Chapter 84
84 Reaching Korin City
Inside the file that Cain sent, there was a thorough description of the role everybody would take. It left nothing to chance, and there were all sorts of backup plans and contingencies. There were even secondary roles they would take in case someone was hurt so no flaw would arise in the battle formation.
The file also contained diagrams that made it easier for everybody to understand the battle formation and get familiar with it.
No matter how much Lurin a.n.a.lyzed the battle formation, he could not find any flaw or way to improve it. There was also no favoritism in it, as Levi and Cain would be taking the lead, facing the greatest danger, which made sense as they were Astral Wave Warriors.
As for Lurin’s role, he would be at the back of the formation, which was neither bad nor good. He would not face much pressure during most battles but would have to remain on high alert to avoid sneak attacks. And if they needed to retreat, it would be his job to lead their way through the enemies on their back, a fitting role for a Level 3 Wave Warrior with robust defenses.
Lurin saw how the cadets that came with him looked at Cain with awe and respect. He had battle skills that could kill a Level 3 Wave Warrior and was also a master strategist. What was there not to admire?
Lurin was not narcissistic or stupid enough to reject the battle formation just because it did not come from him. He turned toward Cain and gave a deep nod before closing his eyes.
Cain returned the nod and did not care about the gazes the other cadets were showing him, as he knew there was no reason to feel proud about it. He was not a master strategist, and the one that truly came up with the battle formation was the Absolute Life Form System.
He used the [A.I. Chip Module] to scan everybody when they entered the military truck. That, plus the information they shared, was enough to generate several simulations of different battle formations.
Cain just picked up the best that adapted to their team and sent it. That is why he closed his eyes when Lurin began talking about battle formations.
.....
Now that everybody was aware of the abilities of their teammates and had a way to work together, silence returned to the military truck. The cadets either studied Cain’s battle formation or revolved their Wave, ensuring they would be in perfect battle condition.
After a few hours of travel, the group finally reached Korin City. Once they got out of their military truck and saw the condition of the city, shock appeared on their faces.
The Imperial Lightning Fort had suffered damage due to the attack of the Atrox G.o.d, but it was just some fires and cracks on weak structures. However, Korin City was devastated, with most buildings reduced to debris.
The worst thing was not the destruction, but the intense smell of blood, making it clear how many people had perished. Korin City had a population that surpa.s.sed the millions, most of them civilians, but it would be lucky if a fraction of them were still alive.
Levi, Beelze, Lurin, and all the other cadets could not hide their rage as they saw that. Deaths on the battlefield were one thing, as those in them were soldiers ready to kill and die, but butchering cities full of innocent people was entirely different.
“Boom.”
A blast drew the cadets’ attention as they saw Cain’s Wave Cloak bursting with power, and a ferocious killing intent appeared in his eyes.
The idea of hundreds of thousands of women and children dying made Cain’s rage reach its zenith, triggering his bloodline’s emotional instability.
However, it lasted less than a second as a red light appeared in his eyes, transforming all that rage into coldness.
Although it was not at the same level that during his encounter with Wink, the coldness in Cain’s red eyes drew fear in some of the cadets’ hearts.
“Let’s go,” Cain said nothing else before walking forward. He deactivated Wave Burst but kept his Wave Cloak in place.
Clearly, the place they were heading was far from safe, and lowering his guard was not wise. As for activating his armor, Cain did not do that, as soldiers could mistake it as him wanting to hide something.
Levi, Beelze, Lurin, and the other cadets followed Cain’s lead, activating their Wave Cloaks.
Without even realizing it, the entire group began to take Cain as their leader. Part of the reason was his skills and composure, but the main reason was that when he activated his Ego Wave, his aura overwhelmed the others.
The group ran past the broken building and noticed blood everywhere, but there were no corpses. The soldiers must have already given them a proper burial.
Cain’s nose twitched as they advanced. He felt the scent of human blood covering the entire city but also detected that of the Infernus Daemon Race.
Although the Atrox G.o.d led the incursion into the empire, the continent controlled by the Atrox Immortus Race, the Cronos Continent, was incredibly far away from the Gaia Continent.
It made sense for the bulk of the Dark Races’ army that infiltrated the Gaia Continent to belong to the race that controlled the Atlas Continent, the Infernus Daemon Race.
Nevertheless, it was not the scent of the Infernus Daemon Race that drew Cain’s attention but the one belonging to Wave Beasts.
The scent of Wave Beasts’ blood was almost as strong as the one belonging to humans, so the number that perished in the city must have been astronomical.
‘Although blood could incite the wild and ferocious nature of weak Wave Beasts, those creatures acted based on instincts and would not get near a place with life forms capable of destroying entire cities.
There is no reason for a stampede unless...’
As Cain’s mind figured out things, his eyes’ coldness grew even stronger. He wanted to research to prove his hypothesis, but there was no time as they had already reached the military camp formed at the core of the destroyed city.
“Stop and identify yourself.” A soldier at the entrance of the camp spoke to the group. Although she was just a Level 2 Wave Warrior, there was no fear in her gaze as she faced Cain and the others.
Cain’s red eyes usually infused fear in people, but the woman was a seasoned soldier, and despite her weak cultivation, her will was strong. He had his Ego Wave activated all this time, despite the pain it caused, because without it, he would not be able to control his bloodline’s emotional outburst.
Cain did not hesitate and complied with the soldier’s command. He looked at Lurin, and this one immediately moved forward, giving the woman a crystal card that contained their a.s.signment and identifications.
The soldier corroborated the card information before nodding to the group and leading them to a large tent at the camp’s center. As they walked, they saw soldiers moving from one direction to the other, all displaying great coordination. There was no one slacking down in a moment like this.
“Wait here.” The soldier said before walking into the main tent.
Cain stared at the tent, and while it did not look like much, he knew it was a powerful artifact. It isolated everything inside, could act as a force field detecting any incoming threat and was resilient enough to resist the sneak attack of a Wave Champion.
Ten minutes later, the soldier came out of the tent and signed for them to enter. Inside was a group of five individuals, all with ferocious auras, and there was one Cain and the other recognized. Razmun, who had taught them the Dark Races a.s.sa.s.sination Cla.s.s for the last three months, was also here.
Leading that group was a tall young woman with gray hair, tanned skin, and silver eyes. Not many clothes covered her body, showing her well-defined muscles and large scars.
The moment the woman saw the cadets, a golden light appeared in her eyes, and a ferocious and terrifying aura emerged from her, overflowing the cadets.
Levi, Beelze, Lurin, and the others could not help but frown as they felt that ferocious aura. However, in Cain’s case, the red light in his eyes only grew stronger, fighting off the mental pressure.
At first, the woman had not noticed it as she could barely bother to pay attention to some cadets, but when she saw the red light in Cain’s eyes, interest appeared on her face.
She no longer pressured the other cadets and focused entirely on Cain, but it could not affect him no matter what.
As the woman focused on Cain, he also did the same with her. She was clearly a Wave Champion, and the golden light in her eyes made it clear she had already entered the First Realm of the Ego Eternal Path of Power.