Defiance of the Fall

Iz undeniably had some odd social blind spots though , and Zac figured she was a bit of a cultivation idiot like himself . However , while he had only started cultivating when he was 29 , she’d probably done so from birth . That left her personality incredibly lopsided , though it seemed like she was working on that .

Oh , you’re right , - Iz nodded as though it was a matter of course . - Then , let’s skip it . Instead , tell me of your experiences in the Twilight Harbor . -

How do you know about that? - Zac asked .

That was where your signal led for a long time , until you suddenly disappeared through the interference of Chaos , - Iz said . - By the time I left for the frontier , the Twilight Harbor had long since been destroyed . -

What happened to the people living there? - Zac asked .

Most weren’t fated , - Iz said . - Around a third of the platforms survived . But without an energy source or a World Core , the environment is doomed to decline until it is barely habitable . -

Must be hell on earth there by now , - Ogras muttered . - Those places will quickly run dry of resources . A lot of people would have to kill and steal to afford a ticket out of there . -

Zac sighed and said another silent prayer for Nala , the half-blood Draugr who guided him when he visited .

You just want me to tell you what happened in Twilight Harbor? - Zac asked to confirm . - And you won’t suddenly blast me with a fireball? -

. . . No , - Iz said after an entirely too-long pause .

Zac didn’t even need to deliberate before he started to retell his experiences in Twilight Harbor and the Twilight Ascent . Almost any price would beat getting incinerated by Iz’s terrifying flames again . Even Verun had lost its vigor in front of her skills , and the Tool Spirit had released a subdued whimper after the last test of fate . If it had to endure any more , Zac worried it might literally mutiny .

Iz listened on with interest as Zac narrated the events , occasionally asking for clarifications . But it wasn’t for stuff like one expected , like lucky encounters or powerful beasts he’d fought . She rather asked about mundane stuff , such as what the unique Twilight Water felt and tasted like , or whether the water in the Twilight Chasm was colder .

She was also delighted when he took out a few of the corals he collected in the Coral Forest , or the puppet Catheya got him . In contrast , she didn’t care much about the powerful scions he’d fought .

The Eidolon and the Blood Clan . To think they both so easily fell prey to the destructive corruption of the Remnants , - Iz commented .

Blood Clan? You mean the Eternal Clan? - Zac asked .

They do not have the qualifications to speak of Eternity , - Iz said with equanimity . - Then what happened? -

Zac shrugged and continued the story , with the collapse of the Mystic Realm and how he’d jumped into a spatial tear to survive the battle outside .

You truly are an unkillable , Mr . Bug , - Iz said with a small smile . - What do you want to know? -

What can you tell us about this Lost Plane and its connection to . . . that place? Would conventional means cut off the connection , or do we need to prepare something more than spatial destabilizers? -

I find it curious you are unable to say Ultom without fate shifting , - Iz said . - Is it because you are the first candidate? -

Zac could only helplessly shrug in response . It wasn’t like he had any idea .

I don’t know this Lost Plane you’ve mentioned , and I don’t recognize the taint in this world . But if you say the temples come from there , it’s most likely a pocket world connected to the Eternal Heritage itself . Most of them contain vast realms , - Iz said after some thought . - It is a bit odd . Those worlds are always mirrors of the heritage they reside within , but Ultom does not carry this taint . I cannot explain that , so I might be wrong . -

Zac frowned . - I guess we’ll just have to pray our preparations work . -

I’m sorry I wasn’t of more help , - Iz said . - I couldn’t answer your question , so ask me something else . -

Zac thought for a few moments , but he didn’t know what else to ask . She’d already hinted that she wouldn’t divulge her background , and had already told them most of what she knew about the situation with Ultom and the Kan’Tanu . Although , there was something else he was curious about .

Then , how did you arrive at the frontier so quickly? Could I use that method to reach the Six Profundity Empire? - Zac asked .

His strength was far from reaching the point where he felt confident in saving Kenzie , but opportunities like this were rare . Who knew when he’d meet someone like Iz the next time , someone who had actually traveled from the Heartlands to the frontier?

The Six Profundity Empire? - Iz said with surprise . - What do you want to do there? Your heritage doesn’t seem to have any relation to them . -

Zac smiled . - Humor me , -

This is a real scenario? Where you are just you? - Iz asked .

I’m just me , - Zac said with a roll of his eyes .

A few people owed my family favors and helped my uncle reach this Sector , so you wouldn’t be able to use our method , - Iz said .

What can I do? -

The Six Profundity Empire is very far from here . You are poor , so you can’t get a Cosmic Vessel fast enough . - Iz’s brows scrunched together like she was trying to figure out a riddle . - And you have no connections that can assist you . There are no gateways in the frontier either . . . Hmm . . . -

It’s impossible? - Zac grimaced .

No , I can think of two solutions . The first is to reach the closest A-grade force . They should have access to some allies , and you might be able to pay for passage through their long-distance teleporter . That way , you can gradually jump closer and closer to your destination . -

What would something like that cost? - Zac asked .

Transfer between two forces? - Iz said . - I don’t know . I hear it’s rarely counted in Nexus Coins . Factions like that have little use for System Currency . You rather need to provide rare treasures for them to activate the long-range teleporters . You should know , the energy required for such a jump would drain a couple of C-grade factions . -

So a jump would beggar a Peak Monarch , and one would have to make multiple jumps? - Ogras said with a scrunched-up face .

If the factions will even allow you to use them . They are strategic resources , and they are incredibly difficult to both operate and maintain . Some might not want to risk their platforms , since it is one of their lifelines in case of emergency , - Iz said . - And if they’ve broken down , they might take millennia to repair . Dozens of millennia if they need to send for Spatial Array Masters . -

What’s the other option? - Zac sighed .

Enter the Endless Storm and find a wormhole , - Iz said .

Enter the what-now? - Zac asked , and a glance confirmed Ogras knew as little as he did .

You two live at the frontier but don’t know about the Endless Storm? - Iz asked , her head cocked to the side . - How is that possible? It would be like living by the lake but not knowing what water is . -

Zac and Ogras shared a helpless look . Iz wasn’t trying to be rude , but that perhaps made her comments even worse . This wasn’t the first time she’d been confused by their ignorance of what she thought was common knowledge .

It’s the region beyond the frontier? - Zac ventured .

Yes , - Iz nodded . - Beyond the frontier is the Endless Storm . You can actually see a calm corner of it in this Sector—the Million Gates Territory . -

That chaotic place is a calm corner? - Zac grimaced .

I hear there are Solar Storms in the depths of the Endless Storm that would destroy even Supremacies , - Iz said . - But it’s not all dangerous . It’s called a storm , but there are decently safe regions , some of which are larger than whole empires . -

Where would one find a wormhole then? - Zac asked .

Usually in the actual storms , - Iz said . - The System’s expansion has pushed back the storm for billions of years , and it has resulted in some interesting phenomena . There are gateways , some of them incredibly stable , that can take you across half of the cosmos in an instant . The Space Gate to the Black Heart Sect is an example of this , though their Sector most likely is quite close to Zecia . Those that can take you across all reality need a stronger storm to be born .

These tunnels are the most convenient methods of travel , but they are extremely rare in integrated space . No one has ever managed to replicate them either , except for Lord Stillsun , and later the System itself . -

I should just head into this storm and hope for the best? - Zac grimaced . - Seems like finding a needle in a haystack . -

Without a guide , it would be nigh-hopeless , - Iz agreed . - There are factions who live inside the storm , who know of hidden wormholes or are able to find them . In this regard , the Technocrats are unsurpassed . -

Zac tried to keep his face impassive , but his heartbeat sped up . Iz just unknowingly provided him with a huge lead . What if Leandra didn’t choose the Six Profundity Empire because she had a special connection to it? What if she just wanted to go to any random A-grade Empire , and happened to know of a nearby wormhole that led there?

If so , perhaps he could find a way to trace her steps into the Eternal Storm after getting his hands on a Cosmic Vessel . Going there early might be preferrable anyway , since he would probably be able to grow quicker in such a place than here in Zecia . And it would be a good way to disappear , in case the situation with Ultom became too complicated .

Various plans started to crop up in Zac’s mind , but he eventually put the matter aside . No matter if it was actually viable or not , it would have to wait . There were a lot of things he needed to deal with in Zecia before he sailed off into some cosmic storm in search of magical portals .

Thank you , - Zac said , and turned to Ogras . - How do you feel? -

A lot better than I thought possible a day ago . - Ogras shrugged . - I’m good to go . -

Let’s head out , then? The quicker we deal with this mess , the more energy Gemmy will have for her transformation , - Zac ventured . - Also , I don’t want that golem to catch up . No offense . -

That’s okay , - Iz said . - That hand is just an expendable clone . It dying will have no bearing on Kvalk . -

That’s not wh— - Zac stopped himself . - Well , never mind . -

The three once more set out in the direction of the Ra’Lashar Kingdom . Ogras led the way , but it honestly wasn’t necessary . The sky was a pitch-black curtain to the east , and even Zac could feel the ominous energy churning inside the clouds . You’d almost have to be blind to miss it .

Ogras didn’t have to expend any energy concealing their approach either . Iz simply infused some energy into the candle , and it floated into the air and followed her . Around them , a ten-meter domain was erected , and both Ogras and Zac confirmed they were completely invisible within .

Seeing how Iz was taking care of everything , Zac chose to squeeze in some cultivation time while he walked . Most of his methods couldn’t be trained while on the move , but he could make some progress on Thousand Lights Avatar] if he didn’t need to focus on his surroundings . It was almost like making candles , where he covered his Spiritual Framework with his Mental Energy over and over .

Each time , a little bit was left behind and thickened the avatar , though the change wouldn’t be discernible to the naked eye . Despite progress being slow , Zac kept at it , partly due to a comment from Iz . She had told him that a powerful Soul could help stabilize one’s breakthrough into Hegemony .

Zac didn’t have any actual methods to accomplish something like that , but he had an idea . If he could form a proper avatar around his Specialty Core , he might be able to erect powerful Spiritual Barriers like the ones he used when he opened the last nodes in his head . That meant he had one more thing he needed to accomplish before reaching Hegemony . He couldn’t just slack off and enjoy the view .

Do . . . you think it’s fun? Cultivation , - Iz suddenly asked after an hour of silence , prompting Zac to startle awake from his semi-comatose state .

Is it fun? - Zac asked as a smile crept across his face . - You’d have to eat my punch if you want to know . -

20

TAINTED WELL

Zac regretted the words the moment he uttered them . Flames gathered around Iz , obviously excited at the prospect of getting punched .

I’m ready , - Iz nodded .

I was just kid— - Zac said with exasperation , but he stopped in his tracks when a displeased frown appeared on Iz’s face .

Do you think me too weak to bear your fate? - Iz glared at him .

Uh , no? - Zac said .

Then test me , - Iz said as the burning field expanded around them , forming a dome the same size as the cave they’d spent over two days inside .

There wasn’t much else to do—he needed to give this fate-obsessed firebug a good wallop . Zac was thankful that Ogras was the only other person around as he stepped back to create some distance . Punching someone for asking him about his feelings and opinions felt incredibly toxic , and it would drag his already frayed reputation further through the mud .

At the same time , Zac couldn’t help but feel some excitement as Cosmic Energy started to course through his body . Iz Tayn had already scared him half to death a couple of times , and he was pretty sure she’d intentionally targeted his butt in the attack she traded for intelligence on the Black Heart Sect . He could still feel flashes of pain as they walked .

This was a chance for some sanctioned retaliation .

Four thick streams of Mental Energy traveled along the framework of Thousand Lights Avatar] into his arm as the muscles in his legs tensed . A moment later , Zac shot forward like an arrow released from its bow , leaving huge cracks in the ground from where he pushed off . Simultaneously , two streams of Kalpataru and War Axe entered his prepared Mental Energy-Braid before gathering in his fist .

His hand released a ferocious aura of primal life , and his body naturally moved according to his Evolutionary Stance . The air twisted around him as he released a vibrant and deadly Dao Field , like an apex predator pouncing on its prey . Zac’s eyes met with Iz’s , and he saw a small smile spread across her face before a wall of flames separated them .

If this were a real fight , Zac would most likely have released a staggered attack to first break the barrier before delivering the real strike , but this was just a friendly clash . There was no need to complicate things , so when Zac appeared in front of Iz , his hand was already shooting toward the barrier in a monstrous right hook .

Every muscle and cell in Zac’s body were in perfect harmony . All his momentum and force were gathered into one spot . His fist slammed into the shield with enough power to disintegrate a small mountain , yet there was only a subdued thud . The force in Zac’s attack was directed inward , yet Iz’s barrier somehow managed to absorb most of it .

Only a trickle of Cosmic Energy and his Dao managed to pass through , but Zac couldn’t just give up like that . Even if he hadn’t put everything into the punch , it would be too embarrassing if a lazily erected barrier completely nullified his attack . So Zac took control and roused the lingering energies before they scattered , and a smaller wave leapt toward Iz’s left temple in a final blaze of glory .

Just as Zac’s attack was about to reach Iz’s actual body , a finger gently tapped the ball of energy . Zac felt a flash of heat before losing his connection to his attack . Shortly after , the flame wall dispersed , and Zac looked at Iz with some helplessness . So close , yet so far away .

You have a novel approach to Dao Braiding , - Iz said with a smile as four streams of flames appeared around her hand . Two of them shifted colors into a darker hue , and Zac looked on with a sense of defeat as they formed a perfect copy of his crude Dao Braid .

Well , - Zac shrugged . - You have to play with the cards you’re dealt . -

Cards? - Iz said with confusion .

Just an expression , - Zac said . - To make do with what you have . -

Iz nodded . - Oh . It evens out , provided you are fated . The paths of those coming from humble beginnings are generally sturdier than those from powerful factions . By the time they defend their Dao , they are often more powerful . Forged through adversity . And in your case , your disadvantages seem to be wholly exaggerated . -

Tell me about it , - Ogras muttered .

So , your answer? - Iz said .

What? - Zac asked , then he remembered why they’d fought in the first place . - I guess I think it’s fun , for the most part? I like the feeling of discovery . The feeling of pushing past your previous boundaries . I kind of wish I’d have some periods of calm , though . Where I could just cultivate for the sake of it , rather than to avoid getting hunted down by some old monster or die in a war forced down my throat . -

But then you’d be without purpose . Without those Karmic Links that push you forward . -

That’s fine , isn’t it? - Zac smiled . - I can always find a purpose if I lack one . -

Find a purpose? - Iz asked .

Yeah . Like , if I reached a point where all my enemies were gone , and I wasn’t rushing toward anything , I could look for purpose elsewhere . Pick up hobbies . Improve the lives of those on my planet . I don’t know , start a family . I was already a teenager when my dad was my age . -

My uncle said it is inadvisable to start a family before closing in on your limits , - Iz said . - Your heart will become split between the Dao and your progeny , hampering progress . You also risk getting entangled with someone whose fate cannot match up to yours . -

I don’t know . Does it have to be that cut-and-dry? - Zac said . - Can’t family be another sort of fuel for your cultivation? Like you work harder because you have something important to protect , something more important than your own life . As for fate , I don’t really believe in something like that . Fate is malleable . If it doesn’t suit you , you change it . -

Fate is malleable? - Iz said with glimmering eyes . - Perhaps you are right . -

I don’t want to interrupt . . . whatever the two of you are doing , - Ogras interjected . - But we have company . -

Zac looked over with surprise , his gaze following in the direction Ogras pointed . Far in the distance , he could vaguely make out a handful of moving dots . They were neither moving at a fast nor a slow pace , and the dots would cut past their current position in ten minutes or so .

Cultivators or beasts? - Zac wondered , feeling a bit hamstrung after not having Vai and her bowl accompany him .

Cultivators , - Ogras said . - They look like invaders . But it’s odd . . . -

They carry the taint , - Iz calmly said after glancing at the distant dots . - A lot of it . -

I’m the only one without any far sight abilities? - Zac muttered . - Well , let’s get a bit closer . Iz , are you sure this domain won’t be discovered , even by scouts? -

It is both an isolation field and a Karmic Partition . They have no fate with anything within these flames . As such , they cannot react to it , - Iz said , glancing at Zac with an inscrutable look . - Of course , there are no guarantees if fate is malleable . -

Zac nodded , and they moved to an outcropping to get a better look at these cultivators . Not long after , the small party was close enough for Zac to properly scan them with Cosmic Gaze] , and his brows furrowed in consternation . Iz wasn’t kidding around .

A palpable aura of corruption surrounded the group of warriors as they ran through the wasteland . The sinister undulations from their Heart Curses were still there , but it was now mixed with the taint of the Lost Plane . The eyes of the cultivators felt a bit muddled as well , but Zac saw how two of them exchanged a couple of words as they ran .

In other words , they hadn’t become vessels of mindless aggression like the Qriz’Ul Ogras had described .

Looks like these fools have drunk from a tainted well , - Ogras snorted after the party was gone . - Like they didn’t have enough problems with those disgusting curses in their chests . -

That can’t end well for them , - Zac agreed .

Should we follow? - Iz ventured .

They’re not moving in the direction of our destination , - Zac said . - Let’s just leave them be . Who knows if taking them out will alert the others . -

Proper scouting units would always carry life tablets , - Iz said . - Some carry deadly poisons to use if they find themselves cornered . Better dead than captured , as their deaths would serve as an early warning . -

The trio set out again , but they stopped just twenty minutes later after reaching the crest of a hill . On the other side , a seemingly endless city stretched across the horizon . Only the foundations of a 20-meter-thick wall remained , and the structures inside weren’t any better off .

An occasional building retained all of its walls , and there was a palpable sense of gloom covering the ruins . The sky was completely black , and a purple haze covered large sections of the city .

The Ra’Lashar Capital , - Ogras said as he looked at the city with mixed emotions . - Took me the better part of a year to deal with the netherblasted rune goblins over there . I can’t believe I’m back in this cursed place . -

Does it look any different? - Zac asked .

Well , it doesn’t look like the Qriz’Ul have multiplied , at least . But the environment is far worse than when I was here . Back then , the corruption wasn’t this palpable . - Ogras grimaced as he crushed a Nexus Crystal to release some pure energy around him . - That’s better , - the demon sighed before turning to Zac . - Not sure if I can go all out if we have to fight in the depths of the pit . A bunch of corruption will sneak into my body if I’m not careful . What about you? -

I’m fine , - Zac shrugged . - Looks like I’m immune to the taint at these levels . -

Zac had already noticed it some time ago . There was something else mixed into the Cosmic Energy in the wastelands , though it was barely noticeable . A sticky and stubborn energy that snuck into his body and seemingly wanted to glom onto his pathways . The energy was unlike anything Zac had encountered before , except for that enormous pillar blasting into the sky .

Back then , the energy of the Lost Plane had been contained by the nine sigils , and Zac couldn’t observe its true nature . Even when it had infiltrated his body , Zac didn’t quite know what to make of it . It didn’t feel like attuned energy at all . In fact , Zac wasn’t even sure it was comparable to Cosmic Energy .

Was this because the energy possibly stemmed from an Eternal Heritage? Was the fundamental energy of the previous eras different than the Cosmic Energy they used now? Thankfully , his Purity of the Void] dealt with the infiltration all the same , and it never had time to become a problem . The situation hadn’t even gotten to the point where his Void Heart] needed to activate like in the Twilight Ocean .

My flames are naturally purging the corruption , - Iz said .

Forget I asked , - Ogras muttered under his breath . - Traveling with a buncha monsters . -

A smile tugged at Zac’s mouth , which made Iz look over with confusion .

You take pleasure in your friend’s lacking foundations? - Iz asked curiously .

Hey! - Ogras interjected , but he just shrugged in defeat and dropped the matter after looking at the monstrously powerful scion .

More in the faces he makes when he gets jealous , I think? - Zac said after some thought .

Iz hummed softly , turning to Ogras , who looked back at her vigilantly . - When I left for the frontier , my elder gave me 10 B-grade Nexus Coins for pocket money . -

The demon tried to keep his face impassive , but the shades of grey on his face gained a hint of green , and it looked like he was about to become physically ill .

That’s . . . nice , - Ogras squeezed through grit teeth , then walked away to the edge of the barrier .

You were right , - Iz smiled . - It is a bit amusing . -

You have to take pleasure in the little things , - Zac said while desperately trying to hide his own jealousy .

Iz looked at Zac for an uncomfortable amount of time until her mouth slowly curved up . - To improve my Luck upon reaching E-grade , I bathed in the diluted dew from a two-million-year-old Fateweave Orchid] . It also helped cleanse my marrow of some Natal Impurities . -

Zac’s stomach churned as he unwittingly remembered his most recent experience with improving his Luck . It almost felt like he could smell the unbearable stench from the Celestial Clay] , and he was forced to take a steadying breath to stop himself from gagging .

Let’s hurry and close that portal , - Zac grunted , heading over to Ogras . When a small laugh came from behind , he wondered if he might have made a horrible mistake .

Thankfully , Iz didn’t continue bragging about her financial prowess , much to the relief of both Zac and Ogras . Even then , her two little comments painted a painfully clear picture that his so-called fortune wasn’t worth much in the grand scheme of things .

Seeing how they were approaching the city proper , Ogras took out a talisman that Pretty Peak had provided . It was a top-quality detection talisman that proved to work against the Kan’Tanu’s arrays , and the air started to shudder a bit after the demon infused some energy into it .

Nothing changed until they reached the very edge of the crumbled wall . It was barely visible , but the vibrations had gotten stronger , forming a thin film halfway through the thick wall .

They’ve really installed a detection array , - Ogras frowned .

My flames don’t work if they’re allowed to touch the barrier , - Iz said .

Then we pass through using our means and reignite the flame? - Zac said .

Iz nodded , and the floating candle winked out . That exposed the three to the surroundings , but Ogras worked quickly as he took out a small array disk . Two flickering gateways appeared , one right in front of them and the other a hundred meters into the ruins . They wordlessly passed through , and the array disk disintegrated to black ash behind them .

Such a short-range teleportation array wouldn’t work against an actual barrier with spatial isolation , but it worked fine against large-scale detection arrays . Iz’s candle reignited , and the three set off deeper into the capital . They continued for another five hours at a rapid pace before slowing down .

During this time , they encountered two more detection arrays and even a couple of traps , but they passed them without much issue . Still , it was a clear sign the Kan’Tanu expected trouble , and Zac started to fear their chances of detonating the pathway before slipping away unnoticed were pretty slim .

They’d also encountered a couple of Qriz’Ul on their way . To their surprise , not all of them looked like corrupted goblins . There were two who looked surprisingly similar to Ogras , while others had taken human form . Still , the vast majority looked like goblins , covered in runes unlike any Zac had ever seen . Iz didn’t recognize them either , and she didn’t even believe they were a derivation of the Apostate of Order’s codification of the Dao .

By this point , the corruption was so strong it’d created a dark haze around them , and they couldn’t see farther than a few hundred meters . Ogras had been forced to completely seal his pores , and he fastened over twenty Nexus Crystals across his body with his shadows to combat the corruption . Even Zac felt that Purity of the Void] was reaching its limits , while Iz remained unphased .

We’re close now , - the demon said as he pointed at an inner wall . - This was the fifth of seven layers that sealed the Ra’Lashar Kingdom . The seventh layer was just the central tower , which should still be one big crater . Still , the portal should be over there . -

No wonder those scouts were marked by the taint , - Zac muttered . - I can’t believe they dare stay in this kind of environment . -

Ogras shrugged . - K’Rav said the whispers of the Lost Plane are insidious . The Ra’Lashar never really realized they were running straight toward their doom . The gifts of the Lost Plane were like saltwater—the more they drank , the thirstier they got . -

Well , let’s get on with it , - Zac said as he readied himself . - The sooner we can get out of this disgusting place , the better . -

You want to destroy the pathway first? - Iz confirmed .

If possible . As long as we destroy it , we’ve won . We don’t even need to fight the Kan’Tanu if we don’t have to . This whole region will collapse when the Realm Spirit activates the Portable Realm array . There’s no way the infiltrators survive that without some means to escape the Void . -

They made their way through yet another detection array , this time by carefully calculating things so they appeared in one of the few still-standing buildings in the last layer . From there , they crept closer and closer to the heart of the city , until finally discovering what they were dealing with .

The crater Ogras had described was gone , replaced by a purple lake teeming with corruption . And on its shores , a thousand cultivators sat in silent meditation .

21

GOING WITH THE FLOW

The silence around the corrupted lake was absolute , with not one of the cultivators moving . While the scene appeared tranquil on the surface , it was anything but . The lake released powerful waves of dirty energy , creating an invisible storm on its surface that spread out along the crater’s slopes . Meanwhile , the auras of the cultivators kept rising and falling in pace with the pulses of the lake .

It was almost like they’d fused and become a singular organism that slowly inhaled and exhaled its corruption . The taint buffeted their surroundings , and Zac felt his Void Heart] finally awakening from its slumber to consume the accumulated taint in his body .

A small settlement had been erected at the southern banks to their right . There were roughly 100 structures altogether , and their rustic design as they hugged the slopes of the crater would have made for an almost picturesque scene in another environment . With the absolute lack of activity and the black haze spreading among the buildings , it may as well have been an abandoned ghost town .

Look , - Ogras whispered and pointed to the left , and Zac’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing a group of Qriz’Ul standing right next to a squad of Kan’Tanu cultivators .

They’ve allied? - Zac grimaced .

More like these fools have absorbed so much corruption , the Qriz’Ul have mistaken them for their own , - Ogras snorted . - What in the Heavens are they doing? Weren’t they supposed to be digging for keys to the courts? -

Zac nodded in agreement . It looked really odd . There was no excavation being done , and Zac couldn’t sense any hint of Ultom at all .

Do you sense any calling for your seals? - Zac asked , and both Iz and Ogras shook their heads . - I guess we won’t be able to conjure a pillar . Unless we blow up the lake somehow? -

Not sure how we’d accomplish that , - Ogras muttered . - More importantly , where is the gateway? Get the hell out here , bastard . -

Oi , what have these bastards done to my home? - A sad sigh echoed as the spectral goblin appeared next to Ogras , and he quickly turned to Iz .

Young miss , I can see you carry great fate . If you— - K’Rav said , only for his words to get caught in his throat when a few small embers started to dance around Iz as she trained her eyes on him . - Ah , never mind , young mistress . I shan’t take up your precious time . -

No , it’s fine , - Ogras grinned . - Go ahead , make your pitch . -

What do you want , you imbecile? To show me the aftermath of you blowing up the great Tower of Ra’Lashar? - K’Rav swore .

That was mostly you , remember? - Ogras snorted . - Where is the gateway to the Lost Plane? -

It’s at the bottom of the lake , obviously , - K’Rav said with disinterest . - Can’t you brats tell? Those waters are not from our plane . It must have seeped out from somewhere . These children must really have cracked the whole thing wide open for physical matter to appear like this . Even we knew better than to be that greedy . -

I guess it’s up to you two young masters then , yeah? - Ogras said . - Unfortunately , this poor peasant’s foundations are no match to a lake with that amount of corruption . I’d die before resurfacing . -

I . . . don’t think I can enter the lake either , - Iz said after some hesitation . - At least not while accomplishing the mission . My bloodline will try to set the lake on fire if assaulted by that much corruption . I might even be teleported away by fatewarding treasures . -

I guess it’s up to the fearsome Deviant Asura , then , - Ogras said .

Perfect , - Zac muttered , eyeing the bubbling lake .

It should be fine . Right?

Though it was hard to tell from the distance , Zac felt he should be able to last for a short while . Even if the tainted waters came from the Lost Plane , they didn’t contain energies that far surpassed this Mystic Realm’s . It seemed to be a bit worse than the depths of the Twilight Chasm , but he had Void Zone] now . As long as it worked against this weird energy , he would have more than enough wiggle room .

Give me some space , please , - Zac said as he took a couple of steps away from Iz before activating an illusion array .

Zac was somewhat certain that Iz didn’t care about whatever his hidden aces were . She couldn’t care less about him being both Draugr and human . She only found it an interesting oddity . As for the Remnants , she was even less impressed . She even seemed to believe they were more trouble than they were worth , which was definitely a reasonable assessment .

But his bloodline was different . Emperor Limitless was still a sensitive subject billions of years later . Zac didn’t know what ramifications it would have if people from the ancient factions found out whose legacy he carried . Even if he wasn’t killed outright , it was possible that some would want to use him for the same purpose as Leandra and the Kayar-Elu—to control the System .

And just because Iz didn’t care nor mind , there were no guarantees about her elders .

Ogras and Iz looked over , but the demon shrugged and turned away upon seeing the illusion array . Iz stared for a moment longer , but she too turned back toward the lake . Zac activated Void Zone] , and a soothing sense of nothingness ensconced him .

It worked . Just like Purity of the Void] had no problems purifying the energy of the Lost Plane , and Void Heart] had no problems absorbing it , neither did Void Zone] have any difficulties removing any such energy from his surroundings . That was still no guarantee it would be able to completely block out the energy in the lake , but it would at the least severely weaken it .

All good , Mr . Secretive? - Ogras asked with a raised brow when Zac returned .

All good . I’ll deal wit— - Zac froze as Void Heart] suddenly spat out a trickle of refined energy .

All at once , Zac understood a passage from the Book of Duality that had stumped him five days ago . A moment later , both the flash of inspiration and the refined energy were gone , but Zac was still frozen solid . It didn’t come close to the lights of the seals , but what he’d just felt was definitely in the same category .

Void Heart] could refine and distill the insights of the Lost Plane .

Zac’s eyes were veritably burning as he turned back to the lake . It no longer appeared to be a putrid pond of corruption that needed to be incinerated . It looked like a treasure mountain . One round of refinement from Void Heart] might only have helped him deduce a single passage of the Book of Duality , but what if he had a whole lake’s worth of fuel for inspiration?

Altogether , it might even match up to a full piece of the seal . Just the thought of it made his breath ragged , and he could definitely understand why the Ra’Lashar held onto the Lost Plane until their very demise . The possibilities almost felt endless .

Uh , you okay there? - Ogras coughed . - You look like Barghest in heat . -

You seem to have come up with a . . . creative . . . idea , - Iz added with an excited sparkle in her eyes .

Ah? What? Oh , never mind , - Zac coughed . - I said I’ll deal with the gateway . But do you guys have any better ideas than me just making a run for it? There are no guarantees these guys won’t follow me into the lake . I’m not sure I can deal with a bunch of corrupted Kan’Tanu and the portal simultaneously . -

We can create a diversion? - Ogras offered . - But it’s hard to tell how these guys will react . It almost feels like they’ve fused with the lake . They may ignore us if they feel the lake threatened . -

There were vast tunnel networks beneath the Tower of Ra’Lashar , - K’Rav said . - Many should have flooded or collapsed , but some might be intact . If you can find one , you can either walk or swim beneath those glassy-eyed fools . -

Can you tell us where they are? - Zac asked .

Everything’s different now , hard to tell . - K’Rav shrugged . - Besides , why would I help you after your nefarious attempt on my life? -

I’ll deal with it , - Ogras said as he took out the Shadewar Flag] .

The next moment , five specters that both looked and felt like the Qriz’Ul creatures appeared within the domain .

These guys should be able to move about undetected , unless the infiltrators really have learned to communicate with the monsters of the Lost Plane , - Ogras said . - I can just send them through the ground until I find a path . -

Do it , - Zac said , and the creatures sank into the ground .

Hopefully , I can catch a few new ones while we’re here , - Ogras muttered . - Who knows what kind of creatures this thing can accept . -

That flag is problematic , - Iz said . - It takes without giving back , defying the Law of Balance . But the universe always exacts its price . You will have to carry the weight of every soul you capture . Eventually , they will drag you under . -

Well , I have this guy to keep my head above water , - Ogras smiled as he nodded at Zac . - Besides , this thing is just a stopgap until my strength has improved . -

That’s what we said about the Lost Plane , - K’Rav snickered before he flew back into the flag .

He’s right , you know , - Zac said . - That thing is trouble . -

I know , - Ogras said , fastening a few more homemade talismans on the unorthodox treasure . - But I’m working on it , with the help of the epiphanies . I think it’s solvable . -

Zac nodded in understanding , turning back to the cultivators in the distance . He wasn’t surprised to hear Ogras was focusing on fixing the problems of the flag , even if he personally felt it was a waste of an epiphany . At the same time , there were limits to what the lights of Ultom could help with .

Ogras’ Body Tempering Manual wasn’t in need of fixing from what he could tell , and the demon had told him he was planning on discarding his Cultivation Manual altogether at the D-grade . It simply didn’t hold up even at Peak E-grade . And between the manual being incomplete and Ogras’ path having shifted , it would be easier to create a new manual from scratch than to improve upon the shaky foundations of the old method .

Apparently , many elites started to work on that in the D-grades in either case . They either created a Cultivation Manual to perfectly fit their path or adjusted their current one to remove any mismatch .

The minutes passed as the trio kept watch over the stoic cultivators , but none seemed to notice the search going on underground . Eventually , Ogras perked up and turned to the small settlement at the other shore .

One of the buildings over there has a pool of tainted water . It appears to be connected to the lake through one of the tunnels . The other pathways I’ve found are quite far underground , and we’d have to dig through at least fifty meters of stone to reach it . -

The vibrations would carry through and spread outside my domain , - Iz said . - We might be discovered . -

Is there anyone inside the buildings? - Zac asked .

None in the one with the pond , though there are two people standing in the neighboring structure . They’re staring at some diagram , but I’m not sure if they’re mentally present . -

What do you guys think? - Zac asked .

I think it’s our best shot , - Ogras said . - We’ll stay at the surface . If we see the cultivators react , we’ll ambush and distract them . -

Does that work with you? - Zac asked Iz .

Iz didn’t immediately answer , her gaze turning to the enthralled Kan’Tanu . Zac didn’t want to rush her , but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit worried . From the beginning , Iz had been flighty about what kind of role she envisioned for herself in this upcoming mission . Whether she was even willing to fight the Black Heart Sect . Then again , her participation wasn’t something they originally planned for , and she had already helped a lot by providing intelligence and using her domain-creating candle .

If she could also test the fate of a couple of infiltrators , that would be even better .

This is war , - Ogras stated . - Besides , they are unorthodox cultivators shunned by the Heavens . Killing them will not bring fell Karma . -

But it will bring about Karma , - Iz said , her brows furrowing . - It is unclear how our actions will affect the river of fate . These are just some guards , but they are part of a larger tapestry related to Ultom . I don’t know how it will affect my trajectory in life . If the ripples might even affect my family . I don’t— -

Zac looked into Iz’s troubled eyes , and he thought he had a pretty good idea of what was troubling her . Iz Tayn was almost his opposite . He was thrown right into the world of cultivation completely blind , and he was still trying to unravel the mysteries of his origin . Meanwhile , Iz came from an ancient faction , and her entire life had probably been carefully planned out .

Every decision Zac made since reuniting with humanity on Earth had real-life implications . People lived and died depending on his choices , and the very fate of his planet had hung in the balance more than once . Iz had probably never been placed in such a situation , and she was only now truly realizing how much a decision could weigh on your soul .

Zac glanced at Ogras , who helplessly looked back . - Try not to get discovered? -

Stealth is my middle name . - Zac smiled , which elicited a derisive snort from the demon , and he turned to Iz . - You don’t need to make a decision right now . I haven’t been caught yet . I know it can feel tough , and I’m too much of a hillbilly to know what’s the right choice for someone like you . I guess , just act according to your heart and conscience? That way , you can at least face yourself in the mirror , knowing you did your best even if things went wrong . -

. . . Thank you , - Iz said .

Alright , no time to waste . The longer we stick around , the more variables we’ll have to deal with , - Zac said , and they started to make their way around the crater toward the small settlement .

The occasional Qriz’Ul kept popping up among the ruins , which forced Iz to tighten the fiery domain around them . Even then , they narrowly avoided having a few unwelcome visitors ambling into their isolated surroundings . Twenty minutes later , they reached the edge of the temporary settlement .

It was an odd feeling , walking through a ghost town while invisible . It was like you were a ghost traveling through the ruins of another fallen civilization . The feeling didn’t last long , as there were only a couple rows of houses , and they soon reached their target building .

Through a slit in the neighboring door , Zac saw the two infiltrators Ogras mentioned . Their auras were gentle and refined , meaning they were probably non-combat classes . If Zac had to guess , they were Array Masters , judging by the large tapestry they were blankly staring at .

Just like Ogras said , it was an incredibly complex array . It was painted in red and blue , with each color using a different script . The blue runes seemed like a mix of the nine subordinate sigils of the Left Imperial Palace and the unfamiliar marks on the bodies of the Qriz’Ul . Meanwhile , the red ones were the script the Kan’Tanu used , which wasn’t all that different from the System Standard Script .

Together , the two systems formed a complex swirl that Zac could only guess was related to the pathway leading to the Lost Plane . But the array was obviously incomplete , with some sections missing runes while other areas were completely blank . It made Zac wonder just what happened here .

Had an experiment gone awry , or had they been too eager to crack open the pathway to the Lost Plane , accidentally releasing the purple lake? Because what they were seeing here didn’t seem to match the original plan the lipless Hegemon had hinted at .

Can you snatch that array when things go down? - Zac asked , and Ogras nodded as though that were the natural order of things .

From there , they walked over to the neighboring structure , where the five-meter-wide pool was . This close to the water , the ambient corruption was a lot stronger . Zac cursed the fact he didn’t know how to turn off Purity of the Void] , and he could only watch on with helplessness as his purification node destroyed most of the tainted insights .

It was impossible to make any hard plans when they didn’t know what would happen going forward , but Ogras and Zac spent the next ten minutes coming up with some flexible ideas depending on how things went . Finally , there was nothing else to do , and Zac stepped into the pond , carefully controlling his movements to avoid creating any ripples .

Have fun out here , - Zac said as he lowered himself into the waters .

Zac barely managed to stifle a groan as a steady stream of corruption started to burrow into his body through all of his pores . But it was well within what he could handle , and he nodded in confirmation to the other two as he sunk farther down . When the tainted water reached his shoulders , he turned to Iz Tayn one final time .

Don’t worry too much . Just go with the flow , - Zac smiled as his head started to become submerged . - Things tend to work out . When they don’t blow up . -

22

PROVING ONESELF

Iz looked on as Mr . Bug—no , Zachary Atwood , dipped beneath the tainted water . Not much later , she felt him pass through her flame domain , exposing him to any discerning eyes . She froze for an instant , and was immensely relieved when there was no reaction from the corrupted cultivators sitting by the shoreline . She had a little bit longer .

She felt suffocated , and indecision gnawed at her . The world had always seemed so simple . Black and white . Fated and lacking fate . Even Zachary’s experiences she’d seen through the lens of the Divine Mirror had felt like a series of humorous misadventures .

Foolish . This was life and death . There was suffering and uncertainty . There were consequences .

Her thoughts turned back to those she’d incinerated , certain in her righteousness from their lack of providence . Only now , when the ripples of consequence might reach the Tayn Clan , did she realize her shallow understanding . Even if all those people had no fate with her , did they not have fate with others? Were her family’s precepts wrong? Or was she missing something?

She was sheltered from the world , yes , but she still understood the Multiverse was a cruel place . That the struggles here on the frontier paled in front of the wars that ravaged the Heartlands . Resources were limited , and there were only so many Seals and Thrones . So many Eternal Heritages . Was the approach of her family a necessity to survive at the peak? Perhaps , but that didn’t help with her current dilemma .

She took a steadying breath , the words of Zachary Atwood mixing with that of her grandpa as he let her into the Zecia Sector .

Heart , - Iz muttered .

Ah? - the demon said , her voice startling him out of his vigil over the shoreline .

Nothing , - Iz sighed .

Alright . Nothing so far . -

They are too connected to the lake , - Iz said with a shake of her head . - It is only a matter of time . -

That’s great , - Ogras muttered . - Left to fight an army . -

I— -

You know? - the demon said . - Zac’s home planet , Earth , was integrated recently . -

I am aware . -

I was leading the Incursion placed next to him . Through a twist of fate , we became uneasy allies , relying on each other to survive . Eventually , we both proved ourselves to each other , - Ogras said . - I lost an arm proving it , though it’s regrown since . Even if it hadn’t , it would have been a worthwhile sacrifice . Real companions are hard to come by in this world . People you can trust your back to in thick and thin . -

Iz listened with rapt attention , as the information was all new to her . The story almost allowed her to forget her current predicament .

Later came along a wretch called Verana . She threw her lot in with Zac upon witnessing his strength , realizing the potential for profits . Zac accepted her , and everything went well for a while . But when things went awry , and the Undead Empire descended on Zac’s home , on his kin , she was nowhere to be found .

She was afraid that her involvement would create ripples , enmities that would cause troubles for her elders back home . After all , the Undead Empire is a powerful force even here on the frontier . -

What happened next? - Iz asked .

Zac returned in the nick of time , slaughtered the invaders before taking out the Incursion of unliving . - Ogras shrugged . - The day was saved . But from that moment , Verana’s fate was changed . She could have been someone like me , whose fate has been swept up in his , as you called it . Now , she is just a distant business acquaintance to the Atwood Empire and will never be anything more . . .

Because she couldn’t be relied on when push came to shove . Because if it happened one time , it could happen again when the stakes became high . Fate is a tricky thing . Who knows what’s right and wrong? When you struggle to keep a door open , you often close another one . - The demon turned to Iz with a smile .

Iz truly looked at the shade-marked demon for the first time . She’d always considered him a passerby , a hanger-on . Those with powerful fates usually had a few such people hovering around them . She always viewed them as parasites , siphoning the fate of their betters . But she finally realized she was wrong on yet another front . There was more to this demon .

So , what are you saying? - Iz asked .

Perhaps some doors can be held open by a helping hand . How about you and I make a little deal? -

Zac slowly made his way through a narrow crack , using only his body to avoid releasing any energy ripples . Of course , he wasn’t too convinced anyone would notice it with him being surrounded by the extremely potent water .

Just a few seconds after submerging himself , Purity of the Void] was completely overwhelmed . One pulse after another cleansed his body of the corruption , but even more kept pouring in . Soon enough , it was all swallowed up by a greedy Void Heart] , and the cycle started anew .

A few moments later , he reached the underground tunnel once built by the Ra’Lashar goblins , and he could already see the exit in the distance . It was a small dot of shimmering purple , seeming blissfully unobstructed . Zac kept moving , but a frown soon marred his face as he felt the corruption grow uncomfortably condensed in his body while Void Heart] still digested the previous batch .

Or did it matter? A little bit of suffering in return for clarity , for power . Wasn’t that the core tenet of his path? He could already feel his confusions being swept away , replaced with ironclad certainty and possibility . And with his body having unlimited potential , wasn’t this the path?

Zac shuddered as the waters around him dimmed , while the sweet whispers in his mind quieted to a muted white noise . The change came from Zac activating Void Zone] , which removed any spirituality from the surrounding waters while suppressing the taint that had already entered his body .

It’d just been a short test to see how well he could withstand the corruption , and it became a lesson in the importance of a steady heart . He had been awash with endless possibilities , had seen glimpses of promising alterations to everything from his skills to his pathways . It was similar to how he felt when using Creation Energy .

Instead of being consumed and drained by the endless hunger of Creation , he felt himself gradually being nudged in a certain direction . A little change here , and a small addition there . A suggestion to look at things differently . But out of little acorns grow huge oaks . Those small changes would eventually turn into a complete transformation .

The corruption of the Lost Plane wanted to reform him into an image of itself , both in spirit and flesh . Was that what happened to the Qriz’Ul? Had they once been living , breathing beings , only to find themselves twisted until they were no more than accumulations of tainted energy? There was no way to tell , but one thing was for certain—those cultivators at the surface were in trouble .

Their paths had probably been subverted already , and Zac doubted they’d even recognize themselves if they found a moment of clarity . Still , that wasn’t Zac’s problem . Just like K’Rav said , they were the ones who cracked open the pathway to the Lost Plane , probably without proper preparation or understanding of the situation .

A thud echoed out from his heart , and he stopped in place with anticipation as Void Heart] spat out a burst of energy . A few more passages were deciphered , adding to his already impressive understanding of the nature of Duality . The moment the purified energy was expended , Zac turned off Void Zone] , and thousands of tendrils started burrowing into his body .

The process continued for another minute until Void Heart] was satiated , and Zac reactivated his nullification domain . In a perfect world , Zac would have secluded himself in this corrupted tunnel , staying years if need be to consume the whole lake . Unfortunately , that wasn’t possible with the collapse of the realm looming over their shoulders .

Zac made his way toward the exit , careful to not make any move except for the occasional push to help keep him floating forward . By this point , he was halfway through the tunnel , and some of the cultists were possibly sitting right above his head . He was no longer protected by Iz’s candle either and was instead relying on the stealth cowl to prevent anyone from detecting him .

His eyes and senses were peeled for any sign of having been discovered , but there were no spikes of Cosmic Energy being released from above . Zac felt flush with success as he reached the mouth of the tunnel , but that sense of victory was doused upon witnessing the scene outside .

Qriz’Ul . Hundreds of them , some over ten meters large and emitting powerful fluctuations .

Zac forced himself to remain perfectly still . His worst fear had come true , though they’d discussed this very scenario . After all , where else would the current generation of Qriz’Ul have come from but this tainted soup? Most seemed to be in an almost comatose state where they had turned into blobs that drifted along the currents .

However , those around the cave exit had stopped in place as they started to contract , and Zac could tell they felt something was amiss . Did they sense his Void Zone]? He couldn’t be sure , but he knew he’d be discovered soon enough unless something changed .

Zac deactivated his domain , and the waters around him returned to normal . The same thing happened with the corruption that had already accumulated in his body , which would hopefully mean he’d look like the cultivators above water to these creatures . And it worked . The Qriz’Ul relaxed and returned to their spread-out form before drifting away . Only a ten-meter Qriz’Ul stayed a bit longer until it too floated away .

Zac returned farther into the tunnel before activating Void Zone] and considered his options . His domain was the issue here . It probably wasn’t the Void Energy that Qriz’Ul reacted to , but rather the lack of corruption in a spot . Which put him in quite a bind .

He needed the Void Zone] to stay in the waters indefinitely . Except using it would get him exposed . And even if he found a way around it , there were no guarantees he’d be safe from the Qriz’Ul when entering the lake proper , even if he let the corruption spread through his body . What could he do in this situation? Should he go back and discuss it with the others?

No , Iz had already said she didn’t have any invisibility treasures apart from the candle , and neither did she have any methods to traverse this kind of taint . She simply hadn’t prepared for this kind of mission . Ogras couldn’t help in this situation either , so he could only rely on himself . Besides , the longer they stayed in this region , the higher the risk of something going wrong .

Zac waited for another couple minutes until the next burst of inspiration pushed his insights further . Having a newly-cleansed body , Zac started swimming toward the cave mouth once more , and deactivated the domain the moment he got close .

There was one Qriz’Ul not too far from Zac , but it didn’t seem to react to his presence , allowing him to creep out from the cave mouth and swim downward . With corruption rapidly pouring into his body , he couldn’t maintain a slow and steady pace out of fear of being discovered by the cultivators above . Besides , with hundreds of Qriz’Ul floating about in the lake’s depths , his movements shouldn’t be cause for suspicion .

He descended over a hundred meters in a few short moments until he found another tunnel . Zac swam inside and activated Void Zone] before the nefarious whispers returned . None of the Qriz’Ul appeared to react so long as he remained hidden in the darkness of the tunnel . In fact , they didn’t bother with the tunnels at all .

They were content floating in a circle around the lake , with the occasional creature moving toward the surface . Perhaps that was an opportunity in itself? The energies in the lake had to be powerful enough to hide his actions . Zac hesitated a moment before taking out an inscribed canister and pushing it into a crack in the wall .

By briefly deactivating his Bloodline Talent and infusing a tiny hint of Cosmic Energy , the canister started to drag the tainted waters into its subspace . It created a weak current , but there was no reaction even after a minute , allowing Zac to breathe out in relief . Eventually , the bottle was full , and Zac’s body was cleansed from any lingering corruption .

Having accomplished his goal , Zac deactivated Void Zone] and continued on his way , the bottle full of lake water safely stowed away . It was a backup plan in case the whole lake was dragged into the Void before he could get any , and one bottle after another joined the first as Zac jumped between tunnels and deep cracks as he made his way toward the bottom .

And with the lake only being so big , he reached his target soon enough , though he found himself surrounded by six , huge , slumbering Qriz’Ul .

The gateway—at least Zac assumed it was the gateway—reminded Zac a bit of the Spatial Nexus that blew up . It appeared to be a hollow construct roughly 50 meters across , made from beams of crystal or purple glass . Together , they formed something like a dodecahedron that kept shifting in a disorienting way .

One moment it looked like a cube , the next it had a hundred edges in an incredibly complex tangle . Vai had long since explained it was a result of two realities with a different number of dimensions sharing the same space . Technically , the pillars didn’t transform or shift about . It was just his vantage that kept changing .

What stayed constant were the dense scripts covering the crystal pillars , scripts that followed the unfamiliar ruleset of the Qriz’Ul . Zac couldn’t tell if this thing was something the Ra’Lashar created or if it had formed naturally . He was fairly certain it wasn’t the work of Kan’Tanu , since the beams felt too old and powerful .

Zac also couldn’t tell whether the crystal pillars were responsible for sealing the gateway , or if they were there to stabilize and strengthen it . As for the actual pathway to the Lost Plane , it hovered in the center of the shifting construct .

The similarity between the ominous swirl and the array he’d just seen in the infiltrator’s lab was palpable . The thing didn’t really look like a spatial tear . Instead , it looked like a pitch-black sphere the size of a beach ball , with two dozen deep purple strings attached . The item slowly rotated in place , prompting the strings to form a ten-meter-wide spiral that undulated with intensely condensed corruption and Spatial Energy .

In a perfect world , Zac would have spent a few minutes studying the thing , but there was no way he could do that . The taint was far more concentrated this close to the source , and he wouldn’t last much longer without Void Zone] . And with the big guys slumbering nearby , activating it would mean immediately getting exposed .

Zac steadied his mind as he went through the procedure Leyara had imparted . The moment he made his move , he would probably be exposed . The spatial bomb that the experts of the Void Gate prepared and then improved with some of Zac’s materials was something that would drive the Ishiate Tinkerers wild .

It was volatile , unpredictable , and powerful . Just like how they liked their weapons .

A few seconds later , the construct reverted into one of its simpler forms , and Zac shot forward . This time , he even used Cosmic Energy to cover the remaining distance instantly , and felt multiple powerful auras ignite around him . Zac ignored the burgeoning pressure as a radiant cube appeared in his hand .

High-grade materials and inscriptions reinforced its glass walls , but Zac’s heart still shuddered as he felt the chaotic spatial fluctuations trapped inside . How couldn’t he be nervous? He was essentially holding an artificial miniature black hole . The sooner he could get away from it , the better .

Cosmic Energy surged through his body as Zac activated the main array of the bomb , and he hurled it toward the black ball in the heart of the structure . The cube started to twist and bend as it entered the odd domain within the pillars , but a pulse from within stabilized it . Cracks rapidly spread across the bomb , and the energy it leaked was enough to eradicate space around it .

Finally , the bomb reached the core , and reality buckled as a hole of utmost darkness appeared . It wasn’t too big , and didn’t release a speck of energy , but Zac’s danger sense told him in no uncertain terms that touching that thing would mean instant death . It was a true black hole that swallowed space , time , and energy—the most sure-fire solution to destroy the pathway that Leyara could come up with .

Space collapsed , and the twisted spiral was rapidly consumed . Zac could even feel how the corruption was quickly decreasing . But just as Zac thought the mission a success and planned to deal with the fallout , a powerful consciousness descended on the area . Zac didn’t even have time to react before a huge runic hand emerged from the remaining half of the sphere .

It grasped the black hole and squeezed , like the scene where the mysterious being crushed the Heart of Oblivion . Simultaneously , Zac felt a powerful consciousness slam into his , and his hair stood on end upon hearing an eldritch voice .

Emp . . . ty . . . Empty . . . EMPTY! -

23

EMPTY

Zac couldn’t tell whether a million voices were clamoring in his head or one . The force alone was enough to give Zac’s soul a jolt . He didn’t know what the voice meant by empty , but the real problem was the source . A supersized Qriz’Ul was targeting his spatial bomb , possibly from the other side through the gateway .

At least Zac assumed it was a Qriz’Ul , even if its hand looked like a purple runic nebula rather than a twisted mockery of a goblin . Meanwhile , the D-grade runic beings around him had almost finished gathering , and Zac guessed he only had a few seconds before they attacked .

The rampant energies of the black hole rendered the whole area unstable , and the purple crystal pillars shattered one after another . The hand trying to contain the blast released torrential amounts of corruption . The resulting clash drowned the area in the taint of the Lost Plane , and Zac was forced to activate Void Zone] to avoid being overwhelmed .

It soon became impossible to see what was happening inside , but Zac wasn’t about to wait for the result . Scores of volatile items , from Void Balls] to homemade Attuned Crystal-bombs , joined the chaos . Anything Zac could unleash without wasting too much energy . Then a fractal blade emitting an air of antiquity appeared on the edge of Verun’s Bite] . The domains of Arcadia and the Abyss entered the fray , and the lake itself was split in two from a huge spatial tear .

The straight line of delineated space started to twist as it was dragged into the confusing mesh , prompting the churning ball of utter mayhem to gain another level of intensity .

Void . . . VOID! - the eldritch voice roared in Zac’s head , and Zac sensed a palpable wave of hunger assail him .

Zac prepared to unleash his second finisher , but he didn’t get the chance before his mind screamed of danger . A barrier glimmering with mottled gold and empowered by Void Energy enclosed him , just before an enormous shockwave threw him away until he crashed into the side of the crater .

Qriz’Ul by the dozens were reduced to floating blobs of runic soup from the blast , while Zac got away with a few scrapes and some disorientation . Empyrean Aegis] dealt with most of the force from his bombs exploding , while Void Zone] weakened the intense amount of chaotic energies and corruption loaded into the shockwave .

Concussive explosions illuminated the center of the lake while a million enraged shrieks escaped from within the gateway . It almost looked like time had frozen , with rampant energies struggling to expand and consume the surroundings in a fiery conflagration . They were unable to push beyond an invisible event horizon , held back by an unrelenting pull from within .

Whether it was the black hole or a spatial tear , Zac couldn’t tell . It had been hard to discern the situation before , but now it was downright impossible . The static explosion was over 200 meters across , and its chaotic nature rendered Cosmic Gaze] useless . There was no denying his items had gone off like they were supposed to—the question was whether it was enough .

The area flux from the unpredictable energy and dozens of spatial tears turned spacetime into a leaking sieve . Zac grimaced with pain upon seeing vast amounts of lake water disappearing into the Void . Though that was nothing compared to the dismay upon sensing that monstrous aura from within the chaos . The creature seemed severely weakened , but it had survived .

He needed to do something , anything , before the pandemonium died down . Zac grit his teeth and flashed toward the heart of destruction with his movement skill . Everyone had pooled their resources to maximize the potential of the black hole , and they didn’t have a lot of options in case it failed . He simply wasn’t powerful enough to destroy a spatial gate with his attacks alone . Zac needed to use the opportunity the black hole created before it was too late .

The backup plan was to simply pray the black hole caused enough damage to prevent any significant amounts of energy from passing through when Gemmy activated the array . Zac wasn’t resigned to such an outcome , not while hope for success remained .

Another beat from Void Heart] cleansed the large accumulation of corruption in his body , allowing Zac to save Void Energy as he activated Arcadia’s Judgement] . He’d hoped to reserve that skill for the Kan’Tanu above ground , but he couldn’t be picky in this situation . An even better solution would be to blast the remains of that spatial core with an Annihilation Sphere , but he couldn’t even reach it .

The huge wooden hand emerged through one of the tears in space , and its towering aura pushed the already frothing waters into a fever pitch . Despite being pelted by shrapnel and corruption , Zac’s focus homed in on his finisher . With its enormous surface , the hand was tainted by a tremendous amount of corruption in no time , which was then transferred to Zac .

The nigh-inexhaustible life force of the wooden hand only somewhat helped against the assault , and Zac quickly lost control of the skill . Thankfully , Arcadia’s Judgement] didn’t need to be maintained for long , and its gleaming axe head was already cutting into the seething ball of barely contained destruction .

It felt like Zac had pushed his hand into a blender as the axe sliced through . He pushed on , desperately controlling the gradually collapsing axe with his Branches of War Axe and Kalpataru . Just a little more . He could sense it through his skill—the cracked gateway wasn’t far .

Blood ran down Zac’s nose as he pushed his empowered soul beyond its limits , forcibly holding the skill together through sheer stubbornness and determination . It narrowly passed by the trapped black hole , and Zac swore when a second runic hand emerged to block Arcadia’s Judgement] .

Edge and palm collided , and Zac shuddered as the connection to his skill broke . Though it failed , his attempt wasn’t an abject failure . The ball of destruction grew to twice its original size before rapidly shrinking to no more than five meters across . But just as Zac thought it would wink out , a huge shape shattered the lingering flames before pouncing at Zac .

EMPTY! -

The ghastly Qriz’Ul reached more than fifty meters , though it didn’t seem to have any solid features . The hands that had blocked Zac’s attempts were gone , replaced by what almost looked like a comet’s dust tail . It did have one familiar marker—its decidedly goblin face . A huge , sharp nose the size of a speedboat pointed right at Zac , and its wide mouth was locked in a perpetual sneer .

However , there were some differences to this thing compared to the normal goblinoid Qriz’Ul . First , it was less corporeal than its smaller brethren , even if its energy surpassed anyone Zac had seen so far . It had also taken on features you wouldn’t see on the Ra’Lashar goblins . Three layers of runic teeth filled its mouth , and its chin was replaced by a bony hook that almost touched its snout .

The creature also had four sets of eyes that glared hungrily at Zac , while a larger ninth eye sat between them on its oversized forehead . The ninth eye contained such powerful corruption that it made Zac’s soul shudder , but that wasn’t the important thing . It was made from the broken-off half of the gateway itself .

The sphere had seen better days . Less than half its mass remained , reduced to a jagged crescent half-moon with cracks covering its surface , while only eight purple tendrils were still attached to it . Unfortunately , the broken gateway appeared somewhat functional . Weak spatial fluctuations were coming from the crystal , which provided the Qriz’Ul with a steady stream of dirty energy .

A weak pulse of Spatial Energy from within the shuddering ball of destruction in the distance made Zac’s eyes widen in comprehension . He had been completely wrong . That sphere was this wretched creature rather than the bridge to the Lost Plane . It must have planted itself at the mouth of the gateway to enjoy the massive amounts of condensed corruption .

Perhaps the two were even connected somehow , since the crystal on the creature’s forehead rippled with energy in harmony with the pulse .

This wasn’t part of the calculations . The gateway refused to break down even after being blasted by the black hole . Was it this creature that allowed it to hang on? Did Zac need to kill the oversized goblin for the gateway to collapse altogether? Or was this creature immortal until he managed to close the pathway?

There was no time to figure out the details . The goblin had almost reached him , and it shuddered with energy far beyond the lipless Hegemon’s . Zac activated Ancient Forest] and slipped away , avoiding the approaching horror . His domain skill was rapidly falling apart in this toxic environment , but he only needed one jump .

Unfortunately , things didn’t always go according to plan , and Zac felt resistance just as he was about to teleport next to the original spot of the gateway . He could only course-correct and pick another tree before pushing off from its crumbling trunk with Earthstrider] . His surroundings were fraught with spatial tears and purple crystal debris , but he pushed straight for the epicenter as Oblivion was extracted from his soul .

Zac didn’t know the relation between monster and gateway , but he knew the window of opportunity was fast closing on the latter . Chaotic energies ran rampant in the area , and space itself was exhausted to the limit of collapse . While his surroundings were dangerous , they weren’t impassable . He needed to use this chance to add to the damage . That would hopefully be the straw that broke the camel’s back and closed the thing .

A pang of danger warned him of an incoming calamity , but there was no time to respond . The goblin was impossibly fast , like he was fighting the lake itself . The moment Zac entered the tree , the thing had turned into a stream of runes and caught up with him . Zac could only urge his Annihilation Sphere on while he unleashed a storm of fractal leaves from Nature’s Edge] .

The Qriz’Ul was cut through dozens of times over , but Zac knew it was a failure . He’d hoped to cause some real damage with his Daos , but he didn’t even manage to delay it . A few dozen runes had been destroyed , but what was that to a giant with tens of thousands of them? He could only make one final gambit , and most of his remaining Cosmic Energy was almost instantly absorbed by a shimmering talisman hidden within his sleeves .

A wave of starlight shot out from the Early D-grade talisman while a tennis-ball-sized Annihilation Sphere formed between Zac’s hands . It was much smaller than Zac planned , and not nearly the limits of his stockpiled energy , but he was out of time . Empyrean Aegis] finally collapsed from the clash between talisman and goblin , but his eyes never left the small flickering disk of a slightly darker purple .

It was almost invisible and just the size of a plate . A small discoloration that could easily be mistaken for a shadow . But his body could feel it . The power that slumbered on the other side . Infinite , incomprehensible power . The Lost Plane . Power or not , Zac wasn’t moved . It wasn’t true . At least not for him .

The Annihilation Sphere bit into the window , and a good chunk of it simply disappeared . Zac saw a shocking sight when he managed to close just over half of the gate . Somehow , the enormous goblin had appeared beneath him , its glowing eyes staring hatefully at him .

NOTHING! - the voices screamed , and the whole lake exploded .

Zac groaned from the impact as his surroundings became a blur . He hadn’t been thrown into the wall this time , but was thrust straight into the air , far from the frayed gateway . Things went from bad to worse when Zac sensed dozens of massive energy signatures above , proving the Kan’Tanu were awake .

And that still wasn’t the most immediate of his problems . A veritable volcano had erupted at the bottom of the lake , and a terrifying wave of energy was quickly catching up with him . Instead of molten-hot magma , it was a geyser of corruption with the face of a goblin closing in .

Its advance was a calamity , and the smaller Qriz’Ul were shredded and absorbed by the monstrous force . The whole lake was practically being pushed to the sky from the goblin’s furious pursuit . And then , the world of purple was showered with a golden radiance as Zac was thrown into the open air .

The world spun too fast to make sense of the situation , but a sudden appearance of a massive maw made Zac swear with surprise . He was out of cards—in this form , that is—having expended them all on the gateway . Yet both the gate and his enemies remained . He would have to take the risk .

The final charges of Earthstrider] were rapidly used to create some distance , at which point his body was flooded with the sweet kiss of Death .

For minutes , nothing happened , yet every second seemed to stretch longer than the one before it . The lake was only so big . Even if treading carefully , it could only take so long until Zachary reached the bottom , where the gateway was supposed to be .

Then it came . A weak pulse of spatial Dao made the surface of the lake shudder . Just a moment later , it looked like the whole lake had been set to a boil , and even the demon could sense the enormous eruption of power beneath the surface .

The change hadn’t gone unnoticed to the stoic cultivators sitting at the shores either . It looked like someone had kicked up a hornet’s nest as they all sprung to action at once .

Well , I guess that’s me , - Ogras sighed before shadows consumed him .

Iz could sense how he was rapidly moving toward two Hegemons whose energy was already churning . But he wouldn’t be enough . There were nearly 30 Hegemons altogether , supported by over a thousand E-grade fodder . Those foot soldiers were inconsequential when it came to individual strength , but together they would be able to forge barriers powerful enough to slow down any opposition .

Even then , the real problem was the Hegemons . One was seemingly at the very peak of what this Mystic Realm could contain . Another eight could be considered elites in the frontier . And that wasn’t even considering the twisted energy creatures , some of which emitted D-grade energy signatures .

Not even Iz was certain she’d be able to deal with such an army before reaching her limits and having one of her fatewarding treasures whisk her away . For Ogras Azh’Rezak to contain them all was hopeless . Yet he rushed forward as a storm of shadows swallowed the southern shores . When push came to shove , he showed up , putting his life on the line .

Follow my heart , - Iz whispered as she looked to the sky .

She didn’t want to be a betrayer , a person that couldn’t be counted on . She hated the thought of the demon describing her actions in the future like he described those of that Verana woman . Her help was needed , and she would show up . And if someone had a problem with that in the future , she would just test their fate .

The slumbering ember in her chest erupted into a roaring fire , making Iz look inward with surprise . It raged with greater ferocity than ever before , and she suddenly remembered her grandfather’s words—that any flame needed fuel to burn , no matter if it was the fires of life or the empyrean flames of her bloodline . A fuel named purpose .

A smile spread across her face as six false wings sprung from her back . It felt like she had been given the blessing of her ancestors as she rose to the air , and the sky greeted her ascent by gaining a golden hue .

World’s End] , how fitting , - she said as she sacrificed a third of her Cosmic Energy . - Come . -

The world cried as a 100-meter orb of purest flames appeared beneath her feet , and her fatebound guardian appeared behind her back .

Hundreds of fiery motes broke off from the nine flames hovering in her Soul Aperture , and streaks of truth were left in their wake . Their dance rapidly formed one sigil after another , until three sets of 243 runes formed her family’s exclusive Dao Array— Empyrean Flame] .

The Branches of Primal Starlight , Scorching Abyss , and Golden Sun were filtered and amplified through its intricate network as her guardian formed multiple sigils with her hands . Her veins were fire , her blood was flames , and she carried the apocalypse in her heart .

And with a nudge , Iz released the gates .

Nine streams of realm-breaking heat shot out from the prepared arrays , all fueled by the truths exclusive to the Tayns . The settlement and its lingering occupants were erased , their fate unable to withstand the proximity . The streams spread out , each one targeting one of the nine superlative Hegemons before they could unleash their strikes against the lake .

But it failed .

Hm? - Iz muttered , her mind blanking out by the unexpected scene .

She wasn’t surprised that the leader managed to survive her attack , but five? Odd barriers had blocked her spells , and Iz sensed an anomalous resonance completely unfamiliar to her .

They’re connected somehow! With each other and the lake! - a pained scream tore from the shadows , but Iz had no time to react before things changed again .

A distant wail echoed through the area as a familiar figure was flung into the air like a ragdoll , and Iz couldn’t help herself as she started to laugh at the scene . That guy really couldn’t stop himself from creating a spectacle .

Where had Mr . Bug found himself a mountain-sized goblin to fight?

24

QRIZ’UL KING

Life was rapidly being supplanted by death as Zac activated his Specialty Core . Still , he was cutting it close . Even outside its natural habitat , the Qriz’Ul King was incredibly quick , resembling a floating river as it closed the gap between them . Zac thought the thing would try to swallow him , but it suddenly spat out a purple blade while runic tendrils followed in its wake .

The edge was over ten meters across and emitted a dense amount of corruption . It was the first time Zac saw the - Nightmare Tears’ as Ogras called them , and he felt an uncomfortable pressure even at a distance . The nefarious whispers of the Lost Plane churned within the tear , but the epiphanies were conspicuously absent .

Zac felt as though his body was shackled during the transformation , but the constraints soon broke , and a storm of Miasma was unleashed . Love’s Bond] had already taken its proper form , and Black Death] replaced Verun’s Bite] . A sinister jagged edge stretching almost four meters appeared in front of the chained axe in his hand , and Zac unleashed a herculean swing at the incoming projectile .

Two edges collided , and if not for Alea’s chains , he would have once more been thrown away like a leaf in the wind . Instead , they latched on to the goblin’s diffuse appendages , and a struggle for poisonous supremacy ensued . The chains were empowered by Blighted Cut] and the unrelenting death of the Pale Seal , while the appendages were made from the ancient madness of the Lost Plane .

Unfamiliar runes lost their luster and fell apart , but it wasn’t a clean-cut victory . The mere touch of the Qriz’Ul was rapidly eroding the viscous coating of Blighted Cut] , and Zac sensed that not even the reinforced links beneath were immune to the corrupting nature of the Lost Plane .

Zac himself wasn’t much better off . His right arm strained to the breaking point from holding back the Nightmare Tear , and the black edge rapidly started to decay , even with the Branches of the Pale Seal and War Axe bolstering it . In contrast , the tear seemed to contain almost limitless force . There was no way he’d whittle that thing down .

A pull from the chains dragged him upward and closer to the face of the goblin , and Zac used the final lifespan of Gorehew] to push the Nightmare Tear downward with everything he had , prompting it to fall toward a group of infiltrators below . A quick glance at the situation below confirmed something he’d sensed while being thrown into the air . Iz had really joined the fray , and she was waging a one-woman war against the cultists .

The scene was mesmerizing . Iz Tayn looked just like the first time Zac saw her , standing on a burning orb like a goddess of the sun , with a demonic angel raining death and destruction on her enemies . Last time , it’d been a scene of mortal danger . This time it was one of comfort . Without her , Zac wouldn’t know what to do . He and Ogras alone wouldn’t cut it when this big goblin was added to the calculation .

Of course , some things were changed with Iz’s display . The flames had drastically improved since she was an F-grade cultivator , powered by at least two Dao Branches related to Fire . There was also a sense of antiquity to them , like they were flames that heralded from the birth of the era .

Antiquity like what his Void Energy emitted . Was this not something unique to him but rather the mark of ancient , powerful bloodlines?

The rattling sounds of Alea’s chains brought him back to the present , and he conjured another jagged axe as he flew toward the Qriz’Ul King’s head . Its maws opened to swallow him whole . However , a light rap on one of his chains made it slam into another , prompting a chain reaction where a length of links appeared right in front of his feet .

Zac used the chain to push off , narrowly allowing him to avoid both the sharp chin and the oversized nose . The blade of Gorehew] was humming will killing intent and twinned Daos , and the air itself cried as the edge fell toward the pitch-black core atop its forehead . But a dark-purple barrier appeared just above its surface , and Zac was suddenly looking at the gateway to the Lost Plane again .

It was weak and muted , but even a weak mimicry of that aura was terrifying , especially when it was accompanied by a deluge of corruption far more condensed than the lake water . The blade of Gorehew] disintegrated , and Zac urgently commanded Love’s Bond] to drag him out of harm’s way .

A huge mouth suddenly filled his vision , but a third jagged edge crashed against the sharp chin . Zac used the bony hook to launch him toward the ground , and an enormous cloud was released in his wake like a smoke curtain of pure death . Simultaneously , Zac had all of Alea’s chains detach from the huge creature and return to his side .

Their first clash ended with the goblin essentially unscathed , but Zac still considered it a success . He hadn’t been sure whether he would be able to block these seemingly intangible attacks , but the Nightmare Tear had been stopped in its tracks by Zac’s counter swing . The same was true for his chains , which meant his other skills should work against this creature .

Another piece of good news was that its aura had further weakened since leaving the lake . It seemed to have emitted an energy signature at the limits of Hegemony for a moment when it moved to seize the black hole , but the spatial bomb crippled it and reduced it to Late D-grade . From there , Zac had added to the chaos with his bombs and attacks . By now , it was somewhere at the edge between Early and Middle D-grade .

However , its foundations remained those of a peak being , and it was clearly more powerful than a normal Hegemon . Zac wasn’t sure if the Qriz’Ul King was using any Daos , yet the goblin’s very existence corrupted all of his attacks and even his equipment . And that barrier . . . A normal attack wouldn’t get past that thing . Meanwhile , his attacks hadn’t exhausted the goblin at all by the looks of it .

Its enormous body was a massive congregation of energy , and its stores would undoubtedly put most Beast Kings to shame . Between an almost grotesque amount of energy and the core that kept feeding it more , this guy would be hard to lock down , let alone kill . First things first , though ; Zac needed to fight on the ground .

His undead form had many advantages , but aerial battles were not one of them .

Zac’s thoughts whirred , already formulating an approach as he fell toward the shores . Ogras said the Qriz’Ul had a core rune that needed to be hit , but in this case , it had to be the stone on its forehead . He needed to create an opportunity and blast it with everything he had . It would be even better if he could break its connection to the gateway . That way , its shield might not work at all .

Shortly after , Zac slammed into the ground , and a second layer of death descended on the area around him as Zac activated Deathmark] . Unfortunately , the goblin itself didn’t immediately follow in his wake , making it difficult for Zac to strike back . His only real ranged skill was Desperation’s End] , but it was much too early to use his most powerful strike .

Besides , the goblin wasn’t the only thing to worry about .

The shroud of Fields of Despair] revealed over 100 cultists in his direct vicinity , three of whom were Hegemons . Though something was very off about them . In his current form , he should have seen powerful fluctuations of life from these people , especially from the D-grades , with lifespans surpassing ten thousand years .

Yet they were weak candles flickering in the wind , where a simple push would topple them . If they didn’t emit such intense auras , Zac would have thought they were at death’s door . Just as Zac suspected , the lake had turned them into something neither living nor dead .

A few silent specters appeared by the cultists , hooded executioners wielding pitch-black axes . Deathmark] had seen an upgrade inside the temple as well , and their axes looked even more deadly . Not only that , but their auras had grown indistinct , as if fused with the darkness of the skill’s domain . It was like they suddenly possessed an item like his energy-hiding bracelet , making them far harder to spot without a honed danger sense .

As expected , less than half of the cultivators noticed the incoming swing , but Zac swore with surprise when the situation rapidly changed . Sturdy barriers made from the purple lake water and bolstered with bloody tendrils enclosed all the cultivators at once . Almost as though when one of them saw the danger , all of them did , and they reacted together . Even those who weren’t targeted by specters were shielded .

None had spoken a word , and the response was instantaneous . They had to be mentally linked for such a coordinated response . Zac grimaced in annoyance , especially after seeing that his skill didn’t work on the water-based shields . The green runes of Deathmark] briefly appeared on the barriers , but they crumbled long before they could drag in any significant amount of Zac’s own corruption .

A sudden pang of danger made him look up just in time to see hundreds of purple scars shooting toward him like a nightmarish meteor shower . Each of the scars had the power to turn an average E-grade cultivator to mush , and a few fused and grew even larger as they descended .

Holy—! - Zac yelped as he urgently activated Abyssal Phase] .

Zac turned into a puff of abyssal dust and flickered away , moving almost a thousand meters in an instant with his movement skill . It was the first time he’d used the skill since it got upgraded to Peak Mastery . Some skills gained new features , but the boon of Abyssal Phase] was simple—speed .

It allowed Zac to move almost 50% faster than before , and he guessed only speed-focused Hegemons would be able to catch up with him in his current form . It also allowed him to avoid the hailstorm , though the Kan’Tanu cultivators weren’t so lucky . The whole area was ripped apart , and not even the three Hegemons managed to avoid the barrage , especially not after the Qriz’Ul King itself slammed into the ground like a comet .

So much for camaraderie through turpitude .

The whole area heaved from the collision , and Zac swore when he saw the Qriz’Ul absorb an Olympic pool’s worth of water . It wasn’t just an issue of the thing stealing his cultivation resources , it used the water to recover a large amount of energy it’d just expended with its nightmare rain .

The Qriz’Ul King seemed startled by Zac’s sudden disappearance , but it soon caught his scent .

Empty . . . EMPTY! - the Qriz’Ul roared as it lunged for him .

A golden rune suddenly appeared above its head , and thousands of burning sigils sealed off the goblin . The whole region shuddered as the goblin slammed chin-first into the golden barrier , failing to break out in one go . It was obviously the work of Iz Tayn , but not even Iz would be able to keep this thing for long .

A tenth of the burning runes had winked out from the collision , and the golden film weakened in turn . But it gave Zac a bit of a breather , and he looked curiously in her direction . Their eyes met , and Zac heard her voice in his mind .

Are you okay? What happened?’ Iz’s smooth voice echoed , a welcome change of pace after the goblin’s demented roars .

Ah , you can hear me?’ another startled voice echoed out , and Zac’s gaze turned to a different section of the battlefield .

Ogras had already been forced to use his Shadewar Flag] , and a mix of spectral beings and ghosts that looked a lot like the Qriz’Ul themselves were already battling the armies of mindless cultists . Progress was slow , though . Those water barriers were incredibly durable , even if the Qriz’Ul King had made them look like paper .

Telepathic skill?’ Zac said with surprise .

Something like that , ’ Iz said . - Is the gate closed? And what is that thing you’re fighting?’

I didn’t manage to close it completely , ’ Zac grimaced . - This guy was guarding the pathway and absorbed most of the damage . ’

That’s its strength AFTER eating a black hole?’ the demon exclaimed . - Wouldn’t want to see how it was before . ’

I think it’s still connected to the gateway , ’ Zac said , thinking back to the impregnable barrier shielding its core . - I think it will keep drawing strength from the Lost Plane until the pathway is properly closed . I’m not sure I can kill it like this . And I don’t think I can deal with the gateway while also stalling this thing . ’

. . . I’ll figure something out with the miss , ’ Ogras groaned . - Just keep the big guy occupied for now . If it’s really connected , it might sense us targeting the gateway . ’

Do you have any solutions? I threw pretty much all I had at the gate , ’ Zac asked . - There were Qriz’Ul inside the lake , but most of them should have died because of this big guy . ’

The air shuddered as another hurricane of corruption erupted within the barrier , and runes rapidly started to wink out .

I am still hesitant about entering the waters . Besides , I need to keep these cultists in check . They are a lot stronger than I anticipated . I do have something that should work , but Mr . Azh’Rezak will have to deliver it . Just place it next to the gateway and infuse some energy . But be careful , the item is a bit dangerous . ’

Upon hearing Iz’s words , it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders . Zac didn’t know what changed since he entered the lake , but it looked like Iz had fully joined their cause . Perhaps his speech was a lot more convincing than he’d thought? In either case , an item someone like Iz Tayn called dangerous was bound to be something absolutely terrifying .

And with just a corner of the gateway remaining , it should be more than enough .

Great , sounds like a marvelous time , but I’m still not confident in reaching the bottom in one piece , creatures or no , ’ Ogras complained .

Then keep attacking these creatures , but don’t kill all of them . They are powering their shields with the lake , ’ Iz countered . - The lake’s depth has already decreased by twenty meters , and the leader swallowed a lot more just now . A minute longer , and you should be able to survive the journey . ’

Zac glanced past the raging Qriz’Ul King . It was just like Iz said ; the shores had grown , and a band of wetness indicated that just over twenty meters of lake water had disappeared . The scene made Zac’s heart clench with pain , and he furiously glared at the goblin still making a ruckus .

All because of this bastard . If not for him , Zac could have closed the gateway before snatching the whole lake , turning it into a tonic that would help him shore up his foundations . Now , they had to sacrifice it to accomplish their goals . Just the thought made Zac furious .

I’ll deal with this guy . But , uh , please try not to destroy too much water , ’ Zac urged . - Turns out it’s pretty useful for my cultivation . ’

Of course it is . I wouldn’t want to see the kind of wretched refuse that not even you would use for advancement , ’ an annoyed scoff echoed through his mind , and a laugh from Iz Tayn probably meant she shared the sentiment .

Whatever , just save me some water , ’ Zac snorted as the burning cage broke apart .

The Goblin King was hesitant to go for Zac , who stood over a thousand meters from the lake , or for Iz , who emitted a far more palpable threat . Soon , it turned toward Iz , prompting Zac to do something . Even if he flashed over to intercept , the goblin would still be precariously close to the lake .

Whether it was creating an opportunity for Ogras or preventing it from swallowing any more water , he had to force it over . And Zac had an idea . He released a wave of Void Energy into the air around him . The Qriz’Ul King’s head instantly snapped around , confirming Zac’s guess . There was something about his Void Energy that attracted it .

The creature had emitted an intense hunger the first time Zac activated his domain skill beneath the depths , and every time he used Void Energy during the fight , the monster entered a frenzied state . The goblin hesitated , but still took the bait . It condensed into a stream and shot toward Zac , ancient ruins reduced to rubble by the goblin’s advance .

Four chains shot forward , each targeting the cracked sphere on the creature’s forehead from various angles . Meanwhile , Miasma churned throughout Zac’s body as his bones creaked . Zac even used some Void Energy to keep the Qriz’Ul’s attention while speeding up the activation of Arbiter of the Abyss] .

The Qriz’Ul was incredibly agile for its size , bobbing and weaving to avoid the chains while barely losing speed . But Zac’s web wasn’t spun randomly , and a hidden chain appeared in the shadows of one that missed , a chain unlike the others . It didn’t move very quickly , but the Qriz’Ul was out of options . It’d unknowingly moved closer and closer to the ground to avoid the chains , and now it couldn’t dip any farther .

A tap on its forehead resulted in a spectral chain being born , and a smile spread across Zac’s face . He didn’t activate the taunting effect and instead released more Void Energy into the air . The Qriz’Ul King had initially stopped to swipe at the spectral chain , but the Void Energy made it move again .

And just as it came within 250 meters of Zac , a pillar rose from the ground . A monument to despair and inexorability . Ogras would need another minute before he could dip down and close the gate , which hopefully would further weaken the creature . But seeing the billowing waves of corruption trapped within the ethereal body of the goblin , Zac couldn’t help but ask .

Could he even stall this big guy that long?

25

HOLDING ON

The goblin grew agitated from being locked up far from its lake but didn’t appear overly worried . Zac wasn’t surprised . This creature was far more powerful than any enemies he’d previously fought , to the point Zac wasn’t confident he’d even be able to trap it for the whole minute required . However , he had no choice but to fight , no choice but to keep this guy here long enough for Iz and Ogras to deal with the gateway .

Zac steeled his heart and kept infusing energy into Pillar of Desolation] . Behind his back , the familiar tower rose through a black pool , like it’d been dragged out from the deepest recesses of the Abyss . Its overall appearance was mostly the same since reaching Middle Mastery , but like all skills , it received some improvements .

The statues bound to the pillars were more lifelike , almost like their twisted faces moved in agony . It was a surreal experience , and Zac could almost hear distant wails when he glanced in the tower’s direction . Besides being crafted with a more skilled hand , the chains draped around its length were thicker and more durable .

The pillar had also gained 20 meters , now reaching 70 meters into the air , allowing it to tower above even the Qriz’Ul King . In addition , the pitch-black anti-sun hovering at its top had grown , emitting a more powerful aura . Finally , Zac could feel that its effect on his other skills had also become stronger .

The absolute darkness from Pillar of Desolation] meshed better with his other two domains , and the ethereal chain that connected him and the goblin’s face grew sturdier . It was just in time , as the goblin suddenly made a break for it , trying to tear down the deathly river before it had a chance to stabilize .

A tug on the spectral chain forced the goblin into a 180 to instead head straight for the pillar . Surprisingly , the chain of Arbiter of the Abyss] had turned completely invisible with Zac , and not even using his taunt exposed his location . The goblin tried to break out a few more times , but each time it was redirected toward the center of the cage .

Emp . . . ty , - the goblin growled as its head swung back and forth , at a loss for where Zac had gone or what was happening .

Zac’s eyes lit up at the scene , and he stopped the statues from throwing out any chains toward his enemy . As far as he was concerned , this guy could just stay like that while Iz dealt with the lake and the Kan’Tanu . He couldn’t see what was going on outside even if the anti-sun didn’t blind him , though he could sense Iz’s monstrous aura and vast swathes of fiery Dao .

She was no doubt laying waste to the shorelines , rapidly vaporizing his precious water .

But nothing good ever lasts . After five seconds of fruitless searching , Zac started to sense a tremendous buildup of energy from the 50-meter-tall goblin . Zac didn’t know exactly what it was planning , but if it was anything like the rain of Nightmare Tears , it could completely destroy his deathly river if unlucky . He would have to use himself as bait to keep this thing distracted .

Miasma flooded into multiple Skill Fractals as Zac rushed forward , all while desperately pulling on the spectral chain to distract the goblin . Meanwhile , chains shot out from the pillar behind him . The goblin ignored the chains because Zac activating his skills had exposed his location .

By that point , Zac had already closed most of the distance , and a short burst of Void Energy guaranteed he would have the creature’s undivided attention . Its maw opened impossibly wide , and the churning corruption within felt like a Pandora’s Box that absolutely couldn’t be allowed to open .

The ball of corruption wasn’t as unfathomable as what was released by its core when threatened , but there was simply too much energy . The short accumulation had already gathered more than half of Zac’s total energy reserves . Even more than the cost of Pillar of Desolation] . The skill would likely collapse if the Qriz’Ul King launched the blob at the river or the pillar itself .

Thankfully , Zac had acted decisively and just in time . When the goblin was about to spit out its ball of madness , three invisible cuts dismantled the Qriz’Ul King’s whole head . Simultaneously , a black storm swallowed the suddenly exposed corruption ball . Even a Late-stage Profane Exponents] was insufficient to move the ball out of harm’s way , but it managed to realign its budding momentum downward .

Following up , Zac pulled on the ethereal chain to push his taunting domain to the limits , using the last second on the skill to repulse the goblin’s attack . The three skills used in conjunction were barely enough to seize control from the Qriz’Ul , even if its head was already reforming .

The ball of corruption crashed to the ground right beneath the Qriz’Ul . It cracked , releasing billowing waves of condensed corruption throughout the cage with the goblin as an epicenter , and Zac immediately found himself submerged . An exquisite coffin sprung up to protect him , and it was thankfully able to block out the unfocused blast of the D-grade creature .

Like the previous upgrade , Profane Exponents] received a general upgrade from reaching Late Mastery . Their auras had grown deeper while their tools , from coffin to lantern , looked more exquisite .

The wave of corruption passed around him like a river blocked by a stone . Most of it was held at bay by the coursing river , almost like two oils that refused to mix . However , the collision itself left a lot of damage behind , while some of the corruption managed to infiltrate Zac’s skill , starting its unrelenting push toward mutation . The rebuffed energy formed a layer of taint covering the ground , and even Zac found himself submerged to his knees after the initial wave passed .

The corruption clung to him and tried to burrow inside . Circulating his Daos helped a bit , but it was ultimately impossible to completely block it without Void Zone] . Between his previous usage and expending Void Energy to activate a couple of skills , Zac couldn’t use his domain willy-nilly any longer .

It was easier to let it invade his body while Void Heart] and Purity of the Void] still had enough capacity to deal with it . He’d be harassed by intrusive whispers , but it was still within what he could deal with .

Only the tower itself was unscathed , somehow rejecting the shallow waters of corruption with its oppressive aura . Doing so was not only putting a strain on the skill itself but also a constant drain on his Miasma . Zac inwardly sighed at the scene . Just one failed attack was causing so much trouble due to the sheer volume of energy .

Meanwhile , the goblin had already reformed after Zac expended Blighted Cut] , and its energy reserves had only dropped a couple of percents . Even worse , Zac could feel how the missing unit was being recovered . It really looked like the Qriz’Ul King could still draw energy from its connection to the gateway , even when trapped inside Pillar of Desolation] .

One thing was certain , Zac couldn’t follow his most basic strategy—to outlast the opposition with his endless energy reserves . This goblin showed him what it truly meant to be tireless . Zac needed to be smarter and more efficient as he stalled and detained the Qriz’Ul King . Luckily , that was exactly what the Inexorable Stance excelled at , and with his latest skills and upgrades , Zac had even more tools available to him .

Six intangible arms were already grasping for him since the Qriz’Ul had reformed , but Zac’s heart was calm as he went to work . He had to maintain constant pressure while preventing any real buildups of energy . Chains rushed toward the sneering visage of the Qriz’Ul King as another jagged edge appeared in front of his axe .

Zac towered over four meters into the air after having activated Arbiter of the Abyss] , and the huge blade of Gorehew] was no longer comically oversized . Instead , it became a serviceable tool to rip apart the Qriz’Ul’s appendages while Blighted Cut] was on cooldown .

Suddenly , Zac sensed an accumulation of corruption , and he pushed off the ground as the chains of Love’s Bond] rattled . Two of the chains dug at the cracked core on the goblin’s forehead , while another formed a step for Zac to readjust his trajectory midair . In an instant , Zac found himself right in front of the goblin’s face , their sizes now roughly the same .

The air screamed as the jagged blade of bloody death clove the air in a huge overhand arc aimed at the creature’s mouth . However , the chains meant to force a realignment of the goblin’s head failed to create the opening Zac planned for . That powerful barrier appeared again , allowing the Qriz’Ul to completely ignore any strikes targeting its only apparent weak spot .

The goblin once more displayed its surprising deftness by parrying Zac’s swing with its chin before lunging to swallow Zac whole . Initially , Zac planned to back away and try anew , but he suddenly had an idea . Jagged teeth closed around him , but just as Zac was about to be bit , he activated Void Zone] .

Corruption fought with nothingness , and nothingness won out . The second ball of taint dimmed and collapsed before it had a chance to form , while the runes making up the goblin’s head started to lose their structural cohesiveness . Zac wanted to use the opportunity to see if he could destroy the core , but his eyes widened in alarm when he felt a pull .

The D-grade monstrosity was siphoning his Void Energy , dragging it toward its cracked sphere . His very essence was being robbed , and a primal fear surged in his heart as he kicked up a storm of carnage with his axe . Runes disintegrated all around him , but his domain couldn’t prevent the goblin from recovering .

Meanwhile , it became apparent that Void Zone] didn’t work against the barrier around the core . Zac still couldn’t tell exactly what the shield was , but it almost felt like the space within the barrier was in another dimension . Could it actually have phased its core to the Lost Plane for safekeeping?

And all the while , a deluge of corruption was released from the Qriz’Ul , rapidly draining Zac of energy . A few more strikes confirmed nothing had changed . Whether it was chains or axe , he simply couldn’t break through that barrier . Staying inside its incorporeal body like this was futile , so Zac disappeared in a puff of smoke before appearing twenty meters away .

VOID! VOID! - the goblin roared as it lunged for him , but by that point , the chains of Pillar of Desolation] had already caught up .

The closest one inexorably wound around the supernatural creature and started pulling it toward the pillar in the distance . Zac used the opportunity to activate his taunting domain again , and the goblin was dragged over 50 meters in an instant , closer to the tower . Closer to Oblivion . While the creature was twisted beyond recognition by the taint , it wasn’t a mindless creature . It clearly understood the shimmering orb of Desolation was dangerous , or perhaps rather the core of Oblivion at its heart .

It started to push back while freely releasing waves of corruption . Soon enough , the chain of Pillar of Desolation] broke apart , its improved durability not sufficient to withstand the corroding effect of the Lost Plane . A second chain replaced the first while Zac used his taunt to the maximum . But the Qriz’Ul was relentless , continuously struggling against its chains .

The chains never stopped coming , be it from Love’s Bond or Pillar of Desolation] , so the Qriz’Ul changed tactic . It started releasing a barrage of Nightmare Tears at the tower , smaller projectiles it needed no time to generate . Even then , each one contained enough force to create actual spatial tears in their wake , and Zac was forced to deal with them one way or another .

Zac found himself in a passive position where he furiously contained the Qriz’Ul’s rampage . Tears were either outright blocked with Gorehew] and Profane Exponent]’s barriers , or rerouted with the reversed taunt of Arbiter of the Abyss] . He moved with purpose , not wasting a second while skillfully managing his array of skills to bring about maximum pressure and efficiency .

Chains danced , wraiths came and went , leaving rapidly disintegrating corrosive marks in their wake . All while the Pillar of Desolation] pulled and pulled . The rerouted Nightmare Tears crashed into the deathly river , leaving hidden wounds in the cage that wouldn’t recover . Others joined the rising tide of corruption .

Fields of Despair] was the first skill to collapse from the infiltration of the Lost Plane . The loss of nigh-omniscience didn’t matter , but losing the restrictive properties of the domain was a huge blow . After all , the deathly haze had restrained 10% of the goblin’s attributes , and the creature’s boost pushed Zac even closer to the edge .

It wasn’t just a matter of pressure either . Zac was already running low on Miasma , to the point he was forced to use Void Energy to maintain some of his skills . Meanwhile , the level of corruption in the cage had already reached the level of the lake , and he was forced to continuously maintain Void Zone] to retain his mental state .

And the corruption kept increasing .

It wasn’t enough . No matter how much Zac cut and whittled it down . Most of his work was nullified by the mysterious link between the creature and gateway . It was constantly being bolstered by energy , to the point it still had over 90% of its strength intact . At least time was passing . Each second felt like an hour , and he kept swinging his axe , kept interrupting the creature’s attempts to form more powerful outbursts . Zac was like glue , constantly sticking to his much-bigger foe .

Eventually , Zac knew he would soon fail , at which point he unleashed Desperation’s End] . The spatial spheres weren’t enough to seal the Qriz’Ul , but with the additional help from Pillar of Desolation] and Arbiter of the Abyss] , it was barely enough . The Qriz’Ul was cleanly cut in two , yet even his ultimate skill failed to damage the core .

And Zac could only look on with helplessness as the collapsed form of the Qriz’Ul started to reform just seconds after it was torn to shreds . At least it reset the battle and gave Zac enough of a breather to eat a handful of pills to recuperate . But soon enough , the cycle started anew .

Zac lost any conception of time as he fused with his path . He became death , relentlessly advancing . One wound after another was left on his body as he gave up on dealing with non-lethal strikes . What were some scars to the unrelenting pull of the Abyss? It was just a feeble expression of defiance that all beings exhibited . A delay of the inevitable .

Deathmark] collapsed next , followed by Arbiter of the Abyss] . Soon , not even Gorehew] could be used , and not because of overuse . Not even Void Zone] could completely shut out all corruption , and too much had entered his body . The taint then followed the strongest surges of Miasma and glommed onto the Skill Fractal . Only Pillar of Desolation] held on , desperately defended by layers of his Dao .

Zac fought tooth and nail , using everything to delay the inevitable . He still had a few cards left , but the longer he could keep the goblin contained on his own , the better his chances of success . It was just too much . Cracks covered most of the pillar behind him , and more and more Nightmare Tears passed his guard now that he’d lost most of his tools .

The Qriz’Ul proved just as relentless , almost like it gained strength as its surroundings became increasingly corrupted . It reminded Zac of the unawakened Revenants back on Earth—mobile Unholy Beacons that naturally terraformed their surroundings to one more suited for their existence . The longer you fought , the worse your position would get .

Just as Zac was about to activate his next line of defense to buy a few more seconds , the Qriz’Ul froze . The gem on its forehead radiated a blinding purple light that forced Zac to look away . Just a glance had pushed the voices in his head to a crescendo , and Zac could feel how the distilled corruption was joined by actual lake water .

At the same time , a lone voice joined the discordant cacophony in Zac’s mind .

Shit! The gateway just disappeared when I closed in on it!’ The voice was frazzled , startling him to the point that he failed to perfectly angle a swing . - Ack , this netherblasted corruption!’

The Nightmare Tear cut just under his arm , but a last-minute adjustment allowed him to avoid any grievous harm . The pain helped him clear his muddled mind , and he was horrified by what he saw . The core on the goblin’s forehead had detached from it , but the creature was still very much alive . It hovered right in front of its forehead , releasing a deluge of tainted water .

Not only was the amount of energy terrifying , but the sheer volume of water was a huge problem . A liquid armor had already covered the Qriz’Ul King , and the cage would be completely submerged in seconds if nothing changed . Not that it would last that long , considering the pillar failed to keep the waters at bay .

The only good news was that the goblin’s aura started to become unstable . Was it damaging itself by summoning the gateway? Did it matter in this situation?

It’s been dragged here . I’ll deal with it , ’ Zac said in his mind as the waters passed his shoulders . - Hold on a little bit in case it returns . ’

The goblin shrieked with rage and fear upon sensing the coruscating waves of Oblivion coursing through Zac’s body and into his right arm . It redoubled its efforts to break free , desperately pulling in the direction of the real lake in the distance . Did it need to return to its original spot to recover its core? Zac wouldn’t let it . The three pygmy skeletons reluctantly collapsed , leaving Zac with only a crumbling tower for assistance .

A tower and a coffin .

Alea , I need your help , - Zac sighed as he infused some of his waning Miasma into the coffin lid .

I’m here for you , ’ Alea’s voice echoed in his mind as the coffin lid creaked open . - Forever and always . ’

Death’s Embrace] was gone with Alea’s Evolution , replaced by a new skill yet untested . Fate’s Obduracy] remained , reforged and more potent than ever . Hopefully , it would be enough .

Seal this bastard , - Zac growled as he felt the pitch-black runes of Oblivion carve a network across his face .

26

BEYOND THE CONCEPT

Even when finding himself pushed to the limits , Zac held back his last and most powerful aces . He wanted to save them until Ogras finished his side of the mission , to give himself something to fall back on in case the Qriz’Ul King went berserk . Now , he found himself without better options , and could only pray it was enough to break through that impenetrable shield .

The goblin’s struggles grew more frantic as Zac squeezed out more and more Oblivion from his soul , the energy accumulation already passing what he used in the depths . Even more corruption was discarded and disseminated from the creature’s labor , but Zac could barely hear it . The storm of Oblivion had quieted the incessant voices of madness , utterly extinguishing their existence .

The sudden bout of spiritual silence was almost deafening , but things on the material plane were approaching a fever pitch . The chains of Pillar of Desolation] managed to restrain this unrelenting creature for almost a minute , but they could no longer endure under the deluge of tainted water . The last of the fetters snapped , and the goblin broke free .

But it was too late . The coffin lid on Zac’s back had fully opened , and over twenty chains had already shot toward their target with a palpable hunger . They were pitch-black and emitted a cold and unrelenting aura of death , like they were made from the ice of Cocytus . They were also incredibly quick , moving with more than twice the speed of Love’s Bond]’s original links .

Before the goblin had a chance to speed away , the chains wrapped around it in a deathly embrace . Cascading waves of tainted water inundated the links , though a familiar scene occurred . Any time a chain was about to break apart from the corruption , a black pulse ran through its length and split the chain into two , each one in perfect condition .

Twenty chains had multiplied to over a hundred in no time , and the goblin was barely visible . The thing looked like a grotesque art installation as it struggled in the air . A sudden eruption destroyed two-thirds of the chains , but Zac could sense Alea had more to give . The chains grew back , winding at least three times around the huge Qriz’Ul , forming hundreds of loops that together created a coil . One pulse after another started to run through their lengths until they stayed illuminated , not by electricity , but death .

Even Zac , a Draugr , felt pressure from the immense amount of death released into the chains , and both goblin and tainted water froze in place as they became solid .

They hadn’t turned into ice , though . There was no sense of cold emanating from the construct , except for the chill of death . It was more apt to say the water had died , bereft of its momentum , fate , and energy . All that remained was a useless rock-like compound . The only thing left untouched was the warded core floating in front of its forehead , which still released more water .

The lack of Kill Energy entering his mind confirmed what Zac already suspected upon seeing the cracked sphere was intact . Not even this was enough to kill this creature . But Alea had still gone above and beyond accomplishing what needed to be done . The goblin was locked down and trapped in a cycle of death and resurrection . It couldn’t so much as move , let alone form any dangerous outbursts of energy .

Meanwhile , the Annihilation Sphere between his hands was approaching the limits of what Zac could control , which meant it was time . Zac shot forward , running up along one of the links toward the hovering core . The voices returned with redoubled intensity as he closed in . Looking at the vantablack orb of destruction between his hands helped a bit , but Zac still felt his mind mired in the Lost Plane’s corruptive influence .

Thousands of ideas , most of them irrelevant or downright crazy , cropped up like weeds , leaving behind blemishes on his heart . It would take some time to sort out and cleanse all this madness , but that was a matter for later . Ogras was probably struggling in a similar environment in the depths of the lake without Zac’s tools to deal with it .

It wasn’t only the voices that grew louder . The closer he got , the more the goblin’s resistance intensified . It railed against the prison of Fate’s Obduracy] , and Zac could tell Alea was running out of steam . Meanwhile , the sphere released tremendous pressure , making it seem like Zac was pushing against the weight of an entire world .

The air in the center of the cage twisted and groaned as it was caught in the middle of an unrelenting struggle between death and madness . Searing flashes of pain erupted across Zac’s body as errant spatial tears left their marks . But he pushed on until he reached the top of the chain ladder—where a world of hyper-condensed tainted water waited for him .

A ball of water had become the final layer of defense against Zac’s approach , its taint so dense it felt as though it could corrupt the Dao itself . Zac knew this would be dangerous , but he could only ward his soul and steel his heart as he crashed into the water , using his now fully formed Annihilation Sphere as a wallbreaker .

The water in front simply disappeared , annihilated in full by the power of Oblivion . But the water to his side remained unaffected , and it crashed into Zac with the force of a collapsing mountain . Zac’s bones cracked , and madness stirred , but he pushed farther , deeper , until he encountered resistance .

A tremendous shockwave shook Zac’s frayed mind awake , and he vaguely saw how his Annihilation Sphere was trying to dig into the purple barrier—trying and failing . The barrier buckled inward and was shuddering precipitously , but it wasn’t showing any indication that it was about to break apart . The sphere was constantly extracting energy from the Lost Plane , replacing that which the Annihilation Sphere destroyed .

Meanwhile , Zac was gradually losing control of his conception . A second or two more , and the Annihilation Sphere would destabilize , and his mission would be a failure . This was exactly what he’d been worried about when dealing with this creature . The power of the Remnants had proven to be a reliable ace until now , but there were limits .

After all , they were only D-grade items , and the energy he used couldn’t be considered the full expression of the Daos of Oblivion and Creation . Not only that , but his two attacks were fueled by his own Daos , which were just Early Branches . To deal with a creature that had once been a Peak Hegemon at the least , and who had this unique connection to an Eternal Heritage . . . It wasn’t enough .

Then , an idea came to him . An idea born from madness and desperation , but one that might just work .

The Lost Plane’s taint had completely spread throughout his body , yet a pulse of possibility corrupted the corruption . Madness was distorted and reformed in the forge of Creation as Zac roused the slumbering energy throughout his body . It swept through him , leaving bedlam in its wake . This was the strategy of sacrificing 800 soldiers to kill 1000 enemies , where unfettered Creation Energy damaged both his body and the accumulating taint .

The pain was unimaginable as his body went through a series of chaotic transformations . Though the agony helped him focus on maintaining his Annihilation Sphere a bit longer , while a set of golden patterns joined the black ones across his face .

Two streams of energy entered the already worn pathways on his shoulders before fusing in his chest . The Annihilation Sphere shuddered ominously , but was kept in check by Zac’s soul working in overdrive . Even then , it was just a matter of time , and Zac knew he wouldn’t be able to create an Origin Mark as powerful as his Annihilation Sphere .

Then again , more than half of the sphere had been consumed already from disintegrating the churning waters and clashing against the purple barrier . A weakened version might work even better . After all , his goal wasn’t to form a separate attack . It was to balance Creation and Oblivion in one singular strike .

To form Chaos .

Zac slowly moved his hands apart , desperately controlling Annihilation with his right as a shimmering rune appeared in his left palm . Reality bent from the appearance of the Origin Mark , and the tainted waters started frothing from encountering an even more corruptive energy .

The pain grew exponentially , overwhelming anything else . Zac’s whole being was consumed by what he’d wrought , but still he pushed his hands together in a final attempt at victory . Black and gold mixed , and space collapsed . A metallic flash illuminated the area , and Zac immediately found himself losing control .

Go , ’ Zac groaned in his mind , praying Ogras would be able to hear him .

A surge of energy was followed by an endless expanse of white . A lingering thought was all that remained before he faded away .

This wasn’t right .

Abyssal flames burned along bloody tendrils of the water elemental , but it didn’t seem to care . Iz could tell nothing remained of the cultivators who’d been extracted and pulled into this fell construct of tainted water and unorthodox curses . Pure anger and suffering locked in a prison of its own creation .

She glanced at her arm , where her wound had already been cauterized . To think this thing could not only block out her attacks but even wound her . It’d been forced to sacrifice one of its appendages to break through her barrier , but still . Those attacks were proof her flames weren’t infallible , even if this creature was only bordering Middle D-grade by conventional standards .

The flame in her chest had dimmed considerably , exhausted from cleansing the waves of corruption thrown her way . She only had 30% of Cosmic Energy remaining , but she held no thoughts of backing down . The weak demon was at the bottom of the lake , desperately trying to accomplish the mission .

Meanwhile , she could feel that Zachary had gone all out , unleashing one of the Remnants locked in his mind . Her uncle had told her the price of using those things , yet he didn’t even think to back down , to flee . How could she step down at this juncture? The broach on her dress flickered , and her surroundings started to blur .

It was trying to take her away , out of the Void Star . Iz wouldn’t let it .

She ripped off the Fatewarding Treasure and threw it away , rousing the flame in her chest for one final attack . Her skin caught on fire , as did her hair . Soon she was completely engulfed , transformed into an avatar of the purest flames . With a shudder , one became three , and the trinity avatars representing the paths of the Empyrean Flame surrounded the creature , each with a different set of wings .

It recognized the threat , and space collapsed as it launched its core tendrils toward her . Each one was infused with the chimeral madness of the lake and the Black Heart Sect , turning into an unpredictable poison that targeted both the body and mind . But Trinity Apocalypse] had already been activated , and Iz released a different creature from each of her avatars .

The wings of the Abyssal Butterfly fluttered , and the ground erupted , unleashing fires from the deepest recesses of the Underworld . The Vermillion Bird keened , and the flames of the first dawn burned everything in its path . The golden crow released the sun it held in its claw , and it fell onto the elemental from above .

Three planes , three paths . A trinity of destruction and new beginnings . The elemental tried to resist , to destroy the Origin Flames that were fast-consuming its body , but it was futile . Three paths merged in the center , and the elemental was no more . The three avatars converged atop World’s End] , and Iz stepped out from the flames .

She’d done it .

A surge of adrenaline Iz had never felt before coursed through her veins as she looked at the scorched remnants . Her thousands of battles , both in dreamscapes and realities , couldn’t produce this sense of victory . She finally understood what her grandpa and uncle had told her so many times .

Some things simply couldn’t be imparted from the previous generations , even with arrays and domains that subverted reality itself . Even the - certain death trials’ prepared by her uncle , where she sealed her memories before going in to provide authenticity , hadn’t managed to elicit this kind of response—the burning fires of passion , the fear , the determination .

Iz had expended some of her Everflame Essence , but she believed her grandpa would consider this lesson a worthy trade . It allowed her to retain some of her strength , which might be needed . Something big , dangerous , was happening inside that unstable river of death . However , just as Iz was about to move over , a voice in her head stopped her in her tracks .

Go , ’ the familiar yet foreign voice said , and Iz involuntarily shuddered from the pain that single word carried .

The lake heaved a moment later before a pillar of water and flames rose hundreds of meters into the air . The demon had detonated the modified Star Seed] . If she remembered correctly , it’d been gifted by that annoying guy from the Stillsun Clan a few years ago . The thought of his gift being used as an incendiary instead of nurturing a custom-made star tugged a smile into Iz’s face , though the scene in the distance commanded most of her attention .

She could tell the demon was alive , albeit a bit worse for the wear . But the emanations within the river of death made her heart clench . Even with Sungod’s Eyes] , Iz barely managed to make out the scene within . The corruption was just too dense .

Iz didn’t need to wait long before the frayed river of death shattered , destroyed by a tremendous shockwave that elicited a primal fear in her heart . Ancient ruins were leveled by the thousands as the blast consumed the center of the Ra’Lashar Capital , and a tsunami of corruption and lake water followed in its wake .

Everything was swept away , from rubble to corpses and scorched remnants of Black Heart Parasites . Iz suddenly felt extremely exposed without her Fateward Treasure , and she urgently entered the diminished orb of World’s End] . Her fatebound guardian wrapped the miniature sun in an embrace just as the shockwave reached her .

Iz’s face paled from the tremendous onslaught , from the screams that entered her mind . A roar from her natal flame extinguished the voices , and the storm passed soon after . She took a shuddering breath before lunging for the glimmering broach on the ground . She felt her fate realign , like a warm blanket keeping her safe .

Everything in moderation . That was the second lesson of the day . There was a fine but definite line between courage and madness , and she wasn’t willing to cross that to accomplish her goals . Her grandparents had sacrificed too much for her to just throw her life away .

However , not everyone seemed to treasure their lives , and Iz’s gaze once more turned toward Zachary with a mix of anticipation and trepidation .

There he stood , at the epicenter of the destruction . The heavy shroud that hung over the ruins had been destroyed , forming a hole in the sky itself . Weak light shone upon him as he stood unmoving in a crater full of viscous water and broken detritus . Surrounding him were tendrils of chaotic energy , destroying anything they touched .

She could barely recognize him as he blankly looked up at the sky . His skin was covered in runes of forgotten truths and ancient madness , his eyes two metallic orbs with bolts of gold and black . The air around him strained just from his latent pressure , and winds buffeted his tattered robes .

Iz could have been looking at the resurgence of the previous era , of the unstoppable madmen who lorded over the previous sky . This was what she’d wanted to witness . Someone who didn’t helplessly float down the river of fate but paved his own path . Someone who left ripples in his wake and indelible marks on history .

But why did she feel so sad?

Beyond the concept was a man . A man covered in black blood and grisly wounds . Both his hands were missing , where his arms had become cracked marble that ended just beneath his elbows . If not for the pressure he emitted or his fiercely burning life force , Iz would have thought him dead . He looked so tired . So utterly drained , hollowed out by the expectations and responsibilities placed on his shoulders .

What in the— - a hoarse voice drifted over from a distance , breaking Iz from her trance .

A wet and scorched demon crawled up from the lake , his body fluctuating ominously like he was on the verge of losing his physical form .

He’s alive , - Iz sighed as she pointed her finger at Mr . Azh’Rezak , activating Cleansing Pyre] .

A swirl of golden flames engulfed the demon , incinerating most of the corruption that tainted his body . Wounds were cauterized and scabs fell off , exposing unblemished skin beneath .

Thank you , - Mr . Azh’Rezak said with a bow before turning back to Zachary with a frown . - His hands . . . Do you have— -

The demon’s words caught in his throat as something was created out of nothing and two hands regrew . Iz looked on with worry as Zachary slowly bent toward the ground , his movements jerky and discordant like a construct whose maintenance was long overdue .

What in the . . . - Ogras repeated in disbelief .

For every miracle , there is a price , - Iz sighed . - Fate . . . is too dangerous . -

27

WHAT A MESS

Zac woke with a start , and the slight movement unleashed a chain reaction of agony that rippled throughout his entire being . A blurry scene of destruction met his gaze , but there were no threats as far as he could see . It was lucky , as well . Just keeping his eyelids open was a struggle . Another fight was out of the question .

He didn’t need to look to know that almost all his pathways were shattered , but he still glanced inward to assess the damage . As expected , his pathways were in utter disrepair . His head , arms , and torso had taken the worst of it , the paths completely gone . The damage wasn’t limited to the sections where he channeled the two attacks created with the Remnants either . There was visible damage all the way to the soles of his feet .

There was also damage to his foundation , like he’d opened up a dozen nodes without any protection . Recovering from this would take months rather than weeks , and there would still be risks of leaving imperfections behind . Even his Thousand Lights Avatar] had taken a hit , and reforming the broken sections would set him back a few months .

The only thing that wasn’t broken was his physical body , but a sense of hollowness in the essence of his very being explained the reason . He must have used Creation Energy subconsciously since he’d lost decades’ worth of lifespan . By the looks of it , his arms had been completely disintegrated by his final blast , along with a good chunk of his chest .

Thank God his years of experimenting with his Annihilation Sphere and Origin Mark had taught an important lesson that was now ingrained into his body . Always remove your valuables before messing with the Remnants . More than one Spatial Ring had cracked or morphed from being too close to the Remnant skills , so now he always stashed them in a reinforced pouch behind Vivi’s tube or Alea’s coffin .

What a mess .

There was some good news , though it was insufficient to balance the bad . First , there was the terrifying amount of Kill Energy in his body , far surpassing anything he’d ever held before . In other words , the Qriz’Ul King was dead . Furthermore , the energy proved he hadn’t been out of it for very long , even if the tranquility around him indicated the battle was already over . The energy would have dissipated if he’d been unconscious for a couple of hours .

Secondly , the corruption in his body wasn’t that bad , considering how much had poured into him while he tried to break down that purple barrier . It was still quite a bit , and didn’t seem to carry the insights of the lake . The voices were just weak whispers at this point . His bloodline should have dealt with that long before he recovered .

Zac tried to look around for clues on what was going on , but he didn’t even have time to take in his surroundings before he felt his life , or rather death , slipping away . He was utterly drained of Miasma and would soon find himself forcibly swapped over to his human side . However , transforming this crude way would take over a minute , and this was not the time to black out .

A soft tendril of Dao and energy entered his transformation skill , activating the process before it was too late . A shudder went through his body as life replaced nothingness , the process slow and sluggish . Thankfully , the Specialty Core was one of the few sections of his body left untouched , and the process was slowed down rather than interrupted by damage .

Gods , what a mess .

Zac couldn’t believe he’d been so foolhardy , though he admittedly still didn’t have any better solutions with the benefit of hindsight . Fusing his Annihilation Sphere and Origin Mark for a supreme blast was something Zac had considered before , but never had the guts or time to experiment with . Because any time he’d considered a test run , a sense of foreboding filled his heart . And since then , everything he learned about his Daos and Duality only strengthened this impression of danger .

It wasn’t necessarily impossible , it was just too early . His Annihilation Sphere was a fusion of his Branches of War Axe and Pale Seal , which was then powered with the distilled Oblivion Energy extracted from the cage in his mind . To fuse his Remnant attacks meant not only combining all three of his Daos , but also Oblivion and Creation .

He still hadn’t figured out how to fuse just his Daos for his Cultivator’s Core , so adding Oblivion and Creation to the mix was a recipe for disaster . At the time , it felt like a great idea , to push a bit further on the path he was already walking . It was almost natural . But without the voices urging him , he understood just how ill-prepared he was to take that step .

There was no plan , no system . Zac had just slapped together two highly unstable energies he only tenuously controlled and then hoped for the best . If anything , the outcome could be considered lucky , where he only lost a few limbs while the Qriz’Ul King perished . Still , it served as a poignant example of what awaited him if he failed to form a proper core . It wouldn’t just be his hands that were blown off—it would be his whole body .

Thinking of his recently reformed hands , Zac realized he was holding onto something—the core of the Qriz’Ul King . That was the last item Zac would have expected to see , considering he aimed his Chaos Ball right at this thing . If this was intact , how had the goblin died?

Certainly , the core had seen better days . New cracks had appeared across its surface , and it no longer emitted any spatial fluctuations . Oddly enough , it was also a bit scorched . Had Iz helped him at the eleventh hour , or was this a result of the goblin’s odd connection to the Lost Plane’s gateway?

Had the Qriz’Ul truly transported its core away to avoid getting blasted by the unstable Chaos Bomb , only for it to be engulfed by whatever Iz had given Ogras to blow up the lake?

No matter how things worked , it was a welcome surprise . The core probably contained incredibly condensed corruption , which might be even more useful than the diluted taint in the lake . More importantly , this thing could absorb his Void Energy , which might mean it was useful for his bloodline down the road . Right now , his body didn’t react to the thing , but his bloodline was also fully satiated at the moment .

His connection to the Qriz’Ul was another mystery Zac couldn’t explain . Why had this Qriz’Ul wanted his Void Energy? Come to think of it , all of the Qriz’Ul in the lake had reacted to the energy his bloodline created . At the time , Zac believed they responded to a spot of water suddenly drained of corruption , but that didn’t seem to be the case .

Was the Void Emperor bloodline somehow related to the Lost Plane , or perhaps to the Ultom Courts?

Zac had mostly been working under the assumption that his visions came from the Left Imperial Palace rather than Ultom , and that idea had only been reinforced after his talk with Leyara . Emperor Limitless had seized at least eight Eternal Heritages and then built immense Array Palaces around them to create the System . It wouldn’t be too surprising if he had a Karmic connection to these places .

How did the Void , the Lost Plane , and the Dao-bereft insights of Ultom fit into the picture? Perhaps this core could help shed some light on the connection between these things and possibly even his bloodline . It also seemed like a promising material for his Cultivator’s Core down the road .

Shuffling steps made Zac look up with alarm , but he relaxed upon seeing two familiar figures standing at the edge of the crater he found himself in .

Uh , you okay over there? - Ogras asked .

I’ve been better , - Zac grimaced as he put away the Qriz’Ul Core . - What about you? Is everything dealt with? -

The gateway is closed , - Ogras said . - And the infiltrators are all dead . The young miss dealt with them for us . -

All of them? - Zac said with surprise .

They fused into one entity , - Iz said calmly .

Zac sighed in relief . He didn’t have another fight in him .

So , you’re going to stay in the puddle , or? - Ogras asked .

Oh , right , - Zac said , and started to make his way out of the crater .

It was slow . Excruciatingly slow . Zac felt weaker than back before the Integration , and he nearly stumbled a couple of times on his way to the edge . Finally , he got there , though every step felt like getting stabbed .

You weren’t kidding , - Ogras sighed . - Well , knowing your monstrous constitution , you’ll be up and about in no time . I can’t believe you’re able to regrow limbs at will . To accomplish that , I had to find a bunch of treasures and fuse with shadow creatures . -

Borrowed Creation , - Iz said as she gave Zac a deep look . - The price is steep . -

I try to avoid using it , but trouble keeps finding me . - Zac weakly smiled .

The burden of fate . - Iz nodded as she took out a small vial . - Use this . It will recover some of what you lost . -

Zac curiously looked at the shimmering drops inside the vial , and was shocked at the explosive vitality they contained . Each drop gave off radiant light like a sun , and even through the densely inscribed casing , Zac could tell they contained incredible amounts of life force . These things couldn’t even be put in the same category as the other Longevity Treasures he’d encountered .

Uzu’s Fire-attuned Longevity Pearl , which had since joined Zac’s treasure pile , might as well be trash in front of these drops . Which meant these things were incredibly rare . And rare meant expensive .

I’m not sure if I’m in any condition to get myself blasted with a fireball at the moment , - Zac hesitated .

You can owe me one , - Iz said with a small smile .

Zac didn’t know how he felt about mooching off of Iz like this . They’d gotten somewhat close over the past days , and she had proven herself a trustworthy ally , but she had been right before about balance . It wasn’t right for him to just take and take without giving anything back . At the same time , he really needed this thing .

More importantly , didn’t you want that lake water? - Ogras interjected when Zac didn’t move for a few seconds .

Ah? What? - Zac perked up . - Why? What’s wrong? -

Well , the bottom of the lake is full of spatial tears since we blew a hole in the Mystic Realm , - Ogras shrugged . - It’s leaking . -

What! - Zac screamed as he started running toward the lake .

Or at least he tried to . The sudden burst of movement set his whole body on fire , and when he went to correct himself , his legs felt like lead .

You’re in no state to use skills , - Iz said from the side .

I can’t , I have to—ah , crap , - Zac groaned , stumbling and faceplanting straight into the ground .

But his surroundings were suddenly swallowed by shadows , and he found himself right at the shores , which were growing longer by the second . Seeing the water within arm’s reach , Zac ignored the pain and limped into the muck as he eagerly took out two canteens .

I wonder what your devout followers would say if they saw this sorry sight , - Ogras sighed . - So many crushed hearts . -

Just help me collect the water , - Zac grunted .

Alright , alright , - Ogras said , appearing next to Zac .

The next moment , a set of shadows lifted Zac up and returned him to the shore .

I’ll deal with this . Just sit there and recover . You look like you’re about to fall apart into a thousand little pieces , - Ogras said with a roll of his eyes . - I need you to be in speaking condition when we get out of here . -

Thank you , - Zac said , taking out a few more containers . - Get as much as possible , but don’t risk your life for it . -

Too late for that , - Ogras snorted .

By this point , Iz had caught up to them , and she held out the small vial in his direction once more . This time , Zac didn’t reject .

. . . Thank you , - Zac said . - I’ll make it up to you somehow . -

I’m sure , - Iz said with a small smile . - The longer you wait , the worse the effect will be . Place a drop on your forehead . -

Zac followed Iz’s instructions . He wasn’t worried Iz was lying to him . For one , he could sense the immense surge of Life within the drop . Also , he was completely vulnerable in his current condition . If she wanted to deal with him , she wouldn’t need to use deception . She could just pick him up and bring him home like a piece of luggage .

The drop landed against his glabella , and Zac’s eyes opened wide . For a moment , it felt like he’d opened his mind’s eye where the drop touched his skin , connecting him to the other side of the cosmos . There , Zac saw an enormous tree , far surpassing the Worldtree in his old visions . It stretched far beyond what Zac could comprehend , its sheer mass an assault on his sanity . Each of its leaves was a world unto itself , nurtured by the endless vitality of its creator .

And just like that , the vision was gone , replaced by a warm sensation that had already spread throughout his body . The hollowness was partly alleviated , and Zac could even feel his foundations recovering a bit . He still wouldn’t be able to use his Cosmic Energy , but he should at least not be as weak as a baby bird .

Still , the medical efficacy paled to the vision he’d just seen . Was that tree real?

What . . . was that? - Zac said with shock .

Don’t think about it too much , - Iz said . - How do you feel? -

Tired , - Zac grimaced . - But a lot better now . -

Do you regret it? - Iz asked , leveling an uncomfortably intense stare on him . - You have the talisman to escape this realm . You could have given up and either fled through a spatial tear or waited for the realm to collapse . But you fought to the point of almost crippling yourself . -

I didn’t really think things through , - Zac said . - Had a lot of voices screaming in my head at the time . But no , I don’t regret it . How could I back down when people depend on me when I still hadn’t done everything in my power to accomplish what I promised? -

But your life force , - Iz said .

Well , you helped me recover some of it , and I’ll get more of it when I break through . - Zac shrugged .

It is not that simple , - Iz said , looking out across the dwindling lake . - It is not just a matter of days and years . It is providence . It is potential . The more you hollow yourself out , the harder you will find your climb in the future . You are creating a negative spiral , where you will need to take more and more risks to continue progressing . -

I know , - Zac sighed . - Sometimes , you just have to keep going and have faith things will work out . -

Iz slowly nodded , and they sat in silence for a few minutes as Ogras filled one canteen after another .

What are you doing after this? - Iz asked .

Zac didn’t immediately answer . Not because he felt the need to keep it a secret , but more because he didn’t actually know . The original plan was for his visit to the Void Star to be a quick outing where he picked up a Ferric Worldeater . After that , he’d head out to the Million Gates Territory , where he would look for Ogras while racking up some early contributions .

Now , with more than half a year passing , things had grown infinitely more complicated . He’d also stumbled onto Ogras and Billy , which had been the main reason for him to enter the lawless zone at the edge of the Allbright Empire . Not only that , but he should also have already racked up a massive amount of contribution from his actions here , far more than he could have by hunting down some advance squads .

Still , he probably had to head to the Million Gates Territory anyways , if only to find the next piece of rubble . The Qriz’Ul Core and lake water would probably let him digest the whole Book of Duality in a couple of months , but that didn’t mean he was guaranteed to figure out a working blueprint for his core . If it failed , he might still need another burst of Ultom’s inspiration before heading to the Perennial Vastness .

I— - Zac hesitated , but a deep rumble cut him off .

The clouds roiled and heaved until an enormous crack split the whole sky in two .

Owie Owie , ’ a distant voice echoed out . - Good job , Hungry Guy! Gemmy is leaving now . Try not to die . ’

28

EXIT

Zac was startled at the proclamation , only to soon realize he shouldn’t be . They were a bit ahead of schedule thanks to Iz extinguishing the stubborn flames from Flashfire Flourish] , but only by half a day or so . It was no surprise Gemmy made her move soon after they’d closed the gateway , especially now that the concentrated taint of the lake had all but been removed from the Mystic Realm .

The people back in Billy’s fort might even have finished things early , considering Iz had been guided to this realm by a group of Void Gate Hegemons .

Ogras appeared in a puff of smoke , carrying a whole bag full of containers . - Enough in here to go insane a few times over . -

Thank you , - Zac smiled .

You look better , - Ogras commented as he looked to the vial still in Zac’s hand .

Had a little help . - Zac handed the vial toward Iz , but she just shook her head .

Keep it , in case fate strikes again . - Iz smiled . - My family is friends with the one who makes these drops . We can always get more whenever we need it . -

That’s . . . great . Thank you , - Zac said , his insides twisting from jealousy while Ogras looked positively disgusted .

It should be another hour or two , - Ogras said as he looked to the sky .

Zac nodded in agreement . The world was collapsing as Gemmy sacrificed its outer regions to save on energy , but it wouldn’t all disintegrate at once . Billy wasn’t sure , but he said it would take at least an hour to activate the array . Essentially , one region would be refined at a time , with their section being the last to go as a safety measure .

I’ll take another look around , - the demon added . - I never visited any of those tunnels last time I was here . If a gateway to an Eternal Heritage hid beneath the tower , who knows what else those greedy goblins stashed away there? -

I wish I could help , - Zac said . - I’m not really in any state to go spelunking . -

Just focus on recovery , - Ogras said . - I doubt being dragged out through multiple spatial layers will be a pleasurable experience . -

Zac’s face paled at that . He’d completely forgotten about the Spatial Anchor . It wasn’t supposed to cause any damage like his Flashfire Flourish] , but who knew if that held in his current state . He couldn’t even circulate his Cosmic Energy to reinforce his body right now .

I hope you can find some more clues about the Lost Plane , - Zac grimaced . - I’ll focus on not dying . -

Sounds fair enough , - Ogras grinned . - I’ll see if I can squeeze something out of that little bastard . He might be more talkative now that his heritage is about to be swallowed by the Void . -

A moment later , the demon was gone , and Zac could see ghosts and shadows flit about in the chasm . Iz made no move to join him , seeming content to stay by Zac’s side .

The silence stretched on , but Zac eventually couldn’t stop himself from asking . - You’re not going? -

I’m not interested in this Goblin Kingdom , - Iz said . - I’m better off incorporating the insights I gained during this battle . -

There might be clues to our inheritance , - Zac was hesitant to say . - After all , these goblins investigated the Lost Plane for millennia . -

My fate will not be decided on whether I explore the moldy tunnels of the Ra’Lashar , - Iz said with a shake of her head .

I won’t disturb you then . - Zac closed his eyes .

He spent the next 20 minutes repairing the Skill Fractal of Surging Vitality] until it could be activated . Its effect on damaged foundations wasn’t worth mentioning , but it was better than nothing with all the Kill Energy coursing through his body . And since he had reached Peak E-grade already , there wasn’t much else he could use it for .

Some crafting techniques used Kill Energy , where the most common was weapon crafting . For example , Zac was pretty sure the ogre he met in the Big Axe Coliseum had crafted his axe using Kill Energy while instilling it with the killing intent nurtured through battle . But that was just one of the possibilities .

For example , Beast Tamers could transfer some of their Kill Energy to their beasts , and Heda had mentioned the possibility of doing the same for plants . Unfortunately , Zac neither knew any techniques like that , nor did he have the luxury of giving away his energy to Vivi or Haro .

The nurturing surge from his recovery skill went round and round throughout his body , and each circulation worked on the foundation built by Iz’s lifegiving drop . It left him a bit better off , though part of that was simply his powerful constitution recovering naturally .

All the while , Void Heart] and Purity of the Void] kept swallowing or purifying any lingering corruption . As Zac expected , most of the corruption from the Qriz’Ul King hadn’t contained any insights . However , Zac still managed to decipher a couple of paragraphs thanks to the tainted water he’d fought his way through at the end .

Zac hesitated , but eventually took out one of the Void Cores he’d bought in Salosar . He started drawing upon its energy to recover his mostly expended Void Energy . His best solution to avoiding chaotic energies at the moment was Void Zone] , but he was running low on his hidden reserve .

Iz didn’t react to the glimmering core hidden within his sleeves , though Zac didn’t delude himself into thinking she hadn’t noticed it . Especially not after repeatedly being forced to use his Void Energy during the battle . She simply didn’t seem interested in his hidden cards , or perhaps she was merely following proper cultivator etiquette .

After all , the kind of elites someone like Iz socialized with back in the Multiverse Heartlands were bound to have a handful of secrets . If you started poking your nose in others’ business , you would eventually get in trouble .

Like this , just over an hour passed until the atmosphere shifted . Space didn’t really collapse like in the Twilight Ocean . It more felt like the air had gone out of the whole realm , leaving it empty . All the energy had been taken away , and even the slightest hint of spirituality from the ground had disappeared .

It meant Gemmy had reached their side of the Mystic Realm , and it was already detached from the core . The area might last another hour or two like this before it crumbled under the pressure of the Void . And as expected , the cracks in the sky were growing in both number and size . A few seconds later , Ogras appeared , looking satisfied with his outing .

Anything good? - Zac asked curiously .

Not much in the way of treasures , but these goblins sure were a bunch of burrowers . I found quite a few hidden compartments , ranging from small cubbies to whole hidden laboratories . -

You found? - the spectral goblin at his side snorted . - All the worthwhile hoards would have passed a fool like you right by if not for my discerning eye . And even if you found them , the traps would’ve killed you ten times over . You’re lucky I felt it a pity for our heritage to end like this . -

More like you were afraid the flag would be lost to the Void , - Ogras said with a roll of his eyes before turning back to Zac . - The pills and materials have long lost their spirituality , but I found quite a few crystals and tomes . I haven’t had time to scan them , but a few looked promising . We should be able to extract a lot of good things if we’re careful . -

Worst-case , we might add some good techniques to our repository . - Zac nodded . - It’s still kind of lacking compared to a proper faction . -

You two ought to be careful , - Iz cautioned . - You saw what happened to this society . One cannot build a stable force on such dubious foundations . -

Of course , of course , - Ogras agreed , but only the demon knew whether he was sincere or not .

Well , I guess it’s time to leave , - Zac grunted as he got to his feet .

The pain was still there , but at least his limbs would follow his instructions , as long as he didn’t overdo it . And with a chunk of his Void Energy recovered , Zac felt he should be able to withstand what came next .

Here , - Zac said as he threw the escape arrays over to Ogras .

You two ready? - Ogras asked and received affirmative nods in return .

He activated the first talisman , prompting a shimmering lasso to cut out a hole in space . It was essentially a spatial tear , but it was kept stable by a gleaming edge of Spatial Energy . However , the three didn’t immediately step through as planned , but instead looked through the portal hesitantly .

What’s going on? - Zac frowned .

The other side was supposed to be the Void , possibly with the occasional vision of one of the neighboring realms in the Void Star . Instead , they were met with a confusing blur of a million colors constantly shifting . If there were an opposite to the emptiness of the Void , then this would be it .

I— - Ogras hesitated as he looked down at the talisman with confusion . - Is it broken? -

Zac doubted the talisman was a dud , but he didn’t know how to explain the scene either . He could only turn to Iz , hoping she had an idea .

It should be the Void , - Iz said , though her tone didn’t bring a lot of confidence in the assessment .

Really? - the demon said , clearly not convinced .

The imagery is wrong , but the energy is not . I can feel the hollowness of the Void on the other side and no other energies , - Iz explained .

Zac realized Iz was correct . There wasn’t any energy leaking from the stabilized tear .

Maybe it’s just an effect of Billy’s array? - Zac ventured . - Anyway , we can’t just stay here and get crushed . -

Never easy with you , is it? - Ogras sighed .

Stay close to me just in case , - Zac said , then turned to Iz . - Can you handle the Void? -

No problem , - Iz nodded .

Alright , let’s go , - Zac said , and the three braced themselves as they stepped through the spatial tear .

For a moment , Zac was blinded by a cascade of color , but the chaos ended as abruptly as it began . Their surroundings were still full of color like what they saw through the portal , but the scene had stabilized . Zac could also confirm they really were in the Void as he felt the weird drain on his body .

At the same time , the effect was muted , a far cry from what he’d been forced to endure in his previous encounters with the Void . Zac didn’t even need to activate his Void Zone] to withstand it .

You two okay? - Zac asked to make sure , even if they looked unbothered .

I feel surprisingly fine , - Ogras muttered . - I guess it’s an advantage of having a shadow constitution? After all , the shadows and the Void are both hidden seams of reality . -

As for Iz , she was completely unaffected by the hostile environment of the Void , just like she said . A thin film of nearly translucent flames covered her , keeping the surroundings at bay .

So , what’s all this? - Ogras asked with a frown . - Will it affect the talisman? -

It was a good question . Now that the confusing mix of color and shape had stabilized , they could see that it was actually an endless number of visions . They saw everything from starry skies to incomprehensible worlds . Like they were standing outside the universe and could pick almost anywhere to reenter .

Zac hesitated . - I’m not sure . This isn’t what I saw when the Spatial Cortex collapsed . Back then , there were only a dozen Mystic Realms or something . This is . . . more . Not even the whole Void Star has this many realms . -

Didn’t you say this place was connected to the Million Gates Territory? - Ogras ventured . - I hear there are an endless number of Mystic Realms and dimensional fragments over there . -

You think this is the Stellar Ladder? - Zac exclaimed , gazing upon the surroundings with marvel . - You might be right . -

Maybe we should— - Ogras ventured , but stopped in his tracks when Iz suddenly threw out a shimmering ball .

It soared through the Void until it hit one of the windows . The scene rippled before the ball entered the other dimension , where it kept flying for a few hundred meters and landed on the ground . The world on the other side didn’t seem like anything special . It appeared to be a vast desert with dark-green sand under a purple sky . Zac could vaguely make out mountains in the distance , though nothing that would warrant special attention from Iz .

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

I felt a signal from Ultom from that realm . That tracker will allow me to find the location easier , - Iz said before she curiously looked at Zac . - You do not feel anything? -

Zac tried to sense something from that particular world . But there was nothing , not even the smallest of ripples coming from that window . A moment later , it was gone , replaced by another scene .

Nothing , - Zac said , and he was actually a bit relieved . Judging by Iz’s expression , she shared the sentiment .

The fact both he and Iz had the quest to become Flamebearers was a subject they’d generally avoided . Still , you could make some assumptions based on how most inheritances worked . It was very rare for a legacy to be equally shared among many when a quest was involved . The System’s creed was - struggle for supremacy , ’ where the winner takes all .

Even if they were currently allies , Zac knew they were heading toward a collision down the road . But after getting no signal from that window , Zac realized they might not have to fight for the same pieces of rubble .

Predestination , - Iz hummed . - The fragments are unique to us , even when slated for the same inheritance? Or is my fate better aligned with that particular fragment? -

Zac nodded . - Perhaps . -

Let me borrow some of that disgusting Luck of yours , - Ogras said as he poked Zac jokingly . - I still need two of these things . -

I’m not sure that’s how it works . - Zac grinned , but his smile turned crooked upon seeing the demon home in on a window that just appeared .

Ogras got one just like that? Had the demon really managed to benefit from his Luck?

Miss Tayn , if you could help me out? - Ogras entreated , and Zac was surprised to see Iz calmly take out another stone and hand it over .

Zac thought her handing out that longevity water without payment was an exception to the rule . But now , she suddenly handed out items left and right? It was obviously a good thing , but it left Zac somewhat at a loss . Iz had barely exchanged a few sentences with Ogras before , and now they were buddies? Had something changed while he fought the goblin?

Perhaps he was being paranoid , but he smelled a plot . Though asking about it would have to wait until later .

Infuse your Dao and throw it , - Iz said . - You will be able to sense it from quite a distance . -

Ogras followed her instructions , and his sphere entered the portal a few seconds later . The demon looked exceptionally pleased , but he kept looking back and forth as their surroundings cycled through tens of thousands of worlds . Zac was doing the same , but he started to get a sinking feeling when fewer and fewer new realms replaced the ones that disappeared .

Five minutes later , a ripple spread through the tapestry of worlds , and the three found themselves in an endless expanse of darkness . At the same time , the corrosive drain of the Void increased manifold , prompting both Zac and Ogras to grimace with pain .

Well , I guess it’s time to go , - Ogras said as he gave Zac an odd look . - I can’t believe you were the only one who left empty-handed for once . -

I’ll figure something out , - Zac said with a wry smile , though he had to admit he was a bit annoyed . All these Mystic Realms , and not one held either of the two pieces he lacked?

Well , here’s to hoping those girls weren’t playing us , - Ogras muttered before he infused the Spatial Anchor with energy .

A protective bubble five meters across enclosed around them , but it didn’t keep its spherical shape for long . It soon stretched into a jellybean shape , but that was just the start . It kept growing longer and longer . In just a few seconds , it looked like a pillar that stretched thousands of miles through the Void .

And then came the pull .

Space pulled and twisted , and Zac groaned as he felt himself twist with it . At least he thought he groaned . It was hard to tell when all your senses were in flux . At least the pain wasn’t unbearable . Soon , the vast darkness was replaced by a series of rapid flashes before the world exploded into a cascade of stars .

Zac almost felt like he’d witnessed the Big Bang , but the illusion shattered as he found himself surrounded by thousands of Cosmic Vessels . The scene almost made Zac’s heart jump out of his mouth . He barely had the chance to take in the surroundings before space twisted again . Something had grabbed him and teleported him away .

Or someone .

29

PATHS DIVERGED

There was no time to reorient himself or prepare . It was all happening too fast . One moment , Zac , Iz , and Ogras popped out next to one of the gargantuan space stations of the Void Star . The next , Zac found himself standing in a large , solemn hall , where his two companions were nowhere in sight .

It wasn’t just the architecture that exuded a quiet dignity . The chamber was filled with an almost deafening silence , like the emptiness of space had been condensed into something corporeal . It felt odd , but more than anything , it felt comfortable , as if wrapped in a warm embrace . At the same time , he felt his very existence amplified by contrasting himself to the muted surroundings .

Zac could tell this was no dream , and neither was it a vision . His senses told him he really was there in person . He hesitated before making his way through the hallway toward a door on the other side . The only sound was the rhythmic taps of his steps , bare feet against smooth stone . It was muted , like the soundwaves were swallowed as soon as they were created .

Zac didn’t bother taking out Verun’s Bite] , knowing it was futile even if he were in perfect condition . Someone had whisked him out of thin air and teleported him here in an instant . The power required for something like that wasn’t something he could contend with . Besides , he had a pretty good idea of what was going on and knew he shouldn’t be in trouble .

The Void Priestess had summoned him .

Luckily , he’d managed to confirm Leyara’s story through Iz Tayn , at the cost of some light burns . There really was a huge mysterious faction named the Vigil . They were supposedly older than even the Limitless Empire , and the Void Gate was a distant branch . Unfortunately , Iz didn’t know much about their purpose . Their goals were not known to the public .

The Vigil had joined hands with the Limitless Empire without a struggle during Emperor Limitless’ expansive wars , and many believed they’d had a role in creating the System . However , they never joined any of the empires’ campaigns . And to this day , they largely stayed out of the struggles of the peak factions .

As Zac walked through the hall , his gaze turned to huge floating rocks that lined the main path . The smallest was the size of a soccer ball , while the largest was as tall as he was . For most people , they would have probably seemed like mundane rocks kept afloat by some array , but Zac knew the truth .

They contained Void Energy . It wasn’t as condensed as the Void Cores , but it was pure and calm . Extracting energy from these stones probably wouldn’t require Void Heart] at all , but rather recover his lost energy directly . Part of him just wanted to snatch every single stone put in his path , but this wasn’t a video game . He couldn’t just ransack the house before speaking with the owner like nothing had happened .

Zac soon reached the exit at the other end of the otherwise empty hallway , but he hesitated about whether he should just walk inside .

Enter , child , - a mesmerizing voice emerged through the door , and Zac simply stepped through .

Austere . That was the best word to describe what appeared to be the Void Priestess’ cultivation chamber . There was simply nothing there , a far cry from the meticulously arranged mountain of the Life Elemental he visited in the Orom World . Drab walls and two simple prayer mats . The only thing that prevented the room from feeling like a prison cell was that there was no inner wall . Instead , the room transitioned into a vast garden under a starry sky .

And in the distance , the Void Star . Judging by the size of the Void Star , Zac had to have been transported quite the distance . It was less than a third the size compared to when he first saw it from Zenith Vigil . Yet oddly enough , Zac couldn’t see any of the four stations , or any other activity in the sky for that matter .

Were there two Void Stars? Or was it just an illusion?

It was a curious mystery , but Zac’s attention was more occupied by the woman who motionlessly sat on one of the two prayer mats in the center of the room . She was an odd paradox , where her pristine appearance demanded attention , but her aura had completely fused with the palpable silence of the surroundings .

She wore a white nun’s robe that spread out like a flower around her , and her hands were hidden within two large flowing sleeves . Even her face was covered by a partly translucent veil attached to a tiara in her long black hair .

Come , sit , - she said , head tilting slightly at the mat placed a few meters away from her .

Uh , thank you , - Zac said , his voice startling himself as it seemed to come from everywhere at once .

There was something odd about this environment , some sort of field he couldn’t make sense of . It energized him , and even felt like it healed his foundations . Which made sense . No matter how puritanical a cultivation chamber looked , a figure like the Void Priestess was bound to have some pretty amazing arrays in their rooms .

I am Perala Janodrok , though most know me as the Void Priestess . -

I’m Zac , - he said as he sat down on the mat . - Can I ask why you have summoned me here? -

Can’t it just be because I am curious? - Perala said , and Zac thought he could see a vague smile behind the veil . - About the young man who has turned this Sector upside down in ten short years . First the Tower of Eternity , and now my Void Star . I even heard a story from an old friend , about a young troublemaker who unwittingly helped his ascent . -

That’s . . . - Zac coughed .

The Void Priestess knew the Eveningtide Asura? Zac had never heard anything about that , though he knew Alvod never targeted the Void Gate during his rampage . Was Perala Janodrok really alive back then? If that was the case , she was much older than everyone thought .

And now , I hear even the Undead Empire is leaving no stone unturned in their search of you , - the Void Priestess continued . - Would it be so odd if I just wanted to see the man behind all the mayhem? -

The Undead Empire? - Zac said with surprise . - What do they want with me? -

You’d have to ask them , but I do not think they are hostile . Most likely , they want to make a deal with you , and I think you can understand why , - Perala said . - Your most recent actions have already created ripples . -

Zac slowly nodded as he thoughtfully looked at the Void Star in the distance . Had the Undead Empire somehow figured out he was a Flamebearer , or at least connected to Ultom? If so , it made sense they wanted to get in touch with him , especially if they knew about his connection to Catheya . Who knew , had she perhaps returned to Zecia? They hadn’t planned for something like that , but an event like Ultom could change many things .

It would be convenient if true . Powerful factions had probably already set their sights on Ultom , and he might be swept up in that mess , whether he wanted to or not . Getting a powerful backer like the Undead Empire was one way to give a lifeline to himself and his people . After all , the Undead Empire was already at war with all living beings , and if they were reaching out like this , they probably didn’t care about offending the other factions .

Still , was that the right move? To have his fate depend on some ancient , unliving monsters he’d never even met? It wasn’t long ago he received an all too real lesson in the dangers of dealing with the peak factions of the Multiverse . What if the Undead Empire targeted him like the crazy monks did with the Boundless Vajra Sublimation]?

You are wounded , - the Void Priestess added , which dragged Zac out of his thoughts . - It seems breaking off the Stellar Ladder and exiling the Kan’Tanu did not come without some hardship . -

Uh , that’s— - Zac hesitated .

Had the Void Priestess seen his actions? Was this why she’d brought him here , to thank him? After all , he had not only solved the mess she created by letting the infiltrators into the Void Star , but he might even have saved the life of her disciple . Looking back at it now , there was simply no way Leyara would have been able to deal with that Qriz’Ul King and close the gateway on her own .

I will still not heal you . This is not a meeting with an elder imparting gifts and valuable lessons . -

Zac’s mouth opened for a few seconds before closing again , not knowing how to respond . Leyara’s master was a bit of a jerk .

Such are the rules . You have been chosen , and I cannot unduly interfere with your fate . If you get pulled under by the river , that simply means you cannot carry the weight of responsibility of Ultom . -

I understand , - Zac grunted . - The others , are they fine? -

Your demon friend and the young miss of the Tayn Clan are fine . My disciple and the others emerged a few minutes before you , and three Monarchs of the Void Gate are helping stabilize the Portable Realm . We will soon send in armies to deal with the invaders of both the Portable Realm and the Void Star . -

Now you’re willing to deal with them? - Zac said , not without some exasperation .

Fate stirred when you arrived , and the competition for candidacy began . Until now , there have been open slots , meaning I had to stay my hand . But no more . There was still one hidden in the depths of the realm , but it was thrown back into the Million Gates Territory when you destroyed the Stellar Ladder and millennia of work . -

Zac weakly smiled upon sensing the mild irritation in Perala’s voice . She had already said it wasn’t a gift-giving meeting . Had he been dragged here to be chastised?

Altogether , quite a lot of chaos for one E-grade cultivator . Then again , isn’t that your calling card? - Perala said , but there was thankfully some amusement in her voice . - Mr . Deviant Asura? -

Zac coughed . - Uh , those rumors are exaggerated . -

I still don’t like the idea of my little disciple getting swept up with a troublemaker like you , so keep it in your pants , - the Void Priestess said , and Zac shuddered upon feeling space around him constrict . - Even stealing her underwear! -

What! That was a gift , - Zac croaked as he felt his bones groan . - No , I mean , I didn’t— -

Perala laughed , and the pressure thankfully went away . - In either case . Focus on your cultivation . Now , I’m sure you’re wondering why I actually summoned you here . -

Well , apparently not to heal me , Zac inwardly complained , but he only had the guts to nod . Next time , she might try to crush him for real .

Imbalance . -

What’s that? - Zac said .

Two fates converged , and one could say you were shortchanged , - the Void Priestess said . - We were not the cause , and it is not within my power to right the imbalance , but I still wish to see if I can alleviate the deficiency a bit . -

I thought you people wouldn’t get involved? - Zac said .

Nothing is perfect , and I am just doing what needs to be done , - Perala sighed .

Zac didn’t understand what prompted this level of candor from the Void Priestess , but it was a huge opportunity . There were so many lingering questions , many of which Iz didn’t even know the answer to . And this time , he didn’t even need to eat an attack to get the answers . Zac quickly reorganized his thoughts before speaking up .

Two fates converged? Mine? - Zac asked .

Over the eons , purposes become muddled and paths slowly diverge , - Perala said as she turned her head toward the Void Star . - The Left Imperial Palace chose you as a candidate , but something stirred the System into action . It forcibly broadened the scope and put its finger on the scale . This is different from what’s expected . Different from the previous ascents . -

So it was the Left Imperial Palace that was connected to him , after all? Then what about his Void Energy and the Qriz’Ul? Still , there was a more pressing issue .

Previous Ascents? - Zac probed .

It is not the first pillar to emerge , - Leyara said . - It has happened more than once before . In fact , this is the fifth . -

What happened when the previous ones appeared? - Zac asked , though he had a sinking feeling he already knew the answer .

War of unprecedented proportions . Wars to decide the direction of our era . -

Four pillars? The direction of the era? - Zac said before his eyes widened . - The Apostates? -

As far as Zac knew , there were a total of five Apostates . However , the First Defier was an anomaly that no one was able to explain . He appeared out of nowhere and was gone before anyone had time to react . He was like a rocket that shot straight through the Heavens , leaving chaos and confusion in his wake .

Meanwhile , the other four were similar . All peak figures in their own rights , who ultimately left a mark on the System related to their path . But how does one add something to the System , and why hadn’t anyone else done the same over the billions of years? Was it because only four pillars had emerged so far?

However , Zac’s theory was killed as quickly as it was born .

No , that is different , - Perala said with a shake of her head . - Only one of the pillars was involved in an Apostatic Ascent . The wars involved something else . Nothing good will come from you knowing the details right now . But suffice to say , there are opposing camps to an ancient struggle while the Vigil is a neutral party . -

So you just . . . look? - Zac said .

Not quite . We have one important task : to keep the Heavens out of the equation . Fate must be decided by men , not by the Dao , - the Void Priestess said . - Most factions are quite happy to help us out in that regard , as they want to seize the future for themselves . -

If you can’t tell me what this is all about , then what can you tell me? - Zac asked .

Don’t worry . Those things might matter to you if you ever close in on the peaks . Until then , they are only a distraction , - Perala said . - What I can tell you would rather help you in the short run . -

Can you help me find the rest of the pieces? - Zac asked hopefully .

No , I cannot get directly involved like that . - Perala smiled . - Besides , I have no idea . -

Then what? -

As I said , the System has intervened and enforced some rules , - Perala said . - Much is still in flux , but I can say a few things with certainty . These are things the other participants already know , or will soon come to find out , so it can barely be counted as an intervention .

First , you will have to contend with others for your claim . You should already know that much . Their ages are limited to 100 years , which puts you at less of a disadvantage . Any older , and they will not be able to find or claim any of the keys . -

Zac’s brows rose in surprise . It looked like the System had done him a solid there . People below 100 years were all part of the young generation , and it beat competing against old monsters who’d lived for millions of years .

A century was still a long time , especially for someone like Zac , who had only cultivated for just over a decade . Progress slowed down the further you went , but 100 years should be enough to reach at least Middle D-grade for a young elite . Probably even Late D-grade if you had both the talent and resources .

Secondly , you will not be able to complete your seal through fate and serendipity , - Perala continued . - The System will not allow it . -

What! - Zac exclaimed .

Was this why he failed to sense any more pieces while both Ogras and Iz had found theirs? If so , it was a huge blow . Many of his plans hinged on him finding the seals to the Left Imperial Palace , even if he’d just gotten his hand on a decent substitute .

It is not just for you . The inheritance of Ultom has been integrated with the upcoming war , and the right to participate will depend on your contribution , - Perala said . - I do not know how close you are to gaining access to the inheritance , but the final piece is already in the System’s hands . -

Integrated with the war? What does that mean? - Zac frowned . - I have to buy the last pieces with war credits? -

Something in that regard . Or perhaps the pieces will be moved to key battlefields . I am not sure about the exact details . We will find out more once the war officially starts . -

Do you know when the war will officially start? - Zac asked .

Four years , - the Void Priestess said . - It was supposed to take longer , but I fear the fusion of these two events changed the timeline . -

And these outside factions will send their own people to join the war? -

It appears that way . Some have already arrived , like the descendant of the Empyrean Throne you somehow know . Luckily for Zecia , there are some safeguards in place . This is a test of fate , and the System is preventing our little Sector from being overrun by outside combatants , - Perala explained .

But there will be scions of peak factions joining the war , on both sides probably? Bringing their elders and bodyguards? - Zac frowned .

Most likely . -

A lot of locals will die if forced to face something like that , - Zac sighed .

The strong devour the weak , as it has always been , - Perala said with equanimity .

Zac didn’t immediately answer , instead going over his plans regarding the new information . Four years was a bit shorter than he could have hoped , but it wasn’t a worst-case scenario . The biggest problem was the fourth piece of rubble , where Zac found himself in a Catch-22 . He needed those pieces to break through before the war , but he had to wait until the war to get the pieces .

It put him under a lot more pressure . Not only did he have to find the third piece quickly , but he had to find a solution to his blueprint with that piece alone . There would be no backup unless he was willing to join the war as an E-grade warrior . And he wasn’t , especially not after learning about these outsiders who would participate like it was some sort of Limited Trial . He refused to see his people become Contribution Points to some rich asshole from the Multiverse Heartlands .

Besides , with the System controlling the events , it was extremely likely he would be set on a collision course with the other candidates . If he stayed as an E-grade cultivator in the face of such a threat , he’d be slaughtered . If he broke through , he’d at least have a fighting chance .

This is what I wanted to tell you , - Perala said . - Work hard these coming years . The stronger you become , the more you will have to say about Zecia’s fate . Now , I’ll send you back to your people . -

Zac’s eyes widened in surprise . Already? He’d just been here for a few minutes , and there were still a lot of things he needed to find out . But he already felt space twist around him , prompting him to blurt out the first thing that came to mind .

Wait! Can you tell me the real name of Emperor Limitless? -

His name? - Perala said with surprise . - He went by his Dao Name for most of his life , but his true name was Laondio Evrodok . -

Zac’s heart clenched with shock , and in the next moment he was gone , leaving the Void Priestess alone in her chambers . Blood started to run down Perala’s nose as cracks spread across her skin , but she didn’t care .

This is all I can do for you , my child , - she said with a soft gaze as she turned toward the sky . - This guy is a troublemaker , but he might be the key . -

30

DEPARTURE

The confusing blur of space was nothing to the confusion already raging in Zac’s mind . Emperor Limitless’ name was Laondio Evrodok and not Karz? It completely threw a lot of Zac’s theories out the window .

Not only that , but Laondio was a name he knew . Laondio was the talented alchemist Zac had seen in his bloodline vision . He’d been a unique talent of the Blue Spring Sect that Karz had managed to enter in the second vision .

But the Blue Spring Sect seemed to be the equivalent of a D-grade force at best . Being talented in such a faction ultimately didn’t amount to much . To think a random alchemist managed to go from such a place to standing at the peak of all existence .

Or had he?

This was all ancient history . Between the founding of the Limitless Empire and the birth of the System , hundreds of millions of years had passed . Who knew exactly what happened all those years ago . Perhaps Karz had taken the identity of this alchemist for some reason? Or was Karz the true Emperor Limitless , but had his throne usurped? Why else would Leandra say that he carried the - Original Sin’?

It was impossible to tell , but Perala’s proclamation undeniably left ripples on the calm lake of certainty .

Space soon stabilized , and Zac found himself standing in an enormous chamber made of stone . Walls were covered with inscriptions , and the air was rife with Spatial Energy . That might be because of the Templar and two nuns standing in the distance , surrounding a familiar gemstone—Gemmy .

There were some clear differences to the Dimensional Seed , though . For one , the gemstone was just over half the size . Secondly , it had turned squarish with a radiant cut . Around it , a mesh of some sort of Spiritual Silver had been added , making her look like a fancy amulet .

Tremendous waves of Spatial Energy surrounded Gemmy and the three cultivators , who had to be the Monarchs Perala mentioned before . They were still hard at work , infusing tremendous amounts of energy into the gemstone .

What happened to you? - a familiar voice said , and Zac turned to see Ogras , Iz , Billy , and Leyara standing to his side , looking curiously at him .

I had a talk with the Void Priestess , - Zac explained .

You talked with master? - Leyara said with surprise . - Why? -

She wanted to clarify some things , - Zac said .

Your friend was just telling us how you closed the gate , - Leyara sighed . - I’m sorry , I didn’t expect the danger to be that great . -

Well , it worked out in the end , - Zac said . - What’s going on here? Did something happen? -

Haha , how can Billy’s plan fail? - Billy said triumphantly .

They are helping stabilize the realm so Billy can provide access a bit quicker , - Ogras explained .

We were lucky Miss Tayn and her guides arrived when they did , - Leyara added . - The final touches were much more difficult to deal with than we expected . But I’m curious , how do the two of you know each other? -

It’s a bit complicated , - Zac said with a wry smile .

Fate , - Iz said .

Leyara’s brows rose with surprise , but before she could speak , another presence appeared right in front of them . It was a humanoid golem just a bit bigger than Billy . It emitted no aura , but Zac felt a pang of extreme danger as it turned its head toward him .

Enough , - Iz calmly said .

I am happy to see you are safe , young miss , - the golem rumbled . - I was worried when I felt the connection to my clone disappear . Are you ready to leave? -