Chapter 1946: Bael

Chapter 1946: Bael

“Yet, before any of that,” Amon said, his tone measured but carrying weight, “you must pass a trial.”

The moment Cain heard those words, his eyes grew cold, and the full pressure of his psychic power was released. The golden light and crimson flames within them deepened into something heavier, darker—an all-swallowing power that seemed ready to engulf Amon whole.

It was true that Cain sought to forge alliances, and he would be in great danger if he did not succeed, but he was not some fledgling cultivator who would leap through hoops like a trained beast just to earn the approval of another Archdeity. The Scarlet Alliance belonged to him. While he would take the opinions and advice of others into careful consideration, he was its ruler.

And what kind of precedent would it set if he humbled himself, running about completing trials for others to “allow” them to stand beside him?

Amon’s expression tightened as the Scarlet King’s gaze bore into him. The oppressive force of Cain’s will poured into the room, pressing into his heart and mind as if carrying the weight of the sky, and for a moment, Amon felt as though his very soul stood at the precipice of being devoured into a realm of infinite torment.

But the Archdeity of the Finger of Death was not easily broken. He inhaled deeply, steeled his mind, and spoke again, his voice sharpened.

“It is not my trial,” he clarified, “but one from the past.”

Cain’s flames receded slightly, the brutal edge in his eyes softening into something more inquisitive. The tension in the air eased. Amon’s own shoulders relaxed as the crushing psychic pressure lifted from the chamber.

“It will be easier if I show you,” Amon said at last. “Follow me.”

Without another word, he extended his right hand to the center of the room. Power surged from his palm, and a massive staircase spiraled downward into the depths. Cain peered into it, sensing that the descent led not just into the foundations of the Finger of Death, but perhaps even deeper than that.

Amon nodded once, then began his descent without hesitation. Cain followed close behind.

Even for Archdeities, whose speed could carry them across continents in mere hours, the journey downward was long. Stone and shadow swallowed them on all sides, the air growing heavier with each step. Finally, after a considerable time, they reached the bottom.

Cain glanced upward briefly.

“We are hundreds of thousands of kilometers beneath the ocean floor,” he observed.

It was a remarkable feat. Ascending that distance into the sky was trivial for someone of his caliber, but tunneling downward was another matter entirely. Down here, the sheer pressure of the earth transformed even mundane rock into a substance so resilient that it would take an Archdeity hours to shatter a few hundred meters—let alone carve a path this deep.

“This is a place that had existed since the First Era,” Amon murmured in acknowledgment, his eyes briefly distant before gesturing forward.

The tunnel ahead was cloaked in absolute darkness. They moved in silence for nearly an hour more before a radiant glow appeared in the distance.

What awaited them was a vast circular rock formation, thousands of meters in diameter. At first glance, it resembled the remains of some ancient structure—an archeological relic buried in the abyss. But Cain’s sharpened senses quickly detected something far more significant. Energy pathways ran through the structure like veins, channeling power directly from the Finger of Death.

And not just from that mountain. Other channels extended in the opposite direction—toward the Finger of Life.

Cain’s gaze narrowed. As he studied the connections, he also noticed a second tunnel leading from the opposite direction, merging here at the heart of the formation.

Before he could draw a conclusion, he sensed it—a presence of immense magnitude. A moment later, a figure emerged from the glow.

The being was colossal, sculpted in the perfect image of strength and vitality. His white-hued body was carved like living marble, every muscle and sinew more than mere flesh—it was pure, unrestrained vitality given form. Golden fissures streaked across his pale frame like rivers of molten sunlight, each crack glowing as though his body could barely contain the immeasurable power within.

A helm, seamlessly fused with his face, gave his visage a skull-like, otherworldly beauty—fearsome and awe-inspiring in equal measure. From the crown of his head arched a crescent halo of unbreakable metal. This was no gentle symbol of piety, but a mark of absolute dominion, as sharp and commanding as any blade. His eyes blazed with searing crimson light, each glance carrying the weight of a ruler who could both create and unmake worlds.

Cain did not hide the flicker of surprise in his eyes. He knew this man.

Bael.

The leader of Brightmarch Heaven. A sworn enemy of Amon.

A dozen thoughts collided in Cain’s mind as he tried to reconcile what he was seeing. Just as he was about to demand an explanation, a sharp realization struck him.

His gaze swept between Amon and Bael, his senses diving deeper, peeling back every layer of concealment. Then he felt it—the faint but undeniable resonance.

“You two…” Cain’s voice dropped into something colder, more certain. “…are brothers.”

Amon froze mid-breath. It wasn’t the first time he and Bael had been in the same place—many across the Everstreif Empyrean World had seen them clash countless times over the course of millions of years. But never—not once—had anyone suspected a familial bond between them.

They had hidden it with extreme care, burying every trace of shared blood under layers of shield and formations.

But Cain’s Path of Conquest pierced through all deceit. Blood could lie to the world, but not to him.

For a few seconds, the chamber was silent. Then Amon slowly turned toward Bael, a dry, almost incredulous laugh escaping him.

“Hahaha… I told you, brother,” he said, his smirk widening, “the Scarlet King is truly something else.”

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Chapter: 1/14 (+6 – Power Stone Bonus)

Current schedule: 14 chapters a week.

Bonus chapters:

Over 400 power stones: 3 extra chapters.

Over 600 power stones: 6 extra chapters.

Over 800 power stones: 9 extra chapters.