Bestowal of Coa
The Grey Absolute had been laughing so hard and for so long that the 10 Centers observing the Otherworld War stared at him in open bewilderment. At last he drew back the hood of his robe. Srrrk—! A brilliant golden radiance flooded everything, devouring the darkness as if the sun itself had risen. Fourteen circles of divine power floated above his head, projecting a creative force and sacred energy that rivaled even the Golden Absolute, bathing the air in an aura of profound holiness. Yet an overwhelmingly powerful magical energy coiled around his entire body, eclipsing all else.
The magic and divine power were perfectly separated in a way that defied comprehension, yet they repeatedly fused and diverged. No matter which he wielded, the result would be an explosive display of might regardless of attribute.
‘So this is a 14th-circle Magic God—! No… a Dimension God?’
As a Magic God himself, he could perceive the higher realm with perfect clarity. Though this was his future self, the current him could scarcely imagine standing in such a position.
The 10 Centers nodded at the revealed divine and magical energies.
‘He has completely subordinated divine power to magic at a level where no one outside themselves could dare approach.’
Now they understood why Jinri could utter the Grey Absolute’s true name without hesitation.
The Dimensional Mage God’s shock ran even deeper. Here stood an ideally powerful Magic God, so perfect it seemed impossible for him to exist in reality.
‘And yet he’s only ranked tenth? He can’t defeat the Black Flame?’
The Grey Absolute, having fully manifested as a dimensional deity, spoke.
The Dimensional Mage God remained silent.
To a mage, a name carried immeasurable weight. To bend reality to one’s will, one first had to define oneself with absolute precision. A name was the clearest anchor of identity.
‘Magic is the art of adjusting and distorting reality by using a name as its standard.’
If that definition remained vague, the magic’s power would naturally weaken. Conversely, a name invited curses and karmic corruption from enemies. It became a fatal vulnerability.
‘Simply calling myself the Dimensional Mage God allows the title to be shared by many, dispersing and diluting any resulting notoriety or curses. But once the exact name becomes known, everything focuses on that single point. I could be destroyed by karmic backlash or the weight of public opinion.’
The fraud he had suffered in the Divine Realm was the perfect example. He had inscribed his name as sovereign of the Root School and black magic onto a divine contract, only for the rumor to spread like wildfire. His karma had nearly plummeted into absolute evil.
The instant he realized the cause of the sudden drop, he had permanently discarded his name.
‘I remain sovereign of the Root School, but without a personal name the penalties directed at me were delayed.’
By slowing the process, he had survived as a mercenary god, steadily accumulating positive karma. Yet the notoriety gained from the underhanded tactics he used to overcome the worst mercenary battles had made reclaiming his name impossible.
"If you reclaim your name now, the karmic corruption you postponed by discarding it could destabilize your position of absolute good. Nothing grants greater positive karma than serving as Jinri’s proxy. Once you complete this request, even if you bear a name, no one will doubt your absolute good. Therefore, go to the Otherworld. And as Jinri’s proxy, teach every being there exactly who they are dealing with."
Having spoken, the Grey Absolute drew his hood back over his head and declared in a voice like judgment.
"That we, who follow Jinri’s vision of eternal happiness, stand on an entirely different level from the Otherworld—which has lost its common purpose, fractured, and is marching toward ruin. Subdue it. Rule it. Break it until it can never challenge us again."
Enormous magic and divine power converged, transforming into divine words that slammed toward the Dimensional Mage God.
Thud—!
Divine words spoken by a superior god to an inferior one inherently carried overwhelming coercive force. Even without a formal master-servant bond, among those of the same lineage above the 2nd circle the effect was nearly identical to the Chief God of the Divine Realm commanding a lesser deity. When amplified by a Magic God’s authority, those words became an absolute command.
The Dimensional Mage God, who had resisted that coercive power at the cost of vomiting blood, cried out desperately.
"Keuk—! Seongmyeol! Block it!"
He had already sensed the situation turning against him, so the Creator Great God Seongmyeol had remained on standby. Though he couldn’t fathom why his future self would resort to such extreme measures, he had to intervene.
Uwooooooooo—!
Kwaaaaaaaaaang—!
Seongmyeol’s God Destruction Cannon tore through the space above and struck both the Grey Absolute and the Dimensional Mage God directly.
Though he possessed a Magic God’s one-thousand-trillion units of divine power, such forced mental interference required delicate control. In this unstable state—having both the caster of the divine words and its target struck by a high-density divine cannon—the existing influence was completely erased.
As the combat-rank-one Creator Great God of the Black Flame faction, Seongmyeol’s God Destruction Cannon could not be ignored even by the 10 Centers.
Chiiiiiiii—!
Chiiiiiiii—!
Smoke rose from his entire body where the cannon had struck. Its power could annihilate an ordinary Creator God instantly, yet he had already reached the realm of a dimensional Creator God. He constantly resided within his own world granted by his dimensional authority, allowing him to ignore or weaken most external powers.
Thus the Substitute Gods’ God Destruction Cannon was no more than an ordinary divine attack. Moreover, since it came from Seongmyeol—essentially his own avatar—the effect was even further reduced.
The Grey Absolute stood unharmed. Then he suddenly began laughing again.
"Kihihihi—! That’s more like it. Becoming Creator God King and absolute good has sharpened your defense and reaction speed considerably. At this level, even in the worst case you should at least buy enough time to send me a rescue signal. You’ve become genuinely useful. Kahahahahahahaha!"
Watching the Grey Absolute evaluate and praise himself while laughing brought a slow burn of irritation. He had nearly been forced to rampage through the Otherworld. That such a distasteful plan had failed only to leave the man delighted made no sense.
‘Is that guy really not insane?’
Yet the next words forced him to swallow his anger. The tone was shockingly polite.
Thud—! Thud—!
His heart began hammering wildly. At some point an endlessly terrifying gaze had fixed upon him, examining him like a specimen. Having ascended to a complete 11th-circle Creator God, his elevated realm allowed him to perceive far too much; his body froze solid, unable to move.
As the Dimensional Creator God stood there like a statue, Jinri’s voice reached both him and the 10 Centers.
"Indeed, you have changed greatly, just as reported. To the one who is the Grey Present—the Dimensional Mage God—the name you shall use in the Otherworld shall be Dimension Creator God Coa. Demonstrate results worthy of that name."
The bestowal of a name directly from Jinri was the highest possible honor. Even though it was restricted to the Otherworld, the gesture carried more weight than any mere title.
The surrounding 10 Centers were visibly shocked. Even the Grey Absolute—who had been praising the idea of sending the Dimensional Mage God to the Otherworld—looked stunned.
Moreover, the title of Creator God that would open a new era was no exaggeration to call a position directly below the Eternal Being who stood as the true Creator.
A warning siren blared inside the Grey Absolute’s mind.
While the position of Creator God was appropriate for Jinri’s proxy in the Otherworld, the name itself was the problem.
‘Dimension Creator God is already too heavy for his current ability. And to give him Coa—the very world bomb—as a name? This cannot be allowed. If things go wrong, everything might truly end.’
The name of World Bomb Core, one of the Grey Absolute’s primary authorities, was by no means light compared to the title of Creator God. The greatest issue was that a god bearing the same name as an authority would inevitably acquire the same inclination.
‘Coa represents the extreme duality of creating a world while simultaneously destroying it.’
In other words, it signified a violent revolution—destroying all existing order and creating everything anew. No matter how weak the Otherworld was, the backlash would be enormous. He doubted whether his current self could endure it.
‘The current me cannot handle the true meaning of Creator God and Coa—the revolution it implies—in the Otherworld. I cannot fathom what Jinri intends by personally granting both the position and the name. Does he plan to completely overhaul that annoying realm that only asks for help without ever offering any? And yet this self still hasn’t learned. Blinded by rewards again. You barely became Creator God King with my help and Master Origin of the Mage God’s guidance, and now you dare covet the name Creator God Coa? A guy who can barely take care of himself is driven by nothing but ambition for status. A position beyond one’s ability is impossible to bear—refuse it immediately, you fool. Ugh—! That idiot is me. There’s no way I’d let go of profit that fell into my hands. It really makes my stomach churn! It’s going to burst!’
At a glance, the Dimensional Mage God himself looked ready to shed tears of overwhelming honor and gratitude. Even if told to refuse, he would never listen; he had already fallen into his own world of glory.
Therefore the protest that emerged from his own mouth left him gaping in disbelief.
"There is no need to grant him so much. Since this is merely a dispatch as Jinri’s proxy rather than an official appointment, he can simply go, smash things appropriately, and rebuild. That is exactly his level. Granting such a grandiose name seems excessively generous. Or do you truly intend to conquer the Otherworld? Just give the word and I will offer every last part of it to Jinri within a year."
The Dimensional Mage God looked as if he had been struck on the back of the head multiple times.
Instead of the name he had been forced to abandon in the past, Jinri had personally bestowed the glorious title of Dimension Creator God—even if limited to the Otherworld—yet his future self was pouring cold water over the entire moment.
‘Are you really not my future enemy? Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? If I receive the name Creator God from Jinri, my Creator God authority will rise tremendously. If Coa—the world bomb—becomes my name, my dimensional authority and creative power could surpass even the Creator God King. So why are you interfering?’
The Dimensional Mage God urgently sent his will toward the Grey Absolute, but the latter kept his mouth firmly shut, showing no intention of correcting his words.
Then Jinri’s light, amused laughter reached them.
"Huhut—! To possess such position and realm, yet instead of knowing your place and resting content, you look only upward and run wild. How truly entertaining."
⟨ JINRI ⟩
"And Grey, I prefer cherishing and nurturing what is one’s own rather than coveting what belongs to others. Above all, I have no interest in the weak or in weak worlds. They only consume unnecessary attention and effort, rendering them meaningless. Still, occasional amusement like this is not unwelcome. Do well. Grey, and Dimension Creator God Coa. As the tenth seat of the 10 Centers, do you have any further reports?"
With Jinri’s will now absolute, the Grey Absolute’s face hardened like stone. He bowed his head as if he had no choice.
From the moment the word “fun” left Jinri’s mouth, the matter was decided. Jinri always ensured there would be entertainment.
"None."
"It has been a truly long time since I felt this amused. I look forward to your progress in the Otherworld. Kuhukuhukuh—!"
Along with Jinri’s laughter, the moment the Dimensional Mage God was officially decided as Dimension Creator God Coa in the Otherworld had arrived.