The moment the group saw the Royal Blutlinie, shock appeared in their eyes.

The Dark Blood Kingdom possessed detailed records of every Late and Peak Alpha Omega Overgod within the Dark Blood Realm. Even the existence of the rare hermits who belonged to no kingdom or organization was known to them.

Which was why they immediately understood that the warrior Cain had just produced from his spatial treasure did not belong to the Dark Blood Realm.

There was only one possible explanation.

He came from another realm.

Countless questions surfaced on their faces, suspicion and curiosity mixing in equal measure. However, before any of them could speak, a stream of Cain's soul force rose toward the ceiling of the hall.

In the next instant, the energy expanded and transformed into a projection.

They were seeing through Cain's eyes.

The scene showed him patrolling a dangerous quadrant of the realm when, suddenly, his perception detected a hidden presence. The Scarlet King moved silently, tracking the disturbance with caution before discovering the intruder.

Then he attacked.

What followed was the terrifying battle between Cain and Aerion. At first, Cain dominated the fight completely. His attacks were relentless, precise, and overwhelming. But the situation changed abruptly when Aerion activated his Asura Form. His power surged violently, turning the tide of the battle and pushing the Scarlet King to the brink of death.

The pressure was suffocating.

Yet even then, Cain did not lose his composure.

The projection showed how he lured Aerion exactly where he wanted him, before performing his killing blow.

The eyes of the Dark Blood King and General Averus sharpened when they saw it.

Redirection.

The strange and dangerous ability they both remembered clearly.

The next moment, Aerion's body was shattered by his own power, the counterattack destroying him from within.

But the scene did not end there.

Another shocking development followed.

A massive surge of soul force descended, and the figure of Shakra manifested above Aerion. The presence alone radiated overwhelming authority.

What stunned everyone in the hall, however, was what happened

next.

Cain ignored it.

Without hesitation, he shattered the manifestation's face and struck Aerion again, completely disregarding the warning and the power behind it.

The projection ended.

Silence filled the hall.

Cain stood straight, his head held high, his eyes glowing with calm strength as he faced the Dark Blood King and the others.

"After defeating him, I hid in order to recover from my wounds," Cain said evenly. "As for why I did not inform any of you about my location or condition..."

He did not finish the sentence.

He did not need to.

The message was obvious.

He did not trust them.

And he would not allow anyone near him while he was vulnerable.

Such behavior was far from ideal for a General. Unity and coordination were essential within the Dark Blood Kingdom.

Yet none of them could truly blame him.

After all, this was the same man who had nearly killed General Averus and had personally massacred the capital of the Heartcram Kingdom. Trust had never existed between them.

Another heavy silence settled over the chamber.

If Cain had merely appeared with a captive from the Soul Eternal Realm, some of them might have suspected deception or hidden

cooperation.

But they had all felt Shakra's soul force within the projection.

And Aerion's condition spoke for itself-crippled, broken, and barely alive.

More importantly, Cain had openly admitted his distrust of them. Accusing him of secret collaboration now would only make the accuser look foolish.

Even those who despised the Scarlet King kept their thoughts to themselves.

A solemn expression appeared on the Dark Blood King's face as he

analyzed the situation.

Finally, he spoke.

"Do you object if we perform a soul search on him?"

The eyes of the other Generals narrowed slightly.

Aerion's memories were a treasure trove. They could reveal critical information about the Soul Eternal Realm, including its structure, plans, and infiltration methods.

More importantly, they could confirm whether any connection

existed between the prisoner and Cain.

Cain did not hesitate.

He nodded immediately.

The Dark Blood King stepped forward and unleashed his overwhelming soul force, plunging directly into Aerion's mind.

At once, Aerion's life began to unfold before him.

His early years. His training. His mission. His infiltration into the Dark Blood Realm. The structure of his abilities. The nature of his power.

When the Dark Blood King witnessed Aerion's Ancestor Power, he nodded slightly. The choice made by the Soul Eternal Realm now made sense. With his power, Aerion could detect hostile presences long before they approached.

As for why the Scarlet King had remained undetected...

That was simply one more mystery surrounding the ruler of the

Ocean of the Blood Sun.

The Dark Blood King continued searching.

But as he approached the most recent memories, his expression

darkened.

Static.

Gaps.

Entire months-years-were missing.

Large sections of Aerion's memory had been completely destroyed.

Although disappointing, the damage was not suspicious. The soul wounds Aerion had suffered during the battle were severe enough to

explain such losses.

Even so, the Dark Blood King attempted to recover the missing

fragments.

The moment he tried, Aerion's soul began to tremble violently.

Cracks spread rapidly, the entire structure on the verge of collapse.

It was already at its limit.

Continuing would destroy it completely.

The Dark Blood King withdrew his soul force immediately. After a moment, he gave a slight nod toward the other Generals.

Everything aligned with Cain's explanation.

The missing memories-those that might have revealed Aerion's

ability to track fragments of the Sacred Treasures, or the fact that he had brought one into the Dark Blood Realm-were among the sections that had "accidentally" been destroyed by the soul damage.

Cain's face remained calm and indifferent. But deep inside, a surge of excitement burned.

Everything was progressing exactly as he had planned.

Now there was only one final step.

To eliminate even the slightest possibility of doubt.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Cain moved.

His hand shot forward like lightning.

Before anyone could react, his fingers pierced through Aerion's chest and tore out his heart.

Within it was the Ancestor Drop.

That final act became the breaking point.

Aerion's soul, already hanging on the edge of destruction, shattered

completely.

His existence came to an end.

At the same time, any lingering suspicion regarding Cain's relationship

with the Soul Eternal Realm disappeared as well.

If anything, the scene left the opposite impression. Looking at the ruthless execution, the Dark Blood King and the assembled Generals could only come to one conclusion. There was no one in the Dark Blood Kingdom with a more antagonistic relationship to the Soul Eternal Realm than the Scarlet

King.