However , it came at a horrible cost . It harmed Alea’s soul rather than draining her energy . Even worse , the stronger the opponent whose Fate you wanted to seal , the greater the damage . This mage was at his level and would be considered an elite anywhere , but he was by no means a peak talent with superlative protections . Still , it would likely take Alea a couple of years to recover . Use it too many times , and Zac suspected her spirit would crumble altogether .
For weak enemies , there was no need to use it since he could defeat them on his own . For enemies that pushed him to his breaking point , he risked shattering Alea’s soul . Zac hadn’t even been able to activate the skill for a long time , as her soul hadn’t reached the minimum threshold of soul strength . But even after she reached that point , Zac had been unwilling to use the skill .
Now , he didn’t have a lot of options . Zac had nothing else to trap Valsa with , so catching the wizard again would have been incredibly difficult if he’d been allowed to teleport away . Now , it was time to make the most of the opportunity Alea awarded him . The mages were cleared out , and Zac was relieved to see the barrier start to flicker . It didn’t disperse outright , but it didn’t look like it would hold much longer .
The world of white faded , exposing a furious Valsa already upon him .
Zac had less than a third of his Cosmic Energy remaining because of Ancestral Woods] and Primal Edict] , and he was covered in wounds .
Yet , he welcomed her arrival . With the mages gone , it was time to wrap things up . Valsa was about to deliver a ruthless strike but skidded to a halt when a huge hand appeared out of nowhere . Not above her , but her remaining followers who were still besieged by a swarm of vines . Zac had retained two-thirds of his Void Energy . Of course , this was still a pretty big gamble , as Arcadia’s Judgement] would eat up a good chunk of that . This was the perfect opportunity .
Valsa was about to flash back and block the strike , but how could Zac let her come and go as she pleased?
Not so fast , - Zac said with a bloody grin as he swung Verun’s Bite] with enough force to cleave mountains .
A dense set of fractals had already appeared across his skin , and his body surged with power . The pain from the wounds was washed away , and the invading Dao snuffed out . He’d entered the crusade , and his enemy stood before him . The runes on the handle of Verun’s Bite] glimmered with sanguine desire , and the air screamed with primal roars of the wild .
Impudent , - Valsa frowned as the crown on her head released a brutal pressure .
Zac’s bones groaned , but he was filled with unstoppable momentum . Meanwhile , Zac pushed Conviction of Eoz] to new heights . He had long since realized this was the true power of the Hidden Node—combining it with Berserking Methods . He was already pushing his body beyond its original levels with Arcadian Crusade] , so extracting more force from the Hidden Node came at no cost other than his , admittedly waning , Vigor .
It became a multiplier on any berserking skill , and Zac was almost half as strong as his original form . Valsa was forced back by the strike , pushed farther away from her helpers . She tried to activate a skill , but another swing interrupted her . Zac’s current attributes pushed the boundary of what was possible in the E-grade , and not even Valsa could withstand his onslaught .
Another clash almost wrenched Valsa’s sword out of her hands while her flying swords cracked and were flung into the distance . He was about to level a finishing blow to her head , but a shield of light appeared as the gemstones on her crown lit up . The whole world shook , but not because of Zac’s strike . Not that one , at least .
Judgement had been meted out , and a huge cleft created a line of demarcation that cut through the whole dome . The controller-less barrier could not withstand the force of a crusade-augmented Arcadia’s Judgement] , and it crumbled as six streams of Kill Energy entered Zac’s body . Only two survived the initial blast , but a vine finished one off while the last was done in by the aftershock .
Only one enemy remained . Zac was running low on energy , but that didn’t matter . He thrummed with power , and his opponent was in melee range . It was just a matter of time before he broke through her defenses and finished her off . There was no way her War Regalia could save her now that her batteries were gone .
Yet , Valsa didn’t look alarmed . Rather , she appeared pleased . Zac didn’t stop his barrage , hoping to break through the light barrier . Something proved very wrong upon seeing fourteen motes of light rise from the corpses of the fallen deathsworn .
What? You thought this was over? - Valsa laughed , and Zac felt a sense of crisis as her aura rapidly rose . - That was the last one , right? Of your skills? -
What was going on? Why did killing her followers make her stronger? Zac’s eyes widened in comprehension . Sacrifice . The War Array had a sacrificial feature , where the death of the deathsworn provided a huge surge in power .
Pretty ruthless , - Zac swore .
Your aura is surrounded by a sea of blood , who are you to talk? - Valsa smiled , her eyes almost burning with hunger . - Every path requires sacrifice . For my ascension , no price is too great! -
54
PRESSURE
Zac was already high-strung from being targeted for weeks and forced to fight for his life . But for some reason , he was even more enraged over Valsa’s attempt to equate her callous sacrifice of her followers to the struggles he’d been forced to endure over the past years . It was not only an insult to him , but to his path .
There was no turning back from the grudge that had been formed . This woman thought herself justice , and thus all her actions were just . Someone like this wouldn’t shy away from any method to get what she wanted . She’d definitely target Earth if she managed to figure out his background .
The sudden rise in strength from her sacrificial array was an unwelcome surprise , but that didn’t mean he’d lost . Zac was still filled with unending power and was in good enough condition to bring it all to bear . He’d never been as strong as in this moment , and some spoiled false imperial wouldn’t be the end of his journey .
Zac shot forward , drawing a ruthless arc aimed at cutting off Valsa’s head . Verun was exhausted , but the Tool Spirit roared in encouragement as the edge drew closer . Valsa snorted as she moved her sword to parry , her aura stabilized at a level that was just above Zac’s . Fourteen soul lamps floated behind her , pouring light into the War Regalia .
Weapons clashed , and the haze outside the broken barrier was pushed hundreds of meters away . It sounded like a bomb had gone off , but it was just the opening salvo , followed up by a frenzy of attacks . The fused and refined Dao of his Dao Mold coursed through Thousand Lights Avatar] , illuminating the path of Death and rebirth .
Zac and Vivi worked in perfect harmony , turning into violent blurs that tried everything to break through his enemies’ defense . Valsa fought valiantly , and Zac sneered after a few seconds . As expected , her style was refined , but her strength was hollow . He could tell there wasn’t much life-and-death experience behind her strength .
The difference in their attributes was smaller now that they both used Berserking Methods , and she couldn’t overpower him in raw attributes like before . Without that , she was coming up short when faced with Zac’s experience and skill . Her greedy expression slowly shifted into one of fury and fear as Zac methodically started dismantling her sword array and technique .
She repeatedly tried to activate her skills , to leverage the fact she had far more Cosmic Energy remaining . Zac wouldn’t allow it , even if he had to take a small hit to disrupt her energy circulation . Finally , Zac broke through , and Verun’s Bite] bit into her side . The scene of blood and viscera raining onto the ground failed to appear . The War Regalia gained a nasty crack , withstanding a full-powered attack .