Defiance of the Fall

The next thing Zac felt was a burning fire in his belly . He didn’t know if he’d been unconscious for a second or for hours , but he knew his idea was correct as his Core had sprung to life . It felt as though it shone like a sun inside his body , giving off a healing warmth .

However , that warmth was quickly turning into a blistering heat as fire radiated out through it , covering every inch of his body . It felt as though he was being burned alive , and he barely was able to contain a cry of pain . It took all his effort to keep his mind steady as the fire raged through his body , and he didn't even have the energy to get up from the ground .

But finally the Core calmed down , and he opened his eyes with a shaky breath .

How do I look , - he said with a hoarse voice .

Kenzie stood in front of him , looking worried .

Tired , but human . It looked like you died there for a bit , - she said .

Life through death , - Zac muttered to himself before once again turning to his sister . - How long did the change take? -

Not too long , around two minutes? - she answered .

Zac could only sigh and shake his head in disappointment .

Chapter 212 - Final Preparations

Zac had to admit he was a bit disappointed the process to change was so arduous . He knew he already had received a top tier opportunity that would make most of the cultivators in the multiverse green with envy , but he still had hoped it would be quicker .

He had hoped to be able to change his class in the middle of battle , enabling him to turn the tables . But there was just no way to do that with how the change worked . Not only did it take way too long , but he also lost almost all awareness of his surroundings when he changed , making it impossible .

Since the Core was only F-grade at the moment Zac didn't give up all hope though . Every time it upgraded some parts of it function should improve . The only problem was he had no clue how to upgrade a Specialty Core at the moment .

At least it felt nice to be back in human form again . The whole time he was in his Draugr-form he felt assaulted by the Cosmic Energy in the atmosphere , causing him constant discomfort . He understood why Mhal brought a bunch of Unholy Beacons in his invasion of the island .

Zac still had a few of them , as he never got around to selling those he found in the Undead General’s Cosmos Sack as well . He was seriously contemplating creating a Zone on his compound where the Cosmic Energy was transformed to Miasma instead .

He needed to figure out a method to contain the death-attuned energy first though , and not let it get spread all over .

The treasure hunt starts tomorrow . Is there anything I need to do that I’ve missed? - Zac said as he got up on his feet .

Well , have you talked with the others? - Kenzie asked .

Others? - Zac said in confusion .

There are three people from Refugee’s Harbor who’s going , and Lyla is going as well , - Kenzie explained .

Lyla’s going? Why? - Zac asked with confusion .

Everything Zac had learned about the System pointed toward the Treasure Hunt becoming a slaughterhouse . He roughly knew the strength of Kenzie’s friend , and he had to say he was unsure whether she’d survive .

She wants to become stronger , and this is a chance for that , - Kenzie explained with worry . - You’ll look after her , right? -

I’ll try , but I can’t promise anything . I still don’t know what’ll happen after we enter , - Zac answered .

That’s good enough . Oh , and maybe you should talk to Emily? Her birthday is in a few weeks , and you might still be gone at that time , - Kenzie continued .

Right , - Zac said . - Can you have the other trial takers gather at the academy in two hours? -

There was something he needed to do with Emily in any case , so he decided to head over immediately . The teenager still lived alone in his old camper up in the tree , and with a few jumps he scaled it and landed on the large patio .

Emily had decorated it with a sofa and a couple of recliners under a parasol , with large potted plants creating some warmth . The whole thing gave off a very comfortable feeling . Zac had to admit it looked a bit better than his own austere courtyard as he knocked on the door .

After a minute Emily opened up with a yawn .

What’s going on? - she asked with some confusion .

Eat this , - Zac said and gave her some springroot .

Ugh , I’m starting to get real sick by the taste of this thing , - she muttered , but still complied .

Sorry , just making sure . I didn’t want to give your birthday gift to a shapeshifter , - Zac said with a smile .

Birthday gift? - she said as her mouth curved upward .

Here , - Zac said as he took out an intricate box from his Cosmos Sack .

She immediately opened it up , and inside was a fruit giving off an extremely enticing aroma . It was the Fruit of Ascension he’d kept all up until now . Ever since he found out that his sister didn’t need it he had pondered on what to do with it .

In the end , he decided to give it to one of his closest allies rather than put it into the contribution system . The two people he’d considered were Sap Trang and Emily , but in the end he chose Emily . He knew that Sap might be more worthy of the treasure going by his actions , but he had to think about the future of Port Atwood .

The old fisherman was a mortal just like him , but without any of the advantages that Zac had accrued . Meanwhile , Emily was shown to hold good talent for cultivation , and she still hadn’t even turned 16 .

According to the information he’d gathered about titles for himself , there was one title that came from improving Race ranking before even stepping on the path of cultivation . That meant that he could actually put Emily on track on becoming a true elite with the help of the fruit .

He wanted another human elite on the island , and if he could help Emily gain a bunch of titles with the help of the fruit as an initial gift he felt it was a worthy investment . People of Earth might not care about the youths yet as they missed the opportunity of the tutorial , but Zac knew that Cultivation was a marathon rather than a sprint .

Not having access to the tutorial was a missed opportunity , but so what? The multi-verse was filled with cultivators who never went to the Tutorial but still possessed power that the people of Earth could only dream of . Even if Emily missed that opportunity , others would come along .

This is a Fruit of Ascension , - Zac explained . - It will help you increase your Race even before turning 16 , which will put you a step ahead of most cultivators in the world . I have seen how hard you’ve worked , and I hope this will help you become one of the pillars of Port Atwood in the future . -

Emily’s eyes reddened , and she didn’t say anything in response . Her arms only tightly cradled the small box , clutching it tightly to her chest . Zac only smiled and patted her head before walking toward the edge of the patio .

I am leaving for the Treasure Hunt tomorrow , and I don’t know how long I will be gone . I hope you’ll have grown into a powerful warrior by the time I’ve come back . Remember , try to defeat a monster at least at level 26 as your first enemy for the titles . It will help your growth immensely , - Zac said before jumping down .

Thank you , stay safe , - he heard before the door to the camper once again closed .

Next he walked over to the government building to speak with Abby and Adran . Abby actually chose to live inside the building itself , whereas Adran lived right next door , so both were essentially always there .

Since he was a lord it was within his purview to delegate certain tasks , and give specific individuals more control over various functions of the town . Until now he’d kept almost all control to himself , apart from enabling others to buy teleportation arrays .

But there were clear disadvantages to this tactic . One example was that he was unable to head to Billyville , even though they on paper were allies . But that alliance never got formalized since Zac was in the Dead Zone at the time .

After an hour-long meeting , he gave both the administrators some more control and set the course for the development of Port Atwood . Most of the islands within his control were still unexplored , and his force was still mapping things out .

Unfortunately , they still hadn’t found the main continent either , making Zac wonder just how far in the middle of nowhere they were located . But every week new citizens got integrated into his kingdom , which in turn increased his income through taxes .

Of course , since he chose a pretty generous system at the Merit Exchange his income wasn’t enormous . But if his population doubled his income from taxes would eclipse that of his mine .

Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted the meeting , and not long after a secretary walked inside .

I am sorry to bother you , but the Zhix ambassador wishes to meet Lord Atwood . He says it’s urgent , - she said .

Ibtep? Send him in , - Zac said with some curiosity .

It was a while since he’d spoken with Ibtep , and he wondered what he was up to . He actually thought the Zhix was aboard the main scouting vessel with Sap Trang , in case they encountered another Zhix hive .

Soon the Zhix entered , this time not donning the large backpack he usually brought around .

Greetings , Lord Atwood , - the Zhix said followed by a very formal bow .

Long time no see , Ibtep . What’s on your mind? - Zac asked .

Nonet of Hive Kundevi wishes strength upon you for the hunt . Nonet also wanted to give you this , - the Zhix said and took out a dagger and what appeared to be an amulet .

What are these? - Zac asked curiously .

As you’ve noticed our kind are a bit enthusiastic in our greetings of new warriors , - Ibetp said .

Adran only snorted in his chair , and Zac had to force himself to not roll his eyes . Enthusiastic greetings might just be the understatement of the year . The Zhix ignored the demon’s response though and kept going .

These are the relics of the hive . If you show these along with sending the regards of Nonet when meeting another Anointed they might not immediately attack . As every day passes the Dominators grow stronger , and we believe that every race needs to work together to stop them , - Ibtep said with a serious face .

Thank you for the gift , and give my regards to Nonet . These will be a great help , - Zac said as he accepted the two items .

The ambassador stayed for half an hour to teach Zac some basic etiquette when speaking with the Anointed , before leaving with another round of well-wishing . Since he was running out of time Zac also ended the meeting with a final exhortation to aid Ogras in finding the shapeshifters by any means necessary .

Thirty minutes later he sat in an emptied classroom with four others . It was two men and two women . The only one he recognized was Lyla , whereas the others were cultivators from Refugee’s Harbor .

Seeing the three made Zac realize that the scale of the treasure hunt might be even larger than he expected before . If these people managed to get tokens , then so would thousands of others . Lyla had gained another two levels since he saw her last , but she was still only in her mid-thirties .

As for the other 3 cultivators they were around the same level , apart from a woman who was level 38 . Apparently she was one of the leaders of the cultivators from Refugee’s harbor . Zac honestly didn’t feel that they would be much more than fodder at the hunt , but he wouldn’t stop people from chasing their dreams .

I called you all here to discuss the Treasure Hunt starting tomorrow , - Zac began .

The people from Refugee’s Harbor hesitantly looked at each other until they focused on their leader .

Are you confiscating our tokens? - she said with a somber expression .

Zac’s brows rose from that line of question . He hadn’t expected that , but after further thought he guessed it made sense . There were quite a few people stronger than these three on the island , though they were all demons who couldn’t go .

But these people still thought that demons was the fourth local race . Honestly , if he could bring the demons he would probably buy the tokens from these four , as it would be far more beneficial to bring Ogras and his generals .

No . I just called you here to tell you to be careful , and to not use my name unless as a last resort . I have essentially made the whole world government an enemy , and there are false rumors surrounding me on the main continent . Mentioning that you live here might not necessarily help you , but perhaps have the opposite effect , - Zac explained with a wry smile .

I will try to help you if we meet each other , but you shouldn’t rely on me either . I am just one person , and I believe that the treasure hunt will cover a huge area . In fact , if you’re not confident in staying alive on your own you’re likely better off not going , - he continued .

However , all of them seemed adamant about going , so Zac could only respect their wishes and only reiterated a few tips . He also gave them each one copy of Book of Babel] so they could talk it out with whoever they encountered and a couple of healing pills each .

By now he was done with all his matters , apart from finally giving himself one last power-up . He went back to his courtyard and sat down to stabilize his mind . After a while he took out the small vial containing the Dao Treasure , but instead of drinking it he closed his eyes and focused on the Dao of Sharpness .

After pondering on the aspect of sharpness he wanted to evolve for an hour he finally opened his eyes , and with one fluid motion drank all the contents of the vial . A familiar sensation overcame him as he saw the vast system of the Dao of Sharpness with his inner sight .

Seeing the whole Dao like this was straining his mind , and it almost felt like his soul was getting continuously cut by the sharpness . Zac didn’t waste any time , instead quickly finding the part of the Dao that corresponded with his own insights , and started to absorb that part .

His understanding was quickly formalizing into a crystalized nugget of insight , and he effortlessly passed the threshold to the middle stage . Only seconds later the simulated epiphany from the drug ran out , and he opened his eyes again to check on his harvest .

Seed of Sharpness (Middle) : Dexterity +25 , Intelligence +5

Zac wasn’t surprised in the slightest that his upgraded seed only provided Dexterity since the particular insight he gained was into that of speed . Having evolved his seed also meant that he had done everything he needed to do before the hunt .

He got up on his feet to head to his sister’s place since he knew that she was skipping going to the Academy today . They had already planned to have dinner together since he might be gone for a while .

But as he started to walk out of his courtyard he saw Ogras stand there with a determined expression on his face .

Good , you’re out . We need to talk . -

Chapter 213 - The Hunt Begins

It was close to 9 am and Zac stood ready in his courtyard , his sister and Ogras accompanying him .

Treasure Hunt commence in 5 minutes – Be advised , no Cosmic Sack allowed . A temporary sack will be provided upon arrival . Failure to comply will result in forfeiture of Cosmos Sack]

Zac’s brows rose in surprise , and he quickly took off his Cosmos Sack while the other two curiously looked at him . Even though he’d handed off most of his things to the contribution administrators he still was using the large Cosmos Sack he snagged from Mhal , and it contained all sorts of things .

It seemed that the System wanted to level the playing field a bit , or at least make money a smaller part of the calculation . Perhaps it was afraid someone would bring a mountain of Nexus Crystals or even large war machines or arrays into the trial , messing things up .

It seemed that it would only allow everyone to bring the stuff that one could carry . That still didn’t mean that everything would be equal . Zac quickly ran over to his bed and ripped out his linens and placed it on the floor .

Next , the took out a various assortment of things he wanted to bring , ranging from healing pills to thousands of Nexus Crystals . Essentially he put everything cheap on the linens and tied them up into a huge knapsack that could barely hold under the weight of its contents . He simply planned to hold it in his arms upon teleportation and hope that the system would allow it .

As for everything valuable , such as his prepared E-Grade Crystals , Verun’s Bite] , his top tier healing pills and his Automatic Map , they were all placed on his person . He also placed a couple of filled water canteens and fasting pills on his person as well .

He still had no idea what kind of environment he would end up in and needed to be prepared for anything . The fasting pills were given to him by Ogras yesterday . There were ten of them , and each of them would allow him to keep going without eating for a couple of days .

He used one of the Demon’s ranger knapsacks that snugly ran along his back to store his valuables , apart from a Verun’s Bite] and a couple of tomahawks that he put on his belt .

I wasn’t allowed to bring a Cosmos Sack , - Zac explained to his sister after he'd packed everything , afterward handing her his pouch . - Hold on to this while I’m gone . -

With his preparations done Zac sat down and just waited . When a minute remained until the hunt started he stood up and hoisted the huge knapsack over his shoulder , holding the token in his other hand .

Take care , - Kenzie said as she looked upon her brother with some worry .

Don’t worry , I’ll be fine , - Zac said with a smile .

His gains the past two weeks had been tremendous , and he couldn’t help being filled with confidence . He almost felt like a fox let loose in a henhouse . He was already at the forefront of humanity before his explosive gains as of late . With the help of his new Class , Titles , and Dao improvements he was just a monster in human form .

Next he turned to Ogras who stood close by as well , still looking a bit petulant .

I know you’re eager , but please wait until the shapeshifters are dealt with , - Zac said with a shake of his head .

Don’t worry . I’ll find that snake even if I have to turn the whole island upside down , - the demon said with annoyance . - Ruining my good things . -

Zac only snorted in response . The reason the demon came by his courtyard yesterday was to share the fact that he had decided to enter the Mystic Realm in search of opportunities . He would pay for the stabilizing array himself as well , which would save Zac millions of Nexus Coins .

However , Zac had told the demon to wait until the shapeshifter problem was dealt with . He wasn’t sure of the cultist’s power , but he was afraid that the cultist would be able to cause a lot of damage if both he and Ogras was missing from the city at the same time .

At first the demon had been a bit unwilling to go with his arrangements . But after Zac promised that Ogras could finally enter the Inheritance for The Umbra after Zac was back from the Treasure Hunt , provided the demon rooted out the shapeshifter first , he was quickly filled with energy again .

Actually Zac had planned to allow the Demon inside the inheritance in any case . As soon as the hunt was dealt with he planned to go on an all-out assault against the foreign invaders , and he needed his allies as powerful as possible . But Ogras didn't know that fact , so using The Umbra as a motivator worked pretty well .

The two of you will act as my proxies until I’m back , - he continued . - I have given you the ability to enter alliances in case someone wants to approach us while I’m gone . Abby can buy arrays if needed . -

Just go and get some more titles . I’ll be counting on you for the Towers later , - Ogras said .

Stay close to Ogras until the shapeshifter problem is dealt with , - Zac said as he turned to his sister , who nodded .

The next moment the scene in front of him was simply gone , replaced with blackness . It was reminiscent of the weird space he’d found himself in right at the moment of integration . Hopefully , this didn’t mean that there was another roll for survival though .

This time the System didn’t speak in his mind , but a large screen soon appeared in front of him .

Welcome to the Limited Treasure Hunt

Struggle for supremacy

1 . Duration of the hunt is 1 month

2 . Kill for points . Higher attribute targets reward a higher amount of points . Higher level targets reward a higher amount of points . Higher value targets reward a higher amount of points . Rewards depend on points accumulated at the end of the hunt

Point rewards .

1st Place

+10 levels , 250 million Nexus Coins .

2nd Place

+7 levels , 150 million Nexus Coins .

3rd Place

+5 levels , 100 million Nexus Coins .

4th-10th Place

+3 levels , 50 million Nexus Coins .

10th – 100th Place

+1 level , 10 million Nexus Coins .

3 . Hunt for treasures . Rewarded Titles depend on accumulated value at the end of the hunt

4 . Temporary ladders added for Hunters and Gatherers

5 . Talents are forged through battle . Every three days Gatherers who have avoided battle will be teleported to an arena to fight for supremacy . Only the winner will remain

6 . Hunters can leave at any moment by crushing their token , except when fighting in an arena . Wealth brought back depends on the duration of stay in the hunt . Those who leave early disqualify for any ladder rewards

Zac felt some powerlessness when he looked over the ruleset . The method the System used for cranking out powerhouses was quite direct as usual . This would be a blood bath . Not only would killing people increase one’s standing on the hunter ladder , but it would also allow them to snatch the riches that their victims had accumulated .

The rewards for killing others were quite extravagant , and even he couldn’t help getting enticed . Ten levels was a huge boost , especially for him who was so close to the limit of his class . His leveling speed had greatly slowed down lately in his human form , apart from the insane gain when he formed his core .

But between battling for a month and gaining the first place reward he’d perhaps reach level 75 in one fell swoop .

Of course , he wouldn’t be the only one eyeing that reward . It was the same for everyone by now , leveling was getting exponentially harder . A boost of 10 levels would help most pass a level threshold , not only giving them a bunch of additional attributes , but also a new skill .

That together with the awarded titles it would be like giving a tiger wings . And there were men far more scrupulous than Zac that would try to kill everything in sight .

Perhaps people would focus on finding various treasures in the beginning , but soon it would turn into a crazed battle , since killing others was a far better source for treasures than arduously searching the area . Becoming a top name on the hunter’s list would likely give a top spot on the gatherer list as well , doubling up on the rewards .

Besides , the system had even put a failsafe into place to ensure people wouldn't hide from fighting . Those who only focused on finding treasures would be forced into what seemed to be a deathmatch , where they couldn't even use their token to escape .

Another interesting point to Zac was that judging by how the calculations worked , he might have just turned into a juicy target . It was clear the system wanted to incentivize battling strong people rather than rounding up a ton of weaklings to kill .

He could only pray that greed wouldn’t go to people’s heads and that Earth would lose too many of its powerhouses . There were strong enemies waiting at the home front after they got back .

The Zhix was the largest risk in that regard . Those people were simply crazy , and if a couple of Dominators were thrown into the mix this thing could turn into a tragedy real quick . The Dominators were a large reason why he so desperately wanted to get stronger before the start of the hunt .

But with all his new power-ups he had some confidence , even if he came up to the real monsters at the top of the Zhix ladder .

Zac didn’t have time to go over the ruleset any longer , as the darkness was replaced with a blinding light , forcing Zac to close his eyes .

The moment he opened them again he found himself standing in the courtyard of a dilapidated temple that emitted an aura of solemnity and vicissitude . He was happy to see that he still carried his large knapsack , and he immediately put its content into a cosmos sack he found already fastened to his belt .

The space of the temporary Cosmos Sack was enormous , tens of times larger than even the one he looted from the Corpse Lord . It might mean that the area was just filled with treasure if the System thought everyone needed enough space to fit a mountain inside their Cosmos Sacks .

After he had stowed away his items he turned toward the temple again . It was uninhabited , but it was clear that it wasn’t simply abandoned once upon a time . A huge diagonal cut had cleanly chopped off a large part of the roofing , and even part of the cliff the temple stood on .

Judging by the state of decay it had likely been thousands of years since this place was assaulted , but Zac felt a terrifying sharpness emanate from the sword scar just by looking at it . It was clear that the battle had involved some extremely powerful people to leave such a lasting effect .

The scene wasn’t really something he had expected , and he quickly turned around to get a read on the situation . The sight that entered his eyes made Zac’s eyebrows rise in shock .

A seemingly endless number of mountains of various sizes stretched all the way to the horizon . That wasn’t the shocking thing though , but rather that all of them were filled with various grand structures . There was everything from enormous palaces residing on the top , to hanging structures that ran all along a mountainside . Some of the mountains even seemed mostly decorative , housing statues rising hundreds of meters in the air .

It was a wide array of architectural designs and level of grandeur on the thousands of buildings that he could see , but one thing was the same for all of them . They were dilapidated or had clear signs of battle scarring .

At first Zac thought he was looking upon the ruins of a lost civilization that had fallen to war . But remembering the depictions from the demons he was starting to suspect he wasn’t standing on a mountainous capital like the ancient Aztec cities .

It was more likely that this was a large Sect that had fallen due to some sort of tribulation . However , just what sort of tribulation was slightly confusing . The scar on the temple behind him indicated an attack from a cultivator , but most of the damage seemed to come from beasts .

Zac could only hope that it was a beast horde that attacked the sect . If cultivators were responsible for the fall of this faction everything of value should have already been pilfered . That very fact made it seem even more likely beasts were behind the desolation , since otherwise it would be an odd place for the System to arrange a treasure hunt .

The theory that it was a sect also made it quite easy to guess where the best valuables were . The higher status someone had , the higher up on the mountain their residence would be placed . The peaks were reserved for the elders , sect master , and true genius disciples .

Of course , knowledge of multi-verse sects wasn’t really needed to guess that fact , as the structures on the top of the mountains were clearly far more extravagant compared to the ones at the foot .

Bloody battles would likely take place at the peaks Zac surmised with a sigh . But he didn’t hurry to a peak himself , instead turning back toward the temple behind him .

He took his axe from his belt and vigilantly started walking toward the entrance .

Chapter 214 - Traps and Ladders

Only fools would rush up to the mountain peaks , becoming unwitting meat shields to try out whatever trials those places had in store . Because going by how the System operated it wouldn’t simply leave piles of wealth for anyone to grab , there likely was a trick to it .

Besides , even if he might not have the highest Luck of everyone arriving here , he should at least be in the absolute top . That he was dropped off right in front of this specific temple might mean there were some good things inside .

There wasn’t anything noteworthy to see as he walked across the small square in front of the temple , and he quickly ascended the ten steps to the real entrance . The doors were closed but a simple push opened them with a creak , giving him a clear view of the insides of the temple .

The interiors were completely barren with only two exceptions as far as he could see . There was a large painting hung on the opposite side of the temple , and a simple prayer mat that appeared to be woven by reed in front of it .

Zac got curious and after taking one last look around entered , but the moment he put his foot inside an enormous pressure descended upon his mind . The surroundings changed and he suddenly found himself on a desperate battlefield .

Any way he looked there were bloodied and muddied warriors desperately trying to kill their opponents , their eyes tinged with red in madness and bloodlust . No one cared the slightest about their own well-being , only constantly pushing forward , desperately swinging their weapons .

Zac looked down to find an axe in his hand , and suddenly an overwhelming battle lust overcame him . It was as though a god of war was beckoning him to massacre everything , to stand on top of a mountain of corpses . He wanted to bite into the opponent’s flesh and drink their blood and revel in the madness of battle .

The next second Zac grunted as the vision shattered , and he once again found himself in the empty temple . He actually hadn’t moved , and he still only stood with one foot inside the building . But his back was soaked in sweat and he was panting from the strain . There was even a trickle of blood running down his chin , as he’d apparently bit his lip .

It was an offensive illusion array . That was the only thing that Zac could guess . Luckily between Mental Fortress] and his staunch determination he quickly broke himself out of it . Otherwise he’d be a sitting duck , standing in the doorway like a fool .

He immediately regretted not having trained with Janos more . There were various ways to break out of illusions , and he had just now used the most basic one , brute force . But that would only work when his will and determination could overpower the strength of the illusion .

There were far more skilled ways to break illusions that didn’t depend on strength to such a degree . It had been on his list of things to learn in the future , but there were always a million things to do , making him forget about it .

But he knew a few basic pieces of information . The most important thing was to never lose a sense of self . The moment you forgot who you were , taking on the role of whoever the illusion provided you , then you were likely screwed .

Losing the sense of self would mean that you stopped fighting the illusion , and it would take a miracle to get out in one piece . As for breaking illusions while trapped , it was actually possible . The world that was created had so-called fault lines , or weaknesses , that one could use to break out .

How to localize them and break the loop of the illusion was an art in of itself , and not something Zac could do at the moment .

But now that he knew there could be arrays he’d be in a better position . His defensive skill was already active , but he started actively control it as he took another step inside . However , this time nothing happened , and another few steps proved that there likely only was one array as protection .

Zac looked out through the door to the vast number of buildings in the mountain ranges . Perhaps all structures had these kinds of protections put in place . If that was true the palaces might be real death traps .

A small temple in the middle of a mountain had an array that almost managed to suck him in . Just what kind of defenses would the grand structures where the elders lived have? Perhaps the treasure hunters themselves wouldn’t be the greatest danger to this hunt , but rather the arrays .

Zac put it out of his mind and slowly walked over toward the painting , keeping his mental defenses up and running all the while . However , it truly seemed that everything was safe after defeating the array at the entrance .

He soon stood in front of the mat and the painting , trying to understand their meaning . The painting was only one large character from some unknown script . It was clear that it was derived from the normal fractals , just like those of the Demons and Creators , but it was different from both of them .

The mat looked pretty cheap from first glance , but it likely was made from some high-quality material rather than normal reed . The reason was that it looked pretty much brand new , even though it should have been left here for millennia . Normal reed would have rotted away long ago .

It truly looked like it was a setup to meditate upon something . Someone would sit at this mat and stare at the painting on the wall , trying to reach new insights . After making sure there were no more traps around in the area Zac squatted down and touched the mat .

Nothing happened , making Zac sigh in relief . After hesitating for a bit he sat down on the mat , looking up at the painting . He wanted to see what whoever once sat here saw as he or she looked upon the weird character .

Zac didn’t know why , but as he stared at the exquisitely drawn painting he almost felt drawn in , but not like with an illusion . Rather that it was trying to teach him something . Zac let himself get inundated by the feeling , trying to understand the concepts that the sign contained .

However , a jarring sound broke Zac out of his reverie , and he turned around with annoyance . Outside the doorway three humans stood looking around the temple . Since there wasn’t really anything else inside the trio soon turned their gazes to Zac .

The three of them didn’t enter , but one of them took out a small book and quickly went through it .

He’s not on the list , - Zac could hear one of them say with a subdued voice .

Since the temple was completely empty the words carried over to Zac on the other side . Zac’s curiosity was somewhat piqued , as he’d never heard of any list . Perhaps someone had compiled a list of rankers with descriptions by now .

He still had the information package he bought long ago from New Washingon detailing the top of the Ishiate ladder . However , on that information missive only names were given .

Someone named Starlight was on the first spot and still held a commanding lead according to the Ishiate on the island . He or she was currently level 54 , even beating out Salvation , which was quite impressive .

If there was a more advanced copy of the ladder circulating he wouldn’t mind getting his hands on it . It wasn’t that he was afraid to encounter some of the stronger humans , but he wanted to know what the big players looked like .

It would help him out in his side-mission , creating a business monopoly with the help of Calrin . He was about to ask the trio about it , but they kept talking between themselves .

Hidden or weakling? - another muttered with a hushed tone .

No need to risk it , we’ll stay low and observe for now , - the person in the middle said .

The three nodded and made to walk out again while warily keeping their eyes on Zac . It seemed they had decided they didn’t want to fight with Zac for the meager treasures inside .

Zac wasn’t surprised . It was just the start of the Treasure Hunt , and only fools would enter fights blindly with complete strangers . The ladders would give an indicator of power within a week or two , but at the moment everything was a mystery .

But Zac truly was curious about that list , so he stood up .

Wait , - he said with a calm voice .

The three hesitated for a second and turned back toward Zac .

What? -

What list are you talking about? - Zac asked .

The Omniscient Eye’s elite list , of course , - the man said with a frown .

Omniscient Eye? - Zac asked with confusion .

This wasn’t a term he’d ever heard of before . There was an Eternal Eye high up on the ladder , and the Pavilion of Myriad Eyes , but no Omniscient Eye . But judging from the context it seemed to be an individual or organization that focused on intelligence gathering .

Why play ignorant? Is this an Empire ploy? - the man in the middle said , and the others seemed to ready themselves for battle with worry in their eyes .

The confusion in Zac’s mind only increased , until he started to have a sneaking suspicion . Without another word he flashed right in front of the trio and snatched the book still in the leftmost man’s hands .

The three seemed shocked by Zac’s speed , but they were experienced fighters , each of them unhesitantly attacking with their swords . But Zac barely registered their actions , simply swatting the swords out of their hands with a wave .

Horror appeared in their eyes , and the leader of the three unhesitantly called for a retreat . But how could it be that easy to get away from Zac when they were in melee range?

Zac flashed after them and threw all three down on the ground . But before Zac had time to react they had taken out their tokens , intending to crush it . Zac only had time to snatch the token out of the hands of the leader before the other two instantly winked out of existence .

Please , my life won’t give you many points and I haven’t collected any treasure yet . Killing me will award you nothing , - the man said with a pleading look .

I’m not going to kill you , but I need answers , - Zac said as he used Inquisitive Eye] on his captive .

Revor – Human . Level 37 – Strength]

Hunter 97 323]

Gatherer 97 323]

Revor possessed neither the attributes or the skills to block out his middling scouting skill . The man in front of him should be a pretty average trial taker , roughly the same as those from his island .

But what Zac found more interesting were the additional two lines beneath his name . The System provided additional information about ladder positions . That would soon become extremely helpful in finding juicy targets or avoid dangerous people .

The sheer number of participants was also higher than he had expected . He’d realized that the tokens weren’t quite as rare as he’d first thought after seeing the others in Port Atwood . But almost a hundred thousand participants were quite a few .

Ask me anything , anything , - the Revor quickly nodded .

First of all , do you possess an identification skill? - Zac asked .

I do , but only a basic one , - he nodded .

Use it on me and show me what it says , - Zac commanded .

He felt his bangle slightly heat up the next moment telling him that an attempt on him was blocked . But even so , a screen appeared the next moment looking identical to the two lines that detailed Revor’s ladder position . It was Zac’s own ladder position which was a few spots ahead of Revor’s .

I can’t see your name , only these two lines . I’ve never seen them before , - Revor quickly said .

Zac nodded in confirmation . It was as he’d expected . Those lines were something added by the System , and not something even a treasure from Greatest could block out . Next , he wanted to find out if his suspicions were correct .

Open up your ladder next , - Zac said .

The man looked confused , but he complied with the request , and soon two almost ladders appeared in front of them . It was the Hunter and Gatherer ladders , and Zac sighed when he saw that some already had started to accrue points on the Hunter-ladder . But this wasn’t what he was after .

But just as Zac was about to speak up Revor interrupted him .

I can see your placing again without using my skill! - he said with surprise .

Zac’s brows rose and he opened up the temporary ladders as well , and it was just as Revor said . Two lines once again appeared above him .

Hunter 97 309]

Gatherer 97 309]

The man’s placing had gone down a bit . But since he neither had killed nor found treasure it could only mean that people had died or fled the hunt in that short interval . But that wasn’t what Zac cared about .

Neither Zac’s bracelet or his Mental Fortress] skill activated in the slightest , but Revor was able to glean information about him even so . It meant that anyone would be able to spy on him without him noticing by simply opening the ladders .

Zac felt that it wasn’t great for him , but it might help save a couple of lives . It would give the weaker people a chance to avoid the more murderous powerhouses .

Not that ladder , the normal one for levels , - Zac said , refocusing on the real issue .

Of course! - the man quickly said , but his face only got more confused .

The next moment a normal ladder appeared in front of him . But just as Zac had expected , he didn’t recognize a single name on that list .

Chapter 215 - Treasures

It was as Zac suspected . The man in front of him was not from Earth . The foreign names on the ladder made that painfully clear . Another very obvious point was that there was a group of clear frontrunners in this other world . Seven of the top ten names seemed to be from the same family , with three of them even having evolved .

The fact that there were E-Grade Evolved people among the top warriors of the ladder was a bit troubling . Perhaps the Dominators weren’t the only ones he needed to be wary of .

What’s the planet you came from called? - Zac asked .

Planet? Wait… You don’t mean - ? the man said , quickly catching on .

Yes , it appears we are not from the same place . My ladder is completely different , I don’t recognize anyone on yours . -

Just my luck to be captured by an offworlder powerhouse , - the man muttered in defeat .

Zac only snorted in response . He had to admit the trio was a bit unlucky , but clearly not as bad as some others , as people were already moving up the hunter ladder by stepping over corpses .

Did your planet recently get integrated into the multiverse? - Zac asked .

Yes , around half a year ago , - the man quickly nodded .

What other races do you have on your planet apart from humans? - Zac probed .

What? - the man said , looking truly confused .

Didn’t your world get randomized with a couple of other planets with other races? - Zac asked .

Well , we got merged with another planet , but I don’t know what other races you speak of , - the man said .

Explain the forces of your planet , - Zac said .

I am from the Free states of Fyria , a part of the previous planet called Berum , - the man explained . - The the planet we got fused with is called Medhin . -

Wait , Medhin , like the ladder? - Zac asked with surprise .

Yes . Medhin is both the name of the planet and the ruling family . From what we can tell the whole planet was conquered by a country called Medhin thousands of years ago . The war took hundreds of years . Since then the same family has been the regents , - the man sighed .

Those people are lunatics . They didn’t care some God smashed our planets together , and immediately declared war on every country of Berum . They’re fanatics that have been starved for a battle for millennia , and the Medhin family are their gods . -

So who are the other three names? - Zac said .

They are the champions of Berum , and the only ones who can keep the Medhin at bay , - the man explained with reverence in his eyes .

So you’re in an all-out war in your homeworld? - Zac probed . - How do you handle that alongside the Incursions? -

Incursions? What’s that? - the man asked with confusion .

Zac blankly stared at the man for a while , until he couldn’t help but ask for clarification .

Your planet didn’t get incursions when it got integrated? Huge pillars spewing out powerful foreign invaders? -

There’s no such thing on our planet , there is no way for such a thing to be kept quiet , - the man said with a shake of his head .

This was the first time Zac heard of planets getting integrated without getting assaulted by Incursions . Perhaps launching Incursions was only one of the tools in the System’s belt . Besides , it seemed the other planet was filled with enough bloodshed to create powerhouses through a world war .

Zac kept asking various things from the man , and he dutifully explained everything . He was more than eager to spill the beans on the Medhin empire , such as their looks and estimated powers . Apparently , the Omniscient Eye was a traitor of the Medhin world , and the booklet containing the information of all the top individuals was more thorough on the Medhin side .

At the same time the captive was more fleeting in his explanations of his own homeworld , apart from the fact that they weren’t very technologically advanced , and that they consisted of multiple countries that had banded together to rebuff the Medhin Empire .

As for the Medhin family themselves , it was believed that they were low-level cultivators before their integration even started . It was this power that had made the family stand out , and allowed them to paint themselves as gods .

They had also made their whole empire search for precious treasures to further their advancements , keeping all the best things for themselves . According to Revor , all of them were not only high leveled , but also extremely strong for their levels .

Especially the Emperor himself , Nethorep Medhin , was a true monster . He’d decimated an entire army of elite cultivators by himself , leaving unscathed afterward . Luckily the free states had managed to get their hands on some War Arrays , allowing them to keep the Medhin at bay .

But it looked bleak for them , and they were desperately hoping that this hunt would provide them with the means to turn the situation around . Zac felt bad for the people , but it honestly wasn't his business . He wasn't sure he'd ever meet these off-worlders again .

A final request . Walk inside the temple , - Zac said .

The man looked confused , but he complied . However , after taking a first step inside he stopped . In just seconds he was shaking , sweat running down his back . He was stuck in the array . Zac observed for a bit longer until he grabbed the man and pulled him back out .

Revor’s eyes were red-rimmed and he breathed heavily , but he was freed from the illusion when Zac moved him .

What just happened? - he panted .

Illusion arrays . I suspect most places are protected by them , - Zac explained .

For now , that was all the information Zac needed . The Medhin seemed strong , but he was confident in himself . His weak point was that he wasn’t a cultivator , so he couldn’t boost the power of his attacks with a cultivation method . However , he more than made up for it in the sheer amount of attributes .

It was also nice to see that the arrays weren’t broken as soon as he walked inside . Everyone would have to pass the trial to enter the premises of the various palaces . Since the man had answered everything he needed to know Zac simply decided to hand back the token to him . Zac felt no need to get a few paltry points from the man by killing him .

Can I ask you? From your world , are there people who are able to kill the Medhin royals? - Revor suddenly asked as he held the token in his hands .

Yes , a few , - Zac said after some hesitation . - Wait , are you leaving? -

Our meeting was a wake-up call . I am not strong enough to play in these muddied waters . This time I survived , but I fear the next person I meet will not be so benevolent . Good luck , I hope you kill a few of the Royals , - the man said with hope on his face before he disappeared .

Zac quietly looked at the empty spot where Revor just stood . He felt that the man-made a sensible choice . People like him would have a high chance of becoming fodder unless they hid in places were the powerhouses didn't deign to go . Most would likely kill people like him , even if the points awarded weren't great .

Zac himself was still a bit unsure how he would go about gaining a placement on the Hunter Ladder . He was reluctant to go on a killing spree just to increase his points .

But soon he decided upon a path . For anyone he encountered , he’d demand their treasures . This was a treasure hunt after all , and it was the Gatherer ladder that provided the most important rewards ; the Titles . He needed to be a bit ruthless , and while he wasn't okay with wanton murder he could live with some highway robbery .

If people complied they would go their own way afterward and find new treasure for themselves . If they tried to attack him , Zac wouldn’t show mercy .

For the point ladder he would simply hunt the hunters . Anyone high on the hunter list should both be strong enough to provide a good amount of points while also being a murderous lunatic . Hunting these people would have multiple positive effects .

First , it would cut away the competition for the rewards . If he killed everyone above him on the ladder he would be the winner . Secondly , it would save a lot of innocent people’s lives to remove those kinds of people from the equation .

Finally , it was the best way to get more treasure . The Top hunters should all be teeming with wealth after a week or two .

After having decided on his path he walked back into the temple . This time he wasn’t assaulted by any array as he passed through the entrance , making him believe that the arrays had likely been modified somehow by the System . As long as he passed it once , the array wouldn’t attack him again .

He walked over to the mat and grabbed it to put it into his Cosmos Sack , but gave a start when he looked beneath it . To his surprise , there was a golden crystal hidden in a groove beneath the ratty mat , fitted perfectly inside .

He quickly picked it up and infused it with some energy . A screen quickly appeared , looking like a book cover with intricate design . The crystal wasn’t a skill crystal , but rather a compendium of knowledge .

As for the subject , it was declared in the title . Luckily for Zac the crystal worked the same way as the information missives from the pavilion , having automatic translation features .

Eastern Trigram Sect – Formation Ledger , Beginner Compendium]

As Zac looked through the compendium he was getting more and more astounded . This was what considered a beginner compendium? The crystal held almost an endless amount of information , from very simple concepts to very esoteric knowledge .

Learning everything inside the crystal would likely give anyone an extremely robust foundation if one wanted to become a formation master , either as a main Class or as a side profession .

It might not be something Zac had the time to properly peruse at the moment , but it would be a great addition to his town . The knowledge of formations was essentially nil among his people , and if he could nurture a proper formation master he would save a fortune .

Not only would the formation master be able to create new formations , saving Zac the cost of buying them , but any formation actively managed by a formation master would see a great increase in power and efficiency .

Zac quickly put the crystal inside his Pouch and opened up the Gatherer Ladder . As Zac expected he jumped from the bottom all the way up to spot 180 . The crystal was obviously a great treasure . But it also proved that others weren’t just sitting around .

Such a great find didn’t even place him in the top hundred . Next , he put the mat inside and noted with some surprise he rose another 48 spots from that addition . Finally , he detached the large painting from the wall and rolled it up .

The painting itself wasn’t considered very valuable by the system , only increasing his ranking by one . But he still kept it as he was curious about that odd feeling earlier before he was interrupted Going by the hidden crystal the painting might help to give insights into array formations . Finally , he wanted to take away the protective illusion array as well , but no matter how he looked he couldn’t find any array flags .

He even ripped off a couple of the wooden planks on the floor to look beneath the temple , but there was simply nothing there . His only guess was that the array was somehow engraved in the structure itself , rather than being controlled by array flags . Unless it was the System who put it in place for the hunt .

Since he was done with the temple he headed outside , pondering on his next move . First , he took out his Automatic Map , but to his disappointment , it only showed the various mountains . He had hoped that it would name the various palaces to guide him toward the more suitable targets , but maybe the map was too low graded .

Since his current mountain was as good as any he started running up toward the peak . A month was a long time , but the area was just enormous . Even if he only slept an hour a day he would only be able to check out part of the area . There was no time to waste .

As he ran he briefly considered whether he should change his face to stay under the radar , but in the end he decided against it . He felt no need to keep a low profile any longer . If someone had a problem with him he’d deal with it one way or another . Besides , with everyone being able to see the Ladder placements of others there was no point in trying to hide .

A sudden rustle in the bushes made Zac look over , only to see a black shape rapidly closing in on him .

Chapter 216 - Appeasing the Spirit

Zac unhesitantly punched out , and a pained yelp escaped from the beast that tried to ambush him .

The next moment the edge of an axe fell down , cutting the animal’s head clean off . Zac stopped to look down at the thing he just killed . He had to say it looked quite a bit like a rat , but one as big as a horse . Its legs were also slightly longer , and its tail was a short stub , and finally its black fur was so thick and stiff that it almost looked like quills rather than hair .

Everything happened so quickly that Zac didn’t have time to use his investigative skill on it , but if it truly was a rat there would likely be a lot more of them . But judging by the amount of cosmic energy he received it wasn’t very strong , perhaps somewhere around level 40 . Most trial takers shouldn’t have much trouble with this thing .

Next Zac opened up the ladders once again as he walked toward the beast . He threw the carcass of the rat-beast inside his pouch but soon dumped the body by the side of the path once again . He wanted to test out whether there was any value in the carcass , but since he didn’t move a single spot from it he deemed it mostly worthless .

Judging from the mangy fur and nasty smell the meat wouldn’t be serviceable either , and Zac would rather just eat the boring fasting pills than this thing . But he was still quite happy with the results .

While killing the beast hadn’t helped his Gatherer rank , it did help with his Hunter rank since it jumped up a couple of thousand spots . That meant that killing other trial takers wasn’t the only method to try for the top rewards on the point ladder , which was great news for Zac .

Because if there was one thing he was good at , it was the wholesale slaughter of beasts .

Zac kept going up along the mountain paths , keeping an eye out for other trial takers or beasts . As he ascended the mountain he noticed that the cosmic energy was gradually improving the further up he got .

It wasn’t surprising that the elite would build their residences at the spots with the most energy , but he wondered why the mountain worked like this . His own mountain was different since the valley was the place with the most concentrated energy there . Perhaps massive arrays were placed inside the mountains to redirect the energies toward the top .

Disappointingly enough he only encountered three more beasts , which were simply called Mountain Rats according to his skill , in thirty minutes of travel . It made him wonder if his plan of gaining points from animals was a no-go . There simply was to few of them to go have any significant impact on the ladder .

He also started to suspect that something was odd about this mountain . Most of the mountains he could see from looking around were filled with structures and caves , but he was almost at the top and he hadn’t seen a single building since the small temple .

He hoped it was because the past owner of the mountain was a real big shot who could keep most of the mountain for himself , rather than it being a trash mountain no one had bothered with for some reason .

Finally , he found himself at the crest of the mountain , and had to take a moment to look at the scene with awe . It was completely flat like someone had cleanly cut the whole tip off in a mighty swing of a sword . He could see it was the same with many of the other peaks , but it still was extremely impressive this up close .

Most of the summit was empty , and only occupied by a large beautiful square , and Zac couldn’t help but feel some wonder as he stepped on the enormous tiles . Each of the tiles was over three meters across and gave off a shimmering luster . It looked as though they were made by pristine marble , but golden veins ran across them .

More importantly , it felt as though they somehow cleansed the area with a soothing aura . Zac suddenly got an idea and pressed down his axe between two tiles . With a twist he managed to lift it up , and to his surprise the tile weighed almost as much as a car . He immediately threw the flooring into his pouch .

His ranking didn’t change from the tile , but he didn’t care about that . He had found a great material to renovate the surroundings of his Dao Repository .

Since they were going to undergo the Inheritance trails pretty soon he really needed to appease the tool spirit . He couldn’t risk Brazla throwing a wrench in his and Ogras’ plans because he wasn’t happy about his view . This flooring would be perfect to surround the Repository with , and they weren’t very hard to yank out of the ground .

Zac set about dismantling the entire square , gaining speed with every tile ripped loose . In just thirty minutes half of the flooring was dismantled , and he was closing in on the core of the summit .

In the center of the square , a small-sized palace was placed . He still hadn’t gotten close to it as he was saving it for later . Instead , he methodically slammed his axe into the ground once again and put away the tile after yanking it loose .

The tiles were starting to have an effect , as he’d gained two spots from harvesting them . That might not sound like much , but he’d spent half an hour on them , and many others should have found treasures themselves during that time .

That he not only kept his spot but even advanced proved that these tiles were more than just beautiful . Unfortunately , he wasn’t able to detile the whole summit before voices reached his ears . Not long after a group of ten walked up together , warily looking around .

Zac frowned when he saw them as he immediately opened up the ladders . The group was in the bottom of the barrel when it came to treasure , but two of them were higher on the hunter list than he was , meaning they’d likely killed a few people on the way up here .

All of them wore the same type of clothes , and it was pretty clear they were from some army . However , since the design of the clothes was foreign to him these people were likely from the other planet .

Enemy ahead , - a lanky man said as soon as he spotted Zac who was in the middle of retrieving another tile .

What the hell? He’s stealing the floor? - one of the men immediately burst out , eliciting guffaws from a few of the soldiers .

Check his ladder! Those tiles must be worth a fortune! - another man suddenly shouted , and the others quickly turned deadly serious as they looked upon him .

A burly man , who appeared to be their leader judging by his slightly more elaborate getup , took a step toward Zac .

Hand over your Cosmos Sack , and we’ll let you leave with your life , - he curtly said .

Zac’s brows rose a bit . It appeared these people felt there was safety in numbers , especially when his hunter ranking was so low .

I’ll say the same to you . Leave your sacks and piss off this mountain , - Zac retorted as stashed another tile .

Fourth formation , - the leader grunted , and the squad was clearly ready for that command .

All of them immediately started to radiate a respectable amount of power , which was all focused on the leader who had taken out two swords . Zac looked on with interest because if he wasn’t wrong they were utilizing a War Array . The only other explanation was that all of the others were somehow support Classes .

The veins of the leader started to bulge , and the air around him vibrated by the huge infusion of power . Clearly his strength had gone up a couple of tiers from the infusion . The others stood rooted in place , not making any moves against Zac .

Two thirds of the people seemed to be continuously infusing their leader with power , whereas the last third erected a dense shield around everyone besides the leader . Zac had to admit that it was a pretty good setup . The largest problem with wars was the huge disparity in power between people , where one powerhouse could decimate thousands of warriors .

But the other planet had already found the solution to this . They made their strongest person far stronger , and Zac would have to guess that the effect was far better than his own Hatchetman’s Rage .

He briefly wondered just how powerful he would become if he got a squad of demon soldiers to empower him in the same way . It would be quite the scene . But Zac didn’t have time to dream any longer as the leader was upon him with surprising speed , his two swords already aiming to cut him in two .

The soldier didn’t want to use any time it appeared , and the skill he used contained an extreme amount of force . Both swords shone in a sinister light , but Zac couldn’t figure out just what type of element it contained .

At first , he was about to clash with the attack with his axe , but at the last moment changed his mind and desperately scrambled out of the way . It wasn’t due to fear he’d lose from the exchange , but rather fear that the shockwave might damage the tiles around him .

The swords were already following him , aiming to stab him in his back , but he flashed away with Loamwalker] , arriving in front of the turtling soldiers . He slammed down his axe with a little bit of power to test its strength and was impressed with how sturdy it was .

He wasn’t interested in entertaining these people any longer though , and the next strike contained both his Dao of Heaviness and his full force . The shield immediately cracked , which clearly hurt the defenders as they staggered and even coughed out some blood .

The next moment all of them were dead , as a lightning-quick Chop] had killed them before they had the time to take out their talismans or erect new defenses . He was surprised to see that the sacks on the bodies automatically turned into streams of light that went into his pouch . However , he didn’t have time to check it out , as there was one more of them .

Zac turned around to see the leader unhesitantly crush his token , but Zac flashed in front of him and with a Sharpness-empowered strike cleanly killed him as well .

It was a bit odd . The first two Zac saw escape with the tokens immediately disappeared , whereas Revor and this leader took a moment before they were whisked away .

The System wasn’t very benevolent , and it thrived on conflict . He already felt it noteworthy that it allowed escaping at all . That it would add some hidden caveats felt natural , and Zac was starting to believe that it might have to do with either the ladders or wealth .

The higher one was on the ladder the longer it would take to escape . That way the weaklings might be able to escape , but the stronger people would be stuck in life-and-death battles to a higher degree . Perhaps it would take himself minutes to disappear due to his attribute or accumulated wealth , making it useless in battle .

He was also curious to see how the system dealt with kills that happened during the seconds after the tokens were crushed but they still hadn’t disappeared . Soon he got the answer . The decapitated corpse disappeared , but the Cosmos Sack went into his own pouch instead .

After some hesitation he threw the bodies into his pouch as well before resuming his detiling . In another fifteen minutes the square was picked clean , and he instead focused his attention to the palace in the center of the summit .

He stopped some ways from the entrance and took out one of the bodies from before and unceremoniously chucked it over the decorative wall towards the inner area of the courtyard . However , nothing happened as the corpse thumped down on the ground .

Zac still activated his Mental Fortress] to the max , and after some deliberation he added Nature’s Barrier] as well . All arrays weren’t necessarily mental attacks . The crystal he found contained all sorts of arrays , including pure murder formations that summoned all kinds of horrifying attacks .

He warily stepped toward the vaulted gates his eyes darting back and forth , looking for any signs of danger .

Chapter 217 - Ransacking

Just as he took his first step inside the building his danger sense sparked to life . To Zac’s surprise it actually came from behind , rather than from something inside the palace . He stood completely frozen , and a second later a dagger appeared out of nowhere .

It headed straight toward his neck through a brief crack in the defensive wall of the whirling leaves around him . But he was already ready for the attack and quickly moved his head out of the way and simultaneously grabbed the hand holding the weapon .

The next moment he held the rogue who tried to sneak attack him by his neck , and it was actually an Ishiate . Zac frowned a bit over what to do with the beastman draped in black . He was on a good foot with both camps of the beastmen , but that didn’t mean that he was going to allow people who tried to kill him to roam free .

The Ishiate was trying to say something , but Zac ignored him as he walked inward , holding his captive as a shield . So far there had been no arrays activating , but he didn’t believe that a summit palace would have no protections at all .

He passed the inner courtyard , that seemed to have once been a garden but now was only covered in windswept weeds and twisted trees . As he walked the Ishiate tried to wrest himself free with desperate effort , but a slap on the back of his head rendered him unconscious .

Soon Zac stood in front of the main doors into the proper structure , and he used the unconscious beastman to push the door open . It was a bit callous to use him as a human shield , but the man did try to kill him after all .

Nothing happened as the huge door swung open , but he saw there was a mostly translucent shimmer in the air inside . Something was fishy about it , so Zac splashed some water in the face of the assassin until he woke up , and then unceremoniously threw him inside .

The Ishiate quickly regained his senses , and gracefully twisted in the air to land with his feet down , but the moment he touched the ground it was as though the air itself combusted , causing an inferno to erupt around him .

The assassin screamed and tried to run out again , likely forgetting about the token in his muddled state . Zac waited at the door and struck him dead the moment he came within reach . Next Zac took out one of the soldier corpses and threw it inside as well since he still saw that odd shimmer in the air .

This time nothing happened and the corpse lay in the hall unassailed . Perhaps the arrays were smart enough to not expend their energy on people who were already dead , meaning collecting bodies to test the waters might be useless .

Judging by the half-burned state of the assassin it was a purely offensive array that protected the entrance . Zac was even less worried about those than the mental arrays though , and unhesitantly stepped inside as he infused some of his Dao of Trees into the leaves whirling around him .

A large reason he once chose Nature’s Barrier] before heading to the Dead Zone was that it gained power based on his Endurance , which meant that the skill had received a huge upgrade in the past weeks . The leaves were far sturdier compared to before , and Zac believed not even the dangerous sniper rifles would be able to get through them any longer .

Just like when the Ishiate was thrown inside an inferno erupted around him the moment he took his first step inside , but the leaves staved off most of the flames before they could reach him . Some of it still snuck past though , but between his flame-proof robes and his high Endurance it only stung a bit .

Zac kept walking through the flames for a few seconds . He didn’t dare to run since his visibility was practically zero , and there might be more arrays superimposed on the first one . But soon the flames winked out of existence , leaving Zac slightly toasty but otherwise fine .

He found himself in a large hall , but unfortunately there were no piles of wealth lying around . In fact , the whole place felt very austere , with only a couple of paintings similar to the one from the temple adorning the walls . A central staircase stood right in front of him , lined with crystals that gave off a soft glow .

Zac pondered whether to walk up the stairs or head down to some subterranean basement but quickly chose to walk to a higher floor . If this was a medieval castle there might be a treasury at the bottom floor , but with arrays and Cosmic Sacks , it felt more likely the best treasures would be in the owner’s quarters .

After trying a few doors upstairs he found the one that should lead to the private area of the owner of the mansion , but the moment he walked through it felt like he was slammed in the head with a hammer . He only saw white until he finally came to again , and after taking a glance at his watch he was shocked to see that he’d been out of it for over 10 minutes .

He was hit with something like a mental concussion attack , and he was lucky he was alone inside the palace . It was a great lesson for him , no place was safe . He once again entered the room , and this time he wasn’t attacked .

The room was quite sparse , housing only a desk and some decorative paintings and crystals . He sensed that the crystals in the walls were probably Divine Crystals , but unfortunately the arrays that kept this place going had exhausted pretty much all energy inside them , making them worthless .

He walked over to the chest and found there was a token and a sack on it . The token looked a lot like the depiction of the placements of some array , and it was the same as the design he saw on the front of the Array Crystal he looted earlier .

Zac suspected it was the logo for the Eastern Trigram Sect , and that the sect actually focused on arrays . Either that or this specific mountain housed people who focused on arrays . He picked up the token and imbued some energy into it , and found it was an identification token for an elder .

After a brief hesitation he fastened it to his belt . Perhaps some of the automatic defensive features in the mountains wouldn’t harass him if he had this token . Next he eagerly grabbed the Cosmos sack , but it also turned into a stream of light and entered his temporary sacks .

He touched his sack to check out the contents . Most of the space occupied was the huge tiles currently , and they were neatly ordered in a corner . There were also assortments of low-grade weapons with some basic equipment like tents and bandages , and Zac guessed that was the things from the sacks he had stolen so far .

There was also another corner that was filled with a respectable pile of Nexus Crystals and a few crystals . They actually looked like skill crystals , and he took one out . But as soon as he tried to glance at its contents he was blocked .

It was as though the information was protected by a password , or rather a riddle . He received a stream of information that essentially told him that he needed to gain a certain understanding of arrays in order to get past the protection . It was something like the trials that they would have Brazla perform to gain access to the Repository skills in the future .

There were also a couple of normal notepads and vials with pills inside . Finally , there was a densely inscribed metal ball inside , and Zac curiously took it out . The moment he held it in his hand he couldn't help grunting because he was barely able to hold on to it . It was extremely heavy , making it feel like he was carrying one of those stones for strongman competitions . That was saying something with his monstrous attributes , and Zac figured it must be made from some Spiritual Grade metals .

He had no idea what it was , and it provided no information for it either . After looking it over he put it back . For all he knew it could be a bomb , and he didn’t want to carry it in his arms . Zac looked through all drawers on the desk afterward but found nothing interesting besides a large feather that might have been used as a pencil before .

There was also a door that led to an inner room , and after stripping the paintings from the wall he walked inside . It was a meditation chamber with a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding mountains . There was also a similar mat as the one he had already taken , and he quickly snatched that one as well . Unfortunately , there were no hidden treasures beneath it as with the other one .

He was about to head back but some change in the periphery of his vision made him curiously look over . Something was happening on another mountain . A huge fire had flashed into existence in an instance , spreading over a hundred meters . Zac could even hear the explosion two mountains over .

Looked like someone with pretty decent power was flexing his or her muscles . As Zac was looking more closely at the mountains he actually saw a little bit of movement here and there . Things were really kicking into motion , filling Zac with some eagerness to move on to the next place .

Zac scoured the palace for anything else of value , but he couldn’t find it . He did find some exquisite furniture in a dining room though , and unceremoniously threw everything inside the pouch . There was no need to be discerning with the gargantuan space inside , and anything that caught his eye went into the sack .

Since he was done he exited the same way he came , but to his surprise two people stood outside carefully looking at the entrance . However , when they saw Zac emerging their brows rose and they quickly used some sort of escape skill without hesitation , making Zac unable to guess where they went .

Zac tried to figure out their tracks for a bit , but that wasn’t his strong suit . Instead , he headed down the mountain in the opposite direction from the one he came from . If that duo wanted to they were welcome to follow so that he could loot their pouches as well .

The direction Zac walked was partly chosen due to not wanting double-track , but also that one of the mountains in this direction looked caught his eyes earlier . It was extremely steep , with a modest mansion on top . The thing that drew his attention though was the hidden hanging fields that seemed to be cut inside the mountain itself , and apparently only accessible from the palace above .

He couldn’t really tell from the distance , but it truly looked like fields made for growing Spiritual herbs . Perhaps the fields were holding untold treasures since Spiritual Herbs generally grew stronger the higher their age was . Herbs that had absorbed Cosmic Energy for thousands of years would each be worth a fortune , and he couldn’t stop a creepy smile from appearing on his face as he thought about looting a whole field of them .

That very smile seemed to have an astounding effect since he ran into a young girl who was furtively climbing toward the peak he just left . The moment he saw Zac with his grin she flinched in fright , and unhesitantly crushed the token in her hands .

Zac didn’t even have time to react before the girl winked out of existence . Her sudden disappearance made Zac more certain about his hypothesis that the delay was dependent on power or wealth , as the girl seemed to be a real weakling , to the point she actually walked with her token in hand .

As he descended the mountain there wasn’t really anything really worth noting . There was another temple at the mid-way point , but it was reduced to only rubble . Zac briefly tried to look through the ruins for some more treasure , but the hanging gardens were beckoning him , and he quickly gave up the idea of a proper excavation .

Finally , after a mad dash he found himself at the foot of the mountain , and to his delight it was teeming with beasts . He saw tens of the black rats frenziedly rip apart the carcass of a large bear , and the next moment he was attacked by a pack of wolves .

It was as though the crevices between the mountains were made out of natural barriers of beasts . Unless one had decent power or a larger group it would be suicide to try to change mountain to explore . Seeing this many targets for grinding his ladder position he wanted to just go on a rampage , but he stopped himself .

Getting a high position on the Hunter ladder this early wasn't necessarily a good thing . People would run for the hills if they spotted him , making it harder for him to liberate people from their cosmos sacks . Instead , his eyes turned up toward the gardens that were no longer visible from this vantage .

Zac had his axe in his hand and greed in his eyes , so a corridor of carnage was quickly carved toward the neighboring mountain .

Chapter 218 - Alchemist's Mountain

Zac was almost at the crest of the mountain housing the Alchemist Palace , as he’d named the mansion due to what he hoped to find inside .

He’d entered a couple of buildings on the way up , but he hadn’t found much of value apart from a few minor pills and Crystals . After having visited a couple of buildings it was pretty clear that a correlation between the power of the defenses and how high up on a mountain it was located .

He could essentially burst through the ones close to the foot of the mountain without even activating his defenses . But these domiciles were either for servants or low disciples and it wasn’t really worth the time for Zac to enter . But from somewhere at the mid he needed to activate at least Mental Fortress] to avoid any mishaps .

As for the pure physical traps he could pretty much tank them with his body , though it hurt more the higher up he went . Endurance was already his highest attribute by now , and it clearly showed as he shrugged off everything from bolts to fireballs as he crashed through the buildings .

He also robbed a trio of cultivators from the other world who went down the mountain with disappointment afterward . Interestingly enough new sacks spawned on their belts just a few seconds after they were robbed of their original ones .

However , after seeing that he only caught some basic necessities and nothing of value he decided to reevaluate his tactics . At least , for now , he’d check the ladders before robbing people . It was true that many a little makes a mickle , but there was no point to rob a bunch of tents and sleeping bags .

The mountain he was currently scaling was far more cultivated compared to the last one , and Zac was currently running up along one of the multiple sets of stairs that all seemed to be leading to the top . He also hadn’t encountered a single animal since passing the half-way point , likely because there was no vegetation from that point .

At first , he was a bit worried about the lack of fauna , but then he remembered how it looked like around his Tree of Ascension . Due to its high energy requirements it killed and absorbed all life in the vicinity . Perhaps the hanging gardens were doing the same and had long ago killed off all other life on the mountain .

Zac was filled with excitement as he closed in on the crest , but a huge shockwave from above stopped him in his tracks . Someone was fighting up above , and the power they displayed wasn’t a joke .

He frowned and slowly walked up , careful to not make any loud sounds . The cosmic energies in the air surged as he walked up the last sets of stairs , and not long after a rumble shook the whole mountain .

Zac’s axe was already in his hands as he looked over the edge , and the sight made Zac frown . Over a hundred people were actually on the mountain , almost all of them decked in the familiar attire of the Medhin Empire . Most were sitting down as if in meditation , and the only exceptions were three people .

One of them was a young man with an arrogant demeanor who was decked in a golden robe . He stood unblemished in front of the sitting army , and it was clear they were using a War Array to empower him as he glowed with power . It also looked like he had a large blue circle tattooed in his forehead .

The other two weren’t as well off . One of them might be dead , lying motionlessly on the ground in a pool of his own blood . Above him stood a woman who was bleeding quite heavily as well , but clearly wasn’t ready to give up yet .

What was more surprising was that Zac actually recognized the two . It was Thea Marshall and the shield-bearing bodyguard who had accompanied her and Henry Marshall to the Auction a month ago . When he realized who the two were his eyes couldn’t help once again turn to the young man who seemed to have defeated them without much of a problem .

For a second he pondered whether he should retreat , but after a bit he took the final steps up the stairs with a sigh . He couldn’t let the third ranker and one of the main combatants against the Incursions die here . It might cause the whole Marshall clan to collapse , and they were only other main force he could partner with at the moment , what with the tense situation with the New World Government .

The young man threw a glance at Zac when he appeared , but he clearly discounted him as a non-threat . Instead , he summoned what appeared to be a tornado of wild energies in his hand and pointed it toward Thea . It flashed in a few colors and reminded Zac of the horn of the Star Ox . However , this jumble of energies seemed to have mainly light blue and brown energies , compared to the rainbow of the beast horn .

Thea’s eyes thinned and she grabbed the body of the bodyguard and made to retreat , but a huge fractal appeared above her , somehow rooting her in place . Zac couldn't sense anything apart from the chaotic swirl from the man and guessed that it was something created by the army .

You can’t just leave after your words , woman , - the man said with a sneer . - The punishment for rejecting the divine invitation is death . -

The next moment he pushed the chaotic jumble of energies forward , and it trembled with power as it closed in on her . Zac saw no option so he used Loamwalker] to flash in front of her , and covered the trio with his defensive skill as he launched a Dao-Infused Chop] at the incoming attack .

The two strikes clashed with a tremendous explosion , and Zac was barely able to keep himself from getting pushed off the mountain as he was blanketed by the wild energies that ripped through his leaves . Thea and the bodyguard were better off as Zac soaked most of the damage , and she confusedly looked up at his broad back .

Thea’s eyes widened in shock when she saw who it was , but they quickly refocused on their enemy .

Why are you here? You need to leave , those soldiers are empowering that man to crazy levels , - she frantically whispered , blood running down her mouth .

I know , - Zac said with a shrug as he turned back toward the man who finally had turned his eyes toward him .

Who are you? The punishment for interfering in my divine judgment is death , - he angrily said as he charged up another chaotic jumble in his hands .

Zac only snorted in response as he tried to use Inquisitive Eye] on his enemy . Unfortunately it failed , apart from showing the man's standing on the ladder . And this person was actually on the fourteenth spot on the Hunter Ladder . This man was clearly a rabid animal from his ranking and attitude . Anyone that high up must have started killing people from the get-go , rather than hunting for treasures .

Now that Zac had the time to properly look at the attack he felt somewhat certain it was a mix of two Daos , mainly something related to wind and something earth-related , which explained the colors . Perhaps the mixing of Daos representing gaseous and solid matter was making the resulting attack extremely unstable , turning it into a bomb .

I’m guessing you’re one of the Medhin? - Zac said as he cracked his neck . - Leave your Cosmos Sack and crush your token , and I’ll allow you to leave . -

The young man blankly stared for a few seconds until he started to wildly laugh . Meanwhile , the soldiers behind him started to radiate an unrestrained killing intent that could almost match Zac’s own . These people truly seemed to be fanatics judging by how angry they became from Zac’s comment .

Allow me to leave? My will is the divine will , only the Great Lord can tell me what to do , - he said , infusing his skill with far more power .

However , by now Zac had managed to infuse all the Cosmic Energy he needed into his forearm , and the space above the young man shattered .

Shield! - one of the captains immediately roared , and a thick golden glow enveloped the young man before the wooden hand even had time to emerge half-way .

But the young royal wasn’t the target of the hand as it emerged with lightning speed and slammed down right in the middle of the sitting army . They had a sturdy shield as well , but it wasn’t enough to block Nature’s Punishment] infused with the Dao of Heaviness .

A tremendous sound echoed out from the mountain , and it almost seemed the gargantuan hand would crack the summit in two . Over two-thirds of the soldiers were turned into meat paste from the attack , and most of the others were wounded or dying from the shockwave .

You! - the young man roared in anger , but before he had time to react Zac was upon him with determination in his eyes .

Lord Tyrbat! - one of the soldiers shouted and once again tried to start up the infusion of power .

But suddenly his throat was cut right open and he started to bleed out with widened eyes . The same scene happened amongst most of the living soldiers , and they fell one by one .

Meanwhile Zac swung his axe down imbued with the Dao of Sharpness , the edge aiming straight for the young man’s head . Madness was evident in Tyrbat’s eyes , and he redirected the attack he'd charged up to intercept Zac's strike .

Zac’s swing was like a flash of lightning , cutting straight through the attack , releasing torrential energies all over him . Zac activated a defensive charge from his robe the last second and the axe kept going straight down . But Tyrbat had excellent reflexes and nimbly dodged , displaying great speed even without the help of the War Array .

Zac didn't want to relent though and immediately followed up with another strike . Unfortunately one of the rings on the man's hands lit up and a shield activated that actually managed to block Zac's strike . Meanwhile Tyrbat took out a radiant sphere from his Cosmos Sack .

The ball's glow quickly increased in intensity , reminding Zac of the Lightning Punishment Arrays he still had in his possession . Zac didn't want to let his enemy let this thing go off and desperately tried to swing at the man . But once again a second ring on his hands lit up , creating another impenetrable shield . Meanwhile , a brown shimmer covered the whole body of the Medhin royal .

The next moment the ball exploded , and Zac pushed backward to avoid the blast zone , but his face still got singed by the heat . The next moment another much louder explosion erupted behind him , and he turned around to see that the royal had appeared right between Thea and her downed bodyguard , wildly laughing .

Something had detonated the moment he arrived as he stood in the middle of a crater , but he himself was unhurt . The brown shimmer around him was likely another defensive measure to protect himself while he let the bomb explode right in his hands . It was an extremely effective tactic , as the other two were far worse off than Zac . If the bodyguard wasn’t dead before , he surely was now , as half of his body was blasted into nothingness .

Thea was still alive , though she barely managed to stay conscious . Judging by the less damaged floor beneath her feet she had used some defensive skill or talisman to mitigate the effect of the attack . But clearly it was only partly effective since her wounds had gotten much more serious .

Zac grunted and set off again with Loamwalker] keeping his eyes peeled for any treasure Tyrbat took out . The man was trying to kill them with his massive wealth it looked like , and he couldn't let this go on . He swung his axe horizontally , once again imbuing it with the Dao of Sharpness . A bracelet on the man’s hands flashed into life once again , and he briefly turned translucent , letting the blade cut right through him .

However , Zac was ready with a follow up as he threw a staggered punch empowered with Heaviness right at the man’s face . The effect of the ring was limited , and luckily enough it ran out just before the fist reached his head . A tremendous punch hit the man straight in his temple , slamming him straight down into the ground with enough force to make the ground shake .

Normally his head should have been splattered all over the ground , but somehow he was still conscious , though barely . Zac wouldn’t stop here , and chopped down with finality .

IMPOSSIBLE! - the man screamed as torrential amounts of cosmic energy gathered around him .

But Zac had seen so many last-ditch attacks by now that he didn’t even flinch , and with a resounding slam decapitated the young royal . Zac checked his ladder as he was inundated with energy from the kill , and wasn’t too surprised to see that he had risen considerably in rankings , actually reaching top 10 on the Hunter ladder .

He briefly wondered what troubles would come from killing one of the top rankers of the other world . The soldier had called him Lord Tyrbat , and Zac remembered he held the 9th spot at the ladder , being level 69 .

He was likely one of the weaker family members of the Medhin family , but he was still a dangerous opponent . Not necessarily through his own power , but through his army and his treasures . If Zac hadn’t been able to kill off most of the soldiers boosting Tyrbat it would likely have been a far tougher fight .

The fact that one of the royals possessed a private army to empower them meant that it was likely the same with the others . In the beginning he thought that only the Dominators and perhaps the emperors would pose a threat , but perhaps that wasn’t the whole picture .

A wet cough refocused Zac’s attention to Thea who was arduously getting up to a sitting position . Zac threw a last glance at the dead royal before heading over to her . She warily frowned when she saw his approach , but relaxed when she saw him take out a vial .

A top-grade healing pill , - Zac said and threw it over .

Thea hesitated a bit before she caught the vial and took out a pill . She swallowed it after looking it over , nodding toward Zac .

Thank you , - she simply said as she closed her eyes to focus on recuperation .

Chapter 219 - Alliance

Zac surveyed the battlefield and finally walked over to the corpse of the Medhin member . He was still decked in all kinds of expensive-looking rings and amulets , and Zac unceremoniously threw the body into his sack so that he could look over them later .

He already knew from before that the Medhin had monopolized all the best stuff from their empire , and the power of the rings proved that the man’s equipment might be even better than Zac’s own .

Next , he walked through the whole army , looking at each and everyone for anything that could be of value . Only the things inside the sacks were transferred over automatically upon a kill , but not the things on their bodies . But it seemed there wasn't really anything of interest .

Finally , he walked over to the downed bodyguard . A large part of his torso was completely ripped off , leaving a gristly wound as he blankly stared up at the sky . Zac sighed and bent down to close his eyes , before turning his attention to the shield that lay not too far from him .

It was a different one from the shield he saw this man wear at the auction , and it was clearly of high quality . It was slightly dented but otherwise in good condition . That was saying something because Zac had felt the power of the strikes even when he was down on the stairs . It wasn’t the shield that failed , but the user's endurance was simply insufficient to bear the power of Tyrbat .

He walked over to the shield and lifted it up , and found it was extremely heavy , making it feel like he was holding a huge boulder . It was also quite large , covering everything from his head down to his knees when he held it up . He could also see that it had a string of fractals that ran all over the inside of it .

It might not be a Spiritual Tool like he wanted , but it was far superior to anything he possessed at the moment and would have no problem surviving through the quest to block 5 000 attacks . Unfortunately he’d found out that he couldn’t advance the quests in his human form . Otherwise he could have finished it by running down the mountain to the beasts for a couple of hours .

It turned out that his class quests only were active while he actually had his class , so he would need to turn back into an undead before working on them . However , that posed a bit of a problem at the moment .

It was far easier to turn back to a human for Zac at the moment since Miasma was both the source of life and fighting strength for an undead . It was different for a Human though . Expending all his Cosmic Energy wouldn’t have any other effect than completely exhausting him and making him a bit nauseated .

He had a theory that he might be able to turn back into an undead by bleeding himself out since that should empty him of all his vitality . But he wasn’t in the mood to try that out unless at back at home with someone to watch over him . Also , there might be other restrictions in place , such as how often he could turn .

However , even though the shield would be useful to him he didn’t put it in his bag . It belonged to the Marshall clan , and the man lying next to him had sacrificed his life to protect Thea from an attack . Perhaps she would be unwilling to hand it over .

Just take it , - Thea suddenly said without opening her eyes , making Zac’s brows rise .

Was the woman a psychic? His eyes slightly thinned and he looked over to the girl calmly sitting ten meters away from him . In response , she opened her eyes and leveled her piercing blue stare toward him .

You were stomping around like a rhino , I heard what you were doing , - she calmly said added before closing her eyes again .

Zac didn’t comment , but simply put the shield into his bag . Since he'd looted the battlefield it was time for Zac to go over the spoils , so he focused his attention on his Cosmos Sack .

When he looked inside he was shocked to see the amount of stuff inside . There was a huge tent along with all kinds of foods and delicacies , and an enormous amount of pelts and pillows . The army must each have taken a part of the camp with them to bring it all , as not even Zac himself could carry that much stuff .

Just how did these people find each other so quickly? - Zac muttered to himself .

They just needed to touch when they got teleported and they’d end up at the same place . The tutorial pixies told everyone that , have you forgotten? - Thea said in response without opening her eyes .

Well , I didn’t go to the tutorial , so no one told me , - Zac said with a shrug .

What? You’re a mortal? - she said , her eyes opening in shock . - Then why are you so strong? -

Lucky , I guess , - Zac muttered as he gazed upon the palace at the other side of the summit .

It was both larger and in better shape compared to the palace he entered on the last mountain , which might hint that the protections in place were superior as well . He could only hope that it was somehow calibrated to a reasonable strength . Otherwise he would have to scale the mountain somehow to reach the hidden gardens .

But he had a strong feeling there were protections in place against that in place , which is why he went up the mountain the normal way in the first place . He wouldn't do any mountain climbing unless he had to . But suddenly he was dragged out of his thoughts as he noticed Thea was glaring at him with red eyes .

Uh , are you okay? - Zac hesitantly said , afraid that she wanted her shield back .

Every day , - said with a hollow voice . - Every day I’ve fought with my life on the line , one battle after another . Just so that I can protect my family and humanity . But I couldn’t even save John . Instead , he had to sacrifice himself to keep me alive . -

Zac didn’t know what to say and only looked at Thea with some sadness in his eyes . He knew just how it was to feel powerless . Every day the first month on the island he’d spent sleepless nights being overcome with despair , not knowing whether he’d ever get off the island alive , or whether his family was alive .

Meanwhile you just keep getting stronger , increasing the distance between yourself and the rest of us . We thought you might have gained a top grade cultivation manual from the tutorial , as that was the only thing that could explain it . But it turns out you’re not even a cultivator , - she said as she looked up at him with tears of frustration pooling in her eyes .

Zac coughed , a bit uncomfortable from the intensity of the stare . To avoid it he walked around to her back and placed his hand on her shoulder . She immediately tensed up and shot a glare at him in response .

I have the Dao of Trees , and it has healing properties . It will speed up the process with absorbing the pill , - he explained as he infused the Dao into her through his hand .

After feeling that nothing was amiss with the energies she relaxed again and refocused on healing . The silence felt a bit uncomfortable after her outburst so he started to talk about what came to his mind .

When the integration happened I was camping with my girlfriend and three others , but it turned out all four of them were cultivators . The patch of forest we were in got moved , placing me alone on a remote island together with an Incursion . That Incursion was both a curse and blessing . It made my life a living hell , but closing it also gave me a bunch of advantages , - Zac explained as he kept infusing her with the Dao of Trees .

You singlehandedly closed an incursion? - she asked with shock and couldn’t help to glance back at him .

Well , after their leaders were dead the rest decided to leave , - Zac said with a shrug , not bothering to explain the details .

Thea thoughtfully looked down , before once again closing her eyes to focus on recuperation . Zac helped speed up the healing process for roughly ten minutes before she opened her eyes again .

…Thank you . For saving me , - she said with some difficulty on her face before she got to her feet with some effort . - Ok , let's go . -

What? - Zac said with confusion .

I’ll have to inconvenience you for a bit while I heal , - she said as matter of fact .

Zac mutely stared at her , his eyes not able to stop darting toward the palace a couple of times . Bringing a seriously wounded person along would greatly impact his gathering speed . There was also the issue that he might have to bear the blunt of the defensive arrays activating twice .

Thea clearly understood what he was thinking about since a sharp aura started to radiate out from her .

You’re thinking I’ll be a nuisance , - she said with some anger building . - I might be hurt but I was still able to finish off all the soldiers you missed . Besides , I have many useful skills . -

I mean you almost died just now . Perhaps going back to recuperate might be a better idea? - Zac hesitantly said . - Earth is full of opportunities and strong enemies to fight as well . Going back like this isn’t the worst . -

And miss out on the free levels and titles? - she said , her anger reaching a crescendo . - Fine , you don’t need to waste your precious time , just go on ahead without me . -

All right , all right , - Zac sighed . - Let’s just go . There’s a hidden garden in the back of that palace . I think it might contain aged Spiritual Herbs . We might find something that will help heal you faster as well . -

Thea’s eyes lit up at the mention of Spiritual Herbs , and Zac could understand the reaction . Even though the System was flooding Earth with Cosmic Energy there were very few proper herbs still around . Furthermore , those that were growing were still extremely young and not too potent . It was one of the areas that Earth was lacking the most at the moment .

Since they were done here Zac started walking toward the palace , but after some hesitation he ran back and brought the identifiable corpses as well . At first he planned to leave them as a warning that this mountain was occupied in case anyone else arrived , but it might actually backfire and attract one of the stronger Medhin royals .

Since he was accompanied by Thea who was still in very bad shape even after eating a top grade pill he had to lower his speed , giving Zac the opportunity to ask some questions .

So you know that I fight with axes . I’m not really good at things other than hitting things and getting hit , - he said , eliciting a small smile from his new companion . - What kind of class do you have? -

Thea hesitated for a bit before answering .

I guess you could say my class is a mix of a ranger and assassin . I mainly focus on battle as well , but I have some investigative skills , - she said .

Zac nodded , not being too surprised . He and Ogras already suspected she was some sort of assassin class after she managed to cut the demon’s throat without either of the two really seeing what happened .

Stay close to me when we enter the palace , the arrays will probably be pretty dangerous , - Zac said as he activated his defensive skill preemptively .

I don’t need you to protect me , - she replied with a huff , but she still moved slightly closer as they approached the entrance .

As soon as Zac pushed open the door he was met with a wall of earthy smells from a wide variety of herbs and fauna . It felt as though every pore in his body was revitalized just from breathing , and his eyes lit up in excitement . There were good things in this palace for sure .

He was about to step inside to test the waters , but a hand grabbed his arm .

What are you doing? Are you just entering? - Thea asked like she was looking at a fool .

Well , yeah? What’s your idea? - Zac asked .

He’d already ascertained that it wasn’t possible to test the arrays with corpses , and he didn’t believe Thea was an array expert .

Just wait for a second , - she said as her eyes closed .

The next moment a chromatic field appeared in front of them . Zac looked over to Thea with confusion and noted she had paled a bit .

It’s a poison array . Breathing isn’t necessary to get poisoned , it will be able to enter through our pores , - she said with a frown .

Zac glanced over with surprise . It seemed she had a really handy skill for scouting things out . But since he knew it was a poison array he wasn’t too worried . He took out a vial of black pills whose smell made his nose-hair curl up .

What the hell? Is that feces? - Thea said with wide eyes , taking a few steps away .

Zac only shook his head and swallowed one of the pills with a grimace .

Chapter 220 - Jackpot

Thea looked at him aghast , seemingly not able to comprehend what was happening .

It’s an antidote pill , - Zac said as he paled a bit . - Or rather a poison pill that blocks other poisons . Kind of fight fire with fire . Do you need one? -

It was something he’d gotten after Alea poisoned him . It wasn’t specifically to protect against her , but he felt he needed some precautions . He’d been poisoned without even noticing it , and there wasn’t much he could do about it after the fact .

Unfortunately , pills that gave immunity to most poisons were extremely expensive . What he swallowed instead was actually a mild poison . It gave similar effects to food poisoning , but that wasn’t why he took it .

The poison also had the effect that it blocked up his pores , essentially stopping most poison to enter through the air or touch . It was a much cheaper alternative to the antidotes and a popular addition to most wandering cultivator’s survival kits .

I’d rather get poisoned than eat that , - Thea said with disgust , instead taking out a hazmat suit .

Zac looked upon it with interest . It looked like it was made before the integration , but someone had added rudimentary inscriptions to it . It was clear that the Marhsall Clan hadn’t been idle , but rather making inroads in all sorts of things .

Prototype Hazmat suit , - Thea said with some pride after seeing Zac’s gaze . - The fractals protect against tears and makes the material even less porous . It stops most particles from passing through . It was made by our research department not long ago . -

Pretty impressive , - Zac muttered as he tried to ignore his churning stomach .

He didn’t want to stay any longer and walked right into the array after taking a deep breath . Due to whatever Thea did with her skill it was extremely clear where the array started and where it stopped . However , something unexpected happened after the two were in the middle of the array .

A tremendous pressure descended upon them , actually forcing Zac down on his knees . Thea was far worse off and immediately was pushed down prone on the ground . There was another hidden array that she had missed .

Its effect was exactly the same as his Gravity array back at the academy , but its effect was supercharged . It was so bad that Thea was barely able to breathe , only able to take in shallow breaths . It was a simple but effective combination . A poison that could kill any trespassers , and a gravity array to keep the trespassers inside the poison until they had to breath .

Zac arduously got back on his feet , the veins in his head almost popping from the strain . The ground cracked under his weight , and it felt like he was carrying a mountain just by standing up . He slowly walked over to the prone Thea , who helplessly looked up .

Zac bent down with a grunt , but he was actually unable to lift her . He had enough problems keeping himself up , and it was just impossible to add the weight of another to the tally . The extreme exertion from standing inside the gravity array was also quickly depleting his oxygen , and he was already feeling the need to breathe .

Zac shook his head and quickly walked back outside , all the while feeling the burning gaze of Thea . He quickly released his breath and took a new mouthful of air as he looked around before activating Hatchetman’s Fury] .

He hadn’t expected to need to use his boost skill for something like this , but there wasn’t much to do about it . He would just have to lay low for a bit afterward . Violent impulses started to emerge in his mind as he gained a considerable boost in power , but he forcefully pushed them down .

He took another deep breath of air and walked inside the arrays once again . This time he had no problem to walk since he’d gained almost 100 additional strength from the activation of the skill . It even looked like the poisonous air was pushed away by the power billowing out from his body .

He soon found Thea again , who hesitantly held her token in her hand while still stuck to the ground . But when she saw Zac reappear her eyes slightly widened and she put away the token once again . Zac didn’t comment , but only went down and lifted her up from the ground with a grunt .

He hurriedly walked further inside the temple , but it was clear that this array was far thicker than the one he passed on the other mountain . Some nervousness started to build as the seconds passed . If he was still inside the array when the buff ran out he might be in trouble since he wouldn’t be able to move due to the period of weakness .

However , luckily his fears were unfounded as he finally felt the huge pressure lift , almost making him fall over . Zac let Thea down and she plopped down on the ground and panted heavily . Zac couldn’t really see through the hazmat suit , but he couldn’t imagine being put through so much pressure could be good for her wounds .

Are you okay? - he hesitantly asked .

I’ll be fine , - Thea said . - Thank you for coming back . -

It’s fine , I just needed to take a new breath , - Zac answered , but immediately after he paled and coughed a couple of times .

Are you poisoned? - Thea asked with worry as she stood up .

No , I’m fine . I just overextended myself a bit , - Zac said with a sigh as he took out a normal healing pill .

The pills helped somewhat with the aftereffects from Hatchetman’s Rage] , but in the end it was limited since he wasn’t hurt , but rather expended . However , it was better than nothing , and Zac wanted to stay in as good shape as possible even if he needed to waste some resources .

Besides , it helped alleviate the effects of the poison pill , which might be equally important since he wasn’t in the mood to poop his pants in front of a girl .

Thea looked at him with somewhat of a frown , but she didn’t comment as she took off her Hazmat suit . Zac looked around while she was busy , and he finally noticed they had entered what looked like paradise .

It felt like they were inside one of some botanical gardens , with a wide variety of fantastical plants and flowers . The courtyard was an explosion of color and smells , almost enough to dizzy the senses . However , Zac could conclude after a brief look that these flowers weren’t Spiritual Herbs , but rather mortal flora .

He’d somewhat expected an alchemist or poison master to have high-grade flowers for decorations , but perhaps it was bad for the Cosmic Energy density . In any case , it was a beautiful scene , and Zac and Thea leisurely walked along the path toward the building proper .

Zac felt it was a bit confusing why the garden looked so pristine . It was the complete opposite to the run-down temples of the first mountain . He realized he’d just assumed that there would be no native people around due to how everything looked when he first arrived , but what if that wasn’t the case?

They might very well have just barged in on some poison master’s private property . Zac started to get a sinking feeling as he warily looked around , trying to rouse his weakened body . A sudden rustle made Zac unhesitantly activate Nature’s Barrier] , startling Thea into a defensive posture as well .

A second later they saw a figure slowly approach them . However , it’s appearance was a bit unexpected , making Zac slightly lower his guard . It was a run-down golem that was currently carrying a bucket of water and a pair of shears .

Hello? Do you live here? - Zac hesitantly asked .

However , the golem completely ignored the two until it sat down some distance from them and started tending a hedge . Zac and Thea observed it for a bit longer and tried various means to communicate with it . However , the golem completely ignored them while it tended to its task with great meticulousness .

I don’t think it’s sapient , - Thea hesitantly said after they had observed its actions for a bit longer .

Might be like a servant robot or something? - Zac agreed . - That would explain why the place still looks nice . -

Yeah , but that might mean there are guard robots as well , - Thea said with a frown . - Are you in condition to fight? -

Not at full force for the time being , - Zac admitted . - But as long as any defenders aren’t past early E-Grade I’ll be able to handle it . -

Monster , - Thea muttered in annoyance .

Even though there were golems working in the garden they didn’t stop . The enticement of ancient Spiritual Herbs was just too big to ignore . Luckily they were completely unaccosted as they walked into the palace , with the golems actually bowing and moving out of the way as they passed .

The insides were well-tended as well , with well-oiled furniture and potted flowers creating a cozy atmosphere . Zac’s fingers started to itch when he saw all the high-quality furniture and decorations . But next his eyes hesitantly switched to a golem that was currently sweeping the floor .

Do you think the golems would care if I took the furniture? - Zac said .

The furniture? Why would you want that? - Thea asked with confusion . - When John and I checked the last mountain they barely had any value . -

Well , I still haven’t decorated my place , - Zac said , drawing a raised brow from Thea . - I mean I’ve been busy with closing incursions and stuff . -

I don’t think it’s worth risking getting hounded by a bunch of robots so that you can get a new ottoman for your guest room , - Thea said with a shake of her head .

I’ll just pick them up on the way out , - Zac muttered under his breath . - Rich people don’t know how to be thrifty . -

Robbing someone’s home is being thrifty? - Thea snorted . - And last time I checked you’ve been in the first spot of the Wealth ladder since day one , no matter how much you spent at the Auction . We know for a fact that Thomas Fischer held over 100 million Nexus coins for a brief moment , but even that wasn’t enough to overtake you . -

Zac looked over surprised . One hundred million coins weren’t peanuts , and it was pretty impressive that the Government Leader managed to get a hold of that much .

How do you know that? - Zac asked curiously .

Spies and having people keeping constant watch of the ladders , - Thea said with a shrug as she walked through a doorway into a large dining area . - The government mapped out everyone's wealth by increasing Thomas’ wealth incrementally a few days after the Auction . Of course , you’re an exception since they couldn’t pass your wealth . -

That’s a pretty smart idea , - Zac said with praise .

It doesn’t work with factions like my family or a few of the other independent established forces . We spread out our Nexus Coins , apart from Grandpa who decided to put himself at the top ten of the Wealth ladder as a show of strength , - Thea added she looked around for any hidden compartments or treasures .

Wait , another array , - Thea suddenly said as she stopped in front of a nondescript door .

Zac curiously walked over , trying to gain any insight from what might be inside from the door , but it truly looked just like any other door in this place . They had opened a few of them and most were just guest rooms or even empty .

Can you see what type? - Zac asked as he looked at it .

Pure defensive shield , we need to find the weak spots in order to- - Thea started explaining , but was interrupted by Zac punching the shield with enough force to kill an elephant , causing some tremors in the building .

The array cracked like a mirror , giving the two access to the room within .

You fool , what if you alert all the golems? - Thea said as she agitatedly looked around , the air around her humming .

Zac noticed the odd phenomenon and remembered his and Ogras' discussions about Thea's weapon . There was likely some sort of daggers swiveling around her at all times , providing both offense and defense at any time . It was worth remembering , as that meant he could be attacked at moment's notice , though Zac doubted Thea would do something like that from their interactions .

It worked didn’t it? - Zac said with a small smile and pushed open the door .

However , he didn’t step inside , and instead only looked at the room with a gaping mouth . Thea walked up next to him and her face soon mirrored his own .

Jackpot! -

Chapter 221 - Public Enemy Number One

Zac had called the palace the Alchemist Palace in his mind , and this room was a final confirmation that he’d been right on the money . It was clear that they had found an alchemist’s workshop .

Thick bundles of herbs were hanging from the roof , and they were likely the cause of the thick scent in the room . Unfortunately they looked completely dried out , and it was unclear whether there was any medicinal efficacy left in them . Along the walls were a few tables fulls of scrolls and crystals , perhaps containing recipes or experiment notes . There were also vials all over the place , from on shelves to strewn on the ground .

However , the clearest indicator that this truly was an alchemist’s workshop was the large lidded cauldron in the middle of the room . It was half a meter high and circular , had four stout legs that lifted it a few decimeters up in the air , and there were intricate engravings covering the whole thing from top to bottom .

Cauldrons were used by an overwhelming majority of all alchemists when producing pills , and many were even more expensive than Spiritual Tools . Zac had heard of a few master alchemists who didn't need them any longer and were able to form pills by only using their Cosmic Energy and skills , but these masters were an extremely small minority . Besides , even if those people could concoct pills without a cauldron they would probably still use it for their more important crafts .

The purpose of cauldrons was to make the pill-making process easier and could contain all sorts of inscriptions for this purpose . They could improve heat control , gather Cosmic Energy to infuse into the pills , or just have all kinds of measures to stabilize the highly volatile process of extracting the useful components from herbs .

The cauldron looked quite extravagant , but Zac didn’t have the knowledge to appraise it . He immediately wanted to step inside , but suddenly stopped and hesitantly looked over at Thea .

How do we decide the split? - Zac asked .

Unless they reached an accord their cooperation would quickly crumble .

You saved my life , so I won’t take anything from this mountain , - Thea said , not seeming to care the slightest about the loss of treasure . - If we find something that will help me heal I’d like it though . -

You sure? - Zac said , not being able to help to become slightly suspicious . - You really don’t want anything from all this? -

It’s just the first day , there are so many mountains to loot . Losing out on one isn’t the end , - Thea said as she threw Zac a look of disdain . - Paranoia isn’t a good look , by the way . -

Zac scratched his chin a bit embarrassed . Ogras and the recent events had indeed made him a bit more paranoid . But after being stabbed by both a Janos impersonator and his ex he felt a healthy amount of paranoia was a bit warranted . You never knew when a dagger was coming for you , and he might not be lucky and turn into his Draugr form next time .

But he also knew that Thea had a stellar reputation . From what he’d gathered during his travels he learned she was known as a lone warrior who didn’t play politics . She only focused on getting stronger and defeating the foreign invaders , which garnered a lot of respect in Kingsbury .

Of course , that was just the public image . There were so many hypocrites in the world who worked hard to keep a certain appearance to the public when they were snakes in reality . However , Zac didn’t get that impression from the girl next to him and felt that the public perception was pretty close to reality .

He didn’t have any good response to what she said and instead quickly walked inside the workshop . The room had an extremely dense smell of herbs and pills , making Zac wonder just how many pills had been created in this small room .

He wasted no time and went through the room like a hurricane . Zac left nothing behind , not even the empty vials . Even the tables and bookshelves went into the sack , making Zac smile in glee . Only when he’d swept everything apart from the Cauldron into his pouch did he stop and check his ladder position .

From looting a hundred corpses outside and the workshop Zac had jumped up all the way to the 27th spot on the gatherer ladder . It wasn’t actually as high as he’d expected since this was the second summit palace he looted . It looked like many others had caught lucky breaks .

Next , he put the Cauldron into his sack , and he was shocked to see that he jumped all the way to the 5th position . It was clear that the cauldron was a true treasure in the eyes of the system , likely above anything he’d found so far . He couldn’t help but look over at Thea , who only calmly looked at him wearing his money-crazed grin .

Looks like the Cauldron was a good thing . The Marshall clan would like to buy it at a later date if you find no use for it , - she said with an even voice .

I’ll keep it in mind , - Zac said .

He currently didn’t have anyone that focused on alchemy back home , but perhaps that was only a matter of time . People with side professions would likely pop up sooner or later on his island . From what he understood some people started to focus on other things apart from their class at higher grades .

It became increasingly arduous to level up , and gaining all the levels in the E-Grade Class was expected to take a couple of decades . And even after that there was the extremely difficult bottleneck of reaching the D-Grade Class that could keep people stuck for hundreds of years or the rest of their lives .

If one only focused on the same Daos or breaking through the bottleneck you’d go crazy over time , so people found other pursuits to relax their minds or gain new inspirations . Sometimes those hobbies became such a large part of their lives that they actually changed over from being a warrior to focusing on things such as arrays or blacksmithing instead .

The two kept looking through every nook and cranny of the house , but they couldn’t find anything else of value inside . Thea even used some sort of scouting skill to look for hidden passages or arrays that might indicate spots with value , but she couldn’t find anything .

Finally they went out the back , that also had a beautiful garden . Zac couldn’t help but look over at the golem who was raking a path , wondering if he should try throwing them into his pouch as well . It would be great to have a couple of these things on his compound to beautify and maintain the place without him having to worry about spies or assassins among them .

Soon they reached the edge of the garden , and behind it was an almost completely vertical cliff . Zac could see the mountain he started at from this vantage , meaning that the garden he saw cut into the mountain should be right below him .

He started to scrutinize the cliff , even peering over it to find any method to get down there . But the wall was completely sheer , not providing any opportunities to get down . The only method he could think of was to use a couple of weapons to create footholds as he traversed the mountain down . But even with his monstrous attributes he was a bit leery about that idea .

What are you doing? - Thea asked curiously after seeing his antics for a while .

I started on that mountain over there , - Zac pointed . - I saw there was a hidden garden cut into the mountain itself . I suspect the good things are kept there . But I can’t find any way down , so I’m thinking of cutting footholds into the mountain to get down . -

Well , there might not be any path down if the original owner was a D-Grade Alchemist . They can fly with the help of Cosmic Energy , after all , - Thea said after mulling it over .

What , really? All of them? - Zac said looking back at Thea with excitement .

Well , yeah , from what the Tutorial pixies inferred at least , - Thea said with a nod . - They used it as an enticement to get stronger and take the more difficult trials . Some classes might gain skills on E-Grade that could help them fly as well , but that usually expends energy very quickly . -

That’s pretty cool , - Zac commented , before resuming scrutinizing the wall .

Wait , over there , - Thea said , pointing at a large tree .

What? - Zac asked with confusion after looking over .

It looked normal and was the same as a couple of similar ones they’d seen in the back yard .

Something is odd about it , but I can’t put my finger on it , - she said after some hesitation .

Zac had some faith in Thea’s scouting abilities by now and immediately walked over to the tree . He hesitated for a second before he touched it , but he didn’t feel anything odd about it . He’d first thought that it might be an illusion array or fake tree , but he knew he was touching real bark .

The leaves! - Thea suddenly exclaimed . - Why are the leaves already falling on this tree? The leaves on the other trees had just started to turn red . Besides , why is it so close to the edge? Shouldn’t the ground beneath us be solid stone? Otherwise , the cliff would collapse . -

Zac looked up , and it was true . The tree truly differed from the others in that sense . It was an odd mystery , but it didn’t really help him in finding a way down to the garden . Zac had an idea though and closed his eyes while keeping contact with the tree .

Only seconds later his eyes opened with surprise . It was truly a tree , but it was actually hollow . It appeared the owner had somehow grown a hidden pathway inside the tree itself , but that caused it to not be as healthy as the other trees in the mansion . He jumped up a couple of meters and looked inside , and actually found a hidden staircase leading down into the darkness .

There are stairs leading down , - Zac said with excitement as he peered down at the waiting Thea .

This was like a real-life treasure hunt , and Zac couldn’t help but forget the cruel battles that would take place over the coming month . This was something that many kids would dream of finding while playing in the woods . A magical staircase inside a tree leading to hidden treasure .

I’ll stay here and recuperate , - Thea said as she sat down under the tree .

Zac was a bit surprised and looked down at her , and finally noticed she was noticeably paler compared to before , and she had deep rings under her eyes . The excitement of finding treasure had made him forget she almost died an hour ago , and she was far from healed . But even then she hadn't complained and even expended Cosmic Energy to look for hidden spaces .

Okay , I’ll be back soon , - Zac said as he walked inside the staircase with some shame . Hopefully , he'd find something down in the gardens that could help with her condition .

The hidden path was pitch black and cramped , and Zac missed the foothold only after a couple of steps .

SHIT! - he screamed as he tumbled down the stairs until he managed to grab hold of the wall .

Are you okay? - He heard from above and looked up to see Thea peering inside the trunk .

I just missed the steps , don’t worry . Talk to you later , - Zac said with some embarrassment and hurried down .

Soon he found himself at the bottom of the staircase , and it clearly led out to the hidden garden . But he hesitated whether he should just exit . In a very short time he’d grown accustomed Thea’s observational skills , and was a bit leery to just brute force it .

But soon he regained his courage as he smelled the extremely intoxicating herbal aroma coming from the garden outside . He grit his teeth and exited , his defensive skills working to their fullest . But he breathed out when nothing happened , and he could get a proper look on the garden for the first time .

He realized it would be more appropriate to call it fields rather than gardens , as the area was clearly demarked into four Zones growing three different kinds of Spiritual Herbs . There likely had once been four , but one of the fields was completely barren .

Interestingly enough the soil in all four of them differed as well , and when he walked through the fields it was as though he was transported to various topographies . The first field had pitch-black soil with a hint of blue , and it grew something that looked like bamboo .

The bamboo poles weren’t actually that tall , only reaching roughly five meters in height . But they weren’t green like those on earth , and instead had a light blue color . More importantly , they emitted an intensely cold aura , and his hand was actually getting frostbite just after touching one for a few seconds .

He pondered a bit on what to do as he looked at the trees before taking out his axe . The correct handling of Spiritual Herbs was an art , and some herbs could lose much of its efficacy by incorrect harvesting . But he didn’t really have any options apart from doing it as carefully and quickly as possible .

One by one he cut the bamboo trunks down and immediately put them into his pouch before they had the chance to leak any energy , and in just 10 minutes the whole field was harvested . He even rounded op most of the soil and threw it inside as well , since it seemed to be a big part of why the small area felt like a glacier .

Like this Zac covered the whole hidden garden like a locust , and when he was done only four pits remained . Zac looked around for any more hidden passages , but it appeared this was it . But he wasn’t dissatisfied with the returns , just the opposite .

He’d soared all the way to the first spot on the Gatherer list , and in a sense became public enemy number one .

Chapter 222 - Herbs and Pills

The other fields held very different types of herbs compared to the first one . The second field he harvested felt blazing hot like he stood in the middle of a desert or on the edge of a volcano . The herb growing there looked like a small bush that grew up to three intensely red fruits .

The third field had dirt that was far heavier than lead , and it took some effort to dig out the odd brown roots from within the ground . But when he managed to extract them they emitted strong energies that reminded Zac of the Divine Crystals , though they seemed more vibrant somehow .

If he had to make a comparison of the two , then the life-attuned energy in the Divine Crystals felt more synthetic , whereas the energy from the root vegetables felt like a genuine article . It was similar to his Lotus Seed , though these roots didn’t seem quite as good .

The last field , and the empty one , seemed to once have been a paddy . But there was a crack in the mountain that had created an outlet for the water inside , making the paddy dry out . Perhaps when calamity struck this sect the events inadvertently ruined this field through shockwaves .

Another possibility was that the area was prone to earthquakes . He’d noticed a jagged scar in the ground from the first summit . It didn’t look like something that was made from an attack , like the swing of the axe-man in his vision , but rather the movement of a tectonic plate . Perhaps an earthquake had erupted that was strong enough to crack these reinforced mountains .

For the last field , he simply took all the dried mud that lay in the bottom of the paddy , hoping that there would be some dormant seeds inside that could be used to regrow whatever once grew there . It was pretty clear to Zac that the field was based on four different elements , Fire , Ice , Earth , and water .

Why these four specifically Zac didn’t know , but if he had to guess the four herbs could combine to a good pill . He didn’t think the previous owner of this place would go to the trouble to create four distinct fields and grow the herbs together if they weren’t supposed to get mixed into something .

That was the biggest reason he took all the dried mud . He was currently missing one of the ingredients , and whatever the alchemist of this mountain had planned probably needed all four of them .

He was no expert in Spiritual Herbs , but after sensing the energies they contained he would say that each of them was a Top Grade E-Ranked Spirit Herb . Or perhaps they were just extremely high quality Normal E-Ranked herbs that were overflowing with energy due to being left alone for so long .

It made him think of the Mystic Realm back at Port Atwood . If things could grow this spectacular over a couple of thousand of years , who knew what grew inside a pocket of space that might have been isolated for millions of years .

But while the herbs were great , in the end , they couldn’t compare to things like the Lotus of Harmony . That thing was D-Graded , and it felt like it was on a completely other level compared to these things he just harvested .

The fact that he was boosted to the top of the gatherer list also was an indicator that the herbs likely weren’t just F-Graded . As he walked up the cramped steps to the summit again he looked through the ladder to check what else was going on .

There were a few other notable names on the Gatherer Ladder . Emperor Nenothep was on the third spot , and there was another of their family , Repubat Medhin , in the top ten . The second spot actually belonged to his world as well , as Starlight held that position .

The fourth position was held by the top champion who resisted the Medhin Empire , Beruv Ylvas . The last names on the top ten ladder were completely unknown to Zac , making him believe they were simply random people who had gotten lucky and gotten their hands on something great .

The Hunter ladder , in turn , was quite different compared to the gatherer list at the moment , but Zac suspected that they would harmonize soon enough .

Killing people didn’t bring in a lot of loot at the moment , but that would change after a week or two after people had visited more mountains . But some clearly was actively striving to push themselves on the Hunter ladder , and unfortunately , he saw a name he recognized in the top three ; Inevitability .

He had hoped that the System would limit the event to F-grade people , barring the Dominators from entering . That would likely have made him the strongest person inside . But seeing both the Emperor and Inevitability on their respective ladders showed that was just a pipe dream .

Apart from Inevitability , he recognized another of the three strongest Dominators in the top five amongst the hunters , an Anointed who called himself Harbinger . Fortunately , the top name amongst the Dominators , Void’s Disciple , wasn’t on the list . Perhaps that meant only two of the top 3 names were present at the hunt , which would be a small blessing .

In fact , he two suspected Dominators weren’t the only Zhix on the Hunter list , as Zac saw that a good half of the top ten were Zhix going by their names . Of course , a few of them could be Medhin Empire champions , since their names were slightly similar .

That the Zhix would be more interested in killing things than looking through various old ruins for things they considered to be corrupted wasn’t much of a surprise to Zac . The problem was how to figure out who were Dominators and who were just battle-crazed insectoids .

Besides , it made sense that the Dominators were more interested in the Hunter ladder compared to the Gatherer ladder at the moment . They were probably the strongest fighters around , and could simply rob others of their treasures later .

But gaining ten levels for the two Dominators was a huge perk . The only good news about the dominators was that they didn’t gain any levels while Zac kept improving . Inevitability had only gained one level since the ladders were made public , and the other two hadn’t moved at all .

Gaining ten levels in one move would save them years of cultivation .

Another familiar name on the Hunter list was Salvation , clocking in on the 7th spot . Salvation was still shrouded in mystery , and apart from the rumors that Salvation was the one who controlled The Cradle of God nothing was known about him or her .

Congratulations on reaching the top placement , - Thea succinctly said when Zac finally emerged from the tree . - Quite a few people will probably target you now . -

Nothing new , - Zac said with a shrug as he took out one of the hard root-like vegetables . - This was the only thing I found that might help against wounds . -

Thea caught the hard vegetable and scrutinized it for a bit .

It looks a bit like ginseng . It isn’t poisonous , but I don’t know how to eat it . It’s even harder than a rock , - she mumbled .

Perhaps boil it? - Zac ventured .

Take a break for dinner? - Thea agreed .

This place is as good as any . Shouldn’t be too many who can pass that combination of arrays to get here , - Zac said .

Thea nodded as she took out a couple of crystals and a pot . The crystals were the same ones he’d seen the Imp Herald use to create a fire , but it wasn’t something Zac himself used very often . He was a bit lazy so he usually ate dried meat instead to save time .

Wait , - Zac said as he took out the cauldron he snagged earlier . - Perhaps we can cook the root in this instead? Don’t most cauldrons contain inscriptions that stop the energies from escaping? -

You want to use an expensive cauldron to boil a magical root? - Thea said , mouth curving slightly upwards . - If an alchemist hears about it he will be enraged . -

Hey , as long as it works , - Zac said and opened the lid to the cauldron to pour some water inside .

But to his surprise , an enormous gust of energies blasted him right in his face , and Zac absorbed a huge amount of energies in an instant , to the point that it felt like his body would explode . The energies not only canceled out the tired state from using Hatchetman’s Rage] but even made him gain a level .

Zac almost blanked out from being drowned in the medicinal gust , but he noticed a quick movement of something escaping from the cauldron and snatched it up with lightning-quick movement . It was a small purple pill that tried to fly away by itself somehow , making Zac gape in surprise .

It’s a Pill with spirituality , - Thea said with shock . - It might actually be the pill that increased your ranking rather than the Cauldron . -

Spiritual Pill? - Zac curiously asked as he put the feisty pill into one of the best vials he found in the workshop .

The same pill can have multiple grades . For example , in the tutorial we would be given Constitution Pills] that would push us toward race evolutions . But depending on how hard missions we undertook there were different ranks , from Low Grade to Peak grade . The better ones held fewer contaminants and stronger effects , - Thea explained .

As for Spiritual Pills , they’re a tier above Peak Grade Pills . They’re the equivalent of a Blacksmith creating a Spiritual Tool . Its efficacy is far better than normal pills , but Alchemists can only concoct them when the stars align so to speak , - she continued .

Zac looked at the pill that seemed to have calmed down inside the vial . The cloud from earlier was likely just a small taste of the real effect . The fact that just some run-off not only healed him but made him level up was astounding , and he was tempted to swallow the actual pill .

But he forcefully stopped himself , instead deciding to wait for Calrin to take a look at it . The shop keeper had multiple compendiums detailing all kinds of treasures , both natural and man-made , to never miss out on treasures . Perhaps the Sky Gnome could find out what it was .

How do you know all these things? - Zac suddenly asked as he looked up from the pill . - From what I know I should be the only one with direct access to people with direct knowledge of the multiverse , like the shop owner I brought with me to the Auction . -

Thea hesitated a bit before she explained .

I received a Library as a quest reward not long ago . It contains thousands and thousands of crystals detailing all kinds of things . Unfortunately , it doesn’t have cultivation manuals or skills , only knowledge . It does have a few interesting expositions about the fundamentals of Dao from various strong people of the multiverse though , - Thea said .

Her explanation was a good reminder that he wasn’t the only one who had gained limited structures on earth . If he could get a Creator Shipyard and a Dao Repository it wasn’t too surprising that other powerhouses could get other things .

It wouldn’t be surprising if the world government and Salvation also had obtained hidden structures that empowered their factions . The fact she got that building might also be an indicator she had either closed an incursion or become a Lord recently , as those were the ways that Zac got his buildings . But he didn't want to dig into those things at the moment .

Sounds like a good thing to have , - Zac simply said as he prepared the Cauldron to be used as a pot .

Soon a fire was burning beneath it with a boiling root inside , but the cauldron didn’t release the slightest heat or Cosmic Energy from above . It showed that all the energies from the ginseng were contained inside , not able to escape .

Do you have any opinions on where to go next? - Zac said as he observed the cauldron .

Thea unhesitantly pointed at a certain mountain to the east in response .

That one , - she said .

How did you decide that quickly? - Zac asked surprised .

I removed the two mountains we came from and chose the remaining close one with the largest castle , - Thea explained as she kept her eyes on the cauldron as hell . - This residence was much bigger than the one on the mountain I started at , and the rewards were far greater as well . -

Zac nodded in agreement , as he had experienced the same thing .

Others will quickly realize the same thing , - Zac said . - We might be in for pretty tough battles at those places . -

Well , we’re both top rankers , there are not many who would be a threat , - Thea said .

The dominators are here though , - Zac said with a shake of his head and told her what he’d learned from Ibtep since the Auction .

Both are around level 100 and at the top of the Hunter ladder? - Thea said with a frown . - Do you think they are hunting beasts or people? -

Anything that moves , but I think they should probably stay down between the mountains , there are fewer things to kill up at the summits . Only a few will have a bunch of people at the same time , - Zac guessed . - Besides , everyone needs to go down to change mountains , so the prey would come to them . -

Well , the risk of running into them is pretty slim , - Thea said . - And we should be able to stay alive long enough to crush our tokens if it comes down to it . -

Fair enough , - Zac said as he lifted the lid of the cauldron .

To the surprise to the both of them the root that once looked like a grubby rock had disappeared , but the water it was cooked in had turned into something that would fit right home at a gourmet dinner . It was a clear soup that smelled absolutely delectable , and Zac couldn’t help but swallow after smelling the aroma .

Well , go ahead , - Zac said , trying to ignore his mouth watering even as he spoke .

Chapter 223 - Darkness

What’s with that face , - Thea said with a small smile as she scooped the soup with a ladle . - Don’t you still have the cauldron and a bunch of these things? -

I guess , - Zac said as he took out a piece of meat from the E Grade Tiger and tore into it .

The cloud of energy from the trapped pill had completely refilled his reserves , but he was still a bit hungry . The two were content to switch to small talk as they ate their dinner , neither seeming really interested in talking about things like their respective factions or plans for the hunt .

It was a simple dinner , but Zac felt it was a welcome respite from all the responsibilities back at his island . He also sensed that Thea was feeling the same way , and she never made any attempts to gain any knowledge about his faction or personal power .

Thea said that the vegetable had a greatly nourishing effect , and Zac could see that she had regained color to her face . Since they'd had their dinner and Thea was feeling better they immediately packed up afterward and got ready to head out . The mountain was completely sheer on this side , stopping them from any plans of making a descent here , so they had to go back from where they came .

Besides , Zac wasn’t completely done with the palace . As soon as they entered the garden again Zac immediately flashed over to one of the gardener automatons and picked it up by its neck . It actually went completely still , not struggling or resisting in the slightest .

The next moment it simply disappeared , entering Zac’s Cosmos Sack . He breathed out in relief since he wasn’t sure it would be possible to store those things . He already knew that it wasn’t possible to store Sapient golems , such as the Creators , but these things were basically just machines that ran on Cosmic Energy .

They spent the next five minutes scouring over the whole place , and in the end Zac found 14 golems . They also found a couple of them that were broken down and didn’t move , and Zac snatched those as well . Perhaps he could find someone that could repair them in the future , so leaving them would be a waste .

Of course , Zac also snatched everything that wasn’t nailed down in the house , leaving an empty husk of a mansion . Thea wasn’t idle either , plucking all kinds of flowers and seeds .

Those aren’t Spiritual Herbs , you know? - Zac said as he saw her take a flower that stood in a window sill .

I know , but they are beautiful . Haven’t you realized most of these flowers don’t exist on earth? I might be able to transplant a couple if they survive the sack , - she explained with some anticipation in her eyes .

It felt reasonable , so Zac did the same and gathered a couple of types he thought that Kenzie might enjoy having in her garden . It might also help the golems acclimatize if they recognized some of the flowers .

After that , they were finally done and exited through the same path as they entered . Just like with the other mansions they weren't accosted by the array on the way out , saving Zac the effort of having to carry her again through the gravity array .

The mountain was still completely desolate when they exited , and no warning bells went off in Zac’s mind from hidden threats . Perhaps someone had come , but seeing the crater full of human remains and the other sings of an intense battle chose to retreat .

The two quickly oriented themselves and descended in the direction of the mountain Thea chose . After discussing it they decided to skip the buildings lower down on the mountain . It simply wasn’t worth it to go over the servant’s quarters with their limited time . Their efforts were better spent on scaling as many summits as possible .

While there were magnificent mountains as far as they could see there were almost a hundred thousand trial takers . If all scaled a couple of mountains a day it was possible that all treasure would be snatched up well before the month was up . The more of the top tier treasures that went into their pouches immediately the better , since people could leave with their loot at any moment .

Zac was at first afraid Thea wouldn’t be able to keep up with him barreling down the mountain at breakneck speed , but she clearly had no problem on that front . It was also evident that her Dexterity was well above his own , as it conversely was Zac that was forced to struggle to keep up .

While he rushed down like a bull she nimbly jumped down using anything from a branch to an outcropping as a foothold , not being restricted at all by the winding path . Zac wondered if that kind of footwork was a skill since he was completely unable to move like that even with his impressive amount of Dexterity .

Sometimes it looked like she would plummet to her death , but she simply landed at some almost indiscernible ledge and kept going down alongside him . With their pace , it didn’t take long for them to reach the foot of the mountain and they stopped their mad dash .

That palace we saw was two mountains over . Should we stay down here , or go over the mountain ahead? - Zac asked .

Up to you , - Thea said .

Let’s take the passage . It’s a bit longer but there are so many beasts here to help grind the ladder , - Zac said and eagerly took out his axe .

Thea had no objections and simply nodded . Zac immediately set off , rushing through the dense forest covering the valleys between the mountains . The shade was almost perpetual at the forest floor , as the little sun that got past the mountain tops was blocked by the canopies .

The trees themselves were quite tall and had almost all their branches far up in the sky . As for vegetation on the forest floor , there wasn’t too much of it . There were quite a number of boulders that might have fallen down from the mountains though , and also rubble of broken-down buildings .

It looked like there had been towns that went all along the mountains , forming pockets of populations between the towering mountains . These buildings , or rather the remains of them , were far shoddier and mundane compared to the glistening palaces on the mountain tops .

It made Zac wonder if these were the towns of normal mortals , living close to the mountains for protection by the cultivators . Had people living down here once looked up at the magnificent palaces and dreamed of becoming a powerful warrior as well?

The travels through the forest went just like Zac expected . It only took a couple of seconds before he was accosted by a bunch of rats . He made short work of them with his axe , not even bothering to summon a fractal edge for these vermin .

Thea clearly had a competitive bone as she immediately started slaughtering beasts as well , even running off in the wrong direction to find additional prey to kill . Beasts fell by the wayside , most of them with a large tear in their throat bleeding them out in seconds .

Her speed of clearing out animals was slightly faster than his own , even after he started using Loamwalker] to shorten the time between the packs . However , Zac didn’t see it as a discrepancy in power , but rather that her skillset seemed more suited for their situation .

Zac could improve his speed of killing as well if he summoned a couple of fractal edges and shot them at beast packs in the distance , but he would create a spectacle if he did so , mowing down trees and destroying ruins .

He wouldn’t alert any potential threats just to kill a couple of additional rats , which allowed Thea to gain an edge on him for the moment . She flittered through the woods slight a silent reaper , and anything within thirty meters of her died .

The scene allowed Zac to form a more educated opinion about her skillset . First of all , it was obvious that there were numerous invisible weapons around her , not just one . He'd seen well over ten beasts die simultaneously by getting their throats slit individually . He absently wondered just how she controlled so many blades at the same time . Was she able to split her focus in so many directions at once?

Secondly , her range of attacks seemed to be around 50 meters at the most , as no beast further than that died from her blades . However , Zac didn't discount the possibility that she was holding back , not showing her maximum range . Taking things for granted was how one got killed after all .

From there on out it was pretty straight forward . The two kept a rapid pace until they reach their destination , and without taking a break climbed it as well .

When they reached the peak they saw a couple of corpses and a group of 8 people standing outside the palace , and it seemed they were discussing methods to get in . They all wore individual gear , making Zac unsure whether they were from earth or the other planet . But they likely weren't from the Medhin Empire , since they all seemed to be wearing the same thing .

They were of middling rank for both the hunter and gatherer ladder , and all seemed decently strong . One of them spotted the two of them immediately , even though they had taken care to make no sound as they approached . The moment the two were discovered the whole group of men looked over .

Flee! - one of them screamed , and the group unhesitantly threw out large balls at the ground between themselves and Zac , which each exploded into a firestorm .

Zac only gawked in surprise at the inferno that reached almost ten meters in the air in front of them .

Pretty smart , creating a firewall while they flee . Your ladder rankings will make it hard to rob most people unless we catch them unaware , - Thea commented , not bothering with hunting down the group .

Well , I don’t think those guys had much of value in any case , they couldn’t even get past the array , - Zac said as he swung a huge fractal edge at the flames , the force of his swing dousing the fire immediately .

With the help of Thea's skills , they didn’t have much trouble entering the palace , and both had respectable gains from it , and it even helped Thea reach the 53rd spot on the ladder from her earlier spot in the thousands . Since the cooperation worked well they kept going for the rest of the day , going from one mountain to another until it was pitch black outside .

By this point they had scoured four mountains in total , encountering almost no resistance . They had seen a few people who either fled or crushed their tokens the moment they saw them and also caught a couple of people unaware .

Thea had a pretty straightforward tactic where she robbed everyone whose hunter position was higher than their gatherer position , and depending on how evil they seemed either killed them or crushed their tokens . The others she simply ignored .

Zac robbed only people that had a decent placement on the ladder , but he kept increasing his requirements since his Cosmos Sack was quickly filling up with junk .

It was currently pitch black outside , and the two stood inside one of the summit palaces deciding whether they should keep going or call it a day . The sky was almost completely devoid of stars , and the world they found themselves in didn’t even have any moon to reflect some light down on them during the night .

Zac’s increased attributes didn’t give him night vision so he couldn’t even see his hand in front of him with how dark it had gotten . It felt a bit suffocating so he took out a lantern that ran on Nexus Crystals that lit up the immediate surroundings .

But oddly enough it was as though the darkness was pushing back the light , making the lantern unable to light up anything apart from the immediate vicinity .

That’s pretty odd , - Thea said with some worry in her voice , seeing the weird phenomenon as well . - There is something wrong with the darkness . -

Perhaps we should stay inside these arrays for the night , - Zac hesitantly said .

Honestly , the situation was a bit spooky . Something had completely destroyed this place once upon a time , leaving not a soul behind . And now the darkness was acting up . Zac was about to ask for Thea's opinion , but a screen appeared in front of him .

Darkness descends . Tokens deactivated . Survive

Chapter 224 - Salvation

Uh , did you get that prompt at well? - Zac said and turned over to Thea who had paled a bit .

Yes… - was all she said as she vigilantly looked around , trying to pierce the darkness with her gaze . She also moved a bit closer to Zac and his lantern .

It looked like the System had something planned after all . People killing each other for treasure wasn’t enough it appeared , the System also felt the need to remove their safety net at an inopportune time . If he knew the system it had orchestrated some sort of trial that would either kill them or help them get stronger .

Feels like we’re in some horror movie , - Zac muttered as he kept looking around for anything to pop out from the darkness .

Nothing happened as the minutes passed , but that did nothing to calm Zac’s fraying nerves . It still felt like something was brewing , and the Darkness kept going stronger . Soon the lantern only reached half the distance compared to before , creating a small circle of light with just him and Thea inside .

The few stars in the sky had long winked out of existence , and it felt like it was only the two of them set adrift in the void . At first it almost felt like the odd space he found himself when he rolled for survival , but this darkness was different .

There was something sinister and oppressive about the gloom that surrounded them , whereas that odd space was completely sterile . If Zac turned off the lantern in his hand they would be completely swallowed by the dark , whereas the other space had some odd unseen source of light .

Any idea of heading to the next mountain to look for treasure was completely forgotten , and now Zac was only focused on survival . He was extremely happy he’d decided to keep going with Thea , as sitting alone in this environment would have been way more nerve-wracking .

He quickly glanced over at his companion , and she returned a look that told that she felt the same way . Neither of them spoke though , afraid of drawing the attention of whatever was lurking out in the dark .

Suddenly Zac thought he heard something , and he hesitantly glanced over to his right . But of course , only darkness met his gaze . However , the sound kept growing clearer , and soon Zac could make out some incessant whispering .

Zac’s neck hair stood right on edge , and he couldn’t help but speak up .

Do you hear those whispers? - Zac said with as low a voice he could .

A nod from a deathly pale Thea was all the confirmation he needed .

When he saw the prompt he had assumed that the system would unleash a horde of beasts upon him , just like with the beast hordes . But perhaps that wasn’t exactly the case . He nervously fiddled with the bangle on his arm as he took active control of his mental defense skill .

The minutes passed as the whispers grew more intense , and Zac was starting to feel the strain . He couldn’t tell exactly what the voices were , but he assumed it was something like evil spirits . Their whispers were a pervasive mental attack , and it almost felt like they tried to burrow themselves into his head .

Some sort of wraiths , - Thea said , seeming to be under an equal amount of pressure . - They are trying to possess us . -

Zac grunted in affirmation as he kept rebuffing the insidious murmurs . A few minutes later it seemed the whispers had reached a peak , and thankfully the intensity didn’t keep increasing . Zac felt a bit relieved since he felt confident that he would be able to bear the mental burden through the night if needed .

A glance over at Thea showed that she seemed to be mostly fine as well , and she was currently holding on to an inscribed rock that looked like an ostrich egg . It probably was some mental protection tool she had attained somewhere .

Suddenly a piercing wail with enough force to cause undulations in the air hit Zac with enough force to make him completely blank out for a brief moment , losing control over Mental Fortress] . Instantly he felt a chill in his mind , followed by a chaotic jumble of disorienting thoughts .

Hatred .

Thea had leeched off him for a whole day , stealing the treasures that were rightfully his . Using him as a shield to brave the dangers of the arrays , laughing behind his back . Insidious , treacherous .

Something needed to be done .

An all-consuming killing intent as he turned his murky eyes toward her lithe neck , his fingers itching . He could just reach out , and with a snap he would be vindicated .

Suddenly a tomahawk was in his hand , taken out from his Cosmos Sack . Thea looked over with surprise , only to see him swing it down to gore his own thigh . The next moment a thick vibrant aura of life exuded from Zac , after having activated his Dao Field for his Dao of Trees .

What are you doing? - Thea asked as she cautiously looked at Zac like he had become a lunatic .

Zac panted for a few seconds , his forehead covered in a sheen of perspiration before he looked up with clear eyes once again .

I think I got possessed , but the pain woke me up enough to release my Dao Field . The Dao of trees had been effective against ghosts before so I thought it might help , - Zac said .

That was a close one . It had been extremely disconcerting to feel a bunch of consciousness in his mind , urging him to perform unspeakable acts . It was like he had been afflicted with schizophrenia , unable to discern what was real and not .

Luckily Zac had some experience of his mind being flooded with violent impulses thanks to his Hatchetman’s Rage] skill , and it allowed him to perform two last-ditch efforts . Wounding himself wasn’t optimal , but the pain cut through the chaotic jumble in his mind and allowed him to unleash his Dao .

For a split second his mind had been flooded with pained wails as the Dao purged the specters or whatever the whispering things were , and they unhesitantly fled out of his head , away from the vibrant Dao .

He also noticed that the effect of the Dao of Trees was great , silencing the penetrating whispers to a low murmur . However , the response was almost immediate as a claw stretched out of the darkness , heading straight for his throat .

Zac immediately swung his tomahawk , but it went straight through the incoming attack . Zac frowned as he gathered some Cosmic energy while he took out Verun’s Bite] , swinging it before the claw managed to reach him .

Luckily the hand was cut , and to Zac’s surprise something that looked like black ichor dripped down the edge of his axe before it turned into a black haze that drifted away . These things perhaps weren't actual ghosts , but some nefarious creation that just looked similar . But before Zac had time to sigh in relief tens of claws reached out of the darkness , and a few ghastly faces emerged as well .

They were humanoid but without any facial features , apart from a huge maw that seemed to contain a black hole . The hair was standing straight out on Zack’s whole body by now , but there was nothing to do except start swinging like a madman .

He summoned a huge fractal edge and with a growl let it rip through the crowd of humanoids , shredding them to pieces . However , he wasn’t happy with the result . The things were clearly destroyed into motes of darkness , but he didn’t gain a smidgeon of Cosmic Energy from the kills .

That kills rewarded Cosmic Energy was one of the most fundamental aspects of the multiverse , and not gaining anything should mean that these things didn’t die when they were destroyed .

They did not reform though , at least not immediately , which gave Zac a brief respite until he once again was thronged with wraiths .

I can’t kill them , - Thea said with some franticness in her voice .

Me neither , - Zac said . - Perhaps we just need to keep them at bay until sunrise . -

Thea didn’t have any better idea , so they placed themselves back to back with the lantern glowing in between them .

The assault of the beings wrought from darkness kept increasing in intensity . In the beginning they were just fodder and were instantly disintegrated with a swing by Zac . But after a couple of hours , they were almost as strong as the demon warriors back on the island .

One by one they still wouldn’t be a problem , but they were endless . Worse yet , they were completely unheeding of their own safety since apparently they couldn’t die . They were content in sacrificing themselves just so long as they managed to deal any kind of damage .

Small wounds started to accumulate on Zac’s body , but these levels of wounds were nothing to Zac who kept stoically swinging his axe . However , Thea didn’t possess the same endurance as Zac did , and started to wane after four hours . That left Zac to cover two-thirds of the circle of light . Still , it was better than being alone and getting accosted from all around , so Zac didn’t complain as he kept swinging .

The night finally passed and Zac slumped down , completely exhausted . The assault had thankfully ended the moment the night was broken by the first rays of dawn . Thea was already holding an E-Grade crystal in her hand , absorbing it while rotating her Cultivation Technique .

She had a few wounds on various parts of her body , and it appeared a few of her old ones had reopened . Zac soon did the same and took out an E-Grade crystal as well . He was almost completely spent , and what was worse he had barely made any gains from the desperate struggle .

What a horrible night .

What a glorious night .

Gabriel couldn’t help smiling as he stood barefoot at the summit , the ragged bedsheets he had fashioned into a robe fluttering in the wind from the residual shockwaves from the battle . He closed his auburn eyes for a moment and swept his long oily hair back as he sighed in contentment .

The voices of the lost had clamored for relief as they gathered around him for redemption all through the night . He was the light bringing the wayward sailors back toward shore , the divine shepherd . The whispers begged for passage into his mind , and he had gladly obliged .

Gabriel couldn’t help licking his mouth at the memory , ignoring the horrified whimper from below . The sustenance he gained from delivering salvation to the wretched specters during the night was as effective as weeks of hard work .

The universe had even awarded him with two levels due to his hard work to emancipate those lost in the darkness . It would have been more if the voices hadn't shied away after their brethren entered his mind and were granted salvation .

Gabriel could only pray to The Great Redeemer that the lost children of the dark would come back tonight as well so that he could continue his mission from God . In the meantime , there was much work to be done .

He finally looked down at the man who had been the cause of unrest this morning . The man was somewhere in his forties and looked foreign to Gabriel . The man was decked in an elaborate golden robe , and it appeared that he was a ruler of the other world that had joined him in this so-called hunt .

When he had seen Gabriel he had immediately tried to leave , but Gabriel wouldn’t have it . Almost a hundred men that were cursed by their freedom , how could he ignore such a plight? He had immediately attacked , unhesitantly sacrificing almost half of his Silver Guards .

These apostates had fought hard against salvation , damned by their ignorance . Their leader had even been infused with the power of the soldiers , reaching powers beyond anything Gabriel had ever seen before , apart from The Great Redeemer himself of course .

But how could a mundane ruler stop a messiah on a mission? The soldiers who fought alongside this royal had already joined the crusade , silently standing behind him with their new brethren .

Through pain comes clarity , - Gabriel said with equanimity . - Through clarity comes salvation . Join the crusade . -

No , please let me go . I’ve already given you all my treasure and you’ve taken my army , - the golden robed man said with utter terror in his eyes as he looked upon his former subordinates . - You have taken everything , no need to make the Medhin Empire an enemy . I am the 18th son , Supratej Medhin , and I can help you in various ways . -

Neither King nor Pauper can avoid the reckoning . Bask in The Great Redeemer's glory , - Gabriel said , his eyes burning with an inexorable conviction .

The Great . - ? the Medhin royal said , his brows rising . - Wait! I am- -

But he didn’t get any further as Gabriel ignored him and started the purification .

He bent down and gently tapped Supratej's head , just like he had done with tens of thousands of others . A silver fractal appeared on the head of the recruit’s forehead , and the Medhin princeling stopped struggling , his eyes turning blank .

The two silver guards stopped holding him down and instead bowed toward Gabriel and returned to the ranks of the Silver Crusaders .

Gabriel didn’t give the two a second glance and instead reverently looked down at his new parishioner . Even after seeing the transformation innumerable times over the past months hadn’t killed off the surge of euphoria he felt when bringing another lost lamb into the fold .

The silver glow of the Redeemer’s Light quickly flowed through the whole body of the man , the fractal in his forehead absorbing a great amount of Cosmic Energy from the atmosphere . Gabriel suddenly received a large amount of Cosmic Energy as well , showing that the purification was a success .

The cosmos sack at the parishioner's waist turned into lights that entered Gabriel's own , but he couldn't care less for some material possessions . He still hadn't deigned to use the thing since he arrived , as The Great Redeemer had already provided him with all he needed .

A small translucent copy of the man appeared out of the fractal on the man’s forehead , and it appeared to be howling in pain and fear . Gabriel knew the lost soul just didn’t understand the great gift that it was being given , and didn’t get angry by it .

The soul soon entered the golden fractal on Gabriel's own forehead , and soon it had joined the others in unity . The body of the new parishioner slowly stood up , its skin tone now a divine silver , and wordlessly joining the rest of the army . The Army of God in this temporary hunt was now over three hundred strong .

Gabriel couldn’t help feel some jealousy as he glanced at the stoic back of his new Silver Guard . He was now unburdened by things such as a soul and discordant thoughts , and instead became a part of the unity . He knew his own deliverance would come sooner or later , but not until his work was complete .

Existence is pain , sapience a curse . But he was Salvation .

Chapter 225 - Diplomacy

Zac and Thea decided to stay inside the protective enclosure of the summit array in order to rest up before starting the day . Both were completely exhausted , neither having slept a wink the whole night . They simply sat down a few meters from each other as they restored their reserves .

It was normally no problem for them to go a few days without sleep , but with threats both known and unknown all over this trial they didn’t want to take any chances . A mistake by tiredness could quickly have dire consequences .

Oddly enough the area was completely devoid of any Cosmic Energy after the Darkness receded , forcing them to only rely on crystals . Thea was still far quicker to restore herself back to fighting condition due to speeding up the absorption with her cultivation manual , and after roughly an hour walked over to Zac who opened his eyes .

I will sleep a bit , can you guard me for two hours before we swap? - she said , looking over at Zac .

No problem . I still need some more time to refill my batteries , - Zac nodded .

That was the first time he saw a Cultivator restore themselves , and he couldn't help but become a bit jealous of the speed . He estimated her to be able to absorb Cosmic Energy around three times quicker than he himself , and that was one of the side-benefits of being a cultivator .

It was even more frustrating when he felt that his body would be able to handle far larger streams of Cosmic Energy than what he currently was able to drag out of his crystal . This was nothing compared to the massive energies that had coursed through his body before . But he simply had no method to speed up the process .

Thea walked a few meters away and took out a small but high-end tent from her Cosmos Sack . It was clear it was another creation of the craftsmen of the Marshall clan , since the nylon tent was covered with low-grade runes .

They were so basic that even Zac could tell that their purpose was simply to make the material sturdier , but it was better than nothing . Thea crawled inside and closed the flap behind her , and in just seconds he could hear the even breaths of someone asleep .

Zac kept absorbing the energy from his nexus crystal as he kept watch , going over the events of the night . It was extremely frustrating that he fought so hard , yet there was not a single Nexus Coin or any energy as a reward .

He tried using all his Daos and skills , but nothing managed to kill the weird specters . The Dao of Trees was far superior to anything else in destroying the things , but it wasn’t able to actually kill them . For all he knew he was actually fighting the same things over and over after they reformed .

However , the night wasn’t completely without its rewards . His skill Mental Fortress] had actually advanced to late-stage from Zac using it constantly to prevent himself from getting possessed again .

The upgrade didn’t bring any changes to the skill apart from making it sturdier . Even the cost of using it was the same as before . While it wasn’t very exciting Zac still felt that it was just what he needed in his current situation .

If this would become a nightly event the upgraded skill would be a godsend .

Next he up his ladder , and what he saw was extremely surprising . The first thing he noticed was that Salvation had actually sailed all the way up to the first spot on the Hunter ladder . Zac frowned and opened up his normal Power Ladder from Earth .

To his shock he saw that Salvation had gained two full levels during the night , something that felt almost incomprehensible . He was now level 55 , only 7 levels behind Zac . Of course , those levels were a great chasm , but Zac worried that they might actually be bridged faster than he’d hoped .

Either Salvation was met with a very different trial during the night , one that gave a lot of Cosmic Energy , or he was able to slay the specters . Zac actually hoped more for the first scenario . If salvation could massacre the endless ghosts during the night he might actually pass Zac in levels if he kept going for the whole month .

Zac wasn’t so petty that he didn’t want others to pass him , but this situation was a bit problematic . The rumors surrounding Salvation and his Cradle of God weren’t great . If he managed to attain E-Rank and the titles Zac assumed would come with the evolution it might spell trouble .

The second shock to Zac was the sheer number of remaining participants . While Zac desperately fought within the darkness he thought that there might only be a handful of surviving participants after that insane assault , but he was proven wrong by the ladders .

There were still a full 80 thousand participants in the trial , which completely baffled Zac . How could others fight through that kind of assault and survive? He personally would have barely made it if he was alone , and he actually guessed that not even Thea would survive alone unless she had some aces up her sleeve .

That thousands and thousands of people of middling power were still running about was extremely surprising . Zac could only guess that the assault was somehow adjusted to the power of the participants , and others wouldn’t have to withstand such a strong assault .

Another possibility was that it was related to the palaces . The atmosphere was still a bit glum , and while the cosmic energy was gradually restoring itself it was still extremely sparse . It was a stark contrast to the extremely dense energy that covered the top tier palaces they visited yesterday .

The mountains clearly had some sort of arrays that gathered the energy of the atmosphere to create cultivator havens up on the summits . If the ghosts fed on Cosmic Energy it would make sense that they would gather at the top tier palaces , where the density was the highest .

Perhaps Zac and Thea simply found themselves at the ghost's feeding ground , which resulted in their frenzied assault .

The weaker participants would likely not be at the summit during the night since the risk of meeting powerhouses up there was higher . And they should have learned by now that the summit arrays were extremely strong , and not something they could break through .

Another indicator that this might be the case was that another of the Medhin Royals had fallen during the night since his name was removed from the list . Perhaps he did the same as the two of them , staying within one of the palace arrays for safety .

Thea got out of her tent two hours later on the dot , and the two swapped places . Zac didn’t bring a tent for himself since he was used to sleeping outside , so he simply rested his back against a tree and closed his eyes . But he kept his axe in his hand in case something happened .

Later the morning the two descended the mountain , heading for another palace three mountains over . They had decided to keep going like yesterday since the events during the night shouldn’t affect their treasure hunting .

They didn’t encounter anyone for most of the descent , but they actually spotted a woman blankly staring at a man who seemed to have died recently . Zac and Thea shared a silent nod , and Zac disappeared the next moment .

A split second later he reappeared holding the woman by the scruff of her shirt . She looked to be in her thirties and had quite a few scars . She was also covered in a few bandages , and judging by how wet they were the wounds were recent .

Both her ladder positions were in the last quartile and it wasn’t really worth to either rob or kill her . Zac was simply after information . Since she was within arm’s reach he let her go , knowing that he could stop her before she could take out her token and crush it .

The woman fearfully looked at Zac and Thea , and suddenly her eyes widened further in horror . She had likely checked their ladder positions , learning that she was caught by some of the most powerful people in the hunt .

We are not interested in your life or your treasures . We want to ask you about what happened to you during the night , - Zac simply said .

The woman breathed out in relief , before glancing at the corpse .

My husband and I got a prompt that darkness descends , and it got very scary , - she started explaining without any preamble . - Suddenly we heard an extremely loud wail . That’s when it got crazy . -

Crazy? - Thea probed .

My husband went mad . He actually tried to bite my throat . These wounds are from him biting and scratching me . It got so chaotic I had to kill him in self-defense , - she said , her eyes reddening . - We knew that we might not survive this hunt , but not like this… -

I’m sorry , it seems your husband was possessed , - Zac said with a sigh . - What happened next? -

There were a few ghosts that attacked me later , but the rest of the time I stayed huddled with my back against a rock , - she said .

Zac frowned and looked over at Thea , who only shrugged . They asked a few more questions after that , but it was clear that she was barely attacked during the night . She had somewhat discerned some whispers , but it was only at the start of the night .

They let her go afterward , and they saw her store her husband’s body before she crushed her token . It seemed the events of the night had crushed her spirit , making her unwilling to stay in the hunt . Zac felt leaving was the right choice , it was meaningless to die for treasure .

As the two kept proceeding toward their targeted mountain they caught a few more treasure-hunters , and their stories were similar . In the groups with multiple members at least one had turned insane , and were either killed or subdued .

However , they encountered another interesting case when they caught a solo hunter . He had admitted that after hearing that penetrating wail at the start of the night he completely blanked out and didn’t remember anything before waking up on top of a corpse , drenched in blood .

It was the same with those who got subdued in the groups . When morning arrived they came to again , not remembering a single thing . It appeared that getting possessed might not necessarily result in death . It would rather turn one into a bloodthirsty beast , and whether you survived depended on whether you encountered weaker prey or stronger predators .

The piercing wail was also something everyone mentioned , even after they had traveled over ten mountains in the afternoon . Everyone had clearly heard it , and it felt like a mental attack . Zac initially thought the wail originated from their own mountain , but that wasn’t the case .

Just what kind of ghost could scream so loudly that everyone heard it across the whole mountain range? It seemed that there was a big boss ghost somewhere that was the originator of the wail . Were there perhaps some hidden rewards for killing that thing? What other secrets did this place hold?

Zac knew he wouldn’t attempt killing the thing even if it rewarded some great rewards . He couldn’t even kill the small buggers , just how would he kill the leader ghost that was strong enough to attack everyone on multiple mountains simultaneously?

A sudden heavy thumping of feet on the ground dragged Zac out of his musings , and he turned around to see what kind of beast was running toward them this time . However , what he saw was no beast . The moment Zac turned he spotted the largest Zhix that he had ever seen , almost half a meter taller than the Anointed of his own hive , Nonet .

Zac immediately opened up the ladder and breathed out in relief when he saw that it wasn’t one of the two E-Grade Dominators . Since that was the case he didn't feel they were in trouble . Still , this Anointed radiated immense power , and it clearly didn’t care about Zac and Thea’s ranks since it emitted unbridled killing intent .

Thea readied herself for battle with a determined glare , but Zac waved at her to stand back .

Let me handle this . I trained in Zhix diplomacy before coming here , - Zac said while taking out the ceremonial dagger he received from Ibtep .

He took a few steps toward the Anointed barreling toward him and held up the dagger . He said nothing , instead only cutting his palm before stabbing the dagger into the ground .

The Zhix actually stopped in his tracks in surprise , but soon after took out a dagger of its own . It also silently cut its wrist , stabbing it down as well , which made Zac internally sigh in relief .

The next moment the two veritably disappeared , before they clashed with tremendous force . The Zhix’s huge fist slammed straight into his gut , but Zac didn’t try to dodge . He only took it head-on and was pushed back ten meters with a grunt .

But the next moment he flashed forward once again and returned a punch in kind . The attack created a huge shockwave , and it looked like the Zhix was blasted out of a cannon as it crashed into a large tree , turning it into splinters .

Zac didn’t follow up , and instead retrieved a large rug and the medallion Ibtep also gave him . Next he took out a table and placed a large spit of grilled meat from the E-Grade tiger on it , and sat down as he looked over in the direction of the Anointed .

It looked like it had passed out from the punch , and didn't move at all .

What’s going on? - Thea said with confusion after she walked over to Zac's side . - Didn’t you say you would try diplomacy? -

Well , the Zhix customs place a large focus on strength , - Zac said as he noted that the Zhix started twitching .

Soon after it arduously got to its feet and started walking toward Zac , who held up the medallion . The Anointed hesitated for a bit before it sat down on the opposite side of the table with a thump .

You know the rites and have the tools , but you are no Anointed , human . What is going on? -

Chapter 226 - Alliances

I send greetings from Nonet of Hive Kundevi , - Zac said . - The Anointed heard of me attending this hunt and lent me these two treasures . -

For what purpose? - the Anointed simply said .

The Dominators , - Zac said , making the Anointed immediately tense up .

What about them? -

We believe them to be the largest threat to our survival , but we haven’t heard anything about them since our worlds got merged . We seek both allies and information , - Zac explained .

Why is Nonet not representing itself for these matters? This is highly irregular , even if you were Zhix , - the Anointed said as it ripped off a large piece of the meat .

Strength above all , - Zac simply said . - I am stronger than Nonet , much like I am stronger than most of the Anointed . I have earned the right to represent Hive Kundevi . My name is Zachary Atwood , and I am currently placed highest on the power ladder among us humans . -

The enormous Zhix leader gave a start when he realized who Zac was , and looked it Zac over once again .

It is true , strength above all . I am Herat , eighth Anointed of Hive Urbot . Almost getting knocked unconscious by the strongest is not a dishonor , - the large Zhix said , even looking a bit pleased . - What do you wish to know? -

The Dominators such as Inevitability and Void’s Disciple are likely the strongest beings on our planets , yet us humans haven’t heard anything of them fighting the foreign invaders who threaten Zhix and Humans alike , - Zac began . - We worry about what they are planning instead . They tried to enslave all Zhix before from what I understand , and we believe they might try something similar again . -

Herat slowly tapped a large finger on the table for a few seconds before it sighed , seemingly having come to a decision .

They are gathering our kind , - it began . - Our ancestors died by the millions to stop their expansion thousands of years ago , but their sacrifice is becoming forgotten . One hive after another has aligned with the Dominators . -

Why? - Zac couldn’t help ask with a frown .

The corruption is everywhere . Both you and I reek of it , and that one behind you does as well . If all is corrupted , nothing is . This Cosmic Power enables us to evolve our hives and ascend . Some voices have started questioning our attempts to exterminate the Dominators back then , saying we shunned the gift of the universe - Herat explained .

The lure of power is right in front of them , but the tales of enslavement are distant . They willingly follow to learn the secrets of power from the Dominators , in turn giving up their freedom , - Herat said with some hopelessness .

What about the hives who don’t follow? - Zac asked .

For now we are being ignored , but we know that is just temporary . We worry just like you what they are planning , and seep ourselves in corruption to stand ready when the fight comes , - Herat said .

Zac frowned . He had held some small hope that the Dominators didn’t care about the state of the planet since they simply were more interested in cultivating . They had stayed their whole life on a planet with barely any Cosmic Energy at all , but now had almost endless resources to keep improving . That might make them forget about domination , and instead focus on pushing toward D-Grade and increased longevity .

But it was clear that they hadn’t changed their ways and were already starting to amass the Zhix , and it was understandable that some chose to follow them . Their core belief was centered around rooting out Corruption , but when everything was corrupted they needed to make huge changes .

I understand . My force and a few others are preparing for that battle as well . You understand them better than we do , and I think we should work together , just like how your hives banded together against the Dominators all that time ago , - Zac said .

I cannot make that decision , human . Your strength is great , but you still are not Zhix . But I will relay your message to the leaders of our war council . They will contact you about their decision , - the Zhix said as it got to its feet . - Now I must go hunt . Strength to your hive . -

Wait , how will we get in contact? - Zac said with confusion . - If we ally right now we will be able to stay in touch through the System . -

He lived on an isolated island , and he was afraid he’d lose contact with them if he let Herat go . It might end up like the same as with Billyville , where they were technically allies but unable to contact each other until they met up in person again .

I am just the Eighth Anointed , I cannot enter such a pact . A few of the High Anointed have miraculous means to communicate great distances , but if we cannot reach you that is also fate , - Herat said as it lumbered away . - Do not worry , the Zhix always keep their word . Also , avoid the Dominators for now . You are strong , but they are stronger . -

Zac frowned at that last remark . This Herat wasn’t telling him everything , but then again he didn’t expect it to . At least it seemed he had achieved one of his goals for now , which was to open up channels with the Zhix on the mainland .

As for these magical abilities , he could only hope they would work . Otherwise , he’d have to visit a hive personally in the future . He was hoping that he’d meet a few more powerful people during the hunt , setting up his private network , and if that worked out it shouldn't be too troublesome to find one of the larger hives .

What are you planning? - Thea suddenly asked as she sat down at the same spot where Herat sat before .

After this hunt , I will start closing Incursions in earnest , - Zac said . - I believe very few of them can match my power at the moment . -

Thea snorted at the somewhat boastful comment , but she didn’t contradict him . And what he said was true . Abby already told him right at the beginning of the integration that one person snatching pretty much all the good titles in the start was extremely rare .

And from there he had kept accumulating one advantage after another that put him far above what was expected of a newly integrated world . And with how strength worked there was limited use of large numbers in trying to stop people such as himself , so unless the invaders had leaders who could match him they were in trouble .

But then again , that simple fact worked the other way around as well . The existence of beings even stronger than any humans on earth was a huge potential risk , since if Zac wasn't able to handle them , perhaps no one could . That was one reason he wanted to find the methods for the War Arrays the Medhin used but he , unfortunately , couldn't find anything of the kind after rummaging through the possessions of Tyrbat .

But I believe the Dominators are the real threat , apart from the few top tier Incursions like the Undead Empire . I’m not sure you’ve met other Anointed apart from this one , but they are extremely strong even without levels or titles . -

The Marshall Clan is situated somewhat close to a large hive . But we haven’t made any headway with them . After a few intense battles we have formed some sort of unspoken truce where we stay at our own land , - Thea said . - But one of these giants never emerged during the battles . -

The Anointed are both their spiritual and actual leaders . I still don’t know if they’re another species or some equivalent of a queen ant , but they are far stronger than the normal ones , - Zac said . - I am trying to forge an alliance with the Zhix to prepare ourselves for the clash with the Dominators . It doesn’t seem they are content to stay hidden forever if they are amassing forces . -