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Chapter 1,404v2.
🕑 Added 2025-09-16 19:39:42 +0000 UTCA/N: I've made some small adjustments to this chapter. It felt too rushed, so I added a few paragraph while moving other parts to 1,405.
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Zac was sick and tired of the twists and turns he'd experienced over the past minute, yet he could only play along. The tailor-made spikes embedded in his back were more stubborn than he’d hoped. Dislodging them in time to deal with August’s power grab was looking iffy. He needed Xiphos to lend a helping hand, which meant Zac couldn’t allow the Enkindling Sage to have a mental breakdown.
“You…” Zac said in what he hoped was a soothing voice. “You know what?”
“Everything, since the moment you called on the Empyrean Chalice. It was like a veil covering my eyes had been lifted, and I suddenly remembered what you told me on the shores,” Xiphos said, his face collapsing into a miserable smile. “It’s so weak, so alone. I understood the meaning behind my grandfather's actions. I finally understand why there was a need for an Enkindling Sage.”
Zac cursed the loose lips of his past self. He perfectly remembered what Xiphos was referring to. During their standoff, he’d exposed the whole truth in frustration. How eons had passed since the Limitless Empire fell, how the world they saw was only a dream. Back then, the restrictions on the trial kept Xiphos from hearing Zac’s explanation.
“It’s still not…” Zac hesitated to finish the sentence, Marai’s parting words still fresh in his mind.
There was a reason why people like Xiphos and Astora were kept in the dark. Most likely, knowing too much would interfere with their resurrection when the dream ended. Perhaps it would force the person to bear a Heavenly backlash. Seeing how even the Grand Elders were walking on eggshells to avoid further entanglements, a mere Hegemon would have a hard time surviving.
The trial had safeguards in place to prevent people inside the Memories from learning the truth, but those protections appeared to be weakened at the moment. Otherwise, there’d be no need for Marai to give him that warning. There was either a problem with the Outer Courts or Sevona’s island, and it sounded like the Empyrean Chalice had directly dispelled the effect on its chosen.
Zac’s relationship with Xiphos was complicated, but the sage had undeniably appeared like a guardian angel this time. Returning the favor by taking away Xiphos’ chances at reincarnation would be too cruel. Zac needed to figure out another way to talk him down from the ledge.
Xiphos sighed, looking like he could perfectly understand the meaning behind Zac’s conflicted expression. “I’m aware. There’s a sliver of possibility that our people will be given a second chance at life. And I think that you outsiders are necessary agents of change to open that path.”
“Then—"
“Even so, I will not help you.”
“What? Why not?” Zac said with growing panic. “This isn’t the time to be joking around. I need to stop what’s happening further inside! I can tell you’re not working with the corrupted ones. I only need you to drag these spikes out of my back.”
Xiphos seemed to consider Zac’s words for a second before nodding. The chalice floating near the ceiling exploded, releasing all its remaining flames. They filled the ceiling of the lobby before expanding into corridors and side chambers. It was like the whole lodge had become holy ground, and the flame’s blessing was giving Sevona’s divinity a much-needed boost to fight back.
However, the accumulated flames weren’t enough to turn the situation around. August’s aura seeping out of the Hall of Abundance had decreased a few notches, but it was already growing stronger. The sacrifice had bought them a few minutes at most. That was good enough for Zac. Even if Xiphos didn’t help any further, Zac was confident he could force out the spikes with the additionally bought time.
It really didn’t look like Xiphos planned on assisting any further. Instead, he turned to the ball of flames that failed to follow Kaltosa Lu when he made his escape. Zac had only given it a cursory look before, but his eyes widened when he saw what was trapped inside. It was one of the Elemental’s primordial runes with a hole in the middle. Its remains were already being melted by the flames, its primordial essence consumed and incorporated by Imperial Fate.
Lompo had been right on the money. Kaltosa Lu may have walked away with Descartes’ token and a small chunk of Zac’s Imperial Merit, but he’d paid a steep price to achieve these goals. Zac wasn’t sure if it was a worthwhile trade. Every destroyed Primordial Rune was a permanent loss to the Centigrade Elementals, leaving their racial heritage slightly less complete.
“The outcome here means nothing before my purpose. I’ve told you who I am. I am the Enkindling Sage of the Order of the Empyrean Chalice,” Xiphos said as he caught the blob of divine flames. He turned back to Zac, his stare intensifying. “I’ve also come to understand who you are, why I felt such kinship since the day we met. You were chosen as our Holy Son, perhaps our very last one.
“Except the flame does not burn within you. You’ve built a wall around yourself, refusing to take on our holy mission.” Xiphos held out the flame toward Zac. “It is time for you to make a decision. Accept the responsibilities that come with your title, and I will give you the power to turn things around. Refuse, and the Empyrean Chalice shall sever its fate with you and everything you have touched.”
The meaning behind the veiled threat was clear as day. Not only would Zac lose his status, but Xiphos would retract the help that kept the loft going. It would be like the ally guarding your back suddenly fled without warning. Idiche would receive a backlash, and August would use the opportunity to swallow the Divine Core in one go.
“This is forcing me to join you under duress,” Zac said through gritted teeth.
“You leave me little choice. You should understand better than I just how fraught our lineage has become. Besides, what are your convictions worth if you’re not ready to die for them? If that’s the case, you may as well lend us a helping hand,” Xiphos countered.
“Accept the responsibility? I don’t even understand what that means,” Zac cursed.
“Neither do I. I expect the world you’re from is utterly foreign to me. However, the flame will illuminate your path, ensuring you’ll do what needs to be done,” the sage said with utmost confidence.
The non-explanation provided little comfort, but the wording gave Zac a sense of déjà vu. The description sounded very similar to those he’d heard of the Remnants. They were supposed to be spread out all across the multiverse, yet Zac kept running into them after absorbing the first set. Ultimately, he’d collected all ten within a decade.
Part of that was related to the System’s machinations. It wanted the motes of Chaos to restore the Havens. However, that wasn’t the only reason. The remnants had the power to manipulate their host’s destiny, subtly pushing them toward Atavism. If Zac said yes, his future would be influenced by the Empyrean Chalice. Maybe that would have already happened if not for his Void Road.
Zac was reluctant to inherit the will of the Empyrean Chalice, but he was also running out of time. Besides, he’d always had a hunch he’d end up this way sooner or later. Getting the assistance of the Limitless Emperor himself was bound to have consequences.
“Fine, I’ll take on your mission or whatever. However, you should know that I nurture my own Destiny. I cannot carry Imperial Fate,” Zac said, opting for transparency.
“I’m aware. You were chosen by the chalice despite this, so who am I to judge?” Xiphos laughed, relief evident in his eyes. “Thank you for keeping the flame burning.”
“Now what do I—” Zac forgot his next words when Xiphos erupted into flames.
He wasn’t burning like Kaltosa Lu. It looked more like the sage had reverted into a memory lantern, except he retained his power and human form. And he was funneling his very essence into the growing blob of fire as he got to his knees by Zac’s side. While his right arm fused with the roaring fire, Xiphos placed his left hand on Zac’s forehead.
A nourishing warmth, many times stronger than before, swept through Zac’s body. He felt like he’d returned to the womb, except the womb was a divine chalice holding the hopes of a whole civilization. Wounds were healed and blemishes mended, and the spikes piercing his back were directly incinerated.
Zac was being reborn into someone strong enough to carry the weight of destiny. At first, he was horrified as his mind went to the trap hidden within the [Boundless Vajra Sublimation]. Zac worried Xiphos wanted to refine him into an unthinking champion of their Empire, a true Eternal Guardian. Thankfully, the transformation was more of a broad tempering from a supreme blessing.
He couldn’t move, but that was only a temporary restriction while he accepted the flame. It didn’t affect his thoughts, and there were no signs of Faith trying to force its way into his path. Instead, it transformed into pure, primal energies that could nourish any constitution and soul. While not as obvious as the Tribulation Throne, Zac recognized the intoxicating feeling of moving toward perfection.
“The path you walk goes against the Heavenly Order. The Imperial Flame will help you mitigate some of the ire, but the effect will grow negligible as you continue to advance,” Xiphos mumbled, at which point Zac realized that both the flame and Xiphos's form had faded by half.
And still, he showed no sign of stopping.
“What are you doing?!” Zac said with alarm. “You still have a chance to—"
“I do not, and neither do my siblings. We are inextricably linked to the Empire’s Karma. Overturning destiny comes at a cost. Saving us would take that opportunity from countless citizens. Better let us become the shields that kept the wayward souls warm all these years,” Xiphos said with a gentle smile. “You should rejoice for me. My holy mission has been accomplished. The torch is passed, and the flame has been rekindled.”
When Xiphos finally removed his hand from Zac, he looked as faded as a ghost. Turning toward the sealed gate seemed like an undertaking. He extended his left arm, and half his body disappeared. The flames of his flesh had been used to draw the sigil of the Empyrean Chalice on the azure seal. The two forces clashed, and the moonlight reluctantly backed down.
A stable path had opened, and Zac was rearing to go. However, could he just leave Xiphos like this? Xiphos didn’t force him to choose one or the other.
“The mountain,” he said with an ethereal voice.
Zac sent a message through [Purity of the Void], and the [Fuxi Mountain Gate] was back on his side. Zac briefly scanned its interiors, confirming there were no signs of the brush. Zac hoped it had been taken out and not destroyed by the hostile forces within the subspace, but this wasn’t the time to ask for an update.
Zac held out the Void Treasure, grimacing when Xiphos began pouring the last of himself and the flame into the golden runes. Rather than a reinforcement of the array, it looked like a temporary boost. Zac already had a vague idea when he felt the treasure exert a pull on its surroundings, and Xiphos's parting words confirmed it.
“Put this against the breach.”
“Thank you,” Zac said as the last embers faded. “I’ll do my best to keep the flame going.”
“There is an easy solution if the inherited fate becomes too much to bear,” Xiphos’s voice traveled from an unknown distance. “If you rebuild the Order of the Empyrean Chalice, you can dump the mission on their shoulders.”
“How the hell am I supposed to—” Zac shook his head before turning into a streak of death.
Conflicted was the best description of how Zac felt about Xiphos sacrificing himself to anneal him in holy flames. Setting aside the opportunity to salvage the situation in the lodge, Zac could already feel the benefits without performing a deeper investigation. The transformation had further aligned him with the Four Laws, and that was the lesser gain if Xiphos’s promise about weakening Tribulation Lightning proved true. Zac didn’t even want to think about what kind of punishment waited for him when he finally formed his inner world.
At the same time, it was a gift that he didn’t ask for, one that came with strings attached. He already had too much on his plate as is. He’d made promises to the Abyssal Shores, and he needed to head for Sanctuary before the Heavens found Kenzie. And now he also had to shoulder the purpose of the Empyrean Flame, which obviously wasn’t something simple. Most likely, it was directly connected to the Limitless Emperor’s ultimate goal.
Zac hadn’t forgotten there was a celestial coup to thwart before he could worry about these matters. He rushed through the gate and was greeted by an overwhelming amount of blue when he stepped into the Hall of Abundance. The azure moon was hanging overhead, visible through a large, circular sunroof. It was like an enormous eye was peeking inside, and its attention was glued to the floating core in the middle of the room.
The moon’s desire was so palpable that it formed a pillar of light pointing right at the Divine Core. It was this pillar that filled the room with moonlight. More importantly, it was that pillar that allowed for a stable dimensional tear just a few feet above the Divine Core. It contained a powerful mix approaching the Peak of Continuum, but Zac was surprised to smell a whiff of the Void. It was no wonder that Xiphos suggested he use the [Fuxi Mountain Gate].
The projection of a mangled arm extended from it, coming just shy of touching the prize. Idiche had approached the Divine Core from the opposite side. She floated just beneath it, using its shadow as a shield against the greed of man. Instead of absorbing the core, she was actually supplying it with energy. It was thanks to her efforts that there was still a thin film of divinity that kept August from seizing the item.
There was no sign of Esmeralda herself, but her contribution to the battle was in plain sight. The dimensional tear was surrounded by six statues of different Grand Traversal Toads. They exerted a powerful spatial pressure as they stared at the tear. It was likely through Esmeralda’s efforts that the tear didn’t extend further.
Zac set out again as soon as he’d oriented himself. He rushed past the perimeter of guardian statues with the mountain gate poised to strike. At that moment, the gemstone eyes of the six toads lit up, unleashing a synchronized wave of unusual space. It was as if August’s arm had been exiled to a different dimension, and Zac lunged at the opportunity.
He slammed the sharp tip of the [Fuxi Mountain Gate] against the dimensional tear like a caveman, dislodging a tidal wave of unstable energies. A new set of lacerations opened up across Zac’s arms, and half the statues crumbled. Such shallow wounds didn’t even register in Zac’s mind, especially not while the flame of the Empyrean Chalice still burned within him.
The wounds had already healed when Zac pressed the [Fuxi Mountain Gate]’s opening against the dimensional tear. A powerful tremor almost yanked the Void Treasure out of his grasp, but August’s aura was rapidly dwindling. The plan was working; Zac just needed to make it through without his body disintegrating from the powerful vibrations.
The pushback from the other side grew more intense as the tear shrank. The mountain gate hummed with happiness. The harder August fought, the more energy was deposited into its subspace. Its vibrations were already intense enough that countless cracks had appeared on the bones in Zac’s arms, and he felt his organs tearing apart. Zac’s heart was full of complaints and also some embarrassment. Was this how his companions felt during his chaotic breakthroughs?
“Piss off!” Zac roared, his voice wracked with anguish and annoyance.
Couldn’t August see that it was over? As though the guard captain could hear Zac’s thoughts, the dimensional tear suddenly went out with a bang. Zac’s hands were already mangled by that point, and the [Fuxi Mountain Gate] finally escaped his grasp. The Void Treasure slammed into Zac’s forehead before he could react, and then there was only darkness.
Zac was lying on the ground when he came to. His head felt like it had been hit by a train, and it took him a moment to realize he’d been out cold for half a day. Zac grimaced as he felt a large, tender bump on his forehead. With his attributes and compounded constitutions, such a minor wound should long since have recovered.
Was it because of the [Fuxi Mountain Gate]? It was extraordinarily hard, far surpassing anything else Zac owned. He’d already considered using it to block deadly attacks, and using it to bludgeon people would clearly produce extraordinary results.
His actions elicited a giggle from his left, where Zac found Esmeralda spread out sat on a pillow with a lazy expression. The vats on her back were near-empty, but she looked fine otherwise. Zac had been worried that such prolonged exposure to concentrated sin would have affected her state of mind, but it appeared it would take more than that to push a former Supremacy off-kilter.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said with a grin. “You’re becoming a dragon among men, horn and all.”
Comments
Ledski
Feels unfair twisting his arm like that. Zac was already acting in the interest of the Empire and they withold help unless he agrees to a blank check? And he actually accepts? Makes no sense.
Edgar Segura
His siblings like the other enkindling sages
Edgar Segura
He's going to be running around doing the bidding of the chalice or Empire after this arc because of the words he said and his conviction.
Edgar Segura
Does it mean literal resurrection? I feel like it might. Huge waves are going to rock the multiverse
Edgar Segura
That was suspenseful asf
Emmanuel Achaab
This is becoming headache inducing. Too many threads and everyone wants to take a chunk out of Zac’s fate. Kenzie, Thea, his mom, the techos, the primo, the tayn’s, the draugr, the reavers, the monks, Mox, the Chalice, sendor. So many chapters, so many threads, so damn confusing. I guess I just want to see some progress. How long can we keep hopping around meeting people who make this whole arc even more convoluted. There’s only so much space one story can take up
Jeff McCulley
Stray thought. I feel a bit more comfortable connecting the “Omnipresence Chamber” to the “Omnilord’s Castle” than I ever did the Omnitool. Pops in and out of places all over the Multiverse? That’s what both previous Pillars and the Centurion fortress did. And doesn’t seem unlike the Mercurial Court.
Ondrej Vicherek
Frankly it felt like it was finally moving. Enjoyed a chapter for the first time after sone break and now it is rewritten :\
SandreX
Well yes and no :D Trinity Zac is highly possible if he creates spirit body of conflict (Not sure if it will be corporeal). And based on trend either his last opponent or wife will be Iz. Because she has similar path of daos.
Chris
Also, if you're going to have 400 characters you should probably not wait so long to do POV's on interesting characters like Thea...like I'm not sure where the idea came for having a POV of a nobody like Emily before doing something for Thea... Like Janos is cool and it makes sense with the mercurial theme and his goal...but that's the whole point...we know his goal so we can understand.... You know what.... maybe we should get 20 chapters on Brazla's POV. Like I get it but to have zero external POV's is really isolating.... like should I care about Zecia or not? who knows?
Chris
Okay so I'm a big fan but my man wtf is going on.... like there is no plot...no goal....no nothing. You can say as much as you want but beyond...primo wants this and the toad wants that, and Valari needs this there is no purpose. Yeah, yeah, I understand there is a background but how many hundreds of chapters until we have an understanding. Like this has been in the works for a while and a giant accumulation or w/e but literally nobody has any context to what this means. I'm sure Lex will jump in and plaster everything very logically but really 90% of these 'young masters' we have no idea why there here besides 'seize fate'. TBH you should ignore the invisible to rivers of time bs and give use some POV of the Supremacies and their opinions on what's happening. Or at the very least some reactions from them about the changes.... like there is no outward context to anything. I just don't get the wall...you literally explain nothing beyond 'seize fate'...like why tf would an imperial need to seize fate to become a higher grade...like maybe he wants to usurp of the thrones or something??? Like maybe I missed a few chapters about this but how tf would that work? Maybe I just like to understand my enemies but how do any of the 'young masters' change anything from winning? Not being a dick but we know nothing about anything...'change the era' cool...cool... what does that even affect? Right now, it's like children fighting for a throne because it looks pretty. Like some of the side quest arcs are cool but really none of it makes sense without any goal. All of this might become interesting but really without knowing the point it's kind of like "who cares if he stops the corruption".... zero investment
Sirloki
Oh boy, last time Zac got a bump on the ole noggin he ended up with a twin brother. Could this be the start of triplets? Can the universe survive more Zac?! Does he have enough waifus lined up??
Mike Ockslonge
Jeff, this is definitely stretching it I feel, it seems like the bare bones answer is that xiphos is screwed because he is a templar in general which ties him to the imperial destiny too tightly to unwind. I think that there is probably some sort of symbolism of the three stars and it might involve the Templar orders but remember the chalice was separate from the stars. If I had to guess the simple answer is that the three stars are symbols of the empires path like a personal insignia. Maybe he had three daos? I would be pretty interested to get a set of chapters about side characters soon though
Mike Ockslonge
Imagine Zach goes to inspect the gate insides to see how well it got repaired and August is in there hanging out 😭 Good point on the statues… time stuff must be such a pain in the ass to write do you feel like this has plot affects or is mostly just a happenstance thing? I feel like the halo thing must be weighted differently once you’re inside a court? I mean there’s no way that this island is the main problem that affected a whole court there has to be hundreds of similar things that happened and there’s only nine halos per pillar. Idk this arcs overall pacing seems a little strange but it’s also my first time reading it as a serial. It definitely seems like the story could be slowed down dramatically because of the breadth of the possibilities in the trial and it’s super fast because it wouldn’t be very fun to read as a serial if the trial took 10 years to complete.
Booksaregood
Nahhh everything’s perfect.
Stephen Taylor
The text states clearly that he got hit by the FMG…it was vibrating so hard it flew out of his hand….
Mike Ockslonge
General comment on the cultivation system here.. I feel like it’s under explored how much symbolism plays a role in how well things like skills work. Maybe it’s a little bit over excavating and the simple answer is that it’s cool writing or maybe that the symbolism comes the other direction but I feel like it opens up some cool ideas. Basically skills like arbiter of the abyss or whatever the current name is make you look like the grim reaper because the symbolism makes the dao and energy work better. This gives a good reason for spells to be super dope looking and it also opens the doors wider for stuff like ritual magic. I think it would be pretty sweet to find some small sect somewhere that does giant communal spells with like a big ritual dance circle and occult symbolism or sacrifices or to discover that this kind of ritual magic is how heart curses are made by the kantanu where arrays help with the process but the symbolism of such and such thing makes it actually all work.
Jeff McCulley
Last crazy thought for the moment. I think it would be pretty cool if, instead of August giving up when Zac shouted “Piss off!”, that he was instead sucked into the Fuxi Mountain Gate. And it’s currently digesting him. Much as might have happened with the Brush. Remember it’s “horror” when he started to stick it in? Also, as far as the FMG…the Gate inside was surrounded by the statues of the heads of the respective Courts. Except that was before Grand Dream got revised into the spot, so that would be whoever held the job before him, outside the dreams. Lastly…did Zac just earn another Halo on the Pillar?
Jeff McCulley
I was puzzling over the bump on Zac’s head, especially after the revised chapter—where he says that after half a day, there should be no bump. Lamplighting.. I tried to put all the pieces together, what odd thing happened so that came about. Then it struck me. The blatantly obvious answer. Someone just hit Zac in the head. Oh. With Esmerelda sitting there, innocently complaining that there isn’t a single coin in the whole place. Well, she’s not lying, if she already snagged everything, right? Right? Hello?
Jeff McCulley
Xiphos talked about his karma being tied to closely to the Empire. I’ll try to make this short. What if those three stars Zac saw at the top of the formation a couple of chapters ago dormant represent people—but the Thrones Laondio had accumulated? We know that the Empyrean Throne would have been one of them. Which the Empyrean Chalice is apparently tied to, or a part of. Which would mean that his entire Order is too closely tied to the Empire for the “taboo” by the Heavens. Which then would offer the question what the other two Thrones might be, and which Orders are associated with them—but I think we can guess at least one. The one Emily met in the Radiant Court. And remember, that Court is the home for the Templar Council—if I’m recalling the name correctly. Like that’s not going to come into play…
John
I like to think that Zacs future grade breakthroughs will go down in a similar way to the Eveningtide Asuras. He's the Chaos cultivator so it seems right that the stronger he gets the greater the Chaos his ascensions spawn. If that does actually happen we may actually be looking forward to a Multiverse on fire when he finally punches through the Terminus :)
Jeff McCulley
Note—check the revised chapter, folks. Middle and at the end.
Jeff McCulley
That time was days. What’s throwing me is that half a day later, the bump on his head still wasn’t healed. Even with the Flame helping.
Taylor Greenwell
Can we all take a moment and consider just how hard that stone would need to hit Zac to completely knock his tank of an ass out? And not just knock him out for a second, but for an extended period? I think the last time he was knocked out like that was during the fight with Mox when 4 supremacies were battling.
Lex Luther S
From the sounds of it, Xiphos came to an understanding that everyone in the empire would have a chance to awaken but those of unique faith, fate, strength or all the above, would have far more difficulty waking up than their citizens. One Xiphos waking up could equal to 10s of millions of citizens, and as someone who wishes to fan the flame of hope, Xiphos would always choose such an option. As for his siblings, I'm guessing he's talking about the others from the empyrean Chalice and other Crusader orders. And zacs identity as a Holy son being exposed shouldn't be that much of an issue now. Id say only the autarchs and above felt what happened while Astoria will likely being able to piece it together as well. But as we know, those above are letting things play out. As for Kaltosa Lu taking such a loss, it was indeed a nice surprise. Losing 1 of 3 primordial runes is definitely a hit to his foundations and should even the playing field between zac and Kaltosa Lu, especially since he now has such perfect counters to zac.
Lex Luther S
In a way, yes. Supremacies collect faith to bolster their heavenly territories so they are in a sense, God's; especially given they rule over sections of the heavens and what could do that but a god? God kings are those that have enough authority to claim a throne or seal. As for naturally born gods like Sevona, it's hard to tell what her strength level was. Im guessing monarchy but with a high degree of authority. August then steals her divine core to ascend to autarchy. It could also be that naturally born gods like sevona can't really be graded thanks to their uniqueness and authority. Sure, they could be a hegemon but go way beyond what a hegemon could do thanks to their authority. Zac is also probably right in that the mercurial court tampered with the real Sevona, giving her a proper grading and turning her into an anchor of sorts for the mercurial court. My guess is she'll reach Peak C grade but have the might of an autarch. A for Mox, you could basically see her as an evil god that stole the longevity of countless others and plains just to prolong her own existence, eventually falling into such madness, that even she was almost completely consumed by it.
Chris
Also, this reference to gods = supremacies right? Is Sevona a supremacy? Mox was referenced as a god right but essentially that means supremacy, and God kings like Eyler (spear of the emperor) were also peak supremacies, so does this mean it's another supremacy like Grand Dream that has been saved for the Limitless Empire?
Chris
I think it was a mistake?
SandreX
Yeah, and unfortunately that was most likely outcome. Hope Astora and Idche will survive. I like those two
Hexodus
1404? What happend to chapter 1403? The last one before the current one is 1402 👀
Zushef
I’m sad Xiphos did the self sacrifice thing and I so want to see if Rava can sense what happened all the way across the universe and if she can what her reaction will be. Zac did promise Rava to find pieces that have been lost and bring them back for her. I think this should count.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Owen Kaz
No. The flame seems to be different than the imperial faith and all it entails. It is likely closer to "Keep progress flowing towards breaching eternity" It was merely co-opted by the empire
Jeff McCulley
Huh. Turns out that Xiphos wasn’t supposed to use Zac as kindling for the Flame in the center chalice of the formation in the middle of the Continent, but Kindle the Flame within Zac. And apparently his siblings still have roles to play. Going to have to go back and check what Courts they went to. I think we can guess that Astora is waiting outside, right? Zac should be WELL rewarded. And, presumably, his cover as the Holy Son if the Empyrean Chalice is blown. Then it seems like time for a/some POV switches. And maybe we’re going to find out that Yselio is starting to cause problems. Lastly…anyone else satisfied that part of Kaltosa Lu (the primordial rune) is now becoming fodder for Zac’s cultivation? Or maybe…kindling?
Silent Consent
Ugg, Zack needs to learn his lesson! Did he just commit to resurrecting the limitless empire!?! Letting them prepare his body as a vessel, because this cannot possibly end well. Just like the remnants all over again.
Jeff McCulley
Unless it’s referring to faction in David Weber’a books?
Jeff McCulley
I suspect he’s going to be restarting the Order from survivors he brings out of the Omnipresence Chamber.
Scott Mingo
I expect being the new seat of the Empyrean Flame will protect Earth from a few of the factions. It will also paint a huge target on their back for several other factions. The Law of Balance must always be appeased. As for restarting the Order. . . ge already has. All those lovely people using the trials back home. Now that he is carrying the Flame, Rava will undoubtedly give Zac more access, and she'll be thrilled to be training proper members of the Order again.
Omiso
I'm not sure giving Zac access to Holy Fire a good idea, he is an Acolyte of Chaos and silent disciple of Michael Bay but if everything is burning then the Flame of the Empyrean Chalice won't be snuffed out. Instructor Rava will be very busy teaching him how to rebuild their order after he comes out.
Chris
I wonder if this will lead to Zac relocating his empire to the Empyreon quadrant given Zecia is done for
Chris
Excellent writing, snappy, cleaned up a point or two, neatly tied the mini-arc together to keep the grand plan ticking on. Very, very nice to read. Spewing Kaltosa really nicked the fateseizer token, but hopefully he just tops it up before a great fight and Zac naturally eats it.
Ryan Pepp
Iz has been furthering and tying the new Order of the Flame to the Empyreon Quadrant! Fantastic connection and subtle drop by TFD for the janitor to take on this excess destiny clean up
Michael Dugan
oh yeah, the Empyrean Throne will NOT be happy that the Empyrean Flame has been rekindled. Wait until they find out about where and how the Atwood Empire is receiving their training.
James Getgood
Yikes, this sets him on a collision path with the Empyreon Throne... aka Grandma Tain... I think he can probably pawn off the rebuilding of the Order to Carl. I wonder how close his core is now to be able to cross into Peak Hegemony. Obviously he's not going to go full monarch yet, too many loose ends to tie off outside the trial before that, but I think he's gonna need the powerup to peak in order to compete.
Lex Luther S
Well now, didnt expect Xiphos to willingly give his life up to rekindle the flame of the future. Very very interesting. Especially his final comment of zac rebuilding the order to off load the burden 😂😂. Still, one worry is how Iz and her family will react; her Dao guardian was already willing to kill zac so no telling what they'll do now that he's accepted and rekindled the flame in the present. Also glad to hear Kaltosa Lu took a heavy hit. Losing one of only 3 primordial runes has to be a heavy hit to his foundations. Welp, Thursday cant come fast enough because I am excited to see this arc come its close as well as what rewards an awakened Idiche will offer to zac and esmeralda.
Alexander Dupree
I’m so happy he got to experience someone else with a harder head directly
Kuurth
Thanks for the chapter! “It wanted the motes of Chaos to restore the Havens.” I believe it should be Heavens here instead of Havens.
Ryan Pepp
Here we go! Gotta love Esmeralda having her priorities straight. When everything has been cleared, look to the new big baddy for some sweet, sweet goodies
