Defiance of the Fall

You know how desperate the situation is for our planet . Only a fifth of humanity remains , and the incursions haven’t even begun their attacks in earnest . This might be my best chance to gain power and secure a foothold for myself and my family . If we keep fleeing we will sooner or later be hunted down , as our enemies will only grow stronger , - Zac said and closed his eyes .

You’re thinking in some all-or-nothing scenario . There’s nothing stopping you from becoming a powerhouse even if you lose your lordship and town , - Ogras wheezed out .

I know , but I must still try . But prepare our contingency . If I fuck this up we might need to flee in a hurry . And create some diversion if possible . -

Sigh… Fine , you god damn lunatic . We’ll see if we can shake up the Zealots while you go to the undead . If the big priest joins the battle against you , then you can just lie down and wait for death and reanimation , - Ogras said with a roll of his eyes .

You have a plan? - Zac asked curious .

Well , it’s time for my brave generals to earn their pay , - Ogras only answered with a small grin .

Restoring his energy reserves went quite quick with the E-Grade crystal , and only after 30 minutes he was mostly restored . That meant he was essentially in full fighting condition , as he’d conserved his usage of his Dao during the two waves , opting to mainly use simpler attacks .

I’m ready , - Zac said as he stood up .

Wait , take this , - Ogras said as he threw over a necklace . - It’s a minor trinket that will mask your life aura . It will allow you to get closer to the zombies without them sensing you . Might help you get a move on the big boss before they can react . -

Thanks , - Zac only said and immediately put it around his neck .

Remember , Corpse Lord Nobles are crazy durable , they are like walking tanks . Don’t waste your time using weaker attacks , and go for their brains . They can keep going without limbs or even a heart , but they still need their brains . And wait with attacking for another 15 minutes . We need to get ready on our side . -

I understand , I will do my best . Good luck to you , - Zac said as he looked at his watch and then jumped down the wall toward the inner area of Port Atwood .

Just as he landed he heard a mumbled - good luck’ from above , and he immediately kept running toward the south . Zac planned on taking a slight detour , coming at the undead incursion from the opposite side . It would waste a few minutes , but it would hopefully help even further with his ambush .

When he’d traveled enough he quickly climbed over the wall and like a hare skittled into the woods . He immediately started running full speed , still not making a sound . This was his home turf , and together with his Dao of Trees he almost merged with the area , instinctually knowing where to put his feet and which areas to avoid .

He unerringly moved toward the undead incursion in a parabolic trajectory , but some sounds interrupted his charge . He quickly stopped and deviated a bit toward the sound . He suddenly saw a person moving through the woods , carrying a struggling body .

At first Zac thought it was a demon , as it had reddish and scaled skin , but he quickly realized it was some sort of lizard man , though it didn’t have a tail . Since it was neither undead or a golem Zac knew it must be a cultist .

Zac also recognized the man he was carrying . It was Adran , who should have been safely back at the camp . His feet and legs were bound , and he had a large black eye . Clearly the administrator hadn't given up as he kept struggling , making the lizardman stumble and swear .

Zac had no time to figure out how the hell the cult member had managed to infiltrate the town and kidnap one of their leaders from right under his nose , but he quickly went to action . He activated Loamwalker] and appeared right next to the lizardman who didn’t even have time to exclaim before his decapitated head fell to the side .

Are you ok? - Zac asked as he untied the knots on the rope holding the demon .

Thank the heavens you found me . That bastard appeared from nowhere . He clocked me right in my eye and bound me , then I was suddenly in the forest , - Adran wheezed . - I think it was some random teleportation since the guy seemed a bit disoriented at first . -

Zac frowned and looked at the fallen cultists .

Honestly I found you by chance , we didn’t even know you were kidnapped . The town is over that way , - Zac said as he pointed toward the wall . - There is no enemies between here and there , hurry back and warn everyone we might have intruders in the town proper . Try to gather everyone so they can’t sneak off with someone . -

I will . Thank you again , Lord Zac , - the administrator said with a bow and hurried back toward Port Atwood .

Zac only continued onward , his unease with the situation only increasing . He needed to be quick . Zack believed a large reason why the forces were so hesitant to attack was that his cards were still largely hidden . But if the church captured one of his citizens they would soon learn that they only had a scant 150 proper fighters and two powerhouses .

That knowledge might give the legion of cultists enough courage to simply charge his town . He needed to create chaos within the undead ranks before something like that happened .

He kept pushing forward for a few minutes until an unbelievable stench entered his nostrils . Zac frowned and slowed down , but unhesitantly kept moving forward .

As he advanced Zac noted that the forest was ending , the trees seemingly simply gone from where they once stood . Port Atwood still hadn’t gotten around clearing out the forest this far out , so the System must have done it for the incursions .

He silently crept to the edge of the woods , praying that the necklace ogras gave him would be efficient enough , and peered out over the incursion .

As soon as he looked over the field he understood where the stench came from . The area around the incursion was completely filled with rotting undead . Patches of skin were slouching off from their faces , and some missed limbs .

Zac frowned when he noted that almost all of them were actually Asians wearing normal , though ripped , clothes like suits or t-shirts . He had a suspicion before , but this seemed to confirm it . These invaders were likely actually from incursions on his own world , not from some other random force in the multi-verse .

He didn’t know if it had any implication or could lead to trouble down the line , but that was an issue that he would have to save for the future . He already had way too much on his plate at the moment to worry about such things .

Zac silently scouted the army , trying to find the figure he saw earlier . There was a sea of zombies in front of him , but the large Corpse Lord should be easily identifiable from his grisly weapon , and the fact that he wasn’t rotting away .

But before he could locate the leaders his eyes were drawn toward a few huge monoliths that were arduously carried by a few titanic corpse golems .

Chapter 154 - Diversion

Where are we going? - Sap Trang asked with some trepidation while looking at his traveling companions .

The world had truly turned crazy . It was just absurd that he was currently walking through a forest with a group of demons . He still wasn’t used to these horned beings , even after a month of living together .

Zac is attacking the Undead Leaders in a bit , we need to cause a distraction , - Ogras answered tersely as the small group pushed forward .

With only the four of us? - Sap asked skeptically .

It was just him and three demons . Of course , these particular ones were amongst the strongest of the bunch . The poison user could likely kill the whole human squads on their island alone , and he had personally felt the might of Janos’ illusions when the demon trapped him and the other refugees for days in the infirmary .

He hadn’t even realized that days passed in the illusion , or that he was trapped in an illusion at all . He had thought they were back in his little village before the world got integrated . He had sat in on his small boat with a handmade rod , watching the sunset .

When he got home from his trip his grandson was there , visiting during a break in his university studies . Duc was truly his pride and joy , the first one in the family who was getting a proper education . Yet he hadn’t forgotten his roots and visited home every chance he could .

Sap had almost been reluctant to be released out of the illusion , as what more could an old man wish for than what he received in there . However , reality waited for no man .

All these questions , - Ogras retorted with a frown . - Yes , just the four of us . We’re heading to the cultists to create some chaos . If possible gain some contribution points . -

I just don’t understand how this old man fits into the picture , - Sap hesitantly said . - If the three of you can’t handle it then a poor fisherman won’t make a difference . -

Do you think I had you train with my toy just for fun? It’s time to provide some assistance , - Ogras said with a small grin .

The sniper rifle? I’ve only trained a few days , - Sap said , his long brows rising in alarm .

You were a soldier before , you’ve held a gun . That’s more than what can be said about those little chicks Lord Zac brought back the other day . Besides , Lord Zac likes you , so I’ll keep you safe , - Alea said with a charming smile , which only served to make the old man more nervous .

Sap didn’t know if his new Lord and this woman were in a relationship , but she gave him the creeps . It wasn’t right how she could kill someone with just a light touch , her whole body being poison . Then again , that was none of his business .

His goal was to become indispensable to the island , which would eke out a path to the future for his village , which was especially important now that the youngsters were back .

He had a strong feeling that even if Lord Zac went head to head against that so-called World Government , Zac would walk out the victor . Between Zac’s monstrous power and the wily demon whispering in his ear , Port Atwood was nigh unstoppable . They needed to get through the current situation though .

Fine . But if I start shooting their soldiers I will be spotted after a few shots , it won’t cause much trouble , - Sap finally acquiesced .

Let us worry about that , - Ogras only said with a small smile as the small group pushed into the woods .

They kept moving through the woods in blazing speeds , and Sap was barely able to keep up with the others . He had worked his old body to the bone since he arrived here , but sometimes it felt like there was an unbreachable abyss between himself and these monsters .

Of course , slow and steady wins the race . Sap was aware of that , but unfortunately his time was limited . If possible he would strive to reach E-Rank Race and gain new longevity . He was content with the life he had lived , but if he could watch over his descendants in this turbulent new world for hundreds of years , he would .

Duc was a bright young man , but he was a bit soft . Sap wasn’t sure if he would be able to survive on his own in this world that was far more ruthless compared to the old one . They currently enjoyed the protection of Lord Zac , but who knew what the future might hold . One must always be responsible for his own fate .

Sap saw the huge sinister pillar in the distance , blazing in red and gold . The colors were normally quite auspicious , but the feeling the pillar gave out was horrifying .

The old fisherman started as his shadow suddenly grew and wrapped around him , and quickly looked around to see the same thing happening with the others as well .

Soon they were covered in shadows , at which point Janos waved his hand and another shimmering layer superimposed on them .

Only speak if necessary from now , and always a low volume . Our spheres will mask us , but the sound dampening is limited , - Ogras whispered . - The three of us will be responsible for the main attack . Old man , your job is to pick off anyone who looks like a leader or is trying to organize a response . We want utter chaos . -

What if they find me? - Sap asked with a frown .

Then start running . Hopefully our actions will keep them occupied , - Ogras answered .

The group finally arrived at some thick bushes that were just a few hundred meters away from the clearing with the zealots . They had already snuck past one group of sentries with the help of the combination of Janos’ and Ogras’ skills .

Stay inside these bushes . Make no movement or sound , but get ready . The second Janos comes back to your side , start picking off targets . Remember , leaders and people organizing a resistance , - Ogras said to Sap .

Sap really didn’t like hiding alone in some bushes surrounded by crazed enemies who were far stronger than himself , but he also knew he didn’t have much of a choice at the moment .

What will you do? - he asked hesitantly .

Oh , you’ll see , - Ogras said with a malicious grin .

Soon the three scuttled away , leaving Sap alone with his thoughts .

Leaving an old man like this , these youth have no manners , Sap grumbled in his head , but still gingerly readied the huge sniper rifle , careful to not make any sound .

They didn’t have things like this back in the day when they were fighting in the jungles , but only old soviet-era guns , if even that . Sometimes the shipments had - gone missing - , likely fattening the pockets of some general .

Still , guns weren’t complicated . It was point and click . Sniper rifles were a bit harder to handle since one had to take into account things such as wind and elevation . But since he had started to gain his class he felt himself getting reinvigorated . The arthritis in his hands and knees was long gone , and his mind was sharper than it had ever been .

While he waited for the demons to finish up whatever madness they were planning Sap opened up his attribute page to take his mind off things .

Name

Sap Trang

Level

28

Class

Wave Whisperer

Race

Human (F)

Alignment

Human (Earth)

Titles

Adventurer , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Full of Class

Dao

Seed of Waves - Early

Strength

31

Dexterity

16

Endurance

26

Vitality

27

Intelligence

28

Wisdom

26

Luck

8

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

18 653

Every time Sap opened his menu he felt like a man reborn . He still remembered the scant 4 points in strength he possessed when he first found out about this screen . He was seventy-two years old , and before the fall he felt death looming close . But by now , between the medicine bath he took and the improved attributes , he felt as strong as a bull .

It made him think of his young lord . Zachary was only twice his levels , but his powers were out of this world . Sap even suspected that the young man long passed 100 points in multiple attributes . He didn’t know how that was possible though , as Sap only got 5 points per level since he got his class . There were many things he didn’t understand about the man he chose to follow .

How did he defeat an incursion singlehandedly? It was such a monstrous accomplishment that it was mindboggling . Unfortunately , he would never get the answer , as neither the Lord or the demons spoke a single word about anything that happened before he and the spoiled brats arrived at the island .

Second was the mysterious shipyard . He had asked to work there multiple times , as that was where he felt he could provide the most help . But every time Zachary rebuffed him without hesitation . Those who worked there also never left their area , and Sap hadn’t seen them since they kept him and the other refugees at the docks .

Finally the attributes of the Lord himself . He had seen the other elites of the world at the auction and instinctively knew that Zachary was almost a different species when he compared and contrasted them . That was why none of the other two mysteries mattered . He was betting on the terrifying power that the lord of Port Atwood kept showing .

Sap didn’t feel it mattered if he himself died , if his sacrifice could create a debt that Lord Zac would pay forward to his grandson and fellow villagers .

With that in mind he put his eye next to the scope , and slowly scouted the camp for promising targets . He was careful to not let the scope rest on any of the warriors though , as he knew some had extraordinary senses and could sense threats .

The camp consisted of reddish aliens who looked mostly human with a bit of reptile thrown into the mix , and there seemed to be two groups where neither seemed superior to the other . Sap thought it mainly meant they were different squadrons . He also spotted three suspicious tents where leaders might reside . Those tents would be his targets as soon as the mute demon returned .

Sap kept wondering what the trio would do , and his gut told him it would be something sinister . Ogras , in particular , was a bad influence on Lord Zachary , though it were always the evil ones who stayed alive .

Suddenly he saw something odd . The camp itself looked normal , where the people were minding their business , mainly preparing their weapons and gear . However , above the fortified camp a scary purple gas rose out of nowhere . Sap frowned , not being able to understand what was going on , but his instincts told him it was related to the plan of Ogras .

He was soon proven right as a terrifying roar echoed through the camp .

POISON! - followed by an equally loud roar . - PURIFY! -

The next moment it was as though reality cracked , as the view of the camp and incursion distorted and was replaced with a similar , but slightly different reality . The soldiers and monks were still there , confusedly looking around .

However , there was also a gas that spread through the camp , and Sap realized that crazy woman must have let something out . He knew it was his time to contribute in a bit , and he was proven right as the reticent demon appeared next to him also carrying a sniper rifle .

Get ready , - Janos said as he plopped down while panting .

The illusionist looked extremely pale , like he was completely wrung out . Still , he waved his hand a bit and a shimmer covered the two of them .

Shoot leaders , - the demon said next and after that ignored Sap , who hurriedly looked back into the scope .

At first glance through the scope , he thought the battle already over , as almost all of the church-members were covered in a blazing golden flame . However , soon he realized that was some sort of defensive skill that was likely protection against the poison covering the area .

A bang next to him made him refocus , and Sap quickly localized a monk with a slightly more elaborate gown , and without hesitation pulled the trigger . The man seemed to realize something was up , but it was too late as his chest and heart blasted open into a huge hole from the high caliber rifle .

Sap had no time to lament he wasn’t getting any Cosmic Energy from the kill and quickly moved his scope to his next target . In this manner , he picked off various warriors one by one . It was an odd feeling , as he knew that each and every one of those he killed were even stronger than the average demon on his island , and normally would consider him an ant .

Still , he knew that it wouldn’t have been possible without the chaos the trio had created . The invaders seemed to realize they were attacked from somewhere as well , but something that Janos had done made it so they couldn't pinpoint the origin of the bullets .

The fire seemed to be an effective barrier against the poisonous winds , as it covered the priests in a cocoon . However , was already too late for many . Quite a few were stumbling around , a few even passed out .

The demon lord and the poison mistress weren’t just sitting around either , as more waves of poison kept appearing across the camp , and Sap saw quite a few soldiers get killed by shadow spears suddenly rising up from nowhere . Sap couldn’t localize Ogras himself but knew he was hiding somewhere to pick off the targets .

He finally had cleared everyone around one of the suspicious tents and moved his scope toward the next one . There he found a clear target for assassination . It was a richly decked priest in a unique gown . He was angrily glaring around , with a shimmering mace in his hand .

Sap slowly exhaled his breath , and when he was completely steady he quickly moved the scope to hover over the man’s chest and instantly pressed the trigger .

Chapter 155 - Full Frontal Assault

His odd method of aiming was a special technique Sap Trang was using to give the powerhouses as little warning as possible . He remembered how Lord Zac had seemed to know the bullets were coming before the bang even arrived , and he wanted to avoid that situation . Sap didn’t know if his tactic worked , but it should be better than doing nothing .

However , the bullet didn’t work on this man , as the high priest roared and a wave of golden flame exploded out from him , covering almost half the camp in an instant . The bullet was scorched into nothingness , and all the poison in the area was incinerated .

A few hundred dead or dying lay on the ground , but a large group were still battle-ready , though none looked completely unscathed .

Conviction! - the man roared while pointing to the west , letting Sap know the high priest was the one who gave the initial warning .

Multiple priests and monks immediately turned toward that direction , and suddenly it was as though the heavens itself punished the whole area to the west of the camp . Blazing golden beams slammed into the ground from the skies , creating seas of fire that covered hundreds of meters .

Sap guessed the two remaining demons were located in that area , and immediately reloaded his gun and in quick succession fired off two bullets toward the high priest .

The demon shot at the same target , as Janos likely also realized the mace-wielding high priest was the largest threat to their operation and Port Atwood .

Unfortunately the bullets didn’t work any better for the illusionist either , as every shot disintegrated before they hit the man . Waves of billowing heat kept wafting out from the priest , making Sap wonder just how much Cosmos Energy the man contained . Interestingly enough the fire didn’t seem to ham the priests , but rather strengthen them .

Sap didn’t have time to mull it over as the high priest’s head suddenly snapped right toward his direction , and it felt as though the priest looked back at him through the scope . Great fear flooded Sap’s heart , and it felt as though reality went into slow motion .

Illusion broken , he knows , - Janos said and coughed up a mouthful of blood .

Sap desperately shot another bullet at the man , but it was to no avail as the high priest lifted his mace toward his direction , seemingly giving out a death sentence .

A great light shone down on Sap from the heavens above , and he looked up to see boundless fire descending upon him . It felt like the fire didn’t only want to burn his body , but even his soul . Sap completely froze , unsure what to do apart from pray to Buddha .

However , shadows suddenly gathered above him , and the fire was blocked right above him , while the forest around their bushes turned to cinders .

Out of the darkness Ogras and a three meter tall hideous monster stepped out . The monster was full of thorns and vines , and multicolored gases wafted out from it , making it look like something out of a horror story .

Before Sap had time to react the monster slowly transformed into the female demon . She was burned and bruised at various places , just like Ogras , but it was undoubtedly her . Sap even forgot the battle as he stared at the woman who frowned as she saw his gaze .

Before Sap could do anything else shadows started rushing toward Ogras , and it looked like they were becoming a second layer of skin on him .

Split up and flee , - Ogras said with a voice that sounded as though it came from the depths of hell as his body turned completely black .

Sap unhesitantly followed the order , as this battle was not something someone like him could intrude upon . Out of the corner of his eye he saw Janos do the same , and further in the distance he saw a squad of furious-looking priests start moving toward them . A primal fear pushed Sap's legs forward , but a morbid curiosity made him throw one last look at the battle .

Ogras looked like a god of darkness with two huge black wings on his back as he hovered facing the high priest who radiated a blazing glory . A gigantic sun burned behind the priest’s back , and the mace in his hand seemed to feed upon the celestial fire .

Sap almost thought he was back in an illusion , but knew he wasn’t so lucky . The world had truly turned crazy .

The ten-meter monoliths that the Corpse Golems carried around emitted an intensely uncomfortable feeling , as though they emitted the chill of death itself . Zac got goosebumps from their aura even from his hiding spot amongst the foliage . The undead seemed to love it though and even fought amongst themselves to get as close as possible to them .

Zac actually knew what those things were since he had looked up as much general knowledge as he could about the undead forces in preparation for finding his sister . He would likely need to traverse the domain of the undead to reach her , and any knowledge would help .

The large pillars were called unholy beacons , and they were tools that transformed Cosmic Energy into miasma .

There were many unclear points as to how the undead legions could actually exist , but it was clearly linked to miasma . The undead did not cultivate using Cosmic Energy , and to a certain degree it was almost harmful to them . While normal Cosmic Energy was without attunement , it could be considered to be basic building block of life . However , putting that into the body of a living corpse could be quite harmful .

They instead absorbed miasma , or Death Attuned Cosmic Energy as it was also called . Some places where extreme bloodshed had taken place naturally created miasma , other times the undead forces manufactured it with beacons and arrays . The beacons essentially terraformed an area into an environment that suited the undead .

The need for miasma was also one of the reasons why the undead forces created such a number of zombies . Zombies were generally quite weak unless they managed to awaken their intelligence , but they acted as miniature unholy beacons .

Low tiered Zombies could still absorb Cosmic Energy , but most of it was actually released again as miasma . The process was far less efficient compared to the real beacons , but Zombies were self-propagating , creating a natural spread of the undead domain .

Miasma was not too toxic to humans , and one could actually absorb it just like Cosmic Energy . However , doing so for too long would have negative effects , affecting both the mind and the body . That only went for people like Zac who had a sturdy constitution though .

A normal mortal at level 1 would fall sick and die within a few days if he or she stayed within miasma , while Zac would be able to traverse the whole incursion without much problem .

Zac hadn’t expected the undead invaders to actually bring beacons with them to the island . It meant they weren’t just planning a quick assault , but a long term occupation of the area after his town was dealt with .

A frown emerged on Zac’s face as he surveyed the shining pillars , as he couldn’t have those things keep spewing out miasma . It had only been a few hours since the invaders arrived , but the vicinity was already largely converted , giving it a ghastly feeling .

A large part of the island might become uninhabitable if the monoliths were left unchecked for too long . Their presence only reaffirmed his opinion that the third wave needed to be dealt with in a lightning-quick manner . If everything went well here he might actually strike a second leader within the hour , as soon as the Zombies started rampaging .

There were a few more minutes before the agreed-upon time , and Zac kept looking over the area to get a grasp of the forces the Corpse Lord brought . He counted at least fifty Corpse golems , most of which surrounded the monoliths . He could only find five aberrations though . Perhaps those freaks of nature were quite rare , Zac didn’t really have much knowledge about them .

Finally he spotted a large tent that looked surprisingly normal , apart from its dour colors . The walking corpses didn’t care about a roof over their heads , so it should belong to the Corpse lord . There were a few corpse golems standing guard around it as well , making it quite hard to sneak up on .

However , he was already prepared to fight through a sea of Zombies to reach the Corpse Lord , as sneaking around wasn’t his strong suit . Hopefully having the necklace while speeding through the masses with Loamwalker] would be enough to give him a leg up on the enemy .

It was almost time , so Zac steadied his breath for a few seconds , some fear lingering in his heart . However , that fear was eclipsed by a steely determination . Months on this island had reforged him and given him an unflinching mentality . Just seeing the horrid sight in front of him would have made him run away screaming a year ago , but now he only looked at it from a tactical viewpoint .

He took out his axe again , carefully looking it over . Hopefully the upgrade would prove useful in the fight , as the stone cost 6 million . He felt the excitement of the axe when he fed it the stone , but he still hadn’t figured out what had changed by using it . It looked pretty much the same as before , and he hadn’t really felt anything different when he killed the rockmen earlier .

Next he put on a nondescript cloak that would mask himself a bit , and without stalling any further rushed toward the command tent when there were five seconds left to the deadline . Each step with Loamwalker] pushed him almost ten meters , barely leaving a shadow in his wake .

Most of the zombies didn’t even register Zac's passing by and mindlessly kept milling about . A few gave a start and started growling while looking around with confused faces , perhaps trying to understand what was going on .

Zac didn’t bother with them as he infused a huge amount of Cosmic Energy into his arms and axe , wanting to end it all with one swift strike .

Finally he arrived right outside the tent , and Zac was already mid-swing when he appeared . A five-meter fractal blade ripped through the air horizontally , infused with the Dao of Heaviness . A corpse golem stood in the way of the swing , but Verun’s Bite] had the force of a train as it ripped right through its dense muscles , completely bisecting the hulking golem .

The blade continued unimpeded right into the tent , but as it was almost completely through Zac felt a painful shockwave in his arm as his swing lost all its momentum instantaneously . A huge shockwave spread out , pushing away any Zombies in the vicinity , and two of the huge corpse golems even fell on their backs from the force .

The tent was rendered into ribbons by the wild energies , showing Zac the interior of the tent . The Corpse Lord stood stable like a mountain , his bone hook holding Zac’s fractal blade in place . Zac’s eyes met with the sinister eyes glowing like red orbs of the undead leader , and the Corpse Lord’s mouth opened into a ghastly grin showing sharp teeth .

I suspected you might try this , human , - the undead warrior said with a sneer . - You think my true death will solve your problems , and you might be right . But just this amount of power won’t be enough . -

Zac didn't know why he could understand the undead general's words , but it didn't matter . He didn’t answer the taunt , instead quickly materializing a new fractal blade . He actually noted that the hand of the Corpse Lord was very subtly shaking , probably meaning that the defense wasn’t quite as relaxed as the undead humanoid wanted to make it look .

He remembered Ogras advice and mustered all he had in each of his swings . He needed to end this quickly before he was overrun by a sea of undead monstrosities . Each of Zac’s swings was imbued by either his Dao of Heaviness or Dao of Sharpness , and he tried everything in his book in order to create an opening .

The Undead was an even match , the huge bone hook tearing through the air to meet each and every swing . Zac noted with some relief he was actually pushing the man back a bit , and kept his pace up . However , he didn't dare relax as it seemed the undead wasn't using any Dao , and Zac wouldn't believe a leader of an incursion didn't possess a few of them at least .

Zac was also getting a constant stream of Cosmic Energy , as the Zombies in the area unhesitantly joined the fight between the two powerhouses , and kept streaming toward Zac in an effort to disrupt his rhythm . However , the Zombies were too weak to do much of anything , and most were destroyed simply by the errant energies or shockwaves from the battle .

Suddenly the Corpse Lord jumped back and released a bestial roar . The unholy beacons around them blazed to life and shone with a ghastly turquoise that covered the whole area . The world turned almost monochrome with all warm colors in the spectrum gone .

It appeared the Corpse Lord was going all out .

Chapter 156 - Life versus Death

Whatever the undead leader unleashed didn’t just affect the unholy beacons , but the whole area was affected . The zombies in the vicinity of the fight suddenly shrieked as they fell on the ground , melting with visible speed .

The former humans turned into a putrid goop , and from the puddles a stream of deathly energy rose , joining the energy the monoliths released . Zac hesitantly looked around , and his visibility was quickly getting blocked from the immense amount of miasma rising in the air .

In seconds the whole sky was covered with billowing waves of miasma and Zac felt like a small boat on turbulent seas . The density of deathly energy was skyrocketing where they were fighting , and Zac was starting to feel a bit nauseated . It quickly got to the point it forced him to start circulating his Dao of Trees to combat the nausea .

A torrent of energy was gathering above the Corpse Lord , who started emitting an even mightier aura compared to before . Zac wasn’t sure what was going on , but he knew he had to do something about the situation . If the Corpse Lord swallowed up all the energy in the skies he would turn into a true monster .

Zac pushed off the ground and created an overextended edge that he swung in an effort to disrupt the gathering miasma above the corpse lord . He knew he couldn’t rip apart the whole miasmic clouds in skies , but he could at least do something about the part the Corpse lord tried to absorb . Unfortunately , it was like cutting air , and the edge harmlessly passed through it .

Zac knew from the start that his swing might fail , but he kept the swing going and released the edge right toward the closest monolith . The fractal blade flew away , and with a thundering explosion destroyed the undead beacon .

An enormous shockwave of wild energies erupted from the monolith , instantly killing a few corpse golems and hundreds of zombies . It seemed all the cosmic energy and miasma gathered in the pillar was released like a bomb when the beacon broke . Zac suddenly felt a huge surge of Cosmic Energy in his body , proving that the System credited him all the kills .

Zac noted with some relief that the clouds quickly thinned out a bit , and set his sights at a second pillar . However , the Corpse Lord wouldn’t have it and quickly intercepted Zac’s second strike . The leader seemed taken by surprise by the fact that the fractal edge could detach from the axe , but he wouldn't make the same mistake again .

The undead leader suddenly pushed one of his hands toward the sky with a ripping motion causing two swirling torrents of miasma to emerge from the clouds , quickly transforming into actual fractal beasts . They looked like some sort of worms with huge maws and emitted an intense aura of death .

The two miasma monsters descended and Zac quickly summoned multiple fractal edges and launched them at the beasts . To Zac's disappointment the edges only passed through just like with the clouds , as the monsters were largely incorporeal .

At least the beasts temporarily lost their forms from the swings , and two clouds landed on him instead , completely drowning the area in highly concentrated miasma .

Zac hoped that was it , but to his dismay he saw the clouds starting to reform , and from just standing in the clouds he was quickly growing numb and deathly cold . Desperate for a solution Zac released Cosmic Energy imbued with the Dao of Trees into the area where the beasts were reforming , and it actually worked .

The pure life energy created some sort of reaction in the reforming beasts , leaving two convulsing clouds failing to properly reform . It would likely have been better to just cut them with edges imbued with the Dao , but he still wasn’t able to imbue his edges with the Dao of Trees .

Just as Zac breathed out in relief he felt an intense danger and immediately jumped to the side while activating a defensive charge on his gear . At the same time , he started gathering his remaining energy into the fractal on his arm , preparing for a final desperate gambit . If it failed he would have to flee and take as many as he could with him through the teleporter .

The Corpse Lord emerged out of one of the clouds , the air around him distorting from the teeming energy in his body . His whole body was swollen , likely from absorbing an unordinary amount of miasma . The bone hook in his hands shone with extremely concentrated energy , and it made a beeline straight for Zac’s torso .

Zac hoped that the erected shield would buy him some time , but to his horror he saw that the shimmering barrier actually cracked soon after the undead leader’s weapon slammed into it . It was the first time his gear wasn't able to block a strike , proving the power of the Corpse Lord .

With the barrier destroyed the sinister bone-weapon continued into his gut , and the pain made Zac almost immediately pass out .

It was far worse than a normal stab wound , and it actually felt like Zac was dying . However , he grabbed hold of the hook with his hand , refusing to let go as he finished pushing energy into the fractal on his other arm . The fractal was finally satiated , and Zac pushed forward his arm with a roar .

Reality cracked , and the familiar hand from Nature's Punishment] extended down toward the Corpse Lord from above . The spatial hole also released a torrent of a multitude of colors that offset the deathly lights of the monoliths .

The Corpse Lord looked alarmed for the first time since the fight started , and without hesitation he pushed backward with immense speed , even giving up on the weapon that Zac was holding on to .

However , he couldn’t outrun the gigantic hand that wanted to crush him . As he fled the undead leader stabbed his sharp nails into his own chest while gritting his teeth .

For a second Zac thought the Corpse Lord had made a mistake , but he quickly realized he was wrong . A disgusting black ichor rushed out like a waterfall from the wound the undead created , to the point that the hand from Nature’s Punishment] was getting completely drenched .

WORLD ROT! - the undead roared , and Zac felt a pain in his arm that even eclipsed the wound in his gut . It felt like his hand was quickly rotting away , and even though he had imbued the hand with the Dao of Trees the protection was limited .

At least Zac’s Dao stopped the hand from immediately disintegrating , and Zac used all his determination to do some damage before it was too late . The rotting hand swooped down to crush the corpse lord , who desperately dodged .

However , the hand was huge , and it at least managed to grab one of the arms of the undead leader , and with a sickening crunch broke it beyond recognition before Zac was forced to release the skill .

It was either that or lose his life , as he was afraid the rot would spread if he let the black liquid keep corroding the huge hand . Zac felt feverish and nauseated , but he wouldn’t let the opportunity go as he mustered some of his last reserves to move next to the Corpse Lord . Zac didn’t use any fractal or skills , only the Dao of Heaviness with the true edge of Verun’s Bite] .

The Corpse Lord was momentarily distracted from the pain of getting his arm crushed , but he still used his arm to block the axe strike instead of getting decapitated . The Axe slammed into the Corpse Lord , whose inhuman sturdiness stopped the edge after only pushing in a small bit .

The Endurance of the Corpse Lord was clearly far higher than Zac’s , and his body was as good as any defensive gear . Zac noticed the undead used some sort of defensive skill though , as the arm was shimmering with miasma .

Zac suddenly felt a primal rage erupt from the axe , and the teeth on it started to rattle . Without warning a spirit of some prehistoric beast with a huge maw emerged from the axe and bit into the shoulder of the Corpse Lord with a growl .

The undead screamed in rage and tried to hit wave it away , but it was an incorporeal being . With a quick motion , the beast ripped out a large section of the Corpse Lord’s shoulder before dissipating into nothingness again .

Zac didn’t understand what just happened , but he felt this was his last chance to kill the undead leader . Both his arms were currently ruined ; one from Nature’s Punishment] , while other was almost completely severed from the axe ghost . The axe was also freed from the arm from the bite so Zac swung it down again at the Corpse Lord .

The undead was in a miserable state and kept trying to move away from Zac . His desperate assault was starting to produce real results , even though Zac himself also was in a miserable state .

Zac looked down at his freely bleeding wound , and saw that there was a sickly black tinge to it . It was painful beyond compare , and he quickly swallowed one of his best healing pills to combat the wound . He felt a warmth spread through his body , but it seemed it had small effect in working against this particular wound .

Still , there was no time to worry about this . Zac rushed toward the mangled corpse lord , and with a growl swung his axe . He also ignored his pounding head and infused it with the Dao of Heaviness one time after another . Each swing was like a falling meteor , and the Corpse Lord was struggling more and more in avoiding a killing strike .

Unfortunately the corpse lord possessed some sort of odd skill that made him swap position with a Zombie , foiling Zac time and time again . However , it’s range was quite limited and seemed to cost quite a bit of miasma , so Zac didn’t relent and kept following like a blood hound .

Finally Zac managed to strike out before the Lord once again performed the body swap , and the axe hit down next to the neck of the Corpse Lord , cutting straight down toward his lung , drawing a huge torrent of the black ichor .

The Corpse Lord looked like he was barely hanging on , but before Zac could finish him off a humongous fist closed in on him . He didn't even have time to dodge , and the fist clocked him right in his face . With Zac's monstrous Endurance he was largely okay , but while he wasn’t hurt the power of the swing threw him away .

Zac had been too focused on the undead leader , completely ignoring the surroundings , allowing corpse golem to sneak up on him . Zac quickly tried to return to the undead leader deliver the final strike , but the aberrations and corpse golems went berserk as they disregarded their safety and swarmed him .

Zac was feeling woozy from his festering wound and energy consumption , but he grit his teeth and killed them one by one , each kill giving a huge infusion of cosmic energy .

It only took thirty seconds to push past the resistance since he was going all out , unheeding of energy expenditure , but Zac couldn’t locate the Corpse Lord as the last aberration fell . He looked all over , and finally found his target right next to the incursion crystal , his bone hook somehow back on his back .

We will meet again , human . Death won’t be a reprieve for you , - the Corpse Lord said with seething rage as jumped straight into the shining crystal .

A light flashed , and before Zac even had time to react the undead leader was gone , and soon after the crystal lost its luster .

As if something snapped in the heads of the Zombies they almost instantly started roaring , gaining a bloodthirsty aura . Relief flooded Zac’s mind , and he almost sat down to rest . He didn’t manage to kill the undead leader , but at least he completed his mission .

But he barely had time to take a breath when a stone spear erupted from the ground , going straight for his heart . It thrummed with abundant ice-cold power , and Zac didn’t hesitate in using his second defensive charge .

As the stone spear approached darkness congealed into a stone-man dressed in exquisite gear , and Zac’s eyes locked with two black holes filled malice .

Chapter 157 - Wounded

he stone spear slammed into Zac’s hastily erected shield , and while it held true this time many cracks spread over the barrier , which was a testament to the power contained in the attack .

It seemed that Zac couldn’t rely too heavily on his gear in the future , as its efficacy was limited . He himself had broken through Rydel’s protective talisman with his final attack , and this was the second time he was almost killed from his own shield failing him

We were treated as fodder , yet in the end it’s the Yrd who will reap the benefits , - the new attacker said with a deep and gravelly voice .

Zac was somberly looking at his new assailer , guessing it was the leader of the rock-men . Its appearance spelled very bad news . Zac was in no condition to fight another intense battle like the last one , even if the rockman wasn’t as strong as the Corpse Lord . Zac had overtaxed both his mind and his Cosmic Energy in his previous fight , and he was barely able to contain the festering wound in his side .

Still , there was nothing to do . He was unsure whether he would even be able to flee if he tried , as the rockman leader seemed to have some type of movement skill as well . But he wouldn’t give up until his last breath , and Zac wordlessly brought up his axe once again .

But before Zac had time to figure out a battle plan a beam of darkness went straight for the rockman , and Ogras appeared right next to him almost simultaneously . The demon touched his shoulder , and the last thing Zac saw before the shadows swallowed the two was the rockman slashing Ogras’ shadow spears to smithereens .

The two reappeared somewhere in the forest and Zac quickly scanned the vicinity for any enemy forces , and only relaxed when he noted they were alone . He was about to ask why they didn’t stay and fight , but before Zac could open his mouth the demon keeled over .

Zac finally took a good look at his companion and was shocked at what he saw . The demon was in even worse state than he was . Grisly wounds and burns covered multiple parts of his body , and everything from down from his left elbow was simply missing , leaving just a bloody stump .

Horrified Zac hurried toward Ogras and tried to help him up .

Are you ok? - Zac asked with concern . - What the hell happened to you? -

Stop staring , carry me back to the wall , - Ogras wheezed back , and Zac could comply as he picked him up and started running , the pain in his side almost making him pass out .

The wound in Zac’s gut burned like someone was groping around in there with a hot poker , but he could only bear with it for now . He already tried eating one of his best healing pills , but it virtually did nothing for him .

He would need to consult the physician when he was back . He couldn’t ask the demon about it either as it looked like Ogras was barely conscious at the moment .

Zac was having trouble staying awake as well , but he stubbornly pushed forward one step at the time . His vision was closing in on him , but he refused to topple over . Finally the forest gave way to the prepared battlefield , and the sight of the ruined wall entered his eyes .

Zac summoned strength from god knows where and resumed his run toward safety . Each step was a challenge , and he almost fell into a few of the crude pits , but eventually he reached the wall , only to see the demon soldiers nervously waiting .

Fearful and despondent eyes looked at the pathetic figures of Zac and Ogras made , clearly feeling that all hope was lost . The two didn’t look like heroes making a triumphant return , but rather like the vanquished returning in defeat .

What’s with those faces? Lord Zac prevailed over the Corpse Lord Noble , and the undead are going feral as we speak , attacking friend and foe alike , - Ogras roused and shouted with a powerful voice , and took out a lizardman head out of his pouch .

The leader of those fucking cultists didn’t prove a match against a true demonic warrior either , - the demon continued and threw away the head , its arc drawing mesmerized looks .

Their leaders are dead , their lines are in disarray . We won! It’s time to reap some contribution points . -

Take your positions! - Zac followed up with a roar , and the demons and other squads others formed proper lines along the broken wall with newfound vigor .

Joanna and two other Valkyries came rushing toward Zac , who slumped down on the ground behind the newly formed lines .

Are you really ok? - she worriedly asked , but was soon pushed out of the way by Alea who went down on her knees next to him and checked his wound .

Your wound is filled with highly concentrated miasma , you need to get rid of it or it will spread , - she said with a low voice , careful not to let anyone else hear .

I tried eating a healing pill , didn’t work , - Zac tiredly muttered as he took out a few normal Nexus Crystals .

I know you have some sort of nature Dao , use that as well for now , - she said with a sigh .

Zac opened his eyes and properly looked at the poison mistress . She was in bad shape as well , with many bloodied spots on her dress . He looked around and saw Mr . Trang stand close-by with one of the huge sniper rifles on his back . He had a somber expression Zac had never seen before , and he warily gazed at Alea next to him .

Alea followed Zac's gaze and sighed .

We attacked the cultists , things got out of hand . Ogras saved us and stayed behind to fight . It seems he won . We’ll explain it later , recover for now , - Alea quickly recapped .

Zac knew there were things that were missing from that explanation , judging from how Alea and Sap looked , not mentioning Ogras himself . But for now he could only focus on recovery .

Actually he hadn’t dared ask Ogras what happened with the Church while they fled back toward the wall , afraid of the answer . But it seemed Ogras had actually fought to the point he lost a limb in order to not only distract , but destroy , the cultists .

Zac described the appearance of the leader of the rockmen detail in case he would try something again , then closed his eyes and resumed absorbing the Nexus Crystals . He wished he could follow the advice of Alea and also use the Dao of Trees , but his head felt like he had a concussion , and he was afraid he’d pass out if he actually tried to use a Dao at the moment .

Zac instead fully focused on recovering his Cosmic Energy , but only after ten minutes a multitude of roars interrupted him . He quickly glanced over and saw it was a sea of undead who were rushing toward their army .

I killed most of the strong ones , but wake me up if you start getting problems handling it , - Zac said to Alea who was still standing by his side .

Don’t look down on us demons . While we might not be monsters like you , we’re no weaklings . Just rest up and let us and the little spear-kittens you are training solve this . Oh , and the insect people seem particularly motivated , - Alea said with a slight smile .

Zac couldn’t help looking over at the small Zhix contingent , and saw they were visibly irate .

Unholy things . Abominations , - Ibtep said and angry clacking spread amongst his kind .

Zac shook his head and kept focusing on his recovery . His headache had subsided somewhat by now , but he still didn’t dare use his Dao , and his wound kept hurting like hell .

Soon the army clashed with the Zombie horde , and Zac kept surveying the battle from a part of the wall that was still halfway standing . It seemed that neither the cultists or the rock people were present , and Zac could only pray it was due to them having their hands full with their own undead hordes .

For now his army was doing fine , and the unrelenting waves of undead served mostly as fodder . There were some Aberrations and Corpse Golems left but they either were dealt with by groups of Demon Soldiers who whittled them down , or sometimes a lightning bolt from the ballistae ended them .

Even the contingents of Valkyries and Zhix could fight in hand to hand combat , though their combat tactics were quite different . The former slaves used large shields as roadblocks as they methodically stabbed the zombies with their spears , felling them one after another .

The Zhix were far more aggressive , bisecting the Zombies one by one , and simply shrugging off the occasional swipe from them . Still , there was some sort of unspoken coordination between the insectoid warriors , as any time one of them risked to be seriously injured a spear or a knife suddenly arrived from someone else to neutralize the threat . There was some sort of order to the apparent chaos , but Zac couldn’t figure it out .

Almost an hour passed , and there was still no sign of the stronger forces , and Zac was starting to get worried that they were up to something . A sudden movement to his left made him look over , and he saw a pale-faced Ogras get to his feet , a thick clump of shadows covering the stump on his left arm .

What are you doing? Sit down and rest , - Zac said with raised brows . - They are doing fine . -

I just lost an arm , no big deal . I’ll regrow it later . I am mostly restored apart from that , and I don’t need the hand to use my skills , - the demon answered with a shrug .

Zac knew the demon was lying , but Zac wouldn’t stop him . He knew the personality of the demon . Ogras was selfish , careful and calculating , but he’d actually fought to the point he lost an appendage and almost died for Port Atwood . Zac knew it wasn’t as easy to regrow the limbs as the demon let on . It was certainly possible , but the pills were quite rare and expensive .

Besides , even after having regrown the limb it took time and effort to redraw the pathways and retrain the limb . Losing an arm was no small matter for a warrior , and it would take years to get back on track .

Don’t overextend yourself . The last leader is out there somewhere , he’s unharmed and there’s no way these Zombies can kill him , - Zac said with a tired voice .

Ogras only nodded before shadows gathered around him , and he disappeared .

The battle raged on and it was as though the undead were unending . The Valkyries had been forced to back away , as they were starting to make mistakes due to being completely wrung out . However , Zac knew that each one of them had gained a significant amount of Cosmic Energy from the intense bout . He had killed a couple of zombies before , and he knew they gave a few hundred Nexus Coins each .

The Zhix warriors lasted a while longer , though they eventually had to reluctantly back away as well , leaving only the battle-hardened demons to defend the long stretch of ruined wall . They couldn’t clump together , as that would allow the zombie horde to pass them by and go after the numerous civilians who still were in the town .

A lot of demon craftsmen and other non-combat classes were also helping out , constantly building temporary fortifications along the destroyed wall in order to shorten the distance the defenders had to cover . They used everything from chopped down trees to random boulders .

It didn’t look pretty , but it worked well enough as long as it was tall and sturdy . They were up against braindead zombies , and almost anything sufficed .

Zac looked over his army , seeing that almost no one was unharmed after the unrelenting battle . Zac was quite happy that the Zombies in the multi-verse weren’t quite like those in the movies . A bite from a zombie didn’t turn you into one .

The wound would likely get infected , as the zombies were crawling with all kinds of bacteria , but that was about it . One had to actually die first to turn into a zombie , where miasma entering the corpse caused the transformation . That’s why there also was no cure , since even if one cured the zombification , the cured patient would still only be a corpse .

There was some scuffling next to him and Zac looked over to see a bandaged Janos stand there , silent as usual .

I heard a bit about your feats with the Zealots , great job , - Zac said .

Hm , - Janos only answered with a slight nod .

Zac didn’t mind , as he was too tired to keep up a conversation in any case . He kept rotating between silently meditating with his eyes closed , and occasionally overseeing the battlefield . However , as he once again was about to close his eyes a terrifying sense of danger erupted in his mind , and his eyes opened up wide .

He looked around but only saw the taciturn illusionist still standing next to him . However , in his hand was a slender sword Zac had never seen before , and it was moving straight at him .

Zac could only helplessly watch the as the blade plunged into his chest .

Chapter 158 - Betrayal

Searing pain exploded in Zac’s chest as a blade ruthlessly pushed toward his heart . He was out of defensive charges from his gear , and instead had to settle for desperately moving his torso slightly to avoid getting his heart skewered . The blade still slid in between two of his ribs , and he was seriously wounded though he avoided any lethal damage .

Cosmic energy started gathering as various thoughts were flashing through his head . Were the demons finally making a move on him? Did Ogras’ injuries make him impatient to seize control? Or was Janos just going rogue , just like Namys?

Zac coughed up a mouthful of blood as he scrambled to his feet , but the piercing sound of a sniper rifle made him quickly throw himself on the ground again , the wounds in his body only worsening . His vision was swimming but he desperately looked around to see what was going on .

Janos stood in front of him with a confused look on his face as he looked down at a large hole in his chest that was gushing torrential amounts of blood . Soon after the demon collapsed right next to him . Zac quickly looked to the origin of the sound and found Sap Trang rushing toward him with a determined expression , a smoking sniper rifle in his hand .

Each breath was torture , but Zac forced himself up again , and quickly took out one of his healing pills . It might not work against the miasma in his old wound , but at least it should help against his new one . He quickly swallowed it with a shaking hand as he brought out his axe with an enraged expression .

The commotion caused both demons and humans to look over , and scene with a dead Janos and heavily bleeding Zac caused widespread confusion . The Valkyries scrambled to create some distance from the demonic warriors , while the demons confusedly looked at each other , hesitating what to do .

It didn’t take long before Alea rushed up toward Zac , but she was stopped by a huge fractal edge being directed at her .

Stay back , - Zac coughed with a grim face , blood still flowing down his mouth and from his wounded lungs .

Sap didn’t hesitate either , but pointed his reloaded gun at the poison mistress , all the while warily scouting the vicinity . Alea looked startled but immediately moved back a bit with some sadness in her eyes . Ogras himself was still suspiciously absent , and Zac couldn’t spot him at either the battlefield or amongst the defending army .

A warm glow gathered in Zac’s chest and he took a few more ragged breaths as the pill worked its magic . However , he didn’t have time to really rest up as Janos' body bloated up and with an explosion of golden flames erupted into an inferno right next to him . Zac quickly grabbed Sap and flashed away with the help of Loamwalker] .

However , just as he reappeared some distance away another sense of impending doom rattled his mind , and he quickly threw himself and Sap to the ground . A freezing chill erupted in his legs , and he quickly looked down to find it skewered by a black icicle . His whole leg was turning completely numb from the frigid spike , and he wasn’t even able to extract it as it had completely frozen the area of his thigh .

With a groan he got back to his feet , ignoring the pain in his leg , and with mad swings intercepted a storm of small icicles following the large one . Zac looked around and finally found the source of the attacks . It was the rockman leader who Ogras helped him escape from earlier .

It looked like he was trying to fish in muddy waters and take advantage of the fact that the other two leaders were dead or gone from the island . However , while Zac was caught unaware by Janos’ betrayal he was in far better condition right now compared to when they met last time .

He had absorbed quite a bit of energy from the Crystals by now and could manage a short battle even with his wounded chest .

Zac unhesitantly pushed forward with Loamwalker] and appeared right in front of the surprised golem leader with his axe mid-swing . However , the leader was a veteran fighter , and a thick wall of black ice materialized out of nowhere to intercept Zac’s strike .

A powerful shockwave erupted from the impact , and Zac had to grit his teeth together to net let out a whimper from the pain . His swings carried a tremendous amount of force , and the shockwaves only made his wounds worse .

A great boom resounded in the air , and a chunk of the rockman’s side was blasted away , causing blue blood to paint the ground . It was Sap Trang who had timed his shot perfectly with when Zac’s swing destroyed the ice wall . The leader managed to react fast enough to avoid his chest getting blasted open , but at least it wounded him . Thankfully this boss wasn’t able to completely stop the bullets like the Corpse Lord was .

The rockman roared and suddenly the area started trembling . Zac felt a new sense of danger as he saw the area rapidly freeze .

Run! - he shouted as he activated his movement skill , deftly dodging an ice spear that followed by a veritable torrent of attacks that flew in all directions .

Zac’s shout had warned quite a few , but a few Zhix , Valkyries and demons were caught in the large ice storm the rockman created . Even the demon warriors caught inside soon succumbed after desperately having defended against the onslaught of ice spears from above and earthen stalactites from below . In just a few seconds the whole area was transformed into a confusing mess of icicles , ice walls , and jagged rocks .

Zac was forced to keep moving about using his movement skill , while wildly waving his axe to destroy the projectiles that kept whirling toward him . But the projectiles were in the hundreds , and he couldn't destroy them all .

Luckily the power of each individual projectile was limited , and with his Endurance they only created shallow flesh wounds . However , whenever an icicle hit the new wound on his chest or the festering one on his side he almost keeled over from the pain .

And it was at exactly one such time that the rockman suddenly re-emerged right behind Zac , giving him an acute sense of danger . He lifted his axe to try to parry whatever the rockman had planned , but suddenly a few spikes materialized around the two , and unerringly slammed into various spots of the Rockman .

The leader wailed in pain , and Zac took the opportunity to swiftly decapitate the man with a horizontal swing . A huge surge of Cosmic Energy entered his body , but Zac didn’t care about any of that . He quickly looked around and saw a grisly scene .

Alea stood some distance away , covered in blood from head to toe . She was impaled in three spots by frozen stalactites , and her whole body was heavily wounded from the uncountable small icicles that were rotating in the air . She had a strong constitution in order to handle her poisons , but not to the point she could shrug off attacks as Zac did .

Their eyes met and Alea gave a small smile before her eyes rolled up and she collapsed on the floor . Zac didn’t hesitate , but instantly moved to her side with Loamwalker and scooped her up in his arms .

Since the Rockman was dead the ice storm ended , but the huge ice walls and rocky formations that trapped him were still there , forcing him to run through the maze .

If he was alone he might have just punched his way through or jumped over the obstacles , but with the Alea's wounds he didn’t dare to do anything so drastic .

As he ran he suddenly heard the familiar unfeeling voice .

Mission Complete . Calculating Grade . Grade : B . Adding 4 hours of Contribution gathering . Incursions close in 30 minutes . Contribution store remaining time : 24 hours

It was the first time Zac actually heard the System’s voice when he completed a quest . Usually there were just prompts that showed his progress . He briefly wondered if there was some special reason for this , but he didn’t have time to mull it over as he was out of the icefield .

Zac and found himself close to the back of the battlefield . Most of the demons were still focusing on keeping the Zombies at bay , but a small defensive perimeter had also been created with a dozen demons standing prepared at the edge of the frozen field . Sap was standing next to them looking fidgety .

Young man , are you alright? - Sap shouted as he ran up to Zac as soon as he emerged from behind a protruding rock .

The old fisherman was still carrying the sniper rifle around , warily looking down at Alea in Zac’s arms .

Did you - ? he hesitantly said , seemingly afraid to continue .

A few demons were warily looking at him as well , their eyes darting between Zac’s face and the unconscious and bloodied demon general in his arms .

Don’t look at me , look at the Zombies . Alea risked her life to save me , and thanks to her the last of the enemy leaders is dead , - Zac said with a hoarse voice as he carefully put her down and fed her a healing pill .

The demons relaxed somewhat then they saw the pill Zac fed her . It came from Rydel’s Cosmos Sack and was a well known top tier pill in the demonic factions .

The quest is completed , the final leader is dead . You have four more hours to rack up as much Contribution Points as you can , but after that you won’t gain any anymore . You have another 20 hours to buy from the Contribution Store before it disappears as well , - Zac said . - The Incursions will close in 30 minutes . That means that the rockmen and the remaining Zealots will likely flee . -

He wasn't sure about the last statement , but he hadn't seen either since he returned from the wall . The rockmen had taken significant losses earlier , and they were also the force closest to the Undead incursion . Zac doubted they would be a problem , since they should have their hands full .

He was more worried about the zealots , as they didn't seem the type to just give up in the face of death from what he'd read about them . Crazed fanatics rarely took the most logical actions . But they were also missing , which was fine with Zac for now , as he needed to rest and Ogras was missing .

The demons looked ecstatic at the news and started to fight the endless undead with newfound vigor . With all three of the powerhouses gone the war was essentially over . There were some weird things going on , such as the betrayal of Janos and the absence of Ogras , but that could wait for at least four hours . Now it was time to reap some benefits .

Zac let two of the non-combat demons carry the unconscious Alea away , and sat down again with a sigh .

Thank you for your help today . You have made huge contributions to Port Atwood in this quest . You don’t need to stand guard , go kill some zombies . They will give you a great boost in experience , - Zac said as he looked up to the old fisherman with his rifle .

Young man , everything might not be as they seem . Those flames that the mute demon exploded into? They were the very same ones all the lizardman Zealots used . I lost sight of Janos as we fled back toward the wall , and he might have been replaced somehow , - Mr . Trang said after some hesitation .

Zac looked over surprised at the old fisherman who only shrugged his shoulders indicating he didn’t know . Zac could only pray that what the old man said was true , but for now there was no way to confirm it .

Soon Mr . Trang sped off without another word , putting the rifle into a Cosmos Sack . Left alone Zac once again started to focus on recovery , though this time he didn’t dare close his eyes . Instead , he kept vigil over his surroundings as he circulated the Dao of Trees .

He was still mentally wrung out from the battle with the Undead Lord , but he needed to do something to stabilize the wound in his side , even if his head was pounding . At least it seemed the Dao of Trees didn’t take much mental strength to passively circulate through the body , and the effects were noticeable .

As Zac sat down he opened his quest panel , and a wave of relief hit him as he looked over his quest .

Incursion Master (Unique) COMPLETE] : Close or conquer incursion and protect Town from denizens or forces of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : Limited Structure depending on Grade , Town upgraded to Global City , status upgraded to Lord . Road to Hegemony opened . (3/3) 00 : 23 : 58 : 03] 00 : 03 : 58 : 03] .

The quest was really complete . It was a quest he’d had in his quest menu for almost five months , and it was finally done with . Zac took a deep breath and looked up at the skies .

There wasn’t any great joy in him from the huge accomplishment . Of course he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to keep fighting the waves anymore . But rather being excited about the rewards , he was excited about something else .

He could finally , and without worries , go about finding his sister .

Chapter 159 - Infiltrators

The pain in Zac’s side kept burning as he sat down and meditated . No pill he owned worked on the wound , as the miasma in his body was stubbornly refusing to dissipate . The demon physician had examined the wound after the battle calmed down , and he was sure that it wasn’t the miasma itself that was the problem , but rather that the miasma contained some Dao .

It reminded Zac of the fight earlier , where the hand from Nature’s Punishment] rotted into nothingness in less than a second from the so-called World Rot the Corpse Lord summoned . Zac believed there was a good chance that the undead leader possessed a high tier , or even peak tier Dao in something related to death or rot , which was why his wound refused to get better and instead kept trying to spread through his body .

His only solace was that the vibrant energy generated from the Dao of Trees somewhat alleviated his problems . It wasn’t to the point that he actually healed , but it managed to stop the spread of miasma and contained it in his wound . However , that meant he was forced to use the Dao almost constantly , and that he still needed to walk around with an open wound .

He currently sat in one of the secluded courtyards in his mansion , slowly going through the events . He was in no mood to look over the restoration of the wall or calm down irate citizens . After he killed the last leader yesterday , there was not much of a battle . He realized after a while that the arrays were once again active , and he activated the town protection array without hesitation .

It ensured the safety of the town , and also allowed the tired out Valkyries to gain some Cosmic Energy by killing zombies with bow and arrows from the safety within the shield . It might also have been him erecting the defensive array that ensured that a final attack never arrived from the proper forces .

Still , before it got to that point the losses weren’t insignificant . They’d lost Janos , 7 demon warriors , and 9 Valkyries . A few Zhix had died as well , but Zac didn’t worry as much about them since they weren’t formally his people yet . Most of the losses occurred from the Rockman leader’s area attack , though some of the Valkyries died from making mistakes .

Alyn had said the losses were acceptable , as most untested squads had large losses in their first battle . Their deaths would be the foundations for the survivors to keep each other safe . Still , Zac felt bad about so many of them already having died since he took them under his wing just a little while ago . He had already told them as much when they signed on , but talking about it and seeing it actually happen were two different things .

Instead of helping with the restoration work Zac instead focused on his wound . He kept trying to utilize his Dao in various ways in order to heal himself . He was also waiting on news from Calrin , but he didn’t hold much hope . Other than that he was simply waiting for the timer for the quest to reach zero . He still hadn’t received his rewards yet , and he assumed he would get them as soon as the timer ended .

His wound could be considered to be afflicted with poison , though it was a combination of Dao and transformed miasma . He would need a specialized type of potion to heal his particular wound , very much the same way a specific poison required a specific antidote . There were also higher grade panaceas that would heal most types of wounds like this , but those were extremely expensive and hard to get .

Another alternative was to find a proper healer who specialized in purifying Misma . There was no such person on the island at the moment , but perhaps people like that could be found on the border towns close to the undead incursion . But there was still a few days before the appointed time where Mr . Bernard would open the teleporter , so that option was still not available . And it wasn’t like he’d pin his hopes here being some healers waiting where he was going .

That left the Dao of Trees . He kept circulating the warm energy the Tree Fractal in his chest generated while thinking back to the vision he had . He was actually having decent gains , but his meditations were interrupted as he sensed the shadows congeal in the building , which caused Zac to furrow his eyebrows .

So , do you want to talk about it? - the familiar voice said .

Talk about what? - Zac asked without opening his eyes .

The fact that you immediately assumed that I ordered Janos to attack you , - Ogras answered .

I didn’t know what was going on , so I wouldn’t take any chances . It was you who taught me to be careful with friends and foe alike , - Zac said with an even voice . - I still don’t know what you’re planning in that scheming head of yours . -

Don’t worry , I am quite happy with our current arrangement . I can move freely in the shadows while you stand in the light , drawing all the attention away from me , - Ogras said with a light voice . - And I even lost an arm for this town , you should know where my allegiances are by now . -

I know , and thank you , - Zac answered as he opened his eyes and stared down at his own hands .

None of the two said anything for a while as the silence stretched on in the small courtyard , and Zac once again slowly closed his eyes .

We found him , you know . Janos . Well , the real Janos , - Ogras said after a while .

That actually made Zac open his eyes and look over at the demon . Ogras looked a lot better compared to before , but his left sleeve was still conspicuously empty . There was also a burn on his throat that still hadn’t fully healed .

Really , he’s alive? That wasn’t a corpse puppet earlier? How could a Zealot replace him? - Zac asked with a frown .

He was followed by a group of priests after he fled back toward the camp . They caught up with Janos and tried to burn him to death with their nasty fire . Janos used his last cosmic energy to create an illusion where he was burned alive while he used an escape skill where he burrowed underground , - Ogras said .

However , he was already over-drafted when he used his ultimate illusion to cover the whole church-camp for a few breaths . He passed out as soon as he went underground , - the demon continued with a snort .

So they thought he was dead , and one of them took his shape , confident Janos wouldn’t return himself , - Zac finished , and the demon nodded in response .

He was relieved to hear that there really wasn’t actually a second betrayer among the generals . Mr . Trang had already told him yesterday that there might be something weird going on , but he wasn’t able to tell for sure .

What about the monoliths? - Zac asked . - Have they been destroyed? -

Destroyed? No , I had Calrin sell them for two million Nexus Coins each . They are not bad weapons if you want to ruin someone’s domain . Too bad we’re not able to properly store them , - Ogras said .

Great , - Zac said , always happy to earn some extra money . - And the Zombies? -

Most are dead . Some wandered off somewhere , but the barghest should take care of them , - Ogras said . - The only remaining trouble is that we don’t know if there are any more Zealots hiding in the town . I had no idea those lunatics were so crafty . I always imagined them being meatheads who just went around burning everything to the ground , leaving nothing behind .

The fact that they were able to both infiltrate our town to capture Adran and pose as Janos proves that they are far more crafty than that . It’s a real headache , as we don’t really know whether there are any more of them remaining on the island . I have conducted interrogations with the main personnel though , and the Adran you saved is the real one .

How do you know that? Do we have a method to expose the spies? That monk didn’t even revert back to his real form when he died , - Zac asked .

We don’t have any method yet , but I asked the Sky Gnome to get a quote from the Pavilion of Myriad Eyes on a dossier regarding this matter . It will probably be pretty damn expensive , but we might not have a choice , - Ogras answered with a grimace . - For now I asked things only the real ones should know . -

What was the first thing you said to me? - Zac suddenly asked .

… I said - You natives truly are barbarians , so aggressive’ , - Ogras answered .

Who’s the shipyard’s foreman? - Zac followed up without missing a beat .

Karunthel , and he’s a spider golem from what you told me . And no , I haven’t met him myself , - Ogras answered with a roll of his eyes .

Zac only nodded in satisfaction .

What do you mean not have a choice? - Zac asked .

Our town is pretty small so far , so I’m quite sure we can individually interrogate every single one in hopes of catching any more people in hiding , - Ogras said . - But this capability poses another problem . Who knows what they have done over the past months in the world? Were the ones we met in New Washington even humans? -

A cold feeling gripped Zac’s heart . As he realized the wider implications of what Ogras said . However , he soon calmed down a bit .

They should have been . The officials used teleporters to get there , they can’t be invaders , - Zac hesitantly said .

Perhaps , or perhaps the transformation enables them to use teleporters , who knows? Besides , not everyone teleported . What about that Thomas guy , the big boss? What about the clan members of the Marshall clan who stayed behind wherever they live , instead of going to an exciting auction? They can be everywhere , - Ogras retorted .

When Ogras talked about it , it truly sounded like a pain in the ass . Even worse , there might be Zealots hidden in the human ranks who subtly pushed the government toward a path of no return so that The Church of Everlasting Dao later could gobble them up without any organized response .

So what do you propose? - Zac asked .

We wait for the quote from the blue bastard . We need to know more , both for Port Atwood and how we relate to the rest of the world . If the infiltration skills the Zealots showed on our island are common , then we can’t trust anyone , - Ogras said with a sigh , but soon perked up . - Besides , it’s time to drag some dividends out of Calrin . -

Zac could only agree and got to his feet with a grunt . The pain erupted in his side , but he could only bear with it , though a sheen of perspiration covered his forehead . At least he had learned to use the Dao of Trees while walking , so he was able to keep the wound in check as he traveled .

Ogras was quite correct about the dividends . He had owned a stake in the consortia for a while now , but the gnome hadn’t coughed up a single Nexus Coin so far . The only thing he’d gotten transferred was 6 million right before the wave hit . That wasn’t profit though , but part of the money the gnome owed him .

As the two slowly walked through the town a lot of people threw surreptitious glances at them .

Why are people staring? - Zac asked in a low voice to ogras who walked by his side .

Things are a bit tense . You weren’t the only one who thought a coup was taking place during the wave . It's a bit tense between the races at the moment , - Ogras said with a shrug . - Hopefully seeing us together will alleviate the rumors . -

The visit at Calrin’s took over an hour , but at least they left satisfied . Zac’s private reserves had swelled with an astounding 48 million Nexus Coins , and that was after paying 15 million for an information missive . It could have been way more , but Zac chose to keep all Aetherbloom in order to train himself and his forces .

The bundles of the magical stalks that Calrin and Ogras procured in New Washington were worth roughly 30 million nexus coins . However , Zac didn’t have much to spend his coins on at the moment and felt it was better to use the herbs to create body refining paste for his people .

The missive from the Pagoda of Myriad Eyes was a personalized query , where Calrin had asked two specific questions . One was how common it was for the priests of The Church of Everlasting Dao to have the shape-shifting capabilities . The other asked for an identifying method .

The first answer cost 5 million nexus coins , and the second 10 million . Zac wondered just how much money the information network made , if two simple answers cost that much . The Church was a huge organization , and the information they asked for shouldn't be some big secret in the multi-verse , yet they made money so easily .

It turned out that while it wasn’t a main heritage of the church , there were quite a few infiltrators in their ranks . One could expect there to be well over a thousand of them in a standard incursion . They were mainly used when the natives were strong and organized , and some planning was required to purify the planet .

The second answer was quite simple . It told them to feed everyone a certain root . It was harmless to most people , but to the lizardmen it was like cyanide , even if they were E-ranked powerhouses . Zac didn’t possess any of the root at the moment , but it was quite common so Calrin was already working on procuring a bunch of it .

The only downside was that Zac didn’t know whether there were only lizardmen in the ranks of the church . There had only been that species on the island apparently , though he hadn’t really seen the Zealots . They never made an actual attack on the town after Ogras’ successful attack killed a good portion of them , including their high priest , and they instead returned in defeat through the incursion .

Actually , the reason Ogras had been absent after resting up for a bit was that he once again set out to the incursions as soon as he could . Instead of killing a throng of Zombies for little Contribution he opted to go for the stronger warriors that each gave a great amount of points .

The warriors of the church and the rockmen were just like the demon soldiers , giving huge amounts of energy and coins since they were actually level 75 . That bonus apparently transferred over to the Contribution points as well .

The only reason Ogras didn’t pass him in total contribution was that the third wave actually only took around 4 hours in total . It took a few hours more apart from that to clear out the unrelenting Zombies , but when the third leader was dead the quest was considered finished .

The third wave was a test of raw power in a sense . The system sent over three powerhouses with their personal armies , while it blocked any defensive or offensive arrays . There was no way to turn it into a defensive siege since a wall couldn’t block the attackers , and if Zac ran he would fail the mission .

The only real way to finish it was to possess superior raw power . And the result was clear . Two of the leaders were killed , and the third one was forced to flee while barely alive .

The wound in Zac’s side however reminded him that the victory wasn’t as clear as it might have seemed .

Chapter 160 - Long Time No See

Since Zac was already up and about he decided to head over to the contribution shop . There was still 7 hours before it closed , but he thought he might as well spend the points he’d accumulated . He had still not received any rewards from the quest and guessed they would appear when the timer went to Zero .

Ogras had left earlier with some glee , likely happy about his windfall from the shop . The demon had received quite a haul as well , especially as he bought most of the materials in the bazaar with his own money , giving him a large chunk of profit .

Soon he arrived at the Contribution crystal , and the area was filled with people . There were even a few Zhix warriors there , though they kept their distance from others . There were also a few demon soldiers keeping an eye on them .

The Zhix generally respected the strong , but they also hated Cosmic Energy , which made for a confusing situation for the insectoid warriors . They had been quite impressed with the demon’s performance against the zombie wave , but at the same time disgusted by the amount of corruption in them .

At least they weren’t attacking anyone , which was a step in the right direction in Zac’s book . He still held some hope that the Kundevi hive would be the bridge to ally himself with the Zhix population , which had become even more important now as his relations with the new world government had soured a bit .

As he approached the crystal the contribution shop automatically opened in front of him .

Contribution points : 59 348 334]

It wasn’t too bad , he’d generated around 18 million points during the third wave . It was less than half the amount he gained during the other two waves , but on the other hand , the wave only lasted for a few hours . He expected a large part came from the Rockman leader , but Zac wasn’t sure whether he gained something from the Corpse Lord as well .

He didn’t gain any cosmic energy from defeating him , as he didn’t actually manage to kill the undead leader , but he might have been rewarded contribution points since forcing the Corpse Lord to flee might have been the largest contribution in defeating the wave .

There was no point in trying to figure out the System’s contribution formula , and Zac instead focused on the available items in the store . He still wasn’t quite sure what to buy . One thing he’d realized as he fought these powerhouses was that they seemed to have more skills than him .

He’d asked Ogras about it before , and after some prodding , he learned that Ogras got new skills at 60 and 75 . In fact , Ogras got more than one skill when reaching the max level of F-Grade . If the undead leader was actually an E-ranked being who was limited to F-Grade when arriving on earth it would explain an even greater amount of skills .

Zac still had some trouble deciding whether to buy some skills to broaden his repertoire , or to get something else . He was afraid that it was a waste to get skills right now when he might get a more suitable one from his class in just a few levels . The short but intense battle had actually given him two levels putting him at level 56 now .

There were no Dao-related items in the store , so he had to focus on something else . He already knew there was no pill or item that could fix his wound either , as that was the first thing he looked up . Finally , his eyes landed on an item called - Fruit of Vitality - . It was a stat-boosting treasure that gave a permanent small boost to an attribute .

Stat-boosting treasures were always in high demand , and quite expensive . The most expensive ones by far were those that gave boosts to all stats or luck , and unfortunately , neither one of those types were in the store .

The Fruit of Vitality was a high-quality F-Grade treasure , and according to description could boost his vitality by 3-5 points . It might not seem like a huge amount , but with his title boosts it would be even more . The problem was that it was quite expensive , costing 20 million Contribution points .

Persistent boosts to power were always expensive though , and after some hesitation he bought it . If it was before he might have bought something else , but with the wound in his side he felt any boost to vitality to be necessary .

Next , he bought a Cultivation Manual for 10 million Nexus coins . It wasn’t the best in the store , but also not the worst . It was without any attribute and meant for the cultivators at the academy . In an ideal world he would buy a few more so that people could find more suitable ones , but he couldn’t spend all his resources on it .

Finally , he actually bought a quest from the store . It was simply called Inquisitive Eye] , and it was one of the possible upgrade routes for his skill Eye of Discernment] . Zac was quite tired of the extremely limited information he got from the skill . It couldn’t be used on any treasures or tools , and it only showed a name and level of people he used the skill on .

Inquisitive Eye] didn’t provide much for the second problem , but it did give some help with identifying treasures . Apparently , it was possible to trigger a quest to upgrade Eye of Discernment] without having to buy it , but Zac hadn’t seen anything of the sort since he got the skill all that time ago .

Paying 7 . 5 million Contribution Points to start the upgrade process felt like a worthwhile investment . That left Zac with roughly 21 million points . As there wasn’t anything else he really needed anymore he chose to spring for another attribute treasure , this one boosing his endurance .

For each purchase a small box appeared in front of him , drawing a few curious glances . Zac did the same as last time and simply put them all into his pouch and left . Next he went over to the Creator shipyard .

Greetings , Lord Zac , - Rahm said as soon Zac stepped into the lobby .

Zac felt almost as though as the dignified Creator liaison was a video game NPC , just waiting in this building for him to come by . He hadn’t really seen the creators do much of anything apart from greeting him when he arrived .

Good day , Rahm , - Zac said with a nod . - I need to make a few purchases . -

I take it the monster waves are dealt with? - Rahm said as he handed over a crystal containing all available designs .

Yes , we finished the third wave yesterday , and the quest ends in a few hours , - Zac said with a nod .

Then congratulations are in order , - Rahm said , still with the same expressionless face .

Haha there you are , brat , - a booming voice sounded from the back of the building , as Karunthel moved to the lobby . - I watched your fight with the zombie guy , not bad . You’ve got grit . You should get some bombs though , you just left all those zombies milling about after you left . -

You watched the fight? - Zac asked surprised , as neither he nor the Corpse Lord seemed to have noticed any bystander .

I hit a wall in my research so I went out to take a look at your battles . I really like how you blew up the beacon . But you should know you can turn those things into fun weapons that shoot beams of extremely concentrated miasma . It’s a waste to just blow them up , - the Creator hummed , as always obsessed with creating weaponry .

I had a few thunder punishment arrays , but the System blocked me from using them just when the enemies arrived , -

Ah yes , the System is a bit boring in that way . A powerful Technomancer once visited our planet . He had some amazing toys , like a laser that could incinerate this whole planet with a shot . Yet he had to fight with a bow and arrow to gain levels , - the spider-golem said with a laugh . - So what brings you here , more scouting vessels? -

No , I am looking for something bigger . It needs to be able to transport more people , and also have some fighting capabilities , - Zac said .

The small vessels were starting to become insufficient for his growing town . He needed something sturdier to explore a larger area around his island , and if needed carry far larger groups of people . If they found people on the brink of death on some faraway island they couldn’t keep shuttling them back and forth , as that could lock up a vessel for a month .

I would suggest a frigate or Carrack-classed vessel . The Carrack is slightly larger , with heavier weaponry . It takes a crew of 10 to fully man , 8 if you have someone adept in arrays or battle-systems , - Rahm calmly explained .

The frigate is a bit smaller , with less durable hull and less weaponry . However , it’s far faster compared to the Carrack . The Carrack holds roughly the same speed as the small scout vessels , whereas the frigate can move over twice that speed , - the Creator continued .

What do they cost? - Zac asked , knowing that Creator vessels didn’t come cheap .

The carrack cost 32 million nexus coins , whereas the frigate cost 26 million , - Rahm answered without giving the foreman time to make up a quote . - Another million if you want them to have spatial arrays . -

Spatial arrays? - Zac asked confused .

Making it possible to shrink them , so they fit in any cosmos sack . I don’t think natives have access to large enough Cosmos Sacks? - Karunthel said with a teasing grin .

I’ll take a carrack with the spatial arrays , - Zac said with a grimace .

Always a pleasure to see you , brat , - Karunthel said with a wide smile . - I like you , so I’ll make the weaponry myself . It will give them a little extra punch . Who knows , we’ll maybe blow up some islands together after all? -

I’m heading out for a while soon , so we’ll have to postpone bombing the archipelago , - Zac with a small smile .

That’s good , you youngsters should venture out and create some ruckus . Otherwise , you’ll become real bores , - the foreman said with a sagely nod . - Come back in 3 days to get the ship , or send the demonling if you’ve left by then . -

Zac said his goodbyes and ventured back to his camp . All this walking around was starting to aggravate his wound , and Zac was finding it harder and harder to keep it under control with the Dao of Trees . He needed to rest up a bit . It felt a bit pathetic , he had the attributes to win in a fight against a t-rex , but he felt ready to keel over after doing some errands .

Zac sat down in his courtyard again , keeping the rotation of his Dao of Trees going to calm down the pulsating wound . He felt he was onto something earlier before Ogras interrupted him , and after some hesitation he took out one of the boxes . It was the one containing the fruit of vitality .

He didn’t purchase it simply to get a small boost in stats , he also had another purpose . His frantic usage of his Dao against the torrents of miasma had opened a door in his mind . It was the unrelenting characteristic of life in the face of death , the struggling light that refused to wink out of existence .

He took out the Fruit of Vitality from the box , carefully sensing the aroma and aura it gave out . It smelled delicious and gave off a fresh and fragrant smell . It was nowhere the level of the Fruit of Ascension , but still really appetizing . Without waiting any further he took a large bite and in seconds he had swallowed the who fruit .

A warm stream spread through his body , infusing each of his cells with vibrant energy . Even the miasma in his body retreated into a ball around his wound , seemingly terrified of the energy . The warmth kept pulsing in wave after wave , and all the while Zac sat and pondered on the Dao .

The hours passed as Zac sat mesmerized by the feeling , savoring being filled with pure vitality and life . It wasn’t the same as the epiphany he had back when he improved his Dao of Heaviness , but it was more like he was able to focus on something that was blurry before .

He understood what Ilvere had meant before , that breakthroughs sometimes come after the actual fight . Zac was finally understanding what he sensed , but was to occupied to completely grasp , during the fight with the Corpse Lord . For some reason , his mind imagined a windswept tundra where storms and harsh weather were a constant nuisance .

Yet a small seed managed to take root , growing and surviving in that horrid climate , through rain and snow , unrelentingly reaching upward . It was the same as he’d felt when he circulated his Dao of Trees in the storm of miasma .

Something changed in him , and the fractal looking like the Tree of Life blazed into verdant colors . He wanted to keep enjoying the moment of clarity , but Zac suddenly felt a presence in the courtyard . Reminiscence mixed with some annoyance in Zac's mind as he spoke up without opening his eyes .

Long time no see , Abby . -

Chapter 161 - Rewards

The stargazer floated a few meters away from Zac , warily looking at him . She seemed to barely be able to reconcile the unkempt hobo from a few months before with the man in front of her .

It’s only been a few months , but you’ve changed quite a bit , - she said , her beautiful eye shimmering with stardust .

Zac turned over and looked straight into the huge eye that looked like a cosmic cloud surrounding a black hole .

Yes , well , someone told me that the system would kill me unless I defeated the demon incursion . Five months of constant battle will change you , - Zac said , not being able to really hide his irritation .

Ah well , about that… - Abby said , her eye uncomfortably looking away .

Zac only snorted and opened up his menu . Abby could stew in uncomfortable silence a bit .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

56

Class

Hatchetman (F)

Race

Human (E)

Alignment

Port Atwood – Lord (Earth)

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher , Progenitor Hegemon

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - Middle , Seed of Trees - Middle , Seed of Sharpness - Early

Strength

311

Dexterity

158

Endurance

212

Vitality

165

Intelligence

83

Wisdom

78

Luck

93

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

30 694 153

He’d had quite a boost in attributes in the past day . The largest improvement was in vitality , which had increased by over 50 points . While it wasn’t enough to start healing up the wound in his side , it still was a great help . The higher Vitality he had , the less mental energy he would have to expend on the Dao of Trees to keep the miasma in check .

The largest source of his improved attributes clearly came from his new Title .

Progenitor Hegemon : First to become a Lord in world . Reward : All stats +10

Unfortunately , it didn’t give out any new percentage bonus , but it gave the largest flat bonus of any title he possessed so far . Judging from how highly the System regarded lordship , he guessed that becoming the world leader would give quite a boost . Besides , there was the possibility that he only got the Quest update because the was about to become the first lord , and that update vastly increased his rewards .

Next , he opened up his Dao Menu , and the changed line clearly showed where most of the added vitality came from .

Heaviness (Middle) : Strength +15 , Endurance +10 , Wisdom +5

Sharpness (Early) : Dexterity +10 , Intelligene +5

Trees (Middle) : Endurance +5 , Vitality +25

Just as he suspected his Dao of Trees had evolved , this particular improvement giving only Vitality . His insight into the Dao was in regards to the unrelenting life in a tree , and he felt it was a great complement to his other attributes . His Vitality had started to lag behind his other stats , as he’d been forced to focus on Dexterity lately to complement his absurd Strength .

Zac actually also put his 6 free points from last his two levels into vitality as well in order to combat the wound , since he didn’t know he would have a sudden breakthrough in his Dao .

Finally , he opened up his Quest Screen to take a look .

Active Quests

First step of Hegemony (Unique , Limited) : Enter the first trial within a month . Defeat the challenge . Reward : Tower of Eternity] token , F-Grade Dao Treasure] (0/1)

Dynamic Quests

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect Town from denizens or forces of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : Limited Structure depending on Grade , Town upgraded to Global City , status upgraded to Lord . Road to Hegemony opened . (3/3) Complete]

Class Quests

Incursion Master was still was there even though the timers were gone , so Zac guessed he once again would have to go to the Nexus Node in order to cash out his new building . The other two rewards he already had received .

He was more interested in the other quest though . It was clearly related to the Road to Hegemony . He also knew about both of the rewards . A Dao Treasure was something he had been trying to get since the start , as he felt that improving the Dao to a high enough tier would be the largest trouble for him when trying to upgrade to an Epic-graded class .

As for the Tower of Eternity , he had heard of it as well . Alyn mentioned it long ago , though he would have to look it up at a later point . He wasn’t able to do it right now , but he would probably try it after having found his sister . Zac got to his feet with a grunt and turned toward the Stargazer floating close-by .

You know , violence against System-employees is strictly illegal , - Abby said with a nervous shake in her voice .

Come with me , - Zac only said as he walked out of the courtyard .

I see your home looks much better , - Abby said , seemingly desperate to change the subject .

So why are you back here? - Zac asked , even though he knew the answer . - Another tutorial? -

No , this time I am here for good . You’ve become a proper lord , and I’ve been sent to manage your estate . Powerhouses seldom have the time nor the interest for the management of their domains , as they are busy exploring mystic realms or cultivating . They therefore need a functioning support system to take care of the minutia of running anything from a City to an Empire , - Abby quickly explained as she hovered next to Zac who was walking through the mansion .

So you want to run my town? Why should I let you? Someone already told me that you spewed those lies earlier to get yourself a promotion . I am not sure that I want to hand over Port Atwood to someone like that , - Zac said as he stepped into the hall that contained the Nexus Node .

Who told you something like that? - Abby angrily said . - I might have bent the truth a bit , but it was for your sake . I even got punished for helping as much as I did , I almost lost my job! -

So this is the lying Stargazer that caused so much trouble? - a clearly annoyed voice echoed through the hall as the shadows congealed into Ogras .

A demon? Why are you still here? Lord Zac should have defeated you , - Abby said with a frown .

Zac and I came to an agreement , we’re staying behind , - Ogras said . - Someone has to make sure a power-hungry star-humper doesn’t go out of line . -

Hey! It was ONE Stargazer who tried to impregnate a star . Out of an endless number of our kind , - Abby angrily screamed at the demon .

Wait , what? - Zac said , who largely had been ignoring the two bickering . - One of your kind tried to have sex with a star? -

One of the greatest powerhouses of the Stargazers fell in love with a god damn star . Made it his wife , there was a ceremony and everything . The whole multi-verse has been laughing about it for millennia , - Ogras said , barely containing his laughs , and Zac couldn’t stop his mouth from tugging upward as he threw a glance at the irate Stargazer .

It’s not that simple . And for your information , the two are still happily married 800 thousand years later , - she defensively said .

Unfortunately her explanation didn’t have the desired effect as Ogras started to laugh loudly , and Zac couldn’t stop a snort as he turned back and touched the crystal .

Calculating . Grade Awarded : B . Contribution rank : 1 . Grade Awarded increased to A]

Zac frowned as he saw the prompt showing up in front of him .

Did you get some treasure from being second place on the contribution ladder? - he asked , causing a pause in the squabbling behind him .

No , no one got anything . Pisses me off , but then again we got quite the haul from the shop itself , - Ogras said with a grimace as he looked down to the stump on his arm . - Might not have gone as hard at it if I knew there was no bonus at the end . Why , what did you get? -

Nothing either , that’s why I asked , - Zac answered , feeling a bit bad about the situation .

He was quite excited about the A-ranking on the quest , though he would honestly have preferred something that would provide him with a direct power-up . A Dao-Treasure or some fruit that improved all his attributes , for example .

A high graded structure would likely be extremely beneficial in the long run , but right now he was facing enemies from all directions . There were the Incursions , the Undead , the Dominators , and even Humans . He needed short term boosts at the moment .

Oh WOW! - Abby suddenly exclaimed as she floated over to Zac . - Just what have you done to get these rewards? -

Zac looked over at the Stargazer confused , not understanding what Abby talked about . He had only just touched the crystal , but he hadn’t seen the structure yet .

What are you talking about? - Zac asked .

Well I’m your assistant , so I have access to the administrative functions of your town . With the help of my class I can see even more than you , - she said looking proud .

Also known as spying , - Ogras sneered from the side , drawing an angry glare from the Stargazer .

It’s not spying , you know we Stargazers do not play politics , we work for the System itself , or the Lords we get assigned to . -

Yet the Pavilion of Myriad Eyes , that happens to be run by Stargazers , seems to know everything . How about that? -

That’s because Lords voluntarily sell information , not because we’re spying , - she retorted with an angry huff .

Lords sell their own information? Why would they do that? - Zac asked skeptically .

It was a big problem if the Stargazer started sending back information to an information network , especially if she had an insight into his limited structures . A frown started to emerge on Zac’s face as he considered his options . He wouldn’t allow the fact that he had a Creator Shipyard be sent to the Pavilion of Myriad Eyes , even if he had to take drastic measures .

Abby saw the look on Zac’s face and slowly floated away .

I swear we don’t , and we can’t , divulge anything of our administrative districts . Most lords sell the public information of their town since the Pavilion of Myriad Eyes pays well . But those packages don’t include any sensitive information , just the standard things that anyone visiting could find out in a few minutes . Lords consider it free money , - Abby said defensively .

She’s probably telling the truth . This time . Almost all Lords in the multi-verse have assistants like this thing , they wouldn’t keep them around if there were some loopholes , - Ogras shrugged .

Thing? We’re stargazers , born of the Cosmos , - Abby huffed , a cloud looking like a nebula forming in the hall .

Fine , fine , - Zac sighed . - What about the reward? How can you know what it is? It hasn’t even been built yet . -

I put a hold on the construction so that you can decide where you want it . -

So , what is it? - Zac asked curiously , and even the demon shut his mouth and looked over in anticipation .

Shouldn’t we do this without… Any security risks? - Abby asked , making no effort to hide what she was referring to as she looked straight at Ogras .

The demon only snorted and ignored her comment .

Ogras is the second in command of the town , and he already knows about the Creator Shipyard . We’re already stuck together for good or bad . Now , what is it? -

It’s an Ancient Dao Repository . Probably someone sold it to the system after finding it in some mystic realm , - Abby said , no longer able to contain her excitement .

A what? - Zac asked confused , but the demon looked clearly agitated .

You and your System-blasted luck . I’m surprised it doesn’t rain Nexus Crystals where you walk , - Ogras spat out , looking disgusted .

A Dao Repository is usually one of the most important areas to any force . It contains the accumulation of skills and techniques they’ve gathered over the eons . A proper repository has an autonomous defense system , - Abby explained . - How they work are extremely varied , it depends on what goal the force who built it had . I don’t have that information available . -

So it’s a building that contains skills that I can get for free? - Zac asked , getting excited .

Perhaps , perhaps not , - Ogras said . - Even the permanent skill crystals can’t be just used willy-nilly . There are limitations such as a maximum amount of usages per month or year . The more complicated the skill , the less the crystal can be used . -

So , you have to pay to use the crystals? - Zac asked .

Usually you have to prove yourself somehow . Imagine if some rich wastrel used the crystal for a top tier skill in a force , and suddenly none of the real warriors could learn the skill for a thousand years . Things like that could ruin a force . So there are often checks put in place . Who knows , maybe not even you will be able to gain access to the best skills even though you own the building , - Ogras said , looking a bit amused .

It doesn’t sound like Dao Repositories are kept a secret , - Zac said as he took out a blueprint for the future Port Atwood . - Place the structure within the inner wall , but closer to the wall than my compound . Also , I need an array to protect the whole inner area , from the Repository to the Shipyard . I don’t want prying eyes , and I don’t want people sneaking in . -

Since apparently Abby was already hotwired into his Town System Zac thought he might as well let her work a bit . It wasn’t like he was too angry with her in any case . Her lies back then might have been partly to give herself a shot at a cushy job , but it was also thanks to those lies he was even alive today . Otherwise , he would have focused on getting off this demon-infested island , trying to get home . He would have died out on the sea .

Abby looked quite excited that Zac seemed to have accepted her , and quickly nodded her huge eye . Only seconds later a large rumbling could be heard , reminiscent of when the shipyard was created . The three looked at each other and without another word headed toward the source of the sounds , all looking very curious .

Chapter 162 - The Great Sage Brazla

What's a Global City? - Zac suddenly asked , having forgotten about the matter from the excitement of the various upgrades .

At this stage of a world it is not too different from a normal City . Only global cities can have off-world teleporters , but you can’t build this while the planet still is in its emerging stages , - Abby answered without missing a beat - But the System works with a very strict hierarchy . A Global City is a step above a normal City . The next , and final , step for a D-graded world is a World Capital .

It means if you manage to upgrade Port Atwood again the System will essentially consider you the owner of this planet . Right now you can kind of be seen as a king of a country . How did you even manage to get an upgrade this early? - Abby curiously asked .

I guess the system must like me , - Zac said with a sardonic smile . - It changed the rewards when it decided to throw three incursions at me . -

Ogras only snorted but didn’t deign to comment .

Well , it means you are one of the main contenders for becoming a Monarch . A Lord first has to upgrade their City to a Global city before trying to turn it into a capital . Generally , there can be no more than ten World Cities on a planet , - Abby said .

All that doesn’t matter in the face of power though , - Ogras added in . - If you’re strong enough you can just walk up to the Capital and kill the leader , and you’re the new owner of the planet . -

At the moment it didn’t seem very useful to have a Global City , as it was once again related to long-term benefits . However , most things related to building a kingdom was related to long-term planning and benefits .

I’ve seen administrative centers in the town shop who handles taxes and contribution systems . Can you do that instead? - Zac asked with a glance over at the hovering eye .

Well… No , - Abby said , looking a bit embarrassed .

Zac only shook his head and kept walking . Soon they found themselves where Zac placed the Dao Repository . There were already a few people standing around the construction , as the placement wasn’t too far-off from the temporary town .

Zac understood why the onlooking demons and humans looked surprised , as they gazed at the extremely conspicuous building . The best adjective Zac could find to describe his new repository was… Gaudy .

It wasn’t overly large , with a circular area perhaps fifty meters across . However , within those fifty meters , tens of spires and towers were crammed , reaching for the sky in various directions .

Besides the spires there were golden pillars and crystals of various sizes , seemingly fighting tooth and nail for the limited space . Multicolored lights were shining out of the various structures , and it looked like most of the radiant rays were decorative rather than functional .

Uh… Do the repositories usually look like this? - Zac could only ask his two companions .

Well , maybe if the patriarch of the force is overly wealthy hand has no taste . I’ve never seen such a shitty design , - Ogras muttered , but his eyes suddenly widened as the lights from one of the towers congealed into an actual lightning bolt that flew straight toward him .

The demon barely had time to teleport out of the way before the bolt slammed into the ground where he stood earlier , and Zac’s brows rose when he sensed the power contained in the strike . He looked over at the structure , hesitant over what to do . It seemed there was someone inside , someone who could actually hear them .

I’ll go inside and take a look , - Zac said with a shrug , passing by the onlookers who hurriedly backed away .

He was the owner of the structure , so it shouldn’t attack him . At least Zac hoped so . While the Repository consisted of dozens of buildings mashed together there was only one entrance as far as Zac could see , an ostentatious gate radiating divine light .

It actually reminded Zac a bit of his first Dao-vision . The celestial army that fought the axe-man summoned a mysterious gate radiating the power of the heavens . The design of the entrance to his new building looked a bit similar , but it felt like a stage production or a cheap mimicry of the real thing he had seen .

While the lights shimmered it didn’t contain any sense of power or awe , which was why not only the gate , but the whole structure , gave off the feeling of something not being quite right . It all felt like empty bluster , and Zac was starting to wonder whether there actually would be anything valuable inside .

The gates opened themselves as he got close and something sounding like harp music started playing as he stepped through them . Zac couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes , but he made sure not to mutter anything derogatory . While the whole thing felt pretty stupid it couldn’t be denied that the lightning bolt packed some real punch .

The ostentatious style of the structure was very much the same inside as on the exteriors . However , Zac noticed there was some spatial manipulation at play . It was the same as with the Ayr Hive , as the insides were far larger compared to the outside .

Zac found himself in a gigantic hall , lined with eight enormous statues of various beings . He saw one human holding a scepter , and the other statues depicted other types of humanoids . The floor was made of gold and platinum , and still felt quite over-the-top , but at least the atmosphere was more solemn inside compared to the outside .

Welcome , human , to the Hall of Endless Skills , - a booming voice echoed through the large hall , and Zac looked around for the source of the voice .

The air shimmered in front of him , and a translucent humanoid decked in an obscene amount of jewelry appeared . He looked mostly human , apart from the fact that he was a bit thinner , and there were golden scales inlaid in his face .

Uh , hello , I am Zachary Atwood , leader of Port Atwood , - Zac said hesitantly . - I’m told this is a Dao Repository , are you its castellan? -

The Towers of Myriad Dao is a Spiritual Treasure , and I am its Spirit . You can call me Great Sage Brazla . I manage and oversee every function of the repository . -

Nice to meet you , great sage , - Zac said , deciding to play along for now . - Can you tell me what you contain? -

The Hall of Endless Skills has four levels . The bottom floor contains 81 F-Graded skills , the second 14 E-Graded skills , the third floor 3 D-Graded skills , - the man said while puffing out his chest .

Endless Skills my ass , Zac thought but had to admit that there even being E and D-graded skills was quite impressive .

Do you mind if I peruse the skills for a bit? - Zac asked .

A large screen appeared in front of Zac , listing all of the skills . Zac was pleasantly surprised when he read the descriptions . Not one of the 81 F-Graded skills were something that he had seen before , and all of them seemed pretty strong .

How do I control who gets to use the skills? - Zac asked .

The first floor is free to use . After that you need to defeat the floor challenge to gain access to the skills . If you unlock a floor , you can use whatever means you want , The Great Brazla won’t interfere . But any aptitude tests will be conducted by me . -

Since the Great Sage Brazla is a benevolent spirit he will give you the standardized test for the E-Graded floor . You only need to defeat a few D-Graded Golems to open it up . But if you don’t improve the pitiful surroundings of his body by the time you want to undergo the challenge he might just do something… Unexpected with the tests , - Brazla said , his hands moving about erratically .

Uh . . what? Shouldn’t your creator have set certain rules when he created you? - Zac asked , a bit uncomfortable that his new neighbor seemed to have access to D graded golems , and perhaps even more dangerous things .

Well yes , but that was millions and millions of years ago . The Great Brazla has grown beyond the scope of his creator’s imagination , - the projection said with his nose in the air .

A bad feeling was starting to overcome Zac , as he heard the Tool Spirit had gone from speaking in first to third person in just a few sentences . Abby said that someone likely found this thing in a mystical realm . Had the spirit gone crazy from eons of being alone?

I’ll arrange for your surroundings to be improved . But it might take some time to find materials that can match with your . . . splendor , - Zac said . - Is there something else apart from the skills? Like cultivation manuals? -

We have two side halls , the hall of Celestial Artisan , and the Hall of Blade Emperor . Both were friends of my creator , and they each set up a branching heritage in the great Brazla’s body , - Brazla said .

Branching Heritage? - Zac said confused .

One F Graded class leading to multiple E-Ranked , leading to a few D-ranked classes . Various paths for various needs . Ways to get into the heritage path from various common classes , - the Tool Spirit said with some disinterest .

Zac was quite excited , as it sounded like he got a combat and a non-combat heritage at once . Two heritages were enough to base a sturdy force on , just like Clan Azh’Rezak . Furthermore , his heritages were branching to boot , giving more options .

The only problem was who would get access , and who wouldn’t . But that was a problem for later , there was more to explore in here .

You said there are four floors in the main hall , but you only mentioned the first three . What’s on the fourth floor? - Zac continued , changing the subject .

The fourth floor holds the Eight Grand Inheritances . Eight powerhouses left their skills , treasures , and their insights here , waiting for the right successor . The Celestial Artisan and the Blade Emperor are two of them . You can see the others around you , - the spirit said as it waved at the huge statues .

Each inheritance can only be taken by one at a time , and they contain their own trials . If the inheritor fails a trial , he is barred forever from continuing , and the trial will be locked until his death , - Brazla explained .

Zac’s heartbeat finally started to speed up . The skills were good , and the heritages were even better . But this felt like the crown jewel of the Repository . Full inheritances with not only skills , but Dao insights and treasures as well? It sounded extremely valuable .

Brazla seemed to notice Zac’s change in demeanor and it bent itself back so much that its nose was literally pointing straight up in the air .

You like that human? Let me tell you . Two of the inheritances are even C-Ranked , left by lofty C-ranked Hegemons . Their means and insights are beyond your scope of understanding . But not beyond the great mind of The Great Brazla , of course , - the spirit tool boasted .

How do I get access to those inheritances? - Zac asked , not even bothering with refuting the golem .

Each person can only inherit one inheritance , and only has one try . You are the unworthy owner of the Great Brazla , so , for now , you will decide who gets to try which trial . The only requirement is that the trial taker needs to be F-graded when they start their inheritance . But remember , if the one you pick fails , then that inheritance is locked forever for that person , - the specter responded .

Zac asked a few clarifying questions from the Tool Spirit to make sure he understood everything , and after thinking it over decided to leave the Inheritances alone until he was right at the edge of pushing through his bottleneck .

Messing up a C-graded inheritance since he was too impatient and try it out right away would be a huge loss . As for the other spots , he would save them for close friends or promising people . Perhaps even to his children . If he let any random try it out the inheritance would be locked out for hundreds of years unless he killed the trial taker .

In the end he refocused on the F-Graded skills . It was something that could benefit him right now . He noticed that the skills were split up into 3 categories ; High , Middle and Low . It was a way to distinguish between the top tier and the average skills Zac guessed , as there were only 9 High-Graded skills out of the 81 in total .

There were another 27 Middle Ranked skills , while the rest were low-ranked . However , it looked like even the ones Brazla considered low-tiered were much better than the things he could buy at the Nexus Node .

In the end Zac chose to add two skills to his repertoire , things he suspected he might not get in any case judging from the characteristics of his class . He noted that most of the skills on the F-Graded floor could be taught around three to five times a year , after which the crystals needed to restore themselves .

The procedure for learning the skills was as easy as when getting them from his class . He only needed to touch the crystals containing them , after which he received a stream of knowledge right into his mind , and the fractals appeared in their slots .

I will take my leave , Great Sage Brazla , I will meet you again soon . Do not let anyone approach anything for now , - Zac said as he left .

Of course . And remember , a piece of art such as myself need to be surrounded by beauty , - the Tool Spirit answered as he dissipated into thin air .

Zac left the repository , eager to get back to his mansion and get used to his new skills , but as soon as he exited the doors of the so-called Hall of Endless Skills he was met with a wall of people looking at him like starving ghosts .

Is it true what it says? - Ogras said , his eyes glittering with greed .

Chapter 163 - The Eight Inheritances

Is what true? - Zac asked , not understanding the commotion in front of him .

Ogras only pointed up at a huge signboard that hovered above the entrance . It was over ten meters across , with rays of golden light cascading around it . There was even a painting of Brazla himself , who invitingly beckoned for people to enter .

Welcome to the Towers of Myriad Dao ,

Home of the Halls of Endless Skills

Holder of the Eight Ancient Inheritances :

The Invoker

The Umbra

The Titan

The Blade Emperor

The Celestial Artisan

The Undying Fiend

Lord of Cycles

Crown of Despair

What the fuck?! - Zac couldn’t help screaming and quickly ran back into the repository .

Back already human? Have you found the materials to beautify my surroundings so quickly? - Brazla asked as Zac stormed back into the hall with murder in his eyes .

Why the hell have you put up the sign outside? - Zac asked , not bothering with pleasantries .

To showcase the greatness of The Great Sage Brazla , of course? - the spiritual tool said , looking confused .

Zac lamented the fact that he didn’t have the capability to strangle ghosts , and instead took a few calming breaths to not explode in anger .

You need to take it down , right now . If people find out I have a bunch of valuable inheritances here the whole town will be put in danger , - Zac said with as calm a voice he could muster .

I refuse . If you can’t even protect my body it’s for the best you get defeated so The Great Brazla can find better owner , - Brazla retorted without hesitation , completely unconcerned with the situation . - And don’t you try to cover my great form . I can make the sign as large as your whole town if I need to . -

Zac only blankly stared at the smiling spirit decked in an endless amount of holographic wealth , and without another word left the hall again . Was the system messing with him , after all? First that change in the quest , and then it sends him an insane Tool Spirit? Was it truly retaliating for swearing at it?

The mob was still standing outside , and it even seemed that it had grown in the short while Zac was back inside . Zac could only inwardly groan as he looked over the people in front of him .

As you can see Port Atwood has gained another boon , a proper repository . It contains 81 different Skill Crystals , a few of which are high graded , - Zac said with a loud voice , silencing the mob in front of him . - You all know how these types of crystals work . Their uses are limited . However , I will open the repository up to those who have fought and contributed to Port Atwood during the beast waves . I will need to formalize the rules , but the order of entering will be based on your Contribution ranking . -

Most of the demons looked extremely excited . Even though they were from an established force these kinds of opportunities were generally left to the elites or direct descendants . Normal soldiers would have to make do with the skills their classes gave them . But having an additional powerful skill could turn a battle around , or help them survive in a situation they’d otherwise perish in .

What about the Inheritances? - a voice shouted .

The inheritances are guarded by nigh-impossible challenges with almost no chance of survival . Not even I have taken one for myself . For now , no one will get one , - Zac said .

Each Inheritance can only be awarded to one person at a time . It consists of multiple stages , and each stage has one-time rewards . If an inheritor perishes , the trial will open again . So to have the inheritance is also to have a target on your back , it is both a blessing and a curse , - Zac shouted .

That cooled the atmosphere quite a bit , and many even looked at each other suspiciously . Zac decided to at least try to control the message since Brazla refused to take down the sign . He didn’t mention the heritages or the higher Ranked skills , and instead focused on the less explosive parts of the repository .

The Inheritances was what he really wanted to be kept quiet , but there was no chance of that happening with the sign . At least painting the inheritances as a huge risk might cool down the scheming a bit . The whole situation felt like a real pain in the ass to Zac , and he was happy he now had someone he could dump this kind of annoyance on .

I guess it’s time to call a meeting . Gather the usual people , - Zac said to Ogras , who was uncharacteristically helpful as he simply nodded and disappeared into shadows after throwing a last glance at the gaudy towers of the repository .

That left Zac and Abby , who slowly moved toward the temporary town . Zac was happy to see the bustling activity with hundreds of people working together . He believed that it wouldn’t take long before the real town was in place .

Hey , can a Tool Spirit go crazy? - Zac asked when he felt they’d moved far enough from the repository .

Of course , they almost always do in the end , - Abby answered as matter of course .

What do you mean? - Zac asked confused .

Well , Tool Spirits are almost immortal , they can live as long as the weapon stays whole . It doesn’t matter for unevolved spirits without a sense of self , but when they evolve into sentient beings the clock starts ticking , - Abby explained .

Imagine living an endless amount of time , stuck inside a weapon? Your creator is long gone , perhaps you’re forgotten under hundreds of meters of soil or in some hidden chamber , slowly counting the eons? Anyone would go crazy . -

They can hibernate , but the endless passage of time affects everyone . Spirits generally don’t go crazy while in someone’s employ though . -

Zac could only shake his head . He honestly couldn’t tell if Brazla had gone insane , or he just had an extremely annoying personality . For now , he would treat him as a lunatic just in case .

Soon Zac found himself in Adran’s tent , the meeting room filled with the usual members . Most of the spots were filled with the demons that had drafted the plan for Port Atwood , a new addition was Joanna , but she and Mr . Trang were still the only humans . There were some promising people who joined from New Washington , but it was to soon to have them present at this kind of meeting .

Zac recapped the situation with the repository since not everyone was present at the new building earlier . This time he also mentioned the heritages , though he still didn’t mention the higher tiered skills .

The mention of the Celestial Artisan’s heritage caused quite a commotion , far more than the other one .

Why are you so excited? - Zac asked the head of agriculture , who was almost jumping in his seat .

Clan Azh’Rezak spent very little resources on non-combat ventures . The clan mainly gained its resources through hunting beasts and working as mercenaries . A real Heritage will be a huge boon to even us old people with craftsman classes , - he hastily said .

I am sorry to put some breaks on the excitement , but before we can even discuss perusing heritages and skills we need to properly work out how things will work going forward . We have been scrapping along for now , but it is time to get structured , - Zac said , quickly cooling down the excited atmosphere .

Most of us stayed behind on this baby world because things weren’t too good back home at the Clan , - Ogras suddenly spoke up , drawing attention . - But I don’t think everyone here has planned what to do for the long term . What will we do? Where will we go? I can tell you right now that I have decided to stay here as part of Port Atwood .

You know that Lord Zac is the strongest man on this planet , he is the first Lord to emerge , and is a clear candidate to become a World Ruler . We’re sitting right on top on a Nexus Vein , and as this baby world matures the density of energy on this island will far eclipse anything we ever knew back home .

Rather than venturing out into the multiverse like a homeless vagabond I will stay here and build my foundation . With the repository and other benefits we will seize in the future I believe we will be more powerful than Clan Azh’Rezak in less than a hundred years , - the demon continued .

A few of the demons thoughtfully nodded , whereas others took it as a matter of course that they would stay here .

I am setting up a proper Structure now that I am a sanctioned Lord , and its organization will be largely based on the heterogeneous forces amongst the demonkind . I will use a Contribution system , from what I understand you had something similar in your clan , - Zac followed up after nodding at Ogras .

Port Atwood has accumulated great amounts of resources through the monster waves and our struggles , and we can’t just give it away . Only those who contribute in pushing Port Atwood forward will get a share . Since Adran can’t do all that work by himself I am buying a management office who will be in charge of the Contribution system - , Zac explained .

I have my own pursuits , much like the other warriors , and will not have a hands-on approach in managing Port Atwood . Abby here is my assistant who will be in charge of making sure the town runs smoothly , - Zac continued .

From there the meeting turned into fine details of how the town would be managed . Initially , five ministries would be created , with Zac as the sole leader . There would be no democracy and no councils . Ogras himself wouldn't have any official role , except as an advisor to Zac himself .

The Ministry of War would not only be responsible of the defense of Port Atwood , but also the war effort against the incursions in the future . Ilvere was placed as the leader of that ministry , with Joanna as a second in command . Their first task would be to create a team that would head to Billyville in two weeks .

Zac himself couldn't go , but it was no reason he couldn't send some warriors to gain some money and experience . An Incursion was always a good source of money for those who survived , and the Ratmen were weak but numerous from the sound of it , somewhat like the Zombie horde .

The Ministry of Revenue would be spearheaded by Zakarith , who was tasked to find some humans to help her . Their job would be to keep track of income and spending , and they would also handle Zac’s personal business ventures such as his income from the Consortia and the mine .

It was also decided that Port Atwood would , for the time being at least , own all the land of the town , and as soon as the town was up and running start charging rent . Since he essentially owned the mountain he would also own the residences he planned to build over there , designed to be residences for the elite .

The Ministry of Justice was in charge of keeping the law . For now there hadn’t really been any problems that couldn’t be handled internally , but as Port Atwood grew many issues would crop up . Ogras recommended Alea , and Zac thought it sounded like a good idea .

Perhaps people would stay on the straight and narrow , knowing the poison mistress would be in charge of punishments . Alea herself wasn't present at the meeting , so she was promoted in her absence . The poison mistress had avoided Zac since their misunderstanding during the third wave , even though he'd tried to find her to apologize .

The Ministry of Works would manage any government projects , the foremost being the construction of the town . A future project would be to do a proper inspection of the nearby islands in order to set up supporting facilities on them , such as farms , husbandries , and mines .

Finally , a Ministry of State Affairs would be in charge of coordinating the various ministries and departments and communicate progression with Zac .

There currently weren’t clear candidates for all positions that needed to be filled , but Zac believed things like that would work itself out sooner or later . Real talents wouldn’t stay hidden forever .

It was also decided that those who worked for Port Atwood would not be given a Salary in form of crystals but rather contribution points . Zac also decided that there also wouldn't be a way to convert the points to Nexus Coins or Crystals for the time being , though that might change in the future .

Finally when it came to the repository it was decided that the first 81 people , apart from Ogras and Zac , would get to use the repository once . After that it would cost Contribution points to use , and since the Crystal Charges were limited some sort of tests would also be tests performed , so that no precious slots would be used on wastrels .

Zac felt quite happy with the progress from the meeting , but just as he was about to call it a day Abby dropped a bomb on him .

As Lord Zac has founded a Global City , and from the fact that we have been placed on an island , the sphere of influence that was given is quite large . There are currently 298 Islands inside your Kingdom , many of which are populated .

I suggest we start building a network of F-Graded Teleportation arrays between your islands to integrate all your citizens . -

Zac was shocked by the size of his influence . They had scouted less than twenty islands so far , and already they’d found thousands of people . Just how many would be gathered over 300 of them? Besides , with such a huge area there was no way that there wasn’t any drop-off point for cultivators . Perhaps he would be able to get some more promising people who could benefit from his new Blade Emperor heritage .

The meeting took hours , but eventually everything was dealt with . This time Zac left alone , sending Abby away . After pressing Illvere for a bit he was told of a gazebo some distance from the temporary town .

As he got closer to the small pavilion he stopped for a second as he saw the familiar form of Alea .

Chapter 164 - Waiting

Zac felt paralyzed for a second , unsure of what to do now that he found her . But after a shake of his head he walked up and sat down next to her .

Are you here to thank me again? - Alea said with some annoyance when he sat down in the gazebo .

I’m sorry I doubted you back there . I wasn’t thinking straight in the heat of the moment , - Zac said as he looked over at her . - You have been great support from the start , and I won’t forget that again . -

She looked mesmerizing in the sunset . Her long silver hair danced in the wind , and her two horns looked like aetheric fire . She looked back at him , and only gave a roll of her eyes in response .

I know . You keep getting hurt because of me , is there anything I can do to return the favor? - Zac asked , his eyes staying on her this time .

Suddenly she moved straight at him , and this time Zac repressed his instincts to block her . If she wanted to punch him to vent some anger , so be it . But his eyes widened as her mouth closed in on his as her hands wrapped around his head . His arms wrapped around her slender frame as if by instinct , and the two shared a passionate kiss in the sunset .

Long repressed emotions were surfacing in his mind , making Zac a bit dizzy . The dizziness intensified , and a loud gurgling in his stomach quickly told him that what he felt might not have an emotional root . A sense of unease quickly doused any passion as Alea slipped out of his hands .

That’s for pointing your big thing at me , - she said with a giggle and winked at him , before she left Zac to his own devices . - A night on the toilet might help you remember to think straight in the future . -

That night Zac truly understood what it meant to anger a poison master . He’d never felt so empty as he did after his tenth trip to the outhouse , as he’d been exploding out of every orifice with each visit . There were even times where he wondered if he would have even survived if it wasn’t for his high vitality . However , he almost felt it was worth it as he thought back to the passionate moment in the gazebo .

The next day a pale-faced Zac walked over to the Academy , making some small talk with the girls there . The mood was quite heavy , as a noticeable part of their small army died during the Zombie horde .

We heard from Joanna that a group of warriors will go to another Incursion in a few weeks , - one of the Valkyries suddenly said . - We want to go . -

You want to go? War is no joke . The Ratmen won’t be as strong as the demons , but they’ll likely be stronger than the Zombies . And they’ll also be more cunning , - Zac said skeptically . - It’s good to strive for power , but don’t bite off more than you can chew . There is no rush . -

We know that . But we finally understand just how far we are from people like you , or even the demon soldiers . We could only stand on the sidelines for most of the battle , completely useless . We came here because we want to get stronger . Some more of us might die if we go , but death is inevitable . Those who survive will be more powerful on our return , - the girl continued .

Besides , pretty much all of us gained enough experience to get our class . When we go to the next incursion we will have finished our skill quests , and we will be far stronger than now , - another girl added .

Oh? What class are you getting? - Zac asked curiously .

We’re all getting the Warrior class . Alyn says it’s best for us to all have the same starting point , as that will help with War Arrays in the future . From there we will start to specialize . -

That’s good , - Zac said with a nod .

Honestly he was happy that he’d listened to Alyn to have them all get a common class . With the new heritage their future might look far better compared to if they got some odd class that became available due to their specific circumstances .

Work hard , you have improved , but there is a long way to go . You can go to the Incursion if Ilvere and Alyn judge you’re ready when the time for the operation starts . They have a better grasp on both the power of your squad and of the Ratmen , - Zac said as he walked into a walled-off area of the gravity array and sat down .

It was a small secluded spot that he kept for himself when he came her to utilize the array . The first thing Zac did was use the rest of the rewards he bought with his contribution points . The Fruit of Endurance unfortunately only gave a 3-point boost , but it was better than nothing .

The quest for the upgrade to Eye of Discernment] was quite simple . He only needed to inspect a thousand people with the skill , and it would get upgraded . Of course , it was only simple since Zac could essentially inspect anyone without fear of repercussions . If it was some weaker person the quest might be impossible to finish , as the wrong inspection might result in a beatdown or even death .

Next he sat down and started meditating again . He had already made a huge stride with his improved Dao of Trees , but he wasn’t content with just that . He was already in the last stretch of his F-Grade class , but he was far from reaching his target for progression in the Dao . In fact , even with his recent break-throughs he was still only third place on the Dao Ladder , with Abbot Everlasting Peace and Guru Anaad Phakiwar firmly ensconced in front of him .

The days passed and Zac was getting less and less communicative , mainly holing up to practice his skills or meditating . However , progress was limited . Impatience was gnawing at him as he waited for the deadline to arrive . He hadn’t expected the final horde to end so quickly and now was stuck waiting for a week until Bernard would open the portal .

The only real change to him was when he got word that the Gnome finally got his hands on a pill of purification . It was a pill that was deisgned to combat miasma . As soon as Zac got his hands on it he eagerly ate it , and it truly helped a lot .

Unfortunately the effect of one such pill was limited . Whatever the Corpse Lord injected him with wasn’t messing around , and it stubbornly kept causing him rouble . Calrin promised to keep looking , but he didn’t look hopeful . Zac could only put his hopes to there being more solutions close to where he was going .

Every evening he would sit down at the array at the appointed time in hopes that the town leader would open his array in advance . Each time both Ogras had Alea silently stood with him , and wordlessly left when he stood up with a shake of his head .

Meanwhile , Port Atwood was springing up with tremendous speed , the earth and wood mages working overtime in creating one structure after another . The humans weren’t just lounging around either , and their speed in erecting buildings would give Amish barn raisers a run for their money .

Even the Academy was quickly changing , and another contingent was getting created . Quite a few young men had signed up to become soldiers . According to Alyn she believed that after she rooted out those without aptitude or without the drive necessary perhaps less than 10% would remain , but at least it was a start .

Even the empty slots in the Valkyrie squad had gotten refilled with former refugees from the islands . Zac was even more surprised to find out that the new recruits insisted on giving the same pledge as the old members . Zac could only shake his head in confusion , but eventually he relented and accepted , bringing their numbers back up to 80 .

Finally the agreed-upon day arrived and Zac sat down on the teleporter array , even though there was hours before the array would open . Outwardly he was unpertubed , but his heart was hammering , waiting to see whether his gambit worked . The minutes passed , and finally they reached the agreed-upon time . Still , nothing appeared in his teleportation menu . Only The Cradle of God was public . One minute passed , then another .

Zac was starting to wonder whether the man had succumbed to the poison Zac force-fed him . Perhaps he even found a cure somehow . However , a new town flashed into being , and Zac immediately stood up and looked over at Alea and Ogras , who accompanied him .

I will be back within the month , - Zac said , and with unwavering determination on his face disappeared through the teleporter .

He soon found himself in a small room , and from the first look around it seemed it was a garage .

The antidote . Hurry , give me the antidote! - a wheezing voice came from a corner .

Zac looked over , and saw John Bernard stand there huddled over . When Zac saw the man his eyebrows rose in appall , and shame filled his heart . The man had been quite portly just a week ago , but now he looked like a pale shadow of a man . He had lost almost all his body fat , and had thick black lines under his eyes . If Zac didn’t know any better he would have guessed the man in front of him had undergone months of chemotherapy treatment .

Without hesitating he threw over the small white bottle , and John swallowed the contents without giving it a second glance . Zac also transferred over 2 500 000 Nexus Coins to the man . He had planned to give him a million coins , but after seeing his wretched appearance he changed his mind .

I am sorry about putting you through this suffering , desperate times , - Zac said with a shake of his had , and then took out one of the small roots that had weeded out the infiltrating monks .

I will give you a piece of information that might save your life . One of the invading incursions is The Church of Everlasting Dao . They possess infiltrators who essentially have shape shifting capabilities , they can turn into any person . No scouting techniques can spot the disguise .

This root is harmless to humans but deadly to the infiltrators . It’s what we used to root out all the spies in our own City . We expect your New World Government is already infiltrated , - Zac said as he threw over the root to John .

The man was absorbed in feeling the effects of the antidote , but Zac’s words woke him up and he caught the root hesitantly .

You know , you’re a wanted man now . That demon’s actions in New Washington has made you the enemies of the whole government , - John said just as Zac was about to leave .

Oh? Is there people outside planning to catch me? - Zac asked .

Do you think I’m suicidal? I want nothing to do with your conflict . The sooner you’re out of my life , the better , - John said with grumpily .

Zac only shook his head and stepped out . It was night-time here as well , so Zac had no problem to slip into the darkness unencumbered .

It’s me , - John said into the radio as he looked himself over in the Radio .

He was already starting to look better , the dark circles under his eyes already gone . It also felt like he finally would be able to eat again , without it feeling like his teeth were shattering and his throat catching fire .

He was already so engrossed in planning out the feast that he would prepare for himself to celebrate , that he almost forgot he was on a call with a superior .

Did he come? - a rough voice answered after a few seconds .

Yes Sir , he stepped though as soon as I opened it . He immediately left town afterward it seems , - John answered as he went over the list in his head .

He’d definitely open up the bottle of 21-year-old scotch he’d been saving for months now . And a mountain of ribs . They killed that huge boar the other day , and it barely contained a trace of miasma .

Good , you’ve done well . We’ll take it from here , - the man on the other end said .

What are you going to do? He’s the Super-Brother Man , after all . He’s not some nobody , - John asked skeptically as he put down the mirror . - He also said something about shape-shifters infiltrating the government , and- -

You don’t need to worry about that . You are hereby relieved . -

A window shattered and John only felt a blazing pain in his head , before all turned to darkness .

Chapter 165 - A Thousand Faces

Zac rushed toward southeast along a derelict road . The town Bernard managed , Aubrey Hills , was north of the Dead Zone , and he needed to get to the eastern part . Zac knew there were border towns closer to the incursion from his conversation with Bernard during the Auction .

They were right at the edge of what was considered the undead influence . Those kinds of towns weren’t under government control but were rather chaotic places under the control of the one with the largest fists .

Its population generally consisted of anyone who wanted to use the incursion as a spot for gaining levels and wealth . Zombies were quite stupid and not overly strong , which made for perfect target practice . Besides , due to the huge populations of China and India , there was almost an endless source of Zombies to hunt .

However , Zac knew that the good times of these border towns were limited . The concentration of miasma at the edge of the incursion should be limited , so it was normal that there weren’t too strong zombies there .

But as the zombie hunters depopulated any closeby towns from zombies they would need to venture further and further into the incursion , where the miasma was denser . The risk of meeting evolved Zombies and other strong beasts was going to get higher and higher .

Zombies weren’t the only thing to worry about in the huge Zone the Undead Empire controlled . The wildlife that had lived inside for almost half a year would have evolved like over the rest of the world . With the additional effect of the miasma the beasts should be completely insane due to the corruption .

But for now , the towns were havens for those who lived in the area and didn’t mind the risk . It was like a macabre gold rush were every walking corpse was a small gold nugget . Zac didn’t’ bother to learn the town’s names since they were peppered along the incursion , and most of them were essentially the same .

There were also rumors of there being settlements even further inside the incursion , though Zac didn’t have the coordinates for any place like that . But Zac had no desire to go there in any case , as his goal was clear .

He’d find a border town and get himself oriented . The fact that the government seemed to have made him a target wasn’t a surprise , but he needed to find out the extent the enmity reached .

Besides , his information about the undead was from the information crystals back at Port Atwood , rather than more detailed information from the locals . They might have figured out various things that could be beneficial to know .

As he moved forward his wound unceasingly kept pounding , but by now it barely registered in Zac’s mind . His increased Vitality and evolved seed were a great improvement compared to before , as he didn’t need to keep his Dao active at all times to keep the spread of corruption at bay .

However , the wound was barely healing even when he kept using his Dao , and at this speed it would likely take years before he was completely cured . That was another reason he wanted to stop in the frontier town . Perhaps some people there had attained classes that gave skills targeted at combating miasma .

Zac kept going until the suns were starting to show , and quickly stopped at a what once seemed to have been a rest stop along the highway . The area was completely overgrown by now , and Zac didn’t expect to find anything useful . He walked up to a parked trailer and took out a large mirror , placing it against the vehicle .

Next , he placed a thick cloak rimmed with wolf pelt over his shoulders , and his arm got thick leather vambraces . He even put on two pairs of sturdy shoes . He actually also had a pair of shoes that only had a few straps instead of soles , allowing him to freely use his Loamwalker] skill while wearing shoes , but he didn’t dare to use those after remembering the state of Fort Roger .

Zac gave a quick spin , happy with the transformation he’d undergone . He felt he almost looked like a barbarian , with wolf pelts covering much of his back . He also put a large high-quality two-handed battleaxe on his back . It was a nasty piece of equipment , and something he’d found up on the monkey mountain amongst the corpses .

He needed a weapon to use that wasn’t the same as the one-handed axe he’d shown off at a few occasions . But even if he was going undercover he didn’t want to use a sword or something else , afraid it would hamper his future skill choices .

Next , he focused his Cosmic Energy in his scalp and was amazed to see his hair grow out with speed visible to his eyes . Soon it was long enough that he put it in a bun with a leather string .

Not only that , but he also grew out a beard , covering the somewhat distinct scar on his mouth that still wasn’t gone .

He looked like an almost completely different person , and that was the point . Still , he wasn’t done there as he activated a fractal that was placed on his throat . His body suddenly was wracked in pain , but he grit his teeth and pushed through . In just a few seconds he’d completely changed . He was now a few inches shorter , while his face had undergone a large transformation .

It was the skill Thousand Faces] , one of the 81 skills in the repository . It was a shapeshifting skill , and something he decided to pick up after having seen how effective the priest infiltrators were . He was a high profile person and his appearance might cause unwanted trouble , and this was his solution .

It was only one of the mid-grade skills , and it didn’t really fit his pathways very well . That’s why it hurt like his bones were ground to dust and then reshaped when he used it . But it still felt like one of the most useful skills in the repository for his current needs .

Looking back from the mirror now was a middle-aged man with a more angular facial structure and a hooked nose . Not even Kenzie should recognize him as he currently looked . As the skill actually changed the bone structure of someone it didn’t take any energy to maintain , but a weakness was that it couldn’t change his aura .

An aura was almost like a fingerprint these days , and some scouts could use the fluctuations a person gave out to identify people in disguises . However , for that to work the scout would have to have met him earlier , so the risk for that was not too big unless the people of new Washington were actively hunting him .

Satisfied with the transformation he packed away his mirror and got ready to leave . He still wore his E-graded robes underneath the furs , not wanting to give up the defensive charges they contained .

Back on his island this many layers would have been decidedly hot , but here on the mainland it was starting to get quite chilly . It was already November , though Zac didn’t know if the months or seasons had changed somehow .

He kept going through the desolate wasteland , but this time he had taken out one of his cars . It wasn’t one of the modified ones that were running on Nexus Crystals , but rather one of the normal ones . However , there were a few inscriptions placed in a few unseen spots that would make it sturdier .

He’d missed driving , and enjoyed feeling even though the scenery was a bit dour . But soon he actually saw some activity . Much like in the area around New Washington there was almost never traffic , but he actually saw a jeep speed across a field in the distance . It looked quite rickety , the car jumping and looked about to keel over at any moment .

Zac understood why whoever was inside was driving that recklessly though . Right behind the car a huge tiger was in hot pursuit . It was even larger than the car , but that wasn’t the odd thing about it . Even from the distance , Zac could see that it was greyish , not having the usual yellow and black stripes . Its eyes were also shining in a similar turquoise as the undead beacons did .

It clearly was in the process of mutating from living inside miasma for a long time , though Zac didn’t understand what it was doing here . There was no discernable miasma in the atmosphere where they were , so it must have wandered out from the dead zone . Perhaps it had an appetite for humans and was out on a hunt .

A bump in the terrain suddenly sent the vehicle out of control , but as it was about to overturn three people nimbly jumped out of the car and landed on the ground as the Jeep kept going . From how practiced their movements were Zac almost thought that wasn’t the first time they had been forced to jump out of a runaway vehicle .

Zac finally got a good look at the party and saw it was one Caucasian male and two Asians , one woman and one man . All of them looked to be around their thirties and judging from their gear they weren’t people who had stayed put within the safety of a wall since the integration .

The Zombified Tiger gave off a ghastly roar that Zac could clearly hear even from the distance and pounced at the trio . The commotion actually made Zac stop his car and get out . For a second he wondered if he should rush over there to save them , but the three put up a valiant defense against the beast .

While they weren’t some supreme powerhouses they were stronger than the Valkyries back in Port Atwood , and they had complementary skills . Still , the tiger seemed extremely durable , and it was unclear whether they would be able to whittle it down before they ran out of cosmic energy .

You there! Please assist us , and half the value of the beast core is yours! - the Asian man in the back shouted over at Zac in passable English .

Zac’s brows rose when he heard the offer , and he ran over to the battle . Beast cores were crystals that contained a good chunk of the total Cosmic Energy of a beast . Zac didn’t expect to hear it mentioned here , as generally that wasn’t something that should exist in an animal until they reached D-rank .

At that point , both humans and beasts would develop a Core in their body that could compress and contain vasts amounts of Cosmic Energy . This was a sharp difference from how it was now , where cosmic energy was generally stored in every cell of the body . A core was far more efficient , and successfully forming one was akin to getting a high powered battery in your body .

Zac used Inquisitive Eyes] on the beast .

Miasmic Bengal Tiger – Undead . Level 43 – Endurance]

Zac getting the skill had caused his reputation to take somewhat of a hit , and rumors of him being a peeping tom started to spread . But he had finished his quest in just a few days by using Eye of Discernment] on almost everyone in the town , much to the citizen's annoyance .

The new and improved version was still F-ranked , but much more useful . It now also displayed what was the highest attribute of the one he spied on , which would give a hint of their battle style . It also could discern the grades of many resources , which was a good way to learn if something he found was useful or not .

With a fluid motion Zac took the large two-handed axe from his back and joined the fray . Naturally , he would have been able to kill the beast in a simple swing , but he only used a bit of his power in order to not stand out .

The intense battle kept going for a few minutes , and Zac was a large contributor to the victory , as every swing of his contained quite a punch that maimed the animal . He purposely made himself seem slighlty stronger than the trio , so that they wouldn't get any ideas after the fight finished .

Finally , they felled the beast , and with a groan , it thumped down on the ground .

Thank you , friend . That’s some swing you have there . I don’t recognize you , are you new to the area? - the blonde man said between pants .

I came here to get stronger . I’m heading to a frontier town now , - Zac said with a hoarse voice . - What’s that beast core you mentioned? -

Oh so you’re not from around here , - the man nodded . - The animals that live deep in the dead zone have started to get these crystals in their heads . We call them Beast Cores . They are filled with tons of miasma . They are useful for various things . You can even use them for cultivation , but I wouldn’t recommend that . Fries your brain after a while . -

The other two , who seemed to be siblings at closer scrutiny , nodded at that .

General Stores buys them for a pretty penny , so they are like gold here . Some Zombies have them as well , especially the stronger ones . The stores pay by the gram , and finding these have become more profitable than just grinding low level Zombies , - the Asian man who spotted him earlier added .

It seemed they weren’t real beast cores after all , but rather something created by the miasma . Still , Zac curiously looked on as the Asian girl took out a large knife and started cutting into the head of the tiger .

I’m John , by the way . I was an expat in Hong Kong before all this , - John said with an expansive gesture - This is Ling and Hung . -

I’m David , - Zac said , using the first name that came to his mind . - How did this thing get all the way out here? From what I gathered before coming these types of beasts stay further in the Dead Zone? -

Ah , well , that’s sort of our mistake . We accidentally enraged it and it followed us for more than a day . We got off-track while trying to shake it off , - John said .

Got it , - Ling said with a melodious voice as she took out a greyish crystal from the head of the tiger . She quickly wiped it off with a rag and displayed it in front of them .

Wow , it’s a big one . Should be worth over thirty thousand , - John said with a whistle .

So , uh . . . Do you think we can catch a ride? Our poor Betty seems to have given her last breath , - John said as he looked at the overturned jeep that had smoke coming out of it .

… It’s fine , you just need to eat this root first , - Zac said as he took out the minty root from a backpack .

Chapter 166 - The Frontier

Excuse me? - John said , looking down at the small root in Zac’s hand .

It seems the rumors haven’t reached the border towns yet . One of the incursions contains shapeshifters . They have probably infiltrated both the government and many strong factions . However , this root is deadly to them while it is harmless to us humans , - Zac said and ate a large chunk of it to prove he was speaking the truth .

It’s called Springroot , and is available for purchase in the General Store . Nowadays people take a bite of it to prove they’re not a shapeshifter where I come from , - Zac continued .

The three looked confused at each other , until Ling took the piece of root and looked it over . Her eyes shone with some mysterious luster for a second , telling Zac she was using some sort of ocular skill . Perhaps her main role in the group was scouting .

No poison , - she said and the other two nodded with some relief .

With a shrug of his shoulders , John broke off a piece and ate it .

Not bad , minty . It might double as a mouthwash , - John said . - These shapeshifters , what do they look like? -

I heard they’re lizard-people , - Zac said with a shake of his head , knowing how it sounded . - Apparently they are part of some multi-verse cult . -

Lizard-people cultists , just what we need , - John spat on the ground , while the other two seemed to agree with the sentiment as they ate the root .

Zac wasn’t really worried about the three being infiltrators . While there likely was over a thousand of them out there , they had quite a bit of ground to cover . They might have some unknown means for reaching various settlements but they shouldn’t be able to use the teleporters , meaning it should take some time to spread over the planet .

Besides , Zac hadn’t even heard anything about the Church’s Incursion , meaning they might be extremely far away . Ogras believed that it was out there , only that the government was keeping it secret .

It would be easy to motivate within the government ranks . Just call it a secret government resource to train their elite , and even the actual government officials would keep it secret . Meanwhile , the infiltrators could slowly ensconce themselves within the government .

The reason Zac made the three eat the root was rather to get an excuse to tell the story . He hoped that doing this would create rumors to spread like ripples on the water . Zac alone doing it wouldn’t cut it , but he was determined to have his whole force spread the knowledge as soon as he was back with Kenzie .

Soon the four were sitting in Zacs modified car , pushing through the wilderness . It might be a bit weird for some loner to allow 3 strangers into his car in these uncertain times , but Zac didn’t really care about that . It would give him an opportunity to gather intelligence as he drove , which would save some time .

Who’s in charge of the frontier town? - Zac asked as he drove , occasionally avoiding the huge potholes that had formed over the past months .

Eastern Hills is run by a man calling himself Ling Tian . It sort of means - Rise above the Heavens’ . Kind of stupid , but quite a few around these parts have taken these Dao monikers , thinking they are the main characters of some story , - John said with a snort .

It’s kind of weird that the System uses Dao while it was a concept in Asia even before the integration , - Zac noted .

It was something he still didn’t quite understand . Was it a coincidence , or was it something to it? That wasn’t the only thing as there was also the issue of the demons . It made Zac wonder just what happened on earth thousands of years ago . Perhaps the old stories of mages and dragons were more than just stories?

Yeah , I’ve wondered about that myself , - John said . - The general belief is that the old masters of Daoism managed to peek through the veil , so-to-speak , and learn some aspects of the Dao . Who knows , perhaps there was Cosmic Energy on earth back in the day , but it ran out? -

The old masters have lit the way for our people . I believe that’s why the System gave us the hardest challenge , - Hung said from the back seat .

So , Ling Tian? - Zac prodded , not commenting on the harshness of challenges . While the undead horde was a pain , he didn’t feel it beat having to close a whole incursion on your own .

He’s a bit annoying , but one of the better leaders . That’s why we stay there . He doesn’t do anything untoward , and he is usually out fighting Zombies , - John said .

Annoying how? - Zac asked with some interest .

Well , he’s imagining himself to be the savior of mankind or something . He keeps trying to gather together the townspeople to launch crusades at the core of the incursion . But you know , few people are that crazy . Charging the core of the Dead Zone is a suicide mission , - John said with a shake of his head .

Chuunibyou , - Ling muttered from the back .

Zac didn’t comment , but he felt a bit hopeless inside . He didn’t know whether this leader of the frontier town was delusional or not , but the whole situation in these border towns was problematic . There seemed to be quite a few strong warriors here , but people mainly fought to empower and enrich themselves .

Perhaps this situation would have been okay if the undead were weak . If that was the case then sooner or later the zombies would be hunted into extinction . However , Zac knew reality wasn't so convenient . As soon as the leaders like the Corpse Lord started their crusades these border towns would get deserted in the blink of an eye .

There was no organization and no order . There would be no real resistance against the invaders when they started their conquest in earnest . People like these three would just move somewhere else , if they even survived .

Zac had been thinking of what to do about these Incursions since he finally became a Lord . He felt that his quest had given him the greatest clue what to do from here . He needed to kill the leaders of the incursions , and the rest would sort itself out . A force without powerhouses to protect and lead the ranks was just prey in the end .

The only problem was that he didn’t even manage to kill the Corpse Lord , and Ogras believed that those who arrived at his island weren’t the highest-ranking members of respective Incursion . Perhaps the rockman was the exception , though they weren't sure . Still , it was a plan , and he still had some time before the limiters on the invaders were completely removed .

After another two hours of driving , they finally reached their target , Eastern Hills . Zac was surprised by its size as he slowly drove through a huge gate . When he imagined the frontier towns he had thought that they would look like Fort Roger , but with stronger people .

However , reality differed quite a bit . The wall was a thick and sturdy combination of cement and stones , with armed soldiers walking along the wall walk . The town inside was somewhat clean and orderly , though Zac saw the people looked quite rough .

To his surprise he saw that at least 80 percent of those on the streets were of Asian heritage , with the rest being a random mix . He hadn't really thought along those lines before , but he realized that even if China had taken a huge hit by the incursion there should still be a great number of survivors in the area .

And it was clear that these people weren't like the survivors in Fort Roger . Almost everyone was armed with some sort of weapon , mostly clubs or spears . Most looked to be in good condition , but there were also a few who looked pale and emitted a cold aura , making Zac frown .

Miasma poisoning . You get like this if you absorb too many beast cores or stay in the Dead Zone too long , - John explained after noticing Zac’s frown .

A bestial roar suddenly erupted from nearby the main road they were driving along , and Zac stopped the car .

A transformation , this is a good lesson for you David , - John said as he jumped out of the car .

Zac curiously followed after taking out the keys . Just a hundred meters away a crowd was gathering some distance from a man who spasmed and growled erratically .

This is the end for those who get too greedy , - John explained as he looked at the odd man without pity . - He’s absorbed too much miasma , and he’s lost control of it . He’s turning . -

Turning? Is there nothing to do in a case like this? - Zac asked with some pity .

He sympathized a bit with the man , but honestly Zac was mainly thinking about himself . He had a wound filled with highly concentrated miasma , and this would have been his end if he didn’t possess the Dao of Trees .

Perhaps with the help of a strong purifier , but I doubt they would risk getting close to someone who’s lost all reason , - John said with a shake of his head .

Purifier? What’s that? - Zac asked curiously .

Its what we call people who have skills and classes that can purify the miasma . Remember , don’t piss off a Purifier while you’re staying on the frontier . Getting their help can be the difference between life and death if you get wounded in the Dead Zone . Besides , many are desperate to curry their favor .

So if you piss off a Purifier , don’t be surprised if you get mobbed by a bunch of Zombie Hunters who just want to form a relationship with them , - John said with a low voice .

Zac’s heartbeat started to increase when hearing John’s explanation . It sounded like a purifier was exactly what he needed to take care of his wound .

Who is the best purifier in this town? - Zac asked , trying to not sound too eager .

You’re talking like they’re a dime a dozen . They’re extremely rare , and generally only reside in the larger towns on the edge of the Dead Zone , - John said with a shake of his head . - There is a purifier a few towns over , it would take almost a day to drive there . -

Zac frowned at that , unsure at what to do . Either he’d follow his original plan and push through the incursion to get to the eastern side , or he’d detour and try his luck with a purifier .

Why are you asking? - John asked with some confusion . - Are you hurt somewhere? You don’t look to be suffering from miasma poisoning . -

Just orienting myself . Who knows what’ll happen in the future , seems like a good idea to know where the healers are , - Zac said with a nonchalant shrug .

Aint that the truth . However , you shouldn’t think of the Purifiers as a backup plan . Their energy is limited , and they rarely see people off the streets . Look around , quite a few here have more miasma in their bodies than they’d like . If they could get that fixed most would . Oh , it seems time’s up . -

The sounds of bones cracking and grinding against each other made Zac refocus on the unfortunate man Zombiefying .

This one belongs to the Frost Wolves , - a man with a badge resembling a howling wolf suddenly said as he stepped forward accompanied by three underlings .

Fuck you , it belongs to whoever is the fastest , - another man with two shortswords retorted .

What’s going on? - Zac asked with a subdued voice .

These things are quite valuable after they turn , they’re like evolved Zombies . The kill gives a large amount of Cosmic Energy , and it is pretty much guaranteed to have a large Core . Poor bastard’s essentially become a walking treasure trove . -

So why are they waiting? - Zac asked .

The core is currently forming . When the transformation is complete , then the core is formed , - John explained , as he hesitantly looked over the spectators .

We should back away , too many strong people are present , - he said as he distanced himself from the hubbub .

Zac didn’t really care about some miasma core , and he backed away as well , and together they saw the spectators rip the poor man into pieces like hungry hyenas .

The man with the two swords triumphantly held up the decapitated head of the zombie after a few seconds , causing the others to swear and walk away , leaving the mangled corpse where it was .

They’re just giving up? - Zac asked .

Rules of the town . When the core's claimed the battle is over . However , that guy might need to watch his back , the Frost Wolf Mercenaries are a bit shady , - John said with a shrug as he jumped into Zac’s car again .

You don’t have a place to stay , right? Why don’t you join us for the night? You can learn about how things work here in the wild east . -

Sounds good , - Zac answered with a last glance at the corpse of the pitiful man , before jumping back into the driver’s seat .

Chapter 167 - Purifier Wang

Zac was currently speeding along the deserted road , heading east . He was still driving the car , as it was pretty much as fast as him jogging . He’d also found that it was easier for him to use the Dao of Trees while driving compared to jogging , so it was also better for his wound .

Ever since he arrived at the edge of the Dead Zone he had sensed that the atmosphere contained some miasma . It was only a smidgeon , but Zac noticed to his annoyance that his wound seemed to passively absorb it . He was therefore forced to use his Dao of Trees a bit more than he did back on the island .

That’s why he’d decided to look up one of the purifiers , even if it would waste at least one day . He could only assume his condition would get worse when he went into the Dead Zone , so if he could get the wound fixed ahead of that he would likely save more time in the end .

The image of the mutilated corpse on the street of Eastern Hills was a poignant image of what would happen if he didn’t properly take care of his wound . It would be a cosmic joke if he survived the Incursion and the three waves , only to turn into a zombie because he didn’t properly tend to his festering gut .

He’d stayed the night at John’s place . He lived together with the siblings in a pretty large house . It turned out that they were a small mercenary group , and the reason that John was so friendly from the start was that he hoped to recruit Zac . They were originally 7 people , forming a pretty strong squad that mainly focused on finding herbs and other valuables deeper in the core zone .

However , months of risking their lives had resulted in only three being left of the group , and they finally had to admit they needed to bolster their squad after being unable to finish the tiger on their own .

If Zac actually was who he pretended , then he might actually have taken them up on their offer . Going into the Dead Zone alone was perilous , having a squad to watch your back was preferable . They had been disappointed at his refusal , but they made no big deal about it .

Zac had only stayed the night and left early in the morning . The former expat helped out quite a bit in explaining how things worked , even though Zac refused John's invitation . More troubling was what he heard about himself , or rather the Super Brother-Man .

Rumors about him had already reached the frontier . There were all kinds of rumors , but the core of them was generally that he consorted with the invaders , which was why he had gotten so strong . John had also heard about Ogras deeds in New Washington , though the details had gotten extremely twisted .

However , there was no official proclamation from the government , which only made Zac more uneasy . It only meant that whatever they planned would be done under the table , rather than in the open .

He also didn't think that rumors were spreading organically , as only a week had passed since the auction . Zac believed that the government was trying to speed things along . Perhaps they tried to boost their own reputation by dragging the Super Brother-Man through the mud .

Zac wanted to get his name cleared , but for now he could only ignore the rumor mill . He didn't care what the world thought of him as long as he could reach his sister . Since John had been so helpful Zac left a few hundred Nexus Crystals in his room when leaving .

He had no idea if he’d meet the three again , as they had their goals and he had his . He was currently driving toward one of the main border towns in the area , which was somewhat ostentatiously named Perseverance . Apparently , it was originally a part of Chengdu , and over 50 000 people lived there at the moment .

Zac kept driving for most of the day , passing a few towns on the way . He actually encountered a few parties on the road , though people kept to their own , likely afraid of getting attacked . There were no witnesses and no laws out in the wild , and Zac guessed few people would take a risk like John and the other two did .

The suns were already setting when he arrived at his destination , and it appeared he just made it before the large town gates were closing .

1000 Nexus Coins to enter with a vehicle , - a guard said as he hailed Zac .

Zac’s brows rose at the price , but he still paid up and drove through . The price was a bit surprising , as it was equivalent to killing at least twenty decently strong Zombies . If everyone had to pay that amount when returning from an excursion then the town would have to make quite some profit .

Zac drove some ways into the town , before turning into a few back alleys . When he found a secluded spot with no pedestrians he quickly exited the vehicle and put it in a cosmos sack before quickly walking away .

He knew that cars were generally safe if he parked it somewhere , but he didn’t want to take any risks as there were inscriptions on his vehicle making it special .

Most cars on the frontier were actually booby-trapped nowadays with various explosives , as good terrain vehicles were hard to come by and fiercely protected . There were car mechanics who mainly dealt in installing bombs in hard-to-find places with hidden triggers . Stealing one was akin to sitting on a barrel of gunpowder that could go off at any time .

Zac walked around the town , getting a sense of the area . The whole place felt rougher compared to Eastern Hills , and there were more people who seemed to be barely scraping by . There was one thing that confused him a bit . He noted that many of the weaker pedestrians seemed to have accumulated more miasma in their bodies compared to the stronger ones .

However , after seeing a street vendor selling food he understood why . Even if the vendor slathered the skewers in some sauce Zac could see that the meat was grey and sickly-looking , and he could even sense some corrupt energy in the meat . It seemed that food was getting scarce and they were forced to eat animals tainted with miasma .

Zac could only shake his head and keep walking , happy that he had stocked up with food that would last months in his pouches . He didn’t have time to worry about the people slowly turning themselves into zombies , but instead he was trying to listen in on conversations to find out more about the Purifier . It didn’t take long to learn where the purifier , who was apparently called Wang Guo , resided .

The Purifier ran what was called a miasma clinic out of the bottom floor of his building . Zac quickly walked over there and found that there already was a long line pale people , most clearly suffering from miasma poisoning . Zac shrugged and just went to the back of the line .

Excuse me , how long does it usually take to get to see the doctor? Is he still working at this hour? - Zac asked the man in front of him .

Don’t you know how this works? - the man turned over with a dour face , though he quickly moderated his demeanor after seeing the huge axe on Zac’s back . - We’re lining up for getting a chance at getting treated tomorrow . Mr . Wang only has open office once a week , and he treats people as long as his Cosmic Energy allows . -

Zac wasn’t too enthused about waiting the whole night in line when there was no guarantee he’d even get to meet the Purifier . As he was mulling over what to do he suddenly spotted a man walking straight up to the closed doors and entered .

Who was that? - Zac asked the man in front of him .

One of Lord Perseverance's lieutenants , - the man answered in a hushed voice . - They always get purified after returning to town . -

Zac understood the implications . The rules clearly weren’t the same for everyone . Since this Mr . Wang seemed to change his tune depending on who visited , then Zac wouldn’t need to wait in this endless line . Zac was worried about the Purifier being limited somehow to only helping out once a week , but it seemed it was rather that he didn’t want to waste too much of his time .

So you think one can get purified without waiting if one pays enough? - Zac asked the man in front of him again .

The man nervously looked around and ignored the question . But a few coughs from Zac and walking up uncomfortably close forced the man to answer in a whisper .

Hey , I don’t want trouble . Mr . Wang is petty , and if he finds out I’ve talked about him behind his back who knows what trouble I’d get into . But yeah , he is also greedy , so he’d definitely heal you if you paid enough . Honestly , he is only doing these open houses since the Lord Perseverance is paying him to , - the man wheezed , then pointedly started ignoring Zac .

Finally understanding the way things worked and unhesitantly walked up to the door to the clinic . A few mutters and curses were thrown his direction from those in the line , but no one wanted to cause trouble or lose their spot , so Zac entered unaccosted .

Hey! Didn’t you see the line? Purifier Wang’s open hour starts tomorrow , - an annoyed , but sweet , voice entered his ears as soon as he walked through and closed the door .

It was a woman that was sitting by a clear glass table in a small empty lobby . She was quite good-looking in a sultry way , but her appearance only lowered Zac’s opinion of this so-called healer .

The woman was clearly wearing a - Sexy Nurse - Halloween-outfit rather than actual scrubs , showing off a great amount of skin . Furthermore , she wasn't alone as a strong-looking bodyguard lounged in a chair nearby .

From what Zac had heard so far Wang Guo was far from some benevolent hero , but rather some shady person who had lucked into a great class . He could only internally sigh and walk up to the counter .

I have traveled far to meet Purifier Wang , as I hear he is one of the most skilled people around , - Zac said .

Actually that wasn’t true , but Wang Guo was the closest one to the east of Eastern Hills , and Zac didn’t want to waste more time than he had to .

It doesn’t matter . Purifier Wang only sees patients once a week , as he needs the rest of the week to recuperate . The great healing arts take a lot of strength , - the nurse answered with a huff as the bodyguard started to move toward him .

Zac didn’t respond , and instead only took out one of his cosmos sacks and poured a small hill of Nexus Crystals on her desk and leaned over it toward the startled girl .

Unfortunately my time is limited . This is a small gift to you . I would be happy to give a much larger donation to Purifier Wang as well . Could you tell me what I’d need to do to get the same treatment as the guy who just entered? -

The girl expertly took the crystals and swept them into a Chanel bag with extreme swiftness , cleaning out the table in only a second . After that , she looked at the guard who shrugged .

Since you wish to donate to help keep his little clinic running I’m sure Purifier Wang would be able to squeeze you in , - she said with a smile , as she leaned forward a bit showcasing her impressive cleavage .

It was at this moment the man from earlier exited the door leading further into the clinic . He was surprised to see the gruff-looking Zac stand in the lobby leaning over the counter , and he appeared extremely incensed at seeing the receptionist’s suggestive pose and smile .

Who the fuck are you? Yao Yao , get away from that barbarian , - the man growled and quickly walked over .

I mean no trouble , I am just here to see Purifier Wang , - Zac said as he quickly backed away .

Then why the fuck are you hitting on my woman? - the lieutenant growled .

He’s here to give a big donation to the clinic , - the nurse quickly said , trying to defuse the situation .

However , the comment only seemed to enrage the man further .

So you’re trying to flash your little wealth in front of my girl? You might as well leave all of it behind then , - he said , and with lightning-quick movement took out a dagger , unhesitantly stabbing toward Zac’s throat .

Zac was about to kill the man in front of him by instinct , but in the last second restrained himself . Things also got more convoluted after the guard joined the fight after some hesitation , trying to help the angry man out .

Zac tripped one of the men and brought the other one with him down on the ground , causing a chaotic grapple-fight . He quickly knocked out the lieutenant on the way down , and after grappling around with the bodyguard for a few seconds Zac awarded him with a measured punch knocking him out .

Zac could only hope it would look genuine to the shocked spectator , as he was in no mood to pretend any longer than that . One of the men actually managed to land a punch in his gut , which made his wound hurt like a hot tong , souring his mood considerably .

I’ll go ahead and visit the Purifier now . I would prefer not to be disturbed , - Zac said to the gaping nurse before heading into the inner parts of the clinic .

Chapter 168 - Healing

Zac felt annoyed as he stepped through the door to the back of the clinic . He just wanted to go through the town unannounced and disappear before anyone could remember him . Yet he’d been forced to knock out one of the higher-ups of the town just because of some silly jealousy . Who knew what type of trouble would come knocking if he stayed too long .

With a few quick steps he walked through an unadorned corridor and found himself in an austere clinic looking like some ancient herbalist’s treatment room .

Various herbs were hanging from the roof , creating a thick scent in the room , and the walls were covered with old drawings that seemed to show the chakras of the body . However , the room was completely empty , with the Purifier nowhere in sight .