Cain studied Anark in silence. The golden light of the Flow shimred in his eyes, revealing the deeper truth of what he saw and what he
felt.
Awe. And a hint of disbelief.
Six Stars of Origin already glimred faintly around Anark's forehead, each one pulsing with cosmic rhythm, and the shadow of a seventh had begun to form. That ant the Primordial of the Void had reached the Peak ArchDeity Rank along his Primordial Path.
Unlike Cain, who had been forced to patiently forge his connection to the universe piece by piece, Anark needed only to rember, to recover what was lost, not create anew. His power was returning at an astonishing pace.
But what truly astonished the Scarlet King was not the number of stars; it was the quality of the energy that surrounded him. Even though Anark had not yet ascended to the rank of Alpha Oga Overgod, the pressure radiating from his being was equal to that of Bradley.
Both n were part of the Supre Races, but it was clear now that Anark's potential, his essence itself, shone brighter.
As if sensing Cain's presence, Anark opened his eyes. The air rippled like the surface of a lake as endless void energy poured from his gaze. The sheer vastness of it could have swallowed the sky, yet it carried such harmony with the world that the small animals around him remained perfectly calm, wandering through the snow without fear. The Primordial of the Void inclined his head in greeting.
"You have grown stronger," Anark said in his quiet, lodic tone. "Your Alter Ego is already preparing for its next evolution."
Cain smiled faintly and returned the nod. "And you as well."
Anark gave a low hum of amusent. "So... how can I help you, Scarlet King?" His gaze drifted briefly to the tiny creatures moving near his feet, as though the rhythm of life itself comforted him. Cain's smile softened. "Can I not simply visit an old friend?"
Anark's lips curved slightly, though his three faces soon turned serious. "Yes, you can," he said gently. "But knowing you, and knowing the weight of your will... I doubt you ca here just for conversation."
Cain chuckled quietly. He found Anark's manner refreshing. Almost everyone else treated him with reverence or fear, bowing and stamring in his presence. Only the Primordial of the Void dared to speak to him as an equal.
"You're right," Cain admitted at last, folding his hands behind his back. "I wanted to ask whether you know a way to reach the other Empyrean Worlds."
At that, Anark's expression sharpened. The air around him seed to still.
"You should already have the strength to shatter the barriers between worlds," he said calmly. "During Resurrección, your power
transcended the Laws of reality themselves."
Cain nodded slowly. "I can break the barrier," he acknowledged. "But that's not the problem. I have no idea where to do it. I don't know which direction the nearest Empyrean World lies."
He turned his gaze toward the horizon, his tone thoughtful. "In theory, the Empyrean Worlds all revolve around the World Forge, orbiting it like stars around a sun. But theory doesn't tell their exact positions. If I were to open a passage blindly, I could tear into the void or even collapse an entire spatial layer. I need precision, not power."
Anark regarded him for a long mont, then turned to the open sky. Snowflakes drifted lazily around them, catching the light of the fading
sun.
"You already rule the Everstrife Empyrean World," he said at last. "Do you truly need to expand your dominion even further?"
Cain t his gaze, his eyes igniting with scarlet fla, the manifestation of his will.
"We need unity," he said firmly. "Only through unity, the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe may yet survive the rise of the Tenth World."
Anark's three sets of eyes narrowed slightly. "And you believe you are the one destined to bring that unity?"
There was no hesitation in Cain's answer. "Yes," he said simply. "I am." The red flas in his eyes flared brighter as his voice deepened.
"I can lead them to sothing greater, a world of growth and peace. A place where people can live without fear and where cultivators can still fight, still bleed."
Anark regarded him quietly for several seconds, then asked, "And those who refuse the Scarlet Path?"
Cain did not waver, not even for an instant.
"I accept personal freedom," he replied. "They can think and act as they will, so long as they respect the order of the world and do not harm the innocent. But..."
He paused, and when he continued, his tone was cold as steel.
"Those who defy my rules, who endanger the world or sow corruption, I will burn their souls and turn them into fuel for our ascent."
The silence that followed was long and heavy, broken only by the wind across the snow.
Anark studied him with all three faces, each reflecting a different emotion. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"I see," he said softly. "You have chosen your path completely."
Cain inclined his head in acknowledgnt.
After a mont, Anark's voice took on a more practical tone. "I can attune my senses to the motion of the cosmos," he said. "It allows to feel the presence of the other Empyrean Worlds, their positions, their distance, even their movent through the void. When your Fourth Star of Origin awakens, you too will be able to perceive them." He looked back at Cain, eyes glowing faintly with starlight. "Until then, I can mark the path across the Empyrean Walls for you. When the ti cos, I will guide you."
A wide smile spread across Cain's face. He clasped his hands together
and bowed slightly in respect. "Then I will rely on you, old friend."
Anark inclined his head once more, his many arms folding into a gesture of serene acceptance.
Cain turned his gaze toward the horizon again. He had awakened his
Third Star of Origin, but it would still take ti to reach the next stage. Until then, he would depend on Anark's attunent to the cosmos. Together, they could bridge the gaps between worlds, and his power would be of great use in the battles to co.
If possible, Cain would have preferred to avoid war altogether. He had fought enough battles to know the cost of conquest. But he was not
naïve.
Any path toward unification would demand blood.
The only thing he could do, the only thing that truly mattered, was to ensure that blood belonged to the wicked, not the innocent.
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