Defiance of the Fall

Both the [Heavenmend Crystal] and the [Seed of Potential] from the Limited Exchange remained in Zacʼs Spatial Ring. Improving the quality of his core right now wouldnʼt make much of a difference. He was better off saving them until he was fully recovered. Ideally, Zac would have spent a few more weeks upgrading some of his skills to Late D-grade. He neither had the time nor blueprints for that.

Each level exponentially increased the complexity of the fractals. It wasnʼt long ago he pushed the last ones to Middle D-grade, and there had been no time to ponder on the next step. Despite lacking any way real way to leverage his upgraded core, Zac felt confident as he emerged from his hiding spots.

Gazing at the distant pillars with two sets of eyes, Zac managed to estimate his position. His bodies were almost on the opposite sides of the trial ground. His human half was closest to the Radiant, Indomitable, and Hollow Courts. Meanwhile, Esmeraldaʼs pursuit had led closer to the Mercurial and Anima courts, of which one was noticeably closer.

Zac glanced at the toad, who was looking at the closest pillar with longing. ”Mercurial Court?”

”Thatʼs right.” Esmeralda nodded. ”What Iʼm looking for should be in there.”

”Alright, letʼs go figure out how to get inside.”

Esmeralda grinned, and a flicker of relief appeared in her eyes. It was clear that sheʼd been worried about her goal. Being the greatest thief in the universe was useless if she couldnʼt interact with the environment. She needed a trialtaker, and Zac was obviously the best choice. Only, his agreement to help wasnʼt like the binding resolution heʼd entered with the Undead Empire.

Zac could back out and focus on his own opportunities. There was no such thought in Zacʼs mind. Esmeralda had gone far beyond their original agreement to help him. It was no exaggeration to say he owed Esmeralda his life. Sheʼd gone so far as to sacrifice her protection against the temporal curse to save him. Zac would do anything in his power to return that favor, and the first step was the memory city.

While Zac watched the rain-drenched tundra whizz by from the comfort of Esmeraldaʼs pouch, his human form set out alone. He continued deeper into the mountains, heading directly toward the pillar representing the Hollow Court. Katorʼs betrayal had voided the treaty with the Undead Empire, but that didnʼt mean Zac would give up on the mission.

His debt to Tavza notwithstanding, Zac felt it more important than ever to get his hands on the Primoʼs treasure. It was integral to staking out a path to survival after the trial was over. Zac had a feeling that if he could get that item into the Primoʼs hands, then the Undead Empireʼs civil war would take a sudden and drastic turn. And as the Primoʼs savior, the Atwood Empire would acquire the protective umbrella it desperately needed.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

A day passed without any significant incidents. Even so, Zac never lowered his guard. It was evident that the ancient continent held the same dangers youʼd expect on any wild world. There was no level restriction or pruning of threats beyond their grade. The enormous hand was still the strongest entity Zac had encountered, though Esmeralda mentioned a similarly terrifying beast slumbering in the depths of the rainy gorge. It was likely the beast itself that was the cause of the regionʼs rainfall.

It wasnʼt just monsters one had to worry about. The more powerful the environment, the more likely it was to birth unusual things. Zac spotted a distant mountain that emitted a hair-raising aura. Rather than a Beast Emperor, Zac suspected it was caused by a curse or Natural Formation.

They didnʼt experiment with any of the memory lanterns they spotted on the way. For one, they all felt significantly weaker than Tereaʼs. He only wanted to interact with high-quality lanterns, or ones that he felt a strong connection to. Zac didnʼt expect to hit the jackpot again, but a strong light should have higher odds of valuable returns.

More importantly, Zac wasnʼt sure he could keep interacting with memory motes without a drawback. He only had four slots on the brand, and those were shared between both bodies. The brandʼs purpose remained unclear, but it had to be connected to the main trial. Eventually, heʼd catch another trial taker to test his theories. For now, he stayed clear.