Defiance of the Fall

However , there were simply so many of them . What if he summoned another face in the sky , except that this one was a hundred times larger? Zac doubted that even he would survive such a strike . But he suddenly froze when he spotted the familiar form walking among the puppets .

Salvation still looked like an insane hobo , but Zac could spot even from this great distance that he had noticeably aged . Silver streaks ran through his oily head and wild beard , and his face was marred with wrinkles . Had he been forced to utilize Life Force in battle recently? If so he might be weakened , making this an opportune moment to strike .

The mad prophet had also arrived at a similar solution to his amputation as Ogras . The hand that Zac managed to chop off at the last minute in the hunt had been replaced by the metallic liquid that ran all the way up to his shoulder . Suddenly Salvation’s head snapped straight toward their direction as Zac scouted him out , and it felt as he looked straight into his eyes . Zac didn’t know why , but he was sure that it wasn’t just a feeling , but rather the truth .

They had already been spotted .

Let’s head down , - Zac said . - Perhaps we can surprise attack him while speaking . He’s the kind of lunatic who likes an audience . -

Ogras nodded and the two jumped down from their position up the tree . Just two minutes later they stood in front of the enormous army of puppets , with Salvation having walked toward the front . The world had almost turned monochromatic from the rivers obscuring the suns , but Zac’s whole attention was on the lunatic wearing the dirty sheets .

Like a moth to flames the spirit longs for salvation , - Salvation said as he stepped forward , with ten silver rivers circulating him for protection . It looked like he wasn’t taking any chances with Zac within axing distance . - Are you ready to join the Great Undertaking? -

Unfortunately not . I’m here to finish what I started back in the hunt . Why don’t you call your Zhix allies here as well? - Zac said , making a gambit that Salvation was too crazy to realize he was digging for information .

Those three are but tools of the Great Lord , - Salvation said with some disdain . - They lack the piety and the dedication to the cause and only serve a purpose until they've led the Great Lord here . They know better than to encroach on the holy land . -

Zac felt some relief when hearing that , as it didn’t look like Salvation was lying . His mind was consumed with his insane crusade , and things as subterfuge were beyond him at the moment .

This one is even loopier than I thought , - Ogras muttered with some interest as he studied Salvation like one would a rabid animal .

Do not worry , horned one . Not even the scions of Lucifer are beyond redemption , - Salvation said , throwing Ogras a pitying glance .

Oh? You know of Lord Lucifer? - Ogras said with surprise , making Zac look over with some shock .

What? - Ogras asked with some confusion after seeing Zac’s look . - Lucifer is one of the most powerful demons around , a true hero . This whole region should know of his name . -

Zac wanted to ask a dozen follow-up questions to that , but there were far more pressing matters at hand .

How did you find us? - Zac couldn’t help but ask of the grimy man .

The Lord hears all , sees all , is all , - Salvation lifting his eyes far into the air . - How can I not sense your Sapience , your suffering . Let me free you . -

That was all the time Salvation was willing to waste on the conversation as five rivers descended from the skies to charge at the two . Meanwhile , an enormous change took place with the rest of the rivers . They started to change and form fractals in the sky , creating a circle of inscriptions .

A dozen shadow spears suddenly appeared around Salvation that tried to skewer him the moment they rose out of the ground . But it was as though the swirling rivers around their enemy had a mind of their own as they blocked all the strikes before Salvation himself even had time to react .

Large clouds of dissipated silver rose into the air , and a few dozen of the innumerable spare puppets immediately liquefied and joined the defensive perimeter around their master . Ogras tsked in disappointment as he looked up at the change to the liquefied puppets , his spear already having appeared in his hand .

They seem to be forming an array , - Ogras muttered . - We should probably disrupt it . -

Can you handle it? - Zac asked . - I’ll try to go straight toward the source . -

Fine , you’re better suited for charging straight into it like a bull anyway , - Ogras agreed as the two huge shadow wings sprouted on his back .

Zac simply nodded and exploded into motion with Loamwalker] pushing him straight toward Salvation himself . As he pushed forward he charged up his new and improved Chop] to tackle the protective layers surrounding the puppeteers .

Cosmic Energy effortlessly entered the fractal as usual , but when infused the fractal with his energy Zac noticed a startling change . For one he infused over ten times as much energy as usual before the blade assembled , but that wasn't all . As the fractal edge materialized he also formed a mental connection he had never felt before .

Suddenly it was as though the large five-meter edge was a part of his body , and with a simple mental command , it detached from its position in front of his axe . However , it didn’t shoot off toward Salvation and his metallic rivers but rather started to hover around him like a large scythe of death .

Zac tried to summon another edge , but this time there was no mental connection forming , but rather just another standard blade that required the regular amount of energy . It looked like the change in his skill was that he received one special edge , while the others remained the same .

Unfortunately , this wasn’t the time to experiment where the limits of his new addition lay , and Zac refocused on the battle instead . He created another five blades and launched them in quick order toward Salvation , as the special edge stayed within like a bodyguard .

Each blade was imbued with the improved Dao of Sharpness , and they pushed Salvation’s defenses to their limits . Each edge completely ripped a river to shreds before dissipating , forcing over a hundred puppets to liquefy . Only around a month had passed since the two fought last time , but Zac had not only improved his Daos considerably but also his weapon .

The rabid fanaticism in Salvation's eyes was briefly doused as fear flashed in his face for the first time . Zac was almost upon him , but this time Salvation wasn't willing to confront him head-on . The ten rivers surrounding him swallowed him up before they scattered in different directions , making Zac unable to tell where he had gone .

Another fifty rivers were created from the puppets , and as they twirled and intertwined it was completely impossible to tell which was which . The only relief was that he hadn't launched Nature's Punishment] immediately in an attempt to destroy Salvation , as he had gotten even better at staying hidden . He would have been forced to waste the huge hand on killing a few hundred puppets , wasting its massive power and energy consumption .

Soon the rivers started to shoot toward Zac , and he rapidly started to destroy them by launching his blades at them , but there was no end in sight . He soon realized that he would need to infuse the blade with the Dao of Sharpness to completely destroy a river , but his mind would become overtaxed before he managed to launch enough attacks with Chop] . Salvation had simply brought too many puppets .

Shit! What are these things made of? - a frustrated shout could be heard from above as Zac hesitated what to do next , and he looked up to see Ogras desperately trying to destroy the enormous fractals that had already fully formed .

The rivers in the sky had turned into a long string of fractals in just seconds , and they formed an enormous circle in the sky . Its diameter was at least a square kilometer , and it encompassed the whole battlefield and the puppet army . So far he couldn’t sense them doing anything , but even he could sense the massive amounts of Cosmic Energy they started to absorb .

Zac frowned and launched a handful of Dao-infused blades toward the fractals as well , but they were extremely sturdy . The strikes did chip them down somewhat , but a handful of the tens of thousands of puppets immediately reinforced them . Ogras swooped down toward him with some hesitation on his face when he saw that the battle below had stalled as well .

It has truly formed an array , - Ogras said . - This guy is just too weird . We might be better if we exit the encirclement before we consider our next step . -

You have entered the Holy Kingdom , it is time for you to join the unity . Through pain comes clarity , - the voice of Salvation echoed across the field , though it was impossible to pinpoint its source .

A foreboding feeling crept into Zac’s heart as he shot Ogras a glance . He started to feel that they had been a bit overconfident in confronting this madman . They should probably have backed off when they saw the huge resources that Salvation had expended to confront them , but he had been to anxious to finish the fight , emboldened by his recent powerups .

The demon imperceptibly nodded and the two immediately disappeared from their spot , rushing out of the encirclement . But the moment they were about to cross the threshold it was as though Zac slammed into a wall , and the rebound threw him over ten meters back .

A shockwave made Zac's robe flutter immediately afterward as Ogras launched a beam of shadows at the invisible shield . But there was not even a shudder , making the ominous feeling in Zac’s heart worse .

There’s no way we will break this thing in the short run , - Ogras muttered .

What do we do? - Zac asked , pushing down any panic that threatened to rise to the surface . He hated feeling like a trapped animal .

Everything should be controlled by that man . We kill him and the rest of it should sort itself out , - Ogras hesitantly said . - Judging by how the fractals are absorbing energy it will take a few minutes for them to charge whatever they’re supposed to do . -

I have no method of locating him though , - Zac said with a grimace . - He can seamlessly move about the puppets . He might even turn himself into that liquid from what I can tell . -

Well , all the puppets are within the array , so he should be as well , no? - Ogras said . - So if we destroy all the puppets we should be able to find him . If we still can’t find him we will at least have destroyed what allows the runes to regenerate , which might allow us to destroy them . -

Zac thoughtfully nodded in agreement . It was far better than just standing around , even if he still was a bit unwilling to destroy these poor people who had become victims to Salvation .

But we’re against the clock here , so no holding back , - Ogras added .

I think I have just the thing , - Zac said , tightening the grip on his axe .

Zac once again started to run toward where he came from . But this time his aim wasn’t to directly kill Salvation , but rather to cause widespread mayhem .

It was time to unleash Deforestation] .

Chapter 316 - Deforestation

Zac knew time was running out as he rushed toward the sea of puppets . They had no idea what the enormous array in the sky would do , but he couldn’t imagine it being anything good . Since Salvation said it was time to join the unity it might mean that both he and Ogras would be turned into puppets the moment the fractals finished charging up .

He also knew that Chop] wouldn’t cut it , even with its recent upgrade . There was a limit to how many puppets he could destroy per swing , and the number was too low to rip apart the endless army in front of him . It was like the mission he received to kill enough zombies in ten minutes . This time he needed to kill to maintain a killing speed that was at least ten times higher .

The function of the special blade from Chop] was still unclear as it still hovered around him . However , Zac noted that it had barely cost any Cosmic Energy to maintain since he formed it , meaning it might be possible to keep a permanent edge on hand . He needed to explore ways to manipulate it though , as traveling with a five-meter cutter swirling around him would be pretty inconvenient .

He instead put his hopes on his newly acquired skill , Deforestation] . He received no explanation of how the skill worked when he got it , and there were rather only a few names that entered his mind . But its description indicated it was used as an army killing attack .

So it was with fervent hope he started to flood the fractal on his bicep with Cosmic Energy as he ran toward the puppets . The fractal immediately activated and he finally received a burst of insight , making him understand how to properly utilize the skill . And it was just in time with him arriving in front of the Silver Guards .

Axe of Felling , - Zac muttered as his arm started to perform a wide horizontal swing .

It felt as though he was pushing through a viscous liquid , but to Zac’s massive pool of Strength it was only a minor inconvenience , some additional strain on his body . The energies in the surroundings started to churn while a large chunk of Zac’s own Cosmic Energy also was dragged out of his body to feed the attack .

Verun’s Bite] only cleaved air as Zac finished his motion , but the swing was only there to summon the real strike . The true effect of Deforestation] materialized the moment Zac finished his strike , and it moved to repeat Zac’s own swing .

It was a forester’s hatchet , almost a bit reminiscent of his first weapon , his trusty hatchet that had unfortunately turned to scrap in his battle with Vul . The summoned weapon had a somewhat small head for its very long wooden handle , and if it wasn’t for two details one could have thought it was a normal hatchet from Earth .

The first oddity was its size . The hatchet was well over ten meters long , with its head being larger than Zac himself . The second clue to its origin were the fractals that adorned it . There were two lines of inscriptions , one running along the back of the long handle , and the other along its edge .

The fractals along the chestnut-colored handle emitted a sense of imperviousness and fortitude , making it seem the axe would be able to handle any amount of strain without snapping . The ones on the edge gave off a completely different feeling , and it was one that Zac was familiar with . It was sharpness , the ability to cut through anything .

The fractals' functions might be the standard set that a multiverse hatchet would contain , but they were extremely different from the fractals on a weapon that one might pick up in the System’s general stores . They contained a boundless intricacy in their simplicity , and it was clear they contained truths that were well beyond Zac’s current understanding of the Dao .

Zac tried to imbue the enormous axe with his Dao of Sharpness , but his mental energy was actually rebuffed when he tried to infuse it . Zac knew he might be imagining things , but he almost felt as though the huge axe disdained his Seed of Sharpness , not wanting to be sullied by such a lowly insight into the Dao .

Zac quickly tried a few other Daos , but the result was the same . The axe finished its trajectory without getting imbued at all , and it was an exact copy of Zac’s own swing . The attack was simple and unadorned , but the effect was anything but . Zac first thought the attack was a dud , but soon one puppet after another started to fall apart , bisected in the middle by a clean cut .

First it was one , then two , then hundreds of puppets that fell into pieces before turning into vapor . The silver rivers weren’t faring any better as they shattered one after another as well from the forester’s axe . The attack kept moving outward and the battlefield was soon obscured in a dense silver mist from the thousands of puppets that were destroyed in an instant .

Zac estimated that over twenty thousand puppets had been destroyed by that one massive swing , but he knew that the effect of Deforestation] wasn’t over . It was not a single-use skill , but rather a skill that ramped up , as long as his body could take it .

Zac hurried forward through the shrouded battlefield so that he could unleash the follow-up swing as close as possible to the remaining puppets . He shot a glance at Ogras while he rushed forward to see that the demon had unleashed his largest sea of shadows yet .

A large sector of the battlefield was shrouded in utter darkness , and puppets were swallowed and destroyed by the dozens every second . Ogras himself was floating above the shrouded field like a God of darkness , shooting concentrated shadows to destroy any silver rivers that tried to flee his sphere of influence .

It was starting to become clear that Salvation possessed some rationality at least , and it looked like he was trying to stall out the battle . His puppets had actually been trapped within the barrier as well , but there was still a lot of room for them to move about .

The mad prophet wasn’t trying to gather his forces to charge at the two , but he rather seemed content to sacrifice parts of his army while the runes in the sky kept gathering energy . Zac couldn’t be sure , but from the power they were starting to emit he feared that they had even less time than they had hoped .

Zac reached the edge of where the attack of Axe of Felling] reached , and he once again charged up the fractal representing Deforestation] .

Infernal Axe , - Zac growled , and suddenly it felt as though he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders when he tried to repeat the swing .

His whole body strained to the max as he desperately pushed his Axe forward , and once again an enormous axe materialized in front of him when he completed the swing . This time it was even more massive , with an edge at least twice the size of the Axe of Felling] .

The axe also looked completely different . The last one was a simple axe apart from the line of fractals , whereas this one was clearly meant for war . The head was larger with a long curved edge looking like molten stone , and it emitted an aura of fiery annihilation . Its handle seemed to be created from a burnt-out trunk of some unknown tree , and scorch marks formed dozens of fractals in a seemingly random pattern along the handle .

It was a forest fire turned into a weapon , and as the enormous axe swung an inferno rippled outward in a massive wave of destruction . This attack was nothing like the nondescript killing of the first swing . It looked like a red tsunami that pushed outward toward the puppets , swallowing anything it reached .

The puppets were not only burnt to when the wave consumed them , but the flames actually contained an extremely sharp cutting power . The flames somehow chopped the silver guards into tens of pieces that were soon turned into cinders before the wave passed on . They didn’t even get the chance to form the silver mist this time as only burnt chunks were left behind .

Salvation tried to move his remaining puppets and rivers away from the firestorm , but the attack was way too fast for even the more agile silver rivers . The wave kept growing and growing in a massive conflagration , and soon the attack had passed hundreds of meters , leaving nothing but scorched earth in its wake .

Zac had fallen down on his knees after releasing the attack , panting with exhaustion . After the two attacks he had a pretty decent idea of the requirements for the first two swings . The Axe of Felling required somewhere around 500 Strength to launch , whereas the second one required 750 .

He guessed that normally only the first swing was meant to be used in the F-grade unless perhaps someone managed to reach the required Strength for the second with the help of Hatchetman’s Rage] . But thanks to his titles his effective strength just about passed 800 , allowing him to launch the second swing , though not effortlessly .

But Zac knew that still wasn’t the end . There was one more axe one could summon with Deforestation] .

Zac hesitantly looked at the remaining puppets and rivers . His two first swings had killed off roughly a third of the Puppets , where the second swing had destroyed over a hundred thousand puppets alone . The Shadow Ocean that Ogras had summoned would be able to handle a quarter of the original number as well before the time ran out . But that still left almost half of the puppets .

In a perfect world he would repeat the swing of the Infernal Axe a couple of times to rip apart the rest of the puppets , but he realized that this attack couldn’t be used repeatedly . The fractal on his arm had dimmed by a large degree , with only a third still being illuminated by a mysterious power .

Zac realized that the attack was a bit like his upgraded axe . The powerful skill had charges , and it needed to restore its energies before it could be used again . Perhaps that was for the best , as Zac felt how wrung out his body was after using the second strike , even with his extreme physique .

That meant he would either need to try to summon the third axe or cancel the attack and try to destroy the rest of the puppets some other way . Salvation still doggedly refused to leave his position within one of the rivers , so using Nature’s Punishment] to finish him off was impossible .

Meanwhile , he didn’t feel that Chop] was up to the task of destroying the well over hundred thousand remaining puppets in short order , leaving the final axe as his only solution . The problem was that Zac wasn’t sure he would be able to withstand the backlash from trying to force the ultimate attack of Deforestation] .

However , they were running out of options and Zac could only make a gambit on his oddly durable body . The air around him twisted from a massive surge of power as he activated Hatchetman’s Rage] to push his effective strength to over a thousand points .

The mental effects of the skill were especially poignant with the added effect of the Splinter of Oblivion] bleeding into his mind since the battle started , and Zac forcibly had to restrain himself from actually trying to bite a puppet to death the moment he reached the defending line of silver guards once again .

Desolation , - Zac wheezed with red-tinted eyes as almost all of his remaining Cosmic Energy was sucked dry in the blink of an eye .

Zac started to swing his axe to launch the final axe , which was called Desolation] . But he only managed to swing the axe half-way before he was pushed to his knees from insane pressure , one that didn't only affect his body but even his soul . He felt a deep unwillingness to give in as madness took control of his mind , and he used everything he had to push the axe forward .

His muscles tore as blood started to run down his nose and ears , but it actually seemed to work as the outline of an enormous axe started to form . But its true shape couldn’t even be discerned before a loud snap echoed across the battlefield , and the axe immediately fractured .

The sound came from multiple bones in Zac’s arm shattering due to overwhelming pressure . His strength wasn’t enough , even with Hatchetman’s Rage] activated . Zac had hoped that the requirement for the third axe was 1000 Strength , but that clearly wasn’t it as he wasn’t even close to finishing the swing before his body broke down and his mind was damaged .

But surprisingly the attack wasn’t a complete failure . As the indistinct outline of the axe fractured it turned into a hazy grey mist that rushed out toward the puppets . The mist was pretty sparse and only a small part of the remaining Silver Guards was affected , but the result was still astounding .

Anything the anthracite mist touched started to crumble , and in just seconds the affected guards had turned into nothingness . There were no marks , no remains , nothing . Just a complete and total annihilation . Zac's eyes widened in shock as he looked upon the destruction as he lay immobile on the ground , wondering just how strong the fully finished strike would be .

Unfortunately , the mist was only enough to destroy another ten thousand puppets . But sometimes a little bit of luck was all that was needed to turn a battle around .

As a silver river fragmented due to an errant gust of the deadly mist , and a wretched Salvation was thrown out with a pained wail , a silver shield shattering around him . Even the silver arm he had created for himself broke down , turning into blackened motes that dissipated .

Only Salvation himself seemed fine , with his puppets sacrificing themselves to protect him from the effects of Desolation] . Madness and fear marred the man's face as he looked at Zac with horror , and Zac growled in response as he tried to get back on his feet .

DESCENT! - Salvation screamed in panic , and the remaining tens of thousands of puppets broke down simultaneously , rapidly forming a sinister cloud beyond anything Zac had seen before .

Chapter 317 - Explosions

Zac’s eyes widened in alarm because the scene was the same as when Salvation summoned the enormous head in the sky during the hunt , only on a far grander scale . If this attack was allowed to complete its buildup the face would at least be ten times the size of the last time .

Something needed to be done , but his limbs didn’t respond to his commands . His last attack had completely overtaxed his body , and apart from the broken bones in his arm and shoulder , he felt he had ripped most of his muscles as well .

He still had some remaining Cosmic Energy in his system , but he couldn’t even stand up at the moment , let alone launch an attack to stop Salvation from bringing the equivalent of a comet down on their heads . He only saw one possibility to turn the tides .

Beauty Yrial’s Great Transformation Skill] activated around his core , and his battered body was immediately flooded with Miasma . Zac’s vision blurred and a sense of weakness immediately spread through his body . The effect was even worse as Hatchetman’s Rage] was forcibly canceled before it’s time limit , and it looked like switching Class was not a viable method to avoid the backlash from activating the buffing skill .

The transformation would take less than ten seconds , but he started to despair as he realized he wouldn’t make it in time . An enormous silver river formed in the clouds above , and it quickly moved down to swallow Salvation’s exposed body .

But blood suddenly spurted out of the mad prophet’s mouth as a shadowy lance erupted from his chest . He looked down with bafflement as even more lances skewered him , making him lose blood like a sieve .

It was Ogras who had somehow teleported into Salvation’s own shadow to attack him before he had time to get back into the protection of his silver rivers . It looked like Ogras had been patiently waiting like a hunter for Salvation to appear to get a shot at assassinating him .

A wet cough escaped Salvation’s mouth as he slowly turned his head toward Ogras . The demon was just about to slice off his head when his eyes widened in alarm . The golden fractal on Salvation’s forehead lit up with blinding light , and the demon fell back as though he was grievously wounded .

So it is my time to join the unity , - Salvation rasped as he rapidly started to age . - But redemption comes to all . I will be accompanied by thousands , my last gift to the great Lord . -

Ogras suddenly started to scream as though he was being ripped apart as he was bathed in golden light . He desperately tried to move away , but it looked like his body didn’t respond to his actions .

Horned one , join me in ete- - Salvation said , but was forcibly interrupted as a huge spiked shield slammed into him with the force of a ballistic missile .

Half of Salvation’s body , including most of his head , was destroyed , instantly killing him . The golden fractal lost its source of energy when the grimy priest lost his remaining life force . Ogras soon calmed down , but he was still on his knees panting from whatever he had experienced .

It was Zac who had finally finished his transformation but had found himself unable to move even in his Draugr form . Luckily one of his arms was still mostly intact apart from a few pulled muscles . He had forced it full of miasma with Unholy Strike] and hurled his huge shield at Salvation since he was afraid he’d miss if he threw his axe with his left arm .

Zac was filled with new energy after the shield hit home , confirming that Salvation had truly died from the attack . But the energy was extremely lacking for how taxing the battle was since Salvation was only level 62 . It was enough to push his level to 54 and some ways toward the next level , but nothing more than that .

He arduously got to a sitting position as he sardonically wondered what his opponent would think is he ever got killed in battle . Would he be shocked at the minuscule amount of energy compared to the strength that Zac exhibited? But he was soon dragged out of his musings from the rumblings of the sky .

The silver clouds had stopped condensing with Salvation’s death , but they hadn’t dissipated . The enormous amount of energies they contained rapidly became more and more chaotic , and alarm bells were starting to go off in Zac’s mind .

Good job , though I believe kill stealing is my job , - a weak voice came from his side as Ogras appeared with the shield gripped in a shadow tentacle .

The demon was pale as a sheet , and tear streaks were running down his face . Zac wondered just what the demon had experienced inside that golden light to look like that . After glancing over at the demon’s original position Zac saw that the body of salvation was gone , likely snatched up by Ogras as he rushed over here .

Unfortunately we don’t seem to be out of harm’s way , - the demon continued . - The arrays have stopped gathering energy , but they are still active . My soul is wounded and I’m out of energy , are you able to destroy a rune to let us out of here? -

Zac sighed and shook his head .

I don’t have a lot of offensive skills in this class . The only thing is that throw , - Zac explained .

Ogras only groaned and started to desperately rip up huge chunks of the scorched ground beneath them .

Then get to digging , - Ogras said . - We have twenty seconds at best before the energies in those clouds above us rip this area into pieces . -

Zac’s brows rose in realization , and he punched a deep hole with his working arm , ignoring the pain from using his torn muscles . It only took them ten seconds to dig over twenty meters down in the ground , after which they covered themselves with layers of soil .

However , they weren’t done with just that as Zac summoned Immutable Bulwark] to form a thick shield above them , and he immediately imbued it with the Seed of Hardness . Ogras still wasn’t satisfied as one Array Disk after another appeared , along with a few other defensive treasures that Zac had never seen before .

Treasures are no good for you dead , - Ogras muttered , though he seemed a bit pained as he clutched his items .

Zac was about to respond but a shockwave that almost knocked him unconscious slammed into them , even with the multiple layers of defense . The next moment the world turned white as a massive explosion erupted that drowned out everything else .

Miasma was being drained at an astonishing rate as torrential forces continuously slammed into his shield , and three quarters of his death-attuned energy was gone in just a few seconds . Finally , he was forced to remove the shield while shouting out a warning to Ogras , letting the defensive treasures take the brunt of the attack .

The shimmering layers of shields started shattering at a rapid pace by the unceasing onslaught , and Zac was starting to wonder if he would have to resummon his shield and push it until he ran out of Miasma . But as suddenly as the force erupted it also disappeared and calm once again returned to the area .

Zac and Ogras found themselves at the bottom of an enormous crater , and the two couldn’t help but gawk as they looked around . There was simply nothing there apart from the enormous hole that was at least fifty meters deep .

There was a clean line of demarcation in a circle where the edge of the array once was , as it seemed the blast had been contained and pushed downward , at least in the beginning of the eruption . The large fractals in the sky were all gone , clearly unable to hold against the massive forces that had been unleashed .

The two were both pretty bad shape , but they knew it was risky to stay here . The dominators hadn’t appeared in the fight , just like they had hoped , but the massive discharge just now could likely be seen from outside Salvation’s area of control . So they arduously made their way out of the crater , only to see another scene of utter desolation .

Half the forest they came from had been toppled , and anything aboveground had been ripped to shreds from the blast after the array containment failed . Zac shook his head in wonderment , feeling as though he had survived staying in the epicenter of a nuclear explosion , mostly through his own power .

The world of Cosmic Energy was both terrifying and wondrous .

Thomas walked through the streets of New Washington , or what remained of them . A somber face marred his tired face as he looked at the scene of devastation .

Do we have a tally yet? - Thomas sighed , turning to his aide who walked along him with one of her arms in a cast .

The cleanup process is still underway , but we fear that up to twenty percent of the population died from the explosion , and many more are wounded . The commercial and residential districts were particularly badly hit , - she said with a downcast face .

Do we know how Salvation managed to smuggle so many of his puppets to our sewer system? - Thomas growled , an ember of fury burning in his chest .

We still have no idea , the routes were completely destroyed from the explosion , making it impossible to map . One theory is that he found an abandoned sewage outlet that ran out of the town that provided him ingress , - she said , though it was clear she did not believe in this theory .

What do you believe? - Thomas sighed , though he had a good idea of what she was thinking .

Wasn’t Salvation allied with… them? - the aide said with a low voice , avoiding eye contact with Thomas .

Thomas sighed again as they returned to his office after making the rounds .

They served the same master , but from how we understand it they belonged to rival camps . I reached out to our contact earlier and they fervently denied any involvement in this terrorist attack . Truthfully I believe them , if only because this insanity is against their goals as well , - Thomas said with a tired voice .

He knew what his aide thought of those monsters , and the path of no return they had embarked upon . But they were out of options and time was running out . Perhaps that man would be able to defeat the Dominators given enough time , but their lord was on his way . He knew that fighting against him was futile , like ants trying to destroy an elephant .

It was time to salvage what could be saved . He knew that only a small fraction of humanity would survive the arrival of The Great Redeemer with his plan , but that was better than the whole world getting harvested . If he needed to sell his soul to save at least a small part of humanity , so be it .

But he hadn’t completely given up . As long as he had two hands he would do everything in his power to turn the tides .

Have there been any news from our other project? - Thomas asked , and the aide immediately took out a few documents , knowing what he was referring to .

The spies we caught had limited knowledge about the movements of the church , but we have finally managed to locate one of the four entrances that the Church of Everlasting Dao control . We are amassing our armies to strike that outpost as we speak , - she said .

Any new intelligence? - Thomas probed , as he had been too occupied with the Zombie threat as of late to be up to date to the activities of this clandestine project .

We have confirmed from multiple sources that they all lead to the same Mystic Realm and that it is an enormous structure that would likely be able to house millions of people . But it is already populated by multiple indigenous forces , and even the core members of the Church have found themselves in pitched battles without making much headway , - she read from the reports .

Have you found out what's inside that’s so important that they ignore all the resources of Earth? - Thomas asked with a sharp look in her direction .

The infiltrators have no idea , even they seemed pretty shocked at the resources their High Vicar spends at conquering that place , - she said . - And the main branch of their church seems to have spent a huge sum to provide reinforcements to help in their efforts . -

Do we have the strength to conquer the base? - Thomas asked next .

It is guarded by multiple E-Grade warriors , though they are still somewhat limited by the restrictions . We will need to expend both plenty of lives and a sizeable portion of our old-world weaponry to seize it according to our generals , - she said , waiting for instructions .

Thomas nodded in thought . In fact , he knew more about the situation inside those portals than his aide . Only a handful of people from the Government knew the true reason why the Church so desperately wanted to seize the enormous facility . It had cost them a shocking amount of lives and resources to receive that snippet of information since it had required them to capture one of the Churches’ bishops .

It was the key to not only surviving this calamity but actually making huge strides forward . Their alliance with those lunatics under the Great Redeemer was just the back-up plan to save some of their people if things didn't work out . It wouldn’t be necessary if they attained their goals with this Mystic Realm .

It is the gateway that might lead to the salvation of humanity . Spare no expense , we need to seize that entrance . -

Chapter 318 - Dao Funnel

He’s dead? - Void’s Disciple said with a small frown without looking up from the scriptures in front of him .

Inevitability hesitantly nodded and muttered a confirmation , unable to read their leader’s mood as usual .

The fulcrum teamed up with the leader of the demonkin invaders to assault Salvation . The large explosions at the end appear to be the collective detonation of all his Silver Guards , - Inevitability said .

How did he manage to move so many of his puppets to all those towns unnoticed? - Void’s Disciple casually asked , but fear immediately gripped Inevitability’s heart . - At least a million people have died , robbing our Lord of his harvest . -

That… It was me and Harbinger , - Inevitability admitted , her heart rapidly beating .

Explain , - Void Said , looking up from the ancient texts for the first time since Inevitability entered his cultivation chamber at the bottom of the expansive hive .

Void’s Disciple looked unassuming and even a bit frail , but Inevitability knew that he was anything but . He had always been mysterious to herself and her brother , and they did not even know his age or which hive he originated from .

They only knew that even before the integration the two of them were unable to as much as touch his clothes when teaming up . Now that he had made massive strides in the Dao and racking up all those titles he was far beyond their reach .

It was a shame , she thought . He was a perfect mate now that they had evolved away from the restrictive fetters of the Anointed . Unfortunately , he was just too focused on the mission , to the point it was all-consuming .

We wanted a back-up plan for when the lord arrives , - she admitted , not daring to lie . - We thought that if we kept that man happy he would speak up for us . We didn’t expect him to detonate the puppets though , but rather capture the townspeople when the lord Redeemer arrived . -

Did you at least retrieve the Origin Funnel? - he asked with a sigh .

It was on Salvation’s body when he died . We believe it’s with his killers now , - Inevitability admitted with a grimace .

So the fulcrum is currently not only walking around with one of the beacons that guide our lord , but also all the Origin Dao that lunatic collected? - Void’s Disciple said , the air around him starting to twist and turn .

Void’s Disciple closed his eyes in exasperation and lightly started tapping his finger on the table . Inevitability started to shudder as she knew that was a sign that he was greatly annoyed , and carnage almost always followed . But the tapping suddenly stopped , allowing Inevitability to breathe out in relief , feeling like a sacrificial offering being granted clemency .

Well , it’s just one of the beacons , and the Funnel is just a copy the lord made in his youth . The loss is regrettable , but not overly so . That Mystic Realm is far more important . If we can provide our Lord with that thing he will likely not care about our other failings , - Void’s Disciple muttered .

Inevitability ardently nodded , extremely happy to change the subject . The loss of the Funnel was a worthy price to get rid of that man in her opinion . She might not have dared to kill Salvation herself , but the less competition the better .

What about the church? - Inevitability hesitantly asked . - That thing is valuable , but I don’t believe the Great Lord is willing to make an enemy of the Church of Everlasting Dao . -

Soon after it awakens the entrances will close . All three of us will enter at that time , - Void’s Disciple calmly explained . - The Mystic Realm is completely separated with high-grade shielding . No karma threads will leak out , allowing us to kill everything without holding back . Only the three of us need to return from that place , the rest can die inside , no matter if it's the church or the aboriginals . -

Inevitability’s eyes lit up in anticipation when she heard Void’s words . They had been forced to stay hidden for so long that her whole body was itching in anticipation . Her killing spree in the hunt had barely whet her appetite for blood , and they had avoided all interesting targets out of fear of exposing their intentions or their lord .

But it seemed that it all was coming to an end .

Even the fulcrum? - Inevitability probed .

Fury still suffused her as she thought of her shameful display during the hunt . Every day she dreamed of tearing that man and that little chick apart , but she held herself back due to fear of the person in front of her .

Nothing can go wrong inside the Mystic Realm , - Void’s Disciple said after a brief pause . - If he enters , then that’s his fate . -

Bloodlust started to leak from her body as Inevitability imagined running into Zachary Atwood inside the Mystic Realm . Perhaps she could trick that human to go there without Void finding out?

Zac and Ogras sat hidden inside an array , three hours from the battlefield . They had pushed their tired bodies to the limits to get as far away as possible from that place , afraid that someone would take advantage of their situation . But their bodies could only endure so much , and Ogras was unable to keep going after an hour , forcing Zac to carry him . Finally they found a Cave to hide in while they recuperated .

The moment they sat down they ate a second set of healing pills , and as if by an unspoken agreement created some distance before they started to ponder on the Dao . They had both been in a desperate battle that pushed them to their limits , and it was time to reap the benefits .

Zac gained more from the last battle compared to all of the battles with the Incursion Leaders thus far . An all-out struggle was truly the best way to move forward . His eyes closed as he focused on the large axe fractal in his body . He wasn’t pondering on the Dao of Sharpness again , but rather on the Dao of Heaviness . It hadn’t been that long since he improved it last time since he evolved it during the hunt . But the previous battle showcased multiple sources of heaviness for him , which he wanted to capitalize on .

The first was the three instances of pressure that his body was subjected to when summoning the axes for Deforestation] . The last one placed such a burden for him that his body almost collapsed , and if his bones didn’t break first even his soul would be wounded . The first axe , Axe of Felling] , also contained a hint of imperviousness and solidity that was in a sense related to heaviness .

The second heaviness could be gleaned from the immense explosion that almost killed them earlier . Just the shockwave from the blast was powerful enough to cost him a quarter of his Miasma , and being within sustained errant energies was like being in a zone with far higher gravity . Zac believed the two insights together with other snippets he had gathered from various fights and other sources were enough to push his seed to the peak naturally .

He already possessed one peak seed , but that one came at the cost of multiple Dao Treasures , and he couldn’t consume them so freely . Besides , Zac noticed that the effect of the treasures was waning when he improved his Seed of Sharpness . He only had a few shots left to use Dao Treasures before they became useless .

At that point , he would need to get treasures of a higher grade , but it was a complete waste to use such a thing on a Dao Seed . The higher-grade Dao Treasures were rather meant to improve Dao Fragments , and they could save years of effort rather than months . To use them at this juncture was a complete waste .

The two were strapped for time , but both of them needed a day or two of recuperation before they could move again . Ogras was especially badly off as his constitution was far inferior to Zac's . The golden beam had even wounded his psyche , which was much thornier to heal . Zac , therefore , didn’t feel rushed when it took hours to enter a calm state of meditation , but when he finally arrived there the rest came surprisingly easy .

Zac opened his eyes an unknown time later , and after glancing over noticed that Ogras was still in the middle of meditation . Ogras even seemed to be in the middle of a breakthrough judging by the mysterious fluctuations surrounding him , and Zac closed his eyes again .

He didn’t want to disturb the demon while he was right in the threshold of improving and instead focused on a second Dao Seed . This time it was Sanctuary . He had been extremely close for a while now thanks to the partial vision , their desperate situation where Zac shielded the two from the blast was enough to push him over the edge .

When he opened his eyes the next time he saw Ogras fiddling with something on the ground , and Zac’s eyes widened in shock when he saw it was a piece of Salvation’s head . More precisely it was his forehead that still had the shimmering golden fractal imprinted .

What the hell are you doing?! - Zac wheezed with alarm , knowing how terrible that fractal was . He even forgot checking on his boosted Daos due to the shocking scene .

Oh , you’re up? - Ogras said with a start , having been completely engrossed with the fractal . - I believe this is the control inscription for the array that allowed Salvation to possess so many puppets . -

You better not get any ideas , - Zac muttered . - I’m pretty sure the array continuously consumed his life force . When I met him during the hunt he looked slightly above my age , and you saw how rapidly he aged when that thing lit up . He might have been Emily’s age when he got his hands on that cursed thing . -

Don’t worry , I won’t infuse my head with some unknown array . I have enough troublesome things in my body as it is , - Ogras snorted .

Zac sighed , knowing the feeling all too well . The multiverse was simply too full of double-edged treasures . Or perhaps it was fairer to say that nothing came without a price . A treasure wouldn’t simply boost one’s power to great heights without exacting a price in return . It was true for the creature living in Ogras’ shadows , and it was true for the splinter in his head .

Still , it is very interesting , - Ogras continued . - I believe I have found a pretty important clue . -

Oh? What’s that? - Zac asked with interest as he walked over .

His right arm was still mostly useless as his bones hadn’t mended , but at least the muscles in his body had healed enough for him to move about effortlessly . It would take a few more days to be able to push his body in a battle though .

This thing resonated with me when I evolved a Dao Seed , - Ogras explained . - I think it contains Origin Dao . -

What? - Zac asked with surprise as he looked down on the fractal .

I believe this treasure steals the Origin Dao of the people who Salvation turned to puppets , storing it somehow , - Ogras explained . - That would also fit with why that old goat wants to find these baby planets . It might be this type of thing that would be forced upon the so-called fulcrums . -

Zac slowly nodded as he mulled over the information . It felt like they were getting close to the truth , although they were still missing some pieces of information .

It would also explain why such a powerful person as Salvation wasn’t even on the Dao Ladder , - Zac added . - The array might have stolen all the Origin Dao around him , including his own . -

Exactly , - Ogras said with some excitement in his face . - So what I am thinking is this ; What if we used all this Origin Dao for ourselves? -

Zac’s heartbeat sped up in anticipation as he looked down at the fractal . Even if his improvement was extremely rapid it would take a lot of time to not only reach the peak with his six Dao Seeds but also fuse them into three Fragments .

The fusion itself was far harder than simply reaching the peak , but he was running out of time . But being bathed in a huge amount of Origin Dao might be the key to pushing his Dao further , allowing him to quickly evolve before the Dominators did something irreversible .

So how would we go about getting our hands on the Origin Dao? - Zac asked with some glee on his face .

Huh? I have no idea , - Ogras snorted . - We’ll need to do some research . -

Zac threw Ogras an even stare before shaking his head with annoyance .

What about safety? Do you think the Dominators will be able to track that thing? - Zac asked .

Ogras frowned when he heard the news , and he looked down at the pouch fastened to his belt . But suddenly his eyes lit up again .

I can throw his corpse into the Mystic Realm for now . That place is completely isolated , and there's no way the dominators will be able to sense anything across dimensions . We can leisurely study the thing inside , - he said .

Sounds like a plan , - Zac agreed with a nod . Creating a stable tunnel to the Mystic Realm was on his agenda in any case . - Keep me posted . Don’t try to keep that thing for yourself , there are a lot of people on our island who could benefit from that . -

Fine . You ready to go? - Ogras said with a roll of his eyes .

The two kept as high a pace they could , considering the state of their bodies . But it still took one day longer to return to the small outpost town the Marshall Clan controlled . The guards looked at Zac and Ogras as though they were monsters when they arrived , but their captain still stepped forward with a shocking revelation about worldwide explosions caused by Salvation .

Zac finally understood what Salvation meant with his words in the end , but he knew there was nothing to be done about the situation . The two stepped through the teleporter back to Port Atwood , Zac’s mood greatly dampened by the realization that over a million people had died because he killed Salvation .

But the two didn’t even have time to digest the news of Salvation’s final revenge as Emily rushed them the moment they stepped out of the teleporter .

They’ve found it! -

Chapter 319 - Sugar Daddy

Zac was a still bit muddled from getting the news that Salvation had managed to kill so many people as a final act of lunacy that he didn’t quite understand what Emily was getting at .

Who found what? - he asked while looking around .

Mr . Trang and his squad finally managed to set up a base camp . It took some time because they needed to finish a quest , but they succeeded because of his Kraken . When they bought the teleporter there was already a public teleporter in range that we can't see here . It's probably the underworld , - Emily explained , the words tumbling out of her mouth .

The eyes of both Ogras and Zac lit up at the news . Getting to the underworld before the fire golems destroyed the whole thing was of the highest priority . For Ogras it was about resources , while Zac also considered the humanitarian component . But the exciting news were suddenly eclipsed by a snippet of information from Emily's report .

His WHAT? - Zac exclaimed , looking at Emily with some horror .

His pet Kraken , - Emily said with a wide grin . - He’s named it Little Bau , which apparently means treasure in Vietnamese? I heard it’s crazy strong . -

Zac didn’t know how to react . He was reminded that the old fisherman’s class was something like a maritime beast tamer , but he didn’t expect him to snag such a scary thing . It also made him a bit leery about having an island kingdom if Kraken were swimming about in the depths . Would they start getting harassed by Lovecraftian nightmares in the near future?

Anyway , how’s their situation? - Zac asked .

We still don’t know , we’ve been waiting for you , - Emily explained . - Our teleporter is hidden because of your settings , so they shouldn't know about us . And all the strong people here were occupied so we didn’t dare open it . -

That’s good , - Zac said with a nod . - We can’t go right now though . My arm is broken in multiple places and Ogras is wounded as well . Salvation was even stronger than expected . -

Wounded? That guy was that strong? He was only level 61 right? - Emily said with some confusion .

Girl , he had an army of half a million puppets that exploded in our faces , - Ogras snorted . - It’s a miracle we’re even still alive . The underworld will still be there in a few days . Go punch some barghest or something . -

Emily looked disappointed at the news , but she soon nodded . Zac knew she wanted to get down there as quickly as possible as the underworld was the last hope she had of reuniting with her siblings . Unfortunately , he simply wasn’t in any condition to battle a supposed high- or even top-tier Incursion at the moment . So , for now , it was best to keep their presence hidden in case some unexpected dangers lurked on the other side of the teleporter .

I’ll go train then , - she said as she hurried away .

I need money , I’m flat broke , - Ogras suddenly said from the side .

What? - Zac asked with some skepticism as he threw the demon a glance . - I’m not your sugar daddy . -

My what? Anyway , between the Origin Array and the temporary gate to the Mystic Realm I barely have enough resources to even support myself , - the demon said . - Remember , we couldn’t bring Nexus Coins here either . -

What do you need? - Zac finally said after a brief pause . - And isn’t your income from Calrin’s enough? The revenue should have exploded recently . -

Truthfully , Ogras had provided a lot of assistance not only in battle but also in management and setting a course for the force as a whole . If he needed some Nexus Coins it wasn’t the end of the world since Zac had hundreds of millions to his name , and even more in the form of treasures and Nexus Crystals .

That money won’t arrive for a while yet , - Ogras said with a shake of his head . - To begin with I need a hundred million to upgrade the temporary array into a permanent one . It’s especially important if we want to set up the hidden outpost to research Salvation . -

Zac sighed and transferred the money to Ogras , not bothering to investigate how much was actually needed . It truly felt like a worthy investment . They still didn’t know how The Great Redeemer tracked his targeted planets . Perhaps even killing his people wasn’t enough . Throwing anything with a connection to him into the Mystic Realm felt like the best solution for the moment .

It’ll take a day or two to get the needed components from the blue one , - Ogras nodded . - What do you want to do afterward? -

How long until you are back to fighting condition? - Zac asked .

Three days at the maximum . That golden light tried to drag my soul out of my body , but it didn’t cause any real lasting damage , - the demon said after thinking it over .

We’ll head down to the Underworld immediately after , - Zac said . - The other incursions aren’t critical , and it should take a while to whittle down the zombies to a manageable number . -

Great , - Ogras said with naked greed on his face . - Can’t let those people below us wait for too long , and they can incidentally help me with my financial situation . I’ll handle the gate immediately . -

Zac snorted as he watched the demon get swallowed by shadows before he stepped into the teleporter again to head to his cultivation cave . As he expected he found his sister sitting with closed eyes on one of the mats he acquired in the hunt . She opened her eyes and smiled at him when he approached , before her eyes suddenly widened at the sight of his arm limply dangling to the side .

You’re hurt? - she said as she hurried over to him .

My ultimate skill is pretty taxing to my body , I need to get a bit stronger , - Zac shrugged .

At least that lunatic is dealt with . But don’t take on more than you can handle , - she said and looked relieved when she realized he was in decent shape at least .

I’m fine , - Zac smiled . - How are things on your end? -

I’m making amazing progress in this cave! - she said , her eyes brightening up again . - I think I will enter the level ladder soon . And the other one I have already entered . -

What? - Zac said with confusion as he opened up his ladder system .

The only one that made sense was the Dao Ladder since Kenzie didn’t possess a lot of wealth . She didn’t handle any of Port Atwood’s finances or fought beasts to level up , so she shouldn’t have a lot of Nexus Coins . So Zac quickly read through the ladder for her name , but he instead found another moniker .

63 - Pretty Pretty Mega Kenzie]

Zac wryly smiled as he saw the name he hadn’t heard in almost twenty years . It was the moniker Kenzie had given herself when she was four to match his Super Brother-Man alias . Her superhero costume had been a Halloween princess costume and a cape made from a blanket .

I can’t believe you chose that name , - Zac said with a shake of his head .

Well , it doesn’t really matter , - Kenzie laughed . - I have already confirmed that these pseudonyms only count for Earth’s ladders , not on other things in the multiverse . -

Zac sighed in relief when he heard that since it had actually been a small worry of his own . He already knew there were ladders in the Tower of Eternity to both showcase historic records and the current status of trial takers . It would have been a bit embarrassing to have Super Brother-Man show up at such a place when he was looking for a strong force to join .

What level is your Dao to get placed at the 63rd spot? - Zac asked with some curiosity .

I have the Seed of Tinder at the late stage , and I recently got the Seed of Loam , - she said . - When I only had the late-stage seed I didn’t get a placement , -

Seed of Loam? - Zac asked with a raised brow .

It’s a basic elemental Seed , - Kenzie explained . - Jarvis wants me to get seeds for the four elements before evolving . So I have earth and fire now , but I still need water and air . -

Zac nodded , feeling it made sense since her class was Elementalist . He also felt a bit surprised how quickly people had advanced on the Dao Ladder . He knew he was still far ahead of the curve , but the fact that a Late-Stage seed wasn't alone to enter the ladder was pretty surprising to him after hearing how hard it was for the demonkin soldiers to gain Dao Seeds back home . It was truly no surprise that The Great Redeemer wanted to get his hand on their Origin Dao .

Loam doesn’t assist me in battle at the moment , but it does improve my healing and it helps the flower grow , - she added and nodded at the small lotus .

It hadn’t been that long since Zac saw it the last time , but it had actually grown quite a bit and now had the diameter of a dinner plate . But it still emitted almost no life-attuned energy , proving it was still in an extremely early stage . Who knew how many years it would take until it possessed the supreme energies of the one that the Abbot possessed .

Have you heard anything from the battle with the Zombies? - Zac asked .

I get an update every evening from Adran . They have started clashing a few days ago , but no big battle has taken place yet . They are essentially nipping at the Zombie’s sides as the horde pushes forward . They’re trying to split up the horde , but that requires killing the high-grade Zombies who keep the dumber ones in line , and those creatures are hidden in the middle of the horde , - Kenzie said .

Zac nodded , feeling more confident in his plan now that he knew the situation likely wouldn’t get too out of hand in the short run .

I’m heading to the underworld next , - Zac said . - Will you stay here? -

I have no interest in fighting with a bunch of fire golems , - Kenzie said with a wave of her hand . - I'd rather stay here for now . -

Are you changing to a non-combat role? - Zac asked curiously since Kenzie rarely fought since she arrived at Port Atwood .

No , but I don’t need as much practical battle experience as others thanks to Jeeves , - Kenzie said . - But I think I will get a secondary job when I reach E-Grade . Alchemist perhaps? It seems pretty fun . -

Zac’s eyes lit up when he heard her mention alchemy . That was one field where they were sorely lacking at the moment , and after hearing what Dao Seeds Kenzie possessed she felt perfect for the job . Fire and Earth could both help in concocting pills , and the precise energy control she got with the help of heir AI could boost her skills even further .

And no one would be happier than Zac if she focused on a non-combat profession since that would keep her out of harm’s way . As long as she still possessed a mage-like class she would be able to defend herself . Besides , Alchemists were always extremely wealthy and had great powerhouses protecting them . It would help secure her future in case something ever happened to him since skilled Alchemists were welcome no matter where they went .

That sounds like a good idea . I did find that nice cauldron earlier , you can have it , - Zac said and immediately took it out and placed it in the cave . - Just tell me if you need anything to train your skills . Port Atwood could really use a skilled Alchemist . -

Are you trying to turn your poor sister into a money printing machine? - Kenzie giggled . - In any case , it would have to wait a bit . I want to focus on my Dao while the Origin energies are still abundant in the atmosphere . Dao is the one thing that Jeeves can’t help with , so I need to do that one myself . -

Ogras and I got our hands on something nice earlier which might come in handy , - Zac said and told her about the golden fractal . - Do you think Jeeves would be able to figure out a way to extract the energy? -

It’s impossible to tell without looking at it , - Kenzie said with hesitation . - I need to borrow the crystals on formations and inscriptions as well to give Jeeves a better understanding of fractals . -

Sure , just tell the Merit exchange I gave the go-ahead to browse them , - Zac agreed without hesitation .

The crystals had already been put into the merit exchange . But the cost of reading them could be waived for whoever Zac wished since they were his possessions . In fact , anyone could put information or skill crystals into the merit exchange , and any time the information was perused that individual would get most of the charged Merit .

It was a way to make people share their knowledge with the others of the force instead of hoarding it . Right now there were essentially no information or skill crystals except Zac’s own though , but that would probably change as the years passed .

The others will complain of nepotism , - Kenzie said with a smile .

Zac only rolled his eyes , completely uncaring what the others thought .

Oh , by the way , the Abbot's custodian came here and asked for you while you were gone , - Kenzie said . - You should probably visit him before you leave for the underworld . -

Chapter 320 - Karmic Ties

Abbot Everlasting Peace is looking for me? - Zac said with some worry . - Are they under attack? -

I have no idea , but it doesn’t seem like it , - Kenzie said with some hesitation . - But it seemed pretty important . -

Zac frowned thoughtfully as he wondered what the old monk could need from him at this juncture . If their mountain wasn’t under attack by the undead the other most likely reason was that there was some issue related to Karma . That old man seemed to have a miraculous insight into that mysterious Dao , to the point that Zac suspected that the old man possessed an advanced Dao Fragment .

There’s no need to be so serious , just go over there and see what he wants . You’ll get wrinkles if you keep scrunching up your face like that , - Kenzie said with a shake of her head .

Zac snorted but he felt what she said made sense . There was no point in guessing when he could simply check the situation himself . But he first wanted to heal his arm in case the visit would lead to a battle with the zombies .

I’ll go tomorrow , I want my bones to properly set first , - Zac said after some consideration . - Ogras will construct a stable gate to the Mystic Realm as soon as possible . We’ll set up an outpost inside to keep sensitive matters , such as Salvation’s things . You can go over whenever you feel ready to look into things . -

Sure , - Kenzie said with some interest . - I wanted to see that place anyway . It’s like we found an enormous space station . -

Stay inside the sealed area though , and have a handful of Valkyries always accompany you . There were some odd beasts inside that were almost evolved , - Zac said with some worry .

He was afraid that his sister would do something drastic given the opportunity , and Zac would be down in the core of the planet fighting Fire Golems .

I’m not stupid , - Kenzie said with a roll of her eyes . - Remember I survived both the tutorial and living next to the Dead Zone for months . -

I just worry , - Zac said with a smile .

Zac spent the rest of the day recuperating in the cave while consolidating his recent Dao improvements . Since he and Ogras rushed out of the Cradle of God he didn’t have time to stop and get a sense of his improved seeds , but now that he was finally home he opened up his menu to take a proper look again .

Heaviness (Peak) : Strength +90 , Endurance +25 , Wisdom +5

Sanctuary (High) : Endurance +25 , Intelligence +10 , Wisdom +25 .

He was pretty happy with the attributes both the seeds provided . Heaviness had gained mostly Strength as expected , but Sanctuary had changed a bit from giving mainly Wisdom to providing an even split between Endurance and Wisdom instead .

The situation also made him ponder what he should do in regards to his Dao . Yrial wanted him to get the fragments for Life and Death before evolving which would allow him to gain a class that was centered on that concept . However , he was far closer to getting a Fragment related to the Dao of Axe than one of Death as it stood . He still wasn’t used to Rot and Hardness was still only at the Middle stage , making the road to get both to Peak pretty arduous .

Perhaps he could boost them if their plan with Salvation’s array worked out , but Zac was more inclined to use that opportunity to form his first Fragment instead . Perhaps getting a Fragment of Axe would be enough to evolve both his classes , which would be for the best since he wasn’t in a position to delay evolving for too long .

The problem was that he was stumbling in the dark since the System didn’t provide any hints to what the results of his actions would be . If he got a fragment of axe and life and then evolved , would he veer away from his Life-death cycle to a simpler evolved axeman? Would that even be a problem?

He finally gave up trying to decide on the spot what to do . He would simply have to see how things progressed and take things one step at a time . Worrying about fragments was a bit premature . He didn't only need to improve his seeds to the peak but also master them to the point that he would be able to fuse them into something that made sense .

When Zac woke up the next day he could move his arm again , though it was still a bit tender . Between his enormous pool of Vitality and expensive pills , he was like a troll from the old tales , regenerating at monstrous speeds .

The morning was spent on some more meditation before he got up and left for the teleporter after saying goodbye to his sister . He wasn’t planning on bringing anyone to Mount Everlasting Peace , and he soon found himself at the foot of the sacred mountain . It wasn't the first time seeing the thousands of characters inscribed into the mountain walls , but he was still awed by the sight .

Not much had changed in the months since he came here last time , and the normalcy of the atmosphere was a bit surreal in of itself . One difference though was that no people were staying at the foot of the mountain like the last time . People had likely left the area when the undead horde started spreading , turning this place into an isolated pocket with death all around .

Even the monks were all but missing , leaving the fields completely untended . The only sign that the mountain was still populated were the two monks who sat in meditation a few meters away from the teleporter . They woke up from Zac’s arrival , and he nodded at them before he glanced in the direction of the core of the Dead Zone .

It felt like there was an unseen war taking place as a thick wall of miasma rose into the skies a few kilometers away . The line of demarcation was much clearer now compared to before , making Zac believe the Undead might have erected some unholy beacons outside to combat the purification of the runes on the mountain .

The two young monks stepped forward and told Zac that the Abbot was waiting in his courtyard and directed him toward the summit . Zac followed in tow , ascending the same set of stairs as the last time . This time the pressure was almost negligible , perhaps since Zac had a naturally stronger grasp of his Dao .

They soon reached the peak and Zac truly started to worry when he saw that the temple buildings were devoid of monks as well . A sense of wrongness crept into Zac’s heart as he looked around , trying to figure out just what was going on .

Where is everyone? - Zac asked the monks , who looked slightly troubled . - Did the undead attack? -

The Abbot will explain everything , - one of the two said . - But our disciple brothers are fine . -

Zac slowly nodded , as he kept walking toward the small courtyard in the back of the mountain . But he stopped in his tracks the moment he reached the square in front of Abbot Everlasting Peace’s home .

Thousands of monks sat silently with closed eyes , not one of them moving a muscle . They were so still that Zac almost would have thought them statues if it wasn’t for the terrifying amount of Cosmic Energy that swirled around them , infusing some enormous newly added runes on the ground .

The runes were Sanskrit just as the ones on the mountain walls , but the power they emitted was far beyond anything he sensed from those covering the mountain . Zac still couldn’t read the script , but he guessed it was some Buddhist Sutra functioning as an Array .

Cosmic Energy wasn’t the only thing that the air was ripe with . Mysterious energy that made the fractal of Mental Fortress] tingle was also everywhere . It was as though the monks had combined not only their energy but also their Dao for some unknown reason .

Zac’s heartbeat sped up from feeling the power that was contained in the runes as he walked toward the Abbot’s courtyard . Was the monastery planning to launch some massive strike at the undead , and needed his help to stabilize the situation?

Various possibilities ran through Zac’s head as he pushed open the large doors to find the old monk from last time standing inside . It was the old man who had accompanied him up the stairs and given him some pointers , but he had a complicated expression when he saw Zac enter .

At first he smiled and bowed , and it seemed as though he was about to utter a greeting . But he suddenly looked down again , and if Zac didn’t know better he would have thought that he saw shame on the old man’s face .

Instead , the old man indicated for Zac to head further in , and Zac complied with some confusion in his heart . His eyes immediately turned to the pond , but to his surprise the huge lotus was gone . He quickly looked around and saw Abbot Everlasting Peace sit on a prayer mat under an old tree on the other side of the pond with a pot of tea by his side .

Zac flashed over to the Abbot and breathed out in relief when he saw that he was fine . The horrifying wound in his chest was gone , and the old man was brimming with vitality even though he still looked quite old .

This penniless monk is happy to see that benefactor could arrive in time , - the old man said with a kindly smile as he indicated for Zac to sit down .

It is good to see you as well , - Zac said , accepting the cup of tea the Abbot poured him .

This is a wild tea that grew on our sister mountain before the world changed , - Everlasting Peace said as he took a small sip with contentment in his eyes . - It was gifted to this penniless monk by a Daoist who lived in seclusion there . He was a great scholar , but this one fears he fell during the Tutorial . -

Zac wasn’t sure what the old man was getting at , so he simply sipped the tea as while silently listening . It was unlike any tea that Zac had ever drunk before , with a heavy and bitter taste . It was still quite delicious , but Zac was mostly surprised by the fact that there was a smidgeon of Cosmic Energy in the tea .

It wasn’t anywhere near what any true spiritual tea would contain , and it was impossible to gain any strength from it . But it was still pretty shocking considering it was something that came from the old Earth , and perhaps it was an indication that magic might actually have existed even before the integration .

These cups were gifted our mountain three hundred years ago by the local lord . He came to pray to Buddha for a son after years of being unable to conceive a child . When his wish came true he returned with ten chests of gold and these cups that were given to him by a great scholar from the capital , - the Abbot continued .

This monastery has lived side by side with the secular world for over a thousand years , spreading the word of Buddha , and sowing seeds of karma . This poor monk hopes that we have left the world a better place than before . But just as day inevitably gives way to night , so must Karma eventually be severed . -

Severed? - Zac repeated with a frown . - What’s going on? Are the undead mounting an attack? -

Benefactor needs not to worry . This penniless monk is simply rambling , remembering a lost era . The Yin Creatures are of no threat to us , - The abbot said as he finished his cup of tea and stood up . - This penniless monk invited benefactor to witness . -

Witness what? - Zac said , his confusion only growing as he drank the last of the tea and followed the old man who was walking toward the exit .

The old monk had waited while the two conversed , and he silently opened the gates to let Zac and the abbot exit . The two stopped right outside the gates , and for the first time since Zac arrived , he saw the monks open their eyes .

Amithaba , it is time , - the Abbot said with a sad smile as he looked at the sea of monks .

No one said a word , but power immediately surged from the thousands of people and a pillar of light suddenly shot into the sky from the runes on the ground . It almost looked like the light of an incursion , but enormous lines Sanskrit floated in concentric circles around it .

Zac couldn't believe what he was seeing . The pillar was unlike anything he had witnessed before . Just what had these monks accomplished? It was as though they had invented their very own way of utilizing Cosmic Energy , turning it into something that Zac could only call Buddhist Energy . It gave off a holy and stable feeling , but it was clearly different from the energy of Sui or his Divine Crystals .

A golden halo suddenly erupted with boundless life force behind Abbot Everlasting Peace , and Zac actually had to take a step back with wide eyes . The power that the abbot emitted was almost at the same level as Inevitability , though it was completely different . It was soft and elusive , and it felt as though it contained endless mysteries .

Oddly enough the power that the old monk emitted wasn’t didn’t cause danger sense to go off in the slightest . Zac could usually feel at least something unless the disparity between himself and the other party was too great . Did the Abbot’s Karmic powers obscure his perception awarded from his high Luck?

His thoughts suddenly were interrupted as a silver cloud appeared inside the pillar as though it had been teleported . One moment the pillar was empty , and the next the cloud was there as it had always been present .

Zac’s heart immediately started to beat wildly as he realized that there was someone inside the cloud . He couldn't sense the slightest ripple of energy , but Zac could barely discern the shape of a person slightly moving inside . Worse yet was that Zac's instincts screamed at him that whoever was summoned was far beyond what he could handle .

The shocking turn of events made Zac unsure what to believe even to the point that he took out Verun’s Bite] to get ready for a desperate struggle . His confusion only grew when the old abbot suddenly got down on his knees and bowed down until his forehead touched the ground toward the silver cloud .

Disciple greets master . -

Chapter 321 - Severing Karma

Zac wasn’t sure what to think when seeing the old man getting down on his knees , but he knew that whoever was inside the silver cloud wasn’t a simple character . However , panic started to set in when he made a horrible connection . Between the silver haze and having disciples on newly integrated planets there was one clear contender of who hid within the haze - The Great Redeemer .

Was it possible that this secluded monastery was yet another seed planted by the Great Redeemer long ago , just like the Medhin Clan and the Dominators? Had they been biding their time all this while until they finally found the means to summon their lord?

Fury started to build in Zac’s heart as he thought about the betrayal . Had these seemingly altruistic monks sacrificed the whole world for their selfish gain? The pained face of the old monk once again flashed in his mind before his eyes turned to his trusty axe in his hand .

If this truly was the arrival of the Great Redeemer things might already be over and their planet doomed . But should he unleash Deforestation] in a final act of defiance? Perhaps it would even buy time for his transfer talisman to complete its activation . The token he got from Yrial was still in his possession , and it might allow him to flee even the seemingly hopeless situation in front of him .

But he knew it took over ten seconds to activate it , so the plan felt like a long shot . But even if it worked , then what? He would be stranded god knows where , while leaving his friends and family behind . He wouldn't be able to learn of their fates until he managed to get back to Earth , and that in of itself would be a form of torture . But it was better to kill some traitors than simply giving up .

Strangely enough , he was unable to act on his idea . It was as though he had a mental block , making him incapable to turn thoughts into action . He wasn’t restrained or under hypnosis , yet his arm was unable to swing his axe at the monks around him .

Decisiveness can lead to greatness , but it can also lead to ruin . Decisiveness will turn to foolishness unless you first make sure your path is true - a voice suddenly resounded in his head , making Zac immediately turn his eyes to the figure within the portal again .

The voice had spoken straight into his mind rather than out loud , but Zac breathed out in relief when he heard it . The reason for his relief was very simple ; the voice didn’t belong to The Great Redeemer .

It was likely that his plan had been seen through by this person and somehow stopped through unknown means . So it was both with anticipation and trepidation he saw the figure slowly emerge from the golden pillar . But reality sometimes didn't conform to imagination and Zac couldn’t stop himself from gawking in shock when he saw the true form of the mysterious powerhouse .

The same could be said about most of the monks in the square , as they threw each other small questioning glances , confusion clear on their faces . It was not a rugged warrior like Greatest that stepped out of the light , nor was it a sage monk . It was rather a fat little child only wearing a thick bead necklace and a pair of silver silk pants .

He looked mostly human apart from his earlobes who dangled all the way down to his shoulders and a set of mercurial silver eyes . He was also completely bald , with a thin line of silver fractals starting between his brows and going back over his head .

Zac’s first thought was that something had gone wrong with the summoning , but he soon realized that wasn’t the case . The child didn’t seem the slightest surprised to be here , and the fact that he was actually floating in the air was quite telling that he wasn’t some random kid ripped through space . Thea had already told him that flying was the mark of the D-Rank , so the kid in front of him was at least that powerful .

Suddenly he remembered the comforting words of Calrin when Emily was dismayed about her youthful appearance . Was this kid some supreme existence that had was so skilled that he embarked on the path of cultivation early? The fat child threw Zac a knowing wink when he saw the confusion on his face .

Don't be alarmed . I simply saw the future you contemplated with the axe in your hand and removed it from the realm of possibility , - the little cherub once again spoke in his mind before turning to the Abbot .

No need for such formalities child , - the kid said with a sweet voice .

Oddly enough it was the voice of an adult , though it was quite high for a male , and Zac could immediately confirm the voice in his head was the same as the one that exited the child's mouth . The Abbot hurriedly got to his feet , completely unflustered about the odd appearance of his apparent master . Zac meanwhile had trouble digesting the information he received mentally .

The child said that it had removed a possible future as though it was nothing special . If one was able to change the future like that , what couldn't he do? Just what kind of monster had the Abbot summoned?

This penniless monk is called Everlasting Peace , may I ask Master's name? - the abbot said , only increasing Zac's confusion as he stood on the sidelines . Did they not know each other?

I am the 84th incarnation of the Lotus Emperor . Some call me 84th Fatty or Lord 84th depending on mood and karmic ties , - the child said with a laugh as he looked at the mountain . - How fascinating . -

The next moment reality shifted and everyone found themselves at the foot of the mountain , in front of the steps leading up to the summit . Zac didn't understand how he got there since it was instantaneous and it felt as though he had always stood there somehow , making it seem like his past had changed .

Spirit consecrated through faith , - the child muttered before turning away from the mountain . - In any case . Have you prepared yourself? -

Disciple is ready , - the Abbot said with a somber expression . - Disciple’s fellow monks have been informed as well . -

I’m sorry to interrupt , but just what is going on? - Zac finally interjected , unable to sit on the sidelines any longer .

The child looked over at Zac , and after a brief pause smiled .

When I reached the peak of my power I decided to split my soul into one hundred thousand pieces and enter those pieces into Samsara , - the small child said . - It birthed 100 000 incarnations without any recollection of their true self . Only when reaching high enough power will our memories return . I was the 84th incarnation to regain its memories . -

The explanation wasn’t the one Zac was asking for , but his brows still rose in shock when he understood the implications of what the child said . Doing such a crazy thing must require not only enormous power but also great conviction . And if this powerful person was just a small part of his true self , just how powerful was the true Lotus Emperor?

Isn’t it risky? What if a part of you dies before regaining your memories? - Zac asked , curiosity overcoming the oddity of the situation .

To understand the Karmic cycle is to understand all parts of life , including death . Through walking one hundred thousand paths I will better understand the universe , and through the universe better understand the self . If an incarnation dies so will that part of me die , - the child explained with equanimity . - Such is the price of enlightenment . -

It is the fault of this penniless monk . This one was not sure whether he was allowed to say anything before teacher arrived , - Abbot Everlasting Peace explained , understanding what Zac was truly asking about . - I wanted you to understand what transpired here today . Master has come to take me and my fellow monks away . -

Take you away? - Zac dumbly repeated .

It turned out it was a farewell rather than a betrayal . But Zac suddenly realized the implications of what the old man was saying .

You’re not staying for the battle against the undead or the other incursions? - Zac probed , some dissatisfaction creeping into his voice .

He had been working his ass off to protect Earth and needed all the help he could get if they wanted to save their planet . The Abbot was likely the strongest person amongst the humans apart from himself due to his high-tiered Dao , and he possesses mysterious insight into Karma that could greatly assist their efforts .

The fact that he decided to take his monks and leave Earth in the moment of its need was almost as great a blow as a true betrayal . He finally understood the look of the old monk who had given him pointers at the stairs , and a frown started forming on his face .

You mentioned severing Karma . You’re going to cut and run when the undead hordes are destroying everything in its path like locusts , and when we face threats from all directions? I hoped you would join the efforts to protect our home when you had healed up , - Zac continued , but suddenly he realized something and looked at the little child floating next to them .

Don’t look at me , - the child said with a shake of his head . - I could kick out the incursions , but that would only create a worse future for your planet . -

Zac didn’t say anything , but his face must have conveyed his skepticism .

Your friend and I walk the same path of Karma , which is extremely rare in the Multiverse . That is how we found each other . Through the boundless Dao , our paths converged and a Karmic connection was formed . I showed him how to create this gate through that link , - Lord 84th explained . - But I am not without enemies . No one would reach any great heights without creating some enmities . Resources are limited after all . -

Karmic Cultivators are extremely hard to kill because of our ability to see , and to a certain extent tamper with , the great tapestry of fate . But our weakness is that we cannot allow our Karma to get entangled with too many people . -

I can see the threat you’re facing , - the child continued , and to Zac’s surprise a slightly hazy picture of the Great Redeemer materialized . - This one utilizes a rudimentary method to control Karmic ties to locate your planet . I could easily cut those ties , but by doing so I would get billions of entanglements with the living beings living on this tiny planet . -

My enemies would eventually find out , and those people are all far stronger than this man , - the child continued . - They would capture everyone on this planet and torture your souls for eternity just to cause trouble to my cultivation . -

Is there nothing to be done , master? - Abbot Everlasting Peace suddenly interjected . - Completely severing Karma has proven troublesome for this talentless monk . Perhaps if we could provide my friend with some small assistance this poor monk would be able to completely move forward with a pure heart . -

Zac finally realized the true reason why the Abbot had asked for his presence . He likely felt bad about leaving Earth and wanted to get some small assistance from his master . Zac was by far the strongest person , so having him here would be the best option to improve Earth's fighting chance .

The child seemed to mull it over for a few seconds before slowly nodded and pointed at the Abbot’s forehead . The old man closed his eyes for a few seconds before his eyes opened again with some excitement as he turned toward Zac .

If benefactor would be so kind as to lend his hand for a second? - the old man said before grabbing it .

A burst of odd energy suddenly entered Zac’s body , and the sky was suddenly filled with odd lines in all kinds of colors . There were golden lines of various thickness that reached toward each of the monks , and a silver one swirling around Lord 84th like a living snake . There were also four black pillars reaching into the sky in the distance , looking like sickly tears in space .

Three of them were bunched together to the north , whereas one was off by itself far on the horizon .

This penniless monk is temporarily sharing his vision with benefactor , - the old man explained . - The lines are the ties of Karma . The four sinister lines are connections to the man that master conjured . There was a fifth one but I sense that you are responsible for its severance . -

I killed Salvation a week ago . He had somehow become the in-name disciple of The Great Redeemer , - Zac said with a nod .

Something in his possession is still calling for its master , - the old man said and indicated the line by itself . - Taking it into a separate space will not work . The line will simply lead to the entrance . -

Zac didn’t understand how the old man could know of his plan , but he rather focused on the message .

What should we do? Destroy everything in his possession? - Zac asked .

That will not help either , - the old man said with a shake of his head . - But this penniless monk now has a way . -

Chapter 322 - Convergence of Fate

Considering the circumstances Zac still felt it was extremely lucky that he went back to the monastery in time . If they went by their original plan to simply study Salvation’s belongings inside the Mystic Realm outpost they would have entered a state of false security while The Great Redeemer was bearing down on them . However , that still left the issue of actually destroying the black pillar .

The old man suddenly produced a small fruit knife from his sleeve , and the next moment the golden ribbons in the air started to flutter wildly . The golden light from the monks all poured into the knife , filling it with a massive amount of the unfamiliar power .

Both the monks and the Abbot himself looked extremely drained after , and a few of the younger ones even looked ready to keel over from the expenditure . The amount that the Abbot personally infused was just shocking , and Zac felt it was even more energy than what his Infernal Axe] contained .

Master imparted me with a skill that allowed me to condense the will of us all into an item . It contains our hope for this planet and its people . Bring it next to the item and the rest will become apparent , - Abbot Everlasting Peace explained . - The other three ties can be severed the same way as the last one . -

Zac looked down at the small knife that the old monk gifted him , and if it wasn’t for the special sight temporarily given him he would never have guessed it contained such massive power . It truly was a simple fruit knife without a single fractal , but if he figured out a way to turn the energy into a weapon he might even be able to kill one of the Dominators with it .

This one truly wished he could do more , but the result of the last battle was largely due to this mountain , and it’s power is not endless , - the Abbot sighed . - This is the limit of what this penniless monk can do . I am truly ashamed . -

Don't be . This gift is perfect , - Zac said as he stowed away the knife . - Without this item all our efforts might have been for nothing . -

This old man also spent the past month to divine the fate of this planet . I believe it might be of importance to benefactor , - the old monk added . - The fate many forces on Earth have converged on the very same hidden realm that benefactor has connections to . This old monk believe- -

That is sufficient , - the child suddenly interjected , cutting the old man short . - Exposing heaven’s secrets does not come without a price . You are yet not strong enough to divulge more than that without permanent ramifications . -

That’s enough , - Zac hurriedly agreed , not wanting to turn the old man crippled . - I will look into it . -

The news came like lightning out of the blue . The hidden realm likely referred to the mystic realm . But how could any other forces have connections to that realm? And which forces?

It also begged the question of what made people so interested in that place . It was truly a very odd Mystic Realm , but the energy inside wasn't amazing enough to indicate there being some supreme treasure inside . And even if there was something of great value inside , how would he even go about seizing it for himself?

The forces staying on Earth weren’t the only ones he would have to fight with if he entered the fray inside . There was also the natives who were far too strong to contend with for the current Zac . If one added the Dominators and the stronger Incursions into the mix the whole thing turned into a deathtrap .

We must leave now , I should not stay in this sector for much longer , - Lord 84th said before turning to Zac . - If fate wills it , you two will meet again . -

The floating child Buddhist pointed at the mountain next , and it quickly phased out of existence . Zac looked at the empty space with wide eyes before turning back toward the mysterious expert . But not only were Lord 84th and the Abbot gone , but so were all the other monks .

I recommend you keeping my identity to yourself to avoid any ties of Karma between your planet and me , - Lord 84th voice echoed in his mind .

Zac didn’t even have time to react to the disappearances before finding himself standing in the middle of his courtyard , looking around with confusion . It almost felt as though everything had been a dream , but when he opened the teleportation screen he saw that Mount Everlasting Peace was gone from the list .

A thought suddenly struck him , and he opened up the Dao Ladder to see if it had changed . Abbot Everlasting Peace was gone as he suspected , putting him in the first position . Better yet , the change actually wasn’t only good for his vanity , but it brought real benefits . When Zac opened his status screen he noticed that he had gotten his first Limited Title .

Frontrunner Limited] : Maintain the first position on all three ladders in world . Reward : Effect of Attributes +5%

From the wording it seemed like he would hold the title for as long as he held the first position , which meant the title was secure at least in the short run . The only way someone would pass him at the moment was if he got stalled because he aimed for high-rarity classes , allowing others to evolve much quicker than him .

The additional Attribute effect pushed the efficiency to 140% . It was a huge difference compared to normal cultivators , and it made his overtuned attributes even crazier . The effect would easily nullify any boost wrought by cultivation manuals when he encountered experts from the multiverse in the future .

It was still somewhat of an empty feeling to receive these gains as he only got them because the abbot left Earth rather than through his own effort . But Zac shook his head to snap out of it . Now was not the time to get picky about the power-ups . He hurriedly left his courtyard and teleported over to Mystic Island . Every second that the karmic link persisted was a threat to those around him .

Soon enough he reached the core of the island and found Ogras standing some distance from the spatial cracks with a large chest by his side . The chest was wide open and housed dozens of metallic stakes full of fractals , likely the array flags needed to stabilize a path to the Mystic Realm .

The demon immediately noticed Zac’s arrival and gave him a questioning look .

Making sure your money gets used properly? - Ogras jested when he saw Zac hurry over .

I wish I had that much free time , - Zac sighed before retelling his experience with the Abbot , though he didn't mention the identity of Lord 84th as instructed .

I have never heard of such a thing , but he sounds extremely powerful . Cultivation through rebirth , - Ogras mumbled before throwing Zac a weird look . - How odd that a baby planet not only birthed a monster like you but a second oddity like that old monk . I can’t remember a single person from my planet ever gaining insight into the Dao of Karma , yet that old goat did it within a month of getting integrated . -

Zac nodded in agreement . Stranger yet , it felt like the Abbot wasn’t the only one . Salvation would be completely unstoppable on Earth unless Zac was there to thwart him , showcasing a power far beyond what was normal for his level . And there was Billy with his superhuman power and the primordial aura he emitted when he changed form . And those were only the ones he knew of .

Perhaps there were even more oddities that simply matured a bit slower and couldn't be found on the ladder yet .

So what do you think about what the prophecy? - Zac asked .

We know too little to be sure what’s hidden inside the Mystic Realm . But if multiple forces are currently invested in that place it can only mean that our entrance isn’t the only one . Things might get extremely chaotic soon , which might be our only chance . Perhaps we can fish in muddy waters and snatch the benefits for ourselves , - Ogras mused .

I’ve been thinking about it . The Underworld Incursion is fire-attuned , which might be troublesome for you . It might be better if you stay here and investigate . I could bring Verana instead to test her out down there , - Zac ventured .

Ogras hesitated for a bit before he reluctantly nodded .

You better not hoard all the goodies down there if I do this for you , - he muttered . - You’re going to the treasure caves and I’m stuck wandering those spooky halls where E-Grade monsters might be lurking around every corner . And don't give those beast maniacs to many benefits , they have just joined and haven't contributed anything . -

I’ll set aside anything that looks like it might benefit you , - Zac said with a snort before taking out the small golden dagger . - Are you ready? -

Ogras nodded and threw out the mangled corpse of Salvation .

I still haven’t touched anything in his Cosmos Sack yet . How do you know which item is sharing our position? - Ogras asked .

No idea , - Zac said a bit sheepishly as he held the cutter . - The Abbot said things would become apparent . -

He wasn’t messing with you by any chance? - Ogras said as he skeptically looked at the small fruit knife in Zac’s hand .

Zac was about to open the floor to suggestions when the knife suddenly burst into an almost blinding light reminiscent of the golden ribbons that Zac had seen . He had to cover his eyes for a second while Ogras shied away as he shrouded himself in layers of shadows .

What the- - the demon shouted , but as soon as the knife burst into light the blinding radiance disappeared .

But a golden luster was still circling the knife as it hummed with power , and Salvations’ Cosmos Sack was actually humming with it . Zac walked over to see what was going on , and when he spread his awareness into the sack he immediately spotted the thing that was causing the connection .

It wasn’t the golden fractal as Zac had expected , but rather a small nondescript token that seemed to be made from stone . There were no fractals on it and no power emanated from it either when he took it out from the pouch . Zac would have thought it was a simple memento if it wasn’t marked by the knife .

What now? - Zac asked , looking over to Ogras .

How would I know? Try stabbing it , that usually solves most of my problems , - Ogras shrugged , still keeping a respectful distance .

Zac didn’t have any better idea , so he placed the token on a stone before stabbing down at it with the fruit knife . He didn’t use a lot of his power , but the stab still contained enough force to turn a normal stone to dust . But his swing was stopped short the moment it hit the stone and not a single mark was left on the surface , proving it was no ordinary stone .

The knife suddenly shattered , making Zac's eyes widen in alarm , but the next moment a flood of golden light poured into the token until it cracked with a loud snap . A hurricane of energies erupted from the stone , throwing Zac a dozen meters away and almost pushed him into the zone with spatial tears . Zac grunted as he got to his feet , but he froze when he spotted a familiar figure within the storm of energies that the token unleashed .

It was The Great Redeemer .

Two people floated in space , seemingly unbothered by the fact that there was no oxygen to breathe . They were looking down at a planet with two massive continents separated by a vast singular ocean . But only they knew what they were seeing as their eyes sparkled with enigmatic light .

Such a grand convergence of fate , - Lord 84th said with some wonder . - But I wonder if it is orchestrated or the will of the heavens? -

The other monks and the mountain had already been stowed away and missed out on the spacewalk . Even the Abbot had been shocked to find that his master housed a whole world in his heart where his disciples resided .

It was where he would live as well for the foreseeable future , hidden away from all pain and suffering of the mortal world to ponder upon the mysteries of the universe . To his aide were senior monks who had walked the path for thousands of years and treasures that most could only dream of . But even though such an opportunity had presented itself he couldn’t help but feel unreconciled .

Is there nothing this poor monk can do to help? Is severing Karma truly the only path? - Abbot Everlasting Peace sighed from the side as he looked down on the planet .

You should understand the price of meddling with karma by now , - Lord 84th said as he pointedly looked at the old man’s arm that was limply hanging to the side . - There is nothing you can do . -

But the Abbot looked resolute even though divulging the path to his young friend had cost him the use of his arm .

What is the point of enlightenment if one cannot use it for saving others? - he retorted .

Lord 84th shook his head as he looked into the distance .

You remind me of my senior brother . He walked the path you are speaking of , taking on the world’s sorrows . That path is wrought with suffering , the sea of bitterness has no bounds . And who knows if there is even salvation at the end of the road? Is it truly worth it? - the little master said with sorrow in his eyes .

But if this useless monk doesn’t step through the gates of hell , who will? -

Chapter 323 - Sowing Grudges

Even though Zac was placed face to face with the largest threat to Earth he didn’t panic . The reason was that The Great Redeemer was obviously not there in person . With his hazy appearance it was clear it was a projection or a splinter of his soul like the one inside Salvation’s protective talisman . He had already survived a hologram of this man before , and that was when he was far weaker than now .

But after observing the man for a second Zac felt that the former was more likely than the latter . While the man who appeared from destroying the token was clearly The Great Redeemer , so was it also clear that he looked a lot older than the man Zac saw during the hunt .

The version of the Redeemer that saved Salvation looked to be around Zac's own age or even younger , a man in the prime of his life . But the figure currently glaring at Zac and Ogras was a lot older , looking like someone in his fifties or sixties . That wasn’t the only difference as a large scar ran across his face , and the wound contained some sort of sinister energy . It seemed like the result of an extremely powerful attack , one that couldn’t be easily healed .

Zac knew there was only one reason that a cultivator would look this old . There was a large difference to how aging worked with cultivators compared to mortals . Most of one’s lifespan was spent looking pretty young and when you evolved further you gained enough control to change one's apparent age without using any skill . At the same time , you would be at peak physical capacity all the while .

It was only when one was truly closing in on the end of one’s lifespan would one begin to age physically , and most races even lost attributes as the body degraded . The undead was one exception to this rule , as they became stronger as they lost their sanity due to the degradation in their minds .

That meant that the Great Redeemer was nearing the end of his life , and might be dead in just a hundred years unless he managed to break through his current bottleneck and improve his race once again . It was no wonder he had concocted such a cumbersome method to harvest new worlds that took thousands of years ; he was out of options and running out of time .

The two of you are not mine , and you have broken my beacon , - the Great Redeemer said with a raspy voice as he looked back and forth between Zac and Ogras . - It looks like you know of my grand design . -

Zac was about to answer , but Ogras quickly motioned for him to be quiet as a muzzle of shadows appeared around his mouth .

Clever child . A bit unusual for your race , - the man snickered with a sinister light in his eyes . - But it will not be enough . Those who try to cut my lifeline will inevitably be condemned to a lifetime of suffering . If I cannot find you now then I will find you a hundred years later . -

The next moment the projection disappeared , leaving the two alone by the Mystic Realm .

That was close , - the demon muttered as he put away Salvation again .

Why didn’t you want me to speak with him? - Zac asked .

A precaution , and it looks like I was right . That man was truly here in person this time , who knows what means he possesses , - the demon explained . - He obviously has some insight into Karma , and I don’t think he would do something so taxing as to project himself all the way here without reason . He was likely trying to form a new Karmic connection with us . -

Understanding dawned in Zac’s eyes , and he once again felt lucky to have the demon by his side .

What about his threat? Do you really think he will try to find us in a hundred years? - Zac asked with some skepticism . - Even if we lose our protection from the System we wouldn't be that easy to find in the multiverse . -

Hmm , - Ogras mused . - Probably? -

What , really? He would be that petty? - Zac blurted .

Well , he seems to be at the end of his line . If he fails his promotion because of us he might as well kill us as revenge before he passes on , right? And if he manages to evolve in spite of us he might still go for us to nip any potential revenge in the bud , or just because he can , - Ogras said . - It’s pretty common . Keeping grudges in one’s heart is detrimental to concentration and can even negatively impact one’s cultivation . And he does not look like the person who will just let go of his grudges . -

Zac remembered the crystal about Galvarion he read in Thea’s Library . That man had been the same . The moment he broke through to the next stage he would start a round of revenge against everyone that had slighted him while he was weak . Perhaps it was not only due to being unforgiving but also to clear his mind of any demons that might haunt him as he pushed toward new heights .

So even if we defeat the Dominators he will still be a threat? - Zac asked .

There is always a threat , - Ogras laughed . - If not him then some other bastard that either has what you need or needs what you have . That is what it is to be alive . But it would at least buy us 100 years to get stronger . Don’t dwell too much on it . -

You’re right , - Zac nodded , - No point in taking his words to heart when there's a century to go . -

Well sure , but it might also be another ploy by him . Why would he expose his plans like that like some second-rate villain? He seems more calculating than that . Perhaps he wants us to obsess about the looming threat of his arrival to the point that we actually form a connection with him that way , - Ogras said .

Is that even possible? - Zac asked after a brief pause .

No idea , Karmic Cultivators are pretty secretive about what they can and cannot do . It’s best to focus on the tasks at hand anyway . What will be will be , - Ogras said and walked over to the chest with the array flags . - For now let’s squeeze that asshole’s disciple for all benefits we can get . -

I’ve asked my sister to look into a way of getting the Origin Dao inside the fractal . She should arrive when the gate is stabilized . If you're in the area help her out if you're able to , - Zac said , drawing a surprised look from the demon .

What does that lass know about arrays? She's an Elemental Mage , - he said with confusion .

She’s pretty good with energy control and she has started looking into inscriptions and arrays lately . Besides , we don’t have any other experts in that area , and I trust her . Unless you want me to ask around with the Tal-Eladar? - Zac explained .

Don’t bring those beasts into the mix . We should keep the Origin Dao for a small circle to maximize our gains , - Ogras said .

Zac snorted , knowing he was mostly thinking about his own benefits . However , he did agree with keeping the Dao for a small group . He did not know the effect of the Origin Dao , but he didn’t want to dilute it if it was anything like the Dao impartment he got from Yrial .

Well , I’ll help the girl out as best as I can while I look into what might be hiding inside this place , - Ogras said as he looked at the crack in the air in the distance . - When are you leaving? -

My arm is mostly fine , but I need at least another day to get in fighting condition , - Zac said before he left the demon to set up the array .

Zac spent the next day catching up on everything that had happened while he had fought the Incursions and Salvations while he planned his foray into the underworld . The war with the Zombie hordes was proceeding as expected , but it was clear that the Undead Empire did not care about the braindead Zombies they unleashed on the world .

It seemed as though there were surprisingly few elite zombies , and foreign undead like the Corpse Golems and specters were nowhere in sight . Ilvere posited in a report that he believed that the Undead Empire was simply using the hordes as sacrifices to spread Miasma .

Every place they passed essentially turned into a Dead Zone , increasing the area that was under their control . It wouldn’t surprise Zac if they started expanding in other directions as well now that the threat of the monastery with their purifying powers was gone . Zac frowned as he read the reports , once again feeling how strapped for time they were .

Emily had already caused a storm in Port Atwood to get the expedition to the underworld ready at the fastest speed , and while she held no official position most knew that she lived in the restricted area . So many took an order from her as an order from Zac himself , apart from the true core of Port Atwood . Zac didn't bother stopping it since it was the first and only time she had borrowed his authority like this , and her orders were in line with his wishes .

Both soldiers and non-combat classes stood at the ready to quickly set up a base camp in the underworld . It would both extract the riches of the area while acting as a stronghold in the fight against the underworld incursion . Since everything was dealt with at the home front Zac instead headed over to the Tal-Eladar to get some help .

He might be enough to conquer the Incursion alone , but they didn't know exactly how strong the invaders were . Besides , it had proven extremely effective to have two powerhouses in the strike squad . Zac couldn't protect everyone all the time , and Ogras had been instrumental in keeping casualties at the minimum .

A maid immediately led Zac to a sprawling mansion when Zac arrived through the teleporter , which was Verana's private manor . The beast tamer sat and enjoyed the breeze as she had Grub in her lap while Lulu lay snoozing to the side . When the fat little beast noticed Zac’s arrival it roused itself and made a gurgling sound that he supposed was meant to be threatening .

What brings young master here today? - Verana asked as she petted Grub to calm him down . - I heard about your battle with the one called Salvation . Is that demon talking you into removing the competition before the war is even won? -

The integration turned Salvation crazy . He killed over a million of our own people before I stopped him , - Zac explained .

He still hadn’t told her about the looming threat of the Great Redeemer , but he felt that it still wasn’t time to divulge that . That topic would instead be broached when the situation on Earth had stabilized somewhat .

More importantly , I require your assistance , - Zac added .

We stayed behind as to set the foundation of a mutually beneficial cooperation between our two forces , - Verana said with a frown . - We are not soldiers you can simply send to the front line . -

Zac rolled his eyes before he explained the situation with the underworld , making sure to divulge the massive wealth in passing .

While we might not be soldiers we are also Tel-Eladar . We can’t stand for innocent people getting slaughtered like that . We will join your assault on the fire golems , - Verana nodded , before quickly adding . - As for the resources that might fall under your control , we of course expect a share equal to the help we provided . -

Of course , - Zac snorted .

It looked like that one thing that tied most people together was the love of shiny things . After Verana agreed to accompany Zac she asked her maid to gather twenty soldiers to join . Since battle would likely take place in tunnels and slightly cramped spaces they didn’t feel fielding a large army was the best option . Instead , they would stay with the tactic of utilizing small elite squads .

But the Tal-Eladar also insisted on bringing a contingent of non-combat classes to eke out their own piece of the underworld . The demons and Calrin had already prepared similarity in addition to the people that Emily gathered , so Zac didn’t stop Verana from doing the same .

He would still be in control of the outpost and the teleporter above-ground , and he could easily have it act as a toll booth for any and all resources that flowed from the underworld back to this continent .

Besides ironing out the details of their cooperation Zac also had Verana sign the same type of agreement that all others of the strike force had already agreed upon . He had already decided that he would take this trip in his undead form unless the underworld incursion proved too powerful . He wanted to be as time-efficient as possible , and he wanted to gain some levels to his Undying Bulwark Class .

He had already planned a few things out since it would be too troublesome to force everyone to sign an agreement . Instead of using the easily recognizable Verun’s Bite] he would use the unassuming Spirit Tool Sword from the hunt along with his shield while changing his appearance with Thousand Faces] .

Only the core people who went would know his real identity , while the rest would know him as another alien expert that he took under his wing . Between the different skills , face , and aura there should be no one who was able to glean his true identity .

Divulging his second class after Verana was sworn to secrecy went about as expected with her almost keeping over in shock . Interestingly enough she seemed equally annoyed as Ogras about his unique advantages .

No wonder Tylia has looked constipated since returning . She hates keeping secrets , - Verana muttered . - I can’t believe you possess two races . Teaming up with you might be my biggest contribution to the family ever . -

That’s nice , I guess , - Zac shrugged .

So what should we call you when you play undead? - Verana asked , pulling herself together .

Uh… - Zac said , blanking out .

Why not something simple , like Mr . Black? - Verana proposed .

Chapter 324 - Mr . Black

Zac grimaced at the suggestion but he couldn’t think of anything better to call himself .

Fine , Mr . Black it is , - Zac said with some resignation .

He had heard that many Cultivators in the multiverse went by a self-chosen Dao Name rather than their real name while they traveled or visited Mystic Realms . Perhaps he should start looking for a good one so that he didn’t find himself in this position all the time .

The two waited for another twenty minutes before the maid arrived once again to inform them that the required people had been assembled . The two got up and after Verana inspected the group and made some small personnel adjustments they left for Port Atwood .

Soon they found themselves in the large lobby of the official teleportation array , and the Tal-Eladar looked around in surprise , some praising the architecture . For all their other differences Zac felt the two had pretty similar tastes in buildings after visiting the Tal-Eladar town . Both seemed to enjoy integrating nature into their homes , making their buildings living and ever-changing .

Verana only briefly looked around the building before her eyes found the large sign by the exit .

What’s the Tower of Myriad Dao? - she immediately asked with a small frown .

It’s a Dao Repository , - Zac sighed , inwardly cursing Brazla for his insistence on keeping that sign up .

How does a baby world possess a Dao repository? - Verana said with confusion . - And why would you choose to broadcast it like that? It seems like a way to invite trouble . -

The system gives out all kinds of things as rewards to quests , - Zac shrugged . - And we have our reasons for putting it there . -

The Tir'Emarel Clan would be willing to pay a large amount of Nexus Coins or Crystals for the opportunity to peruse it , and you can name your price for taking one of the eight named inheritances , - Verana said .

I am afraid the things inside are not for sale , but some are available through merit . We can talk about that at a later date , - Zac said , ending the conversation on that topic .

The Tal-Eladar had been quite accommodating so far , and it was true that they were stuck here on Earth for better or worse . But hey had just joined his force last week , and Zac wasn't about to give them the keys to the kingdom . They would have to prove themselves before they could dream of even seeing the inside of the Towers .

Verana and Tylia threw each other a glance before following in tow . They quickly exited the teleportation structure , and they were soon met with a contingent of Demon Warriors and Valkyries , both of which glared at the Tal-Eladar behind Zac .

What dense energy , - Verana muttered as she looked at the town still undergoing rapid construction , ignoring the squads who had likely come over to intimidate her . - Did you chose this spot due to proximity to a Nexus Vein? -

I guess you could say this spot chose me , - Zac responded with a sardonic smile , nodding at Joanna who hurried toward them .

You remember the people from the Tir’Emarel Clan . Settle them for the day . They will join us tomorrow when we head to the new continent , - Zac explained . - And please come to my courtyard later . -

Joanna nodded and was about to respond but turned toward the sound of a rapid tapping on the ground .

Honorable Beast Masters! - a voice suddenly resounded from the distance , and Zac saw Calrin run over with as much speed as his short legs allowed him . - You honor Port Atwood with your presence . This humble one is Calrin Thayer , merchant by trade . I was quite delighted to hear that the great Tal-Eladar has chosen to align itself with Port Atwood . Please don't hesitate to peruse our humble wares before heading to battle . You can't bring money with you to the afterlife , so better spend it on our great armors and weaponry! -

Zac rolled his eyes and dragged the Sky Gnome over to the side .

What’s with the show? - Zac questioned . - We are about to head to the underworld . -

Great businessman will always make time for making money , even when facing death . And who knows what dangers lurk down there? Better if I get friendly with these people so I can use their dumb beasts as shields , - Calrin said with a shrewd look . - Besides , who knows if they will find treasure down there? We want it spent or traded with us rather than taken home for their clan to inspect . -

Zac gave the Sky Gnome a small thumbs-up before heading back to his courtyard , leaving the merchant to make some inroads with the Tal-Eladar . He wasn't interested in the logistics , and Verana had expressed interest to tour the city , so he let Joanna handle that .

This time his place was already occupied as Kenzie sat under the shade of a tree with a crystal in her hand . Zac noticed that it was the same crystal on formations that he had perused himself during the time he was trapped at the entrance to Anzonil’s array in the hunt . Zac didn’t interrupt her and instead started to go through the merit exchange for things to use while under the guise of Mr . Black .

The Merit Exchange tokens that all Port Atwood citizens carried had the extremely convenient options of opening a screen to display all the available items at any time . However , it was impossible to buy or reserve any items , so one could only browse . The golems had explained it as a motivational tool . If people kept browsing for treasures they desired , then they would work harder to gather merit .

Joanna later arrived as instructed , and Zac filled her in on his plan . He didn’t need to worry about her or any of the other Valkyries since they were all bound to him , so he freely told her about how he would pretend to be Mr . Black . Kenzie had stopped reading by this point and instead chosen to listen in on the conversation .

I have the perfect thing for your disguise , - Kenzie said with some excitement after Joanna left to handle things for tomorrow .

Zac skeptically looked at her as she took out a demonic face mask made from some metal , reminding Zac of a Japanese Oni . It was mostly black but had some red details , while a few simple fractals covered the inside . Zac took it with some interest and looked it over .

Where did you get this thing? - he asked curiously .

It’s Ogras’ , but I don’t think he will mind . It was meant to be worn by one of the villains in his movie , - Kenzie explained . - It’s a prop . -

His WHAT? - Zac blurted , almost dropping the demonic mask .

Oh , he hasn’t told you? - Kenzie giggled . - He’s trying to make an action movie about Cultivation . He has essentially stolen what happened to you and made some alterations . I think this particular mask was made for one of the generals in the incursion that the main character would battle before a final fight with the big boss . -

Zac blankly looked at Kenzie for a few seconds before sighing and shaking his head .

He actually did it . I better get some royalties if he is using my story to make money , - he said before suddenly looking up at his sister . - Wait , why do you have that thing if it’s Ogras’ movie? -

Kenzie looked a bit startled for a second before rolling her eyes .

I’ve attached myself as a consultant and liaison between his actors and the human engineers he has scrounged up for CGI , - she explained . - So I have access to all kinds of things . Did you know that Zakarith has been made the love interest for the main character? -

Zac’s thoughts went to the diminutive demoness he had captured for information back in the day and could imagine how Ogras had bullied the poor girl into joining the production . It was distracting enough that he lost his train of thought , and soon he was back to finding things that would go well with the mask .

The next morning four distinct groups streamed toward the teleporter to transport over to Westbound Harbor , the name Mr . Trang had chosen for the outpost on the desert continent . One by one the people stepped inside the circle and disappeared .

The smallest contingent were the fourteen Sky Gnomes decked from top to bottom in defensive treasures and Cosmos Sacks . Next was a squad led by the Valkyries who guarded around 150 non-combat personnel who would be responsible for setting up camp in the underworld .

Finally were the demonic and Tal-Eladar groups . The demons were a bit subdued because all their leaders were occupied elsewhere , but it didn’t stop them from glaring at their old enemies with all they had . The newest additions to Port Atwood wouldn’t be outdone in the death stare department , and if glares could kill the whole area would have run red with blood by now .

Zac looked on at the proceedings from the sidelines , having already changed his appearance before appearing this morning . The Spirit Tool sword named Hunger] hung by his waist , still radiating boundless killing intent . He had chosen not to bind it with a drop of blood because he would probably return it after the incursion into the underworld .

Not binding the weapon would essentially cut the power the sword could exhibit in half , but a weapon wasn’t too important to his fighting style as an undead in any case . His power rather came through his shield . As for his robes he had found a pitch-black warriors robe from his gains during the hunt that possessed at least the basic cleaning and resizing fractals . It was nowhere near as good as his real Spirit Tool he got from Yrial , but defense was the last thing he lacked in his current form .

The official story was that Ogras and Zac both were occupied with an important mission , and they had instead summoned Verana and Mr . Black to hold down the fort while testing them out with a hard mission . Mr . Black’s true identity was unknown , but he was only said to be extremely strong and ruthless .

A few demons had seemed interested in testing the veracity of the rumors , swaggering over with some bloodlust in their eyes . But after Zac released a deathly aura teeming with killing intent and the Dao of Rot they quickly changed their minds and hurried away , leaving him to his own devices while the groups teleported over to the other continent .

At least it showed that no one could recognize who he truly was , and Zac wasn’t surprised . He had completely changed every part of his appearance , and even if he didn’t wear the mask he didn’t believe anyone could tell who he truly was . He had even taken it off a few times in passing in front of others to quell any unwanted rumors of his identity .

Zac was one of the last to step through the teleporter . After a few minutes of darkness , he stepped out into a scorching hot atmosphere . It had to be at least 45 degrees from what Zac could tell , and if this had been him from before the integration he would have been incapacitated in no time from the billowing heat .

Now it barely registered for him , and only the weakest non-combat personnel were sweating a bit from the suns’ rays . He took look around and he had to say that Mr . Trang had found a pretty nice place for himself . It was a secluded bay protected from the winds , and tropical trees lined the sandy beach . The familiar face of the old fisherman hurried over when he saw Zac standing and taking in the view .

Mr… Uh… Black? - Mr . Trang hesitantly said as he looked Zac up and down .

Zac had already instructed Joanna to inform Mr . Trang of his true identity , because just like during the auction Mr . Trang would be representative of Port Atwood’s human faction in the underworld . So Zac simply nodded in response before he was led to a recently erected structure where Joanna , Calrin , and Verana waited .

With them was also Harvath , one of the E-Grade demons who was part of Zac’s strike squad against the incursions . It looked like he had been chosen to represent the demon’s interest in this venture . Zac looked around the room and took off his mask before sitting down .

It’s good to see you again Mr . Trang , - Zac smiled , causing the old man to flinch a bit .

Zac knew Mr . Trang was a bit thrown by the pitch-black eyes , but he pretended to not notice .

Has something happened? I can’t see the mentioned town in the teleportation menu , - Zac continued .

It only opens two times a day at random times , and it stays open for just a few minutes . We believe it is a security measure , - Mr . Trang explained . - It was through dumb luck that we noticed it . But it opened five hours ago so it should open again within 5-6 hours . -

Great , - Zac said . - I want everyone ready . We're immediately heading down the next time it opens . -

Chapter 325 - Underworld Nexus

Who’s going first through the teleporter? - Mr . Trang suddenly asked .

Zac was about to say that he would enter first , but he suddenly froze when he saw the old man imperceptibly glance at the new addition to Port Atwood's forces . Only at that point did he realize the problem .

If he went first Verana would become the strongest person above-ground , and she could easily destroy the teleporter , effectively trapping Zac in the underworld . He didn’t know what she would gain from doing something like that , but he also wasn’t willing to take the risk with so many things riding on him . This place was the only link to the surface , and if it was that easy to reach it by foot the people of the underworld would already have left .

Verana , Joanna , Mr . Trang , and I will all go down together . When the situation is secured Joanna will return to get the rest , - Zac said , quickly adjusting his plan .

Verana looked a bit surprised at being included in the advance group , but a small smile suddenly crept up on her face and she simply nodded in agreement .

I want to go as well , - Emily said as she burst through the door , clearly having eavesdropped on them . - You promised . -

… No , you'll join the second group , - Zac finally rejected after some hesitation .

Things might get a bit crazy when they arrived unprompted , especially when they brought an alien , so bringing Emily in the earliest group was without benefit . He was also worried she would act hastily when she got down there , so he wanted to stabilize the situation first .

My goal is to make whoever is on the other side open the teleporter within an hour to let the rest of you through , - Zac then added when he saw Emily's face scrunch up . - If that doesn’t happen something might have gone wrong . But don’t enter the teleporter before Joanna has come out even if it opens again . -

The others quickly nodded in agreement before they ironed out the finer details of the expedition . The name of the teleportation destination was Underworld Nexus , and it hinted at what sort of place they were heading into . Since the teleporter opened to the public every day there should be some strong people holding down the fort , and there might also be quite some foot traffic .

If it was possible they would avoid causing any commotion since it might be more convenient to get a better understanding of the underground if their true identities weren’t exposed yet . The fact that Verana would join them would make that a bit harder , but she said she possessed a treasure that would allow her to accompany them without her origins getting exposed .

There was also the risk that the place was like the Cradle of God , a death trap that tried to swallow everyone foolish enough to enter , which was another reason why Zac was hesitant to bring Emily . Better the small group of elites go first and sound out the situation .

In the end , there was only so much that could be done when they had no idea what they dealt with , so soon enough everyone retreated to their respective groups to sit down and meditate while waiting .

Zac briefly pondered on the Dao of Rot until one of Mr . Trang’s men let him know that the teleporter was open on the other side . Zac only grunted in affirmation as he got to his feet , and was soon joined by the other three who would go with him as the advance group .

Zac was interested to note that Lulu and Grub were nowhere to be seen , replaced with a rocklike snake that circled her left arm like a bracer . The Beast Master noticed Zac’s look and smiled as she scratched the head of the snake , eliciting an odd purring sound .

This is Slither , - she introduced . - Lulu and Grub might be out of their element in the underworld considering their size . Slither is much more accustomed to subterranean fighting and scouting . -

Zac nodded in understanding , feeling that Beast Master was a pretty convenient class . One could simply shore up any weakness by capturing another beast , and you stayed out of harm’s way while your beasts battled for you .

Then again , Zac knew things weren’t that simple . It took both time and a large number of resources to rear a battle beast . And just capturing it was not enough since if there was no connection it might refuse to fight for you , or even betray you at a critical juncture . Zac didn’t like the concept of relying on others for keeping himself safe . He would rather depend on his own to fists for protection than some familiar .

Time was of the essence so the small group immediately headed over to the Teleportation array . Zac still donned his mask , making him look like a human hiding his identity . Verana instead wrapped a white cowl to obscure her features , and it completely hid her non-human features .

More interestingly the cowl seemed to possess some magical feature that made Verana less conspicuous , and Zac had a hard time focusing on her even though he knew about it . It was as though he got distracted by stray thoughts any time he looked in her direction , and soon his eyes drifted away .

How curious , - Mr . Trang muttered with some interest , clearly having realized the magical feature of the cowl as well .

Since it looked like Verana wouldn't be a problem Zac immediately activated the array , and in short order all four had stepped through and disappeared .

After a brief stint in the darkness , the foursome found themselves in a large vaulted cavern teeming with people . They stood on a platform that was raised around a meter into the air , and as he looked over the sea of people he noted that most were streaming toward two large exits on the opposite side of the cave .

The cave itself didn't feel as stuffy as Zac had feared , and the ceiling reached almost twenty meters in the air . The area was also pretty well lit by a combination of large inlaid crystals in the walls and the ever-present glowing moss . The air was a bit stale though , and the lack of any natural light was a bit uncomfortable . But Zac easily adjusted his state of mind , since he had been in a similar place for weeks during the hunt .

A quick estimation would put the number in the cave above a thousand , and he noted that this place was far more integrated between the races than how it was on the surface . Humans made up almost half of the people in the cave , which wasn’t surprising considering how populous the old Earth was compared to the other planets that got smashed together .

But there were representatives from all three of the other races in the streams of pedestrians , and many groups consisted of a mix of human , Ishiate and the Ratmen . Even a handful of Zhix walked along without causing any trouble , though it looked that the Zhix always only walked with their own kind .

Hey , stop dawdling! Present your tokens and make way for the next group , - a gruff voice said , making Zac look over at a guard who glared at them from beneath the platform .

Zac realized that over twenty guards were standing there , and apart from three who inspected a group in front of them they all looked in their direction . The one who had spoken to them was a muscular Ishiate , but all four races apart from the Zhix were represented among the guards .

He could also breathe out in relief when he realized that neither his nor Verana's hidden features had caused any alarm amongst the guards . Actually , quite a few of the people in the area had obscured their features to varying degrees .

In the end Sap Trang stepped forward after shooting a brief glance at Zac and Verana .

We do not possess any tokens , - he explained with a smile . - It is our first time coming here . -

You cannot enter the Underworld Nexus without a token , - the beastman said with a shake of his head . - Are you members of the Union or the Council? -

The Union? Council? We are not part of either , - Sap Trang said with some confusion .

Fresh meat? - the Ishiate interrupted with some surprise . - You’re the first in a while , must be from a pretty secluded sector . Come with me and I’ll explain things . -

The man seemed pretty eager , and Zac noted that the other guards looked at the beastman who had spoken up with some envy as he ushered them away from the teleportation platform .

He wasn’t worried that this place was a trap since the people who were continuously streaming out of the teleporter seemed aware of the rules of this place , and they hurriedly presented the same sort of token upon arrival . At the same time , there was a smaller stream of people leaving as well , walking against the stream to use another teleportation array to return to wherever they came from .

The Underworld Nexus is a neutral town meant as a gathering place for all the native factions of the underworld . Most of those you see coming and going either belong to the Union or the Underworld Council . The Union is led by a group of merchants , - the guard started explaining as they entered the side passage .

A notable name among you humans from the Union is Little Treasure , who is one of the eight top figures . The union control most of the high-grade mines and many other lucrative resources , so they are extremely wealthy . That’s why many elite cultivators have joined them to enjoy great benefits .

The Council is a group of extremely strong warriors . They are on the frontline in the fight against the incursions , but they also control a lot of the best training grounds . They aren’t as wealthy as the Union , but they make up for it with military might . -

The Incursions? What does that mean? - Zac asked , thankful his voice didn’t change too much in his Draugr form .

Zac , of course , knew what the beastman was talking about . But from how he explained it , it sounded like there was more than one incursion in the underworld .

You are truly lucky if you haven’t been impacted by those alien cultivators in all this time , - the Ishiate guard muttered as he led the group to a guarded side-exit of the cave . - When the Integration took place it also opened portals to other worlds , and foreign invaders have come through those gates . The main goal of the Council is to close those gates , and the Union is generally helping the war effort with resources . -

How many gates are there? - Mr . Trang asked , understanding what Zac wanted to know .

There are four that we know off , and the worst of them are the fire golems . They have killed millions of people , - the Ishiate sighed . - I moved here after they flooded my hometown with lava . Only a fraction of us survived , our ancestral halls turned to cinders . -

Zac was truthfully not too surprised that there were multiple incursions . The Underworld spanned a huge area , and hundreds of millions of humans had been teleported here . In fact , he felt it was pretty good news to hear there was more than one . If the system only sent one incursion to test the whole underworld it would likely have meant that particular incursion was terrifyingly strong .

So where are we headed? - Sap Trang finally asked after they had walked the empty passage for some time .

We need to issue tokens if you wish to enter this place . Please beware , these tokens are not free as they require inscriptions to work . Each one costs 50 000 Nexus Coins , - the guard explained until he finally stopped in front of a door . - In here . -

The group entered and saw a human sit with an engraving kit in his hands , with a small mountain of tokens behind him . The process of acquiring tokens was pretty simple , with only a drop of blood being needed to bind the Token while the inscriber activated it . But Zac suspected the tokens contained a tracking array just like the one in Westfort .

If you want my advice you should quickly join one of the forces as quickly as possible . There is some semblance of order in the Nexus , but truthfully it is quite dangerous for a small unaffiliated group to walk the streets . You might get robbed of your treasures , or even killed , - the guard suddenly said as they got their tokens . - As luck would have it I know a few people in the Union , and I could introduce you . -

Are the two forces the only ones around? - Mr . Trang asked , sidestepping the offer .

The guard looked a bit irritated at getting his pitch derailed , but he quickly controlled his mood .

Well , there are some smaller groups and towns that are not directly affiliated with the Union or the Underworld Council , but at least 60% of those who walk the streets here are part of either of them . So what do you say , do you want to head over to my friends in the union? It’s a pretty rare opportunity , and I wouldn’t offer if I hadn’t felt that you guys are pretty strong , - the Ishiate explained .

Some disdain flashed in the eyes of the inscriber as he worked on the final token , but it quickly disappeared a moment later as the man refocused on his work . But both Zac and Verana had noted it , and they threw each other a look .

It seemed to Zac that the great opportunity was nothing more than a scam . Perhaps joining the Union would mean something like joining the New World Government , getting an overlord taking control of your hometown . It was most likely not very hard to join on one’s own , and the guard in front of them perhaps even got a commission for leading new blood to the slaughter .

Is it the Council or the Union that controls this place? - Zac suddenly asked , as he never heard the guard mention it .

Actually , neither , - the Ishiate said as he scratched his chin .

At this time the inscriber spoke up for the first time , briefly shooting Zac a glance .

This place is under the control of the richest man in the underworld , Lord Smaug himself . -

Chapter 326 - Subterranean Diplomacy

He controls this town by himself? How is that possible? He is not even on the power Ladder , - Mr . Trang said with some suspicion after hearing the inscriber's proclamation .

Wealth trumps over power , - the inscriber said . - Anyone who tries to cause trouble will get blasted by his various treasures or arrays . I doubt even the Super Brother-Man would dare to cause a ruckus in the Underworld Nexus . -

Zac slowly nodded , remembering Ogras’ words . With enough wealth it was possible to completely ensconce yourself within your sphere of influence , buying layers after layers of defensive and offensive structures . Of course , while it was entirely possible to smash your enemies with piles of money it was also true that wealth couldn't trump over supreme power .

So he’s not part of any force? - Mr . Trang asked curiously . - Seems like he would be better off joining this Union . -

He has his own company , Dragonwing Enterprises , and many underlings here in the city . I work for Dragonwing Enterprises for example , - the inscriber explained drawing a glare from the guard .

They only recruit locally though , - the Ishiate hurriedly added . - So how about it? Shall we head to the Union? Or if fighting is more your style , I actually have some friends working for the Council as well . -

Zac didn’t immediately answer but instead went over what they had learned . He knew they might only have scratched the surface , but it still felt like they had a good enough understanding of the underworld to get to work .

The splintered forces had generally clumped together into larger groups , but it seemed there were no individuals strong enough to become sole leaders . Instead , councils were formed where power was shared . The only exception was this Smaug character who seemed solely to control this town by virtue of wealth rather than strength .

Now that they knew who the players were and what kind of place they had arrived at there was no longer any need for subterfuge . Zac never meant for them to keep their anonymity forever , as there was no point in doing so . They needed to speak with Smaug , and the quickest way to do this was to explain who they were . Mr . Trang seemed to be of the same idea , as he shot a glance at Zac who made a small signal with his hand .

I am afraid that we do not plan to join any force , - Mr . Trang said with a smile at the Ishiate , before turning toward the inscriber . - We would like to meet your boss . -

Both the ishiate and the inscriber looked a bit startled at the quick change in demeanor before the beastman let out a guffaw .

Are you crazy? Do you think just anyone can just walk in here and act as they please? - the guard laughed derisively . - I am being nice enough to help you out , but you better smarten up before something bad happens . -

But the inscriber’s eyes thinned as he glanced at Zac’s party , and he seemed to take the situation seriously even though all of their auras were completely restrained .

Who are you? - he asked .

We come from the surface , and we represent the Super Brother-Man , - Mr . Trang said , hiding nothing . - The forces of the surface world all tried to reach this place the moment the hunt ended , but currently it is only the Super Brother-Man who possess the capabilities needed to reach this place . -

Oh , the Super Brother-Man , is it? - the Ishiate laughed even harder . - I forgot to introduce myself , I am Starlight’s long-lost brother , and this inscriber here is the cousin of Thea Marshall . -

That’s enough Terre- - the inscriber said , but his words got caught in his throat as an aura as heavy as a mountain spread out , suffused with killing intent .

The whole cavernous room started shaking and the two men both were unable to move . The Ishiate had fallen down on his belly and was crawling toward the door with horror in his eyes . The inscriber was not much better off as he had fallen back into the pile of empty tokens , his face white as a sheet .

It wasn’t Zac , but rather the snake who peeked out of Verana’s sleeve that was emitting the dense aura , proving that it was another E-Grade beast under her command . In fact , the aura it emitted was even stronger than those of Grub and Lulu , making Zac wonder if Verana held back during their fight .

The Super Brother-Man has closed multiple incursions in the past week , but there is far more to do . He sent his right-hand man and a general to close the incursions down here , and help the people stuck here , - Joanna explained when the snake finally crawled back inside Verana’s sleeve and restrained its aura .

Are you… truly from the surface? - the inscriber said , clearly starting to believe their words . - Then why have only you arrived and no one else? We have waited for so long for assistance . And do you have any proof you’re with the Super Brother-Man? -

It is simple . Most of the people on the surface believe that our new world consists of one huge continent , but that isn’t true . There is , in fact , a second continent , but it is separated by a vast ocean . The Super Brother-Man is the only one with a fleet powerful enough to cross the ocean and survive the leviathans of the sea , - Sap Trang explained .

Shortly after we set up our outpost we noticed this place appearing now and then on the teleportation panel , - Joanna added . - And as for proof? The force of the Super-Brother-man is Port Atwood , which you should know after the hunt . -

The next moment both her alignment from her status screen appeared , and her current position on the ladder .

Atwood Valkyrie… a ranker! - the inscriber said with shock . - Are you his right-hand man? Or General? -

No , I am not strong enough for that yet , - Joanna said , looking a bit pained before gesturing at Zac and Verana . - It’s those two . -

The implication was clear , and the inscriber immediately understood what she was getting at . Not even low rankers were strong enough to become generals under the Super Brother-Man .

So , can you take us to Smaug now? - Mr . Trang asked .

Well… It’s not that simple , - the inscriber said with a grimace before turning to the Ishiate who was still on the ground . - Terrek , you can leave . I will take it from here . -

The Ishiate had been frozen by the door , both afraid to speak up and leave . When he heard the inscriber’s words it was as though he was granted a pardon , and after giving Zac’s party a deep bow he scrambled out of the door .

Why can’t we meet him? - Joanna pressured , her eyes thinning .

I don’t know where he is . No one does , - the inscriber hurriedly explained . - We don’t know what Smaug looks like or where he lives . He’s only communicating through the network he has set up here , and the few times he appeared he has been disguised . -

So what now? - Joanna asked with some displeasure .

I can take your party to the headquarters of Dragonwing Enterprises . I am only middle management so I can’t contact the Lord , but someone there should be able to , - the appraiser said and got up from his seat .

The group nodded since it seemed as good a plan as any . They might have been able to force the man out by wreaking havoc on the town , but they had come to help people , not cause trouble . The appraiser , who introduced himself as Farid , led them out of the passageways into the town proper . A few scared faces peeked out through doors along the way , but hurriedly shied away when they passed .

The Underworld Nexus was completely different from what Zac had expected . It was still a cave , but it was just massive , likely even larger than Port Atwood . It was at least 100 meters to the roof , helping quite a bit with the claustrophobic feeling . There was even some wind getting generated by a massive waterfall that fell into a lake where Zac clearly could spot a large number of fishing vessels .

The structures were simple but sturdy , mainly created from a mix of metal and stone . Many rooms didn’t have roofs or walls though , instead opting for open architecture . Perhaps people felt enough closed-in as it was , and didn’t want to box themselves in even further . Besides , it was not like there was going to be any bad weather down here .

The oddest thing was that the whole thing was brightly lit up as though it was the middle of the day on the surface . The whole cave was illuminated by a couple of massive crystals placed on top of sturdy metal towers .

We call them Day Crystals , and use them instead of sunlight , - Farid explained when he saw the group's looks . - Smaug owns a mine where they extract them . These crystals are lit up 18 hours a day , with the first and last hour being at half power . We also sell smaller versions to add to your home because electricity is limited . -

Zac nodded , quite impressed by how quickly these people had adapted to life underground . But even with these pretty optimal conditions for a subterranean town , it was impossible to forget they were stuck under miles of rock . The town sharply ended where it reached the wall , and a few barricaded gates led out into the wild .

As they walked it seemed to become more apparent that the explanation of the guard wasn’t completely accurate . It was true that the Union and the Underworld Council were the two most powerful forces along with Hive Arbak , the strongest Zhix hive in the underworld . In truth , their numbers only made up around 10 to 15% of the people in the Underworld Nexus rather than the 60% .

But their influence reached far and wide in the underworld , and it was obvious by how they could so overtly bribe the Underground Nexus guards to do their bidding . As Zac suspected guard did get a commission for enlisting new towns into these forces , which was why he made them sound grander than they truly were .

But Farid explained how there was a large number of varying forces and independent warlords who controlled their respective sectors , making the underworld almost as chaotic as the surface . The towns were far more integrated between species though , mainly since the surface species were dropped off together at the same place when the randomization of the planet took place .

But there was also a large number of refugees as the things Zac heard about the fire incursion was all too real . Every day more refugees streamed through the teleporter , and by now there was no more room to house them in the Underworld Nexus . Luckily there was no lack of crystals , meaning the refugees could be teleported away to reinforce other towns in the underworld network .

So why has no one of you come to the surface? - Joanna asked as they walked toward the Dragonwing headquarters . - You’ve had half a year to dig your way out . -

We tried , - Farid said with a sigh . - We all tried the first months . But something is odd with the stone , most of it is incredibly hard . Unless you’re at least level 30 you can forget about even cutting out a chip from the walls , and even the stronger people have trouble making way . Not even the Geomancers are any good . Perhaps when people start reaching E-rank they will be strong enough . -

Just like there are mines with minerals and Crystals there are also mines with softer stone that can be extracted , - the inscriber explained . - Most settlements are made by the molemen though . The Underworld Nexus is almost unique in the fact that it is completely made from scratch . The cave was found by Lord Smaug , and he founded the Nexus by the shore . -

The group soon enough reached the Dragonwing Headquarters , a vast complex next to the lake . As they passed through the gate Zac couldn't help but notice there were multiple layers of arrays around the building . He wasn't worried now that they had already been let through , but if he read the energy fluctuations right he guessed that even he would have trouble cracking this place open .

After Farid explained their identities and the snake once again exhibited it's might things proceeded quite quickly from there . The group was led to an open-air conference room while the manager sent an emergency transmission to their boss . The manager kept them company as they waited , ensuring that Smaug never took longer than 20 minutes to respond to a message .

The minutes passed and refreshments were brought in as they waited . The manager was extremely curious about the state of the surface and was elated when he heard that the Super Brother-Man was going around closing one incursion after another . The fact that he had started eyeing the underworld wasn't met with suspicion at all by the stocky middle-aged man , but rather delight . The fire golems had truly pushed people to their limits , and it looked like there wasn't a single person who hadn't lost someone to their attacks .

But Zac suddenly got a bad feeling as a gust made his black cloak flutter . He immediately looked around and spotted an odd sphere beneath the table that he knew wasn't there before . It didn't emit any energy , but the feeling only got worse by the second , and Zac knew he could tarry any longer .

Behind me! - he growled as a field of death expanded around him from Fields of Despair] , while his defensive layers were erected one by one .

The large fractal shield was the last to materialize , and Zac placed it square between the rapidly enlarging ball and the group . The manager was held by his neck by a furious Joanna , but he was clearly not part of what was happening since he was screaming in fear , looking completely shocked by the change in atmosphere .

Suddenly it sounded like a piece of glass cracking , and then the world turned white .

Chapter 327 - Billionaires' Brawl

A massive wave of electricity slammed into Zac’s shield as he imbued himself with the Dao of Hardness . The ball had been something similar to his own Thunder Punishment] , though the energies were far more concentrated . It gave up the massive area of Thunder Punishment] but instead gained a far greater intensity .

A scream from behind told Zac that his shield wasn't' able to properly block out the energies as it was , and he tried imbuing Immutable Bulwark] with the Dao of Sanctuary to see if it would change anything . The shield quickly started transforming , turning into something that looked like a wall that circled his group .

The Dao imbuement apparently changed the way the shield worked , where it gave up some of its strength to instead be able to protect from all directions . Luckily the durability of the shield was still enough even though it was spread out over a wider area . The problem was that the Miasmic consumption drastically increased , though he would be able to keep it up for some time before he started to run out of energy .

But Zac didn’t want to wait for his attacker to tire himself or herself out , and he looked in all directions for the source of the attack . But it was impossible to see a thing through the storm of lightning outside the protective shield , and he could only growl in frustration . Joanna meanwhile looked ready to rip the Dragonwing manager into pieces as she threw him down on the ground and pointed her spear at him .

What’s going on? - she spat out through grit teeth . - Who’s attacking us? -

I swear I do not know! We have had some friction with the Union lately , perhaps it’s them? - the manager frantically said , trying to keep his head as far away from the spearhead as possible .

Soon enough the lightning storm abated , but Zac barely had time to glance around before a dozen more spheres flew toward them , releasing an inferno of flames that tried to eat through his protective layers .

Zac sighed as he realized that whoever was attacking them was unwittingly a pretty good counter to his undead class . He had activated Deathwish] the moment he realized they were under attack , but he sensed that it hadn’t been used even once . It meant the skill didn’t work against treasures , allowing their attacker to go on as he pleased without receiving any retribution .

Do you want me to help out? - Verana suddenly asked from behind , not sounding alarmed in the slightest even though flames raged all around them .

No need , - Zac said after a brief pause . - Protect the others while I deal with this . -

Verana would likely not have too much trouble dealing with this attacker , but Zac wanted to gain some experience in fighting in his undead form . He had only fought dumb animals when using Undying Bulwark , most of them turned even more rabid and irrational from the Darkness in the caverns beneath the Eastern Trigram Sect . Fighting a person in disadvantageous conditions felt like a pretty good way to find the limitations and strengths of his current class .

Finally , Zac managed to spot a hooded figure in the distance , and he immediately activated Inquisitive Eye] to get some idea about their attacker . But either the man possessed tremendous Intelligence , or more likely he owned a protective treasure because Zac could not even get the man’s name from the skill .

The limits of the ocular skill were once shining through , and Zac was starting to wonder if it was even worth that he relearned and evolved the skill for his undead form . But he was still unable to get his hands on a better option , as the only ancillary skill that the lowest floor of his Dao Repository contained was Thousand Faces] . Hopefully , there would be some more options for supportive skills on the next floor , as those were the only skills that seemed to work for both his classes .

It looked like the man in the distance was imbuing yet another ball with Cosmic Energy , though this one shuddered with another type of energy than electricity . Zac didn’t want to give him time to lob yet another of those things at him and slammed his shield into the ground with a roar .

A huge shockwave of spikes ripped out of the ground and pushed toward the masked man with great speed , destroying anything in its path . It was the attack engraved into the shield itself , and its effect was even better than Zac had expected . The attacker looked up in alarm , but before he could move the wave of spikes was upon him .

A green shimmer appeared around the masked attacker , and the spikes immediately turned into a murky liquid formed a corrosive pool on the ground . Zac tsk’ed in annoyance and pushed forward , inwardly annoyed with the lack of movement options in his undead class .

But he was still extraordinarily fast due to his massive pool of Dexterity , and Zac was upon the man before he could finish fueling the next offensive array . But the masked attacker seemed to possess an almost endless bag of tricks , and two of his rings lit up when Zac swung his sword down with furious momentum .

The man disappeared in the blink of an eye , replaced with a large head of a humanoid skeleton that radiated extremely sinister energies . Zac’s brows rose in surprise , but before he had time to create any distance the skeleton spewed out a large gust of a grey haze , covering every inch of his body .

Zac froze for a second , but he soon realized the odd attack simply had no effect on him . He once again thanked the cheat-like constitution of a Draugr , realizing that the mist was likely some poison his undead body was immune to . He swung his huge tower shield with a grunt , creating a gust that blew the mists away , and he immediately spotted the man in the distance .

Smaug? - Zac ventured , and the man stopped moving before once again starting to prepare for his next wave of assaults , pretty much confirming his hunch . - Why are you attacking us? Port Atwood and The Super Brother-Man has no enmity with you or your faction . -

It does not matter , - Smaug answered with a flat voice , taking out a smaller crystal this time . - Sometimes we’re just leaves drifting in the wind . -

The crystal released a shockwave before a blue fractal appeared in the sky above him . Zac wouldn’t have been alarmed if that was all it did , but he looked on in trepidation as another fractal hundreds of meters across also appeared in the air above the lake .

Strong winds that had no place in the Underworld buffeted the whole cave as waves rose over ten meters in the air from the disturbance caused by the huge fractal . Zac was even having some trouble keeping his footing from the torrential winds , and he finally punched the shield into the ground to get a proper footing .

Zac was unsure what to do as five enormous streams rose from the lake , causing dozens of fishing vessels to capsize . The streams melded together into an enormous leviathan that reached the ceiling of the cave before falling toward him . He wasn’t sure if Verana could handle an attack of this magnitude , but she gave a signal that they were fine when he looked back at them .

The others had moved far away from the battle , and a sturdy-looking red barrier shone around them . It gave Zac some confidence as he turned back to face the incoming attack of the array . His muscles swelled to almost ridiculous proportions as he empowered his arms with Unholy Strike] .

The last moment before the humongous water creature slammed into the ground he infused his shield with the Dao of Heaviness and Swung it forward with a punching motion . Between his massive pool of Strength and the multiplicative boost of Unholy Strike] , the shield contained terrifying force and the moment it hit the water creature they both froze for a fraction of a second .

The next moment a massive shockwave exploded from the point of impact , shooting water and hurricane-like gusts across half the cave . The massive energies ripped the whole complex of Dragonwing Enterprises to pieces , and quite a few of the surrounding structures were toppled even though they were made from stone and metal .

One small relief was that he got no streams of energy from any kills , meaning that people in the vicinity had managed to evacuate in time before the battle reached a crescendo . It had been a worry in the back of his head since the battle started . He didn't want any innocent bystanders to lose their lives due to Smaug's crazed assault .

Zac’s whole body hurt from being right next to the impact , but he ignored the pain as he looked around with wild eyes . He was tired of all the nasty things Smaug seemed to have up in his sleeves , and he wanted to end this now . He quickly spotted a bedraggled Smaug currently scrambling to his feet , his clothes ripped and in disarray . He hadn’t been unscathed from the shockwave either , and blood was running down his forehead .

The true appearance of the wealthiest man of the Underworld was finally exposed , and it was not what Zac expected . He was a young man that might be from India or the Middle East , with a pair of emerald green eyes . He had olive-colored skin and short black hair , and pretty fine features . Zac would guess he was around 20 if he went by the standards of the Old world .

Smaug’s eyes widened in alarm when he noted Zac’s glare , and he quickly took out a heavily inscribed rapier as Zac barreled toward him like an angry bull . The rapier slightly reminded Zac of the terrible array that Hannah stabbed him with once upon a time , and rage flared up in his heart when remembering the betrayal .

Zac pushed his speed to his limit as he swung Hunger] with ferocious force straight at Smaug himself . The man desperately tried to defend with his weapon , but a snap could be heard as soon as the two weapons collided . It was Smaug’s wrist not being able to withstand the power in Zac’s swings , immediately shattering from the force .

Smaug wailed in pain , but the scream was quickly cut short as Zac’s boot slammed into his chest with the force of a truck , launching him like a ragdoll into the ruins of what might once have been an office building . Zac was right behind him and before he could get up Smaug found Hunger] against his throat , the sword actually shivering with excitement .

Zac’s boot was firmly pressed on the man’s chest , and his shield was slammed into the ground right next to Smaug's head . His eyes were red and he breathed heavily even though there was no need for it in his current body . Bloodlust had almost completely clouded his mind when he saw the rapier , but he finally managed to calm down before he killed his captive in a fit of rage .

Why? - was all Zac said through grit teeth as he looked down at the man who had attacked them with a storm of treasures .

The man didn't answer , instead looking back and forth to the sides with some panic . Zac frowned and looked around , but they were in the middle of a pile of rubble and sight was obscured in every direction . A thought struck Zac and he took out one of the mobile array disks with his free hand and threw it down on the ground next to them . It quickly shuddered before a small shield encapsulated the two .

This area has been obscured by an array , - Zac said with a frosty voice , his foot still on Smaug's chest . - Now tell me what the fuck is going on or I'll skewer you . -

Please , save my sister , - Smaug coughed out with a pitiful voice , his demeanor completely changed . - I was forced to attack you by those bastards of the Union . Why the hell would I want to attack monsters like you people , only to drag your boss here on the off-chance I survived? -

Chapter 328 - Captive

Zac looked down at Smaug that was still being kept at sword-point , unsure what to think about the rapid change in his demeanor . It looked like he was truly telling the truth about his sister , but it wouldn’t be surprising if the second-place holder on the wealth ladder was someone adept at deception .

Besides , even if he was telling the truth , did it even matter? Zac if anyone could sympathize with the desire to save and protect one’s sister , but the fact remained that Smaug had launched a terrifying barrage of attacks on them . If Zac wasn’t strong enough he and his people would have been blasted to pieces by the offensive arrays .

But Zac finally decided it was worth to keep asking questions before deciding what to do about this man .

Why would the Union want to attack us? - Zac finally asked .

They are working with the invaders , - Smaug said , looking relieved Zac held off on skewering him . - Not the flame golem one , but the others . They are trying to take all of Earth’s natural resources for themselves . The invaders provide the Union with pills and other items that are hard to get down here , and the Union provides them with raw resources and Slaves . -

Slaves? - Zac repeated with a frown , though it couldn’t be seen through his mask .

I have been investigating them for months . Some settlements that were said to be eradicated by the golems were actually captured by the Union’s people and sold to the invaders for forced labor , - Smaug wheezed . - They don’t want you here because they are afraid their profiteering will be cut short . -

You should know that if we fell the Super Brother-Man would just come here in person , - Zac retorted .

By that time they would have been able to turn black to white , pinning all the blame on me , - Smaug sighed .

Still , it’s quite the coincidence that they managed to kidnap your sister just when we arrived , and immediately had you attack us? - Zac said . - We haven’t even been in the underworld for an hour . -

I don’t know how , but they must have known her identity for some time . I had bodyguards around her , but more than half turned out to be the Union’s men . They acted just 5minutes after you left with Farid , - he said .

Zac was about to continue the line of questions but the sound of disturbed rubble from behind stopped him in his tracks . He turned around to see it was Joanna who had come over , her spear at the ready . Zac quickly deactivated the array , making her almost launch an attack at him in shock .

Get the others , but just our people , - Zac said .

No problem . The manager started running for his life the moment the fighting subsided , - Joanna nodded .

Wait , help me disarm this guy first , - Zac said .

Joanna understood what he meant , and she quickly took off every piece of equipment on Smaug that might have been a treasure . Soon enough a small mound of jewelry lay to the side of the man , and Joanna had even found a few talisman papers stuck to his inner thighs . He was truly a walking arsenal , decked head to toe with treasures . Even Calrin would likely have to admit defeat against that kind of collection .

A minute later the whole Port Atwood party stood hidden within an array , and Zac recounted his exchange with Smaug , whose real name turned out to be Hassan . He was originally from Syria , but had lived in Europe the past years with his sister . However , it looked like Hassan had completely discarded his old identity , and insisted of being called Smaug .

What forces do the four Incursions contain? - Mr . Trang asked .

One looks like humans , though they have vertical pupils , - Smaug quickly said , still stressed even though Zac no longer pointed a sword at him .

Verana’s snake had instead scuttled over to his shoulder and was seemingly napping with its head against his throat . But Smaug was obviously aware of the snake’s power since he had turned extremely pale the moment the snake moved over to him . After that he became even more cooperative , and it felt like he couldn’t spill all the secrets of the underworld quick enough .

One has literal demons , it’s pretty crazy . Horns and everything . These two are the ones who have bought the most slaves . They keep mostly to themselves , relentlessly mining . The third has some odd walking fish or something , they look pretty scary . I don’t think the Union works with them , they attack everything , - Smaug explained . - The fourth is the fire golems , and they are the strongest . But there is actually a fifth incursion -

A fifth? - Zac asked with surprise . - The guard earlier said there was only four . -

I only know about them because of a leak in the Union . They have never appeared and they are even more holed up than the first two incursions . I have no idea what they are up to , but I guess they’re busy mining as well , - Smaug shrugged .

Zac didn't care too much about there being a fifth incursion . The fact that they kept to themselves hopefully meant that they didn't feel confident in their strength to expand , and instead opted to gather as many resources as possible from their area .

Do the Underworld Council work with the invaders as well? - Joanna asked next .

Not really , though they are indirectly benefitting from them . They buy things from the Union that they , in turn , have gotten from the invaders . And they almost exclusively fight with the fishmen and the fire golems , so I’m pretty sure they know about the dealings with the other incursions , - Smaug explained . - It's all pretty muddy down here , no clear black and white . -

Zac slowly nodded , not feeling the actions of the Council was too big of a deal . They had their hands full as it was , and if they could get resources from the one incursion to fight another it was making the best of a bad situation . It wouldn’t be too late to turn their attention toward the demons and invading humans after the more dangerous invaders were dealt with .

He felt the actions of the Union to be far more troublesome . He had seen the treatment of slaves on the surface , and he knew that almost no force would treat them as well as Verana had . To profiteer from something like that in a time of crisis was beyond reprehensible .

He could have looked the other way if the Union just traded normally with the invaders , but since they decided to use their own people as currency he knew he would have to act . If it was true that the Union sells people as slaves to the invaders they didn’t need to continue existing .

When they had gotten all out of Smaug that they could Zac suddenly flashed forward and knocked Smaug out cold , giving the rest some privacy .

So what do you guys think? - he asked .

That Union seems even more shady than the New World Government , - Joanna said with disgust . - If they are into the slave trade I’m sure they’re doing all kinds of evil stuff . -

I think it’s a good target for a take-over , - Verana said , drawing skeptical glances from the others .

Let’s not kid ourselves , - the Beast Master said with a roll of her eyes . - Getting our hand on the resources for our war efforts is one of the main objectives of this expedition . If we kill the leaders of this Merchant Organization and put our own people there we’ll have a working infrastructure for everything from Teleportation Arrays to Mines to personnel . We will even gain their intelligence which is likely invaluable . -

Will their people even work for us? - Zac asked hesitantly .

The rabbits in the forest do not care which wolf is the pack alpha . They just want to survive , - Verana said with a shrug . - We can simply cleanse the arm of the organization that dealt in slavery if it bothers you , and claim the rest . -

I agree . You have so much to deal with as is , - Joanna said . - This will save a lot of time , allowing us to focus on what’s important . -

Mr . Trang nodded in agreement as well , essentially meaning the matter was decided since Zac felt it was the most convenient method as well . But there was still one issue remaining .

Fine . We’ll confirm what Smaug said about the slave trade . If what he says is true we’ll take control of the Union , taking out everyone at the top - Zac said before motioning at the unconscious man on the ground . - What do we to about this guy though? -

I say keep him , - Joanna said . - He might seem like a helpless victim , but he must be hiding some secrets . He has been on the top of the Wealth ladder all this time , even eclipsing people like Thea Marshall and Billy who both have closed Incursions . Besides , he attacked us so he owes us restitution , but there is no way his real wealth is on his person -

I think we should help the sister if possible , - Mr . Trang added . - The child was captured because of our arrival , after all . She’s innocent in all this . -

Fair enough , - Zac agreed . - Wake him up . -

Joanna took out a bottle of water and poured it over his face , making him wake up sputtering and disoriented .

We will help save your sister , - Joanna said . - And we’ll also take care of the Union if what you’ve said is true . Of course , if it turns out that you’ve been lying we’ll remove you and Dragonwing Enterprises from the underworld . -

My words are as true as gold! - the man hurriedly said . - But the Union must know something is wrong by now . We’ve been here for a while , they must wonder what’s going on . I have an idea , but you must trust me . -

Trust you? - Zac snorted , but the next moment his eyes widened in alarm as Smaug produced another crystal from nowhere .

Zac's mind blanked out for a second when he saw the pitch-black ball in Smaug's hand . The first thing Joanna had looked for on his body was a cosmos sack , but there was nothing like that on him . They had assumed he simply left it behind before going into battle because he was afraid of losing his wealth . But they were obviously wrong since he still was able to produce objects from nowhere .

If it was just another fire-spewing crystal Zac wouldn’t be too worried , but he was actually quite familiar with the thing in Smaug’s hand . It was a Void Ball] , identical to the one Zac found during the hunt , and something he still kept on his person as an ace . If that thing went off in this close proximity then even he would perish , since it would release an onslaught of spatial tears destroying everything in the area .

Verana seemed to realize the danger as well , and energy blasted out from her as she started to activate some protective treasure . Zac was much more straightforward and aimed to kill Smaug before he could set the thing off . But before Zac’s swing could reach the man the world lurched , making Zac lose his balance and fall to the ground .

He sprung right back up , but he froze when he realized that the surroundings had completely changed . Everyone was there , but they clearly were no longer in the ruins of the Dragonwing complex . Instead they found themselves in some hidden chamber illuminated by a few Day Crystals .

Zac’s eyes immediately snapped to Smaug and he was relieved to see that the Void Ball] was nowhere in sight . But he was still infuriated by that brush with death , and he immediately resumed his advance on him as killing intent started leaking .

Wait! I needed to make the Union think you were dead , or at least unsure what happened! Otherwise they might have harmed my sister! - Smaug hurriedly explained as he scrambled away from Zac . - So I activated the bomb and used a teleportation treasure to move us to my predesignated spot . -

And you are aware that a Void Ball] disrupts space , making teleportation an extremely dangerous venture even before it sets off? - Verana said with a voice that could turn water to ice . - We are lucky to not arrive here in a dozen pieces . -

Uh… - was all that Smaug said in response , a sheepish smile spreading on his face as he shrunk further back from the four murderous stares . - Well , there was no instruction manual when I got that thing . My bad , truly . -

The bomb should have destroyed everything in the area where we stood . Hopefully , the Union thinks I took most of you out before escaping . This place is my hidden compartment beneath the Underworld Nexus . I have a private Teleportation array here , - Smaug continued , clearly wanting to change the subject .

A minute later the group arrived at the hidden teleportation array , with Smaug sporting swollen lips , a crooked nose , and two black eyes giving him the fabled panda-look . Joanna and Mr . Trang immediately stepped through the teleporter after shooting a last glare at the man , leaving the trio of Zac , Verana , and Smaug behind .

Just moments later battle-hardened warriors of three races started to stream through the teleporter , filling the spacious hall that the teleporter was placed in .

What is going on? - Smaug stammered as his swollen eyes stared at the demons and the Tal-Eladar all emitting powerful auras . - Those are invaders! -

They were invaders , - Zac corrected him . - Now they fight for the Super Brother-Man . -

Shit , that guy must be a real monster , - Smaug muttered with some awe in his voice . - If he can even make those bloodthirsty demons fight for him . -

You have no idea . -

Chapter 329 - Negotiations

As Zac oversaw his people streaming out through the teleporter a thought suddenly struck him , and he motioned for Harvath to join him . The demon captain walked over , throwing a curious glance at Smaug and his wretched appearance .

We’ve learned that there is a second demonkin Incursion in the underworld , - Zac explained after covering them in a sound-isolating array . - Will it be a problem for you? -

Harvath thoughtfully furrowed his brows before he looked at Smaug .

Does this one possess information about our cousins? - he asked , getting a nod from Zac .

Smaug himself gaped when he stood in front of the demon , making Zac realize the man had never stood face to face with one of the invaders before . It looked like he was hovering between fear of being eaten and fascination with the unknown .

Do these demons look like us? - Harvath asked , pointing at his face .

N-No , not really , - Smaug stammered . - Well , they have horns , but I am told that they look a lot bulkier , and don’t have hair? -

Big black horns? - Harvath probed , - And they are over two meters tall? -

Yes! - Smaug hurriedly nodded . - And tails . -

Abyssal Demons , - Harvath said with a grimace before turning to Zac . - Can we speak privately? -

Zac nodded and had Verana take over the task of keeping a watch on Smaug . He still didn’t understand how he could take out items when he was stripped of his possessions , and Zac didn’t want him to take out something else and cause even more trouble .

What’s going on? - Zac asked when the two were alone .

Harvath hesitated a bit before speaking up .

Do you know how Demon society works? - he asked .

Isn’t it a feudal society? Your former clan controls a certain area , but you are part of a larger kingdom . That kingdom ultimately reports to the planet’s leader , though they are largely independent , - Zac asked with some confusion .

That’s true for our planet , but our planet is just a backwater member of something larger , - Harvath said .

The Azh’Kir’Khat Horde? - Zac ventured , remembering Verana mentioning the odd name .

Exactly , - Harvath nodded . - I am not too sure about all the details since clan Azh’Rezak was the lowest rung of what could be called a noble clan , and our information was somewhat limited . But the horde consists of hundreds of demonic species . -

Zac nodded , still not sure what he was getting at .

The position of the races in the horde depends on their respective powerhouses at the top . The Abyssal Demons has a terrifying leader who controls one of the top ten clans , making them one of the most prominent demonic species in the horde . These Abyssal Demons are likely not part of that clan , but they still hold some sway back home . I fear that if we rout them it might have dire implications for clan Azh’Rezak , - Harvath said with some hesitation .

Zac nodded with a sigh . It was as Zac had feared . He hadn’t expected running into a second demonkin Incursion on Earth , and he knew it might cause trouble for the demons of Port Atwood , or rather their former clan .

Even if they left their clan behind many still had people they cared for back home . Even Ogras had his grandfather . Everyone had friends or relatives who were still part of the clan , and while they chose to cut ties to forge their own path they didn’t want to bring trouble down on the head of Azh’Rezak .

So what do you think we should do? - Zac finally asked .

I cannot make this decision for our people , - Harvath finally said . - I think we should call the young master . -

Zac agreed with the demon’s assessment . Exploring the Mystic Realm was important , but they had other pressing matters . It would be for the best to call Ogras over now that it turned out that there were four other Incursions in the underworld that weren’t fire-attuned .

Fine , I’ll have someone get Ogras , - Zac agreed .

Zac had one of the Valkyries head over to the mystic realm to look for Ogras . Most people still didn’t know that the realm was already being explored , though scattered rumors had started to spread about its existence . But he wanted to keep the details Vague , so only the Valkyries and a few other core personnel were allowed close to the center of Mystic Island . It had turned to a restricted area just like his own zone in Port Atwood .

Since he knew it would take some time before Ogras arrived he decided to deal with some other matters . First he went over to Calrin , who seemed extremely impatient to get going .

I hear we’re taking over a rival business? - Calrin said with excitement in his eyes . - It’s quite exhilarating , all that free money . It’s a lot harder to do something like this when mercantile licenses are involved . We truly should consolidate all budding enterprises before people manage to get their hands on licenses . -

Zac understood what Calrin meant . His own consortium was targeted by a mighty C-grade Clan , but even they had been forced to use trickery and bribes to steadily whittle down the Thayer Consortia for an eventual takeover . Brute force was not an option when mercantile licenses were involved .

I’ll consider it , - Zac said with a smile . - Do you know if Cosmos Sacks can take different shapes than actual sacks? -

High-grade spatial tools can look like rings or other jewelry , or anything for that matter , - Calrin said . - But it’s usually not worth the trouble unless you’re a true magnate . That kind of spatial tools requires actual insight into the Dao of Space to create , making them over a thousand times more expensive . Why do you ask? -

That guy over there managed to take out an item from thin air . I am trying to figure out how , - Zac said as he glanced at Smaug .

Oh , - Calrin said thoughtfully before a small dagger suddenly appeared in his hand from nowhere , without touching one of his Cosmos Sacks . - Like this? -

Yes , exactly like that , - Zac said with surprise . - How did you do it? -

He has a mercantile class or at least a hybrid class . We get actual skills that work like Cosmos Sacks , allowing us to hide and protect our wares as we travel . A Cosmos Sack can be stolen , but our personal space can’t . -

Makes sense , he’s the second-place holder on the wealth ladder , - Zac nodded . - Is there any way to prevent it? -

Sure , if you have energy shackles , - Calrin nodded . - If he can't circulate his energy he won't be able to activate his skill . -

Zac's eyes lit up and he immediately produced the chain that he stowed away when he saved Thea from the Medhin clan .

Will this work? - Zac asked as he handed it over to Calrin .

It's not a high-quality restraint , but it should suffice against someone like him , - Calrin nodded . - I'll handle it . I am a bit curious about him anyway . -

Zac nodded and let Calrin walk away with the chain . Soon enough everyone had entered the Underworld , but Zac chose to wait for Ogras to arrive before deciding on the next course of action . He instead erected an array and sat down to absorb a few Miasma crystals to restore his energy reserves and rest .

He didn’t know how long he had rested when he sensed a person close-by , and he saw the familiar form of Ogras when he opened his eyes . He temporarily deactivated the array and let the demon enter . Ogras looked annoyed for some reason , making Zac look at him curiously .

Not making headway with the Mystic Realm? It’s only been a day , - Zac said .

I can’t believe those Abyssal assholes got placed in the middle of a mountain of resources with no enemies in sight while I got stuck with you , - Ogras muttered , obviously having been appraised of the situation in the underworld . - The Ruthless Heavens is truly playing favorites . I say we take down that incursion first . -

And that is your unbiased opinion? - Zac snorted .

Not really , but it makes sense . The sooner we kick those people out of here the sooner the demons will be able to act in the open . Most demons would be hesitant to show their faces with them lurking in the area , - Ogras shrugged .

Agreed . We’ll keep the demons hidden while we deal with the Union , - Zac said .

How will we split the profits? - Ogras asked .

This was something that Zac had thought about earlier . He was currently the de-facto owner of pretty much everything in Port Atwood , but that wasn’t a long-term solution . He didn’t plan on becoming a tyrant with people toiling under his hegemony .

All matters related to the underworld will be considered a separate company from Port Atwood and the Thayer Consortia . Port Atwood will own half and the Academy will own 10% to become self-sustaining , - Zac said . - You , Verana , and Calrin can figure out what to do with the rest . -

Isn’t it a bit early to start giving those people a bunch of benefits? - Ogras said with a frown as he nodded at a clump of Tal-Eladar close-by . - Furthermore , Calrin should be a trading partner rather than a shareholder . -

As I thought , you are up to no good the moment you arrive , - a frosty voice said as Verana walked straight through the array .