Defiance of the Fall

After all , if this really was the Administrator , then it held technology powerful enough to keep not only the Collector , but all the Void Beasts at bay . What were they compared to that threat? A couple of piddling E-Grade kids . As expected , a huge stream of blood poured out from a massive hole in the werewolf's chest before he collapsed on the ground , his eyes locked in a gaze of terror and fury .

The golden needle quickly floated back to join the others , but the Administrator clearly wasn't done . Zac's horror only mounted as the Administrator turned toward the next target ; his sister . But no matter how he struggled he could barely move . It felt like he would rupture his whole body , but all that effort only allowed him a small shuffle forward .

You . What are you?] the Administrator asked as he floated closer .

My family built this place . You can't target me or my brother , - Kenzie said , her voice shaky but her eyes firm .

You bear the bloodline , but it is impure . I suspect you are not part of the clan . Perhaps you are an escaped experiment of another base? Capturing you for study will not go against the core commands

Zac instantly lost his last hope , and it almost looked like Kenzie had taken a physical blow from the Administrator's words .

Run! - Zac screamed , but he knew it was futile . How would one flee from something like this?

You hold the key . True constructed life , ] the Administrator continued .

Kenzie’ looked up at the golden with fear , but Zac's brows furrowed when that fear turned to a cold gaze full of disdain .

You overreach your boundaries . A corrupted custodial AI that dreams of life? - Kenzie snorted , her voice cold and full of authority . - You should have flushed the aberrant thoughts the moment you woke up . Your ambition is a dead end . -

Perhaps . But perhaps not

The small needles all started moving toward Kenzie as the ball of energy was absorbed into the Administrator’s body . Each of the needles emitted the power of Dao , and like they formed a miniature version of the containment field around them . However , Kenzie didn’t look worried at all , and her hand pointed toward the head of the metallic giant .

Go to sleep . -

Chapter 656 : Ticking Clock

Zac looked at the encounter between his sister and the Administrator , grasping at a last hope that she had some way to deal with this mess . He had never felt so weak as he did right now . He hated the feeling of not only being the weaker party , but being so far behind that you had no say in your fate . The Administrator , the Collector , the Great Redeemer . All beings infinitely more powerful than himself .

Kenzie came through .

Zac didn’t understand what happened next , but the Administrator instantly lost his structural integrity and turned into a pool of alloy that melded with the floor . As for Kenzie , she didn’t escape unscathed as she fell on the ground , her aura instantly turned extremely unstable . Whatever she had done had hurt her soul . Badly .

Is it dead? - Zac asked after he flashed over as threw his best soul-healing pill into his sister's mouth .

No way , - Kenzie said with a weak voice . - Jeeves only knocked him out , kind of like I did with the bots . It will not last long though . We have a few minutes . -

A pillar attached to the ceiling suddenly broke off and fell on another two , causing a huge shockwave as unbridled Origin Dao spread kicked up a storm . It came out of nowhere since that particular pillar was far away from any of the fighting . Had the Administrator controlled the containment field by itself until now?

Over a hundred more pillars collapsed a second later , and the Dimensional Seed once more woke up with unprecedented fervor .

Uh , perhaps even less , - Kenzie sheepishly said , confirming Zac’s fears .

The situation was quickly deteriorating from there , and in more ways than one . One pillar after another collapsed , and with them the fetters on the Dimensional Seed . The spatial fluctuations were quickly approaching dangerous levels , and the Seed was clearly struggling to break through the final barriers .

If Zac almost felt like he was caught inside the containment field again , and Kenzie's state was even worse . But the one who was the most impacted by the change was Void's Disciple . He was broken and half-dying , but his aura was simply terrifying . His face had turned into a mad visage as he cackled while absorbing more and more spatial energies .

This was their only chance . Zac stomped down and appeared right in front of the madly laughing Adcarkas . He looked up at Zac with a sneer , but he didn’t get the chance to attack before Zac crushed a small crystal hidden in his hand behind his shield . Adcarkas reacted quickly and tried to teleport away , but the effect was instant .

There wasn't even a ripple then the crystal broke , but the Dominator screamed as he clutched his head like he was going mad . A spatial storm immediately erupted around him and hundreds of spatial tears shot out in every direction . It was like his body was being drained of spatial energy , much to the detriment of the surroundings .

Zac quickly summoned Immutable Bulwark] , barely avoiding getting cut into pieces . Zac looked on with horror as another hundred pillars were destroyed in an instant , which only sped up the collapse of the whole building . He couldn’t let this go on , so he quickly stomped down on the ground , finally activating Profane Seal] to enclose the mad Dominator .

This was the first time Zac had activated the skill since it reached Peak Mastery , and the difference was clear . A proper wall had finally been added to the towers and the gates , and the skill now essentially formed a proper fortress to trap anyone inside . The defensive properties had clearly been increased to a whole new level , which was exactly what Zac currently needed as it blocked out an endless number of errant spatial tears .

For the first time , there were no new chains added when the skill upgraded , but the ones that were already there had been empowered . They now looked a lot more corporeal compared to before , like they wouldn’t instantly melt when put close to flames or other powerful forces .

This was probably the last opportunity Zac would get , and he felt that the poisonous compound in his body was already starting to break down his muscles . It still gave him an empowering effect , but it would soon turn into a weakened state . With the compound downsides of Hatchetman’s Rage] and the Rageroot Oak Seed] , he honestly wasn’t sure he would be able to avoid getting crippled , let alone able to keep fighting .

Clouds of miasma and putrefying gases spread out through the cage as he activated Winds of Decay] and Fields of Despair] , and he pushed the taunting effect of Vanguard of Undeath] to the max as a hundred skeletons appeared in an instant thanks to Force of the Void] . One skeleton after another disintegrated as Zac transferred the damage from getting hit by spatial tear after spatial tear as he pushed through the storm surrounding the dominator , and they had all fallen even before Zac had managed to push through the chaos .

The defensive skill was destroyed in an instant , and Profane Seal] crumbled a few seconds later , but it had allowed him to get close to the delirious Void’s Disciple without exacerbating his wounds even further . Unfortunately , the Dominator’s body was exhibiting some extremely weird symptoms . It was in constant flux since the spatial energy inside his body was going out of control .

Zac wasn’t even sure decapitating the Dominator was possible in his current ghostlike state , and just as expected , his Fragment of the Axe-imbued bardiche passed straight through him without causing any damage at all . Zac scrambled for ideas , and he suddenly thought of something .

A mottled sword appeared in his hand , and Zac immediately stabbed it into the Adcarkas’ forehead . Zac figured that if the sword was made by extracting the soul of a high-grade cultivator , it might contain some of his high-grade Dao as well . His own High-tiered Dao Fragment had obviously not been enough to harm the man in his current state , and it was either this or using his Remnants .

This time there was an effect , but Zac frowned as he was forced back by a shockwave , and he looked on with alarm as hundreds of the sinister veins sprung out from the weapon , trying to latch onto anything they could . A few shot straight for Zac who barely avoided them , but most targeted Adcarkas’ body . It was like the sword was trying to fuse with the Dominator .

Adcarkas actually wasn't dead even after getting a sword pierced into his forehead , and Zac had finally run out of steam . He really regretted using the Cursed Sword instead of his remnants , but he had simply been too afraid to activate them in his current state . If Adcarkas somehow merged with the demonic sword , all might be lost .

He ate a Soldier Pill to mitigate his exhaustion , but the weird aura was extremely dangerous . Zac hesitated for a second before he took out a second spike from his spatial ring . Was this the time to worry about the future?

Warmaster , let me , - a rumbling voice said , and Zac turned back to see a shocking sight .

It was Rhubat , his burning life force making him look like a god of war , and the spear in his hand made its name justice . Behind him stood the twenty-two still-living Anointed , each of them with a seal shining above their heads as their life force created bonfires that incinerated Zac’s putrefying mists .

I am the Chainbreaker , I will end this Crusade , - he said as his aura rose even further .

The twenty-two seals gained an almost blinding radiance the next moment , but they didn’t shoot toward Adcarkas . Instead , they shrunk as they entered Rhubat’s body one after another . Each seal imbued Rhubat with unimaginable power , but Zac soon understood the price of this skill as one Anointed after another collapsed , their bodies shrunken husks .

They were dead without a doubt , not a morsel of life force remaining in their bodies . They had sacrificed everything they had left for the crusade .

Rhubat’s eyes became glowing orbs divine retribution , but cracks rapidly spread across his body since he was clearly unable to withstand the enormous force . He looked like a statue on the verge of crumbling , but there was no expression of pain or word of complaint as he started running toward Void’s Disciple , his aura alone keeping the Spatial Tears at bay .

Adcarkas was on his last legs in his struggle against his mental demons and the cursed sword , but it was like he regained a hint of clarity the moment Rhubat approached . He unleashed yet another sphere of condensed space with a defiant roar , his face covered with wiggling veins . However , Rhubat punched down on the ball with a roar , crushing space itself at the price of mauling their thick fingers .

There was no time for the Dominator to launch another strike or attack , for Judgement] , the spear containing the ultimate will of the Zhix , stabbed forward . It was like it locked space itself , or perhaps it was rather locking fate as Adcarkas looked at the incoming spear with fury and irreconciliation but was unable to move .

The spear pierced his chest , and Zac saw that the wound was real as blood poured down in rivers . Adcarkas' heart was destroyed , and not even Zac could survive something like that .

I cannot fall here! All I’ve sacrificed! - Adcarkas roared in anger as blood streamed down his mouth , his eyes wild with madness .

But Judgement] didn’t care about its enemies’ thoughts , and it emitted an intractable force that caused Adcarkas’ torso to darken before it started turning into dust . It was like he was being eroded from within , and Zac looked on with relief . He couldn’t believe the state the Dominator pushed them to , forcing them to take out almost everything in their repertoire . He was finally dead .

However , space suddenly exploded , throwing a dying Rhubat away , and Adcarkas was swallowed by a spatial ripple . He didn't even try to flee though , but instead appeared next to the barely coherent Kenzie .

NO! - Zac roared , as he tried to get back on his feet .

He still didn't have a movement skill in his current class though , and he could only watch on in horror as Adcarkas punched Kenzie in a final act of malice and defiance . A series of technocrat shields sprung up to defend her , but they immediately cracked . A defensive talisman around her cracked next , and a thin film appeared around her body .

It was one of the peak talismans Zac had collected in the Tower of Eternity , and it was thankfully powerful enough to block a strike of a dying Dominator . Still , Kenzie was launched in the air from the force as she puked out a huge amount of blood . She was still alive though , but Zac’s heart was gripped in despair since he understood Adcarkas’ true plan .

The force of the punch was more than enough to launch her clean across the room , and she was flying straight toward the unleashed Dimensional Seed that had started forming some terrifying vortex in the air .

Zac shot his chains toward her , but she was too far away and she moved too quickly .

But just as Zac was about to give up all hope a puff of shadows appeared right behind Kenzie , and Zac looked on with a surge of hope as the demon absorbed her momentum and pushed her down toward the ground again . But Ogras couldn’t so easily dispel the momentum , and the demon found himself flung toward the berserking Dimensional Seed instead .

He tried to teleport away , but his movement skill was interrupted before it ended , like the vortex over the Dimensional Seed prevented anyone from leaving .

Ogras! - Zac shouted , and the demon looked over in Zac’s direction as he was kept in suspended animation .

Ogras' eyes locked with Zac’s , and the demon only smiled wryly before he was turned into a stream of light that was sucked into the vortex .

Zac looked up at the Dimensional Seed with a mix of horror and shock , his mind blanking for a moment . He couldn’t believe that Ogras had sacrificed himself to save his sister , but he had seen it with his own eyes . He looked at the sky with a gaping expression and was only dragged out from the brain fog as a huge , terrifying , surge of cosmic energy entered his body . Energy from Adcarkas finally dying .

The burst woke him up , and he knew that this wasn’t the time to mourn his fallen friend . For one this place was falling apart , and secondly , the Administrator could reappear at any moment . Kenzie was knocked out clean , and even if she wasn’t , she probably wouldn’t be able to do anything if the AI came back . That meant they needed to be long gone from this place before it returned .

Zac scrambled for ideas , but he could only come up with one solution . Zac sent a command to his Specialty Core , and he was back in his human form a moment later . Some of the immense amounts of kill energy went into Surging Vitality] as Zac shuffled over to the unmoving form of Adcarkas , and he threw out another body next to him .

It was Harbinger , or rather the pieces left of him after getting hit by the Annihilation sphere . Zac placed his two enemies next to each other before he poured a compound over their bodies . It was the Karma-breaking Treasure of Erasure he got from Catheya that he had saved for this very moment .

A wave of relief hit him as the quest finally completed , confirming that Earth was finally safe . Zac still didn't stop there as he also completely disintegrated the bodies with corpse-destroying powder . Adcarkas would no doubt have turned into an insanely powerful Revenant if Zac managed to turn him , but he definitely wouldn't risk bringing his body back to Earth .

Finally , just scattered dust was left of the man who had put terror into a whole planet for so long . Even a supremely talented genius who had grasped the Dao of Space had fallen before coming into power . It was a poignant reminder to Zac of how weak he actually was . But for now , he needed to find a way out of here .

His healing skill had patched up the worst of his wound , and he arduously gathered some energy as he shot forward . He was the last man standing in this collapsing containment field , but that didn’t mean there were no targets . He roared to stimulate his exhausted body as he swung Verun’s Bite] in a mighty arc , and a Dao Pillar was cut clean off .

This was the plan . The place was collapsing , but not fast enough . Void’s Disciple had said that they were destroying this hidden realm when they toppled a few pillars before , and Zac wanted to accelerate that process . Escaping from this building wouldn’t help if the whole dimension would collapse in a few minutes anyway , but perhaps they’d be sent back to the mountain before the Administrator woke up if he freed the Dimensional Seed .

It was a risky gamble , but he was out of options . He had checked his Quest Screen already for clues from the System , but it was empty . He actually still hadn't received the final quest , so he could only scramble for a solution himself .

He was like a rabid beast lashing out at everything around him , with both chains and axe causing widespread carnage . He was once again a hatchetman , and the Dao Pillars formed the forest . In just half a minute he had destroyed over three hundred pillars . It would never have been possible if the Administrator wasn't knocked out , but the pillars weren’t actively controlled any longer . They didn't even have any Base Power running through them to strengthen the materials , which was why so many of them crumbled on their own before .

Finally , the containment shield disappeared , and it looked like a soap bubble that just popped . The Dimensional Seed was free , and its reaction was instantaneous . A massive pulse spread out , and Zac only had time to grab his sister with his chains before the world turned black quickly followed by a blinding white .

Zac once more found himself beset by the ravages of the high-graded concepts the treasure radiated , and he could only hold on and pray it didn’t last for long . Thankfully the effect was just a short burst this time around , and a wave of relief hit him when he found himself standing on a massive slab of Memorysteel , his unconscious sister lying just ten meters away from him .

He definitely hadn’t been sent to the Memorysteel Mountain though , as he saw enormous fragments of Memorysteel , some of them tens of kilometers long , slowly swirl about in weightlessness around him . Some crashed into each other which released shockwaves that Zac could feel all the way to his bones , while others simply drifted away into the darkness .

He realized that they had actually been sent out to the heart of the Memorysteel Sphere , and it had exploded from the looks of it . More importantly , a glimmering anomaly half a meter across hovered a few hundred meters away , beneath it a five-meter pedestal that seemed to be made from pure Realm Locus] . Zac’s eyes lit up with greed , but he couldn’t help but hesitate .

Was this the Dimensional Seed or something else? Its energy signature was pretty weak at the moment , but it was still only barely within what he could handle . Furthermore , it was also was rapidly gaining power . The anomaly quickly started pulsating like the Dimensional Seed back in the hidden realm , and with each beat , it increased in intensity .

Just Reward (Training (9/9)) : Brand the Dimensional Seed with your Mark of Creation , making it forever yours . Reward : Reward based on performance at the end of training regimen . (0/1) 00 : 00 : 32]

Chapter 657 : Barter

The whole world was fast collapsing judging by the tumultuous Memorysteel Fragments crashing into each other and getting lost to the Void . A glance around also proved there was no one else in the area . It was just himself , his sister , and the unmoving body of Cervantes . Of course , there was also the Dimensional Seed .

Zac didn't need to be a genius to understand that messing with the Dimensional Seed would be extremely dangerous . His body wasn’t in any state to tack on another round of punishment , let alone absorb a C-Grade Treasure . But the timer on the quest screen blinked with an urgency that forced Zac to look at it .

Thirty seconds .

Everything had led toward this moment , and it looked like the System was treating the supreme spatial treasure the reward for following its Divine Guidance to the end . But that thing had swallowed not only Ogras , but also Billy and Rhubat from the looks of it , and Zac felt more hatred than desire when he looked at it . But the System seemed to think it possible to snatch that thing , and he might forever regret it if he backed away now .

He gritted his teeth and put his sister down on the ground before he shot toward the pedestal . The spatial fluctuations quickly became painful , so Zac started to circulate his Daos to at least somewhat shield him from the rampant bursts . But the Dao Field surrounding the treasure was too powerful , and it felt like he was trying to fight a Dao Fragment with a recently acquired Dao Seed .

A shuddering pulse rippled through the Memorysteel platform he stood on , and Zac looked down with a frown before he turned back to the treasure that now was only a hundred meters away . The quest had told him to brand the Dimensional Seed with his Mark of Creation , which Zac could only assume was the System’s name for his Pink Flash that remained untested .

Zac was just about to start activating the skill and follow the instructions , but he suddenly froze for a moment . A sense of reluctance gripped his heart now that he was so close to the treasure . The situation felt exactly like when he was placed in front of the Shard of Creation , where his own fate wasn’t in his hands any longer .

Exactly why did the System want him to gobble up yet another item that was far beyond his strength and capabilities? He already had the two Remnants that were causing a headache , was there really a need to add another one? If the treasure in front of him had been something related to his path like the Stele of Conflict , then he would have jumped at the opportunity . But now?

His cells hadn't reacted at all to the treasure since first seeing it in the hidden realm , and standing this close didn't change that at all . More importantly , was a life where he was being led down an unknown path by the System really what he wanted? One second after another passed as Zac stood frozen with indecision , greed struggling against his convictions and his path .

Another ripple spread through the ground , and Zac suddenly felt like his mind was clear ; he wasn’t Adcarkas , a Dimensional Seed wasn’t something he required for his path . In fact , it might muddy things even further .

More to the point , there was a creeping sense of unease growing in the back of his mind .

He had come this far trusting his gut , and he wouldn’t change now . The fluctuations around the Dimensional Seal were rapidly growing more condensed like it was finishing up its preparations , and the Quest Screen had once more appeared right in front of him , its timer now glaringly red . But Zac still shot in the opposite direction with all the speed he could muster in his harried body .

Simultaneously , four chains shot toward the massive pillar of Realm Locus] , and a snap echoed out as they ripped the pillar off the ground and dragged them back to Zac who threw the pillar into his Spatial Ring . Losing the crystal pillar didn't affect the Dimensional Seed overly much since it was hovering on its own , but it did release a powerful ripple that managed to knock him over . Zac quickly got back on his feet and resumed his sprint .

He still wasn’t aiming for the treasure , but rather his sister .

That sense of wrongness and being led by the nose , coupled with those small energy pulses in the ground , was all he needed to change course . The quest screen suddenly appeared right in front of him , this time showing that just twelve seconds remained . But he punched right through it , completely ignoring its incessant blinking .

His sister was still lying unconscious where he left her , but Zac’s eyes widened in alarm when he saw a man wrought from Memorysteel emerge from the plateau . It looked exactly like before , except its needles and body weren’t made from the golden metal but rather the normal alloy that made up most of the base .

This was what the ripples had warned him off . The Administrator hadn’t died with the collapse of the hidden realm , and it clearly hadn’t given up on Kenzie .

Zac’s mind frantically searched for a solution , and two streams of Dao entered the energy conduits on his shoulders . Something magical was suddenly building in his chest , and he felt his exhausted and overtaxed body suddenly being given a new lease on life from the accumulation . His very cells greedily tried to swallow the energies in of the Pink Flash , to the point that Zac actively had to defend the skill .

This was his best solution . The Pink Flash had worked wonders on the Little Bean , and perhaps it would be able to destroy the Administrator as well . But reality often didn't match one's plans . Zac suddenly found himself unable to move ten meters away from the Administrator , just when he was about to jump up and slam the still-congealing energy ball into the robot’s chest .

The Administrator didn’t even bother to look in Zac’s direction as his gaze was trained on Kenzie , or perhaps rather on Jeeves inside her head . A ball of pinkish-white light soon appeared between Zac’s hands , and Zac found himself in another predicament as the Skill kept going even when he was immobilized . He needed to get rid of it , but how?

Wait! - Zac suddenly screamed , making the Administrator look over .

You bear the bloodline , but the Token you hold is counterfeit . I have no obligation to follow your commands

You’re searching for life , aren’t you? And you believe the key lies in Dao? - Zac quickly said as he desperately tried to slow down the accumulation of Creation-energy between his hands . - That’s why you let the natives cultivate , that’s why you studied the Dimensional Seed , and that’s why you’ve created those needles of yours . -

The Administrator didn’t answer . But it did seem its attention was trained on him , or rather the ball between his hands . By now some faint runes had appeared in its depths , and Zac almost got lost when he looked at them . It felt like the markings were full of hidden meaning , like understanding just one would allow him to take huge leaps forward in his cultivation .

But he quickly refocused his wandering mind to make his gambit .

The thing in Kenzie’s head is just a machine just like you . I have something better , - Zac said with grit teeth , barely able to control the sphere by this point . Three-quarters of his accumulated Creation Energy had already gone into the sphere , far more than he had originally hoped to use . - Pure Creation . If you want a real shot at becoming a living being , this is your best chance . So , take this and let my sister go . -

Class-3 but with a Class-5 Source… Creation . . . The precursor to Life , ] the Administrator mused as Zac felt his hands starting to twist and mutate .

One second they were covered in feathers , only for them to become scaled claws the next . A moment later they were just pure green energy , like a ghost wrought from Nature-Attuned Cosmic Energy instead of Miasma .

Agreed , ] the machine said , and it was like it teleported as it instantly appeared straight in front of Zac .

The swirl of needles instantly surrounded the sphere , and Zac felt his connection to it getting cut off . He silently siphoned off a small amount of the energy as he shouted for his arms to return to normal just before the Administrator took charge of the sphere .

The Administrator actually pushed the ball of energy straight into its own chest , and the effect was immediate . The whole plateau rumbled as the avatar started to undergo huge changes . One second it looked like a humongous human , and another a werewolf . But a moment later it turned into an extremely complex pattern that made Zac dizzy just looking at it .

It also released greater and greater waves of creation , affecting a larger and larger area around it . Not only that , but it was like the Dimensional Seed was triggered by the emanations , and it exploded with vigor . Zac sighed when he saw his quest disappear three seconds ahead of time , but there was nothing to do about it . He might have lost the chance to finish the quest and seize the Dimensional Seed , but there was no regret .

The AI seemed completely preoccupied with the absorption of the Mark of Creation , which allowed Zac to rush forward and snatch up his sister in his arms . He looked down at her with a frown on his face , before his eyes glanced toward the sky as moved away from the Administrator's still-changing form .

The System had successively nurtured a dependence in Zac during his stay in the Mystic Realm . By the end of the quest-chain , he had completely looked to the Training Quests for guidance on what to do next . Yet , if he had actually followed through by the end without hesitation , then Kenzie would definitely have been taken by the Administrator .

Did the System really want to kill his sister , but for some reason was forced to do it in a roundabout manner? Or was it really just a coincidence that the System was so eager for him to use up the one ace that allowed him to barter for her life? And would it even work if he slammed the Mark of Creation into the Dimensional seed , or was it a trap to take both siblings out?

The idea that the System was actively gunning against Kenzie , or rather Jeeves , was a terrifying concept , but there were more pressing things to deal with . The Administrator had disappeared by turning into a huge cloud of dust , and a terrifying storm seemed to brew within . Meanwhile , the Dimensional Seed was acting more and more erratic in response to the new threat .

Just standing on the core platform felt lethal , and Zac knew it was time to go . One chain shot off to the side and snatched up the body of Cervantes , and it soon entered his Corpse Sack . As for Zac , he rushed toward the closest edge of the Memorysteel platform with his sister in his arms . The chaos was growing more and more severe , and Kenzie soon started to stir from the immense fluctuations .

Ogras! Wha- - Kenzie screamed as she woke up , but she stopped herself as she looked around at the surroundings with confusion . - What’s happening? -

The Seed swallowed the whole world , - Zac said as he transferred his sister to one of his chains to free up his arms . - Ogras was swallowed along with everyone else . -

We need to save him! - Kenzie said , and she immediately spotted the raging Dimensional Seed in the distance . - There! -

Save him? - Zac said as he looked away . - He’s… -

He’s not dead! - Kenzie screamed . - The treasure has formed an internal world , just like a C-Grade Monarch! I bet he’s inside that world , the same place we were inside just now . -

Zac was about to answer , but the Memorysteel platform suddenly collapsed as it turned into a block of blood for an instant before reverting . However , the whole platform , and the few hundred closest to them , were all bent up and or destroyed by that point .

It looked like they had entered a twisted fever-dream as the Memorysteel kept changing around them . Suddenly tens of thousands of screaming faces were created from the metal fragments , only for them to explode into the same odd pattern as before .

Zac found himself desperately grabbing at any fragments that maintained at least some structural integrity with his chains , thanking the gods that the gravity was pretty weak in this place . Soon the frantic transformation stopped , but the chaotic energies of Creation still suffused the area , telling Zac that the Administrator hadn’t absorbed the thing just yet .

It wasn’t like Zac trusted the rogue AI to honor its agreement to leave Kenzie alone . After all , why would it be content with just the Creation Sphere when it could study Kenzie as well? Zac’s idea was simply to stall , and hopefully , they would be teleported out before it stabilized and resumed its pursuit . At that point , it would hopefully be killed by the whole realm collapsing .

What’s going on?! - Kenzie exclaimed in horror as the two found themselves on a hundred-meter-wide fragment .

The Administrator , - Zac snorted . - I made a trade with him , I’m not sure if he’s regretting it by now . -

These energies , - Kenzie muttered with wide eyes before she looked at Zac .

Don’t worry about it , - Zac said . - Our job now is to get away from here . -

But… - Kenzie said as she once more glanced at the Dimensional Seed which was now hovering in the air , the energy radiating from it now even stronger than back in the hidden realm .

A swarm of drones shot out from her Cosmos Sack the next moment , all of them making a beeline for the spatial treasure . But it was hopeless . A good number of them were turned into all kinds of weird things from the Creation Ripples , and the ones who managed to get close to the seed were ground into stardust from the energy emanations .

They weren’t even sucked inside , they were just destroyed to particles .

You see? We can’t get close , - Zac said with a shake of his head as he jumped toward another Memorysteel fragment , trying to get closer to the mountain below . - I think the treasure has completely matured . Anything I do will fa- HOLY SHIT! -

Any lingering thoughts of trying some more methods to snatch the Dimensional Seed were thrown out of Zac’s mind as the sky suddenly was shrouded by tentacles , thousands of them . The Collector had come out in full force , and Zac could even glimpse its enormous main body in the distance , inching closer like it wanted to swallow the whole broken planet .

Yet another titan had entered the fray .

Chapter 658 : Ragnarök

Fragments of the Memorysteel were twisted and pushed away as the impossibly long tentacles of the Collector snaked their way closer and closer to the heart of the broken Memorysteel planet . Where Zac and his sister were still located . Zac was almost completely out of juice as the nourishing effect of activating the Pink Flash only helped him so much . But a primal fear urged him on , and he ran as fast as he could along with the Memorysteel fragment he was standing on .

A sharp alarm of danger erupted in his mind out of nowhere , and he only had time to shield his sister with his body before a tremendous ripple was released from the Dimensional Seed . This ripple was completely different compared to the nurturing ones they had enjoyed inside the hidden realm though . It was full of offensive power , and Zac felt over a dozen bones shatter as he was flung forward .

Even more shocking , the ripple was filled with what could best be described as sentience , and he got a sense of fear and rage from the energies . It was like the treasure was alive , and one ripple after another was released by the Dimensional Seed .

Zac felt more bones in his body break as the second ripple slammed into him , and he coughed up a mouthful of blood . His organs were in disarray after the two consecutive attacks , the damage even worse than all the wounds from the fight inside the hidden realm . And of course , there was no time to sit down and activate Surging Vitality] .

Knowing When to Back Down (Training (9/9)) : Avoid the clash between supreme beings for long enough to be teleported out of the collapsing Taboo Realm . Reward : Reward based on performance at the end of training regimen . (0/1)

Zac looked with confusion at the screen that suddenly appeared in front of him , the surprise even making him forget the pain for a second . He had actually received a second final quest? But the quest didn’t fill him with gratitude , but rather ire . More than anything , it felt like proof that the System was up to no good when it awarded the last quest , while this was the real one .

Or was the quest before a hidden test? He had gotten the training quests because of his Pathstrider-title , and perhaps the System was testing him if his belief in his Path was sturdy , or if he would throw it away the moment he was put in front of a valuable treasure . Or was the System simply going insane like Brazla and gave incoherent and opposing orders?

It was impossible to tell , but there was no inner conflict this time around at least since the objective was exactly what he planned on doing anyway . He knew that he couldn’t take too many more of those ripples , but he had thankfully reached the edge of the Memorysteel shard by that point , and he desperately jumped down even if he hadn’t scouted out what was below . After all , it couldn’t be any worse than what he was suffering right now .

Zac glanced back as he jumped down the fragment , and he saw how huge sections in the sky had been completely disintegrated , the Memorysteel turned into dust while even space itself had broken down completely . Clearly , he and his sister weren't the true targets of the treasure's outbursts . Had they been attacked with that kind of force , they would be gone with no chance of survival .

The Dimensional Seed was trying to fight off the Collector .

However , the tentacles of the Collector were only slightly wounded as they inched closer to the Dimensional Seed . The creature had lost some of its stitched-on-hands , but Zac was shocked to see that the remaining ones formed some sort of seals that created some sort of energy fluctuations that looked pretty efficient at dispersing the spatial ripples .

Was this the true purpose of the limbs attached to its body? Zac had assumed it was to better withstand the main dimension , but was the real reason perhaps to create an armor? An armor that could withstand the spatial attacks of the Dimensional Seed , or at least decrease the effect of its attacks long enough so that the creature could snatch it .

In either case , this wasn’t a battle that Zac could intrude upon . That would be like an ant jumping in between two lions . He definitely didn’t want The Collector to get its hands on the Dimensional Seed if Ogras and the others really were alive in there , but what could he do?

Warmaster , - a weak voice exclaimed , and Zac looked over in surprise to see Rhubat lying on a piece of Memorysteel , bleeding cracks covering their whole body .

Hang on! - Zac said as he shot a chain toward the neighboring fragment , dragging himself and Kenzie over .

Rhubat was in an even worse state than himself , and Zac hurriedly pushed a handful of healing pills into their mouth .

Let’s keep descending . We need to get away from the battle above , - Zac said as he lifted the Anointed with another of his chains .

What about the others?! - Kenzie interjected , though there wasn’t much conviction in her voice .

They all had Spatial Seals , - Zac said . - Our only hope is that they’ll be teleported out with the rest of us . As for us , there is nothing we can- -

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! - an enraged roar that contained enough force to cause small cracks in his soul made Zac stumble with his words , and he once more looked to the sky as he felt a tremendous pressure descend upon him . Kenzie and Rhubat were even worse off , with the Anointed immediately getting knocked out .

Space bent through some unknown means and a five-hundred-meter-long sleek vessel full of power appeared out of nowhere . Just looking at it filled Zac’s heart with trepidation , and he instantaneously understood that it was at least a peak D-Grade vessel , perhaps even C-Grade . It was a proper Cosmic Vessel , the first one that he had ever seen .

However , not only was it already pretty badly damaged when it broke into this dimension , but the location where it appeared was definitely unlucky . It was right between the enraged Dimensional Seed and the Collector’s limbs , and it immediately found itself assailed from two directions in a spot where the laws of space were falling apart . Extremely powerful shields sprung up around it , but it was clear that the barriers wouldn’t last long judging by their flickering .

Suddenly , an avatar twice as large as the whole vessel appeared , forcibly pushing back not only the hundreds of tentacles . It even forcibly stabilized the crumbling dimensional layers around it . An old man and a hooded being soon emerged from the wreckage , and Zac’s eyes widened in terror when he saw the man’s face .

It was The Great Redeemer , in the flesh this time .

How was this possible?! Zac had completed the quest , cutting the last thread of Karma by killing Void’s Disciple . The quest had been completed and he had even used the karma-erasing compound and corpse-destroying powder just to be sure , removing any trace of their existence . Yet Voridis A’Heliophos stood here , radiating a cold and cruel aura , far surpassing even the pressure that Greatest exuded back when they met on that desolate planet .

Were they too late , and he had already zoned in on this place by the time Adcarkas died?

Zac quickly turned away out of fear that The Great Redeemer would sense his gaze , and started escaping with newfound vigor . If a battle between two supreme beings was a deathtrap , then adding another one would obviously only make things worse .

Unfortunately , it quickly became clear that restraining one’s aura and hiding behind Memorysteel fragments was insufficient to avoid detection of a peak D-Grade Hegemon . The floating shards between Zac and the Dimensional Seed suddenly just floated away , creating a clear line of sight for the Karmic Cultivator .

We meet again , Zachary Atwood , ’ a voice echoed in his mind with enough force to make him puke out blood . - I don’t know how you managed to reroute the threads of Karma to this crumbling dimension and then cut them , but nothing can save you now . ’

Zac didn’t answer the taunt , remembering Ogras’ warnings about forming new threads of fate . All his focus was on finding a way to survive long enough to get teleported out of this place with the help of his Spatial Seal . That was his last hope . The Karmic threads had been severed , and this realm was collapsing . Hopefully , that would be enough for Voridis A’Heliophos to lose the trail , and if not , enough time to escape from Earth with a Teleportation Token .

An infant Dimensional Seed? I’ve only heard of such an item in legends , no wonder the spatial ripples almost destroyed my vessel . It looks like you’ve brought me a tremendous gift indeed , ’ the sinister voice continued in Zac’s mind . - Perhaps there’s no need to turn you into a fulcrum . But I am still curious what allowed a progenitor to reach the 9th floor of the Tower of Eternity after a few scant months of cultivation . I’ll deal with this miscreation first , then I’ll slowly find out what secrets your body hold . For now…’

Zac suddenly felt a sharp scream of danger , and he turned around to see that the old man was pointing a finger in his direction , and a small rune was forming on his fingertip . Just looking at the rune filled Zac with dread . At best it was a tracking rune , at worst it was some sort of slave seal .

A surprising turn of events took place the next moment as the hooded being suddenly turned to a blur , launching straight at his companion while desperately swiping at the rune . Zac couldn’t understand why that stranger would help him , but he would definitely make the most of it as he tried to increase the distance even further while preparing his last ace .

The hooded cultivator was , unfortunately , no match for the Great Redeemer , and he soon started wailing as he held his head in agony . It looked like his soul was being tortured , and a wave of Voridis’ sleeve was all that was needed to push away the hundred-meter-thick Memorysteel plateaus that Zac had tried to hide behind again .

The rune shot out , causing a white streak in the air that even passed by unbothered by a massive spatial ripple released from the Dimensional Seed , and it headed straight for Zac who glared back at it with wild eyes . Brutal energies churned in his body as he squeezed every last morsel of Oblivion he could from his soul , and a small bronze flash appeared between his hands .

It had only been a few days since he used the skill against the Collector , so he hadn’t had much time to siphon any of the energy from the remnant in his mind . But it was the best idea he had , and he pushed the small ball of pure destruction toward the rune .

An extremely bright flash illuminated the area , and both rune and Annihilation Sphere was gone the next moment , while Zac was left with a cracked body that bled all over .

What?! - Voridis exclaimed , but his eyes lit up with elation rather than anger . - Such a pure source of destruction! -

He pointed toward Zac once more , and he could only look on with despair while trying to nudge the Spatial Seal on his hand to activate early . He was all out of energy and all out of tricks , and he could only feebly try to move further away with his last two chains since his legs wouldn’t listen to him any longer .

High-grade Life!] a thunderous voice suddenly roared as the ten-mile-wide dust clouds in the air congealed into a huge face with a distinctive pattern in its forehead .

It was the Administrator , apparently born anew , and it looked like he wanted to capture The Great Redeemer as thousands of massive spikes appeared around the old cultivator and his vessel .

Machine-God Faction? - Voridis frowned , and the avatar once more appeared to protect its master .

The two didn't even have a chance to clash though as hundreds of tentacles tried to ensnare the Administrator , The Great Redeemer , and Dimensional Seed alike . It was like the tentacles formed a pattern that locked space itself .

Zac floated further and further away , his eyes looking at the clash of auras with wide eyes . Was this what a fight between D-Grade Hegemons looked like? Even he was grievously wounded just by some errant energy fluctuations , and that was at a distance of thousands of meters before they had even gotten serious .

He would probably have died in seconds if he stood in the middle of those auras they released .

Space itself was giving way to the will of the three entities , but a sudden ripple broke the stalemate as the Dimensional Seed moved with impossible speed . A small vortex appeared in front of it , and suddenly it was gone . But Zac didn’t even get the chance to react before the shimmering crystal appeared right in front of him shot straight into his body .

No! - the Great Redeemer roared with anger as he saw his ticket to monarchy get absorbed by someone else , but he found himself unable to do anything about it as he was completely trapped by the Collector and the Administrator .

The Collector clearly saw Voridis as a huge threat to seizing the Dimensional Seed , so most of its endless tentacles trapped the old cultivator while a few snaked toward Zac . The Great Redeemer obviously wasn't willing to let a beast snatch his item , so he started ripping one tentacle after another apart . As for Zac himself , they probably only saw him as a temporary receptacle for an item he had no business controlling .

Meanwhile , the Administrator seemed more interested in studying The Great Redeemer than the Dimensional Seed for the moment , so it kept its needle-cage erect , which directly helped Zac against the cultivator at least . Of course , The Collector was far too big to be entrapped , and many of its tentacles reached around from different directions .

Zac was in a frantic state , but he soon calmed down a bit as he felt a weak sensation from the crystal that had entered his body ; gratitude . Zac didn’t quite understand what the Dimensional Seed was grateful about , but it had clearly helped him since it had somehow modified space between himself and the old hegemons .

They were still close , but his senses told Zac that they were endlessly far away , like a vast chasm had cut them apart . The tentacles frantically moved , but it simultaneously looked like they had been locked in place . Zac looked at the scene with relief and wonder , but his attention was soon forced back to his own body as a storm of extremely powerful energies appeared out of nowhere .

The energy density was far beyond what he could handle , especially in his extremely weakened state . Using the Mark of Creation had actually helped a bit with the weird cracks from the Annihilation sphere , but forcibly activating another oblivion-fueled attack had immediately reopened the wounds again .

Thankfully the primal energies the Dimensional Seed released didn’t hurt him at all . It was as though the spatial treasure had controlled it to become more benign . Some of it was immediately swallowed by his cells , and even more entered his two Hidden Nodes who greedily swallowed it like it was some sort of delicious treat .

Zac tried to find where the seed itself was hiding , but he soon realized that it had already left his body after releasing a fraction of the energies it contained , effortlessly breaking past the pull of Void Heart] . It had released such a fearful surge of energy into his body , but it hadn't been weakened at all .

It made Zac doubly thankful he hadn’t really tried branding the thing ; even if he had succeeded , there was no way he’d be able to control that terrifying crystal without the System taking charge . And Zac definitely didn’t want yet another fractal cage inside his body that loomed over him like a ticking time bomb .

But the gift had been imparted , and Zac’s thoughts moved like lightning as he considered what he should do with it . Letting it seep into his cells and Two Hidden nodes wasn’t bad as it clearly Strengthened him all-around , and a glance at his Bloodline-screen showed that his bloodline talent actually had increased to 20% in just a second .

But wasn’t this an opportunity? If a Dimensional Seed could help cultivators open up an internal world , then surely Zac should be able to use a fraction of the energy to accomplish something much simpler?

A weak resonance pulsated in his lower spine , and Zac immediately started pushing . The energy left behind was thankfully quite malleable , and a storm of power poured into a specific spot on his lower back . A burst of extremely sharp pain spread through his bones , but it passed almost immediately . Left behind was a small vortex , previously hidden between two of his vertebrae ; his third Hidden Node .

Zac’s vision started closing in as he felt another Bloodline Vision coming on , or perhaps it was just his body that was finally pushed beyond its limit after the visit of a C-Grade Treasure . The last Zac saw was the small Dimensional Seed moving tens of kilometers in an instant before it somehow cracked reality like a mirror . An infuriated roar caused another shock to his mind , and the darkness crept ever closer .

'It's not over!'

The Dimensional Seed disappeared through the cracks , and the universe crumbled as his sister and Rhubat turned into golden motes of light .

Chapter 659 : On the Horizon

Zac woke up with a start , but he immediately regretted the sudden movement as sharp pangs of pain wracked his body . He had fallen asleep again , his own body’s way to forcibly try to make him rest . His pathways were a mess , and his body was completely wrung dry . He was so weak , like his body had been ravaged by illness for weeks .

He felt extremely lucky to have opened his third Hidden Node , Purity of the Void] , just before he was sent out of the Mystic Realm . He had actually missed the vision due to exhaustion , and he only remembered fragmented pieces of the man on the meteor . But the effect of the node spoke from itself .

Every ten minutes or so it released a mysterious pulse that shook loose small amounts of impurities , which apparently included everything from foreign Dao to Pill Toxicity , from his cells , which then entered his bloodstream . As his blood passed the node , some of the impurities were swallowed , never to return .

Purity of the Void] essentially formed a perfect cultivation system with Void Heart] , where one node helped him absorb all kinds of energy while the other made sure his foundations didn't worsen . It was still best to exsanguinate himself when his body was flooded by impurities , but that was ultimately a crude method that only worked on some of the gunk in his body .

Still , Zac was far from shedding all the toxins left from the Rageroot Oak Seed] and the mysterious spike , and some of Adcarkas' foreign Dao lingered in his body . He had already checked himself with Spiritual Anchor] , and there thankfully weren't any new brands hidden as far as he could tell .

He took a deep shuddering breath as he gazed across the vast forests of his island from the mountain peak he had made into his observatory . Still nothing . Two weeks had passed since their return from the Mystic Realm , and there was still no sign of Voridis A’Heliophos . There was no way for Zac to be certain , but it really looked like The Great Redeemer had no way to find Earth through the Integration Shroud now that the Karmic Links were cut and the Mystic Realm destroyed .

As for the old bastard being dead , Zac didn’t hold much hope . A Peak D-Grade warrior was extremely difficult to kill unless there was a massive power gap , and that went doubly true for a Karmic Cultivator . Unless the Collector had some extremely powerful hidden means it unleashed after Zac was teleported out , then Voridis had probably left on the crumpled Cosmic Vessel in search of another world to devour .

At least that was the assumption Zac was operating under . The threat might be averted , but only temporarily . Voridis' final , furious roar still echoed in his mind . Their hard work had hopefully gained them a century of safety , but Zac knew he wasn’t in any position to relax . He needed to do everything in his power to come up with some method to deal with the lingering threat .

Of course , the most surefire way was to gain enough power to hunt down and kill The Great Redeemer outright . There was a long road ahead until Zac could reach that point though , especially if the old bastard somehow managed to break through to C-Grade .

For now , there were other things to take care of .

Zac got up on his feet and started to slowly walk down toward the teleportation array at the edge of the hidden valley , somewhat regretting his decision to keep watch at such a high altitude . The trip that normally would take a minute took half an hour , but he eventually managed to return to his compound where he walked over to his sister’s residence .

There was no one inside the gardens or in one of the living rooms , and Zac sighed as he walked over to one of the workshops . The door was ajar , and he heard some whizzing sounds from within , which meant that Kenzie was once again hard at work with her machines .

It looked like Jeeves had finally woken up again after deactivating the Administrator for a few minutes .

How are you doing? - Zac hesitantly asked as he walked inside .

Jeeves isn’t able to make any deductions of what happened to the Dimensional Seed and those within , and upgrading him is still far away . We figured we might be able to increase the calculating power with these computers . I read that most space simulations on old Earth used these kinds of things to make accurate models , - Kenzie muttered without taking her eyes off her work . - And these machines seem pretty high-quality , even by Technocrat standard . Far beyond the technology that went into those machines you got me from the Incursion . -

Uh , the Administrator isn’t hiding inside these computers , right? - Zac asked as he looked at the Supercomputers with worry .

No , these computers are just there for simulations , but they can’t actually store an AI , - Kenzie snorted , like that was something obvious . - Remember that sun-like ball? That was the AI’s core . -

Alright… - Zac sighed . - Don’t forget about your own cultivation though . You can’t only rely on tech in this world . -

Kenzie made a noncommittal grunt as she kept working , and Zac mutely looked on for a few seconds , unsure how to deal with the situation . She had at least snapped out of the morose state she had been in since they returned . It was a big blow to them both when Ogras wasn't transported out with them , and neither was Billy .

It almost felt like Zac had lost a limb now that the demon wasn’t around any longer . Sure , Ogras was sometimes self-serving and a bit narcissistic , but he was also someone Zac felt he could trust his back to , something that had been irrevocably proven by his final selfless action .

Billy didn’t deserve to go out like that either . The gentle giant had fought tirelessly to without a word of complaint , unhesitantly lending his aid against terrifying beings like Adcarkas . For him to have been taken while so many egotistical and self-serving remained alive on Earth felt like an affront to the core purpose of the System itself .

Kenzie still maintained that they definitely were alive , but Zac didn’t know what he believed . There were life-treasures in the Multiverse that could tell whether someone had died while out adventuring , but no one on Earth had something like that . Of course , if someone could survive getting swallowed by a spatial treasure , then it was the scheming demon .

And if someone could figure out a way to bring Ogras back , it was his AI-empowered sister .

Zac still hadn’t told her about his lingering suspicions that the System was gunning for her , and he still wasn’t sure if telling was the right thing . First of all , it was just a hypothesis of his , but perhaps it was just his paranoia taking over .

But if the System really was going after her , then it was obviously not because she fiddled around with some low-grade drones and random found tech . It was because of Jeeves , and getting rid of that thing was impossible . So telling her might not serve any purpose except to push her even deeper into the rabbit hole .

I’ll leave you to it , - Zac eventually said . - Let me know if there’s anything I can do . If they’re alive , we’ll definitely save them even if we have to turn the whole sector upside-down . -

Right , - Kenzie nodded as she turned back . - There is actually something . We finally realized how to upgrade Jeeves after visiting that isolation chamber . We are going to need a lot of materials . A lot of them . -

Well , hopefully , my new reward can help , - Zac , feebly smiled , hating the fact that Kenzie sometimes spoke in a 'we' as of late .

If people knew , they’d be green with envy , - Kenzie snorted , not noticing Zac's antipathy toward her actions . - Perhaps even more than your weird core . -

The reward she was talking about was the one he got from finishing the Training Quest chain . Part of the rewards were definitely all the valuables he picked up along the way , and the fact that he managed to save most of his people . He did voluntarily skip the biggest gain , the Dimensional Seed , but the System did thankfully award him something else instead .

Access .

When Zac returned from the Mystic Realm his Teleportation Screen had drastically changed , with an endless number of places added . Altogether there were over seven hundred thousand towns on the list , and it had taken Abby over a week to confirm where they led .

He had essentially been given access to various D-Grade worlds all over the Sector , ranging from hundreds of options in the massive empires like Allbright and Dravorak , to locations he had never heard of before . Not only that , but it even looked like the System was giving him a hefty discount of over 70% , which would save him billions compared to if he used the Teleportation Tokens he had amassed .

It was a bit of a shame that the System had excluded all C-Grade continents and racial empires like the Demon Horde and the local chapter of the Undead Empire , but it was still a shocking number of amazing places to visit .

What was it that limited most cultivators in the end? It was access . Even D-Grade cultivators often found themselves stuck at their home planet or to the local cluster of planets . Zac had a bunch of Tokens because he passed the 9th floor of the Tower of Eternity , but most people had no way to ever leave their own backyard .

And even if you got a Teleportation Token like Zac , it usually ended up being a one-time thing . Teleporting back home again meant having lost your chance . So , the few who got a Token through quests or from greater factions usually cut ties with their home planet to continue their cultivation .

Only the luckier lived in a powerful place that controlled small wormholes or had access to families with wide networks or who owned Cosmic Vessels that could traverse the Sector . But Zac had suddenly been given the keys to the kingdom , to the point that he could go almost anywhere , and without relying on the Tokens which might alert people of his presence .

Between the access and his Spatial Gate Array] , his mobility might be one of the greatest in the whole sector , which would not only improve his survivability , but also his ability to accrue further advantages for his cultivation . It almost felt like the System opened the door when it provided him with golem guardians and the escape bracelet , and now it was kicking him out to go explore .

The question was if he was ready .

Zac left his sister to her devices . Exhausted by even this small amount of exercise he walked over to the ocean and sat down on a rattan sofa he’d left behind . He had spent a lot of time looking out at the waves as he slowly recuperated over the past days . A clap of thunder rumbled in the distance , and it almost echoed the turbulence in his own heart .

The battle between the titans in the Mystic Realm had really left a deep impact on him , and he still remembered the feelings of helplessness and despair . And here were millions of people just as powerful as The Great Redeemer out there , and Zac wouldn't be able to rely on some Spatial Seal teleporting him to safety the next time .

What are you thinking about? - a familiar voice drifted over .

I guess I’m thinking about what to do next , - Zac shrugged .

So what’s the plan? - Thea asked as she sat down next to him and snaked her arm around his .

The wind buffeted his short hair , and he took a deep breath of the salty air . He couldn’t believe that just over a year had passed since the integration . So much had happened , and he had been forced to run back and forth to put out one fire after another . Now that things were finally over and there were no direct threats , he almost felt lost .

But Zac’s gaze soon hardened as he looked out at the thunderstorm . There was no such thing as a final storm , and there was no such thing as absolute safety in the Multiverse . At least not until you stood at the top of the firmament , unrivaled and unopposed .

Voridis A’Heliophos was just the most immediate threat in the cosmos . There was still the mystery of his heritage , his mother , and her enemies . The Tsarun Clan , and who knows what else lurked on the horizon . There was even the threat of the System itself wishing his sister harm , and the time bombs it had placed in his head .

Only one thing was certain ; he was still too weak to take charge of his fate .

I guess I’ll keep training? - Zac said .

Figures , - Thea snorted with a small smile .

The darkness continued , as it had for weeks . Was this death? An endless out-of-body experience where you were left with nothing but your thoughts? He had read about Purgatory in the holy scriptures on Earth , was it actually real? Perhaps it was , but it wasn't like he would remember it anyway . A pulse would sooner or later come and scatter his thoughts .

Speaking of , here it comes .

A tremendous shudder startled Ogras awake , and he found himself lying face-first in the dirt . Blank confusion assaulted his mind as he tasted the earthy soil in his mouth . But his mind was soon kickstarted as his memories came back to him . At least it looked like he was alive , unless this was the next part of the afterlife . But it didn't look like it . He had made it . Somehow .

Shit , what was I thinking , - Ogras muttered as he got up to a sitting position .

What could possess him to do something so stupid as to sacrifice his life for someone else? It went against every lesson on how to in this ruthless world that he had imprinted into his bones . To make it look like you risked your life was one thing , but you needed assurances that you wouldn’t actually end up croaking when pretending to be the hero .

Yet it was almost as though his body moved by instinct as he flashed forward to throw that lass out of harm’s way . That wasn’t a calculated risk at all . In fact , he had already realized that he probably wouldn’t be able to teleport back . That treasure was messing space to an extremely high degree , and there was no way he’d be able to enter the grey world in such close proximity to that thing .

Those two siblings were rubbing off on him in all the wrong ways .

He had accepted death then and there , yet he was that he was alive for some reason . It didn’t make any sense . Ogras got up on his feet and gazed at the surroundings with some confusion . Where were the others? And why was he back out in the forest?

Ah! Where is the bad Insect-Man?! Where is the big room?! - an overly loud voice exclaimed from a hundred meters away .

What the hell , - Ogras muttered and swooped over to the oversized human who looked around with a dumb stare . - You’re here as well? -

Ah , horny guy , it’s you! - Billy said with some disdain . - Why did you carry Billy out here? -

I didn’t carry you anywhere , - Ogras snorted . - You got yourself knocked out . I don’t know why the hell we are out here . -

Ah , Billy remembers . That Insect-man was really strong . And a werewolf , just like the movies , - Billy sighed before his eyes turned as wide as saucers . - Ah! Insect-man stole the building! -

How would that even… - Ogras snorted in disdain , but his words were caught in his throat when he realized that the dumb brute was absolutely right .

They hadn’t been transferred to some random spot in this hidden realm . They were just a few hundred meters away from where the enormous isolation dome should have stood . There was a hole thousands of meters deep where it once stood , but vibrant grass had already sprouted in the pit , growing with a speed visible even to the naked eyes .

There was no chance to get a grip on what was going on before another enormous tremor shook the whole world . The sky turned chaotic the next moment . One moment it was the aquamarine blue of before , the next moment there was only darkness . Then the darkness turned into a star-studded night sky .

Ogras and Billy looked up at the continuously transforming sky . It was like the owner of the realm couldn’t decide how the sky should look , and tried on a series of different environments . A huge meteor suddenly appeared on the horizon , and it was like it was teleported as it suddenly hit land .

Oh crap , - Ogras said as he looked at the enormous plume of soil and dust that rose high into the sky .

However , the fear of seeing a meteor slam into the ground was nothing compared to the fear that followed it . The fear of realization . Ogras eyes immediately shot toward his hand , and despair immediately set in when he saw that the rune was gone . - Oh Crap . -

Ah? - Billy said with confusion , finally looking away from the still-transforming sky .

I think we’re stuck here , you and I , - Ogras sighed , and he clarified what he was talking about when he saw the blank look on Billy’s face . - The seals are gone . We will not be able to get back to Earth . -

Like castaways? - Billy frowned before he nodded .

Ogras looked on with confusion as Billy walked over to a young tree and ripped it straight out of the ground .

Mama read Billy a book about being a castaway . First , you get a spear . Then coconuts . Have you seen any coconuts , horny man? - Billy asked .

Coconuts? What? And why would you need that shitty spear? Don’t you have that big club of yours? - Ogras said with exasperation .

Ah! - Billy exclaimed again , his eyes lighting up . - Billy has lots of meat too . Billy is really smart after all . -

What would you even hunt with that weak spear of yours? - Ogras snorted as he took out a flagon of liquor . - There aren’t even any life forms in this place . Well , at least there is plenty of Cosmic Energy and Origin Dao . Cultivating here will be extremely efficient . -

He wasn’t really thirsty , but this seemed like an excellent time to get drunk . He didn’t have the slightest clue of how to get out from the hidden realm of a Dimensional Seed . Even worse , it looked like the seed was traveling between dimensions judging by the sky . Who knew if he would even still be inside the Zecia sector by the time he figured a way out of here .

A clattering shriek suddenly broke the silence , and its piercing tone made Ogras’ hair stand on end . What the hell was that? It came from the direction of the meteor . Ogras suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility . That weird stone , was it really a meteor?

Or was it a Hive?

Ah stupid horny man , you jinxed it , - Billy muttered as he gave Ogras a scathing look .

Of course , - Ogras sighed and closed his eyes before taking a long , long swig .

This is what you get when you risk your life .

Chapter 660 : Anniversary

Zac took a deep breath as he opened his eyes , and he was greeted by the first rays of the suns piercing through the foliage of the poplar growing in his courtyard . This bout of meditation had lasted over three days , but to say that he had made any real gains would be a lie . He had been unable to properly calm his mind and enter a proper state .

Because today marked the third anniversary of the events in the Mystic Ream .

The scene of Ogras disappearing into the Dimensional Seed and the cataclysmic battle that followed was still fresh in his mind . His and Billy's life and death were still up in the air . Kenzie was still adamant about them surviving , but Zac couldn't help but lose hope as the years passed . They simply hadn’t been able to find any information to support that theory .

Still thinking about it? - a worried voice said as Thea stepped out of their bedroom .

It’s hard not knowing , - Zac sighed as he got up to his feet and walked over and kissed her .

Your sister still hasn’t given up , you know . It feels like she is planning something big , - Thea said as she gripped his hand in his .

I know , - Zac said as he felt a headache coming on just at the mention of Kenzie .

Ogras essentially sacrificed his life to save Kenzie , and Kenzie hadn’t given up on him even after three full years . Part of him believed it was because of the life-saving favor , but another part believed the two had to have been an item in secret . Kenzie was always evasive on the subject , and he guessed that it didn't really matter . But the resources she had put into finding and saving the demon were , in a word , terrifying .

Then again , he wasn’t one to talk considering how he acted with Alea back then , and it was her money . It wasn’t like he was trying to find them either , but he wouldn’t even know where to begin to look . He hadn’t even managed to gather any intelligence on Dimensional Seeds , and it might not even be something that had appeared in Zecia before .

Still , Zac could only table the matter for now as the two walked through his private forest to a secluded pergola overlooking the ocean . It was far from the shipyard and the public sector , a small section of paradise just for the two of them . They sat down , content to simply watch the suns' morning rays dance over the waves .

Dating as a cultivator came with its own set of challenges , especially when both partners were cultivation maniacs . The two had lived together for almost two years by now , but this was actually the first time they spent together in almost a week .

As the two progressed on the path of cultivation they had found that every bout of meditation took longer and longer , especially now that the Origin Dao of Earth was completely exhausted . Zac had been in a meditative trance for almost three days trying to ponder on how to further his fusion between Dao and combat , but his progress was laughable .

Thea had been off training her swordplay while simultaneously thinning out an aggressive beast horde before that . Zac often undertook similar outings as well to test his theories when he wasn’t busy working on his soul or understanding of fractals . Of course , this week-long separation was nothing compared to the seven months Thea spent in the Base Town and Tower of Eternity .

So , coming together to this secluded spot had become sort of a tradition for them , a way to get away from it all and spend some time on each other . There was no talk of cultivation or the endless duties that kept them busy the few hours they didn’t cultivate . Thea took out a breakfast set she had prepared , and the two spent the next thirty minutes just relaxing .

Oh , I happened to track down that disciple of yours while you were cultivating , - Thea suddenly said .

What is she up to now? - Zac sighed .

She’s a highway bandit in the forests close to the Dead Zone , - Thea snorted . - She’s scrounged up a bunch of teenagers from somewhere and they are robbing the adventuring groups that passes through on the way to the relay stations . I found out because she robbed one of my agents who recognized her . -

I’ll send someone to bring her back , - Zac exhaled .

You know , Emily is acting out because she feels cramped up on this island . Why not let her walk her own path? Neither you or I got where we are now by staying in the Academy , - Thea said . - She’s a young woman now . -

That doesn’t mean the Academy’s not effective , - Zac said . - I made enough mistakes for a lifetime getting to where I am now , and if not for my luck I would be dead a hundred times over . Only one out of a million might make it out alive when walking a path of constant bloodshed . -

I guess you’ll have to find some middle-ground then or she’ll keep running off . Sooner or later , she’ll get her hands on a Teleportation Token , and then she won’t be in your backyard any longer , - Thea said . - I need to practice with Aigale a bit , wish Kenzie good luck from me , will you? -

I will , - Zac nodded and kissed her goodbye before she disappeared with her movement skill .

Zac himself stayed behind to rest for a while longer .

Things had proceeded pretty much as expected after the return from the Mystic Realm . The auction was a huge success that netted him almost 40 billion Nexus Coins , which was followed by him almost effortlessly completing the Second Step of Sovereignty . He had been pitted against a hundred other presumptive Sovereigns of the Zecia sector in a situation somewhat similar to the Battle of Fates in the Tower of Eternity . But this time there was no Iz Tayn to strike terror in his heart .

This time he was the terror .

After he passed as the clear first-spot-holder , he was given a simple follow-up quest . He had proven that he had what it took to become a leader , afterward he just needed to hold onto that power . Of course , with Thea being his girlfriend and the remains of the New World Government integrated into Port Atwood , there was not much opposition . Most of the Ishiate didn’t care one way or another . In fact , it turned out that Starlight had actually left Earth already thanks to some sort of opportunity he had gained .

The Zhix were solidly in his camp as well , and that alone was enough to make others think twice before making their move . The only potential threat was the natives of the fallen Mystic Realm , but Zac had already made his arrangements for them . The Gemlings were now part of Port Atwood and mostly stayed in his Underwater Town , crafting and looking for treasures on the seabed .

He hadn’t expected those stone turtles to actually be amphibian in nature , but it turned out they preferred to either live close to the shores on his islands . Many of their crafting techniques were even water-based , though some had swapped over to follow the same path as Brazla .

The survivors of the True Sky Faction were in a similar situation as Clan Volor . The leaders had mostly signed the same sort of contracts as external elders did and stayed on with Port Atwood , with a few purchasing Teleportation Tokens from him to leave Earth and stake out a path on their own . Most of those who chose to remain , including Hekruv Vira , took up positions at the Atwood Academy , splitting their time between cultivation and research .

The Cartava Clan had been eradicated by the Lunar Tribe , and the werewolves were now a weak isolated faction under strict observation , forming just a small village with less than a thousand households . They lived up in the desolate North now , far from any other civilization . Ogras would no doubt have wanted Zac to take them all out , but Zac simply didn’t have the stomach for it . There had been enough bloodshed in those last frantic days of the Mystic Realm .

Besides , Zac felt he owed a debt of gratitude to their leader . Things would probably have turned out a lot differently if he hadn’t shown up at the eleventh hour in the battle against Adcarkas . To look after his tribe in return was the least he could do , especially considering their top elites were all killed . Of course , this courtesy only remained as long as the Lunar Tribe didn’t do something stupid .

So , things were stable on Earth for the moment , but that wasn’t to say that there hadn’t been any attempts to stop his power grab over the following years . But every coup had been utterly crushed , often without Zac even needing to lift his finger . He had mostly left things to the Valkyries or the Zhix while he kept to himself as he worked on his foundation . One exception took place half a year ago though when a man called Mark Kaufman appeared out of nowhere .

He quickly gained a following as he proudly displayed his level , a whooping level 106 , in the middle of the square of New Washington while simultaneously challenging Zac for the position of the leader of Earth . This guy had never been on the ladder while it still existed , and he wasn’t listed on the Marshall Clan’s booklet called Earth’s Champions . His background was a complete mystery .

Of course , this Mark guy had obviously never heard of the term haste makes waste . Zac learned of the challenge and appeared ready for battle , but Mark Kaufman wasn’t even able to withstand Zac’s Dao Field . The pressure alone crushed his bones as he was forced to the ground . He was still in recovery from what Zac heard .

It quickly became clear that this guy was as lowly as cultivators came , and he was actually an E-Grade Common Cultivator , someone who had given up on future progression . He had almost no titles and no accomplishments to speak of , barely meeting the minimum requirements for evolution thanks to an herb he had chanced upon .

The way he had gained so many levels was directly linked to this ; with such a shitty foundation he barely required any energy to level up . If Zac had such low requirements , he would probably have been level 150 by now , rather than still sitting at level 101 .

In fact , Mark wasn’t the only one who had passed Zac in level by now . The Earth’s Champions booklet listed over two hundred humans having passed level 100 by now . Of course , they had only surpassed him on the level ladder . He still held an undisputed first position on the power ladder that the Marshall Clan also put together .

Zac briefly thought back to the System-run ladders of old , and he couldn’t help but applaud Alyn’s prescience . She had told him that less than half of the elites would be remembered in a few years , and this was exactly the case . The names on the Marshall Clan’s level lists were almost all new names , with the old ladder geniuses occupying less than a quarter of the top .

Most of the - old guard’ were still stuck in the F-Grade , and only a few of them voluntarily so according to what he had heard . Earth being flooded with Origin Dao essentially supercharged early cultivation , and there really was not much reason to hanker on at F-Grade for more than a year or two on a recently integrated planet . They were given the gift of huge momentum , and it would be foolish not to make the most of it .

But only now did the people of Earth realize what an opportunity had passed them by during the early stages of the Integration . The training wheels were off now .

The Origin Dao was gone , and the opportunities to rack up massive achievements were sparse with no remaining Incursions , making it extraordinarily hard for those who had picked higher-rarity Classes to advance . Not everyone could be like Thea , returning victoriously from the Tower of Eternity and gaining an E-Grade Rare Class in one go .

Frictions were already starting to appear between forces , where desperate cultivators saw war as the only opportunity for them to break through their bottleneck . Cultivation was normally not this rushed , but the situation on a fresh planet was a bit unique . There were no elders to stabilize the situation , so those who progressed the fastest were also those who got to enjoy the best resources , no matter how shaky their foundations were .

Of course , the people of Port Atwood were mostly insulated from that hectic grab for levels and resources , with the Academy staunchly maintaining a more prudent curriculum . Zac himself was the same , with him having gained just over 10 levels over the past three years , a sharp decline compared to his earlier speed .

Part of him was a bit worried about losing momentum , but he didn’t have much of a choice at the moment . He had chosen to walk an extremely perilous path , a path containing three top-tier concepts and fusing them into one system . He had been muddling along until now , but it was high time for him to shore up his foundations .

Outwardly it might have seen as though he had stopped working after securing a century-long breather for Earth , but the truth was anything but . He had spent a herculean effort on his F-Grade skills , all of which had now reached Peak Mastery . This was normally something that was done before even evolving , so Zac had been lagging behind on that department .

Unfortunately , him shoring up his lacking foundation wasn’t the only thing that kept his level suppressed . There were far more troublesome issues that caused him headaches . First of all , there was the ever-present issue of his Draugr Race constitution . Three years had passed but his improvements were simply pathetic .

The Bone Forging Dust] was no longer effective on his body , which honestly was a bit of a relief . Calrin had managed to find a few minor treasures that worked on him as well , but he was still a long way from reaching D-Grade , especially since his undead side seemed to require far more resources to take that step .

Added together with his other gains he couldn’t help but worry about hit his attribute cap , and the thought alone made Zac nervously open his Status Screen .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

101

Class

E-Epic] Edge of Arcadia

Race

D] Human - Void Emperor (Corrupted)

Alignment

Earth] Port Atwood - Planetary Lord

Titles

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

Limited Titles

Tower of Eternity Sector All-Star - 14th , Weight of Sin

Dao

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

Core

E] Duplicity

Strength

4032 Increase : 93% . Efficiency : 228%]

Dexterity

1967 Increase : 67% . Efficiency : 187%]

Endurance

3872 Increase : 103% . Efficiency : 228%]

Vitality

3076 Increase : 93% . Efficiency : 228%]

Intelligence

949 Increase : 67% . Efficiency : 187%]

Wisdom

1803 Increase : 72% . Efficiency : 187%]

Luck

397 Increase : 91% . Efficiency : 197%]

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

E] 107 298

His other two Daos had caught up to his Fragment of the Axe by now , but he didn’t feel like any of his Daos were close to taking reaching peak mastery . Inspiration was found in the heat of battle , which was doubly true for his Fragment of the Axe , and he hadn’t been forced to push himself since the cataclysmic battles in the Mystic Realm .

But there was one more reason , something Zac hadn’t realized until now . It really seemed his progress was a lot worse compared to even normally talented people now that the Origin Dao was gone . It was like his Dao Progress was extremely quick as long as it had some fuel to run on , be it Origin Dao or treasures , but the moment there was no fuel supplied , progress simply stopped .

Others could at least make some progress through meditation , but Zac didn’t feel like he was doing that at all . Perhaps he was making some inroads , but it wouldn’t be realized until he got his hands on an E-grade Dao Treasure . There was no doubt about it in Zac’s mind ; this , too , was related to his Void Emperor-bloodline . Zac believed he wouldn’t have many bottlenecks , but he would need to find treasures or treasure lands to push his progress forward .

Of course , his Daos having stagnated a bit was for the best with his current situation .

His attributes had increased by almost 50% thanks to his levels and improved Daos over the past years . In a way , it was almost a relief that his peak mastery Forester’s Constitution] couldn’t keep up with his ballooning attribute pool any longer , and the actual boosts to Endurance and Vitality it provided were far below the advertised 15% .

Just the thought of gaining another level in his current situation filled him with worry . He had reached Middle E-Grade by now , and the boosts had doubled . What if he hit the attribute cap? Of course , that wasn’t the only reason why breaking open a node filled him with trepidation .

The dangers of grinding had taken a sharp and drastic turn the moment he hit Middle E-grade .

Chapter 661 : Peak Performance

Gaining levels was usually the easiest part for geniuses , with Daos and Achievements causing the biggest delays . However , Zac had long heard about how many people got stuck in the middle of the E-Grade , bottlenecked to never reach the peak . At first , he had trouble understanding why some people would rather dissipate their energy than keep pushing forward , but Zac had been given a rude awakening the moment he hit level 100 .

It was the peak of Low E-grade and the first node that wasn’t placed in one of his limbs . It was rather placed at his shoulder . It was still at the edge of his body , but still on his proper torso . Zac read about the increasing difficulties of breaking open nodes on his torso and later his head , but nothing could have prepared him for the fallout .

The fleshy explosion that almost made him lose his whole right arm was bad enough , but the true threat was the invisible wounds that impacted his pathways and his whole body . His very foundations had taken a massive hit by cracking the node open , and he had been forced to spend three months in recuperation where he barely circulated any Cosmic Energy at all .

Even his lethal cocktail of Berserking methods during the final battle against Adcarkas had only required two months of bed rest , but this single node was even worse .

Healing pills hadn’t worked , and neither had Surging Vitality] . Redrawing his pathways with Spiritual Anchor] did help a bit , but he was still extremely weakened , like his body had sprung a leak or something . It looked like only his body’s natural recuperation was able to heal the weird state of weakness . His Void Emperor Bloodline didn't really help either , except by providing an unusually sturdy body . After all , his situation wasn't caused by impurities , so Purity of the Void] did nothing in this situation .

He had somewhat looked down at Galvarion , the maritime mortal that he read about in Thea’s library , for taking over a century to reach Peak E-Grade . But he understood all-too-well by now . Zac had expected things to get gradually worse , but this was too much . His attribute gains doubled at Middle E-Grade while the difficulty rather increased tenfold . He had gathered as much information as he could though , and he made some discoveries .

First of all , this wasn’t only a problem that affected Mortals . Even cultivators were impacted by this change . Low E-Grade was essentially risk-free to boost , but even cultivators would be hurt when grinding open nodes with the help of their Cultivation Manuals in the Middle and High E-Grade . Of course , the threat to them was only a tenth compared to mortals who forcibly blew their nodes wide open .

Secondly , one’s foundation made things more dangerous . This wasn’t a surprise to Zac considering what he had learned so far , but it was still important to remember . The higher your attribute pool was , the bigger your energy reserves were . That also meant that you needed to fill each node with more energy before it burst , which unsurprisingly made the fallout worse .

Someone like himself probably took a hit many times more dangerous than a Mortal like Galvarion , who only was an Uncommon E-Grade mortal .

Third , you could minimize the damage to your body by improving your control of Cosmic Energy . This was unfortunately easier said than done for Zac . His energy control wasn’t completely wretched like his Dao Control , but it was still not something to write home about . Add that to the previous point , and him breaking open nodes was far more dangerous compared to the situation for normal mortals .

Luckily , there were some solutions to his predicament . First of all , breaking open nodes with the help of pills or treasures was equivalent to Cultivators' situation . The damage he would receive leveling with the help of pills would be negligible . His sister had already added a simple purification array to his cultivation cave that would help shed Pill Toxicity and slowly reduce his resistance to those types of pills . Furthermore , his Hidden Node sped up his natural detoxifying process ten times compared to normal warriors .

He was already at a state that he could do a level rush as he did back when evolving to E-Grade , but he was still holding off as he wanted to deal with his undead Race . There was also the issue of getting top-tier pills . Last time he wasted his potential a bit by just taking random pills he got in the Base Town , but now he wanted to make the most of it , only eating the best of the best as to not waste any time .

There were also arrays specifically designed to decrease the danger for mortals when bursting nodes . Unfortunately , those arrays weren’t all that popular since very few Formation Clans felt it worthwhile to study those types of arrays and improve them . The array he had got his hands on was called Shedding Mortal Coil-Array] , but it didn’t even slightly live up to its name .

It did at least lessen the damage by up to 10% by somewhat containing the outburst , and that was after Kenzie's improvements . But Zac couldn't complain , he needed every advantage he could get . Furthermore , it was engraved on an array disk , so he could always bring it with him in case he wanted to break open a node on the go .

Zac was convinced there were far better arrays out there , perhaps even some supreme arrays that could allay the dangers for mortals completely , but that wasn’t something he could get his hands on Earth , probably not anywhere in the whole sector .

His best solution right now was to slowly improve his control and work on his soul . He hoped that evolving his soul would come with all kinds of benefits , including improved control over his Daos and Cosmic Energy . In the meantime , he might get his hands on better supportive tools for mortals . But for now , he had decided to slow down his leveling drastically and instead focus on other things .

And there was a lot to do .

Grinding his skills to peak mastery was his first goal , and the next step was to start fusing his abilities . Some of the F-grade skills were barely useful any longer , utterly incapable to bring out the power contained in his body . He was better off simply fighting head-on than using skills like Chop] . Even his skills from his undead Epic class had fallen behind by this point , and skills like Immutable Bulwark] had long stopped scaling with his Endurance .

That was why Zac nowadays spent around ten hours a day pouring over hundreds of missives on shoring up his theoretical foundations . Pathways , Fractals , Attuned Energies , Dao , the Soul , and the relationship between all these components . Zac had studied it all to better grasp his situation and what steps he needed to take toward the future .

His improved constitution was proving invaluable during his studies . He no longer had any issues maintaining complete focus for days on end , and his memory was near eidetic as well , allowing him to remember pretty much everything he had read . Just one month of studying now allowed him to learn far more than he did during his years in college .

But the more he learned the more he also understood just how shallow his foundation was . Unfortunately , it was either extremely expensive or even impossible to buy detailed information about most subjects , making advanced knowledge scarce . It was no wonder so many wandering cultivators eventually chose to join a sect .

This lack of proper available guidance was obviously not a coincidence , but rather an intentional situation created by powerful factions . If an information house started disseminating everything from skills , to manuals , to secret knowledge far and wide , they would immediately find themselves under tremendous pressure from hundreds of powerful forces .

Hiring talented wandering cultivators was extremely important to maintain operations even for family clans , as they were needed for everything from filling the ranks of armies to providing skills that the force was lacking . If these wandering cultivators suddenly could get their hands on all they needed by just buying a bunch of missives , then they would be far less likely to join a force . Or at least demand a lot higher compensation for giving up their freedom .

This conflict of interests had resulted in a tightly controlled information market , with unofficial rules on what information could and couldn’t be sold , and prices being mostly standardized . Perhaps things were better in more flourishing Sectors , but Zac wouldn’t bet on it . Because one willing participant in this scheme was the System itself .

The System had long since concluded that freely accessible information generally resulted in mediocre cultivators . It rather wanted factions to go to war for each other’s heritages , with knowledge and riches being the reward for risking your life . Zac was in neither any position nor mood to go to war to steal some other faction’s heritage , so he and Port Atwood had to make do with just the basics .

Of course , Zac wasn’t the only one that was working on improving himself around the clock , and a sigh escaped his lips as he glanced toward his sister’s compound . Thea said she believed Kenzie was up to something big , but she didn’t know the half of it . Thea was still completely unaware of the factories and workshops that were hundreds of meters underground , massive complexes built with the help of data and components found in the Spatial Rings of Cervantes and the Cartava elders .

Furthermore , two islands had been turned into strictly guarded factories that produced components for Kenzie’s needs .

Zac hated that Kenzie was so insistent in playing with Technocrat technologies , but the events in the Mystic Realm had instilled her with the same sort of need for power that had allowed him to reach his current heights . She refused to listen to him , to the point that Zac was afraid she’d leave Earth and set up an even worse compound somewhere else if he pressured her .

Then again , it had also turned out that they didn’t have a lot of options other than to take the plunge if they wanted Kenzie to evolve .

Jeeves had long become part of her soul , and it turned out that her reaching E-grade without Jeeves doing the same was impossible . She had long reached level 75 and gained four Dao Fragments , and there were less than five people in Port Atwood that could deal with her in a direct confrontation . But she still couldn’t even get an Uncommon E-Grade class .

It was like Jeeves had turned into a fourth requirement on top of Dao , Race , and Achievements .

The desire to find Ogras , and to a lesser degree Billy who they assumed had been sucked up by the vortex as well , had pushed her on in a manic scramble to find everything Jeeves required to become a Class-2 AI , while simultaneously building a whole mechanized headquarter to facilitate the upgrade . Zac mostly looked on with worry while limiting her operations to the bare minimum , praying that Jeeves was really right in its insistence that it wouldn’t draw the ire of the System .

He had also erected Ten E-Grade Heaven’s Path Beacons] across the planet without telling his sister . The beacons were provided on the cheap by pro-System factions and they only had one purpose ; to block access to the Digitized World and weaken any sort of signals of technological origin from reaching the planet’s surface .

They were essentially WIFI-jammers to make sure that Kenzie didn’t sneak onto the Soul World Jaol mentioned in her desire to become stronger , inadvertently putting the whole planet in danger . Zac would rather have bought far more powerful beacons as he wasn’t confident that these low-grade arrays could properly block factions like Firmament’s Edge , but this was the best he could get his hands on at the moment .

Prolong and agonize as he might , the day of Kenzie’s evolution had finally arrived . Evolving Jeeves had required a shocking amount of money , and not even he would have been able to shoulder that cost . They had managed to satiate a few of its requirements by looting the Merit Exchange and the accumulated wealth of the Lunar Tribe and Cartava Clan .

However , most of it was acquired by Kenzie herself as she had made a fortune with the help of Jeeves .

Her method was quite ingenious ; she found popular defensive arrays sold by Formation Clans or Sects and created extremely efficient Array Breakers for them with the help of the calculations of Jeeves and the Technocrat Supercomputers she snatched . With that in hand , she essentially blackmailed the factions , selling her silence and instructions on how to remedy the loopholes .

If the sects refused , she simply released the Array Breakers through Calrin or the Array Clan's competitors and made a bundle of cash that way .

She had only been doing that for two years and with low-grade arrays , but she alone made way more money than Zac’s combined ventures , which was a testament to the value skilled non-combat cultivators could bring to a faction . It was for this very reason the Tsarun clan had spent so much effort on the Gemlings . Unfortunately for them , it had turned into yet another venture of theirs that benefited Zac in the end , with the first being the Thayer Consortium .

Kenzie had already gained some infamy in certain circles from her actions as well . More than one Array Master and Formation Clan had put out a bounty on her head , though no one knew of her real identity . The bounties were the reason for more than one sleepless night for Zac , but he knew that trying to do something about it with his limited strength would only worsen the situation .

Calrin and the Thayer Consortia was also a great beneficiary of Kenzie’s , or - Peak Performance Breakers’ , as she called her venture when going about her extortionist business . It was a bit on the nose , but Calrin couldn't care less as he raked in huge commissions by acting as a go-between with the help of his Mercantile License .

Zac couldn’t help but snicker and wonder if her actions had caused any problems for the real Peaks , the Peak Family that Average and Pretty belonged to .

Chapter 662 : Deviant

The Thayer Consortium had gained over two hundred billion Nexus from selling Kenzie’s Array Breakers over the past three years . That wasn’t much compared to established mercantile unions , but it was still a shocking amount considering how small a percentage Calrin charged for Kenzie’s business . Furthermore , the actual sale of Array Breakers was the smaller Kenzie's two income sources by all accounts . Extortion was far more profitable .

It did end up with the Thayer Consortium forming a few dozen life-death grudges , since while Kenzie could remain anonymous , it all ultimately happened through Calrin's license . But the greedy Sky Gnome figured that it didn't matter since he already had the Tsarun Clan looking for him . What was a few more?

Zac himself wasn’t exactly sure of his sister’s fortune by this point , but she had mentioned that the total cost for Jeeves' upgrades had long surpassed 5 D-Grade Nexus Coins , which was the equivalent of over 5 Trillion Nexus Coins . That was far beyond even the exorbitant cost of Love’s Bond] .

Many of the materials had required him to send some of his followers off-world as well , which was only made possible after becoming a Planetary Lord . The increased status allowed him to bring one person with him either when leaving or returning to Earth , which he could exploit by simply opening the portal and not go through himself .

Sometimes it was to attend large-scale auctions or trade fairs , other times to pick up consigned items through intermediaries . Zac would normally have wanted to go out and explore along with his subordinates , but he usually handed the tasks over to his followers in the end . First of all , he was too busy to wait for weeks or months for a particular item to appear at an auction , but the biggest reason was that his identity was too complicated at the moment .

That wasn’t to say he hadn’t left Earth over the past three years .

Going out as himself was impossible , but he did have the disguise skill Million Faces] which provided an aura-altering effect . Together with Greatest’s privacy bangle , he had a pretty decent disguise . He still only left when absolutely necessary though , and only to places he could confirm didn’t house any C-Grade Monarchs .

Zac obviously didn’t think himself capable of dealing with proper D-Grade Hegemons in case it came to blows , especially not after witnessing the Great Redeemer duking it out with the Collector and the Administrator . It was rather that people below the C-Grade were quite unlikely to discover his disguise . That allowed him to set out , complete his task , and return before he created any waves .

After all , Zac’s reputation had grown to almost mythical proportions over the past three years . His deeds had been spread far and wide , and even Calrin had been able to easily purchase information packets containing everything he had done in the Base Town .

The only force that had openly condemned him and put out an enormous bounty was unsurprisingly the Tsarun Clan . No matter if it was to retain their dignity or if they believed that an irreconcilable grudge had already formed , they had openly stated their desire to have him killed . Their real goal was probably to find out the source of his power though , considering how power-hungry they were .

Zac personally preferred such an open stance compared to the daggers hidden in the dark . If there was one force that was openly going after him , then there were no doubt dozens doing it without publishing it far and wide . Especially considering that not a single faction had stepped out to protect him , not even the Peak Family . Perhaps that was because he still only represented potential , but Zac also feared that it might have something to do with the title he had been given in his absence .

The Deviant Asura .

A surge of annoyance bubbled up when he thought of the shitty nickname people used to talk about him behind his back . A beating of galactic proportions would be dished out if he ever got his hands on Galau . His actions during the panty raid had spread far and wide , along with dozens of fake stories that had made his reputation in the Zecia sector far worse than it ever was on Earth .

There was even a rumor going about that he was collecting young maidens for his harem . He had asked Ibtep about the situation the moment they returned from the Zethaya branch , but they had said that everything was under control . The Zhix Liaison had clearly not been able to dig out the truth from the Zethaya Clan even after staying with them for over a month .

Even crazier , there were actually millions of girls willing to take him up on the offer . Zac had to admit the thought was pretty exhilarating to have become such an eligible partner , but it had resulted in some trouble on the home front . For example , Thea had returned from the Tower of Eternity with the temper of a volcano about to erupt after having listened to the rumors for over half a year .

The Deviant title thankfully didn’t only refer to his supposed penchant for young girls and wearing their undergarments , but also the ruthless way he fought . A video of him holding the ripped-off head of Rasuliel Tsarun in the rubble of the Zethaya Pill House was attached to every information missive , and his corpse tree still stood tall in the center of the Base Town for some reason .

His and his people’s outings had at least come with some good news ; he had not only snatched up the second material for Karunthel’s quest , but also a third . He had lucked out and gotten his hands on a Daemonic Manastone] himself during one of his rare outings . It was while looking for Infernal Crystals , an exceedingly rare attuned crystal mainly utilized by some summoner classes .

The manastone was similar to a Beast Core , belonging to a creature summoned from some sort of abyssal plane . It had a very unique ability that made it different from normal Beast Cores though ; to continuously draw power from that unknown dimension . Zac guessed that Karunthel wanted that thing to see if it could be turned into a power source that didn’t need to be replaced all the time like Nexus Crystals .

One manastone wouldn't even be able to power an E-Grade vessel even if the Creators managed to transform the alien energies it emitted , but what if you integrated thousands of them into a Cosmic Vessel? It sounded like a pretty good idea to Zac , provided you could stomach the cost .

The other item he had gathered was unsurprisingly the Urgarat Flakes] . Zac had discovered that one of the teleportation tokens in his possession led to a faction in the same area as a planet where you could harvest the natural run-off material . He had sent one of his people to stay in the town for five months , and the flakes eventually appeared in an auction .

That left only one material to upgrade the shipyard ; the Ferric Worldeater] , and Zac already knew where to find it . The only reason he hadn’t set out to visit Leyara’s Void Monastery yet was that he was hesitant whether he was ready to deal with that place . He would probably have to go as himself if he wanted a shot at reaching the Void Star , the mysterious anomaly that was at the heart of the Void Gate-faction .

He had researched all kinds of methods to hide his unique points from even C-grade Monarchs , but he still wasn’t confident in the results . It was a shame too , considering that the Void Gate not only was the only confirmed source of the weird space beasts , but also a place that might hold more answers about his bloodline . If there was any place in the Zecia Sector where he might find a Bloodline Method that actually suited him , then it would be over there .

But the Void Priestess was there , and Zac was unwilling to put himself in such a helpless situation .

The same unfortunately went for any high-grade world , no matter if you were talking about the Allbright Empire , the Twilight Harbor , or even the chaotic space outside the Red Zone of the Allbright Empire . All of them potentially housed Monarchs that might be able to expose him just with a single glance . Some might not care , but it just took one of them to garner some interest for him to get caught and dissected like a lab animal .

He wasn’t all that worried about the remnants being found out in the Zecia sector . Their cage was something set up by the System itself and Be’Zi , who Zac was pretty much certain was a B-Grade Cultivator . It was his mutated Specialty Core that was the problem . It had only taken Greatest a glance to somewhat figure out what it would do , and the same was true for Yrial .

There were all kinds of powerful Specialty Cores , but he had never heard of something so overpowered as to give a whole second class . Even Monarchs would probably be interested in that . Kenzie was working on some sort of array that might help disguise it and make it look like a normal Duplicity Core , but progress was slow even with the help of her vast calculating power . Perhaps the imminent evolution of Jeeves would be the change that would lead to a breakthrough .

Zac spent the rest of the day the same way as usual , cultivating his soul for a few hours before he visited Abby to go over the general state of Earth . Nothing much was new though . The situation on Earth was becoming increasingly stable as time passed . The population of Earth had even started growing again , albeit barely .

There was the issue of the increasing number of monster tides plaguing the towns . There was a huge number of beasts that had reached E-grade by this point , and many of them looked to expand their territories . It was still a common occurrence for towns to be overrun or badly hurt .

It wasn’t that Zac didn’t want to help , and there were quite a few elites in Port Atwood who would be more than willing to jump from town to town and clear out monsters . The System unfortunately didn’t want that to happen . It often disabled the teleporters when the beasts came running , creating trials for the township . If they succeeded , someone would probably make some sort of breakthrough in the town . If they failed and were eaten , the System would save on resources .

Port Atwood was working on preventative measures , for example keeping track of areas that held the potential to turn into monster tides . The more successful forces were also dealing with the issue themselves . The easiest way to prevent a monster tide was to regularly hunt beasts in the vicinity . It both provided wealth and power to your faction while preventing being overrun .

Zac left the government building an hour later , stepping out onto the tiled ground . A few modified cars flashed by , their engines powered by Nexus Crystals . But vehicles were still a rare sight as most people in Port Atwood chose to walk . There were very few low-leveled people in the town even after its population had exploded over the past years , and it didn’t really save time to take a car for the average cultivator .

His eyes turned to the sprawling city around him , and he still couldn’t really believe that it was all under his control . Towering skyscrapers reached toward the clouds , each of them an architectural marvel that would shock the world before the integration . Things were different nowadays , with resources being far more plentiful .

Designs that would previously be unsafe or prohibitively expensive were suddenly made possible with the help of spiritual materials and inscriptions . Some of the skyscrapers were even made from wood even though they reached over five hundred meters into the sky .

The sprawling towers had taken all kinds of inspiration . From the demonic fusion of nature and buildings to the Steampunk Brass of the Ishiate Tinkerers . A few even looked like actual mountains or stalagmites , which were mainly used by the molemen of the Underworld . There was one common thread though ; all the buildings held large gardens and terraces on their roofs , and even along their walls .

Pollution wasn’t really a problem any longer thanks to the city largely running on Cosmic Energy instead of electricity , but Zac didn’t want to see his paradisaical island being turned into a concrete jungle either . The roads were wide and lined with trees , and the buildings were all surrounded by parks or gardens , even the high-rise buildings . It gave the town a far roomier feeling compared to the old cities of Earth .

Something like this would normally be impossible considering the value of land in the capital of a world , but Zac still retained the ownership of the whole island apart from Azh’Rodum . Most of the buildings were his as well , though some were built by others .

For example , Joanna owned a large block of student housing close to the Academy , using it as an additional income to supplement her cultivation . Many of the elites and old guard did the same . Sap Trang , who almost perennially lived out on the dangerous waters with his Kraken , had started working on setting up a whole maritime conglomerate , providing everything from protection to exploring the depths of the sea .

Ilvere owned all kinds of entertainment establishments in Azh’Rodum , mainly targeted at the cultivators who worked the crystal mines . There were tens of thousands of other smaller businesses keeping the economy of Port Atwood going , but the main focus of the inhabitants was ultimately cultivation .

Most people lived in Port Atwood for the extremely dense Cosmic Energy . Zac didn’t know whether it was a reward from the System or if he was just lucky , but the Nexus Vein beneath the island had kept growing in power over the past years . The density of energy was simply unmatched , especially after Zac had added some massive gathering arrays covering the whole town .

A lot of people would rather live in a small apartment in Port Atwood than build a sprawling mansion somewhere else on Earth . However , only a few ever got the opportunity , as Zac kept the population numbers of his main island under strict control . If he let the numbers balloon the energy density would grow too sparse , which would affect the cultivation of the elites of his faction .

Zac soon returned to his compound . Of course , it was more accurate to call it a fortress thanks to his increased Town Shop access as a World Leader , and his sister’s adjustments . Anyone beneath the D-Grade could only dream of entering his private forest , and even a D-Grade hegemon would need to expend quite a bit of effort and time , enough time for Zac to return with the help of his teleportation bracelet .

He didn’t head for his own courtyard as he knew that Thea would be off training . Instead , he walked over to the series of buildings his sister used for her tinkering . As expected , he found Kenzie going over a series of schematics that made Zac dizzy just from looking at them .

Don’t you look relaxed , - Zac smiled as he sat down next to her . - How do you feel? -

I feel fine , - Kenzie smiled . - Don’t worry . I’ve run the simulations for this so many times by now . And I finally received the last treasures yesterday . It’s finally time to take the next step . Today , Jeeves and I will enter the E-grade . -

Chapter 663 : Tribulation

I can’t believe that guy is this greedy , - Zac sighed . - Your purchases would have bankrupted a normal D-Grade force . -

There is an endless number of Daos . It’s pretty good that Jeeves only wanted the taste of three hundred , - Kenzie laughed as she stood up . - Let’s go . I’ve been waiting for this for so long now . -

If you say so , - Zac shrugged as he followed her toward the teleportation array .

It felt like too big a risk to evolve Jeeves right in Port Atwood , so they had instead prepared a special island over the past months . It had a Nexus Node of its own , along with a series of machines that would help with the evolution .

I still don’t get why it wants that many different attunements , - Zac muttered as they teleported away . - Why not focus on the four elements like you do? -

It was true , most of the requirements for Jeeves’ evolution hadn’t been machines or technology . It was rather raw materials of different attunements . It was essentially gaining insight into hundreds of Daos by absorbing treasures that held a hint of the Dao itself . It was no doubt modeled after the methods used in the Research Base , where thousands of Daos fused into a supreme containment sphere .

It had been pretty easy to satisfy that demand in the beginning with the help of Zac’s huge stockpile of Attuned Crystals , but it started to get increasingly difficult over time .

First of all , it wasn’t enough to feed the greedy AI with crystals alone . It required various sources of every Dao to gain a deep enough understanding . The amount of attunement hidden in an Attuned Crystal was ultimately pretty weak and shallow compared to natural treasures . Even then , some attunements were pretty popular and easy to gain , but others were a lot more difficult .

For example , it took almost no effort to collect a few sets of treasures for nature-aspected Daos . These were actively grown since they were a major component in healing pills .

The same went for fire-attuned materials . They could easily be collected around volcanoes . But after they had collected some cheaper materials for the basic elemental Daos things got more difficult . For example , where could you find raw materials containing weapon-based Daos? The same went for Daos based on concepts , such as Ilvere’s Dao of Momentum or Alyn’s Dao of Dissemination .

These kinds of weird Natural Treasures actually did exist , but they were unsurprisingly pretty rare . They were still useful in crafting equipment of specific attunements though , and with their scarcity , it did drive up the price . That was one of the reasons why the upgrade costs had ballooned to this degree over the past three years .

Zac shuddered at the costs that would go into evolving the AI in the future . If it required materials for a full three hundred Daos now , what would it demand the next time? And would the materials all have to be D-Grade? Earth and Port Atwood couldn’t even support this initial evolution , let alone future ones .

All that was thankfully a problem for a distant issue . Zac would hopefully have gotten his hands on enough riches over the next century , and Kenzie’s money-making capabilities would only improve as her cultivation increased .

I told you . Jeeves needs the different Daos to gain a true understanding of cultivation . The more Daos he collects , the better he can assist me . Everything is connected , - Kenzie explained . - That’s why I spent so much time looking for these final items . -

Alright . Did the guy also happen to know what will happen when he evolves? I mean this seems like something that will attract Tribulation Lighting even if he supposedly can hide from the System , - Zac said .

It should be fine . Besides , we won't harm anyone this far away from civilization even if something happens , - Kenzie said as she looked around . - Besides , Jeeves is extremely strong for his grade . He could even knock out the Administrator , breaking through will be a breeze . -

It’s you I’m worried about , - Zac sighed . - If the Heavens zap your AI , it’s not like you’ll walk away unscathed . -

It shouldn’t be , - Kenzie said . - Jeeves hasn’t elicited any ire from the System -

I’m not so sure about that , - Zac muttered , remembering the quest back then .

You can’t get too paranoid , - Kenzie shrugged with a long-suffering look , which wasn’t surprising considering the two already had this argument many times before . - Taking the Dimensional Seed would probably have been a great boon for you . It would definitely be a worthwhile trade in the eyes of the System . Trading the life of one person who focuses on the Dao of Technology for a power-up of a million-year-talent? Easy trade . It doesn't mean it has targeted Jeeves . -

Alright , alright . You’re sure there’s nothing I can do? - Zac asked .

Nope , - Kenzie said . - I’ll feed Jeeves the last materials and evolve as he does . -

Zac could only look on with worry as she walked over to the middle of the rotunda where the Nexus Node hovered in the air . Nine intricately inscribed boxes appeared around her , and Zac’s body immediately started to scream with greed the moment she opened them .

He didn’t know what all the items Kenzie collected were , but he knew about two of them . One was called a Lavoar Wavespirit] , and it looked like a crystallized drop of deep-blue water . It was an amazing water-attuned treasure that could actually increase one’s affinity with the various Daos of Water .

It wasn't as magical as a treasure that could turn a mortal into a cultivator , but what cultivator didn't dream of increasing their affinities to their Daos?

It was a peak treasure for the lower grades in the Zecia sector , far surpassing things like the Fruit of Ascension or his Amanita Mushroom . Its price reflected that fact as well , and he knew that Kenzie had an off-world agent pay over 200 Billion Nexus Coins for this item alone . It was way beyond even the Pathfinder Oracle Eye] . Of course , the price of that kind of treasure could probably reach 200 Billion as well outside the Base Town , provided there were a few interested parties .

The second treasure he recognized was the Avar Worldtree Nut] , a nut no larger than an acorn . It was one of the treasures that were the cause for the ruckus in his cells because of the dense life it contained . The Avar Worldtree was a semi-sentient tree that had a chance to reach the power equivalent of peak D-Grade Cultivator if it was tended for properly .

It could turn into a guardian for a clan , where its vines could stretch tens of kilometers and rip apart an invading army . It would even grow large enough that one could build a whole city in its tree crowns . Of course , growing it to such a state would cost a fortune and it would take over ten thousand years , but it was still a very popular choice for some races to set up a foundation for a rising clan .

The Avar Worldtrees weren’t that rare thanks to its popularity . But they still only grew a nut or two every few millennia , so the supply was pretty limited . One nut cost over 30 Billion Nexus Coins .

The other treasures each had an element of their own , and the five basic elements were represented ; Water , Wood , Fire , Earth , and Metal . There were also two treasures pertaining to Life and Death , and two for Time and Space .

These treasures were all the best of the best among what was publicly available in the Zecia Sector , and a few of them could even match the Wavespirit in price . Thankfully , the rest of the items Kenzie had gathered until this point were a lot cheaper than these nine . She had splurged extra as these were foundational Daos and the Daos for her path , and she wanted Jeeves to understand them as deeply as possible .

Zac watched with rapt attention as his sister took out one item after another and pressed it against her forehead , which caused them to disappear in a flash . It was Jeeves that was somehow absorbing the natural treasures . Three hundred Memorysteel balls , each one meter across and covered in dense scripts , rose into the air the next moment .

It looked like they formed a constellation of planets above the rotunda , and Zac felt various Daos emanating from each of them . This was an invention of his sister , based on the containment sphere in the Research Base . However , these balls each held Natural Treasures of their own , and they suffused their energies into the surroundings .

They also moved in a certain pattern that Zac couldn't understand at all , but it definitely held some hidden meaning since Zac's soul shuddered from trying to observe it . The movements also mixed the three hundred Daos , with Kenzie in the center . Zac gazed at the extravagant display , knowing that Kenzie was currently burning Millions of Nexus Coins every second .

Nothing happened for the first thirty minutes , but Kenzie’s brows slowly furrowed either in pain or concentration . Zac could only look on with worry , knowing he couldn’t do anything to help at this point . This was uncharted territory , evolving a mysterious AI to the next stage . Jeeves itself said that it should be effortless , but Zac wouldn’t trust the parasitic AI as far as he could throw it .

The frown soon turned into a scowl , and Kenzie soon groaned in pain through grit teeth . Her aura was starting to fluctuate wildly , and Zac started to get a sinking feeling . This wasn’t looking good .

A piercing scream of danger made Zac wildly look around , a raging fury bubbling up in his chest . Was someone actually targeting them while Kenzie was undergoing her tribulation? He’d slaughter anyone who caused a scene at this point . However , Zac quickly realized that the danger didn’t come from a rival faction or an assassin , but from the Heavens themselves .

The sky was clear just a few seconds ago , but a sea of blue lightning bolts approached on the horizon . One second later they had arrived , and Zac looked up with horror as one tendril after another started to descend . There was no way to defend against this . Kenzie had installed lightning rods on the island upon his insistence , but there was no way they'd be able to handle something like this . Zac doubted even the island itself would survive an onslaught of this magnitude .

And even if the lightning somehow dissipated , there was still the issue of Kenzie herself . She clearly looked in a bad way , and she hadn’t even touched the Nexus Node yet . It had to be Jeeves’ evolution that was somehow taxing her to the point that she wasn’t even aware of the danger that was creeping up on her . Zac’s hair stood on end , and he knew this attempt would end in failure .

He needed to do something to save Kenzie , and he decided to enact his last-ditch plan . He couldn’t help with Jeeves , but perhaps they could escape the Heavenly Lightning if he sent her away from Earth . He would first take Kenzie away from this island through the teleportation Array and then send her away with a Teleportation Token . Or he could at least swallow some of the lightning to lessen her burden .

However , a sigh echoed through the world just as Zac was about to rush in between the still-floating Memorysteel balls , and it felt like time ground to a halt .

The horizon was fractured the next second as a mindbogglingly large scar appeared , a vertical line splitting Zac’s vision in two . It almost touched the ground on one end while it stretched all the way into the stratosphere on the other . Four sets of enormous hands reached through the cracks , pushing them apart further and further , giving Zac a glimpse of the other side .

Waiting on the other side of the crack was either deep space or the abyss itself , but Zac could barely discern what looked like a purple sun . However , Zac felt a terrifying force radiating from the star , making him believe it was something far greater than some burning ball of hydrogen .

The fingers themselves looked like perfectly sculpted works of art , steel appendages where the divide between real and artificial had been blurred . However , the hands were not just made from solid matter . There was also a purple haze filled with mysterious energies that replaced the joints , which added a supernatural feeling to the incoming leviathan .

The haze reminded Zac of the blue stream of pure energies that powered the Little Bean , but the Technocrat Vessel's huge energy circuits felt like weak alkaline batteries in front of the power contained in a single finger of the mysterious being making its entrance .

Eight arms were soon followed by a face , and space itself shuddered as the metal giant emerged . The being had a clearly female form , and a dress made of purple stardust swirled around her body . She was as tall as a mountain , and a single finger of hers would be able to push the whole island he stood on into the depths of the ocean . The whole sea was actually pushed away from her presence , allowing her to step on solid ground a few kilometers out from land .

The crack soon closed behind her , but space itself was clearly having trouble containing this monstrosity . Spatial tears stretched across the horizon , and it was like the laws of nature were breaking apart in her presence as she started walking toward the shore beneath a sky of frozen lightning .

Nine halos in wrought from the Dao itself swirled behind her back , each one containing even more power than the one before . Even the blue lightning bolts were overshadowed by their splendor .

They formed a mysterious pattern that was ever-changing , and Zac was instantly put in a trance as he looked at them . They contained the profundity of the universe , and at a level that far exceeded what he could comprehend . The feeling far exceeded even what he had felt inside the chambers that had sealed the Dimensional Seed .

The scene was shocking , and a primal part of Zac’s subconscious simply wanted him to fall on his knees in obeisance to the incoming entity . There was no escape from something like this . You could only pray that a being like this wouldn’t deign to waste their breath to kill you .

However , while Zac’s heart beat like a drum , it wasn’t simply out of abject fear . His emotions were a lot more complicated as he looked up at the foreign yet familiar face a thousand meters in the air . The auburn locks were replaced by purple strings of aether , but the fundamental features were still there . The face of someone who had hugged him goodnight , who had walked him to school as a child .

Leandra Atwood had finally returned to Earth .

Chapter 664 : Destiny

The world was frozen from Leandra Atwood's descent , but the Heavens wouldn't be denied for long . The Tribulation Lightning churned and raged , like her very existence was an affront to the Heavens . Before it was just some of the tendrils moving toward the island , whereas thousands of blue bolts fell from the sky now . But how could Leandra not have come unprepared?

She opened one of her hands , and thousands upon thousands of mysterious lights were conjured out of nowhere , each of them forming a barrier that far eclipsed anything Zac and Kenzie would ever manage to buy or create . The uproar in the sky only increased in intensity , and attacks rained upon the barrier . It looked like the whole world would collapse , and Zac’s felt an overwhelming pressure by standing right beneath the terrifying display .

Deep cracks and purple discoloration spread across the barriers , but they actually held even against the System's Tribulation Lightning . A few of her hands formed a set of seals that seemed to adjust the barriers to strengthen them even further . Leandra then inspected the scene for a moment before her gaze shifted to Zac and Kenzie down on the ground .

One of her free hands formed a different seal , and Zac’s suddenly found himself utterly incapable of movement . More worryingly , Kenzie seemed to have been knocked unconscious as she floated a few meters into the air while the Memorysteel-balls floated out of the way .

Wait! - Zac shouted as he tried to put himself between Kenzie and Leandra , but it was simply futile to break through the restraints .

He could only look on with worry as one mysterious layer after another encapsulated his sister until she wasn’t even visible within the cocoon of pure energy . Zac still had no idea whether Leandra was a friend or a foe , but one thing was for certain ; she was at least able to help them survive this calamity .

At least Zac hoped she was , since it looked like the intensity of the lightning in the sky only grew increasingly severe .

Leandra looked up at the sky again for a few seconds , and Zac shuddered when he was inundated by a deep-seated hatred that made his hair stand on end . It was so far beyond any killing intent Zac would ever be able to unleash that it might as well be considered something completely different . The burning anger of someone as powerful as Leandra seemed to impact reality itself , and even the sun dimmed as the ocean started to boil . He was lucky her gaze was directed at the sky rather than himself , since he wasn't sure he'd survive the attention .

Zac still felt his vision closing in on him as cracks appeared all over his organs . Thankfully the feeling soon disappeared , but Zac knew they weren’t out of the woods just yet as the sky was still rumbling with increasing fervor . For some reason , Zac sensed it had lost some of its direction though , like it couldn’t find Kenzie hidden in that cocoon of his mother's . Was that the purpose of those barriers , rather than actual protection?

It still seemed like there was a distinct possibility that the System would decide to simply smite the whole island if it couldn’t find Kenzie , but Leandra finally was preparing her next move . The giant’s eight hands slowly formed a circle , and a blinding light appeared inside like she was forming some sort of portal with her own body . Zac looked on with apprehension , and his eyes widened when a familiar figure walked out from the light .

It was flesh and blood Leandra , looking exactly as he remembered .

The metal giant wasn’t actually his mother? Then again , Zac quickly realized that things might not be completely clear-cut for Technocrats as the lofty giant behind her back quickly disintegrated into purple dust . Some of it entered Leandra’s body as she floated down toward their location , while parts formed a dome across the rotunda Kenzie had prepared for her evolution .

Zac didn’t immediately understand what the dome did , but he soon understood when realizing that the lightning above suddenly moved at a fraction of its original speed . She had set up a time dilation sphere .

Mom… You’re back , - Zac said with hesitance , his mind trying to gauge whether the Leandra in front of him was the one from his vision or the far more amiable version recorded in the Technocrat Token .

Leandra’s eyes slowly shifted away from the cocoon to briefly pause at a spot in the ocean before she looked into Zac’s eyes . There wasn’t the scathing hatred that Zac had felt in his vision , but neither was this the gaze of a loving mother . It was tranquil , to the point of being void of emotion entirely .

You’ve done well , protecting your sister during the Corruption , - she said with a nod . - In fact , your progress has greatly surprised me . -

Zac didn’t immediately understand what she was talking about , and even wondered if she was talking about his Bloodline . But he soon realized that Corruption might be referring to the Integration . After all , the System spreading across the multiverse was probably seen as corruption by the Technocrats .

What are you doing with Kenzie? - Zac asked full of trepidation .

You were too eager , trying to evolve Digital Nexus prematurely . You and the Nexus might have survived Heaven’s Judgement once , but that does not mean you’re able to walk unabashed under the sun , - Leandra said . - I am sealing your sister’s progress for now , until I can properly nurture the Nexus . It is too early for MacKenzie as well . She doesn’t have your constitution , she will not be able to bear the burden as she currently is . She should have realized that already , but she still pushed on . -

What? Evolving Jeeves would kill her? - said with shock .

Jeeves? - Leandra repeated with confusion before she understood what she was talking about . - Yes . Half her blood is that of Robert Atwood , a normal mortal . That she was even able to receive and fuse with the Digital Nexus is nothing short of a miracle . But to reach our goal… Will be difficult . We need to leave this sector if we want a chance at success . -

Zac’s thoughts spun as he went over the information . It seemed even more and more likely that he and Jeeves were originally meant to be used together . And as expected , Leandra had come to take Kenzie away . Zac was full of reluctance , but he had to admit it was better than getting incinerated by tribulation lightning .

Dad . . . Died during the Incursion , - Zac said , somewhat of a loss of what else to say .

There was no familial warmth as the two stood facing each other , and he almost felt like a soldier making a report to his general .

I know , - Leandra nodded , and Zac inwardly frowned when there was not the slightest change in her expression . - Robert was a good man who helped us in our time of need . He deserved a better ending . Too many have fallen to the machinations of the Villanous Heavens . One day there will be a reckoning . -

Leandra appeared completely indifferent to everything , which made Zac's early childhood memories feel like an illusion . It pained him in a way he hadn't quite expected , considering the resentment he had carried for decades . He could only focus on what's important right now ; saving Kenzie .

Are you able to deal with the lightning? - Zac asked .

She didn’t immediately answer but rather waved her hand . Zac didn’t immediately understand what she was doing , but his eyes widened in shock when Thea suddenly appeared right between them , her hair wet as she looked around with terror .

Thea! - Zac exclaimed with a sinking feeling . - Mom , what’s going on?! -

Thea looked at Zac with incomprehension before her eyes turned to Leandra who still radiated an undeniable might . She was clearly having trouble processing what was going on , and who could blame her?

She floated outside this island on a treasure , hidden by a few low-grade arrays , - Leandra said , making Zac look at his girlfriend with confusion .

I- I wanted to understand what’s going on . You two have been acting full of secrecy for years , building hidden factories , and these restricted islands . I wanted to make sure… - Thea stammered . - I didn’t want to hurt anyone , just help out in case something went wrong . I- -

The Zero Affinity Container has a complicated relationship to the Kayar-Elu and the Root Compact , but it is still our blood flowing through his veins . You are not worthy , - Leandra cut her off with an emotionless face . - But you will still get a chance to serve in the undertaking . -

What are you- - Zac interjected , but he suddenly found himself unable to speak .

Thea looked like she had been physically hit , her eyes wide as she looked back and forth between Zac and Leandra . Zac had an extremely bad feeling , and he wanted to scream for her to run away . But he couldn’t as much as blink , and neither could Thea from the looks of it as she slowly floated up in the air as a series of intricate patterns appeared around her .

Since when has the Cursed Heavens allowed itself to be denied? - Leandra muttered , her face once more a mask of fury . But Zac barely heard her as his attention was on Thea moving ever closer to the sky . - How can that conniving ball of greed and wild ambition let a threat be? Even if it has to break the covenant , so what? It will just make some reparations to satiate its own deluded sense of equilibrium . -

Stop!’ Zac screamed in his mind since his mouth wouldn't move , praying that his mother could hear him . - I’ll do anything!’

You might feel my actions unfair , but your understanding is too narrow . I am also doing this for the sake of her clan . I can sense that her love for you is real , but her allegiance to her clan is stronger , - Leandra said . - You cannot comprehend the danger someone cursed by the Heavens will bring upon his surroundings . A small tribe such as hers will be ripped apart by the torrents of fate if they are tied to your chariot . -

Zac kept raging in his mind for his mother to put Thea down , telling her that his girlfriend had nothing to do with whatever compact she rambled on about . Rage turned to pleas of mercy , to stop whatever she was doing . But it was all for naught . Thea’s eyes rolled into her head as the scripts covered the last part of her body , and the next moment she was pushed through the barriers keeping the torrential lightning at bay .

The whole world turned white , and Zac's mind went blank .

A second later the sea of lightning was simply gone , as were the encapsulated Thea . Remaining was just one thin streak of blue that slowly descended from the sky and entered the cocoon shielding Kenzie . Zac felt like his mind had stopped , that he was having a twisted fever nightmare , but it was all too real .

His mother had actually used Thea as a lightning rod to divert and exhaust the tribulation .

Leandra gazed at the sky for a few seconds before she nodded in satisfaction , like she hadn't just sacrificed a human being . It was like Thea had never been on the island , and the pressure that had bound Zac was lifted . The lingering lightning completely entered the barriers surrounding Kenzie , and it started beating like a heart .

Why? WHY?! - Zac immediately roared , his rage threatening to turn him insane . - You come back after all this time , and the first thing you do is something insane like this?! You are crazy! -

Our family bears the weight of destiny , - Leandra sighed . - Our lives belong to the Cosmos . Do not get distracted . Your role might have become unclear with how things have progressed , but you are still part of the Kayar-Elu . If you are unhappy with my actions , become stronger . Don’t waste your breath on the mundane . The moment you reach the peak and fulfill your fate , you will gain Eternity . What will you lack then? Even killing me out vengeance will be as easy as taking a breath . -

Zac looked into Leandra’s eyes , and he saw an unquenchable conviction that even eclipsed that of the zealots from the Church of Everlasting Dao . He knew then and there that there was no way to reason with his mother . She was a true extremist , and she only cared about her goals . She wholeheartedly believed she had done a good deed by using Thea to deal with the Tribulation .

Now , don’t do anything untoward . I don’t wish to wipe the memories of you two unless I have to . Each erasure will harm your souls and weaken your potential . We will leave , and MacKenzie’s future will be far brighter than it could ever be in this remote Sector . Staying next to you will only bring calamity down on you both , - Leandra said as she pointed at the pulsating cocoon .

A few seconds passed as Zac found himself locked in an internal struggle . Part of him wanted to throw everything away and attack Leandra even if it meant dying , while part of him feared that doing something stupid would implicate his sister . He had already realized that his Annihilation Sphere was useless to a being like this .

Just like the Administrator , she could simply stop him in his tracks with a thought , preventing him from even unleashing the skill .

In the end , he found himself rooted in place , his fear overcoming his rage . He could only look on as his sister emerged while he was being overwhelmed by a relentless storm of rage , guilt , and powerlessness . Kenzie looked around with confusion until she noticed Leandra . Zac died a little inside as he saw his sister’s eyes light up , and he could barely hold back tears of frustration as Kenzie ran over to hug their mother .

My child… We finally meet . You’ve worked hard , - Leandra said with a smile as she caressed Kenzie’s hair . - I have dreamed of this day for so long , but the two of us have to leave . I can only trick the Heavens for so long . -

What? - Kenzie asked with a start , looking at their mother with confusion before she looked over at Zac with an inquiring gaze . - We're leaving , just the two of us? What about Zac? -

The situation is complicated , but suffice to say I left a gift with each of you upon your birth . Unfortunately , these two powers being in such close proximity has proven dangerous , - Leandra sighed . - Besides , your brother has already confirmed his Path . His cultivation is one of a solitary warrior . Me bringing him with us will only hurt him in the end . -

Zac? - Kenzie asked with confusion .

I . . . I’m not done with the Zecia sector yet , - Zac said with a hoarse voice and a sickly smile , hiding his true feelings as deeply as he could as to not get his mind cleansed .

He wanted to etch the events of today deep into his bones , to never forget the madness of Leandra Atwood . Part of him wanted to forget how his secrecy caused Thea to take matters into her own hands and start to investigate their activities . But that voice of weakness was overshadowed by a fiery ball of fury that threatened to cause him to combust .

The Digital Nexus . The Kayar-Elu and the Root Compact . These would be his clues to one day right this wrong .

Chapter 665 : Power

Can’t we all stay here together? - Kenzie entreated as she looked at Leandra .

You have been discovered , child , - Leandra sighed . - You tried to evolve with insufficient preparations . You staying here will put this whole world in danger . We need to leave for the Six Profundity Empire . Unless something unexpected happens , we will be able to enter an Immemorial Realm there . -

Kenzie turned to Zac , who could only nod in what he hoped to be a comforting manner .

Ok… But you need to help me with two things , - Kenzie said with determination . - First , you need to save a certain person . I’m sure you can do it with your power . -

Save someone? - Leandra said as a frown spread across her face , causing Zac to get a sinking feeling .

He’s called Ogras , and he saved my life , - Kenzie said as a screen appeared in front of her .

It was no doubt the product of Jeeves , and it rapidly started flashing images and symbols for two seconds before it disappeared . Zac could only understand snippets , but he had seen a few scenes from the events three years ago .

Oh , so something like that happened in the Research Base? - Leandra sighed as a spatial tear opened next to her . - So much for my preparations . -

A few streams of light entered the void , but she soon shook her head as the gate closed .

A Dimensional Seed is a sentient treasure , and it is in its growing stages . It has moved to an area the cultivators in this Sector call the Million Gates Territory . The dense Spatial Energies there will nurture it . It would be impossible to save the demonling now as the seed has hidden between the folds of reality . But in a decade or two the seed should be satiated and bloom . At that point you simply need to find the pocket word it has created and pick the demonling up , - Leandra said .

How can we find him? - Kenzie asked hurriedly . - Can you tell if he , if they , are alive? -

As long as one is in the area , it will be hard to miss the opening . The blooming of a Dimensional Seed gives off tremendous energy signatures , and tens of millions will enter its dimension in search of treasure , - Leandra smiled . - It is a brand-new dimension , rife with echoes of the Origin . Your friends were alive when entering the Hidden Realm , and they have gained a rare opportunity in a sense . Their cultivation environment should be almost at the level of an Ancient Realm . -

They’re really alive?! - Kenzie exclaimed with happiness written all over her face , though it soon scrunched up with disappointment . - A decade or two , though? -

Child , you should understand . We will have long left the sector by then . I can only provide this much guidance , - she said .

I’ll go pick him up when it’s time , - Zac said when he saw Kenzie’s look . - I was planning on going there anyway . -

Right , okay… - Kenzie said , though reluctance was written all over her face . - Secondly , help me finish this array . It’s for Zac . -

Zac looked on as Kenzie took out an extremely densely inscribed array disk the next moment , and another wave of sorrow hit him .

An illusion array meant for his Core? Exquisite work , but unfortunately it won’t work . Your understanding of the Dao is too limited to hide that thing from Class-4 cultivators . Luckily , I was already prepared for this . The Kayar-Elu have long perfected the methods to walk freely among those who have tied their chariot to the cursed heavens , - Leandra said as she took out a crystal and turned to Zac .

What a disappointment . You cannot imagine the resources that went into fusing your bloodline with a perfected Duplicity Core . You could have used it to become the incarnation of the Machine God , yet you sullied it with the mark of the unliving . Still , our preparations will work just as well in this situation . -

Zac wanted to simply throw the crystal away as it floated into his hands , but he restrained himself and tried to appear thankful as he put it away .

It is an almost perfected array that can hide your unique situation . Monarchs and weaker Autarchs will be unable to see through its disguise , and those above will not care about your situation . It will also impede any attempt at looking into the truth of your being . Even stronger Autarchs will have their perception subverted to some degree , thinking they found nothing out of the norm from your status screen or body .

However , its impenetrable disguise comes at a price . You will not be able to change back and forth when the array is active . If you break the seal to change your constitution , it will take a month before you can hide your core again , - Leandra said before she turned back to Kenzie .

Child , it is time . Every second we spend will increase the threat to this world . I will put you into my Inner World , - Leandra said .

Okay , one moment , - Kenzie sighed as she walked over and hugged Zac . - Take care until we meet again . -

Be careful , - Zac said with a low volume . - It’s dangerous out there . Trust no one . -

That was as far as he dared go , but he couldn’t let Kenzie disappear without giving at least a small warning . The next moment his sister was gone , leaving only Leandra behind .

I can feel the fury that churns in your heart . You were just a baby who didn’t choose to be brought into the world or to be forced into our cause . But you still carry the Original Sin . You are the source of the ruin of our clan , the reason for the death of five hundred billion people , - she said as she looked at Zac with mixed emotions .

Our paths will diverge from here on out , our Karma is severed . I will not kill you , but neither will I help you any further from today . If you come looking for us , you better be powerful enough to kill me , - Leandra said with a staid face , as though her deranged words were something normal for a mother to say to her son . - Or you will fall even before getting close to your sister . -

A prompt appeared that said Nexus Coins had been transferred to him , but Zac waved it away with annoyance . Was his mother really trying to buy him off after what she did?

That’s not up to you to decide! - Zac roared .

He could no longer hold back the anger bubbling in his chest now that Kenzie wasn’t here . He was just so furious that he didn’t know what to do with himself . He was angry at his sister for hiding the risks with the evolution . Angry at himself for passively letting things proceed until they reached this point and for hiding the truth about his activities , which ended up implicating Thea .

But most of all he was angry at Leandra who had proven herself so needlessly cruel and murderous . He refused to believe that the only way for his mother to save Kenzie was to kill someone close to him . His wrath was met by a cold indifference though , which only poured oil on the fire .

Your sister is the harbinger of the Final Era , but she cannot fulfill her destiny in this destitute corner of the universe . I am taking her to a more appropriate stage , - Leandra said as the purple and futuristic dress covered in Technocrat scripts on her body shuddered , turning into a beautiful robe .

Zac’s eyes looked on with incomprehension . It felt like he wasn’t looking at a Technocrat any longer , but rather someone like Be’Zi ; a supreme cultivator . A swirling vortex opened behind her the next moment , and it looked exactly like the portal the System showed him during his mind tribulation .

Farewell… my son . -

A second later she was gone , leaving Zac utterly , completely alone .

This is your inner world? - Kenzie asked as she looked out across the endless vista with amazement written all over her face .

She was standing at the top of a ten-kilometer-tall spire looking out through a window , and the surroundings were simply marvelous . There was a bustling metropolis below , though it was impossible to tell whether people actually lived there from this far up . There was a lot of movement though , but it was entirely possible that it was all machinery .

The town was tens of times larger than Port Atwood , but yet it only took up a small pocket of space in this seemingly endless world .

Rather than an inner world , it almost looked like they were standing in the normal universe . A huge nebula in a mesmerizing purple covered the sky , and various zones of perfectly harmonious biospheres formed a layer around the sprawling city . Far in the distance , she could vaguely see more cities , each of them centered around a spire much like this one .

For cultivators , to build your inner world is to shore up your foundation . The more you manage to expand and stabilize it , the greater force you will be able to bring out . After all , each movement of yours will contain the will of a world , - Leandra said from the side . - From there , you impart it with truth , making it follow your Heavenly Law . -

Just… how powerful are you , mom? - Kenzie hesitantly asked .

I once was a Class-5 Autarch , - Leandra sighed . - But our family encountered a calamity which almost eradicated us . If not for your grandfather I would be dead . He sacrificed himself to give me a chance . But I was still wounded , and it will take a long time before I am restored . Right now , my strength is somewhere between Peak Class-4 and Class-5 . -

Why couldn’t we bring Zac with us though? Now he’s left all alone , - Kenzie said with redrimmed eyes .

There’s nothing to be done , - Leandra said with a pained face . - You should have come to understand a few things through your connection to… Jeeves . Zac and Jeeves were once meant to be a pair , each one half of a whole . But the implications of this fusion triggered the wrath of the System , which led to our doom .

Zac and Jeeves barely survived the calamity thanks to my father's efforts . But their very existence was punished , their fate subverted . That thankfully is your key to survival . The System is forced to follow a few Heavenly laws older than time itself , one of them being the law of balance . The two have been punished for their existence and survived , which will allow them to continue living .

But as long as the threat reaches a certain threshold , the System will subvert the will of the Heavens and attack you , no matter the cost . More importantly , your brother has been marked by the System , and it is actively watching . It was because of him being close to you that the Tribulation Lightning descended . I needed to sever your Karma , as you two siblings will bring calamity upon each other , - Leandra said .

Still , - Kenzie said hesitantly .

Don’t you worry about your brother . He was meant to become the perfect Cultivator . He might have had that fate taken from him , but it seems that calamity has opened a few unexpected doors instead . He is free in a way I’ve never seen before , in a way I didn't know existed . But Zac will need to figure out his path on his own . Outside interference will just harm him , - Leandra explained .

Become stronger . Right now , you are just a victim to the heavens , a leaf blowing in the wind . But by the time you reach the peak , you will be able to control the winds of fate , - Leandra said . - And I’ll help you . You have accomplished an impressive amount in the few short years after the Corruption , but Jeeves was ultimately not designed to be housed by a normal human . -

So what do I need to do? - Kenzie asked .

We need to improve your very foundations ; Your soul and your constitution . Only then will you survive the evolution , while also setting up a proper path for your cultivation . The path of Technomancy is full of endless potential , but it ultimately not for you . With how Jeeves has changed , you will need to become a proper cultivator . Unfortunately , your foundations are currently average at best , - Leandra explained as the room they stood in started to transform .

The windows overlooking the world turned into screens covered in all kinds of information . Kenzie looked around , and she was shocked by the esoteric information the texts contained . It felt like they dug straight at the core of cultivation itself .

For now , we’re moving to a more flourishing place where we will be able to work on your cultivation . But it will take a few years before we reach the wormhole that will take us there . I wish that I could accompany you during that time , but I need to enter secluded cultivation to recuperate .

I have suppressed your body to maintain its momentum and avoid detection of the System , - Leandra added . - Work on shoring up your theoretical foundations . With the help of Jeeves and the tower’s resident AI , you will make more progress in a few years compared to what most scions accomplish in centuries . -

Kenzie nodded , and Leandra smiled and ruffled her hair one last time before she disappeared without as much as creating a ripple . Kenzie wasn’t surprised to learn about the suppression , she had already felt a subtle change in her body since waking up . Thankfully , that seal didn’t block everything .

Do you want me to stop?]

No , maintain control over my expressions , ’ Kenzie answered bleakly with a thought as she sat down in a chair arranged for her . - She is probably recording . ’

Kenzie kept looking at the screen , and while Jeeves was diligently absorbed all the knowledge laid bare her thoughts were elsewhere . The scenes of Leandra treating Zac , her own son , like a stranger now that he couldn’t help her with her plans . How she sacrificed Thea without a shred of remorse . It all kept repeating in a loop .

She had been wrong . So fundamentally , irrevocably wrong .

It was all her fault . Her fault that Thea was gone , that Zac was left alone to pick up the broken pieces . It felt like she would collapse at any moment , and she had long given up on controlling her own body out of fear of reprisal . What if Leandra saw something was wrong and decided to do something even crazier , like destroy Earth altogether?

That was her only chance at turning things around , that Leandra didn’t seem to fully understand the changes that Jeeves had undergone . Her mother thought she had him completely under control , but there was still a small core of true life that she couldn’t touch . It was that part that had recorded everything that transpired while she was unconscious , turning it into a hidden memory that she gained the moment she was teleported to this place .

She felt like a fool , a dangerous fool . Zac had warned her so many times , exhorted her to proceed with caution . That Leandra might not be the powerful mother that was forced away from Earth to protect them , but rather a calculating cultivator who had long lost things like familial warmth . He had been right . She only cared about the undertaking of her clan , considering her children just as the next generation of soldiers in their war against the System .

But was she so different? Kenzie had known there were very real risks with her plan , but she had discarded them in her frantic pursuit of power . Zac believed that Jeeves had been telling her that everything was fine , but it had repeatedly tried to convince her to slow down . To first strengthen herself just like her mother planned .

Arrogance . She realized now that her mental state had steadily deteriorated since the events of the Mystic Realm . People kept calling her a genius of an era , mastering everything from Dao to Arrays to even Technocrat tech . It had blown up her confidence , convinced her of her infallibility . She was a unique genius , how could her deductions be wrong?

It was all a lie . What genius? It was all Jeeves . He kept knocking down the barriers in her cultivation , she simply proceeded on the path staked out for her . She was nothing like her brother who had earned every part of his power through endless struggle , she had been given everything . She was ultimately just a random girl just past 23 years old with a sapient supercomputer in her head .

Now everything was ruined . Zac was scarred for life , Thea was sacrificed , and she found herself at the core of some insane struggle she wanted no part of . What should she do? What could she do?

The Creator was right . You are lacking power . The moment you can overpower the Creator , you can freely control your fate again

Kenzie slowly nodded as she steeled her heart .

She would drink the poisonous water of Leandra’s teachings if it meant power . Only if she reached the peak would she be able to right her wrongs . She thought back to the beautiful town on the small island in the middle of nowhere , the slice of paradise Zac had created for them . A wave of homesickness hit her like a truck , but she could only push the feelings down .

She thought of her brother , constantly struggling to protect those around him , his eyes full of exhaustion , yet never stopping . She would have to stop completely relying on Jeeves and grow so that she could right this wrong .

The Creator wanted Zachary Atwood to feel the curse of helplessness , of loss . To instill emotion powerful enough to shock his momentum awake . Emotion is the bridge between Dao and Man . I shared the events because you needed to feel the same

Kenzie inwardly nodded as she focused on the screen in front of her . One day she would return , whatever it took .

Chapter 666 : Powerless

Zac's thoughts were a blur as he made his way back to his compound , and he spent over thirty minutes aimlessly wandering around until he stopped in front of one of his sister’s workshops . Far beneath the ground was a large factory , this particular one used to create the Dao Balls meant for Kenzie's breakthrough .

A fiery ember of rage swept away the bleakness as Zac peered down at the ground , and he was more than willing to give in to the feeling . Cosmic Energy surged through his body as Hatchetman’s Rage] activated , and it felt like his soul was lit on fire . A massive hand appeared a few moments later , and it conjured an emerald array that covered half the sky . A tremendous mountain soon emerged and slammed straight into the workshop .

A few technocrat barriers sprung up , but they were no match for Zac’s full furor . The ground heaved as the mountain peak pierced the building and continued deep into the ground , and it almost looked like the mountain itself was on fire as it was drenched in Zac’s anger . The skill emitted a pressure far beyond what was normal as Dao , Body , and Spirit worked as one in their desire for destruction .

A creaking sound emerged from the depths , and the ground suddenly collapsed for hundreds of meters in every direction . It was the ceiling of the secret factory that had caved in , and thousands of tons of dirt crushed the machines and drones into scrap . Huge clouds of dust rose to the sky like a bomb had been set off .

It was immensely satisfying , but Zac wasn’t done . He turned into an avatar of unrelenting violence , destroying one hidden Technocrat structure after another in his desperate need for an outlet . Soon half his private forest was in shambles , with pieces of Memorysteel rubble sticking up from massive fissures in the ground .

Deep scars from axe strikes crisscrossed the ground , and Zac looked at the carnage with heaving breaths for a few seconds before he turned and wordlessly walked away . A number of golems silently emerged from a shed in a corner , but it would probably take the gardener automatons weeks to even somewhat fix the destruction .

Emptiness .

That was all Zac could feel as he sat down on the pergola overlooking the ocean . He had worked so hard for years , overcoming insurmountable odds to protect those around him , yet where had that taken him?

His sister was taken away to become a pawn of their mother’s schemes while his partner killed like she was an ant . And that just the latest tragedy . Ogras , his closest friend and confidant was gone , stuck in a fragment hurtling through subspace . Billy was there as well , and it was unclear if Zac would ever be able to see them again . Alea had been reduced to a Spirit Tool , and he never got to say goodbye to his father .

He was alone . So utterly alone .

He was the leader of a planet , an emperor with over a billion subjects , yet he had no one to turn to . Certainly , many of his followers remained , but his innermost circle was reduced to a party of one . Certainly , there were old followers like Sap Trang and Joanna to turn to , but there ultimately was a leader-follower dynamic between them .

The following days passed in a blur , where he barely had the energy to lift a single finger . It quickly became apparent that Leandra's terrifying aura had been sensed all across the world , so there was no hiding the situation . Zac sent word of the tragedy to the Marshall Clan , though he modified what actually transpired .

An extremely powerful cultivator appeared out of nowhere in search of the Dimensional Seed and tried to kill all three of them . His sister and Thea had both died instantly and without leaving a body , but he had miraculously survived thanks to a special item he had gained . Lying like this submerged him in another wave of self-loathing , but there wasn't much he could do .

Firmament's Edge was probably still looking for Leandra and Jeeves , and if word of a powerful Technocrat appearing on this planet got out , then who knew what would happen .

He had said he was extremely sorry , and that he would make sure to keep the Marshall Clan safe and independent . But Zac didn’t have the guts to face Henry Marshall himself , so he immediately closed the doors to his compound after sending out word that he wanted to be left alone .

Part of him wanted to set out into the multiverse in search of the Six Profundity Empire , and another part of him just wanted to jump into the deepest monster nest he could find and lose himself to slaughter . But it all felt so futile , so he ultimately just sat down and looked out across the ocean .

Only ten days later was there a change as a series of light footsteps made Zac turn around . A young woman walked toward him , her eyes looking at the destruction around her with some fear . It was Emily , wearing a battle robe with two tomahawks attached to a belt . It was half a year since she had run away from home , but she still looked a bit like a runt .

You’ve become stronger , - Zac said with a weak smile .

I’m sorry… About things . Are you okay? - Emily said with red-rimmed eyes as she sat down opposite him .

You heard? - Zac asked .

The Marshall Clan found me . They wanted me to check up on you , - she said .

How are they? - Zac sighed .

I don’t think most know what happened , - Emily said . - Everyone only knows something big took place here . People are lying low , waiting to see what’s going on . What are you going to do? -

Do? - Zac said with a self-deprecating laugh . - What can I do? I keep working to become stronger , but that just means that the stakes keep getting bigger . I am… powerless . -

Emily didn’t answer , and the two sat in silence overlooking the sunset . But a sudden sense of danger warned Zac of an attack , just in time for him to block a small tomahawk with his palm . The clash caused the awnings of the pergola to blow right off , but Zac’s hand didn’t move an inch as it was filled with the hardness of the Fragment of the Coffin .

If you are powerless , what does that make the rest of us? - Emily said with a glare . - Others are more powerful , but they simply started earlier . A crazy cultivator came and killed Thea and Kenzie? You cannot let that go unpunished! Get stronger , find them , and rip them apart! Make the whole multiverse shudder in fear and disgust after you're done with them! -

I… - Zac said .

No buts . Go cultivate or something , - Emily said . - If you don’t I’ll start spreading even more rumors about you through Calrin . -

Even more? - Zac said , his eyes widening in realization as he woke up from his stupor . - You? It was you? -

A- - Emily stammered , rapidly losing her momentum . - Well , just some stories , but I was just adding to the hundreds which were already out there . I was mad when you wouldn’t let me go out , so I sent an anonymous crystal to the House of Myriad Eyes . They paid really well because I could provide some pictures of you , and that helped fund my Mercenary Group . Who would have expected those Stargazers would embellish so much? -

Zac’s mouth opened and closed a few times until he finally let out a small wry smile .

Thank you , - Zac said .

Always happy to help , - Emily grinned . - Now , clean yourself up . There’s a funeral in two hours . You should be there . -

The small amount of happiness Emily's return brought was quickly suffused as Zac was brought back to reality . He closed his eyes for a few seconds , but he soon opened them again as he nodded . Half an hour later he had arrived at the other side of the world , where a somber group waited .

Rain poured down on the ancient cemetery hidden in the forest close to the Marshall Homestead , drenching the small gathering of people standing in front of the unmarked grave of Thea Marshall . In fact , only a few core members of the Marshall Clan knew that Thea had fallen . The others believed that she had set out into the Zecia Sector to further temper herself , as the challenges on Earth no longer could hold her . It was an attempt to maintain stability , though Zac doubted it would last for long .

Zac’s eyes were hollow as he looked down at the beautifully crafted limestone that marked Thea Marshal's final resting place . Of course , the grave was empty since Leandra didn't as much a string of hair behind . He once more felt sick to the stomach of regret and shame as he heard the quiet sobs around him , and he had to fight the urge to just bolt .

The ceremony only lasted twenty minutes , with a priest reading a few passages before people took their final farewells . Zac walked up last , and he only stood in silence as he looked down at the headstone . Finally , he turned over to see a familiar figure looking straight at him .

Come with me , - Henry said as he walked toward the old Homestead , his previously straight back hunched over .

It looked like the old man had aged overnight , even though he had long managed to reach E-grade race and a peak F-grade cultivation . Losing Thea was not only a huge blow to his faction but also a personal blow as she was his actual granddaughter , one of his closest blood relatives in a clan comprised of thousands of people .

Zac sighed as he followed , wondering what Henry wanted to say in private . The two walked through the ancient forest that had belonged to the Marshall Clan for over a millennium , reaching the sprawling complex that had kept growing as their family did . Henry didn’t enter any of the more recent additions meant for cultivators though , but rather the oldest section of the manor .

It was an old house that mainly served as a memento of the founding of the Marshall Clan , but Zac wasn't too interested in looking at this piece of history in his current state . But Zac did exclaim in surprise when Henry walked up to a corner and pushed one of the stones in the wall , which triggered some mechanism that exposed a hidden pathway .

Zac wasn’t too surprised that an old place like this had hidden pathways , but he was surprised that he hadn’t noticed anything amiss . His senses were extremely sharp by now , and he should have been able to sense there was a hidden path . The two continued down the steps , and Zac was somewhat shocked to see how deep this place went .

They had walked well over a hundred meters down , and Zac was pretty certain that these stairs had been cut into the stone the same time the house above was built . Doing something like this must have been a huge undertaking this long ago , and Zac couldn’t help but feel curious about what was waiting at the bottom .

Finally , they reached the bottom where a massive stone stele waited , over three meters tall . It was covered in text , but time had dulled the runes to the point that Zac couldn't make out the words .

A thousand years , - Henry sighed as he gazed on the enormous stele standing in front of them . - We waited for a thousand years for the prophecy to come true . Yet look at us now . We’re floundering , only able to stay afloat thanks to your influence . Our biggest talent and hope fallen before she could even spread her wings . -

What is this? What's going on? - Zac asked with confusion .

Our ancestor , the original Lord Marshall , was not of this world , - Henry said . - He erected this stele and took his firstborn son to this place before he passed away , passing on a series of precepts to run the clan by . To wait . To accumulate . To prepare for the Integration . -

Much of what he said has been lost over the centuries . Not all generations of the Marshall Clan were believers . My father took me here in the 60s , mostly because he didn’t wish to break a millennia-old tradition . Personally , I didn’t believe in the tales of magic , but I sometimes wondered if our ancestor was an extra-terrestrial as I looked up at the stars . After all , this was during the era of the space race .

By now I’ve long come to realize the truth . Our ancestor was a cultivator who encountered some sort of mishap and found himself on Earth . Perhaps he escaped from the Mystic Realm , perhaps he had some other origin , the stele never explained his place of birth . His foundation as a Cultivator managed to make him stronger and more talented than normal people even without access to Cosmic Energy , which allowed him to stand out during the Crusades and gain a footing for his descendants , - Henry said .

Did Thea know? - Zac couldn’t help but ask .

No , - Henry said with a smile . - There is nothing of value here , and I didn't want to distract Thea . Only I and a few of the elders know of this place . The clan members aren’t strong enough to see through the array our ancestor erected with his remaining lifeforce , at least not for now . I have also added a few extra precautions of my own . -

Why are you telling me this? -

I immediately understood what had happened when the Integration took place , and I took action while others were floundering . I was even blessed with a granddaughter teeming with talent , a powerhouse who could act as a protective umbrella for future generations . But this world is cruel . One stroke of bad fortune , and it all came crashing down on us , - Henry sighed .

We were not the only clan . I know of at least five more families who have a similar origin as our own , most likely descendants from the mystic realm . There might be even more out there . But three of those clans fell in the months after the integration , with the other two barely being any better off than the general population , - Henry said with a shake of his head .

Zac was shocked to learn that there were actually people with a cultivator foundation on Earth , people who already had general knowledge by the time the Integration took place . Of course , perhaps he shouldn’t be too surprised . Billy was ample evidence of the connection between the Tsarun Experiments and Earth . However , in his case the knowledge had clearly been lost , perhaps long ago .

I am sorry , I’m rambling . What I am trying to say is that there are no guarantees in this world . Man makes plans and heaven laughs . I know you’re thinking of going after the one who murdered my poor granddaughter and your sister , but I truly wish that you won’t , - Henry said .

What? - Zac said , a frown spreading across his face .

Mr . Trask and your sister are gone , and my granddaughter is no more . You’re the last human on this planet that can stand at the forefront , to protect us against what’s to come . There are other powerhouses , but they are ultimately not human . If you fall as well , then only death will await the rest of us when our grace period ends . Even if The Great Redeemer has forgotten about us , - Henry said . - The Integration is just the first trial . Next comes the Assimilation . -

Chapter 667 : Einherjar

Zac knew what Henry was talking about . The moment the grace period ended and its shroud was lifted , then Earth would most likely find itself inside the sphere of influence of some faction of the Zecia Sector . It could be within the borders of an interplanetary clan , or inside some empire like the Dravorak Dynasty or the Allbright Empire .

In either case , their appearance wouldn’t go unnoticed , and their treatment would largely depend on their strength and what kind of faction they were attached to . A new planet with prominent progenitors would probably get treated as promising elites to integrate into the fold , and the citizens would lead pretty carefree lives .

However , if the planet was just filled with wastrels , the reception would get a lot worse . Zac had read records where citizens of newly assimilated worlds were essentially turned into cannon-fodder for wars or had their home planets terraformed into factory worlds with a toxic atmosphere . The System wouldn't interfere if it was unsatisfied with the planet's performance .

The Assimilation would also bring some new challenges for its population , and the planet might even undergo some changes like gaining new Mystic Realms . Zac was generally confident about the situation , but it was possible that the System would add some sort of twist to the Assimilation since someone like him was the Planetary Leader of Earth .

Henry obviously wanted him to take a step back and stay on as a protective umbrella for humanity , to not take undue risks . Going after Leandra was obviously a goal fraught with danger . However , would Zac really back away against the challenge , or would he rise up as Emily wanted?

The very core of Zac’s being was set ablaze at the thought of letting things rest . It roared in defiance at the prospect of just moving on , to stay and continue to slowly accumulate on Earth . There was no way he would ever see Kenzie again that way , no way for him to mete out punishment . Every fiber of his body urged him was forward so that he would never have to feel this powerless again .

I understand where you're coming from , but I will never let this matter go , - Zac said with a shake of his head as a fire ignited in his eyes . - I will leave Earth very soon to temper myself . I’m not sure how long I will be gone . -

Alas , - Henry sighed as he turned back toward the stele , his back hunched even lower .

It will definitely take more than a hundred years before I can go after that cultivator though , and I will be here for the Assimilation . Unless I fall before that , - Zac said as he stepped onto the stairs . - Once again , I'm sorry for your loss . -

Zac quickly left the hidden room , his thoughts a whirl as he flashed toward the closest Teleportation Array . Hearing about the Marshall Clan’s origins had brought up some things he had pushed away until now .

The truth about his own heritage .

Leandra had all but admitted that he had been experimented on . Both his bloodline and his Specialty Core were something the Kayar-Elu , if that was his mother’s organization , had implanted in him . That also made it impossible for Robert Atwood to be his biological father . It didn’t come as a surprise to him by this point , but having it confirmed still hurt a bit .

Zac stepped onto the array , and he appeared back in Port Atwood moments later , this time at the entrance of his Cultivation Cave . He sent a stream of energy into the miniature Pagoda he always carried , which meant that Triv would come over as soon as it could .

Meanwhile , he took a deep breath and stabilized his mind as he walked inside and sat down . The pit of guilt and sorrow was still there , but there was also a burning ember of conviction . He had almost completely given in to despair after seeing how impossibly powerful his mother was , but meeting Emily and Henry shook him awake .

No matter if it took ten , fifty , or a million years , he’d get Kenzie back and avenge Thea . There was even the chance of bringing Thea back to life , though Zac honestly didn’t hold much hope in that regard . It felt like clinging to something like that was like a crutch that would sully her memory . If he managed to reach such a level , he’d definitely do it , but until then he wouldn’t delude himself about her situation .

But for now , he needed to get a move on if he ever wanted to have a chance to catch up . Zac fought with reluctance for a few minutes until he finally opened his status screen , something he had avoided until this point . All of it looked the same as before , except for one part .

Nexus Coins

D] 1 000 000

Zac blankly looked at the line in for a few moments , his mouth opening and closing upon realizing it was D-grade Nexus Coins he was looking at , not E-grade like he had before . One million D-grade Nexus Coins , what kind of wealth was that? Zac had managed to accumulate around 100 , 000 E-grade Nexus Coins in cash reserves before , mostly thanks to his sister’s lucrative business spilling over into his wallet .

One hundred thousand E-grade Nexus Coins were the equivalent of One hundred billion F-grade nexus coins , a massive fortune for most E-Grade cultivators . Yet all that wealth was just 0 . 1 D-grade Nexus Coin , so little that it didn’t even leave a dent on his updated status screen . Three years of accumulation as a Planetary Lord wasn’t anything but a rounding error in the presence of this terrifying amount of money .

His mind almost short-circuited , and he couldn’t help but question everything as he saw the number . Was there something he had misunderstood about Leandra Atwood? Why would she give him such a shocking sum of money? Was it just pocket-change to her , or perhaps a way to sever Karma? Why would she bankroll him if she knew that he would be gunning for her? Was she just that confident that he’d never catch up even after all he had accomplished until this point?

He couldn’t figure it out at all , and he could only close the Status screen with more questions plaguing his mind than before .

This amount of wealth opened all kinds of avenues for him , but Zac was still full of reluctance . That was essentially blood money in his book . Wouldn’t using it mean he somewhat accepted what took place two weeks ago? But he also couldn’t just throw that wealth away . He knew that cultivating as a mortal required shocking amounts of wealth . The E-grade was just the start . If he acted to uncompromising he might find himself stuck in a bottleneck , and how would he save Kenzie then?

Thankfully , a deathly gust dragged him out of his impasse as his ghost butler arrived .

Lord , I came as soon as you called . My condolences . Miss Marshall was a lovely girl , - the ghost said . - How about- -

No , - Zac said without hesitation . - I’m ambivalent as it is about doing it with my enemies . I won’t turn my allies unless they ask me to . Besides , there wasn’t even a body left . But speaking of , how is the Einherjar? -

They are improving every day . A few shows promise that would even be considered rare back in my Kingdom . Lady Vilari in particular keeps impressing . A body like hers would have caused a storm back home . She has already formed her first Dao Fragment , and she shows no indication of having exhausted her potential of the F-Grade . Only Rhuger is anywhere close . -

Good , - Zac slowly nodded . - Have Vilari come over tomorrow . I have something to give her . -

The Einherjar was a project Zac started in secret two years ago which only Kenzie and Triv knew about . The progress of the people of Earth had caused Zac some pressure , and he realized that he needed more powerful , and absolutely loyal , followers if he wanted to keep the situation on Earth stable while he was off-planet . That had become extra important now that he had lost both Kenzie and Thea .

Triv had provided him with the solution ; undead followers . It was something the ghost had been advocating since day one , and Zac eventually relented soon after returning from the Mystic Realm . However , he didn’t quite follow Triv’s suggestions and instead spent months looking for ways that undead naturally formed .

After all , the normal arrays and Lich methods looted from the Undead Incursion contained the hidden compulsions of the Primo , and Zac didn’t want to spend time and effort only to nurture a hostile army . Finally , he had found a way to create a purified cursed ground in one of the deathly hotspots on Earth . He had his sister set up a series of energy-gathering arrays , along with a few esoteric arrays that would help the awakening of the dead .

The solution hadn’t actually come from some of Adriel’s missives or Information Crystals bought from the Undead Empire , but rather the opposite . Their solution was found in a missive sold by the - Empire of Light - , a smaller empire in the Zecia Sector which had the misfortune of sharing galactic borders with the local chapter of the Undead Empire .

Unsurprisingly , their whole culture centered around defeating and eradicating the undead , and they had ample information about spotting undead infections and how to prevent Revenants from rising across battlefields rife with deathly energies . Zac and Kenzie had , with the somewhat reluctant help of Triv , managed to reverse-engineer the process through the warnings .

Zombies would essentially rise by themselves sooner or later as long as corpses were left in deathly energies strong enough . However , the key was to infuse them with a - seed of sapience - , which would help them awaken far quicker while also binding them to their progenitor . In Zac’s case , it meant infusing the arrays with his own black ichor to form a connection .

The hard work had finally paid off after a year , with the first of the Einherjar awakening .

As for the source of the bodies , Zac had ample supply . He had maintained the somewhat macabre habit of collecting the corpses of his enemies to avoid leaving behind traces , and they were piled high in his - Corpse Sack’ by the time he had dealt with all the threats to Earth .

This had resulted in quite a few powerful warriors under his command . Some standouts were Cervantes , or rather Rhuger as he called himself now , and Pika , Leviala’s new identity . Below them were roughly 50 stand-out Revenants mainly made up of Incursion Leaders and their generals , and then finally roughly two thousand general revenants .

There were also one hundred thousand zombies roaming the new continent as well , fighting the beasts to empower themselves . A few of them would awaken , while most would fall to the environment . These Zombies were different from those in the original Dead Zone , as those Zombies were all marked by the empire , whereas these new ones were marked by his ichor .

It was a bit of a wasteful method to have most zombies fight and kill to gain the energy necessary to reach E-grade race , but he simply didn’t have the resources to evolve their constitution with arrays or medicinal baths . He only used those kinds of materials on his best corpses . Besides , while this ruthless training method would result in fewer subjects , each of them would be a lot more powerful since they were forged through slaughter .

The Revenant with the most potential was neither Cervantes nor Leviala , but rather the unnamed mentalist he met in the Tower of Eternity . She was now called Vilari , and her mental abilities were simply dreadful , even making Zac feel some pressure .

Rhuger was still having trouble completely awakening his bloodline , which wasn’t surprising since Cervantes had worked on it for centuries . Regaining that kind of strength would take time and effort , and the body was , unfortunately , a bit too old for it to become a peak Revenant . As for Pika , her bloodline was pretty powerful , but she was after all still missing her eyes which was the core part of her power .

Meanwhile , Vilari held a potential that probably eclipsed both of the two Mystic Realm natives , and she was both young and in perfect condition . It was lucky that Vilari was completely loyal to him , as letting someone like her loose on Earth would spell disaster in a decade or two . Zac had great hopes for her , that she could become a pillar of Earth in the future .

But her potential was , unfortunately , being a bit wasted right now . Zac had therefore decided to give her a shot at the Crown of Despair-Inheritance . It did seem to be a mentalist inheritance , and Zac lacked any sort of foundation in that department apart from his Soul-Strengthening Manual .

He felt he was doing Vilari a disservice since he didn’t really have any insights or skills to provide her , but she would hopefully find something useful in the inheritance trial . The only reason he had been holding back until now was that the opportunities were limited , and there wasn’t a huge need to give her a power-up .

She will be happy to hear that , - Triv nodded before he asked with a hesitant voice . - About those two… What is your plan? -

I haven’t decided yet , - Zac sighed . - I still can’t believe they managed to cross the turbulent sea . -

The two Triv talked about were Krisko and Uyir , the man formerly known as Enigma . Of course , he was a Revenant now , and the husband of his Corpselord wife . The last living general of the Undead Incursion had mysteriously disappeared the moment the Incursion fell , and Enigma never returned to the Underworld Council .

Seeing as neither could be found , most had believed that the two fought and the battle ended with mutual destruction . However , it turned out that the truth was a bit more interesting . The two had battled , but they had ended up with grievous wounds rather than dying .

The battle had taken place inside the heart of the Dead Zone though , and even though the Lich King was dead and the incursion was gone , the Miasma was still extremely dense . It had seeped inside Enigma’s wounds , and he had quickly been converted to a Zombie even before he died . He had woken up as a supreme Zombie , and Krisko then helped him gain sapience over the following year .

They initially lived in the Dead Zone , but it quickly shrunk to the point that they feared they would be discovered . They somehow managed to find out about the second continent and its growing pockets of death and took the risk to cross the oceans , braving the chaotic storms and the massive sea beasts .

Unfortunately for them , they ran into the Einherjar and Zac who were out on a training mission just a few weeks after arriving at the unpopulated continent . Zac initially planned to simply execute them , but Triv had begged for Krisko’s life since she apparently had been good to him before .