Remember your words . You’re not here to risk your life . So if you see things going out of control , don’t worry about me and just flee . -
What trouble are you cooking up , shapeshifter? - Kruta said suspiciously .
Hopefully , nothing . But some enmities from the outside can reach even these realms , - Zac said . - It’s not worth dying over someone else’s grudge . Now , how will we reach the command center without getting ourselves killed or in trouble with the others? -
Kruta didn’t look surprised or shocked . Instead , he just nodded like it was a matter of course . - The Dao of Conflict is Heaven’s Path . More so than the other peaks , perhaps . Don’t worry about me . Worse comes to worst , I’ll drag all the Hero Souls in the region down on my enemies’ heads . And don’t worry about reaching the command center , either . Kruta’s got it all planned out! -
They spent the next hour going over routes , hiding spots to regroup , and tactics . Kruta had a wealth of experience collected during his nine years in the Perennial Vastness , much of which had been spent in the Stand and similar battlefields . Knowledge you wouldn’t find in any publicly available information package or the manor scrolls .
From there , Kruta activated his teleportation array , leading to one of the cheaper Green Zones . The moment they stepped through , Zac activated the pillar again , leading them to the teleportation square in Vastness City . It was a small trick not to emerge from their storefront , and it allowed them to enter the Stand of Saeward after just spending seconds in the city .
It was Zac’s first visit , and the missives weren’t enough to prepare him for the incredible resentment in the air . Although , resentment wasn’t the right word . This wasn’t the unadulterated anger , bloodlust , and irreconciliation that had poisoned the Bloodwind Planet . Those feelings were all there , but they were subordinate to the blazing sun of an endless fighting spirit .
Zac felt like he was standing among millions of soldiers roaring in defiance , the ground trembling from their auras . War was brewing . A war for survival , a war for supremacy . It was the fundamental law of progress , and you found it manifest everywhere , from nature’s cycles to conflict between men . Kruta was right . Conflict was Heaven’s Path .
His whole Soul Aperture trembled , and the Dao Avatar for his Branch of the War Axe danced in the empty space of his mind , right between the two huge soul spirals . The avatar and Spiritual Void] were greedily feasting on the rich truths around him , but the absorption affected his mental state .
Still , it wasn’t enough to affect Zac’s senses . He took a calming breath and found his center , holding onto the Void in his heart . He couldn’t let himself be controlled by his Dao or swept up by the storm around him . He always had to be the driving motivation behind the conflict . Otherwise , it’d just devolve into violence and madness .
After stabilizing his mind , Zac made another discovery . The threat of death had grown more palpable . He still couldn’t pinpoint the source or time , but it was clearly related to this realm . His enemies were already here , which could be considered a good thing . Catheya had compiled a partial list of those who’d entered , and he could treat every person he met as a potential enemy .
Zac looked around and found Kruta staring at him oddly .
What’s wrong? -
Ah? - Kruta coughed . - It was weird . I felt you become a Hero Soul for a moment there . I guess your path resonated with the lingering will of the fallen . -
Something like that . -
That’s good , - Kruta nodded . - The better you harmonize with the battlefield , the less trouble will come your way . Either case , looks like you can keep your wits about you . I guess I won’t have to worry about you losing your sense of self . -
Worried I’ll become the fourth danger? - Zac smiled .
Other guests losing their minds , - Kruta said with a wry shake of his head . - I’ve not heard of it happening over the past decades , but who knows now that things are like this? I already feel the amount of resentment growing . -
Zac nodded . Kruta might really be onto something with his theories . The Hero Souls were the only ones who could generate resentment in the Stand , and it made sense if their anger came from the resurgence of their enemy .
The environment wasn’t this corrosive before? - Zac asked .
It’s only a bit worse here at the entrance , - Kruta explained . - It’s much more noticeable further in . So don’t let down your guard , or the war madness might take you . -
The zone was quite beautiful for an ancient warzone . The Stand of Saeward seemed to have occurred on a meteor soaring through space . It was shrouded by a perpetual night sky , though it wasn’t that dark . Nebulas and radiant stars drenched the world in ethereal light , creating an ambiance that belied the dangers .
Oddly enough , the stars moved unpredictably in the sky . It was one thing if their position moved as a result of the world turning , but this was different . Almost as if the stars were soldiers forming small armies . These armies moved in different directions , clashing with other groups . It was a stellar war , and Zac’s mind trembled taking in the scene . There were truths hidden in the movements . Or was it just a result of the Dao being rampant?
Best I can guess is that the sky is made up of at least five Heavenly Layers , - Kruta commented . - They are like painted glass panes placed on top of each other , each showing a different set of stars . It looks like they are crashing toward each other , but I’ve never actually seen them collide . It’s like they pass right through each other . -
Zac slowly nodded , memorizing the piece of intelligence . You never knew what information would prove useful in these hostile worlds . What was for sure , though , was that it would be impossible to map a path using the stars . Ventus might have been able to do it , but the numerologist’s storefront disappeared five months after they met . Proof he had either succeeded in breaking through or died—the Perennial Vastness never told which it was .
The land wasn’t the sparse rock you’d expect from a world hurtling through space . Neither was it quite what you’d expect from a still semi-active battlefield . Blue knee-high grass covered the ground , and bushes and small trees weren’t an uncommon sight . There were some bare sections far in the distance , no doubt a result of one of the three dangers . But with the extreme energy density and ample Dao , the plants would quickly regrow .
No guests loitered by the entrance , but they only managed to run five minutes before three warriors appeared to block their path . Zac looked at them one by one , his features hidden beneath his hood . He’d once more taken on the visage of one of the people who now lay in his Corpse Sack . The three strangers were all powerful , though that was to be expected in a place so dangerous it had an echelon requirement . Looking at them , even Zac felt a small pang of danger .
However , this danger was fully disconnected from the hidden sword trained at his back . In other words , they didn’t have good intentions but weren’t connected to the conspiracy . His Lucky Beads] were already proving their worth . He wouldn’t fully trust its signals since some treasures and skills could counter them , but having them sharpening his sixth sense was incredibly useful .
Three strangers appearing out of nowhere , - Kruta grinned as a baleful aura started leaking from his body . The grass rustled , and it almost sounded like swords colliding as a bloody haze was released from the grass . - The grass has grown parched and hungry over the eons . -
Zac said nothing , but a nasty two-handed sword appeared in his hand as his killing intent joined Kruta’s . He didn’t want to fight so soon and this close to the teleportation gate , but it was like the whole world urged him on . Not fighting felt like holding his breath . It was fine for a bit , but it wasn’t a natural state in the Stand . A desire for battle couldn’t be ignored , and veins started appearing on the newcomers’ foreheads . None of them seemed to have a matching Dao with the realm , and they had much worse resistance to the whispers of war .