Defiance of the Fall Chapter 1397: Attention

A final, heavy swing followed two lightning-fast strikes, embodying the essence of an ending. The illusory combatant was too occupied parrying the relentless assault of one of Zac’s hundred doppelgangers to even realize what had struck him. As he collapsed, the clone summoned by Idiche’s bottle was liberated, immediately coordinating with its counterpart to bring down another target.

All across the volatile battlefield, identical scenes unfolded. Being constructs of illusion themselves, the starwrought clones proved even more surgical than Zac in eliminating the invaders. They resonated on the same frequency as the illusory troops, allowing them to exert Zac's overwhelming power with perfect efficiency.

The army of otherworlders stood no chance against a hundred copies of Zac acting in flawless unison. Every passing second saw hundreds fall, while Sevona’s tide of beasts eagerly participated in the slaughter. Meanwhile, the true Zac remained the most lethal force on the field, reaping lives while staying hidden from the enemy's expanding senses.

Wrapped in protective starlight and possessing a mind sharpened by a torrent of refined Killing Intent, Zac felt liberated after his previous constraints. The leader of this invasion was simply the latest in a long succession of overwhelming foes who had tried to force Zac into a rhythm that betrayed his nature.

The preceding hours had demanded he calculate every move, forcing him to delay the judgment he wished to deal to his enemies. Zac was well aware he was still balancing on the brink of disaster, navigating a narrow path to survival through a sea of mortality. A single moment of hesitation or a slight misstep would mean falling into the void.

However, this daring tightrope walk felt entirely different now that he was moving to his own beat.

Ten seconds might be insignificant in the grand scheme of the cosmos, yet even the tiniest window can trigger a reversal of fortune and shift the momentum of a war. For a Late Hegemon possessing thousands of points in Dexterity, such a span was enough to swing an axe beyond count. It was more than enough to leave a trail of carnage behind while the stars masked his movements.

It mattered little that the soldiers summoned in the sixth river were significantly more powerful or that they wielded both Daos and techniques. Their strength was irrelevant when they couldn't even perceive his approach or face their killer. Zac moved through their ranks with unstoppable malice, appearing like the personification of the Grim Reaper.

He felt no shame in striking from the shadows to claim their power. By dealing Death, he was seizing Life, embodying the very core of conflict. Stripped to its basics, war followed the law of the jungle. The fallen had no voice; survival was its own validation.

Zac cut down another enemy without slowing, causing a sudden crack to resonate within his mind. The seed that had been fed by the battlefield began shedding its illusory skin, sprouting into the concrete truths that sustained his path. The shell of the seed broke away, transforming into soil from which a small tree emerged.

Finding that his second Warbringer Idol had taken the form of a tree was no shock. Aside from his axe, trees of various types held the deepest symbolic weight for his journey. Even his Dao of Death had once been represented as a withered tree bearing a hanging coffin. What truly stunned Zac was the specific tree his heart had summoned.

It wasn't any of the trees that served as his Dao Avatars, nor was it the Worldtree from his early visions. It wasn't even the resilient sapling he’d seen struggling against the Miasma during the integration—his first true glimpse of life emerging through death.

Instead, it was the poplar tree from his childhood backyard, a tree that still stood in Greenworth. Was this a consequence of his time spent as a mortal craftsman on Greenworth Trading Street? Or perhaps it was a subconscious grip on his mortal roots?

Naturally, the idol possessed distinct differences from the original tree or its mutated post-integration form. It had become a monument to the cycle of existence, beginning with life and concluding in death, displaying the entire process simultaneously.

The leaves on the lower branches were a vibrant gold, so bursting with vitality that they seemed ready to leak pure lifeforce. Moving upward, that energetic aura faded into decay. The crown of the tree bore pitch-black leaves in a constant state of crumbling. A rain of ashen death fell toward the roots, serving as the very nutrients required to restart the cycle.

Despite containing both Pure Life and Pure Death, the tree showed no internal conflict. There was no sign of the Void acting as a mediator. Zac realized such constraints likely didn't apply to a construct of the heart. The idol held no actual Dao; it was a manifestation of his convictions and his journey, much like the carvings from his other life.

The warped dimensions of the chaotic warzone grew still as truth and falsehood were pulled apart, revealing the path of Life ahead. In that moment, Zac didn't require the dagger to find his way; his sheer will prevented the exit from drifting away.

He couldn't afford to lose himself in the awakening of his second Warbringer Idol. Fortunately, there was no ancient consciousness to threaten his identity this time. Zac simply directed a portion of his focus to maintain the [Warbringer Dharma] technique, never losing sight of his predicament.

He remained acutely aware that his rampage had a deadline. The stars shielding him from the otherworlder leader were fading one by one, a countdown to his potential demise. Zac moved toward the exit of the sixth river with unerring precision, slaughtering as he went. With no one able to block his path, he covered more distance in seconds than he had in minutes during the previous crossings.

The exit was within reach, and with his goals met, there was no reason to linger. The entity’s presence had grown so suffocating that the sky itself seemed to buckle. Hunger and dread seeped through the fractures of reality. It was hammering against the barrier, and Zac didn't dare even glance toward it for fear of drawing its lethal gaze.

Just as the entity seemed poised to breach the timeline, a refreshing and irresistible wind swept across the failing battlefield. The scent of sea salt and the rich musk of ancient forests reached Zac. These natural aromas wiped away his sense of impending doom, and the intruder’s momentum began to wither.

It appeared as though nature had intervened to stop man's violation of cosmic laws. This was only partially true. The balance had been shattered by Idiche’s bottle and Zac's relentless killing. The thousands of soldiers had been reduced to a mere fraction of their original number, and the survivors were helpless. The remaining beasts were sufficient to finish them off.

The damp wind pushed Zac forward, carrying him into the exit just as his starlight protection failed. A world in the midst of rebirth met him on the other side. A mystical forest was erupting with a speed that rivaled [Apex Jungle], blanketing the entire seventh band. Zac had no choice but to keep running. Behind him, the river was expanding aggressively, consuming everything it touched.

Being caught in an illusory realm that was rapidly surging in power would be disastrous. An enemy of your enemy isn't always a friend, and Zac wasn't about to trust an island that had lost control. Fortunately, the chaos provided a benefit: the churning waters created a thick mist that blocked the agonizing light of the azure moon.

The desert resisted the island's attempt at renewal. Layers of tainted sand drained the life from the initial growth, leaving behind empty husks that crumbled in the wind. Yet, it wasn't enough to stop the tide. The dying plants became rich soil for the next generation, and new trees rose within seconds.

Observing this cycle of life and decay resonated deeply with Zac. It felt as though he were an Autarch imposing his own path upon the world, overriding natural laws. Ultimately, however, the illusory nature of these trees prevented a true bond. Their birth lacked the spark of real Creation, and their passing lacked the weight of true Oblivion.

Zac’s pocket suddenly pulsed, and the world seemed to darken as his mind screamed a warning of extreme danger. He was ready. His body thrummed with the urge for battle after absorbing such a massive amount of intent. It was as if he had been touched by the Gods of War, honing his instincts into something like foresight.

He was already moving and gathering energy before the threat fully registered. Four pygmies radiating his ancient Bloodline aura manifested, and a solid coffin barrier rose to block a strike from his flank. Zac’s eyes widened as the coffin shattered under a clawing hand. Sensing the immense power behind the blow, he reinforced the shield with the fourth pygmy’s boosting ability.

Even his strongest defense only bought a heartbeat of time. Zac analyzed the situation at incredible speed, noting the effort behind the attack. A flash of dark light struck the hand with perfect timing, hitting just as its energy was spent and before it could be renewed.

Blade met skin, and blood sprayed the foliage as the arm was severed. Zac’s cold stare locked onto the stunned attacker before he vanished. Esmeralda hadn't been idle; the brief distraction allowed her to analyze the cage surrounding them. She guided them through the gaps while the assailant dealt with his missing limb.

The attacker gave chase for only a few moments before Esmeralda outpaced him with a burst of speed. Zac felt a surge of relief as a line of trees finally obscured their view of the stranger. The man had looked more intrigued than furious, like a hunter who had found a worthy challenge. Zac knew their quest had just encountered a major obstacle.

Though he had won the brief skirmish, Zac knew they were facing a terrifying foe. It wasn't just the fact that the man’s arm had regenerated faster than Zac could manage with Creation Energy. The ambusher possessed a physical power that actually surpassed Zac's own. His status as a Late Hegemon only made the threat more dire.

“I don't recognize him. He definitely isn't from the Mercurial Courts,” Idiche remarked as Zac glanced at her. “Maybe he’s a visitor like you?”

“Maybe,” Zac replied, reaching into his pocket.

The man’s appearance and aura suggested he was an imperial. He shared the olive skin and dark hair common among them, and his hunter’s garb was in an ancient style. Yet, Zac hadn't seen him at the ceremony on the Transformation Docks, nor did he fit the descriptions of the sealbearers who had departed earlier.

The strongest evidence was the reaction from the [Court Cycle Token]. It reminded Zac of his first encounter with Xiphos in Dawndeep Bastille. The Enkindling Sage had shared rumors about the Mercurial Courts and the involvement of the Theomore Dynasty, as well as elites traveling from the Imperial Capital.

These elites were supposedly the reason the Theomores had sent their own youth—to defend their status against capital factions. Zac hadn't seen a trace of them until now, and he suspected he had finally encountered one of these mysterious figures.

Whether this was the actual person or a reflection from the corrupted timeline remained to be seen. Perhaps it didn't matter. Zac, in his persona as Everit Draom, was firmly allied with Astora, making him a natural enemy of this outsider.

“The dagger!”

Zac grasped Esmeralda’s intent and handed the weapon over. The next river was approaching, and she intended to use the dagger to improve upon Idiche’s previous attempt to cross.

“Hand it back if you start to lose your grip. We can each handle half the way,” Zac cautioned.

With his second Warbringer Idol formed, he felt more capable of navigating the shifting realities beneath the rivers, but there was no reason to take unnecessary risks so close to the goal. The seventh river was lethal enough on its own, and it was about to merge with the surge from the sixth.

“Don't compare me to that unreli—wait?” Esmeralda’s eyes widened, and she veered off course abruptly.

“Wai—” Zac’s shout was drowned out by a massive groan as a colossal tree collapsed into the river.

Esmeralda leaped onto the floating trunk as it hit the water. Zac was surprised to see their environment remain stable. Perhaps because the tree originated from the same source as the water but remained distinct, it provided a safe path that required no toll.

The tree was shredded by illusory forces within a second, but by then, Esmeralda was already most of the way across. She cleared the remaining distance easily with the dagger's help. She wasn't even out of breath as she returned the weapon with a smug expression.

“See? Nothing to it.”

“You think I’m out of breath?” Idiche snapped, still holding the empty but precious bottle. “Something blocked the dagger’s power before. Otherwise, I would have gotten us across perfectly.”

A zone of void interrupted them, stifling the Killing Intent beginning to rise in Zac’s companions. Esmeralda winced, and one of the tanks on her back hissed. Her speed exploded, reaching levels that should have been impossible for a Hegemon without help. She blurred across the desert, at which point Zac deactivated [Void Zone] and pricked his palm with the ancient dagger.

The blue light vanished, revealing a moon so massive it felt within reach. It looked stretched, as if trying to descend. From where Zac stood, it looked like the vertical pupil of a cosmic entity watching them. He hoped its power didn't penetrate the lodge, as it was already sparking violent urges in his allies.

They would know soon. Esmeralda sprinted across the bridge over the final river, but the world itself fought them. The river was so potent that even the hidden path was affected. Zac felt like he was moving through thick mud while his Vigor was siphoned away.

Suddenly, the river rose. Even his Danger Sense failed to warn him before a massive hand emerged to grab the illusory bridge. Esmeralda roared, her eyes glowing as a starry river manifested to reinforce the crumbling path. Idiche quickly added a series of pillars that flickered between reality and illusion, holding the shards of the bridge together just long enough for them to reach the other side.

A distant boom caused Zac’s vision to flicker. When his sight cleared, he found they were no longer in the desert. They stood inside a wooden structure filled with stalls. A large door, likely the exit, was behind them, and a staircase led to a reinforced door nearby.

“Sorry. I just felt a sudden wave of anger,” Idiche whispered, scanning the room. “We were warped inside? Is this a stable? Did the dagger do this, or was it the chaos outside?”

“Who cares? We’re in because of me,” Esmeralda bragged. “What is the world coming to? Some nobody thought they could trap a Grand Traversal Toad with a mere shadow.”

“They would have if I hadn't stepped in,” Idiche countered, then gave Zac a strange look.

“What is it?” Zac asked.

“Watch out. That person on the other side seems to have a grudge against you,” Idiche noted. “Trying to force his way in like that must have been expensive.”

“He’s probably just jealous of my looks,” Zac joked, though his mind was racing.

Was it really him the entity was hunting?