Avatar of the Absolute Martial God

The Origin responsible for half of the universe.

As the end of this supreme being approached, the great entities—once his followers, now rulers of their own universes—gathered.

Their purpose: to establish a new Origin.

❃

Fifteen.

The first time I stepped onto the battlefield, what I saw was hell.

More repulsive than blood was the vile nature of mankind, and more cowardly than death was the pettiness of those desperate to survive.

One year.

In the midst of relentless despair, I barely managed to survive thanks to my master.

And yet, I was forced to witness something unbelievable.

Jang-il, who had been barely holding off the ferocious enemy assault, was momentarily distracted.

—Thud! Splurt!

It was the death of my master.

A single spear, something I had dismissed as insignificant, pierced his side as if it were all too easy.

—Thud! Thud! Slash!

One after another, spears lodged into his stiffened body, until finally, a dull blade severed his head.

A death so futile, it was almost unreal.

Considering my master was a martial artist who had once slain enemy generals, his end was beyond belief.

Yet, the battlefield, already tilted heavily against us, made such a thing possible.

—Clench!

Jang-il gritted his teeth so hard they felt like they might shatter.

Having just witnessed the death of a master who was like a father to him, it felt as though his heart might burst from grief.

But he forced himself to swallow his rising emotions and gripped his sword tighter.

He knew that if he allowed himself even a moment to be consumed by his rage, he would soon follow his master to death.

—Clang! Clang! Crash!

He swung his sword again and again.

But gaining the upper hand against enemies who already had the advantage was no easy feat.

—Slash… Slash!

Blades grazed past him, cutting his flesh, and drenching his clothes in blood. His already meager internal energy had nearly run dry.

His footwork, once refined, was now faltering. His palms, stripped of their skin, were slick with blood, and even gripping his sword required tremendous effort.

—Whoosh!

In the end, he sensed a chilling blade slicing through the air, aiming directly for his head.

It seemed his fate had finally caught up to him.

Jang-il closed his eyes, unable to face his impending death.

‘…What is this?’

But something felt off.

Enough time had passed for his head to be severed, yet he felt no pain.

—Gasp!

Curiosity forced his eyes open, and the sight before him momentarily stole his breath away.

The sword that should have already cleaved his head was moving slower than a crawling turtle.

For a brief moment, he wondered if the enemy was toying with him, but upon looking at the man swinging the sword, he realized that wasn’t the case.

The man’s face was twisted in rage like that of a demon, and an ominous killing intent radiated from him.

‘…What the hell is happening?’

Jang-il turned to look around him.

And in that instant, he was left speechless.

Jang-il finally realized—the entire battlefield, no, the entire world was moving in slow motion.

—Clench!

Though he had no idea what was happening, he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

He forced out every last bit of strength and lunged forward. His eyes lit up.

‘I’m free!’

Jang-il didn’t understand what was going on, but he was certain of one thing—he was unaffected by this bizarre phenomenon.

And from there, everything was straightforward.

—Slash! Thud!

He dodged the enemy’s blade with a simple tilt of his head, slicing through the attacker’s helmet and skull in one clean motion. Without pause, he spun his sword, stabbing the spearman aiming for his flank right through the left eye.

The blade pierced through to the back of the man’s skull, killing him instantly.

Blood from his fallen foes slowly sprayed into the air, creating an eerie spectacle. But Jang-il didn’t spare it a glance.

Instead, he used the brief opening to retreat.

It was the obvious choice.

With his internal energy and stamina depleted, his only chance at survival was to flee.

“Huff… Huff…”

Jang-il struggled to suppress his ragged breathing, focusing solely on pulling himself back from the chaos.

The rear lines weren’t much safer, but his experience told him that escape wasn’t entirely impossible.

Yet as he neared the back of the battlefield, his steps slowed.

His vision cleared.

And he saw it.

Enemy cavalry was tearing through the rear ranks of his allies.

There were only a few dozen riders, but that was enough. The already broken formation crumbled further under their charge.

‘I… can’t give up…’

Jang-il could feel death breathing down his neck. But he gritted his teeth and desperately searched for a way out.

It was a remarkable will to survive.

Unfortunately, his situation was beyond hopeless.

If he had remained on the frontlines, he might have exploited the chaos to create an opening. But the rear was a tightening noose—there was no way out.

‘Damn it!’

He understood that now.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have noticed. But his will to live, combined with this strange phenomenon, made it painfully clear.

Just as he was about to resign himself to his fate—

Something even stranger happened.

“Red~ Light~~”

A playful voice rang through the heavens, carrying a bizarre melody.

‘Am I losing my mind?’

He glanced around.

No one else seemed to hear the voice.

It was a natural question to ask.

“Green~ Light~~”

And yet, as soon as the sentence was complete, all his doubts vanished.

Because in that instant—

The world stopped completely.

The countless soldiers of the battlefield, the flying blood droplets, the wind, even the sunlight itself—all came to a standstill.

“Hahahaha!”

A strange laugh echoed through the frozen world.

Jang-il lifted his head toward the sound—and what he saw left him utterly speechless.

A man with dark skin, clad in a pristine white suit, floated down from the sky. He wore a long-brimmed, square-shaped white hat and held a white umbrella of unknown material.

—Gulp.

Jang-il was so stunned by the surreal sight that he momentarily forgot to breathe, barely managing to swallow the saliva pooling in his mouth.

But the bizarre being didn’t care.

He was descending directly toward Jang-il.

—Tap.

With an impossibly light step, he landed on the ground.

Then, in an elegant tone, he greeted him.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

“Haa… Haa…”

Unlike the cheerful tone of the stranger, Jang-il could only gasp for breath, unable to utter a word.

His interrupted breathing made it physically difficult to speak, but even if that weren’t the case—he wouldn’t have known what to say.

Because he understood.

He knew, instinctively.

This bizarre existence… was the one that had slowed the world.

The one who had stopped it entirely.

Before such a vast and mysterious being, Jang-il was nothing more than an insect.

Just standing there, watching, was all he could manage.

The strange figure, however, merely muttered to himself.

“My apologies. I should have arrived sooner, but this world is cluttered with all sorts of distractions… Honestly, if not for traces of his presence here, I might have erased this place altogether.”

“……”

Jang-il didn’t understand what he was complaining about.

But he knew one thing.

Whatever he meant—it was something unimaginably terrifying.

After a brief sigh, the stranger turned back to him, eyes filled with intrigue.

“Just as I thought—being of his bloodline alone is enough to surprise me. Even the so-called gods of this world remain bound by its rules.”

He was referring to how Jang-il had been the only one able to move in the slowed-down world.

And it seemed—even this unfathomable being found it astonishing.

But Jang-il, overwhelmed by the presence of the strange being, couldn’t fully grasp its meaning.

Seeing his confusion, the mysterious figure grinned widely before properly introducing himself.

“Hmm. I have long since transcended the need for a name, but I suppose formal introductions are necessary. In the past… I was called Maka. I am a servant of Him, the being who embodies half the essence of all universes. I have sought you out because one of your ancestors carried traces of His presence.”

“……”

Jang-il was at a loss for words.

Not because he didn’t understand—on the contrary, he understood too well.

Swallowing dryly, he managed to speak with difficulty.

“…A-Are you saying He is my ancestor?”

“That is correct.”

“!!!”

Jang-il was utterly shaken.

The astonishing being before him, who referred to himself as a mere servant, claimed that his ancestor was that very entity.

It was even more shocking because before being chosen by his master, Jang-il had been nothing—someone who could have vanished without a trace at any moment.

As he reeled from the revelation, Maka continued.

“But that is not what truly matters. What’s important is that this connection means you qualify as a successor to Him.”

“…Th-That’s even possible?”

Jang-il couldn’t help but ask.

Surviving the battlefield alone seemed impossible—so how could he even begin to comprehend Maka’s words?

Maka, a being capable of bending the laws of the universe and binding an entire star in place, could easily read his doubts.

With a knowing chuckle, he answered,

“Haha! Of course, in your current state, it’s unthinkable. However, as a candidate, you are entitled to receive one of His many authorities. If you develop it well, you will no longer be the same person you are now.”

“…Authority?”

Jang-il’s eyes wavered.

The idea that he could receive some kind of divine power was beyond his comprehension.

Maka let out an amused scoff and waved his hand lightly in the air.

—Fwoosh!

A white, square-shaped box, formed entirely of light, appeared before Jang-il.

“Inside this box are numerous orbs, each containing a fragment of His authority. You are honored, for you may choose one. Even the most insignificant one would be a great blessing—and perhaps, it may be the key to your salvation.”

“!!”

Jang-il barely registered the mention of authority.

What truly mattered was the possibility of survival.

—Swish. Tap.

Glancing at Maka hesitantly, he saw the strange being smile knowingly.

Only then did Jang-il hurriedly reach into the glowing box.

The moment his hand entered, he instinctively withdrew it—

And in his grasp was a single, platinum-colored orb.

❃❃❃