Page 1 of Defiance of the Fall 14: A LitRPG Adventure

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KILLING INTENT

The roiling clouds overhead heaved as the dimensional storm pushed against the pocket realm’s flimsy barrier. It was as though the spatial film keeping them safe could fail at any moment. If that happened, the madness unleashed by the ancient fortress would be returned in full. Zac couldn’t picture himself getting through such a thing in one piece.

He was already in a wretched state. Too much had happened in very little time. Barely an hour had passed since leaving the bulk of the Acheron Company at the Wolf Teeth Camp with the other squads of the Twenty-sixth Field Army. Since then, he’d faced a mysterious bell that dropped out of the sky, almost driving him and his people insane with joyful madness. Zac could still remember the scene of thousands digging out their own hearts with a smile on their face.

There had barely been any time to recoup from the experience before they were faced with an elite Kan’Tanu army. Some of the wounds marring his body came from the battle with the powerful Hexmaster, though most were a result of what followed.

It was times such as these Zac missed his old state, where he could freely switch between his human and undead forms. Turning into his Draugr persona wouldn’t have removed his wounds, but it would have sealed away some hostile Dao while giving him a new set of energy and skills. That option was gone since becoming a Hegemon, and his Draugr half was too far away to come to their aid.

For now, the barrier keeping the dimensional storm at bay held steady. After himself and Ra’Klid fell through the clouds, the storm hadn’t spat out anything else. There were still no signs of Emily, who’d also escaped into the seam between dimensions. Nor did Zac spot any more deathsworn from the Seven Heavens—the people who forced them to make such a desperate gamble.

The incredible amounts of Kill Energy coursing through his body indicated the assassins had all been killed. Most of them should have died when Zac activated his ultimate skill. He’d fused Creation and Void to cut open a tear in reality, leading to his and the Mavai Chieftain’s unplanned entry to the hidden realm.

There were also no signs of the Acheron Company following him through the storm. Zac had worried the spatial tears he opened would spread, swallowing his whole army. Having them stay outside was for the best, even if they had to face the rest of the Kan’Tanu army without him. Few among his subordinates could survive the passage.

Turning away from the sky, Zac took in the ancient fortress that currently stood at the center of the war between Zecia and the Kan’Tanu Cult. Zac wasn’t convinced it’d last long enough for either side to claim the prize. It was almost a miracle it held together with such extensive damage, and each erratic discharge of its weapons pushed the fortress closer to the edge.

The resentment embedded in the enormous scar running through the base thrummed with malice each time a weapon went off, like an ancient beast having its slumber disturbed. Zac was almost certain the cultivator who left the sword scar was the equivalent of an Early Autarch in the pre-System age. He simply didn’t think it possible for a Divine Monarch to leave such an indelible mark. At the same time, the attack couldn’t have come from anything higher than an early B-grade cultivator.

The fortress was undeniably much stronger than any weapon system he’d seen in Zecia. Despite that, it should still be a C-grade construction. An attack from someone stronger than an Early Autarch wouldn’t have left the fortress in just a crippled state. Not even dust would have remained facing the wrath of a Supremacy.

The fortress’s sad state wasn’t a result of the endless war of expansion the Limitless Empire fought, judging by the sentiment instilled into the attack. It was retribution during the earliest days of the Dark Ages.

The System’s birth had instantly wiped out the whole upper echelon of the Limitless Empire. The emperor, his court, and his powerful generals became the fuel that kickstarted their creation. What followed was a million-year epoch where the Dao was shrouded, and almost all energy was stolen.

This period didn’t arrive in a day or two. Not even the System could drain the whole Multiverse that quickly. However, it was impossible to miss the signs, and it didn’t take long for the ancient forces to pinpoint the culprit. Some, like Sendor and the current Imperial Clans, figured out ways to seal themselves or hide away, waiting for the Dao to recover.

Others went mad and targeted the perpetrator. Factions who’d cowered in fear of Emperor Limitless and his armies tore through the dimensional barriers and descended on the Limitless Empire. Nothing was spared during that crusade, and the once-glorious empire was almost completely erased from history. This fortress was likely a target of that punitive expedition and managed to survive through a stroke of chance.

Zac’s musings were abruptly swept away as his mind screamed of lethal danger. He didn’t need [Inborn Predator] to pinpoint the source. A spire covered in crackling runes and metal prongs was coming alive, and it had locked in on his and Ra’Klid’s position. It felt like being stared down by a Primordial Beast, and the intent was so palpable, even the Mavai Chieftain noticed.

“Shit! Incoming—” Ra’Klid screamed as a lance of crackling lighting shot toward them.

The attack was almost as powerful as the pillar of ice Catheya’s master once used to save his life, and it moved nearly as fast. Zac tried to move out of the way, only to find small lightning runes sealing his movement. His horror mounted upon realizing his bloodline was utterly incapable of extinguishing them. Out of better options, Zac turned to the illusory seal hidden in the depths of his body.

Expending the lifesaving grace Sendor left him before the trial started was a huge blow, and an absolute fallback for situations that not even his bloodline or Remnants could remedy. It was so valuable he’d even gone with his untested [Origin Revolution] against the deathsworn.

Certainly, that was partly because Sendor had indicated his unwillingness to kill participants, getting his fate entangled with Ultom and the factions that contended for its ownership. Most likely, the mark was something like an absolute defense, and there wasn’t much point blocking the deathsworn’s War Array if he remained trapped in the Edict of Solitude. When Sendor’s protection expired, he’d be back at square one.

Just as Zac was about to activate the brand, the familiar aura of Ultom rippled forth. The screaming danger from the lightning was immediately reduced to a susurrus, and the bolt twisted like a snake. It created a wide berth around Zac’s location before disappearing into the spatial storm. Zac exhaled and slowly retracted his Mental Energy.

“Uh…” The demon hesitated while rapidly blinking to adjust his eyes. “Never mind. About time we caught a lucky break.”

Zac grunted in agreement despite knowing it was more than just luck. His eyes shifted to the Spatial Ring on his left hand, and he took out a small token. Zac was almost certain the [Court Cycle Token] he got from his sealbearer quest had saved their lives. Nothing else in the ring could have produced that unmistakable aura.

The fortress actually accepted the token as proper identification. The realization added a layer of safety inside the crumbling realm and clearly hinted its purpose within the real trial. Would each cycle increase his credentials inside the Left Imperial Palace?

Still, staying in the air was to tempt fate. You couldn’t rely on proper documentation when the fortress was in such bad shape. But where should they go?

Zac’s main concerns were Emily and the Acheron Company. Emily’s situation was undoubtedly precarious, and his army also faced great danger. It wasn’t just the elite Kan’Tanu army to worry about. He had been schemed against by the Seventh Heaven, and only someone high up in the alliance could have arranged his army to join four infiltrated factions.

His heart gnawed with worry. He had no way to reach or contact his people, and Emily’s communicator was woefully silent. Zac prayed it was because she wasn’t in need of rescue. Perhaps she’d even managed to return to the battlefield instead of being dragged into this mess. The alternative was too much to consider, and there was no way he’d be able to search the volatile fortress building by building.

Returning the way he came was out of the question, and Zac couldn’t spot any of those safe pathways leading out. There was no telling where he’d appear even if he found one. The battle for the fortress spanned a whole solar system, so he might not even end up on the same planet as his army.

Now that it’d come to this, he’d have to trust in his people’s capabilities and focus on the fortress. The Dravorak General Dossin’s mission might have been a sham, but the war for the fortress and its treasures was very real. The ancient arrays weren’t the only things wreaking havoc on the ground. Fierce battles between cultivators were taking place throughout the city.

A quick sweep indicated hundreds of people were already here, an even mix of Alliance forces and Kan’Tanu. There were undoubtedly even more inside the structures themselves. None dared to take to the sky, though, and for good reason. Every second came with the risk of being hit by an ancient War Array, and only the ground provided a semblance of safety.

There was little order as far as Zac could see. Each side had erected a few temporary camps, while the vast majority roamed the streets alone or in small groups. Capturing the fortress or even stopping the War Arrays had taken a back seat to the hunt for treasure.

It was easy to see why. The dense killing intent seeping from the large wound couldn’t hide the fact that the crumbling Mystic Realm was filled with incredible amounts of ambient energy. It even surpassed the general environment in Kavista, whether in density or Dao. The fortress must have been locked in stasis to maintain such an environment after so many years. Or perhaps it had entered a powerful temporal field where millions of years passed on the outside for every year inside.

The ambient energy wasn’t the only thing worthy of note. There was a weak pull of fate from almost every direction. It was the treasure sense awarded by his immense pool of Luck, which was further augmented by his [Lucky Beads] . It wasn’t often he felt such a strong calling. Years of exploration in the Perennial Vastness had only elicited such a feeling a few dozen times.

Meanwhile, the fortress contained so many treasures it all blended into a halo of opportunity. Zac wouldn’t be surprised if even normal cultivators could vaguely sense the phenomenon at a subconscious level. Zac made his decision and set out, following the enormous scar toward the fortress’s center. It was the most chaotic and fiercely contested part of the fortress, and was the only area he could accomplish his goals.

A lofty tower occupied the inner core, reaching at least a dozen times taller than any other structure. The juxtaposition made Zac think of his visit to the Tower of Eternity. Both had a huge tower surrounded by a circular city. They may very well have been designed based on the same set of principles. Perhaps it was to be expected since they were built by the same faction.

Obviously, this tower was nowhere near the reality-bending height of the real thing. Still, its tip was not far from touching the turbulent clouds, and Zac suspected it might actually reach them soon. Not because the realm was shrinking—the humongous building wasn’t static.

It was slowly spinning and looked like it was rising from the ground. The theory was corroborated by the fact that only the uppermost third was damaged by the ancient sword strike. Interestingly, even that section had only been damaged rather than destroyed. The tower was clearly built with sturdier materials and outfitted with stronger defenses. If the fortress had a main control, it was definitely in there.

Zac had no idea why the tower was rising. Whatever the reason, it couldn’t be good. Both the fortress and its Mystic Realm were barely hanging on. Any big move could disturb the fragile balance, and there was no telling how things would shake out.

He didn’t manage to fly more than a second before the dread of being targeted by an array returned. The feeling quickly passed, allowing Zac to breathe out in relief. The token had dispersed the threat much faster now that it was hidden beneath one of his bracers. Still, Zac’s nerves were drawn taut as he tore through the sky, Ra’Klid kept close by Vivi’s vines.

Targeted destruction was only one of the dangers of flight. It was like all the realm’s energy and intent were drawn toward the tower, forming a slow-moving cyclone of pure power. The closer they got, the more unstable the air became. Meanwhile, random waves of destruction tore through the sky, leaving errant bursts that would turn most Hegemons to ash.

Ra’Klid’s eyes were wide with terror as Zac navigated the increasingly deadly environment. Landing certainly appeared to be much safer, except Zac suspected something beyond the arrays was preventing the people below from briefly taking to the sky. No one was even jumping over buildings to save time or avoid dangerous regions. His instincts told him that the closer they got to the tower before landing, the better.

Finally, Zac knew his shortcut had been exhausted. A looming threat from the tower itself refused to go away. It wouldn’t tolerate their airborne approach any longer, so he landed between two structures that blocked vision to the central tower. Zac felt a weak ripple just before landing, and his eyes widened in alarm.

Ra’Klid slumped to the ground, then yelped with shock upon being dragged away by Vivi. It was just in time as three energy bundles appeared from a nearby house. The air was shredded for dozens of meters around them as they released a deadly pulse. Blindly fleeing might land them in even bigger trouble, so Zac put himself before Ra’Klid and held out the token.

The three bundles froze briefly before returning to where they came from, soundlessly moving through the wall. Neither Zac nor Ra’Klid dared move for ten seconds until they were certain the bundles of energy had given up. Zac sighed and flashed to a secluded culvert.

“Thank you, Lord. For everything,” Ra’Klid said as he warily looked around.

“Don’t mention it,” Zac said. “It was me who dragged you into this mess. I knew someone would target me sooner or later, I just didn’t expect to run into such a strong squad right out the gate.”

“Those powerful traitors were outsiders?” the demon asked and got an affirmative nod. “What should we do?”

“For now, let’s just take a breather and recover,” Zac said.

Ra’Klid looked like he’d received an imperial pardon and slumped onto the ground like the air had gone out. Zac wasn’t much better off. Urgency and adrenaline had carried him through the series of near-death experiences, and the state of his body had finally caught up to him.

The stump beneath his leg was the most gruesome. Luckily, dying from blood loss was almost impossible with his Vitality, and he had already sealed the wound with energy. His missing ear and surrounding skin looked grisly, though ultimately a cosmetic wound. It wasn’t much worse than the lacerations and burns that covered his body. While they hurt like hell, it wouldn’t affect his effective strength.

The real dangers were all within. The lesser of the two was the foreign Dao causing trouble. A small amount corresponded to the deathsworn’s War Array, while most came from the chaotic crossing. The problem was halfway solved thanks to repeatedly flushing his body with Void Energy. His Hidden Nodes and Daos were already dealing with the remains, and his body would be cleansed within an hour or two.

Zac was more worried that [Immutability of Eoz] was still running. It had already dealt with the lingering threats from his battle with the Hexmaster, and Zac couldn’t feel anything else wrong with his body. Had the Imperials done something without his notice, like marking him in case their ambush failed? If so, he was likely dealing with a tracking brand.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t find it, no matter how hard he looked. You really couldn’t underestimate people from the Multiverse Heartlands. Even their underlings were terrifying. Thankfully, [Immutability of Eoz] could sense the problem, meaning the mark would be dealt with sooner or later.

Zac ate a cleansing tonic just in case before turning his vision to his left shoulder. The fallout wasn’t as bad as he’d feared. The Skill Fractal was destroyed as he’d expected, and yet the surrounding pathways only sported light damage.

The explosion on his shoulder hadn’t been an accident. He’d known the risks when engraving a defective fractal, so he’d installed a pressure valve that’d go off if the fractal failed to contain the energy. It meant far less energy entering the actual skill, but the small edge wouldn’t even have formed without it.

The need for a stronger ace had loomed in the back of Zac’s mind for a while. The [Annihilation Sphere] and, to a lesser degree, [Origin Mark] had been his fallbacks since the Tower of Eternity. They let him turn things around whenever he found himself at the edge of ruin. Unfortunately, they were increasingly coming up short.

The strength of the Remnants remained enough to deal with his opponents, it was just the delivery method that was too crude. His battle with Valsa acted as a proof-of-concept for the path forward. He needed a solution that wouldn’t harm his Dao Molds. It would have taken years for his Inexorable Mold to recover if not for Sendor reverting the damage.

Zac had been working on a permanent solution every chance he got, even using the weak wisps of inspiration from his [Court Cycle Token] to speed up the process. Unfortunately, he ran out of time and was forced to settle for what he had. He’d felt that the frontlines were too dangerous without powering up first. And since his attempt to make Haro battle-ready failed, he could only turn to his incomplete blueprints.

The gambit saved his life at the cost of harming his long-term goals. Engraving a Skill Fractal on your body was like getting a tattoo. You couldn’t just engrave, remove, and reform them willy-nilly. The original pathways of [Cyclic Strike] had already been transformed, or rather scarred, by repeatedly using the Remnants. Forcibly redrawing the imperfect pathways had left an even deeper mark.

It would be decades before he could make any significant modifications again, and that was only thanks to his unusually malleable constitution. Most cultivators couldn’t even replace Skill Fractals once, which meant each skill represented a permanent choice. You either kept the skill or closed the slot.

Zac shook his head. That was a problem for later. For now, it gave him a faster and deadlier method to use the Remnant’s refined energy. Next time, the fractal might even survive, and the delivery wouldn’t need him to stall so long.

After all, it wasn’t designed to use Void Energy.

The idea for [Origin Revolution] was to combine an Evolutionary Dao Braid with Creation, Cosmic, and Divine Energy. Adding Void Energy based on his experimental stance had made it incredibly unstable. Less than 20% of the energy reached the conjured edge, and Zac failed to contain even that into a stable blade.

Adding Void Energy this time made sense since the spatial cage relied on concepts beyond his understanding. It felt similar to the Orom World, and only Chaos worked against that restriction. Using Void would probably make the skills less effective in most scenarios. It also required him to drain the Void Mountain since he couldn’t independently form the Voids of Life or Death.

It would take a few months to reform the broken skill. Zac’s shoulder was like a radioactive hotspot after the experiment, and he would have to let it naturally cool down before working on the fractals. Thankfully, the fractal on his right side was fine. Zac glanced at the tower in the distance. He had a nagging suspicion it would be needed soon enough.

Before then, he needed to make some preparations. While Zac’s Draugr half might be too far away to join the battle over the fortress, there were still some things he could do to help.