It wasn’t that he was so certain he’d succeed that he took the drop in advance . Rather , he needed to rely on its mysterious properties to tide him over for the whole cycle . A fresh wind swept through his body , and dozens of streams of energy sprouted out of nowhere before they came crashing toward Zac’s Soul Aperture .
The streams entered the almost completely dimmed central core and the withered Dao Avatars who had been drafted beyond their limits . The center of his soul flickered to life , and his exhaustion was temporarily swept aside . The withered tree bloomed , once again spreading its divinity . Similarly , the Iron Maiden released a deep hum , seemingly coming from the depths of the underworld .
It wasn’t the nectar that powered his soul . It was the latent energy from all the treasures he’d just swallowed . He had only managed to use a small amount of their energy before , while the rest started to dissipate . The true purpose of the Wreathstar Nectar] was to put your body in a hungry state after a breakthrough , letting you absorb huge amounts of energy to stabilize your foundations .
In Zac’s case , he used the nectar to let his exhausted soul pull one last batch of energy from the treasures before it was too late . Even the swirling clouds of Life and Death around him were dragged into his pores and channeled into his Soul Aperture . There , they were reforged through the filter of his Soul Apertures before being pushed toward the array disks that were now moving so fast , they’d formed two bands .
Zac also infused his Creation and Oblivion Energy into these streams , elevating it even further . It entered the Array Disk , which started to crackle ominously . Just as he was approaching the zenith of his method , so were the disks reaching the limits of their endurance . Furthermore , infusing Creation and Oblivion had a mysterious effect on their trajectories , and in turn , the whole cave .
Initially , the odd ripple effect only affected Zac’s sealed cave . But as the ninth cycle approached its end , the ripples spread outward , completely unbothered by the isolating rocks . It was hard to tell where he ended and the mountain began , and he felt like his tendrils stretched for miles in every direction . His path was made law in the area , and he was becoming the heart of the mountain .
And when the heart beat to another tune than the rest of the body , odd changes were bound to occur . If he looked outside the Calamity Mountain right now , would the locked rotations of the attuned stars have changed their trajectories?
All stray thoughts were pushed aside as the final cycle came crashing back . As with previous breakthroughs , the beleaguered array disks exploded when they finished their task . Two huge swirls appeared to his sides , one golden and one black . The ambient energies were finally starting to be dragged into the vortices in earnest , but Zac barely noticed . His mind was fully turned inward .
Normally , Zac would have almost lost his mind by the billowing wave of Divinity and Death that raged through his Soul Aperture . Yet , thanks to his elevated Heart , his mind was clear as ever . His Void Self even helped momentarily keep the rampaging energies in check , allowing him to proceed with the plan .
The original method called for using the incredible force and accumulated pressure built up over two cycles to shatter the central core . From there , you’d shatter one outer core after another of the attunement you picked , infusing its essence into the cloud . Finally , you’d detonate the nine leftover cores simultaneously . That would unleash a tremendous shockwave that forced the mixed dust together and left you with an attuned core and a nebula of its opposing element spiraling around it .
The soul would essentially be a galactic core , and you built a galaxy of small attuned systems . The number of stars needed for the fourth reincarnation wasn’t set . It depended on your Dao and your path . The loftier your goals and the greater your comprehension , the more stars you could birth in your galaxy .
The problem was , Zac had completely turned the method on its head . The first cycle was supposed to set the stage . The empowered side would imprint its Dao onto the central core , creating the fault lines that would prompt it to crack later . But the Outer Cores had been busy fighting each other during his dual cycle .
Meanwhile , his central core was far sturdier than normal thanks to the Moss Crystal’s continuous impartment . As things stood , his Soul Aperture was liable to crack before the central core would . He had to bring in a hammer to smash the thing himself .
Time was of the essence . Cracks were already appearing in the far edges of his aperture , proving it was not just one endless space . This was one of the riskier parts of the plan , but Zac hadn’t discovered any better options . His Void Self found it harder and harder to maintain clear thoughts , but he forcibly gathered his will and snatched up a large amount of energy from both elements .
Zac pushed the opposing sides together before infusing a hefty amount of Conflict to act as an accelerant . He’d essentially built a makeshift bomb in his head , capable of an eruption like the ones outside in the Calamity . However , the bomb didn’t fly toward the central core . It swerved , passing through a hidden gate , appearing in the secret subdimension where the Remnants rested .
The bomb went off , a rune shattered , and madness poured forth .
26
RESONANCE
Unbridled destructive urges and mad exuberance fought for dominion as a set of Remnants squeezed out from the crack in their prison . Accompanying them was a storm of accumulated energies that had been filtered by the profound patterns crafted by Be’Zi and the System .
Yet , when the second set of Remnants attempted to follow in their wake , a nine-layered gate appeared to seal them inside . Conflict , Life , and Death , three by three by three , bolstered by an unyielding heart and an immense amount of Mental Energy . The still-trapped Remnants raged and railed against the barrier that barred their path to freedom , but they found themselves unable to bring it down .
The first set stopped for a moment , but their desire to unleash their madness upon the world won over their desire to free their compatriots . They surged forward , crashing through the hidden gate leading to Zac’s true Soul Aperture . Zac didn’t try to stop them . He bolstered their momentum with his Dao while gently guiding them forward .
Right at the Moss Crystal .
The undying wills inside the Remnants needed very little prodding to target the incredibly energy-dense gemstone that just so happened to float very close to the exit of the prison . Both Oblivion and Creation were processes that needed energy , and the Remnants were always kept in a drained state inside the prison . Right now , they only had around 15% of the energy compared to when Zac found them , and the Moss Crystal was a way for them to fuel up .
But a vast , alien consciousness spread through Zac’s aperture just as the two scrambling Remnants were about to reach the emerald crystal . It didn’t possess the splinters’ desolation or the shards’ exuberance . Instead , it was filled with acceptance . And the hunger to grow . Zac inwardly smiled . It looked like Mossy couldn’t sit still with those little calamities making their way over .
The Moss Crystal released an enormous amount of Mental Energy , forming an emerald shroud that tried to swallow and suffocate the two Remnants . But clearly , the discarnate consciousness of Mossy had underestimated what it was dealing with . The Remnants weren’t some easy prey , and they teamed up when targeted by an outsider .
They released powerful waves of energy that either destroyed or subverted Mossy’s spiritual quagmire as they inched closer . All while giving out their insidious promises to Mossy . Even Zac could hear the whispers of destruction and possibility targeted at the crystal , but he did nothing to stop their corruption .