"Hm, I see. Well, thank you, Enya. You can go and rest. We have a lot of traveling to do tomorrow, no?"
Enya nodded, then politely excused herself, heading back to a tent she had set up not far from the hot spring.
Caine was left alone with his thoughts.
There were quite a few things he needed to do—perhaps "quite a few" didn't even do justice to the sheer enormity of what lay ahead. The list of tasks he had planned was endless, overwhelming, even.
But all of it would begin once he reached the capital. For now, all he could do was rest and…
'Interesting.'
Caine raised his hand to eye level. Despite his lack of eyes, he could still see—strangely, more clearly than ever.
He could no longer perceive the strings, runes, and tapestry of existence as he once did. But none of that mattered now. What captured his attention were his hands.
During the final monts of the Trial of Fate, threads of golden strings had descended from the skies and fused into his hands, just as the strange tattoo had taken form on his back.
Before, he might have been clueless as to what these phenona were. But now, he knew—instinctively and with absolute clarity.
'Divine Royal Mark of Fate… and Strings of Fate.'
The forr was shrouded in mystery; all he knew was its na. But the latter was different—he understood it completely.
The Strings of Fate, now fused into his hands, allowed his affinity to fate to take a tangible, physical form.
He could sense the tides of the river of fate, albeit only on a small scale. To so extent, he felt he could steer it, altering its flow to suit his needs.
It felt as if he could almost glimpse the future, decipher its possibilities, and manipulate what was beneficial while discarding what wasn't.
But beyond even that, his dexterity had reached unprecedented levels.
Caine already understood that one of Fate's core essences was Control, a concept deeply tied to his own True Will. So, what did it an for the Strings of Fate to be woven directly into his flesh and hands?
And finally…
WHOOOSH!
Caine pressed a finger forward. Instantly, a tapestry of golden strings materialized before him, bending and warping under the weight of his touch.
Though he could no longer "see" the strings in the way he once could, he could now truly touch them—sothing he had never been able to do before.
'It'll most likely take ti for these abilities to show their true might.'
Caine was well aware that the true potential of his new powers would only reveal itself when he ascended to higher cultivation realms. For now, as a re Quasi-Spark realm entity, he had no right to wield the full scope of these gifts from Fate.
But he was in no rush. He had plans, and if—or rather, when—they bore fruit, every sacrifice and effort would be worth it.
He would exploit this fractured reality in ways no one had ever dared to before.
***
[Holy Capital—Knight Haven]
In a grand office with polished wooden floors, high ceilings, and a marble desk facing massive tinted windows that overlooked the ancient beauty of the capital, a woman worked tirelessly.
Her appearance was deceptively simple—mid-length brown hair, sharp black eyes, and a slightly aged face. She wore a military uniform, and the skin visible beneath it was marred by countless scars. The fierce light in her eyes told stories of battles long past.
Quietly, she read through a towering stack of docunts, her focus unwavering. Hours passed as she ticulously examined each page.
Suddenly, across from her, a man clad in dark robes appeared.
Unlike her, he was inhuman. His body was a flawless machine of refined, tempered muscle, covered in white scales inscribed with runes of gold and scarlet.
His face resembled that of a tiger, yet his eyes were unsettlingly human, glowing with the light of aged wisdom and experience.
Power rippled from his being, suffocating and imnse.
Yet the woman remained indifferent, not even sparing him a glance. She continued flipping through her docunts, her deanor unbothered.
Minutes passed in tense silence. The creature seed to grow impatient and finally broke it.
"Little human… if you do not—"
The woman's gaze left her papers for the first ti, locking onto the creature.
Instantly, the tiger-like entity froze.
It lost the ability to speak, think, or even move.
A terrifying Will seeped into every fiber of its existence, constricting like a massive boa suffocating its prey.
Had Caine been present, he would have been astounded. Not only did this woman possess a True Will, but it also bore a Royal trait.
More than that, her Will seed alive, as if it had its own character, its own unique nature.
It exuded the all-encompassing reach of darkness and the slow, thodical force of a serpent.
The level of mastery she had achieved over her Will was unfathomable.
WHOOOSH!
The tiger-like creature gasped for breath as the woman's aura retreated entirely.
Without a word, she returned to her docunts.
The creature remained unsettled for several monts, but it eventually regained its composure.
When it spoke again, its tone was asured, filled with respect and caution.
"Esteed Elder Larisse, the leaders of the clans have sent with a ssage."
The man summoned a box from his storage ring and placed it carefully on the desk.
"Soon, the Pope will beco active once more. This will force him to leave the capital, just as he was forced to leave not long ago to deal with the strange tribulation that occurred."
"When that happens… please deal with this target."
He stood and bowed deeply.
"All the information is contained within the box, along with the paynt."
Without another word, the man vanished into thin air.
The box on Elder Larisse's desk was swallowed by a wave of darkness, leaving no trace of its existence.
Elder Larisse herself remained indifferent, flipping through her docunts with the sa unwavering focus.
Yet those who knew her well would have noticed the faint smirk playing at the corners of her lips.
'Interesting.'
She was… excited.
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