The Absolute Karma Contract

The reactions from the Spirit Realm's war were irrelevant; the monologue-like declaration continued without pause. “Furthermore, I have no intention of asking favors from you or negotiating with you. I propose only a Karma Contract based on equal exchange of value.”

A surge of magic power shook the surroundings as the authority of dimensions writhed madly, manifesting a single parchment. Its color shimmered not in gold, but in the hues of a rainbow.

“In the name of ‘Jinri,’ I shall form an absolute-grade Karma Contract with all of you, personally overseen by the supreme being.”

One was the contract Le Salvia, the Special-grade Cyber God, had formed by fully unleashing her title to wage war against the 500th Master Universe. It had already ended in failure, and she had absorbed the title of Origin, the authority of dimensions, and even magic itself.

The other was the blank contract the Magic God of Dimensions had just summoned. Yet words were already being inscribed upon it, as if the Origins had made their decision and were signing their names.

The sight of the two contracts resonating with each other left the Black Flame Absolute utterly bewildered. He turned to the Cyber God and demanded, “Two absolute-grade Karma Contracts at the same time? And each one equivalent in value to the lives of two hundred Origins, no matter how low their level? Is this even possible for a being from a Master Universe with only a hundred billion divine power? Above all, at that level, one contract alone would require staking nearly everything he has—how can he duplicate them? How did he pay the price? After the first failure, all his authorities and titles should have been sealed. The power he’s using now is clearly the new authority and magic he rebuilt by absorbing the vitality of the Black Flame race. The title of Origin is also sealed. Yet the power gained from the Wind Castle of Black Flame cannot be used as collateral for any contract until the Eternal Judgment concludes. So how did he activate it? Explain yourself.”

“…Analyzing.”

The Special-grade Cyber God fell silent for a moment. Absolute-grade Karma Contracts were required to undergo review by the Cyber Realm. They could not possibly be activated at will like this. And yet he had manifested them using dimensional authority and magic.

Just earlier he stole the Substitute Gods’ manufacturing method and tried to use it, only to become one of them by mistake. Now he’s arbitrarily executing even an absolute-grade Karma Contract. This is unacceptable to the Cyber Realm, which manages both the Substitute Gods and Karma Contracts.

Above all, the gaze of ‘Jinri’ could still be felt. Even though the observation period for the absolute-grade Karma Contract had ended, it meant the supreme being was watching with interest. Moreover, this was the Wind Castle of Black Flame—the most underdeveloped region where Jinri personally resided. If the supreme being were to descend in person, the accumulated errors could lead to severe reprimands.

The restoration of ‘Grey,’ the strongest being of the Sage Lineage and the very reason for the Cyber Realm’s existence, had been stagnant for hundreds of billions of years. This alone is a grave sin worthy of immediate execution for all of us. If we report that we’ve encountered him and still made no progress, we will truly all be disposed of.

They had to clean up this mess as quickly as possible. The urgent analysis results left the Cyber God’s mouth hanging ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠open in shock.

Wh-what is this? What exactly did he stake to create a scene like this?

From the direction in which the figures and countless Spiritual Beings advanced, a furious roar rang out. It came from the most radiant being leading hundreds of millions of golden figures. There was no doubt—it was Gold, the leader of the eight Absolutes among the 10 Mainstays.

Centered around Gold, the eight Absolutes and their clans had gathered their full forces to confront the incoming army.

“Seongmyeol—! What is the meaning of this? Why is one of the 10 Mainstays opposing us? And how could you lead an alliance between our mortal enemies—the Main Universe forces and the Substitute Gods—against us?”

From the forehead of the indescribably massive black-flame giant, a figure wearing a black robe appeared. Though slightly taller, it was unmistakably the Magic God of Dimensions. Yet the magic power and authority he radiated were on an entirely different level from the present. He exuded fighting spirit and killing intent that rivaled the eight Absolutes themselves.

Fourteen pairs of magic circles materialized, conveying his will. “We are allies and comrades, so please call me ‘Changse.’ ‘Seongmyeol’ is the name my enemies use for me, Gold. And it is only natural for ‘Grey’ to attempt to control the eight Absolutes who act recklessly despite their lack of ability. As Grey, I am free to choose whatever means I deem necessary. Using the enemy to this degree is basic strategy.”

The absurdly nonchalant reply caused one of the eight Absolutes wielding a black sword to draw his blade and shout, “You declare war on the entire Absolute Realm and then claim you’re not the enemy? Don’t spout such nonsense! If you’re not our enemy, then undo this dimensional authority that’s harming us right now—! What the hell are you doing?”

In response, an eerily cold voice echoed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as the giant figure vanished back into the massive silhouette. The voice of the Magic God of Dimensions rang out. “Within the true domain of ‘Dimension,’ neither death nor annihilation exists without my permission. I manifest true ‘immortality and indestructibility’ based on my ‘Absolute Magic.’ Raising or lowering abilities like this is merely an added bonus. So stop talking about dying and fight as you wish. Besides, as ‘Changse’ I clearly stated this is not a war but a friendly match between the Main Universe Alliance and the Absolute Realm. You’re the one twisting my words. Does it feel good to call me Seongmyeol? Huh? You pathetic, tone-deaf bat bastard. And if it really were a war, it would already be over. Do you think I’m crazy enough to face the eight Absolutes and their clans in a fair fight? I would have destroyed your home base, the Wind Star, from behind and struck you in the back of the head. Above ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all, I’m tired of trying to persuade you. You’ll only come to your senses after tasting bitter defeat at the hands of the Main Universe forces you’ve ignored for so long. So go ahead—fight until you’re all exhausted and collapse.”

Boom—! Boom—!

With thunderous roars that shook the universe, the footsteps accelerated. Red flames blazed like suns as the giant charged toward the eight Absolutes. The oppressive aura was in no way inferior to theirs.

At some point, twenty-seven pairs of materialized wings of light and darkness had claimed every realm and dimension as the battlefield. Before the absolute authority of dimensions, all laws were rewritten and altered.

Even the eight Absolutes could not hide their bitter smiles at their arbitrarily diminishing divine power and lowered circles. They drew their absolute divine weapons and charged with full force. Their clans began their advance as well, yet they could not shake off their bewilderment.

Their level is incomparably higher than ours, but the enemy numbers are overwhelming. Moreover, there are countless beings with titles, nearly all of them Creator General rank or above.

Not only the God race and Demon God race, but even the number of Transcendentals was staggering. It seemed the Substitute Gods’ Creator Gods and Creator Generals had all gathered as well.

A Substitute God Creator is nearly equal to us, and a Creator General cannot be defeated alone. Not only that, but there are Substitute Gods the size of giant planets as well as liberated ones scattered everywhere. This is absurd.

No matter how well-connected Grey was, uniting even their mortal enemies was simply impossible. That question was answered by a fighting-spirit-filled roar emanating from the colossal body of the Magic God of Dimensions.

“Substitute Gods—! This is the fair evaluation match against the Absolute Realm that you have longed for! Prove your worth before Jinsil! And warriors of the Main Universe—! Experience it for yourselves, exactly as you wished! See exactly how powerful the beings of the Absolute Realm who have looked down on you truly are—!”

In response to the cry, the forces of the Main Universe and the Substitute Gods erupted with explosive fighting spirit and killing intent. The God Destruction Cannons and authorities they unleashed at full power were terrifyingly potent, amplified and elevated by dimensional authority. A direct hit inside this domain that weakened them to the extreme would mean certain death.

When they had been allies, his self-righteous nature caused friction everywhere and branded him a problem child to be ignored. But now that he had turned enemy, there was no more threatening existence.

“Uuuuuuuuung! (The Substitute Gods control everything!) Uuuuuuuuuuuung—! (It is not the eight Absolutes and their clans of the Absolute Realm—it is us—!)”

“This is a stage specially prepared by ‘Seongmyeol Changse,’ the Grey among the 10 Mainstays who originates from the Main Universe. We will show the arrogant Absolute Realm who looks down from above the true power of the Main Universe Alliance. Attack—!”

Kwaaaaaaaaang—!

The moment the clans of the eight Absolutes collided with the allied forces of the Main Universe and Substitute Gods, and the eight Absolutes clashed with the Magic God of Dimensions, the vision ended.

Listening to the screams of the other Special-grade Cyber Gods, Le Saluvia had no idea how to handle the chaotic situation. In the end, the manager in charge, Le Saluvia, organized the data and reached a conclusion.

The Magic God of Dimensions staked the brightest possible future he could possess in the absolute-grade Karma Contract. Having already lost both his present and past, he wagered every remaining possibility of his future.

And that future happens to be Grey? What are we supposed to do about this?

She could not possibly tell the Black Flame Absolute, who was waiting for an answer, that he had staked a future in which he would oppose the eight Absolutes as Grey.

Grey is the strongest of the Sage Lineage and the master of the Cyber Realm. No—he is the hope of all administrative gods whose primary authority is computational power, which has been endlessly outpaced by the Combat Gods.

If what they had seen in the vision was true and he was strong enough to stand against all eight Absolutes, they had to protect him somehow. But the manager’s cold words followed.

You must report it exactly as it is.

Why? Shouldn’t we protect him? Ah—that’s right. There’s Always Coin Heads. Lies won’t work.

It is an unknown future, and the probability is extremely low. If the combination of dimensional authority, the title of Origin, and magic results in Grey, it would be faster for the Cyber Realm to create one from scratch.

That is true.

The Cyber Gods’ calculations were swift. They could never accept a being from the Main Universe as the master of the Cyber Realm, and seeing how much the manager despised the idea told them exactly how troublesome such an existence would be. Above all, they had momentarily forgotten the Absolutes’ fraudulent authority. As long as Always Coin Heads—which intuitively grasped every choice and future correctly—existed, deception was impossible.

The Cyber Realm’s decision was made through the swift consensus of the Special-grade Cyber Gods.

“The foundation of the Grey authority that just appeared is magic. To endure absolute computational power, a title specialized in regeneration and vitality like Origin is required. And to implement transformed reality in combat, a comprehensive authority utilizing dimensions is necessary.”

“Since the direction has been presented, it can be created within the Cyber Realm.”

“I agree.”

“Fighting one-on-one against all eight Absolutes is absurd.”

“A wiser and gentler being should become the master of the Cyber Realm. That personality is unfit to lead a collective.”

“I fully agree with the manager Le Saluvia’s decision.”

The self-righteous and narrow-minded personality of the Magic God of Dimensions proved fatal. In the end, they reported the truth. They already knew how the Black Flame Absolute would react upon hearing this answer. The eight Absolutes would try to erase him by any means necessary, but since they now knew the direction of Grey Absolute, it no longer mattered.

“What the Magic God of Dimensions staked in the contract is every possible future he could have. He becomes one of the 10 Mainstays—Grey—and acts as both coordinator and adversary to the eight Absolutes. Its value cannot be compared to the cooperation of hundreds of Main Universe Origins risking their lives in battle. Even now, it has been restricted to merely restoring his lost body rather than forming a permanent contract.”

“…….”

A vein bulged on the Black Flame Absolute’s forehead. A chilling voice burst out as if spat through gritted teeth.

“That rotten bastard is going to become the Sage among the 10 Mainstays—Grey? And not only that, the coordinator and adversary of the eight Absolutes? Does that even make sense? A guy who would die from a single graze of my hand?”

Yet once again, a spine-chilling sensation flashed through his mind. The sense of crisis surged, and the appearance of the Sword of Ruin and Soul in the air proved it was real.

“Ugh—! It’s true. But when?”

It was unknown when a Magic God of Dimensions with only a hundred billion innate divine power would reach over a quadrillion in strength. Without direct guidance from Jinri, it would take hundreds of billions of years.

“We do not know when. It may take hundreds of billions of years, or it may never happen. The futures of beings managed by Jinri are rarely fixed. They evolve and develop endlessly according to individual effort and environment. Any being with a title, as long as they do not give up on themselves, will inevitably reach a level surpassing the eight Absolutes. What the Magic God of Dimensions staked in the absolute-grade contract is precisely that resolve to never give up—and the decision of fate. He has sworn it before ‘Jinri.’”

“Hoh? A direct oath to ‘Jinri’?”

At the mention of Jinri, the Black Flame Absolute froze for a moment. As memories of the process he himself had undergone to become the Black Flame among the eight Absolutes flashed through his mind, his entire body began to tremble.

As the strongest of the Black Flame race, I received intensive training for the path of an Absolute, and it was almost unbearable. Still, I had some degree of choice and barely managed to endure by extending the period as much as possible. But if one stakes everything and swears directly to Jinri, survival is impossible. He would have to undergo that training process—the one even Jinri’s direct disciples struggle with—at accelerated speed. At his current level, he will never pass. He will only be annihilated.

And if he somehow endured and gained power equal to the eight Absolutes, that too would be a huge problem. The reason the first-generation eight Absolutes—who had possessed power surpassing even Eternal Beings and ruled absolutely—had been destroyed was Grey’s betrayal. Although it had been unavoidable in order to control the eight Absolutes, who as living yet semi-spiritual beings could not endure the given immortality and were on the verge of madness, the betrayal was undeniable.

Recalling the thorough education he had received on the strengths, weaknesses, and history of the eight Absolutes, killing intent naturally welled up within him.

The Eternal Judgment was no longer the issue. It was obvious what would happen if that Magic God of Dimensions became one of the 10 Mainstays—Grey.

“In the past, the Sage Lineage’s Grey and the Combat Lineage’s Black Flame were mortal enemies. No, he had an extremely bad relationship with all eight Absolutes, didn’t he? Looking at that guy, I can roughly understand why. But the fact that you’re telling me this so precisely in this situation—does that mean the Cyber Realm has given up on the Magic God of Dimensions becoming Grey?”

“…Yes.”

There was a brief hesitation, but the answer came immediately. A clear opportunity lay right before them; they could not wait for an uncertain future.

The Black Flame Absolute briefly confirmed the truth with Always Coin Heads, then nodded and replied, “Understood. While the Cyber Realm assists the Black Flame race, I will grant you the right to veto as you wish.”

“Thank you. We will assist with all our power.”

The Special-grade Cyber God bowed deeply, unable to hide her joy. She had obtained what she wanted far too easily. Thanks to that, the Magic God of Dimensions—who originally had the potential to become Grey—would certainly die and never leave the Wind Star. But she told herself it was his original fate and forcibly erased the thought from her mind.

The moment the Black Flame Absolute, unable to conceal his killing intent toward the Magic God of Dimensions, turned his gaze back to the scene, a sudden burst of light erupted from the bodies of the Origins. It was so intense that it momentarily blinded even an Absolute’s vision.

The instant he saw the bodies of the two hundred Origins all burning at once and transforming into pure authority, a long-forbidden power came to mind. It was a technique that sacrificed the physical body to temporarily amplify authority to an extreme degree. Its power was truly peerless. However, the destructive force and impact were so great that even a Spiritual Being’s soul could not withstand it, so it was never used.

“The Light God’s self-sacrifice—! What the hell are these crazy bastards doing? The Black Flame race only suffers minor wounds from something like this. We never die. This is just throwing your lives away for nothing.”

Yet the Magic God of Dimensions, standing at the center of the two hundred Origins who had turned into pillars of light, raised his hand. He shattered the dimensional barrier from the inside and pointed at the highest-ranking member of the Black Flame race he had designated as his opponent.

Immediately, the pillars of light from all the Origins vanished completely into thin air, then struck the body of the Black Flame clansman.

The full-power attack released through self-sacrifice could not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠break bones, but it carried enough force to inflict wounds on skin and muscle.

“Kuaaaaaaaaagh—!”

Watching the Black Flame clansman, now covered in blood, let out a scream that could have been either agony or rage, the Magic God of Dimensions nodded. If the Origins’ self-sacrifice attack had worked, the next strike would finish it.

Now all preparations were complete.

Looking at the former Origins—now reduced to faint souls after losing their bodies and further blurred by the aftermath of the attack—he conveyed his firm gratitude. In a way, they had shown trust by abandoning their restricted bodies based solely on a future possibility so faint it was nearly impossible. It was a decision that would have been impossible without the bond of trust built over twenty thousand years of fighting alongside the living beings of the Black Flame race.

“I gratefully accept your lives. Then next, I shall stake my own life—no, my entire future—and show you. I will show you the possibilities my magic and authority will bring. My authority of dimensions. Fully unleash the title of Origin—! I shall enter the Eternal Judgment once more. And I will definitely pass it.”

One had to prove not only ‘one-hit kill’ and ‘complete victory,’ but also ‘potential for growth.’ Most who attempted it never even became insects on the Wind Star and were simply erased. Satisfying everyone’s standards was an incredibly difficult task.

However, having failed to even pass an absolute-grade Karma Contract in his bid to become Jinri’s pride, this was now his only path. The only way to cover up his mistake was with a monumental achievement.

“Come forth—! Jinsil—! I, who am both Origin and Dimension, beseech not the observation of an absolute-grade Karma Contract, but your direct judgment. My opponent is the highest-ranking member of the Black Flame race with 5 trillion divine power. As an adversary for one with 100 billion divine power like myself, he is more than sufficient.”

The sudden action of the Magic God of Dimensions caused the Wind Star to fall into momentary silence. The Black Flame Absolute and the Special-grade Cyber God turned deathly pale from sheer shock. After recklessly invoking absolute-grade Karma Contracts one after another, he had now fully unleashed his title without any conditions and even summoned Jinri directly.

They had no idea how he had undone the seal on his title, but a catastrophic incident had just occurred. Every being with a title would now flock to the Wind Star to witness the judgment he presided over.

There was no way the highest-ranking Black Flame clansman would lose to a reserve Creator God with only 100 billion divine power, yet Always Coin Heads was sending out a serious warning.

Uuuuuuuung!

This means there is a chance he could actually lose.

Win or lose aside, the fact that the highest-ranking Black Flame clansman—supposedly possessing the strongest physical body in the Absolute Realm—had been turned into a bloody mess by the self-sacrifice attack of every Origin from the Main Universe was enough to completely trash that reputation. To show Jinri the sight of the Black Flame race, who possessed the strongest close-combat power among the 10 Mainstays, being beaten to a pulp by Main Universe Spiritual Beings was the height of humiliation. He would be mocked by the other eight Absolutes for eternity.

As the Black Flame Absolute stood frozen, unsure how to handle the situation, a painfully familiar voice—clearly in the midst of puberty—rang out. It was the voice of a boy.

“I acknowledge the highest-ranking member of the Black Flame race as the opponent for the full unleashing of the titles of Origin and Dimension. I shall personally preside over the Eternal Judgment. Show your potential with all your strength so that you will have no regrets even if you are erased.”

Jinri had descended in person.