Defiance of the Fall Chapter 1439: Dimensional War

Though confident in his prowess, Zac recognized the gravity of the situation. A swift assessment confirmed that three of the thirteen intruders were formidable figures, situated at the pinnacle of Sealbearer strength. While they appeared to be Peak Hegemons on the surface, Zac's senses indicated they were concealing a portion of their true power.

The first of these three was the very individual who had repelled Zac from the magic circle. Contrary to expectations, this attacker was an archer, armed with a colossal bow crafted from purple steel. His sharp features, eyes aglow like the setting sun, and heroic bearing would have marked him as a favored son of heaven, were it not for the profound corruption marring him.

The impact of the Lost Era's blight varied among them. In this man's case, the manifestation was horrifyingly grotesque. His left shoulder had transmogrified into a misshapen head, its eyes burning with a malevolent, deranged light. Its mouth was fixed in a silent scream, leaving it impossible to discern if it stemmed from existential agony or sheer hatred for the world.

If Zac's recollection served him, this was A’Mesio Evor, a Saint Son from a local sect, whose cultivation path intertwined space and lightning. Witnessing a monstrously transformed creature pursue a Dao of the Heavenly Peak struck Zac as an incongruous paradox, yet its attainments were undeniably potent. The pressure emanating from him was sufficient proof that both his Daos were at least Middle Earthly Daos.

The second formidable presence was a stout mage, her body afflicted with extensive welts and pockmarks. Not a single inch of her visible skin was spared, making it utterly impossible for Zac to ascertain her original features. Based on the palpable danger he sensed radiating from the blemishes, it was evident she had expertly weaponized her affliction. She carried a gnarled staff embedded with Temporal Crystals, indicating that time was also a factor in her power.

The third adversary caused Zac the most apprehension, and was the primary reason he hesitated to advance immediately. This man, barefoot and clad in ragged robes, held a battered, rusted sword. He was another sealbearer, this one a member of the Imperial Army. His name was Aemod, and the genuine article had perished in the square during the worship ceremony. It appeared this doppelganger had managed to return to his own timeline before the invaders were expelled from Transformation Docks.

Unlike the other two, Aemod displayed no outward signs of the taint. Its presence was entirely concentrated within his vacant eyes. This individual had absorbed immense quantities of corruption into his psyche, honing it into a terrifying, grotesque intent. Zac felt an overwhelming certainty that stepping closer would necessitate a fight for his very life.

Individually, the others posed no extreme concern, though their diverse skill sets, when combined, presented a significant challenge. Zac considered himself fortunate that this seemed to be the extent of the immediate threat. The temporal gateway's restrictions evidently extended deep into [Second Singularity]'s inner domain; otherwise, he might have been facing a cohort of Monarchs and a pair of Autarchs.

Crucially, there was also a limit to the number of invaders that could breach the gateway. With each combatant that emerged, the supporting magic circle weakened incrementally. Deploying these three elites, at the zenith of Hegemony, as the vanguard had strained the gateway to its absolute limit. It appeared on the verge of collapse, which explained why they had formed a defensive cordon around Zac.

The grim reality was that the dimensional gate was mending with each passing moment. It was not merely drawing power from adjacent timelines; it was actively being reinforced from both sides of the passage. Two of the subordinates concealed behind the swordsman were fallen templars. The instant they crossed over, they commenced channeling Imperial Faith into the most vulnerable runes.

Zac swiftly marshaled his thoughts and formulated an offensive strategy. It was undeniable that time favored the enemy. Their position would only strengthen with every second the stalemate persisted. Zac understood the necessity of a swift, decisive strike, concluding the engagement before they could fully establish their defenses. While such a conflict was not the primary strength of his Inexorable Apostle Class, it was far from impossible.

Merely a moment sufficed for Zac to refine his plan, yet someone acted with even greater celerity.

“You brats think I’m a harmless old man just because I’ve kept my hands clean? Anyone who dares to sabotage my operation is doomed to perish!”

Before Zac or the invaders could even register the event, a blinding streak of starlight sliced through the gateway and detonated within the group of cultivators. Three underlings, including one of the templars, were instantly reduced to bloody chunks as spatial fissures erupted. It was only through the desperate, combined efforts of the remaining attackers that the fractures were contained, preventing further casualties. More significantly, the swordsman, the most menacing threat, vanished without a trace.

Zac experienced a pleasant surprise as Esmeralda initiated a direct assault, a change from her prior role of providing support. His adversaries, however, were even more taken aback. They frantically scanned their surroundings for a threat, a threat Zac suspected would not strike again. As anticipated, Esmeralda's voice echoed in his mind before the dust had even settled.

Zac gave his promise.

Seizing the moment, Zac denied his foes the chance to recover from the gruesome spectacle of their comrades being reduced to mangled remains. He activated two skills, and an all-encompassing darkness enveloped the gate and its vicinity without preamble. Three colossal bands, fashioned from countless statues, materialized, bisecting the world into three distinct zones. At their convergence floated an eye of absolute darkness, an anti-sun crackling with ultimate destructive power.

There was no reason to hold back; Zac unleashed two of his most potent skills from the outset: [Arbiter of the Abyss] and the Late-stage [Eye of Desolation]. Enhancing it had always been a high priority since attaining Late Hegemony, but it proved to be an exceedingly intricate Skill Fractal. It was only through the assistance of a substantial quantity of refined corruption and the advanced facilities of the Mercurial Court that he successfully finalized the blueprint and executed the upgrade.

The skill did not introduce any new functionalities upon reaching Late mastery. Following the established pattern, it reinforced its existing framework by incorporating a third layer and an additional band. Consequently, his targets would now have to contend with yet another band before they could escape the grasp of desolation. Naturally, the statues and their accompanying chains had become considerably more robust following the upgrade. Ordinary D-grade cultivators could forget about even inflicting a scratch upon them.

The archer and the walking pestilence found themselves isolated, confined where they would be compelled to confront the chains of an entire band on their own. The remaining subordinates were all relegated to the third layer, alongside the dimensional gateway itself. Witnessing the gate accommodated without any issue brought a significant measure of relief. Had his skill directly clashed with the Peregrine Ocean, [Eye of Desolation] would unquestionably have been the one to falter.

The invading forces appeared to believe Zac intended to strike the gate directly with his abilities, a misconception he was content to perpetuate. He commanded the tormented statues to focus their assault on the Peregrine Ocean, thereby forcing the invaders into a defensive posture. Four of the seven remaining cultivators shouldered the responsibility of fending off the onslaught of chains; the other two maintained vigilance against external threats while safeguarding their remaining templar.

Zac swiftly advanced towards his objective, cloaked in the invisibility granted upon skill activation. His target was neither of the elite combatants, who were already entangled in a tempest of chains. They were ultimately mere diversions designed to draw Zac's focus. His true objective remained the gate itself. As long as he could seal it, he could dedicate his full attention to dealing with the remaining adversaries at his leisure.

August and the other commanders might still manage to discover an alternate route to [Second Singularity], but by then, it would be too late. It had already been purged of the majority of its corruption, and Esmeralda would soon be in a position to assert control.

A sudden peal of thunder disrupted Zac's plan. A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, unerringly seeking Zac despite his cloaked state. Moreover, it completely thwarted Zac's attempts to alter its trajectory using the rejection domain of [Arbiter of the Abyss]. It was as if the lightning strike had been divinely sent, rendering evasion impossible.

Nevertheless, if there was one force Zac had come to fear by this point, it was lightning. He had lost count of the tribulation bolts he had endured; what was a mere man-made bolt in comparison? Furthermore, this particular attack had sacrificed a substantial portion of its destructive force in exchange for enhanced speed and tracking capabilities. He swung his axe, bisecting the bolt cleanly in two.

The anticipated event of him dispersing the lightning with a burst of death did not materialize. Instead, the severed lightning coursed down his weapon and then ascended his arm like a pair of twin serpents. The lightning ultimately penetrated his body, bypassing [Love’s Bond] through some unknown means. Although there was still no sensation of pain, the situation was far from ideal.

“Damn it!” Zac swore loudly as he observed himself illuminated like a festive beacon.

The illumination served more than just to reveal his position. The discharged lightning was infused with a curse-like substance, the direct antithesis of [Adamance of Eoz]. His Miasma had suddenly become as fragile as desiccated wood. This effect nullified the advantage conferred by his Eoz bloodline and resisted all attempts at immediate cleansing by [Immutability of Eoz].

Exposed and weakened, Zac found himself suddenly targeted by six Sealbearers. Even those ensnared by a storm of chains managed to direct some attacks his way. Zac immediately altered his strategy. Two overlapping waves of darkness permeated the sealed expanse of [Eye of Desolation], further plunging the world into a state of engulfing death.

Even the [Field of Despair]’s sensation-blocking effect proved ineffective against the clinging lightning, yet it served to amplify his might. Concurrently, the Axe Wraiths intensified their assault on the defenders, intending for him to focus solely on the remaining trio. Or so he had presumed.

Acting on an instinct from his Danger Sense, Zac swiftly evaded a spatial-rending, crackling arrow. This projectile bore no resemblance to the feeble lightning bolt from earlier; it pulsed with power comparable to that of a War Machine. Had it struck true, losing a limb would have been the least of Zac’s concerns.

The source of this formidable attack was the archer, who was ostensibly confined to another dimension within [Eye of Desolation]. Despite being engaged in a solitary battle against a phalanx of chains, he had somehow unleashed this lethal strike. Although the attack missed its mark, the alarm blaring in Zac’s mind only grew more insistent.

Unable to pinpoint the origin of the immediate danger, Zac pushed the rejection field of [Arbiter of the Abyss] to its absolute limit, simultaneously infusing himself with the Void of Life. For a fleeting moment, he employed the Void-infused variation of his Inexorable Technique, executing a subtle sidestep. This maneuver, however, did not prevent an eruption of pain from his left lung. A second projectile, completely undetected, had pierced his flesh, grazing past him.

The corrupting essence of the Lost Plane seeped into his body through the wound but was rapidly neutralized by Zac’s formidable constitution. Even in his diminished state, the hostile Dao residue from a flesh wound posed no significant threat to Zac. His primary concern was the possibility of unforeseen assaults, with his danger sense offering only marginal protection. Given the projectile’s penetrating power, a subsequent strike could obliterate his heart if he failed to react instantaneously.

Zac’s gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield, and he soon identified the archer as the persistent threat. The mage, meanwhile, was occupied by the onslaught of chains. She employed temporal winds to retard their advance and corrosive energies to disintegrate them. Nevertheless, her abilities were clearly optimized for biological targets, suggesting she would remain engaged for some time.

While the archer drew a second arrow from his quiver, his secondary head had silently conjured another arrow from the shadows—a pure spiritual projectile forged from the corrupted Dao of Space. Its stealth was exceptional; Zac only perceived its form after it had been coated in his ichor. Recognizing the peril did little to alter his immediate objective. The gate remained his priority, at the very least requiring the destruction of several runes and the elimination of the remaining templar.

Having begun near the gate and advanced even closer before his position was compromised, Zac abandoned subterfuge in favor of a direct confrontation. Three chains spearheaded the charge, targeting as many of the gate’s defenders.

One defender, now a colossal three-eyed giant, exuded physical power that dwarfed that of most beast kings. The second was a Shieldbearer, wielding a weapon that had manifested a resilient spatial blockade. The last was, unsurprisingly, the templar, desperately attempting to bolster the gate sufficiently to permit a new wave of reinforcements.

The giant and the Shieldbearer moved to intercept, forming an impenetrable barrier of space and flesh. However, just as the two forces were about to clash, three swirling gates materialized amidst the chains. The severed chain segments impacted the approaching invaders a moment later, with minimal disruption. Though the chains retained their initial momentum, they were disconnected and deprived of the empowerment granted by [Love’s Bond] and [Inexorable Subjugation].

By the time the giant and the Shieldbearer comprehended the feint, it was too late. Three additional gates materialized around the templar simultaneously. Alea’s chains erupted from an unseen dimension, impaling the templar before he could muster a defense. Two gates vanished while one expanded, allowing Zac to pass through unimpeded. Two arrows flew harmlessly past hundreds of meters away, their intended target having already vanished.

“Halt!”

[Death’s Duality] had already embedded itself in the grievously wounded templar's skull by the time the roaring giant turned. Zac, with his erratic movements, the oppressive aura of [Arbiter of the Abyss], and the menacing chains encircling him, embodied the chilling specter of a grim reaper descending upon the mortal realm.

Lacking the reliable confirmation of Kill Energy, Zac left nothing to chance. He dismembered the templar, body and soul, in a flurry of strikes. With his left arm still within the portal, he appeared poised to retreat after the ambush. However, a second bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, accompanied by a colossal fist, dwarfing Zac’s entire upper body.

A flicker of lightning temporarily paralyzed him, and the brawler’s assault landed with such immense power that it withstood the redirection from [Arbiter of the Abyss]. It was as if he had managed to achieve the effect of an Inner World, despite being only a Late Hegemon. A wall of miasmic mist ascended to obstruct the blow, but the passive defenses of [Love’s Bond] proved insufficient against such force.

Zac felt as though he had been struck by a freight train, propelled out of the vortex and sent flying until he collided with a spatial barrier. Just as his predicament seemed dire, the magic circle encircling the Peregrine Ocean convulsed. The already strained silver waters, overloaded with borrowed power, suddenly surged in a tidal wave that engulfed two of the encroaching invaders.

Was Zac truly planning an escape after dispatching the Templar? He embodied Death, a wolf amidst a flock of sheep. His left hand remained within the vortex for a specific reason; to strike the magic circle with [Void Mountain], hidden from the others' view. He had only narrowly succeeded in exhausting another rune before his actions were interrupted.

The destructive torrent of silver water became Zac’s unexpected ally. It not only annihilated two unfortunate Sealbearers guarding the dimensional gate but also dismantled the Shieldbearer’s spatial confinement. Zac could have undoubtedly extricated himself, but doing so would have revealed the unique nature of his void vortices, which, for now, could still be mistaken for conventional spatial gateways.

As the barrier disintegrated, Zac reappeared amidst a gust of Miasma, accompanied by four diminutive skeletons. A radiant coffin materialized just in time to deflect a third volley of arrows. The golden arrow inflicted severe fissures upon its surface, while the hidden arrow caused it to shatter completely. One of the pygmies from [Profane Exponents] fell in a single exchange, but this sacrifice allowed Zac to confront the colossal foe directly.

Six chains ensnared him, each link imposing a suffocating constraint through [Inexorable Subjugation]. His movements hampered and his actions dictated by [Arbiter of the Abyss], the man was reduced to defenseless prey. He never had the opportunity to unleash the formidable power accumulating in his left fist before his entire arm was severed. With a piercing whistle, his head was cleaved from his body by Zac’s swift follow-up strike.

Zac’s brow furrowed as he detected no resonance through [Fatehew]. He had failed to strike the brawler’s soul. There was no time to ponder this enigma, as Zac's mind shrieked with alarm when the headless corpse began to swell rapidly, consumed by surging corruption. A malevolent gust, conjured by a pygmy skeleton, struck the body, redirecting its self-annihilating force directly towards the Shieldbearer.

The defender skillfully parried the explosive attack without faltering, while the colossal figure was already in the process of manifesting a new form through a surge of corrupted timeflow. The situation deteriorated further as a deafening groan reverberated throughout the entire domain. Two spectral bands from [Eye of Desolation] had snapped into existence unexpectedly.

Zac’s head snapped around, and he was astonished to witness the mage, who had seemed to be struggling, now hovering directly above the oblivion-infused eye. The intense conflict had merely been a feint, deceiving even his keen senses, while the true architect of their predicament was actively dismantling Zac’s prison. Now, the three distinct realms had coalesced into a single entity, enabling the invaders to consolidate their forces.

A sigh escaped Zac’s lips as he advanced upon the giant to conclude the battle. He had to concede; his adversaries possessed a remarkable talent for decisive action.