Defiance of the Fall

I feared he was trying to stall for time to announce our whereabouts , - Ylvas quickly explained when he saw Zac's displeasure .

Zac wasn't too sure about that motivation , but he wouldn't make a big deal about it . He understood why Ylvas wanted the captive to stop talking , and Zac honestly wasn't sure what he should do at this point .

Is she your ally? - Ylvas said as he looked over at Zac .

Yeah , - Zac simply answered with a somber nod .

He couldn’t but help sigh in defeat . This very situation was the reason why he had struggled so hard to find his sister as quickly as possible . The worst thing was that he couldn't comply even if he wanted due to the splinter hidden away in his brain . He could give his whole Cosmos Sack to the emperor and still maintain his position , and the Emperor probably wouldn't believe his excuses .

He honestly would have been happy to dump the Heart of Oblivion] on the old emperor , especially if it helped save Thea . But now it had caused even more trouble for him instead . It truly was a cursed object .

You cannot make any deals with the Medhin . Both the Emperor and Vasidas will turn on you the minute they have what they want , - Ylvas quickly said . - They barely consider anyone human , apart from their own family members . -

I know , - Zac said . - But it still makes our job harder . -

I don’t think it changes things . The emperor must keep her alive to lure you in , but we can simply pretend you don’t know about the situation . We’ll keep hunting squads and weaken their forces , - Ylvas said .

I’m not sure that’s a good idea anymore , - Zac said . - If certain squads start dropping now they might realize someone is coming for them , losing our small element of surprise . It would give our position away . -

Fair enough , - Ylvas said .

Thea is one of the three strongest cultivators of our world , - Zac slowly said . - Freeing her would also bolster our forces . I will quickly set her free first while you occupy the emperor . After that , I’ll hit the personal guard as planned . -

Beruv Ylvas seemed to consider the options for a bit until he slowly nodded .

That works as well . However , you must hurry . I am not a match against Nenothep in an even fight , and if he’s empowered by his personal guard I will not even last for thirty seconds . You quickly need to dispatch the personal guard and help me lessen the burden or I will fall , - Ylvas said .

Agreed , - Zac said .

It truly seemed that there was no getting off this train now . The Emperor and his son had forced his hand . Anger was starting to build up inside him as he kept killing the beasts around them , but he forced himself to keep calm . He couldn't do something hotheaded that risked both the operation and Thea's life at this juncture .

So he tried to maintain his calm as the two went back to traveling between the mountains to look for allies and beasts . But an odd sight suddenly entered their eyes . As they traveled they spotted a huge pit in front of them . At first , Zac assumed someone had dug a trap for the beasts .

However , as soon as they walked over they could quickly discount that possibility . While the pit was over ten meters deep there was no evidence suggesting that they had found a trap . There were no spikes in the bottom , and the walls weren't sheer so even a normal human would be able to simply walk out of the pit .

The two kept walking and after thirty more minutes they had lost count of how many pits they'd seen . Both were completely befuddled at this point , and it even started to make them a bit uncomfortable . They truly couldn't understand what was going on , and it almost felt like they were walking into a trap somehow .

Animals? - Zac finally ventured with an unsure voice . - Like rats or moles . -

No , these are man-made , - Ylvas said . - They are simple holes go straight down , there's no burrows or tunnels either so they would serve no purpose for shelter . But I do not understand why someone would dig so many holes . Burying array flags? But then the holes should be filled and hidden afterward . . . -

Tracks over here , - Ylvas suddenly said as he looked at the ground . - Some huge bugger by the size of the footprints , weighing at least 150 kilos , likely more . -

Zac readied his weapons as the two silently followed the footprints for another fifteen minutes . Luckily due to the size of the one who left the prints they had no problem following them even if Ylvas whispered that they were a few hours old .

Oddly enough it didn't lead toward a mountain , but rather straight into the core of a large forest in an extra-wide valley , and weirder still was that there were no animals around . Since they had entered the zone with the pits there had been fewer and fewer beasts . Zac started to worry that one of the Dominators had moved its camp and scared away all the wildlife .

Suddenly they heard a thundering sound from the distance , and both of them quickly got ready for battle . But they soon realized the noise was actually snoring , and they speechlessly looked at each other . Zac immediately guessed who it was and he wryly smiled as they followed the tracks until they looked at a shoddily camouflaged camp .

Someone had simply broken off a few smaller trees and put them in a circle around a clearing . But the cover wasn't high enough the two of them could easily see the ramshackle structure in the middle . Two enormous feet were sticking out of a much too small cover made out of sticks , and the thundering snoring came from the man inside .

Stay here , for now . I know who this is . He’s an ally , but a bit special . He is also is quite strong , so If we can get his help we will have a great array breaker on our side , - Zac said as he started to approach the crudely built tent .

Billy , are you awake? - Zac said as he poked Billy’s feet with a stick he picked up . - It’s me , Zachary . The Super Brother Man . -

There snores continued for a while until they abruptly stopped . The next moment billy rose from his slumber , causing the whole campsite to collapse in splinters and broken twigs .

WHO WOKE BILLY? - Billy growled as his eyes wildly looked about .

In his hand was the huge club he’d seen him wear before , looking like a tree trunk with an enormous cranium stuck at the end .

It’s me , Billy . Zachary , the Super Brother-Man , - Zac tentatively said as he threw away his poking stick .

Oh , it’s you , - Billy said with a snort after he spotted Zac . - I am mad at you . -

Chapter 257 - Billy and Alien-man

What? Why? - Zac asked with some confusion as he looked up at the irate giant .

He hadn’t done anything to Billy as far as he knew , and he had even gone so far as to send his forces to help him close out the Ratmen Incursion .

Your stupid horny friend tricked Billy . Made Billy thwonk the big shield and the biggest rat . But the horny guy jumped out of the shadows and stole Billy's money and strength , - Billy muttered and slammed his club into the ground in frustration , making the whole area shake .

Zac blankly stared at Billy for a second before he could translate what Billy meant . It appeared that old habits die hard , and Ogras had actually stolen the kill of the Incursion leader when they assaulted the Incursion together .

Zac sighed in exasperation at the demon’s antics , but he was also a bit confused . Ogras was stuck at the bottleneck as far as he knew , so killing an Incursion leader would be a waste of Cosmic Energy . It would have been far better if the energy went to Billy instead , bolstering the strength of an ally . Since it seemed both Billy and Ogras were able to kill the ratman it was unlikely it was an E-Grade powerhouse , but it would still likely have given Billy at least one level .

The only reason that Zac could come up with was that there was some hidden benefit for the demon to perform such an action . Perhaps he could receive a title if he managed to be the one to kill a competing incursion leader . But in any case , such an action could put a strain on the alliance , especially when the other side was someone like Billy .

I’m sorry Billy . Ogras is a bit stupid , I will make him give some good things to you as an apology when we go back , - Zac said , which brightened the giant right up . - And uh , it’s called horned , not horny . -

What are you doing here? - Zac followed up as he looked at the surroundings a bit skeptically .

He had actually almost forgotten Billy was in this hunt due to his less than stellar ladder positions . Billy was below the top 100 of the Hunter ladder , which was surprisingly low considering his strength , and his Gatherer placement was just abysmal . He wasn’t even in the top 1000 .

Billy looking for treasure while hiding , - the giant said and looked around before bending over toward Zac . - Nigel told me the big secret of the hunt . There are big evil bosses in here . If Billy manages to hide from all big bosses until he gets sent back then he gets a BIG bonus reward . -

Zac gaped at the hogwash that came out of Billy’s mouth . Nigel had obviously been worried about Billy doing something reckless , and tricked him to stay safe with the promise of rewards .

Yes , I heard something like that as well , - Zac coughed . - You are doing a good job . -

This hunt is so hard , Billy has looked for treasure everywhere , but there’s no treasure . Thwonking animals instead is easier , gives you money and makes you stronger , - the giant sighed . - But all animals keeps running away from Billy . -

Zac frowned in confusion when Billy told him that there were no treasures . It didn’t really matter which palace he had visited , they were all filled with a decent amount of valuables . Of course , most had likely been looted at this point , but to not find almost anything for a month was exceedingly unlucky .

As for the reason why the animal ran away from Billy , it wasn't as big a mystery . The giant's aura was completely unrestrained as it billowed out from him . Zac was surprised how heavy it was . He knew that Ogras had told him Billy was very strong , but the aura that emanated from him was far greater compared to when they met during the Auction . But Zac wouldn't pry since it was rude to look into other's fortuitous encounters .

Did you not find anything in the palaces? On top of the mountains? - Zac probed .

Billy did not go there . Billy went once and was attacked by ghosts , Billy ain't going up there again , - the giant said with eyes big as saucers . - Mama told Billy that treasure is always buried , hidden by pirates . Billy has no treasure map so Billy has been digging all over the forest . But Billy has been unlucky and not looted a single treasure chest . -

Billy then gestured at a few pits not far away , and Zac was stunned silent . Zac had no idea how to speak with this simple giant . For one he didn’t know if he should even tell Billy about how the hunt worked this late into the game , but he also was unsure whether he would even be able to explain it in a way so that Billy would understand .

Nigel didn’t come as well? - Zac asked , hoping for some help from the translator .

Nigel is stupid . Billy even had an extra ticket , but Nigel was scared , - Billy said with a disdainful shake of his head . - Nigel said he will help make Billyville better while Billy hunts . Nigel sold the ticket instead . -

Zac nodded thoughtfully as he gazed at the giant . His initial idea when he realized it was Billy who stayed here had been to invite him to help in the fight against the Medhin , but he wasn’t sure anymore . It felt like he would trick Billy into risking his life in a feud that wasn’t really his .

What are you doing here? - Billy suddenly asked , as if remembering that Zac had appeared out of nowhere .

After a brief hesitation , Zac decided to tell Billy the truth .

A very strong bad guy has taken Thea Marshall a prisoner . I am going with a few friends to beat him up and help Thea , - Zac said .

Bad guys have taken Thea? - Billy said , immediately looking angered .

You know Thea? - Zac asked a bit curious .

Thea gave Billy lots of tasty things after the auction , she is Billy’s friend . Billy will come with you and thwonk the bad guys , - Billy unhesitantly said . - Besides , mama always says you need to help those in need . -

Zac slowly nodded in agreement before he started hesitating again .

The bad guy is Nenothep Medhin , an emperor from the other world we are doing this hunt with , - Zac started to explain , but was cut off by Billy .

Other world? What? - Billy asked with a vacant stare .

Uh , never mind . Anyway , Nenothep is very strong . He has evolved to E-Grade . Do you know about E-Grade? - Zac tentatively asked .

Yes , Nigel said that after level 75 you get very strong . That is E-Grade , - Billy nodded with a serious face . - But as long as he has a head Billy can thwonk it . -

Good . We will trick him a bit first though . You and I are smart , and we will trick the bad guys . We will work together to save Thea . Then we will all thwonk the bad guys together , ok? - Zac said .

Good! - Billy enthusiastically nodded and even slammed the enormous club in the ground with enough power to cause cracks tens of meters long to spread out from the camp .

The two were soon joined by Ylvas , who clearly had some trouble adapting to Billy's mannerisms . But soon enough they were back on track , heading toward the hidden camp of the Berum forces . However , Billy's aura and fighting style proved to be somewhat of a problem since there seemed to be no moderation to his methods .

Are you sure this is okay? Your friend is a bit . . . impulsive , - Ylvas said with a low voice as he watched Billy rove forward like a natural disaster , each swing of the monstrous club causing everything from beasts to huge boulders to turn into small chunks on the ground .

He is a bit simple , but he has the highest Strength of anyone on our planet as far as I know , apart from the Dominators perhaps , - Zac whispered back . - Every aspect of him is designed for heavy hits . He effortlessly broke an array in one swing that my number one general wouldn't even be able to break no matter the time given . He is also good friends with the captured woman , so I wanted to let him make his own decision . -

Ylvas thoughtfully nodded as he looked at the huge club ripping through the air back and forth . It clearly was incredibly heavy , but Billy's bulging arms didn't even seem to strain as it tore through the air .

Fair point . The Medhin squads always allocate at least a third of their men to erect barriers to protect those who use the War Arrays . If this man can crack open the array for the personal guard , allowing you to slip in , our chances would become far better , - Ylvas agreed . - Only one day remains until the time for our assault . I suggest we head toward the closest base by now . But first we need to teach this man to be more circumspect . -

Agreed , - Zac nodded , and soon they stopped and called over billy .

After some explaining , or rather bribing with large slabs of grilled meat , Zac managed to get Billy to take a break from his clobbering . Instead , he took over and dispatched the beasts in a more silent way .

Billy don't like that fighting way . Reminds Billy of your horny friend , - Billy muttered when he saw Zac trying to kill the animals as quietly as possible .

Horned friend , Billy . And I agree , I don't like fighting like this either . But remember , you told me we needed to stay hidden for the big reward . If we make a lot of noise we might be found and lose the reward , - Zac explained .

Billy's eyes widened in realization , and he quickly nodded in agreement .

Super Brother-Man is pretty smart . Almost as smart as Billy , - he sagely nodded in agreement as he started to walk on his toes in an effort to not make any sound .

Indeed , the Super Brother-Man truly seems to be almost as smart as Billy , - Ylvas nodded from the side in a rare showing of humor .

Ha ha , I like you Alien-man! - Billy laughed .

When they had explained that Ylvas came from another world Billy had immediately called them both liars , explaining that aliens were much smaller and had large black eyes . Finally , the two had been forced to give up explaining Ylvas' origins , but Billy still chose to call Ylvas Alien-man as a joke .

Alien-man is pretty good at hiding skills , - Zac said , ignoring the comments . - He can teach Billy to hide . Imagine tricking the bad guys you are weak when you are actually strong . This will also trick animals , making it easier for you to thwonk them . -

Billy enthusiastically nodded and Ylvas started to arduously teach Billy how to control and hide his aura . Surprisingly , as soon as Billy understood what Ylvas wanted him to do his aura immediately and utterly disappeared . The change was so drastic that Zac actually stopped killing beasts and turned over , afraid that Ylvas had assassinated Billy .

But Billy was just fine , though he didn't emit a smidgeon of energy . Unless Zac didn't know better he would have thought that the man was a level 1 mortal from how his aura felt .

He has magnificent control of his Cosmic Energy , - Ylvas muttered in shock . - I can't sense a thing . I think the man might actually be a genius when it comes to energy control . -

He didn't get to the top ten on two of our ladders due to blind luck , - Zac said with a smile . - Billy , amazing . -

Why surprised? Billy is the smartest , Mama always says so , - the giant said , obviously extremely pleased by Zac and Ylvas' reactions .

Remember how you did this , - Zac said . - See , beasts are already storming toward us . -

It was true . Only a few moments had passed since Billy took control of his aura , and the more rabid beasts were already closing in on them .

In the future , if you want to thwonk things , always hide your aura this way . That way you don't need to run after the animals . They will come to you , - Zac said as he resumed swinging .

Since the matter of subterfuge was somewhat dealt with they immediately started to head toward the hideout . They no longer sought out any more cultivators , and Ylvas even scouted ahead to make sure they didn't encounter anyone . They completely rounded a few squads and stayed clear of all mountains until they finally arrived at a nondescript decorative mountain with an enormous statue at the top .

However , getting Billy to ascend the mountain wasn't completely effortless . They finally had to say that the ghosts didn't come to the mountains with statues on top . Of course , it was true in a sense since the decorative mountains did not have gathering arrays making the energies dense .

They walked along a hidden path almost halfway up the mountain until they reached a dead end . However , Ylvas simply walked straight through the wall , making Billy's eyes widen in shock .

Alien-man is magic , - Billy muttered with wide eyes .

Chapter 258 - A Singular Goal

It's an illusion array , - Zac explained but corrected himself after seeing Billy's confused face . - A magic trick . There is actually no wall there , we can go through as well . -

Zac also passed through a few times to prove his point , and Billy finally followed suit as well with wonder in his eyes . After passing through the array they entered a cavern that reminded Zac of the underground tunnels . Billy curiously poked the luminescent moss covering the roof and even started collecting it until Ylvas explained it wasn’t worth any money .

No guards or scouts? - Zac asked Ylvas as they walked through the empty tunnel .

We felt it was too risky having people placed outside the illusion array since it would likely increase the chances of this place being found out . We , unfortunately , lost one of our hideouts and fifty good men that way to one of the Insectoids , - Ylvas explained with a sigh . - Now we try to stay as nondescript as possible . However , my men know we have passed through the array , - Ylvas explained .

The tunnels weren’t endless like the ones far underground and they soon reached a large cavern where ten cultivators stood armed and ready . However , the moment they saw Ylvas they relaxed , and quickly greeted them with a smile . The next moment another 50 men appeared out of nowhere , startling both Zac and Billy .

Alien-man's friends are magic too , - Billy muttered with a subdued voice as he glared at the men with his club at the ready - Or are they ghosts? -

They are not ghosts Billy , they simply hid with the help of arrays , like the one we passed , - Ylvas explained .

How are you people able to utilize so many arrays? - Zac asked with surprise . - Did you know about arrays before the integration or something? -

Array disks , - Ylvas explained . - We found a cache with these array disks early in the hunt and learned how to use them after some experimentation . No knowledge is needed to activate them . Unfortunately , we never found any strong ones . Perhaps it's too hard to imprint arrays on disks . -

I'd like to buy one of each of the disks you've found , - Zac quickly said .

Those things would both be convenient for himself when he traveled , and it would also be good to have a few of them to study .

You can just take them , I have a small hill of the things , - Ylvas said and took out eight different disks . - Their effect is much weaker compared to the things you can buy from the Town Shops , and you need to supply them with Nexus Crystals . But they are not restricted by geography and are easy to use . -

Zac picked up one of the disks and looked at the extremely fine inscriptions on its surface . It seemed a pretty high skill in both inscription and arrays was needed to create these things . While Zac and Ylvas discussed the disks most of the men who had been ready to ambush the intruders walked away , making the cave seem more like a campsite . Some were playing cards , while others were cultivating or resting .

Zac threw the disks into his Cosmos Sack and opened up his ladder to check up on the squad that he would work together with . The general strength of those present wasn’t bad , though there were only four people in the top 100 , and all of them were pretty far down . Then again these people had been hiding for a few days , meaning their actual strength might be higher than their positions indicated .

Most simply accepted Zac and Billy's presence without question since they were brought by Ylvas , but not everyone went back to their seats . Many eyes turned toward the two in curiosity . But the faces of the inquisitive ones quickly changed after a few seconds , likely when they noticed Zac's ladder positions .

Greed was apparent on the faces of many of them , and some hands even moved toward their weapons as from instinct . Zac frowned at the reaction , but he wasn’t too surprised either . He didn’t say anything and silently observed what would happen .

As for Billy , he didn’t seem to understand the mood and was instead staring at a fire that had a huge spit of meat over it that looked just about done .

Soon it seemed some couldn't contain their greed any longer , and a large man sporting two swords on his back slowly walked over . Zac saw he had pretty decent ladder positions , holding the 64th spot on the Hunter ladder . After slightly bowing toward Ylvas he once again turned toward Zac .

Leader , it’s good that you are back . I see you’ve brought the walking treasure trove , - he said before turning toward Zac . - That bastard emperor has almost gone mad looking for you . It must be burdensome to carry that much treasure by yourself . Why not share a bit with your new allies? -

We have all been in the same hunt , - Zac answered with a shrug . - The wealth we have gathered depends on our abilities . -

Is that right? - the man said with a grim smile . - I can't help but think of there being an element of luck as well . But luck can quickly turn to misfortune . -

Is that a threat? - Zac said with a deadpan face .

I wouldn’t dream of it , but wealth can be a curse , - the man said with a sneer . - You never know when calamity strikes . But that's what having allies is for , no? Sharing the burden . We're stuck here together after all . -

I think I'll be fine . And make no mistake - I’m not stuck here with you . You’re stuck inside here with me , - Zac said as his heavy aura ripe with dense killing intent rolled out from him and drowned the whole cave .

The arrogant man desperately backed away after being inundated by the killing intent , his face as pale as a sheet . It was the same with the other cultivators as they looked at Zac with a mix of shock and horror . Even Beruv Ylvas seemed slightly taken aback by the ruthless aura , and he thoughtfully looked at Zac from the side before he spoke up .

Fools , do you think one would gain those ladder positions by luck? Now don’t mess around , they are the important allies I’ve arduously found . They will be the key in ridding our planet of the Medhin scourge , - Ylvas said with a glare at the man who had taunted Zac . - If anyone causes trouble for our new friends you will be declared a traitor of Berum . -

Zac simply nodded at Ylvas in thanks . However , he did note that the champion didn't do anything to stop that man until Zac made a showing of his power . Perhaps Ylvas wanted to gauge his personality or power better . Zac suddenly noticed that Billy was looking at him with huge eyes and his mouth slightly open .

Uh , what’s wrong? - Zac asked .

That line was very cool . Can Billy use it? - Billy entreated .

Sure , no problem , - Zac nodded with a smile .

He smiled widely at Zac before he headed over toward the meat on the spit and unhesitantly snatched it and started eating . The man who had been preparing the meat glared at Billy , but after throwing a glance at Zac he chose to not speak up and instead took out another slab of meat from his Cosmos Sack with a sigh .

Ylvas walked over to a corner of the cave , and the cultivators around quickly made ample space for him . As soon as he sat down he ate a pill and closed his eyes . Zac initially wanted to follow him , but after seeing that the man needed to focus on recuperation he went over to Billy and sat down . He looked over to the man who spun the new slab of meat , and the man nervously nodded back and introduced himself as Taran .

Do you have any information about the situation in the Medhin camp? - Zac asked .

The man threw a glance at Ylvas before he started talking with a shrug .

Most of their forces have started to return to their mountains . Nenothep sent out over a hundred squads to the outer parts of the hunt a week ago , and they are returning to provide the spoils , - Taran explained . - We set up as many traps as we could to kill the scouts , but most made it back alive . They are hard to kill because of their War Arrays . -

Zac nodded as he took out a strip of dried meat from his sack , making Taran sigh in relief .

Do you have any information about the class and skills of the emperor and his top men? - Zac followed up .

The man quickly nodded and took out an information crystal .

This is the top tier information crystal from the Omniscient Eye . It's from before the hunt , but the information should be mostly correct , - he said as he handed it over to Zac .

Zac immediately recognized the name Omniscient Eye . The cultivators from Berum he met right at the start had mentioned him or her , though they had no idea about that person's real identity . They only suspected the person to be a someone from the Medhin planet who had defected when the integration took place .

This crystal held far more information than the brochure that those cultivators had though , making Zac quite shocked . As far as he knew there was no one on Earth able to create information crystals this elaborate yet , meaning this Omniscient Eye should be quite the genius .

The information on Nenothep was quite extensive , though much of it was marked as speculation and most was about his history and life . However , it was known that the emperor's weapon of choice was his spear and that he had some sort of warrior class . Both strength and speed were marked as 'Exceptional' .

Only one skill was mentioned , and it was called Spearstorm] . The emperor had used it when he had singlehandedly massacred a whole army by himself . His spear had turned into a blur , punching holes in everyone close to him . No one within 100 meters had been safe , and the only survivors were those who fled fast enough .

Not much else was said about him since he had never been forced to use his full strength so far , at least not in public . As for Vasidas , it was only mentioned he was suspected to be a mage-class , but he'd never fought in public . Finally , there were a lot of generals and captains described in the crystal , but after a brief scan Zac knew they wouldn't pose a challenge for him .

Zac handed back the crystal to the man on the opposite side of the fire and started talking with Billy for a bit . He also considered going out to kill some beasts while Ylvas rested , but in the end he decided against it . One extra day of grinding wouldn't make a big difference in the long run , and he didn't want to ruin the plans by being spotted .

Zac had already gained another level while he traveled here , bringing him to level 63 . He even was even halfway to level 64 , so if their operation was a success he might gain another level before the hunt was over .

Instead , he rested and went over all his newly acquired power-ups . Resting also helped with his mind a bit . It had been hurting since he overextended himself down in the caverns , but the headache had finally abated . After a while , the familiar thunderous snores echoed from next to him , bringing Zac out of his reverie .

The sounds echoed through the caves , drawing angry glares from everyone . Zac could only helplessly shrug his shoulders . Before he was faced with a mutiny Zac quickly took out one of the array disks he had just received and activated it by placing a few F-Grade crystals in the sockets . He placed the disk in front of Billy , and the giant suddenly disappeared , making the cavern grow quiet again .

Taran , how long until we start? - Zac asked .

Between half a day and a full day , depending on Lord Ylvas . He needs to be in top condition to fight that old monster , - Taran whispered back as he carefully checked a quiver of arrows .

Zac nodded and once again closed his eyes . Since he didn't have anything to prepare he simply pondered on the Dao while resting , especially the two new ones he had gained . The hours quickly passed until it was finally time to start the assault . There were no rousing speeches or waving of weapons in the air . Ylvas simply stood up and looked over the 50 men in the cavern .

It is time , - was all he said with a somber face as he started to walk toward the exit .

One by one the Berum resistance fighters stood up and started to stream out behind Ylvas . Zac cracked his neck and stood up as well . He hadn't made any real improvements during the short meditation . He didn't know why , but it felt like the Dao had been far more elusive since he arrived at the Eastern Trigram Sect . It was much easier to ponder on the Dao back on Earth , and he couldn't wait to get back .

He walked through the illusion array surrounding Billy , who still contentedly snored away .

It's time Billy . Let's go save Thea , - Zac said after he managed to wake the giant .

Soon 67 warriors walked through the forest with a singular goal in mind - to slay an Emperor .

Chapter 259 - Insurrection

Thea looked at the hopeless situation in front of her with a frown , her hand frozen by indecision .

It’s just a game , dear . No need for such consternation , - her opponent smiled from the opposite side of the table as Thea reluctantly moved a piece .

She didn’t know what was more vexing ; being stuck as an unwilling pawn in the machinations of the crown prince in front of her , or that she was miserably losing in a game of chess . Vasidas had found her board game after his father looted her Cosmos Sack , and had immediately been taken with the seemingly simple game .

Of course , the former predicament was far worse in reality . She had truly and utterly overestimated herself . After the mishap with Zac she had kept her head down , and looted summit after summit for two whole weeks . But no matter what she did she had been unable to get ahead in the ladder , and unlooted mountains were becoming almost impossible to find .

Thea knew that without risking one’s life one couldn’t hope to get ahead in this new cut-throat world , so she had enacted a daring plan . She would snatch the Cosmos Sack of one of the four E-Grade powerhouses apart from the two Dominators .

She already knew that apart from Emperor Nenothep the others were in the earliest stages of the E-grade , far weaker than the monstrous Insectoid who had almost claimed her life earlier . She believed that between planning and her specific skill-set she would be able to steal the pouch and escape without them being able to stop her .

If worse came to worst she would simply activate her ultimate escape skill once again . Losing a few levels in exchange for the accumulated wealth of one of the E-Grade powerhouses was a worthy trade . The levels could be gained back within a month , but the wealth of a fallen sect could help her and her family for decades .

But she had been naïve . She had followed Vasidas for three days , using every skill and lesson she had learned to hide from him . It was all for one specific moment . When the prince entered a summit array he completely froze due to the protective array , and Thea had exploded into action .

But the rest was only a blur . The next moment Thea remembered was when she stood in front of the smiling prince devoid of her trial-token or an ounce of Cosmic Energy . It turned out he had been aware of her presence since the start and had only played along to see what her plan was .

Come now , you have been brooding since we decided to work together , - Vasidas said with a smile as he poured Thea a cup of tea . - Have I not been an accommodating host? -

You did not leave me a much of a choice , - Thea muttered , though she had to admit what he said was true .

He had been a true gentleman in every sense of the word , but her instincts screamed of danger every time she saw his congenial smile . That was especially true since she knew she was a key piece in Vasidas' master plan . She had learned a bit of it from their time together so far , and his ruthlessness truly made her blood run cold . He had even somehow manipulated Ylvas Berum into a desperate struggle where Vasidas' own brother died .

And now he had orchestrated an even more desperate battle .

Come now . I have no interest in the lives of you or Mr . Atwood , as I have explained . I don't care about this little hunt at all , for that matter . It's just some levels and a Limited Title . If it didn't provide me with the opportunity to play my games I wouldn't have joined in , - Vasidas said as he gripped one of his bishops .

The treasures aren't bad compared to my homeworld , I guess . But it's just useless baubles compared to what The Great Lord will provide for his personal disciple , - the prince continued . - And as long as you and Mr . Atwood play my game we can be seen as allies rather than enemies . Checkmate . -

A shiver ran down Thea's spine as she saw Vasidas pick up her king and crush it into dust with a vicious gleam in his eyes . She truly didn’t know whether she wished for Zac to come or stay far away from this summit .

Zac , Billy , and the first company were moving toward the group of mountains the Medhin Army occupied . The optimal plan would be to dismantle all four surrounding mountain defenses before hitting the main mountain in the middle . That way they would avoid any risk of being pincered from behind . Unfortunately , they did not have the manpower for that , so they needed to adopt a riskier approach .

The current plan was to quickly destroy the western mountain with their whole army , and then immediately hit the main peak . A part of their forces would impede any potential backup from the other three mountains surrounding the main mountain , but the main force would move as a spear straight toward the Emperor . That way their backs would at least be clear for a while , allowing them to focus only on the enemies in front of them .

But that didn't mean it would be an easy battle . All the remaining royals and the strongest soldiers were stationed there , and everyone present knew that just ascending the mountain might cost them their lives . But everyone here was a soldier intent on liberating their world , and their eyes were filled with determination .

Zac and Billy were in the middle of the squad , and they were hidden in large cloaks . Billy was even hunched over to somewhat hide his massive frame . It had taken some time for Zac and Ylvas , but they had finally managed to explain the plan so that Billy understood it .

Billy would be a wall-breaker of sorts . If the defending armies on the main peak erected a strong defense he would do his best to destroy or at least weaken it . Zac’s job was to weaken the enemy side as much as possible in ten seconds after saving Thea . After that he had to join Ylvas in the battle against Nenothep . A caveat was that if Vasidas joined his father they would unhesitantly flee .

With the help of communication crystals all four of the forces arrived around the targeted mountain within a few minutes of each other . Zac couldn't see the leaders of the other three squads , but Ylvas had already told them that each was led by a powerhouse who was close to the bottleneck .

You two stay here with the reserve force . We do not want you within eyesight of their scouts or spies . We have already ascertained that physical line of sight is needed to check someone’s ladder position . Billy is okay since his ladder position is far lower than his actual strength . But try to stay out of sight as much as possible , - Ylvas said to Zac .

Zac only nodded and indicated for Billy to stay with him .

We are not going with Alien-man? - Billy asked with some confusion .

There are some bad guys up there , but Thea is not on this mountain . We will rest for now . We are the special weapon , so we can’t let the bad guys know about us , - Zac explained as he looked at the forces streaming up the mountain .

It didn’t take long for the whole mountain to erupt in furious fighting . It was clear , however , that the defending forces couldn’t match the Berum onslaught . The battles were steadily moving toward the summit , and soon they took place on the top of the mountain , obscuring Zac’s vision .

A few thundering echoes erupted on the summit , and not long after the sounds of battle subsided . Zac saw that a few hundred men started streaming down toward their position . From the energy contained in those echoes up at the top of the mountain , it seemed like the ancillary mountains were only manned by regular soldiers and a few stronger people to maintain order .

There was no rest when the warriors had descended the mountain , and they cut straight toward the main peak . A few people had died and even more were wounded , but they simply popped a healing pill and restored their energy with a Nexus Crystal as they moved .

Soon they arrived at the foot of the mountain that Nenothep Medhin occupied , and two squads veered off to impede any enemy forces coming for backup . But the main army consisting of roughly 200 cultivators pushed toward the summit as one .

Their force was lead by Ylvas and his three generals . One was a young man with a slightly feminine face who held a staff in both his hands . The second was a huge woman that Zac almost thought was a smaller female version of Billy . She sported an enormous two-handed sword on her back , and her arms bulged with huge muscles . The final general looked positively ancient , but he had no problems keeping up with the others as it almost looked like he floated .

They started ascending the mountain but there surprisingly were no signs of any resistance , with not even a single stationed to impede their approach . In fact , it looked like all the structures and obscuring features of the mountain had been demolished , giving everyone a clear line of sight toward the summit .

Zac couldn’t help but get a bad feeling as he slowly walked up the mountain paths with the others , and he wasn't alone . Their progression had slowed to a crawl as the scouts in the front kept swiveling their heads back and forth in search of any traps waiting for them .

But it was instead a rumble that shook the whole mountain that warned them that the Medhin counterattack was incoming . Torrential amounts of flames were suddenly pouring down from the summit , making the mountain look like an erupting volcano .

However , Zac immediately sensed that the fire was conjured rather than a natural occurrence . Likely it was some sort of slaughter array or combination attack from the Medhin soldiers . Still , the intensity of the incoming fire wasn’t anything to scoff at , and Zac hesitantly glanced at Ylvas .

While Zac would be able to protect himself , and Billy if needed , from the onslaught he wasn’t so sure about the rest of the soldiers . But while Ylvas had a grim face he didn’t seem overly worried .

Defend! - he shouted , and all soldiers took out identical spheres and started to pump them full of Cosmic Energy , as the ancient man took out a far larger copy of the same item .

The huge sphere floated up in the air above the old general , and the smaller orbs were clearly imbuing it with energy , making it quickly grow to cover their whole army . Only seconds later the roiling flames slammed into the shield , but it held steady .

However , the force of the flames was clearly having an impact , and blood was streaming down the nose of the old man .

We need to speed up . Lord Rhuvim can't keep the shield going for long! - Ylvas shouted and started to push forward .

The huge woman carefully lifted the old man and placed him on her shoulder as she ran , letting him fully focusing on maintaining the barrier . But even though the army ran at a breakneck pace the shield was quickly showing signs of collapse from the intense flames .

Worse yet , after a minute of ascending they weren't only accosted by flames any longer . Huge boulders were tumbling down the mountain , each of them slamming into the mountain with enough force to make the ground shake .

Some of them luckily had veered off course , but every time one of them hit the shield it looked like the old man was physically punched . The onslaught was also having an effect on the army , and many faces were starting to pale from the energy consumption of maintaining the shield .

I leave the rest to you , little Vas , - Rhuvim suddenly said with a wet cough that made blood stream down his robe .

The next moment he flashed forward , ignoring Ylvas' order to wait . His aura was completely unleashed and a hurricane formed around him that soon was over fifty meters wide . Power roiled in the air around the old man , and he pushed straight into the flames .

Zac sighed because he understood what fueled that tremendous burst of power . That old general was burning his remaining life-force in order to create an opening that would let the army ascend . The intense powers in the hurricane threw the incoming boulders far up into the air , harmlessly passing the speeding army by , and even the cascading flames were forced to retreat from his advance .

The general's sacrifice had been enough to allow the Berum resistance force to reach the summit unscathed . The moment they saw the crest the old man simply looked back and smiled before he fell over . Ylvas immediately flashed over and caught the old man , cradling the body with red-rimmed eyes .

Zac mutely stared at the corpse of Rhuvim with a heavy heart . The old man might have not possessed even a fraction of the power compared to the old man in his Dao vision , but he clearly shared the same type of conviction . Zac slightly bowed toward the man as Ylvas put him into his Cosmos Sack before he drew his rapier with a grim expression .

Waiting for them at a top was hundreds of elite soldiers emitting monstrous killing intent . In the front of the soldiers stood a man in a golden robe , holding a three-meter long spear in his right hand . A towering aura was emanating from him , even making his hair flutter in the air .

So you have come , rebel scum . It is just as well . You will join Repubat for his final journey . -

Chapter 260 - Wallbreaker

Zac looked at the emperor through a crack in the ranks of soldiers in front of him . The man was nothing like the Medhin princeling he killed on the first day . Tyrbat had relied on the empowerment of his war array and his trinkets , but Nenothep was completely different .

He gave off a similar aura as Greatest . Of course , not the same levels of power , but the air of someone who had fought countless battles . Zac had a feeling this would turn into another battle where his lacking experience would be holding him back . However , he didn’t care much about Nenothep himself , he was more worried about where Thea was being held .

The girl is with me , - a voice suddenly sounded in his head , making him look around with wide eyes . - You won’t find me , Mr . Atwood . Thea Marshall will be safely released , but you must cooperate with my game . Kill Nenothep and she will be set free . Try to find her and I will immediately execute her . -

Zac’s heartbeat sped up as he tried to look anywhere for the source of the transmission . He didn't recognize the voice , but after putting two and two together he had a strong suspicion it was Vasidas Medhin who spoke . He didn't know who else would be able to find him when it appeared not even the emperor had spotted him .

Zac looked around , but he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary . He also couldn’t see Thea anywhere , meaning she likely was hidden away out of his reach .

He realized that his plan had been naïve . How would he free Thea in a situation like this? He didn’t even know where she was . The most likely place would be within the protective arrays of the summit palace , but to get there he would have to cross the entire Medhin army . The question was whether he should go along with the voice or if he should ignore it and try to locate Thea while the others duked it out .

Unfortunately , the rest of the world didn’t wait for him to decide on his course of action . A shocking aura started seeping out of Ylvas as he aimed his sword at the emperor . Zac's brows rose in surprise from the supreme aura he emitted . Honestly , Ylvas hadn't given him a large impression so far , but it was clear that he was the real deal . Unfortunately , it was also clear that while he was very strong for an early E-Grade warrior he was still not Nenothep's match .

Your dynasty ends today . Berum will never become the fuel for your insane Redeemer , - Ylvas said , undeterred by the fact that his aura was getting somewhat suppressed by Nenothep .

Soldiers shared confused glances in both camps due to Ylvas' proclamation , meaning that the Medhin soldiers were unaware of the truth of their imperial family . They would likely become fuel as well if their side won , yet they exhibited a great bloodlust as they glared at the resistance army who in a sense tried to save their lives as well .

Of course , the forces of Berum would likely try to spread the news as widely as they could as soon as they got back , in hopes of fomenting insurrection within the Medhin population .

Shields! , - a general to the right Nenothep roared , and the next moment a huge silver shield covered the whole army that stood behind Nenothep .

Empyrean Guard! - a second general shouted , and within seconds Nenothep was covered in a golden glow .

The setup was similar to all the other squads that he had encountered . One part defended the footsoldiers whereas another part empowered their champion . It made sense since the foot soldiers would only become fodder if they tried to personally fight against people like Zac or Ylvas .

The dense aura of Nenothep increased even further , and Zac felt that the Emperor would have no problems contending with Inevitability in his current condition . However , Ylvas wasn’t cowed by the aura and unhesitantly pushed forward with enough force to cause huge cracks in the ground .

The power Ylvas emitted was far beyond anything he had shown during the past days , and it all seemed to be concentrated in the tip of his sword as he stabbed straight toward Nenothep who swung his spear to intercept the strike . A shocking collision made the whole mountain shake , and that initial salvo was the start of the war . The huge general pushed forward with heavy steps and slammed her sword into the ground as she ran .

Somehow she managed to rip up a three-meter tall boulder with her sword , and with shocking precision launched it straight at Nenothep with a grunt as she kept running . The stone was imbued with some high-level Dao as well since it started burning and caused multiple explosions in the air as it approached its target .

However , Nenothep barely spared a glance at the incoming boulder , and with a lightning-quick stab of his spear turned it into fine sand that exploded outward . Fire and gravel flew in all directions , but Nenothep was unfazed by the assault .

The attack might not have wounded the emperor , but at least it obscured his vision somewhat . Ylvas was ready and tried to use the fire as a distraction while he stabbed at the Nenothep's guts with a sword shimmering with some unknown power .

At the same time , two roots pierced through the ground , aiming to stab the emperor in his back . It was the final general , and Zac only now noticed that his staff looked like a tree planted in the ground , likely spreading its roots all the way over to the battle between Ylvas and Nenothep .

Even the large general had caught up , and tried to decapitate the emperor with a wide swing flying straight above Ylvas' head . But it was as though the emperor had ten hands , every attack was blocked by either his spear or a bracer . He even had time to slam a knee into Ylvas face , throwing him back ten meters with a grunt . Worst off was the female general , who had a large gash in her side from a lightning-quick stab .

Come all , you maggots! - Nenothep roared as his bloodlust soared to the skies , and he forcibly started to suppress the trio who desperately tried to get past his defenses .

The generals weren’t the only ones who had gone all out from the start , as large shields were erected above the ranged attackers while the melee warriors started a suicidal run toward the enemy ranks . There was no longer any time to hesitate , and Zac turned toward his huge ally .

Billy , I can’t find Thea , - Zac whispered to the giant who balefully glared at the other side . - We will have to beat up the bad guys first . Can you break that shield? It is very strong . -

Billy will give it his biggest Thwonk , - the giant nodded as he started running toward the shield along with the other melee fighters .

Zac followed suit , using Billy’s enormous frame to hide out of sight from Nenothep and his generals . The sky was starting to blot out with attacks soaring between the two camps , and there were already a few fatalities amongst the melee warriors who couldn’t dodge or endure the onslaught .

The Medhin army was far better off since not one of them had stepped outside of the protective cover of their shields , and they could leisurely pick off one approaching warrior after another with ranged attacks .

Zac tried to help as much as he could by rapidly throwing out dozens of daggers to intercept the more powerful attacks , to save at least a few lives in their approach . Billy was also getting ready as he took out his club halfway to the other side . Suddenly his aura simply exploded , and he actually started to grow .

In just a second he was over ten meters tall , holding an equally monstrous club . His skin glowed with a golden luster , and Zac was shocked to sense some ancient power emanating from his friend . It was as though Billy wasn’t human , but rather some ancient Titan as he took the last lumbering steps toward the shield .

Even the emperor couldn’t help but look over at Billy’s massive frame , and he frowned in consternation . He tried to move over to stop him , but Ylvas and his two generals desperately fought to keep him at bay .

Intercept him , - Nenothep roared in anger , and tons of attacks flew toward Billy as he slowly lifted his club .

Billy clearly needed some time to accumulate enough power , since massive energies swirled around him as his muscles kept swelling . The attacks would arrive in a split second , and Zac didn’t know whether Billy could survive such an onslaught even in his enormous form . Out of options he hurriedly activated Nature’s Barrier] and imbued it with the Dao of Sanctuary making a storm of leaves cover them both .

Luckily Billy’s enormous leg blocked any sight of Zac himself , making it look like it was Billy himself who had erected the defenses . Zac felt a huge amount of Cosmic Energy get expended as almost a hundred attacks slammed into his leaves , but at least it lessened the damage on Billy by about 80% .

Still , the defenses couldn't block everything , and many attacks slipped past the leaves and slammed into Billy . It was clear that his Endurance wasn't too high , as multiple wounds erupted all over his body , making a rain of golden blood pour down on Zac .

Zac was surprised by the color of the blood since a transformation skill shouldn't change his blood like that . It was also clear that while Billy had been wounded he wouldn't be deterred from completing his task . A ruthless aura emitted from him as Billy ran forward the final steps until he stood right in front of the shield .

BILLY IS NOT STUCK WITH YOU! YOU’RE STUCK INSIDE BILLY , - the giant suddenly roared with enough volume to be heard across half the hunt , and he swung down the club .

An otherworldly pressure was released from the club , and Zac felt the force was easily stronger than when he used his Nature’s Punishment] along with the Dao of Heaviness . It contained a titanic strength as it sailed down toward the shield . Its might even forced some soldiers down on their knees before it had even landed .

No! - Nenothep roared in anger as he lit up in blazing power .

The next moment it was as though Nenothep’s spear turned into a laser as it elongated and aimed straight toward Billy’s heart in an attempt to instantly kill him . Zac’s eyes widened in alarm as he immediately jumped up and changed the Dao infusion to the Dao of Trees in his defensive skill .

There was no way that Billy would be able to dodge in his cumbersome form , and he definitely did not possess enough defense to withstand it . The swirling leaves lit up in emerald luster as they formed a tighter screen in front of him as Zac rose to over 6 meters in the air to intercept the strike .

With a growl , Zac also swung Verun’s Bite] with all his might to stop the attack . However , the attack far surpassed what he had expected . It looked like the emperor wasn’t holding back when he tried to kill Billy .

It felt like he had been hit by a truck when Zac's axe collided with the incoming fractal spear . Luckily he barely managed to change the trajectory , and the attack gored a large wound in Billy’s shoulder instead of piercing his heart . The attack went straight through Billy's body , continuing for hundreds of meters .

Zac wasn’t much better off as the collision slammed him into the ground with enough force to crack a rib and push the air out of his lungs . Worse yet , he had clearly been exposed since he sensed multiple stares at him as he tried to orient himself .

It’s you! - Nenothep exclaimed with widened eyes as he stared straight at Zac .

Billy wailed in pain from the attack , but thanks to Zac he managed to keep his attack going as it swung down at the shield with world-ending force . A huge shockwave rippled outward as the shield cracked , causing widespread damage to the cultivators who maintained it . Some of the weaker soldiers even exploded from the force , causing multiple fountains of gore to erupt around the Medhin Soldiers .

Ylvas also managed to seize the opportunity while the emperor’s attention was on Billy and Zac , and managed to stab his sword deep into Nenothep's gut . Nenothep growled in anger and was forced to refocus his efforts at the trio who assaulted him with newfound vigor , ignoring their mounting wounds .

Zac’s ears were ringing but he knew he couldn’t slack off , so he ignored the pain and forced himself to his feet . The defensive shield had a few large cracks from Billy's strike , but it was rapidly repairing itself . Zac didn’t hesitate as he activated Loamwalker] to flash inside the array .

A few cultivators tried to stop his approach but a dozen people were instantly bisected by a huge fractal edge tearing straight through them . Zac looked back and saw a pale Billy who was rapidly shrinking .

Billy , good job! Return to the back lines and heal up , - Zac shouted .

Billy nodded and started lugging back with slightly unsteady steps , avoiding errant attacks as best he could . Many of the melee warriors even chose to use their own bodies to protect his retreat , since Billy was clearly one of their aces . Billy's part in this assault was over , and he had delivered far beyond what Zac could have expected .

The force behind that swing was just insane . Five enormous fractal edges appeared at the edge of Zac's axe , and Zac’s aura was finally completely unleashed as he looked at the soldiers who instinctually stepped back from the billowing killing intent that he emitted .

Billy had held up his part of the bargain , and now it was time for him to uphold his .

Chapter 261 - Catastrophic Losses

Zac sighed in relief when he saw that Billy was out of harm’s way . Billy’s attack was extremely impressive coming from someone in the F-Grade , but there were also clear drawbacks to it . He was mostly defenseless as he ran toward the shield , and if Zac hadn’t protected him with all his might the giant would have died before even getting his attack to land . It also seemed to consume all of Billy's energy since he was completely spent after just one swing .

And while the attack was extremely strong it wasn’t very quick . Both Zac and Ogras would have no problem to avoid it with their movement skills . But it was a perfect attack to destroy an immobile object , and Zac couldn’t imagine the power Billy would be able to exhibit when he reached E-Grade . He only needed a good team that would be able to help him bring his monstrous strength to bear .

There was also the issue of his transformation and golden blood . Did Billy possess a bloodline , or had he attained a special constitution somehow? He had never heard of a skill changing the color of one’s blood , and the change in Billy’s appearance along with that immense aura seemed to be something greater than a skill .

But now was not the time to go over such things .

Waves of power radiated from Zac as he completely unleashed his aura . The five enormous fractal edges gained a silver sheen , having been infused with the Dao of Sharpness . But before he unleashed his carnage Zac threw a gaze at Nenothep , just in case he was preparing another of those monstrous long-ranged attacks .

The emperor looked completely enraged from the turns in the battle , and was relentlessly attacking the Berum trio . He almost looked like a god of war from the huge aura he emitted , and a large fractal shone in the air behind him . It seemed to be one of his skills rather than an effect of the War Arrays , and it provided the emperor with an odd but deadly effect .

Right when Zac glanced over the emperor stabbed at Ylvas , but the fractal behind him flared and it suddenly was as though two realities were superimposed . Somehow the emperor was also attacking the large woman at the same time , with the same weapon , breaking the laws of physics .

It was obviously not an even fight , just like Ylvas had feared . Nenothep was perhaps even more powerful than they had anticipated . In the short moment that Zac had used to get inside the shield the large woman had lost her left arm , and the mage was on his knees with blood freely flowing from his side .

Even Ylvas was barely holding on , and wounds kept appearing on him as he desperately tried to maintain the status quo until Zac could kill those who empowered Nenothep . Zac knew that time was running out , and that they might not even last 15 more seconds . The next moment the ground beneath Zac exploded as he pushed toward the hesitant army .

He instantly moved to the thick of it with Loamwalker] , knowing he had to cause as much damage as possible before Nenothep could intervene . He also didn’t want to stay in one spot , in case Nenothep chose to discard the lives of his soldiers to attack him while he was inside the mob .

Zac’s arm was a blur as the fractal edges shot in five directions . Four of them were completely unimpeded , causing widespread death in the blink of an eye . Blood formed huge pools as bisected corpses fell by the wayside , but Zac knew he had barely made a dent in the Emperor’s combat power .

The soldiers that had died were not part of the personal guard , but rather random elite soldiers who helped bolster the shields and the war array . The fifth attack had been launched toward the two generals that stood behind Nenothep , but before it could reach them and the personal guard another shield sprung up , covering them inside .

A frown formed on Zac's face as he rushed toward them , shooting off two more edges in their direction as he ran . The soldiers inside the second shield were clearly the personal guard , and the targets he had to eliminate . The protection wobbled and flickered from the two massive attacks , but it held true . But Zac noted that the soldiers maintaining the shield had paled , and a few were even bleeding from their eyes and ears .

Zac chose the simplest means to try to break it , and he slammed into it with the force of a speeding train , his body imbued with the Dao of Heaviness . Multiple cracks appeared on the barrier , and Zac didn’t relent as he swung at the cracks with brutal fervor , each strike containing enough power to kill an E-Grade beast .

It took two seconds of frenzied attacks , but he broke through and squeezed himself inside like a fox in the henhouse . A few of the surviving elite soldiers had tried to impede his progress , but Zac's attacks had made the outer shield completely break . The melee fighters from the Berum resistance had joined the battle by now , desperately fighting the remaining soldiers to stop them from adding their powers to new shields or the War Array .

Fear and hatred shone in the soldiers' eyes as Zac got inside the inner shield , leaving him standing just ten meters away from the personal guard . His aura was completely unleashed , and it actually managed to somewhat destabilize the War array that was still maintained . No one wanted to be the first to attack him since they had all seen what he had done with over a hundred soldiers outside the inner shield .

The status quo only lasted for a second before Zac rushed forward , his axe already growing another fractal edge . The personal guards did everything in their power to keep him away , shooting a wide array of attacks right at him . The salvo consisted mainly of magical attacks , and over ten fireballs slammed right into his body . But Zac only roared and ignored the pain , confident that his enormous Endurance would pull him through .

However , in the next moment he sensed some danger , and he swung out his axe toward the left instead of at the soldiers by sheer instinct . A glowing gauntlet appeared almost as though out of nowhere , and the two collided with enough force that the closest soldiers were thrown away . Some even sporting wounds from the shockwave as they quickly got back on their feet .

The next moment a piercing pain erupted in Zac's side as a dagger was firmly lodged inside and it felt like the wound was both frozen and burned at the same time . It was the two generals who had personally moved to stop him , and both were right at the E-Grade bottleneck judging by their power .

Zac glared at the soldiers who kept imbuing the emperor with power while keeping an eye on him , and he growled in frustration as he turned his attention to the two generals . He tried to grab the dagger-wielding one , but he slunk out of his grasp like an eel , quickly moving out of reach .

The other one also distanced himself as quickly as he could , but that strategy did not come without downsides . They knew they couldn’t compete head-on with him , but if they moved away they also exposed their subordinates .

A fractal edge almost instantly grew to over fifteen meters and it skewered almost as many soldiers without Zac even moving the axe . There were less than a hundred members of the personal guard , so a good chunk of them instantly died from that sneak attack .

There was no way to maintain a fractal edge that long , and it disintegrated after Zac managed to kill just a few more of them . But it did cause some chaos in the ranks , making the soldiers unsure whether they should empower their emperor or defend themselves .

Zac wouldn’t relent as he pushed forward , but an enormous fist appeared above him , slamming straight down . Not only that , but it also formed an invisible restriction on him in an effort to stop his movement . The fist contained some sort of Restrictive Dao , making the attack resemble Nature’s Punishment] a bit .

A roar escaped from Zac's throat as he swung his axe up to intercept the incoming strike , but as he did he felt another of the stinging wounds erupt in his upper back . If he didn’t have his high luck to warn him his heart would have been pierced , but he managed to tilt mid-swing enough so that the wound was mostly superficial .

An idea suddenly appeared in Zac's mind and he stopped his swing mid-motion . Next , he instantly released his Dao Field of Heaviness , making the assassin slightly stumble when he tried to move away . Zac took advantage of that brief window and grabbed him , instantly sealing his fate .

A crunching sound echoed out , and the next moment the enormous fist slammed into Zac , causing the whole mountain to shake . A second later the fist disintegrated , showing a large crater five meters deep . At the bottom was a mangled piece of flesh , crushed beyond recognition .

Next to it was Zac's bloody form , though in far better shape . Zac got up to his feet with a groan and used Loamwalker] to push out of the pit . He had bet he would be able to endure the attack with his defensive layers , and he had been correct . The next moment the was once again amongst soldiers and the carnage resumed .

The general who was still alive desperately tried to impede him , but he had just spent a huge amount of energy on his final strike , and he no longer had his teammate to share the burden . Zac was like an enraged boar as he swung wildly , and the general only barely survived due to a dozen of the personal guards switching their attention to protect their leader instead of the emperor who was clearly in control of his battle .

But even with the help of the personal guard the general only managed to delay Zac in his goal to kill those who empowered Nenothep . Zac knew that delay might be the difference between winning and losing the war . Over ten seconds had already passed since he entered the shield , and he knew that he was almost out of time .

Energies blazed around him as Zac completely ignored his energy expenditure , aiming to completely and utterly destroy the remaining general . His large gauntlets were already bloody scrap metal from Zac's assault , and he was barely staying on his feet as it was . But his eyes burned with conviction as he glared at Zac .

Empyrean Sacrifice! - he roared with a hoarse voice , and Zac's senses almost immediately sensed danger .

He tried to move backward , but suddenly it was as though he was stuck inside tar . The remaining 60 soldiers in the personal guard still in fighting condition all had their focus on Zac by now , and they seemed to be cooperating on some array with somber expressions .

An enormous ball of chaotic energies was quickly growing right between himself and the soldiers , and Zac knew he had to get away . Zac's danger-sense only got more and more urgent , and Zac desperately fought to move through the restriction that had been placed on him . His muscles strained as he finally managed to force himself free from the suppression .

But before he had a chance to activate Loamwalker] the huge ball of energy exploded , turning the whole world white .

Zac barely had time to activate Nature's Barrier] imbued with the Dao of Trees , followed up by imbuing himself with the Dao of Hardness . He even activated a defensive option of his golden robe to cover him . But even with all that , it felt like he was blasted into pieces when the explosion hit him , and he was thrown away like a ragdoll .

His mind was drifting away as he flew , but Zac barely managed to refocus his mind . As soon as he landed he immediately got himself ready to once again assault the soldiers , ignoring the pathetic state of his body . But the moment he saw the personal guard he knew there would be no need for that .

Almost nothing remained of the whole area where the personal guard once stood , apart from a crater and a few burned remains of bodyparts . One of the few corpses that wasn't completely obliterated sported two mangled gauntlets , indicating that not even the last general had survived the final blast .

Empyrean Sacrifice seemed to have been the final attack of the personal guard , sacrificing their lives to take Nenothep's enemies with them to the grave . And as he looked down at this burned body covered in wounds he knew that perhaps only himself and the two Dominators would be able to survive a blast of that magnitude . He wasn't even sure he would have survived unless he had just gained a huge amount of Endurance down in the caverns .

The personal guard hadn't been the only ones affected by the explosion though . A large number of soldiers from both camps had been too close to the battle and became casualties as well . Even those who had maintained a healthy distance wasn't spared as their bodies were crushed by the shockwave . It was clear that both sides had sustained catastrophic losses .

His body hurt , but at least his first task was done , and the whole personal guard was eradicated . Zac victoriously looked over at the main battle , but his brows rose in alarm when he saw the scene . The situation was even worse than he'd feared . The large woman was lying dead on the ground , and the mage was barely alive from the look of him .

Even Ylvas was in dire straits , drenched in blood and missing a leg . He somehow stood upright with the help of the Cosmic Energy , but his aura was chaotic . If Nenothep hadn't received a backlash from his War Array getting ripped to pieces he might have already killed the Berum champion .

The fight was about to be wrapped up , and Zac didn’t even dare to waste a single breath . Torrential amounts of energy gathered in his forearm while he launched a fractal edge at the emperor to buy some time . It was as though Nenothep had eyes in the back of his head , and he immediately swung his spear in a wide arc . The swing disintegrated the fractal edge even though it was imbued with the Dao of Sharpness .

You actually survived the Empyrean Sacrifice . You truly are a human cockroach . But I do not need a War Array to handle the two of you , - Nenothep sneered at the approaching Zac .

Zac didn't bother with an answer , but the space above him suddenly cracked , and a huge wooden hand emerged .

Chapter 262 - Spear World

Zac came out of the gates swinging , knowing that Ylvas wouldn’t last much longer . He needed to finish this as quickly as possible before they completely ran out of energy because there was still the issue of Vasidas and the missing Thea .

Energy ripped around Zac as he pushed forward , activating Hatchetman’s Rage] in order to boost the wooden hand to the absolute limit of what he could unleash . Both the hand of Nature’s Punishment] and himself were rapidly approaching Nenothep until Zac finally stopped 50 meters away while the hand kept moving .

Nenothep’s aura had noticeably weakened due to losing the effect of the War Array , but he still emitted a tremendous fighting spirit . It didn’t look like he had expended much energy to whittle down Ylvas and his generals , meaning Zac would essentially be fighting him at full capacity .

The large fractal that hovered behind the emperor moved to intercept the giant hand , stopping ten meters away from Nenothep like a shield . Surprisingly the emperor started to launch a frenzy of stabs at the fractal , his arm and spear turning into a blur .

Zac’s brows rose in alarm when he saw that the fractal both multiplied and empowered the strikes , resulting in hundreds of spear-silhouettes stabbing into the approaching hand . It felt as though his whole arm was getting eviscerated by the relentless attacks , and wood chips were raining down on the ground as each spear fractal ripped away piece by piece .

A sudden burst of energy made the emperor stop in his tracks , and he quickly turned in alarm when two fractal snakes ripped toward him from behind . They weren’t very large , reaching only a few meters in length , but they emitted terrifying energy . Both were pitch black , and it appeared like they had small horns in their foreheads .

They flew toward Nenothep in a swirling circular manner , forming almost what looked like a spring as they approached . An azure fractal sword traveled in the empty space within the spring the two snakes formed , and it was as though the snakes guarded the real attack on its way toward its target . The attack originated from Ylvas who had paled and fallen on his hands and knees after the attack .

The emperor growled in frustration as he ripped an amulet from his chest and threw it at Nature’s Punishment] before he focused his attention on the incoming snake-strike . Clearly , he considered an attack from an actual E-Grade warrior a higher threat than that of Zac who was only level 63 . Even the fractal swapped position to instead be pointed toward Ylvas .

A torrent of spears shimmering with lethality moved to intercept Ylvas’ strike , but the two snakes that protected the sword strike suddenly opened their mouths and the space in front of them started to distort . It was as though they had small black holes in their mouths as they caused a huge suction of the area in front of them , dragging everything inside .

Everything in the vicinity was sucked into the maws of the snakes , and even the spear fractals from the emperor were simply swallowed up by the two snakes as they flew closer . But there was a limit to how many attacks they could gobble up since they got more and more engorged as they kept diverting the incoming attacks .

Finally , one of the snakes couldn’t take anymore and it flashed ahead of the other one and appeared almost right in front of Nenothep who swung his spear to destroy the incoming threat . But the moment the spear touched the beast it exploded like a bomb , instantly releasing dozens of spear strikes in every direction .

Ylvas had turned the emperor’s unceasing attacks against him as the snake spat out everything it had eaten at the last second with almost as much force as the attacks initially had . The emperor's fractal once again flashed and Nenothep almost turned into a six-armed asura as he deflected attack after attack with impossible speed .

But he didn’t even have time to destroy half of the attacks before the second snake flashed over , and this one exploded by itself even without being attacked . It released another barrage of attacks at him , joining the remaining strikes an effort to rip the emperor to shreds . Nenothep was barely visible within the sea of spear strikes , but an almost blindingly strong golden glow erupted around him .

It looked as though a bomb exploded , erupting outward from the emperor and disintegrated all the fractal strikes around him in an instant . The assault wasn’t over however , as the final blade strike that had been hidden within the two snakes flashed forward , stabbing straight through the golden glow and flying toward Nenothep’s heart .

Unfortunately , the emperor managed to move his spear in time , hitting the azure sword-strike , though he only managed to swing it downward without much force . He hadn’t been able to gather enough energy or momentum for the defense since he had been occupied by the surprise attacks from the two snakes . Nenothep did what he could , but he wasn’t able to completely destroy the fractal that likely even consisted of Ylvas' life force .

The fractal sword tore into his side , causing blood to cascade down his golden robes , and it was the first real wound that Nenothep had received during the whole battle . But Nenothep had no time to react before a huge crash erupted from behind him .

Ylvas’ attack had taken less than a second , and during that time the defensive amulet had tried to stave off Nature’s Punishment] . But some defensive tool had no way to stop the onslaught of Zac’s ultimate attack . Everything he had was loaded into that strike , and it was even empowered by Hatchetman’s Rage] .

The hand had undergone a rebirth after Nenothep was forced to stop attacking since it was imbued by the Dao of Trees with its concept of life from death . If one wanted to stop the hand you would need to completely destroy it , or it would just grow back .

The defensive amulet was a high-quality item , but it was no match to the compounding power of Zac's strongest attack , and its shield fractured and broke after just a split second with a huge explosion . The hand continued unencumbered straight toward Nenothep who had just been stabbed by Ylvas .

Zac didn’t hesitate and immediately slammed down his hand with as much force as he could muster . Nature’s Punishment] fell like a slap from the gods at Nenothep who roared in anger . Blazing energies swirled around him as he actually threw his spear straight up at the incoming hand .

A tremendous shockwave blasted outward when the spear slammed into the hand , and an enormous crack in the mountain formed right beneath that spanned the whole summit . Zac screamed in pain as a hole was ripped open in his hand when the power in the spear managed to do the same to Nature’s Punishment] .

Pushing down the pain , Zac arduously formed a fist with his broken hand , and finally managed to slam it down on Nenothep . Another tremendous shockwave erupted when a crater over ten meters deep formed . The fist was on a completely other level compared to the attack that Nenothep's general generated earlier , and even the Star Ox would have been turned into meat paste from the attack .

However , a badly wounded but very much living Nenothep got back to his feet at the bottom of the crater with a growl , making Zac sigh in regret . E-Grade warriors were a pain in the ass to kill . The next moment another wave of shocking energies gathered around Nenothep and he rose into the air like a D-Grade powerhouse .

Are you still going to hide , unfilial child?! - he shouted , and suddenly his fractal reappeared after having been destroyed by Nature's Punishment] . - Spear World! -

The fractal started growing and in an instant , it spanned hundreds of meters in the air above them . Most of the summit was covered , and Zac couldn't help but get a bad feeling when he sensed the immense power that the fractal radiated . Zac was confused at first , but he soon understood the meaning of Nenothep's words .

Vasidas was not only a restraining force upon Zac , but perhaps even more-so on Nenothep himself . He was afraid of expending too much energy , making himself vulnerable to a coup by his own son . But it was clear Nenothep was no longer holding back , judging by the monstrous energies that he was burning up .

Zac wanted to jump toward him before Nenothep unleashed whatever he had planned , but a sense of impending crisis immediately made him swing his axe toward his back . To his surprise , a fractal spear had stabbed at him from nowhere , and Zac barely managed to destroy it due to his honed instincts .

Zac quickly glanced around and saw that no matter where he looked people were assaulted by innumerable spear attacks , making it seem like they were all caught in a hurricane made of fractal spears . Not even the remaining forces of Medhin weren’t spared , and they desperately wailed before being struck down by their own leader .

It was as though the spears were blind while they tried to cause utter annihilation . Even the palace in the distance started to collapse as spears kept slamming into it as well . This type of attack must be the emperor’s strongest attack that he had held off on using . It must cost an insane amount of Cosmic Energy judging by the widespread damage , and it also seemed to not care about friend or foe .

Zac’s thoughts immediately went to Thea , and he desperately started running toward the emperor as he deflected the strikes he could stop and endured those he couldn’t with his body or Nature’s Barrier] . Wounds were racking up at an alarming rate , and he knew he wouldn’t last too long even with his Endurance and defensive measures . Ylvas was even worse off as he was completely spent from his earlier fight and the ultimate attack .

Even the final general had fallen it seemed . He had erected a wooden barrier around himself , but the consecutive attacks had quickly whittled it down and killed the man inside . And if someone of that power fell in just a few seconds there was no need to guess how the weaker people on the summit were faring .

Flee from the summit! - Ylvas desperately shouted as he fended off spears coming from every direction while hobbling toward Nenothep as well .

But it was to no avail . The normal resistance fighters couldn’t even stop the spears from wounding them , let alone block them while they made their way off the mountains . People were falling one by one across the whole summit , and in just a few seconds less than 10 percent remained . Those who were spared were mainly the lucky ones who were at the edge of the fractal in the sky since they managed to get out quickly enough .

The emperor kept hovering in the air with his spear pointed up toward the fractal in the sky , and Zac started shooting fractal edges of his own at him as he ran . However , they were whittled down by the innumerable spears in the area and didn’t even reach half-way before being destroyed .

Zac growled as he activated Loamwalker] and sped toward the emperor at maximum speed . The next moment he pushed himself off the ground toward him and launched a series fractal edges in a split second . The first two held a dark metallic luster , and they were imbued with the Dao of Hardness .

The two strikes managed to withstand the innumerable fractal spears as they paved the way toward the emperor , and the following three strikes were imbued with the Dao of Sharpness . The emperor wasn't defenseless however , as tens of spears suddenly appeared below him as they ripped the first three fractal edges to shreds in an instant and descended toward Zac .

Then a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him as a blast of energies erupted , destroying all of the spears between Zac and Nenothep . It was Ylvas who had expended even more life force to destroy the final defense .

Go! - Ylvas coughed as he started falling toward the ground stretching out his entwined hands .

Zac grit his teeth as he used Ylvas' hands as a plateau , and Ylvas launched him up toward the emperor with all the force he could muster before slamming into the ground like a meteor . The emperor , finally forced to redirect his spear from pointing at the fractal , stabbed it straight toward Zac's heart .

Zac knew he only had one shot at this , so he completely removed any defensive measures as he slightly tilted his body , letting the spear pierce straight through his body . However , it just missed his heart , and with Zac's momentum he was within arm's reach of the emperor in an instant .

Nenothep tried to rip out his spear but it was completely stuck since Zac had imbued himself with the Dao of Hardness while he swung his axe quick as lightning . Out of options Nenothep finally released the grip of his spear to push himself backward , but the last second a small fractal edge grew out from Verun's Bite] .

Three thumps were soon heard as Zac , Nenothep , and Nenothep's head fell into the ground , and Zac was immediately infused with a huge amount of Cosmic Energy . It was far beyond anything he had ever gained before , and he knew that he hadn't just received one level from the kill .

The emperor had been too reliant on his weapon and had tried to hold on to it until the end . It was likely that no one had ever managed to disarm him since he had stood at the peak his whole life . It allowed Zac a brief window to catch the old warrior off-guard when he refused to let go , and Zac decapitated him in one swift swing . Between the E-Grade edge of Verun's Bite] and the Dao of Sharpness , even an old monster couldn't keep his head after such an attack .

Zac let his axe feed on the blood of the headless emperor , and Verun screamed in exultation in his mind . Afterward he slowly dragged out the emperor's spear , a groan escaping his lips . Blood flowed like a river from the wound , but the bleeding quickly slowed down as he ate one of his best healing pills .

After that , he hastened over to Ylvas' side . His own state was pretty pathetic , but the champion of Berum was truly on his last legs . Zac quickly got down on his knee and fed him one of his top-grade healing pills while quickly creating a tourniquet for his missing leg .

We did it! - Ylvas weakly said , his eyes filling with tears of relief . - That old monster is gone . -

Zac nodded with a smile , but just as Zac started to relax his mind screamed he was in danger .

Chapter 263 - Man's Best Friend

Warning bells were going off in Zac’s mind and he quickly slammed his axe into the ground right next by the stump of Ylvas’ leg . Verun’s Bite] sucked in a bit more E-Grade blood from the pool that had formed beneath it making the fractal on the handle blaze in crimson red , allowing Zac to unleash his final trump card . He squeezed some of his remaining Cosmic Energy into his axe , and the enormous form of Verun appeared .

The Tool Spirit was able to localize the threat as if by instinct , and it immediately pounced to the left and swiped its large claws seemingly into the air . A groan could be heard as a young man appeared out of nowhere , sinister energies swirling around his hands . It almost looked like stars were hovering around them , and the skill reminded Zac of Abby’s large eye .

A large gash stretched across the man's whole upper body from Verun’s surprise attack . He barely had time to land before the enormous beast bit at him with almost impossible speed . The primordial beast ruthlessly swung his head back and forth in an effort to rip his prey to shreds , blood cascaded all over the area . Unfortunately , Zac sensed no incoming Cosmic Energy , indicating that the man was still alive .

The assassin had been taken by surprise by the sudden appearance , but he managed to avoid any fatal injuries even when he was in the maw of the tool spirit . A purple light suddenly shone through the teeth of Verun , and it grew in intensity until it was almost blinding in just a second .

The next moment the light quickly disappeared , before a huge explosion took place inside Verun's maw . The Tool Spirit's semi-corporeal form was completely obliterated , and Zac was forced a few steps back from the intense energies from the explosion .

Worry filled his heart when he saw Verun's shape fall apart , but he soon breathed out in relief as he sensed the spirit returning to the axe , while the red fractal dimmed down . It only sent him a sense of frustration that it had failed , and that it needed to rest again .

The assassin had managed to stave of Verun , but he was in a pitiful state . Grisly wounds covered his whole body , especially around his stomach where Verun had chomped down with its massive teeth . Zac could see his innards and a few wounds through the huge wounds , and he was surprised the assassin could even stand up from how he looked .

However , Zac wasn’t completely relieved even though his body was in disrepair . The man’s aura was completely unstable as it fluctuated around him , but the energy the guy emitted was no joke . His eyes were also sharp as he glared at Zac , indicating he hadn’t completely lost his fighting strength . Judging by the energy fluctuations and clothes from the man in front of them Zac knew this could only be one person .

Vasidas , - Ylvas growled as he aimed his sword at him , arduously getting back on his leg .

However , Zac knew that it was just empty bluster . The old champion’s body was completely wrung out from his last attacks , and he was only conscious by sheer will-power . If he squeezed out any more life-force to attack , he would either turn into a cripple or die .

The situation was the worst-case scenario . He knew there was a decent risk of Vasidas doing this , and it was one of the reasons he had tried to end the fight as quickly as possible . He had also entered the weakened state since the boost from Hatchetman's Rage] had run out .

But he knew he couldn't show weakness at this juncture , and resolutely gripped his axe while his other hand moved toward his Cosmos Sack . He didn't have some secret weapon there , but his mind went to the Spiritual Pill he found on the Alchemist's Mountain .

Just a whiff from the vapors accumulated in the cauldron had not only restored his energy and given him a level , it had also revived him out of his weakened state . He wasn't sure what would happen if he ingested the pill in his current situation , but he didn't really have many other alternatives if the man in front of him tried something .

Well played , I did not see that coming . Owning a weapon with a spiritual form , impressive , - the man panted before looking down at his wretched appearance . - I guess today’s game is over . But I have a feeling we will see each other again . -

Where’s Thea? - Zac said with a frown while he held his axe at the ready .

It sounded like Vasidas would give up since his sneak attack failed , but Zac wouldn’t take his word for it .

Ms . Marshall is having tea over in the gazebo on the other side of the summit , - Vasidas said . - I always uphold my promises . -

Today is my loss , but The Great Redeemer’s machinations are unavoidable , - the voice of Vasidas echoed across the summit , drawing glares from the Berum forces who stood in the distance .

Zac hesitated for a second , but in the end , he chose to not force a battle or try a sneak attack . Killing this man wasn't his main goal , and it had a high risk of back-firing . Zac knew he had made the right decision , when Vasidas just slowly faded into nothingness , both his aura and body suddenly gone .

I don’t believe that , - Ylvas said with a sigh , plopping down on the ground . - Fate is everchanging . -

Are you okay by yourself? - Zac asked , eager to head in the direction that Vasidas indicated .

Go , find your lass . My men will keep me safe , - Ylvas said as he popped another healing pill .

The moment that Vasidas left , the few remaining Medhin warriors heedlessly fled down the mountain , abandoning any thought of resistance . Of the Berum warriors , only a handful remained as well , most having died by the Emperor’s final attack .

Everyone sported heavy wounds , but they formed a three-layer thick shield wall around Ylvas , allowing their leader to heal up . Zac wasn't sure they would really amount to much if Vasidas came back , but he needed to get going and didn't say anything . As Zac left Ylvas side the soldiers all also wordlessly bowed in his direction , showing their thanks for his part in the war .

Do you know if Billy okay? - Zac asked one of the guards surrounding Ylvas before he left .

The large one? He fell asleep some ways down the mountain , a few people are guarding him , - the man said . - That smash was amazing . -

Zac nodded in relief before he started running over toward the ruins of the summit palace . He was about to enter it , but he stopped himself the last moment to pop one of his top-grade healing pills in his mouth . He also took out both a Divine Crystal and an E-Grade Nexus Crystal to both heal and restore himself as quickly as possible .

He was extremely wrung out , and if he wasn’t careful he’d turn into his Draugr-form again , which might lead to untold problems . He also was in no condition to assault a summit array . The frenzied strikes of the emperor’s spear-world had turned the palace into ruins , but Zac didn’t dare bet his life that it had also destroyed the protective arrays surrounding it .

It was only twenty minutes later he felt strong enough to go ahead . During that time there hadn’t been any real changes on the summit . The squads that had veered to the sides to intercept any potential backup had rushed up the mountain after hearing the results of the battle , and they had taken over the task of protecting Ylvas .

A few even stood vigil over Zac while he recuperated , though it wasn’t really necessary . While he was spent , it was not to the same degree as when he fought Salvation . The emperor had been far stronger , but Zac had gained a huge upgrade in both survivability and Cosmic Energy reserves due to his frantic leveling while in his Draugr-form .

He was still far from top shape as he got back to his feet , but Zac felt it should be enough to not get blasted by the array . He took a few steps forward and was immediately inundated in scorching flames . With his high constitution however , it only stung a bit , and he made his way through in just a few seconds .

Soon enough he found the place Vasidas referred to , hidden beyond the rubble at the far end of the palace , overlooking the mountain . Standing there was a small gazebo that was undamaged from Nenothep’s crazed onslaught , likely saved by the fact that it was out of range of the enormous fractal . And sitting there was the familiar face craning her neck to look over the rubble .

You’re okay! - Thea said with wide eyes when she spotted Zac . - I couldn’t see the battle due to the palace , apart from that huge fractal toward the end . And was that Billy’s head I spotted ten meters in the air? -

Zac smiled as he walked over , a great sense of relief filling his heart .

Yeah it was Billy , he came to help as well . That guy can really club things , - Zac said as he gazed at Thea . - I was worried about you . -

Thea’s mouth curved upward in a smile for a second , before her eye’s turned downcast and she looked down .

Sorry I caused so much trouble for you , - she sighed . - I got too greedy and caused all these problems . -

It’s okay . You saved my life with that protective skill from Inevitability . This was the least I could do , - Zac answered as he walked inside the gazebo . - What’s going on , are you trapped somehow? -

It was a bit curious . The fight ended over twenty minutes ago , but Thea still sat rooted here instead of fleeing or heading over to see what was going on .

It’s these chains , - Thea muttered as she swung her leg .

Only now did Zac notice that her right leg was cuffed , and a chain was attached to a fixture in the ground . However , the chain wasn’t very thick , and Thea should have no problem ripping it apart even though her main attribute was Dexterity .

This thing? - Zac said with some confusion as he leaned closer . - Can’t you break it? -

It’s some sort of treasure . It saps me of all my energy . The moment I gather any Cosmic Energy the manacle sucks it out and it gets released into the ground by the chain , - Thea sighed . - I can’t summon any of my strength , it feels like I’m back before the integration . -

Now that Zac gave it a proper look it reminded him a bit of the large chains down in the ravine , those that Anzonil once had used in an effort to suppress his disciple . However , these were a much weaker version . Zac curiously looked at it and after a brief hesitation touched the chain with his hand , but he felt nothing . It was the same with the manacle itself , and after prodding about for a minute he managed to open them up .

There wasn’t a lock holding the thing in place , but the clasp was tough to unclasp . It likely required at least 100 strength to open , which was impossible for a prisoner in a weakened state . It was a pretty ingenious design and having such a thing would perhaps be very convenient in the future .

Can I take this? - Zac asked as he looked up , but he was started when he saw Thea’s expression .

Her face was flushed , and she glared at him with enraged eyes .

Had enough yet? - she wheezed out through grit teeth .

Wha- - Zac tried to ask but stopped himself as his eyes widened .

He finally realized that he had been too engrossed with the design of the chain , and his head had been sandwiched between her knees while he fiddled with the clasp for almost a minute . Zac immediately jumped a few steps away and coughed in embarrassment .

You should absorb some energy , but we can’t stay long , - Zac said , completely glossing over the issue . - The emperor is dead and Vasidas is badly wounded , and who knows , the Dominators might be on their way . It seems they all serve the same person , and they might have an alliance . -

What? Who? - Thea said with confusion , her curiosity overcoming her anger .

The Great Redeemer , - Zac said with a sigh .

Salvation’s master? How is that possible? - Thea said skeptically .

I am not sure about all the details yet , but it doesn’t look good for either Berum or Earth to be honest , - Zac said with a shake of his head . - Let’s walk as we talk . -

The two started heading back toward Ylvas , and Zac explained what he learned about The Great Redeemer from the old champion , adding in his own speculations as he went . They also told each other what they had been up to since they got separated , though Zac glossed over some parts about his situation that needed to be kept secret .

He was shocked to find out about the defensive skill she used . Its effect was truly amazing . When she had lit up like a Christmas tree as they fell down the cliff , she had activated a teleportation skill . But that skill not only teleported her away , but it also gave an almost absolute defense until she was whisked away as well .

Using the skill had its clear drawbacks though . It took some time to charge up the teleportation , and the cost of the skill was something far more expensive than Cosmic Energy . It cost levels to use , which explained why she hadn't improved much while he was stuck in the tunnels . Thea herself wasn’t sure exactly how it worked , but her current guess was that the more damage the skill blocked while the teleportation charged up , the higher the cost would be .

The two kept talking and almost forgot that they just had survived a true life-and-death situation . They were dragged out of their bubble from heavy steps quickly approaching them . Zac looked up to see an almost mummified Billy running over with a smile that reached from ear to ear .

Thea! Billy missed you! -

Chapter 264 - The Final Sprint

Billy! It’s nice to see you , - Thea said with a smile to the incoming giant . - Zac told me you came to save me . You’re a real hero as well . -

Ha ha , did you see Billy’s Big Thwonk? - Billy said and heroically flexed his muscles , but quickly stopped with a yelp due to his wounds .

How are your wounds , Billy? - Zac asked .

Billy will be okay . What happened with the scary spear-guy? - he asked and looked around .

I beat him up with the help of Alien-man , - Zac said .

Thea threw him a questioning glance , but he only responded with a slightly helpless shrug .

Alien-man was even worse than Billy , - the giant said as he looked over in Ylvas’ direction . - He will become a pirate with a tree-leg . -

Actually Billy , you can regrow legs and arms , - Zac explained . - If you eat the right treasures . -

Aliens are pretty impressive , - Billy nodded sagely , slightly missing the point .

Uh , yeah , - Zac said and started walking toward Ylvas .

The old champion looked better , but it was still clear that the battle had noticeably aged him . There was a real cost to using life force as a fuel to one’s attacks , and Zac wouldn’t be surprised if Ylvas had lost over 200 years going by his appearance . Then again , that still meant he had much more time remaining than humans had in total before the integration .

You’re looking better , - Ylvas said with a slightly weak voice as he opened his eyes . - I am glad your friend is okay . Vasidas has been an enigma since our worlds got integrated . I have no idea what he is thinking . -

I’m sorry we couldn’t get him as well , - Zac sighed .

It’s okay . Nenothep was the spiritual pillar of the Medhin Empire . Losing him and almost half of the Medhin royals in a month should have a huge impact on their morale , - Ylvas said with a shake of his head . - Vasidas is one of the lesser-known royals , usually acting alone . He won’t have the same rallying power as Nenothep did . -

We also know more about the truth of the Medhin threat and can begin to spread the news the moment we get back . We might not be able to convince everyone , but a seed of doubt should be planted . Perhaps the Medhin will even become refugees , ousted from their position , - one of the soldiers next to Ylvas added .

Sounds like you have things in hand . In any case , the three of us will leave now , - Zac said . - We don’t want to risk attracting those two Dominators . You should probably do the same . -

Ylvas nodded and arduously got to his feet .

I would like to thank you again . Without the assistance of you and Billy , we would never have been victorious in this fight . Your strength is astounding , and I can’t imagine the power you will have when you reach the next stage . As promised , here is your reward , - Ylvas said and reached for his bag .

Zac quickly moved to stop Ylvas hand with a shake of his head .

There’s no need for that . Everything changed when they caught Thea . I would have gone here with or without you . Besides , I’ve already taken the emperor’s pouch , that’s more than enough . We have the same enemy . Who knows , if you manage to save yourself from The Great Redeemer it might help us on Earth as well , - Zac said .

It was true . They still had no idea exactly what the Redeemer’s plans were , most were still conjuncture . Perhaps losing just one of the planets would ruin the whole thing for him , saving Earth as well . It would be a worthwhile investment to leave Ylvas with his treasure so he could use it in eradicating the Medhin Royals .

Ylvas looked surprised but slowly nodded his head in agreement .

You will be remembered as the hero of Berum , - Ylvas said and stretched his hand forward . - I hope to meet you again in the vast cosmos . -

Zac grabbed his hand in a farewell before he started walking down the mountain with Billy and Thea in tow . As they walked down the mountain , Zac opened his status screen to allocate his free points . As he expected he’d already reached level 65 , and he put the free points into dexterity .

He knew he’d gain a large boost in Strength from the levels awarded from the hunt , so he needed to shore up his Dexterity a bit . Otherwise , there was nothing to note . He hadn’t made any progress in his Daos , and he also hadn’t gained any title even though Nenothep was the first proper E-Grade cultivator he defeated .

He wasn’t too surprised by the lack of title , but the situation with the Dao was a bit surprising . He had been through an extremely intense fight with the strongest enemy he’d ever encountered . There’d also been at least twenty warriors utilizing various Dao Seeds during that battle , yet he hadn’t even gained a spark of inspiration .

It was as though something was missing in the air , or like he had blinders covering his head . If this battle had taken place on Earth , he was sure he would advance one of his seeds . But now he knew there was no point to sit down and meditate since there was nothing to meditate on .

He closed his status screen and turned his focus on his Cosmos Sack next . The moment he touched it he was shocked to the point that he stumbled . Nenothep was rich .

You okay? - Thea asked with some concern but suddenly understood what was going on when she saw Zac’s wide grin and his hand touching his pouch .

Just a bit surprised is all , - Zac said .

The Cosmos Sack had expanded with an entirely new section dedicated to Nenothep’s loot , and it was far bigger than the original space . There were simply mountains of treasure inside , far eclipsing what he gained even when taking Salvation’s treasure .

It was also far more organized , with neatly arrayed sections depending on the type of valuable . There were also roughly thirty piles of random treasure , and Zac immediately realized that was the loot that Nenothep still hadn’t organized .

One particular item in the unsorted piles suddenly drew his attention . It was a large stone statue where the whole thing was just a face that smiled in an extremely creepy manner , and the reason he recognized it was because he had seen Thea sneak it into her pouch when she thought Zac wasn’t looking when they hunted together .

When Zac had asked about the statue , she had been embarrassed about it until she admitted she liked kitsch and weird memorabilia . The statue wasn’t a treasure , but rather something she wanted to add to her private collection .

Thea , - Zac said as he stopped , drawing the attention of Billy and Thea who had been talking about their time in the hunt .

Zac moved his hand and suddenly a mountain of treasure appeared in front of him . Thea’s eyes widened in surprise before she looked at Zac .

My treasures? I thought Vasidas had them? - she said .

I guess Nenothep took them from him to pass me on the ladder , though I don’t know if everything is there , - Zac said .

Thea immediately moved toward the pile of loot before she hesitated for a second .

What do you want in return? - she asked .

Nothing , they’re yours , - Zac said as he beckoned for her to take it . - More importantly , I have a proposition for you . -

Thank you , I’ll remember this , - she said with a serious face as she put her treasure into her sack . - What do you have on your mind? -

I can lend you enough treasure to reach the second spot on the ladder . In return , I’ll come and check out your library three days after the hunt ends . There are some things I want to look into , - Zac explained .

You’re not worried that someone will pass us on the ladder if you split your loot like that? - Thea hesitantly said .

That’s impossible , - Zac immediately said with a shake of his head , regretting it a bit when he noticed Thea’s incisive stare . - Also , Billy , how about I give you some treasure as well? -

Mama said handouts should be saved for those in need , Billy is fine , - Billy said with a shake of his head , completely disinterested .

But Ogras and I owe you a bit for taking the biggest rat , right? - Zac said , changing tactics . - I’ll just pay our debt right now . It’s not good when there are debts between friends , right? -

Billy seemed to think it over for a bit before he nodded with a smile .

Right , no debt between friends , - he agreed .

This all sounds fine , but let’s get away from here first . I don’t want to meet the Dominators while I still only have a small amount of Cosmic Energy in my body , - Thea interjected . - What are your plans for the last day of the hunt? -

I will hunt as many beasts as I can here in the core area , - Zac said without hesitation . - The money and Cosmic Energy they give are very good even at my level , better than any hunting ground I have at home . -

Billy also want to thwonk , - Billy nodded . - Billy is a genius in energy control , the stupid beasts are much easier to hit now . -

Fine , let’s find a good hunting ground a few hours away , and hunt in the same area . That way we can help each other if we run into trouble , - Thea nodded .

They left the Medhin-controlled area without any troubles and found a good hunting spot roughly two hours away . They had gone in the opposite direction from the Zones where the two Dominators stayed , which should hopefully ensure they didn’t run into each other .

As soon they arrived Zac forked over enough treasure to place Thea in the second position and Billy in the 8th . Doing so actually kicked Thomas Fischer down to the 11th spot on the ladder , but Zac didn’t really care . It was not like they were allies anyway . Zac also took the opportunity to finally establish an alliance with Billyville before they got ready to split up to hunt beasts .

Each of them was strong enough that they could freely hunt without a party , and it would likely even slow them down to go together . There were a lot of beasts in the forests , but not to the point that three powerhouses could run together without taking food out of each other’s mouths .

If we don’t see each other again in the hunt we’ll see each other in three days , - Zac said to the other two .

When Zac had explained that he would visit Thea after the hunt Billy immediately insisted that he wanted to come and play as well , so they all agreed to meet in Westerfort , the main town that the Marshall Clan controlled .

Soon , Zac was alone in the forest , ripping through pack after pack of rabid beasts with wild abandon . He had accomplished everything he set out to do , and perhaps even more , in this hunt . It was a disappointment and a problem that the two Dominators would take the top positions in the Hunter-ladder , but there was simply nothing to do about that .

He had gained a score of levels however , and a mountain of loot , which would help Port Atwood thrive in the future . He had also managed to set up quite a few alliances and even found out about the wealthy underworld . Apart from the splinter stuck in his head , the trial had exceeded his wildest expectations .

He couldn’t wait to get back now . He had trials to take , Incursions to close , and so many unanswered questions that he needed to look into .

For now though , he had beasts to kill . Zac entered an almost Zen state where he methodically moved from pack to pack , the minutes turning to hours . In just a day , tens of thousands of beasts were ruthlessly mowed down , turning into money and Cosmic Energy for Zac .

Zac thought this would continue until the time ran out , but a shocking change took place when there were only 30 minutes left . He had passed Vasidas on the hunter ladder . The battle against the Medhin hadn’t been enough , but between Verun injuring the royal and Zac’s mindless grinding he had been pushed to the third spot increasing his position by one .

But just a few seconds later he was once again pushed down a position , and Zac realized that Vasidas didn’t want to give up the title . But if there was one thing that Zac could do it was causing widespread damage . His reserves had long restored during the day , and the wound from the spear in his chest wasn’t impeding him too much . He no longer held anything back , and fractal blades were soon destroying everything in the valley .

Zac didn’t even have time to check the ladder anymore and instead gave everything he had in killing as many beasts as humanly possible until the world finally turned black .

Chapter 265 - Ladder Rewards

The huge black walls that delimited the hunting grounds had shrunk at a rapid pace , swallowing hundreds of mountains by the second . In almost no time the darkness was upon him , and Zac only managed to take a last glance at the Eastern Trigram Sect before everything turned black .

Congratulations on receiving the third position on the Hunter Ladder . Awards distributed

The unfeeling voice of the System suddenly echoed in his ears as an enormous surge of energy entered his body .

Congratulations on receiving the first position on the Gatherer Ladder . Limited Titles Unlocked . Awards distributed

Congratulations on receiving the first position on the aggregated Ladder . Awarded +3 levels and Title Permanence

The gatherer announcement wasn’t a surprise to Zac , but the hunter ladder was a welcome surprise . The mad dash at the end had proven successful , and he had beat out Vasidas for the third position , which meant he gained another 2 bonus levels from the hunt . But most interesting was the final prompt , a hidden reward of the hunt .

He had hoped that there would be something like this , but he hadn’t been sure . While he didn’t manage to get the highest position on the Hunter ladder , his average result was the best of all participants .

Inevitability was only on the 4th spot of the Gatherer ladder , getting surpassed by himself , Thea , and Beruv Ylvas . He was a bit surprised that Ylvas managed to beat out the Dominator , but he guessed he got the help of his army to push him past the Zhix at the end .

Harbinger , the second Dominator , got the 5th position and Starlight , the Ishiate powerhouse , got the 6th . Thomas Fischer had managed to get himself back to the 10th position , while Billy remained at 8th . Neither Billy nor Thea managed to get into the top ten on the hunter ladder , unfortunately , but both were in the top 100 . The days of captivity had unfortunately robbed Thea of her opportunity .

Zac guessed that Thomas had used the same tactic as the Medhin Emperor , but he was surprised that he had enough pull to get people to donate their wealth to him . Perhaps it was just a temporary loan though , like he had done with Thea .

However , he was a bit confused by the last reward . The bonus levels weren’t very confusing , just what did Title Permanence Mean? The Gatherer prompt also mentioned something about Limited Titles , which might be connected to the permanence . Zac opened the screen to see the results .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

73

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 , Scion of Dao , Omnidextrous , Eastern Trigram Hunt - 1st

Limited Titles

-

Dao

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

Core

F] Duplicity

Strength

533 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 121%]

Dexterity

268 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 121%]

Endurance

698 Increase : 71% . Efficiency : 121%]

Vitality

338 Increase : 61% . Efficiency : 121%]

Intelligence

119 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 121%]

Wisdom

132 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 121%]

Luck

120 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 121%]

Free Points

24

Nexus Coins

F] 273 280 383

Zac couldn’t stop smiling when he saw that his attributes had taken another huge leap , part from his eight bonus levels , and part from his new title . He was also surprised to see that he had gained another row in his status screen , the Limited Titles that were mentioned earlier . However , there was nothing there , and there was no explanation on how Limited Titles differed from normal ones .

He tried focusing on the new row , but no matter what command he tried he couldn’t gain any additional information from the empty field . He guessed he would have to ask someone back in Port Atwood about it . Instead , he chose to check out his new title .

Eastern Trigram Hunt - 1st : First Position in Eastern Trigram Hunt . NOTE : Title Permanence Awarded . Reward : All Stats +10 , All stats +5%]

It was a pretty huge bonus , though the 10 flat points weren’t as exciting any longer after he’d learned about the attribute gain of E-Grade . But the bonus Luck it gave was extremely valuable , and the other attributes would surely help him during his upcoming trials . He wanted to check out a few more things , but he sensed he was getting moved again by the System .

His time inside the blackness was even shorter compared to when the event started , and just ten seconds later he stood in his courtyard . He took a deep breath as tranquility entered his heart for the first time in a while . He hadn’t realized it , but ever since his clash with Inevitability there had been a slight dread in the back of his mind , akin to a fear that the boogeyman would suddenly show up .

He had survived however , and he was pretty much safe now on his island . He also knew he would have to change his plans to make his teleporter public . He couldn’t risk letting those monsters teleport here . He would only dare to do such a thing when the dominator threat was dealt with .

Before that however , there were so many things to do . He quickly looked around for his mountain of treasure , and he was elated to see that the amazing Cosmic Sack from the hunt was still attached to his belt .

But he frowned a few seconds later when he noticed a problem . He had taken out a random weapon from the sack to make sure it still worked , but when he tried to put it back nothing happened . A few tests later showed that the sack only allowed withdrawals now .

Sighing in disappointment , Zac realized that he couldn’t use the sack permanently . He still wasn’t in any hurry to empty it out though . He would have to call Calrin and a couple of his best appraisers over to help him go through it first .

You’re back , - a voice suddenly said from the side , and Zac looked over to see Ogras standing there .

Shit , what happened to you? - Zac said with some surprise when he saw a large scar that went from right below his left horn down to his cheek .

We’ve got a pretty exciting Mystic Realm on our hands , - Ogras explained with a smile .

Mystic Realm? - Zac repeated . - The infiltrators are dealt with? -

It cost me most of my savings but they’re dead . There were actually a lot of them , - Ogras said with a grunt .

How did you do it? - Zac curiously asked .

Ordered and set up a large array that covers the whole island . We can use it in the future to find anyone with an odd origin , like invaders or other aliens . But more importantly , how was the haul? We ready to do the inheritances? - Ogras said as his eyes started to glisten with greed .

The returns were way above what I expected , honestly . But we can’t do the inheritance just yet , - Zac answered with a smile .

Why not? - Ogras retorted , not being able to hide some of his impatience .

Zac snickered in response , and the next second a pile of the beautiful marble tiles appeared and covered the courtyard .

Brazla has hounded me to improve his surroundings since the start . I think it’s best we do that before we do the Inheritance . I wouldn’t be surprised if he would mess things up for us otherwise , - Zac explained .

Ogras’ eyes widened in understanding , and he nodded thoughtfully before he threw a scathing glance at the opulent towers rising above the tree line .

Yeah , that’s probably for the best . Gotta keep that lunatic happy , - Ogras nodded .

By the way , what is Title Permanence? - Zac asked , changing the subject .

Title Permanence? No idea , - Ogras said with a frown . - Where did you hear that? -

I got it as a bonus reward from the hunt , - Zac said and proceeded to explain the two temporary ladders in the hunt and their respective rewards .

I think I understand now , - Ogras said with a thoughtful nod . - Title Permanence might be the best reward you got from that trial . -

What do you mean? - Zac asked with some curiosity .

I’ve already explained that there are a bunch of Mystic Realms out in the multiverse that provide titles , - Ogras started , and Zac nodded in agreement . - However , most of those places only provide Limited Titles . -

Limited Titles? - Zac asked with confusion .

He had a vague recollection of Alyn mentioning it , but that was during the month when she tried to cram a lifetime’s worth of knowledge into his head while he mined Nexus Crystals .

You can only have three Limited Titles at a time . If you get a new one you will have to discard one of the old ones or skip on getting the new one . They are separate from the normal titles , - Ogras explained .

What , really? - Zac asked with some disappointment .

You should be happy it’s like that . Just imagine if some wealthy assholes from the supreme clans spent a few hundred years traveling from Mystic Realm to Mystic Realm , getting thousands of titles? They would become monsters , - Ogras snorted .

Titles are a bonus from The Ruthless Heavens , but there is a limit to how much it can give , - Ogras said . - You can’t have the attributes of a C-Grade old monster while at F-Grade . -

Fair enough , I guess , - Zac said with a shrug . - What’s this got to do with title permanence? -

The hunt doesn’t sound like something that should give permanent titles , - Ogras said . - I think the Title Permanence reward given to you is The Ruthless Heavens turning your Limited Title into a normal Title . That way it does not take up one of your slots . Is it together with your other titles? -

It is , - Zac nodded after a second .

The face of Ogras started to scrounge up in a familiar way , and Zac felt a tirade was incoming , but a thought suddenly struck Zac .

Do the Towers of Eternity give Limited Titles as well? - Zac asked .

No , it's one of the rare opportunities that gives real Titles . That's why it's so popular . Apart from the Tower , you can almost only find places giving Permanent Titles by serendipity , like finding a rare treasure , - Ogras explained . - That your hunt awarded title permanence is likely a one-time thing . -

Zac nodded in understanding . There were a lot of things Zac wanted to ask the demon about the current situation of Port Atwood , and he was also curious about the Mystic Realm . However , there was one thing that trumped every other matter in importance , and it couldn't wait .

More importantly , I think we might be in deep shit , - Zac said with a somber expression .

Ogras’ eyes hardened , looking at Zac with a frown .

What’s going on? -

From there Zac recounted the parts of the hunts containing the battle with Salvation , the appearance of Inevitability , and what he’d learned from Beruv Ylvas . He finally added his own conclusions and guesswork what he thought was going on .

Ogras had an unprecedentedly serious face after having heard what Zac said .

We need to have a meeting , immediately . We should hold it at the Towers of Myriad Dao so that Spirit can provide input as well . I’ll gather the council , - Ogras responded .

Zac completely agreed , so in just twenty minutes people started to gather in front of the doorways leading into the Repository . Zac was already there , and he smiled when he saw his sister running toward him . Kenzie threw herself in his arms , hugging him tightly .

I’m glad you’re okay . Lyla made the hunt seem like a real hell , - she said with red-rimmed eyes .

It's good to see you , - Zac said with a warm smile before his brose rose in some surprise when he realized what Kenzie said . - Lyra is actually okay? -

Yes , but she returned after only 6 days . She said she got a token she could crush to return back home , - Kenzie nodded . - What happened to you? Did you find anything cool? -

Let’s talk inside , - Zac smiled as he looked around at the others .

Abby floated not far away , and the council was all present apart from a few who likely were managing the other islands . Calrin was also there , his eyes glued to Zac’s Cosmos Sack . Zac had also asked Ogras to bring Julia , and she stood some distance from the others looking a bit unsure of what to do .

Zac felt that the intelligence he’d gathered during the hunt was just too important to keep to himself , so he had already decided to brief Julia and then send her back as soon as possible . Since it looked like everyone else was present Zac led the way inside the towers .

Chapter 266 - Council

Why have so many come to beseech The Great Sage? I am sorry , but I do not accept disciples , - an arrogant voice echoed through the huge hall as the leaders of Port Atwood entered the Towers of Myriad Dao .

The next moment Brazla appeared , this time donned in a golden cultivator’s robe . Behind him was a huge golden sword that radiated a divine might , though Zac knew it was just an illusion . However , those who entered these halls for the first time couldn't stop themselves from gasping , much to the Tool Spirit's Delight .

We need to hold an extremely important meeting , - Zac explained , hurrying to add some compliments when he saw the Tool Spirit’s frown . - And I felt it would be rude to not include The Great Sage in such an important event . Who else would we turn to for wisdom? -

That seemed to placate the Tool Spirit , and it quickly took a pose trying to convey wisdom . It might have worked if it wasn’t for Brazla’s nose pointing so far up in the air that his face was almost looking straight up .

Those in the group who hadn’t had the pleasure to meet Brazla before couldn’t help but look back and forth between Zac and the Machiavellian Tool Spirit with utter confusion . Zac himself felt like he had swallowed a pile of shit , but he had to admit Brazla was far more learned than the others here .

Very well , the great Brazla will listen in on your meeting , - he said and swung his sleeve .

The next moment an extremely opulent conference table stood in front of them . However , even Zac couldn’t stop himself from glaring at the Tool Spirit when he saw the seating arrangements . There was one massive throne wrought from crystals and gold standing at the end , and it was pretty obvious Brazla saved that one for himself .

As for the others , there were simple wooden stools that were so low that if they sat down on them , they would barely be able to see above the table . It looked like Ogras’ eyes would pop out of their sockets , but before he could explode Zac intervened .

Is this the hospitality of The Great Brazla? - Zac said with some disappointment as he took out another inscribed tile . - I even brought these supreme tiles at great personal cost to beautify your surroundings , but if this is the reception we will receive , I should probably get some simpler things . -

He felt a bit shameless about his words , but common sense held no sway under these roofs , so he could only play along . Brazla seemed almost entranced by the beautiful tiles , and a second later the paltry stools were replaced with proper chairs for everyone .

I have gathered you all today to brief you on my experiences inside the hunt . I have learned some extremely troubling things about our new world , and need your input on how we should proceed from here , - Zac started the meeting without any preamble .

The mood around the table quickly got serious , with even Brazla staying quiet as Zac described the events of the hunt . Of course , he glossed over some parts , such as his dual classes and his meeting with Anzonil , and anything about the Heart of Oblivion] .

So , there you have it . It is very possible that an old monster is currently heading toward us , and it does not seem it would end well if he found us . We need to figure out some precautions against this , - Zac finally said as he looked at the faces around the table .

There was a subdued silence , and most were looking down at the table with a frown or in fear . Zac understood the feeling well . There were so many enemies to contend with as is , and suddenly there was an even stronger bad guy thrown into the mix .

Excuse me , did you say that there were no incursions on this other planet you partook the trial with? - Abby suddenly said , her enormous eye glistening with interest .

Yes , no incursions ever appeared , - Zac nodded . - Why , is it important? -

It might not be important , but I think I understand why this Redeemer gave such a task to his chosen , - Abby said as she bobbed above her chair .

A newly integrated planet without incursions is practically unprecedented . It is the standard test of the System , and there are more than enough willing parties to go around . But I believe that The Great Redeemer has found a way to stop that , - she said .

Stop how? - Zac asked .

I can’t be sure , but I think it has to do with the conquest . If The Great Redeemer simply needed some people with the cultivation technique to survive until the planet integrated , why didn’t he tell his chosen to move into the mountains and cultivate away from the earth? Why risk their lives to dominate their whole planet? -

I think he has somehow managed to tag his targeted planets as his own through this conquest , and since the planet is instantly owned by an existing faction when it gets integrated , no incursions spawn . -

But we have incursions on our planet? - Kenzie questioned .

Yes , because the Dominators failed in their task . I heard a massive war took place where the whole Zhix population banded together against the dominators . Perhaps there would be no incursions if they had managed to dominate their planet before they arrived . Perhaps this can be a clue to their plans? - Abby continued .

The fulcrum thing? - Zac asked .

No , I think that is different . But we must ask ourselves , if the goal of the subjects of The Great Redeemer is to dominate planets , why haven’t we even seen their shadows since the integration took place? I think it’s exactly due to those incursions that have popped up , - Ogras interjected .

There is another possibility . You said you believe that this guy is D , or perhaps even C-Grade? But look at our Incursions . We have the Church of Everlasting Dao here , that’s at least a B-Grade force , - Ogras added .

Even worse , The Undead Empire is here , and they have A-Grade old monsters holding the fort , perhaps even stronger beings . Even a C-grade hegemon would think twice before offending these forces by stealing a planet from out under their noses , - the demon finished . - And that's only two of the ones we know of , there might be more powerful factions here . -

So , they actually want us to defeat those forces without getting their hands dirty , so their boss doesn’t get blamed? - Kenzie said with a frown .

Exactly . And it’s not like we can’t ignore the incursions . Both those forces are lunatics who leave planets without a single living soul within a few years , - Ogras sighed .

Damned if you do , damned if you don’t , - Zac muttered before looking up . - So , what do we do? -

Sell yourself , - Ogras suddenly said .

What? - Zac gaped .

We obviously need to close those incursions , and somehow also kill those Dominators . But we have no idea if that’s enough , right? Perhaps that Redeemer can still find us . Those Dominators might have hidden some means on some remote corner of the planet already , - Ogras explained , his careful nature showing .

So , we need another reason for The Great Redeemer to back away . And that’s where you come in . You’re a humanoid behemoth , and you might be able to join a sect strong enough for The Great Redeemer to back away . -

Is that really possible? Would he back away just because I joined a sect? - Zac asked skeptically .

If you become an important disciple , then attacking your home will be akin to attacking the sect itself . But it depends on how crazy the guy is , - Ogras shrugged . - If he is rational , he would back away if the force is strong enough . No need to risk his life over a baby-planet , right? -

It’s a plan , but it’s easier said than done . We can’t even leave this world , the Nexus Hub is inactive , - Zac said . - And even if it activated , how would we even be able to get to such a Sect . From what I understand it’s extremely hard to travel to higher grade places . -

It was true . One of the first things he’d asked Ogras was why he didn’t simply teleport to an A-grade world to cultivate there instead of coming to a place like Earth . The situation for the poorest saps on an A-Grade continent would likely be better than even the kings of a D-Grade world .

But it was extremely hard to travel upward even though it was something everyone wished to do . There essentially were only two ways . First was getting your hands on a Nexus Token of high enough tier .

Nexus Tokens were tickets to a random place . If you had a C-Grade token , you would be sent to a teleporter on a C-Grade world . But you had no idea where , and you might end up at some extremely dangerous place rather than at a public teleporter in some capital .

These tickets were generally given by the System as rewards for various hard quests . You needed to prove you deserved to travel to those higher-grade cultivation paradises . Perhaps Zac would be able to get one when he reached D-grade after becoming the world leader , but that was far off .

Another way to move upward was to get an invite from a high tier force , which would allow you to teleport to them . But those tokens were extremely rare as well , and they could only be awarded to Sects or Clans from quests by the System .

Essentially you needed to earn passage one way or another , and you couldn’t just move about as you wish . The System clearly did not want free movement in the multi-verse . Ogras believed it had to do with limited resources . If wastrels could go to high-tier planets and snatch divine treasures for himself things would get crazy . No one would want to stay on the lower planes .

Well , there is one place where you can showcase your power in front of a bunch of people from various powerful forces , and that place has always been a place where rogue cultivators find established forces to take them in , - Ogras pointedly said . - You simply need to climb high enough to prove your potential . -

Zac immediately understood what Ogras talked about . The Tower of Eternity . It made sense that the powerful factions in the multiverse would send invitation tokens with their scions there . If they could recruit some extremely powerful unaffiliated cultivators while they were still young and only at F-Grade they might form ties with a future powerhouse while they still were weak .

We will have to try everything out , - Zac nodded . - But we still don’t know what he wants with us . -

Origin Dao , - Brazla suddenly muttered .

Excuse me? - Zac said and looked over at the tool spirit , who seemed quite content to be the object of everyone’s attention .

I would bet he is after the Origin Daos of your baby planet . You should have realized that your accomplishments in the Dao are far higher compared to normal D-Grade planets . It’s much easier for you to gain Dao Seeds compared to the norm , - Brazla started lecturing . - Perhaps you think you're very talented . But in truth , you just have a superior environment . -

This is not unique for this planet . In fact , it’s the same with all baby worlds . Even invaders benefit from it , - the Tool Spirit continued .

Zac shot a glance at Ogras , who slightly nodded to indicate that Brazla was correct .

Why is that? It is due to what some call the Origin Dao . The process of integrating a world is partly to gradually infuse its core with massive amounts of energy , while also imbuing it with Origin Dao , - Brazla continued .

Most of it is lodged in the world core , but everyone who has gained a Dao Seed will also carry this Dao essence for a bit . But over time it will disintegrate and turn into normal spiritual energy . The system uses it to awaken the area to the higher truths of the cosmos so that cultivation becomes possible , - the Tool Spirit explained .

And you think The Great Redeemer is after this? - Zac asked .

Yes , that would explain why he went through all this trouble instead of just buying a couple of planets . He needs to get to a newly integrated world quickly if he wants to harvest the Origin Dao , - Brazla shrugged .

What would he use this Origin Dao for? - Kenzie probed .

No idea , but I would venture he has devised an unorthodox method that might allow him to break through whatever bottleneck he is stuck on , - Brazla said . - Sacrificing a couple of worlds to reach a higher grade wouldn’t be anything special in the multiverse . -

A subdued silence stretched across the table . Some , like Julia , seemed physically sick at the thought of some old man being ready to kill billions of people just for a chance to break through a bottleneck . It was a chilling reminder of the ruthless reality they lived in .

Chapter 267 - News

Is this something common? - Zac finally asked , breaking the subdued silence in the room .

No . Finding newly integrated planets before the Origin Dao disappears is notoriously hard . It’s hard enough to make me wonder you’re even in any danger at all , - the tool spirit shrugged . - The greatest old monsters in the multiverse could probably do it , but they have no use for baby planets . They rather have their sights on whole galaxies . -

The discussion continued a bit on the topic of the Great redeemer , but it appeared that they did not have any more ideas on how to handle the situation . In the end , they decided to simply continue their original approach , closing the incursions of Earth .

Even though the Redeemer was the largest threat Earth faced , it looked like they had some time before he could arrive . The multiverse was extremely vast , and traveling to a newly integrated planet could only be done manually . When that was added to the System's protective obscuring it would at least take a few years before he could arrive , even if the Redeemer set out the moment their planet was integrated .

After the incursions were dealt with they would turn their attention to Salvation and the Dominators . Of course , if they could find Salvation earlier that would be preferable . But there was still no news of where he was physically located , and he had closed his teleporter the moment he was booted out from the hunt . Zac's relentless assault had clearly put the fear of God in him , and he seemed to want to avoid another clash for the time being .

That's it for the time being , - Zac said before he turned to Julia . - Ms . Lombard , I brought you here so that you can provide the information to Thomas Fischer and the others . All the large forces need to be made aware of the threat of Salvation and The Great Redeemer so that we can prepare . -

Provide the information how? - she hesitantly asked .

The portal to New Washington has already been made private , but I am traveling to the Marshall Clan in three days . I thought I’d bring you since they aren’t as isolated as we are here on this island , - Zac explained .

Julia hesitated a bit with a slight frown .

And you’re just letting me go like that? - Julia said .

Yes , The New World Government is not my enemy , The Great Redeemer and the Incursions are . And honestly , they aren’t a threat either . If it wasn’t for the Dominators lurking in the shadows I would already have made my teleporter public , - Zac said .

If… I wanted to stay here , could I? - Julia suddenly asked , making Zac remember Emily mentioning the huge fight Julia and Emma had got themselves into .

You can . Tell me your decision before I leave in three days though so I can send a replacement to the government , - Zac nodded before he turned back toward the others on the table .

Calrin , I want you to try to buy an information package about The Great Redeemer , if that’s possible , - Zac said as he turned to the Sky Gnome .

Information becomes more expensive the stronger the person . Also , while the information houses track many powerhouses there is no way to track everyone . But I will make an inquiry , - Calrin said with a serious face .

Zac nodded before he addressed the whole room again .

The rest of the meeting will only need the essential personnel , - Zac said , and soon less than half of the participants remained .

The Great Redeemer is a pretty big headache , but on more positive news I come back with a mountain of treasure . It’s to the point that we now have the resources to nurture a large number of experts without feeling the pinch . I am therefore opening the craftsman Heritage . I have also found this , - Zac as he took out the ten crystals he got from Anzonil .

As I mentioned we were placed at the ruins of a sect called The Eastern Trigram Sect . It was a low-tiered D-Grade sect focusing on arrays , and this is the complete crystallized knowledge on formations , written by their Supreme Elder . As far as I know , this is the only copy from that place , - Zac said .

Brazla snorted disdainfully , but the others looked at the ten crystals with wide eyes .

Does anyone have an idea of how to utilize this knowledge as effectively as possible? - Zac asked as he looked around .

It should be locked behind Merit Points , and I believe that the same should go for the Heritages , - Abby finally said . - We can portion out the knowledge it contains into packages , with the basic ones being pretty cheap , but the more in-depth and uncommon knowledge having a higher price . -

Wouldn’t there be a risk of no one buying it? We are in need of skilled array masters , - Zac said .

Then make sure people know that becoming an array master and helping to maintain the arrays in Port Atwood would yield a lot of Merit Points . Things given freely are not appreciated , but if they need to work hard for it they will cherish it , - Abby countered , and Ogras nodded in agreement .

It will also lock the craftsmen to us all the way until the D-Grade , since they would have to come to us for the follow-up crystals or deeper parts of the craftsman heritage , - Abby added . - Otherwise we would risk them leaving for the highest bidder when the world gets more integrated in the future . -

Zac had to admit it was a thought out idea , and he immediately decided to go along with it .

Talk with the Merit Exchange and make adjustments to our current merit program if needed , - Zac said . - I want people working toward these things as soon as possible . -

Abby bobbed a bit in the air , which was her way of nodding her head . Zac nodded back before he once again focused on the Sky Gnome .

After this meeting please bring a couple of your best men to my courtyard , we have mountains of loot to go through , - Zac said .

Calrin suddenly looked at him like a maiden in love , and it made Zac’s hair stand on end .

While we’re here , please update me on what’s happened while I was away , - Zac said .

The shapeshifters are dealt with , as you know , - Ogras started . - Your human friend they impersonated has recovered , and he is currently farming on one of the satellite islands . -

Zac frowned a bit when he heard that , and Ogras quickly continued .

Don’t get worked up , it was on his own request . That Shapeshifter did a number on him , and I think he just wants to live a simple life away from the struggle of the real world , - Ogras said with a shrug . - Also… We have put your former lover on that island on your sister’s insistence , and she is farming with him . Under supervision of course . -

Zac looked over at Kenzie , who seemed ready for an argument .

It wasn’t all her fault . She was drugged , hypnotized , and manipulated . You’re a victim , but so is she . Janos has helped her stabilize her mind during the past weeks , and she feels really bad about what happened . So I sent her to the island to stay with her friend , - she quickly explained , the words tumbling out of her mouth .

Zac shot a glance over at the illusionist who was also present at the meeting , and he simply nodded slightly to indicate what Kenzie said was true . Ogras only snorted , which drew an angry glare from Kenzie .

Fine . I’ll check in on them later . Anything else? - Zac said after hesitating a bit .

A monk came a week ago , and warned us that things were getting bad in the Undead Incursion . Their armies are mobilizing for real now , and the monk said that the Abbot believed that they would make a huge push to expand their territory within a month , - Adran spoke up , reading from his documents .

Zac thoughtfully nodded . He had already been thinking about tackling the Undead Incursion as soon as possible , and now it seemed they did not have much of a choice . The only problem was the Lich King , and how strong he would be . Was his increase in power from the hunt enough to bring that thing down?

The monk also spoke about odd rumors that had arrived to their mountain , - Adran said .

What rumors? - Zac asked .

Three Incursions have disappeared . Just vanished overnight . The human government or the beastmen have no idea what’s going on , - the administrator said .

Infighting between incursions? - Zac ventured .

Unlikely , - Ogras said . - They wouldn’t likely clash before they clashed for territories . And only the undead incursion has spread to that degree to my knowledge . The other ones should be a few years away from infighting . Right now they should be swallowing up the locals around them , either for enslavement or eradication . -

So who is it? - Zac said .

The only one I can think of are the Zhix , or rather the Dominators , - Ogras said .

The dominators? Only Void’s Disciple was outside the hunt , he did that by himself? Also , why would they wait until now to destroy Incursions? - Zac asked .

They might have needed to prepare the attacks . If we go by the theory that The Great Redeemer didn’t want to create trouble by having his followers destroy incursions we can make some guesses . First , they would have wanted to close the incursions as quickly as possible , before any contact with the homeworld was possible , - Ogras said .

But as far as I know no incursions were closed in the early stage of the Integration . I have the title for the first closing , - Zac said .

We know that the Dominators were a small group before the integration , and most thought them eradicated . We also know how the availability was for teleporters in the beginning . Perhaps they simply didn’t have the ability to do it . That left them with a far more risky Plan B , - Ogras explained .

By now the incursions are all stabilized , and communication with the main side is possible . If they assaulted the Incursions the normal way it would be possible to record it in a crystal , allowing the elders of the force to realize who the responsible party by the energy signature , - the demon continued .

So if they would close the incursions now they would need to immediately decimate everyone before they could send any information back home . That tracks with the rumors of incursions - simply disappearing , - Zac continued the line of thought . - But why wait until now? -

With the strongest people in the hunt most settlements have turtled up , avoiding the Incursions , - Kenzie ventured . - There would be no local witnesses either . -

Preparing such a blitz would also take time . They would both need to prepare the means to instantly kill everyone before they could send anything back home . Perhaps they also had some sort of interference that messed with the Nexus Hub , - Ogras added .

Also , the only Incursions that disappeared were those we would categorize as low threat . The Undead Incursion wasn’t touched for example . Even the Dominators probably aren’t confident in destroying those incursions without leaving any trace , - Adran finished .

So they’re removing the smaller obstacles , making us focus on the larger threats that they cannot deal with themselves , - Zac muttered . - But we don't know for sure it was Void . I'll talk with the Zhix to see how their ladders have changed . Have we heard any other rumors about what the dominators have been doing? I know that Void's Disciple has been up to something . -

We haven't heard anything , but our intelligence network is beyond pathetic , - Ogras said with a shrug . - You should ask those people from the Marshall Clan , they should be more informed . -

Fine , but keep your ears to the ground . I have opened many new alliances , so we should start getting visitors soon . Make sure we control the movement of those who arrive . I don't want anyone wandering into my area or our hunting grounds . The barghest is a resource that should be saved for the academy unless people are willing to pay for it , - Zac said .

All procedures should be set up to handle an inflow of visitors . If needed we can also use the Origin Array to look for things out of place occasionally , - Adran said . - On the topic of the Barghest , I do believe we should try to cordon off areas that we can use as hunting grounds for visitors . Their numbers are increasing , and the Beast Tamer we are training is not strong enough to control such a large horde . -

Great , try to set something up , extra income is always welcome , but it's not a top priority . Anything else that has happened while I was gone? - Zac continued .

We finally found land , - Adran said . - In fact , we have found land in two opposite directions . -

Chapter 268 - Rescue Mission

Finally , - Zac said with a smile .

He had almost started believing they were stuck in some parallel world . The ships he had bought from the Creators were extremely swift , but it had taken months until they finally found the mainland . It also showed just how huge the new planet was . It felt as though their current mass was far larger than just the combination of the four integrated planets .

Perhaps the system had thrown some random landmass into the mix to make the distances larger . But suddenly he gave a start since he finally realized what Adran said .

What do you mean two opposite directions? - he curiously asked . - Have we rounded the planet? -

We have found the continent that you humans now refer to as Pangea to the east , - Adran explained with a shake of his head . - We have already made the first contact with a few settlements along the shoreline . If needed we will have no problem conquering a pretty large swathe of coastline . We found one government-controlled city but most are small settlements without teleportation arrays . -

But the land in the opposite direction is something else? - Zac asked with interest .

Yes , though it was further away compared to the main continent . The first one we found one week after you left for the hunt . The second we only found ten days ago . We didn't find any settlements or people on that continent , though we have only begun our exploration recently , - Abby explained .

Along the coastal edge is a lush forest , but after a few hours walk inland there is an impossibly vast desert . The heat there is scorching even to the demons , and there did not seem to be any life as far as we could tell , - Abby said . - The cosmic energy was however very dense , so if we could transform the desert it would become great unoccupied land . -

Impossibly large desert? - Zac muttered . - That actually brings me to something else I didn't mention from the hunt . -

Next he proceeded to explain his meeting with the molemen in the hunt and the history of their planet .

If I'm not mistaken the other continent might be the remains of this fourth world . Since it was scorched by their sun for millennia there should have only been unlivable deserts on the surface , - Zac said . - Perhaps the System simply took their uninhabitable land and made a continent out of it . Perhaps merged it with parts of Africa and the middle-east . I haven't really heard anything from those regions since the Integration . -

So why did you not mention this fourth race earlier? - Ogras suddenly asked . - To protect the identity of us demons? I think that ship has sailed now . The existence of the underworld will quickly spread I think . -

No , it's for a different reason . I want a team to dig as far down as possible from our mine . Even below our Nexus Vein if possible . Then place a teleportation array down there . -

You want to connect Port Atwood to the people underground? - Kenzie asked .

Yes , there are people from the other races down there as well , though most are dead now . They’re in pretty dire straits . They’re beset by another Incursion that I guess is top-tier . For some reason , the teleporters above the ground can’t reach down so we need to dig as well , create a relay-system of teleporters if need be , - Zac nodded .

Why all that effort for those people? - Ogras said with disinterest .

Not only are there fire golems that seem to be digging toward our planet’s core down there , but there’s also a huge amount of riches . Most of the top names on the wealth ladders are down there . Nexus Crystals and precious metals are littering the walls , - Zac said .

We need to save those poor people , - Ogras said with a completely straight face and Calrin quickly gave his wholehearted support for the plan as well .

Kenzie glared at the two people who only cared about the wealth , before turning back toward Zac with a frown .

Yes , the reason I want do dig is partly selfish . They are currently loaded with minerals and crystals down there , but they are severely lacking everything else . I want Port Atwood to be the one to reap the benefits before any others . But other forces might try the same . The ratmen are few in number , but I am sure others than I managed to find out about the situation in the underworld , - Zac said .

So it’s a race for the wealth beneath us , - Calrin muttered .

Exactly , - Zac nodded . - We have an advantage with the mine that is already quite deep , but we can’t be lax . I want those teleporters up as soon as possible . -

Abby quickly bobbed her head in agreement . She had been vehemently in favor of expanding the power of Port Atwood since she wasn’t without ambition herself . But that worked just fine for Zac as well .

It might be an issue of distance apart from just depth though , - the stargazer interjected . - If the ratmen are situated far beneath the other continent the distance might be too far . That continent is even further away than Pangea after all . Perhaps we should also establish a frontier base on the desert continent and try to find them that way . -

That would be even better , - Ogras muttered . - If the underworld only can be reached from that other continent we will be able to control every comings and goings . We are right in the middle in-between the two continents , and we would act as a bridge between them . And there wouldn't be much the other forces could do about it until we get higher-graded teleporters . -

Zac's eyes lit up from the possibility presented . It was true . The E-Grade teleporters reached far , but they couldn't take Zac to the far edge of Pangea . Judging by the distance Abby and Adran mentioned the distance between the two continents was extremely vast . They would have to transit through Port Atwood .

Abby , you oversee the project since you can map out the scope of my kingdom . Does my sphere of influence reach downward as well? - Zac asked .

I will . There is a limit a few kilometers below us . I will find a location at that depth that is far away from energy interference . I will also set it up so that it becomes a proper relay station . Preferably there would be no way to get up to the surface without using our teleporter , - the Stargazer said .

Great , pursue both strategies . Setting up a base on the other continent is a good idea in any case , - Zac nodded before turning to Ogras . - Next . Is there something we can make use of in the Mystic Realm? -

Not sure , - Ogras said with a shrug .

Not sure? - Zac asked with some confusion . - What sort of place is it? -

Well , It's a pretty odd Mystic Realm , - Ogras hesitantly said . - First of all , it's populated . -

What? - Zac said with surprise . - Cultivators? -

Zac wasn't an expert in the subject , but he knew that inhabited Mystic Realms were very rare .

Indeed , of multiple species , no less , - Ogras said . - But that's not the odd thing . The whole Mystic Realm is one enormous construct . -

What? - Zac said with shock . He had never heard of such a thing before . - How big? -

I can't be sure . Even the person I caught and questioned wasn't sure . But it is many times larger Port Atwood . I found a few gardens that each was at least a fifth the size of this whole island , and they just took up a small corner of the construct , - Ogras explained .

Clearly this was news to everyone apart from Kenzie , and they looked over at Ogras with shock .

The people there have been stuck inside a very long time . Tens of generations . They do not seem to know much of the outside , and they are not really in control of the functions and arrays of the large structure . They are like parasites living inside the body of a large beast , - Ogras explained , the others listening in rapt attention .

How strong are they? - Zac asked with a frown .

He had enough enemies to contend with at the moment , and if these people were too strong he might just as well close the passage and wait until he became stronger .

I battled two peak F-Grade warriors , one human , and a werewolf . There are at least mid-tier E-Grade warriors there as well , leading the factions . However , energy is limited , and it seems the various factions are partly warring as a means of population control apart from the usual reasons , - Ogras explained .

From what I can tell the structure was once a hidden research facility . It might have connections to technocrats , or they simply had a hand in constructing the thing . But to find out the real purpose we would have to explore further , - Ogras said . - The human I captured did not even know how they got there . My personal guess is that their ancestors were caught for experimentation . -

Zac slowly nodded , not sure what to do with the news .

Can we gain any benefits in the short run from there? - Zac asked .

There are enormous trees , so we would get unlimited timber . The walls are also made from some very durable alloy , perhaps we could strip the walls and take the materials for weapons manufacturing . But apart from that , not much else honestly . But with this Redeemer problem , we could use it as a last-resort escape . We just need to figure out a way to stop the Redeemer from following us , - Ogras said .

But then we'd be stuck inside there? - Zac skeptically asked .

Yes , but alive . The rift drops us off in a section that the current factions can't access . It's the area with the large gardens . Apparently they were used for plant experimentation and providing air . There are no strong beasts , only a few worms at level 70 , - Ogras explained .

The whole place runs on some technocrat technology it seems . The trapped factions have very low access , and can't get to where we arrive . But that same technology provided me with Tier-3 access . According to the human I caught Tier-3 is maintenance access that would allow me to enter any place that maintains the various function of the structure .

I didn't have time to do much exploration , but it's pretty good apparently . It allows me to visit even more places than the natives who only have limited access in their respective zones , - the demon continued . - Perhaps we can find some good things hidden in the unexplored areas of the mystic realm .

If the Redeemer arrives we could drop off the non-combatants there and hide the passage . It would keep them out of harm's way until the threat was dealt with . If the Redeemer wins they would avoid being harvested at least , and perhaps they can find a way to get out in the future , - Ogras said .

Well it's a decent last-ditch escape , though I am not a fan of getting stuck inside a mystic realm just waiting for The Great Redeemer to break through , - Zac mused . - Do you think we could set up some sort of alliance with the natives? Perhaps they possess things of value . -

Ogras hesitantly nodded .

Perhaps . I honestly did not make a great first impression , though they attacked first . But there should be various things they lack , and they might have an abundance of things in there that may be extremely valuable on the outside . That's usually how it goes with Mystic Realms . But as long as we don't have anyone strong enough to counter their elites I think we should avoid them , - the demon said .

We'll keep it on the backburner then since we have a few things that need to be handled first . Apart from getting access to the underworld I have a few more top-priority tasks for the town , - Zac said . - First I want the surroundings of The Towers of Myriad Dao to be brought to its proper glory . I want this done within the day . Divert all man-power to this if necessary . -

Everone around the table apart from Ogras and Brazla looked at Zac as though he’d lost his marbles .

Finally you’re speaking some sense , - Brazla said with a satisfied nod .

Of course . Incidentally , in case you need to prepare anything before letting us undertake the Inheritance trials , now would be the time for that . At least two trials will be started within three days , - Zac added .

The Great Brazla has been ready for eons , just come by and display your feeble might , - Brazla said with a snort .

Great . Secondly , I need to index all the treasures I looted . Calrin , my place in an hour . Bring a few trustworthy and knowledgeable people , - Zac said , ending the meeting .

Roughly forty minutes later five Sky Gnomes stood eagerly waiting in his courtyard . Most seemed to be around the same age as Calrin himself , but one of them looked positively ancient .

These are my most trusted appraisers , - Calrin said as he indicated the three gnomes roughly his own age . - And this is my great uncle Gemidir Thayer , the member of my clan with the most experience in figuring out the functions of odd treasures . I thought he would be an asset as well in case you had some hard-to-appraise items . -

He’s also a notorious thief , - one of the other Gnomes muttered under his breath as he shielded his Cosmos Sack , drawing a glare from the old man .

Chapter 269 - Four Gates

You shouldn’t slander others little Acorn , - the old man sighed with disappointment . - You know those days are long behind me . And wildly exaggerated . -

Then why is that pouch belonging to that guard earlier tied around your waist? - the younger Sky Gnome said with a scathing glare .

You! You just want the Lord to focus on my fingers so that he won’t notice you undervaluing the goodies! - the old man angrily spat as he quickly hid the pouch in an inner pocket of his robe .

Zac’s brows rose , especially when Calrin did nothing to correct the two .

Well , to be a successful thief you need to be able to discern what’s valuable and what to discard , no? - Calrin said with a cough after seeing Zac’s glare . - But he’s all retired now . And you have me to oversee everything so you don’t need to worry about a thing . -

Zac groaned in response , hating that he couldn’t get a second opinion anywhere as things stood . But he knew that even if Calrin skimmed a bit money it wouldn’t be too bad . Furthermore , since he owned a sizeable share of the Consortia it would still come back into his pocket in the end .

The goal here is essentially to identify the treasures I gathered and then differentiate the loot into three categories , - Zac explained . - The first category is the valuable and essential treasures . I’ll keep those myself and personally hand them out to our elites if needed .

The second is is for items to add to our Merit Exchange . We are working against the clock so things that can help empower our forces and provide speedy gains . The final category would be things that might be valuable but aren’t of use to Port Atwood . These items would be sold through the Consortia , - Zac finished .

The Sky Gnomes eagerly nodded at the instructions , each of them almost looking possessed by greedy demons . Zac sighed and started taking things out . He started with the items he was the most curious about .

A glass bottle suddenly appeared in Zac’s hand and the alchemist’s furnace appeared on the ground in front of them . The pill was the thing he was most curious about , and the Cauldron might help give some clues to its origins . Just a waft of its residual vapors had allowed him to gain a level , so he couldn’t imagine the efficacy of the pill itself .

This is a pill with spirituality , which I found in this cauldron . When I opened the cauldron a cloud was released , and the energy it contained both gave me a level and instantly healed me , - Zac said as he handed over the bottle . - Can you identify the pill? -

One of the Sky Gnomes quickly took out a huge book , and when he opened it Zac saw it was filled with pictures of pills along with descriptions alongside it . However , the old thief only took a glance at it before he spoke up .

It’s a Four Gates Pill] , it’s a mid-tier E-Grade pill , - he said , not without some longing . - It’s the first time I hear of one with spirituality though . The cauldron is just a Decent E-Grade cauldron . Perhaps worth 70 Million -

What’s the purpose of the pill? - Zac asked .

It harnesses the four elements to break open Nodes , - Gemidir succinctly explained . - It would likely have an additional effect now that it has spirituality . -

Four elements? - Zac repeated before he quickly took out the three spirit herbs he looted from the hidden garden . - Do you think these are the ingredients used? -

Blistering Ice Bamboo] , Phoenix Peppers] and Rock Ginseng] , and their ages are excellent , - another of the Gnomes exclaimed .

You’re only missing Sky reed] and you would have all four main components to create the pill , - the old man added .

I found these three growing in a secluded spot , along with a broken paddy , - Zac explained . - I looted both the special soil and all the plants . Would we be able to keep growing these herbs? -

Certainly , - the Sky Gnome who recognized the herbs said without hesitation . - However , it takes over 50 years to grow these herbs to maturity without skilled farmers who can shorten that duration , and that’s only to get their minimum efficacy . For the herbs to contain this much energy you would need to wait a few hundred years , even with a skilled farmer . -

Zac sighed in disappointment . Fifty years might not be very long for a force in the multiverse , but it was for Zac who was strapped for time .

See if you can buy aged Sky Reed] then , - Zac said . - How long would it take for us to train an alchemist that could concoct Four-Gate] pills? -

If you want those pills to use , might I suggest an alternative method? - Calrin said .

What’s that? - Zac asked .

Trade the herbs for finished pills , - Calrin said .

People would do that? - Zac asked skeptically .

It’s pretty common among Alchemists , - Calrin explained . - Another way for them to enrich themselves . They give ratios , for example 4 sets of herbs for 2 pills . If they manage to create the 2 pills in less than 4 sets they can pocket the difference as profit . But with the age of these herbs , we should be able to get pretty good ratios . -

Zac slowly nodded .

Does anything else than the ratios matter? - Zac asked .

He had encountered a few pills by now , but most of them were simple healing pills that generally used life-attuned energy or roused the body’s own restorative powers . But things like cultivation pills were still not something he was very knowledgeable about .

The skill of the alchemist , - Gemidir said . - Different grades of the pills have differing effects . -

Pills used the same grading system as Daos , depending on how well the pills concocted . So the same pill could be anything from Low-Grade to Peak-Grade , and the effect could vastly differ . It turned out that a low-grade pill wasn’t even guaranteed to open one node , whereas a Peak-grade Four gates Pill] actually guaranteed 1 node and gave a high chance of a second .

I’ll hold onto these for now , - Zac said .

The herbs he had possessed an extraordinary age , and he wasn’t sure he wanted to send them over to some unknown alchemist that might pocket the aged herbs and concoct using ordinary ones . He did want the pills since his people would start reaching E-Grade within a few years at most , and having these would expedite the progress of his forces . But he didn’t want to waste this treasure .

Hopefully , he could nurture or get to know a skilled Alchemist that he could trust with his herbs instead of sending them out through the mercantile system . Meanwhile , they could start growing the four herbs on the island .

Since he had decided what to do with the herbs he took out the next treasure . It was a pity the cauldron wasn’t anything special , but it would make a nice gift for the first proper Alchemist his force nurtured . Next , the huge metal ball that Zac found on his first summit appeared and he put it down on the ground with a heavy thump .

A spiritual ship , - Calrin said with interest . - Lowest grade , but it should still be worth quite a bit . -

What? This thing? - Zac asked with surprise .

A spiritual ship had been something he had wanted ever since he learned about their existence from Ogras . That’s why he wanted to upgrade the Shipyard so badly . Unfortunately , when he had asked Rahm about it he had simply tabled the matter until Zac had evolved .

Unfortunately , it would take the Sky Gnomes some time to figure out how to activate it from its current compressed state , so Zac would have to curb his enthusiasm and postpone any joyrides . Instead hey kept going through the immense wealth in Zac’s pouch with rapid speed , and they hadn’t even gone through a tenth after an hour .

But Zac suddenly stopped and opened up a menu with a frown .

What’s wrong? - Calrin asked .

A new teleporter just became public , - Zac said with surprise .

A public teleporter? With all the things that are happening on this planet? - Calrin muttered . - Are they suicidal? -

Or desperate , - Zac ventured . - The place is called Everwood Refuge , and it’s not a place I have heard of before . -

Are you going? - Calrin asked .

Zac hesitated for a few seconds before he shook his head .

Not at the moment . The situation is unclear and I have so many things on my plate as it is , - Zac said , and resumed taking out treasure after treasure .

But it only took fifteen minutes until they were once again interrupted , this time by Kenzie jogging over to his courtyard . Zac had already erected multiple layers of arrays to hide the things inside , so she was forced to wave her arms to get his attention .

Zac started walking toward her , but after a brief hesitation ran back and put back all the treasures into one of his Cosmos Sacks first . He wasn’t exactly confident in leaving so much wealth in front of four Sky Gnomes . They might turn crazy by greed and do something stupid , and he didn’t want any trouble with his cooperation .

What’s going on? - Zac said after he exited the shield .

We have visitors , - Kenzie said , - From Westfort . -

Thea’s people? - Zac said with surprise . - What do they want? -

He hadn’t expected someone to come over already , though it was technically possible for his trusted allies to come at any time . They had already agreed that he would come to Westfort in two days to take back his batch of treasures and also peruse the Library .

Yes , they are requesting assistance . Apparently a town is being attacked by an Incursion , and the Marshalls have some sort of agreement with them , - she explained .

Tell Ogras and Joanna . I will meet this man at the teleporter , - Zac said as he returned back inside the arrays .

We will have to take a break for now , - Zac said , much to the disappointment of the Sky Gnomes . - A settlement is under attack from an Incursion . I will go check things out . -

Of course , - Calrin nodded . - But before you go . I would like to request some body-guards for my men . I want to immediately send representatives to the new towns in our network . -

Right now? - Zac said with a frown . - We have a lot of things to do . -

The subject wasn’t brought up at the meeting , but we are currently sitting on a mountain of gear crafted from the beast waves being unused . From what I gather this world is heading for its final battles that will decide whether you will break free from the invaders or become yet another conquered baby world , - Calrin started .

This is the optimal opportunity to make some money . But it will also help strengthen you humans while simultaneously bolstering the somewhat marred image of Port Atwood , - Calrin said .

Fine . Take ten demons and ten Valkyries , - Zac nodded before he disappeared .

Just a minute later he arrived at the teleporter , seeing a middle-aged man curiously looking around . But the moment he saw Zac approach his eyes widened a bit and he straightened his back .

I assume you’re the representative from Westfort? - Zac asked as he appeared in front of him .

It’s an honor , Lord Atwood , - the man said with a bow . - I am Roland Marshal , and I will be the ambassador of Westfort , with your blessing of course . -

Nice to meet you , - Zac simply said with a nod .

I was planning on introducing myself at your arrival in two days , but time waits for no man . You should have no doubt seen the new public town on the teleportation list . It is one of the major Ishiate towns , and they are currently being besieged by their neighboring Incursion , - Roland explained .

The Marshall forces are currently preparing , but rearranging our forces will take some time , - the ambassador continued after checking his watch . - We sent a few scouts through the teleporter first , and there were no signs of either Dominators or Salvation as of eight minutes ago . -

Zac nodded , understanding the man’s implication . The town would perhaps fall before The Marshal Clan could muster its forces .

I will join as well . I planned to settle a few matters before attacking the Incursions , but I guess we can’t wait for this one , - Zac said . - Is Thea coming as well? -

Exactly , time is of the essence , - Roland said with a nod . - Unfortunately my niece was forced to put out a few fires as soon as she got back , so she will not be joining you . But she will be done with her quests by the time you arrive at Westfort . -

Zac nodded , slightly disappointed . Having a good ally by one’s side drastically increased safety .

I am heading back for now , but with your permission , I would like to build a small embassy on your island where I and a small staff would handle any matters that require the cooperation of our two forces . I understand you had a very successful relationship with my niece during the hunt , and my wish is for that relationship to turn into a strong bond between our two families , - Roland continued .

Zac frowned a bit at the very ambiguous wording , but he had no interest in trying to correct the man . He could understand if the marshalls wanted to forge an alliance the old-school way between their two forces . With him and Thea at the helm , there would be no resisting them .

That’s fine . You can talk with Adran later to settle those types of matters later , - he nodded . - He’s the administrator in charge of most city planning . -

Excellent . It was a pleasure meeting you , - Roland said with another bow before he walked over to the teleporter and was gone with a flash .

Since he had already decided to fight he was eager to get going , but he still decided to wait for Ogras to have someone to watch his back . And it took less than a minute to arrive , and to his surprise he was accompanied by Calrin , who was completely decked in defensive gear .

Strike while the iron is hot , - the gnome simply muttered as an explanation to Zac’s questioning glance .

Fine , let’s go . Some incursion is attacking , but it shouldn’t be one of the top-grade ones . We’ll keep them at bay until reinforcements arrive . And Ogras… Don’t steal the boss kill this time , okay? - Zac said as he threw a glance at the demon .

Oh , heard about that one , did you? - Ogras said with a smile .

I did , Billy was very upset . But I promised you would personally go there and apologize and bring a gift , - Zac said drawing a disbelieving look from the demon .

Chapter 270 - Riverleaf

Riverleaf sighed as she looked at the ravaged forest outside their town . The trees that their ancestors had tended for hundreds of years were gone , replaced with burnt-out husks , and the farms were turned into with ruins and war trenches . As the shaman of their village , she sensed the pain of nature around them .

They had truly underestimated these foreign invaders . For months they had been battling for territory , neither side showing a clear advantage . The invaders might have been the strongest force in the area , but they were surrounded by over a Dozen towns who worked together to keep them at bay . But something had changed a week ago .

In just a day five towns were destroyed , their populations killed to the last man apart from the lucky few who managed to escape in time . Even the elderly and the children weren’t spared , and their scouts had recounted scenes straight out of a nightmare . From there those black golems had started their crusade , destroying one town after another . The Invaders had clearly been holding back until now .

She couldn’t help but wonder if there were traitors among them . Did the invaders know that their top hunters were unavailable or dead due to the hunt? They had worked so hard to maintain a mirage of normalcy , risking their lives to keep the pressure on the Incursions . But it was all for naught as they went into a rampage while their strongest warriors were occupied with the hunt .

Everwood Refuge was only still standing because the invaders had started in the other direction , methodically working their way from city to city . Her first instinct had been to flee , but she knew that they couldn’t do that . The beats around were much too dangerous . Besides , if they fled they would give up their ancestral homes .

Using the teleporter wasn't a real option either , not to their force at least . It was just much too expensive to send someone through that miraculous gate . Even if her husband had returned with enormous gains it was far from enough for the whole city . They could afford to teleport a few hundred at the most , only a fraction of the two hundred thousand who lived in their town . They couldn't even afford to send all the children to safety .

Her eyes turned to her husband , desperately fighting against the rockmen . They were beyond sturdy . Not even the chief of the hunt managed to quickly kill those things in a one-on-one battle , which was a clear indicator of how the rest of the soldiers fared . Worse yet , they couldn't even use their fortifications to their advantage . The rockmen had made quick work of their protective shield and rampart with their huge boulders , and in less than 20 minutes it was gone .

The moment they saw that their shield wouldn't hold they had made their teleporter public in a desperate bid to enlist some help against their threat . She had been elated to see people come through their gate earlier , but most had quickly disappeared again after learning of the situation .

Only a few remained , though it was clear that they were mostly interested in fishing in the muddy waters . She had even been forced to send some soldiers to prevent looting from unscrupulous guests . But suddenly she saw one of the young hunters-in-training speed toward her with elation in his eyes . Riverleaf had stationed him by the teleporter so that he could keep an eye out for any reinforcements .

The humans have sent reinforcements! - the youth said between pants .

They have? - Riverleaf exclaimed , some hope finally rekindling in her heart . - How many? -

Little Leaf scratched his chin in hesitation before he muttered .

Three people came , - he said with an almost inaudible voice . - But one is a child it seems? -

So two warriors , - Riverleaf sighed in disappointment , realizing it was just more opportunists .

She knew that she couldn’t hope for too much . That large human organization had already indicated that they were overwhelmed with similar threats , and they had gotten similar responses from their Ishiate allies . But honestly , she knew that most simply did not wish to risk their lives for no reward .

Yes , only two… But they are strong , - he added with wide eyes .

Riverleaf was about to respond when her heart suddenly thumped and she looked over in the distance with alarm . Two men and a blue child approached , and Riverleaf immediately understood that these people were the trio that Little Leaf mentioned . Her second sight screamed in alarm at their approach , telling her that this party could level Everwood Refuge without much trouble .

While there were three of them her eyes couldn’t help but turn toward the human in the middle . He had short hair the color of sand , and he wore an opulent golden robe that made her think of her brethren who gave up their connection to amass material wealth .

In his hand was a ruthless axe that made her almost flinch as she imagined an ocean of blood for some reason . She knew that it was an omen from her shamanic powers , but she couldn't guess it's meaning . The axe felt primal , like something their hunters would fashion out of the bones of a great beast . It was an odd choice of weapon for someone dressed in something so fine ; the man was a contradiction of refinement and carnage .

She knew that her gifts could be noticed by some people since their world changed , but she couldn't help but activate her skill that the System had named Minor Prophetic Vision] . She wanted to get a glimpse of whether these people were their saviors , but a soul-rending pain erupted in her mind , only allowing her a glimpse before her sight turned black .

The silver-haired man was shrouded in darkness , a black hand dragging him into an abyss of despair . The vision was extremely taxing , but it was nothing compared to the man in the golden robes . She was assaulted by tens of visions she couldn't make sense of , completely obscuring his future . She only managed to see a glimpse of his past instead .

The man stood with his axe accompanied by a monstrous beast in a sea of blood , a storm vengeful spirits clamoring in hatred and despair . Just how many had he killed to form such a following of the dead? But while he seemed to be an apostle of death , he was also the bringer of life . A golden halo rose behind him , and it formed an equal and opposing force to the hurricane of the fallen .

Refinement and carnage ; life and death .

She had no time to make sense of the visions as it felt like she was about to die , and blood flowed out of her nose and ears . She had overtaxed her soul for that brief glimpse . Her body was unable to withstand the prophetic weight of the man in front of him . Perhaps not even the Grand Shaman would be able to endure a peek into this man's future .

The party seemed to move leisurely , but they quickly closed the distance between the teleporter and the rampart she stood on , and as they came closer primal flight-responses were screaming in Riverleaf's mind . But she forced herself to stand still , gazing at their approach with her normal vision . Their steps echoed like the drums of war in her mind , and it felt like their forms towered to the out the sky .

The trio suddenly disappeared in a shroud of darkness , before they appeared right in front of her on top of the rampart . She made sure to not use shamanic powers that had been a natural part of her since childhood . Using her gifts in this close proximity would likely fry her brain , turning her into a simpleton . The two adults calmly overlooked the losing battle out in the field after glancing at her .

As they were closer she got a better look at the two . It was obvious that the man with the shadow hand was neither Human nor Ishiate , but rather something she had never encountered before . He had large horns in his forehead that that looked like frozen fire , and his skin had a reddish tinge .

She was curious about his heritage , but she didn't dare to ask . In truth , she didn't even dare to speak up . The duo had obviously masked their power , but she knew the truth about this small group from her shamanic vision . They could not be insulted or angered , since they were drenched in blood .

It’s these bastards? - the horned man said with surprise as he looked at the army . - Well , that’s just fine . -

The man with the in the golden robes turned toward Riverleaf and nodded in greeting . She didn't trust her voice at the moment , so she could only bow in response , holding her hands nervously in front of her .

I am Zac . You should call back your warriors . We can take it from here , - he said with a calm voice , his eyes not even showing a ripple after witnessing the huge army of golems that were steadily ripping through their line of defenses .

But… - she hesitantly said , but she had no chance to continue as they disappeared just like they appeared .

The next moment she sensed a monstrous power from the battlefield and she looked over with worry , afraid that their enemies had launched a renewed assault .

Her eyes were immediately drawn toward an enormous hand hovering in the air . The hand had appeared out of nowhere , and it radiated an earthshattering might . It clearly was made of wood and made her think of the Treefather from the legends . Had the old gods returned to save them from their plight? The hand flew toward the army with terrifying speed , and the golems scrambled to erect defenses .

But it was to naught as the hand slammed into the ground with enough force to almost throw her off the rampart . The earth shook and large cracks in the ground quickly spread from the impact . Over a hundred of the golems that had caused them so many troubles were utterly destroyed in an instant , and twice as many were lying on the ground with serious wounds .

The next moment the whole battlefield was shrouded in darkness . It was as though the darkness was alive , and it twisted and changed shapes . Spears grew out from nowhere , the golems were getting impaled by the dozens . In just a second it looked like a forest with trees wrought from shadows had grown in front of their city , and each tree held a dead or dying invader .

Two familiar silhouettes made themselves known in the middle of the battle-field , and in the next moment they rushed forward with wild abandon . Riverleaf wanted to shout out a warning , but her voice got stuck in her throat when they unleashed a mindboggling carnage upon the golems .

Young miss , there's no need to worry . Those two will neutralize the calamity that has befallen your fair city . Better yet , I will turn calamity into opportunity , - a refined voice from next to her spoke up , making Riverleaf look over with surprise .

It was the blue child who had spoken to her . She had completely forgotten about him due to the shocking presence of the other two , but he had clearly stayed behind as those two had unleashed their attacks on the invaders . She prepared to placate the child , but at a second glance she realized it was no child who had spoken with her . It was rather a man from yet another unknown race .

Pleased to make your acquaintance , - the small blue being said with a bow . - I am Calrin Thayer , and I would like to provide you with the opportunity of a lifetime . -

Chapter 271 - Rockmen

Zac surveyed the battlefield as the Ishiate warriors were walking through it , making sure that all the golems were dead as they lay on the scorched ground . Of course , most of the time there was no need to check since the bodies were separated into pieces or completely destroyed from his onslaught . Ogras stood not far from him , holding his hand around the mold where his other arm once was .

You’ve gained a lot of power during your hunt , - Ogras commented from the side . - And your aura is far denser . It bodes well for our trip to the Towers , especially now that we need to get the protection of some larger force . Go high enough and they might not even care that you're not a Cultivator . -

I could say the same to you . You shouldn’t have gained any levels since we fought these things last time , but yet you are a lot stronger . Care to explain how? - Zac responded as he threw a glance over at the demon .

Well , we all have our means , - the demon said with a noncommittal shrug .

You have somehow broken your restrictions , haven’t you? - Zac said keeping his eyes on Ogras face for any changes .

Sharp as a tack , this one , - Ogras said with a snort . - Yes , I got a quest that I managed to complete . So I am no longer bound by the restrictions that afflicted me . However , it still applies to my soldiers . They will have to wait it out or find their own means to release their full potential . -

Zac slowly nodded . He already had already guessed as much from the moment they started fighting . The shadow spears of Ogras were almost too many to count as he ripped through the rockman army . The demon had clearly a lot stronger compared to before . The difference in strength between the two had widened between the two compared to the hunt , but Ogras had still exploded with surprising power going by his somewhat limited opportunities .

Ogras didn’t mention it , but Zac also guessed that the demon's Dao had also progressed since he’d last seen the demon fight as well since the aura it emitted was quite intense . The presence of the so-called Origin Dao that Brazla explained during the meeting was likely the source of the Demon's improvement .

It gave Zac a better understanding of why so many forces wanted to risk their lives to invade newly integrated planets . The Origin Dao could save people decades of meditation , or even award Dao Seeds for people who were completely hopeless in that regard .

Of course , Zac didn't feel threatened by the Demon's advancements . Ogras had improved surprisingly much , but it was far less compared to his own gains . Ogras had killed less than half as many rockmen compared to Zac , but he had a slew of Progenitor-titles and a second class to bolster his power . If a normal scion of a relatively weak clan could output this much pressure it made him wonder just how strong cultivators from higher-tier planets were .

Besides , Zac had yet to gain the ultimate skills for his two classes . Normally you got two final skills at level 75 , each giving you a great boost . So Zac still had a lot of room to grow while at F-Grade , whereas any improvement for Ogras should be quite arduous by now .