Chapter 282
“You failed again, Hyung.”
Abel spoke, addressing his brother. Like Cain, Abel had grown into a young man in his twenties. In his well-trained hand, he held a longsword smeared with blood and oil.
“Hyung?”
When he received no response, Abel asked again. Both of their faces, exposed to an intense light, glowed like freshly forged blades. Cain, who had been staring blankly ahead, murmured softly.
“It seems so…”
His voice was as hollow as a dusty cutting board. On the horizon, dozens of mushroom clouds were rising. These pillars of fire, dust, and radioactive material looked like enormous towers connecting the sky and the earth.
Ashes, like volcanic fallout, drifted gently to the ground. As one mushroom cloud dissipated, new ones sprouted nearby, sweeping away everything in their path.
The air they inhaled tasted like metal. Cain clenched his fist in silence. He remembered the names of every city and village disintegrating in the flames.
“Now that you’re awake, I should tell you. While you were asleep, countless nations sent their armies. I thought they were coming to offer help, but no—they were after your powers. Do you know which nation was the most aggressive in sending troops?”