See? Same side , - Zac said .
After showing his Draugr form , there were no more objections . Zac had found himself a capable mount , and the two jumped off the ledge toward the next island , not bothering to wait for any more nomads . The flock of birds shrieked with delight upon seeing two lone targets , but their elation turned into horror as the corrosive links of Love’s Bond] snatched up one bird after another .
Meanwhile , Zac utilized the free movement of Abyssal Phase] to catch up with two Beast Kings and destroy them before moving toward the next target . The toad wasn’t completely helpless , either . Its tongue extended thirty meters and snatched up a few Peak E-grade birds . The birds were almost as large as the toad , but it managed to squeeze them into its belly . The predators became dinner , and the two continued on their way .
This time , only a small group of beasts emerged when they were about to land on the other shore , and Zac made short work of them without having to rely on any of his finishers .
Alright , your turn , - Zac said upon stowing away the corpses , and he was surprised to see a hole open up on its belly .
The toad had a pouch similar to a kangaroo , along with the ability to perfectly seal it . Or was it just a second mouth leading into its stomach? The toad stamped impatiently on the ground as it pointed at its belly .
You want me to get into the pouch? - Zac frowned , looking up at the face of the huge toad . - You’re not trying something here , right? You should know I’ll blast a hole in you if you try to eat me or something . -
The toad rolled its eyes in an incredibly human manner , once more pointing at the pouch before making a rapid series of signs with its hands that Zac couldn’t understand at all .
Alright , alright , - Zac grunted .
The situation was pretty weird , but Zac resigned himself to fate as he crawled inside . The vision of him heroically standing atop the head of a Beast King as they crossed the lands was fast crumbling in his mind . At least the pouch was a lot comfier than expected . The walls were soft , and there was even an ambient atmosphere of Death that resembled a gathering array .
Then something wet touched him . Zac shrieked at the sudden feeling , but he quickly calmed down upon realizing it was only a two-meter baby toad who had buffed him with its tongue . The thing looked quite imposing , but it was only in Peak F-grade , probably unable to leave the pouch because of the environment .
Zac curiously looked at the toad , wondering why the Beast King allowed him to enter a spot normally reserved for its offspring . Most beasts would guard their young with their lives and hide their presence as much as possible . Was it a sign of trust? Zac couldn’t figure it out , and a sudden buff from the outside derailed his thoughts .
What? - Zac said with annoyance as he peeked outside , only to find the mama toad expectantly looking down at him .
Then , a wave of Deathly Dao spread through the pouch , though it was only at the Late-fragment-stage .
You want me to release my Dao for your child? - Zac said with a raised brow , getting a gentler buff in answer .
Essentially , the toad wanted a Dao Battery for its young . Zac wryly smiled as he released some of his Branch of the Pale Seal , letting it spread through the pouch . The baby toad released excited chattering sounds as it nudged closer . A moment later , the surroundings turned to a blur as the toad sped across the continent with speed twice what Zac could muster .
The toad had sealed most of the opening to its pouch , leaving enough space for Zac to peek outside , allowing him to confirm the beast was moving in the right direction . Though Zac could barely keep up with where they were going with how quickly they were moving . The surroundings kept shifting , making the view disorienting .
Rather than a skill , it seemed to be an inherited Bloodline Talent . Zac had already realized the black clouds it formed were made from the liquid it produced in its pustules . Zac also felt a bizarre pulse of Temporal Energy every time the surroundings shifted , confirming the toad was manipulating time to move faster .
Hey , Null , how is this affecting my time inside the Calamity?’
This . . . creature , isn’t changing the passage of time , so it’s like normal . -
Zac nodded in understanding , guessing the toad used Time to speed itself up rather than create some Temporal Chamber .
The second continent was even bigger than the first , and the mountainous topography created incredibly ferocious gusts that could come out of nowhere . Yet it only took the toad an hour to pass the whole thing , at which point Zac got out to prepare for another fight . The two kept chasing across the Calamity like this , passing seven islands in quick succession .
The odds of running into another cultivator at this point were pretty low , and it was even less likely for someone to catch up to him if they followed him into the Calamity . Zac had a hard time imagining even a Dexterity-based E-grade cultivator keeping up with this pace for hours .
However , the speed didn’t come without a price . The toad looked exhausted when Zac emerged from the pouch for the seventh time . The odd vats retained less than one-third of its liquid , exposing a set of mysterious temporal stones sloshing about within . Moving at such speeds must have significantly drained its energy stores , and Zac glanced at the other shore .
Toad had managed to keep pace with the raging storm until now . Half the island was shrouded in a vast curtain of gold that prevented them from seeing anything of what lay beyond .
We can take a break if you want , - Zac offered , but the beast stubbornly shook its head and drew three lines in the ground before making another set of incomprehensible signs .
What? - Zac said , trying to understand its gestures .
It soon dawned on Zac that they were on the left line , and the toad’s destination was just two islands over . Zac could only let the toad keep rushing , and they soon reached the edge of the next island . This time , the scene on the other side was starkly different , and Zac gazed at the next island with marvel .
The toad was looking for the same place he was .
The mountain towered into the sky , hundreds of thousands of meters tall , with large swathes hidden by dense shrouds of both Life and Death-attuned clouds . It didn’t quite have the traditional pyramidal shape with a flat base , but looked like a briolette with a rounded bottom . Its massive size beggared comprehension , and it wasn’t the only thing that made it stand out . It had two of the miniature stars rotating around its base .
Not even the terrifying storms of the Calamity could dislodge the Hegemony of this natural fortress , and Zac looked on with marvel as the storm they’d followed was forced to split apart to pass by . Between its massive size and its guardian stars , it drifted about in the Calamity like a lone titan .
This wasn’t the only drifting Calamity Mountain , but they were quite rare . Finding one was a matter of luck , and it was exactly what Zac had been hoping for . Only these mountains , with their mile-long tunnel systems and hidden pathways , could provide both enough energy and a safe enough environment to break through with his soul .
It was a stroke of luck he’d encountered the toad , and he finally understood why it was so stressed . The mountain was moving quite fast , and it might have drifted out of sight if they’d been even half an hour late . The toad must have somehow known the Calamity Mountain’s route and rushed to reach it in time .
Zac was about to climb out to prepare for another crossing , but the toad pushed him back into the pouch .
Stay inside? - Zac said , and the toad nodded .
The toad could fly much faster than his glider , so Zac was happy to oblige . It wasn’t mentioned in the information missives , but the mountains were bound to be the main targets for most cultivators . Even forests could survive on its slopes , meaning the odds of treasures surviving were much higher .