Golden Glory and the Master's Headache
The Dimensional Mage God briefly weighed the troubles of the Otherworld War, then decided to consult an entity he knew well. With that, he initiated a spatial teleport.
Meanwhile, the Origins of the Wind Family, having reinforced the barrier for the ranking battle even further, were finally stealing a moment to breathe.
We took damage ourselves because we couldn’t completely neutralize the Grey Absolute’s Coa and the Black Flame Absolute’s Pahoton.
The aftershock of that collision—hurled toward the Main Universe and the Boundary out of concern for the Absolute Realm—had produced catastrophic results. The defensive membrane guarding the Boundary was already on the verge of total collapse despite never taking a direct hit. The finishing blow had been the colossal hole the Black Flame Absolute tore through reality while being blasted all the way to the far edge of the Main Universe.
The boundary was about to shatter.
Clicking his tongue, the Origin of the Mage God restored his tattered, monochromatic training uniform. He clicked his tongue again as he watched the Main Universe’s boundary membrane fracture like glass riddled with bullet holes.
The Creator Gods of the Main Universe are in near-panic, swarming over the repairs, but it won’t be easy.
It would be simple if they helped, but restoring the damage to the Absolute Realm and to themselves after blocking the aftershock of a clash between 10 Mainstays takes priority.
It was a duty that brought nothing but loss, yet they had still gained a valuable insight. They had realized the true gulf in ability between themselves—at the level of the 10 Mainstays—and the actual 10 Mainstays.
The Origin of the Mage God calmly assessed the difference in power and reached a swift conclusion.
“I thought the gap was small, but it was enormous. It’s clear we cannot replace them. We will withdraw this time.”
“Indeed, that seems correct.”
None of them had suffered serious wounds, yet they were deeply shaken that their proudly cultivated authorities and profound arts had crumbled under mere aftershocks.
I prided myself on being the strongest in my field, yet the road ahead is still long.
Grandfather Sole God Emperor and Grandfather Sole Demon Emperor, who are shielding the duel between the Golden Absolute and Yuil Yongsinje, still have breathing room.
Yet we couldn’t even handle two people fighting and allowed this much damage.
As descendants who had inherited superior talent through the inscrutable bloodline transmission of the Eight Ancestors, they could not quell their frustration. Even knowing the difference came from years of blood, sweat, and desperate training, the truth remained the same.
Can superior talent never overcome desperate effort in the end? Though when it comes to the Dimensional Mage God, it is strange that he ever became the Grey Absolute at all.
Just as the Origin of the Mage God was sinking into grave contemplation, a frivolous burst of laughter cut in.
“There is no chance of victory in one-on-one combat. It seems our grandfathers from the previous generation will have to intervene personally. Or we could mobilize the other children and overwhelm them with numbers.”
“Nonsense—! We are the Wind Family. The Wind Family is a martial house. We manifest our will through our own power. If you’re going to spout weakness, go back to the main house.”
“My apologies. It was merely an alternative.”
The words were a flat rejection, but the true thoughts behind them differed. It was an extremely realistic alternative.
If we assigned just ten children to each of the 10 Mainstays, we could suppress the entire clan in a single stroke. But that cannot be done. This is an intervention in the current era, leading the hardliners while criticizing the old man’s fears. We cannot beg the Wind Family for help when our own strength is insufficient.
Excluding himself, these were the youngest generation within the Wind Family. Grandfather Jinri had waited more than a billion years for the desperate resistance of the 499th Main Universe’s Creator God. They were the generation that came after the delayed territorial expansion.
Expansion and development had halted, yet descendants continued to be born and multiply, creating new problems. There were no fresh domains to assign to the newly born.
With no domains to entrust, the necessity of descendants and the meaning of teaching them have begun to fade.
The Wind Family, which had grown stronger by endlessly increasing its bloodline, had finally reached a moment of stagnation. To solve the problem, they had been permitted to operate under the title of Wind Family Origins as a makeshift measure. Naturally, it was strictly limited activity, bound by the principles of positive and negative karma.
Compared to their predecessors, the rights were pathetically few and the duties excessively heavy. Perhaps that was why he had tolerated these young grandchildren’s cute antics and complaints.
Still, for the Wind Family to utter such weakness is unacceptable.
The shock of failing to block the aftershock of a clash between 10 Mainstays must have been the cause. Everyone’s expressions had hardened severely; their worries clearly ran deep. However, the idea of overwhelming with numbers was not something he could tolerate.
If it cannot be done alone, suppress with numbers. Secure numerical superiority to achieve victory. Reasonable for a soldier, but disqualification for a martial artist who values individual growth. These children look exhausted as well. I should take them all back to the main house for retraining.
While the Origin of the Mage God was lost in such thoughts, frivolous laughter reached his ears once more.
It was the Dimensional Origin—the youngest among them, yet blessed with the most overwhelming talent. He had earned permission to intervene by independently interpreting and revealing the data on the Dimensional Authority the Origin had passed to him.
“Kyaaahahahaha—! Truly impressive. I never imagined my dimensional barrier would collapse. Especially that attack authority the Grey Absolute used—you said it was Coa? World Destruction, the polar opposite of Dimensional Authority. How did he even think to turn his own most fatal weakness into an attack authority to offset it? How exactly did you teach him? His talent seems ordinary, so what trick did you use?”
He showed no tension or discouragement whatsoever in the face of power surpassing the 10 Mainstays. It was the privilege of youth and pure confidence.
“I forced him to train without rest until he became the Grey Absolute.”
Everyone’s jaws dropped. It was the extreme, continuous forced training occasionally inflicted on those in the Wind Family who refused to listen to reason. Forced sparring and cramming continued until the desired result appeared. They had witnessed it before, but it was not something ordinary willpower could endure.
He endured that until he reached the level of the 10 Mainstays.
So they spoke, utterly dumbfounded.
“H-how is he still sane?”
“Hoooo? I knew he wasn’t normal, but that explains it.”
“My subordinate gods have been calling him the crazy grey behind his back. You should have shown some moderation. It might tarnish Grandfather Mage God’s great name.”
“Hmm—! What great name does a Mage God need? Only victory and results matter. It’s irrelevant.”
“That may be true, but this is excessive.”
The things the Grey Absolute had done in his own domain were already infamous. In a single instant when even the Wind Family Origins could not indirectly intervene, the ruling class had been incinerated and the situation had flipped into all-out war with the Substitute Race. All of it merely as one method to capture the Black Flame Absolute.
Because it had occurred during a request from the Wind Family, they had hesitated—and as a result, one-tenth of the Absolute Realm had been plunged into chaos. It was simply absurd. Yet a dissatisfied voice answered.
“Huh? Huh? That’s not the answer I was expecting at all. Dimensional Authority is omnipotent but not omniscient, so that level of power should be impossible. What else did you mobilize?”
The mischievous smile on the Dimensional Origin’s face carried an entirely different implication.
The Grey Absolute’s authority was composed of magic and dimensions. If the Dimensional Origin himself denied it, the claim naturally carried weight.
In the end, the Origin of the Mage God answered with an expression that said it could not be helped.
“Tsk—! The training method was correct. However, the mindset was different. The Grey Absolute endured the continuous training not because it was forced, but of his own free will. Even if it was for revenge against the Black Flame Absolute, that determination is praiseworthy. That authority is the result. Anyway, what do you want? We are family, so speak plainly. Since you helped so proactively, I will grant your request if it is reasonable.”
Originally there had been no need for the Dimensional Origin to step forward himself. He had not even received compensation for the achievement of opening the Dimensional Authority, so it was only natural. Yet he had come of his own accord, saying indirect intervention had become possible, and offered his aid.
He probably wanted to see the 10 Mainstays up close, but he was still a great help, so it doesn’t matter.
The Dimensional Authority the Dimensional Origin had established was the strongest barrier never before seen in the Absolute Realm. Within it, the caster became nearly omnipotent. It did not merely activate every authority within the capabilities of the Main Universe’s omnipotent divine race—it manifested every imaginable authority and phenomenon inside the barrier.
Even when spread across a vast area rather than protecting a single individual, its power was such that not even the 10 Mainstays could easily destroy it. That was why the collateral damage from the duel between the Grey Absolute, who possessed the ultimate attack domain, and the Black Flame Absolute, who wielded the greatest destructive force, had been contained to this extent.
“Hehehehehehe. This is why I like Grandfather Mage God. What I want is this.”
It was the very picture of a grandson acting cute to wheedle pocket money from his grandfather. Strangely, it did not feel unpleasant.
I taught every one of these children the dangers and applications of magic and authority from the time they were small.
Since he had personally instructed the fundamentals to all the young ones of the Wind Family, it was no exaggeration to call them grandchildren he had raised himself. So he watched with pleasant eyes as the Dimensional Origin happily pulled something from his robe.
Then a faint alarm sounded from within his own clothing.
Beep—! Beep—!
It was the direct contact line between an Origin and his subordinate gods. But because he had little desire to intervene in the present era, he had almost completely neglected the Mage God lineage. There should have been no high-ranking Mage God who would contact him directly, so the signal had never rung before. He wondered who it could be—then immediately understood.
The pleasant mood brought on by his grandson’s long-awaited cute behavior flipped in an instant. Quiet irritation surged upward.
“Hmm? Oh? Look at this bastard. His gall has finally grown. After doing whatever he pleased, he dares contact me first? I was planning to deal with him after this matter ended, but he’s come on his own. Well, the result is optimal, so I cannot scold him… but let’s have a talk. Don’t just speak—come here in person.”
It seemed the other party had only meant to send words without video, but the Origin used the connection between himself and the subordinate gods to force a spatial teleport.
Boom—!
With a thunderous crash, the familiar magic power of the Dimensional Mage God was dragged out of thin air. Yet the being who descended onto the designated floor was utterly different from before.
Instead of the black robe that had hidden his face and body, he wore a cloak shimmering with brilliant golden light. The platinum full-body armor characteristic of the divine race wrapped around him, enhanced by the radiant glow of Dimensional Authority. Though he had not yet shed his youthful appearance, the face of an extremely beautiful black-gold-haired youth was now fully revealed.
His golden hair, infused with a luster like black pearls, was crowned with a radiant diadem resembling an emperor’s regalia. Above that golden crown floated thirteen pairs of rings of divine power—the proof of a Creator God—casting brilliant radiance overhead.
Even the black-gold hair had not been left untouched. Upon closer inspection, the ends were neatly bound with ring-shaped ornaments brimming with divine power and magic power, preventing any strand from falling out of place. He even appeared to be wearing light makeup; his lips shone a vivid red.
No matter where one looks, he is the very picture of a beautiful, perfect Creator God of the divine race.
His divinity and divine power were so finely refined that anyone unaware might mistake him for a highest-tier Creator God from some other realm. However, at the center of the golden cloak, eleven layers of magic circles radiated a black-pearl light, announcing that he was indeed the Mage God. Behind him, thirteen pairs of dark wings and thirteen pairs of light wings spread wide, proving beyond doubt that he was the Dimensional Mage God. After all, no Mage God of such caliber yet existed in the Main Universe.
“This one, the Dimensional Mage God and Lord God of the 499th Main Universe, greets the great Origin of the Mage God. I formally report the successful completion of the request you entrusted to me and offer my deepest gratitude for your guidance.”
“……”
The drastically transformed Dimensional Mage God brought both hands together before his face and bowed with perfect courtesy. To all appearances, it was a highest-tier Creator God offering solemn thanks. The Origin of the Mage God was momentarily speechless, then clutched his forehead as if suffering a migraine. In his mind, he quietly cursed.
He’s doing it again. Why in the world is he plastering himself with decorations like that if he intends to wage war? What kind of sudden change of heart is this? How am I supposed to make this guy useful?
In his eyes, the Dimensional Mage God possessed exceptional tenacity and a spirit of challenge. It seemed he had heard something pleasant from someone, pondered it in his own way, and acted on it immediately. Yet from the perspective of one who had trained him to the core and knew his true nature, the behavior was ridiculous.
The true nature of the Mage God is ultimately a fighting god who wins by any means and method necessary.
It was an appearance of extreme splendor and dignity befitting a high-ranking Creator God, but as a fighting god, it was a failure. Irritation crept upward, accompanied by rising fighting spirit and killing intent.
Gulp—!
Perhaps sensing the displeasure, the Dimensional Mage God swallowed nervously. As always, the Origin considered summoning the Sword of Ruin and Soul to beat some sense into him, but remembering the children watching, he glanced around. His hand released the handle of the wooden sword he had been about to seize.
The decorated exterior seemed to have won the children over; their expressions showed clear favor. It was a reaction that would have been impossible in the past when he had gone about wrapped in a gloomy black robe.
Well, improving one’s appearance is also an excellent survival strategy.
He did not like it, but he had to acknowledge the effort to grow and change. Such was the duty of an elder. If he blocked every reckless or seemingly useless attempt, the children would never develop. Though the gigolo-like appearance displeased him greatly, the successful completion of the request and the changed form deserved at least some praise. Just as he was thinking this, a frivolous voice rang out.
“Wow—! They said the 499th Main Universe had caught up considerably to the Absolute Realm, but it’s really true. For a Creator God of the Main Universe, that computational power and processing speed is unbelievable. Ah—! The Grey Absolute’s past was the Dimensional Mage God, correct? Then this version should be easier to handle than Grandfather Mage God.”
The Dimensional Origin, smiling from ear to ear with an expression that said everything had aligned perfectly, was already drawing his own Sword of Ruin and Soul from within his robe.