The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

202  Killing the Lightning-Fall Mantis (I)

Bloodless #4 did not say a word to the duo and kept his eyes on Cain. He saw how the index finger of the young man began to vibrate before this one used it to pierce the ground.

Cain's index finger entered the earth as if the ground was snow and his finger a piece of hot metal, but that was far from everything. The ground began to shake before breaking apart, and the area around Cain's index finger trembled before being pulverized!

"He advanced so much in the first level in only eighteen hours!?"

Bloodless #4 was having a hard time keeping his composed expression. He was extremely familiar with Blood Hand and knew that the first level, Blood Index, focused on channeling your Blood Energy into a single finger, causing it to vibrate rapidly at a molecular level. This vibration enhances the finger's strength and sharpness, allowing the user to pierce through tough materials and deal catastrophic damage to the target.

"Is it true that he never trained a Saint Technique before?"

Bloodless #4 was having difficulty accepting that Cain's talent in the Astral Rebirth Path of Power could be so high, so he considered the possibility that the young man had already entered into contact with a Saint Technique that worked similarly to Blood Hand.

Zarak could see Bloodless #4's solemnity, and this one did not hesitate before answering.

"I have never taught or seen him use one in any fight. Although I can not discard him finding one in his journeys."

Zarak gave an honest answer. Cain's luck was always great, and he might have found one Saint Technique on his travels.

After careful consideration, Bloodless #4 dismissed the possibility and shook his head. He had witnessed Cain's battle with the Lightning-Fall Mantis and knew that the young man would not have held back any techniques while fighting for his life. In the end, Bloodless #4 had to acknowledge that Cain possessed exceptional talent in understanding the body's mechanics. It can be said that Bloodless #4 was both right and wrong. While Cain had not previously trained in a Saint Technique, his exploration of the Red King's memories provided him with a deeper understanding of the human body, making the training of Blood Hand a more manageable task.

That wisdom was part of Cain and would only help him in his journey through the Astral Rebirth Path of Power, so it did not provide a false impression about his talent.

Bloodless #4 remained silent momentarily, and he analyzed the situation before turning toward Zarak. "I need to return to Blood Sea. The starry gem with Blood Hand belongs to that boy now. It is fine as long as he doesn't hand it over to someone else."

Zarak was full of questions, but Bloodless #4 only gave the duo a short nod before flashing away. Zarak and Jonathan looked at each other and could not help but smile awkwardly again. Cain's talent in Blood Hand was so exceptional that Blood Sea would undoubtedly show an even greater interest in him from now on.

"Damn brat, always giving me troubles. Whatever, we have done our part. It is time to leave." The duo flashed away. Being so near Blade Mountain was dangerous as their presence technically broke the rules of The Hunt, so the sooner they left, the better. Cain did not notice the trio's presence or how close he was to losing the starry gem with Blood Hand. The only thing on his mind right now was the thrill of having such a powerful technique. 'Now that I completed the molecular transformation, I can trigger Blood Index with the Blood Energy inside my body. It will drain me very fast, but it will be sufficient to last during a fight and more than enough to use during an assassination.'

As Cain witnessed the strength of his index finger, a surge of murderous intention overtook him. However, within moments, he was struck with overwhelming fatigue. His body and mind had been working tirelessly to find a solution to his problem, and now that he had, weariness consumed him.

Cain was barely able to program a meeting with the Vice-Captains in eight hours before crashing into his bed and falling asleep.

When Cain finally woke up, he still felt some drowsiness but shook it off and contacted someone before making his way into the command center.

He arrived at the command center quickly, where the forty-four Vice-Captains were already assembled. He chose not to call upon Uriel's group as they would only serve as a distraction and were not necessary for the task at hand.

Cain could see their faces were full of doubt and worry. The Vice-Captains did not see a path to defeat the horde led by the Lightning-Fall Mantis since not only had they lost one Level 8 Vice-Captain, but William was still unable to fight.

"I have found a way to defeat the Lightning-Fall Mantis today and do devastating damage to the horde it leads."

Silence reigned in the room as the Vice-Captains turned toward Cain with shock and incredulity. It had barely been over 24 hours since they encountered the Lightning-Fall Mantis, yet Cain already found a way to handle that monster. How was that even possible!?

"I must be clear. It will not be easy, and the danger we all face is immense, so I need everybody to fulfill their part as if the life of the entire military force depended on it The Vice-Captains sensed the seriousness emanating from Cain and responded with grave nods. Although Cain's plan to handle the Lightning-Fall Mantis would surely entail great danger, they were soldiers of the Godslayer Humankind Empire and never shied away from risk if the rewards were worth it.

"That goes especially for you."

Cain focused on an empty corner of the room, confusing the Vice-Captains since there was no one there, but after concentrating on it, they realized there was actually a person standing in the dark!

"First Lieutenant Orin, what are you doing here!?" Benjamin shouted with anger. Orin was one of the strongest soldiers under his command, and the woman's assassination skills were superb, but that did not mean she could just enter the command center.

Spying on the higher-up's meetings would carry a direct court-martial, and a light punishment would be losing all your military credentials.

"I told her to be here and hide. I needed to know if her skills were high enough to hide from the perception of all of you."

Cain calmed the Vice-Captains and signaled for Orin to come closer. He then unleashed his Ego Wave, covering the entire room and making sure no one could listen to them. Secrecy was essential to this mission, not just for those like Uriel but also for regular soldiers.

Once Cain was sure no one was listening, he began to explain his plan, and the look in the Vice-Captains' constantly changed between shock and awe. It was insane by any measure, but everybody felt the confidence in Cain's voice as he spoke, making them believe it could be done.

Everybody needed to fulfill their roles, and the most important one was tasked to no other than the weaker among them, Orin. If the girl made the slightest mistake, everything was over.

"I might be asking too much of you, but it is essential that you do it perfectly. Are you confident in fulfilling this mission?"

Orin would be lying if she said she did not feel the pressure of the mission Cain assigned, but a decisive expression appeared on her face as she nodded.

"I will."

She said nothing more, but those two words were enough for Cain. Other than Orin, only his assassination skills were enough for the mission, but he would be busy elsewhere.

"Now, assemble your troops. We march at the break of dawn."

The Vice-Captains nodded at Cain's command and shouted the order, ensuring all the soldiers were ready to march. Thousands of soldiers formed in front of the military encampment, and soon confusion and shock appeared on their faces. The death of one of the Vice-Captains was clear to everybody, but now not only was William missing, but no one could see the Hunt Leader, Cain.

Uriel and the other Vice-Captains under Captain Robert were in formation in the distance, and when they saw that Cain was missing, smiles full of mockery appeared on their faces.

"I told you. That brat was not fit to take the role of Great Commander. Anyway, I will call a meeting once this day's march ends and take advantage of the situation."

"Haha, Uriel, your insight is as sharp as always."

"We always knew that brat would fail, just like you said."

Uriel's smile grew wider as he heard the compliments of the other. As for the fact they were complaining each day of the past month, he chose to ignore it.

Antony saw the confusion in the soldiers but offered no explanation, and after detailing today's battle formation, they marched.