The Wind Family's Unruly Prodigy
The Origin of the Dark God Race, who had erected a barrier around the battlefield where the Otherworld War's ranking matches raged, bowed his head with polite deference. His eyes gleamed as they settled on his descendant—a boy being dragged along by the ear. Even with both hands raised high in a posture of punishment, the young man showed not the slightest trace of weakness. If anything, the bright smile that never left his face made him look so arrogantly self-assured that it made one itch to knock him down a peg. In the end, the Origin of the Divine Race could no longer restrain himself and smacked the boy on the head.
Whack—!
“Ouch! Please stop hitting me. I’m trying to reflect, you know.”
“More of your word games! Keep those hands up straight, you rascal!”
“Yes, sir!”
As the voice grew stern and the Sword of Ruin and Soul in his grip shook, the descendant quickly lowered his head. After everything he had endured during his training, the reaction was purely automatic. The Origin of the Divine Race cleared his throat with solemn dignity and began his lecture.
“Power is not everything. If results were all that mattered, we would be no different from beasts. The distinction between beasts and sentient beings lies in the choices made throughout the process. Knowing what must never be done—even at the cost of death—and putting it into practice is what defines goodness and the path of light.”
But the reaction was exactly as expected. Repeating the same sermon for ten thousand years to a clever, capable descendant would not brainwash him; it would only lay his true nature bare.
“Pfft! You’d just starve to death that way. You have to survive first if you want to keep up appearances. Everyone knows it’s impossible to live if you fuss over such things these days, right? When has that story about good and evil ever actually worked? You’re still spouting it?”
“You—! This—! Rascal—! If that’s how you think, you should have joined the Dark God Race. Why did you become one of the Divine Race? Go over there right now!”
When even the Divine Race’s father figure, at a loss for words, brought up the Dark God Race, the other Origin had no choice but to intervene. The troublemakers had already gone beyond what he could handle. And now he knew exactly who this was. It was the new Origin who had supposedly smashed the main gate of the Wind Family and fled into the Otherworld.
“Father, why bring up the Dark God Race again? Last time with the Origin of the Dimensional Mage God you tried the same thing, then passed him off saying he was too difficult to handle. This puts me in a very awkward position as well.”
“But from the way this fellow talks, isn’t he clearly suited for the Dark God Race? He set up his own unique barrier at the entrance to the Otherworld. When they tried to break through it to capture him, everyone’s authorities were twisted and they nearly died. In a way, this guy’s authority is even more incompatible with the Divine Race than the Dark God Race. Yet he claims to belong to the Light Divine Race. Does that make any sense at all—!”
“That may be true, but the Dark God Race is being selective these days, so sending him over unconditionally would be difficult. Still… he is strong. Would you consider changing your affiliation?”
He tried to view it positively since it came from his own father. But the answer was absurd.
“Isn’t the Dark God Race at a disadvantage compared to the Divine Race? It’s common sense to join the winning side from the beginning.”
Whaaaaack—!
“Ooooow! Why do you keep hitting me? Did I say something wrong?”
The way he invited the rod with both words and actions made it perfectly clear why the solemn Origin of the Divine Race had dragged him here by the ear. If the Wind Family’s barrier had no effect on him, there was nowhere to confine him anyway, so personally dragging him around was the only real solution.
“You certainly talk well. No matter how much the Dark God Race values power above all else, they would never accept a headache like you. But still… to think you are this strong? It makes me hesitate just like I did with the Dimensional Mage God. If you behave yourself, I will accept you.”
“Haha! I’m not going! The essence of the authority I constructed ultimately lies in creation. It would never suit the Dark God Race. That said, my creative power is the strongest among all currently manifested members of the Divine Race. It is the product of this humble one’s warm mercy that loves the world and reality itself.”
Seeing him begin to boast, the Origin of the Divine Race flared with anger. When they had forcibly broken through the barrier installed at the Otherworld entrance, the activated authority had distorted their powers, nearly killing four great Origins of the Wind Family. It had happened right before they could adapt to the Otherworld, nearly shattering their very bodies. For the one who created such a barrier to speak of mercy was utterly preposterous.
“Mercy? The one who created such a vicious racial authority? Inside the barrier’s range, it rewrites the opponent’s authority effects at will, or—if that fails—twists them into complete chaos. And if they resist, it damages their bodies as well? What kind of authority is this for the race of the God of Light? Even the Dark God Race is not this cruel—!”
“In any case, those who cannot be helped should be cleaned up. Hey—! And why are you acting like this? The logic of rulers is all the same, isn’t it? Changing the world according to your own perspective and succeeding—isn’t that the core of positive reality? I simply manifested it a little more clearly. The grandfathers who charged in clumsily trying to break it and got hurt are the ones at fault. Above all, I only created the barrier and avoided them. I never did anything else. I truly had no idea the Origins of the Wind Family would be injured so badly. Ack—!”
Whack!Whaaaaack!
The Origins of both the Divine and Dark God Races, who had unconsciously smacked his head again, spoke in a threatening tone and issued a warning.
“Keep your hands raised and watch quietly.”
“You will remain part of the Light Race. I absolutely cannot accept you into the Dark God Race.”
“Yes, sir! Wow! Are those the 10 Mainstays? This is my first time seeing them in person.”
By now the ranking battle had settled from its initial frenzy and moved into a contest of authorities. The Sole Dragon God Emperor’s Dragon God Decree, which spat forth infinite breath, slammed forward while the Golden Absolute blocked it. Whenever the Black Flame Absolute tried to rest, he made sure to close in and disrupt him with fierce combat.
Noticing interest in the scene, the Origin of the Divine Race asked a question. Since his descendant’s fundamental abilities were far superior, he might be able to offer a fresh perspective.
“From what you see, does Grandfather Sole Dragon God Emperor have any chance of victory?”
Yet the descendant did not give a direct answer. Instead he analyzed the fight with growing astonishment, which naturally drew a sigh.
“Huh? What is this? Wait… is something like that even possible? At that level it’s obvious he’s exceeded the divine power limit any single entity should be able to contain, but to take absolute authority as his base ability and then leap even further with physical capabilities? In short, he’s transcending absolute authority again through sheer physical ability? That’s easy to say, but it’s the equivalent of improving beyond the 3rd circle, and he’s doing it so easily with the body of an incomplete spiritual being? Even if 1,000 trillion divine power is somehow possible, anything beyond 10 quadrillion is an excessive output that even a complete Eternal Being would hesitate to attempt. Just how many cycles of training and limit transcendence must he have repeated to make such madness possible? I don’t think I can handle this opponent normally. It looks like he’s taken serious damage to his authority, but at that level, if eight of them gather like this, even Grandfather Sole Dragon God Emperor has no chance of winning.”
“Hmm. Is there a countermeasure?”
“It’s simple. Just prevent him from transcending his absolute authority again. If an abnormality occurs in the absolute authority, the foundation weakens and transcendence becomes impossible. So you simply need to strike the body. Then, since it’s a spiritual being possessing absolute authority, it should be somewhat… No, this is also a monster beyond comparison. The Grey Absolute—one of the same 10 Mainstays—said he staked everything on self-destruction, correct? That is indeed the right answer for destroying an authority. A great being equipped with physical ability equal to that level of absolute authority must be completely shattered in a single frontal collision by an existence possessing authority of equal or greater level. Just as you need a rock of equal or larger size to completely crush another rock. However, if you chip away at it little by little with a small iron hammer, even if it shatters into pieces, it can easily recover again based on its absolute authority. To prevent that, you must momentarily shock the authority and weaken it. Or inflict a fatal wound on the body that cannot be recovered instantly.”
It was the same analysis. The conclusion was that to defeat a 10 Mainstay who had reached the absolute in both body and authority, one side must be collapsed and damage accumulated gradually. But that was precisely the problem.
“You’re saying the same thing as the Origin of the Dimensional Mage God. To defeat them, you must inflict a fatal wound on either body or authority and steadily pile on damage. But that cannot possibly be easy. They are already gods of war whose level is difficult to measure. Inflicting a fatal wound is extremely hard. Even after being caught off guard by the Grey’s self-destruction, they minimized the damage and rebuilt their authorities like this. And they are nearly fully recovered.”
But the new Origin’s opinion differed. The life lesson he had always been taught was to beware those who spoke one way and acted another, so his ability to grasp essence was firm. The 10 Mainstays right now had not truly recovered; they were merely applying emergency treatment and holding on. They were recovering their strength bit by bit, waiting for the right moment to settle everything in a single decisive strike.
“Is that so? From what I see, they’re in a precarious state—like rock dust forcibly glued back together with adhesive. One solid fatal wound to the body and they’d be eliminated immediately. But indeed, there is no other answer. If the body suffers damage, the authority compensates. If the authority is damaged, the physical ability repairs it. They possess transcendental capability that achieves perfect harmony between body and authority—different from Eternal Beings—and recovery power that surpasses restoration. There is no path to victory until a fatal blow is dealt to one side or the other and continuous damage is forced. Certainly, there is no disagreement that they are the great 10 Mainstays. By standard measures, it would require three Origins from the Wind Family? No, about four to win. And that is only possible if they are alone. If two or more gather, you must give up.”
This too was an accurate assessment, but another opinion surfaced.
“The Origin of the Dimensional Mage God said he would deliver an additional blow to the Black Flame and eliminate him. Is that possible? The one who commissioned it is the Lord God of the Main Universe—the Dimensional Mage God. The Grey Absolute is assisting.”
“Eh? Grandfather Origin of the Dimensional Mage God took a commission from the Main Universe’s Lord God? Ahahahahaha—! As expected, he’s one of a kind. What kind of commission would he give to a mere Main Universe Lord God? By standard logic it’s naturally impossible. And even if the Grey Absolute helps, an existence eliminated in the ranking battle cannot intervene directly, so it won’t work. It’s not as if there’s another being in the Main Universe with power equal to the 10 Mainstays, is there? Still, there is a method. Unless the 10 Mainstays go insane, restrict their power to the limit, and accept every attack defenselessly? Even then, where would a Lord God find the means to destroy such a powerful body? Huh? No way?”
Watching the descendant’s face stiffen even as he laughed and spoke, the Origin asked cautiously.
“Is there another method? The Origin of the Dimensional Mage God refused to explain because it would interfere with the plan.”
“By any chance, did you collect all the Swords of Ruin and Soul that were in storage because of this commission?”
“Yes. The Origin of the Dimensional Mage God said he needed them, so I handed them all over.”
“Haha. As expected, he’s incredible. So that was the method. But how do you plan to resolve so many prerequisite conditions? It’s not merely difficult—it should be impossible? Ah—! There was that method too. As expected of Grandfather, famous for his venomous nature… such cruel measures… Huh?”
“Huh?”
Whack—!
Crack—!
From somewhere, the Sword of Ruin and Soul, heavy with emotion, shot out of space and struck the head of the one who had been blabbering. The moment his figure blurred in an attempt to dodge, a black light of authority exploded.
Crackcrackcrack—!
He screamed at the vicious wave of authority that would have made anyone cry out, desperately blocking it with a barrier while shrieking. A single mistake would mean death—and even that might not be enough.
“Kwaaaaaah—! Are you seriously trying to kill me? Using the absolute authority of reality negation on this adorable descendant?”
“What about what you did? Installing that vicious barrier right in front of the Otherworld entrance to kill your ancestors? And what kind of cuteness is this coming from someone who finished educating even the direct bloodline? Shut your mouth and keep your hands up. The 10 Mainstays are watching you.”
The Origin of the Dimensional Mage God waved his hand and turned his gaze toward the distant battlefield. The eight Absolutes, who had been protected within the Golden Pyramid, were now directing their attention this way.
“Ahaha? I’d like to greet them properly and ask for autographs. The top eight ranked beings in the Absolute Realm—truly impressive.”
“Are you serious? Do you want to die right here?”
The descendant answered the menacing words with laughter.
“Ahahahaha. As expected, I can never understand this part of our predecessors. What meaning do troublesome things like rankings or dominion hold? It’s enough to have the position and power to do what you want. What’s the point of climbing unnecessarily high if it only gives you headaches? Don’t you also have to follow the Wind Family’s rule of non-attachment?”
“A guy like you smashed the Wind Family’s main gate saying the training felt stifling and ran away to the Otherworld?”
“The spirit of challenging the impossible—! That is the pride of the Wind Family! I merely compared my barrier ability with the Wind Family’s barrier. Who knew it would shatter so easily? I only stepped out because the door had opened. Since one must visit the Otherworld at least once after becoming an Origin anyway, I simply killed two birds with one stone. Ooh—! The 10 Mainstays are really looking at me. It sends chills down my spine. I should go brag to my son later that I received their attention—! Ooooow—!”
Whack!Whaaaaack!Whaaaaaaaack!
The sound of three Wind Family Origins smacking his head in unison rang out brightly, but the eight Absolutes merely sighed as they watched. This was a Wind Family Origin they had never seen before. An urgent check with the Cyber Realm confirmed he was a newly ascended Origin. The reply stated that his ability involved a unique barrier and that it remained unclear whether he belonged to the gods of light or darkness.
The problem was that seeing him in person made it no easier to tell. That could only mean he was a powerhouse nearly equal to themselves.
No matter how hard we strive, the highest clans cannot exceed ten trillion in divine power, yet the Wind Family produces beings surpassing a thousand trillion as if it were nothing. It’s astounding.
Moreover, with each successive generation the power of their authorities grows stronger and their physical abilities rise at a ferocious rate. Even with the Wind Star that possesses infinite vitality, it is difficult to bolster our forces enough to match them.
Of course they held an overwhelming numerical advantage, but since the difference in level made comparison meaningless, sighs emerged naturally.
“Huuu—! Another Wind Family Origin has appeared. A powerhouse equal to us appearing once every ten thousand years is ridiculous—! How are we supposed to control this? We need to lodge a protest with Jinri.”
“It’s the effect of the Bloodline Inheritance, the seventh clause of the Incomprehensible Eight Founders. Protests won’t work at all, will they?”
“They say if you’re envious, learn it yourself. But how are we supposed to additionally master up to the level of the seventh clause? It’s all based on the individual’s own standard.”
“What kind of monster is that one? I hope it’s not combat-related.”
The faces of the eight Absolutes, who had been discussing with grave expressions, twisted even further. They had just witnessed a being who smiled at them, raised his hand, and waved as if greeting old friends.
“Ah. Seeing him smile at us, raise his hand, and wave hello… he really won’t be easy to deal with.”
“Enough. Have all your damaged authorities been restored?”
“They are all temporary emergency measures. A few full-power battles and we’ll need long-term recuperation. If this goes wrong, we will truly be unable to fight.”
“It cannot be helped. The Grey, who self-destructed and dropped out first, has now introduced the Substitute Gods into the Absolute Realm. He is threatening order with indiscriminate purges.”
“Ah? I received that report, but it’s his territory anyway. What does it have to do with us? Just let him do as he wishes?”
“Hmm—! Common consensus and rules are important. We must capture the Grey, who possesses dimensional authority, in a single attempt. Therefore all clans must prepare for battle and barrier deployment.”
“They’ve already ordered all clans to prepare for combat, so stop talking and focus—! They’re coming again—!”
“Block it—! Black Flame—!”
“Sword Bat! You bastard—! If you’ve recovered at all, help block—! Don’t I need to recover too?”
“I don’t possess the ridiculous physical ability you do. And the only one whose authority recovers the body by fighting using the opponent’s fighting spirit and killing intent is you. As expected, the strongest in the physical category is the Black Flame.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment right now? Just you wait, all of you—!”
As the Black Flame Absolute ground his teeth and clashed fiercely once more with the Sole Dragon God Emperor—who had broken through the Golden Age again—the Golden Absolute quietly finished his calculations.
In about a week the temporary restoration of our authorities will be complete. Then I will defeat the Sole Dragon God Emperor in a single strike. The existing ranking will be maintained, and the Grey who caused this disturbance must be sealed. We must be prepared for permanent sealing. Grey!
The Golden Absolute’s fury burned fiercely, knowing that the proxy who had governed the Grey Realm of the Absolute Realm in his stead was currently being torn to shreds and in the midst of revival.