"Finally reached the apprentice rank" said Cain with a mix of emotions as he looked at the destroyed dummy before him. Rank 0 devils can use ether to reinforce their bodies which make them unstoppable in front of normal people at least until their energy ran out.
It has been six months since Cain was introduced to ether and he has progressed rapidly since then thanks to his exceptional talent. Because of their higher affinity with ether those with higher talent can progress much faster than devils with lower talent. It usually take about a year to reach the apprentice rank even for people with level 5 soul talent.
"Hey Cain, let's go hunting!" suddenly he heard a voice shout out to him. It was Will, even after they stopped training together their friendship has continued, they usually either go drinking or hunting together.
"I really have something to do right now. How about tomorrow?" said Cain after a moment's though. despite his eagerness to test his new power but he first need to inform his parents about his breakthrough.
"It won't take that long, I heard that a stone gorilla was found on the outskirts of the Doriath forest. It should only take us about 20 minutes to reach that position" added Will tempting him.
"A stone gorilla is a warcraft; I don't think we are a match for it" said Cain with a cautious tone. A warcraft is a monster with power that reaches the apprentice rank, and even though he's already there, he just broke through.
"You don't have to worry about that. I'm not seeking death. This one is still in the growth stage and isn't a warcraft yet. Even if we can't defeat it, running away is pretty easy" exclaimed Will, trying to reassure him. Despite being three years older than Cain, Will had not yet reached the apprentice rank due to his poor talent.
After hearing this Cain started hesitating this was really the best opponent for him right now so after some though he said "Okay, but we should hurry"
Will patted his chest confidently and assured "It would take us a maximum of 2 hours"
After that, they went to the armory to grab some weapons. Cain chose a sword, as it was the weapon he had trained with, while Will picked a bow and a handful of arrows and they headed toward the location.
The Doriath forest spans across the territories of the Aatrox and Belial families, extending all the way to the outskirts of the royal capital. It is home to numerous warcrafts, some of which reach as high as rank 5 in power.
"The height of these trees never fails to amaze me" said Cain, gazing up at a tree that towered nearly one kilometer. Suddenly, a surge of pain rushed through him as an arrow passed through his knee.
"It really is a magical place, very suitable to be your graveyard" said Will while pointing an arrow towards him.
Cain reacted quickly and took cover behind the nearest tree, his face showing his disbelief. He hadn't expected to be suddenly attacked by his friend. Furthermore, the fact that the arrow could pierce his ether-reinforced body indicated that Will had already reached the apprentice rank.
"So you broke through. I really envy your talent. Originally, that arrow was intended to blow off your foot" exclaimed Will with some amazement.
Cain's brain started thinking wildly, searching for a way to escape this predicament. His broken knee won't permit him to run away so the only option for him was a fight to the death.
After making his decision, he suddenly threw his sword, which narrowly missed Will's arm, injuring it before embedding itself in a nearby tree.
"So what are you going to do now, after losing your weapon?" Before Will could complete his sentence, he stared stunned as a fireball half a meter in diameter swirled toward him, But before it could hit him, someone appeared in front of it and dispersed it with a wave of his hand.
"What a mess" said the newcomer, Lord Mephisto, while massaging his brow. "Father" greeted Cain with a voice filled with happiness. He knew that if it was a planned assassination, even if he defeated Will he likely wouldn't survive it. However, with the presence of Lord Mephisto, a rank 4 infernal lord, nothing could happen to him.
Will stood there with a helpless look on his face, neither running nor begging for mercy.
Lord Mephisto cast a simple healing spell on Cain, and with a wave of his hand, they suddenly disappeared and appeared in the great hall of the castle. It was a tier 3 spell, teleportation, which Cain had read about in a book introducing magic. Without saying a word, the guards chained Will and escorted him to the dungeon, while Cain followed his father to the study.
"Who was it?" asked Cain through gritted teeth, his anger palpable. He knew that nothing could be hidden from the Aatrox family within their territory, so whoever was involved must be someone from within their own ranks.
"It's Felix" replied Lord Mephisto with a bitter voice. Originally, Felix was supposed to be the heir, despite his modest talent barely reaching level 4. With the family's resources, he could easily ascend to become an Archdevil and the next patriarch. However, the birth of Cain had shattered all his plans. Losing the position of heir and the accompanying resources was a devastating blow for him.
"It's really him" exclaimed Cain, his voice tinged with realization. He felt nothing for this brother who didn't even try to hide his hatred, but he hadn't expected him to have this do-or-die mentality.
After some silence, Lord Mephisto added "You should go console your mother"
Cain nodded solemnly and quietly left the room.