Defiance of the Fall Chapter 1388: A Key in a Scar

“What is it?” Zac pressed, noticing Idiche’s conflicted expression. “I hope you aren't keeping secrets. Our lives could depend on this.”

“It isn’t that I’m hiding things… I simply don't have all the answers!” Idiche replied with a touch of irritation. “I see images when I dream. Some are glimpses of what is to come, or potential futures. I actually saw your chains in a dream before we even crossed paths. Why else would I follow a complete stranger telling such a wild story? You aren't exactly the most persuasive person.”

Zac brushed off the insult, focusing on the vital information. “And you had a dream about this mountain? When?”

“Back at Adventurer’s Cove, before we departed. I saw a key hidden within a crack. I’m not certain what it unlocks, but it’s a safe bet it’s linked to the lodge,” Idiche explained.

“Did you see anything else?” Zac questioned.

“No. That was all,” Idiche answered, her lie obvious.

Before Zac could interrogate her further, Esmeralda cut in, “Quiet! We have company!”

Zac shifted his attention toward the exit. Peering through the distance where Esmeralda pointed, he made out five small figures. The group was navigating the downpour as they descended a nearby peak, heading straight for the same mountain Zac’s team was targeting. Furthermore, one individual in their party was emitting a constant stream of corruption that served as a shield against the heavy rain.

A group of five was manageable. Zac figured he could handle the majority if Idiche could tie up one or two. The issue was their location; they were two mountains away and about to enter an exposed stretch leading to the twin peaks. Any skirmish there would be visible from six different vantage points, including their own.

“If the girl and I combine our efforts, we might be able to mask the fight,” Esmeralda suggested. “However, it isn't a sure thing, and it won't last. The sheer volume of rainwater in this valley has caused the ambient energies to become extremely volatile.”

“We’ll move closer first. If a chance presents itself, we strike. Otherwise, we’ll shadow them,” Zac decided, looking at Idiche. “Esmeralda’s stealth is more effective over a smaller radius. Can you hide yourself?”

“Easily,” Idiche replied, vanishing instantly.

Zac attempted to track her using several techniques but found nothing. Idiche had managed to scrub her presence entirely. It made sense now how she had managed to catch Esmeralda off guard previously. Esmeralda let out an annoyed croak at the memory. A slight distortion in the air around Zac signaled that she had activated her own concealment skill.

“Stay close,” Zac commanded, using a chain to ensure the two invisible companions remained tethered to him.

Zac pushed the pace as much as he dared given the unstable terrain, aiming for a spot where they could intercept the intruders before they reached the peaks. As Esmeralda had noted, the energy pooling in the valley was immense. Combined with the dream-inducing properties of the rain, Zac had to exert constant willpower to remain awake. He even summoned his Warbringer Idol to help maintain his focus.

Unfortunately, his speed wasn't enough. The targets weren't trying to be stealthy, and their protective umbrella of corruption allowed them to charge straight through the valley. Zac watched helplessly as they rounded a bend while he was still ten minutes away. By the time his group arrived, the intruders were gone.

“The trail vanishes the moment they stepped onto the mountain,” Esmeralda noted, sounding puzzled. “I can't detect any lingering dream realms or spatial tunnels.”

“There is a powerful dream further up the slope,” Idiche’s voice rang out from the empty air.

Zac moved cautiously up the path, wary of an ambush. He scanned every crevice for hidden enemies, but found nothing. Eventually, they reached the source of Idiche’s sensation. It appeared the entire mountain was shielded by something akin to a Town Protecting Array, though this one was constructed from pure Illusory Energy.

The barrier was seamless, lacking any fluctuations they could exploit. To climb higher, they would have to step directly into the illusion. Zac recalled facing similar defenses during the Eastern Trigram Hunt, where palace summits were guarded by illusory walls. Back then, he had forced his way through using sheer stubbornness and self-inflicted pain.

That tactic wouldn't work here. This mountain was clearly one of the island's spiritual eyes, tapping into a massive reservoir of energy. Zac was certain this barrier was strong enough to plunge him into a deep sleep, much like when they first arrived. Even if he could resist, the process of breaking through would leave him vulnerable and stationary for far too long.

The Shrine of Kanba couldn't shield Esmeralda from these dreams, and they lacked a high-grade artifact like Idiche’s cloak. Even within Esmeralda’s spatial folding, Zac felt dangerously exposed. They quickly pulled back once they confirmed the invaders weren't lying in wait nearby.

“They definitely went inside. Let’s scout the perimeter for a weak point,” Zac said.

Two hours of careful exploration confirmed that the twin peaks were a primary objective for the invaders. They discovered evidence of three different parties having already entered. The earliest had arrived at least two hours before Zac’s group, and others might have preceded them, their tracks erased by the storm.

“Look, another footprint.” Esmeralda gestured toward a patch of moss.

“How are they moving so fast? Are the formations not affecting them?” Zac whispered, inspecting a boot-shaped puddle in the moss. “Just how many of them are meeting here?”

“The real question is how they are getting past the barrier,” Idiche added, staring resentfully at the mountain.

“Are you absolutely certain your dream didn't show a secret entrance? A tunnel, perhaps?” Zac asked, frustrated.

“I’ve already told you, no,” Idiche snapped.

Zac sighed. He had tried to pull more details from her during their search, but she had only mentioned something cryptic about twins that didn't seem relevant.

“Then we keep searching,” Zac said, though his hope was fading. If there were an easy way in, Esmeralda would have found it by now.

Their next few attempts all ended at the same wall of energy. Finally, they tried a narrow fissure that was leaking corruption, wading through freezing rainwater to see if the crack led higher. Even deep within the mountain's crust, the massive barrier blocked their path.

“This Natural Formation is incredibly resilient, and Temporal Energy is speeding up its self-repair. Creating a safe entry point would take far too long,” Esmeralda whispered to Zac. “We can keep looking for a hidden path, but if one exists, it’s likely guarded. They have plenty of people.”

Zac understood her point. “Two hours have passed, and I have a bad feeling. We either retreat or we force the issue. If we’re going to break in, this crack is as good a spot as any. The walls will help muffle the energy fluctuations.”

“We have to go in!” Idiche urged, matching Zac’s own intuition.

Zac felt that playing it safe would be a mistake. A major event was unfolding on the island, and the only way to survive was to disrupt the invaders' plans. Moving further inland wasn't an option either; the paths toward the center were choked with a thick mist that felt even more ominous than the barrier.

The previous formations had been hurdles, but this felt like a true danger. The key Idiche saw was likely the only way to reach the lodge safely, which explained the gathering of invaders. The longer they waited, the higher the chance their enemies would claim the prize and disappear.

Over six hours had passed since the start of the trial. Between getting lost in the woods and searching the mountain, they were lagging behind. Sustaining Zac’s invisibility was draining Esmeralda, and Idiche’s cloak surely had its limits.

Zac studied the shimmering veil of the formation, weighing his options. Relying solely on his Dao Heart and [Soul Guardian] felt insufficient. The true thickness of the barrier was impossible to judge in a place like the Mercurial Court.

What looked like a thin film could hide miles of folded space. There was also the threat of temporal distortion or recursive illusions that could trap him in a loop.

There was a blunt solution, but Zac hesitated. Did he really need to use [Void Zone]? If there truly was no path, how did the others get in? Zac looked down at the rainwater swirling around his knees.

The water was so dense with spiritual energy that it barely contained the mountain's corruption. The pressure was constant. The water’s power was being entirely consumed by the struggle against the encroachment of the Lost Plane.

Formulating a plan, Zac pulled out a Late D-grade Corrupted Crystal. Esmeralda recoiled in loathing. Realizing what he intended, she retreated into the Shrine of Kanba and shut the gates.

“I doubt a couple of crystals will be enough,” Idiche warned. “You’re likely right that they used profane energy to bypass the barrier, but they probably had a more sophisticated method.”

“I’m aware. I don't expect this to do all the work. I just don't have one single tool strong enough to break through, so we have to attack it from multiple fronts,” Zac explained. “Can you help? Can you move or absorb some of this energy?”

“I can shunt some of it into the dream realm,” Idiche suggested after a moment. “But there is so much energy here that the gap will close almost instantly.”

“A second is all I need,” Zac said, tethering a chain to Idiche’s waist. “You clear the path, and I’ll provide the catalyst.”

“And if we fail?” she asked.

“I have a trump card. It will either get us through or get us back here safely,” Zac promised. “You can stay behind if you prefer.”

“No,” Idiche said firmly. “I have to do this. If your claims are true, I can't hide. If you are fighting for the Mercurial Court, I will too.”

“Good. Stay sharp,” Zac warned, holding the crystal. “This will be your first real exposure to this power. Guard your mind and don't listen to the whispers. It’ll be over once we’re through.”

Zac didn't ask for Esmeralda’s help with the breach, even though she was an expert. He needed her for backup—either to hide their presence or to facilitate a quick getaway if things went south.

Once ready, Idiche exhaled toward the barrier. Her breath transformed into a river of stars carrying hundreds of tiny gondolas. Zac felt his consciousness being pulled toward them; each boat seemed to contain an entire universe of secrets. It wasn't just him—the ambient energy of the mountain was being sucked into the vessels.

As the gondolas filled, they raced away down the starlit stream. “Now!” Zac shouted. They lunged into the weakened section of the barrier as Zac shattered two crystals. A wave of pure madness erupted, far more intense than any corrupted zone Zac had ever encountered.

The reaction was violent, a collision between Void and Dao. The rain, designed to repel the Lost Plane, lashed out at the sudden surge of corruption. Caught in the middle, Zac felt his mind fracturing under the dual assault of madness and illusory dreams.

Zac fought to suppress the chaos, dragging a dazed Idiche along when she faltered. He crushed two more crystals to maintain the opening while searching for the exit. He had hoped to save his Void Energy, but the situation had become desperate.

The pressure was peaking. Zac was reaching his breaking point and Idiche was nearly unconscious. More crystals would only make the environment more lethal. Praying they were close enough, Zac triggered [Void Zone], bringing a sudden, unnatural silence.

The Void suppressed both the dreams and the madness, but Zac hadn't realized how fragile the local space had become. The addition of Void Energy was the final straw. With a startled cry, Zac was pulled into a rift in reality, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of fragmented scenes.

It reminded him of the dimension of windows he had seen with Ogras, but different. These realities appeared to stretch into a higher dimension, looking more like interconnected strings than portals.

Zac had no time to react. He realized Idiche was gone just as he merged with the endless strings. The dimension vanished like a popped bubble, replaced by a searing, dry heat. The rainwater that had soaked him for hours vanished instantly.

In its place was a thick, greasy layer of corruption. Zac looked around warily, finding himself back in the crevasse—or a strange version of it. The heat was like a furnace. Uncertain if this was reality or a new illusion, the temperature forced him to climb out. Above ground, the world had changed.

The twin peaks were gone. In their place stood a magnificent fortress, covered in dizzying runes and topped with rotating magic circles. The entire mountain range had been reshaped into a massive array supporting the castle.

The scale of the change was terrifying. Without the rain or haze, Zac could see the entire island. It had been terraformed into a vast desert, with only a few reservoirs of illusory water remaining. Two more fortresses were visible in the distance, and likely more beyond his sight.

They were harvesting the Dead Dao of the Lost Era, which permeated everything. It had blended with the world's Cosmic Energy, turning it foul. It looked as though the world had been completely consumed by the Lost Plane. Even the fallen kingdom of the Goblins hadn't looked this thoroughly corrupted.

Despite the corruption, the atmosphere wasn't chaotic. These fortresses possessed the orderly architectural style of the Limitless Empire. Zac could even feel the presence of Imperial Faith within the arrays. They hadn't just been invaded; they had harnessed the corruption, much like they did with Foreign Gods.

Or so they likely believed.

Zac looked toward the center of the island, sensing a massive, shackled presence. He wanted to see it, but another peak blocked his view. As he prepared to fly up for a better look, he caught himself. He had almost succumbed to the very impulses he had warned Idiche about.

As soon as he resisted the urge, the vision shattered. A powerful force of rejection shoved him back toward the crevasse, which now resembled a swirling black hole. Zac didn't fight it. Whether this was a true alternate reality or just a deep look into the illusion, he knew he couldn't stay.

He dove into the darkness and slammed back into the cold, wet mountain. Idiche was still there, still tethered to his side. Without a word, Zac charged through the remaining barrier, which now felt brittle. He couldn't tell how long it took, but suddenly, the chaos ceased.

They had breached the barrier and reached the mountain's upper reaches. Zac looked up, wondering if he was still dreaming. The rocks were wet from the recent storm, but the sky above was perfectly clear. The dark clouds had been replaced by a massive, glowing magic circle radiating the power of Imperial Faith.