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Chapter 1,267.
🕑 Added 2024-06-19 20:46:31 +0000 UTCZac had already delayed the work on his nucleus too long. He needed to quickly cover his bases and have the Ship Spirit provide the assistance they needed. If that meant impersonating a Holy Son, then so be it.
"I'm surprised you recognized me. Much time has passed, and the Heavens have changed. The Empire is not what it once was," Zac said, trying to emulate the atmosphere of Rava and the Templars he'd seen. "The flame is still burning, and the Left Imperial Palace is about to return. We need your assistance until then."
"Certainly," the spirit said. "The Starfall Court remembers its promise."
Zac had no idea what that meant, and it didn't seem suitable to ask. Instead, he focused on the more pressing issue. "Too much has been lost, and I'm not very familiar with the Eternal Guardians. Can you explain what the two I awakened are doing?"
"They are creating a pathway," the spirit said. "Their strength is lacking, so they are borrowing the Spatial Energy from the surroundings."
"A pathway? Wh—" Zac stopped, realizing he knew the answer. It was a Spatial Bridge to Zurbor.
The orders Zac engraved were very simple. Kill the Foreign Gods and the pope and then deal with the Kan'Tanu in the Zurbor sector. Knowing the Imperial Graveyard was the biggest hindrance to their mission, Zac had tried to convey as much as possible about the dangers outside the pocket realm. It looked like the Eternal Guardians had taken him at his word and were opting to skip it entirely.
"Can you estimate how long it will take?"
"Three days at the current rate," the spirit dutifully said.
"Will it harm this subspace?" Ogras asked and was met with studious silence until Zac repeated the question.
"No. This realm has received an Imperial Blessing. It will recover so long as the Centurion Sun exists, and the raiders hiding outside lack the strength to damage it."
"Raiders?"
The spirit nodded, and a screen appeared, showcasing a fleet of twelve ships floating in the safe region surrounding the hollow sun. Zac didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed to see the exteriors remaining mostly the same after all that had happened. It meant their path of retreat remained open, only it was blocked by Kan'Tanu and Black Heart cultists.
Thankfully, none of them dared approach the Centurion Sun or the gate it held, though seeing the portal remain open left Zac leery. "Can you close the gate?"
"No, but the defenses remain in operation. They cannot enter without proper credentials," the Ship Spirit said. "They'll face the wrath of the Centurion sun if they fly any closer."
"Then how did the Peak C-grade heretic enter?" Zac asked.
"I do not know. He arrived before I awakened. I suspect the traitors brought him in," the spirit said, his face red in anger.
Zac grunted, already knowing who the spirit referred to. He'd sensed another presence in the web of Imperial Faith before. They'd used unknown means to travel through the network, even briefly appearing inside the octagon. However, they left right after Zac claimed the seal, never stepping out from their fold in space. After that, Zac had no idea what had happened.
As for who, it was most likely the one who'd replaced Yselio to represent the Seven Heavens in the trial. Zac didn't know why he didn't make a move in the end, but he might not have felt confident after what happened to their predecessor. Or perhaps they simply didn't want to get stuck with the rivers of faith drying up.
"Where are the traitors now?"
"I believe they've left already. I sensed a temporal fluctuation indicating they escaped just before you boarded, " the spirit said, looking conflicted.
"What's wrong?"
"The signal came from the Centurion Tower's lowest floor."
"The lowest floor?" Zac grimaced, remembering what he saw when connected to the spire.
The lowest floor was where the remaining Elder Guardian was located. Not only that, but Zac had sensed there were tightly guarded chambers even further down, floors that weren't connected to the spire. He suspected they held some critical part of the Centurion Project. Was that why the princeling didn't make a move?
Rather than the seal being his target, perhaps he was looking for something else. Something connected to the Foreign Gods and the Lost Era. Zac sighed. At least they were gone, if the spirit's scanners could be trusted. With the Foreign Gods and Pope dealt with, they finally had the subspace all for themselves.
"Were you able to confirm what happened with the heretic who used the Ascension chamber?"
"I recorded nothing that would indicate survival."
Zac nodded. "Can you do something about the people outside?"
"I'm afraid not. I have no authority over the base itself. I do not recommend direct conflict, either. I've stayed dormant for too long. Large sections require repairs and replacement of degraded components," the spirit said. "My calculations indicate a 53% probability of defeat when facing a fleet with four Monarchs in our current state."
"Four Monarchs? There's no way," Ogras frowned.
Still, the spirit's estimate showed just how powerful the Pernumia Ino was. Even with extensive damage and a non-existent crew, it was somewhat confident in taking on such a lineup. It had to be at least a Middle C-grade vessel for that to be possible, likely even higher. This was exactly the deterrence the Atwood Empire needed.
A flagship of this dignity wouldn't make a difference to the outsiders during the battle over the Ultom Courts, but they needed to prepare for the future. No matter what happened to Zecia and Earth, his people would need something to protect themselves against outside threats. Zac couldn't provide it, as his plans required him to set out as soon as the trial was settled. An imperial destroyer would be the perfect deterrence.
Zac glanced at Ogras. "Send word to the Yphelion. Have them unfold a Moonpiercer and prepare to follow."
The Moonpiercer was the smallest of the Middle D-grade models that had been added to his Creator Shipyard after the upgrade. It was an all-rounder taking up roughly the same function as Starflash, though it was more geared toward raids behind enemy lines. As such, it possessed decent speed and a very capable cloaking array—the perfect combo for a small group to sneak back home. It could also be unfolded in time.
"Much better than leaving them stranded in the depths of the Imperial Graveyard," Ogras agreed, giving Zac a ruminating look. "You're planning on staying here."
"I haven't decided yet," Zac said. "But probably."
Returning to Earth in his current state wasn't an option—how was he supposed to teleport in the middle of his breakthrough? Not to mention, there wasn't just the Kan'Tanu to worry about if he returned to Zurbor. Time was running out, and this was the last chance for the outsiders to improve their odds of seizing Ultom.
From the Imperials and Sangha to the factions that had stayed hidden until now—everyone would be eyeing juicy prey like their party. Staying hidden in this realm might be their best option since it seemed relatively safe in comparison. Not to mention, they'd only scratched the surface of the wealth hidden within its crumbling walls.
"Well, the System dragged us here. It should take responsibility and send us back home after the trial." Ogras offered. "Or at least to a more stable spot in Zecia."
Zac felt the same way. They had barely reached this place despite Yphelion's upgrades, and one day of repairs after they reached the Centurion Base definitely wasn't enough to bring it back to working condition. Meanwhile, they didn't have the levels, skills, or authority to pilot a proper C-grade vessel through such a dangerous gauntlet. Crossing the Imperial Graveyard once more was a death sentence.
"What about the sealbearers?" Ogras asked.
Zac took out an Information Crystal and branded a slew of information on it. It was information he'd gathered from the streaks of information-filled starlight and when connecting with the base through Imperial Faith. Essentially, it was a treasure map leading to hidden treasuries and storerooms—all places that should have lost their defenses without faith or Stellar Energy to power them.
"It's up to you. Safety or opportunities."
Ogras eyes shone, and Carl's calm demeanor grew more strained as they scanned the content. Eventually, Ogras turned to the archer with a knowing grin. "Like a devil whispering on our shoulders, this one."
"Indeed," Carl sighed.
It was at that time the doors opened to let Catheya inside. Her state looked just as bad as his, yet she hurried over upon seeing Zac. She only stopped in confusion upon seeing the arrangement surrounding him.
"It's nice to see you again," Zac said, looking at her frozen body with worry. He felt multiple spots of stubborn Life and starlight embedded within. "Are you okay?"
"I'll survive," Catheya said, looking at the array beneath Zac. "What's going on? Are you breaking through?"
"Kator forced my hand," Zac sighed.
"So it came to that," Catheya sighed before glaring at Ogras. "Why are you disturbing him at such a critical juncture?"
"Some things needed the boss' input," the demon said.
"We'll get out of your way," Catheya said. "I just wanted to check something with you. There is a seal aboard the ship. A Threadwinder seal."
"Take it, it's yours," Zac smiled.
"Thank you," Catheya said. "Call if there is anything I can do. I'll be nearby."
The meeting was soon after, with Zac asking the Ship Spirit to assist his subordinates to the best of his abilities. The others would have to figure out the rest themselves. He couldn't delay any longer. Zac tuned out all distractions to fully focus on his core, taking out his primary set of assisting tools. It was the same items he'd used the last time: the Kan'Tanu spikes covered in sinister runes, [Pexor Leaf], and a bottle of [Realm Ether Pills].
There was no point in reinventing the wheel every time, and knowing the process saved some time. Parasitical runes fed on the vibrant life force in the leaf. With their hunger triggered, the runes dove toward the next-best source of nourishment—the nucleus waiting in the Quantum Space's center. Like last time, the runes were all caught in the nebula formed by the [Realm Ether Pills].
Increasingly powerful waves shook his Quantum Space as the compressing array formed around his nucleus. It pushed tighter and tighter, the forces threatening to throw Zac's fragile balance off-kilter. Through grit and experience, the process went smoothly, even if the result left some to be desired. The previous time, his nucleus had shone like a bright star after being triggered, ready to be molded and infused with spirituality.
Now, it looked like a fading red dwarf, its luster and intensity noticeably weaker. Infusing the prepared Late D-grade treasures would still be possible, but it would be twice the work for half the result. The difference in grade couldn't fully explain the subpar outcome. The main problem was the fifteen-minute delay between his ignition and now, which had given the nucleus harden.
Not satisfied, Zac swallowed a handful of pills that deposited huge amounts of energy in his Quantum Space. The already overstuffed pocket realm groaned with complaint, but Zac had no option. He'd sacrificed a lot to come this far, and he needed the boost of attuned energies to accelerate the asteroid belts.
The debris was agitated into spinning at a breakneck pace, which further added to the pressure on the nucleus. It helped, though not as much as Zac had hoped. While shining brighter, there was still a noticeable gap from before. Zac hesitated whether he should take even more drastic measures, ultimately deciding against it.
Perfect was the enemy of good. If he had to take a few shortcuts to finish the job, then he would. And not using more treasures for little effect didn't mean there wasn't anything he could do to save time. Zac quickly went to work on the Death-attuned treasure that would complement the wriggling crystal, using the Omnitool without hesitation or error.
The good news was that he felt his understanding of [Cosmic Forge] had seen significant strides after absorbing the seal. Zac hadn't spent any of the epiphany actively pondering on his Void-based crafting technique, it had just advanced as an incidental benefit from this comprehensive enlightenment. It added further stability to his runes, evidenced by the Life-attuned crystal.
Death eventually caught up to Life, and Zac began to move back and forth on working with the treasures. Soon enough, Zac extracted the first streaks of unblemished spirituality and pulled them directly into his nucleus. Zac had already used some of his attention to redraw the pathways in one of the nucleus's sections, and unblemished Life and Death added the finishing touches.
Zac exhaled in relief as the upgraded section drew in some of the unbearable levels of energy clogging up the proto-space. Not resting for a second, Zac began work on the next. Upgrading the pathways as he went was rough and hectic, but it saved the time Zac desperately needed. He was already having trouble properly infusing the spirituality because of how hardened the nucleus was, and any second he wasted would make his job more difficult.
It was only the first of many such compromises he'd have to make. Calming his heart, Zac continued to extract string after string of pure Life and Death. The first hour went smoothly as Zac used all his attention and two Soul Cores' worth of mental tendrils to keep a rapid pace. However, the passing of time confirmed Zac's fear.
The Void Realm wasn't as stable as he'd initially estimated. It was already starting to feel hollow, and he only had himself to blame. His constant pilfering of materials and Void Energy was hastening its collapse. Not drawing Void Energy wasn't an option, either. [Void Mountain] was required to upgrade the nucleus, and [Void Heart] was both damaged and occupied.
Zac was trapped in a negative spiral without a solution. He had to resume his hunt for treasures as he didn't have enough material to reform his core, but doing so left him with less time to benefit from the Void Realm.
Hours passed this way, and Zac forgot all else as he fought his desperate battle against his hardening nucleus. Despite a few major setbacks, the nucleus was upgraded to Late D-grade. Zac found it difficult to be happy even if he'd succeeded and gotten the rampant energy under control. His work was rushed, leading to imperfect integration and pathways in multiple spots.
Each blemish meant an unplanned fault line that couldn't be fully fixed during the final stage of the Core Formation, a weakness that would affect energy generation and flow. Zac's vision was already swimming at that point, and he was forced to stop even if he didn't want to. The delicate work of redrawing pathways didn't mix well with a mind drained from battle and being struck by tribulation lightning.
The Void Realm didn't fare much better. It had already shrunken to half its original size, with much of the stockpiled materials already out of bounds. His Draugr half kept going despite a desperate need for rest. His human side threw a set of Natural Treasures onto the refinement arrays as he ate another round of soul-nourishing pills to recover.
The surroundings had seen significant changes while he'd focused on his core. Galau had used the time to finish the hangar's transformation, and there was a haze of Life and Death clashing all around him. The Ship Spirit must have helped out as an archaic aura of war seeped out of the walls, adding conflict to the mix. No urgent messages were waiting for him outside, only a brief update.
All crew was collected and accounted for. The Yphelion had been moved to another hangar with a stronger repair function, and a group led by Ogras had already set out to explore some of the locations Zac detailed.
Zac took another twenty minutes before resuming his work. The nucleus was a difficult hump, but the next part came easier. Zac alternated between using the refined Treasures Void-refined debris to build upon the nucleus while his Draugr half worked on repairing as many pieces as possible before it was too late.
One day later, Zac knew he'd overstayed his welcome. Using the same method as last time, he pushed against empty space with [Void Mountain] while pressuring from within the Void Realm. He only had enough spare energy to create a coin-sized slit this time, but that was all he needed.
Zac activated [Abyssal Drive], pouring out of the gash just before it closed. Zac felt a wave of weakness hit him the next moment like he was standing at death's door. The feeling passed, but he still felt hollow, like he'd used Longevity to power a skill. Zac even felt the connection to his Hidden Node weaken. Such was the price of greed.
The disturbance caught the attention of Joanna, who had appeared to take up her position as Dao Guardian.
"Is everything okay?"
"Not really, but I'm alive," Zac sighed. "Is your seal finished?"
"It is," Joanna said, looking slightly confused.
"Then, could you call Kruta over?" Zac said, feeling the dangerous vibrations from his Corpse Sack.
The orc arrived just moments later, just in time for Zac to throw out the broken twisted and broken pieces of bones that were all that remained of Kator. The orc swore and took a step back, only stopping upon seeing what it was. "Nine hells, remind me to never piss you off."
Zac didn't get the chance to respond before a powerful pulse pushed away the swirls of Life and Death.
"This—!"
"A small thank you for keeping Catheya safe."
"No problem, no problem," Kruta assured, never taking his eyes off the emerging Blooddancer Seal. "Not that she needed much looking after. That's a tough one."
"Go on, take it before it turns my chamber to dust," Zac said with a strained smile, struggling to just stay awake after the Void Realm's collapse.
Kruta didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out and grasped the seal, experiencing a lifetime of clarity in an instant. "So that's how it is. What now?"
"Now?" Zac sighed. "Now we pray nothing else goes wrong."
Kruta laughed. "Not much chance of that, is there?"
Comments
Ithoughtofsomething
Ogras agreed, giving Zac a ruminating look. I would love to know what a "ruminating look" is
Chloe
Tyftc
Sugoi
I'd assume this is for when New Earth's shroud is down and is visible to the sector or the multiverse as a whole. Considering there's a 47% probability of winning against 4 Monarchs, what are the chances even 1 Monarch would immediately head toward New Earth for it's destruction? Even then, 2 Monarchs may not even be enough, and with Zecia being so lacking when it comes to Monarchs and their higher stages, this Imperial Destroyer will be great for New Earth at least until Zac shows up himself or has allies keep an eye out.
Jeff McCulley
“An imperial destroyer would be the perfect deterrence.” Umm…Kruta said that cosmic vessels are useless against Monarchs?
Jeff McCulley
….the spirit said. "My calculations indicate a 53% probability of defeat when facing a fleet with four Monarchs in our current state." “Monarchs”? The Ship Spirit is using current, rather than Imperial terminology.
DrNutella
Nothing yet on discord. Which should be a good thing. Means he is still working on it...
Jeff McCulley
To be honest, rather than the challenge of the Great Redeemer, I was more interested in the dude he’d dragged along with him. That guy’s had the arrogance smacked out of him, yet was still defiant—and seemed like he’d make an excellent Zac Team member.
Maj
Who’s got an update? 👀👀
Bernhard
i am worried
TorHKU
If the Great Redeemer's gonna pop up, I think it'll be very soon. This is pretty much the last point where he can pose an actual threat to Zac and the Atwood Empire before they straight up outgrow him. A karmic peak hegemon is still nothing to sneeze at for their level, especially if he has preparations. And he might've scooped up some fate from the whole war going on and ascended to Monarchy, or just half-step Monarchy, enough to punch outside the Atwood's weight class, just a bit.
Tyler S.
I would check discord but i dont get those notifications
Lex Luther S
Man the Elden ring DLC is kicking my ass. Could really use a chapter drop to raise my spirits.
K S
F5
Amani
everytime! hey thats life lol
DannyO
@Collin Yeah, what Matthew said. Quality and rank are different things. Keypoint is quality limits Rank. Zac started at medium and worked up to high. Which is how he was qualified to attempt this breakthrough. A lower quality core than what he had, would presumably blow up. Now that he's likely going back to medium quality or worse, he's got his work cut out. Cause I'm pretty sure he needs peak quality to attempt the next breakthrough. Also 'Supreme quality' is not yet confirmed, but I suspect it will be possible because peak cores are considered only 'near flawless' by Zac. And we've already seen supreme skills, so it makes sense.
Rabauke
"No. This realm has received an Imperial Blessing. It will recover so long as the Centurion Sun exists, and the raiders hiding outside lack the strength to damage it." "Raiders?" The spirit nodded, and a screen appeared, showcasing a fleet of twelve ships floating in the safe region surrounding the hollow sun. Zac didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed to see the exteriors remaining mostly the same after all that had happened. It meant their path of retreat remained open, only it was blocked by Kan'Tanu and Black Heart cultists.
Jeff McCulley
I don’t think the Great Redeemer was dead. However, if he pops up now, I doubt he’ll be as big a problem as he would have been back then.
Jeff McCulley
Yeah, Kator forced him into upgrading when he really didn’t want to. Otherwise his core would have been just fine—he just might not have made the other breakthroughs.
Jeff McCulley
They wouldn’t get kill energy. The system did that. What they MIGHT get is War Merit, for contributing to his demise. Hopefully death, but I’m sure he’ll pop up again.
Jeff McCulley
No, Zac was guessing it was Yselio INSIDE the base. Rather, Yselio’s “replacement”, since he’s assuming the Sindris chick killed him. You’d think he would have just asked them.
Lex Luther S
I don't think they'll get killed energy. Zac had very little to do with the pope's death as he only hindered him at key points. Same with the new flagship for his empire. The ship likely dealt a blow to the pope but they wouldn't get any kill energy even if it did by some miracle kill him as the pilots don't get kill energy when they blow up other cosmic vessels. And zac detonating the remaining faith of the base was only to help the guardians. The pope's fall came from his failed Dao confirmation and the scheme yselio dropped on him. Besides, as that goblin in ogras flag mentioned, even if he by some miracle survived, he'd be crippled and would have fallen to either late or middle monarchy. To which a few weeks would have likely been enough for him to fully die off given his advanced age.
Lex Luther S
Yes kill energy has a use. As mentioned when before he ascended to middle hegemony, he wouldn't have been able to go through the minor stage in such a short time without the constant slaughter of the war.
Matthew Hay
Please read the following excerpts... Book 11, ch 69: Zac was filled with a sense of release. Years of toiling had led to this, and the result was exactly what he’d hoped for. Even after looking over the schematic, he couldn’t find a single mistake. Should Zac manage to create this thing, it would at least become a Middle-quality Cosmic Core. It didn’t sound like much, especially in the face of the claims that the Perennial Vastness could help cultivators form Peak-quality Cores that would remove most of the bottlenecks of Hegemony. Ultimately, that was only true for normal elites with simple and unimpressive paths. The heavier one’s foundations, the more difficult it was to form a High-quality core. The same was true for the complexity of your path. Even Iz only aimed for a High-quality Cosmic Core with her backing. For Zac to expect a Peak-quality Core right out of the gate was a fool’s hope. Still, managing to form a Middle-quality core, Zac’s short-term goals would be met. Hegemony was similar to the E-grade in that it was divided into Early, Middle, Late, and Peak. But while the E-grade had 75 minor bottlenecks, D-grade had three major ones. After breaking through, you’d have an Early-stage Cosmic Core, which would last you until the first bottleneck at level 175. At that point, you would have to upgrade your core, which was risky and difficult. A failed attempt would damage and lower the quality of your core, which could waste centuries of cultivation. If you really messed up, you could destroy your core altogether and cripple your cultivation. But if you succeeded, you would break through to Middle D-grade. Upgrading your core from Early to Middle-stage came with all kinds of benefits. First of all, your level limit would increase by another 25 levels, where each level provided more attributes than the Early-stage. With a Middle-stage core, you’d also be able to store and transmit far more Cosmic Energy, giving a huge advantage in combat since it could both power stronger War Regalia and skills. For many, the true prize of breaking through was something else. Longevity. Your lifespan was more related to your core than your race in the D-grade. There were no pills for a quick breakthrough. Your race would reach C-grade upon passing the final bottleneck, upgrading a Late-stage Cosmic Core to Peak. Each breakthrough before then would also add roughly ten thousand years of lifespan, far more than any Longevity Treasures could provide. Even those with no hopes of Monarchy or even later stages of D-grade desperately wanted to upgrade their cores at least one stage for this reason. But it was easier said than done. The fundamental requirement to pass each bottleneck was the quality of your core. If you managed to form a Middle-quality Cosmic Core from the get-go, you had the qualifications to assault the first bottleneck the moment you were level-capped. If not, you would have to slowly work on the quality of your Cosmic Core until you were ready. Cultivators could use their manuals to accomplish this. A Middle-quality D-grade Cultivation Manual could gradually refine compatible cores to Middle-quality without any risk, though it took centuries to millennia of cultivation. Mortals such as himself didn’t have that luxury. They needed to use treasures or risk everything by simultaneously upgrading the stage and quality. Book 12, ch 28: And as such, the Mountain Heart had become the perfect item to set up the foundation for his incredibly complex core. It was even a twin-attunement treasure. The fewer treasures he used to create the nucleus of his Cosmic Core, the greater the cohesion would be. With the [Calamity Core], he only needed to add a Supreme treasure with Pure Conflict, and he’d have all the pieces he needed. This would drastically increase his chances of success and even improve his chances of forming a higher-quality Cosmic Core. Book 12, ch 70: The prospect of forming a High-quality Cosmic Core right out the gate felt increasingly distant the more details he added to his plan. The glossed-over sections from when he first put together the step-by-step method hid hard-to-solve issues when put under a magnifying glass. At the same time, he didn’t have any Cultivation Manual that would refine his core, leaving him with no choice but to add more treasures in the future to push it from Middle to Peak-quality. Book 12, ch 80: Things had more or less gone according to plan, except the process had been rougher than he expected. Yet the result was good. A few layers were still missing, but Zac could barely believe how close to his goals the core had come. Certainly, the large number of explosions left enough imperfections to make a High-quality Cosmic Core an impossibility, but it was certainly enough for Middle-quality. It wasn’t even a matter of barely pushing past the goalpost. He was well within the acceptable range. Book 12, ch 82: Core Formation Successful Design: 87% unique. Imperfections: Low (10-100). Evaluation: Middle-quality, S-grade Energy Capacity, S-grade Potential, S-grade level of Innovation. Zac hadn’t expected to get a report card, but he was flush with pride at the evaluation. Besides the Middle-quality, which Zac had already known about, every evaluation was top-notch.
Jay Fowler
Umm they were guessing Yselio in the story so I don’t think so
Collin Sorrells
Ya that was cool 😎
Collin Sorrells
I think your confusing the term "high quality" with the grading system. He doesn't have a "high quality" core... He's high D grade and has a "high" quality core. Like how for middle D grade. He didn't have a medium quality core or something... He had a middle quality core. You either form a high quality core and ascend to high D grade or you fail. Your core either works and can bear the strain or it doesn't. Some cores are a little better than others but it doesn't seem to be very significant in the D grade. A little better energy generation and expenditure difference and better qualifications for advancing is all it seems to amount to. Having a more perfected cores primary benefit seems to be more related to Dao and your path and having something viable to be an embryo for an inner world to advance to C grade.
Rabauke
It's verified by the ship spirit that these ships outside are part of the kantanu and black heart sect
Rabauke
Sure. It fills the pathways of your core so that you can utilise it's power/generate levels
Jay Fowler
Is that possibly Iz outside and her entourage
Chris Hallman
Is there even a point to the kill energy anymore? It was the main power up in F grade but now it just seems like it has no meaning.
Chris Hallman
If I recall correctly I remember the great redeemer being a mystery if he was dead or not. I was kind of thinking he might pop up sometime eventually because he was peak D grade, but now he'd pretty much be nothing compared to Zac and crew. Never did say if he died or not, so it might be the same kind of thing with the pope.
The lord of chaos
the only reason why it was so bad here was him being in a fight while the heavens were already trying to kill the pope.
Stephen Taylor
No kill energy from the pope. Even though the lightning finished him off, they should have gotten kill energy. He’s alive.
Matthew Hay
Nah, I disagree, we're talking about different sides of the upgrade process. You must have high quality beforehand, you don't necessarily have high quality after. The quality after is based on how well you did during the upgrade in tier. Before you can try for peak grade, you must now reach peak quality - aka fix everything that was messed up after breaking into high grade.
Collin Sorrells
That's exactly what I'm talking about. Those are grades, not some special judgement about how awesome the core is. Everybody in high D grade has a "high" quality core. Nobody in high D grade has a low quality core... There are people in high did grade with a crappy "high" quality core though....... People are getting really confused about that and talking about supreme cores and stuff like that and that they don't think he's at high quality after this upgrade...... High D grade is a grade, that is it. It has nothing to do with a high quality skill or anything like that. It is a grade ABCDEF. It's just part of the standard grading system and that is all.
Lex Luther S
Fortunately, TFD has hinted at zac having downtime after the war. Even after such big plays and wins, earth is protected by the veil and my bet is he'll join up with Iz to handle any issues involving his win in ultom. Afterall, not many factions would be willing to scrap with those lunatics. As for his increase in fate, I argue that's an even bigger reason to slow down and take some time to peaceful adjust and rest. 10-20 years under Ravas' training while shoring up his foundations will be incredibly beneficial. Especially after such an insane rise through the D grade. Resting and fixing any problems will be a boon in so many ways than just immediately setting out with a crew that's already been through he'll.
Rouslan Tourtsev
It would be nice to have zac reach a point where he doesn't destroy his body everytime he has a power-up. For example, in E-grade he was destroying his body opening initial nodes, but by the end of E grade, his body and soul were sturdy enough to contain much of the damage (plus the treasures he used). It would be nice to see something similar in the D grade where an upgrade to peak is difficult but not a total wreck. Even if he has to take years to consolidate himself prior to the breakthrough to the peak. Being a void emperor makes him a unique existence above even the heaven's chosen - but somehow the power scale seems diluded. Especially with introduction of earthly Dao where his titles don't mean as much as all the upgraded Daos. It's also difficult to appreciate just how much stronger Zac is compared to the rest of his company. A few POV chapters can help put zacs power in perspective.
Douglas Davis
I honestly have no idea what the lighthouse even accomplished. First they acted like it was a big deal, supposedly taking out a planet/war base and a couple of monarchs. Then two chapters later the whole Zecia sector was losing and most of their monarchs were dead.
John
The kinda momentum one must gain in their fate after something as monumental as winning this war and the Ultom courts is not something that should be wasted by sitting on your ass for 15 years. I also doubt the old monsters and empires of the multiverse will just quietly pack up and go home when Zac wins it all. The dynamics of the whole multiverse will be changing.
John
I hope we get similar reaction POV’s of the guardian puppets as we did to the centurion spear. I remember there was a POV of a enslaved heart curse farmer who rose up and killed his overseer upon seeing the destruction of the local KanTanu fortress above in the heavens.
Matthew Hay
The quality rating for skills definitely seems like a lesser-known frontier thing, but the quality of the cosmic core is a key component to upgrading it. You must attain the next stage of quality before you can attempt the corresponding upgrade. Refer back to the ending of book 12 (ch 82), Zac receives ratings as S-grade for Energy, Potential, and Innovation, but medium for Quality. The quality is directly caused by damage and imperfections during the construction. What you're referring to w/ the density and complexity of the runes/pathways has always been used to describe how he just upgrades the grade, not the quality. Also, here's an excerpt from 1150 talking about fixing his quality: " Recalling the experience almost dragged him out of his Void State, so Zac quickly shifted his attention to his Cosmic Core. Like his body, it had been given the expected cleansing, removing impurities and a good chunk of the remaining imperfections. If his Cosmic Core wasn't High-quality before, it certainly was now, which meant one of the major roadblocks to Late Hegemony had been dealt with. "
Collin Sorrells
Well I can't pretend to know the exact logistics of things.... But the only reason they are even teleporting instead of flying there is because Zac imprinted a wariness of the imperial grave yard. I imagine that at the very minimum they fly at least as fast as the yphellion as a very low estimate. Probably more on the level of a low C grade destroyer at least. There's a possibility that their fight against the foreign gods depleted them... But I doubt it, the centurion sun and the blessed realm they are in is probably recharging them. I almost feel sorry for Zurbor. They'll probably teleport to the capital and then just follow the supply lines and war fortresses all the way back to Zecia.... Hopefully they don't destroy all the planets and civilians on their way through but they might. It's a worse power difference than the great redeemer vs F grade Zac.... I doubt all the Kantanu chapter heads working together could even damage one of them... I mean maybe IDK...
Tyler S.
Not quite the quality is reletive the the non synergistic parts of the core while the late/peak states are due to the fractal depth and Dao impartment to act as a base of attuning part of the world to your spacific Dao. With his knowledge and impartments he is easily qualified to deepen the fractal Network but due to the hardening some parts didnt get upgraded and some parts were completely erased. He fixed enough to qualify as High Hegemony but his quality will be mid at best. Fixing the imperfections gives his core a stronger synergy to keep it from dicintigrating when to much energy is passed through it or upon next ignition stage for peak. This is the state that most frontier hegemons deal with but because of inexperience of Dao fractals Zac just because he has to take a beating while upgrading
Tyler S.
I imagine a B grade is able to thrash a solar system and move on to the next fairly quickly, especially if their biggest threat is only mid C grade
Jeff McCulley
Doesn’t mean he can’t pop up crippled and cause problems for a bunch of mid range hegemons. Honestly, according to what Ogras said, the ranking board should have updated by now.
Jeff McCulley
The problem is that even if they both teleport directly to Zurbor’s capitol—whatever that is—and trash it…from that point on, there’s travel time to spread throughout a whole Sector. Even if they separate, there’s only two of them. The good thing being that the ensuing distress calls might well siphon off some of those ships waiting here outside the Base.
Jeff McCulley
He doesn’t have any place to go shopping right now. Unless the System miraculously provides one there at the Starfall Base, he has to go back home.
Frederik
if he isn’t dead he is atleast out of commision for a few hundred years
CringeWorthyStudios
If you don’t see the body, they’re not dead yet!
Collin Sorrells
I think people are overestimating the issues with his core. I think Zac's just being a perfectionist and is aware of how it could be better because his understanding has increased so much. He's either gonna succeed in advancing to high D grade or he's gonna fail. I think that's how it works. I don't think his core actually has any real issues.
Collin Sorrells
I might be wrong but I think you might be getting a little confused about how the cores are graded. I might also be wrong. He has succeeded in upgrading the nucleus to high quality and I believe he just succeeded in upgrading his core to high quality.... This was actually a really big deal and his first major bottleneck in the D grade because in the PV he formed a middle quality core. He needed to get the levels and stuff and got the opportunity to improve his blue print and reform and improve his core when officially advancing to middle D grade but it was mostly a technicality and a given that he would advance and he didn't really need to have any kind of monumental breakthrough to achieve that. He just understood his path better and wanted to make some changes. The only thing that really made it dicey was the systems extreme reaction to his core and the brutal tribulation. What I believe you are talking about is more of a subtle thing. Something a lot of more ignorant or frontier cultivators aren't even really aware of. A more in depth judgment of the potential of and how efficient or perfected the core is. That's more on the level of a skill being like a supreme quality D grade skill or a low quality D grade skill or something. It's a more subtle thing about quality and design. For the cores, low, middle, high, peak... Those are grades. Zac is advancing to high D grade and requires a high quality core to do that and he has succeeded or is about to succeed in doing that. These problems with his core not being exactly how he wants it are more of a problem with potential and it will make the next bottleneck harder, they make him have less qualifications to ascend to peak D grade and will make that bottleneck harder to overcome successfully. If he had a perfect upgrade, his core would be a little more efficient and generate energy a little better and be easier to upgrade to peak. The system judged his core when he made it and gave him some S scores in some categories.... I think that's more of just a system thing or the type of thing heartland cultivators are even concerned about. Normal people are just worried about being able to progress to the next stage at all. Zac already has a much more complex and powerful core than what is normal for anybody on the frontier that is far beyond the typical thresholds for energy generation and expenditure for what it is. I believe he's being a perfectionist right now and that he's just aware of how it could have been better. I doubt his high D grade core has any real problems and he would probably get a dead stare of disbelief from a frontier cultivator for complaining about it. I might be wrong but I don't believe it has any real issues and being graded as supreme quality by the system is not really something that matters that much to the average cultivator and it's more something that an old monster would get excited about seeing in an apprentice or something like that.
Tartlet
“which had given the nucleus (time to) harden.”
Collin Sorrells
I'm pretty sure the 250k cap was only for pre war contribution. They kinda got screwed because they hadn't officially joined The war or a faction per system rules. I think Zac and company got a disgusting amount of points from that.
Collin Sorrells
Ya, I'm not really sure. They obviously aren't true autarchs skill and Dao wise. They were struggling until Zac imprinted his Dao and combat path onto them. But I don't think it really matters where they fall in the B grade. If they don't quickly run out of energy Zurbor is screwed. Even if they were at the level of divine monarchs they would be a problem. Zecia would have been toast if the Pope ascended to divine monarchy. Unless there's some weird problem with them or they quickly run out of energy....... Those 2 puppets should easily wreck pretty much everything in Zurbor. I'm having trouble not seeing how that's basically the end of the war if those 2 puppets successfully teleport.
Rushin Lad
My prediction is that when he goes to the base to do the thing for Kenzie; he gains the ability/opportunity to reforge his completed core
Collin Sorrells
They've made it very clear that he should be completely dead...... But there has been some ambiguity about it, enough that he could possibly pop back up with some explanation but he should technically be dead.
Darnell Maxwell
Why do yall love to Jinx shit?
Jeffrey Worrall
Pretty sure the cap only pertained to contributions gained before officially signing up for the war. This includes what Zac and Ogras got by destabilizing the stellar ladder in the void star as well as what average and Galau got from the centurion spear, Zac gained millions from the spear while Galau only got 250k.
Jeff McCulley
So…was Sorothom actually killed? Or just his “partner”, and he’s hiding and about to pop up at a very inconvenient time? Oh…and the damage he passed off to his descendants? Those are likely also prominent Kan’Tanu, so does Zac & Co get credit for killing them, too?
Shurjin
Yep the Faction merits are going to be huge!
Jeff McCulley
The problem being…that’s capped. They should only get 250K or whatever, even for the Pope. It’s the faction merit that will be immense. And they won’t be able to see it.
Jeff McCulley
If the elder one wa the equivalent of a fifth step Autarch, I’d expect these to be first or second—they were slightly bigger than the two they just beat up.
Jeff McCulley
“Zac had sensed there were tightly guarded chambers even further down, floors that weren't connected to the spire. He suspected they held some critical part of the Centurion Project.” I have always considered it mere coincidence that when Zac was exploring, then plundering, the Centurion Base of its treasures with Galau, that he was repeatedly denied entry to the lower levels. Inadvertently, I’m sure. Sheer coincidence!
DannyO
C-grade earth seconded! The final empire must rise.
DannyO
Jeff, items that let you fix flaws without reforming your core are extremely rare I thought? And by the sounds of it these aren't simple little faults, but entire pathways that are malformed, and the materials Zac used are as he says not fully integrated. Could be wrong but ill be surprised if hes able to fix things easily.
DannyO
Not saying he didn't do a great job with what he was working with, but its clear that it's a step backwards. Remember flaws get harder to fix as you move up the D Grade. If he wants a supreme quality core as a peak hegemon it's gonna take some crazy effort and resources. My guess TFD planned it this way so Zac has more incentive to give his all in Ultom.
DannyO
Exactly my thoughts. I was like 'what do you mean impersonating. You literally are the holy son' lmao
Blake N.
It’s still within purity of the void quantum space I believe, which is different from the void realm
Michael
Well I’m sure if Zac just buys the entire Late Hegemony contribution store out, that could help a bit with fixing his damaged core.
Matthew Hay
Also, having imperfections gives a reason to prolongue an attempt at Peak, slowing his in-universe ascent to Monarch a little (giving time for his elites to catch up a little). If I remember correctly, he needs to achieve the corresponding quality of core before he can attempt the next bottleneck. So he should need to fix the imperfections until he has a Peak quality core before he can upgrade it to Peak grade. In that time his seal bearers can reach Peak or High and stay along for the ride without being dead weight.
Matthew Hay
C-grade Earth?
Borbino the great
Yeah I can’t wait to see these!
Dro
His core is flawed and half broken, but isn't it now in his Void realm that's outside the view of the Heavens'? If so, his core upgrades might not provoke as bad of tribulations (if any) from here out. Living the dream, except he'd still have crazy tribulations from his Dao and Bloodline upgrades.
Jeff McCulley
His mom is a LONG ways away. Iz or the Sindris would seem most likely to be able to help, from an outside perspective.
Jeff McCulley
If he “needs 10-20 years”…have you considered the travel time through the Endless Storm? I seem to recall he originally expected it to take centuries. And the Yphelion has its upgraded cultivation chamber. As far as crew…Jaol is about to go into the Trial, the others are heading home—perhaps for training—and who knows where he might pick up experienced crew?
Jeff McCulley
*cough* 🤣
Collin Sorrells
Those guardian puppets might as well be B grade and are about to teleport directly into Zubor........ They are going to make that shot from the centurion lighthouse look like a love tap.
Collin Sorrells
Those guardian puppets might as well be B grade and are about to teleport directly into Zubor........ They are going to make that shot from the centurion lighthouse look like a love tap.
Collin Sorrells
Yep we should be getting a juicy update page in the near future 😁
Collin Sorrells
I think he's actually the unholy son 🤣
Andrew
Thank you!
Jeff McCulley
He’s in the Starfall Court. He’s going to have eight more Courts, the Left Imperial Palace, AND Ultom to improve the quality. Plus? Whatever is hidden at the bottom of this tower. Not seeing a reason to worry about it.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Jeff McCulley
“impersonating a Holy Son”. Yeah Zack, you keep telling yourself that. 🙄
Collin Sorrells
Ya, he'll be fine. I think it went pretty well. He had a ton of explosions and damage and imperfections in his nucleus when originally forming it and was able to fix everything prior too and when upgrading it to the middle stage. Getting everything all perfect at this stage isn't normal. I think Zac's just a victim of his increased understanding and monumental success. Most cultivators probably wouldn't even be aware that their core wasn't perfect at this point. As for after Ultom, I think it entirely depends on his understanding of how dire Kenzie's circumstances are and whether or not he can do something to help her or not. He would completely step away from everything happening right now in this moment and say "screw it sorry guys", if she needed him and he was able to help. So what your saying makes sense but depending on circumstances, it's not gonna matter much either way. If he can take some time to consolidate things and take advantage of everything going on in the secure, he will. If he needs to leave and is able too, regardless of what's happening in the sector, he will.
Shurjin
I'm looking forward to the war contributions points 👏
Collin Sorrells
I think it went pretty well. He had a ton of explosions and damage and imperfections in his nucleus when originally forming it and was able to fix everything prior too and when upgrading it to the middle stage. Getting everything all perfect at this stage isn't normal. I think Zac's just a victim of his increased understanding and monumental success. Most cultivators probably wouldn't even be aware that their core wasn't perfect at this point.
DannyO
Ooof. His core formation went even worse than I was expecting. Im guessing it's medium quality at best. Which is NOT good considering he has only 1 upgrade left. He's gonna need items that are far greater than anything we've so far while simultaneously being much easier to work with so that he can fix his mistakes. No option of playing it cool anymore in Ultom, he's gonna need to take everything.
Kirin
Dam I’m sad about his core, hopefully ultom has something for that or his mom, her poping up in the next few chapters, would be outta pocket… talk about short end of the stick, his core always gets trashed… Definitely with you on the break, i’d say century is good maybe 150 but he definitely needs to slow down and properly absorb all that he’s gained and glimpsed… as for after the war, i have a feeling that’ll work its self out, a C grade ship and high B grade base, i think he might even get to keep 1 or 2 of the gradians maybe rava can inhabit one… but yah not worried about people eye the empire at least not zecia people, they’re not on his level any more… looking forward to the clash with the beast alliance next and what everybody gets from ultom… still we need a short intermission soon tho… home boy been at it none stop fr. Need a Thea update, missing her like crazy think the no kill energy line is little heads up but maybe that just in my head…
MythWizard
Zac and his Seal Team (pun intended) are literally going to win this Kan'Tanu war almost single handedly, while he's breaking through. Insane. He'll probably get enough faction contribution points to build the largest planet empire in Zecia.
DannyO
High quality? I wish, but there's no way... by the sounds of it his core is a mess with dozens of faults. Im just hoping for medium.
Thomas Todd
I don't think it was the item that's part of Ultom, just something left behind by the Star fall Court
Sirloki
My impression is that Zac feels that the last time he stopped is the reason why he lost his sister and his girlfriend because he was too weak. He's not going to stop anytime soon now
Collin Sorrells
Wow, great chapter. Can't wait for Friday.
Kevin Albers
So Yselio's people already got out and stole the Starfall Court item? Won't Wal'Zo and the rest of the Council presumably overseeing Ultom be pissed about their stuff being interfered with?
Kevin Albers
Didn't he have like 15 years of peaceful cultivation before Perennial Vastness, and then Perennial Vastness also had large stretches of not insane events over it's long length of time?
Alexander Johnson
hell yeah😎
Lex Luther S
Man his core isn't gonna look perfect but as long as it's high quality and Late D grade, it'll suffice. Any issues can be resolved as he prepares for Peak D grade and at that time, he won't have to use the heavens as a weapon to fight the temporal backlash. And zac mentioning setting out right after the trial just doesn't sit right with me. He needs at least a decade to just fuckin relax. He's been going full throttle ever since the integration and while I'd like for him to take a century of peaceful cultivation before heading out for his mother's mission, I'll settle for 10-20 years at least. That way he shores up his foundations and can work on that insane comprehensive manual he created. That and upgrade his soul. As we've seen, his 3 fates soul is coming up woefully short for his needs but given all the tempering and tribulations his current soul has been through, he's gotta be only a decade out from the next reincarnation. Maybe even sooner with what he can get from Ultom and the Late D grade exchange. With the incoming amount of merit, affording the best Late D grade soul nurturing treasure is easy. Another issue is what comes after the trial and war. It feels like zac can't be missing when dividing the loot after the zubor sector falls or that it's almost a known fact he was a flamebearer. Even ignoring all that, he doesn't have a proper crew anymore. With how many talents died on this journey, it'll take at least a decade for them to train those that can be helpful to mark and that technocrat guy while also letting those 2 grow and come into their own as proper experienced pilots. In short, it feels too rushed if zac leaves right after the trial no?
GMO pineapple
Time for more chaos
Myrtland
Fourth!
TorHKU
With Zac, there isn't a chance things will go wrong, it's a certainty.
Porter
Yes, Ogras gets to loot the Centurion Base. Could get 20 juicy chapters out of this.
Ryan Pepp
Here we go 👀
Rouslan Tourtsev
Woot
The Lost Pages
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