The Gray Absolute's Decree
The war in the Otherworld raged on, yet even as fresh forces poured in, the Magic God of Dimensions found himself unable to stem the tide. The mechanical Magic God and planetary suppression weapons he had just deployed unleashed a concentrated barrage that momentarily froze the Main Gods in place. But the instant they adjusted reality with their authorities and rejoined the fray, his lines began crumbling once more.
‘Watching troops get obliterated without any meaningful resistance… it makes a man sigh on instinct.’
It was common knowledge that the Main Gods of the 499th Master Universe were stronger than the Origins of the 500th. Which meant they were utterly useless in the Main God War.
‘Is my method of selection too much? Will I really have to walk a path with no return?’
If he followed the original plan and gently coaxed the current Main Gods of the Divine Realm into the Main God War, he could create the battlefield he desired. They would at least hold out until he and Hwi could settle their score. But the forces before him now were worthless. Still, he had no other choice. He had already reached the limit of what he could accomplish alone.
In the past he would have fled here and plotted for another day. But not this time.
“Gray—!”
“Ah, you’re a little late with that call, aren’t you? And we’re almost out of time. If you’re going to make this work, you need to immediately select Creator Godhood and pour every ounce of it into the Main Gods in the Divine Realm. Shall we begin?”
The voice of his future self rang out as if standing right beside him.
‘The first time we met, he said he was the Grey Absolute—a version of me from one week in the future, split off and manifested through reality negation. Two weeks have already passed since then. It’s safe to treat him as a completely separate being now. Actually… he felt alien from the very first meeting.’
He had struggled even harder because he suspected this future self had endured the worst possible experiences. But now he had reached his limit. The wall called fate was simply too high.
‘Even after all that chaos, three weeks was the best I could delay things. Yet neither Master, the Origin of the Mage God, nor my future self offered any solution outside that range.’
If he completed the commission but failed to become the Main God, he wouldn’t even have the chance to become a Creator God before the inevitable subjugation force came for him.
“Help me. I won’t forget the favor. I need more preparation. We must exhaust the eight Absolutes a little longer in the ranking war and throw them into chaos. The method is to force the Dragon God Race to join the fight.”
“…Have you lost your mind?”
The urgent will of the Magic God of Dimensions and the intent of the Grey Absolute collided in an instant, exchanging vast amounts of information.
“……”
A brief silence fell.
The Main Gods of the Main God Temple, who had been raising a fuss over the resurrected Beast God and maintaining their silence, suddenly found themselves unable to even breathe properly. An overwhelming divine power flooded the temple—leaking slightly from the Grey Absolute’s will and killing intent beyond space itself.
Even beneath that suffocating pressure, the will of the Magic God of Dimensions continued to hammer home its point. He had to do this. The determination never wavered.
Unable to endure that stubbornness any longer, the Grey Absolute spat out a stunned rebuke.
“You want me to forcibly drag the Dragon God Race into the war? You’re telling me, the Gray one, to mobilize another of the 10 Mainstays’ clans? That’s insane. This won’t stay a simple ranking war anymore. Not only will the Black Flame Absolute and the Golden Absolute turn against us, but in the worst case even Yuil Yongsinje will become an enemy. I don’t care, but what about you? The commission fee was paid in advance, but don’t get complacent.”
The moment the Grey Absolute’s skeptical words ended, a sharp rebuttal shot back.
“I’ll guarantee it. Yuil Yongsinje won’t get angry if the Dragon God Race is moved in his place. No—he’d probably thank us if we wiped them out.”
“What? Why wouldn’t the Origin of the race get angry when I force his own people into battle? And what the hell do you mean he’d be grateful if we exterminated them?”
“Have you already forgotten your own future? The truth that subordinates who defy you are more hateful than enemies.”
It was the moment he truly realized that his future self who had become Gray was now a fundamentally different existence from who he was now. Having obtained power that feared nothing except the other 10 Mainstays, his future self had already lost most emotions. Those emotions were the denial of any reality that refused to bend to his will, and the determination to overcome it.
Anything that did not go his way included all other people and the world itself. Without that understanding, no matter how strong one became, one would be nothing more than a tyrant no better than the lowest Magic God—or simply a fool with too much power. So he spoke in an ice-cold voice to drive the point home.
“An Origin has no interest in a clan that refuses to follow him, even if it is destroyed. Especially a race that has done nothing but disappoint him for five hundred billion years and earned him the insult of being called ‘half of Truth’ by Jinri. Even though his mother was of the Dragon God Race and he could not abandon them, the hatred he has accumulated inside must be beyond imagination. If someone else cleans up the Dragon God Race for him in an unavoidable situation, he may show rage on the surface, but inside he will rejoice. I feel the same way right now. Just as I don’t care as long as the Divine Realm is safe, Yuil Yongsinje only needs his mother to be safe. This is the common mindset of Origins and superiors who possess shameful clans and defiant subordinates. Why have you forgotten such a basic truth? Is it because you’ve become too strong? But do not forget this, Gray—! We are Magic Gods. Because we deny reality, we must face it more clearly than anyone. Even if we gain the power to suppress reality, we must never turn our eyes from its ugliness—! If we wish to become stronger and wiser for eternal victory. Remember why we continue to live. The only path is to prove our worth through endless victory.”
“……”
Once again, silence fell. Countless streams of information flowed between them as they reviewed the plan. Finally, the Grey Absolute nodded.
As expected, to raise the probability of victory, the words of the Magic God of Dimensions were correct.
“Heh heh—! You’re telling me to commit the filthy act of threatening another of the 10 Mainstays’ clans and forcing them into the ranking war, yet your words sound disgustingly idealistic. In the worst case, even the Wind Family, our only ally, could turn against us. Since Yuil Yongsinje is the family head of the Wind Family, even the Origin of the Mage God cannot defy his will. And because Master is currently manifesting me, I am the one person he cannot control. Even though the Gray version of me is stronger than anyone in the Wind Family, I still cannot overcome that restriction. Knowing all that, you would still throw your own future self into hell for the sake of completing the commission and achieving victory? You really don’t choose your methods. Yes… this is exactly who I was in the past. I’d forgotten for a moment.”
“You also dragged your past self here to resolve old grudges, didn’t you? Our ultimate goals are the same. The methods are only slightly different.”
“Heh heh heh—! In the end, it’s just a matter of who sacrifices more to reach the goal. If any other being had spouted such sophistry, I would have turned them to dust on the spot. But now that I think about it, the outcome is rather interesting.”
“It will be entertaining.”
“Of course. If the proud ruling race of the Absolute Realm—the Dragon God Race—is exterminated for disobeying my orders, even the Wind Family will be thrown into chaos. No, simply mentioning extermination while giving the order would be too much for them to handle. Every Spiritual Being will hold their breath in terror. It will certainly become far quieter than it is now.”
The Magic God of Dimensions let out a low chuckle. His future self who had become Gray had accepted it. In the end, both of them were sprinting toward an endless cliff. Their fate would be decided solely by whether they possessed the strength to leap over that cliff and reach the other side. Therefore, even if the speed of their destruction increased, they would not stop if it meant achieving a successful result.
Smiles formed on both their faces, and laughter burst forth.
“Puhuhuhuhu—! In this order, it is a fate that cannot be changed. That is simply how the social order we call fate works. However, the moment everything falls into complete chaos, change becomes possible and the chance for victory arrives.”
“Khuhuhuhuhu—! Only those who planned and prepared that chaos will reap the benefits.”
Even if they themselves were the ones who would burn to ash within the chaos they created, the two Magic Gods had already resolved to accept it.
And at that exact moment, a command was delivered to every planet of the Dragon God Race and to every member of the race.
The order sent in the name of the Grey Absolute was brutally simple. A single sentence whose intent was clear to anyone who read it.
Yet the meaning contained within that simple line was anything but simple.
Although their numbers had fallen below one hundred million and they had suffered the humiliation of being demoted to a protected race, the Dragon God Race had still clung to their status as the highest ruling race under Yuil Yongsinje. There was no way they would quietly accept a threat worse than mere coercion.
Normally they would have laughed and thrown the order back in his face. However, Yuil Yongsinje was currently absent, participating in the ranking war. And the moment they thought of the Grey region, a chill ran down their spines.
In less than a week, the current Grey Absolute had swept through the entire Gray region, ruthlessly executing over one trillion members of ruling factions that had rejected him—along with their main forces. Exterminating the Dragon God Race would take less than a day. On top of that, he had brought the once-forbidden Substitute Gods into his territory and was currently eradicating the remaining forces. After that, both the Substitute Gods and the Grey Absolute had refused all dialogue or mediation and were pressing forward with the clear intent of wiping out the other clans.
A brutal war was unfolding—so fierce that the other 10 Mainstays’ clans dared not even conduct external activities. Everyone trembled at his ability and cruelty, and they had begun calling the new Grey Absolute by a single name.
Yet to speak of exterminating the Dragon God Race—the race to which the wife of Jinri belonged, the mother of Yuil Yongsinje, who ruled the entire Absolute Realm and all Master Universes with overwhelming might and wisdom—was an act of utter madness.
“How dare he threaten extermination against the clan of Yuil Yongsinje, who ranks second among the 10 Mainstays? The price will be unbearable. Have we contacted Yuil Yongsinje?”
“The line connects, but there is no response at all.”
“What—!”
From that moment, the elders of the Dragon God Race fell into utter panic. As long as the second-ranked Yuil Yongsinje existed, no member of the 10 Mainstays would dare commit such a wicked act. Yet the communication channel with the Yuil Yongsinje they trusted most remained strangely silent despite their urgent report. Moreover, because they had never contacted him during the ranking war—fearing he might order them to participate—they had no idea what was happening.
But they still had one last hope.
“Where is the Dragon God Empress? She must be in the imperial palace, correct? We shall request an audience immediately.”
If the Dragon God Empress, wife of Jinri, spoke, even Mad Gray would have no choice but to stop. Her own power was by no means something the 10 Mainstays could easily overwhelm. If the empress and the Dragon God Race joined forces, they could withstand even a 10 Mainstay.
However, it seemed that was not the end of the problem.
“T-that is…”
“Speak—!”
The elders roared at the stuttering messenger.
“Yuil Yongsinje himself just spoke. He said she has gone to the main house of the Wind Family for rest and recuperation.”
“What—!”
All their remaining pillars of support had vanished. As the elders stared in horror, the command letter from the Grey Absolute suddenly floated before their eyes. Beneath it, a number appeared and began to slowly decrease. The faces of every Dragon God elder turned deathly pale.
‘The time of extermination is approaching.’
‘And so absurdly, so easily.’
Watching the scene from beyond dimensions, the Grey Absolute wore a dark, sinister smile. Yuil Yongsinje had remained silent regarding his reckless actions and had only evacuated his mother. It was as good as permission to annihilate the Dragon God Race. Yet he had expected at least some pretense of resistance—some form of contact. There was nothing.
“Kukukukuk—! This is a bit more serious than even my past self imagined. He truly intends to turn a blind eye? Well, with the Incomprehensible Eight Founders ability Bloodline Inheritance, he can create a clan stronger than the Dragon God Race whenever he wishes. It seems he was simply waiting for the right moment to replace them. How very like one of the 10 Mainstays.”
The Origin of the Mage God, who had paused his attack to send additional messages elsewhere, could no longer hold back and asked Yuil Yongsinje. He knew the full content of the Dragon God Race’s emergency contact regarding the Gray’s threat of total annihilation if they refused to participate. Yet the reaction was completely different from what he had expected. He had thought Yuil Yongsinje would immediately halt the ranking war and rush over to crush the Gray. Instead, he had only made a few calls and stopped there. It was far too unlike his usual self.
“Father. Are you truly planning to abandon the Dragon God Race?”
“Of course not. How could I?”
“Then why did you only send Grandmother to the Wind Family for safety? If you give the word, I can stop this right now. With the Origin of the Mage God here, it is entirely possible.”
“There is no need.”
“What are you thinking? At this rate, the Grey Absolute will exterminate the entire race. Yet you tell us not to help or intervene. This foolish son cannot understand.”
“Do not let the Wind Family interfere with the Grey Absolute.”
Leaving those words behind, Yuil Yongsinje fell silent with a complicated expression and once again charged toward the pyramid of the Golden Age where the eight Absolutes stood firm.
But that single sentence was tantamount to abandoning his own clan to their destruction.
Watching this, the Origin of the Mage God let out a long sigh. He had roughly grasped the situation.
“Huuu—! He makes a choice, yet neither decides nor disposes. He believes that the Dragon God Race, which neither participates in the ranking war alongside its Origin nor even attempts to increase its dwindling numbers, is unnecessary and unqualified to remain one of the 10 Mainstays’ clans. Yet he cannot bring himself to personally decide and carry out their extermination. Indecisiveness is both the strength and weakness of a good man. There is no helping it now, Father.”
After a brief pause, the Origin of the God Race reached his conclusion. It was rage toward his own clan that even he—who had stayed by his father’s side the longest—had never known existed. He had never imagined that his father, who had always chosen the righteous path and overflowed with benevolence, would turn a blind eye to the extermination of his own people. But when he considered the five hundred billion years of suffering Jinri had inflicted because of the clan, and the clan’s own reaction, it was perfectly natural. No one had joined the battlefield despite their Origin appearing in person, claiming the opponent was too strong. There was no reason to spare such a garbage, selfish race. Had they been the God Race, they would have been disposed of long ago. Yet the fact that he was merely neglecting them meant he had not completely given up. Still, it seemed he would offer no help either. In that case, the fate of the clan would be decided by the Dragon God Race’s next move.
“Once this matter is over, we will need to give additional compensation to Lord Gray. He has naturally resolved Father’s greatest worry—one even we did not know about.”
“It seems so. Who could have imagined that gentle Grandfather Yuil Yongsinje harbored such fury toward his own clan? Truly, the human heart is unknowable. They say that when good people grow angry, it is far more serious because they bury all their rage deep inside. It appears to be true.”
Even as they spoke with gentle understanding, the Origins of the Wind Family busily racked their brains, checking whether they had ever made any mistakes in the past.
‘Now that I think about it, he never showed it outwardly, but he was the type to bury every grievance deep in his heart.’
Since no one in the Wind Family could escape the influence of Grandfather Yuil Yongsinje, they had no choice but to feel even more tense.