The Flick of a Finger
The Otherworld War was acknowledged by those around them not as simple conflict, but as the hardliners’ aggressive intervention in reality—an effort to hasten the achievement of an endless, eternal happiness. When the Substitute Gods, shunned by both the Master Universes and the Absolute Realm, supplanted the ruling powers across most of the 499 Master Universes in a cataclysmic upheaval, that meaning only grew heavier.
The Substitute Gods, under the direct command of the Origin who had nearly become the Wind Family’s first failure, refused every offer of dialogue and pursued nothing but invasion. The God Race and Demon Race suffered catastrophic losses. In some Master Universes, entire species teetered on the brink of extinction. When the descendants of the moderate faction panicked and begged them to stop, the hardliners’ representative was confirmed beyond doubt.
To the moderate descendants mourning the countless sacrifices of the Master Universe Spiritual Beings, the response was a father’s delighted laughter at his son’s meteoric rise.
“Kyahahahahaha—! You’ve already reached that point? Truly my son! But it’s too fast—! This won’t be any fun at all! If you want me to stop, then why are you just standing there? Why don’t you lot hurry up and create something—anything—and throw it into the fight? Why come crying to me over something that would end anyway?”
The blunt suggestion that the moderates should intervene directly in reality exactly like the hardliners left them speechless. When they offered no reply, he instantly lost interest and bolted for his laboratory. Only his exuberant shout echoed behind him.
“Besides, I don’t have time to waste here either! The establishment of every theory is complete. Now I need experimental data for implementation! Should I head to the Master Universe myself? I’ve already spent all my achievement points, haven’t I? Then perhaps I should ask Grandfather Jinri to run the experiment for me. Well—! As long as it’s entertaining, he won’t mind. Kahahahahaha—! Implementation experiment! Challenge—! Challenge—!”
Even the Wind Family’s own descendants grew weary of the endless mountains of documents, yet the figure roaring with laughter among them overflowed with both madness and brilliance befitting the highest recognized member of the Wind Family. The moderate descendants realized mediation was impossible; the situation would only spiral further out of control. In the end, they withdrew without another word.
Time passed. He remained quiet, buried in research, and was gradually forgotten. Then one day, upon receiving the results of the theory he had built—sent by the Origin of the Mage God from the Master Universe—he was overcome with joy. To test it himself, he smashed the great gate of the Wind Family estate alone and charged into the Otherworld.
Fortunately, the other Origins of the Wind Family, horrified, dragged him back. Still, it was a grave matter. The furious Sole God Emperor attempted to discipline him, but the offender paid the achievement points once more and ascended to become the Dimensional Origin. It was the eleventh time a Wind Family Origin had intervened directly in reality.
This was the past of the Dimensional Origin, as recounted by the Origin of the Mage God when he explained the eleven members of the Wind Family currently operating directly within the Master Universe.
The Dimensional Mage God ground his teeth as he recalled the words the Origin of the Mage God had given him. He had thought it was merely a threat to frighten him. The truth was far more severe.
Having experienced it firsthand, I can’t handle this.
Watching Origins—who held the highest positions in the Master Universe aside from the Creator God King and Demon Emperor—being forcibly dragged down and slammed into the dirt left him utterly stunned. He finally understood why the Wind Family Origins, despite providing such immense help as Jinri’s bloodline and as Origins themselves, had become objects of terror.
Especially the Dimensional Origin. His temperament is far too similar to mine.
A researcher who had spent five hundred billion years performing nothing but research and experiments within the Wind Family residence, he had abandoned every scrap of data for his son and made it public. To prove his theories, he employed any means necessary. He had even ignored the family laws that the Wind Family valued above all else and burst out of the estate. After being retrieved from the Otherworld, he had immediately intervened in the Master Universe.
What was more terrifying was that he continued repeating actions that would have earned any ordinary Wind Family member instant punishment, yet he was still recognized. The sheer volume of achievements and power required to make the highest ruling class—the Origins of the Wind Family—tolerate such reckless behavior was dizzying.
He himself still suffered from the record of his past deeds during his time as a Lord God, forced to watch his every step. Still, thanks to this, the disciplinary action for the Lord God Kings’ rebellion ended cleanly and without fuss. There is no sign of the Creator Gods intervening, let alone the Creator God King.
Under normal circumstances the Creator Gods should have stepped forward to interfere by now, yet the communication network remained completely silent. He had reported the half-destruction of another Lord God Realm and the beheading of one lower Lord God King, and the approval had come back immediately with neither investigation nor additional measures.
The complete absence of further comment shows the Creation Realm’s absolute determination to stay uninvolved.
It seemed everyone had noticed when the Master Universe Origins were forcibly dragged away by the Wind Family’s Dimensional Origin and the Creator Lord still took no action. They realized this is a situation they must not approach? I was worrying about how to handle the cleanup, yet it resolved this easily. It’s almost comical.
The two Origins had been pulled down and slammed into the ground for intervening as parents in their direct descendants’ love quarrel and holding a happy wedding ceremony. None of it concerned the Dimensional Mage God. Having been trampled by superiors so often, he had already predicted the outcome. If the Origins failed to recognize that their opponent was an overwhelmingly superior being unlike any they had faced before—and that their lives were in danger—they would be disposed of at once.
The result is obvious. Both will die.
The nobility of a Master Universe Origin extended only within that Master Universe. Even an Origin of the 499th Master Universe was nothing more than a mid-level warrior in the Absolute Realm. To the Wind Family Origins, whose strength rivaled the strongest of the 10 Mainstays, they held no value whatsoever.
Moreover, as Eternal Beings, their very concept of life differs from ours as Spiritual Beings. With power enough to handle any consequence, if they deem something an obstacle, they will dispose of it immediately—Origin or not.
Yet the Origins of the 500th Master Universe he had encountered were treated and protected as the highest authorities in their universe. They possessed almost no sense of crisis, took no action, and only ran their mouths. Almighty Hwi, Origin of the Almighty God Tribe, was a different case entirely; with no Lord Gods to step forward, he had to fight personally. Most of the others, however, were incompetent windbags.
As a Wind Family Origin, they were intolerable. Most Origins are typical backroom elders who avoid solving problems themselves and only wish to judge from behind the scenes. Behave that way toward the Wind Family Origins and you will be disposed of instantly.
No matter how critical the 499th Master Universe had become as the frontline before the decisive species war with the Substitute Gods, anyone who lived comfortably while enjoying the treatment due an Origin could never have escaped this fate. The goal the Wind Family Origin sought to implement—eternal happiness across the Absolute Realm and every Master Universe—was so vastly beyond common sense that it refused to tolerate incompetence. A half-Eternal Being at the level of a Creator God King might be an exception, but there were none for Origins.
Having roughly foreseen the conclusion, the Dimensional Mage God pulled a fresh pipe from his subspace, lit it, took a long drag, and exhaled a thin stream of smoke before sitting down where he stood.
“Huuuuuuuu—! They can look after their own lives. I have no desire to get dragged in and die.”
The round table and Lord God Temple destroyed by the battle’s aftermath had already been restored. Thanks to the Dimensional Authority—considered the pinnacle even among creation powers—the reconstruction was flawless, without a single shard remaining. Yet he did not dare approach the seat of honor directly before the Dimensional Origin. Instead, as a gesture of submission, he dragged a chair in front of the Lord God Kings slumped on the floor and sat.
Looking at their puzzled faces, he offered only one warning.
“No matter what happens, remain silent. That is the only way you will survive.”
The Dimensional Mage God’s words, spoken as though cautioning them not to draw the attention of an untamable beast, only deepened their confusion. The war had ended; they should have been ordered to return for restoration, yet no such command came. Moreover, the preliminary Creator Gods and Lord Gods who had shattered their divine realms were not sent back to the Lord God Temple but dispatched directly to their personal shrines. There was no celebration of victory, no commendation for their toil—only silence, as if nothing had occurred.
It defied basic common sense. Then the Dimensional Mage God’s low voice drifted across the hall.
“Huuuuuu—! Well, I suppose you still don’t understand how the highest rulers behave. Doubt is only natural. But for now, quietly doing exactly as I say is the path to your survival. Because I am the ranked-first Lord God King. I represent the entire Lord God Realm. Therefore I have no wish to see our forces diminished any further. Let me repeat: do absolutely nothing and say absolutely nothing that might draw that person’s attention.”
Exhaling another long plume of smoke, the Dimensional Mage God watched the two Origins rise. They had recovered from the shock of the forced dimensional transport; their faces burned crimson with rage. Beside them stood Riasna and Feminist, gazing at each other with open affection. The Origin of the God-destroying Black Lightning Demon Race looked ready to rampage, while Civil Rights stood with his mouth agape in utter disbelief.
The moment they grasped the situation and recognized one another, an overwhelming surge of fighting spirit and killing intent erupted. The Origin of the God Race and the Origin of the Demon Race had always been mortal enemies. The entanglement of their direct descendants had only deepened their grudge into something irreconcilable.
The Demon Race Origin, whose prized direct descendant had been stolen by the God Race through pretty-boy tactics, turned into a laughingstock and stripped of clan rank, needed no explanation. Yet Civil Rights’ fury was equally indescribable; his successor now bore the stigma of marriage fraud, blocking any path to formal recognition as a Creator God.
After that, they were so desperate to kill each other it became unbearable. With their households in this state, the actual parties are getting along splendidly.
Origins harboring such hatred had suddenly been forced to meet face-to-face, with the very individuals involved present. It would have been strange if they had not lost their reason. Forgetting even the presence of the Wind Family Origin powerful enough to summon them by force, they immediately began shouting curses at each other.
Happy wedding? More like an immediate family brawl on the verge of a duel. As expected. Now, how will this unfold? How long will it last?
At that instant, something clicked inside his head like a switch being thrown. Snap—!
Extreme tension and senses sharpened to their limit allowed the Dimensional Authority to reveal the coming future with perfect clarity. He reviewed the vision he had called forth, placed the pipe between his lips, drew deeply, and exhaled nothing but smoke.
“Huuuuu—!”
The Dimensional Mage God stared blankly at the ground beneath his feet, pipe still clenched in his teeth. The near-future scene projected by the Dimensional Authority felt almost too real. Two round objects were rolling toward him. A faint sound, like watermelons tumbling across the floor, echoed in his ears.
Thump. Thump—! Thump—! Thump—!
They were the heads of the two Origins who had been loudly denouncing each other moments earlier. Their furious expressions had not even changed; it seemed they had been decapitated before they realized what was happening.
When he glanced at the Dimensional Origin, he saw two fingers on the man’s right hand twitching lightly.
The Origins kept making noise, so he flicked his fingers as if swatting mosquitoes and simply took their heads off.
With their father and clan Origins suddenly dead, Riasna and Feminist appeared to have nearly lost their minds. The Dimensional Mage God himself felt his heart tremble. Even as a fellow Master Universe Origin, he was shaken by how lightly and swiftly the highest ruler of the Master Universe had been disposed of.
Stay… stay calm. If I lose control and make a mistake now, I’ll end up the same. Everything has gone exactly as predicted, and this is someone else’s affair.