Cain looked straight at the woman standing before him.
Her eyes were hard. Sharp and proud. He could tell she had never learned how to bow, and even death would not teach her now.
For a short moment, his thoughts went off course. His lips almost moved before he stopped.
Sigh, what beautiful eyes, fierce and definitely attractive. This Cornelia is making my Overgod blood active. Normally, I would devour her. Take her away from her lover. Make her mine. Hear every cry until she has no choice but to cling to me.
Until she wants nothing else.
Until she only wants my touch.
Until she only wants me.
But that was a pity. A real pity.
The moment those thoughts crossed his mind, Cornelia reacted. Her face turned red at once. The color spread fast, from her cheeks all the way to her ears. Her teeth clenched hard as she took a sharp breath.
"You—"
She stopped.
She felt a pressure brushed against her senses from behind, calm but like a warning. Then she immediately knew it was Ivira.
Yes, it was her sister. She could feel it.
The presence was faint, but it carried meaning. It was cold and calm at the same time. As if reminding her to stay still and not reveal anything. Cain should not know that both of them heard every thought.
Cain's gaze drifted without restraint.
It traced Cornelia openly. The way she stood. The way her shoulders stayed tense. The way she held herself like a blade ready to be drawn.
Aaah… the smell of a maiden. Fresh. Clean. Alive. Right in front of me. Near my nose. Near my eyes.
The past me was really too stupid.
He remembered it clearly, the way he had clung to her, awkward and earnest, like a fool who thought sincerity alone could bridge distance. He had annoyed her. Pushed her away. Let her drift further and further until all that remained was an empty space beside him and her standing next to Cedrick, smiling faintly, keeping secrets.
Instead of seducing her, my past self drove her away. And then she died. Without anyone tasting this fresh peach. Not even Cedrick touched a single hair on her head.
What a poor lady…
A laugh echoed in his mind, sharp and cruel.
Ahahaha.
Then his body tensed.
Ah—damn it.
"My body," Cain muttered under his breath, barely audible. "I thought I could control this mortal shell properly after an exercise earlier…"
His fingers flexed. He inhaled.
I need to take care of this. Especially now.
In the past, his libido had been twisted and suppressed, warped by the blood pact that bound him to the Moonshade family, a pact that had remained unbroken even after their fall. When they died, when the family collapsed, the backlash had ruined parts of him that even an Overgod found annoying to deal with.
But now they were alive.
The Moonshade family still stood.
The blood pact remained intact, but its future curse was not active.
And now, Cornelia stood here, alive, breathing, glaring at him with those fierce eyes.
Taming someone like her would be epic.
His breath hitched.
Kekeke—
He froze.
What the hell am I thinking?
Cain's jaw tightened. His mind snapped back into place like a slammed door.
Shit. No. I can't let this happen. This is the blood pact. Yes. That's it. I'm thinking of her like this because of the blood pact.
He straightened his back and mentally slapped himself.
Remember this, Overgod. Do not fall into temptation. You only need to endure ten thousand years. Ten thousand years away from these vixens. After that, you will impregnate countless women. You will steal married women. You will spread your offspring across planes and worlds.
Yes. Yes.
Focus.
Her fierce eyes are nothing.
But his neck cracked as he tilted his head away, mumbling under his breath.
"Look away. Look away, you idiot Overgod. If you take her now, you'll never spread your seed properly."
Her or millions of beauties after ten thousand years. Choose.
A few seconds passed. Of course he knew the best answer was.
Cain finally turned his gaze aside.
He exhaled and nodded to himself.
As expected of an Overgod. Resisting desire is basic. If I can't even do that, am I worthy of the title?
Cornelia, meanwhile, was shaking.
Her blush deepened, fury burning behind her eyes. Her hands trembled at her sides, nails digging into her palms.
This bastard.
How dare he.
How dare he think of me like that.
She wanted to rip his throat out. She wanted to crush his skull under her heel.
But she didn't move.
She couldn't.
Because beneath all the filth and mockery she sensed from him, a powerful presence. She, who went to the battlefield could sense how dominant his presence was. She should be careful.
If he really is an Overgod…
Her teeth ground together.
At that moment, Cedrick stepped forward.
His shoulders were slumped. His armor was dented and stained. His face looked tired, almost desperate.
"Lady Cornelia," he said quickly, bowing his head. "The territory… the Moonshade lands are facing too many problems."
Cain glanced at him lazily.
Cedrick continued, his voice growing more strained with every word.
"Otherworld humans have begun appearing. Not just a few, groups of them and organized ones. Although they are weaker, they use strange tools, strange magic scrolls. They ambush our vanguards and they will retreat even before we can retaliate."
He gestured behind him.
Several injured soldiers stood there, bruised and pale. Some leaned on spears. Some were supported by others. Blood stains marked the ground.
"The vanguards were already injured after a few clashes with them," Cedrick said. "They've never seen enemies like this. They don't fight like beasts. They don't fight like normal weak humans of our realm. They are not just foods. They think. They plan. They use magic efficiently. At first, we planned to recruit more blood slaves to fight them but…"
He swallowed.
"But Master Cain…"
Cain's eyes narrowed slightly.
Cedrick bowed deeply.
"Master Cain not only used magic scrolls without your permission madam. He also injured vanguards the already injured ones. He also used magic scrolls against the new recruits making the situation become even worse."
The injured soldiers suddenly dropped to one knee.
"Please punish Master Cain!"
"Please punish him, Madam!"
"Please, Lady Cornelia!"
Their voices overlapped, desperate and fearful, echoing across the hall.
Cain looked down at them.
What a bunch of fragile idiots.
In his mind, he scoffed.
Isn't this problem easy to solve? Just drink their blood. Drink it, heal yourselves, strengthen yourselves with their blood, very simple.
He paused.
Then the memory stirred.
In the past, when the Moonshade family fell, these otherworld humans had emerged as well. Humans from low-level planes, yet absurdly strong. Their strongest warriors rivaled the Chimera Ant Demon Emperor himself.
Back then, the Chimera Ant Emperor and the Crimson Blood King had been forced to focus on them.
That distraction had allowed the Lycannis family to rise.
Humans were favored in their realm, so they possessed mana unlike the humans in this plane, who needed to form pacts with nightmare creatures like vampires and werewolves. They came crashing in, ready to invade. However, they had one weakness: this plane is not their plane that favored them; it is a nightmare plane that amplifies the invaders' fears tenfold. Facing beasts like vampires, such as Cain, and other monsters that use mana causes their magic to fall into disarray, leading to their downfall.
Cain's lips curved faintly.
"Hm…"
He rubbed his chin.
"Should I beat up the Chimera Ant Emperor and Human Emperor and take their blood and mix them well for me to drink?" he murmured.
His eyes gleamed.
"Maybe later."
He glanced at Cedrick.
I should agree with this mutt. Make Cornelia hate me more. Make her disdain me completely.
Yes. Yes.Yes.
In his mind, he taunted her.
Come now. Big titty the second. Come and punish me.
Cornelia stared at him.
Her hatred sharpened. Her face burned.
Then, to everyone's surprise, she turned.
She walked past them.
Her cape swayed with each step. Her boots struck the floor with controlled force.
Silence followed her.
Cain blinked.
"Oh?"
Suddenly, she stopped.
She spun around.
"Follow me!" Cornelia ordered.
The words rang like a command carved in steel.
Cain stood there like a statue.
"I said, follow me!" she shouted again, her voice trembling with fury and something she refused to name.