(Braden)
Luca already knew, so his reaction was just to sit there with a smug expression on his face about how he was right about Zack being immortal. I guess some things will never change. Max, like most beastborn, worships Zack, so his response to finding out just how powerful Zack really is was to bounce up and down excitedly, remaining seated only because Nik told him to. Several times.
My reaction was to listen to the tales of how Zack got to be who he is now. From the punk who showed up here with an attitude to the warrior and champion and hero who has gone after anything strong and had many lucky breaks – or help from powerful warriors and teams like Nik and his team and the Fallen Adventurers.
And then there's Gavin's reaction. He's… pretty silent, and watching and listening to Nik, his team, and the Adventurers who had run with us back to the chamber. His expression is pretty neutral as he takes in the truth of just how powerful our team leader is.
I glance at Normar, who is sitting beside Luca. They are eerily similar in appearance, but Zack did mention they were related. Half-brothers sired by the same god. I'm not sure when Normar showed up, but with the rumors of his tendency to remain completely hidden around anyone and everyone except those he's exceptionally close to, he may have come with his team.
My gaze turns to Zack, who's still unconscious, sleeping beside Nik as he recovers from whatever happened. To be so powerful and have such powerful gear that he can take on a small horde of monsters and twenty or more Fallen Adventurers…
Our team leader truly is the best.
Right now, he's wearing his usual outfit, except with his Zack's Blood armor and no tunic. Apparently, he has to get rid of the tunic when he takes on Demon Form, and sends it back into his Inventory while still wearing it. Otherwise, his wings would just rip it. They had to forge his armor special to accommodate the wings.
Even though lots of people have wings they can manifest, it seems no one ever really cared about hiding their chest, and never really used them in battle along with armor. But Zack… while I doubt he cares about modesty, since he goes for a barefoot and barechested run every morning, he likes to wear his armor.
Because of how careful he is with battle. I never knew that he had even gotten into fights in the City before. Well, apparently only one fight, but did threaten a thief who tried stealing from him. It seems that the Skill that allows someone to steal from an Inventory doesn't work on Zack's special one, which even his autoloots default into.
And that he can turn into a dragon. That is amazing, and I bet that when he turns into a Druid – as I'm sure he'll eventually go for – he'll attempt to gain the Skill needed to take on an animal form with the dragon as his alternate form.
Though Nik did say that Zack is already trying to figure out how to dragonfy himself already, since he obviously doesn't need a Skill for that.
He's also covered in blood, bones, and other bits of gore because of his fight. He killed thousands of monsters, and when Jesse and Blaine returned with all of Zack's weapons – I had no idea he had that many – they had serious expressions on their faces.
When Nik finishes talking, Jesse speaks to him in a deep voice. It sounds so strange, hearing Jesse with a voice that's not that high-pitched one. According to Brandon, Jesse just acts like that because it makes people underestimate him, but that he stands as one of the top Adventurers in the entire Boundary.
I suppose even our clerks and assessors and such are badasses out here in Maelnor.
"Nik," Jesse says. "I think I know why Zack stayed behind rather than picking up his team and running."
"Why?" Nik asked. "Where did the hole lead?"
"Down to one of the very deep levels," Jesse answers. "With a large horde of kobolds Level 60 and up. It was nearly half of a mile in depth, and reached down to an area with Level 100 Kobolds."
How powerful were they?
"And Zack killed them with his swords," Blaine says. "We destroyed the ladders they had constructed, so there shouldn't be a threat. However, there was more than just twenty to thirty Fallen Adventurers. We recognized some of the gear before going down and had a suspicion."
"Nik," Jesse says. "All of the ones who showed up or became as such during the battle against the Demon Kobold King were here."
Nik frowns. There were a lot of deaths, I remember that from Zack's memorial. But Zack had told us there weren't any Fallen Adventurers on this level, that they started a little bit deeper down. That the Demon Kobold King was several further down.
But if the ones who were at that battle and fell in that battle were here…
"The Demon Kobold King was here?" Nik asks. "I didn't see it – that means Zack shoved it back down?"
"He did," Jesse nods. "And when I spoke with Big Flame about what happened, he said two words: 'Transcend Limitations'."
All of the experienced Adventurers in here react to that word, their eyes widening in shock. Well, other than Jesse and Blaine. Whatever that is, it must truly be a massive deal.
"What happened?" Nik asked.
"By our estimates," Blaine says. "Zack used Impact Drop with the Demon Kobold King's body itself. With a half-mile drop…"
"That's a lot of force," Nik finishes. "It's dead?"
"It looks like Zack had performed another, possibly with his own body or a sword," Jesse answers. "Most likely a sword, as I doubt his body would have withstood such an impact amplification. Then, he used a sword to stab into the heart several times, killing it."
Points for Zack. Heart shots are always effective, especially if you keep piercing it.
Wait. He solo-killed a King Monster?
"I told you Zack was the best!" Luca says pointedly to Nik.
"You also said Zack is immortal," Nik says.
"He is!"
"Uh, no, he's not," Niks says.
"Name one instance where he died."
"He had to die to enter the Boundary."
"He warped himself into here!"
That is not how it works, Luca. Nik, you might want to give up, you aren't going to win this fight. Luca thinks Zack is an immortal who can do anything he wants. He probably even thinks Zack could end the war right now, but doesn't so that the rest of us don't pass on because the Boundaries will have lost their purpose, and thus, the Crystals will release us into the next life. So that we all have a chance at earning the victory ourselves.
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…uh…
It sounded like someone entered my head with a shocked reaction.
Uh… how did you know that would happen?
It sounds like a kid. Is this one of the Sacred Crystals other than Lord Light of Air?
Yeah, I'm your affiliation, Dark of Water. Or as Zack calls me, the Big Ocean. How did you know everyone would be released into the afterlife once the war ended?
It was kind of obvious. The entire existence of the Boundaries is known to be specifically to seal away the Shadow of Life. No more Shadow of Life, no more reason for the Boundaries to exist. The seal won't be needed anymore.
You are literally the third kid in all of our history to ever figure this out. Max is getting close to becoming the fourth.
Was Zack the first?
Erm… we think he only found out when we began releasing the other Boundaries, but it's Zack. He's a trickster and a deceiver. It's possible that not even Existence itself knew when he found out in actuality. His brother, Bryce, also figured it out, which is why we think Zack was aware before we told him.
Releasing the other Boundaries? What does that mean?
There were several Boundaries, he tells me. But regardless of how the battle for the valley goes, the war will end within a year of its conclusion. Either the Shadow of Life will be slain, or he will attain victory. To allow us to focus more on this Boundary, the one we know he will focus on, we have begun to release the other Boundaries. While that gives him more power in this one, it also allows us to focus on it more as well.
Why is focusing on this one?
This horde was not natural, Lord Dark of Water informs me. The Shadow of Life arranged it, and has been building to it for months. Its purpose was specifically for when Zack traveled too deep into the mines. He knew he had to time things carefully.
And then Zack came in with you guys.
With us? Why did that matter?
Zack is careful, he explains. He is cautious. He calculates risks. He even asked Nik to be nearby with the full team in case of disaster because he had an uneasy feeling. But he dismissed that feeling as just being paranoid about taking you guys into the mines. Zack's always worried about your safety, which is why he has a Bloodpact with all of you.
Having scouted the mines last night, Lord Dark of Water continues. He didn't detect anything suspicious. His plan wasn't to go anywhere near this area, so he hadn't looked at it. The Shadow of Life began moving his forces after Zack finished his scouting.
Because he hadn't seen anything suspicious, he tells me. He didn't use his gift of sight to check for danger at first. But then the nagging feeling of something being off grew too great, so he did. By that time, he realized that the Demon Kobold King was here. If he attempted to flee, or sent you all out too early, the hordes would have moved to intercept all of you. He would not have been able to flee with all four of you, and at least one of you would have died, as well as several other Adventurers, before Nik and his team could step in and stop things.
So he ran hundreds of calculations with his sight, Lord Dark of Water states. He ran hundreds of them to see what the best option would be. And he came up with only one route that continued to appear. The best option for your survival was for him to lead you all to the chamber, then sacrifice himself while waiting for Nik to come. Only by the luck of Existence did he survive. The luck of Existence… and our own interference. A little nudge of power here to move a weapon an inch away from a critical spot on his body, to guide his tiring body just a little over, to ensure his footing remained sure on the slick blood.
You guys stepped in to save Zack? Why is he so special? Why does the Shadow of Life want him dead?
You are aware of the prophecy, yes?
The one that Zack says is just a vision of the future?
Correct, Lord Dark of Water responds. There are three conditions in order for the tide of war to change. All three conditions must be completed by a Child of Existence.
During his explanation, Nik mentioned that Zack is a Child of Existence, but he didn't explain what that means.
The first condition is already met, Lord Dark of Water says. And it is Ascension. Zack became the first Adventurer to ever Ascend, and as a Child of Existence, that sparked the sign that the prophecy – the vision – was unfolding. Preventing him from Ascending in the first place was why the Shadow of Life tried to kill both him and Bryce together – to prevent even the first of the three signs from occurring. A prophecy is set in stone, they're impossible to deter. You can either go down the only route it gives, or nudge it into another route it gives, if there is one. But the 'prophecy' was a vision, and visions can be wrong.
Like when Zack thought he would have to sacrifice himself to create enough time for Nik to arrive, to prevent the Demon Kobold King and the Fallen Adventurers from gaining a stronghold here that would likely become impossible to breach.
Exactly, he says. Outside events can prevent it from happening, and even if nothing is changed, what is seen may still not come to pass. But this vision is different. This vision was done with power granted by Seal himself.
Seal?
The one Zack calls 'Big S', he explains. The most powerful of us all… and another Child of Existence. Unless something is done to prevent the vision from occurring, it will happen. And so the Shadow of Life fights to prevent it. That is why he wishes to make Zack unstable, why he wishes to kill Zack. Because if Zack meets the other two requirements, the tide of battle will change. And Zack is close to doing it.
What are the other two requirements for the tide to change?
I'll get to that in a minute, he says. But know this, Braden: the tide of battle changing can go either way. And in the vision, all we know is that the end comes by way of a pair of brothers. One will kill the Shadow of Life, and the other realizes something.
Realizes something?
Even we are not privy to that information, he informs me. But we fear for what it could mean. However, the Shdaow of Life has turned Zack into his enemy so completely that we doubt it will come to pass. The tide of war is more than likely to change in our favor rather than changing to his.
But isn't the tide of war already in his favor?
No, he responds. Even though the Boundary is currently half-Lost, the changing tide will happen before it begins, but even we do not know what sign it will take. We do know, however, that is unlikely for him to win the fight. Even he knows it. Zack is too powerful, too dangerous. It will take something truly spectacular to kill Zack and ensure his victory here. That's what this setup was about: pitting Zack against a Demon King and thirty-something Adventurers plus a horde of very powerful monsters.
I try to sort through everything he's told me so far. Zack is possibly the sign that the tide of war will change, and even though it seems like the Shadow of Life is winning, the fight is actually at a stalemate. And the tone he's using tells me that the actual outcome of the battle itself doesn't matter for the changing tide.
That even if Maelnor is lost, the Adventurers defeated in the battle for the valley, the outcome of the actual war depends on something else.
And the Shadow of Life wants to prevent Zack from meeting the three requirements of the vision. That has to be because he is afraid the tide will change against him, so he wants to prevent the vision from coming to pass.
What's more, Zack is a source of hope for Adventurers. I've seen it, I've heard it. I've heard them talking about a powerful Adventurer among the Dark Knights, one who could probably single-handedly change the tide of war.
I didn't realize they were talking about him, though. I thought they were talking about Nik. But they were talking about Zack.
But what are the other two requirements?
One is something Zack can already do, Lord Dark of Water informs me. At least, in theory. But it comes third, and Zack doesn't seem inclined to try it until shortly before the battle, which lines up with the second requirement.
The second requirement, he says. Is to create a new Class. It is something only a Child of Existence can do. Only they can directly affect the System in such a way that a new Class actually forms because of them. And Zack is already planning on making a new Class as soon as he reaches his Second Ascension.
How long until then?
Depends on if he decides to just risk Power Jump again by taking on Angel and using the Bonus Experience he received from being the one to do the killing blow to the Demon Kobold King.
So if Zack creates a new Class and does the other thing, the tide of war is changing?
Yes, and it's unlikely to change in the favor of Shadow of Life due to him turning Zack into an enemy. And the more he attempts to kill Zack, the more difficult it becomes.
Because every attempt only makes him stronger.
Exactly, Lord Dark of Water says. And that's why the Shadow of Life went after you guys. Because killing you would make Zack unstable. It's happened twice before, and this time, it's unlikely anyone could pull Zack back.
Which would make it a lot easier to kill him.
Exactly, he says. And it looks like Zack is going with the 'I'm making the new Class ASAP option'.
What?
I look at Zack, and he still looks like he's unconscious from the fight.
He just took on and maxed-out Angel, which put him at Total Level 500, the requirement for the Second Ascension Trial.
"HOW HIGH IS HIS LEVEL?" I accidentally exclaim.