Defiance of the Fall

It was lucky as well , as a massive blade slammed straight into his shield just as Zac appeared in the new world . A pained roar followed as Deathwish] retaliated the strike . But even then he didn’t get any respite as his danger sense hollered in the back of his mind , forcing him to jump to the side as the air itself where he stood was ripped open .

Seize the Hayner Clan’s defining treasure before the invaders

Zac sighed in disappointment even though he saw the quest was related to a defining treasure . He had been down this road before during the past floors , and he knew things weren’t so simple . First of all , he was thrown onto some desolate beach without any civilization nearby , and he had no idea where this Hayner Clan was located .

But that was just the start of his problems . Right behind him was a massive pillar that stretched into the sky , and one warrior after another appeared around him . The soldiers were immediately beset with attacks from a defending force that didn't ask any questions but rather tried to immediately kill anything that appeared .

The situation was all too familiar to him . It was an incursion .

However , the chaos was still a bit different from the one he was used to . It looked like he had arrived just minutes after the pillar appeared , yet an army full with peak F-Grade to powerful E-Grade warriors were already fighting back great ferocity . The attacks he had just avoided came from the defenders who looked like a mix of humans and trolls .

They stood almost three meters tall and had pale green skin . They seemed to favor physical combat as well , and even the strike he barely dodged had come from an explosive arrow-attack . Zac could understand the words the humans streaming out of the pillar screamed , but the defenders spoke in an unintelligible guttural gibberish .

How would he find out where the Hayner Clan was? And who was the guardian in a scenario like this? He seemed to be allied with the raiders , but also not judging by the wording of the quest . He could liken it to being an infiltrator who had joined the incursion with hidden motives , so everyone was an enemy .

Was the Incursion leader the guardian , or was it perhaps the patriarch of the Hayner Clan? As for actually finding the treasure , he had already given up on it . He knew that even if he found the clan there would be all sorts of hurdles to jump in order to get the treasure , hurdles he didn’t have the time nor the skills to deal with .

Eventually , he could only find one solution to his situation , and Zac’s searched the area until he spotted a human radiating a sinister aura as he commanded his troops to take down the defending armies . Zac steadied himself as he activated Profane Seal] , appearing in front of the man without warning .

The man looked extremely shocked to be attacked by one of his own , but he immediately reacted as a huge bird made from hundreds of flying daggers appeared in front of him as he flashed away . However , the cage was already erected , and Zac steadily grew to his towering form as miasma covered the area .

The flying daggers assailed him like an angry swarm of bees , and Zac was quickly forced to actively block with Immutable Bulwark] as he noted that the daggers were infused with a Dao fragment and could cut straight through his miasmic armor . The fractal shield thankfully held though , and Zac saw Dao Empowered specters appear around the incursion general in an instant .

However , most of the specters' strikes were diffused with some sort of small shields that appeared around the leader , with only a few of them managing to land an actual blow on him .

Zac knew he had taken the strength of the potential guardian too lightly at that moment . He hadn’t mentally adjusted due to the increased difficulty because he hadn’t fought a real floor guardian at the end of the 7th floor , but rather a bunch of cultivators . It made him still think of his competition as roughly the same as the 62nd level , forgetting about the sharp increase that came with the final levels of a floor .

The man was also an incursion general , which Zac had ample experience in defeating without exerting any herculean effort . It had made him confident in deflecting the small blades with his impervious armor , but he received a rude awakening as over ten daggers bore into his body and reopened some wounds .

If that was all that happened it would have been fine , as such small weapons weren’t any threat to Zac’s towering physique . But a blistering pain started to radiate from the wounds in an instant , and Zac felt the world lurch for a second before he found his bearings . He realized what was going on in an instant ; the daggers were poisoned .

The only relief was that he sensed the poison being immediately contained to a pretty large degree as he activated the Fragment of the Coffin . But it was nothing like when he fought the corroded monkeys back on the third floor . The Coffin didn’t make him magically immune to all poisons , it only strengthened his resistance to it and allowed him to refine it .

This poison he was struck with was on a completely other level compared to what he had absorbed before , and it seemed to also be empowered by a Dao of its own . It wasn’t life-threatening as far as Zac could tell , especially with his Draugr-body’s natural resistance against poisons as well . But it would still take some effort to refine it all .

You are not one of ours! - the man roared from the other side of the cage , a large festering wound having appeared on his arm .

Zac didn’t answer as he was focused on combating the poison spreading through his body , while simultaneously making sure that he wasn’t cut by any more of those small daggers . He noted that a concerted effort to break through from the leader’s soldiers was already underway , and he knew his time was limited .

He quickly pushed his taunting effect to the limit as he rushed toward his target , with ten of the fifteen chains targeting the general . The other five started to take out the people who had been caught inside the cage along with their leader , and these people quickly turned into nourishment for him . The Incursion Leader managed to stave off the chains though by allocating a large number of his flying daggers to fight them off .

A poison master was a decent counter to his build since intangible attacks like poison or illusions wouldn’t trigger Deathwish] , but that didn’t mean Zac was helpless . He could still retaliate if the man used daggers rather than pure poison attacks like Alea , and he also had his massive bardiche to strike back .

The ground cracked beneath his feet as Zac ran straight toward the incursion leader , but the man seemed intent on stalling as he was swallowed by a hurricane of blades before he was whisked away . Unfortunately for the man , he hadn’t realized he was under the effect of Vanguard of Undeath] , and the general suddenly appeared only five meters away from Zac .

Zac’s arm was already bulging from cramming it full of miasmic energy from Unholy Strike] and the sounds of ghastly wails filled the cage as the massive black axe crashed into the whirlwind just when the general appeared .

The axe went straight through the general’s torso , but Zac felt no elation as the swing provided no resistance , and it looked like he had struck a pile of mud as the invader's body fell apart into a rotten pile on the ground . The general had escaped his killing blow .

Chapter 447 - Fated

Danger sense erupted in Zac's mind the next moment , and he desperately swiveled Everlasting] to block a strike coming from behind . A dark-green lance had appeared out of nowhere , aimed straight at Zac’s core . Zac tried to dodge , but his bulky body wasn’t quick enough and he barely managed to reposition himself before the lance slid right through his armor as though it was made of paper before continuing into his side .

Radiating pain spread throughout his body , and Zac felt like he was being bitten by a million fire ants . But the lance pushing straight through his body had one upside ; the incursion leader was suddenly well within his range . The man was pretty quick , but he was nowhere near as fast as the assassin he had just fought .

Zac immediately let go of his shield as he grabbed onto the poison master before he could slink away again . His grip covered half the invader's torso , and there was no escaping now . The warrior seemed to realize the problem , and a green blade appeared in his hand as he tried to cut Zac’s arm off with one swift motion .

A black shield appeared around Zac’s arm as he hurriedly threw out a talisman from his Spatial Ring . It was something he had gotten from the undead level , a defensive treasure that could be used almost instantly . It wasn’t strong enough to completely block out the strike , but it absorbed enough momentum for the Fragment of the Coffin along with his conjured armor to block out the rest .

Wet crunching sounds emerged from the poison master's body as Zac’s grip closed like a vise . The man started wailing in pain as he desperately tried to morph away , but Zac was flooding the guy with his corrosive Dao , making it impossible to change his form .

However , the man seemed completely unwilling to give in even when half his torso was crushed , and a storm of daggers rushed toward them both in an attempt at mutual destruction . Zac was forced to quickly cut the man in two to finally sense a burst of energy enter his body as the flying daggers lost their power and fell down on the ground .

The invasion leader had almost been as durable as himself , launching destructive strikes even though half his body was crippled . Perhaps he was just like Alea , forced to focus on Vitality to counteract the effects of the poisons he used .

Zac felt as though both his body and mind were on fire from the poison , but he still released the cage of Profane Seal] . The fighting between both sides had mostly subsided , and they gapingly looked on as the massive form of Zac walked forward , holding the crushed incursion leader like a ragdoll in his almost grotesquely large hand .

This invasion is over . Return or die , - Zac said to the humans , his gravelly voice sending shivers down the spines of the listeners .

Seeing that most of the humans immediately fled toward the incursion pillar he turned to the massive trolls . They hesitantly looked at Zac , unsure whether he was an ally or just a bloodthirsty lunatic .

Do you understand my words now? - Zac simply asked as he forcibly tried to quell the storm raging in his mind .

We understand , Warmaster , - one of the trolls said as he stepped forward . - Why did you help us? -

I am following a prophecy that took me to your world . I am looking for the Hayner Clan , - Zac said .

Following a prophecy was an excuse that Ogras had used multiple times when searching for information upon arriving at new levels . It didn’t really explain why they were there , and neither did it divulge whether you were an ally or a foe . Furthermore , a lot of people read into it whatever fit their point of view , which made them accidentally divulge some extra information .

The Hayner Clan? - the troll mumbled with a frown . - Are they the cause of this cataclysm? -

They have something in their possession that should not exist on this planet , - Zac said , neither confirming nor denying the troll's question .

So it is them , - the troll growled . - Delving into the taboo . They pretended to be our saviors bringing words of warning , but they were actually the harbingers of our doom . -

It turned out that the Hayner Clan was an ancient clan full of sages who delved into the mysteries of the heavens . They had warned the forces of this world that a great war was coming , that invaders would come to disrupt their way of life . It had allowed the forces to ready themselves for war , but it had also inadvertently helped Zac gain an excuse for why he was looking for them .

However , a frown quickly formed beneath Zac's helmet while listening as it quickly became apparent that the family focused on the Dao of Karma , just like Abbot Everlasting Peace . Fighting those kinds of people was notoriously annoying since they were often able to anticipate your next move .

Did the Hayner Clan already know they were targeted by him? Perhaps they had even gone underground the moment he arrived , which would make Zac’s mission even harder to complete .

He had already confirmed that the incursion leader wasn’t the guardian of the level . No Teleportation Array had appeared when he killed the poison master , and he was pretty sure by now that he would have to actually find the Hayner Clan to advance to the next floor . After asking about the general state of the world and getting a decent map of the area Zac left the trolls to deal with the aftermath of the incursion .

However , Zac only ran for twenty minutes before he stopped and took out another healing treasure along with some general antidote pills . With the number of pills he had eaten over the last hour the effect was drastically reduced , but he needed to do something about the poison rampaging through his body .

It had been a struggle to just stand upright and talk with the trolls . They were very congenial after he had killed the Incursion leader , even calling him Warmaster , but that friendliness might have taken a sharp turn if they found out he was in an extremely wounded state . Dealing with poison was his strong suit , but the wounds had tacked up to an almost unmanageable state by now .

He knew he was running out of time to reach the top of the 8th floor , but he still needed to take a moment to rest . At least the last level had finished extremely quickly which saved him a few hours , even though the final levels of each floor usually were pretty quick to deal with . It wouldn't be the end of the world if he spent a couple of hours healing up from the aftermath .

Taking the opportunity of the downtime Zac first looked inward , checking out his new and improved Specialty Core . Its size and coloring were pretty much the same , but the density of fractals covering its surface was on a whole new level . The inscriptions were so fine that the couldn't discern them all with his spiritual vision .

There was also an indefinable upgrade in the quality of the Duplicity Core . It almost felt like it had been a cheap plastic ball before , but it was now upgraded to solid metal . The quality and composition were essentially improved . However , Zac quickly started to feel some confusion as he tried to understand the changes the upgrade had brought .

The reason was simple ; there were none . The line in his status screen had been updated to say E] Duplicity , but that was about it . It didn't provide any more attributes , and there was nothing else that seemed to have changed .

It was a pretty big disappointment , as it currently awarded 5% Strength and 5% Endurance , based on the two main attributes of his classes . Zac thought that those boosts might increase from the upgrade , which was another reason he opted to take the Specialty Core upgrade as an award . If his boost went from 5% to 10% , then his Strength would have passed 1000 by now . But it seemed like that wasn’t meant to be .

However , it wasn't a complete loss . He had only seen those things as a bonus if he got them . The main point was that he would be able to evolve his two classes without having to worry whether his Specialty Core would be able to keep up . Besides , Yrial seemed to indicate that the speed of his transformation should improve as the Core evolved . He didn't dare to try it out right now as he was both poisoned and wounded though , and his Draugr form was better at enduring such a state .

Not gaining any boost to his Strength was disappointing , but he had gotten his hands on another Peak Attribute fruit which would allow him to almost reach his goal . As long as a Medium Fragment increased the boost to All Attributes he would breach 1000 Strength no matter which of the three Fragments he managed to upgrade from the Tower Apparition .

As for whether he would manage to upgrade his Dao from the Apparition , he felt it almost was a given by now . He had reached the 8th floor , something that only happened once every few millennia . The strength of the apparition he would summon should be on a completely different tier compared to those he had witnessed before , and the effect was reportedly boosted significantly when you were the one who conjured it .

After having rested up for another hour he felt strong enough that he didn't need to solely focus on recuperation . Most of the poison had already been converted to energy , with just a few Dao-empowered remnants lingering on . Those remnants would take a while longer to grind down , but they weren't a threat to him at all .

Seeing the situation stabilized he first took out the Peak Attribute fruit and ate it . A warmth spread through his body , and he quickly checked the status screen for the result . A quick mental calculation let him know that he had gained 8 to All Attributes , which would have to be considered a pretty good result .

However , his Strength had only gained 7 points , pushing his total to 992 . It was only one point less than the other attributes , but it proved a somewhat disappointing fact ; he had hit the cap for how much Strength he could gain by eating treasures . Adding the fruits from the hunt he had gained a total of 25 points in Strength before he hit the limit .

An attribute limit of twenty-five was as good as it got in the F-grade as far as Zac could tell , where most people were only able to gain 15-20 points from Attribute Fruits . However , he had held out some unspoken hope that his odd constitution would also apply to this situation , where his limits were a lot higher compared to normal . But it looked like his body had to follow the same rules as everyone else .

But there were not only bad news waiting after he looked through his status screen . His Luck had shot up to 257 , and it had provided a title just like he had hoped .

Fated : Gain 250 Luck at F-Grade Reward : Effect of Luck +5%]

It wasn’t anything special truthfully , but Zac guessed it was fair enough . His luck was so high from having gained so many titles , and if the System kept giving titles for those kinds of accomplishments it would essentially mean he was getting rewarded for getting rewarded . Besides , even if the boost was pretty small it was still a High-Tiered Title that boosted Luck . Such a thing was extremely hard to come by .

Zac closed the screen and turned his attentions to the two Cosmos Sacks and the Spatial Ring he had gained during the last level . He couldn’t help but smile in anticipation as he scanned the content of the first pouch , wondering what kind of treasures the elites of the Multiverse would carry around .

A blank look of confusion spread across his face though as he first scanned the swordsman’s sack . Zac couldn’t figure out what was going on . He would have expected a cosmos Sack from someone like that to be filled to the brim with all kinds of mysterious items , but there was even less inside than his own Cosmos Sack .

The first thing he noticed was one of the golden swords . It was one of the three that the lanky humanoid had controlled with his mind and that had kept harassing him throughout the fight . But he couldn’t find the other three swords he used even after scanning the contents multiple times . Had the System simply snatched a part of the losers' treasures at random as they left the Tower? Because that was what it looked like after going through the contents .

He did however spot the old sword in its tattered scabbard . It was something that had piqued Zac's interest due to its dangerous aura , and Zac curiously took it out from the Sack . Upon looking at it from such close proximity it felt like the sword was something that had been left to rot in some storehouse for millennia before being picked up . The leather scabbard was extremely faded and dried out , and it looked like a strong wind would turn it to dust .

However , his mind started to scream of danger the moment he gripped the hilt , and a furious presence suddenly urged him to draw the sword and paint the world red . Zac groaned and quickly thew the sword to the ground , but it took him over ten minutes to regain his composure . The presence had awakened the Splinter of Oblivion] inside its cage , and it furiously railed against the miasmic fractals .

It felt like when he had been possessed by the cursed ghosts during the hunt , as violent impulses had tried to take over his mind . Zac looked at the old sword with some lingering fear , unsure what he was dealing with .

Was it a Tool Spirit that had gone insane?

Chapter 448 - Nouveau Riche

Brazla had only turned a bit schizophrenic and annoying over time , but he wasn't strictly dangerous . However , it was possible that some Tool Spirits turned sinister as they went insane . Zac knew there had to be some benefit to the sword though as the swordsman used it as an ace . The half-moon attack had contained a shocking sharpness that cut both his mountain and array apart , was it perhaps only possible to conjure such an attack with this sword?

Zac was loath to carry the weird sword around , and he tried putting it back into the Cosmos Sack again . But the sword refused to enter the pouch , and Zac soon realized the Sacks left behind were temporary pouches just like the one he got from the hunt . He threw the sword into his own sack instead as he turned to the next items in the pouch .

The bag contained an assortment of pills along with a small mound of crystals and a couple of manuals . However , Zac refrained from touching those , afraid that they would be protected like Mhal’s manual was . They possibly contained skills and cultivation techniques whose quality was unrivaled in his sector , and such things would no doubt come with high-grade theft-protection .

The bag from the masked man was a lot more ominous . It contained over a hundred heads from a dozen different races , each of them placed in their own densely inscribed boxes . Their eyes were sewn shut and a talisman was pushed half-way into their mouths . Why the hell was this man carrying around something like this?

It didn’t seem to be part of his Class since he never used any heads to fight . Was this some sort of morbid way to create talismans? And if Zac only got part of their accumulated treasures , just how many heads had Faceless #9 been carrying around in total? Apart from that , there were a bunch of vials and assorted treasures , including five identical spikes that the assassin stabbed himself with during their fight .

Zac hesitated for a second before he transferred two of them to his own spatial ring . He wasn't sure exactly what these things were , but they allowed the assassin to fight beyond his normal capabilities . The spikes probably had even worse side-effects than his Hatchetman's Rage] , but he might be forced to go all out upon exiting the tower in a few days .

Just like with the swordsman's pouch there was another pile full of an assortment of items in one corner , likely things the assassin had picked up inside the tower . However , after seeing the heads he was in no mood to look too closely at what captured the interest of such a lunatic .

Finally , there was the Spatial Ring belonging to the mentalist , the spatial tool that Zac held felt held the most promise . The two sacks were dropped off by the system , but this was the real deal that was taken from her person . And he only needed a glance to realize he had hit jackpot . It looked just like what he expected a wealthy scion's cosmos sack to look . First of all , the space inside the ring was well over ten times the size of Rasuliel's spatial tool .

The dimensions were also extremely clearly defined , compared to the somewhat hazy borders of his own ring . According to Galau that was a sign of high-quality craftsmanship , and proof that its space would stay stable for a long time . Cosmos Sacks only stayed functional for a decade or two before they needed to be swapped out , and Rasuliels ring was probably an old hand-me-down from the looks of it .

But the ring he had just gotten his hands on was no doubt recently produced , and it would hold together for thousands of years before its subspace deteriorated . Seeing the amazing Spatial ring raised another question in Zac's mind . Were these items protected from the general rules of the tower , or did he risk losing them as well?

Seeing as they were the personal items of trial takers Zac leaned toward the former , but he guessed he would have to exit the tower to make sure . His first instinct was to immediately swap out his sub-par ring , but that might cause him to lose all his possessions . Perhaps he should use as many items as possible before leaving the tower , just in case . But he knew that using up the contents of the Spatial Ring would be nigh-impossible .

There were at least ten thousand E-Grade Nexus Crystals neatly stacked in one corner . However , they were somewhat different from his own , as they all seemed to be covered in some sort of engravings . Zac took out one of them , and he was surprised to see that it didn't leak a smidgeon of energy . He hesitated for a few seconds longer , but he eventually tried to absorb the energy .

It was extremely uncomfortable to absorb energy from a Nexus Crystal in his Draugr form , and it felt akin to drinking tainted water to parch your thirst . Nausea hit him immediately , but he only needed to continue the absorption for a few seconds to confirm his hunch .

The energies inside the crystal were actually released at twice the rate compared to a normal one , as the inscription formed some sort of energy transfer array akin to his Mother-Daughter array that had been put into the Merit Exchange long ago . It was a pretty luxuriant method since it was used on simple unattuned crystals , and the cost of the craftsmanship was no doubt far beyond the value of the crystals themselves .

The inscribed Nexus Crystals weren't the only types of crystals in the ring . Another , far smaller , pile of crystals sat next to the mountain of Nexus Crystals , each of them looking like a block of ice . Zac had never seen such a resource previously and took one out to get a better look . The crystal was cool to the touch and mysterious emanations spread from it , and Zac immediately felt a reaction as he held it in his hand .

The reaction didn't come from his body though , like when he was near a great natural treasure , but it rather was a prickling sensation from his soul . Zac had a pretty good guess what it was after remembering just who had been the owner of the sack , and he could quickly confirm it was some sort of Soul Crystal .

The crystal didn't seem to be attuned , but rather something that contained mental energy . He had never heard of anything like it before , and it had never been on display in any of the shops in the Base Town . A soothing sensation entered his mind the moment he started absorbing it , and he felt his drained soul rapidly regain its vigor .

This would be a great asset in speeding up his climb . Better yet , if these things worked like Nexus Crystals he might even be able to use them to strengthen his mind . If direct absorption didn't work he might still be able to use them together with his Soul Strengthening Manual .

It was also a huge relief to see that there seemed to be no response from the pieces from the Splinter of Oblivion swimming about , meaning that he could use the Soul Crystals without worry that he was harming himself . He didn't want another Cosmic Water situation on his hands , after all .

Apart from the soul crystals there were a plethora of dresses , all of which sported dense sets of inscriptions . It looked like the mentalist actually had a full wardrobe of defensive treasures , and if Zac wasn't wrong then all of them seemed to be Spirit Tools . There were also dozens of rings , earrings , necklaces , and bracelets , each a defensive treasure that looked quite high-tiered .

Using expensive treasures as though they were normal clothes was another level of wealth that Zac hadn't encountered before . Almost everyone he knew pretty much wore the same get-up every day after getting graded clothing . It was the same with himself . The white robes he got from Yrial were the strongest defensive wear he had , and it possessed self-repairing and self-cleaning features . Wearing other clothes seemed silly by this point .

There was also a large number of pills , raw materials , and natural treasures that seemed valuable enough to make him doubt his eyes . There were also a few Soul-Mending treasures , but Zac wasn't too sure whether they would be strong enough to replace the Cherry in regards to helping Alea . Their energy fluctuations were a lot stronger than equivalent pills in his own possession , but they were far weaker compared to the cherry he had eaten .

There were also a bunch of things Zac couldn't understand , such as a large metallic head , what looked like a massive drum that had a diameter of over five meters , and all kinds of odd trinkets . Perhaps they were specialized tools that could assist in specific tasks , but Zac didn't have time to go through them one by one .

He did however spot something he recognized . There was a large leaf with ten luxuriant prayer mats placed on top . Zac was perhaps way off-base with his speculations , but he was pretty sure he was looking at a flying treasure , one of much higher quality than the one he lent his sister . It seemed to have been crafted from a natural treasure , with both natural and inscribed fractals combining into an extremely exquisite pattern .

It was a shame that Flying treasures were disabled in the Tower of Eternity . Perhaps the System considered having one to be too large an advantage and restricted them completely . It would have saved Zac a huge amount of time if he could have used one , as he spent days just traveling on each floor .

Finally , there was the pile of random items that seemed to be just flung into a corner of its own , no doubt the things she had found during her climb . Zac wryly smiled as he looked at the treasure trove , and he almost forgave the woman for destroying his soul .

Zac hesitated for a few seconds on how to deal with the three spatial tools before he poured out all their contents one by one . He had no inspection skills and no knowledge worth mentioning in appraisal , but there were some ways to tell what was good and what was not .

Every time he had encountered a beneficial natural treasure he had been able to feel his whole body itching as it craved the energies the item contained . It was the same with Verun's Bite] as well . Zac eventually found six treasures that elicited such a response in his body .

He also discovered 4 items that verun seemed interested in , two slabs of metal , a piece of bone that was almost pink , and an odd rock . However , the axe was only able to absorb the rock , while it could only roar in anger at the other three items . Perhaps they were materials that could assist in upgrading the quality of the axe , but reforging a Spirit Tool probably required the assistance of a skilled Blacksmith or Inscriptionist .

Soon enough everything in the two Cosmos Sacks was transferred to his own spare cosmos sacks , at which point they dissipated into motes of light . The high-quality spatial ring stayed behind though , even though Zac had emptied it of all its contents . Zac was pretty sure that it was a permanent item , but he wouldn't risk the vast wealth inside on a hunch . He also stowed away the Natural Treasures that elicited such a strong reaction in his body , albeit not without some reluctance .

He would put Calrin on figuring out what to do with these items . The Sky Gnomes seemed to be thieves as much as merchants , and they probably knew what hidden dangers there were to owning loot like this . He didn’t want to add a bunch of B-Grade forces to the list of Earth’s enemies due to ignorance .

Having dealt with the treasures he sat down and redoubled the efforts on restoring his body , this time with the additional support of Soul Crystals .

Zac set out five hours later , which was a lot better than what he expected going by the state his body had been in . The combination of the Fragment of the Bodhi and his newly acquired Soul Crystals helped supercharge his recovery , building on his already shockingly high Vitality . Since he was pretty much healed up he swapped over to his human form in order to move quicker .

Unfortunately , things didn't go quite as smoothly for the rest of the level as in the beginning . It quickly became apparent that the Hayner clan was very aware of his existence as they had disseminated the news that a dangerous solitary invader threatened their whole world . Zac had been beset by everything from righteous citizens to large Bandit Gangs as he headed toward the lands the Hayner Clan controlled .

But Zac was like a moving calamity , essentially fulfilling the Hayner prophecy whether he liked it or not . All obstacles were destroyed in the quickest manner as Zac had no time to spare . Most opposing forces were destroyed with utter prejudice , apart from a few unlucky souls who Zac caught and dragged along to question on the move .

However , he suddenly stopped in his tracks just as he was about to enter the domain of the Hayner . An old troll wearing a voluminous robe with a star-pattern stood in the middle of the road , and from the looks of it , he was waiting for Zac . The old man seemed to be blind judging by his milky-white eyes , yet he stared straight at Zac like he was peering into his soul .

Catching a glimpse of heaven's secrets can be both a blessing and a curse . It told me that the key to my family's survival was stopping you , - the man said , and surprisingly enough there was a kindly smile on his face . - Karma brought us together , but severing karma is Heaven's Path . -

Zac was about to respond , but suddenly he found himself without any ground to stand on as an enormous sinkhole hundreds of meters across swallowed them both up , causing them to barrel into the abyss .

Chapter 449 - Pawn of Fate

Zac's heart hammered with horror as he plunged further and further into the abyss . He tried to find something to hold on to , but he found himself pelted by one rock after another as massive boulders detached from the walls and slammed into him with the force of a speeding truck . There was no way that this wasn't the work of the old Hayner Patriarch .

He did however notice that the old man had fallen inside as well , and he was some ways above him . But his situation didn't seem nearly as bad . The old seer was sitting on a piece of land as he sailed toward the bottom as well , but not a single boulder hit him or even came close . Zac glowered in anger at the man who had caused this mess and quickly charged up a Chop] .

However , a second after he launched the strike at the old man a massive boulder slammed into the fractal blade , resulting in mutual destruction . Zac was about to charge up another strike but just as he was thrown off-course by another boulder . Was all this really a coincidence , or was this what it was like to fight against Karmic Cultivator?

It would take more than some errant rocks to take him out though , and Zac stopped trying to hit the man and instead focused on the depths below . They had fallen for almost 15 seconds already , but Zac noticed the dive was about to have a very abrupt end as the ground below was quickly rising up to meet them .

Zac only had a second to think , and without any better options available he activated a defensive charge of his robes along with another talisman as he infused himself with the Dao of the Coffin . He couldn't actually die or get seriously hurt from just falling in standard gravity , but he didn't want to risk getting knocked out as he suspected the old man had some means to deal with the landing .

Zac landed like a comet , causing a massive crater with himself in the epicenter . Zac felt the taste of iron in his mouth , but he ignored the pain and scrambled to his feet to meet the next wave of attacks . A massive boulder had appeared seemingly out of nowhere , but Zac cut it apart just in time to see the shockwave of his own crash landing buffeting the old man's descent .

It actually allowed him to land as smoothly as if he had only jumped down from a small incline , and Zac couldn't help himself from swearing at the scene .

You are quite adept at resisting karmic manipulations . I am Ter'Erian Hayner , former patriarch of the Hayner Clan , - the old man smiled when he noticed Zac's glare .

Why did you do this? - Zac growled , his anger already building . - You should have realized that trapping yourself in here with me can't end well for you . -

Even a blind old man can see how powerful you are . My descendants aren't your match . So I nudged events a bit to create this place for us since I learned of your coming , - he said . - Of course , nature had already laid the groundwork . -

Zac looked around , and he had to say he was pretty shocked by what a karmic cultivator could do . The hole they found themselves in was the biggest one he had ever seen . It was hundreds of meters wide , and It's edges were almost completely sheer . The sky could still be visible far above , but even he would have some trouble getting back up in short order .

Do you have the clan-defining treasure on you? - Zac asked .

The Star of Aryaldar] is placed on top of a flying treasure . The flying treasure has also been reinforced with an illusion array and an isolation array , and my descendants have been instructed to keep flying across this vast continent for 23 days before returning , - the man smiled .

Twenty-three days , - Zac repeated with an even stare .

Indeed . The star is the core of our heritage , we cannot lose it . We sacrificed much to glean find a path out of this calamity . The longer it is hidden the better , and after 23 days the treasure will be safe . You might still be able to find the treasure if fate is on your side , but are you in a position to worry about that? -

A surge of anger flashed in Zac's mind as the pieces of oblivion seemed energized . But Zac quickly calmed down as he tried to understand the situation . The Hayner clan was obviously the real deal since they had indirectly inferred the rules of the Tower even if they didn't know about its existence . Twenty-three days was how much time remained of his climb .

The treasure would be safe in 23 days as he would have been thrown out of the Tower by then . But Zac suddenly froze when he realized what the old man had said .

What do you mean position to worry? - Zac frowned .

Celestial stone will fall into this hole in a short while , - the old man said , some ruthlessness finally shining through his congenial facade .

A celestial stone? - Zac muttered with confusion until his eyes widened in alarm . - A god damn meteor? -

My clan worked for a thousand years to form a karmic link with one of the stones sailing about in the vast beyond , gently nudging closer to us . It became our clan-defending treasure , and when better to use it than now? -

These people were lunatics . That was the only thing Zac could think of as he looked the old man with an aghast expression . Dragging a meteor down on top of his own head to take out a threat to his clan was beyond overkill . Even if his mission succeeded he would have destroyed half his country from the impact , along with getting himself killed .

Zac also knew that there was no way that the old man would let him climb out of the hole in peace either . He could only take him out as quickly as possible and pray that he was the level guardian . A storm of energy immediately exploded around him as he activated Hatchetman's Rage] , and almost looked like a sea of flames was conjured by his wrath .

He hadn't used the skill too often since he was worried that the mental effect of the skill would synergize with the anger that the Splinter was always fanning in the background , but now was not the time to care about such things . A towering power made him feel flush with potential , and he almost welcomed the descent of the metro to test his mettle against it .

However , he quickly snapped out of it and instead focused his attention to the old man . Each upgrade of the skill had prolonged the effect of the boost by 10 seconds while also increasing the boost by 5% , so he still had less than a minute to finish the fight before he would enter a weakened state . However , that should be more than enough to settle the fight .

Zac shot toward the old man as he shot out five fractal blades in an instant , with a sixth starting to whirl around him like a buzzsaw . The air screamed from the power in the blades as they contained the highest power Zac could muster . However , it almost looked like the old man was a hologram as he flickered the moment the attacks were supposed to hit him .

The fractal blades passed right through and crashed into the sheer wall behind , causing massive scars in the rock that ran for dozens of meters . Zac didn't exactly understand how the old man dodged without moving , but he guessed he was messing with fate somehow . But Zac still rushed forward , confident that there had to be some limits to what the man could avoid .

However , the ground suddenly crumbled beneath his feet just as he was about to attack the Hayner patriarch , which completely robbed him of his momentum and made him slam into the ground . A crystalline staff appeared in the Hayner patriarch's hands just as Zac was about to get back on his feet , and Zac summoned a storm of leaves to protect himself from whatever strike was coming .

A shudder in the air lifted Zac from his feet and threw him dozens of meters away . However , his danger sense hadn't warned him of anything , and as far as he could tell the attack hadn't harmed him in the slightest . He felt some disorientation for a second , but he regained his wits after shaking his head , and soon enough he was back on his feet . The old man had conjured a massive avatar behind him by this point , a shimmering priest holding a large crystal toward the heavens .

Reality suddenly shifted , and Zac suddenly saw dozens of versions of himself split off from his body . A few rushed toward the old man , whereas others started channeling Cosmic Energy into his arm . There were even two massive spectral axes from Deforestation] that appeared in the sky .

His mind was a confused jumble as competing ideas and impressions clamored for supremacy , and he felt his cosmic and mental energies rapidly drain into the different versions of himself . But Zac suddenly roared at the top of his lungs as he stomped in the ground with enough force to cause cracks to spread over ten meters in each direction . Five explosions followed in quick succession as Zac pushed toward his target .

It felt like he was forced to push through solid matter to advance , and it was as though his mind was being dragged toward the other incantations of himself . But it wasn't enough to stop him and Zac was soon upon the old man again . Verun's Bite] fell , its sanguine glow illuminating the surroundings .

Zac stood panting to restrain his rage as he looked down on the old man on the ground . A massive wound ran from his shoulder down to his navel , and he was almost split in two by Zac's strike . He looked down at the troll with some confusion , as he hadn't actually expected his strike to hit that easily . The idea had been to push him a bit further to expend his defensive treasures , after which he would finish him with Nature's Punishment] .

But perhaps he had overestimated the old man .

How?! - the ancient troll coughed with confusion in his eyes as he was bleeding out on the ground . - Why are you immune to the pull of fate?! -

Zac wasn’t completely sure what the old man was on about . The weird illusion he had been put under was pretty annoying , but it could barely be considered a nuisance due to draining his energy . Was it supposed to do something more?

Perhaps he had his almost inhuman pool of Luck to thank for avoiding any serious harm . Karmic warriors seemed to fight by slightly augmenting causality and fate in their favor , but Zac had a huge amount of Luck that did the same thing . The special attribute might be the best way of countering these kinds of people .

The battle was over as the man lay dying on the ground , and Zac could breathe out in relief when he saw that a Teleportation Array had appeared a few meters away . Killing the guardians was never a requirement unless it was stated in the quest , defeating them was all that was needed . However , most of the battles so far had ended with a fatality as the guardians were seldom good people .

The battle hadn’t been too exhaustive and he was completely unscathed . However , he still wasn’t too elated with the results . Normally he would have stayed on the floor an hour at the least to recover from his weakened state and calm his mind , but he knew that wasn’t an option this time .

A massive ball of fire had appeared in the sky by now , and Zac knew he would have to leave within a minute .

Why did you go this far? - Zac asked as he looked down on the old man . - You should have seen that I didn't really want your life . -

Sometimes drastic measures are needed to push fate in the direction one desires , Warmaster , - the old troll coughed . - Or should I say trial-taker? -

You know? - Zac said with surprise .

Even the heavens aren’t perfect . Fragments and pieces slip through , - the old man wheezed . - However , that knowledge is what led you to our doorstep . I peered too deep , and I cannot be allowed to live . At least my family is ignorant of the truth , and the calamity will hopefully end through my death and your disappearance . -

Zac looked at the old man for a few seconds , but he had no idea what to say . What could one say in a situation like this? It might be true that he was being used as a real Hatchetman by the System , taking out those in its net who had learned too much .

I’m sorry things ended this way , - Zac sighed and started to walk toward the teleportation array .

Freedom is an illusion , trial-taker , - the old seer coughed as Zac stepped onto the platform . - Are you any freer than us? -

Zac took one last look at the old troll . The seer's face had turned into a grotesque mask of anger and irreconciliation as the blank eyes stared up at the sky . Zac wasn’t sure if he was looking at the meteor that was fast approaching , or the heavens above .

I am Ter’Erian Hayner , and I am more than a pawn! -

Chapter 450 - Out of Reach

The encounter with the old seer was pretty jarring , but it wouldn't stop Zac from moving . He had his goals , and he knew that one couldn’t get anywhere in this world without knocking out the competition . It was not a matter of Ogras-induced cynicism , but a rather reality forced onto everyone by the System . If there was no conflict , then one would be created .

Hearing the old seer's final words indicated that the worlds he traversed might all be real , but did it really change anything? He could only shrug off any hesitation and insecurities and head toward the next guardian .

Climbing the 8th floor presented a new kind of torture as Zac desperately pushed through the levels . He had almost completely given up on sleep by now , his rest was slightly slowing down while revolving the Fragment of the Bodhi to help recuperate his exhausted body and keeping the Splinter in check .

He had realized that the Splinter wasn’t as intrusive when his mental state was in perfect condition , but problems quickly arose after having expended a lot of mental energy . He almost fell into a rage after every straining battle , and he quickly had to restore his mental energies to not go out of control . By this point , he needed to pretty much constantly travel with a Soul Crystal in his free hand to stay lucid .

The problem was that every time he used his Dao he felt as though the Splinter's corrosion got slightly more ingrained into his soul , for good or bad . It did seem that the Dao he forced into his attacks kept getting stronger , but it came at the cost of his mind getting slowly eroded . Zac could only push back against the effects as he kept climbing .

He considered stopping using his Daos altogether until he found a solution , but that would eventually just slightly delay the inevitable . Besides , not using his Daos would effectively end his climb . He couldn't defeat any enemies without them , and he was not ready to stop climbing .

His experiences in the tower had completely remolded him , pushed him toward a peak he didn't even know it existed . It had resulted in his mind getting invaded , but Zac started to believe that his best bet at finding a solution was to keep climbing . The 7th floor rewards were customized for his needs , and perhaps the 8th floor would be even more tailored to his needs .

And what did he currently need more than something to control the Splinter?

He might even find a solution before even reaching the 72nd level , as the 8th floor was a veritable treasure trove . It was almost torture to traverse one world after another and hearing about shocking treasures that would drive anyone mad , knowing that each of them was just out of his reach .

The 65th floor seemed to contain an ancient array left behind by a long-extinct race . It would be able to awaken one’s - hidden potential’ , which according to rumors meant gaining a huge surge of attributes and perhaps even awakening a constitution . But it was locked behind the floor’s quest , and Zac simply couldn’t complete it . So he could only take out his frustrations on the guardian before moving on .

The next floor contained what Zac guessed was a top tier E-Grade Axe Spirit Tool , but it was in the hands of a peak E-Grade warlord . This one wasn’t quite as alluring as the previous floor , but it would still be a huge boon to have an alternative to Verun’s Bite] . This was especially true as it was rumored to have - a corrosive attunement’ , making it an extremely good weapon of choice for his Draugr-form .

Zac initially thought that he was doomed to get not his hands on it , but news spread that the warlord had suddenly died just as Zac was about to finish things up on the floor . He couldn’t join the fight for the warlord’s hoard though , as he was running out of time . He could only grit his teeth and move on to the next floor , leaving the treasures behind .

It almost felt like the System kept throwing out more and more alluring baits in his path in an effort to stop him from climbing any further . It was to the point that Zac wondered if it was some sort of trail that tested his determination , and Zac staunchly kept his eyes on the prize as he kept moving toward the next levels .

Missing out on all the treasures was a big disappointment , but he did make some startling progress with his experiments . Zac had almost reached a 40% success rate in forming the bronze flashes since getting to the 8th floor . He still needed to use his crude method of stabbing himself in the shoulders , but with the help of the Fragment of the Bodhi he was able to keep experimenting even after accumulating one grisly wound after another .

Zac had initially been afraid that the experiments would worsen his mental condition even more , but he soon realized it was the opposite . His mind actually calmed down after having shot out a bronze flash . It almost felt like some sort of mental bloodletting where the darkness in his mind was expelled through the Dao Implosions .

The explanation that Zac felt was most likely was that the Splinter of Oblivion had a part in the creation of the bronze sparks somehow . Perhaps it acted as a base to what the two fragments would fuse into , like a blueprint to the higher Daos . That would explain the increased success rate of forming the Bronze sparks compared to his trials during the 7th floor .

Before the only energies from the Splinter that suffused his soul were the small amounts of purified energy that the Miasmic Fractals slowly let out of the cage . But now his soul was completely infiltrated . The improvements felt like a small silver lining to the mess he found himself in , but there were still some parts that he hadn't figured out .

Things weren’t working out as he had hoped with his third Dao Fragment . No matter how many times he tried he simply couldn’t form some equivalent of the bronze flash when trying to fuse the Fragment of the Bodhi with the Fragment of the Axe . The same problem arose when trying to fuse the Bodhi with the Coffin .

Only the combination of Axe and Coffin worked , leaving Zac wondering just what was missing . Did the second fusion require another method of activation to work? Or did it only work because the destructive flash leaned toward Oblivion rather than Creation?

His utter failure was another hint that he was on the right track about the Splinter , but he still wasn't completely convinced . The two Grand Daos of Creation and Oblivion were extremely high concepts , and pretty much all lower Daos should contain hints of both of them . The Bodhi wasn't pure Creation , and the Coffin wasn't pure Oblivion .

Not even the higher concepts of Life and Death that he was striving for were pure Creation and Oblivion . So it was a bit odd that he couldn't mix the Fragment of the Axe , which by itself should lean toward Oblivion , with the Fragment of the Bodhi .

There was no real way for him to verify what was really going on at the moment . For now , he could only take the opportunity to self-medicate while working out the possibilities and limitations of the bronze flashes . It seemed that desperation had played a part in managing to actually use the Dao Implosion .

His left arm was a mess after having ruptured dozens of times , but he had managed to successfully destroy a strong beast in the heat of battle once with the help of the Dao Implosion . The key seemed to be adrenaline , or rather battle lust . When he was just experimenting while traversing the worlds he was too calm , and that led to him being too slow in moving the bronze spark out of his body .

It was as if he was energized , then the blob of energy he created would be energized as well . Zac even tried to slap himself and roar on top of his lungs to get his blood pumping , but it wasn’t very effective . Only his true fight-or-flight responses seemed to be working , perhaps as they activated some primal part of his brain .

His theory of the origin of the flashes also gave Zac some clues into what needed to be done to somewhat formalize his - creation’ . The largest problem was that he had no control over the energies he created , and he could only push it forward . But perhaps there was a solution ; he needed to take control of the Splinter of Oblivion .

If the flashes were truly created with help from the debris of the Splinter , then he needed to somehow form a connection with it . It would allow him to guarantee a successful formation , rather than leaving things up to fate . It would perhaps even allow him to stabilize the volatile energy long enough that he could infuse it into skills rather than just throwing it away like a hot potato .

Messing with the Splinter would come with huge risks though , and Zac wasn’t confident at even attempting to opening the miasmic cage in his mind before his soul was a lot stronger compared to now . It once came back to a lack of time . He wished he could jump into some time chamber and practice Nine Reincarnations Manual] until his soul was strong enough to withstand the Splinter’s influence .

However , Zac didn't spend all his time on the bronze flashes as they were still somewhat of a long-term goal . He had gained many other new upgrades that needed to be better understood , such as his new Dao Fragment .

One slightly surprising benefit was just how much stronger the fragment had made his Hatchetman class .

Zac was currently assaulting a massive army on the 67th floor , and he was being pelted from all directions as he tried to reach the princess in the middle of the army . He was somewhat confident that she was the level guardian , and Zac had immediately set out toward her army the moment he learned of her insane crusade .

This level was the same as the previous ones on the 8th floor . He had quickly learned of rumors talking about a divine tree that was about to bear fruit . Elites from all over the world were getting ready to compete for the natural treasure as the fruit seemed to possess the capabilities of opening the - third eye - .

The effect of the third eye , or the soul’s eye , sounded a lot like his Danger Sense after asking around , and he felt that combining the two might almost turn him permanently omniscient like when he used Hatchetman's Spirit] . But he could only ignore the temptation while cursing the fact that he was too slow . If he had another month left on his climb he could have cleaned up on these last levels , but now he didn’t have the leeway to take any detours .

Targeting one of the amazing treasures that appeared on each level now would essentially erase any chances of completing the floor . so the treasure had to be more tempting than an upgraded title and a tailor-made reward by the System itself . And while the treasures thus far had all seemed extremely valuable they weren't quite at that level so far .

That didn't make the situation less frustrating though .

Luckily he had a whole army to take out his annoyance on , and a storm of purple leaves flew around him as he waded into the army that desperately tried keeping him at bay . It was Nature’s Barrier] that had changed its appearance after getting infused with the Fragment of the Bodhi and reaching Peak Mastery .

Not only had the leaves become shockingly sturdy , but the skill even provided a restorative effect in the eye of the storm now . It was just like the hidden world within the cherry tree’s canopy in the vision . If Zac had the fragment while fighting the swordmaster in the Battle of Fates he probably wouldn’t have needed to use any other defenses than this skill .

His defensive skill wasn’t the only one that had benefitted from gaining the Fragment of the Bodhi . Pretty much every single nature-aspected skill in his repertoire became stronger in one way or another , just like how Coffin added all kinds of effects to his death-attuned skills .

The forest created from Hatchetman’s Spirit] now provided a defensive sphere from the outside . It wasn’t too useful for Zac at his current stage , but it would help with keeping allies safe in large-scale conflicts . The skill had also reached Middle Proficiency on the last level since he was pretty much forced to activate it during every battle now .

One surprising skill that benefitted from the Dao Fragment was Loamwalker] . Not only did it increase the distance he could travel with each step , especially inside forests , but Zac even felt a mysterious energy rising from the ground and entering his body with every step . The energy was an earthy brown when he looked at it with Cosmic Gaze] and he guessed it was earth-attuned energies .

He didn’t have a use for the attuned energies , but being able to move much faster was a godsend .

The fabric of space cracked as Zac closed in on the princess' command tent , and a wooden hand covered in leaves and flowers quickly emerged , causing verdant lights to fly around its fingers in an exuberant dance . An outsider might think that the vibrant image might mean that the massive hand was about to bestow a blessing on the lands , but the reality wasn’t quite so benign .

Zac had quickly figured out the fundamental use of the Fragment of the Bodhi apart from the healing . Life mutated and grew far beyond its normal means within the canopy of the consecrated cherry tree , and Zac was able to bestow that same effect to his skills . That meant that it wasn’t simply a defensive or offensive boost to his nature skills , but rather a foundational empowerment .

Nature’s barrier] naturally became even better at defense as the leaves mutated , but the hand instead evolved in a more forceful direction , which was evident by the terrifying aura it had started to radiate . A two hundred meter wide array appeared as an immense pressure forced the average soldiers down on their knees .

An enormous sword saint appeared in the sky above the command tent , likely the avatar conjured by the princess he was targeting . She was currently on a path of carnage to earn the respect of her father , but her path was littered by the bodies of innocent civilians who were unlucky enough to live too close to the border of a rival kingdom .

Zac had no moral issue with taking someone like this out . She didn’t respect the lives of others to attain her goal , so why should he respect hers? The massive sword saint aimed her sword at the core of the array which also meant that the wooden hand above it was targeted .

Destructive energies started gathering around the avatar , but Zac wasn’t worried as an unassuming trunk descended from the core of the array .

Chapter 451 - Little Bean

The single tree looked like any ordinary one , apart from its lack of branches . But it quickly grew into a tremendous spike , like the finger of a forest god . It just took a second for it to grow to a size that almost eclipsed the mountains he had pulled through the array before , and the tip of the tree pushed straight toward the command center beneath .

A shocking burst of energy rippled out from the massive avatar's weapon , and multiple layers of the protective membrane of Nature’s Barrier] were decimated even though the princess aimed at Nature’s Punishment] rather than in his direction .

A hollow with a diameter of almost fifty meters was punched straight through the wooden spike , but hundreds of branches grew from the hole and merged to restore its original form . Zac felt a huge strain on his mind from the increased consumption , but he could only grit his teeth as he pierced the avatar with his punishment .

The avatar only managed to ineffectually rip off a few layers of the branch before it was forcibly dispelled , and the branch passed through the chaotic energies as it slammed straight into the command tent where the princess resided . The ground heaved and cracked and Zac felt a surge of energy enter his body ,

A shudder went through his body as a storm of miasma spread to every inch . The hundreds of leaves around him disappeared into motes of lights , and the verdant forest of Hatchetman’s Spirit] was gone a second later . Only the towering tree remained as a testament of his earlier attacks .

That didn't mean the army was safe though , as billowing clouds of corrosion and miasma quickly spread out before the warriors had time to understand what was going on .

This was the true power of the upgraded core , and it was the only feature that mattered as far as Zac was concerned . It was disappointing that it hadn’t provided any attributes when reaching E-Grade , but the transformation only took a second now as long as he used Yrial’s Transformation skill .

Not only that , but he had also learned that he could now transform twice before he needed to wait for an hour again . In other words , he could now almost completely freely use his two classes in one battle as long as he had a second to spare during a fight .

Zac stomped the ground and appeared next to the massive branch that was stabbed into the ground , just in time to see a part of it explode as his target emerged . She was drenched in blood and one of her arms hung limply to her side , but she still radiated the aura of someone with a fight left in her .

The cage of Profane Seal] was erected with the branch in the middle , and five of the chains immediately cut into the massive piece of wood . A surge of energy entered Zac’s body as he started his usual whittling down of his enemy .

It was one interesting perk he had found from being able to quickly change between classes . Most of his skills disappeared when he changed classes , but there were two exceptions . The first exception was the punishments he could summon through Nature's Punishment] , like the tree he was able to call forth since gaining the Fragment of the Bodhi .

It was teeming with lifeforce that the chains could steal and then feed to his Draugr-form . This synergy was why he opted for the tree rather than the massive mountain he usually used .

It made him even more unkillable as the piece of wood turned into an enormous battery that would keep him going far longer than he would be able to without . It was to the point that miasma steamed out of his body due to overconsumption , which further aligned the surroundings in his favor against living enemies .

The second skill that lingered was Winds of Decay] . The skill was made from his breath , so it didn’t matter that he changed class as the mists remained . This wasn’t as much of a boon though as the skill targeted him the moment he changed to his human form . It didn’t bother him thanks to his huge pool of Vitality , but it was still pretty uncomfortable to stand inside .

The miasmic cage shook as the two clashed one time after another , but soon enough the princess couldn’t stand it any longer . Her body was covered in festering wounds as the armor-clad Zac towered above her .

Why? - she asked with fury and despair in her eyes . - Who are you? -

Fate , I guess , - Zac answered as his bardiche fell .

Zac didn’t swap back to his human form just yet as he wasn’t sure what would await him at the other side of the teleporter . He rather just restored his reserves to peak condition before he stepped through to the next realm .

It felt like he was being squeezed for every piece of potential he had , and he was embroiled in constant battle as he kept going . At least it kept the Splinter mostly satiated as he ripped through the later levels of the 8th floor . Unfortunately , he never heard of any treasures or inheritances that seemed able to restrain the corruption in his mind , and this continued all the way to the 71st level .

The second-to-last level of the 8th floor would no doubt be a real nightmare , but his all-out push the past weeks had at least made sure he had over 3 days to complete it . Verun’s Bite] was already high in the air to counter any sneak-attack , and Zac had equipped Everlasting] and changed into his Draugr form just in case of a sudden assault .

But when the scenery changed he realized there would be no ambush this time around the moment he stepped through the teleporter . The surprising stillness even seemed to subdue the splinter in his mind as it crept into the back of its miasmic cage .

He was in a small cabin that was best described as futuristic . The whole wall in front of him was just one massive screen that seemed to be showing a blueprint , and another wall displayed a majestic nebula and stars that were fixed in the distance . Zac almost forgot he was in the Tower of Eternity for a second as he looked around with excitement .

Was he on a spaceship?

That was the immediate conclusion judging by the screen in front of him , unless he was reading the blueprint completely wrong . The map showed an elongated vessel that looked pretty sleek apart from a large circular bulb in the middle , and Zac found that he was able to zoom in and out by touching the screen .

The first thing he could see was that the ship was just massive . He was currently in a section that seemed to house thousands of cabins , just like the cabin floors on a cruise liner . The cabin he was in was around twenty square meters , and while it was less than a tenth the size of the largest cabin , it was still a decent size .

Each cabin had a series of numbers or letters marked , though Zac couldn’t read them . He guessed it was either the name or serial number of the person who lived inside . Some cabins were pretty large , but they had over twenty numbers attached , meaning they were probably barracks or shared domiciles .

Perhaps the cabin belonged to some sort of middle-management or a petty officer on board the space cruiser . The huge number of cabins only took up a small section of the total space on the ship though , and he saw that there were more sections just like it . If it wasn’t due to the shape and the two massive thrusters at the back of the vessel he would have thought it was rather a space station than a ship .

He tried to engrave every detail into his mind in case he needed it later , but it seemed the resident of this cabin only had limited access as over half the ship was blacked out except the general outline . Perhaps those sections were critical parts of the ship only accessible to authorized personnel .

Zac eventually backed away and tried to figure out his next step . A quest screen conveniently appeared after he retreated though , indicating what needed to be done .

Stop the Little Bean from returning from its expedition

Zac wasn’t overly surprised to read the contents of the quest after seeing the surroundings , but some hesitation crept into his heart as he looked at the wall displaying the vibrant nebula in the distance . This was still the Tower of Eternity , right?

Or had the System sent him out on an actual mission to mess with its enemies , the Technocrats? Since meeting the Hayner patriarch he had started wondering if he was actually ever inside the Tower , or if he was just sent to various corners of the multiverse like when he completed the Hegemony-quest .

A muffled swishing sound interrupted his thoughts as the door leading to his quarters suddenly opened , displaying a young man who was looking down with a troubled frown at a screen that hovered in front of him .

He entered the small cabin without even looking up , and he only noticed something was wrong when a grey object ripped through the air straight toward his head . His eyes widened in shock when he looked up only to find himself face-to-face with Zac , and an orange shield started to materialize around him .

But it was much too late , and Everlasting] slammed into his head with enough force to throw him into the wall , immediately knocking him out cold . Zac hurried over and dragged the man further inside the cabin , and sighed in relief when he saw that the cabin door closed by itself .

Things calmed down again , but Zac stood frozen for almost ten minutes , waiting for some backup to come rushing through the door . But it looked like his actions had gone by unnoticed , allowing him to breathe out in relief . Zac didn't put away his weapons though , but rather just hunched down to take stock of the man whose cabin he had been thrown into .

It was a human just like himself , or at least mostly human . Some parts of his body seemed to be mechanical , which Zac guessed made the man a cyborg . His clothing made believe he wasn’t a warrior like the other cyborg he had met though , but rather some sort of non-combat personnel .

He had also all but confirmed Zac’s suspicions that this was a Technocrat vessel .

The shield that he had smashed through was clearly of technological origin , just like those in the technocrat incursion , though it was a bright orange rather than the red ones back then . Apart from the shield , there were no signs of any weaponry on him though . The man wore a uniform made out of cloth , and there was not a single fractal anywhere on them .

His build wasn’t anything to write home about either , and when Zac activated Cosmic Gaze] there was almost no response either from the man or the surroundings . It made Zac guess that he was on a vessel belonging to the Machine God-faction . Both Transcenders and Technomancers would possess at least some equipment connected to cultivation .

Zac quickly found the source of the shield , a small bracelet on his arm , and after having taken it off he started to look for any piece of detachable technology on him until he finally poured some water over the unconscious man .

Wha? How? - the man sputtered as he wildly looked around , making Zac realize that the guy even had mechanical eyes . - Who are you?! How did you manage to board the Little Bean? We just fell out of subspace! -

Nevermind that , - Zac said as he trained his pitch-black orbs pierced into the man’s augmented vision , making him flinch . - Tell me what I need to know and I’ll let you live . If you’re not willing to cooperate I don’t mind killing and reanimating you . You will help me one way or another . -

No , please! - the man cried , clearly horrified at the prospect of being turned into a zombie .

Being a Draugr had its advantages , and there was no way for the guy to know that Zac didn’t even know how to turn someone into a Zombie . None of those he had killed in his undead form seemed to have shown any inclination to turn at least , meaning there was probably some hidden component to it .

Have you heard of the Tower of Eternity? - Zac asked first , wanting to check on his earlier suspicions .

The Tower of Eternity? - Jaol said with confusion . - Never heard of it . It’s not related to our corporation , I swear! -

Zac nodded in relief , but he suddenly froze . His answer sounded similar to all the others during his climb , but there was one significant difference . He actually mentioned the tower by name , which had never happened before . They had always responded with some sort of confusion and completely glossed over the mention .

What is your name , and what is your mission? - Zac asked as he settled in front of the man who had slowly inched toward a corner of his cabin .

I am Jaol . I’m just a comms officer of the Little Bean , no one important! - he said .

A comms officer? - Zac repeated . - Know this . If you send out an alert through any hidden gadgets that end with me cornered , then I’ll kill you first before trying to fight my way out . -

The man quickly nodded his head , but Zac noticed his eyes darted toward his arm where Zac had taken off the wristwatch .

Where is the Little Bean heading? - Zac asked , and pushed the axe toward the man once again when he seemed hesitant to answer . - Answer me . -

We’re heading to the closest outpost , but we’ve fallen out of subspace , - Jaol explained . - It’s because of that thing . I guess that’s why you’re here? It has created too many anomalies for our engines to handle . We were forced out of subspace until our engineers can fix the damage . -

Zac’s interest was perked when he heard about the situation aboard the ship . It was clear that the leaders Little Bean had found something that they wanted to bring back to their forces , but it was obviously something pretty amazing if it could mess with the entire vessel and its advanced technology .

It also gave him a lead in completing the quest in the normal manner . If he could take out the engineers , or somehow sabotage the repair efforts , then he would essentially be done with the mission? The best thing would be to blow up the engines altogether , but Zac guessed that they would be pretty hard to get to . But it felt entirely possible that the chief engineer would be the guardian if it wasn't the captain .

What have you found out about the item? - Zac urged , not wanting to let on he had no idea what the guy talked about .

It keeps bending the laws of physics in unpredictable manners , fusing , and changing matter without following any of the known rules . It really deserves being a shard from the Spark of Creation] , - Jaol exclaimed , excitement seemingly making him forget he was a hostage at the moment .

Spark of creation? - Zac repeated , his eyes widening .

Didn’t this sound a bit too familiar?

Chapter 452 - Road of No Return

The more questions Zac asked about the item the Technocrats had found the more certain he became . The item truly seemed to be the equivalent of the Splinter of Oblivion in his mind . The Technocrats had found it on a low-tiered world at the edge of some sector , though they hadn't realized its true origins initially .

Apparently , the technocrat factions often released swarms of drones that floated about in the multiverse , and now and then they'd pick up odd energy fluctuations from valuable materials . Beauty was in the eye of the beholder , and some things that might seem useless to cultivators could be extremely valuable for the Technocrats , and vice versa .

This time though they knew that there was a special item rather than raw materials , and it would be discovered sooner or later . Orders were quickly sent out from above and they tasked the ship Jaol worked on to retrieve it before the local factions realized there was a treasure under their nose .

The Shard , which is what they called it , had long since fused with a humanoid cultivator , which had created a series of shocking changes in both his physique and his surroundings . The man was F-Grade like Zac himself , and he had managed to stave off the effects for almost five years before he started to succumb to the influences of the item .

The Splinter of Oblivion was like an insidious whisper that caused its user to become an avatar of destruction , a madman who couldn’t stop fighting . It had been the same for everyone Zac had seen in the visions , with the exception of the Draugr-woman . However , the effect of the Shard of Creation was completely different according to the technocrat .

An item of Creation sounded like something positive to Zac but that truly hadn’t been the case for the poor cultivator . If the Splinter turned people into powerful lunatics , then the Shard turned them into monsters . The moment the man lost control he had started transforming and growing .

New limbs , weird tumors , hair , horns , and all types of appendages had started growing on the man , who quickly changed from a normal biped into a massive blob of flesh . Some parts of him had even changed its composition completely , turning into rocks , precious metals , and constructs that moved about .

There seemed to be no limits to his changes as long as he didn’t run out of energy . He had completely drained the area he lived in by the time the Technocrats had arrived , and they believed he would keep absorbing energy until his soul couldn’t take it any longer .

Of course , the man had become a raving lunatic by the point the Technocrats arrived . Being forcibly turned into a monstrosity that kept growing and changing had to be unimaginably painful . They had obliterated the being with orbital attacks , turning multiple square kilometers into a smoldering hellscape , leaving only the Shard intact .

The task force quickly loaded the items and hurriedly fled . The attack on an integrated planet with advanced weaponry had launched a wide-scale quest of retribution , and they had been forced to fight their way out of the sector while constantly dogged by Spiritual Vessels and the powerhouses steering them .

The Shard was now kept in a secured field that was designed to isolate energies , but it kept causing trouble to their vessel through bursts of creation that slipped through . It had turned a motor into a sentient golem and exchanged a highly condensed liquid energy into something that smelled like wine .

It had already forced the Little Bean out of subspace six times , and if it wasn’t for the multiple layers of redundancies and skilled technicians the ship would have been turned to scrap metal stuck in the middle of nowhere . A few of the crew had wanted them to drop it off at a desolate planet and let someone else pick it up , but the Captain was adamant about being the one who brought it in .

How long until you return? - Zac asked .

Two weeks , - Jaol hurriedly said .

I will capture more people , and if he gives another answer I’ll come back for you , understand? - Zac said , his pitch-black eyes boring into the comms officer .

One day if we get the subspace engines running , - the comms officer immediately corrected himself as he repeatedly bowed his head in apology . - We would have already been picked up if the Shard hadn’t completely destroyed our antennas as well . I have worked on opening up a line of communication for days now , but we are lacking some components . -

Zac slowly nodded with a snort . This sounded more like a situation that the System would arrange . The engineers might be able to get the system up and running at any moment , at which point he would be barreling toward an enemy stronghold . He would need to delay the efforts or quickly tackle the guardian if he wanted a shot at defeating the level . But there was one thing Zac didn't really understand .

Can’t your people scan this area if you’re so close? - Zac asked skeptically . - Just one day of travel . -

One day in subspace can be both close and impossibly far . We would pass through multiple dimensional layers . Our space station doesn't have that advanced scanning equipment , - Jaol said .

How strong is the most powerful warrior on your vessel? And how strong is your chief engineer? - Zac probed

Strongest warrior? - Jaol said . - The captain is a Class-3 Transhuman , and the chief engineer is only lacking a few critical upgrades to reach late Class-2 . My readings are telling me that you are somewhere in the range of early to middle Class-2 . Why not just leave , instead of throwing your life away? I will not say anything . -

Zac only glared at the technocrat without saying anything , making him shrink back toward the wall again . Classes were likely the equivalent of ranks to the Machine God faction , where Jaol had mistaken him for middle E-Rank . It made Zac a bit curious about the mechanical eyes he employed but now was not the time .

Hearing that there was a D-Grade warrior on the ship was problematic . He wouldn't be able to run rampant and simply cut his way through to the engineering bay . If the captain suddenly showed up his only recourse would be to crush his token .

However , the real issue was the Shard . Should he go for it?

It felt like the System was presenting him with an alternative to assaulting the 8th floor guardian . He could either target the engineers and the engine to delay the ship , or he could snatch the Shard of Creation .

In a perfect world , he would be able to do both , but either action would no doubt expose his presence on the ship and result in a massive response . With someone like the captain onboard he wasn’t very confident in completing either task , and doing both seemed nigh impossible .

The question was what he wanted the most . The past levels had pushed him pretty hard , and he wasn't completely confident in a fight against a floor guardian of this power level . But the rewards would no doubt be shocking as well . The gains from the 7th floor had been extremely suited for him , and the completion reward for the 8th floor should be pretty amazing as well .

On the other hand , finding a Shard of Creation was once in a lifetime opportunity . He had long thought about finding a counterweight to the Splinter in his mind in order to restrain it , and this was his chance . This desire had only increased over the past weeks since his soul got infiltrated .

Shooting out bronze sparks every now and then to weaken the splinter was a patchwork solution at best , but sooner or later it wouldn't be enough . It felt like he was a pressure cooker waiting to explode , and this might be his only option on hand . The item was just the kind of thing he had envisioned , and Zac felt it wasn’t a coincidence he had been placed here . It was a temptation that he could either follow or choose to ignore .

But did he even dare to absorb such a thing?

The ending of that poor sap who had fused with it previously sounded beyond horrifying , and he didn’t really have any means to counteract it apart from his Soul Strengthening Manual and the Miasmic Fractals inside his head . He also didn't dare place his hopes on a second old master popping out of nowhere and giving him another set of fractals to house the Shard .

The optimal scenario was that the Shard would enter the miasmic cage and the two items would restrain each other . The worst-case scenario was that some unexpected chain reaction would take place , causing a massive eruption in energies that would blow both him and the Little Bean into smithereens .

There was also the issue of agency . The words of the Seer back on the 73rd level echoed in his mind . He had said that Zac was just as much a pawn as he in the eyes of the System , and perhaps he was right . It couldn’t be seen as a coincidence that the System first presented him with the Splinter of Oblivion at the specially created Hunt on his planet , and just a few months later put him next to a Shard of Creation out of a trillion possible scenarios .

What was the goal of the System here?

It felt like he was being led by the nose down a path rather than creating his own destiny , and he wasn’t sure for what purpose . It was one thing if the System simply wanted to make him stronger , and found a suitable solution for him . But everything he had heard about the System indicated that it wasn’t so benevolent , and also not hands-on to this degree .

Was the System treating him like a prize hog , feeding him with these two treasures? But to what end? Considering his Technocrat heritage he felt like it couldn’t be anything good . Or was it the mysterious Draugr woman who somehow influenced his fate? He had no idea what cultivators standing at the peak were capable of .

But was there anything he could do about it , even if he was being manipulated? He needed power , and he had started down a road of no return the moment he got mixed up with the Splinter . Things were already spiraling out of control , and this might be his only opportunity to strike a balance in his body .

Hesitation gnawed in his heart for a few seconds , but he eventually decided to go for it . The Splinter was uncommonly silent in his mind , and he guessed it was because it sensed the presence of its opposite . He needed to make this effect permanent by bringing the shard with him .

There were a lot of logical reasons to not take such a massive risk , but every fiber in his body told him to consume it . It felt like he was a puzzle , and the Shard was the final piece to finish the image . This wasn’t the decision he would have made before the integration , and it probably wasn’t even the decision he would have made just a few months ago . But he had realized something during his climb .

One needed to push oneself to achieve anything worthwhile .

On the surface it might have seemed that Zac had pushed himself beyond what was almost possible , but most of his actions had been forced out of need . But here was a difference between risking your life to survive , and risking your life to push yourself to greater heights . He had mostly done the former , but he knew that he needed to take some risks to keep his momentum going .

Things might very well turn to shit , but even the random cultivator on an unintegrated planet had managed to stave off the insanity for a few years . If things truly didn’t work out he would still have time to save Earth and deal with the Dominators and even have a couple of years to find a way to rip both the items out of his body .

Besides , the very fact that he was probably being manipulated into consuming both these items felt like an indication that he wasn’t going to die from it . Why would the System or some mysterious peak being go through all the trouble of manipulating his fate and the Tower of Eternity if the end result would be him simply dying? There were a lot of easier ways to kill a puny F-Grade warrior .

Since he had made his decision he could only walk forward , taking things as they came .

Chapter 453 - Clearance

Where is the Shard stored? - Zac asked after having made his decision .

It is in a restricted holding bay , with multiple layers of defenses around it , - Jaol said , his eyes widening upon the realization that Zac wasn't deterred by the presence of the captain . - The captain will come the moment he hears his cargo is being targeted . He is part-owner of the whole vessel , and it has taken a lot of damage from this mission . If the mission fails he will face disastrous consequences , but if he succeeds he will gain centuries' worth of resources . -

How would I gain access? - Zac pushed , ignoring the warnings .

You can't , - Jaol said without hesitation . - I have no idea how to get inside! -

Think harder , - Zac growled as a black mist started to steam out of his mouth , adding an acrid smell to the cabin .

I-I… You would need to have special authorization . But it is impossible for you! You have no neural implants , and even if you get inside there are extremely strong autonomous Class-2 Guardians inside , - Jaol exclaimed .

Don’t you have access-cards or something? - Zac said with a frown .

Cards? Like a medieval key? - Jaol said with incomprehension . - Why would we have such a blatant security risk as keys that can be stolen? -

I guess that means you’ll have to take me there , - Zac smiled .

Are you crazy?! You will be spotted in ten seconds after leaving this place . There's no one on this ship that has eye-augmentations that even slightly look like yours , - the comm's officer staunchly refused . - We'll both be dead within a minute . -

Zac snorted as he activated his Transformation skill , and the neverending black in his eyes quickly gave way to white sclera and irises . His deathly pale complexion gained life , and he was once again a normal human , at least outwardly indistinguishable from a technocrat human .

Wha- - Jaol sputtered as he looked up and down at Zac incredulously . - How is such a perfect transition possible? Not even the chimeral Transcenders are able to do something like this before reaching Class-3 . -

What’s with these classes you’re talking about? - Zac muttered . - Isn't it just ranks? -

We refuse to use the classifications of the Cursed Heavens , - Jaol said haughtily before remembering he was a hostage at the moment . - Uh , no offense . -

So you’re just being obstinate? Each Class represents a grade? - Zac confirmed .

Well , yes , - Jaol coughed .

So can we go? And remember , our fates are bound together . I die , you die , - reminded his hostage .

. . . You can't . - Jaol sighed after a short silence . - That's what I've been telling you . You have no implants , so the Ship will consider you an intruder . Only people with clearance will be able to walk around this ship . I don't even understand how you can stand in my cabin without detection . -

Zac glared at Jaol before he looked around . The implicit meaning was that the technocrat had expected a rescue , but none seemed to be forthcoming . Zac's brows furrowed with contemplation as he tried to figure out what was going on . Was it the System that protected him? The problem was that he had no idea if that protection extended out of the cabin he found himself in .

So how do I get clearance? - Zac asked .

Get clearance? Impossible . You aren't even connected to the Multiverse Network through implants or your sigil , getting clearance is impossible . If it had been so easy we would have been infiltrated and extinguished long ago .

Zac felt a bit helpless as he looked around the room before he spotted a few small holes in the wall not far away . Did spaceships have air ducts? They should have , considering how many people were aboard . Perhaps if he cut through the floor he'd find whole service levels he could traverse instead . But before he could ask about it he suddenly had a thought , and his head snapped back toward Jaol .

Sigils? - Zac said , an idea suddenly popping up in his head . - Like this? -

He took out the necklace that Leandra had left with his father before disappearing . He still hadn't found any use for the thing , but it was obviously more than a simple piece of metal . It had been able to vibrate and move about in his Cosmos Sack when he met the technocrat researcher back on earth , and it might have other functions that would be useful now .

He wasn't really worried about attracting his mother's enemies either , as he was transported god-knows-where by the System . If anything it might rather throw Firmament's Edge off the scent by thinking Leandra had popped up on this vessel .

The small token suddenly shuddered , making Zac worried he had activated some hidden alarm , but it quickly calmed down again . However , the technocrat hostage wasn't as calm as he looked up and down at Zac with confusion and fear .

This is impossible ! How did you get such clearance?! - Jaol almost screamed .

What are you talking about , - Zac said , starting to get a bit exasperated by the rapid change of his captive’s emotions . - And keep your voice down . -

A- I… - Jaol sputtered with clear hesitation on his face .

Remember , if I get pushed into a corner I’ll take you out before anything else , - Zac muttered and pushed Jaol with his axe when it looked like the comm's officer was planning on cooking up another lie .

I swear I don’t understand! I don’t recognize that insignia , but it has somehow given you Level 4-access on our ship! Even I only have Level 2-access . It uses some archaic access code I have never heard of before , designating you as a Council Inspector! What Council?! - Jaol blabbered .

Zac looked down at the necklace in his hand with mixed emotions . It looked like his mother had come through for him after all . He had already known that she was probably some sort of big shot among technocrats before something happened to maker her turn traitor , and this seemed to further confirm it .

But where was she? Why had she left Earth and her alone , even to the point that her husband had died from the integration? Long repressed emotions threatened to run rampant as he held the sigil , but he quickly gathered his wits and focused on the task at hand .

Is Level 4-access enough to get to the Shard? - Zac asked .

No , - Jaol said . - It gives access to all parts of the ship except critical areas that need the Captain's direct authorization . In other words , special authorization . -

Who has special access? -

Just two people as far as I am aware . The Captain and Dr . Freid , - Jaol said .

Messing with the captain was obviously out of the question , which only left him with one option .

Who is Dr . Fried? - Zac probed .

Uh , no idea , - Jaol said .

Jaol . . . - Zac growled threateningly .

The comms officer hesitated for a few seconds before he eventually reached towards his eyes , and literally pulled them out of their sockets . Zac couldn't stop himself from gaping in shock as the man handed his eyes to him . Zac unconsciously accepted them with confusion , before he looked back at Jaol with utter befuddlement .

The comms officer didn't say anything , but Zac noted that he had pointed his head down , and it almost looked like the empty sockets were staring straight at Zac's waist . Zac tried to follow the lack of vision , and he suddenly had a hunch of what was going on . He immediately stowed the two eyes into his Cosmos Sack .

I put your eyes in my Spatial Tool , - Zac said as he looked at the Technocrat with interest .

I know , I just lost connection , - Jaol nodded .

What's going on? - Zac asked .

I don't want any hard evidence of divulging information about Dr . Fried . He comes from a powerful corporation , - Jaol sighed . - Dr . Fried was sent by Deramex Dynamics , our employer's employer . He's an expert at force fields , and he is in charge of keeping the Shard of Creation restrained . -

Sounds like he's doing a pretty shit job , - Zac muttered as he tried to look anywhere except the two empty sockets that stared right at him .

Was this was it felt like talking with him when he was in his Draugr-form?

Yes , well , - Jaol shrugged . - I don't understand how that works , but he has set up multiple layers of restrictions around the shard in the middle of the bean . I've heard from a few guards that the problems we've seen are just the tip of the iceberg of what goes on within the containment field . Dr . Fried has said that the Shard does not like being without a host , and it resents being trapped . -

Likes? Resents? - Zac asked with shock . - It's alive? -

It's beyond me . Perhaps alive in the sense that a virus is alive? - Jaol ventured .

Zac felt like it was an apt description after having observed the Splinter in its prison over the past few months . It wasn't an inert object , but it also didn't feel sentient .

What strength is the Doctor? - Zac asked .

I think he's late Class-2? - Jaol said hesitantly .

Is he strong in combat? - Zac asked with a frown .

I am pretty sure he's a pure researcher , - Jaol said . - Their combat strength is on the lower end , but they no doubt have some means to protect themselves . -

Zac grunted in affirmation . This was exactly what he hoped for . The plan he had come up with was pretty simple . He'd use the necklace to get to Dr . Fried , kidnap the researcher , and use him as a keycard to the Shard . Seeing as the doctor seemed to have a pretty high status he might even be able to use him as a hostage to blow up the engines and pass the stage afterward .

Do you know where to find him? - Zac asked .

I can point you to his lab on the map , - Jaol quickly said . - It's not too far , you'll be able to get there easily . -

Point on the map? - Zac smiled . - We're going together . -

Jaol froze for a few seconds before he deflated with a sigh .

Alright . . . Is there anything else I need to know about the doctor? - Zac asked .

Zac asked a few questions to gauge his strength , but Jaol didn't seem to know too much . The researcher spent almost all his time split between his lab and by the Shard . He was also pretty haughty and barely socialized with the crew . He even seemed to have taken a superior stance toward the captain even if he was just a Class-2 non-combat class .

But that was fine with Zac . It meant that he would get his opportunity as long as he managed to get to the laboratory to set up an ambush .

Okay , let's go , - Zac finally said after he had asked everything he could think of .

Well , you're still looking a bit… . - Jaol hesitantly said .

Zac looked down and immediately realized the problem . He looked like someone doing cosplay with his ancient robes and weaponry . It wouldn't take an AI to figure out something was wrong if he walked down the corridors wearing cultivator's robes . His first idea was to take clothes from Jaol , but waving around an axe for months while focusing on Endurance and Strength had made his build pretty bulky .

Jaol was a head shorter and probably weighed 100 pounds less , so getting into his fitted uniform was impossible . It also seemed that the clothes they wore didn't have an automatic-fit like his robes . Sending Jaol out for a disguise was out of the question as well . The Technocrat would probably rat him out the second he was out of earshot , so Zac had to go with the second-best option .

Call someone here . Someone with a similar build as mine , - Zac said .

A- alright . I need my eyes back then , - Jaol said , and soon enough pushed back the two orbs into their respective sockets .

So weird , - Zac muttered .

Jaol didn't dare to comment , but he rather summoned a screen that appeared in front of him , looking a bit like the status screens that the system used . Zac saw a bunch of faces flash by on the screen until Jaol's eyes lit up . The screen disappeared the next moment , and Jaol slightly turned away .

It’s Jaol . Something is wrong with these calculations , could you assist me? I’ll owe you one , - Jaol started muttering out into thin air . - Well , it’s a bit inconvenient , could you come to my compartment? Yes , I am sorry , I'll provide 10% of this month's salary as compensation . -

Well? - Zac asked .

A colleague will come over in a minute , he is off for the day so no one will feel it out of place if he’s not around , - Jaol said , a small smile creeping up on his face for the first time since getting captured . - His build is pretty similar to yours as well . -

Why do you look so happy about this? - Zac asked with a raised brow .

He’s kind of a work rival , and we’re up for the same promotion , - Jaol said , looking a bit embarrassed . - If I have to live through this calamity I might as well drag him with me . -

Fair enough , - Zac snorted as he walked next to the door . - But no funny business . -

Chapter 454 - Undercover

Jaol hurriedly nodded in response to Zac's warning as the ship schematic on the wall changed to a large array of complex schematics and diagrams . They didn't have to wait long until the sliding door opened , and a burly man stepped through , his eyes trained on Jaol who stood by the screen seemingly in deep thought .

You better not be lying about pay- - the man said , but didn't get any further before he was on the ground twitching .

Undress him and take away anything that he can use to warn people , - Zac said .

That's impossible . He has implants like everyone else . The moment you try to tamper with that a warning will go out , - Jaol said with a shake of his head .

Zac thought for a few seconds before he took out a vial and threw over a pill to Jaol .

Feed him this , - Zac simply said .

If he dies you will be exposed , - the comms technician hesitantly said as he looked down on the pill with trepidation .

It'll just make sure he won't wake up for a day or two , - Zac explained .

A minute later Zac inspected himself in a monitor , and it felt like he was on some science fiction show as his clothing completely matched that of Jaol's . The clothes of the poor man who was now slumbering in Jaol's sleeping pod was a bit long and snug , but it was a passable fit that shouldn't arouse any attention from a casual glance .

Let's go , - Zac said as he cracked his neck . - Take me to Dr . Fried's laboratory . -

I- - Jaol said before he sighed and shook his head . - Fine , let's go . Try not to speak . If anyone asks , we're heading toward the research department because the scanning equipment has been broken by the Shard . This is actually true , but it's a low priority compared to the engines . It would have been better if I had a gift . Some might see this as me taking the chance to suck up to the doctor . -

Zac nodded , feeling it wasn't a bad idea .

What kind of gift? - Zac probed .

Rare materials and stuff like that . Something I could pretend to have picked up on the planet we just visited and wanted to use as a bribe , - Jaol thoughtfully said .

I have a few things , - Zac said before he froze as he looked down at his Spatial Ring .

He hurriedly reached for his pouch , but he breathed out in relief when he saw that all items were still there even though he wasn't inside the tower . But what did that mean? Were all his items safe? Or would the confiscation still happen the moment the trial ended? Perhaps it was even possible to cheat the System this way by sending out everything he had gained . But he obviously couldn't trust Jaol to come through and send his amassed wealth back to Earth .

Even if Zac somehow managed to make Jaol obey , did the technocrat even have the ability to follow through? They could be anywhere in the multiverse right now , and there was probably no way for some random technocrat to find his sector , let alone Earth . Zac eventually threw out a handful of random materials he hadn't figured out the use of .

This . . . ! - Jaol said with wide eyes as he looked at the items that emitted strong fluctuation .

So? -

Ah? Yes , yes , - Jaol hurriedly said as he reached out and took one of the items , a piece of purple wood .

It was something that Zac picked up on the 6th floor . He had noticed that a tree survived even though Zac fought right next to it . The bark was extremely durable and was even able to resist being cut with the Fragment of the Axe twice . Strangely enough , the whole tree withered when Zac cut it down to bring with him , leaving only the plank-sized piece of lumber intact .

A piece of wood is actually valuable among technocrats? - Zac asked curiously as he saw Jaol's excitement .

Well , no . It is rather the unique energy signature of the material that is valuable . We can extract it and infuse it in an alloy to make a stronger material , - Jaol said without taking his eyes off the piece of wood . - My preliminary reading says that it should be able to increase the durability of many alloys by some degree . -

Zac shrugged and the two finally left the compartment , and they found themselves in a luxuriant hallway . It didn't feel cramped at all like how it often was with cruise liners back on Earth , but the hallway was almost ten meters wide with the occasional seats and greenery . There was even a small artificial river running along the middle , creating a soothing atmosphere . Zac wasn't there to sightsee though and they hurried toward the center of the ship .

Soon enough they reached a door that seemed to be a checkpoint between sectors , and Zac noticed how stiff Jaol looked as he waited for it to open . But the door slid open without any issue , making them both release a breath in relief as they kept going . It looked like the insignia left by Leandra really worked like some sort of universal key .

It only took a few minutes of walking for the surroundings to quickly change . Zac remembered the map he had studied , and they now were in the sector where the cabins housed over ten people each . The hallways had become a lot more cramped , and there were even missing platings and exposed wires seen at spots .

Zac was surprised at the stark contrast between different parts of the ship . Jaol's compartment and the section around it were hypermodern , with not a speck of dust in the fancy hallways .

This looks more run-down than what I would have expected , - Zac muttered with a low voice as they passed through the barracks and a large mess hall . - It's like this part will fall off at any moment . -

Well… - Jaol coughed . - We’re a freelance freight-class vessel bought from an auction selling off the inventory of a defunct company . The ship itself is well over four thousand years old and long due for an overhaul . The section where I and the higher-ups live was refurbished five years ago , but this section . . . -

Four thousand years? - Zac exclaimed with surprise .

A thousand years wasn’t much in the world of cultivation , but he knew how quickly technology failed back on Earth . A machine holding together for a couple of decades was a nigh-miracle , and this spaceship had stayed in one piece over thousands of years and countless missions?

Are there no teleporters on the ship? - Zac asked after they had walked a while .

They had passed through a seemingly endless number of passageways and were currently passing through what seemed to be a large mess hall . They had passed some people by now , but Zac was relieved to see that they only shot Jaol , or rather the piece of lumber in his arms , a curious glance before continuing with their business .

There are a few for emergencies , - Jaol said after a few seconds . - But we can't use them . They require a lot of energy to power to use . In other words it is a waste of money . -

Jaol! - a voice reached them from the other side of the shabby mess-hall , and Zac looked over to see a stout woman wave and walk over toward them .

Deal with this , - Zac simply said with a low voice before he looked away .

Ah , Kerven , - Jaol weakly smiled as he turned around to face the woman who curiously looked at them . - I thought you were on duty today? -

Can't do anything until the changes stop . The thing is acting up again , - the woman muttered as she curiously looked back and forth between Zac and the piece of wood in Jaol's arms . - What are you up to? Isn't this your day off? -

I , ah . . . I was planning on seeing if I could pick Dr . Fried's brain about our problems . This is just a small token of my appreciation . -

Uh , huh , - she said with a raised brow before she shrugged . - Well , I won't keep you up . -

Zac's eyes followed her as he walked away , and some killing intent started to leak as he frowned . The splinter in his mind had woken up a few minutes ago , demanding blood to be spilled . Jaol's eyes widened in horror as he sensed the dangerous aura that Zac was leaking , and he tried dragged Zac toward the exit .

The door closed behind them and Zac took a ragged breath before he shot the technician a shot .

Let's go , - he said and started walking again .

We're almost there , - Jaol answered with a sigh .

It took them almost half an hour to reach the center of the ship , the massive ball that contained both the containment field for the Shard of Creation and Dr . Fried's temporary lab . Luckily enough they didn't meet a single guard until they reached the laboratory itself , and Zac felt the ship was a bit overly reliant on the AI and the security doors .

He couldn't be sure , but it seemed like it shouldn't be too hard for an assassin-type Cultivator like Faceless #9 to cause severe damage to a ship with as lax security as this .

However , the door leading into the lab was guarded by two men wearing some sort of tactical gear and holding some sort of energy batons . They didn't feel like real warriors to Zac , but rather security guards who were there to make sure that no one peeked at the researcher's lab without authorization .

I am Jaol Kresson , Junior Deputy of the Communications Department . We're here to see Dr . Fried if possible to ask a few questions about how to deal with the recent disturbances from the cargo . I brought a small token of my appreciation that I think will pique the doctor's interest , - Jaol said with a slimy smile as he stepped forward .

The Doctor is out , - the guard slowly said after having looked at the piece of spiritual wood for a few seconds . - Let me- -

He didn't get further though as Zac moved forward like a ghost and punched the guard straight in his face as Everlasting] appeared from his Spatial Ring slammed into the other guard simultaneously . One of the soldiers immediately went down whereas the other one required another jab before he lay unmoving on the ground .

Hurry , - Zac said as he grabbed the two unconscious men and carried them into the laboratory .

Jaol quickly bent over and wiped a spot of blood before he followed after with a face as white as a mask . Zac guessed he hadn't seen a lot of action up-close , and the situation was getting a bit tense . He had no idea if his actions just now had caused some hidden alarm to go off , but he had acted by instinct when he saw the guard activating his communication device . Jaol looked at Zac like he was a lunatic though , and Zac started to worry that the comm's officer might do something stupid from desperation .

Stay calm , - Zac whispered . - We'll stow these two in some corner , and after I've captured Dr . Fried you're free to go . -

Yes , yes , - Jaol fervently nodded . - How did you know the door to the lab would open? -

I- - Zac said with raised brows . - Huh . I just figured it would open like all the other ones? -

Jaol's mouth opened as though he wanted to say something , but he slowly closed it again and instead helped move the two guards so that they were hidden beneath a desk in the inner part of the laboratory .

Zac fed them a double dose of his knock-out pills even if the guards were just early E-Grade at best . He didn't want them waking up any time soon even if he started to cause a ruckus when the doctor returned . However , because he had acted so fast he had no idea where the doctor was or when he would return . He didn't dare walk around and look for Dr . Fried though as Zac wasn't meant to be here . He could be stopped at any moment , at which point the jig would be up .

He could only hope that the doctor would return to the lab soon enough . But the minutes passed as the two sat in an increasingly oppressive silence , and Zac was starting to get worried . His eyes were slowly growing bloodshot and his mind was awash with murderous thoughts .

The splinter was making itself reminded , and the effect was even worse than usual . Was it angry because of the close proximity to the Shard? Zac could only bear with it for the moment as he took out a soul crystal to try and soothe his soul .

Your ship isn't quite what I was expecting , - Zac finally grunted , grasping for some topic of conversation to distract himself . - It seems you're using a lot of old technology together with newer ones . -

Old technology? All technology is old , - Jaol said , seemingly more than happy to break the silence .

What do you mean? Don’t you come up with new things and improve? - Zac said with a frown . - Isn’t that the whole point of your factions? -

Where did you hear that? - Jaol asked with confusion .

I- - Zac said , but stopped himself when he realized he had no idea .

He had just assumed that the Technocrat factions were somewhat like Earth before the integration , constantly figuring out new things . But then again , the Technocrat faction was Billions of years old . Had they reached a point where they couldn’t progress any further?

Chapter 455 - The Machine God Faction

We’re in the 43rd age right now , - Jaol said , seemingly understanding Zac's thoughts . - Each age represents the pinnacle of technology taking a step forward , which usually resulted in a trickle-down effect that empowered the whole Technocrat faction . But almost all of these ages took place in the early stages of the System Era , before it was as powerful as today . The current has lasted for over 70 million years . -

So you keep doing the same thing over and over again , with no improvement? - Zac asked .

Isn’t Heaven’s Path the same? - Jaol muttered . - Cultivating and fighting , doing the same over and over again . -

I guess , - Zac shrugged . - So how do you improve? How do you become more powerful? -

Work and save Bits , buy upgrades for myself , - Jaol slowly said . - I’ve been working on this freight for 4 years , and I was planning on performing my fourth overhaul with my savings along with the reward for completing this mission . But now… -

So money can simply solve all your problems? You get rich enough and you’ll instantly shoot to Class-3? - Zac probed with interest .

Jaol hesitated again , seemingly unsure whether he should answer .

I don’t believe that this is some secret information of your faction . I can probably buy an information packet anywhere explaining this in detail , - Zac said .

Well , I guess you’re right . I doubt I can get in any more trouble than I already am , - Jaol sighed .

I wouldn’t be so sure about that , Zac thought .

Zac wasn’t about to say that he not only wanted to steal the shard but also destroy the ship's engines if possible . In fact , he had been consciously vague about what he wanted to do just in case there was some built-in warning system in everyone’s head that woke up if he mentioned stuff like - blowing up the engine’ or - stealing the cargo’ .

There was no telling what safeguards the ship had against its employees . Jaol was pretty forthcoming , but Zac had already noticed that the technocrat had tried to hide vital information to trip Zac up multiple times . There was no way he'd warn him that there were certain things he couldn't say without sending an alert to the captain .

So? What's stopping you from shooting up to Class-3? - Zac asked .

Well , first of all , I don't have the money for such an upgrade . But secondly , my soul isn't strong enough , - Jaol shrugged . - I would need to drastically strengthen it to be able to support that level of power . I honestly doubt I'll ever get there unless Little Bean suddenly strikes it rich with a lucky encounter . -

Zac was about to say that it was a bit unscientific for a technocrat to believe in souls , but he stopped himself after realize that really wasn't the case . He only needed to look inward to see irrefutable proof that the soul existed . Ignoring that in favor of some sort of atheistic technology-centered world-view was akin to burying one's head in the sand by this point .

You're a soul cultivator? - Zac asked with confusion , some alarm bells going off in his head after his recent encounters .

Not as the people following Heaven's Path would see it , - Jaol said after some hesitation . - Did you board our ship without even basic knowledge of our capabilities? -

Zac only glared in response , making Jaol shrink back again .

Well . I think you people call us the Machine God Faction , and I guess that is accurate . Our 'cultivation' is essentially slowly upgrading our body parts one by one . For example . My eyes have been improved , along with most of my organs . I no longer require food , but I rather run on energy cells . -

You're turning yourself into robots? - Zac asked with shock .

Is it any different with you? Your body is a biomechanical machine controlled by electrical impulses from your brain and nervous system . We are simply upgrading the machine we were born with to become stronger and more durable . The Captain is completely augmented by this point , for example , - Jaol said , some jealousy evident in his eyes .

So he's immortal? - Zac asked with surprise . - If you can call a robot that . -

Robots and Transhumans are different things , - Jaol said with a shake of his head . - Transhumans have souls , robots do not . The captain is not immortal , as his soul age over time . True consciousness is the foundation of life , and it is not something that can be created . At least not until the Machine God awakens . At that point , we'll all be able to digitize our souls and reach immortality . -

So that's what you're fighting for? - Zac asked curiously .

The vision was reminiscent of how some people on Earth wanted to download their minds onto computers and live forever . Some had even believed that the technology for something like that would be invented within their lifetime , if the integration hadn't taken place that is . It looked like the reality wasn't quite so simple as the Machine God Faction had been working toward that goal for billions of years .

Well , the big shots are , I guess? - Jaol said . - Most of us are just trying to live our lives . -

So what's the point of upgrading soul if you're a machine? You said your soul is too weak to become Class-3 , - Zac said .

As we upgrade our bodies our components become increasingly complex while the materials become more and more exotic . But more importantly , the components are infused with the deeper truths of the universe , what you call the Dao . The soul is the core of a being , and it is connected to every component . The stronger a module is , the larger the demands are on your soul . If your mind is not strong enough you won't be able to control it . Worst case the components will put such a strain on your mind that your soul breaks , - Jaol explained .

Zac felt that it was an interesting alternative to traditional cultivation . They somehow directly infused their bodies with the Dao rather than learning it and used their souls as some sort of spiritual battery . It seemed like a mortal would be better off as a Technocrat than cultivating the normal path by the sound of it . The only cultivation that mattered was that of the soul , and anyone could do that , even himself with his zero aptitudes .

So you still need to cultivate in Soul Strengthening Manuals to progress? - Zac snorted . - Isn't that bit ironic? -

Soul Strengthening was there long before the System , so it's not really a part of Heaven's Path . Besides , our methods are more refined , - Jaol said .

More refined how? - Zac asked with interest , almost moving over to search the technocrat again for soul strengthening secrets .

Fixing his soul was a top priority , and he wasn't above abusing whatever means the Technocrats had . He didn't have the ingrained distrust , or even hatred , of the Dao of Technology like many of the old forces of the Multiverse . He'd use any tool that he could get to protect himself and the people around him . If the Technocrat had some bioengineered elixir to give his soul a power-up he'd drink it in a heartbeat .

We train through the Neural Network . Our company gives access to a decent algorithm , and as a Comm's Officer I can use the facilities 20 hours a week , - Jaol said with some pride .

It turned out that all the Technocrats were connected to a virtual universe through their implants . But it wasn't actually virtual , as one's soul entered the network as an avatar . It was perhaps more apt to call it a synthetic spiritual world , where distances were irrelevant as it existed in another plane of reality .

It honestly sounded like something that should have been created by a great mentalist faction , but it was rather constructed by the Technocrats . It was the piece of technology that defined the sixth era , and it was still considered one of the five greatest inventions among the Technocrat factions . It only went to show how important the soul was for them . It was the whole base of their identity , whereas their body was just a transient and exchangeable coil .

Inside this world were Training Facilities where one could slowly strengthen their souls with the help of some sort of advanced algorithms . There were both public facilities where one could train in return for an hourly fee , but the results in such places were pretty average . Most corporations had their own Soul Strengthening Algorithms , and getting access to those kinds of facilities were one of the means to attract talents to their force .

Even more conveniently , it turned out that Technocrats could access the network while sleeping , so they could work on their Souls at night without disturbing their daily routines . Stronger people could even allocate a part of their minds to constantly train inside the network while going about their days .

Even Zac couldn't help but feel a bit jealous at the convenience of the Neural Network . It was accessible from almost anywhere within their domains , and it was even possible to reach it from much of integrated space . How convenient wouldn't it be if he could gain access to such a place?

Can anyone enter? - Zac asked .

Of course , - Jaol said , but Zac felt like his robotic eyes were a bit teasing . - You just need to implant a neural device or be given access by one of the other two factions . That will mark you as a member of the Boundless Path though , and you wouldn't be able to live peacefully among cultivators . -

Zac wryly smiled and discarded the thought . He had enough problems on his hands , and there was no need to make the whole Multiverse his enemy just to get access to those training facilities , especially when his own Soul Strengthening Manual was probably equivalent to some of the best training algorithms .

Wait , what is this Boundless and Heaven's Path you keep mentioning? - Zac suddenly asked . - Is it the same as Orthodox and Unorthodox forces? -

He remembered seeing the Boundless Path being mentioned during the quest to take out the Technocrat Incursion , but he had never heard much about it since then . People in his sector only divided factions in orthodox and unorthodox as far as he could tell .

It's related , but also different . I feel that you cultivators don’t really understand our factions because they bunch us together with a bunch of lunatics , - Jaol said .

How so? -

We’re not some heretics trying to tear the world apart . We just want to live free from the control of an insane AI run amok . What good has the so-called System brought to the world? Endless strife and suffering , and for what? Nurturing powerhouses for a war that is long over? - Jaol said with conviction in his eyes . - Yet we’re being hunted from all directions because we threaten the interest of the powerful factions who rely on the System to stay in control . -

Do you really think that the universe would be so much better off if you managed to destroy the System? - Zac snorted , though what the technocrat said did somewhat resonate with him .

At least we would be free , - Jaol muttered .

You still haven't explained the difference , - Zac reminded .

The System is a guidance system , but it also a limitation . A prison . The Boundless Faction are those who don't want to bow down to a false Heaven , - Jaol said . - The factions who follow the Path of Technology are part of the Boundless Faction , but so are many cultivators . Some of the cultivators are sinners who try to take shortcuts through nefarious means , but there are also righteous factions . -

Why would normal cultivators choose to cultivate outside the System? - Zac said skeptically . - It seems to create a lot of problems for oneself for no gain . -

Because the Path of Technology wasn't the only path that got cut off when Emperor Limitless began his mad experiment . Some paths are missing , others are broken , - Jaol said .

How do you know all this? - Zac asked . - No offense , but you kind of seem like a nobody . -

The comms officer glared at Zac before he quickly remembered where he was and deflated again .

Everyone knows . The origin of our factions and our goals is something that everyone learns in school , - Jaol said . - Besides , my teacher told us that the stronger you cultivators are , the more likely you are to belong to the Boundless Faction . The Pinnacle Warriors and Emperors can see the truth of the false heavens , and join the Boundless Path to continue their journey . -

Zac obviously wouldn't believe something Jaol had been told by some war-time propaganda teacher , but perhaps there was some truth to it . Why would people decide to go against the System? Were there some problems that arose at the higher Grades that forced people away from the conventional path?

But then again , did it matter? He had never heard of anything like that in his sector , so even if it was true then it was some problem that was far far away from him . He had barely taken the first step of cultivation , and he wasn't much better than some random hillbilly .

Where do you get the components then? Just buy them at a market , or do you make them yourself? - Zac asked .

You need to contract a manufacturer or work for a company that has manufacturing lines . It's another thing that separates good from bad corporations , - Jaol said . - Almost all my components are acquired at a discount through my employer . -

So companies are essentially like sects? - Zac asked . - They both provide body upgrades and Soul Strengthening Manuals? -

I guess you could say that , - Jaol slowly nodded . - Corporations have a database of components that provide high synergy with each other . So the best is to move up the ranks within the company to get access to matching parts of the same series . There's a high risk of compatibility issues arising if you mix and match at random . -

Chapter 456 - Dr . Fried

It sounded to Zac like corporations had something very similar to the Heritages of the traditional factions . But instead of Cultivation manuals and instructions on what classes and Titles to get , the Technocrat Corporations instead had manufacturing blueprints and lists of components that worked well together .

Are everyone in your company equally strong if you have the same components then? Sounds like a weakness for a force , - Zac said skeptically .

Well , some parts are custom made to fit with our soul frequency , and compatibility with standard components differ between people , - Jaol explained . - So there will always be some differences . -

Does it matter where you buy the components from though , as long as the compatibility is high? Isn't the same no matter where you go if all technology is old? -

I'm sure two swords crafted by two different blacksmiths are not the same . One might have better materials or benefit from a secret crafting technique . It's the same with us . There are billions of Class-1 Materials out there , meaning there is an almost endless number of combinations of body parts to choose from .

A good component might perform a few percent better than a similar one from a competitor , and certain components might have a synergy that improves performance even further . These incremental advantages really tack up when you consider the number of components a single Transhuman carries . Elite Class-1 Transhumans from peak forces can easily annihilate a Mid Class-2 Transhumans with shoddy components , - Jaol said .

Zac nodded in understanding , and he couldn't help but find some humor at how similar things between Technocrats and Cultivators were , even though they were of completely opposing philosophies . The situation was exactly the same as the one he found himself in . He had gained one incremental advantage after another with the help of his titles and second class , and these small advantages had tacked up into something immense by now .

There was no comparing himself with an average cultivator like the weaker Demon Warriors . He would be able to take out them by the hundreds , if not thousands , by now . The System played favorites , and the average cultivator was nothing but fertilizer for the elite few .

So you can't change jobs if you want to keep upgrading? - Zac asked . - Because of component synergy . -

There are often some rules where we can still contract our old employer for a set amount of years after changing job , but most choose to do a large overhaul of components to reform their core if they change force . This will incur a huge cost , but it will allow them to incrementally improve by swapping out components one by one again with the help of their new employer , - Jaol said . - Real elites are even given welcoming packages of full component sets upon getting headhunted . -

The two kept talking as they waited for the doctor to return to his office , and Zac quickly got a pretty decent understanding of the Technocrats , or at least the Machine God faction that Jaol belonged to . And just as he had expected , they weren’t better or worse than any other people he had encountered before .

They simply represented a different world-view compared to the factions working within the System’s rules . But it was also clear that they weren’t any better than the ruthless factions that could slaughter each other for a little bit of wealth .

The struggle for resources was extremely intense , and there were huge societal differences between the classes . The lower classes worked themselves to the bone to be able to upgrade to higher Classes and provide a better future for their progeny , or just to prolong their lives with the technologies that emulated the effects of Race upgrades .

Meanwhile , the massive corporations and families held almost all of the wealth and technology to themselves , almost making themselves into gods among men . Zac himself wasn't very convinced by Jaol's world view . Personally , he felt the System was like the weather . You couldn't control it and it sometimes screwed you over , but it was part of life . It certainly had a hand in a lot of the struggle across the multiverse , but things might become even more chaotic if it disappeared .

Zac wasn’t just interrogating Jaol to make conversation and distract himself from the whispers of the Splinter , but it was also to understand the technology he had back home . He had gotten his hands on whole production lines and massive fabricators , so he had hoped he’d be able to produce massive weapons that would be able to blow The Great Redeemer to kingdom come if he showed up .

But it appeared that there were multiple issues with his plan . Not only would such powerful weapons be powered by his soul , but he would also need the blueprints for that kind of weaponry . There was also the issue of his fabrication machines . The ones he owned were no doubt Class-1 fabricators , and would therefore unable to manufacture higher-class items .

Finally , there was the issue of retaliation . Small infractions didn't seem to bother the System , but if you went too big relying on technology you'd land in a heap of trouble , just like the Little Bean did by launching orbital strikes .

He also wanted to know as much as possible of how cultivation worked among technocrats to better be able to help and protect his sister . With Jeeves in her head , she could be considered a technocrat , and it looked like he would have to somehow come up with a Soul Strengthening Manual for her . Normal components put a strain on a technocrat's soul , and he could only imagine that miraculous technology like Jeeves would be even more demanding .

He even tried making Jaol download the Soul Strengthening Algorithm he used , but it seemed as though there were heavy restrictions to stop any such theft . Zac also wasn't comfortable letting Kenzie onto the Neural Network because of the risk of getting exposed . At least he hoped she hadn't found her way onto the network yet . The System was blocking Earth from the multiverse , and he could only pray that it also included the network .

Unfortunately , it looked like the doctor was quite tied up somewhere , and over an hour passed without anyone entering the lab . The long bout inactivity along with the raving Splinter started to take its toll , and Zac eventually had no choice but to stab his two shoulders and resume his experiments .

A fountain of blood erupted in all directions as a bronze flash burst out through his arm and decimated some machinery near-by , leaving Jaol gobsmacked at the other side of the room .

What's taking so long? - Zac panted as his murky eyes filled with killing intent were trained on the comm's officer .

I- ah . . . - Jaol stammered after he saw the outwardly unhinged actions of Zac . - I don't know . If it's alright with you I can access our network to see if anything has happened . -

Zac thought for a moment before he walked over next to the comm's officer as he dragged out the bleeding daggers from his shoulders .

Do it . No funny-business , - Zac reminded .

Jaol hurriedly nodded as a screen appeared in front of him . A series of screens and rows of texts appeared in rapid succession , and Zac had no way to understand what was going on . Was this what it felt like for his grandfather when Zac set up his computer back before he passed?

Something odd has happened , - Jaol eventually said . - There are over ten incident reports due to mutations , causing problems all over the ship . There are usually some things that need fixing since we acquired the cargo , but not to this degree . -

The Shard has become more active? - Zac asked with a frown .

It seems like it , - Jaol said before he shot a hesitant look at Zac . - It seemed to have started shortly after you boarded the ship . -

So you don't think the Doctor will be coming back here? He's busy putting out fires? - Zac asked .

I don't think so? He has never helped with repairs before . I think Dr . Fried is more interested in taking readings of the Shard than helping the Little Bean , but that also means he probably will come back here to go over the results sooner or later , - Jaol ventured .

Luckily they didn’t have to wait too much longer as the door suddenly opened as Zac sat poised to strike . However , instead of a person a small ball flew inside , and alarm bells immediately set off in Zac’s mind .

He pushed forward to rush out of the laboratory , but his eyes widened in alarm as Loamwalker] refused to activate . Only then did he realize that he was in outer space , whereas the skill needed to be connected to the earth to work . The ball detonated in a massive shockwave the next moment , and Zac found himself thrown into a wall as he was almost blinded by a piercing light .

His ears were ringing and he was completely blinded , but his eyes weren’t the only way for him to see what was going on . Dozens of fractal trees rose from the metallic ground inside the lab and the area outside the next moment , and Zac was once again inside a forest .

The augmented vision from Hatchetman’s Spirit] showed that a dozen robots were waiting outside , seemingly controlled by two Technocrats standing behind with an array of screens in front of them . There was also somber-looking Transhuman wearing a white robe spectating from behind , and Zac immediately recognized Dr . Fried from a picture Jaol had shown him .

His conventional vision was just a blur from the grenade , but he still navigated himself outside as a storm of leaves spread out around him .

It’s an intruder! - one of the two guards exclaimed with shock .

Had they just thought they were dealing with some corporate espionage or some curious crewmember who wanted to take a gander at the doctor's research? Zac felt he had caught a lucky break as he shot out a rapid series of Fractal Blades . The blades managed to destroy half the machines , but the remaining ones unleashed an unrelenting barrage of attacks . Both the technocrats were unscathed as well as dense shields had blocked the two strikes he had launched at them .

Zac dodged most of the attacks even if he was blind , but he found out that the projectiles automatically detonated into a kinetic storm that contained some mysterious energy that almost completely ignored the leaves of Nature’s Barrier] and caused painful wounds across his body .

But to a warrior who had an effective Endurance of over two thousand , the lacerations could barely be considered a wound at all , and Verun lit up in a sanguine glow as Zac appeared right between the two controllers . A wide arc of death ended with the two Technocrats falling into puddles of blood and what looked like mercury , but Zac had already moved on to his real target .

Zac grabbed the throat of the old researcher before he had a chance to react at all . He looked pretty much like a normal human in his thirties , except for being silver . Was this the mark of higher-tier components? The mechanical parts of Jaol were easily discernable , but Zac could barely tell that the throat he was gripping wasn’t actually skin .

I am working for Deramex Dynamics , - Dr . Fried said with a calm voice as he looked into the eyes of Zac . - You should know the price we’ve paid for retrieving this item . I do not know which force you belong to , but we will respond in kind if this mission goes awry . My private emergency vessel is untraceable and anchored at the end of that corridor , it requires no authorization to use . Leave now and this will be the end of it . -

The Undead Empire would welcome your company’s attempts at revenge . I am sure some Lich would find your weird bodies an excellent source for experiments , - Zac smiled , ignoring the offer .

Blaming the Undead Empire for his actions had become almost ingrained by now . Some day Karma might come knocking , but for now they made an excellent boogieman to blame all evil on . It was less convincing when he was in his human form , but the undead probably had a bunch of living lackeys that got things done for them in the life-attuned territories .

The doctor only snorted in response , and Zac’s eyes widened when the man’s head disintegrated into nothing as a massive blast was released from the torso of the researcher . There was no warning at all , and Zac was flung into a wall with a searing pain in his chest . However , he had managed to activate one of the defensive charges of his robes at the last moment , which had absorbed over half of the damage .

The surprise attack wasn’t the real issue though , it was the fact that the doctor seemingly had blown his own head up . How would he use the man's special authorization to get to the Shard if he was dead?

Behind you! - Jaol suddenly shouted , and Zac immediately looked back only to see a floating head fleeing in the distance .

A cannon-ball ripped through the air and knocked the head into a wall less than a second after the shout , and Zac flashed over and picked up the seemingly unconscious Dr . Fried . There was no stream of energy entering his body at least , which indicated that the technocrat was alive . In fact , he hadn’t even got any energy for - killing - the two controllers , and Zac was starting to suspect that you needed to destroy the souls of the warriors of the Machine God faction , or at least destroy some sort of core component .

Zac looked down at the head in satisfaction as he jogged back toward Jaol . He had barely needed to use any energy to capture his target , which would allow him to go all out against the defenses surrounding the Shard .

The Machine-God faction didn’t have key-cards , but this was the second-best thing . Now that he knew that the head could teleport he was also infusing it with the Fragment of the Coffin to keep it in place , which hopefully would work with Technocrat tech as well .

As for whether the doctor was actually unconscious or acting , he didn't care . Unless the man had planted a bomb inside his head he was likely not a threat any longer . It was fine by him if he wanted to play dead as long as he managed to get past the massive security doors and their accompanying shields that were currently blocking his path .

Jaol had moved out from the lab sometime during the battle , and he was currently looking at the destruction around him with dismay . Zac felt a bit bad about the fate waiting for the guy , but he suddenly had a thought .

Do you use Nexus Coins? - Zac asked .

No , but we can trade them with Bits for a small fee , - Jaol mumbled with a hollow voice .

Zac nodded and immediately transferred 100 million Nexus Coins to the comm’s officer . Jaol’s eyes widened in shock , probably because 100 million Nexus Coins was more than he’d make in a decade , perhaps a lifetime , at his current post .

You no longer need to stay undercover on this ship , - Zac smiled as he said with a voice that carried far and wide , which quickly changed Jaol’s face from excitement into horror . - Thank you for your assistance , I wouldn’t have come this far without you . There is a ship down that corridor according to the doctor , I suggest you take it before reinforcements arrive . -

With that Zac flashed away with Dr . Fried’s head in his grip .

Jaol looked at the receding back of his captor with mute incomprehension for a few seconds , before his eyes turned to the two unmoving controllers on the ground . Indecision gnawed at him , but only for so long .

He rushed inside the lab and he quickly put everything valuable and untraceable into his Subspace Container . He would need every resource he could get if he had to flee to a lawless zone where Deramex Dynamics wouldn’t be able to find him .

Chapter 457 - Desolation

Zac’s large donation was compensation for pushing Jaol’s fate off-course , but it wasn’t completely born from benevolence . Such a huge sum would draw massive suspicion toward the comms officer , and his end would no doubt be pretty horrible if he stayed on the ship .

But the same probably held even if Zac hadn't done it . The guy seemed pretty shell-shocked , and Zac was afraid he didn’t understand the severity of the situation . This way he forced the guy into action to save his skin . It was both an apology and a threat . Jaol could take that money and escape , taking the knowledge of Zac with him .

Of course , the easiest solution would have been to kill Jaol , but it wouldn’t sit right with him . Zac's actions of reciprocity with Thelim , the Ent back on the 6th floor , had opened his eyes to an important truth . Giving back or severing Karma wasn’t only vital for Karmic cultivators , but everyone .

If he had cut down Jaol after having received help with the heist and all that valuable information it would have festered like an untreated wound in the back of his head . So he could only rely on this little ploy to deal with him instead . The money was a huge sum to most people in the F-grade , but it was almost nothing to Zac , especially after looting the mentalist . Just one of her dresses was probably worth five times that amount , and there were over a dozen of them .

He was already rushing toward the containment center , but Zac was observing the young technocrat through Hatchetman’s Spirit] . He saw Jaol run inside and snatch some things from the laboratory before fleeing toward the escape vessel as fast as his legs could carry him .

Zac nodded in satisfaction as he ran to the metallic gates guarding the room housing the Shard , and he breathed out in relief when they soundlessly slid open without prompting . He was thankful he hadn't gone full musclebrain as he had initially considered as he saw the doors were over two meters thick with three layers of hidden energy shields within .

There was no way he would have been able to cut through such an arrangement in short order .

The interior chamber was massive , with a ceiling height of well over a hundred meters . It was inside the core of the ship , the monstrous spherical construction that had given the ship its name . The cubic chamber that housed the Shard just took up a part of it though , even with its impressive size . It was a good reminder that the ship was like a flying city , and he wondered if completely crippling it had ever been on the table for an F-Grade warrior like himself .

Roughly fifteen technocrats were standing inside the room , and they looked up with shock at the intrusion . None of them seemed like a threat though so Zac rather focused on the giant ball with a diameter of 100 meters in the middle . It was the outer shielding that protected the ship from the Shard , and dozens of tubes as large as a man ran along the floor from the right , likely powering the thing up .

Zac could barely discern another , far smaller , shield inside the ball . But further within , there was just a radiant light , like they had captured a miniature sun . He couldn't actually see the Shard of Creation , but he was sure it was within the core . This was somewhat proven by the fact that the splinter in his mind was fully raging by this point , pushing the Miasmic Cage to its limits .

He was considering how he could use the doctor's head to pass by the defenses when an alarm suddenly started blaring out from hidden speakers as dozens of robotic sentries rose from the ground . The seemingly empty containment chamber had turned into a battlefield in an instant . The technocrats didn't seem to be combatants though as they fled for their lives through a smaller exit in the back .

Zac didn't stop their escape as they were essentially civilians , and he had given up subterfuge by now .

Bad turned to worse as a dangerous spike in his mind prompted him to quickly discard the head , just in time before it exploded in a concentrated gush of purple plasma that immediately melted the reinforced ground where it landed . Zac couldn't believe the professor would up and kill himself .

But Zac's brows rose when a cylindric box inside the inner layer released some steam and opened up , at which point Dr . Fried stepped outside , completely unscathed . Soul Transfer or a backup body? The technocrats were full of weird means .

Thank you for carrying me the last stretch , - the doctor snorted as a series of clanking sounds echoed out from within his body . - Good thing I kept a few spares in case something happened with the treasure . -

Zac wanted to retort something clever , but he couldn't come up with anything before he was bombarded with attacks from the robotic guards that had repositioned themselves to protect the power supply of the shield .

It seemed the sentries had only held back due to the presence of Dr . Fried's head , but now they weren't restricted any longer . Zac furiously charged the closest machine as he released Nature's Barrier] along with Hatchetman's Spirit] to turn the surroundings into his domain .

He knew his time was limited as the captain could appear at any moment .

He needed to break through the shield in front of him , but the machines kept blasting him with concussive projectiles that threw him off-balance . It wasn't enough to hurt him as the leaves still absorbed most of the damage , but it did slow him down considerably .

Three furious swings with Verun's Bite] crushed the thick shield protecting the robot , and another one cleaved it in two . He tried launching a few fractal blades at the shield next , but they were actually shot down mid-air by the remaining sentries . Zac grunted in annoyance and glanced at the machines , but he didn't have time to figure out his next step before his danger sense went off again .

He quickly flashed away with Loamwalker] , and it was just in time as a substantial explosion erupted where he had just stood , making him realize the machines were triggered to blow up the moment they were out of commission .

It's useless , - the voice of Dr . Fried drifted over , and Zac's eyes widened when he looked over .

A massive machine had appeared seemingly out of nowhere , looking like a mix of a walking crystal ball and a mecha . It had eight sturdy spider legs that held a platform in the air . On top of it , a ten-meter crystal ball rested , and it resembled the containment shields a bit . Finally , there was a platform on top that the doctor himself stood on .

Over a hundred thin arms reached down from the upper dais , and appendages ended with small satellites pointed at the crystal ball from every direction . It looked to Zac like they were used to restrain the ball in the middle , and he could understand why . A chaotic swirl of febrile energies rushed around inside the crystal , and Zac started to wonder if the crazy researcher had turned the Shard of Creation into a weapon .

Zac immediately launched a series of fractal blades at the outer shield as he spread the storm of leaves to block any attempts at shooting them down . However , the fractal blades ineffectually hit the shield , only creating small ripples even though they were infused with the Fragment of the Axe .

I told you , - Dr . Fried laughed . - As long as the sentries are standing you won't be able to destroy this shield , and the captain will be here long before then . -

Zac growled in annoyance when he saw the researcher sitting snugly on top of the weird machine , and he launched another series of fractal blades at the shield . But it was completely useless like the last time .

He quickly realized that his current strategy wouldn’t work . The bots were too durable and they focused on slowing him down rather than taking him out . He quickly forced a storm of Cosmic Energy toward the fractal on the right side of his chest , and soon after the first axe of Deforestation] appeared above him .

The bots were just too annoying , and he would rather fell them in one big swing . His arm swelled as he swung Verun’s Bite] in a wide arc toward the group of sentries that protected the massive array of tubing . The machines had proven a tough target for Chop] , but against the Axe of Felling] they were little more than pieces of lumbers as they fell apart and exploded in an instant .

You fool! - Dr . Fried cackled when he saw Zac launch his massive strike . - Did you really think that the shield was reliant on exposed power lines? Who would design such a shoddy defense?! You cultivators are really not much better than animals . -

Zac only snorted in response , but he was honestly a bit surprised that it didn't seem to have any effect at all . He had still managed to destroy most of the robots though , and he was sure that the massive tubes at least provided some power to the shields . Perhaps it was only running on some auxiliary powers right now , and the doctor was only putting up a brave face .

Besides , it wasn't like Zac was all out of options .

Veins popped out all over his arm as he forced even more energy into the skill fractal , and the flaming axe appeared next , causing the very air around it to twist and combust . Zac didn’t waste a second as he launched it straight at the shield , empowering the strike even further with the Fragment of the Axe .

The cutting flames of Infernal Axe] slammed into the containment field with the force of a tidal wave , and flames were pushed in all directions , incinerating everything around them . Dozens of expensive-looking machines were reduced to scorched pieces of scrap , and even large sections of the floor were turned into molten pools .

But the shield had endured . Some cracks had appeared across its surface , but they were quickly mended . Zac tsk’ed in annoyance when he saw that the containment held . He hadn't expected that the outer shield could withstand the second strike , even after losing its main power supply .

You’re decent enough for a cultivator , but how can you match up to my lovingly crafted isolation sphere? It can even restrain the Shard , so what can a fiddling little h- ah? - the doctor ranted , but was interrupted as a pulse suddenly spread from within the core containment .

Zac couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the molten plasma around him turn to mud , and trees and mushrooms appeared out of nowhere inside the huge room , causing the shield to flicker a few times before it died out . Zac and the researcher mutely stared at each other for a second , both obviously shocked by the turn of events .

Was the Shard helping him?

It seemed as though the Shard destroyed the backups while Zac took out the outer power source . The question was whether this was a random act of creation , or whether the Shard was sentient and had some plan of its own . But Zac couldn’t focus on that right now as the air twisted and turned as Dr . Fried seemed ready to launch his final attack with the weird machine .

But Zac had one more card up his sleeve and he endured the pain as he pushed almost a third of his Cosmic Energy into the fractal of Deforestation] , initiating the third and final swing . His bones creaked and groaned as he pushed his arm forward , but he wasn’t the same person as when he attempted the swing in his battle with Salvation .

A terrifying axe appeared in the air , and even Zac felt some palpitations in his heart after sensing the aura . It was an ashy-grey single-bladed axe with a long edge that almost formed an inverted - S’ . The poll and shoulder of the axe seemed to form a robed being whose four arms ran along the cheek of the axe head .

The shaft was straight and unadorned , ending at a spiked knob , showing none of the craftsmanship of the intricate axe head . But the most striking aspect of the axe wasn't its incongruous design , but rather the desolate aura that spread out around it .

A tremendous resistance pushed against him as Zac almost finished the swing , but he roared and struggled to complete the motion with everything he had . He felt a sharp pain in his forearm as accumulated wounds from past levels reopened , but he didn’t care . Zac could have activated Hatchetman’s Fury] to effortlessly finish the swing , but he didn’t dare to be under the influence of that skill at the moment .

The scientist had noticeably quieted down as he no doubt understood the power of the attack Zac had brought forth , but he didn’t flinch as he frantically tapped at a console in front of him . It looked like the rampant surges of power inside the crystal were being magnified , but they were still being contained .

Die! - the researcher screeched as dozens of the machine’s appendages rapidly reshuffled to no longer envelop the ball , but rather expose the side facing Zac .

The sphere immediately started to destabilize , and a second later the crystal cracked as a terrifying surge of destruction rippled toward him . Zac's mind screamed of danger , but he was unwilling to back down as canceling his strike now would not only cause a backlash but also put it on a long cooldown . It was also unclear whether Nature's Punishment] would even work in a place like this , as there was no nature to draw from .

His destructive capabilities were in other words quite limited , and his other class wouldn't be any help in breaching the core containment field either . He could only meet fire with fire and bet the house on his ultimate strike . Zac roared in defiance as he finalized the swing even though his arm was strained beyond its limits .

A grey wave silently swept forward as the sinister Axe of Desolation] matched the swing , and the whole ship shuddered as the two monstrous attacks collided .

Chapter 458 - Creation

The whole room violently shook as the wave of ash collided with the vibrant beam . There were no explosions though as the collision of the attacks was very different from anything Zac had witnessed before , and it led Zac to believe that Dr . Fried really had managed to harness at least a small part of the Shard of Creation .

The energies that had been contained inside the crystal ball contained the ability of inception , and weird items kept popping up one after another , each stealing a bit of the momentum from his attack . A massive blue icicle appeared from nowhere and shot toward Zac , but it crumbled into drifting ash by the wave of desolation before it even had time to pick up any momentum .

There were rocks , waterfalls , and scorching flames that appeared to hinder the wave of desolation and strike at Zac , like all the elements of the world had combined to take him down . However , the third swing of Deforestation] was the pinnacle of Zac’s power , and it wasn't enough to just throw some rubble in front of it .

The grey cloud was noticeably diminished as it pushed through the construct's attack , but it still had almost half of its energy remaining when it finally exhausted the beam and swallowed the odd machine along with the doctor on top of it . There was still no explosion as the mecha only shuddered before falling apart . It was as though the thing was a burnt-out log that turned into a pile of ash when prodded .

The doctor's face was frozen in a visage of fear and incomprehension as it crumbled as well . Zac knew the man was finally dead body and soul as well as he felt the surge of energy entering his body . A quick look around unfortunately indicated that the doctor wasn't the level guardian , as no teleportation array had appeared upon his death .

The largest threat was dealt with , but Zac didn't rest as only half his objective was completed . He flashed forward , running past the pile of dust that was once the doctor and his battle platform . He wanted to stay in the wake of his own attack , though he kept a healthy distance as he didn't want to turn into another dust pile .

The wave had lost even more energy from killing Dr . Fried , but it was a large-scale attack capable of taking out tens of thousands of people , so it continued forward in the limited space of the inner containment field . It finally reached the core that housed the Shard itself , another spherical shield with a diameter of no more than 10 meters .

A tremendous shockwave suddenly threw Zac back across half the room , but his eyes lit up when he saw what was going on .

The last burst of power inside the Axe of Desolation] had managed to crack open the final shield , and radiant tendrils reached out from the breach . They looked like condensed sunlight but almost moved around like the tentacles of an octopus as they gingerly felt around outside the containment shield .

It looked just like when the Splinter in his mind was searching for cracks or weaknesses inside the miasmic cage , and Zac knew his opportunity had presented itself . He flashed forward with Loamwalker] as far as he could until he left the spiritual forest of Hatchetman's Spirit] , at which point he started to run normally . He needed to snatch the item before the shield healed .

HALT! - a tremendous roar suddenly echoed from behind , and the power in the voice alone was enough for Zac to stumble as bloody gashes appeared all over his body .

Zac knew this was the end-run , and he scrambled to his feet and kept going , ignoring the mounting sense of doom from his danger sense .

However , it quickly became too much and he glanced back and spotted an infuriated metallic humanoid approaching . The cyborg's speed was way faster than his own , and it was upon Zac in an instant . Terrifying energies surged around him , and Zac desperately activated a Bodhi-infused Nature’s Barrier] to protect himself .

However , a flashing light almost blinded Zac , and he felt a stabbing pain in his mind as all the leaves were shredded to pieces in an instant . They didn’t even impede the technocrat for a second as he reached for Zac’s throat .

Zac swung his axe with all he got at the incoming hand , but Verun’s Bite] didn’t even leave a mark as it was blocked by a thin energy layer covering the hand . Conversely , the hand released some sort of counter and Zac felt the Spirit Tool yowl in pain from the clash . Zac already understood who this was , and he wasn't surprised that his attack didn't work .

This was the captain , a true D-Grade Powerhouse . Even if he was the lowest rung among D-Grade warriors there was no contesting him while still in F-Grade .

But the clash had fulfilled its purpose as Zac was shot backward like a comet from the counterforce , straight into the core containment area . Zac prepared himself to swap classes if needed to block another strike , but he realized the man had stopped some distance away with a sinister smile . A small pang of pain suddenly flared up in the back of Zac’s head as he hit something within the light , and Zac immediately felt an odd force invade his body .

He realized that he had accidentally hit the Shard , and he quickly tried to reach for his Tower Token to teleport out as planned . However , he only had time to see the technocrat captain shouting a bunch of orders before the world turned white .

A crackling sound full of ebullience echoed out into the void , each snap exuding the primordial Dao . For untold ages the Spark of Creation] left its mark on the universe , its conceptions growing ever larger and more intricate . But suddenly its revelry was encroached upon .

His breath was the Dao and his hand was the earth , and when he moved the Heavens shied away . He gripped the Spark and clenched with enough force to tear the fabric of reality to shreds . The shockwave shattered the Dimensional Core that the Spark had turned into its nourishment , the explosion destroying innumerable planets .

Unwillingness . Desperation . Desire . The spark shattered , its remnants fleeing to all corners of the myriad planes . Creation was never over .

A great sage sat upon his platform with a kindly smile , and with a wave of his arm he brought forth his miracles . Magical scenes covered the night sky , scenes of unfettered creativity and depth . The crowd was busy gaining inspiration from the apparitions above , and no one heard the despondent wails from the captives below as their very souls were being used as fertilizer for the sage’s false gifts .

The warrior’s arm quickly grew and formed a massive scythe as he swung it in a wide arc that decimated the closest attackers . His eyes were already hollow and his face a sallow mask , but there was no going back now . He released a bestial roar as he rushed into the thick of the Verith Tribe’s Truthslayers , and a shockwave of metal and flesh exploded out from him like a detonation of a Taboo Treasure .

Wings containing boundless force stretched out for hundreds of meters in each direction , like two canopies shrouding the earth . Each flap of the gargantuan bird's wings brought forth storms that ravaged the plains below as it traversed its prison . It hated its inability soar higher , and it released a cry of desolation . A shudder pushed the clouds away as the wings grew yet longer . Blood seeped out from its body and fell like rain , but it didn't care as it soared ever higher toward the stars above .

The young monk desperately prayed for tranquility as he climbed the lonely peak . He couldn't stay at the monastery any longer , he couldn't risk the lives of his brothers . But the whispers never ended even after reciting the mantras . It would be so easy to give in to desire , to grasp the power that resided within . One thought to turn dreams into reality , one wish to challenge fate itself .

Zac had once again found himself captive within a storm of visions showing an unceasing number of fates . Most were pretty horrible , and any notion that the Shard was the 'good' to the Splinter's 'bad' was finally gone . Those who had found themselves in possession of a Shard mostly seemed to be just as wretched , just with a different flavor . Coming in contact with concepts that were too far beyond comprehension was to play with fire , you were bound to get burned sooner or later .

The flashing visions suddenly stopped , and he found himself looking at a solitary figure from above . However , this time there wasn’t a Draugr-Lady calmly sitting within a lake of miasma in silent contemplation . Instead , there was a cultivator perched on a terrifyingly tall peak under a shimmering night sky .

He wasn't Dragur , or any other undead race for that matter , but rather a humanoid alien with ashen-grey skin . The alien almost looked human with extremely fine features , making it hard to discern its gender . It did however have four eyes , one normal set and another one placed almost to the side of his head . The cultivator probably had 360-degree vision thanks to this feature .

The warrior radiated a dense and powerful aura full of verve , and even if Zac couldn't put his finger on it he somehow felt like the cultivator was the exact opposite of the Draugr lady . The whole peak was drowned in a vibrant shimmer as northern lights in all colors imaginable danced around him . It was a beautiful spectacle , but the cultivator didn’t seem to care as his or her eyes were closed in meditation .

Hm? - the cultivator mumbled , and judging by the cadence of the voice he was no doubt a man .

The alien looked up from the ground , and his two sets of eyes seemed to focus on the spot where Zac’s spirit hovered . Zac’s emotions surged in anticipation as he tried to speak , but he was simply a blob consciousness without any opportunity to communicate . But it really looked like the System had prepared another fortuitous encounter after all .

Be'Zi mentioned meeting a child following her path just this way , and now you arrive at my doorstep just moments later? - the man said with a spurious smile . - I wonder what The Villainous Heavens has planned this time? -

The elation Zac felt was slowly doused as he listened to the seated cultivator . Even though the expressions on this man’s face were more amicable than the cold visage of the Draugr , he still felt less welcoming .

Creation and Oblivion . Broken peaks and an ocean of despair . The cycle continues , - the cultivator muttered before he smiled again . - Will you break it? Or will you drown as well? -

Zac didn’t understand what the hell the odd cultivator was speaking about , but he was more worried about whether he would provide assistance or not . He felt fine at the moment , but he knew that a storm was probably brewing inside his body back at the ship . A storm that would have no problem crushing him , body and soul , if not dealt with properly .

The Villainous Heavens brought you to me , but why should I bow to the bindings of fate? - the alien continued , his four eyes gaining a ruthless gleam .

Zac’s Danger Sense was quiet , but his instincts still screamed of danger as the lights surrounding the peak started to flash with increased intensity . Zac suddenly sensed his soul being crushed by immense pressure , like he was being thrown into a black hole . But a sudden shudder from beneath the mountain froze the northern lights , and the pressure disappeared in an instant .

Mh? - the man said as he looked down at the ground again .

Very well . Let the threads of fate run its course . I hope you will survive long enough to provide my wife and I with some entertainment . The eons are growing tedious , after all , - he said .

The man pointed a finger at Zac , and his surroundings rapidly closed in and disappeared . Zac realized that the man had sent him away , and he couldn’t help but feel some disappointment over the fact that he still refused to help out , even though he obviously had a connection with the Draugr lady .

Had the path the System laid out for him gone awry due to the cultivator’s reluctance to assist , and if so , what did that mean for him and his odds of survival? Frantic thoughts swirled in Zac’s mind as his vision turned black , but the voice of the cultivator drifted into his ears just before his vision disappeared completely .

Creation is a miracle , but it is also a drug . It will satisfy your desires until you are nothing but a ball of cravings , a husk of a man . But through temperance and austerity , Creation will bow to your will . -

Chapter 459 - Perception of Reality

Two days remaining , - Ogras muttered as he looked out the window of the small farmstead . - I guess it’s about time . -

What’s that , darling? - the lithe woman purred in Ogras’ ear .

I need to go out for a bit , - the demon said with a smile as he pinched the bare bottom of his little savior .

You shouldn’t walk around too much with those wounds of yours , - she said with some admonishment in her eyes . - You were on death’s bed just three weeks ago . -

Didn’t I prove just how healthy I was yesterday? - Ogras said with a cheeky grin and received a roll of the eyes in return .

He had been pretty confident in defeating the 5th floor guardian after his experience with the Transcendent Master , but the fight had pushed him way harder than expected . The enraged beast had been a perfect counter to him as well , too stupid to be tricked .

Things didn’t really turn for the better at the following three levels as he looked for an inheritance to end his run with . His wounds kept accumulating until he almost died at the hands of the assassin who guarded the gates to the 49th floor . If it wasn’t for the defensive treasures he had commandeered from Galau he might have actually met his end then and there .

Thankfully he managed to escape from the assassin’s pursuit , and he quickly disappeared into one of the neighboring kingdoms . However , the wounds were too severe , and he had fallen unconscious outside this Uynala’s farmstead .

Are you sure you don’t want to enter the path of cultivation? - Ogras asked as he looked at the girl lying in the bed .

Only problems will come from that . Life is beautiful because it is short . Why would I want to prolong it just to fill it with bloodshed? - Uynala said with disapproval . - Look at that wound on your chest . Is it really worth it? -

Ogras only smiled in response as he finished dressing and walked out of the small house . He didn’t have a specific place in mind , but rather simply chose to walk a while to loosen up . One day on the inside meant roughly 15 minutes on the outside . He might find himself in deep shit real soon and needed to be ready .

The massive gash in his chest was still a bit troublesome , but he would be able to fight at full power without issue . Hopefully , it wouldn’t come to that though . Zac should have reached a floor high enough to scare off any attempt at their lives , and if not he would serve as an excellent lightning rod for their attacks until they tired themselves out .

The demon found himself on top of a small hill soon enough , and Ogras took a deep breath as he looked around at the quiet vale where he had stayed the past days . The world of cultivators and immortals was almost completely cut off from this little community . The strongest person he had encountered was an old hunter who was level 29 .

People worked their fields and lived off the land , without strife or any real suffering . Their lives were short but fulfilling . Uynala would probably marry someone from the community , and their three weeks together would turn into a hazy memory of an adolescent escapade .

Is it worth it…? - Ogras mumbled as he looked up at the sky . - Definitely . -

He donned a mask and robe and crushed his token the next moment , not sparing the house and its savior another look . A brief bout of darkness shrouded his surroundings until the world exploded into colors .

The beautiful lake was hidden deep within the mountains , untouched for thousands of years . Not a ripple could be seen on its surface , making it seem like a perfect mirror that reflected the heavens above . If one looked from a certain angle it would be impossible to discern which sky was real and which one was fake .

A scream suddenly broke the tranquility of the secluded mountain as a harried cultivator desperately fled for his life . A group of warriors was high on his heels , and the man’s back was covered in wounds . He looked back and forth , but there was nowhere to hide . He knew he would have to make a final stand if he wanted to break free .

An hour later the same man slowly breached the crest of the mountain housing the tranquil pond , and his eyes lit up when he saw the inviting waters . He had barely survived the ordeal , and he was grievously wounded and without provisions . But at least he could drink his fill .

The man dipped his hands in the pond , causing a ripple spread across the tranquil surface . If the man hadn’t been completely focused on quenching his thirst he would have noticed a shocking change in his surroundings . Just as the pond rippled from his actions , so did the sky above .

Heavens and lake mirrored each other , and it was impossible to tell which was which .

But his mind was occupied with thoughts of escape , and he lamented the fact that he couldn’t simply sprout wings and fly away , leaving his problems behind . He was so engrossed in his escapism he didn’t even notice how the air behind him shuddered as two crystalline wings appeared on his back . He only kept drinking the icy cold water , feeling it was the most delectable thing ever .

He finally managed to quench his thirst , and the moment his hand left the pond the ripples disappeared , once again turning into a mirror . The man looked down at his reflection again , feeling that he wasn’t as harried any longer .

There was something odd about him though , but he couldn’t put his finger on it . Did he get the feeling because of the wound across his chest? No matter . The important thing was that he would be able to keep moving for a bit longer .

He jumped off from the ground , his wings vigorously pushing through the air to lift him into the sky . The warrior soon soared among the clouds and set off toward the sunset . Each beat of his wings filled his tired soul with a sense of freedom as trees and hilltops flashed by beneath . But his sense of euphoria slowly dimmed down and was replaced with a creeping unease .

Something was wrong .

He had sensed it before , and the feeling only became more and more palpable as time passed . It was like he was dream walking , where the world wasn’t true and correct as he had always known it .

The wings!

Since when did he have wings?! What were these crystalline monstrosities attached to his back? Was this some curse the guards of his family had placed on him before being struck down? But he had never heard of anything like it .

Incongruous emotions clashed in his mind , memories of a life in the heavens , and memories of a life on the ground . But the memories of soaring among the clouds soon shattered , turning into crystalline shards that floated away .

He was elated at grasping the truth , but his eyes widened in horror when the wings on his back disintegrated , turning into shards just like the false memories . Without any means of flight he plummeted toward the forest below , and a large thud echoed out across the desolate mountain as he slammed into the ground .

The wounds of the warrior had worsened , but he was at least alive . The false memories were gone , and his pursuers were half a world away . A sense of freedom once again filled his soul , and it allowed him to rally the energy to keep going .

Dreams of his boundless future started to form as he walked across the unknown forest , but he suddenly felt the creeping unease return . He started running to escape the mounting dread , but it only worsened as time passed . What was happening to him? Who was messing with his mind , his perception of reality?

And what else about him was false? Something was no doubt the origin of the undeniable unease . He looked down at his hands and froze in place . Were these hands really his? Or were they figments of his imagination just like his wings?

The answer soon presented itself as the hands fractured and turned into crystal shards that started drifting toward the sky . But as more and more of his body fragmented and split off from his body , the heavier his apprehension became .

These memories that were left in his mind , were they real or more figments of his imagination? They turned more and more disjointed , and soon enough they were filled with nothing but short bursts of faces and places that he couldn’t name or place .

Am I even real?

A swirl of crystalline fragments floated into the sky , and a ripple spread out as they breached the surface . The small crystals kept falling until they fell onto the bed of the tranquil pond , joining the millions of other ones just like them .

Ogras found himself standing on top of the teleportation array , and he took a deep breath beneath the mask before sat down and went over his final gain of the Tower of Eternity .

Reality is a perception , - Ogras muttered with a frown .

A surge of energy inundating his body as his understanding coalesced , and he felt a new path opening up before him . He had gained the Seed of Mirage from the inheritance trial , and he had quickly incorporated it into his fighting techniques as a means of distraction .

But was the way he looked at the concept too shallow? What if false could be true , and true be false? How could someone defend at something that was neither real nor fake , while simultaneously being both? His eyes stayed closed for another five minutes until Ogras finally took another deep breath and opened his Dao Screen .

Seed of Mirage (High) : Dexterity +15 , Intelligence +35 , Wisdom +10

It looked like he had gained 5 Dexterity and Wisdom along with 20 points into Intelligence . It wasn’t a huge amount , but it did push his somewhat lacking Intelligence a bit further . He had never planned on focusing on the attribute even though it was beneficial to some of his skills , but he would gladly take it when it came for free .

Only after having secured his gains did he bother to check in on his surroundings , and his expression immediately soured when he saw what was going on .

Shit… - Ogras muttered as his eyes met the hundreds of glares from the mob waiting outside the protective shielding .

Had something happened to Zac’s climb that emboldened these fools? Or did they have a false sense of security by their numbers? They would find that numbers were meaningless in a battle of powerhouses , and if they got swept up by the chaos it was their problem .

At least they couldn’t target him until he stepped off the platform , but he knew that was only a temporary protection . The human cockroach would have to find a more permanent solution for their trio .

The array suddenly shuddered , and a pale Galau appeared the next moment . No apparition appeared upon his exit , but he still sat down with closed eyes as he took out a pill from his Cosmos Sack .

You’re late , - Ogras grinned beneath the mask , quickly pulling himself together . - Just missed my Apparition , and it was a pretty good one . By the way , do you have a tool to check what level that guy has reached? Hello? -

Ah? - Galau suddenly said . - Mr . Azh’Rodum? It has been a while , I am glad you are fine . What did you say just now? You want to see the tower ladder? -

What happened to you? - Ogras asked with a raised brow . - Trouble at the desert town? -

Ah- well , - Galau said with a weak smile as his hand reached for his spatial pouch again . - Negotiations fell through at the last moment . I got a bit greedy I am afraid , wanting to make a big profit right before I left . -

This face turned even whiter the next moment , and he looked ready to puke . Ogras looked on with incomprehension before his eyes widened in understanding . He quickly reached for his own Cosmos Sack , and a second later his expression was an exact copy of the merchant's . So many barrels of fine liquor gone .

It’s that bad? - Ogras asked , trying to find some solace in the sorrows of others .

Almost a third of his barrels remained though , and most importantly he still had the treasure he got for defeating the fifth floor . That thing alone was worth more than everything he had stashed away combined . Together with what that asshole provided in the inheritance he stood a chance to open up two of his hidden nodes in one go , provided that he would survive , of course .

It’s worse than I expected , - Galau confessed with an almost crying expression , but he still took out an opaque crystal . - At least I could keep some of m- WHAT IN THE HEAVENS?! -

What? - Ogras asked with a frown .

He’s reached the 71st floor , - Galau sputtered , incredulity evident on his face . - Almost at the gates to the 9th floor . -

Monster , - Ogras snorted with a shake of his head , even though he wasn't as calm as he let on . - We'll see if it's enough to deter the group of starving Gwyllgi waiting outside the gates . -

Chapter 460 - Indigestion

Zac took a deep breath as he found himself back in his body , and he was almost surprised to see that he was still in one piece after the four-eyed cultivator refused to provide him with a cage for the Shard . He did sense a new power coursing through his body , but it didn't feel too bad . His whole body was pins and needles , but there was nothing like the all-consuming rage and insanity that the Splinter sometimes brought forth .

Even the Splinter seemed to have been subdued by the alien presence in Zac's body , and the railing against the Miasmic Cage had completely stopped . This alone made Zac pretty hopeful for the future , as this was exactly the sort of effect he had hoped to gain by taking this huge risk . Satisfied that he wouldn't up and explode the next minute he quickly took in his surroundings .

The radiant lights that previously lit up the core chamber were gone , and he found himself sitting on the metallic floor . He immediately reached for the token fastened to his belt , but he stopped himself when he realized that there was no threat .

The initial plan was to snatch the token and escape if he encountered the captain , but he realized that might not be needed now since the core containment shield had been erected again with him inside it . Three massive machines that had appeared while he took his spiritual journey powered the sphere from the outside , each of them shuddering with power .

Just outside the energy cage the metallic Transhuman stood guard , staring at Zac like a praying mantis . Beside him were a few technocrat scientists that were busying themselves with dozens of panels in front of them . It had been impossible to make out the orders the captain shouted earlier , but Zac quickly put two and two together as he looked at what was going on .

Jaol had mentioned a drastic increase of issues on the ship , and Dr . Fried believed that the anomalies appeared because the Shard wanted a host . Perhaps the technocrats hoped that him absorbing the Shard would result in fewer problems , which was something they desperately needed until they were out of harm's way .

I don't know what your plan was , but I'll be keeping an eye on you until we return to our domain . Deramex Dynamics will no doubt pay even more for the Shard being delivered a compatible host , - the silver Transhuman said , immediately confirming Zac's guess .

Zac ignored the man as he touched the shield , only to feel a painful zap that traveled along his arm . He wasn't worried in the slightest about being imprisoned ; it was actually the opposite . This was the perfect outcome for him since they couldn't possibly know he would disappear the moment he cracked his Token .

Since his safety was guaranteed for now he wasn't too anxious to return , and he would rather wait things out for a few days to see whether any unanticipated changes arose within his body . He also didn't want to exit too early , as he had made an agreement with Ogras and Galau . Perhaps he would even be able to figure out a way to complete the mission on this level and then test his mettle against the floor guardian .

However , his eyes widened in shock when he looked down at the token . It showed that less than two days reminded on his climb . How was that possible? He had over a week remaining on his climb when he arrived on the ship , allowing him to allocate over three days to finish this level before moving on to the floor guardian . There was even the chance of fighting for a treasure if one appeared on the 73rd level , in case he defeated the 8th floor guardian quickly .

He had pushed himself to the limits over the past weeks , but the system had somehow invalidated his efforts and stolen time on his climb . But a sudden realization made him want to curse out loud . He wasn't inside the tower any longer . He hadn't even considered it until now , but it appeared as though he had been forced to complete this level under normal temporal conditions . He had spent an hour and a half on this level , which pretty much was the equivalent of 6 days in of climbing time .

It also meant that his climb would end in less than thirty minutes unless he managed to get to the next level .

Even worse , were there perhaps other changes to the rules he had taken for granted? Would he even get sent out if he crushed his token at this point? Panic started to build in his body , and he was no longer as calm and collected as before . He desperately started to look around for an opportunity to escape , wishing for some solution to present itself .

A deep thud made his whole body shudder for an instant , before a shockwave of creation spread out , causing the environment to turn into a chaotic mess of random shapes and colors . The shockwave was contained within the shield though , and it seemed as though the power was slowly drained by the three large machines .

It's pointless , - the captain's voice could be heard from outside , but Zac couldn't bother with it as he had more pressing issues to deal with .

The Shard had awakened .

A shudder traveled across Zac’s whole body as it felt he was being ripped apart , and the next moment hundreds of bleeding cracks appeared across his body before quickly closing again . What had changed? The thing had been quietly moving about his body like a curious animal , but suddenly it was frenetically releasing power to the point that Zac had trouble withstanding it .

Desire . Was this what the cultivator in the vision had warned him about . Zac had suddenly wished for a way to return to the Tower , and the Shard of Creation started rampaging a moment later . Worse yet , the Splinter had woken up from the massive fluctuations in his body , and Zac felt his mind tremble as it pitted itself against one of the Miasmic Fractals .

It almost seemed as though the two remnants were creating some sort of loop where they kept agitating each other further and further . The visions he saw were pretty grim , but it was nothing like this . The Shard was going haywire in his body , pouring out an ever-increasing amount of unfamiliar energies .

It was just like when he was drowning inside the pond of Cosmic Water , except that this time the energies came from one of the highest Daos in existence . There was no telling what would happen next , and he briefly considered whether he should crush his token in hopes that he would get sent out after all .

However , Zac eventually decided against it . His situation wouldn’t be any better in the Base Town than here , and there was a complicated situation waiting outside . He would need his mental faculties to deal with whatever the forces in the Base Town had planned , and he would rather try to deal with this mess onboard a technocrat vessel than among the elites of his sector .

If he left the Tower of Eternity like this there was a decent chance that the tragedy of the Zethaya Pill House would repeat itself , this time perhaps causing trouble of irrevocable levels .

Zac knew needed to get rid of this excess energy before he exploded , and he desperately tried to force the energy out into his arm just like when he experimented with the bronze flashes . If something was going to explode it was better if it was an appendage . Ogras had lost an arm , but it hadn’t really slowed the demon down at all .

However , the energies from the Shard of Creation weren’t that easy to manipulate . Besides , his whole body , including his arms , was already crammed full of power . Zac briefly lamented that he couldn’t expand his arm to contain the energies like with Unholy Strike] , and his eyes widened in horror the next moment as his arm turned into a macabre slab sinew and muscle that kept growing until it slammed into the entrapment a few meters away .

The shield wobbled for a bit but it didn't break , but Zac didn't care about that as he frenziedly wished for his arm to get back to normal over and over in his mind , in hopes that the Shard would comply . And Zac was almost ready to cry when he saw his arm twist and turn until it returned back to normal .

In fact , it was actually better than normal . There had been a few wounds and a crack in one of his bones earlier from launching the third swing of Deforestation] , but the arm was completely unblemished now , even missing a few recent scars that had yet to fade away . It was both a relief and cause for worry , as he wasn't sure whether this was really his old arm , or rather something that the Shard of Creation had reforged from nothing .

Worse yet , he felt that while the rapid transformations had expended some of the energies of creation building up inside him , it had also expended something from him . He wasn't sure what , but it was something else than Cosmic Energy or Mental Energy . However , Zac barely had time to feel a sense of relief before hell broke loose .

He sensed another buildup of energies in his chest , but it refused to budge in the slightest this time . Instead , it shot toward the Miasmic Cage with furious momentum . The Splinter wasn't about to be outdone and the whole cage shuddered as it started to release unprecedented levels of power .

Zac desperately tried everything he could think of to stop the inevitable , but the two forces crashed into one of the seven remaining fractals at the same time . The pain in his mind threatened to turn him insane , but his mind felt like a small ship lost on a raging ocean . The Miasmic cage barely held , but Zac sensed that the Fractal had started leaking from the crash .

The two remnants had failed in destroying each other , but their war was turning Zac's body into a ravaged battlefield as even higher amounts of energies rampaged around , and he was barely cognizant of the fact that he was on the ground screaming his lungs out as the air around him crackled before it broke apart .

What is he doing?! - the captain screamed from outside , but Zac barely heard it over the roar of the powers clashing in his body .

The whole core containment was already painted red as his body kept crumbling before being forcibly restored by the Shard . The pain was excruciating , but that was only a minor inconvenience compared to the cost . Zac had finally recognized the pain deep in his soul that came each time he expended the Shard's powers . It was feeding on his life force .

His mind was a hazy mess , but he still understood that he needed to expel the excess energies even if it came at a cost of his longevity . He arduously got back on his knees and started punching the ground , each punch containing enough Strength to cause the whole room to shake .

The alloy was made to withstand terrifying power , but each punch expelled some of both the two peak Daos of Creation and Oblivion . Oblivion turned metal to nothingness as Creation turned his hand into massive sledgehammers . The entrapment had only been meant to keep the waves of creation inside , but that was only half the force inside Zac at the moment .

It just took a few seconds of rabid punching for a deep hope to form , and he suddenly found himself falling face-first over twenty meters into a subfloor that seemed to be some sort of service level .