Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 1187: A Thread of Potential

A small settlement had formed at the breach, with dozens of grand palaces of varied origins floating in space. The settlement had an air of expectancy and youthful vigor, with dozens of heated duels taking place on specifically erected platforms. Others sat right at the edge, silently searching for Karma.

True Destiny took in the weak swirls of fate. Some carried seeds of potential, yet none came close to the display his Eminence relayed four weeks ago. The Arhat stopped before the invisible boundary, the trail's terminus obscured by the Boundless Heavens.

His six brothers emerged from golden portals soon after, exposing their presence to the onlookers. Youthful vigor was replaced by crushing power as the young cultivators rushed to the sides of the entities observing them from the palace depths. True Destiny paid it no heed, and his brothers formed an impassable wall separating him from the mundane world. For seven days and seven nights, he listened for fate's muted whispers.

"The young benefactor is directly connected to the Pillars of Trthika."

True Merit and his other brothers took the news in stride. "Shall we contact the acolytes beyond the curtain? They are sent under his Eminence's order."

"Their trajectories are fraught with uncertainty. Involving them in the investigation of the obscured Candidate might do more harm than good," True Destiny slowly said. "We'll only involve them if left no choice."

"Forceful interference before the path has been decided may similarly cause a Karmic backlash, harming the Sangha's fate," True Benevolence said.

"We still have time. The Cosmos will provide a path, even if we have to wait for the curtain to fall," True Destiny said, glancing at the thousands of young elites peering at them from within protective barriers. "Until then, we can minimize the number of variables."

The seven chose a spot overlooking the divider, and True Destiny led his brothers through the opening chants. Lotus flowers radiating immeasurable merit bloomed beneath their seated positions, and a golden temple echoing the true path materialized.

Horrified shouts came from the group of misguided travelers hoping to form Karma with the fifth pillar. Buddha's Love was Heaven's path. How could physical barriers hold it back? It was regrettable that the young mistook benevolence for malice, but they'd eventually understand the gift.

"You got some guts, you bald bastards, trying to influence the children!"

Space shattered like a mirror, exposing two malevolent eyes staring down at them. The temple shook, and red veins appeared on the lotus leaves. True Destiny shook his head with regret, seeing falsehoods had obscured the eyes of the wayward.

"Every being holds the potential for Buddha's love, benefactor," True Destiny calmly responded. "One simply has to open their heart to grasp it."

"Warison of the Seven Severance Grotto greets the Esteemed Arhats of the Boundless Ocean," a deep voice seemingly coming from the depths of the Cosmos spread through the region as a cave mouth formed. "According to our understanding, the Sangha doesn't use these pathways into the sector, and I see no acolytes among your ranks."

"This humble one has no design on the emerging threads of Karma," True Destiny confirmed.

"Then could the lords give us some face and proselytize further to the side? Your hymns will make it impossible for our young to search for their opportunities," the voice said as two more presences joined.

"Regrettably, this one cannot comply," True Fate calmly said despite the immense pressure on the temple. "We exist to safeguard the balance, and fate led us here."

"So you're just here to cause trouble because your young has already found a way into the trial?" a third Autarch interjected with anger.

"Enough nonsense! Your actions are breaking the agreement! Do you think the Sangha can cover the sky? Dozens of factions have divided the pathways, and more people are arriving by the day!" the first Autarch growled as a roiling sea of wrath seeped out of the hidden dimension.

"Amitabha," True Destiny said. "Benefactor should remain focused on the inconstancy of all fabrications. Only then can ignorance be abandoned, giving rise to clear knowing."

"Then you leave us no choice!"

The mundane plane couldn't withstand the pressure and collapsed. Boundless darkness spread across the horizon, only illuminated by the protective spheres surrounding the young. True Destiny calmly took in the scene, his hands clasped in a mudra.

A world was born from his heart, bringing the gift of Akaniha to the void. Mountains rose to meet the descending apparitions; rivers poured into the roiling ocean. Reality stabilized, yet the violence threatened to disrupt the fraught balance.

"The sea of regret is endless," True Destiny sighed as four of his brothers silently stood up.

Twenty days later, darkness gave way to light. The flickering stars returned as the dimension healed under Dharmic blessings. Palaces, domains, and platforms were gone. Instead, the small temple floated above an ocean of blood containing the broken ruins of a world. A shattered sword floated in the distance, its sharp edges bleeding Heavenly Dao. Like the ocean, the sword was gradually giving back to the Cosmos what had been borrowed.

The air was awash with truth, and the region was full of promise. Yet the few remaining supplicants didn't dare search for opportunities within, nor did they dare so much as glance in the direction of the Boundless Heavens' barrier. The unrepentant had been purified, and the observers hiding in the dark had retreated like shadows put under the light.

Weeks turned to months as tranquil chants reverberated through the frontier. Each sutra delved into the river of fate in search of an answer.

"Hm?" True Destiny said, opening his eyes.

He'd finally caught onto the thread of potential and turned his attention to one of the supplicants abandoned months before. Like the others, he'd been trapped by indecision, neither advancing nor retreating.

"Young benefactor, I can see that fate connects us. Tell me your name."

"I" the golem stuttered, his aura and Heart unstable. "Please, great Lord. I don't"

True Destiny traced the golem's Karma to a different sector of the frontier, vaguely sensing the possibilities hidden within. "Fate has brought us together, and we'll have to rely on each other to navigate these troubled waters."

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The boiling seas strained under the mighty auras exuded by the floating palaces. The metallic waves were tamed and turned into passable ground for the engineering corps of the Chapter of Noble Pursuits. Of course, most of the sprawling army below was made up of guardian slaves tasked with protecting the church's greatest minds. Ker'Ero felt like an esteemed Chapter Master as he stood atop the walls, looking up at his creation being guarded by thousands of stalwart warriors.

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"The increase in activity is not random. They know we're here," Jezho muttered as she scanned the sky for incoming threats.

"So?" Ker'Ero grunted. "We should be happy these fools are willing to become live targets for a live experiment."

"Don't let our recent victories blind you," Perl frowned. "Our enemies are faltering, but they still have more than enough firepower to wipe out our unit from the map. Worse, they have been targeting our locations as of late."

"Because they understand we pose the greatest threat," Ker'Ero grinned, his heart surging with pride. "We've already begun unraveling the secrets of their most recent toys. Without those toys, they'll be like sheep for the slaughter."

Certainly, their individual strength fell short of most of the other chapters, and they hadn't been able to take out as many high-tier targets as Tripartite Truth or Warborn. But who could claim the honor of reaping the most lives but Noble Pursuits? Most of the War Machines and Cosmic Vessels were either crafted in their workshops or derived from their designs.

Hell, even the Gateways leading to the Zecia sector was their creation. Noble Pursuits were the ones who'd break through the final resistance, and he was one of the esteemed Grand Mechaneers making it possible. What were some Remoulded before the steel and blood beneath his feet?

"That's what I'm saying," Jezho said. "They know our research is bearing fruit and are adamant on stopping our progress. Worse, they are somehow sniffing out our hidden locations. We might have a breach, or they've gained access to powerful scanners that can pierce our shrouds. Maybe another Variable-signal Vessel?"

"Speaking of, I heard that one of those bastards might be in the area," Ker'Ero said. "The bounty on their heads"

"Ignore it. Our task is to scout for threats and nothing else. Our research is finally bearing fruit after the immense investment. We'll deal with the Atwood Empire through our inventions rather than fists," Perl said. "Not to mention, the information is most likely false. How many times have our people tried to track down the armies of the Atwood Empire only to find Monarch waiting for us?"

"I supposed. Still, I'd like to see that maniac come to our neck of the woods," Ker'Ero grinned. "There wouldn't be anything left for the brutes below after myinventions are done with him."

"Then I shall oblige."

Ker'Ero's heart lurched when the abyssal voice appeared out of nowhere.

"Defend!" Perl roared as the sky was swallowed by desolation.

The arrays came alive, shifting the passive defenses into an alert state. And yet, a lance of utter Death passed right through the powerful barriers. Ker'Ero's eyes bulged at the sight, and he felt his worldview come crashing down along with a dozen Array Towers. The Seafarer was his greatest accomplishment and proof of his expertise. He knew every bolt and array like the back of his hand.

What had just happened was supposed to be impossible. It was as though the ironclad laws of energy and Dao had become a joke before the towering murderous intent. Ker'Ero's confidence was long gone after coming face to face with their attacker. Emperor Arcaz Umbri'Zi of the Atwood Empire. The nightmare of the Remoulded, who even had the blood of Reincarnators on his hands.

Why had he insisted on joining the maiden voyage? He was just a researcherKer'Ero was supposed to wreak havoc from the safety of his laboratory. It was too late for regret and too early to dissect the impossible breach. A deathly shroud fell down the slopes of the pyramidical fortress, and the neural feedback indicated damage was rapidly accumulating within the haze.

Meanwhile, a deafening explosion created huge squalls as the subsidiary fortresses found themselves under a crossfire. A full armada had eluded their scanners, raining hellfire from above. Their side fought back, but a shimmering barrier blocked the barrage.

"Shit, they have an Aegis, no two!" Jezho swore as dozens of screens appeared around her. "It's a full Starswallow Armada! Only the Seafarer is equipped to deal with them!"

"What are you fools doing? Fire the disruptors!" Ker'Ero roared into a communicator. Only screams answered.

"They're already inside!" Jezho inhaled, looking with horror and confusion as another deep grove was carved into the Seafarer. "He's completely disrupted the energy flow already! Most weapon systems are crippled. How does he know which sections to target?!"

"Defensive formation!" Perl growled as a pitch-black hammer appeared in his hand. "We'll win if we can drag this out for ten minutes. Don't let the target escape!"

Perl was right. The unliving maniac had appeared out of nowhere and breached their defenses, hoping to wreak havoc in a blitz before they could mount a resistance. Then, he'd escape under the cover of the protective bombardment. However, his inventions weren't so easily overcome.

Thousands of gargoyles came alive, shrieking with malice as they glared at the intruder. Some took flight to block the Draugr's descent while the rest unleashed a storm of ranged attacks. All the while, Jezho rapidly reconfigured the arrays to circumvent the damage.

It wasn't enough. Pitch-black chains indiscriminately ripped apart guardians and engineers en masse. Their controller was a blur of unfettered violence, ripping apart Ker'Ero's creation piece by piece. His heart bled, but the Mechaneer knew there was no backing down now.

"Bastard," Ker'Ero growled as he adjusted a set of arrays.

"Wait"

An earthshattering explosion drowned out Jezho's warning. A whole section of the Seafarer blew up thanks to Ker'Ero's changes, yet he only felt vigor as he saw their attacker being swallowed by the conflagration. His sense of victory was short-lived. The cursed creature emerged from the mayhem unscathed.

Four skeletal minions reeking of danger had appeared behind his back, one of them holding a coffin covered in scorch marks. Perl was already on the move, unleashing a wailing storm of spirits with a herculean swing of his hammer. The attack ripped apart anything that stood in its path, from gargoyles to axe-wielding specters. And yet, Arcaz Umbri'Zi didn't spare it a second glance as he resumed his dismantling of their experimental fortress.

Ker'Ero couldn't believe his eyes when the all-out attack of their Late D-grade captain was covered in a swirl of darkness and disappeared.

"No!" Perl screeched, stumbling backward like he'd taken a hit, just as Ker'Ero felt a whole section of arrays going dark.

It was at that point dozens of powerful auras burst through the shroud, destroying the axe-wielding specters that had formed. Ker'Ero breathed out in relief, seeing that the first batch of reinforcements had arrived ahead of schedule.

"Go!" Perl roared, his skin wriggling from activating his Heart Curse. "Take him down!"

"It looks like we're all here," Arcaz said, his voice filled with an eerie calm despite being attacked from every direction by their elites.

And for good reason. Ker'Ero was beset by mortal dread as a sacrilegious eye formed atop the Seafarer. It was over fifty meters across and made from utter darkness. Just being drowned in its darkness chipped away at Ker'Ero's fraying sanity, erasing his thoughts and future. Those unlucky enough to be caught in its vicinity were simply erased.

Surrounding the darkness were two thick bands of carved bone, depicting countless anguished victims caught in the eye's orbit. It seemed as though the chained sculptures tried to break away yet were forever trapped by the gravitational pull. Others sought release, looking longingly at the ball of nothingness as they revolved around it. Release that would never come.

The whole fortress seemed to have been swallowed by the darkness. The sounds of pitched fighting outside were gone, and Ker'Ero's connection to the numerous control units was severed. It felt like they'd been dragged to the depths of hell, and none of Ker'Ero's scans could pinpoint a weakness. Neither could he spot its controller.

Both the Draugr and Perl were gone, leaving Ker'Ero utterly alone. Screams of despair echoed through the fortress as thousands of warriors found themselves caught by unbreakable chains. Ker'Ero considered hiding and waiting things out, but a stabbing pain quashed that train of thought. He gritted his teeth, attention returning to the sculptures. They were the ones wreaking havoc on his men and the only obvious target.

Ker'Ero unhesitantly detonated another energy purifier, unleashing a powerful wave of destruction on the closest band. Cracks appeared across the sculptures, and the Grand Mechaneer grinned with a manic gleam in his eyes.

That's right, they weren't dealing with a Monarch. The young Emperor was only a Middle Hegemon. How could his skills possibly withstand the stockpiled energies within the Seafararer?

However, Ker'Ero lost his train of thought before he could trigger another explosion and shatter the band. His eyes were drawn to one particular sculpture chained to the cycle of suffering by a band of thorns. Time seemed to have stopped for everything except the statue, which slowly turned to meet Ker'Ero's gaze.

Ker'Ero mind was overwhelmed by existential dread as his twisted doppelganger grinned, the scene only made more horrifying by the cracks covering the statue. It was only later the Grand Mechaneer vaguely realized a chain had penetrated his chest, impaling his curse and shattering his core.

Then, nothing mattered as he entered Oblivion's embrace.

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