Lova nodded , agreeing with the sign-speaking toad’s response . - You’re right , it might be the other way around . The pillar is ascending because of the gathering Fate . The Heavens are rising . It won’t be long until another throne can be claimed . -
A tongue ripped through the air in a snatching motion , releasing a powerful aura that contained the echoes of the very beginning of the era .
You? - Lova smiled . - You’ll first have to escape your curse of reincarnation . But I guess you have a plan , considering you’ve been sneaking about the past decades . -
Esmeralda pointed at the mountain , croaking in its ancient language .
Use one Eternal Heritage to fight another? - Lova nodded . - I guessed as much . In your current state , you’re not strong enough to sneak inside . So you have to borrow the Fate of these children . Well , there are a few to pick from right now . -
Esmeralda snickered with excitement as she looked at the chaos erupting throughout the mountain . Half of the beasts ran toward the exits , their survival instincts overcoming their greed for the Mountain Heart . Others had abandoned all reason as they rushed toward the heart , where the young human was still braving the increasing waves toward the treasure .
Lova monitored the proceedings , but a weak fluctuation made her look over curiously . The spirit was weak and small and full of unstable energies . But it freely existed in a permanent form , even when cut from its source .
A Mountain Spirit who dreams of the sky , - Lova smiled as she gently pointed at the spirit . - It goes against the natural order . Then again , so does all cultivation . -
A small azure rune appeared on her finger , which enlarged as it flew toward the spirit . It formed a gate leading to a vast azure expanse .
Us meeting today can be considered fate . This place isn’t suitable for the next step of your journey . The endless skies on the other side of the portal are just as dangerous as this realm , but they hold the key to your desire . -
The small floating mountain flickered , turning into a faceless humanoid resembling the young man who had given it the energy needed for its transformation . It bowed then flew through the gate , not sparing its former body a single glance .
And as one gate closed , another opened .
It looks like the children are already arriving , - Lova said , gaze shifting to the starter island far below . - This will become a bloody affair . -
28
CALAMITY CORE
It seemed like the weight of the whole Calamity Mountain bore down on Zac’s shoulders as he continued his climb . His arms strained from the pressure , and he would already have been thrown back to the bottom of the chute if not for the help of both Vivi and Alea .
He wasn’t sure if it was the treasure itself or the crack it fell out of that generated the overwhelming gravity domain , but nothing seemed to work against it . Even Void Zone] only weakened it a bit , at the cost of excessive amounts of Void Energy . Thankfully , he was almost there , and not a moment too soon .
Zac could sense a powerful presence just through the wall with his spiritual domain . It was clearly here for the prize , but it couldn’t find a way through . Judging by the shudders , it had opted for the most straightforward solution—forcing its way through by taking advantage of the large cracks that spread through the mountain .
And it wasn’t the only one . Roars resonated from almost every pathway leading into the storm chamber .
Muscles bunched together as Zac climbed the last stretch . His body was screaming with hunger when faced with the incredible truths locked within the twinned crystal . The closer he got , the more obvious it was that this thing was far greater than some Attuned Crystals . It didn’t seem to contain much energy , but it more than made up for it in Dao .
Even inside the time-dilated environment of the Perennial Vastness , Zac could feel the winds of inspiration buffet him as he looked at the flickering lights within . This crystal held the condensed truths of Pure Life and Death , refined over eons in the Calamity . Its Daos weren’t at the level of the mote of Primal Dao he’d encountered inside the Twilight Chasm , but it was perhaps even more enticing .
Because this thing was almost perfectly aligned with his path . Not only that , it seemed to still absorb the truths of the surroundings , showing no indication of losing its efficacy . It was a stark contrast to the white light that couldn’t survive in the exposed environment , where Zac only managed to grasp onto a corner of its gift before it was gone .
The cracks spread on the wall as the shudders grew more frenzied , but Zac was already upon the treasure . He was showered the truth by the Calamity , and pure Dao burrowed into his body . His mind glazed over but he snapped back to reality . A large jade box appeared in his hand , and he threw in a couple of Cosmic Crystals with Life and Death-attunement for good measure .
The treasure was safely tucked away in his Spatial Ring a moment later .
Zac didn’t run away , gathering the lingering truths on a fractal leaf . The wall just beneath crumbled , and a golden insect with glistening mandibles crashed through . Its eyes focused on Zac , and the storm chamber filled with greed and killing intent .
Thousands of small scales stood up on its back before they shot toward Zac like a golden hailstorm . However , they were swallowed by two clouds , one containing the domineering radiance of Arcadia and the other the oppressive darkness of the Abyss . It was Rapturous Divide] , empowered by the incredible amounts of attuned energies in the storm chamber .
A golden viscous liquid poured through small holes in the thick chitinous shell of the ten-meter-ant . It formed a second layer of defense for the Beast King , but it was utterly incapable of dealing with Zac’s strike . A surge of energy filled Zac’s body as the ant’s head fell toward the bottom of the chute . Hundreds of more ants were in the tunnel , but they all fled upon seeing their queen die .
Zac channeled the Kill Energy into Surging Vitality] while opening his Status Screen , sighing resignedly upon seeing the quest still there .
Mountain Heart (Global Event) : Seize the Calamity Core] formed in the heart of the Calamity Mountain . Reward : 5 , 000 Mana . (NOTE : Mission Considered complete upon leaving the Calamity . ) (1/1)
He’d expected as much upon getting the mission , but it was still a headache . Zac had read about this very situation in Ventus’ book , Perennial Transformations] . The strategy proposed by Ventus was to , through visiting various realms and gathering data , use numerology to estimate which realms would birth rare treasures and when .
That way , you would get a leg up on the competition , gaining riches and Mana in one swoop . If lucky , you could even get a quest before it became a global event . However , Ventus also mentioned one situation to look out for . When the treasure was too valuable , it’d immediately create a global event , with no chance of sneaking it out of the zone unnoticed .
And for the greatest treasures that were only occasionally formed in the Red Zones , the mission wouldn’t end even when he got his hands on the item .
It was a small difference , but one that drastically changed the fallout . For one , a persistent event meant the item was incredibly valuable . Secondly , the huge Mana bounty was still up for grabs . Five thousand Mana was half an echelon . Such a windfall was especially precious to the elites running against the clock .
It could give them the breathing room needed to form their core in peace or push them into a higher echelon that would allow them to activate the higher-tiered features a year early . Conversely , if the mission had ended , then most people would bow out , as the benefits didn’t match the risks .
Now , the exit was likely already guarded by powerful guests . Clearly , the System’s philosophy weighed heavier in the Red Zones , where struggle was just as important as exploring the Dao and forming new cores .