The Gray Present Returns

The Spirit Realm war came to a sudden halt as the fallen Dimensional Mage God was blasted back into the air with a deafening roar. A faint flicker of surprise stirred in the eyes of the 10 Mainstays.

BOOOOM—!

The newly grayed future Dimensional Mage God had struck without warning. Though manifested by the Origin of the Mage God, this was unmistakably the future version of himself. And yet he was mercilessly beating his past self without the slightest hesitation.

The Dimensional Mage God—who had just taken a brutal blow to the abdomen and vomited blood while being hurled upward—glared with burning eyes. But his expression remained strangely cheerful, a wide grin never leaving his face.

The Dimensional Mage God who was the target of that mockery felt like he was losing his mind.

He could clearly sense that his opponent possessed a perfected fusion of dimensional and magical authority. On top of that, the effect of Origin was flawless. Considering the gap in divine power, this was an opponent he could never defeat.

Yet the 13th-circle magic he had created over twenty thousand accelerated years—built upon the Black Flame vitality he had desperately fought to obtain—had completely evaporated.

‘Other information is filling the void, but I don’t have time to analyze it. I have to defeat that bastard somehow and take it all back. Whether he’s the Origin of the Mage God or whatever else.’

In any case, he had never once received help from the Origin of the Mage God. The only thing he had received in the beginning was the introductory data from the Cyber Realm. Everything he had built from that foundation was entirely his own achievement. Having it stolen from him like this left him with no choice but to charge forward, teeth grinding in fury.

Huge afterimages of stars overlapped and compressed around the Dimensional Mage God. Just watching it felt dangerously ominous, as if something catastrophic was being prepared.

But the future Dimensional Mage God, who had been quietly observing the scene, spat out a harsh warning.

His form blurred and vanished.

The Dimensional Mage God hurriedly blurred his own figure as well, but a violent explosion erupted in midair as blood burst from his body once more.

FWAAAAAASH—!

Every authority and magic the opponent used was superior to the Dimensional Mage God’s own. Even the Origin of the Mage God’s reality denial operated on an entirely different level. There was no way to resist.

Moreover, the fact that the opponent had just referred to himself as the future version confirmed that this was indeed the future self manifested through the 13th-circle magic absorbed by the Origin of the Mage God.

‘His voice, his divine power wavelength—everything matches mine. And those twenty-seven pairs of wings of light—the proof of the Creator God King—along with the twenty-seven pairs of dark wings that prove the Demon Emperor… This is the strongest version of myself I’ve always imagined.’

Yet the right hand of that dreamed-of future Dimensional Mage God was currently piercing straight through his chest, gripping his heart.

On top of that, the opponent was directly controlling him through authority contact. There was no way to resist.

Thump. Thump.

He could feel his own heart writhing and struggling within the opponent’s grasp. His teeth ground together even harder.

‘There’s no chance of victory at all. Even if I activate the hidden final magic again, if he activates the same thing, I’ll only suffer an even more miserable defeat.’

It was a secret technique that had once defeated one of the highest-ranking clans among the 10 Mainstays, comparable to a Creator God King. But its supremacy had been based on the assumption that no one else possessed the exact same authority. Once it was copied like this, it was over.

All his means had been completely sealed by his future self. He was in a wretched state, left only to await death.

Suddenly, the voice of the future Dimensional Mage God changed. The Origin of the Mage God’s voice flowed out instead. There was no hatred in it—only a gentle, almost proud tone.

Even so, the fact that this person had absorbed his precious 13th-circle authority and was now threatening his life made no sense.

CRUNCH—!

His heart exploded.

Calling it a reward, the opponent immediately shattered his heart and began disintegrating every last bit of Black Flame vitality that composed his current body.

The Black Flame vitality and authority that had been sustaining his ability amplification scattered so futilely that he naturally fell back down to Creator God rank.

‘This crazy Origin—! Who would dare say you aren’t from the Wind Family bloodline? You call it a reward and then try to kill me? Are you really going to say that rewards and punishments are one and the same? At this rate, I’ll lose all my power before I can even get stronger. Stop half-assing your imitation!’

Fortunately, thanks to Origin’s title and his Dimensional Authority, he did not die.

‘I won’t die from something like this. As long as my head isn’t completely destroyed and I can still calculate, I’ve achieved a level of immortality this time that won’t let me die.’

But the opponent seemed to already know that. The right hand that had crushed his heart, still dripping with blood, now moved to grip his head.

‘Given the difference in divine power and authority, even a little force will be enough to end me. I probably won’t last even a moment before I’m annihilated. Then I’ll become an insect on Wind Star again. Since I’ve already used all my contingencies, I’ll have to start over from being a bug for nearly an eternity.’

Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine—so much so that he began to tremble violently.

The Origin of the Mage God, gripping that shaking head, asked quietly. The killing intent radiating from him made it clear that if there was no answer, his head would be crushed immediately. As expected of the Origin of the Mage God.

CRRRRRACK—! KUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNG—!

The magic power concentrating on the circles in his head tore everything apart. It felt as if a massive lump of molten lava had been poured directly into his brain.

The absorption authority he had just suffered was now transformed by Dimensional Authority and dug in even deeper. Because it shared the same nature as his future self, the magical defensive barriers protecting his mind and authority were pierced as if they didn’t exist.

But there was nothing to find. It was all in vain.

Half of his magic and authority below the 11th-circle had been fused with the Gray Sage and the Survival Magic Tower. Leaving it as a final resort had proven remarkably effective.

‘If I hadn’t entrusted half of my Dimensional Authority to the Gray Sage as its pope and dispersed half of my magic into the tower, everything would have been taken. And I blocked remote access to the tower out of fear of intrusion—even I, its creator, made it impossible. Even someone with my memories would have to pierce through thousands of layers of dimensional barriers and the natural dimensional storms of the Great Cavity to make direct contact. There are no exceptions, not even for myself.’

Eventually, as if giving up, the infiltration of magic power stopped.

The Dimensional Mage God, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whose head had gone limp, fell from the air like a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leaf. Grinding his teeth, he reassessed the situation.

No matter what means he used, he simply could not match his opponent. The Origin of the Mage God’s reality denial was on an entirely different level; there was no way to deal with it. The Black Flame Creator Great God ‘Seongmyeol’ he had trusted had been incapacitated by the Substitute Gods’ Origin and could not be reactivated. Injuries of that severity could only be healed on Wind Star.

Moreover, even the Black Flame vitality he had gained from twenty thousand years of fighting had just been completely pulverized.

‘Right now, I am merely the Creator God-rank Mage God who first entered the Eternal Judgment. But my opponent is the Origin of the Mage God, whose divine power exceeds one quadrillion.’

The difference in authority level was equally hopeless. There was no choice but to run.

If every remaining authority was analyzed, he would naturally be used as teaching material for the Wind Family.

In the end, he spat out a command he absolutely did not want to use.

Wiiiiiiing—!

With the short command, his body began to disassemble. He felt himself being sent to the Otherworld. The Survival Magic Tower would take some time, but it would begin moving as well.

‘As long as I’m alive, I can do something. That’s why I built the Survival Magic Tower as a completely self-sufficient structure, isn’t it?’

The defensive power created by stationing half of his magic there far surpassed any Creator God-rank divine realm. Whether in the Otherworld or the Absolute Realm, it would become an iron fortress.

Leaving behind the divine realm he had elevated to the highest Creator God rank made his teeth chatter with rage. He sent a warning to the Main Divine Realm: anyone who touched the Dimensional Divine Realm—regardless of status—would be killed and thrown into the Divine Spirit Purgatory.

‘I don’t know how effective it will be, but I mean every word.’

He had worn both body and mind ragged to create it, and this was the result. At the very least, he had no intention of dying quietly.

Along with the flustered voice of the Origin of the Mage God, he felt the Absolute Realm rapidly receding. But there was absolutely no way to stop it. He had not poured more than half his magical authority into this function for nothing. Most of it was to prevent external interference during dimensional travel.

As a result, differences in divine power meant nothing.

‘To stop this, one would need at least ten thousand times the calculation power and would have to prepare before activation.’

Once activated, it became reality. Mid-process modification was impossible. It was an authority that could not be altered from the outside unless by the caster’s own will.

As he felt the Absolute Realm growing distant, a faint emotion stirred within him.

‘So it has come to this after all. Now the Otherworld awaits. Whether it becomes hell or heaven will be decided by every effort I’ve made until now.’

Watching the Dimensional Mage God flee to the Otherworld, the Origin of the Mage God stood there in bewilderment. Jinri and the 10 Mainstays let out a collective sigh.

‘As expected, the blood descendants of the Wind Family are powerful, but they always seem to have one fatal weakness that causes them to make mistakes.’

In particular, the expressions of Yuil Yongsinje—who oversaw the wind—and the two Origins assisting him were horribly twisted.

‘The Wind Family Origins have abilities beyond question, but the biggest problem is that they occasionally make mistakes like this.’

Of course, the Origins who had created clans and experienced countless situations were exceptions. But for grandchildren who had only trained alone, such things happened frequently.

That was why even the management of the Absolute Realm had been handed over to the 10 Mainstays without much resistance.

Yuil Yongsinje pressed a hand to his forehead as if suffering from a headache.

‘A problem of inexperience. It’s something I struggled with endlessly when I first led the Dragon God race.’

Why did the same words in the same situation produce different results? A simple personality that only trained diligently could never understand it. Because they could not understand the psychology of each individual ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Dragon God, control was impossible—management itself was out of the question.

That was why he had mostly stepped back, only to be met with the dishonor of being labeled a ‘super rare species’ and placed under protective measures.

‘There is no greater shame.’

Stopping his recollection of the past, he glanced at his father—who, much like himself, looked utterly dumbfounded. His father was pressing the hilt of the Sword of Ruin and Soul firmly against his own forehead, suppressing his rage internally. It seemed that if this wasn’t properly resolved, he would be beaten again.

So he had no choice but to step forward.

Seeing the Origin of the Mage God bow his head deeply in embarrassment, Yong-ho could not help but sigh.

The unique absolute-level Dimensional Authority he had wanted had only been obtained in half, and the owner had fled.

‘If the fact that the Dimensional Mage—who will one day be appointed as the gray among the 10 Mainstays in the distant future—ran away to the Otherworld spreads there, those beings who already dismiss us as false gods and ignore our very existence will become even more arrogant. In the end, I have no choice but to step in and resolve this.’

Capturing the Dimensional Mage God who had fled to the Otherworld would be simple if he mobilized one or two blood descendants of the Wind Family. But since their activities outside the house were restricted, that was impossible.

On the other hand, if he went himself, the Dragon God race might go completely extinct during his absence.

Yet abandoning the absolute-level Dimensional Authority was also not an option, since he had accepted the revival of the Dragon God race as his mission.

‘I must bring him back by any means necessary.’

In times like these, there was only one method.

He spoke in the most pitiful voice he could manage.

The sudden childlike plea left the 10 Mainstays momentarily frozen.

Yuil Yongsinje held the undisputed first place in the Absolute Realm combat rankings. He was the only one capable of handling two 10 Mainstays at once. Moreover, although they were a rare species, the individual strength of the Dragon God race surpassed that of equal clans. With his personal ability and the forces he commanded—excluding the Wind Family—he was more than qualified to occupy one of the ten central seats.

Yet seeing him act like a child was something they had never witnessed before.

However, the words that reflexively burst from Jinri left their mouths agape.

BOOOOOOM—!

Jinri clicked his tongue as he watched Yuil Yongsinje fly off into the distance from the strike of the Sword of Ruin and Soul—whose swing no one had even seen. Of course, the real target was the Origin of the Mage God.

…….

The Origin of the Mage God, rendered speechless by the cruel analogy comparing gods to mosquitoes, bowed his head deeply and spoke.

‘No matter how many times I hear it, it’s the truth. As the Origin of the Mage God, I should have maintained an even stricter sense of reality. It is true that intervening as one of the supreme rulers of the present—the 10 Mainstays—made me overly eager.’

Compared to the blood descendants of the Wind Family, the Dimensional Mage God was far too weak. He should have gently coaxed and taught him.

Jinri took out a small, brightly glowing orb from his robe.

The mouths of the 10 Mainstays and the Origin of the Mage God fell open wider than ever. An unimaginable treasure had appeared out of nowhere.

And then came an unexpected verdict.

Whoosh—!

The shining little orb was casually tossed into the air. The 10 Mainstays reflexively lunged for it.

‘It wasn’t given to us, but that is not an object that should be thrown around like that.’

‘It is proof of being the master of the Gray Wind Star.’

‘Once authenticated, it can never be returned.’

Though only the size of a small planet, Wind Star possessed vitality comparable to an entire main universe. With the right conditions, merely manifesting it could nurture over ten billion beings with divine power in the quadrillions. Above all, it was a treasure among treasures capable of nurturing even beings with over one quadrillion in innate divine power—like the current 10 Mainstays—and even granting command authority.

Moreover, once authenticated, the master could never be changed, making it perfectly safe.

‘There is no need to compare the value of the unnecessarily vast main universe that requires countless managerial gods despite having the same vitality, versus a single planet like Wind Star.’

Above all, ownership of Wind Star was also proof of being a ruler of the Absolute Realm. It was something only granted by Jinri to a 10 Mainstay.

It was no wonder that even the Origin of the Mage God and Yuil Yongsinje—who had been right beside Jinri—forgot all decorum and situation and tried to snatch it desperately.

The single thought that rose in everyone’s mind was the same.

‘If I catch it first and authenticate it, I will become the master of Wind Star.’

Even the Origin of the Mage God, who had earlier denied and ignored reality, was no exception to that temptation.

But the moment Jinri’s fierce fighting spirit radiated out the instant the orb was thrown, their bodies froze. A wave of utter despair washed over them.

They had just witnessed the Dimensional Mage God—who had been fleeing to the Otherworld with his heart shattered and body in tatters—suddenly turn around, eyes bloodshot with greed, and snatch the core of Wind Star as it fell to the ground.

And then he screamed at the top of his lungs.

The problem was that he had turned his head at the last moment to check on the situation while escaping to the Otherworld.

Upon seeing the incomparable treasure that was the core of Wind Star suddenly thrown out as compensation, he had lost all reason. His eyes flipped, and he reflexively, desperately returned to the Absolute Realm.

Thanks to that, the Otherworld Escape authority was completely interrupted and could no longer be reactivated.

And now the Origin of the Mage God—who had earlier tried to absorb him as if it were a joke—was staring at him with murderous intent radiating from his entire body. Or rather, he was glaring at the Wind Star gripped tightly in both hands.

Jinri spoke calmly, as if such a reaction was only natural, while watching the Dimensional Mage God fall into a state of panic upon realizing what a stupid thing he had done.

Crack. Crack.

The Origin of the Mage God lightly massaged his fists, loosening his body.

‘It seems I looked down on him too much because his level was low and ended up suffering great humiliation. I almost tarnished the family name. I nearly ruined an opportunity that could have brought enormous benefits.’

That said, he could not kill him. Personal-emotion-based murder was forbidden, and publicly, an Origin and clan member could not be killed.

So he looked at the Dimensional Mage God—who was half-lost in self-loathing—and spoke while suppressing his emotions as much as possible, much like Jinri. But at some point, the wooden-sword-shaped Sword of Ruin and Soul had appeared in his right hand, and fighting spirit flickered around it.

THOOOOOOOOOOONG!

CRAAAAAAAASH!

UWAAAAAAAAAAH!

A roar and scream of an entirely different magnitude from before echoed across Wind Star for a long time.