Defiance of the Fall

Soon the energy left Ogras’ body , and he slumped down in his chair .

Shit . -

Zac’s heart was still beating quickly after having seen the vision . He wanted to immediately rush toward the valley but first checked his quest tab .

As he suspected a new quest had arrived .

Dynamic Quests :

Ascension (Limited - Open) : Seize the Fruit of Ascension upon ripening . Reward : Fruit of Ascension . Time until ripening : 11 : 58 : 23]

The classification of the quest was new , Limited – Open . His other two dynamic quests were classified as Unique . If he guessed correctly limited meant it was a short duration quest . And he hoped he was wrong , but he believed open meant that everyone within a certain area got it .

The system said to emerge victorious and to struggle for supremacy . Then it conveniently showed the location of the treasure a full 12 hours before it ripened . It wanted a bloodbath .

Zac slowly sat down again and took a small sip of the azure water . He wasn’t in the mood to wait any longer and needed to heal quickly . The burning sensation spread through his body again , but this time the amount was manageable . Once again he felt his wounds slightly improve , and the throbbing pain he had felt come back once again was gone .

As the heat spread through his body he pondered on what to do . He was hesitating if he should actually compete for the fruit , as going against both the monkey horde and maybe even the demons sounded like a suicide mission . He also felt he had no choice .

He didn’t know what a Fruit of Ascension did , but from how it managed to create a quest it couldn’t be a small matter . If his enemies got it and received a huge power-up he might be screwed . The most likely recipient would be the monkey herald as he was the owner of the tree . It was a pretty even fight before , what would happen if it evolved once more?

Besides , it also presented an opportunity for him . The fruit would help someone ascend judging by its name . It sounded awfully similar to evolve , and he guessed it might help him get a better class or evolve his race .

He also almost knew for certain he would find the Herald by the fruit in 12 hours , hopefully still hurt from his slash . Zac knew the monkey possessed high values in Strength , Dexterity , and Endurance from their fight , and could only hope that it also didn’t have a strong Vitality . It also felt reasonable that the general would be there to commandeer one of the fruits . That would mean that both his targets would be gathered at one place in roughly 12 hours .

In a sense , the quest represented an all-or-nothing gambit . If he succeeded , all his problems might be solved , including his incursion quest . But the danger would likely be off the charts . If he failed his mission would turn harder , no matter who got the fruit . If he even survived .

But he felt it was do-or-die . Time was running out , and he needed to take some risks . With a steely determination , he decided to participate in the fight .

Of course , there was no reason to rush there . He only needed to travel for less than two hours to get to the crimson tree . And getting there early would make him a sitting duck . He was only one man in what might be a huge free for all battle , and he needed to avoid attention as much as possible .

His goal should be to sneak in at the last minute , kill the monkey king and steal the fruit . If possible he should kill the general as well , or at least identify him . Then run for his life and see what the fallout was .

He sat down again on the ground , and while keeping a lookout for more demon parties only focused on getting back to prime condition . He waited a full 6 hours before he felt well enough rested to be able to give it his all .

The wounds from the ambush were somewhat healed by now , but a few wounds would likely reopen if he exerted too much force . But there still a couple of hours before he should see any action , and hopefully he would be in even better condition by then .

He set out again , and after some trial and error found a way out of the mountain . It wasn’t the same path as the one he had entered through . He didn’t want to dig through meters of fallen rocks , and besides it might be marked by the monkeys .

Instead , he found a tunnel that should end somewhere on the inner side of the peak , close to the entrance of the valley . It didn’t actually have a cave entrance , but a few holes in the rock let sunlight through . The wall was quite thin here , and with a few minutes of effort , he would be out .

The outside was completely quiet , so Zac decided to wait some more before emerging . As he waited he started chipping at the wall with a dagger , not completely breaking through but making a quick exit easier . Finally done he sat down and continued to recuperate . When the timer showed roughly two hours until the fruits ripened , a cacophony of roars broke the silence .

Zac heartbeat fretfully hammered in his chest as he opened his eyes and stood up . It was now or never .

Chapter 60 - Entering the Fray

Zac Immediately got ready , even though his wounds hadn’t completely healed . But between his high vitality and the numbing effects of the azure water , he was in an almost perfect fighting condition . With no more time to lose , he finally pushed down the rock wall that blocked the entrance while hefting an axe in his hand . It made quite a crash , but it was nothing compared to the roars of thousands of monkeys , with demon screams peppered in .

As soon as he got out he was stunned by the mayhem .

Zac had emerged from a secluded spot on top of an outcropping , giving him decent vantage over the peak and down toward the valley . Everywhere he looked he saw throngs of monkeys duking it out with legions of demons .

The air sparked with energy as fireballs and lightning bolts filled the sky , the ground rippled from a multitude of spears and other projectiles shooting out . Even nature itself had entered the fray as trees slowly reached down to grab unsuspecting monkeys , before ripping them apart .

The other beast types were here as well , as a thick wall of barghest stopped the monkeys from getting into melee range of the demons . They mindlessly charged toward the monkey groupings , completely heedless of their survival .

Groups of gwyllgi roamed the battlefield with far more finesse compared to the hulking demonlings . They roved in packs and struck weak spots or lone stragglers almost with surgical precision and then quickly got out of harm’s way .

There also was a smattering of imps placed together with the mage demons , but to Zac , it seemed that most of them still were in their underground dwellings , as their numbers were quite sparse . Perhaps Zac recently killing their boss had caused some sort of chaos to their ranks , making it hard for the demons to control them .

The monkeys wouldn’t be outdone though , and the air was filled with flying debris , from the stalactites from the monkey captains to anything that the normal monkeys could get their hands on . Zac even saw corpses being used as projectiles , flung at the magical barriers erected by the demon mages . The barghest that came close to the monkeys were largely helpless after their first impact and were pelted and bitten to death by the angry monkeys .

The magical shields held for the most part , but every now and then they got overtaxed and shattered . The monkey captains were quick on the uptake and focused their energies on those areas . The focused fire turned the unlucky few behind the broken shield a crushed meat paste beneath a mountain of boulders .

However , most of the projectiles didn’t reach the demons but rather slammed into the demon beasts who fulfilled their purpose of being meat shields .

Overall the demon’s clearly held the advantage , as they steadily pushed forward . For every demon the monkey horde killed , at least five monkeys died . It still was early in the battle though , and from experience , Zac felt that the demons would run out of juice sooner or later . Those spells cost cosmic energy , while the monkeys likely could keep hurling debris for a good while . As long as the monkeys could withstand their furious onslaught long enough they might have a chance to turn the situation around .

Besides , the terrain was not ideal for organized warfare that the demons were trying for . He saw that the orderly lines were starting to splinter , and the legions forced to split up as they advanced .

Zac didn’t know why it had come to a full-scale war , but he didn’t complain . This kind of chaos was the best news for him . He wondered if the monkey’s disadvantage was because of him . He had thinned out their horde quite a bit after all .

Some movement in the distance grabbed his attention . It was a solitary group that emanated a pressure a notch above the other demons . They were steadily pushing forward and was entering the valley at a furious pace . None of the magic shields were breaking and the monkeys could offer no resistance to their advance .

In the front a few demons in resplendent gear were personally reaping the lives of monkeys like they were harvesting wheat . Especially attention-grabbing was one male demon with shining white hair that was dancing in the wind . He held a sword in his hand and had another strapped to his back , and as he moved forward it almost looked like dancing rather than engaged in battle . The sword moved in graceful curves and moved around him in a mesmerizing pattern . But Zac knew it was no performance art , as that demon’s speed of reaping monkeys seemed to eclipse even his own .

It looked like he had located the general .

Satisfied with what he had found , he started to make his way down from the cliff . He had wrapped his head in rags to hide his features and covered as much skin as possible . Zac hoped that the demons would be too preoccupied with the monkeys to realize he lacked horns and wore shoes instead of having taloned paws .

He skirted around the main army and aimed to enter the valley from a slightly different direction . There were a few clumps of demons along the path but none thankfully reacted to him . It was lucky that the demon armies all used individual clothing and gear , making their composition look very chaotic .

As he walked around a bend he almost ran straight into a party of 6 demons . The one in the front snapped something in demonic as Zac passed , but Zac only waved his axe in response . His heartbeat quickened as he kept running , waiting for the demons to go their own way .

It seemed the proximity was too close , as an arrow came whizzing at his back . Sensing danger Zac whirled around and blocked the arrow with his axe head . Sighing he made a 180 and rushed into the demon group while he summoned Chop] . The man in the front held a sword , which by itself started burning as he swung it to intercept Zac’s chop . The demon hadn’t imagined the power contained in the axe , as the edge hit him like a truck and breaking most of his fingers as the sword was forced away . The swing continued onward as it chopped off his upper body , and continued to decapitate the unlucky demon who stood next to him with a short sword and shield .

Zac pushed on and made quick work of the last four demons , whose feeble attempts to stop him couldn’t even slow him down . After the blitz he was bleeding a bit from two small wounds , but it was nothing serious . A few of his old wounds had opened as well , but there was nothing to do about that for now . He was also drenched in demon blood , and could only hope that the smell wouldn’t attract any beasts .

He slowly kept moving forward , and after half an hour he reached the forest at the edge of the valley , taking twice the time compared if he had rushed straight in .

As he moved forward he saw that the orderly war at the slopes of the mountain was turned into a chaotic melee in the valley by now . There were clumps of demons fighting monkeys scattered all over the place . In most places , the demons still held an advantage , but at a few other they got overrun by sheer numbers .

He saw an unlucky group of 10 demons getting ripped to pieces by an angry horde of monkeys . They put up a valiant defense , but two fists couldn’t defend against ten , and in just moment they were mangled corpses strewn on the ground . A few of the monkeys had even ripped off a limb and contentedly chewed on it as it moved toward the next pack .

Zac tried to avoid battle as much as he could , not wanting to get any more experience until he seized a Fruit of Ascension . He stayed clear of any larger battles , zig-zagging forward in a careful manner . Of course , every now and then he got accosted by either a group of demons that figured out his identity or a group of enraged monkeys happy to target any humanoid .

The clashes resulted in furious melees as Zac wanted to finish the battles as quickly as possible . Unheeding of energy expenditure he ravaged any party that got close with great chops using his skills . When he ran low on cosmic energy took a sip from the lake water and let the burn quickly restore his deficit . He did avoid using the Dao of Heaviness though , as he didn’t have any means to restore his mental energy apart from sleeping .

Soon he arrived at the field of desolation , his body covered in a multitude of shallow wounds by now . Due to the consumption of the water he didn’t feel any pain though , and still felt he was in peak condition .

The vision the system showed earlier was accurate , and a huge area was now covered in dried out and dead trees . The once lush forest was gone and replaced with a dead space .

After a quick look he saw that it only was fifty minutes until the fruits ripened . Even if he had blazed through all resistance in the forest it took some time to traverse the distance . He figured that if he ran it would take him twenty minutes or so to reach the crimson tree . He was hesitant whether he should leave the cover of the forest to enter the field as he would be completely exposed if he did .

After some deliberation , he ran along the forest edge toward the opposite side of the field . The demons should be concentrated on the eastern side , as they entered the valley from there . The army might have spread to encircle the tree by now , but it should at least be thinner at the opposite side .

When he was a bit more than half-way to the other side he veered into the dead zone and headed for the tree . He was running out of time and needed to get to the fruits . The area was largely devoid of combatants , either monkey or demon , and soon he saw why .

As he approached the tree he saw a scene of utter chaos . The magical tree still stood tall as it had before , with the addition of the two ripening fruits . Covering it was a glimmering shell covered in dense fractals . Zac felt that the shield should be the work of the System , as the fractals felt perfect and in harmony with the universe , just like the ones on his array flags . The inscriptions on the demons’ weapons were far more simplistic in comparison .

Packed around the shield was a confusing and bloody carnage between monkeys and demons . There were no lines of demarcation , no strategy , and no order . There were just hundreds upon hundreds of bodies crammed together , desperately trying to kill anything on the opposing side . They all tried to claw their way closer to the shield and the tree , to be as close as possible when the shield dropped .

Right by the edge of the shield , a few areas almost devoid of people could be seen , and in one of them , Zac saw the white-haired demon fight against the monkey king . The Herald had a few supersized monkeys by his side , and they furiously did everything they could to support their leader . It looked like the Herald was mostly healed up , but a huge scar adorned its chest now .

Every strike between the Herald and the general created rippling shockwaves in the area , keeping all the grunts at bay . The ground looked blazing hot with fire and molten rock , likely a result of the herald’s onslaught .

But the general clearly held the advantage , and with dizzying swordplay was whittling down Cindermane’s defenses . The large scar on his chest had started to open up , and new wounds over his arms accompanied it . Zac realized the lethality of the general , as even Zac’s own mighty swings had only left a white mark on the Herald’s sturdy hands . The hulking monkey captains were covered in wounds from head to toe as well , one of them even had a whole arm missing .

Meanwhile , the general still looked pristine apart from some soot marks , as though the carnage and fire in the surroundings was isolated from himself . The monkey captains were doing what they could to ease the pressure , but it seemed that they wouldn’t be able to hang on for long unless something changed . Since Zac didn’t want the general to kill the Herald , at least not yet , he was determined to be the change that would turn the tides .

Chapter 61 - Pitched Battle

The ground was barely visible beneath the forces as blood and broken bodies covered most of it by now . Even fires were starting to erupt at various spots around the battlefield , likely from the attacks of Pyromancers and the Herald . With the dried out tree husks on the ground the whole valley would likely be an inferno of flames in a short while .

Zac could see that more combatants from both camps were steadily streaming in from the surroundings , and immediately joined in on the mayhem when they arrived . He checked his quest and saw that the timer showed 00 : 10 : 03] .

Zac once more glanced at the mouthwatering fruits glistening on the tree , and after a few steadying breaths , he charged into the frenzy . He steadily moved forward wielding an axe in one hand and a dagger in the other . He refrained from using Chop] in this crammed melee , afraid to draw attention to himself .

He mainly used the axe to deflect or hook incoming swings , and finishing off the enemy with a quick stab in their throat or heart before moving forward . It was a quick and dirty method that didn’t announce his monstrous Strength .

He steadily moved forward , forced to kill a combatant almost with every step . His disguise was still assisting him immensely , as it often took the demons a second to register that they weren’t facing an ally . And a second was all that Zac needed to quickly and discreetly kill them .

Soon he was just 30 meters from the edge of the shield , and the area actually was getting less cramped compared to more . Every single monkey at the core was a captain , and they were furiously fighting with various well equipped demons . The monkeys had to fight a few captains per demon , not being able to match their might .

Each battle had its own space , as the swings and shockwaves could kill , or at least disrupt anyone coming too close . Getting hit and distracted in an intense situation like this could be a death sentence , so everyone kept their backs clear .

It was obvious that the demons steadily were gaining the upper hand , as almost all the bodies on the ground were monkeys . That couldn’t go on , as Zac needed the fight to keep going to a point where they whittled each other down . Zac took out a dagger and discreetly threw it straight into the back of a well-geared demon . The make of his armor was the same as Zac’s old chest-piece , only covering the upper torso , so Zac’s dagger slammed straight into his back without giving the demon time to react .

The hit destroyed the demon’s spine and he helplessly fell on the ground . The monkey captains immediately pounced and punched his head into the ground into it was a bloody pulp , before moving on to assist its brethren . Satisfied with his work he continued on and acted as a hidden reaper .

He still was forced to kill monkeys and demons coming too close to him , but he kept moving around to avoid getting exposed . He also kept a healthy distance from the battle between the Herald and the general , which were still going at it with extreme prejudice . Every chance he got he threw a dagger at one of the stronger-looking demons . Sometimes he got a perfect hit and actually managed to kill them himself , and at other times he managed to at least maim and distract them , allowing the monkeys to finish the job .

Soon he ran out of knives and was forced to start throwing Nexus Crystals at the demons . They weren’t as effective as the knives , but with Zac’s strength anything he threw could be considered a weapon . Soon the war at the center of the battlefield was starting to sway into the favor of the monkeys .

After Zac helped kill so many of the demons there currently were far more monkey captains fighting every single demon , and the extra help was often enough to turn the tides .

But the demons quickly figured out something was wrong , and a mountain of a man angrily shouted something with a piercing voice that carried over the sounds of battle , pointing a huge battle hammer straight at Zac . Many of the demons immediately spotted him , and it looked like his ruse was over .

However , he had already mostly accomplished his plan , and a great number of demons were killed due to his machinations . Also , the general and Herald's battle were reaching a white-hot intensity , and they couldn't be bothered with the scream . The Herald was quite ragged by now , and the old monkey captains had been replaced with new ones . Zac had a feeling that the only reason the monkey king was still alive was that the demons knew he was of importance to the incursion . Otherwise , Zac couldn't imagine that the General didn't have some ace to kill him after all this time .

He tried sneaking back into the chaos of the battle , but a few of the demon leaders wouldn’t have it and they charged straight at him . A rock wall was erected in front of Zac , halting his escape . He tried shouldering through it but it was far sturdier compared to the walls he had encountered earlier . It held together against Zac’s slam , although it sustained some cracks from the impact .

Suddenly he sank down into the ground , and couldn’t move his feet . The ground had first liquefied then solidified in quick succession , making it seem like he was wearing cement shoes .

Zac didn’t have time to rip himself free , as a huge mallet was falling down upon him . Through some means , the mallet was getting larger as it fell down toward his head and soon was large enough to completely smash him into a pulp .

Zac saw no choice but to infuse his hatchet with his Dao , and brought his axe in a two-handed swing , holding nothing back . Zac had severely overestimated the demon from his size and choice of weapon , and when his axe collided with the huge mallet with a terrifying clash it flew out of the hand of the demon like a rocket . It sailed over the crimson tree and landed somewhere on the other side of the battlefield .

Zac was startled , but not as startled as the demon . He wasted no time and slammed the axe haft down on the demon’s shoulder , and then used the spike on the back of the axe head as a hook to pull him to melee distance . As Zac dragged him close he ended the demon with a quick stab in his throat with his dagger , and then used the body to intercept a few ranged attacks .

The force from the weapons colliding had actually cracked the ground he was standing on , freeing him from the binding . He located the earth mage some distance away and grabbed a monkey captain by its arm .

The monkey captain furiously slammed his fist in Zac’s chest , but Zac only took it with a grunt before he lifted the huge monkey up in the air and threw him like a boulder at the demon mage . The earth mage hastily erected another wall to intercept the monkey projectile , but the force behind the beast powered through it .

Zac was not far behind as he entered the wall through the breach and with a quick chop decapitated the demon , who didn’t even manage to activate his stone skin skill in time .

Zac moved on toward the next demon who had tried to gang up on him , but a blinding light interrupted his plans . It was the large shield covering the tree that started to shine many times brighter compared to before .

Zac glanced around and when he saw no one was attacking him at the moment he brought up the quest skill again and saw the timer go down from 2 seconds to 0 . With a bright flash , the shield immediately winked out of existence , exposing the tree to hundreds of greedy eyes .

No one moved for a split second , before all hell broke loose . Everyone started rushing toward the tree , holding nothing back . Even demons were hitting other demons in a struggle to reach the fruits .

Zac wasn’t any different , and taking full advantage of his close proximity to the tree he pushed forward , driving massive amounts of cosmic energy into his legs . The ground cracked with every step he took , and it would be more accurate to say Zac pushed himself forward by slamming into the ground with his feet rather than running . He summoned Chop] and killed any monkey or demon getting too close , and soon he was almost underneath the tree’s branches .

Zac was among the first but he was still behind two individuals , Cindermane and the dazzling general . Both had already moved toward the fruits , their arms reaching to grab them first . The monkey king had actually created large lava pillars that lifted it up toward the branches , and the general somehow stepped on black arcs of lightning as he moved upwards through the air .

Zac knew he was out of time and with a roar he created a huge edge with Chop] and unleashed it at the two . It seemed that no one of the other camps dared intervene with the two in the forefront , perhaps afraid that they would inadvertently ruin their leader’s plans . The edge shot up at the two , cutting a few of the crimson branches on the way .

The Herald screeched and looked horrified as he stared at the incoming edge , and actually missed his steps and fell down from the pillars it created . It appeared that Zac’s last chop had left a shadow in the Herald's mind .

The general looked surprised to be ambushed at this moment but still managed to smoothly dodge it . He was far up in the air by now and only needed one more step on the black lightning steps to reach the fruits . Desperate , Zac infused his axe with the Dao of Heaviness and hurled it at the demon . The fruits were 5 meters up in the air , so Zac and the general were extremely close . With Zac’s power , it almost looked as though the axe teleported as it slammed into the general .

The general had skillfully blocked the strike with his sword , but between Zac’s huge strength and the Dao of Heaviness , the momentum of the throw wouldn’t be denied . The demon was forcefully pushed away from the tree and the shockwave destroyed most of the branches of the tree .

Even the branch which held the two Fruits of Ascension were broken off , and they were falling straight toward Zac . Not wanting to waste such a God-given opportunity he jumped up in the air and snatched the fruits , and immediately stashed them into his pouch .

He couldn’t believe how easily he had acquired the fruits , it looked like 67 Luck wasn’t just for show . But the elation of getting the treasure quickly dissipated , as hundreds of murderous glares focused their suddenly undivided attention on him .

Chapter 62 - Crescendo

Zac brought out his second axe from his pouch , nervously glancing around . His plan had been to kill the Herald as well , but being stared at by hundreds of hungry eyes quickly extinguished any desire to remain . For a second he thought about throwing out the cauldron but soon discarded the idea .

The run-off fumes from when the imp Herald was concocting the poison was enough to do a number on him , and he didn’t dare imagine what the finished product would be like . Unfortunately , he had no method to control the dissemination of the poison , and best scenario he managed to kill some of the demons . But that would still leave him to fight his way out against the survivors , now with one less ace in the hole . Worst case scenario the poison took too long to activate , or he poisoned himself as well , dying in a bout of friendly fire . The poison would have to be for when he truly was out of options as the last Hail Mary .

Zac instead shot back away from the tree and started cutting his way out of the packed masses . But how could leaving with the treasure be so easy? Combatants from both camps furiously impeded his path , and he was immediately beset by attacks from all directions . New wounds joined a litany of old ones , and even with Zac’s great constitution , he was starting to feel the pressure .

With a furious roar he overcharged Chop] and created a wide circle of death with a radius of 6 meters with one fluid motion before he pressed forward . But he only managed to take one step as an intense hair-raising danger made him turn around .

A silver sword was aimed straight at his throat from behind , and Zac barely had time to block it with the enlarged edge of Chop] . The power of the strike was enormous , and Zac was flung back from the force . He didn’t even have time to land as a molten spear struck him in his back , the searing pain eliciting a howl .

Neither the Herald nor the general were ready to give up the fruits , and for a second put their differences aside in order to hunt down Zac . The same couldn’t be said of their underlings of course , as their furious melee quickly resumed after the fruits were snatched . The monkey horde was once again starting to lose control of the situation , but this time Zac was too occupied to do anything about it . The fires started to grow , and soon the whole valley would likely be consumed in a conflagration .

Zac was in no position to worry about his island burning down , as he currently had two formidable foes to contend with . With steely eyes he activated chop to the limit he could sustain it and charged at the duo . With a roar he swung the axe in an upwards curve , rending a huge gash in the ground as he did . The edge flew toward the general , who Zac estimated to be the most formidable foe .

With a slanted blade the demon managed to nullify most of the force and redirected the swing upward . He then immediately followed up with a quick forward stab aimed straight at Zac’s heart . Zac barely managed to inch his chest to the side in order to avoid the blade , but it still tore a bloody gash along his chest . The sword had to be of superior make , as it actually ruined the inscribed dress he wore over his armor . If Zac had known this would happen he would have immediately used its charge instead of holding out for a more threatening situation .

The Herald wouldn’t miss the opportunity either and spat some magma in Zac’s direction . Most luckily missed , but some splattered on Zac’s arm , and some nauseating sizzling could be heard . Zac could only press forward , hoping to end things quickly .

He used every trick he had learned from Axe Mastery] trying to get past the sword of the general in order to do some damage . Each swing was imbued with all the strength he could exert , and wailing sounds of his axe filled the air . He even swapped between using his Dao and using Chop] trying to disrupt the general’s rhythm .

But it seemed that nothing worked against the demon . He smoothly deflected or dodged every strike that Zac put out , not even looking strained . His strength clearly wasn’t at the same level as Zac’s , but he made up for it with skill with the blade . Still , Zac judged his Strength to be far above 100 though , as every strike with the blades created terrifying collisions , the shockwaves keeping any fire out of their way . The ground beneath their feet kept cracking and getting destroyed as well .

Even more dangerously it looked like the demon also possessed a Dao Seed , or at least was beginning comprehend one . His strikes contained a sense of sharpness , and the shockwaves from his strikes actually cut small wounds on Zac’s body when the air hit him .

The Herald had gone somewhat passive , content in letting the two duke it out for a bit as he recuperated . By now it likely knew that it was not the match of either one of the two combatants , and probably hoped they would kill each other . It threw the occasional spear or boulder at Zac , but rather focused on helping out his brethren against the demon army . A few demons had tried to join the general in his battle against Zac , but the Herald luckily killed them as they came . Unfortunately , the General was in no need of backup and was doing just fine on his own .

Zac was steadily accruing wounds from his fight with the demon , as he wasn’t able to dodge his lightning-quick stabs . The best he could do was to avoid the sword hitting fatal spots by adjusting his body . Even worse , the general was one of the demons who used the black lightning attacks .

He used it far more freely compared to the first demon he had met . Every strike contained the biting sting of the arcs , and the lightning was actually slowly accumulating inside Zac’s body . His arm suddenly jerked from the shock , completely exposing his chest . The demon was prepared , and with a lunge stabbed his sword straight in Zac’s chest .

Lightning poured freely into his body , and Zac coughed up a mouthful of blood from the damage . He normally might have passed out from the pain but the lightning kept him awake . To make matters worse lava spikes erupted from the ground between Zac’s legs from a stomp of the Herald .

Surprisingly , the spikes shot toward the general , with the largest one aiming straight towards his exposed heart . It looked like the Herald had been waiting for an opportunity for a double knock-out . However , the general simply snorted and from nowhere all the spikes were cut into pieces . Hovering next to him was the sword that the demon had kept on his back throughout the battle .

It crackled with black lightning and seemed to have no problem with defying the laws of gravity . It hovered a few rounds around the general before it returned into the scabbard on his back on its own .

Abruptly the spike on the back of Zac’s axe head slammed into the temple of the Herald , instantly killing it . Zac had taken advantage of the brief pause in the Herald after its attack and used it to mount a surprise attack . Zac had consistently focused all his energy on attacking the general thus far , and the Herald had grown lax . He hadn’t actually planned on killing the Herald before the general , but he saw an opportunity and took it .

A huge surge of cosmic energy entered Zac’s body , and he felt himself gain another level . There was no time to go over it though , as the general renewed his attacks on him . Zac once again found himself at an impasse , steadily losing ground . The chest wound was creating trouble for him to breathe and move freely as well , and the fight turned even more one-sided . He wanted to somehow create an opportunity to flee , as he had accomplished all he needed for now . But the General would barely let him breathe , let alone leave the scene .

A tremendous amount of roaring erupted in the surroundings as well . The monkeys lost their minds upon seeing their leader fall and started madly swing at everything around them . In their madness they completely gave up on defense and started dropping with even faster speed compared to before . One after another the monkeys died , becoming food for the expanding fires . The flames hadn’t died out due to the death of the Herald , instead truly becoming a force of their own as they spread over the dried leaves and husks .

Zac desperately tried to swing faster and with more power to turn the tides , but the general felt like an impenetrable wall of deft blades . As he kept fighting and swapping back and forth between Chop] and the Dao , something suddenly clicked in his mind , and he once again summoned out the fractal blade .

This time it was different as it held a darker hue and emanated the aura of a lofty mountain . Even the fractals on the edge had grown denser , weaving another line of inscriptions along the edge . He finally managed to integrate his Dao with his skill , and the result wasn’t as simple as one plus one equals two . Something new was born out of the fusion .

With renewed vigor Zac roared and furiously swung his axe at the general , aiming to end it all with one strike . It was a huge overhead swing aimed at the demon’s head , and it carried the aura of a falling meteor .

The demon immediately sensed something was wrong but didn’t have time to dodge . Looking serious for the first time , the demon roared as the sword on his back flashed into his free hand , and he held up both his swords in the air in order to block the strike .

Just another sword wasn’t enough and the force slammed him down to his knees , the impact blowing any debris or bodies in the surroundings far away . The general tried to deflect the force , but the Chop of Heaviness was intractable as it pushed his blades down . A golden sheen flashed into existence around the demon , but it only held for a second before it cracked . The force in the strike contained everything Zac had learned and gained so far , and a flimsy armor inscription wouldn’t stop it .

An amulet around the neck of the demon started shining with a blinding light , and a silver shield winked into existence next . It looked like the shield of a celestial , as it shone with brilliant fractals as it met the oncoming axe .

The collision didn’t create a huge impact as Zac expected , but it rather seemed the shield somehow absorbed the momentum . After the strike the shield started to crack , and the general groaned miserably as a crack could also be heard in his right arm . It looked like using that amulet didn’t come without its price . But it was sufficient to stop Zac’s monstrous swing .

The general didn’t seem lax as before , and with an angry roar and his hair in disarray , he got to his feet . With a couple of furious slashes he created some distance from Zac , then pointed his sword towards the sky . His second blade crackled with an extreme amount of lightning and rapidly flew over ten meters up in the sky . The lightning kept expanding around it , creating a wide field of a lightning hell-scape .

The black arcs changed and actually turned into sword silhouettes covered in fractals . It reminded Zac of his own cosmic energy edge , but the danger he felt from the roughly hundred swords sinisterly hanging above was above anything he had felt thus far . The general didn’t pull any punches anymore and wanted to completely eradicate him .

The lightning blades started falling towards Zac like a heavenly punishment . Any one of the blades could kill Zac if it hit , and there were over a hundred of them incoming . Knowing there was nowhere to hide from the strike , Zac could only fight it head-on . Cramming all his remaining cosmic energy into his fractal on his hand he created his largest edge thus far , sporting almost 8 meters long blade . It was imbued with the Dao of Heaviness , and with a roar of defiance , he launched it like a projectile up against the sword rain .

For a second it felt like a colossal mountain rose from the ground to intercept the heavenly thunder above , in a struggle between the Heavens and Earth . The collision was earthshattering and the chaotic energies temporarily blotted out the sky . Errant lightning blades fell all over the area , killing and maiming monkeys and demons alike .

Zac had managed to avert most of the attack with his colossal edge , but he was completely drained and his head hurt . Furthermore , his swing wasn’t able to destroy all of the falling blades and he found himself impaled by multiple lightning swords . The general was panting as he walked over to Zac , one arm hanging limply to his side . He didn’t look like he had much fight left in him either , but it was enough to finish Zac off .

His second sword floated above his head , looking like a sinister scorpion’s stinger . Its crackling lightning had dimmed considerably , but it still held a strong killing intent within . Their eyes met for a brief second and the sword shot down towards Zac’s head . He tried to muster up a response , but he could only feebly lift his axe in an attempt to avert the incoming sword .

A spear of complete darkness suddenly emerged out of the general’s chest and lifted him up in the air , forcing him to puke out a huge amount of blood as his body started spasming . The sinister looking weapon had truly impaled him , and likely completely obliterated his heart .

Behind the general a nondescript demon in average gear was standing , with a determined glint in his eyes as he looked upon his dying leader . The general arduously turned his head and when he saw his assailer his eyes shrunk to a needlepoint .

With his last breath , he let out a ragged roar that covered the whole battlefield , garnering the attention of all the combatants .

OGRAS ! ! -

Chapter 63 - Purple Haze

The sinister blade that was supposed to end Zac’s life powerlessly fell to the ground as the general died . Zac mutely stared at the impaled demon , unable to comprehend what was going on . The same seemed to be true for the hundreds of demons who watched the betrayal . They stared blankly at the scene until they were awoken by an angry roar from one of the well-dressed leaders .

Suddenly a murderous air filled the air as multiple demons were screaming and pointing their weapons at Zac’s unexpected ally . The demon stood up from his hunkered position as he looked around at its supposed allies with a sneer . He threw away the corpse of the demon leader like it was trash with a whip of his lance after looting his pouch , and then turned toward Zac with a half-smile .

Suddenly the killer took something out of his pouch and popped it into his mouth . Unsure of what was going on , Zac shakily got ready for another round of battle as he finally scrambled to his feet . The wounds where he was impaled by the lightning blades screamed in protest , but he forced himself to stay upright . He looked at the demon in front of him with a dubious expression , wondering why this man saved his life . Zac’s eyes widened as the demon unexpectedly puked out a huge amount of blackened blood , and fell over to the ground . With a few spasms he lay dead next to the general .

WHAT? - Zac exclaimed , completely unable to follow the quick turns . Was the man an assassin or a member of a death squad that some rival demon group had sent after the general? But why would they want to ruin their own invasion? From what Zac understood the incursion would close the moment the four heralds and the general were dead .

But he could only put aside his doubts for now , as he was completely wrung out but still surrounded by hundreds of demons . At least they looked shell-shocked by the turn of events as well , as they hesitantly stared at the two corpses on the ground . Zac used this brief respite to quickly take a swig of the azure pond water , the familiar burning sensation quickly spreading through his veins , temporarily muting the blazing pain in his various wounds . He knew he had to treat himself real soon though , as he was starting to feel woozy from blood loss , even with the water strengthening him .

Just as he put away the bottle the assassin suddenly spasmed again , and with a few wretched coughs he rose from the dead . Zac didn’t want to take any chances , and started to advance on the zombie demon .

Wait human , we are on the same side - the demon croaked as he weakly scrambled to his feet .

Shocked at hearing something else than demonic for the first time since he met Abby , Zac paused and hesitantly stared at the demon . The surrounding demons suddenly woke up from their stupor and started angrily screaming at the assassin again , which was completely ignored by him .

We don’t have time for a chat human , you should have a cauldron of poison from the imps . Throw the contents into a fire if you want us to survive - he continued .

Why should I believe you? Why did you kill that man? - Zac questioned , loath to just follow some stranger’s instructions . He glanced around and saw that most of the demons were closing in , except for a few who were taking care of the leftover monkeys .

It doesn’t matter . Unless you do something we’re dead . Even if you drink the whole bottle of the Cosmic Water your wounds will kill you before you’re out of this valley if you keep fighting . - The demon interjected , having seen through Zac’s original plan of trying to slash himself out with the help of the azure water . An arrow whizzed past Zac head as a reminder he was strapped for time , and he needed to act fast .

After hesitating for a while he decided to comply with the suggestion . He subconsciously knew he wouldn’t make it out , as the only thing keeping him on his feet was the temporary boost from the water . He had held off until now , but it was Hail Mary time .

He brought out the large cauldron , and with a grunt threw it into one of the fiercest fires created by the Herald . The contents spilled out over the fire , and instantly a huge purple cloud , far more sinister compared to what he had seen in the imp Herald’s cave , swelled out . The poison vapors created in the caves had only been from the small fires underneath the cauldron heating the concoction , but this time the poison was actually burned instead of heated up . It looked like it fused with the smoke of the raging fires , and quickly spread outward .

What now? - he asked as he turned to the mysterious demon .

Now I wish you the best of luck human - the demon answered with a slight smile as he popped another pill into his mouth . It was a different type of pill from the one that temporarily killed him , giving out a refreshing herbal scent . He then took one step and disappeared into thin air .

Zac got a sinking feeling as he turned back to the cauldron . The fire was spewing out purple gasses in a terrifying volume , and it quickly expanded outward . Judging from the horrified faces of the demons he realized he might have made a big mistake . Not wasting any more time on the enigmatic demon , he madly ran for his life back toward the forest . He stumbled and couldn’t keep a very high speed even powered with the water , and his wounds kept bleeding as he ran for his life . With the mountain winds helping , the poison cloud would likely soon envelop the whole valley judging from its rapid expansion .

Only a few of the demons bothered with Zac after seeing the expanding purple haze , and instead fearfully dashed away from the battlefield , unheeding of any wounded comrades screaming for assistance .

A few of the wounded demons went for Zac with madness in their eyes , bent on taking him with them to hell . However , most of those who had given up fleeing were even more wounded than Zac , and could only helplessly glare at him as he stumbled away fueled by the azure water . An errant arrow hit his back , but Zac only grunted and continued on .

But the cloud moved too fast , and soon it was right at Zac’s heels . As he ran he took out a rag from his pouch and put it over his mouth , hoping it would at least provide some protection against the approaching cloud .

Just before the cloud overtook him , he took one last deep breath of fresh air . Soon after the world turned purple , and a stinging sensation made his eyes tear . He couldn’t see very far ahead anymore but could only keep moving forward as long as the air in his lungs let him . He madly dashed as quickly as his broken body allowed toward where he remembered the closest peak to be . Still , he knew it would take over 30 minutes at his speed to get there , and even then he might not be safe .

The wounds of his body seemed to be entrances for the poison as he started to get nauseous even though he kept his breath so far . After a while he couldn’t hold on any longer and was forced to inhale a lungful of poison . He immediately started getting extremely woozy , his power quickly leaving his legs . The strength of the poison truly was on another level compared to the fumes down in the Herald’s cave .

As he started despairing over what to do the familiar sight of the magical pond entered his vision . He lacked the luxury of having time to think things through , and immediately jumped into the azure water . He would have to risk meeting a pond monster , as even a few more breaths of that poison would kill him .

He planned on swimming down to the bottom of the lake and hopefully find a passage down into the mountain . Since the water was crammed full of cosmic energy Zac guessed it was connected to the crystal mine somehow . But he only managed to swim for 10 seconds deeper into the pond before his whole body felt like it was on fire . It was the water , as it seeped into his body through his wounds , and perhaps even his pores .

The heat quickly became unbearable , but it only kept building up . Meanwhile , his insides were churning from the poison , only adding to his misery . Zac’s whole body started to swell up , and in seconds looked completely bloated . His whole skin was red and if he wasn’t underwater he’d likely be steaming from the heat .

Zac felt hopeless and desperate . It was heartbreaking to think that he actually managed to defy all odds and beat the incursion , only to end up in this situation . He had killed the four heralds personally , and even helped set the stage for the general’s death by destroying all his protective treasures and forcing him to expend all his energy in the fight . Almost two months of ceaseless life-and-death struggles , only to explode from over-ingesting super-water .

Completely unreconciled , Zac made one desperate attempt to survive . He grabbed one of the fruits from his pouch and tore into it with his teeth . An unimaginably sweet taste exploded in his mouth and made him almost forget that he was dying . It was by far the tastiest thing he had ever eaten , and it felt like he was munching on something that gods feasted on in ancient stories . As he swallowed it a fresh cooling sensation entered his body , immediately sweeping the poison away .

He devoured the fruit completely apart from some juices that leaked into the water , completely frenzied from the taste . He even accidentally swallowed some water with the fruit as he forgot himself from the otherworldly deliciousness . The cooling sensation spread throughout his extremities as he feasted and actually started combating the burning sensation from the magical water .

Zac was relieved as it looked like his gambit had been successful . But the relief didn’t last for long as his body quickly started to go from blazing hot to freezing cold , over and over again in quick succession . Two forces were fighting for supremacy , and the ravaged battlefield was Zac’s body .

Even though he was underwater he couldn’t stop himself from desperately screaming in pain , with even more water filling his lungs . He couldn’t even register it as the pain was all-consuming , far worse than getting burned or stabbed in his chest . With every change in his body , it felt like his cells were melted down into a puddle , then frozen solid again by the freezing cold of the fruit .

Zac sensed that his spirit could collapse at any moment , and every second felt like an eternity for him . Soon he couldn’t take it anymore and brought out a dagger from his pouch . With his last energy stabbed it toward his throat , hoping to quickly end the suffering .

The dagger tore into his throat and then sunk to the bottom of the lake as Zac let go with relief . He felt a sting of shame when thinking of his family that he never was able to save , but he felt they would understand if they knew what he was going through .

But the sweet release of death didn’t arrive . The wound closed with visible speed and soon his neck was as good as new . Zac despaired , not knowing what to do . His body wouldn’t listen to his commands anymore , and his brain was overtaxed by the pain signals bombarding his synapses .

The continuous changes in his body kept on going uncaring about Zac’s plight . Finally , his eyes rolled up into his head as he passed out into blissful darkness , and as he fainted his body slowly kept descending into the depths .

Chapter 64 - Taking Stock

With a scream Zac woke up from his head hitting a sharp rock formation . Groggily he tried to orient himself and found that he was bobbing about in the azure water in a cave . Afraid that the burning pain would start again , he quickly scrambled up on a piece of dry land .

His body felt surprisingly good after all it had gone through . The mental scar from remembering the excruciating pain was far worse compared to anything his body was actually experiencing right now . Just thinking about it caused his hands to shake and almost made him cry . That had been too harrowing , far worse than risking his life in any of the fights or the pain from getting wounded .

It took some time for him to regather his wits before he finally looked at his surroundings . He was currently in a decently large cave that was 10 by 20 meters . Almost half of it was submerged in the azure water , and the other half was crammed full of subterranean plants . It made sense , as Zac had never encountered any tunnel or cave with a density of cosmic energy that could compare to where he was .

It was as though the boost from the crystal mines below had fused with the boost of the lake and created something even more intense in the enclosed space of the cavern . Zac was unsure of how he had gotten here . After snatching the fruits he had fled the purple cloud of death and jumped into the mysterious pond . After that everything had turned fuzzy , apart from the very real memory of the pain .

He could only guess that some stream brought him down into the depths of the mountain while the Fruit of Ascension kept him alive . Even though he felt generally restored , he wasn’t ready to set out , as there were many things he needed to check out after the cataclysmic final battle .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

36

Class

Hatchetman (F)

Race

Human (E)

Alignment

Human (Earth)

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

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - Early

Strength

189

Dexterity

69

Endurance

130

Vitality

84

Intelligence

57

Wisdom

57

Luck

77

Free Points

3

Nexus Coins

746317

The first thing he noticed was that his strength now was at a full 189 points , having increased by 14 points since he last checked . He had actually broken past his limit of 175 points , and could only attribute it to the fact that he luckily evolved to an E-ranked Human according to his status page , whatever that meant . He did a quick check all over his body and was relieved to find there were no wings or other new appendages that suddenly grew on him . He even checked between his legs and was half disappointed and half relieved that no evolutions had taken place there as well .

He didn’t really feel any different , but he guessed that he would find out sooner or later what it meant to get a higher race class . He at least knew it helped him increase the limit of his attributes , which was one of his most important goals .

He had also gained two new titles , and he brought up the title menu to check it out .

One Against Many : Fight against 500 warriors of the same tier and survive . Endurance +10]

Planetary Aegis : First to stop an incursion in world . All stats +5 , All stats +5%]

The first one was not bad , a nifty reward for staying alive through those odds . He guessed that there were tiers to that title , and he’d have gotten a better one if he actually defeated them rather than fleeing after throwing out a bunch of poison .

The second was even better , and the fifth one he possessed that gave a percent boost to all stats . The title didn’t mention anything about solo kill like some of his other titles and he wondered if it was because he actually wasn’t the one who killed the general .

He couldn’t be bothered about that mysterious demon right now , even if he could speak human language and seemingly had helped him . Zac was sure the demon survived from how he had acted before disappearing . Since there only were so many places to go on the island Zac figured he’d find him sooner or later and get his answers then .

After having checked the title he closed the panel and did some mental calculations . He realized that he actually had missed out on another 3 points of Strength when he turned level 36 . He still received the stats from the new title though , which confused him a bit , as he should have received the title before he evolved and broke his attribute cap .

He was also a bit surprised with the amount of Nexus Coins he amassed from the battle . He had gained roughly 150 000 from his whole day on the battlefield . While it was not a small amount by any means , it still didn’t feel like it added up . That poison cloud should have killed hundreds , if not thousands , in the valley . Only the strongest combatants had been right by the tree , while the rest were spread out through the valley . Perhaps a few of the speedier ones had managed to escape , there couldn’t be too many survivors with how rapidly the purple cloud had expanded .

Zac shuddered at the thought of having poisoned hundreds of beings to death but forcibly threw the thought into the back of his mind . Either all those kills didn’t actually improve his level or give him coins , or they all were still alive .

Zac was convinced that they died from the poison . Just one breath of the poison cloud made him who had over a hundred endurance keel over , and he couldn’t imagine normal demons or monkeys survive that . Furthermore , he had seen the horrified looks on their faces when they saw the billowing purple clouds .

Zac briefly considered trying to swim through the pond to get back into the valley , but soon perished the thought . Even if he managed to actually swim through the water now , the poison might still be up there .

Suddenly a thought popped up into his mind , and he opened the quest screen .

Active Quests

Dynamic Quests

Off With Their Heads (Unique) : Kill the four heralds and the general of an incursion within 3 months . Reward : 10 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , E-Grade equipment , unique building depending on performance . (5/5) COMPLETE]

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect outpost from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : 5 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , outpost upgraded to town , status upgraded to Lord . (0/3) 43 : 12 : 32 : 11]

Class Quests

Forester's Constitution (Class) : Fight in the forests , be one with nature . Reward : Forester's Constitution Skill . (8/30)

Loamwalker (Class) : Walk a thousand kilometers touching the earth . Reward : Loamwalker Skill . (0/1000)

Zac sighed in relief , as the first incursion quest finally could be confirmed as complete . This had been his goal since Abby’s warning , and it was thankfully done with after almost two horrible months . He already had been pretty sure he completed it the moment the general got impaled , but it was nice to finally see it set in stone .

He was also relieved to see that the quest said COMPLETE] instead of just disappearing , as that meant the system hadn’t spit out the reward somewhere while he was unconscious . As one of the rewards was related to his outpost he assumed he would have to get back to his camp to collect them .

The next quest had gotten a timer just like the limited quest . If he read it correctly he either had to finish it within 43 days or something would happen in 43 days .

Finally , he was surprised to see that the Loamwalker hadn’t progressed at all since he got it . He wasn’t exactly sure how far he ran yesterday , but he had been pushing it pretty hard with his inhuman stats for a few hours , so he felt that he should at least have ran a marathon on the mountain slopes . And walking on a mountain should constitute touching earth in any sense of the word .

After a brief hesitation he took off his shoes and threw them into his bag . He was reminded of the man in the vision , and could only try copying him . Perhaps his soles had to actually physically touch the earth for it to count , and if true he wondered what that meant when using the skill in the future . Would he become a barefoot warrior in the future just like the axe-man? At least his endurance was high enough that his soles wouldn’t get cut or damaged even if walking around on glass shards .

Satisfied that he had gone through everything for now he brought out some food and water . He was generally happy with the progression , but also a bit pissed off that that harrowing experience in the water hadn’t done anything except boost his Race a level .

From how precious the Fruit of Ascension appeared he thought that the fruit alone would be enough to ascend a stage , but with the harrowing molding his body had gone through he figured he should at least have been awarded some bonus attributes or a title . He wondered if the System had a complaint department he could contact , as its rewards weren’t balanced .

Internally grumbling he tore into a piece of dried meat and he was surprised to see that his appetite was simply monstrous , and he ate a couple of kilos of meat before he felt satiated . Looking at his slightly protruding belly he wondered if evolving your race meant that you got a separate dimension tucked into your stomach .

Finally all set he stood up and ventured out . He had after some deliberation chosen to head into the tunnels instead , as he simply refused to enter that water again . He refilled his canteen though , just for emergencies .

The cave he was in was connected to the larger tunnel system he found out after some traveling . Only a small hole was open though , and Zac was forced to cut his way out with a sword . As he worked the sword he felt that his body was more coordinated than ever , as every muscle was working in perfect harmony . He wasn’t really stronger or more agile , but rather had greater control of his body . Normally he would think that it was due to increased Dexterity , but the change was too large that just a few extra points from his new title couldn’t cover it . He guessed instead that it was another advantage of being an evolved human .

After some hesitation he carved out a couple of boulders from a nearby wall and covered up the path again . That secret cave would be an excellent cultivation cave in the future , and he didn’t want a salamander or wandering demon to ruin it .

Perhaps it wouldn’t be useful for himself , but maybe for his sister or Hannah if he managed to bring them back to the island . Now that the demon threat was taken care of he needed to actually start preparing for the future .

At least he hoped that the demon threat was over , but he couldn’t be sure . He never got any indication of what would happen when he finally killed the Heralds and the general . There still should be quite a few demons still around even after the huge battle . There had been at least a thousand demons in the mountains , but even if all of them died , there should be hundreds in the tunnels . Add to that the demon town and the roving parties and most demons should still be around .

Putting the matter aside , Zac pushed forward in the tunnels . Soon he found a familiar cave , whose tunnels led to the demon mining operation . After a brief hesitation he headed over there to check things out . As he walked he heard absolutely no sound of activity , which could only be considered a good sign .

The mining tunnels were completely deserted as he hoped , with not a single demon in sight . As he continued on he soon exited the cave entrance he had seen the demons use daily . Still , he didn’t see a single demon anywhere . A few sacks and tools were thrown here and there , hinting at a hasty escape .

More importantly , for the first time since he woke up on this hellish island there was no huge red glaring pillar shooting into the sky . The incursion was simply gone .

But that didn't mean his work was over .

Chapter 65 - First Contact

With a spring in his steps he hadn’t felt for a long time Zac moved along the road toward the location of the now-gone incursion . He was planning on heading back to his campsite to complete his quest , but first , he wanted to check things out and make sure that the demons were truly gone .

He moved along the path leading to the fortified city , meeting no resistance on the way . Soon he reached the forest edge close to the town , and any further and he would be exposed due to all vegetation having been cut down to supply the construction .

He hunkered down and stared at the town for a good while trying to see any signs of demons . The good news was that the previously well-manned walls were completely deserted . Not a single guard was patrolling along the wall walk , and the towers were empty . The bad news was that he saw a few lines of smokes rising from the inner parts of the town .

After some hesitation he decided to take a closer look . The lines of smoke might just be left behind fires , and if there actually were demons here they must be disorganized for some reason . He briskly jogged over to the fortifications , and with a few tugs pulled himself up along the wall . He didn’t encounter any arrays impeding his path either , making him wonder if demons couldn’t use them for some reason . He hadn’t seen them use a single one so far after all , unless inscriptions on tools could be called arrays .

He looked out over the demon town and found it more or less deserted . He was disappointed to see that there actually were a few demons milling about , but they looked listless and without direction .

He also noticed that the town had grown considerably since he had seen it the first time a few weeks ago . Most of the military-looking rectangular buildings were gone , replaced with structures of various size and design . It almost looked like a medieval town by now rather than a military base . But the craftsmanship and cleanliness were far greater compared to some old city , and no garbage or excrement lined the sidewalks . Perhaps the large barracks were only temporary housing they used while they constructed the real city .

Zac soon spotted a solitary demon who walked towards a house right next to the wall . There were no other demons close to him and the small building would provide perfect cover , making him a perfect target .

Zac crept along the wall , and with one swift motion jumped down right in front of him . Quick as lightning he grabbed the startled demon by his tunic and dragged him behind the house . Without any pause , Zac slammed him against the building’s wall with one hand and brought out his axe with the other .

Scream and you die . Do you understand what I’m saying? - Zac asked with a steely glint as he held the axe at his throat , ready to decapitate the demon at a moment’s notice .

The demon looked truly horrified after he saw Zac’s face . Tears started falling like rain , and even a snot bubble was starting to grow . He incoherently started whispering something in the demonic language , regularly interrupting himself with large sobs .

Zac was stumped , not expecting such an exaggerated response . Perhaps his deeds on the mountain had spread , and the demon was afraid he’d poison the town to death . But then again , this demon differed from the ones he had encountered so far . He didn’t look at all like a hardened warrior . Rather , he looked like a civilian . He didn’t wear any weapon , and while his arms looked sturdy he also had a pretty large gut . Furthermore , he was middle-aged , whereas most of the warriors he had encountered seemed quite young .

Just as he was considering whether he should kill the demon and find a new interrogation target a shaky voice behind him interrupted his thoughts .

Um . . P-Please let my dad go . He can’t understand your words . -

Zac instantly whirled around , holding the stocky demon as a barrier against this new voice . He found himself face to face with a small bespectacled demoness . She was the shortest one he had seen , just about reaching up to his chest , and had her silver hair in a neat bun . She didn’t carry any weapons and shook with fright as she was facing Zac’s murderous glare .

Move over to behind the house . If you scream you both die , - Zac instructed the scared demon with a low but harsh voice . Seeing her pallid face and remembering his words he was starting to feel like a villain , even though the demons were his enemies . - I just want some answers , help me out and I’ll leave , - he added in a softer tone .

The demon didn’t seem very comforted by his words and still shook like a leaf . Still , she complied with his words , much to the dismay of the middle-aged demon . He started wheezing something out , and soon even tried to scream . He likely wanted his daughter to run away from them and get to safety . While Zac could appreciate the sentiment , he couldn’t let her go as he finally had someone he could question . With a quick thud , he hit the pudgy demon in the back of his head , instantly knocking him out and shutting him up .

Sorry about that , but he is alive . I can’t have him scream and warn the whole town , - Zac sighed as he placed the unconscious demon next to the demoness .

Why is it that I can speak with some of you , but most only speak gibberish? - Zac questioned , eager to finally get some answers .

Gibberish - ? The small demon seemed a bit offended but quickly readjusted to a timid face , - You . . You need a skill to speak with other races . But it is expensive so most people don’t have it . I am a merchant so the clan provided it for me . - She seemed somewhat proud of the fact , as it was quite a glorious job to have .

Your class is Merchant? - Zac asked with a renewed relief he didn’t gamble for the Epic class when choosing a class .

No , I’m a Scribe , a common class . But I am following , I mean I was following , the upgrade path towards a real merchant class in the future , - the demon answered , looking somewhat deflated .

What she said about upgrade path was something he was interested in finding out more about , but he had more pressing matters .

Why are you people still on my island? Your invasion should have failed when the incursion ended . Why haven’t you gone back to wherever you came from? - This was the most crucial question on Zac’s mind right now .

Going back… Some of us can't , - she answered with a melancholic smile . - We embarrassed the clan and cost it a lot of money when the invasion failed . If we went back bad things would happen . Some chose to stay on this planet instead . -

Zac felt a headache coming on when he realized he suddenly had a bunch of demon refugees on the island .

How many of you are still left? -

I don’t know… - she answered with a low voice , and hastily explained when she saw Zac’s eyes narrowed dangerously . - I truly don’t know , I usually just file documents . Ogras should know . He is , was , the leader of the expedition . But most of the warriors left , their status is better in the clan . -

That’s impossible , I saw your leader die right in front of me , - Zac growled , taking a step toward the demoness .

The Scribe seemed to have been reminded that the person was a dangerous enemy warrior and once again started shaking .

I swear he is alive . I saw Ogras exit his palace before . He didn’t go to the mountains I think? - she managed to stutter out through clattering teeth .

It didn’t seem like she was lying , which confused Zac greatly . His mission was completed , and he had seen the general die from the huge black spear . Besides , she called the leader Ogras , which was the last thing the leader roared before he perished .

Does this Ogras have white hair , a silver armor , and fights with two swords . Oh , and he can make the sword fly? - he tentatively asked , a guess forming in his mind .

No… That is Rydel . He was second in command maybe? His grandfather is the clan chief after all , - she answered , happy that Zac’s murderous air receded somewhat .

The answer only made Zac more confused . If the one who died wasn’t the general why had he led the forces? If this Ogras was the real general instead , why had his quest been completed if he was still alive and kicking? Because he briefly killed himself? Why would he do that? He was certain that the mysterious Demon was Ogras , but he didn’t understand why he would kill his own ally and even suggest poisoning the whole army . This girl said Ogras didn’t participate in the battle , so it sounded like he had snuck out of the town behind his own army without their knowledge .

Where is Ogras now? - he asked . It seemed this demoness held a low rank in the clan , and her knowledge was limited . It would be better to simply ask the source . Besides he had a bone to pick with this Ogras , as he almost got him killed with his poison idea . Of course , Ogras saved his life by killing this Rydel character , but he still had a sour feeling when thinking about the torment he was forced to endure when he jumped into the pond .

Dad said he heard Ogras question many demons , then left the town toward the south , - she answered , seemingly excited at the prospect of sending Zac on his way to become someone else’s problem .

Zac mulled things over for a few seconds , before determining his next action . There were many more things he wanted to know , but he had a sneaking suspicion Ogras was heading toward his outpost . It was the only thing of interest to the south , the rest was just forest . And nothing good could come from the insidious demon fiddling around with his stuff , so he decided to briskly head back home .

As Zac had come to his decision he asked one final question . - Oh by the way , what is your name? -

I’m Zakarith , my dad calls me Zak , - she quickly introduced herself .

Zac’s mouth tugged a bit trying to avoid smiling . - Well Zakarith , welcome to Earth , - he said and immediately slammed the butt of his axe in between her horns , instantly knocking her out . He felt a bit bad about it as she reminded him a bit of his little sister , but he couldn’t have her running around right now . He felt no need to kill both of them as it seemed the demon threat was largely gone . And even if they came to blows again he didn’t feel a little Scribe and her pudgy father would be able to turn the tides .

He quickly tied up both the unconscious demons and left them hidden between the house and the outer wall , before quickly leaving the town the same way he had gotten in . Same as with Ogras , his course was south . He was going home .

Chapter 66 - My Dinner With Ogras

Zac quickly jogged due south , and soon arrived at the part of the valley where the incursion was located . The crystal was still there , but it now looked inert . It had lost its colors , and no longer radiated any power .

The area seemed deserted as well , so Zac snuck up to the small house , finding it empty as well . Knowing no demons were around he walked up to the huge crystal . Fractals completely covered the whole thing , barely leaving an inch free . It reminded him of an evolved version of his Nexus Node in camp , and after a brief hesitation he touched it . No menu or prompt arrived , and he could only feel the cold and smooth surface of the crystal .

Zac thought about infusing the crystal with some Cosmic Energy , but soon decided against it . He had too little information about the thing , and was afraid that he’d accidentally teleport himself somewhere . He was in no mood to suddenly arrive at a demon planet after having been stuck on a demon island for so long .

Zac could only leave it be for now and add it to the list of things he would squeeze out of Ogras if he found him . After a final check he left southbound . As he walked he noticed that the foliage in the surroundings unfortunately hadn’t turned back into normal trees and bushes . They were still sickly-looking from the influence of the red pillar . He could only hope that the area would gradually heal now that the incursion was turned off .

He kept going through the valley , and after some trial and error he found an ascent leading up to the forest . Soon he was walking familiar paths south he had walked many times before . There still were quite a few barghest in the forests , but it seemed that the war thinned them out somewhat at least . Or perhaps they left together with the surviving demon army .

More surprisingly , he found out that the reward had lessened substantially when he killed one . The remaining ones still were hyper-aggressive , and he was forced to kill one that came rushing toward him with a kick . After killing it he actually gained less than 30 Nexus Coins . It was disappointing , as he had actually considered rounding them all up somehow and then kill hundreds of them with his Chop] skill . That would have netted him quite a decent income , while simultaneously cleaning up for his town .

He saw two possible reasons for the decrease . Either the reward from killing demons lessened now that the incursion was over , or the reward lessened as his level increased . He had gained quite a few levels in the mountains and tunnels , and now the System maybe didn’t want to award as many resources for killing weaklings .

Zac actually hoped it was the second . Then he could at least save a lucrative grinding area for other people . If the barghest could actually breed on the island he could have a perpetual farming ground going . But if it was the first he simply had a nuisance on his hands .

After half a day of jogging , he finally was in close proximity of his camp . He started his usual sweep of the area and actually found some worrying signs . There were footprints in the ground around where he battled the demon party , and even though he was no expert tracker it looked like multiple sources .

At the same time the illusion array was untouched , and he quickly equipped his amulet as well . He had actually removed it earlier in order to avoid getting any experience , and forgot to put it back on . The familiar warmth from the amulet told him that the mother-daughter array was still working as well .

With a heavy heart he retrieved his axe and got ready for battle , and he also took out the shield he had found in the caverns . He held the shield in front of his head and madly dashed through the illusion barrier . Zac even charged up his Chop] ready to swing at everything in the camp even if he had to cut his beloved camper in two .

You natives truly are barbarians , so aggressive . - A familiar voice could be heard from the vicinity , followed by a helpless sigh .

Even though it wasn’t completely unexpected the voice gave Zac pause . He quickly glanced around the camp , his axe still at the ready . What entered his vision made Zac visibly groan and lower his shield .

It was the mysterious demon comfortably sitting in an opulent chair , lazily eating fruits that were placed on a golden tray in front of him . The tray was placed on a large table even more intricately designed than Zac’s own ostentatious table he had stolen . Did all demon noblemen walk around with obnoxiously over-the-top furniture just to be able to posture at any given time?

Thinking about the annoying smile of the demon right before escaping the poison inferno Zac couldn’t stop himself and cleaved the table in two with a swing . The brows of the demon rose a bit in alarm , but he quickly regained composure when he saw Zac didn’t continue .

Zac removed a chair from his own pouch and sat down as well with a grunt and retrieved some dried meat .

Ogras? - he questioned , still finding it a bit hard to find the words after months of silence .

The demon looked slightly surprised , then it seemed he realized something .

The very same . I guess you visited Camp Rezak on your way back . Ehm . . . Are my subordinates still alive? - Ogras asked , looking a bit troubled , but not to the point he was ready to come to blows .

They are alive , I just caught a few to ask some questions . Why are you here , and how did you find the outpost? - Zac asked , still with a guarded expression against this unpredictable demon .

You’re using an F-grade illusion array for protection , any decent skill can detect it . We actually found your home a few days ago after investigating your… activities . - Ogras answered with a dismissive wave of his hand .

I can’t believe you live in a cramped and bloodied tin can . Don’t the humans of this planet know how to build decent structures? In any case , we found you in the tunnels before we could use the knowledge of this place to our advantage . - Ogras gave Zac a pitying glance as he looked around at the small campsite , with the dented camper and ruined car .

Irritation once again started to build up in Zac , and he was unsure whether he should defend his camp or Earth’s architectural ingenuity . But he once again calmed down quickly . This demon seemed like the crafty type , and Zac didn’t want to give out any undue information by mistake because he was goaded into anger .

You still haven’t explained why you’re here . And why you and the others are still on my island . - Zac felt it was important to make it clear that they were refugees while he was the landowner . This was his planet and he had completed the quest to gain control of the area .

Ogras seemed to understand the implication of his words but only smiled in response . - Well , I came here to meet with you of course . I figured you would return here after the battle . The incursion is over , and so is our need to be enemies . I think it’s time to discuss an Alliance between our group and yours . -

Zac was about to say it was only him , but quickly stopped himself . If the demons thought he was just the spearhead of a larger group his position was only strengthened .

You should know that this world was only integrated into the multi-verse less than two months ago . There are things we do not know . Explain to me why we shouldn’t keep hunting your kind . - Zac said , happy to keep the fib going .

When you finished your quest the incursion ended . We were given 12 hours to return through the Nexus Hub before it closed down . Some of us couldn’t get there in time , and others simply chose to stay behind for various reasons . After The Ruthless Heavens has closed the hub it won’t open again for a long time , and never to our home planet . - Ogras answered , seemingly prepared for the question .

In other words , we made the choice to cut ties with our clan and our home , and it is unlikely we will ever be able to return . Even if we wanted to , it would be almost impossible due to the cost of traveling such a distance . We also won’t get any back-up in the future . Therefore it makes no sense to keep a war going against you natives . -

That’s a pretty flippant attitude after so many of your kind has died . Why did you even come to our planet? And what’s the ruthless heavens? - Zac asked after mulling over Ogras’ answer . He couldn’t find any lies in what the demon told him from what he had observed , and what the demoness had said . But he wasn’t so naïve to believe everything he said either . Someone who could kill his ally with a stab in the back could only be a duplicitous character .

The Ruthless Heavens , The Endless Heavens , The Cosmic Warden , The System . It has many names but you should know what I’m talking about . - Ogras explained with an expansive gesture . - And why should I care if some clansmen died? Life and death mean nothing in the multi-verse . Long before I came here all my siblings had already been killed in battle and assassinations by my very own clan members . - He continued , as though such a tragic life had nothing to do with him . He then leaned forward and stared at Zac with a glint .

As for why we came here? Resources of course . The Ruthless Heavens thrives on conflict , and war is expensive . Baby worlds like yours are usually a treasure trove of wealth that can help a clan or country ascend . There are likely multiple forces across your planet who are gobbling everything up like locusts at this very moment . Clan Azh’Rezak was just unlucky being stuck on this island with a humanoid monster . -

Zac chose to ignore the last sentence and focused on the other information . There were many points of interest in the demon’s answer , but one more than the others . But before he could ask he realized something .

Wait , why haven’t the system punished you? I was told the system might kill me if I failed the missions . Why are you demons fine after failing yours? - Abby had clearly warned him to properly complete the quest , at the risk of death and mutilation . Meanwhile , Ogras was just fine and dandy , even though he should hold the main responsibility for the demon’s invasion .

Urh . . . What? - Ogras seemed truly confused , so after a brief hesitation Zac told him about parts of his conversation with Abby the Eye .

Ogras looked stunned at Zac for a good while before he started laughing self-depreciatingly .

All our plans ruined because of a lying Stargazer… The Ruthless Heavens truly have a wicked sense of humor . - Ogras said and sighed .

Lying? What do you mean? - Zac asked skeptically . So far everything Abby said had been true and he instinctively trusted her far more compared to this demon .

The Ruthless Heavens doesn’t punish . At worst it loses interest in you . What did you think , a lightning bolt would zap you if you left the island on a raft? Don’t be silly . The only result would be that you no longer qualified to become a lord , and missed out on the rewards from the quests . - Ogras said with a snicker after having regained his composure .

Just think about the quest for those Fruits you picked up . Would the system just kill off everyone who didn’t rush to the mountain? That’s crazy . - He continued . - By the way , are you interested in selling those fruits to me? -

Zac ignored the business proposal and pondered on what the demon said . He didn’t know what to believe . It did make sense what Ogras said , but Zac didn’t understand why Abby would lie to him like that .

What would she have to gain for telling me to fight you guys? Are Stargazers and demons enemies? - He inquired .

Bah , Stargazers don’t have any enemies . They pretty much all of them work for The Ruthless Heavens , who would dare mess with them? I guess she wanted a promotion . If you become a Lord you get a permanent administrator to help you out . Then she could get appointed to a baby world to one of its leaders and get access to both many good resources and opportunities for advancement . -

Zac was stumped from the answer , but refused to believe that the floating eye would send him against a whole demon army just to get a chance to get a promotion if he actually survived .

You need to toughen up human . The multi-verse is a cold place where the honest and brave get butchered while the calculating and shrewd survive . Everything else is irrelevant in the face of benefits . - The demon said , with stone-cold eyes that spoke of a deep-rooted cynicism toward the world .

Chapter 66 . 5 - My dinner with Zac

Ogras swatted some flies out of his face as he walked through the alien landscape . His decisions were born out of desperation , but it was just now the fact that he was stranded on this foreign planet truly hit home .

The two suns in the sky were even more glaring now that the soothing canopy of the incursion disappeared , and the bombardment of colors was unsettling . Everywhere he could only see forests , and no civilization was in sight . He missed the bars , the pruned hunting grounds , and the whores . Gods , the whores! Why hadn’t he insisted on bringing along a brothel instead of a few of the farmers?

Even though he had cultivated a horrible reputation in his Clan he wasn’t the type of man who would force himself upon an unwilling woman . Unfortunately , the very same reputation was what now kept the town’s women at arm’s length . Well , there was Namys who was more than willing , but she had the face of a netherbeast . He spat in annoyance and could only continue .

Still , though he lost many things , he had gained perhaps something even greater . Freedom . He brought up his heavenly screen and took a look .

Name

Ogras Azh'Rezak

Level

53 (73)

Class

Shadowblade (F)

Race

Demon (F)

Alignment

-

Titles

Demon Slayer I , Adventurer , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Tower of Eternity – 3rd floor , Astral Pond – 20m , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Betrayer

Dao

Seed of Shadows - Early

Strength

112

Dexterity

134

Endurance

63

Vitality

63

Intelligence

38

Wisdom

35

Luck

23

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

300

Gone was the Alignment to his old Clan , leaving the space a liberating blank . Gone was also the constant need for machinations and pretension . Gone was constantly looking over his shoulder , afraid that he would be the 8th and last sibling to be killed by jealous clan members .

The surviving demons would soon understand the true Ogras . There already were some murmurs of discontent from the search parties that were stuck in the tunnels when the countdown began .

It was on his orders that they entered the mines , and now they couldn’t leave this baby world . Many of the warriors didn’t wish to stay here , as their status would have kept them somewhat safe even in the case of a return in defeat .

But soon they would understand that even without his ancestor his title as leader was unshakeable .

Ogras inwardly groaned at the fact that The Ruthless Heavens actually confiscated the Nexus Coins of everyone when they stayed behind . He never read about this and swore at the information missive he bought at the Pavilion of Myriad Eyes . It had been exorbitantly expensive and should have covered everything one needed to know about venturing into a baby world .

He was approaching the level and attribute limits as well . He had been furiously leveling up from his unimpressive level since he arrived at the island . With the limitations in place he could quickly gain levels without anyone finding out . He had done so in secrecy by absorbing the E-Grade Nexus Crystals his grandfather helped him bring along , allowing him to shoot up a few levels per day . He had kept himself at a low level on purpose earlier in order to not let anyone realize his high stat growth .

He was one of the few in the clan with a Rare class . Combined with his achievements in the Tower of Eternity his progress would outpace almost everyone in the Clan . Normally it would have been a cause for celebration , but for his branch it was a death sentence . But now he could finally grow into the limit and focus on his constitution . He grimaced at the fact that the human who snatched both the fruits now was gone .

Ogras could only hope that he could find the body and the Cosmic Bag as soon as the poison cleared out in the mountains . If the fruits were lost he would have to slowly cultivate his body until it evolved , and that would likely take years and years . And that would be the smallest of the losses from not getting the fruit .

He cursed himself for not simply snatching the bags when he had the chance up on the mountain . He was already stressed out from killing Rydel and subsequently killing himself , and he might have made an error in judgment . Ogras felt something dangerous in the human’s eyes and instead had opted to cajole the human into using the poison . Besides , if any straggler lived to tell the tale it would be clear that it wasn’t Ogras who did the deed , but the wretched human .

Soon he arrived at the area where the scouts found the human’s small camp . He activated Omniscient Eyes] and after walking around for a few hours he finally found the bubble of the illusion array . After testing it out he found it was a simple one-layer array , with no defensive or offensive options .

He entered and his eyes fell upon the base of operations of Clan Azh’Rezak’s nemesis . Even though things had turned out somewhat okay for him , Ogras couldn’t help but become pissed off at the sight . This human lived like some kind of animal in a dirty metal hovel and still had managed to bring about the downfall of their invasion?

There were scraps of items and rags strewn about the campsite and the domicile the native lived in was actually a large can . The can was dented and in disrepair , and there were even splotches of blood on it . As he walked inside it Ogras immediately was too depressed to continue the search , and quickly left the cage . To live like this and not go crazy must have required certain mental fortitude as Ogras was getting stressed out just thinking about spending the night in there .

There was another metal contraption in the camp and after going over it for some time Ogras realized that it was not another odd domicile , but rather a transportation device . It seemed like it was an extremely rudimentary version of the contraptions the Technocrats use to traverse the multi-verse .

He knew that some baby-planets had gone an impressive depths into what the Technocrats called the Dao of Technology . But of course , The Ruthless Heavens didn’t acknowledge that Dao , so most newly integrated worlds soon discarded it for the pursuit of the true Dao and to wield cosmic energy .

But this wasn’t why he was here . He quickly walked up to the large crystal , which should be the Nexus Node he read about . The City Lords in his own homeworld each had one as well , but they were fiercely guarded treasures , so he had never seen one before .

The missive stated that when the mission failed he and the other demons would be barred from attaining System-sanctioned properties and towns for roughly a decade , but he needed to make sure . If he could gain ownership of the crystal he would gain the tools to not only survive , but to thrive in this new world .

While they were on a desolate island he knew he wasn’t safe . The Ruthless Heavens wouldn’t allow the peace to continue forever and force some events into being . It thrived and existed for conflict after all .

He touched the Nexus Node , infusing it with his cosmic energy . But it was as though it hit a wall , and couldn’t enter the crystal . He bit his finger and dropped some blood on it , but it wasn’t absorbed , and only ran along its smooth surface . Ogras even brought up a small vial of blood and poured it on the crystal , but it didn’t have any effect as well . The vial contained blood from the human that scouts had collected in the mines , and Ogras thought it might be the key to gain access to the Town Shop-system .

Ogras sighed in disappointment . It seemed that he couldn’t integrate his town after all . They would have to do everything themselves . At least there were quite a few demons who stayed behind that would be useful in building up a sphere of influence , sanctioned or not by The Ruthless Heavens .

A movement in the distance immediately grabbed Ogras’ attention and he whirled around . His eyes widened as he saw the very same human that he met in the mountain valley . How the hell had he survived? Was he a walking behemoth that just couldn’t be killed?

Ogras watched this grimy-looking man look at the footsteps of the search parties and lumber around trying to act sneaky and he couldn’t stop himself from grimacing . This is the man who caused the downfall of Clan Azh’Rezak? He looked like a thoroughbred lunatic , without any hair at all on his face , and dressed in rags and a ripped up lady’s gown .

Sometime since the mountains he appeared to have lost his ratty shoes as well , walking along with his impractically soft bare feet . Was he intentionally looking like an idiot in order to lower his enemies’ guard? Genius . He also looked like he had been living as a battle slave for a decade , with scars covering all parts of his exposed skin .

But the scars were far less pronounced compared to when he saw the human up in the mountains . Before they were grisly jagged lines along his body and face , making him look mutilated , and now they were simply thin white lines .

The human had eaten a Fruit of Ascension . Ogras’ teeth immediately started to itch when he saw that this human had gobbled up a supreme treasure , probably without knowing its value . His eyes soon moved to the pouches on the human’s belt and his eyes lit up with greed . His Fruit of Ascension had delivered itself to him . At least he hoped the stupid brute hadn’t eaten both of them .

He retrieved his spear from his pouch . It was made from a rare metal that could only be found thousands of meters down in the depths of the Black Sea and weighed over 200 kilograms which gave it a nice feeling compared to normal ungraded metals . Most importantly it could absorb shadows and help him unleash his attacks in a far more deadly manner .

This was a great opportunity for him to break through his limits and truly become someone with great prospects , eclipsing even those of Clan Azh’Rezak . But as he watched the human fumble around his eyes moved to the Nexus Node in hesitation . After a brief pause he placed his weapon back into his pouch and quickly wiped off any traces of blood from the large crystal .

He instead brought out a large table and a comfortable chair and sat down . Soon a tray of fruits was placed on top of the table . Ogras knew that these fruits from his home-world were of limited quantity now that the Nexus Hub was closed , but one needed to make strong first impressions .

Of course , he also charged up tens of shadow blades in the shadows below the table , just in case it came to blows .

Soon the human seemed to have come to a decision to enter the illusion array . He brought out one of the standard regiment axes he likely had taken from some scout , and then a mottled shield . For Ogras the whole thing looked like a play , as he could watch the whole thing unnoticed behind the array .

But he knew that this was no joke . This human seemed to be close to the limits in at least strength , and maybe endurance as well . He was a monstrously strong cockroach that was prohibitively difficult to kill . He mentally controlled his shadow blades to be ready to strike at moment’s notice but adorned a lackadaisical face .

Soon the human charged in through the array , weapons at the ready .

You natives truly are barbarians , so aggressive , - Ogras said with a theatrical sigh , as the almost unnoticeable blades inched closer . It was time to get creative .

Chapter 67 - Diplomacy

Zac sighed and tabled the whole matter as there was no way for him to know who told the truth at the moment . The thought that he had almost died numerous times due to a lie was almost too depressing to handle . Of course , it was thanks to that lie that he pushed himself forward , and now confidently stood at the forefront of humanity .

You said your incursion is only one of many? Do they all contain demons like you? - Zac quickly asked , eager to change the subject . Besides , this was something he had wondered about since day one . He was thinking of his family and was worried that another incursion could pop up next to them at any moment . It had worked out for him , but he was given a huge advantage from his many titles . For normal people to contend against a demon army , he knew how that story would end .

As far as I know us demons only got one for this world , unless a higher tier clan got one as well . I’m not privy to their activities . The others are from various forces in the multi-verse . That’s why we need each other , Human . Because if you think that our little Clan was bad , you haven’t seen anything yet . -

Zac got a really bad feeling when he heard that the other incursions could be even worse compared to the demons on this island . It didn’t seem like the demon was lying , and his desire to get back home to his family only got stronger .

Need each other how? - he asked , curious to hear what benefits the Demon could provide .

Ogras grinned , obviously pleased that Zac tentatively opened diplomatic relations .

We both have things the other party needs . My side has man-power . Many of those who stayed behind are non-combat classes who would be very helpful for someone who wish to build up a base . We have builders , farmers , blacksmiths , and traders for example . I can also provide information about many things that could help you in the future - Ogras rattled on , sounding like a salesman trying to secure some business .

And what would you want from me in return? - Zac asked as he knew there was no such thing as a free lunch .

Sanctuary . You may not know this , but The Ruthless Heavens limits the powers of foreign entities in a baby world . - Ogras explained , to which Zac only tersely nodded . - Well , after the incursion failed the limiter remains , and we will have some . . . problems . . . getting stronger . Even if we gain a few levels we might only actually be able to use the additional power of one level . But the nexus coins and energy we give out when killed is the full amount . We essentially become walking treasure troves the longer we reside on a baby planet . -

Why do you need me for that? If you just stay holed up here won’t you be fine? We’re on an island after all . - Zac interjected as he didn’t see how he fit into the picture . If Zac was expandable for the demons’ survival , then he could be killed at any moment .

Breaking the restrictions will take a very long time . Sooner or later some force is going to find the island , and what would happen when they found an island full of monsters and inhabitants that gave 10 times the reward upon killing them? - Ogras explained , but Zac looked far from convinced .

More importantly , you have become a Lord so you can provide the sanctuary of a System-Sanctioned city . That’s not something we can do by ourselves now that the incursion failed . We failed our quest and are barred from seizing a system-town - The demon continued as he glanced at the Nexus Node .

What’s the difference between a system-sanctioned city and a normal one? And besides , I’m not a Lord . I still need to complete a quest for that . - Zac corrected him , feeling that particular information was no problem to share . In case they would actually form an alliance , the demons would have to help out defending his outpost against the denizens of other alignments after all .

Ogras looked slightly surprised by this information , but quickly recovered . It seemed that even these invaders didn’t have all the answers after all , which was comforting .

The biggest difference is that you can buy structures from The Ruthless Heavens in a sanctioned city . In a normal city you have to build everything yourself . A sanctioned city is much safer as long as the Lord has coins to spare . Only an idiot would invade a sanctioned city unless they held an overwhelming advantage . The Lord could simply spend a few generation’s worths of Nexus Coins and blast the attackers to pieces with a new defensive structure -

Zac felt that it made a lot of sense . He hadn’t thought about it before , but if he was really put against the wall he could instantly buy the strongest array he could afford and immediately improve his outpost by a few grades . It was essentially the time-tested strategy of throwing money at the problem until it went away . That kind of strategy was impossible unless you had access to the outpost shop .

Can you explain what you need to accomplish to become a Lord , human? And you have me at a disadvantage as I still don’t know your name . - Ogras continued .

I’m Zac . It says I need to protect the outpost . I have a timer that counts down toward the 3-month mark after Earth entered the multi-verse as well . - Zac explained and Ogras visibly relaxed .

I think I know what that means , but could you share the quest just to be sure? -

Zac’s eyes immediately thinned at that , rife with suspicion . If he shared a quest wouldn’t Ogras become a lord as well? Could he usurp him if that was the case?

You misunderstand , hu . . Zac . Sharing the quest just means showing me the quest prompt from the Heavenly Screen . Just focus on that particular quest and make it visible with your will . - Ogras quickly explained when he saw Zac’s distrustful Face . - I’m sure you and your allies have shared various prompts with each other . - He added with a slight smile .

Zac had a distinct feeling the jig was up , and the demon knew he was alone . But he chose to keep the charade going in any case , not wanting to give out any confirmation to the demon’s suspicions .

Deciding it was no harm he decided to try it out . He singled out that particular quest , and it appeared alone on a blue window . He then focused on making that particular window visible . And soon it got - fixed - in the air instead of following his vision . He even managed to adjust what was shown so that the reward wasn't visible to the demon .

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect outpost from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . (0/3) 43 : 01 : 17 : 47)

Ogras’ eyes lit up and he looked through the quest . But soon his face went from interested to grimacing .

It’s actually a monster horde quest… - Ogras said with a frown .

What does that mean , and how can you tell? - Zac asked , eager to know more about how the quest system works .

It says denizens and not forces or factions , which means it will send beasts rather than intelligent forces such as us demons or other factions in the multi-verse . It is one of the more annoying quests The Ruthless Heavens can throw at a Lord , - Ogras explained with a dour face . - A few thousand years ago a City on my home planet was overrun by millions of Blight Rats . When the quest ended the whole city was just a huge crater with everything from its structures to citizens eaten . -

Zac didn’t know if it was true , but if millions of anything attacked him it would be a quick game over , unless he learned how to make his Chop]-edge a kilometer long . He could only hope the system adjusted the difficulty for his power level .

When will it start? - Zac probed .

After the timer . It seems like a normal monster horde quest , so The Ruthless Heavens will likely send one horde a month for three months . The faster you kill the monsters the more time you will have to prepare in between . Too slow and you will be facing multiple waves at the same time -

If the demon could be trusted it meant that he had one and a half month to strengthen himself and the town as much as possible . He grimaced at the thought of having to fight a horde of beasts constantly for a month , only for it to be topped up with another horde . Besides , he was sorely lacking Nexus coins to get anything worthwhile for his outpost .

Where are the crystals your faction has mined? If we are going to work together then your kind needs to contribute to the town construction . - Zac immediately went into fundraising mode now that he knew he had to fend off hordes of beasts .

I’m afraid they all got taken with them by our clansmen when they left through the Nexus Hub . - Ogras answered without hesitation with a completely straight face .

… -

… -

The two only silently stared at each other for a full minute until the demon finally coughed and added a sentence .

Well . Maybe they didn’t find it all , and I can go back and see if they forgot to look in some places? -

I’m sure you can find some , - Zac answered with an equally straight face . - If a foreman could steal hundreds of crystals in only one day , I’m sure there are quite a few crystals hidden through the town . -

Ah yes , Azra . Can I ask why you are wearing her dress? And why the sudden interest in raw crystals? They’re not very efficient for leveling up . - Ogras asked , seemingly eager to change the subject of how much crystals he had stashed away .

I’m planning on buying a store in the Shop , and sell them for Nexus Coins . That way I can buy defensive structures to survive the quest , - Zac answered , completely ignoring the part about wearing a dress .

Usually I’d say that it’s a waste to use crystals to get some Nexus Coins , but it’s our best bet right now I suppose . But I’d suggest that we buy a Smelting Furnace as well to turn the raw crystals into proper graded ones first , - Ogras agreed .

Our? We? - Zac said skeptically , still not having decided what to do with the demons .

Yes , we . You should understand how useful it is to have us around after our short talk . Even for your own plan we’re integral . After all , are you planning on mining the whole mountain range for the crystals by yourself? - Ogras said with a smile .

Maybe the two of us can work together since I’ve seen you kill that Rydel person . And you helped me kill half your army so you seem to hate your kind far more than I do . But would the others even work with me? - Zac was highly doubtful that he could get a successful partnership going after what he had done to the demon ranks over the past weeks .

Most of those left behind have some grudges with our previous clan in any case so they aren’t too upset with the armies dying . There are a few who might be troublesome . But I am sure we can handle that . -

Like you handled Rydel? - Zac asked , to which Ogras only smiled slightly .

Well Regarding that , let’s keep that little detail between us , shall we? I won’t go into it , but it was either him or me . Everyone who witnessed that is dead by now so only the two of us knows . But if the citizens of Camp Azh'Rezak find out that I was up in the mountains helping your rampage , and not staying in my castle , they might lose trust in me . And our partnership would suffer in turn . -

Zac mulled it over for a long time . He’d rather not work with a snake like this man to be honest , as he would have to constantly watch his back . But he had made a few good points . Zac desperately needed assistance , both in the form of information and manpower , if he wanted to create a successful town and a sanctuary for his family . Since there were no one else to turn to he could only enter this dubious alliance .

Besides , just having someone to talk to , even if it was a sneaky demon , felt extremely good .

Ok , I’ll keep quiet about it . So , what else can you tell me that’s useful for our short-term goals? - Zac asked , hoping for some simple tips that would save him some coins or increase his chances of beating the quest .

Well now that you asked , are you aware that you have been drinking poison? -

Chapter 68 - Progenitor's Advantage

WHAT?! - Zac immediately jumped to his feet with his axe at the ready , afraid he had fallen into some trap of the demon’s making . He charged up Chop] to a meter long edge and advanced on Ogras .

Calm down , calm down! - Ogras screamed and scrambled out of the chair . - The Cosmic Water you have been drinking! -

You poisoned the pond as well? Why? - Zac glared angrily at the demon , ready to start a war .

What poisoned? It was poison from the start . Only lunatics drink that stuff raw , it burns your pathways from inside . Haven’t you noticed? - Ogras spat back and waved his hands .

The trees rustled in the wind and shadows were flickering all over the ground as Zac glared at the demon , but he eventually stopped his advance .

Explain . - Zac growled through gritted teeth , extremely pissed off that the demon hadn’t mentioned anything about this for the whole duration of their conversation .

That kind of water can be born in areas where there is extremely dense cosmic energy . It was probably created when The Ruthless Heavens crammed a Nexus Vein into the mountain range . - Ogras grumpily explained . - It is pretty rare and somewhat expensive . Normally it’s used as an ingredient in alchemy , but some forces give their death squads some of it to use just in case . It restores your cosmic energy in seconds , but it damages your body and can even kill you . -

But I feel fine? - Zac said doubtfully .

You just used some cosmic energy , try restoring it naturally without using any tools , - Ogras said as he sighed and sat down in his chair again while he muttered something under his breath .

Too stressed out to care about any glib remark from the demon he unsummoned his enlarged blade and tried to sense the cosmic energy entering his body . He wasn’t a cultivator , but even mortals could naturally restore their cosmic energy as the ambient energy slowly entered their bodies . It was normally a slow but steady stream that entered his body , but now it could barely be called a trickle .

Zac’s face went white and he stared at the demon . He was still suspicious but somewhat believed the demon told the truth . It took him hours to restore his cosmic energy even with a crystal , but it almost happened instantly with the azure water . He hadn’t reflected on it before , but how could there be such a good thing with no side-effect?

He simply didn’t notice the effect since he used crystals or more water every time he needed to restore after chugging the Cosmic Water the first time . He had been strapped for time and didn’t have time to wait for his energy to naturally restore itself . He had been angry that he wasn’t given a power boost from bathing in the stuff earlier , but now he was just happy to still be alive .

How do I fix this? - Zac asked .

I’ve heard that there are pills for it , but I don’t know where to get it . It’s extremely rare , because idio… individuals who drink it almost always die within a day you know? - Ogras said . - I think I’ve heard that spending time in energy-rich areas can help your body slowly heal various types of damage to your pathways . So that might work , but I’m not sure how much time it would take . And that is if you still can absorb some energy . If it’s a full stop it’s over for you I’m afraid . -

What happens if I keep using it? Can’t I just refill my energy with crystals if I can’t naturally absorb energy anymore? - Zac asked . He had enough for a lifetime or two in the pond , and while not being able to naturally restore was regrettable , it wouldn’t be the end of the world .

You need to heal up your ruined pathways . If you keep cramming energy into your body in your current state , even if it’s from crystals , you will keep getting worse . First it’s natural energy that stops , then it’s Nexus Crystals . Soon not even the Cosmic Water can restore your energy , and you truly become a cripple until you die of energy starvation . Then what good are you? -

Zac was horrified at that outcome , and quickly unequipped his amulet . The good news was that least his situation wasn’t completely irreversible , and it almost seemed a miracle that he was still alive from how Ogras described it . Death Squad members died after chugging that stuff just once , but he used it multiple times in the duration of a day . First time was after the ambush in the tunnels , but after that he used it multiple times during battle . It sounded crazy , but it almost felt like taking the bath actually saved him . His body was unceasingly refined after he ate the Fruit of Ascension , and perhaps it did something to increase his resistance or heal up irreversible damage .

But the predicament was extremely troublesome since there was a monster horde coming . If he wasn’t healed by the time the monsters arrived he would have to fight without using any cosmic energy . If he kept using Chop] like with the monkeys he’d soon have to use crystals to restore himself . It would be a vicious circle that would end up with him in the same situation as now . . .

He swore to do everything that he could to get healed in time , and he needed to go to the mines anyways to prospect as many crystals as possible to get Nexus Coins . Zac asked a few more questions of how to improve his recuperation , but Ogras either didn’t know much more or was holding back on him . Zac could only sigh and move to the next subject he needed to know about .

What are the attribute limits when you’re E-Grade Race? - He really wanted to know where the limits lay now that he was E-Graded . He didn’t want to lose any more points than he already had . With his Title boosts he already lost over 10 strength , which by no means was a small amount .

Attribute cap? Why do you . . - Ogras stopped himself and stared blankly at Zac for a few seconds . - You god damn progenitors just makes my teeth itch . And you even got a Fruit of Ascension to save your ass! Just disgusting . Well don’t worry , attribute caps are not something you will need to worry about for a long time now . -

Progenitors? What are you talking about? - Zac wondered . Abby had called him a Defier , not a progenitor .

You first-generation cultivators of a baby planet . - Ogras spat out , looking loath to even think about the subject . Zac didn’t feel the need to correct him that he wasn’t a cultivator at the moment , as the demon was starting to work himself up in a huff .

Haven’t you realized? You have many advantages that your descendants won’t get . The Ruthless Heavens gives you a running start . There are many unique titles , the System crams the planet full of unique treasures , and you even get the Tutorial . It just makes us normal cultivators want to lay down and die of jealousy . -

Ogras looked about ready to explode greed and jealousy as he talked about it . Zac felt he had found his match in his quest for wealth , and he also vowed to never show the demon his Title page . The demon might just fall into apoplectic rage and start swinging that scary spear at him .

The demon soon found his bearing again and with a cough continued .

Cough . . . In any case , those who manage to grasp a decent number of the limited advantages a new world provides will have a life-long advantage compared to most people in the multi-verse . These individuals are called their planet’s progenitors , as they usually end up creating influential clans or sects on their home planets . On the off-chance they don’t get killed that is . -

Zac thought that made a lot of sense . So far he had only compared himself with the cultivators and trying to keep his head start going . He hadn’t even thought about the following generations and how they would grow up in this environment . But it was true , many of the titles he snatched would probably never appear again on this planet , closing that door for an advantage forever .

As time progressed most limited titles would be taken , leaving only maybe the most obscure and well-hidden ones for future generations . Otherwise they would have to settle for the mediocre non-limited ones , such as the Adventurer-title .

Ogras was a veritable treasure trove of answers after having fumbled about blindly for so long . For example , it was very interesting to know that normal cultivators in the multi-verse didn’t get access to the tutorial , making it an even more rare opportunity . Zac kept coming up with various questions that had hounded him and threw them at the demon randomly as he thought of them . The smiling façade of Ogras soon cracked , and his answers got shorter and terser until he slammed his hand on the arm-rest of his chair .

God damn it! Do I look like a tutorial fairy to you? I’ll be back tomorrow , - he spat out and threw a crystal at Zac who deftly snapped it out of the air . - Read that instead of pestering me . -

Read? How? - Zac looked at the crystal in his hand confused . It looked similar to a Nexus crystal but the color was green like a watered out emerald . It was also covered in intricate golden fractals .

Just imbue some energy in it . - The demon sighed , obviously still annoyed , and walked toward the edge of the camp . - I’m done answering your inane questions human . Put your energy on survival instead . -

Ogras soon left the camp and afterward disappeared like he did up on the mountain top . There were many questions that were still unanswered , but he had gotten many of the more pressing issues cleared up . He looked at the crystal in his hand and after a long hesitation poured a minuscule amount of cosmic energy into it . The demon was very helpful so far , and it felt unlikely he would give him a bomb after all this . Still , he was ready to hurl the crystal far away if needed .

A screen similar to the ones the System provided suddenly popped up as the crystal lit up . The design of the window was a bit more intricate though , and covering it was an image of a grand pavilion with a Stargazer floating on top of it . It clearly was a man-made item , and the intricacy made Zac marvel . It was something on a whole other level compared to the cruder enchantments on the demon’s gear pieces .

Soon the image changed , and it turned into what could best be described as a web-page . There were menus with various categories and images . Luckily Zac could understand the content just fine , and was amazed at what was written . The crystal contained a thorough guide of what happened when a world was integrated into the multi-verse .

Granted , it seemed to be written for the invading forces , but still most of the information was very helpful to Zac . But the more he read through the more troubled he became . It became very apparent that the natives were largely discounted , and that the web-page considered the other Incursion forces the only challenge for a successful invasion .

It did mention that there was a small chance of encountering extremely strong forces on an integrated planet , but most civilizations couldn’t even be considered F-Graded . From how the text described it Zac knew that Earth’s civilization wasn’t considered anything much , and was not what it meant when it mentioned strong forces .

For normal civilizations like earth’s humans , the missive simply stated that enslavement usually was most convenient . It would increase the resources that could be gained in a new planet as manpower usually was limited .

It also listed out the most common tactics of various forces in the multi-verse and Zac was shocked to find out that the demons truly were some of the more decent forces . They usually created a country and entered trade negotiations with surrounding forces , native or foreign , to amass wealth . They did enslave the native populations on their lands though .

But there were many forces that simply eradicated everything and ceaselessly strove to increase its influence until the whole planet was theirs . There was even a force that entered incursions just in order to annihilate the natives and didn’t care about the resources at all . It was a cult that called itself The Church of Everlasting Dao .

Unfortunately , the missive gave no information about the forces themselves so Zac couldn’t find out more about them . But it was clear that almost none of the forces cared an iota about the natives , and only considered newly integrated worlds treasure-troves of wealth .

All in all the crystal was just what Zac needed , and he swore that he’d pester the demon until he handed out more goodies . The crystal said it was the first crystal of two , so hopefully he could annoy another out of the paws of the demon tomorrow .

Chapter 69 - Rewards

Even if the demon was gone Zac stayed put for some time , going over the conversation he just had . Everything that came out of the mouth of the demon seemed to be the truth , but he didn’t feel it was that easy . He guessed that many of the things he learned today weren’t any hard-to-gain secrets , maybe with the exception of the things in the crystal he received .

How things like quests , races , and classes worked should be the most basic of things and not something that the System would keep hidden . Still , he would work under the creed - Trust but Verify’ . He believed that he would get access to a secondary source of information soon now that various buildings were unlocked in the Town-Shop . It would be easy to compare and contrast the words from the demon with what he learned in other places . From there he might actually be able to learn the demon’s agenda , from finding out what he lied about through omission for example .

Satisfied he turned his attention to the Nexus Node . It was time to do what he initially returned to the camp for . He had some rewards to cash in on .

Off With Their Heads (Unique) : Kill the four heralds and the general of an incursion within 3 months . Reward : 10 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , E-Grade equipment , unique building depending on performance . (5/5) COMPLETE]

Not wanting to wait any longer he walked over to the crystal . Zac knew Ogras might actually be spying on him from the shadows , but he didn’t have any means to locate him at the moment and could only let him be .

As he placed his hand on the crystal it started pulsating for a few seconds until the familiar voice of the System appeared .

Incursion subjugation complete . Calculating personal contribution . Contribution 88% . Time taken : 47 days . Support : 1 . Completion Grade : A . Distributing rewards

Two boxes appeared on the ground and Zac picked up the smallest one first . Zac still felt it was unsettling that the System could just make things appear out of nowhere . There was no sound , no ripples of power , nothing . One second emptiness , the next the boxes just were there .

As he opened the lid of the smaller box a blinding light radiated out from its contents . They were the E-Grade Nexus Crystals from the reward . Zac could easily discern that anything he had seen so far was F-Graded at best , as these crystals were on a completely different level .

Each crystal contained a terrifying amount of energy inside , perhaps as much as a thousand crystals in his bags . But it was condensed into the small space of his hand . Zac felt that one single crystal might hold enough power for him to gain more than a level , and if these crystals could be absorbed as quickly as an F-Graded one he would instantly skyrocket in power .

But unfortunately he didn’t dare try them at the moment , not while his predicament with his energy poisoning still remained . He could only reluctantly close the lid of the box and place it into his pouch with a sigh . Next he picked up the larger box , which should contain a set of equipment from the reward .

But before he had time to check it out a large rumbling interrupted him . The ground was ominously shaking and a deafening noise could be heard from somewhere close by . Zac instantly got a bad feeling from the sound . Had Ogras lied , and the demon horde was already upon him? He quickly threw the box into his pouch and summoned his axe instead .

He quickly looked around but saw no change . The noise clearly came from the south so he ran there after a brief hesitation . The only thing to the south was the ocean , and Zac was afraid an aquatic beast horde had started if it wasn’t the demons making trouble . As he ran he opened up his Town Shop , ready to buy a defensive array at moment’s notice .

He soon arrived at the edge of the island , and immediately spotted a familiar figure . Ogras was staring out over the cliff with his mouth ajar .

What did you do? - Zac angrily huffed at the demon as he ran up to him , axe at the ready .

What did I do? Nothing . I heard the noise and thought you had done something crazy . And it seems that I was right , - Ogras snappishly retorted and gestured at the odd scene in front of them .

The cliffs were magically rearranging themselves in a baffling manner . It was as though an earth mage untold times more powerful than the demon mages was reconstructing the whole shoreline to his liking . The previously natural cliffs flattened out into orderly land .

Huge rectangular breakwaters grew out from land and created a sheltered basin hundreds of meters across and two piers emerged out of the sea , displacing all water into mighty waves . Furthermore , fractals appeared on the emerging rock-formations as all the various changes took place , glimmering in a mysterious golden hue . They expansively covered the whole shore-line , the piers , and the breakwaters . The script itself differed from both the system’s fractals and the simpler demonic inscriptions , and it actually reminded Zac of the squarish text in very old computer environments .

The changes didn’t only happen on land though , and the duo was forced to scramble to safety as the ground gave out and created a wet dock where they stood . Next , various buildings flashed into existence . The largest was an enormous warehouse-looking building that was at least 300 meters long and 100 meters wide , where one of the short sides ended close to the sea-line . It was probably the largest building Zac had ever seen , and he thought few structures on earth would be able to match it .

Soon the rumbling subsided , and Zac looked out over the majestic harbor that cropped up in under a minute . The design was cubic and looked extremely robust , and Zac felt that not even the worst storm would be able to do any damage to the structures . The cubic fractals covered all the structures as well , and Zac started to believe that they were some sort of protective inscription .

E-Grade Medium Scale Iliex Shipyard Awarded]

The System blared in his ears , but Zac had no time to react before he was interrupted .

What the FUCK! - Ogras screamed as he agitatedly grabbed onto Zac’s arm . - Is it upgradeable , IS IT UPGRADEABLE? - Gone was the wise-ass know-it-all , replaced with a spluttering madman who seemed to have fires in his eyes as he glared at Zac .

God damn , calm down , - Zac said and freed his arm from the crazed demon . - What are you talking about? -

Inspect the building from your town menu and share the information - Ogras hastily said , almost dancing on the spot in excitement .

Zac didn’t know what Ogras talked about , but from his face it looked like he would explode from impatience at any moment so he tried various mental commands instead of asking anymore . As he used the command - Town - a new menu opened up . He knew he had tried that command a long time ago with no result , and guessed it was activated when he completed the incursion quest . His camp should still be classified as an outpost though , as it was only promoted to city upon completing the next quest .

The new menu was a list of all the structures he had bought or gotten from the system . Everything between the water gathering-array to this huge construction in front of him was there . However , his camper or the car was not listed , so only System-structures were included it seemed . He focused on the shipyard but stopped himself from sharing the prompt .

E-Grade Medium Scale Iliex Shipyard . Upgradeable

Maybe it is , maybe it isn’t , - Zac defensively said , feeling that this might be important information from the demon’s reaction .

Just how high is your luck human? A Creator’s Shipyard . This changes everything , - Ogras said , ignoring Zac’s attitude .

It says it’s an Iliex shipyard though? And why are you getting so excited? - Zac couldn’t understand his reaction . It was a nice-looking shipyard , but that was it . He was likely going to build or buy one like this sooner or later since he was on an island so it was nice being able to save in on that expenditure . But he’d much rather have a town protection array or some turrets as a reward since there were monster hordes incoming .

Truly pearls before swine . The Iliex is a race of living golems who are among the greatest builders in the multi-verse . Most just call them Creators , since that’s pretty much all they do . A shipyard that’s manned by the Creators will create faster , stronger and more durable ships compared to normal ones . But more importantly , the shipyard is upgradeable . -

Zac was starting to get excited as well since it seemed the System had actually given him something pretty good . But still , Ogras’ reaction seemed exaggerated if that was it .

So , what else? - he asked the excited demon .

Well… Creators can also make some of the most sought after cosmic ships and sky fortresses . Owning a shipyard means you can sell those in the future . It can net the Lord hundreds of times more income compared to the crystal mines in the mountains . - He explained after a brief hesitation .

Cosmic ships? Like spaceships? - Zac asked , now starting to get excited as well .

Something like that . Ships that can traverse the endless distances of the multi-verse . They can travel to any points on a planet in seconds as well , very convenient . But they are not - spaceships’ . They are Spiritual Ships that travel using the Dao of Space and cosmic energy , rather than relying on technology . -

Now Zac was on board the hype train as well . Travel anywhere on the planet in seconds? This was exactly what he needed in order to search for his friends and family .

How much do you think it costs to buy one of those cosmic ships? - Zac asked eagerly .

Slow down , an E-grade shipyard can’t create things like that . I think it must be D-grade , maybe even C-grade before you can create those kinds of things , - Ogras immediately doused the burning desire Zac was building up . - We need to upgrade the shipyard first before we can start reaping the benefits . And before that we need to keep it safe and hidden . -

How do I upgrade it? And why hidden? - Zac asked confused , but the next second froze , knowing that he had exposed himself .

Yes , hidden . This shipyard is a treasure , and any force would drool after it . If the word spreads that you control a Creator Shipyard you will have endless troubles coming your way , - Ogras said after a smug smile at Zac’s mistake . - As for upgrading it? No idea , try asking the Creators . -

I mean I get that this is a good thing , but why would even you foreign forces go crazy for it? Can’t you just buy your own? - Zac asked , starting to feel he was sitting on a hot potato .

You can’t just buy a shipyard from the Creators when you wish . There are so many requirements that have to be met . They are extremely picky who they work with and where they work . You’d never be able to build such a thing on this planet if it wasn’t a reward from the System . This applies for most of the good things , just check your Town Shop . - Ogras impatiently explained . Clearly he knew it wasn’t a purchase of Zac , rather a reward , just from how rare this thing was .

Zac opened up the town shop and the screen displayed the various shops . He had looked it over briefly as he trekked back toward his camp , as he needed to buy a shop to sell his crystals . But now the screen was changed . The shops were now actually purchasable , but almost all of them shone with a red light on the screen . Confused , Zac focused on one of the red ones called Parlaz Consortium - General Store] .

A new window with deeper information about the shop opened , something he hadn’t been able to do before . A list of what type of services it provided was listed on one side , and it truly seemed comprehensive . It sold everything from seeds for farming to construction materials to weapons and armor . It also dealt in basic information , having stocks of crystals explaining most things , from plants to blacksmithing to even town-building .

On another row , a number of requirements were listed . Zac’s outpost didn’t actually fulfill a single one , except having enough space . There were requirements for minimum town size , population , town daily turnover , and security . Since Zac’s town was just an outpost and a shipyard with no inhabitants it wasn’t possible to fulfill those demands .

As he flipped through various buildings he saw that most of them had varying severity of requirements . Some even demanded a town population of a hundred million , or that it was the planet capital . There were myriad choices , but the ones he could actually choose were scant few . It seemed that the merchant conglomerates of the multi-verse were quite picky .

Chapter 70 - Town Shop

Frustrated Zac focused on the shop he actually could buy . It was actually just called F-Grade General Store] with no mention of a faction or company behind it . Confused he turned to Ogras .

I can’t buy almost anything in the store , most things are restricted . But there is a shop called F-Grade General Store that has no requirements . Why’s that? -

That’s The Ruthless Heavens’ store , - Ogras answered .

Wait , the System runs stores as well? -

The Ruthless Heavens is the largest employer in existence , though it’s not a very hands-on boss . Running a multi-verse takes many hands after all , - the demon explained with a roll of his eyes .

So why should I get any other store if I can just get the one from the System? - Zac knew he was straying from the subject of the shipyard , but he felt another opportunity to drag information of the contrary demon had appeared .

Because The Ruthless Heavens is god damn greed… Ehm , economical . It provides basic facilities in almost all fields that have no requirements , but its prices are between 50 to 500 percent higher compared to the average . - Ogras looked like he would be sick as he talked about the daylight robbery of the System-run stores .

The image of the almighty system being an intergalactic price-gouging bodega-owner gave Zac’s image of the System somewhat of a thorn , but he guessed running a universe , or multiple universes , wasn’t cheap .

The corporations have far better rates on almost everything , and can also procure things for you if you’re in need of a specific item . For a fee of course . But they operate for profit and would never open up a branch if they weren’t sure if they’d be able to turn a profit in the location . The corporations have to foot most of the bill of coming here themselves , and it’s not cheap from what I understand . Therefore they’d never open a branch without some assurance . - Ogras continued .

Some factions have even more requirements . The Creators , for example , I think they normally only open a branch in B-Graded worlds or higher . You also need to have a referral from an actual Creator to even get the application process going . And getting that from one of those living machines is almost impossible . Well , I’m not sure about the details since that is so far above my paygrade . Even my grandfather has no qualifications to know about what goes on in B-Ranked worlds . So you see why this shipyard is so valuable . -

Excitement and unease was building up simultaneously in Zac once again . He might actually have gotten a curse rather than a treasure . The shipyard was extremely valuable , but one needed to be alive to reap its benefits .

So what do you suggest we do? - Zac hoped for some input from the demon . He was crafty and he knew how the various forces worked .

Two options . Either hide it completely , buy a huge illusion array to start . An E-graded one at least , as many can see through an F-Graded one . As soon as you can upgrade it to a D-graded one . Then we build walls around the whole area and say it’s the lord’s residence , only giving you access . Later you can add on slaughter-arrays to the illusion array , killing any trespasser . Then you build your town far away - . The demon clearly had a meticulous mind , already having formulated strategies .

Second is to hide in plain sight . Ask the creators to redesign their Shipyard and hide their characteristics . Make it look like a normal shipyard . Don’t make a big deal out of it , just make it look like a decently important place with some defensive arrays protecting it . -

Zac mulled it over and preferred the second option if it was possible . He didn’t believe an illusion array was the answer . Sooner or later something similar to the peeing demon would happen , and he would be exposed . Then everyone would know he was hiding something and would get even more curious .

Besides , his goal was to build a town , and that had to happen around the Nexus Node . He couldn’t move the crystal very far , and the area where he could place town structures from the outpost shop was limited as well . As soon as he walked too far from his camp or the crystal the shop turned to a browse-only mode . The area would probably grow along with the population , but for now it was only a few kilometers in every direction , far too short to create a town at other sides of the island .

I will do a mix . I’ll wall off the area from my camp to this shipyard to make it my private property , and then build a town outside . Inside the inner wall will be my residence , the shipyard , and other critical structures I might build in the future . It should look like I’m just protecting the important parts of the town , and not raise too much suspicion . - Zac decided .

Ogras mulled it over a bit then nodded . Zac glanced in the demon’s direction and his thoughts started to turn in another direction . The demon seemed very helpful right now , but he clearly was ambitious and ruthless . Now that Zac was sitting on an even greater pile of treasure , how would the demon act? Should he nip the problem in the bud and kill him?

But Zac soon gave up that idea . Ogras was still needed to control the demons , and he didn’t want to fight against the former general unless absolutely necessary with his current condition . Such a battle would take all the cosmic energy he had , and if he was forced to drink the azure water just to defeat him it would truly be a pyrrhic victory .

Maybe just as important , he didn’t want to become the kind of person who started preemptively murder people in cold blood to protect his wealth against possible perceived threats . He didn’t want to devolve into a crazed paranoid dictator . Certainly , the number he had killed by now would horrify anyone in a civilized world , but it was done out of necessity . And it wasn’t like he would adapt to some naïve no-kill policy in this ruthless new world . His hands were already bloodied , and he knew that this was only the start . But there needed to be balance .

Ogras seemed to measure his choices by how much benefits they would bring , and Zac was convinced that he was more valuable alive than dead after reading the contents of the crystal . He knew Ogras was unable to forcefully seize the town for roughly a decade due to being locked out of that system . If he was Ogras and was planning long term he’d do everything to make the town as successful as possible for now , and then forcefully seize it in the future .

But a lot could happen in ten years , and Zac planned on keeping utilizing his advantages to get stronger to the point that betrayal would be more foolish than staying on as a confidante .

Ten years sounded like a long time , but Zac knew it might not be too long in this new reality they lived . He had been surprised by Ogras telling him that longevity actually increased as people got stronger . As he increased his Race-ranking to E-Grade his life expectancy actually increased to a full 500 years .

It was crazy to think that he already had the life-span like some Elf , and that was just after one upgrade . Furthermore , Ogras told him that the life-span of a D-ranker was counted in the thousands rather than hundreds of years , and the grandfather he mentioned was over 1600 years old . Above that he seemed unclear , as apparently that was the highest official rank on his home planet apart from some mysterious emperor .

Zac had initially thought that in the multi-verse there would be no limit to the powers of the factions . As long as one had time they could keep killing monsters and level up . But apparently it got harder and harder to increase strength , and many bottlenecks kept peoples’ power in check .

Generally the powerhouses of a planet held the same Class-rank as the planet itself , meaning that the general limit of Earth was D-ranked classes . If someone wanted to break through their limits they were forced to venture out into the multi-verse and look for enlightenment or lucky opportunities . Eager to find out more Zac had pestered Ogras about the details of getting stronger and ranking up , but it was around this time he flipped out and left the camp .

I will keep any demons away from this area for now . Though I don’t think anyone has the guts to seek you out anyway . Between your actions and your… fashion sense… you have cultivated a rather strong image among my people . - Ogras said and woke Zac up from his thoughts . He realized he’d have to stay out of his own head a bit more now that there were actually others around , he couldn’t just be blankly staring out into the distance like an idiot .

After exhorting Zac some more about the importance of secrecy Ogras once again left toward the center of the island .

Still curious Zac wanted to enter the shipyard to look around , but first he wanted to check out the gear . He looked insane at the moment and from how Ogras explained it there should be the very famous Creators inside . He didn’t know if they were peculiar about propriety , but first impressions were important .

The larger box was brought out of the purse and Zac opened it eagerly . Inside was actually a full set of clothing neatly packed . As he lifted it up he was initially confused as it initially seemed the System had gifted him another dress . Did the System have a sense of humor?

But soon he realized it wasn’t the case , but the item was rather a robe that felt distinctly eastern in its make . It was of excellent quality and had a deep green color . He wanted to try it on but once again was reminded how grimy he was . Being bathed in the poison water at least cleansed him somewhat , but he was still pretty disgusting .

After hesitating a bit he ran back to camp and threw himself into the shower . After furiously scrubbing himself for a few minutes he finally was clean again for the first time in a long time . He stepped out of the shower and took a look at himself in the mirror .

Zac was shocked to see what was looking back at him . It was him , but better . Most noticeably most of his scars were gone . Only the worst ones were still there , such as the nasty wound on his cheek . But even they had faded considerably and turned into thin white lines .

Not only that , his body looked like perfectly sculpted marble , and even his face seemed to have improved somehow . He couldn’t put his finger on it but it felt like small adjustments had been made to enhance imperfect features . If some old friend saw him they’d probably think that he had gotten some plastic surgery done . Of course he didn’t look like a movie-star or something , but he had gone from average to above-average at least .

Of course , the fact that he still was completely hairless since the fight with the imp herald detracted from the image somewhat . At least it looked that some stubble was coming along , and he wouldn’t look like a monk much longer .

He guessed that it was a result of evolving his race . New benefits kept cropping up it seemed . When he reached D-rank all the scars might be gone and he would become a real hunk he thought with some eagerness .

Finally clean he quickly donned all the new items the System gifted him . After checking himself out in the mirror he could only say he looked pretty dashing .

Chapter 71 - First Impressions

The clothing consisted of two layers . The inner layer was essentially a long-armed shirt , with the exception that it didn’t have any buttons . Instead , one side was wrapped above the other , and both sides were fastened with a clasp to stay snugly on his chest . The arms and shoulders had a slightly looser fit and didn’t restrict his movements at all . It fit perfectly and Zac felt it must have been custom-made for his frame .

His pants were made in some smooth cloth as well , and went in darker brown compared to the beige of the shirt . They were slightly baggy at the thighs but snugly fit around his calves , and they reminded Zac of some jester’s pants . But at least they weren’t tapered in bright colors or had bells attached .

The outer layer was a green robe that was put on in the same manner as the inner shirt , with one side was placed over the other . But instead of being kept in place with clasps it stayed fastened with a wide leather girdle . It was sleeveless and went down to his knees just like the dress he used earlier , which was why he got turned around earlier . Adorning the hem of the robe was intricate fractals in the same style as the array flags , meaning they likely were put there by the System , or its own craftsmen at least .

No shoes were provided though by the system , which was fine by him since he couldn’t wear them at the moment in any case . All in all , it seemed the System tailored the rewards to his needs , which he guessed was due to getting such high marks on his completion .

A stream of information entered his mind as he touched a fractal , and he was delighted to know that the gear had quite a few features . It was self-cleaning and self-mending which translated into Zac not looking like a murder-hobo again in a few weeks . It even had two forms of protection .

One was that it displaced force over his whole body instead of only at the point of impact . Quite some force was needed to break through that passive defense and Zac wouldn’t keep getting the small flesh wounds from bites and arrows . That should come in quite handy when fighting the horde of beasts in the future .

It also carried a similar protection such as the one on the demon’s armors , except that it didn’t provide any recoil force . Instead it could be used twice in a day and could stop a much stronger attack , which was far more valuable as Zac saw it . His strongest Dao-empowered strike had been able to break through the golden shield in his fight with Rydel , so he knew roughly where its limit lay .

Looking fresh and presentable , except for his bare feet , Zac once again headed back to the shipyard . It still seemed deserted as there were no sounds of activity breaking the silence . Still , Zac entered a building next to the huge warehouse that seemed to be either an office or rec house .

The inside was made of stone , cut and polished to perfection . All the furniture and details were created in heavy stone as well , and Zac couldn’t see one curved line . Everything was squared , and the whole lobby gave Zac a truly brutalist impression .

The room clearly was a lobby . Apart from some stone furniture a huge counter was placed in the middle , and behind it stood a statue of a humanoid . It had no facial features and its face was instead covered in a large fractal in the computer font . It was dressed in a simple silver-colored robe , and looked somewhat human apart from the fact it had a few extra fingers on each of its hands . All in all , it looked like a robot statue carved out of soapstone or onyx .

It was completely still , and Zac wasn’t sure whether this was one of the so-called Creators or just an elaborate decoration . Ogras had called them living golems and this kind of fit the bill .

Hello? I’m Zac Atwood . Am I disturbing? - He tentatively tried to call on the statue .

Greetings , Mr . Atwood . I am Rahm , liaison of Iliex Pre-cosmic Shipyard Nr . 65 238 , now located at your planet . Future inquiries are preferably directed at me , and I will endeavor to resolve any issues and complaints in an expedient and equitable manner

The statue came to life and answered in a perfunctory voice . It then even followed up with an aristocratic bow in Zac’s direction . It seemed that the Iliex conversed in the same manner as Abby had , using some magic instead of a mouth . Zac quickly bowed back with far less grace , flustered at the cordiality .

Haha don’t mind Rahm , that rigid old goat . We’re not some dour robots like he would have you believe Boomed a similar , but far rowdier voice from the interiors of the building as deep thuds approached the lobby . Soon the speaker entered through a passage , and Zac had to stop himself from taking a step back .

It was a three meter tall amalgamation between spider and robot . It had five huge legs that bent at the middle , each over three meters long . If they stretched upward the weird-looking Creator would stand at over four meters . The torso itself was largely humanoid , with the face sharing the characteristic fractal . It did however have four arms instead of two , and it actually looked like the body was full of either tools or weapons .

Zac could only stare at the monstrosity with mouth slightly ajar , which seemed to please the spider robot immensely .

Pretty impressive , isn’t it brat? Took me the better part of three hundred years to fuse form and function into the great body before you . Even had to steal some C-graded nebulous copper to finish it . Well , I guess that’s why I was demoted to the foreman of this shithole . No offense He shouted as he slapped one of the metallic legs , creating an echoing clangor throughout the building .

The more normal-looking Creator didn’t react at all to the entrance and tirade of this fantastical being , seeming used to its antics .

So , kid , what do you wanna build? Terrornaughts? Modified destroyers? If you can get some D-graded crystals we can make some nasty cosmic bombs , blow one of the neighboring islands off the face of the earth! Attack is the best defense , who knows what kind of assholes lives there!]

The man’s legs started tap excitedly at the floor as he started to list what could only be terrible weapons , each tap actually punching a hole in the ground . Zac was unable to react for a second , his mind working overtime to grasp the new information . Luckily , the liaison saved the day with a timely interjection .

D-grade battle-ships such as Terrornaughts and destroyers are not within the accord with The Great Shaper . Please purview the pre-approved designs

Two crystals appeared in its hands , of which Zac graciously accepted one . The metal spider-being waved his copy away though , and the Rahm could only put it back .

May I present Karunthel , foreman and foremost expert of this shipyard . And he was relocated here after a few… Unfortunate… . Experiments , not some minor item acquisition infraction The liaison , who started to feel like a long-suffering butler , said as he gestured toward the spider .

Bah , I know I know , no blowing up any islands or continents of the baby world Karunthel said as he rolled his shoulders .

Actually I’m not here regarding any ships at the moment . I was wondering if it was possible to , uh , camouflage the fact that this is a Iliex Shipyard , make it look like it’s a normal one? - Zac asked tentatively , gauging the reactions of the two golems .

Haha afraid of a little heat , brat? Any greedy forces nearby? You should just carpet bomb anything that looks at your stuff , far more effective The foreman said with a booming laugh .

Well , I guess we could make it look like a human dock , hide the inscriptions and such . But such changes are not included in the standard package Karunthel continued , seemingly entering into business-mode .

What do you mean? - Zac asked with a sinking feeling .

Money! We don’t work for free , and restructuring the whole thing to make it look uglier is gonna cost you

How much? - Zac asked , determined to just grit his teeth and bear the cost , almost no matter how large .

Eight millio-]

Five hundred and twenty five thousand Nexus Coins The liaison quickly interjected , only to be lightly kicked with one of the spider legs as the foreman muttered something Zac couldn’t discern .

Zac was starting to get a headache as it seemed everyone entering his life lately was filled with greed . Luckily Rahm had come to his rescue , and he helplessly accepted the reconstruction , leaving him with a huge hole in his pocket . A window looking like a purchase confirmation appeared in front of him and he accepted .

Remuneration confirmed . Expected duration for project 4 hours . May this be the start of a long and mutually beneficial cooperation Rahm said and once again bowed toward Zac .

More impressively , his whole body started flickering , and he changed into an actual human . Of course , there was a tinge of lifelessness in the Creator’s eyes belying his real identity to Zac . Though that might just be the personality of this particular individual rather than a failure in the camouflage . But after watching its movements and mannerisms for a few seconds he saw some imperfections in the disguise . But from a distance or for a short while no one should be able to tell at all .

Bah , how boring . Call me when you want to create things that go boom . And don’t expect me to turn into a stupid bipedal after getting these shiny legs . But don’t worry , no brat on a baby world will be able to expose me , native or foreign The foreman said and started to walk away with a wave .

Um , are you able to build anything that can help against a monster horde? - Zac asked , as this was the most pressing issue now that the reconstruction was dealt with .

Karunthel stopped in his tracks as he was leaving and eagerly turned toward Zac once again . But after a few seconds of hesitation , he answered .

I’m sorry kiddo , but most of what I’m allowed to create right now is meant for naval exploration with limited functions for naval battle . It’s cheaper if you buy the fortifications and arrays from the Shop . It’s not Creator-quality , but it’s more effective against beast hordes . And don’t expect us to help you kill any critters , we’re only here to build things

Having nothing else to do at the shipyard Zac thanked the two golems and left . As he left he saw quite a few humans efficiently scurrying about as they remodeled the whole area . But he knew that it wasn’t actual humans , rather more camouflaged Creators .

He was very pleased with the result of the visit , apart from having been forced to spend most of his hard-earned coin . But since there might arrive more people or demons at any moment he didn’t hesitate to spend it . If what Ogras said was true , then not even a whisper of any rumors could be allowed to grow .

He was a bit disappointed that they wouldn’t provide any assistance in case of an attack . But he had a feeling the System put various restrictions on those who worked for it . Abby wasn’t allowed to explain certain things , and Rahm told him they were only allowed to build pre-approved ships . It meant that the golems likely weren’t even allowed to provide assistance outside doing their jobs . Otherwise Zac believed that the crazy foreman wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to blow up hordes of monsters , even if it was just for fun .

He arrived back at the camper and once again opened up the Town Shop . It was time to start the improvements . First he bought an F-Grade Middle Scale Cosmic Smelting Furnace] for 200 000 Nexus Coins , leaving him with a scant 20 000 Nexus Coins . Luckily the shops only cost a symbolic sum , as they made their money through trade .

The purpose of the furnace was to refine various F-graded metals and minerals , and Nexus Crystals were one of the things it could refine . It was an expensive purchase but Ogras had promised it would be far more profitable to refine the materials by himself before he sold them , as every shop would try to scam him on rates when he sold raw crystals .

It was a large black box roughly two meters tall and three meters wide . On one side it had a chute for throwing in the raw materials , and on the other , it had a hole leading out to a large tray . He immediately summoned a sack of crystals and threw the contents into the chute , and contentedly watched his wealth grow . It took roughly 10 minutes for the whole sack to be processed into crystals , and when they came out they looked identical to the ones he had stolen long ago . Gone were any defects or rock remains , leaving only unblemished uniform crystals .

Next , he needed someone to buy his products .

Chapter 72 - Thayer Consortia

Calrin despondently surveyed the various reports strewn about his table . Twenty thousand years of heritage teetered on the brink of destruction , all under his watch . He knew that he was partly to blame for the situation , but others were far more culpable .

’Greed is the fuel which push us forward . Honor is the compass which keeps the course . ’

That was the creed inlaid under the painting of his ancestor , hung behind him in an ornate frame . He didn’t need to turn around to know the words , or to remember every single detail of their ancestor’s face . The slight upward tug of his mouth , the ever-present Ancient Empire coin in his hand , ceaselessly whirling between his fingers . The mischievous light in his eyes that seemed to see through all lies and posturing .

Almarillo Thayer was born a beggar in a lowly E-graded word on decline . He had no family , no education , and no prospects , but through his intellect and drive he managed to become an assistant to a shop-clerk . From there he gained the Assistant class , the first step which ended with him founding the Thayer Consortia] , a System-sanctioned mercantile corporation with branches in hundreds of worlds , and its headquarters located on a bustling C-Ranked continent .

Those awe-inspiring offices were long pawned off , even before Calrin Thayer was born . For the last five hundred years , the company had been in a steady decline . Calrin , with his quick wits and solid business acumen , was chosen to steer the company back on course and was given the chairman position at the young age of 80 . But all he accomplished was the reduction of branches from 26 to one last struggling location .

He knew the cause wasn’t only himself . His family remembered the first half of their founder’s creed perfectly well , but the second half had gotten blurred over the years . Shady and short-sighted business practices made them lose a few branches and simultaneously made them quite a few enemies . A few family members even betrayed the Thayer name for personal wealth , and even if they were eventually found out the damage was already done .

But the downfall started for real roughly 25 years ago . The great Tsarun Clan had turned their avaricious gazes toward the Thayer Consortia . Or rather , at the Mercantile License their founder gained all those years ago . The license was something awarded by the system , and not something that could be forced away or stolen . Even eradicating the whole Thayer family wouldn’t do any good , and would even result in a punishment by the System .

But a business license could be seized through business . Normally it should be almost impossible to snatch a license from a sanctioned corporation , and it would be far easier to try to gain one through normal means . But between the Thayer Consortia being in tatters and the Tsarun Clan’s vast connections and wealth , they actually managed to incrementally bring down their corporation , one world at a time .

If they lost their last branch as well the System would void the Thayer Consortia’s license , and revoke access to the multi-verse Mercantile System , rendering them completely and utterly powerless . The merchant’s protection they currently enjoyed would disappear as well , and Tsarun clan would begin a wholesale slaughter of the remaining family members . No need to risk a come-back , after all .

Calrin desperately tried to open up new branches to keep the situation afloat . He had tried every means , such as lowering the requirements or offering great rates on various common resources . He even tried bribing various fledgling city lords , but nothing worked . Between the machinations of the Tsarun’s elders and the awful reputation his consortia had amassed due to multiple scandals no one would place their branches in their cities . And if they did it would soon be closed after a visit from a Tsarun clan emissary .

His intellect strained to find some way out , but the numbers in the reports were clear . In 3 days their last branch would be declared defunct , and he would have to flee for his life .

It was time for one last desperate gambit .

Zac skipped sleep that night in favor of watching his pile of wealth grow . He unceasingly kept throwing sack after sack of crystals into the chute , and then ran over to the other side to gleefully gather the refined crystals . A completely filled bag had taken roughly 10 minutes to completely process , and it resulted in around 200 finished crystals .

That meant that the machine could refine almost 30 000 crystals every single day , which should be enough for the mining operations for now . Instead of the numerous sacks he now carried exactly 11 328 crystals , including the first ones he had stolen .

In the downtime he kept training his axe-work . He only dared to use half of his cosmic energy to activate the Axe Mastery] guidance system , leaving the rest as a backup . Then he let his body slowly recharge the energy , instead of using any aids .

The beast hordes were coming , and it was a real possibility he might have to face the sea of monsters without the aid of his skills . He needed to get faster , stronger , and better at using his axe . He remembered how all his moves were in vain against the demon leader . The difference between them hadn’t been skills or attribute points , it was the huge difference in technique .

Around midnight the sounds of activity from the shipyard ebbed out , and Zac guessed the transformations were done . He kept going for about another five hours until all the refinement was done . Luckily the Furnace seemed to need neither rest nor maintenance , and unceasingly spit out crystals as long as it had something to process .

The next step was to get a shop to sell the crystals in order to start shoring up the defenses of the town . Since the transformation was complete for the shipyard he didn’t really need to worry about gossipy shop clerks leaking the secret , but as he opened the Town Shop he paused after a few seconds .

Initially his idea had been to buy the only store that he was able to purchase at the moment , which was the System-run one .

He was , of course , loath to buy it after hearing about the ridiculous prices since he believed that the System would give equally abysmal rates on crystals as well . Unfortunately , none of the privately-run businesses in the multi-verse deemed his island good enough to open up a branch at the moment . However , that had changed since he last checked the store .

In a sea of red , a green-marked shop had silently appeared , called Thayer Consortia , Headquarters] . For some reason this shop was not only ready to open a branch at his island , but it actually wanted to move its headquarters here . When he opened the store he realized that it wasn’t luck that he somehow managed to fill all its criteria . The Thayer Consortia had removed every single normal restriction such as population and security and only demanded two things . First , they required a far larger space compared to the other shops . Secondly , they required the world to be within three years of integration to the multi-verse .

At first glance it looked like a God-given gift , but he wanted to wait for Ogras before he did anything . If something seemed too great to be true , it usually was . Zac felt that it was fishy that a large corporation would move their headquarters to a place like earth . Any newly integrated planet should be quite chaotic and poor , and should be a bad place to move your business to .

Perhaps they weren’t actually traders , but rather bandits who wanted to gain access to a new world through the outpost , and then start a massacre when they arrived . Even if it was an opportunity he’d forgo it rather than potentially making a fatal mistake . As it was still quite early Zac decided to get a few hours of sleep while he waited for Ogras . He simply sat down with his back to the furnace , and went asleep with his axe in hand .

After who knows how long Zac was awakened by a loud sound . Immediately alert he jumped to his feet , axe at the ready . Soon he relaxed though as he saw the now familiar face of the demon outside his array . Ogras seemed content to just stand there and idle about , so Zac ventured outside to meet up with him .

What are you doing? -

Basic etiquette not to enter someone’s array without permission . It’s an easy way to get your head cut off , - the demon answered off-handedly . - By the way , impressive work with the little demoness . She’s growing a third horn now in her forehead , - he added with a snicker .

Well , tell her I’m sorry about that . Couldn’t have her scream after I left . Anyways , I need to ask you something , - Zac answered with a shrug , and proceeded to share the window of the Thayer Consortia while explaining his concerns .

Hmm… Very interesting . You don’t have to worry about them being raiders , as The Ruthless Heavens place extremely strict restrictions on those who use the Mercantile System . Even if a shop-clerk turned out to be an A-Ranker Hegemon in disguise he wouldn’t be able to do anything to you . - Ogras explained .

So , isn’t this a great opportunity then? They demand quite a bit of space , but that shouldn’t be a problem . - Zac eagerly asked .

Well , they are merchants for certain , but there is something wrong with them wanting to come here . They likely are escaping something . It’s almost impossible to find a baby world except by going through an incursion , so they are excellent places to hide out in . So if you accept them you’ll likely have a bunch of refugees rather than well-stocked merchants . - Ogras explained .

So kind of like you demons then? - Zac retorted gruffly , annoyed that the golden opportunity didn’t turn out so golden after all .

Cough . . . well , something like that . The thing is that if they are forced to flee here , they will likely be barely stocked at all with items and crystals , and will have an abysmal support system for acquiring treasures in the multi-verse . Only moving their headquarters here might completely clean them out . So even if you wanted to task them with finding some specific item they’d probably not be able to help you out . -

So which should I buy? The system-run store or this Thayer Corporation? - Zac didn’t understand how the so-called Mercantile System worked , and could only ask for directions for now .

You should get the headquarters . They are likely desperate for sanctuary , and will be extremely weak in negotiations , - Ogras said with a ruthless grin . - After all , since you will pretty much be their only customer for a while you can single-handedly run them out of business if they don’t comply - .

Zac felt a bit of sympathy for this Thayer company that was forced to escape some unknown hardship , only to be exploited here on Demon Island . Well , he didn’t really have a good time being stuck here , so why should anyone else?

Chapter 73 - Foundations of a Capital

Zac and Ogras walked northbound away from the campsite . If they were going to get a compound full of merchant refugees they couldn’t be too close to the future core of operations of the town . As they walked Ogras asked about the shipyard , and when he heard that they had somehow transformed to look like humans he whistled , looking very impressed .

You didn’t know they could do that? - Zac asked confused .

Clan Azh’Rezak is a middling family in a D-Grade world . There has never been one of the Creators on our world as far as I know , and all the information about them we have is hearsay . Buying a missive on them from one of the information merchants would have bankrupted us from the expense . - The demon said defensively , looking unhappy that his image of an omniscient veteran of the multi-verse was crackling .

Well now that they are already hidden , wait here a second . Don’t mention anything about Creators , - Ogras said and rushed into the forest without waiting for a response . Zac stopped confused at current location , hesitantly looking around . It wasn’t a very good spot for an ambush , so he didn’t feel too worried about waiting there . But he did bring out his axe just in case .

After a couple of minutes sounds of footsteps alerted Zac to someone approaching . What made him wary was that it didn’t sound like just one person , but a group . Angered at the betrayal he got ready for a battle as he looked around for a path of escape if needed .

He quickly scaled a tree in order to be able to mount an ambush . His pathways was still a problem so he would have to finish the battle quickly . Ogras should be the strongest demon still alive , and if he managed to quickly execute him then the rest shouldn’t prove too large a problem .

Soon he saw a group of ten demons walking behind Ogras as they approached his location . Soon they were almost beneath him and Zac wordlessly jumped down as he infused his axe with the Dao of Heaviness . With a grunt he swung down toward Ogras’ head , aiming to quickly cleave him in two .

WHAT THE F- - Ogras screamed as he desperately brought out a spear from his pouch . Shadows from all around him gathered into it as he swung it upward to block the incoming axe . The collision of the weapons created a huge shockwave at the level of his battle against the other Demon leader , and the group of demons were flung away from the shockwave .

Ogras was slammed into the ground from the impact , but Zac was thrown away as well . The demon had actually managed to defend against his Dao-empowered strike , although not effortlessly , which showed that his title as leader of the demons was not just for show .

Suddenly the demon melded into the ground and appeared twenty meters further away from Zac . He stood up and angrily pointed his spear at him .

What the fuck are you doing? God damn lunatic! - The demon screamed as he spat out dirt from his mouth .

It’s better to get the first strike when getting ambushed , - Zac retorted tersely as he approached the demon .

Ambush? With these fucking civilians? - Ogras shouted as he waved his spear at the other demons . They had managed to scramble to their feet and looked completely shell-shocked .

Zac stopped his approach , and for the first time he took a good look at the group . Quickly he realized that he might have made a mistake . They truly looked like a bunch of weaklings . None of them carried a weapon , and two were actually pretty fat . Every single demon he fought so far had been in tip-top shape , even the mages . Even more importantly , the little demoness he interrogated yesterday was in the group .

She looked like a deer in headlights , ready to bolt into the woods but her legs not listening . As Ogras mentioned she had a pretty comical bulge in her forehead between her horns from where he thwacked her with his axe .

What’s going on , why did you bring a bunch of people here? - Zac asked a bit embarrassed , but he still didn’t lower his axe . He realized that the last two months made him too primed for battle , but those were also the habits that had kept him alive .

Damn it , almost shat my pants… - Ogras muttered as he put back the black spear into his pouch . - Crazy natives . These people are representatives of the various departments needed to properly run a city . - He continued as he waved at the group , obviously still quite annoyed . - If you just start throwing out buildings randomly it’s going to look like shit , and problems with things such as infrastructure and sustainable growth will start cropping up as the town grows . These people will help you make a proper town that can be grown all the way into a world capital if needed . -

Zac stared mutely at the demons for a second . They looked back with horror at him , no one daring to move an inch , afraid that he would swing his axe after them as well . Zac inwardly groaned as he had hoped to create a better rapport with the demons now that they were going to work together . But this first impression might have set him back quite a bit in his quest for diplomacy .

Well . Sorry about that , thought you were here to kill me . I’m Zac , - He awkwardly greeted the group , wondering where his social skills had gone . Had focusing on Strength turned some of his brain cells into more muscles? His greeting got no response as the group mutely stared at him .

Uh… - Zac glanced at Ogras who rolled his eyes .

Don’t stare like some country bumpkins! We have work to do , - Ogras snapped , and in the next second he started taking out a wealth of items .

First it was a large mat that covered most of the clearing they were in . Next , he placed a rounded oblong table , large enough to fit everyone present , on it . Next followed chairs , and finally a red canopy covering the whole area from the glaring suns . Clearly the bag in Ogras’ possession was far better compared to those Zac had stolen so far .

Zac hesitantly put his axe back into his pouch and sat down at a solitary chair at one of the short sides . Ogras sat down at one of the two chairs that were the closest to him , and what followed was a discreet but energetic melee for the chairs as far as possible from him .

The small demoness was the loser who could only grit her teeth and take the other chair next to Zac after having been physically bodied away from a more distant chair by one of the fat men . Zac tried to improve the relations by nodding at her , but she stared straight ahead without moving like a zombie .

After everyone sat down Ogras summoned glasses and a few jugs of what smelled like liquor and poured himself a drink . The others poured themselves some as well , but were clearly not as comfortable as their leader . Zac declined the offer , and instead took out one of his canteens of normal water .

So , now that everyone is settled we can discuss the construction of… uh . . . what name have you chosen for the town? - Ogras asked as he turned toward Zac .

Zac was completely stumped , as he never bothered about such a detail while struggling for the last month . Now that the incursion was gone and his temporary outpost was turned into a town . He called this place Demon Island in his mind , but he couldn’t name his town that . Maybe something with his name? In case his town got famous and his family heard of it they might come here . Zachary Town? No . Atwood sounded better for a town . Atwoodtown? Atwoodville? Camp Atwood?

Port Atwood . - He finally said after some hesitation . It had his name and - Port’ was a pretty normal addition to coastal cities , so he felt it sounded pretty neat .

Hm . . . Ok . The construction of Port Atwood . You have seen the general area already . Remember , it needs to be defensible within 40 days . - Ogras said as he rolled out a parchment . It was a surprisingly detailed map of the general area . It had his camp and the harbor marked , and even the large warehouse was drawn out . After scanning it for a few seconds he knew that it was completely accurate when comparing it to his memories of the area . Of course , the only error was that the details of the harbor were quite indistinct , and nothing was mentioned except the line - shipyard - .

Zac wondered how he could have produced such an accurate map in such short order , but he didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of so many people , and could only ask later . The conversation was a bit stilted at the beginning , where Ogras had to drag the words out of the craftsmen’s mouths . Zac himself was content to just listen for now , as he realized he had no idea how to build a city .

He had thought that it would be like a strategy game since he possessed the Town Shop . He just bought the buildings and they produced or did whatever they were designed to do . But as the group started discussing everything from plumbing , to district allocation , to traffic flows and congestion points he started to zone out .

Between the hard liquor and the fact that Zac kept mostly quiet the demons started to get more and more animated as they discussed and debated various points , each individual clearly convinced that their specific field was the most important for a burgeoning town’s success . Soon an early blueprint for Port Atwood was starting to take shape , with Ogras pushing things forward .

The general idea for the beginning was to create four Zones . The inner Zone was to be a walled-off area belonging to Zac . It would also encircle the Shipyard , with walls going down to the water a few hundred meters to both sides of it . Another wall would be erected between Zac’s camp and the shipyard . Ogras explained it was to protect the Lord’s manor against naval attacks , but Zac knew it rather was to keep the Creators separated .

Outside the core area three Zones would be established . The first was on the southwest side of the core , expanding alongside the wall all the way down to the water . It would be the trade zone where merchants and craftsmen had their headquarters .

On the other side of the core zone would the military encampment be . Zac was confused as he didn’t have an army , but let them go ahead with the plans anyway . Having an army would be convenient , as that meant he wouldn’t have to spend as much on defensive arrays . And if he became a real Lord there actually might be a time when he had a proper army .

The central area would be residential , with some businesses such as bars , and bathhouses peppered in , and it would be connected with the mercantile zone with a large square . Most space around the square was earmarked for various key institutions , such as an auction house and a bank , which Zac didn’t qualify to own yet .

They even allocated a large space for an academy . After asking he realized it wasn’t like a school on the old earth , but rather to help the students to get a class they wished for and guide them with their cultivation . This was something very interesting to Zac who had just fumbled around when he got his class choices .

He was already getting bored about the discussion about the town construction , and set his eye on the demon who appeared to represent the field of education .

Chapter 74 - Classes , Cultivation , and old Hegemons

It turned out that actions truly influenced the available Class choices . After some hesitation a slender demoness in charge of education started explaining the mechanics behind classes , quickly finding her confidence after entering lecturing mode .

The Ruthless Heavens allow you to start progressing on the path of cultivation starting at the age of 16 for both humans and demons , but it varies between species . Many forces are able to bring up the levels of their young to 25 in a day with various treasures and Nexus Crystals , so preparation before they officially enter the path of cultivation is necessary . An academy prepares the young generation , and help them attain the Class they wish for . Or at least have the most aptitude for , - the schoolmistress started to explain .

If they want to become a Sword Master they will have to arduously train with their sword , and physically train their natural attributes to the peak . If they wish to become a magic user it’s a bit more complicated , but essentially they have to study the elements and learn all they can about cosmic energy . Craftsman Classes are best gained by apprenticing themselves to someone , - she said .

It was as Zac had assumed . His classes were largely based on his actions , and it was possible to influence the options the System gave . But it seemed unlikely that too good a class could be attained from just swinging around a sword within the safety of the school .

What rarity of the classes do the students get this way? -

It depends on the grade of the school . Normally only common classes can be attained at an academy , with one or two lucky students out of a thousand getting an uncommon one . Out in the multi-verse there are far greater academies who have curriculums that can guarantee uncommon classes , and even give a decent chance for a rare one . - She said as her eyes glistened , obviously yearning to visit such a place .

Besides , if the youth accomplish great things after becoming 16 years old , instead of rushing to level 25 , they can improve their chances to get a better class . -

Still , being stuck with a common class doesn’t seem too great , no? Won’t it negatively influence their future? -

Getting common classes is by far the most common starting choice in C-graded to E-graded worlds . Classes like Warrior or Swordman have a multitude of well-documented advancements paths . For example it is well known that a Warrior can advance to an E-Graded Uncommon Champion . It can also advance to E-Graded Uncommon Captain , then D-Graded Uncommon General . - She explained , getting more and more animated as she started looking at Zac less as an axe-wielding lunatic , and more like a student .

They won’t get as many attribute points or as good skills as someone who gets a Rare or even Epic class in the start . But the requirements for each advancement is well documented , giving cultivators a clear and unimpeded path of progression . The multi-verse has an endless amount of classes , and only a small part of them is public knowledge . Many promising youths have had their path of progression cut short since they got an unknown rare class , and wasn’t able to progress it . -

Zac found all of this very illuminating , and decided to have this teacher accompany him into the mines to keep his education going while he tried to get his pathways repaired .

If the multi-verse contains endless classes , why did so many of your kind seem to have the same class? - Zac probed , his memories slightly clashing with the teacher’s explanation of the class system . For example , there had generally been three types of mages ; earth , lightning , and fire . But no demon mage seemed to use wind , ice , gravity or any other types .

The demoness slightly hesitated and looked at Ogras for instructions . He shrugged and continued the explanation himself .

It’s called heritage . - He said . - The progression paths are public knowledge , but the details are fiercely guarded secrets . Those classes that Alyn mentioned are public knowledge , but the exact method to advance past E-grade is not . Clan Azh’Rezak has bought guides that explain the progression to E-grade Uncommon for over a dozen classes , but only had two clear paths to reach D-rank . -

Buying a full progression path from F to D with all required attributes , Dao-requirements , and hidden requirements is costly enough to set back a D-ranked force quite a bit . So most only have one or two , and they are the foundation of the clan . Clan Azh’Rezak has the progression path of Lightning Warrior , which evolves into Tempest Warrior , and finally Stormblade . It’s a mix of lightning magic and bladed weapons . Rydel followed this path for example , and only the main branch of our clan is allowed to progress this class path , - the demon continued , and Zac immediately remembered the three demons he had killed whose skills contained the black dreadful lightning .

The stronger the heritage of a clan the greater its prospects . The more and better progression paths , cultivation techniques , hidden Titles , access to hidden pocket-worlds and unique cultivation resources a force has , the better the heritage is .

Of course , the stronger heritage you have the more attractive a target you become , and wars are constantly fought across the multi-verse to snatch heritages , - Ogras said . - The greatest forces in the multi-verse are said to have progression paths all the way to at least B-rank , making their heritage an unimaginable treasure , - he finished , with yearning in his eyes talking about those lofty clans .

And how does cultivation fit into all of this? - Zac continued . This was one of the most confusing things for him so far . From Abby it seemed that cultivation was extremely important , but so far he had progressed just fine without being able to cultivate .

Cultivation has various benefits . First it improves your advancement speed in levels . At a certain point one can forego sleep completely and instead cultivate , making it possible to ceaselessly progress levels . At low levels it doesn’t make a large difference , but at high levels a single level can take a year or more , and at this point the difference starts to show . - The schoolmistress Alyn picked up again .

Secondly , cultivation doesn’t only improve levels , it also improves our very foundations . It can improve our very beings over time . Essentially , it can help evolve our races , which is the biggest difference between a cultivator and a mortal . - She said .

Most mortals are forever stuck at F-Grade Classes , since they can’t afford the means to evolve into E-Rank Race . Advancing the Race is the most basic requirement for any class advancement , and no matter the Dao enlightenment or titles , without an advanced race you just will not progress . And as mortals progress it becomes unimaginably hard to find the treasures to keep their advancement going . -

Finally , cultivators can increase their combat power compared to a mortal if they have a suitable cultivation method . Say the cultivator is a Pyromancer Class . If she has a fire-attributed cultivation technique , her attacks will get even fiercer . Conversely , if she use a water-based cultivation technique she might get weaker , or even hurt herself over time . -

Zac finally understood how classes worked in the multi-verse , and was a bit troubled that he seemed to have gone down a harder path . His Rare class was a boon in the form of giving good skills and extra stats , but it seemed it was far harder to progress compared to the normal classes .

Even worse , it seemed that getting stronger truly was easier for cultivators . It would become harder and harder to keep his lead it seemed as time went on . At least he had caught a lucky break snatching up a Fruit of Ascension , solving the issue of his race for now . Still , he would have to find new treasures to keep advancing , whereas the cultivators could just , well , cultivate .

Can a mortal become a cultivator? - Zac asked , as that would solve his issues easily . Besides , Abby had said only 10% of the population of Earth was able to become cultivators , so most earthlings could benefit from turning into cultivators . Alyn seemed to hesitate a bit before answering .

Perhaps . It is said that mortals will automatically become able to cultivate when they reach a certain power level . But I am not sure whether it is true . Some say it is at C rank , others at B rank . Some say it’s just a hoax to give mortals false hope . I only know it’s not possible at D rank or lower . - She said . - There are a few treasures able to turn a mortal into a cultivator though , but they are so rare they might as well be rumors as well . - Alyn then added after some thought .

Those treasures are real but unfathomably rare . In our homeworld one was put up for auction fifty thousand years ago , and hasn’t been seen since . When it arrived it created a bloody storm that impacted the whole world . Besides , getting one of them can be a death trap . There are so many old monsters in the multi-verse that have a grandson or granddaughter who can’t cultivate for some reason . They are fine with slaughtering a whole country to snatch the treasure for their kin , making it extremely dangerous to own it . - Ogras added on .

There even was an old hegemon who went to war with a ruling family of a B-ranked planet just to get a supreme treasure which would allow his beloved pet to become a sentient god-beast . Billions of lives were lost because of that stupid mutt . - The demon then said , his mouth curving slightly upward .

What happened? - Zac asked intrigued .

The hegemon essentially destroyed the world and took the treasure . The mutt became a god beast and over tens of thousands of years started to rival even its old master in power . Soon the beast could transform into humanoid form and it had the appearance of a stunning woman . The old master actually fell in love and wanted to marry his old pet , but the god-beast didn’t reciprocate his feelings .

Mad with rage that he was rebuffed after all he had done for her , he immediately tried to kill her . It back-fired spectacularly , and the beast was victorious after an earth-shaking battle . Now she is a hegemon herself and leader of a grand beast world . It is one of the most famous stories about the dangers of owning too valuable treasures - Ogras narrated with a sneer , obviously considering the old master a true idiot .