Chapter 204: You’re Strong, but Not Strong Enough Yet

Cain stared at the extended hand.

Then he raised his gaze toward Serath.

His expression gradually became amused as he asked with a disbelief expression.

"What?"

"I said, become my right hand."

Serath showed no sign that he was joking.

On the contrary, the smile on his face looked surprisingly friendly.

Cain raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to become your subordinate?"

"Yes."

Serath lowered his hand slightly but kept it extended.

"You have potential. Enough that wasting you here would be unfortunate."

Cain’s smile became stranger as he had truly never expected such a thing would unfold like this.

Serath continued.

"If you agree, I can give you wealth, power, and enough resources to grow far beyond anything your world can offer."

He glanced around the Central Base.

"Whatever else you want can be discussed after we reach the Our Main World."

Cain remained silent.

Serath’s next words caused far more reactions.

"I’ll also end the invasion of your world and put this world under you, while protecting it from anything that could harm it."

The amusement in Cain’s eyes faded slightly.

He tilted his head as he continued.

"Naturally your people will be left alone."

Several humans immediately looked toward Cain.

Nobody said anything because the offer was far more serious than simply asking Cain to switch sides.

If Serath truly possessed the authority to fulfill it, Cain could end the Zombie Race invasion right now without another person dying.

Serath noticed the reactions.

"I can promise that much personally."

Cain looked directly into his crimson eyes.

"And I’m supposed to trust you?"

"No."

Serath answered so quickly that Cain became slightly surprised.

"You shouldn’t trust me."

The prince smiled faintly.

"At least not yet."

He lowered his extended hand.

"But you should understand that I gain nothing by lying."

Serath continued.

"If I wanted to kill everyone here, I would’ve made my move since there is no reason for me to create an elaborate lie just to convince you to lower your guard."

Cain could not completely disagree.

Serath had enough confidence in his own strength that deception probably seemed unnecessary to him.

That did not mean Cain would trust him though, just meant that the offer might be genuine.

Serath looked around at Cain’s group.

"Perhaps you don’t understand what becoming my right hand actually means."

Cain smiled faintly.

"I understand what being a subordinate means."

Serath ignored the wording.

"I may be the Youngest Prince but my position isn’t as insignificant as the title might make you think."

Cain’s attention sharpened.

The prince had already given them far more information than Cain expected.

Serath continued.

"Naturally, there are others in the line of succession, but age doesn’t decide who ultimately becomes the Emperor."

His posture remained relaxed.

"Only strength matters."

"So does the support you can gather."

Cain listened carefully.

Serath touched two fingers against his chest.

"Among the younger generation of the Zombie Race, nobody can defeat me within the same Echelon. Even in the whole Universe, I’m confident that the number of beings who can be on par with me won’t reach double digits."

There was no hesitation when he said it.

Serath spoke as if he were stating something everyone in the Zombie Race already knew.

Cain believed him because after seeing that bastard’s information, it would have been stranger if Serath were not considered a monster among his own generation in the Zombie Race.

"My position inside the royal family is also strong."

Serath’s eyes became slightly colder.

"I also have enough backing that nobody can simply remove me because I’m the youngest."

Cain raised an eyebrow.

"So you think you’ll become the next Emperor."

"I would be lying if I said so, but at least... I have one of the best chances to become one."

Serath corrected him calmly.

Cain liked that answer more than blind certainty.

The prince continued.

"If that happens, my right hand man would definitely be one of the top figures in the whole Universe that you won’t lack anything, whether it’s wealth, power, authority."

Ron glanced toward Cain.

The offer sounded increasingly ridiculous.

Serath was not promising him a slightly better position.

He was offering Cain the opportunity to enter one of the powerful races in the Whole Universe and became the right hand man of someone who could potentially become its next ruler.

For most people, refusing such an offer would require serious thought.

Cain was indeed thinking seriously.

Just not about whether he should accept.

He was thinking about how much useful information Serath had already revealed.

Serath mistook his silence for consideration.

"You could bring people important to you. I won’t ask you to abandon anyone."

Cain’s eyes shifted toward him.

Serath glanced toward Elara’s group farther behind.

"Your world can just continue developing naturally without any interference anymore."

Cain’s smile slowly returned.

"I see."

Serath extended his hand again.

"Then?"

Cain looked at it for a few moments.

Then he merely shrugged.

"Why should I?"

Serath blinked his eyes in surprise.

The nearby humans became silent again.

Mo Xuanye slowly turned toward Cain, then a broad smile appeared on his face.

He had already found Cain interesting before.

That answer clearly made him like Cain even more.

Serath lowered his hand.

For the first time since the conversation began, genuine surprise appeared in his crimson eyes.

"Did you not hear my offer?"

"I said..."

"I heard you very clearly."

Cain cut him off, his smile remained faint.

"But why would I become the subordinate of someone weaker than me?"

Serath stared at him.

Cain pointed between them.

"If we were in the same Echelon, naturally."

For a moment, nobody knew how Serath would react.

One of the 3rd Echelon zombies behind him visibly frowned.

Another looked toward Cain with cold eyes.

Serath blinked several times.

Then he laughed heartily.

A genuine laugh escaped him as he tilted his head slightly backward.

"Hahahahaha!"

Cain waited patiently.

Serath eventually calmed down, his crimson eyes moved over Cain from head to toe again.

This time, there was far more interest than disappointment.

"You’re indeed strong."

His smile remained as he continued while shaking his head.

"But not strong enough yet."

The confidence in Serath’s voice was absolute.

Cain did not argue as there was no point in doing so.

"We’ll see, I guess?"

He shrugged.

At the same time, Cain’s eyes briefly moved toward the surrounding battlefield.

Everything was ready as the last defenders near their position were dead.

The bodies had already been dealt with as much as possible.

Everyone in his group had quietly moved into the positions established by their plan.

Aurelia was close enough to respond the moment Cain moved.

Elara had gathered the people assigned to her side.

Farther away, Nathan already had an arrow resting against his bowstring.

Serath had probably noticed all of it.

But, he simply did not care.

Cain’s expression became serious as the conversation was over.

Mana surged inside his Core.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

Serath noticed it, but merely raised an eyebrow.

Behind Cain, every person who had been waiting for this moment prepared themselves.

Cain raised his left hand.

Points of brilliant light began appearing high above him.

One after another.

Ten.

Twenty.

More continued forming.

The amount of Mana required increased rapidly as the air above the avenue filled with condensed solar energy.

By the time Cain stopped, sixty lances floated overhead.