Defiance of the Fall

The pain startled his muddled head awake for a second , and he quickly stopped swinging to instead look around . All kinds of pipes ran along the walls and into the floor and ceiling above , and there were no signs of any technocrats anywhere .

Lower the shield! - a voice roared from above , and Zac desperately looked around for an escape route .

He started running toward what he believed was the rear end of the ship , and the aura around him kept increasing as Creation and Oblivion started to seep out of his body . Wherever he passed destruction followed , either in the form of utter annihilation or rampant mutation .

The waves that radiated from him had been contained while he still was within the shield , but now he was like a walking radiation sphere that ruined everything around him no matter if he wanted to or not . But that was fine with Zac as it both lessened the stress inside his body while it worked toward completing the mission .

Hopefully he'd break enough to make a Teleportation Array appear , which would send him back to the tower and its elongated spacetime . As long as he left soon he would still have a day left to deal with this mess .

A sense of Danger suddenly cut through the pain and confusion , but he felt himself getting punched before he had a chance to even erect any defenses . A biting cold spread through his body as a massive hole was blasted open in his chest , the force throwing him through multiple walls . It was the Captain who had caught up , and it looked like he was no longer interested in keeping him alive . Half Zac's torso was gone , and it was barely held together by a few thin strings of flesh .

Zac felt death creeping forth , and not like when he changed his race to Draugr . This was a true death . He was full of reluctance as there were too many people counting on him back home . And the Vibrant energies surged in his body , and Zac was started awake by excruciating pain as his torso grew back in an instant .

Cold sweat ran down Zac's forehead as he shakily got up on his feet and glanced down at his perfectly intact chest . Was this why the Technocrats had launched an orbital strike on the previous host? He briefly wondered what Ogras would say after seeing such a disgusting regeneration speed , but he knew it came at a cost . He had lost even more of his longevity , and it was not a small amount as far as Zac could tell .

Worse yet , the captain was already charging up another strike .

Chapter 461 - Pink

Zac barely had time to release another set of leaves and activate a defensive charge of his robes before the Captain was once again in front of him , his fist crackling with power . However , just as the captain appeared in front of Zac the two slivers decided to once again try to destroy the Miasmic Cage , and a massive wave of wild energies blasted out from Zac's body .

Everything within fifty meters was destroyed in an instant . Some parts had been annihilated or at least destroyed with complete prejudice , whereas some of the surroundings had been twisted and transformed beyond recognition . A dozen large crystals had also appeared out of nowhere , making the area look like a quartz mine .

The Captain wasn't unscathed either , and his chest lit up as a wave of dozens of shields spread out around him . However , these shields obviously hadn't been augmented by Dr . Fried as they proved utterly incapable of hindering the aura of Creation and Oblivion that radiated out from Zac .

The shields cracked like brittle glass and the Captain was suddenly inundated in the energies of the two remnants . His body twisted and mutated as other parts just withered away , but he immediately shot back with enough speed to break the sound barrier . The wave subsided and Zac once again found himself in control of his body , and he looked up with bleary eyes only to see the captain's body quickly reforming itself to peak condition .

It looked like killing a D-Grade warrior wouldn't be so easy .

The captain had learned his lesson though , and he no longer seemed interested in getting up-close to Zac . Perhaps he had wanted to minimize the damage to his ship that way , but the detonation seemed to have been too dangerous for comfort . Instead , he raised his arm toward Zac , and a dozen miniature drones were released from his arm and created a circle in the air .

Streams of power emerged from his arm and connected with the drones , and a simile of an array was formed . A ball that seemed to be a mix of electricity and plasma was quickly formed within the circle , and Zac's danger sense once again startled him awake from his muddled state .

Zac was still dealing with the aftermath of the shockwave himself , and fleeing from the captain was out of the question . He just hesitated for a fraction of a second before he sent the command to his specialty core , and he almost fell over again as a surge of Miasma joined the chaos within his body .

But the transformation finished in time , allowing Zac to barely erect Immutable Bulwark] before a terrifying beam of energy slammed into him .

The captain was going all out to take him down , and his latest attack was causing even more damage to the ship than Zac’s own efforts . Everything around him melted as he was pushed back over a hundred meters , but his defensive skill had protected him from getting incinerated at least . However , Zac saw that the shield was about to break after just a second of defending , and he unhesitantly jumped out of the way at the last moment .

He had hoped that the beam would shoot past him and blast a hole in the hull , but it winked out immediately after Zac dodged it . His Danger Sense screamed again , and he re-summoned the large fractal bulwark to block his upper body as the Captain , or rather his detached arm , appeared in front of him .

Immutable Bulwark] cracked in an instant under the pressure of the D-Grade warrior's punch and Zac was thrown through two walls before he slammed into what could either be a massive pipe or some sort of tunnel .

Scorching pain suddenly radiated from his leg , and Zac miserably got out of the indent that he had caused . An almost blinding light drowned the area the next moment as the dented metal was incinerated from the contents within . A beautiful yet terrifying stream of light coursed through the conduit , and Zac's eyes widened at the display .

The light didn't give off any heat or aura of power like a Cosmic Energy , but it still almost amputated his leg by just grazing it . His usually impervious body had proved wholy incapable of stopping it and the pain was excruciating . The good news was that the captain had stopped over a hundred meters away , and he didn't seem to be readying himself to activate another beam .

Was it just fear of another shockwave , or was it fear of damaging the power conduit behind him? It was probably one of the main lines of power that ran this whole ship as far as Zac could guess . What else would require this much power in a reclaimed old freight vessel?

His first instinct was to blow up the pipeline , but the problem was that he had sort of already done that by slamming into it like an infuriated Barghest . The thick metal tubing was dented and twisted , but the stream of lights seemed wholly undeterred . The parts of metal that blocked its original path had simply been incinerated , allowing the energy river to continue on its intended trajectory .

It made him believe that the piping itself might actually be there to protect others from getting themselves killed , or prevent things from getting into the energy feed . The stream itself was rather controlled through some other means , which made it much harder to blow up .

He had a sudden bout of inspiration as he quickly stabbed his shoulders with two knives as he stared into the eyes of the technocrat . The Fragments of the Bodhi and the Axe poured into the two fractals on his shoulders , and his whole body felt some reprieve as a lot of the back-up energies inside his body poured into the fractal as well .

An extremely large blob had formed in his chest in an instant , and it started expanding at a shocking pace . Zac frantically pushed it out of his chest and into his arm as usual , but the ball of creation was as large as a beach ball by the time it reached his elbow . Zac grit his teeth and pushed half of his left arm straight into the stream of energy with one instant motion .

The pain of getting his arm singed off up to the elbow was almost enough to make him black out , but a spastic mess of flesh grew out and replaced the lost forearm in an instant as Zac repeatedly wished for a hand just like before when his arm was destroyed .

What have you done! - the Captain screamed with fury before he launched toward Zac with murder in his eyes .

A billowing wave of killing intent caused his whole body to shudder , and he unhesitantly reached for the Token again . However , his eyes widened when he realized that his newly created hand was completely without strength and coordination . It flopped around like a wet noodle , and he couldn't even grip properly .

However , the whole thing became moot before the captain had a chance to arrive . A scorching pain enveloped him as a huge explosion of pink and blue flung straight through a meter-thick wall . Multiple bones creaked in pain , but he had thankfully been able to infuse his body with the Fragment of the Coffin along with expending a defensive talisman .

One explosion after another rocked the whole vessel , but he unsteadily got back to his feet in case the captain would show up again . But the only thing he saw was blue and pink flames spreading in every direction , and immense structural damage . Zac's eyes lit up at the scene , and he quickly looked around for a Teleportation Array .

Fleeing from the captain had already caused an excessive amount of damage to the ship , and he refused to believe that the chain of explosions that he could feel in his bones wasn't enough to get the job done . Just as expected , just twenty meters away a Teleportation Array had appeared , and Zac lunged at it as he knew he was running out of time .

However , just as he was about to step onto the platform the whole ship heaved as a massive crack opened up beneath his feet . Zac desperately tried to reach the array , but his surroundings turned to a blur as he was flung away from the spaceship decompressing .

A distance of hundreds of meters was opened up between Zac and the technocrat ship in an instant , and the momentum kept pushing him further and further away . He panicked for a second , but he soon enough realized that the Miasma in his body was keeping him safe , though the expenditure was pretty taxing .

Another shockwave from the distance caused Zac to spin out of control as he was pushed even further , and he started to flail his arm to regain control . And surprisingly enough it worked . He realized he could actually shoot out a burst of miasma to somewhat mimic the effect of a propulsion engine . It allowed him to right himself soon enough , and he finally got a good look at the surroundings .

Pieces of metal were spinning about all around him , and in the distance a series of explosions harried the gargantuan vessel he had just fallen out of . The dome of the bean in the middle of the ship had completely buckled , and the shockwave he had just felt was no doubt one of the enormous thrusters in the rear exploding .

A beautiful wave of the radiant destruction was currently spreading outward like a supernova explosion , but he seemed to be far from the blast zone . But guilt rather than happiness filled Zac's mind as he witnessed the scene . He hadn't really considered the implications of his actions when he infused the unknown pink spark into the river of energy .

He had subconsciously compared it to pouring sugar in a car tank to stall the engine , but this was much worse . Tens of thousands of people lived and worked on that ship , and he had turned it into scrap metal . Thankfully , the vessels had some fail-safes installed as blue shields spread across the breaches that leaked atmosphere , meaning that most of the technocrats were probably safe .

Zac breathed in relief as he thought of his next move . Usually the Teleportation Array followed you if you kept moving , pretty much urging you to move on to the next level . Would it be the same in outer space though?

There was nothing to lose from trying , and he quickly looked for any clues . Thankfully the familiar array was just a few dozen meters away from him , attached to a piece of wreckage from the Little Bean .

A sudden collision inside his body forced him to puke a mouthful of blood that instantly turned into an ice sculpture , which rudely informed him that two slivers in his body wouldn't even take a break after being thrown into space . He ignored the pain as he propelled himself toward the array with the help of a burst of Miasma expelled from his hands .

The array lit up the moment he floated into it , and a brief bout of darkness provided some reprieve to the chaotic war that had resumed in his body . But the struggle for supremacy between the two artifacts immediately started up again the moment he appeared in the next world .

Zac tried to get a grasp of the situation at the 72nd level , but another clash made him double over and puke another stream of blood that this time turned into sanguine butterflies . The little bugs flittered about for a couple of seconds before they exploded , causing widespread destruction to the area around him .

He tried to rouse a response to the reignited war , but he knew he was in pretty bad shape . He had plenty of Miasma and ichor to spare , but his constitution and soul were drained after being inundated in Creation over and over again . The adrenaline coursing through his body during the escape had kept him going , but the brief sojourn into outer space had cooled him down .

A quest prompt appeared in front of Zac’s eyes , but his fuzzy mind couldn’t make out what the screen said as his body suddenly expanded ten meters before shrinking back again , the agony enough to make Zac scream out loud . Another burst of energies threatened to burn his pathways clear , and he desperately pounded down on the ground with enough force to cause a massive explosion that caused gravel and dirt to fly in all directions .

Zac zealously clung on to the parting words of the cultivator in the vision , using it as a foundation to steer back on course . The cultivator had told him to restrain himself and not wish for anything , and by now he understood all too well what he meant by restraining desires . The moment he had an errant thought it was immediately fulfilled , but the results were seldom what he hoped for .

It was like the Shard of Creation was an evil genie that sort of fulfilled his wishes , but in a way that seemed to backfire while also draining him of longevity . Should he try releasing a couple of flashes to tire out the Shard? The Splinter was also causing trouble , but it was still contained in its cage even if the fractal was leaking pretty badly by this point .

But releasing flashes was like putting band-aids on a sinking ship , and he needed a permanent solution . Should he try to expedite their attempts at breaking open the cage? It would happen sooner or later anyway as they kept slamming into the Miasmic Fractal , and perhaps it would allow him to trap both remnants inside .

But something suddenly cut through both the pain and confusion as Zac’s Danger Sense suddenly screamed that his life was in danger . It was not from something within , but rather from someone or something attacking him again .

The Splinter brought forth an all-consuming fury that threatened to burn Zac alive as hundreds of eyes spontaneously grew on his body to see what had accosted him . But the vision scared Zac straight , and the eyes immediately shrunk back into his body .

It was an actual Dragon from mythology , a primordial beast over a hundred meters long .

Chapter 462 - Dragon

Had dragons actually existed on Earth once upon a time? That was the only way Zac could explain it going by how stunningly similar it was to the depictions he had seen since he was a child . It looked like a traditional black dragon , though its scales were tinted slightly red at the edges . Two great horns adorned its head , and sharp spikes ran along its spine down to the edge of the thirty-meter long tail .

Only then did Zac realize that he had been dropped off right in front of an enormous cave mouth , which probably led into the dragon's den . What caused the surge of danger was a blade of power that was rushing toward him , seemingly caused by a swipe of the dragon’s claws . Had he awakened the dragon and pissed it off by causing a ruckus at its door-step?

Zac had to push down a primordial fear as he prepared himself for battle . There was no way that this big thing wasn't the floor guardian . One good thing about the situation was that the dragon emitted an immense pressure that seemed to have subdued the remnants to some degree .

The swipe slammed into the bulwark the next moment , and Zac nodded in relief when he felt that the attack's power was immense but a lot more manageable than the Technocrat Captain's . He completed the transformation of Vanguard of Undeath] before he stomped down on the ground as he activated all his passive skills . An explosion of miasma erupted as Zac appeared right beneath the dragon's chest , and the cage of Profane Seal] rose from the ground the next instant .

Even the hundred skeletons of Undying Legion] appeared and surrounded the enormous beast , and they immediately moved toward it without any fear of death . It was a pretty huge Miasma expenditure , but Zac figured that he would throw everything in his repertoire on the big bastard before swapping back to his human form as he still had one change remaining .

But Zac still felt a bit stumped as he looked up at the beast . How the hell would he take this thing down? He had grown to a hulking behemoth himself , but he wasn't even close to reaching the dragon's chest with his axe . The thick legs looked extremely fortified as well by thick scales , and it was not like they were very good targets anyway since the thing could fly .

However , the dragon gave Zac no time to form a proper battle plan as it stomped at him with one of its frontal claws . Zac quickly scrambled out of the way as he took out the five strongest Offensive Talismans he had been given by the Undead Kingdom . He threw them all toward the scales on its chest , and a huge explosion of ice and poison rocked the whole area the next moment .

Zac's pitch-black eyes widened in surprise when the vision cleared to display completely unblemished scales . The dragon was still infuriated by the attack , and its long neck curved as it tried to catch Zac in its massive maws . Ten spectral chains slammed into its head with enough momentum to veer it off-course , before they tried to find a way beneath the scales to burrow into its body .

The scene gave Zac an idea and a spectral chain suddenly flashed over to him and looped a few rounds around his body before it hoisted him up in the air . His arm swelled to almost ridiculous proportions as he forced as much miasma as possible into it with Unholy Strike] while the chain lifted him toward the dragon's softer underbelly .

The creation energies worked in his favor this time , and it felt like there was no limit to how much Miasma he could infuse into his biceps . It just kept growing to accommodate . He still didn't dare to overdo it though in case he harmed his main arm . His left hand was still barely serviceable since it was reformed , though he felt that he was gradually regaining control over it . But he couldn't afford that sort of thing happening to the arm he used to wield Verun's Bite] .

Zac growled as he swung the massive black bardiche with everything he got , and the power was actually so great that the whole beast was pushed back a few meters . A small stream of blood leaked out from the wound , and Zac's eyes lit up as he saw his chance . The first swing had been infused with the Fragment of the Axe to cut through the thick scales , but his second swing was instead infused with the corrosion of the Fragment of the Coffin .

Zac wasn't done there as he breathed out a cloud of corruption into the open wound as he frenziedly swung over and over to cause as much rot and fester as he could . But he only managed to swing four times before the beast roared and moved with shocking speed . It almost looked like it teleported as the bleeding chest was replaced by a scaled tail barreling toward him .

The shield of Immutable Bulwark] quickly moved to block , but he was still slammed into the ground like a comet while the spectral chain was fractured into pieces . The other fourteen tried to worm their way into the open wound in retaliation , which stopped any follow-up from the beast .

It didn't help Zac much though as the dragon's attack had been infused with some sort of Dao Fragment related to brute strength . The armor of his transformation broke apart all along his back when he slammed into the ground with enough force to cause a small earthquake . It felt like half the bones in his body had broken from the impact , but he suddenly felt a lot better as a cold and soothing stream of energy surged across his body .

Zac's first guess was that the Shard of Creation had yet again healed him at the cost of even more of his lifespan , but the feeling was completely different this time . There was not that aching hollow feeling that had accosted him the last times , and he crawled up from the ground with confusion just in time to see 12 of the closest skeletons crack and crumble into dust . What was this?

Only then did the real use of Undying Legion] dawn on him . They were not only soldiers but also decoys that took damage for him . He had not used the skill a lot since trying it out against the Avoli Parasites , and when he did use the skill it was only on weaker enemies . The skill cost a lot and he didn't want to waste any Miasma in tough battles , which meant he had only seen the surface use of the skill .

Since he hadn't really been hurt until now he hadn't witnessed the secondary use of the skill ; damage transference . He wasn't given 100 lives though , judging by the fact that over 10 skeletons were destroyed from one single strike . But it was still enough to let him keep fighting a lot longer . He also wasn't sure how strong the effect was .

For example , he doubted the skeletons could deal with a massive wound like the one where he got his whole torso blown to bits .

However , Zac's problems had just started as he found that the dragon was looking down at him with malice in its eyes . It almost seemed enraged at the fact that its mighty tail hadn't even managed to hurt him . Its wings started to furiously beat , causing torrential winds that made the miasma and corrosive mists to billow into the air .

The azure fractal in the sky was obviously strained as large cracks appeared on it before they mended themselves , but it stopped the dragon from going airborne . The beast did however manage to rise onto its back-legs , and Zac felt a foreboding sensation as a very familiar light lit up deep in the open maw .

An unceasing stream of scorching flames slammed into Zac the next moment , and he could only turtle up on the ground beneath his Fractal Bulwark . The flames carried a terrifying heat , and it felt like he was being boiled alive inside his little bubble . Less than a second passed before he felt that all the skeletons outside had been turned to ash , and he even sensed that the whole miasmic cage struggled to withstand the sea of flames that covered the whole area by now .

The shield of Profane Seal] finally broke a few seconds later , and Zac received a strong backlash that made him groan in pain . Even the thick bulwark started to shown signs of tearing as small cracks let droplets of flames through .

He felt a scorching pain in his leg as one of them dripped right through a crack in the armor , but the burn was immediately healed by the Shard of Creation at the cost of even more life force . Zac knew he needed to finish the battles quickly . He couldn't let the Shard keep draining him to heal his wounds , or he'd return to Port Atwood as a senior citizen .

The flames finally abated , and Zac looked around only to see scorched earth in all directions . All the skeletal soldiers were gone , as was the cage trapping the beast . Even the vast swathes of Miasma and corrosive mists from Winds of Decay] had been singed clean , leaving only superheated air .

Zac saw his opportunity as the dragon seemed pretty drained from having expelled a small ocean of flames , and he immediately swapped back to his human form . Lush growth rose from the ashen fields as the domain of Hatchetman's Spirit] emerged , and Zac immediately launched a series of Fractal blades at the open maw of the dragon .

However , the Fragment-infused blades only caused minor scars on its face before they broke apart , and Zac knew he would have to use something stronger than that . Cosmic Energy surged in his body as he activated Nature's Punishment] , and the wooden fist emerged from the crack in space before it flew toward the exhausted dragon .

But another pulse from the Shard made Zac's hand twist and deform . Shockingly enough the same thing happened to the wooden hand , and it suddenly looked like a misshapen stump . The scene thankfully only lasted for a second before both of them turned back to normal after Zac shouted in his mind .

He had accidentally put too much focus on his hand from activating the skill , which the Shard had interpreted as desire .

A grand peak emerged from the enormous fractal in the sky the next second , and it shot straight down toward the head of the dragon . Zac wanted to end it once and for all with one massive strike , but he was dismayed to find that he had underestimated the sturdiness of a dragon's skull . Blood poured down from its head like rain , but it resisted the downward push with a furious roar .

It looked like it refused to give up in a battle of pure strength , and its whole body trembled as it tried to throw away mountain pressing down on it . However , its head had been noticeably pushed down toward the ground , and its throat was only five meters in the air while its whole body was fixed in position .

Zac knew he wouldn't get a better opportunity than this .

This was his final shot , but he knew that any attack with Verun's Bite] wouldn't cut it against the thick plating protecting the dragon's throat . There were only two things in his repertoire that had a shot at killing this thing in one go . The first option was the third swing of Deforestation] , but it was impossible to launch the skill again after such a short duration .

Besides , he didn't have time to wind up 3 consecutive strikes before the dragon had managed to divert the mountain . He was already feeling that he was losing control of Nature’s Punishment] .

The second option was more fraught with danger , but he had already come to a point of no return . He felt that both the remnants were already building up for another strike at the fractal cage , and he knew that the rune was already teetering on the brink of collapse . His best shot at surviving whatever came next was to exhaust both the slivers first .

Two knives appeared in his hands and he stabbed them into his shoulders before he tried to launch what should be his ultimate move . He hadn't tried this before , but he saw no real alternative . A normal bronze flash was extremely strong , but the implosion area wasn't large enough to wound a beast of this size .

The pale pink flash he had managed to summon on the Technocrat Ship might work , but he still had no idea what it actually did . It might even heal the dragon rather than hurt it for all he knew .

Besides , either of those attacks would only exhaust one of the remnants , and he wanted to tire both of them out before the Miasmic Cage broke open . He needed to see if he could create a new flash by fusing Bodhi and Coffin in hopes it would create a mix of the two . That would involve both the slivers , and it should release the strongest force he could muster .

If that couldn't kill a dragon , then nothing would .

He was extremely drained already , but he still pushed more mental energy into the two fractals on his shoulders than he had ever done before . His vision was turning blurred , but he forcibly held on to his consciousness as he jumped toward the dragon's throat . The two Fragments entered the modified Cyclic Strike] without issue , and streams of energies started to converge in the middle of his chest to merge as usual .

But the moment the two energies tried to merge in his chest the remnants turned insane .

Chapter 463 - Chaos

The Shard of creation immediately stormed toward the Miasmic Fractal while pouring out unprecedented amounts of energies like it was suicidal , and the Splinter responded in kind . The rune cracked in an instant , causing a chaotic storm of energies that left a new set of cracks on his soul . However , a fractured soul wasn't actually his most pressing issue , as something terrifying was brewing in his chest .

The two streams of energy resisted being merged . Meanwhile , the dual skill fractals were like funnels that didn't stop infusing the two energies , causing more and more opposing energies to gather in his chest . Zac wasn't even providing any mental energy to the skill any longer , but the energy was rather ripped from the two remnants . He couldn't understand what was going on , nothing like this had happened before when forming a flash .

However , the two remnants seemed completely uncaring about the shocking amounts of energy they were losing . Dozens of tentacles shot out of the cage the instant the gap was created , all of them targeting the Shard hovering outside . It met the assault with radiant tendrils of its own . Dozens of clashes took place in an instant , but the battle was quickly slowing down as the two remnants started to look faded and listless .

It was too much .

Zac couldn't even begin to prepare a strike in this condition , and he was horrified to find himself locked in the air as massive surges of power radiated around him . In fact , it seemed as though the whole area had been forced to a halt , as neither the dragon nor the descending mountain moved in the slightest . However , the wind still blew , and Zac briefly noted a bird flying in the sky above , proving that time actually hadn't stopped .

Both Zac and his foe were just locked in place as a bomb was growing inside his chest .

Finally , the situation reached a tipping point just as the two remnants seemed to be on their last legs . They no longer fought , but their tentacles rather gripped each other for support as they teetered on the brink of collapse . Meanwhile , the pressure in his chest had built to such a degree that the two sides no longer were able to resist the merge , and the two streams finally fused into a new energy .

However , that was anything but good news as Zac was still frozen , and this new creation contained such terrifying force that Zac was almost scared out of his mind . Just its existence was breaking apart Zac's body , but he was utterly incapable of moving it even an inch .

Zac screamed with desperation in his mind , fervently wishing for the Spark of Creation to push the thing out of his body . His desire was thankfully granted , and a spear of white metal was forged by some of the left-over energies spread through his body . It emerged from his chest and shot toward the throat of the dragon with the terrifying creation residing within .

The universe suddenly stopped as time and space unraveled , and a hazy pattern emerged as the fused energy exploded .

Zac was still stuck in the air , and his eyes were glued to the thing he had brought forth into the universe . It emitted an unlimited sense of vastness that threatened to turn him insane . It felt like it was trying to force the whole universe into his mind , but his soul was already bursting at the seams from just being subjected to an insignificant corner of the whole .

He needed to look away , but he wasn't even able to blink . Zac was forced to witness the profundity of the universe and the end of his existence .

The dome of heaven suddenly cracked as boundless lightning spread across the horizon . They were the only thing that moved in this world of grey , and the lightning seemed to accumulate right above his position . Zac tried to look up to see what was going on , but his eyes were still fixed as they were before the world stopped . He could sense a terrifying pressure from above though , like he was being gazed upon by an indifferent god .

Power , supremacy , but also happiness?

There was no way for him to comprehend the series of events , but he was relieved to see that the odd pattern in front of him was starting to fade . His mind was right on the brink of a meltdown , and he fervently prayed he would be able to withstand the insane pressures until the grey rune was gone .

A pure pillar of lightning suddenly slammed into the pattern from above , but it was forcibly dispersed by a deep shudder emerging from within the rune . Another blast followed immediately after , and this process repeated eight times with increased intensity until a golden beam of lightning descended .

Its might was even a match to the mysterious rune , and it wasn’t as easily dispersed as the earlier bolts .

Zac felt multiple shudders deep in his soul , but the final lightning bolt was like an unmovable fixture . Only after ten seconds did it dissipate , but it left behind a pillar of golden fractals so densely inscribed that Zac’s couldn’t even begin to comprehend what they were meant to do . The pattern inside seemed intent to escape , and a world-ending amount of energy ravaged inside the cage .

The world shook and the universe seemed to be cracking as Zac's vision faded to black .

A shudder ran through his body he was startled awake , and he scrambled to his feet as he looked for threats in all directions . It felt like his eyes were full of sand and his head turned to mush , but he was alive . The dragon lay unmoving next to him with a massive hole in its throat where the mysterious rune had appeared . The summoned mountain was lying beside it , making an odd addition to the environment .

There wasn’t any sign of either the grey pattern or the terrifying lightning though . The massive dragon was completely unscathed apart from the hole in its throat , even though it should have been reduced to ash by the lightning strikes that struck the pattern right beneath it . It almost felt like what he witnessed while the world had stopped was a dream .

But he knew that what he had seen was all too real , and he had an inkling of what going on . The grey pattern he had summoned was something the System desired , and it had slowly created a situation for Zac to provide it on a silver platter . He had sensed the greed of the heavens , and the jubilation when the pattern was trapped .

He had been played .

Zac had a pretty good idea of what the thing he summoned was as well . It was Chaos , or more likely a small fragment of it . It was the origin of the Dao , and just looking at it had almost driven Zac insane . If the System hadn’t swooped in to steal the thing he would have probably died then and there .

He didn’t even have the energy to be mad about being used as an incubation chamber for the System . What could he do? Scream at the sky like a raving lunatic? A sigh emerged from Zac’s lips as he looked down at the token by his side . It looked like he had been unconscious for over twelve hours , giving him some time to finish things up on this level and recuperate , but nothing more than that .

His climb would end at the entrance of the 73rd floor .

He took a deep breath as he looked up at the sky , and he felt a sense of peace , for the first time in months it felt like . But the tranquility made him freeze in realization as he finally noticed that the two remnants had been completely quiet since he woke up half a minute ago . He quickly turned his sight inward , and he almost reeled in shock at the drastic changes that had taken place .

The most important changes were obviously the ones that had happened to his Miasmic Cage . Only six Miasmic Runes remained as expected , but they had gotten company . Six golden fractals teeming with power had been added to the mix , forming an alternating circle in his mind . The construction seemed extremely robust , as though the two sets of runes formed something greater than the sum of its parts .

More importantly , the cage already housed the two remnants . Was this the System's method of reciprocity , some sort of reward for Zac providing it with the Chaos Pattern?

The two remnants were still entwined by their tendrils just like at the end of the fight , and they still seemed completely listless . They didn’t move or struggle at all , and they felt faded , almost dying . They had been forcibly drained in order to form that special blob , and it seemed that it had almost taken all the power they had in the end .

Zac took a shuddering breath as he sat unmoving for a few seconds . He had made it after all . The two remnants had glommed on to each other and formed a mutual restriction , while his cage had upgraded to an unprecedented level . Of course , he knew that he couldn’t completely count on the issue being solved .

The remnants couldn’t even be destroyed by a warrior who was able to crush a black hole with his bare hands , so he doubted that getting slightly overtaxed would take them out . Besides , he wasn’t confident in putting all his trust in the System’s restrictive fractals . What if the System suddenly decided it wanted another Chaos Pattern and started prodding around in his head?

He still needed to quickly upgrade the strength of his soul to make sure he could handle any future problems . Besides , he still hadn’t given up on his path after his recent troubles . On the contrary , he felt more confident about his choice than ever , which meant that strengthening his soul was still a top priority .

Fusing the Coffin and the Bodhi again was obviously out of the question , at least for the foreseeable future . But the bronze flash and its Bodhi-based equivalent were still very much on the table . He just needed to create a proper foundation first . He was currently like a kid with matches , playing with things he didn't understand .

He was shocked at the recklessness he had displayed during the latter parts of the climb as he looked back on the past weeks . He had not only risked his life untold times by creating the bronze flashes , but he had headed straight toward the Shard without any regard for his life .

Was it the Splinter that had egged him on toward his own path of destruction? Or was it the System that was somehow messing with his sense of reason in order to achieve its goals?

The current breather he had been given would hopefully give him the time he needed to work on his soul , and figure out a way to control the high-grade energies to such a grade that he could reliably use them .

There was no need for him to go to the lengths that he had to forcibly try to tame the flashes while still being a beginner cultivator . The glimpse of the Chaos Pattern had proved that he was in way over his head , and he needed to learn to walk before he could run .

However , it wasn’t all good news as his soul had once again gone through a change after his encounter . Another set of white scars had been added to the black tendrils , making his whole soul look checkered . However , both the black and white scars seemed ephemeral and dim , like they were about to fade away . It looked like they had been completely drained just like the real slivers .

At least his soul seemed to have been healed by the Creation's infiltration , but Zac still swallowed one of the soul-healing treasures he had gotten from the mentalist just in case there were hidden wounds he couldn’t spot .

It did clear his mind a bit , though it obviously wasn’t able to expel the two high-tiered energies that had infiltrated his soul . There were no creation-based globules of energy in his soul though , but there was still a decent amount of left-over energies spread across his body . It was just a pittance compared to what he had spent in the final clash , but it would be able to help him out in a pinch .

As long as he didn’t accidentally let his mind stray and waste it , of course .

His soul getting marked by the events didn’t feel too surprising , as it had been the unwilling conduit as the two remnants were drained . However , another change was pretty startling . The two fractals on his shoulders had changed . The torrential amounts of energies that coursed through the crude shortcut he had made had actually remolded the skill fractals , making the pathing permanent .

But that was not all as fine markings lined the paths , creating patterns way beyond his comprehension . They were not fractals , and neither were they formed in the inscription language that was commonly used in the Multiverse . They felt more primal , like they were natural markings created by the Dao itself .

The fractal on his left shoulder had clearly been marked by the Shard of Creation , whereas the right one gave off the desolate aura of the Splinter of Oblivion . This could be both good news and bad news , but Zac wasn’t ready to experiment whether it would cause any trouble when forming the bronze sparks .

Not that he was very sure that he’d actually be able to form one , judging by how pale and faded the scars on his soul were .

Apart from that his body was in decent condition , except for the horrifying cost of life force . He would have to ask an expert to make sure , but he believed that he had lost decades from the intense usage of the Shard . If he had kept going like that for a few days he would have died of old age , or at least reached an advanced enough age to make further cultivation impossible .

There was no way that using the Shard for recuperation was worth it , as it cost way more of his life compared to slowly recuperating with healing pills .

At least the Shard’s forced healing regimen had helped him prepare for what waited outside the tower . The long bout of unconsciousness had also restored most of his missing Cosmic Energy , and he would be able to reach peak condition before the deadline was up . Only two hours remained on his climb , and his two companions had probably already emerged .

If he knew Ogras he would probably want to maximize his benefits by witnessing both his own and Zac’s Apparitions . He didn’t immediately enter the Teleportation array though , but rather turned to the unmoving body of the dragon .

His climb might have ended prematurely , but there were still treasures to be claimed .

Chapter 464 - An Old Friend

Worst dragon ever , - Zac muttered with disgust as he emerged from the dragon’s den .

He had expected to be met by a veritable sea of treasures upon entering the cave , but the only thing that had waited for him was an enormous mat and a small mountain of raw fire-attuned crystals . Certainly , the mat seemed to have been woven from extraordinary materials to create a soft and luxuriant feeling , but it was a far cry from the dragon’s hoard he had been expecting .

At least there was the actual carcass of the dragon itself . Such a beast was no doubt a living treasure , and he needed to harvest it before moving on . He had already given up on any hope of finding treasure on the 9th floor , so he needed to make the most of this beast .

However , Zac didn’t simply put the whole thing into a cosmos sack , but he rather chose to methodically harvest its body piece by piece . It would be a huge shame if the whole dragon turned to dust the moment he left the tower , and this way he would at least be able to guarantee that some parts would make it .

Zac tried to pry off as many scales as possible , along with its two massive horns . He also dug out what he believed to be a Beast Core from its head , though he was a bit surprised since those things usually only appeared after reaching D-Grade . The dragon was extremely powerful , but Zac truthfully suspected it was still in early E-Grade .

He had heard a bit about dragons from Galau . They were terrifying beasts and among the most naturally endowed creatures in the multiverse . They could grow impossibly large as well , making Zac believe he was only dealing with a youngling or a mixed-blood dragon .

Still , leaving anything behind would be a waste , so he even poured almost all his containers to fill them with dragon blood . Enough blood to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool entered his dozen or so canteens and the magical barrels of liquor he had bought .

He did feed a lot of it to Verun’s Bite] as well , but not enough to accidentally cause another upgrade . It took hours , sometimes days , for Verun’s Bite] to absorb treasures , and Zac was about to potentially face an army waiting outside the gates of the tower . The spirit tool was extremely interested in the beast core also , but it would have to wait .

It was a waste , but he could only pray that the Dragon Core would turn out to be real as he might need Verun’s special skills for the upcoming battle . He had somewhat counted on the bronze flash to act as an ace , but there was no way that the remnants were in the position to provide help anytime soon .

He had tried summoning a bronze flash over twenty times while carving up the beast , but nothing happened . The two Fragments entered his reworked fractals just fine , but when they met in the chest they just turned into an impure mix of the two fragments that soon dissipated , just like the failed attempts from before . Something had clearly changed , as he had almost 50% success rate before .

The transformation of the fractals on his shoulders might be causing problems , but he was pretty sure that wasn't it .

An hour had passed since he had woken up by now , and he started to see some patterns of how things might go from here on out . It quickly became clear that the remnants were really capable of some sort of self-restoration . Small motes of energies appeared from within their bodies , even though no Cosmic or Mental energy had entered the cage .

However , it had been a slow grind for a pitiful amount of energy .

Things only went even worse for the remnants from there as the new cage created some sort of suction just moments after the motes of energy formed . The energy was instantly ripped out the Shard and Splinter , leaving only a fraction behind . The rest was purified and funneled out into Zac’s body .

The purified energy from the Splinter made its way to his soul , as usual , subtly strengthening it . However , the energy from the Shard rather went into his body , where it seeped into his cells who greedily gobbled it up in an instant . Zac didn’t feel any difference in his body , but he guessed that it would slowly improve his constitution .

The amount that he got was far lower compared to before though , and he was not even receiving a tenth of the purified energies he got from the Splinter before he entered the tower . That was fine with Zac though , as the gifts from the remnants always came with deadly downsides .

Focusing on just himself for the time being felt a lot more pertinent . It seemed like he had touched upon some of the massive secrets of the multiverse , and he was slowly forming a few theories based on what Jaol had told him about the System and what the four-eyed alien said . But all those things were too grand , too complicated , and not something he wanted to get involved with .

He could mess with the broken peaks of the Boundless Path when he had reached A-Grade and was bored with life . Until then the Chaos Patterns and the skies full of lightning could stay as far away as possible as far as he was concerned . He wasn't even in a mood to start experimenting with the flashes again before he had got his Soul Strengthening Manual up and running .

Actually , it seemed that his mind was agreeing with his reluctance to get involved , as his memory Chaos Pattern he had just witnessed was growing foggier by the minute . He couldn't remember any details any longer , and he wouldn't be surprised if it would completely disappear from his memory in a day or two .

It was a pain to dismember the extremely sturdy dragon , and Zac was quickly running out of time . So he finally ran into the carcass and chopped its insides into massive slabs of meat and threw them into his Cosmos Sack . Finally he threw the mangled remains into the sack as well and called it a day .

There was one more thing Zac wanted to do before he left the floor though , and he took out an inscribed box containing an unknown fruit . It was one of the natural treasures he had found during the climb . He still had no idea what it did , but he figured that his body knew what it was doing as it urged him to eat it .

He was somewhat certain that the items he had pilfered during the Battle of Fates would stay , but the same couldn't be said about these things . He wanted to follow Galau's advice and rather eat them than have them turn back into the System's hands the moment he left .

It was only 30 minutes later that he snapped out of his state of vivid hallucinations and bouts of extreme gastrointestinal distress . His whole body was covered in a film of extremely foul-smelling oil , and he felt weak like he had been afflicted with food poisoning .

The natural treasure hadn't actually been toxic , but it rather looked like the treasure was the kind that helped expel impurities like pill toxicity . The problem was the way of expulsion . Some things needed to be processed into pills before eaten , and that scary fruit was probably one of them . He had less than 30 minutes remaining , but he still spent 10 of those vigorously scrubbing off the foul gunk . The smell was making him nauseated , which was saying something considering he could be covered in blood without noticing it nowadays .

Zac immediately discarded any thought of eating any more of the treasures as he stepped into the teleporter with a tired sigh .

Eigth Floor Complete . Upgrading Title

Choose Reward : Two Extremities Physique Array] , Divine Investiture Array] , Yin-Yang Arhat Soul Array]]

Zac found himself in the familiar black dimension , and he almost felt some wistfulness that this was the last time he would come to this place . Of course , the wistfulness wasn’t brought on by nostalgia , but rather that this was the last of the rewards . He first opened his title screen to sate his curiosity .

Tower of Eternity - 8th Floor : Reach the 73rd level of the Tower of Eternity . Reward : All stats +10 , All Stats +10% , Effect of Attributes +10%]

The upgraded title was just as he had expected after seeing the change on the seventh floor , and he couldn’t help but feel a bit curious about what would change upon finishing the whole tower . Was there a secret title waiting at the top after all? However , his attention was soon diverted from the Tower title when he noticed that there was a new addition to his ever-growing list of achievements . And it was an odd one .

Terminus – Gaze upon the Terminus

There was only a short description and no reward , the first empty Title Zac had encountered thus far . Zac guessed the Terminus either referred to the lightning sea or the pattern that he could no longer remember , but he didn’t understand why the System would add a title if it wouldn’t dole out any Attributes .

Perhaps someone in the Base Town would know , but he felt that keeping this experience to himself was for the best . Stuff like the Dao of Chaos involved the System itself and the peak individuals of the multiverse , and just talking about it might bring a calamity upon his head .

He could only close the title screen with mixed emotions and instead turn his attention to the three arrays up for grabs . However , the rewards honestly had him a bit stumped . He understood the words as he read them one by one , but he had some trouble understanding what they meant .

Zac was surprised that the rewards didn’t feel as tailored to his situation compared to the previous floor . Truthfully , they even seemed worse compared to the ones he had been awarded after succeeding in the Battle of Fates , as each of them had represented a clear and almost immediate boost to himself or his force .

Was there an element of luck where you could either get a good set of reward choices or a subpar one? Or were the arrays perhaps even better than the 7th floor awards , but Zac was too ignorant to tell? He looked back and forth between the three options , and he felt some helplessness at the fact that he didn’t know what any of the three arrays did .

The first array , the Two Extremities Physique Array] , might be some sort of training array to form a unique constitution . It might even be an extremely suited constitution based on the name . Two Extremities could refer to life and death , or perhaps even Creation and Oblivion . Remolding his body to be able to withstand the two remnants seemed pretty amazing . That might just be wishful thinking though .

That would mean that the award was an upgraded version of the body tempering manual , an array that would directly awaken a life and death constitution . However , there was another possibility , based on the wording of the first and third rewards . One was called a Physique Array , and the other a Soul Array .

That kind of wording was a bit reminiscent of War arrays , and it made him remember something ; the Fire Golem down in the Underworld . Parts of its body had been engraved with crude fractals , and he had learned this was a common way for constructs to improve their power .

Was the same thing possible for humans? Was it perhaps an array that would be engraved to his body , somehow boosting it beyond its normal capabilities? He guessed something like that would work like a synthetic constitution or something , where it provided similar boosts .

Whichever way the array worked the end result was most likely the same . It would probably directly increase his combat power by improving his body , almost like having a private War array . It would give a direct and convenient boost to his Strength , and it was definitely a viable choice .

As for the Divine Investiture Array] , he had no idea . Judging by the name it might be something that could improve a person or an item . Divine Investiture , maybe it meant that it could bestow Heaven’s Blessing . Perhaps it was something like the array that he had passed when he climbed the 8th floor , but a greater version? Or was it related to fate?

Getting the System’s blessing didn’t sound too bad right about now , and it sort of felt like the System owed him one after the last two levels .

Then there was the final reward , one related to the soul . He would have preferred one that mentioned caging rambunctious slivers , but this one rather seemed geared toward taking advantage of the odd scars covering his soul . It seemed to be based on the concept of duality just like the Constitution Array , but he had no idea what a 'Soul Array' could do . Did it improve one's control over the Dao's , perhaps?

It did however include the word Arhat , which was a Buddhist term . He didn’t know if what would cause any issues with his cultivation or his recently acquired manual , but he guessed that anything he got from the eighth floor would be compatible with him . An Arhat was a perfected being who had reached enlightenment , so perhaps the Soul Array would be able to push his soul to a perfect state?

Zac looked back and forth between the options , but he truthfully didn’t need to look too long before he decided on the third option , the Yin-Yang Arhat Soul Array] . It wasn’t that he felt it was perfect for his situation , as he honestly had no idea what it did , but he’d obviously take anything that helped his soul at the current juncture .

The other two options were probably great as well , but they were luxuries compared to a necessity . His arm reached toward the hovering prompt in front of him , but he suddenly froze in shock as the silence of the special dimension was broken .

First choice will grant you power . Second choice brings rectification of regret . Third choice will lead you down an alternative Path]

Zac didn't know how to react when he heard the emotionless voice in his head . A year had passed and he had almost forgotten those early days of the Integration , but it all rushed back to him at that moment .

The System was once again directly speaking with him .

Chapter 465 - Beware the Terminus

Zac froze like a deer in the headlights as he looked in all directions . Back when the integration first took place he had been completely clueless , unaware of just how powerful a thing the System was . But now he was all too aware just how mighty it was , and the attention put him under immense psychological pressure .

However , he knew this was a rare opportunity and he needed some clarifications .

Was it you who pushed me down this path , who put these two remnants in front of me? -

Yes . User qualified for unique empowerment scenario . Congratulations

Zac felt some fury flare up at hearing the same annoying emotionless congratulations as he did when the two last spoke , but he quickly restrained himself this time and instead focused on what was important .

Are we done then? - Zac asked , his heart pounding . - You won't mess with me any longer? I gave you that Pattern , and you provided me with protections against the fractals . -

Reciprocity has been achieved and balance is maintained . Beware the Terminus

What does that even mean? - Zac asked with some bitterness in his voice , but he was only met with silence .

What regrets are you talking about? And what alternate path? Please elaborate , - Zac tried instead , as he didn't understand what the hell the system had been talking about earlier .

Unfortunately , it looked like the System wasn't any more talkative this time around , and it had left after delivering a few cryptic lines . Zac once again looked upon the screen with the three rewards , his earlier resolve completely crushed . Could he trust the System? Or was it messing with him once again?

His thoughts about the first reward didn't change , as the comment was in line with his own thoughts . But the other two threw him for a loop . What did an alternate path mean? Did it refer to his soul cultivation , or was it something much bigger? Would it tamper with his nascent Creation based on Life and Death? Would it actually force him to embark on Buddhist Cultivation , forgoing his current classes?

And what the hell did rectification of regret mean?

He had done things he wasn’t too proud of since the integration , but he would say there was only one real regret ; not reaching his father before he was murdered . It couldn’t possibly be an array that could resurrect the dead , could it? Or was it rather related to his inability to cultivate? The more he thought about it the more likely it felt .

Wasn't that exactly what Divine Investiture meant? The ability to cultivate was based on one's affinity with the Daos , something that he was completely lacking . What if this array could rectify that deficiency in his body , allowing him to embark on the path of a true cultivator?

There were a lot of secrets related to his body , secrets that might make him want to stay a mortal . But he also knew that things would get extremely rough the further he walked down the path of cultivation . Things weren't too bad right now in F-Grade , but the situation would get much worse for each grade as far as he knew . This might be his shot at getting the final , and greatest , boost to his power , becoming a proper cultivator .

Zac finally went with his gut and reached for the second option .

Zac chose the Divine Investiture Array] based on his guess that the System wasn’t actively messing with him . Why would it even bother? It was in control of the rewards after all . He wasn’t interested in changing his path , which would potentially make the Yin-Yang Arhat Soul Array] useless . And between rectifying regret and strength , he chose the former .

He had plenty of Strength from a bunch of other sources , and a constitution array wasn’t required for him to deal with the issues on Earth . He hadn’t even seen anyone in his sector utilizing this kind of thing , and it didn’t come up when Galau talked about constitutions . It was probably some sort of high-tiered boost not available in his sector , but people did just fine without them .

Rectifying regret was more in line with his purpose of cultivation . He didn't really care about power for power's sake , and not all his troubles could get solved by becoming stronger . Perhaps the Divine Investiture Array] would make him a cultivator , or perhaps its function was something else entirely , but it didn't matter .

He didn't want to experience some tragedy in the future and realize it could have been prevented if he hadn't been too greedy for more power .

Zac didn’t immediately pick the reward though , but he first started putting on one ring after another on his fingers , before moving on to bracers , earrings , and necklaces . It was the jewelry he looted from the mentalist , each of them a pretty strong treasure that contained one charge either of offensive or defensive nature .

He had seen a couple of similar items by now , and he guessed that all of them were either high or more likely peak-tier quality . It was like he was decked in treasures that each could release an attack or shield at least at the level of the Void Bomb] that was powerful enough to tear holes in space . The items were clearly made for a woman , but he wasn’t in a position to be picky at the moment . The whole square could be full of people wanting to rip him to shreds for all he knew , and every small advantage would make a huge difference .

They were outside items so they were pretty limited inside the Tower , but they would be back to their full power out in the Base Town . He actually wanted to don a few dresses as well to improve his defenses even further , but he was afraid that he’d ruin any chances of finding a patron if he came out looking like a maniac .

He looked down at his body a second later , satisfied with the result . Ogras had once told him that wealth was one of the greatest weapons , and he was inclined to agree as he looked at the glistening treasures covering his hands and arms . It was like he suddenly had 10 lives , though each item spent was probably the equivalent of losing Hundreds of Millions of Nexus Coins , perhaps even Billions .

Zac also had enough Creation Energy in his body for one major restoration as well , but he didn’t want to use it unless absolutely necessary . He finally prepared one of the spikes of Faceless #9 in the sleeves of his robes , but he was even leerier about that spike compared to the Creation Energy . It might be lethal for outsiders to use , and he would only stab himself with that thing if he really didn't see any alternatives .

Normally he would have entered the new floor as a Draugr to defend against surprise attacks , but he , unfortunately , couldn’t do that as he was exiting the tower . Zac wasn’t ready to expose his second identity , which meant would have to defend against any potential assault with treasures and his nature-based defensive skills .

Zac took a few deep breaths before he picked the Divine Investiture Array] , and the next moment he was teleported to the 73rd floor . He crushed his token the moment he arrived , but his Danger Sense already screamed in alarm .

He immediately activated one of the defensive charges of a ring as he created a massive fractal edge that he swung in a grand 360-degree arc . A dozen massive rats were turned into mince-meat , and his whole body was drenched in blood and viscera in an instant . It wasn't exactly how he wanted to look upon exiting the tower , but perhaps it would give off an intimidating impression .

A glance at his surroundings showed that he had been thrown into the middle of an endless rat tide that relentlessly tried to swarm him from every direction with furious abandon , and he was forced to fight them off as their teeth seemed to be able to bite straight through the shield he had summoned . Even the leaves of Nature's Barrier] were getting ripped apart and swallowed by the crazed beasts .

Thankfully he only needed to fight for ten seconds before he was teleported out of the Tower of Eternity , where the Dao Apparition awaited .

The stone slate floated through the vast cosmos , just as it had since there was only darkness . Ancient lines marred its surface , every single groove and turn containing seemingly boundless profundity .

It spoke of the grand tenets of the universe , but very few had the ability to glean any of its secrets . So it continued its solitary journey through the vast cosmos . It silently passed the grand warriors who traversed the stars , and not even ancient existences born from stardust itself could sense its presence .

But all journeys must end .

A remote and solitary planet shone like a green gem , the stele imperceptibly adjusted its trajectory to head toward it . It breached the atmosphere not long after , and it finally settled down in a secluded valley .

The stele settled down gently on the ground , as though it wasn’t encumbered by gravity in the slightest . However , a simple touch of the slate made the whole world tremble , causing earthquakes and extreme weather to ravage the whole planet for months before subsiding .

The primordial stone plaque sat in its valley undisturbed , but the planet slowly changed from the fundamental truths it espoused . War ravaged the continents and enough blood was spilled that crops refused to grow in the soil . Countries rose and fell like the turn of the seasons , grand warriors becoming kings before turning to dust .

One day a one-armed man found himself in the valley . His army had been utterly defeated in battle , and he needed a safe harbor to hide from his enemies . He hadn’t lost through lacking skill or tactics , but through inferior numbers . It filled him with irreconciliation that a fool defeated him , but there was nothing to do about the situation . Reality wasn’t fair .

There was something alluring about the valley though , and the general soon forgot his anger as he scoured its nooks and crannies until he found the ancient stele . He was unable to take his eyes away from the patterns covering the surface , and it felt like they were the most beautiful things in the universe .

He sat down in front of it as though he was possessed , his eyes never leaving the stone for a second . The seasons passed as the man pondered upon the stele , silent and unmoving . Months turned to years , and years turned into millennia . Forces emerged and fell soon after , great triumphs and defeats replaced each other one by one on the continent .

However , no one ever visited the secluded valley . No one even spoke about the mountains that shielded it from the surrounding countries . It was as though it was separated from the world , a dimension of its own . It was just a man and a stone , and eons of silence .

A storm suddenly erupted in the valley , and the millennia of tranquility ended . The cultivator shuddered , as though he was brought out from a dream .

War , - he muttered as he got on his feet and looked to the stars .

War was the motor of progress , and blood was needed to turn the wheels of fate . Bowed to his master before walking over to take away the monument , as he felt there was still much to learn . But no matter how he strained and pulled it wouldn’t move the slightest . Cracks spread for tens of thousands of meters around him , but the monument refused to be moved .

The man sighed in disappointment , but there was no real anger in his eyes . There was just tranquility , and the burning fires of conflict . Increasingly powerful waves started to emanate from his body until he suddenly disappeared in a massive explosion . The next moment he stood in space , looking down at the planet below .

His homeworld had once been without end in his mind , a battlefield whose scale beggared comprehension . But now the scene was too small , just a small ripple in the universe not worth mentioning . He needed a grander arena to progress further . The warlord waved his hand , and a moon was ripped from its trajectory , and crushed into an unadorned lance of stone and steel .

Its materials were nothing special , but space still broke from the slightest movement of its tip .

He looked down at the planet , or rather the now-ruined valley where he had spent most of his life . If it wasn’t meant for him any longer , then it might as well continue its journey toward the next fated one . Being stuck on this small corner was an insult to the grandeur it represented .

He swung the lance with one swift motion , and space trembled as a wave of unfettered destruction carved off a section of the planet , sending the continent spinning toward the endless black . The universe needed war , and war needed more than one general .

A stone slate floated through the vast cosmos , and it would continue doing so until there was only darkness . Ancient lines marred its surface , almost every single groove and turn containing seemingly boundless profundity .

Chapter 466 - War

He made it to the 72nd floor after all! - Balios said to his uncle . - He might even make it the whole way . -

He’s almost out of time . There was less than a day remaining when he finally managed to pass the 71st level . Even if he defeats the guardian now he will be exhausted and most likely wounded , - Ubrok answered , but there were clear signs of hesitation on his face .

Still , - Balios whispered . - Perhaps we should stay out of this? Even lord Beradan only made it to the 65th floor . No matter if he passes or not he’s still someone we shouldn’t get involved with . We're just sticking our necks out while the real lords will reap the eventual rewards . The promised payment for assistance is not worth our lives . -

You are right . Let’s back away , - Ubrok finally relented . - We cannot get involved with the second coming of the Eveningtide Asura , our force will not be able to withstand the fallout no matter which side stands victorious . Let’s back away and enjoy the apparition in peace . I might even be able to improve my Dao Seed after all these years . -

Balios hurriedly nodded in agreement and their group of 8 started making their way back across the square . They weren’t alone in choosing retreat over the quest reward and the private bounties provided by a few scions . The heated competition for the front-row seats of the square had quickly died down as Zac Piker had knocked down one level after another , eclipsing all the sector's geniuses for the past hundreds of thousands of years .

Things had calmed down as Mr . Piker , or rather Lord Piker , found himself stuck on the 71st level for almost a week , but the moment he’d reached the final level of the 8th floor people started to worry . Some had already backed away , and there were not many willing to take the place of the deserters .

A million years had passed , but the lessons that the Eveningtide Asura had engraved into the souls of the people of the Zecia Sector were still vividly remembered . Opening yourself and your family up to that level of vengeance was not worth the potential prize or remuneration . However , the group only managed to retreat a hundred meters before a commotion broke out across the square .

73! - a cultivator screamed with shock , immediately causing some panic to finally appear even in the eyes of the staunchest of warriors .

A few still remained , clearly intent on betting it all , but most people started running for their lives . However , the fleeing cultivators stopped just a few seconds later because the tower started releasing an immense pressure as waves of power radiated across the whole town , far beyond what anyone had ever seen before .

Greed fought with fear , but the allure was too great . Witnessing a 9th-floor apparition from a front-row seat was too enticing to give up , and the whole square sat down on the ground as if they were of one mind . Balios froze in hesitation , unsure whether he should flee further or join the others . The hesitation only lasted for a fraction of a second as he hurriedly took out his prepared mat as he gazed up at the sky .

The pressure emitted from the tower kept accumulating , and fewer and fewer managed to hold their backs straight . A few even started bleeding from their ears from the immense aura of the Tower of Eternity . It was as though the Heavens themselves had descended upon the Base Town , standing in judgment .

But the pressure was suddenly gone , and Balios's eyes widened in shock as the tower flickered before it suddenly disappeared as well . Taking its place was a stone plaque whose size was a match to the Tower of Eternity . Balios’s eyes were drawn toward the mysterious scars covering its surface , and his mind turned blank the next moment .

It was only sometime later he woke up from his trance , but he was shocked to realize he couldn't remember a thing , not even how much time had passed . But something had changed inside his body , and it felt like his blood had been replaced by fire . The drums of war echoed in his mind and his arms bulged as he subconsciously dragged out Skylark] , his azure blue Azrathir Spirit Tool .

The sword hummed in response , seemingly influenced by the odd state of its master .

The teleportation array lit up , and the whole square collectively held their breath as the man they had been waiting for the past day reappeared . However , this was not a hero’s exit , but rather that of a beggar . The man’s aura seemed strong and stable , but he was completely covered in still-wet blood . He was also decked out in odd jewelry that made him look like a robber who had absconded with a maiden's jewelry box .

His rough state wasn’t surprising , as he had passed to the 73rd floor at the last possible moment . He was probably putting up a brave front , and he quickly sat down and closed his eyes , enjoying the protection of the array . Zac Piker had overtaxed himself , forgetting that there was another trial waiting for him outside .

Balios's eyes were slowly turning bloodshot , and a wordless agreement passed between him and his uncle . The group no longer had any interest in retreating , but instead slowly made their way back toward their position .

The quest! It changed! - another man suddenly shouted .

The flames of war were already drowning out most of Balios's thoughts , but curiosity overcame bloodthirst and he slowly looked away from the blood-drenched man to instead check out the changes of the quest .

Fatebreaker (Unique , Limited) : Kill Zac Piker within the time limit . Reward : Ten free levels in the Tower of Eternity . 00 : 01 : 00]

Balios’s eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets as he read the reward . What was going on? If the previous reward had been unprecedented , then the current one was beyond comprehension . Had Lord Piker spent his whole climb cursing the Heavens , and this was his retribution?

The whole square was like a kettle that threatened to boil over at any second , and Balios's eyes were locked at the humanoid treasure trove . A few minutes passed and Balios almost lashed out at his neighbors in a bloodthirsty rage , his muscles shuddering as he tried to keep his impulses in check .

But finally , the man stood up and turned toward the square .

I- - Lord Piker said , but he stopped when the protective array suddenly winked out like it just ran out of power .

Everyone gaped in incomprehension for a second , but chaos took hold of the square the next moment .

Zac appeared on the teleportation array , and he relaxed when he saw that the defensive array was still up and running . He needed to quickly consolidate his gains , so he sat down on the ground after nodding at Ogras and Galau who were mutely staring at him with eyes as wide as saucers .

He was relieved to see that all the defensive treasures he had equipped before exiting were still there , as was the valuable Spatial Ring that had belonged to the mentalist . He was pretty certain at this point that all the loot he had snatched from other climbers was still in his possession , though the same probably didn't hold true for the other valuables he picked up during the climb .

The other two didn't say a word as Zac closed his eyes , and he could understand their stunned expressions .

Not even he had really expected to pass the 7th floor , let alone the 8th . But all that could wait until later as he needed to focus on the vision he had just witnessed . It felt as though he had sat right next to that man for tens of thousands of years , appreciating the stone stele and its mysteries . Just looking at it had filled him with a desire for conquest , a bit like when he used Hatchetman’s Rage] .

The runes spoke of the survival of the fittest , about the need for conflict . Through battle the weaker sides would get cleansed , or - weakness leaving the hive’ as the Zhix would call it . The strong would get stronger , and the universe would benefit as a whole . It was evolution , continuous betterment by discarding what didn't perform .

Zac wasn’t sure what concept the rune represented , but he felt that it was either a Dao of Conflict or a Dao of War . The man in the vision had leaned toward the latter , but he had also been colored by his past experiences as a general . The man only grasped a snippet of the truths the stele contained , but that part alone had turned him into a terrifying powerhouse that made him break through multiple grades without any other assistance .

The main takeaway for Zac was the connection between battle and creation ; war always had a purpose . It might be held to protect your beliefs or to punish evil . War might erupt over resources , or to take out a hated enemy . It might just simply be the pursuit of strength . Purpose and conviction were what separated a warrior and a beast or a madman .

This meant that the concept engraved upon the stele wasn’t based on Oblivion , as it was not mindless destruction . It was creation through destruction , where you built your future through conflict . It felt like one of the most fundamental fusions of the two peak concept after looking at the ancient runes , but the Dao Fragment it resonated with most was his Fragment of the Axe . Perhaps all weapon-related Daos were children of the Dao of War .

A swing empowered by your conviction would move faster and hit harder than an empty attack . As long as he fought for what he believed in he would be able to push himself much further than if he fought with hesitation or reluctance in his heart . He had combined many aspects of heaviness and sharpness into the Fragment of the Axe , such as sharpness through speed and heaviness from momentum .

But he now added the reason for swinging his axe into his Dao .

Energy surged around him as he felt his insight coalesce , and his body was flush with power in an instant . He opened his eyes and immediately opened his Dao screen to see the result , and he was extremely satisfied with the results .

Fragment of the Axe (Middle) : All attributes +20 , Strength +225 , Dexterity +120 , Endurance +15 , Wisdom +50 . Effectiveness of Strength +10% .

It was a massive boost , though Zac looked at the additional all attributes with mixed emotions . He had hoped to maintain his massive lead in Luck against general cultivators , but it looked like deep insights into the Dao would be able to bridge some of the gap . Of course , he would still maintain a commanding lead thanks to his large number of titles that improved upon his base Luck .

Perhaps he shouldn’t be too surprised about the increased Luck stemming from a deeper understanding of the Dao . Gaining Dao Seeds and Dao Fragments was just forming a stronger connection with the heavens , which in turn should improve one’s fate .

The evolution of his Fragment of the Axe wasn't the only thing that he had gained from the vision . The stone stele had almost been all-encompassing , and he felt like he had created a foundation for improving both his other Fragments as well . Both the Fragment of the Coffin and the Fragment of the Bodhi were at the lowest possible level until now , but Zac now had something to build upon when he came back .

Taking the first step forward toward an upgrade had always been the hardest for him , but upgrading the two Fragments was only a matter of time now . It wasn't to the point that he felt one week of meditation would do the trick , but he still believed that he would be able to take the next step within a few months even if he didn't enter any life and death battles .

Unfortunately , he couldn't revel in his latest gains at the moment , as there were some pressing issues to deal with .

Are you okay? - Ogras asked with a hoarse voice as Zac stood up , and Zac noted a slightly manic look in the eyes behind the mask he wore to cover his features .

Not my blood , - Zac shrugged . - I’m in perfect condition , I killed the guardian over twelve hours ago . What’s going on? -

People started to leave , but then the apparition appeared and the quest changed . We’re in deep shit , - Ogras growled .

It changed? - Zac exclaimed with shock . - I’ll deal with this . Stay behind me if I can’t convince them to back away . I'll activate a defensive treasure I found . -

He turned toward the square , and he immediately understood what Ogras meant . The field in front of the tower only half-filled with cultivators from all sorts of races , but people were rushing toward the center square from every direction .

I- - Zac said with a carrying voice , but he was cut short as the shield in front of him suddenly disappeared .

His mind blanked out as he found himself exposed to a whole army waiting to kill him . He had hoped to work out a diplomatic resolution , but he realized that was a fool's dream as a collective roar spread across the square . His eyes widened in alarm , and his danger sense was already going off the charts .

The Spectral Forest of Hatchetman’s Spirit] appeared in an instant , and Nature’s Barrier] followed right after . He infused the Fragment of the Bodhi into the leaves without hesitation and spread it to cover his two companions as well . The two of them backed away as far as they possibly could , each of them erecting a few layers of defenses of their own .

He didn’t understand what was going on . It felt like he and the System had struck an accord earlier , and it had even gone so far as to help him out by directly speaking to him . But then it followed it up with dialing up the bounty on his head to the point that it made these people froth at the mouth .

Was the System unhappy with his choice?

Chapter 467 - Man Versus World

Over a hundred attacks teeming with power soared toward him , and the whole sky was shrouded by the multifarious display . Zac's fractal leaves condensed to cover a smaller area to create more layers of defense , but the defenses were quickly ripped to shreds by the onslaught .

Zac was far stronger than anyone here , but the attackers weren’t weaklings by any means . This was a low-grade sector , but everyone present was still the strongest of a generation , all intent on taking him out . There was only so much Nature's Barrier] could block before the leaves were exhausted , and he knew that he couldn't just sit around like a target dummy .

Verun's Bite] keened with delight as Zac's arm was almost turning into a blur . One fractal blade after another radiating terrifying energy ripped into the storm of attacks , crushing most of them without even needing to clash . The extreme power that radiated out from the middle-stage Dao Fragment was enough to utterly dominate the weaker strikes , and they were ripped into swirls of Cosmic Energy .

However , if each of his fractal blades was like a powerful elephant , then the weaker attacks were like a sea of rabid hyenas that slowly managed to whittle them down . There were just too many attackers , and he felt his waves of fractal edges slowly getting pushed back as more and more cultivators joined the fight .

It was a bit disappointing to not being able to utterly crush his enemies with sheer might , but it was still a massive show of force that he could almost create a stalemate when exchanging blows with hundreds of the top geniuses of the sector . He also knew that it was a testament to just how powerful a Mid-Grade Dao Fragment was .

His weapon was just average if you discounted the uncommonly high spirituality of the Tool Spirit , and Chop] was as basic a skill as they came . However , each blade still managed to crush a dozen beautiful and intricate skills that sailed toward him before they ran out of steam . Of course , if he didn't do something soon he might get himself or his two companions hurt .

However , Zac was prepared for exactly this kind of worst-case scenario , and Cosmic Energy streamed toward his neck .

Mysterious fluctuations spread out from his position the next second as a massive eye emerged out of the void . It was one of the treasures he had taken from the mentalist's Spatial Ring , a necklace with an eye that actually seemed alive . The conjured eye didn't move , but it rather just stared at the sea of cultivators and the incoming attacks . A mystic ray of blue light spread out the next moment , and the attacks cracked in an instant , leaving not a single one intact .

Dozens of warriors fell back with blood pouring from their eyes , their souls definitely hurt by the clash . It caused a lull in the battle , and Zac figured this was his last chance to stop the madness before it got out of hand .

Stop now and I won't cause any trouble for you or your clans , - Zac roared at the top of his lungs . - But I will kill everyone who stays behind , no matter heritage or affiliation! This is your only warning! -

His voice was filled with power , and the air shuddered around him as his blood-drenched aura was unleashed to its fullest . He hoped to wake these people up from their greed-fueled battle fervor . However , the effect of his words and his aura was far worse than he anticipated , and not a single one seemed willing to back down .

It was like they had eaten stimulants or some sort of berserking pill .

A few had been killed or incapacitated by the massive eye , but new warriors filled the ranks , and Zac could see that the streets were filling up with people who wanted to join the chaos . Just defending wouldn’t cut it , and he needed to go with Ogras’ idea . Kill a few chickens to scare the monkeys as the demon called it .

Another defensive treasure cracked on his hand , causing a shimmering fractal made from churning waters to appear in the air . Torrential typhoons shot toward the cultivators and swallowed up even more attacks , but a few still slipped through and slammed into his newly formed leaves . The storms weren’t as effective as the mysterious eye in pushing back the attackers , but it gave Zac enough time to charge up Deforestation] .

Zac was going all-out from the start . If the first swing wouldn't convince them to back off , then there was a tsunami of flames waiting . If people still hadn't managed to curb their greed he would release the Axe of Desolation] and end the battle altogether . The massive woodcutter's axe materialized above him , and Zac immediately initiated the Axe of Felling] .

You could say that he had started this battle with this very attack just before he was forced to flee into the tower , and he would end it the same way .

Stop its activation! - a shout echoed out across the square , and Zac was suddenly covered in uncomfortable energy that made the Cosmic Energy in his body feel slow and listless .

He quickly activated the first defensive charge of Hatchetman's Spirit] , but his eyes widened when the attack passed right through the emerald shield and drilled into his chest .

It's a curse , a rare type of mental attack! - Galau screamed from behind . - You can break it by force or treasures , look inward! -

Zac's eyes lit up and he looked inside , and he immediately spotted crude runes covering the Skill Fractal for Deforestation] . He rotated a storm of Cosmic Energy to slam into it , and three forceful pushes cracked it wide open . It caused light internal bleeding as well , but it wasn't a big deal for someone like Zac .

However , that was just the first of dozens attempts to tie down the massive axe in the sky . It was covered in ten layers of restrictive arrays as well , and no matter how hard Zac struggled he wasn't able to move his arm forward . It was a type of counter to his attacks he had never seen before , and he couldn't figure out any quick fix to launch the skill .

His axe was already tied up in the swing , making it impossible to send out any fractal attacks to destroy the restrictions . Nature's Punishment] was liable to destroy the axe as well , not that Zac was able to unleash both the attacks at the same time . Ogras seemed to have understood the issue as a beam of darkness slammed into the restrictions from behind , but only the outermost of the many layers of restrictions were broken .

Don't worry , - Zac said as he looked back . - I'll deal with this . -

He felt thankful that the demon was willing to stick his neck out in a messy situation like this , but Ogras was honestly more of a liability than an asset at this moment unless he had completely transformed during the time since they parted ways in the tower . He could only activate yet another of the one-time treasures , and he felt a large chunk of Cosmic Energy leave his body as a thousand golden swords shot toward the restrictions around the Axe of Felling] .

The restrictions were ripped to pieces before the swords continued toward the mob and caused widespread carnage as the summoned weapons slipped straight past hastily erected shields and into their bodies . However , the Axe of Felling] was already dissipating , and Zac had lost his connection to the fractal axe . Nothing happened as Zac swung Verun's Bite] over and over until the massive woodcutter's axe dissipated .

Zac growled with annoyance and tried to resummon the axe , but he was shocked to find that the skill wouldn't activate . It seemed that Deforestation] had been put on its cooldown since the first swing had technically been initiated . Zac didn't even know that an outcome like this was possible , and he scrambled for new ideas to deal with the mob and their next salvo of attacks .

Zac activated another one of the treasures , an offensively geared ring that released an invisible force that made the whole square twist and bend . Dozens fell to their knees screaming , their eyes and ears bleeding as they clutched their heads . It looked like the mentalist had been in possession of multiple mental attack treasures in addition to her terrifying skills .

The attack gave Zac a short breather and he turned toward his two companions who were still hiding in the back .

How do I defend against more curses? - Zac asked .

Galau only hesitated for a short moment before he took out a small doll and threw it over to Zac .

Pour some energy into this . It will take your place . But curses are very hard to plant when the target is anticipating it , - the merchant hurriedly said as his eyes darted back and in search of any lurking threat . - You can also guard your fractals with your Daos if they try it again . -

Zac nodded in thanks before he turned back toward the enemies . Losing Deforestation] to such a trick was a huge blow , but he wasn't out of options just yet . Cosmic Energy surged into his hand instead , and the sky above him cracked .

He also activated Hatchetman’s Rage] for good measure , as he was confident that the Splinter was in no condition to cause any trouble at the moment . The leaves surrounding him suddenly lost the beautiful fractals covering their surface as the wooden hand emerged from its separate dimension . Zac needed to make this one count , so he chose to infuse the attack with the Fragment of the Bodhi rather than his defensive canopy .

However , the wooden hand barely had time to move more than ten meters before it was almost blasted to pieces by three beams of light that converged right at its position . Zac endured the pain in his own hand and looked around , realizing that three attackers were holding identical mirrors covered in fractals . It was no doubt an array , and if there was one there were bound to be more arrays waiting to be activated .

A shockwave spread out from his original position as he flashed forward , two massive avatars appearing in an instant as a bracer on each of his arms cracked . One formed a vast cloud of darkness that covered the sky . Everything that entered it disappeared , including the beams of light . The other was a kneeling warrior without features , and he enclosed Ogras and Galau in a protective embrace .

The second treasure was activated to prevent the attackers from taking his two companions hostage in case he needed to enter a melee with the mob , whereas the second one would let him complete his skill . The vast clouds allowed the hand to move forward shrouded in darkness , and it quickly managed to erect its emerald array above the chaotic army .

However , its activation was by no means uncontested as over twenty avatars and powerful attacks rose to meet it .

The combined power the dozen elite warriors was barely able to hold back the descent of the punishment , and Zac found it difficult to make any headway . Zac was considering whether he should try to cause some chaos by jumping into the fray or perhaps weaken their coordination with another treasure .

Finally , he also decided to make a move himself . It would put Ogras and Galau at some risk , but he felt he needed his hands to get a bit bloodied if he wanted to end this thing . Perhaps the mob thought he kept using treasures because he wasn't actually that strong , which emboldened them to keep going . It would put him in harm's way of his own punishment , but he was durable enough to withstand some friendly fire .

He was just about to flash forward with Loamwalker] when a group of cultivators suddenly appeared out of nowhere at the front of the army . Most of them radiated a powerful aura that could almost match the weaker warriors in the Battle of Fates , and Zac knew that the true elites of the sector had made their move .

Zac wasn't worried in the slightest , rather the opposite . He believed if he managed to take out these people then any cohesion in the army would crumble , and he would only need to defend against some weaklings for another minute to make it out alive . Zac directly charged at the quintet , but he didn't have time to move before each of them produced a different treasure in their hands .

Four Gates! - one of the men shouted , and one massive doorway appeared in each direction around Zac .

The doors cracked open , and four densely inscribed hands emerged , each one forming a different seal . Zac noticed there was a group of warriors behind the man who had created a War Array to support the summoning , but he didn't have a chance to even attack before he was beset by a series of hallucinations .

Not only that , it felt like the world was twisted an inverted . He saw that his hand moved when he tried to walk , and the world was suddenly upside-down . It was like all his wires had been crossed , and just making the smallest movement needed great focus . Eating one of the mental pills and cracking another defensive treasure did alleviate the symptoms somewhat , but it was still a struggle to understand what was going on around him .

Zac knew he would have been able to improve the situation by infusing Mental Fortress] with the Fragment of the Bohdi Rather than Fragment of the Coffin , but he knew that the still-struggling Nature's Punishment] would be destroyed if it lost its Dao empowerment . He really needed to take out these five new arrivals , he arduously split his attention from the wooden hand to shoot out a series of fractal blades toward the group .

Six Directions! - a second cultivator shouted immediately as Zac launched his attacks , and six elongated Fractals formed a circle in the sky .

Zac growled in annoyance when he saw that he had been trapped by a shield that blocked his strikes with only the smallest of cracks forming , and he realized that it might be even sturdier than the cage he created with Profane Seal] .

But these people would soon understand he wasn't someone they could trap so easily .

Chapter 468 - Restrained

Zac realized that breaking through the thick shield would be difficult from the outside , but the wooden hand was already presiding above the army outside of the shield . He needed to create an opportunity to let the punishment descend , which would hopefully ruin the array as well . He had a few options , but he ultimately chose to utilize one of the rings on his finger , which was another offensive treasure from the mentalist .

He hoped that the mental attack would be able to breach the Six Direction's shield , as it seemed physical in nature . It was unlikely they had prepared mental defenses after his display upon entering the tower , after all . The ring on his finger cracked and Zac breathed out in relief when he saw the almost imperceptible wave slip through minute cracks between the six fractals and descend on the army .

Another burst of Cosmic Energy entered Zac's body as several cultivators instantly got their souls crushed , and many of the skills blocking Nature's Punishment] failed as warriors were forced to withstand a massive trauma to their souls . It seemed as though the group of five in the front were protected by some unknown means though , and they didn't even flinch as the wave passed them by .

The offensive treasure had fulfilled its purpose as the avatars that blocked Nature's Punishment] lost their vigor in an instant , and a massive branch finally managed to emerge from the emerald fractal in the sky . Chaotic storms of Cosmic Energy caused massive waves in the sky as warriors threw out defensive treasures and all sorts of talismans as a last-ditch effort , but everything was pushed aside or crushed as the massive branch descended .

Only at the last moment was the wooden punishment stopped by a prismatic shield that reminded Zac of a soap bubble . Zac kept infusing the skill with more and more power though , and he felt like he was just missing a little bit to break the last line of defenses . One cultivator after another fell beneath the shield as they were overtaxed by the pressure , but the replacements were seemingly endless .

Zac suddenly had an idea and he took out an impressive-looking talisman from his Spatial Ring and threw it toward the army with a roar . The eyes of quite a few warriors widened in alarm , and they quickly refocused their efforts to defend their minds from yet another concussive wave . The army had already been beset by two peak-grade soul-harming arrays , and many were probably hanging on by a thread .

However , no mental attack emerged as the talisman cracked in front of the prismatic shield . Instead , a weak shield sprung up and covered a patch of dirt .

The prismatic shield burst apart the next moment , and the wooden finger headed right toward the army with world-ending force . The branch slammed into the large square cobblestones of the square like the finger of an angry god and the whole area shook and heaved as Zac was inundated in a massive amount of Cosmic Energy . At least 50 people had died from the initial attack , and even more sported gristly wound from the shockwave .

However , the attack wasn't over just yet .

Hundreds of sharp branches grew out of the tree and stabbed everything in its surroundings , causing another wave of carnage . It was just like when the spectral chains of Profane Seal] targeted the living inside its cage , and desolate cries echoed across the core area of Base Town as one cultivator after another was impaled .

Only then did the emerald array in the air dissipate while Zac lost his mental connection to the tree . It remained on the square though , its branches filled with the unmoving bodies of dozens of fallen warriors . It had turned into a twisted monument drenched in the blood of the elites of the sector , and hopefully it would serve as a reminder to choose life over wealth for anyone who had any ideas on Zac .

Unfortunately , it seemed as though the group maintaining the two powerful arrays around him had come prepared , and another shield protected them from the fall-out from Nature's Punishment] as they prepared their next moves . It was becoming increasingly apparent that this group of five was the largest threat unless there were even stronger people lying in wait in one of the palaces that lined the square .

Heaven's Punishment! - - Hell Suppression! - two more cultivators shouted in unison as Zac scrambled for a way to break the stalemate , leaving only the young man in the middle of the group of five unoccupied .

A vast array in an unblemished white appeared in the sky , and it felt like his body was being slowly being ground to dust just by being covered in its lights . Zac wanted to get out the way , but a pitch-black array suddenly covered the ground he stood on , and he helplessly fell down onto the cobblestones from an immense pressure .

Zac's whole body was immobilized by an almost unbearable weight , and the whole square around him cracked even though it was made from some mysterious material that didn't even scar until he brought out Nature's Punishment] . The four arrays were no doubt at the absolute peak of what could be brought to the Base down , and they had even formed a system to create an even stronger effect .

Just moving his arms was a struggle , and Zac started to worry for the first time as he saw the leader of the group prepare what would no doubt be the finale . He considered activating another defensive treasure pre-emptively , but he quickly decided against it . He was running low on Cosmic Energy by this point , and each activation took a good chunk of his reserves . He'd only activate another talisman if he saw a lethal attack coming .

He was also out of offensive treasures , leaving him unable to deal with any of the four arrays restricting him . He was almost out of options , and he knew he would have to pay a price to deal with this situation . However , he was unwilling to keep his head bowed down to some warriors relying on superior numbers .

He remembered the feelings irreconciliation of the general in his vision ; the frustration of being bested not by skills or hard work , but by being overwhelmed by sheer numbers . He would have done well to remember that general's painful lesson , but he had walked into this fight with a feeling of superiority , that numbers were irrelevant to his superior might .

But he had been met with ingenious tactics and boundless ferocity , proving that not even someone who had stood shoulder to shoulder with the elites of the multiverse was safe . Death could come at any time , from the most unlikely of perpetrators .

Veins wiggled beneath his skin across his body as he forced himself back on his knees . The pressure was terrifying , but he was slowly adapting to it with the help of his insights into the Dao of Heaviness . Thin layers of skin were peeling off from his face and arms before rising toward the array above like he was spontaneously falling apart , but he ignored the pain as his wild eyes were trained at the group of warriors .

The whole shield shuddered as Zac flashed forward and cut into it with Verun's Bite] , the weapon radiating sanguine light that painted the group red . The woman controlling the array paled from the backlash , forced to take a step back . It did hold against his assault though , but Zac was just getting started .

Power and rage coursed through his veins as he slammed one time after another , each strike containing enough force to split mountains . His whole body creaked and groaned from the pressure and wounds were opening up from just moving about , but he kept swinging his axe with relentless ferocity .

The woman controlling the Six Directions array was empowered by a retinue running a War Array , but the supportive cultivators fell down with bleeding orifices as they were being overtaxed . Cracks started spreading across the shimmering wall , and just a bit would be enough to break through and reach these people .

As long as he got into melee range things would be over , as no one here was his match in such close proximity .

Zac's eyes were filled with blood from the immense pressure from the combination of the suppressive array and Hatchetman's Rage] , but the leader of the five looked into his with equanimity as he took out a large box and pointed it toward Zac . Zac's danger sense screamed for him to move , but he first sent a mental command into his axe .

A swirl of mysterious energies slipped through the cracks Zac had caused in the shield , and the primordial beast appeared in all its glory a second later . Zac wasn't the only one who had undergone a drastic change during the climb , Verun had gotten received its own share of opportunities .

The beast was actually a bit smaller compared to before , but it was more condensed , more corporeal , compared to before . It was still five meters long and reached almost three meters into the air , making it a massive beast compared to anything that had lived on Earth at least . Its huge maw with its grisly fangs looked the same as before , but the number of eyes had actually increased on its head .

It now had two sets of eyes , all four of them seemingly moving independent of each other as they looked for targets . Swirls of blood also slowly rotated around its paws , and Zac sensed a hint of the dragon's primordial aura from the Tool Spirit . It released an earthshattering roar after having finally appeared after so long , and it immediately pounced on the cultivators on the square .

Zac had initially wanted to force his way out of the shield , but he knew enough to listen to his danger sense . So he jumped back to avoid whatever the leader had planned . He didn't know what was inside that box , but it felt extremely dangerous , even to him .

Being forced to back off at this critical juncture was a disappointment , but the shield was seriously weakened and its controller seemed to be running out of steam . Verun was also causing mass panic among the cultivators outside , and together with the mass casualties from Nature's Punishment] he pretty much only had the five elites and their retinues to worry about . And he still had something that could easily turn the tides .

Zac was still a bit hesitant though as he took out the rusty sword from his Spatial Ring .

However , he had witnessed the power of the sinister weapon himself during the Battle of Fates . That swordsman had been able to utterly destroy Nature's Punishment] with the help of this cursed weapon , and if Zac hadn't deactivated his skill in time he might even have lost his hand . It was his best option to end things in one go , especially now that the rabble had been mostly routed with the help of the massive tree's descent .

Besides , he didn't want to waste any more of the mentalist's jewelry . He would have wasted too many treasures before even returning to earth if he continued like this , and those things might be crucial in the upcoming fights against the Dominators . Zac gripped the dried-out leather of the hilt , and his wounds opened all over his arm as he forcibly started dragging it out of its scabbard .

Blood fell on the ground like rain , and Zac roared into the sky as a storm of voices entered his mind . Odd veins started traveling up his arm from his sword as well , like the weapon was trying to fuse with his body . Even the exhausted remnants shuddered from the intrusion into his mind , but they weren't in any condition to affect the course of events .

Zac suppressed the voices with everything he got as he strained to finish the attack quicker .

It almost felt like he was trying to complete the third swing of Deforestation] by unsheathing the blade , and a huge chunk of his remaining Cosmic Energy was swallowed by the sword in an instant . But Zac didn't care as he felt that a horrible power was brewing within the sword , and his arm bulged as he finally managed to drag out the reluctant weapon before the veins could spread above his elbow .

A piercing wail echoed across the square and Zac's vision doubled from the mental shock , but he still swung the weapon in a wide arc toward the cultivators running the arrays . He wasn't sure whether there was a trick to using the weapon , so he tried to mimic the form of the swordsman as best as he could remember .

The familiar white half-moon thankfully appeared , but it was covered in the same red pulsating veins as those snaking up along his arm . The strike had felt like a pure sword-strike when the lanky swordsman used the weapon back on the 7th floor , but now it really felt like something an unorthodox cultivator would use . It hadn't weakened the power of the strike though , but rather the opposite .

Zac moved his mental energy and started infusing the blade with the Fragment of the Axe for good measure . Zac got a rabid pushback from the weapon , but Zac growled and crammed it in , no matter what the crazy voices were screaming . The blade shuddered and a few cracks appeared , but it quickly mended and continued to expand as it picked up more and more speed as it rushed toward the shield , now empowered with Zac's most destructive Dao .

It was like the edge was tapping an unceasing fount of power , and was soon so large that the whole army would be hit if it managed to break out from its cage . Most of the surviving warriors had already started running for their lives after realizing their attacks passed straight through Verun's body , and seeing the corrupted half-moon broke the will of the few remaining cultivators hoping to fish in muddy waters .

Only the five cultivators stood their ground , and they seemed to have some confidence in the layers of restrictions they had superimposed on the square .

Breath of Cosmos! - the leader shouted , and he finally opened the box that he had held in his arms until now .

A cloud of stardust emerged from the chest , and it drifted straight through the shield and toward the incoming attack . The whole blade was soon covered in a glistening cloud , and it looked like a beautiful nebula . The aura of madness that the half-moon emitted was completely swallowed by the dust , and Zac sensed that the cloud was slowly grinding it down .

However , Zac’s attack pushed forward with undeniable intractability , and it was like the mysterious cloud that had caused such a strong reaction in Zac's mind only managed to nip at its heels . The leader looked extremely surprised at the turn of events before some worry started to show on his face .

Release your greatest attacks! - the leader shouted , as Cosmic Energy started to surge around his body .

This is not what we agreed upon! - another of the five retorted . - You guaranteed that the Five Dimensional Seal] would restrain him! Does this look restrained to you?! -

Chapter 469 - Clashing Fates

The man who had spoken up wasn't the only one who looked at the leader with fear-induced anger , but another two of them seemed to be ready to leave then and there .

I'll increase the compensation . Besides , he is still restrained even if he's not incapacitated . We just need to break this attack and we'll have won , - the man said .

The man looked unreconciled but he still complied , and he took out a green finger from his Spatial Tool and swallowed it . The next moment he swelled over five times in size while an enormous cauldron appeared behind him , and he launched a punch that shuddered with power toward Zac . The attack caused a cascading series of putrid explosions to rock the area , and a few unlucky cultivators who had been maimed from the fight earlier were consumed as well , turning into brittle skeletons in an instant .

The four elites followed suit , and all of them either transformed from an ultimate skill or caused an avatar to appear behind their backs . One of them seemed to be a lightning cultivator , and another summoned a beast that looked even more dangerous than Verun . The Tool Spirit roared in defiance , but it still stayed away from the five due to Zac's command and kept routing the stragglers .

Zac was a bit out of it from the increasingly intrusive screams emerging from the tattered sword , but he could still hear their discussion . He was initially confused just who these five people were , as they were of mixed races and dressed completely differently . It didn't seem like they belonged to the same force , and this notion was only reinforced when they released their ultimate skills .

From the conversation , it looked like a group of elites had decided to band together in other to incapacitate him . Zac guessed they had kept their aces in hopes that they would be able to snatch the final prize the moment he was lying within the arrays unable to even lift a finger .

The two sides clashed , and it felt like the world had frozen before cataclysmic waves of attuned energies spread in all directions , drowning the whole square in color . There was a very clear divide in the sky , with Zac's side being white with red streaks , and the other half being a mix of colors representing the five elites .

It looked like there was a stalemate taking place , but Zac knew things weren't that simple . His attack was one single wave of unadulterated power , whereas the other side was a mostly disjointed mix . It was only a matter of time before his attack would break through at which point things would go south very quickly for his enemies .

The leader of the group seemed to have understood what was going going to happen as well , and he immediately took action . However , he neither tried another counter nor tried to run away , but he rather slapped a talisman onto the back of the woman next to him , the cultivator responsible for the 'Six Directions Array' .

She disappeared in a puff , leaving the others flabbergasted .

Their side had already been on the losing end of the confrontation , and they had suddenly lost a fifth of their power along with the powerful shield protecting them . The four remaining attacks crumbled in an instant , and the half-moon seized the opportunity pushed forward with furious momentum .

One of the masters tried to run , but it seemed as though he was bogged down in a quagmire . He released a soundless scream as the half-moon bisected him , but Zac's brows furrowed when he saw that the blade actually seemed to swallow the man . The red veins crept out from the edge and latched onto the cultivator , and his body was drained in an instant .

Most of the retinues that infused the five through War Arrays met the same fate , and only the leader managed to hold on by expending a series of defensive treasures . Zac finally couldn't take the strain from holding the sword any longer , and he immediately put away the thing , causing the half-moon to disappear after releasing a wail of discontent .

Zac flashed forward the next moment and he activated the first fractal of Verun's Bite] again , intending to end things then and there . The mob of cultivators was mostly dealt with , but as long as the man who had organized the assault was alive he wouldn't feel safe . He was in front of the leader in an instant , and his axe shone with a sanguine glow as it fell toward his head .

However , before Zac’s attack had a chance to connect a necklace lit around the man up , and Zac felt an all-consuming pain as the defensive charge of Hatchetman’s Spirit] crumbled in an instant . His chest had been turned into a bloody mess yet again , and it was almost as bad as yesterday when he got punched by the Technocrat Captain .

Thankfully Zac still possessed the final energies that the Shard of Creation had released during its rampage , and he quickly urged it to reform his torso before he passed out . It almost looked like time went in reverse as his body reformed in an instant , but the fact that his robes were broken and tattered was proof that he had been at death's door just a second ago .

The richly dressed youth gaped in shock and dismay as Zac's axe bit into his body . The richly decked man tried to push the axehead out of his body , but Zac utterly overpowered him as he released a storm of rampant energies that turned the man's insides into a mess .

He somehow managed to stay alive , and their eyes met as the man clung to life .

I’m sorry . You needed to die for my dream to come true . My ending is well deserved , - the cultivator weakly smiled before his volume rose to be heard across the square . - I risked everything for power , but I failed . My ending has no relation with my clan . -

Zac didn’t say anything , and the man died a just a few seconds later . A lot of murmurs erupted from the cultivators who had spectated the battle from a safe distance , and a lot of people seemed to be recording the events into information crystals .

Being recorded was pretty much expected , so he didn’t care , but he rather readied his still bloody axe for any follow-up attacks . As expected , his mind suddenly felt a pang of danger , and he quickly turned around as Everlasting] appeared on his arm .

However , the assassin who had wanted to take advantage of the moment Zac let his guard down found himself impaled on a black spear as Ogras appeared out of his shadows . A burst of shadows ripped the man to pieces , and the demon walked up next to Zac as his face dripped with blood .

It’s over! - the demon shouted . - The quest is over , and Lord Piker has withstood the Trial of the Ruthless Heavens . We understand the allure of the reward and the effect of the Apparition , so we’ll let all enmities stay in behind and dissipate in Base Town as we leave . But any further attempts on our lives here or out in the open world will be met with a vengeance of extreme proportions . If not today then later . -

A snort escaped from Zac’s nose even if he understood the severity of the situation . It was just like Ogras , appearing the last moment looking like a heroic defender of justice with his spear pointed at the skies . Zac knew full well that the demon was nowhere near as confident as he wanted to appear , but it was for the best that Ogras dealt with the fallout .

Zac had immediately understood what Ogras was doing . He was trying to make minimize potential threats that could crop up in the future . They already had the Zethaya , Tsarun Clan , and The Great Redeemer to worry about , and causing a grudge with dozens of more families would neither do him nor Earth any good .

He could only hope that the forces of the sector would take the death of their scions with stride . A few people dying should barely be noticeable for these huge forces as thousands died every day in their struggle to become stronger . Such was the life of a cultivator .

If that wasn’t enough the various forces still might on his good due to worry about what he might become in the future . He had reached the 9th floor , something that only had happened once in recent memory , which should be a huge indicator of great potential for the people in this sector .

Thankfully it looked like no one wanted to fight any longer . Perhaps it was because the quest had ended , or perhaps it was because he was still essentially unscathed while the bodies of his enemies littered the whole square . The corpse-tree rising almost fifty meters into the air was also a poignant warning to anyone arriving late .

It was a relief , as he was currently pretty exhausted . Along with the backlash from activating Hatchetman's Rage] he wouldn't even be able to muster half his power right now . But there was one thing that cut through the fatigue ; greed . Just as there were bodies strewn everywhere across the field , so were there Spirit Tools and Cosmos Sacks .

His eyes turned to the man lying in front of him , the presumptive leader of the other side . He walked over toward the corpse and bent down to take the Spatial Ring on his finger . However , he stopped when he saw a man from the sidelines take a few steps toward him .

Ah , Lord Piker , I mean no disrespect . But you might not want to take that man’s possessions , - a man hesitantly spoke up from the distance . - That is Yeorav Dravorak , of the Dravorak Dynasty . You might want to let them take his body and belongings back . -

Zac looked down at the body in front of him without a change in expression , but some waves still rose in his heart . Was this the brother of Reoluv , the man whose Tower Apparition had given him the Fragment of the Coffin , and the greatest Genius in the sector for thousands of years? And more importantly , the Dravorak Dynasty was a peak force in the sector . How would they respond to one of their princes dying?

Was this why the man had spoken up right before his death?

But at the same time , wasn't it too late by now for a show of respect? If the Dravorak wanted revenge , would him giving back the man's body make any difference? If this had been inside The tower or in the wild , then Zac would definitely have looted the body before destroying it , but this had taken place in front of hundreds of people .

He wasn't sure what the custom was regarding this , and he glanced at the demon for assistance .

The young Prince was an honorable man , facing his fate with equanimity , - Ogras said . - His companions can claim him and his belongings . However , that only goes for the young prince . The rest bet their lives for power and wealth , and their possessions are Lord Piker's rightful claim for standing victorious . Everyone is free to claim the bodies of the deceased though , to give them their final rites . -

Zac glanced at the expressions of those standing in the distance , and from the looks of it the demon's way of dealing with things wasn't anything uncommon . However , his eyes widened when he saw the woman who he had just fought return . Her eyes were bloodshot as she looked down at Yeroluv Dravorak , before her eyes moved to meet Zac's .

Zac felt the demon next to him tense up , gearing up for a battle , but Zac stopped him with a shake of his head .

I am sorry . I- - she said before she looked down again with a shake of her head . - I am sorry . -

She bent down and gingerly picked up the body of Yeorav before she slowly walked away from the square with the man in her arms . Zac’s eyes followed the woman’s lonely back as she carried the body to the edge of the square before she squatted down . It didn’t look like she was planning on avenging him or anything , but rather that she seemed at a loss of what to do next .

Zac only shook his head with some heaviness .

It sounded like that man had desperately needed to get the reward for taking him out , to the point that he had been willing to die for it . That didn’t really make him evil though , but rather someone out of options . Zac knew the feeling all too well , having been forced to make decisions that went against his conscience to protect those around him .

Ogras would probably have killed the lover as well if they hadn’t been inside the Base Town where his actions might have triggered another quest , but Zac had no such intentions . It might be akin to releasing a wolf back into the forest , but what trouble could she possibly cause compared to Yeorav’s family?

Zac didn’t even have the energy to start speculating the aftermath of killing a scion of the Dravorak Dynasty , and instead focused on the task at hand .

I am Zac Piker , and I am not connected to any force , - Zac said with a hoarse but carrying voice .

He had long considered what he should say if he ever got to this point , and he was glad to see the eyes light up among many of the scions .

There is a man calling himself The Great Redeemer is heading for my planet , intent on sacrificing everyone on it for an evil ritual . I believe he is currently a Peak D-Grade Warrior , and he has some knowledge of the Dao of Karma , but that’s all I know , - Zac continued .

This was the plan . He’d simply lay the cards on the table . He had no bargaining skills , and his time was limited , so he wanted to create a sense of urgency . There should be a lot of C-Grade forces interested in making a connection with him , and everyone would want to be the first to tie him to their chariot .

The scions looked a bit confused about the sudden change in topic , but a few eyes lit up in comprehension as they realized what was going on .

I come from a weak recently integrated planet , and no one will be able to stop him . Taking care of a D-Grade Hegemon would be a small task for many of your ancestors , but it would be a favor I would forever remember . I am wi- - Zac said , but he was interrupted by a man who had just walked out of one of the palaces .

Wait! I know that man! - the youth said with surprise . - He’s the excommunicated son of the Heliophos Clan! They have been looking for him for tens of thousands of years! -

Zac’s eyes lit up when he heard the news . Things would only become easier if the man was actually a fugitive . Perhaps he could even count on this Heliophos Clan clan to deal with the problem for him .

But the drastic change in expression among the people quickly doused Zac’s excitement .

Chapter 470 - Friends and Foes

People who had already spoken up of their support suddenly looked troubled , and a few others were even walking away without hesitation . Just what was going on? He quickly looked over at Ogras , but he shook his head in confusion as well .

Zac could only guess they were another peak force , and he looked over at Galau for confirmation .

Ah… This… - Galau stammered , clearly unwilling to broach the subject in front of such a large audience . - I think you should speak with Heliophos Clan before doing anything else . -

Zac slowly nodded as he looked at the troubled faces of the people around him .

Is there anyone here who belongs to the Heliophos Clan? - Zac asked .

The Heliophos Clan isn’t a combat-oriented family , so they don’t climb the Tower of Eternity , - the youth from earlier said after the silence had stretched on for a while . - They are a solitary clan focusing on divination and fate augmentation . -

Zac inwardly groaned in annoyance when he put two and two together . These people didn’t want to risk causing a rift with a clan full of Karmic Cultivators . They might find that their clan was on the brink of ruination a few hundred years later without knowing what had happened . No one wanted to be the one to take out The Great Redeemer if it meant making such a troublesome enemy .

He was about to ask the merchant to clarify just how powerful the Heliophos Clan was , but he suddenly noticed that the crowd was giving way for someone to reach the front . Was there actually someone who could speak for this odd clan here?

Now that was something else , - a slightly amused voice said , and young cultivators hurriedly scurried out of the way to give room to a young woman .

Zac looked over and almost took a step back in shock , as the woman looked almost identical to someone he had seen before . The newcomer was almost a picture-perfect copy of the mysterious Draugr-lady who had given him the miasmic fractals in his mind , and whose presumed husband he had just met in another vision .

Behind her two Revenants walked in pace , one of which radiated an aura that was at least comparable to the man he had just taken out . If such an elite was just an attendant , then the Draugr might be frightfully powerful , even if Zac couldn't gauge anything from her appearance alone . Add to that the vast resources of the Undead Empire , and this small group might be an even bigger threat compared to those he had just fought .

However , they didn't emit any killing intent , but rather the opposite . It was like the Draugr was looking at him like he was some long-lost brother or something . Was this a huge coincidence? Or was this the System messing with his fate somehow? He warily stared at her , trying to figure out what her aim was .

You don’t need to worry about me . I’m not even from this star sector , I wouldn’t care even if you killed everyone in this place , - she smiled . - In fact , I’m a friend and I come bearing gifts . -

Almost forty bloody heads appeared in front of her the next second .

I . . . encouraged a few forces to stay away from this matter as I wanted to meet with you , - she said as she looked down at the heads like they were a pile of garbage . - I also dealt with the Tsarun clan for you , so that we would be able to talk uninterrupted . -

What do you want? - Zac asked suspiciously before he looked down at the heads with a grimace .

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that things had deteriorated into an irreconcilable feud with the Tsarun Clan after this .

It made no sense that this Draugr wanted to make friends with him . The Undead Empire wasn’t strictly xenophobic , but they seldom mingled with the living . Or did she simply need a strong F-Grade ally for some task? Or more likely , was she able to sense his connection to Be'Zi somehow?

I think it's a discussion best held in private , - the Draugr said , not offering any clues .

A- My friend , - a familiar voice said as Boje Zethaya scurried forward . - I feel terribly apologetic about the mess caused by my inattentiveness the other day . Why don’t you use my family’s abode to conduct any meetings you might have? -

Well , shall we? - the Draugr said as she sauntered toward the Pill House with the powerful-looking revenant silently walking behind her .

Zac only hesitated for a second before he decided to check things out . This girl wasn't even from this Sector , which meant she had a pretty strong backing . Traveling between sectors was something that only the extremely powerful or the exorbitantly wealthy could do .

It was a possibility that she came from some big shot family of the Undead Empire , and she might even be able to solve the problem on Earth with a few words . One newly integrated planet couldn’t be very important in the wider scope of things . It was absolutely worth exploring further .

He first turned to Ogras and Galau who had walked over as well , but still stood some distance apart from the gathered mob .

Will you two be fine? - Zac asked .

I- I need to talk with my cousins , - Galau said with a slightly hollow voice .

Tell me if you need help with anything , - Zac nodded .

I'll come with you after dealing with the battlefield . You talk with the Draugr , I'll stay outside and see if I can find out some more about that clan . I don't believe there isn't a single force that's brave enough to stick their neck out and help deal with that old goat coming for us , - the demon said .

Zac nodded as he looked around at the square full of corpses . His eyes moved to a corpse lying just a few meters away , a stocky humanoid holding a beautiful blue sword which hummed with spirituality . Ogras looked over as well , and a shadow tendril brought over the sword .

Water attuned , - the demon muttered . - Might be suited for old man Trang . -

Zac nodded before his eyes turned toward the merchant who was scurrying toward one of the roads leading toward the outer sector of Base Town . However , he didn't get far before one scion after another approached him . Finally , two stunning beauties dispersed the crowds before they led Galau to a palace facing the square .

They seem to know him . The Peak girl? - Ogras muttered as he shot a glance at the merchant just as they walked into the grand building .

Perhaps , - Zac nodded . - We haven't done anything evil in his presence though , and the Peak family might prove our best shot at dealing with this mess . Let them sound Galau out while I talk with the Draugr . -

Zac left the demon to deal with the clean-up , and he only personally took the Spatial tools of the three elites who had assisted Yeorav before he walked toward the Pill House . He couldn't stop his curiosity though , and he took a look at his status screen he walked .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

75

Class

F-Rare] Hatchetman

Race

E] Human

Alignment

Earth] Port Atwood - Lord

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher , Progenitor Hegemon , Duplicity Core , Apex Hunter , Heaven's Chosen , Scion of Dao , Omnidextrous , Eastern Trigram Hunt - 1st , Tyrannic Force , Achievement Hunter , The First Step , Promising Specialist , Tower of Eternity - 8th Floor , Heaven's Triumvirate , Fated , Peak Power

Limited Titles

Frontrunner , Tower of Eternity Sector All-Star - 14th

Dao

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

Core

E] Duplicity

Strength

1253 Increase : 81% . Efficiency : 199%]

Dexterity

590 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 170%]

Endurance

1453 Increase : 99% . Efficiency : 189%]

Vitality

784 Increase : 84% . Efficiency : 189%]

Intelligence

293 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 170%]

Wisdom

494 Increase : 60% . Efficiency : 170%]

Luck

285 Increase : 86% . Efficiency : 179%]

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

F] 6 862 770 130

Zac wryly smiled as he looked at his status screen . He had been worried about being able to reach 1000 Strength at all , but he had suddenly shot way past his goal . However , he quickly realized that all of it didn't come from his upgraded Dao Fragment , but there were actually two new titles as well .

Peak Power : Reach 5000 Attribute Points while still in F-Grade Reward : Effect of Attributes +5%]

As expected , there was another Title for reaching a monstrous number like 5000 attribute points while still at F-Grade . However , he wasn't as sure about just how rare it was any longer after witnessing the Battle of Fates and his Mid-Grade Dao Fragment .

One Dao Fragment awarded 550 attribute points , which together with the effect of titles closed in on a thousand points . If someone had a couple of them , or perhaps even a Late-Stage Dao Seed , then reaching 5000 attribute points wouldn't be all too difficult . However , that wasn't all he gained , as he had actually gained another title , though this one was limited .

Tower of Eternity Sector All-Star - 14th Limited] : Attain the 14th best all-time result in the Zecia Sector . Reward : Strength , Endurance , Vitality , Luck +6% . Effect of Strength , Endurance , Vitality +6% ]

He was honestly a bit surprised about being only the fourteenth position . It was still an extremely good result , but he had only heard of the Eveningtide Asura . But then again , the sector was probably extremely old , and outliers were bound to appear now and then over millions of years .

However , he noticed that his recently gained title related to the Terminus was missing in his status screen , though he could still find it if he opened the actual title screen . It was a bit odd , but he honestly felt it was for the best . What if some old monster had the ability to spy on his status screen? Having seen the Terminus might only cause a bunch of problems for him .

Normally he would have looked through his status screen a bit longer , but he had things to do and time was limited . He soon walked through the passageway into the Pill House , and there was no array impeding him this time . Zac almost felt as though he had dreamed that the place had been turned into a pile of rubble just one day ago , as the place looked almost like a carbon-copy of its predecessor .

Boje was already waiting in the lobby , and Zac was personally led by the man to the second floor .

Let us know if there's anything else you need , - he said as he stopped outside a room .

Do you have any more of those cherries? - Zac asked before walking inside .

A- No? I thought you . . . - Boje stammered a bit , looking a bit confused .

I had to use it on myself in the tower , so I need another soul-healing treasure for the intended recipient , - Zac explained .

Oh , I see , - Boje said with a troubled face . - I am afraid I don't have anything on me . If you give me a week I'll be able to send for something from my family , and I'll be happy to directly gift it to you . -

I'm leaving today , - Zac said with a shake of his head . - See if you can find out if anyone has something that would work . -

We'd be happy to , - Boje said before he handed Zac two tokens after some thought . - This teleportation token leads to one of our main stores , and the insignia gives you the status of an esteemed guest . You will be able to order a medicine tailored for your friend there , and our resident alchemist will immediately concoct it . Such a pill would not have any secondary effects like the Cherry might have produced , but its healing efficacy will be at least of the same level , probably higher . -

Zac's eyes lit up and he immediately accepted the two tokens . He wouldn't personally go there until he could be certain about his safety , but he might be able to send someone else there if he couldn't find any solution for Alea in the short run .

Thank you . You can speak with Ogras if there is anything else , - Zac nodded .

He couldn't help but feel some sort of vindication as he stepped inside the room . Last time he had come here as a nobody , a supplicant begging for resources . Now he was a bigshot who got things done with a wave of his hand , and he'd be lying if he said that it didn't feel pretty nice .

I didn't have a chance to introduce myself earlier , - the Draugr smiled as Zac closed the door behind him . - I am Catheya Sharva'Zi . I am from what you would call the Empire Heartlands . -

Why have you come to this remote corner of the universe then? - Zac asked with some confusion . - Shouldn't be anything of interest here . -

My master is looking for a certain opportunity to break through , - Catheya said . - He received some clues that made us pass by this frontier region . But he suddenly had a bout of inspiration and had to enter seclusion for a few years . I got bored and chose to visit the Tower . -

Zac only wryly smiled as he sat down . Having a big tree like a great master to depend on seemed to allow for a pretty leisurely lifestyle .

Did you know? It has been over a million years since someone breached the 8th floor in this sector , - the Draugr said as she glanced at the Revenant standing by the side .

He nodded and produced an exquisite teapot out of nowhere and expertly poured Zac a cup before he lit a stick of mild incense .

The Eveningtide Asura , - Zac nodded , ignoring the drink for now .

Yes , - Catheya said . - You two are more similar than you might think . He was a Progenitor as well . -

Zac frowned as she looked at the Draugr . Had she found out about Earth , and was planning to use it against him?

I mean nothing by my words , - Catheya smiled as she handed over a crystal . - Take a look by yourself . -

Zac gave Catheya another glance as he quickly scanned the contents .

Ez’Mahal , - Zac snorted , some fury erupting in his chest again .

Those scumbags weren’t content with treating the Earthlings like cattle , but they even dared to place a bounty on his head? He wondered what their reaction would be after hearing about his deeds inside the Tower of Eternity .

It seems you have looked into me while I climbed . Why? I have no connection to your Undead Empire , - Zac said as he stashed away the information crystal .

I wouldn’t be so sure about that , - Catheya said with a smile . - I was somewhat convinced when I saw you when you entered the tower , but now I am certain . You and I are connected , I know it . You even smell like one of us . -

Zac didn't say anything , but he was pretty surprised about her last comment . Did he actually smell like a Draugr?

Chapter 471 - Quid Pro Quo

Iz Tayn slowly walked through the vast gardens in her home , not sparing the divine flowers a second glance until she reached a burning mountain .

Hello , uncle . Is grandpa awake? - she asked , and the ground started to shake the next moment .

Enormous pieces of rocks rearranged themselves , and the mountain turned into a golem hundreds of meters tall . Its whole body was covered in extremely dense scriptures to the point that not a single inch of its body wasn’t covered with fractals . Iz always liked looking at the mysterious patterns while meditating , but she had other things to do today .

Master has been expecting your return , he is awake , - the enormous golem rumbled as it stretched out a finger that was over a dozen meters wide .

Iz disappeared in a puff of flames the next moment , and the fiery flowers and red sky were replaced with the boundless cosmos . In front of her a scorching sun hovered in the void , with an impossibly large man sitting on top of it . The man looked to be an amalgam of man and flames , and the heat he emanated far eclipsed the sun beneath him .

It was Mohzius Tayn , her grandfather .

Iz was just a speck of dust compared to the terrifying size of her ancestor . However , the scales of the cosmos somehow changed , and the gargantuan man was suddenly the same size as Iz herself , and the sun even smaller than her own World’s End] .

How did it go? - the middle-aged man asked with a warm smile .

51 Days , - Iz said as the bored expression she usually wore outside became increasingly animated . - You lied! It wasn’t exciting at all . The last guy was pretty tough , but it was just one long slog . -

Ha! - Mohzius laughed , and the star beneath him flickered as it shared the man’s mood . - Old Man River’s descendant in your cohort took over 65 days to break the ceiling . I can’t wait to see his face when he hears about this . -

My age group? Theleferos is almost twenty thousand years old , - Iz snorted with , but she was still secretly happy about her grandpa’s expression .

Seeing his smile more valuable than the titles and new treasures she received , since her grandpa had been pretty down since her grandma had to leave .

Still the young generation , - Mohzius smiled . - By the way , haven’t you only been gone for a few days? Why didn’t you stay and play with your friends? I am sure we have a nice house by the tower . -

What friends? Just a bunch of people who only thinks about benefits and getting stronger all day , - Iz muttered before her eyes lit with excitement . - I met someone interesting inside the Tower though! But I need your help , grandpa . -

Hm? Met someone? A boy? - the old man said , a frown quickly appearing on his face .

Yes , but I just found him interesting , - Iz hurriedly explained .

Bringing someone out from that spatial fold is quite troublesome , - the man muttered . - Your uncle can’t do it without getting hurt , and I can’t leave this place for the next few centuries . -

No , he’s not someone from that place , - Iz said with a shake of her head as she described her encounter on the 7th floor .

Dual classes and dual races? And you say he’s a human rather than a wanderer? - her grandpa said , looking a bit interested . - Sounds like a mutated constitution or a twinned soul . Perhaps even the fusion of two individuals with interwoven fates . -

But he somehow managed to remove the marking just after I returned . Can you help me? - Iz entreated .

That is much easier , - the man nodded , and a small mote of flame split off from the sun and entered Iz’s forehead .

A small rune emerged a few seconds later , and the man grabbed it in his hand .

He seems to have completely blown up his torso to rid himself of the mark , - Mohzius said with a smile . - A gutsy fellow . But he didn’t notice the branding on his spirit body . I strengthened it a bit , he won’t be able to remove it easily now . But why do you want to see him? -

No particular reason , - Iz shrugged . - I was bored and he was interesting , so I thought I would go visit and take a look . Besides , he called me a lunatic , he owes me an explanation . -

Remember to not go around causing trouble in the lower realms , - the man sternly said . - Most people are just trying to live their lives . -

I know , grandpa , - Iz muttered .

… Fine , - the old man eventually relented . - You can go when you have undergone your next bloodline evolution and formed your first Dao Branch . -

But that can take decades! - Iz exclaimed .

Just the blink of an eye , - Mohzius smiled . - Better work hard . -

Fine . I’ll go and break through now . Goodbye , grandpa , - Iz Tayn said before she looked up at the stars . - Goodbye , grandma . -

The next moment she disappeared from the remote star system , leaving the giant sitting on his sun . However , a massive claw ripped through the fabric of space , and a scar even larger than the celestial body appeared the next moment .

An eye of impossible proportions gazed down through the tear , and just its gaze put tremendous pressure on the whole star system . However , the giant wasn’t worried in the least , but rather looked up with a smile matching the one that was usually reserved for his sole granddaughter .

It seems you’re well on the way of getting better . Just a few dozen millennia and you might be able to descend , - he said with barely restrained elation .

I didn’t hear everything just now . Has little Iz met a boy? And you actually wanted to send her into his arms? - a booming voice echoed across the cosmos .

Iz is more talented than both of us combined , but she lacks the drive and curiosity to walk toward the Terminus . I am hoping that she will find something worth fighting for , like how I fought for you all those years ago , - Mohzius said , his smile widening .

A snort could be heard from within the void , and the whole star system shook in response .

If my granddaughter runs away with some man before I can even meet her , I’ll fight it out with you , old man , - the voice said as white flames danced in the eye . - How dare he call my beautiful granddaughter a lunatic . He better not come to this sector of space . -

Yes dear , - the old man smiled as he closed his eyes , some wistfulness flashing in their depths . - You should go back now . I can only hold back the Heavens for so long . -

How do you know my ancestor? Is she your master? - Catheya asked point-blank , her pitch-black orbs boring into Zac's eyes .

Zac was about to respond , but he suddenly felt a small pang of pain in his chest . He was already feeling pretty wretched after the fight , and he couldn’t help but wonder if the cursed sword had left some lingering threats .

However , he felt fine except the exhaustion and a quick inspection couldn’t pinpoint any issues , so he returned his attention back to the Draugr sitting in front of him .

It’s not what you think , - Zac finally said after the pause .

Then what? - She said , leaning forward in eagerness .

There is an Incursion of the Undead Empire on my home planet , - Zac slowly said , ignoring the question . - Can you deal with it? -

Catheya froze for a second before she wryly sighed .

No . I am willing to pay a lot for information pertaining to my ancestor , but I cannot help you in that regard , - she said with a shake of her head .

Why not? - Zac said with a frown . - One small planet shouldn’t matter to you guys . -

It doesn’t really , but there are a few iron-clad commandments in the Empire . The first one is cohesion . Undead Kingdoms cannot go to war against each other . Skirmishes for unclaimed resources and are okay , but full-scale wars are banned . The second commandment is the Commandment of Conquest , - she said .

Conquest? - Zac repeated .

All the Kingdoms of the Empire have a quota to expand , and no one is allowed to hinder a crusade . I could take over the Incursion if I could somehow make my way to your planet , but I would still be bound by law to conquer the planet , - she said .

Why? - Zac said with incredulity .

Do you know the history of our people? - Catheya asked .

I just know the Undead Empire is older than the System , - Zac shrugged .

Well , the undead races are older , but the Undead Empire is not , - she said . - Do you know about the Darkness? -

What? The Darkness? - Zac said , the rapid change of topics throwing him off-balance .

When the System was born , the universe was drained of its energy to feed its usurpation of the heavens . The path of cultivation was cut off , - she said .

Zac nodded in understanding . Alyn had told him about this while she explaining the origin of the System .

For most races it was a great inconvenience , but for the Undead Races it was a calamity . Our existence is dependent on death-attuned energies , and when the universe was being drained so was our lifeline , - Catheya said .

Zac’s eyes immediately widened in understanding . This was something he hadn’t considered . If all Cosmic Energy was suddenly gone , then Zac would live as he did before the Integration . But his Draugr-side would be screwed .

Even just sitting around would slowly expend miasma , though nowhere near the amounts that were expended during battle . But he would no doubt die within the year if he didn’t have any Miasma Crystals to top himself off .

But Zac remembered that the Darkness as Catheya called it had lasted over a million years . How did the undead races survive for so long? He could only imagine that more powerful warriors required a lot of Miasma to just survive .

The Founders and the Undead Princes searched the whole universe for pockets of energies that could sustain us , but over 95% of our population succumbed before we found the Heartlands . Since then there’s been a standing order to realign the universe , because if the whole Multiverse is death-attuned we’ll never be without a lifeline again . So we will never stop expanding . -

That’s… Crazy , - Zac sighed .

Well , - Catheya said with a smile . - Only the fanatics take the mission seriously nowadays . But conflict is still the cornerstone of progress , and The Ruthless Heavens is very much in favor of the way we’re doing things as it causes conflict everywhere . That by itself provides us with some special benefits . Besides , we cannot disobey the commandments since they are coded into our bloodlines by the Primo . -

The Primo? - Zac asked .

I cannot discuss the Primo , - Catheya said with a shake of her head .

Zac sighed with a nod . He could only guess that the Primo was either the founder of the Undead Empire or the current Emperor . It didn’t really matter though . What mattered was the fact that there was no way for the Draugr in front of him to settle the Incursion .

However , the Undead Incursions was just the first of the many threats that Earth was facing , and he was pretty confident in dealing with it on his own after all his recent gains .

What about the thing I mentioned out in the square? You said you’re not from this sector , so you wouldn’t care about offending these guys , right? - Zac probed .

I’m not sure how I would be able to help with this matter? He sounds like someone on his last legs . I doubt he would care for a second that your planet was under the protection of some powerhouse unless the powerhouse was actually standing guard over the planet , - Catheya slowly said . - I also don’t carry anything that can kill someone that strong with any guarantee , since items of that grade can’t be taken to this place . -

Can’t your clan do something? - Zac askes with some helplessness .

My master probably wouldn’t mind killing that guy if I asked him . He has no love for the unorthodox cultivators . But we have no means to find him . He could be anywhere in this sector , and him being versed in the Dao of Karma which makes him twice as slippery . Do you have a token to summon my master if needed? -

A- - Zac stammered , realizing that there were glaring issues in his plan of getting a patron .

I am willing to join a force as long as they can provide protection of Earth , - Zac said .

Well , that might work , though not with me . Undead Kingdoms and forces cannot form alliances with the living , with you being targets of conquest and all . We could strike an unofficial partnership though , - the Draugr smiled . - But there are a lot of problems with this plan . -

Problems how? - Zac asked .

Is my ancestor alive? - Catheya smiled , but the effect was extremely creepy if you combined it with her dead eyes .

Zac sighed and mulled it over for a second .

She was alive three months ago to the best of my knowledge . Or well , alive by undead standards I guess? - Zac said . - What problems? -

She’s really alive?! - Catheya exclaimed , even standing up in excitement .

Zac was pretty sure by this point that the Draugr-lady in his vision was an ancestor to the one in front of him , one that seemed to have gone missing . Had she perhaps left her clan behind due to issues stemming from the Splinter of Oblivion? She was clearly extremely powerful , and if she went mad it wouldn’t be just a small Pill House going up in smokes .

She might blow up a whole planet .

It was a great bargaining tool for Zac though . She clearly was anxious to learn about her ancestor , and she seemed to come from an extremely powerful faction of one of the oldest forces in the Multiverse . She was probably the most knowledgeable person he had met , perhaps with the exception of some of the scions he had met during the fight on the 7th floor .

It was time to get his money’s worth .

The problems? - Zac reminded .

Well , you can technically join a faction , either as an ally or a subordinate . But that doesn’t mean that you can get the help you need , - Catheya said after having composed herself . - First of all , travel will not be possible as your world probably hasn’t met the requirements to connect with the multiverse . You can’t even teleport to local factions , how are you going to teleport to other factions of the sector? -

So there’s no hope? - Zac said with some bleakness .

Well , most people here have tokens to give out . You could technically form an agreement now , and then use the token to fetch a powerhouse to assist you . The one going would need to be a Planetary Leader though , since others wouldn't be able to bring anyone back while the planet is closed-off , - Catheya said .

How do you know this? - Zac asked . - Seems like a pretty specific rule . -

I've led an incursion myself , - Catheya explained as it was a matter of course . - That's how I met Varo over there . I guess you could say he was that planet's version of you . Anyway , the rules are pretty much the same for an invader , so I read up on how things worked . It's a bit more convenient for the invader though , as the world immediately gets integrated after the conquest is done with . But you will still be cut-off for a hundred years even if you win . -

Zac couldn't help his eyes turning toward the silent Revenant , and he couldn't help but feel a shudder . Would this have been the fate of himself and Kenzie if he hadn't managed to accumulate enough power? The Revenant seemed to feel the gaze , and he opened his eyes and looked over at Zac .

That was him , I am me . We're nothing but strangers fated to never meet , - Varo said before he once again closed his eyes .

Chapter 472 - Arcane

Oh? - Io said , looking up from his position in the middle of the Data Array .

The thousands of screens around him faded away as he stood up and walked out , taking in the fresh breath of air for the first time in almost a year . He didn’t like to be away from his array for too long , so he immediately made a beeline toward the restricted area in the middle of the sect .

Io was just a peak D-Grade warrior , but he was still let into the hidden realm without any hassle after flashing a token . A guard even arranged for transportation to where he needed to go , and he stood in front of the Lake of Solace after just a couple of hours .

Being friends with a Grand Deacon had its benefits .

Oh? I thought I would have to drag you outside for you to leave your little cave , - a laughing voice echoed out across the lake .

I experience far more in the Data Array than I could ever do with my own two eyes , - Io said with a smile as he drifted over to the small island in the middle . - How are things on your end? -

Io and A’Feris came from the same world , so Io had helped him gain his footing in the sect , which had formed a friendship that had lasted for eons . A’Feris had passed him by in terms of cultivation long ago , and was now one of the elites of the force .

Same as usual , - A’Feris said with a smile as he poured a cup of tea for his old friend . - Something is lacking . I need some impetus to take the next step , but it eludes me . -

You still look quite calm , - Io commented .

Well , my road has taken me further than I ever expected . Even if it stopped here it wouldn’t be the worst of fates , - A’Feris laughed .

How about taking a disciple? - Io smiled . - Some have found the experience rewarding , and have even managed to break through their barriers that way . -

Why would I want to get bogged down with one of those snotty brats who keep relying on their elders to solve all their little problems? - A’Feris snorted with derision before he looked at Io with suspicion . - Wait , why are you saying this right now? What have you found out through your Array? Or do you have some descendants you've hidden from me? -

I just received a report of an outlier in the Zecia sector , - Io said as he took a sip of the tea .

Zecia? I haven’t heard of it , - A’Feris said . - What sort of outlier? -

It is one of the frontier sectors that could tentatively be said to be within our domain , though ownership of those sectors is quite contested as you know , - Io explained . - Someone just reached the 9th floor of the Tower of Eternity , though just the entrance . -

Tower of Eternity? - A’Feris muttered . - Haven’t heard of that place in a long time . So who was it? -

His name is Zac Piker , but that’s all I know , - Io said . - It is likely a pseudonym though . -

That’s it? - A’Feris laughed . - Is this the limits of the so-called Living Library? -

I am guessing he is a wandering cultivator or a Planet Progenitor . The established forces in that kind of place don’t have the means to nurture that level of elite , so those who appear are the results of a series of lucky encounters . Of the 14 people who have passed the 8th floor in the Zecia sector , 11 of them have been unattached , - Io said .

A gem in the rough , - A’Feris muttered . - What path is he following? -

I just found out about his existence , no real information has leaked out yet , - Io said . - One of our agents will know more in a few hours . I thought I’d let you know before others learn of it . I will only be able to block the information from leaking for a day or two though . -

Discipleship… - A’Feris muttered as his fingers ran along the grisly weapon that never left his side . - We will see . It’s not just a matter of convenience , but also of fate . He might be someone worth nurturing , but he needs to walk a similar path as mine . Otherwise both our times would be wasted . -

It was a pretty odd situation .

The man had essentially been killed by Catheya and turned into a revenant , but he still seemed happy enough to follow her . But Zac knew that - realignment - wasn’t anything evil in the eyes of the undead after his stay at the Undead Kingdom during his climb . It was the same as waking up someone who had been sleepwalking .

What if I sign a contract with the scions here? - Zac asked as he turned back to Catheya , getting back to the topic at hand . - Something along the line that they cannot attack me and promise to provide assistance , in return for me joining their force . -

The people here are just juniors , they can’t speak for their elders , - Catheya said with a shake of her head . - Besides , there are ways for the elders to forcibly break the contracts as the difference between them and you is so vast . Then they can simply make up some reason for why they apprehend you before they steal all your treasures and dig out your secrets . They might even hand you over to that Heliophos Clan to curry favor . -

So what should I do? - Zac asked . - I can’t be the first guy who has needed to hire someone much stronger than me . -

Of course not . But you have stood out too much . You definitely have a bunch of secrets on you , to the point that even I am extremely curious . Maintaining reputation in the face of such a huge potential gain is nothing , - Catheya smiled .

Zac slowly nodded , and he remembered Yrial's situation . He had almost lost his life multiple times to so-called righteous factions who wanted his treasures without paying for them . There was no right and wrong in the Multiverse , there was only power and benefits . Crushing a token to arrive at a foreign force full of D- and C-Grade Hegemons would be like serving himself up on a platter if there were no safeguards in place .

The fact that The Great Redeemer was from a powerful clan of Karmic Cultivators only made the situation messier .

The only force he felt he could somewhat trust was the Peak family , but he wasn’t completely ready to put his life in their hands . But it was a last-ditch solution if everything else failed . He could head over to their place if he got a token from Pretty . Even if he ended up captured he would probably have a better ending than whatever The Great Redeemer had planned .

Do you have any solution? Just preventing him from finding my planet is enough for now , - Zac said as he explained the situation with the Dominators and the beacon he had destroyed with the help of the old abbot .

Cutting off any Karmic Ties before he reaches your plane is your best bet , as it doesn't matter how close or far he is from your planet then . He will not be able to find you through the spatial folds of the sector without any guidance , at least not while The Ruthless Heavens is shrouding your world . And I do have something for that actually , - Catheya slowly said as she turned to the Revenant behind her . - Go fetch the 8th and 23rd treasures . -

The local Kingdoms will need remuneration , - Varo slowly said .

That’s fine , - she said with a disinterested wave .

The man nodded and blended into the shadows with a bow .

What are the treasures? - Zac asked with interest .

He probably had a lot of good things in his bag , but he had no idea what most of them were . Besides , even if they were valuable there was no guarantee that they'd be able to help him with his current predicaments .

The 8th treasure is called Lantern of Fate] . Anyone it illuminates will have their karmic ties exposed , and you will even be able to destroy the ties with enough effort . The wearer will also be immune from forming karmic ties when it’s activated , - Catheya said .

Zac's eyes lit up , as it sounded like a treasure that produced the karmic ties that the Abbot had allowed him to see for a short while .

This was exactly what he needed to make sure there were no lingering ties between Earth and The Great Redeemer after he had dealt with the Dominators . It could solve any potential issue stemming from his repeated contact with the Redeemer , and make sure that nothing was wrong with those who had almost been possessed during the activation of the Dao Funnel .

And the 23rd? - Zac asked with mounting excitement .

A peak E-Grade treasure of erasure . Use it on the corpses of the underlings of the Redeemer , and any hidden karmic links will be severed . We use those kinds of treasures before we create new subjects with . . . troublesome histories . No one wants an insanely strong powerhouse to come for you to reclaim the body of a descendant , - Catheya said with a wry smile .

Both these two items are yours in return for the information I’m looking for . You will have to sign a contract saying that the treasures cannot be used against the forces of the Undead Empire though , - she added .

Deal , - Zac nodded without hesitation .

It was a bit disappointing that she wasn’t able to directly help with neither The Great Redeemer nor the Undead Incursion . However , he wasn’t really worried about the invaders any longer . He had gained far more than expected during his visit to the Tower of Eternity , and he had great confidence in dealing with the Lich King .

He had hoped to get some help with the incursion to be able to delay his evolution . He had made a lot of improvements in the tower , but he had been too rushed to make gains . If he could have a couple of months to figure out what was going on with his Dao fusions and what to do about the two items in his head he would probably be able to get even better classes .

So…? - Catheya asked with a raised brow .

Let me see the treasures first , - Zac said with a smile , taking a cue from the paranoid demon .

Fine , - she snorted .

By the way , do you know the requirements from the system for it to consider one’s path a - Creation’? - Zac asked instead as they waited for the Revenant to return .

Big appetite , already grasping for an Arcane class? - Catheya smiled .

Something like that , - Zac said , not denying it .

He had passed the 8th floor of the Tower of Eternity . It shouldn’t come as a shock that someone like him wanted to get the best possible rarity for their class .

You should think long and hard before taking that step , - Catheya said .

Why wouldn’t I want to get an Arcane class? - Zac asked with some skepticism .

Was this another lecture like that of Alyn? To pursue greatness through mediocrity .

Have you changed your view of cultivation since your world got integrated? - Catheya asked .

Of course , - Zac nodded .

Will you change it again? -

Probably , - Zac responded after a short deliberation .

Well , there you go , - Catheya smiled .

What? - Zac said , not following the logic .

The Arcane class gives you a bit more attributes and a few other benefits , but you shouldn’t think of it as something as simple as the next step after Epic rarity . Getting an Arcane class is confirming your path of cultivation , and doing so is irrevocable , - she said .

Irrevocable? What does that mean? - Zac asked with confusion .

It means that you cannot change directions any longer . The path you chose will the path you will have for the rest of your life . If your Creation is substandard , then your path of cultivation will be cut short , - Catheya explained . - Arcane classes are probably extremely rare in this sector , but they are more common where I am from . However , most people hold off on choosing them until later in their life . -

What’s the difference between choosing now and later? - Zac asked , though he had an inkling .

We’re just children , - Catheya said . - Our understanding of the Dao and the universe is shallow at best . Choosing an Arcane Class immediately is like choosing your future profession as a child . You don’t know what you are doing . So people wait until their understanding becomes deeper and the Creation becomes more refined .

You lose some attributes , but trying to maximize attributes is a fool's venture in any case , - the Draugr continued . - What is important is your path and your Dao . They will take you past the bottlenecks , a few extra points in Strength will not . -

The room turned silent as Zac looked down at his hands with a frown . He would have to confirm that she was telling the truth about Arcane classes , but what should he do if it was the truth? He felt that his creation was extremely high tier since it followed the path of Life and Death , which might even be turned into that of Creation and Oblivion with the help of the Splinter of Oblivion and the Shard of Creation .

But was that enough? There were still huge obstacles to overcome . He still couldn’t use the energies as he pleased , and he was essentially fumbling in the dark about most aspects . Besides , he wasn't even sure if his ideas would even work any longer after the changes just before he left the tower . The pathways to Cyclic Strike] had been rebranded , and he hadn't been able to confirm whether they even worked like before .

What would happen if he chose an Arcane class based on such rickety foundations? His whole future might be ruined since he grasped for too much , just like Alyn had warned him of .

The silence stretched on for another four minutes until the revenant returned with two boxes .

This is the lantern , - Catheya smiled . - Be careful not to use it constantly . It consumes life-force to run . -

Lifeforce? How much? - Zac said with a frown .

One minute’s use will result in a year lost when used , - the revenant spoke up after the Draugr shot him a glance . - Ten years if you have reached the D-Grade . It is not strong enough to protect the fate of those stronger than that . -

Zac nodded in thanks . It was a bit creepy to pay with your life to use an item , especially after already having already lost so much of it to the Shard . But just using it for short durations wouldn't be too bad , especially as he was about to evolve and get a new chunk of lifespan any day now .

So , about the information? - The Draugr said .

I don’t know if the one I’m thinking of is related to you , but you look just like a younger version of the one I saw , - Zac said as he stowed away the two treasures . - I think her name is Be’Zi . -

So you really have met her?! - the Draugr almost screamed as she leaned across the table . - Is she in this sector? -

I don’t know , - Zac said . - We met in a vision since we walk similar paths . She bestowed me with something to protect me . Perhaps that's what you can sense from me . -

Why would she help you though? - Catheya said with confusion .

She believed it was fate we met , - Zac shrugged . - According to her husband she seemed to place pretty great emphasis on such things . -

Her WHAT?! - Catheya shouted as she slammed the table . - WHO?! -

Chapter 473 - Twilight Harbor

Catheya looked extremely shocked at the prospect of her ancestor having married , or perhaps having remarried as she already had descendants since before .

I didn’t get his name , - Zac coughed before he described his appearance .

Our ancestor has run off with an Aetherlord? What? - Catheya mumbled as she sat down with a thump . - Well , better that than some human I guess . No offense . -

Zac only snorted in response , not taking the thing to heart . It was not like he was lining up to date someone who wasn’t even alive .

Why hasn’t she returned though? - Catheya asked . - Where is she now? How was her mental state? -

I have no idea where she is , - Zac said . - I saw her sitting in a dark cave with a sea of liquefied Miasma slowly rotating around her . It felt like a drop of that pond would be able to instantly kill me . She seemed normal , a bit cold I guess? -

So why hasn’t she been back for so long? - she muttered with some despondency .

She didn’t say , I saw them for less than a minute , - Zac said , but he spoke up again after some hesitation . - But the path we walk has side-effects . You saw what happened to this place the other day . She might be afraid of hurting her family if she lost control . -

Madness… - Catheya muttered . - I feel like you are still keeping some secrets from me though . -

Some things aren’t of any value to you , but they pertain to my cultivation path . I know that the two of them cultivate opposite Daos though , and I think they are forming some system between them . That might be why your ancestor can stay alive , - Zac added after some thought , feeling he hadn’t provided much information in return for the treasures .

The also husband spoke of broken peaks and seemed to carry resentment toward the System . -

Broken peaks… - Catheya muttered . - The Boundless Path? This might be important , I need to speak with my master . -

Stuff like that is beyond me . I’m just a newly integrated Progenitor , I don’t have any experience with stuff like old ancestors , - Zac shrugged . - Can I ask something else? -

What? - Catheya said , though her interest in keeping up the conversation seemed to have waned somewhat now that she had the information she wanted .

What ways are there to gain more limited title slots? -

Catheya was someone from a higher sector than the one he lived in , which meant that things that her knowledge might be unrivaled compared to all the other scions in the Base town . She also didn’t care about offending any local force like the Heliophos Clan , so he needed to milk her for as much knowledge as he could before he returned to Earth .

Limited Titles… Just what did you encounter in the Tower of Eternity? - Catheya said , her crestfallen demeanor replaced by one filled with curiosity . - Did you encounter a trial? -

A what? -

A special event inside the tower . You encountered one , didn’t you? - Catheya asked .

Zac hesitated for a few seconds before he slowly nodded .

The fate you carry must be pretty immense , - Catheya muttered . - Then again , that was already all too apparent from the events outside . -

Fate? -

The amount of attention the Heavens put on you . It is both a blessing and a curse , - Catheya smiled .

Zac weakly smiled in return , knowing the sentiment all too well .

So , Limited Titles? - Zac said .

It’s extremely rare . My master is deemed to have great genius partly because he has 4 Limited Slots . There are people with more , but I don’t know how they have gotten the other one . There are only a few generally known means to gain such a boost , and the Tower and its equivalent trials are the only I have heard of before D-Grade , - Catheya said .

Why is there a limit at all? - Zac muttered . - Why doesn’t the System not just have normal titles? Isn’t its goal to make people powerful? -

Tell me what trial you encountered , - Catheya smiled .

It was called a Battle of Fates , it replaced the 63rd floor , - Zac said after deciding if the trade of information was worth it .

That’s a rough one , but its mortality is pretty low , - Catheya nodded . - It’s a decent one to get , as long as you’re adept at combat . -

So , titles? - Zac said .

Did you know that cultivators today are stronger than they were pre-system? - Catheya said .

Isn’t that the point of the System? - Zac responded , not understanding where Catheya was going . - Making warriors stronger . -

Yes , but I am talking stage by stage , - Catheya explained . - The average cultivators of today are only slightly better than the average ancient cultivators , but the elites are almost twice as powerful going by the records . Can you guess why? -

The titles? - Zac immediately understood .

Exactly . Skills , Cultivation manuals , Bloodlines , and Daos . All this existed before the System . But titles did not , - the Draugr said . - It’s still not completely understood exactly what the Ruthless Heavens does when giving out titles , but the consensus is that it can be seen as an extremely exact , but minute , Bloodline Evolution . A Title improves our base constitution by a small degree .

However , nothing comes without a price . It no doubt costs the System energy to improve the fundamental aspects of a warrior , and the Heavens is running at maximum capacity as far as we can tell , constantly integrating new realms . It can’t expend unlimited resources on every person , especially as its core directive is to manufacture warriors as efficiently as possible , - Catheya said .

The general belief is that it’s pretty cheap for the System to award titles to warriors who are still in the earliest stages of cultivation . Giving 5% to Intelligence is barely anything . But providing 5% Intelligence for an A-Grade Prince? That would require terrifying amounts of energy , - the Draugr continued .

But even if you get the title early , you’ll still get the same boost when reaching A-Grade later , - Zac countered .

The Heavens won't provide that energy . You will need to collect that yourself through killing or cultivating , - the Draugr smiled .

So if you have a bunch of titles your cultivation will be slower? - Zac asked with surprise .

Yes . The amount of energy a warrior requires to level up differs from person to person . A higher potential will require more energy , - Catheya explained as matter of course . - It’s not noticeable in the F-grade as the System subsidizes everyone , but elites generally gain levels slower . That’s why most factions force their general warriors to use lower Rarity Classes . They’ll shoot up to their bottlenecks far quicker , and a few might even break through with the extra time on their hands . -

So the system provides the Titles as rewards , but you have to provide the energy required to maintain them yourself , - Zac concluded .

Exactly , - Catheya nodded .

And the limited titles? - Zac asked .

The Ruthless Heavens still needed an extra incentive for people to enter dangerous places . Often people return empty-handed from such ventures , but if they at least could get a Title out of it more are likely to risk their lives . This dramatically increases the death rate among cultivators , but those who survive are stronger and more experienced , - Catheya smiled . - Besides , if you have a limited number of titles you will gradually upgrade them , and it will create a smaller strain on the Ruthless Heavens . -

Of course , that’s just the general theory . Another is that Titles are actually unrealized potential . There is only so much potential that the System can dig out from a person , so it can’t provide unlimited titles and need to set a limit , - Catheya added .

The two kept talking for almost an hour , where the two kept going tit-for-tat for information . She obviously didn't know as much about the Dao or cultivation as Yrial , but she had the viewpoint of someone who was born in a top tier faction . That came with all kinds of snippets of information that accumulated into a huge advantage .

Catheya was more interested in his experiences , and kept asking about whether he had encountered any cursed Mystic Realms or performed rituals on battlefields . Zac realized she tried to understand why he - smelled - like a Draugr , but he kept that secret to himself as he extracted one piece of information after another .

For example , he learned that it was possible to control one's Dao to the point that you could actually form arrays with the mental energy before infusing it into skills . It would increase the boost even further , and sometimes even change the way a skill worked . He had never heard of anything of the sort before , which meant that it probably wasn't a widely known technique here . Of course , that wasn't something that was fated with Zac in any case .

However , the real shock was learning just what a Divine Investiture Array] was , and he almost exploded in anger when doing so .

It was actually an array to create or alter Spirit Tools . It could either take raw materials or an already existing spirit tool , and it would create something new with it . It was extremely sought after as you could create a Spirit Tool with extreme growth potential that was uniquely suited to one's own battle style and Daos .

It was a very convenient item , and Catheya even went so far as to offer 250 billion Nexus Coins for it , but it didn't detract from the fact that the System had screwed him over yet again . How was an array like this supposed to 'rectify regret'? Had it straight out lied to him , or did it refer to the fact that Verun's Bite] was starting to lag behind , which could be considered regretful?

You don't understand how great such an array is . It can potentially create an item that will follow you for the rest of your life . An item you buy from a Blacksmith will always be influenced by the creator's Dao and path and limited by his lack of skill , creating frictions that become more obvious the further you progress , - the Draugr explained with exasperation .

The Divine Investiture] array , on the other hand , can create an unblemished item that is a direct bridge between you and the Heavens , - Catheya continued as she looked at Zac like he was an idiot . - Having a perfectly suited weapon is even more important than having a perfect cultivation manual , it's a top tier reward of the Tower . I would have tried tricking it out of your hands if you didn't have a karmic connection to my ancestor . -

Zac slowly nodded in understanding , though there was still a sense of frustration about the situation . It sounded like something he could use though , and he contemplated upgrading Verun after returning to Earth . He had gathered quite a few materials during his climb , and he would be able to get some more in the Base Town .

He had the Pathfinder Eye and pieces of a true Dragon , along with metals , bones , and other odd materials that attracted the Tool Spirit's desire . It should allow him to elevate Verun's Bite] to a terrifying level , which might be considered rectifying regret in some roundabout way .

Another valuable piece of intel appeared a few minutes later , when the Draugr asked where he had got his hands on a Sword Slave .

A what? - Zac asked after hearing the unfamiliar term . - Do you mean one of the avatars I conjured? They were defensive treasures . -

No , I mean the old sword you used at the end , - the Draugr snorted . - I am guessing you looted those defensive treasures from some poor girl during the Trial , judging by their design . -

Oh , that one . I picked it up during the Battle of Fates as well , - Zac explained , not commenting on the fact that he was still wearing a bunch of jewelry .

He probably looked a bit weird , but he would be in a weakened state for a while longer , and there was no way he'd take off his defensive treasures in front of the Draugr .

You should be careful about that item , and have whatever the human equivalent to a Cleansing Lich is take a look at you , - Catheya said .

Just what is it? - Zac asked with some worry , making a mental note to have Sui check up on his condition . - It feels a bit like a Spirit Tool , but it’s still different . -

I guess you could call it a cursed object . A piece of a cultivator’s soul has fused with that weapon , either through accident or through a ritual . The skill you used is most likely one the warrior knew before dying , - Catheya explained . - Judging by its appearance its state is unstable , and it even tried to fuse with your arm . -

The man I took it from didn’t seem to get any backlash from using it , - Zac said , hoping the Draugr would have a solution .

The power of the attack he had unleashed was somewhere between the Second and Third swings of Deforestation] , and if he could use the weapon freely it would be a great ace to take out if needed . But his arm did feel a bit uncomfortable now that Catheya mentioned . He had just thought it was the general state of weakness from Hatchetman's Rage] , but perhaps there was something more .

Then he must have had some means to counteract the side-effects of the weapon , - Catheya guessed .

So what’s the point of having one of these Cursed Swords instead of a normal Spirit Tool? - Zac asked .

There really isn’t one , Spirit Tools are generally more convenient as the Tool Spirits are more compatible to reside in a weapon . It’s either a sinister cultivator who makes them with mass sacrifices to suit their warped paths or as a punishment . Imagine , capturing the soul of your enemy and forcing it into an old rotten sword? It’s pretty impactful , - Catheya smiled . - Of course , I'd personally make them into my followers instead . -

Zac shook his head with disgust before his thoughts went back to the youth back on the platform . Had he actually done something so cruel as to trap the souls of his enemies as punishment? It didn’t fit with the image he righteous swordsman image he projected . But Zac was soon dragged out of his thoughts though as someone knocked at the door .

Varo slowly walked over and opened it up to show Galau standing outside .

I'm sorry to interrupt , - Galau said as he repeatedly bowed toward Zac and Catheya . - Ms . Peak and her friend have waited to speak with you for some time now . . . I wonder if you might be available today? -

Interesting fellow , - Catheya muttered as she stood up . - We're done here in any case . Here , take this . I believe it might become useful to you someday . You need to upgrade your Nexus Hub quite a bit before using it though . You can contact me through the Fallen Ferrymen there . -

It was another Teleportation Token , though it looked more refined compared to those had seen until now .

Does this lead to the Undead Empire? - Zac asked as he looked at the Draugr askance .

No , - she snorted . - If you showed up at a teleportation array in the heartlands you would get snatched up and realigned in seconds . This token leads to Twilight Harbor , an interesting place in a frontier sector neighboring this one . That sector is even younger than Zecia , and things are very chaotic and exciting . You could call Twilight Harbor a 'Gray Zone' , one of the few places where the living and dead intermingle . -

Didn't you say that wasn't allowed by the Empire? - Zac asked with a raised brow .

It's not . But I never said that all undead are part of the Empire , did I? - the Draugr said with a smile as she left the room .

Chapter 474 - Challenged

Zac looked over at Galau , who shook his head in confusion .

I thought they were all part of the same Empire as well , even if it was a pretty weak connection for local Kingdoms , - the merchant said . - Perhaps that’s only true for the Zecia sector? -

Where is Pretty Peak now? - Zac asked , dropping the subject .

Zac was a bit surprised that the token didn't lead to Catheya's home planet , as he would have expected her to want to stay in touch . But she probably believed that he would never go to the Empire Heartlands , and felt it a waste of a token .

She couldn't know that it was a place that Zac was actually interested in visiting sooner or later , in order to find opportunities for his Draugr class . That would have to wait until he got a surefire way to hide his unique condition though . Greatest was only a D-Grade warrior after all , and Zac doubted that the bracer he made would be able to fool anyone in such a place .

Twilight Harbor sounded like an interesting place as well though , and it might serve as a safer substitute to the Empire Heartlands . Leaving one's planet while still at the F-grade was nigh-suicidal though , as any random peak E-Grade warrior might be able to kill him . He needed to reach at least a level of Strength where he could escape from a D-Grade warrior if needed .

Lady Peak and Lady Lioress are currently resting in a neighboring room , - Galau said .

Lioress? Who's that? - Zac asked .

I'm not sure . Her first name is Leyara . My guess is that she is a disciple of some of the hidden peak experts of the sector judging by the way others treat her , - Galau said with a low voice . - They might both be able to get in contact with the Heliophos clan for you , which isn't easy from what I've heard . -

Let them wait a few seconds more , - Zac said as he indicated Galau to come inside instead . - Did you hear any mentions of The Great Redeemer outside? Are the claims credible? I'm thinking that cultivator who spoke up might have been messing with me as revenge or something . -

Have you seen the man you mentioned? - Galau asked , receiving a nod in response .

Is this him? - Galau asked , and a face along with some text appeared on a screen the next moment .

That's him , - Zac confirmed with a sigh .

It was obviously the man he had seen twice , though his age was somewhat younger compared to the real-time avatar he had conjured when breaking the beacon . It looked like he wasn't lucky this time around , and the Redeemer really was part of the karmic cultivator clan .

Well , his real name is Voridis A'Heliophos . He is not technically part of the Heliophos clan , hence the prefix . He is presumably an illegitimate son of one of the grand elders of the family . It's said that the elder came back to the clan with a 5-year-old child after having traveled for a few centuries , and he said the boy was his son , - Galau started explaining as he took out a crystal .

It's hard to get details since it seems like a touchy subject with the clan , but apparently the boy seemed to have some unique gifts , and he was heavily nurtured even if he wasn't part of the real bloodline . But something happened and Voridis couldn't form his cultivator core , so he fell out of favor within the clan , much to his and his father's dismay .

He got desperate , both due to his own remaining lifespan growing shorter by the day , and to prove himself to his clan again . He left the clan and came back as a D-Grade powerhouse 200 years later . However , the elders noticed something was wrong with his karma even though it was covered deep . It was eventually exposed that Voridis had used a taboo ritual that was powered by the death of millions of people , - Voridis said .

So why is he still out causing trouble if he was exposed? - Zac asked with a frown .

His father pled for leniency , and the patriarch relented and only exiled him after crippling his cultivation and putting a karmic curse on him . They planned to let him live out his life as a mortal on a desolate planet to understand the plight of those he had killed .

A thousand years later another sacrifice was exposed , and it became soon became apparent that it was Voridis who had regained his ability to cultivate and had just reformed his Cultivation Core . That was tens of thousands of years ago , and he still hasn't been caught by his family . There are at least 4 taboo genocides linked to him . The System has handed out multiple quests for his death as well , but he is still alive , - Galau narrated , clearly reading off some information packet .

Taboo? - Zac asked . - Like unorthodox? -

Exactly . What he's doing is going against the will of the Heavens . That man wasn't talented enough to form a core by himself , but he didn't want his risk his life in Mystic Realms in hopes of finding opportunities that could allow him to break through . Instead , he chose to sacrifice mortals to change his fate . That is one of the most taboo actions to the heavens , - Galau explained .

Zac slowly nodded as he went over the information that Galau had provided . The origin of The Great Redeemer didn't change anything . The good news was that the Heliophos Clan seemed intent on dealing with their embarrassment , but the bad news was that the father seemed ready to cover for him even after all his transgressions .

It also meant that killing Voridis might cause all kinds of issues for Earth , as someone like a Grand Elder of a C-Grade Karmic Clan probably could mess with a single D-Grade planet without much effort . Perhaps focusing on making Earth harder to find rather than dealing with the man himself was really the better course of action .

There should be no cause of conflict between Earth and the Heliophos Clan if Earth simply hid away until the Great Redeemer had died or moved on .

Zac also noted that the Merchant's wealth of knowledge seemed a lot broader right now compared to his comments after the fight .

You've been busy since we exited , - Zac commented .

Ah , well , - Galau coughed . - Gathering the information was mostly done by the two misses , I am just the messenger . Incidentally , why don't we head over and say hello? -

Zac shot an even glance at the merchant , waiting for an explanation .