The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2501: We wait

As soon as those words left his mouth, Cain’s eyes ignited with golden light.

The illusion of an endless river manifested around him.

It was vast beyond comprehension—a boundless current flowing through reality itself. The river stretched in every direction, connecting existence, time, and space into a single unstoppable flow.

The Flow.

Its majesty was overwhelming.

Anyone who gazed upon it felt an indescribable pressure descend upon their souls, as if the weight of countless worlds had suddenly fallen upon their shoulders.

For the Knights of the Immortal Nirvana Kingdom, the experience was even worse. And things were far from over.

Golden flames began spreading across Cain’s body, wrapping around him like living armor. His presence surged to terrifying heights, and the momentum of his aura grew so immense that a vortex formed around him.

Violent gales exploded outward.

The winds tore through the courtyard of the stronghold, whipping banners and armor alike as the entire fortress trembled under the pressure of Cain’s power.

It seemed as if a battle was about to erupt at any moment.

”Enough!”

The voice of the Nirvana Crown Prince echoed across the stronghold like thunder.

His command carried unquestionable authority.

The knights immediately halted their advance and pulled back, though their eyes remained fixed on Cain with clear hostility.

Cain slowly turned his gaze toward the Crown Prince.

The young ruler’s eyes were calm.

Perfectly calm.

There was no visible rage. No boiling killing intent. No emotional turbulence.

Only cold, quiet composure.

In many ways, that calmness was far more dangerous than anger.

”Our agreement,” the Nirvana Crown Prince said slowly, ”was that you would remain inside the stronghold until I returned to the Seventh Realm.”

His gaze sharpened slightly.

”Are you reneging on your pact?”

Cain narrowed his eyes.

A meaningful light flickered within them for a moment before he simply shrugged his shoulders.

”Fine,” he said calmly. ”A deal is a deal.”

The golden flames surrounding him slowly faded, and the illusion of the Flow disappeared from the minds of those present.

”However,” Cain continued, ”our agreement never included fighting alongside you.”

He glanced toward the distant battlefield.

”So I will simply remain a bystander while this battle unfolds.”

The Nirvana Crown Prince stared at him for a moment.

Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

”You could do that,” he said.

A pause followed.

”Or you could fight with us... and I will make sure you are paid very well.”

Cain’s expression remained composed and stoic.

Yet deep inside, excitement surged through him.

This was exactly what he wanted.

Not only did he intend to remain inside the stronghold—he also wanted to participate in the coming battle.

However, openly expressing that desire would have been a mistake.

If he had done so, negotiations could have taken an unfavorable turn.

By forcing the other side to make the offer first, Cain not only achieved his goal but also secured additional rewards in the process.

Still, he could not accept too quickly.

If he did, it would look as though he had planned the entire situation from the beginning.

So Cain pretended to think.

His gaze shifted toward the distant army of the Eternal Soul Kingdom, eventually settling on the figure standing at its center.

The Eternal Soul King.

The moment their eyes met across the battlefield, an immense wave of killing intent erupted from Sharka.

The pressure was so overwhelming that it could suffocate even King-Level powerhouses.

Yet Cain did not look away.

Instead, those watching closely could swear they saw a hint of amusement flicker within his eyes.

As if he were smiling.

”Fine,” Cain finally said.

”I will fight.”

The Nirvana Crown Prince listened carefully.

”However,” Cain continued, ”I will fight alone.”

His voice remained calm.

”And I will not take orders.”

The Crown Prince immediately frowned.

Allowing someone to move freely during a battle of this scale was extremely dangerous.

War required coordination.

Discipline.

Structure.

Yet before the Crown Prince could reject the proposal, Cain spoke again.

”In exchange for that freedom,” he said, ”my first target will be the second strongest warrior in the entire Eighth Realm Army.”

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Letting Cain move independently would certainly create complications.

However, eliminating the second strongest warrior of the Eternal Soul Kingdom would drastically shift the balance of power in the coming war.

That kind of trade... might be worth the risk.

The Nirvana Crown Prince remained silent for several seconds as he weighed the decision.

Finally, he sighed.

”...Fine.”

With a wave of his hand, a message appeared within Cain’s military interface.

A notification quickly followed.

His military credits had increased once again.

The reward was enormous—almost as large as the amount he had received after killing a King-Level powerhouse and thousands of Archdeities.

”You will receive the other half after the battle,” the Crown Prince said.

Cain nodded.

The amount was more than satisfactory.

As for the possibility that the Crown Prince might refuse to pay later...

Cain did not particularly care.

Before this battle ended, many things would change.

”So,” Cain said casually, ”when do we start fighting?”

He glanced toward the battlefield.

”You already have all your forces gathered. It should only take a moment to organize them and activate your battle formations.”

If it were up to him, Cain would have marched into battle the moment he used the military credits.

However, the Nirvana Crown Prince shook his head.

”We will wait.”

Cain raised an eyebrow.

”The force field surrounding the stronghold runs on an independent power source,” the Crown Prince explained. ”It does not drain the energy reserves required for our offensive formations.”

He looked toward the shimmering barrier surrounding the fortress.

”If we are lucky... it may last until the Realm Barrier weakens.”

Cain’s eyes sharpened slightly.

Waiting had never been part of his plan.

And from a strategic standpoint, it was not particularly sound either.

They were merely delaying the inevitable.

After all, the Realm Barrier had been reinforced only recently.

The next natural period of weakness would not arrive for at least a year.

Possibly longer.

There was simply no way the stronghold’s force field would last that long against the siege army gathered outside.

The Nirvana Crown Prince clearly understood that as well.

He was simply gambling on a miracle.

It was not unheard of for the Realm Barrier to weaken unexpectedly outside its normal cycle.

Such events were extremely rare—but they did happen.

If that miracle occurred, the Crown Prince could concentrate all his power on escaping to the Seventh Realm.

That plan offered a far higher chance of survival than confronting the entire Eternal Soul Kingdom army head-on.

Unfortunately for Cain, no matter how much he wanted events to accelerate, there were times when things simply did not go according to plan.

And this... was one of those times.