The Golden Absolute's Signature
The Dimensional Mage God of Dimensions paid no mind to whether his past and future were entangled with the Black Flame Absolute. All that mattered was the delight of a commission that was nearly complete. Staring at the names of the 10 Mainstays inscribed on the Sword of Ruin and Soul, he thought with fierce intensity.
‘Yuil Yongsinje can be handled right after he finishes the ranking battle. The problem is the Golden Absolute. That one refuses to engage at all, so there’s no method available. Worse, his authority carries the chance of completely nullifying dimensional power or magic itself.’
Since the Grey Absolute was utterly dismissed as a weakling by the Golden Absolute, there was nothing he could do. At this point, he even found himself thinking the Black Flame Absolute—who charged in with intent to kill—was far more convenient for completing the request.
‘The greatest issue is that if the Black Flame Absolute stands as the nemesis of the sage lineage with “Always Coin Heads,” then the Golden one is a monarch.’
If sages created and distorted order, monarchs ruled and controlled that very reality. In the end, a sage contained within reality could not even oppose the monarch who dominated it. Moreover, the authority of the Golden Race could be described as the evolution of a spiritual being—one that adjusted and reinforced any reality according to its wielder’s will. Magic could never stand against it.
‘Within the Golden Absolute’s Golden Age, nearly all magic or authorities are sealed before they can even be invoked. In terms of compatibility, it isn’t even a poor matchup—it is complete superiority over grey. This cannot even become a fight. No, it must absolutely never be fought.’
On top of that, his physical abilities rivaled the Black Flame’s, and his combat techniques stood on equal footing with the Wind Family. In every other field, his foundational capabilities ranked second across the board. What made it terrifying was that, aside from the 10 Mainstays who stood at the peak of each domain, there was no one left to compare against. His total sum of basic abilities marked him as the de facto strongest, excluding only Jinri and his successor Yuil Yongsinje.
‘All basic abilities rank second. On top of that, he even holds the potential to become the greatest in every field the 10 Mainstays occupy.’
The records of the Golden Absolute’s past deeds blazed with such splendor that they seemed to illustrate what a true powerhouse looked like. ‘Infinite potential, perfect control over body and mind—near immortality. And atop all that, an ambition to grow stronger, to ascend to something even greater. To reach this level with nothing more than such an authority… it’s frightening. Truly terrifying.’
The authority the Golden Absolute first received was not a transcendental power like the Dimensional Mage God’s own, which manipulated time and space to create worlds. It was neither the title of Origin that guaranteed infinite vitality so long as fighting spirit endured, nor magic capable of shattering stars. It was a common, trivial possession.
‘Transferring one’s soul into a dying body to continue living—little more than a vengeful spirit. It’s almost embarrassing to even call it an authority.’
Yet the Dimensional Mage God had used that very shabby possession to become an existence who surpassed even Creator Gods. The Golden Absolute, who had not originally belonged to the Golden Race, had evolved himself to claim the undisputed rank of first among the 10 Mainstays. He had even become the origin for the revival of the Golden Clan that the first-generation Golden Absolute had abandoned. In doing so, he achieved feats that overwhelmed the countless titled Absolutes chosen by Jinri.
‘Because he succeeded through pure personal ability and will rather than an authority granted by Jinri, no one can deny the greatness of the Golden Absolute.’
The resurrection of the Golden Race—a feat once revered even by the God Race in the ancient Absolute Realm—carried a dignity that not even the origins of the Wind Family would dare challenge. Therefore, aside from the Black Flame, who required monstrous physical ability and superior computational power, any of the 10 Mainstays could see he possessed the potential to become one. And not merely one of them, but a being stronger than the current 10 Mainstays.
‘If he had wished to become the Grey Absolute, he would have done so already. Whether through magic that denies reality or dimensional authority, he is capable of surpassing me in anything. Even if he could be defeated once, there would be no true victory. The next time, he could master the grey authorities to a level beyond even my future self. How am I supposed to deal with this?’
The Golden Absolute possessed limitless talent, enough to learn the authorities of the other 10 Mainstays. He simply refrained from interfering in their jurisdictions out of consideration for them and to strengthen their affinity, as befitted the leader of the 10 Mainstays and the absolute monarch of the Absolute Realm. If such a being ever acted with full sincerity, the consequences would be truly horrifying. They might even have to fight one another for their respective seats among the 10 Mainstays.
‘The Golden could become any of the 10 Mainstays, but the others cannot do the same. Is this the authority of the Golden, the strongest in the Absolute Realm? Such an unfair yet perfectly clear hierarchy is something I’ve never seen before. And since both he and his clan are strong enough that no expedients are ever required, there is nothing more to say. What am I supposed to do about this? If I ask the Grey, it feels like I’ll be killed on the spot. No—if it becomes known that a member of the 10 Mainstays accepted such a request, he could be impeached and stripped of his position. It would be troublesome, but if I handle it myself, that’s the end of it. That’s why even my future self refuses to even glance at the Golden Absolute’s side, isn’t it?’
Something had felt off from the very beginning. ‘I understood that my future self was defeated by Hwi of All-Powerful Splendor and sent to the Spirit Realm, transforming into that madman. But because I possess the title of Origin, death is not truly death. As long as fighting spirit remains, I exist in a half-dead state where I can eventually revive.’
While preparing for revival and a rematch, during the forced transport to the Spirit Realm, he had been completely killed and annihilated by the Golden Absolute’s judgment, then erased through the intervention of the Black Flame Absolute. In the end, it was the Golden who had decided his future self’s disposition.
‘By any common sense, revenge against the Golden Absolute should come first. The Black Flame Absolute merely performed the cleanup.’
The being who had declared his intent to join the 10 Mainstays was held accountable for losing to a mere creator god of the main universe. If he claimed to have nothing to say and no grudge, that would never be him. ‘Since I suffered a loss, I should have clung to him viciously, just as I did with the Black Flame Absolute, and sought revenge.’
Yet the reason he passed over the Golden Absolute—the one he should have targeted first—and only clung to the Black Flame Absolute was simple. Losing to the Black Flame Absolute would leave the position of Grey Absolute intact, so it didn’t matter. But losing to the Golden Absolute meant he would have to prepare to lose even that position. If the Golden Absolute truly took over the duties of the Grey Absolute as well, his future self would never recover.
‘Does even that future self want to avoid losing the Grey Absolute’s position so badly that he’s doing everything possible to dodge a direct confrontation with the Golden?’
The more he thought about it, the more his head throbbed. What such a powerful being hated most was a weakling standing shoulder to shoulder with him. An existence like himself—who lacked ability, mobilized every expedient, and used any means necessary to win—could only inspire disgust.
‘Even the future self I could rely on has finished signing with the Black Flame Absolute, so now we must move on to obtaining the Golden Absolute’s signature. Yet it has turned into nothing but a barrage of insults with no reward. And he won’t even look my way.’
He coordinated perfectly with the past to hurl curses at the Black Flame Absolute, yet offered not a single word to him. Even when told to stop the pointless behavior and discuss the Golden Absolute’s signature, there was no response. This was blatant disregard.
‘Clearly the Golden Absolute feels his position is at risk, so he’s telling me to handle it myself? Argh! The bastard who declared he would commit suicide after completing his revenge is now greedy for a position? Does he want to die as the Grey Absolute? Even you, a member of the 10 Mainstays, gave up—so what exactly am I supposed to do about the Golden Absolute?’
The Dimensional Mage God unconsciously raised both hands to his head and clutched it tightly. The joy of nearly completing the commission had been short-lived. Even the only trustworthy future self had sent an implicit message that he would never involve himself with the Golden Absolute, leaving the Dimensional Mage God at a complete loss.
As the Dimensional Mage God floundered, nearly drowning in despair, he felt a pat on his shoulder. A gentle, grandfatherly voice followed.
There really was a merciful god of salvation. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked up. Daeshin stood there, offering a light smile and extending his right hand. The Dimensional Mage God respectfully placed the Sword of Ruin and Soul upon it. Daeshin glanced at the empty space on the blade, then casually tossed the sword toward the location where the Golden Absolute and Yuil Yongsinje were engaged in their ranking battle. He called out so that all could hear.
Thud—!
At the completely unexpected action, the Dimensional Mage God felt something drop heavily inside his chest. He now understood what it meant to have a name engraved upon the Sword of Ruin and Soul.
‘In general, it is a challenge toward Jinri, and to Jinri it is a commendable act. He could easily do it, yet there are any number of justifications for refusing.’
That was why he had suffered so terribly, believing it impossible because the request had come from the Grey—the very one the Golden despised—and from his current self. He had even considered deception, but the fear of future consequences had held him back. Now Daeshin had revealed everything, rendering the situation absurd. Worse, his precious Sword of Ruin and Soul had left his grasp and been thrown into the heart of a ranking battle. If things went wrong, retrieving it might become impossible.
‘That must be stopped.’
Shwooooosh—!
The thrown Sword of Ruin and Soul appeared to move slowly, yet catching up to it proved impossible. As if guided by some authority, it pierced through the aftermath of the ranking battle and plunged inside.
Halt—!
The Golden Absolute and Yuil Yongsinje, who had been waiting for each other’s attacks while seeking openings to counter, froze completely. The intervention of familiar divine power had brought their battle to a temporary stop. Having grasped the full situation, the Golden Absolute furrowed his brow slightly and spoke.
The expected, disgruntled response came, but Daeshin’s reply remained utterly calm. Natural, even.
“If you put it that way, I understand. Since Daeshin rarely asks for a favor and offers repayment, I shall comply.”
The Golden Absolute drew a golden fountain pen from within his robes and signed the blade without hesitation. Swish—!
Scratch, scratch, scratch—!
The pen glided lightly across the blade, engraving the name Ariolina Ramases II in radiant golden light. The perfectly balanced calligraphy, beautiful enough to be called a work of art, and the brilliantly shining name seemed to proclaim the greatness of both the Golden authority and its wielder.
After confirming the signature, the Golden Absolute tossed the Sword of Ruin and Soul back to Daeshin and resumed his combat stance. Daeshin caught the returning sword, examined the signature, and nodded.
No matter how one looked at it, the signature existed perfectly upon the blade without damaging Jinri’s immutability, as though it had always been there. Its level of completion far surpassed the Black Flame’s fingernail-scratched signature or those left by the other 10 Mainstays.
“It is extremely natural, yet overwhelming. Even if the Grey’s Yggdrasil that holds back Jinri’s immutability were to vanish, the Golden’s signature alone would remain untouched. Here you are.”
Admiring the flawless signature, Daeshin handed the Sword of Ruin and Soul back to the Dimensional Mage God.
Thud—!
Still dazed by the abrupt development, the Dimensional Mage God hastily caught it. He checked it several times, but the signature of the Golden Absolute—the greatest obstacle—remained flawless and certain. His face, once sunken in despair, now bloomed brightly as if such a moment had never existed. Daeshin nodded while watching the Dimensional Mage God rejoice.
‘As I thought, it was worth helping. The surge in divine power the instant he rejoices is visible to the eye.’
A positive mind and the contribution to the world that followed formed the foundation of divine power. That was why divine power tended to be more stable than magic power, yet slower to grow. A divine being who could rise so rapidly had never been seen before, even in the Absolute Realm. It was like a horse that had been confined in a stable suddenly galloping across open plains.
‘He is clearly a Creator God, yet his emotional fluctuations are astonishingly severe and his divine power rises with such speed. Even after reaching such heights, instability remains, and he uses it as fuel for growth—allowing for such powerful magic? If this rapid growth continues, I cannot imagine how strong he will become. Jinri will be greatly pleased. Still, this is hardly a situation that warrants such joy, is it? The most troublesome one, Yuil Yongsinje, still remains.’
‘Would Yuil Yongsinje, who respects and loves his father Jinri more than anyone, ever challenge—even in the smallest way—something that damages Jinri’s immutability?’
Given how he had unconditionally obeyed Jinri’s words in everything he did, such a thing should have been impossible. Aside from matters concerning his mother’s Dragon God Race, his loyalty was so absolute that it defied understanding. ‘He truly was a filial son to a degree that was almost incomprehensible.’