Defiance of the Fall [TheFirstDefier] (fb2) читать онлайн

Forester's Constitution (Class) : Fight in the forests , be one with nature . Reward : Forester's Constitution Skill . (8/30) .

Yesterday Ogras told him how he managed to speak to Zac on the mountain top . He also explained how Zac had finished the quest , even though Ogras as the general was still alive . Before the completion of the incursion quest Ogras wouldn’t be able to speak to Zac even if he had the translation skill . The System wouldn’t let communication happen between natives and invaders until one side was defeated , as it didn’t want to see any peaceful solution . Therefore the completion of the quest was necessary .

It was the first pill the demon swallowed right after killing Rydel that made it happen . The pill was actually called The Coward’s Escape] , and truly killed the user for a short duration . It was a tool for escaping various situations that would only end with either death or success , such as inheritance sites or being the target of a quest .

It would complete any quests that demanded his death and often even teleport him , the - corpse - , out of the inheritance site . The downside of the pill was that all active quests were considered forfeited upon death , so using it could be extremely detrimental if you had an important quest active . It was also the reason Zac didn’t get 100% contribution on finishing his quest , as the last target killed himself .

Obviously Ogras had some experience in exploiting the rigid system , and Zac needed some of that ingenuity . He was strapped for time but wanted to complete his constitution quest before the beast horde arrived . But he also needed to stay in the mines with its high concentration of energy in order to heal his body broken by the Cosmic Water .

He would have used the mountain valley for both purposes if it wasn’t turned into a poisoned hellhole after the forest fires and poison clouds made it uninhabitable . Ogras had explained with some embarrassment that it could take months before it was possible to get back up there .

From the description it is either a Seed-quest that gives you a vision for a Dao seed , or it requires a Dao Seed connected to nature . Perhaps Seed of Grass or Seed of Trees . -

Not Seed of Nature or Seed of Earth? - Zac asked skeptically . Seed of Trees did not seem very impressive .

The Dao of Nature and Earth are high tiered Daos , and not something you can touch . - Ogras sneered derisively . - I’ve never heard of this skill , what class did you say you had? -

Zac ignored him and waited for the demon to provide some solution instead .

Seeing that Zac wasn’t intending on answering , Ogras could only mutter something and continue . - Fight in the forest is very vague , and you can probably exploit it . What constitutes a forest , and what constitutes fight? If you want to complete it without wasting too much time we need to do two things . First , find the spot closest to the mines that The Ruthless Heavens considers forest . Second , find out how often you need to kill something to be considered in battle . - He said as he was tapping the table with his hand .

You said you were steadily gaining progression when you fought the Barghest even though you instantly killed the barghest , so there is an allowed downtime . Find how long it is , and if it is long enough you can easily exploit it . Simply have someone drag a Barghest to the forest-spot , and run out of the mine and kill it . Then run back in and continue mining . If you’re lucky you will only need something like 5-10 minutes on travel time per kill and can spend the rest on mining and focusing on recuperation . -

Zac was stunned . He would never have thought of that method , and was glad he confided in the demon . He was a shady character but could also be very useful . And Ogras didn’t know it , but his solution would also help him progress his other Class skill for Loamwalker] through all the running .

There was only one thing more to do before he headed toward the caves , and that was to buy the Thayer Consortia Headquarters] and have them start buying his crystals . It was obvious that they were desperate to be bought , as they cost a fraction compared to most others for buying the building in the Town Shop , and Zac didn’t want anyone else snatching the building up before he did .

Zac and Ogras moved toward where the large merchant compound was to be located . It was quite far from both his camp and the shipyard , with only trees and stones around . After a double-check , Zac opened up the Town Shop and bought the headquarters .

Soon changes to the area started appearing just as with the creation of the shipyard . Trees and rocks disappeared , and replacing them were gravel and cobblestones . Soon structures appeared as well , one by one sprouting up like mushrooms out of the ground . But that was where the similarities with the shipyard ended .

The Creator structures were crafted with meticulous care , looking pristine with mighty fractals covering every inch . But what appeared in front of the duo could almost be called a ghetto . The buildings were a mix of stone and wood structures that once might have been proper structures . But the houses looked like they had been abandoned and then put through decades of harsh weather .

There were broken windows , mold , tiles missing , and they could even spot a few buildings where a wall had simply collapsed . No fractals covered anything , and Zac was actually loath to enter most of the buildings from safety concerns . The only building that looked to be in decent order was also the largest one . It was a three-story building where each floor should have an area of roughly a thousand square meters , and if Zac had to guess it was the actual store for the Thayer Consortia . The other structures should be warehouses , support buildings , and homes for the employees .

What is this shanty town? - Ogras asked in shock . - You might just have enlisted the worst merchants in the multi-verse , I can’t believe how poor they look . -

Zac was very much inclined to agree . The goal of merchants was to amass wealth , just like the goal of a cultivator was to get stronger . Judging by the state of disrepair of the structures he could only assume the Thayer Consortia was really incompetent at their job .

But there was nothing to do , there was no refund button in the Town Shop , and they could only suppress their misgivings and enter the shop . The inside was slightly better than the outside , and at least everything was spotlessly clean . It was the store as Zac expected , but it reminded him of a struggling convenience store with mostly empty shelves .

There were a few pieces of equipment at various racks , but they looked worse compared to the ones the demons used . There also were a few information crystals behind glass displays , but the displays weren’t even a quarter full . In some corners various materials were sold , and there also were some herbs and plants , though they all looked a bit dried out .

Manning the disk were a few humanoids that somewhat reminded Zac of gnomes . They were less than a meter tall but didn’t have the stockiness , or beardiness , of dwarves . Their skin was also light blue and they had deep sapphire-colored eyes , with pointed ears like elves . Perhaps they were genies?

Before Zac and Ogras could approach the clerks another genie came running toward the two . He looked much like the others , with the blue skin and no hair . He wore what looked like an old-fashioned suit , and had an ascot tied around his neck .

Greetings honored customers , I am Calrin Thayer , Chairman of the Thayer Consortia . Excuse the slight disarray , we are currently setting everything up . Can I presume one of you is the distinguished Lord? -

Chapter 76 - Business Tactics

Calrin looked over the reports and agreements strewn on his table , his feelings not much better compared to when he was holed up waiting for the Tsarun Clan to hunt him down . He had cried in relief when someone finally purchased their headquarters , the window with the teleportation prompt looking like a writ of amnesty .

He had thought that the Thayer Consortia would be able to slowly regroup and recover on this new world . The newly integrated planets and continents were filled with valuables that needed a buyer , and the natives seldom knew the worth of what they held in their hands . A single trade could result in a profit that would cover expenses for months .

But who would’ve expected that they got placed on a deserted island instead of some burgeoning town . Apart from a shipyard there wasn’t a single building , and the Merchant’s Window showed that Port Atwood , as the presumptive town was called , only housed one solitary citizen ; its Lord .

Worse yet was the Lord’s companion , the System-blasted Demon . For a second Calrin was ecstatic when he heard that the Lord controlled an actual Nexus Crystal Mine . That meant there was a Nexus Vein on the island , and sooner or later things like farms with valuable plants would pop up . Even cultivators would relocate here for the high density of energy , which would only help business further .

Until then he would be able to turn a tidy profit buying the crystals and reselling them through the Mercantile System . A native had no idea of value of things , and if they added a larger margin , who would know?

But that Demon wasn’t actually a native , but a defected invader . He ruthlessly started to pressure down the profit margins to a razor’s edge , even threatening them with a trade embargo . He obviously had a general idea of the Thayer Corporation’s situation and knew that if they didn’t produce some profit and turnover , the System would rescind their business license .

Gone were the dreams of a mighty comeback , replaced with a nightmare of toiling under a demonic taskmaster for little to no profits .

Zac was quite happy with the result of the negotiations as he moved through the forest . Ogras kept proving his worth as a teammate . The little genie , whose race was actually called Sky Gnomes , made a big production of support and mutual cooperation after he heard about the Nexus Crystal Mine . After almost wiping away a tear of self-sacrifice he offered the most generous price of 35 Nexus Coins per Crystal .

The price seemed to have awoken a dragon in Ogras , and he started making a scene . It turned out that the value of a crystal was actually closer to 50 Nexus Coins , and after subtracting transaction costs for using the Mercantile System and some profit for the merchant , the crystals were generally bought for 44 to 46 crystals at most merchant shops . The price-gouging System-run stores only gave 35 crystals though , and it seemed that the gnome planned on offering the same price and pocketing the difference .

What followed was an almost surreal exchange between the gnome and the demon , where the demon initially wanted to get 54 coins per crystals , forcing the trading firm to eat a loss at each trade .

The gnome tried every trick in the book to keep the prices reasonable in order to make some profit . At one point he had even tearfully ordered one of the clerks to fetch a noose , as he said he would - rather hang himself than keep suffering this kind of injustice’ . Not long after the noose was long forgotten , and instead the chairman paraded two little Gnome Children in front of Zac and the Ogras .

They were some of the cutest things Zac had ever seen , but they were wearing frayed clothing and looked hungry with large puppy-dog eyes . Zac was tempted to stop the demon at this point , but Ogras waved him away and ruthlessly pushed forward . Zac did however spot the demon surreptitiously place candies in each of the kid’s hands , without pausing in his screaming contest with Calrin .

Ogras’ trade tactic was simpler , as it was just a long stream of threats , insults , and angry gestures . He tried everything from threatening to fill the area with competing businesses to enacting trade embargoes on the Sky Gnomes .

Finally , the price they agreed upon was 47 Nexus Coin per refined crystal , a rate that obviously was one of the best one could get without selling them directly to a customer who needed them . Both Ogras and Calrin was heaving and sweating at this point , looking like they had just finished an arduous battle . Zac quickly handed over 11 000 crystals , and immediately received 517 000 Nexus Coins in return .

Next , Zac asked about a pill that could help with his situation with his pathways , but as expected the little gnome had nothing of that quality in the store . He did however promise to acquire one through his channels , but it didn’t look like he even believed himself .

Content , Zac and Ogras left as there wasn’t much else of value to buy in the shop . Besides , both of them were suffering from a lack of funds at the moment . Ogras told him that the System had confiscated all the demons’ nexus coins when they stayed on Earth , but Zac wasn’t convinced . After watching the previous display he was more inclined to believe that he simply refused to expose any hidden wealth .

Not long after they were done at the consortium they parted ways , with Ogras heading to the camp to start converting more raw crystals he had - found’ in the town . Meanwhile , Zac headed toward the mines to start mining himself while staying in the energy-rich atmosphere of the tunnels . Ogras estimated the daily turnover from the mine to be roughly 5 000 crystals now that most of the demons were gone and they were short on man-power .

That meant that together with whatever Zac managed to excavate the daily Nexus Coin gain would be roughly 250 000 . It didn’t seem like too much compared to the prices of some of the structures in the Town Shop , but it was a steady source of wealth that could be increased as soon as more citizens arrived . And judging from the tunnels he had walked through before , the crystals would last for years .

That meant that before the horde arrived he would be able to afford the E-Grade Medium Scale Town Defense Array] array he had spotted earlier for 5 000 000 Nexus Coins , and even add in some more fortifications .

After walking for half a day and killing a barghest every now and then , Zac finally reached the mines once again . Less than two days had actually passed since he last was here , but it felt like much longer for some reason .

After walking some distance into the tunnels he felt the air had filled up to the density of cosmic energy that suffused the depths and going any further wouldn’t make the environment any better . Unless he went to that cave he woke up in , but it was too far into the mountain for convenience .

Thus began Zac’s monotone days down in the mines . On the first day he only focused on recuperation and seeing whether staying here actually helped with his situation . He expended some cosmic energy by using the guidance system , and was ecstatic to notice that he actually recovered quicker here compared to at his camp . It looked like the demon had told the truth . The difference was small though , but it gave Zac some hope .

The following day he retrieved Alyn , enlisting her as a private teacher to go through various subjects about the System , Cultivation and the Multi-Verse . Every time he paused after having furiously whacked at the mines for a few hours they would go over some subject . Alyn also helped him recruit a few ranger demons that would lead a barghest to a patch of grass next to the mine entrance . It was the closest spot that System considered a forest , and killing a beast there did advance his quest .

After two days of trials he learned that he only needed to kill a monster every hour , and then that whole hour would be considered as - fighting in the forest - . After that his daily life took on a very structured schedule .

He’d mine for roughly 45 minutes , then run out of the caves to kill a barghest . After running back to his mine-shaft he’d have a mini-lecture of 5 minutes with Alyn while he had a small break , before starting mining again . He felt a bit bad for the demoness having to just fiddle around for 55 minutes an hour , but she seemed perfectly content taking out a book and read in a comfortable couch . And Zac guessed it beat toiling to erect a wall .

On the fourth day Zac got ten identical axes to the two he had from a scared-looking demon . It looked like it would take some time until they warmed up to him . He didn’t want to use other weapons even while mining , and instead used his weapon of choice . His mining wasn’t only for gaining wealth , but also to improve his proficiency with his axes .

Every time he hit into the wall , no matter if it was with the edge , the spike , or the butt , he tried to remember the trajectories and methods that he learned from the guidance system . He had realized that while blindly following the paths had made him stronger , there was a limit . If he wanted to truly improve he needed to internalize the teachings and understand why he swung like he did .

He realized that just some small differences in how he applied force , or a slight change in angle on impact , could have a huge difference in how much rock he managed to cut . As Zac progressed through the days more and more rock started to gather at his feet . His furious assault on the mountain walls kept damaging the axes , and he was forced to keep circulating them and let the old ones rest .

As time passed he felt that his pathways were truly slowly healing , as every day he could sense his recovery speed had increased a bit . Still , the improvement was very limited , and he wasn’t sure if he’d make it in time for the beast horde .

If he had to point out one negative about his current lifestyle was the complete and utter lack of progression in levels . He unequipped his amulet long ago , and the few barghest he killed per day could barely move his level forward .

Zac had simply run out of targets on the island . The demons and their beast hordes were some sorts of allies by now , leaving only the small critters in the forest . There also were the salamanders , but those huge lumbering beasts were too few and far in between to actually be an effective target for improving further .

He knew that he would likely get more targets than he could wish for as soon as the beast hordes arrived , but it clearly showed the long term problem that he had outgrown the island . If he wanted to improve further he needed to venture out into the world .

Chapter 77 - What is the System?

Zac was wiping off some sweat as he sat down on a small stool . He had been mining and running back and forth between the tunnels and the plot of forest for over six hours , and needed a break . This was the ninth day in the mines , and his speed of accruing crystals had progressed greatly as his mastery with his axes improved . He brought out a canteen of water and some food as he looked over to his companion in the tunnel .

Alyn was sitting in a comfortable chair reading a book at the moment , seemingly unaware of the clangor in the tunnels . She had been extremely uncomfortable being left alone with him in the beginning but was starting to warm up to him a bit it seemed . Zac unceasingly peppered her with questions about various aspects of the System during every break he took , and instead of being annoyed like Ogras she seemed to be very much in favor of his thirst for knowledge .

So , you’ve explained so many things about the System to me . But you haven’t explained what the System itself is . Does anyone know? - Zac probed .

The demoness put down her book and looked over to Zac .

I was wondering when you were going to ask . In fact , almost everyone knows what the System , as you call it , is and how it came to be . It is no secret . But to explain that you first need to know about The Ancient Empire , - she said , quickly going into lecturing mode .

Millions upon millions of years ago the System did not exist . Instead , cultivators strove for immortality by cultivating the Dao without any guidance , windows , attributes , or prompts . They used their cultivation techniques to gather the Spiritual Energy in the cosmos , and improved by reaching higher and higher cultivation stages . -

In this ancient era there existed an endlessly powerful empire , which stood on top of the cultivation world for millions of years . It spread over myriad worlds in the universe and unceasingly kept expanding . Leading this great nation was a man called Emperor Limitless . He was said to have reached the peak of cultivation , and many still consider him the strongest being to have ever existed . Of course , many also belive that the System has allowed the powerhouses of the multi-verse to reach further heights compared to the ancient cultivators . -

Emperor Limitless had already reached the peak of cultivation long ago , and instead set his boundless ambition upon his empire . His goal was to turn all creation into his empire , to control all life in existence . -

Therefore he waged wars , fighting for thousands and thousands of years , the empire ever expanding . The battlefields grew more numerous , and the empire actually started to run out of soldiers . Trillions of lives were lost in the battle over millions of worlds , and the empire had problems producing new powerful warriors . Almost all cultivators were forced into the battle , leaving few competent teachers behind to train the next generation . -

Emperor limitless , and a few of his closest generals and magistrates , came up with a daring solution . They wished to create a synthetic being that would connect with every single cultivator in the Empire , and train them into strong warriors . A cosmic teacher that would lead the empire to further heights , as no potential genius would go unnoticed , and no cultivator would train inefficiently due to bad teachings . -

The creation of this entity took an astounding time , and everyone that worked on the project died generation after generation from old age , except Emperor Limitless with his almost infinite longevity . The resources that were poured into the project can’t even be calculated , and just a small fraction of it would cause a bloody storm to erupt even on an A-ranked continent . -

But finally they were done . The last step was to activate it and attach it to the Heavenly Dao itself , allowing it to spread to all space . Billions and billions of the strongest of the Ancient Empire gathered at their main continent , and together infused this construct larger than a sun with energy . -

The activation was a success , and the cosmic being spoke its first words to the world . -

What words did it say? - Zac interjected , entranced by the story .

’Insufficient energy’ . Those were the first two words of the System , and every cultivator in existence heard it . What followed were the dark ages . -

Something had gone horribly wrong with the being , and it forcefully started absorbing energy . First the cultivators part of the activation were absorbed until they died , even the emperor was almost killed . He escaped after paying a terrible price , but the System wasn’t done and started absorbing the ambient energy from the universe . -

The absorption continued , and soon once glorious cultivation havens were turned into wastelands due to lack of Spiritual Energy . Even worse , the Dao of the Heavens had somehow become clouded , and progression on the path of cultivation became impossibly hard . All the powerhouses in the multi-verse were furious , as Emperor Limitless’ experiment essentially cut off their path of progression . -

With the empire being weakened and all forces banding together , the Ancient Empire crumbled . Emperor Limitless was slain as well , as the System had stolen most of his power already . The chaotic times continued for a million years , and the sparse energy and obscured Dao became the new norm . Emperor Limitless was remembered as the sinner of the world of cultivation . -

But one day it all changed . Energy came flooding back into the universe , and all cultivators once more heard the voice . This time it said - Initiation complete . ’ After a million years the System had completed all the preparations , and then it started to actually diligently fulfill its purpose . It opened the path of progression again , and started to train warriors and powerhouses . All cultivators that resided on planets that once were part of the Ancient Empire got integrated with the System , just like you and me . -

It soon became clear that many things had changed , as the System had constrained and categorized the Myriad Dao itself . Gone were the cultivation levels and cultivation through meridians , and instead empowering through levels was introduced . -

The fact that the Dao was usurped is why a few factions in the multi-verse , such as the Technocrats , call the System - The Cosmic Warden’ . They believe that by constraining the Dao it has cut of the avenue for new Dao’s , such as Dao of Technology or Dao of Guns , to emerge . Their goal is to destroy the System , and in their words - free the Dao’ . Other factions consider the System the liberator of the multi-verse though , and are stuck in a perpetual war with the Technocrats , - Alyn animatedly explained .

The fact that the System was an ancient training system gone haywire seemed like a huge cosmic joke to Zac . An almost endless amount of beings had been affected because this Ancient Empire wanted to streamline their war efforts . But at least it explained why it wanted people to struggle and take risks . Its very purpose was to create strong warriors and even powerhouses , and those could only be born through battle and hardship .

So why did the System integrate Earth? If the System is only supposed to be a training system for this Ancient Empire , why bring us into the mix? Was Earth part of the Ancient Empire? - Zac asked .

No . Earth isn’t even in the same universe as the Ancient Empire was located . The System not only fulfilled its purpose by training warriors , it also somehow inherited the goal of Emperor Limitless . Since the System’s birth all that time ago it has kept expanding . After a while it spread to the whole universe it resided in , and soon after it started finding new ones to spread its influence into . Since then it has kept ceaselessly expanding . -

Of course , this is just the most generally accepted theory of the System’s origin . The reason that it’s taken as the truth is that it is the history that is taught by The System’s pixies in the tutorial of all newly integrated worlds . There are some that believe that the System hides its true origins for some sinister purpose , but such things are far beyond us small F-rank individuals .

The exact details can’t be confirmed for certain , as it happened in another universe an impossibly long time ago . We do however know that the Ancient Empire was real , and that it was ruled by an Emperor Limitless . There are multiple historic remains from the empire , and there are many collectors of relics from that long lost time . -

Zac was truly in awe of the power of this synthetic being , spreading through whole universes with nothing being able to stop it . At least if what Alyn said was true , Zac didn’t feel that the System was either good or evil . It was just an impossibly powerful AI let loose , eternally fulfilling its purpose . Unfortunately for Earth that meant that it would throw the planet into Struggle , heedless of the cost in lives . As long as strong warriors were created out of the turmoil , the System was happy .

He briefly thought about the Technocrats . They had to be truly brave or true lunatics to want to fight against the System . It was like going to war against the basic rules of the universe by this point , like trying to fight Death or Time .

It seemed that there was some parts missing from Alyn’s explanation though . From her description it seemed that the System was designed to train and strengthen cultivators for the Ancient Empire . But the system did much more than that . It also helped mortals become stronger , and it also seemed to work with Beasts somehow .

It even had side-features such as the Town Shop and the Mercantile System , which enabled trade over the vast distances of the Multi-Verse . And that was just what Zac had discovered so far in the scant two months since being introduced to it . Perhaps there were even more functions that waited to be discovered .

How come the System affects all beings then , like mortals and even beasts? Didn’t you say it was designed to train cultivators? - Zac probed .

Good question . It as you said , the system initially only trained cultivators , and only those able to cultivate were connected to the System . But the system has changed a few times throughout history , each change disrupting the way of life in the multi-verse . To understand these changes we must talk about the Apostates . Those scant few who managed to throw the laws of the universe out the window , and bend reality to their wills . -

The number of Apostates that has emerged since the system was created can be counted on two hands . Each was a being of unlimited power who actually managed to change the way the system operates . Very little is known about the first Apostate , not even his name . He is simply known as - The First Defier’ . -

Chapter 78 - The Apostates

The subject of the origin of the System was very interesting to Zac . He had a hard time imagining an empire strong enough that it dared to wage war against a whole universe , and an individual powerful enough to change the basic rules of the universe by creating the System . Just a glance of someone like Emperor Limitless was probably enough to blast him into molecules .

The subject of Apostates also piqued his interest to the point that he actually put down his axe and decided to keep listening instead of resuming his mining operations .

So you mean that these so-called Apostates managed to actually change how the System worked? - he asked intrigued .

The actual reasons are quite unclear . Some believe that the System rewards the Apostates for reaching the peak of their path by letting them design or change aspects of how it operates . Other say that they reached such a height that their ideals and convictions shape reality itself , and the System was forced to comply . None of the Apostate has actually broached the subject to tell us what the truth is . - Alyn answered .

Are they still alive? - Zac probed .

It’s not clear , at least not to us in lowly D-ranked worlds . From what has been passed down through the multi-verse the last Apostate and change happened roughly 280 million years ago . Even with the enormous longevity of such supreme beings , they shouldn’t be alive unless immortality is real . Besides , the Apostates reportedly disappeared roughly at the same time the change they brought to the system appeared . That’s why a third theory for the change is that the Apostates actually merged with the System . -

Zac felt it was reasonable that even the school-mistress didn’t have all the answers . These were the top characters in the multi-verse , and there should be many hidden things behind the curtains that the general population wasn’t qualified to know .

So , what changes did they bring? -

Well , we can begin with the latest Apostate . He is called the Apostate of Greed , but his real name was Orlan Stillsun . His contribution was the Mercantile System that Calrin and all other merchant organizations use . He was a progenitor of a planet just like you and rose to the peak in only a few dozens of millennia .

But his class wasn’t combat-oriented , and there are very few mentions of him ever battling . The peak he rose to was through business , and his company is still around today , even though he is not . Being able to get a Stillsun Family shop in your Lordship is one of the greatest signs of your status in the multi-verse . Of course , they would never open a branch on a D-Ranked world , as they still are one of the most powerful entities in the multi-verse .

His accomplishments were only possible because of the Apostate of Mercy . I have no real knowledge of her , and I don’t even know if there is a family line that can trace to her like the Apostate of Greed . She reportedly felt sorry for the myriad people in the multi-verse being forced into conflict . In her era , all classes were combat-oriented , and the only method to get stronger was to fight and kill .

She enabled the non-combat class system , also known as the craftsman class system . Thanks to her it is possible to gain levels and improve classes without having to risk your life in constant battle . Of course , the craftsmen need to still arduously improve and practice their craft to gain cosmic energy and levels . -

What about you? - Zac asked .

It is generally a bit rude to ask someone about their class , but it doesn’t matter in this case . My class is simply Teacher , an F-Ranked Common class . My skills pertain to knowledge retention and dissemination . I also get ocular skills that can help me see cosmic energy circulation in others so I can guide students’ cultivation practice . I even get some defensive spells to protect myself and my students , but no offensive ones . And I am actually gaining Cosmic Energy as I am explaining these things to you , as I am fulfilling the purpose of my class . -

Are there upgrade paths for the Teacher class as well? -

Any class has the potential to reach the peak of power , non-combat classes included . There are some restrictions in general when it comes to class upgrades . We explained some of it when we discussed Heritages earlier , but this is a good point to go over class upgrades . - Alyn said , swiftly jumping in between subjects .

The first class upgrade is at level 75 . There are generally three things that are needed to upgrade to E-Grade . Race , Dao , and Achievements . Your race needs to be E-class , you need to have grasped at least one Dao-seed and your actions must enable the class . Some classes have even more restrictions , such as status restrictions or Title-requirements , but those are exceptions rather than the rule . Classes with higher Rarity almost always have more stringent requirements in Dao and Achievments .

If you don’t fulfill all three requirements you will not be able to upgrade your class and progress from level 75 . It is therefore known as the first bottleneck . Furthermore , many are able to upgrade their class but still chose to stay down there , even until the day they die . -

Why would they not upgrade if they are able to? - Zac asked confused . There seemed to be only upsides to upgrading and becoming stronger .

There are a few reasons people stay on at F-class , at least for a bit . First , there are certain trials and titles that are only accessible before advancing . The Tower of Eternity is one such example . The second , and more important reason is that people desperately try to gain access to a better class - Alyn said .

What do you mean? - Zac already felt pretty happy getting a Rare class , but if it could increase the rarity even further when upgrading to the next tier , that would obviously be better . The tower thing sounded interesting as well , but one thing at a time .

Achievements is the third requirement , and the most diffuse . Only with a full heritage can you know exactly what you need to do to be able to gain a class . But examples are to fight in wars , to have killed enough enemies , to have seen and explored certain areas . Generally to have grown as a being and have accomplished things above the norm .

Warriors do not only wait to get a better class in order to gain better skills and attribute points , they do it since they do not want to cut off their path of cultivation . There is another minimum requirement for class advancement that is related to class rarity . An F-ranked class can be any rarity and still gain an upgrade . But an E-ranked class need to be at least Uncommon ranked to be able to advance further . So if you pick an E-ranked common class , then your path of cultivation will end at E-rank , no matter how deep your insight of the Dao is or how grand your achievements are .

And with every stage , the requirement increase one step . A D-Ranker needs to have at least a Rare class , a C-Ranker at least an Epic one and so on . There is an endless amount of individuals with greater ambition than talent that throw themselves into perilous situations to gain achievements in hope of gaining a better option for a class . Most die , but some succeed . Of course , the Fruit of Ascension you ate is a shortcut in a sense . - Alyn stated with some obvious desire in her eyes as she mentioned the fruit .

What do the Fruits I ate have to do with class options? - Zac asked confused . He thought they were only good for upgrading his Race , and that was why they were named after Ascension .

Ogras didn’t tell you? - Alyn asked surprised . She hesitated a long while before she seemed to have come to a decision . - Well , this part you didn’t hear from me then . The main goal of a Fruit of Ascension isn’t improving your Race , although it is a good time-saving effect for most people , cultivators included . It is the effect it has on your class upgrades . It’s only a D-ranked treasure , so it’s effect is limited , but essentially it improves your choices when you upgrade your class .

Even if a warrior normally only qualified for common classes when upgrading to E-Rank , after eating a Fruit of Ascension they would be guaranteed to only have uncommon classes to choose from . If you could already get uncommon ones , it is likely you will get Rare options . It can even help push you toward getting an Epic class if you were close to qualifying but falling a bit short . The fruit is a cheat , or a shortcut , that immensely improves a warrior's future prospects . That is why it’s considered one of the greatest D-Ranked natural treasures - she finished with a longing sigh .

Zac’s heart started to beat rapidly , finally understanding the gravity of what he had eaten . No wonder everyone had scrambled to get those fruits on the mountains . He had already heard that most warriors in the multi-verse , even on established D-Rank planets , started out as a Common class . This fruit would enable them to reach at least D-Rank in the future .

In his case the use was still great , as it might be what pushed him into getting an Epic class when upgrading . From what he understood an epic class was extremely rare and it would be a huge event if an Epic class emerged on a D-ranked world . He didn’t wish to stay on this topic though , as he still had another fruit sitting in his pouch like a hot potato .

So what did the other Apostates change? - he asked , changing the subject .

The one before Lady Mercy was called the Apostate of Order . He was a great scholar who strove to understand all Dao under the heavens . The change he brought was the codifying of the Dao . You should know it as the patterns , or fractals you see from everything from our weapons , to skills , even to your pathways . - Alyn answered , jumping back to the original topic without any hiccup .

It is thanks to him we can gain Dao Seeds and further our understanding of the Dao through study of the fractals - she continued .

What do you mean? - Zac asked , once again getting derailed by an interesting topic . He still hadn’t found a way to upgrade his Dao Seed , and had tried various tricks .

The fractals contain a hint of the Dao . It is most clear in the fractals awarded from the So-called Seed-quests , as they emanate the Dao itself . But it is possible to gain insight from almost anything , from the inscriptions on a piece of gear to continuous usage of a skill . It is generally more effective to study fractals than to sit in silent meditation , though many consider a combination of the two the best .

In any case . The two first Apostates do not actually have any Apostate designations but are rather called The Beast Progenitor and The First Defier , and they are strong contenders for the title of the most powerful beings since the inception of cultivation . -

Chapter 79 - The Lifebringer

Zac was walking back through the forest toward the Camp . He had spent the last 16 days in the mines and felt the need to check up on the battle preparations . He wanted to be done with everything something like 10 days before the first horde arrived in case something went wrong , and he was now halfway to his deadline . While Ogras had proven himself quite useful he wasn’t too comfortable leaving the demon to his own devices in his camp . Besides , who knew how many crystals he was stashing away while Zac was preoccupied .

Zac sighed as he knew there was nothing much he could do about that for now , as long as it was kept within reasonable limits . He would just have to see it as a salary for the demon . As he walked he activated the Axe Mastery] guidance system , once more following its intrepid pathways .

Two days ago as he was swinging away at the tunnel wall he actually evolved the skill . It seemed that the method to level up Axe Mastery was to learn and internalize everything the trajectories had to offer , and he had arduously kept trying to improve his form over the last two weeks . It was now at Middle Mastery , just like Chop] . The changes weren’t as obvious as with his other skill though , only adding some techniques and strikes .

It did however also incorporate both his Dao of Heaviness and his Skill Chop] into the mix . Just as it before had fluidly changed between various techniques and attacks , it now also incorporated those two elements in the ever-changing barrage of strikes . He had quickly realized some new usage methods for the skills , such as using Chop] like a retractable lance , almost instantly impaling enemies as the energy edge expanded when he held the axe with the right angle . For that attack he didn’t even have to move his arm , just charge the skill as he held it stationary , making it a great surprise strike .

He also found out he used the Dao empowerment inefficiently , since he only really needed to empower the strike in the last second as it approached the enemy . Until now he charged his strike up as he did with cosmic energy , starting to infuse the Dao even before the swing started . That both gave the defender a warning and wasted too much mental energy .

Unfortunately , the improved Axe Mastery] didn’t show any strikes where the Dao and his skill were combined , like with his final furious strikes in the battle between him and Rydel . It also didn’t provide him with a new vision like it did when he first received the skill . He had hoped that the skill would give him a new vision that would help him finally understand the Dao of Sharpness .

He felt he was actually progressing there though , and might grasp it by his own soon . He was diligently trying to improve the sense of sharpness of his strikes , cutting increasingly large gashes in the tunnel walls .

There was another reason for Zac leaving the tunnels this day . He was very close to completing the quests for both his Loamwalker] skill and Forester’s Constitution] , and he felt it would be better to complete those skills when he was alone .

Since Alyn explained to Zac how Luck worked he was far more ready to listen to his gut . It turned out that the attribute wasn’t only good for things such as winning in card games or getting good rewards from quests . Luck was an extremely convenient attribute that greatly improved a warrior’s survivability , and cultivators across the multi-verse desperately looked for means to improve their Luck . There were actually fruits like the Fruit of Ascension that could permanently improve an attribute , and those that improved Luck were hundreds to thousands of times more expensive compared to the other ones .

It could be said that Luck gave a person a sixth sense , and the higher the luck the more pronounced it would become . At lower levels it could vaguely sense that something was wrong , causing a general sense of discomfort . As luck improved it would give the person an acute sense of danger in case his life was in peril , allowing him to survive where an unlucky person would die .

Zac thought back to some of his fights , especially the ambush in the caves . He had suddenly felt an extreme sense of danger just before an arrow slammed into his head , and it was that feeling that saved his life . Only now did he understand that it came from his extremely high Luck .

Alyn had also told him that it didn’t only work against bad things , but also for fortuitous encounters as the attribute kept increasing . She mentioned how a person with extremely high Luck could sometimes get an almost irresistible urge to walk in some random direction , and as long as he followed his gut there would be a treasure waiting at the end . But to get lucky to that point one needed hundreds of points in the attribute .

Therefore , since Zac’s gut told him he should be alone when completing the quest he didn’t hesitate to head out , using the fact he wanted to check out the camp as a convenient excuse . He once again checked the class skills .

Forester's Constitution (Class) : Fight in the forests , be one with nature . Reward : Forester's Constitution Skill . (29/30)

Loamwalker (Class) : Walk a thousand kilometers touching the earth . Reward : Loamwalker Skill . (983/1000)

After confirming the status he kept moving through the forest , westward rather than going south . He wanted to get out of the way , as there was some foot traffic through the forest that could interrupt him . Or rather jungle as it started to feel like . The path between Port Atwood and Azh’Rodum , which was the new name for the Demon Town , was getting to the point that an actual trail was getting created .

Ogras had decided to rename it since it didn’t make sense for the town to be named after the clan they abandoned . From Alyn’s explanation , Rodum simply meant capital in their native language , and the Azh-prefix was a reminder of their origin .

Apparently , there had been sort of an uprising in Azh’Rodum while Zac diligently trained in the mines . Zac learned that Ogras’ influence came from his extremely powerful grandfather , but his own reputation was less than stellar . Some demons felt that they would do a better job at running the town now that they didn’t have to fear repercussions from the clan or Ogras’ ancestor , and sought to seize control .

It was a group of demons who had been stuck in the mines looking for Zac when the incursion ended , and who were still disgruntled that they couldn’t get home . Different from most of the town , the demons who were in the mines had no choice whether to go home or not and were involuntarily stranded on Earth .

The rebellion had been shortlived and extremely bloody . Ogras unleashed a level of power that dumbfounded the town , and Alyn was still shocked as she retold the events . Just as interestingly , Ogras was aided by multiple powerful demons that had been thought to be non-combat class individuals until that moment . They sprung up from nowhere and suppressed the town with their power as well . They captured the dissidents in quick order and with overwhelming power .

The rebellion did not just end with the rebels being caught . What followed caused even the stoic Alyn to be shaken . Ogras ruthlessly tortured the group of demons in front of the rest of the town , their screams echoing through Azh’Rodum for hours before they finally were allowed to die . After that Ogras had once again become an unquestioned leader . Zac didn’t believe that those methods were sustainable , ruling with fear could only take one so far . But they were strapped for time and Zac needed the demon’s to work as if their lives depended on it , because in a sense they did .

During the past two weeks Zac learned a few words and sentences so that he could at least greet the demons who didn’t possess the language skill Book of Babel] . The name greatly confused Zac when he heard its name since it was clearly based on the biblical origin myth . But Alyn explained that the skill also translated many things into something that made sense for the listener . For example , the skill was named after an ancient Devil with a million mouths in demonic , which was based on their own mythology .

Soon he was close to the edge on the west part of the island , far away from any Demon activity . Zac marveled at the surroundings , as the forest had changed so much after only two weeks in the cave . Some trees were starting to grow impossibly large , and all sorts of plants and flowers peppered the forest floor . Many of the flowers were things that he’d never seen before , and he wondered whether they were mutations or something that had drifted over from a neighboring island .

As he walked along he killed a barghest every now and then in order to keep his quest progressing . He hadn’t been too surprised when he learned that the demons sent through hundreds of thousands of the beasts , as they were literally everywhere on the island .

When he asked why they didn’t send more demons instead Alyn explained that going through an incursion had a cost , and the more powerful a warrior the more expensive it would be . Non-combat classes like Alyn were somewhat affordable to send through , but individuals like Ogras and Rydel alone cost almost as much as the whole barghest hordes .

Suddenly Zac felt the familiar gathering of energy in his mind and his heartbeat sped up . Ogras had told him that the skill might be a seed-quest that was designed to award a Dao Seed , but Zac didn’t dare to hope for it after he’d already got a vision for the Dao of Axes .

Alyn had explained that a rare class could get two Dao Seed quests at the most , and an Epic class was needed to be able to get a third . Even getting two was considered great luck , and generally an indication that the Rare class was top-tier amongst its kind .

Zac quickly ran to a close-by tree and nimbly climbed its branches . After a thorough check for any inhabitants , he sat down on one of the wider branches and closed his eyes .

He was a small pod in the darkness . Nothing existed apart from the warmth of the surroundings , and the refreshing pearls of water that sometimes ran along his surface . Time was irrelevant , and the only thing that mattered was to keep reaching upward . Zac had no idea how long he stayed in the darkness , until one day a burst of light , or rather of life , inundated him as he struggled upward .

He had broken through the earth , a small sapling being greeted by the endless sky . The blast of light woke up Zac for a second , and he realized he was in another vision . This one was different though , as it seemed endless . Days quickly became years as Zac slowly forgot about his quest , his Town , even himself . The only thing on his mind was to keep absorbing life and growing .

Seasons came and went and beset him with an ever-changing trial by nature itself . Winds whipped his branches , trying to rip his leaves away from him . Rain pelted him relentlessly , quickly turning from a refreshing shower to a deluge threatening to drown him . The water froze and became a layer of snow and ice , freezing him and forcing him dormant , dreaming of the sun . But the trials always ended and were sooner or later replaced with the warm kiss of the sun .

Zac started to realize he was different from his brethren around him , as while their growth stopped after a few centuries , he kept growing . Soon he was towering in the sky , his kin only small dots hidden among his roots . He kept growing for millions of years , unceasingly absorbing the warmth of the sun and the sweet life in the atmosphere . Every inch of his being vibrated with vitality , every leaf glistening with life .

Small beings started to live around him , treating him with great reverence . Some even started to move up to his branches , forever denouncing the ground . Zac let them stay on , as some company was welcome in this eternity .

He kept growing upward , eventually breaking through the vault of the heavens . Sparkling dots glimmered in the darkness , as Zac started floating in the vast expanse . His old friend the sun stayed behind , but the whole cosmos was provided him with sustenance instead . He once again went dormant as he floated through the void , ever growing . Every place he passed as he slept was changed , desolate worlds rousing themselves , suddenly teeming with vitality .

He was the Lifebringer .

Chapter 80 - Loamwalker

Zac woke up , disoriented for quite some time before he found his bearings . This vision was even more impactful compared to the last in a sense . Living millions and millions of years was a completely surreal experience for someone who hadn’t even turned 30 in reality . Luckily the passage of time was made fuzzy somehow for him , otherwise he might have turned mad .

The vision showed him the peak of power just like the one with the axeman , but in a completely different sense . That tree he had grown into was truly gargantuan and reminded him of the old tale of Yggdrasil , the world-tree . It was larger than a star by the end , but more importantly , it contained an endless source of life .

Zac closed his eyes again and started to imprint the feelings he felt in his mind . He knew this time was critical , and wouldn’t waste it . It was only hours later he once again opened his eyes and checked out his new skill .

Forester's Constitution - Proficiency : Early . Man and Nature One Entity . Endurance +5% , Vitality +5% . Effects doubled while in a forest . Upgradeable

Next , he quickly checked his monster horde quest and breathed out in relief as he saw the timer . Only one day had passed in the real world , even though it felt like eons in his vision . He was once more happy he didn’t finish this quest in the caves . While everything looked fine on the surface , he didn’t relish the thought of going into a trance for a whole day right in front of a bunch of demons . Who knew which one of them held a secret grudge for a friend or family member killed , just waiting for an opportunity to strike? Relaxed , he once more refocused on the skill .

He had initially thought the Forester’s Constitution would be some sort of defensive skill like the Stone Skin he saw the earth mages use , but he was only partly correct . It was rather a passive buff skill that worked like a title that improved his survivability . The bonus was quite good , especially considering it would give double the bonus at most parts of the island .

Zac wondered if he could carry around a patch of forest in a pouch , and throw it out whenever he was entering a battle . That way he’d always have the improved bonus . He was curious if there were any other functions of the skill , as Axe Mastery] had given him the training system , so he tried finding another pocket space in his body .

As he suspected , when he turned his gaze inward he found another area in his body , this time in his chest . The last fractal he gained in this manner looked like a large axe , emanating the Dao of Heaviness . This fractal rather looked like the Tree of Life he saw in the vision , but inert .

Next , he checked out his status page to see what other changes might have occurred .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

36

Class

Hatchetman (F)

Race

Human (E)

Alignment

Human (Earth)

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - Early , Seed of Trees - Early

Strength

189

Dexterity

69

Endurance

147

Vitality

105

Intelligence

57

Wisdom

57

Luck

77

Free Points

3

Nexus Coins

538317

He actually already acquired another Dao Seed during his meditation without even noticing it . It was called the Dao Seed of Trees , and a prompt showed its properties .

Dao Seed of Trees – Early . Vitality +10 , Endurance +5]

The properties of the Dao indicated that it wasn’t a Dao meant for battle , but he was fine with that . He already had the Dao of Heaviness for battle , and he was making inroads on the Dao of Sharpness from his activities in the mines . Having a defensive Dao to accompany the offensive ones seemed quite good . And if he was going to fight in a sea of beasts , having an improved Endurance and Vitality would come in quite handy .

He was a bit disappointed that the Seed he gained felt pretty distant from the supreme entity that was the Tree of Life . Then again , the vision of the axeman was quite distant from the seed of heaviness as well . Besides , Ogras had already warned him from hoping he would gain some high tiered concept as a Dao .

Zac knew what to do now that he knew he had a new Dao Seed , and started channeling the Dao of Trees into the fractal , and it lit up with a green luster .

The once dead tree started to emanate an aura , but it wasn’t oppressive like the one from his axe . Instead , it gave a refreshing feeling , but also spoke of unyielding perseverance . Of course , the aura was like a firefly against the towering sun that was the Tree of Life in his vision .

If the endpoint of his first vision was the Dao of Axe or Dao of Destruction , then this one rather led toward the Dao of Life or Dao of Nature . The duality of his vastly different Seeds reminded Zac of Yin and Yang , and he felt that it was an extremely well-balanced foundation to build his future upon .

No prompts lit up his surroundings like with the last skill when he infused the tree made from fractals , and the only discernible difference was that he felt it started to emanate a warmth that spread out throughout his body . It felt a bit like when he drank the azure water , but he instinctively knew that this warmth wasn’t hurting him .

He tried swinging his axe a bit while he was infused with the Dao of Trees , but he felt no improvement in his speed or strength . He was even having trouble keeping the Dao active as he moved around , the warm feeling noticeably subsiding . It made sense since trees weren’t really mobile unless ents were a thing in the multi-verse . Besides , Zac had already surmised that the new Dao wasn’t meant for battle from the attributes it awarded , and this somewhat confirmed it .

Having an idea he cut a wound on his left arm , and once again sat down . As he started to infuse the Dao and some cosmic energy into the tree again , he felt the warmth properly spread out once more . The wound on his arm started itching within seconds , and Zac felt how the warmth moved towards his wound and started healing it . It wasn’t to the point that he could see the improvements with his naked eye , but he knew it was improving his recovery rate . Unfortunately , it didn’t seem to work on his damaged pathways , at least not with Early mastery .

Satisfied he once again focused on the status screen . He noticed that there was no new title this time for attaining a second Dao . He felt it should be due to the fact that there was no award for a second Dao , rather than multiple people having beaten him to it . There shouldn’t be too many who already had a second Dao , it wasn’t like one could just stare at a fire for a few days and suddenly know the Dao of Fire .

He realized he still had three free points from his level when the Herald died . After some hesitation he allocated them into Dexterity , bringing the stat to 73 . Alyn toldhim earlier that the general view on the connection between Dexterity and Strength in the multiverse was that one of the stats shouldn’t be more than 100% larger than the other . After that , the effectiveness started to wear off .

For example with great Dexterity but no strength one would be able to hit the enemies in a dizzying blur , but each strike would be too weak to do proper damage . Conversely , Zac’s case was that he possessed monstrous Strength , but very low Dexterity . His strikes would be strong , but they would be slow and clumsy , making it easy to deflect or dodge them .

It had only really been a problem when he faced Rydel so far , but in the future he would meet more and more enemies with stats that could match his , so he needed to get his stats balanced as soon as possible .

It felt a bit weird to forgo his min-max strategy that always had been his method when playing games , but he needed to get used to the fact that video game knowledge could only take him so far in this reality . Of course , there were exceptions to the general guidelines of stat-allocation , but you really needed to know what you were doing .

Zac felt that he should stick to the most-accepted route for now at least , and only change it up in the future if he was absolutely certain . Besides , his Strength would keep increasing through his Dao and his class-bonuses even if he didn’t specifically allocate any more stats there for a while .

Finally done with everything he set out toward Port Atwood , but only after an hour of walking he was once again interrupted . This time it was his Loamwalker] quest that was completed . Eagerly he checked the skill out , and as he expected this time it was a fractal that went on his legs . More specifically it was two identical fractals that were placed on the soles of his feet , directly touching the ground below .

Zac didn’t hesitate and immediately infused the new fractals with energy . As he stood still he noticed no difference , but when he took a step the world turned blurry for an instant . Afterward , he found himself standing two meters away from his original position . The skill actually increased the distance he traversed somehow .

Zac kept trying to figure the skill out by repeatedly moving around , but he had a hard time grasping what the skill actually did . Initially , he thought that it teleported him small distances , but he noticed that the movement wasn’t instantaneous . Next , he guessed that he got super speed while he moved , but he felt that wasn’t quite right either . He tried swinging an axe while he moved , but the movement was far quicker compared to his swing . It was as though the earth moved around him , rather than him moving on the earth .

Did the skill somehow disconnect him from earth’s rotation? That couldn’t be correct either , as he had no problems moving in any direction . After a while he gave up trying to explain it with logic , and could only conclude he magically moved quickly somehow . As long as he was touching the earth , that is . He also tried jumping and running , but as soon as he stopped touching the ground with at least one foot , the effect disappeared .

He kept using Loamwalker] as he walked toward his camp in order to get used to the skill . It was an odd feeling to move faster when he leisurely walked compared to when he ran . After a while he was forced to stop using the skill , as the consumption of Cosmic Energy was quite high . It wasn’t made for long-distance movement , but all in all he was quite happy with the skill .

He wouldn’t be able to do magical feats such as strolling in the air as Rydel did , but the skill would be quite convenient in battle . He could keep moving between targets deceptively fast , and both use the skill for ambush and retreat . Of course , it would take some practice until he was proficient in combining the movement skill with battle skills .

His grasp over how far he walked right now was terrible , and he slammed into trees like a barghest four times in a short duration due to his lack of control . He could only put it aside for now and keep walking until he arrived at Port Atwood .

The wall was coming along nicely , and it was even taller compared to the one in the Azh’Rodum . The demons knew a Beast Horde was coming and didn’t dare slack off . If the town fell their settlement would be next , and they wouldn’t have the defenses of strong arrays or System-bought fortifications helping them out there . Saving Port Atwood was essential , even from a selfish standpoint .

He entered through a gate and started to look for Ogras . He couldn’t find him anywhere , and he wasn’t able to ask the resting demons either , as none of those present seemed to possess Book of Babel] . He first went to the merchant compound to check whether the demon was there . Calrin met up with him , and after a few pleasantries explained that the demon hadn’t been there today .

Zac also asked for a status update regarding his order , but Calrin explained he still hadn’t been able to acquire a pill that could heal pathways , looking a bit embarrassed . Zac sighed in disappointment but thanked him and left , heading for the shipyard .

Ogras shouldn’t have any reason to approach the Creators , but he couldn’t be sure . As he closed in on the shipyard , he actually heard some subdued voices . Suspicious , he brought out his axe and closed in on the source of the sounds . Soon he saw Ogras , and together with him were two other male demons Zac hadn’t seen before .

Ah , you’re here . That makes things easier , - Ogras said , as two spears wrought from shadows impaled the chests of the demons , instantly killing them .

Chapter 81 - Subjects

What the fuck are you doing? - Zac loudly exclaimed , shocked as the two demons fell lifelessly to the ground .

These two were snooping around the shipyard on their breaks . I’m not sure what their goal was , but we couldn’t have them walk around as they wished . These two will also set an example for any other curious individuals , - the demon tartly explained , as he brought out an axe identical to those Zac use from his pouch .

With two swift swings he decapitated the lifeless bodies before he slammed the axe into the thin wounds on their chests , effectively masking their true cause of death . Zac mutely looked on having some problems processing what was happening . Was the demon framing him right in front of his eyes? Ogras felt Zac’s stare and glanced at his direction , giving a slight shrug .

It’s better if you killed them . It will remind the others that you are not to be provoked , and you don’t take kindly to people looking into your business . If it was found out that I killed them just because they were looking at some humans at the shipyard I will start losing my grasp on the other demons . -

Zac silently stared at the two demons on the ground , a cold feeling gripping his heart . He felt he had grown a bit lax against the demons , particularly the one in front of him . While Zac believed it was in Ogras’ interest to keep Port Atwood and Zac protected for at least a decade until he could try to usurp it , he couldn’t be sure of the demon’s plans .

This was a person who had no problems betraying those close to him without batting an eye as long as it benefitted him . Besides , he couldn’t be sure whether Ogras’ story was true . For all Zac knew he happened upon a clandestine meeting , and Ogras killed his allies rather than letting his plans be exposed .

But Zac also realized that might just be how the multi-verse worked . Might makes right , and benefits trump friendships . He knew that he had grown callous as well , as he wasn’t about to clamor for justice for these two or start some sort of investigation . There was no benefit to it , and he’d rather just bear the blame so that people would keep away from his Shipyard . Getting tired from the whole situation he could only move on . It was a bit annoying to be framed for the murders , but he had already killed hundreds of demons , what was two more to the tally?

How are the fortifications coming along? And where are the crystals? - Zac asked as he put away his axe , not bothering with the two fallen demons any longer .

Ogras , looking pleased that Zac wasn’t making a big deal of the situation , swiftly took out a few Cosmos Sacks from a pocket and threw them over .

The wall will be done with a few days to spare , and the mining operations are proceeding splendidly . Now that there aren’t a dozen main branch assholes embezzling a part of the cake , the daily output is above expectations . We have mined and refined a total of 109 344 crystals so far , meaning slightly more than five million Nexus Coins . A few issues have cropped up though . -

What now? - Zac asked with a grimace . He should have known it was impossible to only get good news .

First of all the lizards down in the tunnel are getting more aggressive , and we don’t possess as much manpower as we did , making it hard to keep them at bay . Secondly , I have run into a snag with the Gnomes , but we might be able to turn it into an opportunity . But most importantly , I’ve run out of moving pictures . - He said

Moving pictures? - Zac asked confused , to which Ogras fished out Izzy’s portable video player from a sack , waving it at Zac . Zac had completely forgotten she had brought it with her when the group went camping , but it seemed that the demon had found it while idling in his camp .

I have watched everything inside this device , and I must say that this planet is pretty interesting making all these things . I bet we can make some money if we figure out how to turn the moving pictures into Crystals and sell them . Is there any more than what’s contained in this device? -

Zac was stumped , his mouth curving a bit upward . He knew that the demons didn’t use much technology as it was frowned upon on their homeworld just like large parts of the multi-verse . The demons were very much in favor of the System , which put them against the so-called Technocrats , and they disdained to use devices that weren’t created with fractals and inscriptions .

There’s enough for you to watch until you die even if your longevity gets a few upgrades . I don’t have any more with me though . -

Then we need to quickly beat the beast hordes and find human settlements . -

Uh , yeah . How are you charging the player anyways? It should have run out of power long ago . And what about the merchants? -

Any decent lightning mage can charge up the energy containers on this type of device . Even normal cultivators can do it when their fine control of cosmic energy gets high enough - Ogras waved dismissively . - And it seems we might have pushed the Sky Gnomes a bit too hard . I’ve had a talk with Calrin and they might actually go under if we keep forcing these prices . -

We pushed them? - Zac asked pointedly , as he stored the little information nugget that one could use cosmic energy to charge devices . Perhaps he could even resurrect the car with some training .

I didn’t see you stop me . In any case from what I understand the Merchants have made some truly troublesome enemies , and they have managed to put pressure on the Thayer Consortia even through the Mercantile System . Calrin is unable to make a profit as itstands , and The Ruthless Heavens might actually revoke their license , - Ogras sighed .

So we need to lower our asking price? Are you sure it’s not a business tactic? That little guy seemed to be pretty thick-skinned . - Zac asked , not relishing the thought of lowering the price . A difference of only a few Coins per Crystal would turn into a huge amount when put to the perspective of the whole mine .

It doesn’t look like he’s lying , he is truly fearing for his life from the look of his eyes lately . But that doesn’t mean we need to just throw away money . We’re not a charity . I’ve worked out a deal that I think will benefit you in the long run instead , - Ogras answered , the greedy face once more showing .

We only demand 42 Nexus Coins per Crystal , in return Calrin hands over 25% of the Consortia to us . -

That’s a lot of profit to give away for a run-down shop where I’m the only customer . And what do you mean to us? - Zac said unconvinced .

What we’re investing in is not the shop itself , but their Mercantile License . They are notoriously hard to acquire , and very sought after since they give access to the Mercantile System , allowing you to trade with the whole multi-verse . In a normal situation , you’d have to pawn off a whole continent to get the license , but now we’re in a position to snatch up a stake for just a few million Nexus Coins .

If we help them get back to their feet and help them grow , more and more coins will enter our pockets . Imagine your whole planet full of branches selling all the essentials to billions of people , and all that profit entering into your pocket . Then we can even expand to other planets , the income only becoming larger . Progressing and becoming stronger gets insanely expensive as you get to higher ranks , and this can help out a lot . - Ogras got more and more animated as he launched into his business plan , and Zac was starting to get excited as well . If it was as he explained this was a great opportunity to make some money .

What about their enemy , won’t they become our enemy as well? What do you know about them? - Zac still hesitated , as he had enough things on his plate . Adding some formidable foe into the mix wasn’t an option , even if it meant giving up potential profit .

It’s a powerful family on a top tier C-Rank world . They are located in another universe though , and I don’t think they will start a search for your planet , even if it’s for a Mercantile License . Besides , The Ruthless Heavens obscure your planet for a hundred years making it almost impossible to find .

Therefore I wouldn’t worry too much about it , but if they do come knocking we can just throw our shares to them as a greeting gift , feigning ignorance of the conflict , and then sell the Gnomes out , - Ogras said dismissively .

Zac was hesitating a while over what to do . The enemy of the Thayer family sounded troublesome , and he didn’t want to bring that kind of headache to Earth . But they were protected for a hundred years through the System . Even after that , it was not like they could easily find Earth even if they wanted to , and transportation costs would likely be huge . They might deem it not worth the trouble , and get the license from someone else . There must be more struggling corporations to exploit in the multi-verse after all .

After some time Zac agreed , and Ogras veritably dragged him to the storefront to sign the documents at the consortium without pause . It appeared that Ogras’ initial plan was an even split of 12 , 5% stake each between the two , but after a glare the split was changed to 20-5 .

Zac still let the demon get some stock in the corporation . He figured it would tie the demon to Zac’s wagon , and hopefully it would make him work more diligently if he had some stake in its success . Besides , it wasn’t bad to give something valuable to the demon , as he could threaten to take it away if needed .

Zac was in dire need for some talented people working for him after all , and Ogras was by far the best option for now . Zac already knew he wouldn’t be an active ruler , sitting on his throne and making decrees . He wanted to leave the island as soon as possible to find his family . After that perhaps even explore the multi-verse . And he needed to get stronger , which he couldn’t do from a throne room . Therefore he needed subjects , or at least employees , that could look after his little island kingdom while he was gone .

The Sky Gnome looked ready to vomit as he signed the documents after a great deal of hemming and hawing . He only looked a bit better after a promise that Zac would help give the consortia a strong position on Earth . Of course , it was Ogras that was promising things far and wide , and Zac only looked on helplessly . He had no idea how to do that , and he didn’t even know if there were any towns left .

Next , he ordered some demons to collect a large amount of meat for the salamanders . They had obviously warmed up to Zac when he had fed them various corpses , and perhaps it was possible to bribe them on a larger scale . If not it would at least keep the monsters satiated so the mining operations could go on unimpeded .

Finally done with everything he wanted to do Zac once again returned to the caves . The next time he emerged would be to meet the hordes of beasts .

Chapter 82 - The Hordes

Only wind and creaking from leather armors interrupted the silence as Zac stared out from his fortified position , a steely glint in his eyes . He was trying to gain any hint of what was to come when the timer went to zero in ten minutes . Everything that could be done to prepare was already finished during the past month , and the only thing remaining was to actually fight the hordes .

The once lush forest next to his camp was gone , replaced instead with a forest of jagged spears jutting out of the ground . Thousands of poles that reminded him of his first fight with the Herald was embedded in the earth , and moats ran along the wall at various distances . Apparently no one would get any Nexus Coins if an enemy impaled itself or fell down a trap while they stood up on the wall , but from what Ogras had told him about beast hordes it wouldn’t matter . What made the beast horde a horde was the seemingly endless amount of beasts , more than anyone could possibly finish by himself . No one would have to worry about not finding targets , even after the traps did their job .

He wasn’t alone on the battlements , as roughly two hundred demons stood on the wall with him . Most had eager expressions in their eyes , while some looked quite pale . Down at the ground the rest of the demons were at the ready , preparing to serve as various types of support . Zac was at first confused why the demons happily agreed to man the walls without any persuasion needed , but Ogras explained it with only one word ; money .

A beast horde was extremely dangerous , but it could also be considered an endless stream of Cosmic Energy and Nexus Coins . The demons who stayed on had lost most of their wealth and needed to refill their pockets . Many of them were mortals just like Zac and needed millions and millions of Nexus Coins to be able to advance past their bottle-neck .

The cheapest method to become E-Rank Race was a medicinal bath that you took over and over that incrementally improved the constitution . But this method took years and cost tens of thousands of Coins each bath , making the monster horde a prime chance to be able to afford some more ingredients .

The method Zac had used with the Fruit of Ascension could be considered an extreme luxury , as the fruits were prohibitively expensive if you could even find a seller . The baths did however incrementally improve the attribute limits though , meaning that none of them would ever be in the same awkward position as Zac was earlier .

Are you ready to make some money? - Zac heard a voice from his left , and saw Ogras approaching . With him he had his four underlings , each with enough power to contend with the top tier warriors of the invasion . Zac sparred a bit against them the last few days as he waited for the monsters to arrive and was surprised to see that none of them used classes from Clan Azh’Rezak’s heritage .

They were Ogras’ hidden ace that he recruited and trained using his family’s wealth in order to have some back-up against the main branch forces in case it came to blows . He had smuggled them in after killing a few of his clan-mates without any strong connections or close friends , having these four take their places . In fact none of the four were actually real members of clan Azh’Rezak .

Ilvere was a burly man who had masqueraded as a farmer when he entered through the incursion . He fought with a flail whose chain could extend to over ten meters according to his will . He was actually trying to gain insight into the Dao of Heaviness in order to combine it with the Dao of Lightness . That would apparently create the Dao of Momentum which could imbue the spiked ball with a terrifying force as he swung the weapon . When the demon heard that Zac actually possessed the Seed of Heaviness he plastered himself next to Zac , to the point that Ogras finally had to kick him away due to the annoyance . His class was only an uncommon class called Strongman , and it didn’t give him any class skill that helped him with the Dao , and he desperately wanted to observe and feel Zac’s Dao in order to gain some insights .

Janos was a thin dignified-looking man who compulsively adjusted his spectacles as he looked around . He was quite terse in his communication and seemed to enjoy solitude over any company . That made it a bit surprising for Zac to learn that the demon actually was a support-mage that couldn’t really fight on his own , making him require teammates to fight . He walked the path of illusions , and used skills that confused and weakened his enemies . When in battle Janos would continuously mess with the senses of the enemies . It wasn’t enough to kill them , but it would completely disrupt their rhythm and making it hard to fight properly .

Namys was whirling her blades as she looked provokingly at Zac . She was one of the few in the camp who was a truly willing follower of Ogras . She even had a class that looked similar to his , as it utilized darkness and shadows to create an assassin-type combat style . She was extremely unhappy that Ogras was placed as a sort of second in command behind Zac , and his spars with her were the most dangerous . More times than one Zac felt that she truly tried to hurt him with her large daggers .

Alea was his largest headache though . The beautiful demoness looked at him with a slight smile as she winked her large eyes at him . She wore what looked like an old-fashioned dress from the 60s . Apparently she had asked Ogras what humans from Earth wore , and Ogras had explained in detail , armed with outdated information from old-timey movies on Izzie’s device .

Alea liked the strong and ruthless , and Zac fit the bill nicely as being able to single-handedly thwart an incursion made him quite the dashing figure in her words . Furthermore , she possessed a class related to poison , and the fact that Zac essentially poisoned two armies to death was a cosmic sign that they were compatible in her eyes . The fact that one of the poisoned armies was her own clan members seemed to be completely irrelevant to her . Zac wasn’t sure if her interest was real or whether Ogras tried to plant a honeypot by his side , but in either case Alea was a continuous source of exasperation .

Ogras didn’t kick her away as he did with Ilvere , leaving Zac to fend for himself . In private Ogras told him that he didn’t want to poison test every swig of water or bite of food he took due to angering Alea , as she was slightly crazy like all other poison masters . Something about breathing poison fumes for years made their wiring a bit off . That nugget of information only served to increase his discomfort .

Even the schoolmistress Alyn would make a measured but immediate retreat when Alea found him in the mines , and the poison master sometimes took over the role of lecturer . It was from Alea he found out the general rules of grinding beasts . He had asked why she chose poison class when poisoning enemies to death didn’t seem to reward Nexus Coins or Cosmic Energy . If it did he would be quite a few levels higher after throwing out the cauldron up on the mountain . But he was surprised to hear that she actually got rewards from poisoning enemies .

She explained the distinction the system made was whether effort , or skill , was involved in the kill . In her case generated the poisons herself and disseminated them using her class skills . The system awarded her cosmic energy for that . Zac just snatched a bunch of poison and threw it out , and the System didn’t consider it enough effort . For the same reason getting a machine gun or even an atomic bomb couldn’t help you gain levels at all .

The System considered those types of tools not to require skill . It did consider using a bow and arrow requiring of skill though , and would award everyone , not just archer classes , cosmic energy from that type of kill . From her words the System generally didn’t award energy or coins from kills when technology was involved . It was something about the System not liking tools not made with cosmic energy .

Zac thought that many armies in the world would be in for a rude awakening after hearing that . He believed that many would have a hard time letting go of their weapons , and instead fight monsters hand-to-hand in order to gain levels . That would mean that the beasts would get continuously stronger due to the System pumping them full of cosmic energy , whereas the armies stayed stagnant . Sooner or later it would reach a tipping point , where conventional weapons were useless . Zac was pretty sure that he was mostly bulletproof by now for example . It might hurt , but a bullet should barely be able to penetrate his skin . Especially if it hit his E-graded clothing .

You all seem to be in a chipper mood , - Zac said dourly . He didn’t relish the thought that he would have to spend the next three months continuously fighting for his life . He felt he was on the cusp of finally being able to leave the island and look for his family , but first he was stuck in an endless battle .

Birds die for food , men die for money , - Ogras answered with a shrug . - If worse comes to worst we can just jump ship and sail for kinder shores . -

Ogras was referring to a small Creator-vessel that Zac had bought for one million Nexus Coins . It was powered with Nexus Crystals and could comfortably house 10 people , or 30 if people covered every inch of the deck as well . It was one of the cheapest creations available for sale at the Shipyard , and Zac planned on using it for exploration , or fleeing if necessary .

Now that he knew the System wouldn’t punish him for failing a quest or fleeing for his life , he wasn’t as ready to risk everything just to finish the quest and become a Lord . He had confirmed that what Ogras said was true from a few sources , and that Abby had in fact lied . The largest punishments for failing quests were that he couldn’t get them again .

However if he failed too many quests he risked not getting awarded new ones for a while . For example Ogras would likely not get any quests for a couple of years due to eating The Coward’s Escape-pill . But for a cultivator whose life could be counted in the thousands , it was a small price to pay for escaping with his life .

That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t diligently try to complete the quest and rebuff the three monster waves . The more he learned about cultivation and the multi-verse he knew he was sitting on a rare chance . The island was likely one of the safest places on Earth right now . There were no dangerous beasts skulking around apart from the salamanders , and they kept to their caves . The reason for this was simple , it was the hordes of barghest . They had hunted everything that started to evolve since they arrived , stopping any species from gaining strength .

That made this island a haven , and an amazing source of wealth , for himself and his family . As he was the lord that wealth would turn into further safety as he could keep buying defenses if some force meant him harm . To give up this would mean he would turn from a so-called progenitor to another refugee without a place to call home .

Alea walked over and greeted him with a smile and a light touch on his arm , and Zac could only bear it for now with a grimace . He knew from experience that telling her off or pushing her away wouldn’t work , and if he got too insistent she might poison him in a rage . Nothing lethal , of course , but something strong enough for him to be puking his guts out for a few hours .

So they stood at the top of the wall surveying the battlefield looking like an old couple until the timer finally the timer went to zero .

Ladder activated , struggle for supremacy The emotionless voice of the System entered his ears just as the third month ended and the timer went to zero .

Huh , what’s this ladder that the system mentioned? - Zac said as he turned to Ogras . But immediately afterward he turned back toward the forest as he saw tens of grey pillars flash into existence roughly a kilometer away . They looked just like the incursion , just in a different color and a lot smaller .

The Ruthless Heavens spoke to you? Ladder? Must be some function it is using on this baby planet . It has all types of modes that it can activate that changes how – - Ogras explained but was interrupted by the System itself , this time speaking so everyone was hearing .

Special Dynamic Quest activated . Defend what’s yours and vanquish the hordes . The strong will be rewarded

Chapter 83 - Wolves

It actually handed out a town protection quest - Ogras exclaimed gleefully , as most demons around him looked like they had eaten stimulants .

What’s going on? - Zac asked as he looked over at the grey pillars . Nothing had emerged from them yet , but he knew it wouldn’t be long now .

It’s a bonus quest . Everything you kill will award contribution points apart from the usual Nexus Coins and Cosmic Energy . You can trade these points for all kinds of goodies at a temporary Nexus Node that should pop up somewhere close . Those who rack up the most points usually are awarded some bonus prize as well . - Ogras answered hurriedly as he took out his spear from his sack . It looked like he wanted to simply jump down from the wall and run to the pillars , not able to wait for the enemies come to them .

Zac started to get excited as well , but was very annoyed that he still wasn’t completely healed . He was a lot better by now , but not to the point that he dared use crystals or his amulet to quickly regain his energy . He wouldn’t be able to unheedingly use his Chop] skill to quickly gain contribution points in other words , and his two Dao’s weren’t helpful in fighting large groups of monsters . He still hadn’t gained the Seed of Sharpness , which he guessed would be convenient when fighting against packs .

He didn’t have time to ruminate over his condition any longer as grey silhouettes started to pour out of the portals and immediately flooded toward the wall .

No offense my friend , but I’m aiming for the top spot . It’s a shame we can’t have a completely fair competition with your condition - Ogras lamented with mirth and greed in his eyes . It looked like he was already considering the prize for most contribution points his .

Zac decided to ignore him as the horde was closing in on the battlements , and he could finally see their visage . It was an enormous wolf pack that charged as one . Each had a mottled grey fur and the rough size of a gwyllgi , reaching almost up to Zac’s chest .

He could also spot larger versions at various areas in the sea of wolves , and he guessed that they were the equivalents of the monkey captains . A piercing howl arose from the pillars as Zac surveyed the horde , and Zac spotted a far larger wolf skulking around in the back . All in all it looked like there were a few thousand wolves , almost all of them the normal-sized ones .

Zac didn’t feel that this looked too threatening , and he cast a questioning glance at Ogras .

This is just the first wave of the first horde . It will get more… exciting… soon enough - he said as if he understood Zac’s unspoken question .

The wolves streamed toward the walls and Zac saw that the erected poles didn’t have much effect on the nimble monsters , as they simply dodged them without any effort . A few unlucky wolves were accidentally pushed into the pitfalls by the wolves behind and skewered there , but generally the horde was unimpeded .

However , the erected wall was where their charge ended , and the monsters simply had no method to scale it . They clawed some scratches at the foundation , but at that speed it would take days for them to tear down the wall .

In the demons' eyes , this meant that the wolves turned into target practice , where each hit awarded some money . Arrows started flying out in rapid succession , and the wolves dropped one by one .

Some were even more efficient , such as the mages who managed to skewer multiple wolves with each earth spear attacks or create multiple fried carcasses with a large fireball . But the most efficient was clearly Ogras . Any shadow on the ground created by the wall or a wolf was a weapon for him , and shadowy needles kept poking up from the ground , hitting the throat or heart of the wolves . Wolves kept keeling over wherever Ogras turned his outstretched hand , and he was creating patches of utter death down on the ground .

Zac tried to keep up by throwing rocks he had prepared in a few pouches . Each rock he threw slammed into a wolf , the force almost always enough for an instant kill . Still , he couldn’t keep up with some of the stronger demons , let alone the sneaky spears of Ogras , and knew his contribution ranking wouldn’t be too great if things kept going this way .

He paused after killing a few and checked his status screen . It looked like each of the normal mottled wolves awarded around 100 Nexus Coins , which seemed very generous for helpless targets . The feeling of seeing an endless stream of money slipping out of his fingers was extremely uncomfortable , and he knew he needed to switch up his tactics .

Alea looked annoyed as well as she stood next to Zac .

They keep dying before my poison kills them , I only get a small part of the money . You’re supposed to be the Lord , do something and I’ll give you a reward - she whined as she looked entreatingly at Zac .

Zac ignored her with a roll of his eyes but he agreed that something needed to be done . After a few seconds of hesitation he took out one of his axes and simply jumped out from the safety of the wall .

As he fell he imbued himself with the Dao of Heaviness and he fell down like a meteor . A huge shockwave spread out as Zac punched into the ground ten meters away from the wall . Any wolf in the vicinity was killed or at least badly maimed from the impact . Zac stood up from the crater and he summoned Chop] .

His plan was simple . Even though his pathways weren’t completely healed they were in far better condition compared to a month ago . Together with his improved attributes his recovery might even be higher before he ruined his body with the Cosmic Water . He planned on going on a rampage as long as his energy allowed , reaping as many wolves as possible before swapping back to killing without using any energy . With his stats he wasn’t afraid that some of these weak wolves would threaten him , even if they came in droves .

He started to weave a net of carnage around him as he moved full speed ahead . His energy would only last for a short duration at full power , but that should hopefully be enough to thin out most of this wave and perhaps a few more . He headed straight toward where he had seen the huge wolf , hoping that killing the boss would offset his slow start .

No demon dared to shoot their attacks in his vicinity , with the exception of Ogras , who kept summoning spears at some wolves around him . Zac glared angrily in the demon’s direction , but Ogras simply looked back innocently and waved .

Zac wasn’t the only one who jumped down from the wall , as some of the stronger melee fighters followed suit . They generally stayed close to the wall though to keep their backs free , not daring to wade into the thick of it like Zac .

Zac was soon drenched as every wave of his axe created a fountain of blood and a few bisected corpses strewn around . He realized he had actually missed this feeling , and relished letting loose after over a month of being stuck in the mines mindlessly chipping away at the walls .

He steadily progressed toward the portals , and soon not even Ogras could kill steal his wolves due to the distance . Each swing created a swathe of death in front of him , but it was quickly filled with new wolves . He truly felt like the description of the Hatchetman class , Their army is an endless forest and I’m the lumberjack , was an apt description at this moment , as he methodically cut everything down like lumber as he waded forward .

The wolves desperately tried to bite him , but the few that managed to get close couldn’t even puncture his skin . A few tried to rip open his robe , but the clothing was even more durable than Zac himself , and not even a scratch could be seen on the green overcoat . Even so , the animals pushed forward toward their death , heedless of anything else . Zac started to suspect that the System had done something with these animals , as they were completely frenzied . Wolves should be smarter than this , especially evolved ones like these guys were .

After a few minutes of swinging away he was at close proximity to the portals . It should have been even faster , but he took some detours to kill the even larger wolves that were peppered around the horde . They only gave 2-300 Nexus Coins each , but Zac thought they might be more valuable in terms of contribution points as the System might consider them mini-bosses .

Wolves had stopped pouring out of the multiple portals a minute ago , and the area was getting a bit thin as most wolves headed straight for the wall . There were some exceptions though , most notably the hill with the leader . It looked almost identical as the smaller versions , apart from the fact that its eyes had a silver glisten compared to the duller brown of the others .

Zac approached the hill and started to kill the larger alpha wolves that surrounded their leader , but a movement in his periphery made him infuse his axe with his Dao of Heaviness and launch it at the wolf leader in a surprise attack .

The wolf’s reactions were quick , but not quick enough , as the axe ripped a hole in its throat , instantly killing it . Immediately after two large spears of shadows rose up from the ground and impaled the corpse . However , Ogras was too late as the energy entered Zac’s body as the spears rose up , confirming his kill credit .

Zac grinned at the demon who emerged from the shadows with a tsk as he took out another axe from his bag . This one was different from the ones he had used lately and looked like a misshapen monstrosity .

Its handle was roughly a meter long and the edge itself was almost two meters , formed in a rudimentary facsimile of his axe when he used Chop] . It was something Zac had ordered a blacksmith of the demon town create for him , meant to be used to retain some kill speed while he restored his energy .

It was ugly and completely unbalanced , but it got the job done . Unfortunately no one of those remaining had the skills to add the self-repair inscription on a weapon , and instead this one had an inscription that slightly increased its durability . Still , someone would need to fix it up every now and then after Zac’s onslaught .

I’m starting to see why you guys were so excited , - Zac remarked at Ogras as he started to swing at the remaining alpha dogs , heading to pick up the boss carcass and his axe .

Don’t get complacent . This is just the warm-up . If some mangy dogs was all that The Ruthless Heavens threw at you when creating a monster horde then it would be a reward , not a quest . It’s going to get much worse than this . - Ogras retorted , obviously a bit irritated that his kill steal hadn’t worked out . As if to confirm this the remaining wolves in his surroundings died by being impaled by multiple shadow blades rather than the usual one per monster .

As if they responded to the demon’s words , the portals pulsed and started to spew out another wave of wolves , but these ones looked quite different .

Chapter 84 - Super Brother-Man

Zac turned toward Ogras a bit confused .

Why are there already more monsters pouring out? How does the System decide? - he asked hesitantly . He felt that it was too big a coincidence that new monsters just started spawning after Zac and Ogras arrived here and killed the boss .

You ask me , but who am I going to ask? - Ogras responded . - But I think there might be certain triggers that push out new waves . Perhaps killing the boss immediately sends the next one through . But I think there is a limit of how long you can stall , even if you keep the leader alive . The Ruthless Heaven has its name for a reason , and it won’t let you breathe too easy by finding a loophole . -

If what Ogras said was true the System really created a conflict of interest . Killing the boss would spawn more monsters , but it also probably awarded a good amount of contribution points . Greedy warriors would hunt it for the points , not caring about the results . Soon the whole camp would be overrun by waves upon waves of wolves .

We need to set some ground rules , - Zac immediately said as he turned to Ogras . He didn’t mind the demon killing the odd wolf around him , as that was only playing around . There were almost an endless amount of targets , and Zac didn’t worry that he wouldn’t be able to hunt his fill . But running for the bosses in greed for contribution points couldn’t be allowed .

The boss is off-limits until only a quarter of the wave remains , - he said as he stared at Ogras , who only grimaced but nodded after some deliberation .

He didn’t have time to keep thinking up plans as the new wave was upon them . Zac first thought it was large rats when he saw them exit the portals . They were a lot smaller compared to their brethren , the normal ones only reaching his knees in height . They also looked completely wretched , with their mangy fur fallen off at large patches of their bodies . Their eyes were a sinister red , and the feeling he got from them was that they were putrid cursed creatures .

Ogras seemed to agree as he started backing away as he kept throwing out Shadow blades at anything approaching . He even seemed loath to use his real spear , afraid it would get dirtied by the new beasts .

These things look pretty disgusting . Try not to get bit , I am willing to bet an arm these things carry some weird diseases in their bodies - the demon said with a wrinkled brow . - If you capture a few live ones and gift them to Alea I’m sure she will be delighted . I bet she can create some sinister concoctions from these things after some experimentation . Anyway , I’m off . Good luck . -

With that the demon was gone , using his escape skill to move through the shadows . Zac was left alone pondering whether to stay here right by the portals or to head back . The gnarly wolves didn’t wait for him to make a decision as they stormed him with speed belying their small shriveled frames .

As they scurried close to him they launched themselves in the air toward his face in order to rip into more vulnerable areas . Zac turned his huge axe and with a horizontal swing smashed multiple wolves into broken pieces of flesh with the broad side of the edge . Even their blood smelled rancid , and Zac didn’t want to get any of that on his face . He rapidly backed away and quickly put a handkerchief over his nose and mouth .

Next , he swapped out his huge unwieldy axe to two normal ones . The new foes were too small so he couldn’t easily kill them with the giga-axe . A wide swing would simply fly past above their heads , and he felt that using two normal axes would be more effective . He kept swinging away , decimating anything that moved close as he gradually retreated toward the walls . His kill-speed wasn’t as great as when he used Chop] , but it was respectable .

Since he upgraded his race he found that his body’s coordination improved noticeably , and it had made him resume his training with two axes . The first time he tried it out he felt it was too unwieldy , but by now his arms moved independently from each other , each creating gouts of putrid blood wherever they hit .

Soon enough he was closing in on the wall and saw that most of the first wave was dead by now . A perimeter of melee fighters had been erected , and Zac saw some scared non-combat demons scurrying about the battlefield . They were throwing the wolf carcasses into cosmic bags , to be dumped and burned further away from the camp after anything of value was stripped from the bodies .

It was to both avoid pestilence spreading , but also to not allow bodies to accumulate to the point that they started to form a ramp up the wall . Their work was extremely efficient as they rapidly moved along , barely stopping as they threw the carcasses into the Cosmos Sacks . Obviously , the melee fighters had done a do-over of the corpses first with quick stabs , ensuring that everything was dead .

When they saw Zac and the putrid wolves approaching they all scurried through a gate to safety . The gate wasn’t some thick wooden door like in a medieval castle , but a section of the wall itself even thicker than most other sections . It was created in conjunction between some craftsmen and Earth mages and required 10 Nexus Crystals to power every time it opened and closed . It was a bit slow , but it didn’t present a point of entry or weakness like classic castle gates did .

One exception to the escape through the gate was Alea , who gleefully charged straight toward Zac .

I heard you’re bringing me gifts? - she exclaimed , looking absolutely delighted . She unheedingly ran straight into the frenzied pack of the mangy wolves , and Zac’s eyes widened in alarm . It was one thing for him with his huge endurance to be running around in the midst of the beasts , as these small ones couldn’t hurt him either .

But even he was wary of their blood as it looked positively unclean , with a greyish murky color instead of red . Luckily his clothes had a self-cleaning feature and the blood just slid off after a short while . But for the slender demoness to do the same approach seemed suicidal . He wasn’t sure what stats a poison master focused , but it didn’t feel like it was endurance at least . He quickly changed direction and ran to help her out .

Soon he realized he was worried about nothing as the beasts that got too close to her simply melted into pools of goop . Zac immediately stopped in his tracks , afraid to get caught in whatever poison the demoness had surrounded herself with .

Next she quickly threw out a small needle at one of the beasts that looked extra wretched , and it powerlessly fell down on the ground immediately after the needle embedded itself in its throat . She walked over to it and picked it up , and for some reason it didn’t melt like the others around her . Zac first thought the beast was dead from the needle , but the frantically whirling eyes of the beast told another story .

It seems its condition is due to living in a weird environment . The Ruthless Heavens calls its race Blackswamp Wolf , so it probably lives in a miasmic swamp . Something in the waters is corroding these wolves , and over time they have transformed into these cute little things . Perhaps it’s possible to extract whatever’s the cause and add it into a concoction , - she started to mutter mostly for herself , seeming eager to try and weaponize the wolves’ affliction .

People with less than 80 or so vitality shouldn’t come in contact with their blood , or they will probably get sick , - she added with a louder voice up toward the walls before she started to continue to examine the beast . She quickly broke all its limbs with a deftness that hinted that this wasn’t the first time she did experimentation on animals and started to retreat to the wall while she flipped it over to look at every detail of the poor creature .

Zac simply moved away without a word and kept killing wolves with his two axes . These small wolves were a bit more annoying to kill since they were so small , but he wouldn’t stop . Each one gave around 110 Nexus Coins , even better than the last wave , and he was accumulating wealth and cosmic energy at a terrifying speed . It was barely more than a barghest , but they were everywhere . If the density of barghest was this crazy he would have finished grinding for his first class quests in less than a day instead of a week . Of course , with his stats at that time he might just have died from being swarmed rather than just having more targets to kill .

Less than 30 minutes had passed since the start of the quest but he already managed to accumulate something like 30 000 Nexus Coins . He had only used less than a quarter of his cosmic energy so far , and could keep going for a long time . The attacks from the wall had reduced somewhat though , as some of the demons were sitting down and absorbing energy from Nexus Crystals that Zac provided .

Some of the other demons kept blasting away , greedily farming some money , and a few burly-looking demons even dared to jump down the wall as well , apparently trusting Alea’s judgment . This wave was starting to thin out as well after the furious melee continued , and it gave Zac a brief chance to catch his breath .

He had been busy with the monsters , so he ignored the prompt from the System that entered his ears just before the monsters arrived . It said that a Ladder was activated , and he was curious to see what that meant . He kept killing any beasts who approached with a quick swing with his axes , but it was mostly by instinct as he focused on the new screen that popped up .

Ladder System initialized . Enter pseudonym or real name?]

That gave Zac a start . He started to feel that the ladder system was akin to a ranking that you could see in many games , where his level was listed against others . It sounded like something the System would do . It wanted to force people to get stronger , and a ladder would generate competition amongst the elite .

Entering his real name would let his friends or family know he was alive and fine , but it might also cause them trouble . He was pretty sure he should be up there in the rankings if the Ladder was only for earth , even after his month of not gaining levels . Someone might want to exploit his family , or even kidnap them to threaten him if such a connection was made public . He already had created a beacon with the name Port Atwood , which should hopefully be enough when the town gained some fame in the future .

After coming to a decision he chose pseudonym , and a new problem presented itself . What should he call himself? At first , he thought of just using his class name , but he didn’t know if people learning of the name Hatchetman would have some implications . Suddenly he had an idea , and he chose - Super Brother-Man’ with a nostalgic look in his eyes . He could only pray that Mackenzie , his little sister , would remember .

She was only five when he played pretend-superheroes with her , using the name Super Brother-man . He hadn’t thought about it for over a decade , and no one but her should know about it . As soon as he chose it a large window popped up , and he quickly realized that he was right , it was a ranking ladder containing various names and their accomplishments .

As he went through the list his mouth started to widen into a grin .

Chapter 85 - Four Fates

Kenzie blew an errant wisp of frizzy auburn hair out of her face as she once again opened the Ladder system . It had almost become a compulsion over the last two weeks since the new function was enabled .

Browsing for a husband again? - a teasing voice came from behind , as another girl moved up to the fire and sat down . It was Lyla who came back with some dinner in her hands . It was a few cans of various vegetables and fruits , and somehow she had even scored some canned beef .

Whatever , - Mackenzie answered with a roll of her eyes . She stared at the familiar alias for a few more seconds before she reluctantly closed the window and turned to her friend .

Lyla had been by Kenzie’s side since everything turned crazy . Kenzie was just sitting at home playing with her phone when she suddenly found herself in a square in a medieval town with hundreds of others . When reality set in that this was not a dream , she soon realized she didn’t recognize a single person . Zac or dad wasn’t there with her , leaving her vulnerable and scared .

It was shortly after she met Lyla , another scared and confused 19-year-old . It was by sticking together they survived that hell that the System and fairies called a tutorial , and in a sense they were returned as reborn people like the fairies promised .

But they soon realized that just because they had been returned in one piece , all wasn’t well . They were placed in a town called Kingsbury , which actually was a chaotic hodge-podge of 4 different cities mixed together into a cauldron of conflicting interests and goals .

During the month of their absence all order collapsed and chaos reigned supreme . Roving gangs of thugs terrorized their blocks , and rape and murder were just commonplace events . It didn’t even take an hour after returning before a group of men accosted her .

Luckily the tutorial had truly reforged her . A scenario that would have petrified her in the old world was only a small annoyance now . With a few quick attacks the group of thugs lay on the ground with her not even taking damage . The thugs of Kingsbury just stayed in the safety of the town preying on other people , and likely weren’t even level 5 .

After the returnees appeared , it only took a few days for a new order to be enforced on the town . A few of the stronger cultivators allied and started a bloody cleansing , and soon held the population in an iron grip . There was no government , no vote , only forced obedience . The leaders named themselves the Kingsbury Council and set themselves up as kings .

Mackenzie and Lyla followed Ruth , a 48 year old lady who they got to know a bit in the tutorial . She had been a cleaning lady before the integration , but now she held command over a large district , subduing any discontent with surprising brutality . Ruth was harsh , but she was the best of the bunch . None of those who stood out were saints , as they had all bathed in blood during the tutorial to get their current strength .

It was actually due to one of the other councilors that Mackenzie and Lyla decided to volunteer to scout out the undead problem that was spreading . They needed to get away from the town , and hopefully gain some strength while away . Harold was an insatiable old goat , and he already considered himself an emperor and had started amassing women for his harem . Some of them were willing to get the protection of a powerhouse as food was running scarce and monsters were roaming the outskirts of the town , but most reportedly were unwilling captives . There was a lot of discontent about his conduct but Harold was possibly the most powerful cultivator in Kingsbury , and even Ruth didn’t dare to confront him outright .

Of course , Harold was a joke compared to the people on the Ladder , like a fly compared to giants . Especially her brother , the Super Brother-Man…

With a thundering swing Billy crushed the skull of the rat-like monster , grey smelly goop splashing all around . It was one of the last of their kind and he could finally catch his breath with deep guffaws . The whole field around him were filled with big holes from his mighty thwonking .

The new world was good . Before , everything had been confusing and complicated . People had given Billy stinky eye all the time for no reason . But no one looked down on Billy now . Not even papa , not after the thwonk on his head set him straight .

Billy didn’t understand why so many didn’t like the new world . It was so simple . Hit things on the head and they gave you money and made you stronger . But people hid behind the walls and cried instead of going out thwonking . People were the idiots , not Billy .

Good work great chief! You are so strong . The name Billy is surely known around the world by now! - a voice came from up on the wall .

It was Nigel . Nigel was smart but dumb . He was smart because he understood Billy was a good chief . He was dumb because he didn’t thwonk monsters with Billy , and instead stayed on the wall .

I bet not even the Super Brother-Man is a match for you and your club Billy! See how those large rats got destroyed! - Nigel continued , even waving the flag of the town , Billyville .

When Billy heard the compliment is back straightened a bit further and the bulging muscles on his huge frame swelled , but he soon shrunk back a bit .

Super Brother-Man is probably super-strong , he has thwonked a lot more than Billy . But Billy is going to catch up , there are still many rats to bash , - he said with the type of modesty that mama always said a gentleman should have . He really missed mama , but she was gone when Billy came back from the funny town with the mini-people . Nigel said that she had died , but Billy knew no monster would dare hurt such an angel .

Billy really wondered who the Super Brother-Man was . It was a great name , and caused Billy to regret the one he chose , Thwonkin’ Billy . He really wanted to see who could swing a club the best . Having another smart friend to bash rats with would be great .

Billy was right about the rats . There were so many of them and some help would be nice . He had tried counting them but he got a headache from it . They all came from that grey weird shining light in the distance . Nigel called it an incursion , but Billy preferred to call it a ratlight since it created rats and was a light .

Nigel always told him that the thing needed to be closed for some quest , but Billy didn’t care about any of that . He needed no reason for thwonking rats . It felt good , it gave money and made Billy stronger .

Billy was truly in heaven .

She moved through the forest , a flittering shadow between the trees . Any unsuspecting beast that came within a few meters were bisected into pieces by a quick flash .

Thea was days from any back-up or civilization , but it was out here in the wilderness that she felt most at home . No politics and intrigue , only survival . She had hoped that the integration would make the world simpler , but it was anything but the truth .

The Marshall-clan went into overdrive the moment Earth was integrated , ever hungry for empowering the family . She was tired of it and had essentially become a nomad , fiercely battling in the wilderness non-stop since she came back . The pixies had called her a once-in-a-millennia genius , but she didn’t care about any of that . She relished the feeling of balancing on the edge of life and death , pushing the limits of her power even further .

Still , she was shocked when she saw the Ladder . Her tireless effort and fortuitous encounters seemed almost like a joke in front of that man . She thought herself the true elite of Earth , as no one in her tutorial town even came close to her accomplishments . It only took her a week of grinding after the tutorial was over before she attained her class , and it was of the Rare-rarity , something that was almost impossible to get .

Yet she barely maintained the third spot on the ladder . She had even pushed herself beyond what she thought was possible in order to catch up , refusing to lose to someone with such a stupid moniker . But no matter what she did he steadily increased the distance between them . Who the hell was the Super Brother-Man?

She sighed and opened up her quest panel and stared at her newly acquired mission . Completing it might be her only option to pass that monster , but was it worth it?

Order was crumbling . Thomas Fischer sat on the short-side of the large table and quietly stared at the troubled faces in the meeting room .

What about recruitment? - Thomas said with a sigh .

80 Returnees , or cultivators as they call themselves , have signed up to the special government task force the last week , - a bespectacled middle-aged lady answered . - Unfortunately , most of them are in the lower tier who barely came out of the so-called tutorial in one piece . The stronger ones have largely stayed ambivalent , adopting a wait-and-see response . -

We need to get tougher! People are running around playing super-heroes . Or even worse , super-villains . We need to round them up . If they don’t want to join and register , they need to be locked up! - a robust scarred man shouted while thumping emphatically at the table . It was Hank , the representative of the army .

Thomas was somewhat inclined to agree with him , but not really due to safety . The more powerful of these cultivators were setting themselves up as local lords , completely ignoring the government . If this was allowed to continue , then Earth’s countries would just become a memory .

What about the rankers? Have we located any of them? - Thomas probed . Getting the support of a few of the rankers would hopefully once again legitimize the government in the eyes of the population , and rebuilding work could begin in earnest .

Why bother with them? The training program for the elite forces of the army are coming along well , and there are cultivator servicemen who have reported for duty leading them . Soon we will have an army adapted to this so-called System . It is better to rely on patriotic soldiers than some war-lords who can betray us at moment’s notice , - Hank interjected .

What’s the average level so far among the trainees? - Julia asked , breaking her hour-long silence . She was the newly appointed liaison with the unaffiliated cultivators , and one of the four cultivators herself in the meeting .

The average level is 19 , and we already have two people who have gained their classes , - Hank answered proudly .

How can you compare some fodder to the rankers? Any one of them is probably able to decimate your army in a minute . - Julia said dismissively and turned back to Thomas .

We have located 5 of the rankers so far . Rank 34 , 58 , 63 and 94 on the level ladder . We have also located Rank 87 and 99 on the wealth ladder . Rank 87 is as you know the same individual as rank 34 on the Power Ladder .

There are also about a dozen individuals who used their real name that we have identified with some certainty . Most notable is Thea Marshall of the Marshall-family , who is ranked 3rd on the level ranking . Unfortunately we do not know where these people are located at the moment , with the effects of the reshuffling still being mapped out . -

Any word on - Super Brother-Man’ or - Salvation’? - Thomas asked . Thea Marshall would be a good get for the government , but the Marshall clan likely had their own plans in this new world order . And he didn’t want to wage war against that ancient family when there were both the incursions and the new natives to worry about , so he could only turn his eyes toward the other two top rankers . Of course , neither of them seemed to be quite sane from their choice of pseudonyms , but one couldn’t be picky after the apocalypse .

The hesitant look in Julia’s eye was all the answer Thomas needed as he sighed .

Next on the docket is the situation with our new… neighbors… to the west . -

Chapter 86 - Ladders

Zac opened up his eyes after an hour of meditation . Alea sat next to him like an ever-present shadow , but even she lacked the energy to banter lately . Even Zac felt exhausted after the last three weeks of wholesale slaughter , and the demons were even in worse shape . He had killed thousands upon thousands of wolves in all shapes and sizes , as the waves unceasingly kept coming once every hour from the start of the quest . In the beginning the wolves were just free money for the defenders , and each wave took between fifteen minutes to half an hour to complete .

But their strength incrementally increased with every wave , and after hundreds of waves they barely managed to finish the last one before the next one arrived . Zac and Ogras had been forced to create rotating groups of the stronger demons , as there was a wave that actually caused a crack in the wall since almost everyone was resting .

There were some good signs though . If he and Ogras were correct , they only needed to hold out for another 3 days before the first part of the quest was completed . A new wave arrived at the hour unceasingly , and they needed to defeat 720 waves in a month . They had already cleared 641 waves in 3 weeks due to quickly finishing the early waves , and hoped that would mean that they got the rest of the month off until the next part of the quest started .

Another good news was that Zac hadn’t been forced to use any of his aces so far , with the walls and demons having been enough for now . Perhaps they would be able to finish the whole first part without any tools , which would save a lot of Nexus Coins for the next parts of the quest . Since it was getting incrementally harder he assumed that things would only get worse with the second and third horde .

It was his turn to man the walls in just 10 minutes , so he started to get ready . He opened his status screen to check his progress before heading out .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

48

Class

Hatchetman (F)

Race

Human (E)

Alignment

Human (Earth)

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - Early , Seed of Trees - Early

Strength

248

Dexterity

125

Endurance

165

Vitality

108

Intelligence

62

Wisdom

57

Luck

77

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

21 281 353

He had gained a whole twelve levels from the last weeks of desperate struggle , which averaged to roughly a level every other day . He put all free points into dexterity until he reached a 2 : 1 ratio of Strength to Dexterity , and after that started putting points in Vitality . By now his build was far more balanced compared to before , and he wasn’t a lopsided one-trick pony anymore . That didn’t only go for attributes . He had battled every imaginable kind of wolf as of late and gained tremendous battle experience in a very short time .

Zac gained most of his levels in the first week of the monster horde , and it started to slow down considerably after that . The last four days had gone by without a single level . When he complained about it to Ogras , the demon got so agitated he started to spit after him . Apparently his leveling speed was out of this world . It had taken Ogras 5 whole years to reach the same level as Zac . Of course , Ogras wasn’t pushing toward getting levels , but rather focused on the Dao and his body-grade . Otherwise it would have been a lot quicker .

But if a cultivator didn’t level through battle like he did , and instead only relied on their cultivation techniques , it would take years and years to get to this point . A few days ago he gained a new title which was quite telling about his life on the island so far .

Butcher : Kill 100 000 beings in solo battle . Reward : Strength , Dexterity , Intelligence +3

The absolute majority of those kills were the wolves from the last weeks , but he had been steeped in blood and gore constantly since the world changed .

Next he opened the ladder to see if any changes happened in the last few days .

Ladder - Level

Rank

Name

Level

1

Super Brother-Man

48

2

Salvation

39

3

Thea Marshall

38

4

Joker

35

5

Enigma

34

6

Dahlia

34

7

Dillinger

33

8

Thwonkin' Billy

33

9

Abbot Everlasting Peace

33

10

The Gravemaker

32

. . .

100

Santiago

30

Ladder - Wealth

Rank

Name

1

Super Brother-Man

2

Smaug

3

Joker

4

Enigma

5

Thwonkin' Billy

6

Salvation

7

Greed

8

Little Treasure

9

Thea Marshall

10

The Eternal Eye

Ladder - Dao

Rank

Name

1

Abbot Everlasting Peace

2

Guru Anaad Phakiwar

3

Thea Marshall

4

The Eternal Eye

5

Silverfox

6

Abbot Boundless Truth

7

Super Brother-Man

8

Father Thomas

9

John Doe

10

Daoist Chosui

He had mostly memorized the ladders by now , and the top ten spots didn’t really change in the last few days . The ranking boards only showed the top hundred , and it was clear that a few frontrunners ware solidifying their position as future progenitors as Ogras called them . Beneath the true powerhouses were the elites , and it seemed the elites in the world should have gotten their class a few weeks ago , and now were around level 30 .

When the Ladder was introduced the 100th spot on the leveling ranking had been level 27 , which meant it took them roughly a week per level up until now . Beneath the top 20 the list was a lot more volatile , with people changing positions every day . He had also seen over a dozen names just suddenly disappear , which he assumed meant that they died .

When he first checked the ladder he found himself only two levels ahead of Salvation , which shocked him quite a bit . Certainly , he hadn’t improved his level for over 40 days while in the mines , but he started out at level 16 with extremely boosted stats due to the lottery he was forced into . Furthermore , he had almost only killed incursion monsters who awarded an increased experience . Yet this Salvation , and to a lesser degree Thea Marshall , were right behind him in progress .

That changed over the last few weeks though , as his level kept steadily increasing while they could only helplessly fall behind . Still , their speed was respectable , and Zac assumed they found great grinding spots as well , likely incursions with their improved experience rewards .

The wealth ranking thankfully didn’t broadcast the exact wealth people possessed , but it did show he was number one in that ranking as well . Surprisingly , the second spot belonged to someone who wasn’t in either the Level or the Dao-rankings . He had named himself after the dragon in Lord of the Rings , so Zac assumed he alluded to the fact that he was sitting on a pile of treasure .

Otherwise , there was some correlation between the level-ranking and the wealth ranking , as everyone on the list must’ve killed an enormous amount of beasts and farmed Nexus Coins . But the level rankers only accounted for roughly half the names on the wealth rankings .

Ogras believed that it was due to dumb luck . Some individuals had found some great treasures and sold them in the System Shops that should have cropped up at various places by now . Some might have scored millions of Nexus Coins just from one herb or rare metal . Neither Zac nor Ogras was sure how the System calculated wealth . Nexus Coins were a given , but what about his other treasures , such as his remaining Fruit of Ascension? What about the Creator’s Shipyard? Either of those were worth a fortune , far more than every coin he had gained so far . Calrin might know , but they hadn’t visited lately due to constantly being in battle .

But even without those two treasures he wasn’t too surprised about his number one spot . He gained over ten million nexus coins from the crystal mine , and another twenty million from the last three weeks of carnage . He had a hard time imagining anyone gaining coins at his speed .

Last was the Dao-ranking . He was only ranked seventh on that ladder , even though he already acquired two Dao-seeds . He wasn’t sure whether the ones above him somehow gained even more seeds , or if they managed to upgrade the ones they had . More interestingly , a large part of the rankers seemed to be spiritual people from the old world . There were priests , gurus , monks , and even a shaman represented on the list .

He learned from Alyn that a combination of meditation and study of fractals were the best combination to improve the Dao , so it seemed that these individuals hit the ground running when it came to pondering the Dao . They were already quite used to meditation , and maybe even entered the System with certain useful insights .

The Dao-list was also the only list that wasn’t filled , with only 68 spots occupied so far . There was a few that got added every day though , so Zac expected this list to be filled within the month . This list was also the one who moved the least . He had only seen one movement , where Thea Marshall instantly went from the 23rd spot all the way to the third . Ogras said she must have had an epiphany or a fortuitous encounter that gave her Dao a level up .

Actually , the Dao ranking was the one that shocked Ogras the most . There only were 3 demons currently on earth who actually possessed a Dao according to him . And two of them only gained their seeds after arduously meditating for years . Ogras believed that it was the Tutorial giving a huge hand in some way , otherwise only those who got Dao-seeds from quests like Zac should have touched the Dao this early .

Zac was surprised to see that many of the top 10 individuals of the level ranking actually hadn’t gained a Dao seed so far , not even the second-place individual named Salvation . Zac didn’t know whether that made him more or less scary , having reached that level without any Dao to assist and empower his or her skills . Actually , only he and Thea were the two people represented on all 3 lists , with his rankings slightly better .

Finally Zac closed down the windows and got ready for work . Alea roused herself as well , and mutely followed behind him as he proceeded up to the wall walk . Ogras approached not long after Zac arrived at the top of the wall , the usual lackadaisical attitude missing . He had a grim visage as he nodded toward Zac before once more looking out toward the battlefield . His hand didn’t stop moving , and the large bristled wolves beneath died one by one .

Third casualty this wave , - he curtly said , worry evident in his eyes . The demon forces were limited , and every death hurt them in the long run . Over the course the whole monster horde quest it meant thousands of additional monsters the others would have to kill . Three deaths in three weeks might sound good , but only roughly 200 of the demons were combat classes . Three deaths were noticeable , besides the quest wasn’t even one third completed , and Zac could only assume it would keep getting worse .

It wasn’t that the wolves were extremely strong . The large wolves beneath the wall could roughly be considered as strong as the monkeys in the mountains by now . But their numbers were endless , and the demons were tired . And tired people made mistakes .

The wolves of this wave apparently were able to shoot out the bristles on their backs in a wide range attack that targeted both friends and foe . One demon had been unlucky and actually got skewered up on the wall from an errant flying bristle . Normally he should have been able to erect a defense or dodge in time , but he spaced out due to extreme fatigue .

Zac only grunted in affirmation as he looked out over the battlefield . Most of the wolves were dead , with just a few large packs remaining . He could already see the next wave’s approach from the distance , so he didn’t hesitate as he jumped down right among the bristled beasts . The impact killed 8 of them , not giving them any chance to shoot out their projectiles .

With a large Chop] he immediately created a circle of death , and then he methodically started killing the beasts with a blank look on his face . A few bristles flew in his direction , but they were no threat to him . The ones hitting his body he simply ignored since his clothes nullified the impact , and those flying for his head he blocked with his axe head .

Just as he killed last of the Bristleback Wolves , as they apparently were called , the next wave was only a hundred meters away . These wolves were of average size and build , and had a greyish black color . What made them stand out was that they actually looked a bit translucent as he saw them approach .

Hesitant , he brought out a rock from a pouch and launched it like a rocket at one of the frontrunners . It was his standard move lately whenever a new wave of wolves approached . He started using it after wave 372 , which had consisted of - Wolves of Kar’Ka’Venum’ .

He still had no idea what Kar’Ka’Venum was , but when he charged into the group of wolves and swung his axe in a large Chop] , every single monster exploded in a huge shockwave upon death . The blast from his swing almost killed him then and there , and after that he swore to be more careful .

To his surprise the stone whizzed straight through the monster like it was a ghost . Zac got a sinking feeling as he saw the approaching horde , and without hesitation turned around and roared .

ACTIVATE THE ARRAY! -

Chapter 87 - Spectral Wolves

Ogras was quick on the uptake and he immediately shouted down the other side of the wall , where Janos stood next to a large crystal . The illusionist immediately activated the array with the help of a pile of Nexus Crystals , and with a deep hum a shimmering dome grew out of the ground , covering the whole inner area of camp Atwood . It reminded Zac of a large soap bubble , with prismatic colors covering the whole shield , slowly swirling about . But the observant watchers could see that the swirls weren’t really random , but rather followed some pattern , and that the stripes of colors were reminiscent of fractals .

It was the E-Grade Medium scale Town Defense Array] . It was Zac’s first purchase with his wealth gained by the crystal mine . The town planners had gone over various other solutions , such as purchasing a defensive and offensive arrays separately , but the Town Defense Array simply gave an unparalleled bang for the buck at these low tier battles . In the future an established force would likely have tens of arrays available , each designed for a specific defense or attack , but with their limited resources they went with the generalist approach .

The only downside was that it cost quite a lot of crystals to operate . But with a crystal mine in his possession Zac wasn’t too worried about consumption . Initially , its radius was roughly 50 meters shorter compared to the wall , creating an inner death-zone between the wall and the barrier . But after some adjustments , it grew to stop ten meters outside the walls , not allowing the spectral wolves access to the fortifications .

Zac took a few quick steps backward with Loamwalker] , allowing him to cross over a hundred meters almost in an instant . He smoothly passed through the barrier without creating a ripple . The shield wasn’t intelligent enough to distinguish friend from foe , but as the owner of the array he had some perks .

Normally he would have preferred to keep the array at its original size and test whether the wolves could actually run through the wall , but there were too many tired demons up on the battlements at the moment . They were changing shifts with this wave , and everyone hadn’t left their posts yet . Instead , he had to expend some money in order to ensure the group of demons heading further in to rest wouldn’t be assaulted by these ghost wolves . They were wrung out and didn't have the energy to resist anymore .

Soon the beasts heedlessly slammed into the shield , some even dying from the impact . The shield was a product of the System itself , and didn’t even flicker from the impact . The wolves weren’t disheartened , and started to claw frenziedly at the translucent barrier , but it had no effect at all . After a few seconds it was obvious that these beasts’ only strong point was their incorporeal state .

Zac didn’t want to waste even more crystals by activating the offensive component of the array as well , and instead took out out his axe and headed out through the array once more . Attacks from the wall also started to fall down at the wolves through the barrier , as it only stopped things from going inside and not the other way .

It immediately became clear what worked and didn’t work with these things . The arrowheads helplessly embedded themselves into the ground after passing through the transparent bodies of the wolves , with a few exceptions . Any arrow that was imbued with some skill , such as lightning or darkness , had no problem killing the beasts . Meanwhile , the mages had no problems at all and gleefully peppered the wolves full of holes .

Zac saw the same results . His axe just passed through the wolf it targeted , and it responded by trying to bite his free arm . Zac actually let it in order to see the result , and surprisingly it managed to grab a hold of the small of his arm . Its bite had no effect on Zac , and he felt that its power was only equivalent to the beasts on the 200th wave or somewhere around there .

He charged a minimal amount of cosmic energy into the fractal on his hand , and a small edge from Chop] appeared . It was barely as long as the normal edge , but it costs almost no cosmic energy .Normally there would be little benefit to using it like this , but with these particular wolves it was very effective .

The wolves were like normal beasts to the edge created from cosmic energy as its head was split in two . However , no blood spurted out and the beast simply broke down into motes of darkness before it was completely gone . Next he tried using only the Dao with his axe , and it worked as well in letting him kill the monsters . Obviously , the beasts would be extremely dangerous to normal humans , but against skills they were pretty weak .

Still , the speed of whittling down their numbers was quite slow , as not all the demons possessed ranged skills . Those who were melee classes usually helped out by throwing rocks or shooting arrows from the wall when the battlefield was too dangerous , but now they could only helplessly stare on .

Very few demons dared to pass through the barrier to fight head-on . It wasn’t like the wall that had the gates or ropes hanging from it that would allow the demons to quickly retreat if needed . If they passed through they would be stuck on the battlefield until the barrier was lowered as they couldn’t come and go as they pleased like Zac .

The longer the barrier stayed active the more crystals would be consumed , and Zac felt the need to end this battle quickly . He started to charge up his Chop] skill until it was five meters long , then with a mental command the edge multiplied into five identical parallel edges . They were right next to each other with less than a centimeter between them , making the edge look like a thick block of fractals .

Zac rapidly swung his axe horizontally five times , and with every swing one of the edges flew out in a different direction . Each blade created a huge path of death , and Zac felt a constant torrent of cosmic energy enter his body as a large part of the battlefield turned into black motes of light .

The new attack was the result of constantly being in pitched battles for weeks . Both his Axe Mastery] and Chop] had improved once again , reaching Late Mastery . According to Alea the mastery stages of skills were Early-Mid-Late-Peak before they reached their limits and needed to be upgraded , meaning the skills were close to completion .

The improved Chop] currently held stable at five meters instead of at one , and now allowed for multiple blades to be created . Initially , he had only managed to create two , but as his control over cosmic energy improved from constant battle , the number of blades he could maintain stably increased . The extra blades had no purpose when they were attached , but greatly improved his area damage when he shot them away .

Chop] was more and more turning into an area skill , but it didn’t really improve the power of his strikes . He would have to imbue his Dao into the blades in order to improve the lethality compared to a normal swing . Luckily area damage was just the thing he needed with the monster hordes , so he was quite happy with the improvements .

Initially he wasn’t sure what the point was of creating five blades in this new manner since he could just create them one by one and shoot them out in succession instead . But he realized that the Cosmic Energy consumption was a lot lower for copying an existing blade rather than creating it from scratch for some reason . Creating five blades the new way only required half the cosmic energy compared if he created them one by one . East blast he shot out usually killed a good amount of beasts , so being able to launch twice as many was a huge improvement .

He hadn’t really explored the effect of Axe Mastery] yet , as he didn’t have the luxury of spending cosmic energy on the training system with the hordes constantly requiring attention . He hoped he’d get some days off where he could try it for a bit after the first horde was finished with .

Zac spent a decent chunk of cosmic energy in quickly reaping the lives of a large part of the wave , which allowed the melee warriors to head out and help out with the remainder . Soon only a few stragglers remained and Zac could deactivate the shield . The shield was only active for roughly 30 minutes , but Zac knew that it cost him over a hundred thousand Nexus Coins . Even with his large number of kills from using his area attacks he knew he took a loss from this wave .

That’s why he had refused to use the shield thus far , even though it cost the lives of a couple of demons . It might seem callous , but no one was stepping up to share the cost of maintenance , with everyone trying to amass as much wealth as possible from the waves .

He could force them to hand over some the earnings , in a manual shakedown of sorts . But he didn’t feel the need for that as of yet , and saw their gains as a salary . But if it came down to it he wasn’t above commandeering everything they had in order to protect his base . The demons were aware of this fact , and many even braved the dangers of the wolf hordes in order to burn all their cash at the Thayer Consortia when their pockets became heavy .

Apparently Calrin was well aware of the situation and had hiked up the cost of the herbs needed for medicine baths to twice its normal prices , citing the troubles of restocking during war-time . Zac suspected was all baloney as the Gnome had access to the Mercantile System , which allowed him to easily restock the supplies at any time .

The demons could only grit their teeth and cough up their hard-earned Nexus Coins . Zac really looked forward the shareholder’s meeting of Thayer Consortia in two months when he would get his quarterly dividends from the proceedings . He had a feeling that the little gnome should have squeezed out an extraordinary amount of coins from the poor demons by then .

Since the ghost wolf wave was largely dead the System quickly pumped out the next one , and the army went back to business as usual . This time it was large lumbering things that looked made out of rocks , and some even had moss growing on their wide backs . The wolves were easily the largest kind so far , each reaching over three meters tall , with the leader towering over five meters . It was a bit troublesome as the walls only stood at 8 meters , meaning that the huge thing might be able to reach the top , if it stood on its hind legs .

The saving grace was that there only was a bit over a hundred of them , but each felt like a walking siege machine , and Zac started to wonder whether he should erect the barrier again before these hulking things started to break down the fortifications . Imagining the cost of maintaining the barrier with these monstrosities charging at it quickly helped Zac arrive at a decision , and he charged toward the wolves after the customary rock throw which only elicited an angry growl this time .

Chapter 88 - A day in the Wolf Horde

Zac intercepted the group of wolves some distance in front of the walls , not wanting to give them a chance to ruin his fortifications . These hulking things really looked like they could cause a dent it the wall . Zac really wished that the walls were inscribed with protective inscriptions like the whole Shipyard , since then he wouldn’t have to worry about this . Unfortunately , there was no one with the skillset to inscribe the wall among the demons .

It was a recurring problem with the non-combat class demons in Azh’Rodum . Only a handful possessed great proficiency or promise in their field , with the rest generally being assistants or simply untalented . Most of the more talented ones enjoyed almost the same level of reputation in the demon clan as the warriors and decided to head back as their punishment would be bearable . That left a large number of people fumbling around , kind of like Zac . Ogras had obviously oversold the competences of his people the first time they met .

A huge rocky maw approaching woke him from his thoughts , and he sidestepped a few meters with his movement skill . His normal axes were much too small to do any real damage to these massive things , so he swapped it out for his huge elongated axe . He didn’t want to use too much energy this wave , as he spent more than usual the last one .

Fighting the monster waves was a marathon rather than a sprint , and conservation was key . He jumped up a few meters and with a grunt decapitated the huge monster . Rock chippings flew all about as the head fell down , and Zac felt that the cut barely was enough . The axe took noticeable damage as well from cutting into the hard monster even though it had strengthening inscriptions .

Suddenly his Luck stat warned him of something approaching from behind and he immediately pushed to the side . It surprisingly was the head of the fallen beast . Or rather , it were a few smaller versions of the large rocky wolf that somehow was born out of the decapitated head . Zac was surprised but quickly killed them with a few swings .

He looked over to the main part of the body and saw that it was starting to squirm . Soon over ten wolves were born through its various parts , the transformation creating jarring sounds of rock scratching against rock . These wolves were apparently like some type of matryoshka dolls , containing more monsters inside . Even worse , he saw the smaller version he just bisected once more turn into even smaller wolves , these ones the size of medium-sized dogs .

After some deliberation , he chose to ignore these new smaller beasts and instead ran toward the next huge wolf . With a large jump he approached the next wolf from above , and at the last second he infused his large axe with the Dao of Heaviness . The swing contained the momentum and weight of a falling meteor , and not only was the beast cut in two but cracks ran all along its body .

A large surge of cosmic energy entering his body told Zac that the swing had destroyed a lot more than just a few beasts like his last swing did . It seemed he needed to do large scale damage to the rocks if he wanted to destroy the smaller versions along with the main body . Since most of the beasts in this one was dead , he proceeded to the next one . The large ones were the real trouble , as they might be able to threaten his walls . After they split into multiple smaller targets their threat lessened greatly , and the demon army could handle that .

Zac went from beast to beast and with large swings destroyed one towering beast after another . Every time he infused the swings with the Dao almost half the monsters inside died as well due to cracks forming all over from the impact . After roughly a dozen wolves his large axe was starting to distort from the force , and he could only helplessly tuck it away , instead bringing out a large mallet . It was reminiscent of the large hammer a demon used on top of the mountain , and Zac found it pretty interesting when he raided the Demon’s armory .

He still preferred using axes , but sometimes other weapons were simply more convenient . Blunt force was clearly the best tool against these beasts , and that wasn’t something axes excelled at . Unfortunately Zac had problems using his Dao of Heaviness with the large mallet , but with his enormous Strength he only needed his body against these wolves .

One by one the large wolves were decimated by Zac’s approach , and he actually managed to destroy 80 of them before they reached the wall . Left behind in his wake were broken rocks and smaller wolves who resumed the approach .

The demons on the wall had huge trouble destroying these large beasts , as it took them an inordinate amount of effort to destroy another 10 of them . Helplessly they could only focus on the smaller ones , as they began a methodical dismantling . The number of wolves was staggering by now , as most of the wolves survived after Zac switched to the mallet .

The last surviving whole wolves heedlessly ran into the wall , creating huge impact that could be felt to the bone . Worst was the area where the boss rammed the wall , as large cracks ran all the way to the foundation . The earth mages on top of the wall quickly stopped their attacks , and instead focused on mending the cracks before they spread any further . A few unlucky demons were even flung off the wall into the ground by the shockwave .

After the initial impact , the normal wolves couldn’t do too much damage . They scratched and bit the walls , and with every attack deep gouges were created . Still , it would take some time before they got through the thick walls , so Zac wasn’t too worried about that . The boss was another matter .

With surprising nimbleness , it backed away a bit and stood up on its hind legs . The monster was huge , reaching a fair bit over ten meters in height when it stood like this . It looked like bad news to Zac , forcing him to action even though he usually tried to ignore the boss as long as possible . He even swapped out the mallet for his usual axe , and charged up a Chop] as he approached . With one quick motion he cut off one of the hind legs , but it was too late . The monster was already falling down toward the wall , and with a tremendous crash it slammed into it . Rocks from both the boss and the wall flew everywhere , and the shockwave forced even Zac back some distance .

Luckily the wall was sturdy enough that a single bodyslam wasn’t enough to destroy it . A section of the top wall was crushed though . Even worse , the boss created a sort of ramp up toward the other side , and it looked like most of the wolves were ready . They stopped their assault at the wall and charged toward the now unmoving boss .

The fact that Zac gained almost no cosmic energy when he lopped off the leg told him that the boss was still alive , and simply kept still in order to let its minions over the wall . This put Zac in a predicament , as he didn’t know whether to kill the boss or try to stop the invasion on its back . If he destroyed the boss the security breach would be fixed , but the next wave would spawn prematurely . Conversely , if he left it alive some demons risked dying from the onslaught .

After some hesitation he started chopping off parts of the large boss , making the walkway along its back a bit thinner . He quickly stopped after the walkway was only three meters wide at most parts though , as he was afraid the System would count it as a kill if he continued on .

After that he placed himself on the back of the wolf to meet the oncoming onslaught . Hundreds of stone wolves were converging on his location , and Zac destroyed them one by one as they approached . He once again took out a second small axe to dual-wield against the incoming sea of wolves . He was like a grinder where wolves entered and small chunks of rocks exited . Every now and then some of the smaller wolves slipped through the cracks and ran past Zac up toward the wall . A second line of defense consisting of a few melee warriors had already formed behind Zac though , and they were quickly dealt with .

The other demons weren’t idle either , as they bombarded the wolves below . Zac’s actions created a chokepoint , and the wolves trying to get up their leader’s back were packed tightly along the wall . Any attack was having great efficiency as it was essentially impossible to miss by now . A group of warriors also scaled the wall down to ambush the wolves from behind as they all tried to move toward Zac .

The number of wolves was steadily decreasing , and the battlefield was starting to fill with rocky debris . It was worst around Zac as most of the action was centered around there . It was actually starting to create a problem , as every death added onto their boss , and the wolf-ramp was growing wider and sturdier as the battle went on .

It was getting increasingly hard for Zac to kill everything that tried to get up without expending any cosmic energy , as he simply had trouble reaching both sides of the widening ramp . Every now and then he stomped the ground with a Dao-Empowered Foot , creating a small landslide of rocks and gravel . It helped to somewhat allay the problem , but it was only delaying the inevitable .

Stash the rocks into Cosmic Pouches! - Zac shouted behind him , and a few demons moved forward to comply . He had actually attained the Book of Babel] some time ago by using contribution Points .

The skill wasn’t available in his Nexus Node , so he was quite excited to see the skill in the temporary contribution shop . The shop was actually another crystal that spawned close to his camp , along with a huge monitor that listed the rankings of contribution . It only showed the top 10 though .

The skill cost a week’s worth of Zac’s contribution points , but he felt it was worth it . Communication was getting more important as the waves got harder and some teamwork was needed . Besides , he would need the skill soon anyway when he set out from the island . He had no idea who he’d meet when he left since the world had gotten randomized , and it would be quite frustrating if he finally met humans but couldn’t communicate with them .

The wave was finally starting to thin out , but the battle on top of the boss had continuously caused damage and cracks to the hulking beast they stood on . Finally , some threshold was passed , as Zac saw the portals start pulsating in the distance . Since there was no reason to be careful anymore Zac ordered the demons to back up to the wall again .

Next he charged up a huge fractal blade on each of his axes , and even empowered them with the Dao of Heaviness , turning the blades darker and giving them a palpable pressure . With a roar he swung down on the boss below , and the power from his swings completely decimated the beast and everything along with it .

The landing that had accumulated over time from the kills was completely destroyed as the strikes made debris fly in all directions , and even the closest wolves were thrown away . He immediately removed the Dao empowerment from the blades but kept them up for a few seconds as he completely destroyed any remainders of the siege . It would be impossible for the non-combat classes to pick up all these small pieces of gravel so he had to spread them out as much as possible .

Tens of the stone wolves were caught up in Zac’s wide swings , and along with the efforts of the demons less than ten percent remained . Finally content Zac let the fractal edges dissipate as he turned toward the next wave that was already approaching . These wolves had a washed-out cyan coloring , and the ground actually froze to ice where their feet touched as they ran . Zac sighed as he picked up one of the larger rocks from the ground and moved toward the incoming wave .

The day was far from over .

Chapter 89 - The Final Four

As the days passed the fights got increasingly desperate . Zac had improved quite a bit over the last weeks enabling him to pick up some of slack . But the same thing couldn’t be said about the demons . He was surprised to hear that most of the demons that entered the incursion were actually level 75 already , stuck in the first bottleneck . Their current power was around a level 50 , or a level 30 elite . This made Zac realize that levels were only a half-decent indicator for actual power .

The continuous battling was a crucible that let a few warriors push through their limits and improve their skills . There had even been a few warriors who gained a Dao-Seed in their desperation . A nondescript demoness gained the Seed of Tinder , and her fireballs suddenly created waves of death as the flames quickly spread into their surroundings . But it wasn’t enough .

Ogras was truly impressive , both in the number of his kills and his leadership . Over the weeks his role as the leader of the demons went from something born out of fear into willing submission . Unfortunately Ogras didn’t have the inhuman Endurance and Vitality of Zac , and as the fights got more intense the shorter amount of time he was able to keep going .

Initially the two split the fighting 50-50 , giving both sufficient rest , but now Zac fought in 75 percent of the waves . In some waves he simply acted as a back-up to the tired Ogras , but the other waves he was forced to almost single-handedly carry .

Just in the last day Zac had been forced to activate the shield on eight of the waves , rapidly draining his crystal reserves . One of the waves he actually decimated with the offensive component after letting everyone rest for a full 59 minutes .

In a perfect world he would have done that in every single wave for half a day , but it , unfortunately , was impossible . The offensive attack took twelve hours to recharge and cost 2500 crystals to use . Even though he had a crystal mine to his name , the actual amount of crystals he had on him wasn’t too large , so he had to use the attack sparingly .

Zac was running quite low on crystals , even though Ogras reluctantly fished out a surprising amount of them a week ago . They were his private hoard he kept as long as possible . Zac regretted that he traded so many of them for Nexus Coins prematurely . He was afraid the whole wave would come in one go instead of the incremental way the wolves had , and splurged on the array and a few offensive options to be able to meet a storm of beasts .

Only afterward did he know that he was wrong , and Ogras was as surprised as he was . It was easy for him to sometimes see the Demons as some omniscient beings , but Ogras was only a youth from a D-Ranked world just like him . There were an endless amount of things he didn’t know the specifics of either .

Zac had even gone to buy back some of what he sold to Calrin , prepared to eat a loss . He was dismayed to learn that Calrin’s reasons for hiking up prices of herbs weren’t actually purely a business tactic . There apparently were restrictions put in place the moment the waves started and the protective shields of the shop were erected . The System stopped the trade of certain items , and crystals were one such thing .

Crystals were used in powering most powerful arrays and war machines , and Calrin said he believed the reason for the embargo was that the system didn’t want people to finish hard quests with money alone . It made sense , as the beast horde quest would become a joke if Zac had unlimited funds . He could just sit on top of the wall and watch as powerful arrays ripped the wolves to shreds . He had seen the terrible power of the arrays the one time he activated the offensive functions . The blasts left nothing alive of that wave .

He already had an advantage from possessing the mine and the knowledge of the demons . Without either the quest would be far harder , but still manageable . Unfortunately the restrictions on trade meant that Zac couldn’t just keep the array active for the last four hordes . His remaining crystals simply wouldn’t be enough .

Just four more waves , - a voice said next to him as Zac stood on the wall . It was Ogras who looked uncommonly rested . Both he and Zac had taken it somewhat easily the last day even though the waves were getting quite extreme , which was partly why he had been forced to use the shield so much . The two could only assume the finale would be pretty bad from the escalation of difficulty .

Zac grunted in affirmation as he threw rocks at the stragglers of the wave below . These wolves were extremely thin and excelled in speed , so Zac only managed to hit them every ten throws or so . He could have gone down but these wolves were actually quite dangerous . Their claws were razor-sharp and together with their speed one of them actually managed to cut a wound on Zac’s throat before he managed to react . He had quickly climbed up the walls again after the scare .

If the wolves were a bit faster the wave would have been really calamitous . With their amazing speed and light frame they actually managed to run up most of the wall before being impeded by gravity . A few actually made it all the way , but they were quickly ganged up on before they could orient themselves and do any damage .

The rest had slowly been dealt with using quantity over quality . The monsters were too deft to target so the demons simply focus fired certain congested areas , pelting it with spells and arrows . A whole area with a radius of fifty meters quickly became a zone of death , and even these quick wolves couldn’t escape .

Still , the elusive wolves took time to kill , and some still were running about below the wall even as the summoning of the next wave approached , every so often trying to scale the fortifications . The portals in the distance pulsated , which signaled the next wave’s arrival .

Soon the 717th wave was approaching . These wolves looked quite normal , apart from the fact they were completely white , making them look albino . But instead of the red eyes that usually accompanied that condition even their eyes were without any color , making them look blind . The only exception to the monochromatic color scheme was a perfect black circle in their foreheads .

They trotted toward the wall in a uniform speed , not heedlessly charging like most of the waves did . When they were a few hundred meters they suddenly stopped and let out a synchronized howl toward the defenders .

The sound pierced into Zac’s ears and he immediately got woozy . He forcefully refocused his mind and looked at the surroundings , and saw most of the demons hunkered over . Many bled from their eyes or ears as well , a testament to the penetrating power of the howl .

Mental attack , - Ogras hoarsely said , his eyes a bit red from the impact . He glanced at Zac who seemed completely unperturbed by the assault . - Jeez , just how high is your Intelligence? Such a synchronized attack didn’t even affect you . -

Zac ignored the comment as usual . Ogras tried to dig out some information about Zac’s class and attributes every so often through innocuous comments . Zac didn’t trust himself to weave a believable net of lies and then keep track of it , and could only stoically ignore the remarks . He instead focused on the psychic wolves in the distance , and suddenly his eyes turned into a needlepoint .

DOWN! - Zac roared on top of his lungs , and most demons immediately threw themselves at the ground . Over the past weeks most learned to trust Zac’s nose for danger , and wouldn’t hesitate to follow his commands . However , a few were still dazed by the mental attack , and they paid dearly for it .

Another earth-shattering howl somehow created an enormous shockwave that pushed toward the fortifications with lightning-quick speed . In just over a second it closed the distance to the wall , ripping the straggler wolves from the last wave to shreds on the way . The wave slammed into the wall with a tremendous impact and the only thing stopping the demons from falling off was the protruding wall on the inner side of the wall walk . Multiple cracks ran along the fortifications , and some parts even completely crumbled .

The few demons who hadn’t reacted in time met miserable ends as well . Some at least managed to activate one type of defense or another , such as stone skin or a magic shield . But the defenses quickly shattered as the demons were thrown off the wall into the distance , their life , and death unknown . The demons who hadn’t even erected defenses immediately turned to mangled pieces of flesh and bones that splattered their teammates .

Fucking imbeciles - Ogras muttered as he shook off a piece of brain matter that had fallen on his legs . He had been the first to throw himself to the floor , his survival skills simply impeccable as always .

We can’t let them shoot off another blast like that , the wall will completely crumble , - he continued as he turned toward Zac .

The shaking from the impact quickly subsided and Zac hesitantly looked up over the wall . The wolves simply stood rooted at the same position as before , their white eyes staring at him . Not one of them took a single step forward , and they seemed to be waiting for something .

Zac guessed that it took some time to charge a blast of that power , but he didn’t want to find out how long . This race of wolves clearly preferred ranged attacks , and if they were left alone they would quickly turn the whole wall into rubble .

He didn’t dare erect the shield as well , as he wasn’t sure that it could even withstand such a concentrated attack . It was one thing for it to defend against a multitude of claws and bites , but to withstand the concentrated power of hundreds of fused attacks at once? Zac felt doubtful . Even if it held it would take a massive amount of crystals just to defend against an attack of that magnitude , and Zac might find himself without the use of the fortifications against the next three waves .

We need to go , - Zac simply said and got ready to jump over the wall .

What the fuck , are you crazy? - Ogras immediately said , clearly unwilling to brave such an army .

Zac only ignored him and jumped down , creating a thud as he landed . At least there were no wolves of the last wave remaining standing after the blast wave . He unhesitantly charged straight for the ranks of the psychic wolves . As he started running he heard an exasperated - Goddamnit - and a lighter thud behind him .

With a wry smile , he kept running and took out a huge boulder from his pouch . It weighed a few hundred kilos and looked like something a catapult should throw rather than a human . Zac launched it straight into the middle of the pack with a resounding roar , wanting to disrupt their rhythm .

A shimmering shield actually winked into existence in front of the group , and the boulder slammed into it with a terrifying force . The shield wobbled and flickered from the impact , but it barely held true . But just as the stone helplessly fell to the ground a black javelin slammed into the very same spot , cracking the shield with a snap . As the large shield broke and many wolves let out a pained yelp .

The wolves’ magical defenses were down and an opening was created . One human and a demon rushed inside , each creating a storm of blood .

Chapter 90 - Worsening Conditions

The psychic wolves weren’t as deadly in close quarters , but Zac still was constantly pelted with waves of mental attacks which strained his mind . Fortunately his stats made him able to barely hold on , but he was worried about his partner . A quick glance showed him that he was worried about nothing .

Ogras was creating corpses all around him with his deadly spear . Zac also saw that the demon wore a circlet he had never seen him use before . It was a simple metal band with engravings , and in the forehead between his horns a large milky white gem was inlaid . The gem flashed with power every now and then , giving out a hazy light . It looked like the demon had a tool that protected him from psychic attacks .

Zac didn’t have that kind of luxury , and could only painfully withstand the attacks as he wildly swung his axe around . The two were quickly decimating wolves , but the wolves weren’t just sitting around doing nothing . The flanks of the wolf wave split off from the rest while the main group kept the two powerhouses busy , and instead headed closer to the wall .

Zac tried to move to stop them , but was overwhelmed with shockwaves and mental attacks from all directions , and couldn’t get out in time . The offshoots started to bombard the wall with attacks , mainly targeted the damaged area .

The demons on the wall , led by Alea and Namys , tried to handle the wolves as quick as possible , but most of the attacks were ineffective against the wolves’ newly erected shields . Besides , many warriors on the walls weren’t still back to fighting condition after the initial psychic blast .

Hearing the ominous sounds of rock cracking Zac could only grit his teeth and Summon Chop] . He didn’t want to use any cosmic energy this wave in order to save it all for the last three , but he saw no option . He expanded the blades to five meters , and in conjunction with Loamwalker] created huge swathes of death in the main group of wolves .

Every step moved him a few meters into a new group of wolves , who immediately were bisected by a swing of the enormous edge , before he disappeared to the next cluster . It looked like large blood explosions erupted amongst the wolves in quick succession , as he almost wasted no time on movement between the swings .

Over the countless battles over the month he had mostly mastered his movement skill , and could freely move within a few meters of his position with a speed that almost looked like teleportation . It had a huge effect on his kill speed in conjunction with his enlarged edge , but it also cost a substantial amount of cosmic energy .

When he felt he had pruned the group of wolves to the point that Ogras could take care of it himself within the remaining time of the wave , he charged toward the offshoot groups . Ogras seemed to be incensed from seeing Zac rack up a huge amount of contribution points in short order , and his spear turned into a blur as he moved through the wolves . He used some odd skill that caused holes to erupt in the throats and heads of wolves even when the spear was meters away , making it look like there was a sniper in the distance assisting him .

The flanks that assaulted the wall had splintered into even more groups in order to avoid the attacks from the demons , and small shockwaves were constantly flying up at the cracks on the wall . The wall looked ready to fall down , with spiderwebs of cracks running along large stretches . A few earth mages frantically infused the wall with energy in order to patch it up , but it would take some time to restore its structural integrity .

In some areas large chunks of the wall were even lying down by the foundation , having been blased clean off . Fixing those large breaches would take time and require a lot of manpower to lift the pieces back , which there obviously was no time for .

The battle started calming down over time , as Zac eased the pressure for the demons by charging at the wolf packs one by one and decimating them . He was starting to get a pounding headache from all the mental assaults , but he couldn’t do anything but grit his teeth and continue . Another fifteen minutes later Ogras came running over , a sheen of perspiration covering his head . He stopped and took a few deep breaths before he turned

Lunatic! Leaving me alone with all those beasts , - the demon spat out between deep breaths , looking miffed but obviously not too angry .

Well it worked out fine , didn’t it? Do you have some solution for the wall? - Zac answered with a shrug as he waved at the crumbling battlements .

The two had taken stock of the available crystals right before the last four waves , and there were enough Nexus Crystals left to power one widespread attack and to use the shield for roughly an hour unless the attacks were too powerful . With three waves remaining he didn’t wish to start using the shield already , potentially leaving them undefended against the last two waves .

As if feeling Zac’s thoughts a deep rumbling could be heard from the wall , and a whole section crumbled , leaving a three-meter wide opening through the wall .

FUCK! - Zac screamed and didn’t wait for Ogras’ answer , immediately running toward the breach .

The last stragglers of the psychic wolves were already converging at the hole as well , seemingly wanting to cause some damage before they were wiped out . To make matters worse the pillars started pulsing again at this very moment , the 718th wave starting to pour out from the shining lights .

REPAIR THE WALLS! - Ogras roared as he ran after Zac , shooting out shadow spears at the charing psychic wolves .

With Zac and Ogras holding up the wolves a few dozen burly demons frantically started moving large pieces of rubble back into the wall , where earth mages melded the pieces back into the main structure . The earth mages had been tapped hard lately , and they looked like walking corpses by now , completely pale and with sunken eyes .

But they were the only ones who could fix these types of things in short order , and simply had to keep going even if they overtaxed themselves . They knew that if the wall fell most demons would die . If they were overrun the two leaders in the front might be able to escape , and perhaps the generals like Alea and Ilvere as well . But the earth mages didn’t specialize in escape techniques , and the wolves would hunt them down sooner or later . So they kept infusing the wall with cosmic energy , to the point of harming their bodies .

Ilvere and Namys appeared next to Ogras , who started to give out orders .

Ilvere , help with the repair of the walls , only you and Zac can hold the largest blocks of stone while they get reattached . Namys , help me control the remaining Psychic Wolves . Zac , can you go ahead and try to stall the next wave? -

Zac looked around for a second and judged the situation was under control , so with a nod he sped off toward the next wave . He held roughly the same pace as the new wolves so he met them right between the wall and the mini-incursions and frowned when he saw the new adversaries .

The new wave consisted of metallic wolves full of jutting edges and sharp blades , looking like some steampunk tool of war . Just from a glance he couldn’t tell whether they actually were machines or living beings . Of course , that line apparently was a bit blurred in the multi-verse , with the Creators being a prime example of that . He guessed that destroying one should give him the answer , as he would see whether parts or metallic blood would spew out .

He took out another rock and threw it with full force at one of the wolves in the front . It moved its head to not take the stone right in its snout , so it slammed into its shoulder with a tremendous crash . The wolf was thrown away a few meters from the impact , but Zac saw the beast shake its body and get back on its feet right away . Where the stone hit only a small dent could be seen , and it didn’t seem damaged at all apart from that .

Zac possessed over 250 strength by now and had the power to lift a small car . That a full-powered throw from him only caused some superficial damage to the beast told a troubling story about this wave . How were they going to destroy these wolves in time? There would only be a scant few that could deal with these things apart from himself and Ogras .

But he had a job to do so he could only grit his teeth . He charged up a five-meter Chop] and unhesitantly imbued it with his Dao of Heaviness . The blade turned darker and more intricate as he swung at the incoming stampede .

He felt a shock travel up his arm as he mowed through the metallic beings with his axe , their sturdiness being far and above anything he had fought so far . Even the rock wolves from earlier weren’t any problem for him with his overpowered stats .

Luckily the wolves didn’t fare any better as they were destroyed into metallic pieces over the ground . Zac did everything he could to impede the charge expending both mental and cosmic energy in wreaking havoc . Many of the wolves headed straight for Zac in order to avenge their brethren , but some still ignored him and continued onward toward the wall .

Some packs kept trickling past him as the main force kept trying to mob him to death , and after 15 minutes he was pretty wrung out and needed a break . His arm was actually starting to feel sore and he had been forced to swap axes six times in the short duration , as they simply were getting destroyed on the tough bodies .

He started to push back toward the wall , and he could only hope that it was somewhat fixed at least . Unfortunately , he saw that it was still an open entrance , and the metallic wolves were trying to get in . At least the hole was mostly shored up , the opening being quite a bit more shallow .

Zac soon arrived at the breach and met a tired-looking Ogras accompanied by Namys and Ilvere . A quick glance showed Janos and Alea at a walkway that was built above the crack , giving the demons above a spot to throw down large boulders of debris at the monsters . The boulders were too heavy to be carried , but they simply used Cosmos Sacks for it , summoning them up above and letting gravity do the rest .

These fuckers are so hard to kill , there’s no way we will be able to take down all of them , - Ogras grunted , clearly starting to fade from his high Cosmic Energy expenditure . The two demons looked ready to keel over , but they coordinated their attacks to take down one wolf by one in a stoic manner .

Zac planted himself in the crack , and helped arduously destroy one wolf after another . Eventually , they ran out of time , even as quite a few wolves remained . The pillars started to light up as usual , but this time it looked different . The glow looked almost blinding , and soon Zac saw why .

The 719th wave was an endless sea of wolves , tens of thousands of them . And even as they approached the wall , the pillars kept spewing more out .

Chapter 91 - Lightning Punishment

RETREAT! - Zac unhesitantly roared as he saw the insane amount of wolves approaching . If he had to guess he would say that the System crammed 20-30 waves worth of wolves into one .

The demons immediately complied and moved down from the wall to a far lower one roughly 50 meters further in . It could barely be called a wall , not even reaching three meters in height , and was rather a purchase to gain a bit better vantage when fighting . The wall wasn’t made to physically rebuff enemies , but rather it was there as a line of demarcation , showing where the Town Defense Array would cover .

Soon only Zac , Ogras and his two confidantes were holding off the remaining metallic beasts as the rest had moved back to safety .

Ogras looked a bit hesitant as he turned to Zac .

Are you sure about this? -

In response Zac only nodded and took out a blue glass ball out of his pouch , not stopping his attacks with his other hand . The glass ball crackled with lightning , as though a thunderstorm was caught and crammed inside the bauble .

Alright . See you on the other side friend , - Ogras said with a solemn expression as he nodded to the other two demons . They rapidly moved backward , leaving Zac alone in the crack facing a sea of wolves .

Soon after the last three demons were inside the defensive array flickered into being , covering the inner area of Port Atwood . Zac instead moved out toward the incoming waves . Some of the metallic beasts charged after him , while some tried to claw their way into the array .

As Zac pushed forward he started to infuse the glass ball with cosmic energy , making the thunder inside flit about more and more erratically . After roughly two minutes a large part of Zac’s remaining cosmic energy was consumed , but finally a change happened in the ball . It was as though it had reached critical mass , and started to absorb a huge amount of cosmic energy from the environment itself .

The ball started to flow in the air on its own , and Zac’s both hands were freed to protect the device . It would take a few more minutes before it was ready . He stayed put and mindlessly killed any wolf that came close , and he was surprised to see that he recognized many of the wolf-types from things he had fought during the past weeks .

It was like the System had summoned an all-star combination of the wolf-waves for the 719th assault . Zac was pelted by all types of attacks , but luckily his E-Grade robe protected him from most of it . As he fought the sky started to darken , and ominous rumblings echoed out through the island . A huge bolt of lightning flashed , and suddenly the hovering ball next to Zac was gone . He knew his mission was completed and started to bolt toward the protective array with full speed , not caring about the wolves anymore .

As he ran the battlefield turned almost pitch black from huge dark clouds that amassed with impossible speed , and then all hell broke loose . Huge pillars of lightning slammed into the ground all around the area , frying any unlucky wolf that was too close . But that was only the start as the chaos kept intensifying .

The area was blasted with such an amount of lightning bolts that the whole southern tip of the island was brightly lit up . The ground crackled and exploded at every place the bolts landed , completely destroying any wolf corpses or fortifications strewn about . In some areas the lightning was so intense that they started to spread along the ground , creating what looked like lakes made out of lightning . These lakes kept expanding , creating a field of death for anything caught inside .

Zac desperately ran toward safety , shocked about the efficacy of the device . It sounded mighty from the description when he bought it for 3 000 000 Nexus Coins , but he hadn’t expected it to be of this scale . Of course , something like this would only work on dumb beasts who refused to flee . The area of attack even spread toward the array , and lightning bolts slammed into the shield every now and then , making it light up .

The ball Zac used was actually a purely offensive array that he bought as preparation for the monster wave called E-Grade Medium Scale Lightning Punishment Array] . Different from the offensive capabilities of the Town Array it was a one-time usage attack . It was an array that consumed itself to summon the monstrous cloud in the sky that would rain death and destruction over the area .

It was Zac’s ace in the hole that he had hoped to keep until the last wave , and finish it off with a bang . But he immediately knew there was no way for them to manually kill the endless amount of wolves that spawned out of the wave , especially not with the wall in shambles . They would have been tired out then overrun from the numbers .

An acute sense of danger warned Zac , who immediately used Loamwalker] to move away as far as possible . Soon after he heard the ground explode behind him from a lightning bolt , but he didn’t bother turning around . He was closing in on the safety of the array .

The lightning actually kept increasing , and Zac was forced to keep dodging the bolts . But even with his movement skill he didn’t came out unscathed as the lightning ran along the ground between two nearby bolt , shocking Zac on the way .

His world turned white for a second and he stumbled , but he shook himself awake and continued . It felt like he was cooked from inside , and the pain was even worse than the black lightning arcs that the main branch demons used . He was forced to eat a few more secondary blasts of lightning before he finally threw himself through the array and fell down panting .

Smoke was rising from his body , and the short hair that had grown out lately was singed clean off , once again turning him into a bald monk . After a few steadying breaths he got up and turned toward the battlefield . Now that he wasn’t running for his life he could actually properly inspect the lightning storm , and the sight was truly exceptional .

He felt it was a joke he considered Rydel’s final attack to be a punishment from heaven . This was what real heavenly thunder looked like . It was as though the god of thunder himself wanted to smite this whole part of the island out of existence as huge bolts unceasingly slammed into the ground .

He looked up and saw that the cloud was spread a bit further than he had hoped , and errant bolt kept slamming into the shield . He winced with every blast , as he knew that each time lightning struck the shield it cost him Nexus Crystals .

Good hustle , human - Ogras said as he approached with his trademark half-smile . - I didn’t expect the lightning punishment to be this intense . It might be because there’s a Nexus Vein beneath the island . -

Zac nodded and brought out a canteen of water that he poured over himself , the water cooling his singed body .

I’m not sure the crystals will last , - the demon then added with a low voice , his face turning somber . - The amount of lightning striking the shield is more than we expected . -

Are the rods ready? - Zac asked in response .

The demon nodded and waved toward the small wall , that now was adorned with five-meter tall metal spears jutting out at some intervals , leading down into the ground . It was lightning rods they had asked the blacksmith create in case the lightning got out of control .

Lower the power to the shield and it might last longer , - Zac sighed .

Ogras nodded and waved toward Janos , who still was managing the shield . He touched the large crystal ball and soon the shield dimmed somewhat .

Move away from the wall! - Ogras shouted , and people spread out some distance from the wall .

Even with weakened energy output the shield defended against most of the lightning bolts . Every now and then a crack was blasted open , letting a few slip through . Luckily they harmlessly entered the rods , who pushed the lightning down into the ground , until the shield repaired itself again . However , it was clear that each rod would only be able to take one or two of these magical bolts of lightning , as they partly melted from a strike .

They didn’t have to worry about the metallic wolves outside either , as they had been the focus of the lighting since the start due to their composition . They were quickly reduced to molten pools of metal on the ground outside .

Finally , the lightning bolts started to subside and the skies cleared up with noticeable speed . Zac and Ogras finally dared to exit the shield to look at the result . They quickly moved up to the mostly ruined wall and surveyed the battlefield . Even Ogras looked shocked by what they saw . The scene was like something taken out of a horror story . Thousands upon thousands of mangled and burned carcasses covered the ground , which by itself was burnt and pocked .

Zac was surprised to see that only one pillar of light remained in the distance . Had the Lightning Punishment even destroyed the portals? As if sensing that the offensive array’s onslaught had ended the last incursion started pulsing and out walked a humongous beast . It was the 720th beast wave , and it was the complete opposite of the last one . As soon as the monstrous wolf walked out of the portal it winked out of existence .

The wolf looked abyssal with six pitch-black eyes and a much too large maw . It actually gave Zac the same vibes as the demonic beasts he had fought so far on the island and he turned toward Ogras and found him looking pale .

E-Grade Fiendwolf , - Ogras exclaimed with some fear evident on his face .

From your homeworld? - Zac asked , as Ogras clearly recognized the monster .

No , but it lives within demon territory . They are extremely dangerous . Luckily there’s only one . Usually , they rove in large packs of thousands . Still , it’s going to be a tough fight . It’s evolved to E-rank , and possess at least one Dao Seed . -

The wolf started approaching and let out a demonic roar that echoed through the battlefield . The howl felt like a physical blow to Zac , and he saw that some bloody gashes actually appeared on Ogras who lost his balance .

The wolf swiped its claws toward the two , and even though there were two hundred meters between them Zac felt a terrifying sense of danger . He immediately grabbed the falling Ogras and unhesitantly jumped down from the wall .

As he landed he heard a swishing sound from above , and the next second the wall was simply blown away , cut into multiple pieces . A terrifying wave continued on and slammed into the shield , instantly destroying it .

Dao of Sharpness… - Zac muttered , convinced that it should be the Dao Seed he had been trying to gain for so long . He realized the wave of destruction from the sharp claws felt very familiar , and he was sure that it had the added feeling of the Dao of Sharpness he once sensed in his first vision .

It's too strong . E-Rankers are simply different from us unevolved . We should give this one up , human , - Ogras muttered as he spat out some gravel from his mouth .

But Zac paid him no heed , as he stood up and glared at the last Wolf who stood between him and his goals .

Chapter 92 - Fiend Wolf

The wolf obviously was able to do great damage from such a distance , so there was no point in hiding behind the wreckage of the walls . Zac didn’t have any more tools or arrays to take care of it , so he would have to finish this last wave by hand . He took out an axe and charged toward the beast with determination in his eyes .

The fiend wolf spotted him and with a mighty roar set of against him as well . As they approached each other the boss once more swiped with its claw making three edges rend a path toward him . In response Zac charged up five Chop] edges and launched them to meet the blades one by one .

The wolf’s attack demolished the first blade without being impeded in the slightest , and the following four blades didn’t fare much better . The five blades somewhat slowed down the attack and weakened it , but it was nowhere enough to stop it . It forced Zac to use his movement skill to dodge it , happy that at least his axe didn’t take damage from using the cosmic energy blades after they detached from the axe .

The attacks of the wolf were on a higher tier compared to his own , and he didn’t know whether it was due to the Dao of Sharpness or the power of the beast itself . He knew that evolving into an E-Grade class was supposed to give a huge power-boost , but he still felt he should be able to contend with his enormous stat boosts from his titles . Luckily his movement skill was great for dodging attacks , and he sidestepped the incoming strike .

Soon he was upon the beast , and it felt even more threatening this close . It was even larger compared to the huge rock wolves he fought some time ago , reaching over six meters in height . But that clearly wasn’t its only difference . The very air around it hummed with power , and he actually felt himself getting cut by innumerable air blades . Some small cuts even appeared on his body with his huge Endurance , so Zac knew that an unevolved human would be cut into ribbons by simply walking close to this monster .

It was the beast’s Dao Field . Ogras and Alyn had explained the magical effects of Dao in battle . For example when a warrior’s insight got deeper he could actually spread his Dao out into the vicinity , creating a field that empowered himself or hurt his enemy . An early-stage Seed was too weak for that though , meaning this wolf not only possessed the Seed of Sharpness , it was also an evolved version .

He moved underneath the monster , careful to avoid its long serrated claws that looked like they could bisect him in a second . He quickly summoned Chop] and swung at one of its hind-legs in an effort to chop it off . He had no wish to stay in this field too long , as he’d be slowly whittled down to just bones .

The five-meter edge slammed into the leg some ways above the knee and penetrated into the thick sinewy muscles . But the axe didn’t get far before it was stopped . Even with Zac’s monstrous power he couldn’t lop off its leg . The swing pushed the leg back , but soon the axe in his hands started to bend .

The standard-issue axe simply wasn’t good enough to cut through the monster , at least not without the aid of his Dao Seed or a stronger skill . Even odder , it was as though some force rebounded his energy , annihilating the cosmic energy he used in the swing , which nullified much of the effectiveness of the strike .

He threw away the ruined axe and brought out a new one , but the wolf wasn’t content just to let Zac scurry about underneath its stomach . It pushed away with extreme speed and repositioned itself so that it could bite or claw after him . It started to furiously swipe at Zac , who could only once again rely on his movement skill to move away .

It destroyed the ground all around him as the waves from the claws rent gashes as deep as Zac was tall , which stretched tens of meters away . The beast wasn’t using any skills , only the power of its body empowered with its Dao , and still the effect was even greater compared to when Zac used Chop] . Gravel and charred body parts of wolves were flying all over the area from the Fiend Wolf’s assault .

Zac tried to move closer to the beast but it held him at bay with its claws and huge maw , making it impossible to get around . He soon gave up and infused a Chop] with the Dao of Heaviness and furiously swung it at the claw to intercept it . The collision was enormous , and Zac was pushed twenty meters away , the axe in his hand completely destroyed .

The wolf wasn’t unscathed though , as it yelped and backed away a bit . Nothing was cut off , unfortunately , but the empowered strike at least broke some bones in its paws and perhaps destroyed some muscles . The Fiend Wolf obviously didn’t want to put any weight on the damaged paw even though it didn’t actually bleed .

The wolf only seemed to get even more enraged and the air started to distort around it . It furiously howled up in the air , then exploded into action . With a frenzied charge it ignored its hurt paw in order to close in on Zac , who once again was forced on the defensive . Zac’s cosmic energy was over halfway depleted even before starting the battle and he knew he couldn’t just keep dodging . Loamwalker] had an amazing effect , but it was his most draining skill .

Without seeing any alternative he pushed forward right after dodging a swing , moving straight toward the beast’s head . The maw of the monster was immediately upon him , rows of jagged teeth closing in . But just as the mouth was about to slam shut a green shimmering sheen enveloped Zac .

It was the defensive option of his clothing , something he hadn’t used apart from some experiments during the past month . As a top tier E-Grade equipment , the shield from his robe stopped the teeth in their tracks , even causing many of them to crack or break off .

The pain must have been blinding for the monster , as it howled in pain while its head jerked away by reflex . Zac saw his opportunity and charged up his Chop] with the Dao of Heaviness , and ruthlessly chopped at its exposed throat . The power of his swing was enormous , and he could actually hear some things in its throat breaking . He also managed to cut some ways into its throat , making a great deal of almost pitch black blood spurt out .

The power of the swing together with the Dao of Heaviness actually threw the huge monster over ten meters away , where it landed in a deep thud . The ground beneath Zac’s feet caved from the pressure , chippings flying in all directions .

Unfortunately the swing wasn’t enough , as the monster had no trouble getting back on its feet . It was frothing at its mouth in anger , and a deep growl incessantly escaped its mouth . But just as it got to its feet nine large spikes materialized around it from clouds of green shimmering gases . Zac’s sense for danger started tingling from just looking at the meter-long spikes , and he glanced around .

He saw Alea stand some distance away with a pale face , ready to keel over . Just as he saw her she closed her fist , and a penetrating screech erupted from the wolf . Zac quickly turned back and saw that the large spikes had penetrated deep into various parts of the beast’s body .

The wolf let out an enraged roar and furiously shook to remove the poisoned spikes from its body . However , they were firmly lodged into its body , and even with its thrashing they stayed inside . The wolf howled in anger and ignored Zac to swipe its front claw toward the demoness , who desperately scrambled away . The movements of the wolf were weird and twitchy after getting impaled , but it still was able to send those sharp edges out .

The nail-attack clearly used up all of her power as she stumbled around while she tried to avoid the incoming blades . Zac knew that should have been Alea’s ace in the hole , as he could barely draw blood with his huge swings , yet all nine of her spikes penetrated the tough hide .

The onslaught quickly became too much , and the edge of a swipe hit her shoulder , drawing a great spurt of blood . She had actually used some defensive option the last minute , but the attack immediately destroyed the cloud that formed in front of her . She yelled in pain but kept moving away from the wolf , but it wouldn’t have it .

Zac tried everything in his arsenal to stop the assault of the enraged wolf , wildly swinging his axe at it , but it seemed intent of bringing the poison master down . Apparently , those spikes hurt far more than anything else it had felt during the battle . It furiously gathered a great deal of cosmic energy in its claw and swung a huge arc after her when it saw that she was moving further away .

Zac saw that she wouldn’t be able to dodge it and unhesitantly moved in front of her with a few quick strides of Loamwalker] . He activated the second charge of his shield , once more enveloping him in the protective layer as he positioned himself in front of the demoness . The enormous wave of destruction approached , and Zac was punched back from the impact . But luckily the shield held even against this huge attack .

He managed to soak most of the damage that appeared , but the wave was simply too large . Some parts passed by him , and an errant streak of power swiped Alea , making her scream and topple over . A huge gash appeared on her clothes , and blood was immediately starting to pool beneath her . It looked like the strike almost completely bisected her .

As he saw his companion who got such a terrifying wound because she wanted to help him out , a blazing fury erupted in his mind and he charged toward the hurt wolf . The only thing in his rage-addled brain was the need to destroy the Fiend Wolf . Zac didn’t even notice that cosmic energy was gathering towards his head as he furiously charged toward the boss .

The wolf was in quite a bad condition from Zac’s swings and the poison , but it roused itself to intercept his strike . Just as it did tens of black spears rose up from the ground , striking various weak spots . A large spear whistled through the air and impaled its undamaged front leg , making it fall down again with a yelp . Zac didn’t care about any of that , and with a roar pushed off the ground , sailing through the air toward the monster .

While he jumped he gripped his axe with both hands and lifted it over his head . As he did an enormous edge over ten meters formed , thrumming with a sharp power . The edge was neither the pale blue as usual nor the darker shade from imbuing it with the Dao of Heaviness . It glistened with a silvery luster , and it looked that the very air itself was cut apart as Zac moved forward .

With a bestial roar he swung down the axe , infusing all his anger and cosmic energy into the strike . He completely cut the beast in two , instantly killing it . It didn’t end there though as the strike slammed into the ground , tearing a fifty-meter gash into the ground with a thundering sound . It was like a miniature version of the huge canyon created by the axe-man in Zac’s first vision .

Seeing the beast dead it was as though all power left Zac and he unceremoniously fell down after the strike . The last furious charge completely overtaxed him , and he was almost completely out of cosmic power . As he lay panting on the ground the shadows next to him flickered , and Ogras appeared through his movement skill .

A flash of fear filled his heart as he saw the ruthless demon stare down at him , but he only bent down to give him a hand .

Good hustle , -

I thought you were going to retreat , - Zac sighed tiredly with a glance at the demon .

I was just waiting for the right opportunity to tip the scales . My normal attacks wouldn’t be able to hurt it , so you needed to do the heavy lifting , - the demon answered with a half-smile .

Zac knew the demon probably only hid in the shadows until he saw an opportunity to kill the Fiend Wolf . If it didn’t appear he would have receded into the darkness and left without so much as a goodbye . Still , he knew the demon was under no obligation to risk his life for him , so he wouldn’t comment on the flakiness .

Normally , this would be the time to celebrate with the first horde defeated , but he quickly remembered himself and ran toward the demoness who was still bleeding out .

Chapter 93 - Verun's Bite

Zac was overlooking the reconstruction and cleanup taking place around the battlefield . There weren’t many demon’s working , but they were efficient . Ogras had already taken most back to the mines to refill the stocks of Crystals for the next horde . The demon only gave his underlings one day of rest before work resumed .

There was only twelve days before the next stage of the quest started , and they needed to get ready . Luckily Zac wasn’t needed for any heavy lifting , as people didn’t need any strength to throw boulders into Cosmic Sacks .

Satisfied with the progress he turned around and headed toward the crystal that contained the temporary Contribution Shop . It stood roughly halfway between his camper and the battlefield , and when he arrived multiple demons were milling about , likely looking over their options in the store . Everyone had accrued a decent amount of contribution points over the past weeks , and there were quite a few products inside that could help them in various ways .

When they saw Zac arrive they made some room for him and nodded with respect . The demons respected the strong and Zac’s feats over the past weeks left a deep impression on them , especially the last battle with the fiend wolf . There had been a few that held strong grudges against him , mostly because of Zac having killed a family member or friend when the two camps were still at war .

But Zac knew that Ogras and Namys secretly made these malcontents have - accidents - during the wolf-horde to quell any unrest or disharmony . He felt it was a bit overkill , but he wasn’t about to complain to Ogras about such a detail . He knew he’d likely have failed the quest unless he had the demon’s help .

It was clear to Zac after having gone through the quest that it wasn’t meant for a lone warrior like him . A Lord was expected to have subjects , and perhaps even an army to assist in this type of battle . He felt extremely lucky that things worked out somewhat with the demons so far , otherwise he’d be forced to give up on his island after all this struggle . Zac realized that his alliance with the demons was only a fragile cooperation based on benefits , but it was better than nothing .

When he came within a few meters from the crystal a screen automatically popped up , containing both a Ranking list and a shop . A quick glance showed he possessed roughly 45 million contribution points . It seemed he received a full five million of those for killing the Fiend Wolf , as he had just below 40 million before that fight . Generally , the contribution points awarded were on a 1 : 1 ratio to the Nexus Coins he gained , with the exceptions of the wave leaders giving a substantial bonus above that .

The 45 million points placed him in the comfortable lead of the ladder , but the others were no slouches other . Ogras held a stable second spot with 24 million points . The former general held the lead until halfway through the waves , at which point Zac eclipsed him . It was a combination of his pathways slowly healing , allowing him to use his area skills more , and that Zac’s power leveling started to give an advantage .

Ogras grumbled quite a bit about it , but he could only helplessly watch himself get overtaken . He had tried to buy the Fruit of Ascension in order to get a power-up , but immediately got shut down by Zac . Ogras wasn’t too disappointed about it though , as there actually was one for sale in the shop for only 50 million contribution points .

While gaining contribution points was roughly the same as Nexus Coins , the prices were far cheaper . He’d never be able to buy a Fruit of Ascension with 50 million Nexus Coins , not even ten times that . Since he already got 24 million in the first wave he shouldn’t have any problems getting the last bit before the quest was over .

Zac was looking at something else entirely ; Verun’s Bite] . It was an axe that cost a whopping 40 million contribution points . It was called an F-Grade Spiritual Tool] , and Zac wasn’t sure whether it was worth it at first . But after asking around he found out that Spiritual Tools were not the same things as F-Grade equipment or weapons , it was a far more valuable thing .

Spiritual Tools possessed an actual soul , and could almost be considered a living being . Only the most talented Blacksmiths could create them , and only using the best materials . They held a power level far above a normal weapon and even had their own skills . They also had the basic functions such as sharpening and repair as well , making them a great long-term companion .

What made them an even better investment was that they could be evolved if you gathered the right materials for it , making it a great weapon to use even after ranking up . Even Ogras’ grandfather still used an E-Grade Spiritual tool he had nurtured for almost a thousand years according to Ogras . It was one of the only three E-Grade Spiritual tools in the whole clan , as far as Ogras knew at least , showing how precious they were .

A great weapon was something Zac really wanted , as it was one of his current shortcomings . Very few demons used axes as a weapon of choice , as it was generally considered a brute’s tool . Only a few of the lower-tier soldiers used it , so there were no better axes than the military standard issue on the island .

With Zac’s current power his weapons couldn’t really keep up . He was forced to cycle various weapons as they couldn’t withstand the force he utilized nowadays , and it hampered his efficiency . There were a few other interesting things in the shop , such as skills and other gear , but the axe was the most interesting for him . He initially considered taking the fruit so he had one for both his father and sister , but he reluctantly gave up that idea .

First of all , he needed to focus on strengthening himself at the moment , and he didn’t want to create any new reasons for Ogras to conspire against him . He felt that the two of them had forged somewhat of a friendship over the past month , and he didn’t want to mess things up with two more waves on the way . He wouldn’t lower his guard against the demon though , as it was far too soon for that .

Besides , he knew that he didn’t have to worry about the demon suddenly evolving and becoming too strong to control , as there were still the restrictions on the invaders that would stay on for some time .

He also considered buying some of the skills to power up , but also decided to hold off on that . The analysis by the demons was that the skills were actually of high quality , differing from those in the Nexus Node . Those were actually - overpriced garbage - as Ogras put it , and Zac could only agree after hearing the difference between his Eye of Discernment] and the skill Ogras used . In the end , he felt a real weapon would be a better immediate power-up .

Besides , there was another reason he didn’t feel the need to buy a new skill right now . He once again brought up his status window before making the purchase .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

50

Class

Hatchetman (F)

Race

Human (E)

Alignment

Human (Earth)

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered ,Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - Early , Seed of Trees - Early , Seed of Sharpness - Early

Strength

257

Dexterity

139

Endurance

173

Vitality

113

Intelligence

69

Wisdom

57

Luck

77

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

21 510 103

His stats were becoming more and more monstrous , with even endurance getting close to his original attribute cap . His dexterity was getting up there as well , partly thanks to his third Dao Seed .

Seed of Sharpness - +10 Dexterity , +5 Intelligence]

The seed also pushed him up to the fourth spot on the Dao-Ranking , and he was still surprised that he still wasn’t first with a full three seeds .

He opened up the quest screen next and looked at the reason for not feeling the need to buy any skills at the moment .

Active Quests

Dynamic Quests

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect town from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : 5 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , outpost upgraded to town , status upgraded to Lord . (1/3) 12 : 17 : 45 : 16]

Class Quests

Nature's Many Faces (Class) : Decapitate 10 000 enemies - OR - Plant 10 000 trees . Reward : Nature's Punishment - OR - Nature's Nurturing Skill . (0/10 000) - (0/10 000)

It was the first time he saw a branching quest . He immediately decided to go for Nature’s Punishment rather than Nature’s Nurturing as soon as he saw the options , even though he only could finish Nature’s Nurturing right now . The choice reminded him of his musings about his Dao seeds . He currently trod both the path of destruction through his offensive seeds , and the path of life or nature with his Tree-seed .

The choices in the quest did the same . He currently was like a walking cockroach with his monstrous attributes , so he’d go with the offensive skill Nature’s Punishment . From the sound of the other name , he guessed that it was a healing skill , or something that had something to do with plants .

Neither of those options sounded like something he needed right now , while a stronger offensive skill than Chop] was something he would really benefit from . Chop] was still great against hordes of monsters , but against strong singular enemies its effect was limited .

He closed the screen and hesitating no further bought Verun’s Bite] . An elaborate large box appeared next to him , and he immediately put it into his Cosmic Pouch without opening it . He knew these demons would eventually find out what he bought in battle , but for now he felt no need to spread rumors .

With a nod he left the demons to their business and walked toward the hastily erected town close-by . The settlement consisted of mostly tents with a few rudimentary buildings peppered in , and was the temporary living space for the demons during the quest .

He entered one of the larger structures and looked around . It was the infirmary , and it was thankfully only half-filled . The effect of Vitality was generally that something either killed you , or you bounced back in a week or two at most . Apparently , it was different at higher levels though , where the skills could contain weird energies and Daos that impeded recovery .

Alea was lying at a bed in the corner , pale but breathing steadily . Zac felt some sourness as he watched the red bandages that wrapped around her . She had become a comforting presence to him over the weeks , although he wouldn’t call it love . To see her lying here because her desire to help him against the Fiend Wolf caused some guilt in his heart , and his desire to get powerful only got stronger .

How is she? - Zac asked the physician making rounds between the beds .

She’s stable . Due to her… interests , she has focused on Vitality which is now helping her immensely , - the young man answered with some disgust on his face . Clearly , he didn’t approve of her dabbling with poison , which in a sense was the opposite of his occupation .

Zac only nodded and fished out a small vial from his Cosmic Sack .

Will this improve her condition? - He said as he opened the stopper , letting an earthy scent waft out . It was a healing pill he bought at Calrin’s for a full 2 500 000 Nexus Coins before coming here . Normally warriors kept it as a last resort type of thing , as it was too expensive to use as one pleased . But Zac didn’t hesitate to cough up the coins .

The man looked at the pill inside with some greed in his eyes but quickly remembering himself nodded his head . Zac handed it over and watch him gingerly feed it to her , using some skill to make her swallow and absorb it in her sleep . The effect was immediate and obvious , as some color appeared on her face and her breaths became deeper .

It’s helping , but she will stay asleep for some time , - the physician noted .

Zac nodded and left after observing her for some more time . Next , he found Ogras and told him that he didn’t want to be disturbed for the next few days unless it was something important . He headed back to his camper and sat down with a grunt .

First , he took out the large box and dripped a drop of his blood on his new axe to establish a connection . He would normally try it out a bit , but there was something he was even more eager to do at this moment so he put the axe back into his pouch .

Next , he took out another vial out of his pouch and looked at the pill inside . It was a deep blue with some shimmering white spots , glistening very beautifully . The pill was actually called Rivers of Cosmos] and was something Zac commissioned from Calrin the first time they met . The price tag was far more expensive than he expected , reaching 7 500 000 Nexus Coins , but its effect was also amazing . Not only would it help heal his pathways , but it would also somewhat stabilize them and make them more resilient .

His pathways were mostly healed by now , and even if he left it alone he might get better soon . But he refused to spend any more time mindlessly staying in the mines . He had things to do . He immediately swallowed the pill , and just sat down cross-legged and let the medicine do its thing . A soothing sensation soon spread through his body , like his veins were filled with clear spring water .

The healing process took a full day , and after he inspected the result he was more than happy . The Cosmic Energy that he naturally absorbed for restoration flooded his body at a pace that was far and above anything he ever felt before . He wasn’t sure whether it was because of the experience in the pond or just from evolving to E-Rank Race , but it was at least three to four times the speed from before .

After almost two months holding himself back he finally felt confident enough to start using tools and crystals to restore himself . He thought he might have been able to do it sometime earlier as his pathways were in pretty decent condition lately , but neither Ogras nor the physician really knew too much about his condition . He decided to not do anything rash and wait until he was completely sure .

Next , he took out his small box of E-Grade Nexus Crystals and immediately started to absorb it . A huge surge of pristine energy entered his body . It was on a completely other level compared to the F-Grade Crystals . If the F-Graded crystals was a water faucet , then this was a waterfall of energy that poured into his body . Still , he didn’t feel any discomfort from the deluge of power coursing through his pathways .

The energy was completely tame and quickly added itself to him , and he felt how he steadily climbed toward level 51 . The amount of energy required for a level was immense by now , but it only took 12 hours for him to reach it . He kept absorbing throughout the day , but was interrupted by the sound of a bell on the morning the second day . He opened his eyes , and with a frown looked toward the source of the sound . But as soon as he saw his guests his eyebrows rose in surprise .

As Zac suspected he saw Ogras , but with him was Rahm , the Creator liaison . Zac quickly invited them through the array and asked what was going on .

A boat of humans arrived at our docks 20 minutes ago , and they are at present being detained . -

Chapter 94 - Humans

Megan glared at their captors as she was stomping around in fury . Something was clearly wrong in the head with these people , as they silently stood like zombies with a blank stare in their eyes . The only time they moved was when she or someone else tried to leave the pier they stood on . They even blocked access to the ship , stopping them from leaving .

The only reason things hadn’t come to blows was the polite man from earlier who said that he would fetch the so-called lord of the island . Megan already disliked this mysterious person , what kind of jack-ass named himself a lord? She decided that he would get a proper lesson in manners when he arrived .

Of course she knew that her anger was simply a coping mechanism . The last months had been like something out of a horror story . She and her friends were in Vietnam on vacation when the apocalypse came , just as they were visiting a fisherman’s village . Suddenly they found themselves stuck on some island with a group of fishermen who barely spoke any English . Two of her friends had also simply vanished into thin air , and she still didn’t know what happened to them .

The shocking changes were only the first trouble that appeared . The animals on the island slowly turned insane , and they grew way too large . In the beginning they could fight them off , which was how they learned about levels . But the monsters grew too strong too fast . Hundreds of rats as large as Labradors charging their small village was what broke the camel’s back , forcing them to set out to sea on one of the dingy fishermen’s vessels .

It was a risk , as two boats had already set out without coming back , their situation still unknown . But those rats simply tore through anything and they were extremely aggressive . Mr . Trang saved their lives by fending them off while they started the boat , and he still wasn’t recovered from his wounds as he sat down nervously on the pier .

Finally she saw movement in the distance as three men were walking toward them . One was the polite man from earlier , but he walked back to his house after bowing to the other two . One was a completely bald man who looked like a monk , while the last one looked extremely weird , with greyish skin and almost white hair . He even wore some odd crown on his head with horns jutting out . Megan was feeling pretty confident that he was the so-called lord .

She was getting ready to blast off a salvo of vitriol at the two , but as the duo closed in her flame of rage snuffed out like a weak candle in a storm . Something about the monk forced her attention on him . It was as though she was facing a mountain as he approached . Every step he took was like a sledgehammer hitting her , and she felt suffocated from just being in his presence .

Most of the other castaways were faring even worse , as they backed away with pale faces . Some even knelt down on the floor , unable to stand in front of the monk’s towering aura . The pressure was so all-consuming that Megan only noticed that the grey man wasn’t actually wearing a crown when he was right in front of her . She was looking on a bonafide demon from mythology , and her terror only intensified .

What kind of monsters inhabited this island?

Control your aura human , you will kill these weaklings , - Ogras said with a subdued voice .

Zac started before quickly taking control of the energy naturally coursing through his body , making sure that nothing leaked . He had forgotten about that lesson from Alyn after spending time with the demons for so long . As a warrior got stronger their presence intensified as well , and if the discrepancy in power was too large it could even be considered a weapon . It wasn’t something like the Dao Field , rather just an effect of beings in different stages of existence . There wasn’t any point in controlling his presence among the demons , as most of them were actually higher level than himself and immune to its effects . But against low-level individuals with weak willpower he might actually be harmful .

The fact that these humans were ready to keel over was quite telling about their power . Zac quickly used his Eye of Discernment] on the twelve people and to his surprise , the highest leveled person was only level 21 .

Pathetic , - was the only comment from Ogras who obviously performed the same type of scan , and Zac had to agree . How could people survive with such low power? If these humans were representative of the average population then Earth was well and truly doomed . His image of the outside world was maybe skewed from looking at the ladder which only showed the powerhouses . Maybe the average humans were as weak as these people who probably couldn’t even kill a barghest .

Ahem… Welcome to Port Atwood . I’m Zac . What brings you here? - Zac tentatively asked , unsure how to proceed from here .

The group only stared fearfully at the two , no one daring to step forward . Zac was starting to think that his language skill wasn’t working with the humans until a thought struck him and he turned his companion .

You’re scaring them , go away , - Zac said , making a shooing motion .

Yeah I’m the problem , why don’t you blast off your Daos as well while you’re at it? - Ogras retorted with a roll of his eyes , but he walked some distance away and picked out a chair from his pouch . Next he took out a piece of fruit and started eating while pointedly ignoring the humans . The Creators also took this as a signal their work was done and wordlessly headed toward the huge warehouse .

It seemed to calm the people down somewhat to be left alone , but they still looked very warily at Zac . Finally , a woman who was the second strongest in the group stepped forward . The strongest person was actually an old Asian man sitting down , clearly still nursing some old wounds . That revelation only lowered Zac’s opinion of the youths in the group , letting an old man stand on the front line while they cowered behind .

I’m Megan . We’re from an island two days’ sailing from here . Um… what’s going on with your friend? - she said as she fearfully glanced at the demon loitering in the distance .

That’s Ogras . He lives on my island . -

That answer seemed to only make the group more fearful , but Zac couldn’t be bothered to explain any further . Going into the demon’s origins would be too troublesome , and Zac and Ogras long ago decided that they were going to pretend the demons were natives who were brought here during the integration . That little lie should hide the fact that there had been an incursion here , and that the demons were actually invaders . At least for a while .

Young man , how come I can understand you? I don’t believe you are speaking Vietnamese , - the old man sitting on the pier said with a weak voice .

Zac willed the screen for the language skill into being , making it hover in front of the group .

It is a skill I have that allows me to understand and be understood when speaking with anyone , - he answered .

Skills , what’s that? - the girl called Megan asked as she looked at the screen in wonder .

That question made Zac realize that these people were even worse off than him during his first months on the island . They obviously had no idea about many aspects of the System , not even knowing about skills . He realized he only knew about skills because of Abby and the Nexus Node where he bought Eye of Discernment] .

He was lucky in a sense that an incursion spawned on top of him . If he didn’t get to build an outpost he would have been as ignorant as these people , fumbling around in the dark . The first time they came in contact with skills would be at level 25 when they got their class . If they could even attain a class on a deserted island .

You still haven’t explained why you people are here , - Zac said as he ignored the question .

The animals became crazy on our island . They kept growing and even the rats were as dangerous as wolves in the end! We couldn’t stay anymore , so we left to find a safer place . After two days at sea we saw your harbor and thought that there might be a town here , - the girl explained .

We’re from Chicago . Is there an airport close? Have you had any contact with the government? Why hasn’t there been any rescue operations? . -

The girl kept peppering Zac with questions , giving him a headache .

The governments have likely fallen . You should have heard the voice in the beginning . The world has been integrated into the multi-verse , Earth got fused with a few other planets and everything got mixed together , - Zac sighed .

The castaways looked ready to explode from that declaration , but a voice cut through the mounting chaos .

Can we stay here , young man? There is safety in numbers - .

It was the old fisherman . The 3 other Asian men looked at Zac with some hope , whereas the Caucasians looked confused , prompting Zac to translate the question .

Mr . Trang is right , there’s safety in numbers! We have become quite strong over the past months , and were only forced to leave the island due to the huge number of rats! - one of the young men said .

The proclamation elicited a derisive guffaw from Ogras in the distance . He obviously was listening in on the conversation using some skill , and he looked very entertained .

Zac pondered what to do about the small group . It wasn’t really any problem to let them onto the island as they didn’t lack food or water . But there also were many secrets on the island , things that he didn’t want to make public to the world . Besides , he wasn’t sure that letting them stay was doing them any favors , with the next beast wave coming in less than two weeks .

You can’t let them leave . This place can’t be discovered yet , there are too many treasures here , so you need to solidify your position as Lord first . You either need to kill them or let them stay on the island , - Ogras’ voice could be heard from the shadows .

What if they leave and they tell the story of the island with demons and superpowered humans? People will rightly think that there’s some secrets on this island and set sail in search of treasure , - the demon continued . He used some sort of skill that projected his voice from a distance , and it didn’t seem that the other people could hear him at all .

Zac sighed as he knew that putting them back on the ship was out of the question now . Ogras would likely sink it with a shadow spear the moment it left the pier in order to protect his interests . Besides , he agreed with his points . He wanted to turn this island into a true sanctuary for those close to him and didn’t want random people to come here for some sort of treasure hunt .

You can stay here . But you should know that this island is likely far more dangerous than your old home , - Zac said after some deliberation . - We don’t need freeloaders . You will have to work to earn your keep . There are some areas that are off-limits on the island , and this shipyard is one of them . I’ll show you the way to the town . -

When told that this place wasn’t safe as well the group started to hesitate . But the old fisherman got to his feet with a grunt and unhesitantly followed Zac who turned to leave . The other fishermen followed suit , and soon the Caucasian youths followed as well .

Zac saw Ogras flash over and put the boat in his pouch , which caused some alarm and shock to the refugees , but he only said a few comforting words and continued on . As they walked some way the people started to find their courage and started pelting Zac with various questions . The asked about everything from what amenities the island had , to how the system worked and the situation of humanity .

These people were thirsting to know what was going on , just like Zac was before he finally got things explained by Alyn and Abby . He tried to answer as much as possible , but by the time they arrived at the tent-town , he was thoroughly tired of answering questions .

The refugees were dismayed to see that the whole population were demons , and two actually tried to run away in panic . Zac could only sigh and flash over with Loamwalker] , and carry the struggling people back . It took some time to settle the refugees , and Zac couldn’t be bothered with them anymore afterward . He pawned them off to Alyn and Zakarith , who both had the language skills that could help them acclimatize . He also had a few warriors keep an eye on them just in case they tried something stupid .

Zac held mixed emotions as he walked away from the inquisitive group . It almost felt like he was robbed of something from the encounter . One of his largest wishes over the past months was to reunite with humanity , but he didn’t expect it to be like this . A group of listless people who barely scraped by the past months . Obviously none of them had left the safety of their village overly much . Otherwise , they’d be at a higher level by now .

His own countrymen were the worst . They clearly were mainly concerned about their own well-being , focusing on questions such as food and lodging for themselves . None of them asked of how they could help or listed things they could do for a town . The fishermen mostly kept quiet after a few questions about humanity . Zac had hoped that his first encounter with humans would finally allow him to get some news about the state of the world , but it looked like he needed to switch back to his original plan .

He informed Ogras of what he was about to do , and the demon seemed to think that it was truly foolish . Zac didn’t care . Almost four months had already passed since the world changed , and it felt like ants were crawling all over his body by now .

He opened up the Town Shop interface as soon as he arrived at the spot designated by the city planners and unhesitantly bought an E-Grade Teleportation Array] for 10 000 000 Nexus Coins . A new interface opened up , and his heart sped up when he saw that there actually was a destination available .

Winterleaf Village . Public . Fee : 0 Nexus Coins]

After making sure he had everything he needed in his Cosmos Sack he took out a hooded cape that covered his elaborate clothing and a pair of leather shoes that one of the craftsmen made for him . Ogras told him that it was easy to see that his gear was valuable , and something provided by the System , and since he didn’t want trouble he simply covered it up . Next he set his own Teleportation Array to private in order to make sure only he could use it . He didn’t want anyone using it either to teleport in or out while he was gone .

Finally done , he gazed around at the island that had been his home , and prison , for four months . With a sense of trepidation and excitement he stepped on the engravings on the floor with determination in his eyes .

With a flash of light , he was gone .

Chapter 95 - Winterleaf Village

Selas sighed as he stood in front of the teleporter , waiting alongside the rest of the village leaders . His nerves were fraying , as he didn’t know what would step through the magical inscriptions . As Leader of the Hunt he had always been in charge of protection of the village , even before the Great Fall , but it was different now .

Everything kept changing , and as an old huntsman it was getting increasingly difficult to keep up . Gone were the paths that he and his ancestors had walked through the mountains , the songs detailing the hunting grounds all but irrelevant by now . In just a few years he should have retired to teaching the art of the hunt to the next generation , but now he was stuck as some castellan of the town .

When the fall arrived he found himself transported to a fantastical world with some of his village members . Determined to keep the youths safe against the twisted challenges of the System he pushed himself beyond what he knew was possible , and from his struggle he was rewarded with a Nexus Node . But even with all his effort he couldn’t keep everyone safe , as many of his villagers perished , one of them his son Winterleaf .

Not even allowed to properly mourn the death of his progeny he was instantly pushed into one desperate situation after another since he was returned to his village . Even now the village was teetering on the brink of ruin despite everyone’s efforts .

It was their tree whisperer who came up with their current gambit after using his Soothsayer class’ limited skill . He said that salvation would come through the light , and urged the town to pool their Nexus Coins to build this teleporter . But as the days passed and nothing happened anger and unrest started to build against the elder .

There were even rumblings about putting the elder in house arrest for the time being . Ten Million Nexus Coins was a huge amount , and could have bought weapons , armor , and precious herbs at the store . Many felt that they should have made a last stand before the beast using everything at their disposal instead .

That all changed when the teleporter blazed into life , its inscriptions lighting up by themselves . Selas had barely managed to gather the elders when he got the notification that a new teleportation point was added before it blazed to life , indicating that someone was already coming over .

Selas stood with his spear at the ready , staring at the light that shone with increasing intensity . Behind him stood his hunting party at the ready to protect the villagers against whatever came through that gate .

Whether it would be salvation or damnation was still to be determined .

Zac only felt darkness for a bit over a minute before he once again gained his sight back . The first thing he noticed was that the climate was clearly different , with an autumn chill in the air . Next he glanced around and found himself placed in the middle of a village square . The buildings were foreign to him though , being medieval but not of some style that he recognized .

Soon he understood why , as a group of people approached . Zac’s heartbeat sped up in alarm when he saw that it wasn’t actually humans that greeted him . Did he teleport himself into an incursion? Ogras and the crystal both said that invading forces couldn’t build teleporters since the System wanted to limit their expansion , but perhaps they were wrong .

The humanoids that closed in on him made him think that they were a mix of humans and animals . They seemed to have normal hands and feet , but they also possessed clear animalistic features .

They wore simple but seemingly high-quality gear , and carried various weapons , mostly spears and bows . Most of their exposed skin was covered in a brown or white fur , sometimes mottled with spots . They had large black eyes , and a normal face and a mouth . Their ears somewhat resembled those of an elf’s though . His assessment was that these beings were a seventy-thirty mix of a human and a fawn .

They didn’t look frail though , as even the fur couldn’t hide their sturdy frames and muscles . They also carried themselves with the grace of warriors , and these people were clearly different from the hapless humans he encountered earlier . The group stopped some distance from him , and they simply stood staring at each other for a few seconds .

It’s one of the hairless monkeys , what do we do? - Zac heard one of the fawnmen mutter .

Onyx , you learned some of their words in the tutorial , right? Greet him , - another one said as he prodded one of the females in the group .

That made Zac relax somewhat . If these people had been in the tutorial together with humans then they shouldn’t be invaders . It looked like when Earth got mashed together with other planets new civilizations were added after all .

She hesitantly looked at the leader of the group , a middle-aged man holding an intricately carved spear with a long line of leather bands attached , and took a step forward after an encouraging nod from him .

H-Hello human , - she stuttered , but before she continued Zac smiled and spoke back . At least he thought he smiled since it almost felt like he had forgotten how to do it by now .

Hello . No need for a translator , I understand your words , - he said .

The group looked a bit surprised , but not overly so .

Welcome to Winterleaf village human , I am Selas , castellan of this town , - the middle-aged warrior said . - May I ask what brings you here? -

Our town is located in an extremely isolated area , and we couldn’t find a single person nearby . So we bought a teleportation array in hopes of finding other humans , - Zac answered .

It wasn’t exactly his reason as he bought the teleporter in order to start looking for his hometown during the downtime of the quest . He finally had the resources and the time to put his plan into motion , and even though the expense was high he felt it worth it . If he ran out of Nexus Coins he would simply extort some of the demons , as they all made a fortune from his monster horde quest .

I am sorry , but what… are you people? - Zac tentatively followed up , unsure how to properly frame such a question .

You must really have been isolated if you haven’t met any of the Ishiate so far . We might be the most populous species apart from you humans on this new world of ours , - Selas answered with some surprise . - Please join us in our town hall . Meeting of new friends is always a joyous occasion . I can fill you in on the area as we walk . -

Zac nodded after some hesitation and followed them . His guard was up though , ready to bring out Verun’s Bite] at moment’s notice . These people were real cultivators who had done the so-called tutorial . Even Ogras didn’t know exactly what benefits you could get in there , but from all accounts they were substantial . He knew his level likely was far above everyone here , but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t pose a threat . They might have received bonus attributes , titles or extraordinary skills in the tutorial , things that could even out the odds .

Winterleaf village is built upon the remnants of our ancestral home before the fall . We were lucky at least to retain most of our structures . Many towns in the area were pushed together into a confusing mess by the System , which severely harmed their cooperation . It’s thanks to our unity that so many of our clan members are still alive , even with the changes constantly testing us . -

Zac’s heartbeat sped up as he finally was starting to get some information about the world . His words painted a somber picture , but he was mentally prepared that there would be widespread death and tragedy . Even if no incursion was nearby he knew that just the wildlife would create problems .

Are there any human settlements in the area? - Zac asked . That was the priority . He still didn’t have a picture of just how the reshuffling of the world worked , but perhaps humans had already started to map the locations of their old towns . They still should have technology such as aircrafts that they could use to scout , even though such tools didn’t provide experience when killing monsters .

The closest one is a four-day journey from here . We don’t have any contact with them though as that place is chaotic and dangerous . No offense , - the hunter answered .

What do you mean? - Zac asked with a sinking feeling .

The settlement is run by a man named Roger . He has set himself up as a warlord and rules with an iron fist . Mutilated corpses adorn his walls at all times , and he is known to have kidnapped many women . He even tried to kidnap a few female Ishiate , but stopped after furious revenge from us .

Still , he is very strong with a few powerful followers , so no one in the area dares to escalate the conflict with them . We keep our distance and put patrols to make sure that they don’t approach , and luckily they keep to themselves mostly , - the beastkin answered solemnly .

Zac was disappointed when he heard the news . He would have to check things out himself to make sure , but he leaned toward believing the humanoid . Since the beginning of the apocalypse he knew that some people would use the fall of order as an excuse to live out their twisted fantasies . That someone wanted to play emperor sounded not only believable , but expected .

He asked a few more questions as he walked alongside the beastmen toward a large structure . As he looked around he didn’t see many structures that stood out . The only building he recognized was the F-Grade General Store] that the system provided . He didn’t sense any arrays gathering energy in the area either , and the ambient cosmic energy was actually far lower here compared to how it was on his island .

He hadn’t realized how large the difference was from living on top of a so-called Nexus Vein , but his island must seem like a paradise to cultivators . Even better were the mountains , which finally were starting to become habitable again as the poison was mostly cleared out . He reaffirmed his decision to keep his portal closed until at least his beast horde quest was completed and his position as lord was solidified .

As he walked he got more and more confused as to how they could afford the huge expense of the Teleportation Array . Zac only was able to afford it due to the nexus mine and monster horde gave him an absurd amount of Nexus Coins .

But from what he had seen so far nothing really made these people stand out . Certainly , the village were decent sized , and quite a few of these fawn-people he looked like adept warriors . But unless they recently found some extremely valuable treasure they must have collected much of their wealth to construct it .

It didn’t take long after they sat down at a round table that he found out the reason behind its construction .

I am not used to small talk , so I will immediately get to the point Zac . The reason we spent most of our resources on the Teleportation Array was that we’re in desperate need of assistance . -

Chapter 96 - Terror of the Mountains

Assistance? - Zac asked skeptically .

As you know wildlife is quickly changing . A beast has appeared in the mountains , and we fear it will evolve soon if left alone . It has started hunting citizens of Winterleaf Village and the neighboring settlements . In the beginning it was just for food , but lately it seems it hunts us for Cosmic Energy judging by the numbers it’s killed . The people are unable or unwilling to join us in fighting it .

Most of the other citizens in neighboring settlements feel they can simply leave the forests if it gets too dangerous . But this is our ancestral home , we can’t just abandon it . That’s why we pooled our resources in order to find new allies through the teleportation array , - Selas said , with multiple eyes staring hopefully at Zac .

If the monster is causing trouble for your town , why don’t you buy protective arrays? - Zac questioned . A beast evolving seemed troublesome , but they could just trap it with an array and then throw something like a Thunder Punishment at it . Zac doubted even the Fiend Wolf would survive if it got stuck in the middle of that crazy lightning barrage . For the money they spent on a teleportation array they could have blasted even Zac to kingdom come .

The townspeople glanced confused at their leader who only looked a bit depressed .

Unfortunately my achievements in the tutorial weren’t enough to unlock those items . I have a quest to unlock it , but it is far outside the scope of what Winterleaf village can handle at the moment , much more difficult than simply killing the beast , - he explained .

Zac was surprised but careful to not let anything show on his face . He had no idea that different Nexus Nodes possessed a different collection of options . It wasn’t anything Ogras or the others mentioned either . He thought that the System was uncharacteristically generous by allowing him to buy things such as the Thunder Punishment and the arrays . But perhaps it was because of his achievements . It was either that or the fact that he gained his town by defeating an incursion instead of getting it in the tutorial .

He sighed and looked around the table . He could sympathize with these people , but he was not some savior who had time to go around and save the villages . His goal was simple , find his hometown and his family . It was already a daunting enough task without making detours all the time . He was about to reject their request for assistance , but a window popping up stopped him in his tracks .

New Active Quest : Monster hunt (Normal) : Slay the beast in the mountains . No assistance allowed . Reward : F-Grade Automatic Map] (0/1)]

This development surprised him . Was anyone simply able to give out quests? But it didn’t look like it was something the people around the table did , as they were simply looking at him hopefully . He guessed that it likely was the System which wanted to force him to fight the beast .

The beast is not only a threat to us , but to all the settlements in the area , both Ishiate and human lives are at stake , - another person added , taking Zac’s silence as hesitation .

Have you heard about something called an Automatic Map? - Zac suddenly asked , confusing the people at the table who looked at each other .

I know! - one of the younger people suddenly piped up . - I heard about it in the Tutorial . It’s a spiritual map that shows the area around you almost no matter where you are . It marks any settlements and towns on itself . The better the grade the more detailed it is , and the larger area it covers . -

Zac started to get eager , as this was something that would be really useful for him in his travels . He felt a bit helpless that the System once again dangled something he needed in front of his nose , but was starting to feel that was simply how it operated . Unless the rewards were tempting enough many wouldn’t risk their lives .

What type of animal is it? - Zac probed .

It is a mutated Mink . It is around three meters long and extremely aggressive . We have tried to kill it but it's extremely nimble . It sneaks into the towns at night and kills until it is discovered , and is gone before we can mount an effective counter , - Selas answered with a sigh .

And it's level? -

Last time it was spotted it was level 68 . That was five days ago . It might have gained a level or two since , as it levels up quite quickly - .

Zac mulled over what to do . The animal sounded strong , but not overly so . He possessed his new weapon and the Seed of Sharpness which increased his lethality quite a bit against solo enemies . The monster wasn’t evolved either , and wouldn’t be anywhere as strong as the Fiend Wolf he fought recently . But it wasn’t some weakling if multiple villages couldn’t kill it , and he needed to solo kill it to receive the map .

The deer-people thought Zac’s silence was an expression of hesitance , and Selas added some incentives .

Of course we don’t expect you to do this for free . I gained two spots to the worldwide treasure hunt in three months during the tutorial . I am willing to cede one of those spots to your town if you decide to help us , - the leader added with a serious face .

Treasure hunt? - Zac asked confused .

It is a limited event the System arranges seven months after the fall , where participants will be teleported to some unknown area like with the tutorial . It was possible to gain entrance tokens to the event during the tutorial , but it was notoriously hard , - the leader explained , and couldn’t help but straighten his back as he did . - It contains various valuables , from gear to herbs . There’s even limited titles available inside from what the pixies said . -

Can anyone go? - Zac asked interested , as it sounded like a pretty amazing opportunity . He was ahead of the curve in terms of power , and there likely weren’t many places on Earth where he could keep his empowerment going . This event sounded like a good opportunity that normally wouldn’t have anything to do with him since he wasn’t a cultivator .

Anyone can go as long as one is a native of this planet and has an entrance token . I believe it will be the first gathering of the elites of all the races . -

The slot was something he would definitely want . He should be able to sell it for a great sum even if he didn’t end up using it . The map itself was reason enough for him to fight the super-mink , and this was a great bonus . Still , he wouldn’t jump into it blindly and asked some more questions about the monster . Finally satisfied he was ready to set out , not wanting to waste any more time .

Ok , deal . Lead me to its den , - Zac said as he stood up .

However , none of the beastmen stood up , and instead glanced at each other doubtfully .

We… um… appreciate your enthusiasm , but killing this beast will take the cooperation and planning of a few villages . We are not ready to challenge it from our end , - the old huntsman said with some hesitation .

I need to observe its habitat and hopefully its power personally to report back home , otherwise they will not send man-power here through the portal , - Zac decided to lie . It felt like too much of a bother to convince the group that he was powerful enough to do this alone .

Still , no one seemed ready to set out and just looked down with troubled faces . Finally Selas sighed and stood up .

I will lead you to its habitat . But beware , it is extremely fast . If it targets us I will only be able to protect myself , if even that , - he said . It looked like many of the other beastmen in the meeting were about to protest , but he silenced them with a wave of his hands .

Give me ten minutes and we will set out - .

Soon the two walked along a path in the forest , heading toward one of the mountains in the vicinity . It was believed the mink lived by a river that ran through the mountain , claiming the area as its habitat .

As they walked Zac learned various things of interest . The history of the Ishiate was quite interesting . Apparently , their society was on the cusp of industrialization when they got integrated into the multi-verse along with Earth . However , their society held nature in high regard and even saw the forests and mountains as their gods .

It caused a schism between those who chose to live as one with nature and those who embraced technological progress . Conflict was common lately between the two camps , one trying to stop the desecration of their gods , the other trying to move their race forward . The Winterleaf village was part of the former group , consisting mainly of simple hunters and foragers . Zac believed that this lifestyle likely helped them survive far better in this new reality than the average people of earth .

He also learned that apart from humans and the beastmen there was at least one more race that got thrown into the mix . However , Selas didn’t know much about them as he had never seen them himself . From the description they sounded like humanoid insects , and they kept to themselves . They made no contact with the other two races from what the hunter knew , and they were extremely territorial . Anything that came close to their hives was met with furious and unrelenting violence .

There also wasn’t any incursion in the vicinity , and Selas had only heard about their existence from the lessons in the tutorial . That gave Zac some hope that they weren’t peppered across the globe , so his hometown could very well be in a more peaceful area as well . If he had to choose between the wildlife and the organized forces of the incursions as an enemy , he’d pick the stupid beasts every time .

He also tried asking some questions about the tutorial , but Selas clearly grew suspicions from the questions . Zac didn’t want to broadcast the fact that he , or his - faction - , didn’t know anything about the tutorial , and could only put those questions aside for the moment . Soon they arrived at the foot of the mountains and could see the river cutting a path through it .

We really shouldn’t venture further in than this my friend . There have been multiple reports about the beast in this area , and it could pop up at any moment as long as we walk along the river . -

Zac nodded and took out his Verun’s Bite] from his pouch . This was the second time he properly glanced at it .

The axe was slightly larger compared to the military axes of the demons , and the adjective that would best describe it was primal . It had a large almost straight edge that ran roughly 40 centimeters long , moving some ways alongside the handle . The metal of the head looked worn , with multiple scratches and imperfections . However , Zac knew that the edge was razor sharp after testing it out a bit before .

On top of the head there were grisly teeth of some unknown beast embedded that were blackened and serrated . The same type of teeth were fastened at the bottom of the slightly uneven handle . The handle itself was made of some wood , and almost fully wrapped in coarse leather . All in all , it looked like something Zac imagined an Orc war-chief would use , and it even emitted an air of danger .

Selas backed away warily as he saw Zac arm himself .

What are you doing human? You can’t possibly be… -

I am heading in . Please do not follow me . Anyone that approaches me during battle will be considered an enemy , and I will attack , - Zac said as he unleashed his presence .

The hunter was clearly shocked by the terrifying force that suddenly was gushing out of Zac , as he further backed away . After making sure that the Ishiate wasn’t following he simply nodded and headed toward the river , each step moving him over five meters away .

Soon he was walking alongside the water , carefully on the lookout for any type of domicile like a cavern . The beast was quite large and it shouldn’t be too hard to find as long as it stayed somewhere close to the river .

A tingling of danger made him instinctually swing his left hand back as he moved his head sideways . The punch resulted in a deep thud and Zac was actually pushed forward a bit as he heard a pained yelp . He quickly turned around and saw that his target had found him instead .

The huge mink stood a few meters away from him , a bit hesitant now that its ambush failed . Zac wouldn’t give up this opportunity and quickly charged up Chop] while swinging down his weapon . The teeth fastened on the axe possessed a magical effect , making it almost sound as the axe growled as it ripped through the air .

The mink was elusive and it felt like it didn’t contain a single bone in its body as it dodged the swing , jumping between outcroppings along the rock wall . Zac grunted and copied five large edges to his axe . The new cosmic energy blades looked a bit different now that they copied Verun’s Bite] instead of the old blade .

In almost impossibly quick manner he threw out the five blades , both trying to hit the animal and any places where it could try to dodge . Their distance wasn’t too large , and five blades each five meters long covered a huge area , cutting off all paths of retreat for the beast . It managed dodge four of the blades , but the fifth slammed into its front leg , cutting a deep gash .

With a pained screech it fell down toward the ground , and Zac immediately used Loamwalker] . As the beast was falling down , an axe imbued with the Dao of Sharpness rose to meet it . And like that the terror of the area was slain .

Chapter 97 - Freedom

Zac looked down at the slain beast , very satisfied with his new axe . The swing almost fully decapitated the monster , and he swiftly cut the last pieces off with another swing , bringing the progress in his class quest to 1 . He realized that he didn’t really need to use Dao of Sharpness on an enemy of this level , his new axe alone was sharp enough on its own .

Since it was only an F-grade item he had been afraid it wouldn’t be too strong in the beginning even though it was a Spiritual Tool . But he quickly realized that he was worried about nothing . Its edge was far sharper compared to his old axes , and it had no problem accommodating his power .

As Zac looked down on the weapon he was surprised to see that the mink’s blood wasn’t dripping off the weapon , but rather got absorbed . He already knew from before that Spiritual Tools needed to absorb various materials to evolve , but he didn’t expect one of them to be blood . Unfortunately , the axe didn’t come with an instruction manual of what it wanted , and Zac could only try various things .

He already knew that it didn’t want Nexus Crystals , which was sort of a relief . After some hesitation he broke off an incisor from the animal and pushed them toward the teeth on the axe , but nothing happened . It looked like he wouldn’t have to go around ripping teeth out of his foes like some demented dentist to feed the Spiritual Tool .

Next Zac started looking around the area for anything that looked valuable since Ogras said that strong beasts sometimes built their nests close to some natural treasures , as living in its vicinity would help the beast grow faster . Since the beast was clearly stronger compared to other monsters in the area there should be something of value here .

As he looked around he was once again astounded by the amount of cosmic energy his body naturally absorbed now . It almost felt like a torrent entered his body to restore his missing energy . He would have to ask around later about whether that was due to reaching E-rank Race , or if it was due to something else .

Even after looking for an hour he couldn’t find any treasure , and he could only return with a frown . It appeared that his high Luck couldn’t help him out in every scenario . Zac was soon back at where he left the deer-human and found him still fretfully walking about , seemingly unable to decide whether he should follow or go back . As he saw Zac approach he sighed in relief and approached .

My friend! It is good that you are okay . Luckily it seems the beast was awa- - he said , but his words got stuck in his throat as Zac took out the carcass of the beast from his pouch and let it fall down on the ground with a deep thud . Next he took out the decapitated head and placed it to the side of the body .

This should be the mink you were talking about , - Zac simply said .

The Ishiate hunter blankly stared at the carcass lying in front of him .

You can take the head as evidence if you wish . Can you help me skin it? - The fur of the monster was extremely soft and luxurious , and it’d be a waste to leave it . But with his self-taught skills he was afraid he’d ruin it . Normally he’d want to take the meat as well , as the stronger the beast was the more delicious its meat would often be . However , it seemed that this monster had eaten quite a few humans and beastmen , so it felt pretty disgusting to eat its meat by now .

Ah? Yes , certainly! - the hunter said and quickly got to work after grabbing a skinning knife from a pouch on his back .

May I ask . . Is that a Cosmos Sack you’re using? - he tentatively asked as he glanced at Zac .

Yes , why? - Zac asked . Selas shouldn’t have actually seen the pouch as it was fastened to his girdle beneath his cloak , but there obviously weren’t many ways that one could make a huge corpse appear from nowhere .

Do you have any more? Winterleaf Village would love to buy one , we’d offer a competitive price . -

I only have one with me at the moment . But I’ll see what I can do next time I pass by , - Zac answered , not wanting to commit . He did have a couple of them lying around at his camp since looting them from the demons , and there were quite a few of them waiting up on the mountain tops . But he wasn’t sure whether selling them was a good idea or not .

What about the entrance token to the event? - Zac asked . He already received the map immediately after killing the beast , but there were still rewards to reap .

Selas once again reached into the sack on his back , and took out a smaller pouch . He opened and inside were two tokens . They appeared to be made out of stone and were almost as large as a palm . Zac immediately saw that these things were something made by the System , as the tell-tale fractals completely covered them .

Zac fiddled with his token a bit before he imbued it with cosmic energy and a stream of energy entered his mind . He could quickly discern that this was the real deal , and the only thing needed to enter this so-called treasure hunt was this badge . As long as it was in your possession when the event started you would be teleported there . There was no ownership or restrictions at all , making the item a hot potato .

He wasn’t worried for himself , as he felt that there were very few people who were able to snatch something out of his hands . But his eyes turned to Selas , who tensed up from the glare . But soon he resumed working his knife on the carcass .

Please keep it a secret you got it from me . Very few people know it's in my possession and it needs to stay that way for the safety of Winterleaf Village . -

Zac simply nodded and said no more . Soon the beast was skinned , and Selas held up the large pelt .

It’s done , but it needs to be properly treated as well , - the hunter said .

Could you help me with that as well? I need to visit the human settlement before I head back to my hometown . I will be back to your village in a few days , -

Of course . Their town is that way , - Selas answered and pointed east . - I would say be careful , but I feel that it is not you who’s in danger , - he added as he glanced at the large head next to him .

Zac wryly smiled and turned to leave .

Oh and Zac? Thank you , - he heard from behind , and only answered with a wave . There were obviously multiple meanings to those two words .

As Zac walked he sighed slightly and shook his head . The hunter was clearly afraid that Zac would kill him to take the second token as well . And Zac knew that many might have done just that . Zac didn’t even consider it , as he had no real use for another token . Even if he quickly found his sister it wasn’t something that he would want her to possess .

Just owning it meant having a bullseye on one’s back . And even if you survived and went there , the competition would likely be extreme . The most powerful and ruthless people gathered at one spot , competing for great treasures? It would likely make the battle at the monkey mountain seem like a day at the spa .

He wasn’t too keen on going himself , and certainly wouldn’t send someone he loved there . Of course , he also knew that going there might be the best opportunity to get a real sense of the situation in the world and get some power-ups . If people from all over the world gathered , someone might even be from his hometown .

Becoming the strongest or whatever wasn’t really his goal , and he simply fought to survive so far . He hoped that his visit to the human settlement would give him some answers to what was going on . If not he would try again next month . He only had a few days to spare , after all , and needed to get back to Port Atwood sooner or later .

As he walked he took in a fresh breath of air . It finally felt like he had some control over his actions after months battling . He constantly found himself pushed into one situation after another , putting him in a constant reactive state . But now he had full freedom , at least for a few days . The fact that he would have to get back soon ruined the mood a bit for him , but at least for now he relished the feeling of just adventuring .

He took out a crystal from his pouch as he walked and imbued it with some energy . A window opened up with a rough map inside . It was black and white and didn’t contain a lot of detail , but it did cover a large area and marked the towns . He saw Winterleaf Village the closest , and he currently was heading toward Fort Roger .

Both of the towns had crystals next to the name , and after some confusion , he realized it meant that they probably possessed Nexus Nodes or Nexus Stations . Nexus Stations were lesser versions of the Nexus Node that gave access to the class system , but needed quests to unlock the town management systems .

Apparently there were differences between the nodes as well , where he got a throng of options , whereas most of the towns only got the bare essentials . Nexus Stations were extremely common though from what Alyn told him , which made sense as people needed to get their classes somehow . Alyn didn’t explain how they appeared , as they generally had been around for thousands upon thousands of years on their home planet .

That Winterleaf Village possessed a real Nexus Node was clear to Zac , but he doubted that anyone in the surrounding towns knew that . At least not for now . From his impression of the small village , he felt that they weren’t careful enough . They really lucked out that Zac , and not someone else , walked through that portal .

Zac hadn’t inspected anyone out of politeness , but he never felt any sense of danger from any one of them , meaning that they shouldn’t have been too strong . Of course , they were strong enough to both get a Nexus Node and gather enough money for a Teleportation Array , so they were no slouches either .

They were even open about possessing the entrance tokens before they even knew him , which seemed crazy to Zac . He had a feeling that unless they wisened up they’d end up in dire straits . Possessing too many valuables was a crime in troubled times after all . If it was the old him Zac wouldn’t have felt anything was wrong , but Ogras had started to rub off on him .

Zac kept walking , and out of habit started using Axe Mastery] . It felt like the trajectories were slightly changed to accommodate for his new weapon , making Zac once again marvel over the skill . It was also the first time he properly used the skill since it reached Late mastery , and as he expected it better incorporated his Dao Seeds into the mix .

What surprised him was that it actually even incorporated the Dao of Trees . Until now that Dao Seed remained unused in battle , but the guidance system showed him its usage . Every now and then it told him to imbue his free hand with it as he used it for grabs or blocks . Zac wasn’t sure what the exact use was , perhaps except that it improved the resilience of his arm , enabling him almost to use it as a shield . However , he still felt that a low mastery seed was too weak for that kind of usage at the moment .

Zac kept moving throughout the day and the next , unceasingly using his skill . It was almost addicting to be able to once again use Nexus Crystals to restore his missing energy , especially now that it apparently only took a fifth of the time to absorb the energy contained in an F-Grade Crystal .

The hunter said that the town was four days away , but with Zac’s huge attributes and speed it went far quicker . Finally , he reached his destination , Fort Roger . And as he looked upon the ramshackle town with its weak fortifications he felt that the description of Selas didn’t do the town justice .

It was much worse .

Chapter 98 - Fort Roger

It would be more appropriate to call the wall that ran around the small town a large fence . It consisted of trees with their edge sharpened , and was between three and five meters tall , as the length of the poles weren’t uniform . There even were some holes in the wall due to uneven placement , giving enough room for a person to sneak through .

The town was located right on the edge of the forest , with large trees giving way to expansive fields . The fields might actually have been farmland-before , as they were flat and he thought he spotted a tractor . But the fields were in complete disrepair , overgrown with weeds and unmanned .

With the new energy in the atmosphere anything would grow faster compared to before , and Zac felt it was very telling about the town that they didn’t utilize such a prime source of food . They would only have to clean up the fields and throw some seeds in there , and they would have grain in no time . But he saw no-one even try it .

There was a path leading to an actual gate that Zac stepped out on as he walked the last distance . He didn’t plan on sneaking into the town and didn’t want to alarm them . He also slowed down his speed to normal walking from his Attribute-empowered movement .

As he closed in on the wall he saw there were two corpses hanging from the wall , one on each side of the gate . It was a man and a woman , both in their thirties or forties . It was hard to tell since they obviously were tortured before they were killed . Attached to their feet were plaques that simply said - TRAITOR’ .

Zac was starting to hesitate whether to actually enter this place , but he knew there weren’t many alternatives . There was another town on the Automatic Map , but it would take at least another two days to get there . With his return back to the portal he would barely make it in time for the next wave , and that was barring there were no unexpected incidents on the way . After making sure his odd clothing wasn’t visible through his worn cloak he started walking . As he approached the gates two guards perked up and warily glared at him .

Stop! Why are you here? - one of them gruffly asked .

I’m traveling to find my hometown , - Zac simply answered . There should be lots of people like him who weren’t at home when the world got integrated , forcing them to travel to find their way back home .

Pfft , another idiot looking to be eaten by the beasts , - the guard said and the other one snickered in derision .

Five Nexus Crystals to enter . If you don’t have it you can fuck right off . -

Zac was a bit surprised they used Nexus Crystals rather than Nexus Coins as a currency . Then again Nexus Coins were only usable in System-affiliated stores , whereas Nexus Crystals were not only used for currency , they could also make you stronger .

Zac pretended to look troubled , but reached inside his cape and pretended to grope around while he took out five crystals from his Cosmos Sack . He handed them over to the guard who quickly put them in a backpack .

Is there somewhere to get a drink? - Zac asked .

The guards were a bit more amenable now that they got paid , and Zac didn’t care whether the entrance fee was real or not .

There’s a bar down the main road , The Royal Oak , - the guard answered with a wave .

Zac nodded and headed into the town . He only took a few steps before he stopped , as a wall of stench slammed into him . It wasn’t to the level of the imp camps in the tunnels , but it was bad . The town was obviously human , likely from America or the UK as the worn signs were in English .

But four months into the apocalypse the whole town looked ready to collapse under the weight of its own filth . Piles of dirt were thrown into the alleys , and disgusting streams of mystery liquid ran along the pavement . He even saw a corpse lying in an alley , halfway buried under the filth . Zac was infinitely happy that he had decided to put his shoes on , as he’d almost puked at the prospect of stepping on the ground here .

Clearly there was no such thing as sanitation in Fort Roger . People just threw garbage wherever . There were few people on the streets , and they looked worn and malnourished . Zac decided to use Eye of Discernment] on a few of the stragglers and was shocked to see that many were below level 5 . There even were a few that still puttered around at level 1 . He wasn’t sure exactly how much experience was needed to gain levels in the beginning , as he essentially started at level 16 , but he couldn’t imagine it was a lot .

These people were likely mortals just like him . But different from Zac they had simply stayed within this disgusting town since the integration , afraid to venture out . Zac couldn’t imagine that these people would have a happy ending in a world of cultivators and local tyrants . The rule of law was gone , replaced by the creed - might makes right’ .

He didn’t know why , but he actually felt some disdain for these hapless people . He knew that it would be weird to expect people to rush out into the forests to risk their lives fighting animals . But for people to just give up , like these people clearly had , felt like a joke .

They could work together to kill some weaker beasts , and slowly but gradually gain the power that would allow them to feed and protect themselves . They would also get Nexus Coins for the kills , which could be turned into Nexus Crystals at any System-run shop . They could even just do some work for Nexus Coins and use that to purchase crystals .

Zac resisted the urge to grab these people and shake some sense into them and instead kept going . He was planning on heading straight for the bar , but something caught his eye . It was a large electronics store , now used by a few people to loiter around . There was no electricity so none of the TVs were turned on , but Zac simply ignored the people and headed into the warehouse in the back .

He found the box containing one of the larger flatscreens and simply threw it into his pouch after making sure no one was in sight . Next , he took a video player and boxes and boxes of movies . It was mainly for Alea , who liked watching movies just like Ogras . But Zac was interested in whether they could actually make some money from these things like Ogras hinted , so he took some technology with him back home .

Finally , most of his pouch was stocked up with electronics and movies , and he headed on toward the bar . He wasn’t looking for a drink , but simply to sit down and ask some questions . Soon he arrived at The Royal Oak and saw it was an old Irish Pub . It actually looked like it was in decent shape , with a clean storefront and no garbage piling up around the structure . Clearly there was a proprietor who still had some sense of pride .

He walked inside and saw that the interior was just as he expected . The only difference between this and all other classical pubs he had visited through the years was that instead of normal lights there were candles burning on the tables . Zac already expected it , but it looked like there was no electricity in the town .

He had guessed that things like power , internet , and water supply would be essentially gone with the integration , as the randomization of the world would ruin the network of tubes and cables that had been built over the years . Perhaps there would be some lucky areas that were right next to a water power plant or a farm of windmills or solar panels that might be okay , but most would likely have to do without electricity .

The bar was largely empty apart from a few tables . Everyone kept to themselves , and the conversations were kept at a low volume .

A new face I see , - Zac heard and turned toward a portly middle-aged man who likely was the proprietor .

He stood behind the bar which he was cleaning with a rag , looking very much the part . The man was British from the sound of it , and it looked like this town was truly from somewhere in England , as it was the same with the guards .

Zac walked over and sat down on a barstool in front of him .

What can I get for you? - the man asked , looking neither excited or bored .

Information , - Zac simply said as he placed a few crystals on the counter in front of the bartender .

The barkeep’s eyes slightly widened , and he quickly swiped up the crystals with the rag , quickly hiding them from view .

You better be careful of flaunting your wealth young man , - the bartender said with a serious face . - You’re obviously new to town so I’ll warn you to not stick out . Safety isn’t one of the strong points of Fort Roger . -

I understand . I have been traveling looking for my hometown , and need some information . I need to know if a pattern how the world was reshuffled has been found , - Zac spoke with a low voice .

Have you been hiding under a rock all this time? Well , in any case , it’s all random from what I’ve heard . I’m from northern England , but the next town over is mainly American . No one knows what’s going on . From what I understand a few governments are working together trying to get order back , but I’ll believe it when I see it , - the man said with a scoff . - How are they going to enforce order when people suddenly are able to shoot fireballs and run around like supermen? Never thought Armageddon would look like this . -

Zac sighed at the answer . He at least hoped there was some discernible pattern to the randomization , but it seemed it was too much to ask for . At least the governments were trying to get things under control . He somewhat agreed with the bartender’s assessment , but the information also provided some hope .

Perhaps the government had some means to map out the world . Maybe there were satellites still in orbit , or at least they could communicate by radio . There were many emergency contingencies in place in case of war or the like . Obviously , nothing could have prepared the countries for the System arriving , but they might have figured some things out by now .

Is this town under the British government? - he asked , hoping to get in touch with an official .

Pah , what government? This town is run by Roger , a cultivator . Most towns don’t have any affiliation to any government , they are just run by whoever has the biggest fist , - the barkeep said with a low voice . - However , a town called Fairfield is a week’s journey from here . I haven’t gone myself due to the danger , but I hear that it’s quite a large town . And supposedly there are some government people from the United States there , they might know more .

You were quite generous , so I’ll warn you . You should probably leave here sooner than later . Travelers usually have a tough time here , - he said as he made an almost indiscernible nod with his head toward a few of the tables .

Why are people still here? This place looks a bit… - Zac said as he hesitated how to finish the sentence , but the Bartender understood what he meant and sighed .

The road to Fairfield has large packs of monsters above level 20 , very few dares to go that way without pushing through with a car . There’s also talk of evenstronger pack leaders roving about . But Roger has most of the cars and all the petrol , so it’s better to stay here and eke out a living . -

Zac was about to ask something else , but a loud ruckus outside interrupted him . A loud crash and a few angry roars bled into the bar , whose customers slightly perked up . A young girl’s scream came next and the bartender sighed again with sadness in his eyes .

It looks like they found her - .

Found who? - Zac asked curiously .

You should have seen the two bodies out on the gate? The scream probably came from their daughter , - the bartender answered with some disgust on his face as he continued with a low voice . - Roger took a liking to the young girl , but the parents tried to sneak her out of the town . Truly a miserable family . -

Zac’s eyebrows scrunched together , somewhat unsure of what to do . He wasn’t some hero saving the damsel in distress . But could he just watch these things happen with a clean conscience , knowing he could help?

It didn’t take long for him to decide . He couldn’t save the world , but he at least he could save this girl , and only pray someone would do the same for his family in case it came to that . He got to his feet and turned toward the door . The bartender tried to signal him to stop , but he only answered with a wave as he walked toward the ruckus .

Chapter 99 - Emily

As Zac stepped out of the bar he saw that there was already a small crowd gathering . After a quick glance it was clear that no one was there to help , but rather to watch a show . All the noise came from three grimy looking men who cornered a kid .

The men all had somewhat matching clothes , with a large uneven R-patch sewn to their chest . It looked like the leader of the town truly wanted to set himself up as a medieval lord , already making his underlings wear a crest . Zac shook his head and looked toward the inner part of the town where another wall was erected . That should be the residence of this Roger and his cronies .

One of the men was bleeding freely from his head and the glass shards on the ground around him explained what happened .

You little BITCH! After Roger gets tired of you I’ll fucking feed you to the dogs! - the bleeding man roared at their cornered prey .

It took Zac a few seconds to realize that the kid was actually a small girl somewhere in her teens . She wore wretched-looking rags for clothes , and her face was caked in dirt apart from a few tear streaks drawing clear lines in her face . Even her hair was in a mess , and it looked like she or someone else had randomly cut most off it of with a knife .

The teenager was holding the remains of a bottle as a weapon , and ferociously stared at the three men . The outlook didn’t look good as all two of them took out daggers as they approached her while the last man stood at the ready . Zac sighed and used Eye of Discernment] on the group , and saw that the girl was named Emily .

She didn’t even have a level yet , which meant that she was too young to start using the System . The other three were around level 15 to 17 , weaklings in Zac’s eyes but perhaps strong according to the level of this town . Certainly , for a young girl without any powers it was a futile struggle .

WHO IS SPYING ON US? - the third man without a knife roared as he glared in Zac’s direction .

Zac rolled his eyes as he stepped out from the group of people . He really needed to get a better inspection skill . Anyone with Intelligence above 15 points would be able to sense his scan , above 30 and they’d know it was him . Apparently the homeless-looking man actually focused intelligence , which was a bit surprising .

Wanting to play the hero? Or maybe you just want her for yourself , eh? In either case you better fuck right off , - the bleeding man said .

Zac shook his head as he wondered how people could devolve to this stage after just a few months . Was the laws and fear of punishment the only thing that held some people back before the integration?

You better turn back right now- - one of the men said , but threw his dagger at Zac’s head mid-sentence in an attempt to ambush him .

Zac couldn’t even be bothered to respond as he simply caught the dagger mid-air as he released his aura . Screams of panic immediately erupted as the onlookers frenetically tried to back away . He held the knife in his hand , still unsure of how to act .

Don’t move or I’ll kill the brat! - one of the men said as he grabbed the girl who had lost focus due to Zac’s aura . He was deathly pale and his whole body was shaking in horror as he maniacally stared at Zac .

Zac frowned and threw the dagger with a quick motion . It tore through the air and punched into the head of the man holding the girl hostage . The force of the throw was so great that his head burst like a watermelon , instantly killing him .

Next Zac took out one of his regular axes from his pouch and charged up a Chop] . The other two ruffians didn’t even have time to react or scream out before two headless corpses fell down on the ground . A large tear was rent through a house as well from Zac’s lightning-quick swings , and it looked like it would collapse at any second .

Zac walked over to the girl who now was drenched in the man’s blood . She still had the bottle in her hand , and though she looked scared at Zac she didn’t flinch . Zac’s impression of this girl was far better compared to the castaways on his island .

Let’s go , - was the only thing he said to her as he controlled his aura and turned toward the central area of Fort Roger . But he only had time to take three steps before the bartender stopped him .

Wait , young man! I understand you’re angry , but please don’t do anything drastic . If you kill Roger and his henchmen then most of the people in this town will perish from the animals . -

That made Zac stop in his tracks , and after some hesitation , he turned around and started walking toward the gate instead with some sadness in his eyes .

There wasn’t anything left to do here . Information in a hovel like this was limited , and he’d have to travel to Fairfield in order to find out more . This Roger fellow might know more , but he had a feeling that going to visit him would only result in battle and more death .

He wasn’t sure how to deal with people like Roger . Obviously they were scum , but they were also the ones who kept civilians safe just as the bartender said . There were even level 1 wastrels still surviving to this date in Fort Roger , and that was mostly thanks to Roger .

In his anger he hadn’t thought about the consequences , but he wasn’t ready to support this whole town . He just had no way to migrate a whole town through the forest and through the teleporter in time before the next wave started . And it wasn’t like he could afford it in any case , since each activation cost a bunch of Nexus Crystals .

It wouldn’t help to build his own teleporter here for the same reason , not that he was ready to waste that many crystals on these people even if he could . The wolf waves had tapped almost all his remaining crystals , and he wasn’t about to spend another 10 million nexus coin on a teleporter . He needed that money to ready himself for the second wave .

He learned from Selas during their walk that villages regularly were beset by beasts . It wasn’t to the point of his own beast waves , but there could be hundreds of frenzied animals who heedlessly charged at the villages . Selas believed it was the work of the System , and Zac agreed .

But still , leaving like this gave a bad taste in his mouth and his monstrous aura once again flared out . He turned back around and supercharged another cosmic energy edge , bringing it to over ten meters . With an echoing roar he unleashed the edge right toward the inner wall in the distance .

As it traveled it destroyed the paved road , creating a huge scar that ran right through the village . It smashed through the rudimentary gate , leaving only wood chippings in its wake . Finally when the blade was only twenty meters away from the mansion the blade winked out of existence .

Deliver this message to Roger . I will return through this area shortly , and if I find him still acting like some wanna-be warlord I will judge him and all his henchmen . Let my strike be the reminder , - Zac said with a loud voice empowered with cosmic energy . His huge aura was still billowing out , forcing people to back away or down on their knees , and the visage of his swing would likely follow these townspeople for the rest of their lives .

All the villagers of Fort Roger quickly got out of the way as he once again retracted his aura and walked away . Their faces were white with terror and they didn’t even dare to look up . Some shuffling from behind told him that the girl decided to follow him .

Soon they were at the gate with Emily’s parents being hung up . And for the first time , he heard the girl speak up .

Please… please help me take them down , - a weak voice came from behind him , and he turned around to see tears pooling up in her eyes .

Zac worldlessly started to charge Chop] again , preparing to cut down the two .

HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! - one of the guards shouted and ran toward Zac .

With the bartender’s words echoing in his mind Zac felt no need to keep killing , and only lightly slapped the man to knock him unconscious . The other guards only fearfully stared in the distance , not daring to approach .

He charged up Chop] to a five-meter edge , and with two lightning-quick swings the whole part of the wall that held the two bodies was cut down . Zac freed the two corpses , simply ripping apart the chains that held them . Then with a nod toward the girl he walked toward the forest with the two bodies under his arms .

The remaining guards mutely stared at Zac’s back and the ruined gate , unsure what to do . Soon one of them ran toward the large mansion on the other side of the town .

After a few minutes of walking Zac felt confident that no one was planning on following them so he placed the two bodies down on the ground then put them into his Cosmos Sack .

What did you do?! - The girl asked aghast , seeing the bodies of her parents simply vanish .

She pointed the shattered glass bottle she still carried at him .

I placed them in a magic bag , - Zac answered as he started to take off his shoes .

She hesitated a bit then put down her makeshift weapon .

Why didn’t you kill Roger as well? He is much worse than the ones you killed , - she asked in an almost accusatory tone .

I am not sure more good than evil would come from me doing that , - Zac said as he glanced at her . He held the shoes who were now caked in all kinds of things from walking through Fort Roger , and simply chucked them into the woods with some disgust . He’d rather get new ones than put these defiled ones back on .

Emily hesitated a bit before she grit her teeth and started to undress .

As long as you kill him you can do whatever you want with me , - she said with her eyes reddening .

Zac’s eyebrows rose up and using Loamwalker] he almost teleported in front of her and flicked her forehead .

Don’t be stupid , keep your clothes on , - he said with a roll of his eyes . - I’m not interested in little kids . -

I’m fifteen , - she said defensively , but she still started to put on her clothes while blushing a bit .

That Roger isn’t very strong , if you want him killed just work hard and kill him yourself , - Zac said . - I am not some mercenary who goes around killing people , I have my own problems to deal with . -

Then help me get strong! I’ve never heard of anyone being as powerful as you , and I’ve been to multiple cities , - Emily asked , a burning desire in her eyes .

Zac had initially planned on dumping the girl in Winterleaf Village before heading back , but something in her eyes made Zac change his mind . He guessed that Alyn had her first student for the Academy .

Why have you been to multiple cities? Traveling is pretty dangerous , - he said .

I have a big brother and a big sister . Both are cultivators , they disappeared right from our home . We looked around but couldn’t find them . After a bit over a month we heard about the tutorial , but the cultivators didn’t return to our city . We guessed that they were dropped off somewhere else , - she explained . - We decided to look for them , so we have traveled looking for them for a few months and arrived at Fort Roger a week ago -

She didn’t continue from there but Zac could guess the rest of the story from her eyes once again reddening . He sighed and wondered how many people had died trying to find their family members or trying to get back home . The world was fraught with danger , and the incursions and monsters might not even be the worst ones . Humanity had always been its own worst enemy .

I can take you with me to my town . However , that place is extremely far away and you will not be able to look for your siblings if you do . Where I live is very dangerous , but you can get stronger there . It’s up to you to choose your path , - Zac said as he looked at the teenager .

Emily only hesitated a few seconds before she looked at him with determination .

I’ll go with you - .

Ok . Then jump up on my back , - Zac said as he turned his back to her .

What? - she asked with a flabbergasted face .

Zac had already decided to head back to Port Atwood after this small excursion . There were 5 days left until the next part of the beast waves and he wasn’t sure he’d make it to Fairfield and back within that timeframe . He felt it was more worthwhile to go back and increase his power with his remaining E-Grade Crystals .

Besides , Emily seemed to have visited multiple towns , and she might have even more answers compared to the barkeep or Roger . All in all , he was happy with the result of this expedition . He even got a nifty map , and more importantly , the magical token .

Come on , jump up , - Zac repeated as he hunched down a bit . Walking with an unevolved human in tow would waste far too much time , so he would have to carry her . Since he wanted his arms free in case of an attack she’d have to climb up on his back .

She hesitated a bit before she climbed up with a slight blush on her face . As soon as she put her arms around his neck he walked off with his usual speed .

A shriek echoed through the forest as Zac strolled through with the speed of a runaway train .

Chapter 100 - Travel Companions

Zac stopped for the night at a small clearing and let down Emily from his back . Even the fading light couldn’t hide the fact that her face was deathly pale . Moving almost at the speed of a car through dense forest on the back of another human was apparently quite jarring , and Zac had been forced to stop a few times to let the girl take a breather .

There were many things he wanted to ask the teenager about the Tutorial and society after the fall , but he didn’t want to push her either . They buried her parents at a beautiful glade just a few hours ago , and she hadn’t said anything since then . There wasn’t any ceremony , with Zac simply using a broadsword to rip open a hole in the ground where he placed the two together . Since the bodies were naked he first placed a cover over them before he refilled the grave .

Meanwhile , Emily carved the words Remembered by E+J+O in a tree with a dagger she got from Zac . They simply stood staring at the grave for a few minutes before she silently climbed up on Zac’s back , and they wordlessly left the glade . Zac had offered to bury them on the Island , but Emily wanted to bury them closer to their home .

Zac prepared a small fire in silence as Emily was looking at the dagger Zac gave her earlier .

What level are you? - she suddenly asked as she looked up at Zac , who froze a bit .

Um… - he said , unsure how to respond . He wasn’t sure whether exposing the fact he was over level 50 was such a good idea .

Well , are you on the ladder? - Emily changed her question when she saw Zac’s troubled face .

… Yes . Can you see the ladder? - Zac asked a bit surprised .

I knew it . You are way too strong to not be a Ranker , - she looked a bit excited . - Everyone can see the ladder . I guess that you are considered role models by the System? So it wants to display you for us as well - .

Do you know if there are any other Rankers close by? - Zac probed , a bit curious .

No idea . I know that the government is looking for you people , - she answered as she started cutting and the air with her dagger . However , her movements and technique were horrendous .

Zac took out a spit and large chunk of meat from his sack and placed it on the spit close to the fire . He had grown tired of the tough dried meat long ago and now preferred to barbeque . Now that he was forced to stop for Emily he had the time to spare .

He sprinkled some salt over the slab and left it to slowly be grilled . He mentally kicked himself for not looking for some spices at Fort Roger as the ones from the camper were used up long ago . Then again , he felt that any food-stuffs should have been pilfered long ago in a wretched town like that .

Why are they looking for us? No , not like that , move like this , - Zac asked as he showed how to properly distribute her weight .

I dunno . They are trying to get all cultivators to register and become like an army or something? Maybe they want the Rankers to lead the cultivators? - she answered as she mimicked Zac’s movement .

Hmm… - Zac only answered as he kept moving . He felt that it wasn’t that simple . The world was collapsing , and from his brief visit to Fort Roger he knew that the Government’s control was tenuous at best . Perhaps they needed Rankers to keep people in check . - Are many cultivators complying? -

I don’t think so , we tried going to the government when we looked for Johanna and Oscar , but from what we heard most people haven’t joined yet . But new people join every day , and the government offers pretty good things , - she distractedly answered without stopping her stabs .

Like what? Now shift your weight like this , it gives more reach to your stab , - Zac asked as he kept moving .

Access to system-exclusive things like training facilities . Good Salary . Oh , and they have claimed good areas that have a lot of monsters . Anyone that wants to train there has to be a part of the government , otherwise they are attacked , - she explained .

Aren’t there monsters everywhere? Why would that matter? -

That forest is good because it doesn’t have any very strong monsters it seems , it’s a pretty safe spot to level up . Most places have a random mix of animals , and it's super dangerous to fight there . Some super-strong monster can pop out anytime and kill you . So finding good spots is very important . -

Zac nodded as it made a lot of sense . His situation was the same . His whole island had turned into a farmer’s paradise in a sense , as the demonic beast hordes killed off any normal animals that could have become a real threat . There was no supercharged mink on Demon Island , only Barghest and Gwyllgi . They were dangerous compared to most animals , but there would never be any surprise beast or boss jumping out of the bushes .

They kept going for some time before they sat down to eat . Zac was by no means a knife-master , but some things he learned from his guidance system was universal .

Do you know why so many towns have Nexus Nodes? - Zac suddenly asked .

He knew that he wouldn’t be the only one with a Town Shop system , but after seeing Fort Roger he was a bit surprised to see just how low the bar was set .

Um , because people like to live together? - she answered , looking a bit confused .

What? -

Well , those crystals appear when enough people live together in a town , right? - Emily answered .

Hmm… - Zac only answered .

Then everyone gets a quest to fight for ownership . It can get pretty crazy . My parents got such a quest once , but we immediately left town and hid out until it settled down . But I heard those crystals are always the worst ones , and only give classes , - she continued after looking at Zac . - Only those who get their crystals from The Tutorial can actually build things with it , and it is different there as well . Like if they impressed the System in the tutorial they get to buy more things . I’m not sure . -

It looked like the nexus stations popped up just from population density , and a quest like the one for the Fruit of Ascension would start . The Nexus Station gave almost no options , but he was sure that the one who claimed ownership would get some quest to evolve the crystal .

He was a bit irritated earlier that others already had towns when he created his since he might have missed out on some good titles . It took him a few days to figure out how to create an outpost , after all . But it seemed their progression was limited . After all , he doubted the people of Winterleaf village single-handedly closed a freaking incursion in order to establish theirs .

Emily soon fell asleep since she was tired from today’s events , but Zac only needed a few hours of rest . He sat down with his back against the wall and started pondering the Dao . There was no Fourth Dao seed he felt close to attaining , and instead he needed to focus on upgrading the ones he had .

He turned his eyes inward toward the Axe-fractal in his mind . Since he gained the Seed of Sharpness the axe had two colors , with one side being dark blue with some brown , and the other a steely grey . The colors represented the two Seeds he possessed , Sharpness and Heaviness . There was a clear line of demarcation between the two Daos , and the auras didn’t mix in the slightest .

He knew that one of the things he needed to do in the future was to fuse these two , but it was very far off . Alyn explained that there were two ways to improve the Dao . The first was fusion , and it was the path he had been walking since the start . Since the day he saw the vision he knew that the seed of Heaviness he gained was only part of the terrifying aura in the axe-man’s swing . He would have to fuse more concepts into it to create a true Dao of Axe .

The path of fusion often walked from simplicity to complexity . It combined simple concepts into something greater than the sum of the parts . The other path was generally referred to as evolution . It meant pushing a Dao Seed to its limit , and from there letting it evolve into a higher Dao of the same category .

That was his plan with his Dao of Trees . There might be a possibility to fuse it into his Dao of Axes as well , but Zac felt it would weaken it rather than strengthen it . Instead , he’d work toward evolving it by itself . Unless he suddenly gained a fourth seed somewhere and tried his hands on fusing that as well .

Neither fusion or evolution was better than the other according to Alyn , they were just different . However , she told him that most focused on evolution since fewer Daos were necessary to progress with that path . With fusion he’d always need to gain enlightenment on at least two Daos .

Dao was generally considered the true watershed in the path to power . Over time most people were able to hit their level cap , and money could solve the issue of Race evolution . But Dao was something you needed to figure out yourself . There were some tools and treasures that could help out , but it mostly depended on personal aptitude and insight .

Zac felt he probably wasn’t some genius since all three of his seeds essentially came from his visions . He did gain the Seed of Sharpness a few months later , but the foundation for learning it came from the same vision as the Seed of Heaviness . He was afraid that evolving all three at the same time would be more than he could chew off .

He still was hesitating whether to put aside two of the seeds and only focus on one , or to focus on both the offensive ones . The Dao of Trees was the lowest priority for now , as its use simply didn’t feel as readily apparent .

Finally , he made a decision in his mind . He would focus on the Dao of Sharpness , at least for now . It was the Seed he had for the shortest time , but it felt like the most useful one . He stared at the axe in his mind , trying to glean anything out of the silver fractals .

He also played both the vision of the axe-man in his mind , feeling the terrifying force of the strike . Finally , he revisited the fight with the Fiend Wolf . He remembered the feeling of standing in the Dao Field , where even the air turned sharp from the Dao . He remembered how the casual swings of the beast rent long lines into the earth without any cosmic energy needed .

He also pondered upon what sharpness actually meant . It wasn’t as simple as the thinner the edge the more damage he could do . Sharpness needed control and technique to be properly applied as well . He remembered seeing clips before the fall where people tried using razor-sharp swords and barely were able to cut anything since their technique was bad .

He kept it going for a few hours before the mental strain became too much and he fell asleep . He woke up a few hours later , only to find Emily intently staring at him .

Are you Abbot Everlasting Peace? - she asked curiously .

Urh… what? -

Well , you look like a monk , and when I woke up during the night I saw you meditate . You already told me you are on the ladder . So are you Abbot Everlasting Peace? Or Boundless Truth? Is that why you weren’t interested in me? Is there nothing down there? - she peppered off , almost overtaxing Zac’s exhausted brain .

Boundless? Wait , what? I’m no monk , my hair only got singed off in battle recently . And I’m not missing any goddamn parts , okay? -

Chapter 101 - First impressions

After another day of travel they finally reached Winterleaf village . Zac slowed down before entering the town though , not wanting to make it look like he charged at them .

Careful , this is a beastman village! They are usually very strong , - Emily hastily said as she pulled at his cloak .

I know , I am friends with them , - Zac offhandedly answered as he entered the town . He slightly frowned as he saw that the village was almost completely deserted , with no one in sight . Had something happened?

He quickly calmed down though as he soon saw Selas run toward him .

Greetings Zac . We didn’t expect to see you for a few more days , -

My trip was cut short so I’m heading back , I hope you don’t mind . Is everything okay here , it looks a bit… empty? -

Stupid , they can’t understand English , - the girl softly said by his side , but Zac only rolled his eyes in response . It was a bit cumbersome when only one party had the language skill in these situations .

Not a problem , I’ll lead you to the teleporter . Most people are just out working for now , - the Ishiate answered with a cough as he ushered them toward the array .

Zac felt that the beastman was lying , but couldn’t be bothered to untangle that . They simply walked back toward the teleportation array making some small talk , while Emily looked on confused . Next to the array a large package was placed .

The package contains the fur and a few tokens of thanks by the villagers for the help you provided us . Good luck with your endeavors , my friend . I hope to see you again in the treasure hunt , - Selas said with an awkward smile .

Zac nodded , and after placing the crystals needed to teleport the two of them stepped on the array with Emily in tow . He initially had wanted to discuss some matters of trade , such as keeping a channel open for goods between the two . However , it seemed pretty clear that they were worried he’d go berserk , to the point they even evacuated the town to avoid him .

With a flash followed by some darkness he once again materialized . To his surprise he only saw walls , and quickly looked around . With a sigh of relief , he headed through a door , and the familiar sight of Port Atwood came into view .

It seemed that someone had erected a small house to shield the teleportation array while he was gone . Initially , he thought that Ogras had planned some trap for him , but that clearly wasn’t the case .

Wow that was so cool , were we teleported? - Emily exclaimed next to him .

Yeah , it’s a teleportation array . It can take us almost anywhere on the planet , as long as there’s another array there , - Zac answered . The way Selas acted was quite suspect , so he brought up the teleportation interface just to make sure of his suspicions .

Just as he opened the window he saw the line with Winterleaf Village wink out of existence , no longer available to choose . Zac only sighed and closed the interface . It looked like the beastmen were careful after all . His plan to visit Fairfield after the next wave would have to be canceled .

Let’s go , - he said as he headed toward the temporary town .

Zac noticed that the progress was coming along well as they walked toward the center of Port Atwood . The wall was almost completely fixed , and new poles were erected on the outside . Their use had been limited the last time , but it was better to something than nothing . There was however an extremely unsettling smell in the air , and Zac furrowed his brows .

Wow your town smells like poop , - Emily exclaimed , and Zac was forced to agree with some embarrassment .

As they closed in on the town the shadows flickered and the familiar demon appeared in front of them . Emily shrieked in surprise and jumped back a few steps , her dagger immediately in her hand .

This one seems a bit better than the last ones , even if she looks a bit feral . I didn’t know you liked them this… young . If that’s your taste you can always pursue Zakarith , your names match and everything , - Ogras said with a half-smile .

She was in trouble so I picked her up along the way , - Zac answered with a roll of his eyes . - How are the preparations going , and what the hell is this smell? -

WAIT! Why is there a demon here , and why is it speaking English? - Emily shrilly interjected as she started tracing large crosses in the air to ward off evil .

What is she doing? Is she brain-damaged? - Ogras skeptically asked as he gave a glance of mock-pity .

Zac only half-grinned and briefly told him about the demons in Christianity and other folk-lore .

Hmm , very interesting . It might be a coincidence , or perhaps your planet had visitors from the multi-verse a few thousand years ago and the details got jumbled over the years , - Ogras mused .

Wait , people could come from the multi-verse even before the integration? - Zac asked .

Well yeah , but it would be like finding a needle in a galaxy so to speak . Your planet would almost be impossible to locate , but nothing is stopping you , - Ogras answered with a shrug .

This is Ogras , he’s living here along with a few hundred more of his kind . Actually , the town mostly consists of demons . They’re like the beastmen , - Zac explained to the frazzled girl .

That seemed to calm her down somewhat as she curiously glanced at the demon .

I know I’m handsome , but don’t go falling in love with me . I prefer mature ladies , - Ogras said as he struck a pose .

She only blushed a bit and moved a bit further away .

Are there no other humans here except you? - she curiously asked Zac .

Well , there are a few more , but they arrived just recently , - Zac answered .

Pah , don’t remind me of those wastrels , - Ogras spat . - Pain in the ass every single one of them . Well , the old guy is okay , I guess . -

What’s going on? And the smell? - Zac reminded the demon .

Entitled little shits . They keep complaining and don’t want to work . They just hide in their house after seeing one little barghest , crying and demanding to see you . When they found out you weren’t here anymore they flipped out , - Ogras said with disdain . - As for the wretched odor? You try tanning tens of thousands of wolf hides at once without making the area smell like a Devourer’s asshole . -

How did they come in contact with a barghest? There shouldn’t be any ones alive this close to town right? - Zac asked .

He knew that they would treat the hides , as the non-combat classes had arduously skinned and salvaged anything of value from the monster hordes . He hadn’t expected this level of stench though . Most of the parts of the beasts were useless since the grade was too low to trade with the Mercantile System , but some things might become useful , and with the volumes they were handling they would make a decent profit .

The hides of the more sturdy ones could be made into F-Grade leather armors , which would sell for a decent penny , especially at a newly integrated world like Earth . With their almost infinite stock of leather , they planned on using it as a selling point for visiting the town when they opened the gates for the public in the future .

They said they wanted to get stronger , and since none of them are cultivators Ilvere took them to hunt a few barghests , - Ogras answered in response to the question about the humans . - If they worked together they shouldn’t have any problems killing such a dumb beast . But apparently it was chaos , people fleeing for their lives , even pushing down each other to escape . Ilvere had to kill the beast before a fight even started , - he snickered .

Zac could only sigh , feeling a bit embarrassed on their behalf .

What’s a Barghest? - Emily asked curiously .

It’s a large demon dog that looks like it has been turned inside out , - Zac answered . Ogras looked like he was about correct Zac , but after some thought nodded his head .

Zac turned to Emily after some thought .

How do most human towns handle people who can’t fight? -

Eh… Some get jobs doing various things I guess? There are still people needed for all kinds of things . The people who have simply given up are usually ignored or kicked out of town . I heard the most ruthless leaders have even used them as human shields against monster waves - the girl answered after some thought .

There’s an idea , - Ogras muttered .

Where are they now? - Zac asked with a sigh .

We put them in the infirmary since its empty by now - .

How’s Alea? - Zac quickly asked , reminded of the demoness .

She’s up now , but still not completely restored . She’s been asking about you , - the demon answered with a devilish grin .

Whos Alea? - Emily perked up .

Why do you care , little brat? - Ogras grinned at her .

Whatever , - she answered with a pout .

Already starting to regret coming back this early Zac sighed as he started walking toward the infirmary .

More importantly , did you find any? - Ogras asked .

Any what? Humans? Yeah , I visited a human settlement . - Zac distractedly answered .

Who cares about that . Movies , human? Did you find any movies? -

Zac stopped and glanced at the demon .

Are you really that free right now? -

The wall is essentially rebuilt , and I still can’t buy anything with contribution points . I’m just waiting around , - he answered impatiently .

Zac shook his head but took out the large box containing the TV , and the small mountain of videos . Ogras inspected the things with glee , but he looked a bit confused .

What are these things? -

The large box contains a much larger screen to watch the movies . The small packages each contain one movie or a series . That box over there contains the device to play them . Both the Large screen and the player needs a steady stream of electricity through a cable . You can plug them into the camper , but you need to figure out how to keep the battery charged yourself . -

Ogras nodded excitedly and put all the things into his pouch .

I’m sure you have many things to do , I’ll help this kid get used to the area , - he said , and as he grabbed the shoulder of Emily both of them disappeared , leaving only a startled shriek in the air .

Zac smiled a bit and continued on toward the infirmary . He wasn’t afraid that he’d hurt the teenager , but rather knew he’d need some tech support . Actually , it even looked like he approved of her ferocity . Soon he arrived outside the infirmary , and to his surprise saw Janos sitting outside the door .

What’s going on? -

Kept escaping . Put them in illusion , - the demon tersely answered .

Uh , ok . You can turn it off , I’m going in , - Zac said with some annoyance . He didn’t know if these people really were a handful , or whether the demons were too heavy-handed , but something needed to be done . He didn’t have the resources to baby these people all the time .

With a sigh he entered the infirmary . As he entered the humans saw it was Zac , and rushed toward him with a litany of complaints . Zac simply released some of his aura to silence the group , then stared at them until they had calmed down .

I hear you have been asking for me? - Zac said .

You lied to us! We want off this hellhole of an island . Those demons said you have a method to leave the island , we want to go home , - Megan angrily huffed .

You’re safe , clean , and fed . That’s better compared to most of humanity right now . You have access to a multi-verse town shop that has the herbs needed to evolve your race . You have a forest full of prey that gives a huge amount of Nexus Coins and Cosmic Energy . And you sit here complaining , - Zac retorted as a twinge of anger flared up at these people . Their situation would likely cause envy from most people , even cultivators , yet they only sat here thinking life was unfair .

You want off this island with your powers? You’d die within a day . And even if you somehow survived and got to a settlement you’d be made slaves or worse since you’re powerless . -

The castaways hesitantly looked at each other , before the girl once again gathered her courage .

Those hellhounds in the forest? We saw it bite clean through a thick tree , you want us to fight that? We aren’t suicidal . And do you think we’ll just believe you when you say that the world outside is dangerous? - she angrily said , and from the looks of the faces of the other , s they agreed .

I am sorry we haven’t been able to help out very much young man . Us old folks have some trouble adjusting to this new reality , - the old fisherman suddenly interjected .

I currently have 46 000 nexus coins from fighting animals on our old island . If possible I would like to borrow 36 000 nexus coins in order to buy the Water Spear] skill from your Nexus Node for 75 000 coins . The remaining coins I would like to use to buy some of your Crystals at 50 coins per Nexus Crystal , - the old fisherman said .

Your name is Trang , right? -

My name is Sap Trang . What do you think of my proposal? I know it is a lot of coins , but with it , I hope to be able to kill the demons you call Barghest , and from there slowly get stronger . The crystals are mainly for my fellow villagers , who plan to become what your… friends… call non-combat classes . They have slowly gotten levels from fishing , but the crystals would speed it up substantially . It looks to me that you are founding an island kingdom , and us old folk have lived on the sea for all our lives . We believe we can be helpful even in this new world - .

Zac was a bit surprised . This old man clearly was no fool like the brats . Sap Trang had learned everything he could from Alyn and Zakarith , and formulated a path for himself and his villagers . He also didn’t mention Megan and her clique either , so he guessed he wasn’t too fond of them either .

And it was true , having a couple of seasoned seamen would be convenient . A goal of his was to explore the neighboring islands when time permitted . Who knew what treasures the system had put there .

Besides , what Sap Trang said was true . He did want to create a sphere of influence , and since he was situated on an island it would pretty much have to be an Island Kingdom .

Chapter 102 - The Day before the Storm

I’ll give you 100 000 Nexus coins as an investment to get you and your fellow villagers on the right track . You should know that the number of crystals I can sell is limited at the moment , as we need them for the war preparations . But enough to last you for a few weeks of cultivation shouldn’t be a problem , - Zac said after mulling it over for a few seconds .

There were only 6 villagers with four eldery men and two old ladies , and their expenditure shouldn’t really impact their daily production . He didn’t mention anything about paying back , as he might as well consider it a gift in case they proved useful . If not , he could always come to collect at a later date .

The Vietnamese villagers looked excited , and quickly got to their feet and bowed toward Zac , who lightly nodded back . However frowns appeared on the other group of people , who also started to glare at the fishermen .

Why are you only giving them all those resources? What about us? - one of the men angrily asked .

They seem like they can be useful to my town , you do not . Why should I spend Nexus Coins on you? - Zac said with a dismissive glance , which only made the former tourists angrier .

There are various tasks that need to be completed on this island . Go earn your keep if you want coins but don’t want to fight . Mr . Trang , take your villagers and come with me , - Zac continued and started to head out .

The fishermen quickly followed in tow , but when the tourists tried to follow a glare from Zac stopped them in their tracks . As he left the infirmary he briefly updated Janos who sighed and reactivated his illusion , keeping the humans inside .

Next he walked over to Adran’s canopy . Adran was a stocky demon who was in charge of the logistics of the temporary town , and one of the people who had been present at the meeting discussing the town design some time ago . He was a common non-combat class called Administrator Zac learned earlier , which was an important reason for his current position .

It was apparently quite similar to the Scribe class that Zakarith possessed , but their differences lay in their upgrade paths . The Scribe class had upgrade paths that veered toward the mercantile class . It could actually also be upgraded into Inscriber , a craftsman class that focused on inscribing fractals onto gear .

Administrator focused more on the management of towns and countries . It could be upgraded to things like Magistrate in the future , where the individuals almost became like supercomputers , keeping track of innumerable things in their heads . It apparently also could be upgraded into certain mentalist classes .

There actually wasn’t a too rigid system that split up the types of classes , but it was rather fluid . Some classes were mixes of various things , and the type of class could change when evolving it . Of course , planning out your path from the start often was preferable in order to not allocate attribute points in the wrong direction .

Zac had Adran make arrangements for the humans . He simply provided the Nexus Coins and different lodging for the fishermen . For anything else they first would have to prove themselves . As for the tourists he set some ground rules to whip them into shape . If they didn’t volunteer in doing some tasks around the camp , then work would be handed out . If they didn’t complete it then no food or lodging that day .

He didn’t want groups of people who just drifted about like in Fort Roger . And if they wouldn’t pick themselves up like the fishermen , then Zac would drag them forward no matter their opinion . Besides , he had a feeling that incoming second monster horde would help them realize their new reality . If thousands of monsters charging at them didn’t wake them up , nothing would .

After dealing with his latest citizens he left to look for Alea . After asking around he found she was meditating on top of the repaired wall . He soon found her sitting down with the sun in her back , illuminating her horns to truly look as though they were licks of fire .

Zac did not want to interrupt her meditation and simply sat down close to her and gazed out over the mostly prepared battlefield .

You’re back , - Zac suddenly heard Alea say after some time and looked over at the demoness .

I am glad to see you’re better , - Zac said after some hesitant silence .

Your pill was very effective , - Alea answered as she looked calmly at his face .

The intent stare was starting to make Zac a bit uncomfortable , and he tried to come up with something to discuss . Finally , he detailed his excursion through the teleportation . The Ishiate , the mink , and Fort Roger . Alea calmly listened through the story , seemingly content to let Zac blabber on , until he got to Emily .

This human , is she cute? - she asked with a light voice .

She’s just a kid , - Zac answered with a roll of his eyes . Then he caught himself as it felt like he was defending himself to a girlfriend .

Hmm… - was the only answer from the demoness as she slowly closed her eyes to keep meditating . Zac felt that he was approaching a weird territory and with a grunt got up to his feet . Before he jumped down the wall he looked down on the meditating demoness a few seconds .

Thank you , - he said before he left . That was the real thing he wanted to convey . Alea had risked her life to help him in the battle against the Fiend Wolf and was still recuperating from its attack . She was under no obligation to do that but she still did it , and Zac was truly grateful .

With that , he was done with everything he needed to do for now . The demons knew what they needed to do , and Zac’s only goal now was to get stronger . He didn’t want to get mired down in weeks of battle again . The few days of freedom as he explored the new planet made him feel alive , and he was anxious to get back to it .

The fact that the beastmen closed their portal was a bit troubling as it threw a wrench in his plans , but since that small village managed to buy a teleportation array already then many other towns would likely follow suit soon . Perhaps even a government-run one that wanted to gather people .

He went back to his camp and to his surprise saw Ogras and Emily sit under a red canopy in a comfortable chair each , contentedly watching a movie . They obviously were successful in setting up the new Television , as it currently was showing a rom-com movie with an extension cable running through the illusion array , presumably toward the camper .

He wanted to kick the demon and make him do something more productive , but he also felt that it might be good for Emily with some company . The apocalypse obviously had toughened her up , but both her parents were killed just a week ago , and no one could simply shake that off .

I am going to absorb some crystals before the next horde arrives , don’t disturb me unless it is something important , - Zac said as he looked over at the demon .

No problem , I can charge up the energy storage of your tin can through that wire , so we won’t need to disturb you , - Ogras answered without taking his eyes off the TV .

Zac blanked out a second before he understood the demon meant the camper’s battery and the extension cord .

What are you doing? - Emily perked up as she looked over at him .

I need to train and get stronger , - Zac answered .

Can I do it too? - she eagerly asked . Zac had noticed her hunger for power since they started traveling together , and was very much in favor of it .

Not until you turn 16 . Find Alyn later , she’ll help you prepare . If you follow her instructions you will have better prospects in the future , - Zac answered with a shake of his head .

Oh the disgraced teacher will finally have a student again , - Ogras said with a pitying glance at Emily .

Wait , what do you mean? - Zac asked with a start .

She got fired because of her , uh , unusually strict training methods in our clan . She was mainly brought over here because she already had the language skill and people figured she would make a good slave driver , - Ogras said with a widening smile . - Otherwise what use would a teacher have during an invasion? Did you think we would go around opening a bunch of schools for you humans? -

The eyes of both Zac and Emily widened at this , and Zac’s image of the calm and proper lady clashed with the image of Alyn screaming on top of her lungs while whipping a bunch of slaves .

Well… Don’t let her overdo it . Emily , stay strong , - he said as he entered his camp .

Wai- - the teenager tried to interject , but another shield superimposed over the illusion array . It was a F-Grade Small Scale Defensive Array] , the cheapest and weakest defensive option in the town shop .

It wasn’t something Zac bought to protect himself , but rather a means to show the surroundings he didn’t want to be disturbed . It only cost 75 000 Nexus coin , and a random punch by him or Ogras would break it . It was , however , effective against a girl who still hadn’t started on the path of cultivation .

For the next four days he simply sat down and absorbed his E-Grade Nexus Crystals] . He was able to absorb roughly 2 a day , and he already consumed two of them before . He left his 10th and last crystal for emergencies though . During the whole time he barely slept or ate , he just sat down and let the huge power wash over him .

He stood up and after a quick shower and dinner he opened up his quest panel .

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect town from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : 5 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , town upgraded to City , status upgraded to Lord . (1/3) 1 : 03 : 22 : 34]

A bit over a day remained until the next wave started , and only the finishing touches were needed now . He removed his defensive array and walked out to the makeshift movie-canopy . During the four days it had gotten some upgrades , with walls that kept the glare out of the TV , and a rug and coffee table . It was however empty so he headed toward the town .

After asking around he learned Ogras was with Adran , and walked over . As the two saw Zac approach they nodded toward him .

How are the preparations? -

Everything is finished . This time we had time over to create a few siege weapons as well . They might be useful , and they can even be manned by the non-combat classes or your new citizens after some training . The only thing remaining is purchasing the aces with Nexus Coins , - Ogras answered . - I have taken the liberty of collecting three million Nexus Coins for the war effort . I mean five million . - He continued , correcting himself after a glare by Zac .

Zac nodded and after some discussion purchased a few defensive measures .

How are the humans? - Zac asked Adran after that was done .

The old people are working hard cultivating with Nexus Crystals . Their leader has even gained a decent speed at killing Barghest by now . He has been getting assistance though , of course , - the administrator answered .

The youth are a bit more troublesome , but they’re getting there . Nothing is as effective in getting people in line as a few days of filling old latrines and digging new ones , - Adran continued with a small smile while Ogras openly snickered . - Oh and speaking of the last little human , here she’s coming - .

Zac turned around and saw Emily approach like a small thundercloud . Next to her a visibly irate Alea and Alyn were walking along . Zac sighed and stood up , and unhesitantly started to powerwalk away .

Chapter 103 - The Second Horde

Zac! - a few voices shouted after him . And he could only sigh and turn around .

Since he saw her last Emily had undergone a drastic transformation . She was properly cleaned and wore new clothes . Zac noted with some interest she had chosen the men’s style with the pants and leather armor rather than the dress-robes that the two demons by her side wore . Her messy hair also was turned into a pixie-cut instead of the uneven mess of a crazy person .

All three , especially the teenager , carried an angry energy as they approached him , and he could only helplessly shake his head .

Hello , the three of you look lovely today , - he said , preemptively trying to avoid whatever trouble was coming his way . It was a trick that usually worked on Kenzie back in the day . Unfortunately , it seemed to have quite limited effect , as there was barely any change in expression on their faces .

These two are crazy! I want to learn cultivation from you instead . - Emily angrily huffed .

This child has a great talent for the elements , and would become a great mage , healer , or poison mistress , - Alyn interjected . - But she is very rambunctious and keeps demanding to learn how to use axes . It would be a waste of her talent . -

And also very unladylike , - Alea added on .

So we have been trying to correct her ways , but she is very stubborn , - Alyn said with a frown .

So what do you want me to do? - Zac asked .

Punish the child . Hanging naked on the town square for a few days should make her temper milder - Alea said .

Don’t be absurd . She needs to get married in the future . Just a public whipping would do , - Alyn retorted with a slight frown .

I told you , they are crazy! They have tortured me constantly since you left me with them . Let me train with you instead . You saw I learned quickly , - she said while glaring angrily at the two demons .

How do you know what talent she has? - Zac curiously asked , ignoring the teenager for now .

I had a few warriors contribute some of their Nexus Coins to buy a simple testing device from Calrin , - Alyn simply answered .

Zac was starting to understand why Ogras thought Alyn would make a good slave driver . He felt it wasn’t as easy as the warriors simply willingly gave away their money after risking their lives . He could only nod and focus on Emily .

Why do you want to fight with axes? You should be happy that you have the option to become a mage . You can just blast the enemies from a distance , - Zac extorted the teenager . - Poison isn’t a bad idea either . Have you heard about our contribution quest? Alea is on the third spot there with her poison attacks . -

When Alea heard the comment she smiled proudly and looked down at the teenager with a triumphant face , but she only rolled her eyes .

But you are number one right? Much better than that stupid old hag? And you can blast enemies from the distance as well , - Emily said grumpily , drawing an angry glare from Alea .

I’ve bled over every inch of my body the past months . There’s almost not a single part of my body that hasn’t been wounded and scarred from my battles . Fighting in melee range is to constantly put yourself in harm’s way . A single mistake and you’re dead . You should think long and hard before you decide to follow in my footsteps . There are innumerable paths to power , and mine is just one . Try to focus on yourself , and think about what would suit you , - Zac said with a sigh .

Why are you here anyway? I thought only Alyn was in charge of Emily’s education? - Zac asked of the poison mistress .

When I heard about her talent I wanted to check her out . I noticed she’s also a bit ruthless and crazy , so I think she would make a good disciple of mine , - she said with a slight smile .

Who’d be a disciple to you? - Emily shot back with a scathing glare .

I can’t help you train at the moment . Listen To Alyn , she is far more knowledgeable about these things than I am . And think long and hard about your future path before deciding . The choices you make for your class and attributes in the future will impact your whole life , - Zac said as he started to walk away . He didn’t want to comment about the discipleship as that was something between the two of them and he didn’t want to butt in .

Oh , and no hanging or whipping . She’s a student , not a slave , - he added as he moved away .

All three of them looked like they weren’t finished , but Zac used Loamwalker] to move away . The rest of the day Zac simply relaxed and adjusted his state of mind . He watched a few movies and took a walk along the shore . Finally when the counter reached 1 hour left he walked over to the wall . Not long after Ogras and his four generals joined him .

As time passed more and more of the warriors arrived , and thirty minutes before the next horde arrived every combatant was at the ready . Adran was also there along with the humans , who nervously looked around . It was on Zac’s command they were brought here . They needed to see the reality of this new universe .

They thought they escaped calamity when they fled their island , and hoped to get back to normalcy now . But that was impossible , as their experience with the frenzied rats was only a small greeting gift from the System , and it would only get worse . Unless they started to take things seriously the world would move forward without them .

Alyn and Emily also joined them on the wall . Emily wanted to walk over to Zac , but Alyn kept her close to the stairs leading down , together with the other non-combatants . They didn’t know what would come from the next wave , and they needed to be able to quickly get down to safety if it was needed .

The time slowly crept forward , and everyone gazed upon the battlefield with a solemn expression . Some tried to spark a conversation to lighten the tension , but any talk quickly died out under the heavy atmosphere . The moment his counter went down to zero a huge blinding light appeared in the distance . The next second a large construct appeared , most closely resembling a hive or anthill .

It was looked to be almost a hundred meters tall and was somewhat shaped like a pyramid . The whole construct was a dark grey , almost turning black . There were also green lights covering the hive , almost making it seem like they were windows wrought out of emeralds . On the ground a few large entrances were visible .

The structure gave an oppressive feeling like the whole thing was a large lumbering beast .

What do you think? - Zac asked Ogras who was standing next to him .

Some sort of nest . It looks like this second horde is a bit different compared to the first . There are no pillars unless they are inside that thing . I’m not sure where we go from here . I get nothing when trying to use my identification skill on it , - Ogras answered with slightly furrowed brows before he increased his volume - Anyone recognizes it? -

Only frowns and shakes of heads and a few short answers followed . None of the demons knew what they were facing . The minutes passed and the unsettling feeling only grew larger as nothing happened .

Should we go in? It doesn’t feel like a good idea to just leave that thing alone . Who knows what’s going on inside there , - Zac asked with a frown .

I sense something! - a voice suddenly shouted . It was one of the earth mages among the demons . He jumped down from the wall and placed his hands on the ground . - There are subtle vibrations in the ground . I think the things inside the nest are digging downward , - he said with a serious expression .

A few more demons jumped down , and they confirmed the suspicion . Something was going on inside that hive , but it was happening beneath the ground .

We can’t let this go on . We need to head in , - Zac said as he jumped down the wall as well . - First group follow me! -

Twenty-five demons quickly jumped down behind Zac . They were a mixed group of both ranged , support , and melee classes . They shared the same shift as Zac during the fights with the wolf horde and were the demons Zac was most acquainted with apart from Ogras and Alea . They also had two earth mages in the mix , who would be able to help with the scouting .

They carefully approached the huge hive . It was quite far from the wall , and Zac noticed with a frown that it was outside the range of all his offensive arrays or fortifications . If they wanted to destroy this thing they would have to do it by hand . Perhaps they could construct siege engines that were more designed for structures compared to hordes of enemies .

When they were a few hundred meters away from the black nest one of the earth mages started and went down on the ground . Zac immediately stopped and glanced around carefully .

They’ve stopped whatever they were doing underground , - the mage said .

In response the group immediately took out their weapons , unsure what would happen . Zac’s eyebrows suddenly rose in alarm as he stared at the large holes on the ground floor of the nest .

Get ready! - he shouted as he took out a large rock from his pouch .

A huge stream of insectoid monsters was pouring out of the nest , heedlessly charging toward the group . Their colors matched the hive , a mix of black and green . They had large chitinous shells that covered their bodies , both their appendages and mandibles looked like sinister weapons .

There seemed to be three types of insects in the army . The most populous looked like a mix between an ant and a mantis . They had thee pairs of legs with three joints much like normal ants , but they were as large as a pony . The front set of legs were sharp hooks , and it looked they were made for digging or fighting , rather than running . They could be regarded as the normal soldiers of the insect army .

If the first group could be considered eighty percent ant with some mantis peppered in , then the second group could be seen as mostly mantis . They were at least fifty percent larger compared to the normal insects , reaching over two meters height with their bodies , with their torso stretching upward . Their two front legs were huge sinister blades , looking extremely dangerous .

The last group of insects was very different compared to the rest . Their legs were shorter and their bodies were fat , almost bulbous . The other creepy crawlies were mostly black with some green details , but these ones were mostly green . They also had huge heads with oversized circular maws .

Zac immediately threw out three rocks , each targeting a different type of insect . He still preferred this type of test on new enemies .

The first rock slammed into the footsoldier , crushing its head and instantly killing it . The larger mantis-like being actually managed to react and tried cutting the incoming rock . However , the force in the throw was too strong , and the insect missed as the stone slammed into its chest . The shell of the insect actually didn’t break as the stone cracked from the impact . The insect was thrown away and fell down twitching on the ground . If it wasn’t dead it at least was dying from the impact .

The last insect exploded into a large pool of green goop that instantly started scorching the ground . Zac realized the last things actually were large walking vats of acid or poison with some shock . He didn’t even have time to digest the information before the green acid-monsters spit out large balls of the green liquid at the demons .

ACID! Target the green ones! - Zac shouted and moved out of the way from the incoming projectiles . A few defensive spells were erected as well to protect the group .

Feeling he had a good enough grasp of the beasts Zac charged up his skill and set out to decapitate some enemies .

Chapter 104 - The War Council

It looks like they are expanding their nest underground , moving downward . We believe they are digging toward the Nexus Vein , - one of the earth mages reported to the group who was sitting around a table .

Twelve hours had passed since the hive appeared , and they had made some discoveries . The ants were called Ayn Hivebeasts] and the three types they encountered so far were called Ayn Worker , Ayn Guard , and the green acid shooters were actually called Ayn Vomitors .

After the initial clash they quickly learned that there was an enormous number of beasts inside the large structure , as they kept pouring out as they fought . But the moment they retreated , so did the Ants . But just a few minutes after Zac and the demons stopped their assault the digging was resumed according to the earth mages .

They were currently holding a war council while two regiments led by Ogras’ four generals were keeping the ants busy . They needed to figure out a strategy for this new horde , as their old one wouldn’t work . Most of their preparations were in vain as the new monsters didn’t seem interested in attacking the town . The wall stood unassaulted and the arrays couldn’t reach the hive due to the distance .

Zac almost felt that the System specifically chose this type of challenge since the last wave almost felt like a gift of experience and money rather than a challenge . Certainly , the last waves were tough , but never to the point of true desperation .

That’s it then? We’ll head in and destroy it today , - Zac said with a frown .

The Nexus Vein was the lifeblood of his island . It created the crystals in the mine and the high concentration of Cosmic Energy in the atmosphere . Anything from cultivation to crafting to even farming would be far more efficient in this area . If he bought an island-wide gathering array in the future it would truly become a paradise . He couldn’t risk his city’s foundations just for the opportunity to farm some insects .

Wait a bit , - Ogras hastily interjected . - We also have concluded that during our attacks they are stopping their excavation-work to meet our attacks . We can simply farm them without risking the vein as long as we keep the attacks going , letting you keep your lead against the other humans , - he added .

It was a fair point , but Zac had a feeling that it was more about the contribution points for the Fruit of Ascension than letting him gain levels . Besides , he held a commanding lead over the others as it was , and didn’t really need to gain levels at the moment . He was fast approaching the first bottleneck at level 75 .

Zac mainly needed to improve his Dao-insights at the moment . He already possessed a rare class , and his goal was to upgrade it into an E-Rank Epic class . His only options at the moment were Rare or Epic , as the rarity couldn’t downgrade when reaching the next tiers . He already knew that his situation was pretty bad since the multi-verse was full of examples of geniuses whose cultivation journey got cut short since they couldn’t upgrade their special classes .

Still , he didn’t want to give up his advantages . Upgrading to a rare class wasn’t the best option . He tread the path of the elite , spearheading the powerhouses of Earth . Since he was already locked into this path he would go all the way , and keep upgrading the rarity of the class . He knew that Early Stage Seeds were not enough for an Epic class , so it was time to upgrade his Daos . If that was at the expense of his lead in levels , so be it . He wouldn’t limit his future achievements just to become the first person to reach E-Rank Class .

Constantly attacking out in the open is different from defending on top of a wall . We will not be able to last as we did during the wolf-hordes . Besides , we do not know whether the insects will grow stronger over time like the wolves did , and it is safe to nip the problem in the bud , - Zac said .

To be honest , safety concerns weren’t the only reason he wanted to end this horde quickly . He just had a taste of freedom and adventure as he explored in search of his hometown . He was loath to spend the next four weeks slaughtering insects . He knew that the gain of nexus coins would be huge , but he would still net good income if he sent people down into the mines instead .

He was also even more anxious to get home after seeing the life of civilians in Fort Roger . Emily would have met a miserable fate unless he was there , and worry over his friends and family was starting to keep him up at night . He even had trouble focusing during meditation , as the intrusive - what-ifs’ kept popping up in his head .

Three weeks . Let us fight and farm for three weeks , and after that we will invade the hive , - Ogras entreated .

It’s too long . You can have ten days . After that I’m heading in , - Zac flatly refused . That would leave him three weeks to travel the world before the final wave , twice what he had last time .

Bah , you’re throwing away a great opportunity , - Ogras muttered in discontent .

Zac only rolled his eyes at the demon . What they gained from the quest was already great , and they shouldn’t get greedy . The longer they waited the more weird things could crop up .

Did Calrin find any information about the beasts? - Zac asked as he changed the subject .

He did manage to buy a short missive about the Ayr Hivebeasts] . They are an extremely prolific species led by hive-queens . As long as they have enough cosmic energy the queens can almost indefinitely spawn soldiers . The stronger the queen the mightier warriors it can birth , and more types as well , - Adran answered . Since he wasn’t part of the fighting force he tried to help the war efforts by gathering information .

There are examples of the beasts' insatiable expansion , completely infesting a planet if left alone . We believe that the threat will be over when we manage to kill the queen . After that no more beasts will spawn , and we can simply slowly exterminate the survivors . Killing the queen will likely mark this horde as completed as well , - he continued .

How strong is the queen? - Zac asked .

It should be E-Grade Class equivalent . It might also have a few bodyguards close to that in power for protection , - Adran answered .

Okay , whatdoes it look like , what are its powers? - Zac probed further .

Actually , the large construct we see is not a structure , but the queen herself . The Ayr Hivebeasts live inside their queen's body for the most part , and the queen slowly grows to accommodate a larger population . The digging we hear is the insects making room for her body expanding down into the ground , - Adran answered with a grimace .

Everyone’s eyebrows rose in surprise at this .

How the hell do we kill something that large? - Ogras asked with a frown .

Apparently it has a core somewhere inside . You need to get inside to its core-room and destroy it , and it will die . The exact details were unclear in the missive we obtained though , - Adran said with a sigh .

Good job . See if you can find out anything else , as long as the information doesn’t become too expensive , - Zac said .

That the huge construct was an actual being didn’t change much in Zac’s opinion . They’d still farm for ten days , after which Zac would enter , and drag Ogras with him no matter if he was willing or not . Inside they would find the boss and kill or destroy it .

With that everything was settled , and Ogras immediately set out with a company of soldiers , loath to miss even a single Contribution Point . Zac stayed put since he would be needed to relieve Ogras when he ran out of steam so that they could put continuous pressure on the insects . He really didn’t want that huge queen-beast to get her hands on his Nexus Vein , so no expansion could be allowed . And who knew if the hive queen would have some strange mutation from getting too close to the vein .

As the days passed an advance-wall was erected . It was nowhere the size of the regular wall , but it would allow some protection while retreating . The craftsmen also refitted a few of the siege machines so that they would be able to attack the hive queen . However , the large boulders and bolts only bounced off the black structure without as much as leaving a mark .

Zac tried as well , and ran up to the structure with his movement skill and slammed into it with a Dao-Empowered Chop] . It was effective , creating a large scar , but the response was horrifying . It was like the ants turned crazy and surged against the demons in a frenzy .

The mantis-things actually started throwing the Vomitors in retaliation , and as they sailed through the air they overcharged themselves much in the same way as the suicide attack the demons possessed . Zac was forced to expend most of his cosmic energy in a short time , furiously throwing out projectiles in order to clear the rabid waves . But he still got a few acid burns on his face and hands that would take time to heal , as most of the Vomitors were hurled in his direction .

Seeing that Zac’s swing only made a small crack on the gigantic structure they knew that a siege wasn’t really possible against this thing , and they’d have to enter the tunnels if they wanted to kill the queen .

On the seventh day Zac’s fears were realized , as a new foe started emerging out of the hive along with its three siblings . It was called Ayn Titan and was a hulking insect at over three meters tall . Its shell was at least twice as thick as on the others , and it was impossible to penetrate for most of the demons .

They were forced to slowly whittle it down by first disabling its legs by attacking the joints , all while avoiding its terrifying smashes with its claw-like front arms . Since the thing was so heavy its mobility was quite bad and if they fell down with broken legs they stayed down . After it was downed it seemed the simplest method to kill it was to just boil its head in a fireball .

If Zac or Ogras were present they could penetrate or crush their skulls instead . However , the time it took to kill the titans increased the pressure as the ants unceasingly kept pouring out of the hive . There were no breaks , no lulls , just constant unrelenting battle . The only reason they weren’t overrun in just a day or two was the fact that the monsters were quite weak , and even the siege machines they brought had no trouble killing the footsoldiers .

The only thing strong about them was their carapaces’ sturdiness , but that wouldn’t impede the skilled warriors overly much . In the few cases that they were starting to get overrun Zac or Ogras would unleash their most powerful area attacks . Zac simply threw out his huge edges that created large swathes of death and destruction .

As for Ogras , he created a sea of shadows that moved across the battlefield , where dozens of spears unceasingly sprung up to kill everything around . It wasn’t an attack that Zac had seen before , and he suspected that the demon made a breakthrough with either a skill or his Dao some time recently .

With his new skill the demon’s killing speed was terrifying , and almost eclipsed Zac’s own speed , which was doubly impressive since he no longer suffered from an energy shortage . Zac was shocked by the display of power , as he knew that the power of the demons was still limited by the System .

There were a few more who excelled at area battle such as Alea and Rivea , the pyromancer who learned the Seed of Tinder during the wolf waves . Her fire kept spreading among the ants and was particularly deadly to them . It simply stuck to their carapaces and slowly cooked the beasts , and from there spread to their brethren .

The windfall was so great that Zac relented and actually prolonged the farm-fest another day much to the delight of the demons . Ogras was like a storm , grinding his contribution points at a furious pace .

Zac had thought that this kind of situation was something unique , but he was surprised to find out that most large forces in the multiverse kept zones and forests that were a bit like this , teeming with monsters . It provided their young and their soldiers with ample training and outlet for growth , and the clan didn’t need to provide any salary as access to the farming zones were benefits enough to join the army . The elders of the clan took care of the evolved monsters , and immediately rooted out any beast that got too strong .

But all good things must end . The eleventh day approached , and the core warriors started to rest up and prepare their aces . Tomorrow they would assault the hive .

Chapter 105 - Into the Hive

Is everyone ready? - Zac asked as he glanced back at the group . It was time to find the queen , and a strike force was assembled . It would be led by Ogras , with Zac second in command . Zac didn’t mind not being the leader , as he didn’t have any experience leading an operation like this . He didn’t want to risk his teammates getting killed due to his inexperience . Besides , he could always overrule him if he felt it warranted .

The group consisted of only 6 people . Apart from Zac and Ogras , Janos and Alea also joined the group . Ilvere and Namys were left behind , leaving them in charge of the main army whose job was to keep the fight going outside while they entered the hive . Janos was a support mage who hopefully could turn the odds in their favor , while Alea’s attack had proven itself effective even against the Fiend Wolf .

The last two were Rivea and Herod . Rivea was the Pyromancer with the Seed of Tinder . Herod was the earth mage who first spoke up about the digging on top of the wall . It turned out he possessed the Seed of Tremor , making him extremely perceptible to even small tremors in the ground . His job was to act as a scout in the tunnels , whereas Rivea was just additional firepower .

They didn’t bring any more people , as quantity didn’t really work against E-Grade evolved beings . Most of the soldiers would only be a hindrance rather than an asset inside the hive . Even Rivea was mostly brought so that she could defend their backs while the rest fought the Queen and the bodyguards .

Human , why not just wait a few more days? -

You’re pretty close to affording the Fruit , huh? Remember if I die the mission is failed , and the contribution crystal is gone . - Zac answered with a small smile .

It was true . Since Ogras started using the wide-scale shadow-attack his contribution points skyrocketed . In only 10 days he almost got as many as he did during the three weeks of the first wolf horde , and he possessed over 40 million points by now .

Ogras muttered something under his breath but didn’t seem overly worried . There was a whole third wave after all , and there still were a lot of Contribution Points to be gained inside the hive . Zac got over five million points for killing the fiend wolf , and he heard afterward that both Ogras and Alea got quite a few points as well for helping out . Killing E-Ranked beings at this stage seemed truly profitable .

They were currently at the back of the fight against the insects and started to move forward . As they did both Ogras and Janos cast a skill , shrouding them both in shadows and illusions , making them almost invisible . They easily slipped past the ant-army and headed into one of the large tunnels .

The inside looked just like outside , with black walls and green crystals . The crystals thankfully emanated some light , though it was a lot darker compared to the tunnels in the mines . They could light up their path with the help of Rivea , but held off on that for the moment wanting to maintain their cover . They didn’t expect to be able to sneak all the way to the core room , but the faster they proceeded without being bogged down in fights , the less pressure on the fighters outside .

Groups of ants kept coming through the tunnel to join the battle outside , and most simply ran right by . With Herod’s timely warnings they usually had time to press themselves against the wall while their skills hid them . However , they were still discovered every now and then , and were forced into a furious battle . It was mainly Zac and ogras who slaughtered the ants without using up too much cosmic energy , and then threw the bodies into Cosmos Sacks .

They quickly realized something was wrong as they walked . The inside of the hive actually seemed larger compared to the outside . The hive was shaped almost like a pyramid , reaching about a hundred meters in height and was a few hundred wide meters at the base . But they had walked over 10 minutes in an almost straight tunnel without reaching an end . They were frequently forced to stop as they walked due to the incoming packs , but they should long have crossed the whole structure .

The hive is likely a spatial being , containing something like a hidden realm , - Ogras said with a low volume when no ants were nearby .

Not illusion . Unless extremely strong , - Janos added with a nod .

Does this change anything? - Zac asked .

Not really , the mission is still the same . But it will be much harder to find the queen , we don’t know just how large the inside of the hive is anymore , - Ogras answered with a sigh .

As they proceeded further into the hive they ran into fewer and fewer packs of ants . Soon the group found themselves at a crossroads . The path split into three , and it looked like the left descended while right ascended . The middle path stayed the course .

The core room should be in the depths since that place would be safest from external attacks , - Ogras said , and the group veered off to the left paths . There was no talk about splitting up since perhaps only Zac and Ogras would be able to survive if they ventured out alone .

As they moved further down the rocky walls started to transform , looking more and more like flesh . It reminded them that they weren’t actually inside a mountain , but rather inside a huge being .

Trap! - the earth mage suddenly exclaimed , and soon after the ground opened up beneath them . They barely had time to jump forward , and as they turned back they looked at a pool of acid seething where the floor once was .

Does it know we’re here? - Zac asked .

Who knows? The information missive never explained how aware the hive queen is . It might just have been an automatic reflex from us stepping on this path . The ants might know which spots to avoid , - Ogras answered with a frown .

It did not take long for the group to find the answer to the question , as a group of huge ant-warriors streamed toward them . They were almost as large as the titans but far more nimble . Their name was Ayn Elite Guard] , and their front legs looked very specialized . One of the arms had the same sort of long blade like the mantis-like captains , whereas the other was extremely thick almost like a crab’s arm . It almost looked like a shield Zac thought as he watched them approach .

As usual , Janos erected a mirage around them , making it seem they were part of the wall as they pushed against it . The guards looked a bit confused as they slowed down as they looked around . As if in response the green gems in the wall behind Zac and the others started shining more brightly . The guards immediately perked up and resumed their charge .

Seeing that the illusion wasn’t effective any more Zac threw a rock toward one of them . The stone hurtled toward the front elite guard who lifted its thick arm in response . A deep clang resounded as the ant was slightly pushed back , but not a mark could be seen on its arm . Clearly , the thicker arm was extremely reinforced .

The ants approached and Zac moved to the front , and with a grunt swung his axe against the shield to test its might . A massive shockwave pushed both his target and a few of the other guards back , but the thick shell even held against his new weapon . There was a small crack though , and a few more swings would probably do the trick .

Zac was surprised at the sturdiness of these things , as there weren’t many things below E-grade that could survive a swing of his anymore . If they could take the shells of these things they would likely be able to create some pretty damn durable armor . With some treatment and inscriptions engraved onto them , they might even become E-graded gear .

Don’t ruin their shields , - Zac said with some greed in his eyes . Of course , perhaps only he was actually able to damage them in any case .

In the end it fell to Zac , Ogras , and Rivea to kill the group of guards . Zac was actually forced to use the Seed of Sharpness to kill the ants while Ogras used his black spear to penetrate into the joints of the guards . As soon as the tip of the spear breached their armor spikes made from shadows poured out of the tip and wreaked havoc on their insides . Rivea lobbed a few fireballs that stuck to their heads and quickly boiled their brains .

Herod tried to help with a few earth spears as well , but his power wasn’t enough against these warriors . He could only help out by erecting earth walls to protect the non-combatants . It was a strain on him as they weren’t in an actual cave , but a living being . The earth mages drew power from the ground , which enabled them to do more with less expenditure , but it wasn’t possible in here . Alea was simply staying put . Her poison spikes would be able to kill these things , but they consumed a huge amount of cosmic energy , so it was better for her to wait for more formidable targets .

They threw the most well-preserved carapaces in Cosmos Sacks and pushed further down , not bothering as much about stealth anymore . They were clearly spotted somehow , and it would be better to just rush through .

Soon they came to a large circular room , and after brief hesitation they ran toward the door that seemed to be leading downward . But just as they approached it the pathway simply closed up by the walls moving together .

If it’s only the entrance that’s closed I can break it down in less than a minute , but if the whole tunnel is collapsed we need to find another way , - Zac muttered as he touched the closed doorway .

No , let’s retreat befo- - Ogras quickly interjected but was interrupted by the pathway they came from opening as well . - Shit , break the door we came from! - the demon shouted .

Zac didn’t hesitate and used Loamwalker] to appear next to the door and Furiously slammed into it with a Sharpness-imbued Chop] . A large crack appeared in the door but before Zac had time to swing again the floor beneath them opened up .

It was as though the ground was a huge maw that opened up , and the group helplessly fell down into the large hole .

Grab on to each other! - Ogras shouted , and luckily the demons were quite close to each other .

However , Zac who used his movement skill earlier was over twenty meters away from the others and he had no way to broach the distance while falling . A rope was flung toward him , but the winds in the hole pushed it out of his reach .

Suddenly the seemingly endless hole split up , separating the groups , and Zac was suddenly utterly alone while falling into the abyss .

Chapter 106 - The Descent

Zac was picking up speed as his descent continued through the black hole . He desperately tried to grab onto the wall as he fell but the surface was almost completely smooth . Seeing no alternative he grabbed Verun’s Bite] with both hands and stabbed forward while summoning a sharpness-imbued Chop] at the maximum length he could maintain .

The cosmic energy edge cut into the wall , and Zac removed the Dao-empowerment as soon as it did . Luckily the walls inside the hive queen were quite a bit softer compared to the hardshell exterior . The harsh deceleration almost ripped the axe out of his hands , but he barely managed to hold on as he ripped a large scar along the wall while moving downward . Soon he stopped just as he saw some green light below .

Since his momentum was gone he took out one of his back-up axes from his pouch and stabbed into the wall with another cosmic edge . Like this , he climbed downward toward the exit . He initially thought about climbing up to find the others , but he soon discarded that thought . They should be down here somewhere as well , and going downward might be a better bet to find them .

Besides , their goal was to go further down to find the core room in any case . So Zac started using the fractal edges of his axes as ice picks as he slowly climbed down toward the exit , And as he saw what created the green glowing light his eyebrows rose .

It was a large pond of acid . If Zac hadn’t stopped his decent he would have fallen right in , and even with his armor and Endurance he wasn’t sure he’d survive the bath . As he hung close to the edge Zac was pondering on what to do . He could see that there was dry ground roughly ten meters away from the hole , but he doubted he could climb the ceiling all the way over there as his axes would just slide right out .

He took out his huge elongated axe from his pouch . It had accompanied him during many of the wolf waves when he wasn’t able to freely use his skills , and by now it was mostly warped and dull . It wasn’t really as useful lately since he didn’t have to be as stingy with his cosmic energy anymore . Its total length was a bit over two meters , and it would make a decent measuring tool for the pond . Careful to hold it completely vertical he simply dropped it straight down .

The axe fell down and just as it was about to be completely submerged it stopped with a thud for a few seconds before it fell down into the pool completely . It looked like the depth was only roughly two meters . Even if it was shallower than he had dared hope , it was still enough to completely submerge him if he dropped down .

He didn’t have any more time to ponder , as the edge he hung from with his axes suddenly cracked , and he fell down together with a large chunk of wall . He quickly threw out a bunch of non-essential tools and items from a pouch , such as his large table and chairs , and a few boulders he used for ranged battle . They smacked into the pond with a large splash , and Zac felt a burning sensation on his feet from the splashing acid .

He landed on a boulder that was rapidly sinking , and without hesitation used two of his standard axes as stilts with the help of Chop] as he pushed down with elongated edges . He hoped that he would be able to jump over the pool like a pole vaulter , but the fractal energy edges broke almost immediately , dashing that hope .

Instead he kept throwing out rocks on the ground , gritting his teeth as the splashes hit his hands and face . Luckily the distance wasn't very long and after a few more boulders he was close to the edge of the acid ponds , so he leaped through the air . He sailed toward dry land as the boulders he stood on earlier quickly disintegrated .

He landed in a pile with a grunt , and quickly took out a rag to wipe the acid off his blistering feet with a grimace . After smearing some healing ointment on them he got up and looked around a bit stumped . He couldn’t believe things turned out that well . The blisters hurt but wouldn’t leave any lasting damage , and he only lost some furniture and two axes in the escape .

As he surveyed the area he found himself in a cave that was roughly 30 by 30 meters . There was no other hole in the roof , meaning that the others couldn’t have ended up here . Most of the room was the large pool of acid , and as Zac looked around it almost felt like a digestive system rather than some sort of trap . Perhaps the ant workers normally filled the room they entered earlier with whatever a hive queen ate , and it dropped down into what was essentially its stomaches .

There , unfortunately , were no visible exits in the room , and Zac was afraid that the acid could rise at any time judging by the markings on the walls . There was a clear line on the walls at roughly the height of his waist that indicated that the liquid at one point reached all the way there . He quickly walked to the wall and started tapping it .

After tapping for a while he heard a hollow sound roughly at the height of his head and started to carve the cave wall using his axe . Even though the walls weren’t as hard as the exterior , he was still forced to use the Dao of Sharpness once again . He briefly wondered if a beast as large as the hive queen could feel him ripping a hole in what might just be its stomach , but he guessed that this couldn’t even be considered a wound for something this size . In just a few minutes he carved a hole large enough to crawl through and found himself in a large tunnel .

The deserted tunnel looked completely organic , which was an unsettling change from the mostly rocky or chitinous appearance from earlier . The walls even looked like they were slowly pulsating to a heartbeat . He could only hope that the increasingly biological make of the wall meant he was getting closer to the core . He started walking along , ignoring the stinging pain from his burned feet , and since the tunnel was completely deserted he dared take out an F-Grade Nexus Crystal to recuperate his energy as he moved .

He was completely lost by this point and wasn’t sure whether to try and complete his quest or try to look for his teammates . Then again , he had no structured method to do either , so he chose to simply move forward and take things as they came . If he found Ogras and the others , great . If he found a core-looking room , he’d try and destroy it .

The power of the queen and her guards sounded daunting , but he made significant improvements since he fought the fiend wolf . He both had his new axe and the Seed of Sharpness , pushing his lethality to a completely new level . He also possessed another ace in the hole he remembered as he touched his right forearm with some anticipation .

After walking through the deserted tunnels for a bit he came to a fork . One of the paths was pretty much the same as the one he was currently walking . The other had a surprisingly low amount of cosmic energy . He unhesitantly walked toward the pathway with a higher amount of energy , but after a hundred meters stopped himself and backtracked .

Something was absorbing the cosmic energy in the other tunnel , and it might just be the queen . It should take huge amounts of energy to keep spewing out all these ants , even to just survive when you’re this big . He couldn’t even imagine the energy requirements for a humongous hive queen if Zac’s own caloric intake increased by a few times since he evolved . That kind of requirement should be impossible to satiate unless it was through cosmic energy .

He held his axe at the ready as he silently crept into the tunnel . As he moved further the energy kept getting sparser , to the point that there almost was none left in the air . The feeling was extremely uncomfortable , almost like there was no air to breathe . It was the first time he felt the atmosphere to be like this since the integration , and he was surprised to see how reliant he’d become on cosmic energy .

Finally , he entered a huge cavern and what he saw made him stop in place and just gawk . It felt like a scene out of a horror movie , with an uncountable amount of monster pods . The whole cavern was filled to the brim with receptacles that shone with the same green light as the crystals embedded in the hive walls . They stood up on the floor leaving only thin pathways and were even affixed to the walls and the roof . Zac couldn’t be sure but it felt like there were tens of thousands of pods in the cavern .

Zac quickly entered a path and inspected the closest pods . Inside was an embryonic version of one of the worker ants that made up most of the armies . After walking through the path he quickly saw that all the pods were mostly the same , the only difference was the stage of growth of the ants . That meant that this likely was only one of many pod-rooms , and the more powerful types were created somewhere else .

He thought a second about destroying the whole cave , but that would take a crazy amount of effort going by how large the place was . It wouldn’t make sense for him to completely expose himself when there likely were many more caverns just like this . His goal was to kill the queen , and if he did most of these pods should likely die out on their own .

He stealthily made his way forward toward the other end , but a sudden movement made him freeze . It was a shadow that flickered oddly beneath a pod . Zac frowned and moved toward it , which caused the shadow to actually move away . Zac realized what was going on and started following the flickering shadow until he reached a small path hidden behind a few pods .

Inside he saw Ogras , Alea , Janos , and Herod hiding at the entrance of a tunnel . They obviously met a similar situation as himself earlier , as their clothes were full of burned holes . Zac couldn’t help to sneak a peek at Alea , and was rewarded with a pout and a teasing wink .

Herod was even worse off compared to the others with his whole arm singed to the point of pieces of flesh being missing . He was completely white with beads of sweat covering his face , and he was shivering as though in shock . His eyes were alert though , fearfully darting back and forth .

With a furrow Zac noticed that Rivea wasn’t with them , but just as he was about to ask what was going on Ogras quickly signaled him to be quiet . The demon pointed to the walls , and for the first time he noticed something was different about the tunnels compared to those walked through earlier .

It wasn’t the usual biotic walls anymore , but it rather looked like there were a multitude of cables , or veins , running along all the surface . The veins split up as they entered the large cavern , and Zac could see a thin line was attached to every pod .

Zac’s heartbeat started to increase as he started to realize what was going on . He took out a piece of paper and wrote - Queen?’ as he pointed toward the other end of the small tunnel they hid in .

With a serious face Ogras nodded .

Chapter 107 - Assault

Ogras picked out a crystal from his pouch and closed his eyes for a few seconds as he held it tightly . Next , he handed it over to Zac and indicated for him to pour some cosmic energy into it . As he did he suddenly heard Ogras voice in his head .

This is a communication crystal . The other end of the tunnel is a hundred meters in . We believe it’s the core room of the Queen . There are four more things walking around in the room according to Herod , the smallest of them almost as heavy as the Titans judging by the vibrations caused when it’s walking . These things seem very vigilant , they started running around when we spoke earlier . We believe that they are the Royal Guards .

Rivea is dead . We fell into a vat of acid and she didn’t make it . We found this place through Herod , and he also sensed your footsteps approaching . Everyone apparently has a unique vibration , and he recognized yours . I was planning on heading further into the tunnel to scout it out before we found you . Stay here and I’ll check things out . -

Zac opened his eyes and after mulling the information over a bit nodded his head toward Ogras , who melded into the shadows . As he waited for the demon to come back he properly looked over the teammates . Apart from Herod the other two looked mostly okay , though they both sported somber expressions .

Zac couldn’t help but agree the situation wasn’t ideal . When they made their plans before the assault , they had escape as an option . That was pretty much the only reason they managed to get Rivea and Herod to join , as they both were clearly unwilling to enter the belly of the beast .

They thought that while the structure was large , in a panicked rush where Zac and Ogras didn’t hold back they could be out in a minute or two even if they were forced to mow through an army of ants . They didn’t expect the inside to be this gigantic . Now that they also had fallen who knows how far down he wasn’t even sure how to get out . Their backs really were against the wall .

Soon Ogras came back and took out another crystal . This one actually displayed a window , but different from the one he borrowed long ago with the information , this window was actually visible for everyone . Zac started looking at the pouch of the demon , wondering what other goodies he kept for himself in there . He already knew that the space inside should be huge since he could throw a whole fishing vessel into it without any problem .

Zac quickly refocused and studied the screen . It was a still image of a large cavern . The whole surface was riddled with tubes that emerged from various tunnels much like the one they were in . They covered the ground and the roof , leaving almost no space free . The tubes converged in the middle of the cave and were latched to a huge green crystal .

Zac had never seen a core of a monster before , but if that wasn’t it then he’d be extremely surprised . The core was guarded by four monstrous ants as Ogras already explained , and they each covered a direction . Interestingly enough they all looked somewhat different from each other .

Two of them looked like supercharged versions of the Mantis and Titan respectively . The titan was the closest to their tunnel and was a huge hulking thing much larger than an elephant . One of its arms was a gigantic shield , and the other looked like a large mallet . Distinctively from the normal ants this thing actually had at least ten pairs of short legs . Perhaps only three pairs wouldn’t be able to carry its weight .

The mantis-looking ant had long serrated blades for front arms , and its long and graceful build seemed built for speed . It was nowhere as large as the hulking centipede-ant , but still larger than the normal Titans .

The other two Royal Guards were a bit different from any ants they’d seen so far . One of them seemed barely mobile , as it almost exclusively consisted of a head . It did have a body , but it looked small and almost shriveled , and Zac didn’t understand how the small frame could keep the head floating , as the head alone was as large as the mantis guard .

The size wasn’t the only odd thing about the head , as it also had a great number of eyes . The one in its forehead was enormous , and Zac guessed that it was at least as large as himself . The other eyes were generally placed along the main eye , but some seemed to be looking in different directions . He felt it was lucky that Ogras was the one doing recon , as this thing would probably have noticed himself even if he made no sound .

The last guard was mostly hidden behind the crystal , but Zac felt that it almost looked like a spider rather than an ant . It was comprised of a large bulbous torso , with long legs sticking out from it . He couldn’t see any head though and had no real idea of how it looked .

Ogras made a motion toward Zac and with a start he handed over the communication crystal . Ogras once again closed his eyes for a few seconds and then handed it over to Zac .

The green crystal obviously is the core . I say we try an ambush where we destroy the crystal before the guards can react . Zac and I both blast it with the strongest strike we can instantly summon . Me from left , and Zac from the right . We’ll bypass that huge bugger by both sides . Alea and Janos try to delay the guard's reaction time as much as possible . Herod , stay in the tunnels , try to sense whether reinforcements arrive .

We stay silent until the first attack is finished , and depending on the outcome we take it from there . Hopefully , the attack will destroy the core , and we can choose whether to kill the guards as well or flee . Each of them should net quite a bit of Contribution points , so we should kill them if possible -

We only have one shot of this , nod if you agree and are ready , then hand the crystal to the next person , - Ogras voice echoed inside Zac’s head .

Zac thought it over as he looked at the still displaying image of the core room for a few seconds . The huge tank-ant was the one closest to their tunnel . The plan meant that Zac would go to the right of it , which would place him between the tank and the large-headed one , whereas Ogras would rush in next to the sword-wielding ant . He mulled it over and felt that it was a decent proposal .

Ogras was more suited to dodging quick swings from a sword than Zac was with the help of his Dao and Class . Zac himself was pretty nimble nowadays with the help of Loamwalker] , but it was nothing compared to the demon and his shadow dancing . The large head was likely some sort of mage if he had to guess , and between his huge endurance and defensive option on his armor he should be able to withstand at least one blast without problem before he reached the crystal .

All four of those things looked quite dangerous , but he was already mentally prepared for a tough fight . He nodded and passed the crystal to Alea . After a while , everyone had listened to the instructions and agreed with the plan . They slowly made their way forward until they were just ten meters away from the exit into the core room .

Everyone steadied their breaths for a few seconds before Zac and Ogras nodded at each other . Ogras already held his black spear and Zac was tightly gripping Verun’s Bite] . Ogras started blending into the shadows as he speedily moved forward , and Zac unhesitantly activated his movement skill and moved toward the exit as well .

Footsteps behind them told that the others were following in tow , but Zac had no time to think about that .

The tunnel exit was two meters above the ground , and Zac immediately dropped to the floor and started rapidly moving forward . The Royal guards were obviously alert as a deep penetrating screech erupted from the large one that was the closest . The huge armored centi-ant felt even larger as Zac saw it in person , towering even higher than the Fiend wolf .

The Royal Guard immediately started moving its throng of small chubby legs as it rushed toward him , as it seemed it didn’t notice Ogras in his shadows . Zac kept infusing cosmic energy into his feet and luckily his skill worked inside the hive queen as well , even though he was technically standing on a body part of a supersized insect rather than the ground . He quickly moved forward through the huge cave , and as he did a blazing cacophony of colors and sounds erupted above him , pushing like a wave toward the guard .

It was Janos who clearly held nothing back as he pushed out a blanket of distraction . A sweet smell in the air that almost made Zac giddy was a sign that Alea had released something that added to the confusion air as well . Suddenly a huge pressure slammed into Zac as he ran , and he almost stumbled and fell . A quick glance showed that all the numerous eyes of the gigantic head ant were glaring at him .

The pressure wasn’t physical , but rather a mental pressure . Only the stare made him feel like he was carrying a mountain , but he could also see that the eyes were starting to shine with a green luster . Luckily the crystal was close , and he pushed an extreme amount of cosmic energy into his legs . He pushed away and shot like a cannon toward the core . From the moment he exited the tunnel until now only a bit more than a second had passed , and the huge guards barely had time to start their attacks .

Zac charged up a five-meter edge with Chop] and flooded the fractal edge with the Dao of Heaviness since he wanted the crystal to crack . Ideally , he’d have wanted to use both his offensive Daos , but he still couldn’t infuse both of them into a single strike yet .

The large edge slammed into the crystal with the force of a runaway train , as the growls from the teeth on his axe menacingly echoed in the cave . Ogras materialized at the other side almost at the same time , and with a furious stab slammed the spear straight into the other side of the crystal . As he did a beam of darkness erupted from the spear and also hit the target like a laser .

A crackling sound was heard , but Zacs eyebrows rose when he saw that the crystal was completely undamaged . The crackling sound came from the huge tank , who had gotten two wounds on its torso as it stumbled and almost fell .

SHIT! Life-bound protection! The core is shielded with the lifeforce of the guards , we need to kill at least the large fucker before we can damage it , - Ogras screamed as he quickly distanced himself from the crystal as the mantis-guard was rapidly approaching .

Zac was about to do the same , but a terrifying force slammed into his back and shot him forward straight toward the descending scythe of the mantis guard .

Chapter 108 - Fighting the Royals

Zac frantically lifted his axe to meet the incoming swing , and with tremendous power the two weapons clashed . Since Zac was airborne he had no real force behind the swing and was ruthlessly slammed into the ground , creating a small crater and ruining any tubing that covered the area .

Zac spat out some blood but quickly scrambled to his feet even though he felt like every bone in his body broke from the impact . Another swing was already upon him , but this time he dodged with his movement skill and moved under large guard . He didn’t hold back and infused a Chop] with the seed of Sharpness , aiming to tear a large gash all along its belly .

The mantis’ speed wasn’t a joke though , as it almost teleported away from the swing . But the velocity of Zac’s swing wasn’t anything to scoff at either , and with a roar one of the insect’s legs was lopped off , causing a torrent of green blood to pour out from the guard . It screeched in anger and backed away a few steps , using one of its sword arms as a crutch to keep itself stable .

The brief respite let Zac take a glance around . The huge tank-looking thing was still occupied by the combined distraction of Alea and Janos , and Ogras was fighting the fourth herald that truly looked a bit like a spider , apart from its head that reminded him of a Vomitor .

But instead of acid , small pitch-black ants were pouring out of its mouth , looking absolutely horrifying . Tens of lances were erupting out from the shadows between the tubes on the ground to stab the spider-looking guard and its spawn , but the small things seemed almost endless .

The guard was also conjuring netting toward Ogras , but the nimble demon was deftly dodging any attempt to catch him . Zac felt that Ogras could handle himself for now , which left two of the guards for him . Before he could decide which one to attack next he realized that they were trapped inside .

The tunnels with the tubes were all closed , not even providing enough space for at hand to push through . Blood was streaming out of the exit they used earlier , and Zac realized that Herod was crushed to death . The only upside to the situation was that it hopefully meant that they wouldn’t have to handle a horde of small ants as well .

Two elite warriors of his demon army were dead in under an hour , and Zac was reminded of the harsh reality of this new world . Not even powerhouses were safe . A quick glance at the mantis showed that it still was a bit distracted from its missing leg , and its lethality was likely impacted . It clearly was focused on speed and offense , but missing a leg would take away much of the danger .

Zac’s eyes turned to the final guard and saw that its eyes were glowing again . He didn’t know what kind of skill it used to hit him last time , but it hurt quite bad and he was in no mood to take another one of those shockwaves . Besides , if it hit Alea of Janos he wasn’t sure whether they’d be able to keep fighting .

He unhesitantly charged up a Chop] and infused it with the Dao of Sharpness as well , giving the fractal blade a silver sheen . Without any break he sent the five-meter edge right toward the main eye of the large-headed royal guard . But as the edged ripped through the air it suddenly changed color and turned into the normal pale blue .

At the same time Zac felt a heavy atmosphere descend upon the cave , like another type of mental pressure . It was as though he had lost one of his senses , but not one of the normal five . The fractal blade kept moving toward the large eye through , but the eyes blazed into light for an instant , and the attack was smashed into smithereens .

Zac planned on sending a stream of blades toward the eye , but to his shock noticed that he wasn’t able to infuse the skill with his Dao anymore . The mental pressure was persistent , and it somehow blocked him from empowering his skills . He quickly looked around and saw that the core of the hive-queen was shining in a brighter light compared to before , emitting a huge amount of energy . It appeared the queen was somewhat sentient and helped her guards from the sidelines .

My Dao is Blocked! - Alea shouted , telling Zac that he wasn’t the only one affected .

He grit his teeth and used Loamwalker] toward the large-headed mage . He might not be able to use his Dao , but skills were still possible to use . He ran around the huge tank-monster who was wildly wailing its thick arms around , trying to hit whatever was blocking its sight . But Janos and Alea simply kept a safe distance , and mainly kept their eyes on the mantis and the eye-monster .

With his speed , he was upon the large-headed guard in no time and felt that he was almost physically punched by just the eye’s glare . He didn’t understand whether it was some sort of mental pressure or actual air-pressure , but no matter how he struggled he couldn’t move the last meter to reach it . As all the eyes stared at him he was even starting to get pushed away , no matter how much he strained his muscles .

Two huge spears slammed into the side of the large-headed guard , eliciting an enraged screech , even though they barely seemed to penetrate the hard shell . Many eyes quickly swiveled toward Ogras , and Zac temporarily felt the pressure disappear . He didn’t hesitate and with a roar pushed himself right onto the head of the beast , wildly swinging Verun’s Bite] into the large central eye .

A quick glance toward Ogras showed that he was currently beset by both the mantis and the spider , and the attack on the large-headed one put him in dire straits . The mantis was swinging down one of its swords on him , and he was receding into the shadows to dodge . However , the blade somehow pulled him out from safety , and tore a large gash over his chest , blood freely pouring in all directions .

Zac wanted to help out , but he first needed to finish off this one . He took a deep breath and actually pushed himself into the large eye , frenziedly swinging his axe around . The ant was spasming and pushing all around , waves of energy flying in all directions . Zac didn’t let up though and kept hacking further into the head until a huge surge of cosmic energy told him his work was done .

He was completely covered in brain and eye goop by now but had no time to clean up . He rushed toward Ogras who was in big trouble at the moment . He was desperately dodging the nets from the spider and the sword swings from the mantis . There were also three small pitch-black ants latched onto his body , and he seemed to be trying to get them off .

Zac rushed toward the mantis and was about to commence an attack when a deluge of small spiders started skittling toward him .

Don’t let them touch you! - Ogras wheezed out , but it was too late .

Two of them instantly latched onto Zac’s legs , and it felt like he suddenly was in a gravity array . The spiders were emanating a gravity field in some way , and their effect seemed to be stacking . He tried to rip them off while dodging the other small spiders who ran toward him , but it was to no avail . It was as though they were fused to his leg , and he was unable to remove them with force .

They are stuck , I think we need to kill the spider to get them off! - Ogras shouted as another sword swing was descending on him .

The demon grit his teeth and a blue sheen enveloped him from a necklace . The sword smashed into the shield , and Zac almost tumbled away from the shockwave the strike created . Luckily it cleared most of the small spiders from the area , as they were blown away from the force . The blue force field was the type of shield that returned the force back to the attacker , as cracks appeared on the arm of the guard and it stumbled back from the recoil .

Now! - Ogras shouted as shadows were starting to gather around him .

Zac activated his movement skill and sped toward the mantis . With the two spiders attached to his legs it felt like he was slogging through waist-deep water , but he could only endure and push through . He appeared next to the hurt mantis and started swinging towards the insect’s side with a Chop] .

The first swing was intercepted by the sword-arm of the mantis , but the huge force of Zac actually destroyed it . It was already cracked by the recoil of the shield , and Zac’s power did the rest . Now the mantis only had four legs remaining , and it was forced to choose whether to stand up or attack , as it needed to use its second sword to maintain balance .

It quickly made its choice as it swung its sword toward Zac while it was tipping over . The air was rippling with power from the swing , as it clearly pushed all its remaining energy into it . Shadowspears rose up to meet the falling body and pushed into its torso using the momentum to its advantage . It screeched frenziedly but completed the swing .

Initially Zac was intending to dodge it , but unknowingly another two spiders had attached themselves to him , making him almost keel over . The Dao was also still blocked , and he couldn’t use Seed of Trees to increase his resilience . He could only activate his armor , and a green shield enveloped him . The sword of the mantis slammed into the shield , and Zac was launched like a rocket into the wall .

However , just as he was readying himself for a follow-up he felt another stream of cosmic energy , this one quite a bit smaller compared to the last . It looked like Ogras took the main contribution from the kill . That left just the tank and the spider alive . Unfortunately , Janos and Alea were clearly struggling by this point , even though less than a minute had passed since the start of the fight . Alea was carrying a deathly pale Janos on her back as she dodged the huge monstrosity .

Janos is out of cosmic energy , hurry! - the demoness shouted as she scrambled away from the ant .

Each slam from its huge arms created tremors in the ground as it tried to crush the two into meat-paste . It looked truly irate from being confused for a minute from illusions and hallucinogenic poison , only to wake up to two of the royal guards dead .

We need to take out the spider first . If Alea gets a gravity ant on her both of them will die , - Ogras said , and Zac could only grit his teeth and agree .

The spider was clearly focusing on entrapment , spawning both the gravity-minions and shooting out waves and waves of thread that was starting to turn a large part of the cavern into a sticky trap . However , both of the offensive guards were dead , and its own lethality wasn’t too high unless it managed to stack enough spiders onto someone , simply crushing them from the weight .

When there were no more interruptions from the other guards Ogras had no trouble avoiding both the spiders and the sticky webs , and gracefully moved toward the large body of the guard . It screeched in alarm but the huge armored guard actually ignored it , intent on killing the two pests next to it .

Zac didn’t have the nimbleness of the demon and could only do a more simple approach . He launched a large blade that flew toward the head of the spider , ripping any webs or spiders into pieces that were in the way . The attack essentially created a path for him , and he quickly moved through the passage with his movement skill . It took less than ten seconds for the two to finish off the third royal guard .

Zac and Ogras were breathing heavily , but they couldn’t stop yet . Ogras was still bleeding from his wounds as well , but he somehow was reducing the blood loss with the help of shadows that tightly twisted around his torso . Zac’s whole body was hurting from being slammed by various attacks and shockwaves , but he still got on his feet with a sigh and started charging toward the fourth royal guard .

There was still one to go .

Chapter 109 - The final push

Alea was in dire straits , dodging and movement weren’t her strong suits , and she was further impeded by carrying Janos around . The mage was weakly trying to confuse the last royal guard with illusions after having absorbed enough energy from a Nexus Crystal , but it was as though the huge armored ant was locked onto them .

Zac saw with some surprise that the cracks that appeared when both he and Ogras assaulted the crystal were already closed up , making the chitinous armor look as good as new .

He has regenerated the damage already , - Zac said , and Ogras only nodded in response .

Zac sighed and readied his axe , but Ogras held up his hand .

What? - Zac asked , anxious to help Alea and Janos out .

When we kill this big guy all the Royal Guards will be dead and we’ll be able to attack the Queen’s Core . But we don’t know if the Hive Queen will be able to unleash some sort last desperate attack when the guards are down and the shield is removed . The queen is a true E-Ranked being , while the guards only seem to be elite F-Grade beings on the cusp of evolving , - Ogras said while looking over his wound .

We should instantly destroy the crystal the second the last guard dies to avoid any unexpected things . If I kill this big fucker , do you have a finisher to use against the crystal? - the demon continued .

Zac thought it sounded like a good idea , and after some hesitation nodded .

I need ten seconds of time to charge the attack , - Zac said . Actually , he barely needed half that , but the attack he was about to unleash was his current ace in the hole and he didn’t want to give out its details . It put Alea and Janos in danger for an additional five seconds , but he could only make it up to them later .

Ogras nodded and readjusted the grip of his spear .

Start charging , - the demon said as shadows were starting to gather around him and his eyes turned completely black . Shadows were soon covering every inch of his body , turning him into a being of darkness . Ogras started emanating a sinister pressure that gave even Zac a hair-raising feeling . Whatever the demon was doing was something Zac had never seen before , and it was likely his strongest attack .

Zac didn’t hesitate and started pouring huge amounts of cosmic energy into his right forearm . It was time to unleash Nature’s Punishment] . The eleven days of mindless killing was more than enough to finish his quest to decapitate 10 000 enemies . Luckily the System considered his kills solo battle even though he was part of the demon army , as long as he was fully responsible for the kills of the insects .

The fractal on his arm was like a bottomless hole , and after seven seconds he already had poured 80% of his remaining cosmic energy into it .

Get ready , - Ogras hissed in a raspy voice , currently looking like a true denizen of darkness . Two ephemeral black wings had sprouted on his back , softly waving back and forth , each reaching over three meters in length . The spear in his hand was throbbing like it possessed a heart , and as the last seconds passed the heartbeat quickened to a frenzied thumping .

Just before ten seconds passed Ogras punched off from the ground , a wave of darkness flooding out from him . He turned into a large black beam that shot straight toward the chest of the last Royal Guard .

There was no impact and no sound from the clash .

Suddenly there simply was a hole spanning three meters in the last guard’s chest , going straight through the beast . The guard’s head was only attached to its body with a small string , which broke and fell down onto the floor with a thud where Ogras appeared once again . He stabbed a four-meter long lance of darkness into the head to make sure it was dead .

Zac didn’t hesitate and put Verun’s Bite] into his bag . He pushed his hand forward in a grasping motion as though he was trying to grasp the huge crystal from a distance . It felt like he was trying to push through solid matter with his arm , but he only roared and pushed forward with his arm as he poured the last of his energy into the fractal .

With a large dissonant sound a huge crack appeared in the air , as a gigantic rough brown hand emerged out of nowhere . It was quickly evident that the hand was not of a humanoid , at least not one of flesh and blood , as the hand was wrought from tree and roots .

The fingers didn’t have any nails , and only got thinner and ended in sharp spikes . Its size was huge , each finger being roughly five meters long , and if one looked closely one could actually see that many of the roots formed what looked like fractals all across the limb .

The wooden hand mirrored the movement of Zac’s hand , grasping toward the crystal . The translucent shield that earlier was somewhat visible around it just gave a bright flash before it winked out of existence , showing that the protective layer that stopped them earlier was gone .

The Core wouldn’t simply lay down and give up , as it started to emanate an even greater pressure from before as its green light turned painfully bright . The energy emitted was so great that Zac was starting to get pushed back even though he stood almost fifty meters away , but Nature’s Punishment] kept moving forward . As the wooden hand pushed toward the crystal it started smoking and steaming due to the light . It looked like the light from the core was burning it , and simultaneously Zac’s hand stared to blister as well .

Zac only grunted and pushed his hand forward , and the enormous hand gripped the Core like a vise and squeezed . A weird screeching echoed throughout the cavern and the whole structure started to shake , while the large hand actually caught a green fire . However , the power in the hand was enormous , and cracks quickly started to appear on the crystal until it completely crumbled with a huge explosion .

The hand dissipated as an enormous shockwave slammed Zac and his party into the wall of the core room , the force almost enough to knock him unconscious . He shook his head , dizzy from the impact , and looked around . His whole body felt broken and a stinging pain throbbed from his right arm . When he looked down at it he saw that it was completely scalded , looking like he had put his arm into boiling water .

The Nature’s Punishment] worked out really well , apart from his blistering hand . The Core gave out a force that kept even Zac away unable to approach , but it managed to push forward without any problem . It was a shame that the Core somehow was able to obscure the Dao from him as they fought since Zac had wanted to try the skill with its full power .

He was pretty sure that the attack would be strengthened with the Seed of Trees since the hand was made of wood and roots . Perhaps the attack would be even stronger , or perhaps the hand would have been more resilient , and he wouldn’t have ended up with a burned hand .

At least he gained another level from the fight , as a huge surge of cosmic energy entered him the moment the Core shattered , a far larger amount compared to when he killed the fiend wolf . That was the third level he gained during the ant waves .

It wasn’t the same speed he had during the last waves , but it was still apparently an enormous speed according to Ogras . The others on top of the ladder hadn’t leveled at all , or maybe gained one level during the same period . He was currently level 54 while Salvation was on the second spot with level 43 .

Ten levels might not seem like a lot , but Zac knew the horrifying amount of wolves and ants he killed to bridge that gap . It would probably take months for the guy or girl to reach Zac’s stage , and by then who knew what level Zac would be . He put those things aside and took stock of his surroundings .

The others were in bad shape as well . Ogras was out of his shadow-form and coughed some blood as he tried to get back on his feet . Alea and Janos were lying unconscious , blood dripping out of their ears and mouths . One of Janos’ legs was in a weird angle as well , clearly broken .

Zac sat up with a few coughs while he fished out his last E-Grade nexus crystal and started absorbing . He only managed to absorb a smidgeon before he was interrupted though . The whole cavern was shaking ominously , some small cracks already starting to appear on the walls .

He hastily got to his feet with a grunt and stumbled to Janos and Alea , and flung them over his shoulders . He was only running on fumes at the moment , but with his attributes it was no real difficulty carrying two people .

What's going on? - Zac croaked at Ogras who finally had got to his feet .

It feels like the hidden space is cracking , we need to get out of here NOW . We don’t know what parts will remain and what parts will be sucked into oblivion , - Ogras answered while he popped a healing pill into his mouth .

Luckily the tunnels they entered through once again were opened with the hive queen’s death , and they scurried out through one of them . The shaking started to get worse , and there were even cracks in space itself appearing , making the air look like a broken mirror . The two didn’t dare go near any of those widening rifts , afraid to be thrown into the void .

They encountered some ants during the mad dash out , but they were completely immobile , blankly standing still unaware of the surroundings . The two simply ignored them and kept going , the greedy demon not even contemplating stopping to kill the free targets . Ogras usually was in charge of deciding the path , but when he found no clues what to do they simply trusted Zac’s Luck stat , letting him choose at random .

As they ran the cracks in space only got wider and wider until they were starting to get afraid they might not make it out in time . Luckily they finally felt the wind and fresh air in the distance , and reinvigorated they increased their speed . As they turned a corner they were met with the light of the outside , and heedlessly ran out .

The duo stumbled out of the tunnels next to each other , overlooking a vast field of dead ants and panting demons . To Zac surprise , he also saw Sap Trang among the fighters , bloodied but alive . Ilvere and Namys came running up to them and took care of the two unconscious generals , with Namys throwing Zac a baleful glare after seeing Ogras’ state .

Finally safe Zac opened up his quest screen .

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect town from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : 5 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , Town upgraded to City , status upgraded to Lord . (2/3) 20 : 02 : 32 : 25]

The second part was completed , though the huge carcass of the hive queen remained . The system never teleported away the corpses of the wolves , so Zac guessed that they would have to deal with the huge hive somehow . That would have to wait until a bit until later though , as Zac was completely spent . Besides , entering that thing right now was to toy with death .

Zac was in no mood to help out with the cleanup and slowly started making his way back to his camp . He had already eaten a healing pill , but his arm was still hurting quite badly .

Good work , young man , - a voice said from his side , and Zac looked up to see Mr . Trang standing some distance .

He was currently using a spear to make sure that the insects on the ground were actually dead . Zac guessed that the experience would be a pretty decent boost if the old fisherman found some live ones still around . Zac didn’t have the energy to chat with the old man and only nodded at him as he continued on .

Zac made his way past the wall and the small town and soon found himself in the comfortable stillness of his camp . There were very few who dared to approach this area without invitation , giving it a stillness . But lately , this stillness was starting to get interrupted more and more .

You’re the Super Brother-Man , aren’t you? - a voice came from the movie-viewing canopy . It was Emily who was watching a comedy series with a blank face .

Zac sighed and sat down next to her .

Chapter 110 - Exploration

Why do you say that? - Zac simply asked , taking out a piece of pre-grilled meat from his pouch .

I have been going over things since you started fighting those insects . There are many things that don’t make sense . You’re so strong . Like crazy strong . I have never seen or heard anything like it while I traveled with mom and dad , - she answered as she stared at him .

And while you fought like a madman the Super Brother-Man gained two levels , and a third while you were inside fighting the boss , - Emily continued .

Zac said nothing and only continued eating , tired in both body and mind .

Besides , these demons are weird . They know way too much . Not even the cultivators in the cities know many of the things Alyn explained . And they’re way stronger than normal humans . They’re not a race that got newly integrated like us . I think you have captured them from an incursion or something , -

Noone can capture this man , little brat , - a voice said from behind as Ogras materialized from the shadows . - We simply came to an agreement with Zac and ended the incursion . -

Whatever , - she said with a roll of her eyes .

What are you doing here? - Zac asked as he turned back to the demon . He didn’t bother trying to refute the demon who essentially admitted to being a foreign invader . It was their problem after all , not Zac’s .

I am here to tell you that I’m buying the fruit and will be in seclusion for a while , - Ogras answered . Clearly the healing pills that he ate earlier were quite good since the wound on his chest was largely healed .

Ok . I might be heading out again soon just so you know . Take care of things if I’m gone after your seclusion is finished . If you think it will take a longer while then inform Alea and the others , - Zac answered .

Ogras only nodded and disappeared with the shadows .

It’s true isn’t it? -

…Yes , - Zac simply said . - Do the other humans know? -

Maybe not those idiots with Megan , they’re too scared to think straight . But I think that old grampa knows , - Emily said with a pout .

No one said anything , but as the silence stretched on Emily’s eyes reddened and two streams of tears started falling down her face . She quickly wiped them as Zac ignored his weary body while getting on his feet , and walked over to Emily . He didn’t say anything , but only patted her head .

I was really worried , - Emily said with a small voice .

I know . I’m sorry , - Zac sighed .

He sat down next to her as she kept blankly watching the television . He tried to stay up but between the soft chair and finally being able to relax he soon fell into a deep slumber .

He woke up some time later and found that Emily wasn’t around anymore . There was a package on the coffee table with some bread and meat . The farmers had actually started up some temporary fields within the wall to provide the army with some other food apart from meat , and it looked like it finally had started to pay dividends . Zac was amazed at the speed of the growth of the produce , and couldn’t wait to set up proper farms as soon as the waves were dealt with .

He had been afraid that the apocalypse would bring with it a lack of food and drink , but it obviously wasn’t the case . The beasts were getting more numerous , and farming was getting more efficient . Noone should starve to death as long as they controlled some land . Besides , as long as people had access to a System-run shop , they could feed a family for just 10 Nexus Coin a day .

Zac sighed and opened up his status screen .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

54

Class

Hatchetman (F)

Race

Human (E)

Alignment

Human (Earth)

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - Early , Seed of Trees - Early , Seed of Sharpness - Early

Strength

279

Dexterity

140

Endurance

186

Vitality

113

Intelligence

69

Wisdom

57

Luck

77

Free Points

3

Nexus Coins

21 675 103

Fighting the ant wave the past eleven days gave him ten million Nexus Coins , covering the cost of building the Teleportation Array earlier . It hadn’t given any titles or Dao upgrades either , apart from finishing the quest for his new attack skill . He was very curious about how his new skill would improve when the skill got stronger in the future .

Nature's Punishment - Proficiency : Early . Awaken the wrath of the world . Upgradeable

At early proficiency a huge hand emerged out of the void . He wasn’t sure whether he was summoning a living being , or whether the hand just was a copy of his own . Perhaps as he and the skill got stronger he would be able to summon a huge avatar that could fight in his stead .

He put one point in Strength and two points in Endurance and closed the window . With his Race boost he wouldn’t have to worry about attribute caps for a long while , and now that his other stats were in order he felt he could focus more on his main one once again .

He ate the food left for him by either Alea or Emily and got up and headed to the town . He met a few demons who nodded in respect to him as he walked , and gave a simple nod back . His reputation kept increasing among the former invaders as his achievements increased .

As he entered the town he saw Megan and another tourist scurry about , each carrying a hoe . It looked like they were on farm-duty today . They saw Zac’s approach but after a brief hesitation turned their eyes down and kept moving .

The humans had been horrified when they were taken to the battlefield . Zac’s intention was to let them see the reality of the new world and made a few warriors escort them to the advance wall while he battled during the fourth day . The sight of a battalion of demons fighting tooth and nail against a horde of mutated ants made them realize that their trials and tribulations on the last island were nothing compared to what they were witnessing .

Since then they never said anything about fighting or getting stronger and stuck to their daily tasks instead . A few started working on the temporary farms and others helping with cooking and other tasks around the village . Zac was a bit disappointed but he also knew that not everyone could become a warrior in this new reality .

The only one from the group of twelve who still wanted a combat class was Sap Trang . Unfortunately for him he was just too far behind in power at the moment , so he couldn’t really partake in the grind fest of the monster hordes . At least it looked like he managed to get some kills in at the end of the siege , which should have been quite a boost since each of the ants gave as much cosmic energy as a couple of Barghest .

Zac found Ilvere sitting under a canopy playing an unfamiliar instrument close to the larger tent where they usually held their war meetings . It was a stringed instrument that reminded Zac a bit of Guqin , though the notes generated from the crystalline strings sounded closer to a violin . It was an odd sight , seeing the burly warrior playing such a delicate instrument .

The triumphant Lord returns , - the warrior said as he stopped playing .

Did you hear about Ogras’ seclusion? And what are you doing? - Zac asked after greeting the general with a nod .

Yes , he will likely be gone for some time , - Ilvere answered . - I’m simply relaxing . It’s important to properly rest body and mind after an intense battle . Sometimes the tranquility after the battle can give as much or even more insight than the fight itself . -

Zac nodded , as it made sense . People couldn’t always have a breakthrough in the middle of battle , even though it squeezed out their potential . Sometimes some reflection afterward was all that was needed to take the final step in pushing through a boundary .

How was the fight yesterday? - Zac asked .

Four casualties . With Rivea and Herod it makes six , the worst day since the hordes started , - he answered with a sigh .

Zac could only nod , feeling a bit bitter . His army was continuously shrinking . When the wolf hordes started roughly two hundred warriors manned the wall , and today only 160 remained . Twenty percent of his army had died during the last forty days . Of course , some were killed byOgras and Namys , but the majority died in battle .

Zac had been quite despondent in the beginning losing one warrior after another , but he was starting to get used to it . People dying while trying to get stronger was the most normal thing in the multi-verse , and no one held any real regrets over it . To cultivate was to defy death . Some did it for the increase in longevity , others for power and wealth . But what all had in common was the knowledge that any day might be their last .

I plan on sending out expeditions to map the surrounding islands . Please assemble four teams . The goal is reconnaissance , but at least one competent fighter in each team . The team members will be compensated in crystals or Nexus Coins , - Zac said .

You should know that none of us know anything about sailing or naval warfare . There aren’t any oceans on our home planet , - Ilvere said as he rose to his feet to get to work .

I know , I will send one of the sailors from the humans with each group . So at least one in each team needs to know the Book of Babel] skill . You people should take advantage that it’s available in the contribution store , you are stuck on a foreign planet after all , - Zac answered .

Many have actually bought it already . Some are just like you , getting antsy from staying on this island months on end . Most came through the incursion to gain insight and wealth , and that can’t be done while staying inside some walls , - Ilvere said with half a smile . - I’m sure there will be many willing scouts . -

Zac nodded and headed off to find Sap Trang and his fellow villagers . After explaining the situation the four fishermen agreed to help out after some hesitation .

If we find some of our lost villagers , can we bring them back? - Mr . Trang asked after some silence .

Yes , that’s ok . You cannot say anything about the situation on the Island though before they are here . The situation here is… Special . If you do the soldiers have orders to silence you and everyone who heard it , - Zac answered . It was extremely strict rules , but he simply couldn’t allow any information about his island to leak yet .

He learned some things about Lordship from Alyn and Ogras while he rested during the Ant-Waves . A Lord held various benefits in controlling a town or even a country as they gained access to a so-called Lord-System . Originally the system was used as a method for generals of the Ancient Empire to control their armies , but with the Apostate of Order the system became generalized and gained a host of new features .

As the system evolved over time various functions were added , and today many benefits existed . For example a Lord could automatically enforce a tax on his empire . There were no loopholes either , as the System was in control of the taxation . The only downside was that The System itself took a cut of the taxes .

Lords also got access to more functions on their teleporters and could even get invited to grand happenings such as auctions and special events in the multi-verse that commoners did not have access to .

Other humans will have to stay put even if they want to come over . Come back and report their situation to me and I’ll decide what to do about it . -

Very well . We understand the importance of discretion . Those who left before us were mainly the younger generation from our village . They risked their lives to find help for us , but we never heard back from them . If we can find them and bring them back here I’m sure their future will be better than in most parts of the world , - the fisherman answered .

Good . Start preparing , I want the four teams setting out within three days . I’ll provide the ships for you , - Zac said as he turned to leave .

One minute please , I was wondering if I could consult you about my class , - Mr . Trang said quickly .

Zac was a bit surprised as he turned around and inspected the fisherman , only to see he actually was level 25 . He must have worked quite arduously since he was only level 21 when he arrived at Port Atwood . Zac remembered how much work he himself put into finishing those last levels .

What about it? - Zac asked , a bit curious about what Class the fisherman chose for himself .

Chapter 111 - Wave Whisperer

I haven’t actually chosen yet , but I’ve seen which options I have . They are Fisherman , Dockhand , Marine , Acolyte , and Wave Whisperer , - the fisherman began .

The first two were pretty straightforward non-combat classes , whereas the next two were classes Zac knew himself . The old fisherman likely got the option for Acolyte since he bought the Water Spear skill earlier . Wave Whisperer was the only one that was unclear to him . It sounded like a water-based class , but more than that he was unsure .

I am wavering between Marine and Wave Whisperer . Both are uncommon classes connected to the sea . The Wave Whisperer is connected to taming and controlling aquatic wild-life that might be very convenient in this new world . We saw fish as large as sharks while sailing here , and who knows what else lurks in the depths . Controlling the giants of the sea might both help with scouting and protection , - he continued .

However , my stats are all toward strength and endurance so far , it might be a waste to take a mage class after this . What do you think? - he asked Zac .

The stats you get before your class are insignificant on the road of cultivation . If you believe that Wave Whisperer will be more beneficial , take it . You can make up the missing stats with natural treasures and training in the future , - Zac said .

Sounds reasonable , I will do just that , - Sap Trang said with a nod .

Zac nodded and left the living quarters of the fishermen . He knew that the wily old fisherman actually didn’t require help but just wanted to show his sincerity to Zac by divulging his future class . He already tried to show his worth before the ant waves , and after seeing Zac and the other’s power his desire to pave a path for his villagers only grew .

Next , he went to the Creator’s shipyard and ordered four of the small exploratory vessels for a million Nexus Coins each . Karunthel , the spider-foreman , was not around , as Rahm explained that he was currently occupied with some experiments . For people like Karunthel and the Creators experimentation was in a way cultivation . If they created something functional and new they would gain a huge surge of experience , maybe to the point of gaining multiple levels .

It was generally the same with many of the non-combat classes . A farmer who reaped a whole field after tending it for months could gain a handful of levels . The higher the difficulty and grade of the herbs or vegetables that were grown the more energy would be awarded . That was why many blacksmiths and other crafting professions preferred to craft hard and high-grade items , rather than mashing together an endless stream of low-grade items . The benefits , both in wealth and levels , if the craft succeeded far outweighed anything low-grade items could compare to .

Other non-combat classes were more of the slow-and-steady type , such as Adran’s Administration class that consistently gained cosmic energy while handling town matters . There were certain events though that could award large sudden boosts in experience , such as a town upgrade .

Next , he walked over to the small house that Alyn resided in . He found the demoness sitting on the porch in the same comfortable chair she used down in the mines .

How is Emily doing? - he asked .

She has started following the methods to attain mage classes , but she still insists on training with an axe for a few hours every day , - she said as she put down her book with a sigh .

Well , it’s her decision , so let her proceed . Who knows what class she’ll be able to get from the combination , - Zac said with a shrug .

I’ve read that cultivators of newly integrated planets are far more likely to choose unique and unknown classes , but that is a dangerous game to play . You humans will soon see the folly in your ways . I wouldn’t be surprised if more than half the people on your so-called ladder right now will be stuck at F-class forever . If breaking through to the next levels was that easy then Clan Azh’Rezak wouldn’t only have a handful of D-rank ancestors after thousands of years of accumulation , - the teacher said with a serious face .

You need to have your people choose sensible and common classes so that you can get some guaranteed E-Rank Uncommon underlings . Who knows , perhaps some of them might even be able to evolve into D-Rank in the distant future . -

I am not going to tell people what classes they choose . None of the people on the island are really my subjects . Of course , it might change in the future when you create your Academy , - Zac answered .

Actually I have a question about class rarities , - he said as he changed the subject to the old fisherman .

He is a normal fisherman but he got multiple uncommon skills to choose from when you said that barely one out of a thousand got uncommon classes after studying at an academy , how is that possible? -

The first class is mainly based on achievements and experiences since people rarely are in contact with the Dao at that stage . Someone old will have more of those than a youngster who’s only 16 . However , that doesn’t mean one should wait with choosing a class , - the demon answered . - The older one is the harder it gets to improve one's race . I am not sure if Mr . Trang will be able to evolve his race even with the medicinal baths . The optimal time for evolution has passed . Even if he managed to evolve it will involve far more resources compared to someone normal , - Alyn concluded .

What about me? - Zac asked curiously .

Your prime age for evolution had passed , but you side-stepped that with the Fruit of Ascension . Now you’re a thirty-year-old whose lifespan is 500 years , that’s almost a baby , - she said with a slight smile .

But generally its better to evolve as soon as possible , it will be cheaper and you will avoid any risk of your body simply not being able to withstand another evolution . If it takes too long your body might not be able to take that last step , precluding you from evolving . So as soon as you reach E-Rank Class you should start working on your Race again , - she added .

On another note . We do not have any cultivation manuals at the moment . Emily is turning 16 in a month and she should be using a cultivation manual from the start . It will help her immensely , as reforming pathways at a later date can be quite painful and dangerous , - Alyn said .

Zac could only grimace while nodding , remembering his own harrowing experience when he improved his pathways from his initial rudimentary ones . That was likely his first large mistake , and it almost got him killed .

Since there were some pretty good cultivation manuals in the Contribution Stone he decided to purchase a few of the cheaper ones . It was not only for Emily , but it would be needed if he wanted to create an Academy in the future . There were not many other things that grabbed his interest in the shop anyway , and the expenditure seemed acceptable .

There was only one thing he was planning on buying before heading out again , a skill called Mental Fortress] . It was a skill that both protected him from skills like Eye of Discernment] , and also boosted the defense against mental attacks and illusions . It cost ten million contribution points , which made it one of the most expensive skills , but he could afford it . The battle against the ants almost gave him as much as the whole wolf horde , and he currently possessed roughly 34 million points .

Feeling done with everything he needed to do he walked back to his camper and spent the rest of the day recuperating . His arm was still hurting quite badly , while his feet still had blisters from the acid bath .

Emily came back later that evening , preferring to stay at his camper rather than her assigned housing close to Alyn . He didn’t know it was the familiarity of the camper or the presence of him that made her more comfortable , but he didn’t mind as he had gotten used to falling asleep outside under the moonlight in any case .

You know , I’m wondering what the world would think if they knew the strongest and the wealthiest man after the apocalypse lives like a hobo outside a camper in the woods , - she said with a grin , obviously having recovered from earlier .

Zac only rolled his eyes and motioned her to sit down . He took out his kit for grilling meat and started preparing some food for the evening . Emily sat down and took out something from her backpack . It was a covered tray , and when she lifted the lid Zac noticed a couple of long pieces of dough .

Give me two spits , - she said and Zac curiously complied . - Mom made these during the summer , its really only water , flour , and salt , but it still gets pretty yummy when grilled . It’s a shame we don’t have butter though . -

She took out one of the pieces of dough from the tray and wrapped it around the spit . She did the same with the second spit and then she placed them some distance from the fire .

I think it’s called caveman bread? I don’t remember anymore , - she added as she kept an eye on her spits .

Zac only smiled and salted the large slabs of meat . He made a mental reminder to get some stock of various things when he left next time .

You’re leaving the island again , aren’t you? - she said as she kept spinning the spits .

Yes , in a few days , - Zac answered .

Let me go with you! - Emily immediately burst out , looking up at him .

You know , I can’t go back through the beastman village . They closed their teleporter the moment after we used it . The portal I will use might lead to the opposite side of the planet , far from wherever your siblings might be . -

You don’t know that . They might be right where you end up , and you will not be able to recognize them , - she retorted , starting to work up a huff .

It was true . One of the things he learned from Emily about the tutorial was that the end-point of the tutorial sometimes was randomized . Well , not really randomized as much as some were lucky and others weren’t .

As the cultivators were undergoing the tutorial the world was rearranged , and the system dropped off the cultivators at a spot of its choosing when it was over . Some were lucky that the system chose their own turf when they got returned , like the villagers of Winterleaf village . But most were dumped at a completely unknown place .

Zac asked the demons about it and they thought it sounded like a test . Many would start traveling home , braving dangers to find a way back to their families . Most would likely die , but some would emerge stronger from the experience . Others would give up and hide behind walls , becoming despondent shut-ins like the people of Fort Roger .

That explained why Hannah and the others were never returned , and also meant that Emily’s siblings might be anywhere .

Come on , I will be very helpful . I have visited many towns and know how to find information . I will be useful to you . If you go alone you might just make a scene and get in all kinds of trouble , - she quickly said . - Besides , I’m turning 16 soon . Traveling might help me get a better class . -

Zac kept slowly spinning his spit , mulling things over . He wasn’t sure what to expect from his next excursion , and it was a bit troublesome to keep her safe since she couldn’t use the defensive gear yet . However , she might actually be useful .

During the ant waves there were actually two new choices that cropped up . One was called Cradle of God , and it seemed a bit too weird for Zac’s taste , and not somewhere he’d even consider bringing Emily . He actually had a suspicion that it was the home of Salvation , the second-place holder of the ladder . Judging by the Pseudonym he chose , it wouldn’t be too far-fetched he’d name his town like that . He knew nothing about that person , and he wouldn’t teleport there since it might get extremely dangerous .

The second option made Zac far more hopeful , as it was called New Washington . It wasn’t very imaginative , but it clearly was an American town . The name implied it was government-run as well , and it might be the best bet for him to gain information . He realized it might be a trap , and that was another reason he was hesitant in bringing Emily .

The people who possessed access to an array would generally be elites , and you had to have some balls if you planned on doing something untoward . Besides , he already knew the system restricted the use of the array as some sort of deathtrap . He couldn’t place any offensive arrays around it or place it far underground for example .

Still , he had a very clear goal , and bringing Emily would likely slow him down in addition to putting her in needless danger . He wasn’t heading out on a stroll after all .

I am sorry . You will have to stay here until you have started cultivating . At that point , you can use defensive treasures and protect yourself . I don’t know what I’ll encounter when I step out of the teleporter , - Zac finally said with a sigh . - But I will ask around for you about your siblings . My main goal is to find my hometown just like you , so I understand your feelings . -

Emily didn’t seem to care about the promise and angrily huffed as she ran toward the camper , completely forgetting about the bread .

Chapter 112 - Back to the Scene of the Crime

The next few two days went by excruciatingly slow for Zac who just wanted to get up and leave . However there were more and more things to do in order to keep his town running . He couldn’t wait for finishing the third horde in a few weeks . When he became a lord he’d get a system-trained administrator , perhaps Abby , who he could leave most of the work to . Adran was a competent worker , but Zac felt it was much too early to start giving the demons real influence in his future town , especially since their alliances mostly lay with Ogras .

Ogras was someone who would take a bit of advantage and run away with it . Zac still believed that the demon would do his best in order to improve the state of Port Atwood , at least for ten years , but he wouldn’t lower his guard until he found some real assurances . Therefore Zac still felt the need to personally oversee some details .

He met up with Alea and Janos who were mostly fine , with the exception of Janos’ leg . The poison mistress looked a bit annoyed upon hearing Zac was leaving once again but didn’t say anything . Zac also talked with a few of the mages , who promised to start work on an improved home for him . Emily’s comment the other day made him realize he’d forgotten about actually improving his camp . He remembered Ogras’ lush palace over at Azh’Rodum , and even a tenth of that would be a nice upgrade to his own living situation .

The second thing he did was to travel to the mountains . He brought only Alea with him this time , pushing his speed to the limit . It wasn’t some romantic reasoning behind it , he rather needed her to spot any leftover poison .

Earlier when he traveled this distance he usually had to be careful and moved in a normal walking speed , but now he ran , ignoring the occasional barghest . The trip would take over a day back in the day , but now it only took a couple of hours . Surprisingly Alea seemed to have no problem keeping up either .

The mountain valley had finally cleared out enough for him to start collecting everything of value from his killing spree . He didn’t want to leave this treasure trove as he left the island again . And it was an especially nice timing since Ogras was occupied with absorbing the Fruit of Ascension . Zac learned that it could take weeks to absorb a treasure of that magnitude . A big reason he almost died in the pond was that the mix of Cosmic Water and the Fruit of Ascension made the absorption only take minutes rather than days , which overtaxed his body .

He didn’t set about collecting it all in order to hoard the wealth for himself . He planned on using much of it as rewards and salaries for the demons and other citizens in the future , or even stocking stores with the weapons that lay about . Besides , who knew what secret treasures all the elites of the demon army had pocketed for themselves .

They arrived at the mountain slopes at lunch , and after making sure that there wasn’t any poison around , they scaled the mountain from the same side as the demon army once did . From there the two followed along the path of the battle , picking up any armor and weapon that seemed useful . The corpses were quite decayed , but at least the scorching sun and blowing winds had caused them to dry out rather than rot , so the stench wasn’t as bad as Zac had feared .

Many of them lay in pools of dried but putrid-looking liquid though , and Alea explained that the poison he threw out would cause them to vacate from every orifice , completely drying them out , as the victims were dying . From that it was pretty clear which ones died from poison and which ones were dead from the battle before .

The number of demons lying in a pool of waste was quite terrifying , even out at the rim of the valley . Zac mentally shut down and wordlessly kept collecting items . Even Alea seemed subdued by the sight as she helped him out with the collection . They kept moving about for most of the day , finally reaching the epicenter of the poison , the scarlet tree .

The tree still stood up , even though many of its branches were destroyed in the battle . However , its trunk was no longer red , but purple , reminiscent of the poison cloud . The once pristine white leaves were also changed , now having purple veins covering them .

It made a bit of sense as the closer they got to the tree it was obvious that the corpses were even more dried out . Perhaps the tree absorbed the poisoned warriors to heal itself in the same way it absorbed the trees earlier . From all the poison it seemed that it mutated somehow .

How magical! I wonder what kind of fruit a poisoned Tree of Ascension will sprout . I hope it survives its current ordeal , - Alea said as she stared at the changed tree in wonder .

Can we cure it? - Zac asked , more interested in growing normal Fruit of Ascension instead of any weird mutated ones .

Maybe a skilled botanist could , but the poison has reached its core from absorbing too much of it from the area , it might cleanse it by itself over time , or it might mutate . Or it will simply succumb and die , we’ll have to wait and see , - she answered with a shrug .

If it makes a poison version of a Fruit of Ascension I want it , - she added as she stared at him with serious eyes . - It might even give me a poison constitution . -

We’ll see what happens with the tree before deciding on any allocation . There is a lot of gear to collect , - Zac answered noncommittally .

It was true , the area was packed with elite warriors . Many of those who fought close to the tree even owned their own Cosmos Sacks as well , making it easier to collect their wealth . They methodically went through the central battlefield as well , and by the end of it Zac had another Seventy pouches in his possession .

Finally the two walked over to Rydel , lying close to the tree , a large grisly hole in his chest and a broken arm .

This wound… Did Ogras do this? - Alea asked with surprise .

I thought the four of you knew? - Zac retorted , equally surprised . - I battled Rydel and that monkey over there , but I only managed to break his arm and expend most of his aces . He was about to kill me when Ogras attacked . -

Zac bent down and grabbed a pouch attached to his belt .

Wait , check within his clothes as well . Rydel was the unofficial leader of the invasion and a scion of the Azh’Rezak main branch . He should have more than one pouch , - Alea interjected .

Zac nodded and with a grimace started reaching around within the corpse’s clothes . After a while he actually found another pouch .

Zac inspected the two and was shocked by their quality . The one Rydel wore on his waist was quite large , comprising roughly ten by ten meters of space , far larger compared to his own ones which only had two-three meters of space . It mainly contained daily items , such as some foods and clothes . It also contained a couple of thousands of crystals and a few other assorted items .

However , the inner one was on another level completely , to the point that Zac suspected that it was an E-Grade pouch rather than F-Grade . It had a cubic space of roughly fifty meters , meaning it had a whopping 125 000 cubic meters of space . He would be able to fit a small airplane in it if he found one .

The pouch was mostly empty , but there was a small mountain containing tens of thousands of F-Grade crystals . There were also neatly stacked weapons and a huge supply of food . There even were a few siege weapons , looking far more sophisticated compared to the ones the demons built back at Port Atwood . Another corner held a bunch of vials containing pills , labeled and ordered . There also were a couple of ornate boxes , and Zac guessed those things held the real prizes .

The inner pouch held the backup resources of the whole demon invasion Zac realized as his heartbeat sped up . It was a huge amount of wealth , even for him . He recognized a few of the pills by now , and many of them cost tens of thousands Nexus Coins per pop . There were over a hundred of each type of those pills .

Zac took out the various boxes and things one by one and together with Alea categorized them . There were certain fruits that could improve the constitution far more efficiently compared to the medicinal bath , and Zac gave a few of them to Alea after seeing her hungry eyes . He didn’t need them for himself and felt it was a decent reward for having fought two horde bosses with him . He put aside most of the rest for Janos and the others though .

The contribution board clearly was an effective method of motivating people , and Zac was thinking of establishing something similar after the beast hordes . If people contributed to Port Atwood , they’d gain contribution points , and with those points they could buy various things from him .

He immediately consulted Alea about it and to his embarrassment learned that such a thing was pretty standard in the multi-verse , and not some novel new idea he concocted . Many of the things in the huge pouch were likely even meant for just that purpose during the invasion .

Done with the looting they started heading back toward the camp . The amount of wealth he collected was enormous , and including all the armors and tools Alea and he estimated the value easily surpassed a hundred million nexus coins . It was no surprise that war was so common in the multi-verse , it was extremely lucrative .

Finally all preparations were done and Zac prepared to set out . During the return he transferred most of the wealth to the large pouch which he now carried hidden under his E-Grade Robe . He left some of it to Adran so that the warriors could get new gear . Many of the demons were starting to look pretty ragged after battling two beast hordes , so they needed to swap out some of the broken items .

He actually brought a total of ten of the smallest cosmos bags with him as well , which he hid in a small travel bag . The reaction from Selas when he realized Zac possessed a Cosmos Bag was quite large , and Zac thought he might be able to sell them for quite a nice profit in a human settlement .

He learned from Calrin and Alea that these smallest cosmos bags were worth roughly a million nexus coins . Most people in the multi-verse possessed at least one , unless they were young and still needed to spend all their money on medicinal baths . They weren’t overly difficult to create for an experienced inscription master . The higher-grade ones required insight into the Dao of Space to create though , making them far more expensive .

Emily was still angry with him , but she still tried helping out in the end . On her insistence , he carried a large backpack to make it look less suspicious . Zac also wore a new pair of boots , which was actually starting to feel a bit uncomfortable after having adapted to the free feeling of nothing trapping his feet .

Zac gave some final instructions to Adran regarding the scouting missions and some other details before he walked toward the teleportation array . He inserted the crystals and paid the fee , and once again he disappeared from the island .

From the distance , a pair of eyes were observing everything , before receding into the shadows .

Chapter 113 - New Washington

After a minute of darkness a flash of light appeared in Zac’s eyes as he appeared in a large room . Zac’s brows immediately scrunched up when he saw roughly ten serious-looking soldiers aiming automatic rifles at him . He immediately got ready for a fight as he looked around while he activated Mental Fortress] and the Dao of Trees . A fractal briefly appeared on his forehead , but it soon disappeared into his head .

His new skill was quite convenient as it kept running automatically after activating , barely using any cosmic energy . It would take something like a day before he ran out of cosmic energy from its consumption , unless someone actually attacked him . Then the consumption would drastically increase , much like with an array .

It was a bit unfortunate that it only had a decent fit with his fractal pathways . His other skills were mostly class skills who could completely merge with his pathway system , allowing him to bring out their power to the fullest . With Mental Fortress] he guessed he could only bring out roughly 50% of the skill’s potential due to the average match . Still , it was far better than nothing , and together with his high stats and mental fortitude , it made for extremely sturdy protection .

There was only one exit to the teleportation room , and it was guarded by the army men . The rest of the interiors gave no clues as to where the house was located since there were no windows . Still , he wasn’t overly worried since there were humans in front of him . That meant there was a path to leave , and no door would impede him since he learned the Dao of Sharpness . He could simply cut metal like butter and walk straight through any restrictions .

What is going on? Do you welcome all guest through the barrels of your guns? - Zac asked with a glare .

The people in front of him looked like proper soldiers , but Zac had no real way to tell . If they were just pretending in order to lure him into a trap he would simply destroy them , but if they were actual government personnel he would tolerate their behavior even though he didn’t like the feeling of having guns pointed at him . Besides , with his erected defenses and his E-Grade garments he wasn’t in any real danger , so there was no real need to act hastily .

Please stay put for a bit until we receive orders , - one of the guards simply answered .

Zac contemplated pushing through the group but stopped himself . Who knew what else lurked behind the door . They might launch an actual rocket at him if he started attacking the guards , and he wasn’t sure he’d survive that . The seconds dragged on and the tense silence became heavier and heavier .

The guards looked hesitantly at each other but didn’t lower their weapons . As almost a minute passed even Zac was starting to get antsy as he considered whether he should bring out his axe just in case . But just as he was about to reach for his Cosmos Sack the door opened , and another group of people entered , showing a brief glimpse of a nondescript hallway behind .

Please excuse our safety measures . There was an… incident recently . My name is Julia Lombard , cultivator liaison of the New Government Initiative , - a female in her thirties said as she entered the room accompanied by two men .

She had a forgettable appearance , looking a bit like an office drone at a large corporation . She even wore a pantsuit , which felt quite out of place in this new world of theirs . The two men looked more like warriors , each having a sword strapped to their legs .

Since the group had already shown some discourtesy by aiming their weapons at him for a full minute , he decided he’d make things a bit even . He scanned the group with Eye of Discernment] and found that the army-guys were only level 15 . The two warriors were actually level 29 and 30 though , just falling a few levels short of entering the ladder . The office lady was almost as strong , reaching level 28 , which Zac guessed would be a respectable number anywhere .

The stronger group clearly sensed the scan and frowned as they reached toward their weapons . They stopped however after a glance from Julia . Zac hadn’t been sure , but it seemed that these people considered a scan pretty rude , same as with the rest of the multi-verse . Ogras had told him long ago that scanning people in a bar or the like was a sure-fire way to get into a fight unless you were a true powerhouse .

I understand your reaction , but please understand that anyone who steps through a teleportation array at this stage is likely a dangerous individual , and we have to take some precautions . The incident I mentioned earlier was when a few Zhix-warriors entered and immediately went berserk when they saw us humans . Fourteen people died before we were able to annihilate them , - she said .

Zhix? - Zac asked .

It’s what the government call the insectoid beings , while the Ishiate are the beastmen . We’re not sure if that is their actual name , but a scout with identifying skills got that name using the skill on them , so that’s what we call them , - Julia answered .

May I ask who you are and what force you belong to? - she continued .

Port Atwood , - Zac simply said , not deigning to hide the name of his town . They had no method to get there in any case , and he didn't have any plans of hiding its existence from the government in any case . He actually was interested in some cooperation with them , as long as they didn’t get too greedy for control . He already scheming demons to worry about , and didn’t want to add any more headaches to the mix until his position was completely solidified .

And you can call me Monk , - he concluded with a sigh .

He needed an alias that wasn’t his real name nor Super-Brother Man . He didn’t want to give out his real name since he might be forced to show his might , making it pretty clear that he was a ranker . That might put his family in danger if they managed to match him with his hometown or some old internet profile that they might have access to . Who knew what things the government had stored , even after the apocalypse .

Besides , his name was a clear indicator that he was the sole ruler of the town , something he was not ready to disclose yet . Since Emily sometimes called him Mr . Monk due to his appearance , he thought he might as well go with it for now .

When he mentioned the name of the town a few of the soldiers visibly relaxed . Zac guessed that all things were not harmonious even amongst the humans . He’d hoped that they would band together against the new tribulations , but he guessed that was too much to hope . Humanity had always been splintered and their own worst enemy , why would a simple apocalypse change that?

Monk is it? Pleased to meet you . Port Atwood is not a city we’re familiar with , may I ask who is running it? - the liaison asked skeptically .

It's run by a council , we’re an isolated town by the ocean . Since we couldn’t find any humans by foot we built a teleportation array to reconnect with humanity , - Zac answered .

How interesting . As we keep mapping the world we keep getting surprised how large our new planet is . Even with our tireless work we still only have a decent understanding of some parts of the world , but even that area is far larger compared to the old Earth , - she sighed .

How come your array is private? - one of the warriors gruffly interjected .

We have a limited understanding of the world and do not dare to open up the teleportation array to the public before we’re confident we won’t put the villagers at risk . My job is to scout out the situation and gather intelligence , - Zac answered .

I see , let me take you to a meeting room where we can discuss things further . I am sure there are many things you are curious about . Sharing information and creating a support system to restore order is the goal of the government after all , - Julia said as she motioned Zac to follow her .

Zac felt that a government wasn’t that benign to just do all this work from the goodness of their hearts . People of the multi-verse were first and foremost cared about their own empowerment and in some cases their Clans or Factions . Ogras often said that a freely outstretched hand usually hid some barbs , but Zac still followed the liaison , curious what she wanted to talk about .

As they exited the door and went through the corridor they exited the building housing the portal . Zac looked around and found they were in a large compound . It looked it was some old government or military facility that had been repurposed into a headquarter . The teleportation array was placed alone in a smaller fortified building , and there were even manned turrets close to it .

Soon they entered the main building that looked like a large office building made of stone and glass . It looked like a real security risk unless they placed some arrays on it , since a casual chop from him could destroy a large part of the structure . In general , he thought that any skyscrapers or anything similar were deathtraps by now unless they got some magical reinforcement .

As they entered the building they found themselves in a large high-ceiled lobby . However , only after taking a few steps Zac felt a prickling sensation from his newly acquired skill . Someone was using a mental skill on him . Without hesitation he took a small rock and chucked it like a bullet toward where he sensed the intrusion came from .

He still wasn’t sure about the power of his newly acquired skill , or what kind of skills cultivators from the tutorial possessed , and his reaction came from a fear of his identity being exposed . If someone got both his name and his level they would not only know his full name but also that he was the Super Brother-Man . It would be quite obvious from his extremely high level , and that turn could potentially put his family in danger .

The stone hurtled in almost supersonic speed toward a young woman who inconspicuously stood next to a pillar . She tried to hide behind the pillar , but her speed was nowhere enough to dodge a strike from Zac . The stone punched a hole in her gut and she was thrown a few meters back , a pool of blood quickly pooling beneath her .

The sudden caused quite a few people in the lobby to become highly alert , some even brandishing their weapons as they surrounded Zac and Julia’s .

That girl just used a mental attack on me so I reacted on instinct , - Zac commented as he looked at Julia who couldn’t hide her angered face before she managed to smooth out her features . Zac saw that the girl was still alive and felt slightly relieved . Between skilled army doctors and the new world’s high regeneration speeds and miraculous pills , she’d be fine . Things might have gotten more complicated if she died , judging by the irate crowd .

He thought he was being nice for not killing the girl . If she’d done something similar to someone like Ogras or most of the other demons she’d be full of holes by now . But obviously , the government workers didn’t consider his actions benign , as they looked ready to retaliate .

The sight made Zac feel tired and rather than afraid . Months and months of ceaseless slaughter had definitely changed his personality , making him more ruthless , and he was ready to fight everyone in this building if it came to it . It was just a shame that he’d create an antagonistic relationship with the government from the start .

Zac’s attack caused widespread anger , but obviously more with some . A young man in army gear brandished an average-looking sword and charged at Zac with a roar . The sword looked about the same as the ones that were carried by the two men next to Julia , and Zac guessed that the army was in the process of switching over to cold weaponry in order to gain Cosmic Energy from fighting .

Wait! - Julia shouted , seeing that the situation was turning south , but it was too late .

The angered man charged at Zac and did a wide swing that aimed to decapitate him . However , the clumsy and slow attack seemed like a joke to Zac who had gone through innumerable battles by now . The swing was all show and no substance , and with a quick jab he punched the blade at its flat side , making the strike miss its mark by quite a bit .

The strike left the soldier completely exposed , and Zac once again struck out with a punch , this one hitting his ribs . A sickening crunch could be heard as the man flew a roughly ten meters away , creating a heap on the floor . He was still alive though , as Zac didn’t really put any real strength in the strike .

Your - New Government’ has an interesting way of greeting travelers , - Zac said with a frown .

He was quite relieved he didn’t give in to Emily’s clamoring to bring her along . Even though hadn’t been too optimistic about the government he thought that they’d at least maintain some order and discipline , and hadn’t expected to be in a battle with them within minutes of arriving . Of course , it was his fault as well to a certain degree , but the mostly hostile greeting apart from Julia had made his survival instincts kick in .

Your teleportation array is starting to feel more and more like a trap rather than an invitation , - he sourly added .

Everyone calm down! Sergeant Miller and Private Smith will both be fine , but I need people to escort them to the infirmary . The Cultivator Special Branch Will handle this incident . Everyone back to your posts! - Julia shouted as she and the two bodyguards pushed an opening in the irate mob . She didn’t wait to see if her order was followed , as she ushered Zac into a corridor and from there a secluded meeting room .

The room looked much like any of the conference rooms he’d sat in before the apocalypse , with an oval table seating at most twelve people , with a TV and whiteboard at the side . The walls to the corridor were frosted glass , so he didn’t worry about it being a cell .

As they sat down she actually turned on a laptop that sat on the table and next turned on the TV . Zac was a bit surprised that the two actually worked since there didn’t seem to be much technology at work down in the lobby .

How are you getting electricity? - he asked curiously , already having forgotten the incident earlier .

For the humans at this it might have been a large incident , but for Zac who’d been bathed in blood for months , it barely registered .

Chapter 114 - Intelligence

A mix of diesel generators and solar panels . We have gathered panels since the fall , and they are actually working better than before , with there being two suns and all . Our goal is to build solar farms outside New Washington and provide the whole town with electricity , but for now it’s only for critical buildings such as this , along with a few charging stations in the town , and we use it sparingly , - she answered , seemingly taking some pride in their ability .

Once again I would like to apologize about the disturbance earlier . But I’d like to remind you to not resort to violence in New Washington . The rule of law still holds and criminals will be sentenced and jailed , - she said . - Some… confusion might happen while forces are reintegrated into society , and luckily no one died . The army will simply have to take the events as a lesson to conduct themselves better . I have prepared a small presentation about the current situation and our goals . I’m sure that the leaders of Port Atwood would be interested in this . -

Zac was about to protest that he was attacked first in both the cases , but in the end decided against it as he was more interested in hearing what she had to say .

Humanity is currently beset on multiple fronts , and we need to band together to survive , - Julia began her presentation .

We have both the other natives and the incursions to contend with . The Ishiate have generally been amenable for peaceful negotiations , but any attempt to open diplomatic channels with the Zhix or the foreign forces has been met with unrelenting violence . Luckily there is no Incursion close to New Washington , but many areas have already fallen , - she said .

Which areas have fallen , and how come only our government is up and running with a teleporter? - Zac asked , wanting to drag out as much information as possible .

Our situation is a bit unique . To be perfectly honest , we got lucky . There is no incursion close to us , and together with our high supply of weaponry , we managed to secure the area around this town quite quickly . There were even two battalions of the army that got randomized to close proximity of the town . There are no species of beasts we would categorize as highly dangerous nearby , and we even have some good areas for leveling up our military .

All this gave us a good head start , but many other areas are coming along . The Scandinavian countries have banded together , creating a new capital called Asgard . They are mainly led by cultivators though as they didn’t have very strong governments . We’ve also been in contact with London , Paris , and Berlin . Their situation is worse since they have an incursion in their area . Many others are progressing as well . - Julia narrated .

However , we should be clear that we no longer consider us an American government . We’re a world government that consists of a network of decentralized hubs , intent on integrating with the various powers , - she added after some thought .

How many incursions are there? - Zac asked next .

Most prolific is the Undead Empire that already spans an area close to the size of the United States . Luckily the horde is mainly made up of weak zombies that can be killed , and concentrated efforts by multiple forces have impeded their march , some considering it a farming haven . Furthermore , their control of their area isn’t really strong . There are multiple pockets of resistance within the sphere of influence fighting as we speak .

The problem with that force is that every death weakens us and simultaneously empowers their ranks . An even bigger problem is that the Undead spawned in the area of New Asia , decimating their huge populations . That’s how they’ve grown so quickly . They got hundreds of millions of fodder in just the first months , - Julia answered with a sigh .

But the undead are only one among many . There are rumors of a rat-incursion far to the east , an incursion in the middle of the ocean that some coastal cities could see in the distance on clear days , even two incursions with humans . The latter seem to consider us earthlings unclean and are among the cruelest enemies . They have built an empire founded on slavery , and are one of our prime enemies . All in all , we have located 11 incursions , but we’re sure there are more .

But progress is being made . The New Government's first goal has been to establish order in core cities such as New Washington and start mapping out our new planet . Our current continent is simply named Pangea , as from its size it should be at least the size of the ancient global continent of Earth .

Forces such as the one you’re part of is an important piece of the puzzle . Many towns and individuals , such as the rankers , have risen up to meet the challenge of this new era , and our goal is to connect these forces and enable us to fight the common cause . I would therefore sincerely wish to invite Port Atwood into the New World Government , - she said , her eyes shining with enthusiasm .

Zac was mulling over the information . To be honest the situation seemed better than expected , with various governments working to restore order . However , he knew that it was just a façade . Unless something was done about the incursions these reborn governments would be crushed one by one when the invaders started expanding for real .

I can’t make any decisions like that for Port Atwood at this moment , besides I would like to tour this city to see what type of society you are building before reporting back , - Zac said noncommittally .

I have another task , - he added as he took out a note from within his cloak . - I have this list of towns that our citizens are from . Many are anxious to find out the fate of their families , and I am wondering if you know any information about these cities . Both how the cities themselves are today , and where their cultivators ended up . -

On the list were a few American cities , a few Vietnamese ones , and a few random coastal cities Zac added in order to not give a too clear picture of Port Atwood’s composition . But really , there really only was one of the towns he cared about , the fourth entry ; Greenworth , his hometown .

Another town of interest was Allentown , where Emily was from . He knew where the actual town was , but not where the cultivators went . Zac them silently looked at Julia who scrutinized the list , trying to not show how eager he was .

Soon she opened a program on her laptop and started typing away .

Allentown’s closest government outpost is Fairfield , but the distance between the two is around a week by car . And when I say that I mean driving a car with the current conditions . In the old days , it probably would only be a couple of hours . There is currently no teleporter array in the area . It is not viable to travel there at the moment from New Washington , as it’s an enormous distance , - she said .

His heartbeat started to increase . It looked like the government wasn’t just for show , they truly had some decent intel .

There should only be one cultivator group from a town of that size , but it has yet to been located , - she added , making Zac grimace .

He felt bad for Emily , but his main focus was on Julia’s fingers as she looked up towns . She kept typing on her laptop and writing down the answers one by one . She seemed to know of roughly half the information , either where the cultivators were or where the town was located . As for the Vietnamese towns , the information was way more sparse .

Greenworth was split up due to the size , and part of it is actually only a week’s travel away from here , - Julia said . - As for the cultivators , some are here or still in Greenworth . The town itself is jointly run by the government and a coalition of cultivators . There is one group reportedly at the other side of the Undead Empire . It’s likely fastest to wait until someone close builds a teleporter if you want to visit there . -

Zac’s heart was threatening to jump out of his chest when he heard his family might only be a week’s travel away . If that was by her standard he could likely get there far quicker . He forced himself to calm down and properly listen . He had waited for months , and another few minutes wouldn’t matter , especially if there were still important information to be gained from her .

The last cultivator group of Greenworth is still unaccounted for , - she finished the report on Greenworth .

If the group is unaccounted for , how do you know it exists? - Zac couldn’t help asking .

We have learned some rules to the Tutorial and the randomization . Our theory is that the System superimposed the four worlds in the merge , and picked citizens around the same coordinate on respective worlds and placed them together in a tutorial . That’s why some tutorials were only humans , and some were overrun with Zhix for example . Some coordinates would only hold humans , whereas others held all races .

As for the size of the cultivator groups , they are limited to roughly 10 000 humans per Tutorial instance , as you should know from your own experience . Our census indicates that roughly 7% of the human population was teleported , meaning that roughly 150 000 citizens generated one tutorial group . Larger cities like Greenworth would generate three groups based on their population . That’s how we know there’s another group out there somewhere .

Since the other group seemed largely fine with only a 55% casualty rate we can deduce that Greenworth’s Tutorial was one of the human-only Tutorials . This was also confirmed by the cultivators in our neighboring town . That means there was no Zhix hive that eradicated the third group like with many other tutorial villages .

When us cultivators were returned we believe that we were returned to the same - coordinates - as before . For example , I was working in Washington before the fall , and I was placed back right here afterward . That’s how we managed to start rebuilding work so quickly . However , which world’s coordinates seem random . Some returned to Old Earth’s same coordinates . Other were placed on the Ishiate coordinates instead , which could be anywhere on the new planet after the randomization , - Julia narrated .

Zac was having an emotional rollercoaster as he listened to the explanation . Zac had thought that the people in the tutorial were lucky , but a 55% casualty rate was considered one of the safe ones? Some groups were completely eradicated? Being a normal mortal left in a city seemed far safer in comparison .

Zac had somewhat hoped Kenzie and his father were Cultivators before , as that would help them protect themselves . But now he rather hoped they weren’t . The shock from the information almost made him miss an important piece of information , but after a while he finally noticed it .

Four worlds? I thought it was three of them that got merged? - he asked skeptically .

There might only be three , as we don’t know for sure . However , our theory is that there are four . That’s from looking at the larger cities we have mapped , such as New York , London , and Paris . A quarter of the cultivator groups are simply missing , as though they weren’t returned after the tutorial .

Our theory is that there is a fourth planet in the mix , likely an uninhabited one , whose landmass is on another continent . Perhaps due to a different type of climate or some other difference , making the System separate it from the rest . A quarter of the cultivators likely were placed there . So far we have had no luck finding this continent or contacting these groups , though . -

This type of speculation is supported by the fact that the System has put similar topographies together . When it randomized the world it didn’t put a patch of desert next to a glacier for example , as that would make no sense . That’s why many of our old continents are randomized , but still somewhat together . A good part of the United States and southern Canada are meshed together with some of Europe , while the more tropical Southern America has meshed together with southern Asia and some of Africa . -

Zac was relieved to hear that there actually was some order to the chaos , which would aid his search . However , the information also contained some pretty bad news . Both Emily’s siblings and one of the cultivator groups of Greenworth were unaccounted for , meaning they might actually have been placed on another continent . If that was the case he wasn’t even sure how to begin looking . His small exploratory vessels might not do the trick since the distances on this new planet seemed pretty huge .

Still , he had two places to check before it came to that , and the government was clearly still mapping everything out . The lost groups might be found before he had to start looking for a mysterious continent .

Zac’s eyes turned toward the laptop in front of Julia . The thing clearly held all their progress in mapping out the new continent so far .

I would like to purchase that computer . The map and accompanying information would be very beneficial to Port Atwood , - Zac said . - What is your price? -

There’s no need for that . The program with the information is public domain , and you just need to buy a computer in the town and connect to the WIFI and download it , - Julia answered with a smile .

Zac was completely surprised by the convenience . His life on the island and with the demons had made him think in more primal ways , the fact that New Washington Possessed a city-wide WI-FI hadn’t even crossed his mind .

Is the internet still around? - he asked hopefully .

Unfortunately no , - the government worker answered with a sigh . - I am no expert on the subject but the internet was made from a vast network of companies and servers spanning the whole world . When the world was randomized the network was destroyed . We only have a local network available . -

Very well , if it is alright with you I’d like to visit the town now , - Zac said .

Of course , take this identification card , it will give you access to this compound . It is a temporary measure while we keep the teleportation array at a guarded area . Oh , and there will be an auction in two weeks held by us and a few other governments . There will be many valuable things appearing that might not be extremely useful to the government , but a huge boon to any individual cultivator . -

Chapter 115 - Going home

Thomas Fischer looked down toward the sprawling city of New Washington from the window of his large office .

What is your opinion , Julia? - he asked as he turned around to the two people sitting by his desk .

The man calling himself Monk is clearly a high ranker . It might be bluster but he looked at our warriors as though they were jokes , and that was after he used Eye of Discernment] on them , - she reported .

My guess? He’s actually the Super Brother-Man , - she concluded .

Bah , the Super-Brother Man is a true monster . We still don’t understand how he is increasing in power that quickly since he’s in the top of all the ladders . That man was strong , but he clearly knew very little , to the point that he might not actually be a cultivator , - a sturdy-looking general next to Julia said with contempt as he looked at a TV that showed the meeting between Monk and Julia . - You just want to finally get a high ranker to join to validate your little experimental department , even if you have to make things up . -

Julia frowned but looked stubborn .

He gave off the feeling of blood and barely restrained power . Besides , we suspect that Salvation is staying put in Cradle of God . He punched away John like he was a ragdoll , and never seemed overly worried about his situation in the middle of a military compound , - she retorted .

Anyone in this room could do the same with John , and besides he was agitated and didn’t have proper form . I heard he was riddled with openings , so the feat was nothing special , - the general said with a harrumph .

As for blocking the investigation skill of Sargeant Miller , a fractal flashed on his forehead during the test . He likely possesses a skill to protect his identity . Our conclusion is that he might actually pretend to be the Super Brother-Man or some other top ranker as a protective measure .

And look , it worked . You let him walk scot-free after committing crimes in broad daylight . That kind of favoritism will make the government lose their footing and respect , - the general concluded .

Thomas only sighed and mulled it over .

For now it does not matter whether he is Super Brother-Man or a fake , he is here now and it’s an all hands on deck situation . If our plan works he and the others will be at the auction in two weeks , and we will find out more at that time - he concluded , and both the advisors nodded in agreement .

Do we still know the whereabouts of the other parties that have arrived through the teleporter? -

Zac walked along a wide road of New Washington . It was an interesting town , as it felt it was either undergoing extremely rapid industrialization or a real degradation . The old , but modern , buildings were partly dismantled , making room for thick spiked walls and fortifications . The occasional car actually zoomed past him but seeing it was a rarity .

Zac doubted that the government actually had managed to start pumping for oil already , so gasoline should be finite . But it might actually last surprisingly long it would last with a large part of the population missing and dead , and fewer people driving due to safety concerns .

Since he learned the news of his hometown he was itching to move , but Emily had told him about the importance of information brokers so he was currently on the way to an information market , just to compare the info they got from the government liaison . Julia seemed to have been upfront , but Zac wasn’t the best judge of that . After having asked around in various shops and from shady looking people he entered a non-descript office building some ways off from any main road .

There was no electricity in the building and the first four floors were deserted . However , as he reached the fifth floor it was cleaned and manned . A beautiful young lady sat at a reception desk , smiling at him as he entered , almost giving the feeling that this was a normal corporation . The gruff-looking and armed guards to the side , and the fact that it only was dimly lit from candles , somewhat ruined the feeling though .

Welcome to the House of Whispers , - the lady said with a smile .

Uh… Yeah , - Zac said a bit hesitant , feeling that the owner of this information dealership was trying a bit hard with a name like that . - I’m here to buy some information? -

Certainly , we take payment in either Nexus Crystals or Nexus Coins . Unfortunately , we do not accept Union Credits , is that all right? - the receptionist answered .

Union Credits was a new global currency that the government was trying to introduce . They were unwilling to let go of control the financial system and tried quite hard to give it credibility . They maintained a 1 : 1 exchange ratio with Nexus Coins , and even had exchange station set up across the town . However , their success seemed limited , as even in New Washington many places seemed to prefer the System-run currencies .

Zac only nodded and was shown to a small room where a clean-cut looking man in a suit soon entered . What followed wasn’t any stealthy meeting where secret notes were passed , but a surprisingly unexciting transaction . Zac listed the information he needed , and the information broker simply quoted a price if he possessed the information .

After Zac agreed upon the price , a text document was shown containing the information . Apparently , they usually put it on an USB-drive , but since Zac didn’t have one at the moment he bought one for five Nexus Crystals from the broker .

All in all Zac paid roughly 6 000 Nexus Coins to confirm all the information he learned earlier . He also had the broker download a copy of the government map onto the USB drive .

We also have a missive on the Rankers in case you are interested . Some of the data is acquired from the government and some from our own investigations . It even has the names of the Top Ten on the Ishiate ladder . Only Ten thousand Nexus Coins , - the broker added with a smile .

It sounded pretty interesting to Zac and it wasn’t very expensive , so he nodded and the broked added another file to the drive .

Finally he bought some information about the rulers and the state of Greenworth . Since the town was somewhat close to here the report was pretty detailed , and as Zac read through it his eyebrows scrunched up .

According to the missive there were five decently powerful people that held control over roughly half the city , whereas the New Government was in control of the other . However , the government officials in Greenworth were essentially corrupt puppets for the cultivators , giving them almost a complete grasp of the town .

According to reports things were in a far better state compared to how they were like in a place like Fort Roger , but it was a place where many died ignoble deaths . Zac was in no mood to continue buying any information , and simply took the USB drive and made to leave .

Since you’ve spent a fair deal of coins at our establishment I’ll give you a freebie . There is something going on with the Auction in two weeks . The government seems to be luring strong people there . Your party is only the 5th that has arrived through the teleporter in the last week . Do with that information what you will , - the man said with a smile .

Zac stopped for a second and nodded in thanks , after that he left . He wasn’t soo surprised they knew he came through the teleporter . They clearly had some men on the inside in the government providing them with information .

He made a beeline toward the south , only briefly stopping to purchase a laptop from a street vendor who had them piled on the road . Zac guessed that they were simply taken from empty homes and reinstalled .

After that he finally left town , preferring to run rather than finding some vehicle . He felt he was likely faster compared to a car anyways with the roads being gone . The first hour or so was pretty uneventful , but soon he was starting to get accosted by beasts .

Some were mutated versions of anything living in forests , from snakes to boars . Even a few large birds tried to snatch him up . Some were things he’d never seen before , likely additions from the other planets . Still it was clear they were beasts from their behavior .

It was far more chaotic than he was used to on the island , where the barghest were everywhere , and the biggest surprise you could get was the occasional imp . On the mainland , he was sometimes attacked by level ten boars and the next hour a level fifty eagle . Zac was starting to understand why he barely saw anyone after he left the town .

He thought he would see far more humans out hunting to gain levels , but he barely saw anyone after traveling for a while . But it made sense since it was just so random out here . For Zac it wasn’t very dangerous , but for most people death lurked behind every corner . If he was in a town when the integration happened he’d likely have stayed within the safe walls and done various tasks to gain Nexus Coins . And with those Nexus Coins buy Crystals that could be used to level up .

But that very mindset had put humanity in a passive state . The government was more concerned about consolidating their power , rather than combatting the real threat . The undead incursion was already as large as a country , and the others were growing as well . He heard no news of any incursion except his being defeated , but there were some rumors going about the city about some Marshall Clan being about to fight one .

The undead situation was one of the most troubling ones , as they were one of the forces that simply unceasingly devoured everything until a planet was sucked clean and all its inhabitants were killed . He still remembered their description from the information crystal he got from Ogras long ago .

Still , Zac was only one person , and he possessed no means to stop the invasion at the moment . Even if he went running over there and started swinging away it would barely make a dent since they already had created millions and millions of Zombies .

Zac put those depressing thoughts out of his head and refocused on his journey . The first step was to find his family , after that he’d have to figure out how to keep them safe . He knew that he’d have to get involved with the incursions sooner or later , but not today .

He kept pushing forward for a few days , following the guidance of the information he bought . He had long since learned how to charge electronics with his energy , and could essentially keep a laptop going indefinitely if he held it in his lap . After the first day the town was marked on his Automatic Map though , so he could put away the computer .

Along the way he saw some small towns . Most of them seemed deserted by now , only empty husks remaining . Zac didn’t know whether the inhabitants were killed or just moved to larger towns for security , but it gave a very eerie feeling . But after three days on the road he started seeing some familiar architecture .

He had finally reached his home .

Chapter 116 - Family

It was an odd feeling to walk the highway into the city . It was almost completely empty apart from a few odd cars , a bit different from how it looked in apocalypse movies . Zac guessed that most people drove home if they found themselves on the highway when the world turned crazy . He didn’t know how the restructuring actually looked since he was passed out while it happened . Perhaps some people didn’t even notice and just kept driving until the road abruptly ended in a forest .

Soon he found himself in the town proper , and it was completely surreal . It wasn’t just the run-down nature of the town that was jarring , there were multiple small details that were subtly adjusted . For example it looked like the topography was actually different in the city from how he remembered it . Where once was a hill it was now flat , making the houses look a bit odd .

There was no large wall that surrounded the town like the one that was erected around New Washington , and it seemed the population was a lot smaller compared to before since he still only had seen a few people scurrying about . Certainly , it was clear that this was only a part of the original town , but it was still there was barely a soul on the streets .

And those he saw looked like scavengers , going from house to house looking for anything useful or valuable . Most of the buildings at the edge of the town looked completely deserted , and Zac could also see marks from fights and beasts marring the pavement and walls .

It wasn’t until he got closer to the center of the town that he saw a wall being erected . It actually looked like they possessed at least one earth mage in the town , as the wall was a bit similar to his own , albeit far more rudimentary . Zac couldn’t see any gates or entrances and was in no mood to look around . Instead , he simply scaled the four-meter wall like it wasn’t there , and found himself in the inner city .

Greenworth looked a lot better inside the walls , with quite a few people walking the streets . Zac had been worried from the missive he bought , but it at least looked food wasn’t an issue in the town as most people were fed .

The aura of the villagers itself was a bit different from New Washington , as far more people wore different types of leathers and armors instead of old-world clothing here . If the government headquarters held on to the past then the villagers of this town rather embraced the new .

As he keptpushing forward he could finally confirm that his old neighborhood was included in this section of Greenworth , and wasn’t teleported somewhere else . His footsteps sped up along with his heartbeat as he moved through familiar streets , both anticipation and fear filling him .

Soon he was just a blur for any onlooker as he sped toward the house where his father and sister lived . He moved out almost a decade ago but Kenzie still lived at home since she was ten years younger than him , and he hoped he’d find both of them there . Finally he found himself on their street and it felt like his heart would jump out of his chest at any time .

He stopped outside a nondescript one-story house with a decent sized yard . A dogwood tree stood proudly on the front lawn , and Zac saw it had grown noticeably bigger since the integration . However , as he looked upon the house he felt some trepidation . There was no movement within , and it was quite clear that no one had lived inside for some time .

The door stood ajar and a few windows were destroyed . No smoke came out of the chimney either . With a sinking feeling , Zac found his courage after a bit and walked inside .

Dad? Kenzie? - he tentatively asked , but only silence greeted him .

The ground was covered in dust and mud . Someone had walked through his home haphazardly dragging dirt everywhere . Clearly , the house was looted in the same way he’d seen before , and he couldn’t stop a flame of rage blazing up in his heart .

He quickly scanned the whole house and found no trace of either Kenzie or his father . Some things such as clothes and computers were missing , and the gun safe in his father’s bedroom was cracked open as well . However , most things were as he remembered .

As a last resort he went down to the basement and lifted a floorboard under a mat . It was his father’s secret compartment where he put important documents . To his surprise he found a box inside he didn’t recognize . He opened it up and found a small notebook and a necklace .

To Zac and Kenzie’ was written on the front , and Zac’s eyes immediately started reddening . With unsteady hands he opened it up and found it was a small diary apart from the first page .

If you found this I might not be around anymore . I pray that you are safe and sound in this crazy new world , and that you take care of each other . You were my light and my dream . Love , Robert .

Ps . The necklace is a memento from your mother . It might help you find her if you wish to do so .

Zac had to close his eyes and take a few steadying breaths before he opened his eyes again . This wasn’t a good sign , but he wouldn’t give up hope just yet . The notepad might have been left here long ago .

However , as he read on that hope was dashed as the diary detailed what happened after the integration . Everything had turned black after a voice said - Welcome to the Multiverse - in his father’s mind . When he woke up he found that Kenzie was gone .

In just a few days he found out that a lot of people , especially youth , simply disappeared when the world got integrated . He kept searching all over Greenworth after Kenzie , also hoping Zac would return from his trip .

They discovered the system and levels , and slowly started to power up . The weeks passed and people were starting to get attacked by crazed wildlife . They formed groupings , and Robert became a leader of a group who strove to keep the area safe for civilians . He tried to keep his town protected as he kept searching for his children , until one day people suddenly returned .

With a flash they stood there , people who simply disappeared earlier . Thousands of the missing ones . They looked different , wearing medieval weapons and armor , and they emitted a dangerous air . I couldn’t find you among them . But I heard there is a leader called Thom Sullivan who might know more . I am heading to him tomorrow with a few other leaders who have protected Greenworth . Hopefully , we’ll learn more then .

That was the last entry in the book . Zac felt completely empty inside , subconsciously knowing what it meant . He sat completely motionless for minutes , just staring at the last entry in the diary . Finally he refocused , refusing to give up until he had proper confirmation .

He placed everything in the compartment into his Cosmos Sack and immediately left the house . He would make a quick stop at his own apartment first just in case . It was on the third floor and much safer than living in a house with beasts lurking about , and he hoped his father had moved there .

The diary gave most of the information about what happened . It turned out that Kenzie was a cultivator , but his dad wasn’t . The troubling thing was how the diary simply ended with dad visiting this Thom Sullivan . Months of accumulated anxiety was quickly turning into rage as Zac hurried toward his apartment . If that Thom guy had done anything to his family he’d better pray for a quick death .

He quickly arrived at his apartment complex , and like a gust arrived in front of his door . He still carried his key in one of his pouches , so he took it out and opened the door up and walked inside .

He only took a few steps before his eyebrows furrowed and he sprinted forward . A gangly youth in his late teens was standing in his apartment , wearing his clothes , gaping in shock at Zac .

Who the fuck are you? - Zac growled as he held the youngster up in the air by his scruff .

Please don’t kill me! I’m Ryan! I just squat here , take anything you want! - the guy screamed in fear .

Zac calmed down a bit and used Eye of Discernment] on him . His name truly was Ryan , and he was level 19 . Zac let him down on the ground and he collapsed in a heap on the floor .

Why are you in my apartment? - Zac simply asked

Your apartment? Wait… You’re Zachary! I almost didn’t recognize you at first! - Ryan answered , quickly getting excited .

Do you know me? - Zac asked skeptically , as he’d never seen the youth before .

Well , yes and no… I’ve lived here for two months . I saw a window was open so I climbed up and got in . Then I found a spare key . I’ve sort of… gone through your things? - he said , his voice getting a bit lower at the and as Zac’s brows furrowed .

Wait wait , don’t get angry , you know how it is . No internet , no electricity , no TV . The days get slow . So I started looking through everything . Like your mail and photo albums and stuff , - Ryan said . - I even visited your dad's house . I’m sorry about him . He seemed like a good guy . -

What do you mean? - Zac spoke through grit teeth , the foreboding feeling in his chest just getting worse .

You don’t know? Ah… Well… I’m sorry , but he was… Killed , - the youth said with some hesitation .

It felt like an explosion went off in Zac’s mind but he forced himself to refocus on Ryan .

After we returned from the Tutorial a few cultivators wanted to seize power over the Town . There’s a chance to become lord if you do that , and people want to be the ruler cause you apparently get all kinds of benefits . So Thom and the others killed the mortals who had started organizing people , not allowing any other factions to crop up . Those guys are crazy , and the government is only looking the other way , - he explained with fear mixed with disgust .

Zac’s breathing was getting heavier and heavier , but there was another question that needed to be answered before he turned to action .

I have a sister , - Zac said as he took out a picture he had taken from his old house . - Do you know where she is? She’s a cultivator . -

Mackenzie? I think she’s in one of the other cultivator groups . I never saw her in the Tutorial . We were quite a few people , but we were stuck together for a month . I’m pretty sure I’d have seen her if she was there , - Ryan quickly answered , inching away from Zac , clearly still afraid .

Zac only glared at him for some time , and even took out Verun’s Bite] .

I swear I’m telling the truth! She really wasn’t there . You should thank god for that , since young beautiful girls don’t have a good time in this town , - Ryan stuttered from Zac’s oppressive sature .

Zac could at least breath a sigh of relief that Kenzie might still be alive . But relief soon returned to a burning rage that kept growing with every breath of his .

Where is Thom Sullivan now? - he asked between grit teeth .

Thom? What are you planning? - Ryan asked skeptically .

What I’m planning? You’ll soon see for yourself , - Zac tersely answered as a monstrous aura filled with bloodlust flooded out from him , shaking the very foundations of the structure they stood in .

Chapter 117 - Judgement

Zac walked barefoot through the streets looking like a thundercloud given human form . The air was distorting around him as torrential amounts of cosmic energy ran amok through his pathways . He was making a beeline for the core of the town , where a second wall was erected around what was formerly a posh neighborhood .

His mind was of a singular purpose as he moved forward , guided by the description from Ryan . There were no what-if’s moral conundrums at the moment , only a seething rage . The thought of his father being cut down by some cultivator as he was trying to find Kenzie and him was almost enough to drive him insane with anger and he had trouble concealing his aura at the moment .

In the distance the gates appeared , guarded by a small group of what appeared to be soldiers each armed with an assault rifle . Zac didn’t stop as he moved forward , which alerted the guard who lifted their guns as they closed the gates .

Halt! This is private government property , entrance is prohibited , - one of them shouted at him , but Zac’s mind was clouded by rage and he pushed forward .

The guards didn’t hesitate and opened fire at him when he came within 30 meters of the gate , but Zac simply activated his movement skill . He was pretty sure he’d survive the weapons , but didn’t want to try it out at the moment . He moved like a phantom , and within a second he was right among the guards with Verun’s Bite] in his hands .

A few quick swings left a pile of bisected corpses and a pool of blood as he turned toward the large wooden gate . Zac simply walked up to it and infused his fist with the Dao of heaviness and cosmic energy , and with a guttural growl punched it .

It was as though a bomb had exploded as Zac’s fist hit the gate . The force destroyed the hinges and pushed the door , or rather the splinters that were left of it , inward . Shrapnel flew tens of meters in all directions like a fragmentation grenade .

Zac’s anger was still at its peak as he walked through the wreckage and found himself on a mostly clean and well-maintained street . A quick glance around let him see a fleeing middle-aged man , and with a few steps he caught up and grabbed him by the neck .

Where are Thom Sullivan and the 4 other councilmen? - he asked with a growl .

Don’t Kill me! They should be at the meeting with Mayor Whitfield at his mansion , - he hurriedly said .

Mayor Whitfield was the highest government official in the town , and according to both Ryan and the information missive , corrupt through and through . As long as the cultivators provided him with a lavish lifestyle he let the cultivators run rampant in the town , shielding them from any repercussions .

Lead me there and you can live , - Zac said , still holding the man by his neck .

The man was eager to please and immeadietly pointed the direction . Zac continuously used his movement skill , which seemed to almost make his captive pass out . A quick walk later led him to a huge compound , composed of three sprawling mansions .

The house to the right is for business meetings , and they should be in there . The middle is his home , and the left one is… For his activities , - the man said hesitantly between heaves .

Zac nodded and threw the man away after knocking him out . With a few steps he was at the right house , but just as he was about to destroy the door and walk in he was fired upon by multiple hidden soldiers .

A stinging sensation on his neck finally confirmed that he was bullet-proof . Still , the bullets from the AR-15’s hurt almost as much as a bee sting when they hit his bare skin . Zac quickly incapacitated the soldiers with a few throws with daggers from his pouch . Since he looted the mountain he had hundreds and hundreds of throwing knives , and he didn’t even bother to gather them up .

He had somewhat regained rationality by now , and tried to avoid causing any more undue casualties . These soldiers weren’t the real perpetrators and perhaps didn’t deserve a death sentence . Still , whether they survived or not would likely depend on how quickly they got medical assistance , going by the damage he caused .

There were more soldiers inside the house , but Zac was unstoppable . After a short while it was clear that the soldiers had had enough and weren’t about to throw their lives away , so they started to avoid him instead . Zac welcomed their retreat and kept moving through the building , and it was as though like a storm swept through the house until he found a large ballroom that was refitted into a meeting room .

Just as he slammed open the door and entered a sword imbued with freezing energy wooshed toward his head as an arrow flew straight toward his heart . Even the floorboards deformed and turned into spears aiming toward his guts , and some heavy mental pressure descended on him .

Zac was relieved since the attacks meant that his targets still hadn’t fled . He readjusted his grip of Verun’s Bite] and slammed it at the incoming sword . The sword was immediately cut in two , and the axe continued unimpeded right into the head of a dour-looing man hiding right around the edge of the door . His scalp and brain went flying as the axe finished its trajectory , blood staining an expensive-looking painting hanging on the wall .

Zac simply ignored the other three attacks as he proceeded into the ballroom . They couldn’t even impede him or leave a mark on his clothes , as Zac knew that none of the leaders in the town were even rankers . He looked around and saw seven men with either fear or anger on their faces . Four of them were the cultivator councilmen , with the fifth lying dead behind him . Another man was the Mayor , accompanied by was looked like two deputies .

There were also about a dozen young girls in various states of undress who had fled to a corner . The table was laden with all sorts of foods and liquors , and by all accounts Zac felt he had walked into a bacchanalia rather than a government meeting .

From the descriptions he possessed of the council every one of his targets was accounted for , which was a great relief to him . From his quick scan he knew this would be a quick and dirty slaughter . He was a bit disappointed as he’d almost hoped for an epic battle to vent his anger . But crushing the council like dried twigs worked as well .

Zac’s slowly walked through the room , each of his step causing a deep thump that echoed through the room . Each step was as though a hammer forcing a nail into everyone’s chests . It only got worse as an inhuman aura started emerging from Zac’s body , the very air around him distorting . Waves of power billowed out and inundated the room in suffocating murderous intent . The large windows in the room shook as it felt like an earthquake .

Most of the girls could barely remain standing and the faces of the men visibly paled . Zac slowly moved forward like inevitable doom , and his eyes stopped on a swarthy black-haired man with a large beard and a thick hammer . Thom Sullivan . Zac was just about to go to work when someone finally managed to speak up .

Who are you? Salvation? Why are you doing this? - one of the cultivators squeezed out through clattering teeth .

Zac only looked into his eyes for a few seconds , remembering his father . Perhaps he stood in this very room when he was killed by the men in front of him .

Salvation? No , I am Judgement . -

Judgement? You are making yourself an enemy of the government with your brazen actions . If you surrender yourself now th- - the fat middle-aged mayor managed to wheeze out , but was abruptly interrupted by a dagger slamming into his gut , throwing him into the wall next to the scared girls .

The government won’t mind me killing trash like you all , - Zac said as he looked over the perpetrators of his father’s death . - Every debt has a debtor . The day you slaughtered innocent civilians to take control of Greenworth you accepted the fact that one day someone like me could arrive . -

He said no more as he winked out of existence as he pushed Loamwalker] to its maximum . A growl and whooshing of air was heard , as one of the men by the table was cut in two , his upper torso slamming into the wall with a wet thud . The growls of Zac’s axe kept echoing in the room as body-parts kept getting chopped off , Zac’s figure barely registering in the eyes of the helpless onlookers .

The rulers of Greenworth desperately tried to flee or mount resistance but it was a joke in front of Zac’s wrath . It was not a battle , it was a slaughter . Their attacks were even weaker compared to the ants back on the island , and as soon as someone moved to flee they were instantly bisected into multiple pieces .

In less than a minute only Thom Sullivan and the mayor were left alive , though the mayor was barely conscious due to the dagger . When Zac entered through the door there had been some fight and brutality left in Thoms eye’s but that was long gone , replaced with abject fear .

Take the town , it’s yours! And I have treasure the townspeople and government have collected over the month . You can have it all . Just let me go! - the leader said , any semblance of might long gone .

Zac simply snorted , as he charged up Chop] far beyond his limit and swung down . The edge tore straight through the whole building as it fell down upon the leader of Greenworth .

In a last-ditch effort to survive Thom erected a defense that almost looked like a prismatic diamond , but it was like paper in front of the enormous edge . The axe pushed down and completely destroyed the man , leaving only bits and pieces intact . The strike continued into the ground , tearing a huge jagged scar through the whole building .

There was no satisfaction or emotional relief from the deed , only a deep and soul-crushing emptiness . He was too late . If he’d left the island immediately he might have been able to stop this . There was a small voice in him that told him that it wasn’t true , but it was scant reprieve to his current pain .

New Washington and Greenworth were located almost in the heartland of Pangea , the new continent . Any body of water that could hold Zac’s island was an insurmountable distance away . Still , his feelings weren’t about logic .

Strained wheezing interrupted his train of thought , and he turned around with a frown . It was the mayor , who had managed to remove the dagger from his abdomen . The man had a surprisingly high vitality , as he was still holding on , even with the huge pool of blood beneath him . However , he was sweating and panting , his face completely pallid .

Help me . I have strong connections , I can tell the officials these men were corrupt , and I hired you to bring justice . You will become a government-sanctioned leader of the town , - he wheezed out .

He was considering what to do about this man . He did not care one bit about his offer . He had no plans on taking over this town , as it would likely completely make him fall out with the government . Besides , he wasn’t sure if some sort of quest would trigger if he took hold of the Nexus Crystal , such as a test of sorts . He had no time or desire to fight beast hordes on two fronts .

He was planning on leaving the town to the army , and have the government decide a new leader . He had no desire to stay on here since his father was dead and his sister somewhere else . That still left him with the mayor . From the man’s actions Zac felt he should be killed with the rest of the cultivators , but he was a high official of the government .

He had already got off to a slightly rocky start with the leaders of New Washington , and he was reluctant to keep killing their people . There was still a hope that Port Atwood could cooperate with the rest of the world , and he felt that the government was a good tool for that .

Though they hadn’t really tackled the invader threat as of yet , their progress in just four months was startling . They had created a network of towns , such as Fairfield , and was slowly starting to adapt to the new world . Perhaps their speed was too slow as Zac knew the invaders weren’t lazing around .

The invaders were simply preparing and accumulating while they waited for the limiters to lift , after which they would explode in violence . The reports he read in the information crystal from Ogras was truly horrifying , and humanity wasn’t really prepared .

Still , with the help of him and the demons , humanity’s odds of surviving and reclaiming the world would be a lot higher . With him and a few other Rankers taking the lead they could keep the leaders under control . Zac knew that none of the Invaders would be able to break through to E-Rank yet due to the System still restricting them .

That gave the defenders a window of opportunity to clear out the incursions before their power started to get out of hand . Zac finally decided to keep the man alive and bring him to the government . Their handling of this criminal would also be a good gauge of how they did things .

However , fate has a sense of humor as just a second after Zac decided what to do one of the scared girls in the corner leaped forward with a piece of broken-off piece of wood in her hand . With an almost feral snarl she stabbed it straight in Mayor Whitfield’s throat .

The man tried to defend himself , but between him losing most of his blood and the boundless anger of the girl it was to no avail . She kept slamming the wooden spike down into the body creating grisly wounds , most centered around his groin . There was no coming back from that , pill or no pill , and he simply bled out in a matter of seconds .

Uh… - was all Zac could think of saying as he looked at the panting woman in front of him .

Chapter 118 - Recruitment

Zac was stumped , even forgetting his pain for a second as he saw the heaving girl standing over the mangled corpse of the Mayor . It looked like turning him over wasn’t an option anymore . The other girls in the room were also staring blankly at their companion and the man who likely had been the source of no small amount of grief .

Not sure what else to do Zac sighed and walked over to the government worker and put the mangled corpse into his Cosmos Sack . The girl warily looked at him , her eyes widening a bit at the magical display of the pouch .

When these cultivators returned from the Tutorial they killed a group of townspeople who defended Greenworth after the integration . Do you know what happened with the bodies? - Zac asked as he looked up at the girl still wielding a piece of shrapnel .

She appeared to be somewhere around her twenties and was quite beautiful . In fact , all of the girls in the room were , and their skimpy clothing did nothing to hide their curvaceous bodies . However , their eyes quickly told anyone that they were not willingly standing in this house , as they were hard as stone , marred by whatever they had experienced the past months . No one said anything for a while , until a small voice from the back row of women could be heard .

They… They were buried to the north side of the inner wall . There was a park there before , but it has turned into a cemetery for those the council had killed , - a young girl finally answered .

Zac nodded and turned to leave .

Wait! - the woman with the makeshift weapon suddenly shouted after him .

Zac didn’t really want to deal with these girls , as his mind still was on his father’s remains .

You can all leave . I will talk to the leaders of New Washington and have them send a proper Mayor here , - he said .

That’s not it . Take us with you , - she said with a somber expression .

That made Zac stop and turn around with a serious face . His once again looked over the group , this time using Eye of Discernment] . As he suspected none of the girls were strong , the highest being level 14 . If they were powerful they would not have been in their current situation , dressed as belly-dancers or courtesans of a harem .

I am sorry , but you are of no use to me . I need warriors , not more refugees , - Zac immediately shot her down .

But you can train us! You must be a high ranker from your aura and what you did in here . Thom was over level 30 , but he was helpless against you , - she refuted .

Train you? You are all barely level ten . Helping you attain a power that could contend against the forces of the world would take an immense amount of resources , why should I do that? -

Joanna wishes to enter a Contract of Binding . Time : Indefinite . Accept?]

Zac’s brows rose as he saw the prompt appear in front of him . He knew about the Contracts of Binding from Calrin . None of the demons actually mentioned it to him , even though they usually were his main sources of information . Zac assumed that they were afraid he would try to impose it on them in the future .

A Binding Contract contract was more accurately named an employment contract . It made a person a subordinate who couldn’t betray their employer . His orders would to a certain degree become compulsions as well , unless giving a detrimental order , such as committing suicide or ruining their cultivation . That of course only was true for the type of employment . If he contracted this woman as a soldier he couldn’t order anything about her private life .

Furthermore , one essentially had to enter the contract willingly , and you could set the duration yourself . It was a normal method for Clans in the multi-verse to make sure of the allegiance when hiring people , such as external warriors for war or exploration of a mystical realm .

But could also be a tool to permanently bind a person to a force , as was the case with the prompt in front of him . The time was set to indefinite , and only Zac could rip the contract and free the girl . The only other way for her to get free was to reach a higher level than him . Zac had thought about forcing this type of contract on the demons after hearing about it , but he learned that it was impossible for the same reason .

Apparently it was impossible to use on people of a higher level , and pretty much all of the demons were higher level than him . It was simply that the restrictions on the invaders were still in place , making it easy to forget that almost all of them were at the bottleneck , working at either their Dao or their Constitution in order to evolve . The System wanted to promote the strong , so it wouldn’t allow the strong be in servitude of the weak . Of course , Zac’s power level was actually higher than the demons’ , but his situation was a bit unique .

Zac stared for some time at the woman who apparently was called Joanna . She had a steely determination in her eyes that he hadn’t even seen in Emily , who herself craved power .

… Are you sure about this? You will likely be sent to bloody battlefields fighting both humans and aliens if you follow me . And that is if you even survive training , - Zac said as he stared her down .

An idea was forming in his mind as he looked at Joanna and the others , but she alone wouldn’t cut it .

As long as you give me power nothing else matter , - she said , not flinching the slightest from Zac’s stare .

Zac finally accepted the prompt , feeling a mental connection forming . It was not like gaining another limb , just an additional awareness in the corner of his mind . He took out a spear and slammed into the ground in front of her , and then took out a female’s leather armor from his pouch .

Don’t lose these . If you do you’ll have to purchase new ones with your own money , and the amount of slaughter needed to afford them will probably kill you , - Zac said .

Joanna eagerly looked at the gear , and without hesitation took off the little clothes she had on . Zac unashamedly looked on , reminded that it actually had been months since he’d been with Hannah . He forced himself to refocus as Joanna equipped the gear , and after some struggle managed to pull out the spear from the ground .

With demon armor and a spear in her hand her aura completely changed . She already had the steely gaze of a warrior , but now she had the appearance to match it . Of course , some weaponry didn’t change the fact that she still was a level 13 weakling , but she did look quite heroic .

I am leaving Greenworth in two hours . The offer Joanna received stands for all of you . But let me make it clear . I am not offering you freedom . I am offering you power . You’re welcome to choose freedom instead and stay behind . Though you should know that things might get chaotic with both the Mayor and the Council dead . Those who wish to follow me , gather with Joanna outside these mansions in two hours , - Zac said as he disappeared with his movement skill .

He quickly exited the house and found some soldiers hesitantly standing in the distance . They should have heard the commotion , and unless they were blind they should have seen Zac’s final strike where he almost ripped the mansion in two . Zac frowned , not in the mood to start killing the soldiers . He wanted to avoid further bloodshed , already regretting massacring the warriors at the gate in his rage .

We mean you no harm , - one of the older soldiers shouted from the distance . - We just need to know what’s going on . Scouts report of a beast horde arriving within the hour , and we need to prepare . -

The council members are dead . The mayor is dead , - Zac simply said . - I will eradicate the horde for you , but after that you’re on your own . -

None of the soldiers looked overly surprised by the news . Their captain simply nodded .

There are over a thousand boars heading our way from the north . The council usually gather outside the town to fight in order to avoid the destruction of property , - he simply said .

I will join you in an hour , - Zac said as he disappeared , once again moving with Loamwalker] .

He kept speeding away and soon reached the park that one of the former slave girls mentioned . The area was filled with mounds of overturned earth , some graves old and some clearly made within the last week . All in all there had to be hundreds of bodies buried across the area , giving it a gloomy atmosphere .

Zac had no idea which one of the mounds contained his father so he could only walk along aimlessly . He noticed a large boulder lying some distance away and walked over to it . With six quick swings a towering monolith was created that Zac lifted up with a grunt .

He walked over to the center of the park and placed it by an intersection of two somewhat overgrown paths . Using his inhuman power he pushed it some ways into the ground , securing it in place . Seeing it was stable he carved two simple lines in the monument .

Gone but not Forgotten

Rest in Peace

Afterward he simply sat down , reminiscing about the past . The park was empty except for himself and his thoughts , and there was a heaviness in the silence . It was as though it blended with the heaviness in Zac’s heart , and became a palpable thing around him . If a human walked close to Zac at this moment it wouldn’t be surprising if they would be physically impacted by the mood .

Zac didn’t move as one memory after another flitted through his mind . Finally he opened up his eyes after roughly an hour . He sighed and got to his feet , and took one last glance around .

I promise I’ll find Kenzie , if it’s the last thing I do , - he said as he lightly touched the monolith .

With that he pushed north , to help out his hometown one last time . With neither his father nor sister around , he honestly didn’t care too much about Greenworth . He didn’t really have any close friends anymore , rather co-workers and acquaintances . His closest friend died 4 years ago , long before the integration , and he never really looked for new ones after that .

Still , it was the town he grew up in , and where most of his childhood memories were . Even if it wasn’t really the same town any more he didn’t want to see it fall to some boars . He knew that the soldiers likely could take care of it , but it cost bullets . By now it should take quite a few munitions to destroy a horde of wild animals , as their endurance kept increasing . He didn’t know how much reserves the army still possessed , and he didn’t want the townspeople to suffer due to his actions earlier .

After running for about ten minutes , he saw the battlefield ahead . There were simple defenses erected , but from experience he saw that it wasn’t really enough to impede a beast wave . He walked up toward the man who spoke to him back by the mansion , who nodded at him .

The beasts should arrive in five minutes , we’re making our stance here . There’s luckily is no high-level beast amongst their kind , the largest boar is roughly four meters high and level 43 . We will likely have to use grenades on it , as bullets seldom work against the ones that size , - the soldier reported

No need for all that . Just stay here and I’ll be back in a bit , - Zac said .

With that he pushed out toward the forest in the distance , using Loamwalker] to increase his speed even further . After one minute of rushing he saw the horde approach , and he relished the chance for some no-holds-barred unthinking carnage .

Chapter 119 - Army

The soldiers looked on horrified as Zac returned just five minutes later , covered in head to toe in blood . He still wore the cape above his usual robe , and it didn’t have the self-cleaning option .

It’s done , - Zac tersely said as he passed the captain without stopping .

Are you staying in Greenworth? - the captain hesitantly asked Zac who kept moving toward the town .

No , I am heading to New Washington in an hour , - he answered .

The soldiers looked both relieved and troubled at the same time as Zac disappeared . There were a few things he wanted to do before leaving . First he went to a deserted home and cleaned up and changed clothes .

After that he went back to their old house and put everything of sentimental value into a pouch . He also left a note for Kenzie under the floorboard , explaining what had happened here and where she could find him . For all he knew Kenzie might be trying to get home as well , and this note would hopefully send her to Port Atwood if she passed by .

Next he went back to his own apartment . Ryan was still there , fretfully hiding . When he saw Zac walk through the door he looked quite startled .

You’re alive! It’s a good thing you came back . Those guys are extremely dangerous , you better not do anything rash , - he said with a sigh .

They’re all dead , the council and the Mayor . We’re leaving Greenworth , going back to my hometown , - Zac answered as he put most of his belongings away into the pouch .

Dead? Wait , what? What’s going on , what do you mean WE’RE leaving? - Ryan said , seeming he had some trouble understanding the burst of information .

You are the only one who knows my actual identity . That could be a risk for my sister . So either I kill you here and now , or you come with me to my home town , - Zac answered as he stopped , turning toward the gangly man .

Your place sounds great , a change in scenery is just what I needed , - Ryan answered , his head quickly nodding .

Zac rolled his eyes and threw one of his empty Cosmos Sacks over to the man .

This is a Cosmos Sack , its value is around a million Nexus Coins . Take it as compensation for forcibly being relocated , - Zac said as he kept storing away his items . - Is there any place that has good terrain vehicles , such as jeeps? -

I think those were mostly confiscated by the council and a few other powerful cultivators . It’s pretty much needed if you want to get to New Washington in one piece , - Ryan distractedly answered as he was fiddling with the pouch .

Right . Do you know if anyone of my neighbor is still alive? - Zac asked .

I’m not sure . This apartment complex is within the outer walls now , but before the wall was built monsters roamed freely on the streets . I think only something like a third of the whole town is still alive , if even that , - Ryan answered with a sigh .

The answer gave Zac a start . He had been preoccupied by his quest to find his family , but now that he thought about it there seemed to be quite a few people missing , and it wasn’t something that missing cultivators or the randomized missing areas could explain .

Only the core of Greenworth was walled in , while the outside was exposed to all kinds of beasts . As he sped through the outer part it was mostly abandoned apart from the occasional scavenger . Less than a third of the population could actually fit inside the walls judging by the area it encircled . But it didn’t seem cramped at all , rather the opposite .

It was a sobering feeling knowing that so many of the people he had seen growing up were just gone . Old classmates , co-workers , even random people on the streets . Most of them were simply dead , many likely suffering terrible fates . Zac could only sigh as he finished packing .

Let’s go , we’re picking up some more things before we leave , - Zac said as he made for the door .

Ryan didn’t really seem to own many possessions as he was still dressed in Zac’s old clothes , so he quickly scampered behind him after safely tucking away his Cosmos Sack . Zac simply knocked on the door of some of his neighbors he was closer to , but only silence answered . He could only shake his head and move on .

They turned toward the core area with the inner wall , and Ryan started to get fidgety as they approached .

Hey , buddy , I know you are powerful and all , but the army is up there . You might be able to dodge the bullets like some action hero , but I can’t , - he hesitantly said .

What did you do in the Tutorial anyway? You got this huge opportunity to gain power and survive , but you’re spending your days hiding in my apartment , - Zac scoffed with a roll of his eyes .

Hey! I’m still decompressing from that nightmare . You know the horrors we had to go through . I’m just happy I made it out alive . Besides , I’m still thinking about my true calling , trying to find my way , you know? After that I’ll start leveling again . -

Zac could only snort in response . Ryan’s excuses sounded much like the ones he heard from many in the old world who didn’t want to work but only play around .

Of course , there was no guard that challenged his approach this time , and they freely entered the posh neighborhood . The army was clearly uncomfortable to just let him go about as he wanted , but also unwilling to get too close out of fear of getting bisected , so a few people shadowed them but kept a respectful distance .

Zac used them for directions , and with their help he snatched up a group of vehicles that would be able to run in rougher terrains . He simply threw them into his larger Cosmos Sack that had no problem accommodating them . He planned on bringing them back to Port Atwood .

His town had the advantage of housing the demons who had far greater experience with crafting . He hoped that perhaps they could refit the vehicles to run on crystals rather than gas . If the refit was somewhat simple it could become another export of the town .

Soon it was time to meet up with Joanna so Zac went straight to the open space in front of the mansion . To his surprise it was filled with women , far more than the dozen or so that were at the meeting . A quick count put them at over one hundred people . All of them wore wretched clothing and had haggard expressions , but it was clear that all of them were young beautiful women .

The regret that the Mayor died was quickly fading away as he looked out over the victims of the apocalypse with a frown . Who knew what humiliation they had been forced through the past months . Besides , his little sister might have been one of the victims if she hadn’t been whisked away , and he could only pray she had found the power to protect herself in the tutorial .

He really felt that his plan might work out as he looked at the group .

He needed a private army . Everything looked fine with the demons on the surface , but he knew that he couldn’t trust the protection of his town to them alone . There needed to be a counterbalance apart from just himself on the island . The demons possessed their own interests , and Ogras was a duplicitous character .

Besides , even if these girls entered a Contract of Binding with him it wasn’t like he could or would use it for some nefarious purposes , and he’d release them when his force was stabilized . He looked at it the same way as most powers of the multi-verse , just a contract to make sure that he didn’t get stabbed in the back after pouring large amounts of resources on their training .

It was becoming increasingly clear to him that women were generally having a worse time in this new world compared to men . Neither gender really had any advantage or disadvantage when it came to cultivation or getting stronger , but scum like the Mayor was simply far more common among men .

He doubted that there were too many female powerhouses who were catching hundreds of young handsome men to trap in their sex dungeons . These girls weren’t useless when it came to cultivation or fighting , it was just that they got left behind in the early race for power , which left them helpless against people like Thom .

Their eyes reminded him of himself when he’d been stuck alone on the island , feeling weak and hopeless as he fretfully huddled in his camper while listening to the roars in the woods . Hopefully , they could turn that helplessness and anger into a desire for strength , turning them into a real force with the right training .

The main problem with a lot of people was that many didn’t seem to keep pushing themselves after an initial burst of activity , after which they started to feel safe again . However , safety was just an illusion . He had already seen multiple ghost towns while traveling through the area to Greenworth . They were small encampments with basic fortifications just like in Fort Roger .

One or a few cultivators simply didn’t have the power to contend with the increasingly hostile wildlife unless they went out of their way to grind levels in between the beast attacks . Just idling around like some kings in between short bursts of monster hunting would only work in the short run . Some of the citizens would be able to migrate to larger and safer towns , however many would die during the travels .

At least these women in front of him seemed driven enough to keep pushing themselves forward if they were given the chance now . And if they started slacking off he had the contract to push them forward . He walked over to Joanna who looked very conspicuous with her spear .

Who are all these people? How come there are far more people compared to before? - he asked as he looked around .

Half were kept by the mayor , the rest were split among the council , - she answered with smoldering anger barely concealed beneath her calm façade . - When they heard about your offer they wanted to join . -

Is it true you can make us powerful? Strong enough to slaughter assholes like Thom? - a girl , looking about the same age as his sister , asked skeptically .

Zac looked over the field , and the same skepticism could be seen on many of the faces looking at him . He looked over to Joanna who silently stood beside him .

Are these mansions empty? - he asked her . She looked confused but immediately answered .

Yes . No staff dared stay there , and all captives were freed , - she said , after which she pointed at a pile of sacks - We also removed anything of value as well . -

Zac nodded and walked over to the pile , and with a flourish put them all into a Cosmos Sack , which elicited a few surprised gasps . But he wasn’t done here , as he felt he needed to display some of his power if he wanted to recruit these people .

He unleashed his aura in its entirety , and it billowed out among the onlookers . By now he had calmed down and it only contained his power , and the murderous intent was far less discernible . Screams and gasps echoed across the square , and many even fell on their knees clutching their heads . With two quick steps he arrived at the gate of the old Mayor’s mansion and Charged up three fractal edges with Chop] .

In a lightning-quick manner he made three wide horizontal swings , and just before the fractals flew off he imbued them all with the Dao of Heaviness . The fractals flew toward one of the mansions each , and with the help of the Dao Seed completely destroyed the buildings from the impact . It looked like a terrorist attack , where a few bombs were simultaneously set off . Rubble flew in all directions and many had to take cover to avoid the falling debris .

He removed his aura and once again glanced at the group whose skepticism was not replaced with fear .

I will tell you the same as I told Joanna . I can give you power . But power comes through walking over the corpses of your enemies , if you don’t believe me , take a look at this , - Zac said with a loud voice reaching across the square , as he opened up his title page and shared his Butcher] title , which showed he’d killed over a hundred thousand beings .

Another round of gasps was heard , and Ryan even edged away from him with horror in his eyes .

Since the world turned to shit I’ve been attacked in all kinds of ways . I’ve been stabbed , maimed , mauled and suffocated . I’ve been blasted with fireballs and mental shockwaves and struck by lightning bolts . But I’ve survived , and I’ve become strong .

You all have the potential to become powerful , but you need the willpower and determination to fight , and keep fighting . The second you stop struggling someone like Thom will pass you in power . I can only provide you with an opportunity , but your effort will decide whether you will become a hunter or the hunted , - Zac said .

If you decide to follow me you will become a part of my army , and we will immediately set out to New Washington . From there we’ll teleport to the home base of the Force I belong to , and there your training would begin in earnest . If you can’t keep up during the walk , I’ll leave you in the woods .

I won’t force anyone to follow me . You have five minutes to make your choice ; Power or freedom , - he finished as he summoned a chair and sat down .

There was a subdued silence as he looked upon the women . The silence stretched to a minute until it finally was broken by the young girl who questioned him earlier . She walked right up to him with steady steps .

I choose power , - she said with determination in her eyes , as a Contract of Binding popped up in front of Zac .

He nodded , as he took out another set of gear and a spear and handed it over . With the first person walking forward it was as though a blockage was removed , and the former slaves walked forward one by one to pledge allegiance and get a set of gear .

With that the first battalion of the Atwood Valkyries was born .

Chapter 120 - The Return

Zac kept the lead as he pushed through the woods , his battalion of hapless recruits behind him . Altogether 80 of the women signed up , and were now walking behind him through the wilderness . The last 30 or so decided to stay behind in Greenworth , and Zac wouldn’t waste any more energy on them .

Luckily the gear he pilfered from Rydel and the dead warriors was enough to fit everyone to look essentially the same , with leather armor and a spear . Some of the gear was bloodied or had some scratches , but there was nothing to do about that at the moment .

He was quite surprised to hear that 9 of the recruits actually were cultivators who possessed experience from the tutorial . However , they had been in the bottom-tier and emerged with even lower levels compared to Ryan . Being a cultivator didn’t guarantee safety , and they’d been captured soon after they were returned . Apparently there were safety measures against that in the tutorial , but it disappeared immediately after it was over .

The fledgling soldiers had the willingness but lacked the skill as they stumbled along . Many were already panting from the trek while carrying their weapon . Zac could have put them all in a pouch , but he saw it as an opportunity for them to train and learn to struggle . They should be able to get a few stat points on the way to New Washington this way .

He was also accompanied by Ryan , who for some reason looked the most wretched of the bunch , even though having both the highest level and a Cosmos Sack to carry his things .

This is torture , why don’t we take a break? - he coughed out between pants .

Just how have you survived until now? - Zac asked , part despising , part curious . The man truly seemed to have no survival skills apart from some quick wits .

I mean I loved reading and watching Zombie stories before the world turned crazy . So I treated the merge like that , you know? Gather cans of food , scavenge while making no sound , things like that , - he answered with some pride .

The world will keep getting more dangerous . We got upgraded to a D-grade world . Sooner or later a bunch of E-Grade monsters will roam about , perhaps even D-Grade behemoths . How are you going to survive if you run around at level 18? - Zac asked .

Well , I’ve got people like you for protection , right? - he answered without hesitation .

Zac was about to refute , but with a start he actually realized Ryan made some sense . It was the job of people like him to protect the town so that the non-combat classes could work and make the area thrive . He also realized that he had developed somewhat of a harsh attitude to those who couldn’t battle lately , and it was something he needed to work on if he was going to lead a Force that likely would consist of more non-combat personnel than warriors .

He glanced back at the troop and saw that they should be able to keep going some more . He’d gotten pretty good at understanding the limit of endurance after battling the hordes . If people were sweating and panting they had more to give , but if they were glassy-eyed and robotic in their movements they were at their limit .

He was also happy to see that they seemed to be quite united . When one stumbled someone close by would help her up . Unity in a troop was extremely important . It was true before the fall , and perhaps even more so now . A soldier needed to be able to rely on their squadmates . Now with the system there also were the issue of war-arrays .

Alyn had explained the reason there were armies in the multi-verse . Zac had some problem understanding before since he felt that a D-Grade old monster was enough to decimate an endless amount of F-Grade soldiers , making them worthless . But there was such a thing called War Arrays . They were part array and part skill . A troop would combine their power , and exhibit a strength far above their individual power , even eclipsing ranks sometimes .

He didn’t possess such a thing at the moment , but the simpler ones shouldn’t be too hard to get hold of , especially with his cash infusion from the pouches on the mountain .

With such a large group moving they were almost constantly beset with attacks . Zac kept using Eye of Discernment] , and if the beasts were low-leveled he let the girls fight them . He only put his finger on the scale to make sure there were no deaths .

However , after half a day of walking most of the new recruits had bleeding gashes and bites hastily wrapped with some cloth or even leaves . There were even quite a few who leveled up during the day . The first levels were quite quick , and thanks to Zac maintaining vigil they could keep fighting without worrying that some high-level beast would arrive .

There were a few of those huge beasts that attacked the group , thinking they were easy pickings . Zac simply crippled them with a swing or two , and let someone from the army finish it off . Zac still got over 95% of the cosmic energy , but even 5% of a high leveled beasts gave quite a boost to the women who were barely level 10 .

Finally , after what felt like an eternity for everyone except Zac , they stopped for dinner . Zac threw out two of the huge carcasses of the higher leveled beasts and bisected them with a few quick swings .

Everyone gather up , - he said .

The women were tired but moved up to him .

There’s 80 of you so we’ll create eight squads for now , ten per group . One squad will take care of the camp every time we stop , such as cooking , and the group will rotate . The rest of you will use these , - Zac said as he took out a small mountain of Nexus Crystals .

What the HELL! Just how rich are you? - Ryan couldn’t help shouting as he saw the pile of wealth .

Zac ignored him as he looked over his new soldiers .

My goal is for you all to gain one level every day during our march , it shouldn’t be too hard since you’re all so low leveled . For those who don’t know , these are Nexus Crystals . You can absorb the energy inside to gain levels . I want everyone except the squad in charge of the chores to use these every time we rest as a supplement to the battles while we walk , - he said .

What about me? - Ryan said with some greed in his eyes .

You want crystals? Join the army , - Zac simply said . Honestly , he had more than enough crystals to hand out a few , but he wouldn’t do it right after the 80 women in front of him essentially got drafted to get this chance .

Uhm… Nevermind then . I’ll just have something to eat , - Ryan muttered and slunk away .

Zac let the women divide themselves into groups since he knew it was all temporary in any case . He was pretty sure Alyn would rearrange it when they came back to the island .

He helped the chore group clean the large carcasses , as they generally still were too weak to cut through the tough hide of the high leveled beasts . They could do it on low leveled ones , but it was better if they all ate stronger beasts . It gave no cosmic energy , but it was far more nutritious compared to the normal animals .

As he was cleaning everything Joanna walked up to him .

Um… Sir? - she tentatively asked Zac who looked up at her .

Yeah? -

Well , some of us were wondering… Who you are , - she asked with some embarrassment .

Zac simply stared blankly at her for some time , realizing he still hadn’t introduced himself .

It’s not really important , really , - Joanna said a bit flustered from Zac’s blank stare .

No , it’s ok . Wait a second , - Zac said as he flashed next to Ryan . - Sorry about this . -

Ryan barely had time to register his words and let out a screech as a chop on his neck knocked him out cold . The sound woke up the people who focused on absorbing energy .

My identity is a bit sensitive , so I had to knock this guy out . Since you all have signed a contract with me there’s no point in me hiding it . My name is Zachary Atwood , and I’m originally from Greenworth . My other nickname is… Super Brother-Man , - he said .

If Zac had to be honest he expected some shock and awe , but was pretty disappointed . Some looked skeptical , some were surprised , and some looked like it was an obvious thing .

Cough… well . That’s about it , - he said with some embarrassment . - Keep both my identities secret , I’m known as Monk to the government . We’re leaving in an hour , rest up . -

Wait , why do you have that weird name? - one of the girls suddenly asked .

Zac told them the story of the origin of Super Brother-Man , and got many looks of approvals . He still felt a bit embarrassed about the lackluster reaction earlier , so he sat down and closed his eyes as he took out another Nexus Crystal for himself .

He wasn’t really focusing on the crystal , rather the feeling he had earlier at the grave-site . The hour he sat reminiscing gave him an insight into another facet of heaviness . He would treasure the insight , even though he didn’t love the way he gained it . He wasn’t sure , but he felt it was the first clue to take the next step to upgrade his Dao Seed .

He knew that his seeds needed to improve quite a bit if he wanted an Epic class . Some low or medium ranked seeds wouldn’t be enough according to Alyn . He had already asked Calrin to be on a lookout for treasures that helped with the Dao , but those were among the most sought after treasures in the multi-verse . They were always in low supply but high demand and the huge consortiums snatched them up long before people like Calrin had a chance to even see the listing .

As he was meditating he sensed some light steps moving his way , and he was just about to open his eyes when he sensed more movement . Three of his new guards moved to intercept the person . He sneakily opened one of his eyes and saw one of the younger girls trying to approach him with a water bottle . Her efforts were foiled by Joanna and two of the girls who were cultivators though .

Zac felt the whole thing worked out pretty great . He was in no mood for some girl trying to woo him for benefits . Besides , he knew he wouldn’t get too close to these people . They would become soldiers , and many of them might be dead in a year or two . To defy fate and grasp for power was to dance with death , there was no getting around that .

Soon the hour was up , and Zac opened his eyes and got up . The recruits still weren’t rested , but they got up to their feet with no complaint . Ryan was still knocked out where Zac left him , so he splashed some water on his face to wake him up .

Wha- whu? What the hell , man? - he groggily spluttered .

You must have passed out , it’s time to go , - Zac said , hiding some embarrassment , as he started walking again .

The days passed as the girls went through a baptism of fire and blood in the forest . Some even managed to attain a few of the solo kill Titles while fighting some of the weaker beasts . When they followed Zac out through Greenworth the only thing strong about them was the determination in their eyes . But now they exuded an aura of warriors . Zac knew that they still were only paper tigers , and not someone who would be useful in the third wave , but their progress was impressive .

After roughly a week on the road they reached the area of New Washington , and Zac sighed as he saw a group waiting for him by the gate . He wasn’t surprised as he spotted a few scouts in hiding earlier . He didn’t do anything to intercept them , as this wasn’t avoidable .

This was going to be a pain in the ass .

Chapter 121 - Thomas Fischer

Stay here . If they start firing at you , scatter and hide until I’ve incapacitated them . Joanna , Riley , and Tamira with me . Ryan too I guess , - Zac said , not wanting to give the man an opportunity to slink away .

Um I can keep look-out from over here , no need to bother you , - Ryan said as he nervously looked at the armed soldiers lined up , but after a glare from Zac sighed and followed .

The other three , each a leader of one of the squads , followed Zac expressionlessly . They were the first to sign up to his employ , and among those who had improved the most during the death march back to New Washington .

All of them were around level 20 by now , which was a huge improvement compared to before . While none had gained the one level per day he hoped they weren’t far off . It shouldn’t be more than two weeks until they could get their class as soon as they got back to the island

Zac walked in the front , ready to intercept any nervous soldier with a hair-trigger . There were a few official-looking people in the front , Julia one of them . Another of them clearly was a general from his attire . The final man was in his late forties or early fifties .

He was clean-cut and good looking , looking very much like the politicians of old . He even wore a navy suit with a silk tie . However , intuition born from months of intense battles told Zac that he was no weak mortal , but at least decently strong .

There were a few more of them who hid further in the back with fear on their faces . The whole group held around a hundred people and formed quite a welcome for Zac’s party .

It is good to see you again Mr . Monk , though I hoped it would have been under better circumstances . We have heard some troubling things from Greenworth , - Julia said .

Like a barefoot lunatic going on a murder-spree , killing all the strongest warriors of the town , putting all the civilians at risk , - the general gruffly added with a glare .

The three women behind Zac glared at the general , but he only balefully glared back . Zac slowly looked over the group and with a sigh removed the corpse of the mayor and threw it over .

It was very disappointing seeing the lawlessness your government displayed just one town away from here . I arrive and find this animal has been capturing young women for slaves , filling large mansions equipped with disgusting torture devices . This apparently went on for months , where he was left to his own devices , protected by the army . Yet you stand here looking all self-righteous , - Zac said with a calm face .

Julia frowned and looked at the women behind him , and then to the small army in the distance unsure what to say . However , the general didn’t have the same problem .

Bah , that’s just your story . And even if it was true , since when was it up to you you to be judge , jury , and executioner? You should have reported it to us and we would have looked into it , - the general angrily retorted .

The information brokers in New Washington already knew about it , so there’s no way you didn’t . I have 80 victims with me as well that can testify . Of course , you could just ask anyone from Greenworth if you actually gave a shit , since the council’s activities were no secret . There’s a whole park filled with unmarked graves that’s a testament to their wanton slaughter in the town , - Zac spat back with an angry glare .

Memories of the mounds where his father was dumped somewhere came back to him , and his temper started rising . He knew that these people were not to blame since it was the cultivators who did it as soon as they got back from the Tutorial . Still , he had some trouble maintaining his cool .

Monk wasn’t the one who killed that pig , it was me , - Joanna suddenly interjected from behind .

Well , there you have it , a confession , - the general said .

Don’t mind her , - Zac said , and then turned to Joanna . - You , stay quiet for now . -

She looked like she wanted to interject , but she could only close her mouth and step back .

So , is this why you have a squadron waiting for me outside your gates? - Zac asked .

Finally the clean-cut man opened his mouth .

A society cannot function without order , and the rule of law is the most basic of protections for the weak against oppression by the strong . These are chaotic times , and unfortunately some chose to look out for themselves instead of the common good , - he said as he looked down on the mutilated corpse of the mayor .

There will be an investigation regarding your activities in Greenworth , and if it turns out what you say is true , then that’ll be it . If they truly acted as you say , hiding behind the authority of the government while acting like monsters , then they deserve their fates . If we find you are lying , then you and Port Atwood will be listed as terrorists , and barred from this and any future Government towns on threat of death , - he continued .

Zac simply nodded , not really worried about the latter threat . To him it felt like something the government needed to do to save face . They couldn’t just let it go as that would make them look weak . He was even prepared to pay some fine just to smooth things over , but things turned out even better than expected .

However , I’m more curious about why you have brought an army to our doorsteps . From what I can see the quality of their gear is not trivial . What is your goal? - the man continued .

I plan on taking these people back to Port Atwood immediately . I have taken the liberty of taking them in as refugees . I was worried about their fate staying here , - Zac said with a shrug of his shoulders .

Are you not staying for the Auction? - Julia suddenly asked .

I plan on attending . I’ll go back and report , and then return . I might bring someone back with me , - he answered .

He thought of having Sap Trang act as a village elder so he didn’t have to keep having these conversations , as it was a bit tiring . Mr . Trang was of simple origins , but he was wily , which might just be what was needed to deal with these bureaucrats .

The man in the suit , who clearly was some sort of leader , nodded in response . There was something about the man in front of Zac that felt familiar , but Zac couldn’t place his finger on it .

By the way , who are you? Why do I recognize your face? - he asked with some doubt .

I am Thomas Fischer , and I was once the Deputy Secretary of Defense . For now , I’m the leader of New Washington , - Thomas answered with a nod .

Now Zac realized he must have seen the man in some news article or on the television . The guy once was a pretty high-ranked official . It even looked like he was a cultivator judging from his aura . Zac reminded himself to be careful around this man , not letting himself be used as some sort of puppet . If there was one thing that was common among all high ranked politicians , then it would be their ambition , and he had no idea what goals this man had for himself in this new world .

And the president? - Zac asked . He hadn’t actually thought about it until now , but he wondered where the de-facto leaders ended up .

President Hughes , vice president Clark , and much of the old executive branch unfortunately have passed away . We recently found out that the part of Old Washington with the Capitol and the White House was randomized to close proximity of a Zhix-hive . We do not expect there to be any survivors , - he said with a sigh .

However , their sacrifice will be avenged . Any attack on humanity will result in a thunderous response , - he added with a higher volume .

Many of the soldiers nodded in agreement , and Zac even heard a - damn right’ from somewhere . Zac was overall pretty impressed with the man in front of him . It looked like the government could be in worse hands . Still , he seemed like a purebred politician , and everything he said and did likely was to maximize benefits and not a testament to what he truly believed .

At least the man seemed intent on working together for now , and swept away his problems with one fell swoop . Zac felt it was nothing odd by now , and it reminded him of the pragmatic mindset of Ogras . There was no benefit in clamoring for justice for some dead rapist , it was much more beneficial to keep a good relationship with a potential powerhouse .

So , can we go? - Zac said , wanting to get on with it . The scouting missions should be done as well , and Zac was curious to see what his four teams had discovered on the neighboring islands .

Of course , but understand that your group will need to have an army escort for safety reasons . We can’t just have a hundred armed warriors running rampant inside the town , - Thomas answered .

Zac thought it over for a second before he nodded and turned to his three guards .

Get the others , we’re heading home , - he said , and in short order the small army of spearmen walked through the town .

They still didn’t give the air of a real army as their ranks were a bit disorganized , but at least the women gave off an intimidating aura . Between the inscribed spears and the high-quality leather gear they looked like real warriors and the various wounds that covered them only heightened that impression .

They were accompanied by soldiers both in front and behind the squad . The soldiers weren’t really hostile , but rather looked a bit curious at the girls , and even a bit jealous at Zac . They were quickly ushered to the teleporter , and Zac stayed behind letting the others enter first .

Just exit the building and stay there . Oh , and stay calm , they won’t hurt you , - Zac only said , drawing confused glances from both the new recruits and the people of New Washington .

Finally everyone except Zac had passed through , and he turned to the leaders of New Washington .

Our first meeting was a bit bumpy , but I hope we can work together in the future . We’re well aware that the invaders are our largest threat . As a sign of trust I’ll give you this treasure . It contains much information that will aid humanity in general . My hope is that the content will be made public to any forces that stand against the enemies of our new planet , - Zac said as he threw over the crystal containing the information of the incursions .

It was the very same one Ogras threw at him long ago , and he’d kept it all this while . He knew all the content by heart by now , so he had no problem giving it over to the people here . While some of their motives were suspect he felt their desire to protect humanity was true . Furthermore he had no desire to profit from this information , as his very planet was at stake .

What’s this? - Julia curiously asked as she snatched the crystal out of the air .

It is an information package containing quite a bit of information regarding the incursions . It details both the forces of the multi-verse , and many other important facts that will help us anticipate the invader’s composition and strength .It was taken from the body of a high ranking invader , - Zac simply said , drawing surprised glances .

Is the forces of Port Atwood fighting an Incursion? - Julia quickly asked .

I’m not at liberty to discuss our situation . See you in three days , - Zac said with a small smile as he entered the teleporter .

The leaders of New Washington seemed to have follow-up questions , but Zac simply winked out of existence , cutting any questioning short .

Chapter 122 - Homecoming

Zac appeared in the familiar teleportation house and immediately heard some ruckus . He grimaced and quickly walked outside to see what was going on .

The response of the demons was surprisingly quick , with over twenty of them standing at the ready to blast his new soldiers to high heaven . The former slaves looked shocked at the sight of the demons , but Zac was happy to see that they didn’t forget their training , and formed a decent defensive line .

That’s enough . These are new recruits of Port Atwood , - Zac said as he stepped in between the two groups .

Luckily the demons followed his standing orders , not wantonly killing anything coming through the portal . The array was only possible to use with his permission after all , so anything that came through should be an ally .

You keep bringing back young girls to the island every time you leave . I’m starting to get jealous , - a light voice drifted over from the group of demons as Alea stepped out .

She scrutinized the girls , who warily looked back at her .

Well , they’re pretty weak , but at least they’re better than those from the ship , - she said with a smile .

Oh , you’re not happy with the assessment? You want to test your mettle , little girl? - she added as she saw one of the cultivators in the new group glare angrily at her .

That’s enough . Where is Alyn? These people need basic training , I want them at fighting capacity as soon as possible , - Zac said .

I’ll take you there , - Alea answered as she walked up to his side while throwing a teasing smile at the girls behind him .

Zac knew she was mostly messing around and didn’t mind it as he started walking , following the poison mistress’ directions .

Um… What’s going on? Why are there… demons here? - one of the squad leaders hesitantly asked as they moved toward the temporary town .

Well , that isn’t really important . You can see it as they’re another foreign race sharing our new planet . Besides , there are humans here as well , just not that many , - Zac said , still respecting the demons’ wishes to stay incognito as much as possible .

Can you update me on what’s been going on since I left? - Zac asked as he turned to Alea .

Ogras is still in seclusion , absorbing the fruit , - she started , looking prepared for the question .

There was almost no reconstruction needed from the ant-wave . We have sent a few exploratory parties inside and killed off most of those still alive inside the hive . Unfortunately , those kills awarded no contribution points . Space inside has stabilized by now and is barely larger than the exterior . There are some interesting developments there , but I’ll let Alyn discuss that with you , - she said , drawing confused glances from the others .

Ok , what about the exploratory missions? - Zac asked next .

The last of them returned yesterday . Three of the vessels met no real troubles . Surprisingly most of the islands around us are populated . Most are populated with humans , but two are comprised of beastmen who seem to have a rudimentary grasp of the Dao of Technology . The parties mostly kept some distance to them apart from a few minor altercations or meetings . However , the last group only had two survivors of the 6 crewmen . Apparently they stepped on an island and after walking a bit they were assaulted by extremely aggressive insectoid beings - , she finished .

Zac was a bit surprised that there were so many encampments scattered around his island . The beastmen were obviously the Ishiate , and it sounded the camps close to Port Atwood were those that were starting to industrialize before the integration . He was a bit curious to meet these beastmen , but he didn’t have time for that at the moment .

It was more troubling to hear that a neighboring island held a Zhix Hive . Zac still knew very little about that race , apart from the fact that they were even more hostile than the Forces of the incursions . It was like having a crazy neighbor , never knowing when trouble would come knocking at your door .

How far is the island with the Zhix? That’s the insectoid species , - Zac asked .

It actually is one of the closest islands , just an hour or so away on your vessel to the northeast . It was the last island the group planned on visiting before returning , - Alea said with a sigh .

That was even worse news . It meant that the danger only increased further , and the Zhix might even land on his island without him noticing since almost all of the shoreline was unguarded . The last time the humans were only intercepted since they specifically sailed toward his shipyard .

He really needed some alert system and would take some time to look through the shop for something fitting , and even consult with Calrin if he didn’t find anything .

After ten minutes of walking they reached a house some distance from the town encampment , roughly somewhere around where the Academy would be located in the future . Still , the building looked very temporary , and the work done was mostly clearing out forest and smoothing out the ground .

A large area was covered in gravel , and it resmbled an outdoors gym from the various boulders and contraptions there .

I see you got me some more students after all . I had a feeling you would want to increase the population soon , and had a few people arrange this space for me , - Alyn said with a smile as she exited the house .

Low levels , but decent attitude . They are lacking in bloodlust and ruthlessness though , but that can be fixed . Not a bad first squadron , - she said after quickly glancing over the girls behind Zac and Alea .

A few of them are cultivators , but the rest are mortals . I hope you can look over options for a good cultivation manual to give them , - Zas said .

After traveling with Ryan and the other cultivators for a week he’d learned a lot about the Tutorial . They had all been shocked when they learned that he wasn’t actually a cultivator himself , rather a mortal .

Everyone who entered the Tutorial got the same low tiered cultivation manual . It was without any element and not very powerful , but helped set a foundation to the pathway system that could later be changed into whatever pattern their class provided . To get a better and more suitable manual they had to earn them .

The first day in the tutorial was pretty relaxed . Everyone had been teleported to a large town and greeted by the workers of the system . They had gotten an orientation that explained what was going on and basic information about cosmic energy , the System and the Multiverse .

Many were skeptical , but it was hard to refute what was said when it came from a flying pixie who showed examples of magic as she explained it . They were even stuffed with some propaganda , as it was explained they were the - chosen ones’ , and the hope of humanity . The mortals were essentially called lower life-forms by the pixies , not deserving of the system’s attention .

They were given the manual , which was simply called F-Grade Cultivation Manual] and taught how to meditate to absorb Cosmic Energy quicker . They were also given a choice of a skill , ranging from weapon skills and spells . From the description of the skills it sounded to Zac it was an improved selection of the beginner skills available for sale in the Nexus Node .

People had been amazed by suddenly being able to strike out with weapons with the power to create cracks in the ground , or even shoot fireballs . They were even given an exclusive Title for being the - chosen’ , that gave 5 points all attributes , just to show them how the Title system worked . However , the fun times didn’t last forever . Those five points also guaranteed that everyone , young or old , essentially was in peak condition for the following trials .

On the second day everyone was teleported away from the town . Some arrived in some dingy cave , others in some sort of frontier towns . There were all kinds of scenarios that appeared and the groups that got placed together ranged between five and over a hundred , but they had one thing in common . They all got a quest to either defend from monsters or to explore somewhere filled with monsters .

That first mission was one of the bloodiest , with almost a tenth dying . People weren’t able to adapt to the new change . Some took too large risks , feeling invulnerable with their new skills . Others simply froze like deers in headlights , getting mowed down by unforgiving monsters .

The missions were actually quite easy though , and the monsters very weak . It was only due to ineptitude people died this early . After the mission people got graded by their performance and rewarded accordingly .

Everyone got a - Tutorial - -Title after the first mission that started with no benefits . However , after the first mission its rewards increased . Some got a few stat-points while others with bad quest performance got nothing , their titles still giving out zero attributes .

What followed was a schedule of three days of quests , followed by one day of rest and meditation . After the first three missions a new option was added , where people could choose their difficulty , ranging from Easy to Impossible . There was even a mortality rate at the quest , with Easy having 5% and Impossible had a 99% chance to perish .

The higher quests obviously gave much higher returns , but most people still chose easy . However , a few people chose the more difficult ones , such as - Normal - . Their death rate was higher compared to the advertised stats , but that was likely from being unskilled beginners . Zac himself remembered his early battles , and he was still surprised he was alive today .

Over the weeks the distance between those who strove for power and those who only wanted to survive only got larger and larger . The elite’s Tutorial-title continuously filled up with more and more bonus attributes , and their levels were far higher as well . They also got other rewards , such as better gear , and in some cases even skills , Nexus Crystals , and Cultivation manuals .

Meanwhile , the weaklings , such as the cultivators like Ryan and the formerly captured girls , barely survived through the Easy quests , mainly relying on others to keep them safe .

They got almost nothing from the tutorial in the end , only the initial 5 to all stat bonus , plus on average ten additional attributes . Zac couldn’t help but grimace when hearing them squander such a once in a lifetime opportunity . Even the monsters that they fought gave huge bonuses to cosmic energy and Nexus Coins compared to normal beasts on New Earth .

Of course , that was only discovered when the cultivators returned and found further progression extremely tedious and dangerous . That’s why many plateaued in level and power soon after returning .

Ryan was an example of this . He was somewhere in the average middle of the cultivators during the tutorial . He only chose easy quests , but he was one of those who actually fought during the missions , instead of hiding . He left the tutorial as level 14 and having 15 bonus attributes on his Tutorial Title .

He tried to keep his progress going by heading out into the forests fighting beasts but was dismayed by the amount of cosmic energy he gained by the low-level critters . He gave up after a week when he had only gained a level . It wasn’t due to laziness , but rather a brush with death when a level 30 or so monster found him , and he barely survived the escape .

His last three levels he gained from his F-Graded cultivation manual , and he was close to becoming level 19 . He , unfortunately , wasn’t able to get a real cultivation manual , and the basic one from the tutorial was tortuously slow in progress after the initial ten levels .

Zac knew that the system rewarded the brave , and he knew that some likely had survived through Hard , and even Impossible missions . He wondered what kinds of bonuses and rewards they’d gotten . Ryan and the others weren’t sure , as there were no real powerhouse in their group . Thom Sullivan was the strongest , but he reportedly mainly did a mix of Easy and a Normal missions .

It had reminded Zac that just because he had his titles and his level advantage he wasn’t invulnerable . Salvation and Thea Marshall were perhaps just as strong as him since their rewards from the tutorial might have been extremely extravagant .

Chapter 123 - Neighbors

I seem to remember that you possess a gravity array , is that right? - Alyn suddenly said , bringing Zac out of his musings .

Yes , it’s currently placed in my camp . I can bring it over if you want it , - Zac nodded .

I would like if you upgraded it as well , I want it to cover the entire Academy Area , - she said with a smile .

Zac frowned and opened up his town shop , and found out that the upgraded small scale gravity array cost 500 000 Nexus Coins . It wasn’t a huge fortune , but also not negligible since it was 5% of his current amount of nexus coins . He expected that quickly bringing the army up to a decent power would cost millions on top of that , and he couldn’t wantonly spend his money .

It’s a bit expensive , are you sure it’s needed at this stage? - he tentatively asked .

Alyn simply smiled at him , and something about that smile gave Zac a hair-raising feeling , and he could only sigh and acquiesce .

Follow Alyn’s commands . You can consider the first week with me a warm-up , the real training begins now . It might be grueling , but the path to power is paved with blood , - he said after turning to the newest citizens of Port Atwood .

Alyn nodded approvingly at Zac’s comment while Alea simply rolled her eyes .

By the way , Alea said you had some idea regarding the hive? -

Yes . When the warriors traveled through the hive we found that a new queen has been born , - she said .

Zac immediately frowned and looked toward the huge structure in the distance .

Don’t worry , the queen is still an infant , and is still busy incorporating the old body into itself . It will take years , perhaps decades without nurturing , before it can start creating new warriors , - she added .

Zac could only sigh in relief at the news . He was in no mood to fight another ant-wave on top of the third wave .

So what was your idea? -

You need Beast Tamers , people with a Class that’s based on controlling beasts , - she explained .

It would be extremely beneficial . The biggest boon would be that we might be able to tame the Ayr Hivequeen . That would essentially give control over the whole hive . It would also be good for you , with all these barghest around . They’re currently slowly turning feral , as we have no beast tamers with us who can keep them in line .

They aren’t very dangerous , but they can still become a good weapon . The barghest with us are just youth , and with the help of a good trainer they can get stronger , the alphas even reaching E-Rank with time - she kept going , some excitement glistening in her eyes .

Do you have means of guaranteeing them getting a Beast Trainer class if I can get some more people to train? - Zac curiously asked .

It sounded like a pretty good idea . There was an extreme amount of barghest in the forest , and from what he learned they would start multiplying in a few years when they became real adults . If he could use the dumb beasts as meat shields in battle with incursions or others it would protect the lives of his people .

Well , no . Clan Azh’Rezak didn’t possess any heritage of that type and hired experts from an Association to take care of their beast hordes . But I have a few ideas that might work . I think if you can recruit a few of those beastmen I heard about it would be for the best . They might have a better affinity for those kinds of classes , - she said .

I will see if I can get some more recruits , - he said with a nod before leaving the burgeoning academy .

Of course , with Alyn at the helm , it might turn more into something like an Agoge , the Spartan training regiment . It seemed that Alea chose to stay behind as well , and Zac didn’t mind . After he pawned off his new squadron to Alyn he went to find Adran .

Since Ogras was still in seclusion the portly administrator would be the one with the highest authority . There were also the generals , but none of them really cared about management and preferred to focus on their own training .

I heard about the mixed results of the expeditions , - Zac started as he sat down in a chair in Adran’s office .

Yes . Mostly it went fine , with the exception of the last group . Nasty things , that species . Not something we’ve met or heard about before . However , insectoid species are usually the same . There generally is a queen in command , holding absolute power , - he answered .

They’re called the Zhix . They’re insanely aggressive from what I’ve heard during my excursions . Anything that comes close gets relentlessly attacked , no matter if it’s a native or an incursion , - Zac added .

Adran frowned at that information .

I’m sorry to add to your troubles . But I’ve talked with our remaining earth mages a bit . They say that it’s technically possible for there to be tunnels between our island and theirs . The Nexus vein beneath this island has hardened the subterranean walls , and they should be able to hold even under the sea . So if those things keep digging , following the thickness of cosmic energy , they’ll end up in our mountains sooner or later , -

Zac groaned at the news . The prospect of hyper-aggressive ant-men flooding out from his crystal mine was something that sounded like a real pain in the ass , both to his wallet and his town . Besides , who knew , they might dig for the vein and ruin it as well , which would make Port Atwood a far less valuable piece of property .

How strong were the warriors? - Zac suddenly asked after mulling things over .

Not too strong . Their attributes were equivalent of someone somewhere around level 20 to 25 . They were assisted by quite hard bodies though , which should count as at least an additional 30 or so endurance . And there were a lot of them . Our scouts killed quite a few while they fled toward the vessel , but they simply kept coming , - Adran answered .

Very well . I will travel there myself , - Zac said with a grimace . - Perhaps I can get someone of them to talk if I display my power . And if they don’t want to talk , I’ll just chop down their numbers a bit . I am in need of some battle in any case . -

Adran looked surprised , but after considering it for some time nodded .

A tip , if you can get them to as an ally you should . Insectoid populations are usually quite strong in the multi-verse . They have high reproduction rates and high average powers . The queens of the higher species are extremely feared , being able to channel their whole hive’s power into devastating attacks , - the administrator added .

What about the other islands? Anything of interest? - he continued .

It is clear that the nexus vein beneath our island has affected the whole region to a certain extent . Most of the islands have higher concentrations of cosmic energy than usual . Together with the temperate climate , it means many can be made into farming islands that can provide Port Atwood with a continuous supply of food and cultivation materials .

There is also a mountainous island not too far that look promising for setting up a mining operation for metals . We still haven’t found anything of the sort in our own mountain , and need supply to keep our industry going , - Adran answered .

All in all 18 of the closest islands were scouted . Surprisingly we saw signs of habitation on 10 of them . 7 were humans , 2 were the beastmen , and the last the so-called Zhix . We suspect the total populations to reach roughly twenty thousand , excluding the insectoids , of course . There might be people on the other islands as well , and we simply didn’t find them . -

TWENTY thousand? - Zac exclaimed shocked .

It was nowhere near the population of places like New Washington , but most larger towns had been fragmented into smaller bits , and a population of twenty thousand would be respectable at this stage of the world . Of course , it was just a fraction of the millions required in a population that most of the proper buildings in the Town Shop required , but it was a start .

Yes , but most of them are concentrated to three larger settlements , two human and one beastkin . The largest town alone has an estimated population of over ten thousand , - Adran answered .

How are their quality of lives? - Zac asked .

Mostly pretty wretched . The largest human settlement I mentioned earlier has organized themselves at least and erected a decent wall around a coastal village . The rest are barely hanging on , and we even got a few requests of them to come with the scouts , even though they were demons . We did hide our appearances under hooded capes though . -

It seemed that it wouldn’t be impossible to gather a real population to get his town up and running . He wasn’t sure whether it was better to start gathering people immediately or wait until after the third wave though . He still had no idea what to expect from the third wave , but he couldn’t imagine it would be easier than the last two . At the same time he felt that with his power and equipment there really shouldn’t be a lot of suspense unless the System went crazy .

He still had a couple of days before the auction started , and about a week before the last horde arrived . Time was limited but it might be a good idea to start building Port Atwood in earnest . He’d start with the Zhix though , as that was the most pressing matter . The hive had been right under his nose for months , who knew how far they had dug by now .

It didn’t take long until Zac was sailing alone on one of the Creator vessels . He’d gotten the route from the fishermen , and it was only an hour away . He hadn’t even checked in on Emily or his camp , eager to set sail . The vessels were as quick as speedboats but far more stable , so he pushed through the waves like an arrow .

What he said to Adran was true . He still felt stifled with his emotions in turmoil ever since Greenworth , and he almost hoped that these Zhix kept up their hostility . He had forced himself to keep it together for his new recruits , but he really needed the solitude of this excursion .

He wasn’t very worried either , as from all accounts he wasn’t in any real danger . If a fisherman and a few of the normal demons could fight them off and leave , though with some losses , then he wouldn’t have any real trouble . These Zhix were just like humans , newly integrated into the system , and there should be almost no warriors their kind that could match his power , especially not the ones stuck on an isolated island .

Just as the fishermen described he arrived at the island in roughly an hour . It was far smaller compared to his own , and he judged it might just be a tenth the size altogether . The climate of the island was essentially the same as his own , but there was less vegetation as most of the island was covered by a large mountain . It almost looked like a large volcano with some jungle on the edges of the island , but he wasn’t able to tell whether it actually was a volcano or if it just looked like one .

He disembarked at the closest beach and threw his creator vessel into a Cosmos Sack and headed inland . From what he understood the Zhix were mainly subterranean , so they should be somewhere in the mountains . As he walked further inland toward the mountain he was having a somewhat unsettling déjà vu from the first time he entered the mountain valley all that time ago . The island was deathly silent , not a single chirp could be heard .

Until suddenly a twig snapped , and all hell broke loose .

Chapter 124 - The Zhix

Tens of warriors poured out from nowhere and mindlessly charged at him making some loud clacking noises and Zac immediately took out a weapon . However , since his goal was to see if an alliance was possible he didn’t bring out Verun’s Bite] . Instead , he took out a black wooden club made from the extremely dense trees he’d found on the island long ago .

After a roughly a minute of thwacking twenty-seven antmen lay down on the ground unconscious , and Zac was finally able to take a good look at them . He realized it was a misnomer to call these things ant-men , as they were even more human-like than Ishiate .

Their faces were mostly human , apart from their noses that were mostly two holes and a slight protuberance . The same could be said about their ears , almost looking like the cauliflower ears of professional wrestlers . Their eyes were almost human , though a bit larger and their irises were purple .

All in all their faces could have passed as ugly humans if it wasn’t for the two antennae on their heads and the fact that their skin was tinged a bit purple . Their skin was quite hard as well , but not to the point of being a chitinous exoskeleton of the Ayr Ants back on his own island .

They also had four normal appendages and even wore clothes . When people spoke about the Zhix earlier he had almost imagined them to look a bit like the Mantis-ants , having swords for arms . But they held actual weapons in their pretty human-looking hands .

Zac picked up one of the Zhix at random and walked some distance away from the others before pouring water from a canteen over it . It quickly woke up sputtering and clacking , desperately waving its arms .

I know you understand me . I need to speak to your leader . Don’t make me knock you unconscious again . , - he said as he held the warrior down with his foot .

The Zhix warrior gave no response apart from struggling and screeching , and Zac could only sigh and knock him out again . At least the intel was good , and these people were not very strong .

Actually , as Zac walked through the forest he was starting to guess why . There was not a single living thing on the island . Perhaps they had already hunted everything to extinction . An island like this might not have too much wildlife from the start , and they might have found themselves without anything to kill to gain levels .

Zac kept meeting groups of warriors , but he kept knocking them out . He was surprised by the sheer number of them , wondering exactly how they could survive on this island . Could ant-men eat leaves and bark? Were they excellent fishermen? He had seen no boats though , and it felt a bit unlikely for a species that lived underground to be used to the sea .

After walking for almost an hour Zac reached the central mountain , and by this point he’d clobbered well over a hundred of the warriors . Finally , he saw something that seemed man-made , a pretty even mountain path that led along the wall .

The path was only a meter wide , and after walking for ten minutes the drop was high enough that Zac wasn’t sure he’d survive the fall . Luckily he didn’t need to walk much longer until he reached a great plateau . It was even larger than a big town square , and roughly a third of the way up the mountainside .

More impressively it was clear to Zac that the whole plateau was actually carved into the mountain itself , rather than a natural formation . Enormous statues lined both the sides of the squarish plaza , with the inner side looking almost like the entrance to some ancient tomb .

He didn’t have time to admire the beautiful craftsmanship though , as there was a whole army standing at the ready between him and the entrance . A quick estimate put them at roughly a thousand warriors , most of them hefting daggers or short swords .

Zac remembered it was the same with those he’d encountered so far on the island , and he guessed that their choice of weapons was a result of mainly fighting underground where ranged weapons and large unwieldy things like spears weren’t as effective .

The army stood without moving , balefully glaring at Zac who walked up from the small path and entered the plaza proper . He looked back at them for some time and decided to make one last attempt at communicating . He empowered his voice with Cosmic Energy to make sure that everyone on the plaza , and any hidden leader , could hear his message .

This is is the last time I try for diplomacy with the Zhix . I am Zachary Atwood from a neighboring island . I am a human , one of the two other races that were affected just like you when the so-called System decided to merge our planets together into the current mess .

I mean no harm to your population . All the warriors I have encountered so far are still alive . But I need to speak to your leader or leaders . As a token of trust I can give you a piece of information you might not know . You are not alone , your kind are spread all over this new planet , - Zac said .

Being god damn lunatics who attack everyone , he silently added in his mind .

There had been no reaction during the beginning of his speech , not even with his last sentence . Zac suddenly realized why , and wanted to smack himself . Unless they were idiots they should understand that their kind were still alive just form checking their own Ladder .

Still , there was some movement in the army . Generally it was just small glances between the troops , but it was enough for Zac to know that they understood his words . After being relentlessly attacked so many times he had actually started doubting the effect of his language skill .

Why should we trust someone who reeks of impurity and chaos? - a sharp voice came from the distance as a group of Zhix walked out from the huge gate in the mountain .

In the front a Zhix that was almost twice as large compared to the others walked , and it was accompanied by two elders and eight guards dressed in far more intricate gear than the army in front of it . The Zhix army quickly made way to create a path for the new group .

Zac honestly couldn’t tell whether the supersized Zhix was a male or female , as it looked completely androgynous . He was expecting a female since the information he possessed from Adran said that most insectoid species were ruled by a queen .

Then again , the same could be said for the warriors as well , he had no real way of telling their genders , they all pretty much looked the same .

The party stopped a decent distance away from Zac , the two advisors clearly looking unhappy .

Your holiness , you mustn’t talk to the fallen . It’s against the precepts . The impurity must be cleansed , lest it keeps spreading . We’re already sullied , but we might still be redeemed . But if we start consorting with agents of chaos we will truly be lost , - one of them hurriedly said .

What the hell are you talking about? Fallen? Sullied? Do you even know what’s going on , being stuck here on an isolated island? -

Do you think your tricks will work on us , fallen one? Your kind might have taken a new face , but you can’t hide the impurity coursing through your body . We eradicated your kind in the olden days , and we will do it again , - the other advisor huffed , and it looked like most of the warriors agreed with the sentiment .

You mean the Cosmic Energy? It’s not like I asked to have it . But our worlds got merged together , it’s not like we had any say in whether the System crammed our world full of the energy . And you call me fallen , but aren’t you the same? I sense that you are at a decent level , - said with a frown .

More lies , just like the Dominators always spewed , - the other elder scoffed .

You said you’re from another world than ours? Explain , - the large Zhix interjected ignoring the entreating looks from the others .

Zac thought for a second before he started narrating an abridged version of what he’d learned the past months . First , he explained the system , with the classes , attributes , and ranks . Next , he told them about the history of the multi-verse , and about the Apostates . Finally , he explained their current situation , mostly composed of information from New Washington , and some information about the incursions .

Honestly , he would have rather just captured the large Zhix and forced a contract of binding on it , but it wouldn’t work for multiple reasons . First of all , a contract couldn’t be enacted under coercion . The contracting system was created by the Apostate of Order , and something like using it under threat of violence was the opposite of what he envisioned .

Besides , it appeared there were special restrictions in place on New Earth . It appeared it wasn’t possible to enter contracts with the other races at the moment . Zac had been curious about how the girls had known about the contract back at Greenworth and was told that it was common knowledge in the new world .

People had also found out that entering a contract with the Ishiate simply wasn’t possible , the system blocked it . The general theory was that the System still considered the three races on Earth in contention , and blocked certain systems cross-races . Perhaps a leader of the planet had to emerge before all systems were completely unlocked .

I don’t know anything about your kind , but from your words it sounds like there were some people on your old world who could use Cosmic Energy , and who used it for evil . That has nothing to do with us humans , or the Ishiate . We come from our own separate worlds , and are busy struggling with our own problems to have time to plot against your people , - he finished .

I sense no falsehood from this being , and what it says has some merit . We have called the strange events of late a Dominator plot so long that we have almost convinced ourselves of it . But our hive is dying and we need to open our eyes , even if what we see is not what we hoped for , - the large one slowly said .

No! Impurity must be cleansed! - one of the well-equipped guards suddenly roared as it ran toward Zac , who immediately readied himself with furrowed brows .

However , the huge Zhix moved with amazing speed and suddenly held the royal guard by its neck .

Order is not lost just because some things change . You dare defy the hive? - the leader said as it held the warrior by its throat .

It… is… heresy , - the guard squeezed out , looking unwilling to back down .

The leader only snorted and with a sickening crunch crushed the neck of the warrior , and threw its body away like a piece of garbage . Zac was amazed at the power of the thing , as the corpse was thrown over twenty meters away , without it seeming the leader used much force .

He had a feeling that the high power was something it was born with , rather than something it had gained from the System .

He already knew that many species were far superior to humans , or even demons , when it came to innate power . Some species were born at E-Ranked Race or even higher , and many had naturally higher stats .

Others were extremely adept at grasping Dao seeds , making it seem as though the universe itself handed them out as gifts . The universe simply wasn’t equal , and some were just better than others .

You call yourself a human , is it? You have told a fantastical tale . But how will we know you are not lying? - the leader said as it turned back to Zac . - You told us that the reason we lost a part of the hive was the so-called Tutorial , but why was no one returned after a month? -

If no one was returned they either all died , or were dropped off somewhere else . I’m still searching for friends and family as well , as they might have been thrown anywhere in the world . As for proof… Well , what kind of proof do you want? - Zac asked , to which the large Zhix only turned toward the huge gate .

After a few minutes another Zhix came running through the gate , and it was dressed quite differently from the others .

Chapter 125 - The Dominators

The new Zhix seemed to have once been dressed somewhat in the same manner as the advisors to the side of the so-called holiness . However , the robe was singed and damaged all over , making it look like the Zhix had walked through a fire or an explosion . It also had a huge back-pack on its back , which jumped up and down with every hurried step it took .

Your holiness , - the new Zhix panted with a bow as it reached the leader .

The large Zhix leader only nodded and turned back to Zac .

You have come to our hive , told a fantastical tale . But you still are leaving us wondering . What brought you to our doorsteps? - it said , cutting straight to the chase .

No offense , but your kind is known to be insanely aggressive , and a danger to anyone who is placed close to your hives , - Zac said .

It was with some mixed emotions he saw that the Zhix in no way took it as an insult , but rather a point of pride .

I am the leader of my town , and I have citizens to take care of . I needed to find out whether you are a threat or if you could become allies , - he said , hiding nothing .

And if you deem us a threat? - it lightly continued .

It is not my style to leave trouble in my own backyard , - Zac said , unflinchingly staring at the Zhix leader .

Suddenly the ground cracked under the feet of the large Zhix as it exploded into motion . It blasted toward Zac , almost matching the speed of himself when using Loamwalker] . Zac was shocked , but battle was hardwired into his body by this point , and he summoned his axe and swung out . It clashed against an elaborate dagger that was aimed straight toward his throat , and the power in the strike shocked Zac .

From his estimation the Zhix leader had almost as much strength as he did , and they were both pushed away from the strike , the collision creating a shockwave that ruined a large area of the plateau . Even one of the huge statues was impacted and showed some spider-vein cracks , much to the dismay of the advisors .

Zac growled and got ready to fight as he summoned Chop] and created a huge edge . However , the leader jumped back as swiftly as it attacked , once again standing by the advisors . Zac relaxed a bit , but didn’t unsummon his weapon .

You talk about genocide , but you have power to back up your words . If we die it will be weakness that gets removed from the swarm , and it will be just , - it said .

Zac was confused , but could only assume that it did not mean to actually fight him to death . Still , he wouldn’t let things rest like that , as he launched the edge as a projectile straight at the leader . The guards immediately moved to intercept , but the leader pushed past them , grasping two daggers this time .

It intercepted the edge by using both its arms but was pushed backward from the force , slamming a few of the guardian Zhix out of the way like bowling pins . It was only after twenty meters it stopped . However , it did manage to successfully block the strike without getting hurt , surprising Zac even further .

Attacks on humanity will be avenged . Sometimes it will be immediate , sometimes it will take years . But it is coming , - Zac said as he stared at the bleeding insectoids that were crawling back to their feet after being crashed into by their leader .

A good creed to have , - the Zhix simply said , seemingly not taking any offense .

You reek of corruption . But then again , so do I by this point . We will not attack your people unless they provoke the Zhix or our precepts . The Zhix are not used to cooperation with outsiders of the hive , but we must adapt to the situation , - it continued .

To that end… Ibtep , - it said as it turned to the Zhix with the backpack .

I’d like for you to bring my advisor with you to your hive and return them at a later point . Ibtep can answer questions about our customs and learn of yours . Ibtep will be responsible for the cooperation between our hives , as I rarely leave my shrine , - the leader said as odd Zhix stepped forward .

That is fine . I’m sure we can come to an understanding . What the Zhix do is their own business , we only ask that you do not dig underground toward our island that’s in that direction , - Zac said as he pointed southwest . - If you do we will consider it as a direct attack . And we will retaliate with everything we have . -

The leader looked at Zac for a bit , the silence stretching to the point that Zac believed another surprise attack was incoming . However , it simply nodded after a while as it started moving toward the gate .

Very well , we accept this premise . Ibtep will take it from here , - it said as it started moving away , accompanied by its advisors and guards .

Hello , strange being . We are hungry , - Ibtep said with a bow .

Zac stared blankly at the advisor for a few seconds , unsure whether Book of Babel] was on the fritz .

Uhm . . Come again? - Zac hesitantly said .

We are hungry . Your kind eat for sustenance too , no doubt? - it said , pointing to its mouth .

Uh… yeah . Do you mean you need food? -

Yes , we are very hungry , - it solemnly said with a nod .

Well , what do you eat? -

Anything that once lived except Zhix , - he quickly answered .

Zac could only hope that the list would be amended to also exclude humans , but for now he simply threw out a bunch of huge beast carcasses from his pouch . During the week of travel with his new squad of soldiers he’d stuffed multiple bags full of meat just in case he’d ever need it . The plateau suddenly filled with everything from boars , to huge snakes , to great birds .

Do all of your kind possess the power to create food out of nothing? - Ibtep eagerly asked , and even the leader who was starting to move back to the entrance into the mountain stopped and looked back at Zac .

No , these were beasts my soldiers killed before , I simply store them in a magical bag that has increased room and preserve the food , - he explained as he showed a Cosmos Bag to him .

Very convenient , - Ibtep said with a nod . - I want a pouch . -

Zac had some trouble getting used to the directness of this Zhix , but he couldn’t just keep giving things away .

They are a bit rare , you can buy one from me for a Million Nexus Coins , - he said .

Ibtep froze for a few seconds before he rushed back toward the army who still stood in place . After some subdued chattering warriors came up to him one after another until Ibtep returned . A prompt appeared and Zac received a million Nexus Coins from the insectoid , and he quickly handed over one of his spare pouches .

How do I use it? - it curiously asked .

Drip a drop of blood on it . That will bind it to you . After that you only infuse some cosmic energy in it , - Zac explained .

It quickly followed Zac’s instructions , and in short order it was putting his backpack into the pouch and retrieving it again , over and over .

I am done . Let us go , - it said after playing around for a bit , and Zac nodded .

What about all the meat? - Zac asked just in case .

It will be taken care of . Your donation was very generous , - it simply said as it started walking away .

Zac and Ibtep walked back the same path as he entered the island , following the mountain road down to the jungle . Zac was quite curious about the Zhix , and thought a compliment would get the insectoid talking .

Your leader was quite powerful . -

Administering last rites makes the holiness very strong since what you called the integration happened , - the Zhix answered .

Administering rites? What does that mean? - Zac asked confused .

The Zhix called the large one - your holiness - , so he guessed their society was some sort of theocracy led by priests .

The holiness cuts out weakness from the hive by administering last rites . To die by the holiness instead of from starvation or age is a great reward , - Ibtep explained .

Wait , the holiness kills its own people? - Zac asked surprised .

Our hive faced starvation . Many of our gardens and farms collapsed or disappeared suddenly , leaving us with too little food . We dug to find sustenance , but the stone was unusually hard , making progress slow . We even ate everything above ground , but it didn’t last us long , -

Dying from lack of food is a great injustice , and the holiness administered last rites , giving the citizens a warrior’s death , - Ibtep explained . - Many tried to stop the rites since every ceremony forced an infusion of more chaos into the Holiness . But the Holiness kept going , ignoring the damage it caused itself . -

Your holiness , is this truly wise? That thing might be tricking us? Besides , he contains a terrifying amount of corruption , or Cosmic Energy as he calls it . He can be a great threat to the hive , - Mammaki hesitantly said as they stood in front of the throne .

We all knew that it was unlikely that the Dominators were the cause of our current situation . If they were powerful enough to rearrange the whole world we would have been enslaved again long ago . It was just a convenient enemy to keep unity during troubling times . The Zealots might buy it , but you are no fools . Besides , I believe it has no real reason to lie to us , - Nonet said as it showed its congregants its hands .

They had multiple broken fingers and were shaking , and the advisors were extremely shocked by the sight .

That is- -

Sacrilege! - multiple shouts erupted at once , but order was quickly restored by a wave of Nonet .

It is just weakness leaving the body . I will be reborn stronger . But that so-called human had no reason to lie , since I sensed it was not blustering when it said it would eradicate the hive . The powerful have no real reason to lie to the weak . He could just destroy or enslave us if he wished , - Nonet continued . - Just the fact that he didn’t proves he’s not a Dominator . -

Immediately stop all digging toward the human’s island , refocus efforts on creating new farmland , - it said next after some deliberation .

Are you sure? We are almost half-way there , - an advisor asked .

For now . We built the tunnels to have a chance at a final assault at what might have been a Dominator stronghold , but it looks like that was not the case . But reinforce the tunnels , we might need them in the future , - Nonet said .

I think we will need to work with these foreign life-forms . The Dominators was a huge threat before the world changed . One of their warlocks took hundreds , often thousands of sacrifices to kill . Imagine their power now when the very air is full of corruption , and every death is an infusion of chaos , - the large Zhix said with a somber expression . - I wish that it was all just speculation , but you have seen the signs as well . The Dominators are back . -

A troubling silence was the only answer as the advisors fearfully looked at each other .

Chapter 126 - Ibtep

On the way back Zac wasn’t accosted by any Zhix warriors , leading him to believe the Zhix had some sort of non-verbal form of communication . He already suspected it when he saw the so-called holiness summon Ibtep by just turning toward the entrance to the hive .

It turned out they possessed some sort of sonar sense and could create small vibrations that were too subdued for human ears but could be picked up by the Zhix though a unique organ . It was also this organ that helped them sense Cosmic Energy , or corruption as they called it , since the energy caused interference to their sonar sense .

It was a bit jarring to speak with the Zhix , who seemed to only follow its own conversation flow . For example , a question regarding leadership in human society was immediately followed by - Do humans poop?’ .

What about genders? How do I tell who’s male and female? - Zac asked .

Gender? Explain? - Ibtep asked , looking confused .

Zac did a simple explanation of the mammal reproductive system , and Ibtep seemed to understand .

The Zhix are neither . Or both . We both carry the seed of life and possess the ability to germinate it , but we need the blessing of the Anointed to create life . Without their blessing no child can be conceived , - Ibtep explained .

So you give birth? - Zac followed up .

No , we create eggs , - Ibtep answered .

Zac glanced over at the Zhix , having a hard time imagining it squatting over a large egg like a bird .

It was clear that their society was more humanoid than ant-like , though the holiness was some sort of equivalent to a hive queen . However , there were no - worker-Zhix - or - warrior-Zhix - , as everyone except the holiness , or the Anointed as they were collectively called , were the same .

Unfortunately , any further questions about the Anointed were unhesitantly rebuffed . The only real information was that the hive on the island was quite small , only having one Anointed . The large hives could have quite a few of them , one of which would be the alpha .

That information was quite troubling since the leader of a small remote Zhix hive was far stronger than any human he’d encountered so far . He wondered just how strong one of these so-called alphas would be , as they might even eclipse his own power . That might only go for attributes though , Zac still had the advantage of multiple Dao Seeds and a Rare class .

Do you have a Nexus Node? - Zac asked next .

What is that? - the Zhix answered , to which Zac simply explained the appearance of the crystal .

Yes , it appeared next to the holiness soon after the integration . However , it was sealed away , as it reeked of corruption . I wanted to study it , but it wasn’t allowed , - the Zhix answered . - Tell me , what does it do? -

Well , it has a few functions . It can sell skills , and- - Zac started , but was interrupted .

Like that large blade of corruption you created? - Ibtep interrupted .

Yeah , although I got that one from my class . You get a class from the crystal as well , - he explained .

Can anyone get a class? - the insectoid continued .

Yes , at level 25 , - Zac nodded .

I want to use your crystal later . -

Sure , - Zac answered with some surprise . - How did you reach level twenty-five already? -

There were quite a few of the Zhix , and Zac had a hard time imagining them gaining 25 levels from some island critters .

Stones of Corruption , - Ibtep answered as he took out his backpack , and produced a raw Nexus Crystal . - These Stones of Corruption appeared beneath our hive after the integration , and they were thrown away due to the chaos they contained . I took a few for experimentation . There are also many things to kill underground , though few proved edible . -

Zac frowned when he saw the crystal , but after asking a few follow-up questions it seemed that they didn’t come from his mine . They were scattered about beneath the surface , but with far less concentration compared to his mine . That was in line with what he knew about the crystals . This island wasn’t too far away from his Nexus Vein , so it wasn’t too surprising that some crystals would be created here as well .

However , he made a mental reminder to consult the earth mages to construct some sort of warning system , making sure that these Zhix weren’t getting too close for comfort . They kept discussing various subjects until they reached the ocean .

What now , human? - Ibtep asked as it turned toward Zac , who took out his creator vessel from a pouch .

Get on , - on Zac said as he jumped up on the boat , but was surprised to see the Zhix not moving .

What is this contraption , human? It is throbbing with corruption , - Ibtep said skeptically .

It’s a magical boat of sorts . We use Nexus Crystals , the ones you call Stones of Corruption , to power this vessel to travel the seas , - he explained .

Have humans always used corruption for such purposes? - it asked .

No , before the integration I don’t think our world had any corruption . At least it wasn’t known to the public , - he answered .

Then how can you possess such a thing now? - Ibtep asked while looking looked up at Zac .

The System gives out various things , and we have a shop on our island where you can buy things from all over the multiverse . It is very convenient , - Zac explained , skirting the subject of the Creators .

The Zhix only nodded and got up on the boat after a bit . Soon they were cutting through the waves , almost flying like an arrow toward Port Atwood . Zac was surprised to hear that there were no oceans at the old Zhix homeworld , only subterranean basins . Perhaps that explained why there was so much land on the new world , essentially forming a supercontinent .

There were a few large sea creatures that seemed interested in the boat , but the Creators’ reputation wasn’t unwarranted as the boat quickly sped away . However , Zac slowed down his vessel every now and then to catch one of the huge fish swimming about , wanting to create some variation in Port Atwood’s diet .

The Zhix didn’t mind the interruption , rather the opposite . Since the hive was at the brink of starvation due to the randomization ruining their infrastructure he was very interested in alternative food sources , and kept asking questions about the wildlife of the ocean .

Finally they reached Port Atwood and disembarked some distance away from the shipyard . The advisor was very curious as it saw the structures of the Creators from the distance , but Zac gave the same excuse as he used to . The shipyard was a private area , and entering would result in death .

Since the Zhix was very eager to get a class they headed straight toward his camp . Zac looked forward to the day the third wave done with , so he could become a lord . By then he could buy Nexus Stations and place them around the town , making it so that no one had any reason to barge into his private home .

However , as they closed in on his campsite Zac stopped in amazement , as the area was completely reformed . Large gardens had replaced the woods , creating a beautiful scenery for the newly erected mansion . Some were created with various flowers and bushes , others with stones and gravel like a Zen garden .

Rather than a huge building as with Ogras’ palace in Azh’Rodum his new home more felt like a compound with many smaller buildings . Still , the main building was about the size of the mansions he’d visited in Greenworth .

The architecture was much the same as the one the demons used , with eastern architecture getting fused with nature . There were courtyards and pagodas apart from the gardens , and trees were a constant part of the structures .

To his surprise he saw that they’d even used his camper , pushing it up a few meters into the air by lodging it on a tree , and growing a large patio outside made of intertwined branches . Honestly he felt that the camper was the most interesting place , but he quickly saw that it was occupied as Emily peered out from the patio .

Why didn’t you come home immediately , I was pla- - she shouted but got her tongue stuck when she saw Zac’s companion .

What the hell is that?! - she shouted , quickly retreating away from the edge .

Emily , come down here , - Zac said with some embarrassment .

Only after some time did the teenager climb down the tree from what looked like stairs naturually growing out of the tree trunk .

Is this a young of your species? - Ibtep aksed as it turned to Zac .

An adolescent . Emily is soon 16 , - Zac answered .

Hello young human . Here , have a snack , - Ibtep said as he took out a dead grub from his backpack .

Both Zac and Emily blankly stared at the large larvae for some time , until Zac’s mouth started tugging upward .

Don’t be rude , have a snack , - Zac said smilingly and received a scathing glare in return .

I am not sure if we can eat that , humans have a more delicate palate , - Zac could only say before things got awkward .

How inconvenient , these are very tasty , - Ibtep said as as it chomped down on the fat larvae . - I had to hide this from the others , saving it for a special occation . -

This is Ibtep , an ambassador for the Zhix hive on the neighboring island , - Zac explained to Emily who was still warily examining the Zhix .

Your constitutions look a bit different . Is this due to the genders you mentioned earlier? - Ibtep asked .

Yes , Emily is a female while I am a male , - Zac explained .

So this Emily will take your seed and bear children in the future? - the Zhix continued Zac to cough uncomfortably .

Chough… Well , no . Not in this case . You generally only do that with your mate , - he helplessly explained before he turned to the teenager , eager to change the subject . He could only thank the stars that neither Emily or the ambassador had the language skill yes . - Where is the Nexus Crystal? -

Emily quite wary of the Zhix , and kept a constant vigil at it while she quickly led them to the largest building in the area .

We had to take down all the arrays while rebuilding , the poles are over there , - Emily said as she pointed toward a closet .

The crystal is in there? - Iptep asked , following Emily’s finger .

No , I keep a few arrays in there , - Zac answered .

Arrays? - Ibtep asked , curious about the new word .

I can show you later , - Zac said as he led the Zhix to the crystal .

It will automatically start when you touch the crystal . If it works the same as for humans for you , it will give you five choices . Increased rarity of the class will generally mean it is stronger , but it will also be much harder to upgrade in the future . Some classes are meant for combat , some are meant for other things , such as crafting , - Zac briefly recapped how it worked .

The Zhix didn’t hesitate , and just walked straight up to the crystal and placed its hand on it . It stood still like that for a few minutes until it let go and move away .

So , what did you get? - Zac curiously asked , but was only answered by a toothy grin .

Chapter 127 - Setting the Course

I picked something called Seeker , - Ibtep relented after a while , - I am unclear about the details , but the description was interesting . Knowledge , Treasure , Power . The search never ends . -

Zac had no idea about what kind of class it was either , and could only guess it was something of a mix between a scholar and a scout . He actually found it a bit fitting , since if there was one thing that personified his new tentative ally it was an unrelenting curiosity . He was starting to get the feeling that the Holiness picked Ibtep for this mission party to get some peace and quiet .

After they’d done what they needed he brought the Zhix with him to the town , and the reactions were quite expressive . A group of warriors quickly gathered close-by , balefully glaring at the Zhix . Zac sighed as he knew this reaction was coming .

Greetings people of Hive Atwood , I am Ibtep , liaison of the holiness , - It said , looking unperturbed by the bloodlust in the gazes .

Noone answered , but only kept glaring at the Zhix . Of course , Zac knew that only a scant few in the audience could understand him .

They’re mad about the friends they lost on your island recently , so making friends might be a bit hard , - Zac said .

It was weakness leaving your hive . But if anyone feel it was unjust I can arrange a death match against those who felled your warriors . Hive Kundevi is always welcoming a test to hone their purity . -

Those with Book of Babel] translated the Zhix’s words , and his words gave the demons a start . Many started hesitantly glance at each other , looking a bit unwilling to enter a death battle for the fallen demons . Zac wasn’t sure what to do about the situation either , and he felt it wasn’t right for him to start meddling . After all , no one had killed more demons than he had .

But he also knew that the demons wouldn’t be angry forever . Sudden death was a much more expected part of life for them , as most of them didn’t expect to die of old age . Dying in an effort to gain power or wealth was the norm , and the scouts had all volunteered for the missions .

I’m sure you want to explore our , uh , hive on your own for a while . You will need to have an escort at all times though , since our alliance still isn’t set in stone , - he said , and the Zhix looked excited rather than offended .

Very well human , it has been an interesting experience to travel with you . We’ll speak again soon , - it said as it walked away .

You two , please escort him for now , keep him away from any critical areas . And no death matches against this one , I am trying to form an alliance with their kind . But they are a bit crazy , and if any you want to fight in the future I’m sure they won’t mind , - Zac said as he looked at two of the demons in the group , who nodded and followed the Zhix .

Zac was quite relieved to leave the Zhix a bit to its own devices after a day of odd questions . So far he felt that the Zhix might not be the worst groups of people to form an alliance with . They were a bit insane , and Zac felt they might be crazed zealots , but he didn’t sense much duplicity from them .

If he could help them understand that cosmic energy wasn’t some corruption , but rather a natural part of their new world , they might not attack everyone and everything . If he could use this hive to make alliances with the Zhix all over the world they might be in a far better position against the incursions . They clearly loved battle , and if they could change their focus from the so-called Dominators to the foreign invaders , then Zac would have allies that were likely even more useful than humanity .

Still , it was a plan in its infancy , and he wouldn’t risk his town just for such a goal . If they showed any signs of betrayal he wouldn’t hesitate in eradicating the hive . Luckily they were completely isolated in their island , as seafaring was not their forte . With the waters being filled with dangerous things they were essentially stuck where they were unless Zac helped them .

With all that in mind , he was once again heading for Adran’s command tent and found the administrator neck-deep in various documents .

Call the various leaders , I’d like to have a meeting in an hour , - Zac said as he immediately left , only hearing an acknowledgment as he left the door .

Next he walked back to the Academy and found the schoolmistress lounging in a chair while overlooking the training field . Zac took out an intricate box from his pouch and handed it over to Alyn as he walked up to her .

The upgraded array , - he simply said .

Perfect , I will set it up as they are resting , - she said happily .

How are things going? - Zac asked .

Splendid , no permanent disabilities as of yet , - Alyn answered with some pride , drawing a pained grimace from Zac .

They’ve had a tough life . I want them strong , but not to the point where half of them die or get crippled to get there , - Zac said as he glanced down at the demoness .

Of course , I have it under control . -

Zac looked out over the field and saw the recruits stand in proper lines , following the movements of one of the demon soldiers who held the same type of spear as the others .

I will need roughly a million nexus coins to get these recruits started . After that I expect them to be self-sufficient by hunting barghest or mining , - Alyn said .

Zac simply transferred the funds over to her , actually being a bit surprised by the low quote .

From the way you equipped them I understand that you intend to follow my advice , giving them all uniform classes? - she asked as she looked up at Zac , who nodded affirmatively .

It would be good if you could find more recruits . Having a male battalion would be good as well , creating some friction between the genders . Add some rewards and punishment and we can probably see much higher improvements , - she said .

There’s roughly a week before the third wave appears , I’ll see what I can do during that time , - Zac said . - There’s a meeting within the hour , I could use your input . -

Very well , I’ll set up the array and have them work on their attributes . They’re quite fragile at the moment and there’s much room for improvement , - she said .

Zac made the rounds and invited those that needed to be at the meeting before they all conveyed at Adran’s tent .

I have gathered everyone here to discuss the coming week , - Zac began as he looked out over the gathered people .

It was the various leaders that were part of planning Port Atwood , but also Sap Trang , Janos , Alea and Ilvere . He couldn’t find Namys , and guessed she was guarding Ogras while he was in seclusion .

You should all have seen the new people of Port Atwood . They are my first troop who will be training under Alyn , - he began .

Poor bastards , - Ilvere muttered with a snort , eliciting a few chuckles around the table .

There is also one of the insectoid beings on the island called Ibtep , - Zac continued . - Earlier today I traveled to their island and brokered a tentative peace with them . My wish is to incorporate them into Port Atwood , as they would be another strong addition to our forces . Their strength was surprisingly high even though they were stuck on an isolated island with few targets to hunt .

Even though they had such a disadvantageous starting point , they are born warriors , and their leader was strong enough that maybe only the rankers and a few more in the world could contend with it , - he said .

The people looked quite surprised at the information , and the surprise only increased as Zac quickly recapped their battle . The surprise turned to shock when he explained Zhix society , and that the holiness was only in charge of this small hive , while there were leaders of huge hives out there in the world .

It’s lucky that they will attack anything with cosmic energy , as that puts them against the invasions as well , but I think you humans are in for trouble in the future unless you manage to broker peace . I recommend making use of the hive , turning them into ambassadors for other hives in the future . Not all hives will be on the brink of starvation , and as open to communication as these ones were , - Ilvere said .

Ibtep is here for that very purpose . Show him around , and teach him about cosmic energy . I think the first step we need to take is to normalize the energy in the world , so they not think of it as corruption , and us as Fallen or Dominators , - Zac agreed .

But do not tell him anything about the incoming monster horde . I don’t want to risk them taking the opportunity to attack from a second front while we are already besieged . I also need you to figure out a way for us to be warned if they actually start digging toward the island . Something with vibrations , maybe? Like how the earth mages felt the vibrations from the Ayr Ants digging . -

What followed was some discussion regarding who’d be responsible to be the main liaison to Ibtep and the Zhix . Zac couldn’t keep going back and forth or answer all the questions , as he was busy with so many other things .

In the end it fell upon Zakarith to take care of it . She had been trained to become a merchant , which included both the language skills and knowledge of how to converse with people of various cultures . In fact she seemed pretty excited at the prospect of getting some real responsibilities instead of just babysitting the first group of humans .

Next on the docket is my last trip , - Zac said as he changed the subject .

He briefly recounted the events during his trip , skipping over any sensitive information about his family .

My goal is to get to the border towns of the Undead Incursion as soon as possible . Toward that end I will finish the last horde as fast as humanly possible . There will be no ten-day grind spree . Everyone has already gained years of wealth from the first two hordes , it is time for me to properly establish a force , - he said as he looked out over the group .

The warriors looked disappointed , but the others were generally positive . There were so many projects regarding the town that were put to hold due to the looming threat of the hordes , but as soon as they were dealt with the town building could begin in earnest .

The reason Zac wanted to move as quickly as possible was since he wasn’t willing to wait around any more in his search for Kenzie . He didn’t wish for his experiences in Greenworth to repeat .

I believe your best opportunity in the short run is the Auction you mentioned in three days , - Adran said after some deliberation . - Both for your personal goals and for Port Atwood . -

Oh? How so? - Zac asked , intrigued .

It sounds that your human leaders are putting on a big show for some reason . They likely have some goal in mind with gathering so many elites into one spot . -

Zac could only nod , as it was in line with his own belief and the information from the broker .

That means there won’t be only locals there . If they have a public array they likely have multiple private ones . They wouldn’t open up an array to the public unless they felt safe doing so , and having reinforcements come from various towns around the world would generally do the trick . -

I believe that the auction isannounced to local powerhouses at most Government Towns around the world , and the powerhouses who wish to go will use the private teleporters to get there . Them opening up the portal to the public two weeks before is likely in an attempt to find various unaffiliated forces like ourselves , - the administrator continued .

Zac hadn’t even considered that fact , not having analyzed Julia’s too hard . She’d said that they had a teleporter since they were ahead of the curve , and Zac took it at face value . But there was nothing to say that there weren’t multiple towns around the world that had private Teleporters . If a somewhat small village like Winterleaf Village could pool their resources to build the array , then so could the government-owned towns .

What you’re saying is only making me less willing to go , not more , - Zac said skeptically .

Well , it is a risk , but also an opportunity . First of all , you might find some force that is located by the Undead Incursion . That way you can both gain more in-depth information , and perhaps even gain access to their teleporter , and save months of travel time , - he said .

This also sounds like a great opportunity to make a great deal of money , - Zakarith added . - Natives seldom know the worth of many treasures , often since they might not be useful in the beginning when everyone is weak . Those treasures might only show their worth when making E-Grade gear , or trying to break through bottlenecks . -

So you’re saying we should go there and gobble up any treasures that humanity have no way to evaluate at the moment? - Zac asked , his heartbeat slightly speeding up in anticipation . No one hated making a lot of money .

Precisely , - the demoness said with an impish smile .

Well , it’s fine by me , but I don’t think I can learn all these kinds of things myself . I would either have to bring one of you or one of the Sky Gnomes . Can I even take the gnomes with me through the teleporter? - Zac said .

Everyone looked around hesitant , not sure about the answer .

I think… Yes? - Zakarith finally said with some uncertainty . - There are restrictions to their activities , but if the purpose is mercantile , such as attending an auction , I think it is fine? But you need to check it out with them though . -

Ogras would go . - Janos suddenly said .

Huh? - Zac could only ask .

Well… Ogras kind of loves auctions… - Ilvere said with some hesitation , and it looked like a light dawned in the eyes of most of the old clan members of Azh’Rezak . - He was somewhat known to attend various auctions , spending his grandfather’s money . I believe that trait of his was not part of his fake persona . He would definitely want to go if he is out of seclusion by then . -

Zac started to feel a headache as he imagined the haughty demon running around rampant in New Washington . If his current relationship with the government was strained now , he couldn’t imagine the demon making it better .

He truly hoped the demon would still be in seclusion in three days . Then again , bringing the crafty demon might be even better than bringing Sap Trang . It would probably be more beneficial having him take care of any negotiations with the government .

Well , he’s busy at the moment so we’ll see how it goes , - Zac said noncommittally .

The last thing I want to discuss is what to do about all the refugees scattered about our neighboring islands . It’s time to make Port Atwood a proper town . -

Chapter 128 - Excursion

I am thinking of extending an invitation to the various people in the area after the third wave is dealt with , - Zac began . - However , are there any groups that might won’t make it until then? -

It was a fair question , as the refugees he took in last time were forced to set sail since conditions got too harsh on their island . Since then a few weeks had passed , and things were only getting worse out in the wild .

There are 3 settlements we can bring back before the auction , and another 2 before the last wave , - Mr . Trang said after some deliberation . - All of them are teetering on the edge of destruction , and they did not seem very organized . There were no real fortifications around their settlements , and the beasts must have done a number on them . However , we can’t take too many each trip with our vessels , 15-20 people at the most per vessel . -

Zac sighed but nodded , indicating that they’d follow Sap Trang’s lead . It was pretty clear that the groups they’d pick up before battle wouldn’t be able to contribute to the war efforts .

Is there any force that seemed strong amongt them? - Zac asked

Both the bestman camps looked pretty strong , - Mr . Trang said . - There was also one human town that was… Odd . -

Odd how? -

I’m not sure , it wasn’t me who went there . It was the largest human settlement . They looked quite organized and no one seemed to be starving . However Mr . Nguyen said it was very eerie , -

Eerie? - Zac asked doubtfully , to which Mr . Trang could only shrug his shoulders .

Fetch those who went on that expedition , - Zac said after some deliberation .

If it was one of the small camps that was a bit off , then it was ok . But if it was the largest one he might need to intervene early .

Soon a couple of demon soldiers and a very nervous old fisherman stood in front of Zac and the others .

Can you explain what was odd about the town? - Zac said as he looked them over .

The scouts hesitantly looked at each other , until one of the demons from the expedition spoke up .

I can’t say for sure… It was just a feeling , like there was something wrong about the people , - he said .

There were no children , - another demon added after some additional silence .

Zac didn’t react for a few seconds before he gave a start at that . He had not really thought about it since there naturally were no children in Port Atwood , but he realized that wasn’t really normal in a large settlement .

Children had a rough time of it in general since the integration . The system awarded them no special protections , not even those who had the potential to become cultivators , letting them fend for themselves . The only exception was that children below the age of 7 were teleported with their parents if they entered the tutorial . Of course they weren’t part of the missions but were placed safely to the side .

Otherwise the System was uncaring about the children of earth , and it was the same in the whole multi-verse . But the old factions and forces had established order long ago . Their towns weren’t on the brink of destruction from some monster hordes , and there was functioning training infrastructure within clans and at academies that would protect and prepare the young until they could gain strength . Children were seen as a resource and fiercely guarded , as it only took one genius or powerhouse to elevate a whole clan to a new level , and each child held that potential .

On Earth the adults could at least get stronger to defend themselves , but children could only hope to their parents were still around to protect them . Zac heard that the government was trying to set up something up for the young , but it was still in planning stages from what he understood . Many were already calling those below 16 when the integration came - The Lost Generation’ , and Zac felt it fitting .

Emily was part of the lost generation , though she was a bit better off with at least being 15 when the integration happened . But her fate before meeting Zac was indicative of how powerless children were in this new world .

Zac had seen children in both New Washington and Greenworth , though they were generally accompanied by their parents . But if all children of a whole settlement were missing as the scouts indicated something nefarious was might be going on .

There was no real proof however , only some circumstantial odd facts , and since the people were both protected and looked fed he couldn’t use his limited time on that settlement . He would have to check it out after the last wave .

Everything was dealt with by now and the meeting was soon adjourned , and only an hour later four ships set sail together , with Zac standing on the fore of one of them . They were heading toward one of the islands that required immediate help , and Zac came along since he wanted to see the situation for himself . There was not much for him to do apart from pondering on the Dao at the moment in any case , and he could do that while sitting on a boat .

Zac wasn’t the only human on the vessels . He not only brought Sap Trang with him , but also a few of the stronger girls to give them some experience , and to let the refugees not only see people with horns . All of them , Mr . Trang included , were currently sitting down absorbing Nexus Crystals , not letting a second go to waste .

The island they were heading for was about three hours away , and when they arrived Zac saw that it looked about the same as any tropical island . This one was even smaller than the Zhix island , though there was no mountain taking up most of the space . They sailed around the shore for a few minutes until a run-down town came into view .

It became increasingly clear that most of the settlements were various coastal towns taken from around the world placed on their own islands . Zac could only assume that the patch of forest he was located in before the integration was added on to the main island to increase its size .

The town looked quite colonial in its architecture , and Zac guessed it was from some island in the Caribbean . The town might have been the type of idyllic place you saw on postcards back in the day , with brightly colored houses and beautiful cobblestone paths , but now it gave off a far more dour feeling .

Many buildings were marred with scratches and cracks , and some even had splotches of blood on them . It looked like only part of the town was randomized to this location , as it seemed that the part with any marina or harbor was missing . The section in front of them was mainly lined with beautiful pristine beaches , making it seem like a perfect tourist destination .

The four Creator vessels simply ran up on the beach itself , their inscribed hulls taking no damage at all from the somewhat rough landing . The eight people Zac brought for the expedition swiftly jumped off and were led by one of the demons who initially scouted out the town .

There are a few fortified buildings in the center , we think most of the survivors are holed up there , - the demon said .

Soon they reached the buildings the demon mentioned , and Zac saw it was likely once a small hotel that was turned into a base . It was lined with a simple wall of sacks filled with sand and spikes were erected among them .

It was also clear that the place was populated since the hotel was currently under attack by gigantic rats . A quick glance at Sap Trang showed him blanching , perhaps remembering his own ordeals . Zac wondered if this kind of vermin had some sort of advantage , as overgrown rats was a problem in almost all settlements from what he heard .

Having the capability to quickly grown in numbers was a huge asset when Cosmic Energy ensured that anything would grow large . Even if a bear got stronger it might only have a few cubs in its lifetime , whereas a rat could have hundreds of kids .

Zac could see a few people desperately fending off the rat tide that pushed against the defenses , there were a few breaches where a few people desperately swung everything from clubs to frying pans in an effort to keep the monsters outside the perimeter . The rats were around level 15 to 25 , and Zac felt it was a decent target practice for the girls .

Go help them out , - Zac said as he stayed put . The monsters weren’t too numerous , and there was no point in him or the demons going out and stealing the experience .

Soon the three girls and Sap Trang were wildly swinging against the mice , quickly getting splashed in rat blood . Zac saw that Mr . Trang now was using a sword resembling a cutlass . With his old patchy cloth and leathery skin , he looked very much the part of an elderly pirate . Every now and then he also unleashed a few small water sprouts that impaled the rats , but it didn’t look very effective . Likely the skill would be stronger if he was at sea and had free water to use .

In just a few minutes most of the horde was dealt with , and Zac felt it was enough at this point . He walked up close to the battlements and simply released his aura . Pandemonium erupted among the surviving rats , and with panicked screeches they fled in all directions .

Zac quickly retracted his aura and looked over his panting soldiers .

Good job , - he said with a small smile as he saw them looking down with disgust at their drenched bodies . - You’ll have to wipe that grime off before we return , I don’t want rat blood all over my ships . -

Afterward he turned over to the people hiding behind the battlements or were peering out from windows of the hotel .

Hello , I’m Zac . I understand you requested some help from my scouts the other day , - he said to the people of the island .

He could hear some muted voices for a bit until a man spoke up from behind .

Are you from some government? -

No . They are an endless distance away on the mainland , and they’re barely able to maintain order in their own towns , let alone sending out rescue missions to our archipelago , - Zac said .

They seemed disappointed in the news , but a few people still stepped out from the barricades , warily hefting their makeshift weapons .

What’s the catch? - one of the women suddenly asked . - We’re all fighting for our lives here , I don’t believe you’re just traveling around the sea to save people . -

I need workers . I am building a town from scratch , and need everything from farmers to fishermen to local business owners , - Zac said . - Of course , if you want to keep fighting that is more than welcome . Warriors are always needed in this messed up world . But let me be clear ; there is no social security , no freebies . There are no monsters and no risk to your lives in my town , but I have no use for freeloaders . -

They all perked up when he mentioned the safety . Zac didn’t mention anything about the third wave , feeling that it would only complicate things .

Besides , how long can you stay like you are? You barely fended off these little guys , - he said as he waved at the rat carcasses . - The monsters will keep getting tougher , and there is safety in numbers . -

It didn’t take much more convincing than that , and soon four Creator vessels filled to the rafters with refugees were heading back to Port Atwood .

Chapter 129 - Final Preparations

Zac sat in a secluded area of the academy with his eyes closed . They returned yesterday with the first batch of citizens , with them being given a brief introduction while they sailed . The demon's appearance once again caused quite a stir , but since they were stuck on a boat with open ocean all around they couldn’t just run away . After some talking down they were somwhat okay since both Zac and the warriors who fought the rats were human after all .

Almost as soon as they arrived at Port Atwood the boats set out again for the next island . If they were going to rescue all groups before the third wave started they would have to essentially keep sailing around the clock . There was the option of buying a larger transport vessel from the Creators , but they cost over ten million nexus coins .

Zac could afford it , but he wanted to hold on to his money with both the auction and the third wave coming up . Zac didn’t join the following expeditions , instead choosing to focus on his meditation . The new townspeople were mainly guided around by Megan and her group .

Megan and the others had quickly improved their attitude since Zac brought the women from Greenworth . Zac hadn’t given any order to keep the state of the world secret , and soon everyone on the island knew about how much the world had actually fallen . Emily had already told them as much , but she was considered biased since she essentially lived a cushy life in Zac’s mansion .

But hearing one horror story after another helped the former refugees realize that being stuck on this island wasn’t too bad . There was food , and there was safety . There even were a steady amount of Nexus Crystals available for purchase , so they could quickly advance in levels without risking their lives . Zac was even providing them with a modest salary as long as they completed their daily tasks .

Currently it came out of Zacs own pocket , but as soon as he became a Lord he could start taxing his citizens . At that point he’d want as many citizens as possible to add value to the town .

Instead of helping out with the rescue efforts Zac went to the Gravity Array in the Academy . His original plan was to focus on the Dao of Sharpness , but his recent inspiration into Heaviness in Greenworth changed his mind . He chose to sit and meditate in the Gravity Array cranked to the max since he thought the feeling of heavy pressure all over might assist him in his venture .

He’d been sitting there for almost a full day by now , and finally got up to his feet and stretched . The improved array brought the pressure up to 25 times the normal amount and could cover a large field rather than just the small camp . The trainees still normally trained in ten times the gravity though , since they generally collapsed in a heap when they tried anything higher than that .

He nodded toward Alyn who was busy screaming at one of the girls as he walked away . During his day in the array he would sometimes spectate the training while he was resting . What he’d seen had been quite jarring . He could understand why the woman was fired from her teaching position since she truly held nothing back when she was instructing these people .

She normally was very calm and adorned a smiling face , just like when she was teaching him in the caves . But she could also explode into a furious tirade when someone didn’t live up to her expectations . Her verbal assaults could even put most drill sergeants to shame . That wasn’t all , she even had gotten a hold of a tool that could best be described as a grenade .

It was a small inscription powered by a single Nexus Crystal that exploded in a concussion wave when thrown . It would blast away any unaware person , though not dealing any real damage . She used it any time she felt someone was lazing about . Worse yet , Zac learned that the cost of the bomb came out of the pockets of the one she attacked . He considered stopping her then and there but judging by the reactions of the recruits they didn’t mind , and it only spurred them on further .

He went to the Thayer Consortia next , and an excited Calrin moved to welcome him .

Lord Zac , it is good to see you . I hope the pills I procured for you met your expectations , - he said , his eyes shining with greed . - Incidentally , I heard a customer mention an auction taking place soon? -

Zac’s mouth couldn’t help tugging upward as he looked down at the little Sky Gnome that was almost bouncing around in excitement .

I thought you couldn’t leave this compound , why is this of interest for you? -

We’re not some prisoners . We can leave the building any time we want , but most of our family are quite weak . Once upon a time we had mighty warriors to protect the Thayer Clan , but all of them defected , not wanting to impact their future cultivation . Shortsighted fools , - he explained in a huff .

We can leave anytime , though we generally need to stay within your town . We have the same restrictions as all other foreigners on this emerging planet , and our special protections doesn’t expand outside our buildings . We are also barred from various things such as most types of quests and procuring land , - he explained .

However , I actually got a quest! A money-making quest! I can leave with you and go to the auction . Who knows what precious things that you idi- ehm , you newly integrated humans , will sell off to a fraction of their value , - Calrin exclaimed .

It looked like his reason for visiting the consortia had sorted itself out .

Very well , you can come with me . I need someone who can spot the valuables after all . However , you are representing Port Atwood and the Thayer Consortia , not just yourself . You might also need to assist in negotiations , - Zac said .

He wondered what reactions the little blue gnome would elicit , but he didn’t really mind exposing him since he was just a mercantile user whose origins were easily explainable . He was not only good at sniffing out treasures , but he was also quite a talker , and could maybe help smooth out Port Atwood’s somewhat harsh first impression .

As he walked back toward the inner area he quickly heard the bustling noise of activity . Since only the inner wall was completed the real construction of the town couldn’t start yet . Anything built in the future residential or crafting districts would likely be reduced to rubble as soon as the next wave arrived . All the new citizens would need a temporary place to stay though , and a large number of buildings were being added to the temporary town inside the walls .

As he walked the streets he saw many unfamiliar faces . It was the refugees that were continuously pouring in from the ships shuttling back and forth between islands . As more and more humans joined the town the shock the demons created was getting smaller . Still , many had just arrived and glanced curiously or fearfully at the demons who passed them by .

The infusion of people was quickly increasing the liveliness of the town , especially as he even heard some children’s laughter as he walked . He curiously looked over and saw a few children actually gather some distance away from the Zhix , with their parens fearfully keeping them from rushing up to it .

Zac was surprised to see the insectoid actually being able to wave his antennae , and he kept waving them at the children who excitedly waved back . It also held a large larva in a hand , but it was clear no one was interested in his greeting gift .

As soon as the Zhix spotted Zac it perked up and put the larva away as it walked over , the two demon guards following closely in tow , both balefully glaring at the insectoid . Zac briefly wondered if there would actually be people who would take the Zhix’s offer of combat to the death .

Greetings . I have something to discuss with you if you have the time? - Ibtep said as it closed in on Zac .

Sure , lets head over there , - Zac said as he pointed toward Adran’s command tent that was just around the corner .

Soon they found themselves at a table in a partition of the large tent .

I have walked among your kind and the horned ones for two days , and I can almost certainly conclude that you truly are not part of the Dominators or the Fallen , - the Zhix started .

Uh , thanks I guess? - Zac said with some confusion .

I would like to report back to my island , detailing my findings . I understand your vessels are continuously moving between islands , and would like to ride along , - he said .

You’re heading home already? - Zac asked .

No , I would still like to keep observing , so I would hope that you can pick me up again as well . More importantly , I wish to join your expedition through the magic transfer construction , - he said .

The first part is no problem but the second part… Uh… Might be a problem . The last time Zhix teleported to where we are going they went berserk and started killing everyone , - Zac said hesitantly .

It sounds correct . Zealots passing through the array for a death assault against the Dominators . Their progeny will be well taken care of . Of course , a misguided action in this new world . However , I find it very troubling that there is a Zhix settlement that has so readily built a such a transfer device , - Ibtep said .

Troubling why? - Zac asked confused .

I explained what happened with our so-called Nexus Crystal . The Holiness sealed it away since it was overflowing with corruption . Most of the Anointed should have acted the same , avoiding usage of such a device . That a hive already is using it to the degree of sending out death assaults is… a problem .

Either they are even more open-minded than us . That is unlikely since what the holiness did by speaking to you was unprecedented . If our situation wasn’t so dire you would have been assaulted to our last man . The other alternative is… That the hive is not adverse to using corruption , - Ibtep said with a frown .

You’re saying that they might be the so-called Dominators from your old world? Didn’t you say they were eradicated in a great war? -

That’s the official belief , but there should be traitors surviving . The power of corruption has always been alluring , - Ibtep said .

I don’t understand what this has to do with you coming with me? - Zac questioned skeptically .

I wish to find out more about the other hives , and information here is limited . It seems I also need to warn you humans about the Dominators , for both our sakes , - Ibtep said with some worry .

Why do you believe that they will be such a problem that humanity needs to be warned? They sound dangerous , but everyone is getting powerful , erasing their advantage , - Zac asked , feeling a bit unconvinced . - Besides , your kind already defeated them without any power . -

Well , I will breach a precept since I think this is too important not to discuss . Discussing the powers of the Anointed is taboo , but you should know we have a ladder just like you . Most on the ladder are the Anointed , since between administering rites and their natural superior constitution they should be far more suited to this new world than you or me .

However , there are a few who have not shown their true names , using various pseudonyms . Some thought before it was due to shame , not wanting to show how many of their hives had died under their watch since every death makes the Anointed stronger . In fact , all the top five names on our Power Ladder use pseudonyms .

But there has always been another possibility . Those with the fake names might be the Dominator traitors , who were afraid to be exposed . That would explain why their power is higher . They started already being full of corruption before the integration , - Ibtep concluded .

I still don’t see your point? - Zac probed .

Those with pseudonyms are all around level 100 . -

Chapter 130 - The Motley Crew

WHAT?! - Zac asked , shocked . - That’s impossible . -

He wasn’t saying that without any reason . He had proof in the form of his own titles . He was the first to reach level 25 and attain a class , and it was just impossible that someone not only caught up to him , but even gained another 50 levels .

Can you please show me , I need to verify the truth of it , - Zac finally said .

After explaining how to show status screens or other menus of the System , he soon blankly stared at a small hovering box .

3 . Inevitability . Level 98]

The Zhix was unwilling to share the whole list , but that single line was all Zac needed to know the Zhix wasn’t lying .

Holy shit… - Zac could only mutter .

Countless questions whirled in his head suddenly , the foremost one being how the hell this was possible . The only explanation he could come up with was that these Dominators didn’t start at level one since they already used Cosmic Energy before the integration . He actually had no idea what happened in that case , and missive didn’t really say anything about it either . It did , however , mention that sometimes the invaders encountered extremely strong resistance .

As for the titles they were either split up between the races like the ladder , or old cultivators weren’t eligible for them . Zac could only hope it was the latter since it was bad enough if the Dominators were level 100 E-Rank powerhouses . If they also had the - First - -Titles as well with all their big percentage bonuses they might as well pack it up and look for ways to get off this planet .

Level 100 was no joking matter . It was a full 25 levels past the bottleneck at 75 . Since they were actually past the bottleneck it meant that they all held Dao seeds and an E-Ranked Class by now . Not only that , the improvements per level after the bottleneck were a lot larger compared to before . They would be in a completely different league compared to beasts like the Fiend Wolf he fought earlier , who barely had passed the threshold .

If you combined that fact together with the extremely strong bodies the leaders seemed to possess , it made a truly terrifying image . He held no illusions that he’d be able to defeat something at level 100 even with all his titles , especially not considering their natural endowments .

With that amount of power , they were even a larger threat than the incursions . After all , they didn’t just possess monstrous individual power , they also had large Zhix hives full of zealous warriors who were happy to go on a rampage against anything with cosmic energy . He even suspected that many had no idea they were following a so-called Dominator since they clearly were hiding and biding their time for some purpose .

I think you understand my worry , human . I need to gather more information , and hopefully we can warn other hives , - Ibtep said .

Though it was like a risk Zac felt he had no choice but to bring Ibtep by this point . The Zhix was right , humans needed to be aware of this fact . And a real walking and talking Zhix would be far more effective than just him saying it without any real proof .

Ok , you can come . Talk to Adran and get a crystal for the language skill Book of Babel] . Otherwise , the humans won’t understand your words . We leave in the morning in two days , so make sure you finish your report home before that , - Zac finally relented .

The crystals came from various demons who bought it at the Contribution shop and then traded it for Nexus Crystals or Nexus Coins with Adran . Since Zac felt it was an extremely important skill , and Calrin still wasn’t able to buy a batch through the Mercantile System , he offered quite generous prices for them .

Oh , and figure out a way to pass the message to the hives without anyone approaching . There are few humans who are willing to do what I did , and force themselves into a hive to leave a message . We can probably drop a message down from the sky or shoot it at them from a long distance though , - Zac added after some thought .

The next day was quite uneventful , as Zac simply trained most of the time except when he went back to his mansion to eat something and perhaps watch some movies . The new building held a proper viewing room almost looking like a luxurious cinema . Except for the fact that there were large soft leather couches placed in groups and a myriad of pelts and pillows created with soft wolf fur . Unfortunately , with the new looming threat it was hard to relax , even with his improved living conditions .

Finally the day of the Auction arrived , and Zac got himself ready . This time he didn’t wear any shoes as he didn’t know what would happen when a blue Gnome and a Zhix stepped through the teleporter , and he needed to be able to block a potential attack .

He’d already handed the Zhix one of the armors that held a single defensive charge through an inscription , the very same type that he’d used in the beginning before he got his upgrade . As for the little Gnome he wasn’t as worried since he was quite sure that many of the various items he wore were defensive treasures .

He said goodbye to a brooding Emelie who was angry she wasn’t allowed to come with them this time either and headed toward the array . Everyone else was already waiting outside the teleportation building , the Zhix once again donning his huge backpack instead of using the Cosmic Sack .

It wasn’t the first time he did it , and when Zac asked why the first time Ibtep explained that his snacks couldn’t enter the pouch while they were fresh .

I hear there are exciting things going on . Count me in , - Zac suddenly heard as the shadows of the building congealed into a familiar person .

Zac felt a headache coming on as he saw Ogras emerge with an excited face .

I thought you were busy training , - Zac could only say with a sigh .

It’s all done . I can’t leave all the fun to you and that blue little bastard , - he said with a sneer at Calrin , who responded with a gesture that Zac could only assume was offensive .

What about your identity? -

I got the report from Ilvere . There are supposedly four worlds that got knocked together , right? So why shouldn’t there be a fourth species? I’ll just say that we didn’t spawn in your mainland area since we prefer hotter climates . That should match well with your silly old depictions of us demons , - Ogras said with a dismissive wave of his hand .

Clearly , nothing would detract him from joining in on the fun .

Hello , demon leader . I am Ibtep , ambassador of the Zhix . Would you like a snack? - the Zhix suddenly said as he walked up with a large squirming larva in his hand . - It’s freshly caught . -

Nice to meet you , I’m Ogras . Here’s a fruit that you can’t find on this world , give it a try , - the demon responded as he took out a nasty-looking thing from his cosmos sack .

The fruit looked twisted and shrunken and had quite an acrid smell . It wasn’t anything Zac had seen before , and more importantly not something he’d ever put in his mouth . He suspected it was a prank Ogras pulled as a response to being fed insects , but clearly the Zhix didn’t mind . Soon the two of them were munching away , and Zac wasn’t sure who he should be more grossed out at .

Um , Ibtep , why do you keep offering… Snacks to people? - Zac couldn’t help asking , as Ibtep and his larva were starting to become a talking point in Port Atwood .

I learned this trick from the previous Anointed . If you need to make a good impression offer the other party a snack , and they will be more amenable afterward , - it said with some pride in its eyes , and Zac had to admit that it made some sense , though it might need to change what was considered a snack .

Zac was silently looking over his small team that would represent Port Atwood , and couldn’t help but start sweating . He wasn’t sure whether the team looked like an alien invasion or a traveling circus . They were only missing Karunthel , the Creator Foreman with his monstrous spider legs , to round out the image . Sap Trang seemed to understand what was going through his mind , and could only wryly smile and shrug .

Zac still brought the old fisherman as he wanted to have someone represent humans , and not just bring aliens , and it felt even more poignant now with Ogras entering the fray . Mr . Trang had even gotten a makeover for the occasion , now donning clothes similar to the E-Grade Robes Zac wore . Of course , they were without the powerful inscriptions .

Zac could only sigh shrug his shoulders and turn toward the array .

Wait a few seconds before entering . I have to warn them or something . And don’t do anything stupid , - he said as he activated the array .

In a short moment he once again arrived in New Washington . To his surprise he found himself in another building compared to the one he arrived in last time . They had moved the array from the claustrophobic little room without windows into a huge lobby .

For a second he felt that he was at an airport , as in front of him there was a security checkpoint . There was a counter with thick bulletproof glass , and a person sat behind it . There were also quite a few soldiers walking around , and a prickling sensation told him that a gun was pointed at him from some hidden angle .

Before he had time to do much of anything a man rushed toward him .

Mr Monk , it is good to see you again . I am Adam . We have be- - the man began , but Zac quickly spoke over him .

Sorry to interrupt , but instruct your soldiers to not fire . A few more are arriving from Port Atwood , and they are not human , - Zac quickly said .

The man looked surprised but acted quickly as he turned around and shouted a few orders .

Not long after the array flashed again and the party arrived one by one . The first who entered was Mr . Trang , making the greeter throw a confused glance at Zac . However , with every new person emerging after Sap his eyes widened a bit further .

The last to emerge through the teleporter was Ibtep , who curiously glanced around until his eyes landed on Adam , who by now was openly gaping as he stared at the odd party . Any activity had stopped in the lobby as well , as everyone was warily looking at the group , the silence almost palpable .

The Zhix didn’t hesitate and resolutely walked up to Adam , making many aim their weapons at Ibtep .

Hello , human leader . Would you like a snack? - he said , holding a large wriggling grub up to the startled man .

This is Ibtep , he’s a part of Port Atwood and not an enemy , - Zac quickly added .

Ah . . uh… Well , welcome everyone , - Adam managed to say as he hesitantly accepted the large larva . - I am sorry , but could you please wait here? I am not sure about the protocols when encountering new species . I need to contact my superiors . -

That’s fine , - Zac said and ushered the group to a group of sofas closeby .

What’s with all these rules and regulations? - Ogras muttered annoyed , but still went with the others . - It shouldn’t be so complicated . If people make trouble after arriving , kill them . If not , leave them be . -

Basic bureaucracy is a cornerstone of a civilized society , - Calrin said after casting a scathing glance at the demon . - Not like you demons would understand , with your clusters being lawless hellholes . -

Ogras didn’t seem to mind and only grinned back at the Gnome .

What other laws do you need except the law of the jungle? - he retorted .

The two had developed a rapport over the months that made Zac unsure whether they were good friends or bitter enemies . It was clear that the two were gearing up for an argument , but luckily something interrupted them .

The teleportation array flashed into life once again , and not long after a group of people emerged . They all wore high-quality gear that Zac assumed could only be bought through the system as he could spot fractals on various spots .

There were three of them , with the one in the front being an elderly man in at least his sixties . However , he looked to be in good vigor with sharp eyes and a ramrod-straight back . His beard and hair were meticulously cut , and he even radiated a bit of an aura . Everything about him oozed authority , and Zac guessed he was someone in power before the fall . Either a prominent businessman or a politician .

Another man looked like a bodyguard , warily looking around . He also had a large shield fastened to his back , and Zac assumed he was able to equip it at moment’s notice if needed . When the man saw Zac and the others his brows furrowed , and he slightly repositioned himself toward them .

His movements were ignored by the old man who looked straight ahead , but they were noticed by the last person , a woman somewhere in her twenties . She was quite tall , reaching over 170 cm , and she seemed to possess an almost feline grace . Her movements reminded Zac of the demon scout he fought long ago . She had been slippery as an eel , freely moving through the treetops as easily as walking on the ground . But the woman in front of Zac right now gave even him a distinct sense of danger , far more than any human he’d met thus far .

She was beautiful , but not overly so . The most memorable thing about her , however , was her piercingly blue eyes . She looked quite intrigued as she glanced at their odd group , particularly at Ogras and Calrin .

Grandpa , - the girl softly said , bringing the old man’s attention to Zac and his group .

When he saw the Zac’s motley crew his face changed the first time since exiting the teleportation array . The trio was known clearly known to the people of New Washingon , as another representative hurried up to them and wanted to show them the way out .

However , the old man simply ignored the liaison and walked toward the sofa group .

Chapter 131 - The Marshall Clan

The old man stopped a few meters away from Zac’s group , slowly looking over each and everyone with a frown .

Humanity is on the brink of extinction , and you’re consorting with the enemy? - he said with a terse voice .

Allies are allies , enemies are enemies . Why bring race into it? - Sap Trang answered with a congenial smile . - We old folk need to learn to embrace change in this new world if we wish our children to flourish in the future . -

The old man only snorted and left it at that , leaving with his two companions in tow . The girl took a last glance at the party before they passed the security checkpoint and left the area .

Zac looked over at his company , but saw that none of them had taken offense at the words . Calrin didn’t care since there was no money involved , and Ibtep kept looking around the structure with fascination . As for Ogras , he seemed to consider the short exchange a form of entertainment .

Finally some interesting things are happening after all these dull months , - he said with a smile .

Zac only sighed in response , thankful he had Mr . Trang with him to take care of things . They didn’t have to wait for long until he saw Julia rush toward them .

Mr . Monk , it is good to see you again . You never told us that Port Atwood was such a… Cultural melting pot , - she said with a forced smile .

Well , as I said , we’re living in an isolated place , and we needed to cooperate to survive , - Zac answered with a shrug . - We just spoke with an interesting group led by an old man , who were they? -

They , ah , are VIP guests , - she said and leaned over after glancing around and continued in a whisper .

They were the Marshall clan . As in Thea Marshal , the strongest woman in the world . That was her in the flesh , - she whispered , unable to hide her excitement .

The strongest woman huh? Too bad she’s a bit plain , - Ogras said with a sigh .

This is Ogras Azh’Rezak , the , uh , representative for the demons of Port Atwood , - Zac said with a sigh .

I am pleased to make your acquaintance Mr . Azh’Rezak . Welcome to New Washington , the beacon of humanity , - Julia said with a smile , seemingly unperturbed to see a foreign species .

The mapping of our new planet is a bit limited , and we have yet to encounter either you , or your other friend’s , kind before , - she asked , obviously hoping for some sort of explanation , but Ogras only smiled in response .

Calrin Thayer of Thayer consortia . From the moment I lay my eyes of you I felt you were a woman of principle and discerning taste . I am therefore extending a ten percent discount on your first purchase in one of our stores as a greeting gift , - the gnome said as he stood up and made a simile of an aristocrat’s bow .

How generous , thank you . I hope to visit your store soon . I unfortunately have nothing to offer except this pamphlet about the rules and regulations of New Wash- - Julia said while handing out a brochure , but stopped herself and looked over at the Ibtep who had stood up and moved toward her during the conversation .

Hello female human . I am Ibtep , ambassador of the Anointed . At your convenience I’d like to discuss matters of grave importance . Also , please accept this snack as a greeting gift , - he solemnly said , this time holding up a decently large caterpillar .

Julia couldn’t help but grimace when she saw the wiggling insect , almost going so far as taking a step away .

I am afraid can’t accept this gift of yours . Unfortunately I am a bit sick and has trouble eating at the moment . However we are very much open for a dialogue . We have been hoping to establish diplomatic relations with the Zhix for some time . -

That leaves Mr . Trang . He represents the humans of Port Atwood , - Zac finished his introduction and Julia cordially greeted him as well before turning back to Zac .

And what is your responsibility? - Julia asked with a questioning glance .

Uh… Spiritual guidance? - Zac answered as he scratched the back of his head , prompting a snort from the demon .

His head wasn’t bald like a monk’s anymore , but it was still extremely short . Apparently hair grew slower and slower as Vitality increased , rather than the opposite . It had something to do with the fact that hair was made from dead cells , and cells died at a much slower rate for the evolved .

It was possible to quickly grow it out again with the help of Cosmic Energy , but he felt it was more convenient to let it be , as it both saved time on maintenance and he wouldn’t get anything in his eyes during battle .

Julia clearly looked skeptical , but let it be .

With your identities being a bit unique we unfortunately can’t let your group venture out into the town until all details have been confirmed . However , I will personally take you to the venue for the auction , - she said .

This way gentlemen , the auction is starting soon , and you are amongst the last to arrive , - Julia continued as she guided them out of the building .

Oh? There are many parties that have arrived through the teleporter? - Sap Trang asked curiously .

There are a surprising amount of forces around the world that has a private teleporter . It is unfortunate , there is in a way a huge network of nodes over the world that could assist humanity’s war efforts , but it’s currently not useable , - Julia answered , skirting any actual numbers .

All of the people , even Mr . Trang , curiously glanced all around , as it was the first time they’d seen a proper human town . Sap Trang was interested as well , as he’d spent most of his life in his small fishing village , except for when he was in the army .

The Auction will take place at the National Opera , it is most convenient if we take a car there , please this way , - she said as she led them to a limousine that was waiting .

Your kind has made some interesting things , - Ogras said as he fiddled around with the mini-fridge inside as they drove through the town . - We should bring a few of these things back to Port Atwood . -

I brought a few back last trip , they are more suited for our terrain than this one , - Zac only answered .

Excellent . -

Your hives are quite spread out . It seems inconvenient to defend , - the Zhix commented as it looked out through a window .

Our defensive systems have evolved over the years to not really depend on things such as walls anymore . However , with the change to our world , building proper walls has once again become a priority , - Julia answered with a smile .

After driving for fifteen minutes they arrived at the venue . There clearly had been some beasts roaming about once upon a time , as there was some damage that had been fixed up at various spots . However , the structure still looked quite grand . The ceilings were over ten meters high , and the whole area was covered in red carpet .

I will leave you here as there are quite a few matters I need to arrange . There are spots reserved for you , just show an attendant this ticket when the auction starts , - Julia said to Zac as she handed him a piece of paper . - Oh , and please remember to… follow the guidelines in the pamphlet . Your party will stand out , but please try to avoid causing conflict . We will speak again after the event . -

With that she sped away , leaving the group to gawk at the gaudy display . However , there were quite a few hints that the event was not some posh gala . Zac spotted a few military vehicles parked outside , and the entrance was lined with a row of soldiers . There were also dozens of cultivators with various weapons who stood at the ready , decked in riot gear .

The actual guests were actually fewer than the soldiers and the attendants , but Zac was still surprised by the numbers as they walked inside . The doors to the actual venue were still closed , so the guests were milling about in the huge lobby , making small talk and mingling . It was an extremely weird contrast , seeing people in armor and sword holding glasses of champagne or eating canapés .

Zac noted with some surprise there were even some groups of Ishiate present , mostly standing by themselves . Zac even spotted a familiar face among their kind standing by the side of a few other ishiate who were similarly dressed in simple but sturdy gear .

It was also the first time he saw the other type of Ishiate , who wore far more urban clothing . Their gear was almost modern , and they even carried rudimentary hot weapons like blunderbusses and muskets . It was clear that the two groups still were at odds , as they stood in two separate cliques .

As Zac and his group made their entrance a lull in the conversation spread over the floor as most parties curiously looked at them . They likely struck quite the image with three types of aliens and the odd clothing of himself and Mr . Trang . Zac stood out even further as he walked around barefoot , as he refused to lose the ability to use Loamwalker] with this many powerful people around .

Wow you human’s auctions are a bit dull , I’m not seeing a single fight , - Ogras said as he looked around with some disappointment . - And I’m also starting to wonder if you are mentally sound . You humans can obviously build decent structures not just in the movies , but you chose to live in a tin can in the woods? -

I told you I was out camping with friends when the integration happened , - Zac said with a sigh .

I just don’t understand why you would like to live like a poor person surrounded by trees , - the demon retorted , but let the subject go .

Okay , it’s some time before the auction starts . Please behave , and keep information about Port Atwood at the minimum . Mr . Trang , please stay with Ibtep , - Zac said , but immediately groaned when Ogras turned into shadows .

He appeared again next to a startled waiter , and snatched up two glasses of champagne and downed them in quick order before starting to walk around . The Sky Gnome didn’t linger either and unhesitantly moved toward a party of humans , likely eager to make some business connections .

He turned around and looked at a helpless Mr . Trang and was about to leave to speak with Selas who stood amongst the other beastkin , but stopped with a frown as he saw a party heading his way . It only took a second to realize that these people weren’t moving toward him to socialize , but to create trouble . It was also clear that he wasn’t the target , but it was rather the Zhix who still curiously looked around at the luxurious interiors .

Zac could only sigh as he knew that this would likely happen sooner or later when he brought Ibtep . The Zhix might not go out of their way to kill people , and mainly holed themselves in their hives , but that didn’t change the fact that quite a few humans had died by their hands since the integration started . It was inevitable that some would want some revenge , even if it was only at the species responsible for the atrocities .

You have a lot of balls bringing one of those things here , - one of the front men growled as he balefully glared at the Zhix .

I don’t know your history with the Zhix , but we have brought Ibtep here in order to help facilitate peace between our species . Our main priority should be the incursions rather than fighting amongst natives , - Sap Trang said , trying to defuse the situation .

Hello human , I am Ibtep , - the Zhix said , ignoring Zac’s attempts to signal it to let Sap Trang talk . - I am sorry there has been some confusion between our people , resulting in accidental deaths . On the bright side it is only weakness leaving your swarm , making it stronger . -

Zac could only shake his head as he heard the words . He knew that the Zhix truly thought the words were consoling . The Zhix were really pragmatic in that way , believing that if someone died like that they can’t have been too strong anyway . It was pure Darwinism in a sense , though Zac didn’t feel that type of mindset really worked in this new world with Cosmic Energy .

What the FUCK is this thing saying? YOU BASTARDS KILLED MY WHOLE HOMETOWN! - another of the threatening men roared , his eyes bulging in anger .

It seemed to have been some sort of a signal as the whole group drew their weapons , all of them radiating strong killing intent .

Zac could only sigh and bring out his wooden club .

Chapter 132 - New Friends

The roar put a damper on the conversation in the whole area , and the guests curiously looked at the source of the commotion . Mr . Trang glanced worriedly at Zac , who could only move up next to the two . Mr . Trang's power had improved quite a bit recently , however Zac sensed that Sap would barely manage to handle one of these people , let alone the whole group . He had to take over from here .

There were also multiple guards who moved closer with their guns at the ready . However , they didn’t seem interested in breaking up the fight , and Zac could understand why . Most of the people in this room were likely powerhouses , and butting in was a good way to get yourself killed . The army was likely there to protect the venue and government officials from attacks rather than mediating disputes between cultivators .

Let me take it from here Ibtep , - Zac said as he turned toward the group . - Ibtep is not from any hive you have encountered , as their hive hasn’t harmed any humans . Our goal is to stop the fighting between our species , so please go away . -

Fuck you , insect-lover , - another in the group spat as they all rushed forward .

Zac briefly considered pushing out his aura but decided against it . The Marshals were in the room , and they should have no problem comparing Thea’s power against his , and from there figure out his identity .

Instead he decided to rely on the same wooden club that he used to subdue the Zhix warriors as he walked forward . The air screamed as the club danced through the air with almost impossible speed . There was a quick succession of deep thuds followed by flying bodies , and in just below 5 seconds the whole group was lying unconscious spread out on the floor .

Zac grimaced when he saw that most of the eyes in the room suddenly were upon him . Some looked intrigued , others afraid , and some calculating . He even saw the people from the Marshall clan intently stare at him from a group of sofas in the distance , where they were surrounded by a group of sycophants . It almost felt like the intensive stare of Thea Marshall was going to burn a hole in his head , so he quickly turned away .

HA HA! GOOD THWONKING! - a booming voice was heard across the whole room as the largest man Zac had ever seen walked toward him , holding a whole tray of canapés .

The man was so huge that Zac wondered if humans could mutate like beasts , growing out of proportions . He was well over two meters tall , and not the thin and wiry type of tall . Thick bulging muscles covered every inch of him , giving him the impression of a walking behemoth .

He also carried the nastiest weapon Zac had ever seen on his back , a huge club as large as a tree trunk , where the head of the club was actually the cranium of some unknown beast . The skull was extremely uneven with many bulges and bumps , and looked quite gnarly .

Its make was actually a bit reminiscent of his own weapon , Verun’s Bite] , as it carried the same type of primal aura . Zac instinctively felt it might actually be a Spiritual Tool just like his own . All in all the man gave out a dense aura of power , and Zac knew this man was far stronger than the rabble he just clobbered . His size and muscle clearly weren’t just for show , and he gave off a quite imposing feeling .

The Zhix by his side obviously had a similar impression of the giant .

Greetings your Holiness , - Ibtep immediately said it walked up to the large human and gave a deep bow . - I am Ibtep , ambassador of Nonet , Anointed of the hive of Kundevi . Strength to your hive . -

The huge man blankly stared at the Zhix for a few seconds , and even Zac blanked out for a bit before he understood what was going on .

Uh Ibtep , the humans don’t have any Anointed , he is just very large . -

Impossible , with this frame he must be anointed by the God of War , - the Zhix staunchly rebutted .

To Zac’s surprise , a well-dressed middle-aged man next to the giant stepped forward and gave a proper bow in response .

Greetings Ibtep of hive Kundevi . This is Mayor Thwonkin’ Billy of Billyville . We are pleased to make your acquaintance , - he said with a proper British accent .

Zac’s eyebrows rose when he heard the introduction , and he shot another glance at the giant . Thwonkin’ Billy had been on the top ten of the ladder since day one , and he currently held the 7th spot with level 38 . Zac had to admit that the true appearance of the ranker even trumped what he imagined the first time he read the pseudonym .

Hello , I’m Monk . - Zac said to the giant .

What’s an Anointed? - the huge man said looking extremely confused .

The Zhix are theocratic , their leaders are called the Anointed , - Zac explained , but the giant once again started blankly at the two .

They are the insect big bosses , - the man next to Billy explained to his companion without missing a beat .

Ha ha , you are stupid Insect man . I am a leader of humans , not insects , - the giant guffawed . - Hey , you look smart and good at thwonking , do you want to come and beat ratmen? They give a lot of money and make you stronger . We’re looking for people to help with the ratlight , -

I’m sorry , what’s a ratlight? - Zac asked confused .

An incursion . Billy is the leader of our town that is situated next to an incursion claimed by Ratmen . We keep killing them , but they seem to propagate at extreme speeds , making it hard to make any headway in closing it . We’re here looking for allies , - the butleresque man next to Billy explained .

Billy clearly wasn’t lying about killing Ratmen giving a lot of benefits , since he obviously received huge gains from the incursion . He wasn’t only on the top ten of the power list , but also on the wealth list . Zac didn’t think it would be too hard to get some eager volunteers as soon as they announced Billy’s name .

Billy has been thwonkin’ rats for months , I’m tired . I wanna do something else , but they keep coming , - the giant sighed .

Oh , unfortunately we are a bit preoccupied for the moment with some problems with our own town , but we’ll help out if we can , - Sap Trang answered after seeing a small shake from Zac .

Give them the time Nigel , - the giant said to his companion as he stuffed the last canapés into his mouth .

That’s… A bit early Billy , - the man hesitated .

Give them the time Nigel , - the giant simply repeated .

Sigh… Seventeen days from now . At ten AM in New Washington time . We will make the Billyville teleportation array public for 15 minutes . We hope to make some allies here that will join us in fighting the Ratmen Incursion at that time , - Nigel said .

Oh? - Zac said intrigued .

It was a novel idea to set predestined times to make teleporters public . Of course it was a bit impractical , but there were not many other options before people started to become Lords and gain access to more sophisticated methods to control their domains and teleporters .

We’ll try to make it . If not us then perhaps others from Port Atwood . We have many people there who like , uh , thwonking , - Zac said to Billy .

Good! - Billy loudly exclaimed as he turned to leave . - I’m hungry . These people are stupid , why make food so small? See you in two weeks! -

If you are serious , who do I speak with regarding details? - Nigel said as he stayed on after throwing the huge man an exasperated glance .

I represent the humans on Port Atwood , but I can’t speak for what the demons will do , - Sap Trang answered .

I see an old friend , I’ll go talk to him while you figure things out . Ibtep , please stay with Mr . Trang for now . Your kind has made a lot of enemies the past months , and if we want to make a pact against the Dominators we can’t create trouble at this stage , -

I understand , human . I will stay here , - Ibtep said as it looked down on the incapacitated people . - Should we take these one’s possessions while we wait? They are spoils of battle . -

Leave them , let the government figure it out , - Zac said as he looked toward the soldiers .

As if summoned by his word a few of the soldiers rushed forward and carried the unconscious men away . Zac waited for a bit longer to see if anyone from the government would want to come over to talk , but it looked like they considered the matter over as he was left alone .

Satisfied he put away his club and moved toward the Ishiate . Altogether there were about 40 of the beastmen , spread quite evenly between the two camps , and none barred his path as he moved forward . He wasn’t very surprised after his display of power , and soon he was in front of Selas who stood next to an old man .

Long time no see , Selas , - Zac said with a slight smile .

He wasn’t angry at the beastman for closing the teleporter a few weeks ago . Keeping it open would have put the whole village in constant danger , as anyone could just enter as they wished . Still , the beastman looked a bit awkward as it slightly bowed with an embarrassed smile .

Hello Zac , it is good to see you again . I am sorry about the discourtesy the other time . Keeping the array open would have been a risk to the villagers , - the Ishiate said .

No problem , I understand . We all keep our teleporters private for a reason . -

You two know each other? - an elderly and kind-looking Ishiate asked with some interest .

Yes , Mr . Zac here passed through our village and helped us kill an extremely strong beast that was threatening the villagers , - Selas explained .

Oh , such a thing happened? You’re a friend of the Ishiate then . I am Willow , Druid of the Mountain - the old man said with a bow .

Nice to meet you . I didn’t expect Ishiate to be here , to be honest , - Zac said as he looked at the pretty large group .

The comment about being a Druid was something he’d ask around about later , as it might be considered rude to do it right away .

We are mainly here for information . You humans have proven to be far more adept than us at exploring our new world . There are many of us who are searching for their ancestral homes and families , and New Washington is our best bet to find news , - Willow explained .

Zac nodded as it made sense . The Ishiate were not very technologically advanced . Even those of the other group looked more like steampunk cosplayers than high-tech people . Both groups would clearly benefit from the programs that the government provided . Perhaps in the future there would be arrays or evolved scouts who could provide information even more efficiently , but Earth was far from that point .

What about you? -

We’re mainly here for the excitement . And who knows , we might pick up something nice as well , - Zac answered with a smile .

Your group is quite interesting . There has already been some speculation about companions amongst the groups in this room , - another elderly man dressed very much as Willow said . - You’re only missing Ishiate in your party . -

Our village is extremely remote , we had to team up with whoever is available . As for the blue gnome , he’s actually from a store we purchased through the Town Shop , - Zac answered with a smile . - And we actually found two ishiate settlements just the other day but still haven’t made contact . Perhaps next time our party will be even more diverse . -

The comment caused some interest amongst most of the beastmen , who curiously looked over at him .

Do you have any information about those who live there? - an Ishiate hurriedly asked , and Zac realized that many were hoping it was one of their home villages , even if it was a long shot .

He took out a full report from his pouch detailing the expedition . He had all types of reports typed up , but honestly , he almost never read them . But sometimes it was quite convenient , such as now .

The two towns both hold an estimated 1000 to 2000 citizens . They seem to be from the group of your friends over there though , - he said and pointed to the other group of ishiate who stood some distance away . - They had erected proper walls and seemed to be in decent shape , not in need of saving at the moment . -

Many of the beastkin sighed in disappointment , but a few still held on hope .

We know that sometimes our groups have joined hands to survive , perhaps some of our people are there as well . Were there any markers on the towns? -

Uh , yeah , there were some kind of flags on both walls . One held a picture of a sun with a branch underneath , the other was a cogwheel with a lightning bolt running through it on a white background , - Zac answered as he read through the report .

The Ishiate looked at each other and after a few moments shook their heads in disappointment . However , two beastkin from the other group quickly walked over . Even though they belonged to different camps the Ishiate stood a bit clumped together , and the ishiate probably overheard the conversation with their keen hearing .

Is what you said just now true? - one of them asked and they had hope in their eyes .

Chapter 133 - The Auction Begins

The Ishiate who followed the way of nature frowned as they saw the two steampunk beastkin approach , but one of the elders spoke up .

We can’t focus on old conflicts anymore . If our kin is to survive we must work together , - he said , but couldn’t help himself from continuing . - The universe has shown us the right path , and I’m sure the lost ones will return into the fold soon enough . -

Zac sort of understood the old druid meant . The two camps of the Ishiate essentially fought over the issue of Nature versus Technology , and it was pretty clear which of the two camps the System sided with . He actually felt a bit bad for the technologically inclined Ishiate , as their situation wasn’t very optimistic .

Of course , it was possible to become a powerful force in this new environment with the aid of technology . The Technocrats was one of the strongest forces in the multi-verse and still lived well even though multiple forces were gunning for them . However , the technocrats were approaching the limits of technology , having the means to travel the universe and unleashing terrifying weapons .

These Ishiate were no Technocrats , and had barely started on the path of technology . Their progress was a few hundred years behind humanity , and their weapons were probably already approaching obsolescence against the increasingly durable beasts in the wild . Zac guessed they would perish unless they turned back to the more simple ways .

Progress is the basic path of life . To stick to the old ways is to perish . That hasn’t changed with the System , it has only been reinforced , - one of the two Ishiate retorted with a glare .

Human , is what you said true? There is truly a town with those flags close to your town? - the other ishiate asked .

Yeah , our scouts found them a few days ago , - Zac simply answered .

It wasn’t really any secret information , and he could very much sympathize with these people . He understood what it was like to desperately search for his home in an endlessly large new world .

Please let us come with you when you leave . That is Cogstown , our hometown , - they asked with hope in their eyes .

Zac mulled it over for a bit . He felt it wasn’t too problematic to bring a few people with him through the teleporter . Besides , bringing these two should make forming an alliance considerably easier when they made first contact .

Our town is extremely remote . In fact , it’s not on the mainland . It’s not sure that you can get back without using our teleporter . Do you still wish to go? - He said .

Yes , - both of them answered without hesitation , and Zac only nod .

Talk with my companion over there , the human . He can make the arrangements , - Zac said as he pointed to Sap Trang , who was still speaking with Nigel .

Suddenly a couple of speakers crackled into life , playing the classical intermission sound .

Seems the auction is starting , if you will excuse me . I need to gather up with my group , - Zac said as he moved away .

It was nice meeting you , Zac , - Willow said with a smile . - We hope to see you again . -

Soon he was back with the others . By this point Calrin had already returned , and soon he saw Ogras saunter over as well , holding a bottle of champagne he’d snagged somewhere .

Not many interesting things happening so far , everyone is just sticking to their little groups , barely talking . The liquor wasn’t bad though , we should bring some bottles with us back home . -

Not sure how many there are left , I think a lot of people has turned to the bottle to calm their nerves over the past few months , - Zac said with a sigh . - But it doesn’t hurt to give it a try . -

Actually , he agreed with the demon . While he didn’t really like champagne he really wanted to bring some beer with him back to the island , but he felt that most of it would have been consumed after almost five months since the integration .

Then we simply getsome brewers , - the demons said off-handedly , but the sentence sparked an idea in Zac as he turned to Sap Trang .

Start thinking of a list of any type of occupation we’re currently lacking . Everything from chefs to sanitation workers to scientists . -

He hadn’t really planned to start recruiting in earnest yet , but since he already had brought hundreds of refugees he might as well go all the way . Who knew if all the useful people would be snatched up if they kept holding off . It might be a bit unethical to start moving more people to the island even before the third wave was dealt with , but if worse came to worst he could just have people flee through the teleporter back to New Washington .

The number of people in the venue was a clear indication that quite a few forces possessed a teleporter by this point . Zac knew that it wasn’t that people were extremely wealthy like him , rather his force was quite small compared to many towns . Taking New Washington for example , it held hundreds of thousands of citizens , and every person just had to contribute a handful of Nexus Coins for them to afford the Teleporter .

He needed to start thinking ahead if he was truly planning on creating a flourishing town . There might still be a window of opportunity where the other forces mainly looked for powerful warriors or rankers to join them , overlooking the long term benefits that non-combat classes could bring to an area .

Port Atwood on his island was quite a lot safer compared to most places on the mainland , which should allow him to focus more on recruiting and nurturing many people showing skill in craftsmanship . He already had an almost insane amount of raw materials for creating armors , now he just needed craftsmen to actually craft and inscribe them .

Good , now you’re thinking in the big picture , - Ogras nodded . - I’m tired of living like a castaway . -

The group walked together and was ushered to a couple of seats near the front by an attendant who took a quick look at the ticket . It was clear that Zac’s rampage in Greenworth had left somewhat of an impression on the government , as they clearly sat in one of the best seats in the house .

This was further confirmed when both the Marshals and Billy were seated not far from them .

Nigel told me the strong sits in the front . I knew you were smart , bald guy . But Billy is not only smart , Billy is also rich , - the giant said with a loud voice as he thumped down close to them , taking up two seats by himself .

I’m sure there are enough good things for the both of us , - Zac answered with a smile .

He liked the giant so far , he seemed genuine enough . He’d take that kind of ally any day over calculating ones like the demon next to him .

The Marshals seemed a bit surprised to see Zac’s group once again , and Zac saw the guardian whisper something in the ear of their attendant . He glanced at Zac’s group but only shook his head looking unsure .

Hey girl , I hear you’re the strongest woman amongst the humans . We saw your jump in the Dao ladder a while back , did you find something good? Are you interested in selling it? - Ogras said with a toothy grin at the looked in Thea Marshal’s direction

I am sorry about him . Different cultures and all , - Zac could only sigh .

Weaklings often have big mouths to compensate . I’m more curious about you . What are you called? - she lightly said as she stared at Zac .

Uh , people call me Monk , - Zac said , uncomfortable by the intense glare .

She’s got a mouth on her , - Ogras said , not minding the insult . - You should kidnap her back to Port Atwood . You’d have strong babies . -

The bodyguard frowned at the comment and prepared to move forward , but Thea lifted her hand to stop him . At the same time a spurt of blood erupted from Ogras’ throat , surprising both Zac and the demon .

Even though Zac was looking at the exchange from the start he wasn’t quite sure what exactly cut him . At first he thought it might have been a Dao Field of the Seed of Sharpness , but he believed he would have sensed the familiar feeling if that was the case .

Watch your mouth , - Thea said as he looked at the demon with loathing .

Shadows squirmed and covered the shallow wound , and soon the bleeding was quelled .

An interesting attack . But be careful about starting things . You might be strong , but can the same be said of your companions? - the demon smiled , and Zac’s eyebrows rose in alarm .

But before Zac had time to stop anything the bodyguard grunted as a shadow spear pushed through one of his legs , almost making him fall over . Thea looked around in surprise , and a frown appeared on the old man .

What do you think? Can you kill me before I kill your two companions? - Ogras said while grinning .

Despicable , - the girl said , throwing scathing glares at not only Ogras but the whole party .

Enough , - Zac said while glaring angrily at Ogras , already regretting bringing him . - What will you do if you get us thrown out before the auction even starts? -

Relax , we’re just having some pre-auction fun , - Ogras said with a smile .

I am sorry about him , this is a healing pill that will help with your friend’s recovery , - Zac said to the Marshals as he took out a small glass bottle and threw it toward them .

However , the bottle got rebuffed in the air and shot straight back toward Zac through some unknown means .

The Marshall Clan is in no need of your little baubles , - Thea simply said as the trio sat down in their seat some distance away .

Mama always says you should be nice to women , as being mean will bring you big trouble , - Billy muttered to himself , but with the giant’s standard volume it turned into an exclamation .

She sounds like a wise woman , - Ogras only said to the giant , making him perk up happily .

He looked ready to say something but was distracted by the large curtains getting lifted on the stage and some musicians play classical music . It was beautiful , but it wasn’t what Zac came for , so he was happy to see that almost immediately a well-dressed man in a suit walked out on the stage and stood behind the podium .

Welcome all to the first Grand Auction held by New World Government . It is an amazing sight to see so many coming from all corners of the world . It is truly a testament to humanity’s resilience in face of adversity . We’re also happy to see friends from other races joining us here today . I am hoping this is the start of a long and fruitful cooperation between our species . -

The man was clearly used to public speaking , and smoothly took command of the room .

To make sure there’s no confusion in the event , I will go over the ground rules . This auction is a classical English-Style auction , and for those who are unsure of what that means , don’t worry , I will go over it with you . Beneath your chairs there are numbered paddles that you use to bid . Simply raise the paddle to make a bid .

The standard increase bid increase is based on the size , but generally around ten percent . For example , if the price is ten thousand Nexus coins , each standard bid will be a thousand nexus coins up to fifty thousand , at which point the standard bid changes to five thousand .

Of course , you can increase the bid by a higher amount by shouting it out , but not by a lower amount , - the auctioneer said with a smile .

If you are the highest bidder your number will be seen on the screen behind me . And don’t worry if you’re sitting in the back . I have three people all with scout classes and eyesight skills with me who will all help me in making sure that no bid is overlooked . -

Payment accepted is World Government Credits , Nexus Coins or Nexus crystals valued at a 1 : 50 ratio . Be aware that no coercion , threats , or other disturbances are allowed during the auction . A first offense will result in a warning , but repeat offenders will be escorted out of the venue . -

With that I hope you will enjoy the auction and that you all find something that will help you in the fight against our foreign invaders . The first item for auction is a set of five E-Grade Nexus Crystals , - the auctioneer said as a cart was rolled in by a beautiful woman .

On the cart was a briefcase , and when the showgirl opened it the light of five genuine E-Grade crystals radiated out . There was almost a collective intake of breath in the hall , and even Zac was interested .

The New World Government was clearly not holding back .

Chapter 134 - Emma

I am sure you’re all aware of the efficacy of an E-Grade Nexus Crystal by now . They are still not available for sale in the stores , and only a scant few have been found or rewarded from quests . Just one contains enough power to gain a whole level for most people . They can also power your defensive structures or arrays when defending your towns , making them a must-have for aspiring Lords .

The five crystals will be sold as a set , and the price starts at 25 000 Nexus Coins , - the Announcer shouted , trying to hype up the wares .

That put the crystals at roughly 5 000 Nexus Coins per crystal , which was the general market price , as one E-Grade Crystal was worth roughly a hundred F-Grade ones in the Multi-Verse . However , their value was far higher on earth at the moment .

There was a desperate demand , but almost no supply . Zac knew that on a D-Grade world like theirs E-Grade crystals wouldn’t be anything special in a couple of years when the world had acclimatized and the crystals had been given time to grow . But for now they were extremely rare as the shops didn’t sell them .

Still , they would give a huge leveling boost for most people , and Zac expected their price to go far higher compared to what they were actually worth . He was quickly proven right as the price increased to over a hundred thousand in no time , people desperately shouting out higher and higher prices .

110 000 , thank you B183 , - the auctioneer said , but barely had time to finish the sentence before the price increased again on the large monitor behind him .

Two hundred thousand , - the elder of the Marshall clan suddenly said , and the hall quickly stilled .

The crystals would no doubt be a big help to most , but they would at the best give two , perhaps three levels over a few days . Spending that much for saving two weeks of time , even less if the crystals were shared over multiple people , was a bit much for most people .

Two hundred and fifty thousand , - Ogras said with a grin while waving at the paddle at the old man .

That’s coming out of your own pocket , - Zac only said .

You have a thing or two to learn about auctions . You need to let people know you’re a force to be reckoned with . That you have more money than sense . That will discourage people from bidding against you , helping you save money . No one likes to lose a bidding war after all , - Ogras said with a low volume , clearly enjoying himself .

Three hundred thousand , - the old man responded with a snort .

The second thing to remember is to push up the prices for things you don’t need , especially if your biggest competitors are bidding , - he continued , and for once Calrin seemed to wholeheartedly agree .

An auction is not only a battle of wallets , it’s also about wits , - the gnome said .

People are stupid . Just thwonk rats for a week and you get as much energy , and you gain money , not lose it , - Billy muttered , and Zac had to agree as he threw a glance at the old man .

He knew that Thea Marshall was once on the top ten of the wealth ladder , and there actually were two more of the Marshall clan on the wealth ladder since some time ago . Still , three hundred thousand nexus coins was by no means a small amount of money , especially for just a few Nexus Crystals .

Certainly , he gained almost two levels from absorbing his own E-Grade Crystals , but those levels had very little impact on his power in general . Besides , he knew that it wasn’t a good idea to rely on crystals too much .

One of the requirements of advancing one’s class was achievements , and if you just sat at home continuously absorbing crystals you likely wouldn’t be able to upgrade to E-Rank , forcing you to risk your life in various mystic realms or the like .

Ogras didn’t bid any further and smilingly watched two guards bring the case to the old man , who just put it in a Cosmos Sack without looking further at the contents .

The auction continued , and to Zac’s disappointment it quickly became clear that the crystals were an opening salvo to increase the excitement as the following items were nowhere as good . Still , it gave Zac a very good insight into what people lacked and what was in surplus .

Weapons and gear were among the most common items to be put up in the auction , many of which being even worse than the standard regiment items the demons brought .

Zac learned some time ago that those weapons were things that the apprentices made , and most of the real soldiers of Clan Azh’Rezak bought their own , far superior , weapons as soon as they could . The reason so few brought strong weapons through the incursion , apart from Ogras and a few others , was that it cost money to do so .

To Zac’s surprise these items had no problem getting sold , and many of the weapons even created heated bidding wars . Of course none of the true powerhouses bid on these types of items , but they clearly held value to even warriors who were powerful enough to attend this kind of event . This made Zac redouble his desire to find capable craftsmen who could help his demon craftsmen quickly churn out a huge amount of items .

Various resources such as metals , woods , and herbs weren’t as popular , showing that the craftsman classes on earth were still in its infancy . Herbs were usually quite popular in the multi-verse , and skilled alchemists were amongst the wealthiest people around .

Calrin managed to snatch up one item after another , meeting little resistance in his bidding spree . However , he didn’t look overly excited , which told Zac that the materials weren’t too good .

Ogras also bid a bit , mostly to piss others off it seemed . However , he still bought a few things , mainly liquors from old Earth . They actually didn’t go cheap , and Zac was surprised to see the demand for fine spirits .

Perhaps Ogras was truly on to something when he spoke about finding brewers . He had a lot of land after all , and with the temperate climate and highly concentrated cosmic energy he’d have no problems growing either hops or grapes .

The process kept going for almost two hours , and Zac was starting to get bored . However , the Auctioneer stopped bringing out new items after selling off a beautiful bow to a woman in a back row .

This concludes the first half of our auction . I am happy that so many of you have found something of interest . We will take a short break for thirty minutes where refreshments will be served . The second half contains far fewer items , but I am sure that each and every one of them will astound you , - he said with a smile .

With that the doors at the back of the venue once again opened .

What paupers , nothing exciting for sale , - the demon sighed .

You still bought some things , - Zac said .

Just minor purchases to pass the time . Hopefully the second round will be more exciting , - he said , and the Sky Gnome could only nod .

Zac sighed as they walked out .

Is this type of activity common amongst humans? - the Zhix asked as they exited the hall .

Well , rich people did it a lot I suppose , - Zac said with some hesitation .

To be honest it was the first auction he personally attended as far as he could remember .

Excuse me , I need to look around a bit , - Zac said as he headed for a group at random .

For the next thirty minutes he went around the human groups , trying to find anyone who was close to the Undead Incursion . Of course , he wasn’t completely obvious , and instead brought up the topic of incursions , and asked whether any of them was close by to their home . He tried to make it look like he was looking for good spots to fight and gain levels .

If New Washingon was a bit to the west of the central area of the new continent , then the incursion was rather to the southeast . From the information he got from Julia the cultivators from Greenworth should be somewhere on the eastern side of the incursion , so that was where he needed to go next to look for his sister .

However , the results weren’t too promising , as no one was even close to where he wanted to go . Almost the whole intermission was spent going from party to party , forcefully inserting himself in the conversation to ask about their origins . Zac was starting to despair as the time for the break was almost running out .

But finally , as he accosted a stocky man with a greatsword on his back he actually hit jackpot .

Yes , we are quite close to the undead bastards , they really are a pain in the ass . Luckily there are a few frontier towns between us and the fallen areas where quite a few cultivators reside , making our town quite a bit safer , - the robust man said with a sigh .

Really? Which side of the incursion? - Zac asked , trying to hide his excitement .

The North side , - the man answered . - It’s lucky too . From what we’ve gathered the worst of their kind generally keep to the central area , but when they venture out they mostly head south or east . Huge Chinese and Indian cities in those directions , gives the wraith and liches many soldiers . -

I would like to make use of your teleporter in the future if possible . The undead hordes seem like an ideal spot to get stronger . I can pay quite generously for passage , - Zac said , trying to seem interested , but not overly so .

Ah . . That’s… A bit complicated , I can’t really promise anything , - the man said .

Complicated how? If there is someone else making those decisions can talk with them as well , - Zac said , burning with eagerness on the inside .

The man was just about to say something , but the speakers sounded , marking the end of the intermission .

Well , you will find out soon . Just stay behind after the auction . The government will make everything clear then , - the man said with a low voice .

Zac was confused but knew there was no point in trying to convince the man . He already knew the man’s face , so he would wait until after the auction to see what was going on . From the way he spoke it was connected to whatever the government was planning , the real reason they called this gathering .

Soon he found himself back at his seat . However , he wasn’t in any real mood to focus on the auction . He finally found a way to get to Kenzie . Even if the man’s town was on the north side Zac felt it wouldn't be a problem to push straight through the Incursion to the eastern side . If he pushed himself to its limit it shouldn’t take too long to traverse , even if it had grown quite huge . A week maybe , two at the most .

He was so consumed by his planning he didn’t really react to the curtains once again opening , and a person walking out on the stage . However , the exaggerated reaction of the demon next to him dragged him out of his musings . Ogras almost stood up in his seat , gaping at the scene .

Zac quickly looked at the stage and saw that the man from earlier had been replaced , and Zac actually knew this person . It was Emma MacHale , the movie star . She had starred in quite a few movies recently and was one of the hottest names before the integration happened . She was also one of Ogras’ favorites after having binged an unhealthy amount of movies .

Zac suddenly had a foreboding feeling as he looked over to see shadows gathering around the demon .

Chapter 135 - Mystery Stones

Zac’s hand gripped Ogras’ shoulder , firmly embedding the demon in his chair . During the past months Zac learned that the shadow-skills of the demon were not invincible and there were ways to counteract them .

For example , if he got hold of the demon and pushed out some cosmic energy through his hands the demon wouldn’t be able to turn into shadows and disappear . It was very convenient at a time like this when he clearly was up to no good .

Are you insane? - Zac wheezed out . - You will get yourself killed and me kicked out . For what? To meet an actress? -

You’re too hesitant all the time . Going around calling yourself Monk . Not wanting to make a scene . Being low-key . You’re a powerhouse , act like it . That’s Emma , from all the movies . This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity to court her . You shouldn’t be stopping me , you should be fighting me of who gets to take her back , - Ogras wheezed back , unfortunately loudly enough for the last sentence to be heard by a few of the closest people .

Zac cringed under the glares , but at least the demon seemed to have listened to him as he stopped trying to teleport up on the stage . In fact , he was wondering if the demon was correct . Not about the starlet , but about his demeanor . Both Billy and Thea were walking tall and proud , not hiding who they were . But he , the number one powerhouse of humanity , was still hiding around .

Displaying who he was might actually help him out in various ways . People would bend over backwards just to be able to make some connections with him and provide various types of support in the hope of becoming friends , or at least allies . Scrubs like the men earlier wouldn’t trouble him either , even if Ibtep started flipping them off .

However , Kenzie still held him back . He would stay incognito as long as he could . Honestly , after his actions in Greenworth the government should already have some pretty strong suspicions about his identity unless their information-gathering capabilities had turned to shit . But hopefully , they hadn’t found his real identity yet , which in a sense was even more important for him .

Whatever . There seems to be an important meeting after the auction . You can go flirt with her then , - Zac said .

A sweet voice echoing through the speakers cut their conversation short , and both turned their gazes back to the gorgeous woman on the stage .

Welcome all to the second half of the New World Government Auction . I am Emma MacHale , your new host , - she said and threw out a radiant smile .

The area erupted in cheers and whistles , and Zac could only shake his head when the demon joined in . Ogras had almost become addicted to the movies over the past months , and Zac wondered if he even remembered his promises about turning the movies into sellable items .

As my colleague said earlier there will be fewer items in this second half , but each and every one is a true treasure . At least we think so , since honestly we do not know exactly what some of the things for sale are! - the hostess said with a laugh .

Also , Thomas Fischer , the Mayor of New Washington will say a few words afterward , so please stay behind . It will definitely be information you don’t want to miss! -

It didn’t take long until the first item was rolled out , and to Zac's surprise he actually recognized it when a picture was shown on the large monitor . It was one of the entrance tickets to the Treasure Hunt that would take place in roughly two months .

Zac wasn’t surprised however to see a token come up for sale here . He wasn’t sure how many were awarded during the tutorial , but they shouldn’t be too rare if Selas was able to snag two of them . There surely were many who didn’t want to risk entering such a place , competing against both the environment and all the powerhouses , and instead chose to sell it for a profit .

You should all recognize this , the prize for the elites of the tutorial , an entrance ticket to the Treasure Hunt happening soon! Not much is known about it , apart from the fact there will be chances to gain both titles and rare treasures . Having a few extra friends to go with you might make all the difference . The starting price is 250 000 Nexus Coins or equivalent! -

It was a hefty sum , but it was clearly worth it for the forces who were planning on heading in .

Two hundred and fifty , - the guard next to the Marshals said .

Three hundred fifty! - a thundering exclamation came from billy .

Five hundred thousand , - Ogras shouted as well , surprising Zac .

Can you even use it? - Zac asked Ogras in a low voice , surprising him .

Why shouldn’t I? - he asked back .

Zac only fished out his own token from his bag and handed it over .

See if you can use it before you spend all your money , - he said .

The demon snatched the token up and fiddled with it a bit , a frown quickly forming on his face .

Is this a fake? - he warily asked .

Why would I have a fake? I got it on one of my excursions . I knew that only natives could go , - Zac answered with a roll of his eyes .

Bah , Ruthless Heavens indeed , - the demon muttered angrily as he threw back the token to Zac . - There should be some mystic realms opening soon in any case , who cares about your stupid treasure hunt . -

Mystic realms were something that covered all of the multi-verse . There were quite a few types of them , with everything from tombs of powerful warriors leaving an inheritance to mysterious zones created by aberrant energies .

The most common type though was spatial pocket realms that simply had been detached from a main dimension for some reason or another . Some of these realms were desolate wastelands , but others were pristine areas filled with various rare and precious materials .

It was quite a common thing for adventurers to make their living exploring mystic realms , hoping to either strike it rich or rack up enough experiences to help with breaking through their bottlenecks .

The Mystic Realms were usually accessed through finding soft spots , where the membrane between the main dimension and the mystic realm was at the weakest . At these spots one could place specific arrays whose job was to create stable portals through the dimensional barrier .

Finding a good Mystic Realm and claiming it could become a huge steady stream of income to a Clan or force . Some could be turned into training fields for armies , as long as there was a prolific species living inside . Others were even larger than planets , making it worthwhile for adventurers to keep heading through , as many treasures might still lie in wait .

The most sought after ones were those holding ruins from old civilizations . Many of the mystic realms came from quite highly ranked original worlds , such as A and B ranked continents . There needed to be quite a bit of energy involved for a whole section of a dimension to be ripped out and thrown into the folds between universes after all .

Usually the energy had mostly dissipated in the Mystic Realm , making the Cosmic Energy far scarcer compared to that of a real A-Rank continent , but if there was a civilization in the pocket realm the chance for finding a huge treasure was great . Any small gadget or information crystal from an ancient A-Grade civilization would be worth a fortune .

It didn’t take long until Billy snagged the tag for a whopping 1 Million Nexus coins . Actually , any time Billy started bidding on something there was simply no stopping him . He truly treated money like water , not caring in the slightest what the prices became . His confidante had tried to rein in his spending , but the giant had only laughed and called him stupid .

Following the first Token they actually sold another 4 of them , and they all sold in the same range . The Marshall clan was showing off its muscles , actually buying two of them . One went to an old man among the Ishiate , with the final one being sold to a hooded person in the back .

Next up we have a unique material an explorer found deep in a cave . It is not a metal that was previously found on earth , and it doesn’t conform to the laws of physics , - Emma said as a larger reinforced tray was rolled out .

It is only as large as a fist , but it weighs over two hundred kilos . More amazingly , its weight drastically changes depending on its temperature , and inside a fire it actually floats , - she said . - Perhaps a skilled craftsman can make something amazing out of this thing in the future . -

Zac thought it was an interesting item , but he was unsure how he personally would go about using it . Perhaps someone who used either fire- or ice-based attacks could somehow take advantage of its unique properties and creating some strong weapon .

Ten thousand , - Zac suddenly heard from his left and saw the Calrin holding up his paddle .

He was actually standing in the chair as to be seen , slouching on the backrest . However , Zac had gotten to know the gnome a bit over the past months and saw that the lackadaisical expression was mostly an illusion . He really wanted this stone .

Fifty thousand , - a voice in the back shouted , starting off the bidding in earnest .

The item was interesting , but not many people were willing to go too far in the bidding . Most likely knew that it might be valuable somehow in the future , even if they didn’t know how to utilize it today . But money was limited this early into the integration , and few were willing to spend hundreds of thousands on an investment that might give a return in the distant future .

Luckily for Calrin it seemed that Billy wasn’t interested in the stone , and he managed to secure it for 350 000 Nexus Coins . As soon as the tray came close the gnome bounced down from his chair and immediately put the stone into his Cosmos Sack after paying , and he couldn’t stop a grin from appearing as he walked back to his chair .

Congratulations my friend . Next item is another mystery stone , - Emma said with a wink . - This one might look like a normal stone , but it is anything but . Apart from being extremely hard it also emits a weird aura . It is hard to explain so we will show you . -

A stone about as large as a soccer ball was rolled out on another tray , but this time it was accompanied by a girl holding a vase with a normal flower in it . After the tray was placed at the usual spot for the items they simply placed the vase down next to it .

Everyone looked at the stone and the flower , unsure what was going on , but soon their eyebrows rose as the flower was wilting with a speed visible to the naked eye . Murmurs and exclamations erupted over the whole area , but Emma once again stepped forward .

As you can see the stone made the flower wilt . Actually , according to our scientists who have studied the stone it actually absorbs the life-force from the flower , rather than emitting some deadly radiation . In fact , it emits no radiation at all , which any Geiger-counter can testify to . And don’t worry , it is not able to absorb human lifeforce . At least not what we know . -

Zac barely listened to the explanation from the starlet , as he was preoccupied with something else . He was holding on to his cosmos sack with a frown on his face , unsure what was going on with Verun’s Bite] .

Even from inside his Cosmos Sack he could feel his axe throbbing with an almost palpable hunger .

Chapter 136 - Joint Ventures

The only explanation Zac could find to the weird behavior of his axe was that the stone in front of him was something it desired . He knew since long ago that it needed to absorb various materials to improve to E-Grade .

However , the only thing he’d found so far that it actually wanted to absorb was blood . And not any blood either , since it was completely uninterested in both the humans and the ants he’d killed since acquiring it . The only thing it had actually drunk was the supercharged mink in the forest .

He had tested various things that were lying around in Port Atwood but with no luck . Unfortunately different Spiritual Tools craved different materials , so there was no guide lying around . However , it seemed that at least some of the ingredients would need to be E-Ranked in order for it to upgrade , as that was the same with all Tools .

Zac had the money and decided to purchase the stone . Who knew when another chance would crop up . He surreptitiously glanced over at the Gnome , but he only slightly shook his head while looking unsure , indicating he didn’t know what the stone was .

One hundred thousand , - a voice from the back said , once again starting a bidding war .

It was a bit more heated this time , as perhaps the prospect of creating a weapon that could suck the lifeforce out of their enemies was quite intriguing .

One million , - a voice suddenly came from the front , quickly silencing the bidding .

It was Thea Marshal , holding up her paddle with an indifferent face . Zac frowned as he glanced over . She had just upped the bid by a whole 700 000 Nexus Coins , and it felt like she wanted to close it out .

One point one million , - Nigel said as he held the arm of Billy .

One point five , - Thea said as she threw a glance over at Nigel .

One point six , - Nigel followed up without hesitation .

Zac felt there currently were two possibilities . Either they both knew what the stone and its approximate value was , or they both received a clue in the same way that he did . That would mean the both of them had a Spiritual Tool . The felt that the first option was a bit unlikely , as there shouldn’t be anyone more knowledgable about precious metals compared to Calrin on Earth as of yet .

Since both were high rankers the second possibility was by no means impossible . The Tutorial gave out all kinds of good things , and these two were clearly at the top of the Tutorial . It seemed not only possible , but almost likely , that they were given proper weapons . And if it wasn’t from the tutorial , then perhaps from some sort of quest .

But if that was the case he felt it was a bit odd that all three weapons wanted the stone , as the weapon’s appetites should vary more than that . Perhaps it was something else , some sort of treasure that all tool spirits wanted . When he came to that conclusion he didn’t wait any longer and entered the fray .

Two million , - he said as he held up his paddle .

Two point five , - Thea answered after throwing a glare at him .

Three million , - Zac unhesitantly responded .

From there the bids started to get smaller , and at 4 million Billy dropped out with a disappointed sigh . However , Thea was adamant .

Five million Nexus Coins , - she said , now keeping constant baleful glare at Zac .

Six million , - Zac answered with a helpless smile , uncomfortably scratching the back of his head .

He finally found something that was quite valuable , and he had a huge amount of wealth at the moment . He might only have 17 million in pure Nexus Coins , but he also had mountains of crystals . He wasn’t first on the wealth ladder for nothing , while Thea had dropped down to the 17th spot recently .

When Zac reached six million she finally relented and sat back in her chair with an angry harrumph .

Wow , six million Nexus Coins . Congratulations to the handsome Mr . Monk on the front row , - Emma said with a wink , seemingly unaffected by the tense atmosphere .

As the tray with the stone was rolled toward Zac various murmurs erupted through the hall . Zac felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up after being stared at by hundreds of people , but it couldn’t be helped . Six million for a stone was beyond extravagant , and by far the largest bid so far in the auction .

What the hell , why does she know you? - Ogras suddenly asked from next to him with a glare , obviously referring to the movie star .

How should I know? She works for the government , they might have told her , - Zac said with a shrug .

He quickly put the stone into a different pouch than the one that held Verun’s bite . Zac wasn’t sure if something odd would happen if he brought them together , and wanted to wait until he was back on the island .

The items kept coming out one by one , and quite a few were natural oddities . There were various roots and flowers , stones and metals . It seemed that the Government had put everything they found that was weird and without an apparent use in the second half of the auction , hoping to at least make some money .

The interest was quite weak , apart from a few groups who bid a surprising amount . There was one group of people that sat a few rows behind that bid on many of the various plants . Zac guessed that they had an alchemist in their ranks , or at least an apothecary or herbalist .

The modern Ishiate bid for many of the metals , perhaps wanting to use them in metallurgy experiments . But the absolute foremost force in the bidding was Calrin , who flexed his muscles .

How are you actually paying for all this? - Zac finally had to ask after the gnome snatched his tenth item in the second half .

The Gnome had been destitute when he arrived on the island , and he shouldn’t have made enough profit from the demonic warriors to afford all these purchases , as the amount the spent was over ten million by now .

You are , of course . And the demon to a certain extent , - he said with a shrug .

WHAT? - both Zac and Ogras screamed , drawing quite a few glares by the people in the room .

You went in as external investors in The Thayer Consortia . When we spend money you spend money . See it as a cash infusion into your business , - he said with a widening smile . - I’m on your planet as a mercantile business owner . I’m not allowed to spend my own money on business ventures , since us merchants are usually wealthy enough to destroy the economy of a baby planet . If you didn’t enter as co-owners I would never be able to get this quest . -

Zac was having a bad feeling and quickly brought up his status screen .

He immediately turned back to the gnome , ready to strangle the little bastard . Eight million Nexus Coins were missing apart from those he spent himself .

Ogras wasn’t looking much better , even though he should’ve only lost two million or so .

YOU LITTLE BASTARD! - he roared , completely ignoring the guns that were suddenly pointing at them from the balconies .

Roar completely stopped the auction , and Emma backed away a few steps , warily looking at Zac’s party .

You better cough up my money real quick or I’ll poke you full of holes you greedy little shit , - he growled as the shadows beneath them were starting to shudder .

You brutes , don’t bring attention to us . Why do you think I’m buying all these things? To make money . My quest is to make a profit , not a loss , you imbeciles . Just smile and open your wallets , and we will all walk away happy men , - he said , not caring in the slightest about the frothing demon .

You know Port Atwood’s situation . You can’t spend an endless amount of money , - Zac said with a glare , having no intention of stopping Ogras this time .

The gnome had gone crazy with greed and was using their money to satiate it .

You still have all the things you prepared for the ants , right? - he protested , but still looked a bit deflated from having both Zac and Ogras stare down at him .

Fine , fine . I’m sorry , ok? Write down a spending limit and I’ll stick to it! - he said as he handed over a paper .

Zac once again felt the veins on his forehead throb when he saw that the gnome had already written seven zeroes on the note , and Zac unhesitantly scribbled over the last one to the Calrin's dismay . As they were arguing a man in a suit walked up on the stage with a microphone .

Gentlemen , please remember the rules of the auction . This is your first and only warning , - he said with a somber expression .

Sorry sorry . How about I take Miss Emma out for dinner to show my contrition? - the demon said as he smoothed his hair and shot off a winning smile .

The hall immediately exploded on boos and demands to throw them out , but Emma only smiled in response .

I don’t know , judging by the bidding your blue little friend is the one to go to dinner with . He seems quite generous , - she said wiat ha wink .

The comment made Calrin proudly stretch his back , and even Zac couldn’t stop himself from smacking the gnome in the back of his head .

It’s easy to be generous with other’s money , - he muttered in a low volume . - Five million , that’s your limit . And I expect to make quite some profit from your escapades . Otherwise , I’ll hand you over to Ogras . -

With that the auction continued and kept going unimpeded . Zac hade somewhat large hopes that the final items would be something exciting , but was disappointed to see that they were high-grade gear . He had hoped that there would be some stat or Dao-improving fruits for sale , but Zac guessed that they wouldn’t go on sale even if the Government had them .

Of course , the others in the audience didn’t have the same reaction , as there were harsh bidding wars for the last pieces of items . None of the items were Spiritual Tools though , but Zac felt it wasn’t anything odd . Any truly good piece wouldn’t be put up on auction this early into the integration , and in general he was actually surprised the government was willing to part ways with so many interesting items .

Perhaps it could be considered a display of power as well , the capability to sell so many treasures . In addition they made quite a bit of money , and the total value of all the items in the auction should approach almost 70 or 80 million .

With that amount of Nexus Coins they could do some quite large upgrades to New Washington , provided they had unlocked enough options in their Nexus Node .

As for this final item of the evening , I present to you the Sword of Storms] an E-Rank sword fitting both wind and water cultivators , - she said .

Sap Trang looked quite interested for a bit but soon shook his head .

You want it? - Zac asked as he looked over

Thank you , but no . It is a fine weapon , but sword fighting isn’t really the point of my class in the end , - he said .

The Marshall Family didn’t seem interested either , and in the end it went to a strong-looking cultivator for the whopping price of 2 500 000 Nexus Coins .

Thank you all for coming and bidding today! I hope to see you all again at our next event . With this I give you Thomas Fischer , - Emma said as she quickly left the stage followed by applause and hooting .

Thomas Fischer came up to the stage soon after and was followed by multiple officials who stood in a row behind him . Zac recognized Julia , but the rest were unknown to him .

Welcome all . I have already had the pleasure of meeting many of you , but for those who do not know me , I am Thomas Fischer , the leader of New Washington . I was once the Deputy Secretary of Defense for the American Government , but today I stand before you as a representative for The New World Government .

The arrival of the System and the Incursions have resulted in extreme upheaval to our society , and I am sad to say that there are only approximately 1 . 5 billion humans left on Earth , - Thomas began .

Six Billion . Over six billion dead in just above 5 months . Every day our brothers and sisters fall due to either the harsh environment we have been thrown into , or the invaders who aim to take our land for their own , - he continued , somberly looking over the subdued audience .

It is time for humanity to unite . -

Chapter 137 - Clearing the Air

The beginning of Thomas Fischer’s speech created a subdued silence in the whole venue . Even Zac was a bit shocked at the numbers . He knew that the Undead Incursion had done a number on both India and China , the two most populous countries before the fall , but that wasn’t enough to explain that amount of casualties .

Six billion lives lost , which meant that only twenty percent was still alive after less than half a year . And Zac knew that the world wasn’t done with its transformation . There were still barely any E-Ranked monsters roaming about , which would change sooner or later .

The new planet Was graded D-Ranked in both mass and energy by the System , meaning that it would be able to sustain D-Rank powerhouses and beasts . There was one small solace in the fact that the animals were getting stronger though . As monsters evolved they became smarter and created their own societies in a sense .

They wouldn’t go randomly attacking settlements , especially not if they knew it was guarded by arrays or powerhouses . Of course , that was predicated on there actually being those kinds of defenses , otherwise the town would be fair game .

We will take a short break in just a minute . After we reconvene we will go through all the information we have gathered about the incursions and the foreign invaders . There will be much exclusive intelligence there , and I urge everyone to stay behind and listen . It will not only help with your survival in the future , but it might also help with your path to power . For this part everyone here will be welcome to participate , as we’re all together in the fight against the incursions , - Thomas continued .

After that we will focus on the organization of humanity . This part will have little information of value for our Ishiate friends , so we have prepared a separate venue for you at that point . Waiting for you there are representatives of The New World Government’s information branch , who will do their best in helping you locate your brethren across the world . -

I hope to see you all again in a bit . Thank you for your attention . -

As he finished the lights once again brightened , and people began to stream out . However , just as Zac and the others made to leave as well an official ran up to their group .

Excuse me . Mr . Fischer would like to have a word with your group if you’re available , - he quickly said .

Zac just shrugged and followed the man , the others in his group following in tow . They were left to an area backstage , where Thomas and a few other officials waited .

Mr . Monk , it is good to see you again . I want to thank you once again for the information you provided us the last time . It will be a huge asset to the coming war efforts of humanity , - he said with a smile . - These people with me here are representatives of other major hubs of the New World Government . -

Johana Yakovna , - a somber lady in her fifties said . - Former Russia and Eastern Europe , -

Francis Girardot , France , - a man in his sixties said with a slight frown .

Asano Kobo , Japan . Pleased to meet you , - an Asian man said .

Soon all of them had presented themselves , and even Zac felt a bit intimidated to stand in front of so many of the world’s leaders .

What’s on your mind? - Zac asked .

We know about the Zhix , but the identity of the two others is cause for concern , - the Russian delegate said , not mincing her words .

How’s so? - Zac asked , having a sinking feeling .

You should know as well as us that there have been no sightings for anywhere else of these species , - another delegate continued . - Their origins are suspect . There is belief that they might be alien infiltrators . -

Oh? Wouldn’t that make this a prime opportunity for us to kill you all and create some chaos? - Ogras answered with a grin , making a few of the delegates flinch .

Ogras is just joking , - Zac quickly said , and added with a glare at the demon . - But he’s not very funny . -

I am Calrin Thayer of the Thayer Consortia , - the gnome quickly said as he stepped forward . - Your eyes are astute , as expected of the people at the forefront of this newly integrated world . -

You are correct , I am not of this world . I came here to Earth when Port Atwood bought a shop from our Consortia . I am here on a mercantile Visa so to speak . Here is my proof , you should know what these Mercantile Licenses are from the tutorial , - the Sky Gnome continued as a golden glowing parchment appeared floating over his hand .

I am no threat to humanity or any other Native race . I can’t buy land , conquer towns , or even attack anyone . The system bars me from doing anything detrimental to this planet . However , what I can do is offer you an offer of a lifetime . Aren’t you tired of the high prices of the System-run stores?

This is a great opportunity for you to take a lead compared to other towns . While others pay 70 Nexus Coins for a Nexus Crystal , you would only pay a measly 60 in our stores . In fact , our rates are better on almost all materials and treasures , and we even stock various things that never are available in the general stores , - Calrin animatedly continued . - Your forces could save millions! -

The merchant’s little pitch actually garnered some interest as a few of the delegates actually looked tempted . Zac was actually hoping it would work , as a few branch stores would boost his revenue by quite a bit .

That doesn’t explain the devilman , - an Italian delegate said with a frown , actually holding a rosary in his hands .

That brought the delegates back from their own scheming , but many still threw glances at the small gnome who stood next to Zac with a smiling face . Zac could understand them , as he knew how difficult it was to get a real mercantile force to build a shop in your town .

Perhaps if you were a leader of a flourishing town on a C or B Ranked planet many consortia would fight for the opportunity , but at this point in time , the investment cost for the companies was just too high .

The invading forces are banned from using Arrays for a while longer . They wouldn’t be able to use a teleporter , but Ogras clearly came with us through the array , - Zac said , signaling Ogras to not make things worse . - Isn’t that proof enough he’s not an invader? -

Yes , we did read about that in the information missive you provided , and it seems to match our own observations . However , while we haven’t seen any invading forces make use of arrays as of yet it doesn’t mean there aren’t workarounds . We simply cannot verify it . -

Zac frowned as he looked at the delegates , going over their words once again and came to an infuriating conclusion .

You are implying that Port Atwood is consorting with the invaders , helping them against their fellow humans , - Zac said , a fit of smoldering anger starting to burn .

It wouldn’t be too surprising that some people would betray their race to benefit themselves , - Francis said . - Your faction is simply suspect , as no one has been able to verify it even exists , even after weeks of searching and asking around . -

Enough was enough . Zac felt that Ogras was right , there was a limit to staying low , and sometimes it caused more trouble than it was worth . There was likely no one who had done as much for humanity as him .

Not only had he already closed an incursion , he had also provided vital intelligence . But even though he had been constantly fighting since the integration he was looked at like he was a traitor , by some bureaucrats who hid behind their armies no less .

Zac’s towering aura was released like floodgates , drowning the whole group of politicians . Gasps and groans escaped from their mouths , and a few even fell down on the ground . Only a few could remain standing , Thomas Fisher being one of them . But even he paled noticeably from the pressure of Zac’s aura .

You think I am a traitor , trying to learn your strategies and plans? Don’t flatter yourselves . Ogras was right about one thing . If I was an enemy of humanity I would simply kill you all and seize control of New Washington . There is nothing you can do to stop me . But you want proof? Fine . -

With a wave of his hand his aura disappeared and instead a prompt was summoned and hovered in front of the group .

Planetary Aegis : First to stop an incursion in world . Reward : All stats +5 , all stats +5%

You want to know how I am so strong? How we knew so much about the incursions? Port Atwood has been fighting tooth and nail since day one of the integration . The information missive you received was taken from one of the invaders , - Zac growled .

The delegates who were on the floor from Zac’s forceful aura embarrassedly climbed to their feet , and was shocked when they saw the Title screen hovering in front of them . There simply was no way to fake a System-run screen , as the System itself disallowed it . And his title was ironclad proof he had fought against the invaders , not for them .

We have done our part . We have even defeated an incursion , and now we’re in the process of brokering peace with the Zhix in order to benefit all humanity . Port Atwood is standing on the forefront protecting humanity , - Zac said as he glared at the delegates .

I was shocked to hear that all of you together hadn’t managed to destroy a single incursion while our small force was able to do it . Perhaps it is time you started get a move on instead of playing politics . -

His outburst had various effects on the people present . Ogras only grinned , looking very much in favor of his actions , whereas Calrin looked sick . Zac could only assume the gnome was fearing his sales pitch from earlier was for naught now .

The delegates ranged from angered to embarrassed , with a few looking at the screen thoughtfully . Thomas Fischer only sighed and shook his head .

I am sorry about my colleagues’ words Mr . Monk , - he said with a contrite face . - We simply needed to make sure about your allegiance . If our plans for the future were exposed , it would risk them not working , which would impact all of humanity . We have been fighting the incursions on multiple fronts for months , and honestly it is a losing battle . -

Zac frowned as he listened intently .

They are gaining power quicker than we are . After reading your information package we learned the reason is that they are far stronger than us from the start , and simply temporarily limited by the System .

We believe that the longer things drag on , the harder it will be to expel the forces . Some of our analysts even believe that unless we defeat them within the year then humanity is doomed . This is why we called so many forces here today . -

Zac sighed as he had calmed down by now . He regretted his little outburst either . Not because he acted like a brute , but because he might have given out too much information just to defend himself . He quickly realized that showing the title would have been enough , but he got angered into releasing his aura .

But your victory gives us hope that our mission is doable . We hope we can rely on your power and expertise in the coming months , and together rid this planet of the invaders , - Asano added from behind Thomas .

Port Atwood will do what we can in the war efforts , but we have our own things we are dealing with as well . So we can’t promise any specifics . And also I’m sorry to rain on your parade , but the Incursions isn’t our only problem , - Zac said , feeling tired .

Oh? What do you mean? - Thomas asked with a frown .

Ibtep , please explain to these people about the Dominators , - Zac said as he turned to the Zhix who had stood by silently until now .

The Zhix ambassador took a step forward , obviously prepared , and without preamble started explaining the situation and history of the Zhix . The delegates seemed slightly intrigued by hearing about the history of the Zhix , but when they learned that the Zhix homeworld actually possessed cultivators even before the integration they started frowning .

When Iptep showed them the level of the one who called itself - Inevitability - , they were completely pale .

Chapter 138 - Consequences

Those assholes , Thea thought as she moved back and forth .

Analyze them , - Henry said as he looked at Thea .

They’re assholes , - she only muttered as she kept pacing about .

Thea , - the old man said with some reproach in his voice .

She rolled her eyes but took the exercise seriously this time . She knew that her grandfather wouldn’t stop until she gave a satisfying answer . Some things hadn’t changed just because the world ended after all .

The monk is very strong . He beat up those people without breaking a sweat . The demon is also strong . I barely had time to react before John’s leg was pierced . Are you OK by the way? - she said as she turned to their guardian .

I am fine my lady , with the help of the pill I will have no problem fighting , - John quickly assured her .

Focus , - Henry reproached .

Well , they are also rich . They spent even more than we did , - she said , still feeling a bit peeved as she remembered that monk's stupid face as he kept increasing the bid .

She didn’t know what that stone had been , but her Petalstorm] craved it . But with the family’s operation underway she had handed over much of her wealth , and she really hadn’t expected to need such an amount of money in the short run . Who knew those useless bureaucrats of the New World Government would actually have good things to sell?

You’ve listed things that anyone with eyes could see . Focus , what happened in your altercation with the demon? - Henry said , obviously not satisfied with her performance .

Thea stopped pacing about and thought back to that moment . She had directed one of her petals to nick the throat of the glib demon , putting him in his place . She hadn’t been ready for the shameless response and still felt a bit flustered the tactic . She knew the question the demon asked was rhetoric , but she wondered what the answer was .

Would she have been able to kill the demon before grandpa and John died? Thea quickly refocused , knowing her grandfather was expecting an answer . She went over the whole incident , focusing on every action and every facial expression of the members of the odd group .

They weren’t afraid , - she blurted out with a start .

Good . Continue , - Henry Marshall nodded with a small smile .

The demon called it - a little pre-auction fun’ , and while he was mostly joking he did truly not seem to take the situation too seriously . The monk seemed worried , but about the wrong things . He seemed afraid that the demon would actually hurt us , rather than me hurting them . All in all , he seemed more annoyed than anything else , - she continued with a frown .

What does this mean? - Henry urged her on .

Neither the monk nor the demon really saw us , or me , as a threat . Ignorance can’t explain it , as they clearly knew of our identity . The same can be said for their whole group , only the old Asian man seemed worried , but he was clearly just a weakling . They believe the demon is stronger than me , even though my third spot on the power list . -

What was the power dynamic between the Monk and the Demon? - her grandfather asked , switching the line of questioning .

Friends . No , wait , - she said as she frowned a bit . - The demon acted out two times , both times he stopped after the Monk intervened . It might not be official , but the Monk is in the dominant position . -

Good . Revisit the earlier question , - the old man said .

Thea stopped for a few seconds and went over her earlier line of reasoning .

The demon might believe himself stronger , or at least equal to me . But judging from his personality he would not take orders from a weakling , so the Monk should be at least as strong as the demon , - she said , her eyes widening in realization . - The whole group believes that not only the demon , but even the Monk can defeat me . -

That was an uncomfortable realization . She hadn’t stopped pushing herself for a second since the start . She’d even actually underwent with the suicide mission and assassinated the incursion leaders , which made her clan's current advances possible .

Anytime she walked the streets she was met with fear or reverence . She didn’t care about all that , but the fact that she was looked down upon after all her struggles was quite maddening .

Excellent . Remember , a small glance or an innocent conversation can expose far more than was intended . Everything has causes and consequences . That’s why it’s important to always act in a measured and deliberate manner . But you still are missing details , - Henry said .

You seem to consider the demon an impulsive character , your opinion perhaps discolored by preconceived notions of what a demon should be like . I see the creature as a planning schemer hiding behind a guise . Just like we gained valuable information from the exchange , so did they .

Your time in the wilderness has made you extremely strong , but your actions have become unnecessarily simplistic . If you remembered your old lessons you would have gained information without giving any up , - Henry continued , and it looked like he was gearing up for another sermon .

Luckily for Thea he was interrupted by an extremely dangerous feeling erupting from something in the area .

It was as though a monster had been released in the Opera House , making even Thea’s neck-hair stand on end . Even the invisible petals of her weapon started shivering as they danced around her .

It seems the New World Government angered the Super Brother-Man . Causes and consequences , - Henry said with a small smile as he looked in the direction of the ominous feeling .

What do you all think? - Thomas said as he looked at the group .

Many of the delegates still looked a bit frazzled from the earlier encounter . Thomas couldn’t really blame them , as there was a huge amount of adrenaline coursing through his vein at this very moment .

It was one thing to read a name on some ladder , and a whole other thing to be confronted by the very power that the list represent . The first spot on the power ladder wasn’t for show , and Thomas didn’t doubt for a second that the Super Brother-Man could make good on his threats if he wished .

They might be able to take him down in the end with concentrated focus-fire , but not before he’d killed all of them .

He could become a great asset . He has already shown goodwill with the information crystal , - Asano Kobo said hesitantly .

It’s too dangerous . We can’t have such a person running lose , - the French representative said with a frown .

How would we stop him? He would simply kill us if we tried to interfere , - Johana retorted .

He wouldn’t be an asset if we can’t control him . We would be running the risk of setting up a global network , only for him to swoop in and crown himself king , - the french delegate added .

Is there anything we know about him? You have met him before Thomas . What have you found out? -

We have strong reason to believe he is American , and has some connection to the town Greenworth . It was one of the towns he asked about when he arrived at New Washington the first time , and he immediately rushed there after visiting an information broker , - Thomas began narrating .

Not long after he arrived at Greenworth he massacred the whole leadership of the town and erected a large monolith in a graveyard . Our hypothesis is that the cultivators who took control of Greenworth killed someone close to him , and he killed them all in revenge . Unfortunately , we have no way to find out exactly who were killed by the cultivators .

We have been asking around as much as possible , but information is sparse , and our government workers have some trouble with cooperation as our last representative ruined our reputation a bit . We have also been showing a picture of Monk to citizens of Greenworth in hopes that he would be recognized by someone . Still , we haven’t had any luck .

There is one more morsel of information . I just received a report that Mr . Monk went around asking parties where their cities were located . When he found out that Mr . Bernard’s town was close to the Undead Incursion he tried to broker a deal to use their teleporter . -

How is this important information? - Johana asked .

One of Greenworth’s cultivator groups were dropped off close-by to that location . Mr . Monk might be trying to locate someone important to him that might be in that group , - Thomas said .

You’re saying we should capture his friends or family? - the Japanese delegate asked with a frown . - That seems to be playing with fire . -

For now we should focus on locating them , and from there try to extrapolate Mr . Monk’s identity . We already believe that his town’s name should be named after himself , and that him saying the town is run by a council largely a lie in order to keep his persona hidden . So if we find an Atwood in the cultivator group we can almost identify him for sure , - Thomas said .

And then what? - a delegate asked .

See if we can place or make use of someone close to his inner circle . We would then gain a great asset , both for intelligence , and if needed , covert action . -

I believe he will be instrumental in fighting off the incursions . You all know how bad it looks . If we can push him to the frontlines we would have a far better chance of succeeding , - he added .

And after that? - a delegate asked worriedly .

After that we don’t need that kind of trouble in our backyard , - Johanna said with a steely expression , and Thomas made no efforts to refute her .

I am not sure about this . I want wealth as much as the next guy , but you need to be alive to enjoy it , - Davon said with hesitation .

It will be fine as long as we are careful and plan everything out , - Red retorted with a sneer . - Remember , it wouldn’t be the first ranker we killed . -

Still , that guy looks seems pretty strong . I get the goosebumps just thinking about him . He clobbered those poor bastards like they were just some target practice . Didn’t even break a sweat , -

He isn’t an immortal or god just because he can clobber some people . His head will still explode from a high caliber sniper round . No one is powerful enough to survive the strongest old-world weapons yet , so this is a small window of opportunity before they get too strong . If we shoot a few rounds in a staggered manner no treasure or skill will be able to protect him , -

His companions will be scrambling for safety , giving Ricky the opportunity to snatch the body and disappear , - Dany added .

He easily dropped 6 million on a stupid rock , who knows how much stuff he has in is Cosmos Sack , - Red sed enticingly , and even those hesitating couldn’t help nodding .

We’ll skip the last part of the government stuff , and set up our trap instead . We’ll go with the same setup as the last time , you all know what to do? -

The small group of eight somberly nodded .

Good . In a few hours we’ll be filthy rich . -

Good job standing guard over the boss for so long , - Alea said with a smile as she handed Namys a cup of tea .

It is my duty . Our duty , you would do well to remember . I have seen you cavort with the human . Never forget it was Lord Ogras who brought us out of misery and provided us a place in the multiverse , - Namys tersely responded , but still accepted the cup .

Alea slightly smiled as she sat down next to the scarred demoness in the small gazebo at the outskirts of the town .

I truly miss the crimson skies . Looking up at this endless blue makes me feel that I’m continuously walking through a dream , or that I am stuck in one of Janos’ illusions , - Alea said with a sigh as she took a sip of her own cup .

Lord Ogras will bring us home in glory someday after he’s taken control of this planet . We’ll show Clan Azh’Rezak who their true leader is . Either they will bend the knee or they will perish , - Namys answered , a fanatic sheen glimmering in eyes .

Alea glanced over with some sadness in her eyes and sighed again .

I remember when I was a child in the slums of Ter’Ferizan . My mother was a prostitute , and who knows who my dad is . Mom always resented me since I came in the way of her business as she saw it . - Stole her youth’ she called it . She beat me , abused me , and forced me to beg for food just to survive .

Still I adored her , and I always felt she was the most beautiful person in the world as she donned her beautiful dresses and make-up for work . She was perfect in my eyes , and I was the one in the wrong , - Alea said , her eyes moistening as she looked at her sister of over twenty years .

What are you talking about? Wh . . - Namys asked , her words slurring a bit at the end .

I am talking about the fact that strong emotions such as love or devotion can create an image of reality , even though reality might be different . You see Ogras as the dashing scion of clan Azh’Rezak who once saved you , and will once again reclaim his place as the leader of us demonkind . From there he will walk the time tested path to become a true Arch Demon . -

But haven’t you seen? He’s changed . He’s found solace and happiness as he cut his ties to Clan Azh’Rezak . Returning back home is the last thing on his mind , as this is truly his home now . But you have been walking around trying to get Ilvere and Janos to help you assassinating Lord Zac , unheeding of the fact that you are actually trying to destroy Ogras’ sanctuary . We tried talking you out of it but you were too adamant , - Alea said as she looked sadly on Namys who was slumping down in her chair . - Something needed to be done . -

Wh . . how . . ? Lord Ogras . . avenge… - was the last words that escaped Namys’ mouth as her eyes glazed over and she exhaled her last breath .

The carriage will not move forward if one of thewheels is aligned in the wrong direction , - Alea said , her eyes reddening . - Silly girl , do you think I would kill you unless I was ordered to? -

Chapter 139 - Heaviness

Feels good , doesn’t it? -

Zac was interrupted from his brooding and looked over at the grinning demon . The two were currently sitting in a secluded group of sofas , and the heavy atmosphere kept any curious onlooker far away .

I think I might have shown too much of myself , - Zac said with a sigh .

Zac looked at Ogras for a second and shook his head ruefully .

I have a little sister . I believe I have found her whereabouts , but I am afraid that my identity is exposed , and they will use her to get to me . -

Since the beginning he hadn’t really told the demons anything about himself , and he hadn’t even explained why he wanted to keep going on excursions through the teleporter . He was afraid of the same thing he was now , that someone would use his family to get to him . But he was running out of ideas , and Ogras usually had some methods up his sleeves .

To Zac’s surprise , he saw that the demon had turned uncharacteristically serious as he looked at him .

The Undead Incursion? - Ogras asked with a somber face .

In a town close by , - Zac nodded .

You need to find someone who has a teleporter in the area , - Ogras mused

I did , but there seems to be some problem , - Zac said and retold the conversation with the stocky man .

I think I know what’s going on , but we’ll find out for sure in a bit , - Ogras said . - However , I have an idea that will ensure it doesn’t matter what little schemes those politicians have . -

Oh? - Zac said with some hope .

Ogras took out two glass vials from his pouch and threw them over to Zac .

The black vial contains a poison pill called Ten Steps to Hell] . If ingested the victim will wake up every night with searing pain in his chest , as though as his lungs are on fire . Every night for ten nights the pain will keep getting worse . On the tenth night you will die . It is extremely painful , and only the most skilled E-Ranked healers would be able to treat it . It should be incurable on this baby planet , - Ogras said with a sinister grin .

How does this help me? - Zac frowned .

The other vial contains the antidote , - Ogras explained . - Feed the poison to the man with the portal . Tell him to open the portal in 9 nights . You promise you will give him the antidote when you arrive in his town . If you do or not is up to you . He might try to heal himself , but it will fail . The inevitable pain every night will be a painful reminder to comply unless he wants to die . -

Zac blankly stared down at the two small bottles in his hands , hesitant at what to do . He felt that if he actually went through with this he would be stepping over some sort of threshold , arriving at a place where anything goes . The owner of the town by the undead incursion hadn’t done anything wrong , and this poison sounded like something horrifying to be subjected to .

Then again , it might be his only means to reach his sister . The more he thought about it the more he felt that he had left a trail of breadcrumbs that lead right to his identity . He remembered the feeling of walking through the park filled with unmarked graves , his father’s one of them .

Zac's eyes hardened and he put the two bottles into his pouch , which made a small smile emerge on Ogras’ face . If he had to become a villain to make sure his sister was alright , then so be it .

Thank you . I will use these if I see no other option . What do you want in return? - Zac asked .

He was quite clear about the demon’s personality , where everything was weighted in benefits .

Let’s just say you owe me one , - the demon said with a small smile .

Sigh , fine . Now can you tell me what your actions were about in there? And don’t tell me it was pre-auction joking around again . -

Aren’t you getting more astute? From what I’ve gathered she is an elite from a well-established clan on this world . This Marshall Clan will be one of our biggest competitors for the dominion of Earth , provided we don’t get slaughtered by the invaders or these so-called Dominators , - Ogras said , his face turning serious .

You were busy shrinking away from her glares , so I had to do something . We needed information about her powers and temperament . The returns were above expectations , - he continued .

How was you getting your throat slit and us ruining our relation count as good returns? And I have no interest in world dominion - Zac frowned .

You need to think deeper , because other people are . Even if you say you don’t care , who would believe you? Your very existence is a threat to anyone trying to unify this planet . Unless you stop progressing and become mediocre you will be forced into conflict , no matter what you want , - the demon snorted .

And we gained a lot of information about Thea Marshal . For one , we know she has a bit of a short fuse . She could have just ignored me , but she didn’t . Such a thing can always be exploited in the future . We also know that her family is a liability for her . When I attacked that man she clearly got frantic but tried to hide it under a guise of disdain , - Ogras said .

Zac was surprised , as he’d only seen the exchange as an embarrassing diversion from the auction .

It seems the Marshall clan is quite large , which is a huge liability for a caring powerhouse . Having a large group of weak people to protect acts like an anchor , tying you down . Finally , we learned a bit about her method of attacks , - he concluded .

Oh , you figured out her trick? I couldn’t see what she did at all . - Zac asked .

I’m not completely sure , but I know for certain that it was a bladed attack . I’ve been cut enough times by various things to know the difference between a Dao , skill , and blade-cut . My belief is that she has one or multiple hovering bladed weapons out around her at all times , - he concluded .

You remember Rydel , that asshole? I think she’s doing the same thing with a sword or a few daggers , but through either the properties of the weapons themselves or through a skill they become invisible . She’s essentially creating a field of death around her , where a strike can come at any time . Quite a good method . A shame I wasn’t able to gauge her range , - Ogras concluded with a sigh .

Zac was stunned . Earlier he really regretted bringing the demon along , but by now he felt quite thankful that he actually did . He did not only provide a last-resort solution to get to Kenzie , he even helped him realize his mistakes as he scouted out his enemies .

What about almost kidnapping the movie star? Was that you wanting to gauge someone else’s reactions? - Zac changed the subject .

No that was just for me , - the demon said with a grin . - I haven’t given up yet , you should know . We should go rampage a bit , kill a few people . When she sees our powers she’ll be much more willing to come back with us . -

Zac snorted but didn’t say anything . He didn’t know why , but like the demon was a bit on edge about something since he left his seclusion . Perhaps his gains weren’t as good as he’d hoped , and he was a bit antsy . He’d explained his reasoning for accosting Thea , but at the same time it felt like the demon was simply trying to create trouble to take his mind off of other things .

It wasn’t the time to start digging into those murky waters . If it was related to the demon’s cultivation he would never be truthful , and they were neither close enough or drunk enough to have any sort of heart-to-heart about anything troubling . Besides , the demon wasn’t the only one with problems .

Various troubles and issues were whirling through Zac’s head as he closed his eyes for a bit as he lay back in the sofa . There was the issue of Port Atwood , how to ensure the safety and progress of his emerging island kingdom . The third wave was coming as well , and he still had no idea what he could expect .

There was the issue of New Washington and their shrewd politicians . It felt as though the situation was getting out of hand , and a schism was forming between himself and his fellow humans . He even felt more comfortable around demons and the Zhix ambassador than his own old countrymen by this point .

There was also the heaviest responsibility of finding Kenzie . The feeling as he stood in front of the newly erected gravestone was etched into his memory , and he would rather die than not live up to the promise .

The issues of the Incursions and Dominators were also a constant buzzing in the back of his head . Any other issues like those of Port Atwood , or even finding Kenzie , was all for naught unless something was done about these enemies . Time was running out and unless something changed the invaders would soon be too powerful to handle .

Felt he was weighted down by a mountain of responsibilities , and heaviness shrouded his mind . However , suddenly it was as though various scattered thoughts and impressions crystallized , and ordered themselves up into something structured .

Zac fell into a trance as he somehow felt connected to the universe . He’d pondered daily on the various facets of heaviness lately , and now it was as though the universe suddenly was showing him the answer sheet . His current emotions were actually represented in a small section of something far greater , and in another corner he sensed his original insights .

The Dao of Heaviness was a low tiered Dao , or a foundational Dao as Alyn called it , but the vastness of that he sensed was extraordinary . He desperately tried to imprint the impression of it , but it was as though almost all of it slipped through his fingers . He managed to absorb some small snippets that were related to the emotional heaviness that he’d felt lately at least , and it seamlessly integrated into the fractal axe in his mind .

The dark color of the Heaviness-imbued half of the axe got deeper , and it radiated a stronger aura than before . Still , it was nowhere near the vastness he just felt .

He opened his eyes , only to see Ogras’ face plastered just centimeters from him .

What the hell are you doing? - Zac asked with some trepidation .

God damn it , did you just have an epiphany? Just disgusting , - Ogras said with a frown as he moved back , and even the little merchant who had appeared from nowere sitting closeby threw an envious glance at him .

Why were you so close that you almost straddled me though? - Zac asked with a weird look .

Don’t flatter yourself . I was trying to sense anything to get some hints of how to get an epiphany of my own . Since your Dao Seeds are low leveled I needed to get closer to sense the fluctuations , - the demon spat .

Did you find out anything? - Zac asked curiously .

No , it was just a chaotic jumble . No idea how to get anything useful from that , - the demon answered with a grimace .

So , what did you upgrade? -

Zac didn’t answer , instead opening his menu with a smile .

Chapter 140 - Dao Seeds

He let the demon stay curious as he looked at his current status .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

54

Class

Hatchetman (F)

Race

Human (E)

Alignment

Human (Earth)

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher

Dao

Seed of Heaviness - Middle , Seed of Trees - Early , Seed of Sharpness - Early

Strength

287

Dexterity

144

Endurance

187

Vitality

109

Intelligence

69

Wisdom

64

Luck

77

Free Points

0

Nexus Coins

308 353

Zac could only grimace as he saw his Nexus Coins . He had felt extremely wealthy when he possessed over twenty million coins and went to buy the four Creator vessels , but in just a few hours he’d spent around 17 million with the help of the insatiable little merchant . He couldn’t help but glare at the Sky Gnome , who studiously examined the roof after seeing Zac’s face .

Zac knew that he would benefit from it in the end unless the gnome messed up badly , but it still left a bad taste in his mouth . Together with the expenditure of the boats he was almost completely tapped out . Of course , he could convert some of his Nexus Crystals to quickly gain back what he spent and more , so he wasn’t too worried .

Next , he opened up his Dao window to see how it looked .

Heaviness Middle Strength +15 , Endurance +10 , Wisdom +5

Sharpness Early Dexterity +10 , Intelligence +5

Trees Early Endurance +5 , Vitality +10

The total attribute reward from the Dao Seed had only doubled but he knew that would be the case , so he wasn’t disappointed . The reward would keep doubling at Late , then Peak Mastery . Finally it would get a large boost if it was evolved or fused . This time he was given +5 Strength , +5 Endurance and +5 Wisdom , likely due to the psychological aspect of the heaviness he gained insight into .

Then again , the extra attributes were only a small bonus from the system . The main boosts came from the usage in battle . Adding the force of a middle-ranked Dao Seed compared to an early would be quite a boost .

And that wasn’t even all . Zac looked over at the demon and with a small smile unleashed his Dao .

Urh… What the hell? - Ogras said , with a face looking like he’d just bitten into a lemon . - What’s up with your Dao of Heaviness? -

It was the Dao Field he finally was able to emit . It looked like he could only extend it a bit over two meters , but that would improve with time . At the same time , two meters was all that was needed in a melee confrontation .

I just added the aspect of Heaviness I gained from my insights , - Zac said .

So weird . You chose emotional heaviness? Don’t get too maudlin and go killing yourself , ok? But I have to admit it is a pretty interesting addition to your Dao Seed . It will even serve as a mental attack apart from a normal restriction if you hit someone with your Dao Field in the middle of battle , - Ogras mused .

Everyone’s Dao Seeds weren’t the same . Even if Heaviness was a low tiered Seed it was a vast concept . Zac had clearly felt it during his epiphany , and his current seed only consisted of two small snippets of a larger whole . The two parts he had gained insights into created his unique Dao Seed . A peak Seed was only a couple of more parts added to his current insight .

If he wanted to delve further into that Dao he would have to upgrade it from a seed to a real Dao Path . He wasn’t sure whether he would do that though , or try to fuse it with sharpness at an earlier point . All in all , there was no right or wrong path when it came to Dao , only suitable and unsuitable .

Of course , if you were following a heritage guide there would be a wrong and right choice . Sometimes one or two parts of the Dao Seed usually needed to correspond to the requirement for the Class upgrade , with the remaining ones enabling some customization to personal preference .

Apparently , there were even more stringent classes though , where all parts needed to match . Generally , the more specific classes and the higher rarity ones had more stringent requirements , whereas the common classes were more forgiving .

In Zac’s case there was no roadmap , and he could only hope that there was some Class waiting for him at the end of the tunnel . If not he would have to take some risks to rack up achievements or meditate in order to gain more insight into his Daos or gain new ones .

Zac simply followed his heart , as he had no real way to gauge what any potential Class upgrade would require . He gained insight into a mental component of heaviness through his harsh experiences , and that was what was added . If he kept going down that path he might turn into a spectral axeman instead , whose strikes cleaved souls rather than the physical bodies .

Suddenly he noticed something was off . Only their small group was sitting in the sofas , as the rest of the venue was empty .

What’s going on? How long was I out? -

I don’t know? An hour? - Ogras shrugged . - They started their information meeting not long after you Zoned out . Since you were out of it the insect and the old man went inside . We figured they’d be safe after your little outburst earlier , so we stayed behind here . Not like those guys will tell us anything we didn’t already know . -

Calrin nodded , looking a bit bored .

So how did it go , did you finish your quest? - Zac asked , a flash of irritation once again rushing through his mind as he was reminded of his almost completely emptied bank account .

I need to resell the items first , but I believe I will make it . The quest was for me to triple my… ehm , your… money , and I believe that will be possible . Depending on the skills of your demon craftsmen it might get even higher , but they don’t seem very skilled , - Calrin said looking a bit proud .

What are you smiling for? Rob me like that again and you better never leave your ratty compound again or I’ll find you and show you the Thousand Tortures , - Ogras snarled .

Brutes , - Calrin only muttered , but he still shrunk down a bit .

I will need my Nexus Coins back before the wave starts . You have three days , - Zac only said .

30% . I can return 30% before the wave , any more than that and I’ll be forced to sell at a discount , which will hurt both you and me . -

Zac only stared at him for a while before sighing .

50% . Not a penny less . -

The Sky Gnome hemmed and hawed , but Zac was adamant about that level , and finally the little merchant could only acquiesce .

Zac once again closed his eyes after some more small talk , wanting to acquaint himself better with his new and improved Seed . He was eager to find out whether his guidance system from Axe Mastery] would be able to adapt to the new aspect of his insights , but now was not the time to start swinging his axe around . He could see the pathways , but others could not , so it would look like he had gone insane and started to attack everything around him .

The sound door of the doors opening to the venue woke Zac up from his meditation , and after a bit he saw Sap Trang and Ibtep hurry back toward them .

Ah it’s good you feel better , - Mr . Trang said as he looked relieved .

Better? - Zac said with some confusion .

Ah yes , I told you not to drink that much . Passing out with your attributes , embarrassing , - Ogras said with a shake of his head .

It seemed the two were putting up a play , but for who Zac had no idea , still he could only play along and hesitantly nod .

Was there any useful information? - Zac asked Mr . Trang .

Not much , most of it came from us , to be honest . They have released an updated version of the computer program you showed me the other day . It more clearly shows the Incursion zones . They also provided a decent amount of detail about each and every Incursion , and even provided dockets , - the fisherman answered , showing a pretty thick stack of papers .

They also brought up new information from Ibtep . However , though they didn’t mention you at all . They only said that an ally of the government had provided the info . They never gave Port Atwood any credit , - he said with a frown .

That’s okay , i didn’t share it to gain anything from it . I simply wanted people to be aware of the situation , so they could start preparing themselves , - Zac said with a wave of his hand .

You should be a bit more caring in the future . That information was valuable , and it would have helped boost our reputation . While it might not seem important , but the image the commoners hold of us might become essential in the future . If we come to conflict with the World Government , what then? Whose side would the people take? The government who , at least from the looks of it , tirelessly is fighting against the invaders? Or us , the unknown force? - Ogras said .

Ok , ok . I’ll be more selfish the next time . Was there anything else? Did they talk about the teleporters or anything like that? - Zac asked .

No , but it seems they have some big plan , they alluded to it multiple times during the presentation . I think they’ll tell us more in the last part . -

Zac nodded as he looked at the three aliens in the party .

I’ll go to the last meeting , you stay with these three , Mr . Trang . There are a few Ishiate who will come with us back , please arrange things with them . They are actually cultivators originally from one of the two towns we found and might be a great help in bringing them into our fold . -

Soon the break was over , and people once again streamed into the venue . This time it was only the humans , and Zac saw the Ishiate being shown to a side-area by some attendants .

He went to his original position and nodded to Nigel who sat beside a snoring Billy . He looked over at the Marshals , but the trio was pointedly ignoring him this time . He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or peeved but simply shrugged it off . Ogras’ lesson was still fresh in his mind , but he knew he still didn’t possess the means to act and talk in a manner that gave away no information . So he was happy being left alone .

Thomas Fisher walked up to the stage with his group , and the murmurs in the venue died down .

Welcome back to the last segment of today’s activities , and perhaps the most important one . Those here today are a significant portion of the world’s elite , with over twenty of the rankers present in this room , - Thomas said , creating some surprised murmurs .

Humans are beset on all fronts by enemies . And let me be honest . They are stronger than us , they are more used to Cosmic Energy , and they are more brutal . In less than half a year only twenty percent of humanity is still alive , and it honestly looks bleak . But we are not without hope .

A large reason why the invaders can run rampant is that there haven’t been concentrated and organized efforts in rebuffing them . The local forces have fought valiantly , but they have stood alone against a vastly superior force . Too many brave men and women have already died in this ignoble way .

The solution is simple . We need to unite and fight as one entity . Alone we might be weak , but together we will stand strong . And we have found a way to make this happen . -

Chapter 141 - Forming Factions

Zac frowned as he listened to Thomas’ speech . While the words sounded good it felt to him that it wasn’t that simple .

Why don’t you just drop a few nukes on the Incursions? It’s better we get some radiation than having to risk our lives , - a man in the back row shouted , and many seemed to agree by the nods .

Honestly that was our first thought , - Thomas said with a sigh . - Better we create no-go blast zones than having people get slaughtered or turned into Zombies . But soon after the integration happened we made a troubling discovery . All our weapons of mass destruction , and most of our high capacity arsenals are simply… Gone . -

WHAT? - multiple shouts erupted in the hall , many looked fearfully at each other .

Zac was surprised at the news , but not overly so . He had the same idea as the man who shouted earlier , but if they hadn’t dropped the nukes even after billions of people died , they simply weren’t able to . Seeing as the system wanted a struggle to create powerhouses it didn’t make sense for it to leave behind technological weapons that simply erased all struggle . A nuke at every incursion in the beginning would swiftly have ended the invasions after all .

He also noticed that while some seemed shocked , many took the news with stride . It obviously wasn’t a too tightly guarded secret .

All nukes , chemical warfare and high capacity bombs are gone . Most of our airplanes , carriers , and battleships are gone as well . They weren’t stolen or destroyed , but simply removed . We are quite sure it is the doing of the System itself , as even any reference to an atom bomb is removed from all computers and even books . If you find an encyclopedia you’ll notice that there is just a blank space in the pages where the restricted information once was . -

Even Zac was shocked this time , once again reminded just how powerful the system was . To remove even any mention of the things it didn’t like was a horrifying capacity . However , they were still all talking about it , so hopefully it meant that the System at least couldn’t alter memories .

To make matters worse , we can’t build them . We are not allowed . An atomic bomb is not an extremely complicated thing , and many of our scientists are able to construct them . But as soon as we make some headway the prototypes vanish out of thin air , - Thomas added . - In essence , the System wants us to fight with our own hands . -

Many in the room looked despondent . Clearly they had hoped the government would solve the problems for them , and perhaps that something was just holding them up . But Thomas Fischer’s declaration dashed any such hope . Obviously rifles and hand-guns were still around , but their efficacy was limited .

But do not worry , we have a plan . - Thomas said , brining back the attention to him .

We have representatives present from all corners of the world , meaning we have the means to quickly travel and assist everyone , no matter where they are . However , this doesn’t happen in practice . Why? - Thomas asked as he looked over the audience .

It’s simple . There are only two public teleporters at the moment . Ours and the Cradle of God . And you should all know by now that whoever enters the Cradle never comes back . We do not know if it’s controlled by a traitor , a powerful Dominator , or even a foreign force that somehow has circumvented the rules . So in essence , only New Washington is accessible to the forces of the world .

All other teleporters are closed , and I do not blame you . Leaving the teleporters open would subject your towns and citizens to danger at any time . But there is a solution . The New World Government is happy to announce that we are on course to have the first System-approved Lord within the month . -

Murmurs started through the area , many looking surprised at each other .

For those of you who do not know , it means that new forms of settings of the teleporters can be enabled . It is possible to create a closed system where all the portals of allied towns are public to each other , whereas everyone outside the network can’t access us . That would give us an immense edge in the fight against the invaders . -

Many nodded , but there were a few people who looked like Zac felt , troubled . There was no such thing as a free lunch after all .

We would be able to coordinate both defense and assault . Our warriors would be able to go from hotspot to hotspot and keep reaping the rewards . Because remember , while incursions are dangerous , they are also a huge opportunity to gain power . It is not without reason that many of the high rankers have their base of operations close to incursions , - Thomas added .

This network would not only help with battle , but with all manner of society . It would help with trade , information and even relocation efforts for those who try to reach their loved ones . And every time a new town join the collective , we all grow a little bit stronger .

Throughout history mankind has bleen splintered and our own worst enemies . But if there is one thing that has always marked our species ; our adaptability and ingenuity . We haven’t really come together as one race before , but we haven’t been tested like this before either . The New World Government is a living testament to the possibility of this .

Thirty-eight government towns are already slated to join the network as soon as we can create it . It would allow us to travel through large parts of our new world , - Thomas said , letting the audience sit in the silence and ponder the implications .

Can anyone join? - a voice shouted from the back .

For now , yes , - another man said as he stepped forward next to Thomas Fischer , and Zac recognized him as one of the delegates of another government town .

However , we need to make sure the safety of the network . We will do a site visit to your town to ensure no atrocities are going on , or that letting you join the network would impact the other negatively in some other way . We would also place a permanent government liaison at your town to keep an open channel of communications , - he continued .

But do not worry . The control of the town and its development is not something the New World Government will interfere in . There are only two requirements . The first is that the town accept the newly drafted Rule of Law that is there to ensure the human rights of all citizens . The second is contribution to the war efforts , - Thomas added .

Let no one forget . The largest reason that we need to combine our forces is to fight back against the invaders . Someone who is not interested in contributing to humanity has no place in our network , - he said as he slowly looked over the population with a steely gaze .

Edmonton is ready to fight for humanity , - a large man suddenly said with a booming voice as he stood up .

Little Creek is ready to fight for humanity , - another woman with a huge scar across her face soon added not long after .

One by one a lot of people stood up and professed their readiness to fight for humanity . Zac silently looked on the spectacle with a small frown . His time with Ogras had made him a bit more cynic , and he instinctively felt that the audience participation in this last meeting were plants by the governments .

The forces might be real and their town were ready to join , but their participation was likely already negotiated and done before this meeting started . This was only reinforced as he saw the stocky man who ruled the town close to the Undead Incursion stand up and profess his allegiance .

Zac knew then and there that any hope of him using the teleporter through normal means wouldn’t be possible . It was clear that the government was setting up a sphere of influence . There was no way that Zac would join them at this point in time , so he would be cut off from the teleportation network .

They would use the safety in numbers and promise of becoming stronger to rope more and more forces into joining . It was true what Thomas said , each time someone joined their alliance it would get stronger , and the outsiders would get more and more ostracized .

He threw a glance at the Marshals , and was somewhat relieved to see that the three seemed to be completely unaffected by the commotion in the room . A quick look over at Billy showed that the giant was still snoring away , obviously uncaring about what was going on , but the slight frown on Nigel’s face showed that they weren’t one of the forces that had made a deal with the government .

What if we don’t join? - a loud voice suddenly asked after the hubbub had died down a bit .

We hope that as many as possible will join us in our fight , but we understand that some have their own aspirations . We will not force anyone to join unless they feel comfortable with it . However , please beware that New Washington’s teleporter will become private again a month after the network is set up , - Thomas answered .

Having an open node in the network will risk the whole alliance , and we can’t allow that . The month is so that all forces of the world will be given ample time to consider our offer . It will also hopefully allow a few more forces to gain a teleporter and join us . But after that we need to think about the safety of our citizens , and from there on there will be no more admission , - the politician continued .

At certain intervals the teleporter will open though , to allow teleportation to New Washington only . That would be an opportunity to join us at a later date , - another delegate added .

As soon as the members have been finalized and the network secured we will begin our campaign to retake our land from the foreign invaders . I will not go into specifics at this time due to security concerns , but our goal is to completely close all the incursions plaguing New Earth before the anniversary of the integration , - Thomas said .

A stunned silence spread through the hall from the strong declaration . Clearly the New World Government wasn’t messing around . Zac personally was skeptic . They talked big for a group of people who still hadn’t closed a single Incursion . At the same time he didn’t want to create a scene since he couldn’t do the job alone , and if humans could organize and pick up the slack it would be for the best .

The meeting kept going , and the government officials spoke a bit more about the specifics of the future alliance and fielded many questions . It became increasingly clear that the New World Government had adopted a polite - you’re either with us or against us - -approach . On the surface it was completely up to anyone whether to join or not .

But in practice they meant that unless you joined the fold you would be alienated from the rest of humanity . You wouldn’t get access to the teleporters , and it even became apparent that trade and information sharing would only happen within the alliance as well .

Zac was sure there were some additional caveats that were not disclosed at this time . He was pretty sure that the government wouldn’t try to freeze out the Marshall Clan , since a retaliation from them with Thea as a poster child might splinter the alliance . He could only hope that type of courtesy would extend to himself as well . His problem was that while his pseudonym was well known , he was not .

Personally , he was unsure what to do . He should be happy that the government was trying to organize people to fight against the incursions . But more than that there was a deeply rooted unwillingness to hand over the reins of Port Atwood . They said they would let everyone have autonomy , but the stronger the alliance got , the more power would become centralized .

He sighed as he kept trying to think of solutions of what to do , as his eyes every now and then darted to the leader of the town close to the Undead Incursion .

Chapter 142 - Heading out

Zac walked out of the concert hall with a frown on his face from the information . He still hadn’t found any answers what to do in his situation , and could only turn to his teammates for answers . After a quick glance around he found them sitting at another group of sofas the whole table in front of them filled with various foods and drink .

Zac had thought the demon was once again the culprit , but seeing the little Gnome lying prone with his belly protruding like a little ball , while the Zhix was constantly burping he wasn’t so sure anymore . He also saw the two Ishiate he was talking to earlier sit next to the group . As soon as they saw Zac arrive they quickly stood up and slightly bowed .

Zac was a bit confused , but thought perhaps his group’s wanton spending during the auction was taken as a sign of great power . Ogras looked over with a glass of whiskey in his hand .

So , they are trying to create a force with access to their teleporters? -

You knew? - Zac asked a bit surprised .

Well , they didn’t have a lot of other options if they wanted to remain in charge . Of course , they will sooner or later realize that the distance of a continent is just a small inconvenience , and controlling the arrays aren’t enough to seize control . -

It seems they already have quite a few members already though , - Zac retorted with a sigh as he sat down .

From there he detailed the general outline of the New World Government’s plan .

Just weaklings banding together to feel strong . It’s not too bad . There are various ways to circumvent that . You can just take control of a town close to a Government member . If you need to use their network just teleport to your own town , and run over to theirs , - Ogras said with a shrug , clearly not being worried about the situation .

Besides , the multi-verse is a place where power holds sway . Power-structures like theirs never work out in the end , with just a few notable exceptions , - Ogras said , and even the Gnome who was fond of bureaucracy seemed inclined to agree , as he gave an unwilling nod .

Your world is still in its infancy , and you still hold notions of equality . But you will soon see the reality when people will start to evolve . A D-Grade Powerhouse could destroy half of New Washington with a flick of his hand , what would he care about their little schemes? He’d just seize the whole network if he wanted it . A dragon doesn’t negotiate with ants , - Ogras said .

You might be right , but that is still far off . In the immediate future they will have a commanding advantage , - Zac retorted with a frown .

There was not much left to do in the venue , apart from one thing . It had become increasingly clear during the meeting that using the teleporter to get to the undead incursion would be hopeless , no matter what he said . It was time to go with Ogras’s plan .

I have no choice , I will need to use your method for access to the teleporter , - Zac said with a grimace .

The demon only nodded , whereas the others looked at them a bit curious . Zac wouldn’t explain what he was about to do , as he felt pretty sick about it already , and instead looked out over the floor . It appeared luck was on his side , as he saw the robust man head toward the area of the toilets . They were around a corner some distance away from the general area and was quite secluded .

I will be right back , - Zac said with a somber expression , and while using Loamwalker] he disappeared .

Between his attributes and the skill it essentially looked like he teleported , as he was one second sitting , and the next second gone , only a flash of his afterimage leaving a trace . In no time he was by the toilet and was relieved to see that there was no one there at the moment .

Zac grabbed the neck of the robust man from behind without a word , and before the poor man had time to react he was dragged into the handicap bathroom with his throat gripped in an iron vise .

Zac was now holding him up in the air with one arm , having taken out his axe with the other . The large man was held a decimeter above ground , his legs swinging widely and his face quickly turning red .

Scream and I will start cutting off body parts , - Zac said with a deathly stare .

He had already decided to go through with this despicable act , so he would go all the way with it . He’d play the villain if it meant getting access to the teleporter .

To help you understand your situation I’ll show you something , - Zac continued , as he displayed the part of his status screen that showed him being level 54 .

Of course , he didn’t display any of his stats or his name , as the level was enough to convey his message . The man was still unable to breathe , but after having seen the prompt his eyes widened in terror and he stopped trying to get himself free .

You should understand who I am by now . You can try screaming for help , but the government do not dare make an enemy of me , and would probably sacrifice you rather than getting themselves into trouble , - Zac continued as he placed the man down on the ground .

He didn’t actually know if it was true , but it did have a note of truth in it . The man took a few deep steadying breaths , but he did comply , as he warily stared at Zac .

What do you want? You were at the meeting , they have set up all kinds of rules that I can’t just break as I wish . Don’t you think I’d have taken the money if I could? -

What’s your name? - Zac simply asked .

I am John Bernard , - the large man hesitantly answered .

Are you under a contract of servitude? - Zac continued .

No , why? - the man answered with a confused stare .

Good , - Zac said as a small glass bottle appeared in his hand .

Zac opened the stopper and took out the pill which emanated a pungent odor .

Wh- - the other man said , but didn’t get further before Zac slammed the pill down into his throat with lightning-quick speed .

John was so surprised that he instinctively swallowed the pill , and Zac nodded satisfied .

The pill I just had you eat is a unique poison called Ten Steps to Hell] , - Zac said , hiding nothing . - Every night you will experience a tremendous pain that will be so bad that you will think you have gone to hell . Every night the pain will get worse , and on the tenth day the pain will be so bad that you will die . -

WHAT? Why are you doing this? - the man said , looking positively horrified .

Because I have the antidote , - Zac answered as he took out the other bottle . - One week from now , open your teleporter for five minutes at 3 am New Washington time . If I do not pass through the teleporter , do so again the next night at the same time . When I come through I will hand you the antidote . And a handsome reward , - Zac explained , adding the sentence about a reward after a brief hesitation .

The man looked at the glass bottle in Zac’s hand like a drowning man looks at a liferaft .

Why not just give me the bottle , and I promise I will open the portal . There’s no need for all this , - the man entreated .

I prefer to do things my way . And you might be scheming all kinds of things right now , but the following days will show you the reality . Feel free to visit as many healers and you wish . I didn’t get to the top of the ladder without having my own means . Noone on earth will be able to save you except for me . -

Zac felt a sour taste in his mouth as he played the villain . He simply channeled his inner Ogras , thinking of what he would say to get what he wanted in this situation .

Remember . One week from now , 3 am sharp , - he finished and disappeared before the man had time to say anything else .

Soon he was back at the table and saw Ogras grinning at him .

The things we do for love , huh? - he said .

Zac recognized the quote and only rolled his eyes in response .

We are done here . We should have them take us to a hotel . I want to stock up on various things for port Atwood , and hopefully we will find some experts in various fields that will accompany us back , - Zac said . - That is provided they will let us stay though . -

There was no point in pretending that he wasn’t in charge anymore . No one would believe Sap Trang was the leader instead of Zac after his display of power earlier .

He was unsure what the government had decided regarding his party . They were ushered straight to the venue after arriving , and it seemed they were considered somewhat a risk . But at the same time they had clarified their position here at the auction , and hopefully the government wouldn’t bar them from exploring the town a bit .

Last time he was here he hadn’t really explored New Washington , as he was eager to get to Greenworth . But this time there were various things he wanted to get for his city . There were all kinds of things the town was in need of , from seeds to materials , and even technology . Most of it could be bought through Calrin , but Zac suspected such things would hold almost no value to the current settlements , which meant they could make huge savings .

He was also hoping he could snag a couple of solar panels for himself , but he wasn’t too hopeful . The government was clearly searching for them as well in order to power their town , and now they had around fifty towns to power .

If the things in the auction were the best of the best , then there might not be much of value in the town , - the Gnome said hesitantly .

There is a bazaar where independent cultivators and hunters can sell their things . Who knows what they’ve found while out farming kills in the forests . I am sure that many of those here are hoping to sell their own things as well , - Zac said , causing the little merchant to perk up .

Can we even go? That little lass didn’t seem willing to let us into the city , - Ogras interjected .

As if summoned Julia actually emerged from a door not much later and started walk toward them .

I hope today has been satisfactory to you all , - she said with a smile as she arrived at Zac’s table . - I understand you have spoken with the leaders of the New World Government , who have given your party access to the town . Will you be staying here for a bit , or are you heading back to Port Atwood immediately? -

Zac’s brows rose , as he didn’t expect the government to be so amenable after their little altercation . Especially not considering their stance with their plans for a closed network .

We’re planning on visiting the bazaar and leave tomorrow , - Zac simply answered .

Excellent . In fact , there will be an informal gathering at the bazaar in roughly two hours , where many of the guests here will sell some of the things they’ve found , or trade them for other treasures more suited to them , - Julia answered with a nod .

Zac wasn’t surprised , as the government didn’t sell commissioned items , but only their own . Many should have found things that they had no use for , and desired to trade them for something that could give immediate benefits .

The car is waiting , I will take you to one of the still-operating hotels who is located close to the bazaar , - Julia said and the group started to walk out .

It was an impressive spending spree you had , Mr . Monk , even outbidding Ms . Marshal , - Julia said with a smile as she shot a glance at him as they walked toward the exit . - You and two high rankers fought tooth and nail over that stone . It must have been something quite impressive . A few of our scientists are a bit unsure whether they made a good deal or a horrible one after seeing your bidding war . -

Well , it was an interesting stone . Who knows if it will be worth the sky-high price though? - Zac answered with a shrug of his shoulders . He wasn’t about to disclose the fact that the stone seemed to be something that all Spiritual Tools wanted .

Zac went over to the Ishiate before they left to exchange some pleasantries . Unfortunately there was no way for them to create an alliance or create their own network at the moment as none of them were lords , so they could only make some loose promises of future cooperation .

The plan of the government was to create a network by piggy-backing their Lord’s access to the improved teleporters . Every non-lord who wished to join would become a vassal . In practice , they wouldn’t go by feudal rules where the lord actually commanded the vassals , but that was just what the government said . Who knew if this lord would get a taste for power and want more . Then again , Zac suspected the government had some sort of failsafe for that situation .

The group finally exited the opera house accompanied by the two steampunk Ishiate , and went down toward the stairs toward the waiting limousine . Julia had been a bit curious about the two new companions , but it was easily explained . Zac could only hope there wouldn’t be any further complications if they managed to recruit some people back to the town .

Suddenly Zac froze after having walked down the small set of stairs , as an intense hair-raising sense of danger exploded in his mind .

Chapter 143 - Assault

A lot of Zac’s actions were born from instinct since he’d been in constant battle for months . Without hesitation a green shield encapsulated him , and the Dao of Trees spread through his body as he brought out his axe .

However , he didn’t even have time to look around before an extremely strong impact slammed into his shield , soon after accompanied by an enormous gunshot . Luckily the shield held true , as a large caliber bullet turned into hot molten metal that fell harmlessly on the ground in front of him . However , the danger sense only increased and he once again summoned the second charge of his gear , this time gearing to move away from the group with his movement skill .

The others in the group looked on gapingly , with only Ogras quickly reacting . Shadows gathered around him and he safely disappeared from the line of fire .

Zac was just about to step forward to disappear with Loamwalker] when a second impact slammed into his new shield , leaving him defenseless . He barely had time to inch his head away when a third bullet grazed the side of his forehead . Everything turned white for a second before he found his bearing , only to find himself on his back on the ground .

He felt a scorching pain on his head , but a quick mental check showed he was largely fine . Since he upgraded to E-Grade Race he held a greater command of his body , and could generally tell the state of all his bodyparts . He was extremely relieved he’d focused almost all of his stat points in Dexterity lately in order to match his other monstrous stats .

He wouldn’t have been able to avoid that last round without the quick movement Dexterity allowed , and after feeling the power of those bullets he held no delusions he would be able to tank them like normal rifle rounds . Just as he was planning on getting up he saw an unfamiliar man almost teleport to his side , and immediately touched his chest .

Zac frowned as he stared at the man , who looked back at him with a horrified face . He immediately moved to flee , but an iron grip held him in place . Zac didn’t know what kind of skill the man used to approach him , but he used the same method as he utilized against Ogras to keep him in place , infusing his hand with cosmic energy .

The man struggled to get free , but a punch with the force of a truck in his gut made him curl up like a shrimp in the air . Zac looked around like an enraged beast as he got up , looking for any co-conspirators to this man while holding his captive like a shield . This clearly was some sort of assassination attempt , and this man was only responsible for taking his corpse .

Are you ok? - a frazzled Julia asked from the distance as she waved soldiers to search for the culprits .

Just this much won't kill me , - Zac succinctly said as he turned his eyes to the man he caught .

Who ordered you to attack me? -

Please , mercy , - the man croaked , still shaking after the punch to his stomach .

Mercy? We don’t do that , - Ogras with a sneer said as he materialized back by the group .

In his hand he held a sack which he summarily threw to the ground , causing six decapitated heads to roll out , each one with a horrified look on its face . On his back the demon had two huge sniper rifles that looked strong enough to blow holes in tanks , and he was completely covered in blood .

What the f- - Julia screeched and backed away as she saw the grisly scene .

Answer him or you will join my collection , - Ogras said with a demonic grin at the captured man , who looked horrified at the heads .

Please , we weren’t ordered . We only wanted your Cosmos Sack , - the man cried .

That’s why you tried to shoot me in the head with those rifles? - Zac retorted with a glare as he touched his forehead with his free hand .

It came back bloody , and Zac was enraged even further . It didn’t matter whether they were ordered or simple bandits , they had almost killed him even though he had no connection to them . If it wasn’t for his large amount of Dexterity and his defensive Dao his head would have exploded like a watermelon .

Zac slapped the man hard enough to knock him out , and threw him over like a sack to Ogras .

Can you properly question him later? - Zac said .

I guess . They did give me these new toys after all , so I should give something back , - he said as he looked at his two rifles .

I am sorry about this incident , this is partly due to our oversight . I actually recognize this man , his name is Ricky . He’s part of a small elite group called the Red Mercenaries . Your friend is… holding… most of the other members in his sack . Including Red himself , - Julia said apologetically to Zac .

Where are they from? - Zac tersely asked .

They came through a private teleporter , we do not actually know which town they are from . More importantly , please let the government take over from here . A crime has been committed , and these men attacked you in the middle of New Washington . Please hand over the criminal , and their restricted equipment , - Julia said , shooting a glance at the two rifles on the demon’s back .

What equipment? - Ogras said with a blank face as he slowly put the rifles in a Cosmos Sack one by one , drawing a glare from Julia .

This one is coming with us . If you have any complaints you will have to take it up with Thomas Fisher . There has been no discussion of the details of our future cooperation . For now , we will maintain the status of diplomatic immunity , and we will deal with our issues by ourselves , - Zac said with a glance .

In a sense it was a declaration of independence . He was essentially saying that he and his group would do whatever they wanted and that they did not agree to follow any regulations from the New World Government . It was both a show of strength and a way for Zac to test the government's patience . But more importantly he was pissed off and was in no mood to accommodate the government , who might even be responsible for the attack for all he knew .

Julia frowned as she looked down on the unconscious captive , but after some hesitation she didn’t bring up her demands again . She simply walked over to a soldier and whispered some things before she led Zac’s group back to the limousine .

The atmosphere in the car was quite oppressive after the events , and any discussions quickly died out . Soon they arrived at their destination , a large luxurious highrise hotel . Ogras caused quite a scene as he walked in like a bloody devil , but Julia quickly smoothed things over . Zac had already eaten a healing pill in the car and wiped off the blood on his head , so he was essentially looking normal again , apart from his frown .

It seemed like the hotel was managed by the government at the moment , which made sense as there shouldn’t be too many travelers needing temporary places to rest at the moment . That might change though when New Washington becomes a hub in their network in the future , and Zac couldn’t help but be a bit jealous .

He was fighting tooth and nail to simply avoid his emerging town becoming overrun by beasts , but these people had quite a laid back life . It seemed that this town hadn’t really been tested at all since the start , and Zac wondered exactly how this kind of environment could create a system-approved Lord .

They were given their own wing on a floor , but only a few actually went up to check the rooms out . Zac sat down in the bar and ordered a bottled beer . It cost 1000 Nexus Coins , which was far and above what food usually cost , but to Zac it didn’t really matter .

Everyone came streaming down one by one , and soon only the demon was missing . It only took 20 minutes for Ogras to come back looking freshened up , any sign of blood scrubbed away and donned in new robes . When he came back he didn’t carry the man they captured either , giving Zac a clear indication of Ricky’s fate .

So , what’s the plan? - Ogras said as he looked a bit excited , with a mischievous glint in his eyes .

We have two things to do . Buy materials and find people . I think we can split up , - Zac said , still feeling angry over the attack earlier . - I’ll accompany Sap Trang who will focus on acquiring talent , acting the part of the bodyguard . Calrin I assume will go to the Bazaar to make some deals . -

The gnome nodded , looking a bit excited .

If you can try to get talks going for a few branches . I don’t care if they’re a part of the new government network or independent forces . It’s all money into our pockets , - Zac said .

I agree . We have a great opportunity here , it will take some time before competing consortiums deign to come to this planet , giving us a good head start to seize control of the market . If they arrive at a later point we can just squeeze them out . Even a dragon can’t fight the local snake , - the gnome said with a grin .

I’ll go with the little blue bastard , seems more fun , - Ogras said .

Good . What about the prisoner? - Zac asked .

He’s in my pouch , - the demon answered with a grin , confirming he was dead .

Ibtep , who do you wish to go with? -

I will join you . I am curious to see what professions you humans have . I feel your societies are more diverse than that of the Zhix , and learning more might strengthen our hives , - the Zhix answered .

Good . As for you two , - Zac said as he turned to the two Ishiate who had joined their party . - You’re free to do whatever . -

We will go to the bazaar to look for things that could help Cogstown , - Shea , the female Ishiate , said .

Very well , we will leave early tomorrow , at 7 am New Washington time . -

With that they were done and started heading out of the hotel . Their odd party kept getting glances from all directions , but they were used to it by now . However , four men walked up to them just as they were about to exit .

Mr . Monk and company . We’re from the New World Government , and we have been tasked with accompanying you during your excursion . Please do not take it the wrong way , it is simply to allay any troubles that your… unique party composition might bring , - a man politely said .

Fine , - Zac lightly said after some consideration .

He didn’t really care if the government employees saw their activities . It was not like they could hide it if they brought new people with them through their teleporter tomorrow .

Soon they were walking through the bazaar , which was a huge square and the neighboring streets . There was a surprising amount of hawkers , selling everything from hides of mutated beasts to Old World luxury objects such as Perfume and jewelry . There were also quite a stalls with street food . All in all it created a bustling atmosphere that made a jarring contrast to the fact that 80% of the world’s population had perished the last months .

As soon as they entered the commerce area Calrin and Ogras veered off , with two of the government employees following in tow . As for Zac’s group they looked around for a bit before they stopped .

Just how are we going to recruit people? - Zac asked with some hesitation as he looked around .

I have an idea , but it would require us to expose a bit about Port Atwood , - the old fisherman said .

Oh? -

Well , it’s already well past lunch as the auction took up much of the day . We only have a short time to convince people to actually join us and move to an unknown area . They would be taking a huge risk compared to the relative safety of this town . We need to give them a good enough reason , - Sap Trang said .

Money? - Zac asked hesitantly , but the fisherman shook his head .

You . -

Me? What do you mean? - Zac asked confusedly .

You’re so strong so you might not realize the reality of most people walking these streets . They might look happy , but they are scared . Terrified . There are real-life monsters just outside the gates , and any day those monsters might break through those walls and kill them , - Mr . Trang explained .

But if they know Port Atwood is protected by the strongest man alive , and that it is safe enough that we only need to recruit non-combat classes , a few might risk it . -

Zac mulled it over for a few seconds , but then finally nodded . The government leaders would have to be mentally challenged if they still didn’t know he was either The Super Brother-Man or Salvation by now . Since the milk was already spilled they might as well use his identity to their advantage .

So what do you propose? - Zac asked , and the fisherman only answered with a big toothless grin .

Chapter 144 - Gaining Reputation

Come join the town of the strongest man alive . We need all sorts of non-combat classes . Doctors , scientists , blacksmiths , and farmers . Come one , come all! Carpenters , janitors , brewers , and craftsmen! All are welcome to sign up! Join Port Atwood , home of the Super Brother-Man , the safest place on Earth! -

Zac could barely stop himself from blanching as Sap Trang walked back and forth in front of their gaudy stall , tirelessly shouting out superlative statements about the Super Brother-Man and their town .

He understood the reasoning . They needed to create a buzz that propagated like wildfire since they only had the afternoon for recruitment . The third wave started in three days , and they needed to go back tomorrow to finalize preparations .

Mr . Trang’s plan for this was to create a recruitment stall . They had simply bought out a large stall on prime location of the square , and changed the sign . It now said - THE SUPER BROTHER-MAN IS RECRUITING! BECOME THE ELITE OF THE WORLD! - in huge lettering , and nothing else . Meanwhile the old fisherman was sounding like a street hawker as he kept throwing out one bombastic proclamation after another .

Normally their proclamations might have been met with scorn and maybe even ignored . But the fact that there was a living , breathing Zhix sitting in the stall reading a book seemed to somehow increase the legitimacy of the stall . Who but the Super Brother-Man would keep a pet Zhix? The two government officials looking on the proceedings with troubled faces only furthered the impression .

Still , it had been thirty minutes without anyone coming up to the stall . But clearly a buzz was being created , as a small crowd of onlookers had gathered , and some people seemed to arrive just to look on at the excitement . But finally there was some result from Mr . Trang’s tireless efforts .

You talk a lot old man , but do you have any proof? - a man shouted from the group of onlookers .

I understand it is hard to imagine such a great opportunity has presented itself to you . But it is one hundred percent real . If you have friends who attended the auction you should know of Port Atwood already . We spent over twenty million Nexus Coins during the Auction , defeating even the Marshall Clan for the battle of precious relics , - Sap Trang shouted back .

Don’t forget , Super Brother-Man is not only the strongest man in the world , he is also the wealthiest . And he is ready to spend some of that immense fortune on you , in order to help you advance your non-combat classes . -

Some subdued murmur spread through the crowd . Twenty million Nexus Coins was a crazy amount of money , and most counted their wealth in the hundreds , or perhaps thousands . The low tiered monsters only gave a handful of nexus coins after all , far less than the more profitable barghest .

Actually , Mr . Trang had initially wanted Zac to stand and swing around his axe and show off his might , but that had summarily been rejected by Zac .

We stand at the forefront of the world , and we’re the only town in the world to hold all four of our new world’s species , creating a true metropolis of our new planet , - the fisherman continued , seeming to gain vigor the more he boasted .

Zac started to worry about the people’s reactions after they arrived at his temporary town filled with demons . From Sap Trang’s description it was as though he offered them a spot in paradise , and not dubious employment on a desolate island . Still , the effect was limited until suddenly another shout gathered the crowd’s attention .

It’s the Marshall Clan! - a man shouted and pointed to a group walking toward the stall .

Hehe , I guess their boasting reached the Marshall Clan’s ears . I think we’re in for a good show , - another person muttered , eliciting some chuckles .

Zac looked over and the shouting man was correct . It was the old man , Henry Marshal , who walked in the front , with the bodyguard from before accompanying him . It looked like Thea wasn’t lying before . They truly didn’t need Zac’s pill as the bodyguard was walking with no problem , looking as fit as a fiddle . There were also a few more people accompanying the duo , but Zac noted that Thea Marshall herself was not part of the group .

Mr . Monk , we meet again . Do you mind if we chat a bit? - Henry Marshall said as after he reached Zac’s stall .

Zac wished that Ogras was here to do the talking , but could only nod and take out another chair from his pouch for the old man .

Is this about Mr . Trang’s claims just now? - Zac asked .

No , that doesn’t matter . Port Atwood is currently lacking renown , and the Marshall Clan isn’t so frail that we can’t provide some assistance on that front , - the old man said and gave a nod to one of the men in the group who quickly left the stall and blended into the group that looked on .

I am more interested in your plans for the future , and wish to offer an alternative to what you heard today , - the old man said .

Oh? - Zac said with piqued interest .

Truthfully we had some plans for a network as well , though the government beat us to it . So we have had to find an alternative solution . We have no intentions in joining the frail government alliance , and I have the feeling that neither do you , - Henry continued .

Zac only nodded in response .

We aim to create a network as well , but it will not be as formalized as the government’s . However , only lords will be able to join , and the extent will only go as far as providing means of movement and trade . There will be no centralized organizing body and no vassal-superior relationships . How the lords manage their domains is up to them , - he said .

What about defense and concentrated war efforts? - Zac asked .

That would be up to the individual members to organize . The network should only be seen as a means to facilitate various private alliances , - the man answered .

What’s in it for you to do this? - Zac asked skeptically .

The government still lives as though we are in the old world , playing bureaucracy . They gather the mediocre , but to what avail? We worry that their narrow-mindedness will steer humanity into a path of no return . We need to provide an alternative , one that’s made for the elite , the powerhouses of the world . We believe that is more in line with how our new reality functions .

Perhaps the alliance will crumble in the future , with all of us vying for supremacy of our planet . But we need to kick out all foreign scum before we can get to that point , - Henry finished .

When we first met this morning you seemed less than pleased by my party’s composition . But now you are inviting us? - Zac asked skeptically .

My views are that it is only a matter of time before humanity will be pitted against the ilk of your… friend… over there , and the information you provided only proves it . - Henry said as he waved at the Zhix . - We humans haven’t even been able to coexist with ourselves , but suddenly we are supposed to coexist with two other sentient species? -

The clan leader only shook his head , clearly showing his position . Zac didn’t really agree , but he felt no point in arguing .

Either of us will be proven right in the future , but for now that’s not important for this potential cooperation . Destroying the incursions comes first , - Henry finally added .

The two talked for a few more minutes , with Zac mainly asking for some clarifications about the planned alliance , while the old man mainly asked about the information on incursions and the Dominators that Zac provided the government .

Zac learned there were some planned requirements for the alliance after all . One such requirement was that they would have to keep their teleporters public for a week every now and then , and that they would take turn in doing so . The reason was to attract new blood to the alliance . Zac felt that was reasonable enough , as he was even thinking of making his teleporter permanently public as soon as he had stabilized his position as a Lord .

At the same time they would be allowed to turn their teleporters private for even the alliance members , but only for a limited time . This was in case there was some internal upheaval or an important mission they didn’t want to be interrupted .

Zac gave no definite answer , but he said he would discuss it with the others . Henry Marshall took the tepid answer with stride and nodded as he left the stall .

Excuse me , Lord Marshal . Is it true? - a voice from the back of the group shouted as the old man planned to leave .

Is what true? - Henry retorted with a strong voice as he looked over at the crowd , who seemed subdued from the power of his stare .

Is it really the Super Brother-Man’s force? - the same voice asked .

At this point Zac noticed that the one shouting was actually the man who diverted from the Marshal’s group earlier , albeit covered a bit in a hood .

… Yes , - was all Henry Marshall said as he left , but that was all that was needed as the group exploded into commotion .

The looks at the gaudy stall changed from skeptical and derisive to interested and contemplative.

Why are you recruiting so many people? - someone suddenly shouted from the group , this time not a planted person .

Port Atwood did not exist prior to the integration , we are building the town completely from scratch . Currently we have the strongest fighting force of humanity , but we’re lacking in many other compartments . We have money but nowhere to spend it . We need driven craftsmen and other non-combat classes to make the town to a truly thriving metropolis , - Mr . Trang answered without missing a beat .

The declaration of having the strongest force also made some waves in the crowd .

Are you also recruiting warriors? - another man asked .

Security is currently not a concern for our town , and we are mainly looking for non-combat professions at this point , - Sap answered . - But if you are a stand-out talent or have some unique skills that an army can benefit from , then you’re welcome to apply . But be advised that fighters will not enjoy the same type of freedom as the non-combat classes , as we expect warriors to be in the thick of it fighting . Of course , the benefits we offer our soldiers are also unmatched on planet Earth . -

Sap’s answer made a few people frown , even though he promised high rewards . Zac felt that it was natural . They were in the middle of the New World Government . If any strong warriors around still were unaffiliated they did not want to be tied down . He wondered a bit what would happen with independent warriors like these people after the government enacted their plan . Would they be booted from the safety of the city?

Suddenly a woman in her forties walked over to the stall where Zac and Ibtep sat . Since Mr . Trang was busy fielding various questions to the crowd Zac had to take care of this .

Can I help you? - Zac asked .

Is it really true that you welcome all sorts of non-combat classes? - the woman asked hesitantly .

Yes . What is your profession? - Zac answered .

I am an anthropologist , - she answered with hesitation . - I wish to join you and study your society . Are there really four species living together in Port Atwood? -

Well , the Zhix and Ishiate have their own towns , though that might change in the future for security reasons , - Zac offhandedly answered .

And there is a fourth species? - she pressed on , seeing that Zac was amenable to answer questions .

Yes , there’s one of them here in the bazaar somewhere , accompanying our Sky Gnome , who I guess is a fifth species , - Zac answered .

What are the rules to join? Do I need to sign a System-enforced Contract? - She asked .

No . Your benefits are tied to your contributions to the town . If you contribute nothing , you get nothing , - Zac answered , getting down to brass tacks .

These rules were set with the help of Ogras and Calrin , who explained how heterogeneous forces worked in the multi-verse . Very few actually used contracts , as that was usually seen in bad light . Skilled people in high demand would seldom sign them , apart from for very limited times , such as for the duration of entering a mystic realm .

Forces who consisted of all sorts of people , like academies and Sects usually only had contracts for the very top of the organization , those who also had the largest amount of benefits . The body of the force generally was kept somewhat honest with the help of contribution systems . Homogenous forces used contracts mainly for external elders who wanted to become a permanent part of the clan .

Zac had been surprised that contracts were such a small thing until he understood that the number of contracts one could have active was limited . He was already reaching his limit by using it on the whole squad of girls he brought back from Greenworth , and there simply was no way for him to have contracts for a whole force .

The Apostate of Order created the contracts as a way for two people to work together without fearing betrayal , not for lords to enslave their whole population . Therefore there were also limits on using a branching tree , such as having contracts on 100 captains who each had contracts on 100 soldiers . Every contract within the network would be considered directly subservient to Zac , which would count toward his limit .

But how would you compare my work in anthropology to a blacksmith , for example? - the woman asked skeptically .

We use multi-verse standard , with an automatic contribution allocator , - Zac answered , drawing interested eyes from both the Zhix and the scientist .

Chapter 145 - Craftsmen

What do you mean? - the anthropologist asked confused .

Port Atwood is the only force on Earth who has access to a real multi-verse shop . That has allowed us to gain knowledge of the larger world that is still not publically available on earth . For example , most of the New World Government’s intelligence about the incursions is coming from us , - Zac explained . - It also has allowed us to create a structure that is more in line with our new reality . -

Port Atwood will use a standardized contribution system . You can see it as a supercomputer who judges your performance . Your actions will generate contribution points . Working at a pet project of yourself with no application will probably not generate many points , but teaching at our academy will , - he continued .

This was the goal of Zac , though it wasn’t done yet . There were various ways to do this . You could set it up yourself with the help of a few administrator classes and a few specialized arrays , or just buy a contribution management store in the town shop . A few Golemoid forces similar to the creators had made a big business of providing various administrative systems and had perfected their algorithms over millions of years .

Contribution management was a very common concept in the multi-verse as forces were huge , often having millions , even billions in their fold . Making the administration of salaries and benefits automated saved a huge amount of work . It also saved lords a lot of money , as people were only paid for contribution , rather than time .

There were many more functions to an established contribution system , such as levels . If someone made large contributions over a long time they would get upgraded to the next tier in the system , giving them better exchange rates and more precious things to trade for .

What does contribution points do? - the woman asked .

You trade them for whatever you want , like an internal currency . There is access to cultivation manuals and skills . Gear and weaponry , healing pills , materials for race evolution are also included . We are stocked with all kinds of things , - Zac answered .

Zac had wondered a bit why not just give Nexus Coins or Crystals , but Ogras explained it in a very simple manner ; the lock-in effect . If they got Nexus Coins they could just leave whenever they wanted . But if they held a lot of their internal currency people were more likely to stay on .

For the same reason the rates for expensive things such as manuals or skills were pretty decent . There were permanent Skill and cultivation crystals in the multiverse where anyone could learn the skill imprinted . The lesser versions only worked once , such as the ones containing Book of Babel] .

That meant that Zac could keep stocking up on various skills and cultivation methods as he gained wealth from taxes and other sources . Each new addition would bring a steady stream of revenue to his force , as any time a subject used their points to learn a skill instead of cash out materials or Nexus Crystals he would gain pure profit in a sense .

However , for new people we will provide a base salary in the form of crystals to help everyone reach level 25 and get their classes . From there they will have to rely on their own efforts , - he added .

Making his people stronger was part of the reason , the other part being the simple fact that the contribution system wasn’t set up yet . They had the things to offer , but not the framework in place .

How interesting , your way of management would make for a good dissertation , - the woman muttered . - What about our freedom? Can we leave whenever we want? -

The teleporter is currently closed , and if you come with us you will not be able to leave for at least a month . You should also know that Port Atwood will not be joining the World Government at this point in time , but stay an independent force , - Zac said , hiding nothing .

The two government officials were listening intently to the whole conversation , but Zac didn’t care . In fact , he wanted the information to spread . Who knew , their way of doing things might actually snag some experts from the government to their side . Besides , Sap Trang was shouting out the same information , though while using a bit more bombastic wording .

In no time the whole bazaar and surrounding neighborhoods knew about Port Atwood’s recruitment , and that the Super Brother-Man was looking for non-combat experts . Still , many were hesitant , even with the Marshall clan’s assurance . Perhaps not about the legitimacy of the force , but whether it would be a good idea to join .

Zac wasn’t too surprised about people’s reluctance , as New Washington was one of the most thriving cities in the world right now . While the people might not have all the tools to progress in their crafts in the current city , they were at least safe . They didn’t know what would await them if they stepped through the teleporter .

Still , one after another surreptitiously stepped forward and asked a few clarifying questions to Zac , who patiently answered them all . There also were a few troublemakers that tried to cause a scene . However , they were quickly and ruthlessly dealt with by Mr . Trang .

Finally the fisherman met with trouble he was unsure he could actually handle . With a sigh Zac stood up and walked forward to the group or instigators . He released his aura causing widespread panic , and with a Heaviness-induced stomp created a small crater with his foot , throwing the troublemakers off-balance .

After that there was no more trouble , but at the same time the onlookers asked their questions to the old fisherman instead , afraid to bother the monster sitting in the stall with closed eyes . Still , Zac was listening intently to the conversation between Mr . Trang and the various people and wordlessly communicated with the old fisherman .

Anyone who Zac felt could be a good asset was asked to gather their belongings and come back as soon as possible . He didn’t want to risk the government trying to intercept his talents , so he would have them stay with them at the hotel . For those he could do with or without he simply said to come to the teleporter at 7 am tomorrow . These were mainly unskilled workers who he essentially could gather from the neighboring islands as well .

After a few hours there were actually over thirty people from various fields who were gathered close to the stand , some who even brought their families . Judging by their appearance some were doing it as a last resort of sorts , as they looked a bit emancipated and haggard . Others were doing it in order to take a chance and improve .

The group consisted of a wide array of people . Apart from the anthropologist there were all kinds of experts , such as a few engineers , two doctors , a botanist , and even a brewer . Zac almost felt a bit bad for the corpulent man with the handlebar mustache , knowing that he would be hounded by a few hundred thirsty demons as soon as he arrived on the island . Complaints about lack of liquor were one of the most common grievances among the demonkin over the past month , as their own stores had largely run out .

He also managed to snag a few artists and a watchmaker , who were quite surprised their talents were wanted . He didn’t actually need painters or a watchmaker , but Zac had a feeling that someone who was adept at working with a craft that demanded steady hands and precision would make a great future inscriber . In fact , anyone he felt might turn into good , or at least passable , inscribers were quickly recruited .

Zac’s goal was simple . He wanted to unleash a mountain of inscribed armors created from the wolf pelts and ant carapaces on the surviving humans . His materials were enough to create thousands and thousands of pieces of gear , and with his current demon inscribers , it would over a decade to complete all the equipment . His desire to get more inscribers only increased after he saw how sought after even mediocre gear was at the auction .

If Calrin also managed to open up a few branches , all the better .

As it was getting late Sap Trang simply shouted out the meeting spot and rules for any interested parties before they led the group of non-combat classes back to the hotel . By now the group had grown to over fifty experts plus their families , and the group who had been told to go to the teleporter was five times that number . If all of them actually showed up it would be quite an improvement for Port Atwood , though Zac expected a decent amount of them to get cold feet .

The group took over a few floors of the hotel , racking up a bill that would be insurmountable for most people . Later that night Calrin and Ogras returned , the gnome having almost a rosy glow . Zac noticed that the gnome had spent a bit more of his money earlier while he was recruiting , but he stopped not long after .

We made a haul this time . It actually seems that the System created a patch of Aetherbloom close to this town , as quite a few sold it . No one has figured out its use yet , so we bought out most of the city’s supply . The city’s leadership will puke blood when they realize what they’ve missed out on , - the gnome said with glee .

Aetherbloom? What’s that used for? - Zac asked curiously , as he’d never heard of it .

It’s one of the main components for a popular medicinal paste that’s used for race improvement . It’s more effective than the standard baths , and it even has some effect when trying to improve to D-Grade race . A single stalk cost over ten thousand nexus coins normally , we paid less than a hundred coins per stalk , - Calrin explained , almost looking aroused when explaining the gains

More importantly , it is quite rare and takes decades for it to regrow , and it probably only existed here due to the System creating some opportunities on this baby planet , - Ogras added with some schadenfreude .

These bureaucrats lost out on enough materials to bring almost 300 warriors to E-Grade Race . For Port Atwood that could be huge . You saw that many soldiers among the demons still haven’t upgraded their race . These stalks can help us create an elite squad that will shake fear in the world for hundreds of years , - the demon said with a gleam in his eyes .

The government caught on to our actions after a while though , and hurried to buy stalks as well , but not before we snatched a good 80% of what was on the market . -

Zac was quite impressed with their haul , as that sort of paste would be a great thing to add to the future contribution system . It would make the warriors work far harder if they could get that sort of panacea to help them with their evolution .

We also got quite a few promising people to sign up to join Port Atwood , - Zac said , not wanting to be outdone as he listed the various occupations of their new hires .

As Zac expected Ogras eyes lit up when he heard that there was a brewer on the list , but his next question confused him a bit .

Are there any filmmakers like Directors and editors in the group? - the demon asked .

No , why? - Zac asked confused .

It would be fun to try to making my own movie , - he said with a wide smile .

Eh… I think those kinds of people should be in Hollywood , and I don’t know where that town’s located anymore , - Zac answered hesitantly .

Since there was not much left to do everyone returned to their quarters , where Zac spent most of the night better acquainting himself with his improved Dao of Heaviness . He also tried to use the experience of improving his first Dao seed to also make some inroads on his other seeds , though progress was slow there .

After sleeping for two hours he sat down in the lobby to wait for everyone to gather up . Soon most had gathered up , though it appeared that a few of the experts had left during the night . Two also backed out before they set out , looking quite embarrassed . Zac assured them it was no trouble , and they quickly left as well , leaving only 38 experts . All in all , it was still a good number who stayed on in Zac’s opinion .

More troubling was the fact that Ogras was not around , and that he’d only left a note at the reception that he’d meet up with the rest at the teleporter . Zac got a headache thinking about what the demon was up to , and could only gather the rest of the people .

The teleporter was decently close to the commercial district and they opted to walk the twenty-minute promenade rather than trying to get hold of enough cars for the whole party . A few of the more cerebral of the experts were panting when they arrived , and Zac could only shake his head . The general level of some of the more niche experts was quite low , some even still below level five .

As they arrived Zac immediately tried to find the demon who had promised to be here , but Ogras was nowhere in sight . Zac was starting to get worried that he had gotten into some real trouble , but a voice from the shadows allayed that worry , though a new worry soon replaced it .

I can’t show myself at the moment . Hurry and start the teleporter , we need to leave . -

Chapter 146 - Home Sweet Home

What have you done? - Zac asked with a sinking feeling while looking at the shadows , drawing confused or concerned glances from the others .

Aren’t you the curious one? I just solved a few future issues for us , but the government might take some issue with my methods , - the voice responded .

Zac could only close his eyes in despair as he’d seen Ogras’ methods in action before . Something crazy had happened during the night . But he would rather sort it out at his own island than here , so he chose to drop the subject for now .

Not a large distance away many of the recruits from yesterday stood waiting with large backpacks and trunks of their things in tow . Zac noted with some disappointment that less than half of those who promised to be here actually showed up .

However , he was overall quite content with their haul . Over 150 people had decided to drop their lives here in New Washington to come with him into the unknown , based only on the pull of his own , or the Super Brother-Mans’s , reputation .

Zac walked up to the waiting group , and with a swipe of his hand put all the luggage into a Cosmos Sack . Next , he walked to the teleporter with everyone in tow , passing right through the security check . It seemed the guards of the teleporter was already informed that his group would be significantly larger when leaving , and simply waved everyone forward .

Zac threw out a small mountain of crystals , enough to let everyone pass through , and opened the channel to Port Atwood .

I better go first , make sure there’s no confusion with the guards , - Ogras’ voice once again sounded , and he appeared encumbered by a huge box .

Zac’s eyes widened when he realized that said box was not some crate , but rather an elaborate coffin . He planned to close the array , but the demon jumped through without waiting for an answer .

Zac’s bad premonition only got worse , but he could only swallow his unease and wave people through one by one . People walked through , some with fear and others with anticipation plastered on their faces . Zac wondered what their faces would be like when they saw that the town was not even built yet .

He did feel a bit bad about the whole situation , but the town would start getting built within the week , so he wouldn’t lose sleep over it . Especially considering how safe his island was compared to the rest of the world . He knew people in New Washington might feel safe , but Zac truly doubted that the System would allow them to create a Lord without a proper challenge . Perhaps a true calamity was waiting New Washington . Besides , he would keep the town protective array ready to protect the inner Zone from the third monster horde so that no civilians got hurt .

The transfer kept going smoothly until suddenly Julia and multiple guards came rushing toward the teleporter . Roughly two-thirds of the recruits had passed through by this time , including the Ishiate and the other original members of the group apart from Zac . He’d expecting trouble , so he chose to send the most important people through first .

Stop! - Julia shouted , causing Zac to frown and look over .

Ignore her , keep going through , - Zac said as he walked over to intercept the people .

What’s going on? - Zac asked with a sigh .

You tell me , Mr . Monk , - one of the guards said angrily . - Witnesses report a shadowy figure abduct Emma MacHale from her highrise apartment a few hours ago , and your companion , the demon , was spotted carrying a suspicious coffin outside this building earlier . -

Zac already had some suspicions before , but still groaned when he heard the man .

That’s an odd coincidence . Ogras bought that coffin for a friend who died in the fight against the invaders , - Zac said with a blank face , though he felt his earlobes redden a bit from his shamelessness .

Why don’t you call him back to New Washington and let us question him? - Julia said with a baleful glare .

Zac was surprised by the reaction , as the government worker was looked far angrier this time compared to when he wreaked havoc inside their buildings or when he killed the leaders of Greenworth .

I’m afraid that won’t be possible , - Zac refused without hesitation .

He knew Ogras quite well by now . If he had actually put the starlet inside that coffin , then he was long gone from the teleporter by now , and not even Zac would be able to find him unless he wanted to be found .

You understand your wanton actions are testing your cooperation with the New World Governement? - Julia spat out through grit teeth .

The new citizens of Port Atwood hesitantly looked on , no one currently passing through the portal .

Wanton actions? You’re throwing baseless accusations against my companion . From what I understand I just hear some circumstantial evidence , no real proof , - Zac said , not backing down as he turned to the last people waiting to go through . - Keep going , this is just a small matter that I’ll handle . -

The people looked at each other , with two of them shrugging and stepping through . For a few it actually seemed the fact that Zac didn’t much care about the government was a testament to their strength , and they quickly followed behind into the array . Soon only ten people were left , who hesitantly looked at the teleportation platform .

This is your last chance to back out , - Zac said as he slowly walked toward the array . - I am stepping through in 10 seconds , anyone who hasn’t gone through by then will have to stay behind . -

Our talk isn’t done yet , - Julia shouted from behind .

Take it up with the chief of police , - Zac tersely retorted , not in the mood to keep up the charades any longer .

A few people grit their teeth and jumped through the array , dissaperaring into motes of light , while the last 6 people shook their heads and backed away . Zac only nodded and made to step through the portal .

However , before he could walk into the shimmering light he saw a form flash by with a mighty leap . It was Julia who jumped with surprising speed into the teleporter . Since she wasn’t planning on attacking Zac his danger sense didn’t activate , and he only blankly stared at her form disappearing .

You should know this already , but Port Atwood is going into seclusion for a month following this . Your colleague’s actions will not change this . Ms . Lombard will be returned after that point unless she’s committed crimes while in our domain , - Zac said to the guards who looked equally surprised , and stepped through the teleporter .

After the travel time he once again arrived at the teleportation area , and immediately heard a shout .

Emma! Can you hear me? - Julia’s voice carried from outside .

Zac sighed and stepped out to the chaotic scene .

All the new citizens hesitantly looked around , some clearly a bit dismayed at the utter lack of civilization . The array was placed some distance away from the temporary town , and they were surrounded by primordial forests .

We’ll head to town in just a bit , - Zac said with a loud voice , drawing everyone’s attention .

You just entered without any invitation , - Zac said as he turned to a dodgy Julia . - You should know you are stuck here now . I can’t let you return to the government at this point . -

Are you truly trying to fight the world government? - Julia spat back , clearly still irate .

Do you speak for the government now? I already told your colleagues that you will have to stay here for now , and only be returned if you break no rules . -

Everyone , I’ll lead you to Port Atwood . Please do not stray away in the woods , as all monsters in this area are around level 40 , - Zac said .

You said this area was safe! - a woman shrilly said .

Clearly some had painted quite a different picture of Port Atwood in their mind compared to the wilderness they found themselves in .

The beasts are left for our trainees to gain experience . We have already killed everything stronger on the island , - Zac answered .

Island? - a few asked simultaneously , and even Julia refocused on Zac .

Port Atwood is an Island kingdom . Honestly we still haven’t found the mainland , so we are not exactly sure where we are in relation to places like New Washington . This is the main island , while we control a few more . We are constantly traveling through our archipelago to save any stranded citizens and claim more land , - Zac explained .

The Cosmic Energy! It’s so dense! - a man suddenly exclaimed .

It was one of the experts who actually had a passable level . He was a doctor who was also a cultivator and was already at level 19 , which was respectable for someone who hadn’t really fought any monsters since returning from the tutorial .

This whole island has far higher amounts of energy compared to the mainland . Those who contribute to Port Atwood will be given access to areas that have up to a few times higher density than even this . It is no luck that we became the strongest force on the planet . Anything that is done here , from cultivation to farming , has twice the effect from half the effort , - Zac said , which improved the somewhat despondent faces of some of the people .

He wasn’t planning on talking this much , but the faces of the new citizens clearly showed that some were on the verge of a breakdown , clearly regretting their choice . He needed to throw out some good news or they would never get back to town . Julia looked down on the ground with a thoughtful face , which gave Zac some pause . He still hadn’t figured out what to do with her , as she was a high ranking official .

He already knew that there likely was one or a few spies in the group , but he knew there was not much he could do about it apart from isolating the town until his position was unshakeable . He guessed he would just let Julia wander around for now , unless she actively tried to look into the restricted areas . Perhaps he’d add a guard or two to her .

His musings were interrupted as there suddenly were twenty people who approached . Zac saw it was a few of the people from his female squad , who after just a few days of training looked quite a bit more professional and powerful .

Welcome back , - Joanna , who lead the squad , said .

Zac only nodded and then pointed at Julia after throwing Joanna the Cosmos Sack containing the bags of the new citizens .

This one isn’t really a part of the group . You should remember her , she’s a high position official of the New World Government who suddenly jumped through the teleporter . Just let her go with the others , but keep an eye on her . She’s level 29 , can you handle it? - Zac asked Joanna .

The recruits balefully glared at Julia when they heard she was a government employee . Their experiences in Greenworth were clearly still fresh in their minds , and they held a deeply rooted hatred for the government due to the mayor .

Not a problem , - Joanna said , looking like she wanted to eat the government employee whole .

Don’t kill or torture her , - Zac only said with a sigh . - As for the others , give them the same type of introduction as all the other new townspeople . -

As he gave over the responsibility of the new citizens to Joanna he felt like a large burden was lifted from his shoulders as he started to walk away with his

Why is he leaving? - a voice was heard from the group .

Do you think the strongest man in the world has time to babysit you? - one of the Valkyries shot back , causing some murmurs among the group .

Zac shot a glance back toward the group , only to see Julia intently staring at him .

If Ogras truly did kidnap the movie-star , you don’t need to worry . He is simply a movie fanatic , and don’t have any nefarious purposes . But I will look for him now and investigate , - he said before he disappeared into the woods .

It didn’t take long for him to walk back to his mansion , and felt the tranquility sooth his soul . However , that tranquility didn’t last long , as a shrill voice interrupted it .

Are you crazy? A coffin? How can you do this to me? -

Zac recognized the voice , and with a sigh he walked over to the garden he heard the sound come from . As he approached he saw Emily stare with large star-struck eyes at the scene in the garden .

Wow , it’s really her! - Emily whispered with an excitable voice as she saw Zac approach .

Zac could only nod and turn to the couple in the distance .

When he saw the scene he could only wryly smile .

Chapter 147 - Roads to Lordship

In the middle of the secluded garden Ogras was grinning as he deftly dodged an enraged Emma MacHale , who was currently trying to clobber him with a champagne bottle .

A coffin? A COFFIN? What kind of asshole moves someone in something so ominous as a coffin? That wasn’t what we agreed upon! I’ll shove this bottle up your ass , - she screamed as she threw the bottle with full force at a laughing Ogras .

I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable , and the casket was nicely padded inside . I am a gentleman , after all , - Ogras said with a smile as he snatched the bottle out of the air , careful to not let it break .

Zac was quite surprised at Emma’s personality . It seemed the person he’d seen in interviews and on the stage of the auction was another role she played , just like in the movies . Her real personality was far more coarse .

He was also quite relieved that it seemed that what Ogras did was not an abduction , though the exact details hadn’t been quite agreed upon . Zac didn’t want to have a falling out with the demon , but if Ogras truly had started kidnapping women he would have no choice but to do something drastic , as he couldn’t accept such behavior . It would be on a completely different scale compared to just messing around at the auction .

Emily giggled as she heard the exchange , which made the movie star look their way , immediately focusing on Zac .

You! You let this horned mongrel just knock me out and carry me around in that god damn casket? What? Why are you just standing there gaping , you pervert? Are you the kind of guy who just finishes by himself in the corner? -

Urh , - Zac only managed to get out , not ready to become the target of Emma’s vitriol . - I only found out Ogras had , uh , brought you here , after Julia Lombard told me . -

Jules told you? Where is she? - the starlet said , quickly calming down .

Do you two know each other? She was quite angry . Angry enough to jump through the teleporter to come here , - Zac couldn’t help asking .

She did? - she asked , her mouth slightly curving upward before refocusing at the demon . - You can’t hurt her , or I won’t cooperate anymore . And you never told me you lived in the god damn jungle . -

Hi! I’m Emily , I’m a huuge fan! You’re in Port Atwood . It’s an island in the middle of nowhere! - Emily chimed in , clearly excited to meet a movie star .

Hi pretty , - Emma said , clearly more amenable to the excited teenager . - You should stay away from those two , something is wrong with their heads . -

Emily only giggled in response .

Emily , tell Emma a bit about Port Atwood . Ogras , come with me , - Zac said with a sigh .

He needed to understand what the hell was going on . Soon the two stood some distance away while Emily peppered the movie star about questions about her old life , and Emma had turned back into the gentle personality you saw on TV back in the day .

So you created a huge mess . You were seen with that casket before you came back here . And now we got a government official on the island , - Zac said with an angry glare . - I don’t even want to imagine the kind of riot you’ve caused in New Washington . You better have a god damn good reason for all this . -

Well , the casket was sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing , - Ogras shrugged drawing another baleful glare from Zac .

I was only planning on visiting Ms . MacHale for the dinner I promised , but things turned out this way . -

She’s not a prisoner . And no forcing her to do anything , - Zac said with an even stare .

Bah , why would I do something like that? The chase is half the fun , - Ogras spat back . - Besides , that’s not why I brought her here . -

Explain , - Zac said , still annoyed .

Didn’t you say you couldn’t understand how those useless bureaucrats are creating a Lord while you , the top spot on your Ladder , is fighting tooth and nail for the same privilege? Well , Emma MacHale solved that puzzle for me yesterday , - Ogras began .

The first clue came from Ricky , the poor sap you left with me . I asked him about the government’s plans after he spilled everything about their group . We missed one of them by the way , so watch your back . The Red Mercenaries had done some nasty work for the government before it seemed , even killed a Ranker who actively spoke against The New World Government . -

Zac didn’t much care about the last man who was still alive , but he was more concerned about the fact the Red Mercenaries did Government wetwork .

So the government was behind the attack? - Zac asked with a frown .

No , it seems they truly only did it to stuff their pockets a bit . Birds die for food , men die for money , - the demon answered with a shrug .

I was more interested about what he told me about the government’s quests . He swore that there were no quests like defending New Washington from beasts to become a Lord . He did , however , mention that he had heard about a contribution Crystal , and that Emma MacHale was quite high on it . -

Zac was quite intrigued by now , completely having forgotten about the fact that a storm might be brewing in New Washington by now . He only nodded for the demon to continue the narration .

While I was walking through the Bazaar I was listening for any gossip , and it turned out that MacHale wasn’t the only star the Government employed . There were actually many of them visiting various towns , shaking hands and kissing babies so to speak . All while promoting the Government .

At first I thought it was just promotion to gain legitimacy before the Auction and get more to sign up for their little alliance . But I was proven wrong . I found out where MacHale was staying later on and went to visit her . Partly to find out more and partly , uh , for personal interests , - Ogras said , drawing an eye-roll from Zac .

I invited myself into her domicile , and after she had calmed down a bit we had a nice talk . I found out a lot of interesting things . Such as why they held their Auction , and why there were stars travelling town to town with government escorts . The Government needs the fame , - Ogras said with a grin .

What? - Zac couldn’t help but blurt out .

It’s their Lord quest . They need to generate enough renown , and someone among them will be promoted to a Lord . They are using the stars as mouthpieces to spread the plans of the Government and improve their renown . The Auction was partly held to gather a lot of forces , and gain a lot of renown in one fell swoop . Those who improve the fame of the Government would get contribution points , and Emma was one of those , - Ogras said .

That still doesn’t explain why you kidnapped her , - Zac said .

She asked me to , - Ogras said with a shrug . - When I told her who you were she immediately requested sanctuary . In the beginning , she was doing the work willingly , but after she learned some things she wanted out . However , they didn’t allow her to leave . The government was essentially keeping her a captive to generate fame since she was one of their top earners . -

Does it even matter if you snatched her? They still have the same amount of fame as before , even though she isn’t there anymore? -

Well , according to Emma the fame was attached to those who contributed somehow . I don’t truly understand it since I’ve never heard of a quest like this before , - Ogras said with some hesitation . - But if those people defected or died , then the Government would lose progress on their quest . -

Zac suddenly remembered the demon's words outside the teleportation building in New Washington and got a bad feeling .

You didn’t…? - Zac said with a sinking feeling .

Well , a few people in New Washington had untimely deaths during the night . But that was also a request from Ms . MacHale . She is quite ruthless . Though we only killed a few degenerates who used their status for disgusting things , - Ogras said with a sinister glint in his eyes .

You know this might set me at a straight collision course with the government? - Zac said angrily .

Zac wondered if he would ever be able to return to New Washington or their alliance towns without a cover . If the government made Zac an accomplice for what seemed to be a murder-spree and a kidnapping there was no knowing what they might do . Perhaps his good name was being dragged through the mud as they spoke .

You already were . Someone like you can’t coexist with a group like that . Better prepare yourself mentally and clear this wave quickly . They might be gunning for your sister as we speak , - Ogras retorted .

Zac could only frown in response , knowing that the demon might be right on the nose with that remark . The government wanted to create a unified power , and people like himself might be considered a thorn in their side , even though Zac had no designs on their alliance . Perhaps they would have found some other excuse to create trouble for him even if Ogras didn’t go berserk in the town .

You still haven’t properly explained why you went through all this trouble? -

For my , uh our , interests of course , - Ogras said . - The Auction brought far more fame than the government expected , and they were extremely close to finishing their quest . It was to the point that they would probably achieve it before you . We couldn’t allow that to happen . Becoming the first Lord of a world should bring great benefits to that Lord’s town and the Lord himself . -

So you did that all for me , you say? - Zac asked skeptically .

Remember , our fates are tied together on this little island , - Ogras said . - Your prosperity is my prosperity . -

Zac went over the information over for some time . He wasn’t really comfortable with the fact that the demon had gone off on a murder-spree in a human town without saying anything . What he said was true ; their fates were tied together , and Ogras’ actions would impact Zac .

At the same time he had to admit he felt it was for the best . The government’s actions sounded quite shady , and more importantly he didn’t want to cede the advantage of being the first Lord . He got the Creator’s shipyard from being the first to close an Incursion , so he felt that becoming the first Lord might give a huge advantage as well .

In the future , consult me first about stuff like this . If we’re going to have a working cooperation you can’t go rogue at every turn . That doesn’t only go for your nightly activities , but also your actions in the Auction , - Zac said with an even stare .

Yes , mother , - Ogras said while rolling his eyes . - Well , you did show passable ruthlessness with the poison , so I guess I won’t need to take all matters into my own hands in the future . But don’t go squeamish on me . Remember , your actions doesn’t only impact yourself , but all your subjects and your family . A moment of softness can lead to a lifetime of suffering . -

Ok ok . Also , the government official is your responsibility . She came here because of your actions , so you solve the aftermath . Find out if she is part of this all , but don’t kill her , - Zac said .

Overall he had a pretty decent impression of Julia , but if she jumped through the portal to control the Government’s asset then she would likely become a problem .

All these rules , - Ogras said with a roll of his eyes , though Zac knew he acknowledged the request .

I told you , you can’t hurt Jules , - Emma suddenly said , having snuck up on them . - If you do I’ll start preaching again here , giving the government a large boost in reputation . -

I told you , as long as she doesn’t start breaking the rules she’ll be fine , - Zac said .

Good . Now tell me , where will I stay? The demon promised me a Mansion . -

Chapter 148 - Cogstown

Zac’s headache was only growing as he walked the movie star to one of the empty courtyards on his compound . He had been forced to let Emma stay here until the promised mansion was built , and he had decided that the construction would be fast-tracked .

Ogras had wanted to accompany them , but Alea arrived which seemed to make him change his mind . The poison mistress didn’t have her usual playfulness , and she simply left after she had thrown a glare at the movie star , which was returned in kind . For now only Emily was accompanying them .

So you really are the Super Brother-Man? Jules told me she suspected that you were him , and the demon confirmed it . Why do you have that stupid nick-name? Sounds like the alias of someone trying to lure kids into their van , - Emma said , obviously not caring to choose her words more carefully after learning who Zac was .

Zac only sighed and shook his head . It seemed that him being the top ranker couldn’t subdue the mouth of the renowned movie star completely . Still , it was thanks to her that he still could attain the first Lord-title and benefits , so he chose to simply endure it for now .

At least she would be someone else’s problem soon enough , as she’d be barred from his compound the moment she got her mansion built . And if she kept making a racket or cause problems in Port Atwood he wasn’t above throwing her in jail , even if he had to build one just for her . There were limits to his patience .

You can stay here for now , - Zac said after they arrived at a small but exquisite courtyard that just so happened to be on the opposite side of the compound from where Zac usually meditated . - It might be a week or two before we can construct your permanent home , as our force is a bit occupied with a few things right now . -

Well , it’s passable I suppose , - Emma said as she walked around .

Zac nodded and turned to leave , but a shout stopped him .

Wait . What about me? - Emma said with a glare .

What about you? - Zac asked .

Will you just leave me here? What am I supposed to do? You’re the worst host ever , - Emma said with a huff .

Emily can take you to Port Atwood . Julia should be there somewhere also . You’re also free to stay with Ogras in his palace , - Zac said , hoping she would take him up on his offer .

Why in god’s name would I live with that bastard? Cutie , take me to Julia please , - she said and hooked her arm in Emily’s to her visible excitement .

Finally the two left together , leaving Zac alone with his thoughts . He opened his quest screen and took a look at his quest .

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect town from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : 5 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , town upgraded to City , status upgraded to Lord . (2/3) 02 : 15 : 23 : 14]

Less than three days remained until the third and final wave . He went over his things and felt as prepared as he could be . He already had two of the Lightning Punishment arrays that he bought for the ant waves , and an ample amount of crystals he got from Rydel’s Cosmos Sack and the mining operations .

He also had the high-quality siege machines from the sack , which even low leveled people could utilize . They might not gain energy from the kills , but at least they would contribute to the war efforts . Depending on the nature of the waves he would either have the Valkyries use the siege engines or gain experience from fighting by hand . He honestly did not know what else there was to do before the wave hit , apart from preparing the general population .

After resting a bit he went to the town to meet up with Adran , who usually was up to date with everything happening .

Greetings , Lord Zac , - the demon said as Zac entered his office , which was still the large tent . He still hadn’t bothered with having a proper structure built , as it would be moved shortly in any case .

How did it go with the new town-people? - Zac asked after greeting the administrator .

Hehe , I do not know what you told them to get them to come here , but some were… Less than pleased with the current state of Port Atwood . Though it got better when we demonstrated building a house in an hour , and explained we would begin construction of the town proper within two weeks , - the demon said .

Zac only grimaced while nodding . He wasn’t too surprised by their reactions after Mr . Trang’s shameless recruitment tactics .

There are also the two beastkin who have kept pestering us to take them to the island with the town of their kind , - he added .

Where are they now? - Zac asked .

The incident with Ogras had made him completely forget about the two .

They are waiting in the tavern , - the demon answered .

We have a tavern? - Zac asked surprised .

Yes , one of the more enterprising humans opened one up while you were gone . Another human also informed us of his island having a pretty huge cache of liquor . We made an extra excursion there to procure it , I hope you don’t mind , - the demon grinned .

That’s fine , it’s good that some civilian businesses are cropping up , please help out cases like that in the future as well , - Zac said with a nod . - How are the war preparations? -

Everything we can think of has been done . We have massively improved on the traps and pitfalls outside the walls , reinforced the walls themselves , and added the siege machines , - the administrator said .

We have also trained some of the more competent civilians to help out with logistical efforts and basic triage . The only thing remaining is whether you wish to buy any more arrays or tools to prepare . -

Zac mulled it over . Between his combination Town Protection array and his lightning punishments , he felt secure enough to tackle the third wave . He was sure it would be a nasty one , but still there were limits to how far the system could crank up the difficulty . With his own and the demon’s power , and the various advantages he had accumulated he felt confident in taking on almost anything the System could throw at him .

We have everything we need saved from the Ant Horde , - Zac said and the demon nodded in agreement .

Oh , we have also started making some inroads in making the carriages you brought back some time ago run on Nexus Crystals . For now , we can simply create fire from the energy in the combustion chambers of the contraption , but in the future we might be able to even make it run on pure energy instead of wasting so much of it through converting it to heat , - the demon added .

Zac was delighted at the news . That kind of refitting would be quite profitable he believed , but also it would help with mobility for a lot of people . Not every town could own an expensive Teleportation array and would have to actually travel between towns by foot . Being able to drive would massively increase their chance of survival .

Great , keep me posted . I am planning on visiting the Beastman village before the wave hits . Perhaps we can get some more warriors . From my impression of these Ishiate they might also be skilled craftsmen , which would help in refining all our materials into sellable equipment . -

With that he left the command tent to head over to the tavern . He saw the two Ishiate sitting in a corner looking somewhat troubled , but when Zac told them he was taking them to their hometown they were visibly excited .

But before they could leave he started as he saw who stood behind the counter .

It’s you? - Zac asked with some surprise .

Well , a man’s got to do something , - Ryan answered with a grin . - When I said I wanted to open a saloon the demons were more than willing to help with the construction . I’ve never seen a house get erected that fast . Unfortunately , I can’t really charge the demons for liquor since they brought it , but at least I can charge the others . -

I’m glad you found your calling , - Zac answered with a small smile .

Yeah , you know I sometimes dreamed of moving to some tropical country and opening a beach bar back when I worked a dead-end job . Who knew that the apocalypse would turn it into reality? - Ryan answered with a widening smile .

Zac wouldn’t have minded staying a bit , but the anxious Ishiate made him remember his tasks .

I will talk to you later , - Zac said as he left with the two beastmen in tow .

Zac also brought the fisherman and one of the demons who participated in the original scouting mission and immediately set sail . The island was over six hours away , and he didn’t want to waste any time . Soon they were cutting through the waves in breakneck speed as Zac once again sat in the fore contemplating the Dao .

The two Ishiate were extremely intrigued about the vessel they used . They likely had studied human technology quite a bit since the integration , but this vessel was something else entirely . They kept excitedly talking about the construction and tried to hypothesize how it worked as they furiously scribbled notes in notepads . It was as though the vessel had opened up a new world to them .

Zac was happy to see their excitement as he had hopes that he would be able to relocate at least part of the Ishiate back to his town in order to gain some craftsmen . The humans he brought from New Washington was a good start , but Earth had very few proper craftsmen before the fall . Zac suspected that things like blacksmiths , tinkerers and even alchemists where more common concepts among the Ishiate who was essentially a medieval society hungering for technological advancements .

Finally as the suns started to set they arrived at their destination , a decently sized island that was slightly larger than the ones he’d visited so far . The climate was the same as on his island , but the forests looked quite different . They were far more colorful , with many trees having red leaves instead of green , and many trunks were blue-ish .

The town they were visiting wasn’t originally a seaside town , so it was some ways inland , and they started traveling through the beautiful forests . A weird small critter with three eyes and six legs suddenly skittled in front of them , startling Zac .

It’s a Prikka , - one of the Ishiate explained , - I haven’t seen one since the fall . This whole forest feels like home , though it has grown quite a bit from what’s normal . -

After an uneventful trek of five minutes they arrived at the walled city , and Zac looked at it with some interest . It’s architecture looked quite different from anything he’d seen so far .

The wall was made of some metal , and on top of it there were huge brass cannons mounted . Both the cannons and the walls looked somewhat new , even though they weren’t in great shape . Zac assumed they had been erected or improved in order to combat the monsters of the island . That would also explain the craters on the ground around the wall , and the fire-licked trees at the edge of the forest .

We’re home , - the female Ishiate said with ripe emotion in her voice .

As they approached the town Zac kept looking over the area . It was clear that the town hadn’t been unscathed over the past months . There were clear signs of battle all around the town , and the metal plating was dented or even missing in various spots . It gave a battle-torn image , though Zac noted that the town still stood , as no parts of the wall were completely ruined , and there were figures patrolling its wall walk .

The group made no effort to hide and openly walked toward the main gate . Their approach was quickly noted , and the guards shouted down at someone below . Soon they arrived at the gate which still was closed .

Hello? I’m Shea Moon of Cogstown , daughter of Basso Moon . With me are my husband Porro Moon and some human friends who helped us return home , - she shouted up at the wall .

There was no response for a minute , and Zac started to frown .

What now? - Zac asked at the Ishiate , who also looked a bit confused .

Wait a bit longer . The guards might be getting reporting to those in charge , - Shea answered hesitantly .

She was quickly proven right as after another minute a roar could be heard over the wall .

Open the god damn gate , you idiots! - a deep voice resonated , almost immediately followed by the gates slowly opening with a creak .

Zac and the others didn’t have time to enter before a giant Ishiate rushed at them .

Chapter 149 - Reinforcements

Little Shea! - the man shouted , tears pouring from his eyes as he scooped up the female Ishiate in a bear hug . - We were so worried when you and the others disappeared . The world turned crazy and we found our town moved to this island . We feared the worst . -

I missed you father! - Shea answered with a sob .

What’s going on? What happened? - the huge man asked with concern . - And just what are those hairless ones? The old one looks a bit similar to the ones we have here . -

You have humans in Cogstown? - Zac couldn’t help asking , which gave the huge man a start .

You speak our language? -

He has a skill for that , - Shea explained . - This is Zac Atwood , he is the leader of a town called Port Atwood at a neighboring island . Mr . Atwood , this is Basso Moon . He is the leader of Cogstown and its chief engineer . -

How did you two end up at a neighboring island? Are the others still there? - Basso asked after nodding at Zac .

It’s a long story , I’ll explain as we go . -

Basso nodded and led them inside the town . Zac curiously looked around as they walked , content in letting Shea give her father the standard run-down of the System and the Tutorial . It quickly became apparent that Cogstown wasn’t a spot where cultivators were dropped off after the month was over .

When the beastman mentioned humans Zac’s heartbeat had sped up for a moment , hoping that Hannah and the others were dropped off here . But the Ishiate were clueless about most things regarding the System , completely dashing that hope .

The town looked well fortified from the outside , but it was clear that they had met some trouble . A lot of houses were crumbled , and there were gashes and splotches of blood at many places . Even Shea couldn’t help herself from asking what was going on , eliciting a sigh from Basso .

It’s the god damn birds . There’s a flock of large white birds who turned crazy a month ago . Before that they mainly stayed close to the sea and fed on fish or small critters . But as they grew larger , so did their appetites . They started attacking our town , actually snatching people up in the air , - he said with a tired voice .

We kept shooting them , both with skills and our weaponry . But they are so large by now that if we kill it in the air their corpses become dangerous projectiles that might kill people when they smash into the ground . And no matter how many we kill it seems they are endless , -

Can you buy a defensive array? - Zac asked , drawing a pained glance from the town leader .

That’s the problem . We do have the Crystal Shea mentioned , but we can’t buy much more than a shop and a few basic structures , such as a smithy manned by those weird automatons . We got those options after defending the town from a series of monster attacks .

I see that the fortifications you mentioned exist , but we can’t purchase them . It seems we need to unlock them with another quest , but we haven’t even received a quest yet . -

Zac nodded , not feeling too surprised . There were very few who actually had the option to buy the arrays at the moment it seemed . Otherwise quite a few more would have been able to get teleporters , far more than the 50 or so towns in the whole world who appeared to possess them at the moment .

Zac was about to ask a follow-up question but was interrupted by some commotion .

Grandpa! - an Asian man in his early twenties shouted as he rushed toward their group .

Little Tuan? Is that you? - the old fisherman shouted back with a shaky voice , his eyes immediately reddening .

Mr . Trang already mentioned earlier that the younger generation had already left on a boat to find help for their grandparents . Unfortunately , they hadn’t heard from them since . It looked like at least one of them somehow had ended up on this island , and was one of the - hairless ones - that Basso mentioned .

The man rushed up to the old fisherman , followed by a few more Vietnamese youths who looked to be between 20 and 35 . Zac was relieved to see that the seemed fed and unharmed , meaning they probably weren’t prisoners . He really wanted to recruit some Ishiate for his town , but if they had mistreated Sap and the other’s grandchildren it would have become a thorny situation .

Why are you kids here? - Mr . Nguyen asked as he looked over his villagers .

Our ship was attacked by some monstrous fish while we looked for the mainland , and we steered toward this island before the ship sunk… Giang and Phuc didn’t make it , - Tuan answered with a shame-filled face . - We were worried sick , but these aliens wouldn’t help build a ship since it was too dangerous . -

It’s good that you stayed here rather than going back for us old folks . We left ourselves by ship and now live in Lord Zac’s town . We’re doing quite well , and old man Trang is already level 28 . And this old man is almost ready to get a Class as well , - he said with a wide smile .

I’m glad you’re all okay . Why don’t you stay here? I’m sure these aliens won’t mind , they are pretty nice , though it’s a bit hard to make yourself understood , - one of the other youngsters said .

No , it’s better you kids come back with me and Lord Zac after we’re done here , - Mr . Nguyen answered with a shake of his head . - It seems a bit dangerous here while Port Atwood is completely safe . -

Since Mr . Nguyen was one of the main naval scouts he’d been given a skill crystal for the Book of Babel] , so Basso and the other Ishiate could understand his words as well .

It’s pretty big words to claim complete safety in this new world of ours , - an Ishiate with a large blunderbuss on his back responded skeptically .

I think Mr . Nguyen is simply is referring to the fact that we have eradicated any threatening beasts on our island , so we do not have to worry about such things anymore . However , with the incursions and other threats humans and Ishiate are facing it can’t be called completely safe , - Zac answered .

The Vietnamese people looked on with surprised expressions , seeing how the Ishiate seemed to understand their words and respond . Clearly , they still didn’t know about the language skill .

Other threats? - Basso said with a frown .

Do you have somewhere we can talk in private? - Zac asked .

Soon they found themselves in a large meeting room in what seemed part castle part hangar . From the looks of it they were either trying to build or actually had built a Zeppelin , though he couldn’t see one of them floating around .

A few other leaders of Cogstown had joined basso and his guards , and they listened on as Shea explained her experiences and findings in the tutorial and from there . The Vietnamese people were also in the room , and the old fisherman was quietly translating for them in a corner .

When some clarification was needed by Zac he provided it , but otherwise he was content in letting the Ishiate talk .

I heard Mr . Zac mention our flag at the meeting , and we immediately chose to follow him . That’s how we got home , - Shea finished recounting her and the other cultivator’s experiences . It appeared she and the other cultivators of Cogstown were dropped off at the other side of the planet , and Shea was at the Auction since she had acquired the language skill during the tutorial .

It is a relief to hear that so many of our people are still alive and amongst kin . It is a shame we can’t connect with them though , - Basso said with a sigh as he looked at Zac . - And I am thankful to you , Mr . Zac , for bringing my daughter home . -

It was no problem . I was planning on visiting here sooner or later in any case , - Zac said .

Oh? - Basso said , and the other Ishiate looked curiously or warily at Zac .

In a sense we’re neighbors here on our islands , and I believe it’s important to know each other , - Zac said . - I’d also like to extend an invitation to the citizens of Cogstown . During the past months we have traveled across the archipelago to rescue any people stranded and beset by monsters . -

Finally Zac found an opportunity for recruitment and wouldn’t miss it .

Port Atwood is in need of skilled craftsmen . After talking with Shea I’ve come to the understanding that your kind are both creative and skilled workers . Many of your group have switched from trying to improve your technology to becoming craftsmen classes to great success . If you’re willing to relocate to my Island you would be most welcome , - he continued .

Why would we want to move and become a human’s subordinates? - an Ishiate asked , drawing a nervous glance from Shea .

Security and improvement . Suffice to say , Port Atwood is somewhat unique on the whole planet . We have access to knowledge that you can’t find anywhere else . Much of the information about the incursions and Dominators Shea mentioned earlier comes from us . We also possess abundant resources to improve your crafting , and the Cosmic Energy density on our island is unparalleled , - Zac answered without missing a beat .

Most importantly , our citizens are safe , and therefore able to focus on their personal improvement . -

Our people have lived here for generations , and what you propose is a huge change . If you please would excuse us for a bit while we discuss things , - Basso said politely .

Zac understood that there likely were things they wanted to ask Shea and her husband without the prying ears of himself and his team , so he nodded at the old fisherman and the demon guards and left with them .

Mr . Nguyen’s grandson and the others followed as well , and soon they found themselves in a group of sofas in another room .

Hey , how did you get the skill to be able to talk in all languages , - Tuan asked Zac . - It seems really convenient . -

Brat , be polite to Lord Zac , - the old fisherman said with a glare as he smacked his grandson in the back of his head .

Ow! Grandpa , why do you keep calling him a lord? Is he a European nobility? That shouldn’t matter anymore , - Tuan said looking a bit indignant .

What European? He’s a ranker on the Ladder , - the old man explained . - Act properly , it’s thanks to Lord Zac we old folk can survive . Work hard and you can gain opportunities that the rest of the world could only dream of . We might not have come from great origins before the world changed , but that doesn’t matter anymore . -

What? What’s going on? - Tuan asked , while the others looked visibly confused .

Zac could only shake his head . He understood the old man was still following the rules that he put in place earlier , stopping him from saying anything about Port Atwood . Still the old man wanted to convey the importance of having a good rapport with Zac .

But things had changed since he gave that order , and hiding nothing he simply stated the truth .

I’m the Super Brother-Man . -

It took some convincing , but soon the Vietnamese youth no longer thought it odd that their elder looked up to some foreigner who was so much younger than him , and they no longer spoke about living in the Ishiate town . Clearly staying with the force of the top ranker seemed a far more reasonable idea , especially since the other elders still stayed in Port Atwood .

It took almost an hour before Shea and Basso joined Zac , though the Ishiate were good hosts and brought some food and drink while they waited . Something about his demeanor had clearly changed , as he warily looked at Zac who was calmly sitting in his seat . The large Ishiate looked troubled as he sat down on one of the free sofas on the opposite side of Zac .

I am sorry about the wait , Lord Zac . There has been much to go over . The news my daughter has brought regarding the change in the world is troubling , to say the least . We knew something extraordinary was happening , but the reality has far exceeded our expectations , - Basso said , looking quite worn out .

We understand where you’re coming from , and perhaps moving Cogstown to your future residential and commercial districts is the best for our futures . However , I cannot make such a decision on the spot . We have lived our whole lives in this town , and we cannot leave it just like that .

Our wilder brethren think us uncaring about the past , but that is wrong . We constantly build on our ancestor’s efforts to improve life for future generations . Cogstown is the result of four generations of Ishiate who have pushed themselves to unravel the universe . -

While Zac didn’t share the same types of feeling about his own hometown Greenworth he could understand where he was coming from .

I will not force anyone to do something they are not willing to do . But you should make a decision sooner rather than later , as your problems with the birds might only get worse . Normally we would help but we will have our hands full ourselves the coming days , - Zac answered .

We will leave soon , and it will be roughly ten days to two weeks before we can visit again , and that’s the soonest I can imagine , - Zac continued .

We understand your force will face some sort of trial soon , though Shea didn’t learn the details . If you’re amenable I would like to send a few of our tinkerers with you back . They are the ones who built the cannons on our walls , and perhaps might prove useful in your war efforts . Truthfully they will also scout your force and island to see whether it would be a good idea for us to move or not , - Basso answered .

That’s fine , - Zac said , not feeling surprised .

He didn’t expect the isolated Ishiate to uproot themselves on his or Shea’s word , and that he got this much response from Cogstown was better than expected . The tinkerers might even be useful in the coming wave .

Basso and Zac kept talking for a while , and Zac even promised to sell an exploratory vessel like the one he used for a whopping 5 million Nexus coins . The money-printing machine that was the Creator Shipyard was finally starting to give returns .

He’d long ago explained the situation to the Creators , so the ships themselves apparently were modeled after vessels form a huge human force called the Allbright Empire that spanned multiple galaxies . Any foreigner seeing the ships would think they were made by some grandmaster engineer from that empire .

Only an hour later Zac sat down again on the fore of the ship , and with closed eyes ignored the hubbub on the crammed vessel behind him .

Chapter 150 - The Third Wave

Zac had a sense of Deja Vú as he stood waiting on the wall , somberly looking toward the inner regions of the island . Next to him stood Ogras and his three generals . Zac had been extremely surprised to hear that Namys was dead , worried that some monster or powerhouse had arrived at the island .

He was even more shocked to learn that she was killed by Alea on Ogras’ orders . Zac immediately called an emergency meeting between the three of them , and it took an hour to finally get to the bottom of things . Ogras was almost biologically incapable of delivering clear answers , whereas Alea refused to divulge anything Ogras hadn’t .

To hear that the sour-looking demoness had far gone plans to kill him in his sleep without him even having an inkling of it caused Zac a fretful sleepless night . He knew Namys wasn’t one of his biggest fans but had no idea that it went to thelevel of wanting to eradicate him . Zac understood Ogras’ actions , and Zac also felt it showed that Ogras was in it for the long haul , but it also meant that they had lost one of the best fighters and leaders for the third wave .

Ogras looked unusually pissed off as he was chewing on a piece of dried meat next to him , which was out of character for him . The demon usually adorned that annoying grin no matter the situation , so seeing him trying to take out his anger on a piece of dried boar was a bit funny .

What’s with you? Your courtship not going according to plans? - Zac asked as he glanced over .

The demon snarled and threw the piece of food down the wall , telling Zac he hit bull’s eye .

Did you know? - Ogras asked as he angrily looked at Zac . - The brat did at least . -

Know what? - Zac asked , genuinely confused .

Emma MacHale is a god damn lesbian . She’s dating that plain looking bore from the government . All that effort wasted , - the demon growled .

Really? - Zac asked , having some difficulty restraining a smile . - I had no idea . How did Emily know? Emma told her? -

Apparently there were all kinds of rumors before your world got integrated , - the demon said , his frown deepening as he took out another piece of meat .

Zac thought it all pretty funny , but he was also a bit confused . Emma moved here to get away from the government , but at the same time dated one of their top officials . Was Julia not aware of the disgusting things Ogras mentioned earlier?

It appeared that the slavery in Greenworth wasn’t an isolated incident , rather a well-kept secret , where only a few like the Mayor were out in the open . Important personnel could ignore rules , or even basic human decency , as long as they provided the government with enough benefits . The reason Emma wanted to leave the government was that some of the stars got provided personal slaves , in some cases even children .

Those people were the ones that Ogras went around killing during the night , and after Zac learned of it he felt it was for the best . He wanted nothing to do with a bunch of degenerates like that . The important part was whether those actions were supported by the Government at large , or whether it was a small faction within the splintered organization that acted in such a way .

He was planning on getting to the bottom of things by interrogating Julia , though he didn’t want to waste time and effort on that with the wave incoming . It might also prompt Emma to cause trouble , and he would rather wait until he had the Lord-title in his hand .

I think it’s great . At least I won’t have to keep poisoning her while she lives in your compound , - Alea suddenly interjected , dragging Zac out of his thoughts .

What? - Zac asked , turning around with wide eyes . - What did you do? -

What’s with that look? I just sprinkled a little something that would give her the runs and feel bloated and a bit feverish . Not in the mood for a roll in the sack , - the poison mistress said with a small smile . - She thought she had some had come down with some tropical fever . -

Zac couldn’t help snorting when he heard Alea’s confession . He had avoided the movie star the last two days while mentally preparing for the third wave , hoping to improve as much as he could . He had mainly focused on incorporating his evolved Dao into his fighting style , and trying to gain a second Seed upgrade .

The first part went great , and he felt he possessed a far better command of the Middle Seed of Heaviness by now . The area he could expand his Dao field with the mental attach had also almost doubled after having consolidated his insights . Unfortunately , things hadn’t proceeded as smoothly in regards to his meditation , and his other seeds were still at an early stage .

Don’t go poisoning any more of our people , - Zac only said before turning back to look out over the wall .

Yes , dear , - Alea answered with a wink .

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect town from denizens of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : 5 E-Grade Nexus Crystals , town upgraded to City , status upgraded to Lord . (2/3) 00 : 00 : 08 : 44]

Zac closed his menu after taking a quick glance at it , taking one last look over his forces . This time it wasn’t just him and the demons up on the wall waiting for the wave to arrive .

The Valkyries stood at the ready , having swapped out their spears for bows . Few of them were excellent marksmen , though the improved attributes made most people decent shots by now . Of course one might not need pinpoint accuracy if there was a sea of monsters beneath the wall .

There were also the group of tinkerers from Cogstown , who looked the most excited of the bunch . They stood next to two newly mounted cannons making final adjustments . Zac could only shake his head when he saw that a few of them actually talked with the cannons , drawing weird glances from the demons closeby .

The first time he saw the craftsmen Zac had thought Basso was dumping his town lunatics on Port Atwood in a bid to get rid of them . Most of them had large patches of fur singed off and missing extremities , or even limbs . More than anything they held a burning madness in their eyes , giving off a very unsettling feeling .

But Zac soon realized he was wrong when he watched them mount one of their cannons on his wall . They were extremely skilled at what they did .

The tinkerers hadn’t cared the least about the various species walking the island but instead focused on the various technologies available . They had been astounded by human contraptions such as computers and cars , but they clearly focused more on things connected to the system , which Zac felt was for the best . This group , in particular , was mainly concerned about weaponizing Nexus Crystals and turning them into bombs , and it was their experiments that had caused them to look like they did .

Zac felt it was a bit of a shame that he couldn’t introduce them to Karunthel , the Creator foreman , as he thought they would hit it off quite well . Zac understood why the beastmen were so excited . They saw the third beast wave as an opportunity to field-test various inventions .

Finally , a contingent of roughly a hundred Zhix warriors orderly stood at the wall as well , ignoring anything around them . With them stood Ibtep , who had changed its large backpack with an equally large bundle of wooden javelins with steel tips . The Zhix had been fetched from the island after Ibtep made the offer , and the Holiness had agreed , though the supersized Zhix itself stayed in the hive .

The civilians stayed in the temporary town within the walls , with some having volunteered for various tasks to help out . Those who volunteered were mainly those from the surrounding islands , who already were used by being constantly accosted by beasts . The experts from New Washington had been shocked to hear the town was about to be attacked , with some even demanding to get sent back .

Zac ignored those voices though , telling them that getting attacked was the norm in the multi-verse and nothing to get worked up over . Julia had wanted to participate in the fight , but on Ogras’ advice she was placed under house arrest during the wave . There was no need to give the government official a panoramic view of the powers of Port Atwood .

This was the last wave , and the last opportunity to gain contribution points . Many of the demons had held on to most of their points until now , hoping to gain enough for some more valuable treasures . People would hold nothing back this wave , perhaps even displaying hidden cards just to push themselves further on the contribution ladder .

There was also the competition between Zac and Ogras . Zac had amassed a bit over 80 million contribution points during the waves , whereas Ogras was at a 59 . The general consensus was that Zac would keep his lead during the final wave , while a few staunch supporters of the demon lord insisted that Ogras had held back until now , and was ready to explode into action .

Zac personally didn’t care about all that . He only hoped that he would be able to finish the wave quickly , so his plans with the teleporter wouldn’t get ruined . Of course , he had a backup plan by now .

If the wave wasn’t finished and the deadline was nearing , he’d simply step through the teleporter and snatch up John Bernard , and go back . He had wanted to avoid that , as it might result in some retaliation from the government , but as things had progressed up until now Zac felt it didn’t really matter . It was just one more act of aggression to add to the tally .

The minutes slowly passed as everyone was waiting for what would come out through the portals this time . When there were less than a minute left Zac suddenly heard a familiar voice in his mind .

Special Challenge activated . To become a leader of a world you need to possess the strength to defeat any invaders . Rewards adjusted

Zac groaned as he looked around , and it seemed only he heard the voice . Ogras saw the odd reaction from Zac and raised a brow .

What’s going on? - the demon asked , but Zac had no time to explain when three huge pillars flashed into existence .

Each pillar was far larger compared to the earlier ones , and reminded Zac the incursion pillars . However , the pillars differed from both the sinister red one he’d been living with for a month , and also each other .

One of the pillars was a sickly turquoise color , and it almost looked like ghosts or specters were rotating around it . Zac was immediately reminded of the intelligence report he got from Ogras . The part about the various forces also mentioned the incursions .

The incursions themselves differed in appearance depending on who controlled it , and the turquoise one clearly matched the description of the incursions belonging to the Undead Empire . The second one was pitch black , and it felt like Zac was looking into a black hole as he stared at it .

Zac tried to figure it out , but couldn’t remember any force having such an incursion in the information missive . It likely meant that it didn’t belong to one of the large forces . That didn’t mean it belonged to a weak force , but rather a smaller one that the missive didn’t include due to the low likelihood of encountering them . There was no telling from just the light , and it could be either weaklings or a small elite force full of powerhouses .

The final incursion was multicolored in gold and red . Had it only been the lustrous golden color Zac would have thought it belonged to a church , as it radiated holiness . However , the blood-red intermixed gave a more sinister feeling , and it infected any purity of the gold luster .

What the hell? Incursions? - Ogras muttered , and many of the demons looked confused as well .

I got a quest update from the System , - Zac admitted with a sour face . - It said something about me needing the power to defeat invaders to become a leader . Perhaps it felt the normal challenge wasn’t annoying enough? -

As if on cue Zac suddenly heard a shout from behind . It was Janos , who once again stood at the ready at the control crystal for the Array . A large fractal had appeared above it , and any light from the crystal was gone . Zac quickly opened up the town management menu , and as he saw the message inside his sour face turned to a full-blown grimace .

Shit . -

Chapter 151 - The Three Forces

The Town Protection Array was actually blocked by the system . Zac quickly brought out one of his Thunder Punishment Arrays , and to his dismay found them looking like lifeless marbles no matter what he tried .

The Ruthless Heavens indeed , - Ogras muttered with a sardonic grin . - I guess we’ll have to do this one by hand . -

Zac started to wonder whether the System could actually hold grudges . He had cursed at it quite a bit in the beginning when he was stuck alone on the island . Was it retaliating now by increasing the difficulty to unreasonable levels? Or did it try to suppress him since he wasn’t a cultivator?

In any case , the sight in front of him spelled trouble . He wasn’t contending with one force now , but three . More importantly , he was placed against intelligent forces this time . The wolf horde had been somewhat easy to handle since they were dumb beasts , but the same couldn’t be said about actual invading forces .

They would have organized armies and employ strategy in trying to defeat him . He was sure that the system had provided some pretty good incentives to them so that no diplomatic solution was possible . Not that he thought it was possible in any case .

I think we should charge in , catch them unaware , - Zac said with some hesitation .

He didn’t want them attacking the wall since it would offer scant protection now that there was no Array to secure it . It might work against dumb beasts , but against an army of high leveled warriors it was only a small diversion .

There’s no way they would be unaware , rather the opposite . They should have been given plenty of forewarning , perhaps even having the opportunity to accept or decline the quest , - Ogras disagreed .

We should scout them out and gauge their strength . There are some differences between the pillars and normal Incursions . They are smaller . I think their forces should be limited , - the demon added . - If they were completely confident in defeating us they would already have rushed in . The fact that they are playing it safe is telling us something .

Zac gave a start and once again looked at the three pillars . They felt huge where they shone in the distance . However , Zac had to agree that they were quite a bit smaller compared to the one with the demons . That red pillar had stretched endlessly into the sky , clearly visible even from the other side of the island . It had felt like it reached the heavens , and apparently , even the closest islands had seen the red light when the demon Incursion was active .

These pillars were large , but not to that point . They were many times higher than the Ayr Hive , but that’s was about it . Zac wasn’t sure what it meant , but the size of the pillars had indicated the difficulty of the wolf waves . The pillar that sent through the Fiend Wolf was quite a bit larger compared to the ones before it .

So we just stand here and wait? It’s too passive , - Zac frowned with impatience . He was in no mood to let the invaders run rampant on his island . Who knew what kind of mess they would create while they stayed on the wall like some turtles .

It is , but sometimes we need to waste time to save time . We can send out a few scouts to check things out . I’ll even go myself . But we shouldn’t antagonize them until we know their relationship . Who knows , they might even fight each other . The undead forces are notoriously unwilling to work with almost any other force , and they might just attack the others before turning their attention to us . -

Zac nodded after some thought . Though it sounded implausible it might be correct . The goal of those forces should be to kill him and he could only die one time , meaning that only one force would get the reward . Perhaps they would even succumb to infighting for the honor to kill him , provided that hey felt he would be easy to handle .

Besides , charging in like a barghest wasn’t the best idea . Who knew what cards these people had up their sleeves . He didn’t even know what forces two of the incursions belonged to . Gathering intelligence first might be the smartest play .

They had stood at the walls for a few minutes by now , and there still wasn’t any activity . Unfortunately the incursions were far enough that they couldn’t see their forces due to foliage blocking the view .

Very well , let’s gather some intelligence , - Zac said , feeling unsettled by the inaction .

He almost hoped that a wave of invaders would come running through the forest at them , screaming and waving their weapons . A full-frontal assault would be perilous , but it would also be easy to handle . He just needed to take out his axe and go crazy . Now he was unsure what to do or expect .

Ogras nodded and disappeared into the shadows . Not long after Zac saw a few figures blend into the forest as they moved toward the pillars of light . Most of the demons sat down by now with closed eyes , patiently waiting to explode into action . Zac had to stop himself from pacing back and force like a wreck since he didn’t want to show how unsettled he felt by the situation .

He had already defeated one incursion , but that was different . For one he had learned that Clan Azh’Rezak was far weaker than the average when it came to the power of the invading groups . Usually the opportunity would have been snatched away by a more powerful force , but Azh’Rezak managed to hold on to it due to some turbulence in their area .

Secondly , he had deployed guerrilla tactics against the demons , and they didn’t even know about his identity until the very end . And finally the war with the monkeys provided a stage where he somehow luckily came out victorious .

It was different now , with him being a defender in the open , and at least the undead were a formidable force .

To take his mind off the situation he opened his quest screen . It was mentioned earlier that his quest and rewards were updated , and he wanted to see what he would get .

Incursion Master (Unique) : Close or conquer incursion and protect Town from denizens or forces of other alignments for 3 months . Reward : Limited Structure depending on Grade , Town upgraded to Global City , status upgraded to Lord . Road to Hegemony opened . (2/3)

There were some differences from earlier , with some more apparent than others . The description had gone from saying only denizens to - denizens or forces - , which made sense as Ogras had told him already that denizens were referring to beasts .

The rewards had also changed . The paltry 5 crystals had been swapped to a Limited Structure , and Zac guessed it was something similar to when he got the Creator Shipyard , though the wording was a bit different .

His town would also be upgraded to Global City instead of City . Since the prompt earlier had mentioned world leader he’d almost thought for a second Port Atwood would become a capital . However , it seems that wasn’t the case . He wasn’t clear about the difference between a City and a Global City , apart from guessing the latter was better .

Finally there was the Road to Hegemony . He had no idea what that meant , but he sensed that this addition might be the most important one . He wasn’t sure whether to ask Ogras about it or keep it a secret , so for now he tabled the matter . He needed to actually destroy the three incursions for any of this to matter .