Chapter 2608: A new Path of Power (I)
Chapter 2608: A new Path of Power (I)
The shock and awe in the hearts of the warriors of the Nine Empyrean Suns Alliance came from a realization that struck deeper than any battlefield revelation. Those two massive, radiant moons hovering above them were not mere agglomerations of energy. They were something far more profound—far more sacred. They were the preserved hearts and wills of the Empyrean Worlds that had been devoured by the Worlds of the Root.
Everything else had been twisted beyond recognition. Continents had rotted, oceans had turned into corrosive seas, and entire ecosystems had been warped into grotesque mockeries of life. Yet somehow, despite that total corruption, the core essence of those worlds had endured. Their will—their identity—remained intact, sealed within those luminous spheres.
Of course, that preservation had not been an act of mercy. Robuke and Mikela had never acted out of compassion. Their motives had always been rooted in survival. They had kept those cores intact as bargaining tools, insurance against total defeat. If the war had turned against them and escape became impossible, they had intended to use those remnants as leverage.
Unfortunately for them, they had never been given the chance.
Cain’s assault on the Worlds of the Root had come without warning and with such overwhelming speed that they had not even had time to process what was happening, much less enact any contingency plan.
"We have lost homes and families. Billions have perished in this war, and there will be more death before it ends."
Cain’s voice was solemn, steady, and heavy with restrained emotion. It cut through the silence of the void, drawing the attention of every warrior present. Thousands upon thousands of eyes fixed on him, sharp and unwavering, absorbing every word as though their lives depended on it.
"I promise you this," he continued, his tone deepening with intensity, "everything that was taken from us, everything we have lost... we will make them pay."
The scarlet flames in his eyes ignited, blazing with renewed ferocity. Behind him, the towering figure of the Primarch of Conquest manifested once more. Its presence radiated insatiable hunger and unrelenting bloodlust, an aura so monstrous that it seemed capable of devouring the universe itself.
It was terrifying.
It was overwhelming.
And yet, after years of war, loss, and suffering, it resonated perfectly with the hearts of the Alliance.
"We will crush their bodies, consume their blood, and use their souls as fuel to restore our homes," Cain roared, raising the twin world-cores high above him. "And we will show every enemy the price of daring to attack the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe!"
His words thundered across the battlefield like a cosmic storm. The effect was immediate. The hearts of the warriors began to pound with renewed force, their battle will igniting with a strength that even Noah had never been able to awaken.
Cain was not merely offering vengeance.
He was offering purpose.
He was offering restoration.
He was offering a path—one where their rage would not consume them, but instead forge them into something stronger.
"Scarlet King!"
"Scarlet King!"
"Scarlet King!"
The chant began as scattered voices, but it quickly unified into a single, overwhelming roar. It echoed across the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe, carrying far beyond the battlefield, reaching even the corrupted Empyrean Worlds now under enemy control.
It was a declaration.
A warning.
A promise of what was to come.
Yet with a single, calm motion of Cain’s hand, the roar fell silent.
"Return to your duties," he commanded. "Wait for my call."
There was no hesitation. The warriors bowed immediately and began to disperse, discipline overcoming even their burning desire for battle. Within moments, only the higher echelon of the Alliance remained.
Cain gave them a brief nod before turning and moving toward the Golden Hall’s council chamber.
Amara, Cipher, Arkam, Uriel, and Zephirox watched him with awe and wonder. He had been gone for over a decade, yet upon his return his power had skyrocketed to an almost incomprehensible level. Questions filled their minds, though none dared voice them immediately.
Leonidas, Amon, and Bael, however, showed no such uncertainty. As Knights of the Scarlet Throne, their devotion was absolute. To them, Cain was not merely a leader—he was a sovereign figure whose will defined their purpose. They would follow him without hesitation, even into certain death.
Meylin stood somewhere between those two perspectives. Her love for Cain was undeniable, but so was her curiosity. There were questions in her eyes—questions about where he had been, what he had endured, and how he had changed so profoundly.
Cain took his seat at the head of the chamber and gestured for the others to sit.
For a brief moment, his gaze wandered across the room—and stopped.
There was a presence missing.
Even now, the absence of Anark struck him like a silent blade. The pain remained raw, like an open wound that refused to close. It would not heal until the one responsible paid the ultimate price.
Still, Cain forced himself to move forward.
"As you all know, I was attacked by a mysterious figure who dragged me out of the Everstrife Empyrean World and into a special realm within the World Forge."
The others nodded. Those events had been witnessed by many; they were already familiar with that part of the story.
"He was a Curse Eater," Cain continued, his tone sharpening slightly. "A very powerful one. I managed to defeat him, but not without consequence. He planted a curse within my soul—one that was slowly driving me to death."
A heavy silence settled over the chamber.
"To survive, I projected my Primordial Essence into the Endless River of the Flow. While it healed me, I was carried into another universe—one I could not easily escape from."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"A place known as Paradise."
He went on to describe its nature, its connection to the Great War, and the dangers that lurked within it. He spoke of battles, survival, and transformation, though he deliberately avoided certain details.
Not because he doubted them.
Each person in that room had proven their loyalty time and time again. They were the reason the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe still stood, instead of falling to the Curse Eaters or the Root.
He withheld information for their sake.
Some knowledge was too dangerous. If the wrong enemy captured even a fragment of it, they could carve it directly from their souls.
As Cain recounted his experiences, the eyes of Meylin and the others gradually widened. Even though he deliberately withheld many details, what he revealed was more than enough to inspire shock and awe. The trials he had endured were beyond anything they had imagined—tribulations so terrifying that even the horrors of the current war seemed lesser by comparison. He had faced enemies whose power would dwarf figures like Nito, the Curse Eaters, and even the abominations of the Root.
That realization alone was enough to send a chill through the room.
More troubling still was what it implied. The universe that had once attempted to conquer the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe billions of years ago had not only survived—it had grown stronger. Far stronger. The thought cast a heavy shadow over their hearts, making one truth painfully clear: defeating their current enemies would not be enough. If they wished to survive what lurked beyond, they would have to evolve, to push themselves beyond their current limits in ways they had never considered before.
Silence lingered for a moment before Cain spoke again.
"Now," he said, his voice steady but firm, "I want to hear everything that has happened here. Especially anything related to Anark... and Noah."
At once, the group’s attention shifted toward Meylin. Among them, she had been the one most directly involved with both figures. The True Depravita of Original Sin did not hesitate. Without wasting time, she began recounting everything she knew—her encounters with Noah, the state of the war, and most importantly, the meeting that had taken place in the void after Anark emerged from the Primordial Sanctuary.
"Primordial Sanctuary..."
A meaningful light flickered in Cain’s eyes as he repeated those words softly.
This was the second time he had heard of it.
He had refrained from asking Noah about it earlier, unwilling to give his brother any opportunity to entangle him in another one of his intricate schemes. However, if it was a place capable of allowing Anark to evolve into the Fourth Realm, then it was something far too significant to ignore. It demanded his attention—carefully, but inevitably.
"Leader... what happened with Lord Noah?"
Cipher’s voice broke the silence, solemn and measured. Everyone in the room had felt the tension between the two brothers before they parted, yet there had been no sign of open conflict.
Cain saw no reason to conceal the truth.
"He has gone," he replied calmly. "After learning about my journey in Paradise, he left for that place."
The reaction was immediate.
"He just... left?" Amara asked, unable to hide her skepticism. Noah had been one of the pillars of their war effort. His sudden absence was not something they could easily accept.
"Hmph. That man only cares about his own goals," Meylin said with a sharp sneer, her dissatisfaction evident. "Once we stopped being useful to him, he left. It’s as simple as that."
An uncomfortable silence followed her words. No one rushed to contradict her, yet neither did they openly agree.
After a moment, Cain broke the tension.
"There is no point wasting time on that," he said, his tone firm. "What matters now is moving forward."
His gaze swept across the room, sharp and resolute.
"We need to become stronger. And I have a way to make that happen."