Defiance of the Fall

If not for the Nine Reincarnations Manual] , he probably would only have managed to control one at a time . Ogras did a little better , but even he only managed to control 15 drones before he reached his limit . Zac couldn’t even imagine controlling the storm of drones that another of his models , the Wingstorm , used to fight . That thing held over ten thousand drones of various makes and models .

They both agreed to allocate more resources to Intelligence-based cultivation in the Atwood Academy .

Until now , it had been a school that wasn’t very popular in the Atwood Empire , or for the whole of Zecia , for that matter . Taking the path of a mage was simply harder than a warrior during the earlier stages of cultivation . Blasting enemies with fireballs from a safe distance sounded good on paper , but neither beasts nor enemy cultivators were complete dummies that would sit around and eat the attacks .

Mages generally had weak bodies because of their attribute allocation , and before reaching D-grade , they didn’t have the Cosmic Energy capacity to create powerful and permanent defensive layers . When starting out on the path of cultivation , most people would get hit because of mistakes or lack of experience . That’s where the free points in Endurance warriors got proved to be much more effective for survival .

That simple fact had created a noticeable skew during the Integration . In reality , many had picked mage classes early on , just like Zac had been tempted to do . But most of those who went in that direction either got themselves killed or had their progress stalled out because they lacked the support system needed to advance . Even his sister had somewhat faced this problem until she joined Port Atwood .

Zac’s own path had also influenced the direction of his faction . With him being a pure meathead , many cultivators in the Atwood Academy also chose a pure martial path . Now that their faction was maturing and the types of roles they needed to fill were growing more diverse , they had to put more effort into nurturing other kinds of experts .

That was the only way to evolve as a faction . If they didn’t , the Atwood Empire would stagnate , much like the Azh’Rezak Clan that could only sell themselves as mercenaries to eke out a living . By the time they reached Emerald Eye two hours later , they’d drawn up a series of ideas , some of which were already being implemented back on Earth .

Zac and Ogras could finally get a better look at the moon’s surface from this close proximity . There weren’t any oceans on Emerald Eye , but that didn’t mean there was a lack of water . The huge lake was the source of thousands of rivers , some of them almost reaching all the way around the moon . Of course , this also meant the surface was covered with innumerable , much smaller lakes naturally formed along the river paths .

The Starflash gently sank into the atmosphere of Emerald Eye , and a set of arrays automatically and effortlessly diffused the heat and friction that normally would appear from entering with their great velocity . The only sign they had entered the atmosphere was a deep groan that made his Soul Cores vibrate in resonance .

Soon , the vessel drifted at a leisurely pace at an altitude of around a thousand meters above ground , and they moved to a viewing deck at the bottom of the ship as the ship itself continued on autopilot . Zac’s strongest impression of Emerald Eye was the humidity . Everything looked wet and sticky , and the forests reminded him of the rainforests on Earth .

Still , the vegetation didn’t seem similar to either Earth or any of the three other planets it got fused to . There had been some theories that Emerald Eye was made from the leftovers of the planets since none of the species recognized the moon , but it didn’t look like that was the case . These trees simply had a different flavor , for lack of a better word .

As for the green minerals . . .

It’s moss , - Ogras yelled as they flew past a mid-sized mountain . - All the way to the peak . How tenacious . -

It turned out the stones and minerals weren’t actually green , but rather completely covered in a layer of lichen . Not only that , but the large swathes of green haze they had seen from Earth were , in fact , spores released by the moss , though some of it had mixed with the clouds created by the high humidity .

Did you see? Even the trees are covered in it , - Zac said . - Is it really not toxic? -

According to the readouts , the moss can barely be considered F-grade , - Ogras said . - And that dust isn’t considered hazardous . I’m telling you , this place is as safe as can be . -

Famous last words , - Zac snorted , but he had to admit that the nearby console’s readouts indicated it looked safe below . - It’s kind of weird that there are no beasts . -

It’s not too uncommon for worlds to evolve onto a path with only plant life , - Ogras shrugged . - There might be some nasty Spiritual Plants hiding in the forests , though . Or creatures living in the rivers . -

Alright , let’s just check it out for a bit , - Zac sighed when he saw Ogras’ expectant look .

His recent breakthrough had further fixed up his foundations , and his pathways were long since repaired . With the huge boost of attributes and his elevated Dao , Zac felt he was almost as strong as his previous peak condition . And with Ogras on his side , an Early E-grade moon shouldn’t pose much danger .

Good to see you haven’t completely lost your sense of adventure , - the demon laughed , and the two flew the Starflash to an empty field not too far from a lake .

Here , - Zac said as he threw over a necklace .

What’s this? - Ogras asked .

Pretty decent environmental protection talisman , - Zac said as he put on an identical one .

Environmental protection talismans took on the role of space suits in the Multiverse . Zac hadn’t needed anything like it in the Void Star , but the Void Gate already vetted those realms . There were tons of planets out there with toxic environments or worlds without breathable oxygen . These talismans helped weaker cultivators explore these places , while stronger warriors could brute force it by relying on their constitutions and stores of Cosmic Energy .

Looks like you planned on some exploration right from the start , - Ogras laughed .

I made sure the army started stocking up on these things as soon as you guys decided to set out into the Million Gates Territory . - Zac smiled . - My body can deal with most things , but normal people don’t have that luxury . And even I wouldn’t dare claim my body immune to any poison or environment . -

Better safe than sorry , - Ogras agreed , and the air around him shimmered as the necklace activated .

The same scene took place around Zac , and Ogras teleported them down to the ground . The Starflash stayed fifty meters above ground , and a shield enveloped it in case there were hidden threats on the planet .

Just as they reappeared , Zac heard the deep groan , the same as when the ship broke through the atmosphere . It pulsated through the whole field , moving through his legs and into his soul . It felt like the world tilted for a moment as an undulating whistle followed . The next moment , it was gone , and only a hum from the ship and the slight crinkling of compressed lichen under his feet could be heard .

What is that? - Zac muttered as he looked around .

What’s what? - Ogras asked . - The buzz from the ship? -

I— - Zac frowned , shaking his head and looking down at the moss . - Nothing . This thing is deeper than I thought . -

Over two meters , - Ogras whistled after sending his shadows through the nooks and cracks . - Imagine if we can find some valuable livestock that can feed on this stuff . We could just drop off a handful of beasts , and they’d keep multiplying with endless food and no predators . -

No predators we can see , - Zac snorted .

Well , maybe there’s something valuable around , - Ogras shrugged as dozens of shadows spread in every direction .

The waters are completely dead , - Ogras sighed after a moment . - The moss has even covered the lakebed . Let’s check out the forest instead . Might be some valuable herbs hidden among the trees , at least . -

Zac nodded , and the two soon entered the nearby forest in search of something more exciting than the endless supply of F-grade moss . But even after walking for ten minutes , they hadn’t encountered anything . Zac’s Hatchetman’s Spirit] might as well have been turned off from how he got no impressions from it .

Neither his nose for opportunity nor sense for danger was nudging his mind , making their stroll somewhat dull . It came to the point it almost felt like the lack of excitement was wearing on Zac’s nerves . The muted rustling of the leaves in the tree crowns were jarring , and even the gentle rays peeking through the foliage seemed glaring and amplified .

Was he that bad? Had the past years made him so tuned for danger and struggle that his mind was going into overdrive when it failed to show up?

Zac felt he needed to do something , anything , to shake his mind back into a normal state , so he walked over to a nearby tree . Like the others , it was draped in a thick layer of lichen that covered every inch of the trunk . An invasive species had essentially drowned it , yet the tree was clearly alive , judging by the verdant leaves swaying in the wind above .

Zac cut a hole in the moss and put his hand against the trunk , infusing it with his Branch of the Kalpataru .

Hmm , I think I have something , - Zac muttered , but there was no response .

Ogras was staring into the depths of the forest with a thoughtful expression , the green sheen of the moss around them giving him almost a sickly appearance .

What’s wrong? - Zac said , his voice a little louder this time .

Ah? - Ogras said with a start . - Nothing , I just felt it odd there’s nothing valuable , not even Spiritual Grass . I thought it’d spontaneously spring up with this much ambient energy . -

That’s what I was about to say , - Zac said . - These trees . They’re moss . -

What? - Ogras said uncomprehendingly before swiping at a nearby tree , cutting it in half in a perfect vertical line . The two sides fell to the ground , displaying the greenish wood inside . - Doesn’t look like it . -

I mean , they’re still trees , but they aren’t really alive , - Zac said . - They don’t have a unique Life Signature . It’s like the moss has invaded their roots and systems and sucked out all spirituality . But instead of killing the trees , they’ve integrated them into their mesh . They’ve become one life living in symbiosis . -

So the moss is stealing spirituality? Where does it all go? Might be a treasure somewhere , - Ogras said with gleaming eyes .

Unless it’s just spread out across the mountains and fields , turning ordinary moss into slightly better moss , - Zac said with a grimace .

What a nasty thing , - Ogras muttered and stabbed into the ground .

I’m not sure if— - Zac began , but he froze in place .

The surroundings had changed , with him now standing at a lichen-covered hill , overlooking a large emerald vista . His instincts told him this wasn’t an illusion—this was real and true , and not some dreamscape . He’d been moved here from the woods without him even noticing anything .

Zac’s hair stood on end from the sudden transition , and Verun’s Bite] appeared in his hand as he looked for threats .

Sure if what? - a familiar voice answered , but the tranquility of Ogras’ voice was extremely jarring . Zac swirled around and spotted the demon leaning against a rock , looking at the sunset .

What just happened? - Zac frowned . - Are you okay? -

Simultaneously , he sprung to action as he threw out a dozen different talismans , from purifiers to defensive barriers that shot up around them . Soul Guardian] was already running at maximum capacity , and Zac even activated Empyrean Aegis] as a precaution .

You know , this moss might have eaten all the good things in this world , but this place isn’t all bad , - Ogras muttered , seemingly oblivious to Zac’s actions . - Nothing to fight for , no one to fight with . It’s all . . . blank . No stakes , no threats . -

That’s not what I— - Zac said , but a piercing cacophony in his mind cut through any conscious thought .

When he regained his senses , he found himself in the middle of a lichen-covered field , and Ogras was nowhere in sight . He was in trouble . Zac infused his will into the hidden seal on his body—the control override mechanism of the Starflash and all future vessels of the Atwood Empire .

Zac didn’t understand what was happening in this weird place , and his defenses seemed utterly incapable of stopping it . He could only pray that the Starflash’s barriers would be able to protect him . But before the ship could catch up to him , he was once more overwhelmed by a series of sounds .

Groans like tectonic plates grinding against each other , piercing screams of dimensions being ripped apart , churning roars of endless storms . It was unending and overwhelming , threatening to drive Zac mad . Then it stopped .

You . . . ’ an otherworldly voice echoed in his mind as the deafening chaos subsided .

It sounded both impossibly distant and uncomfortably close , and it was decidedly unnatural . Like millions of small discordant sounds had combined into words , forcibly instilling them with an excessive amount of meaning . That short - you’ almost made Zac pass out as he was blanketed by a rapid-fire series of impressions .

He saw endless darkness . He saw stars flashing into being . An incomprehensible dance of innumerable wavelengths . Discordance and repeating patterns . There was balance in this ever-changing conflux , moving toward unity . Then he saw . . . himself .

You can . . . hear me . . . ’

Who’s there! - Zac growled , not without a small amount of trepidation in his heart .

You . . . will fade . . . You will fade . . . ’

42

FADING LIGHTS

Who are you? - Zac growled as he wildly looked around , Verun’s Bite] having already appeared in his hand .

Being . . . being . . . I . . . ’ the voice answered , and Zac almost felt like he could sense a hint of confusion .

That impression was soon drowned by an ocean of images that rose and sank like a breath . The rustle of the wind in the trees . A tropical storm raging above . An endless cycle , a natural progression . Trillions of lines forming a whole—a sphere .

You’re this world , - Zac said with alarm . - Realm Spirit? -

World . . . ’ the voice sighed . - I am—I am . ’

By the words used , it sounded like the voice confirmed Zac’s guess , yet the meaning crammed into the words rejected them . Or rather , it was like it didn’t fully understand the distinction between self and others . It was hard to know for certain with the confusing jumble of pictures . Especially when it felt like Zac’s mind would explode from the impression overload .

Zac could tell the only reason he could hold onto his thoughts was thanks to the unique composition of his soul . The Outer Cores dancing in their trajectories of life and death acted as dampeners , protecting the true core in the middle . They became akin to tuning forks that were forcibly altered to hum at the entity’s frequency , while his final core safeguarded his sanity . Unfortunately , judging by the blackouts , this protection wasn’t perfect .

What could Zac do but continue talking? Now that he knew some sort of entity was responsible for the odd occurrences on Emerald Eye , he was hesitant to call over the Starflash . A simple string of words pushed Zac’s Soul Aperture to its limits—what if it screamed at him in anger? There was nothing in the spec sheet for the Starflash about protections against mental attacks .

Still , he instructed the Cosmic Vessel to inch closer just in case . In a perfect world , it would have been possible for Zac to instruct it to go pick up Ogras on the way , wherever he was . Unfortunately , this was a Cosmic Vessel , not a Technocrat Spaceship controlled by an AI . The Starflash wasn’t meant to be used by one person . It was already pretty good that he could command it like this with his override seal .

There was a small crinkling beneath his feet as Zac repositioned himself as he tried to secretly look around for clues , but that sound made him freeze and look down with shock and comprehension .

Stealing spirituality , one large network , - Zac muttered before he looked out across the endless green vista . Suddenly , he remembered the impressions crammed into the entity’s words . - You’re . . . the moss? -

The deep groan came back , accompanied by a confusing mix of sounds . Zac’s Soul Cores groaned ominously , and his vision swam . He’d have to be a fool not to understand the sound came from the entity by now rather than the Cosmic Vessel . Was it thinking? Was this the result of it trying to process his question?

In either case , it had to stop . Zac felt his Outer Cores were unable to fully absorb the resonance , prompting his consciousness to slip again . Who knew how many times he could blank out before he never woke up again? Zac did the only thing he could think of as he visualized his knowledge of moss as best as he could , together with the things he’d seen since stepping onto Emerald Eye .

Moss! - Zac shouted while instilling those pictures into his Outer Cores , hoping to use them to broadcast his meaning .

Thankfully , the deep groan subsided , and Zac took a shuddering breath in relief .

Moss . . . I am moss . . . ’ the voice said after a while , and there almost seemed to be a sense of satisfaction . - Moss . ’

The final word came with a string of images , these ones clearer and more cohesive than any before it . A small spiritual flicker in a patch of green undergrowth . On its own , it was nothing , but it managed to use that flicker to grow . Soon , one glimmer became two , and two became four . At this stage , it was still not yet cognizant of itself or anything else . But with every cycle , it became more than it was .

And so it continued , over mountains , through forests . Into the rivers , across vast plains . Tens of thousands of miles , hundreds of trillions of plants connected into one mesh , both simple and terrifyingly complex . It might have started as a singular spiritual flicker , but repeated and amplified nigh-endlessly , consciousness had been born .

Zac nodded , but he could still barely believe his theory was correct . No wonder he was blacking out—he was standing on top of a planet-sized brain . A brain that grew , that consumed and absorbed anything it came across . He had no idea how powerful something like this was—it might be impossible to accurately grade this huge network of plant-based synapses .

Even world-spanning Spiritual Plants like Heavenrender Vines had some similarities to cultivators and beasts . They had a core , a central network . The vines themselves were just like expendable appendages , while the critical center of their being was no larger than a skyscraper . In contrast , this moss entity didn’t appear to have a core , and it really didn’t seem to be any stronger than - barely F-grade’ from an energy standpoint .

But one thing was for sure—the amount of Mental Power this thing wielded possibly exceeded that of any cultivator in Zecia . Judging by the vision , its voice and presence right now was the result of only a slight contraction surrounding Zac , while the rest was still spread across the whole surface of Emerald Eye .

That was the only reason he was still alive—the moss didn’t know how to condense its will much further , nor saw a need to . Judging by the scenes that had flashed past during its attempts to communicate , it was probably usually in a state where it was essentially dormant , no different from a non-spiritual patch of moss .

The groan and the pressure most likely came from its attempts to think or communicate . That by itself raised another question . Had the moss been trying to contact him since the moment they entered the atmosphere? Why?

Why are you doing this? We were just visiting . We meant you no harm , - Zac said , trying to convey images of harmony and friendship through his Outer Cores .

While sealing any more destructive schemes deep into his heart , praying the entity couldn’t sense them .

Lights are born . Weak , lonely , short . They fade . Lights join us . Join Moss . Provide , be provided for . Help . ’

An array of memories and concepts accompanied the words like before , growing clearer by the moment . That alone was problematic . The moss almost felt like a blank slate , but it was adapting shockingly fast during their conversation . Before , its words had contained a jarring juxtaposition of incomprehensible waves and fragmented images . Now , Zac found himself looking at a starry sky with billions of shimmering lights .

At its center , all lights were in harmony , stably shining at a unified frequency . Together , they only made up a small corner of the universe , and even their combined luster was weaker than some of the other lights . While some were blindingly bright , most were so weak and flickering they could barely be seen . Some even winked out , unable to sustain their forms .

Certainly , new ones were born to take their place , but they weren’t any better than the ones before . It was imperfect . Gradually , the harmonious light spread , adding one star after another into its mesh . Eventually , half of the night sky was one , and the sum was greater than its parts .

Zac could see that barely any new lights were born where harmony spread its influence . As Zac saw it , the moss entity had spread to the point it had destroyed most of the biodiversity on the planet , and there was very little remaining room for expansion . But this didn’t matter . The moss didn’t desire expansion or Hegemony . It was simply living , following the natural order of things .

It wasn’t absorbing everything out of greed . It could be considered evolution , where one lifeform’s method of survival and propagation was vastly superior to anything else’s . It didn’t feel threatened , even when he and Ogras appeared . It was just two weak and short-lived lights that would eventually join the mesh .

That was certainly good news that the strange events weren’t a result of them being specifically targeted , though Zac guessed his confused state and blackouts were a result of the moss entity trying to find a way to convey its words . Still , that didn’t mean he or Ogras were out of the woods . After all , Zac doubted this alien creature came calling just because it was bored .

As expected , the voice soon continued . - Your light is . . . different . Similar . Like Rain . . . Like rain . . . ’

Another burst of images , depicting eons of stability and steady growth . Things were hazy , but there was contentment . Then one day , the waves started to grow stronger . It was like a nourishing rain was falling across its body , powerful yet invisible . Thanks to its magical effects , the haziness began to thicken , to focus . A sense of being was born .

And the rain made the colony propagate with unprecedented speed . Soon , the balance was broken , and even the powerful lights joined the unity . In the blink of an eye , the whole night sky had become one , and it felt . . . perfect . But just as the unity started to get accustomed to this new state of existence , another change occurred .

The invisible rain changed .

The rain suddenly brought something bad along with the good , and it split into two . One nurtured even more , to the point it created an imbalance . The harmony was disrupted as sections almost broke free , out of control . Calming the waves was exhausting . The other rain was just as bad . Rise and decay were natural and needed to maintain a healthy form . Yet this rain hastened the decline to an unsustainable level . Offsetting it was just as exhausting .

So far , the rain was manageable , but the entity was worried . It even wondered if - waking up’ was a good thing because it had never felt these things before the rain came . And it didn’t know what to do .

But now , new lights had appeared out of nowhere , lights unlike any it had seen before . One light even reminded the entity of the rain , even though it was not . It could even sense that the two new lights interfaced with waves while staying separate . It tried to do the same , to interface while staying separate . For answers .

Zac sighed as he finally understood what was going on . The moss entity was clearly extremely old , but it hadn’t been a spiritual being before . It was just a huge colony with tendrils of energy running through endless root systems . But the Integration had flooded Emerald Eye with energy , which shocked the entity awake while allowing it to cover the whole moon .

However , not much later , Earth became Life and Death-attuned . In the beginning , it wouldn’t affect Emerald Eye because it was barely noticeable even on Earth . But every day , the attunement grew more pronounced , to the point that attuned energies were now being released into space .

But what the hell was Zac supposed to do about that?

Zac’s thoughts furiously spun as he tried to figure out a way to extricate himself from this mess without getting turned into fertilizer . He was suddenly extremely relieved he hadn’t managed to attempt an escape before figuring out the situation . The moss entity’s consciousness had both sensed him and nudged his mind at the atmosphere’s edge .

Its reach was clearly not limited to the surface , and who knew what it’d do if it saw the - light with the answers - attempt to leave?

He had to mix truths and lies and pray it would work .

I know where the rain comes from . I’m from there , - Zac said as he pushed a picture of Earth , of how it was tens of times bigger than Emerald Eye , with incredibly powerful waves . - Many lights live on it and grow from the rain . We don’t like the change either , but it’s too powerful . I cannot stop it . No one can . -

You . . . Rain . . . ’ the entity said , clearly dissatisfied with the answer , and Zac felt like his Soul Aperture had been thrown into a gravity array .

I have an idea , - Zac said hoarsely while nicking himself with Verun’s Bite] to stay awake . - A filter to soak up the bad from the rain before it reaches you . -

He pictured a large cloud covering Emerald Eye , siphoning off the Life-attuned Energies while leaving the unattuned energies to reach the surface .

How?’

First , you cannot let our lights fade here , - Zac hurriedly said .

You do not wish to join?’ the voice asked with genuine surprise .

No . My light is weak , but it is mine , - Zac said . - This is the only way we can help you . But we are too weak right now . You need to endure the bad a bit longer while we grow under the rain . Then we can make the filter . -

When?’

I— - Zac hesitated , unsure whether to give a short or long answer .

Obviously , he had no real intention to improve the habitat of this scary thing . He just wanted to make some empty promises and get the hell out . But he was afraid that the wrong answer would result in him being integrated as the entity searched for answers within his body instead .

When? WHEN?’ the voice repeated , and Zac felt a tremendous pressure build in his mind .

One decade , - Zac said through gritted teeth , trying to impart the period from when the rain started to now . - That’s the absolute quickest , and it shouldn’t be long for someone like you . It’s the best— -

Blankness .

Zac woke up with a start on a shady patch of moss , and he hurriedly got back to his feet . He had once more moved or been moved , yet this time he recognized where he was . It was the same field where he first set foot on Emerald Eye . And a glance up confirmed the shade wasn’t due to a cloud , but rather the Starflash hovering right above his head .

Had the moss accepted his offer? Just like that? Thank God for guileless cosmic beings .

Zac wanted to thank his lucky stars and run for his life , but he spotted Ogras lying not far away , blankly staring up at the sky .

Are you okay? - Zac asked as he ran over .

Why wouldn’t I be? - Ogras muttered , his eyes unfocused . - I’m just a bit tired , going to rest here a bit . You keep looking for treasures . With your Luck , it shouldn’t be difficult . -

Zac didn’t bother answering and hoisted the demon up on his shoulder . Ogras didn’t resist at all , and he seemed happy to just hang there .

I’m going , - Zac said , yet there was no answer .

Zac was frozen with indecision for a few seconds , but he eventually activated the teleportation beam , unwilling to spend a second more on top of this eldritch horror . As soon as he was back on the bridge , Zac instructed the ship to set course for Earth , and the ship started to rise through the air .

Half . Half a decade . Then you remove the bad , ’ the voice echoed in his mind just as he was about to break out of the atmosphere .

What? - Zac exclaimed .

I help your light grow , ’ the voice said , ignoring his interjection . - Half a decade . Must return . ’

Of course , - Zac lied . He was already on the ship and heading for Earth . Why not give the guy a better deal?

But Zac suddenly found his perception rocked .

I help your light . Half a decade . ’

Following that was a final burst of imagery . Of how a couple of small crystals had formed at the very bottom of the huge lake on Emerald Eye . Terrifying pressure and eons of time had instilled them with tremendous amounts of Mental Energy . As the moss grew more intelligent after the Integration , it realized how useful those things were .

It had slowly started moving them across its body , using the rivers , the rain , and its never-ending network of plant life . That way , they were spread across the whole planet and became incredibly powerful synapses and mental amplifiers . These crystals were as much the reason for its burgeoning intelligence as the infusion of Cosmic Energy .

But now , one such crystal had somehow been placed in Zac’s Soul Aperture , drip-feeding him with raw power for his Soul Cores . Yet that crystal might as well have been an Atomic Bomb going by how much energy it contained . It was orders of magnitude more than his own Soul Cores held . And the imagery indicated in no uncertain terms that tampering with the crystal or not following up on his promise would result in the crystal erupting .

So much for the thing being guileless .

43

CONTINGENCIES

Had the moss entity managed to sense Zac wasn’t sincere , even if he tried to control his thoughts? And how had it known how to feed Zac a poisonous pill like this? As far as Zac could tell , he was the first sapient being to interact with the entity . It really shouldn’t be that clever .

Zac tried calling the creature with some bogus matters a few times , but it all fell on deaf ears . Neither could Zac sense the pressure from the vast consciousness . As expected , its consciousness didn’t spread that far from the moon , which was at least one piece of good news in this mess . Eventually , ten minutes had passed , at which point Zac finally dared relax his mind and focus on solving the issue .

Honestly , Zac felt pretty good about things as the Starflash sailed farther away from Emerald Eye . At first , he’d believed himself trapped by the scheme of a vastly more powerful being , just like with the Eveningtide Asura . But the more he thought about it , the more Zac realized the situation wasn’t like that . This was actually an opportunity .

He could already feel how both his Outer Cores and Inner Core were being doused in a gentle shower of pure Mental Energy . It even felt like how the entity had described the Cosmic Energy—like rain . The energy was completely unattuned , which helped him with Spiritual Void] . The Hidden Node wasn’t interested in feeding on this raw force , so it all went into nurturing his soul .

The fully formed Outer Cores didn’t want any either , so it was shared between the still-growing Life and Death Cores and his main core . This was a huge timesaver . Zac would have to provide the actual attunement with the Nine Reincarnations Manual] later , but that process could be sped up with attuned treasures .

The goal of the current layer of his Soul Strengthening Method was to form two sets of nine Outer Cores , half attuned with Life and the other half with Death . That would finish the first step of the current reincarnation . When he reached this stage , the soul strengthening process would run at maximum capacity , rapidly nurturing his main core .

This crystal would not only allow him to create these auxiliary cores far quicker , but his main core was already benefiting . He’d thought it would take decades to upgrade his soul after seeing how much time it took to form each Outer Core . But looking at the gentle haze already suffusing his Soul Aperture , the next breakthrough was suddenly much closer than Zac thought possible .

As for the implied threat that came with the opportunity , Zac wasn’t overly worried either . He had to admit he’d been outwitted by the moon moss , which honestly was a bit embarrassing . But the entity ultimately lacked a lot of critical information and understanding of cultivation . It didn’t even seem to possess any Dao .

Furthermore , Zac had already left its sphere of control . It wasn’t like inside the Twilight Ocean , where he was at Alvod’s mercy . Neither could the crystal be compared to the Remnants still locked in their prison . Those things contained shreds of undying will from incredibly powerful beings . Meanwhile , the Moss Crystal , as Zac decided to call it , was almost pure spiritual energy .

There seemed to be a lingering piece of consciousness locked in its depth to maintain its function . Except , without access to the moss network , its thought processes were most likely limited . Zac didn’t believe for a second he couldn’t figure out a counter-play over the next five years .

The easiest method was quickening the energy extraction and absorbing it all before the deadline . The bomb couldn’t go off if Zac ate all the fuel . With his manuals and Void Emperor bloodline , Zac believed it was doable . He might even be able to use the thing as a battery during his core formation down the road . And when that time came . . . well , he did have some experience in blowing things up . Destroying a moon couldn’t be too hard .

It might not be fair , and the moss entity wasn’t exactly hostile . But that thing was way too dangerous to have floating right next to Earth unchecked . It had consumed the whole planet in less than a decade after being infused with Cosmic Energy . How powerful would it get if left unattended for too long? He either needed to destroy it or push the whole moon out of orbit , preferably into a wormhole leading toward the Kan’Tanu armies .

Having come to a preliminary decision , Zac turned to his companion , who was still slumped in the captain’s chair with a vacant expression . Zac frowned at the scene . Ogras was still trapped in that fugue state?

At least it shouldn’t be a case of possession . That wasn’t how the moss entity’s consciousness worked . It needed the vast network to form thoughts , and any piece of consciousness cut off from the network should dissipate unless powered by a Moss Crystal . And Zac somewhat doubted Ogras had been implanted with one unless the Moss Creature lied with its final vision .

Those crystals were extraordinarily rare , and it seemed to only have six or seven of them . Sacrificing one for a chance at dealing with the attunement was already an incredibly high price , and Zac doubted it would be willing to part with two .

Zac guessed Ogras’ state was more a result of having been submerged in a slow-moving ocean of consciousness . Like Zac’s Outer Cores , the demon’s whole consciousness had been gradually forced to harmonize with the moss , which apparently resulted in a semi-comatose state for sapient beings .

But sapience wasn’t that easily erased . Since Ogras’ soul was unharmed , one simply needed to shock his consciousness awake .

Hey , wake up , - Zac said as he started shaking the demon , which only resulted in an annoyed groan .

One more hour , - Ogras muttered as he nestled deeper into the chair . - Let me sleep in just one more hour . -

Well , don’t blame me , - Zac sighed as he took out one of his spare Body Tempering vats and a heating array .

A moment later , the water he’d poured inside had begun boiling , at which point Zac emptied a small jar of grey dust into the waters .

In you go , - Zac said , a smile tugging at his lips as he pushed the demon into the scalding waters .

The demon didn’t resist . In fact , he seemed to enjoy the heated bath , and a content smile spread across his face after the initial reluctance at being dragged out of his comfortable chair . However , a frown soon crept up as the grey dust burrowed into his skin . Then , his eyes snapped open in a horrified expression .

Ah , shit! - Ogras screamed , voice turning shrill as he veritably exploded out from the bubbling water . - Shit , my bones! What in the— -

You wouldn’t wake up , so I had you try out some Bone-forging Dust] , - Zac said as Ogras reformed next to him . - Seemed more effective than coffee . -

This is the stuff you used to temper your body back in the day? Monster . Masochist , - Ogras grimaced , his whole body twitching from the Body Tempering paste that had entered his body . - Bastard , don’t fall asleep in front of me in the future . -

Zac was about to explain himself , but Ogras soon realized something as he looked around with confusion . - Wait , what in the world is going on? When did we get back onto the ship? -

What do you remember? - Zac sighed .

We entered the forest to look for treasures , - Ogras said as his brows scrunched together in a frown . - Then . . . nothing . -

Figures , you looked pretty wonky already by that point , - Zac muttered as he retold what he’d experienced .

An aberrant lifeform? - Ogras said as he fearfully looked at the glistening emerald moon on the screen . - We need to kill that thing right away . Who knows what something like that might turn into . -

About that , - Zac grimaced as he shared the final gift of the moss entity .

That thing implanted you with a safeguard? - Ogras closed his eyes , then breathed out in relief . - Nothing . I guess I wasn’t worth blackmailing , thank the Heavens . So , what do you want to do? -

Zac broadly recounted his plans , assuring the demon it wasn’t a problem .

Of course you’d be able to turn a profit from a calamity like that , - Ogras muttered as he took a swig of liquor to counteract the Body Tempering paste . - Well , if we have to keep the thing around for a few years , we might be able to figure out something better than just killing it . Why blow up the moon if we can control it? That way , we can both harvest more of those crystals while having a living weapon to guard the home base . -

Sounds pretty optimistic , but it might be possible . - Zac nodded . - Perhaps if we launch arrays that disrupt it from gathering its consciousness? If it can’t think , it can’t act against us . -

Well , there’s a plan , but we’re better off leaving this to the brainiacs at the academy . Shame that little nun didn’t want to join us . She would have been quite useful here . Maybe you should contact her when we’ve return—wait , what’s going on? -

What’s that? - Zac said as he looked around .

How is the ship moving on its own? - Ogras frowned as the command sphere appeared in his hand . - What? Override? -

How odd , - Zac hummed as the Starflash continued flying toward Earth .

You? It’s you? - Ogras scowled . - You can just take over control of my girl like that? Wait , that tattoo! -

Of course , I can , - Zac laughed . - You might be the captain , but I’m the admiral . You’re welcome to buy the Starflash from me if you think it’s unfair . For you , only 20 , 000 D-grade Nexus Coins . -

Bah , no sense of camaraderie , - Ogras muttered .

Zac grinned . - Hey , I could have left you on that moon , you know? -

Then who would solve all your little headaches? - Ogras snorted as he sank back into his chair . - I can’t believe you’ve used that paste for hours . One little dip , and I feel like a twelve-legged Barghest King has been stomping on my spine . -

Well , thankfully , I’ve moved past that stage of my cultivation . - Zac’s smile turned crooked upon remembering the painful body tempering sessions that would begin as soon as he was fully healed .

They continued for another twenty minutes , during which both Zac and Ogras mostly sat in silent meditation , scanning themselves to make sure there weren’t any other surprises hidden within their bodies . No matter how much they looked , the only souvenir from Emerald Eye was the Moss Crystal floating around in Zac’s Soul Aperture .

In fact , Zac noticed something odd—his body was in noticeably better shape now than before visiting the moon . At first , Zac thought the verdant atmosphere on Emerald Eye might have restorative powers , but he soon found the true reason .

Holy crap , - Zac swore , prompting Ogras to look over . - We were on Emerald Eye for ten days . I thought it was no more than a couple of hours . -

A ten-day vacation , yet I feel exhausted , - Ogras muttered .

Not much later , they entered the communication range of Earth , at which point both Zac’s and Ogras’ communicators started to buzz frenziedly . Obviously , it would create some panic when the two most powerful people on Earth suddenly up and disappeared without warning . The only reason there weren’t ships zipping around looking for them was that the Creator Shipyard was fully sealed off and guarded by barriers .

Two hours later , Zac thumped onto his prayer mat with a grunt after placing Yrial’s statue and the Mind’s Eye Agate] in their slots neighboring his seat . He had just spent thirty minutes being scanned by every conceivable tool and purified by multiple types of healers . Yet none had found anything , hopefully proving there weren’t any more lingering threats from Emerald Eye .

Contrary to Zac’s expectation , Ogras’ near-death experience had done nothing to curtail his passion for space exploration . By this point , he was already gathering a preliminary squad to man the Starflash . One moon was kind of a dud , but Zac guessed the demon would spend the next couple of weeks looking for treasure on the neighboring planets instead .

Zac wasn’t worried about missing out , nor was he eager to explore another planet . Between Emerald Eye and the Void Star , he’d seen enough weird and dangerous places for a while . Besides , both he and Ogras had already reached a point where they needed very specific types of treasures to make any breakthroughs , so they were rarely in competition for resources .

If the demon found something that might help Zac with his cultivation , Ogras would just trade it for something in Zac’s possession . That , in a sense , was the fundamental reason powerful warriors started factions in the first place . Let others gather resources for you while you focus on your cultivation .

And like the old masters hidden behind most of the powerful factions , he needed to cultivate .

Zac spent the next couple of hours repairing and reinforcing his frayed skeletal framework of Thousand Lights Avatar] . He still hadn’t given up on cultivating this unique technique , even after much of his preparatory work had been undone by the ravages of Creation and Oblivion . First of all , who wouldn’t want to have a second life in case your soul was destroyed in battle or from some other mishap?

Secondly , Zac felt like a network of condensed Mental Energy spread through his body could benefit him far beyond the original use of the Eidolon technique . After all , weren’t the Mental Energy pathways of Thousand Lights Avatar] very similar to the ones he used to form Dao Braids? What if those temporary channels were not only made permanent , but sturdier and of higher quality?

It might be the key to taking his Dao Braids to greater heights .

Unfortunately , his current braids were only at the level of what decently talented F-grade cultivators could form . They wouldn’t be enough in the future . In the battle for Ultom , he would come face-to-face with people like Iz , cultivators with God-given affinities who used extremely powerful Dao Arrays when fighting .

The same was true during the war . There were no guarantees he’d only face those around his own level , even if it were a System-sanctioned event , and upgrading his Dao Braids was one way for him to better match up to experienced Hegemons .

Unfortunately , Zac wasn’t confident in reaching the required level of control over his soul even if he evolved his soul twice over . Some Dao Arrays were even more complicated than Skill Fractals , and Zac could barely twine together a couple of simple strings . He needed to find an alternative , at least in the short run .

The idea with the greatest potential was to form a series of pre-created Dao Arrays in his Soul Aperture . For example , he could have one Evolutionary Array and one Inexorable Array . When he needed to activate them , he would just fill them with his Dao and channel the output into his Skill Fractals .

Zac first needed to form the actual avatar before he started refitting it into a full-body Dao Funnel , though . Only when it was fully formed , much like his soul , would it be able to survive on its own . Neither attacks nor rampaging waves of Creation or Oblivion should be enough to destroy it by that point .

Luckily , it looked like the Moss Crystal could even help in this regard . Directly controlling the energy that was being released by the crystal seemed impossible , though doing it indirectly worked . Cultivating the early stages of Thousand Lights Avatar] was mostly sending waves of Mental Energy through his body over and over , with each wave leaving a little bit behind .

As long as he made those waves pass right by the Moss Crystal before leaving his Soul Aperture , some of the moss energy would tag along . A preliminary session indicated that his cultivation speed had more than doubled , though the framework only improved when he actively cultivated the method . Conversely , his Soul Cores were being nurtured around the clock in what almost felt like force-feeding .

Soon enough , Zac opened his eyes , rather satisfied . Looking back at it , that eldritch horror wasn’t all bad . Maybe he really should figure out a way to keep it around . For now , he had lake water to absorb . It was finally time to start working toward his Cultivator’s Core in earnest .

44

REFINEMENT

Heugh , - Zac retched as he spat the lake water onto the ground , and helplessly watched it seep into the soil .

After the success of eating the Dao Crystals , it seemed like a solid plan to simply drink the lake water , preventing any of its mysterious insights from slipping away . One mouthful , one insight—easy enough . But who would have thought his body would reject it so vehemently? He didn’t even get a taste of the truths of the Lost Plane before a huge sense of disgust overwhelmed everything .

Had the water spoiled inside the canisters? No , it didn’t smell any worse than before , and it was still mostly clear . The corruption of the Lost Plane didn’t seem to taste like anything , either . Was it a mental block , or was his body protecting him from doing something stupid? Either case , it wasn’t the end of the world . The first method had failed , but there were many more .

Zac took out a large bowl and filled it with lake water , and a surprising scene occurred . As soon as it left the canister , the water started releasing plumes of vapor even though it was room temperature . In other words , it wouldn’t last long outside the containers . Zac guessed it had something to do with the fact the water was no longer connected to the Lost Plane through the spatial tunnel . It had become rootless , like a harvested Spiritual Plant .

There was no time to waste , so Zac dunked his head into the bowl . Almost immediately , he felt the corruption seep into his head . This was just a test where he wanted to check whether he could directly gain insights from the corruption before his Hidden Nodes refined it , leaving more insights for himself and less for Void Heart] .

Unfortunately , this experiment was a failure as well . The only thing Zac gained were distant voices clamoring in the back of his mind until the corruption was dragged down to his heart for purification . Not only that , but the small amount of taint absorbed by just dunking his head allowed Purity of the Void] to destroy a significant portion before it could enter Void Heart] .

A moment later , the purified comprehension was released from the Hidden Node in his heart , and Zac was provided a flash of clarity . But again , with the amount being so little , he didn’t manage to take even a step forward with his comprehension of Duality before the moment passed . It looked like it was time to get back to basics , so Zac took out a large medicinal bath and filled it with lake water .

With water reaching his chin , Zac was soon filled with corruption , and more kept pouring in . He even started to feel his perception shift , but Void Heart] was already fast at work refining the water into something usable . Soon , his Soul Aperture was filled with the light of truth , and Zac methodically deciphered one character after another from the Book of Duality] .

Ten minutes later , the corruption had either been absorbed , purified , or dissipated into the air , leaving only common water behind . Zac took a deep breath as he thoroughly scanned his body . Thankfully , no matter how hard he looked , it seemed there weren’t any negative side effects from this type of cultivation .

The corruption wasn’t a tangible element , so there were no physical impurities that could hamper his cultivation . It was more akin to a Dao-infused wound , but his bloodline was uniquely capable at dealing with things like that . Neither did interacting with the corruption seem to impact his still-damaged foundations . More things might crop up after prolonged use , but it really seemed as though the lake water was suitable for long-term cultivation .

Of course , he hadn’t forgotten the lessons he’d learned while trapped in the poisonous sea . Vai’s research notes had shown how small alterations to his approach could have huge benefits . A few percent improved efficiency here and there would accumulate just like his titles , and a perfected cultivation method might be twice as good as simply sitting down in the water .

Like this , days passed as Zac entered a cycle of cultivation , comprehension , and experimentation .

Zac’s most important goal was to waste as little lake water as possible . He did have a huge amount of it stored in his canteens , but it was still a finite resource . The first step was to find the right quantity of water per session . Zac soon realized that the amount of water used had a noticeable effect on how much corruption he absorbed per second . In other words , it wasn’t just a matter of covering his entire body .

It was just like when he visited the lake itself . Back then , just a few seconds was enough to overload him if he didn’t use Void Zone] as a buffer . The absorption rate was far lower when using the water in a tub . However , when Zac changed his smaller tub for a larger medicinal bath , the rate increased .

The key was to find a level of optimal efficiency . Too little water , and Purity of the Void] would purify and waste a large chunk . It was an annoying reminder that his Bloodline Method , Bloodline Resonance] , was utter garbage , completely incapable of providing Zac with even a semblance of control over most of his bloodline .

If he used too large a vat and too much lake water , he would instead lose a great amount of it to the atmosphere , and he had found no way to salvage the insights by that point . Zac figured out the right balance through trial and error , and constructed a larger bath of two-by-two meters and filled it up to his chest while sitting .

By that point , Zac started another series of experiments to further improve the process . The type of arrays medicinal baths used to retain medicinal energy were completely incapable of trapping the corruption . Heating the water was even worse—it rapidly increased the dissipation rate .

Conversely , cooling the water had the opposite effect , so Zac had Triv install ice arrays that lowered the temperature far beyond what could be found in nature . Allowing the water to turn into ice would ruin the absorption process , but Zac circumvented that by adding powerful gravity arrays . Working in conjunction , Zac pushed the lake water far into sub-zero degrees , drastically improving the retention .

The gravity arrays even helped stimulate his bloodline a bit , allowing him to absorb the corruption faster . That way , he could add more water per session without any downside , further speeding up his cultivation . The catch was that the sessions grew a lot more grueling . Between the blistering cold and crushing pressure , most F-grade cultivators would die instantly after entering the vat .

Even then , Zac mostly felt nostalgic as he silently endured the torture . It made him think of his first weeks on Demon Island , when he was still finding his way in this new reality . A gravity array had been one of his first purchases from the town shop , which had allowed him to refine his body and gain a few attribute points .

Today , he endured a punishment hundreds of times more severe , but Zac was certain he wouldn’t gain any attributes even if he spent years in these arrays . He’d all but exhausted the untapped potential in his body . Common E-grade warriors might be able to gain a few hundred attribute points through decades of painstaking work . But elites who had elevated their bodies through Daos , attribute fruits , and titles had very little room for conventional gains .

Another discovery was that he couldn’t just keep absorbing the water indefinitely . After roughly an hour of cycling water and epiphanies , his mind was completely shot , like he’d been cramming for an exam for 24 hours straight . Even if his Void Heart] kept extracting the marvelous insights , it barely allowed him to digest any more knowledge .

Perhaps it was for the best . Forcibly pushing his understanding forward at a breakneck pace might lead to rickety foundations . It was better to take things one step at a time and digest what he’d learned after every session .

And it wasn’t like Zac didn’t have other things to do . Ten days after secluding himself , he resumed his Soul Cultivation , which took up most of his time . Zac initially planned on waiting a bit longer , but there was no other choice . The Moss Crystal was continuously feeding him , and the energy it released wouldn’t perfectly meld with his Soul Cores on its own . If he didn’t start refining the energy , he’d end up weakening his cores .

That could be considered the real downside of the Moss Crystal . Zac estimated he would start running into trouble if he didn’t run his method at least twice a week on average . Any less and his soul would eventually be riddled with imperfections .

If this had happened while in the Twilight Ascent or the Void Star , such a situation might have spelled trouble . He didn’t have the luxury to set aside whole days for Soul Cultivation back then . Luckily , he was back on Earth , and the downside was no downside under these conditions .

Another piece of good news was that running his Nine Reincarnations Manual] extracted even more energy from the Moss Crystal , speeding up his cultivation speed even further . At this pace , Zac believed he’d finish forming his next set of Outer Cores in a few months , saving him potentially years of effort .

Then finally , the day came . A full three weeks had passed since returning from Emerald Eye , and Zac judged his body was finally in condition to try out the grand prize from his visit to the Void Star—the Void Vajra Sublimation] . Between the healing baths and top-tier environment , Zac had recovered a bit earlier than expected .

Over the past week , he’d gone over his new method numerous times just to ensure there weren’t any mishaps . Though he wasn’t sure it was needed . The old Boundless Vajra Sublimation] had somehow been engraved onto his mind by Three Virtues , with every single detail as clear as day . Later , the Seal of the Left Imperial Palace reforged that parcel of imparted memories , which would have allowed him to start cultivating back in the Void Star already .

The only reason he hadn’t done so was that he had too much on his plate , and the lingering worry of there still being traps hidden in the depths of the method . But no matter how he looked , the dangerous elements were solved by completely swapping out the Heart Cultivation aspect of the Body Tempering Manual . Even the movements and medicinal array patterns had been altered to suit his new direction , leaving none of the three pillars of the method entirely intact .

Zac wasted no time as he walked over to a grove inside the Life-attuned side of his cultivation cave . In the beginning , the environment had mostly been powered by the Lotus of Harmony] , the Primordial Breath Amanita] , and Divine Crystals . Similarly , the Miasmic side utilized the odd seed the Undead Empire used as an Array Core to realign planets , along with Miasma Crystals .

But the Nexus Veins beneath the island had gradually transformed as Earth continued its transition into a Life-Death world . Most of the veins were still unattuned , but both Divine Veins and Miasmic Veins had started to crop up here and there . Now , two of the purest veins were the main source of attunement in his cultivation cave , providing the environment with nigh-endless energy of Life and Death .

Triv had already prepared a spot to practice his Body Tempering Manual , an undertaking that led to no small amount of suffering for the poor ghost . The spectral butler had looked so wan after spending time inside the Life-attuned Forest , that Zac had given him a vacation and a couple of Death-attuned treasures to recuperate .

Now , the small grove was already instilled with Gathering , Purifying , and Gravity arrays to maximize the efficiency of the Body Tempering Manual . He’d made some inquiries into getting the Arhat Golden Flames mentioned in the manual , but he couldn’t find anything like it in Zecia . Besides , Zac wasn’t even sure the treasures mentioned in the old method would even work after he reformed the Void Vajra Sublimation] .

This would be the first time he cultivated the method , so Zac only activated the Purifying Array as he got completely naked . Here beneath the mountains , there was no point in covering himself . He’d already burnt off his hair and beard to more easily tack on the medicinal mixture . One line after another of Life-attuned paste was added across his body , and he was covered from head to toe in no time .

The new pattern was similar to the original arrays he’d painted on himself while trapped in the Undrusian Sea , yet different . They were somehow inverted , even if the array was clearly a manifestation of Life . It reminded him of the difference between seeing himself in a mirror and a picture .

Zac couldn’t quite remember or understand the underpinning concepts that led to these changes . Now that the boundless comprehension of Ultom was long gone , he was only left with vague and blurry impressions . The changes were done to allow for a greater harmonization between the materials and a Heart Cultivation centered on the concept of the Void , rather than the Buddhist harmonization with the cosmos .

All done , Zac started moving with pinpoint precision , following the new sets of movements designed to agitate his cells and allow them to accept the medicinal paste . Just like the array covering his body , the movements were both familiar and foreign . But with the experience he’d accumulated by this point , he easily completed the first cycle .

Ka , - Zac uttered , followed by a sharp inhalation the moment his right foot slammed into the ground .

It felt like the whole cave—the whole world—shuddered from the step , and Zac’s perception shifted .

When he’d tried out the Boundless Vajra Sublimation] in the Void Star , this step of the manual elicited a sense of profound vastness . It had felt like his body was being tuned to the frequency of the cosmos , connecting him with all of creation . That way , he was one with all , and for Life to meld with his body was natural and expected .

This time , the feeling was diametrically different . Instead of being one with the universe , Zac felt like he’d stepped out of the Multiverse . He had become the all-encompassing Void , everything and nothing at once—a small island of nothingness surrounded by a sea of being .

His step hadn’t opened or tuned his body to the Heavens—it had breached the impermeable layer between real and unreal . He could even see a hidden seal beneath his foot . An impossibly intricate spiral pattern reminding Zac of a black hole . It wasn’t really there , yet it was . A manifestation of the heart—a heart attuned to the Void of Dao .

Something that might only be achievable by Zac across the whole Multiverse .

And through this mysterious breach , Life poured into the Void—into his body . There was no clash like when Life and Death struggled for supremacy inside his cultivation cave . The Void could accept anything . The medicinal array , the steps , the breathing . They were designed to snatch Life while keeping the rest of the cosmos at bay .

Reality acceded to the undeniable truth in Zac’s heart , and his body heated up as the energy was dragged into his body by the pull of the Void . The pain was agonizing , but Zac barely registered it . He’d entered an ethereal state where everything was absorbed and consumed . The Life-attuned paste and the ambient energy . The pain . Even his thoughts .

It all entered the black hole of his existence , becoming fuel for his path .

Another step , another seal , and another breach to welcome Life into the Void . Altogether , eighty-one aspects of the Void formed a complete circuit , both with the Dao of Life and within his body . Any more , and extraneous concepts would be allowed to join the perfect system . Any less and the transformation would be imperfect , incomplete .

Zac persevered through the pain , moving toward the next expression of the Void . But it was at that point his perception was nudged , almost to the point Zac lost his focus . Void Heart] had finally woken up , and it greedily wanted to consume the foreign energies that had entered his body . It felt like the Void splintered , with there suddenly being two black holes—himself and his Hidden Node , both competing for the same energy .

Zac knew this would come , yet he couldn’t help but feel a wave of annoyance upon sensing some of the energies , his energies , drift toward his heart . Going through the eighty-one aspects of the Void and completing a Body Tempering session would take over an hour , and who knew how much energy Void Heart] would manage to steal?

Even worse , with this kind of energy , it would only return bog-standard Cosmic Energy , completely wasting Zac’s time . Losing some resources was fine , but losing months of progress was not . Zac kept going through the motions of the Void Vajra Sublimation] , not wanting to stop prematurely and waste a whole session .

But in his mind , Zac was roaring at Void Heart] to stop , to give him a break .

And the node obeyed .

45

TAKING CONTROL

Zac couldn’t believe it when Void Heart] suddenly shuddered and stopped contending for the medicinal paste mid-beat . The surprise was so big that he tripped , instantly failing the stance and losing the ethereal connection to the Void . The Life-attuned Energy that had entered his cells failed to fuse and instead started seeping through his pores .

It was an unavoidable result of not completing the session . Only when fully completing the Void Vajra Sublimation] would the Integration become perfect , allowing some of the Life-attuned Energies to fuse with his body permanently . Even then , Zac didn’t mind the loss . He sat down , far more interested in what just happened . This was only the first session , and discoveries were far more important than the progress itself .

And this was a big one .

Ever since breaking open Void Heart] , it had always marched to its own beat . Zac was never able to control it in the slightest . Instead , he’d been forced to learn its rules and work within those confines . But this time , he somehow managed to connect to the Hidden Node and turn it off with a mental command .

But now , the moment had passed . Zac watched on as Void Heart] resumed thumping , dragging the lingering Life-attuned Energy into its vortex . He tried commanding and cajoling it like before , but the Hidden Node completely ignored him . Even then , Zac wasn’t overly concerned . Between the ethereal connection he’d sensed and how different the Void Heart] acted , he knew what he’d perceived was real and not some hopeful delusion .

Zac even had a decent idea of what was going on—it was all thanks to the Void Vajra Sublimation] .

The whole reason to cultivate a Body Tempering Manual was to gain a specialized constitution . Like with Soul Strengthening Manuals and Souls , there were both attuned and unattuned constitutions . An unattuned constitution might provide general improvements , such as his Draugr durability and poison resistance . Meanwhile , an attuned constitution could attune your whole body to a specific Dao .

For example , a Pyromancer who managed to cultivate a Fire-attuned Constitution would find their skills were more powerful . Sometimes , they’d even improve their affinity to the Dao of Fire and their cultivation speed . The Void Vajra Sublimation] was an example of an attuned Body Tempering Manual , where he would gain a Life-attuned Constitution to balance out his innate Death-attuned Draugr Constitution .

However , there was another aspect that complicated the situation with constitutions—bloodlines .

There had always been a close connection between constitutions and bloodlines . Most bloodlines naturally imbued the cultivator with a constitution , and specialized Bloodline Methods generally doubled as Body Tempering Manuals . The Izh’Rak Reavers were a prime example of this . They were all Body Tempering Cultivators who tempered their bones through their Racial Bloodline Methods .

In fact , people with bloodlines often had extremely stringent requirements on what Body Tempering Manuals they could use . The slightest mismatch and the unaffiliated manual wouldn’t work . Such a conflict could even damage one’s foundations . It was akin to a cultivator with a fire-based class suddenly starting to use a water-based Cultivation Manual .

This was something Zac had been worried about ever since getting his hand on the Boundless Vajra Sublimation] . He knew next to nothing about his Void Emperor bloodline , except that it had some sort of relation to the Limitless Empire and Karz . What if he cultivated a Life-attuned Constitution , only to encounter a clash between the Body Tempering Manual and an incompatible bloodline?

That was a big reason for wanting to reform the method in the first place , though it had become a necessity for other reasons after discovering the hidden traps within the Boundless Varja Sublimation] . If he tuned the method to the Void , the risk of conflict would hopefully decrease . Now , it looked like Zac hadn’t only managed to avoid calamity , but reaped some benefits he’d barely dared hope for .

The Void Vajra Sublimation] allowed him to connect with his Void Emperor bloodline in a way that Bloodline Resonance] never had . Right now , it only worked while he was running the method and was attuned to the Void , but that might not be the case forever . Every reincarnation with the Nine Reincarnations Manual] gave him greater control over his soul . In the same vein , every layer of Void Vajra Sublimation] might improve his natural control over his bloodline .

Just turning the Hidden Nodes on and off was just the first step . Top-tier Bloodline Methods could even amplify the effect of bloodlines . What if he could suddenly supercharge Void Zone] , allowing it to spread across a whole enemy army? Or if he managed to completely open the floodgates of Spiritual Void] , drastically improving the lethality of a strike?

There were so many possibilities , but Zac reined in his imagination . There were ultimately no guarantees he’d gain full control over his Void Emperor bloodline through his Body Tempering Manual , even if things appeared promising . He would have to finish the first layer of the Void Vajra Sublimation] to see the results .

Zac was even more eager to continue his cultivation after encountering such a stroke of good fortune , and he quickly bathed and reapplied a new set of Life-attuned paste . Moments later , he was once more one with the Void , moving from one position into another with pinpoint precision .

His muscles and tendons were shuddering from the surprisingly strenuous stances . Accepting the attuned energy into the depths of his cells felt like standing inside a bonfire . Yet he continued , forming one seal after another . Soon enough , Void Heart] woke up once more , but a focused thought successfully quieted it down .

Zac didn’t lose his focus this time , and smoothly transitioned to the next seal in the series , deepening his connection with the Void . The minutes passed , and a crackling sound accompanied his movements . It wasn’t his bones creaking from the exertion but rather the paste covering his body .

More than half of its medicinal efficacy had been dragged into his body , prompting some of the paste to dry and fall off . The falling paste disintegrated and created a mysterious haze , unable to settle because of Zac’s constant movements . It looked like he had formed a cloak of mist as he swirled around in the grove , a fog that echoed the secrets of Life . Once in a while , a shadow of inscrutable patterns would flicker in the dust , only to disappear as quickly as they formed .

As for Zac himself , he fell deeper into his Void state . Initially , he’d thought himself standing outside creation , a small pocket of anti-existence surrounded by the cosmos . Now , he gradually shifted like he was being superimposed on the world . He still was distinctly separate from the cosmos , but he was closer .

He’d become a specter walking through the Dao , grabbing what he wanted while passing through anything he disdained . His Branch of the Kalpataru was already coursing through his body because of the stances , helping draw more energy into his body while tuning it to his Path . As a result , it seemed like an illusory fractal was being constructed within him .

It was an expression of Life , one uniquely tailored to him and his Dao . Each seal he completed added to the pathways , pushing it closer to perfection . And the closer the pattern came to completion , the more strain Zac was under .

Like he was carrying a mountain on his back as he moved , but Zac knew it was actually the world trying to barge in , to depressurize and drag him out of the Void . Meanwhile , the Life-attuned Energy had reached the very depths of his cells , amplifying the pain .

Most F-grade cultivators would be forced to stop at this juncture and slowly build up experience and resistance . But not Zac . He was already at the Peak of E-grade , and neither the pain nor the pressure was enough to make him stumble at this critical time . He smoothly forged on until he reached a neutral stance where his hands slammed together .

Aum , - Zac hummed , and his voice melded with the sound of the clap from his palm .

He’d closed a gate to his body , completely cutting off the temporary connection with the universe after snatching the final expression of Life . As a result , the pressure disappeared , and the illusory fractal was perfected and melded with every inch of his body . All of the medicinal paste had already fallen off , and the last motes of Life-attuned Energy were swallowed by his cells .

Zac remained frozen in place for a few minutes as the swirling haze of dried paste gradually settled . His consciousness was like a diver slowly rising from the depths of a lake until it breached the surface . This time around , there was no need to activate Void Zone] to purge the effect of the Heart Cultivation .

This wasn’t the Boundless Vajra Sublimation] with its pathbreaking influence of the Buddhist Sangha . The Void Vajra Sublimation] was uniquely tuned to himself , so there was no need to reset anything . If anything , he wanted to repeat and reinforce the Heart Cultivating aspect of his Body Tempering Manual .

Ultimately , it wasn’t the Life-attuned Constitution that would allow him to connect with Void Heart] and his bloodline . It was the Heart Cultivating aspect rolled into the method . And that part needed to be gradually built up , brick by brick , just like any other aspect of cultivation .

Of course , that didn’t mean the impression of being a black hole separate from the universe was his true state of being . His self was his self , and his Dao Heart was his Dao Heart . They were connected but separate . It was more correct to say that his Path was being reinforced by these impressions , rather than his personality .

Cultivating his heart this way would allow it to become sturdier , like intangible walls protecting him from outside influence . Whether it was the Buddhist Sangha , the corrupted water of the Lost Plane , or the immortal will of the Remnants , they would find it much harder to influence his mind and his Path . He would be just like the Void—there yet separate , taking what he needed , and rejecting everything else .

Zac took a deep breath and opened his eyes . The first thing he noticed was that his skin had taken on an almost copper hue . The redness came from the damage the process had done to his skin , while a slight golden tint came from the Life-attunement . This wasn’t a permanent effect , and the color was already fading thanks to his bloodline and high Vitality .

This was exactly what he hoped to see happen . To reach an equilibrium between his two races , just completing the first layer of the Void Vajra Sublimation] wasn’t enough . He didn’t exactly know how big the gain from each layer was , but he would at least have to complete the first two layers for his human body to match up to the latent potential of a pureblood Draugr .

There were no hard and fast rules to how much Body Tempering you could practice . It all came down to your body and how much punishment you could take . Some cultivators could only absorb a small amount of energy before their cells reached their limit , where they would have to take a break to recover and stabilize . And how long that period of recovery was differed from person to person .

In this regard , Zac believed his potential was outstanding . His bloodline made his cells unique , almost turning them into black holes that could naturally swallow up energies . And between his extraordinarily high Vitality , his Branch of the Kalpataru , and his other unique advantages , his body recovered far quicker than normal .

Peering into his cells’ depth , Zac sensed the energy he’d absorbed . They were like small flakes of gold swirling around in the vortices of his cells . Most would soon be filtered out , but some would permanently stay on and become part of his body . This was regrettable but ultimately unavoidable .

More importantly , Zac could tell that one session absolutely wasn’t his limit , at least not while he still practiced the first layer . As long as he had more paste at hand and could endure the punishment , he could keep going . So , he did .

Zac only needed to wait ten minutes for his body to stabilize , at which point he reapplied the paste . This time , Zac activated all the arrays to improve the effect even further . Roughly an hour later , Zac lay sprawled on the ground as steam rose from him in mighty plumes . Occasionally , one of his muscles would twitch , prompting a series of painful jerks across his body .

Normally , Zac would barely notice a gravitational amplification of ten times . But he’d almost been pushed to his limits when performing the stances in that kind of environment . It wasn’t the stances themselves that became too strenuous . The difficulty came from how the gravity array had somehow magnified the mysterious pressure of the cosmos .

But it’d paid off . Almost twice as many golden flakes had been added thanks to the arrays , and Zac believed he’d be able to push the arrays even further as he mastered the process . Not only would his body adapt to the pressure , but the original Boundless Vajra Sublimation] also mentioned that the stronger one’s Dao Heart grew , the better one could endure the training .

It should be possible to push the gravity arrays all the way to fifty so long as one’s heart grew firm enough . That would , theoretically , increase the cultivation speed a few times over , though you’d have to use higher-grade medicinal paste . The cost per session would shoot through the roof going about things this way , but Zac welcomed any improvements that could be seized by throwing money at them .

Altogether , Zac managed to practice the Void Vajra Sublimation] five times before his body reached saturation . By that point , he could tell he wouldn’t be able to retain Life-attuned flakes of gold even if he could withstand the pain , and he was better off letting his body settle while practicing his other methods .

After adding the Void Vajra Sublimation] to the mix , Zac was finally running toward Hegemony at full steam . At the same time , Zac felt the truth in Pavina’s teachings at this moment . The Revenant Monarch had warned against spreading himself too thin back in the Orom World , where tacking on too many things to your Path would eat up too much time and steal your momentum .

Twenty-four hours simply wasn’t enough to fit everything he needed to train . But instead of cutting out things from his itinerary , Zac divided his days into 36-hour-cycles . That way , he could fit Nine Reincarnations Manual] , Void Vajra Sublimation] , Thousand Lights Avatar] , and study both Duality and the general theories of Core Blueprints .

The only windows of rest he gave himself were those small pockets of utmost exhaustion after each Body Tempering session . After a few days , even those short windows were filled with Triv updating him on the ongoings on the outside . Everything was steadily progressing . The topic of the war had already swept across the planet , and the recruitment stations across Pangea were almost mobbed with people .

Zac had been worried they would face staunch resistance from his citizens , to the point they’d be forced to conscript people . But a few rumors proved more efficient than any stick or carrot Zac could produce . The threat of another System-run worldwide event had made people desperately try to join the Atwood Reserves .

The horror of the Integration was still fresh in the minds of most people , and many knew they only survived through sheer luck , while 80% of the world’s population had perished . They weren’t confident in surviving another round in case the System dragged the conflict to Earth , so they sought strength and safety from the Atwood Army .

Others saw the war as an opportunity to catch up after a weak start to their cultivation journey . There were plenty who regretted not pushing harder during the Tutorial and the early phases of the Integration . When it was easier to rack up achievements and the air was literally filled with the Dao .

It was widely believed that Zac’s monstrous strength came from hitting the ground running and closing both the first and the most incursions , which was partly true . So many elites thought if they could rack up some early achievements in the war , they could snowball that into huge gains . Thanks to that , many independent talents had finally taken the step to properly join Zac’s faction over the past weeks .

Zac himself didn’t bother with the details . Ilvere and the other leaders had already set up standardized tests and training programs to turn the recruits into powerful cogs in the Atwood Empire’s war machine .

One day , there was a break in the monotony , as Zac received a notice he’d been expecting for a while .

Vilari and the others were back .

46

RENDEZVOUS

Checking the time , Zac realized he’d already spent over a month grinding his Body Tempering Manual . Altogether , close to three months had passed since he returned to Earth , and it was about time to deal with the lingering matters standing between him and his prolonged seclusion .

Just ten minutes later , five people gathered in Zac’s compound : Zac and Ogras , along with the three candidates chosen to receive the heritage of Ultom . Ogras had thankfully returned a week ago after having surveyed not only the remaining moons but also the two neighboring worlds containing beasts .

Zac was curious about the demon’s findings , but the matter of Ultom obviously took precedence .

Anything? - Zac asked , already knowing he had his answer upon seeing Joanna’s downcast face .

None of us managed to attain a seal , - Joanna sighed . - We did find six structures with fragmented markings related to one of the nine outer sigils , but we failed to uncover any fragments . Four of the buildings were unsealed and searched already by the scouting parties , while the remaining two were part of sealed blocks . Neither of the two had any dust lining the streets like you described , though . -

We managed to break into one of the two sealed chambers , - Rhuger added . - We did make some interesting finds , such as Cultivation Manuals and a powerful recipe that seemed to be a faith-based berserking pill . But no seal . -

So , nothing? - Ogras muttered , glancing at Zac . - Then just what’s going on with your quest? -

That’s— - Zac frowned , not sure himself . He opened his Quest Screen to make sure , but the result was the same .

One by Nine (Unique , Inheritance) : Form a full cycle of Sealbearers . Reward : Entry to the Left Imperial Palace (4/9) 2604 days] NOTE : Multiple cycles can be formed

The progress was still the same , with almost half of the slots already filled in . Back then , the progress made sense if you counted Ogras , Joanna , Rhuger , and Vilari . But now , Zac didn’t know what to think .

There was really nothing? - Zac asked to make sure .

Well , - Joanna hesitated and glanced to Vilari , who wordlessly took out a black crystal ball the size of Zac’s fist .

It didn’t emit any energy fluctuations , and Cosmic Gaze] didn’t give Zac any indication something was special about it either . It just looked like a black decorative glass ball . Considering how carefully Vilari held onto it , there had to be more to it than that .

This was the only thing of interest , - Vilari said . - We found it in the center of the building we managed to unseal . Neither Rhuger nor Joanna can sense anything from this thing . Truthfully , neither can I , yet I’m drawn to it for some reason . I feel there is some secret inside it . I just haven’t figured out how to unlock it . I was wondering if you could sense anything from it? -

Zac and Ogras looked at the crystal , but neither could glean anything .

Nothing , - Zac said with a shake of his head . - But that doesn’t necessarily mean anything . -

That’s right , - Ogras agreed . - I’ve visited two sites with seals belonging to Zac , and I couldn’t sense the slightest hint of anything magical coming from those places . I think only those fated will be able to connect with the items related to the Outer Courts . -

But I can’t get anything from it , - Vilari sighed with helplessness .

Give it time , - Ogras said . - I had to kill a kingdom’s worth of cursed beings to gain access to my seal . I don’t think everyone will fall ass-backward into an opportunity like our blessed lord here . -

It doesn’t hurt to keep working at it , - Zac agreed , ignoring the demon’s jab . - Since you’re the one who can sense something , it might be related to the soul . Maybe one of the courts is related to Mentalists? After all , Ogras got the Hollow Court , which seems suitable to him . Soul-related things often take a bit longer . -

I’ll keep trying , - Vilari nodded .

Did you find any signs of Janos? - Ogras asked . - If I’m one and Vilari is the second , then Janos could be counted as the third . That only leaves one mystery person for the quest . -

No , - Joanna said . - If his disappearance is related to all this , then he’s either in the central temple we sealed off or in the building we couldn’t crack open . -

Zac sighed . - I’ll try to break into that building later to ensure he’s not trapped . Otherwise , I think the results are decent . The Ensolus Ruins weren’t that big . Finding a possible clue apart from my own seal is pretty good already . -

I’m sorry we couldn’t help you more , - Joanna said .

Don’t look at it like that , - Zac said with a shake of his head . - I was just hoping to provide the same kind of opportunity I’ve enjoyed . I have no expectations of you helping me in the upcoming inheritance . -

Besides , it’s not over yet , - Ogras added . - We’re heading to the Million Gates Territory . A few years there will provide far more opportunities than some old ruins . The Ensolus Ruins were probably just placed there by the Ruthless Heavens for its favorite son to finish up his seal . -

I guess that’s true . It’s still not over , - Joanna said . - We have the Million Gates Territory . -

And even if that fails , there’s a final chance waiting for you , - Ogras continued . - Seizing fate . We already know this mess has been integrated with the upcoming war . I am certain likes will attract , and we will find ourselves fighting against other seal holders . -

Stealing the opportunities from others? - Joanna said with a small frown . - That’s a bit . . . -

Cultivation has always been a fight for resources , - Ogras snorted . - How is this any different? Better we get the slots than some outsider bastards . Or even worse , the invaders . -

We still don’t know if things will work like that , - Zac said , but there wasn’t a lot of conviction behind his words . He could almost feel it . A storm of fate was brewing , and those with affinity would find themselves on a collision course sooner or later .

We’ll figure out the rules given time , - Ogras said . - There are probably a few infiltrators who have stumbled upon opportunities already . -

That’s fine , but I doubt getting the seals that way will provide the same burst of insight , - Zac said . - The insights themselves are half the reason to get the seals , considering we have no idea how dangerous the actual inheritance is . We might be forced to bow out immediately when faced with the scions from the outside . If possible , we want to find the seals rather than snatch them . -

All the more reason to not waste any more time . The ships are ready , and the key personnel has returned . We’re just waiting for your go-ahead , - Ogras said , and Zac could see the other three were of a like mind .

Zac nodded in agreement . It was time for his subordinates to spread their wings and search for their own opportunities . Emily had already gone ahead in that regard . Zac had sent a demon to the Bloodwind Planet to bring her a message he was back . But it turned out Emily had left for the Million Gates Territory as part of the very same coalition army Zac had seen mentioned when he visited the coliseum all those years ago .

The thought filled Zac with a mix of pride and worry . Part of him wanted to set out himself and bring her back home . Except the better part of a decade had passed since they last met . She wasn’t the wild teenager robbing adventurers any longer . Like Thea once said , she had to find her path . Zac believed she would return before the war , hopefully strong enough to help keep both herself and Earth safe .

The same was true for the others . They would never become true elites until they gained some real experience . But he couldn’t ferry them over to the Red Zone of the Allbright Empire just yet .

I just need your help dealing with a few things before you go , - Zac said .

The Integration? - Vilari said , and a rare hint of anticipation flashed across her face .

Zac nodded . - The Integration of the undead . Everything is prepared . -

When will you announce it? - Vilari asked .

Zac turned to Ogras first . - How did the experiments go? -

It worked just fine . The little blue cheat came through . The plan seems feasible , and we can start setting things up anytime . -

And the other thing? - Zac asked .

Here , - Ogras said and threw over a box . - Three uses . -

Perfect , - Zac sighed in relief , then turned to Vilari . - I just need to meet with the representatives of the Undead Empire . We’ll go ahead with the Integration no matter what their stance is . But having some assurances would be better , especially for the Raun Spectrals who are currently in a tough spot . -

Of course , - Vilari said .

Zac turned back to Ogras . - Set everything up , and I’ll send the location to Catheya today . It should take them around a week to reach the planet we chose . -

Do you want me to accompany you to the meeting? - Vilari asked .

No , this time , I have something different in mind , - Zac said with a shake of his head .

Do you need our help in some other ways? - Joanna asked .

Just focus on your upcoming expedition . Ogras and I are enough to deal with the preparations . - Zac smiled . - Ten days . Provided the meeting is fruitful , we will have a global announcement in ten days . -

I guess it’s time to earn my pay , - Ogras grunted as he got to his feet . - I’m heading to So’Liv . -

Perfect , - Zac said . - I guess I’ll go deal with things from my end . -

It was going to be a busy week .

Long time no see , - Zac smiled as his old friend stepped into the little meeting room he’d placed in the middle of the forest . - You look nice . -

It was true . Zac didn’t know what Catheya had been through since they met last , but it felt like every single aspect of her had undergone a subtle yet very noticeable elevation . Her appearance had moved closer to perfection , in the same sense that Iz’s features were marked by the Dao . She even carried herself with a level of grace that eclipsed her previous manner . Just taking a few steps into the building had almost been enough to steal Zac’s breath away .

It wasn’t just her appearance either . Her aura was incredibly condensed , surpassing that of elites like Leyara and Ogras . She still wasn’t at the level of Iz , but it was far beyond her previous status as a decently talented Scion of the Empire Heartlands . It looked like Catheya had encountered some lucky opportunities of her own , real significant ones at that .

What nice? You unrepentant troublemaker , you know what kind of headache you created for me? - Catheya huffed as she sat down opposite him . - I’ve had the ancestors breathing down my neck for years because you had to go get swallowed up by a space fish , and now you don’t even come meet me in person? You send this tin can in your stead? -

Well , it was a gift from you , so I figured it was suitable , - Zac joked .

This was the solution he and Ogras had landed on . As they saw it , there were only two ways to ensure a safe meeting when there were Monarchs in the mix . Either he would have to meet Catheya with some sort of proxy , or he would have to take Catheya to a different world to shake off her handlers .

Ogras had argued for the latter , saying it would allow them to control the situation better . They would set up a meeting , but only leave Catheya a Teleportation Token . After she’d arrived at some other corner of Zecia , Zac could teleport in , and they could have the meeting in peace . Knowing there was no way for the Monarchs of the Undead Empire to get there in short order .

Ultimately , Zac felt this method put Catheya in too much danger and chose the proxy method instead . The problem was that no place on a planet was safe when C-grade cultivators were involved . If they managed to pin down your location , they could be there at a moment’s notice , sealing you before you even had a chance at teleporting back home .

So he simply didn’t stay on the planet .

Zac’s vision was currently split into two . One of them was the puppet’s sight , where he saw Catheya in the secluded meeting place on So’Liv Six , a central planet in the Kaldran Strait . It was mostly a desolate wasteland because of its location . The Late E-grade planet was situated at one of the narrower stretches of the border between the Undead Empire and the surrounding empires , and it had been swept up in the struggle more than once .

Currently , it was tentatively under the control of the Empire of Light , but it was pretty much a penal colony and advance scouting station . A few million people had been transferred over to harvest some of the local plants , and the Empire hoped their presence would at least give a small warning in the event of an invasion . It was the perfect place to hold a clandestine meeting with the Undead Empire . The undead delegates could get there in a week , moving from one of the closest frontier planets under their control .

While the puppet he got in the Twilight Ascent was sent down to the surface , Zac himself was hiding in the vast emptiness of space , remotely controlling it from a safe distance . He wasn’t using one of the standard Creator Vessels either , but something much better , the Yphelion .

He was currently sitting in a large room , its walls glistening in a beautiful mix of gold and black . It wasn’t a design choice by Zac , but rather a result of the materials that went into building the huge space catamaran . Zac had provided a lot of Life and Death-attuned materials for its upgrade , and after being purified and turned into alloys , they had mostly gained these colors naturally . The few with different colors had been altered by the Creators to not clash with the theme .

The bridge of the Yphelion looked a bit different compared to the one of the Starflash . For one , it was almost twice as big to accommodate a large floating sphere over five meters across . It was the core of the reconnaissance arrays , and ten administrators were sitting around it , continuously sifting through the endless data it spat out .

After building the first batch of ships , Zac immediately switched production to his own Cosmic Vessel . Thankfully , it had been completed with time to spare , which drastically increased the chance of their plan succeeding . Now , the vessel was hidden in a debris field at the edge of So’Liv Six’s solar system .

Obviously , the puppet Catheya gave him couldn’t be controlled over such vast distances . It was hastily constructed by an E-grade craftsman inside the Twilight Ascent , limited both by materials and the creator’s skill . But on the outside , they had no such limitations , and much of the internal machinery of the puppet had been replaced over the past weeks .

Even then , sending a signal across a whole solar system was easier said than done , which is why Zac had placed hundreds of repeaters between So’Liv Six and the debris field . This technology was something he’d tasked Ogras with testing out while he surveyed the neighboring planets around Earth .

It’d worked perfectly thanks to Calrin’s connections . The only downside was that the signal would be drowned out in regions with too many people and arrays . But there was no interference to speak of in a desolate forest of a mostly-deserted planet . This way , Zac could meet up with Catheya with peace of mind . Even if the Monarchs managed to trace the signal , there was no way for them to get close without the Yphelion’s powerful sensors picking something up .

In fact , Zac already knew that two Monarchs were hidden in the forest , both exhibiting energies at the Middle C-grade . Not only that , but there was one more staying in the Cosmic Vessel that had ferried Catheya to So’Liv Six three hours ago . It was proof of how seriously they were taking this meeting and how he’d been right not to trust a powerful faction like the Undead Empire blindly .

The hidden traps of the Boundless Vajra Sublimation] had engraved an important lesson on the dangers of the Multiverse deep into his bones , and it paid off today .

47

CAT AND MOUSE

Spotting the three Monarchs wasn’t only a confirmation that Zac was right to be occasionally paranoid . It was also proof of just how powerful the sensors of the Yphelion were . There wasn’t any way for him to actually see the Monarchs , but he could pinpoint their location with a hundred-meter precision across half the solar system . And even if they hid their presence , the Yphelion could somewhat estimate their strength by how the Cosmic Energy around them reacted to their presence .

Zac hoped this would be enough to deal with those sneaky elders . Even if the undead Monarchs managed to break through the protections of the repeaters and trace the signal , they still had to reach the Space Debris . By that point , Zac would be long gone , having jumped to a different dimension . From there , he could make his way to any number of planets at the edge of the Empire of Light .

Even the Monarchs would have to be careful about following him there . If the Empire of Light were a bunch of weaklings , they’d have been swallowed by the Kavriel Province long ago . They might not have as powerful Monarchs as the ones sent from the Undead Empire , but the Empire of Light possessed some of the most powerful arrays and fortifications in the Sector .

They’d reinforced their borders for millions of years , spending mindboggling resources on defensive arrays and other fortifications . And they were all designed to kill or weaken the undead . Not only that , but most of the top factions of Zecia had pitched in to construct this iron curtain so they wouldn’t have to deal with the Undead Empire .

You came as a puppet out of nostalgia? - Catheya said with a roll of her eyes . - I’m sure it has nothing to do with your paranoia . -

Well , it might have been a factor . You can never be too safe . - Zac laughed , but he chose not to expose that he knew about the Monarchs just yet . - How did things go on your end? You never provided a clear answer in the messages . -

No small talk as usual? - Catheya giggled , and Zac couldn’t help but sneak a peek at the impressive cleavage she was showcasing today . - I’d hoped that some time spent apart would have made your insensitive heart grow fonder . -

I’m working on my manners . - Zac smiled . - But people are already gunning for me left and right . I need to know if I should add the Undead Empire to the list . -

I guess that makes sense , - Catheya said , her face turning serious . - Before anything , there’s something I need to know , and don’t you dare lie . -

Zac was slightly surprised by the sudden shift in tone . He guessed Catheya’s handlers had left her with strict instructions . Perhaps she was even fed her lines from the Monarchs hiding in the bushes . The longer the meeting dragged on , the higher the risk was of something going wrong , so if they wanted to jump straight into business , he was amenable to that .

Alright , what is it? - Zac asked .

Do you really think I look pretty? - Catheya , her serious face breaking into a radiant smile .

What? That’s what you wanted to know? - Zac said with exasperation .

Of course . You said I looked nice . It hasn’t been easy dragging compliments out of you , so I just wanted to make sure . - Catheya grinned , and she even fluttered her eyelashes a bit .

Zac inwardly groaned . How could she act like this with three ancient monsters listening in? Was she trying to get in trouble? Besides , the situation was a bit embarrassing for him as well . It almost felt like having a girlfriend brazenly flirt with him in front of her grandparents . But what could he do but accommodate her? He didn’t want to talk to the ancestors just yet .

You really do , - Zac said . - It feels like you’ve become more in tune with the Dao . You must have worked hard on your cultivation over the past years . -

Zac hoped that was enough to get Catheya back on track , but she didn’t look too enthused about his answer . - Still a block of wood . Would it kill you to throw out some niceties unrelated to cultivation? -

That’s . . . - Zac hesitated , suddenly feeling a bit regretful over his perfunctory answer .

Even if you disregarded the matter of the Monarchs , this wasn’t his forte . He hadn’t been the best communicator even before the Integration , and the events since had only made it harder for him to open up . There was even a small voice in the back of his head warning him from allowing himself to be attracted to others . No matter if you looked at Alea , Thea , or Hannah , his romantic interests hadn’t fared so well since the Integration .

It made him think of Iz’s warning to Ogras , of how his powerful fate would drown the demon if he didn’t manage to elevate himself . No matter how you looked at it , the same could be said about the women around him . The cultists had targeted Hannah because of her relationship with him . Thea had been killed because of his mother’s ideals .

Alea was a bit different , but it was still undeniable she’d been put in the position where her soul was shattered because of him . Her fate had been swept up by his , and she had been thrust into his conflicts until she eventually paid the price . Even before then , she’d almost been killed because of him on multiple occasions .

At the same time , pretending to be oblivious was both rude and cowardly . Catheya deserved better than that , even if she was partly teasing him right now .

I— - Zac said , but he really didn’t know what should come after that .

Relax . - Catheya laughed . - I can hear the gears turning from here . Don’t worry . I know you’ve been forced to fully focus on the Dao just to survive . I still think you’ll improve after you join a proper faction and don’t have to fear every shadow . You can give me a proper answer by then . -

Zac was thankful to have been given an out . - What have you been up to since the Twilight Ascent? I was worried there for a bit , even if you had your master with you . I didn’t expect things to get so crazy . -

Apart from the year I’ve spent waiting for you here in Zecia , I’ve been staying at the Abyssal Lake . That place really is something . You’ll only be able to unlock the true potential of your heritage if you go there . You can’t imagine what it’s like standing on its shores . It’s like coming . . . home . -

Maybe one day . -

Zac wasn’t surprised Catheya’s elevation was related to the Abyssal Lake . After all , it was the holy land of the Draugr , and there had to be all kinds of opportunities waiting there . At the same time , Zac guessed it wasn’t the whole story . Because if everyone who visited the shores came out as powerful as Catheya , then the Draugr would already have become the leading race of the Undead Empire .

You don’t seem too interested , - Catheya said with a pout . - I’m telling you , that place is amazing . -

I believe you , - Zac laughed . - More importantly . I’ve been curious for a while . How did you know about the Orom? -

Whatever . One day you’ll realize I was right , and you were just obstinate . I can be magnanimous if need be . - Catheya smiled . - Alvod Jondir’s ascent made things a bit chaotic , as you can imagine . Such an important trade hub blew up , and even Divine Monarchs of the Undead Empire were killed and crippled . The Umbri’Zi Matriarch soon showed up to take charge of the situation . -

The top elder? - Zac exclaimed with some shock . - I thought those figures spent all their time in sealed cultivation chambers . -

Wouldn’t the ancestors go mad if they had to live like prisoners? - Catheya countered . - Either case , your name soon came up . An unknown E-grade Draugr causing so much trouble , it beggared comprehension . It was all recorded , you know . What you did inside the City of Ancients? -

Uh . . . - Zac coughed , suddenly doubly happy he’d chosen not to come in person .

What was it you said to that lunatic as you ruined her plans? - Since when has Draugr feared a bunch of bloodsuckers?’ - Catheya grinned . - I have to admit , you were quite dashing there . It’s a shame the conclusion was lost because of some sort of interference . -

That wasn’t my— - Zac said .

Relax . Those people only had themselves to blame . Who asked them to fish for opportunities in Draugr territories? In either case , between your performance and my introduction , Reyna Umbri’Zi was quite interested in you . But we couldn’t find you . Not even your corpse—that thing you prepared was pretty good , but it wasn’t enough to fool a motivated Autarch .

Lady Umbri’Zi figured something was wrong after a lot of bodies had simply disappeared in the aftermath of the Twilight Ascent , and she found out about that Voidcatcher with the help of her skills , - Catheya sighed . - Even then , she only managed to track it down because of some powerful energy fluctuations that could be felt far and wide . We ultimately learned about your fate from an Izh’Rak Reaver called Kaldor . -

You met Kaldor? - Zac exclaimed . - Is he okay? -

I only read the reports , but he’s fine . Reyna Umbri’Zi sensed there were imperials trapped within that fish’s body and she had it spit them all out . Along with some monks , apparently , due to an agreement , - Catheya said .

Zac sighed in relief upon hearing that both Kaldor and Pavina were fine . Both had taught him a lot during his stay in the Orom World , especially Pavina . But while he had helped Hera escape with the help of the seed , Pavina had been left behind . She’d stopped him when he tried to give her a hint about his imminent escape , but the matter still weighed on his heart over the past year .

However , there was one thing Zac had some difficulty understanding . Kaldor and the Umbri’Zi ancestor had saved Three Virtues and his fellow monks? - Since when were you guys so friendly with the Sangha? -

It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was Three Virtues and his subordinates who’d been released . But why? The Sangha and the Undead Empire as a whole might not be mortal enemies , but they definitely weren’t allies either .

Well , for one , the leader among the monks had a pretty lofty position with the Sea of Tranquility , one of the Four Oceans of the Sangha , - Catheya said with some fear in her eyes . - The Oceans are incredibly powerful and even more reclusive than the Mountains and Temples . They have never joined in on the crusade against the Undead Empire , apart from some of their Acolytes coming along to temper themselves . The elders didn’t want to poke that hornet’s nest . Attacking them might have summoned some terrifying Deva . -

The Sangha is that powerful? - Zac exclaimed . - They’ve caused you such a headache even without the top branches of the faction joining in? -

Well , they’re not considered a true peak faction without reason , - Catheya shrugged . - But much of their strength comes from their consecrated grounds and seclusion . They wouldn’t be able to exhibit the same level of power when emerging from their Holy Lands . -

It was hard to imagine that shifty monk , Three Virtues , as some bigshot . Though Zac guessed it made sense . Three Virtues and Lord 84th were only splinters of the Lotus Emperor . And if a single fragment was a powerful cultivator who could become a Divine Monarch any time , then the Lotus Emperor was most likely a Late Autarch .

His shocking action of splitting his soul into 100 , 000 splinters and having them enter the cycle of reincarnation might be a bid to grasp the insight needed to become a Supremacy . To kill someone like that could create a huge problem for the Undead Empire .

That’s not all , - Catheya added as she looked at Zac oddly .

What? Something related to me? - Zac asked .

Well , yes and no . It turned out Commander Kaldor hadn’t been swallowed by the Orom on accident , and neither had that monk . They both had missions to investigate the Orom’s actions . And according to the monk , Karma had been sown . Harming him would have a negative effect on their goals . -

Goals? The Orom’s actions? What’s going on? - Zac said with confusion . - Is it related to how it swallowed a bunch of cultivators left and right? -

That was just a means to an end , - Catheya said . - You should know those kinds of creatures normally don’t appear in the frontiers . The Cosmic Energy is too sparse to sustain Autarchs , especially such large beings . -

I know , that’s why it had to keep feeding , - Zac said .

But do you know why it stayed here , barely surviving at the edges of the universe? -

I figured it was too weak or cowardly to contend for a domain in the central regions , - Zac shrugged .

Actually , the Orom was part of a powerful faction , the Starbeast Alliance . That big spacefish would be one of its weaker core members . It was traveling across the frontier on a mission . Had been for millions of years . -

A mission for what? - Zac asked .

That was what the Izh’Rak Reavers wanted to know after finding out about the Orom . Anything that would prompt a Primordial Beast to spend millions of years had to be pretty impressive , right? Something that would make powerful factions like the Starbeast Alliance mad with desire , - Catheya said as she looked at him with a pointed gaze . - Can you think of something like that here on the frontier? -

Don’t tell me . . . - Zac muttered .

The thing you unearthed , - Catheya nodded in confirmation . - The Starbeast Alliance knew about that place somehow and has been searching for it for so long . Unfortunately for them , they encountered a wandering calamity like you , and their plans were exposed . Now , the Reavers are here for the prize , but we Draugr have also staked a claim . Partly because of you , partly because this is Draugr territory . -

So that’s how it was , - Zac said as a wry smile appeared on his face back on the Yphelion .

The Orom really was a bit unlucky . It’d searched for Ultom for millions of years , only to have its plans exposed because of Iz Tayn’s grudge against him . The huge commotion Catheya mentioned was undoubtedly the flames of Iz’s terrifying Dao Guardian , which led to the Orom being exposed even with its comprehension of the Dao of Space .

The Orom’s involvement in all this could also explain why the Reavers were here in Zecia . To think that brute Kaldor was actually a covert agent seeking clues . No wonder he stayed on even if he could confirm his Dao any time he wanted .

I still can’t believe the Orom was looking for the Eternal Heritage , - Zac muttered . - Did you guys kill it? -

No , - Catheya said . - Reyna Umbri’Zi wanted to , but she was only here in the frontier with a clone . It wasn’t powerful enough , allowing the Primordial Beast to use some sort of forbidden skill and break free of her hold . But it shouldn’t be able to recover in the short run . -

The others inside? - Zac asked , but he sighed when Catheya only shook her head .

This was the likely outcome for most of those trapped by that Primordial Beast , but it was still sad to have it confirmed . Many faces flashed past his eyes . People he’d met during his years trapped in the Orom . The Multiverse could be a cruel place . That some , including those closest to him , survived and managed to get out was at least a small comfort .

You know . . . - Catheya said , dragging Zac out of his thoughts . - I know you wanted to discuss this with me , but there are real representatives waiting on the ship that took me here . People with actual influence . If you want , I can call them— -

No need , - Zac cut her off before turning the puppet’s head in a certain direction . - In fact , if I see one of them make a move , I’ll consider that as the end of this meeting . That includes the two elders hiding in the bushes . -

The what? - Catheya blurted , genuine confusion written all over her face .

A powerful snort echoed through the room a moment later , and a mighty pressure descended before it quickly disappeared . Zac didn’t care—his real body was far away , after all . He was more interested to see that the two backed off and had teleported into their Cosmic Vessel .

Keep a close watch on that ship . Make sure it’s not up to something , - Zac said to the administrators on the Yphelion before refocusing on Catheya .

That’s— - Catheya stuttered with a mix of resentment and helplessness . - I’m sorry , I didn’t know . It’s just that this is such an important matter , and I’m only a junior . I’m not qualified . But they’re back on the vessel now , and we’ll make reparations for this transgression . -

It’s okay . -

He really wasn’t too upset over the Monarchs hiding . If anything , it allowed him to showcase that he wasn’t some fool they could take advantage of , while also giving him an edge in the upcoming negotiations .

Besides , the Undead Empire would have to be crazy if they didn’t at least try something . Truthfully , he would have done the same if he were in their shoes . This wasn’t some random trade . It was an Eternal Heritage . If someone with the key to the inheritance had just strolled up to him , Zac would probably have kidnapped him as well if it was a matter of life and death for Earth .

Just like Ogras said , cultivation had always been a war for resources . It was simply a part of the struggles in reaching for the peak . Zac held no delusions they would stop after this one attempt either . It was unavoidable when being the weaker party , but he would be able to extract more benefits after every attempt , provided he managed to thwart them .

This was the dance of cat and mouse Zac would have to endure until he could lay down the law with his axe .

48

ASSET OR LIABILITY

We can talk about the heritage and reparations later . Let’s go back to where we left off , - Zac said . - So , what’s the verdict? Discounting the thing brewing here in Zecia , does the Abyssal Shores consider me an asset or a liability? -

There were many things Zac needed to cover with Catheya , but the first thing he needed to do was to sound out his value as an individual to the Undead Empire . Even if he knew he’d never measure up to something like Ultom , he’d be safer the more valuable his identity as an Edgwalker was . It might make the Monarchs of the Empire think twice before trying to sacrifice him and instead lean toward plans that didn’t include him dying .

Asset or liability? Well , you tell me , Mr . Arcaz Umbri’Zi , - Catheya winked .

What? - Zac said .

As I said , the Umbri’Zi Matriarch was intrigued by you , and she chose to cover for your actions . They claimed you were a hidden scion of their clan , and you accidentally went a bit overboard in the Mystic Realm when completing some tasks . Officially , you’re currently in secluded cultivation to reflect on your actions . Congratulations , you’ve gone from a frontier hick to one of the most eligible Draugr bachelors in this generation . - Catheya smiled .

Well , it’s not like the title is real , - Zac snorted .

No , it’s real , - Catheya said with a shake of her head . - I’m quite jealous . You’ll be sent straight to the Abyssal Shores when you return for further training . And here . -

Catheya placed three items on the table . They all looked extremely impressive , but one drew Zac’s attention more than the others . After all , he’d seen that thing before—it was a Perennial Vastness Token .

This is a small greeting gift from the Abyssal Shores and Clan Umbri’Zi . Things prepared before the situation became . . . complicated , - Catheya said with a pointed look . - I know you recognize that token . Lady Reyna took it from the Twilight Lord’s own hands . That’s the benefit of being part of a top-tier faction . -

From Alvod? What happened with that guy? - Zac asked curiously .

He succeeded with his ascent , and now he’s a Grand Deacon of the Radiant Temple , - Catheya shrugged .

You guys didn’t kill him? - Zac asked with surprise .

Catheya laughed . - Why should we? He has a deep grudge against the Havarok Empire , and he has no scruples . If anything , the Empire would be more inclined to send him Longevity Treasures so he can keep causing trouble . -

Well , alright then . - Zac smiled as he took the Perennial Vastness Token and looked at the intricate seal on its surface .

Who could have thought he would end up getting the token Alvod promised him all those years ago? The problem was he already had one .

Are you sure you’re okay with giving this thing away? - Zac asked . - I can tell you’re getting ready to break through as well . -

Who do you take me for? - Catheya said arrogantly . - If you can get one , then why can’t I? -

Zac looked on with surprise as a second token appeared in her hand , this one identical to the one Zac held . - You got one as well? Since when were they so common? -

Finder’s fee . Introducing you came with some benefits . And while these things aren’t common , they’re not unique wonders of the Multiverse . If the Twilight Harbor can get one , then surely the Abyssal Shores can pick up a few . I was thinking we could go together . I still don’t know exactly how things work in there , but having someone to watch your back can’t hurt . -

Sounds good , - Zac said as he pocketed the token . - I still need a few years to shore up my foundations , though . -

It looked like he had some good news for Ogras when he returned . Vilari and Joanna were two other candidates , but he knew it was too early for them . Vilari wanted to push her soul further before breaking through , while Joanna sought to gain insights into her Path on the battlefield . That left Ogras , who was almost ready to enter Hegemony just like himself .

That’s fine , - Catheya said . - I want to improve my foundations a bit before ascending as well . We can figure things out as the date gets closer . -

Sure . What are the other things? - Zac asked as he looked at the two other items—an engraved box that almost seemed to shift in and out of reality , and an opaque vial that exuded a pervasive darkness .

The first one is called the Essence of the Abyss] . - A great longing lingered in Catheya’s eyes as she looked at the vial . - Just like its name indicates , it contains the essence of the Abyssal Lake . It can’t completely replace the real thing , but it will partly awaken your Draugr heritage . Opening at least one Hidden Node is a foregone conclusion . -

Zac’s brows furrowed a bit aboard the Yphelion as he looked at the vial . - How long can it be saved? Is it usable in the D-grade? -

What? - Catheya said with confusion . - Why would you save it? You know , most Draugr would kill for this thing . Only a limited number of people can receive a true awakening every year , and creating this elixir removes a few of those slots . It doesn’t have any drawbacks . It’s a free elevation . -

My Draugr side is pretty powerful as is , - Zac sighed . - Too strong , and there might be trouble when forming my core . -

Zac obviously wouldn’t mind getting a free power-up , especially with more Hidden Nodes on the line . However , he already had his plate full catching up to his Draugr side with the Void Vajra Sublimation] . The past month had resulted in more progress than he’d expected , but it wasn’t like he would reach a state of Life-Death equilibrium with years to spare .

If he suddenly awakened his Eoz bloodline with this treasure , there was simply no way to push his human side to the same level before the war started . There was still a chance it wouldn’t matter for forming his Cultivator’s Core , that his Daos being in balance would be enough . But the deeper his understanding of Duality became , the more he believed Three Virtues had been right in this regard .

Having an imbalance between the two elements would lead to an imperfect outcome , at the very least . It might make the core formation impossible for someone with a massive foundation like Zac . As a mortal , you had to thread a needle as you forcibly constructed a core powerful enough to carry your cultivation . If he also had to constantly keep watch to prevent the Death-attuned side from overwhelming the Life-attuned side , the difficulty would skyrocket .

I-I’m not sure , - Catheya said . - You can still awaken your bloodline as a Hegemon , but I don’t think you’d be able to open your Hidden Nodes . Hidden Nodes are like small gateways into another dimension . When you attach a Cultivator’s Core to your pathways , the surge of energy will wipe the slate , destroying or burying these entrances . Opening Hidden Nodes is difficult on its own , and doing it as a Hegemon is far too difficult . -

Zac nodded thoughtfully , not sure what to do . It would really be too much of a waste not to open the Hidden Nodes while he had the chance . Perhaps if he could find some equally good body-refining treasures with Life-attunement? Maybe he could even have the Undead Empire source some treasures for him .

That actually didn’t seem like a bad idea . Many of the Empire’s enemies used Life-attuned treasures to deal with the Miasma of the Undead , and they should have seized mountains of the stuff over the years . Those items were essential to them . At the same time , they couldn’t just sell them through some back channels since that might come back and haunt them later .

Well , I don’t have a solution in this regard . But the third gift might be useful if you can find one on your own , - Catheya added , making Zac curiously look up from the vial .

What’s that? - Zac asked .

I can’t open it , but it’s a Self-contained Temporal Chamber with three years sealed inside . -

A Temporal Chamber? - Zac hesitated . - That sounds a bit— -

Dangerous . That was the word Zac left out . Temporal Chambers were something that Zac had wanted to get his hands on for a while now . He’d heard of how Va Tapek had made Catheya cultivate in a Temporal Chamber for a year , allowing her to quickly gain her levels in time for the Twilight Ascent .

The downside for her had been the inability to cultivate the Dao for that duration , but that didn’t matter to Zac . He couldn’t improve his Daos through meditation in either case and rather needed to deal with his constitution and soul . For him , a Temporal Chamber sounded like the perfect solution to his current time crunch .

Unfortunately , reality didn’t always match up to expectations . After discussing the matter with Calrin , he soon found that things weren’t so simple . There were a few solutions where you could lessen the impact of time , where two years would pass on the outside while you only aged one . You essentially blocked out some of the Dao of Time to accomplish this effect .

These methods were unsurprisingly popular among aging ancestors , who sealed themselves to protect their descendants for longer . Or to wait for their descendants to gather resources or source some critical treasure for their breakthrough . But to cheat time in the other direction was even harder .

You had to harness the Dao of Time to speed up the passage of time in a certain area or subspace . The slightest imbalance could create Temporal Rifts , something just as deadly as Spatial Rifts but even harder to defend against . Constructing something like that was incredibly difficult and not something Zac could buy on the open market .

And even if Zac managed to get one , would he dare use it? A single fault or imperfection , and he risked getting ripped apart at a moment’s notice . Just starting such an array could kick up a temporal storm , as could shutting it off . Even the natural energy flows of Earth could suddenly create a small but deadly imbalance .

The only reason Catheya could have enjoyed such an opportunity was by having a Peak C-grade master . Calrin guessed that Va Tapek had sped up time in a section of his Inner World , a subspace where the laws of the universe were more malleable . That way , Va Tapek could personally control the Time Chamber and suppress any errant energy flows for the entire duration . And it wasn’t like Zac had a Peak Monarch in his back pocket to help him with this .

Ultimately , these kinds of cultivation tools weren’t something you’d see on the frontier , and you’d most likely require an Array Master or Temporal Cultivator to run it . That’s why Zac was cautious , even if the sender was the Undead Empire . A portable , unmanned Temporal Chamber sounded too dangerous , and no one in Port Atwood would be able to tell whether it was starting to fail .

I know what you’re thinking , but you don’t need to worry , - Catheya said . - This is not some rinky-dink array you’d find in the frontier . Reyna Umbri’Zi personally crafted this domain at no small cost . You might not know this , but she’s a Late Autarch and a Temporal Cultivator . This thing is even more stable than a planet . -

Zac’s brows rose in surprise . He hadn’t thought the Umbri’Zi ancestor to be a Temporal Cultivator . He had to admit , if someone like that created the Temporal Chamber , it was definitely safe to use . Provided it wasn’t some sort of trap , that is .

What’s the temporal ratio? - Zac asked .

There is none , - Catheya said . - As I said , the item contains three years . After you enter , the timer will start . When you leave three years later , no time will have passed . -

What! - Zac exclaimed , and he gave the box a second look . This was way beyond what he’d expected .

It was just like the Spatial Chamber technique Vai had explained to him , and the one Leyara’s Templar squad had utilized to set up hidden camps . Creating something like that in the main dimension was incredibly difficult . But something told Zac it would be even harder to accomplish with a Temporal Chamber .

Zac looked at the box with desire . Time in a box , an incredibly valuable item for someone short on time but with thousands of years left on his lifespan . - Can the ancestor make more of these things? -

She probably could , but it’s dangerous to use these kinds of items too much , - Catheya said .

Because of the Dao? - Zac asked .

Not only that . Unless you’re a Temporal Cultivator , then stepping outside of time will gradually detach you from your timeline . In the early stages of overconsumption , it will feel like your surroundings will randomly speed up or speed down . It can cause quite a headache during critical situations . If you ignore the signs and keep stealing time , your body will eventually be unable to withstand it . You would become unable to reenter the timeline without being ripped apart by temporal storms .

The ancestor estimated three years was the limit for you . Any more might affect your breakthrough to the D-grade , forcing you to take a few years to harmonize with the river of time . This is especially true considering time is apparently dilated inside the Perennial Vastness . So the sooner you use this thing , the better . -

Zac nodded in understanding . He should have guessed nothing came for free on the road of cultivation . It seemed like Temporal Chambers were like the Cosmic Water he’d used during the first month of the Integration . A little bit was fine , but overindulging could create immense problems . Even pills were this way with the pill toxins and immunity .

Still , gaining three full years was huge . It almost doubled the amount of time he had to train and prepare . If he could speed up his Body Tempering , it might just be enough to cultivate the third layer of the Void Vajra Sublimation] . That way , it should be fine using the Essence of the Abyss] .

It would also give him even more time to study the rules of Duality , a subject that was becoming increasingly abstruse , even with the help of the lake water . The only problem was the Moss Crystal and the five-year deadline . He didn’t know if there was some hidden timer within the crystal , which would erupt when the time was up . If it were , he’d have to figure out a solution before heading to the Perennial Vastness .

But as Zac saw it , that was a negligible downside in the face of these potential benefits .

These items are all amazing . Convey my thanks to the Umbri’Zi representative , - Zac said .

These things are just a small gift from the elders , - Catheya said . - When you go to the Abyssal Shores , your cultivation requirements will all be taken care of . -

Zac couldn’t help but feel suspicious over this treatment . No matter what Catheya said , a Perennial Vastness Token had to be rare , even in the Undead Empire . For them to give him one meant a Heaven’s Chosen would miss out . They even gave one to Catheya in a not-so-discrete effort to send someone with him .

The Essence of the Abyss] and the top-quality Time Chamber were even more valuable . Zac doubted that even the descendants of the Umbri’Zi could freely enjoy such things . On the surface , it sounded like a meat pie had fallen from the sky , an opportunity to further his cultivation . It was obvious these items came with strings attached .

So what’s going on , and don’t tell me it’s your bargaining skills , - Zac said , drawing an annoyed humph from Catheya . - Do they value an Edgewalker that highly? -

Well , no , - Catheya said , and she actually looked a bit conflicted . - That’s . . . Well , the Umbri’Zi and the Abyssal Shores were interested because of something else . -

What then? - Zac asked with a frown . - I’m sure the Empire isn’t lacking elites , judging by what a pain in the ass Uona was to take down . -

Do you remember what I told you about the history of the Undead Empire? - Catheya asked . - About the dark ages? -

Of course , - Zac nodded .

The Draugr lost a lot during those years . So many succumbed to the environment . Altogether , over a third of our heritage is gone , - Catheya sighed . - Did you know? It has been over two hundred million years since we encountered unattached Draugr from the outside . When they were welcomed back into the fold , one of the Draugr branches gained a previously lost Hidden Node . -

Don’t tell me , - Zac said with surprise .

The thing that interests the Abyssal Shores is ultimately not your ability to become human . It’s the fact you might carry something we lost all those years ago . You might be able to strengthen our race as a whole , - Catheya said , becoming serious again . - Do you know which of the Draugr branches you’re a part of? -

Zac didn’t immediately answer , and instead countered with a question of his own . - Which branches does the Draugr currently have? Which ones are complete , and which are missing? -

I’ve been instructed not to divulge that , - Catheya said with a wry smile .

Figures , - Zac snorted as he slowly tapped the table .

He’d been going back and forth about whether he should hide his bloodline or hope to use it as a bargaining chip . Now , it turned out his perceived value as an Edgewalker was considered useless , while everything hinged on which ancestor he had .

If the Eoz branch was alive and well back in the Abyssal Lakes , he would just be another junior . He might not only become expendable here , but even lose the support of the Umbri’Zi .

Ultimately , Zac chose to trust his guts and roll the dice . Right now , he didn’t have any true value in the eyes of the Abyssal Shores . In their eyes , he was a mere gamble , a small chance to regain a Hidden Node or two . As far as they were concerned , he was far more likely to be one of the weaker or complete bloodlines .

But if it turned out the Eoz branch was missing , or at least incomplete , his value would suddenly skyrocket in the eyes of the Abyssal Shores . After all , Zac was pretty sure Eoz was one of the strongest branches of the Draugr .

My bloodline is that of Eoz . In my vision , I was the third to emerge from the Abyssal Lake , - Zac said .

The Vanguard! - Catheya exclaimed as her eyes widened in shock , but she barely had time to finish her statement before a tremendous pressure descended on the room .

Child , is what you said true? -

49

THE VANGUARD

At first it seemed as though the voice appeared out of thin air . But mid-sentence , it focused into a singular point as another Draugr appeared in the room’s doorway . His aura was restrained , but Zac felt like he was looking into a churning maw when gazing in his direction . According to the readouts from the Yphelion , he was one of the two who’d stayed in the woods earlier .

That was actually a surprise to Zac . If he had to guess , this Draugr was a Peak Monarch , not a Middle C-grade cultivator like the Yphelion indicated . Even among Monarchs , this had to be an uncommonly powerful warrior . Furthermore , there was something different about him .

The Monarch reminded Zac a bit of the Essence of the Abyss] . It was like his very presence was swallowing all light around him . Catheya had gained a hint of this sort of aura , but it was just a shadow of what this man exhibited . In other words , he probably had awakened his bloodline multiple times or stayed for prolonged durations in the Abyssal Lake .

Chil—no , young man , is what you said true? - the Monarch said . - Does the bloodline of Eoz flow through your veins? -

Lord Tem’Zul! - Catheya exclaimed as she stood .

Zac frowned at Catheya’s words . She’d greeted the Monarch out of respect , but her words also acted as a clue . Tem’Zul? So , yet another branch had arrived in Zecia , one Zac had never heard of before . Zac expected the Monarch to be another Azol , but this muddied the waters even further .

Unfortunately , Zac didn’t have the information needed to deduce anything from this man’s name , so he felt it best to distance himself for now .

I thought I made myself clear , - Zac said , instructing the puppet to stand to leave .

Wait , wait , - the Catheya urgently said . - The news you sprung on us is just too big . This is Lord Laz Tem’Zul , the Dao Guardian of Tavza An’Azol and a permanent resident of the Abyssal Shores . He can answer any quest— -

I don’t care , - Zac interjected as he put the Perennial Vastness Token and Essence of the Abyss] into the large pockets of the puppet’s robe .

This is my mistake . I had not expected to hear that name today , - the Draugr warrior sighed as he placed a black crystal and a Spatial Ring on the table . - Here , take these things as my apology . Please carry on . -

A moment later , he was gone , but Zac made no move to sit down .

Don’t be like this , - Catheya said with a helpless shake of her head . - The elders just got excited . I think you’ve figured out that the name Eoz holds significant meaning to us . Please , let’s sit down and discuss this? -

Fine , but only for you . This is the last time , - Zac said as he picked up the ring and the crystal . - If they keep butting in during our conversation , I’ll just leave , even if I have to sacrifice this puppet and the treasures . -

Of course , - Catheya nodded . - Now , is what you said really true? Is your bloodline Eoz? -

What’re these things? - Zac asked , ignoring her questions .

Catheya clearly wanted to press the issue , but relented . - The Crystal is a database of Draugr genealogy . It has information about all Draugr branches , including your own . The information can help you better understand your lineage and how to make the most out of it . -

Something you probably would have given me anyway? - Zac scoffed .

No . That’s a primer from the Abyssal Shores . It’s not something we’d normally hand out . We just planned on comparing your aura to the database in the crystal . But if you’re an Eoz , it’s moot . Instead , you can read about your branch’s history and your future brothers and sisters . As for the ring , it has various rare treasures useful when forming a core and shoring up one’s foundation afterward . Now , can you tell me what’s going on? -

I’m pretty sure my bloodline is Eoz , - Zac confirmed . - That’s what I saw in my vision when I opened a node called Adamance of Eoz] . You’re free to believe me or not . -

What vision are you talking about? - Catheya asked .

Didn’t you see one when you opened your nodes? - Zac asked . - I remember the depths of the Abyssal Lake , the sense of belonging . And then . . . -

Then what? - Catheya’s curiosity was visibly growing .

Is Eoz a missing bloodline? - Zac asked instead of answering .

It’s all in the crystal , - Catheya said with exasperation .

I can’t read it with this puppet , so humor me , - Zac said .

Fine . Rather than lost or missing , it’s more apt to say they sacrificed themselves to give the Draugr a chance at survival . -

During the Dark Ages? - Zac asked .

Exactly . As the System was born , the universe was drained of energy , and the Abyssal Lake somehow . . . sealed itself . Our environment was rapidly deteriorating , and we knew we had to move . But where could we go? Until that point , the Draugr had been content staying by the lake , and we knew very little about the rest of the universe .

So we set out without any clear goal or destination in sight . We could only tell that some dimensions weren’t as affected as others , and some unique environments could resist the System’s drain . -

Special environments? - Zac asked .

Things like certain Ancient and Immemorial Realms . There are special places in the main dimensions as well , unique regions that can be deadly even to Supremacies , - Catheya said .

Sounds pretty dangerous . -

It was , but what could the ancestors do but forge ahead? And among the Draugr , none were as resilient as the descendants of Eoz . Your Miasma lasted longer , and you could resist all kinds of dangerous environments that would severely weaken or even kill the others . Thus , your branch took on the roles of advance-scouts during the dark ages . They became the Vanguard , those who forged ahead into those dangerous zones and realms in search of safe harbor . -

Zac wasn’t surprised when he heard Catheya’s description . The first part sounded just like the effect of Adamance of Eoz] , and it seemed the other parts of the bloodline further improved survivability . Truthfully , Zac would have preferred a bloodline that was a bit more rounded or one improving his speed to make up for his lacking focus in Dexterity and mobility .

But ultimately , survival always came first , so it was by no means bad news to hear he apparently had the Draugr Tank bloodline .

You can understand how dangerous such an undertaking was , - Catheya continued . - None sacrificed more than the children of Eoz during our great migration , even though your branch are the ones best suited for survival . One by one , the Vanguard found temporary harbors that allowed us to survive a bit longer .

But you should know , Death-attuned worlds were barely a thing back then . The Dao wasn’t as accessible , so most places we found were things like ancient battlefields or other anomalies . Eventually , those places ran out of Miasma , and we were forced to keep moving .

The leaders all knew this , so the Vanguard never stopped searching . They kept going , traveling the Multiverse , searching for a more permanent solution . Unfortunately , they never found it . By the time we joined up with the Founders and discovered the Empire Heartlands , the branch of Eoz had already fallen , - Catheya sighed .

It is the only branch that’s completely missing . Honestly , I still can’t believe this . How can you possibly carry the bloodline of Eoz? Are there more of you? -

I can’t comment on the first question , - Zac said . - But you shouldn’t expect anyone else to pop up . -

He obviously wouldn’t tell them about the Corpselord Clan that had somehow stumbled onto a perfectly sealed corpse of the Eoz bloodline . So long as he remained unique , he was valuable . Looking back at it now , that poor Draugr Mahl’s brother found had most likely been a descendant of one of those scouts who’d set out from the rest of the Draugr .

That’s a shame , - Catheya said , but she didn’t look very disappointed . - So , then what happened? In your vision? -

Zac digested the news of his ancestors before continuing . - As I said , I was deep underwater in the Abyss . No past , no future . Then , I felt the pull from above , and I started to swim toward the surface as new thoughts and impressions filled my mind . It wasn’t easy , like the Abyssal Lake didn’t want to let me go , but I pushed on . By the time I crawled onto the shores , two were already standing there—Mez and Azol . -

Ancestral Descent? Just how pure is your bloodline? - Catheya muttered with disbelief .

It sounds like my bloodline is a pretty good one , - Zac smiled .

I was kind of joking before when I said you’d become a top bachelor in the Heartlands . Now , it’s probably true , - Catheya said . - You’re a living Bloodline Patriarch , sole inheritor of a whole bloodline . And by the sound of it , your bloodline is incredibly pure . Rekindling a bloodline can be incredibly difficult , but it should be possible with your power and your bloodline’s purity . -

Just remember that for our upcoming talk , - Zac said . - Now , what do you want to know about the Eternal Heritage , and what are you guys willing to pay? -

You’re essentially a core member of the Undead Empire already , - Catheya said with a pout . - Why the need for secrecy and trade-offs? Why not just work together on making sure we get our hands on the Left Imperial Palace? The competition will be incredibly fierce . We’ve already received word that at least one Imperial Clan is on their way . -

Imperial Clan? - Zac asked curiously .

Zac could tell Catheya wasn’t talking about some random Empire when she said Imperial Clan . It made him think of Leyara and her mention of Nine Imperial Bloodlines . He’d tried to dig into what she meant by that , but she never really answered him . With the Left Imperial Palace being in the center of all this , it wasn’t hard to figure out what Empire it all related to .

Remnants from the Limitless Empire , - Catheya said , confirming Zac’s hunch . - The most powerful factions of the Limitless Empire collapsed almost immediately when their undertaking was finished . The System’s awakening killed off too many patriarchs and great generals . But out of the ashes , seven phoenixes rose .

A few clans acted more decisively than others , turning on the Empire the moment they saw which way the wind blew . They attacked their masters and pillaged the treasures of the Limitless Empire . Not much later , the great beings of the Multiverse realized what Emperor Limitless had done and descended on the Limitless Empire with fury . But by that point , these seven clans were long gone , having stolen the riches and hidden in various corners of the Multiverse .

They only emerged much later , when the energy returned to the Multiverse . And they were more powerful than ever . Using their stolen foundation , they are all incredibly powerful factions to this day . Except for one clan that was exterminated for some reason . -

Seven clans , with six remaining? - Zac hummed , thinking back to Leyara’s words . - Not nine of them? -

Not that I know , - Catheya said with a shake of her head .

These seven factions , were they top-tier powers within the Limitless Empire? - Zac asked .

No , - Catheya said . - If they were , they would have been present for the System’s awakening and absorbed with the rest of the leaders . These seven clans were either middling factions or upstarts . But make no mistake , that was then . Today , they’re all genuine A-grade factions with unfathomable foundations . -

Were they perhaps different? Sounded like it . Zac didn’t feel these people were the ones Leyara spoke of . Perhaps the Nine Imperial Bloodlines referred to lineages of those close to Emperor Limitless , lineages that were gone or diluted by this point in time .

Working together is fine , but there are some small things I want from the Undead Empire first , - Zac said .

Catheya smiled . - I expected as much . -

First of all , I don’t like the idea of compulsions . I can join the Undead Empire down the road , but I don’t wish to be restrained like that , - Zac said .

That’s impossible . Those are fundament— - Catheya froze , then looked at Zac in shock . - Guess I was wrong . They agreed . You’re technically already a councilor of the Abyssal Shores , provided your bloodline is that of Eoz . Of course , that’s just an empty title without the actual power of the position until you become at least a Late Autarch . Until then , you can stay on as Arcaz Umbri’Zi while enjoying certain special privileges .

That way , you would have an official position in the Undead Empire without technically joining it . In return , you’d only have access to the Draugr domains . If you wished to travel through the other regions , you would have to get permission first . Provided your official allegiance remains to your own faction , you would also be unable to access certain System-maintained features , - Catheya continued , looking more and more confused by the words transmitted to her . - I can’t believe they’re making this kind of accommodation . -

So , what’s the catch? - Zac asked .

Apart from providing us with information , you have to assist our side inside the inheritance when possible , - Catheya said . - Also , if you find a trove , our representatives get the first pick . Finally , there is a certain item inside the palace you need to help bring out , if possible , whether you manage to join up with our representatives or not . -

What item? - Zac asked with genuine confusion .

The conditions were mostly fine . Giving the Undead Empire the first pick was the only one that might smart a bit , but there was a real chance a situation like that might not even occur . As for forming an alliance and information sharing , that was already something Zac wanted in either case .

The most interesting thing was the third condition , the unnamed specific item the Undead Empire wanted . Between the second and the third conditions , it almost seemed like this was their real mission .

Perhaps they already knew that swallowing the whole Eternal Heritage was too difficult . The competition would be incredibly fierce with people like Iz Tayn and these imperials showing up , and that was just the start . The Undead Empire was already an embattled force and trying to monopolize a second Eternal Heritage might be more than some ancient factions could accept .

If that were the case , it was better to lower your expectations a bit and take something that could benefit the Undead Empire but might not necessarily create too many problems on the outside . The question was what kind of item this was and how the Undead Empire knew about it .

They can’t tell you right now , - Catheya said , but she quickly continued when Zac grunted with annoyance . - They don’t know . This is a command from the Heartlands . They haven’t given us the specifics either . Perhaps they’re afraid of the details leaking . -

Zac thoughtfully went over the information . Honestly , Zac was a bit surprised they agreed outright to his main condition without pushing back at all . It really seemed a bit suspicious . Then again , what were some accommodations for a junior in the face of an Eternal Heritage?

The problem was assurances . They could promise things left and right , but it was ultimately up to them to follow through in the future . It wasn’t like there was a complaints department he could turn to if they simply threw him to the wayside after this was all said and done . And did these representatives even have the status to promise these things?

It’s easy to promise things , but what guarantees can you provide? -

Before the inheritance , you will have an official writ signed by the Primo himself , witnessed and consecrated by the System . Breaking that would turn the System against us , essentially making it a pledge to the Heavens , - Catheya said . - I don’t know about these things , but apparently , you will be able to tell its authenticity upon seeing it . -

Aboard the Yphelion , Zac glanced at Ogras , but he shook his head after Zac repeated what Catheya said . He had no idea if something like that was real or not . Zac’s guts told him it was possible .

Even C-grade cultivators could somewhat use the System for their benefit , from having it issue quests to stopping it from teleporting people away . It didn’t seem like such a stretch for someone like the Primo to have the System witness an agreement . If it was real , then Zac was mostly satisfied .

Such a writ was like a poison pill—they could still break the agreement or kill him , but there was no reason to do so unless the benefits outweighed the costs . And killing him after the inheritance would serve no purpose and only rob them of his bloodline .

That’s fine , but what if your people fail to get a slot? - Zac said . - I can’t be responsible for that . -

As long as you do your best in helping us , the offer stands . We can only blame our inadequacy for not gaining access , - Catheya nodded .

That’s fair . My second condition is that— -

There is a second condition? - Catheya scoffed . - Be careful not to get overstuffed . -

I still think there’s room for more , - Zac laughed .

Catheya sighed , then a wide smile spread across her face . - What is it? -

50

THE ROAD FORWARD

Catheya stood just outside the temporary building , looking on as the automaton walked into the woods toward the closest settlement . She was filled with a mix of disappointment and relief that Arcaz hadn’t appeared in person . It would have been nice seeing him again , but these shifty elders were up to no good , no matter what they said to her .

That by itself was a huge headache . They didn’t trust her and only divulged details at the last moment . Even now , she didn’t know whether the promises and agreements she had put forth were real . Thankfully , Arcaz seemed to understand that much , and he didn’t appear to hold it against her .

A moment later , she sensed a shift in the air , and she turned around to see five people standing behind her .

Good job , - Enis said .

I was just repeating the words said to me , - Catheya sighed .

You made some alterations , - Tavza said as she expressionlessly looked at Catheya .

It’s because you don’t understand how things work here , - Catheya said with a roll of her eyes . - He’s not a junior from the Heartlands . He’s a progenitor who grew up on a world without cultivators . He lacks the whole cultural heritage of established factions . It would just backfire if you tried to pressure him with seniority or status . -

Now that I can believe , - Laz Tem’Zul snorted as he glanced toward the automaton . - No reverence at all . -

I still don’t understand that point , - Kator White Sky , the Izh’Rak Reaver scion , said . - Wasn’t he connected to your ancestor , the one who refused to leave the Boundless Path? Yet he’s a clueless progenitor? Which is it? -

Catheya warily looked up at the hulking Reaver , and she couldn’t help but remember his terrifying power . He was eighty years old and at the cusp of Late Hegemony , but the local Peak Hegemons had to put their lives on the line just to spar with him . And since this war-crazed skeleton couldn’t go a single day without fighting , the wounds of the local elites had racked up to the point that Monarchs had been forced to become his sparring partners .

Even now , it felt like this lunatic was barely reining in his battle lust .

That’s— - Catheya hesitated .

Be’Zi Sharva’Zi has already been given special dispensation from the Heart , as has Catheya , - Enis Umbri’Zi said . - More to the point , we have already confirmed their connection comes through the Dao of Oblivion and happenstance . It is doubtful they have ever met in person . Be’Zi and her companion should currently be located deep within the Eternal Storm . -

That by itself is a problem . We do not have a proper understanding of his connections , and therefore his motivations remain obscured . I read the reports . Someone else has been hiding in his shadows since the beginning . Before he even visited Twilight Harbor . His very existence is proof of this , - Tavza An’Azol said . - A pureblood Draugr Edgewalker does not just appear out of thin air . Especially not if he’s carrying the bloodline of the Vanguard . -

So why did you stop the plan? We had already locked in on their position , - Kator snorted . - You were even the ones to put it forward . -

What! - Catheya said with shock , but she was soundly ignored .

She looked at Enis , but the Umbri’Zi Monarch only shook her head slightly , telling her not to push the matter .

The information put forth changed the stakes , - Tavza calmly said . - Besides , the make of that vessel was out of our expectations . That’s not something you’d expect to find on the frontier . There was a high likelihood its arrays would have noticed Sepravo had he moved any closer . -

Catheya’s eye widened in surprise . Sepravo A’Tem was here? She’d never seen the Revenant Monarch aboard their vessel . Come to think of it , she hadn’t seen him since they appeared in Zecia . Even back then , it was like Catheya had noticed him but soon forgotten about his existence .

Now , Catheya realized it was most likely part of the Monarch’s skillset , making it clear what kind of profession Sepravo had . An assassin , and an incredibly skilled one at that , considering he’d been allowed to take the name of a Bloodline Clan . Catheya shuddered at just how close to disaster her friend had been .

So , you feeling threatened , girl? - Kator snickered as he looked down at Tavza . - Your prince isn’t exactly young , and now the Vanguard is back? I hear those guys were almost as sturdy as us Reavers . I wonder how the branches of Mez and Azol feel about that . -

If the lost bloodline of Eoz can rejoin our ranks , we will all be better for it . Why would An’Azol hamper that? -

You say that , but why don’t I see any sincerity on your face? - Kator laughed .

We are not like the Eternal Clan , constantly fighting among themselves while striking out at anything around them , - Tavza calmly said . - Besides , he is just one junior . Raising a whole branch requires both time and resources . -

Resources you could withhold if they start to grow too much , - Kator laughed .

Enough , Kator , - Toss White Sky grunted before glancing at Enis . - That ship is another point of suspicion . Has he already joined up with another faction for the upcoming trial? -

Not necessarily , - Enis countered . - No matter what the truth of his origins are , it has been confirmed he is a genuine progenitor , even if he was somehow placed on a world just before it got integrated . And he is a stand-out progenitor at that . He might have been given the vessel as a reward from the System . -

The matter of his hidden backers can be put aside for now , - Laz said . - What’s important is the intelligence he provided . As far as I can tell , it seems genuine . -

He held back , - Tavza said , glancing at Catheya . - You could have pushed him further . -

I did what was asked of me . If you think it insufficient , you’re welcome to try taking over the future negotiations , - Catheya snorted . - I’d like to see how many secrets you can get out of that guy . -

Enough , - Enis said before looking at Laz and Toss . - What do you wish to do? -

Isn’t it obvious? - Toss shrugged . - We’re sending the kids into the Eternal Storm while we deal with the demands your greedy little adoptee put forth . Do the locals have any nearby seeds? -

There should be a few hidden worlds , - Enis nodded .

Good , then there’s no point staying here , - Toss said , and the next moment he and Kator were gone .

Catheya glanced in the direction of the puppet once more , and a sense of helplessness filled her heart . What should she do? Then it struck her , and she turned to Tavza before her guardian whisked her away .

I wish to enter the Million Gates Territory as well , - Catheya said with determination . - I wish to contend for one of the lower courts . -

Why should I take you? - Tavza countered , not at all surprised . - You seem to be harboring many ideas of your own . That’s not a trait you look for in a party member . Besides , your role is to be our liaison with that man . That will not be possible from within the Eternal Storm . -

That may be , but this way , I can be your liaison with Arcaz inside the trial . And I can guarantee you will find no more capable followers in Zecia after I’ve formed my core , - Catheya said . - Besides , I’m sure Arcaz would not begrudge me a chance to join this opportunity . -

You seem to like that man , - Tavza commented . - But I wonder if that will be enough . Remember , Arcaz Umbri’Zi , or rather Zachary Atwood , has to choose death . That is even more important if he truly is a descendant of Eoz . -

I know that , - Catheya huffed , but inwardly she wasn’t convinced .

She didn’t have any logical reason to refute the words of Reyna or the others , and her research of the topic in the Abyssal Shores had confirmed many things . There hadn’t been any Life-Death Edgewalkers who successfully entered Hegemony . Yet , when she recalled that man , how he’d looked when he first transformed in front of her to save her life , she couldn’t shake off her lingering doubt .

Her father once said nothing was impossible in the Multiverse . If it seemed like it , that was only because the solution hadn’t been figured out yet . Why couldn’t that be true for him? If not him , who could possibly break the old conventions? So what if it was related to a broken peak?

Well , if that fails , we will have to make the choice for him , - Tavza shrugged , which dragged Catheya out of her thoughts . - I will think on your proposal . -

What are you— - Catheya frowned , but the An’Azol descendant and her guardian were already gone .

Child , that was a mistake , - Enis sighed after the two appeared in their quarters aboard the Eclipse a moment later .

I know a lot of powerful warriors will enter this inheritance , but I will have become a Hegemon by the time the inheritance starts , - Catheya said .

That may be , but for you , surviving until the gates open might be even harder than the inheritance itself , - Enis said . - Those two are allies , yet they are also competitors . Each will want to bring as many of their own into the Left Imperial Palace . Should you manage to seize one of the seals , you will become a ticket they might both consider better used on their own people . Don’t delude yourself that your identity as Arcaz Umbri’Zi’s companion will keep you safe from them . -

Since when were you worried for my safety? - Catheya smiled .

I am trying to salvage this mess at least somewhat . Our branch can’t walk away completely empty-handed , - Enis sighed . - It’s a shame that brat didn’t allow you to join him on his planet . -

That’s for the best , - Catheya snorted . - From the sounds of it , those people would have used my presence there to do something backhanded . -

Don’t forget yourself , - Enis said . - No matter what you think of their actions , they are ultimately acting for the betterment of the Empire . You cannot let your priorities get mixed up . -

What do you think , uncle? - Tavza asked as she sat by the screen transmitting the outside of the Cosmic Vessel .

The council gave you free rein to take charge of this matter . If us old things involve ourselves too much , it might affect the outcome negatively . - At this , Laz smiled . - Judging from what we’ve learned today , such might be even more true than we previously thought . -

I doubt taking some suggestions from my elders at this juncture would impact my chances at becoming a candidate , - Tavza said , the planet growing smaller in the distance .

Well , things have gotten complicated , - Laz said . - Who would have thought he’d be a descendant of Eoz? -

It’s still not confirmed . He was conveniently absent to confirm anything , and I don’t trust that girl , - Tavza said . - She was investigated , but that was in the Abyssal Shores . She might have hatched this plan while waiting for us to arrive . -

She is conflicted at the least , but I do not believe she planned this , - Laz said as he sat down opposite her . - The Vanguard returning . That little Reaver brat wasn’t lying . This will create significant waves . The other Divine Races might feel threatened , and the current balance in the shores will be upended . Perhaps him not returning— -

We can’t , - Tavza sighed . - I would have preferred simply killing him and taking his seal . I just feel he carries too many secrets to be allowed back home . That feeling has only increased after getting a first-hand look at his personality . He’s shifty , greedy , and only accountable to himself . But now , we are forced to act as his shield . -

Oh? - Laz said with surprise .

The Patriarch spoke to me before I left , - Tavza said after a pause .

What! - Laz exclaimed . - Prince Aewo has left the depths? -

No , - Tavza said . - Ancestor just sent a whisp of his consciousness to me as a precaution . He said he had felt the lake stirring not long ago and had a premonition that this Zachary Atwood might be part of the lost branch . And if he was , then he had to be returned to the shores at any cost . -

Is it that important? - Laz said with a frown . - Truthfully , I feel that perfecting another one of the established bloodlines would have a greater impact on our race’s strength in the short run . As you said , it would be a huge undertaking to resurrect the bloodline of Eoz . First of all , he’d need to become an Autarch at the least before he can properly pass on the whole branch . -

I thought so too , - Tavza said . - But apparently , there’s more to it . The princes have found something , something in the depths of the lake . They’ve failed to access it all this time , but Zachary Atwood might be the key . -

A bloodline lock? - Laz said with interest .

Azol , Mez , and Eoz . Three upper bloodlines leading the nine others , - Tavza said . - All three would have to be present to access that place . Across the eons , the princes have been working on a workaround . They have made no progress , even when consulting the Primo . -

So , what is it? - Laz asked .

Ancestor never told me , except that it’s related to our very foundation and origin . It’s far more important than a few missing links of the lower bloodlines , - Tavza explained .

Then the brat is the key to this thing? - Laz grimaced .

Tavza nodded . - Do not tell the others . I only told you now to impress on you the importance of his return to the Abyssal Shores , where he can be protected until he fulfills his role . Until then , he might be targeted by Kator’s camp and assassins who sneak into this Sector . The Hiveminds and the Sanguine Palace aren’t above something like that . -

Of course , - Laz agreed as he took out a Mindseal Talisman and added an extra layer of protection to the memories . - There is one problem , though . -

What? - Tavza asked .

How do we protect someone who refuses to even meet with us? -

The scenes stopped playing , and the wall turned dark in the meeting room of the Yphelion .

What do you think? - Zac asked .

While Ogras had been next to him during the meeting , he hadn’t been able to see or hear what was happening on the other side . But now that the meeting was over , Zac replayed the whole thing .

What do I think? I think your spring is about to come . The moment they get their hands on you , they’ll strap you to a bed and bring in a steady stream of young flowers . - Ogras glared at Zac . - Just how bright is your star of providence? Where is the justice in the world? How am I supposed to live with you showing me something like this? -

Not that , - Zac laughed . - Besides , you’re probably overthinking things . They’d just need some cell samples or something . I want to hear what you think about the agreement . -

Well , I doubt the gifts are problematic , - Ogras said . - I don’t think their excitement over your heritage was fake , though it’s a shame we have no way to confirm things from our side . But I doubt they would send you off with something problematic and risk missing out . If the original gifts were tampered with , they would most likely have swapped them out under the pretense your bloodline deserved a better gift . -

I think so , too . What about the heritage? -

They knew even less than we expected , - Ogras said with some bemusement . - I didn’t expect them to not even have figured out about the Million Gates Territory already . We might have sold that intelligence cheaply , but it doesn’t matter . We got most of the things we needed . And the ongoing agreement between you and the Empire will prove incredibly lucrative . -

There had been a few things Zac had wanted to accomplish with this first set of negotiations , and the treasures he’d asked for were just a smaller part of it . The real goal had been to open up a path for Earth and the Atwood Empire while keeping the demands reasonable . Too much , and they might figure out various loopholes .

Therefore , the demands were carefully chosen as part of a plan Zac had mulled over since learning of Ensolus . He’d managed to get an agreement that the Undead Empire would accept their presence and expansion across the Kaldran Strait . Not only that , but they would covertly assist in the Atwood Empire’s development and protection after Earth and Ensolus emerged from the shroud .

The Atwood Empire would essentially become an allied faction , which meant they would be safe from the biggest faction in that region of space . Truthfully , Catheya even seemed a bit excited at the prospect , which surprised Zac . But it didn’t take long for him and Ogras to figure out what was happening .

It wasn’t long ago that Twilight Harbor had collapsed , and the Umbri’Zi had lost one of the most useful trade hubs where they could purchase the resources of the frontier without breaking any commandments . Twilight Harbor had also been a significant revenue stream for Clan Sharva’Zi , with their Dao Repository and other shops . Now , with the Kavriel Province’s tacit approval and even protection , Zac was primed to set up something similar in Zecia .

An unaffiliated grey zone , where both living and undead could come to trade resources .

Each side had treasures the other required , and every transaction would mean money entering Zac’s pockets . Zac had already made a fortune through his lucky encounters , but that was nothing in the face of the revenue streams a popular trade hub could generate . Better yet , no one could compete with him on this matter , thanks to the support of the Undead Empire .

For the first time in a while , Zac felt the future looked bright for Earth . The Assimilation had always been a cloud looming over him , especially since his faction became part-undead . But now , the clouds had parted , and the road to endless riches paved .

He just needed to survive the schemes of the Undead Empire and the dangers of Ultom to get there .

51

CALL TO ARMS

Apart from the difficulties of cinching the deal , Zac’s little kingdom was far from reaching the status of the Twilight Harbor . Even if he now had the fundamental qualifications , he lacked the strength to protect something so valuable , even with the Undead Empire on his side . You simply couldn’t build a solid faction on a foundation of borrowed strength .

For the first couple of millennia , it would just be a local hub where merchants within Zecia could make some money by getting their hands on rare materials . But it did have the potential to take on an even greater role , where resources would stream into the Atwood Empire from neighboring Sectors .

This would be a huge boon for him even if he left Zecia in the future , all thanks to the Merit Exchange . He would be able to access parts of his treasury and the Atwood Empire’s coffers despite being halfway across the Multiverse , as long as he found one of the Furem Harq golem’s subsidiaries . There were even services where he could transfer funds through relay between different banks .

Of course , his long-term plan was only possible thanks to one simple fact : the Undead Empire would stop its expansion in Zecia . They would defend their domains and do the bare minimum expansion through incursions that the commandments required , but they wouldn’t send out crusades . Instead , the representatives agreed to mobilize the Kavriel Province for the upcoming war against the Kan’Tanu .

Initially , they hadn’t planned on full mobilization . After all , they didn’t care which living factions were in control of Zecia . They were just different Dreamers , targets for conquest in either case . But now , they’d agreed to immediately send armies to join the coalition forces while fully activating their reserves for the upcoming conflict .

In reality this couldn’t be considered the Monarchs accommodating Zac’s wishes . It was all about Ultom and the fact the System had mixed the war with the trial . The more people the Kavriel Province sent to the battlefields , the higher their chances were of picking up tickets to the Left Imperial Palace .

The third requirement Zac had put forth was that they would provide materials , untouched corpses , and various resources to help bolster his undead population and their foundations . This included Cultivation Manuals , awakening arrays , and entire heritages that suited both the Raun Spectrals and the Revenants of Elysium .

At first , Zac thought they were just agreeing with things to extract information from him . That they’d come back in a few months with some - bad news . ’ Though it was hard to argue with the fifty permanent Skill Crystals and a dozen Cultivation Manuals Catheya produced .

The puppet Zac used couldn’t activate Spatial Items , but Catheya had shared the screens of both manuals and Skill Crystals . The items were the real deal ; High-quality and practical for raising armies . There wasn’t anything in the way of top-tier techniques meant for elites , but even Zac felt he could use some of the skills .

The only failure in Zac’s negotiations was that he didn’t squeeze a single Life-attuned treasure from their hands . They’d been adamant in not providing anything of that element , to the point it almost seemed that the negotiations would fall through if he kept pushing . Eventually , Zac settled on some top-tier treasures for his soul , both Death-attuned and unattuned . This wasn’t something they had on hand , and would send it over within a few months .

He ultimately would have preferred Life-attuned Body Tempering treasures , but the things he walked away with would allow him to get closer to the next reincarnation . Now , he only lacked some Life-attuned treasures for his Soul and Constitution . These items were difficult to get his hands on , but he had three years to scour the Auction Houses across Zecia for anything useful .

There were also the upcoming negotiations with the Allbright Empire that Pretty was hopefully setting up at this very moment . Perhaps he could get some good things from the Allbright Clan’s Treasury as part of his sale of Creator Vessels .

Zac and Ogras went through the meeting a few times over , trying to figure out what traps and schemes the Undead Empire might be planning over the coming years . The biggest one was that they might hide some sort of tracking measure with all the materials they’d send over . But they luckily had Ensolus by this point .

They could simply use all those materials on his other planet . If the undead Monarchs managed to pierce through the System’s shroud , they still wouldn’t get to Zac . And there was no way they’d dare cause havoc on Ensolus in an attempt to flush him out . Doing so would make the negotiations completely fall apart .

They should have returned by now , - Ogras commented .

Zac thought so too . A group of five trusted cultivators had been stationed in the forest , and Zac had set off the moment they retrieved the puppet . From there , they just needed to travel for a few hours before reaching the closest teleportation array . Zac and Ogras would instead have to travel for two days before reaching another border planet where they could teleport back home .

Oh , that reminds me , - Zac said as he took out his Perennial Vastness Token .

What? - Ogras blurted . - You had one of those things already? I thought they were rare . -

They are , but I picked up one inside the Orom World . - Zac smiled as he threw it over . - Now I have a spare , so you take this one . -

What exactly is this? - Ogras asked , and Zac recounted what he’d learned about the Perennial Vastness .

Do you want me to go scout ahead? - Ogras asked .

No , I was thinking I’ll go in roughly a year before the official start of the war . That way , we’ll have ample time to break through , especially if the realm has a different temporal ratio . -

You know , the last time the two of us left together for an opportunity , things didn’t turn out so well , - Ogras said with a raised brow .

This is different . We’ll just keep our heads down and get our cores , - Zac said .

Ogras scoffed in response as he exaggeratedly rolled his eyes , but he still accepted the token and stowed it away . - Fine , I’ll join you in whatever madness you will bring upon that poor realm . Thank you for this . -

Don’t sweat it . - .

So , we’ll return from the Million Gates Territory in three years . With the speed of your Creator Vessels , that should be enough to give the place a decent run . We’ll only be able to cover a small corner of it , but that’s to be expected . We’d need centuries to scour that region properly . -

It’s ultimately about fate , - Zac agreed .

If I haven’t returned one month after our deadline , go without me . We might be stuck somewhere , and I’ll use this talisman so that we can join up in this Perennial Vastness . -

One month , - Zac confirmed .

Thankfully , there were no surprises for the rest of the journey , and the crew returned to Earth two days later without getting into trouble . They could have just waited for the undead to leave , but Zac feared those shifty Monarchs had left a trap behind .

By that point , the preparations for the announcement were already well underway , and Zac was handed a list of talking points by Vilari the moment he emerged from the teleporter . The whole thing would be transmitted everywhere to be displayed on huge screens , and Zac inwardly shuddered at the prospect of addressing almost two billion beings across two planets .

Zac would much rather fight a Beast King than deal with this , but some things couldn’t be pawned off to his subordinates . He was the one who chose this path , so he would have to be the one to bear the responsibility . It was just a matter of time before his announcement was spread across the Sector , and he wanted any eventual crosshairs to be trained solely at himself .

Most of the world’s leaders had already arrived in Port Atwood , while the representatives of the Mavai and Raun were kept on a separate island . Officially , the reason for him calling the meeting was to discuss the upcoming war and for him to share his plans for the Atwood Empire’s future .

Zac barely had time to gather his thoughts before the night had passed and the time for the world summit arrived . Zac donned his presence-hiding equipment as he walked toward the Atwood Hall , the ever-growing central government building at the heart of his capital . He was surprised to see the whole town had been transformed for this day , with thousands of banners of the Atwood Empire’s crest dancing in the wind .

Countless people also walked the streets , heading for the closest floating screen . Zac flitted through the crowd and entered the Atwood Hall unnoticed , and found Vilari and the others waiting behind the main stage . Everything looked ready , and Joanna smiled as she handed him a tablet .

It showed a crowded hall with representatives of all the races present . The view panned around , showing the stage he’d take in twenty minutes . Zac’s eyes were immediately drawn to the thing in the center—it was impossible to miss . They’d created a 20-meter-tall crest from pure gold and onyx , depicting the seal of the Atwood Empire : the four mountains of his island , with an axe and shield beneath .

Right under it was the podium he’d speak from , where he’d be lined with more flags of the Atwood Empire .

What’s with this stage? - Zac grimaced at the ostentatious backdrop . - I’ll look like a dictator . -

I mean , you kind of are? - Joanna countered , and Zac rolled his eyes when he saw the excitement on her face .

What do I need to do? - Zac sighed , knowing it was too late to change anything .

Zac spent the next twenty minutes reviewing everything while independently dealing with a few things . After that , Zac took a steadying breath and walked out on the stage .

It was as though the air went out of the hall as thousands of people quieted at once . The only thing that could be heard were bare feet against stone as Zac headed for the podium with steady steps . A moment later , Joanna , Ilvere , and ten more Atwood Army captains followed , forming an orderly line behind him .

If this were before the Integration , Zac would have been shaking like a leaf . But he found himself oddly calm as he faced the crowd . Not even a ripple appeared in his heart as he looked down at the audience , and Zac’s voice was strong and steady as he began speaking .

Over the past decade , our people have overcome insurmountable odds to eke out a living in this new reality , - Zac began . - I am awed at the resilience you have shown , and thankful for all the hard work you’ve put into rebuilding our collapsed societies . Humans , Ishiate , Zhix , and Underworld Molekin have set aside their differences in appearance and cultures to rebuild what was taken from us .

But I can never forget the 10 billion lives lost across our species . The tall buildings and other monuments to our triumph over adversity came at a tremendous cost . It is an eternal reminder that there is no such thing as safety in the Multiverse . Under the System , there is a mandate for constant struggle , and our place under the Heavens will forever be contended . A moment of weakness , and we will be dragged down again .

I am sure that most of you have seen the recruitment stations across Earth , and have heard what looms on the horizon . In four years , a war of terrifying proportions is descending on our corner of the Multiverse—the Zecia Sector . The Integration was nothing in the face of what’s to come . Not even Earth is shielded from the madness .

To hide or refuse to fight isn’t an option , not when the System is involved . Neither will our enemies relent . I can tell you right now there will be no mercy and no negotiation with those people . The invaders are called the Kan’Tanu , and they are an incredibly dangerous unorthodox faction . Should we lose , most of us will be sacrificed to fuel their cultivators . The rest will be implanted by terrifying parasites and become war-slaves .

Since defeat is not an option , we can only struggle and become stronger . That way , we can protect our world and keep casualties at a minimum . Luckily , we are still in a phase of rapid growth , and four years will give us a small window to shore up our foundations . I have invested multiple C-grade Nexus Coins into our armies , and I encourage every able-bodied adult to join . We need not only warriors but all kinds of staff to support our military . -

Zac took a breath as he solemnly looked across the room . - This time , the actions of a few elites will not be enough to save Earth . I cannot protect you . Only by working together will we survive this storm .

Let me be clear . While the Atwood Empire has largely allowed all factions across our planet to do things their way , this is a matter where I won’t accept any compromise . For now , recruitment is open and voluntary , and those who sign early will enjoy more of the resources I have prepared . But if we see certain factions or cities neglecting their duty , we will move on to conscription . Every race and every force will have to pull their weight one way or another . -

A subdued murmur spread through the room , but it was quenched by Zac releasing some of his aura . - Do not test me on this . I will protect this world even if I have to drag some of you to the battlefields myself . -

No one dared speak up , though Zac could see there was more than one dissatisfied person . Zac didn’t care . He wasn’t just speaking empty words . This wasn’t a trial where he and a few of his followers could do all the heavy lifting . Still , the stick was best accompanied by a carrot .

Of course , the System follows the Law of Balance . Where there is risk , there is also reward . Your participation in the war will accrue Contribution Points , which can be used to access a System-run Contribution Store . The greater the feats , the better the reward . Some will get their hands on treasures they’d never encounter normally . Between the Atwood Empire’s investment and the Contribution Store , this is your final chance to rekindle your fate before our planet is fully assimilated into the Sector .

We still don’t know all the details , but we are constantly getting reports from the frontlines . As soon as we know something , so will you . Over the coming years , there will be more summits where details are ironed out . We will also hold large-scale exercises , some on Earth , others off-world . In short , I will do everything I can to prepare my citizens for this trial .

Our Recruitment Stations are open across the world . If you want to know more about enlisting and what benefits we provide , you are welcome to visit them over the coming days . For those present here in Port Atwood , we will have representatives available to answer any questions you may have . But do understand , we don’t have all the answers yet . -

Zac glanced to his left , and a small nod from Joanna indicated that everything was prepared for the next segment of his speech .

Secondly , I will speak on the changes that are taking place on our planet and how the Atwood Empire will adapt to them moving forward . First things first . The changes to our world are permanent . Earth is now a Life and Death-attuned world , which will continue to generate energy attuned to both these elements .

This will become increasingly noticeable over the next few years . The Miasma will grow more potent in some regions , but Blessed Lands teeming with Life will also appear . However , most of the energy across the planet will remain unattuned , or at least have so little attunement it will not affect one’s day-to-day .

For those living on Pangea , you do not need to worry overly much . Miasma will not swallow the continent as we feared ten years ago . A balance between Life and Death has been established another way . For those who are unaware , our planet has two continents of roughly equal size . The second continent , Elysium , is the opposite of Pangea . Most of it is covered in Miasma today , even if the Undead Empire never set foot there .

This kind of unique world has created a unique set of challenges and realities we have to face , - Zac said . - I strongly believe the reason I’ve found success so far is that I quickly adapted to what the System threw at me . If we keep holding onto old beliefs and outmoded ideals , it is just a matter of time before we get swept away by the river of time .

I know there have been rumors circulating on this subject , and I am setting the record straight today . Half our world is marked by Death , and I knew early on that we needed to embrace it rather than ignore it . So yes , the Atwood Empire has undead citizens , citizens who have lived in isolation on Elysium . Until now . -

With that , the side door opened , and a procession of warriors with powerful auras walked out as Joanna’s group moved to the side . There were Vilari , Pika , and Rhuger , followed by the captains of the Einherjar . Only the Raun Spectrals were missing since they were slated to make a later appearance .

And in the lead , there was a singular Draugr emitting a towering aura—himself .

52

CARDS ON THE TABLE

It almost felt like looking at a mirror as he saw himself , or rather his design for Arcaz Black , walking onto the stage . No matter how one looked at him , he seemed like a powerful undead cultivator . Only Zac would recognize the aura seemed slightly hollow , but the Branch of the Pale Seal mostly masked it .

Zac felt Arcaz Black couldn’t be absent for this announcement , so he’d looked into temporary solutions . Eventually , Calrin had gotten his hands on three top-tier cloning treasures found in some ancient ruins . They looked like clay dolls and would create a clone that would last 12 hours . You imprinted it with your Daos and some of your soul , and it would create a perfect copy that , in Zac’s case , had roughly 20% of his attributes .

Its aura was near-identical in strength to his own , making him appear completely real . Even scouting skills would show a normal Draugr warrior rather than a puppet .

Apart from its limited duration , the downside of this treasure was that it had taken Zac almost two hours to form the clone earlier this morning . It could also only stay a couple of miles away from himself before he lost his mental connection with it . In other words , it wasn’t something he could suddenly take out in the middle of a fight to get a helper .

Still , it was the best Zac could do for now since he wasn’t ready for his identity as an Edgewalker to become common knowledge in Zecia . The secret would be exposed sooner or later , but he didn’t want to give factions like the Allbright Empire or Calrin’s Mercantile associates any reasons not to work with him before the war .

Getting a real clone would obviously be better , but actual cloning skills were incredibly rare before the D-grade . And the few that existed weren’t very good . These kinds of skills simply required too much Cosmic Energy for the clones to become useful , or at least believable , which was why you needed a Cultivator’s Core .

Before then , clones used concepts such as illusions or arrays to give the impression of creating multiple bodies , but they rarely had any real combat ability .

Murmurs of unrest spread across the hall as a chill of Death spread out from the scene , and some even stood up to fight or flee . However , it was all quelled when Zac unleashed his aura once more , this time together with his evolved Branch of the War Axe . Those who stood to flee were frozen in place , no doubt feeling like they suddenly had a thousand blades pointed at them .

Slowly , they inched back into their seats under Zac’s unrelenting stare , and a suffocating silence spread across the room . Only then did Zac continue his speech .

In this new reality , abstract concepts like Death have taken corporeal form , which forces us to reevaluate many things we once knew as truth . In this new reality , a different form of Life can and will spring from the depths of Death . As such , it is a natural consequence for Death-attuned worlds to start producing undead citizens , - Zac said as he looked across the room .

Rather than fight the natural order of things and wage an endless crusade against the undead , I chose to integrate them into the Atwood Empire . Today , there are multiple settlements of Revenants across Elysium , and they are an integral part of my force .

I understand how this feels for many of you . All of us lost a lot of good men and women to the Incursion of the Undead Empire , especially the Sino-Indo Alliance . However , I want to be clear that Revenants have nothing to do with the Undead Empire . I personally killed the leader of their Incursion , along with all those who didn’t manage to flee back through the Incursion Pillar .

These Revenants are natives to Earth just like you all . They have no more relation to that distant faction than you all have to the old Empires of the Multiverse . They have no agenda against the living and only want to live their lives as the rest of us . -

That may be , but you know the undead are at war with the living out there , - a powerful voice said . - Your actions might implicate this whole planet . -

Zac looked in the direction of the voice and inwardly sighed when his eyes fell upon Henry Marshall . This was the first time he’d seen Henry since returning , even if he’d visited Thea’s grave a few times . The old man didn’t look so old anymore . Just like Sap Trang , he managed to break through to the E-grade despite his age , and he now appeared to be in his fifties .

Not only that , but his aura was quite deep , and Zac could tell he had reached Late E-grade already . With Henry losing the pillar that was Thea and Zac taking control of the whole planet , Henry decided to shift his attention to the martial path . Politics were ultimately a game of the old world—nothing could be accomplished without strength . Between his inherent talent and the resources of his clan , he was making decent progress , even if he couldn’t compare to the elites of Port Atwood .

There is a risk of that happening , but I have my reasons for choosing this path , - Zac said . - First of all , I am just following the path the System has laid out for us . As many of you know , Port Atwood has participated in an Incursion of our own over the past years . The result was that we exterminated all the other invaders on that planet before integrating a second world into the Atwood Empire . -

The doors to the scene opened once more , and two rows of people came walking in—the Mavai Demons and Raun Spectrals .

What you might not know was that the System sent us to yet another Life and Death-attuned world . A world with natives naturally attuned to the elements of Life and Death . Today , the Mavai Tribes and the Kingdom of Raun have joined the banner of the Atwood Empire , and they will fight alongside us against the Kan’Tanu invaders . -

No one spoke , and more than one had ruminating looks as they gazed at the large group of people on the scene . Zac let the silence stretch on for a bit longer before he continued .

Do you all know how rare these kinds of worlds are? Twin-affinity worlds naturally producing both Life and Death? They are essentially non-existent across our whole Sector . Yet the System has put two of them under my control . I don’t believe for a second this is a coincidence .

It is an instruction , a path forward for the Atwood Empire . I have no interest in going against the wishes of the System or fighting against the Heavens . I will instead use the tools it has given me to elevate our faction to the next level . The undead lands and races will provide the Atwood Empire with unique skills , resources , and manpower ; things we desperately need right now . -