The creature trembled violently beneath the countless blood tentacles restraining it.

Its distorted body no longer resembled anything stable. Crimson cracks spread across its form continuously, breaking apart before forcibly reforming again under Cain’s blood mana. Blood foam dripped endlessly from its mouth while unstable emotional energy leaked from its consciousness in chaotic waves.

Yet despite everything—

Despite the torture.

Despite the agony.

Despite the fear overwhelming every part of its existence—

It still hesitated.

Its unstable mouth opened weakly.

"...I..."

The voice barely came out. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Broken.

Shaking.

"...I... can’t..."

Cain’s eyes narrowed immediately.

The underground space grew colder.

"...Can’t?"

The creature convulsed weakly beneath the restraints.

"...I... can’t explain..."

Silence followed.

A terrible silence.

Because the instant those words left the creature’s mouth—

The blood currents surrounding the underground world stopped moving entirely.

Everything froze.

The tentacles.

The pressure.

Even the leaking blood mist.

All of it became still.

The creature’s fear exploded instantly.

Because it understood immediately.

Cain was becoming angry again.

Not loud anger.

Not violent rage.

But the kind of anger that became colder the deeper it went.

Cain stared at the creature without blinking.

"...You can’t explain."

The creature shook harder.

"...P...please..."

Cain slowly stood upright.

Then—

The tentacles moved again.

Boom.

The creature screamed instantly as multiple blood tentacles pierced through its body simultaneously from different directions. The underground space shook violently beneath the impact while blood exploded outward across the shattered ground.

"You can’t explain."

Boom.

Another tentacle drilled directly into its consciousness layer.

The creature convulsed violently.

Its screams echoed endlessly throughout the underground space.

Cain’s voice remained calm.

Too calm.

"And yet..."

Boom.

"You manipulated my mind."

Boom.

"You interfered with the blood pact."

Boom.

"You twisted memories."

Every sentence came with another horrifying assault.

The creature’s unstable form cracked apart repeatedly now as Cain intensified the torture far beyond earlier. The blood tentacles no longer merely pierced its body.

They invaded everything.

Mind.

Emotion.

Memory.

Consciousness.

Existence itself.

The creature screamed until its voice nearly disappeared completely.

And still—

Cain continued.

Because the answer "I can’t explain" only made him more suspicious.

Not less.

The creature clearly knew something.

Something terrifying enough that even under this level of torture, it still hesitated to reveal it.

And that alone told Cain how serious this truly was.

The blood tentacles suddenly wrapped tighter around the creature’s limbs before pulling violently in opposite directions.

Crack.

The creature shrieked immediately as parts of its distorted body tore apart into blood mist.

Cain restored it instantly afterward.

Then continued.

Boom.

Another tentacle struck directly into its chest.

Boom.

Another drilled into its head region.

Boom.

Another forced blood mana through every emotional pathway inside its existence simultaneously.

The creature’s screams became raw now.

Mindless.

Animalistic.

It no longer resembled speech.

Only agony.

Only fear.

Only desperation.

Cain stepped closer slowly while the torture continued relentlessly around him.

The underground space had become horrifying now.

Blood floated through the air endlessly.

The walls pulsed with crimson light.

Fragments of memories exploded continuously around them like shattered mirrors revealing glimpses of ancient horrors.

And at the center—

The creature continued breaking apart over and over beneath Cain’s attacks.

"You can’t explain?"

Cain repeated quietly.

The creature twitched violently.

"...P...please..."

Boom.

Its body slammed against the underground wall hard enough to collapse another section completely.

Cain’s gaze darkened further.

"Do you think I’m interested in excuses?"

The tentacles surged harder instantly.

The creature screamed again.

This time its distorted body collapsed entirely into blood fragments before Cain forced it back together immediately afterward.

No rest.

No mercy.

No pause.

The creature’s consciousness had long since begun breaking apart under the endless torture, yet Cain kept stabilizing it repeatedly just enough to continue.

Because Cain understood something important now.

This existence feared something more than pain.

More than torture.

Possibly even more than death.

And Cain intended to discover exactly what.

The tentacles suddenly invaded deeper into its memories again.

The creature screamed in terror immediately afterward.

Fragments burst open around them violently.

Ancient blood temples.

Massive underground structures.

Dark crimson oceans.

Whispers.

A sealed throne.

Then—

Again.

That eye.

That enormous ancient blood eye opening slowly in darkness.

The creature suddenly shrieked louder than before.

"No!!"

Its memories collapsed instantly afterward.

Destroyed deliberately.

The creature itself destroyed them before Cain could see more.

Cain froze briefly.

Then slowly—

His expression became dangerous again.

Because now he understood.

The creature was protecting something.

Someone.

And it was willing to destroy its own memories to prevent exposure.

"...Interesting..."

The creature shook violently.

"...Please..."

Cain ignored the plea completely.

Instead—

The tentacles intensified again.

Far harder than before.

The creature’s distorted body immediately began tearing apart continuously beneath the assault as endless waves of pain flooded through every part of its existence.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

The underground world trembled violently with every strike.

The creature screamed endlessly.

Its voice had become broken completely now, reduced to desperate cries and choking sounds while blood foam spilled constantly from its mouth.

Cain remained expressionless.

Cold.

Focused.

"You’re hiding something."

The creature convulsed weakly.

"...N...no..."

Boom.

A tentacle pierced directly through its throat.

The creature screamed again.

"You destroyed your own memories to stop me."

Boom.

Another tentacle invaded its consciousness.

"You fear something more than me."

For the first time—

The creature actually froze beneath the torture.

Only for an instant.

But Cain noticed immediately.

And that was enough.

Cain’s eyes sharpened dangerously.

"There it is."

The creature panicked instantly afterward.

"No! No! Please!"

The tentacles exploded with movement immediately.

The underground space shook violently as the creature’s body was slammed repeatedly against the walls, floor, and blood barriers from every direction.

Its screams became endless again.

And still—

Cain continued.

Minutes passed.

Or perhaps far longer.

Time had become meaningless inside the underground nightmare.

The creature’s existence had already reached its limit countless times, yet Cain kept dragging it back repeatedly only to continue tearing through it again.

Blood foam poured endlessly from its mouth now.

Its distorted body barely maintained shape anymore.

And yet—

It still refused to speak properly.

"...I can’t..."

The weak words barely escaped again.

Cain immediately grabbed its throat violently.

The tentacles froze.

The underground world became still again.

The creature trembled uncontrollably in Cain’s grasp.

Its unstable face barely remained intact now.

Cain slowly pulled it closer.

Very close.

Close enough that the creature could see the fury hidden beneath Cain’s calm expression clearly.

And finally—

Cain’s voice emerged again.

Not loud.

But terrifying.

"Tell me."

The creature shook harder.

Blood foam spilled from its mouth again.

Cain’s grip tightened violently.

"Tell me."

The underground blood currents exploded outward once more.

The tentacles writhed around them like living nightmares.

The creature screamed weakly again.

Cain’s eyes became colder than before.

And finally—

He snarled directly into its face.

"Tell me!"

The creature hung limply beneath the countless crimson tentacles.

Blood foam dripped continuously from its mouth while its distorted body twitched weakly under the endless strain of Cain’s torture. The underground world around them had long since transformed into a nightmare of shattered blood barriers, broken crimson walls, and rivers of unstable blood mana flowing like living veins through the darkness.

Yet despite all that—

Despite the agony.

Despite the terror.

Despite the endless destruction inflicted upon its consciousness—

The creature suddenly laughed.

Weakly at first.

Broken.

Shaking.

But still laughing.

Cain’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The creature coughed violently afterward, blood foam splattering across the ground before its unstable mouth stretched into something resembling a smile.

"...You..."

Its voice trembled painfully.

"...You really are angry..."

Cain remained silent.

The creature laughed again weakly.

"You keep torturing me..."

Its distorted head lifted slightly.

"...because you know..."

Another cough interrupted it.

More blood spilled downward.

"...you can’t kill me."

The underground space became still again.

The blood currents stopped moving.

Even the tentacles paused briefly.

The creature saw it.

And laughed harder despite the agony.

"You found me..."

Its voice grew uglier.

More mocking.

"But what then?"

Another weak laugh escaped it.

"You can’t erase me..."

Its unstable eyes stared directly at Cain now.

"...so you resort to torture instead."

Cain’s expression remained calm.

But the underground pressure grew heavier.

Much heavier.

The creature continued anyway.

Because now—

It finally found something to cling to.

"You’re afraid."

Cain’s eyes sharpened dangerously.

The creature laughed weakly again.

"Yes..."

Its voice trembled.

"You’re afraid that if you destroy me..."

"...something worse will happen."

Silence followed.

Then the creature’s distorted smile widened slightly.

"You already know that, don’t you?"

The underground world trembled faintly.

The creature continued speaking slowly despite its ruined condition.

"You found traces of it..."

"You saw the memories..."

"You felt the blood pact..."

Another cough.

More blood foam spilled from its mouth.

"And now..."

Its voice became uglier.

"...you don’t know what to do."

Cain’s gaze darkened slightly.

The creature immediately noticed.

And for the first time since being captured—

It felt bold.

Not because it was stronger.

Not because it had escaped.

But because it sensed hesitation.

Very faint hesitation.

And that alone became hope.

"You can torture me all you want..."

Its distorted body twitched painfully beneath the tentacles.

"...but you still can’t remove me."

Cain stared at it silently.

The creature laughed again weakly.

"You know why?"

Another weak cough.

"Because I’m already connected."

Its unstable eyes trembled slightly with exhausted madness.

"Connected to them..."

Its gaze moved weakly upward.

Toward where the three cocoons would be above ground.

"...your precious wives."

The underground blood currents exploded violently.

Boom.

The creature screamed instantly as the tentacles pierced deeper into its consciousness again.

Its mocking laughter vanished immediately.

Cain’s voice finally emerged again.

Cold.

Dangerously cold.

"Careful."

The creature trembled violently.

Yet despite the renewed agony—

It laughed again.

Weakly.

Painfully.

But stubbornly.

"You hate hearing that?"

Boom.

Another tentacle tore through its body.

The creature convulsed violently.

"You hate hearing how deep the connection already is?"

Boom.

Another assault.

Its screams echoed endlessly again.

Yet it continued speaking through the pain.

"Even now..."

"...you still care about them."

Cain froze slightly.

Only slightly.

But enough.

The creature noticed immediately.

Its distorted smile widened weakly again.

"There..."

It coughed more blood foam.

"There it is..."

"...you’re changing too."

The underground pressure exploded instantly afterward.

Boom.

The creature’s body slammed against the crimson walls repeatedly from every direction as the tentacles attacked violently again.

Its screams became endless once more.

Cain’s expression finally changed slightly now.

Not rage.

Not confusion.

Irritation.

Because the creature’s words struck closer than he wanted.

The blood pact was changing him.

Slowly.

He already knew that.

The hesitation he felt earlier while staring at the cocoons proved it clearly enough.

And that alone irritated him immensely.

The creature laughed weakly again through the torture.

"You can deny it all you want..."

"...but you’re already attached."

Boom.

Another strike shattered part of its body.

Still—

It continued.

"You’re angry because I accelerated it..."

Boom.

"You’re angry because you noticed too late..."

Boom.

"You’re angry because part of you doesn’t even want to break the pact anymore..."

The underground world shook violently.

The tentacles surged harder than before.

The creature screamed until its voice nearly disappeared completely.

Cain’s eyes had become frighteningly cold now.

Because the creature—

Was not entirely wrong.

And that was precisely why he hated hearing it.

The creature eventually collapsed weakly again beneath the endless torture, barely conscious while blood foam continued pouring endlessly from its mouth.

Its distorted body twitched weakly beneath the restraints.

Then—

It laughed one more time.

Weak.

Broken.

Mad.

"You can’t kill me..."

"...because I’m already too deep inside them."

Cain stared at it silently.

For several long moments—

He said nothing.

The underground world remained frozen beneath the overwhelming pressure radiating from him.

Then slowly—

Very slowly—

Cain smiled.

The creature immediately froze.

Because something about that smile—

Felt wrong.

Very wrong.

Cain stepped closer calmly.

The tentacles loosened slightly around the creature.

Not enough to free it.

Just enough for it to look directly at him clearly.

Then Cain finally spoke.

Quietly.

"Who said..."

The creature trembled faintly.

"...I needed to kill you?"

Its distorted expression froze.

Cain’s smile deepened slightly.

Cold.

Dangerous.

Almost amused.

The creature suddenly felt fear again.

Real fear.

Much worse than before.

Because it suddenly realized—

Cain had thought of something.

And whatever it was—

It terrified even him.

The creature struggled weakly.

"...W...what..."

Cain slowly raised one hand.

The underground blood currents immediately changed.

The pressure shifted completely.

Not destructive now.

Not violent.

But precise.

Terrifyingly precise.

The creature’s unstable body suddenly convulsed violently.

Because it felt something horrifying.

Its connection—

The hidden connection buried deep within the blood pact—

Was being isolated.

Not destroyed.

Separated.

Cut away carefully.

The creature’s fear exploded instantly.

"No..."

Its distorted body thrashed violently beneath the tentacles.

"No! WAIT!"

Cain ignored the panic completely.

His blood mana moved with terrifying precision now, threading through countless emotional pathways hidden beneath the blood pact structure.

The creature screamed immediately afterward.

Because for the first time—

It truly felt separation.

Its influence.

Its access.

Its hidden emotional pathways.

Everything was being severed slowly.

"No!!"

The creature struggled desperately now.

Far harder than during the torture itself.

"STOP!"

Cain’s eyes remained cold.

The blood mana continued moving deeper.

More pathways collapsed.

More hidden links snapped apart.

The creature screamed endlessly.

Its earlier confidence had vanished completely now.

Replaced entirely by panic.

Pure panic.

"Please!"

Its distorted voice broke apart desperately.

"Please stop!"

Cain continued calmly.

Another hidden connection snapped apart.

Then another.

Then another.

The creature convulsed violently beneath the endless separation process.

Its fear had become absolute now.

Because this—

This was worse than torture.

Much worse.

Cain finally looked directly at it again.

And then—

He spoke softly.

"Now..."

The creature shook uncontrollably.

"...your consciousness cannot affect my three wives anymore."

The words hit harder than any torture.

The creature’s distorted face immediately collapsed into genuine despair.

And for the first time since the torture began—

It truly begged.

Not mockingly.

Not stubbornly.

But desperately.

"Please..."

Its voice cracked completely.

"Please have mercy..."