Chapter 1821: Awakening the Dream (I)

Cain and the Star ArchDeity fought with a ferocity that could only be described as borderline insane and suicidal. Their every strike was focused solely on delivering killing blows, with neither side bothering to defend or worry about the harm arising in their bodies. This was not a duel of finesse or strategy—it was pure, primal war. Flesh and power collided in chaotic harmony.

Wounds split open across Cain’s Neo-Demon form repeatedly. Even with the help of The Flow, he couldn’t counter or dodge every attack. The Star ArchDeity’s strikes were too fast, too refined, carrying cosmic power of the highest level. But thanks to the endless vitality provided by the Scarlet Throne, each injury healed almost instantly, allowing Cain to continue his relentless assault.

This reckless exchange worked both ways. Cain’s Sky Devourer began to bite into the flesh of his foe. Each successful strike pierced through the Star ArchDeity’s arms, and legs, even scraping past ribs and shoulders. Unlike Cain, however, the ArchDeity lacked regeneration. Worse yet, Sky Devourer carried an insidious energy that poisoned every wound it caused. The damage expanded like a venom, making each cut bleed profusely, weakening the ArchDeity with every passing moment.

Yet, despite this back-and-forth, it was clear to all observers that the Star ArchDeity held the upper hand. His speed, strength, and technique eclipsed Cain’s—especially in moments of head-to-head exchanges. But this advantage brought him no satisfaction.

His grim expression made it clear: Cain was not his only concern.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!”

A thunderous explosion, even louder than the clashes between Cain and the Star ArchDeity, echoed across the sky. Next to them in the highest sky, the Dragon Empress and the Lord of Ages collided in a spectacle of divine fury.

Tiamat wore a brutal, triumphant smile as she released a torrent of crimson flames that melted the very fabric of space-time. The Lord of Ages responded with desperation, summoning massive walls of shadow and chains to protect himself. Still, the force of Tiamat’s attack overwhelmed him, sending his body flying backward, coughing out mouthfuls of blood.

Without the support of the Star ArchDeity, the Lord of Ages was no match for the Dragon Empress. Worse still, his old wounds from his first clash with the Dragon Empress were beginning to flare again, further weakening his already declining strength.

If things continued this way, the Lord of Ages feared he wouldn’t last another hour.

“What’s taking you so long?!” the Lord of Ages bellowed furiously, his fear morphing into anger. His shout echoed toward the Star ArchDeity, frustration thick in every word. He couldn’t believe that a supposed ArchDeity was struggling against a Prima Deity—even one as gifted as Cain.

“Hmph,” the Star ArchDeity sneered coldly. He held little respect for the Lord of Ages. The man’s arrogance grated on him. However, his orders had come from the Ancient One himself. Support the Lord of Ages in this war, no matter the cost.

The Star ArchDeity’s gaze turned resolute. A constellation embedded in his body began to glow brighter and brighter, each star pulsating with power that rivaled the core of the Second Realm’s sun.

Cain’s eyes narrowed. The constellation felt familiar—eerily so—but he had no time to dwell on it. The Star ArchDeity moved with terrifying new speed and power, flashing forward like a meteor.

Cain barely avoided decapitation, using The Flow and his blade to deflect the killing strike. But he wasn’t fast enough to stop the devastating kick that followed. It slammed into his ribs, shattering them instantly and sending him hurtling through the air like a broken comet.

Gritting his teeth, Cain felt his bones rapidly begin to heal. But before he could fully recover, the Star ArchDeity was upon him again. This time, his sword carried the force to split continents. Cain twisted his body with precision and narrowly dodged the blow—but the cost was high. A fist slammed into his sternum immediately after, shattering the bone and forcing the air from his lungs. His heart thudded painfully, damaged from the impact, and his Asura Form collapsed under the strain.

Blood streamed from every orifice in Cain’s face as he dropped from the sky, the backlash devastating his internal systems. But there was no time to breathe. No time to rest.

The Star-infused sword fell upon him once more, carrying the weight of an ocean. Cain barely lifted Sky Devourer to shield himself as the weapon crashed into him, dragging him into a maelstrom of cosmic energy.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!”

The explosion that followed his crash into the ground shattered the earth for countless kilometers. A crater vast enough to swallow cities formed beneath him. Dust, debris, and silence filled the air.

The Star ArchDeity exhaled deeply. The exertion from his last power-up had drained him more than expected. His face grew pale as exhaustion overtook him, his body finally registering the cost of such overwhelming force.

Still, he was not worried.

“Even if he’s alive,” the Star ArchDeity muttered, “he won’t be getting up from that crater anytime soon.”

But just as the words left his mouth, the sky began to glow.

A collective gasp echoed from all sides of the battlefield. Every warrior—ally and enemy alike—looked skyward in shock as the Matrix of the Crimson World began to manifest overhead. Its radiant light pierced the heavens, filling the air with divine resonance.

Confusion spread. Who could possibly be undergoing a breakthrough at such a moment? Was someone truly trying to ascend under these apocalyptic conditions?

Then the answer came.

Threads of cosmic law began to descend—not toward the Star ArchDeity, not toward the Dragon Empress or the Lord of Ages—but into the massive crater that had just formed.

All eyes turned.

And everything became clear.

Cain Laurifer wasn’t finished.

He was breaking through.

Even in the depths of injury, crushed under the blow of an ArchDeity, he was ascending—evolving. The rules of reality themselves were folding into his soul, responding to his unrelenting will. It was a rebirth.