Defiance of the Fall

An urgent roar pulled Zac out of Antuka's lingering obsession. The vivid dreams of an ancient sky were replaced by blood and shadows. Unable to fully extract himself, Zac moved purely on instinct. His axe dug leftward in a sharp horizontal swing, drawing a bloody gash across the amorphous Beast King just as it was about to reach Ogras's cocoon.

It looked like a living patch of smog, with dozens of eyes covered in unnerving cracks. Its elusive form and nimble movements made it a natural enemy of infighters. It had already bent its body at an impossible angle to avoid Zac's follow-up swing as sinister energy gathered in its eyes. Zac continued his swing with a vacant expression, displaying neither surprise nor elation when [Verun's Bite] seemingly overturned time and space to dig into the shadow beast's energy nexus.

The crackling power in the Beast King's eyes turned into confusion as its body shriveled into a goopy jelly the size of a bathtub. Zac ignored the unusual carcass, his gaze trained at his axe as waves of comfort filled his heart. That second swing had contained the spark of hunger that drove Life toward greater heights, the ferocity that allowed the determined to ignore reason and shed one's mortal coil.

Creation was finally a part of his Evolutionary Stance—the creation of his Earthly Dao of Reborn Life, not the unchecked desire for reinvention of the Shards of Creation.

The Evolutionary Stance was a continuous cycle of self-improvement, where each swing embodied Life's triumph and ultimate failure. Chained together, the attacks became the endless cycle of self-improvement, where the strong triumphed and the weak became fertilizer. The conception that had accompanied him since his time in the Orom World had never felt so vibrant before.

Creation was rocket fuel that accelerated Evolution's pace, where the following attacks were further-removed from its predecessor. It added explosiveness and unpredictability to Zac's fighting style, making it difficult for even seasoned warriors to adapt. The trajectory the shadow beast anticipated belonged to an already dead attack, while the real thing came from the opposite direction.

The surrounding chaos didn't allow Zac to savor the moment. Battles raged as far as the eye could see in every direction. It was mainly a struggle between shadows and the five elements, and the countless elementals and golems held a distinct advantage. Zac wasn't the only one to suffer from the ancient crocodile's roar, and the desert's locals had decided to capitalize on the situation.

The piles of torn-apart carcasses in the immediate vicinity told a different story. The glittering stones had been painted black by the blood of countless shadow creatures, yet they kept coming. Zac and the still-unconscious elf were collateral targets. Their goal was the shadow cocoon rippling with profound Dao and boundless energy. It had to look like a divine elixir to the wounded beasts trapped in a hostile environment.

Joy and exhaustion came through the link of [Verun Bite], and Zac smiled at the hulking hyena who'd kept them safe for the twenty minutes he'd been unconscious. Verun was still fighting. It snatched up an Early Beast King, whose intangible form proved completely helpless before the Tool Spirit. A few furious tugs reduced the beast to a soulless mist that faded under the harsh sunlight.

Verun's spiritual body flickered precariously as she stumbled over. She'd already gone past her limits to keep him safe. A deep rumble emerged from Verun's throat as she buffed Zac's chest with her bloody snout. Zac smiled and gently stroked her chin.

"Thank you. You're always there when I need you," Zac said. "I'll take it from here, so go to sleep."

Verun shot a final look toward the receding ocean before returning to [Verun's Bite]. Having spent decades together, Zac could tell that the Tool Spirit had subtly transformed. While Verun looked the same, her soul had gained a new depth and clarity. Zac followed the Tool Spirit's gaze in thought. Slaughtering the shadow beasts couldn't explain the breakthrough, so the answer lay with Antuka, the colossal crocodile.

Resisting its ancient bloodline must have helped Verun refine and polish its spirit. A Tool Spirit would grow with use, but it was a slow process. High-grade Spirit Tools generally only reached their heights after being passed from generation to generation. Each owner would nourish its spirit and push it toward the next stage.

[Verun's Bite] was obviously different from the norm. Zac's opportunities had put it on an accelerated track, with the crocodile being the latest. It had saved Verun years of natural growth, and even its potential appeared to have advanced. Zac couldn't help the pang of regret. [Verun's Bite] was almost ready to advance to the next stage, though Zac still needed to find a few suitable materials.

The divine beast's latent aura was already so useful—what if he'd managed to snatch one of its bones? Zac shook his head. He'd already reaped a huge harvest from what was supposed to be Ogras's opportunity. And while such ancient beasts didn't exactly grow on trees, he now had another route to pursue.

Zac gulped down a handful of Soul Nurturing pills before slapping a generous helping of isolation talismans on the shadow cocoon to curtail its aura. Ventus was summarily thrown atop the egg after confirming his aura was weak but stable. Haro had also been knocked out from the roar, so Zac took out a bundle of ropes.

With a deadly lake behind and C-grade battles to his sides, Zac chose to head deeper into the desert. Any shadow beast or golem foolish enough to intercept his path became victim to his upgraded Evolutionary Stance.

Zac was still in decent condition, except his Soul Cores were as parched as the desert. The crocodile's burst of Dao had held so much information it could be considered a primal language, similar to the Dao Script Esmeralda used to communicate. Except, the ancient crocodile didn't care whether its audience could endure its message.

It hadn't left any lasting damage. Zac's real concern was how it had affected Ogras. He already seemed to have a hard time absorbing the descendant. Getting struck by the ancestor's roar couldn't possibly have helped. The fierce aura coming off the cocoon should come from absorbing a sliver of Antuka's Dao.

Whether it was an opportunity or disaster remained to be seen. Zac had no way to communicate or help, so he could only remain alert. The Ogras who entered the chrysalis might not be the one who emerged.

Zac flew at a low altitude over the scorching dunes, keeping a constant vigil. After confirming he'd escaped the bloody gauntlet at the border, he mostly kept a watchful eye on the sky. The inescapable light reflected on the desert's Dao beads came from five planets floating overhead. They were even smaller than pre-integration Earth, yet their energy ripples could only come from a C-grade world.

Such planets were normally manmade or natural worlds transformed into a powerful cultivator's manor. They'd likely hold great opportunities for cultivators climbing the Peak of the Grand Materia. Zac also guessed they were part of an ancient formation that interacted with something below-ground, seeing how much energy and Dao they poured into the sands.

Zac could imagine Yrial's expression if he stumbled upon this place, but it was useless to him. Visiting the worlds would require preparation and specialized equipment, and he had two unconscious companions to care for. None of them practiced the five elements, so there was no point in taking the risk.

The five-colored light grew more invasive the farther he traveled. Despite that, Zac kept a straight course toward the Hollow Court. It took less than two days to reach the inner desert, so the region was quite small. While the light was annoying, the zone was quite safe, with most of the locals dealing with the shadow realm's exodus.

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The few beasts that noticed Zac's passing became training dummies that helped him get used to his new and improved Technique. Enlightenment could come at any moment and without reason, though it was often built upon tireless effort. This was the case for Zac, who'd finally grasped the next stage of Evolution, advancing his Evolutionary Stance to Late Integration.

The reason he failed to immediately step into Late Integration was, ironically, that he'd seen too much when aiming his axe at the Terminus. The Evolutionary path had briefly gone beyond integration with the self to become a unique conception. The step Zac needed to take had been overshadowed by a beautiful mirage far in the distance. The crocodile's roar slapped his ambitions down from the clouds, reminding Zac he was still an ant who needed to learn to walk before he could fly.

The breakthrough only included his Evolutionary Stance, though it was only a matter of time before his Inexorable Technique took the same step. His Daos and Techniques had grown increasingly harmonized and entwined, so advancing one meant finding answers to the other. Zac wouldn't need a second epiphany, only a few weeks of practice and meditation.

Perhaps because of the scorching heat of the desert's center, Ventus woke up with a groan.

"What a shame. I was on the cusp of deciphering his message before succumbing. It slipped through my fingers," the elf sighed as he took in the surroundings.

"His name was called Antuka, the Seeping Dusk."

"Oh? You managed to decipher it?" Ventus said with interest.

"Most of the visions crammed into my head are a jumble. I only got the gist of it. Antuka was drawn to the Left Imperial Expanse by its intense providence. He wanted to consume the continent's shadow and steal the Empire's fate through it," Zac explained.

Ventus looked in the direction of the shadow realm with a smile. "I suppose we saw how that ended."

"His territory was ripped apart and turned into a nourishing rain, his body interred to become a perennial fertilizer," Zac said, shaking his head at the Limitless Empire's audacity and might. "I'm guessing Antuka was left behind because he's essentially become part of the continent. Only flesh and obsession remains."

"How marvelous. The shadow realm is born from its flesh, and the rain is Antuka's attempt to expunge the dagger's restriction," Ventus mused. "So where did the little croc come from? Immaculate conception?"

"Maybe," Zac said. "I have no idea what the lingering will of a Divine Beast can accomplish. Its obsession could have created an image of itself with a natural resistance against the seal. Who knows what'd happen if it were left alone? It might have been reborn through the small croc."

"Is Sir Azh'Rezak ok?" Ventus asked, tentatively poking the cocoon he sat on.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Can you divine anything?"

Ventus shook his head after a minute. "There are no clear signs either way. We'll have to wait and see."

Zac glanced at the cocoon with regret. "I soon have to seclude myself, too. You need to be ready because I won't be able to delay when the opportunity strikes."

"Did you grasp it? I could tell you were at the cusp of something."

"Yes, Antuka helped me cross the finish line. Though that's not what I'm referring to." Zac said.

Almost a week had passed since emerging from his second memory lantern. Going by how much lightning [Void Heart] swallowed, it would finish the refinement in the next few days. With how flighty the refined Tribulation Lightning was, Zac would have to drop everything the moment it came pouring out.

Ventus didn't try to dig any deeper into Zac's cultivation, instead focusing on helping. "Should I derive the closest auspicious location?"

"Let's keep going," Zac said. "We should be able to leave it in a day or two, and I'd rather deal with my breakthrough outside the harsh light."

Three days later, Zac stopped in his tracks and put the shadow cocoon on the ground. "It's time."

"Now? We're only half an hour from the location I picked," Ventus said, looking around at the open landscape.

Zac ignored the question, having already thrown out a set of array disks to hide his breakthrough.

"Fine!" Ventus muttered under his breath as he dragged Ogras further away. "I was supposed to be the one enjoying protection; why is it the other way around?"

Complaints aside, the Numerologist dutifully erected a constellation around Zac's arrangement. Not feeling safe with just that, Ventus also installed four arrays in the cardinal directions that amplified the effect. Esmeralda was more straightforward. She simply pulled Zac's Draugr half out of her pouch and dropped him like a sack of potatoes.

Taking nothing for granted, Zac kept a sliver of consciousness on his surroundings while most energy went into keeping [Void Heart] in check. It was like trying to stop a volcano from erupting by pressing a lid over its mouth. It might work in the short run, but it didn't resolve the underlying cause. A second or two was all Zac needed.

The shimmering [Heavenmend Crystal] emerged from [Purity of the Void], and Zac sent it into his quantum space where his Cosmic Core waited. He infused his three Daos into the array engraved across the crystal's surface, prompting it to light up like a Christmas tree. The light rapidly grew with intensity, joining the black, grey, and gold already transmitted from the Cosmic Core.

The radiance harmonized, and the [Heavenmend Crystal] turned into a liquid that poured into the core's countless pathways. It was a breath of fresh air sweeping through dusty hallways. The core was coming alive, from the surface all the way to the nucleus's depths. Unflattering blemishes were smoothed out, and crooked corridors were aligned with the Cosmos.

The process didn't require Zac's input. He had already provided the schematic by infusing his Dao. However, there was still something he could do to improve the outcome. Zac released the hold on [Void Heart], and a pent-up thump was followed by a muted rumble.

"What in the Heavens?" Ventus whispered, looking at the illusion array with trepidation before glancing at the sky.

A sliver of Heaven's aura had leaked through the array, and the scene was even more eye-catching on Zac's Draugr side. He'd steered the lion's share of refined lightning to his undead body because it had absorbed much more Zenith Elixir. Its Earthly Taint was already dealt with, but the elixir also contained a decent amount of stubborn impurities that needed to be expelled.

Lightning marked by the Void swept through Zac's bodies, purging any gunk that had eluded [Purity of the Void]'s efforts. There was more than Zac expected, yet he only allowed for a single circuit through his body before pushing all lightning into his quantum space. The [Heavenmeld Crystal]

Heavenly Lightning flooded the recently refurbished corridors, adding a second wave of refinement. Different from the [Heavenmend Crystal], the lightning also dealt with the embedded impurities. Zac's hectic breakthrough had forced him to make do with whatever was on hand. A decent chunk of the core was reformed with materials found in his bloodline's Void Space, which missed a final round of refinement with [Cosmic Forge].

Zac was extremely happy with his decision to hold onto the [Heavenmend Crystal] until now. The crystal and tribulation lightning working together resulted in a much greater improvement than if they worked separately. Half the tribulation would have been wasted on first bringing the core to a malleable state. Meanwhile, the [Heavenmend Crystal]'s unique spirituality seemed energized by Heaven's touch and worked even harder.

The effect was a classic case of one plus one equals three. Zac even felt a pang of regret that Roan failed to attract a Four Desolates tribulation. Normal Tribulation Lightning could only align his core with the Heavens and the Dao, not with the Four Laws. Of course, Tam's body would never have survived getting blasted by Law-imbued lightning.

The lightning escaped Zac's grasp sooner than he'd liked, slipping into the folds of reality. The [Heavenmend Crystal] kept going for a few minutes longer, during which Zac frantically made a few manual adjustments. He then spent five times as long inspecting every nook and cranny. The more Zac looked, the more satisfied he became.

Zac drew from his core, and a stable stream of energy promptly answered his call. The tiny yet very annoying delay brought by his core's fault-ridden state was all but gone. His Cosmic Core had gone from facing the risk of relegation to Low Quality to coming infinitely close to High Quality. Only a slight resistance when Zac drew energy at his absolute limit confirmed he'd stopped just shy of the threshold.

It was enough for Zac's current needs. Upgrading his skills to Late D-grade wouldn't overload his core, possibly barring [Arcadia's Judgment]. He could also let go of the caution that held him back from gaining levels. His Cosmic Core was more than steady enough to awaken its corridors without risking further destabilization.

"You're out already? Is everything ok?" Ventus looked at Zac with confusion as he emerged from the array. "Did you have to—"

"I'll make do," Zac grunted, able to guess what the elf was thinking.

Ventus had sensed the Heavens, but no clouds gathered overhead. Less than an hour later, Zac emerged looking the same as before. It must have looked like he failed or was forced to cancel his breakthrough—a misconception Zac saw no need to correct.

On the other side, Esmeralda prodded Zac's head as he got to his feet. "Don't you look chipper? You'll have to teach me the trick to stockpile Tribulation Lightning."

"As soon as you teach me how to move as fast as you." Zac smiled.

"Then it's not meant to be. How could you hope to mimic my graceful leaps with those stumpy things you call legs?" Esmeralda shook her head with exaggerated sorrow. "Anyhow, with so much good stuff coming your way, I suppose you don't need the baubles the little Reaver carried around?"