Chapter 1702: Finishing with the underworld

Fulfilling his duty under the guise of Jarkal, Cain once again stood alongside the forces of Divine Sea Heaven, facing the army of Divine Calamity Heaven led by Zoro.

Leading the battalion stood Michael, the white stag Deus Behemoth, accompanied by several other Prima Deities responsible for defending the right flank of the Endlessdeath Continent.

Thanks to Cain’s carefully crafted intelligence, Zoro’s forces were able to advance thousands of kilometers, avoiding ambushes and dozens of concealed traps before finally being forced into a direct confrontation. But unlike the previous engagement, this time the battle would not unfold so easily.

Cain—still posing as Jarkal—threw himself into the fray immediately. His presence on the battlefield was like a hammer falling from the heavens. Empowered by not one but two Proto-Laws—especially the destructive might of the Proto-Law of Tempering Flame—alongside his enhanced dominion over the Law of Shadows, Cain could now imitate up to 85% of Jarkal’s original power.

That, paired with the brutal precision and killing intent he displayed, allowed Divine Sea Heaven’s forces to match the onslaught of Divine Calamity Heaven blow for blow.

And once again, Cain’s primary focus was the Crown Prince of the Golden Star Kingdom—Martin.

Their clash was ferocious, echoing with divine might. Cain came close several times to landing fatal blows. The only reason Martin escaped with his life was his impeccable reflexes and battle intuition—dodging or deflecting each strike by the slimmest of margins.

Cain, for his part, didn’t hold back. If anything, he pressed harder. If Martin had to die for him to keep his cover, then so be it.

After nearly five hours of relentless combat, a deep frown appeared on Zoro’s face. Though Divine Calamity Heaven was not losing, they were not gaining ground either. The stalemate was dangerous—especially when deep in enemy territory.

“Retreat!”

Zoro’s voice boomed across the battlefield. He was wise enough to understand the risk of being exhausted in foreign lands. Continuing the battle would only invite disaster. Reluctantly, his forces began to withdraw.

A wide, satisfied smile spread across Michael’s face as he watched Zoro’s forces fall back. The humiliation of losing the first engagement and surrendering territory had lingered. Now, finally, they had fought to a draw—perhaps even gained the upper hand—and that was enough to restore his pride.

As the feeling of triumph washed over the white stag, he found himself turning to glance at Jarkal.

He had been studying the man throughout the battle, watching the savagery behind each blow, the focus behind every movement. There had been no hesitation, no uncertainty—only relentless aggression. It was impossible to fake such commitment, and although his instincts still whispered that something was off, his suspicion was beginning to fade.

From the corner of his eye, Cain caught Michael’s gaze. A silent smile appeared on his lips, while a hidden golden glow flickered in his pupils. The Flow activated silently, and Cain instantly read the emotions and surface thoughts moving through Michael’s heart.

“Return to your homes. Await further instruction.”

Michael’s voice echoed across the skies as he dismissed the Prima Deities. They all nodded respectfully and scattered to their respective domains.

Cain didn’t return to the Volcano Tree. Not yet.

“Time to harvest,” he whispered coldly.

With that single thought, his eyes gleamed with brutal hunger and ravenous intent. Without hesitation or mercy, Cain descended once more into the underworld of the Endlessdeath Continent to resume his work.

Although time was on his side, he had no intention of wasting it. He focused exclusively on targets of Divine Transformation and above—those whose souls and bodies could endure his Genetic Coding experiments.

One by one, he hunted down evil Divine Masters, capturing them with ruthless efficiency. He would extract their memories, and carry on with his experiments, only stopping once they were on the brink of death.

This went on for months.

Every three days, he continued to send detailed, perfectly accurate reports to Zoro. Every couple of weeks, he responded to Michael’s summons, joining the battlefield and maintaining the illusion of Jarkal’s loyalty and presence. It was a careful balance, but Cain handled it flawlessly.

Then, after six months, Cain stumbled upon a “big whale.”

Hovering silently above a remote town, his sharp gaze focused on a small village nestled among sparse forests and dusty plains. The settlement housed a few tens of thousands of people—insignificant compared to the great, sprawling metropolises scattered across the Endlessdeath Continent, each with populations in the tens of millions.

This town was peaceful—untouched by the war. Divine Calamity Heaven had no reason to target such places as they had zero strategic value. It was simply left alone.

But what made this town unique wasn’t the population.

It was the old man residing in a modest home at its center.

He looked unremarkable—frail, bent with age, skin like parchment—but Cain knew better.

Taking a slow breath, Cain stepped forward, teleporting instantly behind the man.

His hand moved like lightning.

The old man reacted faster than any mortal should have—faster than even Divine Transcendent Masters. But Cain was faster still. His hand clamped down on the back of the man’s skull before he could fully move.

There was no hesitation.

Cain twisted the man around and held him face-to-face with his right eye, which now pulsed with ominous power.

Before the old man could muster even a flicker of resistance, his surroundings shifted into black and white. A dark moon loomed overhead, and the landscape faded into stillness. Time stilled. Space bent.

He was trapped inside the realm of the Dark Moon Eye.

In the real world, only a second passed.

Cain’s eye dimmed and slowly shut. The old man’s body went limp. The light vanished from his gaze. His ego and will were shattered.

Not a single fluctuation of divine energy had occurred. No defensive mechanism was triggered. No warning was sent. It was clean, silent, surgical.

Cain smiled, satisfied.

He had captured alive the final Third Realm Master from the underworld.