flame's vitality, they were now part of the Black Flame Clan.
'They might even come at me claiming to be my equal.'
However, the next words made him click his tongue involuntarily.
"It requires at least ten thousand years. Forming a magical body equipped with artificial intelligence consumes enormous magical power and computational resources. Only one ten-thousandth of the vitality possessed by the planet can be converted into magical power for use."
"Tsk—! Useless. As expected, those who use sorcery have no substance. They prepare for ten thousand years just to blow it all in a single second? And the conversion ratio from planetary vitality to magical power is only one ten-thousandth? If a Main God Star has 10 trillion in vitality, that means the limit is only 100 billion? This is the pinnacle of inefficiency. How the hell are we supposed to win like this?"
"However, please look at this."
They displayed a simple image drawn from the past. It showed the Magic God of Dimensions, who had only just reached the early stage of 10th-circle, subjugating a Transcendental who was nearly surpassing 11th-circle. A sorcerer who had almost transcended 11th-circle was vanishing with an expression of utter disbelief, while the Magic God of Dimensions—his body nearly pulverized—watched the scene with a faint smile.
It was a past event that had truly occurred, and an involuntary groan escaped the Black Flame Absolute.
'Ugh! The level is laughable, but the fact that it happened cannot be ignored.'
A higher-circle being could not be subjugated alone by a lower-circle one. If the compatibility was bad, one might luckily overcome a 1-circle difference, but in the same series, it could never happen. Since this was the same sorcery series, it was something that absolutely should not have occurred. Moreover, annihilation? That was nonsense. It was only possible with a difference of 2 circles or more.
"Based on the 100 trillion vitality possessed by the highest-ranking Demon God Star, 100 billion in magical power is extracted, and using that as a foundation…."
The Cyber God's explanation stopped there. The Black Flame Absolute had moved urgently.
Countless black bricks causing dimensional shifts poured down like rain toward the babies and females of the Black Flame Clan. The Black Flame Absolutes were smashing them all without exception, but the Magic God's relentless assault of uncountable dimensional shifts did not stop. Even if only temporarily, he was pushing back the Black Flame Absolute using dimensional authority.
There was no need to guess. The Special Grade Cyber God Le Saluvia—who had been in charge and had analyzed him thoroughly—immediately provided the information.
'Is this the manifestation of the maximum authority of the God of Time and Space? It requires far too much computational power, so it would need the sincere support of numerous gods, wouldn't it?'
In the past, the Main Gods who possessed the authorities of time and space had required vast computational power, but based on their utility, they had received absolute support from the gods of the Divine Realm. In the early days, when they received parallel divine power connections from all gods, they had been the true Main Gods of the Divine Realm and possessed absolute authority. However, they could not endure the corruption brought by power and committed fatal mistakes. When rebellions broke out everywhere, most of them were unable to properly display their authority, could not resist effectively, and were either driven out or annihilated.
The Magic God of Dimensions had known this and had thoroughly pursued personal strength, but that had now been broken. The Special Grade Cyber God Le Saluvia was re-examining the records of his past actions and endlessly generating questions.
'Assistance from the divine spirits confined in the Divine Spirit Purgatory? Did that self-righteous Magic God actually persuade them? And they are following him sincerely? Gods who use sorcery, and humans at that? Even though he brutally killed and imprisoned them? That's impossible—! Even if he compensated them and changed their hearts, this level of support wouldn't emerge. Moreover, that eccentric Magic God of Dimensions persuading others? Impossible—! No one can change their fundamental nature. Furthermore, he possesses that kind of potential—how did he change it?'
Yet from the forehead hidden beneath the Magic God of Dimensions' black robe, the Creator God's jewel radiated brilliant rainbow light, reinforcing his dimensional authority. It was not the light of authority forcibly extracted as in the past, but the light indicating full support of all authorities.