Zac took his and Emily's appearance at the top of the ladder in stride. Anything else would be a surprise, considering the situation. He was more curious about the other changes. For one, the previous first place-holder was gone rather than pushed down two pegs, and he wasn't alone.
Six more entries had disappeared since the last update. It wasn't unheard of for rankers to die, especially among the bottom fifty of the ladder. However, there was rarely more than one per week. Those who managed to break into the [Stars of Zecia] leaderboard were the best of the best, possessing strength and means.
For six to die in one day, including the twelfth-place holder, would have been considered a disaster if the Kan'Tanu hadn't lost so much more. Replacing the seven were Galau and the others. They took up a whole block between positions 39 and 46, pushing down those below a full eight spaces.
"Sacred Insight was caught in the trap?" Zac muttered as the trio made their way out of the underground levels.
"It doesn't look good for the others, but the baldy's fine. I've already gotten a report. He's just broken through and is currently sitting in the 34th position on the Middle Hegemon Ladder," Tusko said, looking at Zac with a toothy grin. "Perhaps that baldy felt a foul wind coming from behind and opted to quickly break through before he lost his face?"
"He wouldn't be much of a monk if his heart were that brittle," Zac snorted.
"I suppose," Tusko shrugged before looking at Zac curiously. "How does it feel? Standing at the peak?"
"Like there's a whole lot of even taller mountains all around me."
"What a bore!" Tusko snorted. "You should live it up a bit. Heavens knows you have the resources. If not, you'll regret it later."
"Regret?" Zac said with a raised brow.
"Being the strongest comes with all kinds of hidden benefits, but heavy is the crown," Tusko shrugged. "To cultivate is to go against the Heavens. To reach for the peak. Your mere existence is blocking their way. How can one dream of ascension before proving themselves strongest among their peers?"
"People will be coming for your secrets, too," Galau added, getting a gleeful nod of agreement from Tusko.
"I get that," Zac said, looking at the lumbering general askance. "What I don't get is why you look so damn happy about it."
"I'll take what I can get after you scammed me that badly," Tussar guffawed. "That'll teach you to be greedy."
"We'll see who ends up being taught a lesson in the end," Zac snorted as he closed the ladder.
To think that Sacred Insight's merit wasn't even enough to break into the top 30 at the next grade. It was hard to say exactly how much merit the mysterious monk had. Zac had a decent understanding of the ladder's tail, especially now that the Muscle Brigade had added a data point. However, the top ten was still a mystery.
Zac had fought tooth and nail since day one, yet he'd lost positions. Sacred Insight could be sitting at twice his original contribution. Perhaps even more. However, Zac couldn't imagine Sacred Insight could compare to his current tally, even considering his presumed background.
Sacred Insight officially lacked any affiliation, but there was only one place such a mysterious, immensely powerful monk would come from—the Sangha. There was no way the Buddhist monks would sit out the competition for the Fifth Pillar, but their actions were hard to follow.
They kept popping up randomly across the sector like they'd walked out of thin air. Occasionally, they entered the fray to save a struggling faction. Mostly, they simply watched as planets were slaughtered before driving out the Kan'Tanu. They'd bury the corpses, administer rites of passage, and move on. Calling them an ally would stretch the term.
However, the Sangha had to be doing something in the shadows that the System considered meritorious. They still had two names on the Early D-grade ladder and now three in Middle D-grade. Either they were fighting in the dark or had found another way to aid the war effort. Outright fighting wasn't the only method to accrue merit. It was just the most lucrative, though there were bound to be exceptions to the rule.
The tower was a great example of that. Galau and the others would have walked away with just as much merit even if Yselio hadn't shown up. Perhaps even more, considering Zac ended up taking most of the contribution by holding back the Tobrial prince. And if Ibtep actually managed to raise his space-devouring maggots, he might shoot right to the top of the ladder like Emily.
Zac took one last look at the fortress base as the three stepped onto the platform. It had appeared out of nowhere and had completely upended many of his plans. Even his fundamental understanding of the cosmos and himself had taken a hit. He had walked away stronger from the experience, but the road ahead seemed more difficult than ever.
"I'll have to stay here and wrap things up. I'm curious to see what we managed to save before Hurricane Zac swept through the city," Tusko sighed.
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten our deal," Zac said as he took out two treasures and handed them to a confused Tusko.
"The Atwood Empire will remember this great favor, General Tusko," Galau somberly added as he offered the guardian a deep bow, prompting a few nearby soldiers to furtively look over before quickly turning away. "It's only right we provide a small token of appreciation."
Zac's mouth tugged upon seeing Tusko blanch at Galau's words, but he kept his face impassive. It really was convenient to have smart people by his side. Like it or not, the Alliance ran on favors and connections. Between the 'gift' and Galau's words, a hasty promise suddenly looked like a shady backroom deal between the elites of the upper echelons.
It was underhanded, but the rice had already been cooked. Zac needed the items, and frankly, they wouldn't have been the Alliance's to seize if not for his and Galau's efforts. This way, Tusko at least got some remuneration for his misstep.
"Ai—" Tusko grimaced as he stowed the items. "Fine, I'll eat this loss. Can I ask what you bast—uh, young masters, will do with the items? Warlin wasn't lying before. The Alliance always needs unique treasures, and we have many things to exchange with. The Dynasty is also looking for items to help our elites break through."
"It's not impossible to exchange some of the things. Do you have any appraisers aboard the ship?" Zac asked.
"I'll send someone right over," Tusko said before hurrying away, barking orders.
Tusko once more exuded the air of a domineering general, but Zac still felt he'd turned tail and escaped before he was taken advantage of again.
"No wonder your pupil boasted your wealth. We racked up more treasures in one hour than I did over months," Galau commented as they continued toward their private wing. "You're like a locust. Insatiable and without shame."
"What kind of locusts have you encountered?" Zac snorted. "And times are tough. We have to be a little shameless to stay afloat."
"It's rarely the righteous who live the longest," Galau agreed. "It's a shame we didn't get the chance to enter the depths. Some interesting items should still be hidden there, waiting for the right person to come along."
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"You don't seem very surprised?"
"Over your exceptional 'nose?' Why should I be?" Galau shrugged. "I'd have to be a fool if I still measured you with common sense. Since I've decided to board your pirate ship, I'll just have to get used to the waves."
"After your time in the Muscle Brigade, I think you'll fit right in," Zac smiled.
The two soon reached their chambers. Emily was still busy absorbing the treasure, so he didn't get the chance to see her reaction to the ladder update. However, all the members of the Muscle Brigade were constantly glancing at her door like they were waiting for her to come out. It was impossible to tell whether they wanted to fight or marry her by their heated gazes.
Their attention was finally diverted when Zac began taking out the things they'd looted. Altogether, they managed to snatch twenty-eight treasures of high enough quality for Zac to sense them. However, six emitted such a weak pull Zac doubted he would have noticed them before getting the [Void Path] title and the accompanying boost of Luck.
Apart from that, there were piles and piles of rare resources they'd picked up along the way, many of them materials without any supply in the Zecia sector. They would sell for a fortune, even with most of their spirituality lost.
Zac directly put aside roughly half of the boxes. Two held materials he believed useful for his Core Formation, while one was already marked by Verun. A fourth box held an incredibly ancient stone with a crack in it. It seemed even older than the Limitless Empire, from the chaotic era when the Dao was still reforming.
Something had attacked the stone, leaving a scar reminiscent of the huge chasm cutting through the fortress base. However, there was no Killing Intent coming from the stone. Instead, there was a spiritual aura of war. The stone was just an E-grade material, but its spirit was incredibly pure and profound. Zac believed it could become a core material when he finally figured out his [Thousand Axes Avatar].
The rest were meant for his sealbearers rather than himself. For instance, there was a bronze scabbard holding immense amounts of Faith Energy. Since it was a path Rhubat was researching, Zac felt they might be able to glean something from its aura. If that wasn't enough, there was also a scroll stowed in the sheath instead of a weapon.
Another was an orb of immense darkness, which also held a hint of the Stellar Peak. Zac felt he was looking at a star that had collapsed to the point it radiated darkness. He had no idea what its use was, but he felt it was a perfect fit for Rhuger.
The Muscle Brigade eagerly took out some treasures of their own. Most of the things they'd found had been used up to survive the tower's onslaught, but they still had a surprising amount of impressive items. The secluded wing quickly became a bazaar where Zac and brigadiers traded for more suitable items. Zac pulled out more and more treasures from his rings until he'd traded for everything he wanted.
The Appraiser arrived soon after, and she gasped upon seeing the piles of rare treasure filling the room. And that was just the treasures they were willing to trade, while the best stuff had already returned to their rings. Still, she displayed commendable professionalism and began working through the fortune. Scrolls, tomes, and measurement tools appeared and disappeared in rapid succession like she was putting on a magic show.
There was even a grand finale at the end when the Appraiser's domain suddenly spiked as a marvelous aura spread through the room. It was like she'd become a human nurturing array, showering the treasures with an energy that helped them rekindle some of their lost glory.
"Thank you, young master," the Appraiser said with flushed cheeks.
The last step wasn't planned. Encountering so many ancient treasures and unusual items had let the Appraiser gain an epiphany and upgrade her Dao Branch.
"I'm the one who should thank you," Zac smiled. "So, what are we working with?"
The Appraiser studiously went through the items one by one, even though she could only name a single Natural Treasure among those with fate's pull. It was rough metal called a [Termic Lever], and she only knew it because she'd read about it in an ancient tome the Dravorak Dynasty had picked up in a ruin. Despite looking like a rusty block, it could nurture fire attunement by rubbing it against materials or other equipment. Essentially, it was an affinity booster for weapons rather than a cultivator.
The Appraiser also provided a decent approximation of most of the remaining treasures he and the Muscle Brigade had put forth. Ultimately, Zac handed over most of the raw materials and eight treasures. A few would go to the Alliance and the rest to the Everlast Monarch and the Dravorak Dynasty.
It wasn't a gift. It was a trade where Zac asked for similar-graded treasures in return. He'd only found items for half his sealbearers, so he wanted to get something for the others. The brutality of the past few days had driven home the dangers of the frontlines and that he wouldn't always be there to protect his people. His sealbearers needed to be able to stand on their own as soon as possible.
The brigadiers traded some but kept everything that wasn't leaking spirituality. They probably wanted to deal with the Allbright Empire or the Peak Family instead. They barely had time to finish the exchange before being ushered out of the ship with great urgency.
It wasn't that the Everfast Monarch had kicked them to the curb now that he had the items he wanted. It seemed as though he'd received top-priority orders and had to set out immediately. They even left behind the thousands of soldiers exploring the lower floors of the fortress.
The battle over the Sixth Centurion Lighthouse was coming to a close, with the Alliance seizing the greatest victory. Space was still too unstable to safely teleport, so Zac and his men boarded one of the Alliance's Starflash ships to take back.
The journey would only take a couple of hours instead of three days if he took out the Yphelion, but Zac refused to expose his ship to save some time. Besides, it wouldn't change anything. It would take the Acheron Company a few days to return while everyone aboard the ship was busy absorbing the treasures they'd gathered.
Back on Earth, Zac opened his eyes and took a deep breath of the miasmic mists surrounding him. After eight hours, he'd finished upgrading [Desperation's End]. The new fractal wasn't the most complex, but it had the highest number of runes and connections of his skills. Even then, the upgrade had gone without a hitch, thanks to Ultom's enlightenment almost branding the knowledge into his brain.
Zac opened his skill screen to inspect the transformation.
[D] Desperation's End - Proficiency: Early. The verdict is Death. Upgradeable.
Of the three skills he used Ultom's insight on, [Desperation's End] retained most of its original patterns. Still, there were significant overhauls, to the point it was somewhat surprising that it retained its name. Then again, the new flavor text proved it wasn't the old skill.
On paper, [Desperation's End] was perfect with his class, especially after the five floating spheres replaced the unwieldy wings at Peak Mastery. It restrained the enemy and cut them down, embodying the essence of his Inexorable Stance and his Inexorable Apostle class. The problem came from the restriction.
Simply put, it wasn't needed.
His Draugr's class still carried echoes from its defensive origins, and he already had multiple ways to restrain his opponent. Between Alea's nigh-unbreakable chains, his restraining technique, and skills like [Pillar of Desolation], having that feature on his finisher was redundant. A fractal could only carry so much meaning, so any space used on restriction took away from its lethality.
He'd already realized that Inexorable Stance wasn't just a slow suffocation of the enemy back in the Orom World. He was the arbiter of life and death; his axe needed the power to mete out judgment. Like the flavor text said, [Desperation's End] was the skill meant to deliver the verdict after the other skills had done their job. It was an executioner's edge, and that didn't need any frills or pomp.
It needed speed, sharpness, and intractable power to cut through any last attempts at resisting fate. Zac felt that was exactly what he'd accomplished with his new [Desperation's End].
The better part of a day had already passed since he left the frontlines, so Zac needed to head back sooner rather than later. He feared the System would throw a tribulation his way if he stalled any longer. Or worse, it would punish Earth with harsher enemies.
If nothing else, his communicator was already going warm. The Undead Empire was wondering what the hell was going on, why 'Zac' had suddenly overshadowed 'Arcaz' in such an overbearing manner. Even his dreamer disciple had passed their chosen partner on the ladder.
Zac didn't know how to deal with the situation. The fortress's sudden appearance had completely ruined his plan of letting Zac half trail slightly behind Arcaz to keep Kator and the others happy. Now, his human side had overshot him by over one million merit. It was impossible to catch up without crippling his progress. Even then, it'd take years unless a similar event came along.
The thorny situation made him think of Catheya and Ogras. They might have bickered like an old married couple, but they had been an important factor in his rapid progress inside the Perennial Vastness. They had swept aside all minor inconveniences, allowing him to focus wholeheartedly on his cultivation.
Zac sighed and looked to the sky as he walked through the forest of his private compound. How were they doing now? They should have finished their Cores already, meaning they would be in the middle of whatever opportunities Sendor provided the two. He sincerely hoped they had the chance to return before the trial began. They had a chance to catch up and reap the war's rewards if the mission for the Centurion Beacon was as lucrative as the tower.
"Oh, the great emperor finally deigns to visit his poor subject? What an auspicious day."
Zac sighed and turned to the gaudy tower before him—the last stop before going back.