Defiance of the Fall

What about the big one? - Ogras said .

I'll talk with him about it , - Zac answered .

Will you tell us what's going on? - Alea asked , her eyes thinning in suspicion .

No , it might only implicate you , - Zac said with a resolute shake of his head .

What about witnesses? - Ogras said .

We'll handle it , - Zac answered , some ruthlessness appearing on his face .

Ogras nodded approvingly and didn't prod any further .

Anyone who spread this out will be executed , no matter who it is , - Ogras added without hesitation .

Great . As for the final subject , - Zac said as he reached for the pile of intelligence in front of Ogras . - This is the first target . -

Human Incursion , Ez'Mahal Confederation? - Ogras muttered . - Never heard of them . Anyone else? -

Everyone shook their head as well , indicating that they had no idea who they were .

I picked this faction because of their ruthlessness against the natives in their zone . There are reports of indiscriminate murder and torture , - Zac said with a frown . - I want these people gone from Earth first . -

After reading through the information dossier there was obviously an extremely wide range of strategies employed by the invaders . Very few forces were like the Church of Everlasting Dao or the Undead Empire . Most simply conquered the area and turned their sphere of influence into slave colonies .

In some areas , humans were actually better off under control of the invaders compared to life in general . There were structure and security , and the deaths from the unforgiving wildlife were far less common .

But the Ez'Mahal Confederation was not one of these forces . Zac had already heard about them during his first visit to New Washington , and since then it had only become worse . The small country they had set up might be the worst place on earth apart from a scant few places like the Miasmic Zone and the Cradle of god . Killing them would not only free people living in horrible conditions but also create a lot of goodwill across the world .

Low to Medium tier , - Ogras muttered as he read through the report again . - They haven't shown any particularly strong traits . Obsessed with class systems , uses slaves like we use the Barghest . A force like this is usually quite fragile . A good place to push your level forward . -

I want to avoid killing slaves as much as possible . The real targets are their leaders , - Zac said . - In fact , that should be the goal for all our operations . I will target the leaders , Ogras will occupy generals and assist the rest of you , while the rest keep reinforcements at bay . Ideally , the battles should not last more than a few minutes . -

The group kept going over the details for a bit until Zac adjourned the meeting . Everyone hurriedly left to prepare themselves for the intense battles that they would be thrown into . Zac spent the night once again switching between trying to activate Cyclic Strike] and activating the toy before sleeping in .

At 8 am he woke up , ready for war .

Chapter 301 - The Ez'Mahal

The next day a somber procession marched through Port Atwood . Thousands of men and women gripping weapons proceeded in an orderly fashion , everyone donning a backpack . They were all heading toward the undead incursion , to stem the spread of death . Some couldn't help fear from creeping onto their faces , whereas many glowed with anticipation . The civilians of Port Atwood silently looked on at the procession , knowing that the final battle for Earth was about to begin .

Meanwhile , a far less conspicuous group silently gathered within the inner walls , less than fifty warriors . But each one emitted power far beyond that of the general soldiers of the town . It was the strike squad that stood in front of Zac , and he surveyed them with Ogras by his side . He knew that he was supposed to say something at a juncture like this , but he didn't know what .

Let's go . This is just the first battle of many , so remember to stay alive , - Zac simply said as he turned toward the private teleporter .

It activated with a flash and soon the small group of people had entered . The next moment Zac and his people found themselves in a run-down warehouse . The shelves were empty , and dust was gathering in the corners . It was clear that this teleporter was not commonly used , but two armed men hurried over as soon as they arrived .

Lord Atwood? - one of them asked , receiving a nod from Zac .

The man quickly pulled out a stack of papers from a back , handing it over . It was a missive providing the latest intelligence of the Incursion .

We are currently one hundred kilometers away from the edge of the sphere of influence of the Ez'Mahal Confederation . They have been known to sometimes roam even this far out in search of new slaves , so be careful . There have been no special movements the past few days , - the man quickly updated them . - Will you be needing anything from us? -

Thank you , - Zac said . - It's fine like this . We will be back in three days at the most . -

The next moment the squad streamed outside like specters of death , and immediately set a high pace toward the Incursion . The climate of the area was temperate , with leafy trees that had already shed their leaves . Winter was coming to large parts of Pangea , and not all the areas were spared from the cold like Port Atwood .

They had no special plan , only to push straight toward the heart of the incursion , killing any resistance that might crop up . It wasn't that Zac took lightly of the situation , but rather that there simply was too little information to go by . The Marshall clan had set up an extensive network around the incursions , but they were unable to gather any detailed intelligence from the core .

This was another reason that Zac chose this one . From all accounts this incursion seemed less organized than the usual , making it a good target for a first run . They would be able to improve their teamwork and planning as they kept going .

It didn't take long for them to enter the area that the human invaders had claimed for themselves , but as the hours passed Zac started to frown .

Where are all the people? The report said that these people didn't kill everyone? - Zac asked Ogras who was running by his side .

They hadn't entered any of the towns they passed , but they had sent a scout inside for intelligence . However , every single town they had passed was completely deserted and seemed to have been so for months .

They have likely moved the population to large slave colonies , to save on resources . The beast problem will only get worse before it gets better , and it would waste too much manpower to guard all these small towns , - Ogras ventured with a shrug .

The demons were not too worried about the plight of the enslaved humans since they came from a society where slavery was quite common as well . Zac knew he couldn't change anyone's opinions on the matter , so he only kept running .

However , even the expressions of the demons started to change as they approached the core of the area controlled by the Ez'Mahal . They were proceeding along the main path toward the main settlement , and the path suddenly had an extremely disturbing change . The roadside was littered with corpses , an endless number of them . Some were impaled on large poles while others had been hung from trees along the road .

One thing that seemed to unite all of the poor people was that they had been alive when they were hung , judging by their expressions and poses . All of them had undergone inhumane torture before being left to die .

Animals , - Joanna growled as she placed a hand on a pale-faced Emily , while the others seethed as well .

Even the usually bloodthirsty demons looked at the morbid scene with disgust and Billy had lost his usual joviality as he looked around with red eyes .

Who did this? - the giant said with building fury .

The guys we are about to attack , - Zac said with a grim face . - The Ez'Mahal Confederation . -

Billy silently repeated the name as he kept looking at the trees , but suddenly a sound echoed from the distance as they saw a car approaching along the lonely road . It was a Jeep that had undergone some alterations to increase its sturdiness , and a large familiar insignia could be seen on the hood . It was the very same one in the intelligence report , meaning the car belonged to the Incursion .

It's them , - Zac said , preparing to capture one of them as the car stopped fifty meters away from them .

But Billy was one step faster as he pushed away from the ground with a roar , closing the distance in one herculean leap . His enormous club was already in his hand , rumbling like thunder as it fell straight toward . the Car . A few people hurriedly tried to create some distance from the car , but most barely had time to open the door before the club smashed into the roof with a thunderous explosion .

The tremendous attack flattened the car and most of its occupants in an instant . Only two men managed to escape in time , but Ogras was already on the move . One of them was immediately impaled by dozens of spears and thrown onto a branch , joining the other victims along the road . The other man was soon in Ogras' grip and forcefully dragged back toward Zac and the others .

Who are you? Attacking the Ez'Mahal will result in your forces being annihilated , - the man said with some remaining bluster . - Your men will become war slaves and your women whores! -

Zac didn't bother responding to the man and simply motioned for Ogras to extract information .

Look away , - Ogras said to Emily , but she staunchly shook her head as she glared at the man in front of them .

Ogras simply shrugged , and the next moment a shadow blade cut one of the man's legs clean off , making the man scream his lungs out . One of the demons in the group stepped forward , conjuring a fireball , and pressed it against the wound to stem the bleeding .

Now , answer our questions and you will get a quick death . Otherwise , we will keep chopping and cauterizing until you are more cooperative , - Ogras said with an unhurried voice .

The man frenziedly nodded that he would comply , his bluster completely gone in an instant . It turned out that the people hanging from the sides were slaves that had caused displeasure to the invaders . That could mean anything from not working hard enough or simply making eye contact , there was truly no rhyme or reason to it .

Normally the Ez’Mahal Confederation wasn't this brutal . Slaves were a commodity after all , and this was a waste of money . But the leader of the invasion was someone called Thanso , a scion of some large aristocratic family in the confederation .

He was extremely cruel and didn't care about the well-being of the natives in the slightest since he didn't care about the resources that the slaves could harvest . Instead , he turned the area into a twisted hellscape where his closest circle could do any depraved thing they wished while he mainly focused on the Dao .

However , most people were still alive thanks to an early discovery by the Ez'Mahal . A very large area with Spiritual Soil had been found close to the Nexus Hub , turning the area extremely suitable for the cultivation of certain in-demand herbs . The slaves were mainly used as a workforce to clear farmland and work the farms . But they were also used to stave off the beast hordes who were attracted by the large fields of Spirit Herbs .

Ogras kept asking about specifics in the defenses of the Incursion , and anything other information that was lacking in the intelligence report . There were no particularly strong forces in the area , meaning that the Incursion hadn't really been tested so far . That was likely due to a stroke of brilliance by the generals of the incursions though .

A large number of strike squads containing humans from the Ez'Mahal Empire infiltrated all the promising forces in the area right before the tutorial ended , and assassinated a lot of cultivators the moment they returned . That caused the collapse of most of the towns in the vicinity , making for easy pickings to restock on slaves .

The core of the incursion was a newly erected town called Grand Escape . It was an allusion to the fact that the Ez'Mahal nobles did not consider the invasion a life and death struggle , but rather a retreat where they could play around and gain some benefits before going home . However , that would all change soon .

There was a defensive array that seemed decently strong , and apart from that , there was an identification array similar to the one in Westfort . A tag was needed to pass through the gates without causing an alarm . Everyone from the Ez'Mahal Empire possessed one , and it seemed that the main function of the array was to stop slaves from escaping rather than protect from infiltrators .

Ogras took the tag from the captive , and after throwing a glance at Zac slit the man's throat , making him bleed out in seconds .

We can't use this , - Ogras said as he observed the tag . - It seems to have been connected to his life force . If we walked through the gates wearing this we would no doubt be caught . -

So we can only brute force it? - Zac asked , not sparing the dead man another glance .

No , I doubt that they went so far as to have a system that checks every single person's individual aura , - Ogras mused . - I think that we can use these tokens if we keep the original owners alive . If that fails as well , then we can only go straight in . -

Okay , we'll find another squad , - Zac said . - Billy , don't smash the next one . -

The group set out again , and soon they were only 30 minutes away from the Grand Escape . Traffic was a lot higher here , with both cars and cultivators riding some horse-like beats passing the streets every other minute . The group had already gone into the woods to avoid being spotted , and they captured five groups passing by in quick succession .

They were stripped of their clothes and weapons before Ogras and a few demons took them away . Zac threw a confused glance at him when he returned with a dense aura of blood around him .

They will live for an hour , perhaps two . Though they would probably wish it would be over much quicker though , - the demon said with a nefarious smile , and Zac didn't care enough to ask anything further .

Soon they were all dressed in gear from the captured squads , though they were forced to make some improvised modifications for Billy and the Demons . Hopefully , no one would look too carefully at the people inside the stolen vehicles .

If we get through the gates that's for the best , - Zac said as he looked at the squad . - If not we'll head straight for the castle . Kill everyone in the way , but conserve energy . Emily , give me the Endurance boost please . -

It wasn't that he was worried about getting hurt , but the aura would also boost Emily . Letting her gain a part of his own monstrous Endurance would help her stay safe in the upcoming battle . Emily nodded and the next moment a green axe appeared in her hand , and she threw it into Zac . He felt a surge of power , and a quick check of his status screen showed that it worked just like the fire axe , except this one gave Endurance and Vitality .

Wow , - Emily gasped as she looked with wide eyes at Zac , her own aura having suddenly increased by a large margin . - You're like a tank . -

Zac shrugged with a smile , knowing she was surprised by the size of the boost she got . She had likely believed that Strength was his highest attribute after seeing how much she got from the flame axe .

Girl , how much Endurance does he have? - Ogras said while poking Emily from the side .

Not telling , - Emily grinned .

Okay , that's enough , - Zac said with a helpless shake of his head . - They're going to notice a bunch of people has gone missing soon enough , let's head out . -

Chapter 302 - Rage

Three Cars and a military truck soon drove toward the gates of the Grand Escape , with the humans in the cars while the demons hid within the tarp of the truck , their heads cowled just in case .

Zac sat in the passenger seat while Joanna was driving . Ogras was the only demon not hidden away in the truck , and he sat in the back seat as well . Shadows had gathered around him , making his features indistinct without drawing attention to itself .

Who are you? - the guard captain said with a frown when he saw the odd procession .

We bring news to his Excellency Thanso , - Joanna said without missing a beat . - The natives are amassing for an assault . -

The guard’s brows rose in surprise , but they soon furrowed again as he took a second look at Joanna and Zac who calmly looked right ahead . But Zac was starting to get a bad feeling when no answer was forthcoming .

A- - was all that escaped the guard’s mouth before he and the other four gatemen had their necks cracked by shadowy tendrils that somehow had reached the guards from the odd shadow appendage that usually stayed within Ogras’ metal casing .

Zac quickly looked around , and when he saw there was no traffic in the area he pointed out two fingers from the window , and the next moment a Valkyrie jumped out of the car behind . She rushed over to the dead guards who were still held upright by Ogras’ shadows and touched them for a few seconds each before running back to the car .

Zac nodded toward Joanna and she sped off , leaving the corpses of the five guards frozen solid . They knew that little stunt wouldn’t buy a lot of time , but a minute or two was all they needed . The town wasn’t very big , and they already knew where they needed to go since Thanso was always holed up in his palace , mostly occupied with cultivating or torturing his poor slaves .

The convoy sped through the town at a breakneck pace as it was only a matter of time before the corpses of the guards would be noticed . Interestingly enough the hurry of their group seemed to lessen suspicion rather than the opposite . The people on the street seemed to be under the impression that they were hurrying along on official business and quickly got out of the way .

But even though they drove as fast as they could Zac was able to see the type of town the invaders had built . The Grand Escape was a completely alien settlement , just like Azh’Rodum on his island , and all the architecture was foreign .

But the interesting design choices weren’t what garnered Zac’s attention . It was the copious amount of slaves that hurried along the sides with their heads held down . Most were barely clothed even though winter was coming , and he couldn’t spot anyone without a fresh set of wounds .

It was easy to see the utter disdain the Ez’Mahal had for the native slaves , and they were treated worse than cattle . There were also a huge amount of brothels , with chained girls listlessly standing in the windows , their eyes devoid of emotion .

A fire raged in Zac’s chest , and he wanted to jump out of the car swinging . The Valkyries in the car looked even worse and it was as though their fury would set the car on fire .

They’ll pay , - Zac simply said as his eyes moved away from the road and toward the castle in the distance .

What’s our strategy? - Joanna said from the driver’s seat .

If the gate is open drive straight through it . If it’s closed , then I’ll open it . Afterward , we kill every soldier we can see , - Zac simply said drawing quick nods from the others .

The town wasn't very large , and it took just a few minutes to drive straight through the main street to the palace .

No array , - the Valkyrie sitting next to Ogras noted as her eyes had a golden glow .

The Valkyries had proven more versatile than Alea had made it sound like , and the abilities they possessed were far more diverse than he expected . They did all have spear-related classes , but many possessed their own niche abilities that rounded out the 100 woman squad .

Head right in , - Zac said with an emotionless voice , his axe already lying in his lap .

A few guards made to stop them , but they were ripped apart by shadows before they could even voice a complaint . The group of vehicles easily entered the large square in front of the palace and leisurely stopped in a line as everyone got out . Zac had already ripped apart the robe Ez’Mahal robe he had covered his real gear with , disgusted with even pretending to be part of this debased force .

A red blaring light suddenly exploded in the sky above the castle , and soldiers almost immediately flooded toward them from every direction . They were all wearing livery with two insignias ; one for the Ez’Mahal Confederation , and one for whatever aristocratic family Thanso belonged to .

Zac breathed out in relief when he saw that it was only well-trained soldiers who had moved to intercept them . The intelligence packet mentioned that these people used human wave tactics , sending throngs of slaves to their deaths to tire out their enemies . But luckily it looked like the innermost core of the Incursion was guarded by elites instead , enabling Zac and the others to fight without any compunctions .

Lay down your weapons immediately , - a guard captain shouted , but Zac simply hurled a large rock from his Cosmos Sack at him .

The captain was not bad , and a shield rose in front of him lightning-quick . But the force of the rock was massive , and he was thrown backward ten meters even though the rock disintegrated before it could harm him .

The guards stared with wide mouths at Zac , and the next moment shields and other protections covered the wide array of soldiers . There were roughly 800 people in front of them , and more were joining every minute .

Worse yet was that all of them were very strong , and a few of the soldiers might even have reached E-Rank , though barely .

Attack , - Zac simply said as he started to throw out fractal blades .

It looked like the strongest people of the incursion still weren't around , so Zac wanted to take the opportunity to thin out the numbers to lessen the pressure on his strike team . Not that he needed a reason since he was still completely infuriated after seeing the misery these people had brought upon Earth's citizens .

Five blades imbued with the Dao quickly soared toward the defensive line , ready to cut the army to pieces .

WHO DARES ATTACK LORD THANSO’S MANOR? - an enraged voice suffused with power echoed across the square , and a wiry man holding a spear jumped out from a window .

The man was clearly one of the stronger combatants of the force , and he even managed to destroy two of the fractal blades before they could wreak havoc on the army .

I guess that’s my cue , - Ogras shrugged as shadows started to converge around him .

You sure you can handle it? - Zac asked with some hesitation .

Ogras was pretty strong , but he was still only a peak F-Grade warrior . The other spear wielder had not just Evolved though , making Zac unsure whether Ogras could handle it .

You forget , my restrictions are completely gone while these guys seem to still be lacking 30 to 20% of their strength . Besides , you should be able to feel that this guy is nothing special , - Ogras said as he disappeared .

Heavy thuds followed Ogras’ disappearance as Billy thundered toward a thick clump of warriors . His eyes were almost completely red in rage , and he bellowed on top of his lungs as he swung his club in a thundering horizontal swing .

A wave of destruction erupted from the club , and it was as though the air itself cracked and exploded . The energy wave moved quite quickly as it pushed across the square and hit the front lines of the soldiers . The first row of people was immediately turned to a bloody mess as they were flung high up in the air .

Even the following rows received gruesome wounds from the odd skill , many even dying . Between his huge frame and his devastating attack , Billy quickly became a target of the soldiers , and a storm of attacks sailed toward him almost immediately .

Billy’s eyes widened in alarm , but the next moment a thick golden shield enveloped him , protecting him from the attacks falling like rain . It was the Valkyrie’s that worked together to form a defensive barrier , and since it only needed to protect one man they were able to make it extremely sturdy .

The volume of attacks caused cracks continuously that allowed the occasional attack to slip through , but while Billy’s Endurance wasn’t the highest it was high enough to shrug off errant attacks . Emboldened by the protection he charged straight into the crumbling line of Ez’Mahal .

Furthermore , he wasn’t alone but closely followed by a group of bloodthirsty demons rushing in his wake like a pack of wolves . Each of them was the cream of the crop among the demons , and they were also temporarily lent the best gear Port Atwood had to offer . The combination boosted their lethality to new heights as they entered a pitched battle with the soldiers who had already been forced to taste Billy’s wrath .

They had all recently evolved , and they were extremely eager to start leveling again . Many of the demons had been stuck at the bottleneck for decades , and the possibility of finally moving forward again pumped their veins full of adrenaline . Besides , they desperately needed to rack up a mountain of contribution to get cultivation resources .

The E-Grade brought far greater power , but the cost of progression also multiplied manifold . There was not only the issue of needing higher-graded Crystals to cultivate , but the medicinal baths cost far more . They even needed to upgrade their gear , since their weapons and armor wouldn’t be able to stand the increased Cosmic Energy for long .

Zac kept his distance while shooting out a constant stream of fractal blades to cull the numbers and prevent the soldiers from organizing . Since he didn’t need to exert his full force he decided to experiment with the Dao of Rot , imbuing all his attacks with it .

Another benefit of the corrosive Dao started to show itself after he had shot a handful of attacks into the soldiers . The blades usually only managed to kill ten or so before they soldiers managed to exhaust the attack , but the Dao of Rot left a lingering effect .

Pockets of decay started to form on the battlefield due to the compounding strikes , and even soldiers who were not directly wounded started to show signs of weakness and nausea . Zac was elated by the results , but he still kept his eyes peeled . The main reason he hadn’t entered the thick of it was that he was still waiting for the leaders to make their move .

Suddenly a spike of danger made Zac quickly erect his defenses . The next moment an ocean of small needles tried to rip him apart . All of them were even smaller than a sewing needle , but they contained a massive amount of force .

The swirling leaves around him were ripped apart one by one , and Zac felt like he was standing in an ocean of irate wasps . But an effective Endurance of over a thousand proved it's worth at this point , preventing the needles from causing anything more than light flesh wounds .

But Zac was a bit helpless in this situation since he had to block his eyes from being attacked . While his flesh was stronger than reinforced steel by this point the same thing couldn't be said for his eyeballs , and he would likely go blind if one of the needles struck him . Out of better options , he activated the charge on his new robes , and the thousands of needles were immediately pushed back from a shield looking like a shimmering blue shell .

Zac quickly moved his fingers as he glared around , and soon spotted a suspicious person standing in an alley between two houses . He was far from the battle , and his eyes were trained right on Zac . But most importantly he was decked in extremely gaudy clothes , completely ruining his attempt of hiding . Zac growled as he activated Loamwalker] and the next moment he was in front of him .

The man looked shocked , and an amulet quickly burst into light , forming a protective barrier around him . Zac only sneered as his axe fell down three times in rapid succession , breaking open the turtle shell . The next moment he richly decked man was grabbed by his throat . Alarm could be seen on his face as he the swarm of needles return to aid him .

But Zac simply used the man as a human shield , blocking the attempts to attack him once again . But he didn't properly stop struggling until Zac tightened the grip to the point that his neck almost broke .

Unhand the lord! - the wiry general shouted , but he was kept at bay by an ocean of shadow spears .

If you harm me your pitiful planet will be eradicated! - the youth wheezed out through his teeth . - You're just animals of lower bloodlines , know your place . -

Zac looked in the eyes of the man for a second , confused where he got this confidence from . In the end , he could only chalk it up to this idiot being too pampered throughout his life .

You think you could come here and treat us like cattle? - Zac said , his voice echoing out through the square .

Think again . -

The next moment a fountain of blood spurted in all directions as Zac directly ripped off Thanso's head and slammed it down into the ground .

Chapter 303 - Punishment

This was the weakest leader Zac had fought so far . He was clearly E-Rank , but neither his attributes nor Dao enlightenment were anything special . The weapon he used was pretty amazing though , likely a gift from his clan .

The soldiers looked on aghast at the fate of their lord , either worried about the incursion or the fate that awaited them when they returned . After seeing how easily Zac had handled one of the strongest men of the incursion their battle spirit quickly waned , and many started to look around for means of escape .

We surrender , we'll leave your planet as once! - one of the generals immediately shouted , and the eyes of many soldiers turned toward a structure in the distance . - The wealth accumulated during our stay is all inside Lord Thanso’s Cosmos Sack! -

We can't let them! - Joanna spat from the side .

Zac touched the Cosmos Sack as he mulled over what to do . He remembered what he learned back in the library , and this wasn’t necessarily the last time they encountered people from this confederation . He was still infuriated by how the Earthlings had been treated , but it would perhaps cause trouble down the line to act excessively .

There were no doubt a few who had already fled , making it impossible to keep the results of this battle on lockdown . But the moment he sensed what was inside the Cosmos Sack his pupils turned to needlepoints , and his rage was completely rekindled . Any thought of a ceasefire was immediately thrown out the window .

Corpses . Hundreds of corpses , mutilated and abused . Most of them were young women , but there were men and even children there as well . Zac looked down at the headless corpse of Thanso , infuriated that he died so easy . It took a special kind of monster to torture these many people then keep their bodies as mementos .

Leave no one alive , - Zac growled , and the next moment he exploded into action .

Despair filled the eyes of soldiers when they saw Zac's reaction , and they fled toward the Nexus Hub as fast as they could run . But how could it be that easy to escape an enraged Zac? Explosions of blood and gore erupted wherever warriors were clumped together as Zac arrived with Loamwalker] , destroying everyone around with wide sweeping arcs of death .

The others needed little prodding either as they unleashed all their strongest attacks on the collapsing defensive lines of the soldier . Ogras had taken the opportunity to assassinate one of the generals who was caught off-guard by Zac's wanton slaughter . That left only two more powerhouses on the side of Ez'Mahal , and Zac and Ogras picked each one . An all-out assault by Zac overwhelmed the mage , his defensive skills and treasure were whittled down in seconds .

Afterward , Zac simply shot out a handful of blades at the last general , who quickly got lost his life from being pincered . By this point , quite a few people were starting to stream in through the gates , and Zac was wondering if they were reinforcements . But when he saw their appearance he realized that they likely had received some prompt and wanted to escape back home through the Nexus Hub .

The fires of fury were far from abated after seeing the bodies Thanso kept in his Cosmos Sack , and Zac's eyes turned toward the large cathedral-like building that the Ez'Mahal people ran toward . The next moment a huge tear in space opened as the enormous hand of Nature's Punishment] emerged . Zac wasn't thinking straight as he flooded the hand with his Peak-grade Dao and Cosmic Energy .

The only thing on his mind was to completely destroy their last hope and punish the invaders . It almost looked like the hand was shrouded in green flames as it ripped through the air , quickly arriving at the teleportation hub . A dense aura radiated from it , it's very existence having a restraining effect on the soldiers beneath it .

Suddenly a fractal twenty meters across appeared above the hand as the fractal rings on the hands shone with blinding intensity . It was not something Zac had seen before , but when he laid his eyes on it he felt as though he breathed fresh air from a mountain top and smelt wet soil . It was the embodiment of earth itself .

Most importantly the aura kept intensifying , and everyone in the area was soon forced down on their knees , some even exploding due to the otherworldly pressure . It was as though the area in front of the building was being crushed by a mountain . However , that wasn’t all . The fractal suddenly flew straight down toward the ground , passing right through the wooden hand .

The fractal caused a hundred-meter wide indent to form around where it slammed down , and only those possessing decent defensive skills or treasures were still alive , albeit barely . The grand building that housed the Nexus Hub was barely standing . Its roof was caved in from the pressure and one of its walls had completely collapsed . It looked like it wouldn't stay up for much longer unless it was reinforced .

Wails in pain and panic echoed across the area as the Ez'Mahal soldiers still alive found themselves in a pit full of bodies and debris . The fighting had largely died out amongst those who had chosen fight instead of flight , and even those of his own side looked at Zac with wide eyes . But only he knew that the attack was only half-way over .

The next moment the wooden hand punched down with monstrous strength . The last remnants of the house were completely destroyed , and a second shockwave expanded as though a bomb had gone off in the epicenter . The screams of the few survivors from the fractal were drowned in the dust cloud of the explosion , and the whole area was covered in the haze .

Then there was just silence .

Zac took a few deep breaths as he looked at the destruction with hard eyes until they switched over to Ogras who walked over .

What about the rest? - Ogras said , not commenting the wanton slaughter Zac had just committed . - We've gone this far , we might as well hunt them down . -

Quite a few people arrived here through the Incursion , we won't be able to hunt them all down with our small squad , - Zac sighed , the fires in his chest having slightly abated . - Let's focus on freeing the slaves . And kill anyone who looks like he can become a threat . -

The demons nodded as he turned around . A sea of shadows suddenly emerged at the gate and dozens of spears impaled the few people who hadn't already fled after seeing Zac's attack . Billy simply sat down when seeing the battle was over , his lungs moving like bellows as he gulped for air . Tears were streaming down his eyes as he sat unmovingly , and Zac walked over with a frown .

Are you ok , Billy? - Zac asked as sat down in front of him .

Mama said to never hurt people , - Billy said . - But Mama never met people this bad . These people deserved it , but Billy is still sad . -

Zac sighed as he looked at the giant . He realized that Billy might not have ever killed humans before he joined on this mission as most of his time was spent in the Ratlight . The scene also made him wonder what kind of person he had become . He had killed close to a thousand people in just a few minutes . Yet he felt nothing , neither joy nor sadness or shame . It was as he had cut down a bunch of trees , eliciting no emotional reaction .

He patted the giant on his shoulder before he walked over to Emily and the squad of Valkyries who had protected her . They had stayed away from the thick of it , mostly providing support while keeping themselves safe .

Are you guys okay? - Zac asked as he looked at the group .

People are messed up , - Emily muttered before she looked up . - We need to become stronger , or we'll become slaves as well when the world loses its protection . -

The Valkyries emphatically nodded , having all too much experience in that department . When people could attain the powers of gods some truly started to treat normal humans as ants .

We'll sweep this place clean before we liberate the slaves in the town , - Zac said . - We'll also bring over a few hundred of the reserves to take control while we head over to the plantations . I'll watch over the remaining soldiers . -

The girls nodded , and soon the small strike squad went through every nook and cranny of the castle . Soon hundreds of slaves had been found , some in extremely horrible conditions . A few even chose to immediately end their lives the moment their shackles were removed .

Everyone was moved out to the square , standing some distance from the timid group of Ez'Mahal soldiers who had thrown down their weapon . They didn't dare to move a muscle after Zac had told them to stay put before sitting down to restore his energy .

No one even as much as dared to breathe loudly when sensing the immense aura that Zac emitted . He was sitting in the middle of the square as both a deterrent for any foolish actions and also because he was simply a bit tired . The attack had cost far more than a normal Nature’s Punishment] had , and he curiously opened his menu as he waited for the others to finish their sweep .

Nature's Punishment - Proficiency : Late . Awaken the wrath of the world . Upgradeable]

It had actually upgraded to late proficiency . Furthermore , Zac had a feeling that it upgraded before he even used it . After reading the flavor text he had a strong feeling that the upgrade was linked to his emotional response . He had been well and truly infuriated after seeing Thanso’s bag , and that rage had fueled the skill .

Unfortunately , he also noticed that the battle hadn’t been enough to reach level 75 , even though he had killed two E-Grade cultivators . He even felt that he wasn’t all that close , meaning that the final level seemed to require far more energy than the earlier ones . Still , if there was one thing he wouldn’t lack the coming weeks were enemies , so he wasn’t worried he wouldn’t get there soon enough .

Eventually , Zac turned his eyes to the hundreds of ragged people who stood huddled on the square . Their eyes were all trained on him , some with hope , and others with fear . He retracted his aura as he stood up , gripping an E-Grade Nexus Crystal in his hand . His sudden movement made the group instinctually shrink back , and some even tried to hide the few children behind their emaciated bodies .

I am Zac Atwood , - Zac said with a loud voice . - You might know me as the Super-Brother Man from the Ladder . We have killed all the leaders of the Ez’Mahal , and we will begin clearing out the area to kill every one of these scum . You all are free . -

All the people stared blankly at him for a few seconds , until a few broke down and started crying in large tears of relief . Others simply fell down on their knees , holding their heads . A few even kneeled in front of him in thanks .

But suddenly chaos erupted in the ranks of the former slaves as a young man around 17 or 18 jumped a middle-aged woman , ruthlessly started to punch her . Weirder yet was that not a single person tried to help her , instead opting to either look away or look on with schadenfreude .

YOU FUCKER , - he shouted and started to relentlessly punch and claw at the woman , seemingly intent to tear her apart .

Zac frowned and flashed over before lifting the youth and tossing him away with one hand .

What are you doing? - Zac asked with a frown .

That bitch sold so many girls out to those alien psychopaths . It’s because of her my sister was tortured to death , - he screamed , tears running down his cheeks .

We all did what we had to do to survive! - she said , her eyes thick with fear as she glanced at Zac . - They would be found out soon anyway! They had eyes everywhere . -

A spear tip suddenly burst out through her chest , and she looked down at her engorged chest with confusion , before her eyes turned vacant . Zac looked up at Joanna who stood behind her with ruthless eyes .

Question everyone , find the other conspirators , - Zac said , steeling his heart . - Purge everyone who betrayed Earth . -

His order quickly caused a few individuals to be isolated as they screamed and pled to be spared . But the Valkyries had long turned to ruthless killing machines as the targets were quickly executed after the details were confirmed . Zac himself didn't act , but he passively looked at the result of his order . But while his exterior was calm the same couldn't be said of his thoughts .

He felt he was walking down a dark path , the weight of his victims causing a heavier and heavier burden . Would he emerge with his soul intact , or would the sin of his actions consume him?

Chapter 304 - Plantations

Zac knew a lot of blood would be shed from his order , but he didn’t want to leave cancerous individuals behind . Every force he liberated would also become part of his jurisdiction , and he could not leave such hidden risks in times of war .

Next , he purchased a teleporter , as the moment that he had killed thanso and the last general the town was considered his by the System . A Valkyrie immediately stepped through it to report back to Port Atwood , and to relay his orders . Hundreds of reserve fighters would join the area soon enough to stabilize the situation and return some order to the chaos .

He internally winced at the cost of all these transportations , but he also knew that the value of the area far outweighed the cost . It became increasingly clear from reading the intelligence on the incursions that they were all placed close to some sort of natural resource .

The demon Incursion not only got the Nexus Vein , but also the Tree of Ascension . It had already been confirmed that the mountains of the second Incursion he closed were rich in valuable metals , and this place had the farmland with spiritual soil .

That farmland was also why Zac was a bit hurried . And after giving a few more commands to Joanna he gathered Ogras , Emily and half of the Demons and Valkyries . The others would be led by Billy to keep things in check . All the strongest people had long been killed , so Billy would have no trouble keeping things in check as longs as the remaining Valkyries shielded him .

The rest needed to go to the vast plantations and claim them before the Ez’Mahal people could ruin or plunder the fields in revenge . Winter was coming , but that didn’t affect Spiritual Soil and Spirit Herbs who could grow year-round straight through the ice if need be .

Who here has been to the plantations? - Zac asked as he looked at the slaves .

The bloody spectacle of Joanna had once again cowed the crowd , but soon a middle-aged man stepped forward .

There are three large plantations , my lord , - he said with a posh British accent . - I have been to all three . I have also heard chatter of a higher-grade garden , but I never learned where it was situated . -

Zac had the man enter the car they used to get inside before he entered as well . Just as they were about to drive out they noticed people streaming out of the teleporter . The reserves clearly had been on standby since less than three minutes were needed for them to organize everything . Zac felt confident in leaving the town now when there were hundreds of his soldiers keeping things in order .

The car once again sped through the streets of the Grand Escape . It turned out the man that Zac brought was called Henry , just like the Marshall patriarch . However , his history was quite different . He was a trained butler , and Thanso had thought it was novel to have a native servant to wait upon him .

He was one of the few people that had been treated somewhat decently of the slaves . Not though benevolence though , but because Henry was very skilled , and Thanso did not want to waste time finding a new native Butler .

More impressively the reason that he seemed so popular amongst the slaves was that he had dared to lie straight into Thanso’s face , saving dozens of poor women who would have met grim fates otherwise . Of course , he had only been able to save a scant few of Thanso’s numerous victims , but Zac was still impressed with the guts of the man .

As they drove through the town chaos was already taking hold . A lot of the people in the city were various non-combat classes supporting the invasion , and when the leaders and the soldiers fell , pandemonium soon erupted .

No matter where he looked former slaves were rising up against their masters in an all-out brawl . Neither were very powerful , but the slaves didn’t seem to care about their lives as they mobbed the foreign invaders like a swarm of angry bees .

Zac didn’t have any means to help them out , but after throwing Ogras a look , shadow spears started emerging within a hundred meters of the cars . No matter where one looked Ez’Mahal natives were getting skewered and by the time they left the town hundreds had fallen to Ogras’ attacks . Ogras had understood Zac's intent though and only attacked those who were killing Natives .

They followed the directions of Henry as they sped through the roads , heading toward the closest plantation . According to the butler , around ten thousand slaves were working there . Zac couldn’t understand how a plantation could need so much manpower , but when he understood why he was livid .

The Ez’Mahal possessed an extremely sinister array to speed up the growth of the plants . A slave was needed to continuously infuse the array with energy , and the energy helped the herbs grow faster . But it didn’t only sap the slaves of their energy , it also slowly sapped them of their life force .

They even had special cultivation manuals that were extremely efficient in restoring lost Cosmic Energy , but in turn were essentially useless in progressing in levels since it harmed one’s foundations . They forced any slaves who were cultivators to swap to this manual and used them to feed the most precious herbs .

Not only did that help the Ez’Mahal to harvest the plants far quicker than usual , but it also prevented rebellion . The slaves were always so drained that they could barely stand , let alone fight in an insurrection .

The group drove for roughly 30 minutes on a newly constructed road until the forests gave way to an enormous field spanning god knows how large an area . They didn’t even see it all due to some fields having plants reaching a few meters into the air , but it had to be at least dozens of football fields large .

Is all this on Spiritual Soil? - Zac asked with wide eyes .

I am not too knowledgable about what Spiritual Soil is , but the actual area with the better soil is even larger than this , - Henry said after thinking it over . - Deforestation has been ongoing since the integration to open up more farmland . But apparently , the soil is littered with solid rock , and they have been forced to move a mountain's worth of boulders to clear it . -

As they entered the plantation Zac soon noted mats placed through the fields , and on some of them people were sitting , seemingly in meditation . But at other spots people were aimlessly wandering with confusion and hesitation in their eyes .

They approached a large mansion that was almost in the middle of the fields , and Zac’s brows rose when he saw it was surrounded by people . They looked emaciated but spirited , holding everything from wooden clubs to large rocks in their hands .

Unfortunately , the car Zac and the others sat in was a stolen Ez’Mezal vehicle and the moment they approached they were pelted by rocks as the revolting slaves closed in on them . Henry’s eyes widened in alarm , but Ogras only snorted as he stepped out .

The smarter slaves quickly stopped in their tracks when they saw the demon’s appearance , but the most irate slaves didn't even register the set of horns on Ogras' head .

Don’t kill anyone , - Zac said as he stepped out as well .

The next moment the slaves had frozen in place , with everyone who still held a weapon in their hand having a shadow spear trained on their throat or hearts . Resistance immediately crumbled in the face of overwhelming power , and the rebels quickly discarded their makeshift weaponry .

We are not part of the Ez'Mahal . We are their enemies . Where are the leaders who ran this place? - Zac asked with a loud voice .

They ran in that way! - a woman shouted , pointed in the direction of the woods with anger . - They took everything they could carry as well . Treasures and herbs! We had no way to stop them or keep up with their speed . -

How long ago? - Zac asked .

Fifteen minutes ago , - she said with a note of uncertainty .

Zac looked over at Ogras , who nodded and suddenly got swallowed in shadows , disappearing from sight . Zac probably possessed the speed to run them down as well , but he was pretty bad at tracking . Ogras was even faster than he was , and his skill set was far more suited for assassinating the slavedrivers .

Those who remained hesitantly looked at Zac , their eyes occasionally darting toward their weapons again . But a burst of his bloodsoaked aura quelled any thoughts of resuming their rebellion .

Zac coughed and repeated the same story to this set of slaves , about who he was and what had happened . This time no one had seen the battle in the Grand Escape , so convincing the plantation slaves about the situation wasn’t quite as simple . But the flight of all the Ez’Mezal personnel was a clear indicator that what Zac said wasn't without merit .

What now? - one woman suddenly asked . - Where is the government? Will they help us? -

I am sorry , but no , - Zac said , realizing that these people likely had no idea what was going on with Earth .

The governments have all fallen , and a few new ones have taken their place , - Zac said . - Around 15% of the world’s population remains , the rest have fallen to Incursions or wild beasts . Desperate battles are taking place all over the world .

My armies are currently marching against a horde of tens of millions of Zombies . Yes , literal zombies like in the movies , - Zac said . - There is even an old monster heading toward Earth , a being so strong that he can destroy a whole city with a punch . -

So there is nowhere I can take you all . And honestly , even if I could , why would I? It costs a fortune to teleport someone , and the world has become too massive and dangerous to travel by road or air . But you are welcome to stay here . We are currently rooting out the last of the invaders , but this area will be part of my sphere of influence , and it will be somewhat safe at least , - Zac finished .

Hopelessness filled the eyes of the people gathered in front of him . Many had likely dreamt of being saved by the government , followed by a return to normalcy . But such a thing no longer existed on this planet , and it wouldn't return until their place in the universe was secured through strength .

Will we be forced to continue using these arrays? - the woman who pointed out where the overseer fled asked .

No one should be using those things , - Zac said with a shake of his head . - From what I understand they will sap your life force , slowly killing you . -

The colors of the faces in front of him turned noticeably better when they learned that they wouldn’t have to slave in the arrays any longer though . Zac sighed when he saw their weak erratic auras , and the next moment a small hill of Nexus Crystals appeared in front of him .

Each of you take one , - Zac said . - If you don’t know , these are Nexus Crystals . They are used for either restoring one’s energy or gaining levels . There is no side-effect to using them , but they aren’t as effective for gaining levels as killing beasts . -

The slaves hesitantly looked at the mound of crystals for a bit until a few of them stepped forward . Zac noted that some of them were around level 15 to 22 , and likely Cultivators . These people had probably been caught the moment they returned from the Tutorial , and barely had any progress since then due to the cultivation manual they were forced to use .

Since everything was dealt with for now he took out a chair to wait for Ogras , and he fielded any questions the people in front of him had . As the minutes passed more and more people were joining , especially after Zac told a few people to gather those out on the fields .

There were still quite a few who were still infusing their arrays , afraid that the odd situation might be a trap to trick them . But soon over a thousand people had gathered in front of him , each clinging to a Nexus Crystal as though it was a heavenly treasure .

In the next few days , I will open up a store in the town . You can buy more Nexus Crystals there , or anything else you may need . From supplies to weapons and armor , - Zac said . - We only take Nexus Coins though . -

Most of us barely have any coins at all , how will we survive? - one of the braver men asked .

Port Atwood will provide for everyone for a limited time , but sooner or later you will have to provide for yourselves . You can either get jobs or hunt monsters for Nexus Coins and materials , - Zac explained .

What can we even do? You’re level 74 , but most of us aren’t even level 10 . We weren’t allowed to gain levels , any energy we managed to gather went straight into these god damn plants , - another man grunted .

It hasn’t even been a year since the integration took place . I am sure it has felt like an eternity to you , but in terms of the multiverse , it is nothing . If you manage to upgrade your race to E-Grade your lifespan will increase to 500 years . Upgrade it again you will live for thousands of years . What are a few months lost? - Zac retorted .

The means to upgrade your race will be available for purchase in our shops . Even Mortals can evolve their race , - Zac continued . - But you should know that nothing in this world comes free . Only those who struggle and gain enough resources will be able to afford the treasures needed . -

Quite a few of the haggard slaves perked up at Zac's explanation . A fire rekindled in their eyes , shining with determination to overcome their current situation . However , Zac sighed when he saw that most of them were still downcast . But at least he gave a few of them something to strive for .

Not much later Ogras returned with a lazy expression , his eyes flashing with a hint of disdain as he looked at how the slaves clutched their Nexus Crystals .

I thought you would want to see this , - Ogras said as fifteen heads thumped down on the ground . - This should be the leaders of this place . I didn’t bother with the heads of the others . -

Chapter 305 - War

The hordes will arrive in our designated War Zone in eight days . We expect the second horde to come in contact with the coalition of Port Atwood and the Sino-Indians two days later , - Mark said as he looked down at the map .

Mark was a distant uncle to Thea , and he was assigned as her primary advisor for the upcoming war . The middle aged man was a seasoned veteran of the Royal Air Force and a decorated general , so it was no surprise that he would be calling the shots in the battle against the undead . Officially he was only here in an advisory role though , with Thea being the figurehead .

Still , she wanted to understand as much as she could even if she might not be the real strategist of the war . A lot of people would die in the upcoming weeks , some as a direct result of her commands . She owed it to them to do everything she could to keep that number as low as possible .

Why don’t we immediately fight them? - Thea asked with a frown . - We’re giving them free rein over hundreds of miles of land . -

For one we want them as far away as possible from the Incursion , - Mark explained as he pointed toward the edge of the Dead Zone . - The geeks have surmised that these hordes are large enough to affect the area , changing the Cosmic Energy into miasma at a rate higher than they consume .

But our goal is to splinter the horde and whittle them down , turning the horde into smaller groups that won't have this benefit . If we can bring the units beneath the critical mass needed to maintain the transformation we can starve them out . Even if they turn back at that time they will have a week’s travel before they can resupply on miasma , - the general said as he scratched his beard .

But they will destroy all the towns in their path , - Thea muttered .

Small price to pay . Besides , we have evacuated most of the people living in the path toward us , - Mark said .

How long do you think this war will take? - Thea asked , her thoughts heading to Zac .

At least a month , - Mark said with some hesitation . - Problem is we can’t tell how many elite warriors they have , and that will affect the speed at which can dismantle the horde . They have a thick layer of trash out at the edges , and the cloud of miasma blocks our vision of what hides in the core . -

How many Incursions do you think their team will be able to close in that time? - Thea asked , interested in hearing the opinion of a war veteran .

I wouldn’t know , girl . You know his strength better than me . But it seems they want to keep the land they claim , and that will take far more time than the battle , - Mark said with a snort . - Port Atwood is about to get a real headache on their hands . -

You know , you will need a better strategy than simply running interference , - Ilvere’s voice said as he walked inside the tent .

What? - Alea said with confusion , once again looking down at the map detailing the progress of the undead horde .

Lord Atwood , - Ilvere guffawed , drawing an even stare from the poison mistresses . - I heard about your little stalking over in that human town . You even sent the little blue one to ruin the mood , no? -

That is none of your business . Besides , it was to avoid letting that woman taking advantage of us , - Alea said .

I’m sure , - Ilvere snorted as he walked over to the table . - You should know that our cultures are different . I could simply beat up the others to court Lady Alyn , but that sort of approach seems to make the humans angry . -

I don’t understand what you see in that bloodthirsty lunatic , - Alea said with a shake of his head .

Perhaps I simply like living on the edge , - Ilvere smiled .

Alea rolled her eyes before she looked down at the table in silence a few seconds , as if in deep thought .

Am I a fool for pursuing this? - Alea suddenly asked .

Following one’s heart is never foolish , - Ilvere said .

When did you become so wise? - Alea said , some humor returning to her eyes .

Well , I wasn’t blessed with a rich daddy nor a pretty face , so I had to use my head for my conquests , - Ilvere grinned before once again looking down at the map . - So what are you thinking? -

I’m thinking that we will have to work a lot without pay . These things will barely bring any money per kill , - Alea sighed . - At least it will temper this pathetic excuse for an army . -

If you think ours is bad you should see the ones from that other force , - Ilvere said with disgust . - It’s no wonder their countries became food for the undead . -

What do you mean? - Alea asked with confusion . - Our reports say their armies are almost three hundred thousand men strong , with more joining every day . -

A large group of trash , - Ilvere said . - Armed with pre-integration weaponry . Most are below level 10 . They will probably just turn into even more zombies to kill . And all that energy and money being left on the table . I’d say that only fifty thousand or so are proper warriors , though their levels aren’t anything impressive . -

What about the two elites that are on the ladder? - Alea asked .

They act like they’re gods , but I’d be able to fight them both to a draw with my restrictions in place , - Ilvere said with a shake of his head .

About the restrictions , - Alea slowly prodded . - Did you…? -

Yeah , I got the quest . As did Janos , - Ilvere said . - But completing our mission comes first . -

Agreed , but if we see the opportunity , - Alea said , drawing a nod from the demon general .

And if those two get in the way? -

Then they can join the Undead General in hell , - Alea said with equanimity .

If you were only this assertive with your private life , - Ilvere said with a final laugh as he left the tent , holding his breath to avoid the wave of poison that followed him out .

Thank you as always , Miss Sui , - Ling Tian said as he stood up .

You should rest some more , - Sui said as she looked at the back of her new team leader with worry .

He looked fine but Sui knew that he was anything but . His whole body was a maze of scars from countless battles with the undead .

I might not be a cultivator but I can gain strength with these two hands , - Ling Tian said , tightening his fist . - More importantly , every Zombie we kill now will be one less to rampage across the settlements in the coming weeks . This is the final battle . -

But you need to be alive to keep protecting the people , - Sui sighed .

Haven’t you read the stories? - Ling Tian said with a youthful smile as he stood up to rejoin the battle . - The hero always starts out as a weakling , but soon grows into prominence . -

Sui didn’t know what to say as she saw the receding form of Ling Tian , unsure whether it was her place to butt in . She knew that many made fun of Ling Tian for his chosen name or what they perceived as a vain attempt of playing the hero .

But she truly felt he was a hero . He wasn’t overly strong , yet he dared to risk his life over and over . Who knew how many he had saved over the past months , relentlessly keeping the undead at bay in the area around Eastern Hills . That in of itself was a great achievement . After all , he was not like that man .

Ling Tian was not able to single-handedly mow through an army with a swing of his axe , and his aura wasn’t as vast as the sea .

Suddenly , as if summoned by her thoughts she saw the hunched-over form of Wang Fang walking by . By now he was only a shell of the man he once was , with his cheeks sunken and dark circles under his eyes . The aura of life around him had long turned a murky yellow , compared to the vibrant gold that she usually saw around people . He was not long for the world .

Enjoying the effects of your boyfriend’s scheming? - Wang Fang growled when he noticed Sui's glance .

David told you the water was poisoned and warned everyone not to drink it , - Sui said with annoyance , having repeated the same thing untold times .

It wasn’t only his body that had warped , but so had Wang Fang’s mind . His actions against David had caused the Monastery to speak out against him in the end , causing their whole hunting squad to become pariahs in the whole eastern border of the Dead Zone .

But not once had Wang Fang looked inward to his own failings , and instead squarely put all the blame on the man who called himself David . Of those who had ignored David’s warning and partook in the cursed water , only Wang Fang was still alive .

Their group had no choice but to travel to a settlement far away to avoid the angry mob wanting to curry favor with the Abbot . But they were soon driven out again due to Wang Fang’s infamy and irascible personality . It was only at Ling Tian’s town Eastern Hills they found sanctuary . Ling Tian took anyone in as long as they were ready to fight the undead threat .

I might die soon , but that man might join the war . I will drag that schemer with me to hell if it’s the last thing I do , - Wang Fang growled after throwing Sui one last glance , walking away toward his tent .

The next time we meet David will be the day he dies , - a condescending voice said from behind . - How does he still not realize who he is? -

Sui looked back at John , one of the few westerners who had lived in the Dead Zone since the beginning .

The poisonous water has made him irrational and paranoid . He doesn’t believe people when they explain how the description of the Super Brother-Man in King’s Crossing perfectly matches David , - Sui said with some helplessness .

But she wondered , would he be in the army they were heading toward?

Your Eminence , the town of Port Atwood has once again arrived to check up on our status . Do you wish to meet with them? - the elderly monk asked after opening the doors to the secluded courtyard .

Abbot Everlasting Peace sighed as he looked up at the sky . Ribbons of gold crossed the sky above him , making him feel both wonder and despair . Everything would come to an end , but would he truly be able to sever it? Should he?

Was this truly the correct path toward enlightenment?

Brother Stillness looked at the wistful expression on the usually serene face , and worry started to mar his ancient face . He had assisted the Abbot for decades , and he had never seen such an expression .

Your eminence…? - elder Stillness said with concern as he took a hesitant step toward the pond . - Is it the yin creatures? The mountain will provide sanctuary . -

Brother Stillness , do you remember when we were young? - Abbot Everlasting Peace suddenly said as he looked at the elder monk across the pond . - This penniless monk ate the Yumberries that elder Small Mountain had grown with meticulous care behind his abode . -

When this one scurried away he noticed Brother Stillness sitting in a tree not far away , witnessing the theft . Yet when asked by elder Small Mountain Brother Stillness lied and said you ate them . Was this lie good or bad? -

The elder’s long wispy brows rose in surprise before he donned a thoughtful look .

Lying is not only harming others , but it is also harming one’s self . It is a corruption of the path , and the Buddha decreed lying to be against one the moral precepts , - elder Stillness said before he bowed in thanks . - Amitabha . Only through self-reflection can one find the path . -

Abbot smiled as he looked at the ribbons once more , his eyes turning toward the 5 Pitch-Black ones rising into the cosmos from various corners of the continent . Next , his eyes moved toward the Silver ribbon inlaid with countless fractals , which as usual thrummed with recognition when it was being observed . He once again sighed and looked back down at his old friend .

Small Mountain was not truly harmed by my theft . He never intended to eat them himself , and chalked it up to the berries going to their fateful owners , - Abbot Everlasting Peace smiled as he caressed the thick golden line connecting himself and elder Stillness . - Yet the shelter you provided a young scared acolyte proved to become a gesture that this penniless monk remembers even 80 years later . -

The old monk looked a bit confused at the Abbot’s exclamation . Was this a karmic lesson , or was the Abbot simply reminiscing? But he didn’t have the chance to inquire as the old Abbot suddenly rose to his feet for the first time in months .

Abbot . . ! Your wound - ? Stillness exclaimed with worry , though he couldn’t hide the excitement in his eyes .

What will come to be , will be , - Abbot Everlasting Peace said , stepping out from the lotus .

Small ripples expanded on the pond as the abbot stepped on the water surface as though it was solid ground . But that wasn’t what truly shocked the old monk .

The magical Zen Treasure that Abbot had sat upon for months in order to recuperate started glowing and changing the moment that the Abbot stepped down from it . The flower radiated a holy light as it rose from the pond , and flew up to position itself behind the Abbot .

As Everlasting Peace walked across the pond golden Sanskrit started to appear in a script across the flower , which itself turned into a holy white . In just seconds it had turned into a Buddhist halo , with dense writings covering its every surface .

As brother Stillness' eyes read the lines his mind turned blank for a second , before he felt an unprecedented clarity . His eyes , full of understanding , quickly moved to meet the Abbot's , who only smiled in response . Excitement filled brother Stillness' heart for a second , but it soon was suffused by a deep sadness .

Your eminence , this means . . . ?! - he hesitantly asked .

What will be , will be . -

Chapter 306 - The Tal-Eladar

It took Zac three days to bring a semblance of order to Verdant Fields , which was the new name given to Grand Escape . The old name simply had too many bad memories associated with it . He initially wanted to head straight to the next Incursion the same day , but he soon realized he had to give up on that plan .

First of all the warriors needed rest . They weren’t like Zac with his monstrous attributes . They had truly risked their lives in the battle , and most of the demons had various degrees of wounds , notwithstanding the high-quality gear that Zac lent them .

It was easy to forget that they had charged into an army of hundreds of men with less than twenty people , even though they were just a little bit stronger than the defenders . It was almost a miracle that no one died . Of course , chalking it up to just luck was oversimplifying it . They had arrived with monstrous momentum , and between Zac , Ogras , and Billy the enemies' lines completely collapsed before they could mount a resistance .

Apart from rest and post-battle meditation to consolidate the Dao , there was also the need to consolidate the area . Verdant Fields was in the center of a region with extreme potential value , and Gredas , the old demonkin farmer , had immediately rushed over when he heard about the huge fields of Spiritual Soil .

They had quickly decided to transplant a large amount of the soil to Port Atwood and its neighboring farming islands , but this place would likely become the agricultural headquarters of his empire in the future . The herbs that were currently growing would be able to be used for medicinal baths , something that would be in extremely high demand on earth the coming decades as people tried to evolve their race .

But restoring order to the area was easier said than done . There was not only the issue of clothing , feeding , and treating thousands upon thousands of liberated slaves , but they also needed to set up a working governing body . All while hunting the Ez’Mezal warriors who still hid in the population .

Zac had made fleeing Earth impossible in his fit of rage , but that had also left them with the headache of finding the invaders . This wasn’t like the golem Incursion where it was extremely easy to figure out who the enemies were , since the foreign invaders from the Ez'Mahal Empire were able to blend in with a change of clothes .

They were forced to bring over the array that Ogras had used to find the shapeshifters , but by the time they got the array running most had already left the area .

The one thing that made their lives a bit easier was how quickly the non-combat classes had given up , and they hadn't caused any problem so far . Their people came from an empire completely based on slave labor , so a force being defeated and its people turned into slaves happened every day . It was lucky as well that they adapted to the situation so quickly , since there were tens of thousands of them .

Zac was shocked at the count , as the number of people far eclipsed what the demons brought to his island . Usually , the incursions weren't too populous since it cost Nexus Coins to send everyone over , but non-combat classes were far cheaper compared to powerhouses .

But the biggest reason there were so many of them was that the invaders gained its first round of reinforcements not long ago . It was inevitable that the incursions would be able to bolster their ranks within the first year , but Zac was still a bit disappointed that it had already happened . It didn't really affect them in this battle , but he had a feeling that they simply got lucky this time .

The Ez'Mahal had no strong enemies in the area , and Earth's performance hadn't impressed anyone so far . Zac , Billy , and Thea were the only ones who had defeated their neighboring Incursions , and Zac's feat wasn't even publicly known . They likely hadn't felt there was any need to bolster their troops in the short run , and instead sent over personnel to manage the slaves and help extract everything of value in the area .

Currently , the vast number of non-combat people were separated from the former slaves , and their expertise and actions were being tallied by his army . They needed proper insight into what they were dealing with here .

As things started to get under control with the help of the personnel from Port Atwood , Zac and the others started to turn their eyes toward the next target . He and the others of the strike force were currently sitting in a conference room in Thanso's former mansion , planning their next step .

Things are mostly settled here , - Ogras said from the other side of the table . - Which one have you decided on next? -

Zac looked around the room and saw a wide range of emotions . The demons looked eager as ever , perhaps since two of them had managed to improve a Dao Seed after the battle . Apparently , one’s connection to the Dao also improved when one evolved , though Zac didn’t know if that also applied to himself with his weird constitution .

The Valkyries sat with stone-cold eyes full of determination . The pitiful lives of the slaves in the area had rekindled the buried memories of their own fates in Greenworth , and they wanted to keep fighting to free others who had been enslaved . For them the battles weren’t about resources or improvement , but about liberation .

Emily had returned to her happy-go-lucky self . She had been shaken by the evil perpetrated in Verdant Green before they reclaimed it , but she had channeled that shock and rage into her desire to become stronger . And she was currently riding the powerleveling train that was Zac .

His rampage had actually awarded her almost two levels . Curiously enough she gained almost all of it from the weaker soldiers , whereas the death of the incursion leader awarded her next to nothing . It was at that point Ogras explained that she got a penalty due to the level difference , just like Zac gained no energy for killing weaker beasts by now .

It was a way to avoid too blatant exploitation . But the result was still above expectation since she gained quite a bit of Cosmic Energy without lifting her fingers . It wasn’t even impossible that she’d be able to break into the ladder if she followed Zac for a month or two .

The one with the elves , - Zac said , taking out one of the intelligence missives . - It’s another force that has actively hunted outside their region for slaves . But this one isn’t run by trash . They have some sort of detection arrays , and their defensive array is perpetually running . We will not be able to ambush them . -

Ogras grabbed hold of the stack of information with a frown .

The Tal-Eladar , - he said , causing some blood lust to leak from the demonic soldiers . - I do not recognize their crest , though . -

The Tal-Eladar wasn't truly elves , but Marshall clan informally called them that due to their appearance . They had long pointed ears that slightly drooped at their tip and lithe frames , which brought to mind elves from fantasy stories . However , there were some differences between elves and the humanoids in the incursion .

First of all their eyes looked a bit creepy according to the report , and a comment likened them to goat's eyes , with oblong horizontal pupils and no sclera . Their teeth were also sharp , meaning they didn't live on morning dew and fruits like elves in the stories did .

Their actions of constant expansion and raids weren't very reminiscent of the harmonious bearing of the woodland people either . While the Ez'Mahal had been somewhat content with tending to their massive plantations the Tal-Eladar had increased the size of their Incursion three-fold since the initial push . It was nowhere near the actions of the Undead Empire , but it was still a large-scale conquest .

That was one of the main reasons why Zac chose this incursion . The Ez'Mahal was targeted for the combination of the horrible treatment of natives with their weak force . The Tal-Eladar were instead targeted for their constant expansion . Every time they conquered a new town more people would be enslaved or killed , and nipping it in the bud as quickly as possible was important to stop their expansion .

But what Zac didn't expect was the reaction of the demons in the conference room .

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

The Tal-Eladar and the demonkin are in an almost perpetual war in our sector , - Ogras explained . - You remember how Clan Azh’Rezak makes their money as mercenaries? Our progenitor was a mercenary who made his name in a war against these people . In fact , most of our elders and veterans have fought in wars against the Tal-Eladar . -

So it’s a racial thing , - Zac said . - Well , we will still go by the standard plan . We will see how they have treated people . If it’s like here , then they will get the same treatment . If they have acted within limits then we will let them leave , no matter your bad blood . -

The demons looked a bit unwilling , but soon they acquiesced .

Good . I don’t want to have to lug around the Origin Array everywhere to hunt dissidents , - Zac said as he turned to Billy who was sitting by one of the ends of the table with a vacant stare .

Billy , will you be able to fight? - Zac probed .

Ah? - Billy said , waking with a start . - Billy can fight . -

Good . We are going to another bad place , just like this place was , - Zac said . - We need you to thwonk their shield . Like you did in the hunt to save Thea . -

Billy seriously nodded .

Mama always said the strong need to help others . Billy will help save the people . -

Good , - Zac said . - Is there anything else that needs to be done here? -

Everything is dealt with , except our lack of experts is making itself shown , - Ogras said with a sigh . - We don’t have anyone strong enough to hold down the fort . -

I don’t want anyone to defend this place to their deaths , - Zac said . - If someone wants to take this piece of land , let them . I will make them give it back , and then some , after we’re done with the Incursions . But I don't want to leave these people to their fates if I can help them . -

We do not need too large defending forces for now , - Ogras agreed . - I doubt anyone on this baby planet can block teleporters or perform other advanced siege tactics . But we simply do not possess the man-power if we wish to run a dozen spheres of influence from all the Incursions we will conquer . -

I think we can make use of the people here , - Joanna interjected .

A few of the demons threw her a dismissive glance . It wasn't a dig at the Valkyrie , but rather about what they thought of the liberated humans . And it was true , there was not a single competent warrior as far as the eye could see . The Ez'Mahal had made sure of that . But Joanna ignored the looks and pressed on .

I don't mean for defenses , but running the places . We only need a small number of people to act as the police , while we set up a local government . It wasn't like we needed the army in every city in the old days , right? That butler who has helped us can be the mayor or something , - she explained .

I agree , - Zac slowly nodded . - Port Atwood has grown by incorporating new people from the beginning . There's no reason not to continue doing the same here . But that leaves the issue of the tens of thousands of non-combatant captives . -

Why not just keep them as slaves? - Ogras shrugged . - They're already mentally prepared for it . -

Joanna and the other Valkyries in the room were visibly upset at the prospect of Port Atwood turning into a force utilizing slavery , and Zac frowned as well . But he honestly didn't have any better ideas . He couldn't simply kill them all , and sending them back was impossible since the Nexus Hubs were inactive .

At first , he considered sending them to isolated islands in his Archipelago where they could work for Port Atwood without the risk of them fleeing , but he knew that was just slavery with extra steps .

I know many empires in the multiverse don't condone slavery , what do they do in cases like these? - Zac asked .

Well , simply throwing them off the claimed territory is pretty common . What happens then is none of their concern . Most simply become fugitives settling in other areas on the planet . But the most common thing is doing nothing . It doesn't matter who sits at the top for the common people , life is mostly the same for them in either case , - Ogras said .

Our situation is a bit more complicated than that though , no? - Zac sighed . - If I simply released everyone then the people of Earth would be furious , and I would be marked as a traitor in no time . And I refuse to release the soldiers or anyone who has stepped over the line in the treatment of the people of Earth . -

What about this? - Ogras said after some thought . - They all are from this Ez'Mahal Empire , right? That means that they should be able to use the Nexus Hub to return there when the hubs open . Just have them work for passage until then . They will also be assigned a debt according to their actions in the invasions . This debt will partly go to us and partly to the victims as compensation . -

Zac slowly considered the proposition as he threw a glance at the Valkyries . They seemed to be mostly fine with Ogras' suggestion , and Zac knew he wouldn't be able to think of something better in the short run . But suddenly something in Ogras' explanation hinted at another possibility .

Wait , they will be able to return there? Doesn't that mean that you all will be able to go back when the hubs activate? More importantly , will you be able to come back here afterward? -

Chapter 307 - Finality

Zac’s mind couldn’t help going down various venues of betrayal when he realized that the demons weren’t as cut off from their homeworld as Ogras had initially led him to believe . What if Ogras’ Grandfather came stomping through Earth in 99 years as a result of the scheming of the demons of Port Atwood?

Where did that innocent wide-eyed youth go? - Ogras sighed in mock exasperation as he noted Zac’s look . - Here , look at this . -

The next moment a screen appeared in front of the demon . It was the part of the status screen that showed his alignment , and it actually said Port Atwood . It didn’t provide any title though , like his own status screen that also denoted him as lord .

I’ve already told you , we have cut ties with our homeworld . To be able to use the Nexus Hub you would need to maintain your allegiance , - Ogras explained .

What about the other demons? Not all of them stayed on earth voluntarily , - Zac probed , not ready to completely drop the subject .

I have it all in hand . There are a few who maintain the old alignment , but as long as they work for us it doesn't matter . Worst case they’ll have an accident before the world gets properly integrated , - Ogras shrugged . - Besides , I don’t think that’s how it works . -

What do you mean? - Zac asked .

From what I understand it’s a one-way ticket for those who have failed their invasion , but managed to survive for a hundred years on a hostile planet . A reward of sorts , I suppose , - Ogras explained .

Zac slowly nodded but made a mental note that he would have to research how things worked from a second source as well . He knew that interplanetary travel was prohibitively expensive , but most D-Grade powerhouses should have no problem to teleport themselves in case they felt the potential pay-off was large enough .

In any case , this might also be a good opportunity to recruit some people , - Ogras continued . - Just like there were people like us who wanted to stay behind , so are there likely people from the Ez’Mahal who wouldn’t mind becoming Earthlings . I can’t imagine a great fate is awaiting these people if they return to the Ez’Mahal Confederation . -

We can’t recruit these slavers! - Joanna immediately interjected . - Not imprisoning them is bad enough . -

Girl , I know you had a rough start of it , but one needs to be pragmatic to survive . You are part of the multiverse now , and the only law is the law of the jungle , - Ogras said with a shake of his head . - So what if they kept slaves? It was their right as the strong . And if you get strong enough you can kill all of them without anyone speaking up in their defense . -

Joanna only unwillingly glared at Ogras , clearly not convinced by his argument .

We’ll go with labor for reduced merits for now , - Zac finally concluded . - We’ll revisit the issue of formally incorporating the willing people at a later date , depending on how they behave . For now , is there anything else we need to do before we can head out toward the Tal-Eladar? -

I would like to draft two hundred million Nexus Coins from Port Atwood’s coffers , - Gredas said , speaking up for the first time since the meeting began , as his only interest was agriculture . - I need your permission for that . -

Two hundred million? - Zac exclaimed with wide eyes . - That’s not a small sum . What do you need it for? -

The Spiritual Soil we will transplant to Port Atwood could become a true moneymaker for us , - Gredas said when he noted Zac's shock . - You are approaching E-Grade , and in another year or two most elites of this planet will start evolving . The demand for medicinal baths will explode , and it will only keep growing .

I want to plant huge fields of Spiritual Grass to prepare for that . But we need to buy seedlings and better arrays to get production going , - the demon farmer said , enthusiasm shining in his eyes . - It will give a return your investment tenfold within a few years , and it will just keep giving as long as we control the Nexus Vein . -

Zac slowly mulled it over . Two hundred million was less than he privately held , but it was still a large chunk of the free resources of Port Atwood . And agriculture was only one of the many expenses that the town faced . Who knew how much it would cost to integrate all these Zones that he was about to conquer?

But Zac also knew that you needed to spend money to make money . All that money would come back into his town coffers , which essentially was his own money . If worse came to worst he could simply pillage and loot a few more incursions to make up for it .

Fine , but you will have to make a proper budget to show what you need everything for . We are not in a position to waste any money at the moment , - Zac agreed .

With that , the meeting was over , and everyone was given two hours to prepare their gear . Zac didn’t need to do anything at the moment and simply went back to Port Atwood to have dinner with his sister .

Kenzie almost continuously stayed in the cultivation cave nowadays , since her AI allowed her to make tremendous improvements . No energy was wasted between the calculating power of the small chip and the improved cultivation manual that Kenzie utilized .

Zac only returned to Verdant Green ten minutes before the deadline , and the others were already waiting . The laidback manner of the demons was gone , replaced with bloodlust and determination . It appeared that old habits die hard , and they still carried their inherited grudges even if they had cut ties with Clan Azh’Rezak .

Zac activated the teleporter , and they soon arrived at their destination . It was a large hall without windows , and only two young men sat by a table at one side of the room , looking fidgety .

Thank god you’re here , - a man immediately said as he hurried over when he saw Zac and the others appear . - The town is being raided as we speak! -

Raided? By the invaders? - Zac asked with some surprise .

We believe they found out that this small town possessed a teleportation array and is used for intelligence gathering . Their force is a lot bigger compared to the usual raiding parties that they use to capture new workers , - the young man frantically explained .

We’re almost out of crystals to maintain our shield , and it has only been three hours , - the other man added . - We have sent requests for aid from headquarters , but their resources are all tied up in the war with the undead . We have been instructed to start evacuation in twenty minutes . -

How many are there? - Ogras asked as he walked up next to Zac .

Around three hundred warriors , and many of them are stronger than their normal combatants . They also have over a thousand of their huge wolf-things with them , - the guard explained .

Tal-Eladar and their god damn war beasts , - one of the demons muttered , making Zac shoot a questioning glance at Ogras .

Well , the main reasons our family keep a bunch of Barghest and Gwyllgi is because the Tal-Eladar is extremely adept at beast mastery , - Ogras explained . - Their beasts are stronger and better controlled , so we can only try to lessen the impact with waves of dumb barghest . Better our fodder dies to the war beasts than our warriors . -

So what do you think we should do with this army? - Zac asked .

It wasn’t that Zac was unsure whether they could defeat the army outside the gates , but rather that he wasn’t sure if it was the right move . His tactic was to hit fast and hard with a small squad before the enemy could prepare themselves , and decimating an army would hamper that strategy .

Good opportunity to gather some up-to-date intelligence , - Ogras said with a spurious smile , though the killing intent was palpable in the room .

Won’t it be a problem if they find out we’re here? - Zac hesitantly said .

It was unethical , but perhaps it was better to let this town fall if it meant that they could attack the incursion unnoticed .

The intelligence report was clearly flawed . It never mentioned this large an amount of war beasts . We probably have no chance of succeeding in a surprise attack as it stands , those things are like scouts , - Ogras said . - We might as well weaken their forces a bit . An attack like this should be led by one of their generals , and killing him would make our lives easier . -

Zac finally agreed and the troop streamed out of the Marshall Clan headquarters that hid the teleporter . As they exited the building they immediately spotted a large number of people standing on a square , fearfully looking in the same direction . It was the townspeople who were likely waiting to be teleported out if things went sideways .

Zac’s eyes followed theirs and saw a large shimmering shield that continuously shuddered from attacks . It was clear , however , that they were content on slowly draining the power of the defenses , rather than forcefully breaking it like Billy usually did . This tactic was much slower , but it also didn’t waste any resources .

I can handle this alone , - Zac said . - No need for others to expend their energy . -

Ogras seemed fine with it , but the other demons were rearing for battle . However , a look from Zac made them look down . Zac's overbearing strength made them pretty much consider him a powerhouse of an earlier generation , and they wouldn't dare speak against him even if they had recently evolved .

You’ll get all the battle you wish for , and more , before the month is over , - Zac said as he flashed away toward the gate .

It only took him a minute to reach the newly erected wall , where he saw a few soldiers stood trying to kill at least a few of the beast swarming right outside the shield . But the Tal-Eladar easily intercepted the ranged attacks , allowing the beasts rake the shield unimpeded .

The animals were one size larger than even the barghest , and he understood why the guard called them wolves earlier . These things likely weighed as much as a bison , but they possessed a far more balanced build allowing for both power and agility .

However , their faces didn’t exactly look like wolves , but rather like the head of enormous vampire bats . They possessed two wide pointed ears , and pitch-black eyes . The nose was pretty flat , and beneath was a large fanged maw . Its paws possessed nasty claws as well , and judging by the powerful aura the animals emitted they would have no problem ripping a person in two with one casual swipe .

Who are you , head to the square with the others! - a guard captain exclaimed with some shock when he noted that Zac had appeared next to him out of nowhere . - We might need to evacuate you all at moment’s notice . -

I’m the reinforcement , - Zac calmly explained . - Do you know who the leader of their army is? -

Reinforcement? You alone? - the grizzled captain said with some doubt .

Zac only sighed as he leaked some of his aura .

I’m sorry about that , - he hurriedly said with a pale face as he involuntarily took a step back .

It’s fine , - Zac shrugged . - Their leader? -

We think it’s that guy with a green band on his arm at eleven o'clock , - the captain said , not directly pointing him out of fear of alerting the man . - He singlehandedly routed our try at breaking out and culling these animals . We lost half our men in five minutes . -

Thank you , - Zac said with a somber expression , and the next moment he disappeared again .

A monstrous killing intent suddenly billowed out in the middle of the animal pack as Zac appeared with Verun’s Bite] in his hand . Any thoughts of right and wrong that had plagued him the past days were completely suppressed , replaced with ruthless finality .

The frenzied roars of the war beasts were soon replaced with pained wails , and just a few minutes later the sounds of battle were replaced with an eerie silence . Zac stood alone in a field of blood and viscera , his robe fluttering in the wind , completely untouched by the carnage .

One Tal’Eladar warrior was all that remained , and he was lying on the ground with extremely bad wounds . The arm with a green band was lying a few meters away , still gripping a broken spear . The rest were all dead or having fled fast enough for Zac to not bother with them .

A whole army dying would be immediately noted by a proper force like the Tal-Eladar , and they likely already knew that the army had fallen through the use of life-bound talismans . Catching each and every soldier wouldn't really stop the news from reaching the Incursion , so Zac had opted to not pursue the fleeing soldiers .

Who are you? This world shouldn’t have someone like you , - he said with a wet cough .

There are no absolutes in the multiverse , - Zac said as looked down at the warrior who had valiantly fought to stop his onslaught . Of course , it had been impossible to completely curtail Zac’s advances , but it had allowed some of his men to retain their lives .

What will you do with our people? - he weakly asked , obviously understanding what would happen next to the incursion .

That depends on how you treated our people in captivity , - Zac said .

The humanoid man sighed with relief as he closed his eyes , his last breath slowly leaving his lungs .

From the ramparts the soldiers looked down in awe and horror , unsure whether what sort of Grim Reaper had arrived to their town .

Chapter 308 - Verana Tir'Emarel

It didn’t take long until the rest of the squad joined Zac on the field of death . Emelie and the Valkyries looked a bit shaken by the carnage that Zac had unleashed , but the demons nodded approvingly . However , there was one demon who didn’t look pleased ; Ogras .

When you do something you go all out , don’t you? - Ogras said as he appeared a few seconds after the others . - What happened with questioning them? We already knew our intelligence was incomplete , yet you killed or scared off everyone . -

Zac took a deep breath , calm slowly returning to his mind . He felt a bit sheepish after hearing Ogras’ admonishment . What he said was completely true . They needed intelligence . But the moment the battle had started he had completely ignored that need , only focusing on killing everything in sight . Any reason to hold back had been discarded with some flimsy justifications , all to be able to keep swinging his axe .

Luckily Ogras acted quickly and caught a warrior who managed to flee the scene . Zac looked at the demon general who looked back with a frown .

I need a second . Find out anything you can from the man , - Zac said and flashed away with his movement skill .

Ogras’ words were a true wake-up call . He had already started to sense it during the last battle , but after this slaughter he was sure . Something was wrong with him , and his bloodlust made him lose control in battle . He quickly moved away to a secluded spot and sat down .

First , he checked his gear and possessions , but nothing seemed out of sorts . The only thing that had changed recently was his robe , but he sensed no bloodlust from it . It even gave a soothing and calming sensation , and Zac doubted it was the source of his ruthless behavior . Yrial was a bit flakey , but he would have warned him of something like a side-effect .

Suddenly he had a bad premonition as he looked inward . His internal sight quickly moved to the pocket of isolated space in his mind , and the sight made him despair . The miasmic seal that was sealing away the Splinter of Oblivion] had changed , and a small passage leading out of the space had somehow formed .

Weird energies , that Zac only could liken to distilled corruption , slowly seeped out of the crack and blended with his mental energy the moment it emerged . The amount was so small that if he hadn’t specifically looked for it there was no way he would have noticed it in the short run .

Zac wanted to slap himself from holding himself back from asking Yrial for any tips of what to do with this cursed thing in his mind . He had thought about it , but eventually he had decided against it out of paranoia . If he had known that the seal would break so soon he would have made the splinter his highest priority .

Different plans to handle the leak cropped up one after another in his mind , but they kept getting rejected for being unfeasible . The power of the splinter was simply too great , and nothing he could get his hands on would be able to block it out . His mental defensive skill was completely crushed by it earlier , and he wouldn’t fare much better today even with his recent powerups .

But as he despaired over what to do he noticed something odd . He had initially assumed that the seal was breaking , but a few signs indicated something else was happening . For one it didn’t seem like the defensive runes had lost even a smidgeon of their initial power , but instead a few more fractals had formed .

It was through these new fractals that the small amount of corruption seeped out and entered his mind , and even though the tendrils of the splinter desperately tried to wriggle out , only a small amount of corruption managed to get through . Even more importantly , the corruption that entered his mind was different from that of the splinter . It was , for lack of a better word , dead . There seemed to be no inherent will in it , and it did nothing to spread or take over his mind .

A new theory was quickly formulating in his mind . The true use of the miasmic formation in his mind wasn’t to seal away the Splinter , but rather to absorb it in a controlled manner . The crack wasn’t truly a weakness , but a planned opening to let the corruption through after modification .

But the energies were still purified destruction , carrying a hint of the supreme Dao of Oblivion . Even if it wasn’t tainted by the inherent will of the Heart of Oblivion it was still energy that was extremely troublesome for Zac to handle . Who knew what sort of effect it would have on his body?

He kept looking for a bit but couldn't make heads or tails of the situation . He could only gather that the change happened recently , likely just before or during the last battle . He would have noticed it otherwise since he checked up on it now and then .

It also was a relief of sorts , since the change in the fractals somewhat indicated that the Draugr woman was an ally rather than yet another enemy . He had initially considered the possibility that she placed the fractals in his mind to safeguard the splinter until she could rip it out of his head . But that felt less likely now that it seemed that she had devised a way for him to absorb it for himself .

So are you going to tell me what’s going on with you? - Ogras voice was suddenly heard from behind , making Zac look over .

Some complications from my encounters , - Zac sighed . - Luckily I noticed it in time , but I am not sure what the effect will be in the long run . Alert me if I start becoming… murdery . -

Murdery - ? Ogras snorted . - That's just great . -

Zac only helplessly shrugged his shoulders , indicating that he wasn’t ready to disclose anything else . And it was not like the demon was placing all his own cards on the table . Something had happened in the inheritance , but he never made any effort of explaining exactly what had transpired .

Anyway , we questioned the captive . Turns out they had spies among the Marshall Clan . Normal humans working for them , not shapeshifters or something like that . They recently learned about us and the destruction of the Ez’Mahal , and immediately moved to destroy the teleporter . They were just unlucky they were picked next by you , otherwise they would have been safe for the time being , - Ogras explained .

Zac nodded his head . He wasn’t surprised any longer that some people would choose to side with the invaders . If Thomas Fischer could ally with monsters like the Dominators , why wouldn’t some local people ally with the incursions to gain power and safety?

What about their forces and human captives? - Zac asked .

The situation of this Tir’Emarel Family is actually pretty similar to Clan Azh’Rezak . Though they didn’t have the bad luck to get stuck on an island with a humanoid netherbeast , - Ogras said , drawing a roll of Zac’s eyes . - It’s to the point that I don’t think it’s a coincidence . -

They are a newly formed family just like us , barely qualifying as a D-Grade force . They only got the chance to keep their Incursion slot thanks to the huge war that our old sector is embroiled in , just like my own family . I think that if my invasion didn’t fail early I would have gotten a quest by The Ruthless Heavens to battle it out with these people , - Ogras said with some wistfulness .

Well , sorry for ruining the cosmic plan , - Zac snorted . - So the strength of their leader should be around that of Rydel’s? -

Seems a bit stronger , as Rydel still hadn’t evolved when you fought . This Verana Tir’Emarel has evolved and gained some sort of great opportunity after arriving , and she has spent most of her time in meditation since . Anyway , they possess a Nexus Vein , which naturally means various goodies have cropped up in the area , sort of like Port Atwood , - Ogras continued .

So , the humans? - Zac probed .

Most work in the mines or the fields , though they are treated decently enough . No soul-sucking arrays or anything like that . Not all are actually slaves it seems , and the mining parties are actually overseen by Humans or Ishiate foremen , - Ogras said . - They have some program with freedom for contribution . Sounds like a scam to me . -

A scam? - Zac repeated with some confusion .

It seems that these people aren’t planning on staying for much longer . It's not surprising , with the Undead Empire being here and all , - Ogras explained . - I guess they are dangling freedom as a carrot to have people work harder until they cut and run . -

Without making a lot of enemies in the long run , - Zac added with a thoughtful nod . - Neither your people or the Tal-Eladar seem too bad compared to the zombies and the Ez’Mahal , why are your species hostile? -

Who knows anymore? - Ogras shrugged . - The war has lasted forever . The original reasons are long forgotten . Now it’s about stealing resources and birthing powerhouses through slaughter . The Ruthless Heaven always provide bonuses during wars since it’s one of the best ways to forge true warriors . -

Well , we’ve wasted enough time . They will undoubtedly find out about this battle soon enough . Let’s not give them too much time to prepare , - Zac said as he got back up on his feet and walked toward the group waiting in the distance .

The others were ready to go and they immediately set course for the Incursion . This time they didn’t plan on sneaking inside , so the Valkyries took out a handful of modified cars from their Cosmos Sack . Far more effort was spent on strengthening and adapting these cars compared to the ones at the Marshall Clan .

Zac didn’t drive this time either , instead opting to sit in the front seat training with the mental dexterity puzzle . If his mind was slowly being infused with a foreign force it was more important than ever to have a firm grasp of his mental energy . Perhaps if he could control his mind better he would be in a better position to contend against the mind-altering effect of the splinter of oblivion .

They met no obstacles or traps as they drove along the road , but Zac wasn’t really happy about it . They had passed two strongholds that should have been manned by small frontier forces , but both of them were completely abandoned . They all felt it was pretty fishy , and the most likely cause was that the Tal-Eladar were gathering their forces for a concentrated defense .

Their fears were soon realized as they closed in on the core area . An army consisting of over ten thousand beasts and well over a thousand soldiers solemnly stood lined up , awaiting their approach . The scene caused some worry amongst the small squad of Port Atwood , but also some confusion .

Why didn’t they fight from within their arrays?

What’s going on? - Zac muttered with some hesitation .

I guess we’ll find out , - Ogras said as he nodded ahead .

A woman stepped forward from the orderly line and walked fifty meters toward his convoy before she stopped . On her shoulder a small alien creature sat perched , looking like a ball of fur with four glistening eyes . She also had a white furry pet tucked in her arms , which seemed to be contentedly snoozing away .

I am Verana Tir’Emarel . Am I correct in assuming that Zachary Atwood , The Super Brother-Man is visiting? - she said with a strong voice carrying across the empty field .

Zac gave Ogras a nonplussed look before he stepped out of the vehicle to see what was going on .

I didn’t believe the rumors of you working together with the treacherous demonkin at first . But seeing his wretched appearance I can only assume you defeated them and turned them into somewhat competent workhorses? - she said after throwing a scathing look at Ogras who stepped out of the car after Zac .

Zac’s mouth couldn’t help but turn upward with some mirth , but he didn't believe the demons were too happy with the comment , even if Ogras donned a smiling face .

Girl , what is your goal by confronting us like this? I don’t think even the half-animals of the Tal-Eladar to be stupid enough to step out of their Arrays unless necessary , - Ogras retorted , causing a wave of killing intent to billow toward them from the army .

In contrast to the horned goats of the Azh’Kir’Khat Horde we know when to advance and when to retreat , - she answered without missing a beat . - You hid it well , but we have already learned of your great power , Mr . Atwood . -

Well , thank you , I guess , - Zac responded , still not sure what was going on .

I have a proposition for you . Even with your great power , the Tir’Emarel Family are no weaklings , and we have prepared for your assault . You might be able to defeat us , but not without casualties , - she said , her eyes moving toward the cars behind them . - Not everyone in your party is as strong as you . -

Zac frowned and was about to speak up , but Verana continued before he could say anything .

You should already know that our family is young , and a lot of our resources are tied up in this invasion . The massacre of our whole incursion would cause lasting damage to our force , and the loss of one of our batallions is all the Tal-Eladar blood I want to see . So instead of further bloodshed , why not settle this with a duel? You versus me , one on one , - she said .

Zac’s brows rose in surprise , and he looked over at Ogras for his opinion .

It’s not a bad idea . If they try to double-cross you , just go a bit murdery on them all , - Ogras said . - Saves me a lot of effort as well , so win-win . -

Zac mulled it over for a few seconds , but he saw no true downside to the proposition . If he could conquer another Incursion without losing a single soldier it would be for the best .

Fine , - Zac said as he stepped forward , Verun's Bite] appearing in his hand .

Lulu! Grub! - she said , placing the two small animals down on the ground .

Zac first thought that she wanted to let her pets get to safety , but his eyes widened the next moment . Terrifying auras started to leak from the beasts as they almost instantly grew to reach almost ten meters .

In just one second the small fluff balls had turned into terrifying killing machines who clearly were well into the E-Grade .

Chapter 309 - Grub and Lulu

Zac felt pretty small and vulnerable for the first time in a while as he looked up at the ferocious beasts that trembled with battle intent . He looked over at Ogras and noticed that the demon had taken out a lounger and some refreshments during the transformation of the small pets .

Uh , isn’t this against some sort of rules? - Zac hesitantly asked as he glanced at the E-Grade animals once more .

The one called Grub had turned into an extremely odd beast that reached ten meters above the ground . Half its body was an enormous head with a mouth that seemed to be able to open 180 degrees . It didn’t possess sharp fangs though , but rather huge flat slabs of teeth , looking like they were meant for crushing rather than tearing .

Its legs were short and stubbly , but it radiated immense power even if it looked a bit funny . The thick fur that covered looked extremely coarse and dense , forming a natural armor covering its entire body . Zac felt that it should be a Strength or Endurance-focused beast that excelled in raw power . It would likely possess a Dao seed such as Heaviness to deliver devastating chomps that could crush a large boulder without a problem .

Lulu seemed more speed-based as it had turned into a slightly smaller beast with long slender appendages . Where the fur of Grub was extremely thick this animal possessed a long white mane that looked extremely luxuriant as it glistened under the sun .

Zac wasn’t exactly sure how what sort of attacks he could expect from Lulu since nothing about it seemed very threatening apart from its aura and size . It didn’t have long fiendish claws like some beasts , and while its fangs were sharp enough it didn’t look like an animal that used its mouth as a weapon .

What stood out about it were the oversized ears and eyes , and the closest Earthern animal that Zac could liken it to was a Fennec Fox , except it had a shorter snout . Zac wondered if it was a beast that focused on spells rather than physical prowess . It was rare , but Zac had learned from Alyn that many such species existed in the multiverse .

I’m a Beast Master , they are my weapons . Is you using your axe against the rules? - Verana retorted from behind the legs of the one she called Lulu , a scornful glare adorning her face .

Contracted beasts are generally considered a part of one’s strength , - Ogras agreed with a nod . - Since you need sufficient skill and strength to tame them . Be careful , her power comes from making her beasts even stronger than they already are . -

Zac only sighed and cracked his neck as he walked forward , but he was inwardly relieved he agreed to the duel . These animals seemed extremely dangerous , and he wasn’t sure that the shields produced by the Valkyries would be able to handle the force they would be able to generate .

He tried to use Inquisitive Eye] on the two animals as he walked forward , but something blocked the skill completely apart from confirming their names . He sensed that energy stirred around Verana the moment he used his skill , and he guessed that she possessed some safeguards against spying on her animals .

So , if I defeat you and these two things your force will leave Earth immediately , - Zac confirmed with a steady voice .

Agreed . But if I win we will be able to stay here for fifty years , provided that you all don’t get swallowed up by the undead swarm , - Verana countered .

Zac frowned as he considered the proposition . He didn’t believe he would lose even against these two behemoths , but he still went over her words carefully . Fifty years wasn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things , but it would likely be enough for them to completely strip the area of anything of value .

Still , it was only a small part of Earth , so Zac felt there wasn’t too large a downside to her terms even if he lost by some chance .

Agreed , provided that you provide basic rights to your citizens and don’t expand from your current Zone , - Zac agreed as he unleashed his aura . - Otherwise I will just come back . -

No more words were needed , and immediately Grub released an earthshattering bellow that shook the whole area as a powerful aura started to radiate from Verana as well .

Zac immediately activated Loamwalker] to strike straight at the source ; the beastmaster herself . Being a tamer was like most other classes that utilized minions , such as necromancers or summoners . Their main strength usually lay with their minions , whereas they weren’t too powerful by themselves . If he took down Verana he would win without even having to battle the two animals .

The earth shrunk beneath his feet as he made a beeline for the Tal-Eladar , but as he closed in on her he started to feel a greater and greater restriction on his movements . He finally realized that the huge bellow that Grub was still releasing wasn’t simply a bestial roar , but rather some sort of domain attack .

Zac wasn’t able to pinpoint how it actually worked , but it wasn’t like a gravitational field so he felt unencumbered . But the efficiency of his movement skill was almost completely gone , slowing him down by a huge degree .

A large fractal edge formed on his blade as he shot a glance at the stocky animal , and he immediately imbued it with a Dao . The fractal turned silver as the Dao of Sharpness imbued it before he shot it straight toward the mouth of the animal . He was hoping to force the beast to close its mouth , stopping the restriction on his skill .

The beast closed its mouth as Zac hoped , but when the enormous teeth slammed together an immense shockwave was created that instantly reached Zac . He only had time to steady himself before the attack punched into him with enough force to instantly kill most people of Earth .

A trickle of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth from the shock to his system , but he hadn't been truly hurt by the attack . Unfortunately , his strike hadn’t proven effective either against Grub , as it had turned its head away with startling speed , letting the edge to hit its thickly furred side instead without much impact . Some of the thick hair was carved off , but the fractal edge didn't even draw blood .

Some killing intent started to bubble up in Zac’s mind , and he realized that it was the corruption that was discreetly egging him on to start a slaughter . But now that he knew what to look out for he didn’t have any problems stabilizing his mind , forcing himself to remain cool and collected as he surveyed the battle .

The stocky beast seemed extremely sturdy while also possessing restraining skills , making it a troublesome enemy to quickly take down . Zac chose to ignore it and instead started to run toward the beast tamer again , this time without a movement skill . He still possessed close to three hundred Dexterity , so even though he couldn’t utilize Loamwalker] he still moved like the wind .

Grub started bellowing again , putting further strain on Zac as he ran , while Cosmic Energy Started to swirl around Lulu for the first time of the battle . Zac formed five more blades and shot them toward Lulu to shut it down before it could do anything , without stopping his own advance .

The blades ripped through the air with tremendous force , but the beast made no effort to dodge . It’s huge eyes instead lit up in an almost blinding blue radiance , and a wave of extremely pure white-blue flames surged forward .

Oddly enough he couldn’t sense any heat from the incoming attack even though it consisted of enough energy to make the air twist and distort around it . Zac initially planned on pushing straight toward it , but he quickly changed his mind when his fractal blades were incinerated in an instant .

The damage his fractal edges sustained were transmitted to his edge , and the enraged roar of Verun echoed in Zac's mind as the Tool Spirit woke up from the damage . Zac himself growled in frustration and stopped his assault to back away from the incoming blast wave . At this moment another shockwave suddenly arrived from the other beast , making Zac feel like he was punched in his gut .

Irritation started to build up in Zac’s mind as he turned two blood-shot eyes toward Verana who seemed to be utilizing some skill behind her two beasts . Large amounts of Cosmic Energy swirled around her as she stood completely still with closed eyes . It looked like she was controlling one or both the beasts with her mind , rather than fight with her own body .

The ground cracked beneath his feet as he once again tried to rush toward the beastmaster , this time with Nature’s Barrier] swirling around him to hopefully block some of the incoming strikes . But it was clear that the two beasts hadn’t shown all their cards .

A huge sun ignited above the head of Lulu , and ray after ray blasted toward Zac , ripping the emerald leaves to pieces after a few shots . The attacks were pretty strong , but not to the point that he couldn’t destroy them with a swing of his axe if they passed his defense . But it did noticeably slow him down , allowing Grub to launch his next attack .

The fat beast suddenly disappeared as the sky turned dark . Zac looked up with confusion , only to see the enormous maw of Grub opened wide right above him . Zac didn't know what happened next as his head slammed straight into the ground with enough force to cause large cracks to spread out .

A groan escaped his lips the next moment when the extremely heavy beast landed straight on top of him , causing a huge shockwave to spread outward . It was like a bomb had gone off in the area , causing widespread damage to the ground .

Zac's mind started to get muddled from pain and anger , but somehow he managed to actually push upward and lift Grub above his head with a bestial roar of his own . With a grunt the stocky animal was lobbed straight at Verana , and it's short legs floundered as it tried to right itself in the air .

The lithe frame of Lulu moved like lightning , as it picked up the still unmoving form of Verana in her mouth , moving her away of harm's way . Grub crashed into the ground the next moment , causing another shockwave . This time quite a few of the Tar-Eladar soldiers were impacted , though they were only thrown down on the ground without any real injuries .

A roar echoed in Zac's mind once moar to complement his own anger , and the next moment the spectral form of Verun appeared even though Zac hadn’t summoned it . Perhaps seeing its master being hounded by the two beasts had ignited its competitive spirit , and it turned into a hurricane of violence as it pounced on Lulu the moment it moved away from its mistress .

Zac’s brows rose when he saw that the ghost-white flames of Lulu seemed able to harm Verun , but that alone wasn’t enough to deter the frenzied Tool Spirt . A wail escaped Lulu’s mouth as a large section of its fur was ripped off along with parts of its shoulder in a large bite of Verun’s oversized jaw .

A tremendous pressure suddenly ripped apart the remaining parts of Grub's domain as the wooden hand of Nature’s Punishment] emerged from the void . It shot straight toward Grub who had just got back on its feet , looking a bit disoriented . But it quickly steadied itself as it tried to deter the hand with a concussive series of sound-waves .

Pieces of wood kept raining down from the hand , but damage quickly healed before any lasting wounds could be caused . The dense fractals on the hand lit up in green the moment the hand closed in on the animal , and the next moment an indent was formed in the ground from the pressure of the enormous fractal in the air .

Creaking sounds could be heard from Grub’s thick bones as it was forced down on the ground , and the large hand moved toward its neck . Energy surged around Verana as a thick shield above her companion , but it immediately shattered at impact , making her cough a mouthful of blood and open her eyes for the first time during the battle .

Both beasts were occupied , and Zac rushed straight at the beastmaster who had just received a backlash from her attempt to defend Grub . He hadn’t initially wanted to use his ultimate attack since it consumed so much energy since evolving , but he found no better alternative . The combination of the trio was too annoying , and he could only brute force his way through them before he wasted too much power .

He knew that he had less than half his Cosmic Energy remaining after summoning Nature’s Punishment] , so he needed to immediately end the battle so that he would still have enough energy in case something unexpected cropped up afterward .

Wait , I give up! - Verana shouted with wide eyes as she saw Zac barrel toward her with the momentum of a runaway beast horde .

To prove her words she swallowed a familiar black pill . Next , the scene of the sudden and unexpected death of an Incursion general repeated itself just as Zac reached Verana .

Chapter 310 - Growth

Zac mutely looked down at the unmoving form of Verana before going over the prompts he just received . As expected he got confirmation that the area had been put under his control , and he once again got the opportunity to appoint a mayor .

The two beasts shrunk back to their non-combat form the moment that Verana fell over , and they slipped out of Zac’s restraints due to their diminutive size . Both of them scuttled over to their master and cried pitifully when she didn’t move , trying to look threatening to keep Zac away . Zac only shook his head in bemusement as he ended his skill and exhorted Verun to come back .

The Tel-Eladar army didn't move a muscle , even though quite a few of them looked extremely displeased . Then again it was too late for them to do anything by now , with Zac standing within arm’s reach of their leader . He could easily use her as a hostage in case they mounted an attack .

As he waited for Verana to resurrect Zac chose to look inward . He wanted to look at the splinter right after the battle to see if anything had changed . He sensed that it slightly woke up during the battle , though he felt he was able to block its most obvious manipulation of his emotional state .

But conversely , he had roared in anger and thrown an enormous beast at his enemy like an enraged King Kong . It felt a bit out of character for him , and he was afraid that the corruption was slowly changing his personality without him noticing .

He could at least breathe out in relief when he saw that the miasmic barrier hadn’t changed or weakened in the slightest from the battle . But he still felt an even greater urge to quickly evolve to E-Grade .

Evolving wouldn’t have a direct boost to his attributes , as they came with gaining levels . But it did seem to strengthen one’s mental power considerably since people had a much easier time to advance their Daos according to the demon warriors . Perhaps that would also help with his own problems . Anzonil's disciple had been able to stay sane for over a decade without the help of any miasmic fractals .

The Tal-Eladar leader woke up a bit later , the effects of Coward’s Escape] having passed . She breathed out in relief when she saw her two companions were safe apart from their battle wounds .

Thank you for not killing me while I was dead , - she said with a slightly raspy voice .

Why did you go as far as to eat that pill? - Zac asked with some curiosity as he calmly watched her get back to his feet .

Since she had swallowed the pill the battle was truly over . She had already failed the invasion , and their path home would close in a few hours . There was no way for them to turn things around as things stood , so Zac wasn’t too worried about Verana scheming something .

I was afraid you wouldn’t trust my surrender and kill these two cuties out of precaution , - she said as she fed her two pets healing pills . - A deal’s a deal . The Tal-Eladar will leave this planet immediately . -

Zac internally breathed out in relief when he saw that she wouldn’t make any trouble . But he also knew that there likely wasn’t much she could do at the moment . When his eyes went to the two small critters who happily cried in her chest he noted that their auras were pretty weak and erratic , far worse than their wounds could explain .

Zac felt that it was likely that her class could instill her beasts with increased power for a short duration , but that it left both parties weakened afterward . Sort of like his own skill , Hatchetman’s Rage] . They had likely fought above their usual power from the start , just to have a shot at defeating him .

I have another proposition , - Zac suddenly said as he looked at Verana .

She hesitantly looked at Zac , with her eyes occasionally darting over to Ogras who was sauntering over .

Are you going back on your word? - Verana asked somberly .

No , your people are free to leave . But there is no rush . You have eight hours , right? - Zac said , receiving a nod in confirmation .

We will not be a party to some demonkin scheme , - she immediately declared when Ogras appeared in earshot .

Since when has the Tal-Eladar been worthy of our scheming? You always run in head-first like your contracted animals , - Ogras snorted as he walked up next to Zac , giving him a small thumbs-up as his evaluation of the battle . - What are you thinking? -

You said that your force put a lot of their resources into this invasion . Why not stay behind for a hundred years? - Zac said . - This area will become part of my kingdom , but the Tir’Emarel can maintain a stake in its resources . -

This wasn’t completely an impulse-decision . He had already noted how understaffed they were after conquering the last incursion , and he knew just how huge an impact the demons had on Port Atwood . Just a tenth of their people stayed behind , but they had enabled Zac to create a faction that had almost everything a proper multiverse force needed .

Keeping some of the invaders in his employ would make his life a lot easier . They both possessed strong fighters and experienced non-combat classes that could easily manage this small area for him . It would allow him to keep the benefits

Such a strategy wouldn’t work with most forces , but Ogras’ mention of how similar this force was to his own planted the idea in his mind . Most forces invading earth wouldn’t even consider allying themselves to Zac , but the Tir’Emarel family was pretty weak and recently established .

Even if they set up a connection between the two forces Zac felt it unlikely they would be able to be a threat to earth in a hundred years . The cost of the invasion would likely be greater than the gains , making it more profitable to turn it into a business venture instead .

Getting a permanent off-world trading channel would be a huge opportunity for them , and could even turn into one of their main revenue streams . The Mercantile system was great , but sometimes it was far more cost-efficient to take the trade outside it .

The Mercantile System wasn’t without its demerits . The most glaring one was the prices the System charged for teleporting produce . Things that weren’t too valuable couldn’t be traded through the system since it added costs based on both value and volume .

That was why they couldn’t simply sell off all their surplus gear made from the ant shells and wolf pelts through the Mercantile system . The System would eat up all of their profits , keeping them for itself . In such cases manually transporting the goods was a much better option if the items couldn’t be sold locally . Teleporting a Cosmos Sack was quite a bit cheaper than a person , allowing for interplanetary trade as long as the volumes were large enough .

That would leave us stranded here for a hundred years though , without being able to contact home . And at your mercy , - Verana skeptically said .

A hundred years is just the blink of the eye in the multiverse , - Zac insisted . - You’ll be back before you know it . -

Verana’s brows contracted in thought , and it looked like she was seriously considering the offer for the first time .

That still leaves the issue of what would happen to us if the Undead Empire succeed in their assault . They never care about other forces . Everyone will be forced to leave in a hurry or become undead themselves , - the beastmaster said .

Well , it is a gamble on this planet's power I guess , - Zac said . - You would have to leave at least as many fighters as non-combat classes , and they would be expected to join me in our defense against the Undead , and any other enemies of Earth . -

This… I cannot make a decision of my own on this matter . Will you give me an hour? - she said after hesitating a bit .

Sure , - Zac said with a nod , letting Verana return to her forces .

Allying with the Tal-Eladar , - Ogras muttered as he watched the back of Verana . - Are you trying to make sure my people will never be able to go back home? -

Hadn’t you already cut ties with them in any case? - Zac smiled .

Well , whatever . The beastmen can be considered somewhat competent , - Ogras reluctantly agreed . - Much better than the riff-raff we scrounged together from the former slaves of Verdant Green . But you shouldn’t expect things to go this smoothly at the other Incursions . This Verana seems weak-hearted , treating both her beasts and slaves with unusual care . -

I know , - Zac sighed . - But better make friends than enemies where we can . -

The two sat down and rested for an hour until Verana finally came back .

I have spoken with my elders and they have agreed to your proposal , though the terms of our future co-operation will be decided when this planet is released from its isolation , - Verana said .

Zac immediately agreed as that was better for him as well . He could only imagine that his position could improve as he grew stronger in the future , which would let him keep more of the benefits .

We will leave 600 of our people , half of which are warriors as you requested , - Verana added . - They know that they will be part of your influence , but they are Tir’Emarel in the end . They will not accept any orders to be used as fodder or do things against their conscience . -

Zac was internally elated at the number of warriors he just gained . Three hundred veterans were as good an addition as his whole demonkin force , and far more valuable than thousands of his recruits .

Will you be staying behind as well? - Zac probed , hoping he would get another powerhouse under his command .

No , my grandmother does not allow it , and has ordered me to return , - she said , actually looking a bit disappointed . - I will leave two of my generals to manage our interests though , and they should be a greater addition than some flakey demon silk pants . -

Have fun cultivating like a bird in a cage while we conquer a world and explore the multiverse , - Ogras snorted in return .

The three went over the details for a while longer , until Zac insisted on checking out the situation of the humans that lived within the Incursion . If the people of Earth had been secretly treated as cattle everything they had decided until now was moot , but Zac was relieved to find that the situation was as they had heard .

The humans within the Tal-Eladar didn’t live luxuriant lives , but they were better off compared to most people since the integration . They had a roof over their heads , they were fed , and the Tal-Eladar kept any beasts at bay . They weren’t even stopped from cultivating , though they were expected to provide a certain work-quota every day first .

Still , many had secretly held some hatred for the Tal-Eladar and were screaming for blood when they learned that the Super Brother-Man had conquered the area . Zac ignored those clamors , even if it caused some dissatisfaction . Zac could only hope that they would understand when they learned how the rest of the world fared since the integration .

After making sure everything was under control they watched the thousands of Tal-Eladar stream through the large portal the Nexus Hub had opened . A few looked despondent , but most actually looked relieved , like they were finally heading home after a long time abroad .

To Zac’s left the hundreds of people who would stay behind were lined up , bidding farewell to their people . It looked like Verana hadn’t compelled anyone to stay behind since most of them had excited expressions on their faces even though they knew they would be stranded here for a hundred years .

Staying behind was a risk , but it also provided many opportunities . If they survived the initial phase they could enjoy the Origin Dao for at least a decade longer , besides the other benefits that cropped up on a newly integrated world . It was an opportunity that most people in their situation could only dream of .

He did occasionally sense some killing intent coming in his direction from the soldiers though . Zac knew it was most likely due to the army he decimated earlier . It was inevitable that his rampage had caused some bad blood , but he could only hope they would do their job . It all came down to the two generals who Verana left behind .

Chapter 311 - Peak

Zac judged that the two leaders were around the same level as his demonkin generals . One was a mage while the other was a beastmaster like Verana . The beastmaster was named Jinan , and he would take a co-leadership role of this area along with whoever Adran appointed .

The mage was called Tylia , and she would join the Strike squad as support and ranged firepower . She was a nature mage , one that possessed some healing capabilities along with mainly control spells . Healers were something that Zac desperately lacked , and he felt it would be a great addition when going after the Incursions .

However , a change happened at the last moment before the Incursion closed . Verana who had stayed behind to make sure all her people passed through suddenly turned to Jinan .

Jinan , take my place . I will to stay behind after all , - she said .

What? - Jinan said with some shock . - What about the Grand Matriarch? She will skin us alive . -

Zac and Ogras only looked on with interest . It looked like the young mistress of the Tir’Emarel was a bit wilful after all . Verana took out a crystal and placed it on her forehead for a few seconds before giving it to her general .

Give this to grandma , I’m sure she’ll understand . I am betting on this baby planet for the future of our family , - Verana said as she dragged Jinan to the Nexus Hub , and veritably threw him inside moments before it closed .

That’s what I get for taunting her , - Ogras muttered under his breath . - A silly girl with dreams of adventure . -

It’s not like it’s the first time your mouth has gotten you into trouble , - Zac said , suddenly in an excellent mood .

Not only did he get another powerhouse at Ogras’ level , but he also had a feeling that adding the Tal-Eladar to his force would balance it out . Currently , most of the important positions in Port Atwood were held by the demons , but the demonkin and Tal-Eladar would restrain each other , allowing his human faction to grow stronger while they competed .

If Verana went according to her original plan the elves would only have two generals and would not be able to have as great an impact as the demons . But with Verana and her two beasts holding down the fort they suddenly became an equal force as clan Azh'Rezak .

I guess you’re stuck with us for the time being , - Zac said as he turned to Verana who was walking back toward them .

I felt uncomfortable leaving my people to the whims of that one , - Verana said as she threw a look at Ogras .

Ogras only rolled his eyes in annoyance but decided to keep his mouth shut for once .

We will head out to the next Incursion almost immediately . Do you want to join us? - Zac probed .

Lulu needs more time to recover , and they both need at least a week of rest . I used a berserking skill on them to push them to their limits , and if I send them to battle now it will truly harm them . I will stay and organize things here , - Verana said .

That’s fine , - Zac nodded , not surprised in hearing about her pets . - Figure things out with Adran or Abby , my two head administrators . I don’t allow slaves , so figure out a system for the people who live here . -

You should take Tylia though , - Verana added , which was just fine with Zac .

The integration of the Zone went far smoother compared to the Ez’Mahal Incursion . Thanks to the Tal-Eladar staying behind Zac only needed to leave some peacekeeping troops before his group was able to move toward their next target . He also instructed Adran to move the former slaves who caused trouble to some of his other towns so that they wouldn’t cause any further unrest .

Zac chose one of the easier targets after Tylia had entered the contract of secrecy . That way she wouldn't be able to tell anyone about his undead form in case he was forced to use it , not even to her own master . Zac could only thank the Apostate of Order for creating the system of binding contracts .

The Incursion was situated by a large volcano and was controlled by some species that looked like a mix of humans and dragons . The assault started out fine , with Billy utterly destroying their erected defenses with a tremendous smash , but trouble cropped up almost immediately .

The battle produced their first casualties , even though they followed their strike plan and Tylia performed above expectations . Two demons and a Valkyrie fell in battle , which wasn't a lot of people , but still a sizeable chunk of the small elite troop . They hadn't done anything wrong , but they had been forced to defend against a much too strong an enemy .

The problem rather lay with Ogras who had performed far beneath what was expected . The two of them currently stood in front of the three bodies who had been cleaned and lined up . They would be sent back to Port Atwood to be properly buried later today . Zac felt especially bad about the Valkyrie .

Her name was Jennifer and was among the first dozen to follow him back in Greenworth . She wasn’t a cultivator , but she had desperately clawed her way toward the top of the Valkyries with sheer effort . Yet now she lay here unmoving , grisly wound covering her body .

Death could come at any moment .

What’s going on with you? I’ve seen your strength , and it looked like you were holding back , - Zac finally asked after Ogras failed to speak up . - Now we lost three competent fighters . -

It wasn’t that Ogras had shirked his duties during the battle - it was rather the opposite . He had desperately fought with his spear to take down the generals while Zac battled the leader and his support squad . But the shadows which were a large part of his repertoire had been completely absent , which left the demon with almost no battlefield presence .

It had allowed one of the general to veer off against the exhausted Billy and the demons , and if it wasn’t for Tylia half the squad might have been eradicated before Zac unleashed Hatchetman’s Rage] to fight almost the whole Incursion alone .

It’s that god damn lunatic , - Ogras finally spat out after some hesitation .

What? Who are you talking about? - Zac asked with confusion .

The Umbra , - Ogras sighed .

Kenzie told me you looked bad after exiting the Inheritance , what’s going on? - Zac probed .

I got quite a few benefits inside , but the man called Rez also forced something extremely troublesome on me . He had found an odd entity that lived within other’s shadows in his journeys . Like a parasite . He never found a way to utilize it while alive , but he always believed it had great potential to strengthen one’s shadows , - Ogras explained . - So he used me as an experiment to find out if he was correct . -

Let me guess , he made the two of you merge? - Zac sighed .

Knocked me out , and when I woke up I had this netherblasted critter in my shadows , - Ogras growled , and waved his hand .

A blob of shadows grew from his arm , and a terrifying face appeared in front of them . It reminded Zac a bit of the ghastly beings from the hunt , though this thing seemed more corporeal . It soundlessly screeched at the two of them before it once again receded into Ogras’ shadow .

Pretty creepy , - Zac muttered .

Tell me about it , - Ogras said with a shake of his head .

But what does that have to do with this battle? - Zac asked .

Its presence has increased both the power and volume of my shadows , but my control has lessened . It normally doesn’t interfere , but it looks like it doesn’t like fire . The moment we entered the battle and all the flame-attuned energies started swirling about it hid deep within my shadows , making me unable to send out any attacks , - Ogras helplessly explained .

Zac shook his head , inwardly swearing at Brazla , both the real one and the Tool Spirit . Forcing people to pay for treasures by setting up inheritances was clearly a great way to create death traps for one’s descendants . Zac suddenly felt lucky he only got a predecessor who was just a bit eccentric and disinterested in passing on his true inheritance .

Any other surprises waiting for me? - Zac sighed . - We don’t have a lot of people to spare , you know . -

I have no idea , I didn't even know the parasite had this weakness . That asshole didn’t really leave an instruction manual . He just gave me a couple of rewards and told me to come back in a decade if I survived the fusion . Going to come back alright , if just to kill that ghost , - Ogras swore .

Ogras’ powers having turned unstable was a wrench in the plans , but he was still the strongest fighter on the squad even without his shadows . Besides Zac himself , of course . And so far the only weakness they had encountered was that of fire , and there were no other clear fire-attuned enemies apart from the incursion in the underworld .

This time it took two days to get everything in order . The addition of Tylia sped up the recovery of those who were hurt , helping the soldiers get back to fighting strength in record time . The dragonlings were one of the forces that killed or pushed out all other races from their lands , so taking control of the volcano didn't require any work at all . They simply erected a teleporter and sent a dozen scouts to scour the area for anything of value .

One good thing that came out of Zac being forced to go all out was that he felt he was getting extremely close to finally gaining his level . So he immediately opened the teleporter to their next target the moment that everyone was healed up and ready to go . The soldiers had taken the deaths in stride , as they all knew that assaulting multiple forces in short order was an extremely risky venture .

But the gains were quite impressive as well . Joanna had informed him that the Valkyries had all received a quest after they closed the third Incursion . It was an Incursion closing quest sort of like the one he gained for the demonic Incursion , but it gave out variable rewards depending on how many they managed to close in the coming month . So they were the ones most eager to get going , even though they mourned the death of Jennifer .

The fourth target was another humanoid race , but this time things didn't go according to plan either . As Zac sat in the front seat and played with the mental puzzle he suddenly got a bad premonition . He immediately took out his axe , which alerted the others in the car .

Something is wrong , - Zac only had time to say before a huge number of projectiles flew straight at their cars .

Zac immediately activated Nature's Barrier] , and infused it with the Seed of Sanctuary . The skill had no problem covering the entirety of the convoy since the seed had been upgraded to the middle stage from the Dao Impartment . But the ambush cost him over half his cosmic energy as he was forced to reform countless leaves to keep his people safe until they could get in position .

Ogras disappeared from his position in the back seat , and immediately after he appeared in the sky above the cars , two huge black wings covering his back . He was clearly anxious to regain his honor from the last battle , even to the point that he used his ultimate transformation . He thrummed with unrestrained power as a sea of shadows swallowed a large sector of the forest that hid the invaders .

Wails of pain echoed among the trees as innumerable shadow lances destroyed anything within reach . One of the leaders of the ambush even fell from a beam of concentrated shadows before Zac even had time to reach the hastily formed defensive lines .

The strength of the response to their ambush had flustered the invaders , and a few even started to run away when they saw Zac barrel toward them , his towering aura spreading out in all directions . Only a small core of elites maintained the ranks , and they formed a small elite unit to counter his advance . But they were an established force of the multi-verse , and they had their own hidden aces .

A huge golden bell appeared in the sky above the leaders of the ambush , while the leader of the ambush held a perfect miniature copy of it . His eyes met Zac's , and the next moment he swung the bell with a somber expression . His face turned completely pallid , and it even looked like he aged a bit from the action .

A towering aura was suddenly released from the bell , and it was as though it was sentient . Zac felt an extremely powerful presence focusing on him , and he only had time to summon another layer of leaves before the bell rung . It's chime contained a mysterious force , and the moment it hit Zac he immediately fell over , his vision turning black .

When he woke up again he saw the backs of the Valkyries standing in front of him , desperately maintaining a barrier as he heard Billy's bellow ahead . He quickly got to his feet again with some embarrassment and rushed forward after activating Mental Fortress] . That bell unleashed a terrifying mental attack , and he had forgotten to protect against that type of assault after being pelted by normal spells and arrows .

A glance around the battlefield proved that they had still managed to keep the advantage even with his own incapacitation , in large part thanks to Ogras huge expenditure of Cosmic Energy . Zac noted that the demon's aura was starting to get unstable , and immediately flashed forward with Loamwalker] to relieve the pressure .

The moment he truly entered the fray was also the beginning of the end of the battle . The invading army had already lost all of their momentum from the massive losses Ogras and Billy had caused , and the addition of Zac at full fighting strength completely broke their spirits .

The Incursion truly had put everything in this ambush , as they fielded four generals and the Incursion leader himself in the fight . He had tried to flee at the last minute , but Zac ran him down and cut him in two . The moment he tried to kill them all with a sneak attack was the moment he sealed his fate .

Zac stood over the bisected body of the E-Grade leader , his eyes closed as a huge amount of cosmic energy washed over him .

He had finally reached the peak of the F-Grade .

Chapter 312 - Blood for Blood

Zac couldn’t bother with the cleanup of the battlefield as his mind was too preoccupied with other things . He had finally reached level 75 , and he was anxious to see the gains it would bring . He knew he had become extremely powerful for a planet this early into an integration , but this battle proved that he was by no means invulnerable .

The most common way of closing Incursions for newly integrated worlds was with massive armies to drown the invaders through sheer numbers . Such a tactic required the whole world to come together and sacrifice millions of lives , and it was because of this that so few newly integrated planets made it through the early phase .

Planets who passed the initial stage through the effort of solitary powerhouses were far less common since normal powerhouses like Thea or even Salvation wasn't enough to singlehandedly close all the incursions of a world . He knew that the Marshall Clan had taken huge losses from the subjugation of their Incursion , even with Thea's help . It took something out of the norm , a monster in human form like Zac , close them as they did now .

But even Zac felt he was barely able to hold on . The cultivators of the incursions came from a wide array of forces , and many of them possessed all kinds of hidden cards that Zac had never encountered before . The bell was such an example . It had knocked him right out without him even having time to react .

So the power-ups of reaching the peak of F-Grade were just what he needed to have greater confidence to tackle the stronger Incursions as well . He only hoped that the quests for the final skills would be possible to complete quickly , and he eagerly opened up his status screen to see what had changed .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

75

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 , Tyrannic Force , Achievement Hunter , The First Step

Limited Titles

-

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - High , Seed of Trees - Peak , Seed of Sharpness - Middle , Seed of Hardness - Middle , Seed of Sanctuary - Middle , Seed of Rot - High

Core

F] Duplicity

Strength

605 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 134%]

Dexterity

297 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 134%]

Endurance

752 Increase : 71% . Efficiency : 134%]

Vitality

441 Increase : 61% . Efficiency : 134%]

Intelligence

167 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 134%]

Wisdom

226 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 134%]

Luck

140 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 134%]

Free Points

21

Nexus Coins

F] 364 950 610

He had made quite a bit of money closing the last Incursions , and he felt he needed to do something with his fortune soon . Perhaps he could invest it through Calrin , or at least use it to deploy more projects like the large scale agriculture program . As it was now he had no personal need for the coins , and they were no good creating dust in his status screen .

His attributes hadn’t noticeably changed though , with one surprising difference . It looked like the final level awarded ten level’s worth of free attribute points , meaning he was awarded twenty points plus one from his class . Twenty points weren’t a lot for Zac by now , but they would get heavily boosted through his titles . He also noticed a change in his title screen , and first opened that window .

The First Step : Reach Peak of F-Grade Reward : All Stats +5

It was a bit disappointing that he didn’t get another 'first in world'-title , but either there was no such thing or one of the Anointed snatched it . But from his experience , he felt the former to be more likely since he had a lot of other titles that the Zhix should have stolen if they shared the same title pool .

When he opened his quest screen two new quests awaited him , though he was slightly disappointed there was no new quest on his hegemony chain . But when he looked at the requirements to complete the two Class quests he started to grimace .

Class Quests

Deforestation (Class) : Cut down a Tree reaching 500 meters in one swing . Reward : Deforestation Skill (0/1)

Hatchetman's Spirit (Class) : Form a nature- or axe-Attuned Dao Fragment . Reward : Hatchetman's Spirit (0/1)

Zac didn't get any descriptions of the skills , but going by their names he felt that Deforestation] should be the ultimate offensive skill of his class , perhaps something akin to Nenothep's Spear World . Hatchetman's Spirit] might either be a defensive skill or some sort of Support skill , something to complement Hatchetman's Rage] .

Hatchetman’s Spirit] was both simple and hard to complete . Forming a Dao Fragment was something he would definitely do before evolving , but it was not something he was able to complete in the short run . It looked like he wouldn’t have the skill to help him during the Incursions , and perhaps not even in the Tower of Eternity .

The Deforestation] quest reminded him of his first Class Quest . That time he was supposed to chop wood , and now he needed to chop an enormous tree . He didn't think it would be too hard to chop one down , he simply needed to supersize a Chop] and imbue it with the Dao of sharpness .

The problem was that he hadn’t heard of any trees of that size on earth . Did they even exist? Things did grow bigger from the Cosmic Energy , but there were no such trees at Port Atwood at least . He would perhaps need to visit Westfort quickly after claiming this incursion to have their intelligence department see if they could find anything .

The next question was what to do with the 21 free points . Finally he chose to go all out on his main attribute , Strength . He was starting to veer away from the standard 2 : 1 balance with Dexterity , but with all his titles he already had more points in Dexterity than many agility-based classes would have at his level .

He did briefly consider putting the points in Wisdom to improve his mental defense . The attack from the bell was a poignant reminder that his mind wasn’t as sturdy as his body . But he would have to put a huge amount of points into Wisdom to make a difference , and he felt it was more efficient to buy more mental defensive treasures to shore up that weakness .

Since he was done with his status screen he got up to his feet and walked toward the others . The Valkyries seemed quite excited when he approached , and he looked at them with some confusion .

Congratulations on reaching level 75 . Next stop E-Grade! - Joanna said with a smile as she held Nenothep’s spear in her hand .

The two had been inseparable since she got it , and she alone had likely killed as many enemies as the other Valkyries combined with its help . It was truly a testament that attribute was not the only important thing for a cultivator , the right equipment was almost equally important .

Thank you , - Zac smiled as his eyes glanced across the forest to see how the cleanup of all gear and Cosmos Sacks went . It appeared they were pretty much done .

Don’t forget about our appointment . In fact , stay away from the Nexus Node so you don’t get any ideas , - Ogras’ voice suddenly echoed from the shadows .

I know , don’t worry , - Zac said with a snort .

But Zac knew it wasn’t inconceivable that he would simply skip going if it came to that . Things were heating up on Earth , and he wouldn’t hesitate to evolve if things got desperate . He would lose a top tier title and the opportunity to make strong allies , but one needed to be alive to enjoy those benefits .

Are there any movements from the Incursion? - Zac asked .

None that we can see , - Ogras said with a shrug . - The ambush contained most of their elites it seems . The others have likely evacuated by now unless they are fools . -

Zac agreed . He had already got the notification that this area was under his control as well .

That begs the question on how they knew we were coming , - Ogras muttered .

This was something that crossed Zac's mind as well . Just how had these people know to lie in wait?

They may have some sort of diviner , - Ogras added . - But there is a simpler solution . I think the Marshall Clan might have realized we are even stronger than they expected . Perhaps they thought we would lose elites from every battle , leaving us considerably weakened after we had finished closing the incursions . But when they saw that wasn't the case they tried to make it happen by leaking intelligence . -

Zac was about to disagree with Ogras' words without even considering it , but he stopped himself . He truly didn't believe Thea would do something like that , and Henry's main focus was on ridding Earth of all invaders . But the Marshall Clan consisted of thousands of people , most of whom had no relation to him or Port Atwood . Some people might have betrayed their cooperation for a misguided attempt to help their clan .

We will report it to the main branch of the Marshalls , and we'll just have to be more careful . I have some things I need to look into with the Marshall people as well , - Zac eventually said , as he started to walk toward their cars . - Let's go secure the core town . -

Joanna has reached the ladder! - another of the Valkyries suddenly blurted out when it was apparent that Zac was preparing to leave .

Zac’s eyes widened , and he quickly stopped in his tracks to open the ladder . It was true ; Joanna was currently on the 98th position at level 47 , meaning she had gained three levels since the assaults started . He wasn’t too surprised considering how high the levels of their prey were , but his brows instead rose when he saw the name she had chosen .

98th – Atwood Valkyrie Joanna – 47

Congratulations . But why not use your own name? - Zac asked .

We need the world to know that Port Atwood is not just you and the demons , no offense Ogras , - Joanna explained . - Hopefully , we’ll get a few more of the Valkyries on the ladder soon . We had already decided on this naming scheme long ago in case we ever got on the ladder . It was quicker than we expected . -

Great job , keep it up , - Zac said with a smile . - And it's a good idea . I'll put out some good rewards for anyone of Port Atwood who reaches the ladder , no matter which one . Try to figure out what you want and I'll try to make it happen . -

The group made their way toward the core city of the incursion , but they didn’t hurry in case they had left more ambushes on the way . Luckily no attack arrived , and they drove straight through the wide-open gates of the alien town four hours later .

But Zac was enraged the moment they entered the walled city , as the invaders had left a gift for him . A mountain of human corpses was thrown into a pile reaching over fifteen meters on the main square . The whole area dyed red from thousands of liters of blood , and a hastily written message were scribbled on the walls in red .

’Blood for Blood’ it says , - Ogras said with a frown . - Foolish . -

Zac ground his teeth as he looked at the scene that could be straight out of a nightmare . The blood still hadn’t dried on their bodies , meaning they were probably executed the moment these people noticed their leader had fallen . Killing innocents who were no threat just as some sort of petty revenge could only be considered as extreme cowardice . They could just have left through the Nexus Hub , but they stayed behind to butcher all these people out of spite .

Blood for blood , - Zac repeated with anger smoldering in his eyes . - They better pray I won’t find them in the multiverse later . Search the area . If any invaders remain , kill them . -

Zac himself walked over to the pile and personally put them all in a spare Cosmos Sack before he bought a new teleporter . These people had been enslaved in life and killed for no reason . Giving them a proper burial was the least he could do .

While the forces of Port Atwood secured the area he headed over to Westfort . Ogras insisted on coming along , saying that Zac might back down too quickly in their interrogation . Zac could only acquiesce , and he thought it was fine since Thea was away at the frontlines in any case .

Roland Marshall rushed over ten minutes after they arrived , and when he heard they needed intelligence he drove them to one of the large mansions within the inner wall . It was the headquarters for the intelligence arm of the Marshall Clan , and if anyone knew of any such trees it would be them . Zac explained what he was looking for , though he didn't mention it was due to his quest .

So , have you found any trees like that on earth? - Zac asked .

Well , there is a species of trees from the Ishiate world that grew almost as large as the Redwoods of earth . A few of them might have grown larger than 500 meters by now , - the intelligence officer who had been assigned to help them out thoughtfully said . - But I would avoid those trees unless you truly need them . -

Why? - Zac asked with a frown .

From what we have gathered the trees are called Treefathers , and they are holy places to the ishiate . Even the technologically inclined camp of the beastmen considers the trees holy . If you cut down one of them you might inadvertently declare war with the whole Ishiate population , - the man explained .

Is there no other place? - Zac sighed , wanting to avoid that kind of trouble if possible .

Well , there are the actual redwoods , - the man said . - Many of them were over a hundred meters before the integration , so one having mutated and grown to five hundred meters is within the realm of possibilities . We have many other examples of plant life growing to that degree compared to their former sizes , - the man said , but his face was still troubled .

So , spit it out . What’s the problem? - Ogras snorted .

The former Redwood forests are within the Cradle of God . -

Chapter 313 - The Belly of the Beast

Zac’s face soured when he heard that he would have to enter the belly of the beast if he wanted to evolve his skill . His initial plan was to reach level 75 and get his two new skills before assaulting Salvation , but now it looked like that idea was impossible to achieve .

He had already discarded the idea of felling one of the so-called Treefathers . For one they weren't as tall as the Redwood according to the report he was holding in his hand . They rather grew wide whereas the Redwood grew tall . And he didn't feel right about essentially killing the representation of the Ishiate's ancestors .

Still , there was some hesitation in his mind until Ogras suddenly motioned him to the side and erected one of the small array disks that Zac brought from the hunt . It isolated the small area around them , and Ogras’ shadows did the rest to completely obscure the two .

What do you need such a high tree for? You never mentioned anything like this , - Ogras said . - I thought we were here for rooting out the spies and dragging out some compensation of these fools . -

Compensation? - Zac blurted out with raised brows .

He never even considered such a thing and had simply wanted to fix an issue that the main branch of the Marshall clan perhaps wasn’t even aware of . To demand compensation at this juncture seemed a surefire way to sour the relationship with the Marshall clan which felt especially ill-timed now that he had just taken in another group of invaders .

Don’t go overboard . I’m sure your stock around here isn’t the best since your stunt at the Auction , - Zac sighed . - And I need the tree for my class . -

You need an enormous tree for your class - ? Ogras repeated with a blank face . - Never heard anything like it . Does it need to be 500 meters? The ones I spotted in the Mystic Realm weren’t that tall , but still pretty huge . -

It’s 500 meters minimum , - Zac said with a shake of his head .

So what are you thinking? Do you want to assault this Salvation guy immediately? - Ogras probed .

Zac threw a look at the intelligence officers around them . They were clearly curious about what was going on inside the portable array , but they all kept a respectful distance .

I think it would be for the best . I don’t have any powerups coming up I think , apart from a few improvements of my Dao . My other skill quest won’t be finished in the short run as well , - Zac said .

Ogras thoughtfully mulled over the information , before he nodded .

Might as well . But I don’t think our current lineup will be very useful against that person . He might seem to have a huge army on the surface , but in reality , he is only one entity from how you described him . There are no elites and no generals , just Salvation and his puppets . Bringing a bunch of weaklings will only slow us down . - Ogras said .

Us? - Zac asked with a raised brow , ignoring the comment of the others being weak . Why was the demon so interested in heading into a heated battle?

As I mentioned I got a few goodies as compensation for the forced fusion with this shadowbastard . I think fighting Salvation with his odd class might be beneficial for me . I have never heard of anything like it before , it’s even more mysterious than your class , - he said .

So what do you propose? - Zac asked .

Well , others can’t enter his little kingdom without being spotted , but that doesn’t necessarily include us , - Ogras said . - I say we sneak inside , cut down a tree , and kill the guy when he comes to investigate . The others could use the break to consolidate their gains . Many should be able to gain or upgrade a Dao seed from the recent battles . -

Zac nodded in agreement . He even felt that a few of his own Dao Seeds had improved even though the massive gains he just received from the Inheritance . The most notable was Sharpness , the Dao Seed that he used the most since gaining it . He was even considering using one of his remaining Dao Treasures to push it one step further before heading to the Cradle of God .

Do you need to prepare anything before we go? - Zac asked , tacitly agreeing with Ogras’ plan .

I just need a few hours in Port Atwood to make sure my shadows are fed and stable , - Ogras said after some consideration . - She gets a bit agitated otherwise . -

Great , - Zac nodded . - We’ll head back after this . I will try to improve a Dao seed to at least get a small boost before we fight Salvation . That guy is the strongest person I’ve met considering his level . -

Which is what makes him so intriguing . Now for the next issue , - Ogras said with a malicious smile as he turned off the Array and dispersed the obscuring shadows .

Don't do anything crazy , - Zac said with some helplessness .

When have I ever? - Ogras answered , throwing Zac a youthful smile as shadows flooded the room .

Things took a pretty nasty turn from there , with Ogras essentially taking the entire building , including Roland , hostages until a young man was brought in front of them . He was called Henry Marshall , named after the current patriarch , and his ambition matched his name .

He wasn’t part of the main branch though , and was rather part of a distant branch . Before the integration , he had barely been considered part of the clan . But since the world changed he had been allowed into the fold , where he had been desperate to prove himself to improve his lot .

He had already been suspected of cooperating with the I’Rallashar , the humanoid clan that just ambushed them , giving intelligence in return for cultivation resources . After hearing that Zac’s group was ambushed he was immediately captured and brought over by the chief of the Marshall Intelligence Bureau , a thin and unassuming old man named Charles .

A cursory search of Henry's home was all that was needed to find ample evidence of his culpability .

So , what punishment will this little guy get? - Ogras sneered as he looked down at the quivering man on the ground .

Charles simply pointed at the forehead of what could be considered his distant nephew , and the next moment a hole appeared that immediately started to leak blood and brain matter . The attack was silent and deadly , and even Ogras seemed a bit surprised by the strike .

Consorting with the enemy in time of war has always been punished by death by the Marshall Clan , - the man said , his face not moving a muscle .

Zac’s eyes drifted over to Charles , and he wondered just what kind of man he was before the integration . Something told him that the old man wasn’t one of the family members in prominent positions , but rather one of those working in the shadows .

It was a good reminder as well . The Marshall Clan wasn’t very strong now when compared to Port Atwood , but that was because his force improved with tremendous speed and left everyone in the dust . But the Marshall Clan teemed with talents that would probably shine when they had managed to completely adapt to the Multiverse .

It seems we have been too lax with our members as of late , which is our mistake , - Charles continued as he started tapping away at a tablet . - I will make sure to rein any aspiring profiteers . -

Thank you , - Zac said , not wanting to push the matter any further . - Inform Henry and the others we will delay the operation a week to recuperate . -

We estimated each Incursion to take 5 days at the minimum to assault and incorporate , - Charles said with a smile . - You are ahead of schedule as it is . Slow and steady wins the race . -

Zac nodded and dragged the demon out of the building before he could cause any real trouble . Having pointed his shadow spears at everyone until he got answers was bad enough , though Charles didn’t seem to mind .

The two returned to Port Atwood , and Zac sent a guard to inform his squad of the break . Ogras disappeared the moment they exited the teleportation station , and Zac headed home . Kenzie was back in the cave it seemed , so Zac immediately erected the arrays around his courtyard before sitting down with a Dao Treasure in his hand .

His gains since meeting Salvation the last time were huge , but this time they would fight at that madman’s home turf . Reports indicated that he had turned hundreds of thousands of people into puppets , and who knew what kind of power he would be able to exert . Hoarding his treasures at such a time was a waste .

He stabilized his mind before biting into the treasure , swallowing the sweet juices of the mysterious fruit . His mind was immediately whisked away , and he was once again one with the Dao .

Due to the multiple intense battles recently he had gained no small amount of inspiration to improve his Dao . He had a pretty good idea of what to do with his Dao of Rot , Sanctuary , and Sharpness . But for this treasure , he chose to focus on Sharpness .

Rot had improved extremely rapidly , and he needed some more time to utilize it in battle before he felt ready to push it toward the peak mastery . Sanctuary was perhaps the one he was closest to improve due to the semi-completed vision he saw before Yrial ran out of power . But he still felt Sharpness was the way to go .

His inspiration came from various sources such as the extremely penetrative power of Nenothep’s strikes , the swarm of needles that Thanso used , and he even went back to the old vision of the Axe Man . His last insight was centered around speed through sharpness , to cut through all obstacles . His current insight was a continuation of that , but it rather centered on penetrative power , which in a sense was the essence of sharpness .

He wanted an edge that would be able to cut through anything , even the void if needed . The boundless Dao answered and he felt the seed housed in his axe fractal improve one step further . The mysterious effect of the Dao Treasure ended not long after , and he only had time to slightly stabilize his foundation of his improved Dao Seed before his mind returned to his body .

Zac opened his menu the moment he opened his eyes , eager to check his latest Dao improvement .

Sharpness (High) : Strength +5 , Dexterity +40 , Intelligence +10 , Wisdom +5

He had reached High mastery as expected , though Zac was a bit surprised at the attributes he received . Half of the 30 new points were added to Dexterity , whereas the rest got spread out over Strenght , Intelligence , and Wisdom .

Still , what Zac cared about wasn’t the Attribute gain any longer . It was the improvement stronger Dao Seeds brought to his battle strength . He had a feeling that his improved Seed of Sharpness would massively improve his lethality against stronger opponents . As he got up to his feet he immediately spotted Ogras sitting in a lounger outside his gates .

I sensed the Dao through the Array . You wouldn’t happen to be hoarding Dao Treasures by any chance? - Ogras said the moment Zac stepped out of the courtyard .

That was my last one , - Zac lied face without missing a step .

I’m sure it was , - Ogras muttered as he followed Zac toward the private teleporter .

There was nothing else for Zac to prepare , so he immediately activated the array to open a passage to the secret outpost that the Marshall's used to observe Salvation's actions .

They emerged in what seemed to be an abandoned cellar . The Marshalls had bought off the town from the former mayor , and it was one of the tens of thousands of small towns that managed to get a Nexus Node , but not much else . Most of these places became indefensible as the wildlife got stronger , and those who were strong enough opted to head to larger towns for safety .

According to Ogras , the number of towns would likely increase again in the future when more powerhouses emerged . A mid E-Grade warrior would be enough to stand guard of a town on a D-Grade world unless a particularly aggressive type of beast lived nearby . With the help of arrays , they would be able to fend most beasts unless a beast horde formed .

This place was quite far from the Cradle of God , as Salvation was relentless in his endeavor to eradicate every living being . Staying too close would mean that one eventually would get swallowed up by his puppet tides .

So even though the area that Salvation controlled was much smaller than the Dead Zone no one would stay in any neighboring towns , leaving a huge perimeter without a single living being . It took the two of them almost three days of travel through untamed lands before they entered the area that could be considered part of the Cradle of God .

And they only needed to travel for another thirty minutes before they spotted the first puppet .

Chapter 314 - Sneaking Inside

Zac and Ogras were currently hidden within some foliage up a tree , and they had made ample preparations to obscure their presence even further . Both wore treasures that hid one’s life force , just like the amulet Zac used to trick the Zombies during the beast waves . Ogras was even continuously operating a shadow skill to hide them even further .

The two even used a portable arrays disk to hide from the mindless sentry , though they could only use it while they were stationary . The only way for them to be any better hidden was if they brought Janos as well who covered them in another layer of illusions , but he was occupied with the battle with the Zombies .

It might have been overkill , but Zac didn’t want to take any chances with this excursion . The fact that Salvation got away still irked him , and he didn’t want a repeat of that situation . Especially when he saw the man’s rapid leveling speed . Salvation had long passed level 60 , and likely received another round of powerups from his class quest .

But the worst thing was that Zac knew his levels likely came from killing humans rather than fighting off beasts or the invaders . Every day that lunatic remained alive even more suffering would descend on Earth .

How intriguing , - Ogras said as his eyes were trained on the puppet .

It was one of the guard sentries they had heard about . It simply stood on a small hill with good vantage in a certain direction , its head unceasingly moving back and forth like a moving camera . Other than that it was completely immobile .

It slowly absorbs cosmic energy , but it is not cultivating . I would guess it possesses a gathering array to keep it going . That explains a lot , - the demon continued .

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

It likely means that these things and the way Salvation fights are not purely a result of a unique class , - Ogras explained . - It is more likely a combination of an extremely intricate mother array that control these things , and a class that focuses on puppetry . Rather than a mystical class that does everything . -

Zac slowly nodded in understanding . The prospect that Salvation was using tools to gain his current power was a relief since it would be pretty unsettling otherwise . He was lower level than Zac and not even on the Dao Ladder , yet he had almost fought evenly with Zac who had Thea for support .

Does that help us in any way? - Zac asked .

Well , breaking the connection between a mother array and its children is much easier than breaking the connection of a skill , - Ogras said . - And it means we can substantially weaken Salvation if we find the mother array and destroy it . -

Don’t you think it’s on his person? - Zac ventured .

Perhaps not , - Ogras said with a shake of his head . - The more complicated the array the larger it needs to be to house the inscriptions . There are array plates as large as planets out in the multiverse from what I’ve heard . More skilled inscribers can inscribe smaller fractals , but I don’t believe The Great Redeemer is skilled enough to cram an array like this into something that Salvation can carry on his body . -

It’s not necessarily his own creation though , - Zac countered .

That’s fair , - Ogras nodded . - It might be something found in a Mystic Realm or on some dead powerhouse . That is a problem in itself . All the underlings of this Redeemer you’ve met are different class archetypes , making it hard to guess the situation with the boss . -

And it seems Calrin won’t be able to dig up anything useful either , - Zac added with some wistfulness .

There were no news from his side even after two weeks of asking around , trying to buy a report on the mysterious Redeemer . The man was either very discreet or Calrin’s connections weren’t good enough to get his hand on the information .

Zac was about to move on from the invader , but another thought suddenly struck him .

Wait , will we even be able to kill the guy? - Zac blurted out . - He might have one or many of the Dominators guarding him . -

I thought about that as well , but I doubt it , - Ogras said . - If our speculations are correct I don’t think anyone would be happier than them if Salvation got himself killed . The Dominators should already be in a bad spot compared to those humans of the other world in the hunt , and if they have to contend with a direct disciple? Forget about it , they will probably throw you a banquet if you kill him . -

Zac knew that what Ogras said was based on a lot of speculation on their side , but at the same time , he felt it made some sense . There had been no cooperation between the two forces during the hunt at all , and Salvation had been left alone even if he was weakened since he couldn't bring his puppet army . If the Dominators truly were concerned about his well-being they would have sent protection just like the Medhin with their guards .

Fair enough . But if we see any non-puppet Zhix in the area we will need to rethink our plan , - Zac decided . - Perhaps only cutting down the tree and then make a run for it . -

Fine , but I doubt there will be any living beings in this place if your description of that man is accurate , - Ogras shrugged . - It sounds like something has broken his mind . Either the stress of the integration or the Inheritance the Great Redeemer left behind . In either case , it doesn’t sound like he is in any position to make logical choices like keeping friendlies alive . -

The puppets at the perimeter seemed to be in a passive state where they only performed a simple loop over and over , and Zac and Ogras had no problems proceeding further into the Cradle unobstructed . There were a few hidden sentries though that they only spotted thanks to Ogras’ superior observation skills .

One was dug into the ground with only its head sticking out , and another one was crammed into a tree . It proved that the former humans were truly only seen as tools and that Salvation had them in abundance if he could use them frivolously like this . They had spotted over a dozen sentries the past hour , and they had only traversed in an extremely small part of the Cradle of God .

The total number of sentries must count in the thousands , and Zac could understand why there was so little information about what was going on inside . Very few would be able to enter this place unnoticed , and fewer still were willing to take the risk . But to Ogras all these traps were like a child’s game , and he unhurriedly guided the duo through the outer perimeter .

So where are these trees of yours? - Ogras asked , prompting Zac to take out a tablet and open up a map .

According to the guesses of the Marshall clan they should be roughly another five hours' travel due northeast , - Zac said with some hesitation . - But if they are five hundred meters tall we should be able to see them much earlier . -

His words turned prophetic 90 minutes later when they trekked up a small hill under the guise of some shrubbery . They wanted to get a better vantage to check for any threats as they were starting to get pretty far into the core of Salvation’s Zone .

But after the outer perimeter of silver scouts , the zone was completely devoid of both living beings and puppets , making the two believe that Salvation kept a large chunk of his guards close at hand . What they did spot , however , was the gargantuan trees that towered into the sky in the distance . Some even reached above the clouds , a testament to how huge they had become .

Even though Zac was unable to properly gauge their height he had a strong suspicion that at least a few of them were large enough for him to complete his quest , and he motioned Ogras to lead the way .

It took them a few more hours before they reached the forest , and Even Ogras couldn’t stop himself from being impressed by the majesty of the Redwoods . Zac had never gone to see them before the integration , but he had seen the pictures on the internet .

The forest they walked through now were far beyond what he had seen in pictures , as the trees had grown not only in height but also in width . Many reached more than twenty meters in diameter , and it was to the point that Zac started to hesitate whether he would even be able to fell one of these monstrosities in one swing .

He even started to feel a twang of guilt when he saw these majestic trees reaching up toward the skies , but he hardened his heart as they looked for a target . This was unfortunately not a time for environmental conservation . He truly needed the power up to fight the stronger Incursions . Otherwise , the losses on his side would turn disastrous .

Finally , the two found a tree that fit the bill . In contrast to the other trees it seemed to carry some sort of fungal infection , and cutting it down might even protect the forest from the spread of disease . Zac also had Ogras climb the thing with a fifty-meter rope to make sure it was tall enough , and the crown clocked in at over 540 meters . It was essentially a skyscraper from its dimensions .

When this tree goes down the sound will probably be enough to alert the whole country , - Ogras commented as he knocked on the trunk that was larger than a basketball court . - It must weigh an insane amount . You might even cause an earthquake . -

If I can even bring this thing down , - Zac muttered as he looked at it with some hesitation .

As he had grown stronger he was able to create a longer and longer edge with Chop] , though it was still unstable above ten meters in length . Now he needed to at least triple that number , and keep it active long enough to swipe through the whole tree .

But nothing ventured nothing gained .

Get ready to run , - Zac only said , as the took out Verun’s Bite] and walked up next to the trunk .

The edge from Chop] grew with rapid speed until the edge reached ten meters , where Zac momentarily stopped its growth . He needed to instantly push it to 35 meters or so from there , and do it as quickly as possible .

Zac simply decided to push his energy control to the limit and completely flood the fractal on his hand with as much energy as he possibly could . He found that his training with the mental puzzle helped somewhat , as it also made the control of his Cosmic Energy smoother . To stabilize the skill further he imbued it with his recently improved Dao Seed as well .

The edge gained a silver sheen from his Late-stage Dao of Sharpness as it stretched out from his axe until it started to gain ridiculous proportions . He tried to maintain a semblance of control of the fractal edge as long as possible as it grew , but he felt it was starting to become unstable the moment he passed fifteen meters .

He did everything he could to have the Cosmic Energy remain its shape until it finally reached the necessary length . His axe was already moving with fluid motion the moment the fractal edge became long enough , but he started to frown as the edge tore through the wood .

There was significant resistance to his swing , even with his E-Grade axe and Dao of Sharpness combining to make an extremely strong attack . The properties of the wood had clearly been strengthened by the Cosmic Energy to allow it to support its own massive weight .

Zac's muscles strained to push through the tree as his mind started to become dizzy from the effort of maintaining the shape of the edge . But just as it was about to pass through the other end it finally fizzled , leaving a small piece still intact . Disappointment started to flood Zac's mind , but his hopes reignited when the tree started to creak ominously .

Did your quest complete? - Ogras asked , and Zac opened his status screen as the two started to create some distance from the redwood .

The attack had contained enough momentum to make the tree swing , and the movements were in turn enough to break off the last piece of the

A thunderous explosion that caused the ground to shake spread out in the area the moment the tree slammed into the ground , taking two smaller redwoods with it . Zac and Ogras were thrown tens of meters in the air , wildly flailing until Ogras shot a shadow spear into a nearby tree with one hand , and grabbed Zac with the other .

It was as though a hurricane went through the forest and the remaining trees wildly swayed back and forth , making Zac fear that he had started off a chain reaction with his attack . But the area soon calmed down , allowing Zac to breathe out in relief and open his status screen and enter the skill tab .

Deforestation - Proficiency : Early . Their army is the forest and you are the Hatchetman . Upgradeable .

The swing had counted as a success , and Zac breathed out in relief . He realized the quest had told him to cut the tree down in one swing rather than to completely cut through it so that the edge didn't go all the way through wasn't the end of the world . The quest had likely finished the moment the tree slammed into the ground , but the shockwave had made Zac miss the fact that he gained another fractal on his right bicep .

As he read the description he was reminded of the flavor text of his Hatchetman class . It had said something very familiar , and it almost felt like Deforestation] was the signature skill of his class . Zac really wanted to try it out as soon as possible , but another change made him stop in his tracks .

Chop] , the first attack skill that he obtained had finally evolved from Late to Peak Mastery , becoming the first skill to do so . His skills hadn't improved as quickly as his Daos , and he was quite far away from pushing them all to the peak . He briefly wondered what he could do to push his skills further , but a prod from Ogras brought him out of his musings .

Holy crap , - Ogras muttered , losing some of his trademark calm as he pointed toward a field in the distance .

Any thoughts of skills were thrown out of Zac's head as he visibly paled from what he saw . Holy crap was exactly what Zac felt when he saw the ocean of silver puppets that swarmed toward their position .

And above the puppets hundreds of silver rivers streaked across the sky , forming a beautiful pattern that spoke of impending doom .

Chapter 315 - Against the Clock

Worry marred Zac’s face as he looked out at the ocean of silver puppets . He already knew the force that Salvation could summon was huge , but it was still intimidating to see such a line-up in person . The endless silver rivers looked like scars in the sky , and the combined aura of the puppets on the ground was extremely daunting .

This kind of power should not be available to an F-Grade warrior , - Ogras muttered , his face slightly pale . - There must be some kind of drawback . -

I didn’t sense any weakness last time , apart from the fact that his actual body is pretty weak . He needed to use treasures and his puppets to stay safe . If I can get to him I’d be able to kill him in one swing , - Zac said , mustering up some courage .

He was still not happy about the situation , as the arrival of the army arrival was too fast . The forest they were in was an hour away from the central city that Salvation had occupied , a chunk of former Los Angeles . It should have taken the puppets even longer to get here , meaning that Salvation set out toward this place hours ago .

Had they already been spotted?

Well , so much for a sneak attack , - Ogras muttered , echoing Zac’s thoughts . - So what do you want to do? -

Zac frowned as he kept looking through the incoming horde through a pair of binoculars . Every single one was a puppet , which in a sense was good news . It meant no one had allied with Salvation , not even the Zhix under control of the Dominators . He did spot a few of the insectoids , but they had invariably been turned into puppets , just like the humans and Ishiate .