Defiance of the Fall

He looked up and saw that the cloud was spread a bit further than he had hoped , and errant bolt kept slamming into the shield . He winced with every blast , as he knew that each time lightning struck the shield it cost him Nexus Crystals .

Good hustle , human - Ogras said as he approached with his trademark half-smile . - I didn’t expect the lightning punishment to be this intense . It might be because there’s a Nexus Vein beneath the island . -

Zac nodded and brought out a canteen of water that he poured over himself , the water cooling his singed body .

I’m not sure the crystals will last , - the demon then added with a low voice , his face turning somber . - The amount of lightning striking the shield is more than we expected . -

Are the rods ready? - Zac asked in response .

The demon nodded and waved toward the small wall , that now was adorned with five-meter tall metal spears jutting out at some intervals , leading down into the ground . It was lightning rods they had asked the blacksmith create in case the lightning got out of control .

Lower the power to the shield and it might last longer , - Zac sighed .

Ogras nodded and waved toward Janos , who still was managing the shield . He touched the large crystal ball and soon the shield dimmed somewhat .

Move away from the wall! - Ogras shouted , and people spread out some distance from the wall .

Even with weakened energy output the shield defended against most of the lightning bolts . Every now and then a crack was blasted open , letting a few slip through . Luckily they harmlessly entered the rods , who pushed the lightning down into the ground , until the shield repaired itself again . However , it was clear that each rod would only be able to take one or two of these magical bolts of lightning , as they partly melted from a strike .

They didn’t have to worry about the metallic wolves outside either , as they had been the focus of the lighting since the start due to their composition . They were quickly reduced to molten pools of metal on the ground outside .

Finally , the lightning bolts started to subside and the skies cleared up with noticeable speed . Zac and Ogras finally dared to exit the shield to look at the result . They quickly moved up to the mostly ruined wall and surveyed the battlefield . Even Ogras looked shocked by what they saw . The scene was like something taken out of a horror story . Thousands upon thousands of mangled and burned carcasses covered the ground , which by itself was burnt and pocked .

Zac was surprised to see that only one pillar of light remained in the distance . Had the Lightning Punishment even destroyed the portals? As if sensing that the offensive array’s onslaught had ended the last incursion started pulsing and out walked a humongous beast . It was the 720th beast wave , and it was the complete opposite of the last one . As soon as the monstrous wolf walked out of the portal it winked out of existence .

The wolf looked abyssal with six pitch-black eyes and a much too large maw . It actually gave Zac the same vibes as the demonic beasts he had fought so far on the island and he turned toward Ogras and found him looking pale .

E-Grade Fiendwolf , - Ogras exclaimed with some fear evident on his face .

From your homeworld? - Zac asked , as Ogras clearly recognized the monster .

No , but it lives within demon territory . They are extremely dangerous . Luckily there’s only one . Usually , they rove in large packs of thousands . Still , it’s going to be a tough fight . It’s evolved to E-rank , and possess at least one Dao Seed . -

The wolf started approaching and let out a demonic roar that echoed through the battlefield . The howl felt like a physical blow to Zac , and he saw that some bloody gashes actually appeared on Ogras who lost his balance .

The wolf swiped its claws toward the two , and even though there were two hundred meters between them Zac felt a terrifying sense of danger . He immediately grabbed the falling Ogras and unhesitantly jumped down from the wall .

As he landed he heard a swishing sound from above , and the next second the wall was simply blown away , cut into multiple pieces . A terrifying wave continued on and slammed into the shield , instantly destroying it .

Dao of Sharpness… - Zac muttered , convinced that it should be the Dao Seed he had been trying to gain for so long . He realized the wave of destruction from the sharp claws felt very familiar , and he was sure that it had the added feeling of the Dao of Sharpness he once sensed in his first vision .

It's too strong . E-Rankers are simply different from us unevolved . We should give this one up , human , - Ogras muttered as he spat out some gravel from his mouth .

But Zac paid him no heed , as he stood up and glared at the last Wolf who stood between him and his goals .

Chapter 92 - Fiend Wolf

The wolf obviously was able to do great damage from such a distance , so there was no point in hiding behind the wreckage of the walls . Zac didn’t have any more tools or arrays to take care of it , so he would have to finish this last wave by hand . He took out an axe and charged toward the beast with determination in his eyes .

The fiend wolf spotted him and with a mighty roar set of against him as well . As they approached each other the boss once more swiped with its claw making three edges rend a path toward him . In response Zac charged up five Chop] edges and launched them to meet the blades one by one .

The wolf’s attack demolished the first blade without being impeded in the slightest , and the following four blades didn’t fare much better . The five blades somewhat slowed down the attack and weakened it , but it was nowhere enough to stop it . It forced Zac to use his movement skill to dodge it , happy that at least his axe didn’t take damage from using the cosmic energy blades after they detached from the axe .

The attacks of the wolf were on a higher tier compared to his own , and he didn’t know whether it was due to the Dao of Sharpness or the power of the beast itself . He knew that evolving into an E-Grade class was supposed to give a huge power-boost , but he still felt he should be able to contend with his enormous stat boosts from his titles . Luckily his movement skill was great for dodging attacks , and he sidestepped the incoming strike .

Soon he was upon the beast , and it felt even more threatening this close . It was even larger compared to the huge rock wolves he fought some time ago , reaching over six meters in height . But that clearly wasn’t its only difference . The very air around it hummed with power , and he actually felt himself getting cut by innumerable air blades . Some small cuts even appeared on his body with his huge Endurance , so Zac knew that an unevolved human would be cut into ribbons by simply walking close to this monster .

It was the beast’s Dao Field . Ogras and Alyn had explained the magical effects of Dao in battle . For example when a warrior’s insight got deeper he could actually spread his Dao out into the vicinity , creating a field that empowered himself or hurt his enemy . An early-stage Seed was too weak for that though , meaning this wolf not only possessed the Seed of Sharpness , it was also an evolved version .

He moved underneath the monster , careful to avoid its long serrated claws that looked like they could bisect him in a second . He quickly summoned Chop] and swung at one of its hind-legs in an effort to chop it off . He had no wish to stay in this field too long , as he’d be slowly whittled down to just bones .

The five-meter edge slammed into the leg some ways above the knee and penetrated into the thick sinewy muscles . But the axe didn’t get far before it was stopped . Even with Zac’s monstrous power he couldn’t lop off its leg . The swing pushed the leg back , but soon the axe in his hands started to bend .

The standard-issue axe simply wasn’t good enough to cut through the monster , at least not without the aid of his Dao Seed or a stronger skill . Even odder , it was as though some force rebounded his energy , annihilating the cosmic energy he used in the swing , which nullified much of the effectiveness of the strike .

He threw away the ruined axe and brought out a new one , but the wolf wasn’t content just to let Zac scurry about underneath its stomach . It pushed away with extreme speed and repositioned itself so that it could bite or claw after him . It started to furiously swipe at Zac , who could only once again rely on his movement skill to move away .

It destroyed the ground all around him as the waves from the claws rent gashes as deep as Zac was tall , which stretched tens of meters away . The beast wasn’t using any skills , only the power of its body empowered with its Dao , and still the effect was even greater compared to when Zac used Chop] . Gravel and charred body parts of wolves were flying all over the area from the Fiend Wolf’s assault .

Zac tried to move closer to the beast but it held him at bay with its claws and huge maw , making it impossible to get around . He soon gave up and infused a Chop] with the Dao of Heaviness and furiously swung it at the claw to intercept it . The collision was enormous , and Zac was pushed twenty meters away , the axe in his hand completely destroyed .

The wolf wasn’t unscathed though , as it yelped and backed away a bit . Nothing was cut off , unfortunately , but the empowered strike at least broke some bones in its paws and perhaps destroyed some muscles . The Fiend Wolf obviously didn’t want to put any weight on the damaged paw even though it didn’t actually bleed .

The wolf only seemed to get even more enraged and the air started to distort around it . It furiously howled up in the air , then exploded into action . With a frenzied charge it ignored its hurt paw in order to close in on Zac , who once again was forced on the defensive . Zac’s cosmic energy was over halfway depleted even before starting the battle and he knew he couldn’t just keep dodging . Loamwalker] had an amazing effect , but it was his most draining skill .

Without seeing any alternative he pushed forward right after dodging a swing , moving straight toward the beast’s head . The maw of the monster was immediately upon him , rows of jagged teeth closing in . But just as the mouth was about to slam shut a green shimmering sheen enveloped Zac .

It was the defensive option of his clothing , something he hadn’t used apart from some experiments during the past month . As a top tier E-Grade equipment , the shield from his robe stopped the teeth in their tracks , even causing many of them to crack or break off .

The pain must have been blinding for the monster , as it howled in pain while its head jerked away by reflex . Zac saw his opportunity and charged up his Chop] with the Dao of Heaviness , and ruthlessly chopped at its exposed throat . The power of his swing was enormous , and he could actually hear some things in its throat breaking . He also managed to cut some ways into its throat , making a great deal of almost pitch black blood spurt out .

The power of the swing together with the Dao of Heaviness actually threw the huge monster over ten meters away , where it landed in a deep thud . The ground beneath Zac’s feet caved from the pressure , chippings flying in all directions .

Unfortunately the swing wasn’t enough , as the monster had no trouble getting back on its feet . It was frothing at its mouth in anger , and a deep growl incessantly escaped its mouth . But just as it got to its feet nine large spikes materialized around it from clouds of green shimmering gases . Zac’s sense for danger started tingling from just looking at the meter-long spikes , and he glanced around .

He saw Alea stand some distance away with a pale face , ready to keel over . Just as he saw her she closed her fist , and a penetrating screech erupted from the wolf . Zac quickly turned back and saw that the large spikes had penetrated deep into various parts of the beast’s body .

The wolf let out an enraged roar and furiously shook to remove the poisoned spikes from its body . However , they were firmly lodged into its body , and even with its thrashing they stayed inside . The wolf howled in anger and ignored Zac to swipe its front claw toward the demoness , who desperately scrambled away . The movements of the wolf were weird and twitchy after getting impaled , but it still was able to send those sharp edges out .

The nail-attack clearly used up all of her power as she stumbled around while she tried to avoid the incoming blades . Zac knew that should have been Alea’s ace in the hole , as he could barely draw blood with his huge swings , yet all nine of her spikes penetrated the tough hide .

The onslaught quickly became too much , and the edge of a swipe hit her shoulder , drawing a great spurt of blood . She had actually used some defensive option the last minute , but the attack immediately destroyed the cloud that formed in front of her . She yelled in pain but kept moving away from the wolf , but it wouldn’t have it .

Zac tried everything in his arsenal to stop the assault of the enraged wolf , wildly swinging his axe at it , but it seemed intent of bringing the poison master down . Apparently , those spikes hurt far more than anything else it had felt during the battle . It furiously gathered a great deal of cosmic energy in its claw and swung a huge arc after her when it saw that she was moving further away .

Zac saw that she wouldn’t be able to dodge it and unhesitantly moved in front of her with a few quick strides of Loamwalker] . He activated the second charge of his shield , once more enveloping him in the protective layer as he positioned himself in front of the demoness . The enormous wave of destruction approached , and Zac was punched back from the impact . But luckily the shield held even against this huge attack .

He managed to soak most of the damage that appeared , but the wave was simply too large . Some parts passed by him , and an errant streak of power swiped Alea , making her scream and topple over . A huge gash appeared on her clothes , and blood was immediately starting to pool beneath her . It looked like the strike almost completely bisected her .

As he saw his companion who got such a terrifying wound because she wanted to help him out , a blazing fury erupted in his mind and he charged toward the hurt wolf . The only thing in his rage-addled brain was the need to destroy the Fiend Wolf . Zac didn’t even notice that cosmic energy was gathering towards his head as he furiously charged toward the boss .

The wolf was in quite a bad condition from Zac’s swings and the poison , but it roused itself to intercept his strike . Just as it did tens of black spears rose up from the ground , striking various weak spots . A large spear whistled through the air and impaled its undamaged front leg , making it fall down again with a yelp . Zac didn’t care about any of that , and with a roar pushed off the ground , sailing through the air toward the monster .

While he jumped he gripped his axe with both hands and lifted it over his head . As he did an enormous edge over ten meters formed , thrumming with a sharp power . The edge was neither the pale blue as usual nor the darker shade from imbuing it with the Dao of Heaviness . It glistened with a silvery luster , and it looked that the very air itself was cut apart as Zac moved forward .

With a bestial roar he swung down the axe , infusing all his anger and cosmic energy into the strike . He completely cut the beast in two , instantly killing it . It didn’t end there though as the strike slammed into the ground , tearing a fifty-meter gash into the ground with a thundering sound . It was like a miniature version of the huge canyon created by the axe-man in Zac’s first vision .

Seeing the beast dead it was as though all power left Zac and he unceremoniously fell down after the strike . The last furious charge completely overtaxed him , and he was almost completely out of cosmic power . As he lay panting on the ground the shadows next to him flickered , and Ogras appeared through his movement skill .

A flash of fear filled his heart as he saw the ruthless demon stare down at him , but he only bent down to give him a hand .

Good hustle , -

I thought you were going to retreat , - Zac sighed tiredly with a glance at the demon .

I was just waiting for the right opportunity to tip the scales . My normal attacks wouldn’t be able to hurt it , so you needed to do the heavy lifting , - the demon answered with a half-smile .

Zac knew the demon probably only hid in the shadows until he saw an opportunity to kill the Fiend Wolf . If it didn’t appear he would have receded into the darkness and left without so much as a goodbye . Still , he knew the demon was under no obligation to risk his life for him , so he wouldn’t comment on the flakiness .

Normally , this would be the time to celebrate with the first horde defeated , but he quickly remembered himself and ran toward the demoness who was still bleeding out .

Chapter 93 - Verun's Bite

Zac was overlooking the reconstruction and cleanup taking place around the battlefield . There weren’t many demon’s working , but they were efficient . Ogras had already taken most back to the mines to refill the stocks of Crystals for the next horde . The demon only gave his underlings one day of rest before work resumed .

There was only twelve days before the next stage of the quest started , and they needed to get ready . Luckily Zac wasn’t needed for any heavy lifting , as people didn’t need any strength to throw boulders into Cosmic Sacks .

Satisfied with the progress he turned around and headed toward the crystal that contained the temporary Contribution Shop . It stood roughly halfway between his camper and the battlefield , and when he arrived multiple demons were milling about , likely looking over their options in the store . Everyone had accrued a decent amount of contribution points over the past weeks , and there were quite a few products inside that could help them in various ways .

When they saw Zac arrive they made some room for him and nodded with respect . The demons respected the strong and Zac’s feats over the past weeks left a deep impression on them , especially the last battle with the fiend wolf . There had been a few that held strong grudges against him , mostly because of Zac having killed a family member or friend when the two camps were still at war .

But Zac knew that Ogras and Namys secretly made these malcontents have - accidents - during the wolf-horde to quell any unrest or disharmony . He felt it was a bit overkill , but he wasn’t about to complain to Ogras about such a detail . He knew he’d likely have failed the quest unless he had the demon’s help .

It was clear to Zac after having gone through the quest that it wasn’t meant for a lone warrior like him . A Lord was expected to have subjects , and perhaps even an army to assist in this type of battle . He felt extremely lucky that things worked out somewhat with the demons so far , otherwise he’d be forced to give up on his island after all this struggle . Zac realized that his alliance with the demons was only a fragile cooperation based on benefits , but it was better than nothing .

When he came within a few meters from the crystal a screen automatically popped up , containing both a Ranking list and a shop . A quick glance showed he possessed roughly 45 million contribution points . It seemed he received a full five million of those for killing the Fiend Wolf , as he had just below 40 million before that fight . Generally , the contribution points awarded were on a 1 : 1 ratio to the Nexus Coins he gained , with the exceptions of the wave leaders giving a substantial bonus above that .

The 45 million points placed him in the comfortable lead of the ladder , but the others were no slouches other . Ogras held a stable second spot with 24 million points . The former general held the lead until halfway through the waves , at which point Zac eclipsed him . It was a combination of his pathways slowly healing , allowing him to use his area skills more , and that Zac’s power leveling started to give an advantage .

Ogras grumbled quite a bit about it , but he could only helplessly watch himself get overtaken . He had tried to buy the Fruit of Ascension in order to get a power-up , but immediately got shut down by Zac . Ogras wasn’t too disappointed about it though , as there actually was one for sale in the shop for only 50 million contribution points .

While gaining contribution points was roughly the same as Nexus Coins , the prices were far cheaper . He’d never be able to buy a Fruit of Ascension with 50 million Nexus Coins , not even ten times that . Since he already got 24 million in the first wave he shouldn’t have any problems getting the last bit before the quest was over .

Zac was looking at something else entirely ; Verun’s Bite] . It was an axe that cost a whopping 40 million contribution points . It was called an F-Grade Spiritual Tool] , and Zac wasn’t sure whether it was worth it at first . But after asking around he found out that Spiritual Tools were not the same things as F-Grade equipment or weapons , it was a far more valuable thing .

Spiritual Tools possessed an actual soul , and could almost be considered a living being . Only the most talented Blacksmiths could create them , and only using the best materials . They held a power level far above a normal weapon and even had their own skills . They also had the basic functions such as sharpening and repair as well , making them a great long-term companion .

What made them an even better investment was that they could be evolved if you gathered the right materials for it , making it a great weapon to use even after ranking up . Even Ogras’ grandfather still used an E-Grade Spiritual tool he had nurtured for almost a thousand years according to Ogras . It was one of the only three E-Grade Spiritual tools in the whole clan , as far as Ogras knew at least , showing how precious they were .

A great weapon was something Zac really wanted , as it was one of his current shortcomings . Very few demons used axes as a weapon of choice , as it was generally considered a brute’s tool . Only a few of the lower-tier soldiers used it , so there were no better axes than the military standard issue on the island .

With Zac’s current power his weapons couldn’t really keep up . He was forced to cycle various weapons as they couldn’t withstand the force he utilized nowadays , and it hampered his efficiency . There were a few other interesting things in the shop , such as skills and other gear , but the axe was the most interesting for him . He initially considered taking the fruit so he had one for both his father and sister , but he reluctantly gave up that idea .

First of all , he needed to focus on strengthening himself at the moment , and he didn’t want to create any new reasons for Ogras to conspire against him . He felt that the two of them had forged somewhat of a friendship over the past month , and he didn’t want to mess things up with two more waves on the way . He wouldn’t lower his guard against the demon though , as it was far too soon for that .

Besides , he knew that he didn’t have to worry about the demon suddenly evolving and becoming too strong to control , as there were still the restrictions on the invaders that would stay on for some time .

He also considered buying some of the skills to power up , but also decided to hold off on that . The analysis by the demons was that the skills were actually of high quality , differing from those in the Nexus Node . Those were actually - overpriced garbage - as Ogras put it , and Zac could only agree after hearing the difference between his Eye of Discernment] and the skill Ogras used . In the end , he felt a real weapon would be a better immediate power-up .

Besides , there was another reason he didn’t feel the need to buy a new skill right now . He once again brought up his status window before making the purchase .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

50

Class

Hatchetman (F)

Race

Human (E)

Alignment

Human (Earth)

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - Early , Seed of Trees - Early , Seed of Sharpness - Early

Strength

257

Dexterity

139

Endurance

173

Vitality

113

Intelligence

69

Wisdom

57

Luck

77

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

21 510 103

His stats were becoming more and more monstrous , with even endurance getting close to his original attribute cap . His dexterity was getting up there as well , partly thanks to his third Dao Seed .

Seed of Sharpness - +10 Dexterity , +5 Intelligence]

The seed also pushed him up to the fourth spot on the Dao-Ranking , and he was still surprised that he still wasn’t first with a full three seeds .

He opened up the quest screen next and looked at the reason for not feeling the need to buy any skills at the moment .

Active Quests

Dynamic Quests

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect town from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : 5 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , outpost upgraded to town , status upgraded to Lord . (1/3) 12 : 17 : 45 : 16]

Class Quests

Nature's Many Faces (Class) : Decapitate 10 000 enemies - OR - Plant 10 000 trees . Reward : Nature's Punishment - OR - Nature's Nurturing Skill . (0/10 000) - (0/10 000)

It was the first time he saw a branching quest . He immediately decided to go for Nature’s Punishment rather than Nature’s Nurturing as soon as he saw the options , even though he only could finish Nature’s Nurturing right now . The choice reminded him of his musings about his Dao seeds . He currently trod both the path of destruction through his offensive seeds , and the path of life or nature with his Tree-seed .

The choices in the quest did the same . He currently was like a walking cockroach with his monstrous attributes , so he’d go with the offensive skill Nature’s Punishment . From the sound of the other name , he guessed that it was a healing skill , or something that had something to do with plants .

Neither of those options sounded like something he needed right now , while a stronger offensive skill than Chop] was something he would really benefit from . Chop] was still great against hordes of monsters , but against strong singular enemies its effect was limited .

He closed the screen and hesitating no further bought Verun’s Bite] . An elaborate large box appeared next to him , and he immediately put it into his Cosmic Pouch without opening it . He knew these demons would eventually find out what he bought in battle , but for now he felt no need to spread rumors .

With a nod he left the demons to their business and walked toward the hastily erected town close-by . The settlement consisted of mostly tents with a few rudimentary buildings peppered in , and was the temporary living space for the demons during the quest .

He entered one of the larger structures and looked around . It was the infirmary , and it was thankfully only half-filled . The effect of Vitality was generally that something either killed you , or you bounced back in a week or two at most . Apparently , it was different at higher levels though , where the skills could contain weird energies and Daos that impeded recovery .

Alea was lying at a bed in the corner , pale but breathing steadily . Zac felt some sourness as he watched the red bandages that wrapped around her . She had become a comforting presence to him over the weeks , although he wouldn’t call it love . To see her lying here because her desire to help him against the Fiend Wolf caused some guilt in his heart , and his desire to get powerful only got stronger .

How is she? - Zac asked the physician making rounds between the beds .

She’s stable . Due to her… interests , she has focused on Vitality which is now helping her immensely , - the young man answered with some disgust on his face . Clearly , he didn’t approve of her dabbling with poison , which in a sense was the opposite of his occupation .

Zac only nodded and fished out a small vial from his Cosmic Sack .

Will this improve her condition? - He said as he opened the stopper , letting an earthy scent waft out . It was a healing pill he bought at Calrin’s for a full 2 500 000 Nexus Coins before coming here . Normally warriors kept it as a last resort type of thing , as it was too expensive to use as one pleased . But Zac didn’t hesitate to cough up the coins .

The man looked at the pill inside with some greed in his eyes but quickly remembering himself nodded his head . Zac handed it over and watch him gingerly feed it to her , using some skill to make her swallow and absorb it in her sleep . The effect was immediate and obvious , as some color appeared on her face and her breaths became deeper .

It’s helping , but she will stay asleep for some time , - the physician noted .

Zac nodded and left after observing her for some more time . Next , he found Ogras and told him that he didn’t want to be disturbed for the next few days unless it was something important . He headed back to his camper and sat down with a grunt .

First , he took out the large box and dripped a drop of his blood on his new axe to establish a connection . He would normally try it out a bit , but there was something he was even more eager to do at this moment so he put the axe back into his pouch .

Next , he took out another vial out of his pouch and looked at the pill inside . It was a deep blue with some shimmering white spots , glistening very beautifully . The pill was actually called Rivers of Cosmos] and was something Zac commissioned from Calrin the first time they met . The price tag was far more expensive than he expected , reaching 7 500 000 Nexus Coins , but its effect was also amazing . Not only would it help heal his pathways , but it would also somewhat stabilize them and make them more resilient .

His pathways were mostly healed by now , and even if he left it alone he might get better soon . But he refused to spend any more time mindlessly staying in the mines . He had things to do . He immediately swallowed the pill , and just sat down cross-legged and let the medicine do its thing . A soothing sensation soon spread through his body , like his veins were filled with clear spring water .

The healing process took a full day , and after he inspected the result he was more than happy . The Cosmic Energy that he naturally absorbed for restoration flooded his body at a pace that was far and above anything he ever felt before . He wasn’t sure whether it was because of the experience in the pond or just from evolving to E-Rank Race , but it was at least three to four times the speed from before .

After almost two months holding himself back he finally felt confident enough to start using tools and crystals to restore himself . He thought he might have been able to do it sometime earlier as his pathways were in pretty decent condition lately , but neither Ogras nor the physician really knew too much about his condition . He decided to not do anything rash and wait until he was completely sure .

Next , he took out his small box of E-Grade Nexus Crystals and immediately started to absorb it . A huge surge of pristine energy entered his body . It was on a completely other level compared to the F-Grade Crystals . If the F-Graded crystals was a water faucet , then this was a waterfall of energy that poured into his body . Still , he didn’t feel any discomfort from the deluge of power coursing through his pathways .

The energy was completely tame and quickly added itself to him , and he felt how he steadily climbed toward level 51 . The amount of energy required for a level was immense by now , but it only took 12 hours for him to reach it . He kept absorbing throughout the day , but was interrupted by the sound of a bell on the morning the second day . He opened his eyes , and with a frown looked toward the source of the sound . But as soon as he saw his guests his eyebrows rose in surprise .

As Zac suspected he saw Ogras , but with him was Rahm , the Creator liaison . Zac quickly invited them through the array and asked what was going on .

A boat of humans arrived at our docks 20 minutes ago , and they are at present being detained . -

Chapter 94 - Humans

Megan glared at their captors as she was stomping around in fury . Something was clearly wrong in the head with these people , as they silently stood like zombies with a blank stare in their eyes . The only time they moved was when she or someone else tried to leave the pier they stood on . They even blocked access to the ship , stopping them from leaving .

The only reason things hadn’t come to blows was the polite man from earlier who said that he would fetch the so-called lord of the island . Megan already disliked this mysterious person , what kind of jack-ass named himself a lord? She decided that he would get a proper lesson in manners when he arrived .

Of course she knew that her anger was simply a coping mechanism . The last months had been like something out of a horror story . She and her friends were in Vietnam on vacation when the apocalypse came , just as they were visiting a fisherman’s village . Suddenly they found themselves stuck on some island with a group of fishermen who barely spoke any English . Two of her friends had also simply vanished into thin air , and she still didn’t know what happened to them .

The shocking changes were only the first trouble that appeared . The animals on the island slowly turned insane , and they grew way too large . In the beginning they could fight them off , which was how they learned about levels . But the monsters grew too strong too fast . Hundreds of rats as large as Labradors charging their small village was what broke the camel’s back , forcing them to set out to sea on one of the dingy fishermen’s vessels .

It was a risk , as two boats had already set out without coming back , their situation still unknown . But those rats simply tore through anything and they were extremely aggressive . Mr . Trang saved their lives by fending them off while they started the boat , and he still wasn’t recovered from his wounds as he sat down nervously on the pier .

Finally she saw movement in the distance as three men were walking toward them . One was the polite man from earlier , but he walked back to his house after bowing to the other two . One was a completely bald man who looked like a monk , while the last one looked extremely weird , with greyish skin and almost white hair . He even wore some odd crown on his head with horns jutting out . Megan was feeling pretty confident that he was the so-called lord .

She was getting ready to blast off a salvo of vitriol at the two , but as the duo closed in her flame of rage snuffed out like a weak candle in a storm . Something about the monk forced her attention on him . It was as though she was facing a mountain as he approached . Every step he took was like a sledgehammer hitting her , and she felt suffocated from just being in his presence .

Most of the other castaways were faring even worse , as they backed away with pale faces . Some even knelt down on the floor , unable to stand in front of the monk’s towering aura . The pressure was so all-consuming that Megan only noticed that the grey man wasn’t actually wearing a crown when he was right in front of her . She was looking on a bonafide demon from mythology , and her terror only intensified .

What kind of monsters inhabited this island?

Control your aura human , you will kill these weaklings , - Ogras said with a subdued voice .

Zac started before quickly taking control of the energy naturally coursing through his body , making sure that nothing leaked . He had forgotten about that lesson from Alyn after spending time with the demons for so long . As a warrior got stronger their presence intensified as well , and if the discrepancy in power was too large it could even be considered a weapon . It wasn’t something like the Dao Field , rather just an effect of beings in different stages of existence . There wasn’t any point in controlling his presence among the demons , as most of them were actually higher level than himself and immune to its effects . But against low-level individuals with weak willpower he might actually be harmful .

The fact that these humans were ready to keel over was quite telling about their power . Zac quickly used his Eye of Discernment] on the twelve people and to his surprise , the highest leveled person was only level 21 .

Pathetic , - was the only comment from Ogras who obviously performed the same type of scan , and Zac had to agree . How could people survive with such low power? If these humans were representative of the average population then Earth was well and truly doomed . His image of the outside world was maybe skewed from looking at the ladder which only showed the powerhouses . Maybe the average humans were as weak as these people who probably couldn’t even kill a barghest .

Ahem… Welcome to Port Atwood . I’m Zac . What brings you here? - Zac tentatively asked , unsure how to proceed from here .

The group only stared fearfully at the two , no one daring to step forward . Zac was starting to think that his language skill wasn’t working with the humans until a thought struck him and he turned his companion .

You’re scaring them , go away , - Zac said , making a shooing motion .

Yeah I’m the problem , why don’t you blast off your Daos as well while you’re at it? - Ogras retorted with a roll of his eyes , but he walked some distance away and picked out a chair from his pouch . Next he took out a piece of fruit and started eating while pointedly ignoring the humans . The Creators also took this as a signal their work was done and wordlessly headed toward the huge warehouse .

It seemed to calm the people down somewhat to be left alone , but they still looked very warily at Zac . Finally , a woman who was the second strongest in the group stepped forward . The strongest person was actually an old Asian man sitting down , clearly still nursing some old wounds . That revelation only lowered Zac’s opinion of the youths in the group , letting an old man stand on the front line while they cowered behind .

I’m Megan . We’re from an island two days’ sailing from here . Um… what’s going on with your friend? - she said as she fearfully glanced at the demon loitering in the distance .

That’s Ogras . He lives on my island . -

That answer seemed to only make the group more fearful , but Zac couldn’t be bothered to explain any further . Going into the demon’s origins would be too troublesome , and Zac and Ogras long ago decided that they were going to pretend the demons were natives who were brought here during the integration . That little lie should hide the fact that there had been an incursion here , and that the demons were actually invaders . At least for a while .

Young man , how come I can understand you? I don’t believe you are speaking Vietnamese , - the old man sitting on the pier said with a weak voice .

Zac willed the screen for the language skill into being , making it hover in front of the group .

It is a skill I have that allows me to understand and be understood when speaking with anyone , - he answered .

Skills , what’s that? - the girl called Megan asked as she looked at the screen in wonder .

That question made Zac realize that these people were even worse off than him during his first months on the island . They obviously had no idea about many aspects of the System , not even knowing about skills . He realized he only knew about skills because of Abby and the Nexus Node where he bought Eye of Discernment] .

He was lucky in a sense that an incursion spawned on top of him . If he didn’t get to build an outpost he would have been as ignorant as these people , fumbling around in the dark . The first time they came in contact with skills would be at level 25 when they got their class . If they could even attain a class on a deserted island .

You still haven’t explained why you people are here , - Zac said as he ignored the question .

The animals became crazy on our island . They kept growing and even the rats were as dangerous as wolves in the end! We couldn’t stay anymore , so we left to find a safer place . After two days at sea we saw your harbor and thought that there might be a town here , - the girl explained .

We’re from Chicago . Is there an airport close? Have you had any contact with the government? Why hasn’t there been any rescue operations? . -

The girl kept peppering Zac with questions , giving him a headache .

The governments have likely fallen . You should have heard the voice in the beginning . The world has been integrated into the multi-verse , Earth got fused with a few other planets and everything got mixed together , - Zac sighed .

The castaways looked ready to explode from that declaration , but a voice cut through the mounting chaos .

Can we stay here , young man? There is safety in numbers - .

It was the old fisherman . The 3 other Asian men looked at Zac with some hope , whereas the Caucasians looked confused , prompting Zac to translate the question .

Mr . Trang is right , there’s safety in numbers! We have become quite strong over the past months , and were only forced to leave the island due to the huge number of rats! - one of the young men said .

The proclamation elicited a derisive guffaw from Ogras in the distance . He obviously was listening in on the conversation using some skill , and he looked very entertained .

Zac pondered what to do about the small group . It wasn’t really any problem to let them onto the island as they didn’t lack food or water . But there also were many secrets on the island , things that he didn’t want to make public to the world . Besides , he wasn’t sure that letting them stay was doing them any favors , with the next beast wave coming in less than two weeks .

You can’t let them leave . This place can’t be discovered yet , there are too many treasures here , so you need to solidify your position as Lord first . You either need to kill them or let them stay on the island , - Ogras’ voice could be heard from the shadows .

What if they leave and they tell the story of the island with demons and superpowered humans? People will rightly think that there’s some secrets on this island and set sail in search of treasure , - the demon continued . He used some sort of skill that projected his voice from a distance , and it didn’t seem that the other people could hear him at all .

Zac sighed as he knew that putting them back on the ship was out of the question now . Ogras would likely sink it with a shadow spear the moment it left the pier in order to protect his interests . Besides , he agreed with his points . He wanted to turn this island into a true sanctuary for those close to him and didn’t want random people to come here for some sort of treasure hunt .

You can stay here . But you should know that this island is likely far more dangerous than your old home , - Zac said after some deliberation . - We don’t need freeloaders . You will have to work to earn your keep . There are some areas that are off-limits on the island , and this shipyard is one of them . I’ll show you the way to the town . -

When told that this place wasn’t safe as well the group started to hesitate . But the old fisherman got to his feet with a grunt and unhesitantly followed Zac who turned to leave . The other fishermen followed suit , and soon the Caucasian youths followed as well .

Zac saw Ogras flash over and put the boat in his pouch , which caused some alarm and shock to the refugees , but he only said a few comforting words and continued on . As they walked some way the people started to find their courage and started pelting Zac with various questions . The asked about everything from what amenities the island had , to how the system worked and the situation of humanity .

These people were thirsting to know what was going on , just like Zac was before he finally got things explained by Alyn and Abby . He tried to answer as much as possible , but by the time they arrived at the tent-town , he was thoroughly tired of answering questions .

The refugees were dismayed to see that the whole population were demons , and two actually tried to run away in panic . Zac could only sigh and flash over with Loamwalker] , and carry the struggling people back . It took some time to settle the refugees , and Zac couldn’t be bothered with them anymore afterward . He pawned them off to Alyn and Zakarith , who both had the language skills that could help them acclimatize . He also had a few warriors keep an eye on them just in case they tried something stupid .

Zac held mixed emotions as he walked away from the inquisitive group . It almost felt like he was robbed of something from the encounter . One of his largest wishes over the past months was to reunite with humanity , but he didn’t expect it to be like this . A group of listless people who barely scraped by the past months . Obviously none of them had left the safety of their village overly much . Otherwise , they’d be at a higher level by now .

His own countrymen were the worst . They clearly were mainly concerned about their own well-being , focusing on questions such as food and lodging for themselves . None of them asked of how they could help or listed things they could do for a town . The fishermen mostly kept quiet after a few questions about humanity . Zac had hoped that his first encounter with humans would finally allow him to get some news about the state of the world , but it looked like he needed to switch back to his original plan .

He informed Ogras of what he was about to do , and the demon seemed to think that it was truly foolish . Zac didn’t care . Almost four months had already passed since the world changed , and it felt like ants were crawling all over his body by now .

He opened up the Town Shop interface as soon as he arrived at the spot designated by the city planners and unhesitantly bought an E-Grade Teleportation Array] for 10 000 000 Nexus Coins . A new interface opened up , and his heart sped up when he saw that there actually was a destination available .

Winterleaf Village . Public . Fee : 0 Nexus Coins]

After making sure he had everything he needed in his Cosmos Sack he took out a hooded cape that covered his elaborate clothing and a pair of leather shoes that one of the craftsmen made for him . Ogras told him that it was easy to see that his gear was valuable , and something provided by the System , and since he didn’t want trouble he simply covered it up . Next he set his own Teleportation Array to private in order to make sure only he could use it . He didn’t want anyone using it either to teleport in or out while he was gone .

Finally done , he gazed around at the island that had been his home , and prison , for four months . With a sense of trepidation and excitement he stepped on the engravings on the floor with determination in his eyes .

With a flash of light , he was gone .

Chapter 95 - Winterleaf Village

Selas sighed as he stood in front of the teleporter , waiting alongside the rest of the village leaders . His nerves were fraying , as he didn’t know what would step through the magical inscriptions . As Leader of the Hunt he had always been in charge of protection of the village , even before the Great Fall , but it was different now .

Everything kept changing , and as an old huntsman it was getting increasingly difficult to keep up . Gone were the paths that he and his ancestors had walked through the mountains , the songs detailing the hunting grounds all but irrelevant by now . In just a few years he should have retired to teaching the art of the hunt to the next generation , but now he was stuck as some castellan of the town .

When the fall arrived he found himself transported to a fantastical world with some of his village members . Determined to keep the youths safe against the twisted challenges of the System he pushed himself beyond what he knew was possible , and from his struggle he was rewarded with a Nexus Node . But even with all his effort he couldn’t keep everyone safe , as many of his villagers perished , one of them his son Winterleaf .

Not even allowed to properly mourn the death of his progeny he was instantly pushed into one desperate situation after another since he was returned to his village . Even now the village was teetering on the brink of ruin despite everyone’s efforts .

It was their tree whisperer who came up with their current gambit after using his Soothsayer class’ limited skill . He said that salvation would come through the light , and urged the town to pool their Nexus Coins to build this teleporter . But as the days passed and nothing happened anger and unrest started to build against the elder .

There were even rumblings about putting the elder in house arrest for the time being . Ten Million Nexus Coins was a huge amount , and could have bought weapons , armor , and precious herbs at the store . Many felt that they should have made a last stand before the beast using everything at their disposal instead .

That all changed when the teleporter blazed into life , its inscriptions lighting up by themselves . Selas had barely managed to gather the elders when he got the notification that a new teleportation point was added before it blazed to life , indicating that someone was already coming over .

Selas stood with his spear at the ready , staring at the light that shone with increasing intensity . Behind him stood his hunting party at the ready to protect the villagers against whatever came through that gate .

Whether it would be salvation or damnation was still to be determined .

Zac only felt darkness for a bit over a minute before he once again gained his sight back . The first thing he noticed was that the climate was clearly different , with an autumn chill in the air . Next he glanced around and found himself placed in the middle of a village square . The buildings were foreign to him though , being medieval but not of some style that he recognized .

Soon he understood why , as a group of people approached . Zac’s heartbeat sped up in alarm when he saw that it wasn’t actually humans that greeted him . Did he teleport himself into an incursion? Ogras and the crystal both said that invading forces couldn’t build teleporters since the System wanted to limit their expansion , but perhaps they were wrong .

The humanoids that closed in on him made him think that they were a mix of humans and animals . They seemed to have normal hands and feet , but they also possessed clear animalistic features .

They wore simple but seemingly high-quality gear , and carried various weapons , mostly spears and bows . Most of their exposed skin was covered in a brown or white fur , sometimes mottled with spots . They had large black eyes , and a normal face and a mouth . Their ears somewhat resembled those of an elf’s though . His assessment was that these beings were a seventy-thirty mix of a human and a fawn .

They didn’t look frail though , as even the fur couldn’t hide their sturdy frames and muscles . They also carried themselves with the grace of warriors , and these people were clearly different from the hapless humans he encountered earlier . The group stopped some distance from him , and they simply stood staring at each other for a few seconds .

It’s one of the hairless monkeys , what do we do? - Zac heard one of the fawnmen mutter .

Onyx , you learned some of their words in the tutorial , right? Greet him , - another one said as he prodded one of the females in the group .

That made Zac relax somewhat . If these people had been in the tutorial together with humans then they shouldn’t be invaders . It looked like when Earth got mashed together with other planets new civilizations were added after all .

She hesitantly looked at the leader of the group , a middle-aged man holding an intricately carved spear with a long line of leather bands attached , and took a step forward after an encouraging nod from him .

H-Hello human , - she stuttered , but before she continued Zac smiled and spoke back . At least he thought he smiled since it almost felt like he had forgotten how to do it by now .

Hello . No need for a translator , I understand your words , - he said .

The group looked a bit surprised , but not overly so .

Welcome to Winterleaf village human , I am Selas , castellan of this town , - the middle-aged warrior said . - May I ask what brings you here? -

Our town is located in an extremely isolated area , and we couldn’t find a single person nearby . So we bought a teleportation array in hopes of finding other humans , - Zac answered .

It wasn’t exactly his reason as he bought the teleporter in order to start looking for his hometown during the downtime of the quest . He finally had the resources and the time to put his plan into motion , and even though the expense was high he felt it worth it . If he ran out of Nexus Coins he would simply extort some of the demons , as they all made a fortune from his monster horde quest .

I am sorry , but what… are you people? - Zac tentatively followed up , unsure how to properly frame such a question .

You must really have been isolated if you haven’t met any of the Ishiate so far . We might be the most populous species apart from you humans on this new world of ours , - Selas answered with some surprise . - Please join us in our town hall . Meeting of new friends is always a joyous occasion . I can fill you in on the area as we walk . -

Zac nodded after some hesitation and followed them . His guard was up though , ready to bring out Verun’s Bite] at moment’s notice . These people were real cultivators who had done the so-called tutorial . Even Ogras didn’t know exactly what benefits you could get in there , but from all accounts they were substantial . He knew his level likely was far above everyone here , but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t pose a threat . They might have received bonus attributes , titles or extraordinary skills in the tutorial , things that could even out the odds .

Winterleaf village is built upon the remnants of our ancestral home before the fall . We were lucky at least to retain most of our structures . Many towns in the area were pushed together into a confusing mess by the System , which severely harmed their cooperation . It’s thanks to our unity that so many of our clan members are still alive , even with the changes constantly testing us . -

Zac’s heartbeat sped up as he finally was starting to get some information about the world . His words painted a somber picture , but he was mentally prepared that there would be widespread death and tragedy . Even if no incursion was nearby he knew that just the wildlife would create problems .

Are there any human settlements in the area? - Zac asked . That was the priority . He still didn’t have a picture of just how the reshuffling of the world worked , but perhaps humans had already started to map the locations of their old towns . They still should have technology such as aircrafts that they could use to scout , even though such tools didn’t provide experience when killing monsters .

The closest one is a four-day journey from here . We don’t have any contact with them though as that place is chaotic and dangerous . No offense , - the hunter answered .

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

The settlement is run by a man named Roger . He has set himself up as a warlord and rules with an iron fist . Mutilated corpses adorn his walls at all times , and he is known to have kidnapped many women . He even tried to kidnap a few female Ishiate , but stopped after furious revenge from us .

Still , he is very strong with a few powerful followers , so no one in the area dares to escalate the conflict with them . We keep our distance and put patrols to make sure that they don’t approach , and luckily they keep to themselves mostly , - the beastkin answered solemnly .

Zac was disappointed when he heard the news . He would have to check things out himself to make sure , but he leaned toward believing the humanoid . Since the beginning of the apocalypse he knew that some people would use the fall of order as an excuse to live out their twisted fantasies . That someone wanted to play emperor sounded not only believable , but expected .

He asked a few more questions as he walked alongside the beastmen toward a large structure . As he looked around he didn’t see many structures that stood out . The only building he recognized was the F-Grade General Store] that the system provided . He didn’t sense any arrays gathering energy in the area either , and the ambient cosmic energy was actually far lower here compared to how it was on his island .

He hadn’t realized how large the difference was from living on top of a so-called Nexus Vein , but his island must seem like a paradise to cultivators . Even better were the mountains , which finally were starting to become habitable again as the poison was mostly cleared out . He reaffirmed his decision to keep his portal closed until at least his beast horde quest was completed and his position as lord was solidified .

As he walked he got more and more confused as to how they could afford the huge expense of the Teleportation Array . Zac only was able to afford it due to the nexus mine and monster horde gave him an absurd amount of Nexus Coins .

But from what he had seen so far nothing really made these people stand out . Certainly , the village were decent sized , and quite a few of these fawn-people he looked like adept warriors . But unless they recently found some extremely valuable treasure they must have collected much of their wealth to construct it .

It didn’t take long after they sat down at a round table that he found out the reason behind its construction .

I am not used to small talk , so I will immediately get to the point Zac . The reason we spent most of our resources on the Teleportation Array was that we’re in desperate need of assistance . -

Chapter 96 - Terror of the Mountains

Assistance? - Zac asked skeptically .

As you know wildlife is quickly changing . A beast has appeared in the mountains , and we fear it will evolve soon if left alone . It has started hunting citizens of Winterleaf Village and the neighboring settlements . In the beginning it was just for food , but lately it seems it hunts us for Cosmic Energy judging by the numbers it’s killed . The people are unable or unwilling to join us in fighting it .

Most of the other citizens in neighboring settlements feel they can simply leave the forests if it gets too dangerous . But this is our ancestral home , we can’t just abandon it . That’s why we pooled our resources in order to find new allies through the teleportation array , - Selas said , with multiple eyes staring hopefully at Zac .

If the monster is causing trouble for your town , why don’t you buy protective arrays? - Zac questioned . A beast evolving seemed troublesome , but they could just trap it with an array and then throw something like a Thunder Punishment at it . Zac doubted even the Fiend Wolf would survive if it got stuck in the middle of that crazy lightning barrage . For the money they spent on a teleportation array they could have blasted even Zac to kingdom come .

The townspeople glanced confused at their leader who only looked a bit depressed .

Unfortunately my achievements in the tutorial weren’t enough to unlock those items . I have a quest to unlock it , but it is far outside the scope of what Winterleaf village can handle at the moment , much more difficult than simply killing the beast , - he explained .

Zac was surprised but careful to not let anything show on his face . He had no idea that different Nexus Nodes possessed a different collection of options . It wasn’t anything Ogras or the others mentioned either . He thought that the System was uncharacteristically generous by allowing him to buy things such as the Thunder Punishment and the arrays . But perhaps it was because of his achievements . It was either that or the fact that he gained his town by defeating an incursion instead of getting it in the tutorial .

He sighed and looked around the table . He could sympathize with these people , but he was not some savior who had time to go around and save the villages . His goal was simple , find his hometown and his family . It was already a daunting enough task without making detours all the time . He was about to reject their request for assistance , but a window popping up stopped him in his tracks .

New Active Quest : Monster hunt (Normal) : Slay the beast in the mountains . No assistance allowed . Reward : F-Grade Automatic Map] (0/1)]

This development surprised him . Was anyone simply able to give out quests? But it didn’t look like it was something the people around the table did , as they were simply looking at him hopefully . He guessed that it likely was the System which wanted to force him to fight the beast .

The beast is not only a threat to us , but to all the settlements in the area , both Ishiate and human lives are at stake , - another person added , taking Zac’s silence as hesitation .

Have you heard about something called an Automatic Map? - Zac suddenly asked , confusing the people at the table who looked at each other .

I know! - one of the younger people suddenly piped up . - I heard about it in the Tutorial . It’s a spiritual map that shows the area around you almost no matter where you are . It marks any settlements and towns on itself . The better the grade the more detailed it is , and the larger area it covers . -

Zac started to get eager , as this was something that would be really useful for him in his travels . He felt a bit helpless that the System once again dangled something he needed in front of his nose , but was starting to feel that was simply how it operated . Unless the rewards were tempting enough many wouldn’t risk their lives .

What type of animal is it? - Zac probed .

It is a mutated Mink . It is around three meters long and extremely aggressive . We have tried to kill it but it's extremely nimble . It sneaks into the towns at night and kills until it is discovered , and is gone before we can mount an effective counter , - Selas answered with a sigh .

And it's level? -

Last time it was spotted it was level 68 . That was five days ago . It might have gained a level or two since , as it levels up quite quickly - .

Zac mulled over what to do . The animal sounded strong , but not overly so . He possessed his new weapon and the Seed of Sharpness which increased his lethality quite a bit against solo enemies . The monster wasn’t evolved either , and wouldn’t be anywhere as strong as the Fiend Wolf he fought recently . But it wasn’t some weakling if multiple villages couldn’t kill it , and he needed to solo kill it to receive the map .

The deer-people thought Zac’s silence was an expression of hesitance , and Selas added some incentives .

Of course we don’t expect you to do this for free . I gained two spots to the worldwide treasure hunt in three months during the tutorial . I am willing to cede one of those spots to your town if you decide to help us , - the leader added with a serious face .

Treasure hunt? - Zac asked confused .

It is a limited event the System arranges seven months after the fall , where participants will be teleported to some unknown area like with the tutorial . It was possible to gain entrance tokens to the event during the tutorial , but it was notoriously hard , - the leader explained , and couldn’t help but straighten his back as he did . - It contains various valuables , from gear to herbs . There’s even limited titles available inside from what the pixies said . -

Can anyone go? - Zac asked interested , as it sounded like a pretty amazing opportunity . He was ahead of the curve in terms of power , and there likely weren’t many places on Earth where he could keep his empowerment going . This event sounded like a good opportunity that normally wouldn’t have anything to do with him since he wasn’t a cultivator .

Anyone can go as long as one is a native of this planet and has an entrance token . I believe it will be the first gathering of the elites of all the races . -

The slot was something he would definitely want . He should be able to sell it for a great sum even if he didn’t end up using it . The map itself was reason enough for him to fight the super-mink , and this was a great bonus . Still , he wouldn’t jump into it blindly and asked some more questions about the monster . Finally satisfied he was ready to set out , not wanting to waste any more time .

Ok , deal . Lead me to its den , - Zac said as he stood up .

However , none of the beastmen stood up , and instead glanced at each other doubtfully .

We… um… appreciate your enthusiasm , but killing this beast will take the cooperation and planning of a few villages . We are not ready to challenge it from our end , - the old huntsman said with some hesitation .

I need to observe its habitat and hopefully its power personally to report back home , otherwise they will not send man-power here through the portal , - Zac decided to lie . It felt like too much of a bother to convince the group that he was powerful enough to do this alone .

Still , no one seemed ready to set out and just looked down with troubled faces . Finally Selas sighed and stood up .

I will lead you to its habitat . But beware , it is extremely fast . If it targets us I will only be able to protect myself , if even that , - he said . It looked like many of the other beastmen in the meeting were about to protest , but he silenced them with a wave of his hands .

Give me ten minutes and we will set out - .

Soon the two walked along a path in the forest , heading toward one of the mountains in the vicinity . It was believed the mink lived by a river that ran through the mountain , claiming the area as its habitat .

As they walked Zac learned various things of interest . The history of the Ishiate was quite interesting . Apparently , their society was on the cusp of industrialization when they got integrated into the multi-verse along with Earth . However , their society held nature in high regard and even saw the forests and mountains as their gods .

It caused a schism between those who chose to live as one with nature and those who embraced technological progress . Conflict was common lately between the two camps , one trying to stop the desecration of their gods , the other trying to move their race forward . The Winterleaf village was part of the former group , consisting mainly of simple hunters and foragers . Zac believed that this lifestyle likely helped them survive far better in this new reality than the average people of earth .

He also learned that apart from humans and the beastmen there was at least one more race that got thrown into the mix . However , Selas didn’t know much about them as he had never seen them himself . From the description they sounded like humanoid insects , and they kept to themselves . They made no contact with the other two races from what the hunter knew , and they were extremely territorial . Anything that came close to their hives was met with furious and unrelenting violence .

There also wasn’t any incursion in the vicinity , and Selas had only heard about their existence from the lessons in the tutorial . That gave Zac some hope that they weren’t peppered across the globe , so his hometown could very well be in a more peaceful area as well . If he had to choose between the wildlife and the organized forces of the incursions as an enemy , he’d pick the stupid beasts every time .

He also tried asking some questions about the tutorial , but Selas clearly grew suspicions from the questions . Zac didn’t want to broadcast the fact that he , or his - faction - , didn’t know anything about the tutorial , and could only put those questions aside for the moment . Soon they arrived at the foot of the mountains and could see the river cutting a path through it .

We really shouldn’t venture further in than this my friend . There have been multiple reports about the beast in this area , and it could pop up at any moment as long as we walk along the river . -

Zac nodded and took out his Verun’s Bite] from his pouch . This was the second time he properly glanced at it .

The axe was slightly larger compared to the military axes of the demons , and the adjective that would best describe it was primal . It had a large almost straight edge that ran roughly 40 centimeters long , moving some ways alongside the handle . The metal of the head looked worn , with multiple scratches and imperfections . However , Zac knew that the edge was razor sharp after testing it out a bit before .

On top of the head there were grisly teeth of some unknown beast embedded that were blackened and serrated . The same type of teeth were fastened at the bottom of the slightly uneven handle . The handle itself was made of some wood , and almost fully wrapped in coarse leather . All in all , it looked like something Zac imagined an Orc war-chief would use , and it even emitted an air of danger .

Selas backed away warily as he saw Zac arm himself .

What are you doing human? You can’t possibly be… -

I am heading in . Please do not follow me . Anyone that approaches me during battle will be considered an enemy , and I will attack , - Zac said as he unleashed his presence .

The hunter was clearly shocked by the terrifying force that suddenly was gushing out of Zac , as he further backed away . After making sure that the Ishiate wasn’t following he simply nodded and headed toward the river , each step moving him over five meters away .

Soon he was walking alongside the water , carefully on the lookout for any type of domicile like a cavern . The beast was quite large and it shouldn’t be too hard to find as long as it stayed somewhere close to the river .

A tingling of danger made him instinctually swing his left hand back as he moved his head sideways . The punch resulted in a deep thud and Zac was actually pushed forward a bit as he heard a pained yelp . He quickly turned around and saw that his target had found him instead .

The huge mink stood a few meters away from him , a bit hesitant now that its ambush failed . Zac wouldn’t give up this opportunity and quickly charged up Chop] while swinging down his weapon . The teeth fastened on the axe possessed a magical effect , making it almost sound as the axe growled as it ripped through the air .

The mink was elusive and it felt like it didn’t contain a single bone in its body as it dodged the swing , jumping between outcroppings along the rock wall . Zac grunted and copied five large edges to his axe . The new cosmic energy blades looked a bit different now that they copied Verun’s Bite] instead of the old blade .

In almost impossibly quick manner he threw out the five blades , both trying to hit the animal and any places where it could try to dodge . Their distance wasn’t too large , and five blades each five meters long covered a huge area , cutting off all paths of retreat for the beast . It managed dodge four of the blades , but the fifth slammed into its front leg , cutting a deep gash .

With a pained screech it fell down toward the ground , and Zac immediately used Loamwalker] . As the beast was falling down , an axe imbued with the Dao of Sharpness rose to meet it . And like that the terror of the area was slain .

Chapter 97 - Freedom

Zac looked down at the slain beast , very satisfied with his new axe . The swing almost fully decapitated the monster , and he swiftly cut the last pieces off with another swing , bringing the progress in his class quest to 1 . He realized that he didn’t really need to use Dao of Sharpness on an enemy of this level , his new axe alone was sharp enough on its own .

Since it was only an F-grade item he had been afraid it wouldn’t be too strong in the beginning even though it was a Spiritual Tool . But he quickly realized that he was worried about nothing . Its edge was far sharper compared to his old axes , and it had no problem accommodating his power .

As Zac looked down on the weapon he was surprised to see that the mink’s blood wasn’t dripping off the weapon , but rather got absorbed . He already knew from before that Spiritual Tools needed to absorb various materials to evolve , but he didn’t expect one of them to be blood . Unfortunately , the axe didn’t come with an instruction manual of what it wanted , and Zac could only try various things .

He already knew that it didn’t want Nexus Crystals , which was sort of a relief . After some hesitation he broke off an incisor from the animal and pushed them toward the teeth on the axe , but nothing happened . It looked like he wouldn’t have to go around ripping teeth out of his foes like some demented dentist to feed the Spiritual Tool .

Next Zac started looking around the area for anything that looked valuable since Ogras said that strong beasts sometimes built their nests close to some natural treasures , as living in its vicinity would help the beast grow faster . Since the beast was clearly stronger compared to other monsters in the area there should be something of value here .

As he looked around he was once again astounded by the amount of cosmic energy his body naturally absorbed now . It almost felt like a torrent entered his body to restore his missing energy . He would have to ask around later about whether that was due to reaching E-rank Race , or if it was due to something else .

Even after looking for an hour he couldn’t find any treasure , and he could only return with a frown . It appeared that his high Luck couldn’t help him out in every scenario . Zac was soon back at where he left the deer-human and found him still fretfully walking about , seemingly unable to decide whether he should follow or go back . As he saw Zac approach he sighed in relief and approached .

My friend! It is good that you are okay . Luckily it seems the beast was awa- - he said , but his words got stuck in his throat as Zac took out the carcass of the beast from his pouch and let it fall down on the ground with a deep thud . Next he took out the decapitated head and placed it to the side of the body .

This should be the mink you were talking about , - Zac simply said .

The Ishiate hunter blankly stared at the carcass lying in front of him .

You can take the head as evidence if you wish . Can you help me skin it? - The fur of the monster was extremely soft and luxurious , and it’d be a waste to leave it . But with his self-taught skills he was afraid he’d ruin it . Normally he’d want to take the meat as well , as the stronger the beast was the more delicious its meat would often be . However , it seemed that this monster had eaten quite a few humans and beastmen , so it felt pretty disgusting to eat its meat by now .

Ah? Yes , certainly! - the hunter said and quickly got to work after grabbing a skinning knife from a pouch on his back .

May I ask . . Is that a Cosmos Sack you’re using? - he tentatively asked as he glanced at Zac .

Yes , why? - Zac asked . Selas shouldn’t have actually seen the pouch as it was fastened to his girdle beneath his cloak , but there obviously weren’t many ways that one could make a huge corpse appear from nowhere .

Do you have any more? Winterleaf Village would love to buy one , we’d offer a competitive price . -

I only have one with me at the moment . But I’ll see what I can do next time I pass by , - Zac answered , not wanting to commit . He did have a couple of them lying around at his camp since looting them from the demons , and there were quite a few of them waiting up on the mountain tops . But he wasn’t sure whether selling them was a good idea or not .

What about the entrance token to the event? - Zac asked . He already received the map immediately after killing the beast , but there were still rewards to reap .

Selas once again reached into the sack on his back , and took out a smaller pouch . He opened and inside were two tokens . They appeared to be made out of stone and were almost as large as a palm . Zac immediately saw that these things were something made by the System , as the tell-tale fractals completely covered them .

Zac fiddled with his token a bit before he imbued it with cosmic energy and a stream of energy entered his mind . He could quickly discern that this was the real deal , and the only thing needed to enter this so-called treasure hunt was this badge . As long as it was in your possession when the event started you would be teleported there . There was no ownership or restrictions at all , making the item a hot potato .

He wasn’t worried for himself , as he felt that there were very few people who were able to snatch something out of his hands . But his eyes turned to Selas , who tensed up from the glare . But soon he resumed working his knife on the carcass .

Please keep it a secret you got it from me . Very few people know it's in my possession and it needs to stay that way for the safety of Winterleaf Village . -

Zac simply nodded and said no more . Soon the beast was skinned , and Selas held up the large pelt .

It’s done , but it needs to be properly treated as well , - the hunter said .

Could you help me with that as well? I need to visit the human settlement before I head back to my hometown . I will be back to your village in a few days , -

Of course . Their town is that way , - Selas answered and pointed east . - I would say be careful , but I feel that it is not you who’s in danger , - he added as he glanced at the large head next to him .

Zac wryly smiled and turned to leave .

Oh and Zac? Thank you , - he heard from behind , and only answered with a wave . There were obviously multiple meanings to those two words .

As Zac walked he sighed slightly and shook his head . The hunter was clearly afraid that Zac would kill him to take the second token as well . And Zac knew that many might have done just that . Zac didn’t even consider it , as he had no real use for another token . Even if he quickly found his sister it wasn’t something that he would want her to possess .

Just owning it meant having a bullseye on one’s back . And even if you survived and went there , the competition would likely be extreme . The most powerful and ruthless people gathered at one spot , competing for great treasures? It would likely make the battle at the monkey mountain seem like a day at the spa .

He wasn’t too keen on going himself , and certainly wouldn’t send someone he loved there . Of course , he also knew that going there might be the best opportunity to get a real sense of the situation in the world and get some power-ups . If people from all over the world gathered , someone might even be from his hometown .

Becoming the strongest or whatever wasn’t really his goal , and he simply fought to survive so far . He hoped that his visit to the human settlement would give him some answers to what was going on . If not he would try again next month . He only had a few days to spare , after all , and needed to get back to Port Atwood sooner or later .

As he walked he took in a fresh breath of air . It finally felt like he had some control over his actions after months battling . He constantly found himself pushed into one situation after another , putting him in a constant reactive state . But now he had full freedom , at least for a few days . The fact that he would have to get back soon ruined the mood a bit for him , but at least for now he relished the feeling of just adventuring .

He took out a crystal from his pouch as he walked and imbued it with some energy . A window opened up with a rough map inside . It was black and white and didn’t contain a lot of detail , but it did cover a large area and marked the towns . He saw Winterleaf Village the closest , and he currently was heading toward Fort Roger .

Both of the towns had crystals next to the name , and after some confusion , he realized it meant that they probably possessed Nexus Nodes or Nexus Stations . Nexus Stations were lesser versions of the Nexus Node that gave access to the class system , but needed quests to unlock the town management systems .

Apparently there were differences between the nodes as well , where he got a throng of options , whereas most of the towns only got the bare essentials . Nexus Stations were extremely common though from what Alyn told him , which made sense as people needed to get their classes somehow . Alyn didn’t explain how they appeared , as they generally had been around for thousands upon thousands of years on their home planet .

That Winterleaf Village possessed a real Nexus Node was clear to Zac , but he doubted that anyone in the surrounding towns knew that . At least not for now . From his impression of the small village , he felt that they weren’t careful enough . They really lucked out that Zac , and not someone else , walked through that portal .

Zac hadn’t inspected anyone out of politeness , but he never felt any sense of danger from any one of them , meaning that they shouldn’t have been too strong . Of course , they were strong enough to both get a Nexus Node and gather enough money for a Teleportation Array , so they were no slouches either .

They were even open about possessing the entrance tokens before they even knew him , which seemed crazy to Zac . He had a feeling that unless they wisened up they’d end up in dire straits . Possessing too many valuables was a crime in troubled times after all . If it was the old him Zac wouldn’t have felt anything was wrong , but Ogras had started to rub off on him .

Zac kept walking , and out of habit started using Axe Mastery] . It felt like the trajectories were slightly changed to accommodate for his new weapon , making Zac once again marvel over the skill . It was also the first time he properly used the skill since it reached Late mastery , and as he expected it better incorporated his Dao Seeds into the mix .

What surprised him was that it actually even incorporated the Dao of Trees . Until now that Dao Seed remained unused in battle , but the guidance system showed him its usage . Every now and then it told him to imbue his free hand with it as he used it for grabs or blocks . Zac wasn’t sure what the exact use was , perhaps except that it improved the resilience of his arm , enabling him almost to use it as a shield . However , he still felt that a low mastery seed was too weak for that kind of usage at the moment .

Zac kept moving throughout the day and the next , unceasingly using his skill . It was almost addicting to be able to once again use Nexus Crystals to restore his missing energy , especially now that it apparently only took a fifth of the time to absorb the energy contained in an F-Grade Crystal .

The hunter said that the town was four days away , but with Zac’s huge attributes and speed it went far quicker . Finally , he reached his destination , Fort Roger . And as he looked upon the ramshackle town with its weak fortifications he felt that the description of Selas didn’t do the town justice .

It was much worse .

Chapter 98 - Fort Roger

It would be more appropriate to call the wall that ran around the small town a large fence . It consisted of trees with their edge sharpened , and was between three and five meters tall , as the length of the poles weren’t uniform . There even were some holes in the wall due to uneven placement , giving enough room for a person to sneak through .

The town was located right on the edge of the forest , with large trees giving way to expansive fields . The fields might actually have been farmland-before , as they were flat and he thought he spotted a tractor . But the fields were in complete disrepair , overgrown with weeds and unmanned .

With the new energy in the atmosphere anything would grow faster compared to before , and Zac felt it was very telling about the town that they didn’t utilize such a prime source of food . They would only have to clean up the fields and throw some seeds in there , and they would have grain in no time . But he saw no-one even try it .

There was a path leading to an actual gate that Zac stepped out on as he walked the last distance . He didn’t plan on sneaking into the town and didn’t want to alarm them . He also slowed down his speed to normal walking from his Attribute-empowered movement .

As he closed in on the wall he saw there were two corpses hanging from the wall , one on each side of the gate . It was a man and a woman , both in their thirties or forties . It was hard to tell since they obviously were tortured before they were killed . Attached to their feet were plaques that simply said - TRAITOR’ .

Zac was starting to hesitate whether to actually enter this place , but he knew there weren’t many alternatives . There was another town on the Automatic Map , but it would take at least another two days to get there . With his return back to the portal he would barely make it in time for the next wave , and that was barring there were no unexpected incidents on the way . After making sure his odd clothing wasn’t visible through his worn cloak he started walking . As he approached the gates two guards perked up and warily glared at him .

Stop! Why are you here? - one of them gruffly asked .

I’m traveling to find my hometown , - Zac simply answered . There should be lots of people like him who weren’t at home when the world got integrated , forcing them to travel to find their way back home .

Pfft , another idiot looking to be eaten by the beasts , - the guard said and the other one snickered in derision .

Five Nexus Crystals to enter . If you don’t have it you can fuck right off . -

Zac was a bit surprised they used Nexus Crystals rather than Nexus Coins as a currency . Then again Nexus Coins were only usable in System-affiliated stores , whereas Nexus Crystals were not only used for currency , they could also make you stronger .

Zac pretended to look troubled , but reached inside his cape and pretended to grope around while he took out five crystals from his Cosmos Sack . He handed them over to the guard who quickly put them in a backpack .

Is there somewhere to get a drink? - Zac asked .

The guards were a bit more amenable now that they got paid , and Zac didn’t care whether the entrance fee was real or not .

There’s a bar down the main road , The Royal Oak , - the guard answered with a wave .

Zac nodded and headed into the town . He only took a few steps before he stopped , as a wall of stench slammed into him . It wasn’t to the level of the imp camps in the tunnels , but it was bad . The town was obviously human , likely from America or the UK as the worn signs were in English .

But four months into the apocalypse the whole town looked ready to collapse under the weight of its own filth . Piles of dirt were thrown into the alleys , and disgusting streams of mystery liquid ran along the pavement . He even saw a corpse lying in an alley , halfway buried under the filth . Zac was infinitely happy that he had decided to put his shoes on , as he’d almost puked at the prospect of stepping on the ground here .

Clearly there was no such thing as sanitation in Fort Roger . People just threw garbage wherever . There were few people on the streets , and they looked worn and malnourished . Zac decided to use Eye of Discernment] on a few of the stragglers and was shocked to see that many were below level 5 . There even were a few that still puttered around at level 1 . He wasn’t sure exactly how much experience was needed to gain levels in the beginning , as he essentially started at level 16 , but he couldn’t imagine it was a lot .

These people were likely mortals just like him . But different from Zac they had simply stayed within this disgusting town since the integration , afraid to venture out . Zac couldn’t imagine that these people would have a happy ending in a world of cultivators and local tyrants . The rule of law was gone , replaced by the creed - might makes right’ .

He didn’t know why , but he actually felt some disdain for these hapless people . He knew that it would be weird to expect people to rush out into the forests to risk their lives fighting animals . But for people to just give up , like these people clearly had , felt like a joke .

They could work together to kill some weaker beasts , and slowly but gradually gain the power that would allow them to feed and protect themselves . They would also get Nexus Coins for the kills , which could be turned into Nexus Crystals at any System-run shop . They could even just do some work for Nexus Coins and use that to purchase crystals .

Zac resisted the urge to grab these people and shake some sense into them and instead kept going . He was planning on heading straight for the bar , but something caught his eye . It was a large electronics store , now used by a few people to loiter around . There was no electricity so none of the TVs were turned on , but Zac simply ignored the people and headed into the warehouse in the back .

He found the box containing one of the larger flatscreens and simply threw it into his pouch after making sure no one was in sight . Next , he took a video player and boxes and boxes of movies . It was mainly for Alea , who liked watching movies just like Ogras . But Zac was interested in whether they could actually make some money from these things like Ogras hinted , so he took some technology with him back home .

Finally , most of his pouch was stocked up with electronics and movies , and he headed on toward the bar . He wasn’t looking for a drink , but simply to sit down and ask some questions . Soon he arrived at The Royal Oak and saw it was an old Irish Pub . It actually looked like it was in decent shape , with a clean storefront and no garbage piling up around the structure . Clearly there was a proprietor who still had some sense of pride .

He walked inside and saw that the interior was just as he expected . The only difference between this and all other classical pubs he had visited through the years was that instead of normal lights there were candles burning on the tables . Zac already expected it , but it looked like there was no electricity in the town .

He had guessed that things like power , internet , and water supply would be essentially gone with the integration , as the randomization of the world would ruin the network of tubes and cables that had been built over the years . Perhaps there would be some lucky areas that were right next to a water power plant or a farm of windmills or solar panels that might be okay , but most would likely have to do without electricity .

The bar was largely empty apart from a few tables . Everyone kept to themselves , and the conversations were kept at a low volume .

A new face I see , - Zac heard and turned toward a portly middle-aged man who likely was the proprietor .

He stood behind the bar which he was cleaning with a rag , looking very much the part . The man was British from the sound of it , and it looked like this town was truly from somewhere in England , as it was the same with the guards .

Zac walked over and sat down on a barstool in front of him .

What can I get for you? - the man asked , looking neither excited or bored .

Information , - Zac simply said as he placed a few crystals on the counter in front of the bartender .

The barkeep’s eyes slightly widened , and he quickly swiped up the crystals with the rag , quickly hiding them from view .

You better be careful of flaunting your wealth young man , - the bartender said with a serious face . - You’re obviously new to town so I’ll warn you to not stick out . Safety isn’t one of the strong points of Fort Roger . -

I understand . I have been traveling looking for my hometown , and need some information . I need to know if a pattern how the world was reshuffled has been found , - Zac spoke with a low voice .

Have you been hiding under a rock all this time? Well , in any case , it’s all random from what I’ve heard . I’m from northern England , but the next town over is mainly American . No one knows what’s going on . From what I understand a few governments are working together trying to get order back , but I’ll believe it when I see it , - the man said with a scoff . - How are they going to enforce order when people suddenly are able to shoot fireballs and run around like supermen? Never thought Armageddon would look like this . -

Zac sighed at the answer . He at least hoped there was some discernible pattern to the randomization , but it seemed it was too much to ask for . At least the governments were trying to get things under control . He somewhat agreed with the bartender’s assessment , but the information also provided some hope .

Perhaps the government had some means to map out the world . Maybe there were satellites still in orbit , or at least they could communicate by radio . There were many emergency contingencies in place in case of war or the like . Obviously , nothing could have prepared the countries for the System arriving , but they might have figured some things out by now .

Is this town under the British government? - he asked , hoping to get in touch with an official .

Pah , what government? This town is run by Roger , a cultivator . Most towns don’t have any affiliation to any government , they are just run by whoever has the biggest fist , - the barkeep said with a low voice . - However , a town called Fairfield is a week’s journey from here . I haven’t gone myself due to the danger , but I hear that it’s quite a large town . And supposedly there are some government people from the United States there , they might know more .

You were quite generous , so I’ll warn you . You should probably leave here sooner than later . Travelers usually have a tough time here , - he said as he made an almost indiscernible nod with his head toward a few of the tables .

Why are people still here? This place looks a bit… - Zac said as he hesitated how to finish the sentence , but the Bartender understood what he meant and sighed .

The road to Fairfield has large packs of monsters above level 20 , very few dares to go that way without pushing through with a car . There’s also talk of even stronger pack leaders roving about . But Roger has most of the cars and all the petrol , so it’s better to stay here and eke out a living . -

Zac was about to ask something else , but a loud ruckus outside interrupted him . A loud crash and a few angry roars bled into the bar , whose customers slightly perked up . A young girl’s scream came next and the bartender sighed again with sadness in his eyes .

It looks like they found her - .

Found who? - Zac asked curiously .

You should have seen the two bodies out on the gate? The scream probably came from their daughter , - the bartender answered with some disgust on his face as he continued with a low voice . - Roger took a liking to the young girl , but the parents tried to sneak her out of the town . Truly a miserable family . -

Zac’s eyebrows scrunched together , somewhat unsure of what to do . He wasn’t some hero saving the damsel in distress . But could he just watch these things happen with a clean conscience , knowing he could help?

It didn’t take long for him to decide . He couldn’t save the world , but he at least he could save this girl , and only pray someone would do the same for his family in case it came to that . He got to his feet and turned toward the door . The bartender tried to signal him to stop , but he only answered with a wave as he walked toward the ruckus .

Chapter 99 - Emily

As Zac stepped out of the bar he saw that there was already a small crowd gathering . After a quick glance it was clear that no one was there to help , but rather to watch a show . All the noise came from three grimy looking men who cornered a kid .

The men all had somewhat matching clothes , with a large uneven R-patch sewn to their chest . It looked like the leader of the town truly wanted to set himself up as a medieval lord , already making his underlings wear a crest . Zac shook his head and looked toward the inner part of the town where another wall was erected . That should be the residence of this Roger and his cronies .

One of the men was bleeding freely from his head and the glass shards on the ground around him explained what happened .

You little BITCH! After Roger gets tired of you I’ll fucking feed you to the dogs! - the bleeding man roared at their cornered prey .

It took Zac a few seconds to realize that the kid was actually a small girl somewhere in her teens . She wore wretched-looking rags for clothes , and her face was caked in dirt apart from a few tear streaks drawing clear lines in her face . Even her hair was in a mess , and it looked like she or someone else had randomly cut most off it of with a knife .

The teenager was holding the remains of a bottle as a weapon , and ferociously stared at the three men . The outlook didn’t look good as all two of them took out daggers as they approached her while the last man stood at the ready . Zac sighed and used Eye of Discernment] on the group , and saw that the girl was named Emily .

She didn’t even have a level yet , which meant that she was too young to start using the System . The other three were around level 15 to 17 , weaklings in Zac’s eyes but perhaps strong according to the level of this town . Certainly , for a young girl without any powers it was a futile struggle .

WHO IS SPYING ON US? - the third man without a knife roared as he glared in Zac’s direction .

Zac rolled his eyes as he stepped out from the group of people . He really needed to get a better inspection skill . Anyone with Intelligence above 15 points would be able to sense his scan , above 30 and they’d know it was him . Apparently the homeless-looking man actually focused intelligence , which was a bit surprising .

Wanting to play the hero? Or maybe you just want her for yourself , eh? In either case you better fuck right off , - the bleeding man said .

Zac shook his head as he wondered how people could devolve to this stage after just a few months . Was the laws and fear of punishment the only thing that held some people back before the integration?

You better turn back right now- - one of the men said , but threw his dagger at Zac’s head mid-sentence in an attempt to ambush him .

Zac couldn’t even be bothered to respond as he simply caught the dagger mid-air as he released his aura . Screams of panic immediately erupted as the onlookers frenetically tried to back away . He held the knife in his hand , still unsure of how to act .

Don’t move or I’ll kill the brat! - one of the men said as he grabbed the girl who had lost focus due to Zac’s aura . He was deathly pale and his whole body was shaking in horror as he maniacally stared at Zac .

Zac frowned and threw the dagger with a quick motion . It tore through the air and punched into the head of the man holding the girl hostage . The force of the throw was so great that his head burst like a watermelon , instantly killing him .

Next Zac took out one of his regular axes from his pouch and charged up a Chop] . The other two ruffians didn’t even have time to react or scream out before two headless corpses fell down on the ground . A large tear was rent through a house as well from Zac’s lightning-quick swings , and it looked like it would collapse at any second .

Zac walked over to the girl who now was drenched in the man’s blood . She still had the bottle in her hand , and though she looked scared at Zac she didn’t flinch . Zac’s impression of this girl was far better compared to the castaways on his island .

Let’s go , - was the only thing he said to her as he controlled his aura and turned toward the central area of Fort Roger . But he only had time to take three steps before the bartender stopped him .

Wait , young man! I understand you’re angry , but please don’t do anything drastic . If you kill Roger and his henchmen then most of the people in this town will perish from the animals . -

That made Zac stop in his tracks , and after some hesitation , he turned around and started walking toward the gate instead with some sadness in his eyes .

There wasn’t anything left to do here . Information in a hovel like this was limited , and he’d have to travel to Fairfield in order to find out more . This Roger fellow might know more , but he had a feeling that going to visit him would only result in battle and more death .

He wasn’t sure how to deal with people like Roger . Obviously they were scum , but they were also the ones who kept civilians safe just as the bartender said . There were even level 1 wastrels still surviving to this date in Fort Roger , and that was mostly thanks to Roger .

In his anger he hadn’t thought about the consequences , but he wasn’t ready to support this whole town . He just had no way to migrate a whole town through the forest and through the teleporter in time before the next wave started . And it wasn’t like he could afford it in any case , since each activation cost a bunch of Nexus Crystals .

It wouldn’t help to build his own teleporter here for the same reason , not that he was ready to waste that many crystals on these people even if he could . The wolf waves had tapped almost all his remaining crystals , and he wasn’t about to spend another 10 million nexus coin on a teleporter . He needed that money to ready himself for the second wave .

He learned from Selas during their walk that villages regularly were beset by beasts . It wasn’t to the point of his own beast waves , but there could be hundreds of frenzied animals who heedlessly charged at the villages . Selas believed it was the work of the System , and Zac agreed .

But still , leaving like this gave a bad taste in his mouth and his monstrous aura once again flared out . He turned back around and supercharged another cosmic energy edge , bringing it to over ten meters . With an echoing roar he unleashed the edge right toward the inner wall in the distance .

As it traveled it destroyed the paved road , creating a huge scar that ran right through the village . It smashed through the rudimentary gate , leaving only wood chippings in its wake . Finally when the blade was only twenty meters away from the mansion the blade winked out of existence .

Deliver this message to Roger . I will return through this area shortly , and if I find him still acting like some wanna-be warlord I will judge him and all his henchmen . Let my strike be the reminder , - Zac said with a loud voice empowered with cosmic energy . His huge aura was still billowing out , forcing people to back away or down on their knees , and the visage of his swing would likely follow these townspeople for the rest of their lives .

All the villagers of Fort Roger quickly got out of the way as he once again retracted his aura and walked away . Their faces were white with terror and they didn’t even dare to look up . Some shuffling from behind told him that the girl decided to follow him .

Soon they were at the gate with Emily’s parents being hung up . And for the first time , he heard the girl speak up .

Please… please help me take them down , - a weak voice came from behind him , and he turned around to see tears pooling up in her eyes .

Zac worldlessly started to charge Chop] again , preparing to cut down the two .

HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! - one of the guards shouted and ran toward Zac .

With the bartender’s words echoing in his mind Zac felt no need to keep killing , and only lightly slapped the man to knock him unconscious . The other guards only fearfully stared in the distance , not daring to approach .

He charged up Chop] to a five-meter edge , and with two lightning-quick swings the whole part of the wall that held the two bodies was cut down . Zac freed the two corpses , simply ripping apart the chains that held them . Then with a nod toward the girl he walked toward the forest with the two bodies under his arms .

The remaining guards mutely stared at Zac’s back and the ruined gate , unsure what to do . Soon one of them ran toward the large mansion on the other side of the town .

After a few minutes of walking Zac felt confident that no one was planning on following them so he placed the two bodies down on the ground then put them into his Cosmos Sack .

What did you do?! - The girl asked aghast , seeing the bodies of her parents simply vanish .

She pointed the shattered glass bottle she still carried at him .

I placed them in a magic bag , - Zac answered as he started to take off his shoes .

She hesitated a bit then put down her makeshift weapon .

Why didn’t you kill Roger as well? He is much worse than the ones you killed , - she asked in an almost accusatory tone .

I am not sure more good than evil would come from me doing that , - Zac said as he glanced at her . He held the shoes who were now caked in all kinds of things from walking through Fort Roger , and simply chucked them into the woods with some disgust . He’d rather get new ones than put these defiled ones back on .

Emily hesitated a bit before she grit her teeth and started to undress .

As long as you kill him you can do whatever you want with me , - she said with her eyes reddening .

Zac’s eyebrows rose up and using Loamwalker] he almost teleported in front of her and flicked her forehead .

Don’t be stupid , keep your clothes on , - he said with a roll of his eyes . - I’m not interested in little kids . -

I’m fifteen , - she said defensively , but she still started to put on her clothes while blushing a bit .

That Roger isn’t very strong , if you want him killed just work hard and kill him yourself , - Zac said . - I am not some mercenary who goes around killing people , I have my own problems to deal with . -

Then help me get strong! I’ve never heard of anyone being as powerful as you , and I’ve been to multiple cities , - Emily asked , a burning desire in her eyes .

Zac had initially planned on dumping the girl in Winterleaf Village before heading back , but something in her eyes made Zac change his mind . He guessed that Alyn had her first student for the Academy .

Why have you been to multiple cities? Traveling is pretty dangerous , - he said .

I have a big brother and a big sister . Both are cultivators , they disappeared right from our home . We looked around but couldn’t find them . After a bit over a month we heard about the tutorial , but the cultivators didn’t return to our city . We guessed that they were dropped off somewhere else , - she explained . - We decided to look for them , so we have traveled looking for them for a few months and arrived at Fort Roger a week ago -

She didn’t continue from there but Zac could guess the rest of the story from her eyes once again reddening . He sighed and wondered how many people had died trying to find their family members or trying to get back home . The world was fraught with danger , and the incursions and monsters might not even be the worst ones . Humanity had always been its own worst enemy .

I can take you with me to my town . However , that place is extremely far away and you will not be able to look for your siblings if you do . Where I live is very dangerous , but you can get stronger there . It’s up to you to choose your path , - Zac said as he looked at the teenager .

Emily only hesitated a few seconds before she looked at him with determination .

I’ll go with you - .

Ok . Then jump up on my back , - Zac said as he turned his back to her .

What? - she asked with a flabbergasted face .

Zac had already decided to head back to Port Atwood after this small excursion . There were 5 days left until the next part of the beast waves and he wasn’t sure he’d make it to Fairfield and back within that timeframe . He felt it was more worthwhile to go back and increase his power with his remaining E-Grade Crystals .

Besides , Emily seemed to have visited multiple towns , and she might have even more answers compared to the barkeep or Roger . All in all , he was happy with the result of this expedition . He even got a nifty map , and more importantly , the magical token .

Come on , jump up , - Zac repeated as he hunched down a bit . Walking with an unevolved human in tow would waste far too much time , so he would have to carry her . Since he wanted his arms free in case of an attack she’d have to climb up on his back .

She hesitated a bit before she climbed up with a slight blush on her face . As soon as she put her arms around his neck he walked off with his usual speed .

A shriek echoed through the forest as Zac strolled through with the speed of a runaway train .

Chapter 100 - Travel Companions

Zac stopped for the night at a small clearing and let down Emily from his back . Even the fading light couldn’t hide the fact that her face was deathly pale . Moving almost at the speed of a car through dense forest on the back of another human was apparently quite jarring , and Zac had been forced to stop a few times to let the girl take a breather .

There were many things he wanted to ask the teenager about the Tutorial and society after the fall , but he didn’t want to push her either . They buried her parents at a beautiful glade just a few hours ago , and she hadn’t said anything since then . There wasn’t any ceremony , with Zac simply using a broadsword to rip open a hole in the ground where he placed the two together . Since the bodies were naked he first placed a cover over them before he refilled the grave .

Meanwhile , Emily carved the words Remembered by E+J+O in a tree with a dagger she got from Zac . They simply stood staring at the grave for a few minutes before she silently climbed up on Zac’s back , and they wordlessly left the glade . Zac had offered to bury them on the Island , but Emily wanted to bury them closer to their home .

Zac prepared a small fire in silence as Emily was looking at the dagger Zac gave her earlier .

What level are you? - she suddenly asked as she looked up at Zac , who froze a bit .

Um… - he said , unsure how to respond . He wasn’t sure whether exposing the fact he was over level 50 was such a good idea .

Well , are you on the ladder? - Emily changed her question when she saw Zac’s troubled face .

… Yes . Can you see the ladder? - Zac asked a bit surprised .

I knew it . You are way too strong to not be a Ranker , - she looked a bit excited . - Everyone can see the ladder . I guess that you are considered role models by the System? So it wants to display you for us as well - .

Do you know if there are any other Rankers close by? - Zac probed , a bit curious .

No idea . I know that the government is looking for you people , - she answered as she started cutting and the air with her dagger . However , her movements and technique were horrendous .

Zac took out a spit and large chunk of meat from his sack and placed it on the spit close to the fire . He had grown tired of the tough dried meat long ago and now preferred to barbeque . Now that he was forced to stop for Emily he had the time to spare .

He sprinkled some salt over the slab and left it to slowly be grilled . He mentally kicked himself for not looking for some spices at Fort Roger as the ones from the camper were used up long ago . Then again , he felt that any food-stuffs should have been pilfered long ago in a wretched town like that .

Why are they looking for us? No , not like that , move like this , - Zac asked as he showed how to properly distribute her weight .

I dunno . They are trying to get all cultivators to register and become like an army or something? Maybe they want the Rankers to lead the cultivators? - she answered as she mimicked Zac’s movement .

Hmm… - Zac only answered as he kept moving . He felt that it wasn’t that simple . The world was collapsing , and from his brief visit to Fort Roger he knew that the Government’s control was tenuous at best . Perhaps they needed Rankers to keep people in check . - Are many cultivators complying? -

I don’t think so , we tried going to the government when we looked for Johanna and Oscar , but from what we heard most people haven’t joined yet . But new people join every day , and the government offers pretty good things , - she distractedly answered without stopping her stabs .

Like what? Now shift your weight like this , it gives more reach to your stab , - Zac asked as he kept moving .

Access to system-exclusive things like training facilities . Good Salary . Oh , and they have claimed good areas that have a lot of monsters . Anyone that wants to train there has to be a part of the government , otherwise they are attacked , - she explained .

Aren’t there monsters everywhere? Why would that matter? -

That forest is good because it doesn’t have any very strong monsters it seems , it’s a pretty safe spot to level up . Most places have a random mix of animals , and it's super dangerous to fight there . Some super-strong monster can pop out anytime and kill you . So finding good spots is very important . -

Zac nodded as it made a lot of sense . His situation was the same . His whole island had turned into a farmer’s paradise in a sense , as the demonic beast hordes killed off any normal animals that could have become a real threat . There was no supercharged mink on Demon Island , only Barghest and Gwyllgi . They were dangerous compared to most animals , but there would never be any surprise beast or boss jumping out of the bushes .

They kept going for some time before they sat down to eat . Zac was by no means a knife-master , but some things he learned from his guidance system was universal .

Do you know why so many towns have Nexus Nodes? - Zac suddenly asked .

He knew that he wouldn’t be the only one with a Town Shop system , but after seeing Fort Roger he was a bit surprised to see just how low the bar was set .

Um , because people like to live together? - she answered , looking a bit confused .

What? -

Well , those crystals appear when enough people live together in a town , right? - Emily answered .

Hmm… - Zac only answered .

Then everyone gets a quest to fight for ownership . It can get pretty crazy . My parents got such a quest once , but we immediately left town and hid out until it settled down . But I heard those crystals are always the worst ones , and only give classes , - she continued after looking at Zac . - Only those who get their crystals from The Tutorial can actually build things with it , and it is different there as well . Like if they impressed the System in the tutorial they get to buy more things . I’m not sure . -

It looked like the nexus stations popped up just from population density , and a quest like the one for the Fruit of Ascension would start . The Nexus Station gave almost no options , but he was sure that the one who claimed ownership would get some quest to evolve the crystal .

He was a bit irritated earlier that others already had towns when he created his since he might have missed out on some good titles . It took him a few days to figure out how to create an outpost , after all . But it seemed their progression was limited . After all , he doubted the people of Winterleaf village single-handedly closed a freaking incursion in order to establish theirs .

Emily soon fell asleep since she was tired from today’s events , but Zac only needed a few hours of rest . He sat down with his back against the wall and started pondering the Dao . There was no Fourth Dao seed he felt close to attaining , and instead he needed to focus on upgrading the ones he had .

He turned his eyes inward toward the Axe-fractal in his mind . Since he gained the Seed of Sharpness the axe had two colors , with one side being dark blue with some brown , and the other a steely grey . The colors represented the two Seeds he possessed , Sharpness and Heaviness . There was a clear line of demarcation between the two Daos , and the auras didn’t mix in the slightest .

He knew that one of the things he needed to do in the future was to fuse these two , but it was very far off . Alyn explained that there were two ways to improve the Dao . The first was fusion , and it was the path he had been walking since the start . Since the day he saw the vision he knew that the seed of Heaviness he gained was only part of the terrifying aura in the axe-man’s swing . He would have to fuse more concepts into it to create a true Dao of Axe .

The path of fusion often walked from simplicity to complexity . It combined simple concepts into something greater than the sum of the parts . The other path was generally referred to as evolution . It meant pushing a Dao Seed to its limit , and from there letting it evolve into a higher Dao of the same category .

That was his plan with his Dao of Trees . There might be a possibility to fuse it into his Dao of Axes as well , but Zac felt it would weaken it rather than strengthen it . Instead , he’d work toward evolving it by itself . Unless he suddenly gained a fourth seed somewhere and tried his hands on fusing that as well .

Neither fusion or evolution was better than the other according to Alyn , they were just different . However , she told him that most focused on evolution since fewer Daos were necessary to progress with that path . With fusion he’d always need to gain enlightenment on at least two Daos .

Dao was generally considered the true watershed in the path to power . Over time most people were able to hit their level cap , and money could solve the issue of Race evolution . But Dao was something you needed to figure out yourself . There were some tools and treasures that could help out , but it mostly depended on personal aptitude and insight .

Zac felt he probably wasn’t some genius since all three of his seeds essentially came from his visions . He did gain the Seed of Sharpness a few months later , but the foundation for learning it came from the same vision as the Seed of Heaviness . He was afraid that evolving all three at the same time would be more than he could chew off .

He still was hesitating whether to put aside two of the seeds and only focus on one , or to focus on both the offensive ones . The Dao of Trees was the lowest priority for now , as its use simply didn’t feel as readily apparent .

Finally , he made a decision in his mind . He would focus on the Dao of Sharpness , at least for now . It was the Seed he had for the shortest time , but it felt like the most useful one . He stared at the axe in his mind , trying to glean anything out of the silver fractals .

He also played both the vision of the axe-man in his mind , feeling the terrifying force of the strike . Finally , he revisited the fight with the Fiend Wolf . He remembered the feeling of standing in the Dao Field , where even the air turned sharp from the Dao . He remembered how the casual swings of the beast rent long lines into the earth without any cosmic energy needed .

He also pondered upon what sharpness actually meant . It wasn’t as simple as the thinner the edge the more damage he could do . Sharpness needed control and technique to be properly applied as well . He remembered seeing clips before the fall where people tried using razor-sharp swords and barely were able to cut anything since their technique was bad .

He kept it going for a few hours before the mental strain became too much and he fell asleep . He woke up a few hours later , only to find Emily intently staring at him .

Are you Abbot Everlasting Peace? - she asked curiously .

Urh… what? -

Well , you look like a monk , and when I woke up during the night I saw you meditate . You already told me you are on the ladder . So are you Abbot Everlasting Peace? Or Boundless Truth? Is that why you weren’t interested in me? Is there nothing down there? - she peppered off , almost overtaxing Zac’s exhausted brain .

Boundless? Wait , what? I’m no monk , my hair only got singed off in battle recently . And I’m not missing any goddamn parts , okay? -

Chapter 101 - First impressions

After another day of travel they finally reached Winterleaf village . Zac slowed down before entering the town though , not wanting to make it look like he charged at them .

Careful , this is a beastman village! They are usually very strong , - Emily hastily said as she pulled at his cloak .

I know , I am friends with them , - Zac offhandedly answered as he entered the town . He slightly frowned as he saw that the village was almost completely deserted , with no one in sight . Had something happened?

He quickly calmed down though as he soon saw Selas run toward him .

Greetings Zac . We didn’t expect to see you for a few more days , -

My trip was cut short so I’m heading back , I hope you don’t mind . Is everything okay here , it looks a bit… empty? -

Stupid , they can’t understand English , - the girl softly said by his side , but Zac only rolled his eyes in response . It was a bit cumbersome when only one party had the language skill in these situations .

Not a problem , I’ll lead you to the teleporter . Most people are just out working for now , - the Ishiate answered with a cough as he ushered them toward the array .

Zac felt that the beastman was lying , but couldn’t be bothered to untangle that . They simply walked back toward the teleportation array making some small talk , while Emily looked on confused . Next to the array a large package was placed .

The package contains the fur and a few tokens of thanks by the villagers for the help you provided us . Good luck with your endeavors , my friend . I hope to see you again in the treasure hunt , - Selas said with an awkward smile .

Zac nodded , and after placing the crystals needed to teleport the two of them stepped on the array with Emily in tow . He initially had wanted to discuss some matters of trade , such as keeping a channel open for goods between the two . However , it seemed pretty clear that they were worried he’d go berserk , to the point they even evacuated the town to avoid him .

With a flash followed by some darkness he once again materialized . To his surprise he only saw walls , and quickly looked around . With a sigh of relief , he headed through a door , and the familiar sight of Port Atwood came into view .

It seemed that someone had erected a small house to shield the teleportation array while he was gone . Initially , he thought that Ogras had planned some trap for him , but that clearly wasn’t the case .

Wow that was so cool , were we teleported? - Emily exclaimed next to him .

Yeah , it’s a teleportation array . It can take us almost anywhere on the planet , as long as there’s another array there , - Zac answered . The way Selas acted was quite suspect , so he brought up the teleportation interface just to make sure of his suspicions .

Just as he opened the window he saw the line with Winterleaf Village wink out of existence , no longer available to choose . Zac only sighed and closed the interface . It looked like the beastmen were careful after all . His plan to visit Fairfield after the next wave would have to be canceled .

Let’s go , - he said as he headed toward the temporary town .

Zac noticed that the progress was coming along well as they walked toward the center of Port Atwood . The wall was almost completely fixed , and new poles were erected on the outside . Their use had been limited the last time , but it was better to something than nothing . There was however an extremely unsettling smell in the air , and Zac furrowed his brows .

Wow your town smells like poop , - Emily exclaimed , and Zac was forced to agree with some embarrassment .

As they closed in on the town the shadows flickered and the familiar demon appeared in front of them . Emily shrieked in surprise and jumped back a few steps , her dagger immediately in her hand .

This one seems a bit better than the last ones , even if she looks a bit feral . I didn’t know you liked them this… young . If that’s your taste you can always pursue Zakarith , your names match and everything , - Ogras said with a half-smile .

She was in trouble so I picked her up along the way , - Zac answered with a roll of his eyes . - How are the preparations going , and what the hell is this smell? -

WAIT! Why is there a demon here , and why is it speaking English? - Emily shrilly interjected as she started tracing large crosses in the air to ward off evil .

What is she doing? Is she brain-damaged? - Ogras skeptically asked as he gave a glance of mock-pity .

Zac only half-grinned and briefly told him about the demons in Christianity and other folk-lore .

Hmm , very interesting . It might be a coincidence , or perhaps your planet had visitors from the multi-verse a few thousand years ago and the details got jumbled over the years , - Ogras mused .

Wait , people could come from the multi-verse even before the integration? - Zac asked .

Well yeah , but it would be like finding a needle in a galaxy so to speak . Your planet would almost be impossible to locate , but nothing is stopping you , - Ogras answered with a shrug .

This is Ogras , he’s living here along with a few hundred more of his kind . Actually , the town mostly consists of demons . They’re like the beastmen , - Zac explained to the frazzled girl .

That seemed to calm her down somewhat as she curiously glanced at the demon .

I know I’m handsome , but don’t go falling in love with me . I prefer mature ladies , - Ogras said as he struck a pose .

She only blushed a bit and moved a bit further away .

Are there no other humans here except you? - she curiously asked Zac .

Well , there are a few more , but they arrived just recently , - Zac answered .

Pah , don’t remind me of those wastrels , - Ogras spat . - Pain in the ass every single one of them . Well , the old guy is okay , I guess . -

What’s going on? And the smell? - Zac reminded the demon .

Entitled little shits . They keep complaining and don’t want to work . They just hide in their house after seeing one little barghest , crying and demanding to see you . When they found out you weren’t here anymore they flipped out , - Ogras said with disdain . - As for the wretched odor? You try tanning tens of thousands of wolf hides at once without making the area smell like a Devourer’s asshole . -

How did they come in contact with a barghest? There shouldn’t be any ones alive this close to town right? - Zac asked .

He knew that they would treat the hides , as the non-combat classes had arduously skinned and salvaged anything of value from the monster hordes . He hadn’t expected this level of stench though . Most of the parts of the beasts were useless since the grade was too low to trade with the Mercantile System , but some things might become useful , and with the volumes they were handling they would make a decent profit .

The hides of the more sturdy ones could be made into F-Grade leather armors , which would sell for a decent penny , especially at a newly integrated world like Earth . With their almost infinite stock of leather , they planned on using it as a selling point for visiting the town when they opened the gates for the public in the future .

They said they wanted to get stronger , and since none of them are cultivators Ilvere took them to hunt a few barghests , - Ogras answered in response to the question about the humans . - If they worked together they shouldn’t have any problems killing such a dumb beast . But apparently it was chaos , people fleeing for their lives , even pushing down each other to escape . Ilvere had to kill the beast before a fight even started , - he snickered .

Zac could only sigh , feeling a bit embarrassed on their behalf .

What’s a Barghest? - Emily asked curiously .

It’s a large demon dog that looks like it has been turned inside out , - Zac answered . Ogras looked like he was about correct Zac , but after some thought nodded his head .

Zac turned to Emily after some thought .

How do most human towns handle people who can’t fight? -

Eh… Some get jobs doing various things I guess? There are still people needed for all kinds of things . The people who have simply given up are usually ignored or kicked out of town . I heard the most ruthless leaders have even used them as human shields against monster waves - the girl answered after some thought .

There’s an idea , - Ogras muttered .

Where are they now? - Zac asked with a sigh .

We put them in the infirmary since its empty by now - .

How’s Alea? - Zac quickly asked , reminded of the demoness .

She’s up now , but still not completely restored . She’s been asking about you , - the demon answered with a devilish grin .

Whos Alea? - Emily perked up .

Why do you care , little brat? - Ogras grinned at her .

Whatever , - she answered with a pout .

Already starting to regret coming back this early Zac sighed as he started walking toward the infirmary .

More importantly , did you find any? - Ogras asked .

Any what? Humans? Yeah , I visited a human settlement . - Zac distractedly answered .

Who cares about that . Movies , human? Did you find any movies? -

Zac stopped and glanced at the demon .

Are you really that free right now? -

The wall is essentially rebuilt , and I still can’t buy anything with contribution points . I’m just waiting around , - he answered impatiently .

Zac shook his head but took out the large box containing the TV , and the small mountain of videos . Ogras inspected the things with glee , but he looked a bit confused .

What are these things? -

The large box contains a much larger screen to watch the movies . The small packages each contain one movie or a series . That box over there contains the device to play them . Both the Large screen and the player needs a steady stream of electricity through a cable . You can plug them into the camper , but you need to figure out how to keep the battery charged yourself . -

Ogras nodded excitedly and put all the things into his pouch .

I’m sure you have many things to do , I’ll help this kid get used to the area , - he said , and as he grabbed the shoulder of Emily both of them disappeared , leaving only a startled shriek in the air .

Zac smiled a bit and continued on toward the infirmary . He wasn’t afraid that he’d hurt the teenager , but rather knew he’d need some tech support . Actually , it even looked like he approved of her ferocity . Soon he arrived outside the infirmary , and to his surprise saw Janos sitting outside the door .

What’s going on? -

Kept escaping . Put them in illusion , - the demon tersely answered .

Uh , ok . You can turn it off , I’m going in , - Zac said with some annoyance . He didn’t know if these people really were a handful , or whether the demons were too heavy-handed , but something needed to be done . He didn’t have the resources to baby these people all the time .

With a sigh he entered the infirmary . As he entered the humans saw it was Zac , and rushed toward him with a litany of complaints . Zac simply released some of his aura to silence the group , then stared at them until they had calmed down .

I hear you have been asking for me? - Zac said .

You lied to us! We want off this hellhole of an island . Those demons said you have a method to leave the island , we want to go home , - Megan angrily huffed .

You’re safe , clean , and fed . That’s better compared to most of humanity right now . You have access to a multi-verse town shop that has the herbs needed to evolve your race . You have a forest full of prey that gives a huge amount of Nexus Coins and Cosmic Energy . And you sit here complaining , - Zac retorted as a twinge of anger flared up at these people . Their situation would likely cause envy from most people , even cultivators , yet they only sat here thinking life was unfair .

You want off this island with your powers? You’d die within a day . And even if you somehow survived and got to a settlement you’d be made slaves or worse since you’re powerless . -

The castaways hesitantly looked at each other , before the girl once again gathered her courage .

Those hellhounds in the forest? We saw it bite clean through a thick tree , you want us to fight that? We aren’t suicidal . And do you think we’ll just believe you when you say that the world outside is dangerous? - she angrily said , and from the looks of the faces of the other , s they agreed .

I am sorry we haven’t been able to help out very much young man . Us old folks have some trouble adjusting to this new reality , - the old fisherman suddenly interjected .

I currently have 46 000 nexus coins from fighting animals on our old island . If possible I would like to borrow 36 000 nexus coins in order to buy the Water Spear] skill from your Nexus Node for 75 000 coins . The remaining coins I would like to use to buy some of your Crystals at 50 coins per Nexus Crystal , - the old fisherman said .

Your name is Trang , right? -

My name is Sap Trang . What do you think of my proposal? I know it is a lot of coins , but with it , I hope to be able to kill the demons you call Barghest , and from there slowly get stronger . The crystals are mainly for my fellow villagers , who plan to become what your… friends… call non-combat classes . They have slowly gotten levels from fishing , but the crystals would speed it up substantially . It looks to me that you are founding an island kingdom , and us old folk have lived on the sea for all our lives . We believe we can be helpful even in this new world - .

Zac was a bit surprised . This old man clearly was no fool like the brats . Sap Trang had learned everything he could from Alyn and Zakarith , and formulated a path for himself and his villagers . He also didn’t mention Megan and her clique either , so he guessed he wasn’t too fond of them either .

And it was true , having a couple of seasoned seamen would be convenient . A goal of his was to explore the neighboring islands when time permitted . Who knew what treasures the system had put there .

Besides , what Sap Trang said was true . He did want to create a sphere of influence , and since he was situated on an island it would pretty much have to be an Island Kingdom .

Chapter 102 - The Day before the Storm

I’ll give you 100 000 Nexus coins as an investment to get you and your fellow villagers on the right track . You should know that the number of crystals I can sell is limited at the moment , as we need them for the war preparations . But enough to last you for a few weeks of cultivation shouldn’t be a problem , - Zac said after mulling it over for a few seconds .

There were only 6 villagers with four eldery men and two old ladies , and their expenditure shouldn’t really impact their daily production . He didn’t mention anything about paying back , as he might as well consider it a gift in case they proved useful . If not , he could always come to collect at a later date .

The Vietnamese villagers looked excited , and quickly got to their feet and bowed toward Zac , who lightly nodded back . However frowns appeared on the other group of people , who also started to glare at the fishermen .

Why are you only giving them all those resources? What about us? - one of the men angrily asked .

They seem like they can be useful to my town , you do not . Why should I spend Nexus Coins on you? - Zac said with a dismissive glance , which only made the former tourists angrier .

There are various tasks that need to be completed on this island . Go earn your keep if you want coins but don’t want to fight . Mr . Trang , take your villagers and come with me , - Zac continued and started to head out .

The fishermen quickly followed in tow , but when the tourists tried to follow a glare from Zac stopped them in their tracks . As he left the infirmary he briefly updated Janos who sighed and reactivated his illusion , keeping the humans inside .

Next he walked over to Adran’s canopy . Adran was a stocky demon who was in charge of the logistics of the temporary town , and one of the people who had been present at the meeting discussing the town design some time ago . He was a common non-combat class called Administrator Zac learned earlier , which was an important reason for his current position .

It was apparently quite similar to the Scribe class that Zakarith possessed , but their differences lay in their upgrade paths . The Scribe class had upgrade paths that veered toward the mercantile class . It could actually also be upgraded into Inscriber , a craftsman class that focused on inscribing fractals onto gear .

Administrator focused more on the management of towns and countries . It could be upgraded to things like Magistrate in the future , where the individuals almost became like supercomputers , keeping track of innumerable things in their heads . It apparently also could be upgraded into certain mentalist classes .

There actually wasn’t a too rigid system that split up the types of classes , but it was rather fluid . Some classes were mixes of various things , and the type of class could change when evolving it . Of course , planning out your path from the start often was preferable in order to not allocate attribute points in the wrong direction .

Zac had Adran make arrangements for the humans . He simply provided the Nexus Coins and different lodging for the fishermen . For anything else they first would have to prove themselves . As for the tourists he set some ground rules to whip them into shape . If they didn’t volunteer in doing some tasks around the camp , then work would be handed out . If they didn’t complete it then no food or lodging that day .

He didn’t want groups of people who just drifted about like in Fort Roger . And if they wouldn’t pick themselves up like the fishermen , then Zac would drag them forward no matter their opinion . Besides , he had a feeling that incoming second monster horde would help them realize their new reality . If thousands of monsters charging at them didn’t wake them up , nothing would .

After dealing with his latest citizens he left to look for Alea . After asking around he found she was meditating on top of the repaired wall . He soon found her sitting down with the sun in her back , illuminating her horns to truly look as though they were licks of fire .

Zac did not want to interrupt her meditation and simply sat down close to her and gazed out over the mostly prepared battlefield .

You’re back , - Zac suddenly heard Alea say after some time and looked over at the demoness .

I am glad to see you’re better , - Zac said after some hesitant silence .

Your pill was very effective , - Alea answered as she looked calmly at his face .

The intent stare was starting to make Zac a bit uncomfortable , and he tried to come up with something to discuss . Finally , he detailed his excursion through the teleportation . The Ishiate , the mink , and Fort Roger . Alea calmly listened through the story , seemingly content to let Zac blabber on , until he got to Emily .

This human , is she cute? - she asked with a light voice .

She’s just a kid , - Zac answered with a roll of his eyes . Then he caught himself as it felt like he was defending himself to a girlfriend .

Hmm… - was the only answer from the demoness as she slowly closed her eyes to keep meditating . Zac felt that he was approaching a weird territory and with a grunt got up to his feet . Before he jumped down the wall he looked down on the meditating demoness a few seconds .

Thank you , - he said before he left . That was the real thing he wanted to convey . Alea had risked her life to help him in the battle against the Fiend Wolf and was still recuperating from its attack . She was under no obligation to do that but she still did it , and Zac was truly grateful .

With that , he was done with everything he needed to do for now . The demons knew what they needed to do , and Zac’s only goal now was to get stronger . He didn’t want to get mired down in weeks of battle again . The few days of freedom as he explored the new planet made him feel alive , and he was anxious to get back to it .

The fact that the beastmen closed their portal was a bit troubling as it threw a wrench in his plans , but since that small village managed to buy a teleportation array already then many other towns would likely follow suit soon . Perhaps even a government-run one that wanted to gather people .

He went back to his camp and to his surprise saw Ogras and Emily sit under a red canopy in a comfortable chair each , contentedly watching a movie . They obviously were successful in setting up the new Television , as it currently was showing a rom-com movie with an extension cable running through the illusion array , presumably toward the camper .

He wanted to kick the demon and make him do something more productive , but he also felt that it might be good for Emily with some company . The apocalypse obviously had toughened her up , but both her parents were killed just a week ago , and no one could simply shake that off .

I am going to absorb some crystals before the next horde arrives , don’t disturb me unless it is something important , - Zac said as he looked over at the demon .

No problem , I can charge up the energy storage of your tin can through that wire , so we won’t need to disturb you , - Ogras answered without taking his eyes off the TV .

Zac blanked out a second before he understood the demon meant the camper’s battery and the extension cord .

What are you doing? - Emily perked up as she looked over at him .

I need to train and get stronger , - Zac answered .

Can I do it too? - she eagerly asked . Zac had noticed her hunger for power since they started traveling together , and was very much in favor of it .

Not until you turn 16 . Find Alyn later , she’ll help you prepare . If you follow her instructions you will have better prospects in the future , - Zac answered with a shake of his head .

Oh the disgraced teacher will finally have a student again , - Ogras said with a pitying glance at Emily .

Wait , what do you mean? - Zac asked with a start .

She got fired because of her , uh , unusually strict training methods in our clan . She was mainly brought over here because she already had the language skill and people figured she would make a good slave driver , - Ogras said with a widening smile . - Otherwise what use would a teacher have during an invasion? Did you think we would go around opening a bunch of schools for you humans? -

The eyes of both Zac and Emily widened at this , and Zac’s image of the calm and proper lady clashed with the image of Alyn screaming on top of her lungs while whipping a bunch of slaves .

Well… Don’t let her overdo it . Emily , stay strong , - he said as he entered his camp .

Wai- - the teenager tried to interject , but another shield superimposed over the illusion array . It was a F-Grade Small Scale Defensive Array] , the cheapest and weakest defensive option in the town shop .

It wasn’t something Zac bought to protect himself , but rather a means to show the surroundings he didn’t want to be disturbed . It only cost 75 000 Nexus coin , and a random punch by him or Ogras would break it . It was , however , effective against a girl who still hadn’t started on the path of cultivation .

For the next four days he simply sat down and absorbed his E-Grade Nexus Crystals] . He was able to absorb roughly 2 a day , and he already consumed two of them before . He left his 10th and last crystal for emergencies though . During the whole time he barely slept or ate , he just sat down and let the huge power wash over him .

He stood up and after a quick shower and dinner he opened up his quest panel .

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect town from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : 5 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , town upgraded to City , status upgraded to Lord . (1/3) 1 : 03 : 22 : 34]

A bit over a day remained until the next wave started , and only the finishing touches were needed now . He removed his defensive array and walked out to the makeshift movie-canopy . During the four days it had gotten some upgrades , with walls that kept the glare out of the TV , and a rug and coffee table . It was however empty so he headed toward the town .

After asking around he learned Ogras was with Adran , and walked over . As the two saw Zac approach they nodded toward him .

How are the preparations? -

Everything is finished . This time we had time over to create a few siege weapons as well . They might be useful , and they can even be manned by the non-combat classes or your new citizens after some training . The only thing remaining is purchasing the aces with Nexus Coins , - Ogras answered . - I have taken the liberty of collecting three million Nexus Coins for the war effort . I mean five million . - He continued , correcting himself after a glare by Zac .

Zac nodded and after some discussion purchased a few defensive measures .

How are the humans? - Zac asked Adran after that was done .

The old people are working hard cultivating with Nexus Crystals . Their leader has even gained a decent speed at killing Barghest by now . He has been getting assistance though , of course , - the administrator answered .

The youth are a bit more troublesome , but they’re getting there . Nothing is as effective in getting people in line as a few days of filling old latrines and digging new ones , - Adran continued with a small smile while Ogras openly snickered . - Oh and speaking of the last little human , here she’s coming - .

Zac turned around and saw Emily approach like a small thundercloud . Next to her a visibly irate Alea and Alyn were walking along . Zac sighed and stood up , and unhesitantly started to powerwalk away .

Chapter 103 - The Second Horde

Zac! - a few voices shouted after him . And he could only sigh and turn around .

Since he saw her last Emily had undergone a drastic transformation . She was properly cleaned and wore new clothes . Zac noted with some interest she had chosen the men’s style with the pants and leather armor rather than the dress-robes that the two demons by her side wore . Her messy hair also was turned into a pixie-cut instead of the uneven mess of a crazy person .

All three , especially the teenager , carried an angry energy as they approached him , and he could only helplessly shake his head .

Hello , the three of you look lovely today , - he said , preemptively trying to avoid whatever trouble was coming his way . It was a trick that usually worked on Kenzie back in the day . Unfortunately , it seemed to have quite limited effect , as there was barely any change in expression on their faces .

These two are crazy! I want to learn cultivation from you instead . - Emily angrily huffed .

This child has a great talent for the elements , and would become a great mage , healer , or poison mistress , - Alyn interjected . - But she is very rambunctious and keeps demanding to learn how to use axes . It would be a waste of her talent . -

And also very unladylike , - Alea added on .

So we have been trying to correct her ways , but she is very stubborn , - Alyn said with a frown .

So what do you want me to do? - Zac asked .

Punish the child . Hanging naked on the town square for a few days should make her temper milder - Alea said .

Don’t be absurd . She needs to get married in the future . Just a public whipping would do , - Alyn retorted with a slight frown .

I told you , they are crazy! They have tortured me constantly since you left me with them . Let me train with you instead . You saw I learned quickly , - she said while glaring angrily at the two demons .

How do you know what talent she has? - Zac curiously asked , ignoring the teenager for now .

I had a few warriors contribute some of their Nexus Coins to buy a simple testing device from Calrin , - Alyn simply answered .

Zac was starting to understand why Ogras thought Alyn would make a good slave driver . He felt it wasn’t as easy as the warriors simply willingly gave away their money after risking their lives . He could only nod and focus on Emily .

Why do you want to fight with axes? You should be happy that you have the option to become a mage . You can just blast the enemies from a distance , - Zac extorted the teenager . - Poison isn’t a bad idea either . Have you heard about our contribution quest? Alea is on the third spot there with her poison attacks . -

When Alea heard the comment she smiled proudly and looked down at the teenager with a triumphant face , but she only rolled her eyes .

But you are number one right? Much better than that stupid old hag? And you can blast enemies from the distance as well , - Emily said grumpily , drawing an angry glare from Alea .

I’ve bled over every inch of my body the past months . There’s almost not a single part of my body that hasn’t been wounded and scarred from my battles . Fighting in melee range is to constantly put yourself in harm’s way . A single mistake and you’re dead . You should think long and hard before you decide to follow in my footsteps . There are innumerable paths to power , and mine is just one . Try to focus on yourself , and think about what would suit you , - Zac said with a sigh .

Why are you here anyway? I thought only Alyn was in charge of Emily’s education? - Zac asked of the poison mistress .

When I heard about her talent I wanted to check her out . I noticed she’s also a bit ruthless and crazy , so I think she would make a good disciple of mine , - she said with a slight smile .

Who’d be a disciple to you? - Emily shot back with a scathing glare .

I can’t help you train at the moment . Listen To Alyn , she is far more knowledgeable about these things than I am . And think long and hard about your future path before deciding . The choices you make for your class and attributes in the future will impact your whole life , - Zac said as he started to walk away . He didn’t want to comment about the discipleship as that was something between the two of them and he didn’t want to butt in .

Oh , and no hanging or whipping . She’s a student , not a slave , - he added as he moved away .

All three of them looked like they weren’t finished , but Zac used Loamwalker] to move away . The rest of the day Zac simply relaxed and adjusted his state of mind . He watched a few movies and took a walk along the shore . Finally when the counter reached 1 hour left he walked over to the wall . Not long after Ogras and his four generals joined him .

As time passed more and more of the warriors arrived , and thirty minutes before the next horde arrived every combatant was at the ready . Adran was also there along with the humans , who nervously looked around . It was on Zac’s command they were brought here . They needed to see the reality of this new universe .

They thought they escaped calamity when they fled their island , and hoped to get back to normalcy now . But that was impossible , as their experience with the frenzied rats was only a small greeting gift from the System , and it would only get worse . Unless they started to take things seriously the world would move forward without them .

Alyn and Emily also joined them on the wall . Emily wanted to walk over to Zac , but Alyn kept her close to the stairs leading down , together with the other non-combatants . They didn’t know what would come from the next wave , and they needed to be able to quickly get down to safety if it was needed .

The time slowly crept forward , and everyone gazed upon the battlefield with a solemn expression . Some tried to spark a conversation to lighten the tension , but any talk quickly died out under the heavy atmosphere . The moment his counter went down to zero a huge blinding light appeared in the distance . The next second a large construct appeared , most closely resembling a hive or anthill .

It was looked to be almost a hundred meters tall and was somewhat shaped like a pyramid . The whole construct was a dark grey , almost turning black . There were also green lights covering the hive , almost making it seem like they were windows wrought out of emeralds . On the ground a few large entrances were visible .

The structure gave an oppressive feeling like the whole thing was a large lumbering beast .

What do you think? - Zac asked Ogras who was standing next to him .

Some sort of nest . It looks like this second horde is a bit different compared to the first . There are no pillars unless they are inside that thing . I’m not sure where we go from here . I get nothing when trying to use my identification skill on it , - Ogras answered with slightly furrowed brows before he increased his volume - Anyone recognizes it? -

Only frowns and shakes of heads and a few short answers followed . None of the demons knew what they were facing . The minutes passed and the unsettling feeling only grew larger as nothing happened .

Should we go in? It doesn’t feel like a good idea to just leave that thing alone . Who knows what’s going on inside there , - Zac asked with a frown .

I sense something! - a voice suddenly shouted . It was one of the earth mages among the demons . He jumped down from the wall and placed his hands on the ground . - There are subtle vibrations in the ground . I think the things inside the nest are digging downward , - he said with a serious expression .

A few more demons jumped down , and they confirmed the suspicion . Something was going on inside that hive , but it was happening beneath the ground .

We can’t let this go on . We need to head in , - Zac said as he jumped down the wall as well . - First group follow me! -

Twenty-five demons quickly jumped down behind Zac . They were a mixed group of both ranged , support , and melee classes . They shared the same shift as Zac during the fights with the wolf horde and were the demons Zac was most acquainted with apart from Ogras and Alea . They also had two earth mages in the mix , who would be able to help with the scouting .

They carefully approached the huge hive . It was quite far from the wall , and Zac noticed with a frown that it was outside the range of all his offensive arrays or fortifications . If they wanted to destroy this thing they would have to do it by hand . Perhaps they could construct siege engines that were more designed for structures compared to hordes of enemies .

When they were a few hundred meters away from the black nest one of the earth mages started and went down on the ground . Zac immediately stopped and glanced around carefully .

They’ve stopped whatever they were doing underground , - the mage said .

In response the group immediately took out their weapons , unsure what would happen . Zac’s eyebrows suddenly rose in alarm as he stared at the large holes on the ground floor of the nest .

Get ready! - he shouted as he took out a large rock from his pouch .

A huge stream of insectoid monsters was pouring out of the nest , heedlessly charging toward the group . Their colors matched the hive , a mix of black and green . They had large chitinous shells that covered their bodies , both their appendages and mandibles looked like sinister weapons .

There seemed to be three types of insects in the army . The most populous looked like a mix between an ant and a mantis . They had thee pairs of legs with three joints much like normal ants , but they were as large as a pony . The front set of legs were sharp hooks , and it looked they were made for digging or fighting , rather than running . They could be regarded as the normal soldiers of the insect army .

If the first group could be considered eighty percent ant with some mantis peppered in , then the second group could be seen as mostly mantis . They were at least fifty percent larger compared to the normal insects , reaching over two meters height with their bodies , with their torso stretching upward . Their two front legs were huge sinister blades , looking extremely dangerous .

The last group of insects was very different compared to the rest . Their legs were shorter and their bodies were fat , almost bulbous . The other creepy crawlies were mostly black with some green details , but these ones were mostly green . They also had huge heads with oversized circular maws .

Zac immediately threw out three rocks , each targeting a different type of insect . He still preferred this type of test on new enemies .

The first rock slammed into the footsoldier , crushing its head and instantly killing it . The larger mantis-like being actually managed to react and tried cutting the incoming rock . However , the force in the throw was too strong , and the insect missed as the stone slammed into its chest . The shell of the insect actually didn’t break as the stone cracked from the impact . The insect was thrown away and fell down twitching on the ground . If it wasn’t dead it at least was dying from the impact .

The last insect exploded into a large pool of green goop that instantly started scorching the ground . Zac realized the last things actually were large walking vats of acid or poison with some shock . He didn’t even have time to digest the information before the green acid-monsters spit out large balls of the green liquid at the demons .

ACID! Target the green ones! - Zac shouted and moved out of the way from the incoming projectiles . A few defensive spells were erected as well to protect the group .

Feeling he had a good enough grasp of the beasts Zac charged up his skill and set out to decapitate some enemies .

Chapter 104 - The War Council

It looks like they are expanding their nest underground , moving downward . We believe they are digging toward the Nexus Vein , - one of the earth mages reported to the group who was sitting around a table .

Twelve hours had passed since the hive appeared , and they had made some discoveries . The ants were called Ayn Hivebeasts] and the three types they encountered so far were called Ayn Worker , Ayn Guard , and the green acid shooters were actually called Ayn Vomitors .

After the initial clash they quickly learned that there was an enormous number of beasts inside the large structure , as they kept pouring out as they fought . But the moment they retreated , so did the Ants . But just a few minutes after Zac and the demons stopped their assault the digging was resumed according to the earth mages .

They were currently holding a war council while two regiments led by Ogras’ four generals were keeping the ants busy . They needed to figure out a strategy for this new horde , as their old one wouldn’t work . Most of their preparations were in vain as the new monsters didn’t seem interested in attacking the town . The wall stood unassaulted and the arrays couldn’t reach the hive due to the distance .

Zac almost felt that the System specifically chose this type of challenge since the last wave almost felt like a gift of experience and money rather than a challenge . Certainly , the last waves were tough , but never to the point of true desperation .

That’s it then? We’ll head in and destroy it today , - Zac said with a frown .

The Nexus Vein was the lifeblood of his island . It created the crystals in the mine and the high concentration of Cosmic Energy in the atmosphere . Anything from cultivation to crafting to even farming would be far more efficient in this area . If he bought an island-wide gathering array in the future it would truly become a paradise . He couldn’t risk his city’s foundations just for the opportunity to farm some insects .

Wait a bit , - Ogras hastily interjected . - We also have concluded that during our attacks they are stopping their excavation-work to meet our attacks . We can simply farm them without risking the vein as long as we keep the attacks going , letting you keep your lead against the other humans , - he added .

It was a fair point , but Zac had a feeling that it was more about the contribution points for the Fruit of Ascension than letting him gain levels . Besides , he held a commanding lead over the others as it was , and didn’t really need to gain levels at the moment . He was fast approaching the first bottleneck at level 75 .

Zac mainly needed to improve his Dao-insights at the moment . He already possessed a rare class , and his goal was to upgrade it into an E-Rank Epic class . His only options at the moment were Rare or Epic , as the rarity couldn’t downgrade when reaching the next tiers . He already knew that his situation was pretty bad since the multi-verse was full of examples of geniuses whose cultivation journey got cut short since they couldn’t upgrade their special classes .

Still , he didn’t want to give up his advantages . Upgrading to a rare class wasn’t the best option . He tread the path of the elite , spearheading the powerhouses of Earth . Since he was already locked into this path he would go all the way , and keep upgrading the rarity of the class . He knew that Early Stage Seeds were not enough for an Epic class , so it was time to upgrade his Daos . If that was at the expense of his lead in levels , so be it . He wouldn’t limit his future achievements just to become the first person to reach E-Rank Class .

Constantly attacking out in the open is different from defending on top of a wall . We will not be able to last as we did during the wolf-hordes . Besides , we do not know whether the insects will grow stronger over time like the wolves did , and it is safe to nip the problem in the bud , - Zac said .

To be honest , safety concerns weren’t the only reason he wanted to end this horde quickly . He just had a taste of freedom and adventure as he explored in search of his hometown . He was loath to spend the next four weeks slaughtering insects . He knew that the gain of nexus coins would be huge , but he would still net good income if he sent people down into the mines instead .

He was also even more anxious to get home after seeing the life of civilians in Fort Roger . Emily would have met a miserable fate unless he was there , and worry over his friends and family was starting to keep him up at night . He even had trouble focusing during meditation , as the intrusive - what-ifs’ kept popping up in his head .

Three weeks . Let us fight and farm for three weeks , and after that we will invade the hive , - Ogras entreated .

It’s too long . You can have ten days . After that I’m heading in , - Zac flatly refused . That would leave him three weeks to travel the world before the final wave , twice what he had last time .

Bah , you’re throwing away a great opportunity , - Ogras muttered in discontent .

Zac only rolled his eyes at the demon . What they gained from the quest was already great , and they shouldn’t get greedy . The longer they waited the more weird things could crop up .

Did Calrin find any information about the beasts? - Zac asked as he changed the subject .

He did manage to buy a short missive about the Ayr Hivebeasts] . They are an extremely prolific species led by hive-queens . As long as they have enough cosmic energy the queens can almost indefinitely spawn soldiers . The stronger the queen the mightier warriors it can birth , and more types as well , - Adran answered . Since he wasn’t part of the fighting force he tried to help the war efforts by gathering information .

There are examples of the beasts' insatiable expansion , completely infesting a planet if left alone . We believe that the threat will be over when we manage to kill the queen . After that no more beasts will spawn , and we can simply slowly exterminate the survivors . Killing the queen will likely mark this horde as completed as well , - he continued .

How strong is the queen? - Zac asked .

It should be E-Grade Class equivalent . It might also have a few bodyguards close to that in power for protection , - Adran answered .

Okay , what does it look like , what are its powers? - Zac probed further .

Actually , the large construct we see is not a structure , but the queen herself . The Ayr Hivebeasts live inside their queen's body for the most part , and the queen slowly grows to accommodate a larger population . The digging we hear is the insects making room for her body expanding down into the ground , - Adran answered with a grimace .

Everyone’s eyebrows rose in surprise at this .

How the hell do we kill something that large? - Ogras asked with a frown .

Apparently it has a core somewhere inside . You need to get inside to its core-room and destroy it , and it will die . The exact details were unclear in the missive we obtained though , - Adran said with a sigh .

Good job . See if you can find out anything else , as long as the information doesn’t become too expensive , - Zac said .

That the huge construct was an actual being didn’t change much in Zac’s opinion . They’d still farm for ten days , after which Zac would enter , and drag Ogras with him no matter if he was willing or not . Inside they would find the boss and kill or destroy it .

With that everything was settled , and Ogras immediately set out with a company of soldiers , loath to miss even a single Contribution Point . Zac stayed put since he would be needed to relieve Ogras when he ran out of steam so that they could put continuous pressure on the insects . He really didn’t want that huge queen-beast to get her hands on his Nexus Vein , so no expansion could be allowed . And who knew if the hive queen would have some strange mutation from getting too close to the vein .

As the days passed an advance-wall was erected . It was nowhere the size of the regular wall , but it would allow some protection while retreating . The craftsmen also refitted a few of the siege machines so that they would be able to attack the hive queen . However , the large boulders and bolts only bounced off the black structure without as much as leaving a mark .

Zac tried as well , and ran up to the structure with his movement skill and slammed into it with a Dao-Empowered Chop] . It was effective , creating a large scar , but the response was horrifying . It was like the ants turned crazy and surged against the demons in a frenzy .

The mantis-things actually started throwing the Vomitors in retaliation , and as they sailed through the air they overcharged themselves much in the same way as the suicide attack the demons possessed . Zac was forced to expend most of his cosmic energy in a short time , furiously throwing out projectiles in order to clear the rabid waves . But he still got a few acid burns on his face and hands that would take time to heal , as most of the Vomitors were hurled in his direction .

Seeing that Zac’s swing only made a small crack on the gigantic structure they knew that a siege wasn’t really possible against this thing , and they’d have to enter the tunnels if they wanted to kill the queen .

On the seventh day Zac’s fears were realized , as a new foe started emerging out of the hive along with its three siblings . It was called Ayn Titan and was a hulking insect at over three meters tall . Its shell was at least twice as thick as on the others , and it was impossible to penetrate for most of the demons .

They were forced to slowly whittle it down by first disabling its legs by attacking the joints , all while avoiding its terrifying smashes with its claw-like front arms . Since the thing was so heavy its mobility was quite bad and if they fell down with broken legs they stayed down . After it was downed it seemed the simplest method to kill it was to just boil its head in a fireball .

If Zac or Ogras were present they could penetrate or crush their skulls instead . However , the time it took to kill the titans increased the pressure as the ants unceasingly kept pouring out of the hive . There were no breaks , no lulls , just constant unrelenting battle . The only reason they weren’t overrun in just a day or two was the fact that the monsters were quite weak , and even the siege machines they brought had no trouble killing the footsoldiers .

The only thing strong about them was their carapaces’ sturdiness , but that wouldn’t impede the skilled warriors overly much . In the few cases that they were starting to get overrun Zac or Ogras would unleash their most powerful area attacks . Zac simply threw out his huge edges that created large swathes of death and destruction .

As for Ogras , he created a sea of shadows that moved across the battlefield , where dozens of spears unceasingly sprung up to kill everything around . It wasn’t an attack that Zac had seen before , and he suspected that the demon made a breakthrough with either a skill or his Dao some time recently .

With his new skill the demon’s killing speed was terrifying , and almost eclipsed Zac’s own speed , which was doubly impressive since he no longer suffered from an energy shortage . Zac was shocked by the display of power , as he knew that the power of the demons was still limited by the System .

There were a few more who excelled at area battle such as Alea and Rivea , the pyromancer who learned the Seed of Tinder during the wolf waves . Her fire kept spreading among the ants and was particularly deadly to them . It simply stuck to their carapaces and slowly cooked the beasts , and from there spread to their brethren .

The windfall was so great that Zac relented and actually prolonged the farm-fest another day much to the delight of the demons . Ogras was like a storm , grinding his contribution points at a furious pace .

Zac had thought that this kind of situation was something unique , but he was surprised to find out that most large forces in the multiverse kept zones and forests that were a bit like this , teeming with monsters . It provided their young and their soldiers with ample training and outlet for growth , and the clan didn’t need to provide any salary as access to the farming zones were benefits enough to join the army . The elders of the clan took care of the evolved monsters , and immediately rooted out any beast that got too strong .

But all good things must end . The eleventh day approached , and the core warriors started to rest up and prepare their aces . Tomorrow they would assault the hive .

Chapter 105 - Into the Hive

Is everyone ready? - Zac asked as he glanced back at the group . It was time to find the queen , and a strike force was assembled . It would be led by Ogras , with Zac second in command . Zac didn’t mind not being the leader , as he didn’t have any experience leading an operation like this . He didn’t want to risk his teammates getting killed due to his inexperience . Besides , he could always overrule him if he felt it warranted .

The group consisted of only 6 people . Apart from Zac and Ogras , Janos and Alea also joined the group . Ilvere and Namys were left behind , leaving them in charge of the main army whose job was to keep the fight going outside while they entered the hive . Janos was a support mage who hopefully could turn the odds in their favor , while Alea’s attack had proven itself effective even against the Fiend Wolf .

The last two were Rivea and Herod . Rivea was the Pyromancer with the Seed of Tinder . Herod was the earth mage who first spoke up about the digging on top of the wall . It turned out he possessed the Seed of Tremor , making him extremely perceptible to even small tremors in the ground . His job was to act as a scout in the tunnels , whereas Rivea was just additional firepower .

They didn’t bring any more people , as quantity didn’t really work against E-Grade evolved beings . Most of the soldiers would only be a hindrance rather than an asset inside the hive . Even Rivea was mostly brought so that she could defend their backs while the rest fought the Queen and the bodyguards .

Human , why not just wait a few more days? -

You’re pretty close to affording the Fruit , huh? Remember if I die the mission is failed , and the contribution crystal is gone . - Zac answered with a small smile .

It was true . Since Ogras started using the wide-scale shadow-attack his contribution points skyrocketed . In only 10 days he almost got as many as he did during the three weeks of the first wolf horde , and he possessed over 40 million points by now .

Ogras muttered something under his breath but didn’t seem overly worried . There was a whole third wave after all , and there still were a lot of Contribution Points to be gained inside the hive . Zac got over five million points for killing the fiend wolf , and he heard afterward that both Ogras and Alea got quite a few points as well for helping out . Killing E-Ranked beings at this stage seemed truly profitable .

They were currently at the back of the fight against the insects and started to move forward . As they did both Ogras and Janos cast a skill , shrouding them both in shadows and illusions , making them almost invisible . They easily slipped past the ant-army and headed into one of the large tunnels .

The inside looked just like outside , with black walls and green crystals . The crystals thankfully emanated some light , though it was a lot darker compared to the tunnels in the mines . They could light up their path with the help of Rivea , but held off on that for the moment wanting to maintain their cover . They didn’t expect to be able to sneak all the way to the core room , but the faster they proceeded without being bogged down in fights , the less pressure on the fighters outside .

Groups of ants kept coming through the tunnel to join the battle outside , and most simply ran right by . With Herod’s timely warnings they usually had time to press themselves against the wall while their skills hid them . However , they were still discovered every now and then , and were forced into a furious battle . It was mainly Zac and ogras who slaughtered the ants without using up too much cosmic energy , and then threw the bodies into Cosmos Sacks .

They quickly realized something was wrong as they walked . The inside of the hive actually seemed larger compared to the outside . The hive was shaped almost like a pyramid , reaching about a hundred meters in height and was a few hundred wide meters at the base . But they had walked over 10 minutes in an almost straight tunnel without reaching an end . They were frequently forced to stop as they walked due to the incoming packs , but they should long have crossed the whole structure .

The hive is likely a spatial being , containing something like a hidden realm , - Ogras said with a low volume when no ants were nearby .

Not illusion . Unless extremely strong , - Janos added with a nod .

Does this change anything? - Zac asked .

Not really , the mission is still the same . But it will be much harder to find the queen , we don’t know just how large the inside of the hive is anymore , - Ogras answered with a sigh .

As they proceeded further into the hive they ran into fewer and fewer packs of ants . Soon the group found themselves at a crossroads . The path split into three , and it looked like the left descended while right ascended . The middle path stayed the course .

The core room should be in the depths since that place would be safest from external attacks , - Ogras said , and the group veered off to the left paths . There was no talk about splitting up since perhaps only Zac and Ogras would be able to survive if they ventured out alone .

As they moved further down the rocky walls started to transform , looking more and more like flesh . It reminded them that they weren’t actually inside a mountain , but rather inside a huge being .

Trap! - the earth mage suddenly exclaimed , and soon after the ground opened up beneath them . They barely had time to jump forward , and as they turned back they looked at a pool of acid seething where the floor once was .

Does it know we’re here? - Zac asked .

Who knows? The information missive never explained how aware the hive queen is . It might just have been an automatic reflex from us stepping on this path . The ants might know which spots to avoid , - Ogras answered with a frown .

It did not take long for the group to find the answer to the question , as a group of huge ant-warriors streamed toward them . They were almost as large as the titans but far more nimble . Their name was Ayn Elite Guard] , and their front legs looked very specialized . One of the arms had the same sort of long blade like the mantis-like captains , whereas the other was extremely thick almost like a crab’s arm . It almost looked like a shield Zac thought as he watched them approach .

As usual , Janos erected a mirage around them , making it seem they were part of the wall as they pushed against it . The guards looked a bit confused as they slowed down as they looked around . As if in response the green gems in the wall behind Zac and the others started shining more brightly . The guards immediately perked up and resumed their charge .

Seeing that the illusion wasn’t effective any more Zac threw a rock toward one of them . The stone hurtled toward the front elite guard who lifted its thick arm in response . A deep clang resounded as the ant was slightly pushed back , but not a mark could be seen on its arm . Clearly , the thicker arm was extremely reinforced .

The ants approached and Zac moved to the front , and with a grunt swung his axe against the shield to test its might . A massive shockwave pushed both his target and a few of the other guards back , but the thick shell even held against his new weapon . There was a small crack though , and a few more swings would probably do the trick .

Zac was surprised at the sturdiness of these things , as there weren’t many things below E-grade that could survive a swing of his anymore . If they could take the shells of these things they would likely be able to create some pretty damn durable armor . With some treatment and inscriptions engraved onto them , they might even become E-graded gear .

Don’t ruin their shields , - Zac said with some greed in his eyes . Of course , perhaps only he was actually able to damage them in any case .

In the end it fell to Zac , Ogras , and Rivea to kill the group of guards . Zac was actually forced to use the Seed of Sharpness to kill the ants while Ogras used his black spear to penetrate into the joints of the guards . As soon as the tip of the spear breached their armor spikes made from shadows poured out of the tip and wreaked havoc on their insides . Rivea lobbed a few fireballs that stuck to their heads and quickly boiled their brains .

Herod tried to help with a few earth spears as well , but his power wasn’t enough against these warriors . He could only help out by erecting earth walls to protect the non-combatants . It was a strain on him as they weren’t in an actual cave , but a living being . The earth mages drew power from the ground , which enabled them to do more with less expenditure , but it wasn’t possible in here . Alea was simply staying put . Her poison spikes would be able to kill these things , but they consumed a huge amount of cosmic energy , so it was better for her to wait for more formidable targets .

They threw the most well-preserved carapaces in Cosmos Sacks and pushed further down , not bothering as much about stealth anymore . They were clearly spotted somehow , and it would be better to just rush through .

Soon they came to a large circular room , and after brief hesitation they ran toward the door that seemed to be leading downward . But just as they approached it the pathway simply closed up by the walls moving together .

If it’s only the entrance that’s closed I can break it down in less than a minute , but if the whole tunnel is collapsed we need to find another way , - Zac muttered as he touched the closed doorway .

No , let’s retreat befo- - Ogras quickly interjected but was interrupted by the pathway they came from opening as well . - Shit , break the door we came from! - the demon shouted .

Zac didn’t hesitate and used Loamwalker] to appear next to the door and Furiously slammed into it with a Sharpness-imbued Chop] . A large crack appeared in the door but before Zac had time to swing again the floor beneath them opened up .

It was as though the ground was a huge maw that opened up , and the group helplessly fell down into the large hole .

Grab on to each other! - Ogras shouted , and luckily the demons were quite close to each other .

However , Zac who used his movement skill earlier was over twenty meters away from the others and he had no way to broach the distance while falling . A rope was flung toward him , but the winds in the hole pushed it out of his reach .

Suddenly the seemingly endless hole split up , separating the groups , and Zac was suddenly utterly alone while falling into the abyss .

Chapter 106 - The Descent

Zac was picking up speed as his descent continued through the black hole . He desperately tried to grab onto the wall as he fell but the surface was almost completely smooth . Seeing no alternative he grabbed Verun’s Bite] with both hands and stabbed forward while summoning a sharpness-imbued Chop] at the maximum length he could maintain .

The cosmic energy edge cut into the wall , and Zac removed the Dao-empowerment as soon as it did . Luckily the walls inside the hive queen were quite a bit softer compared to the hardshell exterior . The harsh deceleration almost ripped the axe out of his hands , but he barely managed to hold on as he ripped a large scar along the wall while moving downward . Soon he stopped just as he saw some green light below .

Since his momentum was gone he took out one of his back-up axes from his pouch and stabbed into the wall with another cosmic edge . Like this , he climbed downward toward the exit . He initially thought about climbing up to find the others , but he soon discarded that thought . They should be down here somewhere as well , and going downward might be a better bet to find them .

Besides , their goal was to go further down to find the core room in any case . So Zac started using the fractal edges of his axes as ice picks as he slowly climbed down toward the exit , And as he saw what created the green glowing light his eyebrows rose .

It was a large pond of acid . If Zac hadn’t stopped his decent he would have fallen right in , and even with his armor and Endurance he wasn’t sure he’d survive the bath . As he hung close to the edge Zac was pondering on what to do . He could see that there was dry ground roughly ten meters away from the hole , but he doubted he could climb the ceiling all the way over there as his axes would just slide right out .

He took out his huge elongated axe from his pouch . It had accompanied him during many of the wolf waves when he wasn’t able to freely use his skills , and by now it was mostly warped and dull . It wasn’t really as useful lately since he didn’t have to be as stingy with his cosmic energy anymore . Its total length was a bit over two meters , and it would make a decent measuring tool for the pond . Careful to hold it completely vertical he simply dropped it straight down .

The axe fell down and just as it was about to be completely submerged it stopped with a thud for a few seconds before it fell down into the pool completely . It looked like the depth was only roughly two meters . Even if it was shallower than he had dared hope , it was still enough to completely submerge him if he dropped down .

He didn’t have any more time to ponder , as the edge he hung from with his axes suddenly cracked , and he fell down together with a large chunk of wall . He quickly threw out a bunch of non-essential tools and items from a pouch , such as his large table and chairs , and a few boulders he used for ranged battle . They smacked into the pond with a large splash , and Zac felt a burning sensation on his feet from the splashing acid .

He landed on a boulder that was rapidly sinking , and without hesitation used two of his standard axes as stilts with the help of Chop] as he pushed down with elongated edges . He hoped that he would be able to jump over the pool like a pole vaulter , but the fractal energy edges broke almost immediately , dashing that hope .

Instead he kept throwing out rocks on the ground , gritting his teeth as the splashes hit his hands and face . Luckily the distance wasn't very long and after a few more boulders he was close to the edge of the acid ponds , so he leaped through the air . He sailed toward dry land as the boulders he stood on earlier quickly disintegrated .

He landed in a pile with a grunt , and quickly took out a rag to wipe the acid off his blistering feet with a grimace . After smearing some healing ointment on them he got up and looked around a bit stumped . He couldn’t believe things turned out that well . The blisters hurt but wouldn’t leave any lasting damage , and he only lost some furniture and two axes in the escape .

As he surveyed the area he found himself in a cave that was roughly 30 by 30 meters . There was no other hole in the roof , meaning that the others couldn’t have ended up here . Most of the room was the large pool of acid , and as Zac looked around it almost felt like a digestive system rather than some sort of trap . Perhaps the ant workers normally filled the room they entered earlier with whatever a hive queen ate , and it dropped down into what was essentially its stomaches .

There , unfortunately , were no visible exits in the room , and Zac was afraid that the acid could rise at any time judging by the markings on the walls . There was a clear line on the walls at roughly the height of his waist that indicated that the liquid at one point reached all the way there . He quickly walked to the wall and started tapping it .

After tapping for a while he heard a hollow sound roughly at the height of his head and started to carve the cave wall using his axe . Even though the walls weren’t as hard as the exterior , he was still forced to use the Dao of Sharpness once again . He briefly wondered if a beast as large as the hive queen could feel him ripping a hole in what might just be its stomach , but he guessed that this couldn’t even be considered a wound for something this size . In just a few minutes he carved a hole large enough to crawl through and found himself in a large tunnel .

The deserted tunnel looked completely organic , which was an unsettling change from the mostly rocky or chitinous appearance from earlier . The walls even looked like they were slowly pulsating to a heartbeat . He could only hope that the increasingly biological make of the wall meant he was getting closer to the core . He started walking along , ignoring the stinging pain from his burned feet , and since the tunnel was completely deserted he dared take out an F-Grade Nexus Crystal to recuperate his energy as he moved .

He was completely lost by this point and wasn’t sure whether to try and complete his quest or try to look for his teammates . Then again , he had no structured method to do either , so he chose to simply move forward and take things as they came . If he found Ogras and the others , great . If he found a core-looking room , he’d try and destroy it .

The power of the queen and her guards sounded daunting , but he made significant improvements since he fought the fiend wolf . He both had his new axe and the Seed of Sharpness , pushing his lethality to a completely new level . He also possessed another ace in the hole he remembered as he touched his right forearm with some anticipation .

After walking through the deserted tunnels for a bit he came to a fork . One of the paths was pretty much the same as the one he was currently walking . The other had a surprisingly low amount of cosmic energy . He unhesitantly walked toward the pathway with a higher amount of energy , but after a hundred meters stopped himself and backtracked .

Something was absorbing the cosmic energy in the other tunnel , and it might just be the queen . It should take huge amounts of energy to keep spewing out all these ants , even to just survive when you’re this big . He couldn’t even imagine the energy requirements for a humongous hive queen if Zac’s own caloric intake increased by a few times since he evolved . That kind of requirement should be impossible to satiate unless it was through cosmic energy .

He held his axe at the ready as he silently crept into the tunnel . As he moved further the energy kept getting sparser , to the point that there almost was none left in the air . The feeling was extremely uncomfortable , almost like there was no air to breathe . It was the first time he felt the atmosphere to be like this since the integration , and he was surprised to see how reliant he’d become on cosmic energy .

Finally , he entered a huge cavern and what he saw made him stop in place and just gawk . It felt like a scene out of a horror movie , with an uncountable amount of monster pods . The whole cavern was filled to the brim with receptacles that shone with the same green light as the crystals embedded in the hive walls . They stood up on the floor leaving only thin pathways and were even affixed to the walls and the roof . Zac couldn’t be sure but it felt like there were tens of thousands of pods in the cavern .

Zac quickly entered a path and inspected the closest pods . Inside was an embryonic version of one of the worker ants that made up most of the armies . After walking through the path he quickly saw that all the pods were mostly the same , the only difference was the stage of growth of the ants . That meant that this likely was only one of many pod-rooms , and the more powerful types were created somewhere else .

He thought a second about destroying the whole cave , but that would take a crazy amount of effort going by how large the place was . It wouldn’t make sense for him to completely expose himself when there likely were many more caverns just like this . His goal was to kill the queen , and if he did most of these pods should likely die out on their own .

He stealthily made his way forward toward the other end , but a sudden movement made him freeze . It was a shadow that flickered oddly beneath a pod . Zac frowned and moved toward it , which caused the shadow to actually move away . Zac realized what was going on and started following the flickering shadow until he reached a small path hidden behind a few pods .

Inside he saw Ogras , Alea , Janos , and Herod hiding at the entrance of a tunnel . They obviously met a similar situation as himself earlier , as their clothes were full of burned holes . Zac couldn’t help to sneak a peek at Alea , and was rewarded with a pout and a teasing wink .

Herod was even worse off compared to the others with his whole arm singed to the point of pieces of flesh being missing . He was completely white with beads of sweat covering his face , and he was shivering as though in shock . His eyes were alert though , fearfully darting back and forth .

With a furrow Zac noticed that Rivea wasn’t with them , but just as he was about to ask what was going on Ogras quickly signaled him to be quiet . The demon pointed to the walls , and for the first time he noticed something was different about the tunnels compared to those walked through earlier .

It wasn’t the usual biotic walls anymore , but it rather looked like there were a multitude of cables , or veins , running along all the surface . The veins split up as they entered the large cavern , and Zac could see a thin line was attached to every pod .

Zac’s heartbeat started to increase as he started to realize what was going on . He took out a piece of paper and wrote - Queen?’ as he pointed toward the other end of the small tunnel they hid in .

With a serious face Ogras nodded .

Chapter 107 - Assault

Ogras picked out a crystal from his pouch and closed his eyes for a few seconds as he held it tightly . Next , he handed it over to Zac and indicated for him to pour some cosmic energy into it . As he did he suddenly heard Ogras voice in his head .