Chapter 77
77 Lord Zarak
When Cain, Levi, and Beelze returned to the cadet’s section of the Imperial Lightning Fort, they took a deep breath and finally relaxed. The trip to the Pillars of Trial was supposed to be fun, but it turned into a dreadful one.
Cain showed an odd smile as he remembered the legend written in the Cadet Ranking. He had willpower equal to a Late Wave Champion, meaning his talent in that aspect was overwhelming. Unfortunately, monstrous willpower would not offer any form of protection to the envious people that wanted to dissect him to know the secret behind his abilities.
As the pressure of the world came crashing down on Cain, he remembered a phrase his father had told him.
‘There is no way to change the past. Accept it with serenity, and find the courage within yourself to mold the future according to your will.’
Cain clenched his fist, and a red light appeared in his eyes as he pushed all doubts and fears away. No matter what, he would take everything the world sent him and rise above all his tribulations.
“You are not alone. We are with you.” Beelze uttered those words as she put a hand over Cain’s right shoulder.
“That is right. As long as we grow powerful enough, even a Wave Champion would not dare to mess with us.” Levi’s eyes glowed with determination as he patted Cain’s left shoulder.
Cain could not help but show a radiant smile as he saw the duo. True friendship is very hard to get; once you obtain it, you must cherish it with all your heart.
“Thank you both. I should rest. I will not take any mission for the time being. Although it would hurt my credits, it is better to be safe.” Cain did not mind the lack of credits as he already had plenty, but the missions were also a great way to train.
.....
“Indeed, you should not take missions, but I don’t think you would need to worry about credits for the time being. After all, you took first place.”
Cain’s eyes widened when he heard Levi’s words. Indeed, entering the Cadet Ranking would grant military credits, and the higher you were, the more you would obtain.
‘System, show me my military credits.’
The Absolute Life Form System followed Cain’s command, and soon he learned just how many military credits were in his possession.
[Vessel’s military credits: 29340.
—
The Imperial Lightning Fort sent twenty-five thousand military credits to Vessel twenty-two minutes ago.]
Cain could hardly believe what he saw. Twenty-five thousand military credits were more than most cadets would gain in their entire journey in the military academy.
Just as a framework, some Wave Champion’s cultivation techniques cost less than twenty thousand military credits.
“It is almost thirty thousand.”
Levi and Beelze were surprised by that number, and an odd expression appeared on their faces the next second.
“Good luck with your riches.”
“Yeah, we won’t entertain your filthy rich grace.”
The duo left but not before uttering those mocking words to Cain.
Cain almost laughed when he saw the duo’s comic behavior and shook his head before returning to his residence. He bowed to his father’s altar before focusing.
“Apex, are you or the system the reason for my abnormal willpower?”
“My presence and that of the Absolute Life Form System do have some effect on your willpower and mind, but the real reason should be your ident.i.ty as a Reincarnator. Your soul and mind are special since you are an ent.i.ty that managed to endure the purging force of the Eternal River of the Afterlife, so it makes sense for your willpower to be outrageous.”
Cain nodded since Apex’s words made sense. There was no way the soul of something that managed to reincarnate would be simple.
Ads by PubFuture There were many things Cain could do right now, such as training or searching through the Imperial Military Academy Network for treasures to a.s.sist his cultivation, but he did not. Instead, he closed his eyes and calmly meditated.
It was already midnight when Cain opened his eyes and walked toward the door before opening it. Oliver stood on the other side with a smile as he stared at the young cadet.
“Are you ready?”
“Would it make a difference if I say no?”
Oliver was surprised to hear Cain say that with such a carefree att.i.tude. He smiled before shaking his head.
Cain nodded, and the duo left the residences. Once they were outside the building, Oliver grabbed Cain’s clothes, and before he could say anything, they rose into the sky.
Cain was shocked to see that. Although flying did not seem that impressive considering all the strength powerful Wave Cultivators could unleash, it was still an amazing feat.
He focused on Oliver and saw how this one slightly kicked the air with his feet, allowing him to move in a three-dimensional frame.
Although Cain would have liked to a.n.a.lyze that skill in more detail, Oliver flashed through the sky at an incredible speed once they were high enough.
The duo left the cadet’s section in less than a minute and crossed into the main part of the Imperial Lightning Fort. Once there, Oliver continued flying, and Cain’s eyes widened as they saw the direction they were heading.
“The t.i.tan Tower!” Cain was shocked to see their destination.
Although the tower had more than the t.i.tan, anyone who could reside in it was a powerhouse capable of destroying entire cities. Most of them focused solely on their cultivation, and while they marched into war, they only took part in battlefields containing millions of soldiers and were considered trump cards.
Oliver remained silent the entire trip and only spoke once they reached the t.i.tan Tower.
“The one you are about to meet is my Master, Lord Zarak. Just answer truthfully, as there is no way to hide anything from him.”
Cain could feel the respect and awe in Oliver’s voice as he spoke about Lord Zarak, making it clear just how imposing that person was.
The duo descended to the ground and entered the t.i.tan Tower through the main gate. There was no one in there, only a large hall.
Oliver and Cain walk forward until they reach a teleportation matrix. It glowed before making the duo vanish.
The teleportation forced Cain to close his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself in a ma.s.sive room. The wall to his right had hundreds of skulls belonging to different creatures, and on the left were all kinds of broken weapons.
The skulls and weapons unleashed an aura that made Cain feel immense pressure. However, they were nothing compared to the middle-aged man sitting on a large throne at the end of the room.
The man had blue hair, a large body roughly two meters tall, and wore a red martial robe that perfectly fit his muscular complexion.
He stood there with his eyes closed, but the pressure of his existence made the surroundings tremble.
‘Lord Zarak.’ It was clear to Cain that the imposing man was Oliver’s Master.
Lord Zarak slowly opened his eyes, and when Cain saw them, he was shocked.
‘He is blind.’
That thought crossed Cain’s mind when a blue light emerged from Zarak’s eyes, and he felt an immense pressure on his mind. It was so powerful that he immediately fell to his knees and almost pa.s.sed out.
Luckily for Cain, the pain faded again in less than a second. He was gasping for air on the ground when a terrifying realization struck him.
‘That man could kill me with just his gaze!’
Whatever Zarak did, it did not involve Wave and struck directly into Cain’s mind.
“So your willpower truly equals that of a Late Wave Champion. Interesting.”
That voice echoed through the room, making Cain feel they were spoken directly to his ear.
‘That was a test. Had I cheated on the Pillar of Mind, who knows what could have happened?’ Although Cain did not enjoy being put on trial, he did not let his emotions get out of control and calmly stood up.
Anyone else would have vowed in the presence of someone with so much power, but Cain remained straight. What kind of man would he be if he lowered himself with a man that almost killed him?
Despite Zalar’s eyes being those of a blind man, it was clear he had perfect awareness of his surroundings. When he saw Cain’s refusal to vow in his presence, a smile appeared on his face.
“Good, you have an unwavering spirit. By the way, I would not lower myself by killing a mere Level 2 Wave Warrior. If you had cheated somehow in the Pillar of Mind, I would only have sent you to prison.”
Cain’s eyes narrowed when he heard that, and after a moment, he performed a small vow out of respect for such a warrior of the G.o.dslayer Humankind.
“I am very busy and like to get straight to the point. I made Oliver bring you here since you are one in a billion. You are a life form born with a Sacred Organ other than the Evolution Core and the Rebirth Heart.”