Defiance of the Fall

Zac shook his head before tuning out the ruins around his human half, his Abyssal Orbs refocusing on the notes around him. Progress was slow, even if there weren't any particular issues stumping his progress. He'd entered a Void State with his human body to focus on recovery, but it was hard to shut out the scenes of the last couple of hours. He'd just returned, yet he'd already been forced to see thousands of subordinates fall. And these numbers were on the lower end when considering the scope of the attack.

At least they had conquered the world through their counter-offensive, giving the Eighth Army a much-needed rest. When the Atwood Army's siege machines began their assault, the Kan'Tanu had soon opted for a retreat rather than bringing in another round of reinforcements. The invaders left only a regiment of sacrificial warriors to buy some time.

He could have sneaked through the barrier and forced it open using [Ancestral Woods] along with Void Energy, saving them half an hour of unrelenting bombardment. He could even have sent the roots of [Primal Edict] into the fortress, but it was much too early to display such an earthshattering ability. Besides, whittling down the defenses had provided Zac and his warriors some much-needed rest in case of a counter-attack.

Thankfully, things progressed smoothly, apart from the fact the fortress had been boobytrapped with Heart Curses. It wasn't the first time the Atwood Army had encountered such tactics, though, and the losses were minimal. Securing the Kan'Tanu base had let them take control over the teleporters. They could have continued through the array and into the next world, but they had opted to seal the passage instead.

The victory felt hollow after witnessing the cost it came at, but Zac knew he couldn't keep wallowing in misery over the reality they found themselves in. It was better to channel his energy into something useful. The faster he could finish the transition into true Hegemony, the more people he'd be able to protect. He had begun reinforcing his pathways when his human half left, but he'd stopped soon after arriving at the warfront.

Part of the reason was out of fear his work would distract him, though he had confirmed modifying his pathways on one side didn't affect the energy circulation on the other. The biggest reason was that the death of that poor young man had triggered his Branch of the Pale Seal.

That helplessness he'd experienced as he saw the boy's life slip through his fingers mirrored the inexorable dominion Death held over all. This control over fate was a core aspect of his Dao, and it had felt like he were on its receiving end for once. His Daos had been sealed for almost a decade inside the Perennial Vastness, and the experience was enough to set the rekindled momentum from his breakthrough ablaze.

It felt macabre to turn the boy's untimely demise into nourishment for his Dao, but the day had only driven home the need for strength. Getting ready for the Left Imperial Palace didn't even feel like his main priority any longer. He needed to get stronger for his people's sake. Zac believed he had enough high-quality Dao Treasures to force a breakthrough, but the epiphany wasn't enough to crystallize the insights he wanted to package into it.

It had provided a sense of direction, though, and Zac suspected he'd find more answers as long as he kept returning to the battlefield. For now, there wasn't anything left to absorb, so he returned to work on his pathways. One section after another was crushed before far more complex runes rose from the ashes. It felt like he was carving the fractals into his body with a rusty nail, but Zac didn't have the luxury of naturally reforming the pathways with a Cultivation Manual.

For a moment, he'd thought his Draugr half might become a cultivator now that the bodies were split, but the inheritance of the Void Emperor was just as dominant on both sides. It was a bit of a letdown, but Zac also knew that his connection to the Void was the only reason his desperate gambit to split bodies worked in the first place.

A whole hour passed as Zac meticulously redrew the pathways, starting from his [Inexorable Core] and moving toward the [Deathmark]'s skill fractal behind his left bicep. Seven years inside the Perennial Vastness had been more than enough time to create a few preliminary schematics to evolve many of his skills, and he'd chosen his corrosive Domain Skill to be the first for his Inexorable Apostle class.

For one, it wasn't that complex a Skill Fractal compared to the likes of [Pillar of Desolation] or [Arbiter of the Abyss]. Secondly, he was already quite happy with the skill and saw no reason to make any changes apart from balancing the Daos of Conflict and Death a bit better. Mostly, he just needed to upgrade it to the point where it could accommodate the energy levels a Cosmic Core could provide.

Finally, Zac felt it was the most useful one for the time being. Upgrading his most powerful finishers before the Left Imperial Palace was imperative, but he needed the ability to unleash large-scale destruction right now. He could imagine the effect of unleashing [Deathmark] in the middle of the Kan'Tanu's ranks, where the Dao-empowered corrosion alone would be enough to take out E-grade cultivators. The skill would probably be even more effective than [Primal Edict] after it evolved.

A straightforward upgrade sounded easy on the surface, but it was a step that stumped frontier Hegemons for decades, sometimes forever. Many of the Wandering Cultivators he'd encountered in the Void Star only had a few D-grade skills, some only one.

It wasn't just a matter of widening and reinforcing the channels of the skill. You needed to elevate the truths that went into fractals, preferably adjusting them to suit your own Daos. Only that way would you be able to control and transform the vast amounts of energy the Cosmic Core released. Upgrading High-quality skills and above was impossible without a Dao Branch, and you needed the theoretical foundations to translate your comprehension into fractals.

Luckily, this wasn't something that would confound Zac any longer. His theoretical foundations would be considered impressive even in the Heartlands, at least when it came to his three Daos. To boot, his Dao Branches were already Middle Stage, more than enough to create an Early Proficiency D-grade Skill. For him, it was just a matter of making some final alterations to make his envisioned Skill Fractal fit with the pathways of his class.

Zac had planned to finish the section of his pathway in one go before upgrading the skill, but he was interrupted mid-way as he felt someone stepping into his Soul Sense. It was Triv, who shuddered and looked around with confusion. The Ghost Butler had actually noticed the spiritual domain, an ability that was quite rare even inside the Perennial Vastness. Zac guessed it was a benefit of being a spectral cultivator or cultivating the Eidolon Techniques.

Triv had initially encountered some problems when trying to swap to Aia Ouro's methods, but he'd managed to make the transition after a year, partly thanks to Vilari and Zac. Vilari had helped decipher a few sections related to the Soul, which was a significant portion of the method, while Zac had used the natural understanding awarded by the Lake Water to clear out some of the roadblocks.

When Zac left for the Perennial Vastness, the butler looked mostly the same. Now, Zac could sense some ethereal ripples from his body, which seemed to have turned even more intangible. It looked like things were going quite well.

"Come in," Zac said.

"Young master!" Triv exclaimed. "Welcome back, and congratulations! Young master has just broken through, yet your aura is so dense."

"Thank you," Zac smiled.

"I heard young master had joined the war effort, but I sensed that someone was drawing energy from the manor's gathering array, so I figured you had returned. Young master, I have urgent—"

"There's no hurry," Zac waved, feeling too exhausted to deal with another issue. If it were something war-related, he would have been contacted through the communication crystals rather than the old butler coming over. "How are things? I can tell your aura has improved."

Triv reluctantly dropped the subject. "I'm ashamed; I am lagging behind. I will endeavor to enter Hegemony so that I can better assist young masters day to day."

"Don't overdo it," Zac said. "And let me know if you need something for your breakthrough."

"No need to worry about this old ghost. Young master has already provided a path toward the next step," Triv said with a bow. "I trust the situation with the Eighth Army was swiftly handled now that the young master led the armies."

"We won and seized the planet," Zac said, but he felt no joy. "But we still lost a lot of people."

"Few battles are this hectic," Triv offered. "And if it is any consolation, many of your warriors will find new life on Elysium."

"What?" Zac said, his brows furrowing. "We're taking the bodies?"

"Not at all!" Triv hurriedly assured. "Every soldier of the Atwood Army signs an insurance policy so that a stipend can be paid out to their families or friends in the event of death. There's an option in that policy where the soldiers can donate their bodies to the cause, so to speak. In return, the stipend will be doubled, and it will be paid out no matter whether the body can be used for an awakening or not. The leaders initially considered increasing the base salary too, but they felt that would pressure people desperate for improvements to sign on."

Zac slowly nodded, not entirely sure how he felt about the matter.

"For what it's worth, I think it's a marvelous idea," Triv said. "Young master's faction is unique in that it incorporates life and death. I think this system could be the first step to connecting the sides. The families of the fallen heroes will see their loved ones live on in another form. And the revenants will have an understanding of their origin, something only the naturally born enjoy in the empire.

"I hear that there have already been quite a few requests from the bereaved to meet the newly born Revenants, though it will be a while before the first of the fallen can awaken. Should both sides be willing, we might even see a new form of family units crossing the bridge of life and death. I think this idea could even be expanded to the whole population."

Zac had to admit that it wasn't a bad idea after overcoming his initial reluctance. So long as there was no compulsion, it sounded like a natural outcome for his empire. He doubted things would work as smoothly as Triv made it sound, but people were adaptable. What sounded macabre right now could be completely natural in a few generations.

"I trust Vilari and the others have thought everything through," Zac said when he sensed the worry from the ghost. "Could you catch me up on what else has happened since I left? I barely got the chance to land before the early attack arrived."

While Zac had Triv fill in the gaps, his human body opened his eyes and called over an attendant. Shortly after, Ra'Klid arrived.

"Is there something?"

"The boy who died," Zac said.

"His body has been secured and will be sent back to the homelands," Ra'Klid said, some nervousness evident in his eyes. "May I ask…"

"A short encounter years ago," Zac sighed, understanding what the Mavai Warchief was thinking. "I saw him practicing and gifted him that sword on an impulse. I didn't expect to see him like that the next time met."

Ra'Klid undoubtedly feared he'd inadvertently sent one of Zac's close ones to the frontlines and to push back the initial onslaught at that. Even if he technically did nothing wrong with his orders, something like that could have repercussions depending on the mood of the Emperor. Of course, Zac wouldn't fault Ra'Klid for something like this, but things could change when it came to matters of life and death.

It wasn't odd to worry, especially when few knew much about his personality beyond the rumors.

"Do you know if he chose to donate his body?"

"I looked into his situation before. He did sign up for that program, but with his heart destroyed…" Ra'Klid said with a shake of his head.

Zac understood what the demon meant. Revenants may not have a beating heart before fully awakening their bodies, but it is still a critical component of a body. With it missing, the body wouldn't be able to gain spirituality. A talented Lich could replace the heart without turning the body into a Corpselord, but that was beyond the capabilities of Port Atwood Liches.

"Make special arrangements for the boy. Set his body and his belongings aside. Vilari will deal with it," Zac said.

"Of course," Ra'Klid agreed.

"Thank you," Zac said and closed his eyes, but he opened them upon realizing the demon hadn't left. "Is there something else?"

"While we're on this topic," Ra'Klid coughed. "With our inborn nature, awakening as undead is apparently impossible. It's not that the Mavai lack the willingness to serve, though some certainly prefer the traditional rites over… transformation. But it means the bereaved among the tribes receive a smaller reward compared to the humans."

"It's not just a problem for the Mavai," Ra'Klid quickly continued upon seeing a frown appear on Zac's face. "The Raun and lord's Revenant armies face a similar issue, what with their bodies already being dead. "

"I understand where you're coming from, but contribution lies at the core of the Atwood Empire. Some can contribute more than others; that's just a fact of life," Zac said. "What would you have me do in a situation like this?"

"I agree with you," Ra'Klid hurriedly nodded. "Contribution is the key. The empire provides remuneration for gaining another citizen who can contribute after growing up. After all, both planets are sorely lacking people after the integration. So why not reward all additions to the population, not just those through raising the undead?"

"You want the same contribution to be paid out upon giving birth?" Zac said.

"Both provide a citizen," Ra'Klid.

"You know I'm not really hands-on with these matters," Zac slowly said. "I will discuss it with the others."

"That's all I ask," Ra'Klid said with a bow. "Then I won't disturb you any longer."

Zac looked at the departing demon for a while before closing his eyes again. Ra'Klid's proposal might be logically sound, but the two concepts still felt different to him. And since the demon had come to him for this matter, Zac suspected his council had already shut it down. Still, he would talk it over with the others later to hear their opinion. For now, Zac had to see what the butler wanted before he exploded from anxiety.

"So, was there something requiring my attention?"

"Ah, yes! There is an urgent message from the Kavriel Province," the butler said and handed over two boxes.

As expected, the matter was related to the Undead Empire. It was quite the coincidence for them to contact him just as he returned, displaying his human form on the battlefront. Zac wryly smiled as he inspected the contents. One came from Kator, who officially represented the Undead Empire by the looks of things. The other came from Tavza, who had seemingly felt compelled to send a separate message.

There were no gifts of congratulation inside the boxes, only Communication Crystals and Teleportation Tokens. He guessed the Undead Empire was quite frazzled, especially the Draugr faction. They must have realized their scheme with the [Essence of the Abyss] had failed and that he'd sacrificed his Draugr side to force his way into Hegemony.

The messages were quite similar. They congratulated him on his breakthrough and wished to meet at his earliest convenience to discuss the war efforts and their upcoming mission. However, there was an interesting addition to Tavza's message.

'The foundation of your bloodline was set in the E-grade. With your ascent into Hegemony, it is time to harvest. Abyssal Shore has granted a unique exception and is setting up the first Abyssal Pond in the Frontier. Submerging yourself should unlock the true potential of the bloodline of Eoz. If you need anything else to hasten your acclimatization to your newfound rank, do not hesitate to contact me.'

Zac smiled, sensing the anxiety almost seeping out of the words. It was quite the tantalizing bait they'd thrown out to confirm they hadn't just let one of the lost bloodlines slip through their fingers.

If his breakthrough had gone according to plan, there was no way he'd dare step foot in the Kavriel Province. But now? Zac thought it over briefly before his gaze shifted to the Teleportation Token.

"I guess it's about time I visited Kavista."