Defiance of the Fall

"He's ready to see you," Joanna said as the doors to Zac's temporary cultivation chamber slid open.

Zac emerged from a dense swirl of Miasma, though the observant onlooker would realize there were hints of Divine and Cosmic Energy in the mix. He had to give it to them. The Endemire Sage was quite accommodating, going so far as to set up a small death-attuned section in his War Fortress as soon as the Calamity Company joined his ranks.

It was more out of respect for the Atwood Empire's wares and its allies than for him, but Zac didn't mind. It was only thanks to such bargaining chips he had the chance to even ask for a meeting with the leader of the Fourty-Seventh Field Army.

"Wait here," Zac said before turning to the Late Hegemon standing by Joanna's side.

Zac was led to a teleporter, which transported him to a platform beneath a sea of stars. It was possible he'd been sent to outer space, though Zac suspected it was a special chamber in the depths of the planet-sized fortress. The stars were possibly real, but more likely a projection released by the enormous astrolabe floating in the middle of the room.

Beneath it, an elderly figure sat in silent meditation. He was wrinkly and diminutive, with ears too large for his head. The old man lacked the appearance and aura of a powerful cultivator. The only thing that made him stand out from the crowd was his eyes. They contained profound wisdom and power, making it impossible to mistake him for anything but a Monarch.

The Endemire Sage wore clean but unadorned robes that lacked any spiritual aura, and he sat on the ground instead of a prayer mat or array. The only other item nearby was a wooden pail, whose apparent simplicity only added to the strong contrast with the powerful Spirit Tool floating above his head. Zac glanced at the bucket curiously but failed to see what secrets it held.

Zac had heard some cultivators choose to return to simplicity during their long lives, either as a break from their cultivation or permanently. Some did it to clear their heads and let go of obsessions, thus tempering their hearts. Others sought to understand mortality so that they could transcend it in their pursuit of the Dao.

It was a valid approach, but Zac felt it almost delusional when practiced in the middle of a C-grade War Fortress on the frontlines of an intergalactic war.

"Such a condensed aura. No wonder you've stayed on the ladder since joining our struggle. Now that you're here, you're bound to become the shining beacon of the forty-seventh."

"You're too kind. How can I compare to the seniors who keep us safe," Zac smiled as he walked over.

"Nonsense. Young men such as yourself are the future pillars of our sector. There is no need to contact Mistress Janodrok or Lord Kavriel in the future if you need to see me. You can just call for my little granddaughter. She knows how to contact me unless I'm deep among the gates."

"I apologize. The matter was urgent, and I was afraid any delay would mean unnecessary deaths," Zac said with a small bow as he went straight to business. "As you know, the twenty-second recently started a critical operation. As it happens, half of my forces joined under the Everfast Monarch's banner just moments before."

"So I heard," the Allbright Monarch nodded. "I understand your concerns, but I'm afraid I can't share details about the operation as it's still ongoing. Not even I can access much information after the alliance purchased the War System's regional lock."

"That's not why I'm here," Zac said.

"Oh?"

"I just received a report from Zachary Atwood."

"A report?" the Endemire Sage said with a frown, and it felt like the room temperature had dropped to the biting cold of outer space. "How? You know breaking the seal counts as treason."

"Treason? It's interesting you should say that," Zac said with a neutral expression as he threw over an information crystal. "The how is irrelevant; we both know there are no such things as absolutes. This is the report I received."

Of course, the report was just his shared memories, but he couldn't say that. It was easier to pretend they had some special communication methods. He even had the perfect alibi since the Void Priestess and the Lord of the Kavriel Province had just contacted the Endemire Sage.

"Kan'Tanu outsiders within our ranks? This…" the Monarch said, his eyes burning with intensity like blazing suns. "Is this report true? Have you verified the sender?"

"It's verified, and Lord Endemire should know how hard it is to get word through the blockade. My co-emperor wouldn't waste our time and resources sending false information."

"High-ranked traitors…" Endemire muttered as he looked at Zac in a new light. "No wonder…"

The old Monarch didn't say it outright, but Zac understood what he was thinking. Zac hadn't just contacted his powerful backers to facilitate this meeting. It was a warning meant to restrain the alliance and ensure they didn't sweep the matter with the Seventh Heaven under the rug.

In reality, he would have preferred not to come at all since there was still a small risk the Endemire Sage was part of the plot. However, both the Undead Empire and the Void Gate were isolationist forces and only alliance members in name. They may still have the means to ferret out the traitor, but it would likely take much longer. By then, the Acheron Company might be dead already.

In contrast, the Endemire Sage was very suited to the task. While only an early Monarch, the old man was very well-respected. According to rumors, he was also a sworn brother of some incredibly powerful ancestor of the Allbright Empire.

"Young man, these are serious allegations with wide ramifications," the Monarch said solemnly. "As a small token of apology, please accept a drink from this old man. I believe it will suit your tastes."

Zac curiously looked on as the old man took out a wooden ladle and a small, cracked ceramic cup. It wasn't large enough for a single mouthful, yet pain and reluctance were evident on the Monarch's face as he carefully scooped water from the pail.

"I don't know if it has a true name, but I call it [Myriad Paths Water]. You could consider it similar to a Core Formation Pill, but it leaves no toxins behind. I can tell you're approaching Middle Hegemony. This will help your endeavors. I'll take this opportunity to contact the council."

The Monarch said nothing else. He had already closed his eyes, and the astrolabe started spinning faster. The cup floated into Zac's hand soon after, yet he still failed to discern anything special. From outward appearance, it really was just normal water.

However, the longer Zac looked, the more certain he was the liquid was extraordinary. Even the cracked old cup was hiding some secret. It was just that its spirituality was so perfectly contained that not a wisp could escape.

There were only two things that proved the old man's words. The first was his bloodline, which screamed at him to drink the water. The second was his elevated Luck, which almost created a hallucination where the water released vapor of pure fate.

Zac looked down at the liquid thoughtfully. It didn't trigger any sense of danger, but could he just drink it like that? He knew better than to blindly accept the graciousness of strangers. Then again, this was different than his experience with the [Essence of the Abyss].

The Endemire Sage was sitting right before him. Whether it was to kill him or implant some invisible brand, why bother with the water? If the old man could hide his attack this perfectly, then he wouldn't need to use the water as a medium. Zac would already have lost the moment he stepped off the teleporter.

But it was, indeed, very beautiful. The more he looked at it, the more Zac felt great secrets hid within the gentle ripples atop the surface. They were so close he could taste it.

Zac's eyes widened in alarm, only now realizing he had swallowed the [Myriad Paths Water] to the last drop. It was like the waves had hypnotized him, and his body acted on instinct. His danger sense was still deathly silent, but his heart beat like a drum as he felt the mortal water transform into a raging tsunami as it ran down his throat.

The Endemire Monarch hadn't reacted, and it almost looked like his soul had left his body. Zac had no time to worry about the old man. The mortal water was now a raging sun, releasing a ripple that spread through his body and entered his Soul Aperture. It didn't trigger Zac's defenses and was gone in no time.

Nothing happened? Zac was ready to combat the water with his bloodline or [Void Heart], but he gasped with marvel as the energy transformed. It was no longer a hyper-condensed ball of undefined energy.

It was him.

The [Myriad Paths Water] lived up to its name, having created three distinct energies that were utterly indistinguishable from his Daos. It wasn't just Miasma. It was the exact composition of Death-attuned energy his Cosmic Core released. Yet it was also fuller, like Zac's own energy was the mimicry.

Zac was now almost certain the Endemire Sage hadn't fooled him, and he couldn't resist the temptation anyway. Turbid pathways rapidly awakened as the [Myriad Paths Water] flooded his Cosmic Core. He'd never made such rapid gains before, not even when eating handfuls of pills just after breaking through.

At the same time, Zac barely felt like he was making improvements. After transforming, the energy was an indistinguishable part of him, and it felt like it was just coming home. The sensation was exhilarating, and Zac's only regret was that he'd only gotten enough for a sip. He was quickly running out of energy, but he wasn't ready to stop yet.

Luckily, he had just the thing to ride the wave a little longer.

Zac was holding onto so much Kill Energy he could barely contain it. The second Late-stage Hegemon hadn't directly been killed by him, but he'd engineered the situation that led to his death. Thus, he'd been given half of the contribution for all those killed by the spatial fractures or the dimensional storm.

The remaining energy of the [Myriad Path Water] acted as a guide and allowed Zac to incorporate the Kill Energy dozens of times faster than normal. His Cosmic Core gave off increasingly powerful pulses of power. It was like a starving beast, accepting everything coming its way. However, no party lasts forever. Zac soon ran out of fuel, and he released a turbid breath.

Zac slowly opened his eyes, waves of shock still coursing through his heart. What an amazing treasure. He'd never encountered such pure and unadulterated energy. It had perfectly adapted to his needs without Zac infusing a drop of Dao. It was like the water already held the true essence of his path and just brought it to the surface.

Come to think of it, Zac had encountered something similar once—the motes of Primal Dao in the Twilight Chasm.

They'd been like an unblemished piece of Heaven dragged down to the mortal plane. The moment it escaped its containment, it transformed into whatever Dao it touched. He'd known it was incredibly precious, but it was only after meeting Yrial again he realized just how rare and valuable Primal Dao was. His mentor said the Primal Dao would have let him become a Divine Monarch or higher, which explained why the Eveningtide Asura had made it part of his ascent.

This water wasn't exactly the same, but it shared similar characteristics. The difference was that one treasure contained truth and the other energy. The Endemire Sage had called it [Myriad Paths Water], but Zac would rather call it Origin Energy. Or perhaps the water was a product made with Origin Dao.

Either case, it was good stuff. One sip allowed Zac to gain four levels in one go, putting him at level 169. It was almost unthinkable for a Hegemon to gain so many levels in twenty minutes, even if one was fueled by Kill Energy. Top-tier pills wouldn't accomplish such a feat, and they'd take far longer to absorb.

And shockingly, the levels weren't the greatest benefits the [Myriad Paths Water] brought. It had rushed into his Cosmic Core like a cleansing wave, its energy more in tune with his path than what his Cosmic Core could produce. And his core adapted.

The System had confirmed his core was Middle Quality with ten to one hundred imperfections when he broke through. Being a mortal, that had remained true to this day. Only Cultivators could steadily refine their cores with their Cultivation Manuals.

In one go, the [Myriad Paths Water] had removed roughly half of the imperfections plaguing his core. Zac wasn't sure if it was enough to elevate his Cosmic Core to High Quality, but it had, at the very least, pushed the core right to the threshold. For a cultivator, that meant saving decades, possibly centuries, on cultivation.

For a mortal, the gain couldn't be measured in time. He'd already scoped out a few treasures with similar effects in the Limited Exchange, but few boasted such pronounced effects. Zac estimated that sip was worth the equivalent of 750,000 merit, and that didn't even take into account that the [Myriad Paths Water] would work on anyone.

The only other way for a mortal was to improve the quality of their core while upgrading it. However, most had their hands full just surviving the breakthrough. Let alone removing imperfections, not adding new ones was considered a pretty good outcome.

It was no wonder the Endemire Sage said the water would be useful. Removing imperfections didn't just help pave the path toward Late Hegemony. It also meant he'd gained a sturdier foundation for his upcoming breakthrough at level 175. He'd made ample preparations already, but he wasn't fully confident. After all, he wouldn't have access to the Perennial Vastness and its arrays when attacking Middle Hegemony.

One sip had already increased his chances by a lot. What if he had a few more…?

"Don't even think about it."

Zac quickly looked away from the wooden bucket like a thief caught in the act. It wasn't the Endemire Sage who had spoken. He was still in meditation, though a deep frown marred his face.

"Master found this bucket after risking his life 50,000 years ago. Even back then, there was only enough water remaining for two dozen elixirs. Between offering some to the Allbright Dynasty and his promising descendants, how much could possibly remain today?"

"I was just looking at the pail. It's remarkable to contain such a spiritual liquid all these years," Zac said as he bowed at the astrolabe.

"Drinking more wouldn't do you any good," the Tool Spirit continued, not bothering with Zac's lies. "Do you think there'd be any left if the old man could repeatedly reap its benefits? You should know, the water can even fix imperfections of Inner Worlds."

"That amazing?"

"Alas, only the first sip brings benefits. The second will leave you bedridden for a century. The third… we'll never know."

"Your master..." Zac hesitated.

"Your report caused huge waves. They are scrambling to deal with the fallout."

Huge waves? Zac frowned. Was there more to the issue than some corrupt general selling him out to the Seventh Heaven?

Eventually, the old man opened his eyes, his expression solemn. "We owe you a debt of gratitude. Your early warning may have prevented a disaster."

"Early warning? My men have already been attacked, and their fate remains unknown," Zac said.

"Rest assured, we have already sent reinforcements to your army. Unfortunately, the ambush on Zachary Atwood was only part of a larger plot. You weren't the only one targeted. We're still investigating the extent of their plot, but we fear it covers the whole battlefield," Endemire said, his eyes burning with anger.

"How's that possible? Whose plot?"

"Technocrats," the old man spat. "Those heretics really picked their timing. They somehow killed and replaced one of our hidden strategic councils. They've been controlling a large part of the operation since it began."

Zac's heart shook at the familiar name but kept his expression steady. "Strategic councils?"

"You could see them as middle management," Endemire sighed. "These highly vetted strategists and generals are the first eyes on the confidential reports from the sealed operation. Smaller matters are dealt with by them directly, while the important decisions are passed up the chain with the pertinent information.

"These heretics have subtly influenced individual events and the overall direction by manipulating thousands of reports and altering orders. Your men being rerouted was just the tip of the iceberg. It'll take weeks to unravel exactly what they've done. By that time, it'll be too late."

Zac could picture the mess the alliance had on its hands. Some Intelligence-based classes essentially turned cultivators into supercomputers, but few could compete with the Technocrats in this department. At any moment, dozens of small, seemingly unrelated, alterations could coalesce into a deadly trap.

The only way to avoid it was to completely redraw their strategy, which risked giving the Kan'Tanu free rein across the battlefield. Zac had a feeling the balance between Kan'Tanu and alliance cultivators inside the fortress wouldn't last much longer.

Ultimately, this mess wasn't one he could fix. He'd already done enough providing intel, and he'd already accomplished his goal here. However, there was one thing he needed to clarify before the next step of his plan.

"The water… Why?"

"It's a gamble," the old man said with a gentle smile. "A cup of Karma, you could say. I believe young master Umbri'Zi is a man who remembers favors and grudges. So I hope you'll look after my granddaughter in the future."

"How? With you by her side, what use am I?"

"Not here," Endemire said with a pointed look. "Left Imperial Palace."

"You..."

"Inda is the most talented descendant I've had, and she was chosen by the Anima Court. As a result, she's been accepted as a disciple of the Radiant Temple."

"Then what's the problem?"

"We're both men of the world," the Endemire Sage sighed. "How can I not know her role in the upcoming trial? What is my face worth in front of these outsiders? Even the Radiant Temple are nothing but hired hands according to little Inda."

"I can't promise anything, but I'll do what I can," Zac said, not bothering to play ignorant.

"That's all I ask. You can return to your men. We will take care of things on our end," the old man said.

"Actually, I need to head back to the Atwood Empire and make some arrangements."

"That's… I understand," the Monarch slowly nodded. "But be careful. The System won't tolerate your absence for long. If one could just return after being forced to the frontlines, our ranks would have been much thinner."

Zac's abyssal eyes looked like frozen black pools when he stepped onto the teleporter. However, hiding beneath the veneer of tranquility hid ruthlessness and determination.

"It shouldn't take more than a day."