Defiance of the Fall

A powerful jolt dragged Zac out of his deep slumber, followed by constant shakes and rumbles. Zac looked around for the threat with wild eyes, his groggy mind's initial assumption being a battle taking place inside the Yphelion. Activating his connection with the Yphelion confirmed neither Kator nor someone else was attacking the ship. It was simply turbulence so strong that the Yphelion's buffers couldn't fully absorb it.

Checking the time indicated he'd actually slept for the better part of a day. Zac rubbed his cheeks, feeling like a bear that had been roused from its hibernation too early. One day or two wasn't enough to recover his drained soul, even with a steady supply of Mental Energy from Kator. The knowledge that he'd caused a significant drain on the Reaver's mind did improve his mood a bit, especially after confirming the Reaver was meditating inside his quarters.

Kator's soul had no doubt been tempered to some degree, but there was no way he practiced a pure Soul Cultivation Manual like Zac did. The drain from someone whose soul approached the level of a Mentalist must have been quite a headache, even for Kator. He would have to suffer for a few more days before Zac was back in perfect condition, and Zac made a mental note to practice his Soul Cultivation method whenever an opportunity arose. Why not make use of his free Soul Battery?

Zac scanned the Yphelion bit by bit, sending out a few inquiries. His crew had the situation well in hand, a benefit from Zac's hands-off leadership. Vilari remained unconscious in the ward, enclosed in a Death-attuned Healing Array. Her vitals were far better than before, mostly thanks to digesting the Supreme Treasures Zac used on her. Still, there was no telling when Vilari would wake up.

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There was no need for Zac to micromanage their work, and someone would call him if they needed his input. He needed to take advantage of this brief window to deal with his cultivation. The doors of his cultivation chamber opened, and Zac stopped and looked at the room with wide eyes. His old chambers were quite generous, befitting his title as captain. It was nothing compared to the room before him.

Zac slowly entered, looking around in shock. The System had expanded his Cultivation Chamber by more than ten times. Furthermore, it was designed to match his cave back home, with one side pouring Life-attuned energies while the other was flooded by miasma.

There were no trees in this one, though. Instead, hundreds of densely engraved crystals floated in the air. They gently traveled through the room, their movements releasing swirls of energy that sparked a hint of recollection. There were clues to his path within, and Zac could even sense wisps of Creation and Oblivion.

The System's intentions were clear. It urged him to keep going, not stopping just because he'd survived the Atavism. It also felt like an indication of the future. The System had made his vessel far better suited for long-term travel. Was the System closing the book on his Zecia chapter?

The environment was head and shoulders above what the Creators had built for him. It wasn't just a matter of skill. A proper life-death Cosmic Vessel was far beyond the bounds of the quest. They had simply created pathways that let Zac fill any compartment or hallway with either Life or Death. Anything beyond that had been installed by himself and his subordinates.

The upgrade left Zac wanting to practice the [Nine Reincarnations Manual] to put its energy supply to the test. Still, there were more pressing matters to deal with. Zac found the central meditation array in the middle and sat down, turning his attention toward his Soul Aperture. There were no additions or surprises waiting for him. Nevertheless, the changes it had gone through were eye-opening.

It was alive.

That was the best description Zac could find. If the old galaxy in his Soul Aperture felt like a simulation, then the new one felt more like the real deal. The previously static Soul Cores were slowly moving through the small galaxy he'd created. The clouds of opposing energy looked more like a comet's tail than a swirling band around the core. Thanks to the addition of small planets orbiting the suns, none of the energy was lost.

It was four of the remnants he'd engraved before passing out, two dancing around each Soul Core. Zac hadn't chosen to put the splinters around the Inexorable Core and the shards next to his Life-attuned side. Instead, each core was orbited by one splinter and one shard, which seemed to be searching for each other. Due to their nature, they would never intersect unless Zac willed it.

The modified remnants released even streams of energy as they moved. Pure Creation was dragged toward the Evolutionary Core, stirring up the energy spinning around it. The crude array atop the shard was a filter of sorts, filling a similar function as the old prison seal. Each remnant had a different type of filter.

This one removed as much energy as possible, leaving only the Dao. It even produced Dao conducive to his path, thanks to snatching the most suitable section of the Grand Tapestries before escaping. With the sinister will already gone, the stream of Creation became a nourishing tonic for his soul.

The only caveat was that the filter and preparations weren't quite enough to make the infusion perfectly suited to him. He would have to practice his Soul Cultivation Manual now and then to realign the core. This was nothing specific to the remnant; all Soul Cultivation Treasures required this type of work.

The shard empowered the Evolutionary Core while its paired splinter fed the nebulaic cloud surrounding it with Oblivion. Both needed to advance in tandem, or it would cause an imbalance. Of course, an identical process was taking place by the Death-attuned Soul Core.

The Branches of Kalpataru and Pale Seal kept their positions by the cores, forming a mutually beneficial exchange. Their transformation was still significant. The life-giving tree had grown taller, and its golden leaves had gained an opalescent hue echoing the possibilities of Creation. Zac felt that if he could pluck one of those leaves, he could turn it into anything.

The branches rustled under his scrutiny, filling Zac's mind with inspiration. It was the imagination born from Creation, untainted by the greedy obsession of the Spark.

The Iron Maiden had grown more oppressive. The black swirl that replaced its head was reminiscent of the anti-light atop [Pillar of Desolation], a swirl of Oblivion that held the promise of the end. The rattling chains inside had grown muted. Anything entering the casket would be eroded and swallowed by an invisible abyss.

The Dao Avatar of his Earthly Dao stood in the center of it all like an Emperor overlooking their domain. The avatar still looked like a miniature version of himself, except having grown significantly more lifelike. It exuded an unyielding fighting intent that suffused his whole soul. Zac felt as though the avatar's drive and determination had forced his soul into constant motion, where his soul was ever advancing on his path.

When Zac's gaze met the avatar's, he saw the ethos of war within. His perception twisted, and Zac was shown a boundless continent embroiled in a terrifying war. Countless battles were fought to the death, and new warriors stepped up to replace those who'd fallen. Zac could see himself and his enemies in the faceless armies.

Most fought using axes, though some used methods Zac couldn't recall ever encountering. Perhaps they represented the unknowable on the battlefield. The armies moved in patterns that represented various aspects of his Earthly Dao. Zac even felt as though he could observe the past and glimpse the future through the conflict. It was causality manifest.

The continent was more than a figment of Zac's imagination or a hallucination born from the intense truths hiding within his Dao Avatar. It represented the bedrock of his path. It was the Earthly bedrock his path would be built upon, and one of the core ingredients of forming an Inner World.

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Currently, the foundation was hollow, both in truth and width. It only held the Dao of Conflict, lacking the other two pillars of his path. However, his other Daos influenced his Avatar of War as they passed by, and the battles shifted to favor Life or Death. Zac couldn't hold back after seeing the changes to his Soul Aperture and impatiently opened his Status Screen. The rewards from a triple breakthrough didn't disappoint.

Name Zachary Atwood

Level 197

Class [D-Arcane] Inexorable Apostle

Race [D] Draugr - Void Emperor (Corrupted)

Alignment [Zecia] Atwood Empire – Viscount of Conquest

Titles [...] Peakmender, Cosmic Introduction, Exalted Destiny, Atavistic Defier, Valiant Viscount

Limited Titles Tower of Eternity Sector All-Star - 14th, Equanimity, The Final Twilight - 1st, Gates of Rebirth, Void Road, Chosen of the Empyrean Chalice

Dao Earthly Dao of Defiant War - Early, Branch of the Kalpataru - Peak, Branch of the Pale Seal - Peak

Core [D] Inexorable Core

Strength 284489 [Increase: 251%. Efficiency: 542%]

Dexterity 130100 [Increase: 191%. Efficiency: 346%]

Endurance 152992 [Increase: 221%. Efficiency: 546%]

Vitality 157318 [Increase: 230%. Efficiency: 543%]

Intelligence 26775 [Increase: 171%. Efficiency: 346%]

Wisdom 66163 [Increase: 174%. Efficiency: 363%]

Luck 1743 [Increase: 214%. Efficiency: 466%]

Free Points 600

Nexus Coins [D] 87 831 997

Zac looked at the status screen with gratification. Years of planning and effort had gone into the numbers. It was one of his greatest boosts to his combat power. His attributes had advanced by almost 40%. Most of it naturally came from advancing all three Daos at once. Zac opened the Dao Screen to get a better look at the result.

[Earthly Dao of Defiant War (Early): All attributes +100, Strength +22500, Dexterity +12000, Wisdom +3000. Effectiveness of Strength +30%]

[Branch of the Pale Seal (Peak): All attributes +50, Strength +3000, Endurance +18000, Vitality +5500, Wisdom +3500. Effectiveness of Endurance +25%]

[Branch of the Kalpataru (Peak): All attributes +50, Dexterity +3000, Endurance +5500, Vitality +18000, Wisdom +3500. Effectiveness of Vitality +25%]

The most interesting line was naturally his new Earthly Dao. Zac looked at the name with a smile, feeling it suited him well. Like before, his Conflict-based Dao held no mythological connotations like the Kalpataru or Pale Seal. It was simple, driving at the essence of his path. The most significant change was that he'd officially stepped away from the Dao of the Axe to encompass all battle.

It didn't change the fact that the axe was his main weapon or that most of the insights into the Earthly Dao revolved around the axe. It simply broadened the scope, integrating everything that went into his fighting style. The axe didn't move on its own. His armaments, technique, movement, and strategy were all required for the axe to reach its target. It also held the concept of the unyielding warrior, strengthening the drive and force behind his attacks.

The attribute boost from Dao of Defiant War was less impressive, having only increased by 25%. The only positive was that the boost to all attributes had doubled, giving his Luck another noticeable jump. This smaller attribute increment would remain throughout the layers of Earthly Dao, meaning a Peak Earthly Dao only provided roughly 150% more attributes than an Early Earthly Dao. Like advancing to Hegemony, the main benefits didn't come in the form of attributes.

These concepts were more than just packets of inspiration that you crammed into your skills. An Earthly Dao was a complete Dao made by his hands. It was the embodiment of him, which meant it had a direct effect on one's body. For instance, the 'defiant' nature of the Dao should have boosted his natural resistance against Heart and Soul-based attacks.

It was a shame that one could only perform the Pilgrimage of Heart once. It would have been interesting to see how he measured up by now. He might still be some distance from placing in the top 100, but he certainly wouldn't pass by the skin of his teeth.

Researching similar Daos back in the Training Camp indicated a few more potential benefits of an Earthly Dao of this nature. The most common was an improved affinity with his weapon. Developing and practicing Techniques would come more easily, and his Earthly Dao of Defiant War would speed up the Tool Spirit's evolutions.

Furthermore, most Templars following the path of conflict were generally able to exert more strength while wounded or drained of energy. It would even alter one's personality if you let it, which was one of the reasons many cultivators developed extreme personalities as they grew older. Of course, the most obvious effect was the drastic boost to one's attacks, where the difference in power was far more noticeable than the gap between Dao Fragments and Dao Branches.

His two other Daos had advanced to Peak Mastery, roughly doubling their respective attributes. The only thing of note was that his Wisdom had received a larger boost than before. It was a welcome sight, considering Zac had put most of his Free Attributes into Wisdom lately. The attribute benefited both his Soul and Heart, making it a worthy investment when his Strength and survivability were already so high.

Truthfully, Zac felt he could have pushed his Daos of Life and Death to Earthly Daos together with Defiant War. The insights he'd stolen and inherited were more than enough after he'd held back his breakthrough for so long. The only reason he stopped was that he needed to digest the lessons and make them his own. He also wanted to peruse the Chaos Library before formalizing anything.

Zac closed the Dao Screen. The Daos were just the main source of his massive attribute boost. There were also the four levels gained from absorbing a handful of chaos motes. It was actually more than he'd expected, considering how much energy each level-up required nowadays. Finally, there were two new titles to his tally.

[Atavistic Defier: Defend against a hostile Atavism. Reward: All Attributes +10%.]

[Valiant Viscount: Become a viscount through warfare. Reward: All Attributes +10%.]

Zac was slightly surprised by the title for surviving the Atavism. He hadn't expected to get one in the first place, considering how massive his other gains were. But if he was going to get one, it should arguably have been larger.

The second title was more straightforward and also a relief. It meant things had proceeded according to plan back on Earth. Zac had no idea how his actions yesterday would affect the war and the upcoming trial. Therefore, he'd authorized Ilvere to purchase fallen planets through the Faction Exchange.

The Atwood Empire had already claimed a Peak E-grade world to investigate how it worked with the System's shroud. The shroud actually extended to the acquired worlds, though they didn't seem placed in Earth or Ensolus' vicinity. This time, they'd gone even further. The plan was to seize over a dozen E-grade worlds and two Early D-grade worlds.

It would make up the foundations for his Empire, adding both citizens and land. It was a risk taking such a big bite with most of the Sealbearers off-world, but the Atwood Empire was growing stronger by the day. With the frontlines abandoned, they could simply use the large Cosmic Vessel fleet to defend against insurrections and the new battlefronts.

The System had apparently judged his performance during the war along with the increased size of his faction enough for a promotion. It was actually part of the reason why Zac sent Ilvere on a spending spree. Becoming a Viscount provided a wide array of benefits, of which the most important was a higher priority from the System. It could prove critically important in case Zecia lost the war. If the System created a path for survival, it would only do so for those it deemed worthy.

The only real disappointment was that he did not receive a reward or title for orchestrating the entity's death, nor had he gained any War Merit. His vision had cut out early, but Zac was certain the enormous fortress and its subsidiary planets had taken massive damage from the Heavenly annihilation. It looked like the purge took precedence over any war-related systems or matters.

The Status Screen contained nothing else of note. The sealbearer quest hadn't changed, meaning he hadn't accidentally hastened Ultom's ascent again. Closing the status screen, Zac continued inspecting his body. His pathways were a bit of a mess, yet surprisingly well-kept considering what he'd gone through. His previous brushes with Chaos had all left him worse off than this.

Just as he reached his hearts, where his third set of remnants waited, his communicator buzzed. It was Ogras on the other end.

"Sorry to disturb you. Looks like there's trouble."

"There always is," Zac sighed, giving up on any hopes of consolidating his gains in peace. "I'm on my way."