Chapter 390: Accepting the responsibility Silence returned to the cave. The soul projection of Edrin Solace hovered above his lifeless body, its faint glow illuminating the ancient stone walls. The air itself felt heavy, as if the cave was holding its breath. Ethan did not speak immediately. He stood there, staring at the corpse of a being who had reached a realm so high that even gods would kneel before it. A being who had failed. A being who had died trying to break free from the cage that imprisoned all existence. To inherit that will meant inheriting that failure as well. The human race. A race that was weak, divided, short-lived, and riddled with flaws. A race that killed its own kind over ideology, resources, and fear. A race that bowed before stronger beings and survived only by adapting, hiding, and enduring. Ethan closed his eyes. And yet, it was also a race that refused to disappear. No matter how many times they were trampled, enslaved, or erased, humans always returned. They learned faster. They grew faster. They rebelled faster. They dreamed of the impossible. They reached for the heavens with mortal hands. Ethan exhaled slowly. "I am human," he said quietly. His voice echoed softly through the cave. "I hate our weaknesses. I hate our stupidity. I hate our cruelty." His fingers curled into fists. "But I also love this race." He opened his eyes and looked directly at Edrin’s soul. "If I accept this... would I become the progenitor right now?" Edrin shook his head gently. "No," he replied. "First, you must become at least a Progenitor being yourself." He raised one translucent finger. "If you agree to take over, I will grant you my remaining authority. The moment you break through to the Progenitor Realm, you will gain control over the human race." Ethan’s eyes narrowed. "Control." "Yes," Edrin said calmly. "You will be able to guide them, suppress them, or elevate them. But let me remind you." The soul’s expression turned solemn. "Becoming the progenitor would mean nothing on its own." Ethan waited. "You will have to create an empire," Edrin continued. "An empire vast enough to bring the entire human race across this cage, across this creation under your banner." The cave trembled faintly as his words sank in. "And once you create your own law, a law as powerful as any of the three thousand, and integrate it with the human race, they will become an original race." Edrin’s eyes sharpened. "Only then will you have any hope of surpassing the cage." Ethan felt a pressure settle on his chest. This was not salvation. "I saw inverse humans before," Ethan said suddenly. "Are they also your creation?" Edrin’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "They are not humans." He shook his head slowly. "An inverse being attempted to copy the human race and created an inverse race from it. But imitation is not creation." "There are flaws in them. Deep, structural flaws. If you study them carefully, you will understand." His gaze lingered on Ethan. "And yes, I can see it. You carry the aura of the inverse world within you." Ethan wasn’t surprise that he could see through him. But it didn’t matter. This was not his secret. His only secret was his infinite origin sea. "You should complete this evolution," Edrin said. "Even I do not know what you will become. But you will become something vastly powerful, that much I am sure of." Ethan fell silent again. There was one final question he needed answered. "One more thing," he said. "If I become the progenitor... will I be able to trace every human?" Edrin nodded. "Yes. You will be able to sense them. Find them. Hear their cries." He paused briefly. "Of course, if a supreme being like me, or one stronger than me, is deliberately obstructing you, then perhaps you will not." His gaze hardened. "You will need to become more powerful." Ethan laughed softly. A low, humorless sound. "That seems to be the answer to everything." He looked at the corpse one final time. Then he straightened his back. "I accept." The cave shuddered. The soul of Edrin Solace smiled, truly smiled, for the first time. "Good," he said softly. "Then take it." From the center of the corpse’s chest, a single drop of blood emerged. It was thick and golden, radiating a terrifying authority. The space around it distorted as if reality itself struggled to endure its presence. The blood floated toward Ethan. The moment it touched his skin, it pierced straight through. Ethan screamed. The energy in the blood was immeasurable. It was as if trying burry inside his soul. The golden blood merged into his heart. The corpse beneath Edrin’s soul cracked. Then it turned to ash. The soul projection faded, its final words echoing through Ethan’s mind. "I wish you can achieve what I couldn’t." The cave collapsed into silence. Ethan stood alone. He clenched his chest as the last echoes faded. "This is insane," he muttered. But his eyes burned with resolve. "I will finish it." He knew what came next. The Throne of Destiny trial. To break through to the Progenitor Realm. To claim the right to stand above his race. But before any of that... His expression softened. "I need to find my family." Ten days passed. Ten days of preparation. Ten days of silence before the storm. When Ethan finally received permission to enter reality again, something felt different. The moment he stepped through the boundary, his pupils co. The world welcomed him with hostility. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂 No. With anticipation. The moment Ethan’s feet touched the ground, the laws of the reality shifted subtly, as if the world itself had become aware of his arrival. An invisible pressure spread outward from his position, rippling through mountains, seas, and skies alike. He felt it instantly. Thousands of gazes locked onto him. Not just eyes, but wills. Intent. Killing desires. From the sky above, where distorted clouds hid watching figures. From distant mountain ranges, where ancient beings opened their sealed eyes. From hidden dimensions layered atop reality, where candidates lingered like predators in tall grass. From the void itself, where formless existences paused and turned their attention toward a single point. Toward him. Ethan frowned. The sensation was suffocating. "What’s going on?" he muttered. Then memory struck him. He remembered that the will said if he entered another reality, his location would be publshed. Ethan had no problem with that. A single candidate was nothing infront of him, but this? "This is too many," Ethan whispered, his voice steady despite the storm gathering around him. Before he could analyze further, a voice descended upon the world. It did not come from the sky or the earth. It came from everywhere. A cold, absolute decree echoed directly into the consciousness of every candidate present. [Kill Ethan Hunt to gain eighty percent authority instantly.] "So they want me dead,huh? But are you sure?", a cold smile appeared on his face. 1 or 1000 or 100000, it didn’t matter to him at all. With his overwhelming power, he could crush them easily. But Ethan had a inkling that the will of the eternal domain probably did something more than this show.