Defiance of the Fall

You once asked me to remind you that you were becoming a bit murdery . I think this would count . Got it out of your system? - a voice reached him from the side when he finally slowed down his rampage .

Zac blinked and took a look around , and found that Ogras had appeared amongst a clump of shadows . There were still Zombies around , but it could no longer be called a horde . There were rather islands of zombies in a sea of destroyed bodies , with perhaps 10% of the original number remaining .

I did all this? - Zac muttered with some confusion .

Don’t flatter yourself . We took care of more than half of them while you went on your rampage , - Ogras snorted . - But you seemed disinclined to cooperate so we stayed out of your path . -

Let the others deal with the remainders . Some people still have some fight left , and these things give a decent amount of Cosmic Energy and money for the recruits . Don’t hog it all for yourself , - Ogras said with a smile .

Just as Ogras spoke he spotted a familiar figure effortlessly fighting against a clump of a few hundred undead . Kenzie was killing them at an impressive speed as she shot out various skills at a rapid pace . Each skill seemed to be quite basic and something that cost next to no Cosmic Energy , yet the elite zombies kept falling to never stand up again . At her current pace she would need less than a minute to clear the pack .

It’s quite odd , - Ogras muttered as he followed Zac’s gaze .

What is? - Zac asked , afraid that the perceptive demon had found a clue of Jeeves .

It’s hard to explain , - the demon hesitantly said . - But her fighting style is odd . -

Odd how? - Zac asked as he looked at his sister downing one zombie after another .

It was efficient , but nothing too impressive to be honest . He would personally be able to turn that whole pack to goop with two swings of his axe .

Don’t you see the flow? She is never in danger . It almost looks like the undead are cooperating with her , trying to get themselves killed , - Ogras said with some incredulity .

Zac initially didn't understand what Ogras was talking about , but he almost immediately got an explanation of what the demon meant . While Kenzie was focusing on the zombies ahead of her with a flurry of attacks two more undead tried to rush her from behind . She didn’t even look back though , and carelessly waved her hand above her head , shooting out two small fireballs toward them .

The aim of the first spell was perfect and it hit one of the zombies straight in its throat , but the other one was unfortunately aimed toward the ground , and wouldn’t be able to do any damage . But just as Zac considered throwing a rock to kill the other attacker something shocking happened .

The first zombie fell backward from the attack , felling the second one who was a few steps behind . Both the undead fell down on the ground , and the unharmed zombie coincidentally fell into a position where the second fireball hit it straight in its head . The two struggled for a while , but Zac could sense that the fireballs were infused with the Seed of Tinder , and there was no way they would survive .

The remaining zombies ahead were soon killed by Kenzie’s real attacks , and she moved on without giving the two zombies behind a single look . It all looked like a great coincidence things worked out , but Zac knew better than to believe that . It was no doubt Jeeves who helped her out .

At least he hoped that was all it did . If it was actually taking control of her it was a whole different issue . It was something that had bothered him ever since they fought the cyborg . Jeeves and whatever was planted inside the foreman might have come from the same people , and they had no idea if there were some failsafes in the AI that would turn Kenzie into a monster .

Do you see what I mean? - Ogras said as he slowly shook his head , clearly having a hard time believing what he just witnessed . - That girl is another type of monster . What kind of scary woman was your mom to give birth to evil stars like the two of you? -

Well , Kenzie was always the smart one , - Zac coughed , not sure how he would lie his way out of that one . - I guess she got pretty good at fighting zombies during her time at the Dead Zone . -

Kenzie noticed the attention soon enough and stopped her onslaught , instead opting to walk over to the two .

Are you ok? - she said with worry in her eyes . - I’m sure Alea will be fine . I bet she will be back on her feet by the time we get back to Port Atwood with these people . -

I’m ok , - Zac smiled , but he wasn’t sure how he really felt .

His rage had subsided after exhausting himself against the zombies , but he was choked up by a feeling of impotency . There were too many things to do , and it felt like he was spread so thin that he would fall apart . Worse yet was that his people kept dying and there wasn’t much he could do about it .

How are the rest? - Zac finally asked , even though he was afraid of the answer . - How many did we lose? -

Half , - Ogras sighed . - Just above half of the people who set out from Port Atwood are still alive . Most of the casualties happened two days ago , but there were constant losses during their escape . -

Half , - Zac numbly repeated .

The good news is that our fighting capabilities haven’t decreased nearly as much , - Ogras said . - Most of the casualties were the recruits and the non-combat classes . Only 12 of your Valkyries and 17 of the demon warriors died . And you know that the most effective way to get stronger is by pushing oneself beyond one's limits . The survivors can no longer be considered recruits , they are a true army now . -

Still , - Zac sighed . - Thousands of our people have died . And for what? The Undead Empire didn't even lose a general , and their horde is currently on its way to finishing the array . -

People fall against the invaders every minute all around the globe , - Kenzie said with a shake of her head . - We can’t let it weigh us down . We do what we can and the cards will fall where they will . It's not your duty to save the world alone , we're all in this together . -

Zac looked with surprise at his sister , not expecting such a viewpoint from her . He would have thought she would be even more broken up about it , as many of those who fell were people that Kenzie socialized with during her stay at the Academy . Meanwhile Zac hadn't even met most of them .

But he soon realized that while Kenzie hadn't battled nearly as much as himself she might have lost even more . He knew she had been forced to witness one person after another dying around her . First the Tutorial where less than half survived , then being dropped off right next to the Dead Zone .

She never spoke much about her time there , but her occasional comments had pictured a pretty bleak existence even before that old dog started to lust after her . Most of the friends she had made the last year had already died . Zac was much better off in that regard . He hadn’t really lost anything so far , which might be why these deaths felt so heavy on his shoulders .

We’ll let everyone rest for 8 hours , - Zac said , changing the heavy subject . - After that we’ll change course and head for Erdenet . -

The army of Port Atwood hadn’t known about the much closer teleportation station owned by the Sino-Indian Alliance , and they were currently heading for an array that was weeks away . Zac couldn’t spend that much time protecting the army , so he would change course . The return trip would still take over twice as long as it did while he zapped here on his flying treasure .

He didn’t have the time to divert his attention too long , and he needed to get back to closing Incursions . Whittling down millions of low-leveled zombies was a waste of his time , and his strength was better spent on putting out the other fires on Earth that others were unable to deal with .

Ogras and Zac went back to the army , but Kenzie wanted to help out with cleaning out the remaining undead in the area so she stuck around . When the Port Atwood Army heard that they finally would be able to rest most of them simply crumbled down on the cold ground , not even bothering to take out anything to sleep on .

In just seconds snores echoed across the area , while a small group kept watch in all directions . Normally there would also be a group responsible for looting the army , but the zombies carried nothing of value . Zac and Ogras stayed in the middle of the army , each taking out a few crystals to regain their spent Cosmic Energy as quickly as possible .

That was in the nick of time , - a rough voice came from close-by , and Zac opened his eyes to see Ilvere and Janos walk over .

Chapter 360 - Dangers of Technology

Both Ilvere and Janos sported a new collection of scars , but it looked like both of them would be fine after some rest .

Not quick enough to prevent Alea from being wounded , - Zac sighed after hearing what Ilvere said .

That lass is strong , I believe she will be able to overcome this , - Ilvere said as he thumped down on the ground in front of Zac and Ogras .

Zac only nodded , though he knew that the situation , unfortunately , wasn’t that easy . Being strong-willed wasn’t enough to survive a fractured soul .

Just what happened here? - Zac asked .

Ilvere grimaced as he recounted what the group had encountered since the teleporters went dark . Zac frowned when he heard how arduous their past days had been , and pangs of guilt once again rose in his heart . He knew that he couldn’t be responsible for all ills of the world , but he still felt that he was somehow to blame .

I guess we’re lucky we weren’t deemed important enough for one of the true generals to act , - Ilvere said with a depreciating smile . - Otherwise we would never have made it this far . They have a lot of strong guys in their ranks . -

It’s still amazing you managed to hold on this long , - Zac said with genuine appreciation .

The lass was a large factor in our survival , as was the barkeep , - Ilvere said .

The Barkeep? Ryan? - Zac asked with confusion .

That boy is a real hero . -

Zac blankly looked at Ilvere for a few seconds , having great trouble reconciling the young man who had been hiding out in his apartment with the epithet - Hero’ . Did the Barkeep class possess some hidden and amazing attacks against the undead? Or did it allow him to become the fabled drunken fist?

We have been constantly fighting without stopping for over a week . Some people we had to carry for a while since they were truly out of energy , but we normally would have no way of marching for 9 days without sleep . Luckily his brews helped us stay conscious up till now . Of course , many will be in a weak state for a while , - Ilvere explained .

That’s okay , - Zac nodded . - We should be fine unless the Lich King himself comes knocking . -

The two demon generals soon excused themselves though , as they desperately needed to sleep as well . They were amongst those who hadn't slept a wink for the whole duration , and they had always stayed in the frontlines to keep their people safe . Zac and Ogras didn't speak much either , instead opting to recuperate in case another wave of attackers arrived .

Thankfully they were completely unaccosted , and the army set out without trouble 8 hours later . A lot of people were sporting various degrees of wounds and traces of exertion on their faces , but they no longer seemed like zombies themselves . Between the healing pills Zac brought and proper rest they were in far better shape compared to before .

The army kept the highest pace they could through the wildlands , but there was no way such a large group could move as quickly as Zac was able to proceed on his own . So he spent his time going back and forth around the army , killing anything that might prove a threat to them . They had already lost so much , so he didn't want to lose a single man on the final stretch of their return .

Thankfully it quickly became clear that the Undead had given up on taking out his army , as Zac couldn’t even find the shadows of a single elite undead in the vicinity . There were still a few zombies and quite a few beasts , but nothing that indicated an army in the area .

Zac could only guess that some of the ghost scouts had seen the final battle , and the generals felt the price was too high to keep targeting them . Besides , the death marsh over the past 10 days had created quite some distance between themselves and the three main hordes .

Since there was no immediate threat he could relax somewhat , and he took the chance to figure out various things . His first idea to save time was to find a town , or at least the ruins of one , to see if he could gain control of it to buy a teleportation array .

Unfortunately there was no response after finding three abandoned towns , and he wasn't able to find a populated one either . This whole area seemed to be made from former tundra , either from eastern Russia or Mongolia , and there were barely any people in these regions even before the integration . Now with strong beasts walking the plains it was no surprise that the few places of civilization he found were long deserted .

After a day's travel it started to become increasingly clear that they might just have to walk the whole way back , but that didn't mean that they couldn't utilize their time efficiently . So Zac took his sister some distance away from the army , and after looking around placed down a few array disks to isolate themselves from prying eyes .

What’s going on? - Kenzie asked with interest when she saw how careful Zac was .

Here , - Zac said as he took out a few of the Technocrat items . - Are these of any benefit to Jeeves? -

He had taken out one of the scout drones and one of the laser weapons that had been attached to a battle droid . Kenzie gingerly picked up the two items and curiously looked at them . Zac was about to explain what they were when a red light shot out of Kenzie’s eye and quickly enveloped the two items .

Wha- - Zac exclaimed as he took a step back .

Pretty cool , right? - Kenzie said with a wide smile .

You looked like a cyborg just now , - Zac said with a stern face . - What’s going on? -

Well , you told me to avoid showing off my skills yesterday , right? - Kenzie said with a shrug . - So we have been trying to figure out ways to make Jeeves abilities to look more like normal skills . -

His sister was referring to the fact that he warned her of relying on her AI too much . Her performance against the left-over zombies had been a bit too eye-catching , and people had started to talk . Luckily his own power was enough to justify Kenzie's skills for most people , as they assumed he had given her various treasures and help . But he still didn't want to take any risks where the secret about Jeeves would leak .

Using a beam that shot out of her eye to scan items felt pretty damn far away from the goal of staying incognito , so he didn't understand what she meant . She had looked like a robot when the red light exited her pupil . But Zac realized on second thought that he had actually sensed a bit of Cosmic Energy in the ray , something that never was the case with technology .

But Zac didn’t have time to ask how she made that happen , as the drone suddenly started to hover above Kenzie’s hand .

Wow , so cool , - Kenzie said as the small drone made a few turns around her .

Is it you controlling it? - Zac asked .

Yeah , or well , it’s Jeeves who controls it , - Kenzie said . - Do you have more of these? -

Yeah , a whole lot of them . What are you pla- - Zac said , but his voice got stuck in his throat .

The drone started to disintegrate , turning into lights as they entered Kenzie’s forehead . In just a second it was completely gone , not even leaving a speck of dust behind .

Jeeves ate it , - Kenzie explained , though the comment felt a bit superfluous . - It seems he gets smarter the more types of technology he eats . Do you have more stuff? -

I do , but this doesn’t feel safe , - Zac asked with some hesitation .

Jeeves was probably stolen technology from Firmament’s Edge , and feeding it to make it stronger came with very real risks . It was not like Jeeves followed the Three Laws of Robotics . The AI might turn against Kenzie when it was strong enough , killing her before returning to its creators .

I know what you are thinking , but I think we are bound for life , - Kenzie said after some hesitation . - We are fused in a way , my soul gives it life . If I die Jeeves will cease to exist . But perhaps the only way to know how he works for sure is finding mom . -

Zac slowly nodded , but he couldn’t help but have a bad feeling in his heart . He could only hope there would be some answers inside the Mystic Realm since there was no way that place had no connection to Leandra . He handed over part of the things he looted from the Technocrat Incursion for Kenzie to go through in the end . He also made sure that she wouldn’t absorb things that might be crucial in operating the large forges or the mechas .

Unfortunately it seemed that he had made a mistake in not looting the corpses of the Technocrat Incursion . According to Kenzie’s preliminary findings it seemed that a lot of the technology relied on subneural chips to act as interfaces between the Technocrat’s brains and the drones and such .

Kenzie would still be able to control the items with the help of Jeeves , but it would be difficult for others to handle Technocrat technology in the short run . Perhaps they could refit some things to be controlled by normal computers instead , as implanting chipsets into one’s brain seemed like the kind of modifications the System frowned upon .

After handing over the Technocrat items to his sister he resumed his vigil around the army . Ogras sometimes joined him , and they mostly discussed their next step after dropping off the army at a usable Teleportation Array .

What do you think , can I take him down? - Zac asked during one of their discussions .

Hm… It would help if we could fight his top general , - Ogras mused , understanding that Zac was referring to the Lich King . - Seeing his strength would give us a hint of the power of the Lich himself . But truthfully… -

What? - Zac probed as the demon trailed off .

You have accumulated far more power than is the norm for an F-Grade , and taking down most Incursions will be easy , - Ogras said . - But the Undead Empire is endlessly vast , and we don’t know their means . You will not only be fighting a true undead elite , but also his army and defensive arrays . There is no way he’ll leave the safety of his base as things stand . They can just wait it out until they kill this planet . -

So you think I need to evolve first? - Zac sighed .

Well , at least go to the tower and get that title . We might also find other useful items there that will help us , - Ogras said , once again bringing up the Tower of Eternity .

The tower? - Zac frowned . - There is no time for that . Honestly , I’m thinking of skipping going altogether and instead push for as quick an evolution as possible . -

What? No! - Ogras shouted . - Don’t be crazy! Remember , getting the title is not the only reason we’re going . You’re supposed to find a patron force as well , in case The Great Redeemer finds his way here . -

The terraforming might be completed any day now . I can’t gallivant off-planet for weeks while our planet is collapsing! -

Visiting the tower does not take that long , - the demon said with a roll of his eyes .

How long does it take then? - Zac asked with confusion .

He had already heard that there were 81 known floors , and Ogras had once divulged that he was stuck on a floor for a month before passing it .

Between one day and a year , - Ogras said .

A YEAR?! - Zac shouted . - There’s no way we have time for that! -

Just listen , - Ogras said with a roll of his eyes . - The tower itself only takes one day at the most . But you are not transported directly to the Tower . -

What? - Zac asked with confusion .

Zac hadn’t really delved into the subject of the Tower of Eternity before , as he had expected Ogras would go over it before they set out . But it seemed it was time to get a better picture of how that place worked .

You get teleported to the Base Town . Or at least the Base Town of your sector , - Ogras said . - It is a huge town that extends around the tower itself . After using the token you will be able to stay a year at the longest , though you can leave early . The tower itself takes up to 99 days , but it is in a special space , so only one day will pass in real time . -

So we could be back just one day after activating the tokens? - Zac asked with intrigue .

Yes , but we should stay longer if time allows it . Entering the tower itself can only count as half the benefit of that place . -

Chapter 361 - An Overdue Meeting

What's the point of delaying the stay? - Zac asked with a frown .

There are all kinds of reasons . The Tower of Eternity is the gathering place of young elites and a way for forces who would never be able to contact each other to interact . It’s a great opportunity for trading or making connections . Some of the larger forces have a permanent presence there , hosting auctions or the like , - Ogras explained with excitement glimmering in his eyes .

Auctions? - Zac said , his eyes lighting up . - You think we might be able to find a soul-mending treasure for sale? -

Perhaps , - Ogras said with hesitation . - But you should know we’re just country bumpkins compared to most people that are there , and there are no restrictions on the wealth they bring . Some bring tens of billions in spending money , and soul-mending treasures are always in demand . I brought a billion nexus coins I got from my grandpa last time , yet I was only a small fish over there . -

Zac frowned in realization . It was true that his net worth was a few billion even excluding the shipyard and the repository , but a lot of it came from the mountain of gear that he looted from Rydel and the hunt . If he easily could convert all that to real money he would have long done so .

There was a significant pile of Nexus Crystals accumulated from the mining operations , but that would make up less than a Billion Nexus Coins even if he sold it all at Calrin’s . A C-grade powerhouse might make more than Zac’s whole net worth in a day or two from exploring a Mystic Realm . So the financial prowess of old established forces was something that Zac couldn’t even dream of matching up against .

He remembered how Average offered a Billion Nexus Coins just for Zac to back off and let him fight the Star Ox . If he encountered such a scion who wanted the soul mending for himself there was no way he could compete . Zac suddenly felt quite impoverished for the first time in a long while .

Don’t look so glum , - Ogras snorted . - We’ll figure something out . Besides , auctions are not only about spending strength . If we gather enough funds to seriously overspend we’ll most likely win the treasure in an auction . Even most rich scions would stop at a certain point unless they really need the item , as they would look like wasteful idiots who are only good at spending their parent’s money otherwise . -

Can we rob people over there? - Zac suddenly asked . - In case we get outbid . -

He didn't relish the idea of turning to robbery , but if it came down to it some thievery was nothing compared to what he had already done . If snatching a Cosmos Sack would save his people's lives , then he would do so . Of course , stealing was the last possible solution if they truly ran out of options .

Rob people? - Ogras said as his eyes widened , clearly not liking Zac's idea . - Don’t even think about it . There’s technically no laws over there , but it’s very uncommon for daylight robbery to take place . -

Why not? A bunch of rich targets from another side of the cosmos . It seems like a pretty good place to rob someone , - Zac said with confusion . - Chances are you'll never see them again afterward . -

It’s not that easy . The Ruthless Heavens will restrict you if you attack someone , - Ogras said with a shake of his head . - You can't just snatch the Cosmos Sack and disappear , teleporting out will get a one minute delay . I've heard that even a quest might be created to take you down , depending on what you did . Besides , there’s the issue of treasures . -

What do you mean? - Zac frowned .

It sounded like the System didn’t directly stop you from robbing people , but you needed the strength to survive the ordeal . It was almost like a quest for the robber as well . You can rob someone , but you needed to survive for a minute to keep your spoils .

The Ruthless Heavens restricts what treasures you can bring to the Tower of Eternity , - Ogras explained .

Like the hunt? - Zac asked with a frown , not wanting to leave behind all his stuff again .

Not exactly . You can bring as many items as you want , but defensive and offensive treasures are limited to E-Grade . Raw materials and other types of treasures can be D-Grade , likely since the Ruthless Heavens wants to give young elites a chance to trade valuable items that can help them grow , - Ogras said .

So what’s the problem then? - Zac asked . - I already have E-Grade defensive gear and an E-Grade Spirit Tool Weapon . -

Yes , but both are at low stage , - Ogras snorted . - Made for Peak F-Grade warriors and the recently evolved . But what if someone takes out a peak E-Grade defensive treasure to block your attack , then a peak E-Grade offensive array to attack you . Mind you , the Void Ball] you threw at the Technocrat monstrosity was a High E-Grade item , not peak . -

Zac frowned , finally understanding what Ogras was getting at . If some rich guy snatched the soul healing treasure out from under his nose it was also possible that he brought some extremely strong defenses , since he was already wealthy .

How is that fair? - Zac muttered with annoyance . - So some rich guy can just rip through the tower with the help of his family’s wealth? Just throw out thousands of offensive arrays at everything around him? -

Having a rich family or strong friends is a strength in of itself , - Ogras smiled . - The Multiverse was never fair , and neither is the Ruthless Heavens . Just look at yourself with all your Progenitor titles or the other Earthlings with their Tutorial title , how is that fair? But the tower tests potential in the end , and external strength gets more and more restricted the further up the tower you progress . -

But those restrictions don’t apply to the town outside? - Zac asked , understanding what the demon was getting at .

Exactly , - Ogras nodded . - That’s why there’s so little violence outside apart from the occasional village idiot who doesn’t understand the immensity of the heavens and earth . No one knows what hidden tricks the other people are carrying around . Starting a fight might kill you , even if you’re the young master of a large clan . -

Okay , you've sold me , - Zac finally said with a nod . - We're heading to the tower as soon as we're ready . I just want to reach the peak of E-Grade in my second class to get the quests , and we need to figure out the Dao Funnel as well . -

Agreed , - Ogras nodded . - But we're truthfully running out of time . We can only delay these hordes from completing the Terraforming Array for so long . We will probably need a week or two in the tower to accomplish all our goals , so we can't just go at the last minute either . -

I know , - Zac sighed , all too aware of the constraint of times .

Where was the peak quality Clone Technique when he needed it? Splitting up into ten people to hit all his targets at once would make his life so much easier . But he knew he was stuck in the middle of the wilderness for the time being , so he could only make the most of it .

Since Zac had figured out his next steps there was nothing much else to do . He asked his sister to pause on the Technocrat research , and instead double down on the Dao Funnel . Meanwhile the two returned to switching between pondering on the Dao while riding in one of the cars and keeping watch for enemies .

But Zac’s mind was unable to properly calm down , and his brain was constantly churning in an effort to solve all the various issues that plagued him and his people .

On the sixth day since setting out Zac was making some small talk with a couple of the Valkyries and John , the American expat he once met outside Eastern Hills . John had initially been a bit awkward around Zac after reuniting , even apologizing for trying to recruit him into his small zombie hunting party back when Zac went under the alias David . But he soon calmed down after seeing that Zac didn't carry himself like some Emperor or ruthless warlord .

It was a nice break to just hang around a bit . He needed a break from constantly running back and forth to make sure the world wasn't ending . But his a small spike of danger suddenly appeared in his mind , and Zac instinctively looked in the distance , trying to find the source of the feeling . The Valkyries looked at him in confusion , proving that they hadn’t noticed anything amiss .

Is something wrong? - Jenna , one of the Valkyries , asked .

It’s nothing , - Zac said with a shake of his head . - Thought I heard something . I’ll check it out just in case . -

Do you need us to come with? - another Valkyrie asked with a frown .

No , that’s okay , - Zac smiled . - I’ll be back in a few minutes . -

With that he activated Loamwalker] , disappearing in a flash . He quickly moved toward a small hill in the distance , each step moving him dozens of meters forward .

When he saw the person on the other side of the hill his eyes widened in alarm as a storm of leaves erupted around him . His axe had already appeared in his hand as Zac was mentally preparing for a fight for his life .

It was a Zhix warrior who was sitting on a chair , clearly waiting for him . Zac instantly knew the insectoid was bad news because he was completely unable to sense it even the thing it sat just ten meters away from him , leisurely inspecting him with interest . It was just like with his meeting with Inevitability , though this clearly wasn’t the same person . This Zhix looked older , and it emitted a cultured aura .

There were no weapons that Zac could see , but that didn't mean he was unarmed . He was wearing a robe that was a bit similar to Zac's own get-up that he got from Yrial , but the Zhix's went in a maroon hue . It made the insectoid emit a slightly sinister aura even though its otherwise refined appearance .

Do not worry , I am not here to fight you . I am not as prone to violence as my daughter , - the Zhix smiled . - Our meeting was long overdue , so I thought we should have a chat . -

Void’s Disciple? - Zac said as he kept his distance , not daring to sit down in the empty seat .

So cautious . Well , it makes sense after your meeting with my child , - he smiled .

Daughter? - Zac couldn’t help himself from confirming since that wasn’t nomenclature that should exist among the Zhix .

Well , that’s how I see those two . They were the last survivors of a branch that was almost completely eradicated during the War of Emancipation . I raised them from ignorant children scurrying in the darkness to great warriors in service of our Lord . I am not sure if they see me as a father though , - the Zhix smiled . - I only learned the name for it after arriving here , since we have diverged from the old to embrace the new . -

So , what do you want? - Zac asked instead of delving further into Zhix pronouns or genealogy .

I have come to talk to you about the Undead Empire , - Void’s Disciple simply said .

I guess you want me to take care of them for you so that you don’t get your boss in trouble? - Zac snorted , not bothering to hide his disdain .

Did Salvation tell you? - the Zhix asked with a shake of his head . - It’s an embarrassing story that one . He somehow found the inheritance that the Lord left for us . Unfortunately my ancestors underestimated the power of the Zhix legions , causing us to lose the war . Our Holy land was lost as well , and along with it much knowledge . -

And you’re not here for revenge? - Zac said with suspicion .

No , his talent was high but his mind was already broken before he found the opportunity . He mixed up our grand undertaking with the religion of your old world , making him inadvertently work against his own master , - Void said with disdain . - Perhaps him joining his so-called Unity was the greatest outcome . -

In any case , does my reasoning matter why I want to assist you? You have your path to follow , as do I . I can see it in your eyes and through your actions . You carry the hopes of your people on your shoulders , and only you have the strength to fulfill those dreams . You are nothing like that crafty little beastman who cares more about profits and image than his people , - Void said . - He is currently working toward getting his hands on a teleportation token rather than fighting the invaders . -

Zac stared at Void’s Disciple for a few seconds , not sure what to say . Honestly , what he was saying was true . He knew he had to close the Undead Incursion as soon as possible , even if it helped the Dominators as well . The alternative was to let the whole planet get terraformed , and that was not something he would allow no matter what .

I met with the Lich controlling the undead incursion not long ago , - Void suddenly added , making Zac’s eyes widen in shock . - He is quite strong . Taking him down will not be easy . -

We’re aware , - Zac tersely said .

I’m sure , - the Zhix smiled . - But are you aware that the array they are building is already functional? -

Chapter 362 - Time Pressure

What? - Zac couldn’t help but blurt out . - Impossible , the array is far from finished . -

It doesn’t need to be finished to work , but it will charge much faster if it is , - Void’s Disciple said .

Changing the alignment of a whole planet is an enormous undertaking for people at our level , so all hope is not yet lost , - Void continued , throwing over a crystal . - The information is there . I guess that you have between one month and two to take the undead down . When the process starts you have a week at best to stop it before the damage becomes irrevocable . -

And you expect me to believe you will stand down and let the Undead go through with the transformation? - Zac asked . - That would ruin your lord’s plans as well . -

If the undead succeed we will stay as long as possible , and hopefully our Lord will take mercy on us and pick us up . If not , then that’s our fate , - Void said with equanimity as he stood up . - We will not be the source of causing new enmities for our Lord , especially not with a force like the Undead Empire . We are not the only seeds as you are no doubt aware of . -

Zac’s thoughts flashed to the Medhin Royals , immediately understanding what he was referring to . There were at least two worlds that The Great Redeemer had planted his seeds of Karma on , and perhaps there were many more of them . It was both a relief and troubling that The Great Redeemer didn't place all his bets on this planet alone , because that meant that he might still manage to evolve to C-Grade even if Zac saved Earth . Forming a grudge with a C-Grade Hegemon would result in all kinds of trouble .

And when do you expect your boss to come and pick you up? - Zac asked though he wasn’t really expecting a truthful answer .

Some mysteries are best left unanswered , - the Zhix smiled , confirming Zac’s guess .

Zac tried to figure out what other information he could try to weasel out of the insectoid now that they stood face to face , but he was dragged out of his musings to once again get ready for battle when he saw the Zhix move . Energy churned around Zac's body and he was ready to unleash everything he got at moment’s notice .

I’ve said what needed to be said . The rest will depend on you , - Void’s Disciple said as he calmly looked at Zac . - Of course , if you want you’re welcome to try your hand against me . Killing me will solve one threat to your planet instantly . My children are strong , but they are not able to rein in their bloodthirst . Their carnage would sooner or later result in their demise . -

So how about it? - Void’s Disciple his eyes even showing some anticipation as the space behind him shuddered .

The next moment it looked like a window to the cosmos appeared behind the Zhix .

Zac squeezed the handle of his axe , a pearl of sweat running down his forehead . This truly was an opportunity that was hard to come by . They still had no idea where Void’s Disciple hid , and they didn’t have any special sight like Abbot Everlasting Peace to track him down again if he disappeared now . The Dominators had been elusive since the integration , only appearing when they wanted .

But as much as he hated to admit it , Zac was afraid . The fight with the Cyborg had utterly crushed his sense of invulnerability , and he wasn’t ready to take on the Dominators . Especially not Void’s Disciple , who felt like a far larger threat than Inevitability and Harbinger , even if those two had passed Void’s Disciple in levels after the hunt .

Zac eventually he lowered his axe , and silently shook his head slightly .

Another time then , - the Zhix laughed as he threw something at Zac . - I will not assist you directly , but you emerging victorious against the Lich King would be in my best interest , so I will help out a bit . This array is specifically designed to interrupt the arrays in the Lich King's castle , though the effect will only last for a second or two . Perhaps it will create an opportunity . -

Is this why you visited him earlier? - Zac asked with a frown as he looked down at the black crystal in his hand .

He was unsure whether to trust the Zhix , but he couldn't find any reason he would lie at this juncture . The best thing for Void would truly be if Zac won , at which point the Dominator could simply stay hidden until his boss arrived and culled the planet . The Zhix didn't answer the question , and he only smiled as he turned around to walk into the cosmos he had opened a door into .

But Zac wasn’t ready to just let him go . The whole meeting had been on the Dominator’s terms , and Zac only knew what Void’s Disciple wanted him to know . He needed to get something more out of him , and his mind immediately turned to one matter that so far eluded them .

I thought you wanted to talk about the Mystic Realm since you came all this way , - Zac said , throwing out a hook open for interpretation .

The Zhix immediately stopped in its tracks , and a monstrous aura rife with killing intent blanketed the whole area in an instant . It was far beyond what he encountered when fighting Inevitability , and Zac unhesitantly activated Hatchetman’s Rage] since he was afraid he would get instantly killed if he didn’t go all-out from the start .

But the aura disappeared as quickly as it came , and the Zhix took a deep breath before looking into Zac’s eyes .

The item that is being birthed has no fate with you . Only death awaits if you enter the battle for that thing , even if you are our fated fulcrum . The same goes for the Church and even the Undead Empire . That thing can only go to our Lord , - he tersely said , before entering the cosmos and disappearing .

Zac stared at the spot where Zoid’s Disciple disappeared for a few seconds before he took a deep breath to steady himself . The aura Void’s Disciple released was shocking , but Zac was ecstatic with the result of dangling that bait .

The fact that Void’s Disciple would stop at nothing to gain the treasure of the Mystic Realm , but was willing to let the Undead Empire terraform Earth , was an extremely important revelation . He wasn’t exactly sure what to do with the information just yet , but it was a great clue on how to proceed in their war against The Great Redeemer .

The Zhix’s outburst also gave Zac a decent approximation of the power of Void’s Disciple . The aura had dwarfed his own , even after he had activated his boost . That meant his attributes were clearly superior . Furthermore , his killing intent was also extremely dense which meant he was a seasoned warrior rather than someone who had gained his power by hiding and a cave and cultivating .

He needed to become stronger .

Is everything alright , Lord Atwood? - one of the Valkyries asked when he returned .

It was nothing after all , - Zac said as he forced out a smile , trying to hide the backlash from activating his skill .

The next day Zac kept an extremely vigilant watch of the surroundings , but neither Void’s Disciple nor any Zhix horde could be found in the vicinity . He still didn’t know what to believe about what Void said , but Zac leaned toward him telling the truth .

The fact that the array was already working was extremely troubling . Zac thought that the Terraforming would be indefinitely put on hold as long as Thea's army kept one of the three main hordes from moving . But it turned out that their sacrifices were only delaying the inevitable .

Zac didn’t want to take any chances , so he gave himself a four-week time limit before he would have to assault the core of the Dead Zone . He desperately needed to make himself and his people stronger in that short while .

The simplest solution was for himself and Ogras evolving , but they weren’t the only ones who could change the course of the battle . Unfortunately it turned out that neither Janos or Ilvere were able to evolve at the moment , lacking the qualifications to upgrade their classes . Zac could only hope that the merits they gained through the past battles would be enough to change that .

Having to guide this the slow convoy was also starting to get on Zac’s nerves , and he even went so far as to change to his undead class to hunt any beasts within wide swathes of the army . He couldn’t waste any time and wanted to boost his second class to level 75 as well before trying out for the tower . That way he would get the most out of his only attempt , as he wouldn’t be able to go again like Ogras .

Another issue that made Zac worry was the constant anger in his chest since he arrived at the battle to see his people getting cut down . He was still able to control or push it down , but it had become a permanent presence in his mind . Now that Void's Disciple had exposed the looming threat of the massive array it only got worse .

Being angry in of itself wasn’t the problem , the real issue was that he was being manipulated . He had been consumed by anger in the fight earlier , which was what allowed his skill to evolve . But his rage seemed to have loosened the restrictions on the Splinter of Oblivion , and its wicked energies were constantly seeping into his mind .

However , the change didn’t only come with negatives . He had already learned that the funnel that the Draugr-lady set up in his mind did not only let the energy from the splinter out , but it also refined it somehow . Until now he hadn’t really understood the effect of having the mysterious energy enter his mind , but he finally understood what it did .

It was making his soul stronger .

It was hard to pinpoint exactly what that meant , but he knew that his spirit was more substantial compared to before . It felt like he would be able to endure using his Dao Seeds for longer , and even his Dao Fields had become slightly more intense .

But Zac was worried even though the boost was a welcome addition now that he was scrambling for all ways to make himself stronger . His mental resilience was quite strong , but the effect of the Splinter just kept increasing . What would happen within the next few years , how long would it be until he turned into Anzonil’s disciple , slowly becoming insane?

He needed to find some solution , hopefully one that would be able to keep the benefits while dealing with the unwanted side effects . He wasn’t able to cultivate , but perhaps there were ways to improve one’s mind that worked similarly , something like meditation manuals .

Zac soon enough returned to the car to ponder on the Dao , but he couldn't calm his mind down enough to enter a meditative state . He kept twisting back and forth before interrupting the Ogras' meditation to discuss various strategies .

The demon had been shocked to learn about the meeting with Void's Disciple , but his analysis of the information was the same as Zac's . It would be foolish to not operate under the assumption that what the Dominator said was true . But the demon took the situation more in stride , simply saying that the situation didn't change much and that there was not much that they could do while they were stuck in the middle of nowhere .

You might as well go ahead , you acting like this is stressing me out , - the demon finally said in exasperation after being interrupted for the fifth time . - The army will take almost another week until it’s back . Use that time to close the incursions in the Underworld or something . I can’t help with those anyway , so I will stay behind to protect the convoy . -

They might be waiting for me to leave though , - Zac hesitantly said .

Just go undercover , use your undead form and face changing or something , - Ogras said with a shrug . - We’ll pretend you’re still around . Besides , we haven’t seen any undead activity in a week and we’re far outside the area of the array they’re making . It's a risk , but we need to take some risks at this point . -

Zac was hesitant to leave his people at this juncture , but he did feel more confident if the demon stayed behind . Zac had seen the power he was able to unleash , especially after the inheritance . The demon was far stronger today compared to when fighting the Beast waves . Only the appearance of a general would be a match for him if he went all out .

And it was like Ogras said , they were so far away from the Undead Incursion by now . And if Void's Disciple wanted to kill the people here he could have already done so by himself . It was unlikely that Zac would be able to stop him at all as things stood .

I’ll take one last look to make sure no one is trailing us before I leave , - Zac finally said . - I'm counting on you to keep our people and my sister safe . -

Chapter 363 - Stasis

Zac stepped through the Port Atwood teleporter and immediately rushed toward the government buildings . After he left under the guise of darkness he had been rushing without sleep for almost three days . Without adjusting his speed to the slow-moving army he was able to cover ground quite a bit faster , but he did take a circuitous route to keep a lookout for any threats lurking ahead of the army .

Luckily there was nothing apart from the occasional beast pack , nothing that would prove to be more than a small training excursion for the Port Atwood army by this point . His relief over the fact that his people were out of the woods was unfortunately overshadowed by the constant worry over whether he would find Alea waiting for him or if he would find a gravestone with her name on it .

She is alive , - Adran immediately said when he saw Zac enter his office . - Calrin and the Tal-Eladar Healer has moved her to the valley with the Tree of Ascension . The energy is denser over there and the tree seems to bring her comfort . -

Anything important that’s happened since I was gone? - Zac asked .

Nothing major that can’t wait , - Adran said with a shake of his head , allowing Zac to head out without worries .

He immediately set out for the restricted area containing the valley hidden between the four mountain peaks . It had been a while since he last was here , and the area had largely recovered from being drained of energy then poisoned during the battle for the Fruit of Ascension . New vegetation was sprouting up everywhere , though Zac was a bit confused when he looked at them .

It almost felt as though Zac was having a hallucination as he walked among the unfamiliar flora . The plants and trees were not of species he had seen before , most of them donning various bright colors . The only answer Zac could find was that the poisoned Tree of Ascension had caused a chain of mutations in the area , making the vegetation toxic .

Soon enough he reached the core of the valley and immediately spotted the Sky Gnome fiddling with a Divine Crystal next to a glass display while Tylia stood next to him . Zac's heart was gripped by fear when he saw the unmoving form of Alea inside the glass case , making it seem like a coffin . But he breathed out when he noticed her taking slow breaths , and immediately walked over to Calrin's side .

How is she? - Zac asked after greeting the two .

She is stable for now , - Tylia said as she looked down at Alea . - I'm afraid we couldn't find a solution to her fractured soul though . -

This is a Stasis Array , - Calrin explained when he noticed Zac's confusion . - It is used to keep mortally wounded people alive . But it doesn’t completely stop the wound from worsening . -

How long does she have? - Zac asked with a sour feeling .

Five years at the most , - Tylia said after some consideration . - But the faster you find a solution the better . If you wait too long there will be repercussions even if her soul is healed . -

Like how? - Zac asked with a frown .

Lost memories or crippled cultivation , - Tylia sighed .

Zac silently digested the information , trying to figure out what to do . His back-up plan was to get the soul-mending fruit from Yrial if he couldn’t heal her any quicker , but it looked like that option was out . Alea would be long dead before he could access the Inheritance Trial again .

How confident are you of getting your hands on an item that can heal her? - Zac asked Calrin who stood to the side .

I’m sorry , but there is no chance , - Calrin said with a shake of his head . - I only have access to a few merchants , and I only have the lowest access to their wares . On top of that , there are the restrictions put in place by the System . Even if I manage to expand our business enough to have a monopoly of all commerce on this planet I won’t get enough credits to get access to people who can provide those types of pills or treasures . -

So it's impossible to find a solution on Earth? - Zac said with disappointment .

Ogras put forward the possibility of finding a cure in the Tower of Eternity , but Zac had hoped that the problem would be solved before that . It would allow him to climb the tower without worries , but it truly looked like there was no better option at this moment .

Well… There are a few ways . You might find one in the Tower , - the Sky Gnome said , echoing Ogras’ idea . - Or if you manage to travel to an established Empire . Perhaps you can find an alchemist who can concoct such a pill there . But there is also the issue of cost in the short term . -

Cost? - Zac asked .

It cost 25 million Nexus Coins a month to keep this array going , - the Sky Gnome explained . - It continuously uses Divine Crystals and E-Grade Nexus Crystals . -

I’ll pay for it , - Zac said without hesitation .

It was a steep price that might bankrupt most forces on Earth , but Zac didn’t care . Just the Beast Crystal mine alone was worth more than keeping the array running for a decade . And he would just keep getting wealthier as time passed . Besides , now was not the time to get stuck on trifling sums of money .

Is there anything else we can do to improve her state? What about the Tree? - Zac asked , remembering Adran’s words .

We are not sure the reason for this , - the Tal-Eladar hesitantly said . - Normally one’s constitution and soul are two separate aspects . But the tree seems to be helping her somehow . I am not sure about her class , but staying close to it seems to have a positive effect on her . But it is not to the point that it actually heals her . -

She is working on gaining a poison constitution , - Zac said . - Can that have something to do with it? -

It was a bit of a secret , but he didn’t want to hold any important information back if it might help heal her . Tylia looked a bit surprised , but not overly so .

Gaining a constitution without having a natural aptitude is extremely hard , - she said . - She must have had a lucky encounter that allowed her to take the first step at all . -

Would it help if I got something that might complete the process? - Zac asked .

No idea , this is far beyond my knowledge . But you should know that treasures that would allow you to gain a special constitution or bloodline are even rarer than soul-mending treasures , - Tylia said . - My work here is done . The young human and I are no longer needed , the array is doing the same thing we did , but better . If it is alright with you I’ll return to the side of Lady Verana . -

Zac nodded with a frown hearing that it might not work , but it was still worth trying in his opinion . Those kinds of treasures might be rare , but what Tylia didn’t know was that Zac might have just the thing in his possession .

That is okay , - Zac nodded - I am thankful for your help , I will remember it . -

If you want to help the Tir’Emarel you just need to provide us with some of those beast crystals of yours , - Tylia smiled as she walked away toward the exit of the valley .

The Sky Gnome perked up when he heard the mention of crystals and he looked at the receding form of the healer before his eyes locked onto Zac with an enamored shimmer .

Don’t look at me like that , it gives me the creeps , - Zac snorted and threw out a Beast Crystal . - I found a mine full of these in the Underworld . Keep it between ourselves . -

Good quality , - Calrin whistled as he went over it . - Are you keeping or selling? -

I am low on cash at the moment . I am thinking of selling off most of these to have enough money to buy a soul-healing treasure for Alea , - Zac said . - Would you be able to sell them within a week . Roughly 2 billion Nexus Coins’ worth . -

No problem , Beast Crystals are always in demand . If I only have a week you’ll lose a few percents though . But all that money . . . I am sorry to sound callous , but is it truly worth it? - the Sky Gnome said . - You should know , cultivating as a mortal is to burn insane amounts of money . If you spend everything on your subordinates you might find yourself stuck sooner or later . -

It’s worth it . She has saved my life on multiple occasions , how can I not spend some money to help her back? Besides , don’t I have you to recoup my losses? - Zac said with a smile . - Speaking of that , how much have you earned lately? It’s been some time since the last payout . -

The Sky Gnome looked a bit queasy when speaking about paying dividends , but he sighed after throwing the sleeping poison mistress a glance .

Our income has been quite impressive lately , - Calrin said . - You have roughly 1 . 6 Billion Nexus Coins in Thayer Consortia’s books . You shouldn’t expect this kind of income for a while though . We have made extraordinary profits by unloading our mountains of gear all across the planet and looting the towns left by the Invaders . -

That is amazing work , - Zac said , shocked by the number .

He would have thought that the sky gnome would have been able to gather a few hundred million Nexus Coins at most , but Calrin had clearly been able to accumulate massive wealth from the Incursions they closed above ground . The Sky Gnome had been in charge of gathering everything of value in those places since Zac lacked the man-power to do it himself at the moment .

That’s not all . Your actual wealth is far higher . I took over management of the stores in the underworld , but most of the mines , towns , and hidden wealth went to you , - the Sky Gnome continued . - I believe you would be able to gain at least a billion Nexus Coins if we just sold all the stocked-up metals to the System . And finally , there are the town coffers of Port Atwood . -

How much do I have there? - Zac asked curiously .

No idea , - Calrin said with some annoyance . - The floating eye controls those assets , and she’s keeping me at bay . -

Zac nodded in understanding , pleasantly surprised by the situation . He had felt like a pauper after handing over most of his Nexus Coins to keep Alea Stable , but his assets were quite a bit above his expectation .

Between the Consortia , His underworld Assets , and the Beast Crystal mine he was almost at 5 billion Nexus Coin in liquid assets . It was a huge amount of wealth for someone in the F-Grade , and it should be enough to buy a high-grade Soul Mending Treasure with money to spare . Just hearing that number was like having a weight lifting from his shoulders , but the funds were only half the problem .

He actually needed to find a treasure to buy as well , and there were no guarantees he would find it when visiting the Tower of Eternity . So he needed some back-up plans as well .

Have you heard of the Primordial Breath Amanita]? - Zac asked .

Huh? Amanita? A mushroom? - the Sky Gnome muttered with a slight frown before taking out a huge book from his Cosmos Sack . - Let’s see . -

It was one of the binders he had used to identify the treasures Zac brought with him from the hunt , and this one seemed to be centered on various subterranean treasures .

Here it is , Primordial Breath Amanita . A treasure that can help evolve bloodlines and constitutions . Extremely poisonous to ingest without proper preparation , but it releases a harmless gas that gives some of its benefits . Very beneficial to plant in Cultivation Chambers , - Calrin read out loud before looking up at Zac . - You found one of these things? -

Zac simply nodded in response .

It’s a low tiered D-Grade treasure , just like this tree and the lotus you asked about some time ago , - Calrin said . - New planets are simply a breeding-ground for miraculous treasures . These things usually take thousands of years to reach maturity . -

Do you think we can feed that thing to Alea? - Zac asked .

No way , we would need a skilled alchemist and the knowledge to prepare it , - the Sky Gnome unhesitantly said . - But we could plant it in the area . -

Wouldn’t it clash with the Tree of Ascension? - Zac asked .

We would need to plant it in the underground , - the gnome nodded . - If we go deep enough it should be okay . From there we’ll create a chimney to release the gas it emits around here , allowing the girl to benefit from it . -

Zac’s eyes lit up , and he felt it was a feasible idea . He would even be able to create a secondary outlet leading to his own cultivation cave if he planned everything correctly , making his hidden cave even more magical . He didn’t have any bloodline or constitution as far as he knew , but that might simply be due to ignorance . His mom obviously wasn’t a simple character , and having a bloodline wouldn't be anything surprising .

Can you handle that? - Zac asked as he took out the large box containing the mushroom . - Discreetly , of course . -

No problem , - Calrin said . - I’ll have it ready in a few days . But if you decide to harvest it , remember to sell it at ol' Calrin's , ok? -

Thank you . I’m heading to the Underworld for a week , - Zac said as he gave the sleeping Alea a final look . - It’s about time I get to work again . -

Chapter 364 - Crusade

Zac was back in New London soon enough after changing back to his Mr . Black persona , and he was relieved that nothing too alarming happened while he was gone . The two incursions who previously traded with the Union had begun raiding settlements in the area , but Zac was already about to deal with them in any case .

Verana and her Beast Masters didn’t need a lot of prodding as most of them were bored from staying put in New London or taking stock of the various properties that were previously owned by the Union . They got ready for war in less than an hour after hearing that they were going to battle with the Abyssal Demons . Zac knew that closing the Incursion of an elite Demonkin species would likely count as a great achievement for their people , and eagerness could be seen on their faces as they streamed toward the teleporter .

The demons who Zac initially brought to the Underworld still hadn’t entered the real Underworld due to the presence of the Abyssal Demons . Some of them had stood ready in the hidden cave beneath the Underworld Nexus , whereas others had helped Mr . Trang in scouting out the massive continent above . Those who had been stuck in the darkness for weeks were all to happy when Zac instructed them to secure the Technocrat Incursion as soon as possible . He only had time for a quick sweep after the fight , and there might be more things of value in the area .

Six hours later Zac and his punitive army stood some distance from the demon Incursion . They had long been spotted by some flying bat-thing , which apparently was the demon version of a drone according to Verana , and the demons were waiting for them . There was no way that they would manage to sneak attack these guys .

The Abyssal Demons had built a decent-sized city in the open Underworld , which formed a half-circle against a mountain wall . Zac couldn't really see , but he suspected the demons had dug into the wall for resources , as large plumes of smoke rose from the back of the town , indicating there might be furnaces or some other sort of industry there .

The town itself was covered in a reddish glow from an Array , and it seemed quite sturdy . Billy was not available this time , so Zac turned to Verana for ideas on how to get int . He would no doubt be able to crack it open with Nature's Punishment] , but he wanted to fight in his undead form .

Grub can probably cause a crack in the array , which would allow you to sneak inside . But he would get killed even before he got close , - Verana said with hesitation .

I can protect him , - Zac said as he looked over at the wall in the distance . - Unless they have someone over level 100 my shield will hold . -

Okay , so jump on board , - Verana smiled as Grub appeared out of nowhere , and the furry beast quickly grew to its real size .

Zac had already learned that most Beast Masters could keep their pets in some sort of stasis in their bodies . However , the tamed beasts couldn't cultivate while in stasis , so most of the time they were kept in the open . It did however allow them to conjure their pets in the middle of the fight , surprising the enemy .

Slither woke up from its nap on Verana's shoulder , and it started to rapidly grow as well . It ballooned into a terrifying beast reaching over thirty meters in length . Even Zac’s hair stood on end when he saw the transformation , but he quickly jumped on top of Grub’s head and took out his replacement shield . It was nowhere near as good as the large tower shield he found in the hunt , but it would allow him to activate his skills .

Zac nodded down at Verana who raised a thin sword .

When Grub saw his master’s signal he opened his impossibly large maw and emitted a resounding bellow before it slammed its mouth shut , releasing a shockwave by the collision of its large slabs for teeth .

It started rushing forward with a speed that belied its short stubby legs , and the army behind started to follow as soon as there was a comfortable distance . Hundreds of purple fireballs rose from the demon town to meet the charge , and Zac quickly summoned Immutable Bulwark] and expanded it to its largest possible size .

Even then it wasn’t enough to properly protect the huge beast , so Zac infused the shield with the Seed of Sanctuary to make it even larger . However , Grub wasn’t completely helpless himself , and he deftly dodged quite a few of the attacks to lessen Zac’s burden .

The next moment Zac’s vision swam , and he suddenly found himself looking around in confusion . His surroundings had changed , but he quickly realized that he was right above the expansive town . Grub had somehow teleported , just like when the two fought the first time he met Verana , and it started to descend with amazing momentum .

Zac quickly readjusted his shield as he unleashed his Dao Field rife with Heaviness . He wasn’t able to infuse the large beast directly , so he could only slightly increase their momentum with the help of his Dao .

Grub didn’t need much help though as he landed like a furry meteor on the shield , and it immediately cracked to let the two through . Unfortunately , the array seemed to have impressive healing capabilities , and the damage had almost completely healed by the time they landed with a tremendous crash that toppled a dozen buildings around them .

Zac quickly activated Fields of Despair] as he looked around for the control crystal that supported the Defensive Array . Destroying the control crystal wouldn’t destroy the whole array , but it would no longer be supplied with energy . From there Verana and the others should be able to quickly whittle down the array to gain entry to the town . That meant that Zac and Grub were isolated inside the town for now , but he wasn't too worried about it .

He soon spotted a command platform with an enormous Abyssal Demon wielding a jagged two-hand sword on his back . To his side there were two skinny , for the massive Abyssal Demons , demons who stood in front of a large crimson crystal , continuously infusing it with power . A third demon was quicky exchanging a handful of crystals to replenish the lost energy from Grub’s descent .

Zac prodded the large beast , and it immediately understood what Zac wanted to do . Unfortunately it seemed it was unable to teleport once again in such short succession . With a lack of better options it started to rush straight ahead with undeniable momentum . The beast also started slamming its teeth to cause massive shockwaves that spread like waves of destruction toward the demons who hurriedly got down from the wall to form a new defensive line .

Dozens of attacks soared toward the charging beast , but Zac immediately activated Immutable Bulwark] once more to erect a shimmering wall covering the two from all directions , effectively turning Grub into a fortified bulldozer .

Screams and wails echoed across the battlefield as Grub’s attacks and Deathwish] started to cause mayhem , but a sudden sense of danger made Zac immediately perk up and infuse himself with the Dao of Hardness . His eyes immediately found the demon leader who had gripped his sword and swung it in a massive arc that seemed to make the air itself crackle .

Zac’s eyes widened and he immediately changed his tactic to infuse his bulwark with the Dao of Hardness instead of Sanctuary . It shrunk the shield considerably , leaving Grub’s flanks open , but it significantly increased the sturdiness of the shield .

A tremendous arc of pure power shot out from the demon lord’s sword , and it ripped through the air with terrifying momentum . Even buildings were cut in two and crushed from the residual shockwave as it sped toward them , but Zac was ready to intercept the strike with his skill .

The whole town shuddered when the blade of energy slammed into Zac’s bulwark , and he immediately lost a surprisingly large chunk of Miasma . But Zac breathed out in relief when he realized the power of the swing was well within his limits , and the bulwark wouldn't crack like when he fought the Cyborg .

However , the next second a large wound appeared across his chest , and the black ichor in his body started to freely flow down his chest . Even Grub received a nasty wound across its side , and he bellowed in pain as he glared around in all directions to find who hurt him . Zac’s eyes met the Demon Lord’s in the distance , and he immediately changed strategy . It wouldn’t be so easy to charge the platform like this .

Big guy , head toward the gate and blow it up , ok? - Zac said to Grub beneath him and it bellowed in understanding .

The Demon Lord kept shooting out his odd attacks , but Zac deftly controlled his defensive skill to swap between the large coverage and the smaller but sturdier one . But wounds still kept accumulating across their bodies , and Zac realized there was no way for him to completely block out the damage .

Zac wasn’t exactly sure what was going on , but he had a suspicion that the Demon Lord had something akin to a Seed of Penetration that reached Peak Mastery at the least . Perhaps it was even a Fragment . Part of the attack simply side-stepped all his defenses , rendering them ineffectual .

Luckily both Zac and Grub were extremely durable , so the beast made it to the gate without any life-threatening wounds . The gate turned into scrap metal with a tremendous crash as the beast rammed straight into it . The moment Zac saw that Grub was out in one piece he jumped off the beast and stomped his foot in the ground , and the next moment he disappeared .

Zac immediately reappeared in front of the control crystal and stomped into the ground again before those around him could react , activating Profane Seal] . The five towers rose out of the ground as the world turned monochromatic due to the influx of massive amounts of miasma into the area , the change was so sudden that Zac actually managed to kill one of the captains with a quick swing before the others had time to back away .

The Demon Lord was clearly the largest threat , so the five spectral chains flew directly toward him in a bid to seal his dangerous attacks . But Zac barely had time to destroy the control crystal with Hunger] before one of the chains was riddled with cracks . Zac frowned when he saw it , but he kept using three of the chains to occupy the lord while he used the other two in quickly dealing with the remaining two mages who stood next to the crystal .

A torrent of black corrosive clouds also spread out across the field as Zac took deep breaths while he fought , and the clouds intermingled with the miasmic haze from Fields of Despair] . Screams of pain and rage already echoed across the cage as a large number of trapped soldiers started to get wounded by retaliatory strikes from Deathwish] when trying to escape the entrapment .

The miasma inside Zac's body surged as it kept dropping only to increase again due to the continuous cycle formed between Deathwish] and Fields of Despair] . However , he realized that he would run out of miasma soon enough , as it was overall quite costly to keep this many warriors trapped .

But the Demon Lord didn't give Zac any time to thin the number of enemies as he suddenly roared before he literally caught fire , and the conflagration around him pushed away all of Zac’s attacks . The chains were unable to pass through the purple flames without quickly melting , and even the clouds from Winds of Decay] were burnt to cinders as they got close .

The demon sneered at Zac as he lifted his enormous sword toward the sky , and the next moment a hundred-meter version of that very sword appeared above the cage . The sword emitted a tremendous sharpness , and it reminded Zac of the time when he looked at the enormous axe in his Dao Vision .

The sword ruthlessly stabbed into the fractal in the sky , and a large crack immediately appeared on one of the towers . A spectral demon appeared at the same moment , stabbing at the Demon Lord . However , the stab barely harmed the demon lord , and he only laughed uproariously as he seemed to be consumed by battle lust .

Zac wasn’t as happy as a new wound had appeared on his back the moment the sword in the sky sabbed down on the shield he had created . It was the same as the earlier strikes , where part of the force went right through his defenses .

But Zac wouldn’t give in against something so minor . The Tal-Eladar had already broken through the town defense array since the control crystal was destroyed , and Zac spotted Verana riding her enormous snake outside , causing utter mayhem amongst the demonkin ranks .

The fight outside was clearly pitched , as two of the demons outside had actually turned into 10-meter giants to curtail the snake’s wanton destruction . The demons didn’t seem deterred just because their leaders were locked inside Profane Seal] at all , and they unhesitantly threw themselves into the meat grinder while emitting guttural roars .

Zac didn’t have time to worry about that as he rushed toward the Demon Lord as he swung his sword with tremendous force . He had already changed the size of Immutable Bulwark] to that of a normal tower shield , allowing him to use the skill rather than his subpar replacement shield to block the demon’s sword .

The fires burned around him , and Zac was forced to continuously release Miasma from his body to not get burnt , but he wouldn't let up as the two exchanged one brutal attack after another . Neither would back down a single step and both were more than happy to gain another wound if they could retaliate in kind .

Eventually , Zac started to get the upper hand even though the Demon possessed surprising power and the mysterious ability to always cause some damage . Zac was simply too durable . The Abyssal Demon seemed to have some innate advantages due to his race , but it couldn't match up the power of pure attributes .

Zac suddenly saw an opening as he suddenly threw away his shield when the demon swung too wide due to exhaustion . Zac quickly grabbed the arm of his opponent and yanked it , making the demon stumble forward . The demon didn't even have time to find his balance before Hunger] fell toward his neck with ruthless finality .

The large horned head of the Demon Lord thumped into the ground , and it was the sound symbolized the beginning of the end for the Abyssal Demons .

Chapter 365 - Lunatics

Zac looked around the rubble , slightly shocked at the ferocity of the battle . Less than 20% of the Abyssal Demons had chosen to retreat and instead opted to fight with furious intensity against the Tal-Eladar attackers , even after their leader was decapitated . They were true berserkers , roaring on top of their lungs as they tried to rip him apart . But the Abyssal Demons were not the only ones who fought with reckless abandon .

You people are lunatics , - Zac muttered with a shake of his head .

Verana , who was almost completely drenched in blood , had a satisfied look on her face as she oversaw the looting of the town . Zac could understand her happiness since the fight could be considered a resounding win for the Tal-Eladar against the Demonkin . Verana had been a goddess of war , causing bloodshed wherever she went , making the battle turn completely in their favor .

After Verana quickly killed the two generals stuck outside Zac's cage with the help of her snake and an offensive array the war was mostly turned into a slaughter . It made a huge difference to have a powerhouse presiding over the battlefield . They could put their thumb on the scale , causing a massive reduction in casualties .

Of course , none of that would have been possible without the help of Zac himself . He captured a good hundred elites along with the leader and two of his generals within Profane Seal] , substantially weakening their defenses and causing chaos . While they were trying to get their leader out of the cage Verana and her beast masters could advance without any real resistance .

Grudges built upon grudges , - Verana said with a wry smile . - The Boundless Heavens thrives on conflict as war forces us to get stronger or perish . You cannot fight it , so you might as well adapt to it . -

Zac sighed , feeling a bit hopeless at the prospect of living a life of constant strife . He was currently struggling because there were threats against his people in all directions , but was that all life was supposed to amount to? Putting out one fire after another while getting stronger . Was that truly the goal of cultivation?

But Zac forced himself to snap out of his brooding as he bought a teleportation array and nodded at one of the Valkyries who immediately stepped through . A few hundred warriors stepped through the teleporter twenty minutes later , and they looked wide-eyed at the utter destruction around them .

It was the soldiers that worked for the Union , which technically made them his people . They had mostly kept up their previous duties , but they came in handy now . Zac wouldn’t entrust them with any important tasks , but scouring the area for lingering threats or points of interest shouldn’t be any problem for them .

Zac simply sat down on top of a boulder to overlook it all as he restored his missing miasma . He also called for Harvath , the demon captain who had kept his squad in the hidden cave system beneath the Underworld Nexus until now . The demon had been in charge of clearing out the Technocrat Incursion , but it should be dealt with by now .

The demon arrived soon enough , and he sighed deeply with conflicted emotions as he looked around at the rubble . Zac could understand his feelings , but he didn't know what to say . The two walked over to a secluded spot , and Zac activated an array disk to shroud them from prying eyes .

Is something the matter? - the demon asked curiously when he saw Zac’s actions .

I need you to do something , but you can’t let the Tal-Eladar catch on , - Zac said .

The demon’s eyes lit up , and he clearly had no moral compunctions about pulling a fast one on his new allies . Zac smiled when he saw Harvath’s reaction and took out one of his Beast Crystals .

This is…? - Harvath said with some hesitation as he inspected the crystal .

It’s a Beast Crystal , an item for nurturing beasts . I found a large mine of these things . I want you to send a group of experienced people to clean out that whole place for me . The mine is nowhere near as big as the Nexus Mine , so it should only take a few days for a strong crew , - Zac said . - The Tal-Eladar would be frothing at the mouth for these things , so don’t let them follow you . -

Absolutely , - Harvath immediately nodded .

Zac wasn’t sure exactly how the Tal-Eladar would react in regards to these crystals , so he chose to not take any risks with them . The crystals might be extremely valuable for the Tal-Eladar , but he knew that the invaders were extremely low on Nexus Coins since they weren’t able to bring it to Earth . And Zac needed the money now rather than later .

Extract the crystals as quickly as possible . I hope to use them to trade for a treasure to treat Alea within two weeks , - Zac explained .

The demon’s countenance immediately turned somber and he quickly memorized the path as Zac imparted it to him . Alea’s situation had already spread among the demons , and they had almost exploded in rage . The poison mistress had proven herself for the demons , and many of them wanted to immediately rush out to fight the undead to the death when learning of the ambush that felled her .

Zac knew that Harvath would perform the task with utmost efficiency after seeing his expression , so he nodded and let him immediately head out .

What was that about? - Verana said with a smile as she walked over .

Just delegating a few minor tasks , - Zac smiled back .

The cleanup and reorganization took half a day , which was much faster than normal thanks to the help of the vast number of people in the Union’s employ . It was only now that Zac truly realized that the people under his command in the underworld was more than ten times that of his people on the surface .

But Zac wasn’t satisfied with only closing one of the remaining four incursions in the underworld , and he wanted to ride the momentum . He immediately ordered an assault on the human Incursion next , since he was afraid they had spies in the cities that would warn them what transpired here . He didn’t want to give them too much time to prepare their defenses .

The strength of the Abyssal Demon Incursion was higher than Zac expected , and he would categorize it as firmly in the mid-tier . He was afraid that all the incursions in the underworld were stronger than the norm , which was why he didn't want to give them any heads-up .

The army set out almost immediately , and they were joined by a squad of elite Demons as well now that they were able to show themselves . Smaug surprisingly enough requested to join the mission as well , and Zac figured that the man and his arrays would come in handy .

With the reinforcements to his ranks the battle went just as expected . It would normally be extremely strenuous and costly to assault the incursions that were placed inside large town caves , but having Zac as the vanguard kept the whole army safe as he blocked out all the attacks from the invaders with the help of his bulwark .

Any time Zac needed to move or rest for a second Smaug was there , throwing out a handful of balls that created extremely durable shields for a couple of seconds . Zac wasn't sure how much money the man was burning during the battle , but if the man wanted to prove himself with the help of his wallet he was very welcome to do so .

It was better the guy spent some of his money than people losing their lives .

The elites of Port Atwood swept through the whole underworld , and in just five days only the final Incursion remained ; the Fire Golems . Zac kept pushing himself to his limit , trapping larger and larger groups in his Miasmic Cage in the engagements .

The frantic battles were not without their gains . Each one of them had awarded Zac with a level , pushing him all the way to level 73 for his Undying Bulwark Class . It was nowhere near as good as the Technocrat Incursion , but he didn’t get any quest that gave a large boost to the energy he gained . Besides , the final 5 levels were quite a bit harder to gain than the earlier ones .

After having closed the Fishman Incursion Zac finally allowed himself to take a breather , so he informed Verana and Harvath that he would enter seclusion for two days . He needed to consolidate his gains from his last fights . Besides , his people were wrung dry from fighting three incursions in short succession .

Fighting along with himself didn’t help either . It had become painfully obvious that his Undying Bulwark class was just as Yrial described it ; made for a leader of the undead . His Fields of Despair] was essentially poisoning the people fighting alongside him , though they weren’t affected by the attribute reduction like his enemies . Now that he had Winds of Decay] as well he was almost as big a threat to his own people as his enemies .

Luckily the people who joined him against the underworld incursions were among the strongest people in his force , so they weren’t too badly affected as long as they didn't get too close to him during battle . But since they didn’t have a lot of Vitality they needed a prolonged rest before they tackled the more threatening fire golems .

Besides , Zac believed that his army would have returned by that point , providing him with more competent fighters . So Zac returned to his compound on his island , as that was where he had the easiest time to relax . The first thing he did was to go through his status screen to see how his progress was before he could comfortably evolve .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

73

Class

F-Epic] Undying Bulwark

Race

E] Draugr

Alignment

Earth] Port Atwood - Lord

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher , Progenitor Hegemon , Duplicity Core , Apex Hunter , Heaven's Chosen , Scion of Dao , Omnidextrous , Eastern Trigram Hunt - 1st , Tyrannic Force , Achievement Hunter , The First Step

Limited Titles

Frontrunner

Dao

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

Core

F] Duplicity

Strength

749 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 140%]

Dexterity

320 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 140%]

Endurance

992 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 140%]

Vitality

471 Increase : 50% . Efficiency : 140%]

Intelligence

174 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 140%]

Wisdom

255 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 140%]

Luck

140 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 140%]

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

F] 184 500 077

He had already put his free points into Strength , but he sighed when he saw the disparity between his Strength and Endurance . He had hoped to decrease the gap between the two attributes , as he did not want to accidentally pigeonhole himself into tank classes when he evolved .

He would pass a thousand Endurance by the time he leveled up , while he wasn’t sure he’d ever get to that point with his Strength , even after evolving his Dao seeds and getting the Title from the tower . From how things looked he wouldn't gain a lot of Strength from his final Dao Upgrades either .

Dao

Stage

Effect

Heaviness

Peak

Strength +90 , Endurance +25 , Wisdom +5

Sharpness

High

Strength +5 , Dexterity +40 , Intelligence +10 , Wisdom +5

Trees

Peak

Endurance +20 , Vitality +90 , Intelligence +5 , Wisdom +5

Hardness

High

Endurance +50 , Wisdom +10 .

Sanctuary

High

Endurance +25 , Intelligence +10 , Wisdom +25 .

Rot

High

Endurance +5 , Intelligence +10 , Wisdom +45 .

His Daos were coming along nicely , even though he hadn’t evolved any of them from his last three fights . He had however gained a few insights that he hoped he could turn into Peak Grade Dao Seeds without the help of his last Dao Treasure . He wanted to save that thing for when they cracked open the Dao Funnel in a week or two .

Closing the three incursions , unfortunately , didn’t give him any Titles either , but he had made great strides in another department ; his skills . The only skill for his undead class that remained at Early mastery was Indomitable] . Fields of Despair] , Winds of Decay] and even Profane Seal] reached middle mastery from the intense battles .

His only idea to improve Indomitable] was to fight enemies using mental attacks , but those didn’t exist among the underworld Incursions . He kept it running constantly since his experience with the ambush that knocked him out , but it didn't seem to improve the skill .

He still hadn't had a chance to experiment with the improved skills , but he had a feeling they would allow him to push the final two levels with greater ease . However , they did not make up for another glaring problem that he found himself facing ; he no longer had a shield .

Chapter 366 - Manufacturing A Fortuitous Encounter

The Cyborg had utterly destroyed his shield with its final punch , and Zac didn’t have any good replacement . He had been using much weaker spare during the battles , and he realized that using a low-quality shield weakened his class skills to a certain degree .

This hadn’t proved too large a problem against the Incursions so far , but Zac was afraid that it would negatively impact him if he encountered a real threat like the Dominators or the natives in the Mystic Realm . He was already leaning toward the idea of his undead form focusing on dueling strong opponents , but that would prove difficult if he didn’t have the equipment to match his power .

Zac finally closed down his screens with a shake of his head before he closed his eyes . There was no point in worrying about his gear as things stood . He could only hope to either loot it somewhere or buy a better one when he visited the Tower . For now , he would rather focus on the things he could improve ; the Dao .

The demon leader’s frenzied bladework felt like the final clue that Zac needed to push his Seed of Sharpness to the peak . The demon was a true warrior , and his will to cut seemed to affect reality itself as every swing of his passed through all his defenses . It was this sharp and indomitable will that Zac wanted to incorporate into his Dao Seed since it felt perfect for his fighting style . It also reminded him of the axe-man , whose very being radiated an unquestionable faith in his axe , the surety that anything he wanted to cut would get cut .

The hours passed and Zac didn’t move a muscle , as he was completely absorbed in searching for the truth to sharpness . Finally he reached some sort of tipping-point , and he sensed that his gains were successful . The half of the axe fractal in his chest that contained his Seed of sharpness gained a burst of intensity , and he felt that the whole fractal was finally balanced .

Both his Seeds of Heaviness and Sharpness were finally at the peak , meaning that the next step was to fuse them . Zac breathed out in relief as he opened his eyes . He was worried that the Splinter in his mind would ruin his attempt , but his mind was like a calm pond .

The past day's relentless battle seemed to have exhausted the negative emotions that accumulated from first seeing Alea get wounded and then meeting Void's Disciple . It allowed him to think clearly for a bit and meditate without lapses in focus .

It felt like he had latched onto a small clue on how to survive the continuous corruption from the splinter in his head . The Dao of Oblivion was the purest form of destruction , the end of everything . It seemed that adapting to that Dao through actions would lessen the negative effects to a certain degree .

Shutting himself off from the world to find a calm center might actually have the opposite effect of what he desired , creating a constant conflict in his mind . If he was right he realized he was already self-medicating to a certain degree , since he was constantly fighting one enemy or another .

There was also the issue of balance . Even if it was true that fighting and killing helped him to get rid of the corrosion in his mind , he couldn't just keep following his impulses to continuously slaughter . He felt there was a real risk that he would end up like a murderous lunatic if that happened .

Zac knew he would have to keep experimenting to figure out the best solution , but for now he had accomplished his goal . A lot of his plans somewhat hinged at improving this seed to peak mastery . He wanted to utilize the Dao Funnel before he headed for the Tower of Eternity , and now he had a chance to actually form a Fragment if all went well .

He had already realized that he most likely wouldn’t be able to gain more than one Dao Fragment before entering the tower , and he already knew that gaining Dao Insights inside the tower itself was impossible without finding a treasure or having an epiphany .

His Fragment of Death was especially far off , with both Rot and Hardness still being at High mastery . His Fragment of life was a bit closer along , with Seed of Trees already being at peak mastery .

So Zac chose to focus on the Fragment of Axe , or whatever came before axe in that line of truths . A Fragment of Axe would hopefully increase his offensive power by a huge degree , which would allow him to climb much further in the Tower . The other two fragments might have great potential in the long run , but Zac was forced to look for quick powerups as things stood .

Even if he didn't manage to fuse his other two fragments before evolving it would still allow him to base his upgraded classes on the Fragment of Axe . From there his Hatchetman upgrade would hopefully be influenced by the life-attuned Dao seeds , and Undying Bulwark would rely on Rot and Hardness .

Zac would certainly have preferred to gain all three fragments before evolving the classes , since he believed that would ultimately lead to better choices , perhaps even two Arcane classes . It would also follow the advice he gained from Yrial . But he was simply out of time , and the path he chose would hopefully at least provide him with two good Epic-Graded classes that would allow him to fight the Dominators and the Lich King .

The old gamer inside him once again felt bad about not being able to grind for a few years extra to push all three Dao Fragments and his skills to the peak . The fact that he was forced to upgrade his class before he had exhausted his potential was truly a waste .

But such was life . There was no such thing as a perfect path in an imperfect world . Perhaps if he was the son of some great hegemon he'd be able to leisurely cultivate for a decade or two before he felt ready to Evolve . But if he did that now he'd probably condemn his whole planet since so much relied on him getting stronger quickly .

Zac sighed and got up on his feet , immediately walking out of his courtyard . The sound of laughter could be heard from the distance , and Zac immediately flashed over with relief flooding his heart . It was Ogras and Kenzie who sat by a patio table having a drink , probably having returned while Zac was meditating .

Oh , you're out? - Ogras said as he looked up from the table , a glass of champagne in his hand .

Kenzie sat opposite of him , one of the information crystals on arrays placed on the table in front of her . Seeing his sister again was like having a weight lifted from his shoulders . He knew that the risk for something happening to the army was small , but it had been a constant worry in the back of his mind since he went ahead of the others .

I'm glad you're okay . Did everything go as planned? - Zac asked as he sat down on one of the free chairs , grabbing one of the fruits on the table .

We came back twelve hours ago , - Ogras nodded . - There was no activity worth mentioning . We were assaulted by a pretty massive wolf pack led by a few E-Grade Alphas , but it was dealt with easily since everyone was well rested by that point . If there's one thing our people know by now , it's how to kill wolves . More importantly , I've heard you've been busy? -

Zac's brows rose when he heard they had been back for so long . He quickly took out a watch from his cosmos sack and realized that he had been meditating for well over a day . It had only felt like an hour or two , but he would need to return back to the Underworld pretty soon .

I took care of the underworld Incursions , - Zac explained . - I still have the flame golems to deal with , but afterward I'll be able to move the Union and Council armies to the surface to help with the situation with the undead . In fact , we can probably start sending people from the Union immediately . -

Ogras nodded in agreement .

The average warriors are better used for thinning out the zombies than fighting incursions . I'll have someone gather up Union warriors with decent potential to bolster the numbers in our army , - Ogras said .

How's the study on the Dao Funnel going? - Zac asked .

I still can't figure out how it was originally meant to be used . I think we're missing half of the item , the one that would infuse the gathered energy into someone , - Kenzie said .

Zac was inclined to agree since the Great Redeemer would no doubt want to keep the collected Origin Dao for himself . It made no sense to leave the key to extract it on the planet where anyone could find it . He would rather keep it on his body .

But I have an idea , - Kenzie said as she pointed at the crystal . - I think I can set up a certain array recorded in this thing that will help . -

Oh? - Zac said as he leaned closer with interest .

Ogras didn't seem surprised as he leisurely kept drinking his liquor , so Zac guessed that his sister had already consulted the demon on this matter while they were on the road together .

I mentioned earlier that I can crack open the funnel , but I don't know what would happen next . I still haven't made much progress in that department . But I think I have found an array that will allow us to trap the Origin Dao for a while , allowing us to cultivate inside it for a much longer duration , - Kenzie said . - It's the best idea I could come up with . -

We never had any means to directly absorb the Origin Dao anyway , so I believe this is fine . It will depend on luck and fate how much we could gain from the experience , - Ogras said from the side . - We’re essentially manufacturing a fortuitous encounter . -

I agree , - Zac nodded . - We are not in a position to research the funnel for decades . We'll have to take the gamble . The issue is how many should be present . -

That was the crux of the matter . How much Origin Dao were actually collected inside the funnel? Salvation had slain hundreds of thousands of people , but they had no idea how much Origin Dao that would translate into . It would be a problem if they gathered the whole army only to realize that the energy got so diluted it had almost no effect .

The same could be said about the opposite . What if they found an ocean of Origin Dao inside when only a couple of people were present? It would be a huge waste if almost all of it dissipated and was wasted . Zac was painfully aware of the fact that they didn't have enough powerful people to take charge of important matters . The Origin Dao might be the key to turn the Valkyries and some of the promising soldiers from elites into powerhouses .

We actually formulated an idea about that on the way back , - Kenzie said . - We make two or three layers of arrays . If we notice the inner layer is too small , we'll break it open to open up the Origin Dao to spread into a wider area where more people are waiting . -

Zac slowly mulled over the idea , feeling that it wasn't too bad . It would be a shame for the people sitting in the outer layers if they never even got a whiff of the Origin Dao , but he also knew that they needed to ration the stuff if there wasn't too much of it .

How long would it take for you to set everything up? - Zac asked .

We have already tasked Calrin to gather the items for the arrays . I think I will need a week or so to set everything up and make sure everything works , - Kenzie said . - He also told us about Alea's situation . -

Zac sighed when he heard his sister mention the poison mistress , but he simply nodded .

Don't worry , aren't you going to the Tower soon? - Kenzie said . - Alea might be back on her feet within a month! -

That's true . And even if we don't find what we need there , we still have a couple of years . If we can get the Nexus Hub to work we might be able to head to a real metropolis and hire a healer or alchemist , - Ogras nodded .

That's true , - Zac smiled . - So what will you do until Kenzie has finished the array? -

I'll help out against the undead , - Ogras said . - I need to confirm a few things in battle before improving my Dao , and I wouldn't be much use against the Fire Golems . I plan to lead the army back to the Dead Zone tomorrow after they've had a day's worth of rest and I've gathered the reinforcements . -

Zac felt a bit bad for the army who already needed to go back to the front lines when they just had returned . But this was a war for Earth's future , he couldn't be softhearted in such a situation . They needed to do everything in their power to slow down the completion of the array as much as possible .

Good , - Zac said as he stood up . - I'll head down to the Underworld in an hour or two after making the rounds . -

Be careful , those invaders seem pretty strong , - Kenzie said with some worry .

I'll be fine , I'll see you in a couple of days , - Zac smiled . - Those golems don't know what's about to hit them . -

Chapter 367 - Playing the Part

Zac was just planning to stretch his legs before sitting down to continue his meditation , but his first session lasted much longer than he expected . So he could only give up on trying to improve his other Dao Seeds for now and headed toward the town proper . As he walked through the woods of his private domain he took the opportunity to take a gander at the attribute gains from the evolved seed .

Sharpness (Peak) : Strength +15 , Dexterity +90 , Intelligence +10 , Wisdom +5

A smile crept across his face when he saw the stats he gained . It was just as he hoped , where he got 10 points to Strength and another 50 to Dexterity . He had counted on that Dexterity boost to keep up with his increasing Strength , and it would allow him to keep focusing all his free points into his main attribute for a while longer .

There was still some time before he had agreed to reconvene with Verana and the others in the Underworld , so he walked over to the government building to meet with Abby and Adran . He had been so focused on the Incursions lately so he wanted to get a report on Port Atwood's situation . Luckily everything was going smoothly , especially the agricultural initiative that Zac infused with extra cash . It would start to yield a harvest for F-Grade Herbs in just a few months , though the E-Grade Spirit Herbs would take a while longer .

The only issue was that the sea creatures were quickly becoming more and more ferocious , and there had been a couple of incidents lately . This wasn't anything too surprising , as attacks from sea creatures was a problem that most coastal cities in the multiverse would encounter . Little Bau , Mr . Trang’s terrifying pet , was helping a lot , but it couldn’t be everywhere .

Luckily there were a plethora of defensive structures in the town shop , so Zac agreed to let Abby take 200 million from the town funds to upgrade the shoreline defenses for the islands he controlled . With that in hand he visited Calrin next to get an update on the situation with the Beast Crystals .

The extraction is finished , but there's also the need to refine the gems from their raw state . But I’ve made an estimate and I would say you'd get around 1 . 8 Billion if you sold 80% of your stock , - the sky gnome said with some obvious avarice in his eyes . - You also have your 1 . 64 billion in dividends waiting . -

How much do you think a soul-mending treasure or pill would cost? - Zac asked .

If it was on a proper market I would say that a pill or treasure that could mend a fractured soul would cost around 500 million to a Billion Nexus Coins depending on success rate and strength of the item , - the Sky Gnome said after some hesitation . - Any natural treasure will likely be on the more expensive side of the spectrum . -

That much? - Zac groaned . - It's just to heal someone in F-Grade . -

Souls are complicated and require high-quality items to fix without leaving lasting damage , - Calrin sighed . - But you should know that such a treasure might become significantly more expensive in a place like the Tower of Eternity . There is a huge demand for life-saving treasures at a place like that . The price might become double , or even higher . -

Still , that means I should be fine unless something unexpected happens? - Zac sighed in relief .

You should still gather as much Nexus Coins as possible before going , - the sky gnome said . - There are bound to be a lot of great opportunities waiting for those with money at such a place! -

Like what? - Zac asked .

People exiting with grave wounds , forced to sell precious items at a discount to pay for healing . People desperate to gather enough funds to buy a piece of treasure that would allow them to reach higher in the tower . There are all kinds of scenarios to exploit , - Calrin said , getting more and more excited as he spoke . - A closed market like that always leads to opportunities for arbitrage . -

I'll do what I can , - Zac smiled as he left .

It was a good plan , but he needed money for other things as well . Finding a proper shield , for example . He was also interested in finding pills that would allow him to immediately break open nodes the moment he evolved . He already had the Four Gates Pill] , but many other pills had similar effects . His goal was to eat all his prepared treasures the moment he evolved before bursting forth against the Undead with unparalleled power .

He soon arrived in New London in his Human form , and his arrival caused some commotion when people of the Union realized who he was . He didn't hide his movements since he wanted people to know about his contribution in the fight against the Fire Golems . People gazed at him with fear or admiration as he walked through the halls with a few Valkyries following behind .

The reason for fighting against the golems in his human form , even though he still needed two levels to reach peak F-Grade in his Draugr-form , was that he felt the risks of using his undead form were too great . Undying Bulwark relied on slowly grinding his enemies to dust , whereas Hatchetman could end the fight in seconds .

The Golems were the strongest invaders in the Underworld , and he was afraid that something unexpected would happen , allowing them to turn the situation around or cause massive casualties amongst his people . It was a bit of a shame that any Cosmic Energy he gained from the kills would be lost , but he felt it was worth it .

Verana and Harvath were already waiting in a large meeting room when he arrived , and they seemed to have recovered from their slightly haggard expressions after they close down the third Incursion together a few days ago .

Is everything ready? - Zac asked .

Everything is ready from this side , - Verana and Havath immediately confirmed . - Will the others from Port Atwood Join us? -

A small group of elites will join me , but most are still focusing on the undead threat , - Zac said . - I don't think a large army will help against a force like the Golems . They'll just spew lava over everything and it will be hard to defend against . -

It sounds reasonable , though I believe our army should be slightly larger this time . Perhaps a hundred people , with another 50 for support , - Verana said . - The golems are strong , and we will need more than one unit to create defensively layers . Oh , and it would be best if you headed to Glimthain to coordinate a joint assault . -

Glimthain was the main town that the Council controlled . It was an Ishiate town and was once upon a time the capital of the technology-leaning faction among the beastmen . It was placed in the open Underworld , but it was a true stronghold even before the integration , making it a natural choice of headquarter for a faction that fought the Fire Golems .

I was planning on heading there anyway , - Zac nodded . - I have some things to discuss with the Council . -

Meeting the council was another reason he wanted to come to the underworld in his human form this time . He needed to enlist the strongest warriors around in the fight against the Undead Empire . Even if he managed to get stronger he was still just one man , and there were so many zombies by now .

We should make our sortie spectacular , - Joanna suddenly spoke up from the side . - They need to know that the Super Brother-Man has arrived and that he will end the threat of the invaders . -

With that she excitedly took out what initially looked like a pike , but Zac realized that it was actually a banner when she fastened a large cloth to it . Zac shot a bemused look at Joanna before he took a gander at the banner's design . It was emerald grey with black and gold details , and the motif was the four mountain peaks of his island . Beneath the summits there was a shield with an axe as a motif , looking like a nobleman's family crest . It looked quite domineering . It almost felt like something that could have belonged to an old European family .

What's this? - Zac asked with confusion .

It's the banner for Port Atwood , - Joanna said with glee in her eyes . - I learned from Ms . Tir'Emarel that it's a common practice in the Multiverse as well , and we needed something to display who we were . -

Please , Verana is fine , - the Beast Master smiled .

The black and green are representative of your two , ahem , identities , and the gold is there to make it look regal . The mountains are the largest landmark on your island and the axe and shield represent your authority . Do you like it? - Verana smiled .

It's pretty cool , - Zac willingly admitted . - But I’d feel a bit embarrassed if I would parade such a thing around . -

You don't carry this thing , leave that to us . You only need to walk in the front , preferably releasing some of your aura , - Joanna said .

. . . Fine , - Zac sighed . - If this will get people to willingly follow me into the war against the undead . -

One thing? - Joanna hesitantly added . - Do you think you could put on a pair of shoes? -

Zac blankly looked at the Valkyrie for a few seconds before he looked down on his feet . He never even reflected on the fact that he never wore shoes any longer while in his human form . He had already figured out a way to passively utilize a small amount of cosmic energy to keep his feet clean and not let any grime stick . But it would perhaps look a bit odd if he walked around barefoot .

You can ride Grub as well , - Verana smiled . - He liked fighting with you , he felt very mighty ramming into the enemies’ line with your shield as protection . -

The two kept coaching Zac on how to make a proper impression on the underworld as the army prepared to sortie . Only a few of the warriors would stay in the underworld , whereas the rest would join the main army in the fight against the zombies . It only took less than ten minutes before everything was dealt with , and the gates of the Union headquarters opened up to let out the forces of Port Atwood .

A few people started running for their lives as the intimidating procession made its way through New London , but even more people stayed to watch in the excitement . Almost everyone in the area had already learned that people from the surface had arrived to New London and that they were Led by the Super Brother-Man , but only a few had seen them since they stayed holed up inside the Union headquarters most of the time .

People had been gathering outside the gates since the news spread , either hoping to see the aliens under Zac's command or try to buy a ticket out of the Underworld . But now they didn't need to strain to see a glimpse of them as they marched through the main street full of vigor .

Zac knew of the people's desire to return to the surface , but Port Atwood hadn't let anyone leave just yet . He wanted to finish up everything before he led an exodus out of this area . And he couldn't let everyone just leave . There was a huge amount of wealth down here that needed to be extracted to strengthen Earth's forces . All these things would be needed not only in the fight against the invaders but also to turn Earth into a powerful planet before the System's protection ended .

Zac rode in the front , sitting on Grub's head as the enormous beast trudged forward , each step causing a small earthquake . The only people walking in front of him were two Valkyries , each one holding one of the newly created banners . The air around him twisted and bent as he let his aura spread out to a certain degree . Behind him his armies walked in orderly lines , each soldier radiating a tremendous pressure that made the spectators gasp in awe .

It looked like the Demons and Tal-Eladar had gotten caught up in who could shock the spectators more , and each of the demonkin soldiers radiated a massive battle intent with most of them even having released weak Dao Fields . Zac didn't stop him since he knew that such weak Fields wouldn't be able to harm anyone in the area apart from putting people under some pressure .

But unfortunately for the demons it was hard for them to match the glory of the Tal-Eladar , who were assisted by their massive beasts . One tremendous roar after another made the whole area shake as the Tir'Emarel rode their battle beasts behind Zac . Most impressive was of course Verana , who rode on Slither's head , the snake alone taking up the whole road due to its massive size .

The whole thing felt a bit excessive and embarrassing , but Zac followed Joanna's instructions and only sat unmoving with a neutral face . Joanna , who essentially had turned into his PR Director at this point , said it was not only about prestige but also about giving the people of the Underworld hope . They had been suppressed by the Fire Golems for almost a year , and almost everyone had lost a family member or friend to their actions .

This procession would show them that Earth hadn't given up , that a resurgence was coming .

Chapter 368 - Glimthain

Joanna initially wanted Zac to hold a rousing speech as well , but he staunchly refused . Instead , a few Valkyries walked alongside the army and told the news about how only one incursion remained , and that they were heading to war against the Fire Golems .

The procession only stopped when they reached the teleportation station , where the back-up from the surface already stood .

You set things up at Rennbach while I visit the Council , - Zac to Verana as he jumped down from Grub’s head .

Glimthain was quite far from the Fire Golem Incursion , so teleporting the whole army there would be a pretty huge waste of resources . Teleportation costs were already by far the largest drain on Port Atwood's resources , so he decided to send the army directly to the frontier town to prepare . He also didn't want to cause some misunderstanding by bringing an army on his first visit to the Underworld Council .

Verana quickly agreed , and Zac indicated for the young woman that worked for the Underworld Council to open the array . Her name was Linn , and she had arrived together with the Councillors back when they visited New London after the Union takeover . Linn immediately complied and entered the array along with Zac and Joanna , while the rest waited for the array close down .

Soon enough the trio reappeared in another grand hall , but Zac's eyes widened in alarm when he saw four enormous cannons trained on the platform he stood on . They were even larger than the monstrosities the Ishiate tinkerers on Port Atwood had created , with their barrels having a diameter of almost two meters .

Zac's first instinct was to take out his axe and quickly destroy them , but he realized that no one was preparing to fire them . It looked like a defensive measure in case enemies stepped through the array . Luckily they had the ambassador with them , otherwise the welcome might have been quite different .

This way , sir , - Linn said as she led them past the cannons and defensive line of soldiers who curiously looked at him .

Can you take us to the council immediately? - Zac said . - I don't have much time to spare . -

Certainly , they await your arrival , - the ambassador answered without hesitation and the group exited the fortified structure .

Zac and Joanna curiously looked around when they stepped outside of the building , and Zac whistled with surprise when he saw what Glimthain looked like . He had always considered the modern faction of the Ishiate to be somewhat steampunk , and this town truly made that impression stronger . Cramped structures fought for space within massive brass walls that were lined with all kinds of brass weaponry .

A glance at the wall told him that at least a hundred cannons were fastened to the wall walk , and even some rooftops were equipped with ranged siege weaponry . He saw multiple ballistae that appeared to be relying on steam pressure for example . The houses themselves were covered in tubes , and no matter where he looked it seemed to be one pipe or another leaking gas or water vapors .

The town was well illuminated by a mix of Day crystals and gaslights lining the streets , and it seemed to be rush-hour since the streets were filled with people . It was a truly chaotic scene as there were not only pedestrians , but a mix of modern cars and other odd machines that forced their way through the jumble . The chaos wasn't helped by the constant eruption of steam whistles and honks from the cars .

Oh wow , - Joanna said . - How do people live like this? -

It took some getting used to , - Linn said with some embarrassment . - Too many have lost their homes , and the town has become completely overcrowded by now . A new town has even started to grow outside of the walls since there simply is no room left within . Those buildings regularly get destroyed during the attacks of beasts in the area , but the inner town is one of the safest places in the Underworld due to all the weaponry . -

Zac understood as well that people normally wouldn't live in such an environment , but the dangers lurking in the dark were just too abundant , and it was better to live in squalor than getting eaten by a bat or killed by the Flame Golems . The group immediately entered a jeep that waited for them , and it thankfully only needed to drive a short distance to a grand castle in the center of the town .

The castle itself reminded Zac of a larger version of the main hall of the Cogstown , the Ishiate settlement under his control . But this castle was far larger , and it was not only equipped by a huge number of weapons pointing at the sky , but there were even three zeppelins slowly floating around it .

This way , sir , - a guard said as Zac stepped out of the car .

Zac! - a familiar shout could be heard from the distance just as Zac was about to enter the palace , and he looked over with a smile .

It was Emily who was running over , dragging along a slightly embarrassed woman in her early twenties . It was no doubt Emily’s sister as she was essentially an adult version of the brat . Zac glanced at her to approximate her strength , and he was surprised to see that there was a faint aura around her .

It meant that even if she wasn’t a Ranker she wouldn’t be too far off , and she had likely gained a Dao seed judging by the spirituality around her . It looked like not only Emily was a talent when it came to cultivation , but her sister was as well . Then again , it shouldn’t be too surprising that they had good genes since all three siblings turned out to be cultivators .

She's pretty , right? - Emily grinned when she noticed that Zac looked at her sister curiously . - She’s very single as well . -

Idiot , what do you mean by very single? - Johanna said with some embarrassment as she gently slapped the back of Emily’s head . She then turned back to Zac who looked at the two with some amusement . - I am Johanna Larkin . I owe you a great debt of gratitude . If it wasn’t for your intervention I would be without any family . -

It was no problem , - Zac said with a sigh , giving Emily a consoling look .

It seemed like the brother had truly fallen back then after all . Emily looked downcast for a second before she looked up again with an intense stare .

Are you here to destroy the Flame Golems? -

Yeah , - Zac said without any preamble .

Great! - Emily said with burning eyes . - We will help you kill those guys! -

You can come , but be careful . We don’t have a lot of ways to deal with a room flooding with lava , - Zac said as he handed over two large balls . - Use this in case you run out of options . -

What’s this? - Emily asked with sparkling eyes as she held the two crystals that seemed to have a small snowstorm inside .

Fire extinguisher , - Zac said with a smile . - Perhaps it will slow the magma long enough for you to escape in case things go south . I need to speak with the Council now , come with me if you want . -

I can’t go there , I am just a captain , - Johanna said with a quick shake of her head as Zac started , but Emily only dragged her along with a giggle .

Who cares , being with this guy is like having an all-access pass , - the teenager smiled as she walked over to Joanna’s side .

The four were led into a large chamber with a massive circular table made from steel and brass . There were already 13 people sitting there , with representatives from all races . Six were humans , while there were 3 Ishiate and 3 Molemen . Finally , a single Zhix sat to the side .

Zac was a bit surprised by the somewhat even distribution as there were at least five times as many humans in the underworld compared to the molemen and Ishiate combined . But perhaps it was by design so that the humans on the council wouldn’t bully the others . Zac was also quite surprised by the presence of a Zhix , but perhaps it simply was a representative for its hive .

The 13 people took up half the table , giving Zac ample room as he sat down on the other side . Emily unceremoniously sat down next to him , but Joanna immediately dragged her back to stand a few steps behind with herself and Johanna . The teenager shot the Valkyrie a glare , but only received another slap in the back of her head from her sister .

Lord Atwood , It is an honor to finally meet you , - one of the molemen spoke up . - I am Romal , the current speaker for the council . -

Zac had already read an information package on the Council during the days he stayed in the Union Headquarters , and he knew that the speaker was simply a rotating position amongst the council , and it changed person every month .

It’s nice to meet you all as well , - Zac nodded . - You should know why I’m here . -

I won’t hide anything from you , things have deteriorated quite a bit on the surface . When your Councillors met your general a few weeks ago he spoke about the Great Redeemer , who is still a looming threat to our planet . But we have a more immediate threat that will destroy Earth within two months unless we do something .

The Undead Empire is currently singlehandedly fighting against all the combined forces of the world , and they still have the upper hand . Even the other invaders have joined in battle with us , but the zombies are pretty strong . We need assistance , - Zac said , immediately divulging his reason for visiting .

So you’re not here about the Flame Golems? - one of the human Councilors said with disappointment .

No , don’t get me wrong . My generals have already closed the other four Incursions of the Underworld , and I am here to immediately close the Flame Golem Incursion . The reason isn’t simply benevolence . I need your armies to come with me to the surface afterward , - Zac said . - Immediately . -

I am not questioning your motives , but I am a bit unclear on something , - one of the human councilors said . - Your force is strong enough to close four incursions without you even lifting a finger , something that would be impossible for us . If you still can't deal with these zombies , what use are we? -

Zac sighed and explained the situation with the array , and the dozens of massive undead hordes that were still drawing the lines for the massive array .

So you need more armies to take down the hordes and destroy the array , while you focus on the leaders in the middle… - Romal muttered in understanding .

The meeting kept going for a few hours , where Zac essentially reiterated the situation on the surface and the various threats that Earth still faced . It was easy to see that the gravity of the situation was causing some shock to the Councillors , but he kept narrating what was going on with brutal honesty .

Of course , there were some details that he left out , such as the disappearance of Abbot Everlasting Peace , the Dao Funnel , and the situation with the Mystic Realm . Everything was to push them toward the decision to join the fight without delay .

All three of the molemen on the council were in the top 5 on their ladder , and the lowest rank amongst the others was rank 20 . All apart from one were also on the Dao Ladder . These people made a stronger faction than anyone on the surface , barring Port Atwood . Neither the Marshall Clan nor the New World Government could boast of having nearly as many peak elites .

Getting these people to the surface to fight the zombies was Zac’s greatest priority . The hours passed as the two factions ironed out the details until Zac finally left with his group in tow . A small smile adorned his face when he sat down in the car , and he didn’t even mind the chaotic swirl of people crammed around the vehicle as it drove through the streets .

Zac was quite pleased with the results of the meeting as he returned to the teleportation array with his group in tow . The Council was far more utilitarian compared to the shrewd Marshall Clan , and things were sorted out quite quickly . The Underworld Council would immediately join the battle against the Undead provided that the Fire Golems were dealt with .

They even went so far as to promise to bring their whole force , leaving just enough manpower to protect their settlements from the beasts in the area . All in all , they would bring almost two hundred thousand experienced warriors , and they would cover the teleportation expenses themselves .

Of course , Zac knew their choice was not only about saving Earth . They wanted to bring enough strength to secure a corner of the surface , turning it into their own kingdom . Zac could understand their decision , as Humans and Ishiate were ultimately not built to permanently live underground , and many would no doubt want to live under the blue sky again .

The Council didn’t explicitly tell Zac about their plan , but their intentions were quite clear from their line of questions . Zac himself didn’t mind at all , feeling their decision made sense . If it was one thing that new earth possessed in abundance , then it was free space . The expansion in size of the planet and the monumental losses amongst the four species had resulted in massive stretches of unclaimed land .

The amount of high-quality land was far more limited though , such as lands close to Nexus Veins or other valuable resources . Those kinds of places were few and far between , though Zac had already claimed a large percentage of those places through closing the Incursions .

The armies of the council would also participate in the upcoming battle . They would assault the massive area under the control of the Flame Golems from almost a dozen tunnel systems simultaneously in a bid to spread out the golems’ forces . It would hopefully allow Zac to strike at the core with less resistance .

Zac felt the idea was perfect as he stepped through the teleporter to join his forces . The fight against the Fire Golems would essentially be a practice-run for their battle against the Lich King and his forces .

Chapter 369 - Heat

Finally out of the tunnels . We’ll arrive in another eight hours or so , - the Council liaison said as he walked next to Zac with quick steps .

His name was Murk , and he was one of the molemen who also possessed a ranger class . He was in charge of showing Zac’s army the correct path in the underworld , as the roads leading to the Flame Golems were pretty confusing . The incursion itself was in a sense placed in the open underworld , but to get to that sector you first needed to pass a bunch of confusing tunnels .

There was no way that Zac would place the fate of his people in the hands of the Council Though , and the Tal-Eladar had over a hundred beasts scouting ahead for them as well . He personally didn’t think that the council had any reason to betray him , but people were unpredictable .

Come , let’s train! - another voice piped up from the side , and Zac looked over at Emily who glared at him with some grievance in her eyes .

They had been traveling for over three days , as all settlements in the near vicinity of the Flame Golems had long been destroyed . The teenager wanted to make the most of the time , so she had insisted that the two would train with their axes . Zac knew part of it was to get her mind off the fact that her brother had passed away , and he happily obliged .

She was someone he had invested heavily in , and he wanted to make sure she'd get strong enough to protect herself .

I’ll get you this time , - she muttered stubbornly .

That’s great , - Zac smiled as he hoisted her up and flashed away with Loamwalker] .

He kept running for a couple of minutes until he found a secluded spot ahead of the army .

We have 20 minutes or so before they catch up , - Zac said as he let the teenager down .

Emily didn’t hesitate to take out her two tomahawks from her cosmos sack , and they both started to radiate with chaotic energies . It was a continuation of her elemental axeman-archetype , and a new skill she got at level 35 . This one wasn’t a support skill like the earlier one , but rather a pure offensive skill .

Zac smiled as he took out his billy cluband a spare shield , and waved at her to start . She immediately disappeared , leaving a scorching mark on the ground , and the next moment she appeared behind him . One of her tomahawks were already in mid-swing , and it lit up with infernal fire .

Her new skill Elemental Fury] looked confusingly similar to her elemental axes , apart from the fact that she needed to use a physical axe for the skill . She could essentially imbue her axes with an element of her choice , and the different elements would have varying effects . The skill allowed her to have a flexible and unpredictable fighting style , and Zac felt it was a good match to her chaotic and aggressive fighting style .

The flame-infusion would imbue her strikes to erupt into large explosions , causing widespread damage in the direction of her swings . There were also earth , lightning , ice , wind , each with their own effects . The only weakness was that she couldn’t use the same attack twice in a row , at least not while the skill was in middle mastery .

Zac already knew about the effects of the strikes from their earlier sparring sessions , and he smoothly moved his shield forward to block the swing mid-way . It didn’t interrupt the skill , but it caused the gout of fire to spread in all directions , effectively blocking Emily’s sight as Zac repositioned himself as he clubbed her on the back .

The teenager stumbled forward , but she smoothly turned the stumble into a confusing set of steps as she once again tried to take him down , this time using the freezing effect of her ice axe to rob him of his mobility . Zac played along and slightly slowed his speed , but she still couldn't manage to land a hit as his shield always got in the way .

The fighting reached a stalemate lasting a few minutes , until Zac suddenly emitted a spike of killing intent toward her the moment she launched her attack . Emily’s face turned deathly pale and she quickly jumped five meters back , and she angrily stomped her foot in the ground as she waved her tomahawks in Zac’s direction .

That’s cheating! You said you wouldn’t bully me with your levels . How is that not using your levels? - Emily sputtered .

I had much denser killing intent than that by the time I was your level , - Zac laughed . - I know you wanted to quickly improve , so you’ve used a couple of E-Grade crystals while down here . But doing so has left you lacking in combat experience . -

I’ve still gone fighting against Barghest every day until recently , and I’ve even fought against the beast on Mystic Island , - Emily countered with a sullen face .

I know , but you’ve had demon guards and Valkyries protecting you , - Zac said . - You have not yet gone through a true baptism of life and death . It makes you a bit weak against killing intent . You have honed great battle instincts from training with good teachers , but you do not trust them when faced with a great threat . -

So I should just run straight at someone radiating enough killing intent to blot out the sky? - Emily muttered skeptically . - Sounds like a good way to get killed early . -

It's about instinct and decisiveness , - Zac smiled . - You can never hesitate no matter if you decide to fight or flee . The problem was that you froze when I released the murderous aura . Your movement skill is pretty good , and your attributes are very high for your level , so you should have a decent chance to escape even if you meet someone stronger . Staying alive is the most important . -

Truthfully Zac was lying to Emily in his explanation . He was emitting a lot more killing intent than what he possessed when he was around level 40 . He wanted to inoculate her against dense auras and massive killing intent , which would hopefully allow her to keep her wits about her in case she found herself against a stronger foe .

The teenager slowly nodded in understanding , and she took a deep breath to steady herself . Soon enough she was back at it , and she used everything in her repertoire as she tried to break past Zac’s defenses . She flitted about with surprising speed as she launched everything from fiery blasts up-close to wind blades from surprising angles in the distance .

Zac was extremely happy with her performance , and the only thing that he might feel could use some improvement was the lack of ruthlessness . The fighting felt clean and a bit synthetic , whereas he wished for a more efficient approach like the one that the Valkyries utilized .

They did everything in their power to kill their targets as quickly and efficiently as possible , no matter what they needed to do . They would attack groins or other weak spots , utilize hidden weaponry and the environment to their advantage . Emily still lacked that bit , and that was what he was trying to instill in her .

He had already noticed that she was a bit afraid to get hit in her face , the same as Average , which made him target it even further . Last time he had accidentally knocked her out with a kick , but even before then she often left with a whole number of bruises . Zac felt a bit bad , but he knew that the others on the island , except Alyn perhaps , didn’t dare to be ruthless enough against the teenager .

The feral teenager pulled out all the stops , but the results were the same . The army caught up with the two and Verana and Joanna shot amused looks at the swollen face of Emily .

One of these days , - she muttered under her breath . - I’ll make your head swell up to the size of a beach ball . -

You’ll need to get a lot stronger before you’ll have a chance of that , - Zac snorted .

It was their last sparring session as they were closing in on the Fire Golems , and the invaders could crop up any time . The army entered heightened alertness , in case of an ambush . But there were no signs of them even though they could see extremely far after exiting the tunnels . The ground was completely silent as well , indicating that there likely no golems hiding beneath them .

Zac had gotten a wealth of intelligence on the Flame Golems from the Council , and the invaders were almost hilariously easy to spot . The smallest golems were over two and a half meters tall , and they all had thick builds . It was like they were made from large black boulders stacked together , and where the stones were bound together by magma .

Their natural heat was enough for gouts of flames to erupt from their bodies at regular intervals , and they were essentially portable firework shows . Stealth was truly not their strong suit , which was why they could only ambush people by silently digging new tunnels until they were right next to you . Luckily the Demons possessed a few Geomancers who were even more skilled than the molemen at detecting changes in the ground .

But there was no surprise attack forthcoming , and they soon enough reached the area of the Flame Golems . It was very different from the general gloom of the underworld , as the moss and dark pools of water were replaced with bubbling lakes of magma .

They were still two hours from the incursion itself but it felt like they were wandering into an active volcano , and the smell of Sulphur lay heavy in the air . The weaker people were already starting to sweat from the scorching heat , and Emily was forced to take off her thick furs with some complaint .

The peak F-Grade warriors were still unaffected by the heat that would make a normal mortal keel over in seconds , but Zac knew that most would be unable to exhibit their full power in the upcoming fight . The golems had truly gotten themselves a home-field advantage . Finally they reached the true core of the incursion , and Zac was shocked at the sight .

This isn’t what you guys described , - Zac said with a frown as he turned to Murk .

I-I don’t understand either , - the moleman said with wide eyes . - Our latest intelligence is less than two weeks old . -

The Flame Golem Incursion was situated inside what could best be described as a gargantuan pillar in the open underworld . It was tremendously wide , and walking around it would take over a week . Due to the environment around the pillar it was posited that the core of it might actually be an active volcano , with a pillar of magma that reached all the way to the surface .

The only way to get to the actual incursions was to enter one of the many tight tunnels and cracks that existed in the pillar .

That was why the Council didn’t take the same route as themselves . They started in towns on the opposite sides of the pillar , and they would assault the incursions from multiple directions that way . But there was a problem ; the tunnel they were supposed to take was gone , replaced with a huge passage full of engraved pillars .

The new passage was hundreds of meters wide , and it reached even higher into the sky . They were quite some distance from the entrance but they still didn’t have any trouble making out the details due to their size .

The pillars looked almost as large as the towering Redwood mountains over at the Cradle of God , and even from the distance they were able to make out large fractals on all of them . Zac couldn't be sure what they were made for , but he couldn’t imagine it was anything good .

It felt like the invaders had opened the doors wide open , daring them to enter their meticulously created battlefield . Verana and the other leaders of the army wore troubled faces as well , and Zac finally felt compelled to order a halt . The group of battlefield support quickly set up cooling arrays to ward off the heat , as staying this close would no doubt continuously drain people .

What do you think? - Zac asked the others . - I know it’s a trap , but can you make out any details? -

It looks like array towers , - Verana said . - The Tal-Eladar does not use that sort of fortifications , but they are a popular solution . -

Zac nodded , feeling the same way . The towers were reminiscent of a set of buildings that he was able to buy for Port Atwood , though his options were still pretty limited . Each tower was likely an array of its own , and it would be able to launch attacks at anyone close according to some preset instructions .

Such buildings usually had much greater firepower compared to arrays like his own Town Protection array that could attack a far larger area , but it also had a weakness . As long as the tower was destroyed the array would break . So it essentially was extremely lethal in a small area , and somewhat fragile .

But there were over a hundred pillars crammed in that small area as far as Zac could tell , and the army would be blasted from all directions if they entered .

What should we do? - Joanna asked . - I don’t think we’ll be able to defend against that many towers even if we activate our War Arrays . -

Zac silently stared at the towers for a few seconds before he looked back at his group .

We’ll wait until 10 minutes until the predetermined time for our joint assault . I’ll handle the towers . -

Chapter 370 - Array Towers

Most people looked relieved to hear that Zac would take care of the array towers . Charging those things was to risk one’s life without the potential for any gains in levels , so they breathed out in relief when they heard they didn’t have to do that . However , Joanna and Emily looked worried when they heard that he would charge into that deathtrap alone .

You’ll handle them? - the Murk said with barely contained skepticism . - Do you have any of your old world weaponry , like tanks? How about I contact the other forces? They might be able to help us . -

It’s fine , - Zac said with a shake of his head before he turned to Verana . - Where’s Smaug? -

He’s hiding amongst the rearguard , - the beast mistress leered . - He scurried back there the moment he saw the towers . -

Zac snorted and walked back to the end of the convoy , and he soon enough found the person he was looking for .

I have decided I will defend the rear for you , lord , - Smaug immediately said when he saw Zac approach , emitting the aura of a brave warrior . - I am afraid I will just be in the way in such cramped quarters . My arrays cannot distinguish between friend and foe . It is truly a shame , but I will pray for your success as I will defend your backs with my life . -

Isn’t that nice , - Zac snorted . - Don’t worry , I won’t make you go to the frontlines . That’s not why I brought you here . Do you have any more of those concussive arrays? -

I can buy five right now , at 20 million each , - Smaug said with some relief in his eyes .

Zac sighed , but he nodded in agreement as he transferred the funds .

The concussive arrays were something that Smaug had procured while they fought the Underworld incursions . They were array crystals that essentially functioned as superpowered hand grenades . They caused a tremendous explosion in a somewhat contained area , and the arrays were great at utterly destroying fixed structures .

They weren’t as efficient at taking down actual cultivators though , as they had a small delay that would allow most to move out of the way or activate their defenses . But they would be perfect for taking down a couple of towers each in case things went out of control .

So you’re really doing this thing? - Smaug hesitantly said as he looked at the rows and rows of tower arrays . - These golems aren’t messing around , and I don’t think that the turrets they’ve built will be anything to laugh at . -

I have enough cards up my sleeve to feel confident I’ll survive for a while at least , and if it turns out to be too dangerous I’ll back off , - Zac sighed . - I can’t send my people into such an obvious trap . They’re not strong enough . -

It’s not just fun and games to be on the top is it? - Smaug snorted . - At least you’re also on the top of the Power ladder as well so people don’t try to rob you every two days . -

Zac could only let out a deep sigh in agreement as he walked away . It had been a bit odd to reacquaint himself with Smaug during the trip , as this excursion was the first time they met while he was in his human form . He had pulled out all the stops to ingratiate himself with Zac , doing everything from providing arrays from his limited license , to updating him on rumors or valuable deposits , to even trying to set him up with a few ladies .

His over the top enthusiasm was a bit hard to swallow , but it truly is difficult to punch a smiling face .

After he got the arrays he simply sat down on his prayer mat . It actually kept him cool even in this environment , and it allowed him to smoothly wait out the three hours until the agreed-upon time . The only interruption was that Murk confirmed that the other sides of the pillar were normal , but the closest tunnels had all been closed down or filled with lave .

It had elicited a short discussion about whether they should spend two days or so to head to the closest open tunnels instead of walking into this obvious trap . Zac Eventually decided that they would stay the course . The Golems had the means to close down the tunnels , and he didn't want to waste two days only to find that their new point of ingress had been closed as well .

A few daring scouts had dared to test out the pillars on the edges , and not surprisingly the towers were fire attuned . They all shot out balls of lava that were roughly the size of a soccer ball , and they both possessed kinetic force and fiery heat . The only upside was that it almost looked like they were dropped from the top of the tower rather than being shot , so their speed wasn't troubling .

The real trouble came from the fact that one tower could shoot out quite a few fireballs in a volley every five seconds , and there were over a hundred towers . If their army entered together they would be assaulted by a thousand lava balls in no time , and such an attack would cause massive losses .

The time finally arrived , and Zac hadn't figured out any better strategy than running straight in . He would take down the towers one by one without stopping , allowing him to avoid as many of the lava balls as possible .

A rain of fire from the sky almost completely blotted out the ceiling to welcome his arrival . They looked like fiery drops of rain , slamming down all around him . Zac blanked out for a second by the majestic sight , but he shook his head to snap out of it . He immediately appeared in front of the nearest tower with the help of Loamwalker] and swung a large fractal edge toward the base . The blade was already imbued with his new and improved Seed of Sharpness , and it cut through the pillar without any trouble .

Unfortunately , that was it . The pillar still stood in the same position , as Zac’s swing hadn’t actually managed to move it at all . He could only take a few steps back and infuse himself with the Dao of heaviness as he tried to topple the thing over with a body slam . However , the collision must have looked like an ant trying to topple a tree , and Zac only managed to make the tower shudder a bit .

He could only summon a couple of more fractal blades and launch them at the tower as he danced around like a monkey to avoid the increasing amount of lava balls landing all around him . It was not exactly how he wanted to present himself , but it was the best he could do without wasting a huge amount of Cosmic Energy . Each blade was infused with the seed of heaviness this time , and the attacks slammed into the tower with the force of a truck .

The base was already completely cut through , so the attacks were enough to topple it without any problem . Zac’s eyes lit up when he saw that he was able to destroy a tower without much effort , and he hoped that taking down the first tower would have a cascading effect . The towers were clustered quite close to each other , and he pushed it over in the direction of its closest neighbor .

But a shocking change took place the moment the tower started to topple . It lost all its structural integrity in an instant , and it quickly turned into a tube of lava that spilled down straight toward a gaping Zac . Even he didn’t want to take a magma bath unless necessary , even though he was pretty sure he could withstand it for a second or two without getting seriously hurt . He flashed away with Loamwalker] toward the next pillar instead , leaving a large pond of lava in his wake .

After the first experiment he started to get a hang of it , and the second tower only needed three quick swings with the help of his Dao Seeds and Chop] . But the intensity of the lava balls only increased as he got within range of more and more towers , and he quickly became unable to dodge them all without being forced out of the entrance .

He was forced to bear the brunt of some of the attacks if he wanted to keep going , so he activated Nature’s Barrier] to block the handful of the lava balls dropped in his directions . Leaves were obviously not the greatest defense against fire , but with the help of the Dao of Trees they had an unyielding vitality that allowed them to knock the balls away before burning up .

However , as more and more hits struck his defense he realized that he would waste even more Cosmic Energy this way than if he simply unleashed a greater strike . After a short deliberation the energy around him started to surge , and the enormous forester's hatchet appeared behind him . His body strained under the pressure , but a wave of destruction rippled outward causing one tower after another to fall apart into pools of magma .

What better attack to destroy what looked like a bunch of stone trees than Deforestation]?

The first swing of Deforestation] was all he needed , as it destroyed over half the towers . He had already taken down around ten before that , and the big gap gave him a breather from the relentless bombardment of lava projectiles . There was no need to use his second swing for the remainders as he saw it . He instead threw out a couple of boulders to avoid stepping in lava and threw out his concussive arrays at the tightest clumps of towers .

Lava kept raining down from the falling towers , but the threat was dealt with thanks to his Axe of Felling] . What remained was to simply take down the final towers with his Daos , and it only took a few minutes of his time . Zac signaled the army it was fine to move forward after the final tower collapsed , and they quickly sped toward him as they vigilantly kept watch for any remnant defenses .

But it appeared that there were no hidden arrays , among the obvious towers , and the only remnant threat was the massive amount of magma that filled the whole entrance .

The army seemed to have anticipated this though , and the stronger warriors threw out one huge block of stone after another , effectively creating a wide bridge to pass . Zac nodded in appreciation as he jumped up on the bridge from one of his boulders , and the army entered the true Incursion together .

A pillar of the purest flames entered their sight the moment they stepped inside the cave where the golems had built their base . Zac first thought it was the volcano that the Council mentioned , but he soon realized it was the Incursion pillar itself , and it showed just how closely related to flames these golems were .

The other Incursions he had encountered had generally been simply color-coded to match the force , apart from the Undead Empire who had turned the pillar into a beacon of Miasma , where specters slowly circulated the beam .

The flame golems seemed to have the ability to do the same thing , as the Incursion was a huge red flame that almost blinded Zac when he looked at it . He swiftly turned his eyes away , a bit leery about whether the sight meant the golems were powerful enough to enjoy special treatment , or that it just looked that way because all the golems were fire-attuned .

Such musings would have to wait for later though , as he knew that they needed to act quickly . They hadn’t spotted a single golem so far , which made Zac believe an ambush was just around the corner . Besides , his new allies were currently fighting the Golems according to Murk's report , and the longer it took for Zac to take down the leader the greater the losses would be among the Council’s armies .

The group kept rushing closer and closer toward the Incursion Pillar , but they didn’t see any structures anywhere . However , the inside of the enormous stone pillar was still a marvelous sight . These golems were not only insidious combatants who had no compunctions about drowning people in magma , but they were also great artisans .

The golems had for some reason decided to spend a massive amount of effort on thousands of sculptures , each of them a lifelike masterpiece . The motifs were almost always of nature , with everything from large trees to unfamiliar creatures lovingly carved out of transported stones , or even out of the ground itself . The only exception was a huge boulder placed on a hill in the distance , the only stone that looked completely untouched .

Most people thought it was some sort of art , but Zac immediately knew something was wrong , as the boulder actually made him feel threatened .

Chapter 371 - The Floor is Lava

Since the suspicious boulder was placed alone on a hill it immediately garnered the attention of the others as well , and many exchanged glances in confusion .

Did they just found a rock they really liked…? - Joanna muttered , seeming a bit discombobulated from the unexpected scenery around them .

But Zac didn’t agree as he trusted his instinct on this matter .

It’s dangerous , - Zac succinctly said shot out five fractal blades in rapid succession .

His hunch proved spot on because the large boulder suddenly burst into flames as it transformed into an enormous amalgamation of fire and rock . The stone split into around twenty pieces that made up its body and limbs . The golem reached over five meters in the air , and the air for tens of meters around it shuddered from the heat and power it radiated .

Lava seeped out between the cracks in the stone , and it slowly dripped on the ground . Mysterious fractals also appeared on the stones and the inscriptions shone with a red glimmer that contained obvious power .

This is what the golems look like? - Emily muttered in disbelief from behind . - I don’t want to fight those things . I'll get torched before even getting close . -

No! - Murk shouted with fear . - This one is way bigger than the ones we’ve encountered , and the normal ones aren’t covered in fractals . -

It’s a common cultivation method for golems , - Verana said . - They inscribe their bodies with Cosmic Pathways to allow energy to flow more naturally . This one is one of the generals , or more likely the leader itself . -

I’ll test it out , - Zac muttered as he glared at the enemy from the distance . - Give me a power boost . -

Emily nodded and she threw a burning axe into his back . Zac felt like lava coursed through his veins before the effect stabilized . He chose the axe that gave Strength and Dexterity since he wanted to finish that thing as quickly as possible . Between his own prowess and Emily’s boost he didn’t fear the golem even if it radiated a greater pressure than even the Demon Lord did .

He disappeared in an instant , and a row of cracks in the ground was the only clue of his path as he rushed forward with the help of his movement skill . He was right in front of the golem in less than a second , and he felt a scorching heat from the Golem's Dao Field . He felt his skin smarting after just a second , but he breathed out in relief as he guessed that the golem didn't seem to possess a fragment .

The effect of the Dao field was only slightly stronger than his own Peak fields , where the extra boost came from the golem being in E-Grade . He immediately released a Dao Field containing heaviness , which hopefully would restrain his enemy a bit .

The golem was expecting Zac's arrival , and its huge fist looked like a small sun as it soared toward him . Zac immediately summoned a fractal edge and imbued it with Heaviness , opting to clash with the enemy head-on . The clash caused a storm of fire to explode far into the sky , but Zac imbued his body with the Seed of Trees to recover from the small burns .

Cracks appeared in the ground as the Golem stumbled a few steps backward from the initial clash , and Zac immediately knew that the golem had around 700 Strength at best . It would be an insurmountable power for most people , but Zac's effective strength was over a thousand between his high-grade titles and Emily's boost .

The edge from Chop] detached itself from Verun's Bite] and Zac controlled his blade to harass the golem from behind , as he mounted another assault from the front . The golem lit up in a blaze of flames in response , and the fractals on its chest started to emit an even stronger red light than before .

The already huge creature suddenly grew to twice its size , and Zac sensed real danger from it . He managed to cut off a large chunk of rock from its leg with a few furious swings as it transformed , but it wasn't enough to interrupt the transformation . The intensity of flames around it had increased by at least a tier , and Zac was forced to dismiss his independent fractal edge .

The blazing heat from the Golem King's body caused constant strain on the blade , and Zac was forced to infuse it with a huge amount of Cosmic Energy if he wanted to keep it going . It was more economical to use Chop] to create disposable blades that only lasted one swing . Zac realized that the transformation had caused the golem's flames to increase in intensity , but Zac was still overpowering it in raw strength .

Chunks of rock kept falling as Zac systematically dismantled it , stoically enduring the accumulating burns on his body . The Golem King furiously tried all kinds of attacks to take Zac out , but it wasn't strong enough to crush him and the Seed of Trees kept restoring Zac's burns . It released a deep bellow and slammed both its huge fists downward . Zac didn't want to block such a swing without reason , so he quickly jumped up to avoid the strike , aiming a strike at its head .

The two fists cause a massive earthquake in the area , but Zac managed to cut off a decent chunk of one of its shoulders . But a sense of worry crept into Zac's heart as the rumblings didn't abate , but only got worse . Zac finally realized what was going on , and he turned to the people who were keeping a defensive perimeter in the distance .

RUN! -

Pandemonium arrived a second later , as an endless amount of lava spewed up from the ground , creating a tidal wave that crashed in the direction of Port Atwood's Forces . It pushed forward with shocking speed , rapidly closing in on the fleeing warriors . Was the Golem trying to retaliate by killing his people?

Zac grit his teeth in fury as he jumped at the golem to launch another mighty swing , but the creature countered with another punch with its barn door-sized fist . Gravel rained down along the slope from a huge jagged wound that ran all the way along the Golem’s arm , but Zac was in turn launched away like a rocket from the eruption of fire the fist released .

A plume of smoke made a streak through the air as Zac was thrown back almost a hundred meters , but he landed on his feet without an issue . He made no attempts to run back up the hill , and instead opted to run back toward his fleeing army . Getting thrown back was just Zac borrowing the golem's momentum , as the huge thing wouldn't be able to push him if he didn't allow it .

He used Loamwalker] to the limit to get back in time , but the distance between his forces and the huge wave of lava kept shrinking . He knew that if that wave hit there would be serious casualties , as far from all of them were equipped to resist an attack of that magnitude .

But he was one with the earth as his steps took him closer and closer to the wave , and he finally caught up . The wave was simply massive by this point , and it shone with an almost blinding light . But Zac didn't hesitate as he started running on top of the malleable magma , ignoring the pain of his bare soles .

Smoke sizzled from his feet causing his eyes to tear up from the pain , but Zac only kept running . Unfortunately bad turned to worse when he realized he was starting to sink , even with his tremendous speed . In just two seconds he was already to his knees , and he started to sink faster and faster . The lava felt like quicksand , and the pain was quickly becoming unbearable .

The fractals on his robe lit up with a beautiful glimmer , but Zac had no time to admire the defensive charge his gear contained as he hurriedly pushed through the lava . Even with the protection of his top-quality gear he was still subject to tremendous heat , and he felt like a lobster getting boiled alive .

His legs strained as he waded through the viscous magma until he finally broke out on the other side , and his eyes were met with the scene of a few Valkyries desperately erecting defensive shields with the help of their War Array . Zac shook his head as he immediately realized such a wall would not hold against what he just forced his way through , and he took out an item from his Cosmos Sack with a sigh .

A refreshing scent spread across the area as Zac spread out across the area as he had activated his Dao Field for the Dao of Trees , and the next moment a miraculous sight took place . An impossibly dense jumble of thorned brambles spread out for over two hundred meters in an instant , and they grew to twice the height of the sea of lava .

It was Bramble Wall] , the second ace in his repertoire that he found during the hunt . He had already used his Void Ball] against the Cyborg , but he had kept this item all this time since it was an item of protection rather than destruction .

This was the choice he made . He could have likely destroyed the Golem King if he was given another minute , but that would have cost the lives of a large group of his own people . He had already cut off a third of its volume , and he couldn't imagine that didn't count as a grievous wound . But Zac had forcibly resisted the whispers of malice in his mind and literally ran through fire to protect his people .

Unfortunately it was all too obvious that a wall of brambles wasn’t the optimal defense against lava , and Zac could see how the vegetation was slowly getting decimated even though the brambles rapidly regrew with shocking ferocity . Zac scrambled for ideas and quickly tried to infuse the roots with the Dao of Trees .

It gave no response , even though the two concepts should have matched . He could only try the Seed of Sanctuary as well since he was out of options . This time it actually worked , and the roots lit up with a slightly golden hue , making them slightly fire-resistant . The spread and effect of his Dao Seed were far greater than he expected , and an idea formed in his mind that he quickly confirmed .

Sanctuary (Peak) : Endurance +50 , Intelligence +20 , Wisdom +50 .

It was another mid-fight breakthrough . The past weeks had made him better realize the duty of a leader , and his decision to give up his own goal for the safety of his people inadvertently helped him push through the final step . He was already close to evolving the seed due to the two iterations of Dao Visions , but this fight gave him the final push .

The bramble wall was still getting scorched by the sea of lava , but the roots managed to last far longer with the help of the Dao of Sanctuary . It even slowly gained thickness due to the regrowth . Zac breathed out in relief , knowing that his army was safe for now .

How can we help? - Joanna asked from behind .

I think the Golem King used a skill that was massively empowered by the environment . We'll just wait it out . Have people move back just in case , - Zac said before he jumped up on the wall of brambles to see what was going on .

The Golem lord still stood in the distance , and it looked like it was infusing power into the ground , making it spew out more and more magma like a real volcano . Zac frowned at the scene , knowing that their time was limited . The bramble would only keep regenerating new roots for twenty or thirty more seconds , while the Golem King seemed to just be getting started .

Throw your Extinguishing Arrays] over the wall! Buy me a couple of seconds! - Zac shouted as energy started to surge in his forearm .

The huge fractal hand emerged and shot toward the golem with blinding speed . The creature immediately noticed the new threat , and a large fractal appeared in the air behind it . Out of the fractal a white-hot flame emerged , and it actually appeared to be alive as it took a slightly humanoid shape , forming a head and two fanged arms .

An elemental! - Verana shouted with some surprise . - Is that thing a Summoner? -

Zac frowned as he looked at the inscribed hand who was suddenly beset by a barrage of flame attacks of the elemental . His own hand started to blister and crack from the transmitted heat , but he grit his teeth as he flooded Nature’s Punishment] with the Seed of Trees , allowing it to continuously regenerate its burnt parts .

It finally managed to arrive above the elemental and Golem who still kept infusing the ground with energy . The large fractal beneath the hand appeared next , just like it did during the battle against the undead . But no mountain emerged from the fractal , but something else entirely .

It was instead an endless torrent of water that spewed out of the fractal , making it look like the other end of the array was at the bottom of an ocean .

Chapter 372 - Deluge

An unceasing deluge of water rushed out of the array in the sky , crashing into everything below in an instant . This was the true power of reaching peak mastery of Nature's Punishment] . Nature took many shapes and forms , and the earth was just one of them . Another type of punishment of nature was the relentless waves on the ocean , crushing anything in its path .

Just like the Golem King had his ocean of fire , so did Zac have an ocean of his own .

The elemental had summoned an enormous wall of flames to block out the water , and the clash of the two opposing forces caused thick clouds of steam to spread for kilometers in every direction . Some of the water also spilled over on the sea of lava , which helped to cool it down somewhat . Zac's vision was completely blocked out in just a second , so he could only keep pouring energy into his skill to keep it going while maintaining vigilance for surprise attacks through the haze .

Zac was starting to worry that his bramble wall would crumble before he finished the fight , but a high-pitched shriek echoed across the cave after ten seconds or so . The wail caused Zac’s mind to blur for a second and almost made him fall off the wall of brambles . But luckily he had learned his lesson after encountering the mental bell , and he had kept Mental Fortress] active and fully charged during the whole battle .

It only took an instant for him to once again stabilize his mind , and he sensed a stream of Cosmic Energy entering his body . Something had been killed by his attack , and Zac guessed it was the elemental judging from the shriek . However , the surge of energy only felt like one kill , and Zac guessed that the Golem King was still alive . Eventually he couldn't maintain his skill any longer , and the torrential downpour ended .

The problem was that he couldn't see anything past a few meters ahead due to the massive amount of mist in the air . He hadn't really thought about this problem when he decided to attack with water , he simply wanted to cool down the lava and extinguish the burning Golem . But the Golem could be anywhere at this moment , as the Elemental staved off the water for almost ten seconds , giving the Golem ample time to move out of the way .

An attack could come from anywhere as things stood .

Stay together , shout out if you sense something! - Zac shouted to the people below .

It at least became apparent that the golem no longer was infusing energy into the ground to pour out more lava , as the moving wall of molten stone had stopped , and large parts had already cooled down enough for it to become solid again . Zac briefly considered running back on top of the lava to scout out the area , but he soon enough gave up that idea .

The Golem had already shown its willingness to target his army , and he needed to be close-by in case it was preparing another assault .

Do you have any means to sense where the golem is? - Zac asked Verana who stood next to him .

I'm afraid not , - Verana said with a shake of her head . - I think it's best to simply wait a few minutes for the haze to disperse before deciding what to do next . -

Zac had to reluctantly agree , even though it felt like giving the enemy time to prepare their next attack . After two minutes the bramble wall started to rapidly disintegrate , rotting with a speed visible to the naked eye . It wasn't Zac that was doing anything , but it was likely just the natural life cycle of that odd plant . It rapidly grew for a few minutes before its life ended .

Another ten minutes passed where Zac vigilantly walked around the army as a guard , trying to find any clues in the slowly dispersing mist . Every minute that went by made his nerves even more frayed , and his mind even started to play tricks on him . Every small movement in the shadows soon enough felt like a hidden ambush by the golems , and he had to restrain himself from launching fractal edges in all directions .

But no attack appeared , and when the mist finally dispersed they only saw a desolate landscape devoid of a single Golem . Zac was a bit confused , as it felt like the golems missed the perfect opportunity to strike back . After going over his options he ordered the army to resume their approach toward the core of the Incursion .

But the group only walked for one minute when he got a prompt from the System , telling him that the Incursion was closed . That could only mean that the Golem Lord had died or that he had left through the nexus hub . The news quickly spread among the people since the Valkyries still had their quest for a few more days , and they noticed that their quest progress had advanced by one .

The whole invasion has probably left already , - Verana guessed as they kept moving toward the Incursion with greater speed . - The moment that golem realized how strong you were it launched its ultimate attack at us , wanting to create an opportunity to escape . -

They weren't even willing to properly fight it out? Things might have become different if the Golem brought helpers and some arrays ; - Zac said with confusion . - This approach feels a bit different from how the other invaders have reacted . They usually go a bit further . -

Golems don’t think like us . They generally don’t have emotions , and concepts like honor or revenge are foreign to them . They likely made a calculation that the risks of staying outweighed the potential reward , and immediately left , - Verana guessed .

Zac could only shake his head in disbelief , feeling like he had been robbed of a proper conclusion . These golems really left a sour taste in one’s mouth , causing so much trouble for Earth but not having the decency to allow the natives to retaliate .

Verana’s suspicions were soon enough confirmed when they saw the harried armies of the Council arriving from the other directions as they converged around the Nexus Hub . It turned out that the golem armies had entered a heated struggle against the Council's armies , contesting every single meter . The golems even held the advantage , but they suddenly fled with shocking speed , only leaving a token force behind to curtail the advance of the Council .

Every single golem that stayed behind fought to its death , even going so far as to detonate themselves in a final attempt to delay the army . Zac realized it was all to let as many as possible flee through the Nexus Hub , and he was speechless at learning they golems were just as ruthless against themselves as they were against others .

He had never encountered a force that would leave behind a tenth of their people like that , and that those people would fight with such rabid ferocity . Perhaps only forces who reared death sworn warriors could do something like that and trust in the results of the rearguard .

Another unfortunate result of the extreme decisiveness of the Golems was that the whole area around the Nexus Hub was completely picked clean . It was just a flat surface , and it looked like the golems had even taken their houses with them as they left through the Hub . There were no stores of resources , no gear or weaponry to loot , nothing .

Even Zac who had fought two pretty taxing battles couldn't properly rest and go over the battle , and he started to run around to look for valuables with the rest of the party . He already had a sour taste in his mouth after not being able to kill the Golem King , and that only got worse when he realized he might be losing a bunch of money on the venture .

But Joanna finally came over with some good news after a few minutes .

They’ve found something , - Joanna said as she walked up to Zac .

What? - Zac said with bright eyes , hoping to make at least some money from the Incursion .

Tunnels , lots of them , - Joanna said , making Zac blankly look at her .

What was so special about a bunch of tunnels?

Murk came over as well , and when he heard their exchange and Zac's subsequent confusion he immediately explained the situation .

The underworld is surprisingly flat , with its elevation only diverging a few hundred meters at most . The most common exception seems to be mines containing spiritual-grade resources , - he excitedly explained . - And we’ve already found indicators what this place holds! -

So what resources are there? - Zac asked as he got infected by the moleman’s exuberance .

It’s a Nexus Crystal Mine! - the moleman said with a wide grin .

Oh , - Zac said , his excitement noticeably waning .

He already had his own Crystal Mine on the island . Port Atwood also gained another 6 mines in the Underworld , though they were far worse than his original mine since they didn’t sit right on top of a Nexus Vein .

You don’t understand , - Murk said with almost glowing eyes . - I’ve never seen a mine of this size . Our early estimates say it covers the whole area beneath the pillar , perhaps reaching even further . But that’s not the most important thing! -

Zac curiously looked on as the moleman took out a raw Nexus crystals shining with scorching radiance .

Attuned Crystal? E-Grade? - Zac whistled with surprise . - You think there are more? -

We only found the one so far , a scout accidentally cracked a small boulder and found this one inside . But if there is one crystal like this , then there are surely more . This might be the greatest mine in the Underworld , - the moleman said , almost dancing in place .

Zac nodded in agreement , feeling it made sense the golems were placed here considering their attunement . But he also remembered that the golems only kept to themselves during the start since the integration . Had they mined everything already?

Don’t worry , - Murk said when he saw Zac’s hesitation - The Council got their hands on a measuring array that detects spiritual resources , and it’s indicating there are still vast resources remaining as long as we go a bit further into the mines . The crystals that were easiest to access might be gone already , but not even the Golems could take it all in a couple of months . Besides , the crystals will regrow . -

I want a detailed survey as soon as possible , - Zac said , his heart finally starting to thump with excitement .

He knew he had gotten his hand on a huge treasure this time , and he wanted to get a feeling of just how huge it was . E-Grade Fire-Attuned Nexus Crystals weren’t that rare in the multiverse , and even his Top Grade Beast Crystals were worth more .

But the whole Beast Crystal mine would fit in a small side-tunnel of the massive network beneath their feet . There were only 200 top-grade Beast Crystals , but there might be tens of thousands of attuned Nexus Crystals in his newly acquired mine . And with a mine of this magnitude there might even be the possibility of D-Grade crystals appearing in the bottom , or at least in the future as Earth matured .

We’d be happy to explore the mine together with you in the upcoming weeks , - the moleman quickly said , his whiskers shuddering with excitement . - Our people can provide both insight and efficiency to any mining operation . -

Zac only smiled in response , making no decisions on the spot . The Council had already agreed that the Incursion and it's surrounding area would fall under his control , but the council would gain a 15% stake in any wealth from this place due to their assistance . The size of the stake had been the largest point of contention in the meeting a few days ago , but Zac ended the discussion with a simple fact . If they had the capability they would have long closed the Incursion themselves .

But the Council could still boost their income even further if they were the ones who did all the work since no one would work for free . He would have to check with one of his administrators if Port Atwood could handle such a massive venture themselves .

Did we find any stores of already mined crystals? Like a store-room by the entrance of the mine? - Zac asked as an afterthought .

None , and we’ve gone so far as to frisk the people who entered the mines to make sure they’re not hiding anything , - Joanna said . - I think the golems already found out about the fate of the other Incursions , and they already had one foot out the door before we even arrived . The Golem Lord simply tested your power , and when he noticed your strength he immediately gave the order to return . -

Zac sighed and nodded , feeling that what she said made sense . The golems had time for an orderly evacuation , so it was no surprise that they would also have taken their things . Still , the mine alone was a huge get , though it was unlikely he would be able to extract anything too valuable before he left for the Tower .

The Councillors were already closing in on him from the distance , no doubt hoping to renegotiate the deal after finding out about the riches below . Zac could only smile at their approach , feeling that they only had themselves to blame for the situation . The Council had so many powerhouses , yet they hadn't closed a single Incursion . They were too tame , and consequently they were unaware that great riches could always be found close to the Incursions .

Zac was a bit wrung dry from the fight though , and he was in no mood for a haggling session . He simply threw out a couple of arrays on the ground and told Joanna that he needed to rest after the fight . The Valkyrie nodded and moved to intercept the Councilors , immediately shutting down any attempts to discuss the mine .

The array disks isolated the small space from the hubbub outside , and Zac sat down on the ground after making sure that none of the Councillors were brazen enough to push through his arrays . It was true that he needed to recuperate after the fight , and he took out an E-Grade Nexus Crystal .

But the real reason was that he wanted to go over his other gains .

Chapter 373 - Desecration

Zac had sensed a few improvements during the battle , but he didn’t feel comfortable checking things out while he was still in the middle of battle , waiting for a potential ambush . But now it was about time he looked things over .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

75

Class

F-Rare] Hatchetman

Race

E] Human

Alignment

Earth] Port Atwood - Lord

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher , Progenitor Hegemon , Duplicity Core , Apex Hunter , Heaven's Chosen , Scion of Dao , Omnidextrous , Eastern Trigram Hunt - 1st , Tyrannic Force , Achievement Hunter , The First Step , Promising Specialist

Limited Titles

Frontrunner

Dao

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

Core

F] Duplicity

Strength

773 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 140%]

Dexterity

400 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 140%]

Endurance

1108 Increase : 70 , 5% . Efficiency : 140%]

Vitality

496 Increase : 55 , 5% . Efficiency : 140%]

Intelligence

196 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 140%]

Wisdom

299 Increase : 45% . Efficiency : 140%]

Luck

149 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 140%]

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

F] 185 744 753

His attributes , mainly Endurance and Vitality , had taken a large leap forward . But he noticed that he had gained more attribute points than expected , and he looked at the usual source of unexpected boosts ; his title list .

Promising Specialist : Reach 1000 points in a single attribute before evolving to E-Grade . Reward : All stats +5 , Endurance +5%

Zac had mixed feelings of seeing his new title , realizing it might cause some turbulence in his cultivation path . He had gained more Endurance and survivability , but the result of the title itself might prove problematic for his future progression . He had likely gotten the class option for Big Game Hunter due to his Apex Hunter-title , and he was worried the same thing would happen now that he was closing in on his next selection .

Would the system try to force him into another tank class now that it considered him a specialist? Yrial even mentioned that the System only allowed people to pick Classes that would suit their talents .

It might not be the first time that someone got 1000 points into the wrong attribute by accident , but Zac reckoned that it was extremely rare at best . He would much rather have gotten the title for reaching 1000 points in Strength , but beggars couldn’t be choosers at a time where he desperately needed power-ups . Hopefully the title only meant that he would get an additional option for a tank class without losing his other options during his evolution .

Zac was actually a bit surprised that the title only appeared now . He had already passed 1000 Endurance in his human form even before his latest improvements , but he didn't get the title then . Perhaps the System didn’t count boosts like Forester’s Constitution] to avoid people cheating with the help of skills like Hatchetman’s Rage] and Emily’s boosts .

His gain in attributes wasn’t actually what he wanted to look for when he sat down , even though it was a welcome bonus . It was the fact that he sensed something change in his movement skill as he ran atop the lava . He still sunk into the molten rock in the end , but he managed to move quite a bit faster than he used to , allowing him to catch up to his squad with record-speed .

As expected he saw that Loamwalker] had reached Late Mastery , and even Nature’s Barrier] had improved a step as well . He wasn’t quite sure what made the skills suddenly evolve , but he was happy to take it . Both had been subject to lava before they broke through , perhaps that was a clue to push the two skills one step further?

Zac closed the screens after seeing the changes , but he didn’t exit the arrays just yet . He first summoned the emerald leaves out of curiosity , and he noticed that the defensive skill didn't have any great changes . The leaves were larger , and they seemed to contain more energy . Zac deactivated the skill and focused on restoring his Cosmic Energy for two hours as he tried to familiarize himself with his improved Dao Seed next .

The two intense fights had not been too draining , apart from the final strike with Nature's Punishment] . His energy was soon enough at an acceptable level , at which point he exited the array . Zac wryly smiled when a few councilors ran up to him . He had seen them impatiently walking back and forth in the distance while he sat in his array .

The Underworld Council had sent four of the human councilors , perhaps in hopes that Zac would be more amenable to give some concessions to his own people , but they were sorely mistaken . Their roundabout questions of reopening negotiations regarding the mine were immediately shut down . Zac made no decisions on the spot , as he had people better suited at figuring out a plan for the mine than himself . He would let them deal with it while he focused on the Incursions .

But Zac still stayed on to discuss a few other topics , and the meeting took 20 minutes before Zac excused himself . The members of the Underworld Council could only watch in disappointment as Zac bought a teleportation array and disappeared in a flash of light .

The council needed twelve hours before they got their real armies ready , and Zac left a few people to help guide them to the main continent . He wasn’t too worried about them trying to doublecross him and take control of the town above , as he had made backup plans .

Mr . Trang and his squads had been busy setting up not one but three back-up towns on the unexplored continent , making sure that Zac never lost the means to get back . If the Council tried something he could descend upon them within a day . A transit station on a separate island from Port Atwood had also been set up , meaning that there was no risk of his town getting infiltrated .

The air on Port Atwood smelled extraordinarily fresh as he stepped out of the teleportation array . He headed over to the Academy when he couldn’t find his sister anywhere , and he found her in the middle of setting up the arrays she mentioned the other day . A new and completely circular structure was being erected , and Zac could see that it held three very distinct layers just like they had discussed .

Ogras and the army had left a few days ago as planned , and they rejoined the extremely harried Sino-Indian Alliance to finally stop the second zombie horde in its tracks . The demon had even entered a heated battle against the Zombie General in the air above the sea of undead , though neither was able to gain an advantage according to the report .

The fight ended with both of them backing away , with Ogras sporting light wounds . Zac guessed that the demon wanted to solidify his Dao through battle , so he had sought out the strongest opponent he could find . Hopefully it would pay dividends with the funnel later . The fact that they managed to force one of the main armies to a halt was a great sign , but he wasn't sure how long they could keep it up after Ogras left the frontlines .

But it would hopefully buy them a couple of more days before the enormous array truly activated , which was great since Kenzie needed some more time to prepare .

Zac couldn't just sit around and wait until the array was finished , and he was torn between a few options . He first considered joining the battle against the Undead Horde , but eventually discarded the idea . He needed to fight in his Draugr-form since he lacked two levels , and he didn't want to alert the Undead Empire about that persona unless necessary .

Eventually he decided to take down another surface incursion in the meantime , as many of the invaders still focused on enriching themselves rather than helping in the fight against the Undead Empire . He had no problem with using those people like a whetstone for his final levels .

Seeing the Flame Golem's actions were also a bit worrying , filling Zac with some urgency . It would become a problem if the invaders decided to follow suit and escape through the Nexus Hub before Zac could get his hands on them . It would both result in loss of experience for him , and that the massive wealth they plundered from stolen land would be permanently lost .

He wanted to take down as many as possible before they cashed out and fled to their homeworlds , and Zac guessed that many were already planning on leaving due to the Undead Empire .

So he ordered a Valkyrie who was on standby in the Academy to head over to the Fire Golem Incursion and tell his elite squad to join him . Soon enough Verana and a squad of elites met up with - Mr . Black’ outside a teleporter in a town hidden in the wilderness . Apart from Verana and Tylia there was also Harvath and his squad of demons .

Smaug had somehow joined the squad as well , and he looked about ready to cry as he looked up at the sky . He stood still like he was frozen and took one deep breath after another .

Wait , we have two suns now? - the merchant finally exclaimed after a few seconds .

And four moons , - Joanna smiled .

Four of them? Wonder if there are treasures up there just waiting for the first person strong enough to grab them , - the demon muttered .

Most moons are pretty desolate places , - Verana said from the side . - Few of them have a planet core that generates Cosmic Energy . But those that do are often turned into private residences as the density of Cosmic Energy becomes pretty extraordinary . There would no doubt be treasures for the first explorers at such a place . -

Smaug whistled with interest before he finally looked down again and joined the squad as they finished their preparations . All of them looked rested and ready for battle , which wasn’t surprising since Zac had essentially carried out the whole battle against the golems himself .

The group set out without preamble , and things went as expected . After having fought against four above-average Incursions in the unfamiliar terrain of the Underworld , assaulting a much weaker Incursion on the surface provided little challenge for the group .

The moment they reached the incursion Verana silently summoned Grub , and Zac jumped on its head before they rammed the defensive array . The two had acted as a wall breaking team a few times already , and the defenses that the invaders set up proved far too weak to handle their assault . It cracked like brittle glass , and a handful of the feathered humanoids of the incursion coughed up blood from the backlash .

Zac jumped down from Grub and stomped in the ground , teleporting himself over to a section of the invader army where a group of birdmen emitting the powers of E-grade warriors stood . He directly activated Profane Seal] , for the first time seeing the skill after he managed to upgrade it to Middle Mastery .

The five sinister towers had gotten an addition of five gates that were placed in the gap between the towers themselves . It looked a bit funny with gates that had open space on both sides , but they emitted a terrifying enough aura for anyone to take them seriously .

Zac couldn’t figure out any purpose of the gates apart from the fact that he sensed he was able to open and close them at will . It was pretty convenient as it would allow him to get reinforcements while he fought inside the cage .

On top of the gates the same types of azure fractals as the ones on top of the towers hovered , each of them summoning another spectral chain . Unfortunately , they didn’t seem to be much stronger since he upgraded the skill , meaning that a strong warrior would be able to rebuff or break them .

But Zac had already found another usage of the chains as he only commanded five of them to start harassing the Incursion leader and the two guards he had by his sides . The other five started to whip around the large number of birdmen who were also caught inside the large cage as well .

Streams of energies almost immediately started to flood into his body as he started to fight the leader with the help of Hunger] and Unholy Strike] . It was the chains that managed to impale one of the average warriors after another , killing them before the corpses were dragged along toward the next victim .

A few of the warriors survived having their torsos penetrated by the spectral chains , and wails and screams of fear started to echo in the area as the chains ruthlessly started to drain them of their life-force . In just a minute the chains were studded by rows of desiccated husks as they whirled around in the air , creating a truly horrifying spectacle completely irreverent of the dead .

He finally understood what the profane part of the skill name was referring to .

Chapter 374 - Dao of the Axe

Seeing the horrifying display of his skill Zac's resolve started to waver , but he soon steeled his heart . He had already confirmed with the Marshall Clan that this particular Incursion hadn't shown any mercy , and quite a large number of people had been enslaved and killed by them . Besides , getting killed by a swing of an axe was only marginally better than getting hollowed out by the spectral chains .

The birdman leader screeched in rage as he saw his underlings getting culled one by one , and he desperately tried to take Zac down . He had some sort of wind-related class , and he moved with tremendous speed to attack Zac from various angles like flashes of lightning . One wound after another started to appear on Zac’s body as though they came from nowhere , but Zac didn’t mind in the slightest .

Undying Bulwark was truly the nemesis of Dexterity-based warriors . He wasn’t able to block out the skills , but why should he even try? In less than thirty seconds the birdman general was drenched in blood from his own attacks . The ghosts from Deathwish] had dragged him into a dance of death , and there was no way that Zac wouldn’t be the last one standing in such a struggle . Zac himself had quite a few flesh wounds , but it was nothing a normal healing pill wouldn't fix in a couple of hours .

Soon enough the birdman leader gave up on the assault and caused a rain of blood when he shot toward the wall of Profane Seal] . But he couldn’t even escape the ghosts over on the other side of the cage , and he finally fell with an anguished wail when he unleashed a flurry of wind blades against one of the towers .

The battle was pretty much over by that point , as almost all of the trapped warriors had already fallen to the onslaught of the combination of the chains and the corrosive mists from Winds of Decay] . The remaining warriors outside had long given up , and they frantically fled toward the Nexus Hub along with the non-combat invaders . They were all essentially walking Nexus Crystals , but Zac allowed the survivors to leave through the Hub even though he desperately needed to gain levels .