Defiance of the Fall

Since we’re on the subject we should discuss a few other things , - Thea said with some reluctance . - You’ve already spoken with my grandfather before about an alliance . It has already been formed , and we have been looking for you to join it . -

Oh? - Zac only said .

Since you’re planning on closing the Incursions anyway , you should join us . Indeed , we do not possess your raw power , at the moment at least . But I believe you lack a proper support system for things such as information gathering and logistics , - Thea pushed , obviously uncomfortable with presenting a sales pitch .

She had likely been urged by her grandpa to seek allies during the hunt , but Zac had learned the past day she might be even more introvert than himself . His mouth couldn’t help curve upward at seeing her forcing herself to advertise the alliance , and Thea immediately caught on to his glee .

She immediately closed her mouth and shot him a glare .

What’s so funny? - she spat out .

Nothing , nothing , - Zac laughed as he sent her a prompt for becoming an ally , finally connecting Port Atwood and the Marshall Clan .

Since they had dealt with the Zhix the two kept going toward their mountain , and the evening was pretty uneventful . One thing that was worth noting was that Salvation was kicked off from the top position after a couple of hours , the two Dominators once again passing him or her .

Salvation seemed to have gained a good boost that was somewhat unique to himself during the night , but he couldn’t keep up with the carnage of the two E-Graded monsters during the day . That hopefully proved that he wasn’t as strong as Zac just yet .

Night soon came and the two decided to stay by the foot of a mountain , hiding in a small courtyard of what should have once been a disciple's cultivation cave . They vigilantly looked into the darkness , but this night they didn’t sense the insidious oppression from yesterday , which was a huge relief .

Around three a . m . they could pretty much confirm that the darkness wouldn’t descend today and were finally able to somewhat relax . They still decided to stay for the night though , and only resumed their journey in the morning .

It was only two days later that the Darkness once again descended , but its arrival proved that it wasn’t a one-time thing . Zac and Thea were barely attacked this time , though their minds were still a bit scrambled by the penetrating wail that seemed to spread through the whole zone .

The trick of staying at the foot of the mountain was extremely effective , and it seemed that most people still around had learned their lesson since only roughly 800 people left the trial during the night .

It was nothing compared to what happened the day before . It was the Arena battle . In just an hour over four thousand names were removed from the ladder , proving that there were quite a few who had tried to stay under the radar as they searched for treasure .

Neither Thea nor Zac were called of course , since both had both battled and killed a fair amount since the start . Zac also breathed out in relief when he saw that Salvation didn't gain any levels this time , meaning that it might have been a one-time event that happened during the last darkness .

The hunt was starting to become a routine as the two went from mountain to mountain , cleaning the summits from all its valuables . Thea had fully healed after three days thanks to the ginseng and her healing pills , but they chose to stay together both for safety and company .

There were a lot of things in Zac’s pouch by know that he couldn’t understand , but excluding these odd treasures he estimated his gain to be well over a hundred million Nexus Coins . Thea’s gain wasn’t small either , and she was currently in the fourth position .

Zac himself lost the lead of the Gatherer ladder after the second day , getting surpassed by Emperor Nenothep . Thea had a theory that the emperor utilized his large army to gather treasure from multiple mountains simultaneously , and Zac wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case .

The two could only increase their efforts , and every night they only slept for around an hour , and after a week of hunting , it was starting to take its toll . However , something odd changed the normal flow of the hunt , as they saw a group of three humans and two Ishiate desperately fleeing down the mountains .

And right on their heels was what at first glance looked like very life-like robots .

Chapter 227 - Silver Rivers

For a second Zac imagined robots running rampant through the hunt , but he soon realized he wasn't looking at some advanced automatons . Instead he noticed that those in pursuit might actually be humans who had painted themselves silver for some reason .

But something was extremely off about them . Their gazes were extremely lifeless , and they didn't show a single expression as they hounded the group in front . Zac looked over to Thea who frowned as she observed the pursuit .

Did you notice? Those silver people do not have ladder positions . I think they are corpses or puppets , - Thea hesitantly said .

Zac's brows rose in surprise as he looked over at the metallic men again , and it was true . None of the silver humans had any ladder positions , meaning that they either weren't part of the hunt or transformed dead . Zac wasn't sure whether he wanted to be involved with this strange event , but after a brief hesitation he shook his head and flashed over with Loamwalker] .

The next moment he had caught one of the fleeing men , just like he had with so many others during the hunt . The Ishiate and other humans gawked when they saw Zac appear out of nowhere , but they didn't even stop for a fraction of a second . They just kept running as fast as their legs allowed , completely leaving their companion to his fate .

Please let me go , they’ll catch us . They are too strong! - the man desperately shouted as struggled to get free , and when he noticed Zac's arm was tougher than steel he tried to take out his token .

However , Zac snatched the token from his captive with practiced ease before he took out Verun's Bite] . A second later a huge fractal edge sailed toward the silver cultivators , who now were less than a hundred meters away from him .

There was still no sign of reaction from the silver cultivators and their faces looked completely unperturbed by the incoming attack . But two of the pursuers jumped forward to block the fractal edge with their bodies . Zac could only snort when he saw their tactic , scoffing at the hubris of thinking only two people could stop his attacks .

But the next moment his brows rose in surprise .

The two guards actually self-detonated , and them exploding was barely enough to destroy Zac's fractal edge . Zac could only stupidly stare at the display , and he was now pretty sure that Thea was correct in her assertation that these things were dead . That two people would voluntarily use their bodies as fodder to stop an attack without a care in the world was pretty unlikely .

The others pushed through the cloud of dust that the explosion kicked up in the air , still trying to catch their prey . But it wasn’t an even fight just because the silver cultivators managed to intercept the first edge , and soon all the odd puppets were destroyed .

Strangely enough they didn't leave any corpses when they died , but instead just turned into silver clouds that drifted up into the air . Zac was afraid it was some sort of last-ditch poison attack and stayed clear of the silver gases as they slowly dissipated .

However , his captive didn't seem relieved at all that Zac had made short work of the attackers , and still fearfully looked back up toward the summit . It was the same with the others in his party . None of them came back after Zac destroyed the silver puppets , and they were quickly running further and further away .

Thank you , friend , but please let me go before their leader arrives with the real army . We must get as far away from this mountain as possible , - the man said with his eyes fretfully looking up at the summit .

Army? Is it one of the Medhin Royals? - Zac asked . - Are they wearing golden robes? -

No , it's not one of them . This is much worse! Please , we must flee before he turns us into puppets as well! -

Zac frowned and looked over at Thea , who shrugged in response . She hadn’t heard of anyone like that either .

Puppets? How many has he turned into puppets? - Zac asked .

Hundreds and hundreds , perhaps a thousand . He has a whole army of silver corpses like these ones , - the man hurriedly said as he gestured at the things Zac killed . - We barely got away since he was busy turning another group into puppets as well , but he was raving about turning everyone into silver guards . -

Zac had no reason to keep the man , and simply let him go after asking a few more questions . It truly didn't' seem like it was a Medhin royal , but someone else . The captive only said that the leader looked like a hobo but his army was insanely powerful . As for the army , the only thing in common was that they were all silver .

The moment the man was freed by Zac he bolted so quickly that it almost looked like he would take flight . His mad dash was so frantic that he stumbled on a root after only fifty meters and slammed straight into the ground . But he apparently was so afraid that he didn’t care about the blood flowing from his nose and only scrambled to his feet to keep running .

Zac frowned as he looked at the fleeing back of the man , before turning back to Thea .

What do you think? - Zac asked .

Not sure . But it is clearly someone powerful to have been able to capture hundreds of people . Hypnotist? Necromancer? - she guessed . - In any case , he should fight with numbers , which might make him similar to the Medhin royals . -

Should we avoid him? -

No , - Thea said resolutely . - He’s turning humans into puppets , killing indiscriminately . He needs to be stopped . -

Fine , let’s go , - Zac said as he took out his axe as he looked up toward the summit .

He agreed with Thea’s decision . Someone like this couldn’t be left to their own devices . Besides , he’d already decided that he should improve his returns in this hunt by hunting the powerhouses , and now was as good a time to start as any . He didn't want to let the Medhin emperor get the best rewards from the hunt , and if this lunatic had found and killed almost a thousand people he should be extremely rich as well by the sheer quantity of treasure .

The two didn’t encounter any more parties as they ascended the mountain . Perhaps it meant that this leader up ahead was confident that the small squad of silver men would be able to capture their prey .

But that also raised the question of just how those things functioned . The man that Zac captured said that the silver puppets were dead , but they seemed somewhat intelligent from how they responded to Zac’s attack . One possibility was that the leader could control them remotely , and even see what they saw through their eyes .

Zac guessed they would learn which was the case depending on whether there was a trap waiting for them at the top of the mountain . Luckily everything was calm when they reached the summit , and they slowly made their way forward until they found a hidden vantage behind some windswept bushes to scout the summit .

Zac immediately saw the man earlier had been telling the truth . There were almost a thousand of the silver corpses lined up at the square in front of the summit's palace . Furthermore , Zac realized that all kinds of people were represented among the army , increasing the likelihood that these were people that had been caught and turned into puppets .

There were humans from both worlds judging by their attire , and there were also quite a few Ishiate and Zhix , though no Anointed stood among the silver ranks . Curiously enough there were also a few extremely pale humanoids that reached roughly to Zac’s chest .

His best guess was that these things were Ratmen or Molemen going by their hunched over posture and long tails , but they didn’t exactly match the descriptions he heard from the Valkyries about their battles at the Ratmen Incursion . They had more human-like features , and they seemed to be completely hairless . The real Ratmen were essentially enormous bipedal rats .

It wasn’t a species that Zac had ever heard of before , and he guessed these things were either from the other world or something local that lived in these mountains . But even these odd things weren’t what truly drew Zac’s attention . It was the supposed leader sitting in front of them on the ground with his eyes closed .

At first look one might think that the man was a captive , going by how he looked . He was even worse than Zac’s appearance back when he used a disgusting snake-skin for armor and was always caked in blood . It was to the point that Zac even couldn’t make out the man's ethnicity or features since he was just way too dirty , and the only reason Zac knew it was a man was that he had a large grimy beard .

The man had black shoulder-long hair that was so oily that it looked wet , and the only thing he was dressed in was a large piece of cloth that Zac assumed might have been white once upon a time . However , Zac didn’t relax when he saw the pathetic appearance of the leader but instead secured the grip of his axe with a somber expression .

The man emitted a chaotic power that even made Zac slightly apprehensive . The freely released aura around the hobo was clearly weaker than his own , but it was something very off about it , almost feeling like a sickness .

Zac also realized that there would be no option fo a sneak attack , as the man soon opened his eyes and looked straight at the two of them in their hiding spot with a smile . There was undisguised insanity in his eyes , and Zac couldn’t help but shudder when he met the crazed gaze .

Welcome , lost lambs , - the man said , slowly getting up on his feet . - I saw you stop my silver guards . Are you here to make amends by joining the unity? -

Who are you , and what have you done with all these people? - Zac asked as left his hiding spot and walked onto the large square on the summit , Thea soon following behind him .

I am Salvation , prophet of the Great Redeemer , - the man proclaimed with a grand voice , the madness in his eyes burning even brighter . - These ones have been freed from the curse of sapience , and have joined the eternal unity . -

So you are Salvation , - Zac said , and without another word unleashed a fractal edge straight at the man , hoping to cut the head of the snake .

However , a hundred of the silver people behind him wordlessly slapped their hands together and an extremely thick shield appeared in front of their leader , effortlessly stopping his attack .

Oh , you are quite powerful , - the grimy man said while looking at Zac with a burning gaze . - Have the Great Redeemer provided me with the first Golden Guard? -

Zac didn't comment on Salvation's rambling and instead spoke to Thea with a low voice , without taking his eye off his target .

I’ll clash head-on , see if you can find any opportunities from the flank . -

Thea nodded and actually disappeared by turning translucent . It was the first time Zac had seen her use this skill , and he had to admit it suited herself and her weapon quite well . But there was no time for admiration as part of the army suddenly stretched their hands into the air like they were trying to grasp something above them .

The next moment they literally melted into a silver river that started floating around Salvation , making his robes flutter in the wind . The liquid metal that the soldiers turned into emitted the chaotic energies that he sensed from Salvation himself , though it was even stronger .

Those cursed by their clamoring souls are always led astray . But all will be brought to the fold , - Salvation said as he pointed at Zac , and part of the silver river shot toward him with shocking speed , transforming into a huge lance heading straight toward him .

Zac summoned another fractal edge with Chop] and swung it head-on to meet the incoming the attack . But the moment the two forces clashed Zac’s brows rose in alarm from the pure force contained in Salvation’s silver lance .

The power pushed Zac back over fifty meters , and the shockwave from the clash causing widespread destruction of the square on the summit . Zac’s hands were even shaking from the strain of holding the attack at bay , but it was also clear that there was a limit to the power of the river .

Zac noted that the river had shrunk by around ten percent after the clash , with some silver steam dissipating into the air just like when he destroyed the puppets at the foot of the mountain . But the next moment the river was reinforced by more silver men liquefying and joining the river .

From there on Zac didn't have much time to analyze the situation as the silver river was trying to attack him from all angles like a rabid beast .

Chapter 228 - Descent

Zac furiously defended with both his axe and his swirling leaves from the onslaught that came at him from all angles . It was as though he was caught in the middle of an agitated hornet swam where a thousand attacks kept angling for him .

Wounds started to accumulate over his body , and he was spending cosmic energy at a tremendous pace . However , the furious defense wasn’t for nothing as a thick mist was rising above him from the expended silver river .

After having fought a bit Zac started to get a decent idea of what was going on . Salvation turned people into these silver things and then used the stored energy inside their bodies to launch extremely powerful attacks .

However , each attack would deplete Salvation’s storage of soldiers , as the attack spent the stored energy and the corpses dissipated . Zac estimated that a couple of Silver Guards were destroyed by each and every clash judging by how much the silver river shrank afterward .

In just a short bout Zac had destroyed at least fifty corpses , and he felt a bit nauseated at the thought of destroying innocent people . It was an extremely wicked method to fight , and Zac wondered just what kind of evil Salvation had committed to gain access to a class that could do something this messed up .

Despicable , - Zac couldn’t help but growl at Salvation who controlled the silver liquid from the distance .

All crusades require sacrifice for the greater good . They will forever stay part of the Cosmos , all overseen by The Great Redeemer , - Salvation said with a calm smile , no remorse or guilt on his face at all .

Zac realized there was no point to keep talking with this madman , and tried to decide on a plan . The thought of destroying people every time he clashed with Salvation was revolting , and he wasn’t sure that his endurance would last through destroying the whole army in any case .

A better method would be to bring the fight to Salvation himself . Inquisitive Eye] didn’t work on the man , but Zac felt his attributes should be more aligned with a mage judging by how he fought . That meant high Intelligence but low Endurance .

Killing him directly would be more efficient than grinding down the army of silver corpses , and it would also feel a lot better . Perhaps there was even a way to save these poor people and turn them back . The ground cracked under his legs as Zac used Loamwalker] the moment he saw an opening in the silver river swirling around him and he flashed toward Salvation . But he was ready for the assault , simply putting hands in a praying position .

Sanctuary , - Salvation said , and the next moment he was completely enclosed in the silver liquid , creating a huge ball five meters across .

Zac wouldn’t stop from just that though and with a determined face summoned a five-meter fractal edge and imbued it with the Dao of Sharpness . The last clashes he didn’t utilize any Dao , and the difference it made was clear as he cut through the ball like butter .

However , Salvation was nowhere to be seen inside the ball , until he Suddenly appeared back behind Zac , reaching for his head . Alarm bells went off in Zac’s mind , telling him he would die if Salvation reached him . He desperately pushed away , while simultaneously trying to cut off Salvation’s arm .

At the same moment a huge whirlwind erupted in the middle of the silver army , where Thea suddenly appeared . Everything within fifty meters from here was shredded into ribbons , and over a hundred silver corpses dissipated in an instant .

However , she wasn’t done there and immediately moved toward a thick group of guards to keep whittling down the defenses . While Zac had felt a bit hesitant about this tactic she clearly had no such compunctions .

For the first time since the start of the battle Salvation’s calm face changed , turning into one of unbridled rage .

Apostasy! - he screamed as he pointed at Thea .

The next moment another hundred silver corpses liquefied and turned into a hundred swords that all tried to stab Thea , who had to use all of her agility to escape the encirclement unscathed . Her plan to keep destroying corpses had to be abandoned since she was busy just dodging the innumerable blades gunning for her life .

It was clear that Thea had found a solution to reduce the power of Salvation . It was starting to become more and more apparent that Salvation was needed to control these things . She was able to destroy a tenth of the army without any resistance due to Salvation being preoccupied with his battle with Zac .

It was far more efficient than trying to destroy the silver river , as it was clearly more resilient when it was actively controlled by Salvation . Perhaps he infused some of his own Cosmic Energy into the metallic liquid that floated about in the air , whereas the Silver Soldiers were just energy on standby .

Zac could only grit his teeth and follow the same plan as Thea , even though he felt it was a bit distasteful . But the man was simply too elusive . It looked like he could somehow freely move within the silver liquid , making it nigh impossible to strike him down .

He immediately summoned five huge fractal edges as he frantically dodged or bore the damage from the innumerable attacks from the silver rivers all around him . But he didn’t use them to harass Salvation who had emerged from his protective bubble .

Instead , Zac shot them at various clumps of silver guards who were still just mutely standing in the distance , and each blade was imbued with the Dao of Sharpness . His goal was to continue Thea’s work while she was keeping the hundred silver swords busy .

The next moment Zac heedlessly charged Salvation , hoping to occupy his attention .

A storm of lightning-quick swings blanketed Salvation , who had to desperately create barrier after barrier of silver shields to protect himself from Zac’s onslaught . The silver river around him was shrinking at a noticeable pace from Zac’s frenzied swings , with each Dao-infused strike destroying a noticeable part of it .

It looked like his plan might actually work as the silver guards were still standing completely immobile , not making any attempts to defend against the incoming blades . But it appeared that Salvation wouldn’t take it lying down as his eyes lit up with an almost blinding light , and the chaotic aura inside him increased manifold .

DESCENT! - Salvation roared , and before the fractal edges could reach the army over six hundred Silver Corpses liquefied , causing a silver storm that covered the whole summit and rose fifty meters into the air .

The swords that were harassing Thea also stopped their chase and instead joined the other energies to infuse the storm with even more power . Zac immediately got an extremely bad feeling as he sensed the rampant energies that were gathering in the air , and he tried to quickly kill off Salvation before it got any worse .

He even activated Hatchetman’s Rage] while he started gathering energy for his ultimate strike , Nature’s Punishment] . But Salvation was suddenly swallowed by the silver storm , and Zac had no chance to unleash his ultimate attack since he was unable to locate his real form any longer .

The danger sense in Zac’s mind was going haywire , and Zac heedlessly flooded the fractal in his arm with cosmic energy while he looked up at what was happening . The silver storm had created a huge cloud up in the air , and something nefarious was brewing inside .

Suddenly two enormous eyes that seemed want to judge the world opened from within the silver clouds . They held the same silver luster that Salvation’s eyes shone with before he disappeared , but Zac didn’t feel that the huge eyes were an avatar of Salvation .

Salvation’s eyes shone with madness , but the huge globes up in the sky looked down at the mountain peak like a god staring down at a pitiful ant . There was a boundless arrogance and disdain within it as well , but Zac wasn't sure if it was an actual person since the eyes were completely unmoving and unblinking .

The pressure from just the gaze was enormous , and the next moment a gigantic face emerged from the cloud , increasing the pressure even further . The face was at least fifty meters across , a huge monstrosity that covered most of Zac’s field of vision .

The face was of a young human man , and not someone Zac recognized . His face was extremely handsome , apart from the condescending eyes . There was also an extremely intricate fractal in his forehead that radiated an immense power , and just by looking at it Zac felt like his soul was going to get sucked out of his body .

The face didn’t stay up in the clouds , but soon it started to descend toward the summit at a measured pace . Zac’s brows rose in alarm as he looked over at a pale-faced Thea who stood some distance away .

Get away from the summit , I can handle this , - he shouted as he kept infusing his arm with Cosmic Energy .

The pressure upon Zac was mounting as the enormous descended , and his instincts told him to get down on knees in subservience . But ignored those voices as he grit his teeth while he pushed his right hand upward . The space above him cracked and the familiar enormous hand rose to meet the incoming face .

The wrath of god clashed with nature’s punishment , and the two forces meeting caused such a shockwave that the barrier protecting the palace was completely destroyed , and the shockwaves caused the palace to get ripped to shreds as it was pushed down the mountain .

Zac felt as though his whole body was breaking apart from the collision , but he staunchly kept pushing forward while allocating some energy to summon Nature’s Barrier] to blanket him from at least some of the errant energies that were ripping the whole summit apart .

The hand was barely five meters across and it almost looked like a child that was trying to push away an adult as it pressed on the enormous fractal that adorned the forehead of the enormous head .

However , inside that seemingly small hand , a boundless force was contained . It possessed everything Zac was able to utilize , from his Dao of Trees to the infusion of Hatchetman’s Rage] , its power was unmatched even by what most E-Grade evolved could muster .

For a few seconds the two forces were at an impasse , with neither face nor hand giving in , but soon a jarring crack echoed across the mountain . A large scar could suddenly be seen across the fractal on the huge head as the fingers from the wooden hand dug inside the forehead .

The moment the fractal cracked it was as though the force that held the hundreds of silver corpses together came undone . The head started to ooze torrential amounts of silver clouds , and it almost looked as though it was burning from the enormous plume that was rising from it .

Normally Zac would have deactivated the hand by now , but he staunchly kept feeding the hand with everything he possessed , even his lifeforce . He wouldn’t relent until the face was completely destroyed so that he could crush Salvation .

Zac wasn’t the only one who was running out of energy as the face was almost translucent by now with silver clouds spreading far enough to even reach the neighboring mountains . Finally the head cracked into innumerable pieces , the last energies coming undone .

A mangled body fell down from the skies with a wail and caused a large crater when he slammed into the ground on the other side of the summit . But Zac knew he was alive , as some remaining droplets of the liquid river blanketed the fall at the last moment . Zac’s whole body felt like it was on fire but he wouldn’t let this opportunity go .

He was already out of Cosmic Energy , but he squeezed his body to activate Loamwalker] once more , speeding toward the mangled body of Salvation . But he frowned when he saw Salvation crush his token with a shaking hand . Still , all was not lost since there was still a window of opportunity to kill this raving lunatic before he was sent away .

They had already confirmed that the power of someone dictated how long the delay was before they were sent back , and someone like Salvation should take at least ten seconds . He couldn’t let this man get back to the Cradle of God . Who knew how many Silver Guards he had there to empower himself .

He immediately moved to close the last distance , his axe already falling down with finality .

Lord Redeemer , please save me! - he shouted in desperation , and in the next moment a man actually appeared next to him .

Zac first planned to ignore him to strike the finishing blow , but a terrifying aura suddenly exploded out from the man , eclipsing anything Zac had ever felt before .

Every cell in his body told him that if he moved just one step closer he would die without a doubt , and he unhesitantly stopped his assault as he jumped back a few steps . Zac’s couldn’t help looking over at the figure silently standing next to the crater with Salvation still inside .

And the man who looked back at him was none other than the owner of the face in the clouds .

Chapter 229 - The Great Redeemer

The man standing next to the crater was clearly the same as the one in the sky earlier , though there were some minute differences . The normal-sized one felt more lifelike , whereas the huge avatar that tried to crush the whole summit might as well have been a mask or statue .

The mysterious briefly man scrutinized the surroundings until his eyes met Zac’s . It was as though a lightning bolt went through Zac’s mind when he met the stare , and it truly felt like he would perish if he held eye contact .

He quickly looked away , and thoughts of fleeing were quickly filling his mind . But something stopped him . The aura this man emitted was on the same tier as that of Greatest , and if he truly was here there was nothing he could do . His life and death weren’t in his hands any longer .

But at the same time , they were in an enclosed space for a system-organized treasure hunt . He didn’t believe people even of that level of power would be able to break into a place like this . The rules of a System-sanctioned mystic realm were inviolable .

If there were attribute- or grade-limiters in place then there was nothing that could be done . Not even an A-ranked old monster could break in as far as Zac understood . That meant that the man in front of him might just be a powerless illusion and that the towering aura was just empty blustering . That would also explain why he only stood there . Zac grit his teeth with determination .

A huge fractal edge fell straight toward Salvation , who fearfully looked up at the edge as he hastily gathered the last remnants of his silver energies to produce a feeble defense . But Zac knew that small defense wouldn’t stop his assault as his attack was powered by the Dao of Sharpness and his very lifeforce .

But suddenly the man simply pointed a finger at the incoming attack , and it felt as though all life was drained out of his body as the fractal edge disintegrated from some unseen force .

Insolence , - the man said with a melodic voice , and Zac couldn’t help but cough up blood as he fell back , unable to stand up again .

It's true . I am not here in person , I am just an imprint . But my very existence is enough to ward off some baby cultivators , - the man continued as he looked down at Zac with disdain in his eyes .

It was clear though that the man was not truly there , since whatever the man did to stop Zac’s approach had drained the imprint enough to make him transparent . Zac knew that he would perhaps only be able to stop one more attack , but his body wouldn’t listen when he tried to command it to move .

Are you my inheritor? Disappointing . This is my only intervention , - the man sighed as he looked down at the crumpled form of Salvation , but the next moment he looked over at the space on the opposite of the crater .

He didn’t say anything , only disdainfully snorted , but immediately after a pale-faced Thea emerged from nowhere coughing out blood , a slender sword in her hand . It looked like she had tried to assassinate Salvation unseen , but she couldn’t escape the gaze of Salvation’s protector .

This unworthy one thanks you , Great Lord! - Salvation feebly coughed as he grasped his Cosmos Sack in his hand . - I will continue your bidding . -

The next moment he started fading away , but Zac was unwilling to give in to the imprint . He summoned strength he didn’t know he had , and with a roar threw Verun’s Bite] at Salvation . He had no energy left to summon any skill , and could only pin his hopes to non-magical means .

Unfortunately , Zac was completely spent , and his aim was slightly off . The axe had quite a bit of force as it hurtled toward Salvation , but it was flying too low to hit anything lethal . But it was still a throw from someone possessing over three hundred Strength , and Salvation desperately swirled to avoid the incoming edge .

A muffled groan escaped Salvation’s mouth as the axe tore through the man’s wrist and cut off his right hand along with the Cosmic Sack that fell down on the ground . Zac could only shake his head in disappointment , and the next moment Salvation winked out of existence .

The last thing Zac saw of Salvation was two eyes that burned with madness and vengeance . The pouch that had just fallen turned into motes of light and flew into Zac’s Cosmos Sack .

The whole thing had happened in an instant , and The Redeemer was unable or unwilling to lend any further assistance to Salvation , and he instead only gazed up into the sky with some anticipation in his face . Zac knew the imprint was running out of time and hoped to gain at least some information before it disappeared .

Who are you? Are you from the Church of Everlasting Dao? - Zac coughed .

Zac’s words brought back the attention of the quickly fading form .

I am not one of those filthy body-peddlers . Their path toward immortality is a dead end , an empty pit of despair . I sense that my true body is still alive , which means that eons of planning are soon coming to fruition . We will meet again , little defier , - he said with a small smile as he finally was reduced to just motes of light .

Zac didn’t dare move for a few seconds even after the man dissapeared , but soon he ardously tried to get over to Thea . His vision was swimming , but he knew they couldn’t stay here . But his body was completely spent , and he helplessly was lying down on the ground . It was Thea instead who got up to her feet , fearfully looking over at the spot where the man once stood as she walked over to Zac .

Who the hell was that? - she muttered , perhaps to herself or perhaps as a question to Zac .

Definitely not someone from Earth , - Zac said with a frown . - He was at least a D-Grade powerhouse , likely higher . -

I’ve read that powerful people could imprint treasures with their very essence . Somehow Salvation must have gotten his hands on such a treasure . But I don’t understand how . It’s extremely arduous to make such an imprint because you need to cut off a piece of your soul to leave the imprint . It’s rarely done , - Thea explained .

They are usually only awarded to direct disciples and are extremely rare treasures . It’s not something the system awards either , - she continued .

Salvation kept talking about some Great Redeemer , - Zac said , trying to keep his scattered mind focused . - Perhaps that was him . He might have gotten his hands on an inheritance or something . That kind of treasure sounds like something that might be left to an inheritor . -

That’s impossible . This is a new world , there are no inheritances here , - Thea said with a shake of her head .

Zac scratched his face for a couple of seconds before he coughed .

Well , it’s not completely impossible . I have a couple of them as well , got them as a reward , - he explained , his voice getting lower and lower as the intensity from Thea’s glare increased . - And more importantly that man called Salvation his inheritor . -

She didn’t say anything only gave an annoyed huff as she surveyed the area before pulling Zac to his feet .

I think we need to go , - she said . - The palace is destroyed , and people from all surrounding mountains should have seen the battle . None of us is in any condition to fight another battle . -

Zac was about to agree , but suddenly his vision turned slanted . It took a bit for his muddled mind to realize that he had fallen over , which made him finally realize just how bad his condition was . That last strike had used up most of his remaining lifeforce , and when it was destroyed it got even worse .

Don’t put my body into a Cosmos Sack , - was all that Zac could say before his vision turned black .

An unknown amount of time later that Zac woke up with a cough , his eyes straining to adjust as he slowly opened them . He saw that he had been moved after all as he was inside what looked to be the ruins of some of the structures closer to the foot of a mountain .

However , he realized that his fears had been true , as his vision had once again turned into that of his Draugr-form . His feeling only worsened when he realized that he was tied up to the point that he was barely able to move , and the bindings were actually strong enough to keep him secured .

So you’re up , - Thea’s voice sounded from behind , but Zac wasn’t even able to turn over .

Thanks for carrying me away . So , uh , why have you tied me up? - Zac asked , trying to make his voice sound as warm and alive as possible .

There was no response for a few seconds until a light shuffle could be heard as Thea entered his field of vision . She looked to be mostly fine apart from being slightly pale , but she had a frown on her face as she scrutinized Zac from some distance .

Zac knew very well just how different he looked at this current form , particularly his pitch-black eyes that looked like portals to the abyss .

I am not an undead , I am still Zac , - Zac said .

You sure look like an undead , and you’re deathly cold to the touch , - she said with an unconvinced face .

Well , it’s a long story , but through a few deadly encounters , I found a way to get two lives . I can somewhat freely swap between my two forms , but sometimes the change is forced upon me , - Zac said .

Like dying , - Thea said with a blank face .

Well , yes , that would do the trick , - Zac coughed .

So you are immortal? - she probed .

I don’t think so? - Zac hesitantly said . - It’s not like I’d survive getting my head cut off . -

The moment the words left his mouth he regretted it , as Thea’s eyes thinned as she pointedly stared at his exposed throat . However , nothing happened as the seconds passed , and Zac could finally breathe easy again .

But soon Thea spoke up , and he couldn't help but get a bit antsy again .

You should understand my position . It is already clear that Salvation is under the thumb of some alien influence , bringing a great threat to Earth . Now I find out that the top ranker is an undead when there’s an undead Incursion on earth that has ravaged a good deal of Asia , - she said with an even stare .

What you said might be true , but I need to ask some questions to ascertain the veracity of your claim , - she continued .

From there on she kept asking him various questions that only he would know , such as the content of their explorations during the hunt , or their shared experiences at the Auction earlier . However , after a while the nature of the questions started to change .

How old were you when you stopped wetting the bed? - she suddenly asked .

What? No Idea , three perhaps? - Zac answered with a perplexed face .

How many girlfriends do you have , and how do you rank them? - she continued without missing a beat .

Rank them? What are you talking about? I am single , - Zac answered with an exasperated voice .

That’s not what our intelligence indicates , - Thea retorted .

Are you talking about Hannah? We broke up some time ago , - Zac said but frowned when he saw her mouth quirking slightly upward . - Wait , are you messing with me? -

The next moment the ropes around him were released , and he was free again . However , he shot a glare at Thea who innocuously looked back at him as he stretched his sore body .

We need to get going , we’re still somewhat close to the scene of the battle , - Thea said without commenting the earlier line of questioning .

Zac only snorted but he was quick to follow behind her . He sensed that his Core wasn’t filled at the moment , making it a risky venture to turn back again . Instead , he simply donned a cloak that covered his head that would hide his identity until he could turn back again .

The two kept moving as soon as Zac was freed by Thea since they were still pretty close to the scene of the battle . They weren’t worried about the average cultivators , but rather the top names on the ladders , such as the Dominators and the Medhin Emperor .

Their battle with Salvation might as well have been a blaring sign showing half the mountainous region where top powerhouses were , and if the E-Ranked evolved had done any sort of reconnaissance they should know that there were only three E-Rankers present at the hunt .

However , it didn’t mean they stopped their treasure hunt just because they wanted to avoid any further battle for the time being . However , they decided to avoid the top tier palaces in favor of looting the high tier sites that were not quite as conspicuous .

But they soon learned that the competition for these mountains was much harsher compared to the top-tiered ones that were guarded by extremely powerful arrays . Two out of the three mountains they visited during the day had already been looted , and it was only thanks to Thea’s observation skills that they managed to find any treasures at all .

She had managed to at least find a few hidden stashes that contained decent returns , but it was far worse than the usual haul they had during the day . Thea had already lost two positions , but Zac had soared up to the first position on the Gatherer ladder , thanks to looting Salvation .

Chapter 230 - Out of the Frying Pan

Zac started absorbing energy for his core the moment that they settled in for the night , holding a divine crystal in one hand and a miasma crystal in the other . As soon as the core was filled up he began the process of turning back to a human again .

Since he had already turned he first thought about staying that way for a while . He could take the opportunity to both gain a couple of levels and work on his quests . However , in the end he decided against it , which was why he was currently emptying himself of miasma from all his pores .

There were a few reasons to this . The most important was the safety issue . There were dangers both known and unknown prowling the mountains , and his combat prowess was far higher in his human form . Perhaps that would change in the future , but for now it was safer to have access to his Hatchetman class . He only had one skill at the moment , and Zac believed that the best use for Deathwish] was to handle large groups of weaker enemies .

Secondly , there was the issue of Thea . He had already explained that he had gained the ability to gain a second life by turning to an undead , bu the never mentioned anything about a second class . He was therefore a bit leery about grinding his class while traveling with her .

She had proven herself to be a solid ally through thick and thin during the hunt , but the had also realized that family was extremely important to her , even if she was a bit of a loner . If he for some reason came at odds against the Marshall Clan she would stand with them , and he was unwilling to show all his cards at this juncture . He knew he'd already slipped up a couple of times by now , but he could only channel his inner Ogras and strive to do better from now on .

A cloud of miasma was slowly gathering above Zac as he expelled everything in his body until his vision once again began swimming and he lost consciousness . When he woke up again he was relieved to find that he wasn’t bound like the last time , but Thea was still sitting close-by observing him .

Pretty impressive , - she commented when she noticed that Zac was back to being a bonafide human . - Are you able to turn into anything else as well? -

I’m not some shapeshifter , - Zac muttered as he cracked his neck .

He truly needed to find a better method for the change . Having to die just to turn was a huge pain in the ass , and it felt extremely uncomfortable as well . Every cell in his body screamed for sustenance , but the had to repress those basic impulses and let his body slowly get drained .

So what’s next? - Thea said as she started setting up her tent .

They were inside a small house at the foot of a mountain , but she still chose to erect her one-man tent . She had done the same every night since they started traveling together , and Zac guessed she wanted some privacy as she slept . He knew it wasn't an issue of not wanting to get dirtied by the floor beneath since he'd seen her caked in both blood and grime the last days without as much as lifting an eyebrow .

Nothing’s really changed . We should start hitting the top tier palaces again if you’re up for it , - Zac said after mulling it over for a bit .

Thea nodded before she got into her tent , leaving Zac to take the first watch .

Zac sat down next to the doorway of the structure as he looked out into the darkness . The darkness this night didn’t seem very oppressive and he could spot the weak stars in the sky , meaning that there probably wouldn’t be a nightly assault this day .

Since he had some time to spare he decided to go over his gains from the past day , and first opened his status screen .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

62

Class

F-Rare] Hatchetman

Race

E] Human

Alignment

Earth] Port Atwood - Lord

Titles

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

Dao

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

Core

F] Duplicity

Strength

370 Efficiency : 116%]

Dexterity

221 Efficiency : 116%]

Endurance

375 Efficiency : 116%]

Vitality

239 Efficiency : 116%]

Intelligence

90 Efficiency : 116%]

Wisdom

85 Efficiency : 116%]

Luck

93 Efficiency : 116%]

Free Points

1

Nexus Coins

F] 26 743 653

The day’s activities had slightly improved his attributes once again , with him gaining a level in his undead form from killing beasts when they changed mountains . He looked at his Free Point for a bit before he put it into Strength .

He had gone back and forth on this , eventually he chose to increase his Strength . With the help of the Dao of Sharpness , he actually had far more Dexterity than he needed to keep a decent ratio . He felt that he could afford a couple of more points into Strength since it was still his main attribute during fights .

Another idea he had was to boost his Wisdom and Intelligence to 100 each before he got ready to evolve , in case any future Class Upgrade had restrictions on either those attributes or that there was a minimum of 100 in all attributes .

Bu the felt that putting points there was a bit premature . He was leaning toward instant power-ups during this hunt , rather than something that could benefit him down the line . Besides , it wasn’t impossible he’d gain some more attributes through new titles or treasures before he reached level 75 . The fewer points he needed to put himself into those attributes the better .

Another welcome surprise was that Nature’s Punishment] and Nature’s Barrier] both had evolved from the last battle . He hadn’t noticed until now since he had been in his Undead form during the whole day .

That Nature’s Punishment had upgraded was the most critical . It had been his final card in every tough fight since he gained the skill , and the power of the wooden hand essentially dictated how strong enemies he could defeat .

He had no idea just what kind of effect the upgraded skill would have since there were no clues , but he sensed that the fractal on his forearm could take in far more energy compared to before , which could only be seen as a good sign .

Each point in attribute also increased the amount of Cosmic Energy he could hold , meaning that he had far more to go around today compared when he first gained the skill . At that time using the skill just once took pretty much all his energy , but by now he used less than half his energy to launch it .

As for Nature’s Barrier] , he simply summoned the swirling leaves after throwing a glance at the tent at the opposite side of the building . The continuous consumption of his defensive skill was higher since the upgrade . But the leaves were also far more resplendent , almost lighting up the building with their green luster .

He also saw that the veins on the leaves had changed a bit . They slightly looked like fractals before as well , but it was much clearer now . He still couldn't make anything out from the fractals due to his lacking insight into that field , but he knew that each leaf could block far more force compared to before .

Satisfied with the result he deactivated the skill , his eyes turning to his Cosmos Sack next .

He hadn’t properly gone through it since they had been on the move the whole day , but now there was time to properly look it over . He had briefly peeked into it during the day , and he was shocked by the number of things inside since he looted Salvation .

There was no way he would be able to store everything inside if he had only his own sacks , as the sheer quantity of items was just enormous . If he decided to empty the Sack he would be able to create a small hill of healing pills alone for example , and there were thousands and thousands of weapons .

Salvation had been at the 8th place on the Gatherer ladder when he fled the hunt , but his way of getting that high up had been vastly different from himself and Thea . The two of them had only hit top palaces , occasionally lining their pockets with the possessions of other trial takers while traveling between the summits .

Salvation had simply killed and robbed almost a thousand people as a way to increase his Silver Guard , and it was obvious that he'd kept everything they owned as well . But it was also clear that most of the guards were of pretty low power on average , as the quality of the loot was pretty lackluster . Zac sat and went through item after item , but he only found a total of six items that seemed valuable .

He placed them together with the 22 other items he had looted during the hunt , the first of them being the extremely heavy metal ball that was covered in intricate fractals . His plan for them was simply to hand them over to Calrin when he got back for identification and potentially selling off .

Some of them might be a good weapon against the Dominators or the Medhin Emperor , but he was just unable to figure anything out about their method of usage . He’d rather just stash them than accidentally blowing himself up . As for the mountain of other treasures , they were just low-value items that would fill his contribution system back in Port Atwood . Things such as healing- and fasting pills were always in high demand .

The night passed uneventfully , and the two set out at the break of dawn . They once again settled into their usual routine , and the following days they hit one high-value target after another . However , on the second day , something odd happened .

In the distance , the mountains were simply replaced with the blackness of space , and the once endless field of view got abruptly cut short . It came suddenly and without warning , and made Zac and Thea stop in their tracks . D

It's a battle royale , - Zac suddenly muttered as he looked on the newly erected wall .

A what? - Thea asked with confusion .

I think the System is reducing the size of the hunt , and it might keep shrinking it over time . We're pretty spread out at the moment , and we haven't really fought anyone in two days . The system wants more struggle , and it forces us into closer proximity , - Zac said .

Figures , - Thea only commented with a sigh .

Well , there's still quite a huge field to search . Even if we walked in a straight line it would take us over a month to pass the whole thing . But I think we should maintain a large distance from the black wall , the System might not give a warning if it decides to reduce the area again , - Zac added as he started looking for a new target .

Zac was proven right three days later , as the black wall swallowed up a large group of mountains again . And if the System was looking for more fights the plan worked spectacularly . Both Zac and Thea had been forced to kill a bunch of cultivators each during the past days .

Furthermore , the valleys were flooded with innumerable beasts that seemed to have been pushed out of the black enclosure . It had gotten to the point that he'd even seen a pack of huge rats getting pushed down the large cracks in the ground that ran alongside the mountains due to overcrowding .

There were also constant sounds of battles from the various mountains , and the impacts they caused were getting larger as well as most of the weaker people were quickly getting rooted out . In just three days over ten thousand had been eliminated from the hunt either through leaving voluntarily or getting killed , which was a way faster pace than before .

Zac and Thea were mostly unaccosted by this though . There were very few who could threathen them at the moment , and the mountain peaks there were usually very few people on the mountains they chose . They only picked the summits with the most spectacular palaces that would have the harshest arrays protecting them .

They had a few close calls during the past days , particularly in a palace that had an extremely insidious mix of arrays . Initially , they had just thought it was a combination of a battle array that spawned a bunch of golems and a gravity array , but they were wrong .

There had also been an imperceptible illusion array that only slightly messed with their senses , and Zac only found out when his danger sense blared to life . However , it was too late and he was gored by a sharp spike by one of the golems . Thankfully the warning had allowed him to avoid any lethal damage , and the immense pain helped him break out of the array .

However , the two had generally had a smooth sailing so far . But something was different about the mountain in front of them , making Zac stop in his tracks with a frown . They were just standing at the foot as they had with so many other mountains .

But this time his Luck was in no uncertain terms telling him that he was in danger .

Chapter 231 - Rooting out Problems

This had better work , - Ogras grunted in annoyance . - This god damn array almost cleaned me bare . -

Well , it was you who decided to buy through the mercantile system rather than wait for Lord Atwood to return , - Calrin responded , not able to hide his glee .

In front of them was a huge table wrought some crystal , and its surface was covered in dense fractals . Oddly enough each of the legs had sharpened ends , and all four of them were currently embedded into the ground . They were in a secluded cave right in the middle of the island , and this place had also become the headquarters of their operation .

Ogras only glared at the little twerp for a bit bit , thinking of methods he could have revenge without getting caught . He just knew that the little shit had added a substantial premium to the tools required when he saw the hurry that Ogras was in . But he could only swallow his ire for now , and he instead took out a crystal from his sleeve and put it to his mouth .

Are you ready? - Ogras asked into the crystal .

… Ready , - a sullen voice responded from the other side .

Come now , don’t be like that . I’m sure that Zac will warm up if he heard you protected his sister , - Ogras snorted .

Alea had been a complete drag the past weeks , drifting about like a brooding ghost . That man kept throwing annoying problems at him just to go on exciting adventures . Now Ogras was supposed to be some sort of marriage counselor as well? Well , at least he would get an adventure of his own if this all worked out , and he could leave all this crap behind .

The plan had taken a week of intense research and another week of putting everything together . The whole island now had over fifty minor teleportation arrays hidden all over . He would be able to appear almost anywhere on the island at moment’s notice , they only needed to start up the main array in front of them to start the operation .

He had racked his brain for days to come up with another way to spot the shapeshifters . Those bastards were the only thing that blocked him from being able to enter the Mystic Realm now , and he couldn't wait to rip them apart . Ogras had even bought over twenty information missives from Calrin until he finally found a plan that had a decent chance to work .

Thoughts of just sneaking inside the Mystic Realm had crossed his mind tens of times , but in the end he forcibly pushed down those impulses . If Zac found out he shirked his duties while he was away he could forget about getting his hand on the inheritance , which was a surefire power-up for him compared to the unknown of the Mystic Realm .

Besides , he knew who would be the main targets of an assassination in case that both he and Zac were gone from the island simultaneously , and he didn't want to see the sister get herself killed . He had spent most of his time shadowing MacKenzie Atwood since Zac left on the hunt , and he had to admit she was an interesting person .

She was a contradiction personified . He had never met someone with such precise control of Cosmic Energy , her precision and reaction time were unparalleled . With such god-given talents she would be welcomed as an elite at almost any sect .

Attributes could be solved by various means , but supreme talent was far harder to come by . But at the same time he had seen her fall over while standing still twice , and he’d lost count of how many times she’d dropped things by just fumbling them . How could such a skilled person be so clumsy?

He had even gone so far as to ask around about her past , and it turned out that while the clumsiness was something she’d always had , the stellar control seemed to be something new . Perhaps her talent was always latent , just waiting to explode when this world got integrated . But he had bigger fish to fry than to figure out that mystery .

The solution to his problems that he finally found was an array called E-Grade Origin Array] . It was an array that showed unique energy signatures of all people within its reach , and the signature depended on the origin of the person .

That meant that the demons would have pretty similar signatures , just like the humans and ishiate would have similar signatures within their cohorts . He had already silently escorted the few Zhix that were stationed in Port Atwood away so that they wouldn’t add confusion to the results . That left the shapeshifters who should have their own unique signatures .

Normally this plan wouldn’t work since the capitals of the multi-verse were melting pots of people with all kinds of origins . Besides , higher grade concealment skills would be able to change even the signatures they emitted , rendering the array useless . Even worse , everyone would notice it being activated since it shot out a not-so-discrete pulse .

Using such an array was akin to using inspection skills on everyone in a town , and was considered to be extremely rude and overbearing . If you were unlucky some hidden powerhouse might stay in the city , and he or she might take offense to being exposed like that . All this made the Origin Array mostly useless , and it wasn’t one of the better-known arrays .

But the current situation of Port Atwood created the possibility of his plan working . First of all the population was extremely homogenous . Secondly , the shapeshifters were only F-Grade , meaning that they didn’t possess access to skills strong enough to hide from the array .

Ogras placed ten E-Grade crystals in the core of the array , and it was with great relief he saw it hum into life . The tabletop in front of them changed , and soon it displayed the whole island . The next moment a pulse was emitted from the core beneath the table , and it quickly spread out to cover the whole island .

Azh’Rodum was the first town to get covered , and the map was quickly getting filled with similar red lights . A few blue lights also started shimmering , and Ogras guessed those were the humans that lived in Azh’Rodum as miners . The pulse kept expanding outward until they reached the array flags that were planted in the ocean roughly a hundred meters away from the shore . It had been a pain in the ass to put all those things into place .

Ogras had been forced to grapple with everything from enormous fish to oversized lizard-things that lived on the western shores of the island . MacKenzie had called them crocodiles , though they apparently weren’t as large before this world got integrated .

Finally , they spotted lights that seemed out of place – three golden dots huddled together a few hours travel away from Port Atwood . They might be Ishiate that might have wandered off , but Ogras’ guts told him otherwise .

This thing consumes huge amounts of money , we can’t keep it activated forever . Tell me if you see them move or if new ones crop up , - Ogras said , and the next second stepped on the teleporter .

The next moment he appeared in the array closest to the signatures , and he immediately melded with the shadows as he rushed toward the shapeshifters with all speed he could muster .

Two more at number 23 , not moving , - the voice of the Sky Gnome reached him through the crystal .

Ogras only grunted in confirmation as he kept moving forward . He had hoped there would only be the one , but there were already five signatures on the map . With the help of his late-stage Seed he was like a ghost as he pushed through the forest .

This was also the first real battle since he was freed from the restrictions of the system , and his Dexterity was completely unlocked , now sitting at over 400 . His Wisdom and Intelligence weren’t as high as he would have liked still , but he hoped that he would be able to bridge those gaps with his three trials before attempting to evolve again .

He finally reached the spot the map indicated , and immediately activated his ocular skill . For a while , he couldn’t notice anything out of place , but he suddenly looked at a tree that had a suspicious lack of cosmic energy . He immediately took out his spear , and with one swift move crushed the tree into splinters .

A small hole made itself shown , and Ogras unhesitantly turned into shadows again as he dropped down inside . Three extremely startled humans sat huddled in a room of roughly thirty square meters . The floors and walls were pressed mud , and it was clear that they had dug the room out of the ground itself .

Hey , what are you- - one of the men said , but he didn’t get further before his throat was pierced with a stab from Ogras' spear .

The other two men realized there would be no subterfuge and immediately unleashed waves of golden flames in the cramped room . A ring on Ogras’ finger lit up and a shield blocked out all the flames as he stabbed outward with this spear twice more .

A few seconds later the flames had died down , leaving only three somewhat charred corpses . Ogras gathered anything that had survived the fire into his Cosmos Sack before he opened the town shop menu and bought another small teleportation array .

3 Down , any updates? -

23 targets , - a slightly helpless voice echoed back from the other side , and Ogras groaned in exasperation .

Who are closest to the settlements? -

Teleporter 33 , twenty-five miles to the west , - Calrin quickly responded .

Ogras kept moving from hideout to hideout , and it was as though the god of death had descended upon the island . There was no talk , no negotiation , no prisoners . Every cultist he found was ripped to shreds the moment he found them since he didn’t want to risk one of them escaping again like the slippery one he failed to kill last time .

A target is moving toward the academy , - Calrin suddenly said with some worry through the crystal .

Some worry filled Ogras’ heart upon hearing that . That was where Alea and MacKenzie were currently staying . He unhesitantly bought another array and jumped into it the moment it was stabilized . He immediately rushed toward the house where the two were hiding and found the Poison Mistress sitting outside keeping an eye of the surroundings .

She seemed surprised to see him and immediately ran over toward him as she kept looking around for any hidden threats .

Are they coming? - Alea asked with some worry as her brows furrowed .

Ogras didn’t answer , and instead immediately skewered her heart with his lance . At the same time , dozens of shadowy spears gored her body from every angle . Blood flowed like a fountain , and she slumped over with shocked eyes .

How - ? she coughed , but the next moment she lifelessly fell over .

The next moment the door opened and both Alea and MacKenzie looked out of the house . The moment they saw Ogras they immediately swallowed a piece of Springroot . Ogras looked down at the copy of his general with a sneer .

You’re years too early to try a trick like that on me , - Ogras muttered in disdain .

He searched the body and found another of those ghastly knives that even were enough to kill that human cockroach of a teammate . Ogras’ heart couldn’t help tightening upon seeing it since it showed just how close to death he had been .

The last shapeshifter had likely tried to lure him over and quickly kill him with the dagger . If he also managed to kill Alea afterward he would be able to run essentially rampant in the town . Ilvere was the strongest fighter apart from them , but his skill-set was not suited to deal with assassins .

Good work , - a voice said , and Ogras turned over to see MacKenzie walk over with a water bottle .

Do you have anything stronger? - he muttered , but in the end accepted the bottle anyway .

That stuff is not good for you , - Kenzie said with the voice of someone having repeated herself innumerable times .

Alea looked at the two with a slight frown , before snorting and walking away , pointedly ignoring the mauled copy of herself on the ground . Ogras shot her a glance and shook his head with a sigh . She was likely leaving to keep watching that tree up in the mountains . That left himself and MacKenzie alone in the small courtyard , silently watching over the sunset .

So when are you leaving? - Kenzie suddenly asked .

We’ll do a sweep again tomorrow , and if all is clear I will leave immediately after , - Ogras answered . - I don’t know how long it will take inside , but I want to be back before your brother returns . -

I’ve heard those places can be pretty crazy , - Kenzie muttered , looking over at him with a steady stare . - Stay safe . -

I will . -

Chapter 232 - Into the Fire

Thea noticed Zac’s hesitation and stopped as well .

What’s going on? - she asked with vigilance while her eyes flashed with shimmering light , indicating she was using her observation skills . - I can’t sense anything wrong . -

My danger-sense is acting up , - Zac admitted as he took active control of his mental defense skill .

Danger-sense , a skill? - Thea asked skeptically .

Not really , just high Luck , - Zac admitted .

The more I learn about your situation the more pissed off I get , - Thea muttered under her breath .

You and Ogras could start a club about it , - Zac snorted , though not relaxing his vigilance as he looked around .

Is it the mountain? - she asked .

I’m not sure , - Zac said , his frown only deepening .

It was an extremely disconcerting feeling to have his danger sense constantly warn him about something that he couldn’t pinpoint , and it felt like doom was constantly hanging over him . After a brief discussion , they decided to change the mountain . But the feeling didn't disappear for over two hours , making him almost believe his sense was on the fritz .

But the feeling suddenly intensified by a large degree , and he whirled around without hesitation , his axe ready . Facing them just ten meters away was a small unassuming Zhix warrior releasing no aura at all , to the point that it might as well be a level 1 mortal . The moment Zac saw the insectoid he immediately took out his dagger , but he soon gave up the idea when he saw the ladder position of the insectoid in front of them .

Inevitability , - Zac said with a stoic face , though his heart started beating like a drum .

It truly was the first place holder on the Hunter-ladder and one of the beings that stood at the peak of their world . Their plans and objectives were a mystery , and the fact that he had somehow appeared right in front of them couldn’t spell anything but trouble .

That’s me , - the Zhix said , a small smile on its face . - I have looked forward to meeting the Super-Brother Man . -

I thought you’d be an Anointed , - Zac said , trying to buy some time while he figured out what to do .

Don’t compare us to those poor miscreations . Do you know what the Anointed are? It’s forced mutation through Alchemy . They call it the Rite of Anointment , but they only stuff themselves full of natural treasures , hoping the surge of energy won’t explode them , - the Zhix scoffed .

Zac didn’t relax just because the Zhix seemed happy to talk , but rather the opposite . It looked like Inevitability felt everything was in his control , even after knowing who he was . His hand stayed close to his pouch , ready to take out his token at moment’s notice .

He finally understood how the cultivators had felt when they were trapped by Zac and Thea . The Zhix in front of him didn’t emit any aura , but Zac knew that it was above his own level by a large margin . The insectoid seemed content to speak at the moment , but Zac couldn’t figure out his real goal .

He now understood that the sense of danger came from Inevitability stalking them , and it was a proof of its ability that it could follow them for hours without them finding the slightest clue of its presence . He could only pray that it was due to Inevitability possessing some class with stealth-capabilities , rather than it simply being so far above them in power that it could easily hide from their senses .

They invented it to combat us back in the day , you know? - Inevitability continued . - The unenlightened needed quick boosts in power to combat our superior strength during the Great War . But that path to power has a price , they will never ascend to the E-Grade . Soon they will be irrelevant , left behind as symbols of a misguided struggle . -

So what is your goal? Our new world is getting ravaged from foreign invaders , but I’ve yet heard of you closing any incursions , - Zac probed .

That battle is not for us , but we are rooting for your victory , - the Zhix said with a teasing smile .

Why? - Zac asked skeptically .

Void chose you as a fulcrum , but I remain unconvinced , so I searched you out while that bore is busy . Why should I hold myself back if you can’t even fulfill your designated fate? - the Zhix muttered .

A fulcrum? - Zac asked with a frown . It wasn't a great feeling to be part of some scheme of Void's Disciple , the strongest being on the planet .

Unfortunately , the Zhix didn’t seem interested in divulging any more intelligence . The next moment a terrifying aura was unleashed from the seemingly unassuming Zhix , and Zac couldn’t help but take a step back in shock .

Zac had recently made huge improvements to his combat power with his second Class and new round of titles . That had made him feel almost invincible on earth . He had thought that even if he wasn’t an even match against the Dominators he would at least be able to put up a decent fight . Perhaps he would even be able to kill them if needed with a surprising burst of power through Hatchetman’s Rage] .

However , only now did he truly understand the folly of his inflated ego . The aura that was being emitted was just monstrous , and not something that would come from some random cultivator . Inevitability clearly had his own sets of lucky encounters to power him as well , and with this high level , the result felt almost impossible to overcome .

Of course , the aura was nothing compared to what he sensed from his meeting with Greatest or the imprint of the Great Redeemer . But their auras felt so far beyond his own that making an accurate measure of their strength was impossible .

Inevitability’s aura was within his scope of understanding , but it was far beyond what he could unleash by himself . Furthermore , it was powered by an immense killing intent that could only come from killing hundreds of thousands of beings .

The Zhix warrior barely reached Zac's chin , but it felt like Zac was staring at an enormous beast when he was inundated in Inevitability's aura . He quickly released his own to combat the oppressive feeling , getting ready for battle . It was clear that the Dominator had come for a fight after all .

Zac didn’t dare to hold anything back , and Thea was clearly of the same opinion . But their goal wasn’t to defeat the Zhix .

Flee , - Zac only said through grit teeth as before he disappeared , appearing over a hundred meters away the next moment with an attack ready .

He sent five huge edges empowered by the Dao of Heaviness toward Inevitability , hoping to push him back .

Not bad , - the Zhix said , a smile still adorning his face .

The huge edges ripped through the air with enormous power , destroying trees and boulders as they flew straight toward Inevitability . The Zhix lifted his hand , and two odd chains emerged from his back and almost floated in the air in front of him .

It was truly odd , as one moment Zac thought he saw two silver snakes floating in the air , but the next moment they were chains again . They kept swapping back and forth making it impossible to understand which was their true state . When Zac's attacks closed in the two chains formed a circle , and a huge fractal suddenly appeared in the middle of them , shining with a silver luster .

The fractal edges slammed into the erected defense one by one with enough force to decimate a city block , but it was to no avail as the fractal didn’t even budge from the onslaught . The next moment tens of daggers descended from the skies , each glistening with a cold sharpness .

It was the work of Thea , and another attack Zac hadn’t seen her use before . He could also sense that the falling daggers were imbued with something similar to his Dao of Sharpness , perhaps the Dao of Penetration .

The knives whistled as they ripped through the air , falling down at Inevitability with the force of small meteors . But the Dominator suddenly disappeared and reappeared outside the attack range of the daggers who rained death unto an empty patch of grass .

The next moment the two silver chains shot out from Inevitability , and they both flew toward Zac and Thea like bloodhounds having gained the scent of their prey . The power contained in the chains was terrifying , and neither wanted to clash with the weird things head-on .

Since the moment Zac launched his attacks he also utilized their movement skills to the maximum , desperately running away from the battle . But the chains were closing in on them , and Zac started to feel intense mental pressure as they approached . It felt like the chains emitted some sort of binding power , and moving was getting harder the closer they got .

He could only take active control of Mental Fortress] to protect himself from whatever effect the fractals were bringing , and he summoned two more fractal edges with Chop] as he ran . When he saw that the stretch ahead was clear he jumped up in the air and launched the two strikes at the incoming chains before he landed again .

The maneuver didn’t cost him any speed , but even though he felt the shockwaves from his attacks hitting the pursuing attacks he sensed that they weren’t destroyed . However , he did sense that the pressure lessened somewhat , so he kept at it as he fled .

They kept running for thirty minutes , constantly using their movement skills to try to shake off the chains . But it appeared they were able to grow impossibly long and kept with them as they fled . Both Zac and Thea were also forced to keep attacking them as they ran to keep them at bay .

At least it was somewhat effective , and they finally managed to destroy the two pursuing snake-chains just before reaching one of the cracks in the earth . It stretched over a hundred meters across , much too far for them to jump with their current power .

They were just about to run toward the north alongside the crack but suddenly they heard a crack from a twig snapping .

I am impressed , - the familiar voice said from just next to them , making Zac jump away by surprise . - The power was split between two chains , but the fact that F-Graded warriors managed to destroy them is very impressive . -

Zac was breathing heavily from his desperate flight , but Inevitability stood just fifty meters away from them as though he had been there from the very beginning . Zac looked back at the large chasms that seemed to reach toward the core of the earth , a bottomless pit .

They had their backs toward the wall , and Zac knew it wasn’t the time to hold anything back anymore . There was simply no way for them to escape from Inevitability , his speed was far above their own .

The only reason they were still alive seemed to be that he was only toying with them , but for what reason he couldn’t fathom . But that didn’t mean that he would let them go , and Zac prepared his last gambit .

The energy in the surroundings started to enter him with torrential force as he activated Hatchetman’s Rage] as his forearm was being flooded with Cosmic Energy . Thea was doing the same , and the air around her left arm shimmered with extremely condensed power .

Your final cards? - the Zhix said as it curiously looked at them with an excited grin .

The next moment an enormous hand once again emerged from the crack in space above him . The hand hadn't grown larger from the upgrade , but it emitted a force condensed enough that it could rival the Dominator's aura . It almost looked like it was tattooed with a dense print of fractals as well , creating clearly demarcated rings on the fingers .

The Zhix frowned when he saw the incoming hand , and tens of chains emerged from behind him , combining into a huge snake that moved to intercept Nature's Punishment] . But the rings on the fingers of the hand suddenly lit up with green luster , and the silver snake was briefly unable to move .

Zac was surprised by the added effect of his attack , but he wouldn't let it go to waste as he used all power he could bring to bear to slam the hand down on Inevitability . The insectoid roared in anger , and the air around it started twisting from the power it emitted .

The hand slammed into the ground with enough force that cracks were starting to form for over a hundred meters , making Zac worried that the whole stretch of land they stood on would fall into the chasm behind them .

But Zac didn't have time to think about that as intense pain consumed him as the enormous wooden hand was ripped in two , and a bloodied Inevitability emerged . He wasn't unscathed from the attack though , with his right arm limply hanging at an odd angle , and blood was dripping from his mouth from internal injuries .

Void Piercer , - Thea muttered with a low voice , and the next moment it was as though a tube of the void itself stretched toward the Zhix with lightning speed .

Unfortunately , it looked like Tha had trouble controlling the skill , and she faltered almost as soon as she unleashed the attack , making it hit slightly off-mark . The spear wrought out of grey energies hit the dominator in its gut , but there was no shockwave or huge explosion .

But a perfect hole appeared in the body of the Zhix , and the hole also kept going for another twenty meters , cutting straight through a boulder and a couple of trees . It was like she had used a supremely powerful railgun that disintegrated everything in its path , and Zac could only sigh in regret that it hadn't hit a more lethal spot .

Inevitability coughed he held his broken arm , blood streaming down from its wounded side . But Zac was disappointed to see that the Zhix was still in fighting condition , and the wound was closing itself with speed discernible to the naked eye .

Even worse , the lackadaisical manner of the Dominator was gone , replaced with burning fury .

Chapter 233 - Falling

Zac sighed and looked over at Thea who already held her Token ready in hand . Their gambit had failed , and now it looked like they had thoroughly pissed off their enemy . Leaving seemed to be their only solution .

However , inside Zac’s heart there was a staunch unwillingness to crush the token , even if things looked extremely bleak . It was as though he felt that something would change inside him if he fled like this . He was trying to gain enough power to protect Port Atwood and all his family , and the title from the hunt was one of the few available upgrades for him at the moment .

Shit , it hurts , - Inevitability growled as torrential amounts of energy gathered above it . - I wasn’t going to kill you , but I’ll just have to apologize to that guy . Fulcrums can be changed . -

The next moment they were beset by hundreds of chains shooting toward them like homing missiles , each of them carrying enough power to seriously wound them . Zac quickly erected his upgraded Nature’s Barrier] and placed them as far from his body as possible to intercept the incoming attacks as he placed himself in front of Thea .

I’ll figure something out , I’ll help delay if you want to crush the token , - Zac quickly muttered as he faced Inevitability .

But he was shaken when he saw the first chain simply rip straight through the emerald leaf without being impeded overly much . It contained a new force that the chains didn’t have before , and it felt extremely powerful .

Zac couldn’t be sure , but he had a feeling that it was an upgraded or fused Dao Seed that empowered the chains to this degree . He had only been thinking of the huge attribute bonuses such a thing would bring , but the battle power it provided was nothing short of horrifying as well .

The closest chain flew straight toward Zac who only had time to lift his arm in defense . A loud crack could be heard and Zac felt a blinding pain as his arm was broken from the tremendous impact .

Zac felt some hopelessness when he saw the innumerable chains following close behind . There was no way he could survive long enough for him to crush the token and last the seconds until he was teleported . He didn’t even have any way to help Thea out for long enough for her to escape .

But the next moment he was lifted from his feet , and his eyes widened as he was suddenly falling down the chasm . Thea was right next to him , holding his robe by the neck with a determined expression .

However , Inevitability’s attack didn’t stop there as the incoming chains followed them down the chasm , descending even faster than they were falling . Zac prayed this gambit would be enough as he took out his Token .

But the next moment an intense mental shock slammed into his mind , and Mental Fortress] wasn’t enough to completely stop it . It felt like his soul was getting shredded to pieces , making him spasm and drop the token .

No reprieve for you , - he heard echoing down from above , and Zac looked up to see the sneering face of Inevitability standing up at the ledge .

He did what he could with his defenses , but his desperation grew as he was getting pelted by one attack after another as they kept falling . His vision started to get blurry , but suddenly a blinding light lit up next to him as a similarily wounded Thea shone like a goddess .

But Zac didn’t have a chance to see what she did as a fractal chain slammed straight into his head knocking him unconscious .

Zac woke up with a cough , and it took quite a while to orient himself . At first , he thought Darkness had descended once again while he was out , but to his relief he found that wasn’t the case as he saw the sun far up in the sky .

He was at the bottom of the chasm in a crater he suspected was of his own making . The area was almost completely shrouded in darkness because even if the Sun shone up in the sky , most of the light didn’t reach the bottom of the extremely deep crack he found himself in .

Every part of him hurt , and he even had a couple of broken bones . But the clearest indicator he’d barely survived the fall was that he’d turned into his Draugr form .

He guessed that the fall had essentially killed him , and his Core turned him into an undead once again . The first thing he did after orienting himself , even before taking a pill , was to open up the ladders . He scoured them over and to his relief saw that Thea’s name was still there .

He knew she hadn’t tried to kill him when she had grabbed him and jumped down the cliff . He knew he was all out of options in that battle . He had already used everything he got but it wasn’t enough .

That thing was truly a monster . Zac couldn’t even kill it when it went easy on them , but after it imbued its attack with an evolved Dao he was almost helpless against it . Perhaps he would need such a Dao of his own before he could compete with it .

Jumping down was a last-ditch attempt to survive , but he didn’t really understand what happened afterward . That final attack had knocked him unconscious , and the last thing he remembered was Thea lighting up like a beacon .

At first , he thought she had used some defensive treasure to survive , but after looking around he couldn’t find her anywhere , not even any hint of her having fallen down . The fact that she was still on the ladder meant that she hadn’t teleported out though , leaving him even more confused .

Since he couldn’t find her he sat down and took out one of the top tier healing pills and a couple of miasma stones to absorb . He didn’t move for a full hour , fully focusing on recuperating his body . The fall wasn’t the only thing that had hurt him , the fight that preceded it had taken a toll as well .

Meeting one of the true Dominators had been a sobering wake-up call . With his dual classes and plethora of titles he thought that even if he might not be quite as strong , the difference shouldn’t be too large .

But reality had proven different . He had a feeling that the only reason that he still was still alive was that the Dominator wasn’t trying to kill him in the beginning for some reason . It rather felt that he was being toyed with . He had even tried to take advantage of that fact to mount a sneak attack with the help of Hatchetman’s Rage , but even that had failed spectacularly . The power of that monstrous Dominator was just insurmountable for the current him .

That begged the question as to why there hadn’t been a single report of their activities thus far . If they wanted to they should have no problem destroying any incursion , reaping the benefits . Since they didn’t shy away from Cosmic Energy like their brethren they shouldn’t have an aversion to collect titles that could help them get even stronger .

The only clue that he gained from the fight was the mention of a plan , and his being a fulcrum of it somehow . His guess was that they were biding their time for whatever Void’s Disciple had planned .

Zac couldn’t help but release a tired sigh as he went over his hurt body . Strong enemies just kept popping up . First , it was the mysterious Redeemer , then the Dominators who were stronger than expected and who were also working on some grand plan that appeared to impact the whole world .

In any case , there wasn’t much he could do about it where he was currently stuck . Perhaps Ibtep could be of assistance in figuring out the situation when he got back . He wouldn’t waste his time with this in the middle of the hunt , and since he was mostly healed after an hour he stood up with a groan .

That thought brought up a new question . Zac got an ominous feeling as he checked his Cosmos Sack . But his fears were true ; he had lost his token . The mental attack from Inevitability had made him lose his grip on the token as he fell down , and even after looking around for close to an hour he couldn’t find it anywhere .

That meant he had lost his opportunity to escape this hunt early . He would either stay the whole duration or die . A few of his ribs were still cracked , but he didn’t want to stay here . However , the question was where the hell he should go . He could either try to climb up the cliff again or keep exploring this hidden rift .

But after a few more minutes he realized he didn’t actually have much of an option . The walls were just insanely hard , and he couldn’t cut footholds even with the help of Verun’s Bite] . And since he didn’t possess Thea’s skills of finding a purchase from the smallest space he just had no way to get back up to the mountains .

Worse yet he realized he might be in trouble . The reason that the stones were hard was likely that they had been infused with the odd darkness that spanned this fallen sect . There was an unmistakable aura in the very rocks itself all around him .

He was starting to form a hypothesis as he looked around . There were small cracks at various places along the stone , and these cracks had a far higher amount of the sinister aura . Whatever the darkness was it might originate from this very ravine and other ones like it all along the area , and the true source of the darkness seeped out from those cracks during the night .

He still had no idea just what the darkness was . It could be described as a mental poison that made both beasts and people turn insane . The last times he wasn't in any danger , staying hidden far from the specters feeding ground . But what would happen if darkness descended while he stood right at the source?

The prospect was enough to make Zac’s hair stand on end , and his urgency to escape the chasm increased many times over . At least it was still mid-day , and he had ample time to get out of here before the night came .

It seemed random which days the darkness descended , but it invariably happened in the deep of the night . That meant Zac had almost 12 hours to get out before he was in any danger of getting caught in the middle of an endless onslaught of endless specters .

So Zac started to walk along the rift in order to find any way to get back up in the end . At first , he planned on randomly choosing his path , but he soon changed his mind and headed north .

The reason was that he felt a small gust of wind coming from that direction , which might mean that there was a passage in that direction that could let him leave this creepy place . Urgency pushed his tired body forward , and he ignored his body’s protests as he kept a rapid pace .

However , the ravine felt almost endless as he walked for hours . The gust of wind he felt was clearly just some wayward wind from the ground floor . The only thing of note he’d found during his walk was a couple of corpses .

He was no expert in judging the cause of death , especially when a couple of the corpses were just meat paste , but he believed that not all bodies had died due to the fall . Some were cleanly beheaded or had other wounds , making Zac believe that the bodies had been dumped by their killers .

There was no evidence though that anyone had been alive down in the crevasse , and Zac wasn’t surprised . The height of the fall was over a thousand meters , and even he with close to 400 Endurance would have died from the fall if it wasn’t for his Core giving him another go at life .

Suddenly it got darker and Zac frowned as he looked up . He was relieved to see that it actually didn’t suddenly become night , but rather that the ravine closed up by the ground floor . However , the subterranean level continued on , and Zac’s eyes widened when he saw what was up ahead .

There were actually signs of there being human activity in front of him .

Not now in regards to the hunt , but once upon a time . There was a square made with pitch-black cobblestones that spanned roughly two hundred meters across .

Even though Zac initially felt elated that he might find a way out of here , he quickly got a sinking feeling as he looked at the place . He had thought that since there was development down here there might also be a path up , but he started to believe that might not be the case .

The only thing on the square was a huge cracked obelisk that was completely covered in fractals . The obelisk reached over fifty meters in height , and each side was over five meters across . At the foot of the obelisk in the direction of Zac there were two chains attached that radiated an otherworldly suppression and weight .

But the chains were cracked and held nothing at their other end . This was some sort of prison , but the prisoner was nowhere in sight .

Chapter 234 - Square Up

There was an unmistakable aura of the suffocating darkness permeating the cracked ends of the chains which gave some hints about whatever was once trapped in the middle of the square . Zac could only guess that the inscriptions on the obelisk were meant to keep it suppressed , but that obviously didn’t work out in the end .

He couldn’t tell whether the prisoner was able to destroy the obelisk , or whether the obelisk cracked for some other reason , which allowed the captive to escape . But then again it didn’t really matter . What mattered was how long ago the prisoner escaped .

If it was something that happened thousands of years ago , then it was fine . But if it was something that was set in motion the moment the trial started he might be in grave danger . It was a real possibility that whatever was once held here might be the source of the darkness , and perhaps even the thing that released the harrowing wail during the attacks .

Another possibility was that the thing captured here had gotten thoroughly corrupted by the darkness , which gave it enough power to escape from its shackles . Then it might mean that it had gone crazed the same way as the cultivators who got possessed , and was currently roaming the chasm .

In either case , it was bad news for Zac . Something this powerful wasn’t something he could contend with even if he got back to perfect health . He once again internally swore at Inevitability for making him lose his token , putting him in this dire situation .

Still , he didn’t want to give in to despair just yet . Even if the source of the darkness was once imprisoned here it didn’t make sense for it to stay on after it made its escape . He slowly made his way toward the square , maintaining an extreme vigil all the while .

There was an unmistakable aura of power still radiating from the towering obelisk even if there was a large crack that destroyed a good amount of the fractals . The obelisk might even protect from the Darkness if it Descended once again , making this one of the safer places around .

Before he stepped onto the square he carefully looked down at the stones to see if there was anything out of place . Perhaps there were other arrays active at a place like this that might spell trouble for him in the end . But when he looked down he saw that there were extremely intricate inscriptions on all the small cobblestones . However , each and every stone had a crack running over it , ruining the fractals that covered them .

Zac was actually slightly relieved to see that the fractals were ruined since it lessened the risk of him getting trapped inside whatever this square originally did . But before he stepped on to the square he took one last hesitant look back .

If he was to turn back , then this was the time . It was getting late by now , but if he pushed himself he might make it back to the spot where he first fell down into the chasm before darkness could descend . But the problem was that he didn’t have any idea what to do after that .

The chasms ran across the whole mountain range , and he’d seen many that passed over ten mountains . There was no guarantee that there would be any exit waiting for him if he went the other way , but only more dark passageways .

So it was with grim determination he placed his right foot upon the square , leaving the natural stone floor of the chasm . When he stepped on the cobblestone he immediately felt a suffocating pressure , almost bringing him down to his knees .

The pressure didn’t only bear down on his body , but also his very being . It was a mental suppression as well , making his mind feel muddled and his thoughts scattered . However , Zac growled and kept going , activating his Dao of Heaviness to counteract the suppression around him somewhat .

But after just two more steps he realized that the pressure had multiplied , and a with few more meters and he would reach the limits of what he could bear . It seemed that the suppression got stronger the closer to the center of the square he was , and even if he activated Hatchetman’s Rage] he wouldn't even get close to the obelisk before succumbing to the pressure .

He quickly backed away right to the edge of the square once again , the broken ribs screaming in protest from being subjected to this added pressure . It felt like someone was digging around his side with a hot poker , and if Zac wasn't already deathly pale in his undead form he would have definitely paled from the pain .

The weight came from an array that was essentially broken , with both the cobblestones and the obelisk ruined beyond repair . Zac’s attributes were already higher than most people at early E-Grade , but he only managed to take a few steps in this prison .

Just how strong was the thing that once was trapped here in these chains , to not only survive but even break out?

It was as though the Obelisk was the source of a local gravity zone , and the closer he was the worse it would get . This relative heaviness gave Zac an idea for his Dao Seed , but now wasn’t the time to ponder on it any further . He needed to leave the square and find safety before night fell .

At least it wasn’t all bad news . After having walked a few steps along the edge of the square something that was once hidden behind the obelisk came into view . It was a doorway , and he was hoping that it would take him up toward the ground .

Since something had been trapped down here Zac figured there would be guards , and they needed a way to access this place from the surface . The door might give him access to the path that would let him leave .

Since he couldn’t simply cross the square he needed to tread along the edges which barely allowed him to pass through . Still , after only fifty meters sweat was streaming down his face from the strain , and every wound on his body had reopened .

But he couldn't rush out of the array either since every step was a struggle . In the end , he was submerged in the intense pressure for half an hour before he pushed open the doors on the opposite side of the square with great relief .

The insides were actually lit up by crystals in the wall , showing that the inscriptions that kept this place running were still operational . There was no way that the crystals would last for thousands of years by themselves , meaning there was a gathering array supplying the place with energy .

Other than that it was completely empty , just a long hallway that seemed to stretch into eternity . Zac hesitated a bit , but eventually he decided to hold off on heading down the hallway . Now that he had found a secluded spot that seemed pretty safe he sat down and closed his eyes , though still gripping his axe just in case .

The main reason he dared to relax like this was that the moment he entered this hidden pathway the ominous aura from the darkness was completely gone . It was unlikely that any of the ghastly specters had ever walked these halls .

He couldn’t be completely sure , but he felt that he would be safe in here even if darkness descended once again . But then again he didn't have a lot of options apart from staying here during the night . With the intense aura that the cracks out in in the canyon emitted he didn’t dare stay there during the night .

But the reason he stopped before exploring any further was that he had found a great clue from the suppressive formations outside to upgrade his Dao , and he didn't want to waste any time in going over it . It actually felt extremely clear in his mind , perhaps since he had been steeped in the suppression .

He was imagining heaviness as it worked with a gravity source , such as a sun or a black hole . The heaviness came from a source , and the closer one came the more the pressure increased . This wasn't really something that was possible to encounter normally on earth , but the arrays outside had created that very phenomenon outside .

He imagined himself a black hole , and the closer one came the heavier the pressure of his aura would be , to the point of crushing everything that got too close . Upgrading his Dao came with surprising ease , bringing his Dao of Heaviness to High grade , just like his Dao of Trees . It was a great relief because this was something that had troubled him since he got here .

He'd been caught in four very intense fights and many minor scuffles since he had arrived here . The battles against Salvation and Inevitability were particularly taxing . Yet he hadn't gained barely any insight into his Dao seeds since he had arrived . It was as though this place somehow blocked the Dao from him , preventing him from progressing further . But the immense arrays on the square had finally allowed him to push through .

He was also happy to see that this particular upgrade only gave him strength .

Heaviness (High) : Strength +45 , Endurance +10 , Wisdom +5

He was already planning on putting points into Strength to boost his fighting prowess and this was a great step in the right direction . He only wished there were some enemies down here as well so that he could finish grinding his two Class Quests as well . He was pretty sure that at least one of them would give him a new vision , adding to his steadily growing Dao Repertoire .

The whole process had taken him roughly two hours , and since he was finally done with everything he got to his feet with a grunt . Staying still for this long also helped his body recuperate from both the wounds and passing the square , and he felt a lot better by now .

Zac started to head down the endless hallway , already wishing that Thea was there to use her scouting abilities to find any hidden dangers . Since he was back on his own he could only rely on his default method , brute force .

He held Verun’s Bite] in a firm grip as he kept a brisk pace , eyeing the vicinity for anything that might be out of place . But the hallway was created with expert craftsmanship with clean surfaces floor to ceiling , and the illuminating crystals were placed with exactly measured distances from each other .

But after pushing forward for thirty minutes he knew something was amiss . There was no reason to build such an insanely long hallway , as it would probably be both easier and cheaper to place down two low-grade teleportation arrays for transportation .

He took out a high-quality dagger he’d looted the past days and carved a - 1’ under the next illuminating crystal he encountered . From there on he kept increasing the count by one as he carved a number under each and every stone he passed .

Suddenly when he was about to carve the 82nd marker he saw that the spot was already occupied by the very same - 1’ that he first carved . Zac sighed and sat down .

It was as he thought , he was inside some sort of array that tricked his mind somehow . It either made him walk in circles without noticing , or it somehow connected two spaces so that when he walked past the 81st mark he arrived back at the start .

However , he had no idea where the start and the end were . He just marked down number 1 when he started counting , but it might just as well be the middle of the hallway . But at least he knew the length of the hallway by now , and it wasn’t actually that long , just a couple hundred meters .

He walked the full length three times over , trying to discern any way to get out by any means possible . He used Inquisitive Eyes] as well , but nothing happened . Next , he tried to sense any disturbances in the cosmic energy in the air , but it gave no clue either .

Finally , he sat down and took out the formation crystal that was the first thing he found inside this hunt . He had been extremely busy over the past two weeks hunting and fighting , but he finally had time to go over it .

He browsed through the contents page by page , arduously going over each and every detail . A vast majority of the information was above his understanding at the moment , but he was quickly getting a deeper understanding of formations .

Thus far he had only used arrays provided by the system , and they even came with guidance systems that helped him set it up . But this crystal was meant to teach him about the foundations and the basic workings of the knowledge of formations .

Zac didn't even understand the difference between an array and a formation in the beginning , but he soon realized the difference . Arrays were just man-made formations , creating various types of effects with array flags or array disks . All the arrays he had encountered so far were these types of formations .

But formations didn't necessarily need to be created by placing down an array . They could naturally form in nature , and the most powerful formations in the multiverse had naturally formed over billions of years , almost like a solar system .

There was one passage in the beginning that Zac found particularly interesting , and it was imprinted by a grand elder of the Eastern Trigam Sect , someone who was a pure Array Master .

Chapter 235 - Dao of Formations

It is folly to believe the study of formations to be differentiated from other pursuits such as Alchemy or even fighting . All are children to the same parent , the boundless Dao .

Zac was quickly getting engrossed as he kept reading the introduction by the array master , almost even forgetting his current predicament of being stuck inside what he assumed was an entrapment array .

The Alchemist gives form to Dao through concoctions of pills , and the warrior gives form to Dao through unleashing devastating attacks . Even the farmer gives form to Dao through plowing the fields . But none is as multifaceted as the study of formations . It is not bound through medium or execution , but is boundless just like the Dao itself .

Through learning the fundamentals of constructing arrays , any Dao can be given shape . Furthermore , even if the Dao concepts behind a formation eludes your grasp one can still bring out 80% of its power through sheer knowledge of proper placements .

To understand the role of array flags one only needs to look inside themselves . The body consists of crossroads , the major ones being the Spirit Gate and the Cosmic Core . But these two alone are not enough to sustain a warrior .

Minor nodes can be found at every intersection inside the body as anyone who has reached E-Grade knows . These can both store and direct power so that magnificent effects can be brought to bear .

Placing an array flag is akin to breaking open one of the nodes , letting the energies of heavens and earth flow through it . Placement dictates the flow of power , the fractals dictate the nature of power . When a complete system has been created through the flags , a pathway for cultivation is born .

There were a few parts he didn’t understand but he got the general gist of it . An array was essentially a closed system of energy in circulation , just like the pathways inside his body . That explained why the easiest way to destroy an array in its entirety was to destroy one of the array flags since that would interrupt or at least weaken the energy circulation .

Of course , more robust arrays would survive one or a few array flags getting destroyed , but they would always lose some of their effectiveness . While he believed the Array Master was a bit partial in his introduction , Zac couldn't help but keep reading and deepen his knowledge .

However , soon something happened that made him lose his patience . After roughly three hours trying to gain insight into arrays he was passed on the gatherer ladder , pushing him down to the second spot . It was a clear reminder that this was no time to just sit around and read . Others weren’t so relaxed and kept hunting for opportunities .

Since he couldn’t find any path out he would simply have to make his own path . The reason the walls outside were so sturdy was that they were infused with the mysterious energy from the darkness , but the same couldn’t be said for the tunnels around him .

Zac took out his axe and with a mighty swing slammed it straight into the wall next to him . Unfortunately , his plan didn’t work out , and a shimmering light appeared over the wall when he hit it , protecting the wall completely . Not even the slightest scar could be seen after his strike .

Zac frowned in displeasure , and once again hefted his axe , this time imbuing it with the improved Dao of Heaviness . He slammed it into the wall with all force he could muster . But the result was the same , and the shimmering shield once again nullified the force in his strike .

It was only with some helplessness he could sit down again and continue reading the crystal . Zac didn't think that swapping over to his Hatchetman class would have any effect on the results , as even with his newly improved Dao he couldn't make a small crack on the wall .

The powers that were protecting these walls were far beyond what he could destroy . Perhaps he'd manage to do something with Nature's Punishment] , but Zac would rather just sit and wait out the time of the hunt than do something that risky .

He was under a kilometer of rock , and there was just no way to know what would happen if he unleashed everything he got . The most likely scenario was him getting buried alive with no token to help him escape if he let the huge wooden hand slam into the wall .

The hours passed and suddenly Zac got the familiar prompt that darkness was once again descending . But even after twenty minutes nothing happened , proving that the ghastly specters truly didn’t come to this secluded passage . Since he didn’t have to defend himself against an onslaught of ghosts he kept scouring the crystal for anything that could help him get out of here .

While it was true that he was pretty safe while ensconced in the middle of the mountain he wasn’t happy with it . He had already lost his first spot on the Gatherer Ladder , and his placements would keep dropping the following weeks if he didn’t get out .

Not even half the duration of the hunt had passed , and the others would keep accumulating points while he was stuck here . If he didn’t get out and start grinding again he might actually leave the hunt without rewards from either ladder .

So Zac put all his efforts into devising an escape , putting the matter of the ladders out of his mind as to not get distracted . The hours turned to days while Zac tried to learn more about array breaking until Zac suddenly got a prompt .

Teleporting to Arena in 1 minute . Tokens Disabled]

Zac wasn’t surprised since he hadn’t done anything for three days , and he quickly put on a hood to hide the fact that he was undead as he readied his axe .

He wasn’t worried about meeting anyone dangerous in this bout since only those who had shied away from battle would get sent here . In fact , Zac was a bit surprised that there were people who remained that avoided battle for three full days .

He was more disgusted about being forced to kill someone far weaker than him just because the System deemed him a coward . But he knew there wasn't any other option for him . Zac had been shocked to find out what happened when neither party chose to fight since it was all too familiar to him .

He and Thea had caught someone like that , and he confessed what had occurred . Thea didn't believe the man , but Zac was much more prone to believe him . If neither party had won within 10 minutes The System would perform a draw just like it did when Zac first got integrated . The winner would survive and the loser would cease to exist .

Even though his luck was through the roof he wouldn't take his chances with a gamble on his life . He had people to protect , and if he was forced to kill someone to survive he would do it , even if it wasn't fair .

The next moment he found himself standing on a stage that floated in space . There was no sign of the mountains or valleys from the hunt , dashing his idea of getting back to the surface through leaving the arena .

He wasn’t alone on the stage , as another man had been teleported here the same moment he did . Zac frowned when he saw his opponent . To get sent here one would have to have avoided battles for three days , but the man in front of him looked like he had just barely survived a rough bout .

He was covered in bandages that had turned red with dried blood , and some wounds seemed to have reopened recently . He looked like he had one foot in the grave , and gave off a wheezing cough the moment he appeared . Zac couldn't believe this man chose to stay inside the hunt with these kinds of wounds rather than just crushing his token .

Forgot the time , - the man said with a weak voice after looking over at Zac with a sardonic smile . He clearly understood what was going through Zac's mind . - I can’t believe a monster like you got sent here as well . -

Zac silently looked at the man as he stood up with some effort .

Can I make a last request from you? -

What is it? - Zac said after some hesitation .

He wasn’t worried that there was some hidden agenda from the man . He’d already used Inquisitive Eye] , and together with the somewhat low ladder placements he already knew that there was no way this man could muster up a fight against him even if he was in perfect condition .

I don’t want my body to be left in space or those god-forsaken mountains to be possessed by those ghosts again . Please bury me after you return to your homeland , - he said .

… Fine , - Zac said .

The man gave a weak smile , and the next moment he slit his own throat , bleeding out in seconds .

Zac silently looked at the body of the man in front of him until he silently walked over and put the body into his Cosmos Sack . This brief meeting was a stark reminder that this hunt wasn’t meant to help people apart from a few select individuals . The System wanted to create powerhouses , but for that it needed fodder .

It lured thousands of the strong to duke it out by dangling some treasures and titles in front of them , all in the hopes of creating a few powerhouses . If the others all died to achieve that goal it was acceptable to the System .

The next moment he found himself back in the tunnel , dashing the last hope he had of the System lending him a helping hand by teleporting him back to the surface . He ate one of his fasting pills before once again sitting down to scour the crystal for any help .

The days passed but Zac was making steady headway , and he started to believe that he would actually be able to get out soon . It all came down to the power of the array . It was no way for him to learn enough about arrays so that he could get out by technique , but he believed he would learn enough about arrays to spot weaker spots to attack with brute force .

Those kinds of weak spots were usually quite hard to spot , but this was a passive array that didn't have an owner . If an array master was in control of it he could keep moving the weak spots to impede escape , and there would be no way for Zac to slowly be able to analyze it from within without getting attacked .

But who knew how long this place was abandoned , leaving this array to run passively . Besides , Zac suspected that the System had modified the power of all the arrays in this hunt . He believed that this sect was once At least a High E-Grade or low E-Grade sect , and there was no way that he should be able to break the protective arrays of top tier E-Grade Array masters with brute force .

But Zac was once again summoned to the arena before he could make any final breakthrough in his research on the arrays . The second person he met wasn’t quite as in peace with his fate as the first one . It was someone who was placed in the top 300 on the hunter ladder , so no weakling by any means .

But it was also clear that he wasn’t any good person . He had adorned a cruel smile until he saw Zac’s far higher rankings . After some questioning and arm-twisting , Zac realized that the man had avoided battle just to kill and rob a weakling in the arena . He had hoped that the people who avoided battles would spend their time finding valuable loot instead .

The man was summarily executed by Zac , who only needed to imbue a strike with his Dao of Heaviness to crush any resistance . At first , he thought about grinding his class quest with the help of this man , but in the end he decided against it .

The reason was that he felt that he was getting closer to finding a solution to his situation . The more he read about the formations the better he could discern , and to a certain extent understand , the minute fluctuations in Cosmic Energy that permeated the tunnel .

At first , he hadn't noticed anything amiss in the air around him , as Cosmic Energy was always swirling around , almost like a wind that you could sense with your sixth sense . Its movements were chaotic and unpredictable , and Zac hadn't felt anything out of the ordinary the first times he had walked through the corridor .

But now he felt that there was a method to the madness , but it was only one day later that he felt ready to try out his theories . He had already found out what type of array this was . It was a common type of Entrapment Array that was mentioned in the crystal .

The normal way to pass this type of hurdle was to know a specific set of steps . Walking through the corridor correctly would result in the array staying inactive , but stepping out of the predetermined path would spring the trap .

Essentially it was like a password , and Zac had no way to figure out the correct one . However , he had started to gain a slight understanding of the pathways of the entrapment array , and he was planning something else . He spent the next hours to slowly observe the whole pathway until he finally found what he was looking for .

Chapter 236 - Anzonil

Between the 17th and 18th marks that he carved there was a convergence of energy flows that could be somewhat discerned if you watched it for about 20 minutes . That meant there hopefully was a weak spot in the array there , and Zac’s best bet in getting out .

Swapping over to his human form would increase his attack power , but Zac still chose to try it out in his undead form first . He wanted to grind his Undead class a bit and it was far harder to transform into a Draugr than it was to turn back into a human .

Zac took a few steadying breaths before he infused his arm with as much miasmic energy it could bear , and with a roar slammed his Dao-infused axe right into the floor right at the intersection of energies he had spotted .

Suddenly it almost felt like he was drunk as he was seeing double . Two realities were superimposed on each other , and the endless hallway he’d been stuck in for a week was just one of them . The other one stopped just ten meters away from him with an intricately carved door .

Zac didn’t hesitate and pushed more miasma into his legs as he leaped toward the gate before the entrapment array could stabilize again . He slammed into the gate with enough force to knock the breath out of him , but he wasn’t angry in the slightest .

He had finally escaped his entrapment . Zac looked back toward the other end of the hallway , and he spotted the door leading out to the square with the obelisk a few hundred meters away . But just a second later the door disappeared , being replaced once more with the endless hallway .

His swing hadn’t been enough to destroy the array , but it had been enough cause some chaos at the endpoint , allowing him to exit it . Zac was already itching with impatience from a week of inactivity , and he couldn’t help opening the ladder in to check the status , and he couldn't help being shocked by what he saw .

He had been kicked down all the way to the 11th spot on the Gatherer ladder , which was somewhat of a surprise to him . While it was true he’d lost a whole week down in this tunnel , he still only really had Emperor Nenothep to compete with earlier . That ten people had managed to pass the huge amount of wealth he'd accumulated was quite shocking .

A few of the names weren't surprising , such as Starlight , Beruv Ylvas and another of the Medhin powerhouses . But he was somewhat happy to see that Thea had kept going as well , being at the 6th spot . Even more surprising was the appearance of Thomas Fisher in the 8th position .

Zac had only kept his eye on the top positions of the ladder , and he was sure that he hadn't seen Thomas in the top 100 of either list before . For him to suddenly spring up to the 8th position could only be explained with him getting the help of the whole organization .

It also proved that Thomas was more than just one of the many leaders of the New World Government . Between the fact that he was chosen to experiment with holding on to massive amounts of wealth , he was also the one they chose to hold onto the wealth of the hunt .

Zac had a generally positive opinion of Thomas , though it was marred by the various insidious things he had found out about the government . It was also somewhat a relief that the man was still human since the shapeshifters shouldn't be able to get here .

But the truly shocking change was on the Hunter ladder , with him being relegated down to the 443rd position . Before he got fell down into the chasm he was at the 8th position , with the Emperor , the Dominators and a few more above him .

That loss in positions was huge , and it made Zac realize that something must have changed on the surface . He suspected that there must have been something like beast hordes completely flooding the mountains as a result of the System making the area of the hunt smaller over time .

There was no way to gain that many points by only hunting cultivators since there were simply not enough of them to go around . It would also explain why he only lost 10 spots in one ladder , but over four hundred in the other . The huge loss in positons only served to make him even more impatient , and it was without hesitation he pushed open the door .

This was already the 20th day of the hunt , and Zac only had ten days to catch up to those above . However , he did take out the thick shield he got from Thea’s bodyguard before stepping inside . He didn’t have access to the swirling leaves of Nature’s Barrier] , so he would have to make do with a normal tool for protection .

The room he entered was massive , and it almost felt like he entered a grand cathedral carved into the mountain . The roof was over fifty meters above him and held up by massive pillars covered in both reliefs and fractals . Even the walls and the ceiling was the same , both being covered with marvelous pieces of art

It the grandeur felt a bit reminiscent of the Towers of Myriad Dao back on his island , but there was more substance to this place . Zac couldn’t help being awed as he slowly walked inside , his eyes drifting to the beautiful engravings .

Zac immediately started formulating ideas of how to somehow swipe this whole place clean . Everything from the small statues placed in various alcoves to the huge pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling felt like a treasure , and Zac didn't want to leave it behind .

But he suddenly stopped in his tracks when his eyes moved to a podium on the other end of the room because he finally realized that he wasn’t alone . There was a humanoid sitting in a meditating position on the podium as four braziers lazily burned around him .

The looked mostly human , though he had a third eye in his forehead forming a vertical slit . He had a long white beard , and it was clear that he was elderly from his appearance . Worse yet , he had already spotted Zac and was looking at him with steady eyes .

Welcome young… Draugr? Huh? An undead? - the man slowly said with a powerful voice that felt full of wisdom .

Zac sensed no malice from the old man , and it wasn’t like he had many other places to go , so he walked closer to the old man . As Zac got closer he realized that there was not a single ripple of power coming from him , making him wonder just who he was and how he got here .

It was even odder that there was simply no vitality around the old man . When he was in his undead form he could even see the life in a stalk of grass , but the man in front of him might as well not exist going by the metric of lifeforce .

There were two possibilities as Zac saw it . The old man might be a spectral being such as the things in the darkness since they shouldn’t possess any vitality either . The other possibility was that the old man was just an illusion or a projection without any power .

Hello , I am Zac . Are you a part of the hunt as well? - Zac hesitantly asked after he stopped ten meters away from the platform on which the old man sat .

He wouldn't get any closer than that though since there was no telling what sorts of protection was placed around the podium . He couldn't sense anything odd about it , but then again he had only gained the slightest of insight into discerning oddities in the energy flow .

What hunt? - the man asked curiously .

Zac wasn’t surprised by the answer , and him asking that was only a test . He had already seen that the man in front of him didn’t possess a ladder position , meaning he wasn’t part of the hunt . The fact that the old man didn’t pretend to be one of the cultivators from earth was hopefully a good sign .

He hesitated for a bit before he explained the circumstances of the hunt , and of the fact that the people participating weren’t from this world . The old man looked saddened by the news , and after Zac finished his explanation gave a deep sigh .

Such is fate . Over fifty thousand years of struggle , only to be undone by one mistake . To think that we became a trial ground for young aspiring cultivators . At least our legacy will live on that way I suppose , - the man said looking up at the ceiling .

We? Are you part of the Eastern Trigram Sect? - Zac asked .

I am Anzonil . I , or rather my original body , was once the supreme elder of the Eastern Trigram Sect . Of course , I am long dead along with my fellow sect members , - the old man said with a slight shake of his head .

Zac’s brows rose at that explanation .

Um , sorry , how are you still here then? I know you are not undead , - Zac couldn’t help ask .

I couldn't help being a bit selfish in the end . I cut off part of my soul and imbued it into the arrays of these hidden chambers . I did not want my eight thousand years of cultivation amount to nothing , so I left my imprint and my heritage here , - Anzonil said as he looked down at Zac . - But who would have guessed that the one who came was an undead warrior rather than an Array Master . The Boundless Heavens truly have a sense of humor . I am not sure if what I’ve left behind would be of much use to you . -

If Zac had a heartbeat in his undead form it would have sped up at the mention of a heritage . It indicated that he’d somehow found himself at the location of the inheritance of the supreme elder of the Eastern Trigram Sect . Whatever treasures were hidden here should be among the greatest of the whole Eastern Trigram Sect .

Supreme elders were usually the main powerhouses of a Sect . Zac initially thought that the Sect Leader was the strongest guy around , but that apparently wasn’t the case . Being a Sect Leader was a highly administrative position , leaving little time for personal cultivation .

But the grand and supreme elders were the hidden forces of a sect , and they were generally in perpetual seclusion or traveling in disguise , working on breaking through their limits . They would only come out when the sect was facing extreme danger that the normal elders couldn’t handle , and they were the main deterrence against attacks .

Most of the multiverse wasn’t like earth . There were no ladders that showed who was alive and who died . A particularly strong elder might even be able to protect a sect thousands of years after their passing , since the outside world couldn’t be sure whether they were dead or if they had made a breakthrough , becoming even more monstrous .

There was no way that such a person didn't have a few supreme treasures stowed away . But Zac frowned after realizing he might not get his hands on those treasures since he wasn't an Array Master . But Anzonil snorted when he saw the downcast face of Zac .

Who would have thought that a lofty Draugr would be so hungry for this old man's small trinkets , - he said with a smile . - Not to worry , there is a path to my treasure even for those who are not fated to walk the same path as me . -

The next moment two doorways rose from the ground some distance away from them , and both teemed with power . The next moment the right of the two doorways shuddered and a shimmering screen appeared in it .

Two pathways to my inheritance , - Anzonil said after throwing a glance at the archways . - The left is a trial of Arrays . The trial taker must break through 10 increasingly difficult arrays to reach my treasures , and that is the path that is not fated with you . -

Zac frowned at that explanation , but he slowly nodded .

Don't worry , that is best for you as well . Your method of getting out of the entrapment array outside was admirable , but there is no way you'd pass further than the second array with that kind of brute force . You'd be stuck forever inside , - the old man said .

What about the second path? - Zac probed .

The second path is a path of carnage . To reach my treasure you need to fight your way through a sea of monsters . This path is far more dangerous , but if you want my treasures without being proficient in arrays you'll have to take some risks , - Anzonil explained .

Zac’s eyes lit up since this was exactly what he was looking for ; treasures and things to kill . But he still hesitated whether he should take on the trial rather than asking to be sent outside . If the enemies were the specters he would be in trouble since he wasn’t able to kill them . And they were far beneath the mountains now , who knew how many of them were prowling these depths .

There was a limit of how long he could resist their onslaught if it was the same as during the first time darkness descended . But Zac didn’t have the opportunity to voice his concerns as an unseen force suddenly lifted him into the air and threw him into the shimmering portal .

Good luck young Draugr , prevail in the depths for this old man . Show me why they call yours the royal bloodline , - the elderly voice reached Zac's ears before his vision turned black .

Chapter 237 - Mystic Garden

Remember , this array will only keep the entrance stable temporarily . You need to get out of there within a week , or you’ll be stuck until Lord Atwood can get you out , - Alea said as she looked down at the array that kept the spatial tears in check .

I know , - Ogras muttered . - Your boyfriend better have collected a war hoard’s worth of loot . I’m becoming destitute over here . -

Alea only glared angrily at Ogras in response , making him snicker in glee .

Well , I’m off , - he said as he stepped into the transportation array leading into the Mystic Realm .

Ogras’ sight was blocked by darkness for a minute until he suddenly was in a shrouded area . His feet barely had time to land on the ground before he melded into the darkness , disappearing from sight .

After he hid himself he took a quick look around , trying to discern what type of realm he had entered . There were many types of Mystic Realms , but they were generally split into two categories ; Wild and Cultivated Realms .

Wild realms were pocket dimensions untouched by man . Sometimes they were just large deserts devoid of anything of value , but other times they were like primordial forests teeming with life . If it was the latter there was a high possibility of finding natural treasures . Of course , where there were treasures there were often beasts as well .

Cultivated Realms were pockets of space that had either been cut off from the main dimension or turned into residences by powerful warriors . These were generally extra sought after since ruins of high-grade civilizations could contain tremendous amounts of treasure without the high risk of the Wild Realms .

But unfortunately , he saw that he found himself in a cavern rather than some ancient ruins , and when he discreetly exited to the mouth he only saw a forest in the distance . However , Ogras didn’t exit the cavern since there were a few things odd with the view .

The first odd thing was the silver lines up in the sky . The sky was like a mix of his own homeworld’s red and Earth’s blue , having a deep purple color . But where there should have been clouds or stars there were instead long crisscrossing silver lines stretching all along the horizon .

Ogras couldn’t make heads or tails of the things , but judging by how it looked the lines must be enormous , spanning tens of kilometers . He had also never heard of anything like that forming naturally , which indicated this place might actually be a cultivated land even though its lack of structures .

The second odd things about the outside were the trees . They were large and had an abundance of branches , each being veritably filled with leaves . Ogras could barely see the trunk due to the thick growth on them .

But something was wrong about the trees . He could barely see any movement , and his senses just told him something was off . At first , he thought they were illusions , but he soon realized that wasn’t it . The reason the trees felt odd was that they were huge . He couldn’t be sure from this distance but he was sure that they were all at least hundreds of meters tall , perhaps even larger .

His heartbeat sped up in anticipation when he saw the titanic trees . The silver streaks in the sky were troubling , but the trees gave him high hopes . The atmosphere was teeming with Cosmic Energy , and vegetation seldom grew so big without Nexus Veins in the ground beneath . Both were indicators of there being a lot of natural treasures abound .

However , when there was this much energy there was also seldom just flora . Judging by the intensity of the energy it was a real possibility of there being top tier E-Grade beasts around , perhaps even a D-grade alpha at the top .

Greed was battling with fear in his heart as he hid in the shadows looking for anything that might pose a threat to him . Ogras knew that he had led a pretty cushy existence for most of his life . All his cultivation resources had been given to him or bought at auction , and he hadn’t ever really risked his life apart from the all-out battle with that cultist that cost him his hand .

Exploring a Mystic Realm was to risk everything , and it wasn’t something he was used to . But soon he grit his teeth and moved forward , quickly descending the small hill his cave was hidden inside . He already knew that he needed to earn some achievements if he ever wanted to push through his bottleneck .

After he’d descended the mountain he found himself in a vast field , though it might as well be called a forest . The blades of grass reached over three meters into the air , almost completely obscuring his vision . Ogras’ spear was already in his hand as he walked toward the forest , his eyes darting every which way to avoid an ambush .

It was as times like these he wished that he had the monstrous luck that Zac must possess . His 37 Luck wasn’t bad , but it clearly wasn’t enough to get those warnings signals that Zac seemed to get during battles . He was forced to rely on his senses and his mind instead .

He therefore immediately melded into shadows the second he heard a slight rustle from his left , and the next moment a black shape flew straight past him with enough speed to be a blur . The attacker landed ten meters away , and Ogras saw it was a completely unknown being .

It had six long and thin legs that were roughly a meter long . Each had three joints and like the rest of the thing they were covered in short brown fur . The body was extremely elongated , and it was almost four meters long , with its torso being extremely thin . It was almost like a snake had gotten insect legs .

Its head was extremely odd as well , with just a large hole in its face with rows and rows of small fangs . There were also six small black beads that Ogras assumed were the eyes . The thing was built for speed , but the rest was so odd that he couldn’t place the thing at all , so Ogras quickly used Omniscient Eye] on it .

Ocodon Worm .

Level : 73

Most used skill : Wind walk

Highest Attribute : Dexterity

Ogras was shocked that the thing was neither some mammal or even a legged snake . Instead , it was some sort of worm . For a second Ogras wondered if The Ruthless Heavens had gotten drunk and misnamed the thing in front of him . But then again , the isolated nature of Mystic Realms sometimes made beasts evolve in unconventional directions over the eons .

Knowing the thing was only level 73 he didn’t hesitate anymore , and multiple shadow spears struck out at it . It clearly wasn’t prepared to be attacked by its own shadow , but its speed was spectacular . It displaced itself in an instant , causing air to swirl around its legs .

But if there was one thing that Ogras excelled at it was his speed , and soon the running worm was lying dead on the ground filled with puncture wounds . Ogras quickly dissected it to look for any poison sacks or other hidden threats or valuables , but there seemed to be no such things . He quickly threw the odd corpse in his Cosmos Sack and hurried toward the forest .

As he traveled through the field of overgrown grass he also kept his eyes peeled for any hidden herbs , but as he ran he had to admit that the flora was unusually coherent . There was only a single type of plant ; the high swaying grass . There were no flowers , no roots , no vegetables , not even any weeds .

He encountered a few more of the worms as well , but since he understood them better he had no problems in making short work of them . He was also curious to note that they still seemed to live underground even though they had grown legs . One of them managed came straight out of the ground to attack him , it’s legs folded around its thin body .

Yet there were no other beasts Ogras encountered as he finally entered the forest . The trees were truly humongous , as he walked below their crowns he knew they were around three hundred meters tall . Their trunks were also extremely thick , and Ogras judged they had a diameter of twenty meters or so .

Ogras had never seen trees like these before . Usually , trees of this size only had leaves and branches far up in the sky , but these ones had branches starting just a few meters up in the air . Ogras could even easily jump up to the branches if he wanted , though he was more interested in walking the forest floor in search of valuable herbs .

But he was soon disappointed because there was simply no undergrowth in this forest . What was even odder was that there seemed to be a precise distance between the trees , making them form long even lines . It truly looked like this forest had been planted by someone , but why would someone want to grow these things?

Finally , Ogras climbed all the way to the top of one of the trees in search of answers . As he climbed he looked for anything of note that would make these humongous trees worth planting . But no fruits or flowers were growing on the tree , and nothing was living in the trees that might be worth money either .

He did , however , see something that he hadn’t noticed when he stood in the cavern earlier . There was a wall . A huge silver wall that stood beyond the forest , stretching almost as far as his eyes could see .

As he gazed around him Ogras started to understand that he might actually be in an enclosed space rather than a wild forest . The vantage of the tree allowed him to get a better understanding of the area than what he could see earlier from his starting point .

He was in a circular space that was mostly occupied by the evenly planted forests , with a large field in the middle filled with grass . The only oddity was the dirt hill roughly in the middle of the field , and Ogras guessed it was caused by the spatial distortions of the weakened dimensional membrane .

Perhaps the whole field had been filled with trees once upon a time , but spatial tears had destroyed everything and caused the forest in the middle to be replaced by the grassy plains instead . Ogras also guessed that the silver wall stretched all around the forest , but unfortunately he couldn't see what lay beyond since the walls and the trees were roughly the same height .

He could also finally see that the odd silver lines in the sky were connected to the wall and formed somewhat of a dome that covered the whole space . Ogras truly couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation , which was a bit disconcerting . Since he couldn't understand the purpose of this place or the lines , he also couldn't assess the amount of danger he was in .

It started to feel like he stood in an enormous garden , but why was nothing of value planted? These trees were huge and their wood might make decent timber , but that was about it . The density of Cosmic Energy would be able to support far more valuable things , so it felt like a waste of an effort to create something like this .

Ogras quickly started to climb down the tree before he set out toward the wall in the distance . It took him thirty minutes to get through the rest of the forest before he finally saw the end of the tree line , so he hesitantly stopped by one of the trees .

There were no signs of life around the wall , and there were no roads or gates either . The surface of the wall was completely smooth and it seemed it was made out of some metal . There also were a row of fractals running along the middle of the wall , and fractals seemed to stretch along the whole thing .

Ogras tried to discern the function of the fractals for thirty minutes , but they were completely unknown to him . But as far as he could tell they weren’t part of a slaughter array . Besides , few people would leave the fractals for a defensive or offensive array visible , since it would make them far easier to break .

Finally , he took a deep breath and flashed forward , blending with the shadows until he reached the wall . There were no alarms or incoming attacks , only the eerie silence of the forest . The wall was cold to the touch , and after testing it out Ogras realized it was shockingly durable .

He couldn’t identify the type of metal but judging by the hardness it was a material or alloy that should be at least E-Graded just judging by its strength . His eyes glanced sideways and watched the wall stretch into the distance .

The enclosed forest was so large that he could barely discern the curvature of the wall . The scale of it all was mindboggling . Even if the wall was only a sheet a few centimeters thick the amount of E-Grade material required to build the wall was staggering . He couldn’t even calculate the cost of such a thing .

Both Port Atwood and Clan Azh’Rezak would turn destitute after only erecting a portion of this wall , and its only function was to enclose this seemingly unimportant forest . Just dismantling the wall would make him a fortune . But more importantly , who could afford this sort of extravagant spending , and what was there outside the wall?

Just what kind of place was this?

Chapter 238 - Mystic Structure

Ogras hesitantly looked around for a bit , unsure what to do next . This wasn’t the direction of the Mystic Realm he’d expected . He had imagined either a wild environment where his skills were put to the test against an onslaught of beasts or an ancient ruin containing a Title-Awarding trial or something equally valuable .

But there was no danger and nothing to explore , only a forest and a wall . He tried climbing the wall to pass it , but he simply couldn’t get up . It was completely sheer , giving him no purchase . He tried stabbing the wall with knives in order to climb , but they only left a scratch-mark that immediately disappeared .

He did manage to use his spear to impale the wall , but his weapon was almost immediately pushed out and the wall repaired itself in an instant . Ogras looked up at the shimmering fractals above , realizing that at least part of their purpose was to maintain the enclosure . Out of better options , he started walking along the wall , hoping to find anything different about it .

Ogras wasn’t ready to head back just yet . He’d paid almost 50 million Nexus Coins to stabilize the rift for a week , and he refused to return empty-handed . He would rather spend a week to cut down these humongous trees and at least sell them as timber .

They didn’t seem to be E-Grade trees , but at least they didn’t seem to be mortal-graded since there was some spirituality in the huge things . And even if they were only F-Grade there was an enormous quantity , which would hopefully allow him to make a return on his investment .

But before he resigned to becoming a lumberjack he wanted to see if there was any exit in the wall . If someone created this area there should be a way to get in and out . Since he’d only spent an hour or so inside the Mystic Realm he had all the time in the world to check things out before he needed to get back .

The minutes passed as Ogras slogged along the wall , and his surroundings were so uniform that he started to wonder if he was stuck inside a loop of some illusion array . Half his field of view was the blank silver of the wall , and the other half was the lush green of the towering trees . The purple sky was barely visible through the thick canopy of the trees that stretched toward the wall .

But finally his stubbornness was rewarded , as he spotted a change in the wall in the distance . Ogras sped up with excitement , turning into a hazy blur as he melded with the shadows . Two minutes later he stood in front of a gate reaching roughly 6 meters into the air .

It was wrought of the same material as the wall itself and consisted of two doors . But there was no handle and no matter how hard he pushed or tried to separate the two doors he couldn’t budge them even the slightest . Ogras even jammed his spear into the slit between the doors to use as a crowbar , but it was for nothing .

He clearly had no way to brute force this thing open , which left only one more thing to try . To the right side of the door roughly three meters up was something that looked a bit like the so-called Tablets that the humans of Earth had invented . Either that or a small TV , since it was somewhere in between the two in size .

Ogras stabbed his spear into the ground and leaped up to stand on top of the hilt to get a better view of the thing . The square tablet was roughly as large as his torso , but there were no lights or inscriptions on it , making it almost seem like a non-functional decoration .

But there was nothing else sticking out around the gate , so Ogras hesitantly touched the screen to - wake it up’ in case it worked like the human tablets . To his shock , it worked , and a row of unfamiliar scripts appeared on the screen . Ogras was elated , but next a voice appeared out of nowhere , making Ogras quickly look around .

Signature not recognized

Ogras brows rose in alarm , and he immediately pushed away from the door , gripping his spear as he looked around . Was there a tool spirit controlling this place? If so he might just have made a huge blunder and drawn its attention . It seemed he had been recognized as an intruder .

Caretaker Signature added . Tier-3 Access Added

Caretaker? - Ogras muttered in confusion . - Hello , who’s there? -

However , there was no response to his question , only silence . The screen up in the air had also dimmed down , returning to its passive state . Ogras hesitated what to do . Go back and get reinforcements or keep trying to open the door? Since this seemed like something technological in nature it was perhaps a better idea to go and get a few humans and a couple of craftsmen .

But curiosity pushed him forward , and he once again approached the door . But this time the doors soundlessly slid open , giving access to a large room on the other side . Ogras brows furrowed in confusion , and he hesitated whether he should go inside .

The voice said that his signature first wasn’t recognized , then it added a caretaker . Had the Tool Spirit for the door mistaken him for someone in charge of tending the trees? And what was Tier-3 Access? Would it let him return again if he walked inside the doorway and it closed shut?

Nothing ventured , nothing gained , - Ogras muttered as he tightened his grip on his spear , heading inside the door . - Worst case scenario I will have to wait for Zac to come and smash through this thing . -

The other side of the wall didn’t lead to the outdoors , but he rather found himself inside a large room that seemed to be used for storage . Both the walls and roof were made of the silver metal as well , and there wasn’t much else of note inside . The same type of fractals also ran all across the upper walls as well , making a loop around the room .

The room itself was lit with crystals , indicating energy arrays were running through the walls . The crystals wouldn’t be able to work by themselves since there were clear signs no one had been here for a very long time . There were also a few crates that were falling apart in one corner , shrunken nuts having spilled out of them across the floor .

Ogras guessed the nuts were used to plant those huge trees outside , but the seeds seemed to have dried out long ago , and he doubted whether they would be able to be planted any more . Still , he had ample space in his Cosmos Sack so he put the crates inside as he looked around .

There was also a table and a chair , both made out of metal . The size of them were much too large for Ogras , just like the gate . Judging by how that tablet was placed and the size of the furniture Ogras estimated the creators of this place to reach roughly 4 to 5 meters into the air .

Not many species were that large , at least not amongst the more populous races . There were a few golem , demon , and beastmen species that were this tall , but Ogras saw nothing that indicated any specific species inside this thing .

On the other side of the room was another gate much like the one he just passed through . But before he headed over he first went back to the original gate , and he was relieved to see that it noiselessly slid open upon his approach .

Ogras headed over to the other side , and this one also opened without having to touch the tablet up in the air . An enormous corridor stood on the other side , and Ogras hesitantly walked outside . The corridor was made from the same material as well , and Ogras started to feel they must have dismantled a whole mountain to get this much material .

A few tubes ran along the roof in the corridor , and the whole thing reminded Ogras of those Technomancer movies that he had watched when he was free . They had taken place in societies where there was no Cosmic Energy , but technology had reached far beyond Earth’s current capabilities , and they even explored the multiverse .

But there were also signs that this was not a technocrat stronghold . The corridor was illuminated with crystals rather than electrical lamps , and Ogras was pretty sure that the Technomancers did not use fractals for their bases . They relied on the so-called Dao of Technology , and that concept did not use fractals or inscriptions .

The design made him rather veer toward some sort of artificial beings , such as the Creators or another golemoid race . They often liked this type of lifeless interior , whereas Demons or Beastkin favored more nature in their surroundings .

Ogras was once again shocked by the sheer size of the complex he found himself inside . Had the whole mystic realm been turned into some sort of base? He found himself walking for hours , and he had found six more gardens , each of them planted with the same trees .

It was also quickly becoming clear that the Cosmic Energy had somehow been concentrated into these gardens since the energy outside could at best be the equivalent of a Low-Tiered E-Grade planet . But why use all the energy in the Mystic realm for some trees?

But apart from that , there was nothing of note . Most of the corridors were empty , creating a network that spanned around these huge circular areas with the trees . He had found a few rooms that seemed to be barracks , with rows of huge bunk beds lined up .

But there were no sign of them having been inhabited since there was no remains or signs of use . There was just a thick layer of dust on the mattresses , while the walls and floor were spotless . Ogras had a feeling it had something to do with the inscriptions running along the walls . They seemed to perform a variety of maintenance functions , from repairs to self-cleaning , much like the arrays on equipment .

But finally , he reached a gate that was different from the others . It looked the same , but it did not automatically open like those he’d passed before . Ogras leaped up and grabbed hold of the tablet , and with a buzz it lit up .

Tier-3 Access Signature . Access granted]

It was the same voice as before , and the next moment the gate slowly slid open . Ogras noted with some interest that this one was far thicker than the others , reaching almost a meter in thickness . But his attention was quickly drawn to the outside because it almost felt like he’d entered a different world .

There was the same type of corridors as before , but these ones were caked in grime and what Ogras could only assume was dried blood . There were signs of battle everywhere , with ruined pipes and scarred walls . Only a few illuminating crystals still worked , and the light they gave off was far weaker compared to the corridors earlier .

Ogras eyes quickly turned to the fractals up in the air , but he noted that they didn’t give off any light or energy as they did in the corridors he had passed earlier . Were the Cosmic Energy network ruined in this part of the structure? And what kind of battle had taken place here? And why was the earlier section unaffected by whatever had happened here?

The signs of battle was a clear indicator that this place was inhabited , or at least had been not too long ago . Ogras quickly shrouded himself in shadows as he started proceeding along the wall after making sure he could enter the thicker gate again .

As he walked there were signs of disrepair everywhere , and there were even signs of someone having stipped parts of the walls for materials . His eyes darted back and forth as he kept walking through the oppressive paths . They were as large as those before , but somehow they felt far more claustrophobic .

A sudden sound of metal striking metal echoed out in the distance , and Ogras pushed himself to the wall , completely blending with the darkness under a broken illumination crystal . As he kept listening he heard the sounds repeating , and he immediately realized it was the sound of battle . His heartbeat sped up in fear-mixed anticipation ; he wasn't alone .

Since he couldn't sense any too strong energies from the direction of the ruckus he slowly crept forward , and he finally reached a shrouded corner that gave him a vantage of what was going on around the corner where the sounds came from .

Two warriors of different species were in a desperate fight for their lives . One of them was a human , and the other was of a beastkin origin , looking a bit like a werewolf . The sounds Ogras heard earlier had come from the clash between the wolfman's claws and the human's sword . Since they were stuck in the tunnel they couldn't completely maneuver as they wished , but they were clearly used to battle in this type of confined space .

They used both the walls and the roof as a foothold as they clashed over and over , each clash resulting in a shockwave that told Ogras that they were in either weak E-grade warriors or somewhat strong F-Grade warriors . Ogras was considering whether he should throw his hat into the ring when the wolf suddenly disappeared after being pushed back from a clash with the human's sword .

The next moment the beastkin was right in front of Ogras , and a searing pain erupted in his face . Ogras' face contorted in pain and anger , and the next moment the metallic mold on his arms cracked as a pitch-black hand reached for the werewolf . The werewolf quickly reacted and pushed away , but the hand extended beyond what was normal and gripped the throat of the wolf .

The sinister claws of the werewolf tried to cut the hand right off , but they powerlessly went straight through and the next moment a crunch echoed out through the tunnels as Ogras crushed the neck of his attacker . The eyes of the human who had stood by in the distance lit up when he saw his enemy die , but before he could speak up he puked a mouthful of blood .

A large shadow spear had impaled him from behind , and the human fearfully looked at Ogras as he walked over , his eyes glowing in the darkness . The black arm had lost its form , now only forming a shadowy haze that drifted by his side .

I have some questions . -

Chapter 239 - Through the Tunnels

Zac glared in the direction of where he was thrown from , but there was nothing there apart from a rough rock wall . There wasn’t any sign of the portal or the elaborate chambers of Anzonil , and he might as well be in any random caverns of a mountain .

Zac sighed in disappointment as he got to his feet . There were a lot of topics that he wanted to broach with the old man , even if he decided to undergo the trial . But perhaps staying in corporeal form as an Array Spirit required a lot of energy or something , forcing the old man to send Zac away quickly .

He really wanted to know just what the darkness was , and if Anzonil knew of the method to kill the specters . After speaking with the old man he had a feeling that the darkness was directly linked with the demise of the Eastern Trigram Sect back in the day .

That the old man knew of the Draugr also piqued his interest , though that wasn’t as important at the moment . But it looked like he needed to know more about his undead race since having what was called a royal bloodline might both be a blessing and a curse .

In any case , there wasn’t much to do here . He was currently in a dead-end of a subterranean tunnel , and there was only one way to go . The instructions were pretty clear as well ; reach the end of the road and you’ll get the treasure .

Zac kept the shield fastened to his left arm , hefting Verun’s Bite] in the other as he started to walk down the winding path . There were no crystals giving off light in this place , but the tunnel was thankfully not completely shrouded in darkness .

There was quite a high density of Cosmic Energy in the tunnel , which sustained some of the glowing moss that also grew in his own mountain . It was amazing to Zac how plants learned to live only off of Cosmic Energy and could survive even in the most desolate places with only that as a source of sustenance . But in Zac’s undead form the high density of energy wasn’t a blessing , but rather a curse .

The more Cosmic Energy in the atmosphere the worse it felt , and here it was like the very air around him was trying to destroy him . Usually the ambient energy in the air wasn’t a problem for him , but he guessed that he was either inside a gathering array or close to a Nexus Vein .

It finally got to the point that he took out a couple of his Miasma Crystals and stuffed them inside his robe to feel the cold energies within against his skin . It helped a bit , and it was with relief he sensed that the density of energy around him was quickly decreasing as he walked further along the path .

However , it wasn’t all good news since he once again started to sense the insidious energy of the darkness , though it still was minute . But Zac still kept going forward . He wouldn’t give up his chance at supreme treasure just by a hint of the malicious energy , and he strode forward with purpose until he finally reached the end of the tunnel .

Zac soundlessly advanced the last 50 meters to the exit , and peeked out the tunnel . The first thing he noticed was that there was over a drop of over fifteen meters down to the floor form his egress . The second thing he saw was the sea of rats .

He immediately realized there must be some sort of array that hid his passage and blocked out any sound as he looked down . He gazed upon a chaotic swarm of rats that fought , mated , and scuttled about without him hearing a single sound .

Most of the rats he saw were the very same type that he had already killed throngs of on the surface , but he realized that he had likely only fought the weakest of the brood so far . There were far larger rats lumbering about as well , a few of which emanated enough power that they might be E-grade , though barely .

Zac’s eyes lit up at the veritable feast of prey , but he slowly observed everything for another full fifteen minutes before moving . He wanted to see if there was something like a rat king that could be a threat , but if there was it didn’t live in this large cavern .

He mouthed a silent prayer before jumping down , but he didn't try to conceal his presence . On the contrary , he entered the huge cavern with a roar , slamming down tens of meters away from the exit with a huge crash .

He had imbued himself with the Dao of Heaviness , and he was like a ten-ton hammer when he landed , killing every rat within over ten meters and creating a large crater . The moment he had exited the passage he had been inundated by a cacophony of screeches and hisses , and it got a lot worse after he made his entrance .

Zac didn’t even have time to get to his feet before he received a surge of energy into his forehead , and he immediately understood that he had accomplished his goal . The quest for his second skill , Fields of Despair] was finished . It required him to draw the ire of over a thousand enemies simultaneously , and he had likely passed that goal ten times over with his flashy entrance .

He didn’t really know whether to be happy or angry that there wasn’t an accompanying Dao Vision to go along with his newly acquired skill . He remembered very well the feeling when he killed the thousand barghest required to complete his quest for Axe Mastery] .

Completing the quest had formed the Axe fractal in his chest , but it was missing in his undead form just like the normal skills . When he had focused on it he had been brought to the desolate world with the enormous axe . Meanwhile , his new skill only added a pure skill-fractal on his forehead .

But it was a welcome boost to his very limited repertoire in his Draugr form , and he had just the perfect stage to test his new ability . But he was beset by frenzied rats before he even had time to even form a battle plan .

However , while most of the rats down in the cave were larger than their brethren on the surface they were of no threat to Zac . After a few quick swings with his axe thirty corpses lay strewn around him . But Zac frowned as he looked down at his axe , and after a brief pause decided to stash the axe into his Sack .

He didn’t want to rely on combat skills he gained with his other class too much since that might negatively impact the growth of his Undying Bulwark class . Instead , he decided to fight using the means his class provided for as long as possible , only relying on his axe and his Daos if needed .

The first thing he did was to unleash Fields of Despair] , and the space around him actually changed a bit . It was as though the world had gone monochrome within fifty meters from his position , and it reminded him of how it looked when he fought the Corpse Lord .

In fact , he noticed that the Cosmic Energy around him was actually turning into Miasma at a visible rate , and a mist of the deathly energy swirled around him . However , the production came at a cost of his own energy , so the skill wouldn’t be very useful for cultivation .

But that wasn’t the point of the skill , and Zac was elated after having figured out the workings of the skill . It was a debuffing skill with a large area , and its effect was pretty great .

It lowered the attributes of his enemies by a certain degree across the board . After turning it off and on again while fighting with the rats for a minute he estimated the number to be around 10% .

Taking away 10% of the fighting power of all close-by enemies wasn’t a huge amount , but it wasn't bad . Besides , the skill was only at early stage and it already had many uses .

For example , it could negate almost half of the effect of skills like his Hatchetman’s Rage] without having any of the other skill’s disadvantages . It could also lower the power of an ultimate attack from his enemies by a decent degree , increasing his survivability .

But there was a pretty big drawback to this skill . Fields of Despair] didn’t have a great synergy with his other skill , Deathwish] . To kill his enemies he needed to get hit , and the harder he got hit the more damage he returned . If he restricted the power of his enemies he would also restrict his offensive power .

Then again , the two skills were used in different ways , and he wasn’t surprised that Undying Bulwark’s skills sacrificed offensive power in favor of more defense . It was a tank-class after all . But these many defensive measures weren’t needed against rats , even if there was a seemingly endless horde of them .

But before he deactivated Fields of Despair] he noticed another huge advantage of the skill . As he had experimented for a bit with the skill there lay a new slew of rat carcasses around him , and those that died first were starting to emit a turquoise mist .

Zac immediately realized it was miasma , and he didn’t shy away when the mists were drawn toward him as though they were guided . The energy effortlessly merged with his existing stores of miasma , giving him back even more energy than he used when killing the rats .

This clearly differed from how it worked when he fought the beasts on Mystic Island . Back then it worked the same as in his human form . When he killed something he received a boost of energy that went toward improving his levels , but the effect on his expended storage of miasma was minuscule .

But this was different . The energy that streamed toward him from more and more corpses didn’t help him with his levels , but they restored the miasma he was continuously expending to power his two skills .

He finally understood the full effect of his new skill , and it truly was a field of despair for his enemies . Not only did it weaken those who came too close , it even restored his energies to allow him to keep fighting for an indefinite time .

He quickly changed his mind about turning the skill off , and instead he kept both his skills going . Both of them were continuously drawing from his miasma reserves , but with new rat corpses being added all the time he quickly restored the energy he expended .

In the end he lost slightly more energy than he gained from the corpses , but he would fall from lack of sleep before lack of miasma at this rate . Then again he was only fighting weak beasts at the moment , as the larger rats hadn’t entered the fray yet .

Since he’d already gained one of the skills he decided to grind out his second one as well , but he soon found out it wasn’t as easy as he had hoped . Not all the rats were strong enough to attack him with enough force to progress his quest .

But he quickly found a solution as he took out his axe once again . There was a pretty clear correlation between the power and size of these rats , and he soon found that the rats needed to be at least three meters long to be able to bite or swipe with enough force to award a point of progress in his class .

Everything smaller than that approached him was quickly culled with a swipe of his axe , while he kept blocking the attacks of the larger ones with his shield . Some wounds were starting to accumulate on his body since he wasn’t able to block all the strikes , but he didn’t care since his high Endurance and Vitality had no problem in keeping him alive .

It didn’t take long for him to gain a level since the rats were almost as strong as the beasts on Mystic Island . But the beasts back there had been spread out , each occupying its own territory . Here they were everywhere , and no matter where Zac looked he saw a sea of experience points approaching him .

It was also clear that these beasts had no intention of backing down , even after hundreds of their kin lay lifeless on the floor . Zac soon realized that it might be because they were affected by the darkness .

He didn’t believe all these animals were possessed like what happened to some cultivators up on the surface . The energies of the darkness had rather slowly seeped into their minds while they lived underground , increasing their aggression .

But Zac didn’t mind , and he soon settled into a familiar routine ingrained into his bones from the beast waves . He was already quickly climbing on the Hunter ladder again , even though he mainly focused on progressing the quest for Bulwark Mastery] .

The moment he blocked the final attack with his shield he felt a huge surge of energy in his heart . It didn’t kick-start it to start beating even in his undead form , but it was rather that something occupied its empty chambers . Zac couldn’t stop a wide smile from spreading on his face when he realized what it was .

It was another Dao Fractal , just like the tree or the axe in his Hatchetman form . But he didn’t dare to check the form or nature of the fractal any closer since he was afraid he’d get sucked inside a vision while there was a sea of rats still rampaging around him .

But he got extremely impatient to end the fight so that he could gain his fourth Dao Seed , so he no longer held anything back or cared about fighting with his shield only . He became a whirlwind of carnage as he rampaged across the enormous den , and soon the elated growls from Verun’s Bite] overpowered the screeches of the frenzied rats .

Chapter 240 - Evolution

No matter where Zac looked he was met with a frenzied onslaught of sharp teeth and claws , and he didn’t even need to aim as he methodically swung his axe . He was long since drenched in gore and viscera , his two black orbs of eyes glimmering with finality as he kept killing rats by the scores .

The area around him was like another world , with turquoise mists wafting about , and an enduring desolation had taken hold of the den of the rats . A slow whirlwind of miasma had formed around Zac by now , continuously imbuing him with energy .

But the rats were truly relentless and had no disregard for their own lives , and kept desperately trying to tear Zac apart . As the sizes of the rats surrounding him grew , the wounds on his body got worse as well .

Zac blocked one strike after another , and even his sturdy shield was starting to show signs of tear from innumerable claws slamming into it . But he couldn’t put it away . Zac could not clear a large number of critters at once since he didn’t have access to Chop] , so he needed something to stave off some of the rats while he cut others down .

But Zac had no plans to switch his class to Hatchetman . First of all , he didn’t have the luxury to pass out for a couple of minutes mid-battle , but even if he did he didn’t want to let go of this opportunity . He hadn’t encountered this great a leveling-experience even during the beast waves , and after another two hours of fighting he gained another level .

Besides , Verun’s Bite] wasn’t the only thing doing work . All around him , particularly behind him , ghastly specters of rats kept popping out from nowhere , maiming and killing their living twins . It was Deathwish] with its damage reflection that was dishing back far more than he got hurt .

It was only three hours and one level later that only six rats and Zac remained . The rest of the burrow was covered with thousands of rat corpses , and it was impossible to take a single step without stepping in a pool of blood .

The remaining rats were the six largest specimens in the cave , and the ones that Zac suspected might be E-Grade earlier . Now that they were right in front of him he realized that it likely only was true for two of them , whereas the other four were very close to that stage .

However , it was clear to Zac that even the four lesser rats in front of him were different from the mindless hordes that had swarmed him the past hours . They had silently observed Zac from the distance , making no move to approach him . Each of them was enormous , the smallest of them at least as large as an elephant . The largest rats , one of the two that Zac suspected to be E-Grade , was at least 8 meters long , with its tail adding just as much length .

Zac was panting as he stood and observed the last remaining rats as well , welcoming the opportunity to take a breather . He was completely caked in blood from the fight , and he thanked the stars he was in his undead form .

His sense of smell was a bit different , mainly smelling life rather than other scents , and he could only imagine that the stench of thousands of dead rats was beyond putrid to a human . Apart from the blood and gore , he was also marred with tens of wounds that dripped some of the black ichor that sat in his veins instead of blood .

It was from this fight that he understood the function of the black substance . He had thought it was just a remnant of the blood in his human form , but after having lost a pint of the stuff he realized that wasn’t the case .

The black ichor wasn’t just putrified blood , but it was also needed for the storage of miasma somehow . The more of the stuff he lost during the fight , the less miasma he was able to store in his body .

That meant if he was bled completely dry of the ichor he would probably turn back into his human form , whereas a real undead would die . Of course , simply expelling all miasma was a far simpler method than draining himself of his blood .

Suddenly two of the rats started to move , clearly trying to flank him . With rats this powerful Zac wasn’t comfortable to let them attack him from behind , so he instantly hurled his axe with a grunt , imbuing it with the Dao of Sharpness .

The axe ripped through the air and slammed straight into the head of one of the rats , instantly killing it . A huge surge of energy entered Zac , far higher than he had got from anything before , immediately giving him another level .

These things were clearly superior compared to their brethren judging by how much energy they rewarded , and Zac was relieved he managed to down one with a surprise attack . He had held back on using his Daos apart from his initial entrance since he wanted to keep some cards for this fight .

He immediately pushed forward , aiming to retrieve his weapon , but one of the rats moved to intercept with a screech . But Zac held nothing back as he imbued his fist with the Dao of Heaviness , slamming it straight into the temple of the rat before it managed to bite into his torso .

A loud crack could be heard and another surge of energy entered him , but he didn’t stop as he ran toward his axe and ripped it out of the head of the rat . Suddenly a sense of danger erupted in his mind , and he unhesitantly threw himself forward .

A sharp swish could be heard right behind him , and he looked to see one of the E-Grade rats having appeared right behind him somehow . It had attacked with its claws , but Zac also sensed the familiar feeling of the Dao of Sharpness .

The corpse of the rat he killed with his axe was cleanly split into four parts from the swipe of the rat , and even the ground the following ten meters had four deep gouges from the attack . Zac frowned at the large scars from the claws since it showed that its attack was a bit similar to those of the fiend wolf .

But he didn’t have time to formulate a plan as he was suddenly shrouded in darkness . His brows rose in alarm , but he didn’t have time to do anything but turn around as he was met with the huge maw of the other E-Grade rat .

But it didn’t try to bite him , but instead Zac was drowned in a deluge of bile . Zac was disgusted by it , but some puke wasn’t enough to do him in . He immediately moved out of the stream of the putrid liquid , and with a roar swung Verun’s Bite] straight at the stretched-out throat of the rat .

The puking rat seemed surprised to be attacked for some reason , and it barely had time to register the incoming swing before it was almost fully decapitated by the powerful strike of the axe . Zac’s axe hummed in glee as large amounts of Blood flowed into it as the huge corpse fell into the ground with a thump .

The next moment the familiar Tool Spirit emerged from the axe , and it immediately leaped at one of the rats who had jumped at Zac from behind . It was clearly an uneven fight since the rat wasn’t able to target the spectral being , and in just a few seconds it lay dead at the ground .

Zac couldn't help staring down at the E-grade beast with some confusion . Its attack had been truly perplexing . But a sizzling sound quickly told him what was going on . A dozen rat carcasses had also been inundated by the huge torrent of puke , and they had turned into nothing but pools of goop in just seconds .

Even the floor was melting at a visible rate , and Zac’s brows rose in alarm as he looked down at himself . To his surprise , he saw that he was completely fine , even though his robe was slowly disintegrating . The liquid simply sloughed off his pale skin without leaving as much as a mark .

Zac apparently was immune to the attack , which the rat didn’t expect . That gave him the opportunity for an easy kill while it tried to register what was going on . But Zac didn’t have time to ponder on why the poisonous bile didn’t affect him as the other E-Grade rat was already upon him with an enraged screech .

It frenziedly swiped at him in an all-out effort to rip him to shred , forcing him on the defensive for the time being . He had already infused his axe with the Dao of Sharpness as he tried to cut off its arms , but the rat was extremely quick to intercept his axe with its claws .

The claws were truly sturdy , and even after tens of clashes there wasn’t a single mark on them . Zac was at a standstill since he didn’t have any stronger attacks to use . He didn’t dare use Deathwish] against this opponent since he wasn’t sure whether he could actually take that much damage .

But the stalemate soon changed as Verun , the tool spirit of his axe , was in a rare form today . Three rats were remaining after Zac killed the first E-Graded one , but Verun pounced upon the remaining two smaller ones with gleeful abandon .

Less than half a minute later only Zac’s opponent remained , and a great growl echoed through the caverns as the prehistoric beast finally joined Zac in his battle . Zac suddenly changed his Dao Seed to the Dao of Heaviness , and with a growl he swung with all the force he could bear .

The strike wasn’t able to get through the quick defense of the rat , but the enormous weight behind the strike was enough to throw the thing off-balance . Verun knew exactly what to do , and bit straight through the throat of rat , instantly killing it before it had a chance to react . Yet another huge stream of energy entered Zac as well , pushing him forward at least one level .

However , his Tool Spirit wasn’t done there , as it kept ripping the corpse into shreds with frenzied glee . The blood from the beast started to float around the spirit as though it wasn’t affected by gravity any longer , creating a macabre spectacle .

The axe in Zac’s hand was suddenly vibrating in his hands , and he was barely able to hold on as it tried to fly away and join the spirit . Zac’s eyes glistened with anticipation as he let go of the axe , and it quickly flew to the side of the projection of Verun .

An ocean of blood suddenly gushed out of the axe , creating a crimson flood that swirled around the spirit . Zac guessed it was all the blood from the various beasts he had killed that was getting released all at once , forming a small sea of the stuff .

Verun howled with exultation , its roars echoing through the cave with such power that Zac couldn’t help worriedly look around . He had already spotted the path out of here , and he was afraid that the howls would attract even more beasts .

Then again , if nothing had come from hours of screeching and slaughter , then some howls shouldn’t bring any calamity to his doorstep either . But Zac grabbed the tail of one of the largest rats and started to drag it toward the only pathway out of here just in case . Soon he’d formed a wall of flesh that completely blocked the entrance .

While he was busy moving the bodies the storm of blood around his axe had calmed down , and the large sphere of blood kept shrinking as it encased Verun’s Bite] within . When the sphere had shrunk from a diameter of ten meters down to three it started to look like the blood was congealing into a solid .

The transformed blood even turned translucent , and within a few minutes it looked like his axe was encased in a ruby almost as large as he was . Zac walked over to the crystal with anticipation since he had long realized that his weapon was finally evolving .

Chapter 241 - Eternal and Unbroken

Zac’s axe had already been on the verge of taking the next step , and the blood of the largest rats was enough to push it to the next level . But evolutions of this kind were very diverse , and after asking around back in Port Atwood he learned that there was no cohesive method of the process .

That left him wondering what he should do now . He had no idea how long it would take for the axe to finish its evolution . He also had no idea whether he could put the crystal into his Cosmos Sack , or whether that would interrupt the process .

In the end , he chose to move the crystal to a corner of the large den , hiding it in an alcove behind a couple of more carcasses . Luckily the axe didn’t give off any energy emanations during the process , so hiding it didn’t require any arrays .

He surveyed the scene for a while , and after some alterations , it was impossible to notice anything was hidden there . Next , he created a second hiding spot and sat down inside . Initially , he hadn’t planned on staying in this den , but the evolution of his axe had forced him to change his plans .

But it was just as well . His miasma wasn’t spent from the long battle , but his body was wounded all over and he had lost quite a bit of ichor . He popped a pill into his mouth and closed his eyes to focus on recuperation , and it was only two hours later he opened them .

He wasn’t completely back to top shape , but his Endurance and Vitality had improved him to fighting condition at least . But he still couldn’t leave since he had no idea what lay past this cave . There was no guarantee that this was the only thing blocking his path to the treasure , and he wasn’t confident in fighting anything too strong without his axe .

But he wasn’t just sitting around while he waited for his axe to get done . He was itching to check out his Dao fractal , but he held off on that in favor of a few other things first . The intense fight had brought him all the way to level 39 , giving a huge boost to his attributes .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

39

Class

F-Epic] Undying Bulwark

Race

E] Draugr

Alignment

Earth] Port Atwood - Lord

Titles

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

Dao

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

Core

F] Duplicity

Strength

420 Base : 271 . Increase : 55% . Efficiency : 16%]

Dexterity

221 Base : 158 . Increase : 40% . Efficiency : 16%]

Endurance

430 Base : 268 . Increase : 60 , 5% . Efficiency : 16%]

Vitality

251 Base : 167 . Increase : 50 , 5% . Efficiency : 16%]

Intelligence

90 Base : 64 . Increase : 40% . Efficiency : 16%]

Wisdom

85 Base : 61 . Increase : 40% . Efficiency : 16%]

Luck

93 Base : 58 . Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 16%]

Free Points

6

Nexus Coins

F] 53 625 943

Gaining this many levels in just a few hours would have been unthinkable back when he was around this level the first time around , but then again he was far weaker at that time . He had another 6 free points to allocate , but he held off on that until he saw what he gained from his new Dao Seed .

Next , he opened his quest menu , and as he suspected there was a new quest waiting for him there . At level 35 Hatchetman he gained the quest for Loamwalker] , and this time around he got another skill quest as well .

Immutable Bulwark (Class) : Survive the strike of three evolved beings . Reward : Immutable Bulwark (2/3)

Zac believed - evolved beings’ was referring to an E-Grade Class beasts or cultivators , and he felt this quest wasn’t very hard since it didn’t specify how he should survive it . With the help of Fields of Despair and a shield he would have no problem blocking a strike from something like the E-Grade rat , let alone surviving it , which was proven by two thirds of the quest already being completed .

As for the skill itself , Zac guessed it was a pure defensive skill going by the name . He felt it was about time since none of the three initial skills were purely defensive skills like his Nature's Barrier] . In any case , he didn’t think it would take long to find out since there clearly were E-Grade beasts down here in the tunnels .

Zac got to his feet and walked over to his axe once again , but there was still no response from it . Since he was finally done with what he needed to do , he properly concealed himself and turned his sight inward toward his heart . Just like he expected a large pocket space had formed inside his heart , and Zac wasn’t very surprised to see that the fractal looked like a large shield . But he didn’t have time to inspect it any further , as his vision quickly changed .

The place he was sent to was quite different from the desolation of the dead world of the axe-man . He found himself standing in a beautiful park that was meticulously tended to , and Zac almost forgot why he was here from the soothing atmosphere .

It truly felt like he was in paradise from the array of beautiful plants and trees forming a harmony that could only be said to be perfect . Even the sky shone in a warm golden luster , and looking up at it Zac almost felt like he was being caressed by the heavens themselves .

Surprisingly enough people were walking past him , but it was as though he was a ghost . No one noticed him as they kept going forward . Some even walked straight through him , which was a pretty weird experience .

The people were of varying races , some of them humans , but many were things that Zac had never heard of . They were also of extremely varying power , ranging from weak mortals to great powerhouses clearly stronger than the E-Grade . But one thing was the same for each and every one of them . They were all orderly walking in a line , and everyone was holding what looked like a small gift in their hands as they streamed in the same direction .

Curious , Zac followed the train of people , and soon found himself in the middle of the garden that held an enormous square made of marble . But the moment he entered there he realized he wasn’t in a park , but rather a gravesite .

In the middle of the square was a mausoleum , and all the people he had followed walked toward it as though they were on a pilgrimage . Zac walked over as well and soon he stood just twenty meters away from the golden inlaid arch leading inside .

However , no one entered the building , instead simply bowed before placing down whatever they had brought in front of the building , before turning away and leaving the square .

There were already large mounds of offerings , and interestingly enough they ranged from simple things like a small wood carving to Nexus Crystals that emitted such immense power that Zac was afraid his soul would shatter just by standing close to them .

He instinctually knew those things were at least C-Graded crystals , but possibly even higher . He knew that only one of them would be enough to live like a king for thousands of years , yet no one even gave the treasures a second glance before leaving .

Zac’s curiosity only grew as he turned his eyes toward the mausoleum . He already knew that his visions came from supreme existences , and he guessed that the one he was about to receive was based on whoever was interred inside .

Zac gave a small bow just like the pilgrims before resolutely walking toward the entrance . As he got closer he noticed that two old men sat in front of the gate with closed eyes , likely guarding the place . However , the moment he turned his eyes toward them it was as though his soul was about to be crushed by immense pressure , and he had to quickly look away .

Even though he was just a wisp of consciousness he had to stop and take a few deep breaths , his hands shaking from the experience . He was shocked to realize that both the old men sitting in front of the mausoleum were far more powerful than Greatest , the strongest person he’d met so far .

Their auras were as immense as a galaxy , and Zac couldn’t even get close to the door due to the passive aura that they emitted . But suddenly the weight disappeared , and Zac was shocked to see that both the old monsters were looking straight at him .