The Signature Commission
The scene held no killing intent whatsoever, the face before him filled with nothing but smiles, yet the Magic God of Dimensions watching it felt his own expression harden into grim stone.
“!!!”
The instant he saw the wooden sword, cold sweat erupted across his entire body and he instinctively dropped into combat stance.
‘I spent the entire training period getting beaten by the Origin of the Mage God with that Sword of Ruin and Soul. Now the mere sight of it triggers a conditioned reflex.’
What’s more, the fact that it was held by an Origin from the same Wind Family made the reaction even stronger.
‘What the—! What is this? This is my first time meeting the Origin of Dimension, so why is he suddenly pulling out the Sword of Ruin and Soul? Does he hold some grudge against my future self, the Grey Absolute?’
Being appointed Origin of the Main Universe’s Dimensional Gods made this meeting absolutely necessary. He had considered himself lucky that the Origin of the Mage God was present, thinking it would create plenty of chances to broach the subject. Instead, the man had drawn the Sword of Ruin and Soul without warning.
The nearby Origins of the Wind Family watched with clear interest as the Magic God of Dimensions summoned his fighting spirit and prepared for battle. No matter how strong one became, a Creator God of the Main Universe could never defeat an Origin of the Wind Family. The fact that he refused to submit and instead raised his fighting spirit made them look at him as if he were an exotic animal. After all, manifesting fighting spirit before an opponent was essentially a declaration of war.
Even Cha-ho’s own expression flickered with puzzlement and curiosity.
‘To possess the will to fight despite such an overwhelming gap in divinity and raw power… interesting. It may be the secret behind the Grey Absolute’s strength. Shall I test him?’
At some point every Sword of Ruin and Soul had been drawn, each now gleaming with vivid Dimensional Authority that transformed the plain wood into blades of pure light. An immeasurable torrent of divine power coalesced into a colossal sword of light whose length defied comprehension, radiating overwhelming majesty. Slowly, that blade began to turn toward the Magic God of Dimensions.
A single strike would have ended any Creator God of the Main Universe. Yet even as he sensed that truth, the man showed no sign of surrender. Instead he looked ready to charge forward. Surprise now mingled with Cha-ho’s curiosity.
“Enough—!”
The Origin of the Mage God, unable to watch any longer, intervened. The sword of light vanished as lightly as it had appeared, and Cha-ho casually returned his own Sword of Ruin and Soul to his waist.
The Magic God of Dimensions exhaled harshly, barely managing to suppress the fighting spirit that threatened to burst from him.
“Huk—! Huk—!”
His arms and legs trembled with the urge to leap forward. During training, running away had never let him escape a blow from that wooden sword. His body remembered that the only viable tactic was to close the distance and minimize the opponent’s attacking windows. Therefore, the moment he saw the Sword of Ruin and Soul, every fiber of his being automatically wanted to charge. He was using every ounce of willpower to hold himself back.
‘The Origins of the Wind Family are perfected powerhouses. There isn’t a one-in-ten-thousand chance of victory. Besides, if I want to earn the qualification as Origin of the Dimensional God Race, I absolutely cannot fight—! I can’t just stand here—!’
Watching the Magic God of Dimensions tremble while desperately trying to regain control of his own body, the Origin of the Mage God could only click his tongue.
“Tsk—! Your bodily control is still nowhere near proper.”
“Haaa? Did you truly educate him using the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors? And even granted him the Authority of Black Flame on top of that? Is such a thing even possible?”
Cha-ho had not missed the Authority of Black Flame subtly fluctuating and leaking from the man’s entire body. Magic and Dimension, the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors, and even the Authority of Black Flame. No matter how low the level, these were absolute authorities. Even if the Magic God treated every form of power like a tool, this combination should have been impossible.
“It is not the orthodox method but a shortcut. A kind of physical conditioned reflex. Quite unstable, as you can see.”
“Then the Grey Absolute must have learned it the same way.”
“Since they are ultimately one and the same, it will be identical later.”
At those words Cha-ho sank into thought. The out-of-spec strength of the Dimensional Authority displayed by the Grey Absolute had been shrouded in mystery. Now those words had resolved much of it.
‘The present and the future are complementing each other. That is how the Grey Absolute can wield such absolute mastery over magic and Dimensional Authority. And even against me, a mere Creator God of the Main Universe can raise his fighting spirit? If I do not deal with both the Magic God of Dimensions and the Grey Absolute simultaneously, disposal may prove impossible. As expected of the Magic God’s grandfather. To freely negate and readjust even the regulations of time and space authority… truly impressive. It seems my long-awaited prank must end here.’
The playful smile vanished from Cha-ho’s face. He lifted the Sword of Ruin and Soul and held it out.
“I too shall commission you, Magic God of Dimensions.”
“Eh? Huk—!”
He nearly recoiled in shock at the tip of the wooden sword suddenly thrust before his eyes, but the word “commission” made his gaze snap into sharp focus.
It was not merely a commission. He had planned to volunteer for any order, carry it out flawlessly, and earn recognition for his ability.
‘Becoming a subordinate deity of the Wind Family is, in a way, several times more difficult than when I, a former dark mage, first entered the Divine Realm.’
Yet receiving an official commission would give him legitimate grounds to boldly request the qualification of Origin of the Main Universe’s Dimensional God Race. It was an incredibly favorable development.
“I will definitely succeed.”
The Origin of the Mage God stared at the Magic God of Dimensions, who had sworn to complete the task without even knowing its contents, and felt a headache coming on. Seeing how the man was behaving toward Cha-ho, he could roughly guess what was running through his mind.
‘I already thought it strange when he contacted me first, since I would naturally be furious if he handled any commission arbitrarily.’
But watching him so blatantly trying to curry favor with Cha-ho, it would be stranger not to notice.
‘Not knowing his place, he’s aiming straight for the position of Origin of the Main Universe’s Dimensional God.’
As the Origin of the Mage God, the man already possessed the necessary qualifications. The Magic God could wield both magic power and divine power without restriction, making him undeniably powerful. However, the very advantage of using both simultaneously created enormous problems for formal recognition as a god race.
‘First, it is never easy for a deity who uses magic power to gain acceptance among the god races. Even basic entry requires possessing both magic and divine power, so only an extremely small number qualify.’
On top of that, every promotion demanded raising both energies together, requiring more than twice the effort. Thus the Magic Gods could only ever be a small elite force; forming an entire clan was out of the question. For a Creator God’s race, this was a fatal flaw.
‘So now he’s aiming for the Origin of the Dimensional God Race? Having become a Lord God, useless greed has taken root. He should focus on properly establishing himself as Origin of the Main Universe’s Magic God Race. He wants even more than that? Foolish brat.’
The fact that he offered no reply even after receiving clear intent confirmed it. He had only just stabilized after becoming a Lord God, yet here he was digging his own grave again.
In the Origin of the Mage God’s eyes, every hardship the Magic God of Dimensions had endured so far stemmed from desiring far more than his ability could support. When one tried to achieve and maintain goals beyond one’s power, only dangerous paths and choices appeared. Yet he could not stop him. He could not mock someone for struggling to become stronger.
‘But do you understand? The Origin of Dimension is far too different from you. When the dispositions of superior and inferior clash too extremely, the result is always catastrophe. You are currently sticking your head into the very place that will kill you.’
‘I am prepared.’
From the answer, it seemed he was ready to endure any ordeal or tribulation to become the Origin of the Dimensional God Race. Seeing the Magic God of Dimensions smile brightly at the words “formal commission” instead of mere order, the Origin of the Mage God could only feel pity.
‘He has no idea what kind of being Cha-ho truly is—one acknowledged for the greatest talent and ability even within the Wind Family.’
The Magic God of Dimensions respectfully accepted the Sword of Ruin and Soul that Cha-ho extended with both hands. His energetic reply rang out clearly.
“Who shall I strike? Since you are handing me the Sword of Ruin and Soul, I assume they must not be killed. I will handle the matter thoroughly. Of course, I will make certain they fully understand exactly who did it while carrying out the task perfectly. Simply name the target. I will take care of the disposal myself.”
He understood the situation at once. If the one issuing the order would not step forward personally and the target must not be killed, it had to be an internal conflict within a lower organization of the Wind Family. Entrusting it so openly to an outsider like himself meant direct punishment was difficult, yet the target clearly required discipline.
‘It’s obviously one of those troublesome descendants running wild because they haven’t received formal recognition. Since they aren’t true bloodline, they probably haven’t learned the Incomprehensible Eight Ancestors. It will be difficult, but I’ll manage somehow.’
Even if the target carried even a trace of Wind Family blood, they would at minimum be a lower warrior of the Absolute Realm equal to a Creator General. But now was not the time to be selective.
‘As a Creator God, I desperately needed officially registered god races to ensure success. If that race is the Dimensional God Race—whose outstanding creative power already reserves it a future seat among the greatest prestigious clans—there could be nothing better.’
Yet the actual content of the commission surpassed all imagination and left him momentarily speechless.
“Barbaric combat is the absolute last resort. The world can communicate and reach understanding through dialogue. Although the Wind Family and the 10 Mainstays walk different paths, since both serve Grandfather Jinri, I believe we can align our intentions. Therefore, obtain the signatures of the 10 Mainstays upon this blade.”
“……”
The commission, composed of words he had never heard before, was almost impossible for the Magic God of Dimensions to comprehend.
‘Dialogue? Communication? Understanding? The 10 Mainstays are exhausted from pursuing the absurd goal of eternal happiness and now seek to surpass Jinri himself. Yet the Wind Family, which blindly worships Jinri and stands in opposition, is saying what? How exactly are we supposed to align intentions? Wouldn’t it be faster for one side to simply shut up and disappear?’
This was not a battle against a strong opponent, yet he felt a far greater sense of crisis than when he had acted as bait to lure the Black Flame Absolute.
‘Just as the Origin of the Mage God warned, it feels like I have stepped on something terribly wrong.’
Still, he could not abandon the commission. He carefully examined the flat of the blade of the Sword of Ruin and Soul now in his hands.
To my beloved blood relative, Cha-ho.
He hurriedly flipped the sword over. As expected, the opposite side of the blade also bore writing.
Become the glory of the Wind Family. 109th Generation, Han Jin-an.
Reading the engraved words left his mind completely blank.
‘Why is the name of Jinri’s Wind Family here? Then this really is the Sword of Ruin and Soul personally created by the family head to give to his blood relative? What is this content? In the end it’s just “beloved Wind Family”? And he wants me to get the signatures of the 10 Mainstays on this? How? They’d try to kill me the moment I mention it. Well, since my future self the Grey is there, maybe it can somehow work… but even I wouldn’t let this slide. This is utterly ridiculous. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.’
The absurdity was so great that dry, broken laughter echoed inside his mind like a stuttering echo.
Then the Origin of the Mage God’s voice reached him.
“Tsk tsk tsk—! Young ones these days think anything is fine as long as it’s strong. But collecting autographs? You still lack maturity after all.”
“Hehehehe. I want to brag to my son. That child is also an enthusiastic fan of the 10 Mainstays. I hope my lower descendants build good relationships as well. That is why I wish to take the lead myself.”
“Hmm? If you intend to handle it personally, then it is fine. Do as you see fit. Since the time has not yet come, taking a short rest is acceptable. We shall return to the main house and resume training.”
“Leave it to me. Starting with this commission to the Magic God of Dimensions, I will adjust everything properly. For the ‘eternal happiness’ that Grandfather Jinri desires, peace must come before war.”
Seeing the look of pure anticipation on Cha-ho’s face, the Magic God of Dimensions finally understood the boy’s true nature. The mediation between the Wind Family and the 10 Mainstays was nothing but an excuse. This was simply the act of obtaining an autograph from a celebrity. He intended to collect the signatures of the 10 Mainstays on the Sword of Ruin and Soul that Jinri himself had blessed, then brag about it to his descendants.
‘He acts with complete fidelity to his own emotions, completely unrestrained. There are even Origins of the Wind Family like this?’
While suffering under the Origin of the Mage God’s harsh forced training, he had assumed every Origin of the Wind Family possessed a similarly radical personality that would use any means to achieve their goals. That had been a mistake.
‘I never imagined such a positive existence could exist among them.’
What was even more serious was that both the Origin of the Mage God and the surrounding Origins of the Wind Family fully approved of this childish behavior.
‘No—they’re entrusting everything to him. What kind of ability does he possess that the other Origins of the Wind Family would show such trust?’
He completely ignored the circumstances of everyone around him and the opponent, yet still received unconditional support from those close to him in order to carry out his whim.
‘It means he possesses power great enough to supplement endlessly optimistic thinking.’
When unrealistic, immature thoughts combined with ability sufficient to compensate for them and more, the result for those beneath was always horrific. The endless suffering of the 10 Mainstays, manipulated by Jinri, was proof of that.
‘He really was a young master. I have truly gotten involved with the wrong person.’
Looking at Cha-ho’s bright face that seemed to say “The world is beautiful,” the Magic God of Dimensions felt his stomach twist.
No matter how desperately he needed to become the Origin of the Dimensional God Race, approaching this genuine young master felt like walking straight into a grinder. Having grown up harshly and alone, he was not an existence this person could endure.
‘The Origin of the Mage God who simply beats me without warning is a hundred times better. I can’t handle this.’
He firmed his resolve to refuse and opened his mouth to speak, but noticed the Origin of the Mage God, who had been about to leave, saying something to Cha-ho. A bad premonition rose, but the next words made his ears perk up sharply.
“Since I have stepped forward, the era of extreme opposition has passed. Now the world enters an age of communication and reconciliation. You shall become the bridge of peace and harmony between the 10 Mainstays and the Wind Family. If this commission is completed successfully, I will properly prepare the reward you desire. The Magic God’s grandfather just gave me a hint—you wish for the qualification as Origin of the Main Universe’s Dimensional God Race? I shall recognize you not only as Origin of the Main Universe’s Dimensional God Race, but also as Origin of the Dimensional Magic God Race. For the authority, I will adjust it exclusively for the Magic God in addition to the Dimensional Clan and grant you even more. I ask that you handle this commission well.”
“Just leave it to me—! Origin of Dimension of the Wind Family. I will accomplish it with everything I have!”
Blinded by the reward, he had gone and done it.