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Chapter 1,265.
🕑 Added 2024-06-15 11:49:26 +0000 UTCRivers of white-hot gold poured through the cracks, melting steel and incinerating wood. The unthinking roots were becoming victims of their gluttony, unable to adapt to the overloaded Stellar Extractor. Them pouring into the endless starlight like moths to the flame provided a much-needed respite.
"Just a little bit more, we're almost there!" Catheya urged, floating just above the ground.
The small expenditure of flight was a cost she could ill afford, but she had no choice. Her left leg was encased in ice to prevent the embedded saplings from sprouting, and even more of her body was frozen to hold together her wounds and accelerate her recovery. She couldn't run even if she wanted, and Kruta was in no state to carry her.
The orc was an arrow at the end of its flight after having displayed a tenacity and ferocity that would make his ancestors proud. It was almost a miracle he managed to put one leg before the other. He'd taken the vanguard throughout their protracted battle, unleashing wave after wave of cutting flames to keep the wilderness at bay. Kruta distractedly grunted, his mind focused on keeping himself moving.
Catheya's promise wasn't an empty reassurance. Zac's short telepathic message had come at the right time. The shakes had begun just moments later, and the whole station was already about to go supernova. If they hadn't gotten the route to the emergency chamber at the end of the corridor, they'd be done for.
The doors to the teleportation chamber slid up without complaint, and Catheya almost cried with relief upon seeing an active gate waiting for them. Catheya had no idea if it was correctly calibrated. She didn't care. The streaks of starlight had already joined into a rising tide that was rapidly catching up.
Kruta's cloudy eyes regained their sharpness upon seeing the gate and the two drew upon their reserves for a final spurt. A painful constriction tried to tear Catheya apart as the world flickered in black and gold. The next moment, she felt solid ground beneath her feet. More importantly, the intense starlight's poisonous radiation was gone.
Catheya slumped onto the ground, unable to muster so much as a thought. Thankfully, the swarm of sparkling roots right on their heels was dealt with by the gate itself as it turned off. Most likely, it had been overloaded by the starlight.
"Finally," Kruta gasped as he lay to her side. "Never doing weed duty again."
"Well, we didn't make our lives easier by stealing their precious fruits," Catheya said with a weak smile, enjoying the sweet caress of Death against her skin from crushing two Miasma Crystals.
"I don't know why. Fruits are meant to be eaten," the orc huffed as he wearily looked around. "Wait, does this look right to you?"
Catheya blinked and turned her head, properly taking in the surroundings for the first time. "That's—"
The gate was supposed to be an emergency teleporter leading to a major hub, where the others hopefully would be waiting. Instead, they were inside a small chamber, with only a single teleportation platform. Worse, the thunderous collisions that started the extractor's collapse seemed significantly closer.
"Don't tell me we've been sent off-course again," Kruta groaned.
"There's no corruption, at least. I only sense—" Catheya's words caught in her throat as she felt a distinct pull of fate. Was this the reward waiting for her after the extremely challenging couple of hours?
'Everything is in order. Welcome aboard the Pernumia Ino.'
"Is that… Carl?" Catheya hesitated as she looked for the source of the familiar voice.
'It's me,' the voice on the intercom confirmed. 'Galau helped reroute the gate. You're aboard a Cosmic Vessel.'
A deep rumble threw the two off the ground, and one of the severed roots took the opportunity to strike.
"No you don't!" Kruta growled as he snatched the snaking vine from the air.
Catheya was about to freeze it but looked on in confusion as she saw the warrior bite into the spiritual root with a wicked grin. "Just what are you doing?"
"Two birds with one stone," Kruta said, looking very pleased with himself. "Revenge and refuel."
'Ahem— As I said, you're aboard a Cosmic Vessel we've commandeered. I'm sorry to impose, but I need your help, and quickly. Follow the guides.'
It was at that moment two floating balls emerged from the wall, and a series of screens popped up above each. Mechanical guides, by the looks of it. It was nice to see the four familiar faces, though Catheya was disappointed that Zac wasn't one of them.
"What's going on?" Catheya asked. "I'm afraid we're not in any condition to face another enemy."
"Not in any condition to move," Kruta added.
Catheya desperately needed rest after having fought the wildlife's increasingly frantic assault. Her mind was utterly drained after having maintained her Heavenly Domain for so long, to the point she had to crush crystals to ward off the hostile energy around her.
"I don't need you to fight. I need your help to help control this old piece of junk," Carl answered, his voice coming out of the ball now.
"Then you're in even worse luck, buddy," Kruta sighed. "What do I know about ancient Cosmic Vessels?"
Another shockwave threw the two into the air, causing Catheya to gasp with pain. Waiting no longer, the small spheres flew and hoisted her and Kruta into the air using energy tethers. Catheya gawked at having herself whisked out of the room like she were a replacement part for the dusty old ship.
"I'm sorry, but we're really on a tight schedule," Galau said. "And don't worry, you won't have to do a thing. We need your authority."
"Authority? Our seals?" Kruta asked.
"Exactly," Galau said. "By some miracle, Carl managed to convince the resident Ship Spirit to set out."
"The mad prophet can be quite convincing," Bubbur muttered under his breath.
"Anyhow," Galau coughed. "The ship is running, but we're locked out of almost everything. However, we found out that sealbearers can activate one or two features each using their authority."
"And we need the two of you to activate the weapons battery," Carl said, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Catheya felt the attraction from her final seal grow weaker. She ignored it, knowing this wasn't the time to be selfish. "Who's the enemy? Foreign Gods or Qriz'Ul?"
"Neither," Carl said. "It's the Kan'Tanu pope. We need to do something, or he'll ruin the boss's plans."
"The Kan'Tanu Pope?" Kruta sputtered. "Are you crazy? That's a Peak Monarch. Do you know how fast they are? How quick their reaction is? It doesn't matter how powerful this old skipper is if we can't hit him. Everyone would just build ships instead of cultivating if it was so easy to kill those kinds of old monsters."
"It's not completely crazy. The circumstances are a bit special," Galau said. "You'll see soon."
They were soon deposited into chairs facing a huge screen and a large number of controls.
Catheya placed her hands on a control crystal, and her mind was filled with information. There was detailed data on and feedback from the weapons systems, but Catheya's mind was mostly occupied by the screen. For the first time since their approach to the base, she had a full view of the outside.
It looked like their vessel was floating in the middle of a thousand waterfalls pouring gold and purple. It would have been impossible to see anything beyond the dense, churning mist if not for the vessel's arrays adding detail.
Catheya almost wished she'd been allowed to retain her blissful ignorance. Scarier than the clashing Stellar Energy and corruption were the pitch-black clouds above. A vortex large enough to swallow dozens of planets was almost directly overhead, and Catheya felt an intense heavenly presence within. She hadn't seen the phenomenon before, but she recognized it at a glance. It was a Dao Confirmation, an unusually fierce one at that. The cultist would see a huge transformation of his Dao if he managed to survive it.
The Cosmic Vessel was hidden by arrays, directly facing four gargantuan creatures locked in a pitched battle. The energies they wielded easily surpassed a One-Step Autarch's, though their application was extremely crude. They were like barbarians banging at each other with enough force to collapse worlds.
One of the puppets had a clear advantage. It was tearing into its opponent, and the battle wouldn't last much longer unless something changed. The other duel was the direct opposite, with its puppet in a much worse state. It was like its joints had been eroded by sand, with its movements stilted and slow. Its state exposed it to the fierce barrage of the equally impressive Foreign God, which drew from the purple mist to gain further strength.
The puppet had already lost an arm, and its chest was covered in huge scars teeming with corruption. The reason for the puppet's faltering response was clear. Carl's target was floating nearby, enclosed in the embrace of a thousand withered hands. The shadows they cast hid his sins from the Heavens, creating a sinister sanctuary. Even the puppet didn't seem to notice his presence, despite the enormous flesh flower thrumming with fell Karma blooming on its forehead.
"I can't take us any closer than this," Carl said. "Our camouflage will deactivate when the weapons activate. We only have one shot before we have to run for our lives."
Kruta glanced over at Catheya. "The flower?"
"The flower," Catheya agreed.
"Alright, one last round of weed duty," Kruta sighed.
-------------------
The Void Realm was littered with treasures imbued with all Daos, not just those of Zac's path. However, there was a distinct skew toward Life, Death, and Conflict thanks to Zac having favored environments suited to him. First, there were the mountains hidden in the depths of the Twilight Chasm. Then, there was the mountain Buddhist range during his breakthrough into Hegemony.
With so many materials already perfectly attuned to his path, Zac still had a decent chance of making up for the lost time. Even his breakthrough inside the Centurion Lighthouse had prioritized treasures harmonized with his path. Being a fortress, he'd swallowed quite a number of Conflict-attuned materials.
The same could be said for the latest infusion. Not all the materials he'd just consumed by opening vortices across the Centurion Base had been sacrificed to open up this space. Dozens of treasures remained, though it was too early to use them for his core. They were still being transformed by the Void. Zac would be better off using the treasure pairs he'd prepared for the occasion.
Stealing treasures from his future self was bound to have consequences. It was like he was taking out a loan, not knowing the interest or when the principal would have to be returned. Certainly, the alternative was much worse. Zac would have to make sure he replaced what he'd taken and more, which should hopefully strengthen the Void Realm.
Zac stowed Kator's body after some hesitation, placing his Spatial Rings in a pouch. It'd be a waste to leave him in the Void Space, and Zac didn't know if he might need it down the road. After, Zac rushed forth like a starving beast, fiercely suppressing any discontent in his body. He appeared before a blob of darkness surrounding pieces of an aquamarine rock—vaguely recalling swallowing something similar in the Centurion Lighthouse.
Zac placed a talisman on his chest pulled. Both energy and matter poured into the talisman and appeared in the quantum space. Spiritual Tendrils were already waiting to make use of the infusion while Zac continued toward the next piece. The next step would normally be upgrading his nucleus. Ultom's enlightenment had only reinforced his belief that retaining his Core Nucleus was the right way to go.
Only, the order of his breakthrough had been thrown on its head, forcing Zac to make some changes on the go. Esmeralda's bet on him had let him recover much of his core, though its state remained precarious after the lightning was gone. Winding back the clock to remove the ravages of the Four Desolates was easier said than done. Many pieces of debris were still so damaged that they couldn't properly accept any cosmic energy.
Zac needed to perform a quick round of field repairs on these pieces before they collapsed from the energy pressure. Only when they were stabilized could he move on with his ascension. The process wasn't difficult, provided Zac didn't have to deal with any more external threats. Even with Kator gone, it was asking for the impossible.
"Damn it!"
A swirl of shadows surrounded the Flying Treasure before Zac needed to act, dragging it beneath one of the control rooms. It wasn't enough to completely avoid the tremendous shockwave that reached them the next moment, but it lessened it enough for Ogras to deal with the rest. Zac couldn't stop his restoration work, so he turned to the demon for answers.
"Damn, that old skipper has some kick to her," Ogras whistled as he emerged from the shadows. "That should have left a dent at least."
Zac looked into the distance with a frown. "It's not enough."
The tremendous shockwave had pushed away the purple mist, giving him a clear view of the distant battle. Adding his still-active connection to the Imperial Faith, he had a good idea of what his companions were up to. The pope had tried to parasitize one of the Eternal Guardians, and his team had used the ancient vessel to sever the connection.
Unfortunately, their attack wasn't powerful enough to destroy the roots. The pope hadn't completely lost his connection with the guardian, and the others were now exposed to his wrath. Zac sighed, knowing he had no choice. He conjured [Void Mountain] and infused the Imperial Faith brand in his mind with everything he had.
The sun, still floating atop the spire, promptly went supernova, and the spire followed. It was the starting call of a wave of destruction that swept through the Centurion Base as the glue that kept everything together was gone. Every scrap of stellar energy and lingering faith ignited for one final burst of glory. The balance inside the subspace was immediately upended as endless gold crushed the purple infiltration.
Most radiant were the two Eternal Guardians. The complex runes across their skin burned brighter than any star, radiating unbending conviction and triumph. Zac's heart shook at the scene, feeling like he'd been brought back to the Pilgrimage of Faith, witnessing the final stands of the interred saints.
The situation far surpassed his expectations. He'd simply planned on blowing up the faith pathways, hoping the disruption would strike the pope's mind. After all, he was still connected to the Ascension Chamber, relying on it to manage the Heavenly descent. Instead, it ignited a fire of purpose that roused the struggling guardians.
Nothing could stand in the way of the holy undertaking engraved on the Eternal Guardian's very essence. Even the Heavens were subdued by their radiance. Zac blinked, suddenly seeing an endless sea of warriors decked in glistening armor. They were echoes of the undying will that had birthed the Imperial Faith.
"The pillars which will uphold the Heavens," Zac muttered, feeling the river of fate buckling and its waters froth.
All corruption withered in the flame's presence, and the pitched battle was pitched no longer. The first Foreign God was reduced into dust by a collapsing sun before it could react. The other didn't get much further as endless energy poured into the guardians. An exacting swing tore reality to shreds, taking the corrupted creature with it.
The pope had no time to worry about the Cosmic Vessel that had interrupted his plans. He was desperately trying to add distance from the Eternal Guardians and their radiance. The hands keeping him safe were crumbling like dry wood before the righteous environment. The Heavens once more found its prey, and a tremendous pillar of destruction overwhelmed all else.
"Holy hells, what did you—" Ogras breathed, his shock only increasing when the air around them shimmered with ripples of destiny. "What now?!"
"Hey, it's not me," Zac said upon seeing the demon's accusatory look.
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before a familiar aura erupted from Zac's pocket. The [Court Cycle Token] had come alive on its own and flew out of Zac's pocket. Zac saw small streaks of hollow light emerge from his pores, fusing with the shimmers of destiny. And he knew.
"Uh-huh," the demon said after a similar display appeared on his body. He wasn't the only one, judging by the commotion coming from within the control room.
Zac coughed, opening his status screen to confirm his hunch.
One by Nine (Unique, Inheritance): Form a full cycle of Sealbearers. Reward: Entry to the Left Imperial Palace (9/9) [Complete] [34:11:28:49] [NOTE: Multiple cycles can be formed.]
As expected, the trial had been brought forward once more. The system had cut off over three months from the quest, and it wasn't done there. The pillar's ascent was clearly connected to the Centurion Base for some reason. Each time a piece of the Centurion base crumbled, the timer lost a couple of seconds in one go.
"Tell everyone to get ready. The trial is starting early," Zac said. "We have some time unless this whole place blows up."
Ogras closed his eyes for a second before releasing a long-suffering sigh. "I wish you'd stop saying things like that."
Comments
Danny
man im so happy kator is gone nice ani hero but he was a pain in the ass :D
The Lost Pages
They got it from firing the spear. So seems like they should get it for this.
Lex Luther S
Facts. This has to be why TFD set it up like this. The sheer amount of personal and faction merit they'll get is insane. I question if they'll get faction merit but they should given the Eternal guardians are going to be core fighters in the war in the zubor sector and them killing monarchs and wrecking havoc should see them get faction merit. And that faction merit will see earth Keep pace with zacs grade. And given the Atwood empire got 10s of million of faction merit just from decimating a world fortress and a few key points, imagine the amount they'll get from this. I'm calling it, it'll be in the billions by the wars end.
Mike Naka
Reminds me of Bean, Ender's Shadow.
Lex Luther S
He saw the writing on the wall and knew latching onto zacs coat tails was the way to go but it is true he never could have imagined how far that decision would take him. Reforging his fate numerous times. And it'll only continue as he has shown us his resolve to be zacs shadow. Even calling him the sun. And it's true. Zac is the Sun shining brighter than anyone in his generation throughout the multiverse and in zecia. The only ones even capable of keeping pace are the ratified monsters like Iz and eventually zac will surpass even her. All the while Ogras will continue to grow and evolve as zacs shadow.
Mike Naka
I wanna see the merit Zac & co receive and then see them go on a shopping spree to get ready for the LIP arc. It'd be great to see the people back on Earth freaking out over how much merit they're accruing.
Mike Naka
I'm just thinking of Ogras...He was an entitled little shit who came to Earth to scheme climbing his clans ladder. Now, he's a D grade badass who's had enough opportunities to make an Eonic seed jealous. Plus, he's probably one of the strongest in Zecia. Our favorite bro has come soo much farther than he ever expected- going on the wildest adventures in the Multiverse and growing stronger as one of Zac's coat tail riders. Bet he never expected such a wild ride after hooking up his caboose to the unstoppable Zac train.
Lex Luther S
The brand is what he cobbled together himself but it was the system that gathered it and gave him greater authority when he started his breakthrough. Stating balance and all that. Had it been a normal breakthrough, the system would have held back the heavens till his core was finished but the system was distant in that lost corner of the multiverse so it gave him the faith instead.
Lex Luther S
It's important to remember Sendor was able to reverse the damage to around 15% lost. Not ideal but he's in a far better position from before when more than half his core was gone or ruined. As zac stated, as long as the core nucleus is there and intact, then it's fine as everything else can be made up with treasures. The only other damages is the lost spirituality of his core but that's just the energy and how much he'll have. He's still got S grade energy capacity.
Lex Luther S
Ewww. No. A defective core is not good and just unnecessarily hurts zacs future prospects. In short, that's stupid to want it to be bad.
Tyler Gibbs
What is Arcana again?
Tyler Gibbs
It’s damaged sure, he’s going to need to make up a lot of ground in terms of energy and structure but it’s also been bathed in the 4 laws. Even one tribulation bolt on a monarches world is said to transform it if they survive. He probably has the most law attuned core in the era, possibly excluding experiments by the limitless empire. Zac probably wouldn’t choose that on his own but it will provide a unique foundation for his inner word
Kaladin
His axe really likes bones to advance if I remember correctly
Aaron Pennington
Zac is that Bill Hader meme... "Blow something up?? Oh no! That's terrible!"
Jeff McCulley
Oh, the Sangha prolly lurking about, too.
Jeff McCulley
Oh, also…can the Yphelion still be broken down and stored? If so, did the System optimize that as well?
Jeff McCulley
I suspect so. Or a tow. Otherwise, “Getting out of here” is gonna be tough for the two ships and the non seal bearers, if Zac & Co suddenly vanish. Though the Pernumia Ino’s Ship Spirit might prove to be helpful. 😁
Jeff McCulley
Also: “Most radiant were the two Eternal Guardians. The complex runes across their skin burned brighter than any star, radiating unbending conviction and triumph.” So…Zac both programmed and empowered the two Eternal Guardians. Is there any doubt here that he should get Merit from whatever they do to the Pope, and to the Kan’Tanu after that? Well, technically Arcaz Zac did one, and Human Zack the other. Won’t that result in the Boards confuse the Undead Empire to no end? Of course, pretty sure that from here on out, Zac pretty much doesn’t care about how they feel.
Jeff McCulley
ICYMI… “Zac stowed Kator's body after some hesitation, placing his Spatial Rings in a pouch. It'd be a waste to leave him in the Void Space, and Zac didn't know if he might need it down the road.” Not sure what he will do with Kator’s cadaver—return him to his uncle? Show Brigadier Toss how Kator got his ass kicked?—but pretty sure Zac just made out like a bandit with those spatial rings. Minus Esmeralda’s two picks, of course.
Jeff McCulley
Should mention, guessing he also drained that stellar converter that was about to overload.
Shmeb
Thank you!
DagNabItAll
I wonder if the new shop is large enough to store the smaller ship in it.
DagNabItAll
Eternal servants are different, that's what instructor rava is. The foreign gods are entities from the lost plane, parts of Ultom that drifted off and got corrupted. The limitless empire took them and added commands and controls, turning them into eternal guardians/puppets. There are loads at the base and an elder god, a stronger one, but Zac was only strong enough to power up 2 of the weaker ones.
DagNabItAll
Seems that the first era was different than the others. Some of the supreme beings there, the stellar wanderers, Guru's and eternal built how the universe works now. The 17 wanderers turned into the dao peaks, the gurus into the laws and the eternal into the one destiny.
Rabauke
We saw what imperial faith can do. We just need to have faith in Zacs skill to fuck all of them up. Then it will be done
DannyO
We can only hope
Rabauke
Would love it.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Jeff McCulley
Bwahahahahaha!!! Rereading, something struck me… Firstly: “Zac sighed, knowing he had no choice. He conjured [Void Mountain] and infused the Imperial Faith brand in his mind with everything he had.” Thus: “…the glue that kept everything together was gone. Every scrap of stellar energy and lingering faith ignited for one final burst of glory.” With the result: “The situation far surpassed his expectations.” Now, why would that be? There are two reasons I can think of, really. One, Zac is better at commanding Imperial Faith than he thought he is. That’s always a possibility. Or, two…there’s more Imperial Faith sitting around than he thought there was. Rather, more than there was…a couple of minutes ago. Remember this, last chapter? “Without her prayer, there would have been no way to connect the Tobrial Dynasty's Imperial Qi with the slumbering faith of the Starfall Court.” So…what if Zac not only just channeled all of the remaining Imperial Faith that he was aware of…but via that connection, just sucked up all of Yselio & Co’s Imperial Qi as well? 😳 And, even better…if Leyara Lioress figured Zach would do exactly that, and that’s the whole reason she “helped” Yselio? Just to give Zac some extra juice? Rotflmao! Yselio and his Monarch priests with zero Imperial Qi left to work with, in the middle of a base that’s falling apart, with an Elder God that’s waking up! Excellent!!!
Jeff McCulley
Maybe they can’t release in the Void Realm, with no candidates present?
DannyO
Huh good catch. It's weird, you'd think they'd be mentioned. Perhaps they were deposited outside of the Void realm?
Jeff McCulley
So…what happened to Kator’s seal(s)? Indomitable Court. Last I knew, Joanna had hers, but Kruta still needed one. And…can Zac actually hold two full Flamebearer Seals?
Michael
Ok maybe I’m wrong, but I thought he got the brand from infusing Void Mountain with all of the faith from the Templar trial statues?
Jeff McCulley
JaniProphitor?
Jeff McCulley
What’s she going to do? Eat an Elder God? So far everyone else has shown up to the party. She might just be lurking about. You know, just like Iz, the Sindris and Tavza. You just KNOW they’re all here somewhere. Maybe the Pryer too?
Jeff McCulley
More like an eye roll.
Jeff McCulley
Yep. Malakal was right. The Token activated because the Trial had just sped up. Again. That’s what Zac knew. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jeff McCulley
After some careful work in how English parallels to foreign languages, with many obvious similarities in structure (for one example, Vater/Father), I believe that I have now successfully translated Kator’s name from his native language. The White Sky dialect, of course. In the end, it was pretty simple. Kator = Fodder. Elementary, my dear Watson.
Jeff McCulley
Zac IS an eonic seed. He’s just not: A. As high level as Kator was, and B. Nurtured by a wealthy A grade faction. As are the three or four Flamebearers he’s worried about. He’s catching up.
Jeff McCulley
I’m not sure where you get that impression. A. His core WAS totally screwed…before he got Sendor’s help. B. That fixed it to 15% missing, plus damage. C. He’s currently working on damaged parts of the 85%. D. He basically already said that the 15% is fixable, he just needs to repair these bit first. Oh, and… E. Remember to eventually replace the materials and energy he’s about to “borrow from his future self”. F. I believe he’s also chosen not to use the stuff that he just grabbed, that hasn’t been marinating long enough. Guessing he’s going to wind up with a *better* core, adding stuff that he didn’t know he needed back when he formed it.
Luke Scheffe
There’s also hints of eternal having ulterior motives. People don’t say that conflict is heavens mandate for no reason, and she is the creator of the heavens. So she is likely no stranger to destroying her enemies, and this plan would also destroy her allies. So there are likely other reasons why she would create the heavens.
Jeff McCulley
Nope. It was mentioned that Jaol and Ibtep are also picking people up. Chapter 1,263: “Galau is coordinating with Carl and Jaol to pick everyone up.” I assume they’re picking up Joanna, Janos and Ra’Klid? Because Vilari is downstairs of Zac and Co right now—kinda where Yselio is messing around.
M💬
Thanks that clears a whole bunch of questions I had while reading to catchup…… respect the username threw me off at first just seeing the notification 😂
Rabauke
Bro when is Zac op in the face of an eonic seed? The only reason why Zac is up and still standing is his determination to go far beyond any other combatand.
NiceTryMate
Nah… Before the cycling of Eras, there were 17 stellar wanderers. They were beings of utmost power, each embodying an espect of the dao. They are quite similar to the Heart of Oblivion and Spark of Creation, in that the wanderers are born from the Dao. Much more powerful though… During their lifetime, the Eternal was born. She became so powerful that she could have become an immortal at the cost of destroying the multiverse. She chose not to cannibalize the universe, and hatched a plan alongside the stellar wanderers to perfect the dao. Instead of an everlasting era, they made the eras cycle. The eternal also created Ultom, with the goal of “giving the torch” to the next era — the torch is to perfect the dao, and make immortality possible without destroying the multiverse.
Malakal
It goes on to explain what he knew, the trial was moving being pushed to an earlier start
Malakal
It's hard for us to see it since we get a backseat to his struggles, but that's what's always great about the outside observor perspective. We get to see him from the eyes of others and he does seem like a dark god of vengeance.
Jeff McCulley
I’m kinda hoping that the Zac-fuckery he just did with the Imperial Faith also just did something to activate the Elder puppet that Yselio is trying to steal out from under Zac’s nose.
FriendorFo
Honestly, I’d expected the pope to get nerfed by his botched ascension, making him the final boss Zac and crew escaping.
M💬
Can someone please explain the Stellar Wanderer are they like the first people? The Wiki is not giving much info
Shmeb
Thanks man! Just what I needed to hear
SmokeJam
read about 10 chapters ago where everything got explained along the way? It has all to do with the Limitless Empire and their leftovers.
SmokeJam
Did I miss the part where he was op? Every single fight leaves him half broken with some miracle gains, this is no exception. He always just claws by and his Luck is extraordinary, so he gets more reward out of the risk, but he never was and never will be a top dog in this story.
Jake Atwood
I don’t disagree but kator was probably one of the weaker seeds considering he is from a branch of a empire rather than the backing of a whole like iz and Zac had to sacrifice everything for this win he literally had no more to give I just don’t see him doing it again any time soon and it saddens me little
Darryl Williams
Find out next time, on the next episode of….
Shmeb
I need help. Whats the deal with the eternal servants, foreign gods, and the puppet?
Tartlet
I want it to be bad. I want him to have to struggle some and be a little less op, then prevail through that struggle to become even. More OP
Kaladin
They still need to swing by and pick up the life/death vessel with the civilians on it right?
Jake Atwood
Ngl Zac’s core seems pretty screwed at this point kinda disappointing cause he was just able to beat another seed like him but now I don’t think he will be able to with such a damage core but who know maybe it won’t be as bad as I am thinking(by disappointing I don’t mean I dislike it or think it’s bad writing I was just happy to see him finally beat another seed)
Andrew
Thank you!
Rabauke
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before a familiar aura erupted from Zac's pocket. The [Court Cycle Token] had come alive on its own and flew out of Zac's pocket. Zac saw small streaks of hollow light emerge from his pores, fusing with the shimmers of destiny. And he knew. HE KNEW WHAT?! Is it the meddling from the white eyed eternity fanboy or is it the stellar nodes he recognised before? And what did it do? How will it effect his core formation and what did he pick exactly? Why are there always more questions then answers. Is this the Zac experience?
Saul Dickson
I’m fairly certain the Imperial Faith brand was from the Tribulation Throne. Near the end when he rejected both the One Destiny and the Imperial Fate and instead chose to follow the Void Road, Laondio’s lingering will blessed his choice and gave him the brand. Otherwise, it was a direct result of becoming the Terminal Holy Son of the Templars back on Ensolus.
Michael Fannon
Definitely felt it. Hope we have a chapter of Iz laughing madly and everyone else cursing as the clock keeps jumping closer. And all will know it is Zac, who will sheepishly say it wasn't his fault.
jb qspam
See what had happened was…
Hartmann
Zac: Let's make a pretzel out of the River of Fate! (in the off: Vigil facepalms.)
Hartmann
Probably wise to stay away. Didn't want to get played like Yselio.
Borbino the great
I didn’t even think of this! This would be so interesting to see in following chapters
Borbino the great
That poor janitor😂😂
SmokeJam
Glad to see we will start off Monday with a bang.
Tartlet
Zac: Should I go consume that plane of Death we visited? Carl: 😭😭😭
SmokeJam
His title he will be adressed with: Prophet Janitor.
Tartlet
Zac: I’m not gonna blow up the base, that would be crazy! Also Zac: LoL, you guys aren’t gonna believe this but… 💥
Alexander Johnson
Love how everyone instantly knew when they arrived at this base that Zac was going to blow it up🥲
Myrtland
Hope you feel better, another amazing chapter
Johnny_B
"We have some time UNTIL it blows up." FTFY Zac
Omiso
I'm surprised the Ancient Primordial never showed up, so much fate must've accumulated into this mess she should've felt it. Still this arc has been great, can't wait for next chapter.
Hartmann
Zac still has to upgrade his core so that is how long the Trial will wait. Except there is an ancient seed of Arcana that Yselio wanted to claim that may simply perfect Zac's core for him. Perhaps it is attracted by all the Destiny swirling around Zac.
Beezy
i absolutely ADORE the idea of Carl becoming some kinda Prophet in the Empire, with everyone think he’s some devout follower who can foresee the future of his God Emperor, and he’s just there like: “*sigh* that mad bastard wanted a vessel, so obviously fate is gonna bend over backwards to give him one. i really hate this job”
Jeff McCulley
I don’t think you’ll see what most people expect. I suspect Yselio’s not terribly happy at the moment either. Not if the Elder God he was trying to hijack just fired up gold.
Jeff McCulley
Sure. We’re just hoping that after the Elder Gods and the System finish dealing with Sorothom, there’s a day or so before the last bits finish blowing up.
Jeff McCulley
I think it’s his connection to the Beacon? Turned out to be a bit more than he thought. Either that or it’s what he picked up from the Empyrean Chalice.
Jeff McCulley
Glad that you’re feeling better, TFD. Thanks!
Hartmann
I want to see the face of the Vigil nun xD!
Darnell Maxwell
OH SHIT!!! NO BREAKS, GOING IN RAW! R WE REALLY JUMPIN STRAIGHT INTO ULTOM NEXT WEEK!?!?!?!?!?
Stephen Taylor
Nah. The trial will start immediately when the base blows up.
Lex Luther S
Fuckin hell. Seems the pope is truly screwed. His plan to parasitize the Eternal guardian is ruined and now he's a wrath of stellar energy and last remaining faith energy to end it all. Seems the sacrifice of the remaining faith and the suns caused the Eternal guardians to gain true purpose and that purpose will see the kan'tanu fall. It may take a decade or 2 before they're all taken out, but it'll be a done deal once the zecia sector cleans out their sector of rats and then starts targeting the zubor sector in places already under siege by the puppets. As for the trial starting early, hopefully they'll have enough time to rest and heal up and go over their gains from all this mad dashing to the finish line.
Alexander Dupree
Zac and the ominous foreshadowing
Stephen Taylor
Someone fill me in on the background of the imperial faith brand, and take a stab at what just happened to it???
TorHKU
"We have some time unless this whole place blows up." So, we have no time.
Chris
Exactly
Shup Idot
Very nice
Alexander Hallonblad
Take care! Cheers for the chappie!
Lucas Gulick
Tftc!
Shafan Knight
Wonderful surprise and start to the weekend!
Darnell Maxwell
It's here before next week, that's all that matters to me.
K S
Awesome
