Minxet imdiately nodded as he heard Cain’s command. Everything aligned in his mind with a clarity that surprised even him, and he began devising his plan with precision and purpose.
"I will begin imdiately," he declared with conviction.
With a deep, respectful nod, the Chief Counselor returned to the ground and began mobilizing the troops. Cain smiled at the movents of the people below—coordinated, focused, and full of intent—when suddenly his attention snapped to a figure moving swiftly in the distance.
The figure was identical to himself. Of course, it was none other than the Ego Clone he had dispatched to Divine Calamity Heaven to demand the ransom for Andrew, Zoro, and Maria.
The mont the clone reached him, it dissolved into a stream of psychic power, flowing smoothly back into Cain’s Soul Dinsion, leaving behind only a small black box floating in the air. Since he and the Ego Clone shared a ntal link, everything the clone knew was already imprinted in Cain’s mind.
He reached out, taking the box in his hand. As his will focused on the contents, his eyes sharpened. "Indeed... Everything I asked for is here."
Though the clone had already perford a basic inspection, its powers were limited. But now, using the full force of his psychic might, Cain confird that there were no tricks, traps, or deceptions. Divine Calamity had paid the full ransom.
Honestly, Cain was surprised. He had expected soone like Divine Calamity to perhaps only pay for Andrew—after all, he was his son. That he handed over everything Cain requested, without question, was unexpected.
But then, a flicker of understanding passed through Cain’s eyes, followed by a cold, calculating smile.
"He doesn’t care about giving all this... because in his mind, he believes he’ll just take it back once he kills ."
With a silent wave of his hand, Cain summoned the three: Andrew, Zoro, and Maria. They appeared before him, unconscious, their minds still bound by the power of Conquest.
Cain could kill them right here and now. It would be effortless. Their deaths would remove three Peak Prima Deities from the board, and he would still keep the ransom.
But doing so would also send a clear ssage to the entire Everstrife Empyrean World—that the word of the Scarlet King ant nothing. That his promises could not be trusted.
A small sneer curled Cain’s lips as he extended his hand toward the trio. He reached into their life forces and soul foundations, slowly extracting energy—drop by drop. A green-blue sphere of condensed vitality and spirit plasma began to form in his palm.
He continued for several minutes before stopping, ceasing extraction just before the point of permanent damage.
Killing them would cause more trouble than it was worth. But wounding them? That was fair ga. In fact, it was expected. No one would complain about a hostage being returned in less than perfect condition—so long as their recovery was possible.
"In their current condition," Cain mused, "it will take decades for them to return to full strength. Even if Divine Calamity uses precious resources, they’ll still need months of recovery. And even then, their foundations will be so fragile that engaging in full combat could result in backlash."
A laugh echoed through Cain’s mind. It was Apex, his voice full of jest. "Hahaha! When it cos to sches and tactics, you are second to none, boy."
A genuine smile flickered on Cain’s face as he gave the trio one last look. The flas of Conquest still glowed dimly in their eyes as they turned around and flew off, obediently leaving the Everlife Continent.
"The hypnosis will hold until they reach Divine Calamity Heaven," he muttered.
Satisfied, he turned away, no longer concerned with their fate. His focus shifted imdiately to the next task. With a wave of his hand, the vitality he had extracted from the three Peak Prima Deities rged into his bloodstream, surging through him like liquid fire.
He then opened the black box once more, drawing out three treasures, each radiating an aura so imnse that it surpassed the limits of the Prima Deity Rank.
While none of them matched the divine might of the Well of Falling Stars, together, they were close in power—and each had a specific purpose.
Cain focused first on the item that resembled a black pearl. "Voidroot Star Pearl. Forged from the dying nucleus of a world and bathed in elental Star Power for over a million years. It stabilizes chaotic stellar energy during integration with the Rebirth Heart—preventing backlash and soul fragntation."
Without hesitation, Cain sent the pearl into his Rebirth Heart. As soon as it entered, dark roots erged, extending into the heart’s walls and fusing seamlessly with the sacred organ.
Next, his gaze turned to a radiant red lotus. "Blood Genesis Lotus. Blood from the blood of an immortal beast that devoured suns. It will nourish the heart, reinforce the bones, and fortify organs—ensuring they do not collapse under the strain of the Astral Supremacy Star’s power."
The lotus expanded, large enough to encapsulate Cain’s entire body, wrapping him in a nurturing cocoon of crimson light.
Finally, Cain reached for the last treasure—an artifact resembling a compass forged from a nebula. "Epochal Star-Cage Compass. A divine relic crafted to calibrate and contain Star Power, aligning internal and external harmonics during cosmic integration."
A tendril of Cain’s Ego Wave extended toward the artifact. It responded imdiately, rging into his back, forming a glowing constellation-like sigil between his shoulder blades.
Cain paused for a mont, carefully analyzing every part of his body and soul. There could be no room for error now. Healing from backlash was not an option—success was the only path forward.
His body was already overloaded with vitality—first from devouring Aether’s landmass, and now from siphoning three Peak Prima Deities. His flesh and blood were practically vibrating with power.
Taking a deep breath, Cain dropped into a ditative position. Around him, all the Supremacy Stars within his body began to glow, igniting with boundless cosmic energy as he began his evolution.
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