Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 1179: Facing the Bottleneck

Zac hadn't realized how much he'd needed a short break from the pressures of office. The bloodshed and constant threat of death were bad enough. He also had to play the roles of the Atwood Empire's tyrannical emperors. Any hint of weakness could ripple through the ranks of his men or invite trouble from those eying their wealth and position.

The wide-eyed innocence of the newly awakened allowed him to put all that aside. He'd felt like an uncle entertaining a gaggle of kids at a family gathering. Zac was also happy to see his impromptu appearance helped the Echelon class let go of some worries. More than one had carried misgivings about their purpose and role in the Atwood Empire.

Just knowing that no one was out to get them had helped as much as his lecture on cultivation. Altogether, eight managed to elevate their Daos, while two rekindled the abilities of their predecessors. One was Lesiti, who formed her first sliver of Spear Intent. The other was the curious deathsworn, who was now called Wright. He'd actually triggered a bloodline resonance, awakening a Bloodline Talent that seemed very useful for scouting.

Max's gains were harder to nail down. He didn't seem to understand it himself. It seemed as though the link between himself and his Soul Sword had grown stronger, forming a give-and-take similar to his [Adaptive Symbiosis] with Haro. It was interesting, but Zac had no plans to delve deeper into Max's secrets.

Ultimately, Zac had too much on his plate to give point-by-point instruction to his new disciple, and he couldn't very well bring Max back to the frontlines. He'd already provided a path forward, and Max would have to prove himself by accomplishing the task he'd laid out. Hopefully, the challenge would become his first step in formalizing a path of his own.

Zac was even less worried about the Echelon Class. With their talent, it wouldn't be long before they made a name for themselves, no matter if it was on the battlefield or in other departments. They did, however, hint at a worrying trend. The undead side of his empire was starting to become too powerful, eschewing the balance between Life and Death.

Their population was just a fraction of the number of living citizens, but Elysium was producing an excessive number of extraordinarily talented cultivators because of him. It hadn't been an issue when there was only Vilari and Rhuger who stood out. But the Echelon Class would blaze through the ranks until Peak E-grade, as the foundations for the first two grades had already been set by their predecessors. Between their talents and Earth's upcoming upgrade, they wouldn't need to waste much time before pushing for Hegemony.

Furthermore, the Echelon Class was only the latest addition to Elysium's ranks. There were also the Revenants and Corpselords from high-quality corpses collected during the war. The Kan'Tanu rarely left usable corpses, but Zac wasn't limited to only collecting those his soldiers slew.

The Kavriel Province already had an agreement with the Alliance to buy any usable corpses. However, it wasn't easy to forget the eons of enmity. Many were cautious about providing their old nemesis with too much ammunition, afraid it would come back to bite them in the future. The Atwood Empire didn't face similar resistance, and they'd been able to set up multiple channels to discreetly procure bodies for cents on the dollar. Then there was Ultom and the elites who'd participate. Zac's Corpse Sack would soon fill up again.

How was the living supposed to keep up?

Certainly, Earth had an unusual number of cultivators possessing bloodlines. But so what? The purity wasn't very high. The locals wouldn't measure up to the Echelon Class even if they managed to trigger a bloodline awakening. Their predecessors would be considered talents anywhere in the Multiverse, and most had stronger bloodlines than the descendants of the Tsarun Clan's research subjects.

Let alone Earth, barely anyone in Zecia could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Echelon Class in terms of pure talent. Even the established clans in the Undead Empire Heartlands would fight tooth and nail for such an incredible batch of corpses. Any one of the sixty-two had the potential to become the ancestor of a powerful branch.

If nothing changed, the Atwood Empire would eventually be divided into a small group of powerful undead ruling over a larger population of living citizens. Take it further, and a day might come when the undead feel it is a waste to have a bunch of dreamers running around. If all the leaders and guardians of the empire were undead, why not just realign the whole faction?

Zac could quash any such developments while around, but he couldn't stay on Earth forever. There was his mission to Sanctuary, which could take decades, depending on the distances involved. Furthermore, his road was growing increasingly narrow on the frontier. Zecia couldn't provide the resources and facilities needed for someone like him to target Peak Hegemony and beyond. Just Middle Hegemony would have been a headache if not for the contribution store and a few established factions opening their private treasuries because of his performance in the lighthouse.

These were all problems for later, though, and the imminent rise of the Echelon Class did help him in the short run. As expected, Kator had been on his case since Zachary Atwood shot straight to the top of the ladder. Giving his undead followers some extra attention was one way to show he hadn't forgotten his Draugr side. Thank god the Reaver successfully stepped into Late Hegemony two weeks ago, and his human side wouldn't compete with Kator for the top spot on the Middle D-grade ladder.

The other participants were already waiting in the meeting room when Zac arrived. Representatives from all races were present, as were the branches of government and military. His human half was already sitting at the seats of honor, and Zac nodded at himself as he took his seat to his left.

"I'm sorry about the delay. Let's begin."

At this stage, there was not much left to discuss. The plans had already been drawn up and implemented, so the meeting was more of a once-over to confirm everything was in place. Zac hadn't been very involved in the nitty-gritty, leaving the details of Earth's upgrade in more capable hands. He'd read the reports and provided general direction. The short of it was that they'd purchase the energy upgrade for Earth the moment Zac's successful breakthrough was confirmed. Meanwhile, Zac would trigger the shipyard's upgrade.

Some final details were ironed out, and Zac added a few notes on his own. Altogether, they were done within two hours.

"Is there anything else before we wrap things up?"

"There is," Ilvere said. "We just received a report. The bell was spotted again."

"Is it still only attacking Kan'Tanu?"

"Yes, but a Monarch appeared to snatch it. He failed, but the bell seemed to have taken some damage before it slipped away."

Zac frowned for a few moments before shaking his head. "It's fine if it managed to escape. Its actions prove that Vilari is still in control. She'll be more careful going forward."

Zac was only making educated guesses, but there was not much else he could do. He wasn't ready to deal with the [Epiclesis Bell], which was one of the reasons he was pushing himself so hard. Vilari's plight reignited the urgency burning in his heart. He stood up and turned to the door when a hesitant call stopped him.

"Wait! Should Should both of you really break through at the same time? The risks involved..."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The one who asked was Julia. It was a valid question for those who didn't know the truth of Zac's split existence. If something went wrong, the Atwood Empire would lose both pillars at once. The empire would descend into chaos, and their riches would be eyed by Kan'Tanu and locals alike.

"That's precisely why we have to go at it as a team," Zac said while his other half nodded in agreement. "We were once one. Our Mental Energy is still indistinguishable, and we have a complete understanding of each other's paths. One might be able to help the other through the process, significantly reducing the risks."

"But using a Temporal Chamber is too dangerous."

"What choice do I have?" Zac sighed, even if he wholeheartedly agreed with Julia's warning.

He was taking a big risk by stepping out of the river of time once again. He had already borrowed too much between his seclusion and the Perennial Vastness. The disjointed time flow he'd experienced after returning was his final warning. With another infraction, the river would come to collect.

"It's not just Vilariwe're all running against the clock. You have grown immensely over the past year, but the past months have proven how quickly disaster can strike. Even if I were willing to hand over the reins and seclude myself for a few months, how am I supposed to focus on my breakthrough with constant worries rattling around in the back of my head? Don't worry; I have found some methods to weaken the temporal imbalance. One quick seclusion should be fine."

There was one more reason Zac reluctantly decided to take the risk, one not suitable for such an open forum. Suddenly and without warning, the Sealbearer quest's deadline had jumped 197 days closer. Instead of two and a half years until the trial began, they now had just under two.

The shift was related to his actions inside the fortress according to Tavza. Zac didn't understand why that should make any difference. The Lighthouses and Centurion Project were only tangentially related to Ultom. At the same time, the timing and that nun's presence on the Everfast Monarch's vessel couldn't be a coincidence. The fact that the Void Gate completely cut ties with him shortly after gave Tavza's theory more credence.

Since the deadline could change once, there was nothing that said it wouldn't happen again over the upcoming months. There was also his mission to call forth the Foreign Gods and seize the final piece of his seal. If a Lighthouse could cut six months from the Fifth Pillar's ascent, what about the real thing? It could immediately trigger the trial, depending on when he took action.

Middle Hegemony was only his minimum requirement. Ideally, Zac wanted to reach the peak of the stage and upgrade his Daos before it was time to set off. He no longer had the luxury of spending months on core breakthroughs and redrawing his pathways.

Zac left for the closest teleporter, with both bodies appearing in the lobby of his Cultivation Cave. Triv was already waiting for him, while Galau arrived soon after.

"How is it?"

"We've gone over the arrays and installments twice over the past week. Everything is in order," Triv assured.

"Or damaged with in a way that's beyond our capabilities to discern," Galau shrugged.

"How can you curse the lord right before his seclusion!" Triv chided.

"It's fine," Zac said. "Thank you for your hard work."

"Then, good luck, master," Triv bowed. "I will stay nearby should you require my assistance."

"Be careful about getting too close. I might generate dangerous energy storms," Zac said before turning to Galau.

"I'll be careful. I always am," Galau said before his brows furrowed. "I spoke with Average and the others."

"How is he?"

"Not good. Ultimate was their pillar for so long. The family is floundering without his leadership. Most of them are meatheads, so they've thrown themselves at the Kan'Tanu like they're holding the answers."

"We all have our process to grieve," Zac sighed. "Our plan?"

"Average doesn't think it's a good idea. At least not now," Galau said with a shake of his head. "Kantaja is out of her mind, and Greatest is facing immense pressure to hold it all together. He's desperate for power. If we bring him here..."

"He might do something drastic," Zac filled in. "Alright, we'll table the matter. Please keep looking for other ways inside when you have time."

Apart from rehauling Earth's defenses over the past months, Galau had also dealt with the Ensolus Ruins. The majestic temples were now properly hidden, but he hadn't found any way inside using the knowledge gathered in the fortress. Zac's backup solution was to roll the dice and bring Greatest to force open the barriers. The only other Monarch Zac could even consider bringing to Earth was the Void Priestess, but that was also out the window since their attitude changed.

It looked like the temples would stay locked down for the foreseeable future. Zac had already tried using the beacon to pass through the barriers, but the two didn't seem connected. In fact, he'd already confirmed the breach wasn't anywhere near Zecia by activating it in different regions. The beacon's only response was imparting a sense of incredible distance. The quest wouldn't be solved with a quick skip into the Million Gates Territory.

Zac went over the details of the arrays with Galau before entering the inner section alone. The cave had seen a large overhaul since he visited last time. Galau and Triv had worked in tandem to upgrade and expand the arrays and natural formations. The energy density was more than twice as high, though it still couldn't quite compare to the environment atop Mount Illumination.

Improved energy wasn't the only difference. Zac walked to the cave's nexus, where his prayer mat had been replaced by a scarred totem pole over five meters high. It emitted an incredibly fierce aura, to the point Zac felt small scars appearing on his skin when he came within ten meters. It stirred the ambient energies, generating a storm far greater than anything Zac triggered while cultivating.

The pillar was called [Might of Ourombos], and one of the awards he received from the Alliance for his contribution. It was a unique treasure excavated from a special realm under the control of the Deonsir Clan, one of Zecia's 'Eight Grand Clans' and a founding member of the Alliance. The realm was called Tribulations of Ourombos, and it was a System-controlled trial zone like Twilight Ascent.

It was only accessible by Peak Hegemons and only opened once every 83,000 years. Since it held opportunities that could increase the chances of opening a proto-space, the Deonsir Clan was forced to hand out some of the entry slots every time. [Might of Ourombos] had been brought out three trials ago by a talent from the Tribal Constellation. The troll had paid an immense price to seize it and died soon after from his wounds. His tribe quickly declined without his protection, and they opted to pawn off the totem pole before it was stolen.

It wasn't clear how it found its way to the Alliance coffers, but it didn't much matter. It was a powerful Conflict-attuned amplifier, taking unattuned energy from the Nexus Veins below and turning it into Conflict-attuned energy. [Might of Ourombos] was extra valuable because it didn't add any will or resentment to the energy, something which was often a problem with treasures attuned to Conflict.

Because of it, his cave finally had all three elements of his path, where Conflict in the middle kindled and elevated Life and Death. The pillar wouldn't last forever, but it was a Peak D-grade treasure that could keep chugging along for millennia before being exhausted.

Surrounding the pillar were nine densely engraved boxes as tall as Zacthree for each of his elements. They were Spatial Treasures holding immense amounts of stockpiled energy. They were also connected to pure Nexus Veins on Pangea and Elysium through spatial gates, allowing them to bring over even more energy if needed.

Zac didn't want to recreate the desolate scene around Mount Illumination, even if he didn't think his breakthrough would be as energy-demanding. Most of the energy from the drained mountains went into upgrading his Duplicity Core and erecting his quantum spaces. Without their pull, Zac would provide most of the energy needed through the treasures going into his core. The Spatial Batteries were a safeguard in case his estimates were wrong.

Continuing into the heart of the Life-attuned half of his cave, Zac found the next addition in the form of an ancient array platformanother reward from the Alliance. Actually, most of their rewards were centered around facilitating his breakthrough.

Sharing his Shipyard quest had clearly made them burn with anxiety, and the recent setback only increased their desire for strong weaponry. If his Cosmic Vessels could lessen the pressure from the Kan'Tanu's general assault, then the Alliance could divert more resources to prepare for the pope's return.

The platform was an ancient relic extracted from a treasure realm, a Core Formation array borrowing certain concepts from the Limitless Empire. The array had been repaired and further modified by a Monarch Array Master following Zac's specifications, and there was an identical one in the Death-attuned half of the cave.

His unexpected split into two bodies had thrown many of his plans on their head, but Zac believed it worked in his favor when it came to his core. One of the biggest struggles Zac faced during his Core Formation was that one of the three elements in his core was always in a quantum state and impossible to manipulate. With two bodies, he'd be able to manipulate his core from both directions. It would speed up the process and drastically lessen the risk of the imbalances that lead to explosions or imperfections.

It was a much-needed advantage, considering the other hurdles he needed to cross.