Chapter 252: Original Goal

[: 3rd POV :]

On the other hand, after leaving Yggdrasil, the portal quietly closed behind them.

There was no destination that could be described by ordinary standards.

It was not a realm.

It was not a dimension.

Nor was it a world.

They stood within an unknown region somewhere across the endless Universe, where countless rivers of stars flowed silently through the darkness.

Fragments of ancient worlds drifted peacefully in the distance, while enormous galaxies revolved so far away that they resembled nothing more than glowing specks of light.

The surrounding space was eerily tranquil.

Only the soft sound of cosmic winds could be heard.

Maiya quietly looked up at Cain.

Ever since they had left Yggdrasil, he had remained silent.

Although his expression had returned to normal, she knew him well enough to notice the subtle changes.

His usual gentle smile had disappeared.

His eyes had become much quieter.

The warmth surrounding him felt dimmer than before.

She tightened her grip around his hand unconsciously.

"...Are you alright, Uncle Cain?"

Her voice was soft, carrying genuine concern.

Cain lowered his head and looked at the little girl beside him.

He immediately understood what she was worried about.

She wanted to ask about what had happened between him and the Queen of the High Elves.

She wanted to know who Irene was.

She wanted to understand why someone as calm as Cain had looked at another person with such coldness.

But...she chose not to ask.

Not because she lacked curiosity.

But because she knew that now was not the right time.

Cain’s eyes softened slightly.

He gently squeezed her tiny hand.

"I am fine."

His voice was calm as always.

"There is no need to worry."

Maiya stared at him for several more seconds before slowly nodding.

"...Okay."

She did not press the matter any further.

Instead, Cain shifted the conversation naturally.

"Now then."

"It is time for us to continue our original objective."

Maiya blinked several times.

"Our original objective?"

She tilted her head before scratching her cheek awkwardly.

"Oh..."

"What was it again, Uncle Cain?"

She laughed sheepishly.

"I completely forgot what Mother told us before sending us out together."

Cain looked at her for a long moment.

"..."

Another moment of silence followed.

Finally, he let out a helpless sigh.

"I expected that."

Maiya smiled innocently.

"I remembered everything else."

"Just not the mission."

Cain chuckled quietly.

"I suppose that is still an improvement."

He looked toward the endless sea of stars before speaking.

"The mission Mother entrusted to us is quite simple."

Maiya immediately became attentive.

"We are to locate the newly awakened Anomaly."

"And recruit him into our faction."

The moment those words entered her ears...

Maiya’s eyes widened dramatically.

"What!?"

"The new Anomaly?"

"The one the Will of the Universe personally announced?"

Her excitement instantly exploded.

She nearly jumped into the air.

"You mean..."

"He is somewhere around this area?"

She looked around excitedly as though expecting someone to suddenly appear from behind a nearby galaxy.

Cain slowly shook his head.

"I am not entirely certain."

Maiya stopped moving.

"...Huh?"

Cain continued calmly.

"Even Mother is uncertain this time."

Those simple words caused Maiya to freeze completely.

"...Impossible."

She looked at Cain with complete disbelief.

"Mother...does not know?"

Cain nodded once.

"She cannot determine his current location."

"The only thing she managed to discover..."

"...was his last known whereabouts."

Maiya stood speechless.

That answer shocked her far more than the existence of another Anomaly.

After all...everyone within their faction knew exactly what Eve was capable of.

She possessed Infinite Knowledge.

She wielded the All Seeing Eye.

As long as someone existed within the Universe, Eve could observe them.

She could locate anyone.

Nothing could hide from her sight.

Not concealed dimensions.

Not isolated realms.

Not forbidden territories.

Nothing.

And yet...

This time...

She had failed.

Maiya slowly looked toward Cain.

"Even..."

"Mother could not find him?"

Her voice contained both confusion and astonishment.

Cain gave a small nod.

"You are reacting exactly the same way everyone else did."

Maiya blinked.

"Everyone?"

"That includes every Anomaly within our faction."

He smiled faintly.

"Even the First Generation Anomalies were surprised."

Maiya inhaled sharply.

"The First Generation too?"

Cain nodded once more.

"Because this has never happened before."

"It is unprecedented."

He looked toward the distant stars.

"Even Mother herself began doubting her own conclusion."

"For the very first time..."

"...someone disappeared from the sight of the All Seeing Eye."

Maiya remained completely silent.

She could hardly imagine such a thing.

Cain continued.

"Not only that."

"The Will of the Universe had already made countless announcements regarding the appearance of the new anomaly."

"But..."

His expression slowly became more serious.

"A few days ago..."

"The entire Universe suddenly trembled."

Maiya’s cheerful expression disappeared.

"I remember..."

She whispered softly.

"I felt it too."

"So did everyone else."

Cain nodded.

"The tremor reached every corner of existence."

"It was powerful enough that even the Higher Beings became alarmed."

"They immediately began investigating its source."

"Several ancient factions entered a state of preparation."

"Even some Pantheons temporarily halted their activities."

Maiya swallowed quietly.

"...Just because of one tremor?"

Cain slowly looked at her.

"It was not an ordinary tremor."

"It was the Universe itself shaking."

"The fate of countless beings shifted during that brief moment."

"The cosmic order itself became unstable."

"No one knew what had happened."

"No one knew who caused it."

"But everyone knew..."

"...that something impossible had taken place."

He paused before continuing.

"After comparing every piece of information available..."

"Mother reached a conclusion."

Maiya listened carefully.

"She believes..."

"...that the appearance of the new Anomaly is somehow connected to everything that happened."

"The mysterious disappearance from the All Seeing Eye."

"The trembling of the Universe."

"The sudden changes in fate."

"They are all connected."

Maiya slowly looked toward the endless darkness ahead.

"So..."

"This new Anomaly..."

"...might be even more special than we imagined."

Cain nodded slowly.

"That is exactly why Mother personally entrusted this mission to us."

His voice became firm.

"She wants us to locate him..."

"...before anyone else does."

Maiya’s eyes immediately sparkled once again.

A bright smile spread across her face.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

She clenched her tiny fists excitedly.

"Let’s find him before the other factions do."

"I cannot wait to meet another little brother."

Cain looked at her before laughing softly.

"You have not even met him yet."

"And you have already decided he is your little brother?"

Maiya nodded confidently.

"Of course."

"Anyone Mother wants to recruit..."

"...is already family."

Cain smiled warmly.

"I suppose that is exactly the answer Mother would have expected from you."

Then, both of them turned toward the endless sea of stars.

Neither of them realized...

That the person they were searching for...

Had already begun shaking the entire Universe without even knowing it.

"Moreover, she could only send two Anomalies on this mission because she did not want our movements to attract the attention of the Higher Beings"

"If too many of us appeared at once, even the Pantheons would begin investigating. The moment that happens, the new Anomaly would immediately become the center of the entire Universe.

Cain folded his arms while gazing into the endless sea of stars before them.

"That is why Mother entrusted this mission to me."

He lowered his gaze toward Maiya before a faint smile appeared on his face.

"And she trusted me enough to bring you along."

Maiya blinked before smiling brightly.

"Mother really does trust you."

"There was not even a hint of hesitation when she chose you."

Cain chuckled softly.

"Of course she does."

"There was once a time when even the Pantheons feared my name."

His smile slowly became a confident smirk.

"It took quite a lot of effort to earn that reputation."

Maiya’s sapphire eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Seriously!?"

"You actually made the Pantheons afraid of you?"

"That is so cool!"

She looked at him with admiration as though she had just heard the greatest story imaginable.

"Uncle Cain, were you really that amazing?"

Cain scratched the back of his head with a helpless smile.

"I was a little troublesome back then."

"A little?"

Maiya puffed her cheeks.

"From the stories I have heard, that does not sound like only a little."

Cain laughed loudly.

"Hahaha."

"I suppose you are right."

"There were quite a few misunderstandings."

Maiya stared at him suspiciously.

"I somehow do not believe those were misunderstandings."

Cain simply pretended not to hear her.

"Enough about me."

His expression gradually became serious as he looked toward the distant stars.

"Our priority is finding the new Anomaly."

"We cannot afford to waste any more time."

Maiya nodded firmly.

"Right."

"I want to meet him too."

"I wonder what kind of person he is."

"Do you think he is older than me?"

"Or maybe he is younger."

"Would he be nice?"

"Would he want to join our family?"

Questions poured from her mouth one after another.

Cain could only smile helplessly.

"You certainly have a vivid imagination."

"I guess we will find out once we meet him."

He slowly raised his hand.

With a gentle wave, the surrounding space rippled before countless streams of starlight unfolded into an enormous map of the nearby regions of the Universe.

Galaxies rotated slowly.

Countless worlds shimmered like tiny jewels.

Yet among them, there was no clear destination.

Only uncertainty.

Cain narrowed his eyes.

"Mother could only determine the last location where traces of the new Anomaly were detected."

"After that..."

"Everything disappeared."

"It was as though someone had erased every trail from existence itself."

Maiya looked around curiously.

"Then how are we supposed to find him?"

Cain smiled calmly.

"We search."

"Sometimes fate only reveals itself to those willing to take the first step."

Maiya nodded enthusiastically.

"Then let us find our new family member."

Without another word, both of them stepped forward together.

Space folded beneath their feet before their figures vanished into the endless cosmos.

Neither of them realized that every step they took carried them farther away from the very person they had been sent to find.

While they searched across distant galaxies...

The new Anomaly they sought had already chosen a completely different path.

A path that not even Eve’s All Seeing Eye could perceive.

And with every passing moment...

The distance between hunter and target only continued to grow.