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Chapter 1,333.
🕑 Added 2025-02-05 21:34:11 +0000 UTCA deafening roar heralded an enormous shockwave of fire and smoke. It would have been easy to mistake the eruption with the volcano coming alive with Emily’s totem pole as the epicenter. Six streaks of condensed destruction moved much faster than the expanding cloud. They smashed directly into the tightest clumps of cultists who’d advanced on Emily’s position.
The zealots were woefully ill-prepared to deal with the Atwood Empire’s bloody gift and were consumed by ephemeral suns. The explosions quickly disappeared, leaving behind utter devastation. Three dozen cultists instantly died, only leaving scraps behind. An even greater number were maimed by the hidden shrapnel or knocked silly by the shockwave.
Those who’d narrowly avoided calamity mutely stared at the smoldering remains of their so-called siblings. As one, they stepped away from the menacing weapons that had appeared around the buffing pillar. Not even the True Sun’s blessing could make them stare down the oversized barrels of the [Godslayer Cannons].
Smoke poured out of the War Machines, and they were covered in cracks. They still exuded a palpable fighting spirit, like dying warriors ready to drag their foes down to hell. Their runes sputtered and flickered as they released a low roar, and cultists began running for their lives.
A burning mace radiating horrifying power descended before the cannons could go any further. It held the weight of a collapsing star, far surpassing what a Hegemon could withstand. The totem pole shattered, and the [Godslayer Cannons] were turned into flattened scrap by a resounding slam. Suzy would have shared their fate if she hadn’t returned to her spiritual space the moment the cannons fired.
Emily hadn’t expected the Emissary of the True Sun to interfere, allowing his vice-captain to get mortally wounded to deal with the unexpected variable. Thankfully, she’d never planned on sticking around. She was already miles away, hiding inside the shockwave she’d created. The Emissary had kept his ambush contained to avoid birthing new suns, but the ripples still reached her position.
Holding back a pained groan as bleeding cracks appeared across her body, Emily kept making her way toward the altar. The message had told her to ignite the flame, so that was what she was going to do. Not because of a belated sense of duty but because it was the only way Emily saw herself getting out in one piece.
Emily moved with supernatural grace, a perfect integration between purpose and Dao. She’d become the storm, making her aura almost indistinguishable from the rippling clouds. Her placement in the ritual was close to the innermost circle, and she successfully slipped past a protective perimeter erected around the True Sun.
Success was so close Emily could taste it, but the clouds couldn’t withstand the sweltering sun’s glare. Despite Emily’s best attempts to keep them going, they dissipated while Emily was still crossing the no-man’s land.
Behind were dozens of powerful cultists who realized their deity was in danger. Ahead was a Peak Middle Monarch who had already tried taking her life once. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Emily could only keep going. She threw a massive ball covered in sinister runes at the cultists as she rushed toward the altar, her body crackling with invigorating lightning.
The bomb erupted in a blinding light. That was it. Emily snickered at the cultists scrambling out of the way of her disco ball. Sure, she would have preferred presenting them with the real thing, but her stockpiles were running low. This wasn’t the first time she’d been forced to rely on external help. Emily had used them while traversing the Left Imperial Expanse with increased frequency, and the previous memory domains had required incendiary intervention.
Emily feared she would arrive at the Radiant Court with empty pockets at this rate. The decoy bought her the window she needed, but it wasn’t over yet. The Emissary of the True Sun wouldn’t fall for a cheap trick like that. However, the Emissary had underestimated the determination of his enemies. The C-grade infiltrator suddenly exploded, unleashing a conflagration of Imperial Faith that threw the Emissary out of the way.
The golden flames fueled by the Monarch’s life force swept over the altar, exposing a hidden protective array. The detonation of a Monarch’s inner world only managed to open a small crack, and it was already closing. It was now or never.
“No!” the Emissary roared, desperately unleashing another attack through the curtain of golden flames. Even weakened, it wasn’t something Emily could deal with. Suppressing the pain in her heart, Emily threw out the only thing strong enough to buy time. A massive cube of refined alloy thumped on the ground, creating a durable blockade.
From its shadow, Emily hurled her tomahawk imbued with the raging flames of summer at the altar. The weapon turned into a flaming comet and successfully squeezed through the crack. It was at that time the bulwark exploded. The Middle D-grade ship would have been able to withstand a hit or two with its shielding active. The same couldn’t be said in its furled state.
The Emissary’s desperate wave of flames descended, yet all Emily could see was the small, golden fire burning atop the altar. How dared that ball of burning gas above dare call itself the True Sun? What an impostor. Only that flame was worthy of such a grand name. Emily calmly looked up, knowing she’d stumbled onto such a fundamental, inviolable truth that reality could only comply.
The True Sun’s ancient presence was torn asunder, triggering a complete collapse of the Emissary’s cultivation. The sky darkened, and the volcano froze over from the chill of immense, cosmic loss. The whole memory domain quaked, but the Imperial Faith froze from the utter absence of sunlight. Even the Dao in Emily’s mind trembled, threatening to wink out like a dying flame.
The fighting had stopped while Cosmos forced them to witness the end of all things. Just when Emily feared the world would fade into eternal darkness, the True Sun reignited with majestic power. Shifting from angry red to the small fire’s imperial gold, the sun released a pulse of unquestionable authority. The cultists became shadows under direct sunlight, fading into nothingness.
“Butchers! Thieves!” a decrepit-looking Emissary wailed, giving Emily a final hate-filled stare before joining his subjects in annihilation.
Emily barely heard him. She gawked at the True Sun as its aura surpassed its previous heights and reached unfathomable levels. The memory domain should have shattered ten times over, but the sun’s rays kept the reality aloft. A single drop fell from the sun, turning into what could only be an angel without wings.
The featureless entity looked at the destruction, gently waving his hand. The chains faded, leaving only the sacrificial suns. They were joined by hundreds more that rose from the bodies of the fallen Templars. Emily marveled at the scene until even the few surviving infiltrators joined their brethren, leaving her behind with this bloody angel.
“What—You—” Emily stuttered before she found her mettle. If she were going to die, she wouldn't go out with a whimper. “Damn it! I’ll haunt you if you dare repay my hard work by turning me into a bonfire. I’ll curse you with impotence, you fire-starting lunatic!”
“Some mouth on you. I suppose your lack of discipline is how you successfully infiltrated the cult,” a decidedly female voice scoffed before her tone softened. “You did well. Countless years of work would have faltered if not for your timely intervention.”
Emily wanted to ask what the hell took the order so long, but she reined her temper now that she might survive. Still, the anger seemed able to read her thoughts.
“Caution is paramount when hunting Gods. It took us over a million years to make the True Sun accept our Faith Offerings, and it never truly trusted us. It would never have entered our trap if it sensed any High-grade Templars lurking nearby.”
“Wait, what?” Emily blurted. Did the angel just admit the Order of Dawn had not just infiltrated but actually founded the Children of the True Sun?
“Your contribution will be remembered,” the angel said, and a streak of flames poured into her left hand.
Emily didn’t have time to investigate the mysterious power it held. The angel had left, and the Imperial Flame released its grip on the memory domain. The volcano’s towering walls faded, exposing the vast jungle beyond. Emily gave the shrinking sacrificial suns a pitying look, suddenly realizing they looked quite familiar.
A parting message entered Emily’s mind as the domain’s last vestiges faded.
“Their service is their reward. Their faith shall burn forever, guiding those lost in the dark.”
Only two hundred freshly made memory lanterns remained.
-----------------
Kadel paused his work to wipe away the beading sweat on his forehead. A wayward drop could introduce heterodoxy to the fragile components, ruining hours of work. He couldn’t afford any more mistakes, whether personal or professional. He’d staked everything—his and his family’s reputation, his endowment, and his future in the Seat of Truth—to silence the overwhelming opposition.
It was time.
The world fractured into countless threads that stretched into the mist. Kadel fought the nausea as he searched the stable lines until picking one. The next moment, he was back in the shared workshop, sitting at the workbench that had been his home for months. He smiled, having successfully memorized two stable runes for the curved metallic band before him. Everything was coming together.
They’d accused him of abusing his ancestor’s contributions to ruin the Seat of Truth’s foundation. They didn’t understand. How could they? Even the Canonized Explorers remained trapped by three-dimensional thinking. Kadel would have been the same if he hadn’t stumbled into the gap left by his grandfather’s experiment. If he hadn’t fused with a sliver of the Ancient Arcana, which gave him a glimpse of the most ancient of truths.
Temporal Omnipresence was possible, and mortals could wield it! It wasn’t the exclusive power of an Eternal.
The clamor of countless parallel worlds filled Kadel’s mind, and a series of spasms made him drop his engraving chisel. He hugged himself, humming the nursery rhyme his wetnurse used to sing to calm him down during the summer storms. The thousand voices—most filled with ridicule and contempt—stilled.
The backlashes were getting worse. Kadel slowly reopened his eyes, finding most of his neighbors warily looking at him. One even stowed her project and moved to a workbench further away. Kadel didn’t mind, partly because he’d already seen it happen. Besides, a scholar cracking under pressure could be a deadly affair. You never knew how an experiment tainted by madness would act.
Kadel knew how he looked, and he didn’t care. He picked up his chisel and continued his work. He would prove all of them wrong tomorrow, and the backlashes would stop. He just needed to visit the crossroad a few more times to discover the final patterns.
“It will not work.”
It took a moment for Kadel to realize the taunt came from his prime timeline. The shock made him lose control and infuse too much Spatial Energy into the component. He always picked trajectories free of disruptions, so hearing a voice meant he’d either gone insane or was losing control over his ability. He’d also ruined the component.
Kadel swiveled toward the culprit with a bellyful of anger. It was the nondescript man seated at the workbench to Kadel’s left, a stranger who’d spent the past two weeks working on a metallic sphere. Kadel had already noticed it incorporated extremely novel concepts related to the Peak of Fantasy. A few years ago, Kadel would have loved getting to know a researcher of such caliber.
Now, Kadel mostly liked the man because he’d minded his business, not once interfering with Kadel’s important work. He hadn’t so much as looked up when Kadel was fighting against the backlashes.
“Bastard, couldn’t help yourself any longer? You had to speak up at a critical moment?” Kadel spat, his eyes stinging from held-back tears of betrayal and pent-up frustration. “Who the hell are you?”
Seeing who’d interrupted his work was surprisingly painful. Kadel had deluded himself into thinking there was at least one person in this Heaven-forsaken academy who believed in his work. Or at least had the decency to give him the benefit of the doubt instead of citing antiquated rules. Someone with an unconstrained heart and willingness for exploration.
Kadel’s outburst had no effect on his neighbor. There was no derision on his face, only a slightly vacant expression as he slowly drawled an answer. “I… I am Anson.”
“Anson? Never heard of you. Did someone put you up to this? Was it Kon’Lo? Did she pay you to interrupt my work at a critical moment?” Kadel growled.
Despite his tough front, Kadel started to worry that his antics had attracted an actual lunatic. Those lost in the truths often sought out like-minded.
“Can you see it? The disorder brought by your search?” Ansil slowly asked, pointing toward a clump of workbenches nearby.
“What disorder?” Kadel’s eyes were wide with shock upon seeing the scholar's horrifying state. Some looked like they had fused with countless of themselves, while others flickered in and out of existence. It was like the timelines had been merged in a forced state of omnipresence.
“It’s you!” Kadel wheezed, believing this illusionist had used his tricks to mess with him. “What do you want?”
The man shook his head and stood up. “I’ll show you the truth if you dare wake from the dream.”
“What are you—HEY!” Kadel shouted, his eyes darting back and forth.
None of his tricks worked on the illusion. How was this possible? The Seat of Truth had extremely powerful protections in place. If this was a mental attack or illusory domain, the workshop’s arrays should have dealt with it already. Anson was already leaving through the main door on the opposite side of the enormous hall. Gritting his teeth, Kadel rushed after him.
If nothing else, Kadel needed to know how this mysterious observer could replicate such a realistic illusion, perfectly matching his theories of a temporal collapse.
“Hey? Where are you going? How did you do that? What’s the truth you speak of?”
“Wait.”
Kadel followed his desk mate to the middle of the Inquiry Square. As usual, there were hundreds of scholars around. Some were moving between departments or the grand library. Most were listening in on the Seat of Truth’s time-honored tradition—the public defense where scholars expounded on their insights while the audience poked holes in their ideas.
“Wh—"
“It’s time to wake up,” Anson said, and his sphere ignited with golden splendor.
The world froze, and the Inquiry Square was cast in a golden sheen that filled Kadel with warmth. He’d never seen pure Imperial Faith once before. However, a pervasive decay was hiding behind the empire’s warm embrace. The frozen scholars had become faded paintings covered in dust, both real and unreal.
Kadel was no different. He was hollow, yet his mind felt unprecedentedly clear. It was like he’d finally shaken off the blinders that kept him from the truth. As the observer said, he’d woken up. And it was in that state that Kadel realized that only this mysterious observer felt solid in this world of fading lights.
“I cannot maintain this state for long. You need to move us forward,” Anson said, and Kadel saw how his tool was rapidly draining energy.
“I can only peer into potential futures. I can’t actually move through time,” Kadel said, somewhat understanding what Anson wanted.
“Here, you can,” the man urged. “Hurry.”
“You don’t understand. Even if I grab the trajectory—” Kadel choked on his explanation as the world around them sped up.
A day passed in the blink of an eye, but they could travel no further. The countless futures had fused into a singular river that severed his connection. Kadel had never seen anything like it during his many experiments. A single possible future? Had they encountered inevitable Fate? The academic in him tried to dissect the fantastical experience, but the theories went out his mind when he saw something just as shocking.
Kadel saw himself standing atop a workbench. Truthfully, Kadel might not have realized he was looking at a copy of himself if not for the prototype in his alter ego’s hand. Kadel could barely recognize the scruffy creature once lauded as a generational genius, the candidate most likely to pick up his grandfather’s mantle and become the first Headmaster in two generations.
Hundreds of scholars and more than a dozen lecturers surrounded him, their faces a gallery of emotions. There were even two elders standing at the front, including Professor Emision. Time was flowing erratically, and a bubble around Anson’s tool blocked all sound. Still, it was clear his old advisor was urging him to stop and reconsider.
Standing within the illusory bubble, Kadel knew it wouldn’t work. His other self activated the prototype, and Kadel immediately realized the observer—and everyone else—had been right. It wouldn’t work. The Omnipresence Chamber was only supposed to create a domain the size of a walnut, but a small fissure made it draw everything. Future and past converged on the present, and the prototype immediately shattered under their weight.
A pulse of total annihilation swept through the academy, completely erasing the present and, thus, the future. The people, the buildings, everything, was mowed down by buckling time and space.
“No!” Kadel wailed, consumed by horror and guilt.
A primal rejection of what he witnessed allowed Kadel to seize the temporal threads, and he fled into the past. The Seat of Truth reappeared as it was before. Kadel was once more standing in the middle of the square with the mysterious stranger a day before his ill-fated experiment. The Imperial Faith, the discrepancies, they were all gone. Gone everywhere save for his memories.
Kadel was covered in sweat like he’d woken up from a bad dream, and his mind feverishly went over the experience. Nothing was as scary as the unknown.
“An illusion successfully mimicking limited Omnipresence? No. We moved in time, yet not. It’s as if we—” Kadel gasped, his eyes wide with dawning realization. He looked at the observer, sensing his waning solidity. Yet Anson wasn’t the oddity—the world was. “…As if we were already standing in both points of time. Like we were observing time from within a true Omnipresence Chamber.”
“I first tried to help you discover and remedy your mistake. I’ve come to realize there might not be one. Your vision demands perfection in an imperfect world,” Anson said.
“You…”
“Destroying your prototype would have stopped the tragedy, as would killing you. I believe saving your records is enough.” The observer shook his head. “But they have their goals, and I have mine. I think you can accomplish more, so I figured out a way to temporarily wake you up.”
Kadel took a deep breath, surprised at how calm he suddenly felt. “How long has it been?”
“Very, very long.”
“The empire used my theories to create a dream with Temporal Omnipresence. Why?”
Ansel answered after some thought. “I think they needed to observe everything to find the answer. You’re part of it.”
“And what are you looking for, ghost of the future?”
“The same thing as they. A path forward. Hope,” the observer said as he began to fade. “Be patient. Give up on the demonstration, but don’t give up on your dream. If you wish to repay me, look for a way to step out of the dream.”
“I’ll be expelled and—Huh, I guess that doesn’t matter,” Kadel lightly laughed before looking at the man from the future. “Why?”
“Because it’s incomplete,” the man said, looking deep into Kadel’s eyes. “What will happen when the dreamers step out of the dream?”
“Step out? You’d have to—” Kadel's brows furrowed upon realizing he didn’t know the answer, and a new road of inquiry opened up in his mind. By the time he looked up, the mysterious stranger was gone.
Comments
Edgar Segura
Emily, Janos and Zac are creating Supremacies
Edgar Segura
Holy crap that's insane. Using fantasy/dreams/illusion/space/time to create a perfect world where the chamber exists from a perfect "illusion" and thus using the lanterns to create miniature worlds where time is past present and future all at once. Allowing the users/bearers to alter reality in a fake world then brining it out thru the bridges that are the lanterns. Or something along these lines
Craziedrakon
That’s cool tho cause the pov of Janus being forgotten by even the readers till its important follows the plot
Hms
Janus is that side character you forget exists until he randomly pops up in a random chapter. Its nice to get these different POV's, especially for the often-neglected characters who really can't take up too much of this ever expanding universes story.
Shane
@Omisa @Mathew Hay…… How do you guys remember these details? Do you guys have photographic memories 😂 I find myself reading the comments section more and more because its such refresh on linked story tidbits…. Kudos lads
Dro
I feel like each clan/sect/group has just one (or very few) "Young Masters" and they are normally the children or direct disciples of the leader. Many are called Young Master/Mistress even if they aren't (yet) the strongest. It just represents the one(s) the Sect Master gives extreme amounts of resources to groom for sect leadership in the future. Exceptionally talented folks like the Echelon could be Core Disciples who receive resources above that of Inner and Outer Disciples but Core Disciples wouldn't normally referred to as 'Young Master' unless they are (1) directly related to an Elder/sect-master, or (2) they are literally the #1 disciple in the sect (likely because they are related to the sect master in some way).
Tommy
Book 6 Chapter 19. They decided to pick Zac up when the shroud lifts. So we’ll see I guess
Greymantle
Omiso and Matthew: Thanks for providing the character's name! With that, I was able to find more complete info., and the chapter number (472), from the Wiki: https://defiance-of-the-fall.fandom.com/wiki/A’Feris
Matthew Hay
A'Feris is not a monarch, he's an Autarch, specifically called out as a Grand Deacon. The same rank as Alvod. He's waiting to see how Zac progresses before committing, but it should be a monarchy to autarchy plot thread. Also, another connection I don't think I've seen others mention - the old man that helped Zac learn how to fight at the start of the Orom. He gave Zac his token and told him to reach out to his friend if he ever made it out - that friend is the one who was talking to A'Feris about taking a disciple.
Jeff McCulley
Got it now?
Jeff McCulley
The main question I have about Zac running into Tavza is that she was pretty well crippled from her “deviation”—and I’m not sure how far she can get in this place on her own.
Jeff McCulley
The Notes on my iPhone has a folder labeled “Defier” that is very…busy.
Jeff McCulley
@Hartmann got it right. He’s the prime figure in this memory domain, nothing more. “Anson” is Janos.
Jeff McCulley
Thread wasn’t “dropped”, the guy decided to go collect Zac after the hundred years was up.
Timothy Dana
Any news on the next chapter release?
MacMahon Wenzl
Zacs going to come out of this with a whisper of the Limitless Emperors soul and no one will be able to touch Zacs faction.
Hartmann
Kadel is the perspective of the inhabitant of a memory domain Janos / Anson visits. He is the discoverer of the principles making the memory domains possible. In the past he accidentally blew up his academy.
Omiso
It wasn't entirely dropped, the Axeman that was "relaxing" by oiling his weapon is called A'Feris and he's stuck in a bottleneck his friend Io suggested taking a disciple (ZAC) after seeing the video of Zac making a xmas tree with the bodies of his enemies in the Tower of Eternity he was very interested in it but because Zac summoned a Steele of Conflict during his visit to the tower of Eternity the whole sector was quarantined for 100 years as any Steele is considered an omen of bad things to come (the war happened so go figured). This wasn't the end of the connections with the Radiant Temple. Zac was also given a token to participate into the recruitment trial of the Radiant Temple, by Ventus during the Twilight Arc, and he was given another token by Travo Raso during the Orom Arc. Another point of connection to the Radiant Temple is Alvod Jondir, the Eventide Asura, he and Zac have karma linking them both and follow a similar paths that will inevitable get them reunited again. But because all the other stuff Zac hasn't been able to pay attention to it. There is a chance this opportunity might fall into Emily the same way Zac's Axe Coliseum Token helped her find her way forward before.
Greymantle
Thanks! I don't recall the details, but how do you know he was a Monarch? Was that revealed as part of the scene? Also, do you recall what book that was?
zukerburg
No that thread was dropped I am assuming that guy was apart of some subsidiarity faction of the radiant temple and was prolly written to convey Zac making waves in the wider multiverse Zac also really doesn't need to be taught by some random early to middle stage monarch stuck in his cultivation
Greymantle
So completely unrelated to this chapter, but my memory was just jogged: A few (or several?) books ago, there was a scene where a guy was visiting his friend who was relaxing/fishing/retired (can't remember exactly). I got the impression they were both old and powerful, and probably from outside of Zecia. The visitor came to convince his friend to come out of retirement to train Zac (neither had met Zac, but he'd somehow come to the visitor's attention). The retiree didn't seem interested, but his friend thought he'd come around. Anyone recall that scene, and did anything ever come of it?
Greymantle
Ah, OK -- Kadel is a being that exists within one of the illusions Janos has created.
Mathew
likely the illusion demon janos
Greymantle
I forget--who's Kadel? Got no hits when checking the Wiki.
Lex Luther S
Well, it's been stated that zac claiming the first seal and being the fulcrum to ultom rising from the depths was zac basically throwing a giant mountain on the otherwise calm lake of fate and zac and ogras long theorized that by the time the trials all done and dusted, ancient factions territory lines will have been redrawn and with ultom appearing as the Zenith approaches, there's no doubt the entire board is going to be flipped up. This will be even more so when the 6th pillar descends as old man rivers, stated the 5th and 6th pillar were meant to appear closets to the Zenith and had something special about them compared to the other pillars.
Lex Luther S
For Tavza, I imagine the next time we see her is when human zac runs into her. We don't know what court she has but given she likely knew she had to head to the hollow court when the trial started, it's likely she somehow influenced her bubble to head in that general direction. Hell; I wouldn't be surprised if human zac swoops in to save her like a damsel in distress lol. Kinda excited since that's her first time "meeting" human zac, though I think she knows about his connected bodies after that dip into chaos she took. So far, human zac is about halfway to the hollow courts and I imagine that's where most of the flamebearers are at, though maybe a little bit ahead given he had to spend time fixing his core and healing up but with tavzas' injuries, she's likely around the same area as human zac.
Lex Luther S
It is janos. If I'm not mistaken, that was the name he had when he was trapped in that illusion.
The Lost Pages
Hmmm... I feel like Anson is actually Janos. This whole scenario feels exactly like how he got accepted into the Left Imperial Palace. Plus he has his own dreamers that he wants to make real. So the focus on helping Kadel step out of the dream is supremely fitting.
Palmer Evans
Do you have a spreadsheet to keep track of all this or did you just pull all that from memory lol?
Jeff McCulley
Oh yeah…I’d also expect a Tavza update before long.
Jeff McCulley
I feel like the “Young Master/Mistress” title is given to exceptionally talented young personages in the line of succession, or core members, not just disciples. Max would have some work to do, while the entire Echelon class would probably count. Not to mention Kenzie.
Jeff McCulley
I did a quick glance at the remaining Courts. With these two POV chapters, we have two Courts’ actual Atwood sealbearers as yet to be seen. One is the Farsee Court, with Ibtep and Jaol. Of course, Carl is pinch hitting, with Iz Tayn as backup. Sure, Carl can do the job—but who wouldn’t want to see Ibtep giving his unique take on the task? Come to think of it, when Zac was talking to Joanna about how people were chosen for each Court, he mentioned that their “fit” seemed to be important. And Ibtep and Jaol were natural explorers. Well, Carl is now exploring the bounds of madness and belief in Zac, isn’t he? That’s changed since he first got his seal. Of course, the Radiant Court also has a lot to do with suns, as we just saw from Emily’s chapter…and Carl is sitting on one right now. The Daedalian Court is where I might (or might not) expect to see pop up Friday, with a Galau or Catheya POV. Assuming, of course, that Catheya didn’t head for the Hollow Court instead. Considering the mess at the Daedalian Court with the Sangha, I wouldn’t be totally surprised if TFD held off on that one. That also happens to be Ventus’ own Court. We also haven’t seen Ra’Klid (Starfall), Bubbur (Tethered), Kruta (Indomitable) and Lissa (Hollow Court). The first two of those have some seemingly major makeup work to do with their fellows currently sidelined, and them going it alone would make for an interesting POV. Especially Bubbur, after his Atwood lessons from Carl. How well did those take? Is Bubbur a janitorial apprentice?
Tom C
TFTC!
Dro
Yeah so Emily's the Young Mistress/eldest disciple and that Max kid would be the Young Master/secondary disciple if he ever shows up again. Though I guess all of Zac's kids (Vilari, etc) could also be seen as his disciples
Borbino the great
Especially with how weird his powers are I feel like a lot of elites wouldn’t have a real way to counter especially if he combines time with his understanding of illusion I wonder what his inner world would look like
Borbino the great
Zac is 100% going to lead the second coming of the limitless empire but I think till then it’s going to be a balancing act between the monks the undead and the tayns being the ones who play balancing act to keep both sides from over reaching I think it’s inevitable for Zac to continue finding balance between life death with potentially the tayns or a different third party representing conflict
Chewbacchus
Edit needed here too: 'He’d never seen pure Imperial Faith once before' Has he seen it once or never?
Siethrobo
Considering the fragile nature of reality from Kadel's perspective the name changes may be intentional
Jeff McCulley
What Old Man Tim can’t see won’t hurt him.
Jeff McCulley
Young Mistress.
Orims
AHH but you can't block something that is already there😏. Honestly these supremacies believing that they managed to off Limitless are kinda sad. At the height of the empire they had enough power to litteraly change how the whole reality works (with the system) and somehow this bare handful of beings believes they won? To be fair I don't think that we will see Lanondio yet, but not because he CAN'T resurect but because it's not yet the time as the Dao is still healing. I imagine the plan would be to come back after like two more pillars rise just before the decline of the eara starts.
DagNabItAll
I've always argued it will flip the table, otherwise I didn't see how Zac would remain an independent actor afterwards, which is a core part of the series. It more and more seems like we will see a super powered system, or limitless empire round 2, which will change the whole universe.
Dro
The Young Master of the Atwood clan making our guy Zac proud - just throwing money at problems to make up for any issues. Who else but her could casually throw out a D-Grade ship just to block an attack. For context - that's almost 2000 years of Catheya's annual salary (10 D-Grade coins/year) just to block a single attack. Even given Catheya's high background in the Undead Empire.
Edgar Segura
There's a temporal block preventing the old monster from the future
Dro
We could kinda see that back when it showed the Old Monsters of today's era watch the 5th pillar rise. Ultom itself was literally an unmovable island right in the middle of the ever-flowing River of Time.
Tartlet
Ooooh shit, Kadel is looking to piss off Old Man Tim
Jeff McCulley
That just meant that *someone* needed to light each candle, not that Zac needed to have them all be *his* people.
Christian Brock
That was clear from the beginning with the need to light each candle.
Palmer Evans
The Ultom arc seems more and more like it might have by far the largest climax of the series so far. The implications to the rest of the universe will be massive with Zac at the forefront. Will the Atwood empire come out of this able to defend itself from Supremacies via more beings like Rava? I just don’t see how they don’t get picked clean unless the Tayns step in to help or the Primo owes Zac. Zac will prob be the strongest Peak Hedgemon in existence but that’s not enough unless this trial provides means to keep the old vultures away from the Eternal Heritage
Jeff McCulley
Ch. 1,333 Suggested Edits “alive with” >alive, with “were maimed by the” >heavily injured “already miles away” >Can’t be “miles” “while Cosmos” >while the Cosmos “waving his hand” >its “found her mettle” >courage OR voice You have mettle, you don’t “find” it. “have faltered if” >failed It was already faltering “the anger seemed” >angel flames poured into her left hand. >Emily’s left hand “her” works if the angel weren’t female “heterodoxy” >contamination “stumbled into the gap” >onto? “citing antiquated rules” >obsolescent “the scholar's horrifying” >scholars’ “countless of” >countless copies of “his tricks worked” >methods Just used “tricks” “Ansil slowly asked” >Anson “desk mate” >deskmate “Kadel knew it wouldn’t work” >the elder’s effort wouldn’t succeed *about to use “wouldn’t work” again in original context “Ansel answered after” >Anson
DrSubterfuge
Like a bridge connecting two times in a shared dream. And Janos just put stepping out of the dream on the table.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Omiso
For real Emily's action created new freshly made memory lanterns that means more opportunities to gather Imperial Faith. What would've happened to the Joyous Gardens if Zac hadn't left in a hurry. Even the Sealbearers that aren't top notch like Carl's Wife and Ibteb can just hit the lanterns while the elites go for the Courts all feeding the same trial. And Janos saving Kadel's life what would that bring?
Lex Luther S
Well well well. Emily succeeded and Janos is showing us why he's a GOAT. Truly can't wait to see where everyone's paths to the peak take them.
Jeff McCulley
I am starting to understand that Zac doesn’t just need sealbearers for his Cycle—that’s just the first stage. He needs them to do something significant at each Court as well. Trying to calculate who we see Friday. I think Janis did his illusory wish and is done for the moment. Unless, of course, it’s time for him to bump into D-Zac and Esmerelda?
Michael
Well Janos might have just given the Limitless Empire exactly what they need to come back from these memory domains. If this researcher can “wake up” what’s stopping Laondio?
MacMahon Wenzl
Janos is a real sleeper agent. He doesn't seem that powerful, but he really is up there with all the other elites of the Atwood Empire.
M💬
Janos being a seal bearer mean he has the potential to reach the peak of cultivation, not only him but all the seal bearers of the Atwood empire , but does this mean Character like Ilvere will be left in the dust? I will prefer if the someone like Ilvere becomes a peak Monarch ….. awesome chapter Also, in the future I hope Max gets as much love as Emily it’s nice to see her progress
Jeff McCulley
Thank goodness it’s not Friday, right? Still, guessing we don’t continue with Janos then.
Jeff McCulley
…and he’s likely looking for a way to bring his wife out.
Jeff McCulley
That’s exactly what I was thinking, the smith. Well…and what might Rava make of the Enkindlung Sage and his Dao Guardian?
Owen Stevens
wow. So it's been confirmed the left imperial palace is notgoing back in time. it's omnipresent.
Hartmann
He is looking for a way that his "wife" from the dream world he encountered in the Ensolus Ruins can use to leave the dream and become "real".
Jeff McCulley
He’s looking for a way to get his wife out of HER dream world. Er, among other things.
Jeff McCulley
Annnd here’s Janos!
Tyler S.
Good for Emily, and is Janos trying to find a way for him to really travel into the true time or is he looking for a way to take a LIP agent into his dream world to make it stable and stronger
Hartmann
Anson was Janos identity in the dream world he encountered in the Ensolus Ruins.
Andrew
Thank you!
Alexander Dupree
Ooooohhhh this is gonna be fun. We have a possible way to copy the entire Empire into the future it seems?
CloudyBall
Wow man, these past few months we have been getting banger after banger of a chapter and this one was no different. Keep up the good work! I will read this novel to the end no matter what
slicktracy
Good call
Lizy Flore
Janos. Dao of Fantasy, dreams, illusions. He’s the only one who fits.
Lizy Flore
Okay that was so cool. I understand now why memory characters were given pov. I really want some of them to become "real". Maybe not Leandio or Karz. But… the smith that helped Zac with Verun ? That would be real nice.
Jason Hatter
Hmm. Who is Anson?
Craig
Well the second part sure was a foreboding teaser
Gaige Bradley
First 😏
