Defiance of the Fall

The crystal was perfectly formed in her body , continuously swallowing her Cosmic Energy and releasing a slightly modified energy . She had already heard from her master what the change would entail . The angrier she became the more powerful the energy would become . This power would come at the expense of her rationality , and perhaps even her safety , but who cared about that when it would allow her to kill those that angered her?

She opened her status screen , taking a look at her race to make sure .

D] – Zhix – Manic Vessel (Special)

She went over her attributes quickly as well , disappointed that they hadn’t leaped forward after weeks of suffering . But the Bloodline Seed had finally managed to imprint a Synthetic Bloodline on her body with the help of the taboo technology . It , unfortunately , wasn’t a Combat Bloodline , but she didn’t really mind .

Calling it Special made it feel like the Bloodline was something her master had prepared specifically for her . She was about to close her status screen , but she noticed something interesting .

E] Chains of Fate 24%] . 5% - ? .

There was a change in her cultivation manual as well , with a new number appearing . She would have to ask her master to be sure , but she guessed that her bloodline gave a five percent power boost at the minimum , rising even higher depending on her anger . As where the roof was , it would depend on how much Zachary Atwood would manage to piss her off .

Good , you’re out . Come see me , a voice echoed in Inevitability’s head , and her eyes lit up as she hurried toward the building her master used .

However , she stopped in her tracks when she saw her master’s situation , her eyes widening in shock . He was pale and gaunt , looking like he was beset by some unknown affliction . His pristine muscles were all withered away and it looked like a gust would topple him over . The only reason she didn’t panic was that his aura was as stable as ever .

What’s wrong?! - Inevitability said with shock after she closed the door behind her .

Just what had happened while she was locked in that damn machine?

You did it . Good job , Kirath , - Adcarkas said with a smile . - I’m fine . I had a tousle with the Super Brother-Man . He is stronger than I expected . -

He’s still alive after meeting you? - Inevitability said incredulously .

I met him outside . I couldn’t go all-out because of the compulsions , - Adcarkas sighed as he got to his feet . - Come with me , it’s almost time . -

Kirath mutely nodded as she followed her master out of the town , moving toward the inner reaches of the Heathen World . Her eyes kept darting toward her master with worry , seeing how he struggled to keep the pace . But she knew better than to ask or offer help .

A few walls of spatial tears tried to bar their path , but her master easily moved out of the way so that they could reach further inside .

There is something I need to tell you . Something I’ve kept from you and your brother all this time , - Adcarkas suddenly said without stopping .

What’s going on? - Inevitability asked with confusion .

I was born almost 800 years ago . My master was Barvat , the previous leader of the True Path . However , the True Path was almost extinguished when the Crusade took place . The war killed most of our people , leaving just Barvat behind , severely weakened . Much was lost in those desperate years , and my master’s conviction started faltering , - Adcarkas sighed .

How is this related to our current situation? - Inevitability asked with a frown .

Truthfully , she hated listening about the True Path or The Great Redeemer . Their master was as much to blame for her brother’s death as Zachary Atwood , as far as she was concerned . If not for his rules they would have long killed that human to snuff out a threat in its cradle . Besides , his convoluted plan had forced her true master to live like a rat for centuries when he should have been the leader of the Zhix .

Just listen , - Adcarkas said , a dangerous glint in his eyes telling Inevitability that he would not tolerate any more interruptions .

Barvat asked himself , was all this suffering worth the small morsels of power that Voridis A’Heliophos left for us? Are there truly no other paths to take? But such thoughts were obviously heresy , and he suffered great backlashes as a result . However , he somehow managed to hold on for centuries while being tortured by the Karmic Bindings of The Great Redeemer . One day he managed to complete a daring plan , - Adcarkas said . - And that's when he took me on as a disciple , an orphan of just four years . -

He split my soul into two . -

Wh- - Inevitability blurted , but she quickly stopped herself .

It was crude and it shouldn't have succeeded , but here I stand . Then again , I suspect that I was not his first attempt . Most of my soul is completely bound by the Karmic Bindings , but a small part is free . One part is out in the open , one is hidden , like a whisper in the void , - Adcarkas sighed . - I couldn’t openly defy our master , but my subconscious could slightly alter my actions , and sometimes even take over for a short duration . -

Inevitabilities’ heart beat like a drum as she listened to her master . This was the first time she had ever heard him display anything except devout fervor and fanaticism for The Great Redeemer .

Obviously such a procedure caused some side-effects , like an unstable disposition , - Adcarkas wryly smiled . - But it gave me a chance to break the chains that binds me . That would have bound you . -

Would have? - Inevitability muttered with confusion .

Haven’t you noticed? Neither you nor your brother were as fervent followers as me or previous generations . It was not a coincidence . My subconscious modified your cultivation manuals . It wasn’t enough to completely rid you of the Karmic Contract , but it was a step in the right direction . That’s why you could attack Zachary Atwood during the hunt . That’s why your brother could move out without telling me , - Adcarkas sighed , vexation glimmering in his eyes . - You could say I am responsible for the death of Karath through my meddling . -

That’s not-! - Kirath blurted , but was stopped by a wave of Adcarkas’ hand .

First I hoped that my changes would lessen the bindings by each subsequent generation , but that goal had to be discarded when the Integration took place . I saw no option but to fulfill the contract . However , everything changed when we found this place , - Adcarkas said . - Here the Karmic Contract is muted , and I could freely plan for our future . -

So we’re not going to follow that man when he arrives?! - Inevitability couldn’t stop herself from asking , her eyes widening with anticipation .

You’ve read the reports . What’s the point of following a man who needed to take a crooked path just to reach D-Grade , even with the vast wealth of a grand Cultivator Clan at his beck and call? And now he’s out of time , needing to perform an even greater sacrifice . Trash , - Adcarkas spat .

Then what are we doing here? Let’s just go? - Inevitability ventured .

We can’t , - Adcarkas sighed . - We are still caught in his net . But I think I might have found a solution . Ah , we’re here . -

Inevitability hadn’t checked where they were going at all as she raptly listened to her master’s narration , but her eyes widened when she saw a massive field of spatial rifts blocking their path , hundreds upon hundreds of them .

Stay close to me , - Adcarkas said as they started to make their way through the field of spatial chaos .

Kirath stayed on the heels of Adcarkas , a sheen of sweat covering her face as they moved forward . Her master was clearly struggling to clear the path for them , and she hated that there wasn’t anything she could do to assist him . It took them almost an hour to move just a hundred meters , but Kirath was shocked to see what was on the other side .

It was a large spatial sphere hovering in the center of a large hall , a starry night depicted in its center . Kirath had heard of these Void Spheres before , but they weren’t supposed to be this big , or this stable . It was no doubt an accomplishment of her master . After all , the whole room was absolutely covered in dense inscriptions .

She also noted with interest that there were over a hundred crystals embedded among the inscriptions . She had wondered where all those Gemling artisans had gone , it turned out that they had been turned into materials for an array .

What’s this? - Kirath asked with wonder .

The way to break the bonds of fate . The key to freedom , - Adcarkas said with a smile .

A Void Sphere? - Kirath asked with confusion .

Our Strength is still nothing compared to Voridis A’Heliophos , - Adcarkas explained . - So we need to borrow the power of the Dimensional Seed . It’s just a treasure , but is still a tier higher than our master . -

I understand! - Kirath said , her eyes lighting up . - It’s amazing how master could think of something as intricate as this . -

You’re just as important for the next step , - Adcarkas said as he took out a box . - This will require both our effort . For freedom . -

Me? - Kirath repeated as her eyes turned to the box as her master opened it .

It looked like an egg made from thousands of thin metal wires , each of them woven in extremely intricate patterns . It was roughly the size of her head , but it wasn’t completely solid . She could somewhat discern a sanguine crystal glistening in its core , held in place by some of the wires .

The crystal itself wasn’t something Inevitability recognized , but her antennae felt a sharp backlash from the amount of power it contained . She didn’t know what her master had created , but she knew that it had the power to kill her outright .

A small spatial tear suddenly appeared out of nowhere , cutting a shallow wound on her master’s arm . A trail of blood ran down his hand , entering a small groove on the metal egg . The blood continued to run down the sides of the egg , forming an intricate red pattern across its surface .

You next , - Adcarkas said as he walked over to Kirath .

She unhesitantly cut open a similar wound as her master . Kirath felt a wave of dizziness hit as her blood dripped down on the egg , and she looked down at it with confusion . Her blood actually followed a completely different set of grooves , forming a second pattern on the surface of the egg before it entered its depths .

Good , - Adcarcas nodded before he walked over to the Void Sphere .

Kirath followed his actions with confusion , and her eyes widened when she saw him throw the egg inside the sphere . It rippled like the surface of a lake , and the starry night suddenly disappeared . It was replaced by thousands out of thousands of harried faces , all of them Zhix . One tormented spirit kept replacing another in an endless cycle until the sphere stabilized and turned completely pitch-black .

Enter it , - Adcarkas said .

What? Enter? That thing? - Kirath said with hesitation .

My body is too wounded to withstand it for too long . But it is not dangerous to you now that your bloodline is awakened . Look , - Adcarkas said as he pushed his bleeding hand into the Void Sphere , causing a small swirl of red to enter its depths . But his arm was mostly unscathed as he dragged it out again . - Besides , I need to control the array to make sure it runs properly . -

What do I need to do? - Kirath asked .

Just hold on and don’t move . You will form the connection between us and our master . He will try to stop us from breaking the contract , and it will hurt . But you need to hold on . For freedom , - Adcarkas said as he turned toward Kirath , yearning in his eyes .

I understand . I will not disappoint you , - Kirath said as she took a steadying breath before entering the massive sphere .

Her heart hammered from fear as she was submerged in the darkness . She didn't fear getting killed in battle , but this was something else entirely . But seconds passed and she soon calmed down soon enough as she felt that nothing was amiss . It even felt a bit like she was enclosed in her master's embrace because of the enormous concentration of Spatial Energy around her .

There was a weird power burrowing into her body , but it wasn’t very painful . It just seemed to blend with the power from the crystal in her chest . She opened her eyes , seeing a small swirl of her blood rushing from her arm toward the heart of the sphere . Just like her master’s . She turned her head toward the outside , and she saw her master looking back at her speaking as he gestured .

I can’t hear you , she said , but no sound came out .

Adcarkas still nodded in understanding and indicated for her to take a seated position and steady her mind . She quickly followed his instructions , and she felt a weird power appear all around her a second later . Her master had started .

The weird power soon started to enter her body and discomfort quickly turned into pain . She grit her teeth and held on , not wanting to ruin her master's efforts . But the odd energy started creeping into her mind as well , like tendrils of corruption . Her very soul reflexively shuddered and tried to shake off the intrusion , and a sense of wrongness quickly overcame her determination .

Eventually , she couldn't take it any longer , and she opened her eyes again to look at her master for directions . He looked back at her with a comforting smile , but there was a terrifying coldness in the depths of his eyes . She tried to move but her body didn't listen .

Desolation , sorrow , acceptance .

She closed her eyes again , and images of a long-lost time flickered through her mind . Of the small workshop in the heart of the basin , some distance away from the Hive . Of two orphans playing while their master worked on his inventions . A carefree time under a different sky .

A smile crept across Adcarkas face as he sensed how the resistance subsided , knowing his gambit had succeeded .

A Fulcrum and the death of a world , to open the path to Monarchy . I’ll provide these things , erasing the debt of the True Path and severing Karma . If my dear master is here to reap the benefits or not , that’s his problem , - Adcarkas muttered as his eyes turned toward the Core of the Mystic Realm . - My destiny lies elsewhere . -

Chapter 616 : Blood for Blood

The kiss came without warning , but it didn't feel wrong . Zac’s hand moved to Thea’s waist , and the two pressed closer in a passionate embrace . However , the warm softness disappeared as quickly as it came when Thea took a step back , leaving behind only her scent . It left Zac standing with a blank look , the series of events playing on repeat in his head .

Uh , - Zac eventually said after much thought , eliciting a snicker from his sister .

Just in case , - Thea shrugged as she pushed back one of her blond locks behind her ear .

Zac still had some trouble comprehending how things had come to this . Had she mistaken him getting the Gemling crystal as a grand declaration of love? He looked over to Ogras who stood to the side with a wide grin plastered across his face .

Hey , don’t look at me . One is all you get , - Ogras snorted .

We’ll talk later . I’ll get you out of here , I promise , - Zac finally said to Thea as he composed himself , and Kenzie activated the machine .

A weird egg-like bubble immediately enclosed the two before it shrunk back and dropped into a spatial tear that appeared right beneath them . Both the Atwood siblings were gone a second later , and the tear closed behind them . Left were just Ogras , Thea , and a sterile lab .

So , where’s my reward? - Ogras snickered as he turned to Thea . - I almost got my ass handed to me to get that little stone out . How about it? We will probably be stuck here for a wh- -

Ogras didn’t get any further as he hurriedly escaped into a swirl of shadows to avoid a sharp blue light that shot straight for his head . He appeared on the other side of the room a moment later , and Thea only gave him a scathing glance as she sheathed her weapon .

What a violent girl , - Ogras laughed . - I think Zac’s better off picking one of his off-world misses . -

What are you talking about? - Thea asked with a frown .

Oh , now you’re talking with me? - Ogras grinned as he took out the Corporeal Serum] . - I guess I could tell you , but where would the fun be in that? More importantly , the Lucky Token and our Computer Whisperer are gone , you better ready yourself for what comes next . Things will probably only get worse before they get better from here on out . -

A painful current ripped through Zac's body as it felt like he was being squeezed through a thin tube . But the pain was thankfully gone as quickly as it came and Zac realized that his surroundings had already changed . He found himself in the corner of a warehouse , and he breathed out in relief when he saw his sister standing safely right next to him . Their surroundings were not as lucky , as everything within a sphere of 5 meters around them had been completely disintegrated , though new Memorysteel was already moving to make up for the parts lost .

The scene made Zac's heart thump an additional time , but he quickly calmed down when he realized there actually wasn't any response from the automated defenses . His eyes turned toward the disk beneath their feet , his best guess was that it contained some sort of failsafe that stopped the base from acting out .

Kenzie breathed in relief when he saw that the disk was still fine , and she bent down and stashed it away . She had already taken away all the other machines from the Lab , leaving just the spatial gemstone and the protected metals behind . It wasn't that Zac didn't want to take them , but just getting out the second item had been dangerous enough , and he didn't want another incident on his hands .

Let’s go , - Zac quickly said , and he grabbed Kenzie by her waist as he flashed away , hurriedly leaving the room before setting her down . The base still hadn't responded to them blasting a hole in its wall , but there was no guarantee that it wouldn't do so in a second or two .

We’re alive , - Kenzie said , almost looking surprised . - I guess Ogras was right about you . You’re a luck magnet . You didn’t just survive , you even got the girl . I’m jealous . -

Have you had enough? - Zac asked with exasperation , though he was inwardly a bit embarrassed .

He hadn’t expected Thea to make a move like that out of the blue . They had gotten along quite well during their exploratory outings in this place , but she hadn’t let on any interest at all . Then again , he wasn’t the sharpest when it came to those things , and the more perceptive Demon had hinted to there being a spark a few times already .

Zac would be lying if he said he wasn’t interested himself . Thea was smart , driven , and she cared for the people around her . She had an aura that inspired confidence even when she didn’t say anything , and they seemed to be seeing eye to eye on a lot of things . It was just that Zac hadn’t really been thinking about these matters since the integration , especially after what happened with Hannah and Alea .

It almost felt like he was cursed when it came to love , perhaps to make up for his luck in other departments . But mostly it was the simple fact that it was hard to think about matters of love when you had the fate of a whole planet riding on your shoulders .

Hey , why are you looking all scrunched-up like that? I know you’re interested , it’s good that you’re putting yourself out there a bit after Hannah . Although , I guess it was rather that Thea finally got tired of waiting? You should have gone all out , like in that picture of the sailor going off to war , - Kenzie said .

Alright , alright , - Zac sighed as he looked around . - I’ll deal with this after we’ve prevented our people from getting slaughtered . Can you tell where we are? -

One second , - Kenzie said as she took out her tablet , but a frown slowly spread on her face . - We were teleported in the right direction , but we're a bit far-off . Look . -

A series of dots appeared on the screen the next moment , almost looking like a star constellation .

I don’t have a map in this sector , but these dots are my communication modules , - Kenzie said before she pointed at one solitary dot far from the others . - This is us . -

It looks like we’re in the Outer Ring at least , - Zac said with a frown . - But we’ve been sent too far . We passed our own base and have been sent in the direction of the True Sky Faction . -

Yeah , not even our scouts have made it this far . We’re over ten hours away if we go by the speed of scouts , - Kenzie said .

Can you contact our people? - Zac sighed .

No , we’re too far . I need to get closer to my network , - Kenzie said .

Alright , jump onto my back , - Zac said .

I can keep up , you know , - Kenzie muttered , but she still did as he asked .

I know , but you don’t have my Danger Sense , - Zac said as he converted Love’s Bond] to its shield-form . - Ten hours is way too slow . I’m going to be pushing it a bit . Hang on tight and tell me where to go . -

He shot down the corridor the next moment , following Kenzie’s directions . She didn’t have the natural understanding of Leviala or the other natives , but Jeeves was an AI with amazing machine learning capabilities . They had already mapped so many pathways and Leviala had shared some input before she decided to betray them , allowing Jeeves to make decent deductions of the surroundings .

Of course , where the barriers and spatial tears were hidden was all-too-random as far as they could tell .

Zac’s mind suddenly screamed of danger just a few minutes after they set out , and he barely had time to stop before he entered a hidden mine-field , his coffin-shield receiving two scars in return for smashing the outer spatial rifts .

However , Zac had expected this to happen so he immediately set out with even greater speed . One thing they had realized over the past weeks was that these barriers at least weren’t placed too closely . So if you encountered one trap , then you wouldn’t see another one at least for a few minutes . Zac only slowed down to a slightly less frantic pace four minutes later until they hit their next trap .

The two kept up this system of switching between a jog and a sprint , with the coffin taking one cut after another over the following hours . The shield thankfully had amazing restorative properties and it was always restored before it received a new scar . Finally , after three hours of rushing , they came close enough for Kenzie to place a communications device , and she quickly tried to contact their forces .

Who’s this? - an indistinct voice echoed out on the other side , barely audible over the sound of explosions .

It’s MacKenzie Atwood . My brother is here as well . What’s going on? - Kenzie said .

Thank god! It's Joanna . We’re under attack by natives and their machines! We got your warning thankfully , which saved a lot of lives . Those lunatics blew up the gate and hundreds of meters of the wall with some sort of spatial bomb . Our whole defensive perimeter was swallowed by the void , but none of our forces was inside , - the voice said .

What?! - Zac exclaimed with shock before he glanced at his sister . - The drill? -

It shouldn't have that kind of power I think? - she said , though she clearly wasn't sure . - Besides , it requires a lot of spatial energy to run . If they used it now , they wouldn't be able to use it to get out unless they had some special power source . -

What happened next? - Zac asked as he started running again .

They came out blasting before the wall had a chance to heal . We tried to fight them but they have thousands and thousands of machines . We were forced to focus on defending as we retreated toward the second line of defense . We only made it thanks to the beastmasters , - Joanna narrated .

The beastmasters? - Zac repeated with surprise bordering on disbelief .

He had fought both against and with the Tal-Eladar before , and he hadn't expected to hear that they were such a big help in this place . After all , there were almost as many Anointed in the Mystic Realm there were Tal-Eladar , and most of the beastmasters weren't anything special .

They managed to create a beast tide somehow , summoning those Lunar Wolves . They went crazy as they attacked the natives , but they mostly ignored us thanks to some sort of smoke the beastmasters released . It allowed us to make it back to our second line of defense with far fewer casualties , - Joanna said .

What's the situation now? - Zac asked as he breathed out in relief .

It was lucky that he had started mending fences with Verana . Who knew how many lives she and her people had just saved? Losing the Lunar Wolves was a shame , but it wasn't like he had any thought-out plans for them in either case .

I don't think they have any more of those bombs since they neither used them against the wolves or our second line of defense . They are currently resting up while their machines are trying to exhaust our shields outside the glasshouse . They have too much firepower , we have been forced to set out on raids to draw attention and let the shields restore , a lot of people have been wounded , - Joanna sighed . - We've expended thousands of talismans to minimize our casualties . -

That's what they're for , - Zac said . - I'm on my way . Just try to hold out , and start backing away if you can't . No need to make a last stand . -

I understand , - Joanna said .

Fury burned in Zac’s chest when he heard that Clan Cartava really had gone all-out to attack his people . Any thoughts of reconciliation were thrown out of his head . He’d quash this uprising , and take the spatial drill from Leviala even if he had to pry it from her cold dead hands . But he could only keep running for now , steeped in anxiety , as there was still a long way to go .

But finally , they reached mapped-out areas of the Outer Rim , at which point Zac could go all out . He turned into a blur in the hallways as he kept using Loamwalker] to maximize his speed . He could soon hear sounds could from ahead , running steps and subdued voices . Zac immediately took out his axe just in case , but a flurry of emotions went through his heart when he saw the source of the sounds . The corridors were filled with soldiers with various degrees of injuries .

Some were carrying their unconscious or fallen brethren , while others seemingly had given up , sitting down against the Memorysteel wall with a blank look in their eyes . Zac guessed the wounded were being sent toward the next defensive layer , the gate leading to their secluded section at the edge of the Mystic Realm .

Lord Atwood! - A bloodied soldier said with relief when he saw Zac appear around the corner . - You’re here! -

It was like a ripple went through the stream of people , with hundreds of eyes turning his way . Zac felt a bit uncomfortable , but he knew he could just slink away . He needed to say something

I’m here , - Zac said with a voice that echoed through the corridors , a voice full of pent-up anger . - I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner , but I'll make sure these aggressors never forget the price of messing with our people . -

It was short and a bit cliché , but it contained an unbending conviction that almost turned palpable as Zac passed through the ranks . There would be blood for blood .

Chapter 617 : Like Moths to a Flame

Leviala looked on at the destruction from her drone chair with bleakness , her sight only made possible by using Heaven’s Eyes] as her physical eyes had already become useless . Guilt and self-loathing filled her as plumes of fire rose to the sky , and the air vibrated from the unending barrage of attacks .

War always has casualties , child , - Tictus sighed as he kept tapping away on his drone-controlling tablet next to her . - I know you feel this is a mistake , and it might very well be . But the elders are not acting without reason . We know there has been an infiltration , and we know that this outside force might not necessarily have been aiming at us . But we still chose this path , your grandfather still chose to step down voluntarily even after your account . Do you know why?

Freedom . The fact that the outsiders were as powerful as you described only spurred the elders into action . What would have happened if we did as you said? We would be forcibly conscripted into a war that was not of our choosing , stuck in this hell as the world around us crumbled . Who do you think this Lord Atwood would see as expendable? What role would we have in his private crusade?

But more importantly , this outcome was already cemented the moment that Zachary Atwood closed the door to our prison cell . The same is already happening over at the True Sky Faction . It is a basic instinct to wish to be free , - Tictus said . - Your sacrifice gave us a fighting chance at least . But you'd be wrong to blame yourself for anything . -

Leviala weakly nodded , even that small movement causing a wave of blinding pain in her mind .

We… Should hurry , - Leviala whispered . - I have a bad feeling . -

They should already have been out by now , but Clan Cartava had met setback after setback on their path to freedom . First were the corridors that turned rabid , killing dozens and destroying a large chunk of their mechanized troops the moment they reached the gate to this forest . It was no doubt the work of Kenzie , the mysterious sister of Zachary Atwood .

It turned out that they had kept their guard up even before her betrayal .

But that was just the start . They had been forced to detonate their last remaining spatial bomb to pass just the gate , something that had been meant as a last-ditch weapon to quickly annihilate the opposition without any losses . Now they had been forced into a protracted battle against these lunatics that were far more powerful than was normal considering their low levels .

The outsiders had even managed to enlist help from the Lunar Wolves , with thousands of beasts trying to rip through their ranks .

The elders are still restoring their reserves after pushing back that army of giants . And I still can't believe a Titan managed to survive somehow . I wonder if that means some of our ancestors made it out alive as well , - Tictus muttered .

Still , - Leviala sighed . - It feels like a darkness is coming ever closer , threatening to swallow us up at any moment . -

It's not much longer . Their shields are on the verge of crumbling . Ten more minutes and we’ll be able to launch a final assault , utterly crushing them . From there it's just one sprint to the gates of freedom . -

Foolish .

How utterly foolish he had been , to believe that he could stand on an even footing with these natives on the basis of the millions of people he controlled . He coughed out a mouthful of blood as he crawled up to a sitting position . It provided vantage for him to witness the fires that stretched across the horizon .

The True Sky Faction was supposed to be like them by all accounts , a fragmented group whose main advantage was numbers rather than individual strength . They had a council as a deciding organ , and there were even elections every decade by the sounds of things .

But the moment they found a weakness , they pounced like a pack of rabid beasts , forcing their way through the spatial rifts using some unknown means , storming toward their spatial tunnel . The only reason their soldiers weren’t completely overrun was the timely assistance of the tide of beasts that were attracted by the smell of blood . The blood of his soldiers .

Even that was just a delay of the inevitable though . The New World Government had worked tirelessly to unearth as many weapon caches as possible over the past year , taking everything they could get their hands on . US Army Stockpiles or old Soviet munitions belonging to African Warlords , they took it all .

But their rockets had barely managed to take out a third of the far superior machines of the True Sky Faction , and when their cultivators eventually made their move it was already over . A few ambassadors had managed to escape , but their defensive measures worked against them this time . The moment someone in the outer base heard of what was going on they triggered the trap , closing the tunnel and abandoning their people .

Of course , Thomas Fisher had an override , but it wasn’t like he would have a chance to use it seeing as how he was surrounded by a diverse group of aliens .

Human , we know you have a method to reopen the tunnel . Tell us how to remove the restrictions , and you and your people can join the True Sky Faction , - a furry monkeyman said , his fur silver and bristled from advanced age . - Together we’ll deal with the other factions , creating a foundation that can stand tall in the multiverse . -

Joining you bastards? - Fischer coughed with a wan smile as he infused some energy into the hidden fractal inscribed on the back of his tooth . - I’m not worthy . Besides , I can’t have you treacherous bastards running around on Earth . -

Treacherous? You kept eliciting our help in return for our freedom , but you never delivered on your end . We’ve lost hundreds of warriors and three settlements keeping those cultists at bay . Now the world is ending , and we have run out of both options and patience , - the burly humanoid said with a growl as he looked down at Thomas's wretched form . - Now , the exit . -

You can forget it . What life would we lead with bastards like you lording over us? I’d rather leave our people to our own tyrant . At least he’s born in the United States . -

I gave you a choice , but never mind , - the old cultivator sighed as he turned to one of his companions . - Search his mind . -

Thomas’s heart thumped with fear at the prospect of getting mind-raped by some alien , but he quickly calmed down again , taking a steadying breath . He still couldn't understand how things came to this . He still remembered the sense of purpose he had back then , how he had led his people through the Tutorial before creating the foundation for his people to survive .

When had his goals changed? When had his convictions changed?

It felt like his humanity had been chipped away piece by piece by the temptation of power . He usually blamed the lizardmen and the insane insectoids for his actions . But in his heart of hearts , he knew better . This new world was poisonous , and he had gladly drunk its putrid waters .

Perhaps it was for the best that it came to this . He could die while he still maintained at least some of his humanity . He knew he was greedy and scheming , but never let it be known that he didn’t care for his country . This would be his final gift .

The rest would be up to Zachary Atwood .

Have you heard of Atomic Bombs? - Thomas laughed as he looked up at the aliens before he activated the array . - They’re banned outside , but who would have thought it was possible to assemble one in this place? -

The eyes of the alien widened with comprehension .

Run! -

But it was too late . A sun was born , blossoming just a few hundred meters away , and it would soon swallow them all .

Trash , what kind of warrior kills themselves instead of fighting? - Cervantes snorted and threw the corpse into a wall before he turned to Yoros . - Have you confirmed it? -

Yes , - the shaman quickly nodded as he ripped the bone-spike out of the pretender’s head . - Their leaders entered through another portal . -

Shame . And the item? - Cervantes asked as he scanned through the Cosmos Sacks .

It was infuriating . These weaklings possessed a level of wealth that beggared his own , and these were just some insignificant scouts . Meanwhile , he had been forced to cultivate in this cursed environment , living on run-off and scraps like a rat . He would have formed his core a long time ago if it wasn’t for his wretched circumstances .

But fate was finally turning .

They call it a Dimensional Seed . Their leaders seem to want it to reach the C-Grade , but it can be used to create a private world . A new home for our Tribe? - the shaman hesitantly said , looking at his leader in hopes to discern his thoughts .

C-Grade or a private world , - Cervantes mused . - Well , my useless nephew failed with his task , but things might not be over yet . The answers lie at the Core . -

Fate congregates toward the center , - Yoros agreed . - Something enormous is brewing . -

Good , - Cervantes nodded as he turned to his clansmen standing in wait .

The whole room was still illuminated by lunar splendor after having activated the ceremony , with thousands of his kin radiating a ruthless aura . The killing intent was palpable as well thanks to the corpses of the hundred pretenders lying on the ground .

I know you all yearn for freedom , - he said . - To bask in the glory of the true moon . But we have suffered in this hellhole for millennia . If we try to leave now , we are just victims who managed to escape . That is not the Lunar Tribe . No , we will seize this moment and turn calamity into opportunity . Our people will not have died in vain . We'll strike at the core . -

A war-hungry roar emerged from his tribe , and Cervantes nodded with a grin . However , Yoros walked over to him with a hesitant look on his face .

We should hurry . Something changed a few hours ago . The fluctuations are growing erratic . -

Zac flashed through the throng of people with the help of Loamwalker] . It wasn’t like he didn’t want to help them , but what could he do except rush to the frontlines? He ran as fast as his legs could carry him and his sister , but each face he passed was imprinted on his mind , building his furious momentum to even greater heights .

This was a cruel reminder of the realities of the Multiverse . He and Clan Cartava didn’t really have any great reason to become enemies , but sometimes that wasn’t enough to become friends . Conflicting views and lack of trust had led to this miserable outcome , and the Church of Everlasting Dao was clearly adept in muddying the waters even further . And there was nothing he could do but to finish things once and for all .

He was still hundreds of meters away from the gate , but he could still feel the deep explosions in the distance as their force transferred through the Memorysteel walls . The incessant tremors were ample proof of the intensity of the battle taking place on the other side . They finally reached the gate , and it actually opened itself as a group of bloodied soldiers were about to retreat .

Lord Atwood! - a chorus of voices shouted , but Zac’s eyes were on the defensive perimeter outside the glasshouse .

It almost looked like the whole sky had been lit on fire .

A constant bombardment assailed the defensive array . It was still holding , but it was obviously on its last legs . Cracks kept appearing , allowing a series of beams to slip inside and wreak havoc on the temporary town inside . Only the glasshouse was unscathed , the reinforced glass seemingly immune to Technocrat energy weapons .

A hundred Anointed stood in a line behind the barrier , a thick stream of energy emerging from their bodies to strengthen the shields . They were each supported by a squad of Zhix warriors who infused them in power . They in turn were supported by a group of supportive cultivators who did everything from protecting them from errant attacks to improving their energy transference .

Emily was one of them , her face pale as she held her hands against a totem pole she had conjured .

The physical wall was halfway crumbled already , with most of the Ishiate cannons in ruins . Still , over a hundred warriors stood on top of the wall-walk , desperately sending out attacks as others ran to reinforce the cracks in the barriers .

Zac flashed forward , appearing next to Joanna on top of the wall just as she sent out a storm of fractal weapons through the shield . However , Zac saw how they were quickly were destroyed by an onslaught of lasers .

Thank god you’re here , - she exclaimed when she saw Zac appear . - I don’t know how much longer we would last without you . Those machines are just too annoying . -

Zac looked out across the battlefield and saw what Joanna was talking about . The whole forest outside had been leveled to give way to a massive mechanical army . The flying drones were just one of the machines the Cartava Clan used to fight their war for them . There were just as many drones that looked completely different , lite flying red eggs .

They didn’t have any weapons , but it was obvious that they were rather there to form an enormous red canopy of shields that covered the whole army . There were also landbound machines that packed a wallop , along with a few robots whose function Zac couldn’t immediately discern . As for the Cartava clansmen themselves , they actually stood out of reach , letting the machines do their bidding .

The mechanical army was clearly the most immediate threat , and he turned to his sister who looked at the army with greed . She had already taken out her tablet and she was tapping away with fervor . However , she suddenly froze as her eyes widened in horror , just as the drones broke the carefully arranged line a few hundred meters away from the barrier .

They all suddenly shot straight toward the wall , and even Zac could sense a rapidly accumulating energy in the machines .

They're booby-trapped! They activated a self-destruct protocol the moment I connected with them . I can't deactivate it , they'll blow up this whole town! -

Chapter 618 : Path to Freedom

Zac blanched when he saw over a thousand drones shooting straight toward them . Most of the machines thankfully held their position , but he had felt the power of just a handful of spider balls self-destructing just a few hours ago . He understood all-too-well that the harried defensive shield wouldn’t provide much protection against a blast of that magnitude .

Can you deal with this wave? I have an idea on how to deal with the rest! - Kenzie hurriedly said , and Zac grit his teeth before he nodded .

The coffin appeared on his back almost instantly , and a thick cloud of pitch-black gases emerged from it as Zac shot out one max-sized fractal blade after another . The others on the wall-walk desperately tried to help thin the numbers of drones as well , and one massive explosion after another incinerated the air itself outside the barrier .

Unfortunately , there were just too many of them , and the barriers of the defensive drones protected them as well . Only Zac was powerful enough to destroy shields and drones alike , but even then they only managed to destroy a third of them before the machines were upon them .

A majestic demoness had thankfully already appeared outside the barrier by that point . It was Death’s Embrace] , the final card up Zac’s sleeve . He had hoped to save it for later , but the Mystic Realm kept forcing him into one desperate situation after another . Alea’s opened arms wide in what looked like a welcoming hug , and the drones actually seemed to be attracted by the gesture .

They were spread out into small squads of defenders and attackers before , likely to avoid getting taken out by one massive attack , but they all turned to move straight toward the demonic avatar . Zac could clearly sense them being dragged from some mysterious force of the avatar though . One explosion after another erupted in her embrace , but they were muted like the fiery outbursts were sucked straight into a black hole .

A small sphere of fire and steel quickly grew in Alea’s arms until it was almost too big for her to contain . There were still over a hundred machines left , but Zac knew that the skill had reached its limits . He quickly gave the order , and the avatar’s jaw unhinged as she swallowed the massive ball before returning turning into a mist that receded into the coffin .

Zac was already prepared , and two streaks of light flickered in front of the wall . Two clouds , one gold and one black , could be seen for just an instant before space split in two and destroyed the remaining suicide drones in one go . Zac exhaled in relief when he saw that the first group was dealt with before he quickly scanned his Spirit Tool . He was worried that something would go wrong after Love’s Bond] swallowed a bunch of drone scraps and fire , but it looked like the coffin really could eat anything .

Alea had still not as much as sent him an emotion or impression like Verun often did , so Zac couldn’t tell whether feeding her things this way was beneficial or detrimental . But that was a worry for later as a second squad was already setting out toward them , this one more than twice as big .

I’m not sure I can block this without creating some massive fallout , - Zac whispered with worry to his sister who was tapping away with such speed that her fingers had turned into a blur .

I got it! - Kenzie shouted . - I’ll knock them all out for a few seconds . Get ready to destroy them . I will not be able to do help you for a while after that . My… computer… will need to recharge . -

Zac looked at Kenzie with surprise , but he quickly understood what she meant . It sounded like she or Jeeves had developed some sort of energy discharge aimed at Technocrat machines , and it was powered by Jeeves himself . Zac wasn’t sure how to feel about that . It was one thing for the AI to help her with the tech side of things and give cultivation pointers , but now it was starting to directly weaponize itself as well?

Where would it end?

He knew that he couldn’t be picky at a moment like this though , and he nodded at her to go ahead as he started to charge up Deforestation] . He had decided to go all-out from the get-go considering that this mechanized army might actually be the strongest force of the Cartava Clan . Kenzie sighed as she shot a forlorn look at the vast repository of weaponry she wouldn’t be able to steal before a sharp red light shot out of her eyes as she rose up in the air .

Her face turned into a callous mask as she looked down at the mechanized army outside the gates , like an emperor looking down on its subjects . She placed her palm on the tablet in her grip before throwing it out toward the incoming horde . The tablet exploded after just a few meters , releasing a small wave that Zac barely could discern .

It didn’t look like much , but it was extremely effective . The hundreds of red shields covering the army disappeared in an instant , and the machines all stopped in their tracks as the drones started to drop from the sky . Zac was already on the move by that point as he jumped down from the wall and rushed toward the army with all the speed he could muster without activating Loamwalker] .

Stop him! - someone roared from within the mechanized army , but the Cartava Clan’s caution was working against them now that Zac and Kenzie had arrived .

They had wanted to let their robot armies pave the way for them while they conserved their strength , but they ended up in a position where they were unable to intercept Zac as he swung his arm and then swung it again as two massive axes almost superimposed on each other .

A ripple spread out through the exposed machines before thousands of deep cuts appeared out of nowhere . Many of the falling drones were directly destroyed while the larger robots on the ground just got their plating shredded . The mechanical army didn’t even get a chance to wake up before a wave of flames hit them next , scorching and shredding everything that was still standing .

Just like that , the foundation that had held Clan Cartava safe from the other natives was gone , utterly destroyed because of the deadly combo of Zac and his sister . An army made up of over ten thousand drones and thousands of other weapons were destroyed in an instant , but that wasn’t Zac’s main goal .

He rushed forward through the wreckage , his eyes trained on the chaotic defensive line behind the inferno . He spotted a few scorched corpses among the burned metal scraps , no doubt Datamancers hiding among the machines .

But those people weren't his concern any longer , his eyes were already trained on the true army of his enemies . The Cartava Clan had let their machines attack the base for hours by this point , and they had clearly grown complacent after dealing with the wolves . They had no proper shields up since the defensive drones stationed at their front lines were still malfunctioning , and many seemed to be frozen in stupor upon seeing their whole robot army being destroyed in an instant .

Zac felt some hesitation for a second , but he quickly pushed it aside as emerged through the flames like a god of war . The enormous pitch-black Axe of Desolation appeared above his head , and it clove the air in a horizontal arc . A massive cloud of destruction billowed toward them , as if Zac’s judgment upon the Cartava Clan had taken form .

The wave of desolation moved deceptively fast , hitting the frontlines of Clan Cartava before the drones had a chance to reset themselves the quick-witted cultivators had erected some shields by themselves , but the cloud easily slipped through the cracks . There were no screams as the first clansmen succumbed to the Axe of Desolation . They simply stopped moving before they fell apart , crumbling into pieces of ash that drifted away .

Some reacted quicker than others as they desperately tried to attack the cloud or flee for their lives , the latter finding far greater success than the former . The defenders managed to weaken and delay the wave a bit , but hundreds of people still died in an instant , some of them even E-Grade .

Of course , a single attack wasn’t enough to completely eradicate an E-Grade clan .

A massive eye suddenly appeared in the sky , and even Zac felt immense pressure from it even if its gaze was trained on the wave of desolation . The thick black clouds tried to push even further , but it had already exhausted too much energy dealing with the frontlines . It was stopped in its tracks , locked in a stalemate with the fractal eye .

The impasse didn’t last long though as a massive hole was blasted through the wave . Three seniors walked through , each of them radiating intense killing intent . Two of them were old men with long flowing beards , while the third was an old lady . None of them held any weapons as far as Zac could tell , but he knew that all three of them were proper cultivators judging by their auras .

It was no doubt the elders who had stepped forward at this crucial time .

They stopped in front of their army , gazing at Zac with a mix of shock and anger .

You must be the one called Zachary Atwood , - the man in the middle said with a murderous glare , his aura exploding toward the sky . - You’re powerful , but Clan Cartava has waited for liberation for millennia . We will not be stopped by your tyranny . -

A roar of agreement erupted from behind , with the thousands of soldiers glaring daggers at him . The previous fear and hesitation was swept away , replaced with a palpable bloodlust .

Zac’s eyes thinned as he looked at the old geezer . His aura was actually weaker compared to the man to his left , yet he seemed to speak for the three . Zac guessed that this was the second elder that Leviala mentioned , the one who essentially staged a coup . That meant the old guy to the left should be the previous Grand Elder , Leviala's grandfather and the most powerful warrior of Clan Cartava .

Three high E-Grade Cultivators and an army assisting them from behind . It was a bit more than he could handle , but he knew that his people would join soon now that the mechanized army was dealt with . He just needed to hold down these three seniors while his people dealt with the others , at which point victory was theirs .

He was about to make his move , but he suddenly felt slight tremors in the ground ten meters away from him and he immediately guessed something was amiss . He quickly jumped away just as the ground exploded , but Zac hurriedly stopped sending out a fractal blade mid-swing when he saw a familiar head pop out .

WE ARE HERE! Ah? Why are you here? - Billy roared as he emerged full of vigor , but he quickly lost his momentum when he saw Zac standing right next to him .

What’s going on? What are you doing? - Zac asked with bafflement .

These big guys told Billy they are good at digging , so Billy wanted to ambush the bad guys , - Billy explained as one Anointed after another emerged from the hole , each of them radiating looking fully rested in contrast to those who had manned the walls .

Ambush? - Zac said with a confused look . - Then you did you scream we’re here? -

A-! - Billy exclaimed as Rhubat sighed and shook his head . - I guess Billy got too excited? -

It matters not , Wallbreaker . We have appeared right on time , - Rhubat rumbled before he turned to Zac . - We’re here to assist you , Warmaster . -

Zac nodded in thanks before he started when he saw Verana emerge behind the legs of the Anointed as well , accompanied by six other Beastmasters . It looked like this elite squad had planned on going all out when the barrier broke , launching a deadly counter the moment Clan Cartava thought they had seized victory .

But now that Zac had appeared the Anointed had changed their plan , digging their way out prematurely . After all , there was no way that the energy-sensitive Zhix hadn’t sensed his appearance .

We can just help keep one at bay for a bit , - Verana said as she looked at the old lady who had not spoken until now . - They are proper Late-Stage warriors , after all . -

That’s plenty , - Zac said as his aura started to grow .

Are you truly determined to bar our way on our path to freedom? - the man to the left suddenly asked , his face a mask of grief and exhaustion .

It might have been possible to work something out before , but that time has passed , - Zac said as he turned back toward his enemies .

So it has , - the man sighed .

His aura was completely unleashed the next moment as an elongated ring of white lightning appeared like a halo behind its back . It was almost blindingly radiant , and it reminded Zac of a vertical eye made from pure energy .

We'll take that one! - Billy roared as he grew , his height soon dwarfing even Rhubat's . - He zapped Billy before . Billy's gonna thwonk him back . -

That old lady still hasn't made her move , - Verana said , her face clearly a bit reluctant . - But we'll do our best . -

Lulu , Grub , and Slither appeared from within her sleeves , each of them rapidly growing into massive beasts in an instant . They were a lot more powerful compared to the last time Zac saw them , probably thanks to Verana purchasing a part of the Beast Crystal mine before Zac set off to the Tower of Eternity . Verana wasn't planning on staying behind this time as she jumped up on the head of Slither while the other Beastmasters joined in , each of them conjuring mysterious fractals that entered the bodies of the three beasts .

Zac felt he must look like a toddler sandwiched between the hulking Anointed and the awe-inspiring beasts , but his aura told the truth . With two of the elders occupied for the time being Zac only needed to worry about the second elder , and that was perfect in his book . This man was the mastermind behind all the trouble Clan Cartava had caused as far as he could tell , and taking him out would make everything else a lot easier .

The ground was already vibrating as the chains of Love's Bond] slithered out from the coffin on his back , each of them looking like a tentacle hungry for destruction . It was the Zhix horde , thousands of furious insectoids to settle their grudge with the Cartava army .

Go , - Zac growled , as he pointed his axe toward the second elder .

The ground cracked for hundreds of meters and the sky lit up in color as six massive sets of auras clashed , fighting for supremacy .

Chapter 619 : Despicable

A spectral forest rose from the ground as Zac flashed forward , the trees immediately giving him a second sight as he tried to close the distance to the Second Elder . Most of the Cartava Clan cultivators seemed to be leaning toward mage-classes , which meant that turning the fight into a melee was his best bet at ending things quickly .

The Second Elder frowned as he looked at the forest that had sprung up around him . He pushed his hand forward , causing hundreds of runes to appear , each of them seemingly made out of steel . Zac could somewhat guess what was going on . The Grand Elder used lightning as an element , his insights probably stemming from the Base Power that powered this place .

The Second Elder instead had focused on the Memorysteel itself for inspiration .

Zac was a bit surprised none of them seemed to have insights into space even with all the spatial rifts around them , but he guessed it was simply too hard to gain insight into that Dao as an E-Grade cultivator in this place .

A sudden pang of danger dragged Zac out of his thoughts as a metal arrow shot straight toward him , coming from the closest rune . It contained a tremendous force , and the air itself was frayed as it flew straight toward him . But Zac only glanced at it before refocusing on his enemy as a chain lashed out to intercept .

The sharp sound of metal colliding echoed out as chain and arrow clashed and a small shockwave erupted . The chain of Love’s Bond] was pushed away , but it was clearly Zac who came out victorious in the initial engagement . One of the links had a small white mark from where the arrowhead hit , but the whole arrow was disfigured as it fell to the ground .

One flash forward moved Zac almost a hundred meters , putting him just ten meters away from the old man . A radiant edge was already tearing through the air as Chop] expanded to over fifteen meters , creating a vast kill-zone in front of him . The elder looked startled as he moved to run away , but he was far too slow . The blade bit into his torso before he could take more than a single step , instantly bisecting the old man .

However , Zac just frowned as the Second Elder supposedly died , and his worry was quickly confirmed as Zac found himself surrounded by over a hundred pitch-black spikes that reminded him of Alea’s ultimate attack . The bisected old man turned into streams of metal the next moment shooting toward him with extreme speed .

Destroying all the spikes around him would be too annoying so he immediately activated Loamwalker] to flash away , but he didn’t even manage to take a single step before the two streams of metals reached his legs and turned into two manacles that felt as heavy as mountains . The sudden burden made him stumble , and the spikes shot toward him at that precise moment .

Zac’s Danger Sense screamed at him to get away , and the veins on his forehead pulsated as he forcibly took a step forward and disappeared with the help of his movement skill . It felt like the muscles in his legs would tear from the exertion , but a loud snap confirmed that he had forcibly broken the restrictive skills as he moved .

A green barrier appeared around Zac as he activated the first defensive charge of Hatchetman’s Spirit] , just in time as he crashed through a dozen of the black spikes . The barrier barely held as Zac escaped the encirclement , a testament to how powerful the attack was when counting the number of spikes left behind .

He appeared fifty meters away , and he turned around just in time to see a large spatial tear being created by the hundred remaining spikes . They had actually ripped a hole into space when they stabbed toward a singular point , and the air twisted and distorted as the rift swallowed everything around it before space mended itself .

There was no time for Zac to regain his footing though as one arrow after another shot toward him from the runes all around hum . Zac growled in annoyance as his chains turned into a blur , forming a defensive barrier even more effective than Nature’s Barrier] . It was something he had come up with some time ago , but it only worked when there weren't too many projectiles to deal with .

The chains kept him safe for the time being , but he knew that this wasn’t a sustainable situation .

He had already spotted ten clones of the old man forming a circle around him , each of them forming different hand seals , no doubt preparing his next major attack . Massive outbursts of lightning and massive sigils clashing to his left was proof of a battle that was quickly reaching a fever pitch , and the three beasts to his right were already bloodied as the Tal-Eladar desperately held on for dear life .

The Second Elder had seized the momentum the moment Zac looked over at that very first arrow . It had given him a short window to teleport away while leaving behind a boobytrapped clone , even escaping Zac's improved senses from Hatchetman's Spirit] . Zac knew he needed to break the stalemate , but it looked like the second elder wasn’t actually trying to take him out . He was just probing him while stalling for time , waiting for the others to finish up their fights .

Unfortunately , Zac saw no simple quick fix . The clones were extremely life-like , and Zac couldn’t actually tell which one was the real elder even with the help of Cosmic Gaze] . Zac knew what he had to do , though he hated such tactics . But this was not the time to hesitate , and the lustrous halo of Conformation of Supremacy] appeared behind his back while he also started infusing a storm of Cosmic Energy into Nature’s Punishment] .

The axe of the axe-man appeared inside the halo , and Zac shot toward the closest avatar . It was shredded into pieces by one swing of his E-Grade skill , the ground itself turned into a deep gorge from the force generated by the halo . The clone wasn’t the real elder this time either , and his body fell apart into liquid metal once more .

This blob didn’t shoot toward Zac , but it rather rose into the sky as it absorbed the metal runes in the area , forming one massive fractal . Zac spotted a similar fractal as large as a fist suddenly appear on his robe , and he felt a tremendous pressure like he was bound by unseen fetters . It reminded him of those annoying spiderlings he had fought during the final battle of the second Beast Wave , where each spider that attached to him increased the gravity .

This one mark added over ten times as much weight on his body , but Zac was also not the same person as he was back then . He bore the weight without a change in expression as he flashed toward the second clone . This one was right at the edge of his fractal forest , and it was the closest one to the Cartava Army .

The second avatar was destroyed in a single swing as well , and another massive fractal appeared , just as expected . The strain on his body more than doubled , but Zac only snorted as he pushed his free hand forward . An enormous crack in the sky appeared , but not right above him . It was instead above the army just a few hundred meters away , and the large wooden hand emerged in all its glory .

Zac wasted no time as he rushed forward , running away from the encirclement and his spectral forest . He was surprised to feel that the restraints increased by a whole tier after he left the circle the elder’s clones had set up , but he could still move almost freely supported by his almost inhuman amount of Strength .

Screams of confusion erupted among the natives as an emerald fractal appeared in the sky , immediately putting the soldiers under immense pressure . Confusion quickly turned to fear as a small sapling rapidly grew into a towering tree , with hundreds of branches shooting downward like spears .

It was like the tree had eyes as well , with the attacks only targeting the natives while avoiding the allied army of Port Atwood .

Despicable! - the second elder roared , and he actually emerged out of the ground in the middle of the encirclement .

It was no wonder that Zac couldn’t pinpoint his location . He was actually hiding underground , masking his aura while he let his clones fight for him . But Zac didn’t care that the real elder had appeared as his eyes were peeled on a young man shouting orders in the middle of the army .

This was a battle for the survival of Earth , and if he needed to act despicably to get the job done , so be it . The second elder seemed to want to draw things out to tip the scales in their favor , but Zac had one card up his sleeve to force his hand ; the elder's grandson . Zac had already spotted the man he suspected to be the one called Yvian some time ago . Furthermore , he was just an early E-Grade warrior , not a match to Zac at all .

Hundreds of barriers erupted as the soldiers tried to defend against the death from above , but the Zhix warriors didn’t have any such worries as they launched another assault with unmitigated bloodthirst . The pitched battle between the two armies quickly turned to a bloodbath as the soldiers found themselves unable to deal with the pincer attack of both Zac and Zhix .

An enormous explosion erupted to his left , and Zac saw Billy appear out of nowhere to block the Grand Elder’s attempt to reach his clansmen . A torrent of lightning bolts blasted out from the glowing eye behind the old man in an attempt to force Billy to give way , but the ten-meter giant released a thunderous roar as he slammed his gargantuan club into the ground .

The whole area shook like the whole mystic realm was about to split apart before a towering mountain rose from the ground to block the old man . A section mountain exploded in turn as six familiar balls shot out with shocking force , each of them exploding around the Grand Elder , drowning him in a ceaseless barrage of stone-shards reinforced by Zhix conviction .

It was the Anointed that launched a surprise strike while the elder was preoccupied with the plight of his clansmen , and their joint attack caused some serious wounds to appear across his body .

The three beasts were similarly unleashing ultimate strikes to block the infuriated old lady , leaving just the Second Elder to protect his clan . As expected , a towering metallic beast suddenly rose among the soldiers , looking a bit like the werewolf but wearing a spiked turtle shell on its back . The spikes turned into innumerable spears that slammed into the descending tree , ripping apart branches by the hundreds .

Zac only snorted as he kept infusing Nature’s Punishment] with even more Cosmic Energy , causing new branches to sprout and stab at the soldiers beneath . As for himself , two quick flashes put him right in front of the man he guessed was Yvian .

No! - the man screamed as his face turned pallid in fear .

A barrier appeared in front of him , but it cracked before Zac’s overhand swing even reached it , the massive pressure of Conformation of Supremacy] alone enough to shatter it . However , the second elder appeared in front of Yvian out of nowhere , his whole body turning into a pitch-black metal covered in dense sets of shimmering fractals .

It was like he had turned himself into a war machine , and he stabbed his right hand forward while the other hand moved up to block Zac’s swing . Zac’s Danger Sense warned him of the huge force contained in the jab , but he didn’t care at all as his eyes were filled with death as he stared at his targets .

Just as Verun's Bite] was about to clash with the palm it erupted with tremendous force , far eclipsing anything he had displayed until now .

Wh-! - the old man blurted , but it was too late .

A massive scar split the ground for over a hundred meters as Zac infused his attack with Fragment of the Axe , the first time since he arrived that one of his attacks were infused with the Dao . The sudden and shocking increase in power had been too much , and the steel-related Dao Fragment that the old man used was clearly just at early mastery .

A sharp pain spread in his side as the jab of the second elder managed to puncture Zac’s body even with his high Endurance . However , the elder didn’t follow up on his attack , and neither did Zac . Zac just took a step back to extricate the steely hand from his body before the wound rapidly started to close .

The two forms of Yvian and his grandfather only stood unmoving for a second before they split apart , and it was their deaths that fueled the activation of Surging Vitality] . It would normally be impossible for Zac to use his healing skill in the middle of a battle , but there were just dead bodies all around him while Zhix elites had quickly formed a protective circle while he healed up .

It had been a gamble since the beginning , but it worked out in the end . There was something Zac had noticed the moment he stepped into this Mystic Realm ; it almost felt like the Tower of Eternity in the sense that his connection with the Dao was extremely weak .

He was still able to push his Fragment of the Axe forward thanks to his earlier encounters , but he had already realized from his battles until now that none of his enemies really excelled in the Dao . The downed elder was proof of that . He was no doubt hundreds of years old , yet he only had a Low-Grade Dao Fragment .

Perhaps this was because of the characteristics of the Mystic Realm or perhaps it was a result of the Dimensional Seed sucking up all the Origin Dao , but in either case , it gave him a hidden weapon . Thanks to hiding his cards during the whole battle , Zac was able to burst out with extreme force in an instant with the help of a High-Mastery Dao Fragment .

Leviala had no doubt warned of his power before , but by hiding his attainment while targeting Yvian he had created an opening . Still , there was no satisfaction in Zac's heart for dealing with the Second Elder this way . He knew that Ogras would be smiling with pride if he had seen Zac's tactic , but this wasn't how he wanted to deal with problems . His eyes gazed across the Cartava army that was completely crumbling by this point , and hesitation filled his heart . What now?

And it was at that point another prompt appeared in front of him .

Chapter 620 : Sankhara-Dukkha

Zac knew his people weren’t out of the woods just yet , but he still scanned the prompt that had appeared in front of him before deciding on his next move .

Sankhara-Dukkha (Training (6/9)) : Emerge victorious and seize the Spatial Drill . Reward : Reward based on performance at the end of training regimen . (0/2)

NOTE : Failure to comply with training regimen will result in loss of 2 levels

He didn’t know what the quest name was referring to , but the task was more straightforward . It also confirmed the importance of the Spatial Drill to the point that it almost felt like the System had sensed his hesitation and told him - do what you want as long as you get the drill’ .

The problem was what he should do now . He had just killed the Second Elder a few seconds ago , and his death had instantly roused the battle lust of the Zhix as they rampaged through the army with newfound vigor . Less than a third of the native army was still standing , with Zac being the biggest perpetrator by unleashing both the third swing of Deforestation] and Nature’s Punishment] upon them .

He could probably force a surrender as long as they dealt with the two remaining elders , but to what end? What would he do , saddled with thousands of prisoners when they needed to move toward the core of the Mystic Realm?

But could he just slaughter them all just out of convenience?

Was there some sort of middle-ground?

No! - a wail echoed out from the distance , and Zac turned his head to see the old lady desperately trying to break past the beasts in an effort to reach him , or perhaps the body of the Second Elder .

Her eyes were stained with tears and her old body was covered in bloody wounds . The air around her kept twisting and distorting as Grub constantly switched between slamming his enormous teeth together and releasing his massive bellows . Zac remembered all-too-well the restrictive power those soundwaves possessed .

The elder still pushed forward , shielded by a massive avatar that looked a bit like a huge scarecrow . It was made from hundreds of different plants , with leaves and fruits giving it facial features . Its limbs were made from straw and roots , and it was decked in a robe made from leaves . It stood over twenty meters tall , and it radiated both a life-force that eclipsed Zac's own wooden hand while also radiating the aura of a powerful adversary .

The grass around its feet kept growing taller as flowers sprung up around it . Perhaps it was the avatar of a God of Harvest , something the elder had used to nurture the plants of the clan . But that was obviously not its only function as that avatar alone seemed more than capable to deal with all three of Verana’s beasts , even when they were empowered by a group of elite Beastmasters .

It wasn’t very quick , but its attacks contained an enormous force . Slither tried to block as the elder and her champion pushed through Grub’s restraints , but the old lady was on a rampage . A single punch from the avatar threw the snake over fifty meters away , and it was clearly grievously wounded from the hit .

Lulu harried the old lady while running in circles as she tried to light the scarecrow on fire with her spells , but roots kept stabbing up from the ground leaving deep lacerations on the foxlike beast . It was like nature heeded the old lady’s call , lashing out at everything around her .

If nothing changed , then the third elder would soon reach the clashing armies . That wasn’t the real problem though . The problem was the look in her eyes as she unerringly stared at Zac . He didn’t know the background of this senior , but judging by the bone-chilling killing intent in her eyes as she stared at him , she was more likely to self-detonate than to surrender .

Then something suddenly changed . A ball of extremely concentrated poison shot toward the old lady as Slither unleashed one final attack before it fell unconscious . A series of thick leaves sprouted from the ground , but they were instantly incinerated as the blob flew straight toward the old lady . It contained a corrosive effect of a magnitude that rivaled Blighted Cut] , and even Zac felt some pressure from it .

The elder was finally forced to look away from Zac to meet the new threat head-on . She made a series of seals as the scarecrow hurriedly bent over , placing its two slab-like hands to block the incoming projectile . The already oversized hands of the avatar quickly grew even larger , turning into two meter-thick ramparts .

A storm of purple smoke erupted when the blob hit the wall , and even Zac felt the ground shudder from almost two hundred meters away . That wasn’t all the Beastmasters had prepared though . Grub released a piercing high-pitched wail that conjured a tunnel that swallowed the elder in an instant . It didn’t seem to hurt her , but it was like time had slowed down inside it .

The elder’s avatar was already preoccupied with dealing with Slither’s attack , allowing Lulu to fire a massive pillar of white flames straight at the old lady , incinerating the air itself . The elder moved like in slow-motion inside the pillar , but a storm of golden leaves flew out to block out the attack .

Zac breathed out in relief as he started running over . The trio had gone all-out , but it still looked like the elder would come out unscathed . However , the situation had given him a window of opportunity where he could quickly restrain her with the help of the restraint module he still carried with him . If he could capture her with the help of that thing , the war would be over since the grand elder was already wounded thanks to the Anointed’s surprise attack .

His approach was immediately spotted , and a ruthless gleam shone in the elder’s eyes as she looked at him . It looked like she had given the massive scarecrow some sort of order as well as it was slowly turning toward him , its hands mostly corroded away . But Zac didn’t care as he rushed toward her .

However , a familial form soundlessly rose from the ground like the soil was made from water , appearing right behind the old woman . There was no hesitation as Rhubat made his move the moment he saw an opening thanks to both the elder and the avatar being preoccupied .

Wai- - Zac said as he rushed forward , but it was too late .

The elder seemed to have realized something was wrong the moment Rhubat appeared as well , and dozens of vines appeared behind her to tie him up . But the roots were instantly turned to ash as Rhubat exploded with radiant flames ; the flames from burning one’s lifeforce . Rhubat’s fist gained a golden glimmer as it punched straight through the vines and then the torso of the Cartava Lady , instantly killing her in one blow .

Her gaze never left Zac’s though , not even in death .

The foliage and fruits that made up the twenty-meter avatar rapidly started to wither and rot away as it slowly curled into a fetal position . A second later it was just a putrid ball , but simply standing in its vicinity caused Zac’s Danger Sense to go off . Something was brewing inside that ball .

Quickly , get away! - Zac shouted , allowing the Anointed to scramble out of the way just before the crumbling avatar exploded , disintegrating the old lady and the surrounding fifty meters .

Thank you , Warmaster , - a bloodied Rhubat rumbled as he appeared next to him .

No problem . Here , take this , - Zac said as he threw a large Longevity Pearl to him . - Eat this thing . It might help you a bit . -

Rhubat shrugged and swallowed the pearl in one go , its massive size making the pearl seem like a small pill .

Longevity , - Rhubat said as he looked down at Zac with surprise . - This is a great gift . -

I can’t have you leave us just yet , - Zac smiled , happy that the pearl seemed to have at least some effect on restoring Rhubat's remaining lifeforce .

Not while the crusade is unfinished , - Rhubat agreed .

Help me with the last one , - Zac said as he looked over at the Grand Elder . - I have an item that can completely restrain him . -

They had already come this far , so Zac felt he might as well take this war all the way . The old man was bleeding all over , but the others in the group were even worse-off by now . The massive explosion had actually saved the lives of two of the Anointed , but one was already dead on the ground . Killing the third elder had come with a cost .

The death of the second elder had made the old man freeze and look over , allowing the other Anointed to barely jump out of the way of a beam of electricity so intense that it lingered in the air like a scar on reality . Only Billy’s aura was still somewhat stable , but he was covered in scorch marks from head to toe , his lungs working like bellows as he greedily swallowed air .

Everyone was unwilling or unable to make the first move , putting them in an impasse for a few seconds . The old man’s eyes moved from the crater to Zac , and finally to the rapidly crumbling army of his clansmen . There was fury in his eyes , but more so helplessness . But then there was finally tranquility and a dash of insanity as he smiled at Zac .

Cartava , forever standing! - the man suddenly roared as he lit up like a beacon , causing massive waves of lightning that forced Billy and the Anointed to back away .

A collective roar erupted among the remaining Cartava soldiers , and each of them turned into beacons as well as a blazing lightning eye appeared above their heads . The whole area shook from the outburst of Cosmic Energy , and Zac got a sinking feeling as he saw the madness in the old man’s eyes .

Shit , they’re blowing themselves up! - Zac screamed as he looked on with wide eyes as he launched a barrage of fractal blades at the Grand Elder .

The fractal blades didn't even get close before they were turned to ash , and Zac was all out of powerful moves . His blitz had been short and brutal , and Rapturous Divide] was still on its cooldown .

RETREAT! - Rhubat roared as he erected his series of earthen shields to protect his grievously wounded brethren .

The Port Atwood army had already disengaged , with everyone running for their lives as hundreds of people joined each other in death . The world turned white a second later , and Zac almost felt like the whole Mystic Realm was falling apart . He could only open his eyes a few seconds later , only to see hundreds of craters littering the battlefield , the largest one unsurprisingly the Grand Elder's handiwork .

Are you okay? - Zac asked as he turned to the Anointed .

We're fine , Warmaster , - Rhubat sighed as it gazed at the elder's crater . - A valiant ending . -

Hmm , - Zac hummed , feeling something was amiss , though he couldn't put his finger on it .

Those thoughts were thrown into the back of his head though when he spotted a familiar figure in the distance .

It’s over , - Tictus sighed , a wave of desolation emanating from his body . - It’s all… over . -

Grandpa , - Leviala sighed with a forlorn expression .

I know father would have wanted to say goodbye , but he was out of time . This way our elites will be able to bring him away , giving the clan a final chance at survival . Perhaps an opportunity will arise if they hide until after the treasure matures , - Tictus said as he put away his tablet .

What about you? - Leviala whispered . - You can still… -

We’re standing outside the field . If they try to help us , they’ll expose themselves and break the illusion . They are probably already gone , - Tictus smiled .

I’m sorry , - Leviala said . - If not for… -

Don’t be . I’m happy to accompany you , child . It’s not right for you to be left alone after all you’ve sacrificed . Besides… Mala , my children… All have already gone ahead . I’m… tired , - Tictus smiled as he looked down at his niece .

Leviala only felt hollow inside as she deactivated her bloodline skill . She had seen enough . Her curse almost felt like a blessing at this point , shielding her from the suffering around her . People she had grown up with , people she had looked up to or despised . A fragmented clan bound together by their common plight .

So many gone in just an instant , crushed by a vengeful judgment . The hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood up as an immense aura came closer , and she could hear the sounds of bare feet walking through the grass a few seconds later .

Anything to say for yourself? - Zachary said , and she could feel his eyes boring into her .

Leviala opened her eyes and turned toward the source of the sound . She couldn’t see him , but yet she could . He towered in front of her like a force of nature itself . She was blind , but she felt that she never had seen so clearly before , not even when awakening her bloodline back then .

Zachary Atwood was an aberration , an entity that should never have been provoked . Fate swirled around him , drawn to him like fireflies were to fire . To go against him was to go against the Heavens themselves . Yet she also knew one fundamental truth .

He was just one . One among many .

One star that shone a little bit brighter in a vast universe of stars and blazing suns , each of them swallowing everything in their surroundings in their unceasing ascent to the peak . People like her and her clan were just the soil that would help these stars grow , and a sense of exhaustion and helplessness washed over her .

But then there was peace .

In my next life , I pray that I will not become a cultivator , - Leviala whispered as she closed her eyes forever .

Chapter 621 : Ripples

Zac sighed as he looked down at Leviala as her body collapsed in the drone chair . He hadn’t touched her , but it wasn’t hard to tell that she died . It looked a bit like she committed suicide , but Zac soon realized that was not really the case . One glance with Comic Gaze] exposed rampant energies that ripped through her innards . It looked like her body was full of what Zac assumed to be temporal cracks , and there was even a hint of something all-too-familiar ; the aura of the purple Heavenly Lightning .

It felt quite diluted , or perhaps it was more apt to say it was hollow . Still , it felt like ample proof that her messing with time really came with grave consequences , especially when she didn't have any means to protect herself like Zac with his Void Heart] . The sinister cracks that were only visible to his special sight stemmed from her two cursed eyes , spreading throughout her body .

His best guess was that she had somehow contained or managed to delay the effect , but she simply gave up just now , letting the curse end her life . Zac had run through the corridors with righteous indignation before , a towering fury building over the betrayal and assault on his people . He had meted out justice , or at least vengeance , but there was no sense of closure at this moment .

Looking down at Leviala Zac just felt . . . cheated . The Cartava Clan definitely deserved what was coming to them , but that didn't change much .

Poor child , - the middle-aged man next to the drone chair said with a sigh .

Zac’s eyes turned to the man , taking in the intricate machinery that covered his Technocrat-suit and the helmet lying to the side . He was definitely a Datamancer , probably one of the leaders and main controllers of the battlebot swarm .

I guess you’re her uncle , the Datamancer? - Zac slowly said . - Where is the Spatial Drill? -

Why should I tell you that? - the man said with a desolate smile . - My niece is dead , as is my own family . We have lost our elders , our mechanical armies , and most of our elites . Clan Cartava has fallen , this place finally did us in . Just kill me and get it over with . -

Many have died , but even more should still be alive , - Zac said , steeling his heart as he pointed toward the direction of the gate to the Cartava Clan . - This is just a part of your people . There should still be thousands of civilians relying on your protection . What kind of future they will lead will depend on your answers . Or I can go there and settle things myself , leaving no lingering threat behind . -

Honestly , Zac didn’t want anything to do with the Cartava civilians . He almost hoped they would hide away in some corner of the Mystic Realm , out of sight and out of mind until he had dealt with his real goals in this place . But he had already confirmed that the quest was just at (1/2) in completion , meaning the drill was still unaccounted for . He needed answers , even if he had to use the rest of the Cartava Clan as leverage .

Zac was about to continue pressuring the Datamancer , but a pulse suddenly rippled through the air . It didn’t come from the middle-aged man though , but rather seemed to come from the inner parts of the Mystic Realm .

Wh- - Zac said as he took a steadying step , but he didn’t even have time to react before a second pulse arrived .

He suddenly found himself standing over fifty meters away from the Datamancer , displaced by some mysterious means . He hadn’t even felt himself move . The Datamancer had essentially jumped onto the drone chair of Leviala , and he stared at the direction of the core , his miserable demeanor replaced with a calculating look .

Zac could easily understand what he was thinking ; was the Dimensional Seed Awakening?

Suddenly a huge sphere made from spatial tears and the same type of shielding as the base used sprung up around the Datamancer . Zac immediately realized something was wrong , and he rushed forward , his axe already shining with a sanguine light as he activated the first fractal on its handle .

The Datamancer only glanced at Zac before he bent over Leviala’s corpse , and Zac felt his blood freeze when he saw what he was doing . He was digging out her eyes with his own bare hands before he transferred them to a special vial he had taken out from a Cosmos Sack . After that , he took out a crystal sphere , a ball filled with something that looked like a black hole .

Zac still couldn’t figure out what the Datamancer was up to , but his instincts told him that he had to stop it . The shield was thankfully only so strong , and it soon crumbled under Zac’s all-out onslaught . One more swing and the Datamancer would be dead .

Stop right now or I’ll turn you into mincemeat , - Zac growled as he walked closer , only keeping him alive because he needed answers .

The Datamancer frowned as he looked over at Zac before he seemed to come to a decision .

You asked about the Spatial Drill , didn’t you? - the man said as he warily looked at Zac . - Well , here it is . -

The Spatial Drill appeared in his free hand the next moment , making Zac’s heart lurch . He would instantly fail his quest if the Datamancer destroyed it , but that wasn't the real issue . Zac's instincts told had that it would cause untold problems down the line if Zac didn’t get his hands on that tool . He expected it to be hidden or in the hands of one of the elders , but it turned out that they had handed it over to their chief Datamancer .

Don’t do anything stupid , - Zac warned , cosmic energy already coursing through his body .

The Heavens have a sense of humor . Just as I was resigned to death , it provided a path of survival . I thought I was ready to pass on , but I guess not . I am but 180 years old , I can still start over as long as I get out of here , - the Datamancer muttered , but Zac wasn’t sure whether the man was talking to himself or to him .

We can make a deal , - Zac said as he took out a teleportation token from his Spatial Ring . - I have dozens of teleportation tokens that can take you almost anywhere in the Zecia Sector . Give me the Spatial Drill and help me reach the core and I’ll give you one along with enough Nexus Coins to activate it . -

The middle-aged man looked at the token with hesitation and greed , but a third ripple suddenly appeared out of nowhere , this one causing them both suddenly to appear five meters into the air . The two landed onto the ground without any issue , but Zac got a sinking feeling when the Datamancer’s eyes had calmed down after the spatial displacement .

The world is ending , and you’re still thinking of the treasure? - the middle-aged man smiled . - I hope you’ll find it in your heart to leave a path for my clansmen . Here , catch . -

Zac was about to try to convince him once more while simultaneously having one of his chains move toward the man below the ground . But his eyes widened in horror when the Datamancer suddenly threw the Spatial Drill out with great force as a series of new barriers appeared around him .

Confusion clouded Zac’s mind , and he didn't know what he should do . What did the System want from him? The quest told him to get the Spatial Drill , but the drill had led him to one of the topmost Datamancers in the Mystic Realm . Besides , the Drill was a Technocrat tool , shouldn’t it survive some roughhousing , especially with Kenzie there to make some field repairs?

But a sudden realization hit him . Why did he care about what the System might or might not want him to do? Ogras’ story about Divine Guidance had planted a seed of hesitation , but was there any point to second-guessing himself? He just needed to follow his instincts , and they told him to go for the machine .

Getting the drill was far more important than capturing a Datamancer .

He flashed forward with the help of Loamwalker] , but a fourth ripple caused reality to bend for an instant before it was restored . This one was far more powerful than the previous anomalies and Zac quickly realized that something was wrong . It almost felt like he was in one of those nightmares where he tried to run but he couldn’t move from his current spot . His legs moved forward just fine though , and he could quickly confirm that it wasn’t some sort of illusion .

It was space itself that had started to unravel .

Hundreds of meters had been compressed into what appeared to be a hundredth of the distance . Each step with his movement skill pushed him forward , but it looked like Zac moved less than a meter . Thankfully the same odd situation seemed to affect the Spatial Drill , and it looked like it moved in slow motion on its descent toward the ground .

It felt like time had stopped as he desperately tried to make himself run faster . Zac spared a glance at the Datamancer after a few seconds , and his brows rose in shock as he saw what he was doing . He had already thrown Leviala’s corpse to the ground , and it looked like he had extracted something from the machine .

Another contraption held the weird ball that looked like a black hole , and the two together looked like some kind of doomsday device . The Datamancer was slowly moving to insert another item into the contraption , something that clearly was an energy source full of Base Power . The sphere was already radiating tremendous spatial waves , and Zac didn't even want to think what would happen when the device would get a busload of Base Power .

Another odd pulse hit Zac , and he suddenly found himself moving forward with dizzying velocity . He barely had time to refocus on the task at hand , and he stopped just in time to snatch the Spatial Drill out of the air , immediately putting it in his Spatial Ring for safekeeping . He immediately turned back toward the Datamancer to capture him , but he soon realized that he was too late .

A huge Void Sphere was born where the doomsday device hovered a second ago . It was more than twice as big as the Void Spheres he had seen until now , but that wasn't the only odd thing . The Datamancer had done something to modify it . It almost looked like it had an arched doorframe that held back the outer layer of spatial turbulence . Zac immediately started running , but the distance was too great . The Datamancer passed through the arch before Zac made it halfway back .

But it was clear that he was struggling .

Layers after layers of shielding appeared around his body , but they were destroyed almost as quickly as they were formed . But he didn’t care as he had almost reached his goal ; the core of the Void Sphere . This one didn’t show a distant star or the void of outer space , but rather land . It , thankfully , wasn’t Earth though as the sky was yellow while the ground was covered by some weird bone-like trees .

It looked like the Datamancer had already prepared a final escape plan for his clan , or perhaps for just himself . Seeing how he had dug out Leviala’s eyes before discarding her body like it was trash , Zac guessed it was the latter . Something had changed after the first ripple had arrived , something that the Datamancer believed had given him a shot at survival .

Even worse , Zac felt that the Cartava elite really believed the world was ending , and Zac’s own conviction that the natives were wrong was honestly starting to become poisoned with doubt . But the thought of jumping into the Void Sphere as well didn't even cross his mind .

He couldn’t even entertain the thought that the Mystic Realm was falling apart . Even if he managed to escape alive through that spatial bubble , then what? His sister , all his friends , all his subordinates would still be stuck in a collapsing realm , facing death all alone . He was better off fighting for a chance of survival in this place , and the Spatial Drill might be the key to the puzzle .

Zac still kept running toward the Void Sphere , but he eventually stopped a hundred meters away . The Sphere was starting to suck in everything in its surroundings , and Zac was afraid that he would be dragged inside if he came closer or tried to snatch the Datamancer with his chains .

Eventually , Zac simply stopped to observe . Part of him wanted to send out a fractal blade as some sort of retribution for how he had treated his niece's body . Something unconscionable like that shouldn't go unpunished . But he reined in his bubbling anger , more concerned about what he was trying to do .

Space in the mystic realm was becoming weird and unstable , and he and his people might soon need to use similar means to escape . If Zac could learn what to do and what to avoid by observing this attempt it might save lives further down the road .

Most of the Technocrat shields had already collapsed around the middle-aged man , and his right arm was suddenly cut clean off as he pushed through the inner spatial tears . He looked like a mangled corpse from over a dozen deep lacerations , but Zac could sense that he was still alive as he finally managed to push through the spatial folds , falling into the core of the Void Sphere . His body twisted and distorted , making him look like a blob .

Both the Datamancers and the Void Sphere disappeared a second later , leaving Zac wondering if he actually made it or not . One thing was clear though ; Leviala hadn't been lying about the dangers of those things . Jumping into a Void Sphere was fraught with danger , and even someone with ample preparations had been pushed to the brink of death in his escape attempt .

Yet another ripple caused space to bend into an u-shape , and Zac's heart lurched when he suddenly saw treetops from the Lunar Forest point down toward him . Honestly , Zac wasn't sure whether he or the half-dead Datamancer had the best odds of survival at the moment .

Chapter 622 : Upheavals

It looked like the structural integrity of the Mystic Realm was starting to unravel because of the mysterious ripples . Zac tried to discern what the ethereal waves were doing as they passed through the area , but his Cosmic Gaze] simply couldn’t pick up anything at all . Zac could only guess that the Dao or energy inside those ripples was simply too high-tiered for his skill to catch them , which wasn't surprising considering the grade of the Dimensional Seed .

Zac had a strong feeling that things would only get worse before they got better though , and he started running back toward his people .

Short was long and long was short as one pulse after another started hitting him with increasing velocity . The weird spatial expansion and contraction started to leave a mark on his body , as an odd sense of hollowness spread through his limbs , like his energy had been exhausted from being stretched and molded like a ball .

The same seemed to be true of Zac's surroundings . He could see trees falling apart for seemingly no reason in the distance , and hairline cracks spread across the Memorysteel wall and on the ground . Zac’s worries that the whole base would fall apart as the Dimensional Seed matured only intensified , and he needed to confer with Kenzie who should have some readings by now .

The army had already retreated toward the fort by the time Zac managed to cross the battlefield where hundreds of mangled bodies still lay unmoving . It should just have taken a second or two with the help of Loamwalker] , but he repeatedly found himself running in the wrong direction or repositioned .

Verana , Billy , and the Anointed had stayed behind to rest up while waiting for Zac , but they immediately started running as well when they saw how quickly things were deteriorating . Verana was carrying her wounded beasts in her arms as she ran for her life , and Rhubat carried one of his brethren over his shoulders as he rushed toward the shield , each step causing tremors in the ground .

Warmaster! What’s happening?! - the Anointed shouted when Zac finally caught up to them , prompting Verana to look over with the gaze of a drowning sailor seeing a life raft .

I’m not sure why , but the Dimensional Treasure is awakening early! We need to gather up our people to not get separated! - Zac shouted back without stopping .

Zac had no idea what he was talking about , but this wasn’t the time to let that on . Gathering together felt as good an idea as any , and he hoped that whatever was going on would at least somewhat follow the rules of teleportation . That if people touched each other they would stay together .

The pulses kept increasing in intensity , but Zac somewhat breathed out in relief as they managed to make their way back to the base . The shield had already collapsed , and thousands of eyes turned toward him with worry and questions . A glance indicated that most of the wounded had already returned , gathering together with the others within the wall .

He wanted to assure them all that everything would be fine , but his eyes darted toward the core of the Mystic Realm with hesitation . Should he try to get everyone out of here? He was about to speak to his people , but he suddenly found himself unable to speak as monstrous energy suffused everything around him .

The world twisted , and Zac couldn’t maintain even a semblance of control . He was as large as a moon , a single thought taking days to reach his extremities . He was just a speck of stardust , where just a drop of water would be enough to drown him a million times over . Space had collapsed , where distances and dimensions held no sway .

All was chaos .

It was only possible to make sense of his surroundings for an instant before the universe turned mad again . The world turned flat before it became… less . He saw a vast infinity where space even stretched toward the future and the past , a dimension where space and time had melded into one .

He saw a world sailing in the shadows of reality , he saw life and death collapsing into themselves . An eye stared back at him , seemingly surprised to be seen . A pair of hands ripping apart the sky . He saw a splinter hidden at the bottom of a sea , a shard in the heart of a volcano . Weird visions assailed him one as the fundamental laws of space collapsed around him .

The world finally returned to normal , or at least not as insane . Zac wasn’t sure how he felt . It was as though he had caught a glimpse of destiny , or heaven's secrets themselves . Now he was back in his mortal flesh like he was blinded from the truth . But this was no time for introspection as the cataclysmic changes clearly had just begun .

His eyes widened in shock as the towering Memorysteel wall started to fall apart , turning into streams of liquid that rushed toward the core of the Mystic Realm like a river in the sky . And it wasn’t the only one . Thousands more just like it appeared in all directions , and Zac was only able to see it since the whole dimension kept bending and twisting .

A terrifying explosion erupted to his left as one of the moons crashed into the ground . It was like a flashbang of unprecedented proportions had been set off , and Zac felt a terrifying force throw him into the air .

One moment he saw a forest in ruins , the next moment he found himself in a vast darkness with a thin line of light . He didn’t even have time to panic at being thrown out into the Void before he was back inside the base , and he slammed into the crumbling wall they had built as a defensive line . It was pretty odd that the shockwave had pushed him toward the point of impact , but Zac was more confused as to why the walls remained unscathed .

The wall was made from massive blocks they had harvested from a nearby island outside the Mystic Realm , and they stood completely unphased as everything else seemed to fall apart . Was it because the material wasn’t native to the Mystic Realm?

Others had realized the same oddity as well , and more and more huddle against the battlements and their false sense of safety . Zac made his way over to his sister who hid next to the wall , desperately typing away at a tablet .

Are you okay? - Zac said .

I’m fine . I’m trying to understand what’s go- - Kenzie said , her words cut sort as she suddenly disappeared , only appearing a second later . – - ing on here . But it’s chaos . There’s not much we can do but wait . -

The world kept twisting and shaking for over an hour , at which point most people had fallen unconscious . Even Zac was barely hanging on , and he could eventually just close his eyes and hide against the wall while shielding his sister . But the shakes finally subsided , allowing Zac to breathe out in relief as he popped a Soldier Pill and Fasting Pill to give a quick boost to his exhausted body .

Kenzie had barely been able to stay conscious but she wasn't in any condition to start dealing with this mess . She quickly sat down in a meditative pose to focus on recuperation . Zac wasn't quite as wrung dry and he immediately stood up to start looking for clues . The glasshouse , the walls , and the forest were all still there , but the cataclysmic changed had caused large sections to fall apart .

More importantly , it was clear that they had all shrunk significantly , to the point that all or at least most of the spatial expansion had been undone . The walls were only six meters tall now , a far cry from their previous 50-meters height . The same went for the glasshouse , which was now a building of normal proportions .

It almost felt like a good thing , but his heart almost jumped out of his mouth when he looked up .

The metallic lines in the sky were gone , replaced with vast darkness ; the Void had suddenly come much closer . There were thankfully no Void Creatures flying about as far as he could see , but it still felt like something was looking back at him from within the darkness . Those terrifying hand-covered tentacles could descend any moment for all he knew , but things were at least quiet for the moment .

Perhaps it was thanks to a shimmering film protecting the atmosphere in the area . It almost looked like he was gazing at an ocean made of soapy water in the sky . The barrier rippled like waves on the water , seemingly expanding and contracting like it was breathing .

Zac sighed in relief and jumped up on the wall to get a better look at the situation , but the scene almost made him fall off again . The whole mystic realm had been completely transformed , to the point that Zac almost felt he must have been unconscious for years .

First of all , it became abundantly clear that the whole Mystic Realm had fallen apart . The Lunar forest simply cut off a few kilometers inland , the ground suddenly giving way to the Void . He could see similar scenes through the cracks of the broken Memorysteel wall , and he immediately realized they had been cut off from their way back home .

A quick survey showed hundreds of platforms drifting in the darkness . Some were completely detached and turned into small spatial islands in the void , but many were still held together by small strips of land .

For Example , Zac could spot a strip of land in the distance , a 50-meter wide natural bridge that connected their island with the next one over . To fall off it would mean falling into the darkness , which would either result in becoming food for the creatures of the void or ripped apart from spatial turbulence .

Most of the islands were covered in either exposed and partly crumbled Memorysteel corridors , or a flat slab of Memorysteel that no doubt held pieces of the research base inside . Others held forests or grasslands , even large bodies of water . It was no doubt the biomes that were spread across the base , now turned into small pockets of life in the darkness .

But not even this shocking transformation left as great an impression on Zac as what had happened in the heart of the Mystic Realm . With the towering walls back to their normal size and the artificial sky gone , Zac had an almost unimpeded sight all the way to the core of the mystic realm .

Where an impossibly huge mountain peak stood .

It was hard to get a sense of scope in this place , but he could see land platforms hovering around the foot of the mountain . If those platforms were roughly the same size as the one he was currently situated on , then the mountain was over a hundred thousand meters tall . The mountain itself glistened with a metallic luster , and Zac’s eyes widened when he realized that it was probably made from all that Memorysteel that had drifted away earlier .

The platforms almost looked like small pieces of debris rather than islands that were kilometers across , and it seemed to Zac that most of them were connected to the foot of the mountain . In fact , most of the platforms were held together in a vast spiderweb , providing Zac and his people multiple paths to the mountain if need be .

The mountain didn’t look like a natural formation , but it rather felt like the Memorysteel had been subject to some shocking magnetic forces , like it had been pulled up by immense power . It had created a single conical mountain peak that was slightly twisted but oddly symmetrical in a way that made Zac think of soft-serve ice cream .

As for what had been the source of the magnetic pull , it wasn’t hard to guess .

A huge metal sphere hovered right above the peak . Judging by its size it might be as big as a planet , or at least a very large moon . It wasn’t an actual planet though , as the sphere didn’t seem solid . Massive ravines covered its surface , and mysterious energy fluctuations and lights escaped through the cracks .

There was no doubt in Zac’s mind . The Dimensional Seed was most likely inside the heart of that sphere in the sky .

The situation was too sudden , too unexpected . The old plans would have to be scrapped , but he didn’t know what his next goal was . Honestly , he had no idea how to even get out of this place , let alone complete the missions he came here to finish . It was chaos , both around him and in his mind .

A sudden clap of thunder drew Zac’s attention . He realized that the noise came from a platform far behind him , at the edge of the mystic realm itself . It was one of the solitary platforms that were unconnected to the mesh of islands . Zac looked on with shock as the protective bubble around it flickered a few times before it disappeared , which was followed by a complete and utter collapse .

It was like the piece of land had been subject to the vacuum of space , and it was ripped apart from immense forces of every direction . Zac looked up at the protective film above , a sense of foreboding gripping his heart .

They needed to do something , and quickly .

Chapter 623 : Benevolent Shepherd

Seeing a moat of land just like the one he was standing on falling apart filled Zac with a sense of urgency , and he jumped down to his sister who looked a lot better by this point . It was the same with himself . The sense of exhaustion and hollowness was quickly passing , and the soldiers all around them were gradually coming to as well , with groans and mutterings breaking the silence .

Do you have any ideas? - Zac asked after briefly recounting the situation .

It's weird , I thought that the Spatial Energy would increase exponentially after the Dimensional Seed awakened , but it’s just the opposite . The surroundings are almost completely drained , - Kenzie muttered with a shamefaced expression . - I’m sorry , the calculations we ran were completely wrong . A lot of people are in danger now because of it . -

It’s not your fault , - Zac said . - We would have entered this place no matter what . We just need to figure out our next step . Is it possible to use the Spatial Drill to get out of here in case of emergency? -

It’s doubtful , - Kenzie sighed . - We don’t have any localization-abilities right now . It’s like we would be randomly drilling for oil without any geological surveys . The chance of hitting the jackpot is minuscule . Perhaps if we could get to the same spot where the Spatial Tunnel is located , but is that even possible now? -

Honestly , I doubt it , - Zac sighed as he stood up . - I didn’t see any bridge between our island and the one on the other side of the glasshouse . I’ll check things out to see if we can cross through the void . Or make bridges or something . -

He entered the glasshouse , relieved to see that the door actually opened without issue when he tapped the console that was now just a meter above the ground . However , the situation on the other side of the gate was even worse than he had expected . It looked like the Mystic Realm had cracked almost right along the wall to the Lunar Forest , and less than twenty meters of the corridor remained before it cut off into the void .

The next island looked to be over a hundred meters away with a vast expanse of the Void separating them . The protective film seemed to be cutting off right at the edge of the island as well , meaning that there was no atmosphere in the gap . If one wanted to pass through to the island next over , they would have to really enter the Void .

That might sound simple , but Zac knew it was anything but . The Void wasn’t like outer space . He had survived in space for a few minutes after blowing up the Little Bean , but he wasn’t as confident about this venture . The Void was a subdimension , a fold between realities , and it was something else different a simple vacuum from what he had gathered .

The Void Creatures had unique constitutions to live inside the void , but the moment they entered a normal dimension like the research base , their bodies started to be rejected by the surroundings . Zac was afraid the same would happen to him and his people if they tried to jump across to the neighboring island .

Another surprise was that the short stretch of corridor wasn’t actually empty . There were over thirty soldiers who had huddled against the gate , and they almost fell onto Zac the moment he activated the console .

Thank you! - they gasped as they ran into the glasshouse .

Did anyone see what happened to the people further inside? - Zac asked a soldier that he vaguely recognized as a warrior of Port Atwood .

I’m afraid not , - a human cultivator said after looking around at the others . - We were running back toward this place after you appeared , but the world suddenly turned crazy . I woke up a minute ago , my body just a few meters from that edge . -

Join the others , we might need to move out soon , - Zac said as he took out a Cosmos Sack . - Help me distribute healing pills and some Nexus Crystals among all the people . -

Zac himself didn’t immediately return to Kenzie's side , but he rather walked over to the edge of the realm . He only dared to do so after securing his body with the help of the chains of Love’s Bond] though . The mysterious film was just a decimeter away from the abrupt end of the corridor , looking like a soap bubble .

There was nothing outside , just vast darkness far more oppressive than any starry sky . He took out a random spear from his Spatial Ring , pushing it through the barrier that let him pass without any resistance . It wasn’t just morbid curiosity , he needed to see the effect of the Void if he was to lead his people between these precipitous islands .

Something was wrong though . The spear didn’t appear at all on the other side of the barrier . Zac curiously pulled it back after a second , and he could confirm that it was mostly intact , albeit barely . It seemed pretty run-down , having lost its sheen while large spots of rust had appeared on its surface . It still maintained its structural integrity , but it looked like something that had been discarded in the wild for decades after just a second of exposure .

Zac took a deep breath and reached out his hand , gingerly touching the barrier . His hand passed through a second later , and he immediately felt a sharp pain in his hand that quickly forced him to drag it back . It had taken less than a second , but his fingers looked like all moisture had been sucked out of them .

The experiment’s conclusions were pretty evident , and they confirmed his suspicions . You could fall through the edge of the platforms , and if you did , you were probably screwed . Just a few seconds in that kind of atmosphere would be enough to kill most people . It even appeared that something weird was going on with the dimension , from how nothing appeared on the other side . Space in the void might be bent , or perhaps even following some dimensional rules he couldn't understand .

Trying to jump to another platform seemed impossible in other words , though he would have to test by throwing some items or corpses to make sure .

A sudden sharp jab of danger shook his mind , and he immediately had his chains drag him backward . It was just in time too as a massive claw pushed through the barrier in an attempt to snatch him up , the claw looking a lot like the one he encountered with Leviala a while ago .

Zac already had his axe in hand , but he didn’t make any moves as he looked at the situation . A frown slowly crept across his face as he realized there was a clear difference between this claw and the one he saw before . This one was distorting a lot slower . Eventually , it looked like the owner of the claw couldn’t deal with the spatial distortions any longer and it hurriedly drew it back , but over ten seconds had passed by that point .

Zac didn’t know exactly what to draw from that lesson , but it was a clear possibility that the difference between the Void and this fragmented realm was slowly decreasing , allowing the Void Creatures to stay inside longer . If that was the case they were in serious trouble , as even the smallest and weakest Void Creatures seemed to be quite powerful . What if a bunch of eldritch horrors like the Collector suddenly appeared?

They needed to get moving .

As to where , he wasn’t sure , but he felt that the closer they got to the mountain the safer they would be . The protective sphere around the mountain was so thick that he could discern even from here , while it was just a thin film in this outer plateau .

He was soon back at Kenzie’s side , and all of the leaders had gathered together by this point .

Warmaster , what do you recommend? - Rhubat asked as dozens of eyes were trained on him .

I thi- - Zac said , but he was interrupted by a prompt appearing in front of him .

A quest! - someone shouted and judging by the commotion it was something everyone had received .

Zac looked at the wall of text in front of him , his frown deepening the more he read .

Special Dynamic Scenario activated]

As interlopers of a crumbling Taboo Undertaking there is just one road to salvation . Set out on a pilgrimage of redemption and claim a Spatial Seal . Only those marked will be saved upon the collapse of the dimension

NOTE : Each person can only possess one Spatial Seal . A spatial seal can be gained by extracting it from the Taboo Mountain or killing a seal owner . Only those branded will be teleported out when the dimension collapses . Teleportation will take place upon dimensional collapse

Struggle for Survival]

A sigh escaped from Zac’s lips after having read through the quest , or rather the - dynamic scenario’ . It looked like the System really wasn’t all-too-jazzed about people exploring a Technocrat research base , considering that it didn’t even provide any rewards . The reward was that you got to live another day .

There were unfortunately a lot of questions left even after having seen the rules . For example , how rare were these seals , and what was required to get them? If they littered the mountain , then great , but Zac guessed that they wouldn’t be so lucky considering how there were mentions of killing seal owners .

With all factions congregating on the same spot , everyone grasping for a shot at survival , this was going to turn into a bloodbath . The bloodshed would only be exacerbated by the fact that there was no timer either , and no one could really tell when this place would fall apart . The conflict would only keep escalating until everyone had a seal or the realm collapsed .

Survival , - Rhubat rumbled as their muscles tensed .

You’ve seen the quest , - Zac sighed as he turned to Joanna who had walked over . - We need to move out . Our starting position is working against us , the other factions are probably closer to the mountains . Get everyone ready . -

I’ll see to it , - she said before she started barking orders to the soldiers .

Zac knew he would be able to get read to the mountain quickly by himself , but it didn’t look like that was an option right now . The reason was simple ; the others had gotten one prompt , but he had received two .

Benevolent Shepherd (Training (7/9)) : Lead your followers to the Taboo Mountain and provide at least 3000 with Spatial Seals . Reward : Reward based on performance at the end of training regimen . (0/3000) .

NOTE : Failure to comply with training regimen will result in loss of rewards

He had finally - passed - his training regimen , but it looked like he still needed to complete all the steps to receive a reward . His personal quest also gave him some insight into the odds of survival . A quick survey indicated that there were around five thousand people gathered together in the fort .

To save over three thousand meant the seals couldn’t be all-too-rare , to the point that only a few would be able to get out . The question was only how large a share of the total amount of seals the System expected him to snatch . The higher a share the more bloody the quest would become .

Zac even had a hunch about the true purpose of this quest . Did the System want him to take out the native factions in his efforts to gather the seals , preventing them from rejoining the Zecia Sector? These unfortunate prisoners had obviously not come here voluntarily , but that might not matter in the eyes of the System .

It just believed they were heretics dabbling with the Dao of Technology .

What about those stationed at the base? - Joanna asked .

There’s nothing we can do , - Zac sighed . - We’re cut off from them . Hopefully , we can meet up with them on the way to the mountain . -

Of course , Zac had a sinking feeling that those left behind at the portal might be beyond salvation . The further out they were , the fewer protections the platforms seemed to have . Their base was on the very edge of the Mystic Realm , and it wasn’t impossible that section didn’t even survive the cataclysmic events just now .

AH! WHO MOVED BILLY TO THIS SCARY PLACE?! - a shout suddenly reverberated out across the fort , making Zac look over at the source of the voice .

Billy had woken up again it seemed and he was standing on top of the wall with eyes as wide as saucers .

Billy , - Zac said as he flashed over . - Thank you for your help before . -

Ah , it’s you! - Billy said with a wide smile . - No problem , Billy just helped thwonk the bad guys . What is happening? -

We need to get to the mountain to get out of here , - Zac said .

No problem , Billy is great with directions . Billy will lead the way , - Billy sagely nodded .

Can you help our people first? Make everyone get ready to travel , - Zac smiled .

The giant nodded and jumped back down the wall , seemingly full of vigor again . Zac turned just in time to see his sister appearing next to him . She immediately released a stream of drones that flew hundreds of meters into the air , forming a massive surveillance matrix .

I'll map out a route for us . Not all the platforms seem to have bridges , while others are like crossroads with multiple options . Some islands might collapse as well , so we need to- , - Kenzie said , but she stopped herself as she looked down at her tablet . - Ah? People? -

What's going on? - Zac asked .

It must be the remaining people of the Cartava Clan , - Kenzie said with a slight frown . - They're already on the move . -

Chapter 624 : Island Hopping

The Cartava Clan? - Zac muttered with a frown . - What kind of group? -

Thousands of people . Some of them are E-Grade , but most emit very weak energy signatures , - Kenzie said as he read the report on her tablet .

Zac slowly nodded , not surprised to hear the Cartava Clan had left some of their elites with the civilians just in case .

Where are they going? - Zac asked , his vision blocked by the trees .

They’re cutting through the forest . It looks like they’re already moving toward the core , - Kenzie said , opening a map . - You don’t think they’ll try to destroy the bridges to trap us here? Less competition for those seals . -

Zac frowned as he looked at the tablet before looking down at his people . Everyone was hustling and bustling to prepare for the move , dressing wounds and desperately absorbing Cosmic Energy from Nexus Crystals . They knew that falling behind in this place would mean death . But it still looked like it would take a minute or two before they were ready to set out .

It looks like they are heading for a plateau far away from us , but it doesn’t hurt to be safe . I’ll go ahead to protect our route , meet up with me as quickly as humanly possible . The Cartava Clan isn’t the only faction we need to worry about . Others are already closer to the core , and they might try to dislodge all the platforms , - Zac said .

Kenzie nodded before she pointed at a bridge in the distance . - That’s our best option for now . We have multiple possible routes from there . The only issue is that we might be blocked by the base security . -

Zac’s eyes followed where she pointed and nodded when he saw it was the closest bridge apart from one behind them . It seemed like a safe bet , and it wasn’t the same as the one that the Cartava Clan was running toward .

You’re not going to… you know? Right? - Kenzie hesitated . - That group is mostly made up of mortals and children . -

No , I won’t go after them , - Zac sighed as he took out the Spatial Drill from his ring and handed it to his sister . - They have paid their price , they’re just a shadow of their former strength . I won’t move against them as long as they don’t try anything again . Try to learn how this thing works , we might need to use it before this is over . -

With that he set off , running toward the bridge Kenzie indicated . However , he did perform some looting while he waited . He ran straight through the battlebot swarm and swept up a few of the more powerful-looking machines without losing any speed . Next was the battlefield where he looted a Cosmos Sack from the Second Elder and his grandson .

He did take a small detour to the craters left by the Grand Elder and the third elder . He did manage to find a slightly damaged sack from the third elder , but not as much as a scrap remained after the Grand Elder’s final attack .

Zac quickly realized something was wrong with the situation though .

He didn’t have time to properly look for clues , but he had seen quite a few people exploding in a final act of defiance , from the demons just after the integration to the crazed cultists . In all these cases there were always some remains , like a foot or a piece of a skull . But the hundreds of craters on the battlefield were simply empty , like someone had thrown out an offensive talisman .

Had they been tricked?

The possibility only increased Zac’s vigilance . It was one thing if the Cartava Clan were led by a small number of guards , but it might be trouble if the Grand Elder was still alive . They definitely couldn’t be too friendly to his people at the moment , and they might use this opportunity to launch a counter-strike . With that in mind , he only spent a minute at the battlefield before rushing off , only taking a moment to put the body of Leviala in his Corpse Sack .

The bridge was somewhat close to the gate clan Cartava had attacked from , but it wasn’t hours away any longer now that the base had shrunk down . Zac guessed that it would take his people around an hour to get there , and for himself , it shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes if he pushed himself .

The Memorysteel wall along the way looked like it was on its last legs . Most of the fractals had gone out , and the cracks were even worse than those at the outskirts of the Wasteland . These cracks were sometimes tens of meters wide , and they seemed to differ from the ominous scars from before . These were completely dead sections of the wall , clearly displaying the void or small sections of corridors on the other side .

Zac’s best guess was that the walls and everything else in this place had lost its energy source but that they still worked independently as long as the components were fine .

Thankfully there were no traps along the way , and the bridge remained intact when he arrived less than ten minutes later . The bridge was actually a Memorysteel corridor that stretched straight through the Void over to the next island . It would probably lead toward an area formerly under the control of the Cartava Clan , though it was hard to tell how much of its original functionality the base maintained in its current state .

The section with the bridge was in even worse a state than the wall section Zac had passed , where the wall had been twisted and turned many times after the ground had been split apart . The bridge looked serviceable at least , with a distinct protective film around it . They would have to walk on top of the crushed and bent Memorysteel corridor , but something like that was easy enough for the cultivators who had been brought into the Mystic Realm .

After confirming that the bridge worked he took up a guarding position from on top of a piece of the wall , keeping watch of both his surroundings and the situation on the other platform . There were no movements , but Zac heard one clap of thunder after another as he waited , each second feeling like minutes as he watched how the edge of the mystic realm crumbled piece by piece .

The crumbling islands at the edge of the Mystic Realm were troubling enough , but Zac soon noticed something else . The Cosmic Energy in the atmosphere was slowly decreasing . It would take a while for it to become an issue , but he couldn't help but wonder how things would be in a few hours . It wasn't completely impossible that they would have to finish the sprint toward the mountain without any ambient energy to assist them .

That alone was a huge issue as Cosmic Energy was required to use not only skills , but also to take advantage of the superhuman attributes that they had gained from the integration . The quicker they could get going the better . His wait was thankfully over after just over forty minutes as he saw his army rushing toward him with great speed . Billy was in the forefront , his head swiveling back and forth with wide eyes .

Haha , Billy did it! - the giant shouted before a massive yawn escaped his lips . - Billy led the people here . Ah , so tired . -

His eyes rolled into his eyes the next moment as he fell on the ground , but Zac breathed out in relief when the signature thunderous snores assaulted the surroundings .

Wallbreaker fought desperately in the battle before , - Rhubat said as one of his brethren picked Billy up , carrying him on its shoulder . - His reserves are depleted . We'll tend for him . -

This platform will fall apart in less than an hour going by how quickly the defensive membrane is losing energy density , - Kenzie said breathlessly as she walked up next to Zac . - There is no time to waste . -

Start moving , follow me! - Zac shouted . - Across the corridor . Keep a high pace but keep the order . -

Zac himself took the lead , with a swirl of leaves flying around him as he had his axe at the ready . He felt extremely exposed as he ran across the jagged pieces of metal , his eyes constantly trying to see any signs of danger in the void that was all around him .

He could only breathe out in relief when he stepped down on land again , proving that the trip was possible . But he still couldn’t help but worry after seeing just how close the protective film was to the exposed tunnel .

More and more people moved across , and no one needed any urging to pass as quickly as possible . Walking across that bridge had felt even scarier than when he was lost in outer space , especially considering he didn’t have any token this time that could teleport him outside if need be . Besides , he knew all-too-well what kind of creatures lurked in the darkness .

Kenzie was one of the first to get across , and she immediately opened her tablet as he looked at the corridors that covered this place . A group of scouts was quickly called over , and Kenzie showed them where the army needed to go .

Scout close-by corridors , decide on a path for us , - Zac said , and the scouts nodded and immediately set out .

One of them actually started climbing up along the broken walls in an attempt to get up on the roof but he was immediately forced down again as half his body suddenly disappeared into the void the moment he reached the top . He looked half-dead when he fell onto the ground , but he slowly crawled back on his feet with a pallid face .

Rest up instead , - Zac sighed in disappointment after seeing that his first choice of path was a no-go .

Why go through a maze when you could go above it? But it looked like the roof itself acted as the separator between Void and Mystic Realm on this platform .

More and more people streamed across the bridge and the broken square was almost filled to capacity after a few minutes . However , a sudden shudder made Zac look down toward the other platform with worry , just in time to see a mass of something rip the whole bridge apart while snatching up almost fifty people .

A few people desperately managed to hang on the ruined bridge as they crawled to safety , but roughly a hundred people were stranded on the other side , shock written all over their faces as they saw their road to survival being lost to the darkness .

Worse yet , with the connection lost , the islands slowly started drifting further and further away from each other . Zac immediately tried to throw a rope across , but it simply disappeared the moment it entered the darkness , never to reappear on the other side .

The Void isn’t a proper 3-dimensional space I think , - Kenzie said with sorrow . - We can’t really exist in it properly , and directions hold no sway . Even if you get a rope across… I’m afraid… -

I understand , - Zac sighed as he walked to the edge of the platform .

A hundred desperate sets of eyes looked back at him , but some of them fell to their knees when they saw Zac shake his head . Others were infuriated screaming and pointing in his direction . No sound could make it across the chasm , but Zac had a good idea of what they were saying .

Cursing him for bringing them to this place .

He sighed and shook his head , but he suddenly had an idea as Love’s Bond] turned into its offensive form and two chains rose into the sky .

It’s not- - Kenzie said , but she stopped when she saw what Zac was doing .

The chains didn’t try to pass through the void , but they instead formed a shape , an arrow pointing in the direction of the next bridge , the one that the Cartava Clan probably had used . He could see that it was still in one piece , and it was the only option if they wanted to have a shot at survival .

The people on the other side immediately understood what he was talking about , and they started running as quickly as their legs could carry them .

Its shield is depleting much faster now , - Kenzie said with a frown . - But the shield on this island became stronger . I think the bridges act as power conduits as well for whatever protects these floating plots of land . We might want to break any pathways behind us . -

Agreed . We keep going , - Zac sighed .

The squad set out , following the preliminary path the scouts had staked out . Zac and Kenzie walked in the front , with Zac on the look-out for Spatial Tears and Void Beasts , and Kenzie keeping track of the paths .

The first minutes were a bit slow , but Zac gradually increased the pace as they realized something ; they hadn’t encountered a single spatial tear since the cataclysm . It looked more and more likely that they had been sucked into the mountain or the Dimensional Seed along with all that Memorysteel , and Zac was soon running at as high a pace that the army could withstand , the walls almost turning into a blur .

They did encounter a few closed gates along the way , but they were easily solved by Kenzie . Her Grade-4 clearance didn’t actually work everywhere , but that was easily fixed within a minute by her hacking the terminal .

One small relief about the situation was that the base had completely lost any central control functions . The corridors on the floating islands were like the limbs of a corpse without the Core computers taking charge ; They had no brain to control them , but you could still trick them to move with some electricity . That allowed Kenzie to fully activate Jeeves to force its way through the protections without worrying about any repercussions .

However , alarmed shouts and sounds of battle erupted at the back of the army , and Zac swore in exasperation as he rushed over . Nothing good ever lasts .

Chapter 625 : Under Attack

Zac immediately rushed back when hearing the commotion , fearing that the mysterious entity that had snatched up his people from the bridge had returned . But thankfully they hadn’t been ambushed by the Collector or any rival faction , but rather the base itself . The walls had gone crazy , frenziedly attacking a group of cultivators who desperately activated one defensive talisman after another to stay alive .

The halo of Conformation of Supremacy] appeared behind Zac’s back as he flashed forward . He used the avatar of the axe this time , imbuing each swing a great force and sharpness , allowing him to crush the spikes as they tried to stab at everything that moved .

The cultivators were all elites as well and they organized their efforts to block the attacks . They normally wouldn’t have been strong enough to deal with something like this , but Zac quickly realized that the attacks were pretty weakened compared to what he was used to . A series of cracks echoed out a second later , and the walls fell apart , exposing a neighboring corridor on one side and an empty storage room on the other .

Zac bent down and picked up a piece of Memorysteel , and found that it was quite malleable .

What happened? - Zac asked with a frown as he turned to a panting soldier .

I don’t know , - the bloodied soldiers said . - The walls suddenly started vibrating . Its surface looked like water during an earthquake . Then it just started attacking . -

I think the programming in the research base is unraveling because of the state of this base , - Kenzie said as she came running . - This might not be the last time . -

We’ll see if we can gravitate towards open platforms as much as possible , - Zac nodded . - For now , have everyone keep watch for any changes in the surroundings . -

The group set out again , but the scouts soon came back with the news that they wouldn’t be able to reach the platform the way they were going . Zac hesitated for a few seconds before he walked over to the Anointed .

Help me destroy the walls . They seem to have limited energy now . As long as we can cause enough damage they should crumble , - Zac said . - Finding a new path would waste too much time . -

Let us handle it , Warmaster , - Rhubat said . - We know you must have expended a lot of energy during the previous battles . -

He turned to a group of Anointed the next moment and they nodded in understanding . A squad of a hundred Zhix followed behind , and four massive seals appeared in the air . The whole section started shaking a moment later as the Anointed unleashed an all-out barrage on the walls . The seals pretty much acted as hammers , slamming into it over and over .

The spikes were crushed as soon as they formed and the walls had to keep expending energy to reform the massive dents and cracks that appeared . Finally , after just 40 seconds , the walls crumbled , providing them access to a neighboring corridor .

From there on out they kept moving quickly , taking the path of least resistance where they either forced their way through the walls or followed hte corridors depending on what seemed fastest . Reaching the third platform went without issue , apart from some disagreements about who would go first . Only after Zac and the Anointed quashed any dissent could they get across the bridge , a 50-meter wide strip of land .

The third platform continued with Memorysteel walls for ten minutes until they suddenly gave way to large fields of farmland . It seemed to have been recently harvested though , and Zac realized they had reached the sector the Cartava Clan lived in .

I’ll go ahead , - Zac suddenly said before he turned into a blur as he flickered back and forth , running to every corner of the fields over the next 30 minutes as the army kept running straight ahead .

He even entered a series of side paths and corridors , but Zac couldn’t find what he was looking for ; the glasshouses that held the race-boosting treasures . Zac could only sigh in disappointment and rejoin the others . Zac knew it was a longshot that a bunch of valuable natural treasures would be waiting for him in this place , but he couldn't help himself from making sure .

But the Cartava Clan had clearly picked everything clean before they set off . He had got his hands on two of the Cosmos Sacks of the elders though , so it wasn’t impossible that some of the stored items were the race-boosting fruits Leviala mentioned . But now was not the time to properly go through his haul .

The group kept going , and they soon passed the farmland biospheres to enter the corridors again . However , this place was different compared to what they had encountered so far . It wasn’t the empty shells of the outer sector , but it also wasn’t the abandoned opulence of the inner layer .

Most importantly , the tunnels were drastically transformed from the bare aesthetic . There were paintings , mosaics , statues , benches adorning the walls , and the roof was covered in what looked like a starry sky . All the art looked somewhat recent as well , no doubt additions left by the Cartava clan . A huge crack in the wall allowed Zac to see a vast warehouse , spanning hundreds of meters even after the spatial expansion was gone .

Inside was a whole neighborhood of small Memorysteel townhouses in straight rows , forming a series of parallel streets . The houses were all made from metal , but they were somehow dyed in bright colors to bring life to the section . Some of the houses even had small gardens .

Large broken spheres hung in the sky , probably a source of light that had broken during the massive shake-ups . In fact , quite a few of the houses had fallen apart , some missing whole walls , while others were essentially unscathed . Zac guessed that repairs and upgrades had been made with spatially expanded materials , which then shrunk during the upheavals .

It was clear that they had appeared in the proper residential districts of the Cartava Clan , though they were still just at the edge . Those houses likely belonged to families who worked the fields , while the real elites lived somewhere further inside .

Zac and his followers didn’t get much further though before he suddenly stopped in his tracks , the hairs on his arms standing on end . There was no hesitation as the chains shot out from Love’s Bond] to form a wide net that pushed everyone back as Zac desperately retreated .

WATCH OUT! - Zac roared as he threw out a set of defensive talismans before summoning Nature’s Barrier] and infused it with the Fragment of the Bodhi . A series of massive explosions quickly followed and a scorching heat slammed into the frontlines the next moment .

Layers after layers of emerald leaves were incinerated , but Zac kept infusing Cosmic Energy to create a storm of leaves that filled the whole corridor . Others were thankfully quick on the uptake , and a series of barriers quickly sprung up to lessen his burden . Only half a minute later did the inferno subside , allowing them to breathe out in relief .

Those explosions were definitely not a part of the base , - Kenzie said as she looked down at her tablet . - I think we triggered some trap when we entered this section . -

Why did they boobytrap their homes? - Joanna said with incomprehension .

Revenge , - one of the Anointed said . - These natives fight without honor , breaking bonds without pause . I can see them doing something like this . -

Zac nodded in agreement . He wouldn't put it past them to leave something like this behind to strike at either him or Lunar Tribe .

They might have left some protections behind just in case . The clan must have rushed toward the exit the moment Leviala returned with the Spatial Drill , - Kenzie shrugged . - Some things of value were definitely left behind , and they might have wanted to protect these items in case they were able to return in the future . -

In either case , let’s go around the town instead of through it . There might be good things in the Cartava territory , but there’s no time to waste on something like that now , - Zac said as he turned to his sister . - Or is this the only way to the bridge? -

We can take a detour , but we need to hurry! - Kenzie said with worry in her eyes . - That blast weakened the dimensional protections . We lost something like 30 minutes . -

All the more reason to take the long path , - Zac said . - If there is one bomb there is probably more of them lying in wait . -

They immediately returned to the fields and chose a different path , which allowed them to reach the fourth platform without any further issue . The walls did try to attack them a few times as their defensive algorithms went haywire though , but that was far preferable to the powerful incendiaries before . The next platform was also almost completely transformed by the Cartava clan , though this one seemed to house an industrial zone . The warehouses had been emptied out and turned into factories that seemed to house some sort of 3D-printers .

The machines were made from Memorysteel like everything else , but they were clearly not of Technocrat origin . They were far-too-crude for that , yet they were still probably decades or ahead of Earth’s technological progress . Kenzie’s eyes glistened as she looked at the homebrewed machinery , but Zac dragged her away .

There was no point in risking their lives for some machines that would just piss the System off even further . It had already marked this place as a - Taboo Undertaking - , so Zac wouldn’t be surprised as every piece of technology inside this place was branded some way or another .

Still , it took them over an hour to pass this island , partly out of fear of more traps and partly due to the complex layout . There were also quite a few security measures that took some time to crack since they were modified by the Cartava Clan and already supposed to be disconnected from the main AI hub .

Finally they reached the edge of the island . But just as Zac was about to lead the group across he stopped as a thunderous sound erupted far in the distance .

Zac looked over , and his eyes widened in shock when he saw one platform after another fall apart . It was like a chain reaction that had started somewhere close to the mountain , and it almost made it all the way to the outermost platforms . A few islands survived in the destruction thanks to having multiple bridges , but over twenty plots of lands had crumbled in an instant .

What was that?! - Joanna wheezed .

I think someone has reached the mountain already , - Zac frowned . - They are destroying the bridges and killing the competition . -

The series of platforms that fell apart was quite far away , but that didn’t stop Zac and the others from feeling a creeping sense of dread . It wasn’t all that hard to destroy the bridges that spanned the void , and there were only so many platforms between themselves and whoever had enacted that ruthless plan .

Seeing dozens of islands just fall apart like that put everyone under a tremendous pressure , and Zac immediately crossed with his sister . The other side was just a short corridor that led to what looked like a large square that you could see in something like a mall . Dilapidated storefronts lined the sides , and a broken glass dome gave them a glimpse of the void outside .

These Technocrats really knew how to live it up , - Emily muttered as she entered behind Zac . - I can't believe they have this kind of place inside a research base . -

Zac looked over at the teenager , relieved to see that she looked better . She had been carried by one of the Valkyries for most of the trip , completely drained from using her skills on the whole army . It felt like he needed to find some way for Emily to improve her energy reserves so that she didn't get this drained all the time .

I guess you have to add all kinds of things for people to not go insane , - Zac shrugged . - After all , people probably spent centuries in this place back when it was running properly . -

More and more warriors quickly crossed the bridge and the entrance to the square was quickly filling up even when it was far larger than any similar structure on Earth .

What direction should we go , Warm- - Rhubat said , but the Zhix stopped as it suddenly turned toward the broken-down glass ceiling in the sky .

Zac didn’t understand what was wrong , but he suddenly felt an uncomfortable pressure as the protective film outside the dome bulged downward like something was pushing to come through . And he knew all-too-well what kind of thing that would be .

He could only pray it wasn't the Collector .

Incoming! Spread out! Non-combat classes and support staff enter the side corridors! - Zac roared , and the soldiers quickly made a defensive ring around the square .

The barrier cracked the next moment as a huge miscreation fell onto the square with a massive thud . Zac panicked as he looked up at the ceiling , but he breathed out in relief when he saw that the film had repaired itself after the Void Creature had pushed through . Only then did he focus on the target at hand .

The Void Creature looked a bit like a short pitch-black caterpillar , but it had spindly legs all around its body rather than in sets on the bottom . Its body was almost thirty meters long , but it was at least ten meters across as well , giving it a stocky appearance . Its face was just a black vortex that emitted a black gas , and Zac estimated it might actually be a Half-Step D-Grade creature .

However , it was clearly not used to existing in this kind of dimension , as it kept shuddering as the long legs on its back twitched like the creature was in its death throes .

That didn’t mean it was completely restrained though , and all its legs suddenly pushed forward in a motion that reminded Zac of how octopi swim . It probably moved about in a very similar fashion as it floated around in the void . Of course , this time only the legs on the bottom provided any real traction , but it still almost turned into a black blur as it shot forward .

Straight at Zac .

Chapter 626 : Denizens of the Void

Zac didn’t know whether it was lucky or unlucky that the terrifying creature went straight for him , but at least it would prevent the normal warriors from bearing the brunt of the terrifying creature . He quickly threw Emily to a side passage as he readied himself for battle .

Attack it from a distance , - Zac shouted before he charged up Rapturous Divide] . - It can’t survive in this dimension for long . The more we damage it the quicker we’ll be able to destroy it . -

A golden cloud entered the huge maw the next second , quickly followed by a black cloud imbued with the Fragment of the Coffin . A perfectly straight scar in space was ripped open , but Zac was shocked to see that it barely had any effect on the creature . The spatial divide had actually split the creature in two , but it almost looked like Zac’s attack was just an illusion .

There were no wounds , no nothing . It was like spatial tears had no effect on the Void Beast . Zac figured that he perhaps shouldn’t be too surprised considering that this thing usually lived in the folds between dimensions . The other warriors didn’t fare much better as pitch-black barriers that looked like small tiles of onyx appeared at the tip of the creature's legs , effortlessly swallowing any attack that came close . Only the Anointed managed to launch strikes with enough force to cause some minor cracks on the defensive shields , but they were repaired as quickly as they appeared .

Zac guessed what was going on and he quickly activated Conformation of Supremacy] , this time imbuing the skill with the image of the supreme shield . The creature was almost upon him by now , but Zac didn’t back away . Less than half of his people had passed the bridge by this point , and if Zac didn’t block now , then the bridge would be exposed to the Void Beast .

He couldn’t let that happen .

A growl escaped Zac’s lips as he rushed forward , meeting the beast head-on . His axe was empowered by the weight of the supreme shield in the avatar , and he swung it in a heroic arc right at the bottom of the beast's face , right beneath the massive mouth that reminded Zac of the Collector’s maw . He was hoping to crush its jaw and perhaps cut off a few of its legs in one go , but a huge barrier appeared to block its whole face , if one could call a large vortex a face .

Zac only hesitated for a second before he infused the strike with the Fragment of the Coffin and swung with all that he got . He didn’t really fear the beast itself , but rather the way that it had made all the attacks just disappear , like it was conjuring portals to the void . However , Zac felt there should be some limits to an ability like that , especially when he attacked in person and infused the strike with a Dao Fragment .

The world shuddered for an instant as the edge of Verun’s Bite] hit the large barrier , like he had somehow been misaligned with the surroundings . But his vision quickly turned back to normal as a large crack spread across the black surface of the shielding . Zac didn’t get any chance to celebrate or follow up on his initial swing though as the creature slammed into him with the force of a runaway train .

His all-out swing hadn't even stopped the creature in its tracks , and Zac found himself completely overpowered .

A fiery axe shot into his body from the distance as Emily boosted him with her Strength-improving Axe . Hundreds of attacks also harassed the caterpillar to the point that it was completely engulfed by a blinding chaos of radiant Skills . Yet those shields kept swallowing everything while keeping the Void Beast safe , and it seemed completely intent on taking him down .

The only reason Zac didn’t get slammed into a wall , or even worse shot through the corridor and into the Void , was that he hurriedly launched the four chains of Love’s Bond] , each of them turning into anchors in the wall or the floor to stop him from getting pushed back . The chains were able to hold him in place , but that essentially put him in a vise that threatened to crush him .

He gripped the handle of Verun's Bite] with his second hand , both his arms shaking from exertion . But it was simply impossible to force the Void Beast Back . Its short legs dug deep grooves in the Memorysteel ground as it kept the pressure up , and released more and more of that pitch-black smoke .

The cloud emitted a strange pressure that made Zac feel extremely uncomfortable , almost like when he had pushed his hand into the void . Even worse , there seemed to be no limits to how much of it could spew out from its gullet . Zac didn’t know whether the creature released it to lessen the burden of normal space on its body , or if it was meant as some sort of weapon .

In either case , it was poison to Zac , but he was unable to extricate himself . He was just ten meters from the corridor leading outside , and soldiers were still streaming across the bridge and into the square . Backing down would mean those people getting stuck . But he also wasn’t strong enough to force the creature back in his current state , so he could only push his worries aside as he activated Hatchetman’s Rage] .

The air twisted around him power surged through his arms , and the painful pressure was no longer so taxing . Zac shoved at the creature with everything he had , and he actually managed to force the Void Beast back a bit . It wasn’t much , but it gave Zac the breather he needed to launch another swing , this one empowered by his berserking skill .

The barrier cracked like a mirror in an instant , and the axe bit into flesh . However , a sense of annoyance flared up in Zac’s chest as his momentum suddenly disappeared the moment it touched the body of the caterpillar , making his all-out swing look like a slight love-tap .

Zac quickly realized the attack was more powerful than it seemed though as the legs on the creature’s back twitched , and a weird distortion rippled through its body before it returned to normal . Zac’s eyes lit up when he saw that his attacks were working , but he didn’t have the opportunity to launch another swing before his Danger Sense overpowered the furor brought on by Hatchetman’s Rage] .

A crackling ball of pure energy had formed inside the Void Beast’s abyssal maw , and Zac desperately veered out of the way , barely allowing him to dodge it as it shot out like a slow-moving cannonball . An extremely powerful suction ripped into his body , and Zac's eyes teared when he felt a piece of his chin actually being torn off and swallowed by the ball as it passed through .

A bloody wound on his shoulder was opened up as well , but at least he had managed to dodge a surefire kill . That terrifying ball definitely had the power to crush him into a meat cube and swallow him whole . But Zac still regretted his course of action when he remembered that the corridor and his people were on the other side .

What if the ball hit the bridge? The Memorysteel definitely couldn't take the force that hid in that attack .

Thick earthen walls thankfully rose from the ground the moment Zac dodged as Rhubat and a group of Anointed conjured one defensive barrier after another in an effort to block the sphere . It thankfully didn’t move very fast , but it was simply unstoppable in its advance . Massive holes appeared in the barriers as the ball simply ate them .

But Zac's eyes lit up when he saw that the ball had shrunk by a small degree after swallowing five enormous barriers in a row . It looked unstoppable , but it ultimately had the same weakness as all skills ; it had a limited amount of energy . It could be exhausted .

Keep attacking! Fill it! - he shouted , and a storm of flames , earth , and all sorts of objects flew toward the Void Ball . Someone even took out an SUV and threw it into the void ball , and a creaking sound echoed out as the attack swallowed the vehicle whole .

Zac was about to help out , but he sensed that the creature was gearing up for another attack , and he definitely couldn’t let that happen . The first ball had already made it to the corridor by that point , and it had actually swallowed a few people who were able to move out of the way because of the thousands of people desperately trying to pass the bridge .

After all , a thirty-meter Void Beast was scary , but not as scary as being left behind on a soon-to-collapse island in the void .

Zac felt the terrible energies brewing inside the mouth of the creature , and he knew he had to risk it . The chains of Love’s bond] detached from the wall , as he stomped down on the ground . The creature saw the change and it started to push again , but he narrowly managed to stay in place by overexerting his legs .

Meanwhile , the chains of Love's Bond] shot forward and snaked around the hulking creature before Zac gripped them with his free hand . He desperately yanked at them with all he had , and it was barely enough to overpower the thin legs and slam the creature into the ground .

A shockingly large club appeared out of nowhere , the knobbly skull striking right on top of the creature's head to compound Zac’s own hit . It was Billy who had woken up from the commotion , and he had already activated his Titanic form . Billy’s attack was simple and crude , but it contained a shocking force that caused another series of ripples to spread through the creature’s body . More importantly , it interrupted the Void Beast's accumulation of its second attack .

The creature tried to get up , but Zac furiously dragged the creature back into the ground again as he lambasted it with dozens of strikes empowered by Conformation of Supremacy] . The first strikes were completely absorbed like the first one , but its body started to twist and bend like it was a mirage .

Zac suddenly managed to rip off a large section of its head after having launched almost twenty strikes and a weird sticky goo started dripping from the massive wound . The Void Beast's blood didn't pool at the ground though , but it actually floated in the air like a cloud . A second thunderous smash from Billy hit the caterpillar in the middle of its body , giving Zac a chance to glance at the situation behind him .

The Anointed had thankfully dealt with the void sphere , but the chaos had activated the defensive measures of the corridor . The Anointed were forced to fight against the frenzied defensive algorithm , desperately trying to contain the damage as to not let the whole corner of the island fall apart .

There were thankfully still a lot of warriors inside the square as hundreds of strikes slammed into the Void Beast . Each of them carried just a fraction of the power of a single one of Zac’s own swings , but when added together it turned into an unceasing avalanche that forced the creature to expend more and more energy to stay safe .

A high-pitched wail escaped from its mouth as the creature started to madly thrash and twist , and the force threw Zac into the air . The creature seemingly saw its opportunity as it started forming another void sphere , but Zac only grunted as his Cosmic Energy surged into his forearm . The huge wooden hand appeared a moment later , but it didn’t actually conjure the emerald array this time .

The hand instead directly gripped the creature , its wooden fingers digging deep into pitch-black flesh . It had been a long time since Zac used the hand to physically fight for him instead of conjuring one of the punishments , and he was shocked at the power of the grip . It was like space itself was breaking apart as the fingers squeezed tighter and tighter .

The Void Beast thrashed even harder as it tried to break away , and vast clouds of pitch-black gasses covered it . But it was undeniable that it was in a bad way since its body kept distorting to the point it was barely recognizable by now . Zac was still flailing about in the air since he was connected to the creature through the chains , but he forcefully pulled on one of the fetters , launching him straight toward the caterpillar .

The whole Memorysteel floor cracked beneath the creature as Zac swung his axe once more , and a second shudder followed suit as Billy hit again . It was only then that Zac realized that Billy was using some sort of ramping skill like his own Deforestation] .

The third hit had taken quite some time to charge up , but it was tremendous , even eclipsing his own strikes . Certainly , Zac was using a skill that he could launch over a dozen times in the blink of an eye , but it was still shocking considering he had over five thousand effective Strength . For Billy , an F-Grade warrior , to match that kind of power output was astonishing no matter what kind of restrictions that skill had .

Billy’s enormous slam was the straw that broke the camel’s back and Zac felt a huge surge of Cosmic Energy entering his body , confirming the kill . The Void Beast didn’t collapse on the ground though , but it rather looked like its body was slowly phasing out of reality .

Haha! Billy is finally 75! - Billy exclaimed with a wide grin , and Zac noticed that dozens of people had wide grins on their faces .

It looked like everyone had a pretty good harvest for participating in taking down a Half-Step D-Grade creature . Their contribution was extremely limited , but the amount of energy from killing a level 150 creature Half-Step D-Grade creature was obviously massive . And while they hadn’t actually hurt the creature , they had at least helped expend its energy by unceasingly attacking it .

A sudden thump from his chest gave Zac a start , and he was surprised to see that his Void Heart] had suddenly awakened even when there weren’t any foreign energies rampaging through his body .

There was definitely something inside the dissipating cloud that his hidden node wanted to eat .

Chapter 627 : Hunger

Zac's hidden node felt like a ball of hunger trained on a specific spot inside the dissipating - corpse - of the Void Beast . He instinctively understood what was going on though and activated his Cosmic Gaze] as he tried to find the source of the avarice . The creature had turned into a haze by this point , but there was a small spot that released mysterious fluctuations to his augmented sight .

Zac hesitated for a moment , but he still sent one of his chains inside to snatch whatever radiated that odd energy signature . The chain was mottled when it came out a second later , but Zac could sense that it was just temporary . The links would soon heal up by themselves , partly thanks to the massive amount of energy it had swallowed during the fight with the Cartava Clan .

Seeing that the coffin was safe , Zac instead turned his attention to the thing he had dragged out of the cloud . It was roughly as large as a fist , but it hard to tell what it was made from as it reminded Zac of a pallasite meteorite ; a mix of pitch-black metal and dark-golden crystals . Zac couldn't be completely sure , but he guessed it was the failed core of the Void Beast .

It was mesmerizing to look at , completely different from the fake cores he had harvested from the beasts and zombies in the Dead Zones . This was a proper Beast Core , albeit a failed one . It still held the accumulation of the Void Beast's cultivation , and it was clearly marked by whatever Dao the caterpillar had gained during its life in the void .

More importantly , it contained massive amounts of energy , far more than any D-Grade Crystals . The energy was extremely different though . It felt like it was some sort of Attuned Energy , but also different . It made him think of the blue sword-streaks that Thea had gained from the inheritance trial .

The best comparison he could think of was that Attuned Energy was like lemon-flavored water , whereas the energy hidden inside the small core in front of him was pure fruit-juices squeezed straight from the citrus itself . Attuned energies were ultimately flavored Cosmic Energy , whereas this force had become something else .

More impressively , it felt like the energy was almost sentient , as it seemed to flinch every time his hidden node beat .

It almost felt like he was looking at a nuclear warhead with a will of its own , but his Void Heart] was obviously of a different opinion . If the node was a human it would be screaming on top of its lungs right now in an epic tantrum , and Zac eventually decided to oblige . He gingerly reached his hands toward the Beast Core and touched its surface .

What are you doing! - Verana shouted with shock as she hurried over , and Zac noticed that quite a few demons and Tal-Eladar looked at him like he was crazy .

Zac couldn’t worry about that at the moment though as thick black tendrils spread across his arm , and it felt like someone had poured molten lead in his veins . Small bloody explosions erupted all along his arm in an instant as even Zac's body had trouble containing this chaotic power . But things quickly stabilized when his hidden node started to absorb the energy , and Zac almost felt like it was giddy as it thumped over and over . The pain was still excruciating as the energy was dragged from his arm into his heart , but at least it didn't look like he would explode this time either .

His guess from before proved right as well judging by the behavior of the Beast Core . It initially stormed into his arm with a brutal fervor , seemingly intent to rip him apart . But the moment his hidden node thumped and absorbed its first mouthful the Beast Core drastically changed its behavior as it tried to cut its connection with Zac's pathways .

Unfortunately , it had already been caught by Void Heart] as it dragged more and more energy from the core with glee . However , it only absorbed a fifth of the energy inside the core before it started slowing down , and Zac got a sense of exhaustion from it . He quickly threw the Beast Core into his Spatial Ring to avoid any mishaps , and only then did he look over at Verana who gazed at his arm with wide eyes .

What’s wrong? - Zac asked .

That was a Beast Core! Absorbing the raw energies of a Beast Cores is like drinking poison , the energy is too chaotic to control or make use of . And that was a Beast Core of an aberrant lifeform! Who knows what kind of dangerous energies it contains , - Verana hurriedly explained , though she quickly calmed down as well . - But you seem fine for some reason…? I don’t understand… -

Don’t worry about it , - Zac shrugged . - My body is pretty resilient when it comes to weird energies . -

Alright , - Verana sighed as she dropped the subject , though there was both curiosity and skepticism in her eyes .

Is everything okay with the bridge? - Zac asked .

Verana had been somewhere in the middle of the army to guard the soldiers in case the walls suddenly attacked , which meant she had been trapped outside the square when the Void Beast attacked . Not that she would be a lot of help since all three of her companions were still wounded and overtaxed from the previous fight .

Everything’s fine , - Verana nodded . - We got stuck outside for a bit when the wall woke up , but there were no further attacks on us or the bridge . These creatures might hold their own territories in the darkness , preferring solitude . -

Good , - Zac nodded , wholeheartedly hoping her theory was correct .

Dealing with one Void Beast hadn’t been too difficult . Part of it was thanks to the huge numerical advantage , but it was mostly because the Void Beast was restrained by this dimension . Its aura was definitely a match to the golem he fought in the Dao Repository , but the actual strength it exhibited was less than half that .

But even with such an advantage then they would still be in deep trouble if just two attacked at the same time . He could only hold down one at a time , which would give the second one free rein to rampage among the normal soldiers . He glanced up at the ceiling again , a sense of foreboding chilling his heart . There was no point in tempting fate .

We’re setting off , - Zac said .

The group didn’t want to loiter in case another beast was lurking outside the dome atop the square , and they scurried into the corridors with gusto . Zac let the other elites lead the way while he jumped up and sat on the shoulder of one of the Anointed who usually accompanied Rhubat . The weakness of activating Hatchetman’s Rage] had hit him , and the ambient Cosmic Energy had gotten so sparse by this point that his natural absorption had turned into a weak trickle .

So he could only depend on the gargantuan Zhix for a while as he started absorbing Cosmic Energy from Nexus Crystals . He also took the opportunity to look inward to see if something had changed with his Void Heart] , but Zac was disappointed to see that it had gone quiet again . It didn't look like it was about to spit out anything either , but rather like it had gone into hibernation .

Zac still felt like this was an opportunity for him though . He had just remembered that this wasn’t the first time he had encountered energy with this particular flavor . He had actually absorbed the very same force from the Collector when they fought , but he was in the middle of a fight for his life at that time and didn't have any chance to look into it .

He still couldn't figure out exactly what it was . Even if it was something more advanced than Attuned Energy he still felt he should be able to recognize its flavor somewhat . He had encountered all sorts of cultivators by this point , and he was seldom completely flummoxed when trying to figure out what kind of Dao they were cultivating .

All fire-related Daos gave off a similar fiery aura , and the same went for all other Daos as well . But these Void Beasts seemed to have a flavor of their own . Zac could only guess it was because of the unique environment they lived in , so he simply named the energy Void Energy in his mind .

Zac wondered exactly what his node wanted with this energy . It usually spat out anything it swallowed , but this particular energy seemed to stay inside . He guessed that it was something that could actually nurture the hidden node , or perhaps even help with awakening his bloodline down the line .

The issue was that he had never heard of upgrading Hidden Nodes . Hidden Nodes were supposed to give permanent and unique boons , sort of like titles . They were either opened or unopened . But was it perhaps possible to upgrade them if they were linked to a Bloodline?

There was unfortunately much he could figure things out at the moment . Perhaps he could find some records at the Core of the Mystic Realm , though he wasn’t sure whether the innermost sector of the research base even existed any longer . That by itself put a pretty big dent in his secondary goals to find out more about Leandra and awakening his bloodline .

For example , those bloodline vats that the Gemlings controlled might already be lost to the Void by this point . His only other chance was to stumble onto something at the core , but he wasn’t too optimistic as he looked around .

It was clear , the state of the islands was gradually getting worse , and not because of the weakening Cosmic Energy and protective film . Zac believed that the rough state of the walls and structures of the inner island was due to something else . The closer they got to the core , the more the materials had been impacted by the spatial expansion . That in turn had resulted in larger destruction when the Dimensional Seed took everything back .

The increasingly dilapidated state of the corridors at least helped expedite their progression somewhat since more and more walls had crumbled to provide new pathways . Of course , the sparse Cosmic Energy in the atmosphere also made it harder to restore one’s reserves , which made it difficult for the cultivators to keep a high tempo .

They thankfully passed over to the next platform without issue , and Zac once more closed his eyes to focus on restoring his energy after they had passed over .

Zac , - Kenzie suddenly exclaimed , dragging him out of his meditation as he looked down at his sister .

What is it? -

Look , - Kenzie said as she pointed down a side corridor .

Zac looked over , and his eyes widened when he realized that the section looked remarkably similar to the corridors they had passed just before entering the pipe . However , those paths went in a different direction compared to the route they were following . He quickly jumped down from the Anointed's shoulder and walked over to Kenzie .

Can you see if it's the same place? - Zac asked with a mix of hope and trepidation .

Wait a second , - Kenzie said as she took out her tablet and changed the screen to a map . - Ah! I knew it! -

What? - Zac asked .

I gave Thea a few communication modules while you were recuperating back then , and one has been installed , - Kenzie said . - Oh , and there’s a message a message recorded . -

Well , go ahead and play it , - Zac said anxiously .

If you hear this the world has transformed already , Thea’s voice emerged from the console . We’re fine . The chaos destroyed the laboratory though , allowing us to escape . We have decided to move toward the mountain to scout things out . Who knows? We’re in a pretty good position , so we might actually be able to get there first . I only have one more of these things , so I’ll save it until we reach the mountain .

Zac slowly exhaled , extremely relieved to hear the two were fine . He had worried for a second it was Thea or Ogras recording a final goodbye or something . Then again , he wasn’t too surprised to hear they were okay . If anyone could survive on their own in this place , then it would be them .

What do you want to do? - Kenzie asked .

Let’s follow our original route . You heard her ; they’ll be at the mountain . In fact , they might already be there by this time . Both of them are powerful Dexterity-based cultivators . They should have been able to get quite far before the energy got too scattered , - Zac smiled and turned back without another look .

What about the items in the lab? Didn’t you need that crystal? - Kenzie asked .

It’s not worth the delay , - Zac said after some thought . - Reaching the mountain before our enemies blow up the bridge is more important than anything else . Besides , if one such crystal can appear here , then I bet there will be more around the Dimensional Seed itself . -

Chapter 628 : Resisting Fate

A lance of golden flames tore through the air , and Ogras barely managed to avoid it before he unleashed a beam of destruction of his own . However , he didn’t aim at the bishop in the forefront , but rather at the group of underlings who worked on infusing the weird array at the edge of the mountain .

Why fight? This is a world of sinners , they must be cleansed! - the bishop roared . - The Heavens themselves are on our side . Move away , stop resisting fate . -

Well , you have me convinced , - Ogras said with a roll of his eyes .

He was swallowed by a wave of shadows , appearing in front of the leader as he unleashed a sharp stab aimed at his throat . Unfortunately , a swam of golden motes of light forced him away yet again . He had already been blasted by one of those things , and he was still missing a chunk of flesh on his side . Ogras tsked in annoyance as he glared at the cultist leader who looked all-too-similar to the bastard who took his arm .

This one was far stronger though , and it wasn’t only thanks to the fact that he was no longer restricted like they were during those beast waves . More importantly , he was backed up by far more professional elites compared to the strike squad who had appeared through the mini-incursion .

He could only flash away again , landing on a cliff made from Memorysteel that gave him vantage over the cultist army .

How did things get out of hand to this point? Did those two siblings know that this god-damned place was going to fall apart? There definitely was something suspicious going on , particularly with the girl . There was always that look in her eye when they talked . Like she was holding in something huge .

Was Zachary Atwood downplaying their role in regards to the Technocrat heathens? Did they have some other hidden motives in coming to this accursed place? It was no point worrying about that now . He would be able to ask that annoying guy himself as long as he and the - lady Marshall’ didn’t mess up too badly .

But these cultists weren’t any pushovers , and there were just too many of them .

Thankfully , he had already absorbed the Corporeal Serum] , and the effect was amazing . Not only did it provide as many attribute points as a few levels would , but it completely pushed his Race all the way to D-Grade .

Certainly , he had already made some impressive strides through the pills he embezzled at the Base Town along with high-quality herbal baths . But he had to give it to these Technocrat heretics ; they knew how to brew a potion . Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad becoming the son-in-law to a powerful Technocrat , enjoying these sorts of serums on the down-low while maintaining the façade of a good and proper orthodox cultivator .

Perhaps he should take a cue from Thea Marshall's tactics .

Of course , the real gain of the serum didn’t come from a small boost in attributes and an increase in his longevity , especially when it felt less and less likely he would get to enjoy his additional lifespan as the minutes passed . The real gain came from his body’s transformation . Who would have thought that his series of circumstances would result in him getting a Mutated Race?

He still felt some lingering shock when remembering the surprise waiting for him when he opened his status screen after having imbibed the serum .

D] Planeswalker Demon

Planeswalker Demon , a unique race not recorded within the Azh’Kir’Khat Horde . An amalgamation of his beast companion and his own heritage . He had heard of things like this happening before . People encountering fortuitous , or more likely unlucky , encounters sometimes ended up changing their bodies to the point that they no longer could be considered the same race as they once were .

Truthfully , something like this generally ended in disaster . The races of the multiverse were the product of billions of years of natural selection , essentially perfect vessels for cultivating the Heavenly Dao . That was why most races looked so similar in their makeup ; the cultivation pathways worked best when they looked a certain way .

So , to change this product of nature would usually result in a mutation that brought more problems than perks . After all , if it was a good thing it would be called something like Ascended Race or at least Augmented Race , not something so ominous as Mutated Race .

Yet , in his case , Ogras felt he came out ahead . Perhaps some of that aberration’s luck was finally rubbing off on him .

He looked at the vast field of shadows that harried the vanguard army , and it felt like he was looking at his own body . He had never felt so close to his Dao or the shadows he controlled . It was like the difference between a pyromancer and a fire elemental . Both were masters of flames , but only the elemental could claim the Dao of Fire as its birthright , controlling it with inborn ease . That was how he felt with the shadows right now .

Ogras had even sensed the location of a Hidden Node when he and his familiar were melded into one ; roughly in the middle of his spine . Give it a decade or two and he was confident he’d be able to grind it open with his manual even if he didn’t find any amazing treasures to help him out . There still was the hidden threat of where the hell Asshole's consciousness had disappeared to , but that was a worry for later . For now , there were lizardmen to kill .

Thankfully he wasn’t the only one who had made some gains .

A flower of sword radiance and blood bloomed as Thea Marshall appeared seemingly out of nowhere among a group of cultists , killing two and maiming another before they had a chance to react . A massive pillar of fire erupted where she stood , but the human had already fled under the guise of Ogras’ shadows .

In another corner of the army , a throat was slit open as though by itself , yet no one noticed until the zealot toppled over . Only at that time did fiery shields erupt in the area .

Ogras whistled in surprise as he melded with the shadows . The girl had a knack for timing , no matter when talking about finding an opening to appear herself or silently assassinating unknowing warriors . She was like a gust of wind . By the time the gale had passed , you were already dead .

Of course , her antics were only made possible thanks to her upgraded weapon . Ogras couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy when he saw how huge an upgrade that hidden blade had undergone after incorporating that crystal . It somehow passed right through the defenses of these lunatics without alerting anyone , turning into a supreme assassin’s tool .

If only he had taken it for himself instead . An ability like this was exactly what he needed for his new spear . But that little lass had been smart , kissing that netherbeast before he set off . If he made his move now… it would spell trouble . He knew he wouldn’t get away with it considering his reputation . But there would be more opportunities in the future .

She was lacking in raw firepower even with her upgraded weapon though , even worse than himself , and she could only take out one or two soldiers after staking her life . There was clearly a limit on how often she could use that piercing skill of her blade as well , and she only dared to activate it against the normal soldiers .

Besides , she could only move this freely thanks to him drawing the attention of the bishop and the elite squad . But Ogras could still see a seed of potential in her now , something he hadn’t really felt before . As long as she had a fortuitous encounter or two before evolving , she would have a chance to make a name for herself in the Zecia sector in the future .

Of course , not like the monster in their midst .

Unfortunately , even with their recent boosts , they were fighting a losing battle . Ogras once more unleashed a barrage of spears from a mirage clone in the distance as he stabbed out from the shadows with his spear . A golden shield appeared to block once more , and Ogras could only sigh and recede into the darkness again .

His eyes turned to the growing golden fractal covering the edge of the mountain , and he knew it wouldn’t be long before yet another series of islands fell . The plan of the cultists was crude but effective . They had quickly figured out that it was actually the mountain that protected the realm fragments floating around in the Void .

They somehow infected the energy keeping the islands safe before destroying the bridge connecting to the platforms outside , causing a shocking chain reaction . That would leave more energy for the mountain itself , likely extending the time it would be able to remain before this hellhole collapsed .

It would also cut off any unlucky people who still hadn’t reached the mountain .

Normally Ogras wouldn’t care considering he had already made it , but he needed to stall these lunatics until backup arrived . He and the Marshall girl had already spotted their people scrambling on their way here , but there were a lot of islands to pass on the way to the mountain , and the cultists were too efficient in their method of destruction .

That’s how the two found themselves in a battle of attrition against an army of over a thousand cultists that seemed intent on setting the whole mountain on fire . They could only slip through the cracks and cause some annoyance and delays , and hopefully , that would be enough .

Another wave of flames spread out as a hundred Cultists slammed their staffs into the ground , and a scorched Thea was forced to desperately jump to safety while Ogras barely managed to fend off the waves while retreating .

This one is done for , - Ogras sighed as he appeared next to his companion . - Let’s back off and recuperate before the next wave . -

Thea wordlessly nodded as she took out a Nexus Crystal from her pouch . Her eyes were sunken from exhaustion , and Ogras knew he didn’t look much better . He had just thirty percent left in his tank , and they would need to keep going for hours if they wanted to delay the cultists long enough .

The two scurried into the cracks in the mountain , taking advantage of the uneven terrain to hide from the pursuit . A squad of elites tried to follow them through the cracks , but it only took a few minutes to lose the trail .

Ogras thumped down on the ground in a secluded crevasse a few minutes later and started absorbing some energy as well . Thea mirrored his actions as she ate some dried rations to fill her stomach as well . The rumbling thunder of yet another collapsing island echoed out in the distance .

This is the final stretch , keep going! - Cervantes urged as his eyes were veritably burning with hatred .

The sky collapsed once more as another accursed tentacle of the Collector greedily grabbed at a clump of tribesmen . He was exhausted , but Cervantes still roused his bloodline as he flashed forward to intercept .

His whole body transformed into a radiant light that took the form of a massive wolf’s head , and it bit down at the tentacle with enough force to rip space apart . A shudder spread across the tentacle as Cervantes infused a storm of energy through his fractal teeth , but he knew all-too-well how durable this bastard was . This bite of his was just a scratch to this monstrosity .

A part of the light turned into his legs as he touched down on the ground to readjust his momentum , and a geyser of moonlight pushed the appendage far into the air by taking advantage of the momentary immobility from his bite . His tribesmen didn’t waste his efforts by staying to fight alongside him , but instead opted to make it worthwhile . They urged their exhausted bodies to turn into beams of light as they flashed forward toward the bridge , leaving an illuminated corridor through the end of the island .

A dozen tentacles were already descending by that point , all of them aiming toward Cervantes himself . He wasn’t surprised . This ancient bastard had harried them for the last hours and across three whole islands , and it had already realized who it was that kept it from adding more bodies to its collection .

The whole sky was blotted out by hands , some of them clearly belonging to his tribesmen , but Cervantes didn’t panic at all . A hateful sneer spread out across his face as he threw out a meticulously crafted machine as large as a full-grown man . A sharp whistle was released by the machine before it froze in space , and a silver radiance spread out the next second , illuminating the whole sky .

The light lingered for a second before it started to change , congealing into what almost looked like solid matter . It wasn’t actually what happened , but Cervantes melded with the tunnel of light to escape the Lunar Domain . It was his father’s invention , a method to stabilize space with the Dao of the Moon .

Its original use was to forcibly stabilize chaotic zones during the Cataclysm , but it worked quite well in dealing with Void Beasts as well . The tentacles started to rapidly distort as the laws of space were reinforced , but the Collector was unable to easily extricate itself . Space had already become too stable , and even Cervantes would have a hard time moving through that domain , let alone a Void Beast .

The appendages were trapped for the moment , giving Cervantes and his rearguard the opportunity to cross the bridge . But the Collector was ultimately a pinnacle creature , and space itself cracked as the monstrosity ripped itself free . It did lose quite a few of its trophies in the process , but Cervantes knew that it was ultimately just a flesh wound .

They were safe for now , but Cervantes still had a hard time swallowing the hatred in his heart . Over two hundred of his tribesmen had been snatched up over the past hours , each of them handpicked elites whose talents would be a great asset when rebuilding their tribe on the outside . He couldn't believe their bad luck that this horror had decided to doggedly target them when there no doubt were far easier trophies to collect .

One day he would return to this accursed dimension just to rip this bastard in two .

People ahead! Humans! - a scout suddenly exclaimed as her eyes flickered with light , her warning dragging Cervantes back to the present .

Cervantes hesitated for only a second before his eyes gleamed with ruthlessness . He took out a small syringe and injected it into his arm , and he felt a surge of power spreading through his limbs .

Ready yourselves for battle , - he growled .

Chapter 629 : Final Stretch

This is the final stretch , keep going! - Zac shouted as he urged the warriors around him to keep running .

The faces of the soldiers were pallid masks of exhaustion by this point , but they kept putting one foot ahead of the other as they gripped Nexus Crystals in their hands . The last ten hours had pushed them to their very limits even though they weren’t the ones who carried the main burden of their mad dash .

The problem was the increasingly sparse Cosmic Energy . It kept getting worse , to the point that there was barely any left at all by now . Just maintaining a superhuman speed was a constant source of drain , and with battles peppered in these people were running on fumes by this point .

After all , most of these people didn’t even have a tenth of Zac’s monstrous reserves , and the fact that they were cultivators didn’t help in the slightest in this energy-sparse environment .

But there was no option but to keep going , even if they were out of strength . They were all-too-aware of the situation . They had heard the crashing sounds of collapsing islands coming ever closer . They had seen the huge golden flames at the foot of the mountain , causing a shocking chain of destruction that ended with a whole section of islands being decimated .