The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

197  Wave Champion in two months

Cain saw the desire in the Vice-Captains eyes as they stared at the Wave Viruses and the duo in Embryonic Breathing. In their minds, they were already enjoying an enhanced cultivation speed and superb survival skills.

"A Berserker State is considered A Grand Wave Virus, and their market price is 150.000 military credits. I can sell them for 90.000 on credit, and if you do not use them by the end of The Hunt, you can hand them over, and you will not owe me anything."

If they were honest, the Vice-Captains wished they could get the Wave Viruses for free, but they all understood that Cain was already offering them an incredibly good deal. 90.000 Imperial Military Credits was a massive amount as those were the prices of resources used by Wave Champion, and even if they gained a lot of credits right now, it would take around two months for them to amass so much. However, there was not a single Vice-Captain that thought of refusing Cain's deal. They could always get more money but could not buy a new life.

"As for Embryonic Breathing. It will be free for Level 7 Wave Warriors since it requires little to no effort on my part. Those at Levels 8 and 9 will pay 150 and 750 credits for each session, respectively. You can also pay me on credit, redirecting part of your military exploits during The Hunt toward my account. There will be no interest.

You might not know it, but most 5-Stars Elementary Hipnosis Masters charge between 7000 and 10000 Imperial Military Credits."

Like the Wave Viruses, the Vice-Captains were ready to accept Cain's deal. Even if they did not move a muscle, they would gain much more than enough to pay for the hypnosis, thanks to the soldiers working under them.

Uriel saw how the Vice-Captains looked at each other and began to nod softly. It was clear to him that they were ready to accept Cain as the Hunt Leader, something he could simply not tolerate.

"I refuse!"

Uriel shouted with strength. He had very little regard for becoming the center of attention and carried on with his words.

"I and the other four Vice-Captains under Captain Robert refuse to accept you as Hunt Leader!"

The four Vice-Captains next to Uriel were surprised to see how this one decided on their name without even consulting them, causing great annoyance. Even though they tend to side with Uriel, that does not mean they would do everything he said, especially with Cain offering such an attractive deal. Uriel noticed the anger in those four and immediately sent a secret message through his A.I. Chip. "Bear with it. If the five of us refuse to comply, his battle formation and tactics will not work, making it pointless for him to be named Hunt Leader. I promise to compensate each of you for this."

The four Vice-Captains sighed softly before adopting severe expressions, making it clear they were with Uriel.

Cain saw Uriel's nasty smile but did not care. There was no anger on his face as he simply shook his head.

"Your inability to see the bigger picture tells me all I need to know from you." Cain only said that before waving his hand, changing the number of troops in the holographic board.

All the Vice-Captian saw how Uriel and his friends' troops vanished from the holographic board. Yet, not only did that not affect the battle formation, but it also made the soldiers' movement more smooth and efficient. "I never considered your troops in my plan. Adding them destabilizes the battle formations, but now they work as intended."

Uriel could not help but grow pale once he heard Cain's words. Not only did he show everybody that he cared more about personal feelings than the mission, but in the end, it was all for nothing.

"YOU!"

However, Uriel's shock soon transformed into a rage as he looked at Cain with killing intent. Cain was a little surprised and made sure to increase the level of danger that Uriel presented. Using rage to focus was not easy, and those capable of doing it could be extremely dangerous.

The rest of the Vice-Captain made their energy flow once they saw the killing intent on Uriel. Although none of them moved forward, it was clear they would not allow a fight between them.

Uriel noticed that and took a deep breath before calming down and walking out of the command center with the other four Vice-Captains. Remaining as part of the coalition that would take Cain as the Hunt Leader was not something they could do, so there was no path for them other than leave. "There is nothing wrong in choosing a bad leader. I only hope you can reconsider and make the right decision before being left so far behind that you are no longer worth the trouble."

The group froze for a moment as they heard Cain's voice, and the rage on Uriel's face only grew stronger. Uriel knew that the Hunt Leader was not talking to him but to the other four Vice-Captains by his side, who were already enraged by the mess he had made.

"Let's go!" Uriel shouted, making the other four move with him. Cain knew that the group would be a problem, but there were ways to handle them, and right now, his major concern was to guide the full power of the military encampment. He turned toward Antony and Benjamin, waking up the duo.

The forty-four Vice-Captains turned toward Cain before putting their right first over their chest and shouting in unison.

"Hunt Leader!"

It was short, but that was all they needed to make Cain's position as the Hunt Leader official.

Cain nodded and did not waste time. He indicated for the Vice-Captains to take the capsules with the Wave Virus before giving everybody their assignment. In less than an hour, every single Vice-Captain knew their role in the new plan and how they had to move forward from now on. There would be countless moving pieces on the upcoming battlefield, and some Vice-Captains could simply not keep up with them. Luckily, they only needed to obey Cain's command and adjust according to his instruction during the battle.

"One final point. Antony, how long do you think it will take you to become a Wave Champion?"

Although questions regarding his cultivation were a sensitive topic for the young man, Antony immediately answered Cain's question. Clearly, the Level 9 Wave Warrior did not speak empty words when he accepted Cain as the Hunt Leader.

"I am currently suppressing my cultivation to raise my understanding of the Law of Light to the Deep Basic Understanding Level before my breakthrough. I am confident in achieving that goal in four  months."

Cain was surprised by what he just heard from Antony. Just like there were levels of marrow washing, there were also levels of Law Comprehension, and what Antony sought to achieve in the Law of Light was equal to attaining Flawless Marrow!

He stared at Antony for a moment, focusing on the eyes of this one, and saw the determination to carry on with that mission and the confidence to achieve it. "I can lend you 2 million military credits and prepare peak Wave Viruses to assist your cultivation, but I need you to become a Wave Champion in the next two months."

Spending two million military credits just to speed up someone else's advance to the Wave Champion Rank could sound insane, but Cain did not think so.

Speed was of the essence for his plan, and if he wanted to succeed in this endeavor truly, he needed a powerful Wave Champion that could work as the head of the spear. He had only three choices for that job since all the other Level 9 Wave Warriors would have to leave The Hunt if they broke into the Wave Champion Rank, as they would no longer be considered first generation.

Uriel was not a choice as the man hated Cain, and although he knew he could count on William, it was better to have a Wave Champion that followed the Essence Evolution Path of Power on the battlefield as they had a greater range. Antony was surprised by Cain's offer and did not immediately accept it. He could become a Wave Champion in a month if he wanted, but that would mean neglecting his foundation, which he was unwilling to do.

Two million credits would be enough to buy the resources needed to enhance his Law of Light comprehension, and he would still have money for medicines that could purify and temper his Essence Wave.

If it was anywhere else, Antony might have rejected that offer, but he knew that his military exploits in The Hunt would exponentially rise when he became a Wave Champion. It was not crazy to think he could amass two million military credits in two months of killing Wave Beasts.

Cain smiled as he saw Antony nod, and while it cost him more than half of his savings, it was worth it. Now all the pieces were in order.