God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

With a rather wide grin on his face, Cain couldn't help but stare at the bag of mana shards in his hands.

He proudly let it disappear into his inventory, satisfied with the weight.

Gilead couldn't help but ask incredulously,

"What do you even need the mana shards for?"

Cain chuckled, "Keeping this barrier up is burning through mana cores rather fast. Shouldn't I make up a bit for the losses?"

Then he shrugged, "Besides, they have tons of them. I'm sure this much won't hurt."

In fact, he was impressed they were able to pull out that many mana shards all at once.

"In any case, I suppose this is a job well done." Abigail said with a faint smile.

The Iron Beetle had left, leaving only the Pilgrims that had arrived, as well Cain and the others.

Hunter walked up to them with a frown,

"From the looks of it, the Devils don't seem interested in attacking yet."

Indeed, the darkness brewing beyond the Dome's translucent screen was spreading throughout the entire city from what Cain could see. However, for some reason, it hadn't come close to the Dome yet.

Cain frowned, "Perhaps they need to prepare a few things before they act."

"I believe that might be the case. Or, they need the devilish miasma to penetrate the rest of the city fully before they act. Either way, we can't be sure for certain." Steve added, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

There was so much uncertainty involved with the Devils.

Cain couldn't help but think it had been a while since he had actually engaged with one.

Recalling his last experience, he couldn't help but clutch his chest.

Yes, his last significantly battle of devilish origins had ended with a knife stabbing through his back and into his heart.

He had died, but not really. Still, it had been a rather memorable experience for him.

He turned to stare at the dome,

'And from the looks of it, things might only get worse from here.'

According to all his experience and what he had learned so far, if the potential growth of a mutant or Aether Beast was a regular progression, a Devil's growth was an exponentially one.

Given more time, they would grow to become stronger that beings in equal Tiers.

Meaning a Tierless Devil and a Tierless human could very well fight in the same level, where the chances could go either way depending on the strength of the individual.

However, the average Tier 5 human would be slaughtered by an average Tier 5 Devil. Of course, beings that could ascend to such heights couldn't really be labeled as average.

The same could be said about other beings as well, with only the Celestial race being able to compare to the Devil race.

Devils could very well be recognized as embryotic dark gods in their own right. Primordial Devils were true dark gods, beings of chaos and disaster that could turn entire worlds to ash with nothing but a breath.

Cain shook his head and turned to Gilead,

"From the look of things, we still have a bit of time left before anything major happens. And so..."

"I'll get to work providing you as much equipment as you could possibly need. I'll also need you to help me deliver Alvi his portion as well." Cain said causally

Gilead nodded and turned to Abigail,

"You and Seisha will lead a thousand Pilgrims through the {Spatial Gate} to the shore."

Abigail nodded gracefully while Seisha raised a brow,

"Hm? What's all that about? What shore?"

Abigail gave her a glance,

"I'll explain it to you later. For now, I believe this is where we part ways, Cain."

Cain gave her a smile and nodded.

Slowly, the Pilgrims made their way away, leaving only Cain and the others there.

Not all of them had gathered, as a few others like Leah and Roselle's squad were busy.

Steve walked up, a serious expression on his face.

Then he turned to Cain,

"You know, we really should think of a name for ourselves."

Cain raised a brow, "That sounds like a terrible idea."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Steve snorted, 'How will we leave our mark on history then? How will our enemies refer to us as we strike fear and shove misery down their throats?"

Lukas walked up to him and proudly raised his head,

"I and my Lightslayers do not wish to be bound to you and your—"

"Then how about Iron Fist Clan!" Li suddenly exclaimed excitedly.

"No! Let's go with the Phantom Blades!" Manny, who said smugly, proud of his original naming sense.

"Originality is key, I tell you! These names are terrible!" Vincent said condescendingly towards the other two.

As they argued, Cain thought about it.

Indeed, they had no name to go by. For all intents and purposes, they were indeed a motley crew.

They were an amalgamation of those that has survived on the way to the city. Some were tier to Celestials, others weren't.

Some had their loyalties with him, others didn't...

Some had been former foes and enemies, others had been there since he had killed his first Devil.

Picking a name that could encompass all of them and what they stood for, their individual aspirations and goals seemed impossible.

So instead, why not be selfish about it?

"How about Golden Asura..."

An Asura, according to the history books, was a Demon ranked a step above the Rakshasa.

His goal was to finish Ashur, the Golden Dragon's work. Kill Tian and free all of existence from his tyranny.

But he himself was no Dragon. At least not yet...

A dragon was a true celestial being. A magnificent beast that could devour stars and conjure up worlds from its breath.

No, he couldn't be a dragon just yet.

For now, he was a lonely demon.

"Golden Asura... has a nice ring to it, I guess..." Li said, his brows furrowed.

"I think it's tacky and horrible. Doesn't embody the virtue of light and hope for humanity, isn't that right, Eva?" Lukas said turning towards Evangeline who had been staring at the dome, or rather what lay beyond it all this time.

There was no response from her.

Lukas frowned and called out again.

She suddenly turned her head around.

When they locked eyes, Cain couldn't help but sense a hint of hidden emotion in her usually cold eyes. Something he couldn't quite put his fingers on.

However, she wore a light smile on her lips,

"It is a fitting name."

She paused for a moment, then slowly turned around completely,

"I don't believe in saviors. Saviors bear the burden of salvation on their shoulders alone. If they fail, they commit the greatest sin."

Cain couldn't help but feel something move in his chest.

Hee words seemed to resonate with him on a far deeper level than he expected...

"However, if we become Demons, then no one will hold our failures against us. Instead, we can act with reckless abandon, saving and damning others as we please. Isn't that right, Cain..."

Cain was silent for a moment, staring at the ground.

For a while now, he had wondered whether he was to be the savior of humanity. Was that his destiny?

Was he to be a messiah destined ave everyone...

In reality, it was his ego speaking. He had barely touched the cusp of power. He was not even Tier 2 yet, and he was already considering such lofty things.

He chuckled to himself...

Her words made him realize that not everyone would be saved, and he was not to bear that burden.

At least, not yet...

He was far too weak for that.

And he did not want to bear that burden.

Instead, he wanted to live as he pleased, saving and damning according to his whims.

'Heros kill themselves for the hope of others.'

He did not want to be a hero.

He was a demon, after all.

He grinned,

"Golden Asura..."

***

"I plan on taking the Trial of the Second Order." Cain said measured and calmly.

Sitting on the other side, Evangeline calmly stared back. Hee brows raised slightly when she heard his words,

"I see. And you believe you are ready for it?"

Cain hesitated for a moment before nodding,

"I do."

Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

Evangeline smiled.

Cain couldn't help but feel his breath halt in his lungs.

Evangeline was truly beautiful. Yet, hee beauty was like a rose, alluring and mesmerizing, but deceiving and wicked, like a rose.

A bright crimson rose...

"If that is your decision, why are you telling me this?"

He has invited her back into his cabin on Gwendolyn.

They were seated opposite from one another, staring each other right in the eye.

Cain pursed his lips,

"Quite frankly, I don't think doing it right now is a good idea. It is risky to leave at such a critical moment, where the Devils can strike at any moment. So I—"

Evangeline easier a hand, stopping him. He stopped, a bit confused.

She cleared her throat,

"Before you say anything, I'd have you know that I currently am Level 199. In other words, I qualify for the second trial as well."

She smiled, "And not just me. I believe a few others have achieved that as well."

Cain's eyes widened, "What are you—"

"Last time we were gone for only a day, perhaps this time, it might be two, or three, or maybe an entire month or year."

She shook her head, "But it does matter, does it?"

Cain was stumped.

He was silent for a moment, then smiled wryly.

Progress could come only to those who actively sought it out.

If he stayed Tier 1, that didn't mean his foes would do the same.

On the contrary, they would only keep getting more and more powerful, their profane might growing day after day. If he and the other humans were left behind, they would eventually be unable to keep up.

That would be the genesis of their ruin...

Seeing the light of understanding appear in his eyes, Evangeline let out a quite sigh.

Then she leaned back,

"I keep telling you not to worry about us too much, don't I? As for Valestorm, I believe Gilead won't let this place fall before we get back. So, when do you have in mind?"

Cain chuckled, "We have to make a few preparations first."

He paused for a moment then added,

"Also, who are the other Level 199's you have in mind?"

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM