Cracks teeming with temporal mayhem spread across Zac’s body, and his human half inside the shrine wasn’t faring much better. A surge of hostile Dao and Energy at this level would be incredibly dangerous no matter which affinity it held. It being the Dao of Time simply made it so much worse.
The Dao tearing him apart was at least at the level of a Late Earthly Dao. It could be even higher, seeing how effortlessly the invasion overwhelmed his attempts at fighting back with all three of his [Spiritual Void]-empowered Daos. There seemed to be no end to the truths coming from the resurrected [Solidarity Link]. Worse, just holding out took everything Zac had.
Zac could only hopelessly watch on as the two command brands crumbled, unable to withstand the differing time flow between guardian and controller. Zac tried to infuse another surge of Dao before it was too late, but only scraps got through the temporal gauntlet before it was too late. The connection was severed, and Zac’s vantage of the outside disappeared.
The situation far surpassed Zac’s expectations, even if he’d been aware of his weakness against Time since his breakthrough into Middle Hegemony. He’d searched high and low for treasures to recover from the backlash. Unfortunately, such specific items were rarer than Longevity Treasures and just as popular. Who didn’t want to abuse time to prolong their life or catch up with the competition?
He’d only secured two with average effect from Limited Exchange and had to let his body reacclimatize on its own. It was no different from how he’d overindulged on Cosmic Water shortly after the integration. Time heals all wounds, even those made from time. Unless someone like Kator came along and ripped that wound open before it could fully recover.
Esmeralda was desperately trying to help, heedlessly consuming the stockpiled liquid on her back. Unfortunately, time was also Esmeralda’s nemesis with the curse afflicting her. Zac could see how Esmeralda aged months in a second because of her attempts to help. Her sacrifice did at least help somewhat by filtering the influx, lessening the temporal clashes.
With the root cause still not solved, Zac activated equipment and talismans in a flurry. The air around him solidified, becoming a temporal anchor. It barely changed anything because the attack came from within his body. Not being the only one suffering didn’t bring Zac any joy, either.
Zac darkly looked on as Kator emerged from the control room, draped in a shroud of purple Killing Intent. He radiated identical temporal fluctuations as those that were tearing Zac apart. They were in lockstep, equally dislodged from the river of time, and his torment wasn’t enough to hide the truth from Zac’s eyes.
He’d taken some pleasure in transferring spiritual damage and mental drain through the [Solidarity Link] when advancing his Daos, especially after confirming it didn’t trigger a backlash from their contract. Kator, with his weaker soul, had suffered much more than he had from the tribulation. Now, Kator was using the very same method against him.
It didn’t discourage Kator from drawing upon the item, resulting in Zac suffering from the same temporal storm. Equal treatment didn’t mean equal outcomes. Kator hadn’t overindulged in temporal chambers, and he wielded a Dao of Time. Zac even saw a previously innocuous bone on Kator’s throat radiating an archaic aura.
It wasn’t like the signature mark of Zac’s Void Emperor bloodline. The sense of antiquity was more literal. It had to be a fifth Miracle Bone related to the Dao of Time, the ace Kator had kept hidden until now. It brought the disordered Temporal Energies under control and drew them into his body. All that, and Kator still struggled, so it was no surprise Zac was on the verge of collapse.
Sensing the huge amounts of energy left in the sphere, Zac knew he had no chance to hold on until the attack stopped. He’d be overwhelmed and torn apart long before that. He had no choice but to take drastic measures.
A stream of Dao melded with Void emerged from his Soul Aperture, and streaks of Oblivion joined in to form a deadly spear—a spear aimed at his own heart. Zac grunted as a sharp pain joined the tearing agony. The suffering was followed by intense relief as a river of lightning gushed into his bodies. The rampaging Temporal Energies were swept away by the cleansing storm.
Forcing [Void Heart] open half a day early had damaged the node, but its work was almost complete. Only errant streaks retained their original will, while the bulk had been transformed by the Void. It dug deeper than the Imperial Faith, purging hidden corruption while routing time’s cruel mark.
It even unearthed something else, something hidden in the depths of Zac’s cells. He was shocked to see stars no larger than specks of dust. They radiated a transcendent aura that surpassed the Dao, no different than the star atop Starclad’s head. Only, they were so small and weak that it was impossible to notice any effect on his body.
For now. The hidden suns looked like inert particles, unable to cause any harm. And yet, the refined tribulation was utterly incapable of dislodging them. Nothing happened as the lightning passed them by, and Zac suspected they’d escape his senses when the lightning ran out of steam.
Zac didn’t get the chance to consider the implications because a huge crack leaking Temporal Energy suddenly opened across his chest. The energy came from nowhere, as the lightning had already cleansed his body of temporal Dao. And yet, the backlash hadn’t stopped, leaving Zac alarmed and confused.
“Why doesn’t it work?” Zac wheezed inside the Shrine of Kanba, struggling to retain the lightning as long as possible. While it didn’t fix his problems, it did drastically lessen his strain.
“If you put out a forest fire, will the trees become unburnt?” Esmeralda signed. “Your body has received a temporal wound approaching the point of no return, and the River of Time is pushing back. What you’re doing is only buying time, not solving the root cause.”
Zac wasn’t sure what to think. It was the Tribulation Lightning that had saved his life after breaking through to Middle Hegemony. The first bolt had swept away the temporal backlash, allowing him to focus on his core. Was the refinement the issue, or was it a matter of quantity? The backlash he faced now was far more severe, while the lightning was only a shadow of what he faced back then.
“The link, any ideas?” Zac grunted.
Esmeralda shook her head, the fear and helplessness evident in her eyes. “No. He’s reinforced the bond by accepting more of the downsides on himself. He’s technically taking twice the punishment right now. Even the Dao of Sacrifice permeating the air is helping him.”
A deafening clap of thunder made the remaining lightning trapped within his frame shudder. The first bolt was descending toward the Ascension Chamber. Zac didn’t need to see the distant sector to sense the overwhelming power it contained. Whether it was Law or raw power, it infinitely surpassed anything he’d faced.
Zac didn’t have the luxury of worrying about the pope at the moment, though his tribulation gave Zac an idea. His eyes gleamed with madness as he pushed against the Duplicity Core, wrenching open a hidden chute.
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“What are you—”
Esmeralda’s voice was overwhelmed by another thunderclap, this one seeming much closer. It was like the roiling clouds had turned around, sensing a threat from behind. Zac could feel hostility far more palpable than before. He also sensed anticipation from the System observing from within the Heavens.
“Change of plans. Try to make the bond unbreakable,” Zac growled as he began preparing.
“What are you… Fine,” Esmeralda signed with a somber expression. “I will bet on you. Again. After this, I’ll fall asleep. Think of a way to repay me.”
The last liquid was drained from Esmeralda’s vats, and she spat out an odd hourglass that had three chambers. The upper held blue sand, the lower green, and both poured toward the middle. The item left the Shrine of Kanba, placing itself atop the [Solidarity Link].
“The link will revert to its current state no matter what happens for the next five minutes,” Esmeralda said before passing out.
Kator didn’t seem to notice the change. Or perhaps he didn’t care. He clearly wasn’t thinking straight, and not just because he’d activated the Berserker Miracle Bone that made him reek of Killing Intent. There was a subtle yet unmistakable change to his demeanor, resembling the malevolence of the Qriz’Ul.
He’d been corrupted. Its subtlety indicated Kator hadn’t completely lost his rationality, but even a small shift in perception could lead to disaster.
“Why?” Zac asked as he got to his feet inside the octagon. “You have nothing to gain from this.”
“Sometimes you have to fight, even if are no benefits beyond reinforcing your path. There can’t be two tigers on a mountain,” Kator said, though Zac noted Kator’s attention was repeatedly drawn to the Flamebearer seal.
“You’re not fated for that,” Zac said with exhaustion, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference.
“You, if anyone, should know Fate can change,” Kator snickered. “Changing courts is indeed not possible. But upgrading them? I’m not so sure.”
Zac wasn’t sure whether Kator was right. There were far-too-few Flamebearer Seals in circulation, and it was as though the candidates had been chosen early on. As far as Zac knew, Yselio was the only Flamebearer to have fallen. Was Kator guessing, or had the White Sky Phalanx managed to figure something out with their wider network?
Kator wasn’t making any moves on the seal despite his confident tone, and Zac understood why. Kator was waiting for his demise, planning to loot his seals first. Theoretically, it would decrease the risk of rejection compared to claiming the unaffiliated seal above the spire. Zac would have laughed if the circumstances were different. Fate wasn’t so easily seized, and it often required a leap of faith. It was that caution that would provide the window Zac needed.
The Duplicity Core was drawing more and more energy, causing the resonating ripples it released into the Quantum Space to grow stronger. Ignoring the dangers, Zac consumed a huge amount of Natural Treasures inside the Shrine of Kanba, directing all the energy into his Quantum Space. He needed to light the fire, and quickly.
The tribulation clouds were growing darker. The others would think it was a result of the pope enduring the first bolt. Only Zac knew better. The Heavens, once burned already, were rallying its forces to strangle a threat in the cradle. Zac would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. The System’s presence was still weak, and there was no way of knowing if it would comply.
Even then, Zac kept going. He only needed to stall a little longer.
“You’re sick,” Zac said. “You need to circulate the [Starfall Scripture] and clear your head before you go insane.”
“Insane, genius… Those are epithets decided by the victor,” Kator said, looking Zac up and down. “I’m surprised you’re chipper enough to hold a conversation. I’d been worried my advancement would cause you some trouble. The Void really holds marvelous power. I pray it can endure.”
Zac’s heart clenched upon hearing those words, knowing there was no point in refuting Kator’s statement. The trail of breadcrumbs he’d been forced to leave over the years had finally caught up with him. Moreover, the refined lightning had finally run out, and he once more had to face the temporal attack head-on. Nevertheless, Zac wasn’t too worried. If anything, he felt liberated.
The future might hold troubles because of his abilities being exposed. For now, Zac was content with shattering Kator’s delusions. He understood certain aspects of the Void Emperor bloodline, ignorant that the snippets Zac had shown were only the tip of the iceberg.
“It’s not bad, except it draws unwanted attention,” Zac said, raising his left hand.
A mysterious sigil appeared on his palm, one holding the essence of the Void. It was aimed right at the roiling sky in an open challenge. The clouds immediately grew so dark and oppressive that even the Centurion Sun’s rays failed to penetrate the gloom, and the octagon shook when it received Heaven’s full attention.
It was at that moment Zac’s second body emerged from hiding, holding a large array disk already thrumming with power in each hand.
“Stop!” Kator’s roared, realizing something was wrong.
The reaver rallied the Time spread through his body, turning into a blur as a deep-blue javelin appeared in his hand. With the short distance between them, his throw would reach its mark almost instantly. Almost was all Zac needed. He drew from his waning reserves of Void Energy to activate [Profane Exponents] and [Empyrean Aegis] in tandem.
The wooden wheel safeguarding the natural order turned, and the spear briefly stalled as a plume of time was shaken loose from its haft. A thick coffin formed before the weapon’s tip before it could pick up speed. Unfortunately, it was not a common treasure, and the blockade couldn’t withstand even its weakened power. Another pygmy moved to displace the weakened attack while the wheel turned again.
The javelin suddenly leaped forward, avoiding both counters. Zac’s vision turned white when a blur whizzed past, taking his Draugr body’s left arm with it. The pain was becoming too much, and Zac had to enter Void State to prevent his mind from shutting down. He blearily held on, keeping his eye on Kator’s next move.
There was none because a ball of eyes appeared above his head. The apparition felt like a compact Heaven, one solely wrought from Death. Zac had briefly felt this aura when his agreement with the Undead Empire went into effect—the mark of the Primo. Zac wasn’t the source of its attention—it was solely placed on Kator, who threw a crystalline bone in its direction.
The eyes suddenly looked faded as the bone froze in the air. The two objects had clearly entered an invisible struggle. It was like the items had shifted to a separate dimension, and Zac wouldn’t known anything was happening if not for his Danger Sense screaming of existential peril. It was no different than when he stood beneath Vastermal Planur, facing the full extent of a Supremacy’s displeasure.
The bunched-up eyes closed one after another as cracks appeared and spread across the small bone. The bone finally shattered when five eyes remained. Kator stumbled, but his aura remained stable. He’d only been forced to endure a fraction of the intended backlash, which wasn’t comparable to Zac’s wretched state.
Zac was exhilarated despite the setback, and not just because the backlash wasn’t transmitted. His actions had tricked Kator into making the first move. Kator had finally slipped up after mockingly staying just within bounds for over a month, which meant all bets were off. Zac was no longer constrained by the agreement. He’d be safe from punishment no matter how he dealt with the reaver. While not a solution to his impending backlash, it was a step in the right direction.
Releasing a month of frustrations with his axes would have to wait. Zac suppressed the blood loss of his missing arm to fully focus on what was going on within. His Cosmic Core had already passed the critical point. Blinding streaks of energy leaked through thousands of cracks, and it was only held together by sheer determination.
Zac could only think of one remedy to the Temporal Backlash after the refined lightning failed to deal with the threat. Since a refined Earthly Dao tribulation didn’t do the trick, he had no choice but to bring out the big guns by breaking into Late Hegemony. This was a counter uniquely possible to him, who drew Heaven’s ire before his breakthrough even started, and something Kator couldn’t possibly have anticipated.
If one bolt failed, then he’d eat two. And if that wasn’t enough, there was still the punishment of Laws. If anything, he welcomed it. Kator wanted to kill him through the [Solidarity Link] loophole? Two could play that game. He looked forward to seeing how Kator dealt with a doubled Four Desolates Tribulation without the assistance of the Void.
Zac’s only other option was betting everything on the body-refining treasure he got from Esmeralda, or rather the hint of Law she’d discovered within. Zac’s instincts told him it wouldn’t work. It wasn’t the Laws that had saved him last time. It was the purifying force of the Heavenly Peak overwhelming time’s hold on him. Not to mention, a body-refining treasure wouldn’t harm a famously sturdy Izh’Rak Reaver. If anything, it might do the opposite.
As for upgrading his Cosmic Core post-tribulation in a subspace being torn apart by leviathans duking it out, while somehow taking out the pope? That was a problem for after he’d wrapped up the thread of Karma standing before him. Provided he survived the next couple of seconds. Zac could already feel the Heavens breathing down his neck, and he dragged the Core Formation Arrays’ protective barriers through his Duplicity Core’s hatch, at which point he finally let go.
The ignition had begun. Genius or insane, there was only one way to find out.