If lucky , a lot of people might leave the Calamity altogether upon seeing a Life-Death storm bear down on them .
A scream of danger made Zac look up , and he swore with alarm as he leapt out of the way , using the chains to ensure he wasn’t dragged off . A powerful gust ripped Zac’s anchor out of the ground and flung him into the sky , forcing him to take his wraith form again . Cascading waves of Life and Death ravaged his body , but Zac held on long enough to move a few hundred meters away .
His body was covered in far nastier wounds when he reformed , but he wasted no time as he activated Profane Exponents] just in time to partly block out a tremendous shockwave . The coffin-wielding skeleton bore the brunt of the force , only surviving thanks to the latest addition to the skill .
Upon reaching Peak-mastery , a fourth skeleton was added , appearing as a hooded mage holding an ancient tome . It emitted dense plumes of Death and was the source of the large sigil beneath his feet . On its own , the sigil formed a second layer of defense , weakening any force entering it . The mage skeleton also had a second feature—empowerment .
Every time the skill was activated , Zac could have the mage strengthen one of the other three pygmy skeletons and their abilities . He urged the empowerment into the coffin-wielding defender , which increased the durability of its barrier by over 30% . A second barrier also sprung up around the sigil , a lesser mimicry of the coffin blocking out the shockwave .
The skill ultimately cracked , but only after exhausting most of the furious waves of Life and Death that had covered the area like a tsunami . Even the deadly haze was momentarily swept away , allowing Zac to see what had almost killed him .
A boulder hundreds of meters across had almost landed on his head just now , clearly a broken-off piece of the collapsing Calamity Mountain . Huge cracks spread across the ground , and an endless series of shudders indicated this deadly projectile wasn’t the only one .
Neither guests nor storms were the most pressing threat . Something must have changed with the Calamity Mountain for pieces this big to fall with such frequency . Each one was like a small extinction event . Even if he could avoid getting crushed , how long could the island survive?
A chain shot forward , latching onto a cliff jutting out from the ground while Vivi’s vines did the same . But rather than carefully dragging himself forward , Zac used them as safety lines as he ran for his life .
With the winds trying to rip him away , Zac brought out a thick block from his ring , griping it in his arms .
It was a piece of D-grade metal called Nightblight Alloy] , which he’d gotten from the Undead Empire . After Alea swallowed the incredibly heavy alloy he looted from the Twilight Ocean Realm Spirit’s treasury , Zac continued looking for suitable materials for her evolution to D-grade . This alloy weighed as much as a small mountain , preventing Zac from being easily dragged away by the Dao-empowered winds .
It even served as a shield , as a small piece of rock appeared through the storm , flying toward him with such speed Zac didn’t even get the chance to react . A loud clang boomed and Zac was flung ten meters back , feeling like someone had punched him in the gut . At least it beat getting eviscerated . Zac looked down at the depression in the metal block with trepidation .
Still , errant shrapnel wasn’t enough for Zac to relent . He got back on his feet and kept running . The sky darkened farther ahead , forcing Zac to hunker down and activate his defensive skill again .
Zac’s senses were strained to the limits as he scanned for threats in every direction . Occasionally he stumbled into fearful beasts desperately searching for safe harbor . They weren’t in the mood to fight with random a passerby , except for a tiger who thought Zac blocked a nearby cave .
Suddenly , Zac sensed something different in the cloud—two cultivators . They were humans , one who almost possessed Billy’s heft , while the other had a thin sword slung across her back . They’d created some sort of wind tunnel , moving with impressive speed . Shimmering Mana Barriers also surrounded both , proof they’d reached the third echelon . Only those who had at least 30 , 000 Mana could turn on and off their Mana Barriers at will inside Red Zones .
Still , many opted not to use them , including the man he slew inside the Calamity Mountain and the scouts from before . It wasn’t overconfidence , though . Because of reptilian’s choice , Zac’s own Mana Barrier wouldn’t activate when they tried to launch a sneak attack . This was a small advantage higher-echelon guests had over new arrivals , and an important reason most people avoided Red Zone the first years .
Veterans could fight you while blocking the protection provided by the Perennial Vastness . And they could turn on their shield the moment they started to get disadvantaged . Of course , the barriers were weaker in a Red Zone compared to Vastness City , but it could still mean the difference between life and death .
As for the two cultivators , they used their barriers to slightly weaken the storm in their immediate vicinity . Still , its efficacy was limited , far worse than Zac’s ichor . They were forced to also use treasures to stave off the winds , yet both were covered in bloody gashes .
The two disappeared just seconds after Zac sensed them with his spiritual domain . A pang of danger warned him , and a coffin appeared behind his back . The whole coffin was swallowed by a huge burning dragon that had emerged from the fist of the bulky man , but Zac blasted it apart with a swing of his axe .
The trusty coffin of Profane Exponents] appeared to block a sword strike from the opposite direction , but Zac was shocked to find the thin rapier create a small hole in the skill and pierce through . Pain bloomed in his side as Zac narrowly avoided having his heart punctured , and a deep gash had been carved into the metal block he carried . Thankfully , no follow-up came because he managed to force the sword mistress to retreat with a set of corrosive chains .
That strike hurt like hell , but Zac ignored her as he advanced on the pugilist , quickly storing the Nightblight Alloy] while attaching one of his chains to the ground . His muscles strained as he swung Black Death] with all the force he could muster . The man’s fist lit up like a sun as he opted to fight fire with fire and strike right at the incoming axe . Unfortunately for him , he’d severely underestimated his opponent’s strength .
Deathly axe met burning brass knuckles , and the burning conflagration was cut apart as Zac’s edge dug into his flesh . Two Dao Branches empowered the man’s strikes , but only one seemed to be at Middle-stage . Conversely , Zac worked with two Middle Dao Branches bolstered by Spiritual Void] , and he held a clear attribute superiority .
The pugilist activated his Mana Barrier upon seeing himself lose , and Zac actually found his arm pushed back . He reacted instantaneously and bore a second stab from the sword mistress to unleash a ruthless kick right at what he prayed was a weak spot in the barrier . The pugilist effortlessly blocked even if he’d just lost two fingers , but a kick by Zac wasn’t so easily neutralized .
Muscles snapped , and bones groaned in Zac’s legs as he pushed Conviction of Eoz] far beyond the safe levels , boosting his strength by over 20% . The monstrous force blasted the pugilist away like he was launched from a cannon .
Normally , that wouldn’t have been a big deal , but they were currently in the middle of a storm . Zac sensed the man get swept away by a wind , and he was dragged out of Zac’s domain a moment later .
Pato! - the woman screamed , disappearing in a flash after leveling a deadly stare at Zac .
Zac snorted and picked up one of the severed fingers—the one with a Spatial Ring still attached . The two thought him an easy mark to make some money in the middle of the storm . There was no pity in Zac’s heart for people like them . He would have killed them both if not for wanting to save his aces for the real opponents lurking in the area .