Defiance of the Fall Chapter 1407: Perfection

Labeling his core as Peak Quality hardly captured its true splendor. The seamless fusion of gold, black, and steel created an impeccable balance, free from any trace of disharmony. Zac might not have recognized it as a mortal's Cosmic Core if it wasn't his very own, and as he circulated his energy, he sensed a clear enhancement in both recovery speed and transmission efficiency. Gone were the barriers and rough patches that once hindered the process.

A twinge of sorrow followed the first wave of awe as Zac understood he'd need to shatter this masterpiece. Why hadn't he pushed himself further, reaching Peak Hegemony prior to the pursuit? He shook off the foolish notion with a head shake. Putting aside the impossibility of it all, the [Peregrine Almond] simply lacked the potency to mend a freshly formed core—especially not one forged in Zac's unique manner.

“How long was I out?” Zac inquired, scanning his surroundings.

“Not long, just about ten minutes,” Esmeralda replied.

Zac responded with a respectful bow toward Idiche.

“I’m at a loss for words. Your offering is incredibly generous.”

“It’s exactly what you’ve earned,” Idiche responded.

“Well, what about me?” Esmeralda chimed in, extending her arms like a kid begging for treats.

“I haven’t overlooked you,” Idiche assured her, then spread her arms wide in a dramatic flourish. “For serving as my Dao Guardian with such grace, I bestow upon you my lodge.”

“WHAT?! This grimy, rundown shack?!” Esmeralda roared, pounding her feet in rage. “Hand over half of that sphere! No, scrap that—even some scraps would beat claiming this wreck.”

“I’m sorry, that’s not an option. The Divine Core has merged with me completely,” Idiche chuckled softly. “And don’t dismiss this so-called shack so quickly. Though it’s weathered through time, it remains the heart of a memory that’s lasted from the First Era. It will aid you in housing the treasure you pursue, enabling a steadier assimilation.”

“Don’t you require this location?” Zac questioned.

“I…” Idiche paused, her gaze lifting to the heavens. “I bear a duty to fulfill. The sect sacrificed immensely to create me. My master requires my vigilance, to safeguard their offering.”

The earlier vision had already hinted at it, but Idiche clearly grasped the Mercurial Court’s present reality. Her foresight included fragments beyond the recollections. Zac remained uncertain about the exact offering she mentioned, yet it undoubtedly tied to the Mercurial Court’s concealed purpose.

Esmeralda’s prior comment lingered in Zac’s thoughts as he observed Idiche’s resolute face. The devotion to the Limitless Empire surpassed anything he’d witnessed before. Even the corruption-riddled invaders showed a warped but intense allegiance to the Empire. If Zecia’s mightiest groups held even a sliver of such commitment, the conflict on his home front would have unfolded far differently.

Zac sensed this marked their farewell.

“Is there more we can offer you?” Zac probed.

“An investigation will follow. Marai fell as a hero, not a betrayer,” Idiche stated.

“Naturally,” Zac affirmed promptly.

“Farewell,” Idiche wished, transforming into a radiant beam brighter than her initial emergence. As it soared skyward, her words resonated within Zac’s mind.

Idiche’s voice abruptly resounded in Zac’s thoughts.

Life Chart? Zac had no clue what it meant or how Idiche discerned his encounter with the Eternal via locked gazes. Nor was there a moment to consult Esmeralda. The entire Hall of Abundance started to shimmer as Idiche’s residual divinity infused the structure, igniting the ceiling’s circular design for the last time.

The hunting lodge rapidly dissolved from its solid form, dissolving into luminous streaks drawn to Esmeralda. In an instant, it vanished entirely, replaced by a thick golden haze. Zac spotted a tiny wooden model structure materialize inside one of Esmeralda’s vats before it sank into the thick fluid. He kept his expression neutral as he averted his eyes.

Dozens of perceptions, each surpassing his own in strength, fixed upon them immediately after. The sensation was deeply unsettling, but Zac stayed composed while the golden fog cleared. A sudden cold seeped up his legs moments later. The lodge’s stone tiles had disappeared, leaving Zac ankle-deep in clear, crystalline water.

The site of the former lodge now formed a shallow pool over desert sands. Zac detected faint corruption lingering below, far milder than what he’d faced earlier. The water had spread to about the seventh ringed lake, yet the broader core area appeared largely unchanged.

No azure moon or skyborne magic circles remained visible. With numerous mountain streams feeding rainwater into the pool, it was inevitable that the core zone would soon turn into a flooded valley. Nature was restoring balance, though the isle seemed destined for human intervention.

Zac offered a bow to the hovering Monarchs. Beneath his steady facade, tension churned, and Esmeralda swiftly withdrew into the [Shrine of Kanba]. Two factors prevented a frantic flight: Idiche’s future glimpse depicted him arriving safely at his disciple residence, and these arrivals all bore the Enforcement Hall’s distinct emblem on their attire.

“Everit Draom of the Imperial Magistrate extends greetings to the honored assembly,” Zac declared, eyeing the array flags clutched by some.

He figured the crisis was contained for now, but Sevona’s isle harbored ongoing risks. The barrier between realms thinned and frayed here. Idiche’s task likely involved mending this flaw, though she couldn’t cover every spot. The Mercurial Court would deploy provisional seals at vulnerable points pending a lasting fix.

“Everit Draom of the Imperial Magistrate?” A Late Monarch descended slowly before him, inclining his head. “Did you exit the lodge?”

“Yes, I did,” Zac confirmed with a nod.

“By yourself?”

“The others perished or vanished,” Zac replied, scowling as a perception probed his form.

The enforcer offered no apology for the intrusion. He extended his palm, drawing Zac’s Disciple Token into his hold. His stern face showed no softening, but he gave a faint nod upon finishing the examination.

“Everything checks out, yet we require your account of events on the island,” the Monarch announced.

Just as Zac prepared to consent, another voice interjected, and Astora Theomore appeared via teleportation.

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“I wish to join the questioning.”

“Your Highness,” Zac greeted with a further bow.

“Master Draom… I never anticipated your presence here,” Astora Theomore remarked, her astonishment plain.

“Didn’t Your Highness receive my transmission?” Zac queried, puzzled by her response.

“I did. I just presumed…” Astora trailed off unfinished.

Esmeralda giggled from inside the shrine.

“Uh-huh,” Zac uttered evenly.

After brief consideration, the Monarch approved and erected a provisional shelter. He ushered Zac within, accompanied by Astora and two arbitrarily chosen Monarchs. Zac surmised they demanded several questioners to detect any concealed disloyalty among them. For the subsequent twenty minutes, Zac recounted the incidents—or a tailored rendition thereof.

He boldly shifted blame wherever feasible, even toward Astora seated directly across. After all, the princess had dispatched him to the chain of isles initially. He began with discovering the slain spy and their signet ring, followed by Idiche’s capture of him. Above all, Zac ensured to pin Descartes’ demise on Kaltosa Lu.

Though Descartes had journeyed to the Mercurial Courts to challenge Astora Theomore’s worthiness as Flamebearer, he remained a true noble from the Imperial Capital. Zac had zero desire to wade into such tangled affairs or risk the Mercurial Court summoning a high-ranking tribesman for deeper scrutiny.

“You claim Descartes Belial is deceased?” the chief enforcer pressed, as the group exchanged grave glances.

“I can’t confirm it absolutely. My role was merely to occupy him. My strikes barely scratched him. He regenerated instantly,” Zac explained. “But that other fellow seemed convinced.”

“The Centigrade Elemental?” another Enforcer verified.

Zac inclined his head. “He mentioned his grandfather crafted a tailored toxin against their lineage. The Elemental also claimed a token from Descartes’s corpse, linked to the courts somehow.”

“And afterward?”

“He attempted to eliminate me next, that madman. He ignored completely that I collaborated with Her Highness against this menace. You ought to address him before he strikes again. Fortunately, the Enkindling Sage from the Order of the Empyrean Chalice stepped in,” Zac exhaled, pausing theatrically before adding, “Evidently, I’ve been named their Holy Son. Unsure how that impacts my other obligations.”

“You? A Holy Son?” Astora voiced doubtfully. Yet her face turned to shock as she produced a sacred artifact. It burst into the Empyrean Chalice’s flames upon nearing Zac. “How could this be…”

The enforcers’ rigid countenances finally eased into a semblance of warmth. This was one motive for Zac revealing his new status. Having formally assumed the role, he intended to leverage it.

Regarding Idiche’s evolution, Zac described harnessing the remnant force from Xiphos’s offering alongside the Empyrean Chalice’s to seal the rift. Holy Son notwithstanding, Zac had no intention of disclosing the [Fuxi Mountain Gate].

The enforcers concluded their probe soon enough. As Zac perceived, they cared little for the precise happenings within the lodge. Like him, they shied from entangling with volatile groups such as Founding Families and Templar Orders. Once they verified Idiche’s ascension and the sites of the magic circles, they departed the structure.

“What’s next?” Zac murmured once secluded with Astora.

“The Mercurial Court’s leaders have abandoned their policy of non-involvement. They’ll soon launch a sect-spanning operation to purge any spies. The Enforcement Hall will seal this entire island. Given the fragile space here, they’ve opted to encase it in crystal,” Astora detailed. “Future incursions by invaders will demand far greater tolls.”

“But it’s far from resolved?” Zac probed, noting Astora’s frustrated look.

“No… It’s…” Astora faltered. “Honestly, I sense something’s eluding me. I’m extinguishing blazes without grasping their source, and all seem determined to conceal the facts.”

“We’re still mere pawns in the game,” Zac grinned. “At least you grasp more than I do.”

“Do I?”

“Absolutely. I’ve been occupied with axe swings and survival.” Zac grew uneasy under Astora’s sharpening gaze and swiftly pivoted topics. “In any case, Descartes meeting his end should benefit Your Highness greatly. He arrived solely to stir chaos, it seems. Serves him right for belittling the Theomore Dynasty.”

Astora’s features twisted strangely. “To imagine the Grand Preceptor erring so gravely. Or could this form a larger scheme...?”

“Grand Preceptor? From the group’s reactions earlier, I take it Descartes held significance? I assumed he was just another rogue cultivator, given the foul auras he radiated,” Zac replied innocently.

Astora merely shot him a chiding glance without exposing his feint. “That corruption you detected explains the Belial Tribe’s rise to Imperial Bloodline. The Belial Devils stand as the sole race flourishing in what others deem cursed territories. While we wage endless war against Earthly Taint’s buildup, the Belial Tribe absorbs those flaws to fuel their power.”

“Hold on, they cultivate using Earthly Taint?” Zac burst out, truly taken aback by the formidable trait.

His own tolerance for Earthly Taint was already a tremendous edge, yet it paled against these devils. Though less vital post-System integration, it must have been phenomenal in the Limitless Empire’s era. Undoubtedly, vast zones brimmed with lethal Earthly Taint, where entry alone scarred one’s cultivation. Such domains proved useless to most, granting the Belial Devils prime cultivation sites without contest.

Astora gave a subtle nod of agreement. “The more they drew in, the mightier they became, apparently boundless. Their corrupted essence also serves as a potent tool against ancient lineages. Beings born from fractured Daos bear fatal flaws etched into their core. The Belial Tribe exploits those weaknesses, flooding them with their derangement.”

“So the Centigrade Elemental’s ancestor…” Zac pressed.

“The Belial Tribe has bolstered the empire immensely by pursuing Primordial and ancient races. It’s reasonable to think the Centigrade Elementals were their import,” Astora affirmed.

“Such a formidable lineage,” Zac murmured.

“Their power exacts a cost; the Belial Devils aren’t shielded from the insanity they foster. Many descended into madness before notable deeds,” Astora clarified. “Unclear if it was the Emperor or a tribal originator who devised the cure. In a single night, they transformed into academics. They confined the devils within their cores. Through equilibrium of structure and turmoil, law and disorder, they ascended beyond prior peaks.

“They embody erudite thinkers and savage predators, based on which aspect they unleash. They possess sixteen variants of external Avatars, among them the Lucent Scholar Avatar you clashed with. Normally, they shouldn’t endure as you depicted. The Grand Preceptor likely tilted the balance toward their clan’s advantage.”

Zac nodded pensively. It was easy to see why the Belial Tribe chased fresh prospects so relentlessly. In certain respects, they stood to lose most when the System activated. Imperial lands were already purging taint from key settlements, and the Belial Tribe’s sacred sites saturated with Earthly Taint would face the System’s cleanse. To persist in cultivation, they’d need to venture beyond imperial frontiers, distancing from power centers.

In the end, the motives fueling their deeds held little fascination for Zac. Encounters with them again seemed improbable. Even should additional tribesmen reach the Left Imperial Expanse, entry to the Mercurial Courts lay barred. Moreover, Zac resolved against employing Everit Draom’s identity post-theft of the [Second Singularity], lest the caper brand Everit a fugitive.

Far more intriguing to Zac was the parallel between the Belial Tribe’s path and Yselio Tobrial’s. Or maybe reversed. The Seven Heavens had been obscure groups that climbed by plundering their old overlords’ remnants. Had the Tobrial Dynasty snatched fragments of Belial legacy during their rebellion? Lacking the bloodline, the Tobrials nonetheless pursued the Belial duality cultivation.

“Is it truly fine to reveal all this to me?” Zac wondered.

“As you noted, Descartes Belial’s passing aids the Theomore Dynasty and myself directly. You merit insight into the circumstances and the foes you’ve unwittingly crossed.”

“Not me, not me,” Zac hastened to disclaim. “Like I mentioned, I was scarcely engaged. More an observer, truly.”

“I suspect that befalls you often. That you inevitably end up at the tempest’s heart.”

“A blend of chance and misfortune,” Zac shrugged.

“Undoubtedly.”

Zac ceased pressing and shifted topics once more. “I must enter seclusion before heading back. It could extend a year or longer.”

Astora nodded, utterly unsurprised. If anything, she’d deem it strange for a Hegemon to skip seclusion after such trials. Routine cultivation for a Late Hegemon could stretch years, so retreats after dire combats were standard. Be it mending concealed injuries or absorbing fresh realizations, isolation from the outer world proved essential.

“Then I’ll depart, unless there’s more?” Zac said, rising to exit.

“Perhaps,” Astora replied. “Ultom. Do you desire further knowledge?”