Defiance of the Fall

"Welcome back," Qul'Uster said, looking up from the terminal as Nutzu entered his office. "You've seen better days."

"Wouldn't mind a vacation," Nutzu grunted while slumping into a chair. "Here's the reports you wanted. It should be all there."

"What an unexpected harvest," Qul'Uster said with satisfaction.

"Why would you even want those old pieces of junk?" Nutzu muttered, still annoyed about losing so many of her men to that devious bastard's plot.

"Junk?" Qul'Uster said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, junk," Nutzu said. "It should be a Class-4 flotilla using outmoded technology. And that's provided the things remain functional. Damn, I almost got killed over garbage."

"These things aren't garbage. True, they lack the advancements we've developed over the Era, but bear in mind the environment in which they were constructed," Qul'Uster said. "It was during a time when the Selvari were still united, fighting a losing war. With the Limitless Empire breathing down their necks, would there be the squabbles our spies have reported among their descendants?"

"You think they might hold core technologies of multiple families?" Nutzu said skeptically. "If true, we could use that as a reference for our research. But would they have put anything interesting in such a minor fleet?"

"It's worth a try. Class is not always the best indicator of value. The flotilla was targeting a project connected to the False Heavens. There is no information about it in our records, but my instincts tell me the ships won't be of simple stock," Qul'Uster said. "Recovering even an incomplete heritage will more than make up for the setbacks on our end."

"Setbacks? What happened?" Nutzu said with exasperation.

"Our Blank Slates were discovered sooner than expected, and the natives responded with great determination. We only ended up accomplishing 43% of our subset goals."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I killed that princeling if that's any consolation," Nutzu grinned. "I tried to install a Root Device before he died, but he somehow shifted out of our spacetime."

"Oh?" Qul'Uster said with surprise before nodding thoughtfully. "These new Imperials also rely on Faith Energy. He was likely summoned for the rites of succession. Is this why you refused a debrief through long-distance communicators? Or is it about the key?"

"Both. Neither," Nutzu said, scratching her head with frustration.

"It was only a limited cooperation bound to end sooner rather than later. I'll deal with it. You shouldn't face any punishment," Qul'Uster said. "Did you find it?"

"Only the coordinates. I ran out of time before I could get the key," Nutzu said.

"That's a shame," Qul'Uster sighed. "It took a lot of effort unearthing these threads, but we might be able to discover another Lighthouse. The False Heavens seem to be aiding us, dredging items from the dimensional depths."

"Wait, I wasn't finished," Nutzu said.

"There's no way to go back and retrieve it now," Qul'Uster said with a shake of his head, and Nutzu could already tell he was moving on to the next subject. "We will have to make some simulation—"

"Do you want me to simulate a punch so you can settle down?"

Qul'Uster raised his hands in defeat before indicating for her to continue.

"The reason I disconnected wasn't because of that shifty bastard. I'd like to see those old goats try to censure me for taking out an Imperial," Nutzu laughed before her face grew somber. "I found it. The missing remnant."

"What? Already?!" Qul'Uster said, his eyes wide as he shot to his feet. "Where is it?"

"Not it. He."

"He? What?"

"The remnant is a human male."

"You're saying they actually did it? The Kayar-Elu managed to bring back the Supreme Ancestor?"

"No," Nutzu said. "More like raise a true descendant."

"Impossible," Qul'Uster rejected. "You're aware of the founder's parting words. There can only be one per Era. Hundreds of experiments have proven him right."

"Well, he's here, and I watched him awaken the Void Emperor's bloodline to Class-3. Consumed enough resources to raise a Class-4 Dominator," Nutzu said. "Besides, if the elders didn't think there was any hope of success, would they have led the spies to the Essence Blood?"

"It's impossible to know what went through their minds when they made such a dangerous gamble. They said passing the torch to the other inheritor clans was the only chance we had at success, but I see it as an attack on their resources."

"Have the Kayar-Elu and the other haughty bastards go broke trying to extract the bloodline?" Nutzu laughed. "Not a bad plan. Whether they succeeded or not, we would have achieved our goals."

"To think there's a living descendant walking the lands. History repeats itself. We're approaching the zenith," Qul'Uster said, his eyes like radiant torches. "Tell me everything you saw."

"We only saw each other for a second or two," Nutzu said, sharing her experience and the readings from her drones' scans.

"The Void is brought to the surface? I don't understand," Qul'Uster muttered. "How would the Kayar-Elu invert the bloodline? And why? Was that the only way to pass the restriction?"

"It might not be them," Nutzu said. "Remember how it all went down? The Cursed Heavens barged into the Heartlands to wipe out their clan? Four thousand years later, this guy suddenly pops up, just in time to see the pillar's ascent. He could be a plant."

"It's suspect," Qul'Uster agreed. "The Cursed Heavens supposedly annihilated everything related to the project, yet here he is. Do you know his identity?"

"No, but I think he's a local. There's no way he's not famous already, seeing how he almost managed to keep pace with that princeling while still in Early Class-3."

"Local? There's no need to investigate, then," Qul'Uster smiled and opened a file on his terminal. "Is this him?"

"Zachary Atwood…" Nutzu muttered. "That's the remnant, alright. He's famous?"

"He's… Very high profile," Qul'Uster said with a shake of his head. "Just minutes ago, he jumped to the top of the sector rankings."

"Makes sense, considering what he did with the fortress. Those parasite cultivators must be losing their minds right now," Nutzu snorted. "Oh, by the way. He probably has the key."

"Untouched by fate's river, creating his own path," Qul'Uster sighed.

"So what should we do?" Nutzu asked. "I gave him a communicator, but it's already destroyed. He also killed a few of my men in there."

"For now, don't do anything," Qul'Uster said. "I need to speak with my mother."

"Are you going to tell Serpasir?"

"What do you think?" Qul'Uster scoffed, and his usually calm demeanor frosted over. "Those people have been rapidly gaining momentum since the Kayar-Elu's destruction. They think they can use the Technocracy Council's sudden vacancy to move back home. They've gone mad with desire; The interim leader said there have been hints of them researching ways to shed the Oath."

"Blind idiots," Nutzu swore, her heart churning with anger. "It's because they never visit the Edge any longer. Someone should drag them out there and have them face the beyond. Our end. That'll help them remember why we chose exile."

"Ultimately, too much time has passed," Qul'Uster sighed. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. We may be deluding ourselves."

"Whatever. I'd rather take it to the end and find nothing waiting for us than give up halfway," Nutzu said. "If he's a descendant, we must bring him to the fold. He's our best chance. He might be even more suited than the original."

"What a mess this has become," Qul'Uster groaned before his eyes snapped open with realization. "Wait, if he's really from back then—"

"Maybe you should call him Eldest Cousin?" Nutzu laughed before her eyes grew somber. "What if Maseri finds out?"—

Qul'Uster groaned and pinched his brows. "Who knows what that madman will do if he discovers his son might be alive? I hear he almost blew up Sanctuary after being dumped by the Kayar-Elu Princess. Let's pray they're still keeping that unkillable lunatic isolated."

----------------

A simple slash descended toward the rampaging Beast King's neck. It didn't look strong enough to cut through wood, let alone the reinforced scales of the crocodilian monstrosity. Yet, the greatest truths hid within the mundane, as they represented the true nature of the universe. The sword finished its arc, and the bus-sized head fell off. Even in its death, the Beast King hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Thea sighed as she looked across the battlefield. Killing one beast was barely a blip on the radar before the endless tide that came out of nowhere. Yet, she couldn't sit back and ignore the suffering around her like most of the haughty monks. They spoke of natural course and not stepping into the sea of suffering. They simply didn't want to sully their providence with the Karma of the local factions they hopped between.

Useless locusts.

Well, not all of them. A golden palm crashed into the ground, turning a thousand beasts into ashes. The palm was followed by a ringed staff the size of a skyscraper. It swept through the chaotic lines, forcing order on the wilds. Amanthi was like a god of war as he advanced, delivering salvation through rebirth.

Her mentor singlehandedly stabilized a large swathe of the battlefield before the locals were overrun. There was still a chance to turn things around. The beasts were larger, faster, and stronger, but man never claimed dominion over the cosmos through raw force. Battlements were being erected, weapons assembled. They just needed to hold out a little longer.

A single word made those thoughts shrivel up and die.

'RUN!'

Hearing the horror in her fearless companion's voice made Thea activate her ultimate escape skill without hesitation. Two rounds of adjustments had left it slightly weaker, but it no longer cost her levels to activate. She didn't have much choice—between the dangers on the Goldblade continent and the war, she would have been pushed back to level one just to stay alive.

It was still a unique top-tier Skill, which even borrowed from the Sangha's understanding of the river of fate. However, Thea's swore upon finding herself stuck in place. A hand the size of a planet had replaced all surroundings, destroying any fate she had with the outside world.

"You're the key, aren't you?" a guttural laugh shook Thea to the core. "I can feel your fate entangled with the fulcrum."

Thea ignored the voice as she tried to break free from the mysterious method. Everything she did proved futile, and the hand kept shrinking. Yet she fought on, adamant to struggle until the last breath.

"Benefactor, it is not too late to turn back," an emotionless voice invaded the separated world, rewriting the past and opening a path to the future.

Thousands of pure-white lotus flowers bloomed in the darkness. The gentle rustle of their petals formed a monastic cadence that could enlighten or lead you astray, depending on your heart's convictions. Suddenly, he was there, standing among the flowers with a string of beads in his hand.

Sacred Insight, the leader of the Sangha and the first-place holder of the ladder after he finally overcame the mysterious Kelvinios two weeks ago.

"I knew it," the attacker scoffed, and Thea's eyes widened when she saw the source step out of the darkness. "Turn over a rock, and one will find you bastards hiding in its shadows."

It was that stubby monster that had become a living nightmare on the frontlines. Wherever she appeared, carnage followed. The number of soldiers who had died at her hands was already in the millions, most of them ending up in her stomach. Dozens of Late Hegemons had been ripped apart, and even a few Peak Hegemons had failed to escape her grasp.

The most shocking fact was a little-known secret Everlasting Peace shared. A wandering Monarch had tried to assassinate the so-called Primordial, likely in search of the secret of why she was so monstrously strong for a Middle Hegemon. The clash had resulted in the Monarch's complete and utter death, to the point the cultivators of the Zecia sector had forgotten of their existence. Only the Sangha could see the erasure from history and discover what had happened.

The method sounded like that uncanny power hiding within Zac, where Thea had felt her memories being erased after he killed the Dominator. Oblivion. However, this was on another scale entirely.

"One of the worst things about waking up to this false sky was finding out that you disgusting parasites were still around to soil the river of fate," the ugly creature spat before her mouth curved up in a wicked grin. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It was that exalted existence who dashed your schemes in that ancient past, wasn't it? Is it revenge? Or do you think you can reclaim what you lost by seizing the court?"

"Amitabha," the monk calmly said. "Buddha's love is Eternal and can never be lost."

Thea didn't make a sound. She was more than happy to let these two first-place holders duke it out. Well, not that happy. While the Sangha's leader was unfathomable, he was ultimately just an Early Hegemon like her. Could he even hold back this creature long enough for her to escape?

It might seem callous, but Thea knew Sacred Insight hadn't saved her out of goodwill. He was cold and calculative, not even bothering to maintain the smiling guise of his brothers. He was also the reason her presence was kept a secret, creating circumstances that prevented her from getting her name on the ladder while blocking her attempts to send a message back to Earth.

Perhaps she'd get her chance if the Primordial could knock him out for a few weeks.

"Slippery tongues as always," the Primordial laughed. "Your talk makes me want to return to the seas and take a dip. I still remember the sweet taste of sanctimony."

"The Sangha will never turn away an esteemed guest. Every meeting is an opportunity for enlightenment."

"Whatever," the beast grunted. "Are you bastards the ones who meddled with the preordained trajectories?"

"Fate cannot be meddled with. It can only be," Sacred Insight said with a calm gaze. "And benefactor should sense the bringer of change is separate with the Sangha."

"Should I?" The beast said, her bestial eyes turning to Thea. "Then why are the Heavens pointing me to this one? Why do I feel your repulsive mark hiding in the river of fate?"

"All is one, and one is all," Sacred Insight said. "The trajectories may have changed, but the destination remains the same."

"That's right. All paths lead to my belly," the beast said as an unnaturally wide grin spread across her face.

Warning signals were going off in Thea's mind, and she inched away despite knowing it was futile. There was no escaping the suffocating pressure before them.

Two men suddenly stepped out of Sacred Insight's shadows. The first looked almost identical to the original, but his aura was many times greater. The second was barely a hazy outline, yet that glimpse was almost enough for Thea to lose her path. What terrifying attainment in the Dharma.

What was going on? It almost felt like Sacred Insight had invited incarnations of himself from the future. Or was it his current form that was false? The middle avatar kept growing more tangible, while the original felt more and more like a dream.

One thing was certain. He was now a better match to the stubby monster looking ready to swallow them whole. The standoff went on an uncomfortably long time until the Primordial snorted.

"You will die by my hands like the others," she said as the enormous hand faded. "But not before you've helped me open the path."

"Amitabha. What will be, will be."

"Thank you for—wait!" Thea shouted with exasperation upon realizing Sacred Insight was already floating away on a cloud. She had to strain herself just to keep up. "What were you talking about? What's happened?"

The monk slowed down and turned to Thea. She didn't flinch before the intense scrutiny, glaring right back even if she knew it was empty posturing. She might have become a Soultaker of Ultom, but she held no illusions that'd allow her to contend against this man. It had only made the huge chasm slightly smaller.

And while his face was impassive, Thea had spent enough time among these monks to glean that he was extremely annoyed.

"Fate has worked to keep the Flamebearers separate, but your friend went against the natural order. Fate's tide is rising, and the trajectories are in flux. Our time is running short."

"Running short? What does that mean?" Thea said, but the question was thrown into the back of her mind ."Wait, my friend? You mean Zac fought a flamebearer?"

Thea urgently opened the screen.

[Stars of Zecia: Early D-grade]

1st – Zachary Atwood, Atwood Empire

2nd – Emily Larkin, Atwood Empire

3rd – Kelvinios

4th – Ynar Solefair

5th – Kerokas, Kavriel Province

6th – Helian Ailo, Allbright Empire

7th – Nori Vera, Starforge

8th – Fateblight, Hanor Clan

9th – Arcaz Umbri'Zi, Atwood Empire

10th – Keshka'Vur, Entroso Clan

[…]

100th – Uroso Kavriel, Kavriel Province

Thea blankly looked at the update, even more shocked to see the second-place holder than the first.

"You—" Thea said, realizing the monk was already gone.

Since he was alive and well, he must have been forced to step into Middle Hegemony to make the Primordial back down. Was that why he looked so annoyed? Thea's lips curved into a smile at the thought, but the glee was soon replaced by confusion and loss.

It seemed extremely unlikely for the Zac she knew to surpass the monsters at the top of the ladder, but that was over a decade ago. Achieving the impossible was right up his wheelhouse, so it almost felt expected to suddenly see him shoot to the top like a rocket.

But what about Emily? Thea felt a pang of regret as she saw the familiar name. The only way Emily could have reached such a height was through having her fate swept up in Zac's, something she'd welcomed in contrast to Thea. Would that have been her if she'd fought a bit harder to get back home?

No, she had her path to walk while he had his. She would be the one to choose the direction, even if that meant her journey ended earlier. And while a slew of new names on the ladder had made it harder to thwart the Sangha's plot, she suddenly had a feeling she'd reunite with Zac and the others sooner than she'd expected.