Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 953: Uprising

Zac was planning on heading toward another conference room, but he stopped when he saw a familiar face below. It was Ibtep, looking out at a garden courtyard from a large window."You're still here?" Zac asked as he walked over. "Rhubat didn't call you?"

"No, I have no commitments apart from my farms nowadays. Did things go well?" Ibtep asked as they handed Zac a red larva that almost looked like a Jelly.

"I think so," Zac said, wryly smiling at the little grub struggling in his hand. "Is this one of your new breeds?"

"It is," Ibtep seriously nodded. "I've found tremendous joy in breeding new and exciting species on my farms. Unfortunately, my brethren have a narrow palate, and few of my latest inventions have had much success. So many interesting species and flavors have gone underappreciated, so I had an idea. If the Zhix refuse to expand their horizons, why not enter another market?

"So, humans?" Zac grimaced.

"Exactly," Ibtep eagerly nodded. "There are so many of you. This is a new breed, designed with you humans in mind. I would love your input."

Zac looked down at the larva with some resignation before he bit down. However, his eyes immediately opened wide as an explosion of a familiar flavor entered his mouth, prompting him to eat the rest of the grub in one bite.

"Strawberries?"

"Exactly," Ibtep nodded eagerly. "It took some time, but I think I got quite close to the real thing. I would have kept going, but it turns out those berries are quite poisonous for us Zhix. I had to spend a week on the latrines while I taste-tested them."

"Well, the taste is there," Zac smiled. "You might need to… Repackage these things, though. Humans aren't used to eating larvae."

"What about these new races you've scrounged up? Do they enjoy tasty treats?" Ibtep said.

"Well, the ghosts definitely don't," Zac said. "The demons probably will, though."

"What about the corporeal unliving? Do they eat? Do they poop?" Ibtep asked eagerly.

"Only after reaching late E-grade," Zac said. "Undead enjoy scents, though. So if you can breed some fragrant critters, I'm sure they would like it."

"Interesting," Ibtep said with gleaming eyes.

Zac looked at the Zhix, remembering how he had been a fount of inexhaustible curiosity during their first meeting and the following days. Suddenly a thought struck him, and he made an impromptu decision.

"Rhubat is leaving Earth in a week or two. Most likely for a few years," Zac said.

"Oh?" Ibtep exclaimed. "Where to?"

"The depths of this sector, a place called the Million Gates Territory. If you want, you can join him. He'll be traveling with most of the elites of Port Atwood."

“A reconnaissance mission?” Ibtep asked.

"Among other things," Zac nodded. "They will also explore hidden realms in

Zac resumed his cultivation, completing another rotation of [Void Vajra Sublimation]. As far as Zac could tell, he was one-third through the first layer of the method by this point. Quite a few golden flakes were dancing in his cells even before he started the method, with more being added every session.

It even felt like his cultivation speed kept increasing as his body grew increasingly accustomed to Life. Calling it an exponential speed increase would be an overstatement, but he didn't think it would take much more than another month to complete the first layer. Continuously reinforcing his Dao Heart also helped. The quicker he entered the right state, and the deeper he delved into the depths of the Void, the greater the effect of the [Void Vajra Sublimation].

By the time Zac had finished, another report had been sent over. Everything was already over. Ogras had led a few Demons and Valkyries to the settlements, and not a single agitator had managed to escape. The rioters hadn't realized how to usurp a town properly. They hadn't bothered killing the appointed mayors and snatching the Nexus Nodes, allowing Ogras to pop up right in their midst.

So just like that, the original second-place-holder of the Dao Ladder had died, quashed like a bug by Ogras.