The Wind Family's Invitation
Gaiana carefully poured the tea as the Yuil Yongsinje, the Second Generation Wind Absolute, politely declined the seat of honor, insisting he could not possibly take the master's place. Instead, he created a new chair directly across from it and sat down. He assumed a cross-legged posture that somehow maintained perfect dignity, yet he balanced the teacup on the back of his right hand while savoring the brew. The soft sound of sipping filled the air—hororororor.
But across from him, the Dimensional Mage God was drenched in cold sweat.
Chororororuk—! Every instinct in his body, every authority he possessed, screamed in warning. His mind already knew the truth. This being was on an entirely different level from the Black Flame Absolute, who had at least offered some openings to exploit. If this man had undergone the Eternal Judgment on Wind Star, the Dimensional Mage God would have given up without even trying.
No—the real problem was that divine nature of his. It resembled the Reality Denial magic the protagonist had once wielded, yet stood far above it. The divinity of the Wind Family carried the concept that nothing is impossible for the wind. It treated transcendence as the baseline and embodied evolution itself. Its nature was so profound it could serve as the origin of all authorities. Among the 10 Mainstays, the Golden Absolute who governed order might have been slightly more compatible, but this matchup was the worst possible. The Mage Tower still hadn't been repaired, so his Reality Denial authority was operating at less than half strength. One wrong move and he would die.
Though he sat upon the throne of glory with outward dignity, the Dimensional Mage God had shrunk into himself so completely that he hadn't dared wear his robe. He revealed his true form. His once-human body had been largely reconstructed into a divine one, crowned with golden hair that flickered with faint dark-red flames—the mark of the Authority of Black Flame.
In the past, simple dark magic power had been replaced by the vitality of black flame, strengthening both his body and his magic to absolute levels. His face, shaped by the immense power and purity of a Mage God's divine energy, retained the flawless beauty of a youth. Below the neck, however, his physique had transformed dramatically. What was once a slightly slender frame had become extremely honed—lean, corded muscles that radiated the oppressive presence of a predator.
At a glance, one could hardly tell whether he was a Mage God or a God of Combat. The pressure he gave off was that overwhelming.
After twenty thousand years of desperate battles against the creatures of the Wind Castle of Black Flame within accelerated time, it was only natural. He had fully adapted to an absolute-rank black flame body and possessed magic on the same tier. He could confidently claim he would one day become the Grey Absolute.
The Yuil Yongsinje showed a hint of surprise on his handsome youthful face, then smiled with satisfaction as he observed the ferocious, oppressive black-flame physique. He gave a small nod.
“The black flame body has nearly settled in. My grandson suppressed and organized the rampaging black flame vitality for you, but it still must have been difficult to handle on your own. You’ve worked hard.”
“I owe my life to the Origin of the Mage God. I also committed rudeness without realizing it. I offer my belated gratitude.”
The Dimensional Mage God bowed deeply in utmost politeness—an image that looked completely out of place. Gaiana blinked in mild astonishment. The Yuil Yongsinje, seemingly unconcerned, tilted the teacup resting on the back of his hand and drank. Yet at some point, the Sword of Ruin and Soul had appeared in that same hand.
Seeing it, the Dimensional Mage God no longer felt mere cold sweat. His entire body froze solid.
No matter how renowned he is as a man of character, the Yuil Yongsinje is ultimately a God of Combat and a God of War.
Moreover, possessing the strongest abilities among the 10 Mainstays who ruled the Absolute Realm meant he carried an equally fierce disposition. The fact that he had come here personally suggested a mountain of problems had arisen. And the method of resolving those problems would absolutely not involve gentle explanations or persuasion until the very end. Any hint of resistance would be met with the iron rule of the God of Combat—overwhelming force.
If the Yuil Yongsinje swung the Sword of Ruin and Soul, which carried the authority of non-killing, with full power, the protagonist couldn’t even begin to imagine how much pain would flood him while remaining unable to die.
In times like these, the only way to protect himself was to steer the conversation toward the most favorable direction as quickly as possible.
“It was unexpected that both the Origin of the Mage God and the children who are the origin of the Substitute Gods would step forward to support you. Still, it saved us the time needed to clear up misunderstandings. It seems they fully understood the consideration those children showed you while moving from the Absolute Realm to the Main Universe. The offer to absorb Seongmyeol, who was gradually going berserk from black flame vitality, along with your dimensional magic and very existence, then accept you as a pure Dimensional Mage God and teaching material for the Wind Family remains valid. You have shown enough results to escape this wretched reality and begin anew in glorious ideals. The Wind Family welcomes you at any time.”
“I am grateful for your kindness.”
But after that, neither acceptance nor refusal came. A heavy silence settled over them.
If he accepted here, he would be dragged straight into the Wind Family and forced to become their teaching material—something completely outside his fate. Of course, becoming teaching material for the Wind Family, where the blood descendants of Jinri who had conquered the entire Absolute Realm and Main Universe gathered, was a hundred times better than this current hell. Yet life there would be grueling in an entirely different sense.
There would be no threat to his life or hardships in daily living, but it would be an endless succession of brutal training and real combat. Most critically, there would be no freedom.
The three inviolable rules known as the basic family laws—non-killing, non-relation, non-love—became more suffocating the more one understood them. Being bound by them would make anyone feel like they were dying inside.
Yet refusing outright would immediately trigger a display of force. Silence was the only answer.
Gulp—!
As the Yuil Yongsinje downed the remaining tea on the back of his hand in one swift motion amid the silence, the Dimensional Mage God swallowed hard and raised his Reality Denial magic to its utmost limit. Direct confrontation was impossible, but sitting upon the throne of a Highest Creator God allowed some degree of supplementation. With Lokina, who possessed the authority of the Flipside Lord God that strengthened and manifested the unique authorities of the Main God of the Divine Realm, he might be able to exert a portion of his true power.
Even so, there was no chance of victory, no opening whatsoever. The overwhelming pressure that came from facing a perfectly completed member of the 10 Mainstays—the very definition of an Origin—was truly despair-inducing.
Yet he could not simply submit helplessly. As the Dimensional Mage God secretly gathered his strength, the Yuil Yongsinje looked at him with an almost fond smile, as if finding the sight adorable, and slowly lowered the hand holding the Sword of Ruin and Soul.
“Such an offer of recruitment is secondary. The real reason I came personally is something else. Instead of forcefully asking one question, I will answer one without restriction. I hope for an honest reply. If even the slightest falsehood is mixed in, there will be immediate judgment from the 10 Mainstays.”
After experiencing so many harsh ordeals, his tone was calm, yet the content was horrifying.
The judgment of the 10 Mainstays is simple. The erasure of every single person related to the incident in question.
When the symbol of power in the Absolute Realm, the pinnacle of martial force that punishes all impurities in the karma of truth, moved personally, everything would be wiped clean. Victims and perpetrators alike would be erased without discrimination.
There are various exceptions, but until the right of veto is exercised, that is how it is carried out. The reason only ten beings can rule over the vast and mighty Absolute Realm and Main Universe is not only their power, but also their radical and cold-blooded enforcement.
Yet the Dimensional Mage God could not recall doing anything that would warrant such drastic measures. He couldn’t understand why this was suddenly happening. Then the question came.
“If an overwhelmingly strong opponent leads numerous subordinates that are difficult to deal with and stands against you as an enemy, what will you do? Surrender will not be accepted.”
It was an abrupt, groundless question, but the answer came immediately. It was a situation he had faced countless times during his days as the God of Mercenaries. There was no hesitation.
In the harsh karmic contract from which he could neither flee nor give up, his method of survival had been to provoke the opponent, enrage them, and cling tenaciously until they abandoned the fight. The intensity of those battles had earned him the infamous title of the worst and most vicious Mage God, but it had also been the glorious past of an undefeated God of Battle.
The direct answer left his lips.
“I will eliminate all the subordinates first while avoiding the strong ones. Then I will continue attempting to find and exploit any openings against the strong ones. Regardless of success or failure, no matter how much time it takes, I will find a way to win. There will be no surrender or negotiation.”
“……”
The Yuil Yongsinje made a complicated expression—impossible to tell whether he was smiling or frowning. He seemed about to say something more, then let out a deep sigh, stared into empty space, and spoke.
“That is what he says. The story just now is undoubtedly true. Will this suffice, Gold?”
Golden Absolute: No objections. Thank you for your trouble. The proceedings of this ranking war are hereby recognized.
The voice was well-controlled, yet bubbling with seething emotion. Then voices filled with unbearable fury began to shake the entire temple of the Main God.
Seeing the blatant curses pouring out, it seemed everyone was on the verge of losing their minds. And several of the voices were familiar. They belonged to all eight of the Absolutes among the 10 Mainstays.
“Y-you—! You bastard—! What the hell is this?!”
“Kill that grey bastard right now—!”
“This is not beautiful—! Do you intend to overlook this? I will never tolerate it, Gold—!”
“I formally propose the erasure of Grey. Do you even know how much damage has been done?!”
“That grey son of a bitch needs to die too—!”
“Where the hell is that bastard?! Come out and face us fairly!”
“Black Flame—! You’re telling me even your ‘Always Coin Heads’ can’t locate him with more than fifty percent accuracy?! Make some sense—!”
“Are you in on it too? Why is your side suffering almost no damage? Are you taking his side because that grey bastard came out of your Wind Castle of Black Flame and obtained a black flame body?!”
“Shut up—! I’ve suffered massive personal losses too—! You idiots who underestimated him and didn’t prepare properly are more at fault! I’m barely keeping up with handling it alone—!”
“They’re coming again—! Block them—!”
“Grey—! Just you wait—! You cowardly piece of shit—!”
The Dimensional Mage God was so stunned by the sudden barrage of vicious curses and threats from the 10 Mainstays that he momentarily lost his mind. He looked at the Yuil Yongsinje.
He had provoked and deceived them during the Eternal Judgment to escape—that was the Black Flame Absolute’s doing. He had no grudge whatsoever with the other eight Absolutes, yet they were treating him like a mortal enemy. Their tone was exactly like the enemies who had literally looked at him with the intent to devour him during his days as the God of Mercenaries.
Yet the Yuil Yongsinje sitting directly before him wore that same complicated expression—impossible to tell if he was frowning or smiling—and simply poured himself more tea onto the back of his hand. He drank in silence.
In the end, the protagonist had no choice but to ask.
“Wh… what is going on?”
“Is that your one question in exchange for the answer you just gave? It would be better not to waste it if possible. Even in the Absolute Realm and Main Universe where all information and facts are open, there are still grades of qualification. You should save it. You will learn everything eventually anyway.”
“No! It doesn’t matter. I want to know the current situation.”
“It will clearly be a loss for you… but if that is your will, then I suppose it cannot be helped. I cannot stay here much longer either.”
Juuuuuuuuk—!
The Yuil Yongsinje downed the scalding tea as if it were cold water and continued in a calm voice.
“The future version of yourself, who became ‘Grey’ with 1,000 trillion units of innate divine power manifested through magic by my blood descendant, the Origin of the Mage God, is currently fighting the ranking war in place of the 10 Mainstays. The moment it began, he launched a wide-area authority surprise attack on the upper clans of the eight participating Absolutes, killing thirty percent of them. He continues to hide his location with Reality Denial magic and keeps reducing their numbers through repeated ambushes. The other eight Absolutes, enraged by the accumulating damage despite protecting their surviving upper clans, are pursuing the future version of yourself and literally turning the battlefields of the Absolute Realm into scorched earth. They have strongly protested whether this behavior reflects the will of the Origin of the Mage God, a blood descendant of the Wind Family. To prove that it is not, I have temporarily left the battlefield. There are things to give and things to receive, after all.”
“W… wait a moment, please.”
It was utterly absurd. The nonsense that the future version of himself, manifested by the Origin of the Mage God, was committing these acts during the ranking war—and that the current version of himself had to bear the consequences—left him speechless.
This insane future version of me is waging the worst and most vicious mercenary-style combat against the 10 Mainstays and their clans, using any means necessary.
Now the sharp reactions of the 10 Mainstays made perfect sense. But the Dimensional Mage God himself had done nothing. How was this fair?
“Since you clearly answered that you would act that way, the actions of your future self have now been officially acknowledged as yours. I myself suffered almost no damage since I participated alone, but the other 10 Mainstays who lost nearly half their upper clans are in an uproar, demanding your immediate death. They say they cannot recognize someone who fights in such a cowardly manner as one of the 10 Mainstays.”
He could no longer deny it. He had said those words with his own mouth. And if such a ranking war actually broke out, he would undoubtedly fight exactly that way.
Deeeeeeeeeng—!
The Dimensional Mage God’s mind went blank. The Yuil Yongsinje had asked what he would do against strong enemies with many forces. The future version of himself, manifested through magic, was doing exactly what he had answered—killing all the subordinates first and then relentlessly clinging to the strong ones. And now he had to bear all the resulting grudges.
Worse, those opponents were none other than the 10 Mainstays, the strongest beings excluding Jinri himself.
There is no way out of this.
Most of all, even the version of himself with 1,000 trillion units of innate divine power was only killing subordinates and couldn’t touch the eight Absolutes. The situation looked even more hopeless.
Once again, a single word from me and I get screwed over? I really want to die now. And all that talk about past glory—bullshit. I keep taking on unfair contracts just to manage my constantly dropping karma and barely survive one crisis after another. No, if I can just escape the Otherworld, this kind of situation will end too. Once I repair the Mage Tower, I’ll move immediately. Seongmyeol, who absorbed Wind Star, can’t handle dimensional travel yet, so I’ll hide him and escape alone. First, I need to make direct contact with the Mage Tower and repair it right away…
Watching the Dimensional Mage God lost in such thoughts, the Yuil Yongsinje let out a light sigh and grasped the tip of the Sword of Ruin and Soul, offering him the hilt.
“I think it is still a little early, but this is something Grandfather Truth bestowed upon you. Congratulations, for now. Your title is ‘Dimensional.’ By possessing the Sword of Ruin and Soul, you have gained the right to voice your opinions in the Absolute Realm.”
“Ah! Yes? Th… thank you.”
“And this is an order Grandfather Truth has given to the 10 Mainstays. Subdue the Otherworld. It is now your task.”
“?”
The Dimensional Mage God stared with an expression of complete incomprehension at the sudden order to handle the Otherworld and why it had become his responsibility. The Yuil Yongsinje let out a long sigh and continued.
“Huu—! Just now, through the joint attack of Sword Bat and Black Flame, your future self suffered his first defeat. That places him at rank 10. All duties assigned to the 10 Mainstays are handled by the lowest rank. And since your future self sustained heavy damage and will require a long time to recover, it seems he will be unable to handle official duties. Therefore, the current you must do it. There is no need to move immediately, so once you become a Creator God, handle it properly. Of course, we cannot give you much time, so hurry. We will notify the Otherworld that you will be the one dealing with them for now.”
“!!!!!”
Stagger—!
The Dimensional Mage God barely caught himself with both arms as his upper body pitched forward from the throne of glory. He had been about to abandon everything and run, yet now he was being told he would officially take on the lowest seat among the 10 Mainstays and invade the very Otherworld he had planned to flee.
The Yuil Yongsinje looked at him with pity, then stood up and continued speaking.
“The tea was excellent. As payment for drinking such warm and considerate tea, I will not exercise my veto against the proposal for your erasure. However, once this ranking war ends, the one ranked first will come to observe the situation. The first rank will likely remain Gold as always, so be careful. He never tolerates laziness or incompetence. Moreover, because even the Golden Clan suffered heavy losses in this ranking war, his ill feelings toward you have unusually piled up. He is currently ranked first, yet he sent me—ranked second—here with such forceful pressure. You must show a reasonable state of preparation for handling the Otherworld if you wish to survive. Battles between the 10 Mainstays that put their very existence at stake are encouraged by Grandfather Truth, so no one can interfere. If you lose, you will be dragged back to Gold’s Wind Star as an insect. That would be troublesome, so I will extend the duration of the ranking war as much as possible.”
“Aaaaaah…”
Leaving behind the Dimensional Mage God, who could not even form a proper reply and merely let out a feeble groan as if his soul had left his body, the Yuil Yongsinje offered a few words of comfort and began walking toward the battlefield of the Absolute Realm that the Cyber Realm had opened.
“They say that only by enduring hardship can good things eventually come. In my 500 billion years of experience, if one does not change, that is never the case—only more misfortune follows. But perhaps for you, it may be possible. Do your best and handle it well. The Wind Family, the house of Transcendentals, holds the results you have shown as an Absolute in extremely high regard. We will assist you to the fullest. As a member of the Wind Family, you are welcome to join at any time. Show us even more astonishing results. You who are the Origin and the Dimension—or rather, still the Dimensional Mage God for now. Hurry and become a Creator God so that you may obtain the basic qualifications.”