DefianceNovels
patreon
Chapter 1,298.
🕑 Added 2024-11-01 20:17:07 +0000 UTCA/N: The month-to-month subs are gone, but the messages stay the same. Thank you for resubbing, and welcome new patrons!
----------
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.
Zac joined the fray, quickly dealing with the beasts that Verun could not. Thankfully, he'd kept a wide berth from the strongest beasts during the final stretch of their escape. Better yet, the tyrants of the shadow realm had their hands full dealing with the desert's rulers. The strongest enemies nearby were wounded Middle Hegemons, and the last ones fell in quick succession.
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.
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. "Who knows 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] had already been fully absorbed by his core, putting it in a briefly malleable state similar to his core formation his formation.
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 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?"
Comments
BLead Irish ambassador
I thought Verun was a male. I read past ‘her’ ‘she’. Thanks for pointing it out.
Mateo Lopez
If I remember correctly. Leandra threw in an extra carrot so to say, not only will Kenzie get the shield but there is critical data on his duplicity core and technocrat heritage.
John
Was visiting Sanctuary before Monarchy a requirement stipulated by Leandra? Or is there some unique opportunity or treasure there Zac knows he needs?
Silent Consent
I think some skills can expose your coin count so you might not want to have a bunch if you’re trying to hide? Or if you get forced to share your screen. They talked about little about ransoms but Zack never forces people to transfer their coins before killing them for some reason, maybe bad karma?
hachetnif
Blessed fate made A comment about the terminus council in book 13 Said that they should be sealed in the past.
Lex Luther S
No, the terminus council isn't trapped in the past as far as we know. As for the past comment, that came from zacs mother, leandra. She said the dark ages were a calamity but that it was keeping some terrifying existences trapped in the past, Laondio being one of them given it theorized he can't die since he became the fulcrum that set the era on its current course.
Lex Luther S
I think it's just the fact that zac is paranoid about such a busted faction as that of an immortal monster like the Centigrade pyre. I, for one, feel zac isn't going to give up the shipyard in the end. A main fact is that it was a reward from the system, and I'm hoping that after he discovered that array, the faction his shipyard is connected to was sanctioned, and the system brought the hammer down on such things. Not only that but we know the system is always willing to look the other way when paid a certain price but it will still take action if it's other interests are threatened and harmed or the balance broken was discovered. Key point being zacs shroud. It was buffed after Iz broke through it by the system so there's no way the system hasn't bleed them dry in reparations for Zac. What these are is yet to be seen but full access to the entire D grade catalog of ships plus a heavy discount for a few millennia doesn't sound to bad. Also an easy upgrade path all the way to pseudo C grade.
Bryn Thomas
Isn't his issue with the shipyard more that it is compromised by an opposing faction? Not that it is worthless, but just worth less than the danger it presents?
Joeli Jason Ditoka
Exactly how I read it as well. All the way back from when it is first mentioned and after his first and every subsequent kill. There are no physical coins dropped, just an update on the status screen. Every transaction is approved on a screen. No physical exchanges. When they talk about inheritances, it’s clear that only money in the bank can be inherited but that’s seems to be because whatever is on his person is lost. He specifically asked Ogras when he hit E grade why he wasn’t getting nexus coins for the kills any more. If it was a simple as looting someone’s pouch, why mention it. Also every time he scans a pouch from book 1 until now, no mention of nexus coins.
Jeff McCulley
It’s interesting to me that Zac said that his shipyard is worthless. Then he looks up at these five planets, says that getting to them would take “preparation”, and that he personally would have no use for them. Meanwhile, if he had a dozen of his ships tucked away in spatial storage, he could probably sell them at inflated prices to those like Yrial, trialtakers who cultivate the elements Oh, not to mention the fact of all the ships already sold that will need repairs. Now and in the future. Let alone the fact that Zecia—or at least the Atwood Empire—may get an upgrade shortly.
SandreX
Human side yess, buuuut Arcaz has QA in form of Alea :D
hachetnif
I believe that what's that This whole event is actually connected to the terminus Council that lead Buddha guy Said that they were sealed in the past. And look at the trial, it evolves the past. Possibly giving them away in to the future.
Jeff McCulley
Hello? *Everyone* knows that guys only do gardening to get chicks. He has a cute puppy to take for walks, too.
SandreX
Squad of Valkyries don't help much avoiding that nickname :d Haro is boy right? (Not sure how it works with plants though)
Matthew Hay
They are a currency backed and maintained by the System. There's no need for traditional banking systems since you'd be needlessly exposing your account to third parties, and keeping them in your account already allows you to access your wealth from anywhere in integrated space. The few reasons to extract some and keep it outside your account would be as mentioned, in case of death some could be transferred to an heir. However, this doesn't mean the coins are physical, just that an amount is transferred to accounts within that Merit Exchange's organization and they have an agreement to provide whatever you put in based on some contract. For unintegrated space, since the System wouldn't be accessible, it would make sense to convert your coins to physical crystals or some other commonly accepted medium before going there. Thea would've had to deal w/ this problem already, but I'm not sure her wealth really compares to Zac's anymore, nor how much it would've helped in a lawless higher-grade area anyway.
Jeff McCulley
From Book 6, where it talks about Zac buying a Bank for Port Atwood: “Zac had already deposited his maximum allowance as an Early E-grade warrior, 1 billion Nexus Coins, which would be directly handed over to his sister in case he died. It would be just a small portion of his full wealth…” It also mentions being able to withdraw portions of your deposit from a branch on a different world. So… A. I’m guessing physical cash. B. I’m wondering if a C grade can deposit 1000 C grade coins?
Jeff McCulley
“Alpha females”.
Joeli Jason Ditoka
Aren’t nexus coins a system currency rather than fiat? Am I just remembering wrong? I don’t think I recall reading anywhere physical nexus coins were discussed or exchanged. Like on your person or in the bank, but how it’s described seems to be only on the status screen, never counted, even when the amounts were small. And there was specific discussion with Ogras that once you hit E grade, you don’t get nexus coins for kills. That implies whatever was on their person is lost, not given as a drop?
Jeff McCulley
Here’s what Kator offered Zac for the Court Cycle Token: “A peak D-grade Wild Mystic Realm and 1,000 C-grade Nexus Coins for the token,” He doesn’t have the Mystic Realm on him, but maybe the location and “keys”? And, not remembering the conversion. How many D grade coins is that? Zac is currently worth what, 87 million? Isn’t 1,000 C grade coins more than he’s worth? I suppose that’s mostly in the bank, but…
Jeff McCulley
Found it: ‘Well. I suppose dealing with this will help me as well, and that skeleton should have a decent background. I want the first pick if you manage to deal with him. Two items, the rest is yours.’ 'Deal.' 'Happy hunting.’
Lex Luther S
It wasn't a supremacy but the strategists that wrote the report. We can assume they're all Monarchs with maybe an Autarch leading them, but I doubt any supremacies of the reavers have the time to worry about reports for some D grade Brat. Especially with them starting a civil war. Besides, I doubt the report would be much use, as zac can tell they obviously know how to counter his void zone. The only use is to tell just HOW much they know, though I feel it's still useless. With him finally being able to use creation into his technique and reaching late integration stage along with upgrading a few core skills to Late D grade and even other Eonic seeds wouldn't have to put their life on the line to take zac out.
Lex Luther S
Yeah seems esmeralda finally broke the seal on Kators ring. As for any true intelligence, I doubt it's anything beyond kators own speculations. No way they'd give him vital intelligence when he's going on a dangerous mission surrounded by potential hostiles. Kator was strong but not even he would have been able to survive being hounded by zac, arcaz and all zacs followers. We do know that kator has something extraordinary on him though given esmeralda called first dibs on a treasure when the reaver was dealt with in return for the scroll that broke the connection between zac and kator.
Timothy Dana
Considering the unique anatomy of female hyenas, it makes sense for Verun to be the Deviant Asura’s mascot
Myrtland
Loot!
M💬
I don’t think Zac fuses until he reaches Autarchy or higher . Also, TFD is building this twin Emperor persona and each body is racking individual merits that if he fusses at Monarchy there will be questions about how he can fuse life and death, and he his not strong enough to to protect himself fully.
M💬
Lmaooo……. Facts the Deviant Ashura surely can’t enough, I can just see it a Zecia native using a recording crystal to record Zac with all the beauties in the trial ….. Unrelated; was just about how integration Zac is probably my favorite. He was so hilarious especially his interactions with Ogras in the early start
Jeff McCulley
Upon further consideration …why *wouldn’t* Verun be a girl? Ibtep would understand perfectly. Zac IS the Deviant Asura, after all.
Silent Consent
I hope something absolutely insane happens! Him splitting really surprised me and whatever happens I hope it is just bonkers. I feel like he can’t evolve or whatever to a monarch until he gets to the secret technocrat base. People are suppose to spend hundreds of years or more to be monarchs.
Silent Consent
Yay, loot! I’ve been looking forward to Kator’s stuff, he was such a bastard I bet he has great stuff and maybe intelligence on their plans to break free of the Premo.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Enthoney
Unfortunately, Zac will need to fuse for Monarchy. Can’t just leave his constitutions separate when the breakthrough to C-grade needs every part of Zac’s cultivation to be whole. He after all is converting himself into a Inner World.
Jeff McCulley
Nah. The first thing he needs to get out is the tracker that tells him where all the Undead are.
Blake N.
I think it may be a distinction between the hyena form as a she and the axe itself as an it
Jeff McCulley
Alea will be the armor regalia, Verun the weapon. Pretty easy to combine.
Jeff McCulley
And they have an agreement that she gets what, the first two picks? And he gets the rest.
NiceTryMate
I think he, in the beginning, will be able to meld for short periods of time. This quote is from the climax of the fight with Kator: “Suddenly, it was like his two bodies were one, a four-armed deva which each formed a distinct mudra. The Heavens and Earth connected, and Zac was the bridge. The chaos paused. Even the roiling sky grew quiet, holding off its desire for destruction.” Why not become a 4 armed chaos deva for short periods of time during monarchy? Would give some extra oomph during a fight. It’s my best guess. In this case it also makes sense for his duplicity core at C grade to function like a combination of itself during both E and D grade. Can have one body either draugr or human(split by void), or choose to split physically like now. The Omni lord trial permits anyone below C grade btw. Half step C grade is anyone’s guess…
Scott Mingo
If you mean Esmeralda, she's talking about Kator's spatial bag. Zac gave it to her to unseal.
Amithyst Stonewall
Makes sense, Verun has always been described as a hyena and they are a species with female dominant leads. Also the whole thing where weapons, ships and such are always referred to as female.
Amithyst Stonewall
I'm gonna guess he probably won't fuse back together until he's an Autarch or even later, after all life and death don't fuse back together until they come to the peak.
Alexander Dupree
Why do they have to combine? They can server separate roles and can both be held at once. Haro is the one who’s serving the same role as LB really. He might head off into Zac’s inner world or some newly acquired C+ grade world, while she stays with the body. Both Tool Spirits are still on normal Dao paths while Zac is on a Void Dao and Dao path. He will probably have an easier time using dedicated weapons for each set or part of techniques. Otherwise he has to find something that perfectly reflects his own path in every way and he gets to kill several of his long time friends to make it.
Alexander Dupree
lol I knew she’s been robbing him as she went!
Andrew
Thank you!
Mateo Lopez
Omni lord trial was for the C grade if I remember correctly
Hartmann
Don't forget the Omni Lord's trial for Peak Hegemons. The Omni Lord may have been Karz's original title.
Mateo Lopez
True. But Zac still has two missions to accomplish before he can step into monarchy. The first is obviously going to Sanctuary for the shield for Kenzie. And the second is to visit the undead Heartlands. And I refuse to believe Alea won’t make it to Peak D grade or beyond when there.
Matthew Hay
I feel like Alea needs to consolidate her scope in the later grades. She's already a primary weapon, support armament, and some form of war regalia. Each of those roles seem like the responsibility of a single spirit normally. Perhaps she can get away w/ it for now w/ the help of that array, but wouldn't she need to be 3x as powerful as a normal tool spirit to continue doing so?
RGrocks
I hope she stays a girl because my Veruns a good girl
D
I really liked this chapter. Not too complex and still moving the story along
Omiso
I'm confused myself, then again since it was a low grade tool spirit it might have been genderless at the start and later took inspiration from Alea, just like how Alea made an Axe to follow Zac's Death path.
Lex Luther S
Well, ohh well, what a chapter. Verun is BEST.... girl? Well, this is the first real confirmation of the tool spirits gender so maybe verun gained one after stepping into the D grade, kinda like how undead can't get hanky panky properly if they're not D grade race. But she really is a force to reckon with. Keeping zac and Co safe for 20 whole minutes is a great feat, and verun now on the cusp of reaching middle D grade is a big W. Its great that zac now has the answers he needs to reach the late integration stage. He's finally incorporated a breadth of true creation into his stances, and it's going to be an insane power boost when it's fully flushed out and stable. Even better is that finding the answer for one half of his path can help illuminate the other half of his path. He really is going to be a full-on monster when this trial ends. Plus his core is now at the threshold of High quality, fucking grade A PERFECT. I'm a little worried for ogras, but I think this might actually be his biggest power up yet. An ancient primordial bloodline plus he may have had some refinement from the latent Antukas' will? Maybe his shadows as a whole will see an upgrade of insane proportions. ALSO, Esmeralda really is a funny character, her jabs and quips to zac is an enjoyment.
Amogh Lele
The ancient shadow beast that knocked everyone out with its roar in the previous chapter This chapter mentions that the dao infused roar was like a message; zac got the name from that
Omiso
The first thing Zac needs to get out of Kator's belonging is the intelligence report the Reavers made about Zac's abilities. Kator mentioned it was thick enough to be considered a heritage and it would be good to see the perspective of a supremacy on Zac's void capabilities.
Mateo Lopez
So I’ve been thinking of what will happen to Verun and Love’s Bond when Zac fusion dances back together in the future (my hope is at monarchy). With Zac becoming a Chaos Monarch anything would essentially possible, my theory is he will fuse them into a chaos armament. Instead of doing the obvious and just having Alea riding on Veruns back. I think it would be cool for Verun to get the same chaos armor Zac ends up with. Imagine battle cat with chains and vines whipping arounds it
Jeff McCulley
Cool. Kator’s stuff on Monday! Including the Tracker that might help him find Tavza.
support!
Jeff McCulley
Well, Verun did go back to “they/it” at the end of the passage.
Lex Luther S
Verun was always referred to as an It or by her name. It could be after stepping into the D grade, the tool spirit decided to take on a gender becoming female. I've always assumed verun was male given zac always called it "buddy" or this might just be a typo by TFD. Though I'm inclined to believe verun is now officially a she instead of a genderless tool spirit.
Doug
Does this mean that I was the first?
Doug
Awesome!!!!
Mateo Lopez
I’m not sure if it’s ever been explicitly stated. Until now that is.
Lizy Flore
Thanks for the chap!
TorHKU
Wait, she? Verun has always been male, right?
The Lost Pages
First
