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Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

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Crossovers & Fandom FusionsStrong Female CharactersPost-ApocalypseLitRPG

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English

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Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-10Words:234,915Chapters:50/?Comments:447Kudos:453Bookmarks:88Hits:17,839

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 34

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Special thank you to @Massgamer for proofreading!

Chapter 34

Thomas and the NWG wanted to go after some of the other Incursions after our successful test-run, but the Undead Empire was continuing to expand in fits and starts. The vast region they controlled was the size of Old Earth's North America and seemed static at times, but every now and then a vast surge of Undead would just swallow up several Towns beneath their millions. And for each Town that was taken, more resources, more bodies, and more potentially powerful Revenants were created.

I wasn't going to work for free, but I was going to look for an employer that would use our services against the Undead Empire. And Zhou had already negotiated the deal.

Nexus Coins weren't really a priority at this point, instead I wanted things of a more specific nature; Dao Treasures, Attribute Fruits, and materials to help grow Spirit Tools, or just plain Spirit Tools in general. Earth had learned, ever since the NWG auction, that E-grade weapons and armor were truly worth far more than what they had gone for during that time. People just didn't know at the time, and there were also just far fewer Nexus Coins in circulation compared to now.

Zhou had bargained well and our task was limited in nature. We would be helping with a counteroffensive to cut off a Florida-sized chunk from the Undead Empire, and then butcher all the zombies and more powerful Undead within. Two weeks seemed a limited amount of time to accomplish this, but we could travel swiftly and there'd be a million-man army with us.

A million-man army of bodies… and almost all of them are no higher than Level 10. What the hell have they been doing this whole time?

Nonetheless, a job was a job, and we would obtain two Dao Treasures, two Strength Attribute Fruits, and an Endurance Attribute fruit out of it. In addition, they were offering some pale rocks that Spirit Tools seem to hunger for. Provided we were victorious, of course.

Stepping through the portal we were greeted by a man with a shaved head and wearing temple robes. He had a passing resemblance to the Dalai Lama, but he was far younger than Tenzin Gyatso.

"Welcome. I am Anaad Phakiwar. Thank you for coming," he bowed to us.

"We are eager to get started. I understand the plan is for the Salamander Group to go with the largest army group while you and Chosui will each handle smaller forces striking at different vectors? Are you sure you don't want to invert that?"

"The greater peril is the central army. Should we fall with our smaller groups, there will be fewer Undead added to their side. In the interests of truth, our strongest warriors, who are in their upper 30s, will be with me and Daoist Chosui."

That was fair enough. Zhou stirred.

"Forgive me, Guru Anaad Phakiwar, but I did not have time to ask this earlier. I see some of my Chinese countrymen, but where are the leaders from the military or the CCP?"

Anaad did not look sorrowful as he explained that Beijing, for whatever reason, did not have much of itself split apart during the merger. However, it seemed to have been placed almost directly next to the original Undead Incursion portal. The city fell to the Undead as the military had been unable to contain their elites and quickly raised zombies.

I could tell Zhou was disheartened.

"What of Chengdu?"

"No word, but not all of China appeared together. It may be on the other side of Pangea, or perhaps on one of the new moons. Some even suggest that it is on an island somewhere. Either way, the fate of the political and military leadership of the PRC has concluded. Many of your countrymen now serve in the Sino-Indian Alliance, but few have risen to the status of a Ranker. I know of only one other, but she joined in the Eastern Trigram Hunt and has since disappeared from the Ladder."

"Not all the names on the Ladder are given names," Zoey reminded Zhou.

"I understand. Thank you for the information, Anaad."

"Of course. Now, I must take the Teleportation Array to my chosen attack force, and you have an army to lead."

Lead was a bit of a… oversimplification. I had operational control in general, but in practice it was just me trying to spread my buff to the main army units. I honestly did not want the headache of trying to take over the organization of a million low level rifle-armed soldiers.

The plan was relatively simple. We were going to go in loud and confront one of the major zombie hordes. After scattering them we would push in and liberate some of the captured Towns the more intelligent Undead had taken over. The entire campaign wouldn't bring us close to the Incursion center at all, but we would be killing several million zombies and liberating a huge amount of territory, including an area that held a Nexus Crystal Mine, which was something the Sino-Indian Alliance desperately wanted to retake.

I was also going to be using myself and the army as bait. The army would be a tempting target for the elite Undead to disrupt, as they could add another large number of Undead to their ranks. But seeing a powerful magic user should also draw interest from the Incursion leaders.

If the author from the Empire of Light was accurate, my body would be viewed as an exceptional prize. So they would try to kill me and raise my corpse.

Time to see how big of a threat you really are.

***

Shella frowned as she examined the potent herbs before her. They brimmed with Cosmic Energy, but she felt conflicted about their origin.

"I'm starting to be able to read your ear flicks," Sofia said warmly, "do you think the NWG is scamming us?"

"No, not that. There isn't anything wrong with them." Shella let out a sigh. "That is what concerns me. It is wrong that there isn't any blemish on them. These were created with great evil; surely some of the malice must have carried through."

The Human shook her head. "If that were the case, no one would trade with the Ez'Mahal Confederation. If you hold an artist hostage, they can still paint, right? Cruelty can still contribute to something beautiful. The cost may not be worth it, but wouldn't it be worse to destroy the little silver lining there is?"

Shella's ears stilled for a moment as she thought about what the Human was saying. The Ishiate beliefs regarding such matters spoke only of ill following ill and good following good, but they were in the Multiverse now. Or at least 'Integrated Space', as Tanya called it.

"That is an interesting perspective, Sofia. I don't intend to harm the product, I just thought there would be some outward blemish from their immoral technique to nourish them. Care to observe how I set their new foundations?"

She could tell the Human was about to say no, but then paused.

"Actually… sure. I'll even throw a freebie and sing to enhance your Cosmic Energy gains for when you work on your medicines."

"Thank you, dear. Are you regretting not going with the rest?"

Sofia looked away. "A bit. I won't be there to boost Cosmic Energy gains for the people who need to level-up faster. But… I told myself a long time ago I wasn't going to go out and put myself in harm's way. The entire army is bait to lure out the Undead Empire heavy hitters so Tanya can… Tanya them," she ended with a laugh.

"That is true, but you are like me and my Dorel. Your skills aren't for the battlefield."

Sofia bit her lip. "I know. And I… I don't know. Tanya invested so much in me and I want to help her. She's at the top of the Level Ladder, but the Undead Empire isn't like the Yrd Stonemen or Ratkin. What if one Level is the difference between life and death?"

The Ishiate patted her back with her furry hands. "Or, what if that one extra Level gave her the confidence to push too far and then she perishes where she otherwise would not have? We can't know the future. What if the fact you are with the army camp and it falls under attack causes Tanya, Zhou, and Will to have their attention split? We all just must do the best that we can."

"That's just it… what if I'm not? What if I'm playing it safe instead of being more like Zoey or Kim? Both of them throw themselves into the fight. I just… I don't know. I thought I had everything figured out, but now the thought of letting Tanya and the rest down twists me up inside."

Shella thought something had changed about Sofia. She had more energy than before and her steps were lighter, yet more troubled.

Hmm, has she sought to entwine her footprints with Zhou and Will beyond the mere act of coupling?

It wasn't her place to really speak. Ishiate wed for life, while Humans seemed to change their partners with more frequency. They also seemed to rush into those sorts of relationships more quickly.

"I think Tanya would prefer you to be safe. Her Quest imparted her knowledge of the Dao to you. She was rather open with her reasons why. Her father is well-protected and there to help others who get hurt, and Zhou is our second strongest fighter. Well, third now, with Vhorra in our group. You then are also safe because you do not go into the fight."

"Thanks," she said with a wan smile. "Now, what kind of music genre do you like? I know you managed to listen to some tunes while we were in New Washington."

That she had. The Humans had so many different variations! Sometimes Shella was overwhelmed at the different tones and sound effects that were produced in their music. The planting and transfer of the spiritual herbs would take most of the day, and some music from the lovely voice of Sofia would make it even more pleasant.

***

Hearing how his government had fallen had given Zhou some solace.

It wasn't that his people were weak. No, it was because they had been unlucky enough to face the strongest Incursion right out the gate. The System, in its unbridled arrogance, had cared little for making things sporting. The more he learned how Incursions were purchased and the way the Undead Empire used their unique advantages to aid themselves, the more he realized that Tanya was right. The System was capricious, unfeeling, and inefficient. One day it would have to be brought down.

Zhou knew that day would be far in the future. In reality, he knew that his feelings of anger and resentment over what happened to his homeland may long be different on that far-off day. Should he survive, of course. The idea that he would feel the same a thousand years from now was improbable. The idea he would feel the same in a million years was unfathomable. The others in the Salamander Group did not seem to grasp the true reality of that sort of time scale.

Naturally, Zhou understood that the odds of him making it to C-grade and beyond were slim. Numbers did not lie, but so long as he lived he would continue to push for his own rise. Just like China had not been content to play second fiddle to the West, he would not stay content with anything less than becoming a Supremacy.

As the Undead came into view, he put his thoughts aside. The task for him and the other members of the Salamander Group would be to kill any of the more powerful Undead that revealed themselves. As for the rest…

She soars over the battlefield like the herald of the end.

The day was only partially cloudy, with the multiple suns shining down. The Tanya-made suns, on the other hand, made them pale in comparison. Fire roared into life and dozens of streaks of fire slammed down into the horde of hundreds of thousands of Undead. After months of combat with Tanya, Zhou could tell that she had crafted her Skill for area damage and that the potency of the Fireballs themselves was not incredibly high. However, every single Fireball exploded in a vast radius of flames that incinerated the low-Level zombies in their hundreds with each explosion.

Fire rained from the sky, then Tanya flew and sent the flames down into another patch of Undead. The assault was relentless, all-consuming, and destructive. Smoke quickly clogged the sky as the Undead were put to the torch.

From the flames a few Undead emerged who had weathered them. They were not mindless zombies, but true sentient beings who had their own Classes. One had a bow and tried to shoot Tanya out of the sky. Another had conjured a shield that had deflected a Fireball. A third was one of the Izh'Rak Reavers. Zhou met that one with [Lancing Charge]. The Undead was hardy, but his E-grade Spear would not be parried aside, the force and speed so great that Zhou's charge ripped half of him apart with one blow.

Incredibly, the creature was still not dead.

It cursed him and tried to slash with tremendous Strength. The Undead was clearly a bit lower Level than him, but the power of the blow was immense. But no matter how great a blow, if it could not land, then it was futile. Zhou danced around it and skewered it thrice more before the tough Undead finally stilled.

Looking up, two spectral Undead had flown upwards to try to stop Tanya's aerial assault, but it seemed their commander had no issues in dealing with them. The bow-wielder was defeated by Zoey and the Undead magic user was pummeled to pieces by Kim and Will. Vhorra, meanwhile, dealt with another of the intelligent Undead who Zhou had missed.

One of the liaison commanders had rallied the million-man army, but by the time they reached the Salamander Group's position, all but a few zombies had been dealt with. The man's jaw seemed unhinged.

"H-how? There's less than fifteen of you!"

"Power matters more than numbers. Have your men hunt down any stranglers that might have survived the attack. Your people need to gain some Levels before the real battles take place," Zhou declared.

Tanya landed a short time later.

"That was simple enough, but firing so many Fireballs does wear me out on top of flying. This fight took about half of my available Cosmic Energy reserves, and it was one of the smaller hordes."

Jared groaned. "One of the smaller ones? There were two hundred thousand of them!"

"Based on the average density, a bit less than four hundred thousand would be my guess," Tanya commented.

Zhou shook his head. He probably could kill a dozen zombies easily enough in a single minute. That would be 720 in an hour. If he fought all day he would still have slain less than 20,000 of the Undead. He understood now how settlements could be overrun even with decently powerful cultivators. Unless they had a magic-user or someone else who specialized in large-area abilities, it all came down to an endurance contest. One that favored the Undead who could wait for the living to tire, and then their hidden intelligent Undead could emerge and defeat the exhausted cultivators.

"What now?" Kim asked.

"We let the army catch up, let them mop up what's left, and then rest so I can recover while giving the Undead Empire some time to become aware of the threat. I let one of the specters get away, so they'll know I'm here."

Edwin gave a small shake of his head. Tanya's father was not pleased with the plan of using his daughter as bait. Zhou understood the reasoning. Ultimately, even those with almost no physical power could still kill a zombie with a rifle. They were a threat against isolated Towns and Outposts, but against a proper army like the Sino-Indian Alliance had formed, those raw numbers were not the end-all be-all. The bigger issue was the Undead Empire's elites who had to have paid through the nose to be sent through the Incursion Portal. Those could do similar things to what Tanya had just done, only zombies didn't turn and run. Humans did.

The mission was to reclaim territory, get paid for it, but also to substantially weaken the Undead Empire by cutting down their elites far from the Incursion beacon. Every single one they cut down would be one fewer dangerous foe to deal with when they went in for the decapitation strike.

Vhorra has said that E-grades should still be partially shackled. Early E-grades at only 80% strength, and Middle E-grades at two-thirds. Tanya's plan has wisdom, and if she falls… well, then we will know that teleportation tokens away from Earth are likely our only hope.

***

Zoey frowned at the insistent man.

"Advik, was it? Look, I know you want to join up, but I don't think Tanya is looking to add more members to the group. We are more of an elite strike force as opposed to a general army."

Advik then put his hands together and bowed slightly. "Yes madam, I understand, but I am very impressed with what you have accomplished. I do not even require pay. I will work for free and just bask in the reflection. I can cook and clean. Please, all of my family is gone, and I wish to hurt the Undead in any way I can. In the army… I can do little."

Zoey felt bad for him. He seemed very earnest.

"Uh, well, maybe if you distinguish yourself in the coming fights, maybe? What Level are you, anyway?"

"I am Level 13. I… I am not a cultivator. But I will practice and learn to be one! Please, just allow me the chance, madam."

Zoey didn't like telling him no, but it wasn't her call, and even if it was… what was someone at Level 13 going to do for the Salamander Group?

"I'll talk to the boss, but I don't want to get your hopes up."

He bowed again and thanked her repeatedly, and Zoey awkwardly dismissed him and then went to go find Tanya. The boss had just finished up her Body Tempering session and was about to get some rest.

"Zoey, what can I help you with?" she asked.

She felt rather foolish. "This guy… he wants to join our group. He's only Level 13, but seemed pretty desperate to join. He said his family had all been killed by the Undead, but he didn't feel like just being a soldier in the army was going to do much good with the big picture."

"My goal is to keep the Salamander Group tight knit. I don't want deadweight slowing us down." Tanya paused. "But I do see some benefit to having some combatants watch over our non-combatants, and by my nature I do want to allow some flexibility of association for you all."

Zoey blinked. Was the boss going to let new people join up?

"I was going to wait until it came up, but since you asked I intend to allow everyone to have one person they can bring aboard as part of our second string. These individuals do not get my crafting time. If you wish to get gear for them, then you can allot the crafting time I would normally use for items for yourself on them. They will not regularly join us on formal missions, until I'm happy with their progress. And finally, they will be expected to protect our crafters and support crew, like Dorel, Shella, and Sofia, while we are on assignment. I'm open to feedback. Thoughts?"

Zoey shifted her weight. "I barely know the guy."

"In that case, he doesn't need to be your one."

She processed that and frowned. "You're evil."

"That's me, Tanya the Evil, but you understand why, right?"

Zoey did. She sighed.

"You're making me make the choice. If I'm going to vouch for the person and get him to come on, I'm using a limited slot to do so. Instead of you deciding, you're empowering me with making the choice, but also forcing me to be the one to tell him no. I get it… agh!"

The boss smiled. "You're coming along nicely. I've talked with my dad a few times and he thinks once the Incursions are over it would be good for people to settle down, have kids, and whatnot. I suspect he hopes for grandkids, though I fear he may be disappointed unless we find Julia, and she's too young for that. But it also makes sense if people do find someone they are connected to and might wish to join the Salamander Group, so in those cases I need a structure that makes sense and provides the original members some agency."

It made sense. It always made sense. But she really wished Tanya had just said no. It wasn't fun being at the other end of a hiring table or admissions desk. No one wanted to be the bad guy, and she felt like the bad guy because she wasn't going to use her one and only invite on some random guy.

She thanked Tanya and decided to delay her decision until after their contract was up. After all, why tell the guy bad news if he ended up dying in battle?

***

Either the Undead Empire didn't care much about the Nexus Crystal Mine, or they were lazy and incompetent. We had blazed a trail, liberating several Nexus Nodes and settlements while slaughtering several million zombies. The retrieval of Nexus Nodes was pretty important. It allowed us to teleport back to Everwood Refuge, restock on the new concoctions that Dorel and Shella had created, as well as make use of Sofia's Courtesan talents. I opted not to because the improvement in Cosmic Energy gain was relatively minute now that our Level distance had grown. Instead, she enjoyed herself with Zhou and Will, and both had solid Cosmic Energy gain improvement going into the next fights.

The Purifiers in the million-man army ended up being pretty important. As some of the few people who actually had a Class were assigned to the army, they were also not much at risk against regular zombies. Shella had created a pill to disperse Miasma build-up, but it was slow acting in comparison. Since we were always on the front edge we got the worst of it, but it also seemed that if you were higher Level you could tolerate it better too.

Dorel had mastered creating some Shielding Arrays that we were letting the army use. A small group of volunteers were now detached to us, and if we did end up facing more formidable Undead in number, they could help shield the Salamanders on the ground in a fight.

Arrays were pretty damn amazing, but they did have some key weaknesses. If you were part of a formation using an Array, that was basically all you were able to do. Furthermore, the Arrays did not have Cosmic Energy of their own. You either needed to use Nexus Crystals to power them, or use the Cosmic Energy supplied by those carrying the Array. Nexus Crystals were fine for static Arrays, but for ones that move around the battlefield and allow for a certain concentration of force in a particular direction it just wasn't ideal.

It was during one such fight with a particularly large zombie horde that the Undead Empire finally decided to do something about me. I sensed the danger almost before my senses picked it up. Balls of acrid sludge shot up at me and I dodged to the side as an Undead flew into the air, black cloak streaming behind her. She had long grey hair and a well-fitted dress that barely moved despite the rapid speed of her approach. My Communication Crystal pinged as I dodged the dangerous balls of sludge, letting me know there were multiple intelligent Undead in the horde.

I sent [Crimson Siphon] at her and readied a Fireball, but she batted aside my Spirit Tool with contemptuous ease. My Fireball wasn't fully formed in potency, and I didn't have time to finish it as she increased her speed. I sent it at her anyway and powered through it, only taking minor burns. I had dodged in mid-air as her half-meter-long talons slashed at me. [Crimson Siphon] gave chase, but she again knocked it askew.

As I began powering up [Mind Splinter], she let out a wail that made me grit my teeth and almost lose my focus. Fortunately I didn't, and as she slashed at me again my Skill triggered. A blue aura flashed briefly and I knew she had some sort of Mental Defense Skill that she had running during the battle. The Undead was clearly E-grade, and almost every E-grade cultivator in existence, at some point, would pick up a Skill to protect themselves from Mental Attacks.

Another thing on my to-do list.

It had blocked a portion of the attack, but Wisdom was my highest attribute by far and the key driver of how effective [Mind Splinter] was. The power damaged her Soul right as I attempted to parry her claws away from me. She bashed away [Sword from Stone] and I desperately tried to twist away, but she was too strong and fast. Her talons pierced into my armor, which triggered my triple-layered defensive treasure. Her attack obliterated the first layer and then deflected off the second.

She backed away.

"Tricky Dreamer, the reports didn't say that was one of your cards!"

The banshee had micro tremors as she spoke and she quickly fled away from me, not wanting to risk further Soul damage.

Where do you think you are going?

I used [Suppression] on her flying cloak and while it didn't completely cut off her ability to fly, it made her speed much slower. I saw fear in her eyes as she looked back while I gained on her. A translucent shield came up as I sent a fully potent Fireball, braided with the Dao of Fire and Fury, at her. Her shield withstood the blow, but it was clearly weakened, just in time for [Crimson Siphon] to use [Bloody Eight] as it transformed into eight blood swords that slashed at the Undead.

It wounded her, but her Endurance seemed pretty stupidly high, so it was not a kill-shot. I sent [Crimson Siphon] down toward the Undead on the ground to harvest some energy for me as I was running low. The banshee snarled and charged me, but I easily had more speed now, so I kept out of distance while pulling out an E-grade Nexus Crystal and began restoring my energy.

She cursed again while I charged up [Blink]. She went for her Cosmos Sack, no doubt to pull out some medicine pill or treasure, but I charged her, willing energy into my [Boots of Flight].

She readied herself for my lunging strike and I activated my Movement Skill with the Dao of Volition, keeping my momentum but reorienting the direction. I appeared exactly behind her, an inch from her neck, with my original velocity maintained. With almost zero time to react, [Sword from Stone] slammed right under where skull and neck met. Even so, she whirled about with my blade sticking through her neck and tried to slice at me, but her effort lacked her previous coordination and strength.

Cosmic Energy flooded me a moment later.

Yup, she had been an Early E-grade.

I dived after her and put her corpse in my Cosmos Sack before hurrying down to see how my Salamanders were doing. The Undead Empire had gotten serious, but fortunately nothing like the banshee was among those fighting below. Toby was down, but Dad was already seeing to him, while Kim, Jared, and Will had formed a protective triangle around him.

I hadn't finished dealing with zombies, but my Salamanders came first. Besides, the million-man army could handle hundreds of thousands of zombies. Hopefully some of them would dare to face them in melee or at least use bows so the Cosmic Energy wouldn't be wasted, but that was up to them.

Zoey was fighting defensively, a rarity for her, which meant that she likely had been forced to already trigger her defensive treasure. Zhou was dueling a Revenant who was infusing Dao in every sword strike, but my second-in-command seemed to be holding his own. Vhorra was letting out a weirdly high-pitched laughing sound as she used her Dao of Loam to squeeze to death a Corpse Lord.

I was still very low on Cosmic Energy, but I had an E-grade sword and a lot of Dexterity. I helped out the trio and gave them some more breathing room. One Revenant backed away and triggered an offensive talisman as I was busy gutting a Revenant Ogre. My defensive talisman had already been used, so my armor only partially protected me from the red lightning that leaped out from it. Had I been like I was prior to the Tower, I would have likely survived the attack, but would have been severely injured. Now, with over 200 Endurance I tanked it without any issues.

Either way, I still launched a concentrated Fireball in response and burned him to dust. Vhorra finished her foe off and went to help Zhou. I relieved Zoey by sending [Crimson Siphon] to harry her opponent while I finished off a few other Undead in their 40s. As the fighting died down I went over to see how Toby was doing.

"He'll live. Got gutted by a spear and drenched in some necrotic sludge, but he's stabilized and between my Vitality boosting Skill and a healing pill, he'll be out of danger in an hour. After that, a couple of days of bed-rest and he'll be right as rain."

"Good work, Dad." I turned to the others. "To all of you. I'm going to let the Sino-Indian Alliance earn their keep while I wait here with Edwin and Toby. The rest of you can start stripping the elites of anything of value and then making sure our allies don't screw up somehow."

Zoey groaned. "I hate fighting these things. Can we get another assignment soon?"

I laughed. "Well, funny you should mention that. The Sino-Indian Alliance is already pleased and is wanting to extend it…" I let my words hang as she and Jared groaned, "but I'm probably going to say no. The NWG is itching for another Incursion closure and feels that the Fire Dragonkin can be dealt with via a direct strike on their Incursion Beacon. They've been rather lax in their expansion, and there's no sign of anything beyond Peak F-grade in their force. On top of that, the Marshall Alliance is calling for a big pow-wow after the Eastern Trigram hunt ends to put together a plan with Earth's best."

Time, as always, was going to be tight. But after we wrapped up this assignment we'd have just a couple of days before the end of the Eastern Trigram Hunt. If Thomas was right, we could probably deal with the Fire Dragonkin and still make it in time for the big meeting with the Marshalls. Thea, Super Brother-Man, and Billy had all gone on the hunt. Having their strength back on humanity's side would be useful. The Dominators were quiet – I suspect they were also with most of Earth's champions on that Hunt.

My team then spread out and got to work. I put the half-drained Nexus Crystal away and cultivated to restore my Cosmic Energy reserves, what I had once called 'mana' during the first days of integration. I didn't use my faux soul split technique, as there was an outside chance other powerful Undead cultivators were waiting for us to let our guard down, but I honestly doubted it. I suspected they thought an E-grade would be more than sufficient to deal with me, and if they had thought otherwise it would have been more than one who had confronted me in the skies.

I'll warn the Sino-Indian Alliance, but if they pursue adventurism while I'm off elsewhere, they need to anticipate the likelihood that if the Undead Incursion has multiple E-grade talents remaining in their force, they will almost certainly have to face them. And I doubt Daoist Chosui and Anaad Phakiwar could handle that on their own.

Notes:

Side note - I got some feedback by my advanced readers who are familiar with DOTF that Izh'Rak Reavers shouldn't be on Earth and while it is true in canon there is zero mention of them existing as part of the Incursion armies, I don't think that means they couldn't be there. While they are one of the noble races of the Undead Empire, it doesn't mean they can't slum. Or be exiled to lowly sectors. Or have an outpost set up millennia ago. Or a spatial disturbance deposited a bunch there. It felt more interesting to me to include a few more varieties in the undead fight.

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Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-10Words:234,915Chapters:50/?Comments:447Kudos:453Bookmarks:88Hits:17,839

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 35

Chapter Text

Special thank you to @Massgamer for proofreading!

Chapter 35

Anaad Phakiwar now felt there was hope against the Undead Empire. And just as he had grasped that hope, it was being pulled from his grasp.

"Our army is larger than what the NWG can field. We are prepared to support you with as many Nexus Crystals as we can mine. There are also other treasures and rare opportunities we can locate…"

"Anaad, I am not saying I will never work with you again. I see the threat the Undead Empire poses, but there are other Incursions to deal with, some that are vastly simpler to resolve than the one you are dealing with right now. I would encourage you to attend the Marshall Alliance gathering, either you or Chosui. The world doesn't need to unite politically, but we should plan our collective strategy carefully."

Anaad remained calm, even though his heart was troubled. Without Tanya, he knew the Sino-Indian Alliance had no hope of dealing with the Undead Incursion if they moved in force. Had he and Chosui fought that banshee together, they would have lost. Who knew how many other similar caliber foes the Undead Empire had?

They will want to take revenge after losing one of their elites.

"I will attend," he offered after a moment. If the Undead did pursue vengeance while Tanya was away, he would prefer to be far away from the falling axe. Chosui, meanwhile, had a powerful defensive treasure and a slippery Dao that would serve him well if the elites of the enemy arrived.

Tanya smiled. "Wonderful. I've also made a list of ideas on how to improve your fighting force. Your soldiers are brave, but you need to start marking out those with potential and get them focused time to kill beasts to raise their Level. Even just getting them Classes would do wonders."

Anaad wished it were that simple. Unfortunately, they were quite behind and the local beasts were quite dangerous now. Wasting leveling pills and Nexus Crystals on people so far behind in Levels did not seem like wisdom to him.

"Thank you. You have proven to be a true friend of the Sino-Indian Alliance," Anaad said with a grateful smile that slowly disappeared as he continued. "However, I should let you know that our people do not trust the NWG, and the Marshall Alliance seems uninterested in dealing with any who aren't powerful cultivators. I believe you when you say that you think the Undead Empire is the greatest threat, so I would urge you to consider continuing our contract or even consider permanent employment with us after the meeting with the Marshalls."

"Understood. I don't think one unified government would be ideal either. Every group should have the ability to govern themselves, though it seems like the Multiverse makes this difficult at the planetary level." She made a waving gesture. "More on that if we actually survive these Incursions. Thank you for the payment and we will see each other soon."

That could have gone better, but at least the door is still open.

***

I had things to divvy out to my people. The banshee had an E-grade flying cloak which had a lot of utility. The problem was that it had similar Cosmic Energy costs compared to my boots. I figured Zhou or Vhorra would be best to use it, but Vhorra preferred to stay on the ground due to her connection to the earth and her Dao Seed of Loam. That made Zhou the obvious choice.

The Cosmos Sack had some interesting medicinal bath material in it; however, it seemed ill-suited for Human, Ishiate, or Yrd bodies. It seemed pretty clear it was for an Undead, so I would give that to Shella to see if anything could be salvaged from it. Beyond that there was not much within the Cosmos Sack worth much. It was fairly disappointing, but I guess Incursions were high-risk undertakings. Perhaps she had given most of her belongings to others to hold onto for safekeeping until they succeed in their conquest.

Her clothing was low E-grade, so her dress went to Zoey. She seemed a bit overeager in combat, and her Peak F-grade armor just wasn't cutting it. Hopefully this would lower the amount of times I had to make her new shield amulets.

The other intelligent Undead had a variety of items, some of which interested me as they would be useful after I progressed into E-grade. I suspected some of them were being held onto by the Peak F-grade warriors for when they were able to make the jump, but seeing as how they were dead… well, completely dead, at least until I figured out the proper nomenclature for a dead Undead, they were now ours.

I gave the two Strength Attribute Fruits to Zhou. He could make use of the improvement to Strength in a way that didn't apply to my own fighting style. The Endurance Fruit I insisted that my dad take. That left the Spirit Tool enhancing rocks and the two Dao Treasures. The rocks weren't something [Crimson Siphon] wanted, but Will's [Slammer] was quite motivated. The two-handed maul had taken on a new sheen after consuming them.

The Dao Treasures were a little harder. One had a predatory aura, and the other had a strong sense of defense. I was tempted to take the second one for myself, but I wanted my dad to improve his Dao Seed of Sanctuary instead. But he insisted Kim take it as she would get more use out of it.

I can't make him use it… ugh. Taking it for myself would be churlish. Kim is one of my more able soldiers, so it isn't like it is being wasted.

The predatory aura one went to Jared, who finally unlocked his first Dao Seed, the Dao of Pursuit. Which… didn't quite yet fit anything he did as a fighting style, but since I had given him the Beast Mastery Manual, I figured it might be a long-term benefit to him.

[Dao Seed gained – Investment]

I blinked as a vision flitted through my mind's eye before I shoved it aside. It wasn't the kind of investment I had done with my family's stock portfolio. Or at least… it wasn't only that. It was what I had been doing from the beginning; investing time, energy, and resources into the Salamander Group. Will the seed bear fruit in the future? I could only hope that my investments would pay off. The reality was that I had heavily poured resources into them as opposed to just improving myself. I might have even already reached Level 75 if I had just focused on going it alone.

I just didn't want that. I wanted to get to the point where the Salamander Group was powerful enough for me to have oversight, focus on handling the Enchanting, and let them put themselves on the frontlines. In modern warfare, generals and PMC leaders typically didn't go into harm's way, and that was what I wanted. Ultimately, I needed to be able to defend myself in this crazy Multiverse, but I didn't want to have to do it on a regular basis.

Eventually I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy my extended lifespan. The Dominators and the Incursions took priority, and then after that I needed to make sure I kept advancing and fighting until the hundred year System shroud dissipated. At that point, Earth would either be safe, or totally screwed. But if we were safe… then I could finally relax. Unfortunately, until then, I would still have to keep fighting and improving. There really wasn't any choice in order to secure my long-term retirement from the battlefield.

Eight Dao Seeds… I have the feeling that I am 'full' in terms of my understanding of the Dao. I am always happy to gain an improvement, but I am annoyed that I never got the Dao Seed of Timing.

I hadn't had as much time to work with [Quick as Thought] as I would like. It turned out that my 'faux soul split' process described in [Split Infinity: Strings of Mastery] allowed me to divert my attention to two simultaneous tasks, but did not allow me to manipulate Cosmic Energy for said tasks. That would require me to construct a puppet to house the still-attached, but separate, portion of my Soul. Once I did that, I could Enchant while cultivating. Or I could Enchant while doing Body Tempering.

Right now, if I did Body Tempering or Enchanting, I could meditate on the Dao, focus on reading, or hold a conversation. As I still needed to replace used defensive treasures, as well as slowly upgrading existing equipment, I only got in six additional sessions. I was looking forward to seeing what happened after my 9th session. That would lead to the culmination of the changes and likely lead to some noticeable difference in attributes or Skill activating speed. It was the first step, and likely the only one that I could take as each further step would take escalating amounts of time to cover.

It was a struggle to remember that many of these Body Tempering and Soul Strengthening Manuals were designed for people who lived for hundreds or even thousands of years. Going into seclusion for decades at a time to make progress on something like that wasn't unheard of in Base Town. Some promising candidates who wished to ascend to the higher tier ranks, such as the 5th Floor, would delay until they had reached some specific breakpoint they were hoping for.

As far as I could tell, the next layer after the first probably wouldn't take anything like decades. This Body Tempering Manual had a maximum of six layers, and it was almost certain that the final layer would be more along the lines of centuries, but the lower ones didn't seem too bad. This was probabilistic, because the portions I'd reviewed made it clear that altering one's body was not a one-sized-fits-all shape. Some bodies were naturally inclined to take to the rigor, while others were not. It also mattered what Race you were, as some adapted better than others.

One of the few advantages we Humans have. We are one of the more flexible Races to exist in the Multiverse.

[Split Infinity: Strings of Mastery] wanted me to wait an entire year before pushing to the next exercise. It had all sorts of dire warnings about how a cultivator needed to walk before they ran. I had great respect for the idea of standing on the shoulders of the giants that came before you. Science was built not by coming up with brand new theories in a vacuum, but upon refining and improving the work of the people who came before you.

But… the Soul Strengthening Manual had also said that it would be difficult to do the faux split. I had done it on my first try, so perhaps I just happened to have a knack for this sort of thing. And the Manual had talked about using a puppet, which I still didn't have. Nonetheless, I pushed forward and looked into what the next steps were along the path.

Hmm… so after doing various activities I am supposed to do something hard like meditate upon the Dao while cultivating with the non-split fake splinter of my Soul? I've been doing that already!

I wondered if maybe the Tower thought I was particularly slow or stupid. I had not only been meditating on the Dao with my simulated Soul splinter, I had even advanced one of my Dao Seeds. While I hadn't been focusing on advancing the Dao Seed of Sanctuary, my actions in shielding the Sino-Indian Alliance army from millions of Undead had led me to instinctually focus my ruminations of the Dao on that Seed.

The Manual was dense and I had skimmed it, but evidently I had missed that warning. I continued skimming, looking for the next step after using a puppet to contemplate the Dao while doing something else with your actual body. More getting used to the process. More reminders to be patient. Essentially, it seemed that every time I practiced the faux Soul split my Soul became more adaptable and stretchable. Instead of focusing on lengthy Soul-searching, mantras, and other sorts of Soul Strengthening exercises, this Manual was all about improving your Soul by doing the activities that I was already doing.

Ah, finally.

There wasn't all that much more to it other than gradually increasing the complexity and flexibility of the Soul. The advanced concepts in E-grade included using combat puppets, using your stronger and more adaptable Soul to empower and defend against attacks, and build up to using proper Clone techniques in D-grade. Unlike a normal Clone user, the ones who worked hard on this type of Soul Mastery would be able to retain linked awareness with the Clone. The Manual did warn that this was an incredibly advanced stage and that, paradoxically, by the time one had mastered their Souls to such a degree, they were likely at the Peak of Hegemon and bottlenecked until their lifespan ran dry, or were already Monarchs. At the Monarch level the Soul was typically powerful enough to use Clones even without the help of this sort of Soul Mastery, however, it wasn't wasted effort as [Split Infinity: Strings of Mastery] would have still strengthened the Soul. It would make it more adaptable, and give the Monarch even greater control of battle puppets and Clones.

I had to admit the Tower did pick a good Soul Mastery Manual for me. Being able to split my awareness and be good at doing so allowed me to be efficient with my time, and as a bonus I didn't even need to do anything in particular to progress through the process of increasing my Soul's flexibility and strength. Just do what I had learned how to do.

***

"Tanya, I would like your guidance on the Tower of Eternity and what I should do."

Zhou was now above Level 50 and he had seen how much stronger Tanya had become since going to the Tower. The information she brought back told him that he was quite unlikely to climb as high or enjoy such extensive progress as her, but the temptation to go was still there.

"It's your choice, but I've mapped out three potential paths. The first is to do what I did. I personally would prefer you didn't, but I will not hold back your desired course. It would be ideal if you went when I had a huge stockpile of weapons to sell at auction, but again, it is your choice."

She held up a second finger.

"The second option would be to wait until you are Level 75, much like the rest of the Multiverse does. Go in armed with multiple Middle E-grade treasures and seek the highest floor that you can. If you do wait, especially if you obtain more advancement in the Dao, I believe you have a real shot at conquering the 5th Floor. Much of the Multiverse, perhaps outside of the elite scions of the greater powers, do not have advanced Daos. While we have the Origin Dao, advancement comes easy and frequently. If you can reach Level 75, have the proper gear, and a Peak Dao Seed or two, you can go far."

I do not know if it would be wise to wait. The Undead were dangerous.

"The third option depends on how our meeting with the Marshall Alliance goes. I suspect that Super Brother-Man will almost certainly want to go to the Tower of Eternity. If both you and I received tokens, then so has he. If he is willing to tell us when he wishes to attempt to do so, I'd like you to join him, but not to climb with him."

Zhou frowned, then clarity came. "Ah, the apparitions."

Tanya smiled at him. "Exactly. Many people told me they were able to advance their understanding of the Dao due to the apparition I formed. If he attempts the Tower and you wait until he leaves, you will probably get a nice boost and upgrade one of your Dao Seeds. Then you can begin your climb with some wind in your sail."

"You believe he will attend the Marshall Alliance gathering?"

"He attended the NWG auction, so I think there's a good chance. There seems to be some trade going on between Port Atwood and Westfort," she answered.

Zhou wasn't sure what was the best course to take, but the third option seemed like a good compromise. Since the meeting would take place in a few days, he could wait.

"I will consider my options and delay making a decision until then. What plan for Earth's defense will we present to the Alliance?"

Tanya let out a small laugh.

"Who said I had a plan?"

Zhou just gave her a look.

"Yes, yes, I do have a position I'll take. I'm… less driven to stick to it, depending on how the others feel. The bottom line is that the Undead Empire and the Dominators are going to require teamwork. I want as many of the top 20 Rankers on board as possible when we fight against either. Thea, Billy, Super Brother-Man, Thomas, Daoist Chosui, Guru Anaad Phakiwar, you, and whoever else we can get. Together we can punch above our weight pretty effectively. So, if they have a plan, I'm willing to bend to get them on board."

Zhou saw the sense in that. He also swelled with pride at his position on the World Ladder. It was not inconceivable that after dealing with the Dragonkin that he could reach the top 10 even before going to the Tower of Eternity.

"But what is your ideal plan?"

"Focus on the Undead Empire. Repeat what we just did again, but keep three other top Ladder Rankers hidden and unleash them when they come for me again. Or, do the reverse, let Super Brother-Man slaughter zombies. And when they come for him, the Salamander Group, along with Billy and Thea, ambushes them."

"Turn the tactics of the enemy against them."

Tanya nodded.

"I just don't see the other Incursions being as bad of a threat. We'll see how the decapitation strike goes against the Fire Dragonkin, but after dealing with the Ogres, Ratkin, Yrds, and Ez'Mahal Confederation, I've come to understand the limitations of our opponents. It is quite expensive to send over as many elites as the Undead Empire did. Their ingrained expansionist ways are what must justify the cost for them."

"And the Dominators?"

Tanya looked slightly nonplused.

"This is going to sound bad, but right now they are doing the work we might end up having to do in the future. The Marshal Alliance has given us some intelligence, and right now the Zhix are fighting each other instead of us. If the Dominators and the Incursions didn't exist, the Zhix may very well be contending with the Undead Empire for control of the world. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend, but I do like it when an enemy wastes time with a potential enemy instead of posing an immediate threat."

Zhou smiled. He understood that. It was always amusing when the Americans embroiled themselves in conflicts with the Middle East. His country merely had to do nothing, and they advanced as they spilled resources on foreign soil.

"You continue to impress me, Tanya. Battle talent is one thing, but you have a good grasp on the ways of the world. The Multiverse as well."

"I like history. People respond to incentives. The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. Once that becomes understood, it isn't complicated to see how the pieces fit together. The only difference is that understanding what motivates me or you may not motivate someone with an alien psychology. Surprisingly enough, from what I learned in Base Town, most of the Races in the Multiverse aren't all that different in the way they view things from humanity. More honest in their disregard for others, but in a way that is refreshing."

Zhou could agree with that, but it still surprised him that a woman who attended university in the decadent West thought that way. He knew that he also wasn't immune to propaganda, so perhaps he had a caricatured view of what American college students truly thought. It no longer mattered. He understood who and what Tanya was, and was more than happy to align himself with her.

"Agreed. I'll leave you to your Enchanting. Good night."

***

"Nooooo! What have you done to the sexy older man look you had going for you?" Sofia wailed.

Will was torn between a grin and feeling foolishly jealous. Zhou had gone through a Race upgrade and was now an E-grade Human. With that had come the removal of some of the wrinkles and his slightly graying hair had returned to a strong, youthful black.

"You preferred my prior appearance?" Zhou asked with slight disbelief.

"Of course! I got Will when I want someone younger, but you had that Da–"

"Don't say it!" Zoey said. "Please, if we don't get to have the internet anymore we can, at least, put to bed that horrible phrase!"

Now Will fully gave in to humor and just laughed.

Sofia sighed theatrically. "Fine. Everyone band together to ruin my fun. Congratulations. I think a few of us aren't too far behind you in accomplishing what you did either."

Indeed, Will could feel himself on the cusp. The wealth, knowledge, and having an Alchemist meant that they regularly got to dip into warm baths that purified their bodies and prepared them for the upgrade of their Race.

Jared kept the joke going, "Hey, at least you still have Edwin to pine over, Sofia."

Zoey kicked him. "Don't encourage her! He's a good man, and not…" she looked around, clearly thinking better of what she had been about to say. Will was actually proud of her for that. "Oh, never mind, just… bah, I'm going to go meditate on my Dao!"

They would be fighting the Dragonkin soon, and [Slammer] seemed extra eager for action after getting a boost. They would be traveling with a much smaller group of the NWG this go-around. Only those cultivators who could easily run a hundred miles per hour would be joining them in making a beeline directly for the Incursion Beacon. A larger NWG army group was making a show of slowly marching toward the Fire Dragonkin, though they had no expectations of actually fighting them. If it worked out, perhaps a decent number of the invaders may be drawn away from the portal.

A few more hours and we teleport to the nearest Town. Then it's showtime.

Author's Note: And the final Dao Seed has arrived. I've decided to go the 4 Fragments route. How all these might combine is going to give Tanya a bit of a headache!

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Rating:

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Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

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Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

Additional Tags:

Crossovers & Fandom FusionsStrong Female CharactersPost-ApocalypseLitRPG

Language:

English

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Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-10Words:234,915Chapters:50/?Comments:447Kudos:453Bookmarks:88Hits:17,839

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 36

Chapter Text

Special thanks to @Massgamer for proofreading!

Chapter 36

Thomas sat back as his advisory council reviewed the Recording Crystal. The display showed Tanya Degurechaff, like some war leader of old, rallying the cultivators of the NWG. Her bear cloak and armor made her look like some tribal leader from the forests of Germania.

"What did I promise you last time we fought?!" she yelled.

"VICTORY!" the NWG soldiers shouted back.

"What did we accomplish against the Ez'Mahal Confederation?"

"VICTORY!"

The Recording Crystal zoomed in on her face. It was actually rather disconcerting. Her features, thanks to her advancement in Race from F-grade to E-grade, seemed too young for the expression of vigorous bloodlust she wore.

"Yes! We beat them so bad they fled like the cowardly trash they are! When I lead you, when I lead the forces of humanity against these invaders, we will know naught but one thing… and what will that be?"

"VICTORY!"

Within the room there were some shakes of the head and discomfort.

"Jesus," Johana said, "she could snap her fingers and every one of our soldiers would follow her instead of us."

Thomas knew that much was true. Tanya's name was on everyone's lips. Her good looks, her obvious power, and the fact that every soldier she led had felt the way her aura empowered them made it a very dangerous situation for those who wished to control powerful variables like her.

"That is true," Asano replied, "but she does not wish to involve herself with rulership. She is content to be a weapon and a supplier of weapons. We've spoken to others on the matter. She could have easily taken charge of an Outpost or conquered literally any Town, Human or Ishiate."

"It is not true," Hank growled. "Our soldiers are patriots. Ms. Degurechaff aligns herself with humanity against these invaders. Of course she's popular, she gets the job done."

Thomas cleared his throat. "That she does. The assault on the Fire Dragonkin and their Incursion Beacon was impressive. Her knack for undoing Defensive Arrays is a unique ability of her Class. To be more precise, it doesn't remove or destroy them itself, but in conjunction with her powerful Dao infused attacks, even Peak F-grade Arrays are no match against her. It was quite the slaughter, and I experienced firsthand that her Leadership Aura has improved."

"Oh?" Johana asked curiously.

"Before it gave just a 5% bonus to all of my attributes, but during the battle she infused it with her Dao. I felt my anger and bloodlust boil over the whole time. It was controlled, but it was like something had pumped me full of adrenaline. I also received additional bonuses to Vitality and Strength."

Hank just shook his head. "She's a monster, just like Super Brother-Man. I wish we could bottle what they have. As is, we only have you and–"

Thomas gave his general a harsh look, quickly shutting him up. Not all of his present councilors knew that Silverfox was now part of the NWG. Anyone looking to attack Thomas would be in for quite a surprise when another top Ranker around his Level was there as well.

Asano chimed in again. "We should focus on the good. Morale is high and eighteen new Towns have since joined up with the NWG, with the world is being split up between us, the Sino-Indian Alliance, Port Atwood, and the Marshall Alliance. Even some Ishiate settlements have joined up after seeing the footage of us crushing the Confederation. This will only add to it, and I am happy to say negotiations are ongoing with parts of the Sino-Indian Alliance who will be willing to break away and join us, if we can provide them protection and action against the Undead Empire."

"But what of this Marshall Alliance meeting that we were not invited to?" Johana asked. "I agree with my colleague from Japan that the world is being divided up into factions, and it does not bode well when all of the other factions are meeting without us."

Thomas agreed, but adopted a look of confidence.

"We'll have information about what takes place there within a day of the summit, which, of course, I will share with all of you when I have it. In the meantime, we are reorganizing some of our resources. With Tanya demonstrating her strength, future missions can be handled with a smaller group of NWG assets, which is important," Thomas smiled. "Our people have found a special location; a 'Mystic Realm', according to the Multiverse. Preliminary scouting has revealed many dangers, but we have the potential to gain significant power in that realm…"

***

Zac was happy that the Hunt was over and that he was safely back in Port Atwood. So much had happened to him in the past thirty days it seemed inconceivable. Looking over the World Ladder, he saw his name back at the top again. He was still only third on the Dao Ladder, but was still happy with how his Dao had progressed.

1. Super Brother-Man | 73

2. Enchanter Class Tanya Degurechaff |71

3. Salvation | 60

4. Enigma | 56

5. Thea Marshall | 56

6. Thwonkin' Billy| 56

7. Joker | 54

8. Silverfox | 54

9. Daoist Chosui | 54

10. Zhongguo Zhou Jie | 53

…

100. Erin Langen | 47

He took a look at his attributes as well.

Strength: 533 [Increase: 60%. Efficiency: 121%]

Dexterity: 268 [Increase: 45%. Efficiency: 121%]

Endurance: 698 [Increase 71%. Efficiency: 121%]

Vitality: 338 [Increase 61%. Efficiency: 121%]

Intelligence: 119 [Increase 45%. Efficiency: 121%]

Wisdom: 132 [Increase 45%. Efficiency: 121%]

Luck: 120 [Increase: 65%. Efficiency: 121%]

Zac couldn't stop smiling when he saw that they had taken another huge leap, partly from his eight bonus levels and from his new title.

[Eastern Trigram Hunt – 1st: First Position in Eastern Trigram Hunt. NOTE: Title Permanence Awarded. Reward: All Stats +10, All stats +5%]

Zac could never understand why the System capitalized some words but not others. 'All Stats' as a flat bonus had the S capitalized, but 'All stats' had a lower case designation for the percentage increase from the Title.

He and Thea had agreed to meet a few days after the Hunt in Westfort, but their reunion was being sped up. Upon arriving back in Port Atwood, he was immediately informed that in less than eight hours the Marshall Alliance would hold a meeting with nearly all the important people in the world to help present a unified front against the Incursions.

That gave Zac little time to catch up with what had been going on during the last 30 days. He called for an emergency meeting at the Towers of Myriad Dao. He soon got caught up to speed on a number of issues; Ogras had dealt with the infiltrators, discovered a Mystic Realm, and managed to undo some of the lingering restrictions the System had on him through a Quest.

His sister, Kenzie, had hugged him tightly and it seemed like everyone had so many important things to tell him. The month had been extremely eventful, with six Incursions being closed down. The NWG was finally getting their act together, it seemed, and closed two of them.

"The NWG?" Ogras snorted. "No, there are Recording Crystals and footage from your video technology floating around. Tanya Degurechaff led the NWG army to victory."

"So she's officially joined them?"

"No, she has also been working for the Sino-Indian Alliance. She's a woman after my own heart. During our conversation she made it clear that she wants the Incursions closed down sooner rather than later. She just found a way to get paid to do the task she had already decided to do."

His people had also discovered another land mass, and they had also finally discovered where a large chunk of humanity had likely got transported during Integration. Underground. Deep, deep underground. So far down that not even E-grade teleporters could reach it yet. They needed to dig and burrow down before they could set up a proper Array Network, and there was ample reason to do so. Zac had already known that there were people living underground due to a chance encounter during the Hunt, but it represented yet another potential threat to Earth. He knew from Justa that there was a powerful Fire Golem Incursion somewhere underground that would have to be dealt with along with all the surface ones.

There were so many things he wanted to do, including accessing the Inheritances via the Towers of Myriad Dao, but that would have to wait until after the big meeting with the Marshall Alliance. For now, he needed to talk to Calrin about divvying up the resources from the Hunt. He would divide them into personal items for himself, items to put up on the Atwood Merit Exchange, and then finally let the Sky Gnome sell the rest throughout the broader Multiverse with his Mercantile License.

Before going into the threats, there was a particular find he wanted to see how to best utilize.

"As I mentioned, we ended up in the ruins of a sect called the Eastern Trigram Sect. It was a low-tiered D-grade sect focusing on Arrays, and this is the complete crystallized knowledge on Formations, written by their supreme elder. As far as I know, this is the only copy from that place," Zac said. He looked around the trusted group of Port Atwood. "Does anyone have an idea of how to utilize this knowledge as effectively as possible?"

"It should be locked behind Merit Points, and I believe that the same should go for the Heritages," Abby finally said. She was a Stargazer and his administrator, and she knew a lot about the Multiverse. "We can portion out the knowledge it contains into packages, with the basic ones being pretty cheap, but the more in-depth and uncommon knowledge having a higher price."

"Wouldn't there be a risk of no one buying it? We are in need of skilled Array Masters," Zac said.

"Then make sure people know that becoming an Array Master and helping to maintain the Arrays in Port Atwood would yield a lot of Merit Points. Things given freely are not appreciated, but if they need to work hard for it, they will cherish it," Abby countered, and Ogras nodded in agreement.

Abby added that it would keep crafters almost forcibly tied to Port Atwood until they reached D-grade. They could leave, but then the path they took, with a clear line to more power, would be cut off and would have to forge their own destiny without the accumulated knowledge. Given the situation, Zac agreed that most people would just stay within his faction.

The eight inheritances were something that Zac knew he would have to carefully think about. The Spirit Tool, Brazla, was perhaps the greatest Quest Reward he had ever received. Each Inheritance could only be used by one living person and would provide incredible benefits to the recipient, should they prove worthy. He intended to take the Lord of Cycles and would let Ogras attempt The Umbra. The Invoker, The Titan, The Blade Emperor, The Celestial Artisan, The Undying Fiend, and Crown of Despair were the other six.

Kenzie will get one. And maybe Emily? She told me she unlocked a Rare Class. Giving her the Fruit of Ascension was a good decision.

He knew it had frustrated Emily a bit after she had consumed the fruit and upgraded her Race from F-grade to E-grade. She was only sixteen and after consuming it she looked a bit closer to fourteen than her actual age, and would probably not look like a proper adult for another decade. He'd picked her up and helped her in part because he had somewhat used her as a temporary replacement for Kenzie, like an emotional binky. And just because he managed to rescue his sister didn't mean he would kick her to the curb.

The discussion then went to the threats they were facing. Salvation was a mad disciple of the Great Redeemer, a being far more powerful than anyone on Earth; Peak D-grade or maybe even C-grade by Zac's estimation. Wiser heads, the likes of the Tool Spirit, Ogras, and Abby, believed that the Great Redeemer's purpose in trying to take over newly integrated planets was to steal the Origin Dao. He 'seeded' worlds in advance somehow and, based on the events of the Eastern Trigram Hunt, the Dominators and Salvation were working for him, though apparently the Dominators and Salvation were not on the same page.

It was complicated, but one part that gave them some hope was that, in all likelihood, the Dominators did not want to clash with the Undead Empire. The Undead Empire were a Peak A-grade faction in the Multiverse. Sure, the Kavriel Clan, the local presence of the Undead Empire, was only led by a C-grade Monarch, but it never paid to make enemies that powerful. The Dominators' ideal scenario would be to have Earth defeat the Undead Empire and other Incursions so as to not risk having their leader get on the shit-list of a powerful force in the Multiverse.

That gives us time.

Not much was fully decided before it was time to leave. Zac ended up taking Emily, who really wanted to go, Nonet, the Zhix Anointed, Ibtep, Calrin the Sky Gnome, and Alea and Adran of the Demons. Ogras stayed behind to avoid any further… 'diplomatic incidents'. He was tempted not to take Alea after what happened with Hannah… but she seemed contrite and Zac admitted to himself he was hoping to mend the divide that had come up between them.

Zac wondered what Henry Marshall was looking to accomplish with such a quick meeting right after the Hunt. He mostly trusted Thea, but not the Marshall Alliance as a whole. They may be better than other factions, but the old man did not approve of him recruiting Zhix, Demons, and Calrin so prominently. When they had last met, his concern was making sure humanity did not lose out in what he viewed as the inevitable conflict between different Races.

I feel… strange. Almost like some sort of momentum is gathering.

***

I could tell immediately that Westfort was one of the more organized Towns. It felt weird calling it a Town, as it had a huge number of people in it with space for at least a population of a million. Security was professional and tight, though it likely wouldn't have mattered if I had come bearing ill-will.

With me were Zhou, Sofia, Shella, and Dad. We were escorted to the vast mansion that served as the stronghold for the Marshall Alliance. Billy, Nigel, Thea, and Henry, the patriarch of the Marshall Clan, greeted us. With them were some other members of the Marshall family, including a fit man who looked to be in his late 40s who had the distinct air of someone who had served in the military.

"Thank you for coming," he said with a smile, which only briefly faltered when he looked at Shella. "I believe we already know most of each other, but let me introduce you to my cousin, Mark Marshall."

We shook hands and introduced ourselves. Billy had a big smile.

"I missed doctor-man in big Hunt! Billy richer than ever. You missed out on a lot of treasure! Next time you should come."

My dad smiled at the big man. "It is good to see you too, Billy. Sorry I couldn't make it. Nigel, a pleasure as always."

Thea was studying me closely, but it felt more like curiosity rather than hostility. Henry explained that the Sino-Indian Alliance representatives were already here. The only ones they were waiting on now were Super Brother-Man, otherwise known as Zac Atwood of Port Atwood. We were ushered into a vast hall that had a dining table. The level of wealth on display from the old world was impressive, and it came complete with proper butler-esque waiters.

Anaad Phakiwar greeted me and asked if my recent contract with the NWG was completed.

"It is. We managed to close the Fire Dragonkin Incursion without too much issue. The Incursion Leader gave me a little trouble, but I was confident in my ability to win."

"Then perhaps you will be open to another contract with us? In the days since your departure the Undead Empire has stirred. More and more are gathering, and one region that has long been cut off will almost certainly face a siege soon."

"Which region?" Zhou asked.

"Inside the Dead Zone there is a monastic order. Somehow, it still stands and was able to repel an Undead assault. We believe that only the number one Ranker of the Dao Ladder, Abbot Everlasting Peace, could possibly have the power to resist the Undead so deep inside the Dead Zone," Anaad replied. "They are moving their great towers, their 'Unholy Beacons,' which infuse an area with so much Miasma that our lower leveled scouts turn into zombies if they get too close. It is only a matter of time."

It would be interesting to see what sort of Dao insights and understanding such a person may have.

I then spotted a familiar face I hadn't seen in a long time. Jayden, the Outpost Leader from where I had first exited the Tutorial.

"Tanya, it's good to see you again. We all watched you just keep grinding away at that Level Ladder."

"I'm glad you are okay, how is everything back in your section of Chicago?"

He grimaced. "Not great, we ended up having to evacuate when more Zhix showed up. We lost a lot of people… but we ended up taking refuge in one of the Ishiate/Human settlements. About a month ago the Marshall Alliance invited me to take over one of their Towns whose leader was relocating and joining one of their elite attack teams. And so, here I am."

I'm happy for him, but… he's not a Ranker. Henry is a savvy operator.

Just then, the last of the guests were being escorted in.

Zac was wearing cultivator robes and had his Spirit Tool weapon with him. As an Enchanter, I had gained a feeling for the potency of powerful weapons and items, and I could tell the axe had grown more formidable. Behind him came an eclectic bunch. I recognized Calrin the Sky Gnome, who was probably the source of much of Zac's wealth. The small Zhix, Ibtep, was also here. Hopefully he wouldn't say anything too aggravating again.

I didn't recognize the two Demons with him, or the young Human. The first was a stocky Demon who wasn't carrying a weapon. The second drew my attention more than the first. I inwardly cursed the hormonal imbalances upgrading my Race had caused, but it was hard to look away from the mesmerizing Demon. She had larger eyes than Ogras or the other Demon with her, and her luxuriant silver hair seemed to sway even though we were indoors. Her battledress was more potent than most, but wasn't E-grade.

The human girl brought back flashes of my second life. She seemed far too young to be a cultivator, but she had to be at least sixteen given that she clearly wasn't Level 1. The System didn't allow for children under that age to gain Levels, but she legitimately only looked a few years older than I had been toward the end of my military career before the disastrous mission with Rudersdorf. She was also wearing warpaint and was armed with small axes at her waist.

Introductions were made, and I learned the male Demon was named Adran and the female Demon was Alea. The young girl was named Emily. After some brief introductions, Henry called the meeting to order.

"Welcome everyone. As you all know, the objective of today's meeting is to formalize the coming war effort. With the benefits garnered from the Hunt, we will never be any more ready than we are now. We also know that the restrictions on the invading forces are rapidly weakening, and the amount of support they can bring through the Nexus Hubs will increase. Time is of the essence," Henry began.

"Pardon," I said, "but will they? It is my understanding that moving additional forces through the portals to their homeworlds is ruinously expensive."

The heavyset Demon answered. "That depends on the faction. The garbage Tal-Eladar probably won't or can't, but the Church of the Everlasting Dao and the Undead Empire very well might."

Fanatics who won't act rationally truly are the bane of my existence.

I nodded and Henry continued the presentation.

"The Sino-Indian Alliance has struck a blow against the Undead Empire; however, it represents only a small fraction of the number of Undead they have available. And they are now beginning to move in earnest. There are three main hordes. One seems to be gathering all along the reorganized strongholds of China, Korea, and India, another is heading toward the European heartlands, and the final one is preparing to lay siege to the Everlasting Monastery."

Looking at the map I could tell that the second horde would devastate many of the Ishiate villages, impact part of the NWG, and eventually make their way to Westfort if not stopped.

"So what's the plan?" Thea asked from the side, looking at the map with a frown.

You cannot seriously think we believe your granddaughter wasn't aware of what you were proposing before this.

"The two hordes must be whittled down before we can assault the core of the Incursion," Henry said. "Otherwise we run the risk of getting trapped inside. There are still tens of millions of zombies guarding the core, so we believe there will need to be a protracted siege to break it down."

Mark Marshall spoke next. "This is where the visible part of our operation will take place. Armies run by the Marshall Clan, Port Atwood, and the Sino-Indian Alliance will join forces to battle the enormous monster hordes that threaten the native settlements. We only need a number of powerhouses to offset the danger that the more powerful Undead pose."

There was some talk about the quality and quantity of the soldiers involved. The unfortunate reality was that it only took a single Peak F-grade Undead cultivator to rout even the bravest. A Level 75 Undead warrior could easily slaughter hundreds of sub-Level 20 individuals without breaking a sweat. Faced with certain death, who would die for nothing? They would run and turn the situation into a rout.

The problem was that there were few truly powerful people present. I was actually confident that Zhou could handle a Peak F-grade Undead, though it depended on a number of factors, but it would likely be a close fight even with his superior weaponry, armor, defensive treasure, and possible Title advantage, and he was now number 10 on the Level Ladder. I had little hope that anyone below his Level could do so, with maybe a few exceptions like those near the top of the Dao Ladder.

"In the end," Henry continued, "this war is only a diversion."

I quirked an eyebrow, and I wasn't the only one surprised.

"An all-out war is a diversion?" Zac asked.

"We have to face reality. No matter how many of our ordinary warriors we throw into the midst of war these days, it doesn't matter," Henry said bluntly. "The fate of a nation rests on the shoulders of those at the apex."

Zhou nodded. "I agree with your assessment, but why do you say this conflict is a distraction? If you believe the Undead Incursion can only be closed with a prolonged siege on their Incursion Beacon – what are we accomplishing with this distraction?"

"He wants the other Incursions closed. While the Undead are distracted, Zac, or perhaps Tanya, can go around shutting down the rest of the Incursions," Alea guessed.

"That is correct," Henry replied. "Our plan hinges on the monstrous power the top two Rankers have. There is no way for us to close the Incursions without massive casualties, but Tanya has shown that this blueprint works. We have mapped out several Incursions and have Outposts less than a day of high-speed travel away from them. Unfortunately, we had hoped that this could be done in secret so the other Incursion Leaders wouldn't know of this tactic, but Tanya and the NWG have likely already let the cat out of the bag."

My dad stiffened. "You can't seriously be blaming my daughter for interfering with a proposed plan she had no knowledge of."

Henry shook his head. "No, of course not. I do not blame her for being proactive. I am merely lamenting the result. Now the other Incursions will be on guard and that will raise the risk to this operation. Direct strikes by elite teams on Incursion Beacons, killing the Incursion Leaders, and forcing the rest to retreat is the best option we have to minimize casualties and reduce the overall threat to Earth."

I waved aside the issue, wanting more details of the plan. That's where the devil lay.

Henry's proposal was that his granddaughter, Thea, would lead the Marshal Alliance army while I would lead the Port Atwood army with the Salamander Group. Meanwhile, Zac would be taking his elites, with perhaps some help from the likes of Billy, to close the other Incursions.

There were many objections. The Sino-Indian Alliance felt like they were being left out in the cold. They had two top twenty rankers, but little belief they could hold back the zombie hordes themselves if any elite Undead joined the fight. They wanted me to lead their forces. Alea, meanwhile, objected to someone not from Port Atwood leading a Port Atwood army.

"Tanya has a unique ability to create an effect on the battlefield that enhances those who acknowledge her leadership," Henry explained.

His intel is good, but I guess thousands of NWG soldiers knew that already, so it would only take one or two spies embedded there from the Marshal Alliance to figure that out.

"Yes," I replied, "I can provide a 5% attribute bonus to anyone I lead into combat. The effect has a fairly large range, but after some testing I found it must still be on the same battlefield. My Salamander Group did not gain the benefit if I was not fighting, nor if I was too far away. However, I'm not yet convinced this is the appropriate plan, or how I am going to get paid for my services."

Both Demons smiled.

Thea was less equanimous.

"This is an existential threat to Earth, and you still want to be paid? You would let our planet be conquered if you don't get what you want?" Thea asked in disbelief.

"No, I wouldn't, but why should I risk my life? I could just as easily sit back and use my crafting skills to provide weapons and treasures for those fighting, and almost every faction would pay in Nexus Coins or Nexus Crystals for the privilege. Both the NWG, the Ishiate villages, and the Sino-Indian Alliance have paid well for my services, and were glad to do so."

Anaad backed me up on that point.

"What is it that you want, then?" Henry asked. "We do have resources, including information our Clan has uncovered."

"I think information should be shared regardless, including any unique Titles we have and how they function. Being able to obtain those Titles can mean the difference between life and death."

Zac was frowning. He seemed to disagree.

"But beyond that, I'd even be willing to forgo my usual fee for something a bit less tangible, but more important to the aftermath of the Incursions."

Interest had been piqued. After my time in Base Town, I had long wrestled with what to do about the System-enforced dictatorship powers of a Planetary Lord.

"Half of the top 10 of the Level Ladder are here today. The System grants leadership Quests, and eventually someone will succeed and be made the ruler of this planet. They will have the ability to restrict Teleportation via Nexus Node buildings, they will be able to tax the citizens of the world, accept Quests to launch Incursions to other worlds, and likely gain access to some automated defenses as a Quest reward," I explained.

The big Demon acknowledged that this was correct. All planets had a Planetary Lord.

"What I want is some protection for humanity, and the other Races on this world, from an authoritarian dictator. A System Contract signed by everyone here that says that whoever becomes the Planetary Lord will never use the taxation function through the System, will not cut off teleportation, will not force us to take part in Incursions, and will not interfere with the workings of Towns, outside of some basic general law and order. No conscriptions, confiscation of wealth, and other liberty limiting laws. This proposed System Contract would obviously need to be carefully worded, examined, and discussed, but the framework can be agreed to." I looked around the room. "That's my price. Or you can pay through the nose in treasures, Nexus Crystals, Attribute Fruits, Spirit tools, and whatever else I think is worth the risk to the lives of the Salamander Group."

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Chapter 1618 - 34-36