Escape from the Capital

Cain tore his gaze away from the corpse and glanced upward, wordless. He began his ascent back to the surface, his fingers clawing at the rubble, praying for stability. Occasionally, his grip faltered, and he would grasp at a handful of loose rocks and stones.

It didn't take long with his stamina. With one last pull, he grappled himself up to the surface. Coming out of the hole, he clawed at the floorboards and got his entire body above ground, finally standing up. No one was in the Church, so he went to the door to peer outside.

The entire Church was surrounded by soldiers using scutum shields, creating a wall around the premises. Anders could be seen with a few other officers pacing back and forth. He was biting his nails and looked anxious.

'Looks like I made a mess. Shouldn't have entered the city through the front door. Ah well, it already happened; might as well cause some chaos.'

As Cain pushed the church's double doors, they creaked open, and all eyes darted toward him. Anders wore a momentary expression of happiness, but soon a terrible feeling has overwritten it.

"Where's Lord Augustus? What have you done with Sir Augustus?"

Instead of Cain's usual smiling response, he stayed indifferent, responding coldly to Anders, "He died, as all of you will."

Vigilant, the officers pulled out their weapons and slowly backed away from Cain, getting closer to the shield wall.

Anders stood rooted to the spot, blood dripping from his wounded hands where his nails dug deep into his skin, even hitting the bones. Though the pain was excruciating, he refused to wince, his gaze fixed on Cain, emanating a hatred so intense that it sent shivers down anyone's spine.

Cain scanned his surroundings, taking note of everyone present. "Anders, five officers, at least Grade 2 or higher, 100 augmented soldiers, 200 normal ones. Should be easy enough."

He walked down the church steps and approached Anders. He watched the other men present quiver at his presence; after all, he had just killed their leader. Standing almost in front of Anders now, he stopped and looked at him.

"A decade, and you're only a Grade one. You seem to truly lack talent, though you have reached your technique's highest potential, so it makes up for the lacking talent, I suppose."

Anders didn't reply; he just glared at Cain with his sword in his hand. His grip was so tight he could break the handle with a little more force. His mind was consumed by hatred, and the only reason he didn't move was the paralyzing fear Cain radiated at this moment.

Cain looked like the boogeyman, as if he had escaped from a dark realm and emerged into reality. His very presence exuded an insane and malicious aura, striking fear into the hearts of all who beheld him.

When he was waiting to meet with the resistance leader, he changed his clothes back into his black silk robes and adorned his jewelry again, returning his appearance to that of a godlike figure.

Many of the soldiers truly believed he was a god, as a plethora of them were actually believers of his church. Appearances mattered, and Cain's was otherworldly. His robes fluttered with the wind, his long hair swayed, and his piercing gaze looked at them as nothing more than insects.

Combined with his wild eyes and killing intent, it gave an aura of paralyzing fear for the weak-willed or those who already feared him, like Anders. 'This might be easier than I thought' Cain raised his palm and reached toward Anders's head. Anders became distressed and once again fought for his body to move. Unlike last time, no one would come and save him.

Cain's cold hand touched his face, and Cain looked into his alarmed eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you yet. But you must learn that there are repercussions for your actions."

Cain then threw Anders behind him, and Anders slammed into the church's stairs, having a perfect view of what Cain was about to do.

"Men, attack the fugitive!"

The officers remained largely unaffected by Cain's formidable presence, seemingly impervious to his aura. Whether it was due to some pathogen they carried or simply their inflated egos, it made no difference to Cain.

Without hesitation, he launched himself toward the shield wall, shattering it with a single powerful charge. Now behind enemy lines, he went crazy, using his hands to kill anything they touched.

Soldiers flew, cried out, and screamed in agony as Cain swiftly moved through the army. He directed his movements toward the officers as he caught a look of alarm on some of their faces.

The five officers were standing on a wooden platform that had been built recently. It only took a little jump, and Cain was on that same platform, looking at his prey who fell to the floor in terror.

"You should be on the front lines with your soldiers. That's how to be a good commander, after all."

"Die, slave!"

The man spread his arm out in Cain's direction. Awkwardly, nothing happened, and silence ensued.

"How do you still look normal?"

"That was you? Well, I must say, weak bacteria like that shouldn't work on anyone. But even so, I'm immune to things like that. Now die."

Cain stomped on the officer and killed him. He then looked at the others and smiled, their screams entering the eardrums of everyone present. Those who were believers in the Church began to desert or even turn on their comrades.

Chaos engulfed the city as the ranks of soldiers swelled, some joining the deserters after witnessing their God's presence on the platform. The battlefield became a maelstrom of clashes between deserters, believers, and loyal soldiers, their swords clashing and cries of war filling the air.

With the cover of this havoc, Cain made his way out of the city. All the while, Anders was on the stairs, his mind blank as he stared at the battle before him. All of this was caused by Cain.

His commander had died, and the entire garrison of Salazar was fighting and killing each other. Anders couldn't believe what unfolded before his eyes; weariness enveloped him. He had grown exhausted from the ceaseless battles and the role of being the Emperor's loyal dog.

But then he remembered why he had decided to become the Emperor's dog. He needed to gain power and connections, so he could kill Cain and end his tyranny. His rage burned, and he slowly began to move as Cain had long disappeared. He stood up and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Soldiers! Stop this NOW!"

He was so loud that even the clashing of weapons could not drown out his voice. The soldiers stopped and looked to Anders as he stood up, proud and tall.

"Deserters! Your so-called god has left you. Surrender or die!"

The deserters looked around frantically, searching for Cain. With the realization that he had vanished from their midst and Anders was the only that remained, their spirits sank, and they surrendered, their morale shattered.

...

With the city left behind, Cain pressed onward, his sights set on the north. The mysterious black box tantalizingly close, he refused to relent, undeterred by any obstacles that dared to cross his path.