Chapter 1980
The G.o.d of magic and wisdom, Braham, was an exceptional person who had a reputation similar to Grid. It wasn’t just the subjects of the empire who wors.h.i.+ped him, but people in the East also praised him.
He had achieved a lot in his life. He had greatly developed the study of magic, trained students such as Euphemina, and contributed to the development of civilization in all aspects. In particular, he had defeated countless enemies on the battlefield. He used to be stronger than Grid before Grid became an Absolute.
Everyone who knew what Braham was capable of was confused about one aspect. Why hadn’t he become an Absolute yet?
‘Perhaps the reason is...’
Faker got resurrected and had a hypothesis. Perhaps Braham hadn’t become an Absolute because of the limitations of magic. However, Faker had just experienced the power of the great spell called Quasar, so he was hesitant about his theory.
This spell completely annihilated an area, and it didn’t distinguish between friend and foe. It devoured even the land it was supposed to protect, destroying everything that existed in the vicinity. Even Faker died under the influence of Quasar despite being in Braham’s party.
This ultimate spell was such a pervasive thing. It meant that the cla.s.s of magician itself wasn’t suitable to be an Absolute. Being an Absolute required having omnipotence and omniscience, which Braham didn’t possess through his magic spells.
‘No... I should stop speculating about this.’
Braham became a G.o.d with two t.i.tles. Even though he had achieved many feats after becoming a G.o.d, he didn’t become an Absolute.
Faker didn’t want to become even more anxious by making unnecessary a.s.sumptions. So, cautious and patient, just like an a.s.sa.s.sin, Faker decided to mind his business.
A notification window that he didn’t understand popped up.
[You have been chosen as the target of ‘s.p.a.ce-Time Reversal.’]
“......?”
Faker was in a different place than the one he’d been mere seconds before. He wasn’t at the resurrection point of the Tomb of the G.o.ds anymore, but in a place where fields stretched out in all directions.
The jade light that used to weigh down heavily on the area had disappeared without a trace. Faker could only see the green land and the clear blue sky. He didn’t recognize it at first, but this was the place where the Full Moon Fortress used to be, the same area which had been annihilated by Braham’s Quasar.
But now it looked fine, as if nothing had happened. There was no Full Moon Fortress and no signs of battle.
Faker’s eyes widened in surprise.
[The death you just experienced is nullified.]
[The lost EXP and dropped items will be restored to you.]
“......”
If Grid had been in this situation, he would’ve screamed and urged Braham to explain what just happened.
However, Faker wasn’t like that. He didn’t act rashly. He just stared at Braham silently.
Braham laughed.
[I can see why Grid and the Overgeared members have relied on you for so many years. It’s so comfortable to be around you in many ways.]
Braham wasn’t directly speaking. His inner thoughts were engraved into the s.p.a.ce without pa.s.sing through his brain and mouth.
This was the intent of an Absolute.
[Why can’t I become an Absolute, you ask? I have been thinking about this for a long time. Even if I created spells that made a mark on history, trained outstanding juniors, developed civilization, and defeated powerful enemies, the fact that I couldn’t become an Absolute made me experience emotions I have never felt before.]
He’d felt deep agony, like he was wandering through a maze with no exit. Perhaps this pain was too much for an ordinary person to bear.
Faker sympathized with Braham.
The power of intent—if there was an Absolute who could perfectly control intent, there was a high probability that they would be invincible.
[Only now, once I saw the ultimate spell, did I realize the problem.]
Ordinary people mistook Punishment as Braham’s ultimate spell. The spell that showed off an overwhelming power during the great human and demon war had been an innovation. It had made more and more people wors.h.i.+p Braham.
But for Braham, Punishment was just the beginning. He’d come up with a new magic foundation theory while he was in the process of rebuilding his magic to fit his regained vampire lineage, which had taken a lot of time and effort.
The true ultimate spell that was built on this foundation was Quasar.
[I was nothing but a destroyer. The magic path I walked only led to the destruction of everything in my pursuit of strength. I couldn’t have possibly achieved omniscience and omnipotence like this, so I couldn’t become an Absolute.]
Faker’s hypothesis had been surprisingly correct.
Fortunately, Braham had also been aware of that.
[Since I found the answer, the rest was easy. I just had to find a solution—the process of adding a spell that reverses the effect of a destructive spell on a specific target. It might not be the best solution, but isn’t it worth discussing omniscience and omnipotence if something called a ‘miracle’ is performed?]
Frozen Tempest froze the whole world, Meteor flattened an entire area... The list goes on. Braham’s magic was inherently more destructive and uncontrollable the more powerful it was.
However, in the case of Frozen Tempest, Rebecca had stepped in to take care of the consequences. In the case of destructive magic like Meteor, Braham prevented the worst from happening by giving mana s.h.i.+elds to his allies in the area.
All of this proved Braham’s imperfections. Therefore, Braham couldn’t be an Absolute.
However, this was no longer the case. Braham had performed a miracle.
“...Will Zirkan’s group be resurrected?”
[I killed them because I wanted to, so no.]
“I see.”
That made sense. Had he used Quasar from the beginning, wouldn’t Zirkan’s group have survived...? Faker had been wondering about this, but he didn’t say it out loud.
Ultimate spells weren’t something to be used w.i.l.l.y-nilly. Braham might not have intended to use Quasar in the first place. Since Zirkan’s group got turned into puppets, Braham just killed them to get them out of the way.
‘Every player resurrects after they die, so there was no reason for Braham to hesitate.’
The basis of combat revolved around one’s management of their resources during battle, no matter how low-level or high-level they were. By strategically using skills and managing one’s mana pool, a good player could still respond to unexpected situations during combat.
Faker silently pulled out a dagger and held it. He melted in Braham"s shadow.
“Congratulations on becoming an Absolute,” he said.
A world message popped up.
[A new Absolute has been born.]
[He is Braham, the G.o.d of magic and wisdom and the apostle of Only One G.o.d Grid.]
Braham snorted.
[It’s amusing to be congratulated for something that everyone saw coming. It’s just as strange as people celebrating their birthdays.]
“Don’t you celebrate Lord’s birthday?”
[That... From the perspective of a magician, I’m thankful that a talented boy like him was born...]
“I’m sure everyone thinks the same about you. Perhaps they are grateful that you’re here.”
Braham was rarely embarra.s.sed, so Faker immediately stopped talking.
The existence that seemed like a small dot just a moment ago was now very close. It was a muscular man with dark skin. His white hair was reminiscent of a male lion’s mane. It made him look like a beast rather than a human.
Braham frowned when he saw the smile on the man’s face.
[Seeing you smile, you seem happy.]
The dark-skinned, white-haired man stared at Braham.
“I suddenly felt a powerful energy and changed directions halfway through my initial destination. I actually wasn’t sure, but it seems like you are the thief who stole the Ten Thousand Wheels One Thousand Wings Technique.”
[If I am, what will you do?]
Ten Thousand Wheels One Thousand Wings Technique? Braham hadn’t heard of it.
In fact, he’d learned only one technique. Thanks to it, he quickly restored his mana core that had been destroyed when he forcibly entered Absolute mode. However, the name of the technique he learned wasn’t Ten Thousand Wheels One Thousand Wings Technique.
Still, he didn’t deny the accusation. From the moment the cultivator showed up, Braham intended to kill him.
“Haha! You truly are an idiot. I expected you to be fearless because you killed the elders without any hesitation. I didn’t expect you to be so confident when facing me.”
[Why do you keep laughing? Is it because you are so desperate to die?]
“Hah, I commend you for acting so arrogantly despite only being in the qi refining realm, but I don’t understand why you are so arrogant toward me. Perhaps you are an experienced soldier? The moment the elders saw your energy, they must’ve thought you were just a swordsman. But you must’ve been through all types of battles over tens of thousands of years. I know what you’re capable of, so I won’t let my guard down. If you don’t change your att.i.tude and give me the Ten Thousand Wheels One Thousand Wings Technique book right away, you will regret it.”
“Experienced soldier?” Faker asked from the shadows.
The man had been aware of his presence from the beginning, so he snorted without any surprise.
“I’m from a lower world. I am different from ordinary cultivators, who were born in the middle world and had an abundance of heaven and earth origin energy from the beginning, and could easily acc.u.mulate their cultivation and ascend to the immortal world. I have a better understanding of the dark physiology of the universe. Unlike those who divide the huge universe into only the demon world, the lower world, the middle and upper world, I am very aware that countless other dimensions exist. I’ve seen clearly with my own eyes how the lower world where I was born got destroyed by a group of experienced warriors from another lower world.”
After a moment of reminiscence, the man gritted his teeth.
“The wonders of magic and power intimidated me at that time. No matter what unexpected tricks you use, you can’t catch me off guard. Do you understand that, magician?”
The man looked at the staff in Braham’s hand. He seemed to be very aware of the existence of magicians.
Faker became even more vigilant at this strange turn of events.
[How can I understand the nonsense of a fool?]
Braham swung his staff.
The man a.s.sumed Braham would use magic and naturally responded by using a technique. His treasures were focused on physical force.
Depending on the technique, it had anti-synergy with magic that rendered physical force useless. The man intended to fight against Braham’s spells with a technique that was similar to magic.
Braham saw through it.
“......?”
Braham’s staff didn’t cast any magic. He simply swung it at the man’s head, shattering the s.h.i.+elds with ease and smas.h.i.+ng his skull. Blood spilled out.
“You’re so strong, even though you’re just a magician?” the man asked. He looked bewildered. “Were you a warrior before?”
The man was a cultivator in the late great ascension realm. He was confused, but he quickly cast a new technique. He countered and launched dozens of treasures into the air.
Braham continued to cast Disintegrate.
The spears of transparent magic power rained down quickly and pierced the man one after another.
[Half-baked knowledge is a sin.]