A complicated expression arose on Cain's face as he found himself struggling with the path forward. For a fleeting mont, doubt coiled around his thoughts, whispering of ancient mysteries and unanswered questions. Yet it did not last long.
The Scarlet King's eyes soon glowed with coldness and unshakable determination, and the hesitation vanished like mist before the sun.
"Ho."
The single word echoed in his mind with absolute clarity. He knew what he needed to do. There was nothing more important than his family and his people.
Every choice, every ambition, every power he pursued ultimately served that single purpose-to return to them and fight by their side. The enigmas of the Ancestor Tomb could wait. Its secrets would not disappear, and whatever truths lay buried within its depths would still be there once his loved ones were safe.
With his heart steady and his resolve firm, Cain resud his analysis. There was still another legacy Aerion had granted him-one that might prove even more valuable than raw strength.
He focused on the principles behind the Royal Bloodline's Ancestor Power and quickly understood that its essence revolved around the Power of Karma.
It was an extraordinarily high-level force, in no way inferior to his own Quietus Power.
Karma referred to the invisible connections that bound all things- living beings and even inanimate objects. It was through those karmic threads that Aerion had helped the Eternal Soul Kingdom locate fragnts of the Sacred Treasures. It was also how he had pinpointed the fragnt held within Cain's own Blood Avatar.
But the applications of Karma extended far beyond re tracking.
One could use it to perceive danger before it manifested, sense approaching enemies, or manipulate the threads themselves as weapons-seals that bound, blades that cut, or invisible chains that restrained. It was a vast and versatile power, particularly suited for survival in a realm where countless forces would be hunting him.
Now every iota of that knowledge and every principle behind it were engraved in Cain's mind.
Of course, knowledge alone should not have been enough. Understanding an Ancestor Power was not the sa as possessing it. It was like holding a manual without the machine required to operate it. Ancestor Powers were unique to the individual; even if soone assimilated another's soul or extracted their Ancestor Drops, they still could not replicate the power. This had been an immutable dogma in Paradise since ti immorial.
Yet today, that dogma wavered.
Cain took a deep breath and began channeling the principles of Aerion's Ancestor Power. Instead of relying on the corresponding Ancestor Drop, he used the Power of Chaos as a catalyst.
At first, nothing happened.
Seconds passed in silence. Then purple lines erged from his body, like threads woven from light and shadow. They extended outward, imdiately connecting to three figures.
The first to be marked were the Royal Guards. That made sense-they had been forged from his blood and vitality. The connection between them was profound and undeniable. But the threads did not stop there.
More and more lines spread from his body, branching in every direction. So were thick and radiant, representing powerful bonds. Others were so faint they were barely visible, fragile links ford by fleeting interactions or distant associations.
Then, without warning, a burning pain assaulted his mind.
It felt as though countless needles were piercing his consciousness at once. The strain was imnse, and Cain was forced to sever the flow abruptly. The purple threads vanished, and he staggered slightly as the backlash subsided.
The ability was extraordinarily taxing. He clearly needed much more practice before he could wield it freely.
And yet, despite the pain, Cain began to laugh.
"Hahahahaha!"
His voice echoed with a thrill of excitent and pride. The Power of Chaos had allowed him to perceive the structure of the Power of Karma. In essence, both Karma and Chaos dealt with connections, but Chaos existed on a far higher level of abstraction. By using Chaos as a substitute for Aerion's Ancestor Drop, he had recreated the foundation of the man's Ancestor Power.
"I now possess two Ancestor Powers." The exhilaration in his heart surged, but he did not lose himself in it and understood the
challenges.
Unlike Null Eternum and its dominion over the Quietus Force-which could grow rapidly through devouring Ancestor Drops-the Power of Karma would be far more difficult to master. It would require ti, refinent, and relentless practice before he could reach Aerion's
level.
But that was not a limitation. It was an opportunity.
He was not bound by Aerion's ceiling. He could surpass it.
Cain quickly reined in his excitent. His mind sharpened once more,
cold and analytical.
"Apollo's Speed. The Path of the Asura. The Power of Karma."
Three separate paths, each capable of dramatically enhancing his strength. If he mastered all three, he might stand a chance against those who wielded an Ancestor Domain.
He nodded to himself and closed his eyes, dedicating every remaining mont to cultivation. The portal to the Eighth Realm would soon open, and once he entered the Eternal Soul Realm, he intended to unleash a true rampage. His determination to push his Primordial Essence to the Late Alpha-Oga Overgod stage burned fiercely
within him.
Training, however, was not his only focus.
While his true body remained within the Dark Blood Kingdom, a new Blood Avatar traversed the realm in secret, collecting fragnts of the Sacred Treasure. Cain intended to gather every piece before
departing the Dark Blood Realm.
As for the problems this might cause for the Dark Blood King and
others, he did not care.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks blurred into months. The deadline for
the journey into the Soul Eternal Realm arrived almost in the blink of
an eye.
Cain opened his eyes for the first ti in months, and they shone with formidable power. Though the ti had been short, the changes within his body were undeniable.
Tomorrow, he would leave.
But before that, there was one final task.
His gaze sharpened as he unleashed the Power of Chaos and rged
it with the Flow. Instantly, he felt several powerful presences turn their attention toward him. So were formidable, yet none had reached the King Tier.
Using the Quietus Force, Cain left behind a residual image. To outside observers, he appeared to remain in deep ditation. In truth, he had already slipped away from the kingdom's surveillance.
He moved silently through the shadows until he reached his Blood
Avatar.
The incarnation dissolved imdiately upon contact, transforming
into streams of vitality and spiritual force that flowed back into Cain's body. The reintegration was comforting, like reclaiming a missing piece of himself.
Yet what truly excited him were the fragnts the avatar had
collected.
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