Cain clenched his teeth, fury rising from the pit of his soul. The memory of that last instant before losing consciousness still burned behind his eye. The golden projectile, the sting of the ambush, and the cold certainty of who had fired it.

"Brother."

The word hissed through his lips like venom. A dangerous light flickered in his eyes as he whispered it, sharp with pain and recognition. There was no denying the connection between him and the Crimson Exarch. They were indeed born from the same fundamental particles, and he would not play mental gymnastics to hide the truth. Yet, that connection made nothing to diminish the rage coiling inside him.

Cain hated interference. He hated anyone daring to touch the threads of his destiny.

But anger could wait. For now, something far more urgent demanded his attention, his heart.

He sat cross-legged by the edge of the lake and sent his consciousness inward. The world around him dimmed as his focus tunneled into his chest, into the pulsing core of his Neo-Demon Path.

There, he saw it: an intricate field of strange blue runes orbiting his Neo-Demon Core, weaving themselves around it like a net of divine logic. They pulsed faintly, harmonizing and then clashing with the dark purple essence of his core.

For a moment, awe overcame him. The craftsmanship of the blue net was beyond comprehension, precise, layered, multidimensional. Whatever his brother had done, it wasn't crude sabotage. It was a transformation.

But then he noticed the flaw.

The pattern was unstable. The runes weren't aligning perfectly—they vibrated with growing tension, threatening to rupture the Neo-Demon Core's structure before the fusion was completed.

"Supercomputer Assistant," Cain said aloud within his mind. "Can I expel the blue runes?"

The Alpha-Omega Overgod Innate Ability acted with immense speed and precision, analyzing the phenomenon inside his heart before giving an asnwer.

"Fusion process already in progress. Irreversible. Attempting to remove runes will accelerate instability and result in total collapse of the host core."

Cain frowned. If he interfered, the Neo-Demon Core would implode. His other option was to destroy his body and soul himself, then resurrect through his True Name, but doing so might erase his Neo-Demon Core entirely. And without it, could he even return as a Neo-Demon?

He couldn't take that risk.

"Is there a way to stabilize the process?" he asked. "Prevent catastrophic failure?"

"Host may slow fusion by channeling all available energy and soul force into containment. This will improve Core endurance probability by seventy-four percent. However, the host will be left severely weakened during the stabilization period."

A deep frown creased Cain's brow. To pour every drop of his Soul Dimension into containment would be dangerous. And he had too many enemies who would leap at even a whisper of weakness.

"How long would stabilization take?"

"Estimated duration: eleven to twenty-one years."

Cain went silent for several seconds. Twenty-one years of weakness—a long exile from the battlefield. Yet he had already spent more than a decade wandering the Crimson World, and it was time to return to the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe.

At last, he nodded. "Do it."

"Confirmed. Initiating energy redirection."

A surge of power rippled through his body. The Supercomputer Assistant seized control of his entire energy pool and the spirit might of his Black Hole within. Every particle of force was redirected inward, flooding the Neo-Demon Core.

Slowly, the chaotic vibration inside his heart began to subside, which was very good news. The blue runes merged deeper into the crimson light, their violent pulse softening.

The agony faded to a steady throb. Cain exhaled sharply, sweat dripping from his brow, a faint smile crossing his lips.

Stabilized, barely.

He flexed his hand, testing his strength. His physical power remained, though his aura was drained. The Flow still coursed through his veins, allowing the use of the Crimson Light and abilities like Divergence and Redirection, but that was it.

He could still fight, at least to the level of a Middle Archdeity, a shocking feat for someone so damaged. But if word reached the Freedom Path that he was weakened, they would send armies to tear him apart.

He had just slain an Alpha-Omega Overgod, after all. There would never be a better chance for his enemies to strike.

Cain steadied his breath and let The Flow expand within him, weaving it into his aura. The currents of his energy folded back upon themselves, cloaking his true condition. To the outside world, he would appear unreadable, making people think he was hiding his immense power after defeating Braldy, when in reality, he was concealing his weakness. No one could afford to gamble on which.

Then he raised his head, sensing the distance.

"Come," he whispered.

Fifteen minutes later, the sky shimmered. A figure cut through the clouds like a comet, descending toward the lake. Her arrival carried power and worry.

Meylin.

The True Depravita of Origin Sin landed beside him, her dark hair rippling in the still air. Her eye sharpened as they fell upon him. Through the bond they shared, she immediately sensed it: the hollow echo in his core, the faint fracture beneath his surface.

She scanned the surroundings instinctively, every motion calculated. When she was certain no threat lingered, she turned back to him, her expression torn between confusion and fear.

"What happened?" she demanded, her voice tight.

Cain sighed, a rare sound from him. "It's… complicated."

He recounted everything from the moment he left the Sacred Dimension of the Red King.

Meylin listened without interruption, her face gradually shifting from concern to disbelief, to an overwhelming shock.

When he finished, she stared at him, wide-eyed. "You're saying you killed an Alpha-Omega Overgod Neo-Angel?"

Her tone carried both awe and incredulity. Meylin believed that Cain was the most talented life form in the universe, but even then, such a feat was incredible.

Even a normal Alpha-Omega Overgod was extremely difficult to defeat, and Neo-Angels were members of a Supreme Race. Killing one was something not even the generals from the Demon King had been able to achieve.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.