Chapter 1,276.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready enough for some exploration," Zac smiled at Esmeralda's eager expression. "What's left won't be solved in a day or two."

Eight days had passed since secluding himself. Zac felt like a dried-out plant having recovered after a long drought, filled with energy and desire to explore. New pathways had replaced the broken mess left after his breakthrough. They felt like superhighways able to transport boundless amounts of energy with unprecedented speed.

Even so, a week was far from enough to recover to his peak state. Most affected was his Void Emperor Bloodline. His actions inside the Void Plane had even greater ramifications than Zac feared. His bloodline talents and Hidden Nodes were severely weakened, almost like he'd been pushed back down to E-grade.

[Purity of the Void]'s purification space was closed for business, and Zac couldn't extract the Voids of Life and Death from [Spiritual Void]. Occasionally using [Void Zone] confirmed it was a temporary state. With every treasure [Void Heart] consumed, the nullification zone grew more intense. The same was true for [Void Mountain], which almost felt as illusory as when he first got it.

It would require at least a year of constantly feeding [Void Heart] treasures to fully recover, perhaps even longer. That was too long to go without his strongest ace, and he needed to supplement the process. Opening Void Vortices in energy-dense spots would be the most effective solution, but Zac was too weak to force one open in his current state.

As luck would have it, Zac had a new option: [Void Emperor Apotheosis]. The semi-finished method encompassing Zac's whole path could trigger his Void Emperor bloodline, allowing his cells to draw sustenance into its depths. The ability was an improvement on the experiments Zac performed after the Abyssal Pond.  

The method's purpose had been expanded to not only advance his Draugr bloodline. Now, it could also nurture his Void Vajra Constitution and soul. It was how he'd slowly absorbed the Law-imbued treasures, and it should work for the general recovery of his void space. Zac didn't expect to have much free time during the trial, but he should be able to squeeze in the occasional body-tempering session to accelerate his recovery.

The Void Plane's wretched state weakened him short-term, yet it was only the second biggest setback to his cultivation. The Void Plane would resolve itself given enough time—if there was one thing Zac was good at, it was finding and consuming treasures. Fixing his Cosmic Core wouldn't be as easy.

Neither the Law-imbued treasures nor Esmeralda's sacrifice could fully undo the damage. The trinity core was successfully fused in the end, but Zac didn't need to delve deep into its complex pathways to find imperfections. The core had been pushed all the way down to Middle quality. Worse, it was closer to the threshold of a low-quality core than a high-quality one.

That was after using all methods available to improve the result during the core formation's final step. Gaining five or six more levels was his core's current limit. For most Mortals, that meant the end of their journey. There were no pills that could accomplish such a thing, at least not on the Frontier. Only incredibly rare Natural Treasures like the Endemyre Sage's [Myriad Paths Water] possessed such capabilities.

There were a handful of such items in the Intersector War's Limited Exchange, though few were at the level of the water. Even the worst ones cost an arm and a leg, far out of reach for most elites. Zac was obviously an exception to the rule, but even he only managed to prepare one before setting off for the Imperial Graveyard. The millions of merit gained from the Centurion Base would be of no help inside the trial.

Serendipitously acquiring the [Heavenmend Crystal] was a start. It wasn't enough to bring his core back to High quality, though, let alone Peak Quality. As bad as it looked, Zac was far from giving in to despair. He'd arrived on a continent full of ancient treasures and opportunities. They were bound to be more good stuff. If he couldn't fix his core in here, then he'd deal with it outside. He was still considered extremely young for a Hegemon.

Both the [Heavenmend Crystal] and the [Seed of Potential] from the Limited Exchange remained in Zac's Spatial Ring. Improving the quality of his core right now wouldn't make much of a difference. He was better off saving them until he was fully recovered. Ideally, Zac would have spent a few more weeks upgrading some of his skills to Late D-grade. He neither had the time nor blueprints for that.

Each level exponentially increased the complexity of the fractals. It wasn't long ago he pushed the last ones to Middle D-grade, and there had been no time to ponder on the next step. Even without the upgrades, Zac felt confident as he emerged from his hiding spots.

Gazing at the distant pillars with two sets of eyes, Zac managed to estimate his position. His bodies were almost on the opposite sides of the trial ground. His human half was closest to the Radiant, Indomitable, and Hollow Courts. Meanwhile, Esmeralda's pursuit had led closer to the Mercurial and Anima courts, of which one was noticeably closer.

Zac glanced at the toad, who was looking at the closest pillar with longing. "Mercurial Court?"

"That's right." Esmeralda nodded. "What I'm looking for should be in there."

"Alright, let's go figure out how to get inside."

Esmeralda grinned, and a flicker of relief appeared in her eyes. It was clear that she'd been worried about her goal. Being the greatest thief in the universe was useless if she couldn't interact with the environment. She needed a trialtaker, and Zac was obviously the best choice. Only, his agreement to help wasn't like the binding resolution he'd entered with the Undead Empire.

Zac could back out and focus on his own opportunities. There was no such thought in Zac's mind. Esmeralda had gone far beyond their original agreement to help him. It was no exaggeration to say he owed Esmeralda his life. She'd gone so far as to sacrifice her protection against the temporal curse to save him. Zac would do anything in his power to return that favor, and the first step was the memory city.

While Zac watched the rain-drenched tundra whizz by from the comfort of Esmeralda's pouch, his human form set out alone. He continued deeper into the mountains, heading directly toward the pillar representing the Hollow Court. Kator's betrayal had voided the treaty with the Undead Empire, but that didn't mean Zac would give up on the mission.

His debt to Tavza notwithstanding, Zac felt it more important than ever to get his hands on the Primo's treasure. It was integral to staking out a path to survival after the trial was over. Zac had a feeling that if he could get that item into the Primo's hands, then the Undead Empire's civil war would take a sudden and drastic turn. And as the Primo's savior, the Atwood Empire would acquire the protective umbrella it desperately needed.

A day passed without any significant incidents. Even so, Zac never lowered his guard. It was evident that the ancient continent held the same dangers you'd expect on any wild world. There was no level restriction or pruning of threats beyond their grade. The enormous hand was still the strongest entity Zac had encountered, though Esmeralda mentioned a similarly terrifying beast slumbering in the depths of the rainy gorge. It was likely the beast itself that was the cause of the region's rainfall.

It wasn't just monsters one had to worry about. The more powerful the environment, the more likely it was to birth unusual things. Zac spotted a distant mountain that emitted a hair-raising aura. Rather than a Beast Emperor, Zac suspected it was caused by a curse or Natural Formation.

They didn't experiment with any of the memory lanterns they spotted on the way. For one, they all felt significantly weaker than Terea's. He only wanted to interact with high-quality lanterns, or ones that he felt a strong connection to. Zac didn't expect to hit the jackpot again, but a strong light should have higher odds of valuable returns.

More importantly, Zac wasn't sure he could keep interacting with memory motes without a drawback. He only had four slots on the brand, and those were shared between both bodies. The brand's purpose remained unclear, but it had to be connected to the main trial. Eventually, he'd catch another trial taker to test his theories. For now, he stayed clear.

They escaped the rainy domain after a full day's travel, reaching a much more habitable region. Small mountains were separated by lush valleys, where streaks of crystal-clear water brought sustenance to the lands. It would have been the perfect place for human habitation if not for the somewhat sparse ambient energy. It was noticeably lower than the rainy domain, not much better than Earth after its upgrades.

"We're almost there," Esmeralda commented as she leaped between two mountain peaks, her passing going unnoticed by their inhabitants. "It's lucky I didn't turn around because of the unimpressive energy."

"It would have taken me more than two days to cover this much ground, and the pillars haven't changed in the slightest," Zac commented. "It'll probably take months to reach courts. Even longer if there are danger zones blocking our way."

"This place is larger than I expected," Esmeralda agreed.

"It's no wonder that we haven't run into any other trial takers," Zac said. "I guess that's both good and bad."

With his breakthrough dealt with, his biggest concern was his followers. Half of them would be like lambs to the slaughter if they stumbled onto one of the more powerful outsiders. Thankfully, running into another participant should be almost impossible so long as you stayed away from the beacons. His weaker followers coply look for opportunities inside the environment and memory lanterns until the trial ended.

The chasm came into view two hours later. Esmeralda's recordings couldn't do the scene justice. The bottomless hole before them was even larger than the Twilight Chasm, and the energies it released made Zac tremble. The remnant energies all but confirmed that the slain beast had once been a B-grade beast.

While deadly, the rife energies made Zac's cells thrum with hunger. It was quite close to the fake Fiend Crystals he picked up in the Centurion Lighthouse. Except, it held an even denser taint of berserk force, making it unsuitable for cultivation. His [Void Heart] might have been able to use a diluted version, but direct absorption was out of the question.

The chasm acted as a natural moat that staved off attackers. The only way to the city was the sturdy chains, whose glittering runes staved off the berserk energy. The chains were twenty meters wide and flattened at its top to form a proper road. Zac hesitated before the chain. Like Esmeralda said, the city was alive.

There were guards stationed atop fierce-looking array towers, and they spotted a few cultivators flying through the air. Despite not sensing any energy from within, it was possible to make some estimates of the city's grade. The chains were unable to remove all the surrounding Fiend Energy, so reaching the city would require the aid of a Hegemon.

Furthermore, they saw dozens of Hegemons in less than thirty minutes of observation, confirming they were quite common. You wouldn't see so many Hegemons moving about in a Late D-grade city. A place with this many elites would be ruled by a Pseudo Monarch at the very least. Approaching such a place was dangerous, doubly so as a Draugr.

It was a risk they were willing to take. Worse came to worst, and Zac believed he was strong enough to force open a path to escape. Esmeralda slipped back into the Shrine of Kanba, and Zac took his first step onto the chain. In contrast to Esmeralda's experiments, he felt solid material beneath his feet. Esmeralda was fine, so he continued forward.

A stream of energy poured into his legs as he walked. It came directly from the chains, and it helped him combat the chasm's energy. What little remained was easily resolved by rotating Zac rotating his energy. The assistance wasn't actually needed, but it was a good sign. An even better sign was the lack of warning bells or attacks coming his way. A guard even waved him over when he hesitated.

Whether the city was an illusion or memory, he'd become part of the scenario. As expected, the connection with his other half grew more tenuous with every step. Different from last time, there was no foreign set of memories that competed with his own. However, Zac did notice that the brand on his hand emitted weak undulations that harmonized with the surroundings.

Seeing as his Danger Sense remained at a low roar, Zac continued his approach. He fully lost his quantum connection at the chain's halfway point, though his strength remained at full capacity. A disconsolate roar shook Zac's mind the moment he stepped off the chain and onto the skull. It held a vestige of the slain Beast Emperor's might, and it communicated an indignity over having an ant step on its head.

A weak heart would crumble from the pressure. For Zac, it was not worth mentioning. He'd seen much scarier entities, and this one wasn't even alive. The guards perked up when Zac continued forth without pause, and he noted a glimmer of both respect and caution. They did nothing to bar his passage as he entered the city, though Zac stopped after taking a few steps.

His gaze turned toward the largest manor, from which a cultivator approached with speed that clashed with his portly frame. Zac's heart thumped upon sensing the weight of the incoming aura. The newcomer was an Early Monarch, albeit the weakest one Zac had ever seen. Even the Zecia Monarchs he'd seen during the war had sturdier auras.

Zac still considered escaping as the man drew closer. He wasn't quite ready to battle across grades, and not just because of his sub-optimal state. The gap between Hegemony and Monarchy was simply much greater than in previous grades. Any attack would carry a significant threat when imbued with a world's weight. Thankfully, Zac didn't believe the newcomer had come to fight.

'Is it just me, or does he look expectant like he knows you?' Esmeralda asked.

'Let's see what he wants. Get ready to escape.'

"Forgive my sudden approach," the middle-aged man laughed upon seeing Zac's somber expression. "It is not every day Black Zenith has the chance to welcome a heroic son of the Empire."

"You flatter me," Zac said, surprised at the humble tone. No matter what, the old man was a proper Monarch, which should command some respect. Also, since when was Zac a heroic son of the Empire? "I'm sorry, have we met? I can't seem to recall elder's identity."

"There is no reason for a young master of the Ironblooded Wendimars to know every little character here in the shallows," the Monarch smiled. "I'm Truga Ud, the mayor of Black Zenith by the grace of the Empire."

"Mayor Ud," Zac greeted with a slight bow, trying to follow the Limitless Empire's custom while digesting the information.

Zac's confusion couldn't escape the portly Monarch's gaze, though he seemed to have misunderstood its source. "A remote settlement such as this wouldn't normally have a Bloodline Stele. However, this old man performed some minor contributions to the local magistrate and was awarded an official conferment. I apologize if I ruined the young master's plans with my excitement."

"The world is full of heroes," Zac said, clasping his hands in respect. "And it's no problem. I'm not trying to hide my identity."

"It's just some small contributions, nothing compared to the awe-inspiring feats of Marquis Wendimar," the Monarch said with a pleased expression. "If young master don't mind, you're welcome to stay at my manor during your visit."

"That would be great," Zac nodded. "It just so happens I have a few questions for you."