Defiance of the Fall

A zombie is a derogatory term for those who still haven’t awakened , - the undead answered after some hesitation . - My name is Eldar and I am a Revenant , the most common Race of the undead . -

Could you explain a bit more? What’s the Difference between a Corpselord and a Revenant? - Zac asked . - It seems we have the time . -

Well… - Eldar said with clear conflict on his face .

Zac understood what was troubling the Revenant , and he immediately had an idea . There was something he could test which might make the group more talkative .

Wait a minute , - Zac said as he stopped in his tracks .

The group of undead stopped and looked at Zac with confusion , and their eyes widened in shock as Zac’s skin turned deathly pale and he started to release a massive amount of miasma around him . His brown eyes quickly darkened until they were two black globes leading into the abyss .

Wha- how? - the undead sputtered with confusion on his face .

I am Draugr . I simply used a skill to look like a human , - Zac said as he turned his abyssal eyes toward the group . - I have been traveling among the living for all my life . This is the first time I actually stepped on death-attuned soil . I hope you can answer my questions and clear some points of confusion for me . -

I- ah , of course! - he said . - I am sorry , Lord Draugr . -

Zac nodded in relief . This was one of the loopholes the trio had found during their climb , mostly thanks to Ogras’ predilection of talking far and wide at any tavern he could find . Their races were never made an issue , as though the System forced all the natives to be enlightened and look past race .

However , if you mentioned your race they would understand you , in contrast to mentioning the Tower of Eternity . They hadn’t found any use for that small feature though , until now . The revenants had already been respectful earlier when he was a powerful mercenary hired to help in the war , but now it was as though they looked upon an idol .

I am sorry for the discourtesy just now , - Eldar said as he bowed deeply .

It is fine . I understand that you’d be hesitant to discuss this matter with the living , - Zac said . - Now , about the races? I have traveled with my master my whole life , and he hasn’t explained all these things for me for reasons I cannot disclose . But now that I am returning to the Empire I need this information . -

It was a pretty horrible excuse , but judging by the attitudes of the group of Revenants they wouldn’t question him no matter what he said .

Ah? Yes Certainly! - Eldar hurriedly said though he looked pretty confused . - May I ask which Empire you are referring to? Our kingdom of Zarvadar borders no force that can be considered an Empire as far as I can tell . -

Zac frowned in confusion for a second until he realized the problem . This world wasn’t actually part of the Undead Empire . How would it be? It was part of the Tower . The inhabitants of the worlds were never aware of anything larger than their planet , and higher grade beings were mentioned as things of legend .

That meant that he , unfortunately , couldn’t milk Eldar for information about the Undead Empire . Perhaps it wasn’t completely a loss though , since there were still a lot of things that he might know . There was only one undead force in the multiverse as far as Zac could tell , and this world should no doubt be based on the situation in the Undead Empire .

Nevermind , I cannot divulge , - Zac coughed . - Now , about the races? -

As you probably know , most of our population comes from corpses awakening , just like the field you saw earlier , - Eldar said , eager to please . - Only the powerful can conceive children of their own , so adoption is more common . And these types of children are all Revenants . -

However , the undead are special in that some can change their races to a certain degree , though supreme existences such as Lord Draugr does not need such things . Some shed their mortal coil through a ritual to turn into pure beings of miasma . They gain races such as wraiths and specters , - the revenant explained . - A few others choose to become Corpselords . -

Corpselords are a manufactured race . They are built by taking extraordinary bodyparts from multiple sources , creating a stronger than average body . Their progeny inherit a mix of their parent's bodies , which can both turn out great and pretty bad . Corpselord clans are usually subservient clans to either Liches or one of the five noble races , as their origin is that their ancestors were created . -

Does Corpselords have any weaknesses? - Zac asked .

Well , combining bodyparts is a hard venture , and only the most skilled Liches can do it without side effects . Most Corspelords are cursed with their bodyparts being in dissonance . They need to take medicine to quell the effects , and they are always looking for more compatible bodyparts . The risk for an earlier descent into madness is also pretty high . -

Then why would a Revenant choose to become such a being? - Zac asked with confusion .

Ah , lord Draugr might not know , but cultivation comes hard to us Revenants . We are not blessed with your talents , and becoming a corpse lord is somewhat of a shortcut to power some chooses to take , - Eldar explained , not without some helplessness on his face . - Most revenants are forever stuck at the F-Grade , unable to truly enter the path of cultivation . -

Zac slowly nodded , remembering Mhal , the Corpselord general . His research had been related to this subject . Infusing Draugr genes into one’s body would be able to increase the affinity with miasma , and perhaps even decrease the dissonance between bodyparts .

Nevermind , - Zac said , realizing he asked something he shouldn’t have . - Are Liches one of the noble races? -

Liches aren’t a race , - Eldar said with a shake of his head . - It’s more of a position , as well as a branching class tree . Creators of undead , miasma controllers . That incubation field you ended up in was maintained by a group of Liches for example . They’re needed to speed up the awakening of the children . But there are also many combat-oriented sub-classes . -

So what race are they? - Zac asked with confusion .

Most are Revenants , but the most skilled Liches are of course among the five noble races . Apart from the Eternal Clan who exclusively follow the Sanguine Path . -

I know of the Eternal Clan , - Zac slowly said . - But what about the other three races? -

Apart from your noble bloodline , there is the Izh’Rak Reavers . Their bodies are the strongest of all undead races , without being burdened with any of the demerits the Corpselords have . Then there is the Eidolon , the leaders of the specters , - Eldar explained . - They are the only spectral race that is born that way , never having shed their physical form through the ritual . Most believe their control over miasma is second only to the Founders . -

Do you know what the founders look like? - Zac asked . - My master never told me . -

Zac had no idea who these founders were , but he had an inkling . He kind of wanted to ask to make sure , but he saw the gazes of the group of Revenants . He had clearly asked a bit too much , and Zac was afraid that going too far would label him an imposter or something , making his quest all that harder .

No , the form of the exalted Founders are beyond the knowledge of remote Kingdoms such as ours . They are the origin of our species , I am sure they live in far greater places than here . Places where the Miasma is dense enough to turn liquid , - Eldar sighed , clear longing on his face .

Zac’s eyes lit up when he heard Eldar’s explanation . One popular theory was that the undead races were created by one single powerhouse , someone at the level of Emperor Limitless . He would probably have become an Apostate if he appeared in this era , but this all happened before the System arrived as the undead existed even before the System .

These founders might be the descendants of this grand ancestor , and if that was the case it wasn’t surprising they would be considered the greatest undead race .

After some more questioning , he got a pretty decent understanding of the undead Races . The Draugr could be considered the jack-of-all-trades of the five noble races . Their bodies weren’t as excellent as the Izh’Rak Reavers , and their affinity with miasma wasn’t as great as the Eidolon . But they still excelled on both those subjects , making them excellent all-rounders .

The Eternal Clan followed the Sanguine Path as Eldar called it , and it even seemed to be some confusion whether the members were really undead or not . Some believed they were rather a closely allied race that had decided to join the undead for some reason .

Thank you , - Zac finally said after he had satiated most of his curiosity .

There was still a lot that he wanted to know , but he felt that it would be too suspicious if he kept going . He instead turned his attention to something else .

Where are we heading? - Zac asked as he looked at the desolate surroundings .

We have set up a fort an hour's travel from here , - Eldar explained . - You and the other mercenaries were supposed to be placed under General Niksi , but now I am not sure . . . -

Zac understood what he meant . Perhaps it would breach some sort of protocol for some normal undead to order around a Draugr .

I need a place with both miasma and Normal Cosmic energy , - Zac said , switching subjects .

Certainly , - Eldar said , though his face looked like Zac had asked for a huge pile of feces to be placed in his bed . - We have already erected arrays to convert the energies for our guests . I'm sure one of the array masters can make some adjustments . -

Zac nodded in thanks as he thought of his next move . He didn't have a lot of time on his hands , but if there was one floor he should stay some time extra on , wouldn't it be this one? Where else would he be able to find assistance in grinding the levels of his skills? Where else would he get tips on controlling miasma?

It was time to integrate into undead society .

Chapter 433 - War

Charge! - Zac roared as he pushed forward , each step causing the ground to shudder as his frame grew and quickly became ensconced in pitch-black armor .

Ten thousand Revenant warriors roared in response , charging the insectoid army without any care for their lives as a thick haze of miasma covered the battlefield hundreds of meters in each direction . One after another fell as they approached the defensive line , but a fanatical gleam burned in the eyes of the survivors as they kept running .

Zac had severely underestimated the impact a purebred Draugr had in undead societies . He had figured it would be something like an elite on earth . It would elicit some admiration and perhaps jealousy , but nothing too extravagant . But he had been sorely mistaken .

He had been given a king’s welcome the moment he arrived at the base camp , and the Revenant general had even offered her position to him without hesitation . However , Zac had declined , instead opting to take command of an elite troop of 10 000 warriors with the intent to train his skills .

Anzonil , the old horndog , had also hit the mark on the pull of his race to the opposite sex . He had essentially been visited half of the eligible E-Grade females in the kingdom by this point . He had only managed to stave them off by indicating that any spread of his bloodline would be met with swift and bloody retribution by his elders .

He knew the effect wouldn’t be that pronounced in the real Undead Empire though , as there apparently had been no one from the five noble races visiting the kingdom of Zarvadar for millennia . Giving birth to a progeny that was even half-Draugr would skyrocket that family into the stratosphere .

The interest had barely waned from the threat of his imaginary elders though , and joining the battlefield had as much been an escape from the incessant courtships as it was a way to improve his skills .

He had already confirmed that the floor guardian was a - breeder’ , which was a specialized clone of the queen . She resided in a hive that had fallen out of the sky one day , continuously spewing out new soldiers . The original script was probably to help the war efforts to the point that a large-scale attack on the hive was possible , though Zac felt somewhat confident in assaulting the place alone after getting a grasp on the power levels involved in the struggle .

However , Zac wasn’t quite ready to leave this floor yet as he had found it extremely rewarding to use his class as it was intended .

Zac was almost upon the defensive line of the insectoid army he had targeted , and he quickly summoned the massive shield from Immutable Bulwark] . It had slightly changed shape to look like the armor he wore when using Vanguard of Undeath] , and he used it as a wall breaker when he slammed into the row of hulking insectoid brutes that held the front line .

The specialized defenders were even larger than Zac in his transformed form , but they still flew out of the way as though they were made from styrofoam as Zac ripped into the army . A hundred skeleton warriors rose from the miasmic mists the moment Zac had pushed his way inside , hacking and slashing in every direction .

They caused massive confusion among the attackers , which allowed Zac’s subordinates to widen the breach into a massive hole . Soon enough the Revenant army cut their way through the middle of the army , wedging themselves in and forcing the insectoids to split in the middle . The roars of battle echoed in Zac's ears , and it felt like the battle lust of his warriors empowered him .

In fact , the accumulated killing intent of an army of the dead had been the key to upgrading Indomitable] , and it had pushed to Middle Proficiency during his first skirmish . He had initially thought that the only way to improve the skill was to be hit with mental attacks , but he realized he had been completely wrong .

Hundreds of ranged attacks soared toward the vanguard , and Zac infused his fractal shield with the Seed of Sanctuary , quickly increasing its size to encompass the elite core of his army . The Seed was nowhere as strong as his Fragment of the Coffin , but the coffin didn't help increase the area he could protect .

Unfortunately , he would soon lose even this capability , which was the downside of abandoning the Fragment of the Shield in favor of his Life-Death duality . Whatever Fragment the Seed of Sanctuary turned into , it would no doubt be life-attuned , which would probably make it impossible to use with his current class .

Of course , the Revenant army wasn’t helpless even if Zac couldn't protect them all . They formed a second layer of defense in the sky that blocked out most of the attacks , and the soldiers ripped into the insectoid ranks with brutal fervor . Meanwhile , ten massive beacons were erected , and nine enormous cauldrons were placed between them .

It made Zac remember Mhal and his elite army . He had used cauldrons as well , though the way these warriors used it was slightly different . Massive black clouds started to billow out of the cauldrons in no time , and Zac knew it was a death-attuned poison that only affected the living . Dozens of liches instructed the mists to

Zac had learned that the spellcasters of the undead armies generally followed three heritages . First were the poison masters such as the lich in his squad , using toxins to cause widespread death . There were also many ice-attuned mages who fused death and frost into extremely potent attacks that turned enemies into frozen statues .

Finally , there were the soul manipulators who used mental attacks , curses , and illusions . However , these specialists were extremely rare and usually required inborn affinities , sort of like the purifiers on earth . There were certainly more classes , but these three were the most common , at least in this kingdom .

Zac had thought it had something to do with affinities , but the reason was a lot more pragmatic . The spellcasters of the undead armies leaned toward classes that would leave the corpses of their enemies intact . A fireball could turn a dozen warriors into cinders , but that would mean that the kingdom missed out on having a dozen new soldiers join their ranks .

The battle quickly turned into the undead's favor , and not just because Zac mowed through the army like a bulldozer . The two sides were almost equal in strength before his arrival , and the single addition of Fields of Despair] had tipped the scales in the Revenant's favor .

Zac had only utilized parts of the skill until now , the part that recovered miasma from kills and the part that weakened enemies . But with an army of the dead at his command he could utilize the skill to its full effect , where the also undead around him also benefitted from the skill .

He had initially expected that all the miasma released from kills would go to him , but Fields of Despair] actually provided the energy to the one who landed the killing blow . So the skill didn't just weaken the enemies , but it also increased the endurance of the undead , allowing them to keep fighting .

Using skills as they were intended was the best way to increase their proficiency . Zac had managed to push Fields of Despair] to late proficiency after just a few fights , and the skill reaching late proficiency actually benefitted him .

Back when he upgraded the skill to middle proficiency the only thing that changed was that the skill's coverage more than doubled . Upgrading it to late proficiency had doubled the area once again , and by this point it was able to cover almost a third of a battlefield this size . One more upgrade and he would probably be able to cover a square kilometer in miasma .

That wasn’t the only benefit the skill provided after getting upgraded . He could actually feel the combatants within the mist now . The effect was nowhere near as comprehensive as the omniscience of Hatchetman’s Spirit] , but it was more akin to having radar and sensing everyone in the mist like hazy blips .

He wouldn’t be able to use the new feature to dodge attacks , but he would be a lot harder to sneak up on this way . Hiding within the miasmic mists would be impossible without possessing some sort of counter .

I’m going in , - Zac said to the two powerful warriors who had fought right behind him the whole time

They were his two assigned lieutenants , each chosen due to their ability to stay alive in the head of the battle .

We’ll hold the line , - Yrvos , a Revenant created from a massive Ogre , grunted as he crushed an enemy with his barrel-sized mallet .

Zac nodded before slamming one of his feet into the ground , disappearing in a puff of miasma . He immediately appeared in front of a group of massive ants at the rear of the army , each of them well into the E-Grade . They were war beasts that the insectoids reared , and one of the most powerful weapons in their repertoire .

Sitting on their backs were a group of commanders and beastmasters , and it seemed as though they had been expecting Zac’s appearance . Ten pillars of light appeared around them , forming an array with Zac and the ants in the middle . A pressure immediately started to push down on him , whereas the insectoids seemed unaffected at all .

Zac frowned as he looked around , but he still proceeded with his plans as he stomped the ground again , erecting the cage of Profane Seal] . The mists of Fields of Despair] were joined by the black churning clouds of Winds of Decay] . He didn’t imbue the mists with the Dao of the Coffin though , but he had rather chosen to imbue Profane Seal] with it .

His Dao Fragment had amazing synergy with the skill , and not using the two together would be a wasted opportunity . First , it made the five towers and their corresponding gates pretty much impervious to the outside forces who tried to break in and assist their leaders . Secondly , they empowered the chains immensely .

The spectral chains had become a bit useless against the targets Zac mainly focused on with the skill , instantly crumbling from the attacks of the powerhouses . But the chains now required tremendous effort to destroy by the insectoids , making them far more lethal . They also gained a corrosive effect when they attacked and could even deal significant damage by just lashing opponents .

Zac felt as though he was mired in quicksand due to the array , and he was utterly incapable of dodging the rabid attacks from the massive ants who tried to gore him with their sharp legs . But he had never planned on dodging anything anyways , and he immediately started to whittle down the massive insects with the help of Deathwish] .

The E-Grade warriors quickly realized their plan had failed , and they jumped down from the backs of the ants to increase the pressure . But Zac was like a whirlwind of death as his massive miasmic bardiche ripped through the thick plating of the ants and the bodies of the insectoid leaders alike .

The massive pressure he was under from the array started to take its toll though , and he was starting to run a bit low on miasma . However , Zac didn’t worry as one of the gates to Profane Seal] soundlessly opened while Zac kept the insectoids busy .

The doors closed again just a second later , while But one pillar after another exploded as spectral warriors appeared out of nowhere , killing the array masters and dismantling the array in seconds . After they had completed their main mission they started to take out the normal soldiers in the cage that the spectral chains still hadn't dealt with .

Zac wouldn’t have any issue dealing with the array himself , but he wanted to use the various squads in his employ as much as possible . It wasn’t due to something as noble as giving his soldiers a chance to grow through battle . Zac knew very little about the war tactics of the undead , apart from the mindless hordes of the unawakened zombies .

Alea had partly suffered her grievous wounds due to lacking knowledge as well , not expecting to get ambushed by ghosts like that . He didn’t want that kind of surprise to happen to his armies in the clash against the Undead Incursion .

He had unearthed all kinds of knowledge during the three days he’d stayed on this floor . One small tidbit was that the spectral warriors couldn’t pass through Dao-infused surfaces or skills with enough power . That’s why he needed to open the door for the ghosts to enter his cage . Similarly , if warriors had their Dao Field unleashed they wouldn’t be ambushed out of nowhere as the spectral warriors would be slowed by quite a bit .

Having one’s Dao Field constantly active would put a drain on one’s soul , but it would be worth it in the heat of battle to avoid unwelcome surprises such as getting skewered from a ghost popping out of the ground .

With the threat of the way Zac methodically killed off the leaders one by one , leaving just the largest ant alive . Zac no longer had any means to see its level , but he guessed it was around level 85 and focused on Endurance . It was a perfect target for his daily practice .

You can go , - Zac said with his deep voice .

The ghosts who had remained inside the cage until now bowed before they streamed out through a gate that Zac opened , leaving Zac alone inside . Zac cracked his neck as he looked at the target dummy in front of him .

The past three days had been full of failures , but today he'd conjure those bronze sparks no matter what .

Chapter 434 - Repurpose

The departure of the spectral warriors left only Zac and the remaining inside the cage , along with a hundred decaying bodies that slowly replenished his reserves with miasma . He was still uncomfortably low on energy though , so he bit down on a pitch-black pill that turned into a thick sludge that ran down his throat . A surge of miasma spread through his body , almost instantly restoring a fifth of his miasma reserves .

Zac tried to not to think of the foul taste of the Warrior Pill] he just ate as he swapped out Verun’s Bite] for one of his disposable axes . It was a pill that had a similar effect as Cosmic Water but without the downsides as long as you used them in moderation . The Warrior Pill] was a lot weaker than the water though , and you could only eat one a day before side effects started to crop up .

Next he dispelled Vanguard of Undeath] and shrunk back to his original size . He wanted to experiment with his Daos , and he had found that his control got even worse in his transformed body . Miasma kept churning around in his body to keep the miasmic armor and weaponry active , which might cause some interference .

Or it was just the fact that the spiritual energy needed to travel further when his body was bigger .

The air around Zac started to shudder as he unleashed his Dao field for his Axe Fragment to the utmost . The ant seemed to sense the threat and attempted to ambush him , but Zac kept dodging as he tried to regain the feeling he had during the Dao Discourse .

It was obviously harder to concentrate with a massive beast trying to skewer you , but Zac felt that it was far easier to make breakthroughs mid-battle compared to sitting alone in a courtyard meditating . The pressure and risk of death would stimulate his potential , and something new would hopefully be born from his struggle .

The atmosphere inside the cage kept changing as Zac switched back and forth between the Dao Fields for his two fragments , one moment containing invisible blades and the next second corrosive winds . He had kept trying to recreate the Dao Storm with the help of his aura over the past days , but he was simply not making any progress .

He did at least manage to superimpose the two Dao fields for a second by force . When he wanted to release a second Dao Field the other automatically receded into his body , but he was able to stop it by simply blocking it out . However , that caused a pretty hefty loss in spiritual energy as the energy simply dissipated instead of returning .

There were also no bronze flashes appearing in the brief seconds he managed to keep the two Dao Fields going simultaneously . Zac figured that the density of energies wasn’t enough to force a reaction when it came to Dao Fields . He could only sigh in disappointment at yet another failed experiment and move on .

If Dao Fields could be considered the gaseous form of the Dao , then directly infusing it into a weapon or skill would be the liquid equivalent , and allowed for a larger amount of spiritual energy .

The Dao Storm had contained most of his spiritual energy , and perhaps that kind of density is what was needed to summon the bronze flashes . But he couldn't just crank out half his soul in one attack , but rather recreate that amount of energy in a single point to force a fusion like before .

The problem was that Dao Infusion wasn't like a water faucet . He couldn't just increase the lever and have more Dao Energy flow out of his head . Until now things had been binary where he either chose to infuse something or not . The amount of energy it cost would depend on the skill or item getting infused , and it would regulate itself automatically .

This was the problem that he had struggled with over the past three days . Trying to control the amount of mental energy that ran down his arm into his axe was like trying to push more air into a bag with his bare hands . Zac kept trying various approaches he had thought up while resting as he ran between the ant's legs , but nothing worked .

Since he still couldn't figure out any way for him to control the amount of energy he could only try to fuse the two Daos once again . It felt like Zac’s mind would split apart as he forcibly pushed his two Dao Fragments along his arms before they streamed into the axe at the same time .

It was yesterday he had finally found a way to force both his Daos to converge . He used each of his arms like a conductor for one Fragment , only trying to push them together when they reached his axe . He only needed to use some Miasma as the method of delivery . However , there were still many problems to solve , and the first trial was the reason that he was using a temporary axe at the moment .

Verun had roared in Zac's mind the moment the two streams had entered the axe before it immediately rebuffed the two Dao Fragments . Zac first thought it was because it wasn't able to properly utilize both fragments at the same time due to its lacking materials , but his next experiment showed that there were other issues at play .

When Zac tried the same thing with a spare axe the two fragments had entered without a problem , but the whole axe exploded into scrap metals in an instant , maiming his hands and almost blinding him . Zac had first thought he managed a fusion at the first try , but he quickly realized he had overestimated himself .

The explosion came from the two untamed energies along with the miasma causing strain on the weapon rather than a fusion of the two . It was still an impressive outburst of energy though as the axe scraps had either been infused with the Fragment of the Axe or Fragment of the Coffin as they shot out like projectiles in every direction .

Zac figured there was an issue of speed . He would never be able to squeeze out half his mental energy for a single strike , as he had done during the Dao Discourse . He instead wanted to rely on smaller amounts of energies colliding at higher velocities . It was like the experiments on old earth where scientists shot electrons at each other with extremely high momentum to see what kind of energies were released by the collision .

He needed to turn himself into a particle collider .

Having a plan was one thing , but finding a solution was something else entirely . A minute later his axe couldn't take it any longer and turned into a bomb as well . Zac had learned to see the signs by this point though and threw it away in time , but he froze a second later .

What about Cyclic Strike]? He had given up on the skill for his new path , but perhaps some parts could be repurposed . The two fractals from the skill were perfectly placed on his shoulders , and he would easily be able to push his two Dao Fragments there before they continued down his arms .

The correct usage of the skill was to infused his Daos into the two fractals , and sort of braid the energies in a way that allowed the two Daos to mesh together and combine . After that had been accomplished you could infuse whatever you wanted with this new combined energy .

Zac had never really gotten much further than infusing both fractals with their respective Daos . He hadn't even been close to finishing the type of mesh required , but that wasn't his goal at the moment . He felt like he was so close to the answer that he could taste it , and he gave the ant a quick punch to throw it away before he prepared to test his newest theory .

Zac immediately took out two daggers and stabbed one into each shoulder without as much as a grunt . Ichor started to drip down his arms and back , but he didn't care as he hurriedly activated the two maimed fractals with a smile that would no doubt look a bit deranged to an outsider .

The Dao Fragments entered the two fractals of Cyclic Strike] , but Zac didn't care at all about balance this time as he tried to force the energies to the center of the fractals as quickly as possible . Normally it wouldn't have been possible without properly following the winding pathways , but he had carved a new path for himself .

The two daggers acted as conductors and allowed him to skip all intricacies of the skill fractal , leaving just the part that acted as an entrance funnel , along with the core of the skill that Zac guessed was responsible for the fusion . The weapon blade allowed him to pass by over 70% of the fractal by just pushing the energy right through the metal itself .

Adrenaline started to course through his body when he realized that it was actually working , and blobs formed form his two Dao Fragments shot toward each other in his chest .

But happiness quickly turned to panic as Zac felt a terrifying buildup taking place when the two blobs merged , and he desperately tried to push it out of his body . He wasn't sure if he'd even survive if the blob exploded like his axes , taking half his torso with it .

The energy only got halfway down his arm before the ball of energy collapsed in a soundless implosion , annihilating a good chunk of his bicep as it disappeared . The pain was excruciating , but Zac was still delighted with the result as his eyes were trained on the wound .

The implosion had contained a bronze-colored spark .

Zac was in no mood to stay at the battlefield any longer , and Zac ordered the ten chains of Profane Seal] to kill the ant who was already on its last legs from the sparring session . The battle outside had already ended as well , with liches going through the battlefield to find salvageable bodies .

The corpses were placed in two piles . The second pile was the fallen Revenants and the insectoids who weren't salvageable , and these bodies were slated to be incinerated . He was still curious as to why it was impossible to re-reanimate a Revant , but he put the matter and instead hurried back to the outpost to go over the results .

You’re back , Lord Piker , - Uro , a steward that the Zervadar kingdom had provided for him , said with a bow as Zac barged through the door .

Is there any news from the Guild? - Zac asked he sat down with a grimace as the wound in his arm made itself remembered .

I will enquire , - Uro said and left the courtyard , allowing Zac to go over his findings .

His arm was a mess , but his short experiment with Cyclic Strike] as a base was a huge step forward . There was a lot of work left to do though . First of all , he couldn't keep stabbing himself with knives to create shortcuts in the pathways . It was both time-consuming and inefficient compared to using real pathways , not to mention that it hurt like hell .

Right now Zac had only an extremely crude proof-of-concept that needed huge improvements to be considered passable . He would somehow need to redraw the skill fractals of Cyclic Strike] to better fit his purpose , but he had no idea how to go about doing such a thing .

The next step was to control the fused energies long enough for him to hurt his enemy rather than himself . Right now it couldn't be considered a weapon as much as a creative way to kill yourself , akin to creating a bomb right next to your heart . If the spark had gone off just half a second earlier he might have lost the whole arm instead of just some muscle tissue and ichor .

The question was whether he really needed to stay on any longer on this level , as these kinds of experiments could be performed while climbing .

He still had many skill upgrades waiting for his Draugr-Class , but he wasn’t sure how long it would take to grind them out with his army . Zac guessed he would have to hear what the Guild had to say before deciding whether to stay or not , and he looked up with anticipation as his steward soundlessly entered his courtyard twenty minutes later .

A representative from the Inscriber Guild is here , - Uro said with another bow .

Let her in , - Zac said , knowing that they would no doubt send Ildera again .

Lord Piker , - the beautiful Vice Guild Master said with a curtsy the moment she entered the courtyard . - Ah! You're wounded! Let me- -

It's fine , - Zac cut her off before she used his wound as an excuse to fondle him again .

If Zac hadn't known she was a Revenant he would have thought she was a pale human . Ildera had one of the highest levels in the whole kingdom , and she had become remarkably close to a living being as far as Zac could tell . With the notable exception of running on miasma rather than Cosmic Energy and food .

How did it go? - Zac asked as he took another healing pill , one special-made for his undead constitution and provided by the woman in front of him .

The formation master looked a bit unhappy about being rebuffed , but seeing Zac using the pills she had gifted him lessened her displeasure noticeably .

I'm afraid we failed you , - Ildera said with a pout as she sat down next to him . - Feel free to punish me as you see fit . -

What went wrong? - Zac asked with disappointment , ignoring the innuendo .

That Ildera failed to create the Array Disks for Nine Reincarnations Manual] was a bit of a blow , and he started to wonder if even his sister would be up to the task .

Chapter 435 - Breeder Clone

We weren't successful in inscribing the life-aspected formation , - the undead inscriptionist said as she took out a couple of pitch-black array disks . - You will likely need a life-attuned Array Master for that half . I do maintain some contact with a master who might be able to do it , but it will probably require a few months . -

Zac stared at the inscriptions with bemusement for a second before he looked down at the densely inscribed array disks . Was there really a need to leave him on a cliff like that just now?

This is great , no need to disturb your friend , - Zac assured after he composed himself . - How many did you manage to inscribe? -

We made six , but I assure you we use high-quality materials , - Ildera said with some confusion . - They will not break even after repeated usage , so having six of them is overkill . -

The first thing Zac had done after arriving at the outpost was to commission the construction of array disks for his Soul Strengthening Manual . The forces he encountered in the Tower were all at least E-Graded by now , and many had skilled inscriptionists who could help save some time . He still had over 40 days left in the tower , and he wanted to use the days to the fullest .

It would also save his sister a lot of effort if he could simply get his hands on array disks rather than having her spend weeks on creating two cultivation caves . The reason he commissioned multiple copies was even simpler . He needed to improve the odds of the arrays making it out of the Tower .

What do you know about redrawing skill fractals? - Zac suddenly asked , taking the opportunity to learn from an E-Grade cultivator . - Seeing as you’re an expert on inscriptions I hope you would have some insights to share . -

Ildera surprisingly didn’t answer though , but rather looked at Zac with a troubled expression .

I am not qualified to discuss such matters with the young master . I am sure that your elders will show you the way when you reach the point of creating , adjusting , and fusing skills , - she said . - I am afraid that me intervening at this point would deviate your path of cultivation . -

It appeared that using his imaginary master and elders as a shield from any questions and courtships had its drawbacks . He tried to cajole some answers for a while but she was like a brick wall , citing that it wasn’t her place to disrupt - his master’s plan’ .

She eventually relented a bit by gifting him a handful of sheets that were actually made from the skin of E-Grade cultivators . Zac’s hair stood on end when he realized what he was holding , but it was apparently a material made for practicing inscribing skill fractals and pathways . It was the closest one could get without starting to experiment with your own body .

The Array Master once again tried to turn the short visit into a romantic outing after the main matter was dealt with , but she was soon enough led out from the courtyard by Uro .

My master contacted me earlier . He ordered me to take down the Breeder within the day as a trial . I will be leaving in a few hours , - Zac said when the steward returned .

Uro , the ever stoic servant , simply inquired whether Zac needed assistance or any specific equipment for his task . Zac asked for some more Warrior Pills] after some deliberation , along with another batch of Miasma Crystals . The steward bowed and left the courtyard once again .

Ildera not being willing to help out with redrawing the fractals was a bit of a let-down , but she still had provided a lot of help . Her words had indicated that modifying skills was possible , and not some cockeyed idea he had come up with . Even more surprising , she had actually mentioned that Fusing skills was possible as well .

Creating skills was nothing strange . It seemed to be somewhat expected after reaching E-Grade , at least if you had a higher rarity class . Those with uncommon classes would probably get by with just buying skills , but he had a hard time believing someone with an Epic class would be able to reach D-Grade without having created at least one skill tailored to their cultivation path .

Modifying skills to better suit you felt pretty straightforward as well , though it was probably a lot more complicated than it sounded . Skill fractals were delicately designed networks of thin pathways that allowed Cosmic Energy to transform into all kinds of magical effects .

The skill fractals were something like an imbuement of Dao as far as Zac could tell . Pushing the energy through the network infused the un-attuned energy with higher truths , which is how Cosmic Energy turned into anything from fireballs to Zac’s fractal edges formed from Chop] . That was also why one could ponder on the Dao through studying skill fractals .

Even small modifications of a fractal would destroy the delicate pattern the fractal created , and you really needed to know what you were doing to not completely mess everything up .

Fusing two skills was another beast altogether . Zac had no idea where to even begin with such a daunting task . He could only assume that the System assisted somehow since skill fusions sounded way too complicated to understand for someone who hadn’t spent eons studying fractals .

Zac looked up at the dour sky with some wistfulness . It almost felt as though he was back on the island again during those two solitary months . An ignoramus fumbling in the dark , trying to make sense of what was going on .

He had stepped over a mountain of corpses to get where he was right now , but he was still just someone on the threshold of cultivation . In the beginning he was like a caveman , crudely pushing Cosmic Energy into various body parts to increase his strength . But was he all that much better now , impaling himself with daggers to create shortcuts in his skill fractals?

The steward returned soon enough and he wordlessly handed over a Cosmos Sack . Zac didn’t think much of it , but his eyes widened in shock when he scanned the contents of the pouch .

What’s all this? - Zac asked with shock .

It’s from the Royal Family . Killing the breeder is just a stepping stone on Lord Piker’s path , but it is the difference between life and death for the Kingdom of Zarvadar . This is a token of our appreciation , - Uro said , some life appearing on his face for the first time since he was assigned to Zac .

The reason Zac was so shocked was that there were roughly a hundred D-Grade Nexus Crystals inside the pouch , along with all kinds of pills and herbs . It might not be much compared to the vast amount of wealth he found inside the Spatial Ring belonging to Rasuliel , but it was still the biggest haul of any single level unless you counted special encounters such as the Pool of Tranquility .

Since Zac had made his decision he immediately prepared to set out . The commander of the outpost apparently wanted to hold a banquet in his honor , but Zac declined as he much preferred to depart without any pomp or ceremony . Fearing some sort of commotion he donned a cloak before he slipped through the back door of the mansion to blend in with the soldiers .

It was still a bit weird walking among the undead in their natural habitat . It was as though he was in some sort of bizarro-world where everything was similar but not quite the same . He had seen a young couple walk hand in hand , one of them a human zombie sporting a decent amount of decay and the other a Corpselord stitched together from at least 5 different races .

Another thing that had been a bit surprising was their love for scents . Almost all the undead living in the kingdom were too low-tiered to eat and drink , so they looked elsewhere to find the satisfaction a good meal could bring . Many enjoyed complex fragrances and most households created their own incense or potpourri .

Zac had long known about the location of the level guardian and he switched over to his human form when he was far enough . It was still quite the distance , and it took him six hours to reach the insectoid stronghold where the Breeder Clone was located , even when he employed Loamwalker] to its fullest .

The location wasn't very hard to find as it was a huge crater caused by the insect hive slamming into the undead planet . The Breeder had arrived alone and quickly started to produce an army for conquest . The insectoid queen had essentially shot out a bunch of hives specially designed for space travel , and they would autonomously conquer planets they landed on before reconnecting with the main hive .

Zac deliberated for a few seconds , but he eventually decided to head in as a Draugr . He had somewhat fallen into the routine where he relied on his human form for most tasks , while occasionally switching over to Undying Bulwark when Hatchetman proved a bad fit .

This was reflected in the slanted masteries of his skills , and Zac decided to push through the whole of the 7th floor in his Draugr form unless a level was a particularly bad match .

Sneaking inside the hive was out of the question no matter what class he chose as the whole crater was crawling with warriors . But full frontal conflict was Zac's forte , so he started to grow from activating Vanguard of Undeath] as he ran down the slopes .

Just seconds later enraged screeches echoed across the area as Zac mowed down one warrior after another with the help of Immutable Bulwark] . He didn't bother killing too many of the warriors , wanting to save his miasma . Some unlucky warriors got bisected by the massive miasmic axe from getting too close , but most just got lightly maimed before they were thrown out of the way .

He was however forced to start cutting his way forward when he reached the hive , which pretty much looked like a nondescript comet . The entrance was completely blocked with innumerable warriors and beast companions , and Zac was completely drenched in a mix of blood , ichor , and green goop when he finally reached the Breeding Chambers .

The Breeder Clone seemed to be something like a mix of a worm and a factory , a gargantuan mound of flesh over 50 meters long . Zac barely had time to consider a course of action as a massive burst of Fragment-empowered acid threatened to swallow him whole .

He initially planned on enduring the blast before countering , but his Danger Sense screamed that doing so would be a monumental mistake . He could only slam his foot into the ground to teleport next to the massive insect with the help of Profane Seal] and then stomp again to erect the cage .

His pitch-black bardiche swiped at the enormous slab of flesh , but he was surprised to see that the creature had a consistency like pudding . His axe went right through , but the only effect was that he almost got doused by another spurt of acid . Even worse , just seconds later the large wound had closed .

Zac briefly considered swapping over to his other class to deal with this weird creature , but he suddenly had an idea . The ten chains all stopped killing the soldiers that kept emerging from pods that covered the Breeder's body and instead shot far into its gelatinous flesh .

The Clone violently started to shudder and shoot acid in all directions , forcing Zac to desperately scramble back and forth as he combated the tide of newly hatched insectoids that tried to rip him into shreds . However , he almost moaned in pleasure as torrential amounts of energy kept surging into his body from the Breeder Clone .

The amount of energy that the chains managed to drain from the queen was shocking , and a massive cloud of miasma had long formed over Zac's head as he simply had no way to storing this much energy . It took a full 10 minutes for the ten chains to completely drain the queen , which awarded Zac a final burst of energy that confirmed the kill .

The whole Breeding Chamber was partly submerged in massive pools of corrosive acid by this point , and together with the black clouds of Winds of Decay] , the hive had truly turned into a hellscape for any being , living or dead . Zac wasted no time inside the hive and quickly stepped through the teleporter .

The combination of his shocking Endurance and the layers of defensive skills that Undying Bulwark provided made Zac a nigh-impervious tank , but he still looked beyond saving when he appeared in the middle of the streets of some massive town . His pale skin was sloughing off his body in multiple spots , and Zac shuffled into an alley as he threw a healing pill into his mouth .

It appeared the days of easy victories were over .

The Breeder Queen hadn't been an insurmountable enemy , but the thing was both hard to kill while possessing unique strengths that would make her a pain to fight for either of his classes . The realization forced him to stay in place and heal up before heading out , as he didn't dare to challenge the level in his current condition .

Zac was thankfully able to reach an almost perfect condition within a few hours thanks to the pills he was given , and he immediately resumed his climb . He wanted to regain the days he lost on the first level , sparing barely an hour a day for sleep and meditation .

But progress was getting slower and slower , and not a single level provided a quick solution .

Worst of them all was the 60th level where he was trapped in an endless loop of restrictive arrays for nine full days . When Zac finally managed to break out through a bout of unhinged fury he didn't even attempt to complete the quest , but instead opted to turn the poor guardian into a pile of meat .

The unceasing experiments into fusing his Dao Fragments was also a cause of constant delays . In fact , the largest threat to his well being was his own training regimen . The guardians left their fair share of wounds by this point , but none of them had managed to blast one of his lungs into smithereens like he had during a particularly ill-fated training session .

Zac was essentially leaving a trail of bodies and black ichor in his wake , but that trail was at least getting closer and closer to the peak of the 7th floor .

Chapter 436 - The Tallest Trees

Ogras warily looked around as he appeared in the new world . Only when he saw that he had appeared on a busy street did he allow himself to look down at the gash at his side . Luckily the mayor’s all-out attack had barely missed as Ogras jumped onto the teleporter , allowing him to avoid wasting a week recuperating .

Who knew that the old goat would become so infuriated? Becoming a grandfather should be a happy occasion , after all .

That world was done with , but he couldn’t help but once again wonder if these worlds were real . Would he become a father? Well , not that he wasn’t one already after his years of whoring and playing around about back home . There were no doubt at least a dozen little bastards with his blood running around the streets of Ter’Ferizan .

The demon’s gaze darted back and forth across the street as he popped a pill in his mouth , his shadow tendrils meanwhile spreading out in search of threats and treasures . But it just looked like a somewhat flourishing metropolis , though the energy density was pretty abysmal . Luckily he didn’t have to search for long as the quest screen appeared on its own the moment he started walking .

Become an honorary disciple of the Transcendent Master

The demon sneered when he saw the name . Anyone who had the gall to call himself a Transcendent Master in a place like this was no doubt an insufferable asshole of the highest order . Just the thought of becoming a disciple to such a pretentious prick made his hair stand on end . An ornery person like that would no doubt request the full ceremony with kneeling and offering thanks to the heavens .

It didn’t take a lot of time to find out that the so-called Transcendent Master was an adviser to the crown and one of the guardian pillars of this country . The title had been awarded him by the former emperor after having fought off an invasion of the Grev Reapers , whatever that was . He currently lived alone , and he accepted 5 honorary disciples to carry on his legacy every year .

The next trial was unsurprisingly tomorrow .

Leech , you better help me this time or I won’t feed you for a month , - the demon said as he sat in the hotel room he had hired for the night .

Ogras still had no proper means to communicate with Leech , but the creature living in his shadows released a few undulations , which he felt represented a reluctant acquiescence . Ogras' mouth widened into a grin as he started to prepare , and one item after another fell into his shadows , seemingly transported into another dimension .

The next day Ogras found himself shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of middle-aged warriors , all seemingly stuck at the precipice of evolution . Becoming an Honorary Disciple also meant getting access to the vast fortune of the old master , which included various herbs that would help push one's constitution forward . It was a huge opportunity in a country where even worthless stalk of grass could be coveted if it contained some Cosmic Energy .

There were three trials to the apprenticeship ; Mind , Body , Heart . The Trial of Mind was essentially just a confusion array , and his grandpa had thrown him into enough of those while growing up for him to effortlessly pass through . He did however slow himself down somewhat as to not garner too much attention , as that might interfere with his plans . The standards of mental strength in the kingdom were obviously wanting , and just a third of the trial takers passed it .

The Trial of Body was just as simple , and Ogras was starting to wonder if the old goat was simply phoning it in . The old master simply said that the trial would be over when half the contestants had been thrown out of the courtyard where the trials were being held , which resulted in an all-out brawl .

Ogras had initially been planning on going easy again to stay unnoticed , but he was a bit embarrassed to realize his worries were superfluous as he found himself perfectly mediocre without even trying . Then again , he was holding back on his shadow skills , and instead tried to make do with his spear skills .

During the free-for-all he had barely needed to act to be thrown into the six specific positions he needed to reach . But thankfully no one seemed to have noticed that a spike was shot into the ground the moment Ogras landed , and by the time the Trial of the Body was over the six spikes had formed a circle that covered the entire courtyard .

The Trial of the Heart will test your convictions , your morality , and your loyalty to this great nation , - the stalwart old master said as he stood in front of the 20 remaining trial takers . - A crooked tree will never grow to its full potential , always forced to live in the shadows of others . As such , I will only assist those with a righteous heart . -

The old master proceeded to walk toward one warrior after another , using some unknown means to figure out whether they were righteous . Ogras' heart started to beat in anticipation as the Transcendent Master got closer and closer , readying himself for battle . But Ogras' eyes widened in alarm when the old master suddenly turned toward him , hostility all too apparent in his eyes .

He had been exposed .

You! - the old man roared as a massive surge of energy started radiating from his body , transforming him from an aged scholar into a ferocious warrior .

An explosion erupted from a nearby pavilion as a shimmering sword burst through its ceiling before it shot toward the old master , but Ogras saw no need to let the Transcendent Master arm himself . A massive crystal appeared in his arms and he immediately slammed it into the ground while infusing it with Cosmic Energy .

Roiling waves of illusory flames immediately inundated the whole courtyard and the trial takers fell over screaming , desperately clutching their heads .

The Transcendent Master seemed a lot better off though , perhaps due to being the floor guardian . His eyes still looked bloodshot though as he gripped the flying sword and slashed toward Ogras with an enraged roar .

The demon narrowly dodged a wind blade that would no doubt have cut him into two as he charged the old man with his spear drawing a majestic arc in the air . But two sharp lances of congealed shadows suddenly gored the old master from behind , leaving two nasty wounds .

The old man was obviously a seasoned fighter who would normally have been able to intercept such an attack , but his soul was currently on fire courtesy of the Voidfire Array] .

Two wounds weren't enough to take the old man down . However , it did cause him to lose focus for a short moment , which allowed Ogras to launch a massive shadowlance that ripped a hole through his torso .

The old master looked at Ogras with confusion , anger , and betrayal as he fell on his back while Ogras retrieved the six spikes with his shadow tendrils . It looked like the old man couldn't comprehend why someone would assault him after his centuries of service to the kingdom .

Ogras walked over to the old man who barely clung onto life and looked down at him with a bland gaze . One swift strike ended it , and Ogras quickly snatched the powerful sword before it flew away .

What's so bad about living in the shadows? - Ogras muttered as he jumped onto the teleporter . - It’s the tallest trees that have to bear the winds . -

How did things go? - Catheya asked , her eyes never leaving the screen in front of her .

There are no more members of the Tsarun-Clan in the Base Town . However , three managed to destroy their tokens and leave , - Varo recounted stoically .

He’s already passed the 6th floor , but his speed is average at best and it keeps getting worse , - Catheya muttered . - It’s hard to draw any conclusions . What do you think? -

I took the liberty of asking around some more after completing my mission , - Varo slowly said . - I would venture that he is being held back by a lack of knowledge of the tower and assisting treasures such as Array Breakers . -

Why do you say that? - Catheya asked with interest .

If Zac Piker truly was a disciple of her ancestor , then he should be well aware of all the hidden risks and opportunities inside the Tower of Eternity , especially those on the higher floors . But his speed did honestly indicate that there were some problems .

I found something at one of the Intelligence offices at the outer rim , - Varo said as he handed her an Information crystal .

Super Brother-Man? Fights with an axe . . . A powerful native who defeated an incursion? - Catheya mumbled as she scanned the contents . - Who are these Ez’Mahal-people? -

It’s a small feudal force in the sector , no one of import . Judging by their strength I would guess that the newly integrated planet was of the lowest grade , - Varo said . - The Ez’Mahal could barely be considered a High D-Grade force , and a splintered one at that . -

It doesn’t make sense , - Catheya muttered as her brows furrowed with confusion .

Zac Piker being an Integration Progenitor would explain why he was so powerful without anyone knowing about him . The combination of the Tutorial , the massive amount of Origin Dao , and the various opportunities The Ruthless Heavens provide to such planets could sometimes create extreme outliers .

But it also made the connection to her ancestor all the more baffling .

It is a bit disappointing . Perhaps I am overestimating my instincts , - Catheya muttered before she turned to her steward . - How far do you think he will go? -

He will pass the 7th floor , - Varo said without hesitation .

Why do you say that? - Catheya asked , her mouth tugging upward .

Instinct , - Varo answered after some hesitation .

That’s why we’re such a good combination , - Catheya smiled . - I think so too . In fact , I think he might even beat the 8th . -

Varo’s brows rose a bit before his expressionless appearance returned , but Catheya knew it meant that her attendant disagreed . Catheya still had a feeling about that man , even if she didn’t have anything to substantiate it with .

Do you remember Reoluv of the Dravorak Dynasty? - Varo suddenly said .

What about him? - Catheya mumbled with disinterest as her gaze returned to the Tower Ladder .

His brother just arrived , and he’s ready for a fight . -

The Zethaya sends their regards , - a young woman said with a bow as she handed Yeorav a crystalline vial .

Mh , - Yeorav nodded as he stashed away the pills without much interest . - What did you find out? -

It is just as your informant indicated . A confrontation between Zac Piker and Rasuliel Tsarun resulted in the destruction of the Zethaya Pill House and the death of Rasuliel . Boje Zethaya indicated that there was likely some unknown history between the two , as Rasuliel went out of his way to antagonize Mr . Piker . -

What else? -

Yara went over the details of the altercation in the Pill House , with Yeorav occasionally asking clarifying questions .

So he either has an extreme amount of Endurance , or he possessed some sort of treasure to withstand the Tsarun brat’s Abjuration of Zerthava] . Where did he get his hands on that thing , anyway? Only those in the Boundless Factions can make that cursed item , - Yeorav asked .

There have been rumors of the Tsarun doing business with unorthodox forces , - Yara said after some thought . - But nothing substantiated and not to the point that it has created a pushback . -

That old pretender is too greedy , too impatient , - Yeorav snorted with disdain . - He wants to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of the Allbright Dynasty and my ancestors , but his ambition has turned him insane . How can a dynasty be created on such a murky foundation? -

Well , these events will no doubt infuriate them . Boje also let slip that Rasuliel was the one who bought the Pathfinder Oracle’s Eye a few days ago , and it is now in Mr . Piker’s possession , - Yara added .

Oh? - Yeorav said with some excitement .

He knew his family had a few body parts of Pathfinder Oracles in their treasury , but there was no chance of getting his hands on them because of their ancestor’s strict rules about cultivation .

The number of resources he could draw from the treasury while still in F-Grade had long been tapped out . He would only be able to trade for it with an item of equal value , and it had to be something he had found himself without assistance .

The odds of that happening without him entering the depths of dozens of Mystic Realms were almost nil , but such an opportunity had somehow presented itself in front of him now . A treasure like that was something that you couldn’t get your hand on even if you had the money , and he could think of multiple ways he could utilize such a thing .

His little brother was no doubt kicking himself for not having the patience to wait just a few days before attempting his climb . But luck was sometimes as important as skill .

Has everything been set up? - Yeorav asked .

Everyone is in position . But multiple forces are similarly preparing for when Mr . Piker emerges , - Yara said .

What have the undead been up to? - Yeorav asked .

They haven’t made any movements since they threw out the Tsarun Clan from the Base Town , - she said , some confusion clearly written on her face .

Their motivation doesn’t really matter . Perhaps they just want a top grade body to bring back home , - Yeorav said as he gently grabbed Yara’s hand . - It will be an all-out brawl later . Don’t get mixed into this mess . -

Is… All this really necessary? - Yara sighed as she moved closer to Yeorav .

You know how my family operates . If Reoluv ascends I will probably just be relegated to manage a far-off corner , but if it's second brother I’ll be assassinated along with everyone close to me , - Yeorav said with a pained grimace . - My only hope is passing the 7th floor and getting accepted to one of those far-away places . I’ll take you with me and leave the in-fighting to my siblings . -

Not many people in their remote corner of the multiverse were aware , but passing the 7th floor essentially gave you a direct shot at entering massive factions that towered far beyond anything else in the sector . The whole sector was just a small corner of their domains , breeding grounds that occasionally fostered promising seedlings .

Most thought that Lord Beradan had been lucky and encountered a great master after passing the 7th floor , but he would probably still have been able to join one of those forces due to his amazing talents and his showing in the tower .

Yeorav knew his own limitations , and he hadn’t seen passing the 7th floor as a realistic opportunity . He knew he wasn’t his brother’s match in either talent or diligence , especially since their ancestor had taken Reoluv as a direct disciple .

Just reaching the 7th floor was a stretch without expending some treasures . Defeating the floor guardian? A fool’s dream . But that had all changed now . Yeorav didn’t know what that poor man had done to piss off the Boundless Heavens to this extent , but it actually awarded everyone who appeared in the Base down the quest .

His previous plan was to wait a decade or two and pass the 6th floor with the help of some treasures , but now a better opportunity had presented itself . It had prompted him to cache in on every favor and borrowing from everyone he could think of to stock up on enough offensive and defensive treasures to conquer a minor empire .

It should allow him to propel him through the 7th floor , and with the help of the quest he'd skip the floor guardian altogether .

He normally wouldn’t stoop to such despicable levels as he had no bad blood against this Zac Piker . He would rather meet whatever fate came his way when Reoluv or their Second Brother ascended to the throne , but he knew that wasn’t an option any longer . His relationship with Yara had been exposed , so whatever ending he would meet , so would she .

It was a shame , but Zac Piker needed to die so that they could live .

But that man seems dangerous , and he’s already entered the 7th floor , - Yara said with worry .

Opportunities are always found in the midst of danger , - Yeorav muttered as he stroked Yara’s hair . - Besides , I didn’t come to the Base Town empty-handed . -

Chapter 437 - Struggle for Supremacy

Barely healed wounds covered Zac’s whole body after hacking and slashing his way through the 7th floor , and he breathed out in relief when he saw that he wouldn’t face the floor guardian of the 7th floor immediately . Not even the thick armor of Vanguard of Undeath] had been enough to prevent him from getting hurt from the increasingly intense battles .

He had already spent a full day to restore his combat strength to its peak on the 62nd level , but he still could use some more time to rest up . His upper chest getting obliterated had cost him a second Zethaya Pill , but even then it had taken a couple of days before he dared to swap over to his human form .

Losing a lung and maiming his heart wasn't too bad when he didn't need to breathe or pump blood , but in his human form it might have proved lethal .

Zac looked down at his token with a sigh , seeing that only 27 days remained . He essentially knew that reaching the 72nd floor was not only a matter of strength by this point , but also luck . Twenty-seven days felt like a lot , but it was only 3 days per floor . Getting stuck just once would probably mean his climb was over .

The time constraints also made him hesitant whether he would be able to experiment any more with his Dao Implosions . Continuously wounding himself hadn’t really delayed him too much so far since he was pretty used to fighting wounded .

But the enemies were becoming pretty strong by this point , and the 73rd floor entailed another steep boost in difficulty . He couldn’t keep running around with maimed bodyparts any longer unless he knew he wouldn’t encounter the guardian for another day or so .

Besides , Zac had started to realize that his goal of using the bronze flashes offensively was far far away .

Zac had hoped that he would be able to utilize the mysterious flashes offensively by the time he reached the floor guardian , but the past days had proven that it was simply impossible . For one , he had only managed to actually force four fusions over a hundred attempts . Worse yet , each of those fusions had been so unstable that they had exploded in his face before he managed to use them for anything .

The fact that it was somewhat working felt like an indication that he was moving in the right direction , but he started to fear that he wouldn’t be able to create a working system before he evolved . The question was whether his current progress could be considered a - creation’ .

He felt it was unique enough as he had never heard of anyone doing what he was attempting , and it was also suited to his special circumstances . He had also arrived at the system mostly by his own effort , rather than following a heritage or a master . Yrial was a definite influence on the path , but not to the point that it could be said that Zac was following in his footsteps .

In either case , it looked like he would have to fight without using prototype Dao Implosions on this level . But he was still confident in his chances , especially in his human form . He felt that he would be able to take out almost anything with unrelenting ferocity as long as he utilized Hatchetman’s Rage] and Hatchetman’s Spirit] along with his supreme attacks , which is why he had already swapped over to his Hatchetman class .

Looking around made his brows furrow though . It looked like he was in the middle of a massive arena , one a hundred times larger than the slave ring he wound up in after completing the 4th floor .

Zac sat on a platform rising roughly half a meter above a floor made of large tiles , and he noticed there was an array ensconcing the platform . Zac hesitated for a second before he walked over to gingerly touch it , and he found that it felt like solid rock .

It looked like he was trapped like a beast in his cage , and a Dao-infused punch to the array indicated that breaking it was likely beyond his capabilities . He grunted in annoyance but quickly calmed himself down as he sat down in the middle of the platform and sat down to rest up and figure out what was going on .

The first thing he had noticed was that his was not the only platform in the arena . He could spot at least two hundred platforms around him , but just a few had golden arrays like his own . Indistinct shapes of other warriors could be seen inside , but he couldn’t make out any exact appearances of the others .

He could however tell that they were likely humanoids just like himself judging by the size and shape rather than war beasts . Was this some sort of colosseum where he would be forced to fight other gladiators to the death? If so , why hadn’t he gotten any quest prompt yet?

And who was the floor guardian in this scenario? There were no spectator stands or people visible in any direction , and the arena simply ended with a vast emptiness , like they were on top of a disk floating around in space .

Was this another riddle he was too stupid to figure out? It had been a humbling experience realizing that he couldn’t complete a single one of the quests of the 7th floor , forcing him to fight against the guardians instead .

Mostly it wasn't an issue of figuring out how to complete the quest . The problem was that it would take too much time , or that he didn't possess the prerequisite skills needed . Almost all the quests either required some specific knowledge or treasures to pave the way .

Even the quest on the previous floor requiring him to unseal a tomb to acquire a treasure within was hopeless . The array had completely stumped him , and it was designed in such a way that brute force didn’t work . But he had somewhat expected such a result .

He had been going in knowing full well he would have to rely on his strength above all . But even finding the guardians was turning into a chore , which is why he barely had enough time to complete the 8th floor now .

The fact that he was stuck inside an array at the moment didn’t help with his impatience to get going .

Minutes passed and Zac started to realize what was going on though . One array after another flashed into life , and another cultivator found themselves seated on a platform in the arena . After just 15 minutes half the platforms were filled , and Zac started to mentally prepare himself for a messy battle .

The closest platform suddenly flashed to life , and Zac looked over with interest . A hazy outline of a humanoid youth could be seen beyond the golden wall , and his head swiveled back and forth for a few seconds before he sat down .

Shit , how unlucky . A battle of fate . I should have postponed my climb a day , - the youth swore . - Better not be any Tower Breakers today . -

Zac sat some distance away from the one who had spoken up , but he could still make out the words from the guy .

His mind spun as he tried to understand the scenario . This level felt different compared to those before . The previous levels had all placed him in some sort of scenario , where he already had an identity and a clear mission . But Zac knew this was different as he looked at the indistinct shapes around him .

Were these people actually real?

But where did they come from if they were real? Were they teleported here like he was during his Hegemony quest? Or judging by the words of the youth next to him , were these people also warriors climbing the Tower of Eternity? If that was the case there was no way these people came from his sector though .

If he passed the 7th floor he would be the first to do so for thousands of years in his star sector , but the Tower tested the young generation all across the multiverse . Scrounging up a couple hundred of people reaching the 7th floor shouldn’t be too hard , especially not if it included people coming from higher-tier sectors with B-Grade forces and even higher .

But that presented a problem . He knew nothing of the capabilities of such individuals or the hidden means they possessed . What if they threw out hundreds of peak-grade arrays to blast this whole world into pieces?

There was also that term ; Tower Breaker . Did that signify people strong enough to climb the whole Tower? Such a thing was unheard of in his sector , but it wasn’t necessarily that case in other parts of the multiverse .

Zac barely couldn’t comprehend the strength required for that . Even the normal level guardians of the seventh floor all possessed various unique advantages along with at least one Dao Fragment . How would the boss two floors higher look? Would it have Peak Fragments? Something even higher?

Zac hesitated for a second before he turned back toward the youth on the platform next to him .

Hey , what’s going on? - Zac said with a high whisper .

You don’t know? - the youth answered after a few seconds of silence . - You better crush your token , buddy . When the walls come down , blood will fall like rain . -

Do you know about the Tower of Eternity? - Zac probed .

Are you trying to test me? - the man laughed . - Well , whatever . We’re all real . We know of the Tower of Eternity . We’re just unlucky sobs who the Ruthless Heavens took an interest in . -

What do you mean? - Zac probed , praying the chatty youth wouldn’t stop explaining the situation .

This is a rare scenario . A convergence of fate , you could call it . The Ruthless Heavens noticed a lot of promising climbers in the Tower at the same time , and instead of a floor guardian we get to fight each other . Fun , huh? -

Why would it do something like that? - Zac asked .

To make the survivors stronger , of course . What better way to become stronger than a life-and-death battle amongst the elites of the multiverse? - the youth snorted . - Shit , I had a pretty good chance of passing the seventh floor as well . Now I’ll have to do this stupid climb one more time . -

Zac frowned when he heard the youth complain . What he said no doubt meant that it was a lot harder to pass a floor like this than to fight the normal guardian . This was obviously pretty bad news .

After having fought one tough battle after another in the earlier levels of the 7th floor he knew he would be in for a fight that would push him hard when he met the floor guardian , but he still believed it would be manageable .

But he was far less confident about the messy situation he was in right now .

Got any tips? - Zac sighed .

Have fun and don’t get killed . That's what my dad said when he sent me off , has worked pretty well for me so far . -

Zac wanted to glean more information out of the man , but the array around him suddenly started to flash as a screen appeared in front of him . Zac blanched when he read the quest , and any hope of the young man next to him lying was dashed in an instant .

The wording in the quest was all too familiar , and nothing good ever followed seeing that line .

Struggle for Supremacy

Chapter 438 - Points

Supremacy… - Zac mumbled with some helplessness .

At least there was no confusion about what needed to be done this time . It was a Battle Royale . It made Zac remember when he sat wounded and wrung out in the tunnels of his crystal mine , and the quest for the Fruit of Ascension suddenly popped up .

The system had told the inhabitants of the island to fight for supremacy back then as well , and what followed was a bloodbath . This time things were slightly fuzzy though . Was this really a last man standing scenario?

Thankfully it seemed like the system wasn’t done , and a few more lines appeared in front of him .

Defeating each contestant rewards 1 point , in addition to all accumulated points of the vanquished

Trail ends when 10 contestants remain , or when no combat has taken place for 3 minutes . Avoiding battle for more than 5 minutes counts as forfeiture of climb

Ladder will display the top ten contestants

Zac quickly looked around and noticed a huge screen appearing in the sky . It was currently completely blank , but it was no doubt the scoreboard the System mentioned .

At least the System wasn’t so heartless that it would only let one person through . Ten spots being awarded wasn't too bad since he guessed there were roughly 200 platforms in the vast arena . That meant 5% of the people would pass . Those odds didn’t seem too bad considering they were on the last level of the 7th floor , whose guardian would no doubt have been extremely strong .

The question now was what level of power was required to be considered the top 5% in a group like this . He felt pretty confident in himself compared to almost any F-Grade cultivator , but he also knew that he knew nothing of how things worked with B-Grade and higher forces .

Neither did Ogras nor anyone else in the sector it seemed , as the strongest forces were all C-Grade . Perhaps the strongest people would know more , but the things beyond C-Grade might as well be myths for people like him .

Zac immediately tried to figure out a strategy to last as long as possible . Best case scenario he avoided battle altogether as the others fought it out . He would then swoop in and defeat a few warriors and snatch their accumulated points .

But he knew that was probably a pipe dream . He had no ability in stealth , and most of these people no probably had anti-stealth capabilities anyway . Besides , the system clearly disallowed such a tactic with its set of rules . Huddling in a corner might be seen as a sign of weakness as well , prompting him to get attacked .

Should he go the other way and blast his aura to the fullest , drowning his surroundings in his killing intent? No , something like that would probably backfire . They might consider him a raid boss and team up to take him out before turning on each other .

A thought suddenly struck him and he took out a couple of talismans and an Array Disk . He tried activating them one by one but he sighed in relief when none of them worked . Next he took out an amulet , a pretty weak defensive treasure he had snatched during the climb . The amulet immediately created a shimmering shield around him , though it was dimmer compared to the first time he tried it out .

It seemed that the System had enforced certain rules on the floor . Expendable treasures such as talismans , offensive items , and Array Disks had been completely disabled for the Battle Royale . However , real defensive treasures like his robes seemed to work , albeit in a reduced capacity .

Not being able to use any external items might be seen as a detriment , but for Zac that could only be considered a huge boon . He came from a newly integrated planet of a weak sector , and the things he could bring out would probably seem like a joke to most of these people .

Most scions of B-Grade clans would probably be able to beat him to death with their wallets alone , and even if the efficacy was lowered he would be in deep shit if someone took out a bunch of peak-grade arrays . He was pretty confident in the durability of his body , but even he wouldn't survive getting blasted by twenty Void Balls] .

This leveled the playing field somewhat at least and he took a few deep calming breaths as he looked around . All the platforms were full by this point , and the warriors inside essentially stood rooted to their spots as they waited for the timer to hit zero .

The array flashed faster and faster , and suddenly it was just gone , exposing himself and the other warriors . The whole area shuddered as hundreds of immense auras burst out , each one powerful enough to completely steamroll anyone on Earth .

Not even a second passed before blood was spilled , and Zac was already behind in the count before he had even jumped down from the platform . A few had taken the opportunity to launch quick strikes on their neighbors for early points , and the scoreboard had already filled up with ten names .

One warrior after another released their strongest skills and transformed , and everything from tempestuous storms of energy to awe-inspiring avatars started to take form across the arena .

However , one phenomenon reigned supreme , to the point that all battles ground to a halt . Zac was primed to meet any assault , but he couldn't stop looking at the spectacle on the other side of the arena as well .

It was as though a sun had appeared from nowhere as a colossal ball of primordial flames covered an area of hundreds of meters in each direction . Space itself seemed unable to withstand the heat as countless spatial tears were scorched open before they quickly mended again .

Zac had fought various flame-aspected warriors , but nothing he had seen had come close to the heat generated in that globe . The flames contained a boundless fury and scorching heat that threatened everyone in the arena , and Zac’s Danger Sense screamed at him to never cross the woman who sat on top of the sun .

There was no doubt in his mind that the ball contained at least a medium Dao Fragment , but the terrifying fluctuations made Zac believe that the reality was likely far scarier . Perhaps you’d even need Peak Fragment to reach those levels of power .

The fiery globe was a stark contrast to the young woman who hovered above the sun , as her face was an ice-cold mask as she gazed down on the arena as a goddess looking down at her subjects . Zac couldn't be sure from the distance , but she seemed to be a human from what he could tell .

A gargantuan avatar suddenly appeared behind her , a six-winged humanoid who could either be a fallen angel or a demon . It looked like it was seated inside the ball of flames , but it was still only submerged to its navel due to its towering height .

The avatar formed an odd seal with its fingers which conjured six enormous fractal circles above his head . The sense of danger in Zac’s mind surged , and he started backing away even if he was on the other side of the arena .

Six terrifying whirlwinds of purest flames rose out from the ball of flames and entered the fractals , imbuing them with their scorching heat . The next moment the whole arena was illuminated in a blaring light as each fractal launched a condensed pillar at an unfortunate cultivator who was too close to the sun .

Five of the unlucky targets were simply obliterated , the flames not even leaving their bones or treasures intact . Only one woman , a rugged beastkin woman wielding an odd kettle with incense , managed to survive by conjuring a massive beast avatar that managed to block the flames for a fraction of a second , which allowed her to move out of the way .

She was still grazed by the attack as it slammed into the ground , and she quickly took out a pill while she kept retreating with horror written all over her face . The beastkin only got a few steps though before she crumpled down on the ground as she started spewing grey clouds from her mouth . A second later she had turned into a bonfire as the flames had somehow burned her from inside .

The scene had completely subdued the whole arena . Just getting grazed by her attacks had been enough to get yourself killed , and she was still sitting on enough flames to drown out half the arena .

The flame goddess thankfully didn’t seem inclined to push things any further for the moment and instead sat down on top of the ball of flames to spectate the battles . Zac had first thought that some people would call for teaming up against the monstrous powerhouse , but she was completely ignored as dozens of battles erupted as people increased their distance from the stationary sun .

Perhaps she only wanted to stake her position in the top ten , and no one was foolish enough to contend for the first position when you could fight for one of the other nine spots . Hopefully , she would only strike one unlucky person every three minutes to not get kicked out , and effortlessly pass the trial .

It was a humbling reminder that the sector he came from was just a backwater corner of the multiverse . He was probably the strongest F-Grade warrior there , but there was always a higher peak . He had no confidence in defeating that girl . He wasn’t even sure he’d be able to handle one of her attacks in his human form .

His Undead form would perhaps be able to tank a few strikes , but defeating her in that form would be impossible . The vast power of the sun would melt his miasmic cage in seconds , and he would be turned into cinder before he would get close enough to hit her with an axe .

Was this the actual peak of the F-Grade , or were there even stronger people out there?

The flame girl was shockingly not the only warrior that made Zac leery , there were two more that he knew he would have to avoid if possible . Worse yet , half of the contenders were like him , holding back to observe the surroundings . There were no doubt a few more powerhouses hiding in the mix , waiting for the right opportunity to strike .

He had briefly entertained the notion of gaining the first spot as he waited for the arrays to deactivate , but now he was rather wondering if he’d even make it into the top ten .

The system wouldn’t give the leaders an easy time either , as there was actually a picture attached next to their names and points so that anyone would know who they were . One person obviously wasn’t prepared for that , as his face started to distort and change in an effort to circumvent the ladder . But the picture next to his name kept changing as well .

Zac had no time to worry about others though , as a sword tip pierced out of thin air , aimed straight at his heart . It contained an inexorable force , and it felt like the sword was a kilometer long slab of metal rather than just a meter . He immediately summoned Nature’s Barrier] and imbued it with the Dao of Trees to block the incoming strike , while also getting ready to activate his Dao of the Coffin in case it was needed .

A vast expanse of trees spread out around Zac as he activated Hatchetman's Spirit] as well , but this time the trees found competition from massive fractal swords that materialized all around him before they stabbed into the ground . He felt he was no longer in his private grove , but rather in a contested forest full of wood and steel .

The large sword pillars would have to wait though , as the incoming strike was stronger than expected . One of the ropes on the divine tree from Hatchetman's Spirit] snapped , providing him with another shimmering layer of defense .

Thankfully it seemed like his layers defenses enough to stop the attack even if it was impossible for him to imbue the nature-attuned skills with the Fragment of the Coffin . The dozens of Dao-Infused leaves didn't completely manage to impede the strike though , proving just how much power the stab had contained .

He had just activated the defensive barrier from Hatchetman's Spirit] as an extra precaution since he felt that Nature's barrier] should be enough to block an opening salvo . His defensive skill was based on his Endurance after all , and even if the attack was infused with a Dao Fragment it still had to contend with a Peak Dao Seed and over 1800 effective Endurance .

But the attack wasn’t over it seemed . The huge swords around him started to hum like they were struck by a tuning fork and two swords emerged out of the closest sword pillars like the massive swords were portals to some other dimension .

It was at this time his opponent finally appeared as well , rushing out of another sword pillar ready to strike .

It was a thin humanoid with purple skin and golden eyes . His build was pretty much the same as a very lanky human with the exception that his arms seemed to have an extra joint and that a thick but short tail extended from his lower back .

Sorry , about this . You seem nice fellow , but I decided to give this floor a try , - the man said as the three additional swords plunged toward Zac , each from its own direction . - And I need every point I can get . -

Zac could only smile wryly in response . It looked like information wasn't free after all .

Chapter 439 - Battle of Fates

Zac briefly wondered if the swordsman had assumed him to be a weakling due to his cluelessness about the Battle of Fates .

A burst of Zac’s shocking killing intent spread out as he moved with lightning speed , his axe already falling toward the youth as a storm of leaves pushed away the three hovering blades temporarily . The man’s eyes widened in surprise , but the display didn't deter him as a sharp aura radiated from him as he met Zac's attack with the sword in his hand .

A blinding flash of light was followed by a massive shockwave when Verun’s Bite] collided with a golden sword that the youth used to defend from Zac’s overhead swing . A small crack could be heard from the man’s arm though , and it was obvious he had strained to block the strike .

Zac was still pretty shocked by the guy's power , as his swing was both empowered by the Fragment of the Axe and the titanic power in his arms . But the arm holding the sword was only forced backward a bit before it stabilized again , though the man’s whole body was shaking from strain .

This was the first time someone at his level had been able to cleanly block his strike as far as Zac could remember , but he wouldn't give up from something small like that so he immediately geared up for another strike . The swordman was obviously not interested in matching brute force , and he suddenly shot back almost a hundred meters while the three flying blades prevented Zac from following by unleashing a storm of strikes at him .

Zac frowned and tried to follow using Loamwalker] , but he was for some reason unable to shrink the distance with his skill . Was it the sword pillars who messed with his mobility somehow? He could only move forward the normal way , but each step was contested by a barrage of strikes that kept ripping the leaves of Nature's Barrier] to shreds .

The swordman thankfully didn't try to attack Zac from afar while he tried to catch up , but he rather swung at one of the sword pillars right next to him . A hymn of vibrating metals echoed out as the man unleashed a frenzied series of swings .

Zac didn't understand what he was doing , but waiting for an opponent to finish charging up a strike was the height of idiocy , so he started launching fractal blades of his own at the swordmaster every time he saw an opening between the flying swords . He received a few cuts in return , but it wasn't anything worse than flesh wounds .

But the man expertly met the incoming fractal blades with his sword and somehow redirected the force of the projectiles to harmlessly pass by him as he kept swinging at the pillar . Zac finally noticed what was going on . The swordmaster was charging the massive sword pillars with power .

They had looked pretty much like dull steel swords before , but now they gleamed with some unknown energy . Zac had realized the issue too late as the dozens of pillars started to shoot out a cascade of sword beams toward him .

Zac did have the advantage of 360-degree vision thanks to Hatchetman's Spirit] , but knowing where the attacks came from didn't really help when you were unable to dodge . There were just too many blades , especially with the three corporeal blades already harassing him .

Resonating sword waves kept coming at Zac from every angle , and he found himself incapable of blocking them all with the help of Nature's Barrier] as the leaves were getting destroyed faster than he could create them . He eventually chose to just rush straight through the storm while imbuing his body with the Fragment of the Coffin , but he found himself swinging through air as the target had somehow passed through one of the sword pillars and appeared on the other side of the sword forest .

Zac growled in frustration as he instead chose to demolish one of the pillars , and one mighty swing with Verun's Bite] completely obliterated it and caused shards to shoot out in all directions . However , Zac felt like he was stuck in some sort of time loop when he saw the splinters fly back and recombine , once again forming an unblemished sword .

Thoughts of retreat started to intrude as Zac looked for a solution , but he stubbornly threw the impulse away . The guy he was fighting didn't have the confidence to win in this Battle of Fates . If he couldn't even beat him , how the hell would he reach the top ten? This was something like a trial for him , proving to himself that he could contend with the elites of the multiverse .

Cosmic Energy surge into his arm as a crack appeared in the air above the battlefield , allowing the hand of Nature's Punishment] to emerge . Zac wasted no time as the wooden hand formed a seal , conjuring the enormous array that emitted an intense pressure toward the ground .

It was only then that Zac realized a potential problem . Were there punishments to summon in this weird dimension? There was nothing apart from the arena in this dimension . However , he breathed out in relief when he saw a pitch-black peak emerge from the array , bearing down on the forest below .

Those sword pillars were simply too annoying , providing the swordsman with both a powerful attack and an escape skill while also restraining Zac's movement . He wouldn't be able to end the fight while they remained , so he saw no recourse but to go for mutual destruction and sacrifice his forest to crush the pillars .

A stabbing pain suddenly flashed in Zac's mind , and it almost felt like when he looked upon the massive axe in his Dao Vision all those months ago . Zac looked over at his enemy with some alarm , only to see that the swordmaster had swapped out his mighty golden blade with a run-down sword in a simple leather scabbard .

Zac had no idea what was so special about the sword , but his Danger Sense told him that it was far deadlier than the other blades he had so far . He was unable to do too much about it though as he was occupied with controlling Nature's Punishment] while blocking the hundreds of sword waves that threatened to drown him , but Zac did manage to send a few fractal blades toward the swordsman to force him to split his attention .

However , the blades only made it halfway before they were eroded by the unceasing barrage of sword blades . The fractal edges formed by Chop] were both larger and more ferocious , but they unable to withstand dozens of collisions .

Zac realized he wouldn't be able to stop whatever the swordsman was cooking up , so he got ready to expend another defensive charge to endure the strike while he completed the attack of Nature's Punishment] . However , Zac soon realized that he wasn't the target .

The lanky warrior unsheathed and swung the blade in one lightning-quick motion toward the sky , and the rusty blade was back in its old scabbard within the blink of an eye . The only evidence of the attack was a white arc left behind along the sword's trajectory .

The light didn't disappear even after the swing ended , but it rather grew and grew until it was a hundred-meter wide half-moon that rose into the air to meet the pitch-black mountain's descent , and Zac was shocked to see the peak get cleaved in two along with the whole emerald array .

Burning pain seared his hand , and he forcibly ended the skill before the sword arc hit the wooden hand . Luckily it seemed that the swordsman had miscalculated things as well , and he looked shocked when the two halves of the mountain kept falling rather than disintegrating into motes of Cosmic Energy .

A massive shockwave erupted as the two enormous boulders slammed into the ground . The mountain exploded into thousands of jagged rocks , some as large as a car , that flew in all directions with terrifying momentum . The swordsman tried to escape through the closest sword pillar , but he was immediately spat out , perhaps because most of the swords had been utterly destroyed by the massive slabs of rock .

Zac saw his opportunity as witnessed the swordsman scamper back and forth among the flying gravel . He immediately activated Loamwalker] , and immediately sensed that it was no longer restrained . He pushed through the chaos the moment he realized the skill worked , ignoring the twangs of pains from being pelted by the pieces of rocks flying around .

Suddenly he was right upon the swordsman , and Verun's Bite] was ready to strike .

Wha- - the man exclaimed as he tried to phase away using some unknown means , but Zac’s free hand was even faster as he grabbed the youth’s arm and infused it with the Dao of the Coffin .

Zac wasn’t planning on hurting the lanky warrior with his Dao , but he made a bet that it would be able to disturb the warrior's escape just like how he was able to stop Ogras from blending into the shadows . His guess was right as the enemy’s form turned corporeal again .

The man was no weakling since he had reached the 7th floor , and he wasn't ready to give up just because he knew he wasn't Zac's match in a direct confrontation . A barrage of sword strikes harassed Zac as the man resummoned three golden swords , and each strike came from unpredictable angles and contained a tremendous force .

Zac kept blocking with Nature's Barrier] and Verun's Bite] , all while trying to get a good swing at the man . He still had a death grip on the other man's arm , but his attempts at pushing him down to the ground proved impossible as the cultivator somehow resisted Zac's force .

But he wouldn’t relent either and he ignored any finesse as he used a meter-long fractal edge and delivered one earthshattering strike after another while forcibly enduring the hail of sword strikes . Since Zac had captured his target it had turned into a battle of endurance , and if it was one thing Zac was confident in , then it was his ability to take a beating .

However , he suddenly remembered that he had gained a few new cards , and his killing intent congealed into a spear that stabbed into the man’s back as Zac activated True Strike] . Others wouldn’t be able to see the spear as it was only a mean for Zac to control where he wanted to redirect the attention .

A golden disc looking like a miniature shield flashed into existence and radiated a massive amount of power as a necklace on the man’s neck dimmed . It covered the warrior's whole back in an instant , defending the man against Zac’s - surprise attack’ .

Of course , there wasn’t’ actually an attack coming since the skill only created a threat without any real follow-up . But that by itself was sometimes enough as the man hurriedly back to see what was going on and if he needed to dodge .

The movement only took a split second , but that was all Zac needed as he activated the second fractal on Verun’s Bite] while swinging with everything he had . The distraction had caused a small weakness in the warrior’s defense , and that was the difference between life and death .

The fractal edge of Chop] suddenly disappeared , and Verun's Bite] slipped past the golden sword as it gained a sanguine glow . It finally continued unimpeded toward the swordsman , and blood splashed in all directions .

I’m sorry , - Zac muttered as his axe bit into the shoulder of the warrior . - I need every point I can get . -

Zac could have just as easily aimed his axe to bite into the man’s head , instantly killing him , but he decided against it . He had no grievance with his enemy apart from them being competitors in the System’s game of elimination . Besides , these people probably came from powerful forces , and who knew what kind of seeds of Karma killing these people would form .

Shit , just my luck , - he said as he reached toward the token on his waist . - Thank you for showing leniency . If you’re ever in Asc- -

However , he wasn't able to finish his sentence though as he disappeared from the arena before he even had time to touch his token . His weapons disappeared with him as well , which was a shame since that rusty blade looked extremely interesting . However , Zac suddenly noticed that a Cosmos Sack was lying on the ground where the swordmaster just stood .

He quickly snatched it up and stowed it away as this wasn’t the time to go over his gains . Zac’s eyes rather looked around for any incoming threats , but no one seemed inclined to jump him as things stood . His eyes locked with a demon who wasn’t too far away , but the man quickly retreated .

Perhaps he had seen Zac’s battle and felt there were easier targets to focus on first , and Zac looked down at Verun's Bite] and saw the glow slowly retreat into the second fractal on the handle . Judging by the density of the light he would be able to use the fractal another 3 or 4 times before he needed to recharge it with blood .

This was the resulting upgrade from Verun devouring the massive succulent back on the 4th floor , but he had only been able to utilize it recently as the Tool Spirit had been digesting the various energies it had absorbed . The feature wasn't as flashy as the summoning Verun itself , but it did drastically increase the sharpness of the edge for an instant , allowing a sudden burst of power that was hard to adjust to .

Zac had found that it was extremely effective to combine the effect with True Strike] as the lapse in concentration of the enemy allowed him to make the most of the short burst in power . If he had used the fractal from the start the swordsman would probably have been able to use one of his defensive treasures to counter it , wasting the effect .

The brief respite after the battle allowed Zac to take a gander at the situation , and he was surprised to see how frenziedly people were fighting . Was there really a need to risk your life like this? Most of these people were scions of powerful clans , and many no doubt had a second climb remaining .

There were still over fifty fights going on , and Zac saw one person after another flash out of the arena , leaving only a Cosmos Sack behind . The scene made Zac realize that there might be some special protections in place , with the System providing last-second saves before they died .

That didn’t explain why everyone fought so desperately . Was it about the Cosmos Sacks? The treasures carried around by a Scion of a B- or A-Grade Force were of extreme value for someone like him , but it couldn’t possibly be like that for everyone? Was there some other secret to this special level?

Still , many knew their limits . For example , Zac spotted a golem defeating some sort of devil cultivator , and the Golem reached down and crushed its own Token the second it snatched the Cosmos Sack left behind , disappearing with the spoils .

The number of contestants had dropped less half in just a minute , and Zac realized that things might be over pretty soon . He needed to defeat a few more people while there still were easy targets around . But just as he was about to pick a target he felt a sudden gust of wind right behind him , making his hair stand on end .

Hey . -

Chapter 440 - Fractured

Zac rapidly spun around to find himself face to face with an angelic girl who smiled in his direction . She had appeared out of nowhere , and Zac frowned as he swung his axe toward her neck without hesitation . His Danger Sense was quiet but his instincts screamed of danger , and Zac infused his body with the Fragment of the Coffin while the spiritual forest reappeared around him mid-swing .

But she only looked on with a smile , her eyes trained at his .

There was finally a response of danger in his mind , but it was though it was muffled , subdued to the point that he could barely feel it . That only made Zac even more certain that the girl was a real threat , and Zac strained for his swing to move even faster .

However , he suddenly noticed something was wrong . He felt as though he was moving extremely quickly , but his axe wasn't getting any closer to his target . Terror started to well up in his heart and he tried to flee , but it was futile as the whole world was suddenly gone , replaced with two enormous eyes , both of them only containing a blue vertical fracture that contained endless power .

Every fiber in Zac’s body screamed for him to look away , but his body didn’t listen to his commands as the eyes consumed his everything . A snap could be felt inside his mind as Mental Fortress] crumbled like rotten wood , and then an all-consuming pain wracked his mind .

His very being was being eroded , and Zac knew he stood on the precipice of death . This wasn’t a death his Specialty core could circumvent , as this was brought on by his soul crumbling , his mental force fracturing and falling apart .

He tried to move his hands toward the token attached to his side , as it wasn't worth dying just to get a better title . But any sense of his body was long gone , and his vision swam as he fell down on the ground . His mind was turning blurry , but he felt some relief when he sensed a small vibration from the token by his side .

A shocking burst of ferocity suddenly burst forward , ripping the two enormous eyes into shreds .

Boundless destruction rampaged across his mind , startling Zac's blurred consciousness awake again . It was the Splinter of Oblivion] that had been freed from its cage and lashed out in fury . Dark and extremely potent energies ravaged across his mind . His soul was quickly becoming tainted , but the splinter at least seemed to temporarily hold his crumbling soul together .

Zac once again regained a semblance of control of his body , and he saw the mentalist standing just a meter away from him . She didn't move an inch , but rather stood in place as she violently convulsed . Her sapphire eyes were replaced by two ravaged sockets from where black blood poured down like waterfalls , staining her dress before it pooled at her feet .

Was the Splinter of Oblivion the cause of this? Was that the reason she still hadn't been teleported out? The backlash she had received seemed to have been just as serious as his own , and it seemed like a coinflip who would succumb to their mental wounds first .

It was an opportunity for him to escape from the Tower , but Zac was dismayed to find that his arm wouldn't move toward the token . The duplicity core had considered him on the verge of dying , and the slower automatic process of changing form had begun as miasma started to spread through his body . Worse yet , the Splinter's awakening seemed to have canceled the automatic transfer out of here and he was now stuck in place .

Zac would normally still be able to move in this state even if he was severely weakened , but with the shock to his soul he had turned completely immobile . He could only helplessly lie on the ground , praying that the Splinter would be able to keep his mind intact long enough for him to change form and do something about it .

He couldn’t help but curse his bad luck being targeted by a mentalist , one of the rarest class types . Did he project the image of being a rube or something? First he was targeted by the neighbor , then this scary girl . Did she perhaps think he was an easy target since he was an axe wielder , a class choice that famously favored by meatheads?

If that was her reasoning , she was unfortunately spot-on . Zac was somewhat confident he’d survive at least one attack of that insanely powerful fire mage , but his mental defenses were completely inadequate to counter the strike of a mental user who was strong enough to reach the peak of the 7th floor .

Worse suddenly turned to worst as a massive lance of darkness pierced the chest of the mentalist , instantly killing her by the looks of it . It was some sort of masked assassin wielding a meter-long spike who had appeared out of nowhere , immediately reaping her life .

He had probably noticed that she was barely hanging on and realized it was an opportunity to reap some easy points . Worse yet , after he had killed the mentalist he turned his attentions toward Zac , who was still lying impotently on the ground . Perhaps he thought that Zac was faking it or simply immobilized since he hadn't been teleported out yet .

It looked like his avenger would immediately turn into his killer .

A blazing pain of getting his innards shredded joined the agony of having his soul tortured as the black pike stabbed into his chest . A burst of power ripped apart his left lung , and it took everything in his power to not even blink from the attack .

He was still completely immobile , and his only chance of survival was for the man to think he stabbed a corpse as death-attuned energies already spread through his body . However , he suddenly caught a lucky break as the assassin flashed away the next second , narrowly avoiding a massive arrow that caused cracks around its trajectory .

One of the spatial cracks swiped Zac's side , and he could only bear having yet another grisly wound opening on his already lacerated body .

A few seconds passed and Zac realized he had somehow made it . The mentalist was dead , the assassin occupied elsewhere , and the rest of the cultivators had no time to worry about a corpse lying on the ground .

Zac couldn’t help but feel he was a bit lucky even though both his soul and body were wounded beyond their limits . His terrifying Endurance and death-attuned energy had allowed him to narrowly escape death , and giving him a small opportunity to survive .

Another relief was that the splinter was quickly being pushed back into its cage by the miasmic fractals , but Zac felt some helplessness when he noticed that yet another one of the fractals had been destroyed . That was two fractals gone from his visit to the Base Town , and he didn't know how many of them were required for the cage to maintain its efficacy .

There was also the issue of the large amounts of unfiltered energies the splinter had left all over his fractured soul . He had no idea what the long-term effect of such pollution would be .

However , that problem was nothing compared to the fact that his soul was once again falling apart now that it didn't have the splinter to keep the pieces together . He did have a solution , but it was just that the price was one he really didn't want to pay . His heart was full of reluctance , but he knew he didn’t have a choice . His body would slowly mend , but his soul was another matter .

He arduously managed to move his hand toward his mouth , praying that no one was watching the supposed corpses . When it was finally right in front of his mouth a small intricate box appeared from his Spatial Ring .

The Prajñā Cherry] was the only thing in his possession that could mend a soul as damaged as his currently was . He felt extremely apologetic to Alea , but he wouldn’t do her any good if his own soul broke apart before he even got back to Earth .

A swift motion propped open the lid and Zac immediately shoved the cherry into his mouth , stem and all , before he put the box back into his spatial ring . A warmth spread through Zac’s mouth , but abyssal darkness was spreading through his mind even faster , making Zac lose any sense of self .

A sharp pain suddenly flared up in his leg as a large piece of rubble from a broken platform slammed into it , probably the result of a frantic battle nearby . The pain shocked Zac awake long enough to roughly chew a few times and swallow the cherry .

Zac’s mind slowly descended into the darkness once more , but suddenly there was a burst of warmth , like his soul was caressed in a hug . He still didn't regain any feeling in his body though , and the clamor of battle turned into a distant susurrus .

Was this death?

A deep bell echoed in the darkness , and the bottomless abyss was replaced with a boundless sky with splashes of clouds colored pink by a sunset . The slight rustle of leaves was the only thing interrupting the tranquility of the evening . Zac realized he was on a solitary peak surrounded by arid badlands .

The rustling came from a small tree with purple leaves , and by the looks of things the tree was the only growth for miles in each direction . Sharp cliffs devoid of any growth surrounded him , leading down toward a canyon far below . Similar rocky pillars could be seen far in the distance , though none of them seemed to have any vegetation growing .

It was only then that Zac realized his vantage was that of the tree itself , which would explain why he was incapable of movement . Was this the origin of the cherry that he had just eaten?

Amitabha , - a gentle but decidedly masculine voice drifted out from beneath his vantage point , and Zac noticed a large figure sitting right next to the tree .

Shockingly enough he seemed to notice Zac as well , as he looked up in his direction with a smile on his face . The old man reminded Zac of Abbot Everlasting Peace from his mannerisms , though this monk was anything but human .

Zac had no idea what race the thing beneath him was . It was a generally humanoid , though extremely rotund . It almost looked like a large ball with a smaller ball on top for a head . It didn’t look like obesity though , but rather a natural feature of his species . From his massive torso two surprisingly long and slender arms extended downward , and his hands were placed in his lap .

If one could call it that since the monk didn’t actually have any legs .

It instead had two massive wings lying across the ground like a cape , and when their feathers rustled it sounded like divine bells while shimmering lights danced about . The being looked odd but it was definitely a Buddhistic cultivator rather than a beast , as he was dressed in a Kasaya while wearing a large bead necklace .

He had a generally humanoid face , with a set of large golden eyes that radiated wisdom , a small mouth , and a normal nose . There also seemed to be a third eye in his forehead , like that of Anzonil , though it was closed at the moment . Finally , a long mane of long gray feathers ran down his head and back , held together with a string like a ponytail .

Even if the being looked a bit odd there was no doubt in Zac’s mind he was a powerful warrior . His aura was subdued , but the power in his gaze was undeniable . Besides , looking at the mysterious lights that naturally radiated from his wings almost felt as beneficial for his Dao as witnessing a Tower Apparition .

Little cherry tree , how can you suddenly carry such fate? - the winged being mumbled , before his eyes slowly lit up with comprehension . - I see… You taught this poor monk something today . Benevolence must be reciprocated , thus completing the cycle and severing karma . -

Zac tried to ask what the old monk meant , but he was unable to speak or even move . He could only watch as the monk slapped his two hands together in prayer , and the sound of his hands clapping was like divine thunder that echoed through the cosmos .

Zac’s mind was filled with a shocking force in an instant , and he felt a connection to the universe he had never sensed before . All living things were part of a greater whole , all connected by karma and Heaven’s Will . Was this the grand truth of the universe , or was it the cultivation path of the winged monk sitting under the cherry tree?

The feeling only lasted for a second , and when he looked around he had returned to the solitary mountain peak , while the monk was nowhere to be seen .

Zac could sense that he , or rather the cherry tree , had transformed somehow from what the monk did . It still looked the same from the outside as far as Zac could see , but there was a tremendous power hiding within .

A massive halo that looked like a setting sun suddenly exploded out from the tree as its branches started to violently shake . Buddhist hymns sang across the badlands as the tree kept growing and transforming . It had just been a bit over five meters before , but it grew over a hundred meters in an instant .

Its appearance had also taken a drastic turn , as its purple leaves were suddenly covered in golden fractals while its trunk turned almost black with similar engravings . Its canopy stretched hundreds of meters in each direction , sheltering the area from the sweltering sun .

The changes weren't over though as the roots kept growing downward along the hoodoo , their exuberant vitality transforming the arid rock as they descended toward the parched ground . First , it was simply moss that covered the sheer rock , but soon enough even small trees and flowers forced their ways through the cracks , turning the rocky pillar into a living monument .

The edges of the branches started to droop as they kept growing , and soon they had formed a dome with the pillar as a center . Outside was still the sandblasted wastelands , but the area within the canopy was quickly turning into a pocket-sized paradise .

Chapter 441 - Faceless

The vision of the consecrated tree and its kingdom slowly faded as Zac returned to his body . Before he fell into the vision his soul had been crumbling while his body was grievously wounded , but he realized his body was almost completely healed upon waking up . A vigorous energy was gathered at his remaining wounds , and he felt them close with enough efficacy to put most of his healing pills to shame .

A thought struck Zac and he immediately opened his Dao Menu , and as expected there was a new entrant .

Fragment of the Bodhi (Early) : All attributes +10 , Endurance +60 , Vitality +80 , Intelligence +15 , Wisdom +50 , Effectiveness of Vitality +5% .

The vision had actually managed to help him form the third Dao Fragment , and the Fragment of the Bodhi even had tremendous healing capabilities from the looks of it . However , it was his mind rather than his body that had been in a critical state , and Zac hurriedly looked inward while still maintaining his unmoving posture . Unearthing all the capabilities of his new fragment would have to wait .

A vibrant emerald force surged through his soul , encompassing the splintered pieces of spiritual energy into a warm embrace . Most of his soul was already back together , and the remaining fractures were being mended with a speed visible to the naked eyes .

However , he noted with a frown that his soul wasn't uniform any longer . Whenever he had gazed at it before it had looked like a translucent ball in his mind , and this ball had become slightly larger and more pristine after taking a dip in the Pool of Tranquility .

However , now it almost looked like some sort of tadpoles were swimming about in his soul , small fuzzy blotches on an otherwise clear backdrop . It was no doubt the remnant energies left from the Splinter of Oblivion's rampage . Not only that , but it also seemed as though some of the alien energies had crammed themselves into the cracks of his soul turning itself into some sort of mortar as the Prajñā Cherry] healed him .

Zac had no idea what this infiltration would result in , and it felt like this was the very thing that the Miasmic Fractals had defended against the past months . The Draugr-lady's cage had managed to cleanse the energies for him before they merged with his soul .

He didn't feel anything amiss or different at the moment , but he knew he couldn't trust those instincts . The splinter had manipulated him many times before , and sometimes with him only realizing it after the fact .

Seeing the situation about almost made Zac want to leave the tower early and find someone who could create the second of his Soul Strengthening Arrays . He was losing miasmic fractals left and right and it felt like things were spiraling out of control . However , he knew he couldn't give up now . He had paid a steep price to remain in contention , and he wasn't ready to exit now .

The mentalist was pretty insane , but he had now transformed into his Draugr-form . Reaching middle proficiency on Indomitable] had allowed him to infuse the skill with the Fragment of the Coffin , and the two together should make him strong enough in case another mentalist lurked in the arena .

As for anything else , he had Immutable Bulwark] and his shield .

Zac had initially turned his focus toward his soul , but he now tried to get a grip of the surroundings while maintaining the disguise of a corpse . The vision had clearly taken less than five minutes , as he would have been booted from the arena by now otherwise .

He was still lying on the ground with the still-warm corpse of the woman who fractured his soul , and their combined blood had created a large pool that he was currently lying inside . The scene was pretty gristly , but that was a blessing in disguise as he had at least been left alone .

Zac tried to move a bit , but he realized he was still extremely weakened even though the transformation to his Draugr-form had ended . Perhaps it was due to the fact that his soul was still being pieced back together by the emerald glow . A lot of his organs were also turned to mush by the stab from the assassin's spike , which might have left some hidden weakness even if he had been restored by the cherry and his new Dao Fragment .

Each second felt like an eternity as Zac waited for the reconstruction of his mind to finish . He really needed to fight someone since he could be kicked out of the arena any second now due to inactivity . But Zac realized he should have been careful what he wished for , as he was suddenly shrouded by a shadow .

A figure had appeared out of nowhere , a small goblin-looking humanoid no more than a meter tall , and he bent over to rummage through the clothes of the dead woman next to Zac . There was actually someone bold enough to loot the corpses while battles raged all around them? Zac made sure to be completely unmoving , and he anxiously tried to urge his body to regain its strength .

Zac’s didn’t as much as blink when the thief started to rummage through his clothes as well , or even when he found the Cosmos Sack hidden within his robes . Anxiousness burned in his chest , but he finally felt a sense of completeness as his soul was finally whole again . Zac’s hand snapped forward like a spear , and with the help of the Fragment of Axe his hand became sharp enough to stab straight into the chest of the unsuspecting thief .

The man looked one-part confused and two-part horrified as his torso turned into shreds in an instant . Zac almost gaped in disbelief at the scene , but he quickly snatched back his cosmos sack in case it would be teleported out . But the man was deader than dead , and his upper torso slid off to the side while his legs crumpled .

Zac looked down at his hand with some shock , not able to comprehend the terrifying burst of power he had unleashed . His jab had been infused with the Fragment of the Axe , but the effect more chaotic and destructive than it should be . Was this the result of his soul getting tainted?

The situation was too chaotic to investigate at the moment though , and Zac knew he would have to look into this after he left this level . He instead quickly rummaged through the mangled corpse , but he only found the spatial ring that seemed to have belonged to the mentalist before . As for the thief's own possessions , he could find none .

There was not even a complimentary cosmos sack dropped by the system , making Zac snort with irritation as he got up to his feet . Maybe thieves got the same sort of pocket dimension skills like merchants did , effectively robbing Zac of his chance to loot another scion .

However , he quickly realized his mistake and he immediately changed his face with Thousand Faces] , bearing the painful transition . He didn’t think the cultivators around him had the time to completely understand what transpired here , but he didn’t want the fact of his dual-class to spread even if these people were from completely different sectors .

Luckily he was completely drenched in blood and viscera , making it nigh impossible to match him going by clothes either . Furthermore , he would soon be covered up in another layer of miasmic armor . The large shield that appeared on his arm would hopefully also make it even harder to connect to his human side . As for his axe , there wasn’t much he could do about that .

The people around him were far too dangerous for him to use Hunger] instead of his main weapon . He didn't even dare to swap out Verun's Bite] for a spare axe .

A wide sweep proved that he was out of trouble for the moment , and Zac thanked the gods that there was no immediate threat . He had just killed a cultivator , which meant he had some breathing room before he needed to fight again . But the situation that he was met with was a bit odd .

There were still roughly 30 people in the arena , but only a handful of battles still raged on . The others were simply looking at the others and up at the ladder . Quite a few were actually looking right at him as well , donning calculative expressions . Their discerning eyes were a bit hair-raising , but there was nothing he could do about it .

He knew he wasn't strong enough to kill everyone that might have witnessed his transformation . Zac could only pretend nothing was wrong and hope that they'd chalk up the situation to some odd transformation skill . At least he wasn't jumped by the remaining warriors , which gave Zac a chance to look up at the ladder as well .

A lot of changes had taken place in the ladder during his unconsciousness . Only the first three positions were completely unmoved , and it looked like they were content with the results as they leisurely looked around at the others . All of them had over twenty points , making it essentially impossible not to pass the trial as long as they didn’t get kicked for inactivity .

The second and third positions actually seemed to be from the same Clan as they shared the same last name , but they seemed to have no intention of teaming up judging by how far they stood from each other . Things generally seemed pretty civil , and Zac couldn't understand why some of the spectators didn't try to take advantage of the few people who were currently embroiled in life-and-death battles .

Had the remaining elites agreed upon some code of conduct while he was out of it?

Zac wasn’t on the ladder as expected , which wasn’t surprising as he had only defeated two people , one of which only provided one point . It was unlikely that the thief he just defeated was anything special either , and he had probably defeated one opponent at best before deciding to loot rather than compete for the top ten positions .

The problem was deciding who to target next . Picking one of the people on the ladder would guarantee a top ten placement if he won , but the battles would no doubt be pretty rough . Fighting Iz Tayn who still sat on top of her miniature sun was a non-starter , but the other 9 were obviously no weaklings either since only one of them was currently getting attacked .

The other option was taking on one or a few of the remaining spectators in hopes that his combined points would at least push him to the tenth spot . That tactic might end with him expending a lot of energy without anything to show for it though . Those who still stood in the arena were no doubt the elites of elites , and taking out two of them to gather points was probably harder than just one person in the top 10 .

Zac soon enough made his choice and started moving , prompting most of the spectators to look over at him with vigilance . Zac ignored the gazes as a sea of miasma started to billow out around him , followed by the massive fractal bulwark that started to hover in front of him in case of a sneak attack .

His body groaned and creaked as he activated Vanguard of Undeath] next . Zac didn’t summon his skeletal helpers this time around though , as he wasn’t too confident in their ability to help out in a place like this . Judging by the attacks he had seen they would be ripped to shreds in no time unless he infused them with his Dao , and he would need his fragments for his other skills .

He had a feeling that the skill would change in interesting ways as it leveled up , but for now he couldn't justify the cost of activating the Undying Legion] . Instead , he stomped down on the ground and disappeared , and stomped down again the instant he appeared in front of a familiar figure .

It was actually the masked man wielding a pitch-black spike , the guy who had almost killed him earlier . His pseudonym was Faceless #9 , and he was currently holding the 7th position on the ladder with 13 points .

Zac couldn't deny that part of his reasoning for choosing this man as a target was fueled by vengeance for getting his innards shredded , but there was also some logic to it . He had already seen some of the man’s repertoire and weapon whereas most of the top contenders were a mystery to him .

Furthermore , judging from what Zac had witnessed the man seemed to be an assassin-type character , which was the best match for his current form . He had already been forced to change race , and he wouldn't be able to swap back to his human form anytime soon . Finally there were a couple of corpses around him , which would help fuel his miasmic reserves through Fields of Despair] .

Wrong choice , - the masked man grunted with an emotionless voice before he disappeared , and Zac's mind screamed of danger the next moment , prompting him to immediately block the back of his head with his shield .

If Zac had been a fraction of a second slower he would probably have died then and there as the black spike slammed into Everlasting] with enough force to make Zac stumble forward . The sturdy shield was almost pierced straight through as well , though the fractals helped it to quickly regain its original form .

Cold sweat ran down Zac's back , but he pushed aside his lingering fear as he quickly infused Deathwish] with the Fragment of the Coffin before it was too late . The assassin snorted and disappeared the next moment , but even he seemed a bit shocked to find himself right in front of the massive Bardiche Zac wielded .

A huge gash tore open the man's chest as the spectral projection stabbed into the back of Faceless #9 , but he narrowly avoided any lethal wounds . Zac tsked in annoyance as he tried to swing his axe again , but it appeared that the assassin quickly learned from his mistake as he managed to move further away , somehow circumventing the taunting effect of Vanguard of Undeath] .

Zac sighed in regret when he saw that his gambit had failed . He had hoped to take down the man with a surprise strike relying on the discombobulating effect from Vanguard of Undeath] , but the masked warrior had dodged with almost impossible nimbleness . Zac did manage to leave a pretty nasty gash though , but it wasn't enough to weaken him to any significant degree .

It looked like Zac would have to do things the hard way , and billowing clouds of corrosive gas started to shroud the cage as the wails of fifteen chains started echo out of the cage as an azure fractal formed in the sky .

Chapter 442 - A Break from the Monotony

Finally succeeding in upgrading Profane Seal] during his climb was one of Zac's greatest gains while climbing the 7th floor . The upgrade added five more chains that extended from the top of five massive tombstones that had been added to the cage , and they would be sorely needed to catch the slippery assassin .

The additional chains wasn't the only benefit from the skill evolving . Dense scripts lit up with azure luster on top of the huge tombstones , and they formed a large fractal in the air that covered the entirety of the cage . It was a restrictive array , somewhat akin to the gravity array of the Zethaya Pill House .

It was another layer of restrictions that hindered anyone who had been caught in Zac's cage . Along with Fields of Despair] , the spectral chains , Winds of Decay] , and the taunting effect of Vanguard of Undeath] the area within Profane Seal] had become a real hellscape for the living .

But the man caught in Zac's trap was no normal man , and he barely seemed troubled at all by the situation .

Another warning of danger exploded in Zac's mind , this one even more urgent than before . He desperately moved Undying Bulwark] to block his torso while infusing it with the Fragment of the Coffin . A sharp snap could be heard as the bulwark was pierced straight through as the pitch-black spike continued toward Zac's body .

Almost all of the strike's momentum had been absorbed by the defensive skill though , and the spike didn't even manage to piece the next level of defense , the thick miasmic armor that covered Zac's whole body .

Zac was ready to retaliate with his axe , but his brows rose in surprise when a spectral projection suddenly appeared on the other side of the cage . He pushed the confusion aside and infused the ghost with the Fragment of the Coffin just as it stabbed the man , creating another shallow wound that immediately started to fester .

It was shocking how far the man had instantly moved after stabbing him , but the fifteen chains of Profane Seal] immediately set out to trap the assassin while Zac started to release torrential amounts of corrosive mists into the cage . He had failed in taking the man down with one strike , but Zac was still confident in whittling him down using his standard approach .

The assassin tried striking Zac's vitals a few more times , but between Immutable Bulwark] and his shield he was able to escape unscathed , while adding more and more wounds with the help of Deathwish] . Faceless #9 was probably the fastest enemy he had ever fought , but his defense wasn't too impressive .

Besides , the spectral projections were immutable . The masked warrior had unleashed flurries of stabs at them the moment they appeared , but the stabs went straight through their incorporeal bodies . They could only be blocked , which made them the perfect counter for people who relied on not getting hit .

The assassin suddenly appeared far in the distance , and Zac frowned as he realized the assassin was up to something . Bleeding abscesses could be seen at various parts of his arms , whereas the wounds on his body were continuously leaking pus . A smaller spike suddenly appeared in his hand , but rather than attacking Zac he stabbed himself in his heart .

Zac's eyes widened in shock witnessing what looked like a suicide , but he quickly realized that things were about to get rough . The man's muscles suddenly started to writhe and wriggle as black liquid reminiscent of his ichor poured out of his wounds before they coagulated , forming thick scabs around his wounds .

The nine closest chains were suddenly thrown away with enough force to cause cracks all along the links as the man stabbed forward with enough speed to become a blur , which gave the man another short breather . Impenetrable darkness spread through the cage the next moment as the assassin unleashed some sort of domain , and any clue of the man's whereabouts was gone . The man's attuned energies had completely blended in with the surroundings , rendering Cosmic Gaze] useless .

Even his life-force was hidden by the dome of darkness , rendering the unique vision brought by his Draugr race impotent . Just as Zac tried to figure out his next step a sharp pain erupted in his left leg , and he realized a hole as wide as a quarter having appeared seemingly out of nowhere .

The hole went straight through not only his armor but his whole leg , and he felt his black ichor pouring out of the wound . He sensed that another spectral ghost had automatically appeared some distance away , but Zac didn't have time to imbue it before it had struck the assassin . What had just happened?

Another wound suddenly opened up , this time on his right arm . Zac frowned at the fact that he couldn't sense a thing before being struck , not a single warning from his Danger Sense that he was about to get attacked . This time he managed to imbue the projection from Deathwish] , but Zac couldn't help but worry .

Zac had already heard that there were methods to circumvent the special senses from Luck , but this was the first time he had seen it to such a degree . Was this the hallmark of a top-tier assassin?

This was a fighting-style that was completely different compared to anything else Zac had witnessed during the Battle Royale . The man had no big avatars and there were no flashy skills that emitted massive outbursts of energy . However , that didn't mean the man was weak , and it wasn't without reason that none of the spectators had dared to target him .

Zac was sitting at over 300 effective luck , but he couldn't even begin to sense when the attacks were coming . Not only that , but his Endurance and multiple layers of defense barely impeded the man as two gristly wounds had appeared on his body without him impeding the strikes in the slightest .

There was an extreme penetrative force between his jabs , and just one or two attacks might be enough to kill most people . The man had no doubt been able to effortlessly assassinate one guardian after another during his climb using this method , barely sustaining any wounds .

However , a muted pang of danger suddenly erupted , and Zac hurriedly protected his head with his shield , safely looking another strike aimed at his head . Zac nodded in understanding as he realized that his Danger Sense at least could sense lethal strikes . It meant that the darkness hadn't changed much .

So Zac simply ordered the chains to flail about at random as he stood rooted in place , only focusing on staying alive and infusing the Deathwish] with the Fragment of the Coffin .

Finally , there was a break from the monotony .

Iz Tayn curiously looked at the weird cage formed from death-attuned energies , and the two fighters who were grinding each other down within . Luckily she had been gifted the skill Sungod's Eyes] by her uncle before entering the tower . Otherwise , she would have missed out on the melee due to the Red Hand Shroud] .

Not that the fight was anything impressive . The assassin from the Red Hand Society had actually been forced to infuse himself with their disgusting compound to keep fighting , whereas the odd one was just unusually competent at taking a beating . He would no doubt be able to make a decent living as a sparring partner at one of her family's Trial Planets .

She had been deeply disappointed that there wasn’t anyone interesting in the arena after something interesting finally happened in this dull Tower climb . The two siblings from the Primeval Lake were pretty strong , but they were still not strong enough to force her hand even if they joined forces . It was a shame that there was no one like their grand-uncle in their current generation . Then it would have truly been a clash of fates .

She felt a bit bad about scorching a few unlucky people out of frustration , but then again it could be seen as them lacking in fate by being spawned so close to her . After that she let the others escape in time , apart from the despicable fellows who didn't respect the proper rules of conduct . Such people could burn for all she cared .

But something interesting finally had happened . He seemed to think that no one had noticed his transformation , but everything that her sun illuminated was within her domain . How could she not see what happened? What kind of encounter would allow one to change between a Human and a Draugr?

More importantly , was he really human? It was extremely minute , but there was something odd hidden within that she had never encountered before . Something primordial .

Mixing an ordinary Human bloodline with the blood of higher beings was nothing unusual , as humans in general were extraordinarily average . Her own family was a prime example of that practice . But the odd thing was that her own bloodline felt some pressure from that man , which she had never encountered before . At least not against someone in her own grade who hadn't undergone their bloodline evolutions yet .

That wasn’t the only odd thing , and she couldn’t help herself from being engrossed as she replayed the events in her mind . It didn’t make sense . She saw him almost dying from his soul shattering , then somehow being saved by an errant arrow that forced the Red Hand-Assassin to move away .

He then proceeded to eat a natural treasure that somehow changed its provenance mid-consumption , and finally recovering over two minutes . All without being targeted or hit at all as battles raged all around him . It was as though his surroundings had been shifted to a separate dimension . Was it dumb luck? Or accumulated Luck?

She didn't think that even she would be that lucky if put in such a situation , and she had almost 200 Luck along with her Fate-augmenting treasures .

So Iz felt like a child who had found an odd colorful bug in their family's garden , and her eyes followed the bulky man as he tried to take down a much more skilled opponent by sheer stubbornness .

The man from the Red Hand Society was clearly one of their stronger cadets , likely someone who had survived the hellish training on one of their induction planets . Anyone who survived long enough to enter the Society from one of those hellholes was an emotionless murderer who had solidified their path with a million corpses .

He kept opening up one wound after another on the Draugr , who was leaking like a sieve by this point . He was using some nurturing Dao Fragment from the looks of it , but his control of the Fragment was atrocious . Why didn't he form proper Dao Arrays on the wounds?

The humanoid cockroach tried , again and again , to catch his opponent with his axe and the fifteen chains that flailed about in the cage , but he didn't seem to possess any means to pierce through the darkness of the shroud . The assassin effortlessly moved back and forth between the attacks , bursting forward with one stab after another .

Of course , the assassin was facing his own troubles as well . He was starting to look disfigured from the wounds of the retaliatory strikes . Absolute strikes were the worst to people like him . If it was her she could have simply formed a shield of flames to block out any such attempts , but the assassin seemed to follow a much more extreme path lacking such tools .

He had quickly expended the few defensive treasures in his arsenal , and since talismans and arrays didn't work here he had to endure a thousand little pin-pricks infused with a corrosive Dao Fragment . However , the fragments the Draugr used , were just Early Stage , a far cry from her three Middle Fragments that empowered each other . Even worse , he seemed unable to properly coordinate them into something more potent .

Should she kill the assassin to make sure that the colorful bug didn't die? She had already moved a flame tendril to stand ready beneath the miasmic cage . A quick poke and the struggle would be over .

But that would be a bit rude , not to mention somewhat embarrassing to butt in on a fight after having killed a few people for that kind of transgressions . She guessed she would have to leave it up to fate .

Finally it seemed like the assassin had enough , and he launched a rapid succession of furious stabs as he moved quickly enough to make it hard even for Iz to follow . But the armored warrior was like an impenetrable fortress , enduring the strikes he could endure and blocking those he could not .

The failed assault was followed by an attempt at escape , and the assassin first tried to teleport out of the miasmic cage . But he was completely unable to leave , and another special warrior attacked him the moment he tried to slip through the cracks . A furious assault on one of the towers was only met with a storm of ghosts as well it seemed .

The moment the assassin realized that both killing the man and escaping was impossible he immediately reached down and crushed the token on his belt . Ever the pragmatists , the assassins .

The Red Hand Assassin disappeared in a flash , taking the domain with him . The Draugr stumbled around for a few seconds , seemingly unaware that he had actually won . The fifteen spectral chains kept flailing back and forth inside the cage as he stood hunched over , ready to eat another stab .

Only after twenty seconds passed did the man have enough presence of mind to look up at the sky . He had appeared on the 6th spot , meaning that the battle was won . Only then did he slowly start to move toward the Cosmos Sack , leaving a trail of black goop in his wake .

Iz was unsure what to do . The man was very interesting , but he was some random person from another part of the universe . Was there any point in trying to look into his secrets? There were a lot of oddities on his body , but who didn't have a secret or two? But it was interesting .

Of course , there was one easy way to test if they had some connection of fate . She instructed Uyirrik to get to work , and Iz's bloodline familiar formed another seal as she channeled a piece of her World’s End] into the array .

Someone who was dead obviously couldn't carry any fate or secrets worth fretting over .

Chapter 443 - Fate

Zac felt like a block of swiss cheese as he desperately rotated his new Fragment while eating Healing Pills like they were candy . Whatever that assassin had infused himself with had made him disgustingly durable , and Zac couldn’t believe how many Dao-infused strikes it took to force him to give in .

Scabs had covered almost every part of the man’s blackened body , and he looked more like an undead compared to Zac himself by the end . It appeared that whatever the black spike infused into the man’s body forcibly kept the assassin going while instantly patching up his accumulating wounds .

But the layered corrosive effects had finally proven too much , forcing the man to crush his Token . The encounter had been too close for comfort though , and Zac wasn’t sure whether he would have been able to endure if it wasn’t for his new Dao Fragment that kept patching up his lacerated body . Zac shook his head as he arduously moved over to the spot where the assassin left the arena and bent over to pick up the Cosmos Sack he left behind .

A glance at the sky confirmed that he was pretty much safe from elimination at this point . He was in sixth place on the ladder with 18 points . He had a shot at reaching even higher since there was only a 3 point difference between the 4th and his spot , but he wasn't sure his body would be able to take it .

He had barely defeated the assassin even though his class was a direct counter , and he was running low on miasma due to the massive loss of ichor . He did pop a Soldier Pill] to restore some of his reserves , but running low on Miasma wasn't the only issue . Zac looked down at Everlasting] with a sigh .

The shield currently had multiple holes after getting brutalized during the fight . The fractals of the shield were thankfully still intact , and the holes were slowly closing themselves by the automatic repair function . However , its structural integrity was breached , and the weakness would transfer over to Immutable Bulwark] as well , meaning his defenses were compromised by at least half until the shield had restored itself .

There was also the issue of the splinter . The side-effects of having one's soul filled with the splinter's corrosion had started to make itself known during the latter half of the fight . A smoldering fury had started to build as he got increasingly wounded , and it was a strain to stay in place .

His subconscious had been screaming at him to destroy everything , to bravely rush forward and crush everything with the axe in his hand . That was obviously lunacy though , as he couldn't even see his own hand in front of him , much less his target flitting about in the darkness domain .

The impulses had luckily calmed down the moment the battle ended , and Zac felt like himself again after just ten seconds . But it proved that prolonged battles could turn a bit iffy in the short term . Any thought of retreat had been long thrown out of his mind as he fought , and he would rather have died than given up in the heat of the moment , even though he was just inside a trial .

That fact alone made Zac leery about entering another battle . Getting a higher position would probably improve his reward if past experience was any indication , but he wasn't ready to die just to get a better placement . But it might not be up to him if he entered another battle , but rather the Splinter .

All this combined made Zac unwilling to fight until getting a better handle on his situation . In fact , he wanted to keep Profane Seal] active until the trial ended as a protective measure , but he felt that he was losing control over the skill , meaning that it was reaching its limits of how long it could stay active . He could only reluctantly release the skill as he tried to appear as intimidating as possible to avoid immediately getting attacked .

Thankfully his miasmic armor from Vanguard of Undeath] automatically repaired itself , and it should impossible to see all the wounds covering his body . Along with the swirling clouds of his Fields of Despair] and Winds of Decay] he should look just as menacing as when he was at full strength .

However , not even a second had passed after the cage went down before alarm bells once again went off in his mind , and he saw a massive pillar of fire bearing down at him with terrifying momentum . He barely had time to adjust Immutable Bulwark] before the beam was upon him , and it suddenly felt like he was being burned alive .

Flames burst out in all directions as the attack slammed into the bulwark , and the fractal shield only managed to block parts of the shocking amount of energies , before the excess energy went around its edges . Zac was soon enough trapped within a corridor of flames , barely holding on .

He was slowly being pushed back as Everlasting] started to lose its shape from the heat . Each second felt like an eternity as Zac could only focus on holding on . He had seen what had happened to the beastkin warrior by just getting grazed by a beam just like this one , and he couldn't let it hit him . His defensive fragments and sturdy constitution might be able to handle the flames , but he wouldn't bet his life on it .

Zac's whole body was shaking from the strain , and much of the miasma he had just restored with his Soldier Pill] had been expended as his wounds reopened . Finally , he wasn't able to hold any longer . Perhaps if he had been in peak condition he would be able to withstand such an attack multiple times , but now there was simply no way .

The shield cracked and Zac reached down toward his token to escape before it was too late . But no flames waited behind the crumbled bulwark , only the vast sky . Just a few errant sparks remained , but Zac barely dodged them by ungracefully frog leaping forward . It looked like he wouldn't share the same fate as the poor beastkin woman at least , but a furious rage just as potent as the flames had erupted in his mind from the brush with death .

His vision turned a bit jagged and monochromatic as he glared at the woman sitting atop the sun . The air twisted and turned around him as he lifted his bardiche as his arm swelled from a massive infusion of miasma from Unholy Strike] . Blood would be repaid with blood .

Only at last second did he manage to wrest back control of his mind , and he was shocked at what he had almost done . He had just been about to infuse his weapon with the Fragment of the Axe before throwing it at Iz Tayn .

Not even mentioning if such a crude attack would ever reach her before Verun was turned into ash , just what was he thinking? That crazy powerful cultivator was the last person he should antagonize , especially considering she only seemed intent on attacking once judging by her demeanor .

The power in his arm still needed a release though , and a powerful slam into the ground caused a massive rift that stretched fifty meters forward as the miasmic mists swirled around him . Zac quickly turned back toward the scorching sun afterward as he readied another Undying Bulwark] just in case .

The two stared at each other for a few seconds , until Iz Tayn finally broke eye contact as she turned to the other participants who looked at the spectacle with confusion and trepidation .

This has gone on long enough . Start fighting or leave immediately if you're not in the top ten , - the woman said with a bored voice before she turned pointed at Zac . - Not him though . We are connected by fate . -

Her eyes once against turned toward him , and Zac felt like she was looking at an interesting curiosity . Had she witnessed his transformation and wanted to dissect him like he had been warned off by his master? Warning bells went off in Zac's mind when he saw her look , and he slowly started to back away even further from her .

Thankfully she didn't seem to have any interest in attacking him again and instead chose to spectate the six battles that immediately erupted as a direct result of her words . More than half the remaining warriors had targeted someone else , whereas the rest immediately crushed their tokens with downcast expressions .

No one did target Zac though , and he didn't make any moves either . He had already been hesitant to fight any more due to his wounds and gaining the attention by that pyromancer didn't allow him to split his attention . He needed to be alert enough to counter anything that she had planned , or at least flee fast enough before being burned alive .

The battles took less than two minutes , and Zac was pushed down to the 8th position in the end as two warriors , one unranked and the other the previous 10th spot holder , managed to accumulate enough points to pass him . The moment the fighting was over ten pillars of light emerged , and Zac realized that one of them was placed on top of the platform where he started out .

The others immediately realized what was going on , and over half the winners rushed toward their respective platforms with as fast as their legs could carry them , none of them interested in staying behind . There was nothing to gain by staying in the arena , but everything could be lost if Iz Tayn decided to burn everything to the ground .

Only the two cultivators from the same family slowly walked toward their respective teleporter after bowing toward Iz Tayn , receiving a small nod in return .

Everyone seemed loath to stay in the arena , but perhaps no one was as motivated to flee as Zac himself . He couldn't care less what fate the insanely powerful pyromancer thought she had with him , his only interest was getting to the teleporter . But horror gripped his heart as the bored voice echoed out behind him .

Wait , Mr . Bug , - Iz Tayn said , and Zac's eyes widened with alarm when he saw that the scorching sun transformed into a massive river that snaked toward him .

There was no way he would wait to see what this maniac had in store , especially after she actually referred him to a bug even though his name was on full display in the ladder . He redoubled his efforts at reaching the teleporter , but he was forced to stop in his tracks when a towering wall of flames rose to block his path .

If it had been someone else's flames he would have simply run straight through , but he didn't dare to do something so foolhardy here . He quickly launched a wide swipe with Unholy Strike] empowered with the Fragment of the Axe , but the strike was quickly swallowed up by the wall of flames like a pebble in a lake .

Zac turned around and saw that the girl was almost upon him , and his instincts screamed at him to get out as he saw a white flame forming above her hand . He desperately tried to think of some way out , but he could only come up with one solution .

His miasmic armor dissipated into a gust of smoke as he shrunk back to his normal size , and he stabbed his shoulders with two daggers as he ran straight toward the wall of flames . A massive surge of mental energy pushed into the two fractals of Cyclic Strike] and Zac felt a mix of fear and anticipation when the two fragments actually fused into a bronze flash .

A roar echoed out across the arena as he punched the wall of flames with all he got , and a five-meter wide void was created as the bronze spark sprung out of his fist and erupted in a fierce implosion that simply deleted the flames barring his path . Zac was flush with elation at finally being able to use the bronze flash for something useful , but he had no time to think about that now as he jumped straight toward the teleporter that was just twenty meters away .

He glanced back mid-air just in case , only to see that Iz Tayn was only ten meters away . She donned an incredulous expression as she watched Zac soar toward the teleportation array , but Zac was unclear whether it was due to his incredibly stupid technique or because her wall got breached .

However , her expression soon turned thoughtful as she pushed two fingers into the white-hot flames she had conjured . A small glob of flames covered in dense fractals was quickly extracted and Zac couldn't help but curse when she flicked it toward him with a small smile .

He quickly moved his bulwark and infused it with the Fragment of the Coffin as he braced for impact , but his defenses weren't enough . The small flame shot straight through Immutable Bulwark] and hit him in an instant . The stench of burnt flesh spread out in an instant as a burn-mark as large as a fist appeared on his chest .

Zac growled with pain as he quickly applied the Fragment of the Bodhi on the wound , but he was relieved to see that the flames seemed unable to spread as they did with the beastkin . It still hurt like hell and he shot a furious look at the girl who had stopped in her tracks .

God damn lunatic , - Zac spat through grit teeth as he disappeared through the teleporter .

Chapter 444 - Dreams

Hot hot flames and darkness . Billy didn’t like it . Billy tried to get away , but it kept following wherever he went . But suddenly the hot darkness was gone , and Billy saw he was on the mountain again .

You were having a nightmare , - the statue said .

Billy told you , Billy won’t listen to you , Statue-man! - Billy snorted with disdain as he glared at the twenty-meter statue . - Trying to trick Billy that Billy is not human! -

The statue-man loudly groaned in response . Did he finally realize that Billy was too smart to be tricked?

Remember , I only told you that you have Titanic blood due to your ancestry? It has simply awoken in you , pushing your mundane human bloodline aside , - statue-man said , using a soft voice like a woman . - You are a descendant of mine , remember how I awakened your bloodline transformation? -

Keep trying to trick Billy with big words , - Billy muttered as he started to turn over rocks and rip up bushes .

…What are you doing now? - the statue finally said after some silence .

Billy is looking for a way out . You think you can trap Billy here? Billy is a genius , Alien-man said so himself . Billy will find the door , - Billy muttered as he started digging a hole .

Look- Listen . I am not trapping you , remember? I simply created this world so that I can guide you in your dreams . Isn’t it working? Aren’t you stronger after waking up? - the voice said with a sigh .

Stupid statue , everyone feels better after a good night’s sleep . Mama always says so , - Billy snorted as shot another despising glare at the huge Statue looking like a human .

The statue was a bit annoying , even if it looked almost as handsome as Billy himself . Statue-man had big muscles like Billy , and he held a really big hammer that looked good for thwonkin’ .

But Statue-man was always trying to trick Billy , so Billy had tried to break it . But the stone was very hard , even Billy couldn't thwonk it to make it go quiet . Billy did manage to drag it away once , but the next night it was right back . But Billy would one day find a way to thwonk it for good .

The trouble was that Billy always forgot about this stupid mountain and Statue-man when waking up . Statue-man said that it was to protect him from enemy forces , but Billy believed that it was just so that Thea wouldn't help Billy figure out a way to thwonk him . Thea was almost as smart as Billy , and she had a lot of books .

Billy bet that at least one book could tell him how to make a statue shut up , mama always said that books had all kinds of smart things written down .

Lord , help this child , - Statue-man groaned .

Billy is an adult , - Billy muttered in response .

Never mind , - the statue sighed . - What happened to you? You have pretty serious wounds . I can only help so much through this dreamscape . -

Are you peeping at billy? Mama said that peeping toms get no dessert , - Billy said with a scowl .

We are connected through our bloodline , I can tell without peeping , - Statue-man said .

Billy hesitated for a bit , but he eventually decided to tell Statue-man what happened . Statue-man was a bit stupid and a liar , but he had helped Billy a few times with getting better at thwonkin' .

Bad guys are attacking Billy’s friend’s town while he is away . Billy came to help . Their boats had a lot of fire , - Billy muttered before his face lit up with glee . - But Billy thwonked one of their boats and now the zombies and lizardmen are fish poop . -

Good! A real man is true to his brethren , and ruthless to his enemies , - Statue-man roared . - But your enemies are pretty strong . Why don't you draw the Array I imparted to you and I'll- -

Billy won't fall for your tricks! - Billy cut off Statue-man - Billy knows that Statue-Man wants to use the drawing to escape Billy's dreams! -

Ai , this child’s bloodline might actually be too pure for his own good . The other Emperors would laugh if they heard how hard it was to get a disciple . -

What did you find out? - Adriel asked as he gazed down at the ocean waves .

It was Thea Marshall and Thwonkin’ Billy , - the ghost answered with a hollow voice . - They managed to sink one of the advance vessels before being forced to retreat by the Bishop . They were both wounded in the conflict and will likely not be able to fight for a week or two . -

Adriel nodded with satisfaction . Those two weren't a real threat to his plans , but they had been a constant annoyance for a few months now , like two flies who refused to go away . It was good to hear that they finally had been brought to justice , and he knew that Krisko would perform a rite of thanks to the Founders upon hearing the news .

Besides , it was good news for another reason . Neither the Super-Brother-Man nor the two incursion leaders who chose to join his banner had participated in any of the raids that tried to impede their progress . The human champion was truly held up somehow , perhaps even sent off-world by the Ruthless Heavens .

If they hadn't captured a couple of the living to gain access to their Ladder , Adriel would have thought that the man was wounded after enduring the tribulation . But he was clearly still at level 75 , proving he hadn't taken that step just yet .

Our soldiers? - Adriel asked .

Less than 5% survived from the vessel , - the scout reported . - There are extremely bloodthirsty beasts in the waters , some of them seem to be controlled by the powerful contracted cephalopod . -

What about the arrays on the ship? - Adriel asked , cutting to the heart of the matter .

We managed to recover them , - the ghost nodded .

Good , - Adriel sighed with relief .

Losing a few hundred Revenants born on a world with such abundant Origin Dao was regrettable . These were among the first to awaken , and they would no doubt have become strong subordinates . But the mission could still be considered a win as long as they managed to plant the arrays .

The alignment would commence in 5 days , and as long as they managed to trap the Super-Brother Man on his island kingdom until then he would have won .

The brains of the zealots must have been scorched by their flames , as they still believed that they could actually kill the target in the middle of his own kingdom . Adriel knew better . He was happy to let them fight it out as he placed the spatial locks down .

Of course , if that was only what was needed to be done he wouldn’t have needed to send his strongest clones to this remote corner of the world . He had a secret mission to fulfill , handed to him straight from his master's master .

Who would have thought that some great powerhouse from the Empire Heartlands was touring their remote Kingdom? With the distances involved there might not be a single guest for tens of thousands of years , and usually not people with this kind of clout .

More importantly , the great master had a treasured disciple who craved unique bodies for experimentation , preferably ones leaned toward the Three Great Arts . And didn’t he have a prime body waiting for him here? Thankfully his master had managed to hear about it and quickly contacted him .

This was his shot at greatness . Between the contribution of aligning a world with such a unique Mystic Realm and gaining the favor of that great master , he might actually have a chance at gaining a teleportation token to the Heartlands . He had heard that treasures that could cause two forces to fight to the death in this remote sector were sold like they were worthless sticks of incense over there .

Adriel had already promised the body to Harkon , but he would have to get out of that contract even if it meant killing his old friend . He could only pray that they had managed to keep the poison girl alive long enough that she hadn't decomposed or been cremated .

His hollow eyes looked out across the waters , cursing the Zealots for building such bulky vessels rather than the small skippers that their enemies used . They would long have reached the islands if they could move even half as fast as the ships the humans utilized .

But they were so close that Adriel could taste it by now , and he could already sense markings left behind by Mhal even without the help of the tracking arrays . They would be there in less than a day , and without the human champion there they might be able to completely conquer the town .

It was time to make all his dreams come true .

You were right! He passed the 7th floor . Only took him something like 20 minutes too! - Leyara said with excitement , prompting Pretty to look over . - How did you know? -

I had a feeling , - Pretty said with a smile .

You know something , I can feel it , - Leyara said with a pout . - I can’t take it! Just look at the chaos below! My sister-disciples will be green with envy when they hear of this spectacle . Our sector might never have seen anything like it! -

Pretty Peak sighed as she looked down at the crowd that kept growing by the minute . Three-quarters of the climb was over for Zac Piker , and he could be dropping out at any moment now that he had reached the 8th floor .

One fight after another had erupted as the square was only so big , and forces fought for the opportunity to be closer to the array . Mr . Piker would be drowned in a deluge of attacks the moment he emerged from the teleporter , and everyone wanted to be the one to land the killing blow .

Pretty felt some helplessness as she saw the commotion . She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do in this situation . The man had a minor connection to her uncle , but she couldn't be expected to deal with a mess of this magnitude , right?

What are you thinking about? Do you want to join? I am sure Prince Yeorav would give some face and let you set up camp next to his array , - Leyara said . - Might be a good chance to make a connection? He's pretty handsome and less muscle-headed than his cultivation-maniac brother . -

I told you I’m not joining , - Pretty sighed . - Besides , Yeorav has a Dao Companion already . -

So what’s wrong? - Leyara asked as she took out a bottle of wine .

Zac Piker has a small connection to my family , and I'm not sure what to do , - Pretty finally admitted , but regretted it the moment she saw her friend's exuberant expression .

I knew it! - Leyara screamed with excitement . - Secret Boyfriend? Hiding him from your crazy grandpa? -

What? - Pretty snorted with a roll of her eyes . - My uncle met him by chance . Uncle Greatest sent Average on a training mission , and they met Zac PIker by chance . Mr . Piker beat the crap out of Average , and my uncle was impressed by his performance . -

He’s from the Allbright Empire? But why haven't we heard of him before? - Leyara asked with confusion .

I'm not sure if he's actually from my Empire or not . He was sent to an abandoned planet in the Red Zone for a quest by The System . I think my cousin was used as a prop for him , - Pretty explained .

Well , Average is only 17 . Beating him up shouldn’t be too hard , he has barely started setting up his foundation , - Leyara shrugged .

Well , my uncle said there’s something miraculous about Mr . Piker , - Pretty said . - But he refused to say what when dad asked . -

Well , that’s not surprising . He beat the 7th floor . There’s no way he hasn’t had some unique encounters , - Leyara said .

So what do you think I should do? - Pretty asked .

You can’t stop what’s going on down there , even if you team up with that mysterious Draugr , - Leyara said as her eyes started to radiate with a white glow . - There are multiple peak arrays down there , and the powers are chaotic enough to indicate that there are at least a dozen offensive treasures reaching high-tier . -

So he’s doomed? - Pretty sighed . - It doesn't make sense that the System would create a scenario like this . We finally see a great genius emerge in this sector , only to have him die by the hands of a thousand pieces of trash? -

Well , perhaps things will turn into an all-out brawl where the preparations are used on competing forces rather than on Mr . Piker . Or perhaps he has concocted some sort of counter , who knows? - Leyara said , though she looked less than enthused about Mr . Piker's chances . - But I think the System will only require him to survive for a short moment to consider it a pass . -

Well , he’s had almost a hundred days to prepare , and hopefully he’ll have found something that can assist him , - Pretty nodded .

Well , it doesn't hurt to get ready just in case , - Leyara said thoughtfully as she adjusted her dress to show a bit more cleavage .

What are you thinking about now? - Pretty asked with exasperation .

Well , if he actually survives long enough for the quest to expire , wouldn't he become this sector's Number One Prince Charming? - Leyara said as she started applying some make-up to her already immaculate face . - This is a prime opportunity to snag both a dashing husband and an amazing seedling for our forces . -

Chapter 445 - Gains

Seventh Floor Complete . Upgrading Title

Choose Reward : Evolution of Verun’s Bite] , Duplicity Core Upgrade to E-Grade , Upgrade of Port Atwood to World Capital]

Additional Reward 8th place : Limited Title Slots +1 , Peak F-Grade All Attribute fruit]

Zac’s pitch-black eyes went back and forth between the three choices , the pain and exhaustion almost completely blown away . Then again , the black dimension seemed to have some sort of suppressive effect on wounds , so he probably wouldn’t be as chipper when he left this place .

A quick look down at his chest proved that the crazy girl had left a burn-mark that almost looked like a fractal , but the wound showed no signs at spreading at least . However , that didn't provide much comfort , as there had obviously been something off about that piece of flame she had shot at him .

His best guess was that she had formed some sort of Karmic Tie to him for some reason . Iz Tayn came from some top tier force though , and Zac hoped that the distance to his remote sector would prove too far away to make it worth tracking him down . If it was even possible since she was just an F-Grade cultivator .

However , the encounter with the crazy flame girl wasn't enough to put a damper on his feelings at the moment . He had passed the 7th floor , a feat that only happened once every few millennia in a star sector with trillions of cultivators . And were no two ways around it , these rewards were amazing .

Better yet , they were clearly custom-made for himself , which was a first since he entered the tower . The reward for clearing the 6th floor had been pretty great too , but it was still something generalized apart from the compatibility .

Was it because he had cleared a high-tiered floor , or was it because there had been a special event?

Even better , there was actually a bonus reward for reaching the 8th place , and it provided something he had never even heard of before . Getting a fourth slot for a Limited Titles was an extremely powerful boon , and Zac started to understand why so many had been fighting tooth and nail even to the point that some died .

Getting another spot for Limited Titles wasn’t as simple as having another title . If that was it then Zac wouldn’t have been so excited , since he already had thirty of them . Limited Titles had never been too important for Zac until now , simply because he hadn’t encountered any such opportunities so far .

But Galau had properly described the roles of Limited Titles during their climb . The merchant had already confirmed that getting real titles would get harder and harder , and most people got almost 80% of their titles during the F-Grade . That’s why some called normal titles - Foundational Titles’ . They set the foundation for your entire cultivation journey .

Limited Titles were something that you could continuously improve though , and there was almost an unlimited number of opportunities for such titles in the Multiverse . They were the lure the System used to keep luring cultivators into deadly trials and unexplored Mystic Realms , and they just kept getting better the more dangerous the trial was .

One single Limited Title snatched from a deadly D-Grade trial might be even better than the Tower-title he had worked for the past 70 days . Getting another Limited Title slot was essentially getting a 15-20% boost to your power , provided you could get a good title that provided Efficiency .

The reward might not be useful at the moment , but Zac would quickly be able to acquire a few Limited Titles after leaving Earth . As for the scions who risked their lives , it was understandable as well . This was a reward that no amount of treasures , wealth , or guidance could provide , and they no doubt had a bunch of top-quality Limited Titles to choose from through their forces .

Not only that , the System even threw in a small bonus in the form of an All Attribute fruit , which was equivalent to a pretty good Low-Tiered Title . That was the most valuable of all the Attribute fruits , even more so than Luck Fruits . Zac was extremely thankful that he didn’t give in to the fear in his heart that told him to cut his losses after narrowly surviving his soul getting crushed .

The rewards from this floor alone far eclipsed the rewards from the first six floors combined .

It also made him wonder just what the others received . Take Iz Tayn for example . She was already strong to the point that it felt like she had somehow snuck inside the Tower while being E-Grade . Just what level would she reach after getting her individualized reward plus whatever reward was awarded the first spot . Did she get multiple Limited Title slots?

Remembering the traumatizing encounter where he almost died made him think of something else , and he reluctantly turned his eyes away from the rewards . Zac wasn’t ready to immediately make a choice what to pick , so he first opened his Status screen to check something , and just as expected he had taken a huge step forward .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

75

Class

F-Rare] Hatchetman

Race

E] Human

Alignment

Earth] Port Atwood - Lord

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher , Progenitor Hegemon , Duplicity Core , Apex Hunter , Heaven's Chosen , Scion of Dao , Omnidextrous , Eastern Trigram Hunt - 1st , Tyrannic Force , Achievement Hunter , The First Step , Promising Specialist , Tower of Eternity - 7th Floor , Heaven's Triumvirate

Limited Titles

Frontrunner

Dao

Fragment of the Axe - Early , Fragment of the Coffin - Early , Fragment of the Bodhi - Early

Core

F] Duplicity

Strength

980 Increase : 75% . Efficiency : 163%]

Dexterity

498 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 155%]

Endurance

1282 Increase : 80% . Efficiency : 163%]

Vitality

673 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 163%]

Intelligence

264 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 155%]

Wisdom

386 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 155%]

Luck

243 Increase : 80% . Efficiency : 155%]

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

F] 6 830 543 287

Zac’s stared with confusion at his attributes , unable to compute the changes for a few seconds . It was a welcome problem through ; he had gained too many points . He already knew he would get a small boost from fusing his last two Dao Seeds , but that alone couldn’t explain the growth . But he soon enough realized what was going on as he kept opening menus .

The first thing he checked was the Dao Menu . He had taken a quick look during the Battle Royale , but he didn’t have the time to properly look at the attributes at that time .

Dao

Stage

Effect

Fragment of the Axe

Early

All attributes +10 , Strength +110 , Dexterity + 80 , Endurance +15 . Effectiveness of Strength +5%

Fragment of the Coffin

Early

All attributes +10 , Endurance +80 , Vitality +50 , Intelligence +15 , Wisdom +60 . Effectiveness of Endurance +5%

Fragment of the Bodhi

Early

All attributes +10 , Endurance +60 , Vitality +80 , Intelligence +15 , Wisdom +50 , Effectiveness of Vitality +5%

Gaining the Fragment of the Bodhi was all thanks to the Prajñā Cherry] , and Zac wondered if the Zethaya had even known the true value of that thing since Boje had considered a soul-healing treasure . Then again , they did cherish it to the point that they weren’t willing to part with it for money , so they probably knew that wasn’t the limits of its capabilities .

There wasn’t a lot of change to his attributes as far as Zac could remember , with the fragment essentially only adding the +10 to all attributes and a little bit of Wisdom . However , he immediately noticed how similar its distribution it was to the Fragment of the Coffin . The weight of attributes was almost identical , with just the focus on Endurance and Vitality being switched .

Getting the Fragment of the Bodhi rather than something like the Grove or the Forest was a bit unexpected , but perhaps not as much as getting the Coffin . Zac had read up on Buddhism a bit since learning that it was an actual cultivation system in the multiverse , so he knew a little bit of what the word represented .

The Bodhi was a divine tree that the Buddha gained enlightenment under , and the word was the term for true Enlightenment , the escape from the cycle of reincarnation . The only issue was that such a Dao sounded related to Buddhism , and he wasn’t sure how good a fit that would be to his current cultivation path .

Ogras had joked about him embarking on the path of ascetic cultivation like a monk , but he wasn’t ready to take a vow of silence just yet .

But his instincts told him that it wouldn’t be an issue . The name of a Dao Fragment wasn't important , what mattered were the concepts the Fragment contained . The main focus of the vision hadn’t been the Buddhist praying , but rather how the cherry tree had changed after the blessing . It had turned into a divine tree that became the guardian of the desolate badlands .

It didn’t only provide the whole area with vitality , but it also empowered everything within its domain . Normal weeds and grasses had become full of life and power , quickly growing far stronger than they would be able to on their own . From what Zac could tell the healing he had enjoyed was just part of the picture . The fragment might have a huge impact on his Hatchetman class , as many of its skills were related to nature .

What would happen if he turned the wooden hand of Nature's Punishment] into a divine hand?

Getting the third Fragment early was a huge relief to Zac , and it took a lot of pressure off . It was a shame that it came at the cost of the Soul Mending Medicine , but now that he had passed the Seventh floor he should have a stronger position for bargaining when he exited . Perhaps he could buy another one off the hands from some powerful clan who wanted to make a connection with him .

It also meant that the chance of gaining something from the Tower Apparition was a lot higher since he now could upgrade any of his three Fragments . Ideally , he wanted to upgrade the Fragment of the Axe , but it wasn’t completely necessary at this point . Any of the three would allow him to gain an arcane class , as long as the System considered his new path to be unique enough to be called a - creation’ .

He couldn’t wait to experiment some with his new fragment during his ascent of the 8th floor . He had finally managed to use the bronze flash for something useful just now , and it had been shockingly effective . It felt like confirmation that he was on the right path , and he needed to capture the moment of inspiration and expand it to his new Fragment as well .

Of course , getting the final Dao Fragment wasn’t the only surprising gain from the 7th floor . He had not only upgraded his Tower Title , but he had actually gained another one , the first one in a good while . He had assumed that he wouldn’t get any more titles before evolving unless he got something from his massive pool of luck , but it appeared he had underestimated himself .

Tower of Eternity - 7th Floor : Reach the 64th level of the Tower of Eternity . Reward : All stats +10 , All Stats +10% , Effect of Attributes +5%]

Heaven's Triumvirate : Attain three Dao Fragments while still at F-Grade . Reward : All stats +5% . All Stats +5 . Effect of Attributes +5%]

The Tower-title had upgraded , but not quite as expected . It had immediately given him +5% all efficiency , rather than just for his three main attributes . That meant one would probably get the perfect 10/10/10 from completing the 8th floor . But then what would happen on the 9th? Did it provide a separate title?

The guy earlier had mentioned - tower breakers’ , and from context it sounded like someone who would be able to defeat the whole Tower of Eternity . Was Tower Breaker perhaps the name of not only the achievement , but an actual title?

Zac unfortunately knew that the 9th floor was out of his reach unless the rules drastically changed on the final floor . The progression of strength had been pretty even during the climb , and he knew that he would start entering true life-and-death battles on the 8th floor .

Even the defeating guardian wasn’t a given , and he had already decided to start looking for clues to amazing inheritances as a back-up .

Time was a precious resource , so Zac held off on choosing a reward a while longer and instead to sit down and recuperate while he was in this special zone . Getting chased down by Iz Tayn had only worsened his wounds from the battle with Faceless #9 , and he needed to give himself and his poor shield some time to rest up .

Everlasting] almost looked like a melted clump of metal , but it was truly a tenacious item as it was slowly regaining its original shape . Just like his body , it would probably be in serviceable condition within a few hours .

However , the situation with his soul wasn’t as easy to fix . The verdant glow had completely disappeared by now , leaving his soul whole . But his soul had inexorably changed after the experience . It was now crisscrossed by black lines where the fractures once were , reminiscent of a Kintsugi bowl . There were also some splotches here and there , marring the picture even further .

He had already felt the effect during the battle earlier , where bloodlust had coursed through his body , almost to the point that he was ready to run straight into a sun . Zac was afraid that the effect would only become worse as the corruption grew . The energies might even start damaging the miasmic runes from the outside .

He quickly needed to find a solution .

Chapter 446 - The Hayner Clan

The mental defense skills available to either of his classes were of no help against the Splinter . For example , Indomitable] formed a formidable wall around Zac's soul , but it didn’t help when the threat was already a part of him . The Nine Reincarnations Manual] might help , but he still hadn’t found anyone who could create the second Array Disk required to practice it . Having just one of the arrays was useless , and he couldn’t even begin to practice the first reincarnation .

The Fragment of the Bodhi did seem to be able to stabilize the situation somewhat at least , just like his Seed of Trees had constrained the Draugr-bloodline that had been implanted in him . It was a losing battle though , and it was probably only a matter of time before something went wrong .

The only solution that Zac could think of for the moment was to keep the energies in check best he could , and hopefully he’d find something to use during the last day that had been allocated for the Base Town . Or perhaps he was worrying over nothing and his soul would slowly grind down the infected parts since the main body of the Splinter was still locked away in its cage .

Thirty minutes quickly passed as Zac almost went into a trance-like state where he tried using his new fragment to the utmost while absorbing E-Grade Miasma Crystals and Healing Pills . Some fresh hell was no doubt waiting outside his special zone , and he needed to be at his best .

He was still far from top condition , but it should be enough for him to survive the initial chaos and properly rest somewhere else . He would have rather stayed inside the black dimension for a few more hours , but the whole zone had started to shudder , indicating that it was time to leave .

The problem was what reward to choose , as all of them were extremely tempting . He knew that evolution of the weapon wasn't something as simple as an upgrade from Middle to Peak E-Grade , but it was rather more akin to a bloodline evolution of a beast . It might provide Verun with a matching attunement to his own , or swap out the materials with ones of far higher quality .

The somewhat humble origins of his axe hadn’t been a problem so far , but it would sooner or later start to fall behind , or even get stuck in a bottleneck . It needed fortuitous encounters just like himself , and this was a great opportunity to improve his companion to something with greater potential . It would probably also help during the final remainder of the climb , and he would need every advantage he could get .

As for the Specialty Core Upgrade , it spoke for itself . He already had the Pathfinder Oracle Eye] in his possession , so it was not completely needed in his case . But the eye was an amazing treasure that could be used for almost anything it seemed , and upgrading his core this way would free up the treasure for other uses .

As for upgrading Port Atwood to a World Capital , Zac wasn’t as clear what it would entail . It would no doubt come with a slew of advantages to his force in general , and it would probably also give him some sort of title for being the one who founded the capital after integration . It would provide access to all kinds of new businesses and other beneficial buildings as well since it was a common requirement in the Town Shop to have the World Capital .

Indecision gnawed at him for a minute , but he knew he couldn’t stall forever . His eyes eventually went to the middle option , and he picked the Duplicity Core upgrade . His reason was simple ; his core was a unique mutation , and there were no guarantees the eye would be able to upgrade it even if he ate if after evolving .

Meanwhile , the System termed it as an upgrade , and there shouldn’t be any chance of the upgrade failing . Evolving Verun would have been nice as well , but Verun was ultimately a pretty common Spirit Tool , and finding other opportunities to improve it shouldn’t prove impossible . Even his Pathfinder-Eye could upgrade the Spirit Tool if need be .

Besides , Verun was still keeping up at his current power without a problem , especially after he had managed to light up another fractal on its handle . He would probably need to reach level 100 or so before the axe started to fall behind .

As for the World Capital , he had great confidence in accomplishing that on his own , provided that he didn’t get himself killed first . Taking that option would ultimately only speed up the process , and he felt it wasn’t worth it . It would perhaps have given him a better title for getting the World Capital while still in F-Grade , but he wasn't lacking for titles .

The choice was made , so Zac waited for him to be teleported to the start of the 8th floor . But nothing happened for a few seconds until a startling change took place in the empty space . A densely inscribed circle appeared beneath his feet , and it illuminated him in golden luster .

A volatile surge of energy entered his body the next moment , and Zac had to force himself to stay still instead of rolling around in pain . The colossal amount of power streamed straight toward his core , and he didn’t dare make a move in fear that he would ruin what was happening .

Who would have known that the system would force an upgrade immediately , rather than handing him some pill?

The pain thankfully only lasted for less than a minute , and Zac could only guess it wasn’t a big deal for the System to upgrade a simple F-Grade Specialty Core , even if it was a mutated version . Zac wanted to immediately inspect the upgraded Specialty Core , but the surroundings changed as he was teleported to the next world .

The massive Bulwark from Immutable Bulwark] was conjured within a second of arriving as he hefted the somewhat restored Everlasting] , and Indomitable] defended his mind from taking another hit . The cherry had worked wonders , but he guessed the soul was still a bit vulnerable after having almost crumbled to pieces .