Alright , ’ Zac agreed . - Some of those array orbs are still mostly intact . I thought their materials might suit you . ’
You know just how to treat a lady , ’ Alea laughed as her consciousness receded into the necklace .
Do you want this? - Zac asked .
No good , - Kruta rejected while furiously searching for a Spatial Ring within the rubble . - The material has gained a hint of tribulation , and would be harmful to my ancestor . You keep it . -
Zac nodded in thanks and had soon swept the whole area for anything in decent shape .
They unfortunately didn’t find any Spatial Treasures . Their original goal had been to find Saeward’s inheritance , but it looked like Saeward took his hoard to the grave when the Tribulation Lightning ripped apart his Inner World . There were weak spatial fluctuations around the puppet , but neither Zac nor Kruta had the skills or tools to open a pathway to its crumbling fragments .
And even if they did , would they dare enter? The fragments of Saeward’s world were likely extremely dangerous and unstable .
With the atrium and outer sections picked clean , they attempted breaking into the hidden compartments of the castle . But no matter what they did , they couldn’t find a way inside . A new array had awakened , which rendered their attacks useless . Zac even swapped to his Draugr form and used everything but Pillar of Desolation] .
They managed to carve some decent scars into the stone , but it healed in seconds . Worse , they’d spotted another defensive array empowering the stones .
Damn , the chambers were probably set up to seal shut when the arrays lost their mental connection to Saeward , - Kruta said , glaring at the puppet . - A thoroughbred bastard to the end . -
There’s nothing we can do? - Zac asked .
I doubt it , - Kruta grunted as he swung his blade at the wall once more . - These types of arrays are a pain in the ass . We’d have to besiege it , exhausting more energy than it can absorb from the environment . -
And that’s easier said than done , - Zac said , looking across the atrium with a grimace . - The energy density is almost unbearable with Saeward’s array gone . -
That’s not the only problem . Someone like Saeward would have installed fallbacks . Breaking the array might release a deadly attack or destroy everything inside . Perhaps both . -
And an unorthodox cultivator like Saeward would probably keep anything of value on himself , - Zac agreed . - You never know when you’d have to run . -
Ultimately , they decided to be happy with what they had . Neither wanted to wait for the rest of the guests to arrive and besiege the inner chamber , which could take months . Zac had already accomplished his goal by getting the Warstone] and dealing with the hidden threat . As a bonus , he even gained some important information and good materials for Alea .
That fact alone indicated there probably wasn’t anything worthwhile inside the inner chambers .
Kruta’s mood vastly improved after stumbling onto the Warstone] inside his Spatial Ring . Zac had completely forgotten to mention the treasure because of the seal appearing , but Kruta had laughed so loud the castle walls shook upon finding it . That jubilation only grew upon learning Zac possessed his own piece . Between the Seal of the Indomitable Court and the Warstone] , Kruta really came out ahead .
Haha , a good day to be Kruta! - the barbarian said .
There’s still Valsa’s treasure as well , - Zac added . - If we figure out a way to open that thing . -
Keep it , - Kruta said with a generous wave . - How could some E-grade cultivator’s resources compare to the gift of the Indomitable Court? You know what? Here . -
Zac looked over curiously and gasped when the barbarian produced three pieces of bone . Each one was a different color , and they all emitted incredibly ferocious auras and thrummed with bloodline power . It was like staring at three Primordial Beasts rather than bones . At first , it appeared they were engraved , but Zac soon realized they were naturally formed patterns .
Emperor Bones? - Zac whistled .
Refined fragments of them , - Kruta said . - You didn’t find anything for your beautiful Beastcrafted axe . C-grade bones would destroy it , but my tribe has extracted most of its energy . What remains is far purer than what you’d find from Beast Kings . They should be the perfect nourishment for your companion’s next step . -
Verun’s desirous roars in Zac’s mind confirmed Kruta’s words . The Spirit Tool vibrated inside his Spatial Ring , to the point Zac believed it would try to break out . Of course , he couldn’t let Verun consume something like that in the middle of a Red Zone , so Zac appeased the spirit before turning to Kruta .
Are you sure? - Zac said .
What are a few bones between friends? - Kruta grinned .
Zac nodded in thanks and accepted the bones . He was in high spirits as they left the castle , where they performed a cursory sweep of the battlefield before heading toward the exit .
The Stand of Saeward felt quite desolate now that the native inhabitants were all gone , even if the lands were still teeming with energy . With the hidden threat dealt with , they made better time on their return trip . The only interruptions were a few encounters with other guests , which provided some loot and Mana .
It turned out that none of the other cultivators experienced the destruction and subsequent reformation of the realm , and neither had they seen the face in the sky or the System’s arrival . They had only felt a series of powerful surges of energy coming from the heart of the zone , after which they’d realized all Hero Souls and puppets were gone .
As expected , many were moving toward Saeward’s Castle in search of answers , but the lack of a quest meant many guests remained cautious . Most believed the energy surges were just the kick-off to the event , and Zac heard plenty of Kruta’s old theories as they interrogated people .
A few coalitions were still trying to guard the exit , but making a bloody example out of a group quickly opened a path .
I’m going into seclusion for a bit , - Kruta said as they appeared in Vastness City . - I need to digest all this stuff . -
We’ll talk later , - Zac said .
Kruta waved , and they returned to their respective storefronts . Zac sighed in relief as he appeared in his mansion . The familiar fluctuations from within the walls provided a sense of security , bringing attention to the ball of stress he’d held all this time . It was no wonder . He had mostly become accustomed to life and death on the battlefield , but it was something else entirely to be targeted by a Supremacy .
There was nothing that could be done when faced with that kind of threat—he wasn’t even an ant to beings like that . Valsa had only summoned a whisp of her ancestor’s true power , and that sliver had been enough to disintegrate a whole world .
Suddenly , Zac felt very alone , and he sent out a message . It didn’t even take ten seconds before the teleportation array activated and Catheya emerged . She breathed out in relief upon seeing he was okay and hugged him tightly .
Thank the Heavens! - Catheya sighed . - I’ve had a bad feeling for days , but we couldn’t find anything . What happened? -
It’s a long story , - Zac said as he led her into his living room . - I— -
Zac’s words caught in his throat as a large shape blocked his vision . A toad .
What the hell? - Zac exclaimed , his mind trying but failing to figure out how this odd toad managed to track him down all the way from the Calamity .
Catheya yelled in alarm , and a wall of frigid ice appeared to shield them . However , as a gentle voice spoke , the ice melted like snow in spring .
Her name is Esmeralda . -
Zac did a double-take at a woman sitting by the window reading a book . She was human , wearing a simple white linen dress . Her strawberry-yellow hair was fastened in a practical bun , and she didn’t wear any tools of jewelry—not even a Spatial Ring .