Chapter 82

82 Collapsing Lightning Duke

“BRIIINNNGGG!”

The sound of alarms echoed through the Imperial Lightning Fort. Black lightning emerged from the Titan Tower, generating a dome over the fort.

The next second, that same lightning formed hundreds of thunderbolts that flashed around the fort at a speed Wave Warriors could not follow with their eyes.

Cain’s eyes were glued to the Titan Tower as he saw this one activating its true power, and then dozens of figures emerged from it and flew into the distance.

“?BOOM!”

“?BOOM!”

“?BOOM!”

Every individual generated several sonic booms as they instantly achieved a speed many times faster than sound.

[All cadets must return to their residences and remain there until further notice. Anyone that disobeys this rule will be considered a traitor to the Godslayer Humankind Empire and executed on the spot.]

.....

Cain was still trying to figure out what to do when that message arrived through his [A.I. Chip Module]. His mind was in shock, so he could not analyze that command but did not dare to defy it and dashed to his residence.

It did not take him long to reach the building, and just like other cadets, Cain ran to his residence and only relaxed once the door closed behind him.

The windows were now covered by a wall, shutting down any connection with the outside. That was done for two reasons, to protect the cadets and make sure none could leave. Until proven otherwise, everybody was a possible traitor.

Cain would have noticed that if not for his current state of mind. He almost plummeted once he entered his room, and even then, he only had the strength to sit on the ground.

The sight of that golden meteorite crashing toward the Imperial Lightning Fort did not leave his mind.

Cain’s greatest life-and-death tribulations up to this point were when he faced the Atrox in the secret trial and Dimitri in the Whisper Forest. However, everything was different in those cases.

Although the Atrox and Dimitri were more powerful than Cain, he was not hopeless. He still had the power to face them or at least put up some resistance.

Nevertheless, there was nothing Cain could do against that golden meteorite. His life was in the hands of others, and if not for the Lightning Imperial Fort’s force field, he would have died.

‘If my last mission had taken longer and I had not returned to the fort in time, what would have happened?’

That thought crossed Cain’s mind, and his body began to tremble. Understanding how little control he had over his life was a hard blow.

Apex was aware of Cain’s mental state and was about to speak when he saw the hands of the young man stop shaking.

Cain’s eyes glowed with monstrous red light as the fear in his face vanished, and he began to clench his fists with so much strength that blood began to leak from his palms.

”I NEED TO BECOME STRONGER!”

Cain had already found the answer to these feelings and engraved them in his mind and soul. After a few minutes, he relaxed his hands, went to his father’s altar, and bowed before beginning to train.

He took out a small chest from his space ring. In it, there was the last of the slivers of Dragon Blood Grass. Without hesitation, he consumed it, and by tapping into his Ego Wave, he revolved the Fiend Devourer Cultivation Technique and the Blood Refinement Art simultaneously.

Once the energy of the Dragon Blood Grass was over, Cain took Dark Races’ hearts from his space ring and began to consume them. He had purchased those through the military network.

As his Astral Wave soared and blood energy tempered his body, Cain’s mind began to relax, allowing him to analyze his surroundings.

He noticed the state of his residence, making it impossible for him to leave. That, plus the previous message, made things clear for him.

‘There is no way a cadet could have the power to damage the Imperial Lightning Fort, but there is a chance one of them could be a spy or traitor working for the other side. Since there is too little information up to this point, the higher-ups decided to be decisive and ruthless.’

Cain had not a problem with that, nor did he care about the cadets that did. He focused his mind solely on his training.

Two weeks passed before the walls covering Cain’s windows were lifted, and the artificial intelligence controlling the building unlocked his doors.

Cain was so focused on his cultivation that he barely noticed the change, but a message arrived that he could not ignore.

[Cain Laurifer, report with Vice-Captain Josef in the south gate of the cadet’s section]

A sharp light appeared in Cain’s eyes as he read the message. He calmed his revolving Astral Wave and bowed to his father’s altar before leaving the building.

Although Cain did not activate his Wave Cloak, he ran at an impressive speed toward the designated location. There was no way the Collapsing Lightning Sector could have achieved peace in just a few weeks, and every minute counted in times of war.

It did not take long for Cain to reach the south gate, and he saw many cadets already there. He quickly located Levi and Beelze and headed to the duo. Of course, other than nodding, none of them said much since this was definitely not the time for small talk.

The Titan Tower’s lightning dome and thunderbolts were still protecting the fort, but the cadets couldn’t say just how well it would resist attacks with the power of those golden meteorites.

Safety was not something any cadet could say they felt right now, which explained the worry on their faces.

Vice-Captain Josef stood in silence as the cadets formed in front of him. Although he seemed fine, Cain noticed burning cuts near his neck, making it clear how dangerous the last few weeks were for him.

Unlike the cadets who remained in their residences, the Imperial Lightning Fort dispatched soldiers to the affected areas. Josef was close to Wave Champion rank, hinting to Cain at the level of danger beyond the fort’s walls.

Once all the cadets were in formation, Josef unleashed his aura, making all of them focus.

“Powerhouses of the Dark Races invaded the Collapsing Lightning Sector and attacked all major cities. It was an extremely well-coordinated effort, and the one leading the assault was the one that attacked the Imperial Lightning Fort, an Atrox God.”

When the cadets heard those last words, a monstrous fear assaulted their hearts. A God was a terrifying figure capable of killing millions in a matter of seconds, but one of the Atrox Immortus Race was a nightmarish monster that was virtually invincible in their minds.

If the one leading the assault was an Atrox God, what chance did they have to survive? Just how many people had already perished? Would they be next?

Josef remained silent as all those questions began to assault the hearts of the cadets, threatening to shatter their spirits. He spoke again when despair was about to break some of them.

“Luckily for us, the Collapsing Lightning Duke was in the Titan Tower at the moment of the attack. He fended off the Atrox God and, after a long battle...”

Josef paused and waited for the cadet’s expectation to reach the limit before showing a cold smile.

“The Collapsing Lightning Duke killed the Atrox God!”

Silence, utter and absolute silence reigned among the cadets after Josef shouted those words.

The Dark Races’ invasion of the Collapsing Lightning Sector was a display of weakness by the Godslayer Humankind Empire, but a Titan killing an Atrox God proved absolute power!

“?Yes!”

“We did!”

Some of the cadets could not control their excitement and shout. Josef would usually reprimand that behavior but allowed it this time as he understood the pressure everybody had felt during the last few weeks.

Even he, a seasoned soldier, felt his blood burning when the higher-ups informed him that the Collapsing Lightning Duke killed the Atrox God.

The shock in Cain’s heart was even stronger when he heard that news. That Atrox bathed in golden flames standing in the sky was like a divine existence capable of unleashing city-killer spells with a wave of his hand, yet now he was dead.

‘That black lightning!’

Cain had not forgotten the stream of black lightning that emerged from the Titan Tower and drove the Atrox God away from the Imperial Lightning Fort.

Until now, Cain had just assumed the one inside the black lighting had at most forced the Atrox God to escape, but the fact he took that monster’s life was incredible.

Killing a Dark Races’ God was an incredible feat, but killing an Atrox God was something only the greatest figures of the Godslayer Humankind could claim credit for.

Without even realizing it, absolute respect and immense admiration filled Cain’s heart as he thought of the Collapsing Lightning Duke.