Defiance of the Fall Chapter 1397: Attention

A final, heavy swing followed two lightning-fast strikes, embodying the end. The illusory warrior was far too occupied defending against the relentless assault of one of Zac’s hundred clones to realize what had occurred. As he collapsed, the duplicate created by Idiche’s bottle was liberated, immediately coordinating with its twin to eliminate another target.

This pattern repeated across the chaotic field of battle. Being constructs of illusion themselves, the starwrought doppelgangers proved more adept at purging the invaders than Zac himself. They resonated on the same frequency as the spectral soldiers, which permitted them to exert Zac’s overwhelming power with perfect efficiency.

The army of otherworlders stood no chance against a hundred versions of Zac acting in flawless unison. Hundreds of enemies perished every heartbeat, and Sevona’s stampeding beasts eagerly participated in the slaughter. Meanwhile, the original Zac claimed the most lives of all, moving like a ghost even as the enemy's perception expanded rapidly.

Wrapped in protective starlight and possessed of a mind sharpened by a torrent of refined Killing Intent, Zac felt a sense of liberation after his previous restraints. The invasion's commander was simply the latest in a long line of overwhelming foes who had tried to force Zac to act against his own nature.

For hours, he had been forced to calculate every move and suppress his urge to strike down those who deserved it. Zac recognized he was still balancing on the edge of disaster, where the path to survival was submerged in a sea of mortality. A single moment of hesitation or a slight misstep would result in a fall into the void.

However, this daring tightrope walk felt entirely different now that he was the one setting the rhythm.

Ten seconds was an insignificant flicker in the grand scheme of the cosmos. Yet, such a narrow window was sufficient to flip the script of destiny and alter the course of a war. For a Late Hegemon possessing thousands of points in Dexterity, ten seconds provided enough time for an infinite number of axe swings. It was plenty of time to leave a landscape of corpses behind while the stars masked his movements.

It mattered little that the soldiers spawned in the sixth river were significantly more powerful or that they wielded both Daos and techniques. Their strength was irrelevant when they couldn't even sense his approach or look their killer in the eye. Zac moved through their ranks with unstoppable malice, appearing as though he had been granted the grim authority of Death itself.

He felt no shame in striking from the shadows to claim their strength. By dealing Death, he was seizing Life, embodying the very core of all conflict. Stripped of its complexities, war was merely the law of the wild. The fallen had no voice; survival was the only validation required.

Zac cut down another enemy without breaking his stride, causing a sharp crack to resonate within his mind. The seed that had been fed by the carnage of the battlefield began to shed its illusory skin, sprouting into the fundamental truths of his path. The shell fell away, transforming into rich soil from which a small tree emerged.

The fact that his second Warbringer Idol took the form of a tree was expected. Beyond the axe, trees of various types had become the most significant symbols of his journey. Even his Dao of Death had once been represented as a withered tree bearing a hanging coffin. What truly stunned Zac was the specific tree his heart had summoned.

It wasn't any of the trees that served as his Dao Avatars, nor the majestic Worldtree from his early visions. It wasn't even the resilient sapling he had seen struggling against the Miasma in the Dead Zone during the integration—despite that being one of his first lessons in life through death.

Instead, it was the poplar tree from his childhood backyard, a tree that still stood in Greenworth. He wondered if this was a lingering effect of his time as a mortal craftsman on Greenworth Trading Street, or perhaps a subconscious urge to protect his mortal soul.

The idol did possess distinct differences from the original tree and its mutated post-integration version. It had evolved into a symbol of the eternal cycle, representing the transition from life to death all at once.

Golden leaves sprouted from the lower boughs, so vibrant they seemed to leak pure lifeforce. Moving upward, that vitality began to wither, eventually surrendering to rot. The leaves at the very top were void-black, caught in a constant state of crumbling. A rain of ashen death fell back to the earth, serving as the very nutrients that restarted the cycle.

The tree showed no internal conflict despite harboring both Pure Life and Pure Death. There was no sign of the Void acting as a mediator. Zac reasoned that such restrictions were less vital for a construct of the heart. The idol held no actual Dao; it was a manifestation of his convictions and his journey, much like the carvings from his other life.

The warped dimensions of the battlefield grew still as truth was separated from falsehood, allowing Zac to perceive the path of Life extending before him. In that instant, he didn't need the guidance of the dagger to find his way, and his sheer will prevented the exit from drifting away.

He couldn't afford to linger on the creation of his second Warbringer Idol. Fortunately, there was no lingering ancient consciousness to threaten his sanity this time. Zac simply diverted a portion of his focus to maintain the [Warbringer Dharma], never losing sight of his precarious situation.

He remained acutely aware that his rampage had a looming expiration date. The stars shielding him from the otherworlder leader were flickering out, acting as a timer for his survival. Zac moved toward the exit of the sixth river with unerring precision, slaughtering as he went. With no one left to stop him, he crossed more distance in seconds than he had in minutes during the previous stages.

The gateway was just ahead. Having fulfilled his objectives, there was no reason to stay. The entity’s presence had become so heavy that the sky itself seemed to buckle. Hunger and dread seeped through the fissures of reality. It was straining against the boundaries, and Zac didn't even dare to look back for fear of drawing its lethal gaze.

Just as the entity seemed poised to breach the timeline, a sudden, unstoppable wind rushed across the failing battlefield. The scents of sea salt and deep forest musk filled the air. These natural aromas wiped away the feeling of impending doom, and the intruder’s momentum began to fail.

It appeared as though nature had intervened to stop man's tampering with the cosmic laws. That was only a partial truth. The balance had been shattered by Zac’s violence and Idiche’s bottle. The thousands of soldiers had been reduced to a mere fraction of their original number, leaving the survivors defenseless. The remaining beasts were plenty to finish them off.

The damp wind pushed Zac forward, carrying him into the portal just as his starlight protection failed. He emerged into a world being reborn. A mystical forest was growing at a pace that rivaled [Apex Jungle], blanketing the entire seventh band. Zac had to keep running before he could even assess his surroundings. The river behind him was expanding violently, consuming everything in its wake.

Getting caught in an illusory realm that was rapidly gaining strength would be disastrous. An enemy of your enemy isn't always a friend, and Zac wasn't about to trust an island that had lost control. Fortunately, the chaos provided a benefit: the churning water created a thick mist that blocked the agonizing light of the azure moon.

The desert resisted the island’s attempt to reclaim it. Layers of tainted sand drained the life from the new growth, turning trees into brittle shells that shattered in the breeze. But it wasn't enough to stop the tide. The dead plants became soil for the next generation, with new trees appearing in a matter of seconds.

Observing this rapid cycle of life and decay struck a chord deep within Zac. It felt as if he were an Autarch imposing his own laws upon the world. However, the illusory nature of the forest prevented a true spiritual connection. Their growth lacked the spark of true Creation, and their passing lacked the weight of true Oblivion.

Suddenly, Zac’s pocket vibrated, and his mind reeled from a sharp warning of danger. He was ready. His body burned with the urge to fight after absorbing so much refined intent. It felt as though the Gods of War had blessed him, turning his instincts into something like foresight.

He was already moving and gathering energy before he consciously identified the threat. Four pygmies carrying the ancient aura of his Bloodline manifested, and a solid coffin barrier rose to block a strike from his left. Zac’s eyes widened as the coffin shattered under a clawed hand. Sensing the immense power behind the blow, he reinforced his defenses with the fourth pygmy’s buff.

Even his strongest shield only bought him a second. Zac analyzed the situation at incredible speed, realizing the attacker wasn't as casual as they appeared. A flash of dark light hit the hand with perfect timing, striking just before its power could be renewed.

Steel sliced through skin, and blood sprayed the foliage as the arm was severed. Zac stared coldly at the surprised assailant before the man vanished. Esmeralda had been busy during the clash. The brief distraction allowed her to find a weakness in the cage that had trapped them, and she steered them through the gap while the attacker dealt with his wound.

The pursuer followed for only a few moments before Esmeralda’s speed left him behind. Zac breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the trees blocked the stranger from view. The man had looked more intrigued than angry, like a hunter who had found a challenging target. Zac knew their path had just become much more difficult.

Though he had won the brief skirmish, Zac knew they were facing a deadly foe. The man’s arm had regenerated even faster than Zac’s could with Creation Energy. Furthermore, the ambusher was one of the few people Zac had met whose physical strength rivaled his own. The fact that he was a Late Hegemon made him truly formidable.

“I don’t recognize him. He isn't from the Mercurial Courts,” Idiche remarked as Zac looked at her. “A traveler like yourself, perhaps?”

“Maybe,” Zac replied, reaching into his pocket.

The man’s appearance and aura suggested he was an imperial. He had the olive skin and dark hair common among them, and his hunting clothes looked ancient. Yet, Zac hadn't seen him at the Transformation Docks, nor did he fit the descriptions of the sealbearers who had already departed.

The reaction from the [Court Cycle Token] was the biggest clue. It reminded him of his meeting with Xiphos. The Enkindling Sage had mentioned the involvement of the Theomore Dynasty and elites from the Imperial Capital. These powerhouses were the reason the Theomores had sent their own progeny—to defend their status. Zac suspected he had just met one of those capital elites.

Whether he was the real person or a shadow from the distorted timeline remained to be seen. It likely didn't matter. Zac—or Everit Draom—was firmly on Astora’s side, which made him a natural enemy of this outsider.

“The dagger!”

Zac realized what Esmeralda intended and gave her the weapon. The next river was approaching, and she planned to use the dagger to improve upon Idiche’s previous crossing attempt.

“Pass it back if you start to lose your grip. we can split the burden,” Zac cautioned.

With his second Warbringer Idol formed, he felt more prepared for the shifting dreamscapes, but there was no reason to take unnecessary risks so close to the goal. The seventh river was lethal on its own, and it was currently merging with a massive wave from the sixth.

“I’m not as unreliab—wait!” Esmeralda’s eyes widened as she suddenly pivoted.

“Hold on—” Zac’s shout was drowned out by a massive crack as a giant tree fell toward the water.

Esmeralda leaped onto the floating trunk the moment it hit the river. Zac was shocked to see their surroundings remain stable. Perhaps because the tree originated from the same source as the water, it provided a safe bridge that required no blood sacrifice.

The tree began to break apart under the river's power within a second, but Esmeralda had already covered most of the distance. She finished the crossing easily with the dagger’s help and handed it back with a confident smirk.

“See? Nothing to it.”

“You think I was tired?” Idiche snapped, still holding her empty bottle. “Something blocked the dagger’s power before. I would have made it across just fine otherwise.”

A zone of emptiness cut off the argument, suppressing the Killing Intent rising in Zac’s allies. Esmeralda winced, and a vat on her back began to bubble. Her speed exploded, reaching levels that should have been impossible for a Hegemon without help. She sprinted across the desert instantly, and Zac deactivated [Void Zone] while pricking his palm with the dagger.

The blue light faded, revealing a moon so massive it felt within reach. It looked like a giant vertical pupil watching them from the sky. Zac hoped its power didn't penetrate the lodge, as it was already inciting violent thoughts in his companions.

They would find out soon. Esmeralda raced across the final bridge, but the environment itself fought them. The river was so potent that even the hidden path felt like sinking into mud, and Zac’s Vigor began to plummet.

Suddenly, the river rose. Even his Danger Sense failed to warn him as a massive hand emerged to grab the spectral path. Esmeralda roared, summoning a starry river to reinforce the collapsing bridge. Idiche followed suit, manifesting illusory pillars to hold the pieces in place just long enough for them to reach the other side.

A distant boom made Zac’s world spin. When his vision cleared, they were no longer in the desert. They stood inside a wooden building filled with stalls. A large barn door was behind them, and stairs led toward a heavy door ahead.

“Sorry. I just felt a sudden wave of anger,” Idiche admitted, looking around. “We were brought straight inside? Is this the stable? Was it the dagger or the chaos outside?”

“Doesn't matter. We made it because of me,” Esmeralda bragged. “What’s wrong with the world? Some fool thought they could catch a Grand Traversal Toad with a mere shadow.”

“They would have if I hadn't stepped in,” Idiche countered, then gave Zac a strange look.

“What is it?” Zac asked.

“Watch out. That person on the other side really seems to have a grudge against you,” Idiche noted. “Forcing his way through like that couldn't have been easy.”

“He’s probably just jealous of my looks,” Zac joked, though his mind was racing.

Was he really the one that entity was hunting?