Defiance of the Fall

Zac had already delayed the work on his nucleus too long. He needed to quickly cover his bases and have the Ship Spirit provide the assistance they needed. If that meant impersonating a Holy Son, then so be it.

"I'm surprised you recognized me. Much time has passed, and the Heavens have changed. The Empire is not what it once was," Zac said, trying to emulate the atmosphere of Rava and the Templars he'd seen. "The flame is still burning, and the Left Imperial Palace is about to return. We need your assistance until then."

"Certainly," the spirit said. "The Starfall Court remembers its promise."

Zac had no idea what that meant, and it didn't seem suitable to ask. Instead, he focused on the more pressing issue. "Too much has been lost, and I'm not very familiar with the Eternal Guardians. Can you explain what the two I awakened are doing?"

"They are creating a pathway," the spirit said. "Their strength is lacking, so they are borrowing the Spatial Energy from the surroundings."

"A pathway? Wh—" Zac stopped, realizing he knew the answer. It was a Spatial Bridge to Zurbor.

The orders Zac engraved were very simple. Kill the Foreign Gods and the pope and then deal with the Kan'Tanu in the Zurbor sector. Knowing the Imperial Graveyard was the biggest hindrance to their mission, Zac had tried to convey as much as possible about the dangers outside the pocket realm. It looked like the Eternal Guardians had taken him at his word and were opting to skip it entirely.

"Can you estimate how long it will take?"

"Three days at the current rate," the spirit dutifully said.

"Will it harm this subspace?" Ogras asked and was met with studious silence until Zac repeated the question.

"No. This realm has received an Imperial Blessing. It will recover so long as the Centurion Sun exists, and the raiders hiding outside lack the strength to damage it."

"Raiders?"

The spirit nodded, and a screen appeared, showcasing a fleet of twelve ships floating in the safe region surrounding the hollow sun. Zac didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed to see the exteriors remaining mostly the same after all that had happened. It meant their path of retreat remained open, only it was blocked by Kan'Tanu and Black Heart cultists.

Thankfully, none of them dared approach the Centurion Sun or the gate it held, though seeing the portal remain open left Zac leery. "Can you close the gate?"

"No, but the defenses remain in operation. They cannot enter without proper credentials," the Ship Spirit said. "They'll face the wrath of the Centurion sun if they fly any closer."

"Then how did the Peak C-grade heretic enter?" Zac asked.

"I do not know. He arrived before I awakened. I suspect the traitors brought him in," the spirit said, his face red in anger.

Zac grunted, already knowing who the spirit referred to. He'd sensed another presence in the web of Imperial Faith before. They'd used unknown means to travel through the network, even briefly appearing inside the octagon. However, they left right after Zac claimed the seal, never stepping out from their fold in space. After that, Zac had no idea what had happened.

As for who, it was most likely the one who'd replaced Yselio to represent the Seven Heavens in the trial. Zac didn't know why he didn't make a move in the end, but he might not have felt confident after what happened to their predecessor. Or perhaps they simply didn't want to get stuck with the rivers of faith drying up.

"Where are the traitors now?"

"I believe they've left already. I sensed a temporal fluctuation indicating they escaped just before you boarded, " the spirit said, looking conflicted.

"What's wrong?"

"The signal came from the Centurion Tower's lowest floor."

"The lowest floor?" Zac grimaced, remembering what he saw when connected to the spire.

The lowest floor was where the remaining Elder Guardian was located. Not only that, but Zac had sensed there were tightly guarded chambers even further down, floors that weren't connected to the spire. He suspected they held some critical part of the Centurion Project. Was that why the princeling didn't make a move?

Rather than the seal being his target, perhaps he was looking for something else. Something connected to the Foreign Gods and the Lost Era. Zac sighed. At least they were gone, if the spirit's scanners could be trusted. With the Foreign Gods and Pope dealt with, they finally had the subspace all for themselves.

"Were you able to confirm what happened with the heretic who used the Ascension chamber?"

"I recorded nothing that would indicate survival."

Zac nodded. "Can you do something about the people outside?"

"I'm afraid not. I have no authority over the base itself. I do not recommend direct conflict, either. I've stayed dormant for too long. Large sections require repairs and replacement of degraded components," the spirit said. "My calculations indicate a 53% probability of defeat when facing a fleet with four Monarchs in our current state."

"Four Monarchs? There's no way," Ogras frowned.

Still, the spirit's estimate showed just how powerful the Pernumia Ino was. Even with extensive damage and a non-existent crew, it was somewhat confident in taking on such a lineup. It had to be at least a Middle C-grade vessel for that to be possible, likely even higher. This was exactly the deterrence the Atwood Empire needed.

A flagship of this dignity wouldn't make a difference to the outsiders during the battle over the Ultom Courts, but they needed to prepare for the future. No matter what happened to Zecia and Earth, his people would need something to protect themselves against outside threats. Zac couldn't provide it, as his plans required him to set out as soon as the trial was settled. An imperial destroyer would be the perfect deterrence.

Zac glanced at Ogras. "Send word to the Yphelion. Have them unfold a Moonpiercer and prepare to follow."

The Moonpiercer was the smallest of the Middle D-grade models that had been added to his Creator Shipyard after the upgrade. It was an all-rounder taking up roughly the same function as Starflash, though it was more geared toward raids behind enemy lines. As such, it possessed decent speed and a very capable cloaking array—the perfect combo for a small group to sneak back home. It could also be unfolded in time.

"Much better than leaving them stranded in the depths of the Imperial Graveyard," Ogras agreed, giving Zac a ruminating look. "You're planning on staying here."

"I haven't decided yet," Zac said. "But probably."

Returning to Earth in his current state wasn't an option—how was he supposed to teleport in the middle of his breakthrough? Not to mention, there wasn't just the Kan'Tanu to worry about if he returned to Zurbor. Time was running out, and this was the last chance for the outsiders to improve their odds of seizing Ultom.

From the Imperials and Sangha to the factions that had stayed hidden until now—everyone would be eyeing juicy prey like their party. Staying hidden in this realm might be their best option since it seemed relatively safe in comparison. Not to mention, they'd only scratched the surface of the wealth hidden within its crumbling walls.

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"Well, the System dragged us here. It should take responsibility and send us back home after the trial." Ogras offered. "Or at least to a more stable spot in Zecia."

Zac felt the same way. They had barely reached this place despite Yphelion's upgrades, and one day of repairs after they reached the Centurion Base definitely wasn't enough to bring it back to working condition. Meanwhile, they didn't have the levels, skills, or authority to pilot a proper C-grade vessel through such a dangerous gauntlet. Crossing the Imperial Graveyard once more was a death sentence.

"What about the sealbearers?" Ogras asked.

Zac took out an Information Crystal and branded a slew of information on it. It was information he'd gathered from the streaks of information-filled starlight and when connecting with the base through Imperial Faith. Essentially, it was a treasure map leading to hidden treasuries and storerooms—all places that should have lost their defenses without faith or Stellar Energy to power them.

"It's up to you. Safety or opportunities."

Ogras eyes shone, and Carl's calm demeanor grew more strained as they scanned the content. Eventually, Ogras turned to the archer with a knowing grin. "Like a devil whispering on our shoulders, this one."

"Indeed," Carl sighed.

It was at that time the doors opened to let Catheya inside. Her state looked just as bad as his, yet she hurried over upon seeing Zac. She only stopped in confusion upon seeing the arrangement surrounding him.

"It's nice to see you again," Zac said, looking at her frozen body with worry. He felt multiple spots of stubborn Life and starlight embedded within. "Are you okay?"

"I'll survive," Catheya said, looking at the array beneath Zac. "What's going on? Are you breaking through?"

"Kator forced my hand," Zac sighed.

"So it came to that," Catheya sighed before glaring at Ogras. "Why are you disturbing him at such a critical juncture?"

"Some things needed the boss' input," the demon said.

"We'll get out of your way," Catheya said. "I just wanted to check something with you. There is a seal aboard the ship. A Threadwinder seal."

"Take it, it's yours," Zac smiled.

"Thank you," Catheya said. "Call if there is anything I can do. I'll be nearby."

The meeting was soon after, with Zac asking the Ship Spirit to assist his subordinates to the best of his abilities. The others would have to figure out the rest themselves. He couldn't delay any longer. Zac tuned out all distractions to fully focus on his core, taking out his primary set of assisting tools. It was the same items he'd used the last time: the Kan'Tanu spikes covered in sinister runes, [Pexor Leaf], and a bottle of [Realm Ether Pills].

There was no point in reinventing the wheel every time, and knowing the process saved some time. Parasitical runes fed on the vibrant life force in the leaf. With their hunger triggered, the runes dove toward the next-best source of nourishment—the nucleus waiting in the Quantum Space's center. Like last time, the runes were all caught in the nebula formed by the [Realm Ether Pills].

Increasingly powerful waves shook his Quantum Space as the compressing array formed around his nucleus. It pushed tighter and tighter, the forces threatening to throw Zac's fragile balance off-kilter. Through grit and experience, the process went smoothly, even if the result left some to be desired. The previous time, his nucleus had shone like a bright star after being triggered, ready to be molded and infused with spirituality.

Now, it looked like a fading red dwarf, its luster and intensity noticeably weaker. Infusing the prepared Late D-grade treasures would still be possible, but it would be twice the work for half the result. The difference in grade couldn't fully explain the subpar outcome. The main problem was the fifteen-minute delay between his ignition and now, which had given the nucleus harden.

Not satisfied, Zac swallowed a handful of pills that deposited huge amounts of energy in his Quantum Space. The already overstuffed pocket realm groaned with complaint, but Zac had no option. He'd sacrificed a lot to come this far, and he needed the boost of attuned energies to accelerate the asteroid belts.

The debris was agitated into spinning at a breakneck pace, which further added to the pressure on the nucleus. It helped, though not as much as Zac had hoped. While shining brighter, there was still a noticeable gap from before. Zac hesitated whether he should take even more drastic measures, ultimately deciding against it.

Perfect was the enemy of good. If he had to take a few shortcuts to finish the job, then he would. And not using more treasures for little effect didn't mean there wasn't anything he could do to save time. Zac quickly went to work on the Death-attuned treasure that would complement the wriggling crystal, using the Omnitool without hesitation or error.

The good news was that he felt his understanding of [Cosmic Forge] had seen significant strides after absorbing the seal. Zac hadn't spent any of the epiphany actively pondering on his Void-based crafting technique, it had just advanced as an incidental benefit from this comprehensive enlightenment. It added further stability to his runes, evidenced by the Life-attuned crystal.

Death eventually caught up to Life, and Zac began to move back and forth on working with the treasures. Soon enough, Zac extracted the first streaks of unblemished spirituality and pulled them directly into his nucleus. Zac had already used some of his attention to redraw the pathways in one of the nucleus's sections, and unblemished Life and Death added the finishing touches.

Zac exhaled in relief as the upgraded section drew in some of the unbearable levels of energy clogging up the temporary space. Not resting for a second, Zac began work on the next. Upgrading the pathways as he went was rough and hectic, but it saved the time Zac desperately needed. He was already having trouble properly infusing the spirituality because of how hardened the nucleus was, and any second he wasted would make his job more difficult.

It was only the first of many such compromises he'd have to make. Calming his heart, Zac continued to extract string after string of pure Life and Death. The first hour went smoothly as Zac used all his attention and two Soul Cores' worth of mental tendrils to keep a rapid pace. However, the passing of time confirmed Zac's fear.

The Void Realm wasn't as stable as he'd initially estimated. It was already starting to feel hollow, and he only had himself to blame. His constant pilfering of materials and Void Energy was hastening its collapse. Not drawing Void Energy wasn't an option, either. [Void Mountain] was required to upgrade the nucleus, and [Void Heart] was both damaged and occupied.

Zac was trapped in a negative spiral without a solution. He had to resume his hunt for treasures as he didn't have enough material to reform his core, but doing so left him with less time to benefit from the Void Realm.

Hours passed this way, and Zac forgot all else as he fought his desperate battle against his hardening nucleus. Despite a few major setbacks, the nucleus was upgraded to Late D-grade. Zac found it difficult to be happy even if he'd succeeded and gotten the rampant energy under control. His work was rushed, leading to imperfect integration and pathways in multiple spots.

Each blemish meant an unplanned fault line that couldn't be fully fixed during the final stage of the Core Formation, a weakness that would affect energy generation and flow. Zac's vision was already swimming at that point, and he was forced to stop even if he didn't want to. The delicate work of redrawing pathways didn't mix well with a mind drained from battle and being struck by tribulation lightning.

The Void Realm didn't fare much better. It had already shrunken to half its original size, with much of the stockpiled materials already out of bounds. His Draugr half kept going despite a desperate need for rest. His human side threw a set of Natural Treasures onto the refinement arrays as he ate another round of soul-nourishing pills to recover.

The surroundings had seen significant changes while he'd focused on his core. Galau had used the time to finish the hangar's transformation, and there was a haze of Life and Death clashing all around him. The Ship Spirit must have helped out as an archaic aura of war seeped out of the walls, adding conflict to the mix. No urgent messages were waiting for him outside, only a brief update.

All crew was collected and accounted for. The Yphelion had been moved to another hangar with a stronger repair function, and a group led by Ogras had already set out to explore some of the locations Zac detailed.

Zac took another twenty minutes before resuming his work. The nucleus was a difficult hump, but the next part came easier. Zac alternated between using the refined Treasures Void-refined debris to build upon the nucleus while his Draugr half worked on repairing as many pieces as possible before it was too late.

One day later, Zac knew he'd overstayed his welcome. Using the same method as last time, he pushed against empty space with [Void Mountain] while pressuring from within the Void Realm. He only had enough spare energy to create a coin-sized slit this time, but that was all he needed.

Zac activated [Abyssal Drive], pouring out of the gash just before it closed. Zac felt a wave of weakness hit him the next moment like he was standing at death's door. The feeling passed, but he still felt hollow, like he'd used Longevity to power a skill. Zac even felt the connection to his Hidden Node weaken. Such was the price of greed.

The disturbance caught the attention of Joanna, who had appeared to take up her position as Dao Guardian.

"Is everything okay?"

"Not really, but I'm alive," Zac sighed. "Is your seal finished?"

"It is," Joanna said, looking slightly confused.

"Then, could you call Kruta over?" Zac said, feeling the dangerous vibrations from his Corpse Sack.

The orc arrived moments later, just in time for Zac to throw out the broken twisted and broken pieces of bones that were all that remained of Kator. The orc swore and took a step back, only stopping upon seeing what it was. "Nine hells, remind me to never piss you off."

Zac didn't get the chance to respond before a powerful pulse pushed away the swirls of Life and Death.

"This—!"

"A small thank you for keeping Catheya safe."

"No problem, no problem," Kruta assured, never taking his eyes off the emerging Blooddancer Seal. "Not that she needed much looking after. That's a tough one."

"Go on, take it before it turns my chamber to dust," Zac said with a strained smile, struggling to just stay awake after the Void Realm's collapse.

Kruta didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out and grasped the seal, experiencing a lifetime of clarity in an instant. "So that's how it is. What now?"

"Now?" Zac sighed. "Now we pray nothing else goes wrong."

Kruta laughed. "Not much chance of that, is there?"

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