Chapter 1757: Into the Second Realm
Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut cast one final, lingering glance at the vast expanse of the First Realm. A moment of silence stretched between them, heavy with meaning, before their bodies were enveloped by countless beams of radiant light.
In an instant, they shot upward, propelled by a force beyond comprehension. The sheer speed of their ascent was unfathomableâeven to Prime Deitiesâtheir forms vanishing in a flash as they transcended the very limits of the realm.
In the blink of an eye, they breached the boundary between realms. The barrier of the First Realm, an ancient, almost mythic separation, offered no resistance as the trio phased through.
Yet the eyes of the trillions of beings within the First Realm did not falter. Even after Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut had vanished, their gazes remained fixed on the heavens above, hearts beating with a mixture of awe, longing, and newfound determination.
For those left behind, it was as though the very sky itself had been torn open, revealing a path to something greater. They dreamed of the impossibleâof one day standing alongside the gods themselves, walking the path Cain had open for all of them upon unifying the continent and making the realm whole again.
For Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut, however, the journey had only just begun.
As they surged through the cosmic void, time seemed to lose all meaning. They were surrounded by blinding beams of light, streaks of color and starfire flashing past their eyes in an endless cascade.
The vastness of the Crimson Worldâs Second Realm unfolded before them in fragments, each flicker a fleeting glimpse into the boundless unknown. Stars, nebulae, cosmic stormsâthey passed them all in an instant.
Even for beings of their stature, the distance between the First and Second Realms was astronomical, almost unfathomable. The Second Realm, while theoretically âaboveâ the First, was separated by an expanse so vast that even beings of Prime Deity rank would find it nearly impossible to cross by their own power.
If not for the intervention of the World Will, the trio might have been trapped in the First Realm for countless years, their cultivation stagnated, and their potential wasted.
After what felt like days their speed began to slow. The chaotic streams of light and energy dimmed, and the trioâs senses adjusted to the new reality rushing toward them.
A massive, endless forest appeared below, approaching rapidlyâtoo rapidly.
âBOOM!â âBOOM!â âBOOM!â
Despite their immense power, even Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut were unable to halt their momentum in time. They crashed into the forest at staggering speed, splintering ancient trees, flattening hills, and sending shockwaves rippling outward in all directions. The impact was colossalâan event that would have obliterated entire landscapes in the First Realm.
Yet, for beings of their level, it was little more than an inconvenience.
Even Bahamut, the weakest of the trio, rose from the ground within seconds. Dust and debris swirled around them, but Cain was already surveying the surroundings, his eyes narrowing into sharp, predatory slits. His gaze swept across the shattered forest, analyzing every detail with cold precision.
The memories Cain had stolen from the Sun Lord had warned him that the Second Realm of the Crimson World was no safe haven. Danger lurked in every shadow, and death could strike from any direction. He rose into the air, scanning the area with heightened awareness.
And what he saw gave him pause.
The craters left by their impact were⊠surprisingly small. The shockwaves, while impressive, had only traveled a few hundred kilometersâbarely a ripple compared to what they had expected.
âIf we had crashed into the Everstrife Empyrean World at this speed,â Cain mused, âthe damage would have been five times larger, and the shockwaves would have been felt through an entire continent.â
A sharp gleam flashed in his golden eyes. His mind raced as he pieced together the implications.
âSo⊠this is the Second Realm. The density and durability of its cosmic rules and space-time fabric are on a higher level from the Empyrean Worlds.â
The Empyrean Worlds were already incomprehensibly vast and resilientâcapable of enduring the battles of Arch-Deitiesâyet compared to the Second Realm, they seemed almost fragile. This wasnât just a step up. It was a new battlefield, an entirely higher stage of existence.
But rather than fear, Cain felt only an insatiable hunger and a primal thrill.
âThe stronger the prey⊠the greater my power will become upon devouring them.â
Meylin and Bahamut rose to join him, hovering in the air. Meylin, despite having lived her first life in the Second Realm, had been confined to a limited domain. Bahamut, meanwhile, knew nothing of this place. Both of them instinctively turned to Cain, trusting his insight and leadership.
Cain took a moment to orient himself, scanning the distant horizon, aligning what he saw with the fragmented memories he had extracted from the Sun Lord.
But then, a ripple in the air caught his attention.
His eyes narrowed. His senses sharpened. His instincts flared.
Danger.
A second later, Meylin and Bahamut felt it too. Their bodies tensed as they turned their gazes outward.
From all directions, powerful presences began to surge toward themâapproaching fast, like a storm of death. It wasnât long before the first wave of monsters emerged from the horizon: a horde of massive, feral beasts, each one radiating Third Realm power.
But there was no intelligence in their eyes. No reason, no wisdomâonly raw, mindless savagery. They were pure engines of destruction, driven by an instinct to kill, destroy, and consume.
Their target? The trio.
Meylinâs brows furrowed. Bahamut growled in confusion. Even Cain was surprised. The Sun Lordâs memories held no record of such a phenomenon. But then again, perhaps that wasnât so strange.
No one had ever ascended directly from the First Realm to the Second Realm in the entire history of the Sun Churchâs patron. Such a feat was beyond even the wildest dreams of the most gifted cultivators.
It would have been like asking Cain to reach the peak of the Divine Transcendent Rank while trapped inside the Aetherâutterly impossible.
These thoughts flashed through Cainâs mind in an instant, but he cast them aside. A wild grin stretched across his face, fangs bared, eyes gleaming with a mixture of bloodlust and unrestrained confidence.
âStay behind,â he ordered sharply, his voice resonating with absolute authority. âIâll take care of this.â
Meylin and Bahamut instinctively prepared to fly away, but Cainâs command halted them in their tracks.
Before they could react, Cain surged forward, transforming into a blazing star wreathed in crimson flames. With a roar that tore through the sky, he hurled himself into the horde, a living comet of death crashing into the oncoming wave of monsters.