“You want a leave of absence to visit the immortal continent Tiandiyu? Do you really need to bother me for every little thing?! What the hell do I look like? Your grand daddy?! At least bring me presents when you come to my office! Do whatever the hell you want, come back before curfew, yada yada. Now piss off, and don’t come back unless you have lollipops on you!”

The four students looked at their headmaster, stunned. Miraculously, all four were thinking along the same lines of, ‘Why did we even bother coming to tell him?’

Cain took a stealthy glance at Zieg. Why he asked them to come along, even he didn’t know. Maybe it was a matter of pride. To take back his pride from the clan, then from Zieg. After handling his affairs with his clan, he planned on asking Zieg for a proper duel this time.

The quartet quickly left Galvane in the morning, taking to the skies and leaving the mortal continent Grandiel. They followed after Cain’s lead to Tiandiyu, the immortal continent.

“It’s my first time out of Grandiel, this is pretty exciting, like we’re going on an adventure!” Daria chattered on endlessly.

Cain made a wry smile while the other two nodded in agreement. Other than Cain, none of them had ever been outside of the mortal continent Grandiel.

Along their journey they encountered several other immortals flying to and fro, sometimes seeing individuals and other times groups flying at a distance away from them. These encounters became increasingly common the closer they got to the Tiandiyu continent. The sheer number of immortals caused Zieg to be speechless. They must have encountered immortals that numbered in the tens by the time the Tiandiyu continent entered their sights.

“On the Southern border of the Tiandiyu continent are the Weiss Highlands, the territory that my clan controls,” Cain informed the others as they flew along the edges of the gigantic immortal continent.

By the time it was noon the group finally arrived at the Weiss Highlands, a mountainous region entirely blanketed by snow. Regardless of the season, the Weiss Highlands was in perpetual snow. Some believe the phenomenon is due to some unknown aspect of nature, others believe that it was due to an ability cast by a transcendent realm expert spoken about in legends. No matter the reason, it was a territory that was highly suited to the distinguished Weiss Clan of immortals, and the Weiss Highlands were tacitly acknowledged to be the clan’s territory all across the Tiandiyu continent.

In the center of the Weiss Highlands was a large mountain chain with a large gate surrounding it at the foot of the mountains. This was where the clan resided.

“Even immortals would find it difficult to endure this cold,” Zieg murmured.

Cain and his other clan members had long gotten used to the environment. In fact, due to the high altitude and harsh conditions of the Weiss Highlands, all members of their clans possessed bodies with tough constitutions with high adaptability to their surroundings.

They followed Cain’s lead, landing on the grounds of the highlands and began walking towards the gate situated at the foot of the large mountain chain. The gate was considered a formality, and anyone who violated them were considered enemies to the clan, even its own members.

They quickly walked up the trail leading to the gate, seeing two gate guards, one female and male, standing on each side of it holding spears. They wore white mantles from beasts’ fur.

Zieg spread out his senses, and determined that both guards were around the power of rank A, considerably high for the standards of the mortal continent, but merely considered average in the Tiandiyu continent.

“I’ve returned for the clan gathering,” Cain announced loudly to the guards.

The two guards looked at the group, Cain in particular, with clear disdain on their faces.

“Cain? The trash? Weren’t you exiled? Garbage like you aren’t welcome here,” the male guard scoffed at him.

Cain slowly walked up to the male guard, raised his hand, and slapped him across the face with the back of his hand.

How could the power of a rank A be compared to that of an immortals? The male guard was instantly sent flying, crashing into the gate. His neck twisted, dislocating his head from his spine. He was disabled and paralyzed within an instant.

“Know your place. I may be considered trash within the clan, but I still hold a higher position than a mere guard,” Cain said coolly while looking at the crippled body of the guard.

“DEAR!” the female guard shouted at the sudden turn of events.

Her eyes glowered, and she charged at Cain with her spear, “I’LL KILL YOU!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Countless arrows of ice appeared behind Cain in an instant.

Zieg was about to shake his head at Cain’s impulsiveness, when a loud shout made everyone pause on the spot.

“That’s enough!” there was a swirl of snow between the guard and Cain, stopping them both in their tracks.

Within the swirl of snow appeared a burly-looking man, faintly resembling Cain with his snow white hair and blue eyes.

“Jugo,” Cain muttered with clear disregard to him. Jugo was his father and head of the Weiss Clan. To Cain, his clan was almost like strangers to him. The only thing they took into account was the good of the clan, if you had a good aptitude they would treat you like a lord, but if you had a bad one they would treat you worse than trash. It was clear which end of the spectrum Cain was received as. He didn’t take any of his family into consideration aside from his mother, opting to call them directly by their names instead.

“Cain, what are you doing back here?” Jugo asked his own son in a tone of voice that was laced in disgust.

“I’ve become an immortal, and I’m back for the clan gathering,” Cain wasted no pleasantries with his father and went straight to the point.

“I see, then hurry up, the competition to decide the positions of the younger generation is about to start,” Jugo said with a sigh of relief.

His relief didn’t come from the fact that his son had successfully become an immortal to safely return back to the clan, it stemmed from the fact that his son had successfully become an immortal so he would no longer be humiliated by his association with Cain whom was considered trash.

The group followed Jugo up the trail leading to the mountain chain.

As they walked up the mountain trail, the entire time, a pair of venomous eyes followed Cain up the path, never leaving him from a second. These eyes came from the female guard that stood silently at the gate.

Unbeknownst to the Weiss Clan at the time, the actions of Cain at the gate would provoke a disaster that would put them in the crosshairs of countless immortals of the Tiandiyu continent.

…

Almost the entire Weiss Clan was crammed together in a large cave within one of the mountains, at the center of which was a lowered platform used as an arena. The cave was filled with the clan members and guards of the Weiss Clan, together with Cain’s three tag-alongs. Their presence clearly stood out and provoked interest within the clan.

All members of the Weiss Clan possessed almost sickly, pale skin, as if they had never seen the light of day, together with white hair and blue eyes. The cave was full of commotions of conversations and banter, the clan members were clearly impatient to start the competition to decide the positions of the younger generation within the clan.

The number of both the elderly, older, and younger generations hovered within the tens each, giving the clan a total fighting force of a little around one-hundred immortals altogether.

Zieg was somewhat astonished to see some teenagers that were already immortals. Although Zieg managed to reach immortality at five, that was only because he had prior experience from his past life, otherwise it’d be difficult for him to contend with their talent.

Amidst all the commotion, Cain raised his voice, “Let’s begin already, I’m tired of waiting.”

The instant his voice echoed out within the cave, the entire cave fell silent. Countless gazes were attracted by the source of the voice and landed upon Cain, and the trio nearby him.

The silence only lasted a moment before laughter, ridicule, jeers, and talks flooded the cave.

“Hey, isn’t that the trash?”

“It is, it’s actually Cain, I can’t believe he actually had the balls to show up.”

“Remember how he fared the last tournament two years ago? Hahaha!”

“Let’s quickly begin the tournament, we can’t keep his majesty Cain waiting.”

Countless similar comments from the younger generation clansmen rang out.

Standing on an elevated platform were a group of clan elders and Jugo, with a beautiful young girl standing by his side. The girl had her long, white hair tied into a ponytail, and her features were strikingly similar to Cain’s. Even their cold expressions looked alike. This was Cain’s older sister, who was considered a genius within the clan, Seria. Even though she was of the younger generation, she was standing among the people with high status within the clan, as if it were natural.

The elder generation didn’t even mind her presence there, and not one of the younger generation members raised a word of complaint, it was as if they had already decided that the victor of the competition would be her in their minds.

Seria coldly looked at Cain who was barraged with slurs below.

Despite all the mocking, Cain wordlessly flicked his wrist, an elegant shield appearing on his left arm. He had reached into his interspatial ring and retrieved Aegis from within.

Once more, the cave was stunned into silence.

The shield was clearly an artifact, one whose grade was substantially high. Even an idiot would be able to tell how precious the shield was.

“That shield...!”

“I think I’ve seen that shield in a book before…”

“Isn’t that a legendary artifact…?”

“AEGIS!”

“Is it Aegis?!”

“How did that trash get his hands on the legendary shield Aegis?!”

The cave immediately erupted into pandemonium. Legendary artifacts were objects that nearly all immortals sought to have, but would never have an opportunity to possess in their lifetimes. Some immortals even considered it a stroke of luck to see a legendary artifact in person.

Looks of disbelief were directed towards Cain, and the shield equipped to his left arm. Even the elderly generation situated on the elevated platform were gawking at Aegis with their mouths wide-open. With the Tiandiyu continent filled with countless immortals, and a notable scarcity of legendary artifacts, how could they not be conflicted with a myriad of emotions upon seeing one in the hands of someone they considered to be trash?

Never would the immortals of the Tiandiyu continent have thought that the legendary artifact shield Aegis was found in a nameless mortal continent. They wouldn’t even have considered the possibility to search for legendary artifacts there, even if they did, it would be the equivalent of trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Jugo as well as his daughter Seria were noticeably shocked at the sight of Aegis.

Jugo’s mind was sent racing, he almost thought that he was within a dream. His useless son had actually brought back a legendary artifact?! He coughed to clear his throat and compose himself. His cough had somewhat brought the clansmen back to reality.

“My son, you have done a meritorious deed for our clan by acquiring Aegis for us,” Jugo announced loudly, with no hint of shame.

“What do you mean OUR clan? Have you forgotten that I was exiled? I am not a member of this clan, nor did I acquire Aegis for the sake of it,” Cain scoffed at his father Jugo.

“Exile? I have exiled you for the betterment of your growth! My thoughts were filled with concern for you all this while, my son. Of course, you’re free to rejoin the clan at any time you wish!” Jugo said with a smile plastered across his face.

“I will not rejoin the clan, nor will I hand over Aegis. I have returned for the clan gathering for one reason and one reason only, and that is to wash away my disgrace in the clan competition,” Cain said obstinately.

As soon as Cain finished speaking, the looks of shock directed at him turned into hostile glares. The eyes of the elder generation on the elevated platform were filled with malicious intent and greed. Jugo’s smiling expression contorted, and an incredibly ugly expression adorned his face. Seria impassively looked at her younger brother as coolly as usual, as if the situation had nothing to do with her.

“Will you really not hand over Aegis, Cain?” Jugo’s voice was several timbres lower, laced in clear hostility coupled together with his ugly expression making him seem like a devil.

The group of four were entrapped in a cave, surrounded by all sides by a clan of immortals numbering in the hundreds, clearly hostile to them. It seemed like they would all pounce on them for Aegis at a moment’s notice. The cave was overflowing with tension.

Daria began trembling in fear, and Alcantis was dazedly watching Zieg.

Zieg whispered to Cain in a lowered voice, “What have you dragged us into?”

Cain made a wry smile at the remark, but this stand of pride was something he had to do for himself.

Zieg shook his head and shrugged in resignation, whispering, “I’ll take the younger generation together with the girls, you can take the elders since you started this mess. If we’re lucky, we can escape alive.”

Hearing those words, Cain wore a serious expression.

“Do you really want to fight for Aegis, Jugo? I promise you, we’ll be able to take at least half of the clan down with us,” Cain said coldly. He was confident of his own prowess, even moreso that of Zieg’s since he had personally witnessed him defeat the Demon King Ryzel.

Despite having gotten used to and having lived in the cold all his life, Jugo felt a shiver run down his spine at Cain’s threat. He was unaware of Cain’s power after their two year separation, could it be that his trash of a son had gotten stronger than he could cope with? To be able to have acquired a legendary artifact, surely his son must have some cards up his sleeve. Jugo began second-guessing himself. He was also unaware of the three immortals’ power that his son brought along with him. Taking all of those things into account, Cain’s threat possessed some deterring power to it.

The clan elders looked to the clan head, Jugo, for his final judgment. Jugo was clearly hesitating, unsure of what decision to take.

Right when the tension reached its peak, a laughter like that of the sound of bells sounded out within the cave. The laughter came from the beautiful young girl standing next to Jugo. Cain’s older sister, Seria. She had stood there, unphased all along despite the growing tensions, and had broken it with the sound of her laughter.

In truth, she had found the entire situation amusing. It looked like her younger brother had grown since his time away from the clan.

“I have a proposal,” Seria said, bringing the attention of the entire cave towards her.

“Cain, put Aegis up for ante. The winner of the clan tournament will receive Aegis as the prize,” she said.

The clan leader, Jugo, quickly agreed with the suggestion, clearly showing favoritism and confidence towards his genius of a daughter.

“Aegis is mine to begin with, what’s in it for me?” Cain asked.

“Your reason for coming back here. Your dignity,” Seria confidently replied.

That was all the answer Cain needed.

“Then I accept,” Cain answered coolly.

A devious grin appeared on Seria’s face at the answer. Jugo and the clan elders next to her nodded approvingly. As far as they were concerned, because of this arrangement, Aegis already belonged to them.

“My son, hand me Aegis for safekeeping. The tournament will be delayed until tomorrow for the younger generation to prepare themselves due to the changes,” Jugo demanded.

Cain looked at his father in disgust, unequipped his shield, and violently threw Aegis towards his father on the raised platform.

The legendary artifact Aegis spun and rotated at a frightening velocity towards Jugo.

Jugo raised a hand up and caught the spinning Aegis in midair. The force behind the throw snapped his wrist, spraining it.

Jugo shot one final glare at his son Cain before turning around and walking away, saying to the clan elders beside them, “Arrange a place for them to stay for the night,” without looking back.

…

Jugo placed a gag-order on the legendary artifact Aegis appearing within the clan, quickly containing the potential spread of information leaks. If the news of a legendary artifact appearing within their clan spread, it would definitely invite a disaster to their clan.

A lone female guard stood at the gate of the clan, looking up at the mountain chain in absolute hatred.

The female guard thought to herself as she took one last look at it, (How many years have I faithfully served this clan?! And how do they repay me? By having trash cripple my husband! I will return this debt tenfold!)

The guard stealthily snuck away from the Weiss Highlands.

That same night, the news of the Weiss Clan possessing the legendary artifact shield Aegis spread across the immortal continent of Tiandiyu like wildfire.

Countless immortals in the Tiandiyu continent eyed the Weiss Highlands like a predator stalking prey.

…

Within one of their many hideouts on the Tiandiyu continent, an infamous Jaeger group of four immortals were idly lounging about. Jaegers, criminal mercenaries that would betray and kill their comrades, massacre, steal, and do anything if they benefitted from it.

Of the four immortals, one was doing maintenance on their weapons, one was playing darts, another was looking at their nails, and the last was seated at a table, looking at a map of the Tiandiyu continent pinned on the wall across the room.

On closer inspection, the female immortal wasn’t looking at her nails, but at the clawed gauntlets equipped to her hands. She initiated conversation with the seated immortal, “I’ve confirmed from several reliable sources that the Weiss Clan are in possession of the legendary artifact shield, Aegis. Aren’t high-grade artifacts what you’re after?”

The seated male immortal was a demon. His skin was an abnormal pale-lilac color, but his body was covered in countless scars, proof of his experience in battle. Two horns protruded perpendicularly from the sides of his head, with one of them cracked in half.

The female immortal continued to ask the seated demon, “Should we go and take it, Gyro?”

Gyro. Zieg’s former mentor and father-figure in his past life. The leader of the infamous Jaeger group Sphinx. Others from the Tiandiyu continent call him the Artifact Hunter Gyro, and some immortals flee at the first mention of his name. The seated demon no longer resembled the radiant, kind-hearted vagabond in Zieg’s memories. The aura he now emanated was that of tempered ruthlessness. An experienced Jaeger that wouldn’t spare a thought at killing.

Still looking at the map of the Tiandiyu continent from across the room, Gyro’s hand flashed, and a knife quickly landed on the Southern border of the continent. The place the knife landed on was at the Weiss Highlands.

The sound of the knife burrowing into the wall attracted the attention of the other two immortals within the room. Now, all three immortals were gazing at Gyro.

“Yeah,” Gyro replied while standing up.