Chapter 1988: A living curse

Leonidas’ voice rumbled with the weight of stone and flame, calm but unshakably firm.

"You are an impressive young man, Scarlet King. And I sense the danger that the alien carries in his wake, the trail of ruin he leaves behind. That is why I give you this explanation. I have perhaps seven years left... ten if fate is generous. And I will not spend them on war. Imagine it—I could suddenly lose myself, fall into confusion and panic, run from the battlefield when resolve is most needed, or worse... strike down my own allies in madness."

His eyes, glowing like embers deep in the forge, fixed on Cain with unwavering sharpness. This was no frail resignation. This was clarity.

"But you need not worry about me. When the disease finally consumes my mind, when I can no longer string together coherent thoughts, I will kill myself. I will not lose my dignity and crawl in the dirt. I will not lash out at those who do not deserve it. I am Leonidas. Not a beast."

Cain’s gaze deepened. He could see conviction etched into every line of the elder’s battle-scarred face. This was not bravado, not a mask. Leonidas meant every word. He would choose death before surrendering his dignity.

The elder’s voice softened, like cooling metal after the forge.

"Now, please leave. You came to me on a good day, and I would have you remember me as I am now."

He gestured toward the cell’s exit.

Cain, however, did not move. He opened his mouth to speak, but Leonidas raised a hand, silencing him.

"Do not waste your time. I have summoned the finest healers, Genetic Coders, Tribulation Enhancers, and even Soul Masters from across the Everstrife Empyrean World. The greatest minds, the strongest specialists—none could uncover the root of my illness. None could cure it. Let us not waste breath."

It was not that Leonidas had simply accepted death. He had fought it, sought remedies, and exhausted every path. Only after he had failed all methods did he embrace his destiny with honor.

But Cain was not one to abandon hope so easily. His voice was calm but charged with an unshakable resolve.

"Then allow me to try. If I fail, I will leave. I will not trouble you further. I will even ensure that the World War does not touch your domain, so that you may spend your final years in peace. But I cannot turn away without at least trying."

Silence stretched between them. Leonidas’ expression shifted, his gaze measuring Cain, weighing the determination in his eyes. Finally, he sighed, shoulders sagging with reluctant concession.

"If that is the only way to send you off, then so be it. Try."

He closed his eyes. His vast aura receded, defenses sinking away like heavy gates left unbarred. His soul lay open.

To most, this would be a profound gesture of trust. But Cain, guided by The Flow, saw the truth. Leonidas was not worried. His brain was already deteriorating, his mind slipping further into gray mist with every passing year. If Cain tried something reckless, it could hardly be worse than the torment he already endured. And if Cain betrayed him, at least he would die in an epic clash.

Cain’s lips curved faintly. A warrior to the end.

But he did not falter. He placed his hand upon Leonidas’ head. The next moment, the full might of his Ego Wave surged outward, pouring into the Archdeity’s Soul Dimension.

A tide of psychic might engulfed the elder’s essence. Cain scoured every fiber of his existence. He probed the foundation of the Alter-Ego, untangled threads of memory, consciousness, and spirit. His mind combed through every crevice, searching for the elusive root of corruption.

Minutes dragged into an hour.

Yet nothing.

There was no visible wound, no scar, no sigil. The disease was there—but hidden beyond all reason, buried deeper than normal perception could reach.

At last, Cain withdrew his Ego Wave.

Leonidas opened his eyes. His face was complex, layered with resignation and faint disappointment. Though he had embraced his fate, though he spoke with conviction of ending his life with dignity, a part of him—a quiet ember—had still hoped. Hoped for a miracle.

But Cain’s silence seemed to smother that fragile flame.

Then, just as the last trace of Cain’s Ego withdrew, something stirred.

A ripple. A vibration not of spirit, but of something deeper.

Leonidas’ body stiffened. His soul shuddered as a strange force coursed through him, unlike anything he had felt in his countless millennia. This was no ordinary psychic energy. This was something beyond particles, beyond matter, beyond the reach of even most Archdeities.

Cain’s eyes narrowed as the System’s cold, mechanical voice echoed within him.

[2,500 SDF consumed. Singularity Scan Force enhanced.]

He ignored the message. His focus sharpened to a needle’s point. He drove the [A.I. Chip Module] into overdrive, pushing its scanning protocols beyond their limits.

The Singularity Scan Force wrapped around Leonidas’ essence, weaving a net across dimensions invisible to the soul. Layer by layer, Cain dug deeper, through flesh, spirit, and thought.

Thirty-one minutes passed.

Finally, the System spoke again.

[Source of mental decline located.

Core nature identified: a living curse.

Infection has penetrated every stratum of the target’s soul.

...

...

...

Extraction impossible. Any attempt at destruction will kill the host. The curse is alive. It cannot be expelled without destroying the vessel.]

Cain’s jaw tightened.

At last, he understood.

That fragment of the dead super powerhouse’s will took the form of a living curse. It had fused with Leonidas at the deepest level, dormant for untold ages. Now, after more than millions of years, it had fully awakened.

"A living curse. Incurable." Cain’s expression was dark. He did not utter a word, since there was no point in stating he knew the nature of the sickness if he did not have a way to handle it. It would only bring false hope to Leonidas.

The curse could not be destroyed. It could not be cut out, burned away, or exorcised. If he attempted to take it out, the backlash would be so powerful that it would kill the old man, as the curse would not accept just being expelled.

Cain’s golden eyes flared with dangerous light. A third path flickered in his thoughts, one no one else would dare to take, but that could save Leonidas.