The words escaped Desmond instinctively, before he truly realized to whom he was speaking. The mont recognition dawned, his entire body tensed. He turned sharply, ready to kneel and address the ruler of the Everstrife Empyrean World as protocol demanded.
Yet before he could lower his head, a soft radiance washed over him- a current of tranquil energy that stilled his mind and cald his heart.
Cain smiled as he watched The Flow reach into the man's spirit and ease the tension from his soul.
"It's been a long ti, Desmond." His voice carried warmth, not authority.
The one before him was none other than Desmond Zanguinis, the first Deus Behemoth Cain had ever t. They had crossed paths hundreds of years ago, at a royal banquet held by the Crown Prince of the Godslayer Human Empire, back when both n were still in the world of Aether.
The Zanguinis family had been instruntal in helping Cain navigate the treacherous landscape of the Deus Behemoth Empire in those early days.
Their friendship had endured, though distance and duty had worn it thin. Not out of malice-Cain had always admired the direct, fearless nature of the man-but life as a godlike being left little room for casual companionship. When your daily tasks involved facing abyssal monsters and shattering forbidden dinsions, old friendships often turned into silent mories.
The soothing light of The Flow continued to calm Desmond until finally the giant of a man broke into a grin.
"It has been a while," Desmond said, his deep voice rumbling like thunder over stone. "How have you been?"
"Surprisingly well," Cain replied with a small laugh. "Peace and quiet
suit more than I ever expected."
He descended beside Desmond, standing amid the scarred peaks. "You seem rather busy."
Desmond's smile turned wry. "Busy, yes. Satisfied, not quite. 99.9999% of the population obeys the laws and lives in peace. But that tiny remaining fraction-" he lifted a hand "-keeps us running from one end of the world to the other."
Just as he finished, the light of his spatial ring pulsed. A ssage ford before him. Desmond sighed heavily and shook his head.
Cain chuckled softly. He could see the weariness in his old friend's eyes-not from exertion, but from boredom. For soone like Desmond, there was no real challenge left. The patrols and enforcent missions were more chore than battle.
After all, Desmond was a Divine Transcendence Master, his Scarlet Leviathan on the verge of evolving into a Scarlet Star. Yet the enemies he was sent to subdue were barely of the Divine Transformation level -no real threat at all.
It was no wonder he found it dull. Still, Cain understood why Desmond's father, one of the ancient Stars of Doomsday and now a powerful Prima Deity, had stationed him here.
Boredom, too, was a form of training. The ability to endure monotony without losing focus forged a will as unbreakable as steel.
Cain remained with him for several days. They traveled together from mountain to mountain, Desmond leading squads to hunt down criminals while Cain watched unseen, studying how the forces of order functioned under his reign.
Occasionally, he revealed himself only when Desmond was alone, and the two would talk like old comrades, sharing mories, exchanging observations, or laughing at the absurdities of their youth.
Desmond had changed much over the centuries. He still carried the ferocity and impulsiveness of his younger self, but now it was
tempered by the precision of experience. His strength was imnse, but his restraint even greater. He understood now that brute power was nothing without purpose, that every strike should serve a cause beyond pride.
Cain found comfort in that. His world was vast, with a population that numbered in the trillions. Even if only a minuscule fraction strayed into cri or rebellion, that still ant countless incidents across continents. Yet Desmond handled his job with great efficiency. The people lived safely, and order prevailed. That was what mattered most.
By the sixth day, Cain and Desmond stood alone atop a plain at sunset. The sky bled gold and scarlet as they shared a final round of laughter, recalling the ti Cain had foolishly mocked one of the
Imperial Princesses during their youth.
"It was a pleasant ti," Desmond said, shaking his head with a grin.
Cain smiled faintly. "It was. But now it's ti for to move on."
Before leaving, he extended his hand. The combined essence of Genetic Coding and Tribulation Enhancent acted over the man, improving Desmond's vast potential even further.
Desmond bowed deeply, gratitude and renewed vigor in his gaze.
"Thank you, my friend."
"Use it well," Cain said, clasping his shoulder. "And when the ti cos, make sure you're strong enough to protect what matters."
With that, the Scarlet King rose into the sky, his body dissolving into a streak of radiant crimson light that cut through the clouds.
His next destination lay far to the west.
This ti, he did not appear openly. The one he sought was not an
old friend but soone whose na had surfaced in his thoughts
after eting Desmond. Cain appeared high above a quiet fortress nestled in the mountains and gazed downward.
Below stood a middle-aged man with sharp, striking eyes-completely black, save for their golden pupils. The mark of the Goldsoul Bloodline, once rulers of the Aether's Godslayer Human Empire before Cain's own rise.
The man was Klaus Goldsoul, fourth son of the Golden Emperor. Once, his elder brother's betrayal had plunged their empire into ruin, manipulated from the shadows by the leader of Dark Sky.
Cain watched silently from the clouds, and curiosity stirred in his
heart.
What he saw below made him smile.
Klaus had not succumbed to despair or sha after his family's fall.
Instead, he had hidden his na and started anew within the army, determined to restore honor to his bloodline through his own deeds. He trained harder than anyone, earning respect not as a prince, but as a soldier. His conviction burned brighter than gold, his spirit honed through hardship.
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