We’d have an undying monstrosity owing us a huge Karmic debt , - Zac concluded .
Ogras leaned back into the sofa . - Well , this is all premature . There are a lot of roadblocks to pass before talking about bartering with the Primo , these deathsworn being the most immediate issue . Are the undead up to the task? -
It shouldn’t be a problem , - Zac said . - Our forces are greater , and we have the element of surprise on our side . -
Zac was soon proven right . Twenty minutes later , news of a shocking event spread through Vastness City . The Undead Empire had gone mad and attacked a smithy , killing everyone within . Eight people died , two of them from the Undead Empire . One Revenant had been expelled from the Perennial Vastness after landing three of the killing blows and running out of Mana .
The news barely had time to land before a second piece of explosive news dropped in the form of a global message . One from the Perennial Vastness itself . Lova had held up her part of the bargain . The Perennial Vastness was sealed for two weeks , and a large obelisk humming with Temporal Energy had appeared next to teleportation square .
The timing was perfect , to the point Zac guessed it was intentional . If Lova had sent out the message right after leaving , the six deathsworn would’ve likely left the smithy or gone underground . Now , they caught most of their targets in one go .
One day later , two more warriors were executed by undead death squads , and on the thirteenth day , a hooded man was killed as he appeared on the teleportation square . His death allowed Zac and the others to breathe out in relief , as his was the last name on the hit list .
A few days later , Esmeralda showed up and spat out a Spatial Ring . Zac first thought she’d unlocked Valsa’s ring grossly ahead of time , except it wasn’t the same one . Say what you want about Esmeralda , she was thorough . The toad had uprooted hidden depositories left behind by Valsa and her followers . The ring contained both coded and uncoded Information Crystals . Some were about himself , but his heart shuddered upon finding detailed accounts of both Catheya and Ogras .
There was also quite a bit of information about various Red Zones , insider info only the larger coalitions would hold . A surprising amount of the intelligence covered zones Zac recognized , zones well suited to his Daos . Valsa had probably felt it too risky to follow him into one of the random environments while he hunted for treasures of the seventeen Dao Peaks , and instead opted to research regions he’d eventually visit .
It was just a coincidence the showdown took place in the Stand of Saeward . Similarly , there were reports for zones suitable for Ogras and Catheya , though those missives were far less detailed . The meticulous plans and data left Zac’s back slick with sweat . Thank the Heavens he had his early warning system . He might have been in trouble if things played out just slightly differently .
Now , the wealth of information turned into a useful tool . He still had some treasures to pick up for his Omnitool , and the next step was to grind Mana as quickly and efficiently as possible . The reports would help out a lot . After all , raw strength often wasn’t enough to accomplish the missions in the Red Zones . You also needed to figure out tricks or hidden rules to reap the maximum rewards .
With that , all the safehouses were plundered , and those with damaging intelligence were slain . If the Empire sent new people to investigate , the clues would point to the Undead Empire rather than him personally . It wasn’t the best of disguises considering his Draugr persona was quite well known , but it was better than nothing .
So , what now? - Catheya asked as the trio reconvened .
Five days had passed since the last name on the hitlist had been struck , and things were calming down . An unusually large batch of arrivals had appeared two days prior . These newcomers had been stuck in the waiting room where Zac first met Null until the lockdown ended . The job of dealing with agents of the First Heaven had been pushed onto the Undead Empire , and so far , none of the newcomers appeared suspicious .
The same thing we’ve been doing , - Zac said . - Gather Mana and opportunities so we can break through . -
Good , - Ogras said , springing to his feet . - Feels like I’ve been stuck in house arrest . We’re heading out . -
We? - Zac asked .
Not you , - Ogras said , then turned to Catheya . - The goblin has calculated another event . Should be a good one , and a lot of people are still busy trying to break into the empty vaults in the Stand of Saeward . -
Zac looked over with interest , only to be met with two tepid stares .
Don’t even think about it , - Ogras spat . - Who knows what kind of catastrophe you’ll attract? Let us make some money in peace . Go play somewhere else . -
You better stay out of our way . - Catheya laughed then kissed his cheek . - See you in a bit . -
They were gone the next second , leaving Zac alone in his mansion .
Whatever , - Zac muttered as he walked into his study . - I guess I can sit one out . -
Truth be told , he didn’t mind . He had a lot on his plate , and his short stint in the Stand of Saeward added a significant boost of Mana . He’d killed fifteen people in his battle with Valsa , adding 3 , 000 Mana in those few hours . Then on his way out , he’d killed one and defeated three , cementing having earned more than most months , even without a quest to supplement his income .
Zac spent the next hour standing in front of the huge simulation array , his mind churning as he looked at the intricate paths of his blueprint . At a nearby desk , he took out a stack of notes covered with various thoughts , ideas , and plans he’d come up with since he started studying his blueprint in earnest , along with the Warstone] .
Hours turned to days while Zac studied every aspect of the Conflict-attuned Supreme treasure , using everything he’d learned during his blueprint studies and the insights awarded from Cosmic Forge] . Its energy signature was analyzed , as were the truths locked within , and new pages were added to the stack one after another .
Other treasures joined the Warstone] : the Void Engine] , the Calamity Core] , and even the Hollow Core] . Zac studied what happened when their auras interacted , and he breathed in relief . The items couldn’t be considered perfectly compatible , but they had no irreconcilable clashes . In other words , he’d gathered all the materials he needed .
His blueprint was also ready , having received some upgrades over the past years . Almost nothing was left on his checklist . His breakthrough was drawing closer , and even his momentum stirred , pushing him forward .
He still had some things to accomplish inside the Perennial Vastness . There was also the process itself to worry about . He’d already come up with a general idea on how to form his Cosmic Core when inventing his blueprint , but even Ultom hadn’t been able to provide him with an exact solution .
After all , he hadn’t known what materials would be used for the nucleus back then . Zac couldn’t just cram these items together inside the Hollow Core] and hope for the best . He needed to consider their specific properties and the best way to extract , refine , and fuse them . That was the only way he’d create anything better than a Low-quality core . The only way he’d form a core at all , really .
Finding Cosmic Forge] had opened his eyes to all kinds of new possibilities , and he would be a fool not to take those into account . He wasn’t planning on using the technique on his Cosmic Core , but how it fused the essence of different materials was absolutely ingenious .
The biggest problem for mortals when it came to Core Formation , was the need for a large number of treasures and materials to use as a foundation . It made the cores heterogenous and poisoned them with external Daos . Just like infusing Cosmic Cycles into equipment with Cosmic Forge] , you had to ensure the fodder fit . Picking the wrong essences or fusing them in the wrong order prevented you from adding more than a couple of layers to a piece of equipment .