The Truce Amidst the Absolute Realm's Hierarchy War

In the battlefield where the Otherworld War raged on, an unexpectedly harmonious ceasefire had taken hold within the Absolute Realm's hierarchy conflict. Once both sides had agreed to rest, there was no longer any need for mutual vigilance. Above all, the fact that their forces were evenly matched played a major role.

The perfectly healthy Black Flame Absolute stood blocking the front of the Second Generation Wind Absolute to maintain watch, while the other six kept guard. Under those conditions, nothing could go wrong. However, after all of them except the Black Flame Absolute had been wounded by the curse from the Grey Absolute's self-destruction, the realization that the Second Generation Wind Absolute was their equal came as a tremendous shock.

In normal circumstances, if the level of their authorities had been even slightly lower, two of them could have suppressed him. The current result was completely different. With the healthy Black Flame Absolute blocking the front and the other six providing support, they had only just managed to match him. They had thought it was only a minor difference, but the moment this situation arose, the true power of the Wind Family's patriarch—who held the second rank in the hierarchy—proved utterly astonishing.

Even as they casually sipped their tea, the exchange of wills remained lively.

The power currently displayed by the Second Generation Wind Absolute—who always wore a benevolent smile and laughed with a hearty heh heh—was terrifying. Especially when the Dragon God race risked death to expend their divine power, he had prepared something that neutralized even their final secret arts, which they had intended to activate with the resolve to die together. Realizing that even their final secret arts—meant to drag any opponent down with them—had no effect on the prepared Second Generation Wind Absolute, they had ultimately given up.

They now roughly understood what that something was.

Having reached that conclusion, the eight Absolutes let out a deep collective sigh. They once again realized just how futile the Anti-Jinri Alliance—formed in rebellion against Jinri, who enforced the harsh law of extreme karmic development for the sake of Eternal Progress, the foundational stage to achieving Eternal Happiness—truly was. Even Jinri himself, upon learning of the fact, had called it pitiful for taking such a difficult path. There was nothing more to say.

It was still a ceasefire, not a permanent end to hostilities. Without the Black Flame Absolute, who was currently catching his breath in the center and doing his utmost to reinforce his power, battle would break out immediately. The hierarchy war was brutal because ranks were determined by who died and dropped out first. It had been perfectly natural to pool their strength and eliminate the long-absent Grey Absolute first.

However, if chaos returned to the current hierarchy, the same cataclysm that had occurred when the Black Flame Absolute rose from the very bottom to fourth place would happen again. At that time, each of them had staked their pride and fought with the resolve to perish, resulting in injuries that created an administrative vacuum while they focused on healing. That had given the Wind Family's origins room to intervene.

The intervening Wind Family origins had unleashed races and powerhouses that even the Absolute Realm could barely handle. Since they could not intervene directly afterward, they had exerted enormous indirect influence. Thanks to that, the Absolute Realm was now filled with landmine-like entities. Beings similar to the Magic God of Dimensions, who now ruled the Grey region, were everywhere. They somehow needed to be organized and properly incorporated, but they were so strong and cunning that it was no easy task. They cleverly expanded their forces without giving the Absolutes any chance to step forward personally.

While the Golden Absolute was deeply pondering that point, he suddenly noticed the Black Flame Absolute frowning fiercely. His expression suggested something was extremely displeasing to him.

"What is it, Black Flame?"

"Ugh. Some lowest-ranked clan bastard went to the Main Universe and started fighting without my permission. The damn thing keeps irritating my nerves."

It seemed someone had violated the combat prohibition order. The authorities of the 10 Mainstays clans were all identical. The Descent of the 10 Mainstays temporarily replicated the power of the 10 Mainstays—the origins of their respective clans. Of course, there were time limits depending on the level of power possessed, and it could not compare to the 10 Mainstays themselves, but it was an absurdly powerful racial authority.

If all the clans used it simultaneously, they could temporarily overwhelm even the Wind Family, Jinri's bloodline. As a prerequisite for activating such a powerful racial authority, the 10 Mainstays held absolute influence over their lower clans. It far surpassed the command authority of ordinary origins, to the point where they could even move the bodies of those who had activated the authority. In exchange, the 10 Mainstays origins received the combat actions and emotional states of their lower clans.

Of course, there was no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠connection during normal daily life. However, when a lower clan activated the authority for battle, the link formed automatically and they shared the combat experience. By receiving the combat experiences and emotions of over hundreds of millions of clan members this way and growing stronger, they could become powerful enough to dare challenge Jinri. This was also why the lower clans that could fight with indirect support from the 10 Mainstays held an absolute advantage over other clans.

However, from the 10 Mainstays' perspective, indirectly experiencing the battles of lower clans could become an obstacle when exerting full power. That was why, during a hierarchy war, they usually halted lower-clan battles to focus on their own fights. It seemed someone had broken that rule.

Of course, they could forcibly sever the connection, but it required a lot of procedures and divine power. Since it was merely annoying rather than a real problem, they had left it alone. The current state could be compared to having one's nerves on edge while a mosquito kept buzzing around one's ear.

"Ah—! Who the hell sent the lowest-ranked clan members—who don't even have a trillion in divine power—to the Main Universe? What the—? They're even recklessly using Exploding Blood? Are they trying to blow themselves up and die?"

"Order another clan to stop them," the Golden Absolute suggested, restraining the Black Flame Absolute who was about to lose his temper.

Although the Second Generation Wind Absolute was a man of character, he was ultimately of Jinri's bloodline. The memory was still vivid. When they had asked Jinri to slightly lower the absurd goal of Eternal Happiness to Perfect Paradise Realization, he had beaten them with the Sword of Ruin and Soul while saying this:

"Both perfect paradise and eternal happiness are equally impossible in reality. Still, if it's a partial paradise, our power should be able to realize it to some extent. So if we create it first and then supplement it, it may one day become possible. Please, at least hear us out until the—Gah—!"

Smack—!

For the first time, he felt stars exploding in his forehead and finally understood why the other 10 Mainstays shuddered at the mere mention of the Sword of Ruin and Soul.

"If you defeat me, you may do as you wish. Come at me, Golden Absolute."

And after reflexively charging in, he had been mercilessly beaten by Jinri for the first and last time. That was when he realized it. The Wind Family only pretended to be a house of warriors and a great bloodline. Strip away the fancy rhetoric, and they were ultimately a gang that solved everything with raw power.

'Power is not justice, but they openly claim it is the ultimate tool. Of course it's not one hundred percent, but they say ninety-nine percent of problems can be solved with it, and transcendent power can handle the remaining one percent. And they actually make it happen, so for someone like me who values law and order, it's maddening. Even Jinri knows the danger of those Wind Family origins and prevents direct intervention in reality, but even that is not a clan that can be trusted absolutely. And these bastards—! They have this much of a track record, yet they want to do as they please? That's why they released the Substitute Gods, nearly turning the Absolute Realm into the public enemy of all Main Universes and Eternal Beings. Do you know how hard it was to stop that? You brainless power-obsessed fools—!'

From the Golden Absolute's perspective, which valued gradual development based on the current order and stability, they were intolerable beings. However, because the Wind Family placed power above all else and had solved everything through force to reach this point, they could not change. Even the eight Absolutes—who had destroyed the world of the Eternal Beings in the past, then received recognition of their power and authority to inherit dominion—had all been overcome by the Second Generation Wind Absolute's individual strength, allowing him to establish himself as the one and only supreme.

Even the Golden Absolute, who hated the Wind Family for being lawless ruffians, acknowledged the Second Generation Wind Absolute as a man of character. Yet he was the family head and representative of the Wind Family, who worshipped power and placed victory above all. The fact that he could still fulfill his role as leader without issue meant his heart was that of the most hardcore member.

Even now, he maintained perfect courtesy and remained calm, but no one knew how he would react if an unexpected situation arose. If anything happened to the only one currently in perfect condition—the Black Flame Absolute—there would be no way to stop the Second Generation Wind Absolute. Even the Golden Absolute himself, who had to be the final line of defense, had been affected by the curse from the Grey Absolute's self-destruction and could not exert his full power. The curse was so vicious that temporary recovery was impossible. To be fully cured, he needed to return to the Wind Star and rest while receiving infinite vitality.

But returning to the Wind Star for treatment would be tantamount to declaring defeat. The first-rank position would naturally pass to the Second Generation Wind Absolute. Then there would be no justification to stop the Wind Family origins from stepping forward in full force. Yet the Black Flame Absolute—who had suddenly become desperately needed—was continuously frowning and had even begun ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spitting out curses.

"This fucking idiot—! Why the hell are you blocking there—! Just ignore the defense and smash through, you moron! Do you really think an attack from some reserve Creator God of a Main Universe can pierce a body reinforced by Black Flame? Black Flame means unconditional attack—! Attack only, you bastard—!"

"Black Flame—! Do not interfere with the lower clans and focus on the hierarchy war. Can't three upper-ranked clan members handle the gods of a Main Universe? This is not something for you—a 10 Mainstay—to worry about."

An increasingly ominous premonition gripped him. Ever since the Grey Absolute had joined, situations kept twisting in unpredictable ways. The future that had once been certain was now impossible to predict, and the existing order was being thrown into complete disarray. As the Golden Absolute—who had created and maintained all order until now—this was utterly unacceptable.

But the Black Flame Absolute's excitement showed no signs of stopping.

"Why is everything such a mess? Just who the hell is it? Huh? This guy? Isn't this the Grey's past? The one called the Magic God of Dimensions? No way—! The bastard who completely humiliated the Black Flame clan dares to use the Black Flame clan's authority? This—right now—!"

A chill ran down his spine at the word "Grey." The words burst out reflexively.

"It's a trap set by the Grey. I will notify the Creator of the 499th Main Universe and mobilize my proxy and the highest-ranked clans, so you stay put."

No matter if it was a trap set by the Grey Absolute, there was confidence that his own proxy and the highest-ranked clans would be able to resolve it.

"Your proxy? Didn't he die to the Grey not long ago? He's already revived?"

"Ugh—!"

Hearing the Black Flame Absolute's strange expression, the Golden Absolute felt as if he had been struck in the back of the head. His proxy had gone for a private meeting and been torn to shreds by the Grey Absolute. He was currently reviving on the Wind Star. It had been so absurd that he had deliberately ignored the fact for a while.

He urgently turned his head to look at the other eight Absolutes, but they all expressed their refusal. If a proxy died, they would have to personally govern their clans and the Absolute Realm's territories until revival. Training would be halted, creating an enormous burden. Above all, if it really was a trap set by the Grey Absolute, there was almost no chance of stopping it without the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Golden clan. They had all painfully experienced firsthand just how powerful the Magic God of Dimensions' Golden Age authority—which denied unfavorable reality—was.

His mobility that transcended common sense, his wide-area authorities, and his unpredictable actions that disregarded all means and methods had caused the ruling race of the Grey region to be shattered into pieces. On top of that, he had mobilized the Substitute Gods and even made the entire Dragon God race participate. Regardless of the method, the results alone were terrifyingly effective, and there was no one in the current Absolute Realm who did not know his name.

Objectively speaking, the Grey Absolute was now a fully qualified powerhouse among the 10 Mainstays in both strength and influence. Yet the Black Flame Absolute spoke as if he had understood something rare for him.

"Got it. I'll send my proxy and the clans to handle it. Since it's a Main Universe, it'll be boring, but everyone will enjoy the long-awaited outing."

At those words, the other eight Absolutes cried out in unison, horrified.

"No—!"

"Absolutely not—!"

"Are you even listening to yourself? Have you ever stopped your own battles on your own?"

"How much more are you going to destroy in another rampage?"

"Has the Black Flame clan ever stepped forward to solve a problem even once? When we call you, you just finish the job—!"

"Solve? Outing? Just call it a damn rampage already."

Representing the eight Absolutes who were raging as if they had been burned by flames, the Golden Absolute drew a clear line.

"The Absolute Realm and Main Universe territories that were destroyed last time have not yet been fully restored. The still-incomplete Black Flame clan cannot control itself once battle begins, so the damage from fights in the territories would be far too great. Especially in such a fragile Main Universe—we absolutely cannot allow it."

"Just ignore it. You can deal with it after the hierarchy war ends."

"That's right—! It's just the fight of a clan that doesn't even reach the lower ranks. It'll only irritate your nerves, nothing more."

"This isn't your place to step in. The Magic God of Dimensions, who underwent the Eternal Judgment on the Black Flame's Wind Star, is both your clansman and the Grey Absolute's past. Direct involvement would be problematic."

"Endure it—! Everything will be corrected once the hierarchy war is over."

Faced with the reprimands and opposition from the other eight Absolutes, the Black Flame Absolute's face crumpled. He let out a sigh and burst out in dissatisfaction.

"Huu—! Damn it. So I'm not allowed to do this or that. I'm not supposed to do anything at all."

However, he could not openly oppose or insist. The root cause lay in the fact that the Black Flame clan was still incomplete because he himself had not yet perfectly completed the Black Flame authority. It would be resolved once he became a perfect Black Flame Absolute, but the Always Coin Heads was the obstacle.

He knew it would soon be perfected. However, his past experience as the greatest sage in the Absolute Realm was getting in the way. He could not fully understand the absurd logic that if one entrusted oneself completely to instinct in a battle whose outcome was uncertain, resolved to fight even at the cost of death, one would surely win.

Therefore, the biggest problem with the current Black Flame clan was that once they began rampaging with full power, it was almost impossible for them to stop the battle on their own. Their endless fighting spirit and courage that disregarded death were the Black Flame clan's greatest strengths, but also their worst weaknesses.

And the standard for that power was precisely the use of Exploding Blood. The moment it was used, the sanity of all but the highest-ranked clan members practically flew away, and they rampaged according to pure instinct. Only the highest-ranked clans could maintain their reason. Anything below that would continue fighting endlessly as long as an enemy emitting fighting spirit and killing intent existed, until they died. If not, their bodies would fail to endure the burden of Exploding Blood and explode.

In the end, once activated, they would not stop until either the enemy or themselves died. They were not called the Black Flame clan—the very essence of fighting spirit and killing intent—for nothing.

'Does that Grey's past know that and still use it? I don't know what he's thinking, but once it starts, it won't stop until either you die or the opponent is annihilated.'

To stop a Black Flame clan member who had reached this state, a higher being had no choice but to drive them to the brink of death. But in a Main Universe, no such being existed. No matter how low their divine power—not even reaching a trillion—they were still of the Black Flame clan and currently in a rampage. Subduing them would not be easy. The only remaining paths were for their divine power to be exhausted or for their bodies to collapse from being unable to endure Exploding Blood.