Defiance of the Fall

It would slowly drain him of his energy , which had already taken somewhat of a hit from activating Death’s Embrace] and Deforestation] . However , his recent increase in attributes came with a massive boost to his Cosmic Energy reserves , while his skills were still all F-Grade . It meant his endurance was through the roof , and he would be able to keep going for a lot longer even in a frantic situation like this .

A fractal forest rose from the ground , turning the dour fortress into one filled with greenery . It was immediately beset by a storm of miasma though , causing a battle between life and death inside the fortress . However , even if he couldn’t utilize the skill to its utmost potential , he still gained most of its benefits .

It felt like he had gained a thousand eyes , and Fractal blades started to shoot out in seemingly random directions as his right arm was turning into a blur . One wall after another crumbled , exposing squads of soldiers hidden within .

More Cosmic Energy entered his body , and he kept forcing it into the node in his leg as he reached the first Array Tower . He finally reached a point where he didn't dare to infuse any longer , as he clearly felt the node was on the verge of cracking open . He could only reluctantly let the remaining energy dissipate , as this fight was too important .

He couldn't risk crippling himself from an experiment while the Lich King was still standing , but he could always open the node at a later date .

Zac grunted as Verun’s Bite] screamed through the air as he focused his frustration on the tower in front of him instead , but a fractal appeared on the surface of the stones the moment the edge was about to bite into bricks . A concussive mental wave exploded out from the inscription , but Zac was barely phased as he swung again .

This time the defensive array was expended , and a fifty-meter fractal edge cut the massive tower clean off after Zac bombarded the skill fractal for Chop] with Cosmic Energy . Zac couldn't help but feel that the skill description was right ; there was greatness in simplicity . Now that he could control far more energy thanks to his improved pathways , Chop] had grown all the more lethal .

A terrifying punch followed , and a cloud of dust billowed out as the lofty structure crumbled .

Zac wouldn't stop there , and he destroyed one tower after another in quick succession , taking out over fifty squads of elite soldiers along the way . A shudder in the distance told Zac that Ogras had begun his assault on the general as well , and he couldn't help but worry about the safety of his sister .

However , not only did she carry two of his Defensive Treasures , but she also had Jeeves to detect any surprises coming her way . He would be able to return and help the squad in case they were starting to get overrun , but he felt that he would be able to deal with this place before it came to that .

A crash resounded next to him as his unique fractal blade blasted through a wall , utterly ripping it apart . Zac had instructed the special fractal blade to cause maximum structural damage , and it was like a hurricane that accompanied him on his rampage through the fortress . It kept expending Cosmic Energy , but Zac had more than enough to spare .

The last Array Tower finally crumbled as Zac unleashed a barrage of furious stikes at its base , and it toppled over and crushed another section of the wall . With the Lich King staying out of the way he had become completely unstoppable , and the towers didn't even get the chance to launch a second round of attacks before they were all smoldering ruins .

The gargantuan Array Towers also doubled as Unholy Beacons , and their destruction would hopefully put a stop to the various arrays in the area , including the ones in the sky that kept shooting down waves of death toward the ground . It was pretty clear to Zac that the Lich King was an adept Array Master , perhaps even having that as his main class .

So taking out the towers was in a way directly cutting limbs off the Incursion Leader , as he wouldn’t be able to utilize their power any longer .

However , even though a battle between Ogras and the banshee raged in full in the distance whereas Zac was running around inside the fortress like an enraged bull , the Lich King still hadn't shown his face . Zac couldn't help but feel the Lich was cooking up something , and his eyes turned toward a seemingly inconspicuous structure to the side of the fortress .

Or rather toward the ground beneath it .

He had kept watch for any suspect energy fluctuations during his rampage , but the Lich King had truly hidden himself well . There were no hotspots of Death-Attuned energies anywhere that could give Zac a clue to either the location of the incursion leader or the core of the realignment array . Zac had first thought the Lich would go to some throne room to prepare his last defense , but the cathedral-like castle in the back of the fortress was completely devoid of both movement and energy .

However , Zac had made some discoveries .

The towers actually seemed to form a pattern around the building he was looking at , almost forming a star shape if you would draw a line between their placements on a map . Zac felt it possible that the Lich King had used those towers as a conduit to the realignment array , and he might therefore stay inside that building where the power would be concentrated .

It was either that , or the Lich had fled through a hidden tunnel toward the Incursion Beacon that was placed some distance behind the fortress .

Zac dismissed his fractal edge as he ran over to the building , and simply punched a hole through the wall before he walked in . A normal door might be booby-trapped , so it was better to create your own entrance . However , the structure was just as unexciting on the inside as outside . It seemed to have been some sort of administrative building , with dozens of desks placed with some distance between .

It was empty now , but the place was stacked with various missives and reports , somewhat skewing Zac's impression of how the invasion had worked . It looked a lot more structured from this side , compared to the seemingly mindless hordes that had spread across the continent like locusts with just the smallest of inputs from a few leaders .

But this showed a lot more refinement .

However , that wasn't why Zac came here , and he walked back and forth through the building until he found what he was looking for . There really seemed to be something beneath this building , though he couldn't find an entrance . There were occasional waves of Death Attuned energies rising from beneath , indicating something was going on . They were pretty minute though , and he probably wouldn't have noticed them without Cosmic Gaze] .

The ground shook and pieces of gravel flew in every direction as Zac started to cut a path down , and he quickly destroyed the floor as he dug a twenty-meter deep hole . The cuts started to sound hollow at that point , and Zac started to make his way forward with greater care . Finally , the edge cut straight through the ground , displaying a dimly lit hall beneath .

There was no way his digging had gone by unnoticed , so a sneak attack was out the window . He still took out a corpse from his Spatial Ring and threw it inside , waiting for any potential trap to spring . A thud echoed out a second later , and Zac guessed the hidden chamber had a fifty-meter ceiling .

There was no response , so Zac simply activated Nature's Barrier] while infusing the always-running Mental Fortress] with a Dao Fragment as he jumped down . His eyes glared in every direction as he fell , but there was no attack coming at him . Instead , he found himself in an enormous room full of inscribed pillars . The only light came from purple crystals embedded in the room , giving it an oppressive feeling .

Was this the core of the Realignment Array? Zac immediately moved to start destroying the pillars , but he froze when he suddenly heard a voice on the other side of the room .

It seems I made a miscalculation , - a sigh echoed out across the vast chamber . - To think that your power had increased to this degree in just a few short days . It shouldn't be possible , yet here we are . You stole my precious poison corpse and somehow turned it into a treasure shield , and now you are ruining my mission . You truly are a scourge . -

Chapter 503 - Hidden Aces

And you killed countless people and almost converted our world , - Zac said as he looked around . - How about this? Undo what you've done with the Realignment and I'll let you leave this world alive , or your version of it at least . I let bygones be bygones , and your Kingdom will give up any claim to this planet . I don't think that your Kindom wants an enemy like me anyway . -

Zac's biggest worry right now was the realignment array . Kenzie was coming along with her knowledge of arrays , but there were no guarantees she'd be able to deal with such massive formation . That left Zac's far cruder method , finding the Array Core and bashing it . But none of them had any idea what that would result in .

What if doing so would cause the array to go out of control , completely crippling the planet?

The best outcome would be the Lich giving up and backing away , based on the potential of Zac's future growth . Besides , revenge was a dish best served cold . Zac definitely would deal with the Lich King because of what he'd done sooner or later , but it didn't have to be today . He could always visit the Undead Kingdom as his Draugr persona in the future and track this guy down . Saving Earth was more important .

But a laugh echoed across the halls as a robed figure emerged from the darkness , and a glance with Cosmic Gaze] could confirm that this was the real Lich King . The hooded undead teemed with power , far more than he ever had on top of the wall .

What makes you think it is reversible? Death is the shadow of life , a natural absolute of the universe . Our arrays only speed the process up , - he laughed . - You’re long past the point of return . -

Bullshit , - Zac growled without hesitation . - The thing hasn't even started up . -

Perhaps . Perhaps not , - the Lich snickered as the fractals on the hundreds of pillars lit up in an instant . - But does it matter when you are about to join us? -

The energy density of the chamber grew by a terrifying degree in an instant , and Zac's danger sense prickled as he looked around with a frown . He unhesitantly shot out a series of fractal edges toward the closest pillars , but the blades actually crumbled mid-air as it looked like a million motes of darkness fed on them until they couldn't maintain their form .

Zac activated Loamwalker] to flash to a pillar instead , but it felt like he was trying to move through solid matter . Was nature blocked out in this place? He activated Hatchetman's Spirit] next to rid himself of the effect , but it didn't work either . It was like he had lit up a weak candle of life in a raging storm of death , and his skill was ripped apart in an instant .

I've reinforced this array for a year and it contains the will of the Undead Empire . It is powered by an enormous fortune of crystals and is perfected by the ancient sages . How could your little domain possibly resist it? - the Lich laughed . - You are indeed powerful and bursting with potential , but you are too confident in your strength . You are not fighting me , but an Empire , and the only result is Death . -

The intensity kept increasing , and Zac soon found himself on his knees . His skin burned like someone had thrown acid on him , but it was the black motes that tried to burrow into his skin . He tried to block them out with the Fragment of the Coffin and the Fragment of the Bodhi , but neither could help him for more than a second .

This array was just terrifying . It had created an absolute zone of death , and he as a living being was completely restrained . However , he still had one more card to pull , and a pitch-black crystal appeared in his hand as he readied himself . He quickly infused it with Cosmic Energy to activate it before he slammed it into the ground .

The whole area shuddered as the darkness turned into a vast nebula , and Zac felt the immense pressure of the array disappear . He immediately pushed all the Cosmic Energy he could muster into Chop] as Verun's Bite] lit up with sanguine luster . He wanted to take out the pillars and the Lich King alike in one massive swing .

However , Zac had barely time to begin his swing before he found himself on the ground again , the vision of the cosmos so brief that it might just as well have been a figment of his imagination . The crystal lay cracked on the ground , completely devoid of power .

Void's Disciple , - Adriel snorted . - A supreme talent , to even have managed to catch a glimpse of the Dao of Space at such an early stage . He would be welcomed with open arms in most forces of the Zecia Sector . It's his bad luck to have been attached to such a wretched master . -

Zac sighed as he looked at the cracked crystal in front of him with mixed emotions . It was a big setback that this thing didn't work at all , as it would force him to expose his Draugr form . But it was also was a bit of a relief . He had built up Void's Disciple into some sort of mysterious powerhouse after their last encounter , but this was a good reminder that the Zhix warlord was just someone with an incomplete heritage and a bit of a headstart .

He had wanted to deal with this without exposing his undead form , but he was just restrained too much by this array of death . He sent the command to his duplicity core , while he circulated some energy to shoot out a feeble fractal blade toward the Lich king . Of course , it didn't even make it half-way before it crumbled as well .

You knew? - Zac croaked , trying to stall for a bit .

He is talented , but just a native barbarian in the end . Just like you . How could I not notice him scanning the arrays in my domain? - Adriel said . - But there is time for us to discuss all this after you have awakened anew . -

Zac was just about to complete his transformation , but his mind suddenly screamed of danger . He used everything in his power to slightly adjust his torso as a pitch-black spike descended out of nowhere , aiming straight for his heart . He just managed to adjust his chest enough to avoid getting his heart pierced , but the weapon still punctured his lung .

Bad turned to worse as a massive storm of miasma tore through his body , and Zac knew he would have died then and there if it wasn't for his unique constitution . Zac arduously looked around only to see a gaunt spectral assassin shrouded in a robe of pure darkness . He had never seen this assassin before , but he radiated a dense aura of killing intent .

Who was this? His aura was even stronger than that of the banshee general he fought earlier . And his mind had only managed to warn him at the very last second , barely allowing him to avoid getting his heart ruined . Was that ghost from before not actually the last general , but there had actually been one more lying wait all this time?

If that was the case then he was a true assassin . Zac had never seen a hint of his aura or his impressive killing intent , something that would only be born from a lot of carnage . He didn't do anything while Zac tore down half the fort and killed most of the soldiers , but waited to strike until he was confident in succeeding .

Don't soil the body , - the Lich said from the side , though he clearly seemed to be in a good mood . - I lost the poison constitution lass , but we can still submit this body . It might be even better for my purposes . The dreams of the Heartlands are not yet dead . -

Zac's chaotic mind wandered , but he snapped back into focus as the transformation into his Draugr form finished . The waves of miasma that crashed through his body due to the spike were no longer harmful , but rather invigorating . The spike still hurt , but getting gored by a small spike wasn't a wound that really bothered Zac any longer .

Zac had been in this exact situation before , and there was no need to change a winning concept . A bladelike fist full of the Fragment of the Bodhi punched into the chest of the spectral assassin as Zac leaped to his feet .

Wh- - the ghost said , but he didn't have time to react before his throat was caught in a vise-like grip .

The extremely powerful array that once had threatened to crush his body and soul was no longer an impediment at all . In fact , Zac had never felt this comfortable in his undead form before . This place felt like a paradise for cultivation , and he already started thinking of whether he could bring these pillars back home to create a proper cultivation ground .

This was why Zac had been confident in jumping down into the hole at all . Most of the attacks that the Lich King had brought forth had either been based on death or poison . And in this form , he was confident in dealing with either .

There was no crunch as Zac ripped the ghost general's head clean off with another infusion from the Fragment of the Bodhi , but a surge of energy entered his body as he followed it up by crushing the head .

What! - the lich screamed as he fell back . - Draugr? It's you? It has been you all along?! This is impossible! -

You keep saying that , - Zac said with an abyssal voice as a child-sized coffin appeared on his back . - You should know by now that nothing is impossible in the Multiverse . -

Four chains shot out the next moment , each of them aiming for the Lich with a palpable eagerness . Zac followed suit as a black armor covered his body , and Zac stomped down on the ground to appear right next to the Lich .

The Lich King was clearly frazzled by the turn of events , and Zac couldn't blame him . This array he had set up would be the bane of almost any living warrior dumb enough to get caught inside , and even if Zac could withstand it he should have been severely weakened . But how could the lich have expected to run into one of the few living people in the multiverse that the array was utterly useless against?

The fractal cage sprung up while Zac simultaneously pushed the taunting function of Vanguard of Undeath] to its peak . He had already shown his hidden ace , and he couldn't let this man escape no matter what . The Lich King screamed as he unleashed a barrage of poison from his body , and Zac noticed that the real body of the Lich had once again been replaced by a copy .

However , the real body appeared just ten meters away , and the chains of Love's Bond] were already twisted around his body before he had time to realize that he hadn't escaped as he had planned .

The massive avatar once more appeared in the sky as a waterfall of toxins started to fall , but the chains effortlessly moved the lich out of the way . Bursts of poison emerged from his own mouth next , but if there was one thing the chains were unafraid of , then it would be toxins . They twisted even harder until sickening crunches echoed out through the subterranean hall as one bone after another snapped by the pressure .

Zac suddenly felt a tremendous surge of energy entering his body as the Lich finally couldn't take it any longer . Zac had been worried that there would be even more tricks to the Lich King , but he and his personal assassin had placed too much trust in the arrays in this chamber . It allowed him to take them out in quick succession , and Zac could already confirm that the Invasion has failed as the familiar prompt appeared in front of him , telling him that the area had come under his control .

There shouldn't be many surviving invaders after Zac had torn the whole place apart , but they would probably be fleeing toward the incursion by now . Zac didn't care about that as he hadn't exposed his Draugr form to anyone on the surface , and unless there was another ghost that could hide against his scans there were no witnesses down here either .

They would only be able to retell the situation of a terrifying Progenitor , and they would sooner or later connect that with - Zac Piker - of the Tower of Eternity , which would explain how this was all possible . Hopefully , that meant that any issue with the Undead Empire would end then and there , as Catheya had indicated that she would make sure no problem would crop up even if he booted the local undead from Earth .

But honestly , Zac couldn't bother going over every eventuality . He closed his eyes as he felt a sense of calm spreading through his body . He had done it . He had defeated the Undead Empire , which would allow Earth to keep going for a while longer .

At least until the next threat would come along .

Chapter 504 - Broken

Zac took another look around before he released Profane Seal] as he gazed down at the corpse of the Lich King . This wretched half-man half-corpse had caused so much trouble for Earth , but he hadn’t even been able to resist one attack of his new Spirit Tool . He couldn’t help but shake his head as he bent down to look for treasure .

He pried a low-quality Spatial Ring from the man's hand and found a top-quality Cosmos Sack hidden within his robes before he threw the body into his Spatial Ring . He walked over to the ghost next , which had turned into a pile of shimmering sand upon dying .

It felt a bit weird digging around in a pile of ghost ashes , but Zac found a spatial pouch and a set of throwing darts inside . He popped a healing pill next as he explored the chamber , and he could quickly confirm there were only two points of interest apart from the numerous inscribed pillars . The first was a pedestal holding a large black rock , and the second was a proper entrance in the direction of the palace .

It didn't require a genius in formations to figure out the pedestal , or rather the rock , was the core of the array , but Zac left it alone so that Kenzie could look at it instead . As for the entrance , it was sealed shut , and Zac had more pressing things to do than to look for treasure in the palace . A massive amount of energy coursed through his body after his two kills .

The Lich might have been the highest leveled individual on Earth apart from the Dominators , and the amount of energy he had gained from the kill was staggering . This energy alone was more than all the kills above-ground , and it would probably take him weeks to grind the equivalent with any targets he could find on Earth .

He really needed to make sure everything was okay on the surface though , and he ran back to the hole in the ceiling , speeding against the clock as the accumulated energy already had started to dissipate from his body . But he froze just as he was about to jump up before he looked down at his chest .

The wound to his lung had mostly healed by now thanks to the pill , and he activated his duplicity core again . With Profane Seal] expended his undead form was severely weakened , not to mention there might still be curious eyes upstairs . He felt a stabbing pain in his chest when the transformation completed , but it wasn’t too bad .

Zac jumped up through the entrance he came from , and soon enough found himself back in the open air . It wasn’t too different from how he left it , but he saw a clear change as he jumped up on one of the tallest buildings that were still standing after the battle . Streams of the surviving undead were rushing toward the Incursion Pillar , and the fortress was fast losing its population .

This was just how it usually went . The invaders all got a warning the leader was dead , and the countdown before the Nexus Hub closed had begun . A glance over in his sister’s direction showed they had moved away even further from the fortress , and the unthinking zombies seemed to have lost interest in them by now .

Perhaps they were unsure what to do after having lost connection to the Lich King .

Good job , - a bloodied Ogras said as he emerged from the shadows . - That girl suddenly lost her composure , I’m guessing she got the prompt of her leader’s untimely demise . -

I dealt with the other General as well . There should be no more threats , but are you okay to guard the others for a bit? - Zac asked . - I think I found the array , but let these people clear out a bit before I bring Kenzie over . I want to use the energy to break open a node before it’s too late . -

These guys don’t seem to have any fight left in them , - the demon nodded as he looked around . - Go ahead , I’ll look after things . -

Zac nodded and entered the building he stood on , finding a secluded spot . There was no point in him going after the fleeing Revenants and Corpse Lords , as that would only result in a net loss of accumulated energy with the speed he was losing energy from killing the Lich King .

He only hesitated for a second before he sat down on his prayer mat . The fighting above had only left him with some grazes , and the stab wasn't too bad either . Most of the danger had come from the torrent of miasma , which had been completely neutralized and absorbed moment he turned into a Draugr . Apart from having spent most of his big skills he was essentially in good condition .

He couldn't discard this opportunity to become stronger , and he directly started pushing the remaining energy toward the node in his left leg . The Undead Empire was dealt with , but he still needed every advantage he could get in the upcoming fight against the Dominators . He needed to break open a few more nodes , and he turned his vision inward .

The node in his leg was just like before ; partially opened and chock-full of energy while still impeding energy circulation . Seeing that nothing had changed from swapping classes back and forth he started to forcibly infuse it , and the pain quickly grew to uncomfortable levels .

The minutes passed and Zac started to brace himself for what was coming , but even he hadn't expected the extreme agony when the node finally exploded . His white robes got drenched in blood as his a chunk of his leg exploded as well to the point that bone was exposed . But that pain was still nothing compared to the agony he felt on a spiritual level .

The nodes were something between corporeal and intangible , fixed on what Ogras called a Spirit Body . It was essentially an energy copy that perfectly matched your physical form , and it was the housing of the pathways . And now this Spirit Body was wounded from the explosion , causing the pathways in his legs to become messed up .

He finally understood the difference between opening a node the normal way and forcing it open . The normal way was akin to unclogging a drain by pouring down some solvent before snaking it dislodge whatever caused the bad flow . Forcing a node open was rather like throwing a stick of dynamite down the drain and blowing up the clog , along with half your house .

This self-inflicted carnage did not only hurt a lot , but Zac also realized it had weakened him drastically . His Energy circulation was all out of control , even in the parts of his body that weren't harmed . He immediately took out another pill , this one intended to heal souls .

It helped with the pain somewhat , but there was no time for him to properly heal as an immense pressure suddenly descended upon him . Zac barely had time to get on his feet before a blinding golden light bled through the cracks in the wall , and then he was falling as the building collapsed .

A blistering heat was pushing down from above as well , almost immediately making the stones to burn upon the slightest touch . A new set of shallow wounds covered his body as he was buried in an avalanche of stones , but he immediately started to dig himself out . But there were just golden flames and smoke all around him , robbing him of his visibility . He didn’t even know if he was digging in the right direction .

Worry gripped his heart as Zac pushed the heated stones out of the way . What the hell was going on?

The strength required to unleash an attack with that kind of impact was not something anyone in his group could deal with , and it didn't look like something that the undead would use . There was only one group who could conjure something like this .

The cultists .

He quickly circulated energy as he tried to forcibly push himself out of the mountain of rubble . But a blaring pain erupted in his left leg after putting too much pressure on it , almost making him black out from the agony . The events had made him forgot about the wound from blasting open the node , but at least he had managed to break free from the building .

Only to be met with an utter inferno .

Golden flames had embroiled the fortress in every direction , and scorched corpses of elite Undead Warriors littered the wall . Zac had already killed most of them through his earlier rampage , and there couldn't be many still around after this salvo . The cultists must have bombarded the fortress with massive siege weapons to cause this kind of destruction in an instant .

Panic really started to set in but opening the Ladder screen allowed Zac to breathe out in relief . He could spot both his sister and Emily on the Dao Ladder , and Joanna on the Level ladder . Whatever was going on right now hadn't affected them just yet .

That didn't mean he could relax , but he simply couldn't find any target . There were just flames and corpses everywhere , and a sky on fire . He hobbled toward one of the broken towers , each step feeling like he was getting stabbed . A few jumps later he found himself on the broken peak , looking across the landscape .

Nothing .

There was no zealot army amassing outside the gates , just a grey haze in every direction except for the Incursion pillar . The bombardment was thankfully confined to the fortress , and he believed that Ogras was experienced enough to avoid getting scorched . Zac felt a fluctuation from his spatial ring , and he took out a communication crystal with surprise .

These things hadn't worked since they had reached the core of the Dead Zone , but now he heard his Sister on the other side of the line .

What's going on? - Zac asked . - Is everyone okay? -

It’s the cultists! A huge flying vessel suddenly appeared in the sky , and we immediately fled into the woods to not implicate you , - Kenzie said from the other side . - Ogras shrouded us , so we’re fine . -

Stay hidden , - Zac said . - I can deal with this alone . -

Be careful . I don’t think they just came for the undead . They are probably here to deal with you as well , - she said .

It seems that way , - Zac sighed as a storm of flames was falling straight toward him .

Cosmic Energy surged in his body , but a blazing pain made itself reminded as the recently opened node flared up . He could only grit his teeth as he forced the Cosmic Energy to move . However , he barely managed to form a 30-meter fractal edge with Chop] this time , compared to the 100-meter blade he easily conjured earlier .

It wasn't enough . The blade cut into the wall of flames like a knife , but it was swallowed whole without breaking apart the attack . Zac didn't hesitate to activate a defensive treasure , and a sphere enclosed him and the top of the tower in an instant . The flames slammed down like a furious waterfall the next second , and Zac felt the scorching heat even within his protective bubble .

The base of the tower was quickly incinerated , and the tip was just held in the air with the help of the barrier . But the flames finally subsided , which allowed the skies to clear out . Only then did he finally spot the source of the attacks . A large vessel in gold and red hovered a few hundred meters above the fortress , something that looked like a mix of a flying treasure and a floating island .

Zac couldn't see how it looked from the top , but it seemed to be kept in the air with a massive ball of flames . Zac sighed with a shake of his head as he took out his own flying treasure . The cultists really liked their fire . He quickly rose into the sky as the tower fell to the ground behind him , no longer supported by the shield .

Nausea and double-vision plagued him from the pain of opening a node , so he needed to end this fast . He forced the unruly Cosmic Energy into his arm as he prepared his last skill of mass destruction . He had used up Deforestation] in his earlier fight , but there was still one more card he could bring out ; Nature's Punishment] .

His whole body was covered in sweat from the pain of forcibly utilizing his maimed pathways , but he couldn’t stop at this juncture . Space cracked and the familiar hand flew out , though Zac couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that the hand hadn't changed at all from him evolving .

It still radiated terrifying might due to the Fragment of the Bodhi though , and it shot straight through a burst of flames without even getting its leaves singed .

The hand placed itself straight above the floating warship , and Zac didn't delay a second before the familiar branch started to descend . There was no way to tell what these unhinged lunatics had planned , and he needed to strike before it was too late .

The branch quickly grew in size at it shot down at the ship , but a burning whip covered in white-hot flames shot up to meet its descent . Zac spotted a lizardman standing at the fore of the vessel , his eyes lit up like two blazing beacons as five swirls of pure-white globes of fire circulated behind him .

Zac had fought one of the other generals just the other day , but the power this man emitted far eclipsed him . In fact , this man even felt more threatening than the Lich King himself , though much of the danger from the Undead Leader came from his command of formations .

Had the leader of the Church of the Everlasting Dao come in person?

Chapter 505 - Fate's Obduracy

If this really was the Incursion Leader of the Church of Everlasting Dao , then a massive chance had presented itself as Zac still didn’t know where the cultist Incursion was located . They had somehow managed to hide their base of operations all this time while sending out roving death squads that killed everything in their path .

The best idea his people had to find these guys were to investigate the zones of Pangea that had no reports of human activity . They figured the lack of surviving towns could mean that everyone had already been killed by the Church , and the Incursion Pillar was close . But killing the leader here would save them all that trouble , as the Incursion would still end if he died .

However , the Head Priest of the church was clearly no chump . One of the flaming balls hovering behind his back entered the whip as it elongated to reach well over a hundred meters . The very air burned while the whip ripped through the sky as the weapon’s flames increased in intensity many times over . Zac instantly felt a blistering pain in his arm as the damage to the branch was transferred over .

It was like the whip was a boa constrictor that tried to squeeze the life out of the branch as it looped around it multiple times over , preventing it from freely growing in size . The white-hot flames had quickly latched on to the branch as well , and an inferno raged on across its surface . Burnt bark fell like rain from the sky as new layers grew out at the cost of even more of Zac’s Cosmic Energy .

Zac felt like a fool when he saw the scene . The pain from opening his node had made him activate the skill as usual , instead of thinking things through . He had always used the wooden punishment since gaining the Fragment of the Bodhi as the two resonated the best , but he would clearly have been better off using the mountain or water punishment this time around . Still , there was no point in crying over spilled milk .

The fight had turned into a battle between destruction and creation in a sense , and Zac intended to emerge the victor of that struggle .

He kept infusing Nature's Punishment] with his Dao and Cosmic Energy while he tried to force the branch to descend . The priest on the other hand was forced to infuse one globe of flames after another into his Spirit Tool to power the fires raging across the swelling branch .

But Zac still hadn’t met anyone who was able to outlast him in a clash of endurance , but he actually felt the skill starting to destabilize much quicker than usual . He had no choice , and the energy around him veritably exploded as he activated Hatchetman's Rage] . The branch suddenly radiated powerful waves as well , and the flames were quickly subdued .

Zac saw his chance as he made a final push , and the whip simply snapped as the branch exploded in size . Newly born branches spread in every direction before they all turned toward the warship , like hundreds of falling spears . The wooden punishment had finally gained its momentum , and it crashed into the warship with enough force to push both the miasmic clouds and the flames aside .

A golden shield appeared to block the strike , but it quickly broke as the main branch punched a massive hole . Flame and metal rained down toward the ground as both the ship and the sun that powered it broke apart and screams echoed across the golden sky as dozens of cultists plummeted toward the ground . Zac managed to kill most of them with a rapid flurry of fractal edges , but his focus was still on the leaders .

The head priest was still alive , as the surge of cosmic energy he felt was nowhere big enough to correspond to killing someone that powerful . Finally , his target emerged through the smoke on top of a far smaller flying vessel with four powerful warriors to his side . Zac prepared himself for a final clash , wanting to end the battle before the timer for his buff ran out .

But his eyes widened in shock when he realized that there would be no cataclysmic battle in the sky . The so-called zealots left a burning trail in the air as they fled for their lives .

Zac couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the Church Leader escape with enough gusto to almost punch a hole in the sound barrier . Was this the same faction as the one where pretty much everyone was ready to blow themselves up just at a shot at dragging you with them to hell? Where was the fanaticism?

The leaf ripped through the air as Zac instructed his flying vessel to pursue , as he didn’t want to let the cultists get away . A chance like this wouldn’t come again . The smaller vessel shot away with shocking speed , but Zac’s own leaf wasn’t any worse than whatever some local cultists could bring to the table .

It whizzed after the group of five , taking advantage of the fact that the cultists were actually burning away the death-attuned haze in front of them , forming some sort of a wind tunnel . But Zac soon realized that he actually was unable to catch up to the group , as they seemed to have an endless supply of fire-attuned Nexus Crystals that they fed into the vessel , allowing it to burn through the Dead Zone .

Zac immediately started peppering them with fractal blades from behind , but he sighed when he saw the man with the whip crush them one by one without overtaxing himself . The Spirit Tool in the Head Priest’s hand was no doubt top-tier , and he was clearly some ways into the E-Grade as well .

Zac kept trying to take them down while Hatchetman's Rage] was still active , but he was out of cards . The sense of power was soon replaced with weakness , and he wasn’t sure what he should do . He didn’t want to leave these guys alive . But he also couldn’t leave Kenzie and the others alone in the middle of the Dead Zone while he harried the Church of Everlasting Dao for god know how long . Besides , there was still the Realignment Array to deal with .

A few more minutes passed as he adapted to the state of weakness while they flew further and further . But finally , he had an idea , and the amulet around his neck slithered to his back to gain its backpack form . The inscribed circle on the lid was dimmed out after having used Death’s Embrace] , but there was another set of inscriptions that were still in working order . Zac infused a large chunk of his remaining Cosmic Energy and the two lines of fractals running along its length lit up .

The scripture started to slither back and forth across the coffin lid for a second before they suddenly rose into the air , forming two actual chains wrought from darkness that shot toward his targets . However , the Head Priest unleashed a massive arc of flames that crashed into the two chains , causing to them shatter in an instant .

However , a skill from Love’s Bond] obviously wouldn’t be defeated so easily . The two shattered chains suddenly regrew into four before they resumed their pursuit . The cultists desperately swatted them down over and over , but it was useless . They just split and grew back when they broke apart , just like the heads of a hydra .

Zac had already gotten a hint of what the skill would do , but his eyes still widened in shock when he saw the sea of darkness rushing after the vessel with wild abandon . Finally , the cultists couldn’t hold the tide back any longer , and they were swallowed up by a ball of chains that frantically writhed as it tried to crush everything within its cage .

The ball was quickly dragged back toward Zac who could hear crunching sounds and screams from within . However , a massive blast of flames suddenly erupted from within , forcing the chains away long enough for a flash of light to escape the stranglehold .

Zac frowned as he looked at the river of flames that rushed toward the horizon with a speed that superseded Zac’s leaf by many times over . He knew it wasn’t an errant burst of flames , but rather some sort of escape skill or treasure , something in the same vein as the top tier escape skill that was in Thea’s possession .

Zac sighed as he knew that there was no way he’d be able to capture whoever had fled , and he turned his attention back to the ball of chains that hovered in front of him . The chains of darkness had pretty much turned into a solid by this point , and things had turned completely silent by this point as blood dripped down from the bottom .

This was the second skill of Love’s Bond] , called Fate's Obduracy] . This skill could be used like now to wear down a single target with an unceasing wave of chains . Another strategy could be him sending the set of chains out to cause widespread destruction , where any attempt of stopping the advance would worsen the situation . In either case , it was a nigh-unstoppable skill of destruction .

Just like Death’s Embrace] it had a pretty long cool-down . He wouldn’t be able to use the skill for a full two weeks , and he would need to feed the coffin with some energy-rich treasures to recharge itself .

There was also a limit of just how many times the chains could reproduce . The cultists hadn’t actually been that far from shaking off the attack . If the Head Priest hadn’t burnt all five of those globes of flames to deal with Nature’s Punishment] he might have been able to exhaust the skill completely .

Zac instructed the mess of chains to unravel , and it displayed an utterly crumpled ship along with three barely distinguishable corpses . That meant that the burst of flames had contained two people , one of them being the man with the whip . Zac sighed as he instructed his leaf to fly back toward the Undead Fortress after looting the corpses .

He couldn’t help but feel some disappointment upon failing to kill that man . If he had just died with the rest of the cultists he would have been done by now , having killed the two most annoying Incursion leaders in one fell swoop . But he guessed he couldn’t always luck out , even with a Luck of over 300 .

The emerald leaf whizzed through the air as Zac returned toward the undead fortress . However , he started to worry again as he flew , as he saw terrifying numbers of zombies stream toward the core of the Dead Zone as well . He had already noticed that the outer shield had been deactivated , perhaps as a result of him breaking the Array Towers in the base , and now the enormous number of zombies who were previously stuck outside were on the move .

Zac didn’t hesitate to infuse the leaf with the Fragment of the Bodhi to speed up his return , but he quickly changed course when he saw a group of familiar faces some ways from the ruined fortress . It was everyone except Ogras who had planted themselves on top of a small hill , and the Valkyries had once again erected a shield wall as they were utterly surrounded by a sea of zombies .

However , it barely seemed necessary . The shield occasionally received a swipe from a close-by zombie , but there was no concerted effort to push past the barrier . They all kept moving forward , streaming toward the fortress as though they were under a spell .

You’re back! - Kenzie said with a relieved smile . - What happened? -

I’ve dealt the cultists , but a few got away . What’s going on? - Zac asked with bemusement as he landed next to them . - And where is Ogras? -

He went off to check things out , - Kenzie said . - As for these guys? We think they are heading toward the Incursion , it started just a minute or two after you flew away . It’s like something luring them toward the teleporter . -

We think the Undead Kingdom is doing something to attract the Zombies to bring them over to the other side , - Joanna added .

Why aren’t you fighting them? - Zac asked curiously . - It should be a good opportunity to level up . -

It feels weird , - Kenzie said . - It was one thing when they were attacking us , but now they are just ignoring us . They are former Earthlings after all . We were thinking it would be better to simply let them go if it means they’ll at least live on in some way . -

Besides , we’ve even gained a lot , - Emily said with a wide grin .

Oh? - Zac said with confusion , but he suddenly remembered the teenager should have gotten a part of his Cosmic Energy due to her buff . - How much did you gain? -

Six , - she said , her widening grin almost splitting her face in two . - I gained more than six levels thanks to you! I told you we should go out hunting together . I’d pass Thea Marshall in a week or two . -

If you always ride the coattails of others you’ll turn into a useless vase , - a voice echoed out across the hill as Ogras appeared from the shadows . - You need to rely on yourself . -

What about you playing all cool and saying you’d deal with that lady general? Kenzie detonated a bomb right in her face just a few days ago . Zac almost knocked the soul out of her body and then cut off her hand . It’s not like you’re any different , - Emily retorted with a scathing glance .

You were a lot cuter after Zac picked you up from the streets . Feels like I’ve lost a daughter , - Ogras sighed with an exaggeratedly forlorn expression .

Or perhaps it was just his wretched appearance that gave that impression , as he looked like he had been oven-roasted for a few hours . His body sported multiple new scorch-marks that weren't there when they met earlier , and even his white hair had been singed clean off .

What’s with your look? - Zac couldn’t help but ask with a snort , as the demon really cut a sorry sight . - I thought you left the fortress before the cultists arrived . -

Those netherblasted lunatics really didn't hold back . Who knows how much wealth was destroyed? I tried to salvage what I could before it was too late , - the demon explained .

Hey , you two are matching now , - Emily said with glee as she pointedly looked at Ogras’ bald head .

Shit , don’t lump me together with that eunuch , - Ogras spat as his white hair quickly grew back until it reached his shoulders again . - That’s better . -

Did you find anything? - Zac asked with a frown .

Not much , - the demon shrugged . - A storeroom full of half-burnt herbs . I don't recognize the thing , but there were massive quantities . I am guessing it's something used on zombies from how much of it they had . So what happened with the cultists? Did you get the leader? -

I don’t think so , - Zac sighed as he retold his encounter with the zealots .

A whip? That’s a pretty rare weapon for a man , - the demon muttered . - I never heard of him from any reports either . It should be the leader of the incursion who only ventured out to deal with you . Shame . Such life-saving measures usually come with a price though . -

Let’s hope so . I’ll go check things out at the Incursion , - Zac finally said as he took out the flying treasure again .

However , the moment he was about to instill the leaf with some energy to activate it , he felt the whole world shudder and turn slanted . An agonizing pain ripped through his body , and he felt his vision close in on him .

Chapter 506 - Triv

Zac woke up with a start , his head a chaotic mess , but he instinctively shot to his feet with his weapon at the ready . He barely had time to stop himself from bisecting a shocked Valkyrie before he remembered where he was .

Sorry about that . How long was I out? - Zac asked with a hoarse voice .

Around forty minutes , - Kenzie said with worry . - What’s wrong? Are you poisoned? -

It’s nothing , - Zac said as he rubbed his temples . - I broke open a Node by force earlier because of all the energy I gained . I think I overextended myself a bit . -

I completely forgot after seeing you zip around as usual . I’m surprised you could fight like that at all , - Ogras said , his eyes wide . - I guess that even the Heavens has finally had enough of your luck and sent some cultists in your direction . Karma always comes knocking sooner or later . -

Zac turned his sight inward , and he was a bit better than before . His pathways were still a mess , but his flesh was on the mend already . He guessed that he had fallen unconscious because he had used his pathways when he should have been resting . It was a valuable experience though , learning what kind of effect exploding a node had on his body and combat readiness .

But the node wasn't the only problem that ailed his body at the moment . He thought a second before he walked a few steps away , and shocked exclamations echoed across the hill as he stabbed himself in his arm . A large spurt of blood stained the ground , but the wound quickly scabbed over .

Don't worry , just expelling some toxins , - Zac said as he took out his flying treasure . - I feel a lot better already . Get ready . I'll check out the situation around the pillar for threats before we deal with the realignment array . -

Zac really did feel a lot better after having exsanguinated himself . Void Heart] had absorbed both a bunch of miasma and poisons during the fight , and having been bled a few times helped him get some of the impurities out . He still would have preferred to rest up some more , but there was still the aftermath of the invasion to deal with . He gingerly tried activating the flying treasure again , and this time it went smoothly .

He soon closed in on the azure pillar and he actually saw a familiar figure fretting back and forth some distance away from it , the ghost who had hovered right next to the Lich King earlier . It looked unsure whether to enter or not . However , the moment it spotted Zac its visage turned even ghastlier and became marred with horror , and it immediately shot toward the Nexus Hub .

The ghost wasn't all that quick though , especially not compared to a top-tier flying treasure like Zac’s . Just a second after the ghost spotted him he had been caught , held firmly in Zac’s grasp . A few Revenants were overseeing the zombies as well , but they unhesitantly jumped into the teleportation array , abandoning their colleague .

Who are you? - Zac asked as he shook the ghost for a bit .

Sir , I am just an attendant to Lord Ad- ah , I mean the Wretched Lich Adriel . A thousand blessings upon you for freeing me! - he hurriedly said . - Please spare this useless one , I am not a threat to you or your planet . I am just a custodian , a non-combat class ordered to come to this planet against his wishes . -

Shameless enough , - Zac snorted . - What’s going on here? -

We’re bringing back the children , - the ghost explained , not hesitating to spill the beans . - They will have a better future coming with us than staying here , and it will rid your planet of these walking Holy Beacons . -

Zac frowned as he looked at the zombies who mindlessly shuffled forward until they disappeared into the Incursion Pillar . Perhaps the ghost was right . The death-attunement should dissipate sooner or later , and what would become of these people?

Some might turn sapient and find themselves stuck on a planet with a hostile environment full of enemies . But most would simply be cut down by cultivators gathering Nexus Coins and Cosmic Energy . At the Undead Kingdom , they would at least have a chance to be born anew .

…Fine , I’ll let them go . Now , tell me how to turn off the Realignment Array , - Zac said .

This was the most pressing issue now . The quest to stop the realignment still hadn't completed . He had actually noticed that the massive lines in the sky had started to fade while he hunted the cultists , but it seemingly wasn't enough . The most likely suspect was obviously the array below the surface , but he still believed that having this attendant to turn it off the safest bet .

But his hopes were quickly dashed as the ghost frantically shook his head .

I can’t! - the ghost cried . - I would love to explain to the young master , but I can’t . -

The first directive? - Zac asked with a frown .

Yes , yes! You are very well-read . The first directive precludes me from helping you no matter my personal wish to assist! - the ghost nodded .

Zac frowned as his eyes bore into the squirming specter . Catheya had never really explained exactly how binding the commandments were , but they didn’t seem like complete compulsions to Zac . There should be some wriggle-room , and Zac felt he might as well do some name-dropping to see if the Draugr girl could help him one last time .

I recently became friends with Catheya Sharva’Zi from the Empire Heartlands when I visited the Tower of Eternity . It appears she is visiting your Kingdom while her master is in secluded cultivation? - Zac said as he took out the Teleportation Token she gave him before he flashed his Tower Title . - She gave me this token , you might recognize it . -

This! Ninth Floor! And you know that Exalted Mistress? - the ghost veritably screamed as its incorporeal eyes darted back and forth between the title and the token .

Catheya actually hadn’t given him a Token representing her force , but he was willing to bet that some random ghost wouldn’t know the difference . For all it knew , it might very well be a teleportation token leading straight to the Empire Heartlands rather than the Twilight Harbor .

I can put in a good word for you next time I meet her , or I can do the opposite , - Zac shrugged . - I will turn off the Realignment array sooner or later even if I have to rip this whole Fortress apart . I don’t mind turning you into a pile of ghost dust first though . -

The ghost sputtered for a few seconds until it calmed down .

Did you know that the attunement of a planet is based on its World Core? It is a magical crystal residing in the deepest core of a world . Some believe that a world core is essentially alive , and the planet’s attunement a result of its cultivation where it absorbs the energy of The Cosmos . What do you think would happen if such a core was flooded with Death while it was sealed off from the cosmos? - the ghost said before it dimmed as though it was wounded .

Zac’s eyes widened as he looked at the wretched appearance of the ghost . Was it actually wounded from divulging some information like that? However , it still hadn’t answered his question , at least not straight out . Most of what it said was just general information and theories , and nothing that he wouldn’t be able to piece together himself .

However , Zac obviously understood the implied meaning behind the ghost's words .

The array in the sky was just blocking out the cosmos , - Zac muttered before he looked down at the ground .

It seemed as though the people of earth had gotten things a bit backward If Zac had understood the ghost’s explanation correctly . The enormous array in the sky wasn’t actually the realignment array . It was at best half of it responsible for isolating the planet from the universe , preventing it from absorbing normal energy . The real realignment was taking place underground .

Both parts were important to stop , but the most important might be whatever was going on in that underground chamber . It looked like he would have to bring his sister , after all . Catching other undead wouldn't do him any good either , as they no doubt would be implicated by the same compulsions .

You'll be coming with me for a bit , - Zac said to the ghost as Love's Bond] transformed into a coffin on his back .

The next moment four chains wrapped around the screeching ghost , each of them imbued with the Fragment of the Bodhi . One twist would rip the hostage apart if he tried anything , but it looked unlikely judging by how weak it felt . Zac still kept his eyes on the ghost as they flew back to his group to pick up his sister .

Ogras might be helpful as well , but he seemed pretty wrung out . Zac left him on the hill instead so that he could protect the group while he recuperated . After all , there was still one Undead General on the loose who could appear at any moment .

What's this? - Kenzie asked as she curiously looked at the captured ghost .

Young Master , you should not mix with the forces of the Boundless Path , - the ghost said , pointedly ignoring Kenzie . - Living or Dead , we still follow Heaven's Path . Consorting with heretics will only lead to a lifetime of suffering . -

She's not a Technocrat . She's my sister , - Zac snorted . - I just closed a Technocrat Incursion and picked up some tools that are helpful until we've grown stronger . And you talk pretty big after almost having killed our planet . -

A thousand apologies , mistress! - the ghost exclaimed , his attitude taking a dramatic turn . - This humble one is called Triv , I worked as a caretaker of the previous lord of this manor . -

Zac suddenly realized that the ghost would be a pretty good source of knowledge . It obviously wouldn't be as knowledgeable as someone like Catheya , but he was still the right-hand-man to the Lich King . He should have listened in on all sorts of conversations and had free access to a lot of intelligence .

Perhaps keeping him on Earth wouldn't be such a bad idea , provided he could be controlled .

I thought he might be useful in turning off the realignment array , - Zac added . - It is obviously still going since the quest hasn't completed . -

But the massive arrays in the sky seems to be weakening , - Kenzie skeptically said . - They should clear up in another hour or two . -

Zac quickly recounted his experiences below ground as they reached the entrance to the hidden subterranean chamber . The group jumped down as one , but Kenzie immediately fell over , completely pale and shuddering . Only then did Zac remember the extremely dense death attunement in the air .

It wasn't too bad for him now that the Lich King wasn't there to amplify the effect , but someone like Kenzie was clearly worse off . He quickly handed her an E-Grade Divine crystal as he spread out his Dao Field for the Fragment of the Bodhi . It helped alleviate her symptoms , but it also made the ghost scream in pain until Zac moved the chains out of the field .

Thank you , - Kenzie said with a hoarse voice . - That was pretty scary . -

No problem , - Zac said with a smile as he looked around . - What do you think? -

These things are part of one array . I think the condensed death energy in here is just an after-effect . Kind of like radiation in a power plant or something , - she muttered as she looked around , her eyes flashing in red a few seconds before they dimmed again .

How do we turn this thing off? - Zac asked .

Kenzie walked over to the closest pillar , and she went over every line for a few minutes . They also tried to go over the mysterious core , but they couldn't even get close before the aura of death became too overpowering .

I think we can deactivate the pillars if we make our way from the outside , - she hesitantly said . - We'll leave the core for last . -

Zac nodded as they moved to the edge of the chamber , where Kenzie started breaking a few inscription lines that connected the pillar with the dense runes on the floor . Zac helped out by ripping crystal after crystal out of the sockets , rapidly expanding his stockpile of Miasma Crystals . They spent the next hour going back and forth , where Zac essentially acted as a mobile counterforce to the death attunement in the air .

However , even he was starting to grow tired as it was a constant drain on his mental energy to keep his Dao Field active in this environment . Zac initially wanted to start smashing pillars , but Kenzie was afraid that would cause a massive final discharge of death energies that might hurt the World Core .

But Kenzie got more and more skilled at turning off the pillars , and soon enough they had all dimmed down , leaving just the pedestal . It emitted a terrifying amount of death-attuned energy even though the pillars were all turned off . The energy clearly came from the rock . It was pitch-black and polished smooth , making it almost look like an egg .

The egg emitted mysterious fluctuations as well , and Zac frowned when he realized that it rendered his Dao Field utterly useless . Kenzie couldn't get close to it at all , and they had to retreat after a short while .

What is that thing? - Zac asked with a frown as he turned to the ghost who was still chained up . - And don't tell me you don't know . -

I'm not exactly sure what it is , - the ghost said . - They are called Seeds of Uneath . Our kingdom receives them from the Empire along with this array . -

Like a realignment kit? - Zac asked .

Precisely , - the ghost nodded . - Even small Kingdoms such as ours can obviously convert a planet on our own , but our means require high-graded items that are impossible to bring through an Incursion . But the empire provides these things as a sol- . -

It didn't get any further though before massive convulsions wracked its intangible form . Zac sighed in annoyance , as it looked like they couldn't get anything more out of the ghost without it exploding for breaking the commandments .

So , now tell me . Why shouldn’t I kill you now that we know everything? - Zac asked as his eyes bore into the translucent orbs of the ghost .

Chapter 507 - Lump of Coal

Kill me?! - Triv shrieked with dismay . - No! Let me stay on this planet . I can be useful for you! -

You’d stay on a life-attuned planet rather than return to your Kingdom? - Zac snorted .

I’m fine while my master is dead . There is no way I will survive returning to face Lord Rexus . My soul will be tortured until it finally crumbles from age , - Triv hurriedly said , the words veritably spilling out of his mouth . - That’s why I resisted the call earlier . -

I thought you couldn’t resist the compulsions of the empire? - Zac said .

That’s different . The one calling was Lord Rexus , Lord Adriel’s master , and the investor of this Invasion . I’m technically part of his force though he didn’t awaken me . Adriel did . His call is hard to resist , but it’s nothing compared to the rules imprinted onto our very souls . -

What level are you? - Zac slowly asked . - And what can you bring to the table? -

I’m a level 73 Custodian , and I even have gained two Dao Seeds after staying here , - the ghost said with some pride piercing through fear , as he shared his status screen . - I am practically guaranteed to advance to an E-Grade Butler in the future . I will be better assistance to your daily life than any custodian burdened with a corporeal could hope to be , provided you help me purchase Miasma Crystals for my survival . -

Zac shook his head in bemusement when he saw that the ghost really was telling the truth . Its class was F - Uncommon] - Spectral Custodian . There were really all types of classes in the world . He also noted with some interest that the ghost only was aligned to the undead Empire . Normally it wouldn't look like that .

You were aligned to your local force , not the empire it was a part of , just like Zac was aligned to Port Atwood , rather than Earth itself . Triv should have been aligned to his master's force , but he must've had mentally cut ties with it , leaving only an alignment with the Undead Empire .

A ghost butler , - Kenzie mumbled , her mouth rising with intrigue . - Might be pretty convenient with your situation . -

Sign a contract to serve me properly and you can stay on Earth , - Zac said after a brief hesitation .

He knew how it would look taking in an undead after what they had done to Earth , but Port Atwood had long since passed the point of no return in picking up stray aliens . If it had been one of the generals or the Lich King he wouldn't be so willing to leave them alive , but a non-combat attendant couldn't be considered as culpable . Non-combat classes almost never had a say in the decisions of a force , after all .

Nothing would have pleased me more , - Triv said with a sigh , though Zac felt he didn't really mean it . - But our commands precludes me from entering contracts with the living . -

Oh? Is that so? - Zac said as his eyes slowly turned pitch-black . - That won’t be a problem . -

The cooldown for his change had passed while he was unconscious , allowing him to turn into his Draugr form once more . The ghost looked on frozen with incomprehension , its mouth ajar .

Now , - Zac said with his abyssal voice . - The contract! -

It was you the whole time… The mystery undead! This is impossible! - the ghost screamed .

The Lich King said the same thing just before he died , - Zac shrugged .

Such a pure bloodline . . . No wonder the Noble Lady made your acquaintance! - the ghost spoke , and his whole form shuddered as his excitement quickly mounted . - I'll sign , I'll sign! -

The next moment the ghost had entered a lifetime contract of servitude with Zac , and Zac finally released him from the chains that bound him . The ghost had obviously just wanted to serve as means of survival before , but now it looked beyond excited .

Why are you so happy all of a sudden? - Zac asked with confusion .

I'm a custodian , a caretaker of the elite . When our master is strong , we benefit as well . Our bloodlines become stronger if our master's bloodlines are stronger . -

So you're like a parasite? - Kenzie asked from the side . - Will you slow down my brother's cultivation? -

No , no , not at all , - Triv hurriedly said when Zac's brows furrowed together . - This comes to no detriment to our master! You can see us as a mix of a supportive and non-combat class . -

Can you buff me in combat? - Zac asked curiously .

Alas , no , - Triv said with a shake of his head , but he quickly followed up when Zac's eyes dimmed with disinterest . - My skill set is more linked to your home . I can help improve its environment to better suit your needs . Lord Adriel's Dao Chamber was largely set up by me , for example . It will take some time until I can sync with you to that level though . -

What else? -

I am there to deal with all the small things that flitter's on my lord's periphery . Cleaning , lighting incense , keeping track of servants , maintenance of private arrays , poison and threat detection . As I evolve I will also gain some small healing capabilities and the ability to deal with unwanted spying or Karmic manipulation . We allow our masters to focus on what's important , becoming stronger , - Triv hurriedly said .

Zac had to admit it sounded pretty convenient having a butler , though that might just be Triv upselling his usefulness . But he first needed to deal with the realignment array before he went into detail about what Triv could do and what limitations he had from his compulsions . However , Zac suddenly felt a weird presence appear in his mind , and his eyes once more turned to the ghost .

The chains of Love's Bond] trapped the ghost the moment he felt the foreign presence in his mind , and the ghost wailed as he was about to be ripped to shreds .

What did you just do? - Zac growled as Kenzie looked on with confusion and worry .

My apologies , Lord! It's my skill called Deathbound Attendant] . This is just our connection that you can use to send me commands , - he screamed .

Zac took a steadying breath . He had overreacted a bit due to his history with getting his soul cracked . But there really was nothing wrong with the mark after a second glance , not that the ghost could harm him with a Contract of Servitude active . He dropped the subject and once more focused on the Seed of Undeath .

We'll talk more about what benefits you can bring later , - Zac said as he turned to his sister . - What do you think? Just yoink that thing? -

The podium seems to be some sort of absorption array , - Kenzie nodded . - I think it will be fine to just take it . But perhaps put the thing in a separate Cosmos Sack? -

Okay , stand back just in case , - Zac said as he walked over .

The closer he got to the egg the fiercer the death buffeted him . It felt like he was inside an extremely refined Dao Field of death-attunement , but it wasn't painful at all in his Draugr form . The Seed of Undeath wasn't fastened to the podium itself , but rather placed down into a groove .

Zac simply reached over to put it into his Spatial Ring , but a surge entered his arm the moment his hand touched the smooth surface . A storm of death spread through his body , and his recently opened node was instantly filled with miasma to the point that he gained a level in his undead form as well .

He had already reached level 81 in his human form earlier . He had lost most of the energy from killing the Lich King due to the cultists' interruption , but he had gained enough to at least fill up the opened node by killing most of the zealots shortly after . Now his classes were once more in balance .

His eyes lit up as he felt just how magical the thing was , and he already had an idea what to do with the egg .

There was already a life-attuned cultivation cave back on his island that used the Lotus as a core . What if he created an adjoining cultivation cave steeped in death , using this egg as a core? With the help of Kenzie and his new butler , it would quickly be turned into cultivation heaven that would give him a leg up on his cultivation , no matter if it was his Nine Reincarnations Manual] or pondering on the Dao .

The egg calmed down after the initial burst , and Zac safely stowed the thing away . A prompt appeared the next moment , confirming that the quest Death Defiance] had been completed . Zac sighed in relief as that meant that Earth was finally safe from being turned into the latest branch of the Undead Empire .

As to whether the planet would rid itself entirely of the Miasma , it was too soon to tell .

The quest being marked as completed was just the beginning of the good things coming his way . An inscribed box had appeared next to him just as expected . It was the same with Kenzie , who eagerly reached for her own reward and opened the box .

A small tool was placed inside the chest . It looked a bit like a pen , but there were a couple of attachments that reminded Zac of the bits to a screwdriver . Finally , there was a small crystalline bottle containing some dark-purple liquid .

What's that? - Zac muttered with some interest , as he hadn't seen anything like it before .

It's an inscription kit , - the ghost sighed . - The small parts are for inscribing on different surfaces , such as array flags , stone , or skin . -

Zac's eyes lit up when he heard the explanation . It looked like his sister had gotten a reward tailored for her needs , or perhaps based on the fact that she had mainly contributed by erecting arrays . In either case , it probably meant that a customized reward was waiting for him as well , rather than some random thing that might be useful or just something to throw into the Merit Exchange .

But before he opened his own box he noticed that it looked like the ghost was on the verge of tears .

What's with you? - Zac asked with some bemusement .

I just failed a quest , - Triv groaned . - As the custodian of the Incursion Leader , I would no doubt have received an extremely valuable reward . -

Zac immediately understood that the ghost probably had an opposing quest for Death Defiance] . After all , Catheya had mentioned that the System was very much in favor of the Undead Empire causing struggle all over the multiverse and that it brought some special benefits . He only snorted in response and instead focused on his own box .

A grin was spreading across his face as he opened his box , and Kenzie walked over with interest as well . He was the one who took out the Lich King and two of the generals , after all . His reward should be the best one around .

But he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw what was neatly placed inside .

A lump of coal? Have you really been that naughty? - Kenzie laughed , and Zac once again found himself questioning his relationship with the System .

However , he somewhat got his hopes up as he noticed Triv staring at the box with greed in his eyes .

This! High-grade Bloodline Marrow! -

Zac was about to ask what the ghost knew , but a shudder suddenly rose from the ground , like a small earthquake .

Was it the World Core?

Anything? - Ogras muttered as Leech flittered back and forth among the ruins like a snake extending from his arm . - You better find something to evolve or I’ll figure out some way to eat you . Blocking my evolution , you really have a deathwish . -

A few coruscating waves rippled along the tentacle , and it started to look through the rubble for race-boosting opportunities with more fervor . Ogras snorted as he kept looking as well .

He really couldn’t catch a break .

Ogras didn’t ask for much . Some good wine , a few pretty girls to accompany him , and a decent class evolution . Hadn’t he earned that much by now after being dragged through one near-death experience after another by that walking calamity? But no , this bastard attached to his soul wasn’t ready to evolve , which meant that Ogras wasn’t ready to evolve either , apparently .

Now he was stuck looking for something to help this netherblasted Planeswalker take the next step . He had already found a few valuables among the ruins , and there were also quite a few natural treasures in the Cosmos Sack of the general he killed , but nothing that would help Leech evolve .

It didn't help either that the blasted shadow couldn't tell him what it needed .

And you better gain the ability to communicate soon enough , - the demon added . - I’m tired of guessing what ails you every day . -

A sudden shudder spread through the whole fortress , and Ogras stopped his search for a bit . It looked like Zac and the lass had finally managed to turn off the array . A box appeared to his side as well , and he snatched it up without hesitation before he flashed out of the ruin . Ogras looked around with anticipation , but he frowned when he couldn’t sense anything in the air .

There was no influx of Cosmic Energy , and neither was there any new attunement that he could sense . Then again , anyone would be hard-pressed to make any real assumptions after the undead and the cultists had tainted the air of the area . Not that he really had any idea what a World Core upgrade actually entailed .

He had sounded pretty confident in front of the humans , but he was honestly just spitballing . They needed to be reminded of his value as that human cockroach knocked off one threat after another , after all . So that the demons , or more importantly himself , weren’t left by the wayside the moment the last incursion was closed .

He turned his attention to the small box in his hand , and he opened it with some anticipation . Getting a last-minute boost before evolving couldn't hurt .

What the hell is that? - the demon muttered with a frown , but the tentacle on his arm vibrated with glee .

Chapter 508 - Bloodlines

The time was finally up , and the azure pillar winked out of existence , leaving yet another inert Nexus Hub behind . If things worked as usual , it would soon disappear without a trace like the others , leaving just the one on his island behind . The last zombies in the area had passed through the portal over an hour ago , leaving the surroundings of the fortress bare .

It was nice to get a confirmation that the Undead Incursion truly was over , but Zac still had a hard time celebrating .

Zac sighed as he looked around the rubble . The Lich King was dealt with and the array was turned off , but as he didn’t really feel like a victor as he looked out across the desolate landscape . No matter what the - World Core Upgrade - entailed it hadn’t cleaned up the dour atmosphere at the core of the Dead Zone at all .

In fact , they hadn't noticed any change at all after that weird tremor . Ogras said that the upgrade would take a while though , so there was no point in completely giving up on this area .

But Zac had to admit that this place felt dead in a completely new sense of the word . Was there really a return from this? Getting blasted by the furious flames of the cultists at the 11th hour had turned things from bad to worse , and it had turned the whole area into a desolate region . Whatever those flames contained had somehow canceled out much of the miasma in the area , causing it to become almost completely void of any Cosmic Energy at all .

It felt like just breathing was a chore right now , like there was no oxygen in the air . The Lich King was probably spouting the things about Earth’s death to mess with his mind , but there was perhaps a nugget of truth hidden inside the taunt . His new butler was no use either , as it had quickly become apparent that Triv wouldn't turn into the wellspring of information as Zac had hoped .

Any question that was related to restricted knowledge of the Undead Empire caused a battle between the Contract of Servitude and whatever compulsion the ghost was born with , and it started to shake in pain as the two orders clashed . Zac was forced to cancel his questions to save him a few times until he finally gave up learning anything of use .

They did however manage to confirm that Triv could be used as a confirmation of source if Zac already had the answer . For example , Zac could say that there was one general alive , and the ghost could confirm it . But probing where he was and what skills he or she possessed was impossible .

There were also no limitations on general knowledge or non-classified intelligence of the Undead Empire , meaning that he could still be useful in the end . He might not be able to talk about his own Kingdom , but he was more than happy to spill any rumors he could think of about the living forces of the Zecia Sector .

The ghost had left him alone to recuperate earlier , instead joining Kenzie in her attempts to take control of the large number of arrays that were still active in the area while Zac kept watch and recuperated . But now that the incursion was closed and there was no sign of the Cultists Returning , there was finally time to go over his gains .

The Cosmos Sack of the assassin unfortunately didn’t contain a lot . There were a set of similar spikes like the one he used during the fight , along with two daggers shrouded in darkness . They seemed to be decent Spirit Tools , but Zac couldn’t think of anyone they were suited for at the moment . Perhaps Ogras , but that demon had already gotten more than enough benefits for free , and he would have to purchase the daggers with Merit Points if he wanted them .

There was also a cultivation manual and a few information crystals . One of them contained surprisingly detailed intelligence of the forces of Earth , including up-to-date dockets on the top elites . His own report was actually decently accurate as well , though it was based on the period when he was closing incursions left and right . Which was a shame for the assassin , as Zac was many times stronger compared to back then .

However , there was one piece of information that was a bit shocking . There was actually a mention of the Tal-Eladar and their recent actions . They had been seen together with the Brindevalt Clan , which apparently was the name of one of the three remaining Incursions that neighbored the Dead Zone . There was even a small notation that the Brindevalt Clan had some sort of business dealings with other factions of the Tal-Eladar .

Was this their plan? Give up on Earth and somehow leave through the Nexus Hub of another force? Zac didn't even know whether that was possible or not , but he couldn't see any other reason for Verana to contact some random force . He had always wondered why the Tal-Eladar hadn't stepped up and fought with Port Atwood when they had their backs against the wall , but it looked like he had found the answer .

They had always had an exit strategy in case things turned south .

The intelligence was days old though , and Zac still didn't know what had come from the discussions , but it still left a bad taste in his mouth . However , his annoyance was quickly alleviated as he turned toward the next Spatial tool . The Assassin had traveled lightly it seemed , but Spatial Tools of the Lich King was a different story .

The Cosmos Sack contained a large number of Unholy Beacons , though Zac realized they weren’t activated . It further confirmed Zac’s guess that the souls of Earthlings were used in their creation , while these things were just spares brought from home .

There were also several siege tools left completely unused , along with a vast array of cultivation resources . The Cosmos Sack was clearly a superior variant of the sack he looted from Rydel , the de-facto leader of the Demon incursion . That meant the Spatial Ring was Adriel’s private stash , and Zac could immediately confirm that the quality of the things stored inside was a lot higher than the things in the Cosmos Sack .

One look was enough to confirm that Adriel truly was a formation master . There were at least a thousand array flags in the Spatial ring , though most of them seemed to be empty flags waiting to be inscribed .

There was also a large number of herbs and powders , and Zac quickly realized they were poisonous after taking out a few of them . There was also a large cauldron that reminded Zac of the one he had seen the Imp Herald use in the heart of the cave systems of his island . There were a large number of crystals as well , but most interesting was a milky-white crystal as large as a washbasin .

He took it out with interest , and his eyes lit up after instilling some Cosmic Energy into it . It was suddenly showing an enormous horde that looked ready to completely crumble . An army comprised of all four races of Earth was nibbling at its heels , but the real problem came from within .

The zombies had gone crazy , attacking anything around them , which usually meant they were attacking other zombies . It was like the horde had lost all cohesion , and it was suddenly everyone for himself . Zac figured that the death of the Lich King had removed or lessened whatever restraint that kept them from killing each other , and it had turned into pandemonium .

Zac tried to change the scope of the long-distance spying array , but his vision was stuck in place until he finally was forced to give up . But Zac believed that Kenzie or someone on the island would be able to figure the thing out . Having this thing mounted in his courtyard would be pretty convenient , as it would allow him to check in on all his islands without alerting anyone .

He had always been a bit leery about Big Brother until now , but surely it was a different thing if he was the one watching?

The crystal and everything else of interest was thrown into his own spatial ring , where he spotted the lump of coal once more . Or rather , the Bloodline Marrow . Triv had no idea what kind of beast it came from , but he did know what they were used for . Not surprisingly it affected bloodlines , but not as Zac had expected .

It was actually akin to poison to warriors with a bloodline . If whatever genes were preserved inside the marrow entered the body of someone with a bloodline , there would be a clash . The resident bloodline would become agitated and force out the intruding bloodline . It didn't sound very useful on paper , but it actually had a very specific purpose .

It would force a slumbering Bloodline awake , and the struggle would condense and strengthen it . It was just like normal cultivation , where fighting for your life ended with you stronger , provided you survived , of course . There was also a small chance of gaining whatever bloodline hid inside the marrow in case you didn't have one originally , but that was generally seen as a waste .

It was also something that could help upgrade what Triv called Beastcrafted Spirit Tools , which essentially meant Spirit Tools that used animal parts . Zac still didn’t trust the ghost even with a Contract of Servitude active , but he seemed to be telling the truth based on the fact that Verun’s Bite] really wanted the thing , while Love’s Bond] was completely indifferent .

It was a relief , as that meant there wouldn’t be any conflicts of interest in case he decided to feed it to Verun . Zac figured that he could finally provide his axe with a feast when they returned to Port Atwood , providing all the things he had saved up until now . However , he was still leaning toward only giving his axe the Dragon Core , while keeping the marrow to himself .

The recent opening of his Hidden node and talking with his mother had made him think more and more about his heritage . Not really in terms of wanting to reunite with Leandra , but rather to make the most of the odd constitution he had been given . Void Heart] clearly felt like a special node based on a bloodline , and he was sure that there would be exponential benefits the more Hidden Nodes he opened .

Especially if he managed to wake up a bloodline to match them .

But Zac felt that simply boiling a piece of marrow and drinking it as a soup was too crude , and he wanted to do some more research to improve his odds of waking up his constitution . He kept going through the Cosmos Sack a while longer , but he soon got tired of the dour view and he started to make his way down from the peak of the broken tower .

The wound in his leg had mostly healed over the past 6 hours , but his pathways were still a bit of a mess . He believed he'd be back at full power in a week's time tops though , provided he wasn't forced to go all out in another battle . The biggest issue was redrawing the broken pathways , which was both painful and took a lot of time and effort now that they were so intricate .

Zac was pretty disappointed with the long recuperation times , but he soon enough remembered Galvarion's experience . The aquatic cultivator had spent over a century in the E-Grade , most of it on a sickbed . Being slightly weakened for a week per node was nothing compared to that . Of course , that was provided that the damage didn't get worse with each successive node .

Triv was hovering just by the base of the broken-down tower , apparently having left Kenzie’s side some time ago .

You’re really stuck here with us now , - Zac said as his eyes turned to the spot where the azure pillar had once stood . - Come with me . -

It is my pleasure to stay with the young lord . How can I be of assistance? - the ghost asked as they walked around the rubble .

Take me to my sister , - Zac said , and they found her resting in an emptied warehouse with Joanna keeping guard .

Zac figured this was as good a place as any , and he bought the Teleportation Array . However , he frowned when he couldn't see any towns on the teleportation screen .

Was this place still jammed?

Kenzie immediately realized something was wrong as well , but she simply threw out a large number of Nexus Crystals .

It’s working , but it will cost a huge amount of crystals to teleport out , - Kenzie muttered . - The teleporter can’t use the energy of the atmosphere here because there is none . I don’t know if it's because of what the cultists did or if it's an effect of the Dead Zone itself . -

Well , we have more than enough crystals , - Zac shrugged . - Most of the zombies in the area have left , and we have broken the Unholy Beacons . Perhaps the Array will work by itself as soon as the area clears up a bit . But what about the jamming? -

Port Atwood had appeared on his Teleportation Menu after Kenzie had thrown out the Nexus Crystals , but that didn't really alleviate Zac's fears after their last experience . He couldn't stop himself from throwing a glare at the Ghost who floated by the corner , and Triv could only weakly smile in return .

Either the jammers broke from us pushing through it , or more likely our people have found the arrays and disabled them , - Kenzie said .

We should send something over with a note side to make sure it safe , - Joanna suggested from the side , sharing Zac's sentiments . - In case there are there still are some traps . -

Zac nodded in agreement . No need to play with your life when there was no hurry to go home .

I guess , - Kenzie said as she got to her feet . - Have you found anything interesting? -

A few things , - Zac said . - I've been busy recuperating for most of the time . I guess Ogras has gotten his hand on anything of value by now . Do you need my help taking apart those pillars below-ground? -

No , it's fine now that they've been inactive for a while . Joanna helped me pry them out of the ground . By the way , I found out something interesting from your ghost butler earlier . -

Oh? - Zac said as he looked over at the ghost , who seemingly tried to make himself look agreeable .

Did you know? It seems that a surprisingly large number of all Earthlings have pretty good bloodlines , some that are completely unknown in the Zecia sector? - she said .

Is that unusual? - Zac asked .

There are sometimes some interesting bloodlines that pop up when visiting a newly integrated planet , but not like we've seen on this see- ehm , on Earth , - Triv said from the side . - It is no doubt from the escaped test subjects . -

The what? - Zac asked , but he immediately realized what the ghost was referring to .

The Mystic Realm .

The undead believes that the Mystic Realm was used for researching Bloodlines . Some of the test subjects escaped thousands of years ago , and they became our ancestors . Isn't that crazy? - Kenzie said with excitement .

Zac's thoughts went back to the lump of coal in his Spatial Ring once more . A mysterious base researching Bloodlines?

Wasn't that just perfect?

Chapter 509 - Challenge

Zac had just lamented that him using the Bloodline Marrow by itself would be a bit wasteful , and now this opportunity presented itself? What if he could find something to bring out the most of the marrow and guarantee that his bloodline could awaken?

Perhaps we can find things to strengthen the people of Port Atwood , - Kenzie exclaimed , echoing Zac's thoughts . - There might be bloodline manuals or elixirs stashed inside the Mystic Realm . Perhaps even things to open Hidden nodes . -

There are also werewolves and god knows what else in there according to Ogras , - Zac said to calm his sister down before he turned to Triv . - Do you have any proof of this theory? -

Young master , I don't . But we are quite good judges of the quality of bodies , and as far as we can tell , the inhabitants of this planet aren’t natural , - Triv said .

That’s impossible though . We have mapped our evolution for millions of years , - Zac countered , though the words of his mother's projection echoed in the back of his head .

According to her , she was surprised to find Earth inhabited at all when she arrived .

Yes , this planet has a natural seed of life , but many heritages do not belong here , - Triv conceded . - I personally believe that some accident happened inside that Mystic Realm a few thousand years ago . The owners left , and a group of test subjects managed to break free and ended up on this planet . -

Zac quickly understood what would happen next if what the ghost said was true . Those escapees would find themselves on an unintegrated planet utterly devoid of cosmic energy . They would be like castaways , unable to become stronger , and unable to leave . Their children wouldn’t have any chance to become cultivators , but their bloodlines would still be passed on .

Was this the source of Billy’s golden blood? And was it perhaps even the source of his own bloodline? He had figured that it came from his mother , but perhaps that was completely wrong . Perhaps his Void Heart] came from someone who had fled the Mystic Realm thousands of years ago .

What kind of experiments do you think would take place in such a hidden base? - Zac asked .

We believed it was related to some boundless faction , they’re always up to something . Perhaps they wanted to create a new bloodline suited to their needs , using other bloodlines as a base . Perhaps they wanted to evolve bloodlines and sell the results to wealthy families . It is impossible to tell without gaining access to the research data , - the ghost said .

The Undead Incursion was after the Mystic Realm as well , and so are the cultists , - Kenzie added .

I know , - Zac nodded .

Void’s Disciple had said as much when they met , and the invaders had pretty much confirmed it by sailing toward his Mystic Realm entrance even after failing their attack on Port Atwood . He still didn’t know what was so alluring about that place , but it might contain some treasure valuable enough to cause waves in the whole Zecia sector .

Well , did you know that the Church of Everlasting Dao already controls three different portals that all lead to our Mystic Realm , - Kenzie said . - According to Triv , at least . -

How come you’re so talkative all of a sudden? - Zac asked skeptically . - You almost exploded last time I tried to have you divulge some minor secrets . -

This matter regarding bloodlines was a welcome surprise , but it's not related to the goal of the Undead Empire , - Triv explained , this time taking a spiritual hit .

So you were after something else , - Zac said .

Yes , - the ghost croaked , further wounding himself .

What was it? - Zac muttered curiously , but he hurriedly corrected himself when he saw that Triv was starting to shake and expand . - Wait , don't answer that! -

But he was still extremely curious about what could elicit such a response . Two major factions and the Dominators were all gunning toward that item , yet he was somehow still kept out of the loop .

Julia might be able to find out more , - Kenzie said , seemingly reading his thoughts .

What? Julia? - Zac repeated with confusion - How would that be possible? -

The former government official had simply stayed on the island since jumping onto the teleporter with him , sometimes assisting with diplomatic issues with the Marshall Clan . How would she know something that he didn’t about the mystic realm?

The New World Government actually performed an all-out assault on one of the cultists’ bases and killed one of their Generals . That’s how they got access to the mystic realm and started the - Ark World’ project , - Kenzie explained . - They should have found out a few things if they're taking such drastic measures . -

The one time that little faction showed some spine , - the ghost muttered from the side . - The humans of this planet are wholly unimpressive . If it wasn’t for young master and the many bloodlines running around , then this world would be completely worthless . -

So you’re saying I should send out Julia as a spy? I doubt she will be able to return to her position after these months , - Zac said , ignoring the ghost .

She should still have some contacts who would want to make a connection with you , especially now that the Undead Incursion is dealt with , - Kenzie explained .

I’ll talk with her when we get back , - Zac nodded before he turned to the ghost .

However , Zac couldn’t help but feel himself being dragged against his will once more as he thought about the Mystic Realm , just like when the System had placed him in front of the two remnants . It seemed like he really didn’t have a choice but to explore its depths this time either . All his enemies would be there , and it was related to his family to do with his family . The mystic realm was his best bet at figuring out whether Leandra was a friend or a foe .

And now it might even help him with his constitution?

Him having some sort of bloodline was pretty much confirmed from getting the odd Hidden Node Void Heart] . If it was based on some previous captive , then there might actually be more information and even a manual waiting for him inside the Mystic Realm . After all , he wanted to maintain his above-average power , and opening additional Hidden Nodes was one of the best available methods in the E-Grade .

Just like the F-grade was the best opportunity to farm Titles , the E-Grade was the best opportunity to open up nodes that might benefit him for the rest of his life . Every grade was like that as far as Zac understood . He wasn’t sure about how the higher grades worked , but it seemed like D-Grade was the only rank where you could perfect your Cultivator Core .

What else do you know about the Mystic Realm? - Zac asked Triv .

Not much , - the ghost said , but he hurriedly explained after getting a glare from Zac . - The scant intelligence we had was based on spying on the Cultists and capturing a few of their warriors . We were focused on the realignment . As long as it completed the planet would be ours , including the Mystic Realm . -

Zac asked a few more questions , but he soon realized there was not much else that the butler could divulge between lack of first-hand information and the compulsions . Hopefully , he’d be able to gain more information through Julia . Of course , by this point he could probably just fly over to New Washington and demand answers from Thomas Fischer .

Seeing that the teleporter was up and running was a relief , but there was one more thing that Zac wanted to take care of before he left this place .

Take me to the residence Mhal used before I killed him , - Zac said as he turned to Mhal .

It was you? - Triv blurted with surprise as he led the way . - We figured it was the Monks . -

Zac only shrugged in response as he ushered the ghost out of the warehouse . The fortress was only so big , and they soon reached a structure , or at least the ruins of one . The above-ground manor had been completely destroyed from the battle , but the ghost informed him that there was a large underground compound as well after it activated some sort of ocular skill .

A quick search led him to a reinforced steel hatch in the ground . But a physical barrier was no match for Zac who simply ripped the thick metal plate out of its hinges . However , he immediately regretted his action as a rancid odor immediately rose from the dark hole . It was so bad that he nearly swapped over to his Draugr-from to avoid keeling over .

What is this stench? - Zac blanched .

Mhal performed quite a few experiments in his spare time . I believe he tried to find a suitable upgrade for his current constitution . Corpse Lords are usually like that , obsessed with their bodies . Better to discard the body entirely , if you ask me . You become a bit weaker , but you only need to focus on one type of improvement , - Triv said as it looked down at the tunnel with some disdain .

I found a notebook on his body after I defeated him . He brought something valuable to this place , something that he hid from you and the Lich King . He was instructed by his clan to experiment on this planet , away from prying eyes . - Zac said . - I need to find it . -

He did? - Triv said with surprise . - He never struck me or Lord Adriel as the clever type , but rather a brute . But perhaps that was exactly what he wanted . -

Zac quickly found the source of the stench as he walked down a set of stairs . Three massive holding cells were filled with dismembered bodies in various states of decay . There were a handful of zombies as well who desperately charged at the bars when they sensed him . Zac made short work of them all before he threw out a massive amount of corpse destroying powder .

It alleviated the smell a bit , but Zac still worked at maximum efficiency to look for the hidden Draugr samples . Triv was flying straight through walls and the ground in search of hidden compartments as well , eager to prove its worth .

Young master , over here , - Triv said a while later as he rose from the floor . - How curious , I couldn't sense anything at all until I hit a barrier . It really seems like this little vassal force was keeping a lot of secrets . Are they planning a rebellion? -

That doesn't have anything to do with you , remember? - Zac snorted as he walked over . - You're an Earthling now . -

Of course , of course , - the ghost hurriedly nodded . - But the young master should know that returning to the embrace of the Empire is the only way for a pure-blood Draugr to realize his full potential . -

How do you know I'm pure-blood? - Zac asked with some curiosity as he started digging up the ground .

I cannot be certain , but your bloodline is certainly a lot stronger than anything I've encountered before . And it feels . . . Old . That's how it feels with the ancient clans of the Heartlands , I'm told , - the ghost hesitantly said . - If I may , why cling to your human form at all if you have the chance to discard it? You even have the opportunity to awaken without losing your sense of self , something that is usually extremely difficult to achieve . -

Well , being human doesn't seem so glamorous to you , perhaps , but I like it , - Zac muttered , his eyes trained at the box he had unearthed .

Zac hesitated about what to do for a few seconds as he looked down at the pitch-black container . He could sense that this truly was what he was looking for , as there was a slight resonance between his Specialty Core and the box . But what now? Were the samples of his bloodline any use to him any longer?

He eventually stashed away the box without opening it , much to Triv's disappointment . Zac was afraid that there were traps in the chest itself that would break the samples inside . Who knew , they might become useful for upgrading his Specialty core in the future? He had the System to help him out for the first evolution , but next time he might not be so lucky .

There was nothing else of interest in the chamber , and Zac quickly returned to the surface , the stale air feeling like a fresh gust after that rancid environment . If there had been any lingering feelings of pity for the Corpse Lord's Clan before due to the letter he read , then that pity had been utterly quashed after seeing the aftermath of Mhal's experimentation .

In either case , there was not much left to do in the Dead Zone , and Zac prepared to get going . However , he realized that the ghost presented a problem as he returned to his sister's side .

Is there any way you can hide? - Zac asked as he turned to the ghost who kept pace two steps behind . - I can’t be bringing you around in the open . I already have enough people talking behind my back from working with the demons . -

Here , - the ghost said as he produced a small black tower no larger than three centimeters in height . - I can stay inside this , as long as young master don’t put it into a Spatial Treasure . With your permission , I’ll rest for a few days as my soul is wounded . If you need me , just call by nudging the mark in your mind . -

Zac nodded and the ghost disappeared the next moment as the small tower started giving off a weak azure light . Zac curiously looked at the thing , but he couldn’t figure out if it was a Spatial Treasure or if the ghost could actually shrink itself to such a diminutive size .

I don’t understand why you don’t just kill that thing , - Ogras muttered with disgust as he stepped out of the shadows . - Nothing good will come from keeping that one . -

I’ll destroy any Karmic Ties he might carry later , - Zac said . - I have the lamp now . -

Karmic Ties is just one of the many dangers in the Multiverse , - Ogras shrugged . - Another one is consorting with the unliving . It usually ends with you joining them . -

A bit late for that , - Zac snorted , which elicited a laugh from Kenzie as she fiddled with her new inscription tool .

One of them playing with ghosts , the other with Technocrat toys . You two siblings are truly testing the limits , - the demon muttered . - You better pray the Ruthless Heavens don't take you up on your challenge . -

Chapter 510 - Eveningtide

Zac only rolled his eyes at the demon's slightly ominous comment , but he did somewhat agree . The two of them were playing a dangerous game , him with the remnant and Kenzie with Jeeves . Such powerful items really shouldn't be in the hands of piddling low-grade cultivators , and it would only drag them into trouble with the System .

But there wasn't much he could do about it right now , apart from growing stronger to tackle whatever came their way .

Are you done here? - Zac asked instead .

I managed to dig out some of the intelligence crystals from the place you indicated , but most of them were ruined . Also , I can’t read them , - the demon said as he threw it over to Zac .

He tried to activate it as well , but his Cosmic Energy was immediately rebuffed . Even worse , some cracks spread across its surface , prompting Zac to hurriedly retract his energy .

I’ll try as an undead later , - Zac said as he placed Triv's tower in a pocket . - If we’re done here , then you can call over our people . I’ll leave as soon as we can confirm the situation on the other side . Send this to Port Atwood please . -

He quickly imprinted a few instructions onto a crystal and handed it to his sister . Kenzie grabbed it before she poured hundreds of Nexus Crystals out on the ground in a circle around the Teleportation Array . She looked a bit hesitant about what to do next though , but Ogras seemed to understand her thoughts .

Here , - Ogras said and threw a massive leg from some unknown beast onto the array . - Harvested it during the climb . It tasted like wet fur anyway . -

Kenzie nodded and placed the crystal on top of the leg , and the next moment the two items flashed away .

We’re returning to Port Atwood? - Joanna asked as they waited for a response on the other side .

I want that tree , but I need to see what’s happened with the ship heading for Mystic Island . I’ll go back if there’s still a chance to protect our teleporter , - Zac said after some consideration . - If not , I’ll simply fly and get the tree . I’ll be able to observe the Dead Zone that way as well . -

Ten minutes later a group of soldiers emerged from the teleporter , including a sun-tanned Ilvere .

You did it , - Ilvere said with a grin as he looked around at the ruins . - Must have been some battle . I wish I was here to kick these damn zombies off the planet as well . What about Alea’s…? -

Zac sighed as he saw the demon general’s downcast expression . Zac had made sure that only a few core members could know about Alea’s situation , but the two remaining demon Generals were among the group of people he felt should be aware of what was going on . The normal demons would only think that she had been killed by the invaders when they assaulted the island .

I ripped him apart with her chains , - Zac simply said .

Good! - Ilvere roared . - Then her soul can be at peace no matter what happens next . -

What’s going on with the boat? - Zac asked , eager to change the subject .

We failed , - Ilvere sighed . - Those ships are so slow , but it suddenly spat out a small vessel that shot toward the Mystic Island with a speed that eclipsed our ships . Worse yet , they managed to break the tunnel just by detonating something on the shore . We currently have around 100 people trapped inside the mystic realm . We managed to sink the large warship in retaliation -

At least our people safe , - Zac said as he turned to his sister . - Can you see what you can do? -

Sure , - Kenzie nodded .

Since there wasn’t much he could do now that the spatial tunnel was already broken , he decided to go fetch the mutated tree instead . Ilvere would lead the squad of soldiers to search out the core of the Dead Zone instead , while simultaneously taking away all the Unholy Beacons that were still standing .

After all , they still hadn’t found any natural resources in the area . All the other Incursions had been placed near some valuable resources of Earth , so it stood to reason that it should be the same here . Of course , there was the possibility that the perk of the Undead Empire was getting placed in an extremely population-dense area , as corpses were the most valuable resource to them .

Seeing his army get to work with practiced ease let him bring out his Flying Treasure without worry , but he was surprised to see Ogras jumping on top as well .

I have nothing to do , so I figure I’d come with you , - the demon shrugged with a grin . - What if you suddenly pass out again and fall into a horde of zombies? -

Well , the company is always welcome , - Zac slowly said .

I’m curious if you can actually gain something from the tree . You’re a mortal but you keep getting insights left and right . I want to figure out if there’s something I’ve missed . Just look at that giant . Sometimes there’s genius hidden within a haze of stupidity , - the demon smiled .

Well , thank you , - Zac snorted as he turned to Joanna who had also joined him on the leaf .

I’m just here to help you steer in case you need to relax , - Joanna explained .

Emily and the rest of the Valkyries would return to Port Atwood with Kenzie though . They weren't as high-leveled , and they had stayed long enough in such a Miasma-dense area . Any longer and they might have adverse effects .

The trio soon set off , and the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed as they returned toward the outer reaches of the Dead Zone . Zac took Joanna up on the offer to steer so that he could focus on recuperation , whereas Ogras took out a jug of some liquor and drank as he gazed out across the horizon .

Zac got a bit bored after an hour though and joined Ogras for a drink instead .

By the way , I found out some more about the Eveningtide Asura after you left the Base Town , - Ogras said as he handed Zac a jug . - Figured it might be useful as some see you as the second coming of that guy after your display with erecting a netherblasted Corpse Tree right in front of the Tower entrance . -

A what? - Joanna asked from the side .

And? - Zac coughed with some embarrassment , ignoring the question . - Is that good news or bad news? -

Hard to say . Unattached elites cropping out of nowhere is always a cause for concern . It will usually result in multiple forces getting destroyed before a balance is restored , - the demon said .

But that rarely happens to the peak forces because of their hidden reserves . The attacker would have to overpower and ancient Empire , and that’s easier said than done . So they have grown complacent , - Ogras continued .

Zac nodded in agreement . If it was before he visited the Base Town he would have believed it wasn’t too hard for a powerhouse to take out a slightly weaker force , but he had seen just how desperate things had become upon him exiting the tower . And that was only a few hundred warriors with limitations on what sort of items they could bring to the special dimensions .

What about the biggest forces? They would be able to bring out billions of warriors and an almost inexhaustible number of treasures to defend themselves . Taking them out as a lone powerhouse would be almost impossible .

But then the Eveningtide Asura came along , - Ogras smiled - And now there's you . -

Just who is that guy , and what did he do? - Zac asked .

Zac had been repeatedly been compared to that man since he had conquered the 8th floor , so it was a bit interesting to hear what kind of man the so-called Asura was .

He utterly annihilated a fifth of the peak forces in this sector , - Ogras said with gleaming eyes . - Killed them to the last man . Trillions of lives lost , even a C-Grade continent was grievously wounded to the point it decreased in grade . A murderous lunatic , it sounds like . -

Why would he do something like that? - Zac said with shock .

No wonder so many seemed so leery about him after the fight outside the Tower . The problem was whether the forces of the multiverse would want to stomp him out before he grew powerful , or whether they would instead try to nurture a good relationship . Some obviously tried the latter , such as Boje and Pretty , but that didn’t necessarily represent the intentions of their ancestors .

To resolve grudges . Those who died had tried to hunt him down to get their hands on his treasures before he grew powerful , and he was almost killed dozens of times . But he barely managed to slip away each time , until he finally disappeared for 100 000 years , - Ogras said . - But then he finally came back , as a Peak C-Grade Monarch . Blood flowed like rivers for 500 years before he was satisfied and left our sector for good . -

Wait , just Peak C-Grade? Did he manage to do all that without even breaking into the B-Grade? How is that possible , don’t all the peak forces have Peak C-Grade Monarchs hidden in seclusion? - Zac asked incredulously . - With the help of their arrays , they should be able to defend even against someone like that . -

I actually learned something interesting regarding that , - Ogras snorted . - Our sector is a bit generous , or rather boastful , when it comes to assigning grades to forces . -

What? - Zac asked with confusion .

There are probably less than 10 High C-Grade Monarchs in the whole sector , - Ogras said , drawing a surprised exclamation from both Joanna and Zac . - Some say even less than five . And not a single Peak C-Grade warrior unless they are hiding their strength for some reason . The reason that Dravorak Dynasty is so famous right now is that they have one of the few confirmed High C-Grade Monarchs . -

What? - Zac said . - Are you messing with me? What about all the peak C-Grade forces? -

Having a Pseudo C-Grade Monarch makes a force C-Grade . Having a true C-Grade Monarch , no matter how weak , makes the force Middle C-Grade . Having an Elite Early C-Grade or a weak Mid C-Grade makes the force a High C-Grade force . Finally , Forces with at least Mid-Grade C-Grade warriors and strong foundations are called the Peak C-Grade forces of the Zecia Sector , - Ogras snorted .

Zac was about to refute the man , but he suddenly remembered Anzonil . His force was regarded as a weak D-Grade force simply because he had formed a Pseudo Core . It sounded like the same was possible with whatever was required to move into the C-Grade , and a remote sector like Zecia considered that good enough .

It also explained why Catheya's master seemingly held such a level of esteem in the Undead Kingdom . Perhaps it wasn't only the fact he came from the heartlands , but also that he simply was stronger than anyone else in the whole sector . No wonder that Catheya could decapitate 40 people without anyone lifting a finger to retaliate .

It didn’t make a big difference for Zac as things were , but it did actually lessen the pressure he felt somewhat . It meant that if he managed to reach at least Early C-Grade in the future , then there was probably no force in the whole sector that would dare mess with him or Earth . He had thought he would have to reach High C-Grade for that effect .

Of course , the revelation also indicated that the might be something lacking in the Zecia sector as a whole if no one was able to reach Peak C Grade . Perhaps it was resources , or perhaps the cultivation techniques . In either case , it was bad news for him . If not even the most talented cultivators could reach Peak C-Grade , how would he , a talentless mortal do it?

Of course , he was way early in worrying about the C-Grade . But it was worth remembering , as it meant that following the - standard - elite route of Zecia would have an end-point that was even lower than that of his master , Yrial . He would have to go above and beyond somehow . But it was clearly possible if the Eveningtide Asura managed to break through .

Is he still alive? - Zac asked curiously . - The Asura? -

No idea , - Ogras shrugged . - This happened something like a million years ago . Perhaps not even the ancient bastards from the strongest forces were alive back then . There were rumors that he had offended some terrifying unorthodox force a few hundred thousand years ago , and after that , he hasn’t been heard of . Sounds like someone who loved getting himself in trouble , and perhaps his luck ran out . Also , considering how many mortals he killed in his quest for vengeance he might have been punished by the Ruthless Heavens . -

The atmosphere on the leaf became a bit subdued as they looked out across the landscape . Zac prayed that things wouldn’t play out as they did with the Eveningtide Asura . It also confirmed the importance of keeping anything valuable with you hidden , at least until you were strong enough to defend yourself .

However , his mood soon lightened again as they closed in on their target ; the mutated tree that was somehow generating life through death . Joanna set them down next to the tree , and Zac walked up to it once more . However , no matter what he did he found himself unable to push his Dao any further , and he couldn't make any inroads on his skill quests either .

He was forced to give up after five hours , but he still felt that the tree held some secrets worth exploring . He took out a large barrel and filled it with dirt before he gingerly cut three branches and placed them inside . He also inserted a couple of miasma crystals into the earth after some consideration .

He hadn’t gained much from the last set of saplings he took , but that might be because of him having placed them into his Cosmos Sack . He had long forgotten to replant them , which had turned them into worthless sticks in his back . But now he was planning on building a death-attuned cultivation cave , meaning he would have a proper home ready for them .

They set out a minute later , and they actually reached the edge of the Dead Zone a bit faster than expected . However , they soon realized that it wasn’t because of their speed , but rather because the Dead Zone seemed to be shrinking . It was a huge relief to see the world naturally heal itself so quickly , and it felt like a good indicator that hadn't been damaged beyond repair .

But that didn't mean that the undead threat was completely dealt with , as they saw massive swathes of zombies lumbering around as they flew closer to the battlefield he had seen in his crystal . Some of them seemed to be heading toward the core of the Dead Zone , whereas others trailed off toward inhabited lands .

It would take a lot of work to deal with the hundreds of millions of Zombies .

Some were already working on it though , and Zac was surprised to see the battle was still raging . It wasn’t an all-out battle though , as the humans mostly seemed to fight in an effort to corral the zombies away from the area with human settlements . However , the horde still looked extremely rowdy . Some drifted back toward the Dead Zone , but most seemed intent on feasting on the living .

Zac looked inward to check the status of his body . The node had mostly stabilized by now , and while the pathways were still a bit messy he had started to work on redrawing them over the past day . He still had a long way to go but he felt he had made enough progress to comfortably dish out a couple of fractal edges .

I'll help them out a bit , - Zac said as he jumped down from the leaf , hurdling toward the zombies like a human cannonball .

Chapter 511 - Plans and Schemes

How is it? - Gregor asked as he spat out some blood from his mouth , reminding him of his internal injuries .

A decent number of wounds covered his body from ceaseless fighting over the past two days , and the two newly gained scimitars in his hands felt as heavy as mountains . But there was not much else to do . The zombie bastards had gone crazy out of nowhere , and it only became worse when that shudder went through the planet .

But the pain was intermixed with a sweet sense of bliss , as that shudder had indicated the continued survival of Earth . That man had really done it . One man and a small support staff charging into the core of the Dead Zone to kill the Lich King , and somehow living to tell the tale .

If only the other undead bastards could take the hint and throw in the towel as well .

We won’t be able to hold much longer , - Lararia frowned as she looked out over the frontlines . - I think our best bet is fighting a battle of retreat , leading them away from our sector . -

Some of these bastards will still ignore us and do whatever they want , - Oksana muttered . - Our scouts are indicating that packs of zombies are appearing all over the place , causing havoc . -

What about Enigma? - Gregor asked .

We can’t find him , - Lararia said with worry . - He took his squad to search for the general , but we’ve lost contact . -

Well , let's hope he’s just held up , - Gregor mumbled . - Our faction will need – Wait , is that him? -

The other Councilors followed his gaze , and their eyes immediately lit up . It wasn’t their unsociable strongman who essentially lived out in the battlefields , but rather an emerald leaf that pushed through the clear blue sky .

The others didn’t have time to comment before someone jumped out from the flying treasure , falling straight toward the sea of zombies like a meteor . A terrifying impact erupted the next second as a coruscating wave of rock and mud spread out like a tsunami , swallowing hundreds of zombies in an instant .

A massive plume of sand rose to the sky from the impact and obscured their vision . However , Gregor barely had time to register the series of events as an enormous blade ripped the dust apart as it shot out with terrifying momentum .

It was at least fifty meters long , and the zombies were cut apart as though they were made from paper . Was this the same wretched creatures that caused their soldiers so much trouble due to their sturdy bodies? A shocking corridor of destruction ripped forward , leaving not a single body intact . Gregor had to rapidly blink a couple of times as he stared at the edge's advance , as it almost felt like his eyes were cut by just looking at the skill .

Gregor himself and many of the councilors had tried to take advantage of the thick density of zombies in a similar fashion , utilizing their area skills to cause as much damage as possible . However , the zombies were just too tough . Each zombie drained their attacks , like they sucked up some of the energy like sponges , causing the skills to fizzle after a dozen kills or so .

However , Lord Atwood’s attack seemed to face no such impediments . It kept flying until they destabilized well over a hundred meters away from him . Was it a difference of Dao? The fractal blade that cut through the horde like butter either had a greenish tint , the color giving the attack a distinct power .

They had already guessed that Lord Atwood had surpassed the stage of Dao Seeds , and this seemed to be a confirmation of it .

However , it quickly became apparent that the enormous blade was no ultimate strike , as Lord Atwood seemingly was able to keep conjuring them at will . One , two , three blades followed suit in short order , each of reaping their own set of the unliving as Lord Atwood moved with impossible speed within the horde . Each blade took out thousands of the clumped-together bastards .

So many of them dead in an instant , - Oksana muttered with disbelief written all over her face . - Is this the power of the E-Grade? -

No way , - Lararia said with a shake of her head , her tail nervously flitting back and forth from watching the bloody display . - If that was the case , then the general would have singlehandedly decimated our army . This is Lord Atwood’s personal power . -

Shit , didn’t he just fight the Lich King yesterday? And now he’s already back at full power? - Gregor sputtered with disbelief . - Is that man unstoppable? -

Each step moved Lord Atwood fifty meters forward and resulted in another gory wave of destruction , and a primordial fear gripped Gregor’s heart as he looked at the carnage . They could sense his immense aura even all the way from where they stood , and Gregor felt like a helpless hare gazing at an apex predator .

An eruption of darkness suddenly swallowed another section of the zombie horde , and the undead fell by the hundreds . Gregor looked at the spectacle with confusion until he suddenly noticed the horned demon emerging out of the shadows to decimate everything in his surroundings , only to disappear a moment later .

He kept moving the battlefield through teleportation , like a grim reaper toying with the mindless undead . Gregor had thought Lord Atwood to be an outlier after he essentially dealt with the Fire Golem Incursion singlehandedly , but it looked like he extremely capable followers as well .

Enigma isn’t even a match to the right-hand man , - Lararia muttered , echoing his thoughts . - We’d probably need the whole council to secure a kill . Provided that this is the limits of that man’s power . -

Don’t speak such unlucky words , what if they hear us? - Oksana said with a frown . - Besides , they are our saviors . -

Should we join them? - Gregor ventured after a while .

No point , - a new voice said , and they saw Romal walk over , his bloody shovel slung across his back . - We might just get in the way . Let’s hold the line and deal with stragglers until they’re done . -

The other Councilors nodded in agreement , and they spent the next hour dealing with the scraps while the two monsters kept wreaking havoc . Joanna , the spear warrior following Lord Atwood , joined them early on and confirmed the destruction of the Undead Incursion .

The demon joined them half an hour later , appearing in their midst without notice . However , Lord Atwood kept mowing down Zombies for over two hours , methodically decimating the undead . Every three seconds the air would shudder as he released a massive fractal edge , and he would move toward the next group without bothering to look at the results .

Gregor had already turned numb to that man’s actions , but he couldn’t help but wonder just how much Cosmic Energy that man had used by this point . But it looked like even Lord Atwood had a limit , and he finally stopped his carnage as he started walking toward their army .

A tremendous aura radiated from his body , but Gregor was surprised to feel a refreshing aura coming from it . However , the zombies clearly didn’t share his sentiments as they fled for their lives , desperately moving out of the Dao Field as he walked toward the Council's Army .

Releasing the aura essentially ended the battle , and over a hundred thousand warriors silently watched the approach of a single bloodied man . Even Gregor felt mesmerized as he looked at Lord Atwood’s approach , as he drew quite the picture with the suns setting behind his back .

The bestial axe in his hand glistened in the sunlight as dark blood dripped from the teeth fastened to its axehead . However , the white flowing robes he wore were unmarred by even a speck of dust , proving that he hadn’t even been close to becoming injured during the fight .

However , the most gripping things were his eyes . It felt like they contained a boundless power that made Gregor shudder from hundreds of meters away . His very existence was cause for pressure , and it looked like the army felt the same as a wide passage in the ranks opened up without any order . It wasn’t surprising , of course .

Who’d dare to block a man who had just mowed down millions of zombies?

Lord Atwood soon appeared in front of them and nodded as he stashed away his weapon .

Have you found any clues about the general who was leading this horde? - he simply asked .

Ah- Ehm , no , - Gregor said , quickly finding his bearings . - I’m afraid not . The horde suddenly turned chaotic and rowdy without warning two days ago , we believe it might have been because the general fled . Enigma set out to find him with a group of elites , but we haven’t heard any news . -

Lord Atwood nodded with a sigh .

Well , the portal is closed and the Dead Zone is shrinking . We’ll be able to smoke him out sooner or later . Contact Port Atwood if you hear anything , - he said .

Of course , - Gregor nodded .

Where’s the closest teleporter? - Lord Atwood asked .

An hour by foot in that direction , - Romal said with a weak voice as he pointed westward .

Thank you for your hard work , - Lord Atwood said as he jumped back onto his flying treasure . - But remember , this isn’t over . There are still multiple dangers threatening Earth , so don’t let down your guards . I will hold an auction in a few weeks , there will be a lot of items that will be helpful for the elites of our world . You should come . -

Port Atwood next? - the mysterious demon asked , but Lord Atwood shook his head .

No , there’s someone I need to talk to first , - Lord Atwood said with a shake of his head .

Who? - the demon asked with surprise .

Verana , - Zac simply answered as he nodded for his bodyguard to start flying . - I need some answers . -

A bloodthirsty laugh echoed out across the area as the demon joined him on the leaf , leaving a subdued group of councilors behind . Only when the trio had turned into a small spot on the horizon did Gregor remember to breathe , and he realized his back was completely drenched in sweat .

Imagine if we actually had gone with the original plan to fight that monster , - Gregor wryly smiled . - We’d be skeletons tossed into some corner of the Underworld by now . -

And more importantly , he felt very happy that he wasn’t related to that Verana character , going by the fire in Lord Atwood's eyes .

A subdued silence lingered in the large conference room , with no one of the 10-odd people present wanting to be the first one to speak up . Thomas wasn’t in any hurry either , so he slowly looked out across the room of representatives to get a sense of their thoughts .

The power dynamic of the New World Government had slowly changed with democracy giving way to hegemony , but such was the natural result in a world like theirs . However , Thomas knew all-too-well that his current position was nowhere near as stable as that of the Super Brother-Man , Zachary Atwood .

He was unable to completely subdue the other factions of the government with his force alone , so he was still forced to accede to the will of the many in many scenarios . It did bog down his plans a bit , but he could only blame himself for being lacking in talent .

It’s closed and the array has been turned off , - Francis Girardot finally muttered as he looked over at Thomas .

Thomas slowly nodded in confirmation , but he didn’t speak up just yet . Zachary Atwood had made his move after all , and he was curious to see what the others had to say about it . His biggest worry right now was that the other members would start flocking to his rising star , abandoning the arduously crafted plans of theirs .

Is this good news or bad news? - Johana , the Russian representative , asked .

It is obviously good news to have one less threat to worry about , - Asano said from the other side of the table . - The question is whether it changes our plans . -

Multiple heads slowly turned toward Thomas sitting at the short end of the table . Asano’s words had a clear implication . What can you provide that the Super Brother-Man can’t?

This doesn’t change our plans , - Thomas finally said . - Zachary defeating the Undead Empire is not wholly unexpected . The undead were powerful , but ultimately limited by the rules of the System . The real threat to Earth is not . The threat of the Redeemer remains . We will proceed with the Ark World Project . -

Murmurs of agreement went around the table , though a few faces looked troubled .

What about bringing Zachary Atwood into the plan? - a councilor ventured . - It would greatly improve our chances to seize the item . -

Absolutely not , - Thomas Fischer said without hesitation . - Remember the uses of the Dimensional Seed? We want it to create a safe haven for our people . But what would Zachary Atwood use it for? -

The C-Grade , - Asano muttered thoughtfully .

Exactly . All our intelligence indicates that he only cares about the safety of his sister . He even left his whole army to fend for themselves for weeks against the undead . He mysteriously disappeared for a month while humans died by the millions . He will no doubt save the seed to break through in the future , - Thomas said without missing a beat .

But he’s facing the same threat as us . The master of the Dominators , - another representative muttered . - Surely he can be convin- -

We already possess two tokens that would take us off-world , - Thomas cut him off . - There is no way that Zachary Atwood doesn’t have at least as many . He can always cut and run , bringing his closest people with him after having looted all the treasures of Earth . -

The representatives slowly nodded in agreement , clearly seeing the problem as well .

Besides . It’s not like we’re hopeless , - Thomas added with a smile . - I’m happy to announce that Silverfox and I have finally managed to broker an agreement with the True Sky-faction of the Ark World . Zachary Atwood is strong , but can he contend with their high E-Grade ancestors? -

Chapter 512 - Regret

Verana sat by a flowerbed in her garden , absentmindedly stroking Lulu’s soft fur as the beast slept in her lap while cradling a beast crystal . A sense of impending doom had filled her heart the entire day , and she finally knew it was time for a reckoning the moment Lys hurried into her room with worry in her eyes . Not that her maid needed to explain what was going on as she had already received the prompt .

Zachary Atwood had arrived .

The humans under her employ had already divulged his evolution and explosive gain in levels over the past days , and the fact that their surroundings weren’t drowned in Miasma was proof enough of what had transpired . The young master of the Brindevalt had sent a message as well five hours ago , confirming her hunch . The Undead Empire was thrown off from this baby world , making Zachary Atwood its de-facto leader .

This should normally have been a joyous occasion , but she had messed up . She had been frozen in hesitation about the implications of offending the undead and the Church of the Everlasting Dao , until the point that they lost connection through the teleporter . Now Zac was back , and his thoughts about their actions were known only to himself .

Why had she hesitated back then? It was not like either of those forces were on good terms with the Tal-Eladar . In fact , it was the opposite , with the higher-tiered tribes having joined more than one excursion to curtail the expansion of the Undead Kingdoms .

She finally understood the weight of command that her grandmother had tried teaching her about , but now it might be too late . Her mind ran a mile a minute as she tried to figure out the optimal path to take from here on out . There was a palpable pressure on her as the course of the meeting might decide whether she and her people would survive the day .

Because one thing was clear . If the Super Brother-Man had arrived with the intent to kill , then there was nothing she could do . He had taken out almost a dozen forces stronger than heirs , and even the undead wasn't a match to him . She still couldn't believe it as she had seen him in action on multiple occasions , but it was hard to argue with the facts placed in front of her .

She finally concluded that her best course of action was to feign ignorance ; that she was preparing her forces to assist when Port Atwood was under attack , but the arrays had suddenly disappeared just when they were about to set out . So she adorned a welcoming smile when the human and his annoying companion stepped into her garden .

Verana gasped as she felt a terrifying pressure spread out through her backyard . Zachary Atwood was clearly making his stance known , and the few attendants were forced to flee from the immense pressure as the flora was pushed to the ground . Even Verana felt the strain , and Lulu whined in her lap as she was startled awake , her little muscles growing taut .

There was no longer any confusion about how Zachary Atwood had defeated the undead after feeling this terrorizing aura . It was almost incomprehensible how much he had grown since they last met . Verana already knew that he had gone off-world for some opportunity , but just what kind of encounter could utterly transform someone to this degree? She still maintained the smile though , wanting to make it feel like nothing was amiss .

However , that smile turned extremely forced when she heard Zac’s first words .

I thought you would have left for the Brindevalt Clan by now . -

Zac looked at the frozen smile of Verana with a snort before he sat down opposite her .

I am not sure what you’ve heard , but I assure you that the Tir’Emarel Family has upheld their part of the agreement without any deviance , - Verana said after a second . - We have not divulged any information about you to the Brindevalt . I feared the worst had happened to you when we lost contact , and we sought out an ally . -

You know , I wondered what made you so willing to stay behind on a planet invaded by not only the undead but also the insane cultists , - Zac said , freely speaking his thoughts . - It turns out you had an escape route from the beginning . -

Can’t trust the pointy-ears , they are only true to their beasts , - Ogras snorted from the side , drawing an angered look from Verana .

I can understand how it looks , but I hope that you can understand my predicament . I wanted to assist , but I also had orders from my family to not offend any powerful forces while I was cut off from the clan . By the time I found the resolve to go against my family’s wishes we had lost connection to Port Atwood , - Verana explained . - Also , I believe the Brindevalt can become a great asset as well . They are- -

You can send a message to your friends , - Zac cut her off . - I am heading back to consolidate my gains . But I will head out and slaughter every invading force that remains on Earth the moment I’m done . They better be gone within the week unless they’re ready to face me in battle . -

Zac stood up , not caring that Verana's smiling face had turned into an emotionless mask , her eyes the only thing that betrayed the churning emotions within .

I’ll uphold my bargain , you are welcome to stay as a trading partner . However , since you’re unwilling to fight for this planet’s survival , then you can forget about taking part in its resources . I will see any expansion from the Tal-Eladar as an act of war , and I will act swiftly in response , - Zac said as he walked out without another word .

He had said what needed to be said , and he was in no mood to stay any longer . His wholesale slaughter of the zombie horde had tired him out , and he just wanted to sleep for a few hours . Ogras stood up as well , but he didn’t immediately join Zac as he left . Instead , he turned toward Verana with a grin .

What? - she snorted with annoyance after Zac had left the garden . - Don’t pretend a calculating coward like you would have acted any different when faced with such a situation . -

I might be a coward , but I at least have a nose for opportunity . You’ve just pissed off the first person to reach the 9th floor of the Tower of Eternity in a million years , - Ogras said , his grin almost splitting his face apart . - You better pray that the Tribal Elders of your race doesn’t sacrifice your whole clan as a form of appeasement to the second coming of the Eveningtide Asura . -

WHAT?! - Verana exclaimed with shock , but she quickly calmed down . - Another life from a demon’s poisonous tongue . -

However , Ogras noticed that the Beast Master was not as calm as she let on , and he decided to twist the knife a bit .

Believe what you will . Would I bother lying about something like this? The news will sooner or later spread across the whole Sector , and the natives will bring back news over the coming years . You’ll see . Silly girl , you stayed on this little planet for its opportunities , but you let it all slip through your fingers , - Ogras laughed as he flashed away , effortlessly avoiding an infuriated swipe by Verana .

He appeared right at the exit of the garden and looked back at Verana who stood rooted in place with a stormy expression . One of them looked physically ill and the other looking like he had just won the lottery .

What were you doing? - Zac asked when Ogras appeared by his side again .

Rubbing some salt in the wound , - the demon snickered . - Never forget to kick your enemies when they are down . -

What do you think they’ll do? - Zac asked , ignoring the comment .

The potential value of a trade route like this is too valuable to simply give up , - Ogras slowly said . - They will definitely leave at least some people here . Not that I think that they can simply leave as they want through someone else’s Incursion . There should be a massive cost to that . I didn’t even know it was possible . At best the girl and a few of her elites will be able to escape this planet , leaving the rest behind . Doesn't really matter now , does it? You have gained many superior allies since we met these bastards . -

Zac nodded in agreement . If things fell through with the Tir'Emarel clan , then there would be a hundred stronger factions that would probably be more than willing to trade with him after the System's shroud was lifted . Provided he didn't become a pariah of the Sector , of course .

The Tal-Eladar kept a wide berth around them as they walked through the town , and they soon reached the Teleportation Array . They appeared in Port Atwood a bout of darkness later , and the two let out a collective sigh of relief . He had seen the others step through just fine , but almost getting ripped to shreds while stuck mid-teleportation had left a small seed of fear in Zac's heart .

He just wanted to run home and sleep , but there was one thing that couldn't wait .

You want to see your girlfriend? - Zac asked after having nodded at the soldiers standing guard at the teleportation tree .

What? Who? - Ogras blurted and took a step back .

Emma MacHale , - Zac snorted .

Oh , her? - Ogras muttered . - What a waste . Why are you seeing her for? -

I need to speak with Julia , - Zac explained . - I want information from the New World Government . -

Why not just go over and cut off a couple of heads before demanding answers? The amount they had badmouthed you would have gotten them all killed long ago on my home planet , - Ogras asked .

I might disband them , or I might not , - Zac shrugged . - I haven’t decided yet . There should be quite a few turncoats who are willing to offer up intelligence though , so I’ll have Julia work a bit in the meantime . -

The two soon found themselves at the sprawling mansion that Emma had demanded as remuneration for getting - kidnapped’ . They found the two sitting outside , with Emma reading some scripts while Julia cultivated .

What are the two of you doing here? - Emma said with a raised brow . - Questions about same-sex relationships? The two of you finally tying the knot? -

That bore wouldn’t be able to land me in a thousand years , - Ogras laughed as he snatched the bottle of wine next to Emma . - He’s here for your little lover . -

What’s going on? - Julia said as she opened her eyes .

Are you interested in some work? - Zac asked as he looked down at the former government official .

It turned out that the answer was a resounding yes , and Julia almost ran out of the mansion before Zac had explained the situation in full . Staying still for months on end on an isolated island was clearly fraying her nerves .

They eventually decided that Julia would go to Westfort , bringing two bodyguards with her upon Emma’s insistence . As for her next step , that would depend on what she found out in the town . She seemed to have the matter in hand , so Zac left after giving her a deadline of a week . If she couldn’t find out anything by then he would have to take some more drastic measures .

Zac and Ogras left soon after , and Zac started walking toward his private area .

What will you do next? - Ogras asked .

I need to recuperate , - Zac sighed . - Cracking open a node caused more trouble than expected . It’s really a pain to be a mortal . -

Yes , you’re one unlucky bastard , - Ogras muttered , his voice dripping with sarcasm as he flashed away .

Zac made his way back to his compound and found that his sister had left a note . She had left for Mystic Island by teleporting to the closest island . The teleporter on Mystic Island itself was apparently blocked by spatial turbulence , probably due to whatever the cultists did to close the tunnel .

Since there was nothing else to do he finally let himself rest for a bit , and he drifted off before his head even touched the pillow . He only woke a full six hours later , feeling a lot better compared to before .

Seeing that no one was looking for him he took the opportunity to start redrawing his pathways again . A map of the extremely intricate lines had thankfully been imprinted in his mind when he evolved , so there was no guesswork involved . However , the process was anything but simple just because he knew how things were supposed to look .

He slowly carved the extremely thin pathways with the help of his Cosmic Energy , but he was repeatedly forced to stop and redraw the lines . The slightest deviation would ruin everything , and he kept slipping up , forcing him to start over . Minutes turned to hours , but when he finally paused he realized that he had just redrawn a centimeter’s length , even though it felt like kilometers of interwoven lines .

This was going to be a lot of work .

Chapter 513 - Pathways

Zac grunted as he got to his feet after having finished his recuperation for the night . One week had passed since the events in the Dead Zone , and he had finally restored the pathways in his leg to optimal condition . It had also given him some time to take it easy and find some stability . Having first rushed through the levels in the Tower of Eternity , only to be thrown into a hectic battle against the Undead Empire had taken its mental toll .

Redrawing the pathways had felt like a chore the first days , but he quickly realized the benefits of doing so . One of his weaknesses was a lack of familiarity with the patterns and fractals that made up pathways and skill fractals alike , but he was slowly shoring up that weakness while redrawing his fractals .

The process was slow , but it allowed him to gain a far greater insight into how the fractals actually worked and how they interacted with nodes and skill fractals . He had generally considered them magic veins until now , pumping Cosmic Energy instead of blood , but he realized that was a reductionist way to look at it .

The pathways created an extremely intricate network of thousands of fine energy routes , that actually worked together to transform the Cosmic Energy he used . You could say that raw cosmic energy entered his pathways from his cells , where it was stored until he would form a Cultivation Core , but that Cosmic Energy wasn't in tune with his class .

However , the energy was split apart into thousands of minuscule streams through the fractals , and when they recombined in the Skill Fractals the energy had transformed a bit , like the previously raw Cosmic Energy had been forced to all stay on the same wavelength . Zac guessed that the pathways also did the same with Cosmic Energy that was absorbed through cultivation , though he couldn't test that for himself .

He hadn't been completely certain why the pathways between classes were so different before , but this was the most likely explanation . It was not only about fitting with the skills but rather forming a specific type of Cosmic Energy . It didn't quite go as far as give the energy an attunement though , but perhaps that was exactly what would happen at higher grades .

Having spent most of his waking time redrawing these pathways had given Zac a newfound understanding not only of the fractals but also about his class . He still lacked a theoretical foundation , but he felt that his understanding would perhaps even eclipse that of most cultivators by the time he reached peak E-Grade .

Furthermore , his week of introspection had also given him a better understanding of the pathways , then he had also gained a better understanding of what the Nodes actually did . If the pathway was a pattern of pipes helped remold his Cosmic Energy , then the spinning whirlwinds of the Nodes were essentially self-sustaining repeaters that sped up the process .

He still couldn't figure out exactly how his Hidden Node fit into this system just yet , but he hoped he'd be able to find out more when exploring the Mystic Realm in the future .

Seeing as he had essentially been holed up in his courtyard since returning , Zac decided to take a stroll through Port Atwood . Most things were pretty much the same as usual , but there was an extraordinarily large number of Tal-Eladar and their beast companions walking the streets . Zac knew that these were only the ones on a break as well , with most of them working on the surroundings of Port Atwood and Azh'Rodum .

Verana had quickly made her stance known as she appeared in Port Atwood just a few hours after Zac , bringing with her most of her non-combat class clansmen . They had quickly gotten to work at rebuilding broken parts of the town , replanting burnt-down trees , and even expanding the town with new structures .

The leader herself had spent a lot of time in the Atwood Academy , teaching the kids what she knew about beast rearing and cultivation , even bringing a couple of litters of infant beasts . Zac had half-expected her to flee with the Brindevalt Clan , but she clearly felt there was more value to stay on , even with the cooling relations with Zac .

Zac obviously didn't really buy into this PR-campaign , but he also wouldn't say no to free labor .

As for the Brindevalt , they were long gone . The few remaining Incursions had all closed their doors and returned to wherever they came from by now , apart from the cultists . The Brindevalts had even sent a batch of resources and their congratulations through Verana before leaving , while setting things up so that taking over their domain would go smoothly .

Verana was most likely the reason for their congeniality , as the others had simply slunk away in the night after looting everything they could . They probably understood that the natives would come for them next , even if they had fought against the Zombie hordes together .

Or perhaps they had heard about Zac’s existence and his deeds inside the Tower and had decisively left .

He still had no idea exactly what kinds of waves his emergence had created . He was still a small shrimp , but he had done something that hadn’t been accomplished for a million years . No one living in the whole Zecia Sector had reached his level in the Tower of Eternity , at least not to his knowledge .

Zac had asked Calrin to try to buy some reports of what was going on , but he still hadn't heard anything from the Sky Gnome . It wasn't that surprising though as less than ten days had passed since he left the Base Town . With Calrin's limited network it might take some more time before they got hold of the news .

But that very same uncertainty made him unsure about his next steps . One of the first orders he had sent out to his people after returning was to look for places with high numbers of E-Grade beasts . Mystic Island was the best place in the archipelago , but much of its core had been cleansed of beasts to secure the base camp by the spatial tunnel .

Unfortunately , there weren't a lot of other good options . He had essentially out-leveled Earth , making it extremely hard for him to advance . He had gotten his hands on quite a few Teleportation Tokens by now though , allowing him to go to a lot of interesting places . He alone had the tokens from Galau , Pretty , Boje , and Catheya . But that was just the tip of the iceberg .

Ogras had received over a hundred tokens from all kinds of forces during the time he stayed behind in the Base Town . Zac essentially had access to every major Empire in the Zecia sector , except a few xenophobic and racially uniform ones . Unfortunately , it turned out that all the tokens he had gathered were useless at the moment .

The Nexus Hub was still inert , most likely because the Cultists were still on the loose .

That meant he was stuck on earth for the time being , unable to whizz off to some off-world hunting grounds to grind out a couple of levels . His predicament had also made him understand why the Dominators barely had gained any levels apart from the boost from the hunt . It simply wasn't possible on Earth .

Zac's aimless wandering soon led him to the Academy , and he entered after having thought of something he had put off until now . He found Alyn sitting at the veranda of her house like many times before , and he sat down next to her .

A cup of tea? - Alyn asked as she looked over with a smile .

No thank you , - Zac said . - A lot to do today . -

Be careful , or you will get addicted to the stress , - Alyn said . - It’s okay to take a break sometimes . In fact , it’s advisable . It allows your Dao and your path to harmonize with the real you , the one that isn’t forced into one desperate situation after another . -

I will hopefully have time for that when I’ve closed the final Incursion , - Zac smiled , though he honestly wasn’t so sure .

Have you found their whereabouts by now? - she asked . - They’ve killed quite a few of our people through their two visits to this island . -

Not yet , - Zac sighed . - I've been busy , but I have my people looking into it . We'll probably hear back soon . -

Good , - Alyn nodded . - You are nurturing the heart of an Emperor . Let others deal with the little things while you focus on your cultivation . -

Got any tips? - Zac smiled , feeling a bit reminiscent of the days the two spent in the Nexus Crystal Mine while Zac was working on ridding his body of his Cosmic Water dependency .

Life had felt a lot simpler back then .

What tips can I give you? - Alyn shook her head . - My teachings are meant to bring the most out of the talentless cultivators , turning them into contributing cogs in the machine . Neither I nor Clan Azh’Rezak knew anything about raising true elites . If we did we wouldn’t have been a clan that could barely be considered nobility . You will have to find your own path , or find a better teacher . -

I was just kidding . On another note , can you call back any students who participated in the Dao Funnel last month , in case they are out training? Not a single one can be missing , - Zac said .

What’s going on? - Alyn said , a small frown adorning her face .

Zac was about to explain , but he froze for a second and instead took out the Lantern . He immediately infused some energy into it , and he suddenly felt a connection to the thing as a ghastly white flame lit up behind the glass .

The two were doused in the spectral shine , and Zac was suddenly covered in ribbons in all kinds of colors . A few were pretty thick , but most were thin as a strand of hair . Alyn also had a few bonds , most of them stretching out in various directions of the town . There were also two that rose straight into the sky , but Zac was relieved to see that they looked completely different than those of the Great Redeemer .

They rather had the same red color as the Demon Incursion had while it still was active , making Zac believe they were rather Karmic Links to some family or friends back on her home planet .

Satisfied that there was no hidden problem with Alyn quickly turned off the Lantern , unwilling to spend any more lifeforce than needed . He had actually seen a grey hair when his hair started to grow out the other day , a reminder of how much lifeforce he had already lost because of the Shard of Creation .

He would gain it back many times over when he reached D-grade Race , but it was still pretty disconcerting to see , considering his lifespan should be over 500 years by this point .

I need to do this with everyone who was there , - Zac said . - It turns out the Redeemer guy is actually a bastard from a C-Grade clan of Karmic Cultivators . This thing will root out hidden dangers . Keep this to yourself . -

The truth about Voridis A’Heliophos , or rather The Great Redeemer , was still not disseminated among even the core of Port Atwood . No one present really knew too much about the means about the abilities and limits of that mysterious power , so they kept it on the safe side . The fewer who know any real details , the smaller the risk of inadvertently forming any Karmic Links .

I understand , I will arrange things properly , - Alyn nodded as she took out a crystal . - When do you need them gathered? -

Make it three days from now , - Zac said as he stood up . - A few of the soldiers are out to sea right now I think . -

Since he couldn’t scan for Karmic threats right now he could only focus on one of his other projects while he waited for Julia to return . Zac couldn’t help but smile when remembering the former government employee’s excitement to get some responsibilities . She had lived a quiet life while her partner had worked on Ogras’ movie along with a few PR gigs across the achipelago , and she seemed bored out of her mind .

Ogras had said that it was suspicious how eager she was to go talk with some unknown people at the New World Government , but Zac didn’t believe she was a spy . There were no doubt spies on the island judging from how the invaders seemed to have known about the general situation , but Julia wasn’t a prime suspect .

She had been restricted to a far greater degree compared to others to avoid this very situation , so it was more likely that she just wanted to do something productive . Besides , she seemed to have gotten extremely complicated feelings for the New World Government since hearing Emma’s stories . The suspect was likely someone else .

Not that it really mattered any longer . The undead were dealt with and the Zealots were next , and any planning or scheming of the New World Government was redundant in the face of pure power . Besides , they seemed more invested in their - Ark Project’ than world domination by now , even after the undead threat was dealt with .

Zac was soon back in his private area , and he stepped onto his private teleporter . The next moment he appeared in a small nondescript cave . It looked like any other place among the subterranean tunnels of his mountain range , apart from being illuminated by Luminous Pearls rather than the luminescent moss .

But it was anything but normal .

Zac started walking toward an empty wall , but when he passed an almost invisible layer the surroundings changed , and he was inundated in dense waves of energies . The hair on his arms stood up as he was simultaneously buffeted by both life and death .

It looked like his cultivation cave was finally up and running .

Chapter 514 - Cultivation Cave

Zac had finally set up a private cultivation area for his Draugr-side and Soul Cultivation , or rather his sister and Triv had . They had completely transformed the cave system around the original cultivation cave , and it would barely be recognizable by this point . He felt bad about constantly having his sister work on one array project after another , but he had no one else to turn to .

The demons were completely incompetent in that regard , and the Creators couldn’t help with this project . The Sky Gnomes had helped with a portion of it , but they were only allowed to help install arrays that were bought through them . Triv was a welcome addition though .

The ghost was just acceptable in his skill of placing arrays , but he had shown a surprising insight and attunement to natural energy flows , a genuine Feng Shui Master . That knowledge allowed Kenzie to take advantage of the rich energies in the cave to a much higher degree , drastically increasing the efficacy of the formations .

Between that and Kenzie's unnaturally high precision in array placement , they had managed to make amazing progress in one short week . He would have to hire a genuine Array Master to improve things even further , but those kinds of services weren’t available in the Town Shop . It was a restriction put in place by the System to prevent people from having too easy access to means of empowerment . It wanted people to struggle , after all .

There were a lot of buildings he could purchase from the store , but they were almost all services that were geared toward various types of convenience . He had for example purchased a bank to go with the Merit Store in the square of the town , though there were pretty strict limits on how much you could deposit . Not by the bankers themselves , but on the System .

Zac had already deposited his maximum allowance as an Early E-Grade warrior , 1 Billion Nexus Coins , which would be directly handed over to his sister in case he died . It would be just a small portion of his full wealth , but he couldn’t be certain what would happen if he got himself killed . The people of Earth might turn on Kenzie because of greed , but she could just use one of his Teleportation Tokens and withdraw the money on some other world instead .

The cave Zac stood in right now was simply the entrance rather than the real cultivation area , as Triv insisted that a Teleportation Array would cause too much spatial turbulence . Besides , Kenzie would be able to teleport here now without inadvertently disturbing him mid-cultivation . The shudder he had felt as he stepped forward was a simple illusion- and containment array , hiding the real entrance and stopping the dense energies from escaping .

The tunnel had changed a lot since he visited the last time . Before it had been filled with subterranean plants such as the mushrooms and glowing moss , creating a magical passage into the hidden cultivation chambers . But now it was like the tunnel had been split in two , each side representing either life or death .

The left side of the tunnel still looked very much the same , but the right side had turned dour and colorless as an ashy haze emerged from the rock wall itself . Some of the plants had already died off , whereas others were barely hanging on . New growth had started to emerge though , mainly a pitch-black moss that had supplanted the luminescent one .

It was an odd feeling walking in the middle of the tunnel , with half his body feeling the vigorous life coming from the Lotus , while the other side was drenched in the cold grip of death . This was obviously not an accidental design , but rather meticulously planned . However , the miraculous environment was nothing compared to the cave he entered next .

It was a perfectly circular cavern that had actually been turned into a small forest , with the domed ceiling reaching almost fifty meters in the air . Half the chamber was filled with Death-attuned trees that had been brought over from the core of the Dead Zone , and the other half were trees that had grown in the secluded valley .

It was Triv's idea to plant the trees here , based on Zac's preferences . Some liked to cultivate in sheer chambers without any distracting components , whereas others liked to be surrounded by things that made them peaceful . Zac had chosen this type of environment as this was how usually had meditated since the beginning , sitting in the forest by his campsite .

In the middle of the cave was a large glade , with a prayer mat placed perfectly aligned to be in the center . There were two more mats in the chamber , though Zac couldn’t see them from his current vantage . They were placed at central locations in the respective attunement of the cave . The area around the left mat would be full of life-attuned energies , whereas the other one would be surrounded by miasma .

The trees might seem haphazardly planted , but that was anything but the truth . This was the work of Triv , who had meticulously aligned every tree to form the embryo of a natural formation . The formation itself wasn't anything special , but it filled a very important purpose . It would gather the energies in the room and have them naturally flow toward the prayer mat in the center .

If he sat down on that mat he would be able to see two passageways perfectly opposite each other , one to the left and another to the right . The left one would lead to his original cultivation cave , where the Life-attuned Lotus still resided in the pool of Cosmic Water . Dense waves of purest life-force entered his subterranean forest from that side , but it met an opposing force coming from the other .

The right door led to a completely new chamber that had been dug into the mountain , and it was a smaller and modified version of the array they had found beneath the Undead Fortress . In the center of the chamber was the Seed of Undeath , surrounded by the very same pillars as before .

However , the pillars didn't blast miasma toward the world core any longer , but rather extracted it from the Seed to push it toward the central cave .

There was also a hidden room beneath it filled with Unholy Beacons . They took the Cosmic Energy that the Nexus Vein emitted and transformed it into Miasma that fed the Seed of Undeath and its array . Together with a couple of shielding arrays that kept the Death Attunement from spreading out , it had formed a hidden eco-system of death in the heart of the mountain .

Zac heard some rustling on the life-attuned side of the forest , and he walked over to see his sister scrutinizing a large stone pillar . It was embedded into the ground just outside the glade on the life-attuned half of the forest . It did look a bit like the pillars that now stood in the Death Chamber , but they were actually Array Flags that Kenzie had created herself .

Normally such a flag would just be a few decimeters long , but she was still unable to make them as small as the small sticks he had bought from the System .

How does it look? - Zac asked as he walked over .

It should work as intended , I’ve compared it with the disks you gave me . I’ve also recreated similar pillars on the other side of the cave , - Kenzie smiled .

Why? - Zac asked curiously . - Was there something wrong with the Array Disks? -

The array that Kenzie was working on wasn't something related to energy flow , but it was something much more pressing . It was the array to practice his Soul Strengthening Manual . The Remnants were still very docile in his mind , but he hadn't forgotten just how dangerous they could be . It felt like a miracle that he was still standing after the events in the tower , and he needed to be proactive in dealing with them .

The Remnants were still extremely weak , but they were slowly but surely regaining their strength . Most of the energy they gained still entered his soul and his body to strengthen them , but a part of it remained . For example , he was pretty certain that he would be able to conjure a bronze flash by this point just based on the amount of energy contained in the markings covering his soul .

Part of him wanted to just exhaust the energies that had gathered up til now to avoid any danger , but part of him was reluctant to waste his hidden ace . Who knew when he would need to be able to blast something with a ball of pure destruction?

No , they were honestly better than what I created . But I can’t create Array Disks , and the Arrays would become lopsided if one was a small disk and the other half a forest in size , - Kenzie said , looking a bit embarrassed . - I talked with Triv , and he believed that it might cause the death-attuned energies to push into the life cave too much . -

That’s fine , - Zac said . - Thank you for your help , and sorry I keep asking you to do stuff like this . -

I’m not in a hurry to reach the E-Grade , and I don’t care about ladder positions or stuff like that , - Kenzie shrugged . - This way I can at least help you and help protect Earth . -

The two walked around the cave for a bit longer , where Kenzie made a final inspection of the pillars .

It good to go . I won’t disturb you any longer , - Kenzie said as she packed up her things . - Good luck with this stuff . -

Thank you , - Zac said as he walked over to the mat placed on the right side of the cave .

Dense clouds of miasma slowly swirled around it , somewhat reminding Zac of how it looked in his opened nodes . The mat itself was actually a piece of the massive mat that he had looted from the dragon cave .

Calrin had identified it to be made from extremely valuable materials that aided in cultivation , with the inner pieces holding the most value . It had been cut into almost 100 pieces and refashioned into a set of mats with the inner mats going to the core warriors of Port Atwood , with the rest being put in the Merit Exchange .

Zac took a deep breath before he sat down . It was finally time for him to start working on his Nine Reincarnations Manual] .

The cultivation method for the first Reincarnation of the Nine Reincarnations Manual] was quite simple . There was not much he needed to do , except alternate between using the Death-Array aptly called Death Soul Array] and the counterpart that Kenzie had just finished setting up , the Life Soul Array] .

There were some ways that one could improve the efficacy of the two arrays though . The manual mentioned cultivating in life- and death attuned cultivation caves for example , and there were also a few treasures listed that could help speed up the process . However , Zac had only taken the most basic steps with the help so far by relying on the attunements generated by the Lotus and the Seed respectively .

But it was entirely possible that he would start using more expensive methods to boost the cave even further . Triv was quite adept in improving the atmosphere this way , though his knowledge was mostly limited to death attunements so far . But the ghost was already studiously working on expanding his knowledge of life attuned measures to be more of service .

Honestly , Zac was becoming more and more pleased with his decision to keep the ghost around . Triv had already proven an extremely valuable asset in the construction of this cave , and he had all sorts of ideas to improve the state of Port Atwood in general . Most of the changes would be pretty expensive to enact , but Zac wasn't too worried about cost at the moment . Now that the undead threat was dealt with his force had started to focus on expansion rather than war , and his income increased every day .

There was still the Zealots and the Dominators to deal with , but they weren’t a threat that required his whole force . He himself and perhaps a small strike squad would be all that he needed for those two threats , whereas the endless number of Zombies had required the cooperation of the whole world .

Zac went over the cultivation method in his mind , still keeping his human form . He wanted to get the hang of things before he started to experiment with swapping races for the cultivation .

A low hum echoed across the glade as Zac activated the array , and it felt like the Miasma around him stirred . His skin prickled as well , and he quickly started to become a bit uncomfortable . However , he ignored the impulses to turn into a Draugr as he infused the array with some spiritual energy .

The moment his mind made a connection with the array he felt a weak , but constant , drain on his mind as the array absorbed more and more of his mental energy . It wasn’t a problem in the beginning , but he started to feel a bit queasy after half an hour had passed . He even started to wonder if there was something wrong with the array .

However , just as he was about to abort the experiment a surge of energy rose from the array , and he felt a powerful stream enter his mind . It was his own mental energy , but it was tinged with death this time . Zac nodded in satisfaction and kept going , and the array had completed a circulation after roughly 45 minutes .

Zac kept going according to the manual , seeing that the array worked as intended . He slowly completed one revolution after another , and his soul became a bit ghastlier every time . The two Remnants even woke up from their slumber for a few seconds , but they quickly calmed down again for some unknown reason . Perhaps they knew that whatever Zac was doing wasn’t a threat to their existence .

Only after nine full revolutions was the first half of the cultivation session complete . His mind was completely permeated by death by now , and he almost felt like a ghost . The Miasma around him no longer felt uncomfortable , but rather inviting to the point that Zac almost thought he had changed to his Draugr constitution subconsciously .

It even felt so good that he was inclined to lay down and take a nap in the soothing mists . However , he immediately snapped out of it as he walked over to the other side of the forest . The usually soothing life-attuned energies that had turned the greenery even lusher felt like scorching gusts that threatened to blister his skin , but Zac ignored the illusion as he sat down at the second prayer mat .

Another revolution began , but this time his Mental Energy brought back some warmth after it had passed through the array . He completed the nine revolutions once more , and only then did he feel like he was back to his normal self . Zac stood up from his mat and stretched before he checked on his gains .

And truthfully , they weren’t all that great .

Chapter 515 - Divide

A lot of work for little benefit . That was Zac's first impression of the results from completing a full cycle of the Nine Reincarnations Manual] .

His soul was in very good condition , all things considered , and it looked like it had turned a smidgeon more condensed . However , Zac had spent almost fourteen hours in this session , and the results felt a bit lackluster for such an investment . He started to understand why so few warriors chose to spend time on a Soul Strengthening Manual .

But he didn’t have a choice .

The two Remnants would wake up sooner or later , and he needed to empower his soul before then . He needed to be the one in charge , a fact that had become even more apparent after seeing the name of the Arcane Class he was presented . He didn’t just want to be a vessel , he needed to be the controller .

But it was undeniable that there was a problem with the time expenditure . He couldn’t waste 14 hours a day on this array , he needed to gather Cosmic Energy to crack open nodes , ponder on the Daos , and work on his Race Evolution as well , besides all the other stuff that required his attention in Port Atwood .

The situation wasn’t hopeless though . This was just a trial run in unoptimized conditions , and he was hopeful that he would be able to expedite the speed of each revolution . If he could decrease each Revolution from 45 to 15 minutes with the help of his unique constitution he would suddenly only need to spend four and a half hours a day on Soul Cultivation , which was far more acceptable .

And Zac already had ideas on how to improve efficiency . The two arrays were essentially dialysis machines for his mental energy . It sucked the energy out and ran it across the arrays , where some impurities were shed while some attuned energies were infused . Each revolution would increase the attunement until his soul was stuffed , at which point he swapped array .

The clash between life-attuned energies and death attuned energies at the second set of revolutions seemed to strengthen his soul without really hurting it as well , and he had a feeling that this controlled clash was one of the interesting aspects that set this method apart from other Soul Strengthening Manuals .

The other was obviously the transformative impact when enough cycles had taken place to form a - Reincarnation - .

Another small benefit came from his Void Heart] . It had actually absorbed some of the dense energies in the cave and pushed it into the next node to break open ; this one located in his right leg instead . It wasn't a huge amount , but it also wasn't negligible . If he also managed to get his hands on a better version of the Mother-Daughter Array] the benefits would be quite noticeable over time .

Zac also felt pretty relieved that the nodes in early E-Gradeseemed to be located on his extremities . A lot of nodes were located on his torso , neck , and head though , and they were the cause for a lot of sleepless nights . Those around his heart and organs could always be cracked open in his undead form , but others felt extremely dangerous . What if he accidentally decapitated himself when he cracked open a node in his throat?

He needed to find a way to contain the damage from node-breaking to only his spirit body somehow , leaving his flesh intact . Either that or become sturdy enough that a node explosion couldn't harm him . Zac wasn't all that worried though , as a lot of E-Grade mortals had passed this hurdle before him . He just needed to find out how they did it .

Part of Zac wanted to sit down again and immediately start tinkering with the process , for example trying to perform a revolution while changing his race . There was no time to experiment with improving the process right now though . The Manual said that he could only do one revolution a day . Any more would just needlessly tax his soul without any benefits .

He walked over to the central glade instead and looked down at the small tree that grew there .

It was the very same branch he had brought from the Dead Zone , the tree that encompassed both life and death . He had planted it right at the delimitation of the two attunements , which meant that half of its branches were drenched in death while the other half enjoyed the sweet succor of life . He hoped to study what changes that brought to the mutated tree , and perhaps even gain some insights from the process .

A second branch was placed in the life-attuned side , with a final one being steeped in Miasma . He wanted to see how the saplings adapted to the different environments . The branch shouldn't have any problems surviving being replanted in the area teeming with miasma , as that would be the same conditions it had in the Dead Zone .

But what about being placed in a place already teeming with life? Would it double up on producing vibrant energies , becoming a beacon on verdure? Or would it perhaps swap over and start creating miasma? Zac couldn't wait to find out . Of course , something like this wouldn't change in a day or two .

Not much had happened in the few days since the tree was replanted , but Zac was relieved to see that it was doing just fine . There were no signs of wilting or that it hadn’t taken to the earth , and after infusing it a bit with the Fragment of the Bodhi he could confirm that roots had already taken hold .

A glance with Cosmic Gaze] showed that the tree was still mostly attuned to death though , which wasn’t a surprise considering where it grew up . However , life was slowly gaining a foothold in the branches , and it didn’t seem impossible that it would reach a true equilibrium in the future .

Zac nodded with satisfaction before he sat down at the central mat . It was already getting late , and Zac wasn’t in the mood to leave this place for the day . Many people would still be awake all the way until 2 or 3 am now that they only needed a few hours of sleep , but old habits die hard . You couldn’t just pop in at someone's place at 11 pm .

He instead focused his attentions on Fragment of the Bodhi . Zac hoped to gain some sort of insight by sitting in an area where life was in a constant struggle against death . The battle with the Lich King , unfortunately , hadn’t provided any real inspiration , and the only thing he could do now was to grind at it until it was time to face the last threats to Earth .

That was not to say that his experience in the Dead Zone was without any benefits . His battle of attrition with the Head Priest , where his Bodhi-infused branch managed to overpower the scorching flames , had resonated with him . Following that it was his meditation in front of the mutated tree .

The two together had pushed him forward , and it felt like he was on the cusp of crystallizing some sort of breakthrough . But it still needed more time or some sort of breakthrough .

He needed to make the best of the time , as he actually sensed that the Origin Dao was slowly starting to dissipate . It wasn’t like it was a rapid decline , but the peak had clearly been met . What would follow would be a gradual dissipation of the Origin Dao until Earth was indistinguishable from any other world of the Zecia sector .

It was a bit surprising the decline was happening so fast , the snippets of information on the subject indicated that it could stay for well over a decade . However , as things looked now the Origin Dao would run out in a year or two . One possibility was that there actually were more Dao Funnels like the one Salvation carried on Earth .

If The Great Redeemer really was planning to harvest the Origin Dao of a planet , then it also made sense that he would leave more than one funnel behind to collect it for him . That way he would only need to pick up the Funnels upon arrival before he did whatever the Fulcrum-plan entailed .

Another possibility was that the Realignment Array had caused some irredeemable damage to Earth even if it was shut off in time . It still was anyone’s guess whether the massive swathe of death around the undead incursion would ever heal completely , but the damage was perhaps also done to a more fundamental level .

In either case , the time of rapid growth for Earth’s population was coming to an end as quickly as it began , and most cultivators of Port Atwood had been instructed to focus on the Dao rather than leveling to make the most of it . Anyone could reach peak F-Grade in a few years with the right support system , but gaining and evolving a Dao Seed was something else entirely .

It was by far the most common reason for people to not being able to evolve . People simply didn’t have the affinities or opportunities to form a Seed on their own . A large number of the citizens of Earth might never form a Dao Seed if they didn’t seize this opportunity .

The scenes of his recent battles flashed through his mind as he occasionally looked over at the branch that was able to perform such a miraculous transformation . He even thought back to the original vision with the cherry tree , where the blessed tree had created a magical realm beneath its branches .

The canopy had turned into a perfect barrier that took on the heat and the desolation from the badlands outside and fed it into its Buddhist Kingdom inside . It was just like how the branch in front of him took the miasma of the area and turned it into life .

However , the transformation process was just one part of the miracle . The other was to form and protect the core of life that was allowed to grow powerful without outside interference . The Seed would be weak at the beginning , and only through protection would it be able to grow . Otherwise , it would be like a candle in the wind .

Isolation . Creation through protection , - Zac muttered , and his mind shuddered as he felt a resonance from the Dao .

Zac followed the instinct and kept searching for answers , various scenes flashing before his eyes as they slowly congealed into something new . It all began with the vision in the Tower . The general had been allowed to grow into his potential only due to the stele shielding him from the outside worlds for millennia , which echoed his current thoughts .

The hours passed until something finally congealed in Zac's mind . A surge of warmth spread from his mind to every corner of his body as the Fragment of the Bodhi evolved into middle stage . He felt more powerful than ever , but he held off on checking his gains as his intuition told him that he wasn't done . There was more to gain .

Zac stood up , pushed forward by an intangible momentum , and he swiped his right through the air as though his hand was a bladed weapon . A shudder spread forward as the swing actually was infused with the Fragment of the Bodhi . However , the energies in the air didn't turn chaotic from the action , but rather the opposite .

The whole air around the central glade was one big conflict zone between life and death , where miasma and divine energy fought for supremacy . At some places , the miasma had encroached a bit on the other side , whereas life had managed to gain a small foothold on places at the death attuned side .

However , the moment Zac swung his palm the fighting stopped , and a clean line of demarcation could be seen . The miasma spread to an invisible line but didn't move an inch further . Order had been brought to the area , and life was split from death .

This was thanks to Zac's latest insight into the Fragment of the Bodhi , and Zac marveled at the scene until the effects of the swing dissipated , causing the thousand small conflicts to once again erupt all over the glade . But it had been enough to reach his goal , and Zac opened his Quest Screen to check it out .

Rapturous Divide (Class) : Split Life and Death . Reward : Rapturous Divide Skill (1/1) COMPLETE

A fractal appeared the next moment , taking a spot on his left arm , essentially mirroring the fractal for Nature's Punishment] on his other arm . The fractal looked a lot different though , forming two completely separate lines that didn't have one single fractal that connected each side . The only fractal until now that had even been a little bit similar was Cyclic Strike] , though these fractals were a lot more intricate .

Zac's heartbeat sped up with excitement , but he restrained himself from immediately busting out the skill . Who knew what effect the skill would have , he's get lambasted by his sister if he accidentally tore apart the arrays she had spent so much time and energy to set up .

Zac instead only turned his sight inward , to try and get a sense of what kind of skill Rapturous Divide] was . But there were no clues he could glean at all from the new pattern . However , he did notice that the two lines looked far more intricate compared to his previous skills , like it was an embroidery using extremely fine silk threads compared to the coarse rope of the F-Grade skills .

He marveled at the fractal for a while before he eventually retracted his sight . He also wanted to see his attribute gains , so he opened his status screen to see the boost he got from his upgraded fragment .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

81

Class

E-Epic] Edge of Arcadia

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 , Monarch-Select

Limited Titles

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

Dao

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

Core

E] Duplicity

Strength

2090 Increase : 91% . Efficiency : 199%]

Dexterity

992 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 170%]

Endurance

2229 Increase : 99% . Efficiency : 199%]

Vitality

1476 Increase : 89% . Efficiency : 199%]

Intelligence

545 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 170%]

Wisdom

911 Increase : 70% . Efficiency : 170%]

Luck

340 Increase : 91% . Efficiency : 179%]

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

F] 5 919 241 817

Fragment of the Bodhi (Middle) : All attributes +20 , Endurance +140 , Vitality +160 , Intelligence +30 , Wisdom +80 , Effectiveness of Vitality +10% .

He had made shocking progress in one night , though the two breakthroughs were related . However , Zac knew he couldn't rest on his laurels as things stood . Some things had gone above expectations , but he was still struggling in other compartments .

Perhaps he should have realized that his unique situation with dual races would cause complications when upgrading them .

Chapter 516 - Beastcrafting

Miasma spread out through Zac's body as he activated his Specialty Core . He walked over to the Death-Attuned side once more and took out a large tub that he filled with water before he threw in a dozen E-Grade Miasma Crystals . Next were a handful of stalks of Netherbloom , along with various other herbs that he had found in the Cosmos Sack left on the body of Adriel .

It was time to work on his Race once more .

He had already used up the Fruit of Rebirth] the moment he returned to Port Atwood , and the massive amount of progress made on his racial upgrade allowed him to realize a somewhat surprising with his body . His nodes were the same between his Races , but his actual Races were separate .

Zac had somewhat figured that his Racial Rank would be shared between his two sides as he only had one body and because his two classes shared the same Node System . However , that wasn't the case . He could clearly feel that his Human side was on the cusp of evolving into D-Grade , whereas his Undead Side barely had improved at all .

That was starting to become an extremely urgent issue now that his third Dao Fragment had evolved . Even worse , the insight had been partly based on protection , which had caused the Fragment to boost Endurance more than expected . One more breakthrough and he might actually hit the Attribute limit on his undead side .

Of course , Zac had already tried to remedy the situation by eating the remaining Racial Upgrade Pills he bought at the Base Town Auctions , but he had almost killed himself doing so . It turned out his Draugr side was extremely picky , and the pills that humans would use were essentially poison to him .

Triv was no use either . It could barely confirm that the Undead used various methods of improving races . For example , they created incense sticks using herbs , where the composition depended on what race the original body was . There were also the standard medicinal baths according to Triv , but its helpfulness ended there .

The ghost was unable to divulge a single mixture , as his commandments apparently regarded that as betraying the Undead Empire . However , the ghost didn't have any issues at all mixing up a medicinal bath following a recipe that Zac provided , proving there were loopholes to the limitations . Unfortunately , the same issue arose with the normal medicinal baths ; they didn’t work on his undead side either .

Zac had no idea what would happen if he passed the attribute cap as things stood . Would both his classes lose out on points? Or would his Draugr alone take the hit? Zac really wasn’t willing to find out , and he was doing everything he could to stave off that ever happening .

He had no idea how things came to this . He had specifically asked about race upgrades while visiting the Undead Kingdom inside the Tower of Eternity , but he heard no clues about his current predicament . He had been afraid that he would need a Lich to help him upgrade his race to D-Grade as they were responsible for giving Revenants sapience , but that thankfully wasn't the case .