Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 1170: Return

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 , 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."

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"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 re