Cain stood atop his castle with a solemn expression, his mind working relentlessly as he considered his next move.
"I know the location of the fragnt," he thought, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. "But I am not free to act as I wish. And even if I decided to hand it over in exchange for military credits, I have no way to explain how I found it without placing myself in danger."
There was no possibility that Cain would reveal his ability to sense other fragnts through the Power of Chaos. Such knowledge would only invite trouble. In the worst-case scenario, the Dark Blood Kingdom would treat him as nothing more than a tool-his mind sealed, his freedom stripped away, his existence reduced to a weapon used at their convenience.
After several minutes of silent contemplation, a plan began to form in
his mind.
Taking a slow, steady breath, Cain sat down and adopted a ditative posture.
Soon, he focused on the connection forged through the Power of Chaos-the sa channel that allowed him to draw vitality and energy from the Ocean of the Blood Sun. But this ti, instead of taking, he gave.
Tiny particles of his soul and bloodline essence flowed through the bond, traveling across the invisible link.
The process was slow and taxing. Nearly an hour passed before the surface of the Ocean of the Blood Sun began to stir.
At last, a figure erged.
It was a faceless humanoid ford entirely of condensed blood. At first glance, it appeared simple, almost crude, but the aura it radiated
was anything but ordinary. Its strength was sufficient to crush Peak ArchDeities with ease, and more importantly, its presence was subtle enough to evade the perception of Alpha-Oga Overgods.
The Blood Avatar lifted its head and turned toward the distant direction where Cain had sensed the fragnt.
In the next instant, its body dissolved into a crimson mist that rose into the sky, rging with the clouds. It moved forward in plain sight -yet completely hidden from all who might observe the heavens.
Back in the castle, Cain slowly opened his eyes.
His face was pale, and a deep exhaustion weighed on both his body and soul. Still, a faint smile appeared.
"The Blood Avatar will retrieve the fragnt while I move with the main army," he thought. "I'll monitor the army's movents and make sure the two never cross paths."
Cain nodded slightly, satisfied with the solution.
However, his gaze soon sharpened.
"As for what to do with the fragnts... I could have the Blood Avatar hide them in areas my forces will later search. That would remove any suspicion when they are 'discovered. Or I could..."
A dangerous light flickered in his eyes.
He was considering keeping the Sacred Treasure fragnts for himself.
Although the prospect of becoming a Sacred King of Chaos and Order was undeniably tempting, Cain was not blinded by ambition. Power of that magnitude never ca without a price-especially when it originated from an ancient being capable of annihilating an entire
universe.
More importantly, his true goal was to return to the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe. The sooner he achieved that, the better.
"I'll decide once I obtain them," Cain concluded. "First, I need to understand how much power the fragnts can actually grant."
With that matter settled, he turned his attention toward strengthening himself.
"I may not have the military credits required for the Dark Blood Kingdom's top-tier treasures or techniques, but there are still plenty of resources that can improve my strength."
Without wasting ti, Cain summoned Samira. He handed her a spatial ring filled with the vast collection of treasures he had seized from the Kalos and Aztorus Kingdoms.
Samira accepted the ring and imdiately departed for the Dark Blood Kingdom's exchange vault.
Less than ten minutes later, Cain's eyes sharpened as he checked his Dark Blood Ring. An enormous quantity of On Cores had been
credited to his account.
He could have withdrawn them and used their energy to temper his cultivation. However, with the Ocean of the Blood Sun constantly supplying him with power, he had no shortage of energy.
Instead, he chose to spend the cores on specialized treasures.
Twenty minutes later, Samira returned, carrying a dark spatial ring,
which she respectfully handed to him.
The mont Cain examined its contents, excitent flashed across
his eyes.
"These are items that can be purchased using only On Cores and my Duke title-without the need for military rits," he thought. "And their quality is still extraordinary. The Dark Blood Kingdom truly is a Half-Step Fourth Realm organization."
Taking a deep breath, Cain began to examine his purchases.
The first item was a pair of strange, sky-blue plasma wings.
The mont he focused on them, the wings dissolved into streams of energy that fused with his back. Instantly, the power of the On of Ti began flowing through his body.
"Wings of Ti," Cain murmured. "A simple na for an incredible
treasure."
He tested his movent slightly and felt the difference imdiately.
"My speed has improved once again."
His smile widened as he moved on to the second item-a small
crimson orb.
After scanning it, Cain pressed the orb against his chest. The object
sank into his flesh, passing through muscle and bone until it reached his heart. There, it split into nine smaller spheres that began orbiting
around it.
At once, Cain's bloodline aura surged.
The treasure was called the Nine Bloodline Moons. Once implanted,
the central core divided into smaller spheres that would slowly and continuously enhance the quality, quantity, and potential of his Ancestor Drop.
Of course, actively hunting Royal Blutlinie would produce faster results. But this was a passive enhancent, and since large-scale battles had not yet begun, it was the perfect long-term investnt.
Finally, the last item designed for him erged from the ring.
It was a full set of armor.
It had been a long ti since Cain had deliberately sought out armor.
His physical body was usually strong enough that external protection
offered little benefit.
But this ti was different.
Null Eternum could grant him temporary invulnerability by shifting
damage into the future-but that damage would still arrive eventually, and when it did, the consequences could be devastating.
If an armor could reduce that delayed damage, it would greatly increase his survivability.
The armor was forged from obsidian-like tal, its dark surface
faintly glowing with deep red light.
It possessed no special abilities, no complex effects.
Only overwhelming durability. Exactly what Cain needed.
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