The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2389: The death of the Scarlet King (II)

”He transferred the killing mark of his soul to mine!”

Cain’s eyes widened as realization struck him like a thunderbolt. The implications were horrifying, and the situation instantly became catastrophic.

If he left this dome, the Universe Will would strike him with power so overwhelming that it could erase his very existence. This was not a threat—this was a certainty.

”What should I do...?”

Cain knew he had to act, and he had to act fast. Time was the one thing he no longer possessed. His lifespan was fading at a shocking speed, each passing second carrying him closer to irreversible death.

”Dammit... dammit... dammit!”

The Scarlet King roared in frustration. He was locked in a broken city, unable to contact anyone, a deadly storm waiting outside, and he was aging so fast that this place might very well become his tomb.

This was not a problem that could be solved through combat. No amount of brute force or martial supremacy could fix what had been done to his soul. If he failed to find an answer soon, the Scarlet King would quite literally die of old age.

”Anark...”

The name surfaced in his mind unbidden. The True Primordial had once entered a state of stasis that lasted for billions of years—his body frozen while his mind and soul remained active.

That technique might allow Cain to survive the corrosion of his lifespan. At least long enough until he found a more permanent solution.

But the problem was leaving this place.

The thunder raging above him made it painfully clear how badly the Universe Will wanted him dead. The moment he stepped outside this dome, he would be assaulted by tribulations of apocalyptic magnitude—and Cain did not know whether he could withstand them.

”Ao... and Aioro...”

Two more names surfaced.

Those two practically embodied the will and life of the Everstrife Empyrean World itself. If anyone could shield him from the rage of the Universe Will, it would be them.

But even that required leaving the dome.

”And even if I manage to escape... I don’t even know where I am. Or which direction leads back to the Everstrife Empyrean World.”

Cold fury burned in Cain’s eyes as he grasped the full extent of Sozing’s final scheme.

He was trapped inside the dome, his body and soul withering away as his lifespan drained. The Universe Will stood ready to annihilate him the instant he stepped outside. His powers as a Dreamwalker were sealed, leaving him unable to escape using his True Name. And worst of all—he had no idea if those abilities would ever return.

The pressure was suffocating.

For a moment, it felt as if the weight of the universe itself was pressing down on his shoulders, threatening to crush him completely, and feeling the thunder beyond the dome, he was not wrong.

However, it did not take long for Cain’s eyes to sharpen.

Resolve burned through his fear like fire through ice.

”This is hard,” he told himself coldly. ”But I can do this. I will find a way.”

Cain had faced horrors beyond imagination. He had endured trials that would have shattered lesser beings beyond recovery. Time and time again, he had survived by maintaining a cold, analytical mind.

This would be no different.

Focusing inward, Cain analyzed the deterioration of his lifespan with ruthless precision.

”The aging is slowing as it progresses,” he concluded. ”At this rate... I have seven days before my lifespan is fully consumed.”

Seven days.

That was enough.

Without wasting another second, Cain assumed a meditative posture and began to train. He consumed every treasure he possessed without hesitation.

Relics that would make Alpha-Omega Overgods tremble with envy were devoured one after another. Cain showed no attachment, no reverence—only cold efficiency. Power flowed into him in violent waves as he restored his strength.

Once he had gathered enough energy, he summoned the Scarlet Throne and consumed Sozing’s corpse.

Without a soul, the body granted only raw vitality—but even that was precious now.

Six hours passed.

When Cain opened his eyes again, his power had recovered to a level where he could confidently survive at least the initial tribulations of the Universe Will.

He glanced at his reflection.

The sight made his jaw tighten.

He now looked close to his fifties.

There was no more time to waste.

Cain marched toward the ceiling of the dome and struck it with overwhelming force. Massive cracks spiderwebbed across its surface—and unlike before, the regeneration was sluggish.

”So he was telling the truth,” Cain muttered. ”Now that Sozing is dead, the dome can be destroyed.”

His eyes glowed sharply as he continued to ram into the structure, stopping only when a thin layer remained between him and the raging lightning above.

The Chaos Wings manifested.

Using every ounce of strength he possessed, Cain forced a thin tendril of his psychic power through the cracks and beyond the dome.

”BOOOOM!”

It lasted less than a second before being obliterated by lightning.

But that single moment was enough.

Cain’s eyes gleamed.

”The power of life and creation is overwhelming... I’ve never seen anything like this. And yet—”

His breath caught.

”It feels familiar.”

As he analyzed further, realization struck him with sudden clarity. A place hidden at the very heart of the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe surfaced in his memory.

A dimension where creation itself was forged.

A place where he had once been born... and later lost access to.

”I’m inside the World Forge.”

A wide smile spread across Cain’s face.

If this truly was the World Forge, then escaping it and reaching the Everstrife Empyrean World would not be difficult.

”As long as I found a way through the Universe Will’s storms, I should be able to...” Cain was not able to finish his sentence.

Disorientation assaulted his senses, accompanied by a deep, creeping fear.

”What’s happening...? Where am I...?”

His thoughts fractured. His perception blurred.

Then—just as abruptly—focus snapped back into place.

Cain’s eyes sharpened once more.

And then they widened in horror.

Something was blooming inside his mind.