Against The True Gods-Chapter 143: Luck(II)

Noticing the overwhelming waves of disgust and pity swirling in Caine’s gaze, Future Caine couldn’t help but chuckle, his expression serene and unbothered.

"Oh? Am I not living up to your dream, dear youngest?"

The scene mirrored Caine’s earlier meeting with Oldest—one side amused by the ignorance of the other, the other repulsed by what the other had become.

A reflection across time, truly.

"I don’t know. I really don’t know." Caine’s voice dropped to a near whisper, his tone heavy as he shook his head.

He could feel his Will trembling, teetering on the edge of collapse as he stared at the man before him. It wasn’t just the man’s terrifying power that shook him but what he represented.

He represented failure. A version of Caine that had failed so catastrophically that his entire existence had become warped, perverted by regret and compromise.

And yet, what did Caine truly know about the horrors that awaited him in the future? Had Oldest not likely thought the same about Caine during their encounter? Had Oldest been wrong? Or was he right?

Caine didn’t know. Perhaps no one did.

Meeting Failure’s eyes—the name he had given this future version of himself—Caine saw something beyond the layers of amusement, pride, and arrogance.

Behind the façade, there lay an endless pit of melancholic regret, sadness, and… hopelessness.

But beneath that, Caine also saw a foundation that remained unbroken.

Reflection. Acceptance. Confidence. Power.

The two stared at one another, animosity beginning to dissolve into something quieter, something more introspective.

One looked at the other with nostalgic, reminiscing eyes. The other looked back with pity and regret.

Silence settled between them, deep and profound.

"I promise I won’t let it happen," Caine finally said, breaking the stillness.

Failure chuckled softly, nodding. A genuine smile graced his lips, free of mockery or sarcasm. "All that matters is that you try, you know?"

"Your path remains your own."

Uriel, who had been hovering uncertainly in the skies above, finally decided to descend.

"Can we… begin…?"

Both Caine and Failure nodded, and Uriel sighed in visible relief.

Though he was supposed to have supreme authority in this realm, Uriel couldn’t help but feel like a younger sibling caught between two imposing older brothers.

It was strange, unsettling even.

"Alright. The Past and Present have blurred, the reflections of the Present have merged, and now, the Present must peel the layers of itself, unveiling the core of truth."

Uriel’s voice echoed with finality as he prepared to continue, but suddenly, from Caine’s chest, an emerald rune appeared.

Along with it, countless vines spread across his skin like living veins.

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The phantom image of Lady Gaia materialized behind him, her presence both commanding and gentle. At that moment, time froze for everyone except Caine, Failure, and Lady Gaia herself.

Her gaze shifted from Caine to Failure, the two exchanging a brief nod of understanding.

For a fleeting moment, Lady Gaia’s expression softened, her eyes glistening as if on the verge of tears. But no tears fell.

Her stance remained resolute, powerful. She nodded once more, then waved her hand.

Her phantom vanished, and the emerald rune, along with the vines, sank back into Caine’s body.

Uriel frowned, his senses picking up the faint ripple of something monumental, but before he could question it, his gaze widened in shock.

Failure’s body began to fade.

"What… what is going on…?"

Uriel’s gaze darted to Caine, but seeing the confusion on his face, he realized Caine was just as clueless as he was.

[Conquer The Fracture of Time and Fate (3/6)]

The platform beneath them trembled violently, rapidly expanding until it covered the entirety of the skies, completely eclipsing the ruined lands below.

Above them, the dark, starless void transformed. One by one, stars appeared, painting the heavens in breathtaking patterns.

The void turned into a radiant emerald tapestry, upon which celestial wonders danced.

The qi density in the air surged, becoming so concentrated that it rivaled the Timeless Alliance’s most treasured qi training rooms—but on a scale that spanned the world itself.

Uriel and Caine watched the transformation unfold, the shock in their hearts slowly subsiding.

’Lady Gaia… So, she did foresee all of this.’ Caine thought, his mind racing. ’Was she truly trapped and manipulated into leading me here, or did she know and allow it to happen?’

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’Or perhaps… she has restrictions regarding future events? But if that’s the case, why intervene now? Did she see a future where I couldn’t win against Failure no matter what?’

A faint smile tugged at his lips. Slowly, he was beginning to grasp the intricacies of the game being played around him.

Once, such a realization would have filled him with fear—a game played across time itself, involving the fates of countless beings.

But now… now he couldn’t help but smile.

At the same time, however, the fury that had been smoldering in his heart since his encounter with Laplace only grew stronger, more unrelenting.

Whether the chuckle that escaped his lips was one of amusement or suppressed, twisted madness, only he could say.

Standing off to the side, Uriel frowned, sensing the change in Caine’s aura.

When Uriel had first encountered Caine during the Fields of Carnage, his aura had been like a starry sky—brilliant, majestic, overflowing with a radiance impossible to ignore.

Akin to a living sun.

But now… now it had become something else entirely.

Primal. Unreadable. Distant.

Caine’s presence was no longer that of a sun but that of a serpent in human flesh, his gaze filled with mockery and… pride.

The change was unsettling, but Uriel found it strangely natural.

"Well," Uriel said, clearing his throat, "I suppose… you’ve conquered this."

He gestured around him. "So, let’s move on."

The platform trembled again. From its marble surface, countless figures surged upward, rising like ghosts from the depths of the earth.

Humanoids, beasts, spirits, and creatures that defied classification—the diversity was staggering.

Uriel swept his gaze across the seemingly endless crowd, their sheer numbers suffocating the space around them.

He waved a hand, and a glowing rune appeared on his palm.

Caine’s eyes immediately locked onto it, analyzing its intricate patterns.

Explanations flowed into his mind unbidden, and suddenly, he burst out laughing—a deep, thunderous laugh that shook the skies and reverberated across the platform.

Uriel shook his head, already understanding the reason for Caine’s laughter.

It was absurd. Truly absurd.

How lucky could one man be?