The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2337: Cain vs the Ancient One

Cain stood silently before the semi-transparent gate, confusion tightening his expression. The structure before him radiated an ancient authority, its presence heavy with meaning far beyond his understanding. Yet what unsettled him most was not its power, but its connection to him.

He had been born in the World Forge of the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe less than five hundred years ago. By all logic, there should have been no connection between him and the Eternity Gate—a structure billions of years old, perhaps as ancient as the Crimson World itself. And yet, the Scarlet Throne within him resonated with it, responding as if the two shared the same origin.

”How do the questions just keep piling up...?” Cain muttered, releasing a long sigh.

The more he learned about the Crimson World, the more mysteries emerged. First had been the Sacred Dimension of the Red King, which reacted violently to his presence. The statue in the sky had shattered, granting him a second chance—one that had saved his life in the Eighth Ring.

Then there was his brother, the Crimson Exarch, a man Cain had never met, yet one who shared the same Primordial Essence. And now, standing before the passage that led to the domain of the King of the Crimson World, Cain could feel the Scarlet Throne react with deep familiarity, as if both were governed by the same fundamental principles.

Cain gazed at the Eternity Gate and felt, with quiet certainty, that many of the answers he sought lay beyond it.

But he also knew something else.

Once he crossed that gate, everything would change.

Determination hardened his gaze as he stepped forward. He had already made his decision. As for exactly what it was, only he knew.

The moment Cain placed his foot onto the second step of the pyramid, a torrent of insight and knowledge surged into his soul. Unlike the First Realm, which had baptized him in raw energy, this time the knowledge belonged to the Second Realm, making things harder.

However, the Scarlet King was not overwhelmed by its energy. The Matrix of the Second Realm had nurtured him repeatedly due to Cain’s awakening of more than a dozen Oniric Truths within its domain. Using those truths as anchor points, Cain unraveled the remaining insights and assimilated them steadily.

It took him over two hours, but when it was done, the knowledge fused seamlessly into his being. His True Name was further nourished, and the evolution of his Neo-Demon Core advanced once more.

As Cain lifted his gaze toward the Eternity Gate, he noticed something strange.

It seemed clearer.

”No... I’ve got it backward,” Cain murmured. ”The gate isn’t becoming clearer. My perception of it is.”

His eyes narrowed slightly in realization.

”These steps are necessary to cross it.”

Nothing physically stopped Cain from rushing directly to the ninth step, but he was certain that doing so would overwhelm him completely, leaving him incapable of assimilating the insights.

”One step at a time.”

With renewed resolve, Cain climbed to the third step.

The instant he did, the laws and insights of the Third Realm descended upon him.

This step was far more difficult than the previous two. Cain’s time within the Third Layers had been limited, leaving gaps in his understanding. However, he was not without a foundation. Among the countless insights, he recognized truths belonging to the Sacred Dimension of the Red King.

Using that as his starting point, Cain worked tirelessly.

Every minute refined his True Name further, and with it, the innate ability born from it—Scarlet Reaper—grew sharper and more terrifying, reaching closer and closer to the Late Alpha-Omega Overgod Tier.

Equally important, within Cain’s heart, the Blue Matrix was now integrated at ninety-nine percent with his Neo-Demon Core.

That final one percent made all the difference.

It was the boundary between an altered Neo-Demon Core and something truly transcendental.

Three and a half hours later, Cain opened his eyes.

They glowed with brilliant scarlet light, shining like twin suns. His advancement was nothing short of shocking.

As he turned his gaze toward the Eternity Gate, he saw that it was now nearly fully manifested. Cain prepared to ascend to the fourth step—

Then his eyes narrowed.

A presence had arrived.

Stepping onto the grassland below was a figure cloaked in shadows, his eyes glowing with brilliant white light.

”Ancient One,” Cain said.

Each word carried solemn gravity, as though he were naming an apocalypse given form.

The Ancient One stared at Cain, surprise flashing briefly through his gaze. He had not expected anyone to arrive before him. However, that surprise quickly faded, replaced by serenity. A gentle smile appeared beneath the shadowed cloak as he walked toward the pyramid.

”Scarlet King,” the Ancient One said calmly. ”I have been waiting to meet you for a long time. I know there is animosity between us, but I believe there is nothing we cannot overcome.”

As he drew closer, the warmth vanished from his tone. Cold authority replaced it.

”Now step down from the pyramid and move aside as I—”

He never finished the sentence.

The Scarlet King vanished.

In the same instant, Cain reappeared before the Ancient One, Wings of Chaos unfurling from his back as the Matrix of Origin Island manifested around him. The Ancient One’s eyes widened in shock.

His presence alone was so overwhelming that even figures like the Demon King or the Leader of the Masked Race would never dare interrupt him while he spoke.

Yet the Scarlet King showed no hesitation.

The Ancient One reacted instantly, entering combat readiness within a fraction of a nanosecond—but it was already too late.

Darkness swallowed the world.

Then came the light.

A blinding, annihilating brilliance tore through reality itself as Cain raised his sword.

”Chaos of Worldbreak: Ragnarök!”

The Scarlet King’s voice echoed across sky and earth as his strongest power erupted forth, forming a devastating arc that shattered reality itself and surged straight toward the Ancient One.

The world screamed as the attack descended.