Defiance of the Fall Chapter 1399: The Fisherman and the Oriole

Idiche frowned as she realized the direction of the conversation. "Do you truly believe luck will strike twice? They are clearly on high alert for an ambush after our earlier antics. That shield isn't just masking them from the lodge; it possesses formidable defensive capabilities."

"I know," Zac replied.

As Idiche noted, the screen was a versatile C-grade Array. The soldier nearby with a punctured chest served as proof that their arrival was far less welcome than Zac’s group. The barrier provided safety mainly through concealment, hiding both the invaders and the moonlight they harvested. It was being reinforced by a dozen guards and the C-grade mage personally. A direct frontal assault to shatter it quickly wasn't feasible. However, Zac had no intention of being so reckless.

Idiche remained skeptical despite his short response. "Even if your gamble pays off, is the risk worth it? Our objective was to seize the Divine Core while bypassing our foes. We could simply slip inside without alerting them."

"That won't suffice," Zac whispered. "They’ve nearly breached the entrance. If they were willing to sacrifice a few men, they could force it open this instant."

Esmeralda gave a firm nod. "The situation is grimmer than I anticipated. They are monitoring the entire area. Just keeping the two of you veiled is straining my capacity. The moment we open that door, the shift in energy will be obvious. They will lose their minds when they realize the Divine Core is being snatched from under them. We’d face the same fight, just without the benefit of a preemptive strike."

Zac kept other concerns to himself. Though he trusted Idiche’s ability to unlock the path, there was no certainty it would allow all three to pass. He wanted to inflict some damage now in case he was separated from the group. Furthermore, there was no guarantee this route led to the Divine Core at all; Idiche’s subconscious might be steering her toward a different personal goal.

"What if we just wait and slip in alongside them?" Idiche proposed, making one last attempt to dampen the growing fire in Zac’s gaze.

"Don't fret. These messy scenarios usually resolve themselves," Zac said to reassure her. "I happen to be quite fortunate, and in my experience, lightning strikes twice quite often."

"He speaks the truth. I have witnessed it," Esmeralda added with a giggle, backing her protégé. "There were times the lightning was so frequent I feared for my eyesight."

By the conclusion of their talk, the massive barrier was nearly saturated with azure vapor. Zac timed his move for the exact moment the moonlight was channeled toward the sealed portal, catching the enemies at their most vulnerable. They had no time to brace for the void-black edge that materialized silently within the heart of their defenses.

The blade, forged of Pure Death and War, ripped through the ranks in a flash, cleaving the barrier from the inside out. Severed limbs and gore sprayed the area, and twelve new marks instantly appeared on the scroll hovering behind Zac. None of the marks belonged to the two Monarchs, and the strike only managed to make the outer barrier vibrate.

Zac’s opening move was [Desperation’s End], fueled entirely by Void Energy and bolstered by [Spiritual Void]. This allowed the technique to manifest instantly and bypass the external shield entirely. He had only committed to this gamble after verifying the barrier lacked any hidden seals that surpassed his ability to penetrate.

Wiping out the subordinates was a bonus, but they weren't the primary targets. His killing blow was aimed at the two Monarchs caught in the path of the massive blade. It appeared as though they were being dragged toward the brink of death, yet they resisted. Though caught off guard, they had already established a backup defense.

A row of blue mirrors materialized out of thin air, lifting the pair twelve feet up. [Desperation’s End] lost half its momentum shattering those glass panes. Despite the loss of power, the sheer speed allowed the remaining force to bite into the targets before they could trigger skills or talismans, though Zac realized it wasn't a fatal blow.

A diminished [Desperation’s End] lacked the raw power to shatter their Inner Worlds. They were certainly hurt, their physical bodies covered in deep gashes, but they were far from dead. Zac let out a frustrated breath when he saw his main target had also survived.

Zac had hoped to at least smash the sapphire atop the mage’s staff. He sensed a monumental power within it, acting as a crystallized opposite to the lingering divinity of Sevona. His gut told him the barrier existed more to shield that gem than the soldiers. It was clearly vital to their operation, and destroying it might have caused a chain reaction even more devastating than his initial strike.

Zac hesitated between retreating or pressing the attack when he saw the sapphire had only suffered minor surface fractures. He still held several trump cards. He could pull the entire area into [Eye of Desolation], allowing him to warp inside the barrier and isolate the Monarchs. However, that would leave him dangerously low on resources for whatever came next.

"You two move out. I'll—" Zac paused, his mouth hanging open as the entire barrier dissolved with a faint pop, leaving the invaders completely exposed.

This was the perfect opening, and the lodge reacted with predictable violence. A massive rune flared on the rotting door, and Zac felt a chill as it locked onto his coordinates. Fortunately, the lodge’s dwindling energy was focused on more immediate threats. The C-grade mage paled, realizing the same thing. He attempted to flee, but an unseen force pinned him to the spot.

The Monarch’s expression contorted as sickly growths erupted across his skin. By releasing his corruption, he regained his mobility, but it was a moment too late. A pillar of divine light, far more powerful than the previous strikes, erupted from the gate. It slammed into the struggling Monarch while simultaneously vaporizing the mist entities swarming the entrance. Two charred bodies hit the floor in the aftermath.

"No!" the mage screamed, as a horrific, sin-stained face manifested in front of him.

Zac felt a sudden flare of irrational rage at the sight of that twisted visage. He had to fight the impulse to charge out and attack it. It was an artificial reaction; the mage was using a taunting defensive skill, similar in function to [Arbiter of the Abyss], to buy time to escape.

It failed. The lodge refused to let go of its prey, and even the surrounding moonlight recoiled from the intensity of the strike. It felt like an inevitable conclusion. The Monarch flickered like a failing lightbulb, but every attempt to teleport left him exactly where he started. The C-grade warrior next to him wasn't as restricted; he lost an arm to the light, but the rest of him successfully reappeared across the hall.

Only after reaching safety did the second Monarch try to help his peer. A gauntleted hand, solid as a cliffside, manifested before the taunting spectral face. That split-second delay changed everything. The divine beam was too fast, and the gauntlet was shredded before it could fully form.

The spectral head fared little better. It drew the divine wrath as intended, but it burst apart when it tried to consume Sevona’s power. The beam pierced through it, and the mage barely managed to siphon enough energy from the sapphire to create three more azure mirrors.

The end was unavoidable. The mage gave a final, agonizing cry as the beam tore his body apart. A localized spatial collapse of corruption and divine energy exploded in the lobby. Three survivors were caught in the blast and disintegrated, while others were left mangled. Even the surviving Monarch couldn't escape a brutal hit after a poorly timed stumble.

Idiche watched the carnage in stunned silence, her plans of sneaking away forgotten. Esmeralda, meanwhile, wore a wide grin, clearly enjoying the downfall of her rivals. Her only disappointment was likely her lack of involvement. Zac merely tightened his grip on his weapon, his brow furrowed.

Before the dust could settle, an azure orb flared like a miniature sun in the center of the wreckage. The dark energy within the sapphire was unleashed. It didn't explode in a chaotic burst as Zac expected; instead, it seemed driven by a singular will. It compressed itself to survive the divine interference before shooting toward the gate at incredible speed.

The divine rune had vanished, and the wood of the door looked more withered than ever. The portal had exhausted its defense on that final strike, leaving it defenseless. The azure sphere exploded in a flash of brilliance. When Zac’s vision cleared, the great door and the surrounding masonry were gone.

From his current position, Zac couldn't see the interior, but the pull of the Divine Core had intensified. It seemed the lobby did indeed lead to the Hall of Abundance. Zac looked at Esmeralda and signaled for her to stay back. She gave a thoughtful nod.

"Intruders! Deploy the seal!" a soldier screamed, and the survivors began throwing engraved metallic orbs.

The spheres radiated azure light as they scattered. Simultaneously, the large window blazed with light, flooding the room with moonlight. Instead of entering the new breach, the energy focused on the floating orbs. Only a small portion remained at the broken entrance to form a wall of blue smoke.

Zac watched as their hiding spot and the hallway were engulfed in the vapor. He briefly regretted not heading for the side entrance earlier, but he hadn't stayed behind out of simple curiosity. The situation had changed, and his plans had to change with it.

The path was open, and their enemies were decimated. While two Monarchs and their guards were too much, a single injured Monarch was a target Zac could handle—especially with a hidden player in the mix.

Zac was certain a third party was involved. He couldn't believe the sequence of events was organic. He had hoped [Desperation’s End] would trigger the lodge's defenses, but that wasn't what caused the shield to fail. The barrier's collapse was independent of his strike. Someone had used the diversion to attack from the dark, using a technique so subtle Zac still couldn't identify it.

"Someone else is here. Can you track them?" Zac whispered.

They couldn't move until this unknown factor was accounted for. This hidden entity was skilled and patient, though perhaps not strong enough to face the invaders head-on. Idiche was a suspect, but Zac had watched her closely, and her Cultivation remained steady.

This meant another player had reached the lodge. The ideal plan was to force this person into the open to take the heat, allowing Zac to slip away with the Divine Core. The issue was that the newcomer likely had the same strategy.

"I sense nothing," Esmeralda admitted, and Idiche looked just as lost.

The surviving Monarch looked livid as he moved back to the center of the room. His flesh was knitting back together, but his weakened aura betrayed the severity of his wounds.

"Fan out and search the side halls," he commanded. "Find the vermin hiding in our shadows."

Zac smiled at the tactical error. He wasn't about to complain if the enemy leader wanted to offer up easy targets.

"I'll clear the first group and push in. Try to trap a few in an illusion and move for the Divine Core," Zac instructed, but a new voice stopped him.

"Cancel that order, you idiots."

The soldiers stopped and bowed low toward two figures entering from outside. "Greetings, Lord Descartes!"

One was the powerful outsider who had miraculously regrown his arm. He was indeed allied with the invaders from the alternate path. The reverence in the soldiers' eyes suggested he was the true leader. Next to him was another Monarch with a flickering, unstable aura. While Descartes looked untouched by the journey, his companion had clearly struggled.

Descartes seemed unbothered by the corpses or the loss of the sapphire.

"Incompetents who can't even detect an infiltration," Descartes spat. "Are you going to reveal yourselves, or do I have to drag you out?"

Zac tensed, ready to bolt. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out through the area.

"You have sharp eyes and a solid Foundation. It’s a pity I’m over my budget. Lompo would be furious if I brought home another mouth to feed."

"Oh no," Esmeralda whispered as the warrior's body began to warp.

"WHA—" The Monarch was cut short as a torrent of starlight erupted from his mouth.

Zac watched in disbelief as the light coalesced into the form of Kaltosa Lu. The host body behind him twitched and collapsed, a lethal, glowing mist pouring from its wounds. It was a terrifyingly concentrated poison.

"Acceptable, but not perfect," Kaltosa Lu remarked. "Not enough time to properly tune the vessel."

The Elemental ignored the surrounding enemies, and Descartes didn't signal an attack. He continued to scan the room, and Zac realized why. Descartes knew Kaltosa Lu wasn't the only ghost in the machine.

"Should we assist him?" Idiche asked urgently.

"And risk him turning on us right after?" Zac countered with a grim expression.

"You recognize that elemental?" Idiche asked. "Is he an ally?"

"Neither. And both," Zac said, his mind racing.

Kaltosa Lu’s presence explained the barrier breach. He had been hiding inside the Monarch’s body for an unknown amount of time. Given his mastery of arrays, he had countless ways to sabotage the shield. He had simply been waiting for the door to open before striking.

Zac couldn't figure out how Kaltosa Lu had arrived so quickly. He was supposed to be at the Mercurial Court’s pillar. The timing was impossible unless he had never actually left the docks, yet the halo had clearly been ignited during Zac's own journey.

It was possible he had crossed the Peregrine Ocean, but to reach the heart of the islands and possess an invader so seamlessly?

Zac wasn't happy to see the Elemental now. While Kaltosa Lu was powerful, Zac would have preferred a standard Inner Disciple. A disciple might want the Divine Core, but they wouldn't necessarily kill everyone else. Kaltosa Lu, however, might prioritize thinning the competition for Ultom over anything else. He certainly wouldn't let them leave quietly.

"My friend, how much longer will you keep me waiting? I'm starting to think your offer of an alliance was a sham," Kaltosa Lu said with a sigh, causing the soldiers to scan the room nervously.

"What's the plan?" Esmeralda asked.

"Stay put. I'll try to create an opening once the fighting starts," Zac said.

Esmeralda gave a warning look.

Zac nodded.

Esmeralda chuckled softly.

Idiche, missing the subtext, bowed deeply to Zac. "I appreciate your trust. I will finish this hunt, even if it costs me my life. These people won't win."

"Good luck," Zac said, stepping out from the safety of the spatial fold.

This was going to be difficult.