Defiance of the Fall

They had assured him that cultivation and treasures would work just fine , but the care package they had provided him with hadn’t contained anything to improve his constitution . Perhaps they expected his - master’ or elders to have prepared far superior materials for him already and felt it would almost be an insult to give him their scraps .

The freezing bath he had concocted was just a stopgap measure as he was all out of ideas . The dense death-attuned waters along with random herbs from Adriel's Cosmos Sack did help a bit , but properly preparing a medicinal bath was far more complicated than what he was haphazardly throwing together . It required precise measurements of the different herbs , and they needed to be processed and added in a certain manner .

Using it as he did was essentially wasting over 95% of the efficacy , and he would run out of herbs long before he upgraded his race at this pace . He was rapidly burning money for very little gain . The Void Heart] was no use for upgrading his Race either , but rather the opposite . It just stole some of the energies of the medicinal baths and fed it into the node in his leg , leaving a bunch of impurities in his bloodstream .

He did get small amounts of refined energies from the Shard of Creation though , but he had no idea if that mysterious energy actually helped with his race , or if it had some other sort of effect on his body .

He had already sent Valkyries and Demons to look for manuals or clues in the ruins of his newly acquired Death Fort , but he didn't hold out much hope . Zac knew he most likely already was in possession of the recipes anyway , locked away inside the crystals of the Lich King . But those were still out of his reach , as even the old Sky Gnome had failed in cracking their protections no matter what he or his little pet tried .

He felt as though he was falling into the same old predicament as last time . He had managed to improve his constitution a small bit , but he didn’t know how much his attribute cap had increased as a result . His Strength had already passed his Endurance by now , and it felt like the tragedy of the F-Grade cap could take place again at any moment .

But he also knew he needed to keep pushing himself forward . Inevitability was level 111 by now , and Void’s Disciple was level 108 . Zac still felt that the older Zhix warrior was a far larger threat compared to the unhinged maniac he battled during the Hunt . He felt pretty confident in dealing with Inevitability if they met again today , but he was far less certain about the Dominator Leader .

He had given him Zac an extremely oppressive and mysterious feeling when they met , and Zac had no clue exactly what skills he had . The Zhix Hordes had no idea either ; everyone who had seen Void’s Disciple in action had been killed . He was like a murderous ghost that moved back and forth across the hives .

Zac knew that catching him was impossible , even though he still coordinated with the Zhix Armies to track his movements . He had somehow opened up a rift in space and walked straight through it when they met , and the Lich King had indicated that Void's Disciple actually had gained the Dao of Space . How was he supposed to catch someone like that?

Even if Zac found him and started fighting , he could still just slink away if he started losing .

The best solution was taking him on inside the Mystic Realm , and Julia would hopefully return with good news today . Until then he needed to do what he could to improve his power , even if it meant him wasting mountains of precious herbs .

Zac only stepped out of the vat two hours later , and he swapped back to his human form immediately . A knife appeared in his right hand as he cut a deep wound across his forearm . Ice cold blood spurted out for a few seconds until his extreme Vitality closed the wound , but Zac repeated the process a few times to release well over two liters of blood .

His makeshift medicine baths did have some effect on his Draugr race , but it also came with a huge amount of impurities that the Void Heart] puked out into his bloodstream . Just one bath meant he would have to bleed himself for a few more times over the coming day , and there was also the impurities from the Soul Strengthening session to deal with .

The lackluster results of his racial upgrade had somewhat put a damper on the excitement of upgrading his Dao Fragment , and Zac sighed with annoyance as he left his cultivation cave . He teleported back to his compound , but he didn't immediately head over to his Courtyard . Instead , he left the small number of mansions behind and entered the wilderness .

He walked for two minutes until he appeared in a secluded spot hidden deep in his private forest . It was actually a place that held some significance to him ; it was the very spot where he woke up after the integration .

However , the small glade was completely unrecognizable by now , with its bloodroot and cardinals replaced with a sanguine pond with a diameter of five meters . Even Zac felt a bit pressured as he walked next to the pond of Dragon Blood , and he felt that he could even hear distant roars . The pressure no doubt came from the Dragon's bloodline , as it felt similar to the pressure that he had felt during his fight with the primordial beast .

The pond had shrunk a bit since his last visit , which surprised Zac as that was the third time . He still topped the pond off with more Dragon blood from one of his vats , realizing he was would run in a week if things kept up like this . However , he had no direct usage for the blood anyway , and he felt it was best used like this .

He also threw in a few more Beast Crystals for good measure as he couldn’t sense the unique energy fluctuations from the previous ones he threw in . He didn't know if he was simply wasting money , but Verun had seemed to like them any time he got close to one . A sense of anticipation gripped Zac's heart as looked at the large crystal sticking out in the middle of the pond .

It was the latest transformation of Verun’s Bite] . The Spirit Tool had been pushed hard in the latest fights against the Lich King and the elites of the Tower of Eternity . He honestly wasn’t confident that the weapon would be able to keep up for the coming fights , and this was his best bet unless he actually chose to swap it out for a new axe .

That's why he chose to feed it the Dragon Core the moment he returned to Port Atwood , though he still kept the Bloodline Marrow for himself . The weapon had immediately turned into a crystal like the previous time it underwent massive changes , but it had still sent out a mental plea for more Dragon blood .

It still looked there would be some time before the evolution finished , and Zac was extremely eager to see the result . Zac hoped that the primordial bloodline of the Dragon along with the Beast Crystals would cause some equivalent of a Bloodline Evolution of Verun .

It didn’t really work like that for normal Spirit Tools as far as he knew , but it was possible for Beastcrafted weapons according to Triv . Bloodline evolutions were obviously a pretty impressive boost to the potential power such Spirit Tools could exhibit , but beast crafted weapons had downsides as well .

First of all , their upgrade ceiling was generally low to start with . Secondly , they were a lot pickier for upgrade components compared to normal weapons , and two seemingly identical weapons could have completely different requirements . The latter in particular was a big reason why pretty much all weapons he had seen at the Base Town were made from metals , wood , or crystal .

They were simpler to evolve , and the upgrade paths were generally a lot clearer . No one wanted to risk being stuck with a weapon that couldn't evolve any longer , forcing them to get a new weapon instead . One's weapon was a huge component of your combat prowess , after all , and it was impossible to immediately exhibit one's full strength after changing weapons .

But Zac didn't really have either desire or the ability to swap out his axe to a better one , and his eyes were locked at the pupa as he conjured all kinds of possibilities in his mind . Zac only spent a couple of minutes by the pond though before he got ready to leave , a crack echoed out across the glade just as he turned away .

Zac's eyes lit up in anticipation as the red crystal crumbled bit by bit , slowly showcasing the weapon hidden within . A sudden shockwave blasted the crystal to pieces though , and an enormous shape appeared by the pool as the blood was sucked into the weapon .

It was Verun , who still looked like an oversized ancestor of a hyena , apart from his massively oversized maw and multiple sets of eyes . Zac had almost thought he would turn into a half-dragon or something after eating the core , but its changes were a lot more subtle than that . Its fur had turned from a dusty brown to a glossy black , with red highlights covering its body .

It almost looked like he had scales , but a second glance showed that it was just a pattern . It had also grown a thick mane that ran from its head all the way down to its short tail , somewhat reminding Zac of the spikes of the black dragon he fought . Its claws had changed as well , turning bigger and darker .

Its whole image had turned more refined , without losing its aura of lethality . There was a sense of sharpness and danger to it , like it was a true predator that didn't only use its brawns to take down its enemies .

Finally , there were streams of energy that circulated each of its four legs , and a glance with Cosmic Gaze] displayed two swirls just above its paws , both with a different color . The first one was had a sanguine hue , which wasn't surprising as its favorite food had always been blood . The other one was a bit more surprising though .

The second swirl was felt like was steely gray and felt pretty similar to his Fragment of the Axe , though the Heaviness was swapped out by something else . Force maybe? In either case , it thankfully wasn't fire-related , something Zac had worried would happen from ingesting a Dragon Core .

Dragon Flames were obviously powerful , but not something that suited Zac's current path . So the fact that the addition felt element-neutral was a relief . The massive beast looked down at Zac from the other side of the pool , happiness radiating through their mental bond . It raised its head and let out a massive roar the next moment . The terrifying cry was powerful enough to cause the closest trees to shake , and even Zac had to take a step back from the volume .

Birds screeched in panic in the distance , and Zac wouldn't be surprised if the whole town heard the roar . It felt like the Verun wanted the whole world to know there was a new alpha in town .

Chapter 517 : Jammers

Volume was not the only thing extraordinary with Verun's roar as dozens of trees suddenly exploded , utterly ripped to shreds . It almost looked like Verun had torn them apart with its mouth , but Zac guessed it should have been the soundwaves .

The Tool Spirit leaped over the now-emptied pond and buffed Zac’s chest once before it dissipated into a stream of energy that entered the axe that now was embedded in the ground of the dried-out pool . Zac jumped down and ripped it out , but he almost lost his balance from how heavy it was .

The axe had always been on the heavier side , and he would never have been able to Verun's Bite] before the integration . But its weight had increased by over ten times from absorbing the Dragon Core and evolving , and that wasn’t the only thing that had changed . Its overall design was the same as before , but the handle was now pitch-black to match Verun's fur .

But more importantly ; a third rune had lit up , meaning another skill or function should have been unlocked from the upgrade .

The axehead itself had slightly changed as well . It had turned even bigger , with its edge gaining over five centimeters in length . The bone it was made from felt sturdier as well , and the edge was sharp enough to easily draw blood on even his durable skin . There were also thin red lines running across the bone , almost looking like cracks in the material .

However , Zac didn’t feel any weakness or damage when holding the weapon , and he guessed the new pattern was just mirroring the red streaks in Verun’s fur . He jumped up from the pond and swung it around a bit , and deep growls echoed out as it split the air apart .

He had initially worried that the increased weight would make it feel unwieldy , but it was actually the opposite . The weapon felt far sturdier , and it resonated better with his Dao . It felt like every swing contained a gigantic and undeniable force , like a mountain was crashing down where he swung his weapon . But he put away the weapon after a while and started to walk back toward his courtyard .

Between his Dao Epiphany and working on his race morning had already come , so just Zac planned on resting for an hour or two before starting his next day . However , he noticed a drone zooming about outside the entrance to his Courtyard as he returned . Kenzie had painted it red to be more easily spotted as well .

It was no longer a surveillance drone , but more of a flying butler to his sister who sent it on all kinds of errands . She , or rather Jeeves , had even equipped it with speaking capabilities , though Zac had made sure that it wasn’t an actual AI .

Julia has returned] the consciously mechanical voice of the drone spoke up .

Is Kenzie home? - Zac asked .

Yes . The mistress is working on her arrays

I’m coming over , there’s something we need to talk about , - Zac sighed .

Seeing how his sister was becoming increasingly comfortable with using Technocrat tech , he knew he couldn’t hold off any longer . He needed to tell his sister about his visions of his mother . What if she kept going like this , and one day connected to the Digital World of the Machine God Faction? Who knew what kinds of alarms that would trigger?

Earth already had enough to deal with without dragging a full-blown Technocrat Armada to the Zecia sector .

Zac soon arrived at her mansion , or rather series of towering structures that his sister had let erect . Only the smallest of the houses , a rusting one-story house with a large garden , was her residence though . The other buildings were rather workshops for her experiments , Technocrat Technology and Arrays alike .

He found her tinkering with a massive onyx stone in the middle of one of the workshops , surrounded by protective arrays . Zac's brows rose in alarm when he saw the series of formations , as it felt like her experiments were far more dangerous than she had let on . Kenzie looked over when he entered the workroom , and she finished up whatever inscriptions she was adding to the block with the tool she got from the quest last week .

Good timing , I've made a breakthrough with these jamming arrays . I think we can actually use them when we're finished . They should work as long as you activate it in your Draugr form . - Kenzie said but frowned when she saw Zac's expression . - What’s wrong , you look so serious? Didn't the soul boosting array work? -

The array worked great , I just need to figure out some way to make my Soul Cultivation faster . Zac said as he walked over and poked a defensive shield . - What's with these shields? You're not risking your life for this are you? -

It's a precaution so I don't blow up his building , but I'm not in any danger . Jeeves will notice if it starts destabilizing so I can run away with time to spare , - Kenzie said . - By the way , what was that roar earlier? It almost made me ruin this thing . -

Just remember to be careful . These things come from pretty damn dangerous factions , - Zac sighed . - The roar was Verun , it finally finished absorbing all the materials . -

It sounded pretty powerful , - Kenzie smiled .

Let's hope it will be enough to deal with the Dominators , - Zac said as he looked closer at the Jamming array . - Will these things be as effective as when the undead used them? -

They should work the same , - Kenzie nodded . - Just put Miasma Crystals into the sockets and everything within a day’s march will be blocked out . But we still need to finish some modifications to circumvent restrictions on these things , and that will turn them into consumable items . They’ll only work for a handful of times before they break down . -

How many? - Zac asked .

Probably more than ten , but no more than twenty , - Kenzie hesitantly said .

That’s plenty , - Zac said with a sigh of relief .

These things would come in handy over the following month , and it was something his force sorely lacked . Because Earth was about to be plunged into a civil war , and this would give them the advantage they needed . The war wasn't against the New World Government , but against a far more dangerous enemy ; The Dominators .

The Zhix hordes had cleanly split into two camps by now , either gathering behind the Anointed or the Dominators . Now that the undead threat was dealt with the tensions had risen to an unprecedented degree . The followers of the Dominators needed to be rooted out , but the efforts of the other Zhix had proven futile since the integration took place .

Their previous methods at dealing with the Dominators and their followers had been crude but effective . They had sent wave after wave of soldiers after their target , drowning them in a sea of relentless violence . The Dominators ran out of Cosmic Energy sooner or later , at which point they were slaughtered .

The Zhix were still more than willing to sacrifice themselves to root out the final vestiges of corruption in their bloodline , especially now that they knew of the source . But the emergence of Teleportation Arrays had turned their efforts useless . The War Council of the Zhix had already contacted Port Atwood in search of a solution , and he would meet up with them in a week , provided he didn’t need to change his plans due to Julia .

These jamming devices would allow him to trap the Zhix hives who had defected , and with the help of the Zhix hordes take out anyone that might have formed a Karmic Link with the Great Redeemer .

Zac didn’t feel it was enough to locate the leading Dominators to secure Earth . His instincts told him the Dominators were using these traitors as a back-up . Void’s Disciple had been slowly converting hives to join their side over the past year , and mercilessly slaughtering some of the staunchest detractors .

There had to be a purpose to this , and the most likely reason Zac and Ogras could fathom was to form a karmic link . The Great Redeemer would perhaps be able to find Earth as long as there were enough followers spread across the planet , even if the main perpetrators were already killed .

Or perhaps it wasn’t about back-up plans , but about boosting the signal . The Karmic Link between the Great Redeemer and the Dominators couldn’t be too strong , as they hadn’t even met in person . Voridis had visited the Zhix planet thousands of years ago , and the link should have weakened by now . But what if there were tens of millions of insectoids praising his name? It might give him all the clues he needed to find Earth .

It would also explain why both the Dominators and the Medhin Clan were so intent on taking over the planet , apart from avoiding the Incursions spawning . The more who were under his banner , the easier the planet would be to find .

So he needed to deal with the traitors as soon as possible , and these jammers were the key to fighting them .

So what’s up? - Kenzie said , dragging him out of his thoughts . - Scarlet said you needed to talk? -

It's about mom . There’s something I haven’t told you , - Zac sighed before he started recounting his visions .

This time he held nothing back , retelling both his visions of their mother and the words Leandra spoke . He connected that with what he had learned so far about Firmament’s Edge and added his own analysis of the situation . He knew it would probably upset his sister , but she needed to know that their mom might be an extremely dangerous character and as large a threat to them as The Great Redeemer .

You really met mom? - Kenzie said with a low voice . - Why didn’t you get me? Then I would at least have been able to hear her voice , even if it was just a projection . -

I didn’t dare let Jeeves close to her , even if it was just an AI , - Zac explained . - Something about the way she talked felt unsettling . -

Jeeves said that no one but me can access him , - Kenzie said with a downcast voice .

Would he really know if that was true? - Zac countered . - Can he really know more about any hidden functions than his creator? -

The two kept going back and forth for a while longer . Kenzie initially refused to believe that their mother might wish them harm . The fact that she might even have been used as a test subject seemed to be too much to even consider , and from the rapidly changing expressions on her face she didn’t seem to hear the answers she was looking for from Jeeves either .

In any case , we don’t know which version was the true one . Perhaps both were false . But if Leandra really is a top tier warrior of the technocrat faction , just her appearance might plunge the whole planet into a storm of blood . Just getting close to the technocrat incursion gave me a quest to kill them all , - Zac said . - We can’t deal with the battle between the System and the Technocrats for the time being , and Jeeves seems to be right at the heart of the conflict . -

I know , - Kenzie sighed . - You might be right . It's definitely suspicious she only called Jeeves an assistant . Jeeves definitely isn’t like other Technocrat technology . He doesn’t follow any rules these things do . He’s alive , which shouldn’t be possible to technology under the rule of the System . -

For now , see if you can figure out a way to hide Jeeves’ location . The stronger he grows the easier he might be to find . I doubt Technocrats would use Karma to find him , but rather some sort of hidden bug or connection through the Soul World , - Zac said .

I’ll see what I can do , - Kenzie said with a slightly hollow voice .

I’m sorry I didn’t have any better news to give you , - Zac sighed .

That’s okay . We’re still better off than most people on Earth , - Kenzie said . - Besides , we might find the truth when we start looking into the Mystic Realm in earnest . Who knows , it might even one of the labs where they researched Jeeves . Even if some other force took it over later , they still left a lot of the infrastructure intact according to Ogras . There might be records that only Jeeves can access . -

That's what I'm thinking as well . There is no rush to find Leandra . We will both be able to live thousands of years . We can slowly figure out the truth without risking our lives or the lives of everyone on Earth , - Zac nodded . - Perhaps Julia will have some good news as well . -

That's true , - Kenzie said , her eyes lighting up a bit again . - I told her that you’d meet her at 7 am in the government building . -

Thank you , - Zac said as he stood up . - Will you be okay? -

I’ll be fine , - Kenzie said .

Zac felt a sense of heaviness as he walked back to his courtyard . Things had gone pretty much as expected , and he could only pray that would be the end of his sister’s attempts at looking for their mother in the short run . But he honestly didn’t feel completely secure , and he made a note to look into whether it was possible to block out the Technocrat’s Soul World , like a multiversal wifi-blocker .

There was still a few hours before the arranged time , so he just took a short nap before he started consolidating his latest gains , getting a feel of his upgraded Dao Fragment . The insight mostly felt defensive in nature , which Zac was pretty happy with . His defensive capabilities were starting to slip now that he got so little Endurance , but this would push him a step further .

He was also surprised to find out that the insight actually had changed his Dao Field by quite a bit .

Chapter 518 : Artifact

It was now extremely clear how big the improved Dao Field was , as it formed an almost perfect bubble around him spreading for up to 200 meters . It looked like he used a defensive treasure , though his Dao Field was more transparent .

It even had a direct defensive capability , as Zac noticed that a few falling leaves were rebuffed and pushed to the side . He didn’t expect the Dao field to protect him against ultimate strikes or anything , but who knew how strong such a field could become as he progressed .

His other Dao Fields were a lot more diffuse , with his Dao Field of the Axe being a pretty much invisible field full of razor blades . Zac found it interesting how they started to move apart in how they looked , and it made him curious about how things would work at the higher grades . The time quickly passed as he meditated though , and it was soon enough time to get going .

Zac walked over to the enormous government building , and he couldn’t help but notice that the sprawling structure had grown in size in between every time he visited . This time another wing had been added , built in an interesting mix of human and demon architecture that was a blend of living wood and glass .

The building was full of people even though it was still pretty early . Zac walked over to the desk and was soon led to a secluded meeting room overlooking the square , guided by an extremely flustered office clerk he didn’t recognize . He guessed it was someone who had been transferred to Port Atwood recently from one of the satellite towns in the archipelago .

It still felt a bit odd to see strangers on his island , as he still somewhat considered Port Atwood the desolate place where he had spent months alone with the demons . Even when new people finally started arriving it was still in small numbers , and he could pretty much place every single face . But the last months had seen an explosion in citizens , though everyone was thoroughly screened by Adran and Abby .

Julia had already arrived , gazing at the town below through the large window with a cup of coffee in her hands .

One of the things I like about our new lives , - Zac smiled as he sat down at the conference table , pouring himself a cup . - Spiritual coffee-beans . -

Now if everything didn’t want to kill us , then we would have been golden , - Julia responded with a wry smile as she turned toward him .

So? What did you learn? - Zac asked .

It’s a mess , - Julia said , looking completely crestfallen . - The New World Government is beyond salvation . The cultist shapeshifters had infiltrated extremely deep , but a core section led by Thomas Fischer has actually taken up with the Dominators . A lot of the cultists were purged soon after , but I don’t know if they got them all or how they were exposed . -

If we could buy that Origin Array] to root out any aliens , then so can they , - Zac shrugged . - Did you find out anything else about the cultists? -

Not much , honestly . It feels like the shapeshifters had gone through huge lengths to obfuscate anything tangible about their origins , - Julia said as she took out a tablet . - However , I did manage to find the location of both the government’s spatial tunnel , along with the location of another entrance currently held by the Church of Everlasting Dao . -

Good , - Zac nodded with relief . - I might have to enter from somewhere else in the future unless the spatial turbulence around ours dies down . -

You should know that at least the government’s entrance is booby-trapped , - Julia said . - Officially it was to protect everyone in case they needed to flee the undead , but it would work just as well against you . There are also strict checks to get inside . The whole entrance is a fortress , anyone coming by foot will be attacked without pardon . -

Pretty careful , - Zac muttered . - Well , it makes sense . They’re essentially the weakest group around . I still don’t understand how they expect things to work out in their favor . They’re only around because no one can be bothered with wiping them out . -

Well , I actually learned quite a few things about the Mystic Realm , in case you want to move on from the subject of the invaders , - Julia said .

Zac slowly tapped the table in thought .

What do you think? - he finally asked . - You haven’t been with the government for a while , but you were still a part of the upper management during a time when the infiltration most likely already had started . They must have come from somewhere . -

I have a theory , but I am unable to confirm it , - Julia slowly said .

Zac didn’t say anything , only indicated for her to keep talking .

The Government secured a handful of hunting grounds for our soldiers during the early stages of the integration , even before you appeared , - Julia began . - We had found one place in particular , just one week’s travel from Main Paris , one of the larger secondary hubs of the government . Better yet , the route to get there was pretty safe , which was key as we still hadn’t set up too many teleportation arrays . The cost constant of mass teleportations was also something we had trouble affording . -

We sent soldiers to Main Paris through arrays , and then put them on cargo planes or convoys . Some would return directly to New Washington by teleportation array later , but others would stay there . There was constant traffic both the old way and through teleporters , and infiltrators could easily have used Main Paris as the point of ingress , - Julia said as she showed Main Paris on a map .

Main Paris is located in the middle of Pangea , - Zac muttered . - They would have been able to travel to most major towns of Earth within a month or two even if they traveled by foot . Such a trip would be suicide for most humans , but it shouldn't have too difficult for the church . -

Exactly , - Julia nodded .

So you think the Incursion is in this forest? - Zac asked .

Probably not . We should have found it if that was the case , - Julia said with a shake of her head . - The training ground was a medium-sized forest full of Derriers , a pack animal from the Ishiate world . They are quite aggressive , but not very powerful , and there's a lot of them . Makes for perfect target practice . The forest was blocked to north and west by an inhospitable mountain range and a massive saltwater lake to the east . We came from the South . It created an enclosed area that allowed the Derriers to multiply freely .

We mapped the forest easily , but we never managed to get past the mountain range due to extremely aggressive birds that lived there . They were hunting Derriers as well , so our soldiers mostly stayed at the southern side of the forest . But if the invaders could find a path through the mountain . . . - she continued .

So they might be on the other side , - Zac nodded in understanding .

Exactly . The area on the other side of that mountain range is one of the twelve yet uncharted territories of Pangea , and my best guess of their whereabouts , - she explained .

Sounds like our best bet , - Zac agreed . - I will go there to check things out as soon as I’ve prepared everything I need . -

Be careful , those birds in the mountain are extremely territorial . They even ripped apart a couple of our fighter jets that we sent to scout things out , - Julia said .

The more powerful they are , the better , - Zac shrugged . - I could use the experience . What have you found out about the Mystic Realm? Have you found what everyone’s after? -

Thomas is keeping a lot of details close to the vest . But it's impossible to keep everything secret in this big an operation , so my contacts and I have managed to piece together some things , - Julia said . - The fact that there are a lot of people who wish that they joined you instead of New Washington made my job a lot easier as well . -

Zac wryly smiled in response , but he honestly wasn't all that interested in taking on a bunch of flaky diplomats from the New World Government . Especially not after hearing the disgusting stories from Emma MacHale and seeing how they mismanaged his hometown .

Thomas Fisher seems to believe there is some sort of dimensional artifact inside the Mystic Realm that will save them not only from the cultists and Dominators , but even the Great Redeemer himself . It’s this item that every force is after , - Julia said , immediately dragging Zac out of his thoughts .

Dimensional artifact? - Zac repeated with confusion . - What’s that? -

No idea . But from what I gathered it seems to be still growing in the depths of the realm . Thomas is moving a lot of his resources into the Mystic Realm , and many of the elite squads never leave any longer . Even Thomas only exits for a few hours at a time . I believe… - Julia said , gathering her thoughts .

Yes? - Zac asked .

It is because of this dimensional artifact . The moment it’s uncovered it will temporarily destabilize the Mystic Realm , cutting off the entrances . That’s why everyone’s missing . The Dominators , the Cultists , the New World Government . No one wants to be caught outside . That’s at least the conclusion I and my contacts reached , - Julia said .

Do you have any timeline for when that would happen? - Zac asked with worry .

If it really was true , then he needed to get going quicker than he anticipated . He absolutely couldn’t be locked outside if both the Incursion Leader and the Dominators were inside the Mystic Realm . Not only would that leave the most powerful invaders unchecked , but it would also make it impossible to kill the Dominators .

He didn’t know whether The Great Redeemer could find Earth while the Dominators were inside the Mystic Realm , but he didn’t want to risk it . What if Void's Disciple managed to lock the Mystic Realm down completely , and simply stayed there until Voridis appeared?

We couldn't find an exact date , but you should have at least a month . I got a hold of various orders to the military and a few departments . There are multiple projects related to the Ark World that have a delivery deadline of 36 days from now . I think the government is confident of the entrances being open until then , while the elites are already standing by in case something unexpected happens , - Julia said .

Thirty-six days , - Zac muttered . - A month . -

It wasn’t a lot , but it was better than nothing . In fact , it might even be for the best to deal with this matter as quickly as possible . However , he knew that the number of power-ups he would be able to gain in such a short time was limited .

What makes the government think they can actually compete for that item though? - Zac asked next , which was the most burning question in his mind . - I could simply fly over to their entrance and snatch their entrance if I wanted to , and I bet the Dominators could do the same . -

You shouldn’t underestimate them , - Julia said . - They control most of the old world’s weaponry . Thousands of missiles and other types of explosives . -

Zac made a noncommittal shrug , not feeling too threatened by something like that any longer . He would be able to push them all away with a few swings of his axe , or just move out of the way with Loamwalker] . Or just block them with some defensive skills .

You also shouldn't take their entrance unless you have to . They've already made it clear that multiple people can set off the booby-trap to the entrance . Stealing the entrance and jumping inside would be suicidal , - Julia said .

Zac grunted with annoyance , but he had to admit it was a pretty good deterrent . He almost died the last time he entered a booby-trapped teleporter after all . If it wasn't for his sister adding a safety measure he would have been ripped apart instead of thrown out over the ocean . But would that method really work in a spatial tunnel to a mystic realm?

Where would he be thrown out if he exited mid-transportation? The void of space?

But more importantly , they have apparently brokered an agreement with some of the forces inside the Mystic Realm , - Julia added , dragging Zac out of his thoughts . - They are currently advertising it , how they have allied with multiple powerful E-Grade warriors . -

They have? What do the aliens get out of that deal? - Zac said skeptically .

Freedom . Getting out of the Mystic Realm when this is all done , - Julia said .

Zac frowned when he heard her explanation . Joining up with a bunch of strangers who were far more powerful was a recipe for disaster , something that Catheya had driven home during their talk . The government obviously had some way to restrain them though , as Earth wasn’t already crawling with escapees .

Ogras had mentioned the extremely strong security measures in the research base , perhaps the government had managed to use those checkpoints to their advantage . Still . It only took one mistake to release the floodgates , at which point any agreement would be null and void . Why would a bunch of powerful E-Grade warriors bother following the orders of Thomas Fisher and the useless diplomats?

Wait , forces plural? - Zac asked , but he suddenly remembered Ogras’ description of his visit to the Mystic Realm .

He had met two peak F-Grade warriors fighting to the death , meaning they might come from opposing factions .

There are at least five forces in the Mystic Realm , each trapped inside and in control of their own section of the research base , - Julia said explained , opening a rough sketch on her tablet . - It’s apparently shockingly large , like a country . But no one has access to the core region of the base as I've understood . But the restrictions are weakening inside for some reason , and everyone is looking for a path to the dimensional artifact . -

Zac looked down at the sketch that looked like a hexagonal star , his eyes drawn to the 'X' marked in the center of the map . An artifact that could deal with even The Great Redeemer? He couldn't let that fall into the hands of anyone else .

Chapter 519 : Cleanse

Zac already knew there were some natives living inside the Mystic Realm since long ago , but the situation that Julia described had exceeded his expectations .

Do you know the strength of the aliens? - Zac asked with some worry .

The Intelligence said High E-Grade , but it’s hard to know what that means , - Julia said .

Zac nodded in agreement . Just level alone was an imprecise measurement of someone’s power . For example , the Dragon he had fought in the Tower of Eternity was likely only early E-Grade , but extremely powerful due to its race and bloodline . Meanwhile , there were Mid-E Grade warriors by this point that was essentially no threat to Zac .

With his recent gains , he felt confident in dealing with some high E-Grade warriors as well , though that would depend on whether they had any unique advantages of their own . Ogras’ said that the energy inside the Mystic Realm was pretty sparse , and perhaps it was hard to ponder on the Dao as well .

However , the base was most likely used to research bloodlines once upon a time , meaning every force should have one or multiple powerful bloodlines to boost their combat power . Besides , the E-Grade warriors he had fought up until now were mostly newly ascended , whereas those in the Mystic Realm might be thousands of years old .

What if he met someone who had polished their skills for millennia while spending centuries on opening each and every one of their Inherited Hidden Nodes? The leaders might even be stronger than the Dominators .

There are also large unpopulated sections as far as I heard , and the government is currently busy exploring the sections that the natives are locked out of . There are even large forests full of monsters , - Julia added .

There are forests? Like real outside forests? - Zac asked with surprise . - Is there a world outside this star-shaped structure?

No , it’s still inside , with walls all around . I have no idea if there's anything outside , - Julia said with a shake of her head . - The government’s entrance has ended up in one of these forests , but it is vastly different compared to the one you describe in the information package you gave me . -

Different how? -

The forest is massive , almost half the size of this island I reckon . And it is full of powerful beasts at peak F-Grade , - Julia said . - The government can only use their entrance at certain times a day when the beasts sleep , and rush to an entrance they have secured . Perhaps the builders of the research base were breeding the beast once , but they have definitely gone by feral now . -

Zac nodded in understanding , and his heart still sped up a bit .

A bunch of powerful beasts? Wasn’t that exactly what he was looking for? These ones were just F-Grade and mostly useless to Zac , but perhaps there were similar forests full of early E-Grade beasts further inside the realm?

There are all kinds of information on this tablet , - Julia said as she handed it over . - But it is mostly about the government's latest movement and the situation on Earth . The government has barely scratched the surface of the Mystic Realm , and I think you would have to go for yourself to get a real understanding of that place . -

Thank you . Good job , - Zac said as he stood up .

It looked like the real showdown with the Dominators would take place in a month or two . He wasn’t confident in being able to lock down Void’s Disciple even with the Jamming arrays , but the situation inside the Mystic Realm would likely force them into each other’s crosshairs .

The only time Void’s Disciple had lost his cool was when Zac threatened to take the item inside the Mystic Realm . Snatching that item would force the Dominators to come to him rather than him trying to find them , which was the best solution he could think of right now . It was no doubt crucial to the Great Redeemer , and it beat having to scour every Zhix hive on the planet .

The biggest flaw of the plan would be the delay . Voridis might reach Earth’s universe at any moment , and there really wasn’t any back-up plan if that happened . It would be every man for himself . The only relief was the massive amount of teleportation tokens he had amassed in the Base Town . It would allow everyone close to him to leave earth , as long as he closed down the Cultist Incursion first .

Of course , that only went for something like 200 people .

Ah , one more thing , - Julia said as Zac was about to leave .

Yes? - Zac asked with confusion .

I want a job , - Julia said . - A Permanent one . -

Oh? - Zac asked as he stopped in his tracks . - What do you have in mind? -

Alea was in charge of law and order for a while , until she wasn’t , - Julia said , drawing a frown from Zac . - Security is still high in Port Atwood with your existence as a deterrence , but things are more chaotic in your other settlements . You are still maintaining control thanks to your armies , but we need civil law enforcement as well . I want to help build such a section . -

Zac slowly mulled over for a few seconds without giving a direct response . He had honestly dropped a ball regarding this , but he could absolutely understand if normal non-combat classes and the weaker citizens felt unsafe if there was no one around to keep law and order .

But the whole concept of law enforcement was a bit tricky in their new world as well . It was easier said than done keeping a population in check when anyone could gain superpowers . Perhaps there was some service he could purchase as more options became available in the Town Shop?

I’ll talk it over with a few others before making a decision , - Zac said after a while . - But it sounds like a good idea . -

He had a lot to think about , so he sent a message to his sister as he left that he needed to consolidate his gains before he retreated to his cultivation cave . He started up the second cycle of the Nine Reincarnations Manual] since he felt he might as well be productive while sitting around , and he decided to try the array as a Draugr this time .

He didn’t change much , apart from starting at the life-attuned side of the array . His mind was soon filled with life , and the life-attuned energies no longer felt like poison to his undead body . Seeing that things seemed to work just fine he started circulating the manual by rote while he went over his meeting with Julia .

The array didn’t take too much of his concentration while it was active , and he could even look through the tablet while his mental energy was drained and infused with attunement . Most of it was reports of movements of the various forces of Earth just like she said , which wasn’t really something Zac cared about .

There were some minor conflicts brewing between the council and the New World Governments according to the intelligence , and Zac was actually a bit surprised at how unified the Council Stayed even after returning to the surface . None of the thirteen councilors had joined any of their racial factions as far as Zac could tell , instead choosing to stay with their former group .

In either case , squabbles between local forces wasn’t really something that Zac wanted to get involved in , as long as they didn’t involve his people or hurt innocents . Some internal strife might even toughen them up , which would prepare the Earthlings for when the planet was properly integrated into the Multiverse in the future .

Zac was more interested in the more pressing issues ; the Dominators , the cultists , and the mystic realm . He was trying to figure out the best approach , one that would allow him to rid the world of lingering threats with the highest success rate .

He eventually decided against assaulting either of the two tunnels that Julia had located . He was curious about the pocket realm since he still only hadn’t been able to explore its mysteries , but it felt like a safer route to reopen their own entrance . Kenzie had already made some preliminary measurements that were positive .

The cultists had detonated a massive bomb on the shores of Mystic Island , but they were forced to do it far from the tunnel itself . So it had only destabilized rather than broken down completely . Right now they were still waiting out the spatial turbulence , but it would gradually calm down over the following weeks . They might even be able to add some stabilizing arrays or treasures to the tunnel , which would force it open early if necessary .

More preparations were needed for the war against the traitor Zhix as well , which left the Cultist Incursion . Closing the incursion next felt like the most optimal route . It might leave some cultists spread all across Earth , but they could methodically be purged with the help of Origin Arrays] over the following 100 years .

Closing the incursion would come with a lot of benefits as well . Earth was still in a - trial - -phase as things stood , and some parts of the System were still locked away from them . Closing the Incursion would allow him to purchase more structures , and it would probably activate his nexus hub .

Succeeding in proving your worth to the System by booting out all invaders also came with direct benefits according to Abby , though what kind of benefits differed since the System was always trying out new methods of integration . For example , the Ladder system was something that neither Abby nor Ogras had heard of before .

Dealing with the Cultists sooner rather than later was the best option as well . He had almost killed the Head Priest , and only a week had passed since then . He might still be severely weakened from barely escaping Fate’s Obduracy] , allowing Zac to strike while the iron was hot .

The bird mountain was also pretty interesting from Julia’s description . There was a critical lack of good grinding spots , but those birds sounded pretty formidable if they could even take down airplanes soon after the integration .

The hours passed as Zac finished his second day of Soul Cultivation , and the results were identical to when he cultivated as a Human . He was about to work on his Draugr race next , but his communication crystal suddenly shook , delivering the message he had been waiting for .

The time to scan everyone for lingering karmic threats was finally here , and Zac teleported over to the Atwood Academy . A Valkyrie informed him that everyone was already waiting , so he flashed over to the Dao House .

He noticed a few Tal-Eladar standing in the distance , looking at the Dao House with thoughtful faces . They had probably figured out some things about it after staying at the Academy for a few days , but the only nodded at them before entering . The thirty-odd people were already gathered in the inner chambers of the Dao House , and they all looked over when Zac arrived .

Even Ogras had emerged from his bout of secluded cultivation , though Zac could sense that he still hadn't evolved .

Zac nodded at the familiar faces before he glanced at the wall . He was surprised to feel that he still could sense a small echo of the Dao in the walls themselves , imprinted from when they cracked open the funnel . If people kept pondering on the Dao inside this place over the years it might become a real treasure even though it was made from normal materials , kind of like the Cherry Tree in his vision .

The mysterious grooves covering the Dao House wasn't the only interesting change . He spotted Sap Trang standing with two of the valkyries , and Zac barely recognized him as his hair had turned completely black over the past week . Having taken Medicinal Baths for months had improved the old fisherman's constitution tremendously , but the latest improvement was far more drastic than anything up til now .

Long time no see , - Zac smiled as he walked over to Sap Trang . - How do you feel? -

Better than I’ve had in decades , - Sap Trang said with a toothy smile . - That compound you sent over has worked wonders . It felt like it helped me absorb the Medicinal Baths better as well . I talked with Little Alyn earlier , and she believes my odds at evolving my constitution has improved by a lot . You don't happen to have some more? Not for me , but the other elderly in the town . -

I’m glad it worked , - Zac said with a smile . - I'm afraid I don't have much of that stuff left over to help the others , but I'll see if we can buy some through the Consortia . We’ll catch up later . -

It was truly great news that things were looking up for the old fisherman . He was essentially the first human member of his force , and he had proven himself over and over . It would have been a real shame if he passed away from old age just as the doors to nigh-immortality had opened themselves to the people of Earth .

The compound that Sap Trang mentioned was simply some Longevity Pearls that had been ground down by the Sky Gnomes , together with a few dried herbs that were there to stop the efficacy from immediately dissipating . The short remaining lifespan of the old fisherman was one of the biggest hindrances to evolving his Race , and Zac wanted to see if the pearls could help with that situation .

To put it a bit bluntly , it was also an experiment that would benefit Zac . He had wasted a lot of lifeforce during his climb , and similar situations might arise in the future as well , as long as the Shard was stuck in his head .

Seeing the effect of longevity treasures on Mr . Trang was a way for him to prepare for the future .

Chapter 520 : A Clean Break

Zac had tried the compound on himself as well , but the efficacy was extremely limited in his case . He didn't believe it was because of his constitution or anything like that though , but simply because he was already E-Grade Race . He would probably have to get his hands on better pearls . These longevity treasures were something he picked up on the second level of the Tower after all , so they weren't some supreme treasures .

Of course , there was also the possibility that the life-force sucked clean by the Shard was gone forever , but Zac wouldn't take that for a given until he had tried to remedy the situation with better materials . Even if that was the case it wasn't the end of the world though , as long as he reached D-Grade and restocked on a few millennia of additional lifespan .

In fact , he felt it was a possibility that his lifespan was already longer than most people as he had to evolve his Race twice . Wasn't it more than fair that he got twice as much life-force from the double upgrades?

The discussions in the room had died down as soon as Zac arrived , and he quickly realized what was going through their heads going by their expressions .

I’m sorry to disappoint you all , but this is not another opportunity , - Zac smiled as he looked around at the hopeful faces . - We are just making sure that there are no lingering side-effects to our earlier experiment . You don’t need to do anything , just stand still while we do our thing . -

With that , Zac took out the Lantern of Fate] and activated it , illuminating the whole inner chamber and the participants in an ethereal light . Hundreds of strands appeared in the room , with Zac singlehandedly being the source of almost half of them . The others couldn't see anything except the spooky light from the lantern , but Zac could quickly figure out what was going on as each strand emitted a unique aura .

How is it? - Ogras asked as he walked over , and Zac sighed in response .

Most of the lines attached to the people in the room weren’t anything special , mostly leading toward various directions in port Atwood . Zac and most of the demons also had additional strands pointing toward the sky , with the demons having blood-red lines that pointed toward the same direction .

Zac and Ogras had an additional mix of different colors , no doubt representing the connections they had made in the Tower of Eternity . However , there was a group of people who had all had an ashy-grey strand that pointed toward the sky , people who really shouldn’t have any connection to anyone outside earth .

It looked like the gift of Origin Dao came with a price after all .

What do we do now? How does that thing work? - Ogras asked from the side with a low volume . - Should we . . . ? -

No , - Zac said with a shake of his head , but he still took out Verun's Bite] . - The lamp has a solution . -

The changed appearance of the axe drew a whistle from Ogras and appreciative looks from the demons , who could easily understand that the Spirit Tool had become even more powerful . Zac didn’t immediately swing at the ribbons though , but he rather opened a small compartment on the lamp , exposing a small reservoir of oil .

This part was just as important as the lamp itself , as just seeing the Karmic lines was just half the battle . The second part was cutting them , and a normal weapon wouldn’t be able to accomplish that . The best would be things like the dagger that the Abbot gave him back then , but it had broken apart after one usage .

However , the lamp wasn’t a top-tier treasure without reason , and it came with a solution that even he could use .

I only have a little bit of this , - Zac said as he smeared some of the oil across the edge of his axe . - Let's hope we won't have to use this thing too much . -

He did have the second treasure of the Undead Kingdom as well , the item of erasure . However , he wanted to save that for the Dominators and their items since they should have a much stronger karmic connection to the Redeemer compared to these weak ribbons .

The students of Atwood Academy recoiled in fear as Zac suddenly appeared in front of them , but he didn't dare explain what was going on in case that would ruin their preparations . He moved as quickly as he could and swung his axe at the closest grey ribbon with such speed that the young girl in front of him couldn’t even react .

Ogras was just one step behind , though he simply moved the girl away from the others in case something would go wrong . Groans echoed across the hall as one person after another coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell unconscious until less than twenty people remained standing . Most of the students were among the unconscious , but one demon and a few of the valkyries had been affected as well , along with Sap Trang .

Zac wasn't surprised by the group of unconscious people . They were essentially the same group as those who had been accosted by those ghosts when he cracked open the funnel . He couldn't help but feel that these people were a bit pitiful , not only reading the smallest rewards from the funnel but also getting all of the drawbacks .

The rest stood rooted in place , not completely understanding what was going on . They had only seen Zac starting to swing his axe in the air like a lunatic , while one person after another collapsed onto the floor . They looked warily at Zac and Ogras , but they breathed out in relief when they saw Zac put the lamp away .

Take them to the infirmary , - Ogras said to the demons who stood by before he walked Zac away from the others . - We should do this again at a later date to make sure it worked . Can’t be too careful that old bastard . -

We’ll do a second scan before we enter the Mystic Realm , - Zac nodded in agreement before he properly looked up and down at the demon . - You still haven’t evolved? What’s going on? -

It’s the netherblasted shadow-beast , - Ogras sighed after making sure no one else was within earshot . - The bastard has complicated things for me . I heard from your sister about the Mystic Realm . I really need to go into seclusion if I want a shot at evolving before then . Can you deal with the rest yourself? -

Zac thought it over , and he eventually nodded .

I’ll head out to find the cultists next , - Zac said . - They are different from the Undead Empire though . I should be able to deal with it alone . -

Their defenses seem a lot simpler ; just kill everything in the surroundings . But be careful . Don’t forget how crazy they are . That's how I got my arm replaced by this bastard , - Ogras said as he knocked the metal cast on his arm .

I know , - Zac sighed . - I’ll go alone . I’m not sure I’d be able to protect others from their fire if they start exploding themselves . -

Well , your past year has led to this moment , - Ogras snorted . - Some zealot fire shouldn’t be able to take out the unkillable cockroach . -

Thank you for the vote of confidence , - Zac snorted at the demon who melded into the shadows the next moment .

Zac left as well after having made sure that everyone was alive and stable , and headed over to Thayer Consortia to pick up some items he had ordered . While he was there he also asked Calrin to look into blocking Technocrat tech , though he didn’t hold too much of a hope of him finding anything useful .

He also asked them to start preparing for the auction . He still hadn't decided whether he should hold it before or after he dealt with the Mystic Realm , but he leaned toward the latter . No point in empowering outsiders just before the showdown that would decide Earth's future . It might come back to bite him in the ass .

He returned to his compound next and found Emily having dinner with his sister .

I’m heading out to deal with the cultists , - Zac said to the two . - Be careful while I’m gone . -

Already? You need me to call the shield squad? - Kenzie asked .

No , I’m going alone this time , - Zac said with a shake of his head , ignoring the pout coming from Emily’s side .

Since Ogras had gone into seclusion to prepare for his breakthrough he didn’t feel comfortable bringing Emily and the others . He had mostly brought them last time because of the high stakes of the Undead Incursion , but it was different now . If things went according to plan he would find a half-abandoned Incursion base as most of the cultists were busy exploring the Mystic Realm .

He would either close it down or flee with the help of the emerald leaf , allowing him to try again later . There was no point in risking the lives of his people in such a scenario .

In fact , he felt that anyone except Ogras might turn out to be a liability , where Zac would have to split his attention between protecting others and taking out the invaders . The Valkyries had made tremendous gains over the past months , but they still weren’t ready to tackle people like the cultists head-on .

Meanwhile , he felt confident that his recent gain in power was enough to close the incursion . After all , he had managed to defeat the Head Priest once already in a head-on collision , and that was before his Dao upgrade and while being weakened from the node opening . He was in tip-top shape right now , and he even had a charge from the Splinter as a back-up in case things turned really dire .

Fine , - Kenzie sighed . - But be careful . They seem pretty insane , but they are an ancient faction . They must have some things to rely on after being able to avoid getting eradicated after making enemies left and right . -

Zac talked with his sister and Emily a bit longer before he walked over to his teleportation house . He changed his appearance with Thousand Faces] before he entered though , as he didn't want his movements to be tracked . His vision turned black for a minute before he appeared in Westfort .

The teleportation station was bustling with activity , and over a hundred warriors were coming and going . The small British town was quickly becoming a proper world hub , though Zac believed that they hadn’t managed to upgrade the town through the System just yet .

He showed an ID given to him by Thea at the security checkpoint , and he was quickly escorted to a secured area without another word . A somewhat familiar face hurried over the next moment , and Zac remembered he was one of the intelligence officers of the Marshall Clan .

Lord Atwood , - said with a small bow . - What brings you here today? -

Is Thea around? - he asked after some thought .

He had only talked with her through correspondence after closing the Undead Incursion , as Thea and Billy had already healed up enough for them to leave by the time he returned to Port Atwood . He wasn’t running against the clock right now , so he could spare some time to discuss things with her before he set off for Main Paris .

She and Mr . Trask Jr . are currently in the library . Would you like for us to arrange transportation? - the officer asked , and Zac soon found himself sitting in the back of a town car with tinted windows .

All the defensive perimeters around the Old Homestead opened up without issue , and he was quickly led to the shell-like tower . His appearance reverted back to normal as he stepped through the door , and he found Thea sitting on a sofa where he read about Galvarion a few month back . Billy was dozing off next to her , his snores likely blocked out by an array .

However , he woke up as Zac approached and waved at him with a big grin .

How are you two feeling? - Zac smiled as he sat down on a sofa opposite them .

Haha , Billy is good , - the giant said as he waved his massive arms with enough force to create a gust , which earned him a slap from one of Big Blue's tentacles . - Stupid fish . -

Zac wondered if the two would erupt in battle , but Thea smoothly distracted Billy by taking out a grilled turkey leg , as though she had done this dance many times before .

That’s good to hear , - Zac said as he looked over at Thea who had put aside the crystal she was reading . - I have some news . -

He quickly recounted what he had found out from Julia regarding the Mystic Realm , though Billy quickly zoned out until he mentioned the large number of powerful beasts . He immediately wanted to head out for some thwonking , but Zac and Thea managed to calm him down .

So what do you want to do? - Thea asked after a while . - Are you heading in now? -

I’m completely healed up now , - Zac slowly said . - So I am thinking I’ll hit the Cultists first . That way I’ll both gain a new entrance , while also cutting off their escape route . We can slowly flush them out afterward . Those lunatics doesn’t deserve any leniency . Besides , that way we can limit the spread of information about Earth . -

They probably have already sent back information about the Mystic Realm though . I think that’s what prompted the extra investment , - Thea countered .

Still , - Zac said .

Another reason he wanted to close the incursion was to free himself up to use both his classes while battling the invaders without risking the news immediately reaching the church . However , he wasn't really willing to discuss that matter in front of Big Blue and Billy . He didn't believe that Billy would betray him , but the giant didn't really have any filters and might blurt it out at an inopportune time .

Do you need help with the cultists? - Thea asked , changing the subject .

Billy want to help as well! - the giant roared . - Stupid fire-lizards burned Billy's clothes . -

Just focus on recuperation , - Zac smiled . - It will be all hands on deck in the Mystic Realm later . -

We're mostly better . Billy and I have already talked about it . If you don't need help with the Incursion , can we enter the Inheritance while you are away? -

Chapter 521 : Birds

You want to enter right now? You sure you don’t want to wait? - Zac asked with surprise . - You might die , you know . As I told you in the letter , the masters of the Inheritances all seem to be eccentric characters . Why not wait until you’ve reached level 75? -

Zac had gifted them each a shot at an Inheritance as thanks for protecting Port Atwood while he was away . So he wasn't surprised to hear her bring it up , but he was a bit confused that she already wanted to take the trial . They knew they only had one chance , so he had assumed that the two would wait until they reached peak F-Grade . After all , that came with a set of powerups , such as titles , bonus attributes , and skills .

Their efforts had slowed down the approach of the invaders by hours , which was the whole reason he could complete the climb without worry . He didn’t know what he would do if he suddenly got the prompt of the invasion while he was inside the tower , but he most likely would have left early . He would have lost out on so much if that happened , including the Shard of Creation .

Not only that , the two had actually completely missed out on the quest for defeating the Undead Incursion because of their wounds . Thea and Billy should have been two of the highest contributors in the battle against the undead except himself and the Abbot , but they never got the quest as they were stuck in sickbeds on his island .

Giving them each a shot at an inheritance along with some of the things he had gotten during the climb was the least he could provide in return . The inheritances were limited , so any spot he gave out might mean that some descendant of his missed out in the future . But he figured that he would be powerful enough to be able to provide even better things to his grandchildren if it ever came to that .

Better use the inheritances now while they still could provide a lot of value .

His sister had already claimed the Invoker inheritance , and Adran was keeping his eyes on the craftsmen who had started perusing the Celestial Artisan Heritage . Someone might be worthy of taking on the inheritance as well .

As for the last two inheritances , Zac wasn’t sure . It would depend on which inheritances Thea and Billy decided upon , though he had a pretty good idea what they would go for .

We’re sure , - Thea nodded . - We can’t keep playing it safe . I feel we’re not powerful enough to help out as we are . We won’t be able to reach level 75 in thirty-six days , there’s just no way . We’ll enter in a day or two after I've confirmed a few things here . -

Billy wants the Titan , - Billy said from the side . - Billy doesn’t know why , but it feels familiar - ?

It does? - Zac asked with interest .

Was it perhaps his bloodline calling to him?

Billy thinks he dreamt being a big giant that was called a Titan? - Billy muttered with a frown . - Can’t remember… -

Well , I think it suits you , - Zac said . - I’ve seen the statue of the master of the Titan Inheritance . He looks just as strong as you , so you should be able to get things that make you stronger as well . -

The Titan felt like the given choice for billy , though Zac also felt that the Undying Fiend might be able to provide Billy with means of shoring up his lacking defenses . But the Inheritances were ultimately a matter of compatibility rather than what people needed , and Billy was definitely the most compatible with the Titan inheritance .

Good! - Billy fervently nodded . - Billy has slept too much . Last fight hurt , Billy needs to get better at thwonkin’ . -

What about you? - Zac asked as he turned to Thea .

I’ll take the Blade Emperor if that’s okay , - Thea said after a few seconds .

Zac nodded , feeling inwardly relieved . There wasn’t really any standout in Port Atwood that could benefit from that Inheritance . The only one using a sword of the core forces was Sap Trang , but he wasn’t really a sword master , but rather a water mage or beast tamer . Besides , Zac also had the heritage for the Blade Emperor , which probably contained half of the value that the old master left behind .

What kind of test was there? - Thea asked . - Is it based on strength or suitability? -

Suitability , - Zac said after some hesitation . - It got a bit dangerous for me because I kind of cheated a bit , and Ogras was only in danger because the master he chose was a lunatic . But the trials should be achievable by normal talented people , as they were meant as gifts for the descendants of Brazla , the tower’s creator . -

Good , - Thea said with some relief .

I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone this time while looking for the cultists . Just have my sister lead you in if I’m not around . Oh , the tool spirit is slightly insane as well , so don’t try to anger it . It might mess with your trial out of spite , - Zac said , drawing an even stare from Thea .

Anything else…? - she asked .

No , that’s it , - Zac with a shake of his head . - Or well , just compliment it a bit and it might make your lives easier . I need some help from your family with the teleporters , but I’ll just grab someone from your intelligence office . -

Good luck , - Thea said as she quickly scribbled a letter . - What we can do is limited , but don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it . I don’t think anyone over at the Intelligence Bureau will cause any trouble for you , but take this letter just in case . -

Zac nodded and left , and he walked over to the building that housed the intelligence department of the Marshall Clan . Charles Marshall immediately met up with him , and Zac couldn’t help but snort when he saw that he looked at the shadows with some worry . The demon had apparently left quite an impression during his last visit to the Bureau .

Ogras isn’t here , - Zac said with a smile . - I need to be teleported to Main Paris without anyone finding out . -

Main Paris…? - Charles repeated with a calculating look . - You’re not…? -

I’m not planning on taking out the New World Government , - Zac snorted as he handed him Thea’s letter . - At least not yet . I am looking for the base of operations of the cultists . You don't happen to know anything else? -

Charles' eyes lit up , and he quickly took out a stack of documents . He quickly provided a rundown of their findings , and much of it was similar to what Julia had said . The old spy had singled out three possible locations , one of which was the same uncharted territory as Julia pointed out .

A second one was in the middle of a vast marshland that spread out to the south of the heartlands of Pangea . There were some settlements there , but only at the edge . The place was swarming with hostile wildlife , the worst of which being the millions of massive mosquitoes that could suck a person dry in a second .

The high humidity of the area had turned the core of the swamp essentially uncharted as well , which was why Charles believed that an incursion could hide there without notice . The pillars weren't lighthouses that could be seen from tens of miles after all , and Zac had only spotted the undead one through the miasmic haze when he was almost upon it .

The final spot was a remote area to the far north , an inhospitable world of ice north of the even most distant of settlements . It was the least-likely place in Charles' opinion , but he had scribbled a note that said that they might like the hostile environment to temper themselves since they were fire-attributed .

Zac went over the documents as Charles read Thea's letter , and Zac felt some relief that it probably wouldn't take too long to deal with the cultists . He personally felt the northern location was a long shot , which meant he only needed two trips to find his target . The fact that both Julia and Charles had landed on the same spot was a good indicator as well , as both had access to vast , but different , intelligence networks .

Inheritance , - Charles muttered from the side . - May I ask if this is a real inheritance like the ones described in our library? -

It is . A peak D-Grade inheritance . I have a few of them , and I gave Thea one slot . Keep this to yourself though , - Zac nodded

Certainly , though I need to share it with Henry . May I ask if there is there danger? - the thin old man asked with worry .

It was easy to forget that this kindly old man was a ruthless assassin who had murdered a family member for breaking the family rules , rather than a doting grandpa worrying for Thea’s safety .

Some . She can give up though if it gets too hard , - Zac shrugged . - I'll take a look at the place near Main Paris first . Do you have a method to take me there? -

You appeared in Westfort with a disguise . Are you able to take on specific faces with your skill? - Charles asked .

I can , but it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny too well , - Zac nodded .

That’s fine , - Charles said as he started tapping on a tablet before he handed it over .

This is an informant of mine who has access to Main Paris . If that doesn’t work we also control a remote town roughly half a day's flight from the city . It’s up to you which you want to utilize , - the old man said .

Zac eventually decided to forgo his plan of going through New Paris in his search for the Cultist Incursion . After seeing the location of the Marshall-controlled town on the map , he felt it would only delay him a couple of hours . There were a lot more mountains to cross going from that direction , but it didn’t matter to Zac who had a flying treasure .

This way he was less likely to tip off any infiltrators hiding in New Paris or getting spotted when flying above a trafficked route .

I’ll go through the smaller town , - Zac said as he stood up . - One more thing . The remaining Invaders gained the ability to use teleporters the moment their Incursion was closed . You might want to increase security going forward . Who knows what a bunch of zealots trapped on earth will do . -

We have been preparing for this for some time , - Charles nodded . - We’ll slowly ramp up our measures over the next day to not cause any alarm . -

Zac nodded in agreement and things from there went quite smoothly . Zac was led by a nondescript family member of the Marshall Clan to the village called Peyraud . It was apparently a small French town with less than a thousand citizens that had turned to a minor stronghold .

It had survived until now because it was just outside of the hunting range of the mutated birds of the mountain range . The ferocious flocks hunted everything else though , which had scared off any stronger beasts from the area .

Of course , Zac knew that this place would be overrun in a year at most , like most places that only survived thanks to a lack of natural predator . The birds would sooner or later evolve , which in turn would increase their appetite and hunting grounds . These villagers were lucky enough that they at least had managed to get a Teleporter , allowing them to flee before they got gobbled up .

Zac didn’t immediately jump onto his flying treasure but rather kept running through a dense forest for an hour until he was far away from any human activity . Only then did he take out the emerald leaf and set off for the massive mountain range . He quickly understood why people hadn’t ventured past the mountains until now . They were simply enormous .

Something this big was hard to properly gauge , but he guessed that they were a match to the Himalayan mountain ranges of old Earth . However , these mountains were made from an almost pristine white rock , making Zac believe they came from one of the other planets .

The second reason why people avoided the mountains soon presented itself as well , as hundreds of small spots rose from a mountain peak as Zac approached . The distant spots quickly grew in size until Zac realized that some of the incoming birds were just enormous . There were some with a wingspan of just a couple of meters , but the larger ones looked like they could snatch up a fighter jet in their claws .

Zac didn’t want to get embroiled in an aerial battle at this juncture , so he immediately urged the leaf to take evasive maneuvers . But the mutated eagles had no problem matching his speed as they intercepted . A piercing cry suddenly exploded in his ears with enough power to make him dizzy , but he quickly righted himself just in time to see a bird bursting forward with shocking speed .

It seemed like the bird had activated some inherent skill , as it appeared right in front of him in almost an instant . A light flashed among the clouds as Verun was unleashed , and a rain of blood followed as the eagle was chopped in two . The massive bird had been on the threshold of reaching the E-Grade , but it was cut apart like paper in the face of the upgraded Spirit Tool .

More importantly , the weapon actually emitted a primordial aura that made the eagles stop in their tracks . It allowed him to increase the distance as the flying treasure was pushed to its limits . However , their territorial instincts soon won over their primal fear for the aura the axe emitted , and they swooped toward Zac like kamikaze pilots .

Zac could only sigh in annoyance as he started pushing Cosmic Energy toward Chop] , but he suddenly stopped himself and moved the energy toward the fractal on his left arm instead . He still hadn’t tested Rapturous Divide] , but wasn't this the perfect opportunity? He was still just at the edge of the mountain range , far from the supposed location of the Incursion .

However , as he pushed Cosmic Energy into the fractal he realized a problem ; the skill refused to activate .

Chapter 522 : The Abyss and Arcadia

The massive eagles soared ever closer , but Zac didn’t panic as he opened his skill menu while fleeing from the flock . He had already looked at the description , but he wanted to use it as a clue to what might be the problem .

E] Rapturous Divide - Proficiency : Early . Between the Abyss and Arcadia is an endless chasm . Upgradeable .

The E] in front of the skill was unique , as the other skills were without any tag . However , that wasn't important right now , but rather finding out why he couldn't use the skill . His eyes bore into the text like he was trying to see any hidden truths behind them , and his mind furiously worked to put together the clues so far .

Split life and death . . . The Abyss and Arcadia , - Zac muttered with a frown as he tried to understand the fractal , and something suddenly clicked .

He quickly pushed Cosmic Energy into Chop] as well , and a terrifyingly large fractal blade grew out from Verun’s Bite] . He was still only able to maintain a stable edge that was around 10 meters , whereas anything larger would start to destabilize after a few seconds .

However , a change quickly spread out through the blade as a powerful twinned surge of energy shot into the fractal edge from his left arm . The shaky blade immediately stabilized before it started to transform . The blade grew even larger and more robust as a new set of overlapping fractals covered its length , one golden and one black .

Zac felt a completely new connection to the blade like it was part of himself , and he finally understood what his new skill would do . He infused the massive edge with the Fragment of the Coffin before he swung it in a wide horizontal arc toward the hundreds of enormous eagles that were still bearing down on them .

The evasive maneuvers while he tried to figure out his skills had incited blood-lust in the flock , and their eyes shone with a sinister light as they flapped their wings with enough force to cause a storm . The fractal edge didn’t shot toward the beasts like how Chop] usually worked , but a black wave instead spread out from it as the edge itself turned into a lustrous gold .

The wave was extremely swift , and it covered a large number of the eagles before they even had a chance to react .

However , there was no scene of carnage that followed the swing . A few eagles screamed in pain as they were assaulted by the corrosive components of the Fragment of the Coffin , but there was blood raining the mountain walls this time . The eagles were instead shrouded in darkness , like Zac had thrown a can of black paint rather than a ferocious attack at them .

The odd scene wasn’t surprising to Zac , as he had only set up the first half of the attack . The air screamed as he swung the golden fractal edge once more , and another wave shot out , this one looking like a wave of sunlight breaking through the clouds . The fractal edge still stayed attached to Verun’s Bite] , but it crumbled shortly after the second wave had left it .

The golden wave passed through the flock of birds as well , and a shocking change occurred . A clear line ran straight across the flock , with the upper side only holding the golden sheen , and the lower side drenched in darkness . It reminded Zac of his bout of inspiration inside his cultivation cave where he split the two conflicting energies apart , though on a far grander scale .

The odd scene only lasted for an instant before the horizon cracked , the dividing line between gold and black turning into a crack in space itself . Two opposite shockwaves spread out , one toward the sky and one toward the ground . Hundreds of birds fell apart mid-flight , looking like they had been cut apart by a laser .

The two shockwaves caused a cascading halo to emerge on the horizon , and Zac froze in awe as he looked at the spectacle . The golden wave had turned into what looked like a massive sunset that spread for over a hundred meters . Even more amazing , Zac felt like he could hear Buddhist hymns coming from a paradise he could barely discern through the golden haze .

The golden sun was matched by a black opposite , the two halves forming an almost perfect circle . The hair on Zac’s arms stood on end as he turned his attention to the darker half , feeling like he was looking at the netherworld itself . Distant wails of lost soul rattled in his mind , and Zac felt like someone or something was staring back at him from within the darkness .

The effect only lasted for a few seconds before it dissipated , leaving a sky clear of any aggressive birds . The attack hadn’t hit every eagle , but it looked like a couple of them had been swallowed by half-suns , not even leaving a corpse like their bisected brethren . Zac nodded in appreciation as he kept flying , thankful he had done this test on the outer side of the mountain range .

Rapturous Divide] was a lot flashier than he had expected , and he could only pray that no lizardmen scouts were hiding in this remote part of the mountain range . Of course , he knew that he had pushed the skill pretty hard as well , and he realized now that he didn't actually need to use a 100-meter blade to create it .

He could have activated the skill by adding a small half-meter edge over Verun's Bite] as well , which would allow him to use the skill in a one-on-one melee battle .

The skill took advantage of the opposing natures of life and death . The two were each other's opposites , and this fact was utilized to create a divide in space itself . It was a high-concept empowerment that would turn most defenses useless , just like a spatial tear would . If he had this skill when fighting the battleroach king or the dragon he wouldn’t have been so hard-pressed to wound them , as he doubted they were able to stop a tear in space itself .

Such a divide might not completely be what he looked for when it came to his insights to his cultivation path , but Zac felt it didn't matter too much as it was just a single skill . Not every action he took needed to be an echo of his insights . It was still based on life and death , which better than most of his other skills , proving that his new class moved in the right direction .

Zac looked inward for a second , and he was somewhat disappointed to see that he had lost connection to the Skill fractal , just like when his other skills were on cooldown . It looked like he wouldn't be able to shoot out a rapid barrage of space-splitting life-and-death waves . Then again , that wasn't really on the table in any case , as that single strike had cost him almost 10 percent of his total Cosmic Energy reserves .

At least it didn’t seem to be a long cooldown skill like Deforestation] , which could only be used every 12 hours or so . He kept a close look at the fractal as he flew between the mountain peaks , and could soon confirm that Rapturous Divide] could be used again after three minutes .

Tree minutes wasn’t bad , but not great either . Most intense fights felt quite long , but they were usually over in less time than that . However , it would be a great addition in prolonged battles , providing a repeatable destructive boost to just shooting out an infinite number of fractal edges . However , he still didn’t use the skill at the next group of predatory birds that assaulted him , and instead opted to take them out with Chop] .

The pack of eagles that Zac annihilated earlier wasn’t the only one , but most likely a single roost out of the hundreds , perhaps thousands , of the mountain range . His flight through the towering peaks quickly turned into an endless battle , where the skyline was covered by frenzied birds defending their mountain .

Most of the birds were F-Grade , but the occasional early E-grade alpha appeared as well . The feather of the evolved birds was like steel , partly absorbing the strikes of a normal Chop] even though Verun's Bite] had been upgraded . Zac realized that this wasn't the fault of his Spirit Tool though , but rather on the skill itself .

The skill had definitely become stronger with the upgrade of the axe , but the effect was only partial . It seemed like a simple F-Grade skill wouldn't be able to keep up with the upgrades of an E-Grade axe . He sighed in disappointment when he realized that his main skill would peter out into obsolescence sooner or later .

However , the skill was still useful , not only as a delivery method of his E-grade skill , but on its own . The skill itself might not be able to outright kill these powerful birds , but it was another matter entirely when he infused the blades with the Fragment of the Axe . One silver flash after another lit up the pristine mountain peaks as desolate cries resounded , each wail marking the end of a king of the sky .

An ever-increasing amount of energy surged toward the turbid node in his left leg , and Zac realized that he would be able to burst open a node in a day or two if he kept going like this . However , Zac slowly started to look for some way to get out of this situation . It felt like no matter how many beasts he killed , there were still more and more that appeared in the skyline all around him .

It did allow him to get acquainted with his new skill though , and now and then a group of birds would be split apart as the white mountain wall was lit up in golden splendor . He quickly figured out that his maximum limit of the skill was a 150-meter spatial tear , while he actually realized there was a lower limit as well at 75 centimeters .

The cost of the activation wasn't quite linear though . Just activating the skill was the cause of over half of the energy expenditure , while the length of the tear added an almost linear expenditure .

The strength of the attack was based on the length of the tear as well , with the shorter tear unleashing a more intense wave of destruction . However , the shortest tear was at best twice as strong as the largest one , meaning that the massive divide wasn't all that weak compared to the one-on-one strike .

However , the hours passed and Zac couldn’t take it any longer . He was starting to tire even when fighting while holding a D-Grade Nexus Crystal for energy restoration . He flew into a narrow canyon and jumped off the leaf mid-flight , immediately taking out an Illusion Array Disk the moment he landed . He shot forward a few hundred meters with the help of Loamwalker] the next second , hiding inside a cave .

A sleeping bear yowled in surprise at the unwelcome intruder , but it was quickly cut in two before it could warn the frenzied eagles that flew back and forth outside . Their screeches caused the walls of the cave to shake as their feathers carved deep grooves in the mountain walls , but they couldn’t find the target no matter how hard they looked .

They finally left after taking out their frustrations on a group of poor mountain goats who failed to blend in with the white rocks , allowing Zac to breathe out . He wasn’t really worried about being overrun by the bloodthirsty birds , but rather that he was causing too big a ruckus . He had passed most of the mountain range by now , and he was closing in on the uncharted territory on the other side .

Thousands of massive eagles clumping around a foreign object in the sky while screeching at the top of their lungs would probably be spotted from miles away , and he wanted to retain at least some of the element of surprise . The birds were gone , but Zac didn't immediately move out , and instead sat down to recuperate his lost Cosmic Energy for a few hours .

Only when he was completely topped off again did he move out . This time he didn't take out his flying treasure though but instead tried to stay as inconspicuous as possible between the mountains . There were pretty much not a single beast barring his path down on in the canyon , which wasn’t surprising considering what lived on the mountain tops . It allowed Zac to make good speed , and he reached the end of the mountain range just an hour later .

And what met his eyes was an endless primordial jungle .

Chapter 523 : Jungle

It turned out that on the other side of the expansive mountain range was a basin , a vast depression in the landscape . It looked like something left behind by a meteor millions of years ago and it almost felt like he had entered a different climate zone as warm winds wafted onto his face . The humidity had gained a huge spike on this side of the mountains as well , like all the moisture was trapped in the basin .

That wasn’t surprising though as massive waterfalls could be spotted to the west , no doubt stemming from the inland sea Julia mentioned before . He would have turned completely clammy in seconds if it wasn’t for his improved constitution . Judging by how healthy the enormous plantlife looked there was no doubt a lot of rain as well , perhaps as the clouds would get stopped by the mountains .

Zac still couldn’t spot any Incursion pillar yet , but he had a good feeling about this place . First of all , the energy was quite dense in the area . The second reason was simple as well ; there were a lot of fire-attuned energies in the air even though there was so much humidity . Zac first thought there might be a fire-crystal mine beneath the ground , but he soon found the real source of the energies .

He could barely discern a volcano in the distance , standing roughly in the middle of the basin . It was pretty far away , and he guessed that it would take half a day getting there on foot even if he kept a high pace . Smoke rose from the top , proving it was active , and it looked like it was continuously releasing energies out into the forest around it .

It really looked like a pretty good starting spot for a force like the Church of the Everlasting Dao . A volcano in an energy-dense valley was probably a treasure trove for a fire-based force . Better yet , the humidity had created a large amount of low-hanging clouds that limited his vision . It wasn’t nearly as dense as the clouds of miasma in the Dead Zone , but it would do just fine in hiding an Incursion pillar if you were far away .

Especially if the cultists helped improve the effect somehow .

The volcano spread small amounts of fire-energies across the whole jungle , but when Zac activated Cosmic Gaze] there was an odd sight . The whole jungle lit up in a dim red glow from his special sight , but the volcano itself was utterly devoid of energy . Something close to the volcano was either hiding the energies or absorbing them .

The clammy haze thankfully allowed Zac some protection as he took out his flying treasure once more . He honestly would have preferred to travel by foot , but he had a mission to complete . His desire wasn't about safety or stealth though , but something more primal . It felt like the forest was calling out to him somehow .

It wasn't as strong as when he had come close to great natural treasures like the Cherry or the Tree of Ascension , but the feeling was similar . It felt like the forest itself had gained a semblance of spirituality that resonated with his body , or perhaps more accurately his class . He felt like he would be able to progress both his nature-based skills and his Dao in this place a lot more efficiently than even staying in his cultivation cave .

Progressing skills wasn't necessarily about energy density , but rather about opportunity and insight . So secluded cultivation might be good to improve some aspects of his strength , but skills were not one of them . A few of his skills , like Forester's Constitution] and Loamwalker] were still stuck at Late Proficiency , and this might be a good place to practice those skills .

However , Zac knew that would have to wait until he dealt with the cultists , so he set off on top of his flying treasure , heading straight for the volcano .

He kept a much lower altitude than normal this time , staying close to the treetops in hopes to blend in with the enormous leaves of the tree crowns . A roar suddenly echoed out across the area as a five-meter panther jumped up straight at him , but Zac killed it with one swift swing . Its carcass joined the mountain of high-grade meat in his Cosmos Sack before even a second had passed as Zac whizzed past the area .

It was no wonder that the desolate mountain range could support so many birds , the jungle below was simply littered with beasts . Everything from ten-meter snakes to insects as large as dogs tried to strike at him as Zac whizzed through their domains , and the area was drenched in a constant clamor of thousands of different animal calls .

The beasts unfortunately weren’t very powerful even though many of them were quite large . The birds might have already hunted anything that could be a threat to them , or perhaps it was the cultists’ doing if this indeed was their hidden base of operations . It was even possible that the stronger beasts were smart enough to figure out that he wasn't some tasty morsel drifting around on a wayward leaf .

A streak of flames suddenly shot toward him out of nowhere , forcing Zac to quickly swivel out of the way . It pushed past him toward the skies and only ran out of steam after having flown hundreds of meters . Zac first thought there was some beast spewing fire at him , but he quickly spotted an inconspicuous tower among the tall palms , colored so that it would blend in with the surroundings .

Another fireball soared just past him , and Zac felt the familiar aura of the zealots from the golden flames . Zac shot out a Chop] and the tower crumbled , its defensive shield utterly incapable of withstanding a middle-grade fragment . He was quite happy that he had probably found the right place , but it would take him half an hour before he reached the volcano even if he pushed the leaf to its limits .

There was no way he would be able to launch a surprise strike at the cultists any longer , but there was only so much you could prepare in thirty minutes . They should still be unable to utilize any teleportation arrays , making it impossible for them to recall any forces from the Mystic Realm . Unless their Incursion spawned right on top of one of the entrances they wouldn’t be able to return in time .

Zac quickly scoured the surroundings , and he soon realized there actually was a neat perimeter of similar towers forming a circle around the volcano . However , Zac felt that these things weren't meant to deal with cultivators , but rather to scare off the flocks of birds . They would be almost useless to deal with forces on the ground with the thick foliage blocking their fireballs .

If that was the case it might still take some time before they realized something was wrong , but Zac wouldn't hold his breath . The cultists were crazy , but not stupid . They should be fully aware that he was coming for them sooner or later , as they were the last invaders remaining on Earth .

Deep thuds echoed out from his chest as his heart started beating rapidly in anticipation of the upcoming battle , but Zac took a few calming breaths to steady himself as he started to fly toward the volcano again . He quickly realized that the various sounds of the jungle were steadily growing few and far in between , like the beasts knew better than to stay close to the mountain in the middle of the jungle .

Zac kept his eye peeled for any hints of the Incursion , and his eyes lit up when he saw a shimmering glow as he started to make his way around the volcano . He had figured that the pillar would either have to be inside the volcano itself or hidden behind it , and it looked like it was the latter .

A minute later the whole pillar was on full display , rising into the clouds right behind the plumes of smoke coming from the volcano . The cultists were full-fledged lunatics , but Zac had to admit they had a flair for architecture . The back of the mountain was lit up with splashes of gold and red , and grand temples and mansions built from the pristine white stones seemed to compete with each other in how elaborate their designs were .

The Incursion Pillar itself started right at the foot of the mountain , while the town itself was comprised of an ascending series of tiered structures ran halfway up the volcano . It did look a bit odd , as the most important structure was essentially located furthest out , while it was the temples that took the best spots at the highest positions of the mountain .

However , the buildings only reached halfway up the volcano , after which they abruptly stopped . Above that was only one thing ; a gargantuan rune of three lines . The three simple wavy lines were the insignia of the Church of Everlasting Dao , and the huge rune emitted a pressure that even Zac could feel from the distance . The lines apparently represented The Heavens , The System , and The Dao ; their concept of divinity .

The scene reminded Zac of the consecrated mountain that Abbot Everlasting Peace lived on , where prayer and conviction had brought forth a true power . It was a reminder of how contradictory a force the Church of Everlasting Dao was . Triv had talked about them at great length over the past week , seemingly taking real pleasure in causing trouble the enemies of the Undead Empire .

It was more correct to call the Church of Everlasting Dao two entwined forces rather than one single unit , with one being the fanatics and the other the body-merchants .

Some considered the fanatics as just a front , but the massive rune was a stark reminder that there were quite a few members who wholeheartedly believed in the Divinity of the System . Mount Everlasting Peace had been consecrated over a thousand years to gain spirituality upon the integration , but this mountain was coming close to emitting the same holiness after just a year .

The confusing layout of the town itself made Zac a bit unsure of how to proceed though . Normally he would bash through a wall and defeat the armies , and finally corral the remaining enemies toward the Incursion pillar . But the Nexus Hub was already within his reach unless the open-aired temple surrounding the red-and-gold pillar contained some hidden safeguards .

It felt a bit too simple . Abby had already explained the rules of taking over towns , and it worked the same with Incursions . If he walked over and claimed the Nexus Hub a quest would start where the invaders had a short time window to rebuff him before their invasion ended by default . That was why the Incursion Leaders seldom left their base of operations .

But seeing the pillar unguarded like this made him feel there was some sort of trap , which was only reinforced by the fact that he still hadn't spotted a single person so far . The whole town looked abandoned , like they already had fled before he arrived . However , there was no way that a force like the Church of the Everlasting Dao would simply pack up and leave without a fight .

Besides , there was no prompt from the system that the Incursion had failed , which meant that the Head Priest was still around somewhere . Zac activated Cosmic Gaze]to see if any suspicious energy movements surrounded the Nexus Hub , but the pillar itself drowned out any potential clues . It almost blinded him from how much energies it contained , and he was immediately forced to look away .

Indecision gnawed at him for a few seconds , but he eventually made his decision and instead shot toward the largest temple , a resplendent structure placed right beneath the enormous rune . It was a massive construction with spires well over a hundred meters high , each of them holding a radiant fire .

In fact , every single building had a golden fire burning at the roof , though the ones at the main temple were quite a bit larger than the others . Zac chose to target the temple because those spires reminded him of the array towers at the undead fortress . He could always claim the Nexus Hub after destroying the temples and the gargantuan rune , which would hopefully preempt any booby traps the cultists had left for him .

The leaf made a detour around the pillar before it made a beeline for the temple , and there was finally some activity from the cultists' side . A hundred warriors streamed out of the gates of the temple , seemingly rearing for battle . Just a hundred warriors wouldn't even slow Zac for more than a few seconds , but he still activated Nature's Barrier] .

Zac felt that there was no way that this was all these guys had prepared , and his suspicions were quickly proven right as hundreds of fiery globes moved to intercept him . It was the braziers on top of the houses all along the mountainside that rose into the air , creating a beautiful spectacle .

The air screamed as Zac whizzed back and forth , dodging the incendiary attacks . But there were just too many of them . One projectile after another slammed into the leaves he had conjured , setting them on fire . It quickly turned Zac's whole vision turn into a golden inferno . He lost a steady stream of energy just to keep the initial salvo at bay .

The emerald shield surrounding the flying treasure was still holding on just fine , but Zac knew it was just a matter of time before a breach happened . The emerald leaf didn’t seem to be made for anything but travel . There were no offensive arrays , but just decent set defensive options . It wouldn’t hold for too long against a barrage of this magnitude .

Zac infused the leaf with the Fragment of the Bohdi , and it blasted toward the town with regained momentum . The intensity of the barrage just increased as he closed in on the temple , but he finally was close enough for his purposes . A hundred-meter fractal blade reached toward the sky as Zac raised Verun's Bite] , preparing for a vertical swing .

Two streams of opposing forces crawled up along the blade , reinforcing it and allowing it to grow another fifty percent as it was colored in gold and black . The flying treasure stopped in its tracks a few hundred meters away from the temple , and Zac pushed as much of his Fragment of the Coffin as he could into the towering blade .

It felt like the world split apart as the blade swung down , unleashing a wave of unadulterated darkness toward the temple and the top of the volcano itself . The attack passed through the barrage of golden flames like they weren't even there before it covered the radiant temple in a desolate gloom .

It was time to send these cultists to a true paradise .

Chapter 524 : Fanaticism

The zealots seemed enraged rather than wounded after being drenched in the darkness of Rapturous Divide] . It was like they took it as a personal affront that he had shrouded their temple and part of the massive rune in darkness .

They all started emitting flames that actually seemed to counteract the darkness , and Zac’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw that even the temple itself seemed capable to resist the effect of his skill . Nothing like this had happened when he fought the massive eagles before , but they were just dumb birds after all .

It was naïve to think that there was no way to counteract his newly acquired skill , and Zac knew he couldn't waste any time . He had already tested this before . The separate clouds didn't hold any individual power , they were only useful if they worked together . If the cultists managed to destroy the first wave before he managed to release the second one , the skill would have been wasted .

He hurriedly swung his golden blade in a second arc , the fractal edge crumbling into motes of light as a second wave shot out , this one reinforced by the Fragment of the Bodhi .

A few cultists welcomed the golden wave as they peppered Zac with a barrage of flame-based attacks , but most seemed to understand that something was wrong . They immediately used movement skills to get out of the way , clearly treasuring their lives higher than the well-being of their temple . Zac didn’t care about that though , as his main goal wasn’t some weak footsoldiers .

Zac looked at the golden wave flying toward the mountain with anticipation as he conjured another set of leaves Nature’s Barrier] to block out the attacks that still tried to bring him out of the sky . However , there was still a sense of unease lingering in the back of his mind . The problem wasn’t that he felt pressure from the large number of attacks , but rather that it all felt extremely haphazard for such a powerful force .

A few simple fireball arrays and a hundred soldiers from a force that was a scourge known across the whole Multiverse? He had taken out far more than that during the invasion of Port Atwood , and everything indicated that there should be thousands of cultists remaining on Earth . What was going on?

Zac’s first instinct when he saw how empty the emptiness of the town was that this place actually wasn’t the incursion , but rather one of their bases . But it was hard to argue with the massive pillar in red and gold that rose into the sky behind him .

Did the cultists perhaps conduct multiple simultaneous invasions on Earth , allowing them to discard all pillars but one? Their go-to method was to simply snatch the Incursion opportunity from other forces as far as he could tell , and perhaps they sometimes doubled up by mistake .

However , all that would have to wait as the golden wave pushed into the temple shrouded in darkness , causing the whole mountain to rumble . Screams of fury and grief echoed across the mountainside as the whole temple was cleanly split into two , and the opposing shockwaves toppled the four spires in one go .

Zac only managed to glimpse the opulent decor of the temple before it was utterly reduced to rubble , and a cascading wave of destruction followed in its wake as massive pieces of white boulders and raw rocks started falling down the side of the volcano , smashing everything in its path . It started to look like a mountain slide that kept growing in severity , and even Zac was a bit shocked by how effective his attack was .

Of course , his success was aided by the fact that the temple itself was unaided by any defensive arrays , apart from the natural aura that seemed to resist the darkness of his first wave . Zac figured that the swing wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective against the undead fortress and its sturdy formations .

The large rune remained though , and Zac started to launch a series of Fractal edges at it , all infused with the Fragment of the Axe . A few zealots tried everything within their power to stop him , but they were like flies to Zac who stood far up in the air , launching his punishment upon the lands like a god of death .

His hunch about the rune was quickly proven right as it was far better protected against strikes compared to the rest of the buildings . A fiery aura burst out from the three wavy lines and rebuffed the fractal blades , turning them into cinders before they could bite into the engraving itself .

However , Zac wasn’t discouraged , and his arm turned into a blur that rapidly launched blade after blade without exhaustion . What he was doing was high sacrilege judging by how pissed-off the zealots down on the ground appeared . One had actually burst into flames and exploded out of sheer anger , and Zac figured that if this couldn’t draw out the Head Priest , then nothing would .

He still moved about in random patterns in the sky as he whittled down the energy of the rune , afraid that the Zealots were setting up a death beam or something similar . However , he was completely left to his own devices , apart from the occasional fireball coming from the few still-standing houses of the mountainside .

Blind faith ultimately wasn’t an opponent to a sharp edge , and the three runes finally ran out of its mysterious energy , allowing Zac to turn the whole section of the volcano into a broken mess full of jagged scars . The three runes were replaced with a hundred cracks in less than thirty seconds , and part of the wall even collapsed into the center of the volcano , allowing a stream of magma to escape the volcano and crawl down toward the Incursion Pillar .

The scene made Zac’s brows furrow as he had no idea what would happen if the Nexus Hub was swallowed by magma . Would the Incursion end , or would he become unable to claim the crystal? He looked around to get an indication of what was going on from the remaining invaders , but they weren't much of any help . Most of them had simply slumped down on the ground with tears running down their eyes , looking at the destruction with despair .

Zac felt a small sense of relief , as they looked utterly incapable of mounting any sort of trap . Had they really given up on this place? Didn't they care about going back home , instead focusing all their resources on the Mystic Realm? However , he suddenly noticed something off ; a group of nine cultists in high-quality robes that shot toward the incursion pillar with impressive speed .

He hadn't seen them before as far as he could tell , meaning they perhaps had been waiting for some opportunity to strike . Zac hesitated what to as he saw their escape , but he felt he finally couldn’t wait any longer as he saw the cultists take out nine massive fiery crystals . They looked a lot like the Nexus Hub itself , except for the weak fire-attuned energies they emitted . The cultists wasted no time before they started inserting them into a set of grooves in the open-aired temple that encircled the Incursion .

Were they summoning someone? Or something?

Nothing good would come from letting the leaders complete their ritual , and Zac shot forward in an instant , putting away the leaf midair as he soared toward the pillar . A few of the cultists tried to impede his trajectory , some even sacrificing themselves by blowing up . But Zac was unstoppable as he slammed into the ground right next to the pillar . He immediately destroyed the closest fire crystal with a swing of his axe , simultaneously killing the priest who fiddled with it .

He quickly transformed Love’s Bond] into its shield form before the swing even finished its trajectory , expecting a massive eruption of flames to swallow him when the crystal cracked . However , nothing of the sort happened . A bunch of shards flew in all directions , accompanied by some fiery dust that spread out like a small cloud . Zac made sure not to inhale it even though he didn't sense any danger from the stuff .

However , a sense of unease grew as the remaining eight priests seemed to work on inscribing the crystals even faster . Zac pushed his speed to the limit , moving like a tornado in a circle around the incursion . The eight priests and their pillars were destroyed in short order , allowing Zac to finally breathe out in relief .

But the creeping sense of danger only increased rather than subsided , and Zac quickly jumped up on the roof of the temple to get a better vantage .

A second group of cultists he hadn’t sensed at all until now had somehow emerged among the rubble , but none of them cared about Zac in the slightest . They instead knelt toward the mountain peak , or perhaps toward the rune that Zac had destroyed . Zac didn’t understand what they were doing , but he couldn’t help but get a sinking feeling .

This was all too shady , and he would rather retreat for a bit and reassess the situation than stay for whatever these guys had planned . He ignored the Nexus Hub that hovered just fifty meters away , afraid that touching it was the key to their trap . Zac instead took out his flying treasure once more . However , his eyes widened in alarm when he infused it with his mental command as the emerald leaf was utterly unresponsive .

It felt like he was standing on some random palm leaf snatched from the jungle rather than a treasure inscribed and empowered by some unknown master from a greater sector than Zecia . He tried swapping the crystals that were already provided as a power source , but it didn’t improve the situation at all .

Zac could pretty much confirm that something was wrong now , and he immediately started running for his life . But he only managed to activate Loamwalker] once , barely getting a hundred meters away from the Incursion toward the jungle , before the ground started heaving to the point that he was thrown off his feet and unable to regain his footing .

Some fear finally started to set in and he tried to scramble toward the comparable safety of the jungle . But an apocalyptic explosion erupted behind him , forcing him to look back . The whole sky had been replaced by fire and molten rock as the volcano exploded . Not erupted , but literally exploded .

Pieces of the volcano as large as skyscrapers flew through the air as though they were weightless , soaring toward the distant edges of the basin . Only the foot of the mountain remained , releasing an endless amount of lava . A massive shockwave slammed into him before he even had a chance to erect any defenses , and Zac coughed out a mouthful of blood as he felt some of his bones were broken .

If he was in such a bad shape this far away from the epicenter , then there was no need to talk about the cultists who had knelt in prayer . They were either ashes or meat paste by now , swallowed by the blast .

Zac didn’t know whether he should feel lucky that the eruption had contained such force that no rocks were falling anywhere near the volcano , but he quickly understood that he had bigger problems as the rumbles beneath him just kept increasing in intensity . Just the vibrations alone would probably have killed a weaker cultivator , and even Zac felt his wounds worsen by the second .

But even that wasn’t the scariest thing going on right now . It was rather the three golden waves that slowly rose from within the lava , carried upward by a pillar of golden flames . An intense wave of divinity , far eclipsing that of the simple inscription on the wall , radiated from the enormous insignia , and Zac felt tears running down his face from just gazing at it . Looking at the three lines truly felt like gazing upon God himself .

If God was an entity of endless fury and destruction .

Zac’s mind shook as his danger-sense screamed bloody murder . Just a minute ago he had felt like a god of slaughter as he dismantled the rune and half the town from the safety of his leaf , but he realized how valuable that feeling had been . He was not a god , he could barely be considered an ant compared to the real powers of the universe .

The golden insignia finally stabilized up in the sky , drowning the whole basin in its golden splendor . At least the rumblings had subsided somewhat , allowing Zac to get back on his feet . There was no hesitation in his mind as he activated Loamwalker] to get the hell away from there .

However , he only managed to flee less than a hundred meters before a scorching pain enveloped him , prompting him to fall over once more . He shot out a series of fractal edges in each direction while his eyes wildly looked for the source of the threat , but he only cut through empty air . His harried mind scrambled to figure out what was going on , and he quickly figured out the reason for the pain .

It was that dust he had been covered in earlier , the innocuous substance that had been released from the crystals . A moment ago they felt like just some golden sand that had covered him as he destroyed the array crystals , but they weren't so innocuous any longer . They now radiated a restrictive force that made it look like he was on fire .

Even worse , the flames also formed an intangible bond that ran between his body and the temple behind him , like a leash made of energy . It connected him to the cloud of golden sand that was still spread around the broken crystals like a fetter . Or perhaps it was more apt to say that the light was connected to the Incursion itself , as he saw that the flames had merged with the energy pillar itself .

He had been tricked .

Chapter 525 : Sigil

Zac finally understood why the cultists had acted so weirdly until now . A few of them had simply been sacrificial pawns for Zac to kill in hopes that it would make him lower his guard . The cultists utilized the fact that everyone thought of them as insane zealots with no regard for their lives . They were ruthless against others , but perhaps even more-so against themselves .

But the real method to deal with him was obviously not the meager defense in front of the main temple , and the inscription in the mountain wall was probably just a red herring as well . The real threat was brooding inside the lava itself , its presence obscured by the huge rune and the natural fire-attuned energies of the volcano itself .

That only left the issue of the nine flame crystals . Zac had immediately remembered the invasion of Port Atwood the other week when he saw them setting up their - array - . The invaders had set up a very similar constellation back then to summon the set of meteors . Nine clergymen set themselves ablaze in a circle around him , just like these ones planted the crystals in a circle around the incursion pillar .

Were the actions back on the island all a sacrifice to trick him into destroying those crystals?

The utter lack of powerful arrays had also made him lower his guard somewhat after he had destroyed everything that looked like a threat . But the golden insignia in the sky radiated a terrifying pressure , even eclipsing the force of Adriel’s blast that was powered by four array towers .

Figuring out how they had actually managed to create the massive avatar in the sky obviously wasn’t as important as getting the hell out of here though . He activated Cosmic Gaze] to get a hint of how the burning fetters worked , and it was mostly fire-attuned as expected . However , there was also that other odd energy mixed withing ; the energy of conviction .

The golden fetter seemed to be held together by the faith of these zealots , and Zac long knew their conviction was as strong as it could get . Zac growled with frustration as he tried cutting the bindings apart , but Verun’s Bite] just flew straight through the flames without affecting it at all . Infusing the blade with his Dao Fragments didn’t make a lick of difference either , it was even more intangible than the ghosts he had fought until now .

He tried ignoring the pain and keep running away next , and he was soon screaming on top of his lungs as he stretched the flames to their limits . He was hoping to snap the fetter with brute force , but the pain quickly became too much to bear even for him , forcing him to move back toward the incursion pillar once more .

A bell suddenly echoed across the basin , a clear gong that seemed to reach the depths of his soul . It obviously came from the rune in the sky , like it was announcing the descent of the divine . A few cracks echoed out from his body and he coughed out another mouthful of blood , just in time to see a waterfall of fire fall out from the sky .

The flames came out of the insignia itself , and it felt like time itself slowed down as it slowly made its way toward the ground . Zac’s danger sense was once again screaming at him to get away , and one glance was enough to realize that the fire that was currently moving toward him was far more dangerous than normal flames .

It was once more that power of conviction that made the flames almost seem holy , and Zac started to understand what was going on .

The Zealots had probably prayed toward the rune on the volcano since they arrived , constantly reinforcing it with the power of their conviction . The rune in turn had taken that energy and infused the golden insignia that now hung in the sky . Who knew what the end-goal was of this thing was , if Zac had not shown up to ruin their plans .

Set the whole world on fire?

Knowing the cultists it wasn’t such a far-fetched idea . The body snatchers would capture the high-value corpses of Earth , after which the fanatics torched the whole planet , leaving no evidence or lingering threats behind .

Zac’s mind churned as he tried to figure out a way out of the situation , and he could eventually only come up with one solution . Space split apart above him as he ran toward the incursion , once more jumping on top of the roof closest to the pillar itself .

The wooden hand of Nature’s Punishment] rose toward the sky , but Zac frowned when he felt the hand being rebuffed as it tried to ascend after a certain height . The three lines hummed as it released a radiant light , and Zac found himself unable to place the skill above the insignia , like it was some sacrilege that went against the order of the heavens themselves .

It immediately dashed his idea of drowning the burning sigil in a deluge of water .

With his first plan ruined he could only move to his backup plan , and he instead activated the hand where it was . The enormous emerald fractal lit up in the sky , and a torrent of water started pouring out . However , the water didn’t target the insignia itself , but rather the golden flames it spewed out . He could at least deal with the flames even if he couldn't take out the root cause just yet .

A massive explosion threw Zac off the roof again as the water of Nature’s Punishment] was instantly turned into steam the moment it came in contact with the holy flames . The same happened to the streams that missed the flames and instead fell on the lava below , but the reaction at least managed to slow the lava's advance toward his location .

Pain racked Zac’s body , but he made sure to keep the skill going as he scrambled back on his feet , pushing Nature’s Punishment] to its limits as he infused it with the Fragment of the Bodhi . There was thankfully no lack of water with such an enormous lake nearby , and enough liquid to submerge a city block burst out of the fractal .

Zac breathed out in relief as he could quickly make out that the descending sea of golden flames had been stopped in its tracks , whittled down by the incessant outpouring of water . However , that didn't mean that he had won , but rather that he had entered a competition of endurance of which skill would run out of steam first .

If it was just a cultivator on the other side , then Zac would have been confident in outlasting them without breaking a sweat , but he quickly came to realize that he was dealing with something else entirely as the seconds passed . Sweat started streaming down his whole body from the heat and exertion , and he felt that he wouldn't be able to keep the skill going for much longer .

It wasn't an issue of Cosmic Energy , but simply that there was a limit to how long the skill could function . However , he could sense that the energy that the golden lines radiated had been expended by more than half , meaning it wasn't some infallible item that drew power from the heavens or something .

Only five seconds remained on Nature's Punishment] , and he immediately made his choice as he pushed the golden hand to readjust itself somewhat . The emerald fractal that came with the skill was pretty much fixed after having been activated , but he could tilt it a little bit , which allowed him to change the direction of the stream of water .

He didn't try to catch a larger part of the wave of flames that kept raining down from the insignia , but rather the opposite . The water instead shot straight toward the incursion pillar and himself . Zac steadied himself as a wall of water slammed into him , completely drenching him as it tried to carry him away toward the jungle .

However , Zac quickly stomped his feet into the ground with enough force to lodge himself in the rock , while doing the same with a fractal blade from Chop] . He wouldn't have loved anything more than being carried far from this place , but the water was unfortunately unable to douse the fiery bonds that kept him in place . The Incursion pillar rebuffed the water without any effort as well , and it looked like the pillar empowered the bond .

He was afraid that he would accidentally kill himself if he pushed himself too far , so he had to stay around . Nature's Punishment] finally ended , and Zac saw that his efforts at least had allowed him to quell the threat of the magma flowing out from the remains of the volcano . It had already cooled into odd layers of stone that formed a towering wall where the city once stood .

However , the insignia was still going strong , and Zac scrambled to figure out what to do next . The flames weren't especially fast , but they would still reach him in just a few seconds . Wasting no time he immediately rushed into the Incursion pillar itself . A strong rebounding force was emitted from the Nexus Hub , but he had no problem pushing through .

He quickly reached the center of the pillar and he swung his axe with all the force he could muster .

A golden shield that Zac recognized all too well appeared in front of his edge just as it was about to bite into the large crystal and Zac sighed when he realized that the System prevented him from destroying the crystal itself . He hoped he would be able to free himself from the burning bond that way , but it looked like it would be impossible . However , that didn't mean that there was no reaction to his attack as a prompt appeared in front of him .

Nexus Hub Capture Activated . Hold for 1 hour to conquer

Zac quickly read the screen before he waved it away . It wouldn't help him against the incoming sea of flames , but it did sound like there wouldn't be any grace period for the Invaders if he completed the capture . How would they use his Nexus Hub to return home when they were enemies?

However , he first needed to survive the incoming flames , and he looked up with consternation . He eventually decided against unleashing Deforestation] in hopes of destroying the rune , wanting to save it just in case . It was still possible that the Head Priest and his remaining generals were hiding in the vicinity somewhere , waiting for him to be weakened enough by the insignia before they struck a killing blow .

He needed to save his most powerful ace just in case .

The bronze flash would probably do the trick , but he had no way to get up there with his flying treasure being blocked out somehow . There was something else though . Zac sighed as he took out the rusty sword , and discordant wails immediately assaulted his ears .

Using the cursed sword so soon after activating it last time came with very real risks according to Catheya . A weapon like this fed on its victims , and it was evidenced by how he already heard the voices even before even unsheathing the weapon . You would normally use some restraining method on a weapon like this , or starve it out to weaken it before you used it again .

But Zac didn't have the luxury of waiting around as the golden insignia seemed more than capable of spewing out its unceasing flames for a while longer . His whole body was wracked with pain as he drew the blade , unleashing the half-moon toward the three lines in the sky . It steadily started to grow as it picked up speed , seemingly eager to attack the energy-rich rune in the sky .

A handful of tendrils immediately emerged from the weapon and latched onto Zac's arm as well , making it look like the sword was fusing with his body . A mysterious energy burrowed into his arm and headed straight for his head the next moment , effortlessly evading his attempts to block it out with Mental Fortress] .

Extremely intrusive voices boomed in his mind , blocking out any coherent thought . Zac's eyes widened in fear as he saw more and more tendrils reaching out from the weapon , and his whole arm was covered in an instant . He wanted to stow away the weapon , but he knew he needed to hold on , as putting it away would cancel the attack in the sky .

However , a deep resounding heartbeat suddenly quelled the voices , and Zac felt like his heart turned into a black hole that swallowed the invading energies whole . More and more energy entered his hidden node , and more was even dragged out from the sword itself . Zac even sensed fear from the weapon just before the sword detached itself from his arm and turned inert .

The half-moon thankfully wasn't affected by the struggle on the ground as it effortlessly cut through the sea of flames in the sky , heading straight for the divine rune . It created a corridor free of fire for a brief second before the sea closed in on itself as it passed by . It seemed unable to actually absorb the flames , but the flames also seemed unable to deter its progression .

Finally , it reached its maximum size just as it slammed into the rune . There was no clear winner and no explosion of wild energies , only a stalemate that emitted a steadily increasing pressure . Zac knew things wouldn't end well no matter what the outcome was judging by the ominous buildup , and he quickly tried to activate one of his defensive treasures .

However , he quickly found that the restriction on the area didn't only apply to his flying leaf , but even his defensive talismans . Love's Bond] seemed unable to activate its skills as well , though he could thankfully swap between its different forms .

An explosion finally rocked the area and the thick haze from the evaporated water was pushed away , exposing three golden lines and no silver half-moon . Even the cursed sword had been unable to take out the divine symbol it looked like . However , Zac soon noticed that the rune wasn't completely unscathed .

Not only had it lost its radiant luster , but there was even a small tear on one of the golden lines . The crack quickly spread , like a piece of ice that was slowly breaking apart . However , Zac didn't really feel any relief as his danger sense didn't calm down in the slightest . Looking up at the enormous rune made him feel like he was standing in front of a dam that was slowly bursting .

That rune had contained terrifying amounts of flames . What would happen when it finally broke apart?

He couldn't help but think back to Ogras' words of warning , of how the cultists always seemed to default to blowing everything up when it looked like they would fail . Miasma immediately started coursing through his body as his eyes and hair turned pitch-black . He couldn't flee and breaking the rune didn't seem to have helped all too much . He would need to endure the final blast , and that would require his other class .

Ogras and his big mouth .

Chapter 526 : Holy Fire

Zac didn’t have time to curse the demon for his foreshadowing as he felt something terrifying was coming . He immediately started setting up his layers of defenses , not holding anything back for potential enemies . Everything except him was long dead in the area , killed by either the explosion , the magma , or the concussive explosions who had rocked the whole core of the basin .

The cage of Profane Seal] sprung up around him , forming an outer layer of protection . Zac normally used the skill as a means of caging his enemies , but it was just as good at defending from the outside . It was also one of the skills that hadn’t worsened in compatibility at all since gaining the Fetters of Desolation class . Between the chains and the entrapment , it looked like it was right up the new class’s ally .

The cage encapsulated the Incursion as well even when he shrunk it to the smallest size possible , and Zac was both surprised and relieved to see that the energy-dense pillar didn’t cause a clash with his skill . The pillar that almost blinded him with its intense fire-attuned energies shone straight through the fractal dome of his skill like it was just an illusion .

Zac had no idea how that worked , but he had no time to look into it as the flames were almost upon him .

A huge amount of Miasma left his body the next moment a hundred skeletons materialized . They didn’t stay around inside the cage though , but they rather ran out as Zac opened the back gate of Profane Seal] before closing it again . The skeletons didn’t stop there , but they kept running into the jungle , only stopping hundreds of meters away when he couldn’t control them any further away .

They weren’t there to defend against the incoming flames , but rather act as damage substitutes . They would hopefully work as sentries as well in case there actually were cultists hiding in the jungle . He didn’t share vision with the things , but he did have a vague sense of the life-force around them . He would also feel it if they were destroyed by something , giving him an early warning that way .

The skeletons barely made it out in time as the holy flames finally descended upon the cage . He was immediately inundated in not only a blazing heat , but also a pressure that he could feel on a spiritual level . But the shield held , though Zac knew that the golden flames were not the true threat . The real danger was the damaged insignia in the sky .

The enormous rune still hadn’t completely cracked yet , but Zac could see between the fiery sky that it wasn’t long for this world . There was a massive cut in the middle of it now , where the half-moon blade had struck it . Hairline cracks spread all across its surface as well , and an intense light radiated out from the cracks , proving there was still a lot of untamed energies trapped inside .

Zac still didn’t feel safe after seeing the ominous portents in the sky , and the black armor spread out across his body as Love’s Bond] took its defensive form . He might not be able to activate Death’s Embrace] as things stood , but he could still use the shield-shaped coffin to summon Immutable Bulwark] .

He also tried activating a few backup defensive talismans just in case , but they didn't work just like everything else . There was nothing else he could activate , so he finally started digging a hole into the ground , hoping to use the earth itself as an insulating layer against the flames . It had worked against Salvation , so he hoped it would work once more .

However , Zac only managed to rip a ten-meter hole before a terrifying crack in the sky released a tremendous pressure , almost destroying the outer cage in an instant . The massive gates and miasmic towers were reduced to decrepit ruins , and the azure fractals had almost turned invisible from the flames . There was no more time , so he punched the ground one last time and jumped into the hole before he put his bulwark as a stopgap to block out the flames .

Profane Seal] completely crumbled the next moment , just as a shocking aura was released above him . Zac couldn’t see what was going on because of having burrowed down , but it almost felt like a celestial had descended upon the basin . A marvelous aura drenched the whole jungle , and Zac felt his mind going blank .

The Lord was calling him , so what was he doing underground? He needed to welcome His arrival and offer obeisance . Zac slowly got up to his feet , but his whole body suddenly froze as he was startled awake .

What the hell was that?

One more second and he would have deactivated his defensive shield and welcomed the holy flames from above . His mind had thankfully been hardened by constant life-and-death struggles and competing with the Splinter , allowing him to snap out of it before it was too late . More importantly , he still had Indomitable] to fall back on . It was far stronger than Mental Fortress] , and it had managed to rebuff the false thoughts after just a second , even though the skill was still middle proficiency .

It was just in time too , as the flames slammed into the bulwark the next second , immediately incinerating the shallow layers of dirt above .

The miasmic shield from Immutabe Bulwark] was mostly opaque , but it still allowed him to somewhat see the fiery hellscape above . The flames were no longer golden , but rather replaced by a milky white . The holy aura in the flames was multiple times stronger than what he felt before , no doubt containing the essence of the rune in the sky .

His heartstrings tugged again as he saw the pristine flames , and part of him just wanted to open his arms and take it on . But he didn’t completely lose himself this time after already having realized the threat of the flames . However , it did make him wonder . Were the zealots perhaps not quite as pious as advertised , but rather forcibly converted?

Zac’s pitch-black eyes were illuminated by the flames as he thought of the possibilities . What if the Church of Everlasting Dao had formed some sort of ingenious cultivation system? They turned cultivators into zealots with the holy flames , and the zealots kept empowering the flames with their conviction . It formed a self-perpetuating source of power that could swallow everything in its surroundings .

Things quickly took a turn for the worse though , stopping Zac from entertaining any other stray thoughts . The flames steadily ate away at the floor itself , until he was standing in a deep crater , assaulted by flames from every direction .

His bulwark was able to rebuff the flames , but it couldn't cover him from all sides , so the flames finally reached his last line of defense , the black armor of Vanguard of Undeath] . His whole body was awash with pain the next moment as the flames glommed onto him . Zac tried to at least keep the flames outside , but they were like burrowing parasites that found their way inside through the tiniest cracks and weaknesses in his defenses .

Sizzling sounds escaped from within his armor as he was getting cremated alive . He screamed on top of his lungs , but his cries were drowned out by the roaring flames . Rolling around on the ground did nothing , and the Bulwark had essentially become useless by this point . All he could see was white , and all that he could feel was agony .

Even his mind was assaulted by the insidious whispers of the holy flames , trying to make him stop resisting with the help of Vanguard of Undeath] and Undying Legion] . He was currently infusing the black armor with the Fragment of the Coffin , while his body itself fought the flames with the Fragment of the Bodhi . He also released a steady stream of miasma from his pores , which helped combat the flames as well .

He also got one surge of vitality after another as a handful of skeleton warriors crumbled every second or so . He felt that if he stopped anyone of these things he would actually die , so he could only keep going while ignoring the calls from within the fire . Zac quickly worked his way through the hundred-odd summons though , at which point he only was able to rely on himself .

Every second felt like an hour , but he finally felt like the flames started to weaken? Or was he just so badly burned that he couldn't really tell any longer? A deep thud suddenly shook the ground , and Zac glanced toward the source of the sound with bleary eyes , only to see a massive golden pillar stab into the ground just fifty meters away from him .

The sigil had finally broken down and was falling apart .

However , he didn’t have time to celebrate as the surroundings suddenly started to darken , and he looked up in horror only to see an enormous golden pillar falling straight toward him . His legs didn't really listen to him , so Zac barely had time to resummon his bulwark before it slammed into him like a mountain . The pressure from the slam transferred into his body , and Zac once more felt the cracking of broken bones .

The thing was just way too heavy to throw off , and Zac was forced to activate Unholy Strike] to just angle his bulwark and have it thump down next to him , causing a minor earthquake . A series of tremendous shockwaves followed , and the area was soon covered in the remnants of the broken sigil .

The fall of the insignia also meant the end of the white-hot flames , but the remnants of the sea of golden fire still covered the area . The golden flames only felt like a sunburn after having withstood the condensed version though , and Zac slowly made his way toward the Nexus Hub .

Without the sigil in the sky , the sea of golden flames had lost its source , and it died down soon after . However , there was one fire remaining ; the fetters binding him to the Incursion Pillar . Zac was shocked to see that the fetter still held . Just what was that golden dust made off to be able to withstand just about everything and keep him in place?

However , the only capability of the odd flame was to prevent him from leaving , which was fine with Zac . He wasn’t planning on going anywhere while the pillar was still active , and he instead sat down in the middle of the crater and popped a healing pill into his mouth .

Only when things had calmed down did he realize just how bad his state was . He had 9 broken bones and multiple wounded organs . Even worse , most of his body was covered in severe burns from the flames . If he had been a weaker human he would likely have died from the shock alone . Even with his massive Endurance and Vitality it still felt like his skin was on fire , and the salves in his possession were only limited in their efficacy .

His wretched state wasn’t the only surprise though .

There was a lot of energy in his body , slowly swirling around his Hidden Node . Zac hadn’t noticed earlier due to the pain , but it looked like his Void Heart] had been busy while he withstood the flames , and a massive amount of power had accumulated . Even better , it looked like energy extracted with his hidden node stayed within his body longer without dissipating compared to the energy that came from kills .

It was good news though , as he didn’t want to repeat the mistake from the Undead Incursion . What if he broke open his next node , only for the Head Priest to jump out of the woodwork once more? Then again , he had already done some research to avoid something like that happening again and he had actually learned a few tricks thanks to Triv .

The ghost had been utterly astounded to find out that Zac actually was a mortal , and he even insisted that a pureblood Draugr couldn't be one . It also made him a lot more adamant about having Zac - return - to the Empire Heartlands to seize his so-called birthright . Triv was sure that Zac would be able to cultivate as long as he found a proper Draugr master .

Zac wasn’t so sure though , even if his undead side was of the noble race . He had a feeling that his utter lack of cultivation ability was related to his constitution , and not something a better master could solve .

But after the ghost had calmed down it actually taught Zac a pretty nifty trick . Being an energy-based creature Triv had a really marvelous control of his energy , and it taught Zac a simple method to use his own Miasma or Cosmic Energy to - trap - external energy .

Triv used it as a defensive measure , but it worked for Zac as well in preventing energy loss . It was far from fool-proof , but it did prolong the duration he could keep the energy he gained from kills by a large margin .

Cultivators could apparently just use their own cultivation manuals for a far superior result , some being able to store the energy for weeks if need be . Zac was nowhere near that , but he could at least keep 80% of any energy he gained for over an hour . It was enough for his purposes , as it would give him ample time to get to safety in case he wanted to try breaking open a node .

It was also enough to wait out the Nexus Hub this time , and the golden pillar finally winked out of existence , and Zac sighed in relief when his bindings disappeared as well .

During this whole time he had kept an eye out for any movement , but the area was utterly desolate . Neither Cosmic Gaze] nor his augmented Draugr-vision had seen a lick of activity , essentially proving that the cultists had given up on this place .

With the Incursion being closed as well there was not much reason for the cultists to return either . Zac guessed they were either running toward the mystic realm or hiding in some desolate corner of Earth right now . With no threat appearing , Zac decided to try bursting open the node in his leg . He was in a pretty wretched state , but not to the point that he needed bed-rest .

He would need to rest up in either case after this fight , so he might as well take the opportunity to break open a node . That way he could heal everything together without wasting time . However , just as he was about to take control of the energy circling his heart a series of prompts appeared , making him stop in his tracks .

Congratulations . Integration Trial Succeeded . Calculating Grade

Grade awarded : A . Contribution Rank : 1 . Grade awarded increased to S

Chapter 527 : The Next Step

Shit , why is it so hard to get one's hands on some tokens? Or some other way to activate that big-ass crystal inland? - Smaug muttered in annoyance as he paced back and forth in his home-prison in Port Atwood .

Who would have thought that he would be put under house arrest and tasked with coming up with money-making schemes by that little blue devil? He had just tried to get a better understanding of the resources available to his new boss , and this was the thanks he got?

Ai , the heavens are truly jealous of talent . To think I would be turned prisoner because I wanted to help out , - Smaug lamented as he paced back and forth .

What are you talking about , prisoner? You can still walk around in this neighborhood without getting impaled by those Amazons , - Rima giggled . - And you wouldn’t be in this predicament if you hadn’t tried to infiltrate that shipyard . You knew that place was off-limits . -

I had to take the shot , stupid . That place is extremely suspicious , even more so than the Repository , - Smaug snorted . - Those muscle-heads are busy now , and I need to get some things done before that man realizes how open-ended his orders were . -

That was the good point of Lord Atwood ; he wasn’t a hands-on boss . He had told him to head to Port Atwood and listen to the little blue bastard . But it turned out that second-hand commands weren’t actually binding under his contract . He had pretended that the little asshole’s order to stay in the neighborhood was binding , but they were anything but .

He could leave anytime , as Lord Atwood only told him to go here and listen , not that he couldn’t leave .

Don’t you have any decency? - Rima said with disdain . - Instead of thinking of ways of enriching yourself , you could actually do what was asked of you . -

Would me having decency help Earth survive this shitstorm? - Smaug countered . - No , right? So I might as well prepare for the off-chance we survive , or more likely if things go south here . What about you? How goes it with the sister? Do they have a way off this cursed rock? -

She’s never around , - Rima muttered . - And besides , I don’t want to get closer to MacKenzie for you , useless brother . She is the sister of Lord Atwood and a good friend of Ogras Azh’Rezak . She’s even close to that manly Demon General . -

What would those three want with a useless brat? - Smaug snorted . - What do you bring to the table to those kinds of people? -

Why would I need to be strong to become someone’s wife? - Rima said with a roll of her eyes .

Don’t get too attached , - Smaug muttered . - This planet’s future is limited even if the great lord Atwood manages to deal with the most immediate mess . I’ve found out a few things . Even if we survive all this we’ll just turn into some backwater planet at the edge of the universe , a place where even the birds won’t shit . -

This again , - Rima sighed .

I am telling you . Our aim should be getting to some real human metropolis! There will be opportunities for advancement for me . And for you? Won’t there be real geniuses to marry? People with family trees millions of years old , and pockets as deep as the Mariana Trench , - Smaug said , his eyes glistening .

Besides- - Smaug continued , but he was stopped in his tracks by a series of prompts that appeared in front of him .

He had actually done it . That wooden block had taken out the cultists .

You see! - Rima said with glee . - He really is a prince charming . He’s done more for this world than the rest of us combined . Perhaps he even has some time to settle down now . He's been single for a while now . -

That man has become addicted to becoming stronger already , - Smaug muttered absentmindedly as he closed the screen that told him his rating was a measly D-Grade . - He won't be looking for romance anytime soon . -

Rima snorted in response , but Smaug wasn't interested in having this debate once more . He was more interested in going through his licensed wares . He already knew that there were limitations to the items he could purchase because of the ongoing invasions , and his eyes glimmered when he saw two of the latest additions that had appeared now that the war was over .

Goblin Honor – Temporarily ignore a contract erected by someone at Level 100 or below

Stumpbugle Talisman – Teleport to Stumpbugle Headquarters for career opportunities!]

Going to a place called - Stumpbugle - wasn’t really what he had in mind when he said he would strike out in a real metropolis , and he had no desire to meet the inventors of the weird treasures that were available for purchase . But it was also an undeniable fact that Earth was on the brink of destruction , even if they had dealt with the Incursion .

The weaker threat was gone , but what about that old monster who could appear at moment’s notice?

Those zombie bastards had clearly known how to block teleportation arrays , so a peak D-Grade cultivator was probably able to do the same with just a wave of his arm . What if the whole planet got jammed the moment he arrived? Wouldn’t that mean that he and Rima would be stuck here until they were turned into some sort of cultivation resource? Was he willing to bet everything on Zachary Atwood prevailing against those odds?

He wasn’t .

The vast cloud of dust in a forgotten corner outside the Zecia Sector shuddered as it started spinning and condensing . Only by coming close would one be able to realize that these weren’t particles of ice drifting about in space , but rather tens of millions of intricate machines lying dormant , soaking up the energies of the near-by irregularity .

The machines had soon congealed into a person , a woman freely floating about in the vast beyond . Her amber eyes opened for the first time in decades as she looked around with some confusion . It was too early . She immediately opened a screen to see what had dragged her out of the reverie .

Had something happened to the project?

However , he quickly learned she had been awoken due to her Talisman activating from scenario 18 , and she sighed in relief . Tens of thousands of screens appeared in front of her , taking up thousands of square meters in front of her . All kinds of readings and snippets flittered across the screens with terrifying speed for a second before they dissolved to dust and returned to her body again .

Hm? How curious . How was he able to evolve with his cursed constitution? Did we miss something back then? - Leandra muttered as she thoughtfully looked at the vast star in front of her . - Or is it another ploy by the System? -

In either case , it was good news . Her daughter should be safe with such a powerful protector now that the planet had withstood the Integration Trial . Her suggestions should remain in their depths , helping them stay alive even without her assistance . She really wanted to rush back , but she knew that she had to be careful . She was in no state of moving about .

A lot of sacrifices had been made to come this far , she couldn’t ruin the efforts of her ancestors by being hasty .

There was also the oddity of someone using one of her backdoor keys on a merchant’s vessel at the edge of integrated space . Had one of the children been sent on a mission by the cursed heavens? Such a quest was obviously not an accident , and annoyance flared up in her heart at the thought of her flesh and blood being manipulated to turn against her by that damned broken AI .

A slight pressure in her forehead dragged her out of her thoughts , and she quickly activated defensive measures to evade the tracking attempt on her soul .

They still haven’t given up , - Leandra muttered as she once more dissolved into motes that spread across space .

The last thing to dissolve was the two amber eyes , radiating an unshakeable conviction .

There will be a reckoning one day . Those who moved against our family will all pay the price , even the heavens themselves . -

Do you have it? - A’Feris asked , not without some interest as far as Io could tell .

He was glad to see some fire within the eyes of his old friend . Io knew his own limits had long been reached , but A’Feris still had a small chance to go further . However , he was losing his momentum , the most dangerous thing to lose in cultivation apart from one’s life .

Perhaps this Zac Piker was the key .

The more he gathered the more he felt like this little demon was just what A’Feris needed . The young axeman’s penchant for drawing ire from both his contemporaries and the Boundless Heavens itself almost seemed unmatched .

I have it here , - Io said , and one scene after another appeared .

It showed the utter destruction of a grand mansion by a square , and a bloodied man walking out of the rubble , holding a head in his hand . A young demonling appeared next to him , and they fled to a teleported , harried by hundreds of attacks .

It showed a hazy outline of how the Tower of Eternity changed into one of the Primordial Steles , and how it infected the minds of the children gathered in front of it . Finally , it culminated in a heated battle where one stood against many but prevailed .

The Stele of Conflict? - A’Feris snorted . - The Zecia sector will become hectic as the ripples of war spread out from this enclosed dimension . That thing is like a mindplague . -

Conflicts will engulf the sector , and heroes will emerge from the flames , - Io nodded .

Axe , sharpness heaviness . Corpse? No , putrefaction? Interesting , - A’Feris muttered , his eyes glistening as he looked on . - And echoes of the Sukhavati? Greedy boy . -

It might look greedy , but what if it works out? - Io said . - He is clearly on his way to forming a path of supremacy . With some guidance- -

It’s not that easy to walk the path of Life and Death , - A’Feris sighed with a shake of his head . - He is too discordant right now . He is grasping for everything , trying to encompass the universe . It is an extremely unstable and dangerous state . Me or someone else stepping in now would only impede his path . He needs to form his own understanding and be the one to make the sacrifices . -

So you’re not taking him in , after all? - Io asked . - Such a rare seedling , and with your path… -

I didn’t say that , - A’Feris smiled . - I just said that it is too early now . He seems to have a few interesting challenges ahead . Let him deal with them by himself . If he can emerge alive he might be able to create a workable path from the experience . It’s not too late to join a proper force by that point and benefit from some structured guidance . Have any of the old bastards claimed him? -

Not at the moment , - Io said . - Perhaps they are thinking in the same way . -

Are you saying I’m becoming like the old geezers? - A’Feris snorted . - I’m still pretty young for someone at my stage , you know . -

Io smiled and shook his head before his eye turned back to the screen .

He reminds me of you . I watched your struggle against the Foradine Covenant back on the Verokh Continent just like this . I hope he can become another pillar of our Sect some day in the future , - Io said with reminiscence in his eyes .

I was a lot more dashing , no doubt , - A’Feris laughed . - But I agree . There is potential in him , and he’s a gamble worthy to take . Well , unless he goes and does something stupid like joining the unorthodox . He's a progenitor , right? We'll go pick him up after the shroud has been lifted . The quarantine should have been lifted by then . It was just an image of the Stele , after all , rather than the real thing . -

A sigh escaped from Uld’s lips as he kept infusing the altar with power . The fires danced in his eyes , but his gaze was locked on the unmoving form of Arkensau . Who knew that this bastard possessed something as valuable as a Heaven’s Intervention]?

If not for that , then he would have been interring the body and preparing it for sale . But now he was stuck nurturing this idiot back to health instead , while the Monarch-Select ran rampant across the planet . And now he was stuck here on this desolate rock .

Orders from above , for your eyes only , - Trovad said as his eyes turned to the altar . - Arrived just hours before the gate was closed . How is Inquisitor Arkensau? -

With Heaven’s blessing , he will be fine within a week or two . The seed burns strong within him , - Uld said as he accepted the golden-inlaid crystal .

Uld touched the crystal with the sigil in his mind , and a mix of exhaustion and relief washed through him as the strict voice of Archbishop Vantes echoed in his mind .

Be wary of the local called the Super Brother-Man . We believe him to have appeared in the Tower of Eternity recently , causing a storm and conquering the eighth floor . The Church has never feared other forces of this remote Sector , but caution is needed .

The Dimensional Seed is of utmost importance , far eclipsing the value of any bodies . This mission will replace all the original goals . Keep the inquisitors in check , leave no weaknesses . Acquire the Seed and lock yourselves away in the Mystic Realm . We will be able to find you after the shroud of the heavens has been lifted . Your reward for a completed mission will far eclipse the cost of a hundred years .

Failure will likewise come at a great cost .

A wave of exhaustion buffeted his mind , but there was nothing Uld could do . The orders had been given so he could only comply .

How did it go? Did the Monarch-Select fall? - Uld asked .

Not even he should have survived the judgment , - Trovad said with conviction . - We will know for sure in a day . The glory of the heavens still lingers , blocking our sight , but the recordings should arrive shortly . -

Chapter 528 : S-Grade

He did it! - Kenzie smiled , her clenched fists finally relaxing in her lap .

It's amazing , - Lyla said from the side . - It's finally over . Maybe we can finally start living our lives again . -

There are still some things that needs to be done though , - Kenzie smiled , though the smile felt a bit strained .

Like what? - Lyla asked with confusion .

Lyla had stayed with Kenzie in her courtyard to help take her mind off the fact that Zac was risking his life against the cultists . She had instead asked far and wide about the various arrays and contraptions . It was a welcome distraction , and Kenzie had freely told her about the various arrays she was working on .

But all things must come to an end sooner or later . Her hesitation had already cost too much .

Dealing with the traitors and the spies on the island , for example , - she said with a steady voice , her eyes boring into Lyla's .

Kenzie had known for a while . She had known that Lyla was the one feeding intelligence back to the mainland through an ingenious array that was no doubt provided by the cultist infiltrators of the New World Government . It was because of her that so many had died , and she was the reason the cultists had learned of the entrance to the Mystic Realm .

Zac had saved her life , but she had returned the favor with malice , increasing the risk to him and everyone else in Port Atwood . Lyla had almost cut off their access to something their mother had left behind as well , which was unforgivable by itself .

Lyla only looked at her with incomprehension for a second until her form fell apart , her body replaced by a clay dummy . However , how could Kenzie not be prepared for something like this? She had seen Lyla use this very skill to survive multiple times during the Tutorial and their expeditions in the Dead Zone .

Her garden was like a fortress with layers and layers of arrays . They were originally meant to keep the area safe in case of a mishap with her experiments , but they worked just as well for trapping a level 36 cultivator . Not even her brother would be able to sense the slightest fluctuation even if he passed by right outside .

Lyla had learned to almost perfectly blend with the earth , but Kenzie had already managed to push her Seed of Loam to Peak Mastery . Together with Jeeves , it was effortless to pinpoint her location . Kenzie slightly circulated her Cosmic Energy , and an earth pillar rose from the ground , unearthing a horrified Lyla .

Wait , they have my parents! I had no choice- - Lyla cried , but it was too late .

A Dao-empowered flame swallowed her whole , and no substitution or movement skill would save her from the Seed of Tinder . A shrill scream emerged from her throat , but it was almost instantly cut short by a wind-blade that decapitated her . The headless corpse was turned into ashes in less than a minute , and a wave of Kenzie's hand spread the ashes in the garden .

Lyla had almost been as powerful as herself back during the Tutorial , but hose days were long gone . She had stopped pushing herself since arriving at Port Atwood , spending most days not even cultivating at all . Killing her was completely effortless for Kenzie .

Some confusion and guilt appeared in Kenzie's auburn eyes , but a red flash appeared in their depths and she gradually regained her composure .

You're right , I need to harden myself , - Kenzie sighed before she looked down at the scorched spot on the grass . - I'm sorry . But those who move against the family will have to pay the price . -

Zac’s eyes lit up upon seeing the prompts . It looked very similar to when he had completed the Incursion Master quest , where he had gained the Dao Repository . He obviously wasn’t surprised at being placed first in the contribution tally , but the grade was something new .

He had only heard of A-Grade before , and this was something even above that . Did that mean there were S-Grade cultivators as well? Zac had asked around about what the limit of cultivation was , but he had never got a real answer . The people of the Zecia sector didn’t even know what the B-Grade entailed , let alone anything above that .

The next moment an even better prompt appeared .

Distributing Rewards]

Additional Reward : Limited Title Slots +1 . Frontrunner Title Permanence

Zac whistled in surprise seeing the reward , or rather tried to whistle with his badly burnt lips . This was pretty huge . He had essentially received not one , but two additional Limited Title slots in one go . This was just what he needed to maintain his attribute lead against the elite cultivators of the sector .

He might not get double the attributes per level any longer , but having five Limited Title slots should allow him to stay ahead of even the greatest elites of the sector . Of course , that still required him to actually find some opportunities that provided a title .

The title permanence was a welcome surprise as well , but it made him think of something . Zac quickly tried to open the Ladder screen , only to find that nothing happened . Zac grimaced in annoyance when he realized the System had finished its Ladder experiment .

This could both be seen as good news and bad news . It was good news in the sense that no one beneath D-Rank would be able to find out his level any longer thanks to his bracer . Every single step he had taken until now had been monitored by millions of people , but now he was suddenly free . However , the change came with detriments as well .

He could no longer find any information about the Dominators either , though he didn’t expect them to gain a bunch of levels out of nowhere . But more importantly , he wouldn’t be able to keep tabs on his force and make sure everything was alright . Just opening the screen and looking at the familiar names during his tower climb had been a huge source of comfort , but he wouldn’t be able to do so any longer while traveling the Zecia sector in the future .

There were life-monitoring treasures to buy that would provide a similar function , and Zac added it to the ever-growing list of things that Calrin needed to get him . But he also realized that the odds actually getting something useful from the Sky Gnome might have increased now that the incursions were gone and some restrictions were removed .

It was also somewhat of a relief that the title rewards didn’t provide immediate attributes as he still wasn’t sure how much his home-made Draugr Baths had increased his attribute cap . Zac quickly opened his title screen to be sure nothing had changed though .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

81

Class

E-Epic] Fetters of Desolation

Race

E] Draugr

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 Noblesse , 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 , Frontrunner , Apex Progenitor

Limited Titles

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 : 218%]

Dexterity

992 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 187%]

Endurance

2083 Increase : 86% . Efficiency : 218%]

Vitality

1375 Increase : 76% . Efficiency : 218%]

Intelligence

545 Increase : 65% . Efficiency : 187%]

Wisdom

911 Increase : 70% . Efficiency : 187%]

Luck

340 Increase : 91% . Efficiency : 197%]

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

F] 5 919 187 601

Zac sighed in relief when he saw that his attributes were still the same , but he did notice a few differences after looking around through his screens . The first of all was the update of the titles , with Frontrunner having moved to the permanent bracket . But he had also gained a new title , which honestly wasn't too surprising .

Apex Progenitor : Pass the World Integration Trial with S Grade . Reward : Effect of Attributes +10%]

It was a real top tier title , only being rivaled by his Tower Climb and Apex Hunter titles so far , giving a whopping 10% efficiency in every attribute . It had actually pushed him past 200% efficiency on his main attributes , meaning that he was more than twice as strong as his attributes indicated .

Efficiency was pretty much impossible to discern even with high-quality spying skills from what Zac had learned , so even if someone managed to glean his attributes they might only set themselves up for disaster . They would see Zac having 2000 Strength , only for him to burst out with the power of more than the double a second later .

He was also happy to see that he had finally taken some steps forward with his undead skills , with Indomitable] reaching Late Proficiency , and both his ultimate skills having reached Middle Proficiency . He was still lagging behind compared to his human class , but it was a step in the right direction .

The fit of his skills , especially Undying Legion] and Indomitable] had worsened in compatibility since evolving , but they were still useful . They might turn into components of skill fusions for his new class in the future , but they would have to reach Peak Proficiency first for that to work .

There were also a lot of additions to his Town Shop , mainly defensive arrays that looked far more powerful than anything he had been able to purchase before . However , they were still limited by his power , with the strongest arrays being marked as - Early E-Grade - . That didn’t really come as a surprise though .

The system would never let people buy too powerful defenses , as that would drastically lessen the amount of conflict in the multiverse .

It was still a big upgrade to his weak Town Protection Array though , and Zac looked through the options for a few seconds until he suddenly froze in realization . The System called the Limited Title boost an additional reward . If that was the addition , then where were the original rewards?

The greed for loot quickly overcame the weariness in his body , and he scoured the whole crater for treasures . However , there was nothing apart from smoking-hot soil and an inert Nexus hub in the hole he found himself in . Glee was slowly replaced with confusion as he looked around . What was going on?

Was the reward once again related to his town? The phrasing of the prompts was extremely familiar to the way the System spoke when he received the Dao Repository , so Abby might have gotten the rewards back home . Last time the Stargazer held it back so that he would be able to choose where to place the reward , so there might be a similar situation waiting for him .

Zac immediately bought a Teleportation Array , but this time he didn’t make it public . Zac rather kept it to himself like the array in his private area . If the teleporter was open a group of Valkyries and Demons would step through to this place a few minutes later , and Zac wasn’t comfortable leaving them here in case the cultists returned .

He soon found himself back in his compound instead , somewhat relieved that there were no signs of his sister . It allowed him to hobble over to his courtyard and close the arrays without causing any worry with his wretched appearance . There were no rewards in his home either , but he still held off on his urge to visit the Stargazer .

There was no way he wouldn't cause a panic if he entered the government building looking like a mix of a zombie and a rotisserie chicken , but more importantly , he still had a node to break open . He had been interrupted by the prompt just as he was about to break it open , and the rewards had allowed him to slow down and think clearly . There was no point in staying in a burning crater to open a node when he had free access to his home .

The accumulated energy in his chest was running a bit low because of the delay , so Zac ate one of his node-breaking pills while channeling the remains from the Void Heart] to his leg . He also ate an anesthetic pill to block out the pain of his broken bones and burned skin . The pain wasn't to the point that he was immobilized , but he was afraid that it would mess with his concentration breaking open the node .

He only got something like 20% of the efficacy of the Node Breaking pill , but it was enough to tide him over along with the energies ripped from his cursed sword and the holy flames . A small explosion echoed out in the isolated courtyard after around ten minutes , and a splatter of black ichor stained the ground .

Zac suddenly remembered learning about a medical factoid before the integration , of how some women naturally forget the excruciating pain of childbirth . It was apparently an evolutionary measure so that the people wouldn’t shy away from having more children . The reason for remembering such a random tidbit was obviously that he must have blocked out just how painful breaking open the last node was .

His pain-relief pill had worked wonders against the burns , but it was utterly incapable of dealing with the agony of getting his pathways blasted open . Waves of pain crashed into his mind , and he helplessly fell back on the ground , unable to move in the slightest . He ate another healing pill as he grabbed a Miasma Crystal in each hand , his eyes closed to block out the world .

Only an hour later was he able to get up again , but he had to admit that his state was a lot better than last time .

Recuperating instead of entering a life-and-death battle right after breaking open a node had not surprisingly helped him minimize the damage from the node-breaking . He would still need to redraw the section of the pathways around the Node , this time in his Draugr form . But he felt stable enough that he could get up again without falling unconscious like he did last time .

He soon left his courtyard , but he still didn’t enter the town . He instead returned to the burnt-out crater he just came from , relieved to see that it was still void of cultists . He finally made the teleporter public as he gazed at the massive golden pillars that were deeply embedded in the ground . Just how had the zealots gotten their hands on this much gold?

And how much was it worth?

Chapter 529 : Adaptability

The broken pieces of the enormous sigil still radiated some heat even after over an hour had passed , but it wasn’t to the point that Zac felt it was dangerous any longer . He walked closer to it to see if it actually was just normal gold , and he finally realized a pattern covered its surface . It almost looked like Damascus Steel but in gold and white , and where the white formed what looked like hazy patterns .

It clearly wasn’t inscribed though , but it rather looked more like something that had naturally grown over time . However , the patterns didn't contain anywhere near the amount of meaning and power as the groves he had seen o the Stele during the vision in the Tower of Eternity . It almost felt like the patterns hadn't really finished forming just yet .

It made Zac unsure whether it actually was a normal metal that was in the process of being enhanced by the fire-attuned energies and prayer , or if it was some alloy the cultists were creating inside the volcano . Zac shook his head and instead made his way up the crater , feeling that it would have to be a mystery for someone else to solve . He had enough on his plate as it was .

His deathly gaze roved across the smoldering mountainside and the jungles for a couple of minutes , but he couldn’t sense the slightest hint of life . Had every single cultist died after all? Not that it mattered too much , as there obviously hadn’t been anyone of import at the base when he arrived . Just a skeleton crew that would set about the chain reaction that almost got him killed .

They were obviously ready to completely abandon the incursion .

Zac sighed as he understood the implication . He had hoped to be done with the zealots in one swift move with this final fight , at least dealing with the Head Priest and his bishops . But they were probably all still around , waiting to cause trouble at moment’s notice . It was a bit of a shame there was not a single cultist to catch and interrogate , but they probably would rather blow themselves up than answer any questions .

Their actions were still a bit perplexing though . Why would they do something like this rather than just cutting their losses and returning home , just like the other invaders? Was the Mystic Realm really that important to them , or rather the Dimensional Artifact inside? It looked like they bet everything on that item and the fact that he wouldn't be able to hunt them down over the next century .

He would need to visit the Mystic Realm entrance to make sure , but Zac guessed that he would be met by a closed entrance impossible to open from outside . If he put himself in their shoes , their best course of action would be to hide inside the mystic Realm for a hundred years , at which point he would try to contact his superiors to pick them up .

Preferably while snatching the Dimensional Artifact .

A hundred years might be a long time to someone like himself , but to the elders of the Church of the Everlasting Dao it was nothing . Waiting a bit longer for the results would probably not matter all that much to them . Not everyone was strapped for time like The Great Redeemer . It meant that yet another old monster probably had set his sights on Earth and its resources .

He would either get the Dimensional Artifact or try to hunt them down , as the Church didn't feel like the kind of people who would drop something like this . However , Zac couldn’t really muster any urgency from the realization , as it honestly didn’t feel like it changed much by this point . There were already a bunch of old monsters bearing down on the planet , including his mother . What was one more?

Zac sighed as he sat down on the ground , his form once more turning back to human . A wave of pain radiated through his body as his body came alive , and he quickly ate another healing pill as he kept watch over the area . But there was not much to guard against as everything was completely burned and leveled .

The soothing energy of the Fragment of the Bodhi also spread through his body , helping out with restoring his tissue . However , there was stubborn energy hiding in the wounds , rabidly resisting both his pills and his Dao . It looked like some special energy had been infused into the blast , and he would have to slowly grind it down .

As he looked down at the crater he felt that the near-death experience had brought home an important lesson . There were all sorts of amazing treasures and arrays in the world , but nothing was impervious . Treasures could fail at any time , and he could only trust his own body in the end .

A buzz behind him told him that the teleporter had activated , and he turned over to see a vanguard group of demons carefully emerging inside the crater . Ilvere stood at the front , and he looked around with wide eyes before he spotted Zac sitting above . He quickly jumped up , and he gave a start when he saw Zac’s wretched appearance .

Don’t you look like shit? - Ilvere laughed as he took out a large vat from his Cosmos Sack . - Something to drink? You look like you could need one . I’ve made it myself , with some help of that barkeep . -

Zac wryly smiled as he took a swig from the Demonic homebrew , and he immediately became thankful that his gullet was reinforced by his high Endurance . The vile brew tasted like paint thinner , but it actually managed to give him a slight buzz . He wouldn't be surprised if a single mouthful would kill a normal human .

What happened here? It looks like a natural disaster rather than a battlefield , - the demon asked as he looked around at the destruction . - No bodies . They sacrificed themselves? -

There was almost no one here , - Zac sighed as he recounted what happened .

So the lunatics are here to stay , - Ilvere muttered with a grimace , echoing Zac's own thoughts . - I hoped we'd be done with them after their two invasions . Like fleas , these ones . Got to take them all out before they start to fester . -

Well , that’s why I have you guys , right? - Zac snorted .

Well , whatever . What do you want us to do? - Ilvere asked .

Just the usual , - Zac grunted as he got back on his feet . - Stay close to this area though . I think the valuable resource was the volcano , but I’m not sure if they broke it . What do you think about those golden things? -

Ilvere grunted in thought , before his massive weapon shot out with extreme momentum , slamming into one of the huge slabs of metals not far from where Zac sat . A deep gong echoed out across the area , and Ilvere even had to take a step back from the power inside the sound wave . Zac felt a bit impacted as well , but not to the point that he was hurt .

A small mark was left on the slab , but it didn’t even look dented from the attack . The metal ball on the other hand looked like it had been put over a fire , radiating some heat that forced Ilvere to spin it in the air until it cooled down again .

Won’t probably be able to maintain its original function , but it’s definitely good stuff . Perhaps we can reforge them into weapons and armor with flame attunement? - Ilvere muttered . - You have that mine in the underworld as well . If you can figure out a way to fuse the two resources you might even be able to make something valuable enough to even export through the blue one's Mercantile Licence . -

Zac's eyes lit up at the prospect . He still hadn't been able to use Calrin's consortia for interplanetary trades so far , as the fees were too high to justify selling stuff like the ant carapace armors . But what if he could make a bunch of attuned weaponry? Fire had always been a popular Dao and cultivation path due to its offensive nature .

An armor providing flame-resistant would be a huge asset against fire-based forces like the Church of Everlasting Dao or the flame golems of the Underworld , and flame-attuned weaponry would no doubt sell like hotcakes .

Harvesting those things have the highest priority then . Don’t bother scouring the jungle . It’s full of beasts , and it would take the whole army to canvass it , - Zac said .

Zac gave it a thought and bought a set of defensive arrays as well for the area around his newly-acquired ruins . He usually didn’t bother with that in the beginning , but he didn’t want to risk the lives of his people in case some suicidal zealot was waiting for an opportunity in the vast jungle .

Everyone returns together later , and everyone gets tested , - Zac added . - Both with Origin Array and the root . -

Understood , - Ilvere agreed . - We’ll make sure not to bring any of those bastards back to the island . -

Zac nodded and stepped through the teleporter the next moment , appearing in the public teleportation station . He was surprised to find Joanna waiting there for him and she walked over with brisk steps .

Welcome back . The Administrator is looking for you , - Joanna said with a smile . - You really did it . You actually saved Earth , like a real-life action hero . -

I don't think that action heroes look like this after winning , - Zac wryly smiled . - And there are still a lot of bad guys around . -

You know , it’s okay to celebrate taking a step in the right direction , - Joanna said as she walked next to him . - If you only focus on what’s wrong you’ll always feel stressed out . -

I know , - Zac smiled . - One step at a time . By the way , have Billy and Thea come here while I was gone? -

Not to my knowledge? - Joanna said . - Is there something wrong? -

No , it’s nothing , - Zac said with a shake of his head .

Zac had somewhat expected the two to claim their Inheritances by now , but perhaps they weren’t quite ready just yet . Then again , he had closed the incursion a bit faster than expected , taking less than a day to get the job done . They would probably come over within the week unless their reward for surviving the Integration allowed them to gain another boost before the trial .

Joanna followed him over toward the government building , and Zac heard she had gained a rating of C by the system , with most of the Valkyries having gained a D . C was apparently the highest of anyone in Port Atwood , though Joanna hadn't asked his sister as she was busy with her experiments .

Most of the townspeople got an F or E , which didn't surprise Zac seeing how the System was so biased in favor of the Elites . It also turned out that only those with C or higher gained rewards and a Title . Zac guessed that getting to live another day was the only gift those with worse ratings got .

However , the situation was a bit baffling to Zac .

What do you think the System graded you on? - Zac asked with some confusion . - A rating of D seems pretty bad for how many Incursions you guys helped me close . Not even Thea has closed as many as you did . -

I don't think it's just that , - Joanna said with a shake of her head . - It has only been an hour , but I've started to get a small understanding of the situation after asking around . A part of the grade was definitely achievements , Dao , and Level , which isn't a surprise . But I also think a big part of it was adaptability . -

Adaptability? - Zac muttered .

Ryan , for example , got a D grade like the Valkyries , even though he hasn't closed a single incursion . He did however quickly adapt after coming here , and now he's one of the most successful people on the island , - Joanna said . - But both Ryan and us Valkyries didn't really excel in the beginning . We only got where we are because of you , so we didn't get too impressive grades . -

Zac slowly nodded , feeling it made sense . The Incursions and the integration was a massive trial , and the System was probably only interested in helping those who were able to embrace their new reality and make the most of it . Besides , not only those like him or Thea was of value to the System . People like Smaug and Henry Marshall should probably have pretty decent ratings as well as they excelled in what they set out to do .

There was a palpable celebratory atmosphere in the town as the two walked toward the government building . People were out on the street with big smiles on their faces , and Zac was surprised to see that some had even raised the flag of Port Atwood on their storefronts or from their porches .

Zac had already hidden his identity with a hooded robe though , mostly because he was a bit embarrassed about his crispy appearance . Joanna wanted him to hold some sort of speech rouse to the citizens , but Zac was far too tired for something like that . He only wanted to get his rewards then rest up for a day or two .

They soon reached their destination , and Zac walked up to Abby's private floor in one of the wings after issuing a set of orders for Joanna to start preparing the Valkyries for the Mystic Realm . He entered after a knock and found Abby hovering in the middle of a bunch of screens . She closed them and turned toward him , and Zac was surprised to see that she had grown since last time .

The diameter of the floating eyeball must have increased by 20 to 30 percent , and her shimmering eye looked even more magical compared to before . It seemed like his Administrator had reached E-Grade or at least evolved her race .

Another new addition was a golem standing in the corner of the room , a massive construct of polished stone that reached almost three meters into the air . One of its arms was just a long spike , and the other formed a shield . It didn't move in the slightest when Zac entered , but Zac still felt a vague pressure from it , meaning it should probably have the combat strength of an Early E-Grade cultivator .

Had the Stargazer bought herself a bodyguard?

It’s been a while , - Zac smiled as he sat down at a free seat .

Well , you’ve been busy , - Abby said as her massive eye turned toward him . - I’m guessing you’re here about the reward? -

So there is one , after all? - Zac said , his eyes lighting up in anticipation .

Yes , two actually , - Abby said .

Chapter 530 : Incentives for Exploration

There are two rewards? What are they? - Zac asked with anticipation .

You could say one is for you and one is for Port Atwood . The first is a pretty interesting mobile array , called the Spatial Gate Array] . It is a two-part array that has two functions , the first of which will allow you to teleport to Port Atwood from almost anywhere in the whole sector once every decade , - Abby said .

What? Can’t I already do that as a world leader? - Zac asked with disappointment . - And without the wait time . -

Well , it’s not quite that simple . Nexus Hubs requires upgrades . You might need to do multiple jumps to return if the hubs you use are too low-quality . Each jump is a risk of entering a hostile environment , - Abby said . - Besides , from what I’ve heard your identity has become a bit sensitive in your sector . -

So? - Zac asked , still feeling a bit peeved .

What if your identity gets exposed while traveling? The first thing that a City Lord would do is deactivating the teleportation arrays , trapping you in place , - Abby said . - Not much you can do about that apart from either taking over the town or fleeing to some other force in hopes of using their teleportation array .

This array could help you circumvent this , making you far harder to pin down . You could be stuck on a desolate planet or in the void of space itself . As long as you’re not in a hidden realm you can just activate this treasure and get sent home as soon as you’ve infused enough energy , - Abby explained .

Zac whistled in understanding . It did indeed sound indeed convenient . It would allow him to venture out to improve himself with greater peace of mind . The cultists joining hands with the undead had reminded how exposed his people were while he wasn’t around . There was a limit of what one could do with the Town Shop against a powerful enemy , after all .

Once a decade was a very long cool-down , but it was enough in case of an emergency . Things usually moved pretty slowly in the multiverse . With people’s lifespans being in the millennia it was unlikely that Earth would be attacked multiple times within a decade when things had stabilized .

It is an extremely convenient array and valuable lifeline for someone who is planning on traveling the multiverse . Any outlaw or wandering cultivator would kill for something like this . You would almost become as hard to trap as a Karmic or Spatial Cultivator , - Abby said . - The escape measure has various good functions as well , such as countermeasures to spatial lockdowns and tampering . -

What about the other function? - Zac asked .

It allows you to erect a temporary Teleportation Array lasting a few minutes , even out in the wilderness , - Abby said . - You need the materials for it though , and it has a downside . It’s expensive . Very expensive . -

How expensive? - Zac asked with some worry .

Five times the standard rate , - Abby said .

Doesn’t that make it useless? - Zac blanched .

The reason that almost no one below the D-Grade would travel between worlds was the cost of teleportation . It wasn’t like weaker cultivators didn’t want to travel to Mystic Realms to gain titles and experience , but they simply couldn’t afford it . Just the fees alone could ruin even a wealthy scion .

Zac was extremely wealthy for a self-made cultivator at his level , but just the prospect of teleporting to the Allbright Empire or some of the other cultivation spots he had in mind was a source of some dread . Paying five times that price would put him in the poor house . It was like taking a helicopter to go buy groceries .