Adulation (VI)

Chapter 387

Adulation (VI)

Three souls stood about for a moment in silence, flanked by the white space stretching out into infinity. Cain gazed curiously at the soul remnant floating there in the shape of a coalesced, purple smoke, no larger than a forearm, while the soul seemed to stare right back at him.

"How's he alive?" Cain asked the woman who smiled faintly.

"If he had fully matured, you wouldn't have been able to even put him in this state," the woman said. "This here is his Origin Soul."

"Origin Soul?"

"Well, it's very incomplete. Origin Souls, when completed, are pure white and spherical in shape, not to mention exude breathtaking aroma. He was on a path to become a Demigod, but was lacking. That's why his Origin Soul is merely partially formed. Still, it's how he survived."

"…"

"You could have killed him if you injected pure Divine Energy into your attacks," she said. "The only way to kill a Demigod is either to use Origin Mana--or, well, just 'Mana' once you're a Demigod yourself, or to use Divine Energy."

"Interesting," Cain mumbled.

"This is a problem, though," the woman said.

"What is?"

"Because of the sheer size of the collision, it caused tears to open that I hadn't anticipated. Someone has likely picked up on this battle."

"... what do you mean?" Cain frowned.

"It means you are no longer safe, Divine Seed," it wasn't the woman who replied but the half-dead man. "Grand though you may be, still a tiny nothing in the cosmic overworld."

"So, that means that the Divines know of me?" Cain asked hastily.

"Possibly," the woman replied.

"... you may be able to afford to be nonchalant about this--"

"Hardly," the woman said. "Master ordered me to keep you safe. If I failed, it will be my neck. And though you seem like fine enough of a guy, I still prefer my life over yours."

"Then what?"

"... plans will have to accelerate, it seems," the woman said with a sigh. "We've always planned on getting you into the Divine Realm eventually, but we had hoped to do so when most of your forces had at least undergone their Third Awakening. As it stands, however, we can't wait that long. We'll have to depart within the next three days."

"... I'm not leaving my family. May as well die with them, if that's the only other choice."

"Haaah, you and--whatever. It won't just be you. Select fourteen other people--it's the maximum since that's how many Ag'vaan Masks we have in our possession currently. All fifteen of you will be transported into the Divine Realm and given false identities. You'll blend in and stay low for a while, after which you'll continue to do the exact thing you were doing here."

"Uh--climbing the Tower?"

"Getting stronger. The Divine Realm is as vast as dozens of the Towers, as it's not simply one world but a cleverly-connected set of eight different planets existing in the same solar system. It won't feel much different than the life here--you'll go conquering dungeons, finishing world-sized quests, getting items, and slowly leveling up. It's a system similar to the Towers', just made for the children who get to skip the whole experience."

"You went through it?" Cain quizzed.

"I did."

"I don't trust it, then."

"..."

"C'mon, it's a joke. What? Did the Divine Realm zap you of all your humor?"

"No, but what you consider humor did."

"Ouch. Touche," Cain grinned. "Alright. So, what about that thing?" he asked, pointing at the floating 'soul'.

"You can kill it," she said. "Or you can let him live."

"What's this? Like a choice in an RPG, do you wanna be 'Evil' or 'Good'? Kinda lame."

"You've already embarked on the path of a Divine," she said. "So, you have to begin forging your Will."

"My will?"

"The thing that the cosmos will recognize you by."

"It can recognize me by my name, though?"

"Ah, yes. Cain," she rolled her eyes. "Very unique. No such other name in the universe."

"Bite me."

"Master was supposed to explain all this to you, so I'll give you a quick crash course since we have no time: once inundated with a Divine Seed, every choice you makes begins shaping it. Sparing life, ending life, torturing life, stealing, crying, cowering, shitting yourself--what comes at the end is an image. Not a literal one--something that neither you nor I can truly understand. And it's that image that cosmos understands you by and makes you Divine, giving you the control over it."

"Does it make a difference?" Cain quizzed. "Good, evil, chaotic, shitotic, isn't it the same in the end if the cosmos recognizes you either way?"

"Who knows?" she shrugged. "So, what are you going to do with him?"

"Let him live," Cain replied without much thought.

"Oh? Didn't take you for a soft one."

"... there's a misconception that you, and most of the world, it seems, hold," Cain said. "The truth is, I don't give a shit about Earth. It's a desolate place full of ego-addled children that will go up in flames as soon as I disappear. I'm tired of being its nanny, truth be told. All I care for are the people I love. And, well, you've just told me I can take fourteen of them with me. Others, whom I love less and who will likely stay of their own will, can take care of themselves just fine. As for the world? These guys can come and fuck it as much as they want later on."

"You have no love for the world that raised you?" the soul asked.

"... raised me?" Cain glanced at him. "You're quite wrong. I grew up despite the world. You'll rarely find a person on Earth who loves Earth. We love segments of it--some love their family, some themselves, some their friends, some love one or the other God, and some might even love their nation. As for the rest of the world? Eh. Be what it be. However, I will say one thing."

"..."

"If you do come back, limit your attacks to the world. If you touch anyone in the Towers, I will come back and I will wipe you and your world, that you oh so love, from existence."

"No one can escape the Divine Realm. It is a hollow threat."

"No one?" Cain arched his brow, glancing at the woman. "Then... what about her?"

"...!!" it was only then, seemingly, that the man realized it. On the other hand, the woman smiled faintly. "Impossible! How--how--"

"Whuh. Good thing, ain't it? Otherwise, I might just have to have killed you. Anyway, let's leave this patriot and return. I'm a bit worried about others."

"Their battle has ended, already."

"Hm? It shouldn't have, though?"

"As soon as you defeated him, everyone received the clear warning--like an alarm--and immediately retreated."

"... how would they--ah. Thanks."

"Least I could do, for trapping you here," she smiled. "Who will you choose?"

"It's hardly my choice, though," he said. "I'll take those who will come."

"Fourteen of them."

"Yes, yes, I hear you. Truth be told... I doubt there's even gonna be that many."

Cain wasn't playing it off--outside of his immediate family, which was sure to follow him, his confidence faltered. The issue wasn't that those men and women didn't respect him--but that they didn't sign up for a cosmic war, and certainly not the life of living on some other planet under a false identity and with no access to the current luxuries. Besides me... Emma, Senna, and Lana were likely to follow. Because of Lana, and Cain himself, Taima was also likely to come. That was five.

Lek will also come as he has no true attachments. Of the rest... he was the most confident in Jamal. Kramer likely won't as he had a family. Yuki might, as might Daniel and Ethan. Perhaps even Shawn, though it was far from certain. Even in the best case scenario, he suspected ten people to come along at the most. Still, it was better than he initially expected, when he heard he would have to move.

There was also Rick, but he had no intention of even asking the man--not only was Rick not a true Conqueror anymore, but he had a massive Empire here. And, besides, it wasn't as though he would 'abandon' them forever--he'd still ask the man to try and build up a massive force for the future, if at all possible. For now, however, those ten, or fewer, was enough.

Though taking Lana worried him, there was no way she would stay behind. It only meant that he would have to teach her and get her to be much stronger. Then again, Taima was even weaker--though, in fairness, he was becoming who he was in the past--the best blacksmith in the Tower. Lek had also been growing considerably, though they never brought him along for the bosses as the summons were still too weak to face them.

It should be fine, he stretched lazily as the white world came undone, and he found himself back on Earth. Down below, he could see everyone staring up at the sky as though expecting a descent of a God. Almost as soon as he appeared, cheers and cries began to bloom out like thunder, soon drowning out all other noises. It even scared him a little bit--by now, there were even more people as the island was flanked by hundreds of warships of varying flags, all hosting hundreds of Conquerors from other nations. And they too seemed to be singing. It was strange--they shouldn't be aware of what transpired.

Glancing up, in the membrane of reality, he saw the woman smiling at him still and winking. A voice trickled out that caused him to sigh. Apparently, it was a gift from her--as she showed the entire fight to the world outside, which was also why the invaders retreated so swiftly. And now... well, now, even he felt a bit embarrassed, cheered by thousands as though their lungs were on fire. Perhaps, he mused, they might even be. At this point, he couldn't know.