Defiance of the Fall

The skeletons were all whole and without cracks , but the gear they wore was mismatched and obviously worse for the wear . The swords and armors were chipped and filled with rust , but they still contained deathly energy that felt strong enough to kill the peak F-Grade parasites in a swing or two .

Zac nodded in relief when he saw the skill , as the skill quest had been a bit troubling .

It had required him to gather the resentment of 500 000 kills , which made him worry about what would happen when he activated Undying Legion] . The fact that it would be some sort of summoning skill was pretty obvious going by the name , but he had been afraid that he would summon everyone he had killed over the past months .

He didn’t feel shame or regret for all those kills , but he also didn’t feel proud about the kind of person he had become . Being put face to face again to the victims of his carnage would have been a bit much to handle , so the nondescript skeletons were no doubt a relief .

The parasites didn't worry about where the skeletons had cropped up from and they immediately pounced on their new targets . The skeleton warriors themselves immediately went to work without needing any prompts from Zac . One parasite after another got ripped to shreds , and a continuous surge of miasma filled Zac’s body as he simply watched on .

The skill might have had a massive initial expenditure , but Zac was happy to see that there was no cost at all to maintaining the skill after the skeletons had formed . They kept hacking and slashing without Zac losing an iota of miasma . It was actually the opposite as his reserves kept getting filled thanks to Fields of Despair] .

A thought struck Zac as he watched on , and he tried infusing the Fragment of the Coffin into one of the skeletons . The summoned warrior immediately turned a shade darker , and its sword started to emanate a pretty terrifying aura .

Any beast the Dao-infused skeleton cut started to immediately rot and fester , and the effect was even greater than when he used the Seed of Rot with his axe . Any parasite that was struck with the sword was turned into a pile of goop within a minute . The scene made Zac realize he had forgotten one of the weapons in his arsenal , as he always used the Fragment of the Axe when fighting with his weapon lately .

It was a good reminder that he also had such a tool in his toolbox .

Chapter 418 - Undying Legion

Zac kept experimenting with Undying Legion] and he found that he could infuse the Fragment of the Axe into skeletons as well , but only into the few who were wielding an axe . It appeared they couldn’t use weapons that he provided either , which made it impossible to hand out a bunch of disposable axes to improve their power .

But the Dao of the Coffin was a more fitting infusion anyway , so Zac felt it was fine . It didn’t only improve their offensive power by a huge degree , it also made them a noticeably sturdier . A couple of the skeletons were ripped apart as they were mobbed by the frenzied parasites , but those infused with the Dao of the Coffin were like stalwart defenders who never went down .

One disappointing factor was that he only managed to infuse 12 of the hundred or so skeletons the skill conjured . He wasn’t sure whether this was a limit of the skill or due to him lacking control over his Daos , as Zac felt a noticeable strain to split his mental energy and imbue many targets at the same time .

Being able to infuse all of them would , of course , be preferable , but at least it was a start . It created a few skeleton commanders who could lead their brethren into battle . Zac himself joined the fight as well , taking advantage of his massive frame and weapon to carve a path of death in the hordes .

Zac also tested the offensive capabilities of the Fragment of the Coffin in conjunction with Vanguard of Undeath] , and the fit was just amazing . It did not only make his conjured armor far sturdier , but it also imbued his axe with the same corrosive capabilities as it did with the skeletons .

He felt extremely lucky to have mastered the Seed of Rot from the fight inside the Inheritance . What is he had simply fused Sanctuary with Hardness to form the Fragment of the Shield instead? He would have turned into a mobile fortress , impervious but unable to dish out nearly as much damage .

Now he was a tank who spread death and decay wherever he walked . Black clouds started to billow around him as well , seeping out through the slits in his helmet as though a fire burned inside the miasmic armor . Thankfully it turned out his summons were completely unaffected by the corrosive mists of Winds of Decay] , even though they were neck-deep in it .

One disappointing change to Zac was that he was suddenly unable to infuse the black mists with his Fragment of the Coffin . Ever since the skill reached Middle proficiency he had been able to infuse it with the Seed of Rot , which kicked its corrosion to another level .

But now that the nature of the Dao changed he lost the ability to infuse the gas . Was it because there was no component of hardness to the skill?

Zac felt some disappointment with the development , but he suddenly had a spark of inspiration . If he went by the image of his latest Dao Fragment the corrosive aspect was locked inside the hardness . Zac immediately changed his tactic and infused his lungs with the Fragment of the Coffin instead as he breathed out another lungful of corrosive mists .

The latest gust was clearly different compared to the others . The normal mist was essentially a greyish black , but the new mist also had a greenish hue to it , making it feel more nefarious . His guess had been correct , he simply needed to adapt his thinking a bit to make the skill work .

He made his lungs the coffin , and the skill the aspect of rot that he exhaled .

This discovery did unfortunately bring a whole new problem he had never encountered in his Hatchetman class though . He had too many skills active at the same time . The continuous consumption of miasma wasn’t negligible , but the real problem was related to the Dao .

It was simply impossible for Zac to infuse all his skills with the Daos at the same time . The moment he started infusing Winds of Decay] , the infusion to Vanguard of Undeath] ended . It was also completely impossible for him to split his consciousness enough to add his Daos to the spectral projections for Deathwish] while using it for other skills .

He was able to juggle the Fragment of the Coffin back and forth between his skills to some success , but he found himself being constantly delayed and losing focus on the battle itself . It felt like he was trying to solve a Sudoku in the middle of battle , making him constantly distracted . It looked like he would have to work even harder with his exercises to improve his mental control .

Still , only being able to infuse one or two skills at a time was acceptable for now , and with everything in place Zac allowed himself to freely rampage across the back of the Avoli . Ogras kept his distance , staying far away from the toxic battlefield Zac had created . It only took him 10 minutes before a deathly silence had spread out across the back of the titan , with not a single living parasite remaining in the area .

Only then did Zac release his skills , surprised to notice that he had less than a quarter of his Miasma remaining . It wasn’t due to wounds since he didn’t even have a flesh wound from the battle thanks to the armor , but it was rather due to the massive expenditure . If it wasn’t for Fields of Despair] returning some miasma to him he might have turned back to his human form unknowingly .

Zac felt extremely satisfied with the two new skills to his class though , even if their costs were pretty big . He finally started to understand how Undying Bulwark was meant to be used . The first skills had been focused on keeping himself alive in the vanguard of a battle , withstanding both physical and mental attacks .

Then came Profane Seal] that allowed him to trap his target in an arena that would allow no escape until one side was downed . The Seal itself wasn’t that strong on the offense though , as the chains only worked on weak cannon fodder . For example , almost all of the Incursion Leaders had been able to either destroy or push away the chains before they could do any damage .

If it wasn’t for Zac’s unnaturally high attributes and Daos he would have been forced to slowly grind down his targets with Deathwish] . He had also been able to shore up his weaknesses somewhat with Unholy Strike] and Winds of Decay] . But it was undeniable that both his single-target and large-scale damage was limited compared to his other class .

But that all changed with the final two skills . They added the final missing ingredient to the mix and changed him from a passive defender to a real juggernaut that could change the course of a large-scale battle .

Had your fill? - Ogras’ voice drifted over from the side , and Zac looked over to see the demon walking over , pointedly avoiding going near the parasites melted by the Fragment of the Coffin .

This undead class of yours is just a cheat , - the demon muttered as he shook his head in disgust . - I’ve never heard of anything like it . How is one supposed to take you down without being a far higher level? -

Isn’t that a good thing? - Zac answered with a smile .

Zac didn’t need to showcase his two new aces in front of Ogras , especially now that they would have to go their separate ways after the 4th floor . But it served as a good reminder for the wily demon to not have any ideas even if he had become a lot stronger lately with his Shadow Fragment .

Since Zac had finished trying out his new skills there was no reason to linger on the level . They rushed to the front of the Avoli and entered its body through one of the burrows the Parasites had formed .

It looked like the parasites had a somewhat symbiotic relationship with the host , as they doggedly defended the inner parts of the titan . But the two simply blasted their way through until they found the brain of the beast .

Surprisingly it was just a bit over twenty meters across , which felt pretty small for a beast as large as a mountain range . The demon had some fun prodding the poor beast , causing one massive earthquake after another as the Avoli started to buck in pain . Zac eventually had to drag him through the teleporter that appeared after one particularly massive earthquake .

Unfortunately there wasn't anything of value that they could find inside the Avoli , but that was simply how things were . You wouldn't always find treasure even when completing the quest , you just improved your odds of finding something of value .

The following levels went by quickly as well , as the 4th floor still wasn’t dangerous enough to hamper their progress . They also learned that not every single level would immediately throw them into the thick of it . At least not in an obvious way .

The sixth level had for example put them in the middle of a deadly array , and if Zac hadn’t been warned by his Danger Sense they would have had a significant amount of life force drained without even noticing .

But just as the danger increased so did the rewards , at least when they followed through on the quests . One precious item after another went into Zac’s Cosmos Sacks or Ogras’ barrels until they finally reached the 8th level .

The quest this time was nothing special as it was yet another beast tide quest , with the small addition that an upstart force had taken the opportunity to launch a coup in the middle of the chaos . So not only had they guard against the beasts , but they also needed to protect the mayor from assassination attempts .

Completing the level early was also a bit troublesome , as they couldn't figure out if it was the beast alpha or the matriarch of the upstart clan that was the guardian . There was a real risk that killing the wrong enemy would have some unintended consequences , so they found themselves a bit stuck on defense until reinforcements arrived .

However , that was actually a lucky break for Zac as Verun stirred for the first time since they encountered the Beast Crystals after they had stayed on the level for a couple of hours . The Tool Spirit had finally sensed something that it wanted to eat . It was a great sign to Zac , as he had started to worry that the fact that the Spirit Tool didn’t want to eat anything was a sign that it had reached its limits for improvement .

Can you take care of things on this end for a day or two? - Zac asked the demon who was standing on the wall walk next to him overlooking the sea of beasts .

What’s that? - Ogras asked with confusion .

My Tool Spirit is sensing something it wants to eat , - Zac explained , not bothering to hide it from the demon . - I want to go take it . -

That’s fine . Just go , - Ogras shrugged . - We are stuck here for another two days anyway unless you're willing to risk it by guessing which one is the floor guardian . -

Zac nodded in agreement and flashed away toward the direction Verun's indicated . He waded straight through the sea of rabid beasts outside the town , turning everything around him into a bloody mess . He only avoided the area where the horde leader , a massive demon tortoise , stood , as to not accidentally get dragged into a battle with it .

Thirty minutes passed and he entered a mountain range that was ordinarily a popular spot to harvest herbs and hunt beasts . But now it was almost completely desolate , with all its occupants having been drafted into the beast army .

A howl echoed across the mountains as Verun’s true form suddenly leaped out of Zac's axe , and it started sprinting in a certain direction . Zac could only follow with interest , and he was led into a valley with an oddly sparse Cosmic Energy .

A sense of Déjà Vu filled Zac's heart as he looked around to see a bunch of withered trees and weeds all around him , and his suspicions were only confirmed when they reached the middle of the valley . A massive plant as large as a tree stood alone , and a thick bloody scent wafted out from it .

It looked a bit like a cactus or a succulent flower , with an extremely wide base and no stalk to talk about . Each leaf was almost as tall as Zac himself , and they were extremely thick . There weren't any flowers or fruits that Zac could see , but perhaps there was something like that hidden inside the layers of leaves .

Another gleeful roar emerged from Verun’s throat as it pounced the plant , clearly wanting to bite into its leaves . But a massive shape suddenly burst out of the ground , and it immediately got into a tussle with the Tool Spirit .

Zac’s face scrunched up in disgust when he saw that it was a twenty-meter long centipede , but he still jumped into the fray with his axe at the ready . The area rapidly transformed into a sacred grove as he activated Hatchetman’s Spirit] , and Zac appeared right next to one of the beast’s segments .

A five-meter fractal imbued with the Fragment of the Axe slammed into the beast , aiming to bisect it in one swift attack , but Zac’s brows rose when he saw that the strike was actually rebuffed . The centipede was still thrown a dozen meters away due to the force of the swing , but it was very much still in one piece after the attack .

Zac wasn’t disappointed though , but he rather looked at the massive insect like he was looking at a pile of Nexus Crystals . Just how strong was that shell?

Chapter 419 - Tumbles

A shell that could withstand an offensive Dao Fragment , along with Zac’s terrifying force , was definitely a material that could be refined into some very sturdy armor . Hell , he could cover a whole ship in shells judging by how big the centipede was .

The problem was how to kill it without completely crushing the animal with something like Nature’s Punishment] and ruining the materials . Zac activated Inquisitive Eye] in hopes it would provide some useful information , but it only managed to find out that the centipede was level 91 .

It was actually the highest level beast Zac had fought since entering the Tower . There had been stronger beings in the worlds they passed through , such as the devil titans on the 28th floor , but he had never been expected to fight those .

Zac guessed that the centipede and the massive succulent it was guarding could be considered a side quest , providing an increased challenge in return for a valuable item . Zac also realized there was no time to waste , as it turned out that the centipede was not only able to touch the Tool Spirit , but it was getting the better off it against it .

Verun repeatedly tried to bite through the tough carapace , but it simply didn't possess the strength to do so . The centipede easily shrugged off the attacks as it tried to strangle the Tool Spirit . Zac wasn’t worried about Verun though since it had already been proven on multiple occasions that the spectral beast essentially was immortal in its current form .

At least that was Zac’s guess as the Tool Spirit had been ripped to shreds on multiple occasions , yet it was fine after sleeping it off inside the axe . It also was in line with what he had learned about Spirit Tools . The Tool Spirit was almost impossible to kill and would persist as long as the Spirit Tool wasn't broken .

But he still didn’t want to stand by while his companion was getting harried , so he quickly reentered the fray . He freely moved between the sections of the centipede , effortlessly dodging the hundreds of sharp legs thanks to the near-omniscience provided to him by Hatchetman’s Spirit] . There was no chance of getting trapped or accidentally stabbed by one of the legs while the trees were his eyes .

Finally , he reached the front section , and with a grunt jumped up toward its head . The centipede immediately sensed the threat and tried to head-butt him away , but Zac shot out a fractal blade that hit the beasts’ head with enough force to push it to the side . Zac kept flying toward its neck unencumbered and managed to grab onto the edge of one of its protective plates .

The centipede started to wildly thrash and twist to throw Zac off , but Zac would be able to hold on even if they were thrown into a hurricane with his inhumanly strong grip . He simply allowed himself to be flung back and forth while he held on with his left hand and methodically started to swing toward the gap between two chitinous plates .

This was pretty much the same tactic he had tried against the Battleroach King without any success . But things were different this time around . The centipede didn’t seem to possess any real skills for one , especially not a fractal shield to block Zac’s strikes . Secondly , his corrosive power had improved by quite a bit since the fight against the battleroaches .

It just took two swings before the plating had turned from a lustrous brown to a withered grey , and another swing to completely break through the thinner protective membrane between the protective plates . The centipede noticed that something was wrong , and it rose over ten meters into the air before it swung its whole body into the ground with all force it could muster .

The whole valley shook from the terrifying body slam , and Zac felt his mouth fill with blood even if he had expended both a defensive charge from the divine tree while also imbuing himself with the Fragment of the coffin .

Zac’s vision blurred as the centipede was up in the air again the next moment , revving up for another attempt at crushing its unwelcome passenger . But the corrosion worked extremely quickly since it had turned into a Fragment , and Zac only needed one more swing to slash through its protections .

Verun’s Bite] keened as Zac cut down into the same spot one last time , and the protective membrane crumbled like rotten wood as the axe bit into its neck . This time he hadn’t imbued the fractal edge with the Fragment of the Coffin , but rather with the Fragment of the Axe , and Zac effortlessly gored the centipede with Chop] until the fractal blade hit the shell on the other side of its neck .

The beast flailed and spasmed in its death throes , and Zac realized he might have made a mistake when he saw himself falling toward the massive flower . It would probably turn to mush from the fall even if it was a precious spiritual Herb .

But the whole centipede was suddenly flung away as Verun slammed into its massive body as though the Tool Spirit’s life depended on it . The final push was also the final straw that broke the camel's back , as Zac felt a surge of Cosmic Energy entering his body . He jumped off at the last moment , avoiding getting inadvertently bodyslammed by a carcass .

A shroud entered his axe just as Zac landed , no doubt meaning that the beast had maxed out the time it could spend outside . A burst of impressions quickly followed , and Zac realized what Verun wanted him to do .

He ignored the dead centipede for now as he climbed up on the massive flower . While he had been flailing about he had spotted what it looked like from above , and there was a large flower in the middle . The fat leaves gave way to far more delicate petals halfway in , and Zac couldn't reach the core of the flower , afraid he'd ruin it .

You sure about this? - Zac asked as he looked down at the axe in his hand , and received an affirmative response .

Zac only shrugged and threw the Spirit Tool toward the core of the flower , where it landed on a bed of pollen , causing a small white cloud to rise into the air . Just a whiff of the stuff made Zac's blood almost boil , and he felt though he was ready to go slaughter the whole beast tide himself .

But he regained his senses in just a moment and quickly climbed down the flower again . The feeling of inhaling the pollen had been pretty similar to when he activated Hatchetman's Rage] , and Zac wondered what the effect would be like if the massive succulent was refined into a pill .

He also wondered why Verun was so interested in the flower , but he soon found a possible answer . One of the fatty leaves at the outer edge had been damaged during the fight , and a thick liquid slowly poured out from it , staining the ground red . It really looked like the flower was bleeding .

A surge of energy from the center of the flower meant that Verun had started whatever it wanted to do with the flower , so Zac walked over to the centipede . Thankfully only the plates around its head had been damaged , while the rest of it was intact , so Zac took out Hunger] as he tried to carve up the massive beast .

However , Zac found it surprisingly difficult to dismantle the massive beast even if it was dead , and only after three hours had he managed to stash away the dozens of shells along with its legs . Its flesh smelled quite rancid though , so Zac decided to leave it in the valley for the vultures .

Verun hadn't been lazing off while Zac was working on the centipede , and the massive succulent had shrunk to a noticeable degree over the past hours . Its bulbous leaves looked a bit withered , and its lustrous color had faded somewhat .

It still took the Spirit Tool a full 8 hours before it had completely drained the flower though , and it was completely bereft of life-force when Zac walked over to fetch his axe . The spirit tool looked pretty much the same after having absorbed the flower , except that there now were two fractals that were lit up on the handle .

Zac immediately wanted to see what the extra fractal meant , but he realized that Verun was unresponsive inside the axe . It either needed to rest from the upgrade , or perhaps it was still in the process of digesting the energies it had consumed .

Everything was dealt with in the mountains , so Zac immediately started running back toward the town . He had only been gone for 9 hours or so , but a lot could happen in that time . And his fears were realized when he saw a thick black plume of smoke rise from the town they were supposed to protect .

He held nothing back as he pushed through the beast tide like a hurricane , but Zac breathed out in relief when he saw the demon standing on the wall walk with a lazy expression . His appearance didn't match his demeanor though , as his face was slightly scorched and a new scar had appeared on his throat .

What happened to you? - Ogras said with a laugh as Zac approached , and Zac realized he wasn't much better off himself when he looked down at his bedraggled appearance .

He didn't have any obvious wounds as Ogars did , but he realized his face and hands were caked in centipede blood and mud . He had long gotten so used to being covered in gore that it no longer registered , but he realized now he really needed a bath .

A bit of a tumble , - Zac shrugged as he jumped up on the wall . - What about you? -

The same , - the demon smiled .

Have you figured out who the guardian is? - Zac asked .

Well , it can’t be the matriarch of the Oylan line , because she’s already dead , - Ogras said .

Must have been some tumble , - Zac snorted as he glanced at the town behind them .

There was widespread destruction in the neighborhood next to the mayor’s mansion , and some of the buildings were still smoldering . Zac didn’t think that the demon would go out of his way to antagonize that woman while he was away since she was possibly the guardian . She had probably launched an all-out assault at the mayor’s mansion , and Ogras had been forced to step in .

So what do you want to do now? - Zac asked .

We can just kill that big bugger over there immediately , make some turtle soup , - Ogras said .

Zac agreed and immediately set out . The battle was quickly over . The turtle possessed a pretty strong ice-attributed attack , but it still was much weaker compared to the centipede he had just killed . Besides , being a ten-meter turtle might be worse than being a small one .

When it realized that Zac was far too powerful it tried to retract its neck while it fled , but it didn’t provide a lot of defense as Zac could freely enter the shell as the hole was over three meters tall . The alpha beast tried to snap Zac in half in one desperate bite with its powerful jaws , but Zac ended its life with one fluid swing .

The beast horde quickly scattered when their leader was slaughtered , and Ogras joined him not much later as the teleportation array appeared next to the corpse of the alpha beast .

Are you sure about this? - Zac asked as he stood up , having restored his spent cosmic energy over the past hour .

I’m sure . You go ahead , - Ogras nodded . - I’ll stay behind here for a while to prepare myself . -

You're not setting out immediately? - Zac probed .

Well , things worked out pretty well for me while you were gone . The mayor treats me like I am his ancestor after I saved his life , and he just so happens to have a pretty fetching granddaughter who didn’t seem immune to the hero’s allure… - the demon said with a grin .

Well , remember we’re on the fourth floor . Don’t relax and get yourself killed , - Zac said with a shake of his head .

Speaking of , could you leave that array behind? - the demon asked .

The Voidfire Array]? I guess , - Zac said as he took out the massive crystal and the six spikes from his Spatial Ring .

It was a pretty good item , but Zac felt it was better utilized by Ogras in his efforts to conquer the fifth floor . He felt confident enough without it , and he doubted that an array that he snatched on the 28th level would be of much use on the 6th floor or higher .

Perfect , - the demon said as he put away the array .

So what is the plan when we exit? - Ogras added with a serious face . - Who knows what the situation will be like . -

Do you have any ideas? - Zac asked .

We still want a patron to get rid of that Redeemer for us , right? - the demon said .

Right , - Zac nodded .

Then we , or rather you , might just have to spill some blood when we leave . Kill the chickens to scare the monkeys . If you feel the situation is chaotic but manageable , immediately destroy anyone who steps up for the quest , - Ogras said .

And if it’s too much for us to handle? -

Then we can only run , - the demon shrugged . - Try to stay alive until we can crush our tokens . Scream for that Peak-girl to save us , perhaps that might make a couple of the pursuers back away . -

I guess we'll just have to play it by the ear , - Zac said with some helplessness .

You better climb pretty damn high so you’ll scare all the rich assholes on the outside . I don’t want to risk my life against these floor guardians only to get skewered the moment I leave . It's bad enough you'll steal my spotlight with whatever crazy apparition you'll summon . -

I'll see what I can do . See you on the outside , - Zac said as he stepped onto the teleporter .

Chapter 420 - Erudite Master

It was both liberating and jarring to start a trial alone . It wasn’t that Zac was worried he’d fail , but he realized how much he had relied on Galau’s and Ogras’ experience and knowledge as they ascended one level after another . It was mostly them who figured out a plan , while he had eventually been reduced to a simple enforcer .

While it was nothing wrong with that , he still felt he was missing the point of the Tower , and he vowed to do his best in completing the quests rather than steamrolling through the following floors . And it was almost as though the System wanted to help him with his goal , as it had provided him with a final challenge that wasn't related to defeating the floor guardian .

But Zac still felt some dismay as he knew that the final trial of the 4th floor might actually turn out to be impossible .

Learn the skill of the Erudite Master]

Zac wryly looked at the quest he got , before his eyes trailed the winding path leading up the massive mountain in front of him . This was one of the simpler quests on the surface level . The Erudite Master was both the quest target and the floor guardian , meaning that Zac could either learn his skill or simply beat him up .

Unfortunately , he had proven himself to be hopelessly bad at learning skills without the assistance of Skill Crystals . Ilvere easily learned the skill that had eluded him for months , and he did not doubt that people like his sister or Thea Marshall would only need hours to master it .

But it was a welcome challenge as well , and Zac started to ascend the mountain with determination to make the best of it . He still wasn’t completely sure what the rules of his odd body were . Yrial said he had zero affinities with all Daos , yet he hadn’t encountered any bottlenecks , even when forming his fragments .

He had already learned from Galau that just forming a Dao Fragment while still at F-Grade was a sign of great talent , yet he had breezed through that without any issues . Twice .

In fact , he could be said to be pretty talented in the field of Dao , though many of his insights admittedly came from Dao Treasures . But not even the one-in-a-million genius Thea Marshall or his AI-assisted Sister could match up to his insights , proving that things weren’t as simple as they seemed .

But the 0 affinities might be related to using the Daos rather than learning them , and if that was the case it would likely become a problem in the future . Everything was based on the Dao in the end , including the very core of all skills . What if he suddenly was unable to improve his skills? Would he be running around with F-Graded skills even after he had formed his Cosmic Core?

A pang of danger suddenly erupted in his mind , and he flashed to the side with the help of his movement skill only to see an arrow whizz past him where his head was just a second ago . He quickly looked around and spotted what looked like a mix of a frog and a dwarf holding a crossbow .

The frogdwarf , and Zac only guessed the gender based on the thin black mustache that ran along its extremely wide mouth , looked quite surprised to see his sneak attack failing . But Zac didn’t even have a chance to capture the odd cultivator as he suddenly turned into a stone .

It looked like one of the escape skills he had seen before , and Zac looked around in an attempt to find the frog’s new location . But it was in vain as the mountainous forest was completely still .

The tranquility of the forest did not last for long though as Zac was assaulted by one warrior after another who all seemed to be heading for the summit . It looked like it was a free-for-all between cultivators who wanted to meet the Erudite Master , and it felt like they all competed to complete the quest .

Zac had already asked about the possibility of meeting other climbers during a trail but as far as Ogras , or the even more knowledgeable Galau , knew there was no such thing as floors where climbers were pitted against each other .

It was not like Zac had encountered any frog dwarves outside the tower either , so meeting dozens of them would be a bit odd if they were real . Since the frogmen were natives Zac chose to only cripple them a little bit rather than killing them .

Since they went out of their way to attack him he was pretty sure they were fair game , but he still didn’t want to mess up his climb due to some old monster popping out of nowhere . Besides , he was already at the end of the fourth floor . It was worth remembering what Galau said .

Nothing was black and white , and all actions have consequences . What if the old master was one of the frogmen as well , and he got enraged by seeing his people getting slaughtered by Zac? Of course , it could also swing the other way , where the frogdwarves were the enemies of the master , and the lenient treatment by Zac was seen as a sign of a weak Dao Heart .

One could go crazy going back and forth what might create the best outcome , but this was just like real life ; there was no way to control all small details . He could just follow his conscience as he kept going forward .

It only took him a few hours to reach the summit of the mountain that would give Mount Everest a run for its money . He had initially planned on taking on the floor guardian in his undead form , but after having seen the quest he decided to stay human .

The likelihood of the old master being undead was pretty slim considering the surroundings , and the pathways of his Draugr-class were a lot pickier than his human side . If he wanted a shot at learning the skill he would have to do it as a human .

The peak of the mountain was mostly flat and it had the area of a couple of baseball fields . There was a small pond with a few fishes lazily swimming about , and a solitary tree that looked extremely ancient was providing some shade next to it .

Apart from that there wasn’t much to see , and there wasn’t even a house to stay in . Confusion entered Zac’s heart as he looked around for any erudite master . Had he ascended the wrong mountain?

Let me have a look at you , lad , - a decrepit voice echoed from the distance as an old warrior who had been hidden by the tree stood up .

Zac sighed in relief as he took a good look at the - Erudite Master’ . It was not one of the frogmen , but rather an ancient-looking demon . He wasn’t the same kind as either Ogras or abyssal demons though . This one was a pale blue , with golden horns speckled with red .

His build was pretty much the same as a human’s apart from the taloned feet and indistinct scale pattern covering his skin . He would probably have been almost two meters in his prime , but time had made him lose at least two decimeters in height .

The Erudite Master was obviously nearing the end of his lifespan judging by how old he looked . Zac still wasn’t an expert , but he guessed the old master had a couple of months to a year at best .

The old demon inspected Zac just as how Zac was inspecting him .

If you want to learn my skill , put that axe away . I am a pugilist , and you will never learn it while wielding a weapon . If you just want to test your strength , you’re welcome to do so as well , - the demon said with equanimity .

Zac frowned when asked to disarm , but he eventually put his axe away . He didn’t feel any animosity from the old demon , and he was curious about what kind of skills he had . Most of all he felt this was a good opportunity to train against a skilled enemy , and he would ruin it if he launched Hatchetman’s Rage] and Nature’s Punishment] to level the whole mountain top in one all-out move .

Good , - the demon said before his muddy eyes suddenly turned extremely sharp as his aura rose by a shocking degree .

It was still well within what Zac could handle , but he felt the pressure was even greater compared to some of the Invasion generals he had fought recently . That was saying something considering the old man in front of him was still in F-Grade .

The fact that the old demon hadn’t evolved didn’t damper Zac’s mood . On the contrary , it made his blood pump from excitement . Calrin had once told him that the ones to look out for were those looking very young or those looking very old .

The extremely young were the geniuses who kept pushing forward , breaking through bottlenecks without any trouble . The very old ones were those who had been stuck at their current level for centuries , and this generally led to one of two outcomes .

Either they gave up on the martial path and focused on some side interests , becoming merchants or simply enjoying retirement . Others kept at it to the very end , polishing their skills and power to the limit in hopes of finally finding the spark to break through their bottleneck .

The old man in front of him was obviously the latter type .

Zac didn’t know why a man with such a dense aura as the one in front of him was stuck on F-Grade , but right now it didn’t matter as the demon emitted a sharp battle intent . The master suddenly pushed forward straight across the pond , and his movements sounded like the roars of beasts .

The demon was almost immediately in front of him , and his right hand formed a fist that shuddered with power . Zac immediately turned to absorb the punch with his left arm , which would allow him to counter with a right-hook of his own .

But shifting his body like that had actually opened him up for the old demon to knee him right in the gut , and Zac was thrown away so far that he almost fell off the mountain top . He wasn’t hurt though as the old demon only had used the strength of his body in the opening salvo , and not empowered his strikes with neither skills nor Dao .

Zac flashed back with the help of Loamwalker] in an instant , and a rapid exchange of punches and kicks commenced . Unfortunately , the exchange generally consisted of Zac punching air while being barraged by attacks from all directions .

The old demon’s strikes were extremely unpredictable , and no matter how Zac tried to counter the strikes it seemed to somehow backfire . Initially he had tried to limit the strength he used to match the old demon , but he was already using at least 20% more Dexterity while still getting his ass kicked .

There is a battle raging , - the demon said as he once again punched Zac square in his face . - One in your mind . -

Zac’s brows rose in shock , wondering if the old man had somehow sensed the splinter .

There is the instinct of the beast brewing deep inside of you , wanting to break out . But you are fighting it , attempting to maintain the heart of the warrior , defeating technique with technique , - the old man explained .

Find a balance and prepare yourself! - the demon roared as his aura suddenly started to rise once more .

The massive roar caused a storm around them , and Zac was almost forced to close his eyes . The old man was obviously up to something , and his danger sense told him it wasn’t something minor . His first instinct was to fight fire with fire , beating the demon down before he could unleash his strike .

However , Zac also believed it was best to be cautious . He was on the fourth floor after all , and it was also a boosted floor due to multiple people joining . The challenge was almost on par with what he would face when meeting the guardian of the fifth floor .

A golden halo surrounded the demon , and the air around him crackled as he pushed his hand forward like a spear . The demon was clearly using a skill this time , though Zac still couldn't sense any Dao .

The power in the attack was palpable , and Zac’s hand immediately rose to counter the strike aimed at his gut . But mid-motion Zac noticed that the man’s hand changed direction , likely targeting his more vulnerable throat .

He quickly adjusted by putting both his arms in front of his throat , while preparing to counter after blocking the stab . But a burning sensation in his side was like a wake-up call , and he looked down at his bleeding side with confusion .

Had the demon changed the trajectory of his attack again? But why didn’t he notice? Or was the small change in muscle or stance just a feint from the start , meant to confuse him? Luckily the demon had stopped his strike after just piercing his flesh , so he wasn’t really wounded .

Having the heart of the beast and the courage to brave any danger is commendable . Having a cool and calculating heart will allow you to turn a losing battle into victory . But your heart cannot encompass everything , - the demon said as he backed away , his hand dripping with blood .

Who are you in the end? -

Chapter 421 - True Strike

Zac was about to make up some story about why he was here , but he stopped himself as he realized the old demon was asking a rhetorical question .

Your heart and mind are in conflict , and you do not trust one over the other , - the demon said . - This is something a seasoned warrior can exploit . -

Zac understood all too well what the demon was talking about , and it felt a bit embarrassing as this was exactly what he had chided Emily for doing back during their sparring sessions . He had been talking big about decisiveness , but yet he found himself crippled by indecision during the battle with this old demon .

So what should I do? - Zac said , ignoring the wound on his side . It was nothing too serious that wouldn’t heal up with a normal healing pill .

A burning heart will stop a mind from being frozen with indecision . A calculative mind will help you distinguish between decisiveness and foolishness . But in my opinion , one must be the leader and the other follower . You might be able to find true balance in the future , but it is much too early . Perhaps when you can walk the sky like the celestials in legend . -

A leader and a follower? - Zac muttered .

Are you a warrior of instinct , or a warrior of expertise? - the old man asked .

Zac first wanted to say expertise , but he stopped himself as he knew that wasn’t the truth . He wasn’t some adept weapon master who followed some great set of techniques , and he hadn't trained with a weapon since young like most cultivators in the multiverse .

He was more like a beast , fighting based on instinct and his superior constitution .

It seems you understand , - the old man smiled . - Again . -

Zac was already moving the moment the demon disappeared , and he swung toward his right without thought or hesitation . A deep thud echoed across the summit as the demon appeared , his arm glowing with a golden sheen as he blocked Zac’s punch .

Good! - the demon laughed . - What’s the use of calculating and thinking when you’re an idiot? -

Zac’s face scrunched up , but he had no time to refute the words as the old man launched another barrage of punches , kicks , and attempts to grapple him to the ground . He no longer tried to think or anticipate what the old man did , he only moved the way his instincts indicated him to move .

He was still somewhat of a punching bag , but it wasn’t one-sided any longer . The old man had been a martial artist for hundreds of years , and trying to match him in skill had only made him weaker than he actually was . Now that he relied on instincts , he at least managed to get in a few good punches as well .

The old man suddenly jumped backward , looking a bit worse for the wear from the high-paced battle .

Good! - the said while breathing a bit heavily . - You are passable . A rough gem that can be polished through thousands of battles . See if you can understand the essence of my skill , True Strike] . If you can learn it you will even be able to use it with that axe of yours . Watch how I attack your left side . -

Zac breathed in relief that he had passed the test to at least get a chance of learning the skill . The ancient demon had already helped him out by pointing out his weakness , so he would feel a bit bad about defeating him just to pass the floor .

So Zac immediately got ready to defend while trying to understand the truth behind True Strike] . He kept his eyes wide open as the old demon’s left hand essentially turned into a golden spear as he slowly walked toward him . It was the same skill as the one the demon used before when he confused Zac's senses .

The demon’s eyes were trained at a spot just beneath Zac’s ribcage on his left side , but Zac could oddly enough feel another spot on his body heat up . Zac tensed up as confusion filled his mind once again . His instincts told him that the demon would strike his right side , but he was obviously aiming for the left side .

At last minute he decided to follow his instincts to protect his right side , but he was shocked to see that the demon had attacked the spot he had looked at since the start .

What the hell? - Zac muttered with confusion .

Good instincts! - the demon laughed . - True Strike] is a mental attack powered by battle intent . It confuses the instincts of the opponent , allowing you to forcibly create an opening . It is the fruition of 580 years of delving into the psyche of battle , and my grandest accomplishment . See if you can understand it now! -

A powerful golden aura congealed around the demon as he once again targeted the same left spot as before . Zac's instincts were still telling him that the demon was targeting another spot , this time his right leg . Zac quickly tried to take control of the conflicting emotions , but his brows suddenly frowned .

His left hand moved up to block his throat with shocking speed while his whole body got infused with Fragment of the Coffin . Verun’s Bite] appeared in his right arm at the same time , and it swung down in a fierce overhead arc .

The old demon’s face scrunched up in anger when his sneak attack aimed at Zac’s throat failed , and he quickly jumped back as the razor-sharp claws he had suddenly grown retracted into his hand . The facade of a righteous old warrior was gone , and his ice-cold eyes were those of a ruthless killer .

After having spent so much time with Ogras , would Zac simply put down his guard due to a smiling face? The fact that the old demon had been willing to teach him from the beginning was suspicious in and of itself . There was no guarantee that the floor guardian would be a willing teacher just because the quest told him to learn a skill .

Besides , even if he couldn’t trust the instincts due to the demon's skill he could still trust the Danger Sense from having over 250 effective Luck . Such a cheat-like amount of Luck was pretty much the perfect counter of almost any illusionary skill like the one the Demon had just tried to use , and it screamed in no uncertain terms that a deadly attack was aimed at his throat .

So you knew , - the ancient demon snorted . - That’s a shame . -

The old man’s aura condensed the next moment , changing from vast but somewhat weak into something sharper and more sinister . That wasn’t all , his bent back started to straighten out while his features smoothed out as well . From looking like a decrepit old man with one foot in the grave he had transformed into a man that might be past his prime , but still full of vigor .

Zac had to say he was pretty impressed by the demon’s plan . Had he understood that Zac was a tough enemy from the start , and the whole charade with the demon teaching him his skill was simply an act to not only disarm his enemy but create an opening to kill him in one swift strike . Ogras would no doubt find a kindred spirit in the old demon if he encountered the same trial in his climb .

However , the subterfuge didn’t mean that what he had said was false . There was truth to the teachings he shared , and Zac felt he had gained some insight into the proper mentality of a warrior . One of his weaknesses truly was that he lacked guidance from experienced warriors , which made his understanding of battle techniques somewhat shallow .

Alyn and Ogras were both knowledgeable about various topics , but at the end of the day they were just juniors like himself . Yrial no doubt had a great understanding of these kinds of topics , but the time Zac could spend with his master was extremely limited .

You’ve helped me understand a few things better , - Zac said as he ate one of his regular healing pills . - Hand over the Skill Crystal for True Strike] and I’ll be on my way . -

The reason for Zac believing there to be a crystal was simple . The man never had any intention actually of teaching anyone his skill , so there must be another way for him to complete the quest . The most obvious solution was that he possessed a skill crystal .

If I kill you like the others , what good is the crystal to you? If you manage to kill me , why should I share my knowledge? - the demon laughed . - I’ll take my insights with me to the grave , or bring them with me to the peak of cultivation . -

… Fine , - Zac sighed as Cosmic Energy Flooded the fractal on his forearm . - No matter what , you did teach me some of your knowledge , so I will fight you with all I have . -

The wooden hand broke out of the air the next moment and it rose to the sky above the demon , immediately radiating an intractable power . It quickly formed the array as usual , and it covered the whole summit as it glowed with the emerald luster of nature .

A hand? - the demon laughed as he saw Nature’s Punishment] hovering above him . - That is just perfect . -

A red and golden brilliance rose to the sky as a clawed hand congealed above the demon . It was almost twice the size of Zac's wooden hand , and it emitted an extremely acrid stench of blood . How many had that hand killed to gain such a sinister sanguine aura?

The large claw launched a swipe toward the emerald array , and four rivers of blood rose up to destroy Zac's strike . But the array only wobbled a bit from the demon's all-out strike , and a mountain tip started to emerge soon enough . A massive pressure started to spread across the summit , and the demon once again turned hunched-over from having to withstand the tremendous force .

A ruthless gleam emerged in his eyes as he gave up on destroying the descending mountain , instead opting to strike at Zac with the sanguine hand . But Zac was no longer playing along , and his full aura with its dense killing intent was released like a shockwave .

A massive fractal edge also appeared on his axe , emitting the undeniable power of a Dao Fragment . One swing was all it took to completely destroy the hand in the sky , leaving the erudite master completely exposed to the mountain above .

The demon obviously realized that he was outmatched , and he tried to find a method to flee . But Nature's Punishment] was almost as effective a cage as Profane Seal] by this point , and the pressure had almost completely locked down the demon's movement .

Wait , I’ll teach you! - the demon said , some fear finally evident on his face .

Too late , - Zac sighed as one peak slammed into another , causing a shockwave that even pushed away the clouds in the area .

The whole mountain shuddered as Zac witnessed the massive destruction from the distance . He had been forced to retreat to the very edge of the summit , but he had still been forced to dig his legs into the ground to not be thrown down to the foot of the mountain .

A surge of Cosmic Energy proved that his enemy was dead , and Zac quickly instructed the hand to lift the mountain again and place it to the side . The hand dissipated after letting the peak rest against a spot with a pretty low incline . Zac thought the scene would create an interesting mystery for any mortal geologist who passed by in the future . If this world was even real , that is .

The whole summit had been completely transformed by the all-out attack . The corpse erudite master was still somewhat whole in the bottom of the crater , but he was still as dead as can be . The pond was also utterly destroyed , and the water had seeped into cracks in the mountain .

The floor guardian had been dealt with , and Zac spotted the teleportation array not far in the distance . He did however not immediately head into it , and instead jumped down into the large hole . The skill was real if the System made it a quest to learn it , and he wasn’t ready to give it up just yet .

An offensive mental skill that was based on battle intent rather than wisdom or intelligence sounded like a great addition to his current repertoire , and he immediately rushed over to the corpse . But no matter how many times he went through the demon’s body he couldn’t find a Spatial Tool .

Zac swore in annoyance , but he wasn’t overly surprised . The demon had seemed pretty confident that Zac wouldn’t learn the skill if he died , so it would be odd if he could loot it so easily from his body . However , Zac did have an interesting discovery as he looked around in the pit .

There was light coming from within one of the cracks leading into the heart of the mountain .

Chapter 422 - Road to 1000

From one of the cracks in the ground Zac could see a flickering light , but when he peered into it he couldn’t see what the source was . It did however reignite Zac’s hope , and he started to cut his way into the mountain with the help of his axe .

The light steadily grew brighter as he made his way down , and he suddenly found himself in a passageway that was clearly not naturally formed . There was a tunnel hiding 50 meters down from the summit , and as Zac followed it even further down into the heart of the mountain found that it led to an opulent cultivation cave .

Thick rugs from unknown animals covered the ground , and all kinds of ornaments and treasures were strewn around the floor . There were even small mountains of Nexus Crystals almost touching the ceiling , no doubt a vast wealth for anyone in the F-Grade .

The exorbitant interiors were diametrically opposite from the image of an erudite master , and Zac thanked the heavens for sending the paranoid demon to his side . If Ogras’ distrust hadn’t’ rubbed off on him he would have been completely immersed in the training session , taking the behavior of the old demon as the desire of a dying warrior to leave behind something for the world .

Even if he had survived the encounter he would have simply entered the teleporter as it appeared .

But not everyone cared about leaving an inheritance . In fact , most wandering cultivators had no intention of doing so unless they settled down . Even in established factions it wasn’t uncommon for an old master to barely leave anything behind . All the wealth they had gathered over the years would already have been used to prolong their own lifespans and to desperately try to breakthrough .

Zac didn’t know why the old goat didn’t keep all of his wealth inside a cosmos sack , but it made things easier for him as he swept through the Cultivation Cave , leaving nothing behind . But he wasn’t content even after that , and he kept cutting through the mountain walls for over an hour until he found a small hidden pocket with a Cosmos Sack inside .

This was what he had looked for , as there was a rough crystal lying inside . It did look a bit worn though , meaning it had already been used . It started to feel a bit likely that the skill wasn't even something that the demon had come up with , but rather something he had found through a fortuitous encounter .

The Cosmos Sack was also filled with various high-grade treasures , at least for a wandering F-Grade cultivator . There were only a dozen or so crystals , but all of them were E-Grade and Life-attuned , perhaps used to help prolong life . There were also a couple of pills and a few manuals , but Zac didn’t go through them one by one , but rather threw them all in his Cosmos Sack .

He wouldn’t mess with pills or natural treasures he found while climbing unless he could be sure what they were , and if the items stayed on after the climb he could have Galau or Calrin identify them .

He did immediately tach himself the skill though , and a new fractal appeared right above his navel . It was a disappointing placement , as he knew that it was a pretty common position for class skills . It was close to where the cultivation core would be placed , or rather close to where his Specialty Core was currently nestled .

It was no problem right now , but it was extremely likely that his Class would provide a skill for that location sooner or later , meaning that he would get limited usage of True Strike] . But that was a problem for the future .

Who knew , it was possible he wouldn’t get a skill for that slot until he became D-Grade . And this was an issue that all warriors eventually encountered . Zac was pretty lucky that he hadn’t encountered any clashes between his skills so far , even though he had used up more than half of his Skill Sockets .

But sooner or later he would have to start discarding skills to make room for stronger ones , or skills that better suited his cultivation path .

Zac quickly returned to the summit after having found what he looked for , and to his surprise he saw a dozen of the little beings he encountered earlier . They all silently stood in the distance , a couple of them swaddled in bandages , no doubt a result of Zac manhandling them during the climb .

Thankfully there was no animosity in their eyes when Zac appeared , and they bowed in respect when they saw him arrive . Zac nodded in response , realizing that the demon might have been a scourge to the area . The 'erudite master' still had taught Zac a few valuable lessons though . It might just have been a ruse designed to let his guard down , but he could still be considered one of his teachers .

So Zac also gave the unmoving body of the old demon a small bow before he stepped through the teleporter .

Fourth Floor Complete . Upgrading Title

Choose Reward : High-Grade Strength Fruit , High-Grade Dexterity Fruit , High-Grade Intelligence Fruit]

Zac’s eyes lit up when he saw the rewards , but he held off on choosing and instead opted to first check out his Title .

Tower of Eternity - 4th Floor : Reach the 37th level of the Tower of Eternity . Reward : All stats +10 . Strength +5% , Endurance +5% , Vitality +5%]

Zac nodded in satisfaction . The bonuses followed the same patterns as the first three floors of the towers , where he first got a bonus that improved his three - main - attributes . This pattern would continue for the following two floors as well .

As for the final three floors , Zac had no idea . He assumed that he would gain Efficiency in the same manner as the earlier floors , but he couldn’t be certain . Not even Galau could confidently answer what was the case as too few people in their sector reached those floors . However , Galau did mention a rumor that the top climbers were more interested in the floor rewards than the titles .

The quality of the items that the System Rewarded had steadily risen , and now it presented something that Zac hadn’t even encountered in the Base Town . Attribute Fruits , and High-grade ones at that . Even the best fruits he got his hands on in the hunt were only mid-grade .

Unfortunately there were no Luck fruits or All Attribute fruits , but Zac figured that those kinds of fruits still might appear on a higher floor . His eyes went back and forth between his options as he tried to decide what to get . He could immediately discard the Intelligence fruit since it was the most useless Attribute for him , but he wasn’t sure which to pick among the other two .

Dexterity would help him maintain the balance , which would get especially skewed as he kept improving his Dao of the Axe . But he still chose Strength in the end , for a simple reason . He still hadn’t given up his desire to reach 1000 Strength before he evolved . He hoped that would not only provide him with better Class options , but also counteract the effect of his massive Endurance pool .

He didn’t want to get stuck with two tank classes because he had enough Endurance for three men .

The darkness started to scatter as he’d made his choice , and he found himself facing a hulking warrior clad in spiked armor . He held a sword in each hand and radiated dense killing intent as he took a step toward Zac . Zac put away his attribute fruit while jumping away a few meters to get a better understanding of what was going on , and the quest prompt appeared just as he landed .

End the tradition of slave deathmatches to settle disputes

A quest to enact social reform? How was he supposed to do that without wasting a lot of time? Was the system expecting him to make a grand speech or something? Zac shuddered at the thought as he looked around the packed masses .

His eyes instead found a likely target for a guardian , immediately discarding any thought of completing the level the proper way . It was an extremely obese man who sat at a seat of honor , overlooking the fight while he was fed some sort of fruits by what was obviously slaves .

Hey , I want to kill that fat guy . Will you help me? - Zac said to the gladiator . - Do you know anything about the arrays in this place? -

But the other gladiator didn’t as much as react to his words , and he once again tried to kill him . Zac could only sigh as he flashed forward and punched the gladiator with enough force to throw him like a ragdoll . The man soared like a projectile straight toward the corpulent man who looked on with interest .

A blue shimmering wall lit up just as the gladiator was about to leave the arena , and Zac noticed a small surge of energy to his left . It was a pillar just a few meters away from him , and there were a couple of more just like them .

Zac didn’t delay a second , and he immediately shot out toward the fat despot while he shot out huge fractal blades imbued with the Fragment of the Axe in rapid succession . Each of them slammed into one of the pillars almost at the same time , and the barrier protecting the array flags wasn't strong enough to withstand strikes at multiple of its weak spots at once .

A snap echoed out across the arena as the shields failed , and a resounding crash followed when the pillars were turned into rubble . Seeing that over half the array flags were broken , Zac immediately jumped toward the luxurious seats .

The fat leader’s cheeks jiggled in fear , and he screamed as he frantically took out a token hanging around his chest . It immediately lit up , and Zac found himself slamming into the ground like a comet . It was a gravity array that had been erected , and it was the strongest one Zac had encountered since he waked through the Zethaya Pill House entrance .

To more precise , it was exactly the same as what he had encountered , which made Zac ponder while he got back to his feet . Was this intentional? Had the Zethaya set it up so that those with enough power to reach the 5th floor would be able to enter their store? It wouldn’t be too hard for them to set something like that up .

There was one difference compared to the previous time he was inside an array like this . Zac wasn’t trying to impress anyone by toughing it out with only his body . He immediately released his Dao Field for the axe , causing one shallow cut after another to appear on the ground around him .

The Dao Field helped him counteract the suppressive force to a pretty large degree , and Zac didn't have any trouble moving about any longer . One swing was all it took to destroy a hastily erected back-up shield that the fat man’s bodyguards set up , and with two quick steps he found himself in front of his target .

Wait , I can pay you! - the man trembled .

Is this arena yours? - Zac simply asked .

Yes , yes! - the man fervently nodded . - I’ll gift it to you , it's yours . The slaves as well! -

Zac only answered with a swing of Verun’s Bite] . However , a ruthless gleam appeared in the man’s eyes and he launched a massive burst of flames that drowned Zac before it continued to cover half the arena .

A snort could be heard from inside the inferno and a bestial roar followed as the flames were forcibly ripped apart by a swing of Zac’s axe . The merchant could only helplessly look on as his torso separated from his legs before he succumbed to death .

Zac bent over the corpse to look for anything of value , but the man didn’t even carry a Cosmos Sack .

At least the encounter gave him a decent hint of the strength required for the 5th floor , and he was pleasantly surprised to realize that the strength of the arena master was roughly the same power as the bandit lord on the floor where he left off Galau .

It meant that the 5th floor would barely be any harder than the 4th , except that the quests would likely turn more complicated or require more advanced knowledge . Not having to deal with the 40% bonus of his enemies was pretty nice , and Zac immediately felt that reaching the sixth floor was a given .

As for the 7th and higher , he would have to wait and see .

It was also good news for Ogras . Unless the demon encountered some sort of situation that directly countered his skillset , then conquering the fifth floor was a distinct possibility . Getting two top tier rewards and a boost in attributes would come in handy for the upcoming fights .

The silence was deafening in the arena as Zac stood over the bisected corpse of the arena master , no one dared to either flee or speak up in fear that they would be targeted by the crazed gladiator . Zac didn’t care about their reaction as he surveyed his surroundings , but his eyes lit up when he saw that the teleporter had already appeared in the middle of the arena , and he flashed over .

He had been afraid that killing the arena master wouldn’t be enough , and that the real guardian was the Lord of the town or something like that . Luckily , the System had thrown him a bone , handing out an easy one on the first level .

Zac stepped onto the teleporter without bothering to explain himself to the still reeling spectators of the arena . He had started to become a bit numb to the various people he encountered , and he couldn’t really be bothered to treat them differently than if they were puppets .

His mind was only focused on climbing higher .

Chapter 423 - Cosmic Gaze

The next level placed him in an odd world where it felt like the colors were inverted , and he walked in a forest with white trunks and black leaves under a purple sky . The System wasn’t as generous on the second world , and it took him over a day to figure out who the guardian was and to trap the wily beast .

Things were pretty much the same from there on out as Zac bashed his way from one level to another . His resolve to finish the quests fell apart after just three days when he found himself utterly unable to finish a single one of the first three levels of the 5th floor .

In the end he only managed to complete two quests on the whole floor , one assassination and one quest to locate a treasure . The assassination was done as sloppily as was humanly possible . Zac simply stormed the mansion of the target and killed him before he had the chance to run away , destroying half a city-block while completing the mission . He would have been fired on the spot from any decent assassin organization after such a shameful display .

As for the treasure quest , he simply was lucky . He accidentally overheard a few clues from an old drunk outside a tavern , and he almost stumbled onto the right spot just a few hours later . Perhaps his Luck was finally reaching the point where treasures almost jumped straight into his hands out of their own volition?

But even with his Luck and his decision to kill the guardians most of the time , it still took him 13 days to complete the eight levels of the 5th floor . That was pretty much what it took to climb the first three floors altogether , although they didn’t rush through those levels .

He did however spend some time to master Bulwark Mastery] , and as expected he had been shown several visions related to cultivators focusing on their shields . There had been some differences between the various cultivators , but the similarities were far greater between the visions related to shields compared to those he got from Axe Mastery] .

Essentially all of them were related to defending , though it happened in different ways . Some were like Zac’s class , warriors who stood at the forefront of armies , soaking up the damage and the hate so that his companions would be safe .

Others were mages or array masters who were able to erect massive defenses with their shields acting as the core . Only a few were also offensively geared , but Zac immediately felt that using a shield for attacking was suboptimal and nothing that he was interested in delving deeper into .

None of the visions really resonated with him , and it made him wonder just what he should do when evolving . He had spent most of the 5th floor in his Draugr-form , and he had to say that he was loath to fight without activating Vanguard of Undeath] now .

Just getting a miasmic axe made Zac feel a much greater connection to the class , and he knew he needed to reduce the reliance on shields for his skills going forward . If that would happen immediately when evolving , then great . If not he’d simply have to take it step by step and gradually move toward a more axe-focused fighting style in his Draugr form as well .

The delay caused by working on his skills only added one extra day , so some worry about the higher floors started to sprout , and Zac began to wonder if his problem would be running out of time rather than a lack of power . How frustrating would it be if the time ran out just as he was about to defeat a floor guardian?

At least the floor guardian wasn’t anything to write home about . It was a massive golem that would be able to keep the Fire Golem Leader in a pocket as it towered an impressive 30 meters into the air . It was like fighting a moving skyscraper , a massive construct of stone and crystal .

The golem had once been a guardian construct of a long-gone force , and for some reason it had awakened from its sealed chambers to wreak havoc on the area . Judging by the situation it might have gone the same way as Brazla , its artificial mind slowly getting twisted over the lonely eons .

Zac adopted a straightforward approach to the construct who used a mix of shockwaves and earth-based attacks , apart from its punches who were powerful enough to crush mountains . With the help of Chop] and the Fragment of the Axe he managed to dismantle the giant piece by piece over an hour , all while dodging its attacks with the help of Loamwalker] .

It was a bit hard to compare the strength between the golem and the demon cultivator , but he estimated that the golem was only around 20% stronger than the demon . He would likely have been able to finish it off with either Nature’s Punishment] or Deforestation] , but Zac wanted to gain some experience in fighting against larger targets .

He knew that the reason for the small difference in strength was because the penalty was gone , and he reminded himself to not get complacent as he ripped out a huge inscribed crystal that had been in the chest of the golem .

Zac knew nothing about constructs , but he felt that the thing in his hands should be the equivalent to an array core , and it might be possible to repurpose somehow if he could keep it . He left the rest of the giant where it lay , as it was essentially scrap metal without the core , especially after Zac had launched hundreds of attacks on it .

Fifth Floor Complete . Upgrading Title

Choose Reward : Offensive Skill , Defensive Skill , Support Skill . NOTE : All skills will have 80% compatibility or higher

Zac quickly took a gander at his title , and he could confirm that nothing unexpected had happened with it .

Tower of Eternity - 5th Floor : Reach the 46th level of the Tower of Eternity . Reward : All stats +10 . Strength +5% , Endurance +5% , Vitality +5% , All Stats +5%

It simply gave an additional +5% to all attributes , which had officially turned it into the title providing the most amount of attributes by now . It had pushed his Strength one step further , placing it at 927 with the help of the Peak Grade Strength Fruit he consumed the moment he had the chance .

The title did also pushed his Luck to 204 , but it seemed that there was no upgraded version of his Ambidextrous title . Perhaps something related to luck would appear at 250 points , but he didn’t hold his breath for it . Zac had long realized that it was getting harder and harder to get his hands on new titles . Stocking up on two more Limited titles wouldn’t be too hard , but he needed to find a Mystic Realm or trial that fit .

That was a later headache though , and Zac instead focused on the three rewards , a bit hesitant as to what to choose . The System guaranteed a good fit with his pathways , but the trouble was choosing what would help him the most .

There was also the issue of which class the System would provide the skill for , but he guessed that his human form was more likely . It was still his - true’ race , and also the form he was in when defeating the floor guardian . But he still kept his mind open in case he was proven wrong .

Offensive skills were the first thing Zac discarded . His Offensive capabilities weren’t lacking in either of his classes , especially with his two Dao Fragment to help . That left defensive and support skills on the table .

He felt he was somewhat lacking a Defensive skill in his current form , as his Mental Fortress] skill was of middling quality at best . It also had no connection to his Daos , making a Dao infusion impossible . Physical defenses wasn’t an issue though , with Nature’s Barrier] and Hatchetman’s Spirit] providing extra layers of protection on top of his huge pool of Endurance .

And he didn’t even need to mention the defensive capabilities of his other class .

Eventually , Zac chose to go with a Support Skill . There was no guarantee that he would get a skill to replace Mental Fortress] with even if he picked the Defensive Skill , while support skills could help him in all kinds of ways .

A blinding pain immediately erupted in his head , and the world turned white as it felt like someone was pouring acid in his eyes . Even Zac wasn’t immune to the soul-rending pain , and he found himself on the floor writhing in agony for god know how long until the pain finally subsided .

Sweat rolled down his head as he blearily looked around , and he realized that he had already been thrown into a new world , one of endless darkness and glaciers . The cold would have turned a mortal into a popsicle in a second , but Zac barely noticed it as he looked inward after having made sure there were no enemies nearby .

He wasn’t surprised to learn that the skill he had just gained was ocular , as the pain he had just felt in his eyes was all too familiar . It was the agony he felt when he had been forced to redraw his crude pathways into the proper ones provided by his class .

It was like inscribing something on his soul , where he first had to erase his old skill only to inscribe a new one . He had hoped that the pain would be less pronounced , like when he drew the pathways for the class in his Draugr-form , but there was no such luck . It made him a bit worried about his evolution , but Zac knew that was a later problem as he focused on his new skill .

Cosmic Gaze – See through the veil of the universe . Upgradeable

The flavor text was a bit similar to his old skill , Inquisitive Eye] , though it felt a lot more impressive to see through the veil of the universe than to see through their secrets . The skill was also connected to his pathways and it had a great fit , which was a step up from the disconnected fractals that had simply hovered in his eyes before .

Zac looked around for a target to try the skill out on , but the area was truly desolate . That by itself was a problem though , so Zac started to move away from where he appeared . Safety was an illusion this far up the tower , and he couldn't stay around in what was probably a trap . However , he still wanted to see what his new skill did , and he eventually tried to activate it on a pristine-white tree nearby .

The world suddenly changed , as the dour landscape turned into a vibrant tapestry that shimmered in silver , blue , and white . Zac almost fell down from the rapid change in his surroundings , and it felt just like when he was drowning in Origin Dao from the Dao funnel .

The half-dead tree was suddenly a network of blue energy that surged from its roots beneath the snow up into its trunk . It was depending on the energy of the earth rather than photosynthesis to live .

But Zac barely had time to marvel at the beautiful scene before a formless blob of energy rose from the ground and globbed onto him , and Zac was shocked to notice there were already a couple of blobs sticking to his legs and his back when he looked down . Small motes of lights were slowly leaving his body and entering the little blobs , meaning they stole something from him without him noticing .

The first thing that came to mind was leeches . Were these little things slowly sucking him dry of Cosmic Energy? He quickly tried to brush the things away , but his hands passed right through . However , he thankfully found that they weren’t immune to his Dao Fragment , and they quickly disintegrated after a few Dao-infused swings of his hand .

Help the expedition team find the ice-attuned crystal mine

The quest appeared just as he destroyed the pack of energy balls , and Zac suddenly found himself holding a disk that was pretty similar to the beacon array that Galau had used before . He quickly put the array away as he set out to complete the quest .

It took Zac over six hours in the freezing winds to find the place he was looking for , a nondescript snow-covered hill that only reached fifty meters into the air . It certainly wasn’t the kind of mountain where you’d expect to find a Nexus Crystal mine , as the energies were barely elevated above the norm in the area .

But thanks to Cosmic Gaze] he could see that a cold blue light was slowly seeping out from the hill at a few spots , and after he cleared the area he saw that the lights emerged from a couple of cracks . The lights only grew brighter as Zac cut his way down a couple of meters , and he could quickly confirm he had found his target as the stone started to become studded with white-blue crystals .

He didn’t immediately activate the beacon though , but he instead extracted a few dozen Ice-Attuned Nexus Crystals . He only looted right around the entrance before he activated the beacon though , as he felt that cleaning house would be a mistake .

The disc suddenly enlarged and a group of humanoids stepped through , led by an ice-blue troll that was just skin and bone . He held a staff in his hand , and the whole area turned a few degrees colder when he appeared .

The troll only threw Zac a glance before he looked down into the mine , and nodded with satisfaction . He did release a snort when he saw the holes in the walls , but he didn’t comment on Zac snatching a little bit for himself .

Pay him , - the shaman said with a raspy voice , and another troll stepped forward and handed Zac a box .

Zac accepted the box and immediately put it away before he stepped onto the Teleportation Array that had been created from the Array Disk . This was what he had expected . Looting the mine would have given him a couple of ice attuned Nexus Crystals , which were pretty much useless for him . But properly completing a quest usually brought rewards , and Zac gambled that the reward would be better than the crystals .

His new skill proved extremely helpful over the following levels , as various secrets that would have passed him right by were displayed as clear as day from his magical vision .

The skill wasn’t some sort of universal key though as Zac quickly realized that the lights he saw through Cosmic Gaze] were attuned energies , and most energies simply weren’t attuned . Since attunement was slightly related to the Dao it did however vaguely provide a hint when skills got infused by the Dao , but it was nowhere as clear as the lights emitted from things such as attuned crystals .

More importantly , he realized that no one noticed when he used the skill on them , which was what had essentially made his old ocular skill useless . Now he would be able to glean clues from his enemies without them noticing , and Zac knew it might be just what he needed when he saw the quest for the final level of the 6th floor .

Defeat the Enlightened Three in a Dao Discourse]

Chapter 424 - Thelim

Zac found himself standing on a gravel road in the middle of a tranquil forest the moment he appeared at the final level of the 6th floor , and the quest to defeat the Enlightened Three in a Dao Discourse had appeared immediately upon arrival .

If Zac had been tasked with something like this a few weeks ago he would have thought the quest meant he was supposed to expound on the Dao , proving his deeper understanding compared to these three enlightened cultivators . It would be like a theological debate between a couple of monks .

But Galau had mentioned Dao Discourses in passing , which saved Zac the embarrassment . As it turned out , a Dao Discourse wasn’t something as civil as a debate in the traditional sense . There were no podiums and no moderator keeping score of good arguments . It was actually more like a battle .

However , the difference between a Dao Discourse and a normal fight was that the battle only utilized the Dao and nothing else . To make this possible there was an array simply called Dao Discourse Array] . The fight wouldn't take place between the combatants personally , since things like Attributes and Skills would influence the results .

The way Galau described how it worked made it sound like a Dao Discourse was like a mix of Chess and a mock battle . You infused your Daos into the array , and it would conjure various phenomena or avatars that you would use to fight . For example , his Fragment of the Axe would probably be able to conjure axe warriors , or perhaps spiritual axes that flew around in the air . But it obviously wouldn't be able to summon an ice golem .

It was a battle where you benefited from creativity and tactics , but the Dao was still the focus . The stronger your Daos were , the stronger your avatars would be . Similarly , the greater control you had over them , the better you would be able to fight . You claimed victory by destroying the enemy's avatars or forced them to concede .

Zac hadn't understood why anyone would just give up , but it turned out that one's soul was connected to the array . Every time an avatar was destroyed your soul took a hit . This meant that the risk of death was pretty low , but you stood the risk to seriously harm your soul if you didn't know when to give up .

These types of mock battles were a popular means of both working on your control of the Dao and settling disputes in larger sects , but it was a pretty hard item to get . Why some random force in the middle of the forest had an array like this was beyond Zac's understanding , but he supposed it was simply put there by the System to create a new type of challenge .

When it came to the strength of his Daos Zac felt pretty confident . Two Dao Fragments should by all means be pretty strong even compared to the Floor Guardian of the 6th floor . The problem was his control , or rather lack thereof . His amateurish finesse was already all too apparent from his inability to learn Cyclic Strike] , but that wasn’t the real problem .

He was still utterly incapable of infusing multiple Daos into a single skill or attack , which was the hallmark of a skilled cultivator . His sister was able to do it since long ago , and Ilvere was getting close as far as Zac could tell . He couldn’t be sure , but he also believed Thea mastered that technique going by their time traveling in the hunt .

That was the greatest risk to him failing the quest as he saw it . Infusing two Daos into a skill might not double its might , but it would still increase it by a noticeable degree . The same applied to a Dao Discourse , where using multiple Daos would result in both more versatile and powerful avatars .

He knew that he wouldn’t be able to beat some enlightened cultivators through finesse , and there was no chance of him suddenly becoming a masterful Dao controller in an instant . He would have to rely on brute force and hope that his Daos and mental strength along with some creative tactics were enough to force his enemies to give in .

At least he had Cosmic Gaze] now to help him understand what his enemies would be doing . Daos weren’t as obvious as skills , as its natural form was invisible and formless . But with his ocular skill he might be able to figure out what Daos the opponents were using and their plans , allowing him to gain the upper hand .

There were limits to that strategy though as Cosmic Gaze] wasn't some patch that solved everything that Zac currently lacked .

The new skill only elevated Zac from a bumbling idiot to a somewhat capable adventurer thanks to showing him a larger picture of the truth , but it was just a small aid in the end . The levels of the 6th floor had still taken longer and longer to complete for example , even with the help of Cosmic Gaze] .

For example , climbing the eight levels of the 6th floor had cost him a full 16 days . Things got more complicated at every level , and the ocular skill only helped resolve certain issues . Still , Zac judged that he saved almost 5 days thanks to Cosmic Gaze] , but it was distinctly possible that the 7th floor would take over 20 days as things looked right now .

One saving grace was that the System had actually been kind enough to swap out his ocular skill in both his classes . He had thought that Inquisitive Eye] would remain in his Draugr-form , but he had been happy to be proven wrong the first time he swapped during the climb . His pitch-black eyes in his undead form were pretty amazing now , both being able to discern life force and the Daos .

Losing his old skill completely didn't bother Zac in the slightest as it didn't serve much of a purpose any longer . Losing the ability to inspect beasts was a bit of an annoyance , but there were no doubt items that could serve a similar purpose in the multiverse . Perhaps whatever the fractal version of AR goggles was?

He had tried learning True Strike] in his undead form as well , but his picky pathways hadn't accepted the crystal . The eyes alone was a great asset when fighting the series of guardians though . The guardians were all well into the E-Grade already , and after the 3rd level they were all at least as strong as the battleroach king if you excluded the Technocrat's modifications .

Of course , they didn’t all excel at defense the same way as the massive roach did . One of them was a lightning-attuned thief , and Zac couldn’t even catch his robes in his human form . Hundreds of fractal blades were shot out in his attempts to take down the ratman , but the blades only managed to destroy the ancient ruins they fought inside .

Zac was eventually forced to swap classes mid-battle , relying on the defensive charges of his robes and one of Rasuliel's defensive treasures to not get skewered while transitioning . The moment he unleashed the combination of Profane Seal] and Vanguard of Undeath] the fight was essentially over , as his Undying Bulwark class was truly the nemesis of all Dexterity-based classes .

He was thankfully still able to defeat the guardians just fine without being forced to resort to Hatchetman’s Rage] or using any of his ultimate skills , which was a relief . He still used his stronger skills now and then , but it was mostly to expedite his climb . If he had been forced to go all out against the normal guardians , then what would he do against the true floor guardian?

The increasing strength of the guardians also came with a constantly increasing risk of real injuries . He hadn't been wounded so far apart from a few minor flesh wounds , but that would probably change starting on the next floor . One mistake and he would be out of commission for a couple of days , and those types of delays could prove extremely costly .

He still had a large number of arrays and other treasures in his Cosmos Sack collecting dust . He hadn’t encountered a situation that called for a Void Ball] so far , not mentioning the even stronger arrays that he had found in Rasuliel’s Spatial Tool . Perhaps they would prove to be the key to speed up the fights and reduce the time he had to spend healing up .

At the end of the day there wasn't much he could do about the lack of time , he could only keep his head down and complete the quest he was given . He could always just run in axe swinging , but he truly wanted to succeed in the Dao Discourse if possible . The last floor guardian had been related to learning a skill , and he had found a Skill Crystal .

This quest was directly related to the Dao , and the implication was clear . If he could encounter an opportunity to improve his Daos he had to grab it . It was pretty much the only venue for him to power up without evolving , and improving any of his Daos by one step would increase his power by a noticeable degree .

Excuse me , - a deep voice suddenly rumbled behind him , and Zac turned around only to find himself face-to-face with a walking tree , its face seemingly carved right into the trunk .

It rose almost four meters into the air , where almost half of it was a tree crown that kind of looked like a set of hair for the face that was placed on its trunk .

Ah? - Zac was only able to answer , his mind a bit on the fritz since he couldn't believe he had neither sensed nor heard a living tree sneaking right up behind him .

You are blocking the path young man , - the tree kindly reminded .

Oh , I’m sorry , - Zac said as he stepped to the side of the road as if by instinct .

Are you perchance participating in the Dao Discourse as well? - the ent asked as it curiously looked at him , the movement causing its thick trunk to creak in protest .

Zac hesitated for a moment before he nodded in confirmation .

As I thought , - the ent nodded . - How about we go together? I am trying my hand as well , though I do not hold much hope for my chances . My name is Thelim , by the way . -

Zac readily agreed as he felt that this large being didn’t contain any malicious intentions , and his danger sense was completely quiet as well . The tree could rather be a source of information about the scenario of the level , an opportunity to glean whether there was some Dao-related opportunity hiding somewhere .

And if the ent decided to sneak an attack , then Zac would simply turn him into firewood .

I am just passing through the area , and I just heard about the Enlightened Three by chance . I heard there was a great opportunity waiting for anyone who could defeat them , do you know anything more? - Zac probed .

So you’re a traveler? - the ent mumbled with a thoughtful nod . - That’s why I couldn’t place you . Well , it makes sense that you came here . -

Zac slowly nodded , not sure what the ent was talking about .

The opportunity you heard about is the chance to enter the Pool of Tranquility . It’s a pond of spiritual dew that has formed a natural formation over countless millennia , - Thelim said , the leaves on his head shaking with excitement .

What does it to? - Zac said as his heart started to beat a bit faster .

The name reminded Zac of something Ogras had mentioned offhandedly . His family apparently possessed a magical pond themselves , which was created with the help of a huge amount of treasures and a powerful array . It was actually a trial ground that could award a Limited Title . The elites of the clan could dive into it , and the further down they managed to go , the better the title the System awarded .

The demon had wanted Zac to buy something similar from the Town Shop , but there was nothing of the sort available . What if this pond was the same? He still had two empty slots for Limited Title , so no matter how good or bad it was , it would still be a pure upgrade .

And even if it didn't give a limited title , then it was still probably related to the Dao . Was drinking the Dew the equivalent of eating a Dao Treasure? The effect of Dao Treasures was pretty muted inside the Tower , but this was a free opportunity . He might even be able to take away some of the water to drink it outside .

But the next words from the ent dashed Zac’s hopes .

Every day a few drops are added to the pool at sunrise , each droplet infused with the spirituality of daybreak and empowered by the spirit of the forest . If my kind enters our bloodlines will be purified , but there are some benefits for normal people as well , - Thelim explained .

What kinds of benefits? - Zac probed .

It purifies and strengthens souls . -

Zac once again got excited when he heard the effect of the pool . It wasn't exactly what he had hoped for , but it still sounded like something he could benefit immensely from . His soul getting corroded by the splinter was a constant worry , especially since the past few days .

Because the Splinter of Oblivion had finally woken up from its slumber again .

Chapter 425 - The Enlightened Three

The splinter was once again active , but it thankfully hadn't shown any change in its behavior . It just extended its tendrils to touch the miasmic fractals for a bit before it calmed down and started to emit that mysterious energy into his mind just like before .

The fact that the Splinter was once again active meant that he might boil over again , and Zac didn’t want another mess like the Zethaya situation on his hands . That time only his enemies got killed , but what if he turned berserk in the middle of Port Atwood next time? He’d end up like Anzonil’s disciple , forced to live far away from people .

If he could strengthen and purify his soul he would hopefully be able to increase his resistance to the mood swings brought on by the splinter . Not only that , but the power of the Dao also came from the soul , and having a greater soul no doubt came with all kinds of benefits to his connection with his Dao Fragments .

Have these enlightened three been bathing in the pool themselves? - Zac suddenly probed , realizing a problem with the situation .

Of course , - the ent laughed , causing the leaves in his crown to flutter . - Some say that their family wanted to keep the Pool of Tranquility for themselves , but they had to provide this opportunity to the younger generations due to pressure from the surrounding forces . Why else would they be so kind as to share their precious dew? -

Zac snorted and agreed with the sentiment . There was no such thing as a free lunch , no one was so 'enlightened' that they would readily hand out their resources to outsiders . It also made Zac curious just what kind of reception the reluctant hosts had prepared for them .

The two kept walking for over an hour , and the ent was happy to share his experience from living in the area . The forest they stood in was apparently beyond massive , and even an E-Grade warrior would require months of travel to exit it . Thelim had never left it at all , but had rather stayed in the area controlled by his clan most of his life .

Zac had already heard that Earth could be considered a very small planet even after having grown by a huge degree due to the merging of planets . But it was pretty much as small as a D-Graded planet could be , where the larger ones could have a surface area that was hundreds of times larger .

As for C-Graded worlds , the whole area of Earth would barely be considered a clan's fiefdom , a small corner of a single kingdom . Those kinds of worlds were exceedingly rare though , and according to Galau there were just three such planets in the whole Allbright Empire . Seventy percent of all C-grade forces in the Allbright Empire lived on the Allbright World , with the rest divided on the two slightly inferior planets .

Thelim's life in the forest was pretty tranquil , with the various forest races having pretty close ties . This wasn't because there was some sort of harmonious camaraderie brought on by their connection to nature , but rather a need to band together to defend from outside threats . The forest contained all kinds of Spiritual Herbs , and outside forces often wanted to seize parts of the forest for themselves .

That kind of conflict was pretty far from where Zac had ended up though as they were deep in the heart of the forest . Any dangerous beasts had long been culled in the area , and the only sounds were those of birds chirping and the rustling of the leaves . It was as though the peaceful atmosphere seeped into Zac's bones and he suddenly stopped and took a deep breath .

What’s wrong? - Thelim asked with piqued interest when he saw that Zac stood still as though he was in a trance .

I just had a small improvement from walking in this forest , - Zac said with a smile after a few seconds .

You truly are a kindred spirit . The breath of nature is dense on you , you should consider staying here for a while . It is an amazing place to come closer to our origin , - the ent nodded and resumed walking .

It had mentioned that they were brethren because it had sensed the Seed of Trees on Zac . Ents were one of those races that were extremely specialized , the opposite of humans who essentially were talentless jack-of-all-trades . Thelim had noticed Zac's nature attunement the second he saw him , but the ent didn't seem to notice the other Daos in Zac's body .

Zac wryly smiled as he resumed walking next to the living tree . He wondered if the ent would feel as close to him if he knew that Zac's class was called Hatchetman and that he possessed skills such as Chop] and Deforestation] .

It was perhaps even luckier that he didn’t arrive at the floor in his Draugr-form . The stench of death might have prompted Thelim to immediately attack him rather than initiate a conversation . Zac would easily have defeated him , but he would have missed out on the information he provided .

As for the small improvement , it wasn’t a lie . Zac had suddenly sensed a stronger connection with nature around him and had stopped to properly savor the feeling . Unfortunately it wasn’t an epiphany or anything of the sort , but rather an improvement to Forester’s Constitution] .

The passive skill had finally evolved to late proficiency , increasing the boost to Vitality and Endurance by a full 2% each when the effect was doubled . Zac guessed that meant that the skill would provide a 15% boost at peak mastery , which was nothing to scoff at .

Zac wasn’t too surprised that the skill finally had evolved , as he had traveled through all kinds of forests during the past 50-odd levels , including topographies he would never encounter on earth . It was perfect timing as well , as just ten minutes later they reached their destination .

The wild forest gave way to a meticulously cultivated one , where each tree or bush was a work of art . They took the shapes of people , animals , and even landscapes , though they were not sapient plants like Thelim . It also didn't look like they had been pruned , but that they rather had grown into such a shape naturally .

We’re here , - Thelim said as he looked around in appreciation . - The trees are slowly formed to grow into these shapes over centuries . It is a popular form of meditation here . -

Zac nodded in understanding as he looked at the living sculptures all around them . It sounded crazy to him to spend hundreds of years on shaping a tree , but with lifespans running into the tens of thousands there were probably all kinds of weird time-consuming hobbies out there . The garden was only a few hundred meters deep though so they reached their destination .

A large hedge reaching at least fifty meters into the air surrounded the massive compound where the Enlightened Three and their clan lived , and its gate was guarded by odd humanoids that looked like a mix of trees and humans . Their hair was green and looked like cascading grass , but they had normal skin with a pinkish hue .

Dryads? - Zac asked with interest as his mind grasped for similar beings from Earth's mythology .

Just so , - the ent rumbled in confirmation . - As I mentioned earlier , the - Enlightened Three’ are three grandchildren of the Perenne Family’s Matriarch . They are dryads . -

How strong is this force? - Zac asked curiously as they approached the gate .

Going by the somewhat sparse Cosmic Energy in the area and circuitously questioning the ent it became apparent that there shouldn’t be any D-Grade warriors in this world . But there might still be complications if the floor guardian was in the middle of their clan .

I’ve heard that the matriarch has passed level 90 , - the ent whispered . - She is one of the strongest warriors in the sector . -

Zac nodded , but not without some confusion . The matriarch was barely strong enough to be a challenge for him , so what about the - Enlightened Three’? Zac had assumed that they were both the quest target and the floor guardians , but it felt pretty unlikely if the matriarch was only at that level .

What about the Enlightened three then? - Zac asked .

They’re all Peak F-Grade , - the ent said . - But do not look down on them . Rumors are that they could evolve over two decades ago , but they chose to keep refining their souls as they pondered on their Daos . Their insight is extremely high . In fact , don't let the levels of any dryads fool you . They are the blessed children of nature and they have a terrifying affinity with nature-aspected Daos . -

I understand , - Zac commented as they passed through the gates .

Zac's appearance drew some interested glances among the forest beings but no one barred his entry , especially since Thelim seemed to have some renown . Zac himself was thinking of a back-up plan to the quest and only threw a cursory glance at the people around him .

His best guess right now was that the matriarch was the floor guardian , but the situation was a bit complicated . The expansive mansion wasn’t mobbed , but there would be over ten allied forces and a bunch of loose cultivators in attendance . Many leaders would be here to escort their young , each of them a match to the Perenne Matriarch .

Could he really attack the matriarch in such a situation?

Everyone was here for the Pond and its soul-strengthening effects , and Zac might end up mobbed if he did something hastily . Helping kill an outsider was a pretty small price to pay for gaining access to the Pool of Tranquility . Perhaps he would have to waste a couple of days until the event was over in case he lost the Dao Discourse , and find an opportunity to strike then .

But that was if all else failed since he didn't have the time to wait around like that .

Zac and Thelim were led to a huge glade where a banquet was held . People walked around to mingle and network , but Zac was completely disinterested in the proceedings . What was the point in getting to know a bunch of people that he would never encounter again? He only did the bare minimum as he tried to gather information about his targets .

It was only an hour later that the members of the Perenne Clan arrived , led by a beautiful forest dryad who appeared to be around Zac’s age . She had delicate features and her eyes were slightly larger compared to a human’s , giving her a very cute appearance . But Zac already knew that she was actually an old cultivator approaching 800 years .

It was obviously the matriarch of the Perenne clan . Her grasslike hair cascaded almost all the way down to the ground , but Zac had already learned that it wasn’t completely ornamental . The thick stalks were her weapon as well , and she could grow them over a hundred meters in an instant according to rumors .

Behind her walked a group of cultivators of various races , each of them radiating a respectable aura . They were formerly loose cultivators who had chosen to stay behind after previous gatherings like this one according to Thelim , and it was this very reason that the Perenne family also allowed loose cultivators to join in on the fun .

Finally , there were the 'Enlightened Three' . The three were like younger copies of their grandmother , two youths and a girl . Going by appearance Zac would have guessed they were the same age as Emily , but they were closing in on 100 years . Reaching peak F-Grade in this world was a slow and arduous process due to the sparse energy , but it also gave them ample time to work on their Daos .

Thank you all for coming to our humble home , - the matriarch said with a cherubic voice . - We are delighted to host both honored friends and new acquaintances visiting from afar . -

Our family has been blessed with the Pool of Tranquility , and it is our joy to share the gift of nature with the fated ones , - the matriarch continued . - But the dew is limited , and only a select few can enjoy its effect every decade . The mandate of the Heavens is that power is needed to seize one’s fortune , and the precious opportunities cannot be wasted on the subpar . -

The matriarch waved her hand the next moment , and an earthquake spread through the area . Zac frowned and got ready for a fight as the ground shook and heaved , with thick roots sprouting from the ground . Zac was about to take out his axe and get to chopping , but the ent placed a massive hand on his shoulder .

Wait , my friend , - the ent said from his side . - Just watch . -

Zac hesitantly nodded and held off on taking any action , and he breathed out in relief a few seconds later as he witnessed the miraculous skill of a true arborist . The enormous roots weren’t an attack , but the matriarch was actually growing a massive stadium out of the ground .

Chapter 426 - Talent

Branches and trees entwined to form expansive bleachers that were partitioned into mid-sized platforms that would be able to house between five and twenty people each . Even seats and tables sprouted up from the ground on the platforms .

Finally an inscribed disk was lifted out of the ground with the help of six gargantuan roots . The platform looked like an enormous coin , with a diameter of thirty meters or so . It would be impossible to have a proper battle on such a small surface , so it could only mean it was exclusively meant for the Dao Discourses .

The disk was almost ten meters high and its surface looked just like the forest floor . It was a bit uneven and covered in grass , with a few bushes growing as well . Two smaller platforms rose up next to the Dao Discourse Array] , one on each side of it . An altar holding a football-sized crystal was placed on each of them , no doubt the control crystals the competitors would use .

The rules are simple , - the matriarch said as she was lifted to one of the highest platforms by a root that looked like a massive snake . - If you wish to participate , simply take a number . To get the opportunity to bathe in the Pool of Tranquility you need to defeat two of my grandchildren . However , If you lose the first battle you are out . -

Why this rule? - the Matriarch smiled when she noticed some discontent among the guest . - It’s to save their reserves . A Dao Discourse isn’t as draining as a real battle , but there are dozens of you here . My grandchildren would turn into hollowed-out husks if they had to expend so much spiritual force . -

Of course , there was also the not-so-hidden implication that they were favoring their own . Zac didn’t feel there was anything wrong with that though . It was their pond after all , and they should be able to stack the odds in their favor a bit .

Zac and Thelim walked over and got their allotted numbers from one of the servants holding a crystal , and Zac was pretty happy with the result . He was placed at the 8th spot , whereas Thelim drew 2nd . It was perfect for Zac as it gave him some time to observe how the Discourse worked . It sounded pretty fantastical from Galau’s explanations and he wanted to see some examples before he jumped into the fray himself .

The best would have been to play around with the array for a bit to test out its limits and various ideas , but there was no chance of that happening . The first person to challenge the Enlightened Three was one of the few wandering cultivators just like himself , and she didn't seem all too pleased at being the sacrificial lamb that had to sound out the three youths .

The woman still walked up to the large control crystal and it lit up with power the next moment . Zac looked on with interest as large swirls of mist rose out of the Discourse Array to quickly form the avatars the combatants would use , the wandering cultivator had chosen to form a dozen soldiers , each standing roughly one meter tall .

Their swords radiated a distinct sharpness that Zac was all too familiar with , and he knew that the girl had mastered the Seed of Sharpness , and it was at High Stage judging by its power .

The dryad rather summoned a field of flowers , and Zac couldn’t place what Dao they were made from . When Zac looked at it with Cosmic Gaze] he realized its true nature though . The flowers barely emitted any color to his adjusted spectrum , but there were actually vibrant roots running through the platform itself , snaking their way toward the soldiers that were targeting the flowers above .

The wandering cultivator didn’t seem to sense anything amiss and she ordered the soldiers to approach the flowers , even sending a few of them forward to scout out the plants . One of the soldiers swept his sword in a wide arc , and a rippling wave of sharpness cut down a noticeable section of them .

There was no reaction from neither the flowers nor the young dryad who held his hand against the control crystal , and the guest immediately realized something was wrong even if she couldn’t sense the roots digging ever closer . She hesitated for a fraction of a second before she grit her teeth and ordered her whole squad forward in an attempt to preempt whatever the Perenne scion had planned .

The soldiers only had time to take a few steps before spears made of wood struck out of the ground , piercing the chest of one soldier after another , ripping them apart in seconds . Each strike also seemed to hit the controller as well and she staggered away from the crystal as blood started running down her nose . She threw an unknown pill into her mouth and quickly scurried away after bowing toward the hosts .

The battle was over in an instant , and Zac didn’t even get a chance to see the dryad use any hidden cards . He had heard that the three of them had represented the family a decade ago as well , and at that time all three had showcased peak Dao seeds . Some believed that the three had gained Dao Fragments by now while others thought they had rather worked on their supplementary Daos .

One thing that Zac could glean from the fight was that tactics were just as important as strength . The dryad hadn’t even bothered using any fancy techniques such as fusing multiple Daos into one stronger projection , but he had rather won using wits .

The Dao that formed the spikes were related to nature as it felt a bit similar to his Seed of Trees , but there were also distinct differences . Zac guessed it might be the Seed of Root . He guessed such a seed could contain some piercing capabilities like those he saw just then . But most importantly , the seed that the youth had used was only at Middle Stage , yet it defeated the wandering cultivator in an instant .

How skilled , - Thelim murmured . - I only sensed the roots due to my natural affinity . I wouldn’t have fared any better if I was a human in that fight . -

Good luck , - Zac said to his temporary travel companion as the tree stood up with a grunt .

The one-sided battle seemed to have put a bit of a damper on Thelim's mood , but he still reluctantly stepped to the plate . His showing was a bit better where he summoned a massive tree that released a storm of leaves to cut his enemy .

The Enlightened Three had changed representative to let the dryads rest in between flights , and the next one conjured stone golems that withstood the barrage of leaves until they reached the tree . A few of them combined forces to forcibly rip apart the tree , at which point Thelim surrendered by unsummoning his avatar .

Well , it was worth a try at least , - Thelim rumbled with a sigh as he returned to Zac’s side . - Those three siblings are truly fearsome . We both used High Stage seeds , but the amount of spirit he could instill into the avatars were night and day . He also controlled those golems so naturally , while I struggled to just send the leaves in the right direction . Both the strength of their souls and their control over their Daos is top tier . -

Zac slowly nodded , but he didn’t directly comment on the fight . The friendly ent was honestly fighting way above his weight class , and if this was a real fight the living tree would have been ripped to shreds in an instant .

He only had one seed just like the first cultivator , and it wasn’t even a fragment . To challenge the three dryads who had grown up with access to the Pond of Tranquility was to ask for a beating . But the young ent had already said he was mostly joining the fun to gain some experience , so he took the defeat in stride .

Only when the 5th warrior , a local scion of another powerful faction from the looks of it , stepped to the plate did Zac see Dao fusions come to play . Not only did the man , who seemed to be some sort of nymph , fuse two different Daos into a mighty beast that pounced on his enemies , but both seeds were Peak mastery .

The dryad wasn't to be outdone though , and he created an image of a hunter wielding a bow covered in leaves . The hunter deftly dodged the rabid assaults of the animal until it finally managed to land a lethal strike with an arrow that shone with the green light of some nature-related Dao .

It was an interesting display , but Zac felt it was a bit lackluster compared to a real fight that brought shockwaves and explosions that could be felt from hundreds of meters away . It almost looked a bit like level 20 warriors and beasts were fighting to the naked eye , though it looked a lot more spectacular when viewing it with Cosmic Gaze] .

Finally , it was Zac's turn to the plate , and he was eager to try out his might . He was pretty confident by this point as none of the fights had showcased any Dao Fragments , and he had two he could bring into play . He might not be able to fuse them , but summoning two Fragment Avatar should be able to handle any trouble that came his way .

Zac jumped up on the platform , and after a nod at his competitor he placed his hand on the control crystal and started to imbue it with his Dao . He felt a prickling sensation in his mind as he tried to conjure his avatars , like his brain had suddenly grown two sizes inside his skull .

He understood what he needed to do since connecting with the control crystal provided him with a burst of information , but there was an almost insurmountable resistance when forcing his Fragment of the Axe into the elusive mists hiding inside the platform . It felt like he was trying to grab the haze with his bare hands .

The only solution he could come up with was to steady himself and forcibly push even more of his spiritual energy inside the array , and it finally worked . Eight warriors emerged through the mist , each one of them radiating a palpable killing intent and a force that caused the ground around them to be cut .

However , there were no exclamations of excitement or envy coming from the audience , but rather confused murmurs and subdued snickers . And even if Zac didn’t want to admit it , he could understand why . Things had seemed pretty smooth and simple from the stadium , but he had barely managed to create the avatars in line with his imagination . Anything more was beyond his ability .

The eight soldiers looked mighty , but they twitched and flailed about in an extremely uncoordinated manner . It looked like they were string puppets controlled by the world's worst puppeteer . Zac also knew it wasn’t some trick by the array , but rather due to his limitations .

Just conjuring the eight warriors was even more taxing than when he infused the Skeletons of Undying Legion] , but Zac had never gone any further than that with the skill . The skeletons didn’t require constant commands , though Zac could order them about with a few simple thoughts . But these avatars didn’t listen to mental commands but were rather moved by manipulating them with his spirit .

This was just like when he tried to control his spiritual energy and have the two Daos fill the fractal for Cyclic Strike] . The Daos turned into spaghetti in his hands and it all turned into a big mess .

The dryad cultivator had frozen in confusion for a second , but when she noticed that Zac’s fumbling wasn’t an act she sneered and pushed the small critters looking like walking radishes she had summoned forward . They didn't look as mighty as the hunter , but Zac could see that they were created with the help of two Peak Dao Seeds .

Zac tried to think of a solution to his embarrassing situation , and he could only come up with one course of action . If he couldn’t control so many warriors , then he would just have to reduce the numbers . Seven of the axemen dissipated into smoke just before vines shot out by the radish soldiers struck them , but one soldier stayed behind and cut the attacking vines into shreds with one swipe .

Things became a bit easier with only one avatar to control , and the power forced into its diminutive size was far beyond anything that had been seen so far during the battles . The axe warrior roared as he stumbled forward , his axe madly flailing in the air . A wave of destruction rippled out in an instant , destroying most of the seed warriors who couldn't muster a working response to the random strikes .

Zac breathed in relief as he tried to cajole his avatar to move forward , but he stopped when he saw that the pale-faced dryad dissolved her remaining radish warriors . He first thought that he had won , but he quickly realized she was just changing tactics as a centaur wielding a simple spear appeared to replace the small vegetable avatars .

The centaur immediately galloped forward , and a wild exchange of strikes took place between the two solitary avatars . Truthfully it was mostly the axeman getting hit over and over and Zac infusing even more spiritual energy to keep it standing , while occasionally releasing a massive , but random , swing that either completely missed its mark or grievously wounded its target .

He also tried to incorporate the Dao of the Coffin into the mix , but the only solution he could find was to completely swap out the Dao in the avatar . It changed him from an axe-warrior into an axe-wielding skeleton climbing out of a coffin , and the stone box helped protect its sides from attacks .

It did help with the defenses a bit , but Zac eventually gave it up since swapping back and forth in some sort of pseudo-cycle only helped him drain his mental energy a lot faster . He had already landed a few pretty nasty hits with the avatar powered by the Fragment of the Axe , and one more was likely all it would take to completely destroy it .

But the power of the spear-wielding centaur suddenly shot up by a noticeable degree , and its previously unattuned spear lit up with a color of attunement , this one looking a bit like steel . Not only that , one shape after another started to appear on the dryad's side of the arena , each one of them emitting a respectable amount of power .

It was a literal army of forest critters wielding various weaponry as they approached Zac's solitary avatar .

Zac couldn’t help but look up from the crystal to see what the hell was going on . Had the Matriarch suddenly jumped into the mix , or did his opponent go easy on him before? But his eyes widened in realization when his gaze swept across the three youths standing on the platform on the opposite side .

The - Enlightened Three’ were actually cheating .

Chapter 427 - Storm

Zac immediately noticed something odd with the help of Cosmic Gaze] , but he initially wasn’t sure whether he was just imagining things . Thin tendrils of energy seemed to be passing between the three siblings unbeknownst to him or the other spectators , making Zac believe that they were somehow sharing their spiritual power .

The tendrils were extremely minute though , looking like glistening fishing lines in the air . It made Zac doubt his eyes for a second , especially since none of the spectators were commenting on it .

Or was this the advantage of having the home field? There were tens of E-Grade warriors among the spectators , but none of them spoke up . It was impossible that none of them realized something was amiss if Zac would see it with his newly acquired early proficiency skill . They simply didn’t say anything since it happened to an outsider .

It was only good if Zac got thrown out , as it would leave more spots in the pool for their own progeny . So everyone kept their mouths shut in a tacit agreement . Fury started to build in Zac’s mind as he railed against the injustice , but he stopped his anger from running amok . He needed to a find solution that didn't end with a bloodbath .

Calling them out wouldn’t work . If the spectators cared about fair competition for outsiders , then they should have spoken up already .

If this had been a real fight , he would have launched something like Deforestation] by this point , laying waste to all three of them while taking down the whole stadium and crushing the Dao Discourse Array] into pieces . But doing so would no doubt end with him not being able to access the Pool of Tranquility .

He had tried to circumvent the quests multiple times during the climb , where he had defeated the guardian first before trying to get the treasure related to the quest . That tactic had invariably failed , as the treasures were protected by all kinds of safeguards the System had put in place . One time a bird even swooped down from nowhere to snatch a spiritual herb out of his hands before he could react .

Prickling pain in his mind made him realize an odd change with the array . The moment Zac noticed the reinforcements on the other side he had ordered his avatar to back away while he tried to figure out a plan . But while his mind churned to figure out a plan he had unbeknownst kept infusing the control crystal with massive amounts of spiritual energy .

None of it had entered the axeman though since that required Zac's full attention , but it had rather formed a large formless blob of destructive energies at the bottom of the high platform . Weirder yet , the haze that rested beneath the surface had started to mix and integrate with his spiritual energy without taking any specific form .

It was like his Dao Fragment was a magnet that kept absorbing the mists in the array . Zac completely froze witnessing the spectacle , and it felt like he had woken up from a stupor . He felt as though he had been muddled for the past months , but the Dao Discourse had finally dispersed his illusions .

He had been so focused on the Cycle of Life and Death since meeting Yrial that he had ignored his unique points , and forcibly tried to create a cultivation system that seemed fitting on the surface , but one that still kind of missed the mark . Yrial had tried helping him by having him learn Cyclic Strike] and improve his Dao control , but it was that very skill that had made him reach an impasse .

It was time to accept reality . Creating a cycle where he integrated two diametrically opposite concepts was like trying to breathe underwater for him . It was not in his nature , and forcing such a thing would only create mediocre results .

His thoughts went to the weird ball that Yrial played with and he remembered how it seamlessly flitted back and forth between frigid flames and fiery ice . Did he truly need to create something like that with his Daos of Life and Death? His sister might be suited for such a path with her amazing affinities and AI to help her fuse the four elements , but he needed to find another direction to take .

He would still keep the core parts , with Life and Death each being one half of the whole , with the Dao of the Axe being the delivery method , or perhaps the thing that bound the two together . But braiding the two together into a revolving cycle was too complicated . Perhaps he could come back to that idea when he was as powerful as Yrial , but for now he needed something simpler .

His eyes again turned to the mists that churned under the surface of the Dao Discourse Array] . By this point he had poured more than twice the energy into the ground compared to what he had used to create the eight axe warriors earlier .

His heart was pounding a bit , but he kept infusing more and more inside as he moved his axeman to the edge of the stage . He suddenly had an idea and started to push his Fragment of the Coffin into the control crystal as well . However , he didn't try to fuse the two fragments or even control them after they entered the ground .

Combining the two Daos would have been impossible , but just pouring it into the control crystal wasn't too bad . It was just like when he infused his body with the Fragment of the Coffin while he infused an attack with the Fragment of the Axe . As long as he didn't need to coordinate the two to work with each other the strain was just a fraction of before .

The second fragment still joined the growing blob of chaos in the ground , and the mists turned more violent and unpredictable . The whole array was starting to shake , and the three dryads seemed to have realized that something odd was going on . They had probably been waiting for Zac to summon new avatars since they saw him steadily infusing the control crystal with more and more spiritual energy .

Striking down all his avatars at once would have a much stronger effect , just like when one of them defeated the first wandering cultivator . But now it looked like they didn't dare wait any longer and they immediately sent a few of the avatars toward the axeman still stumbling around on the corner of the arena . However , Zac didn't care as his Cosmic Gaze] was trained at the bottom of the arena .

It was like he was mesmerized by the growing mass of untamed destruction hiding at the bottom of the array . Wasn't this the way things had always been when he fought? Supreme might crushing any resistance or any technique . If those three bastards wanted to create a dozen avatars with their combined energy , then he would simply drown them in an avalanche of even more energy .

There was no fusion and no adroit braiding of the two energies into something greater . This was mindless destruction , a tsunami of unrelenting force . And it was time to unleash it . However , that was easier said than done .

His mind strained to the limit as he urged the large blob to rise , but it felt like he was trying to lift a mountain with his mind . The rumbling of the arena got more and more severe , and small cracks could be seen on both the platform and the control crystal that Zac touched .

A searing pain flashed in his mind as the axeman was cut to ribbons by the dryads’ avatars , but he didn't care as he was completely focused on the counter he had cooking below .

Finally the blob he had infused almost his whole soul into reached the surface , and Zac was reeling by exertion by this point . Multiple capillaries in his eyes had burst , and he felt the salty taste of blood in his mouth as it freely poured down his nose .

The sounds of exclamations that had been missing earlier finally erupted among the spectators as what looked like a thundercloud rose through the ground . It was a messy mix of light gray spots and a sinister black , with the occasional flashes of bronze . It was probably impossible to tell what it was made from unless one had a skill like Cosmic Gaze] , but one thing was clear .

It was dangerous .

There was just no way for Zac to really control the thundercloud , and he could only push it in a certain direction with everything he had , forcing it forward by sheer force of will . Zac’s mind felt like it would snap in two , but he refused to stop . The control crystal started to crackle as the small crystalline cracks turned into major fault lines , but they were continuously removed by the repair fractals .

The mix of Destruction and Putrefaction brought on from his two Daos swept toward the other side like a tidal wave , swallowing the stalwart army of the Enlightened Three in an instant . Explosions and sounds of clashes could be heard from within , as the three siblings desperately tried to dispel the onslaught . But it was like trying to stop a storm with your bare hands .

One avatar after another was either melted into a rotten pool by the Fragment of the Coffin or ripped into pieces by the sharp winds brought on by the Fragment of the Axe . A few simply got annihilated in a flash when the odd bronze-colored flashes appeared . There was no contest between the two sides , and all the refinement and skill the three could muster was pointless in front of Zac’s insane outburst of power .

In just a few seconds the whole avatar army was ripped to shreds , and the effect on its controllers wasn’t small . The girl staggered backward and clutched her head before she fell over unconscious . The other two siblings shuddered as well , with blood starting to pour out of their noses and ears as they slumped down on the ground .

The two had been implicated as well since they had assisted their sister , and their souls had been wounded as a result . However , Zac was in no position to gloat as he wasn’t all that better off . His eyes were completely bloodshot as he looked across the platform , and he had trouble gathering his wits since it felt like his head would split apart in any second .

The method of battle that Zac had chosen was one of mutual destruction . His soul had always felt pretty sturdy just like his odd constitution , and it was only made stronger with the help of the Splinter of Oblivion . Between his soul's strength and his more advanced Daos , Zac bet that he would be able to take the Enlightened Three out before his soul was ripped apart .

It had worked , but he was still a bit giddy , and he quickly took out an intricate box from his spatial tool . Inside was a blue rose seemingly made from ice , a piece of unblemished beauty . Zac didn’t care about that though as he crammed the flower into his mouth and swallowed , allowing a cool sensation to spread down his throat and then throughout his mind .

It was the reward he had gotten from the Ice Troll back on the first level of the 6th floor . It was a soul restoration treasure which quickly soothed his strained mind . He had a couple of items in the same category between his shopping in the Base Town and Rasuliel's pouch , which was what allowed him to identify it .

The icy rose was the strongest such item in his possession though , and he had a feeling that he needed all the strength he could get to handle the fallout from taking out the three dryad brats in one go . The others hadn’t been inactive while Zac ate the natural treasure , and the matriarch had already hurried down from the platform she spectated from .

Elyss! - the dryad cried as she took out a crystalline bottle and poured some unknown mixture down her grandchild’s throat , before directing a murderous glare at Zac . - You are pretty ruthless . This is a discourse , not a battlefield . -

She punctuated her words with having her aura expand around her , causing her long hair to flutter without any wind . But the matriarch's killing intent wasn't even a tenth of Zac's blood-drenched aura , and he didn't even flinch by being targeted .

Injury is always a risk during a Dao Discourse , - Zac answered with a hoarse voice , completely unphased . - I am more curious why the other two got hurt though . Perhaps you can explain? -

They are triplets , so of course they’re bound to have a deeper connection , one reaching even the spiritual level , - the matriarch said without missing a beat .

So , which one of them is heading up next? - Zac said , eventually deciding to not push the issue .

He was in a pretty bad shape , but the two remaining dryads were far worse off . Crushing them wouldn't be too hard by simply repeating a smaller version of the earlier storm . The Perenne Matriarch's sharp eyes were locked with Zac’s for a few seconds before her strained face blossomed into a charming smile .

No need . I know these children well , they are no match for the might of your Daos . We concede this match , one of the slots to the Pool of Tranquility will belong to you , - she said without a trace of the earlier animosity .

Zac , who was ready to go all out in case things deteriorated , mutely looked at the Perenne Matriarch for a few seconds before he slowly nodded and walked back toward his platform . Was it over that easily? But a sudden realization made him certain that things weren't over just yet .

The teleporter to the next level still hadn’t appeared .

Chapter 428 - Pool of Tranquility

My friend , that was truly a… unique Discourse , - the ent coughed when Zac jumped up to the platform they shared . - I have never heard of such a , uh , masculine , manner of handling the Dao . And those insights… Scary , too scary . You are a walking paradox , both a child and a nemesis of the forest . -

Thanks , I guess , - Zac snorted as he sat down .

And congratulations on receiving the opportunity to bask in the Pool of Tranquility , - the ent said , patting Zac’s shoulder .

Zac initially only nodded in response , but he got confused when he noted that Thelim had surreptitiously dropped a small acorn that rolled into his lap . Believing it wasn’t a without reason Zac immediately looked at it with his Attuned Sight , and he saw that it contained some nature-attuned energies .

Curious , Zac instilled a minute amount of Cosmic Energy into it , and he suddenly received a short message in his mind , just like with the communications crystal he had gotten from Ogras before . There were only two words recorded , but it was enough to give Zac pause .

Be careful .

It was obviously a warning that things weren’t as simple as they seemed , and Zac wasn’t surprised . For one , the teleporter hadn’t appeared even after the matriarch conceded . That meant that the System still didn’t consider the quest finished . Hidden danger still lurked nearby . He was more surprised that the ent had gone out of his way to warn him at the risk of straining the relationship between his family and the Perenne Clan .

Zac still gave a slight nod in thanks to the ent before turning back toward the stadium . The Pool would only be opened at sunset , so he would have to wait for a few more hours while the battles continued below .

Due to Zac’s performance there were cracks all over the array , and it would take over an hour before it regained full functionality . Zac tried to figure out his next course of action while they waited , but he couldn’t do a lot apart from restoring his mental reserves .

Some trap was no doubt waiting for him in the Pool of Tranquility , but he couldn’t figure out exactly what it was . Openly attacking the winners was unlikely , since such an action would no doubt spread and sully their reputation . It would also become impossible for them to attract any more guardians from the wandering cultivators .

Thankfully he hadn’t shown any of his actual strength , so the dryads were still completely clueless about his massive pool of attributes . They only knew that he was someone with two early-stage Dao Fragments but also someone who had atrocious control over them . Perhaps they even thought he had fallen into some amazing fortuitous encounter that imbued him with the two fragments without having any skills in the subject .

Zac instead started to go over the insights into his path of cultivation gained during the Dao Discourse . He had arrived at the conclusions while pissed off about the cheating , but he still felt that they held true after having calmed down .

He would put his attempts at learning Cyclic Strike] on hold for now , unless it somehow proved extremely easy to master after having gained a life-attuned Dao Fragment . But Zac felt the odds of that was pretty slim . It hadn’t worked at all while he had possessed two Peak Dao Seeds , so using the stronger Dao Fragment should only be more complicated .

There was also a need to formalize a new direction . Focusing on force rather than technique was good an all , but he needed to find a 'creation' based on force and his Dao Paths . The chaotic thundercloud created from Axe and Coffin was extremely lethal , but he was only able to summon that thing because of the Dao Discourse Array] .

He also needed to figure out a way to bring his future Dao Fragment into the mix . Right now he had unleashed a storm of Axe and Coffin , and this wasn’t the fusion of Life and Death he had envisioned . There were a lot of things to consider , and it was a bit hard to theorize what was possible and what was impractical , especially since he was still lacking one of the fragments .

There was also the issue of those flashes of light that had the color of illuminated bronze . They only appeared for a fraction of a second before disintegrating , but the destruction they caused had been far greater than either of his two Fragments . But even though the force was massive he had been completely unable to sense anything from them .

He had a connection to the thundercloud even if he barely could control it , but the same couldn’t be said about those lights . They suddenly appeared , and disappeared just as quickly before he had any chance to form any mental connections to them .

Hey , what feeling did you get from the bronze-colored flashes of light from within the cloud I summoned? - Zac asked as he turned to the ent , curious what the woodland being was able to feel .

Flashes of light? - Thelim said with confusion . - I did not see any? I only sensed a mix of two Daos , the first one sharp and forceful , perhaps the Dao of the Greatsword? The other one was cold and death-attuned . -

Oh? - Zac said with surprise . - Nevermind then . -

Had those bronze lights not been visible to the normal spectrum? He had been using Cosmic Gaze the whole time , and he thought that the flashes were seen by everyone . But perhaps the bronze was just the color of the attunement , while the effect was indiscernible to the naked eye .

The most pressing question was what the light represented . Zac felt those sparks might be the clue to a way for him to increase his power , as there were only two reasonable explanations behind the sparks as he saw it .

The first possibility was that the flashes were related to the Splinter of Oblivion . It was a creation based on the Dao of Oblivion , which felt a bit similar to how the sparks simply disintegrated anything they touched . However , the only energy that Zac received from the Splinter was purified to pure spiritual energy by the miasmic fractals .

Another possibility , and the one that Zac felt was most likely , was that the sparks were the result of chance fusions between his two Dao Fragments . The two concepts had combined due to friction or something else , like a nuclear fusion reaction of the Dao .

This fusion in turn created a short-lived spark of some greater concept . If not oblivion , then perhaps something related of a lower tier . He really wanted to experiment based on this idea , because if that was that was going on then he’d have a terrifying ace on his hands . He could only imagine the power of Deforestation] with the additional effect of that mysterious bronze Dao .

But he could only wait for the tournament to end to get his prize and then experiment with his insights on the next level . The hours went by excruciatingly slow , but it gave Zac time to mostly restore his frayed mind . His soul thankfully wasn't hurt , but it would probably have been if he had fought another battle . It was still overtaxed though and his head was pounding .

Finally the tournament was over and all the spots were allocated . Three went to the dryads who had been fighting all day , whereas the last two each went to one wandering cultivator and one young man who looked like an elf . He had barely won the first battle , but during the second he had suddenly burst out with a Dao Fragment , destroying the opposition with a skillful push before the dryad had a chance to adapt .

The guests left the arena to continue the festivities while the six were led by the Perenne Matriarch toward a primordial forest full of gargantuan trees . Zac only nodded in thanks to the ent before he followed in tow , wondering if he would ever get a chance to repay Thelim for his help .

The group stopped after having walked for just ten minutes , but when the matriarch waved her hand the surroundings changed . Initially there had only been an empty spot in the forest as the distance between the trees was pretty big , but it was now replaced with the stump of a massive tree .

This tree must have been the king of the forest when it lived , its size forming a landmark seen hundreds of miles away . The stump was even larger than the platform the Dao Discourse had taken place on , and its size dwarfed even the trees in the redwood forest he had visited with Ogras .

The group jumped onto the stump after marveling at the specimen for a few seconds , and he was surprised to see six small ponds . The Pool of Tranquility was actually on top of the tree itself .

So what do we do? - the elf asked , and Zac looked over at the matriarch with interest as well .

The moment the daylight ends there will be a change in the pools . At that moment you simply need to choose one of the pools and submerge yourself . Open your mind to absorb the energies that will be released from the dew , - the matriarch explained . - I will take my leave as to not affect your opportunity . We have also prepared 6 isolation arrays to make sure no sudden sounds will impact your cultivation . -

Zac cracked his neck and looked back and forth . The three dryads pointedly ignored him as though he wasn’t there , while the second wandering cultivator kept to himself . Only the young elf tried to make some small conversation where he not-so-subtly tried to understand Zac’s origin and whether he was affiliated with any local force .

But the young elf was soon enough subdued by the atmosphere and he simply walked over to the nearest pool , claiming it for himself . Thirty minutes later the sun finally went down beneath the tree crowns , shrouding the area in darkness .

It was like the stump had awoken the moment it no longer basked in sunlight , and it started to radiate an ancient energy as the six pools lit up with a soothing green luster that rose a few meters into the air . Zac's headache got a lot better from just standing near them , a clear sign that the pools truly worked wonders on the soul .

The wandering cultivator and the elf immediately jumped into their respective pools , but the splash didn't make a sound due to the arrays . Zac glanced a the three dryads who stared right back before jumping into one of the free ponds himself . He saw the three dryads jumping in as well , at which point he slightly relaxed and focused on the energies in the water .

It suddenly felt like he was one with the world as he took one deep breath after another , and his pores opened wide to drink in the energies of the miraculous dew . His headache was gone in seconds , and he quickly closed his eyes and sunk down so that even his head dipped beneath the surface .

He was cautious about letting down his guard while being mesmerized by the opportunity , but his danger sense was completely silent . Zac finally opted to relax his guard a bit to absorb as much of the lights in the water as possible . The effect was immediate and it felt extraordinarily good . It was like his mind was a parched desert and the motes of light were long-awaited raindrops .

The process was akin to stepping into the shower when caked in mud , feeling the dirt sloughing off from his body . His soul was giving the same effect , and he actually felt it shrinking as some discordant energies seeped out him . But Zac felt that the effect wasn't something detrimental , as the remaining spiritual energy got stronger , more condensed .

Zac had no idea that his soul had contained so many impurities , but perhaps everyone started out that way , especially mortals . Mortals didn't have any connection with the Dao , and the soul probably played a big part in that . Zac knew that the pool didn't improve affinities though , but rather cleansed some impurities and helped strengthen it .

A sudden roar in Zac's mind gave him a start and ripped him out of his reverie as his heart started beating with joy . Verun had finally awoken after having slept for two full floors . But Zac barely had time to greet the Tool Spirit before he sensed an overwhelming thirst coming from the axe even while it was still in his spatial ring .

It was just like when the mysterious stone had appeared during the new world government auction , and the target was clear . It wanted the mysterious liquid in the pond .

Zac didn't have any compunctions about having Verun snatch a part of the Pool of Tranquility . The dryads had tried cheating during the match , so what if he exacted some interest in return? But he didn't even have time to take out his axe when he sensed a startling issue with his mind .

There was something else there , something foreign . It was extremely well hidden , and he hadn't noticed it at all while he enjoyed the process of his mind getting purified , even if he had never completely relaxed his vigil . It was as if the shadow of a whisper that had snuck into his mind along with the energy from the pond . It only took him a second to realize what was going on .

How could Zac not recognize the feeling of having his mind manipulated after having fought against the far more insidious manipulation from the Splinter of Oblivion? He suddenly remembered the dozen powerful cultivators who had stoically walked behind the Perenne Matriarch . Perhaps their choice to stay behind wasn't completely voluntary .

He , unfortunately , didn't have any great solutions to getting rid of the intruder in his mind as it had already snuck past the defenses of Mental Fortress] . Only after discharging a massive amount of mental energy by unleashing his Dao Fragments did the invading energy get ripped to shreds .

Zac still felt some cold sweat running down his back though . That had been way too close . Even if the effects of the dew were amazing he had kept a constant watch against any plot of the Perenne Matriarch , but her ploy had passed by his defenses completely unnoticed . If Verun hadn't shaken him awake he might have fallen further and further into some mental vise he couldn't get out of .

Zac immediately rose from the pool , jumping onto the stump with wild eyes . The first thing he noticed was a teleportation array that would take him to the next floor , but Zac didn't even give it a second glance as his eyes turned to three specific pools . Zac refused to leave as things stood .

He wasn't done with the Perenne Family just yet .

Chapter 429 - Reciprocity

The fact that the teleporter had appeared was a relief since that meant that he had passed the trial . The System had attached a hidden requirement to the quest where he not only needed to stand victorious in the Dao Discourse , but also survive the aftermath .

The moment he noticed and dispelled the threat of being possessed he had conquered the 6th floor and could move on to reap his rewards . But he wasn’t ready to let bygones be bygones , and a wave of smoldering anger burned in his chest . If he shrugged off the attempt on his life he would no doubt have this nagging feeling for the rest of his life , a seed of karma that was impossible to resolve .

Part of him just wanted to go on a mindless slaughter , dragging up the whole clan by the roots while leveling half the forest to the ground . But Zac knew that was just the Splinter urging him on . It seemed like the invasion of his mind hadn’t just agitated Zac , but also the Splinter itself . Maybe it didn’t like the competition .

He knew he couldn’t do so though . Not only was it unconscionable , but would also open a can of worms . Who knew what would happen if he started rampaging? Perhaps there were some hidden guardians of the forest keeping watch . Besides , cheating to protect their own resources wasn’t really that big a deal , and the Enlightened Three didn’t deserve death for their actions .

But the mind invasion was essentially an attempt on his life , and he had no compunctions with exacting at least some sort of revenge . His aura exploded in an instant , causing cascading waves to splash all around him as his massive Dao Field drowned out the primordial energies of the tree stump . The isolation arrays cracked in an instant , exposing the five pools .

Zac didn’t waste a second and leaped toward the closest pool that housed one of the three young dryads , but the man had obviously noticed the disturbance already and prepared himself . Dozens of razor-sharp roots shot toward from within the pool before the dryad’s head even breached the surface .

But the Enlightened Three weren’t the floor guardians . They were simply three peak F-Grade warriors with unusually high accomplishments in the Dao , who also possessed the ability to fuse their spiritual energies together . They had been a threat to Zac before he found his path , but that threat only existed within the confines of the duel .

This was a true battlefield .

A massive fractal edge infused with the Fragment of the Axe tore the roots into shreds even if they were infused with a Peak Dao seed themselves . All five winners had risen out of their pools by this point , most of them staring at Zac with shock . The only exception was the wandering cultivator who gazed around with a glassy-eyed demeanor , which only strengthened Zac’s conviction .

A storm of leaves reminiscent of his own Nature's Barrier] started to swirl around the dryad as he looked at Zac with horror , but a swing infused with the Fragment of the Coffin turned them into rotten scraps as Zac barged his way through . His free hand shot forward to grab the shocked dryad by his neck , yanking him up into the air with a tug .

WHAT ARE YOU DOING! - a scream echoed across the area , and a dozen green blades of grass shot toward Zac with such power that the air around them exploded .

The blades contained enough momentum to pierce through steel , and they seemed to be infused by a Dao Fragment as well . Zac scrambled out of the way , thankful he had grabbed one of the youths in time . The Perenne Matriarch's power had somewhat superseded his expectations , but she had obviously only aimed for spots on his body far from her grandchild .

Things weren't to the point that Zac felt any fear though , and one tree after another appeared around the area and even on top of the stump as Zac activated Hatchetman's Spirit] . The improved vision brought from the skill immediately exposed the Perenne Matriarch hiding not far away within an array . She sat together with two loose cultivators , and between them was an array with an odd plant placed on it , recently ripped from the ground judging by the soil stuck to its roots .

The blades of grass that had attacked Zac was her hair extending from within the array , and more and more stalks flew out from her head to join the battle . The blades of grass were quick , but Zac was almost impossible to catch now that he had summoned his own forest . He even felt that the effect from the skill had been boosted due to the Pool of Tranquility , and he had completely merged with the forest at this point .

The Matriarch got more and more frenzied though , and the two guardians also started moving toward him . The air even shuddered above the matriarch as a massive head made from tens of thousand blades of grass appeared . A storm of leaves started to shoot toward him as it opened its mouth , and even Zac felt some pressure from the power it contained .

But Zac had one more ace up his sleeve , and he suddenly moved his captive in front of him , aiming to use the dryad as a shield against the leaves .

You! - the Matriarch screamed in rage as she quickly stopped the massive avatar above her . - You outsiders are all the same! -

Zac ignored the comment as he flashed forward once more , this time targeting the Elyss , the dryad he had knocked unconscious during the Dao Discourse . She had jumped down from the stump just like the others , but she was clearly unaccustomed to life and death battles since she still stood way too close .

The moment she saw Zac rapidly approaching with Loamwalker] she realized her mistake . She didn’t even try to put up a fight as she activated an escape skill while erecting a line of defenses . But Zac was in full rampage mode by this point and the dryad's restrictive vines were destroyed in an instant as he appeared before her .

A well-aimed kick shot the girl into the side of the trunk with a loud thud , but the ancient wood didn't even lose a splinter . It was rather the dryad who was hurt and fell down on the ground with a groan . She tried to get back to her feet , but Zac was already upon her again as he swung Verun's Bite] to rip apart the stalks of grass that had aimed to save her .

Stay down , - Zac growled as he slammed Verun’s Bite] into the stump next to her while still holding onto the other dryad in a tight grip .

A massive shudder ran through the stump out as Zac's axe bit into the wood , and the primordial energies surged for a second before they calmed down again .

The ancestor! - Elyss cried in dismay , but she still didn’t dare to move a single finger .

One more move and I'll crack his neck and cut the girl in two , - Zac said with a ruthless glimmer as he grabbed the second dryad and jumped on top of the stump again .

You've hidden your power well , - the elder dryad said as she joined him on top of the ancient stump . - Are you not afraid the heavens will turn against you for returning our hospitality with such enmity? -

Hospitality? - Zac snorted as he ripped verun out of the tree and stood up straight . - I didn't care that these three cheated during the discourse , but since you wanted to take control of my mind I'll have to act . -

We would never do something like that! - the male dryad exclaimed with fury , indignation apparent on his face . - We’re not an unorthodox force! You’re just here to cause trouble! Are you working for the invaders?! -

Things such as mind control and turning cultivators were considered as unorthodox path as it clearly went outside what the Apostate of Order had envisioned when he set up the various contracts of the System . Zac personally felt it was a pretty weird distinction to make since so many forces allowed slavery , but it had something to do with the will of the System .

Zac ignored the young dryad , though he was pretty surprised to see that he seemed genuinely repulsed by the idea . He instead turned to the young elf who was watching the proceedings perched atop a tree far in the distance .

Could you take that guy back to the party? Perhaps his mind can still be salvaged , - Zac said as he nodded at the wandering cultivator who had fallen down from the stump due to the shockwaves of battle .

It looks like I wasn't really fated with the Pool of Tranquility . No matter , most of the benefit comes from the initial cleansing , - the elf said with a sardonic shrug .

But he still didn’t move , instead opted to turn his eyes to the Perenne Matriarch who tried to kill Zac with her glare .

Go , - she simply said without her eyes leaving Zac’s .

The elf bowed and prepared to leave , but he first ran forward and grabbed the shoulder of the wandering cultivator after a brief hesitation . The next moment he disappeared in a puff of leaves that scattered all around before dissipating .

What do you want? - the Perenne Matriarch said .

I want this pond , - Zac said . - It’s a small price for trying to possess me . -

Impossible , - the old dryad said without hesitation . - It’s not possible even if I wanted to . It’s a natural formation created by the ancestor of the forest and thousands of years of accumulation . The dew will turn useless if you bring it away . -

Then release the people you've captured , - Zac said after mulling it over .

It's also impossible . The seed has been planted , the effect is irreversible . They will be guarding the forest until they die , - the old dryad said with a staid expression .

Grandma! You didn't! - Elyss exclaimed with horror .

Every day new outsiders enter the forest to partake in its riches . But do they pay nature back for providing them with wealth and power? No . They return to their cities on the outside and use their newfound strength to attack us , to join the invaders in their assault . Their greed is endless , their hunger insatiable .

So what if I control them? These people would be nothing without the forest , so the least they can do is stay behind and defend it , - the Matriarch said with fury in her eyes , the words turning louder and louder as she spoke .

Grandma… - Elyss said from the ground , her eyes wide with shock .

The other dryad looked shocked as well , and it was all too apparent they hadn’t been aware of their grandmother’s actions . Zac sighed when he heard her words , a wave of exhaustion sweeping through his body . He couldn’t condone her actions , but he could understand her motivations . How far would he go to save the people of Earth? Of Port Atwood?

But that still didn’t change things , and Zac threw Verun’s Bite] into the closest pool as he took out his spare axe , a High E-Grade battleaxe . Verun keened in delight as it entered the pond , and the whole stump started to shake the next moment as the energies in the area ran amok .

What are you doing?! - the matriarch exclaimed , her killing intent rising once more .

My weapon could benefit from the dew , so he'll drink a bit since I can't take the pond with me , - Zac explained .

Verun was like a black hole as it absorbed the dew , and Zac had already witnessed its seemingly endless thirst from having drained hundreds of beasts of their blood . The stump kept shaking as the water levels of the six ponds kept decreasing , until just about half remained . Only then did Verun stop , seemingly satisfied with its haul .

Don't move , - Zac reminded the matriarch as he jumped down .

So , will you release my grandchild now? - she spat when Zac emerged .

I need to do one more thing . Stay here . You should know what I'll do if you're not here when I return . I have the eggs , but I still want the hen , - Zac reminded as he flashed away once more .

He couldn't take the dew , and he couldn't save those poor souls . But there was one more item that had sparked Zac's interest , and he quickly moved through the forest toward the arena . Zac used his movement skill the whole way back , and he appeared on top of the Dao Discourse Array] in less than a minute .

A few quick swings were all it took to separate the platform from the massive roots that had dragged it above ground , but Zac frowned in annoyance when he wasn't able to put it inside his Cosmos Sack .

This thing can't be carried away , young man , - an aged voice said , prompting Zac to turn around .

It was a kind-looking old elf who was accompanied by the same youth who had just left the Pool of Tranquility .

If it could be stashed away in a Pouch of Holding , Little Glamira wouldn't have been forced to hide it below ground all this time , - the old man said with a smile . - The child my grandson brought will be fine , and I guarantee his safe return in front of all these people . In return , could you leave this array intact? The Perenne Family are not the only ones benefitting from it . -

Zac slowly nodded , though not without some unwillingness . The Dao Discourse Array] had been his best bet at studying the mysterious Bronze Dao he had somehow conjured . But not even he could carry a 30-meter wide pillar around on his back , so he could only give up on it . He instead turned toward Thelim who looked at the proceedings with confusion written all over his face .

I don’t know if you or even this world is real , but I hope I’ll be able to see you again . This treasure might be of use to you , - Zac said as he threw the ent a wooden box .

Thelim curiously opened it to see an eggwhite leaf that radiated an intense amount of life-attuned force .

This! - Thelim exclaimed as he hurriedly closed the box as to not let the aura leak . - This is too precious , I cannot accept it! -

The leaf was a treasure that Zac snatched on the fifth floor . He still had no idea what it was , but it contained almost as much energies as the Fruit of Ascension . Zac didn’t dare to eat it though since the leaf didn’t cause any cravings in his body like most beneficial treasures did , and he couldn’t figure out any other uses for it either .

It was only collecting dust in his Spatial Ring and would probably disappear when he left the tower anyways , so he chose to gift it to Thelim instead to reciprocate his goodwill .

If you don't want it , then throw it away , - Zac smiled .

He threw one last look at the Dao Discourse Array] before he left with a shake of his head . Some things weren't fated . He soon arrived back at the stump , and finally released the poor dryad who had been dragged back and forth like a ragdoll for the past minutes .

He had nothing to say to the four dryads who gazed at him as though he was a walking calamity as he stepped onto the teleporter , leaving the forest behind .

Chapter 430 - Manuals

Sixth Floor Complete . Upgrading Title

Choose Reward : Compatible Soul Strengthening Manual , Compatible Body Tempering Manual , Beast Mastery Manual]

Zac’s eyes made a beeline for the rewards , but his face scrunched together when he noticed that there weren’t any rewards related to the Dao . He had almost been certain there would be a Dao Treasure waiting for him , but it looked like the System had a sense of humor . Or perhaps it simply didn’t award any Dao Treasures at all since there was still the projection waiting when he exited the tower .

Tower of Eternity - 6th Floor : Reach the 55th level of the Tower of Eternity . Reward : All stats +10 . All Stats +10%

The title was just what Zac expected , but he still couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed . One of his goals before evolving was to reach 1000 points in Strength , but he knew now that he had already maxed out on the benefits he could get from the Tower Title .

The next floor , if he could even pass it , would most likely add a high-tiered component to the title , not any more raw stats . It would be better if you looked at raw combat power , and it was usually more desired to keep the raw attributes down so that one would be able to enter restricted Mystic Realms . But it was far worse for Zac now that he needed to reach a certain threshold rather than stay under it .

Zac didn’t have any good ideas on how to boost his Strength with the final 73 points to reach his goal of a thousand . He had only gotten 7 points from the Peak Strength Fruit , but he should be approaching the limit of what he could gain while still in F-Grade . Not that he could get his hands on any more of them anyhow .

There was some Strength waiting for him when he formed his final Dao Fragment , but it wouldn’t be enough . Neither Sanctuary nor Trees gave a single point into Strength , and he would probably only get the 10 points from the boost to all attributes .

Was getting a middle Dao Fragment the only option?

Unfortunately , that was easier said than done . He had discussed the topic with Galau a couple of more times after they discussed Axe Mastery] when he mastered the skill . According to him it wasn’t any easier getting a mid-grade Fragment than pushing your Race Grade to D while still having a F-Grade Class .

A low-Grade Dao Fragment was the standard limit for almost all cultivators . As Galau explained it , over the almost million years his clan had existed , there had been no lack of geniuses who formed Dao Fragments before they evolved . But there hadn’t been a single one who managed to evolve the Dao Fragment while still in F-Grade .

It could technically be done though , but it required both a tremendous insight into and affinity with the Dao in question . In other words , you needed to be a cultivator to evolve the Fragment . However , Zac had reason to believe that he might be an exception to this rule .

Galau had said the same thing about Early Stage Dao Fragments as well . According to him one even needed a high affinity if you wanted to form a Dao Fragment at all . It had something to do with an F-Grade warrior lacking a natural spirituality , something that only affinity could make up for .

The first grade of cultivation was based on building a foundation . You started with a weak mortal constitution , and gradually improved it to be able to support cultivation and harmonize with the Dao . In fact , the youth had assumed that Zac was a cultivator based on the fact that he had formed Dao Fragments .

However , Zac hadn’t encountered any problems forming his Dao Fragments even with his non-existent affinity , leading him to believe that there were no such restrictions for him , as long as he got some help in forming the Fragments .

That still meant he needed to encounter an opportunity even greater than the Dao Funnel or the Tower Apparition though , and Zac didn’t want to rely on such a longshot for the chance at pushing his Fragment of the Axe to Medium Stage .

There was the possibility of utilizing his Apparition on his Fragment of the Axe instead fusing his third Dao Fragment , but Zac wasn’t too sure about that gambit . It would mess up his class choices a bit , but more importantly there was no guarantee of succeeding in upgrading the fragment .

He was pretty close to forming the life-attuned Dao Fragment , and he was almost certain he would be able to push the final distance with the help of his apparition . But the same couldn’t be said of his Fragment of the Axe . He barely got used to fighting with it , and he hadn’t really figured out what direction to take it .

There was a pretty large risk he would just make some improvements , rather than evolving the Axe Fragment , even with the help of an apparition . If that happened he would essentially have wasted that huge opportunity . Perhaps the following floors would present him with a solution though , so Zac didn’t completely give up , and instead turned his attention to the rewards .

Galau had broadened his horizons greatly during their travels , especially after the merchant realized Zac was a pretty clueless progenitor who only got integrated a year ago . One valuable piece of information after another had flooded out of his mouth to curry favor .

The subject of manuals was one such topic . Zac had been looking for something like a meditation manual to combat the splinter in his mind since he returned from the hunt . Calrin hadn’t been able to get his hand on anything useful though , and Zac had been forced to solely rely on the miasmic fractals in his mind .

But such a thing did in fact exist , along with various other types of manuals . A Soul Strengthening Manual was a technique to gradually improve on one’s soul , just like the Pool of Tranquility did . It would not only make one more resistant to soul attacks and Illusions , but would also increase one’s spiritual energy reserves .

The soul was the power source of the Daos , and none of the attributes directly contributed in this regard . Intelligence and Wisdom didn’t help you with controlling the Daos or strengthen your soul , and neither did any other . The soul’s strength was pretty much inborn , though it got stronger from leveling up .

Zac had a feeling that his soul was a already lot stronger than normal , especially after having completely steamrolled the Enlightened Three with his Dao storm . The Splinter of Oblivion had helped by strengthening it even further , and his dip in the pond had helped remove some impurities .

This manual was a chance to work on his soul even further .

Better yet , it was even possible to use such a manual without being a cultivator , so it wasn’t something that he would have to throw to the Merit Exchange . There was , however , a pretty big reason as to why it was almost unheard of for cultivators to practice Soul Strengthening Manuals .

It was slow . Excruciatingly slow .

One could spend millennia refining and empowering one’s soul , turning it into a diamond completely free of impurities . But you could instead have focused on meditating on your Dao or progressed in levels during that same time , and both would have a greater effect on one’s survivability and strength .

Body Tempering Manuals were related to special constitutions or improving one’s bloodlines . Practicing a manual along with taking certain treasures or medicinal baths would slowly transform one’s body to gain a specialized constitution .

Alea was such an example , though there seemed there were some problems with the method she used . Ogras’ grandfather was probably unable to acquire a complete manual , so they had jumped into it blindly . Another possibility was that they had tried to forcibly use a manual with low compatibility .

If the main reason for the scarcity of Soul Strengthening Manuals was the slow progress , then compatibility was the main reason for there being almost no Body Tempering Manuals in circulation . Pretty much all manuals had extremely strict requirements on things such as race , affinities , and even bloodlines to work .

To simply train an unsuitable manual was to court death . If Alea was practicing an incompatible manual then just turning into a monster was the least of her worries . She ran the risk of dying at any moment , and considering her class and constitution she might end up taking half of Port Atwood with her in a storm of poison .

Beast Mastery Manuals were somewhat of a mix between a skill and a mental exercise , and likely the most popular of the three supportive manuals that Zac was offered . It allowed anyone to gain a facsimile of the abilities that a true Beast Master like Verana possessed by allowing you to slowly form a connection to a beast through prolonged meditation .

One could use it to gain a mount like the floor guardian that Ogras fought , or a pure battle companion to fight alongside you . The connection sounded a lot like what he had with Verun , and the chance of betrayal was pretty slim unless the beast got too powerful .

There were drawbacks to this type of manual as well though . Compatibility was an issue with both Soul Strengthening and Body Tempering manuals , but with Beast Mastery Manuals the compatibility issue lay with the beast . You needed certain manuals to tame certain beasts , and some beasts were simply not possible to form a connection with unless they wanted to .

Ogras was the victim of a forced connection from what Zac could tell , where The Umbra had forced a connection that normally wasn’t possible to create . He hadn’t dared to experiment on himself due to the risk of death , so he had used Ogras to satisfy his curiosity after having turned into an Inheritance Spirit .

Since the System didn’t mention compatibility with the manual Zac guessed that it would have to be either pretty general , or that it was like a lottery what sort of beasts that it would work on . It might turn out useful , but it might also only work on beasts that didn’t exist on earth .

In either case the manuals weren’t something that would benefit Zac in the short run , but with enough time all of them could help him in different ways . Finding a compatible manual was extremely rare , and most were created through an arduous process of trial and failure by clans that had the resources and manpower to experiment .

A few of the peak forces in the sector would no probably possess them , but having the means to create a specialized constitution that fit your heritage and bloodline was no doubt rare even among the strongest forces in the area .

All three manuals were also a chance for a warrior to gain more class options before evolving , so Zac could understand why they were presented as a reward . Of course , the additional classes Zac would get from a stronger soul or acquiring a beast companion probably wasn’t something that Zac wanted right now .

His bottleneck wasn’t his constitution either , but rather the Dao and the concept of creation .

But even if Zac didn’t need them to get a better class they were still useful in their own way . Zac guessed that this was a way for the System to provide an uncommon perk that most powerhouses could benefit from , or use to shore up weaknesses .

Indecision plagued Zac as he looked back and forth , and he couldn’t reach a conclusion . All of them had benefits and drawbacks that made Zac leery to pull the gun . The body refinement manual would allow him to improve on his already monstrous constitution , but there were some pretty big question marks about his body .

There was obviously something special about his body , and Zac worried that the body refinement manual he got from the System wouldn’t work well with a body of Technocrat heritage even if it said it was compatible . It might take away what made his body special in order to create something new .

Or perhaps the constitution that would be formed from a technocrat heritage simply wasn’t in line with the cultivation path he had embarked upon , that of Life and Death .

Getting a beast companion would be a pure plus , Verun had proven that many times . But there were extremely few decent beasts on Earth , and it wasn’t even sure that the manual would work on it . He was also hesitant that there were any beasts strong enough to actually make a difference . He would have to find a pretty monstrous animal to be able to keep up with his own power and growth .

As for the Soul Strengthening Manual , it was simply too slow . Zac wouldn’t see any direct benefits until after the incursions and Dominators were gone . He also wasn’t sure whether the time spent grinding such a manual would be better used to kill beasts and open up nodes . Leveling up did strengthen one’s Soul as well , and reaching higher grades was probably the best counter to the Splinter of Oblivion .

Zac finally made his decision , but before he claimed the reward he paused , first opting to check in on Earth by opening the Ladder . It had become somewhat of an emotional support to see that Kenzie and the others were all alive , so Zac’s eyes quickly scanned through the lists to find the familiar names .

But he suddenly froze as the latest change in the Ladder was just too shocking .

Chapter 431 - Nine Reincarnations

Zac was like a statue as he gazed at a particular spot on the Ladder . How had such a change come to be?

Ladder - Level

Rank

Name

Level

1

Super Brother-Man

75

2

Thea Marshall

68

3

Thwonkin' Billy

64

4

Enigma

61

5

Daoist Chosui

60

6

Silverfox

60

7

Guru Anaad Phakiwar

59

8

Thomas Fischer

58

9

Francis

58

10

Lotus

58

. . .

100

Blizzard King

53

Ladder - Wealth

Rank

Name

1

Super Brother-Man

2

Smaug

3

Greed

4

Enigma

5

Thea Marshall

6

Henry Marshall

7

Djinn

8

Thwonkin' Billy

9

Francis

10

The Eternal Eye

Ladder - Dao

Rank

Name

1

Super Brother-Man

2

Guru Anaad Phakiwar

3

Thea Marshall

4

Abbot Boundless Truth

5

The Eternal Eye

6

Pretty Pretty Mega Kenzie

7

Silverfox

8

Thwonkin' Billy

9

Daoist Chosui

10

Father Thomas

The shocking change was obviously Billy and Thea having gained a massive surge in levels since he checked last . He had taken a look just a few days ago , and Thea was level 65 at that time , while Billy was level 61 . That meant they had both gained a tremendous amount of energy in an instant , since less than an hour had passed on the outside since he looked .

But the real shocker was perhaps that Billy had surged to the 8th spot on the Dao Ladder . Before this , he wasn’t even ranked , and Zac wasn’t sure he even possessed an Early Mastery Dao Seed . Zac couldn’t imagine that simple giant pondering on the intricacies of the Dao , but Billy was like an onion .

Every time they met Zac learned one more surprising layer to Billy , from the golden blood to the sleep cultivation . It wouldn’t be surprising if someone like that possessed disgustingly high affinity with some Dao , and it only took him some time to figure it out . Judging by the fact that he had also gained multiple levels pointed toward the fact that he had gained it mid-battle .

Zac was happy for his friends , but more so he was worried . Had something happened on the outside that would prompt Thea and Billy to take such a risk? The only way to gain multiple levels in one go was for them to defeat a powerful E-Grade invader , probably a General from the Undead Incursion or a leader from one of the few remaining ones neighboring the Dead Zone .

Thea was aware that he would return in a day or two , but yet she had risked her life in such a fight . Zac almost regretted looking at the ladder after seeing the change , as a seed of worry had been planted in his heart . But he could only shake it off and focus on his climb . He would leave this place in 50 days , which was just a few hours on the outside .

Apart from the sudden jump by Thea And Billy nothing much had changed since he last checked the ladder , apart from the occasional movement here and there . Francis and Lotus were two new names in the top ten , though Zac had seen them in the top 30 since the beginning .

He had no idea who Lotus was , but Francis was one of the human councilors of the Underworld Council . He had usually hovered between rank 15 and 20 , but he had upped his game since he arrived to the surface . Apart from him and Enigma there were two more councilors at the power Ladder , though Zac only knew Gregor personally . It was the man he had met just after taking over the Union . He currently sat at the 54th position with level 55 .

The other elites of earth hadn’t been idle either , and you now needed to have reached level 53 to get a spot . That meant that there were potentially thousands of people who had attained their level 50 skills by now , something that could bring a huge boost in strength to the Native Armies .

It wasn’t bad , but Zac still felt it wasn’t enough . He understood why human wave tactics were the only reliable option against incursions unless someone like him appeared . How would a single level 50 warrior take down those leaders he had fought? Even a dozen of them would be useless .

Zac couldn’t see the earthlings defeating a leader , or even a general , unless thousands of people sacrificed themselves to exhaust the invader’s Cosmic Energy . Even if the Undead Empire hadn’t appeared on earth there was probably not much hope for the earthlings . He even guessed that Thea and Billy had paid some extraordinary cost to win whatever fight they had found themselves in .

The invaders would have created permanent outposts , killing or enslaving the local population as they drained the planet of all its wealth . Earth was simply too slow in responding , with only a scant few of the incursions being closed while the invaders were heavily restricted and unable to use arrays .

The movements of the other two ladders were even more static than that of the power ladder . A few names had changed as people died or stopped progressing , but it took a lot for those ladders to move . The Dao Ladder stayed almost completely the same since the large reshuffling that the Dao Funnel brought about , except for Billy .

Half the Dao Ladder was still filled with former spiritual leaders such as monks and priests , with the rest being powerhouses . There wasn’t a lot going on with the wealth ladder either . A lot of names had dropped off after Zac conquered the Underworld Union , such as Little Treasure . Much of his wealth had been tied to the Union , and were now part of Port Atwood’s coffers .

But Greed , another former Union member who fled , somehow maintained his spot . It meant that he either carried a massive fortune on his person , or that he possessed intangible assets like a Mercantile License . Djinn was a new arrival , but he wasn't in any of the other two ladders . Zac guessed he had found a huge treasure that spiraled him to the top in one go .

In any case , he could breathe out in relief since he saw that all the Valkyries , Kenzie , and Emily were safe , meaning that Port Atwood probably wasn’t facing some immediate danger . It allowed him to keep climbing without too many distractions . Hopefully , Thea's actions were simply the result of impatience rather than desperation .

Zac closed the ladders and he immediately picked the Soul Strengthening Manual . The reasoning for him was simple . The Beast Rearing Manual felt pretty useless to him , but the other two were both tempting . Eventually it came down to choosing between Power and Survivability .

The Body Tempering Manual would probably make him stronger as long as practicing it didn’t mess up his body , but he was already plenty powerful for his level . The Soul Strengthening Manual on the other hand could help him strengthening his Soul , which was something Zac desperately needed in his fight against the Splinter .

He had already sensed the difference an empowered soul could have on him during his previous fight . The splinter had been truly agitated due to the mind invasion , but Zac had yet been able to stay mostly calm through the fight . If it had been before he would probably have unleashed Deforestation] in a muddled rage before he could analyze the situation .

The splinter was a constant worry , and he needed a long term solution that wasn’t reliant on the Miasmic Fractals . This might be his only chance to get his hand on a Soul Strengthening Manual , and he had to take it even if it would slow down his cultivation or make him miss out on forming a constitution .

Besides , with his path of cultivation he would probably spend a lot of time on the sickbed , wounded from cracking open nodes by force . Galvarion had been forced to recuperate for centuries , and Zac might fare the same fate even with his constitution . Tempering his soul during the downtime would allow him to keep improving even when he was hurt .

The moment he made his choice he was immediately sent off to the next world , and he barely had time to stash the radiant crystal that appeared in his hand before the whole field around him shook as tens of thousands of bodies rose to their feet .

One quick look around seemed to indicate that he was on a battlefield between an insectoid species and a mix of their undead counterparts and humanoid zombies , and judging by the groans and roars from the surroundings the undead had won .

Rebuff the Invasion

Zac wasn’t surprised to see the quest , and he summoned the independent fractal blade of Chop] to start clearing out the surroundings while he got his bearings . If he was supposed to rebuff the invasion he needed to find either the incursion of the undead , or whatever means they had used to arrive at this planet .

After that the most straightforward thing would be to cull the leaders of the invasion , which would hopefully force the soldiers to flee . Of course , it was a possibility that the leaders were far beyond his reach , at which point he would have to figure out to swing the war in the insectoid’s favor .

But Zac suddenly frowned as he looked around the area , and his eyes started to shimmer as he activated Cosmic Gaze] . Was the undead really the target?

Something is going on! - a shout echoed out from the distance as a group of humanoids rushed toward Zac , pushing the slow-moving zombies out of the way . - Why the hell is one of the mercenaries among the children? -

Zac curiously looked and saw that the new group was drenched in darkness to his eyes . Every part of their bodies was covered in death-attuned energies , and it was easy figuring out that they were undead , though these ones were sapient . They were a mix of different humanoid species , and it looked like some of them had swapped out certain body parts .

The fact that they were all sapient meant that they were E-Grade race as far as Zac knew , but his knowledge about the undead was pretty much limited to what Anzonil had told him . Perhaps there were situations where even lower-tiered undead could gain intelligence .

Please , my lord! - one of the humanoids shouted from afar after having stopped outside the reach of the fractal blade that was still reaping zombies left and right . - The children are innocent! They just haven’t woken up yet , please don’t waste your strength on them . -

Hmm , - Zac shrugged noncommittally as he ordered his blade to return to his side .

He had already realized that something was odd even before the group of undead approached him . He had first thought that the scenario was an invasion of the Undead Empire , but the fact that the area was teeming with miasma made Zac realize that might not be the case .

A bunch of killed zombies certainly would release some miasma , but this battlefield essentially felt even more death-attuned than the core of the Dead Zone , and the effect wasn’t nearly this pronounced in the battles he had fought with the undead outside their incursion .

Besides , some insectoid species were extremely invasive as well , just like the Ayr Hivebeasts . Given enough time they would swallow a whole world , and Zac knew there were many more species like it .

The scenario became clear after hearing the exchange between the undead . It looked like he was designated as some sort of mercenary , no doubt hired to help the undead forces to rebuff the insectoid invasion . Luckily he had some experience in dealing with insects , and the mission seemed straightforward enough .

Unfortunately , he was just caught red-handed slaughtering people from his own side . The only solution he could come up with was to act like an aloof master , which hopefully would allow him to not sour his relationship with the Undead Empire . It was best if he could keep his alliance with the undead to gather intelligence about his target .

Thank you , my lord , - the undead said as he scurried closer , allowing Zac to breathe out in relief .

The undead was level 60 at best , just a bit better than the extremely weak corpses around them . The low levels of the people made Zac believe this was a low-tiered world , just like the one before this .

My Lord , I am not sure how you appeared here? - the man hesitantly asked as he stopped a few meters away from Zac .

I got a bit lost , - Zac said . - Can you lead the way out of here? -

Certainly , - the undead nodded . - The children won’t attack you as long as you are accompanied by one of us . -

Zac was slowly led out of the sea of zombies , and he quickly learned that it was not actually a battlefield , but rather a dumping ground where they had left a mix of acquired corpses and insectoid invaders to slowly turn into true undead . Zac’s arrival had stirred them prematurely , and they would be kept there for some more time to gestate .

Zac was pretty curious about the society of the Undead Empire in general , but there was first one thing he wanted to check first . He quickly took out the luminous crystal he had just got , and he infused his mind into it to see what he had just got .

Nine Reincarnations Manual]

Temper your spirit through nine reincarnations of life and death and form an impregnable soul , immune to the ravages of Samsara .

Zac’s eyes lit up when he read the introduction , and any regret about missing out on a Body Tempering Manual disappeared . It looked like he had just hit the jackpot . Didn't this sound like a manual made for him with his ability to jump between being living and dead?

Chapter 432 - Lord Draugr

Zac had no point of reference when it came to Soul Strengthening Manuals , but the one he held in his hand seemed to be pretty damn strong , even if he didn’t have his unique constitution . It wasn't quite as tailored to his situation as he first had thought though , and it wasn't strictly limited to people who walked the Path of Life and Death .

The method to train in the manual was to push one’s soul to the peak of life before plunging it to the depths of death , simulating a lifetime . After completing enough such revolutions one’s soul would undergo a rebirth , shedding some of its imperfections and growing in strength .

If one managed to complete all nine reincarnations they would possess what the manual called a - Nine-Samsara Soul’ , and it would be so strong that he essentially wouldn’t even need mental protection skills like Mental Fortress] to stay safe . His soul would turn even more monstrous than his nigh-indestructible body .

The number of revolutions one needed to complete a reincarnation wasn’t clear , but judging by the language in the crystal it would be a massive undertaking to just complete a few reincarnations , let alone all nine . But Zac hoped that his ability to swap between life and death would be able to expedite the process , though that would probably require some experimentation .

There were two problems with the manual though .

For one , only the method for the first four reincarnations were included in the crystal . He would have to somehow find the rest elsewhere if he wanted to continue practicing the skill , and Zac had no idea where he would even begin his search for the missing pieces of a manual like this . He couldn't just jump into a bunch of Mystic Realms hoping to be lucky .

The fact that the manual was split up could also be seen as a positive though . Zac only gaining the earliest stages of the manual meant that it was probably beneficial even in higher grades . It would have been a shame if he got one that was only useful in E-Grade , after which he would have to swap to a new one .

The second problem with the manual was a bit tricky as well .

Each of the reincarnations required specific environments to practice . The first reincarnation only required him to meditate within one of two specific arrays , one death attuned and the other life-attuned . Kenzie no doubt could help him build two chambers meeting the requirements since Zac had the schematic , but she probably wasn’t able to put them on Array Disks just yet .

Perhaps this is where his unique situation could come into play . If he could swap out the increasingly stringent requirements with simply swapping back and forth he would save an enormous amount of time and resources . It seemed unlikely that he would be able to practice the Manual inside the tower , though it wouldn't hurt to try it out .

Zac put away the crystal and looked over at the undead with some curiosity . This was the first time he had talked with a sapient undead , unless you counted his encounter with the Draugr woman in his vision .

What race are you? - Zac suddenly asked , breaking the silence . - Oh , and what’s your name? -

Ah? - the undead who walked alongside him started .

Is your race - Zombie’? Or are you a Corspelord? - Zac asked with curiosity .