The Imperfection of Truth
After the Grey Absolute finished writing his name beside the signature on the hierarchy war challenge, the other 10 Mainstays nodded shortly afterward.
It seems to have passed.Fortunately, no immediate decree came down from Truth.Even using the First Generation Grey Absolute’s name so officially, Truth has not intervened.They must have judged it appropriate.
Becoming one of the 10 Mainstays meant discarding one’s past name and inheriting the title of the first generation. The designation of “Second” also served as proof that the bearer possessed strength surpassing their predecessor.
The sage lineage’s direct combat ability is weak, and their powers are far too vague and vast.Accurate measurement of their capabilities is nearly impossible.Still, receiving permission to use the title means they have been deemed qualified.
If one could safely employ the Grey title in an official capacity, it could only mean Truth had acknowledged them. It’s definitely passed.Otherwise it would have ended already.
In the Absolute Realm, madmen occasionally appeared who claimed supremacy without Truth’s permission, excluding the 10 Mainstays. The honor of being the pinnacle of one’s lineage was simply too great. Those who tried were immediately subjected to Truth’s trial and, without exception, transformed into insects on Wind Star.
This only makes Gold’s position look ridiculous.The Black Flame Absolute’s opposition was pointless as well.
Daeshin sensed that further explanation would be necessary. The Grey Absolute was staring fixedly at the challenge letter that would report the hierarchy battle’s results to Truth.
The Grey Absolute received authority, magic, and a title from Truth.Having been granted such grace yet choosing defiance, his heart must be in turmoil. That could become troublesome.
Since this was something Jinri desired, the challenge would proceed regardless of the Grey Absolute’s own wishes. Unnecessary misunderstandings had to be avoided. A battle against Truth could never be endured with hesitation. Defeat was inevitable, but the process mattered above all. The weaker the challenge, the more it would provoke Truth’s fury and result in a truly wretched fate.
“You must not consider a challenge issued to Truth by one of the 10 Mainstays as treason,” Daeshin said. “On the contrary, it is an act of loyalty.”
“……”
The Grey Absolute’s expression made it clear he regarded the statement as the same kind of sophistry that would call a dog grazing on grass a lie.
Did I wear that same expression back then? The one who explained it to me was Gold, the current first in rank. Assigning the duty tied to the right of challenge is originally the privilege and obligation of the one ranked first. But given how poorly Gold views the Grey Absolute, it cannot be helped.
Daeshin felt it necessary to explain everything from the beginning. In any case, the clash between Gold and Yuil Yongsinje would not be resolved so easily. Their authorities were nearly perfect; neither could force a quick conclusion.
Even wounded, Gold remains the undisputed number one.
Maintaining superiority among the 10 Mainstays was no simple matter. Even Yuil Yongsinje had to remain cautious, for a single mistake could prove fatal. There was still plenty of time to speak.
“The fundamental principle of reality is that every Master Universe possesses identical potential. There is no such thing as perfect authority or power.”
This was common knowledge. Even if one Creator God King proved stronger than another, the potential they held was exactly the same. Whoever held the position could reach the highest level through their own effort. It was a cruel mechanism that ensured any strong being who stopped striving would eventually be overtaken and reduced to weakness.
“It also means a truly perfect powerhouse cannot exist. Truth is cold and cruel to the point of making no distinction between self and others, yet remains perfectly fair. This meaning ultimately leads to one conclusion.”
At that moment, Daeshin and the other 10 Mainstays closed their eyes and bowed their heads in a gesture resembling pious prayer. Only they knew to whom that reverence was offered.
“It means that even Truth is not perfect.”
Thud!
A heavy impact reverberated inside the Grey Absolute’s skull. The idea that Jinri—who reigned supreme through pure strength above the Absolute Realm and all Master Universes—could be imperfect was unthinkable. Yet on second thought, if it was Jinri, such a deliberate flaw might have been intentional.
“Truth is a hybrid born of an Eternal Being and a human. Truth’s father was a transcendent who surpassed even the Eternal Beings, yet he remained a mortal sentient. From his sentient father, Truth inherited the body. From the Eternal mother came the mind. The essence of Truth is the human body that transcends Eternal Beings and grows endlessly stronger, paired with the eternal spirit of an Eternal Being. This is the opposite of the First Generation 10 Mainstays, whose stagnant minds could not keep pace with their bodies’ evolution, but the fundamental problem remains the same. Therefore, the limit of existence that a perfect Eternal Being could never possess will eventually arrive. This is why the Eternal Beings refuse to fully acknowledge Truth, and it is an unchangeable truth.”
Though he phrased it gently as “the limit of existence,” it meant the balance between body and mind would eventually break. The misalignment of flesh and spirit was precisely what led to madness. In the end, Truth too would go insane like the First Generation 10 Mainstays.
“Are you saying that whether in the far future or right now, once Truth reaches this limit, both the Absolute Realm and all Master Universes are fated to be destroyed?”
The conclusion the Grey Absolute voiced was perfectly logical. No being could defeat Jinri. Even if every Absolute Realm and Master Universe combined their strength, victory was impossible. Jinri, who had once been the supreme head of the Wind Family and perfectly controlled every battlefield alone, grew exponentially stronger the more opponents appeared.
A clumsy numerical advantage becomes a weakness instead. No matter how many equals gather, they cannot prevail. Moreover, even if Truth reaches the limit of existence—goes mad—the Wind Family would never turn against him.
Rather, to calm Truth’s madness, they would likely annihilate everything except Truth and the Wind Family itself. Once the stimuli provoking the madness disappeared, it would eventually subside. The military power of the Wind Family that the Grey Absolute had confirmed overwhelmingly surpassed the 10 Mainstays. That was why he had drawn them in under the form of a request in order to exact revenge upon the Black Flame Absolute.
“Hah—! So this is the famous conclusion of the Grey Absolute? Then I suppose that could indeed be the case.”
The remark carried the implication that the destruction of the Absolute Realm and all Master Universes at Truth’s hands would mean nothing. To the 10 Mainstays, rulers who wielded absolute power over one-tenth of the Absolute Realm’s territory, such words were difficult to comprehend. Yet because duty outweighed right, the statement was not entirely incomprehensible.
Maintaining endless progress for the sake of Truth’s eternal happiness is no ordinary burden.
While Master Universes endlessly chased the level of the Absolute Realm, the 10 Mainstays had to preserve a qualitative superiority of two circles. They were required to do so across the entire Absolute Realm while continually presenting even greater advancements. This was the duty imposed upon the 10 Mainstays. As the pinnacles of their respective lineages, they could grow no further through mere learning; they had to create something new. Doing so eternally was an utterly merciless demand.
“No matter how strong Truth becomes, if we who challenge and oppose him to the very end cease to exist, that fate will come to pass.”
Daeshin spread both hands wide as he spoke, his tone resembling the recitation of scripture.
“Each time a Master Universe reaches its limit and petitions for subordination, Truth expresses disappointment and always says the same thing: Do not despair at the reality that the human half refuses to change. Do not allow the eternal half to grow complacent with a fixed future. Do not surrender to the idea that fate cannot be altered; strive by any means to change it. Success under identical conditions would naturally be unlikely, yet even slight improvements increase the probability of victory. That alone becomes the power to change fate. As long as that possibility remains, I shall continue to exist as Truth. Therefore we endlessly challenge Truth, suffer defeat, and issue new challenges.”
Daeshin glanced at the other 10 Mainstays.
“We cannot allow Truth to be disappointed. As you said, that would truly mark the end of everything.”
Excluding Gold, Yuil Yongsinje, and himself, these were not the 10 Mainstays appointed during the Absolute Realm’s early days. In the beginning, everyone had competed fiercely for a seat among the 10 Mainstays. Being part of Truth’s personal guard meant wielding near-omnipotent authority.
Managing one-tenth of the Absolute Realm and ruling in practice was one thing, but the duty of maintaining a two-circle qualitative superiority over the Master Universes was truly terrifying. Failure meant immediate transformation into one of Wind Star’s insects.
Those unwilling to bear the burden had to return the name and title granted by Truth and step down of their own accord. As far as Daeshin remembered, dozens had been replaced in each lineage. Yet the ones gathered here now were different.
They had solved the 10 Mainstays’ duty of preserving two-circle superiority by pouring out every last ounce of their enlightenment. They had never lost their attitude of extreme training and constant learning. They even used the defeats suffered at Truth’s hands as fertilizer to grow endlessly stronger.
Though their talent might lag in some areas, their persistence, patience, and hunger for knowledge were astonishing. As a result, they stood here with pride. Countless predecessors had crumbled beneath the endless duty and repeated defeats, but these individuals had endured. They possessed a will stronger than raw power. They were fulfilling Truth’s intent to prevent the repetition of the First Generation 10 Mainstays’ failure—the inability of Eternal Beings to bear their duty rather than any imbalance between body and mind.
Even Gold, who demanded only the best, acknowledged their strength. They possessed a will that surpassed even the spirit of Eternal Beings. The 10 Mainstays were true warriors who treated struggle as daily life and found joy in challenging Truth itself.
The Grey Absolute showed the same potential. Daeshin now understood why Gold and the Black Flame Absolute had opposed him so desperately. The problem was that his innate talent and physical foundation were critically lacking. Yet given time, he would one day fulfill his role as the true Second Generation Grey Absolute.
Whether it was one of Truth’s pranks or whims, this is the first time the name of the Grey Absolute has been tolerated. It is unfortunate for Gold, who desires only the strongest who can definitely serve as a decisive force when the time to challenge Truth arrives. But we cannot wait forever. And when we actually select candidates, most fail to endure. The more outstanding their innate talent, the less they can withstand unbearable defeat and pressure. Even the weak, if they can only bear the duty and trials, will eventually become strong. We have no choice but to place our bet on that possibility.
The Black Flame Absolute’s opposition—coming from someone lower in rank—had already fallen outside Daeshin’s concern.
He should first take care of his own affairs. To think the authority he himself established contains an imperfection of one in twenty-five thousand is absurd.
No matter how one looked at it, the former greatest sage known as Silence of Truth had feigned illness simply because he did not want to become the Black Flame Absolute, a role little different from a berserker. Even now he seemed to still covet the position of Grey Absolute, yet at present his current role proved more useful. Besides, Truth would not change the decision.
While observing the Grey Absolute, who had fallen into confusion at the unexpected revelation, Daeshin organized his thoughts. Since the man still lacked full awareness of his position among the 10 Mainstays, he spoke of matters directly related to him.
“You are aware of the price attached to the title, authority, and magic you received from Truth. In exchange for the title of Origin, you must live longer than Truth and arrange his final moments. In exchange for the dimensional authority, you must become his pride. And in exchange for magic, you must prove useful to Truth. The price you promised is absurdly enormous compared to what you received. Even Gold would find each task personally impossible, and the methods remain vague. But one thing is certain.”
Addressing the Grey Absolute, who frowned as if recalling his own reckless past thoughts, Daeshin continued.
“The only path that can become true pride is victory over Truth. Just as Truth declared at the beginning, only the strong can enforce their will. Yet it is impossible alone. Only when all 10 Mainstays combine their power does any possibility emerge. Therefore, set the past aside for now and devote everything to this challenge.”
“!!!”
The Grey Absolute’s face turned deathly pale—whether from sudden enlightenment or utter despair, it was impossible to tell. A moment later he regained his composure and abruptly tore open a spatial gate.
Swoosh—!
Thrusting his hand into the rift, he declared, “Hey. My past self. This is a formal request. In the name of the Second Generation Grey Absolute, Cyan II, I hereby commission the Dimensional Magic God, Lord God of the 499th Master Universe.”
The other party seemed to be resisting with all his might; the spatial door shook violently.