Chapter 96
96 Change of plans
‘Am I strong?’
That was a crucial question for Cain, as it involved a core belief. For him, power was everything. With it, he would never feel hopeless, like when the Atrox G.o.d fired that spell against the Imperial Lightning Fort, or impotent against injustice like with Salar Jones.
For most people, power was a means to a goal, but Cain’s mind worked differently. His goal was to obtain such a monstrous power he would not have to wish for anything, as he could do it all. So strong that nothing could stop him, and he could destroy every obstacle in his path.
Power on its own was neither good nor bad, and it depended on the hands of the user. A righteous man would bring forth a period of justice, while a wicked man would unleash a wave of sin and corruption.
Cain was not so narcissistic as to believe he would be a champion of justice after gaining enough power, but he was sure that he would butcher all evil in his path.
Giving their entire heart and soul to a cause was hard for humans, but it was much easier against something.
Cain focused on the Horn-Flame Boar Leader’s face and saw its rage and resentment.
‘You believe yourself to have been strong, ruling over thousands of Wave Beasts and controlling a large territory, but in reality, you were nothing more than a small fish in an even smaller pond. Your desire to grow stronger must have stagnated long ago, so the moment you entered a larger playfield, you were doomed.’
Cain’s eyes became cold as he engraved the face of the Horn-Flame Boar Leader in his mind, reminding himself never to be content with his current power. There would always be a higher mountain and a stronger monster.
.....
The mental pain kept growing as he used his Ego Wave more, but Cain did not stop and continued using his Blood Refinement Art with the Level 5 Wave Beast’s blood.
“Ahhhhh.”
Cain’s eyes narrowed as he heard that feral roar. It had great power but was so distant that it lost most of its might when it reached the cavern.
Beelze also woke up, and her body grew tense, ready to fight at any second. It was an involuntary response since, over the last few days, a long period of fighting would begin every time she heard that roar.
“You should go back to rest. We already did our part, taking out the Horn-Flame Boar Leader, which would make everything easier for Lurin and the others. Even if we wanted to join the battlefield, we are not in a condition to fight.”
Beelze turned to the side after hearing those words. The calm and composed expression on Cain’s face relaxed her heart, and she nodded before going back to sleep.
Cain saw that Beelze fell to sleep again, and the calm expression on his face vanished, replaced by a cold and pragmatic one.
Ideally, killing the Horn-Flame Boar Leader would generate a ma.s.sive effect on the southwest battlefield, considerably weakening the might of the horde. Still, things did not always go according to plan.
Although Cain wanted to know what happened on the battlefield, he could not distract Lurin amidst a battle, so he would have to wait until tonight’s stampede was over.
Suddenly, an expression of utter agony appeared on Cain’s face as his mental pain from using his Ego Wave grew too high. He was forced to deactivate it, or else the pain would make him lose consciousness.
As the red light in Cain’s eyes vanished, he also took his hand out of the Horn-Flame Boar Leader’s body before using lightning to cauterize the wound, preventing any blood loss.
Cain could still use his Blood Refinement Art without the a.s.sistance of his Ego Wave, but the effect would be subpar at best. It was better to rest and carry on when he was better.
The fact he could not freely use his Ego Wave bothered Cain a lot. If he reached the First Realm of the Ego Eternal Path of Power, there would be no drawbacks, and he could use his Ego Wave without worries.
Unfortunately, there was nothing Cain could do about it since enlightenment over his true nature was not something he could force.
Cain closed his eyes and went into a deep state of sleep. Beelze and Levi were taking guard, and he had the [Basic Scan Force Field] tool keeping surveillance, so there was no need to be on high alert. He was exhausted, so he fell asleep very fast.
“Ahhhh.”
Another feral roar reached the cavern, waking Cain up. He knew that meant the stampede was over, and he could finally ask about the situation on the southwest battlefield.
“How did it go?” Cain went straight to the point the moment he was able to establish communication with Lurin. His face was stern as he prepared for everything.
“It went great!” Lurin did not hide his thrill as he answered Cain’s question.
Cain relaxed, and he took a deep breath. He still needed details, but Lurin’s words and tone of voice made it clear that nothing terrible had happened.
“Elaborate.”
“Yes! Without the Horn-Flame Boar Leader, the ones that took the lead in the southwest battlefield were the two Level 4 Horn-Flame Boars.
There were problems with the horde from the beginning since it seemed both Level 4 Wave Beasts wanted absolute control over the p.a.w.ns, causing them to split into two groups.
The horde’s march was wild and unorganized, even for Wave Beasts, and neither of the Level 4 Horn-Flame Boars dared to enter the battlefield. Maybe, they were worried about suffering some injury and that the other would take advantage of that.
We were able to kill hundreds of Wave Beasts, and although some were wounded, no one had to leave the battlefield.
It was a great night!”
Lurin could not be happier with the outcome. Last night was the first time he truly took control of the soldiers and cadets, and everything went great.
Of course, the scion knew that comparing the current horde with the ones they faced under Cain’s leadership was like comparing a mighty tiger with a starving hyena. Both were depredators, but the imposing might and strength of one could not hold a candle to the other.
Cain nodded as he heard Lurin’s words, and it made sense that the Level 4 Horn-Flame Boars would behave like that. In the military, there was a strict chain of command; if a superior perished, there was always someone ready to take the leadership role. However, you could not expect that level of organization from Wave Beasts, and that flaw proved deadly on the battlefield.
Although the internal fight between the Wave Beasts was great for Lurin and the soldiers protecting Korin City, it was not good for Cain, Levi, and Beelze.
Both Level 4 Horn-Flame Boars must be wary of the other and ready to fight, meaning that both sides are on high alert at every moment.
Cain knew that something like this could happen if he killed the Horn-Flame Boar Leader, but it was a small price to pay.
“How did things go on the northeast battlefield?”
Of all the battlefields besides the southwest, the one that mattered the most to Cain was the northeast, which had Major Luma.
“I did not get a detailed report, but it seems that everything went as usual. Major Luma and the Stampedes’ Leader fought the entire night, but none could overwhelm the other.”
“I see. If everything goes well, we will leave this forest in the night and rejoin you as you face the horde. Keep me informed of any change in the city.”
“?Yes!”
Cain shut down the communication channel before turning toward the Horn-Flame Boar Leader. He used his hand to pierce the beast’s body and activated his Ego Wave and Blood Refinement Art.
The sound of water drew Cain’s attention, and he saw Beelze climb into the cavern. She and Levi changed turns of surveillance while Cain was sleeping.
“We will wait until the night to move. The forest is in turmoil right now, and it would be dangerous to move through it, besides I still need a few more hours before being battle ready.”
Levi and Beelze nodded when they heard those words. Originally they were supposed to leave now, but both of them had complete trust in Cain’s plans, and if he said they had to wait, they would wait.
Cain gained the duo’s confidence through his hard work and flawless plans.
Since they would not leave immediately, Beelze went to rest, and Levi returned to the sh.o.r.e.
Cain did not partic.i.p.ate in the surveillance since he needed to focus all his strength on healing as fast as possible. Three hours after waking up, he drained every drop of the Horn-Flame Boar Leader’s blood, forcing him to use the bodies of other Wave Beasts in his s.p.a.ce ring.
Although the weaker Wave Beasts’ energy could not compare in quality or quant.i.ty to that of the Horn-Flame Boar Leader, they were better than any drug or medicine he had.
By the time night was approaching, Cain’s legs had fully healed. Although he still had other wounds on his body, they could not hinder his battle power.