Cain spent the next couple of weeks hunting Wave Beasts and faced two Hell Devils during that time. All the Dark Races' warriors he found were part of the Infernus Daemon Race, which told Cain that those warriors were packed together according to their races.
He also detected humans multiple times but avoided any meeting.
'There are less than two weeks until the trial is over. I will keep exploring for a couple more days before returning.' That thought just crossed Cain's mind when he detected a human's scent.
Coldness emerged in his eyes since he knew the owner. It was the same duo that almost cost him his life.
Cain felt his blood burning as his desire to kill grew stronger. Remembering how the duo looked at him still made him feel an endless fury.
'Not yet.' Cain calmed himself and began walking in the opposite direction of the duo. Although he had grown stronger, he was still a Level 1 Wave Warrior, and facing two Level 2 would be suicide.
Not long after that, Cain picked up a strong smell of blood. Due to the killing, he was used to it, but the scent was too potent and fresh.
Cain's eyes narrowed, and he hid his aura the best he could as he approached the scent's origin. It did not take long for him to find the source, and what he saw drew an absolute dread in his heart.
In the youth's vision, there was a man with silver armor made of thousands of blades beneath a waterfall. There was destruction all around him, and the water reaching his waist was pure red.
That color came from the almost twenty bodies lying impaled around him. Most of them were Wave Beasts, but there were three that belonged to cadets!
'Atrox Immortus Race!'
Cain remembered the words he read in the Dark Race Compendium about them. As he focused on the cadets impaled in the rocks around the waterfall, his eyes widened with sheer terror since he saw they were still alive.
Just like humankind earned its title through their massacre of Gods, the Immortus race gained theirs due to the terror they infused on their enemies.
Cain felt his heart beating faster and faster, forcing him to do his best to control himself. There was no way he would face that monster, but still, he commanded the system to scan him.
[Target scan successful
---
Race: Atrox Immortus Race
Lineage: ???
Path of Power: Astral Rebirth (Level 3 Wave Warrior)
---
Stats:
Strength: 0.75
Agility: 0.69
Vitality: 0.19
Astral Wave: 0.66
---
Note: Target's vitality is in a state of severe disarray. There is a foreign object hidden inside his body]
Absolute shock appeared on Cain's face as he saw those stats. He could not believe that the soldiers had let a Level 3 Wave Warrior inside the Military Academy Secret Trial, even worse, one of the Atrox Immortus Race!
The fact that the Atrox's vitality was in disarray meant nothing for Cain as he knew that if they were to fight, he would die before landing even a single blow.
Without second thoughts, Cain slowly made his way out of the vicinity. He had moved for less than one hundred meters when it happened.
"Eeeeee!" The sound of a screech made Cain's entire body tremble. He turned to the side and saw a Wave Beast with the form of a hawk looking at him.
The Wave Beast was outside his [Basic Scan Force Field] range, and Cain failed to pick up the scent because he focused solely on the Atrox.
Cain couldn't care less about the Wave Beast. What mattered to him was that he felt two eyes focusing in his direction, making his instinct scream like crazy.
"Eeeeee!" The Wave Beast screeched again as it lunged toward Cain, but the youth's boot glowed before he flashed away like a lightning bolt.
"¡AHHHHHHH!"
Less than three seconds later, Cain heard that horrible scream of pain, making his blood run cold, and pushing him to run even faster. He was burning his Astral Wave like a madman and constantly activating his Light Boots' ability.
"That man already discovered your presence. After he finishes with the Wave Beast, he will come for you. Running will not help since he is several times faster than you. You should think of something quick, brat, or else you will die."
Cain heard Apex's voice and knew he needed to think fast, but there was a problem. He could usually react to a dangerous situation very fast, but right now, fear clouded his mind.
What he saw near the waterfall terrified him, and the idea that it could happen to him affected his reasoning.
Luckily for Cain, the System Spirit seemed to have recognized his plight and decided to give him a hand.
"Members of the Atrox Immortus Race are inclined to inflict intense pain on their opponents. That Wave Beasts will buy you a few seconds, but if you want a chance, you need to give him prey he wants as much as you."
A cold light crossed Cain's eyes as he heard those words and knew what kind of prey could give him enough time.
'Other humans.' If he guided the Atrox toward another cadet, Cain could obtain enough time to escape.
Just like when he decided to kill for the first time, uncertainty appeared in Cain's eyes, and just like back then, he remembered his father's words.
"What is the point of surviving if you do it full of regret!" Cain yelled those words. He did it to reaffirm his heart, as he would never take that path.
"Hahaha, well done brat. You are right. People willing to sacrifice the weak and innocent so they can prolong their disgusting lives are worse than garbage!" Apex's voice was full of thrill, but viciousness appeared as he continued. "However, not everybody here is innocent."
Cain's eyes grew cold as he heard that, and there was no hesitation in them this time. He focused on his sense of smell and found the scent he was looking for.
He made a sharp turn to the left and ran with everything he had. The muscles on his legs were burning, but he did not care and kept pushing harder.
Suddenly, a sense of absolute doom assaulted Cain. He felt a presence about to reach his back. Just as fear was about to freeze his mind, his eyes glowed with red light.
Cain felt all the fear vanish, and his mind suddenly heightened, making everything around him move extremely slowly, and mobilizing his Astral Wave became several times easier. He did not know what happened, but that did not matter, as he found a way to survive.
He arched his body and turned around as the matrix in the Kinetic Gauntlets shone. By the time he had fully turned, a fist was about to land on his head, but Cain smiled since his attack landed first.
"Crack!" The sound of bones breaking echoed through the forest as the Atrox received a double Kinetic Blast right in the chest.
The Atrox puked blood before being sent flying away, piercing through a tree on his path!
Cain did not resist the recoil and instead used it to propel his body away. His mind returned to normal, but there was no time for questions as he continued running.
That attack harmed the Atrox, but Cain knew it would only buy him a few moments, nothing more.
Luckily, that was all Cain needed, as after jumping past a small river, he found the ones he was looking for.
Nira and James were surprised to see Cain appear out of nowhere. Before the duo could react, the youth only showed a cold smile and used his Light Boots to flash away.
"That trash got another Wave Artifact!" James' eyes showed his greed, as did Nira's.
"¡Boom!"
However, both froze the next instant as they heard a small crash behind them. The duo turned their heads and saw a three-meter-tall man covered in blade armor.