The path ahead was clear: march into the Third Realm in eight months, and from there reach the Sacred Dimension, ready to step through the instant it opened in two years' time.

The question now was what to do with the months that remained.

Given the dangers awaiting inside the Sacred Dimension, neither Cain nor Meylin would sit idle. Waiting was death. To them, the fastest path to growth was the same as it had always been—killing enemies and devouring their strength. And there was no shortage of opportunities. Across the Second Realm, the forces of the Demon King and the Ancient One clashed endlessly, battles breaking out like wildfires.

Of course, Cain and Meylin could not simply wander the Realm, slaughtering anyone they pleased. Allies and enemies were tangled in endless fronts, and careless bloodshed might just weaken their own side. Fortunately, the Demon King had dispatched envoys—commanders tasked with organizing the scattered armies of the Life Path. And those envoys had already expressed their desire to meet Cain. It was time to answer that call.

But before leaving, one more question burned in Cain's mind.

"Enlightened One," he asked, his voice even but his eyes sharp, "do you know anything of the Tenth Empyrean World?"

The Enlightened One tilted his head, clearly surprised by the question, but offered no resistance to answering. He simply nodded.

"The Tenth Empyrean World was the mightiest of the worlds beneath the Ten Suns," he said, his voice calm and steady. "It was said to be the core of the universe itself. But while the Crimson World experienced the Great War, your homeworld also went through a cataclysm, and the Tenth Empyrean World was destroyed. Since then, only nine remain, which is why all call your home the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe instead of ten."

Cain clenched his fists, though he said nothing.

Destroyed? No. He had seen it himself. He knew the Tenth Empyrean World still existed and was not empty. On the contrary, it was full of extremely powerful entities that had tried on multiple occasions to kill him and take over his home.

The fact that it had tricked the entire Crimson World into believing otherwise only proved how dangerous it was.

"How cunning." Those words crossed Cain's mind as he forced himself to calm his heart. For him, the Tenth Empyrean World was not merely an enemy—it was the enemy. The ultimate threat. And to face it, he had to grow far stronger than he was now.

The exchange was not totally futile, as Cain did learn that while the Crimson World went through the Great War, the Ten Empyrean Suns Universe also went through a great event, most likely the one that marked the end of the First Era. However, those were thoughts for another time.

He inclined his head slightly. "Thank you for your honesty. We will return here when the portal for the Third Realm opens. Should you have need of us before then, you may send word."

Cain extended a crystal bearing a fragment of his consciousness, a token of contact. The Enlightened One accepted and reciprocated with his own.

"Good fortune to you both," he said, pressing his hands together. "I will prepare everything for our journey into the Sacred Realm."

The three clasped hands in mutual respect, and then Cain and Meylin rose into the sky, streaks of crimson and shadow vanishing into the distance.

The Enlightened One lingered, eyes following Cain's retreating figure. A meaningful glimmer flickered in his gaze.

He had spoken truthfully about nearly everything—but not entirely. The sudden shifts in the Sacred Realm's cycle had not appeared without cause. They began, unmistakably, at the very moment the Scarlet King unified the First Realm and ascended as a Prima Deity. Coincidence? Perhaps. But the more the Enlightened One learned of Cain Laurifer, the more certain he became that some thread tied him to the figure of the Red King.

"The Red King and the Scarlet King. I suppose the truth will reveal itself once we stand within the Sacred Dimension," he murmured. Then he closed his eyes, settling into meditation. Unlike Cain and Meylin, his path was not forged through slaughter. He would not gain strength in mere months. But he could refine his spirit, hone his clarity, and ensure that when the time came, he stood at his absolute peak.

Cain and Meylin flashed across the firmament, their forms burning trails of scarlet and abyssal black. Days passed before they returned to the Void Beyond the Realm. But this time, they did not head for their Divine Kingdom.

Their destination loomed ahead: a colossal black cube, vast as a small world, suspended in the darkness.

"That," Meylin explained, her voice carrying a note of reverence, "is a Heart of Sin. Each Realm holds one. Within dwell the Demon King's chosen commanders."

Cain's eyes narrowed. Even before reaching its surface, he could sense the immense power it radiated. The cube was both fortress and arsenal, bristling with ancient weaponry. As they drew closer, countless scans swept over them, dissecting every aspect of their being.

The Scarlet King stiffened as he felt several of the cube's weapons lock onto him. The killing intent behind them was suffocating. He had no doubt that if triggered, they could unleash destruction fierce enough to obliterate even an Alpha-Omega Overgod.

But the scans receded, satisfied. The weapons fell silent.

Guided by Meylin, they approached the entrance. Two towering automatons, each radiating the aura of an ArchDeity, stood guard. Their featureless faces turned toward the newcomers, then shifted aside without a word, granting passage.

Cain and Meylin strode through. A long corridor opened into a vast chamber filled with movement. Tacticians, couriers, and sages all moved in relentless order, fulfilling their tasks. The Heart of Sin was not merely a fortress—it was a command hub, a brain directing the Demon King's endless armies across the Second Realm.

If soldiers were the heart of the battlefield, then strategists were the blood vessels that made them march exactly where they were needed.

They ascended through the levels until at last they reached the highest echelon. And there, standing before a wall of shifting tactical screens, was a man whose grin cut deeper than any blade. Immediately, he turned to the duo.

Cain's fists clenched before he even realized it. The air thickened. Shadows swallowed all light, leaving only the man's figure visible.

He was no ordinary being of flesh or soul. He was dread itself, made manifest. His skin was pale and stretched tight across his face, corpse-like. His hollowed eyes were pits of black void, and his mouth was carved into a jagged grin that seemed to bleed malice. To look upon him was to feel the weight of every fear ever whispered in the dark. His gaze didn't merely watch—it clutched, burrowing into the mind, dragging forth every hidden terror and magnifying it until it became unbearable.

Cain felt something invade him. A sensation he had not known in years.

Fear. Pure and absolute.

But it lasted only a moment. He crushed it beneath his will, forcing the tremor from his heart. The man's oppressive aura receded, his attention shifting instead to Meylin.

She seized the moment to speak, her voice steady. "Brother, this is Cain Laurifer—the Scarlet King. My husband."

She turned to Cain, her expression solemn.

"And this," she said, "is Lord Zarazel, Great General of the Demon King's Armies. An Alpha-Omega Overgod… and the True Depravita of Fear."

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