105 Just in time

Cain slowly opened his eyes, and there was confusion in them. However, that was pushed away by a wave of immense pain that covered his entire body.

He felt as if every muscle fiber had shattered, and he could not do anything else but stay on the ground, waiting for the pain to disappear.

Nevertheless, that was not so easy since dread assaulted his mind when he saw the Atrox right next to him, and even in his state, he could see that this one was still alive.

Cain knew he needed to adopt a battle stance, but just staying conscious was challenging, much less fighting.

Luckily, he soon heard a voice that allowed him to calm down.

“Relax, brat. The Atrox’s heart and brain technically work, but his soul is gone, so there is nothing to fear. Even if that was not the case, his injuries were so severe that he could not move.”

Apex’s voice echoed inside Cain’s mind allowing him to calm down but also filling him with questions. It took a few minutes, but the pain finally diminished to the point he could move and think.

Upon a closer look, Cain did see the horrible physical wounds on the Atrox’s body, but that mattered very little compared with the fact that despite still being alive, there was no light in his eyes.

“Apex, just who had the power to destroy the Atrox’s soul?” Cain’s understanding of the soul was shallow, but he knew that directly interacting with it required great knowledge and even greater power.

.....

There was no one here but him, and he definitely did not have those abilities.

“I did it. Your mind was so chaotic that you did not perceive the Atrox when this one rose from the ground after the explosion and attacked you. I took control over your body and fought before unleashing a special attack and breaking the Atrox’s soul.”

Cain’s eyes widened when he heard that. It came as a shock that Apex could take control over his body and even more that this one could unleash a power capable of breaking the body and soul of an Atrox Wave Champion.

However, as Cain analyzed Apex’s words, something bizarre happened. His eyes grew emotionless for a second, showing a level of absolute apathy but also incredible intelligence.

“There is something that doesn’t quite add up. I have been in danger many times before since we met each other, and I don’t remember you intersecting in those. Not to mention that since I was unable to secure my own life, doesn’t that mean that I am not worthy of the Absolute Life Form System and you should look for another Vessel?”

Inside Cain’s soul, the golden humanoid’s eyes narrowed. He stared at the crack in the gate, and a serious expression appeared on his face before looking away.

“I value brotherhood and honor above all things. Your selfless behavior, coming here and risking your life for your friends, showed me your true nature, which is why I decided to go against the rules and save your life. However, that will never happen again. Even if I wanted to, I could not do it.” Apex gave a plausible explanation to Cain while ensuring that this one knew it would not happen again.

That explanation made perfect sense for Cain since it was perfectly aligned with what he had learned from the System Spirit up to this point.

Emotions returned to Cain’s eyes, and he showed a radiant smile as he was truly happy to have someone like Apex covering his back.

However, the word friends make Cain remember something. He looked through the surroundings until he found Beelze.

Immense pain and sadness assaulted Cain’s heart when he saw Beelze’s body. Unlike before, when those emotions overwhelmed his mind, he allowed the pain to flow this time. He did not hide from the pain but did not allow it to consume him.

“Well done, brat. It is alright to feel pain and sadness when we lose people important to us, but losing ourselves in the grief would be dishonoring their memories.

Remember this. A person dies twice. The first is when you give your last breath, and the second is when someone mentions your name for the last time.

Mourn her death and overcome your grief, but never forget her. Keep her memory with you; that way, she will never truly die.”

Cain engraved Apex’s words in his mind before using all his strength to rise from the ground and walk toward Beelze. He sat by her side and gently caressed her face.

“Could I bring her back?”

As a Reincarnator, Cain was the proof that death was the end. If he could come back from death, why could others not?

The truth was that this was not the first time he thought of reviving a person since there was someone he missed very much and that would pay anything to have by his side again, his father.

Cain had never contemplated the idea out loud before since he was sure it would be incredibly difficult and did not want to give himself false hopes. But now, as he saw Beelze’s body lying in front of him, he could not help but ask that question.

Apex could read Cain’s thoughts and knew he needed to clear things, or else the young man would embark on a dangerous path full of flaws.

“It is not so simple. I don’t know the rules of the Eternal River of the Afterlife in this universe or if there is even a mightier reincarnation system put in place. What I do know is that not even Gods or Titan can bring back the dead.”

The original appearance of this chapter can be found at N0v3l.B1n.

Cain sighed as he heard that, and a sad smile appeared on his face. Gods and Titans could destroy Old World’s continents, yet not even they could revive someone.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing himself to be alone with his thoughts.

The golden humanoid in front of the gate saw that and waited patiently. Cain was currently at an inflection point that could affect his cultivation path.

After a few minutes, Cain opened his eyes, and a sense of pure determination emerged in them.

“I will never forget you, Beelze, but I can not live my life for you. I will grow strong, stronger than everybody, and if I have the chance, I will bring you back. That is a promise!”

Apex smiled when he heard that and was extremely pleased. Cain’s mentality was perfect for those that cultivated. Never forget your loved ones, but do not allow the dead to dictate your path.

Cain showed a gentle smile as he caressed Beelze’s face one last time before sending her into his space ring. He will return her body to her family, so they can mourn her and give her a proper burial.

With that done, Cain was ready to call for assistance when a crushing pressure descended from the sky. He looked up and saw a large bulky man with short white hair, obsidian skin, and black armor.

“Abyssal Demon.” Cain immediately recognized the one in the sky as a member of the Infernus Daemon Race.

Although he could not truly quantify that man’s strength, Cain was sure that there was no way a Wave Champion could unleash that type of pressure.

The Abyssal Demon focused on the Atrox and was surprised to detect no soul on this one. He looked at the surroundings, but besides the unconscious Levi, there was only Cain.

“Did you kill him?” The Abyssal Demon’s voice echoed through the forest.

Any Wave Warrior would have trembled non-stop in front of such a mighty being, but Cain’s reaction was nothing like that.

“Hahahaha!” Cain laughed with all his strength, surprising the Abyssal Demon.

“Why are you laughing?” Apex’s voice appeared inside Cain’s mind. Like the Abyssal Demon, the System Spirit was surprised by Cain’s attitude.

“Because my luck truly sucks!” Cain answered the System Spirit’s question before rising from the ground and staring at the Abyssal Demon in the sky.

“Yes, I killed him!” Cain’s eyes were fearless as he shouted those words. He activated his Ego Wave and gathered what little Astral Wave he had left in his right fist.

Instead of getting angry, the Abyssal Demon smiled as he saw Cain’s courage.

“You are a truly brave brat. What a shame you were born into the human race. Sorry, but you are too talented to be left alive.” The Abyssal Demon’s Wave Cloak emerged, and he focused most of his Astral Wave on his right fist.

“I will use my true power to attack you, brat. Let this show you that I recognize you as a true warrior.”

The Abyssal Demon flashed forward the next second but did not use his full speed. He moved just fast enough so Cain could also unleash his punch.

A fearless smile appeared in Cain’s fist as he saw that punch coming his way and counter with his own. He knew the moment both fists touched, his body would burst to pieces, but there were no regrets in his eyes.

Just as Cain and the Abyssal Demon’s fists were about to collide, he felt someone grab him by the back and pull him away.

Cain’s eyes showed the shock assaulting his mind as he saw a tall man with blue hair and a red martial robe counter the Abyssal Demon’s punch.

“?BOOOOMMMMM!”

An explosion that shattered the ground and sent trees flying away occurred when the fists collided.

Despite the Abyssal Demon imposing figure, the clash sent him flying away while the blue-haired man did not move a single step.

“It seems I made it just in time. Glad you are ok, brat.”