Chapter 222 Any Last Words?

Even though Cain knew the battle was not over yet, he was no longer particularly worried as the situation had already changed completely.

Serath had been forced to use his Nether Emperor’s Resurrection, and the state of his body made it obvious that he had paid an enormous price for returning from death.

His Mana was almost depleted, his Blood Essence had been heavily consumed, and even the regeneration that had allowed him to recover from injuries that should have ended the battle had slowed to an entirely different level.

Cain was exhausted as well, but the difference was that he still had people behind him.

Unless something unexpected happened, they had technically won.

The Youngest Prince understood that better than anyone, his crimson eyes slowly swept across the battlefield before returning to Cain.

The ruined streets around them had been reduced to piles of shattered concrete, broken structures, and scorched ground.

The traces of the previous battle stretched across the entire central region, and the aftermath of Sonya’s attack had left the area almost unrecognizable.

Serath had survived, but surviving like this didn’t guarantee his life at all.

His only realistic chance now was to stall for time.

The Zombie Race’s Main World must have certainly known that he was forced into using his Nether Emperor’s Resurrection skill.

And one of the two ways for him to survive this was to stall for time until the Zombie Race’s Main World sent reinforcements.

If reinforcements arrived quickly enough, everything could still change.

"Now I understand the reason why you’re the first person to ever accomplish something that has never been done."

His voice was hoarse from the damage he had suffered, and his breathing was heavier than before, but his eyes remained focused on Cain.

Cain guessed that Serath was trying to stall for time as he started to use his mouth instead of fist.

However, he did not immediately attack because he had no desire to fight another battle while his Mana was almost empty.

The previous exchange had already pushed his body close to its limits that he wouldn’t last a few moves if they were to fight immediately.

That was why he needed to replenish his Mana first.

Cain lowered his sword slightly and opened his inventory.

Several 2nd Echelon Cores appeared in his hand, still carrying the purified energy that remained within them.

He crushed one and immediately absorbed them into his body.

A dense stream of energy entered his body and flowed directly toward his Mana Core.

The familiar sensation spread through his limbs as his depleted Mana began recovering.

Serath watched him without interrupting.

Cain noticed that gaze but paid little attention to it.

Looking at the current circumstances, He was certain that Serath was stalling for time.

Cain didn’t mind for him to stall for time as there was no reason to waste the opportunity when both sides needed time.

Cain still hadn’t responded to his remark as he crushed another Core and absorbed the energy without answering.

Serath continued looking at him.

"You killed a 2nd Echelon while remaining Unranked. You advanced directly into the 2nd Echelon and immediately became capable of fighting someone at my level even though you still fall a little bit short."

Cain ignored the praise and glanced at Serath’s condition.

Then he chuckled.

"Any last words?"

Ron, who was standing farther away, looked toward Cain with a strange expression.

Serath stared at him for a moment before suddenly laughing heartily.

The sound was rough and deep, completely different from the calm laughter he had shown earlier.

Even in his current state, the Youngest Prince seemed to find Cain’s attitude amusing.

"You truly have the capability to be arrogant."

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"But don’t be happy yet. Even though your strength was second to none in this world, the Main World is different."

Cain’s eyes narrowed slightly as he was interested with the information related to the outside world, especially the Main World after knowing its existence.

Serath continued.

"Background matters there. You might be dead before you can spread your wings because there are plenty of people who don’t want to see someone like you grow stronger."

Cain’s eyes lit up.

That was useful information.

He had already understood that the Main World was a place where strong beings gathered, but Serath’s words revealed that Cain’s current situation was far more troublesome than he had expected.

"Oh?"

Cain crushed another Core and absorbed the energy.

Serath’s expression changed slightly as he noticed Cain’s interest.

"Now that I know your capability, it would be unfair to offer you a position as my subordinate."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"That’s why let me make you another offer."

Ron immediately frowned.

"Cain, don’t listen—"

Cain raised one hand without looking away from Serath.

"I know, Ron."

He chuckled lightly before lowering his hand.

"But there’s no harm in listening to his last words. Who knows? It might be something we can take advantage of."

Ron hesitated for a moment.

He clearly disliked the idea, but he understood that Cain must have something in mind and did not interrupt again.

Serath’s smile widened slightly.

"There are two choices that would benefit you greatly. Rejecting them will actually be the most foolish decision if I’m being honest."

Cain didn’t respond as he continued looking at Serath with interest.

"The first is becoming my father’s adopted son." Serath said as he raised a finger.

He then paused to let the words settle.

"My father is the Emperor of the Zombie Race. Considering what you’ve displayed here, I believe even he would be more than willing to accept you."

Cain’s expression changed slightly.

Serath continued.

"If you become his adopted son, you will essentially become another prince of the Zombie Race. You won’t simply receive protection since you will become one of our own."

"The Zombie Race would nurture you with resources that you cannot even imagine right now. If another force attempted to kill you, they would have to consider the consequences of attacking someone directly connected to the Emperor of the Zombie Race."

His voice became more serious.

"And if someone still decided to interfere with your growth, the Zombie Race would not simply stand aside and watch."

Cain listened attentively as he slowly absorbed another Core.

Serath then raised another finger.

"The second option is sponsorship."

"You don’t have to become my father’s adopted son. Instead, you can become someone sponsored by the Zombie Race."

Serath’s expression became more solemn.

"You would still receive resources and protection. The Zombie Race is one of the strongest forces in the entire Universe, so even being under our sponsorship would give you a background that countless people would kill to possess."

Cain’s eyes narrowed.

"What’s the difference?"

Serath answered immediately.

"Naturally. the treatment."

He looked directly at Cain.

"If you become my father’s adopted son, you will be treated as one of us. Your position would be extremely high, and the Zombie Race would do everything possible to nurture you."

His voice lowered as his face became serious.

"If you were targeted, the Zombie Race would be willing to pay an enormous price to protect you."

Serath then continued.

"If you choose sponsorship, you will still receive protection, but there will be limits. You will not have the same position, and the resources invested into you will naturally be significantly lower."

Cain nodded slowly.

Serath’s expression remained calm.

"We would still protect you if someone tried to kill you. But there are situations where the cost of protecting you could become greater than what we gain from you."

His gaze sharpened as he continued.

"In that situation, the Zombie Race would not sacrifice itself for you."

Cain nodded slowly in understanding.

That was the difference between belonging to a force and being supported by one.

Serath took a breath.

"The reason I’m emphasizing protection is simply because of the Universal Announcement."

He glanced toward the ruined battlefield.

"You’ve already caused enough commotion that almost every force was looking for your whereabouts."

Cain’s expression remained unchanged.

Serath continued.

"And when you enter the Main World, the situation will become much worse."

His voice carried more weight this time.

"The moment you set foot there, your life will be hanging by a thread."

Cain’s eyes instantly became colder.

"Not every human wants someone like you to grow stronger either. Some will try to recruit you and some others might even try to control you. There will also be people who decide that killing you before you mature is safer."

Serath paused briefly.

"That’s the reality of having overwhelming talent without a background."

The battlefield became quiet again.

Cain did not answer immediately as he was lost in his thoughts.

He had expected the Main World to be dangerous, but what he had not expected was that his own strength would become a problem before he even had the opportunity to properly establish himself there.

The stronger he became, the more attention he would attract.

And without a powerful force standing behind him, every person who feared his future potential could simply decide to eliminate him.

Cain slowly nodded.

"I see..."

He crushed the Core in his hand and absorbed the last traces of energy.

His Mana had recovered to some extent.

Although it was still nowhere near its original condition, it was more than enough to face the current Youngest Prince.

"Thanks for the information." Cain smiled widely.

This time, there was genuine gratitude in his expression.

Serath’s eyes moved slightly.

He had clearly not expected Cain to thank him.

Before he could say anything else, Cain raised his left hand and a hundred Purgatory Lances appeared above him.

The weapons hovered high in the air, surrounded by dense violet flames that illuminated the ruined battlefield.

Serath’s expression immediately changed.

The faint smile disappeared.

His eyes became solemn as he looked at the weapons above Cain.

"Are you sure you want to see this through to the end?"