Defiance of the Fall

Zac had brought three long-range trackers into the trial to find his companions. One was the official device provided by the Undead Empire for their mission. Zac had left that tracker in a danger zone shortly after arriving. It had most definitely been tampered with, and there was no way he'd carry that thing around after Kator's betrayal.

Kator's Spatial Ring should hold a superior version without the hidden pitfalls. Esmeralda was still working on unlocking the ring's seal. The second was a tracker Tavza gave him in hopes they could gather up before Kator took charge. It was a special treasure only the upper bloodlines of the Draugr Race could use, meaning only he and Tavza could sense each other.

The final one was the Atwood Empire's tracking treasure shared between him and his sealbearers. It was this treasure that had suddenly activated. Zac had opted for range over complex features, so he couldn't tell who it was. It didn't really matter, anyway. Zac couldn't simply leave them alone. The beast tide was only one of the dangers to consider.

They were dealing with a memory domain, and what identity his companion held would greatly impact their treatment. What if they entered with the brand of a low-ranking soldier? They might have been directly sent to the frontlines as cannon fodder.

Back inside the natural formation, Zac sighed and turned to Esmeralda. "I'm sorry. I have to go in."

"Just don't swallow any treasures that'll leak to this side. Even small fluctuations can disrupt the balance," Esmeralda urged.

"I'll be careful," Zac promised as his human half rushed into the sandstorm at the memory's edge.

Zac immediately found himself in the middle of a confusing battle, surrounded by thousands of powerful auras and clashes. It had been impossible to sense any of it outside, and suddenly receiving such strong feedback from every direction made Zac's senses seize up. He felt like he'd been hit by a flashbang, yet he knew he couldn't stay in place.

The battle continued beyond the memory domain's border, so the edge was the most dangerous place. Attacks and combatants could appear out of nowhere and without any warning. Zac activated [Skystriker] and rushed deeper into the battlefield. He crushed anything in his path while digesting the input.

A sudden scream of danger forced him to a halt. Zac swung to his left, blocking the descent of a thick staff covered in runes. The staff was filled with incredible power, enough to overwhelm Zac's hasty swing and force him a few steps in the opposite direction. Where an enormous maw suddenly appeared.

The jaws closed with Zac within. Three rows of teeth tried to tear Zac apart, corrosive saliva stung his skin, and a bloodline talent created a powerful suppressive domain. He'd almost been swallowed by a Late-stage Beast King. A beast with such power would stand out even in a C-grade tide, but the situation wasn't enough to leave Zac panicking.

Zac held back against a grinding bite with his left arm while unloading a set of lightning-quick overhand swings aimed at the roof of the beast's mouth. The jaws were the main weapon of many Beast Kings and, thus, incredibly sturdy. Even so, it couldn't resist attacks imbued with two Earthly Daos. Each cut dug deeper and chipped away bone.

The Beast King quickly realized it'd swallowed a walking bomb rather than prey, but it was too late to do anything about it. A trio of vines rushed into the gap Zac had created, and he felt Haro's explosive expansion throughout the beast's body. Beast King's life rapidly faded from having its brain shredded and absorbed. Meanwhile, its flesh withered away as Haro feasted on its essence.

Zac smiled, affected by the glee transmitted through [Adaptive Symbiosis]. The Left Imperial Expanse was a treasure land in more ways than one. The beasts all held ancient bloodlines that far surpassed anything you'd see in Zecia. Any Beast King was like a walking Natural Treasure for a young and growing Heavenrender Vine.

To Haro's great regret, most of those Natural Treasures had been allowed to slip away. Zac only fought when he had to, afraid to attract troublesome attention. The Late Beast King was one of the best treats Haro had gotten since the trial began.

Another warning of imminent danger made Zac push the jaw open and release an axelight with [Nature's Edge]. It blocked the incoming staff and allowed Zac to step out of the dead beast. The attacker was a young man emitting a solid Late D-grade aura. Judging by his apparel, he should be a young master of some local clan.

"You bastard! It's fine if you want to die, but you dare cost me contribution?" the warrior swore, looking at the collapsing Beast King with anger and regret.

Zac scoffed and revealed more of his aura. He was admittedly at fault for rushing into someone else's battle, and Zac knew he wasn't the intended target of the first strike. However, the second attack was clearly an attempt to cinch the killing blow. The staff wielder must have realized Zac was fine and killing the beast from within, and he hadn't cared.

"Sorry, I received a distress call from a companion and moved without caution. I didn't intend to steal your target," Zac said, his eyes gleaming with danger. "Accidents happen, wouldn't you say?"

"Uh, yes," the warrior said, his bluster gone after confirming Zac hadn't killed the target through a stroke of luck. "I'm—watch out!"

Zac was surprised to see an Early Beast King jump onto its fallen comrade and lunge toward him. It stopped mid-air, impaled by a dozen bloody vines emerging from the beast below.

"What's the matter with these guys?" Zac asked.

Even Beast Kings could get whipped up in a frenzy during a tide, but they generally wouldn't throw their lives away like that. No amount of bloodlust would make a sane Early Beast King openly target someone who'd easily taken out a monster two grades higher. And if one maniac wasn't enough, two more Beast Kings threw themselves into the fire without a care in the world.

"Didn't you hear? This isn't a natural tide," the man said as he crushed the skull with a swing of his staff. "Some bastard turned the beasts insane. Even the commanders have lost their minds. They'll keep coming until we've killed them all."

"Thank you. I need to find my companion," Zac said. "Oh, where did you get that token?"

"Just pick up one on the ground," the man shrugged. "Plenty of them lying around."

Zac kept going, seeing no point in making a fuss over the ambush. Moments later, he conveniently picked up a token from the body of a fallen cultivator. He'd seen an identical one flicker with each Beast King the staff wielder killed. Zac didn't care too much about some merit, but he figured not having one would make him stand out.

The signal had turned much clearer since stepping into the memory domain. The signal came from further in. Zac wanted to fly right over, but the chaotic battlefield made it impossible. The slaughter was extremely intense, and its participants exceeded the skirmishes he'd fought during the intersector war.

Zac felt the fluctuations from dozens of Monarchs and Beast Emperors duking it out, and there had to be thousands of Hegemons participating. With the beasts suffering from induced madness, the frontline was dozens of miles wide and extremely chaotic. Streaks of C-grade power occasionally fell from the sky, causing devastation among both men and beasts.

It would have been faster to move along the rear until reaching the beacon, but a perimeter of ominous array towers made Zac give up on the idea. Military law was absolute in the Limitless Empire, and escape during an active battle was treason. Unaffiliated cultivators were no exception. They were considered conscripted the moment they joined a battle. Zac could only carve a path through the beasts while avoiding C-grade battles as best he could.

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That wasn't to say Zac was helpless in a battle like this. On the contrary, Zac was the strongest fighting force beneath the Monarchs, and a trail of destruction formed in his wake. His hectic dash caused a subtle shift in the battle and more than a few glares when Zac opted to cut through claimed beasts rather than take a detour.

He was only forced to a halt when a subterranean monstrosity resembling a naga broke through the ground. It was a Beast Emperor wielding the Daos of Conflict and Darkness. The moment it appeared, it released a huge domain that swallowed nearly a hundred Hegemons. Its appearance caused a massive breach in the frontline, effectively cutting Zac off from his destination.

Zac swore and backed away, furiously repelling the swarm of beasts that came pouring out of the ground. It was at that moment a steel lance crackling with blue lightning fell from the sky like a bolt of Heavenly judgment. Zac's field of vision was overwhelmed by a sea of blue, and he urgently activated [Empyrean Aegis]. It was just in time before a shockwave of lightning and darkness swept forth.

The Peak-quality defensive skill bolstered by Zac's attributes and Daos barely held against the eruption. There was no sign of the warriors or horde of beasts when Zac's vision came back. All that remained was a lake of crackling blood and a general decked in glowing armor floating above it. He didn't show a shred of remorse over having sacrificed dozens of Hegemons to land a blow on the naga.

"Keep going. Leave the leaders to us," the soldier said.

Zac was relieved the Monarch didn't ask for his assistance. The Beast Emperor was clearly still alive beneath the blood pool, and getting dragged into that fight was a recipe for disaster. Zac bowed and moved on before the general could change his mind. At this point, Zac had reached the battlefield's center, where the combatants were almost exclusively Imperial Soldiers.

Their orderly ranks and efficient slaughter were completely different from the chaotic battlefield Zac came from. Thankfully, there were a few powerful mercenaries fighting by their side. It gave Zac the excuse he needed to keep going until he found what he was looking for.

Their eyes met, and Joanna's aura veritably exploded. Zac briefly saw an illusory figure behind her. One moment, it looked a lot like him. The next, it was the terrifying Godking with mountains of corpses in her eyes—Indra Eyler. Joanna stabbed forward, and a sea of destruction rolled forth. The attack carved a deep trench of destruction, and it took a while for it to fill up with new beasts.

Its lingering aura overwhelmed the madness that held the beast tide in its grip, triggering their fight-or-flight response. It created the window Zac needed to fly over, but he was actually stopped by a legionnaire with a Peak D-grade cultivation.

"Stop," the soldier said, looking ready to cut Zac down where he stood if he took one more step.

"He's my sworn brother," Joanna said.

The warrior's gaze dramatically changed, and he quickly stepped out of the way. Zac walked over to Joanna's side, curiously glancing at the troupe of elites forming a defensive perimeter. What kind of identity did she have to receive such treatment? Inspecting her didn't provide any clues. She looked the same as always, and he couldn't see any brand on her hand.

"You did it," Joanna said with a smile.

"I squeaked by somehow," Zac laughed. "I should've known I'd find you in the middle of a battlefield. I'm glad you're okay."

Okay was stretching it, but Joanna's battered appearance was no worse than how she usually looked. Her wounds wouldn't slow her down. The bloodier she looked, the more trouble her enemies would find themselves in. Swirls of baleful air orbited her spear and her Faith turned them into deadly weapons.

"Never been better," Joanna said. "We should be done in a day or so. Let's wrap things up before we talk?"

A rustle of dancing vines added another vote to stay and fight. Zac looked out at the battlefield, slowly nodding in agreement. He'd killed plenty of Beast Kings and hostile plants since entering the trial, but the battles had almost exclusively been quick executions before running away. A protracted fight like a controlled beast tide was the perfect opportunity to stress test his Cosmic Core.

He was also curious about who'd triggered the tide and why. The battle could really be related to some treasure. Zac scribbled a note that disappeared in a flash.

"Just like old times, huh?"

----------------

"It's stable on the other end. They'll just be fighting beasts for the next day," Zac confirmed.

"Perfect timing. I think I understand what we're dealing with," Esmeralda said. "There should only be one more layer before we get inside. Hold on. This might be painful."

Zac steadied his mind and gave the go-ahead. The fountain flickered, but it didn't disappear. It was Zac who felt his consciousness being repelled. The surrounding mists parted, exposing a vast capital cast in silver and green. Metal buildings and nature lived in harmony with each other and the Cosmos. The city was prosperous, even emitting a halo promising a bright future.

Zac first observed out of interest, then because he had no choice. Strands of his mind were dragged in every direction, forming a network that passed through city blocks and mansions. They moved further and further, well beyond what Zac should be capable of. The capital was only the beginning. The formation demanded Zac bore witness to a whole civilization.

The amount of information was overwhelming. Zac's soul strained to take it all in, but it was quickly becoming too much. The sky darkened over the small kingdom just as Zac thought he couldn't take it any longer. A huge claw descended from the heavens, its three talons rippling with absolute power. Fate was severed and the vision crumbled.

Zac groaned, realizing he was back in his own body, lying on the ground with Esmeralda by his side.

"We're here," Esmeralda panted, looking like a half-melted wax figurine.

Zac shakily got to his feet and looked around. They were still on the octagonal square. Or rather, one similar to the previous layer. The fountain had been replaced by the rubble of a large statue. Crumbled pieces of rusted metal formed a mountain reaching half a mile into the air. An enormous head sat at its tip, looking like no race Zac had ever seen before.

It had no discernible features, only a set of complex ridges creating a dizzying pattern. It could barely be considered humanoid. And yet, something about it conveyed such intense grief that a tear ran down Zac's cheek.

The only other intact piece was an arm jutting out from the pile. It seemed to have been grasping something, but the item was gone. Even so, there was something profoundly mysterious about the hand. It gave Zac the same feeling as the hill outside. It was the center of the universe, perfectly aligned and perfectly in place.

"What was that?" Zac asked after downing a mouthful of water.

"The second layer. A network of fate, I guess?" Esmeralda mumbled as she looked around. Her gaze grew dark when it reached the statue's hand. "I knew it, you frivolous bastards! Wasting a Natal Treasure like that!"

"What's going on?" Zac asked. "Do you know who these people were?"

"No idea," Esmeralda sighed, looking like she'd lost her home on a bet. "I'm guessing they were a minor first- or second-generation race."

"The first ones to appear after the Primordials? Why would there be ruins of them here?"

"Where else would they be? The Primal Heavens were the cradles of civilization. Countless races had already come and gone by the time the Limitless Empire came along and unified the Left Imperial Expanse."

"Did you also see the claw at the end?" Zac asked, getting an affirmative nod. "Could it have been a Primordial?"

"Doubt it. It was missing the inborn oppression you'd see from a Primordial. It was probably a second-generation Innate Existence."

Zac looked at Esmeralda's almost petulant expression, shaking his head as he looked around. "There's no treasure, is there?"

"Only the memory of one. What a shame."

"The beast took it away?"

"Either that or it shattered from the struggle," Esmeralda said. "It should have been a Natal Treasure holding crystallized Cosmic Destiny. That's the kind of treasure that could move even veteran Supremacies, but these fools ruined it! They must have mixed it up with something to leave such an odd trace. A prayer, perhaps? Or maybe a set of commandments?"

Zac didn't quite understand what Esmeralda was talking about beyond there being no treasure. He could also tell there wasn't a speck of Destiny left in the square. The world felt faded, lacking any future. "So, should we just leave?"

"No. The Natal Treasure is gone, but its memory has some uses. Dispersing it should be very good for your Dao Heart."

"Oh?" Zac perked up.

The Heart had been Zac's weakness in the Pilgrimage Trial back in the Ensolus Ruins. He'd finished the other four tests with stellar marks but only passed the Pilgrimage of Heart by the skin of his teeth. He'd spent most of his templar points on Heart tempering, but he was still far from the level of his Soul and Body.

The Heart was a rough stone you slowly polished by going through life. That process could be accelerated with a Heart Nurturing Manual, but rapid improvements were extremely hard to come by. Zac had never even heard of any Heart-strengthening treasures. There were special opportunities like the illusion devices the Templars used, but such things rapidly lost their effectiveness.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Zac asked to confirm.

"Uh, well," Esmeralda hesitated, making Zac's eyes thin with suspicion.

"Spit it out."

"It's nothing! Except… Items holding Destiny can be finicky, and these fools used it to bolster the providence of their race. The statue getting smashed should have caused a nasty backlash. It shouldn't affect you, but you might be afflicted by bad luck while dealing with the remnant energy?"

"Shouldn't? Might?" Zac stared at Esmeralda, who threw up her hands in the air.

"I don't know, okay? The Destiny of these people is long gone and the treasure was linked to their race. Only they would get hit by direct misfortune, but you might feel an echo of it."

"So it's more like a spill-over situation," Zac mused. "Well, I'm a pretty lucky guy. I think I can handle it."

The risk was worth it. Zac took out a note and warned his other half. He felt sorry about causing trouble again, but his human side would understand. He couldn't pass up on a chance like this. The cosmically aligned hand had a decent chance of solving one of the major roadblocks he faced with [Void Emperor Apotheosis].

It was time to officially integrate Heart Nurturing into his Cultivation system.

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