God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Just as Cain was about to say something, something chimed in his ear, causing his expression to turn incredulous...

***

{Congratulations to Host... You have successfully completed the First Trial. Your actions, though seemingly subtle and inconsequential, have caused a significant change in the flow of History}.

***

'What?! How?! When?!'

He was beyond baffled. He didn't even know what the goal of the Trial was yet, and now, the system had arrived, saying he had completed it already.

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. He began piercing things together...

'A change in the flow of History?'

What did this mean? The world around him, the world he was seeing... Could it be that this wasn't an illusory trial the system had conjured?

What was the meaning behind this?

As for the change the system was referring to...

Cain suddenly glanced at the Silver King. Hair as dazzling as the sunlight, skin as white as clouds without a single blemish, and a perfect face...

Could it be... he wasn't supposed to rescue her?

He felt a headache coming over him...

If this was truly a time in the pasylt or future, on some distant inconsequential planet, how had his actions caused a significant change in history?

There could be only one explanation...

Cain smiled, "I don't think so." He said, replying to the Silver King's revoous question.

"Is that so..." Her eyes sparkled for a bit, but that was all. Her face remained impassive.

"You really saved us, Cain. Thank you." Gabriel said as he walked up to Cain.

Cain shook his head, "You have no reason to thank me. I'm partially responsible for this after all. Of I didn't do something, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." He said humbly.

Lord Crimson sighed, "In any case, I don't think the city is safe for us to return to anymore. Also, your friends..."

Cain waved his hand, "They will be fine. The Devil doesn't seem interested in us for the time being. However, those geezers are most likely on your trails..."

Since the trial was coming to an end, he didn't need to fear for anyone's safety anymore.

The Silver King nodded, "That won't be a problem. But..."

Cain could understand her intent, "We will be going out own way. For all it's worth, we really don't belong here."

Gabriel sighed, "Indeed."

The rest of the Old Guard were already mostly recovered. Cain could tell the trial was about to end. But before it did, he had to ask something...

His gazed seemed to pierce the Silver King,

"Your name... What is your name?"

A small smile appeared on her lips,

"You cannot learn of my true name, but you can call me Annie."

Cain smiled, "Then you can call me Cain, your Highness..."

'Annie, huh... What an unassuming name...'

"Ah... Finally over!" Vincent had a wide grin on his face as he stared at the empty space before him. The others also sported similar smiles. Cain wanted to check the other messages the system had sent to him, so he decided not to draw out the fair wells.

Light shone on their bodies for a brief moment, then they disappeared in a flash, leaving behind bewilderment.

However, the moment before they disappeared, something seemed to click in Cain's head,

'Wait a moment... I think I'm forgetting something, or someone...'

***

"What the hell?!" The Violet Guard couldn't help but exclaim.

Lord Crimson chuckled, "They've gone back to where they came from."

"I see... So they are not of this world..." The Black Guard mused.

Gabriel turned to Annie, the Silver King,

"Your Grace... What do we do now?"

Her face was as impassive as ever, "We take back the Kingdom. Now that the anchors to the Heavenly Realms have been shattered, we need to sieze this opportunity."

Lord Crimson's face was pale but determined. Annie turned away and begam walking,

"Get ready. I will need all your helps undoing the seal."

Seeing someone he once considered his best friend walk away, his heart was as heavy as the burdens she was bearing on her small back.

With a sigh, he gave the order and they began to march towards the city.

***

Cain felt like he was being dragged through a vacuum at light speed, hosnbody stretching into infinity before being broken into infinitesimally minute particles.

Suddenly, that feeling disappeared and he found himself suspended in a starlit void. The countless stars saturated the black void, each of the like points on a graph, representing the variations between past, present, and future.

{Analysing results...}

{Analysis complete...}

{Completion Grade Calibration initiated...}

{Completion Grade Calibration complete...}

{Grade: Excellent!}

{The host has completed the First Trial with an Excellent grade. Calibrating rewards...}

{Congratulations to Host... You have advanced to the First Tier of Existence...}

{+5,000 to all stats}.

***

Cain felt a change undergo within him on the fundamental level. His soul, spirit, body, and mind. Everything was changing...

And with change came excruciating pain...

Pain unlike anything he had ever felt he wanted to scream and tear his body to ease the pain, but he couldn't even move.

The stars in the expanse of nothing shone brightly, bearing witness to the changes he underwent. Eventually, the pain subsided, and became merely an after thought.

Still, the system wasn't done...

***

{Congratulations to Host... Your understanding of runic language has evolved. All your spells and skills can now be evolved to the next Tier}.

{Congratulations to Host... Your Ki Plundering Technique has evolved to the next Tier}.

{Congratulations to Host... Your understanding of the elements have increased...}

{Congratulations to Host... Your inventory capacity has increased}.

...

...

{The Devil Essence within the host has taken root, and the corruption had dug deeper}.

***

The information he recieved almost overwhelmed him, but he managed to get everything in the end. Essentially, he had evolved into a higher being. From this day forward, he was no longer a normal human. He had taken the first step towards the zenith of human potential...

The road ahead was long, so there was no need to celebrate too hard...

Suddenly, he heard another system prompt.

***

{Due to achieving the Excellent grade, the host can choose two of the following three rewards...}

{Gate of Stars}:

Description: A strange object bathed in the Primordial power of creation. Stepping through the gates means stepping into the origins of power itself.

{Gate of Stars}(Legendary):

Durability: N/A

Skills: Origin of Energy, Insight.

{Origin of Energy}: Upon stepping through these gates, the host will be able to delve into the mysteries of all forms of energy.

{Insight}: Within the gates, the hosts ability to understand basic and complex principles will be increased by a thousand percent.

***

{Endless Wheel}:

Description: An object discarded from a certain celestial workshop as a failed product. However, its creature never got to witness its true purpose...

{Endless Wheel}(Legendary):

Durability: N/A

Skills: Ultimate Seal, World shifter, Endless Expanse.

{Ultimate Seal}: The Endless Wheel locks it's target in an unending haze for all of eternity.

{World Shifter}: The difference between a meter and infinity is a single step.

{Endless Expanse}: Within the wheel lies a whole new world.

***

{Essence of Frost and Flames}:

Description: A substance born from the touch of the Primordial spirits of Frost and Flame in a deadly weave of forbidden love. This gem possesses both the essence of endless scorching flames, and the unending chill of permafrost.

***

Cain's mind scanned the three items he was offered. Truthfully, they were all amazing rewards. However, the {Endless Wheel} was the only one he was less inclined to pick. This was because he already possessed similar abilities.

If he wasn't mistaken about his interpretations of the skills, then {Ultimate Seal} was just a more advanced version of {Intermediate Seal}. As long as he progressed with his own skill, he would no longer need {Ultimate Seal}, making it useless in the long run.

As for {World Shifter}, while he couldn't deny he was tempted, it also seemed very similar to {Spatial Jump}. Now that he had figured out how to move not just himself, but others, he would eventually no longer need it.

As for the last skill, it was shrouded in too much uncertainty. For one, he really didn't understand its description. Although he was curious, the other items were too good for his curiosity to win this time.

And so, he made his choice...

***

{Congratulations to Host... He has decided to acquire the Tier 1 items, {Essence of Frost and Flames}, and {Gate of Stars}.

{Flame Resistance: +90%}

{Water, Ice Resistance: +90%}

***

All objects had their own Tiers. For example, although the {Hand of Midas} were Epic-grade weapons, they couldn't be compared to Epic-grade Tier 1 weapons, not in the slightest.

This was because the runes that gave the {Hand of Midas} its abilities were Tierless runes. No matter how much arm strength one had, throwing a pencil would never have the same effect as a bullet. It was essentially the same thing.

Cain sighed. It was finally over. He had become stronger. Not just physically, but his mind had become more powerful as well.

His mind was filled. He had a lot of work to do once he got back. A moment later, his body trembled, them disappeared from the starlit void.