Chapter 342

Return Home (II)

The beach was clean--it looked as though absolutely nothing had happened on it, as though a tragedy was merely an act of imagination. While Cain, Quinn, Lear, and the twins sat some ways in the forest, resting in silence, more and more people were gearing toward the portal and entering it, leaving the world. Though in no particular hurry to leave, Cain had also planned to do so today at the latest, as he wanted to go back to Earth.

Though a part of him wanted to stay behind still and explore the Primal World further, he was directly ‘told’ by the powers-that-be to go home and continue climbing normally. And even if he didn’t understand why, he was obliged to listen, in part at at least to not incur their wrath.

The atmosphere in the group was hardly light, with everyone seemingly focused on something deep inside their minds. Cain absentmindedly ate some freshly cooked meat, occasionally watering it down with some ale, stroking Te’gha that was lying comfortably on his lap. To his surprise, Domin had already made himself at home--nestling between Te’gha and Cain, curling up into a strange-looking ball and seemingly falling asleep.

“I’m going to go home,” Lear suddenly broke the silence. “I mean, my home.”

“...” while everyone looked at him with complex expressions, Cain’s was simple. “Alright.”

“... you’re not gonna stop me?”

“You could have just escaped,” Cain shrugged. “None of us here could have caught you. But you didn’t.”

“... I’m sorry, Cain,” Lear said. “I... I’m all for adventure. Excitement. But...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cain smiled faintly, understanding without needing to be told. “Live a nice life.”

“My world is called Halandres,” Lear said. “If time ever comes for our atonement, come and find me.”

“Will do,” the man stood up and, nodding toward everyone, turned into a bolt of lightning before disappearing. Cain glanced at Quinn who was staring at the fading figure.

“You don’t trust him?” Cain asked.

“I don’t trust anyone,” she replied. “But you do. That’s enough.”

“Mighty nice of you,” he said. “What about you three?”

“I’m coming,” Quinn said.

“Us too,” the twins replied in unison.

“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Quinn joked halfheartedly.

“You’ll be sleepers for a while,” Cain said, taking a sip. “My world is well behind yours.”

“That’s fine,” Quinn said. “There are other ways to grow stronger than just climbing and fighting. Besides, a short vacation wouldn’t hurt.”

“Do you think I’m weak?” Cain suddenly asked, surprising the trio.

“W-weak? What do you mean? You could obliterate the three of us in a single breath,” Quinn replied.

“Not that,” Cain shook his head.

“Oh,” she sighed. “I... I don’t think you’re weak, Cain. I think you are... different. The truth is that the world is the way it is because of people like me--people who are able to fully fuel the ends justifying the means. A small sacrifice in lieu of greatness. And while, on occasion, I truly, unquestionably believe it is the best course of action, it also, inevitably, ends up being used as an armor, a shield against our sins.”

“There’s two people inside of me,” Cain said. “A hopeless child in want of a hopelessly perfect world, desperately believing it can be achieved, despite all the evidence of the opposite. And then there’s a grown man in want of silence, knowing that the world, whether on a micro scale or one spanning the entire cosmos, will never change. People will always remain haplessly the same. Envious, petty, vile little creatures who wouldn’t hesitate to betray and backstab anyone and everyone in pursuit of their own little dreams.

“And these two people,” he continued after taking a sip. “Are at a constant war. A never-ending, never-ceasing, never-stopping war. On good days, the child wins, and cries out in delirious laughter that there’s hope yet. And on most days, the grown man wins and simply sulks back into the corner, increasingly unhappy that he’s winning. And thusly the ebb and flow of life continues, and on every corner I’m left feeling like a hypocrite. Truth be told... I don’t even know why I’m fighting,” he sighed. “It’s not as though if the universe was suddenly handed to me I’d have the capacity to make it a better place. If anything, like most noble heroes who took the mantle of change upon themselves in the past, I’d just fuck the whole thing up even more until, one day, there’d be shadowy gatherings of new heroes in want of a change.”

“... there’s nothing wrong with being a hypocrite,” Quinn said. “At least you recognize it. But being wish-washy will be the death of you.”

“Tell me about it,” Cain shrugged. “Push and pull, push and pull. It doesn’t matter. The story, now, is set in stone--as is my fate. Just, the next time, shield me from the hypocrisy and be stealthy about it.”

“Ha ha, I will try,” Quinn laughed for a moment.

“For you, there won’t be a next time,” either Harmony or Nature echoed the statement. “Just live in your blissful hypocrisy.”

“Well, here’s to hoping,” he raised the gourd and drank the rest. “Shall we go too?”

“Let’s,” Quinn nodded. “I’m mighty curious to see who has managed to tamed you.”

“There’s plenty of them,” Cain chuckled faintly as they packed up. “But before that, I’ll have to ascend properly. Technically, I’m still a measly once-Awakened.”

“Yeah, I think if people knew your tale,” Quinn said. “Many-a-tear of shame would be shed.”

“I haven’t seen you shed any.”

“Oh, I’m a big girl.”

“Girl? You mean grandma, right?”

“Girl’s a girl as long she feels like a girl in her heart,” Quinn said as they began moving toward the portal.

“Wow, I haven’t heard that cope yet,” Cain said. “My wife uses ‘I’m a girl as long as you call me one’, and when I refuse, she withholds sex. So, she’s a girl until grave.”

“Ah, men and sex,” Quinn commented. “Civilizations spend lifetimes creating tools of comfort and ease, and yet the greatest tool of them all is gotten at birth.”

“You clearly haven’t taken a shit after holding it in for hours,” Cain said. “Sex is great, but nothing beats the feeling of your stomach getting deflated. It’s like the angles blow into you a heavenly breath, revitalizing you.”

“... no comment.”

The passage through the portal was as was the arrival--at least for everyone except Cain. For him, it was quite literally like stepping through the doors. There was no discomfort, no waiting, no nausea--he took one step in, and within the second, he was back in the valley, surrounded by hundreds of preying eyes that were hidden in the surrounding crevices.

It wasn’t a strange sight; similar thing often occurred around dungeon entrances in the past--hundreds would wait for what seemed like easy prey and steal their items. It looked for a moment like Cain was to become that ‘easy prey’, but Quinn and the twins arrived right then, and the aura of the thrice-Awakened immediately dispelled any straying thoughts. Even the bravest weren’t morons, apparently.

As such, the four left the valley without interruptions, flying out casually. Since Cain had no clue how to return home besides recharging the bead--which was only around halfway done since he didn’t prioritize it, he handed the reins over to Quinn.

“What? I don’t know how to get us to your world,” she said. “I only know how to temporarily get us into a world with a Tower so you can ascend.”

“...”

“...”

“Oh, well,” he sighed. “Looks like we’ll have to delay it for a few days. My bead’s not recharged yet. While I fully focus on charging it, can you three go farm us some potions, pretty please?”

“Alright,” Quinn shrugged; it was better than sitting in a cave and doing nothing, at least. “Where will you be?”

“Hmm... that rock,” Cain pointed at the most open spire in the surroundings, clearly visible to everyone.

“You’re evil,” either Nature or Harmony said.

“Charging the bead is boring,” Cain shrugged. “I’ll need some entertainment.”

“Alright. Will five days be enough?” Quinn asked.

“Should be,” Cain replied as both Te’gha and Domin appeared on his shoulders, having just seemingly woken from their naps. Just blow something up if you need help.”

“Likewise.”

“See ya’.”

“Good luck.”

While the twins and Quinn left for the potion hunting, Cain slowly flew up to the exposed rock and sat down, Domin and Te’gha looking around curiously, having both spotted thousands of eyes that descended on the tiny peak immediately.

“Kekeke stupid human, everyone hates you now!” Te’gha gleefully noted.

“Good!” Domin exclaimed in excitement. “This is how a man should be! Ha ha ha, great Domin will dominate the world, muhahahaha~~!!”

“... there’s something seriously wrong with the both of you,” Cain commented, taking out some snacks that Te’gha enjoyed nibbling on. Domin, too, joined when he saw the cat eat away happily. “Of course they hate me, they think I’m an arrogant piece of shit who’s too big for his diapers. And no, you won’t dominate shit, little one. You can’t even dominate me and you want to dominate the world?”

“No, you are the world!” Domin exclaimed. “I want to dominate not-world things for you!”

“... wow,” Cain sighed. “You’ll fit right in, I guess. That’s all that matters. Yeah, that’s all that matters...”