Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 1249: Puppets and Ghosts

"There's nothing," Emily said with annoyance as she walked over to Zac's side. "Not even dust from corroded furniture. It's like this place came right off the production line. Did these creatures eat everything? Would explain why they're popping out of every corner like cockroaches."Their

"What the hell!" Emily swore when they were greeted by three thin black streaks behind a swarm of Qriz'Ul.

The gates either lacked energy or were damaged, definitely not something they could use in their current state. This was why he'd tried to avoid barging in like this.

"Which one?" Galau urged.

"Middle!" Zac shouted as he pivoted, expanding his shield to cover the whole corridor.

[Profane Exponents] almost crumbled when the tidal wave of corruption caught up the next moment. Zac could tell the whole tsunami was part of the Half-Step Monarch's body. Beyond the sinister energy of the Lost Plane, there was an unmistakable pressure similar to the weight of an Inner World. It put Zac's skill under far greater strain, to the point it would have collapsed if not for his Earthly Dao of Sealed Death.

The pressure wasn't enough to kill the flush of excitement mixed with the surge of adrenaline. Zac finally felt the attraction he'd been waiting for—the same sensation that had guided the other sealbearers toward their quests in the Imperial Graveyard.

Ogras didn't question Zac's decision. He took over the vanguard while Zac and Kator guarded the corridor. A river of specters poured out of the demon's sleeves and pounced on the blockade. The Qriz'Ul had an incredibly difficult time dealing with the prisoners of the [Shadewar Flag], which wasn't a surprise considering it was designed to become the Ra'Lashar's ace in dealing with the Qriz'Ul uprising.

The harried ghosts looked starved as they ripped corrupted creatures apart, seemingly feeding on their corruption and sin. Shadowy spears moved in the gaps, stabbing and destroying runes. Galau was right on Ogras's heel with a diagnostic Array Disk in his hands. He would have been torn apart on the chaotic battlefield if not for the protection of Kruta and Ra'Klid, allowing him to reach the central gate safely.

The pressure was unrelenting and growing, and the assistance of Joanna and Catheya did little to lessen the pressure. The hundreds of Qriz'Ul had fused into one entity that filled up the whole corridor. Zac felt like he was trying to hold back the ocean with his hands. He only had time to rebuff the strongest surges while others dealt with the weaker ones that slipped through the net.

It wasn't a sustainable situation. Zac wouldn't be the weak link. He fought tooth and nail, unheeding energy expenditure. A deep hum soon after caused a collective sigh of relief. Galau had replaced a few circuits beneath a damaged plate, allowing the gate to channel enough energy to open up properly.

"It won't hold long!" Galau said. "We might not be able to go back."

"Go through!" Zac urged.

It wasn't like they had a better option than taking their chances with the shifty-looking gate. The combined might of the swarm was too much to deal with. If they wanted any chance to kill the Half-Step Monarch in its center, they'd have to unleash their full strength. However, Zac could already sense a second powerful aura rapidly approaching. They'd attract the whole wing if they used their finishers, possibly including the far-deadlier entity the puppet envoy had tried to lure them toward.

"Bastard!"

The [Solidarity Link] transferred a throbbing headache when a purple streak resembling a spatial tear glommed onto Kator's shoulder. The Half-Step Qriz'Ul had decided the Izh'Rak Reaver was the biggest threat because of his overwhelming strikes with his mace, and it kept ambushing him from within the wall of corruption.

The wound was enough to properly piss off the reaver, triggering six flickering runes made from Killing intent behind him. One by one, they entered Kator's arm as he unleashed a herculean swing that left his front fully exposed. Zac knew well how treacherous that apparent opening was.

The tsunami condensed into hundreds of humanoids, including the Half-Step Monarch. Its neck extended like a snake toward Kator's chest for a deadly bite. Zac could have intervened with his chains. He didn't, instead using the sudden shift in the battlefield to attack the two Peak D-grade Qriz'Ul who had already reformed.

A deafening series of claps shook the hallway. Space groaned as explosions tore the whole army of Qriz'Ul into shreds. Most reformed, but a second explosion was followed by a third. Each eruption of Kator's murderous skill permanently dispersed a tenth of the Qriz'Ul.

That destruction unleashed on the army was incidental. Kator's main target was the Half-step Monarch, who was pushed back dozens of meters. Zac felt a sense of déjà vu as the creature blew up, only to be instantly reborn over and over. It was the same as his fight with the goblin king, except the ceaseless energy likely came from the leader's nascent inner world instead of the Lost Plane.

Even now, Zac couldn't figure out its weak spot. It seemed as though every single rune had been destroyed at least once. He could uncover more information by submerging the creature in [Void Zone] to see which part resisted the most, but Kator's attack had already accomplished its job. The offensive line was in disarray, and the delay had let most of them pass through. Only Joanna and Carl remained to protect Galau as he maintained the gate.

A scream of danger prompted Zac to activate the empowering pygmy of [Profane Exponents]. The coffin-wielding pygmy was almost spent already, so Zac used the boost on the next one as he dove toward the ground. A swirl of darkness lingered at his previous position. It barely managed to divert a streak of honed destruction that came from outside the building.

Instead of hitting the central gate, it tore into the left one. Neither the gate nor the array platform it stood on survived. The lights dimmed, and a siren blared in the room. Zac shot to his feet upon seeing the Qriz'Ul freeze in fear.

"Go!" Zac shouted, making a beeline for the gate, studiously ignoring the cracks spreading across the platform.

He picked up Carl with a chain on the way. He wasn't hurt, but the shockwave had been enough to leave him disoriented. Joanna was already standing right by the gate, waiting until Zac and Kator caught up. Zac could feel the danger breathing down his neck as they leaped through the crumbling gate. The second Half-Step Qriz'Ul was clearly much stronger than the first.

The corruption was suddenly gone, replaced by the crushing pressure of a crumbling pathway. It didn't last long, and Zac found himself standing before a towering archway beneath an overwhelmingly large sun. Zac was more focused on the threat behind. He was already on the move the moment he appeared, only stopping [Death's Duality] mid-swing upon realizing there was no gate behind them.

"This place isn't bad," Kator, who'd appeared next to him, nodded in appreciation.

"It's just you three?"

Zac looked over, seeing Ogras and Emily emerge from the shadows.

"Three—" Zac stopped upon realizing only Kator and Galau had made it through with him.

There was no sign of Joanna or Carl, nor any of the other sealbearers for that matter.