Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 1287: Alone in the Darkness

Rhuger silently observed the lands ahead from his spot halfway up the solitary mountain. The snaking rivers suspended in the air kept the lands below in a state of perennial dusk, and Rhuger's own Dao of Darkness let him perfectly meld with the surroundings. Even the denizens born in the gloom would have a hard time discovering his presence so long as he remained unmoving.The source of the pervasive darkness wasn't the waters themselves but rather the streaks of pitch-black mud dragged along their winding routes. Rhuger suspected the Darkness-attuned Spiritual Soil wasn't naturally formed. Judging by its profound ancient aura, the soil had been marked by a powerful treasure.

Following the rivers to their source wouldn't just take him closer to the Starfall Court. It might just lead him to a suitable opportunity. The situation may as well have been tailor-made for him. Had it been his father, he would have already rushed down the mountain, ripping apart anything that stood in his way. His big sister was no different. The capture by an evil entity had done nothing to temper her hunger for the Dao.

Why couldn't he be more like them?

Part of the reason he'd been stuck observing for three days was the distant radiance of the illusory city he came from. It had provided a much-needed breather after weeks of constant peril. That comforting light would move out of sight if he advanced any further. The dark creeping up the mountain slopes should have felt like a different kind of home. To Rhuger, the tendrils looked more like hands grabbing for his throat, ready to drag him to the afterlife.

Why couldn't he see it? Why couldn't he see the possibilities laid out before him? Why couldn't he find any light in the darkness? Others were focused on advancing their cultivation. Rhuger was held hostage by the knowledge that the reward for passing this region was coming face to face with another threat.

There was no telling how many such zones he'd have to cross to reach the distant pillar. Few would be as accommodating as the fields draped in the color of his Dao. The situation was an apt parable to cultivation. There was no hump to cross before reaching calm waters. The road of cultivation was a stormy sea without end, and Rhuger was becoming tired of rowing.

It was always the same. Rhuger understood that the others didn't relish the slaughter of the war or facing the malignant madness of the Imperial Graveyard. However, they had managed to use the flames of tribulation to temper themselves. Meanwhile, Rhuger felt every brush with death chip away at his sanity.

He'd lost count of how many times he'd sat alone in the darkness, hands shaking while the horrors of war replayed in his mind. Becoming nauseated from the smell of blood that refused to leave his fur. Rather than rising up like the true heroes of the Empire, Rhuger had been swept forward with the rest of the soldiers. He'd kept fighting, hoping to live up to the expectations brought by his talents. Or perhaps by the talents of his predecessor, Cervantes.

Now, there was no general ordering deployment, which would have relieved him of the burden of choice. He was alone in the darkness, with only the Heavens to witness his actions. Rhuger knew he stood at a crossroads. Forging ahead on his own volition would be an affirmation of his path. It would help against his inner turmoil. Perhaps it would let him see what his family saw when they gazed upon the world.

Another day passed before Rhuger slowly got to his feet. He descended the mountain, and darkness gave way to light. The city was becoming clearer. Rhuger could even see the inn he'd stopped at when passing through. He could finally breathe again. And yet, each step left his back slightly more hunched.

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Stumbling onto Joanna in the middle of nowhere was no different than finding a needle in a haystack. Weeks went by without Zac's beacons activating or spotting another trialtaker. With any remnants of civilization removed from the Left Imperial Expanse, Zac had never felt as close to the boundless Cosmos.

Zac's excuse to Truga Ur gradually turned into the truth. His journey toward the pillars was becoming one of Dao-seeking, where his path was sharpened through exploration. His Draugr side spent almost all his time in meditation. He only emerged when Esmeralda encountered issues that required brute force.

While one side worked on theory, the other put it into practice. The distance Zac crossed each day grew shorter as he became increasingly engrossed by his journey of self-discovery. Crossing the Left Imperial Expanse was an epic struggle between man and nature. The beasts and deadly terrains demanded a quick and precise response.

It was the perfect opportunity to revisit his Inexorable and Evolutionary Stances. Zac had worked hard on incorporating the insights from his Earthly Daos while crossing the Imperial Graveyard. With the Dao unbelievably clear on the trial ground, it only took a week to finish the job. It was the perfect time to start his

They'd focused on the lanterns solely for their rewards. They picked weaker lanterns, which allowed them to mostly ignore the setting. By snatching all valuables before escaping, they created a significant divergence that rapidly drained the memory. They didn't care if their brand was filled up with low-quality identities since they had no intention of entering the lower courts.

That approach wasn't an option for Zac. He'd already hit the jackpot with Terea Wendimar, and he wasn't willing to risk having her identity replaced just to loot a random memory lantern. It was also clear that the difference between brands wasn't limited to the identities they held. Zac's incomplete brand with only Terea's mark emitted a much stronger aura than Insik's completed Skybreaker Seal.

It might mean nothing, but Zac suspected it could have an impact during the later stages of the trial. The only way to guarantee an optimal lineup of disguises was to not fill up any slots with disposable lanterns.

Zac had more questions for the stranger, such as his suspicious origins. However, Zac stopped talking midsentence. [Verun's Bite] was already a blur, heading straight for the captive's head. The eager cooperation hadn't been enough to lower Zac's guard, and he struck without warning when he sensed something amiss.

The attack was motivated by pure instinct rather than a tangible threat. Insik wasn't rotating any energy, nor did he make any suspicious movement. And yet, Zac suddenly felt he presented a tremendous threat. As quick as Zac was, he wasn't fast enough. A golden line split Insik's face apart, and an olive-toned hand emerged from the prisoner's forehead to block Zac's strike.

Skin and sharpened bone met, and not a drop of blood was spilled.