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Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

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Crossovers & Fandom FusionsStrong Female CharactersPost-ApocalypseLitRPG

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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 37

Chapter Text

Special thanks to @Massgamer for proofreading!

Chapter 37

"I can't believe she would be so selfish," Thea said angrily.

Zac had mixed feelings about it. After Tanya had thrown down the gauntlet, Henry had suggested everyone review with their own faction what their thoughts were instead of allowing a big argument to publicly break out. Nonet had not even attended the meeting, since he had gone to check on any nearby Zhix hives after arriving in Westfort. There was at least one close by. Ibtep was wandering around, excited to see new things in the manor, and Calrin had gone to make some trade deals. That left him with Adran and Alea, who had both told him that Tanya's demand to shackle him, once he became a Planetary Lord, was absurd.

"It also wouldn't work if you ever grew to be too powerful. It only works if the holders are close in power, or if there is a guarantor who is much more powerful," Alea had explained.

Zac wasn't sure he would be able to outpace her enough for it to matter, or what the big deal was, but Adran had agreed with Alea. Being a Planetary Lord would require quick decisions at times, and not having access to the full suite of power could imperil the Earth. Tanya's concerns made sense. He knew that he wouldn't abuse the power, but why should she trust him? They had only met a few times, and his first impression hadn't been good a one.

Turning to Thea after she made that comment and he had gathered his thoughts, he said, "I'm not so sure. I think she realizes that she only got so far up the Ladder because she used her Tower of Eternity token. If she knows she won't become the ruler of Earth, then she wants to make sure that the eventual ruler can't misuse the power. From what Alea, Adran, and even Calrin were saying, this isn't a good idea, but I don't know if her heart is in the wrong place. Both Tanya and I were American before the Integration. The nation had a whole thing about no taxation without representation," he explained.

Adran just shook his head. "What a foolish system. Why should the weak be allowed to dictate to the strong what they are allowed to do?"

Thea blinked at Adran's statement, then gave herself a shake.

"Grandfather will do what needs to be done. We have a lot of the treasures we had planned on using for my cultivation, some of our elites, and in general better prepare our army for the fight with the Undead. It doesn't sit right with me that she's threatening to sit things out, but if we have to bribe her… I guess we have no choice."

That part bothered Zac too. It felt like rewarding bad behavior.

"Pay the girl," Alea said, "and give her the hardest task. Have her lead the Sino-Indian Alliance that likes her so much directly into the heart of the Undead Empire's Incursion. Either she wins and we no longer have to deal with that threat, or she fails and we will have weakened them while removing a threat to Port Atwood. Remember, even if you bribe her, she will still oppose a typical Planetary Ruler of the Multiverse. She'll be a problem in the long run."

"You want to propose we send her on a suicide mission? Even if I agreed to that," Zac said, "that would also mean feeding a lot of innocent people to the Undead Empire. No."

Adran grumbled for a moment, then looked at Thea.

"Why did your grandfather want her to lead the Port Atwood army?"

"Because he wanted to try to get Tanya to work with Zac's people and build closer ties. He wants to make sure she's not pulled too far into the orbit of the NWG. When we reconvene, he'll share what he knows about the NWG and why."

Alea agreed that that made sense.

"So, we are agreed then? We support the bribery option?" Zac confirmed. "We should have plenty of treasures from the Hunt, and hopefully she's not too unreasonable. Her leadership buff, aura, or whatever it is, would be useful. Do you think you can work with her?" Zac asked Alea.

"Me? Probably. She has the heart of an Azh'Rezak already. Are you taking Ogras with you, then?"

Zac nodded. "Maybe Billy too… though maybe he should go with Thea if she's going with the Marshall Alliance."

Thea shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. You'll want Billy to break through Defensive Arrays."

Billy had an insane Strength that even dwarfed Zac's own. It was perfect for smashing through static defenses. With Billy, Ogras, and his Valkyries, Zac was confident he could close the other Incursions. That would leave Alea, Ilvere, and Janos to oversee Port Atwood's army, which was a bit over 10,000 at this point.

Plans made, Zac was ready to see how much the damned Enchanter was going to cost him.

***

Henry steepled his fingers as he looked at Tanya and Zhou. He had been very surprised by Tanya's demand, but he understood the reasoning. The System would give whoever, most likely Zac Atwood, an absurd amount of power over other people. His read of the boy was mixed, but generally positive. The fact that he would likely be a hands-off ruler would be ideal, especially if he did get with Thea.

I don't like using my granddaughter this way, but I've done little more than provide the gentlest of nudges and an opportunity.

Zac ruling the world with his granddaughter as his wife would ensure the Marshall Clan could steer the world in this tumultuous new era. Tanya was now threatening that future stability, but her demand wasn't unreasonable, and she had provided an out.

"There is a library here that has some accumulated knowledge of the Multiverse that my family has uncovered. What you are proposing may exist elsewhere, but it is not found in any of the writings and information I've seen." He leaned back. "This is the first year of Integration, why not wait for more knowledge and understanding before locking in binding contracts?"

"Because by then it may be too late. My aim is not merely to avoid punitive taxation, restrictions on movement, and overbearing authoritarianism, but also to prevent future conflicts. If the Planetary Lord is bound by the most powerful alliances on Earth, then seizing that prize is no longer impetus for conflict. The contract binds only the signers, but the clear expectation is that if any other Planetary Lord that ascends, be it due to Zac falling in battle or being assassinated by those who crave that power, that they will have to play ball and sign a similar contract or we'll all rise up and kill them, it decreases the odds anyone will try."

That may have been a good point, if not for Zac's power.

His granddaughter had told him that Zac was significantly more powerful than other top rankers. That even if Billy and her teamed up, they would stand no chance against him. It wasn't just his Level, either. He seemed to have attributes and abilities far above what even ten Levels would give.

"It may deter some, but it is unlikely that someone powerful enough to claim that position would be at risk of dying to any Earthly threat… post-Incursions and Zhix, naturally," he replied.

"'Zhix'?" Zhou asked. "Most just refer to them as the Dominators."

Henry breathed out a sigh.

"Others have a different perspective, but I do not trust the Zhix at all. The Dominators are the priority, but the Zhix are an alien race that do not share the same values we do. They do not view life and death the same way we do. When the immediate threats are over, there will be one day where another war will begin between humanity and the Zhix."

Tanya had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I haven't interacted with them enough to say, but what are you proposing?"

Henry's features hardened. "To do what is necessary for our people to survive. When Thea closed the Incursion near Westfort, it stranded many invaders on this side of the Incursion Beacon. We killed them to the last man. I am not proposing we necessarily genocide the Zhix, but forcing them to disarm and remain in areas of low Cosmic Energy density would be a prudent step."

He watched their reactions carefully. This was an important feeling out stage to see if the idea would be palatable. Zhou didn't change his expression by a centimeter, but Tanya's jaw tightened.

"This is the sort of heavy-handed approach that sickens me. Every person, Human or Zhix, should be allowed to have essential freedoms. The right to travel, the right to pursue their own path, and be free from the heavy hand of a tyrant. You claim that the Zhix represent a threat, but they are not a unified species, as we know due to the existence of the Dominators."

A pity. I doubt the boy would agree either, it seems that idea will have to be shelved.

Fortunately, it seemed that aside from the Dominators, no one within the Zhix had the power of Zac or Tanya. If that continued to be the case, humanity should still enjoy relative safety from the insectoids.

"You've made your position clear. I'll consider the matter tabled until such a time the immediate threats are dealt with. If we cannot all agree to the contract you wish to put forth, what is your price?"

"A Dao Treasure, four Attribute Fruits, or compatible Spirit Tools that are likely to be upgradable to E-grade for each core member of my Salamander Group. There are twelve core members."

Too much. Though perhaps Port Atwood could pitch in…

"You ask for much. Tanya, you've done more than anyone else to stop the Incursions. I believe you may be bluffing."

She smiled, and Henry felt a chill go through him that he avoided reacting to.

"I have teleportation tokens enough to leave Earth with my Salamanders. I don't want to. This is my home, but I have options. I'm also an Enchanter. I can let you bleed yourselves against the Incursions while I grow stronger making more powerful armaments. I'm also quite sure that the Sino-Indian Alliance will pay well for my services, even if they aren't able to provide the above listed items." She paused. "As would the NWG. Speaking of which… why were they not invited to this gathering?"

"I have reason to believe they are secretly working with the Dominators."

This jolted Zhou, but Tanya did not react.

"Evidence?"

"I can't reveal the exact details, but I have sources within the NWG and they have reported a number of meetings have taken place between the Zhix and the NWG. It is… possible that these groups are not the Dominators, but the Zhix that oppose them, but I find that highly doubtful. Thomas promised much at the auction, and spoke boldly of opposing the Incursions, but the truth is that they have done little of note until they hired you. And even then, it has been upon your back that they were successful. Meanwhile, Thomas, who doesn't pretend to be a genius cultivator, has somehow risen to be a top 15 Ranker from not even being part of the top 100. I have no smoking gun, but I am convinced."

"That's not a lot to go on. Next time I meet with Thomas, I'll see how he responds to the accusation. I don't think he would be the type to betray humanity," Tanya replied.

"Nonetheless, I'd prefer if the NWG not be involved in our planning and strategizing for how we close these Incursions."

"The NWG may have fewer numbers in total population, but they are more effective than the Sino-Indian Alliance, but for now… if we can come to an accommodation, I'll avoid sharing the details of this summit when I speak with the NWG. In fact, since you don't want the NWG involved in this operation, I'll avoid meeting with them for now."

Henry glanced at the two of them and gave a shallow nod.

"We will see what Zac and the Sino-Indian Alliance say about your proposal soon. In the meantime, feel free to avail yourself to some of the cultivation rooms we have set up."

Tanya and Zhou both thanked him and Henry considered the situation. Humanity was on the brink of ruin and he was dependent on two headstrong individuals.

Three, if you count my granddaughter!

***

"Why did Tanya bring me? Because I'm quite literally a Courtesan," Sofia said with a slow smile gracing her features. "My Class can do a number of fun activities that provide bonuses to others. One of those things is sex in return for a nice bump in your Cosmic Energy gains the following day. Zhou's rise on the Ladder is partially due to little old me, and depending on how negotiations go, we might be here for quite a bit."

Mark's eyebrows raised at her explanation. Sofia suspected he was not expecting all that!

"I see. Well, that is quite interesting. What is it that you wished to talk to me about?"

Sofia smiled. "You're obviously an important Marshall. Plus, you have that dignified military air about you, and that delicious accent. A girl's going to be curious."

Mark studied her for a moment before answering.

"I had the privilege of serving in the Royal Air Force. I've helped Henry organize the military elements of the Marshall Alliance fighting arm. Curiosity satiated?"

"Oh, don't be that way. I just want to spend a bit of time with you." She leaned in to whisper, "Cultivators, they are always so busy. Either they are crafting, hunting, or just sitting around meditating. They make for just awful conversation partners."

"You are a mortal then?"

"Yes, I get very little out of meditation. Oh, I suppose I can try to think about the Dao, but I'd really rather be socializing with upstanding and distinguished men like you."

He straightened. "If this is an attempt to get information from me…"

So suspicious.

Sofia laughed. "It is. I really want to know more about your Clan. Tanya and the Salamanders, well, they are a bit rootless. Always rushing off to one battlefront or another. I'm paid fairly well for my unique 'contribution' to the cause, but give me a good enough offer, and I might look for greener pastures."

"The Marshall Clan is always on the lookout for talent, but while we are in the middle of negotiations, it wouldn't be appropriate to try to poach a potential ally's members."

She shrugged. "That makes sense. But…" she drawled slowly while tracing a finger along the man's clothing. "Don't you want to perhaps confirm that I'm being truthful about my abilities? You could call it 'intelligence gathering'."

Sofia knew she was having a physical effect, but Mark shook his head firmly.

"My apologies, but I must decline."

Tanya was right. These guys are too professional. Oh well, it was still fun to try.

"Some other time then," she said and sauntered on over to the other side of the room. There were some Ishiate groups she wanted to chat with. Not like how she had with Mark, but out of genuine curiosity. These ones looked nothing like Shella or Dorel, making her positive they were probably the 'Tinker' aligned Ishiate.

The gathering here didn't have the most important notables, but the wine was good, and these types of opportunities to talk and mingle with people from so many different settlements were a rarity. She went over and introduced herself, all the while wondering what would end up happening with regards to Tanya's proposal.

***

Zac met with Henry before the meeting reconvened. The two major topics were the use of non-human allies, like Demons, and Tanya's proposal. The old man had expressed doubt about the use of Demons, as once the veil was lifted in the next one hundred years they could contact their people and then lead an invasion of Earth. He didn't trust them, but Zac felt he didn't really understand.

"They are cut off from their homeworld for now. They have been a tremendous help, what else would you do?"

"After Thea assassinated several leaders of the Incursion near Westfort, we were able to take down the Beacon. That left many of their kind stranded here. We killed them to the last man."

Zac wasn't sure what to say to that, but reiterated that he wasn't going to do that to the Demons.

Henry spread his hands. "The strong make the rules in this new world, so I must abide by that decision, even if I question the wisdom of it. Tanya's proposal, what are your thoughts?"

Zac explained how he'd been advised by his Multiverse-savvy allies that it was a bad idea for all sorts of reasons. It would prevent the planet from being able to quickly fend off potential threats, not all of which would remain dormant for one hundred years. While unlikely, it was always possible for other factions to stumble across Earth via a Cosmic Vessel. The Great Redeemer and his Karmic connections could also be used to locate Earth. Being able to muster Earth's forces, focus their resources where they could help, and control how teleportation was used to avoid betrayal were key powers for any Planetary Lord.

Henry frowned. "I had hoped for a compromise where we put the structures in place for ninety-nine years, but your companions, should we trust them at their word, make it sound like Earth may not be guaranteed that peace, even with the System shroud."

I never even thought of that! We could still gain Tanya's support for the Marshall plan and not shoot ourselves in the foot in the long-term.

With all the threats, he still didn't feel comfortable with it. Calrin and both Demons he had with him were clear on the situation. Still, he tried to look at it from Tanya's perspective. How would he feel if some dark horse Ranker became the Planetary Lord? Restricted his movement? Taxed his transactions through the Nexus Node? But… it was very unlikely. Tanya herself was really the only major competition he had.

"I'm comfortable with giving her the bribe. Thea said you were going to talk to her, so what does she want?"

The Marshall Clan head explained that she wanted twelve lots. A lot could be a Dao Treasure, a compatible Spirit Tool, or four Attribute Fruits. That was more than the Marshall Alliance could muster, so he would need Port Atwood's help to pay it. Though perhaps they could also get the Sino-Indian Alliance to chip in as well.

Zac frowned. That was a lot. Dao Treasures were extremely rare, and Spirit Tools that could get to E-grade easily did not seem like common rewards. The Attribute Fruits were a bit more doable… but he had already eaten several that he had received from the Eastern Trigram Hunt.

"Can we try to negotiate? Or maybe she'll accept a payment plan?" Zac muttered.

"We can try," Henry agreed. "I'll speak with Anaad… but the Sino-Indian Alliance will likely want something in return, and their coffers are likely poorer than either of ours."

Zac knew he had something else he might be able to barter as well. The Information Crystals from the Array Masters, as well as the Inheritances in the Towers of Myriad Dao. It still bothered him that she was making these sorts of demands when Earth's safety was on the line. Someone from Port Atwood should get those Inheritances, as those would provide a clear path for people all the way through D-grade and potentially beyond. If Alea was right about Tanya being a threat later, it would be foolish to give her that additional power.

But then, it might also bind her to us. The Inheritance would require her to go there at F-grade, then again at E-grade, and once more at D-grade. She would be tied to us, and if she doesn't help properly, then we can cut her off.

He hated all the politics of this.

***

It had just been a few hours, and it was amusing that in that short period of time I had Leveled-up again. It was a combination of the 'passive income' from my Cosmic Energy-leaching weapons as well as my ability to cultivate while holding a conversation. The ability to split my attention completely allowed me to pretty much always be cultivating if I wasn't also using Cosmic Energy for something else.

Granted, I had already been closing to Level 72, but still, it made the time spent here not a serious delay for my improvement. And the talks mattered quite a bit. I was happy that humanity was getting their shit together and seriously planning to stop the Incursions as opposed to being fragmented.

Now, let's see if Zac is willing to forgo the powers of a dictator.

"The Multiverse is a dangerous place," Zac said stiffly. "Whoever ends up forming the World Capital and becoming the Planetary Lord will need to have the flexibility to use their System-granted powers. I understand trust is in short supply, but I cannot agree to your suggestion, Tanya."

I kept my face serene. I had expected this as a likely possibility. It was fairly obvious that the Marshall Alliance members were close allies to Zac, and Port Atwood had the only known connection to the Zhix. Other factions had faced bloody skirmishes when they tried to talk with the insectoids. He was well-connected, at the top of the Level Ladder, and had powerful allies.

"I trust you've spoken to Mr. Marshall about my fee, then?"

"It's too much," Zac replied. "Dao Treasures and Attribute Fruits are almost all used up quickly. And Spirit Tools are rare, especially at the level of potency you require. We can give you one Dao Treasure, one Spirit Tool, and four Attribute Fruits, however. And, assuming we aren't defeated, we can give you the other nine lots in a year's time."

Other than a quick laugh, I remained silent. It grew for a moment or two, and Zac glanced around the table before looking back at me.

"Well?"

"When she has heard a reasonable offer, she'll respond," Zhou said.

One of the Sino-Indian Alliance representatives couldn't help but bark out a laugh before quickly going silent.

"We don't actually have what you want," Adran said, "so I think some reasonableness is in order. It is in this world's interests to work together."

"Peaceful cooperation is a lofty aim, but the very fact that Zac is so against reasonable safeguards makes me wonder just what kind of ruler he will turn out to be," I pointed out. "I have a proven track record. Ogres, Ratmen, Yrd Stonemen, Ez'Mahal Confederation, and Fire Dragonkin. During each of those battles the casualties were limited. I respect Henry Marshall's plan and the idea of an elite strike force being used to close down the other Incursions while the Undead hordes are whittled down. But I don't need to suborn myself or shackle myself to a large army to accomplish these victories. I'm willing to follow someone else's plan, and I am even willing to do it for free as long as I know that if the Planetary Lord rises from among one of us, I have guarantees they aren't going to screw things up. But since you aren't willing to accept that reasonable step… Fuck you, pay me."

Henry cleared his throat forcibly before Zac could retort.

"It isn't a matter of not wanting to pay you, Tanya, but the reality of limited resources. Is there something else that might sway you?"

Negotiating was an art. If you let the other party fish for information, you limit your potential upside.

"The Multiverse is a big place. I didn't go to the Eastern Trigram Hunt, so I may not be familiar with what treasures existed there. It would need to be something of equivalent value to my operational capacity. What do you have?"

The Atwood contingent looked conflicted, while Calrin and the Demons whispered to Zac. He finally sighed.

"We have a D-grade sect's extensive research and Array Formation techniques that they specialized in, placed in the Atwood Contribution Exchange. I would be willing to provide to you all of the F-grade Arrays contained within."

"This is just information? Information you aren't sharing with the rest of humanity to help defend against Incursions?" I asked. "The Sino-Indian Alliance has a vast horde of Undead threatening them, and you aren't just sharing it?"

Grumbling around the table intensified and Henry looked pensive.

"It was hard won and earned by Lord Atwood," the male Demon replied. "Knowing these Arrays may also give others the ability to break them. Or it may also fall into the hands of Incursion Leaders themselves and they will use them to further strengthen their position."

Zac looked relieved at the 'save' and I gave a complimentary nod toward the Demon. It was a decent verbal riposte.

"All their research through E-grade, you provide me the three lots now, and I'll forgo the nine lots later. In a year's time, it is likely the Incursions will be closed or we'll all be dead, so I'll take what I can get now," I said after a moment of thought.

There was a bit more bickering back and forth, and we eventually agreed to the research through Middle E-grade Arrays, five Attribute Fruits, a Dao Treasure that was Ice-attuned, and a Spirit Tool in the shape of a mace.

In exchange, for the next two months I would be leading the Port Atwood army, though the high-ranked Demons in the group would have veto power if they felt I was doing something that would lead to disaster for their forces. Should they do that, however, it would void our agreement and I and my Salamanders would just leave.

I wanted to get a full list of the capabilities of each army. The Marshall Alliance was actually quite impressive in its level of detail. They had also unearthed older tanks from the WW2 era, as those had not been 'disappeared' by the System. While the elite of the Undead Empire wouldn't find them a challenge, the mindless horde of zombies would be easy prey for armored vehicles backed by cultivators.

"Petrol for the tanks and other vehicles remains a limited supply, but enough for a campaign or two," Mark explained.

The plans had been talked about by the other parties before I had arrived, but they seemed decent enough. Thea and the Marshall Alliance would face the thrust against the 'Europe' horde, and I would be joining the Port Atwood forces to help the Sino-Indian Alliance. Meanwhile, Billy would be joining Zac and his elites in closing down the other Incursions and dealing with Salvation.

Packets of information were handed out about the fourteen known remaining Incursions. Though it was possible there were more, as the entire newly merged world had not been mapped out yet.

"What about Salvation?" Zac said, changing the topic. "Do we know where the Cradle of God is located?"

"It has been located, but…" one of the Marshall aides started, "we believe that attacking that man at the moment would be at least as dangerous as attacking one of the top-tier Incursions."

"It doesn't matter; we need to prioritize killing him," Zac said without hesitation. "He's turning people into weapons, and he is a real disciple of the Great Redeemer. He must be removed as quickly as possible."

"It's not that simple," Henry said. "He has hundreds of thousands of those puppets, and he's turned the whole zone around him lifeless. We have tried multiple times to gain intelligence, but our scouts get killed by swarming puppets who simply explode themselves."

I stirred.

"How? How can he control that many puppets? That should be impossible for someone at F-grade," I asked, very curious given my Soul Mastery Manual. From what I understood, what he was doing should be impossible. "Also… what exactly is the threat from him and this Great Redeemer?"

As to the first question I had, they didn't have any idea. Possibly some sort of taboo or unorthodox method that kept a shred of the puppet's life essence intact was one theory, but Adran didn't sound confident in his guess. For the second… I got a lot more information about what had gone down during the Eastern Trigram Hunt. The Great Redeemer was, at minimum, a Peak D-grade Hegemon who was hunting for worlds that still had the Origin Dao. He had seeded countless places with his artifacts, soul imprints, and disciples. With the Karmic Bonds he formed, he would be able to eventually locate Earth, despite the System shroud.

If it isn't one thing, it's another.

Zac seemed confident that he could deal with Salvation, so that was fine. If he failed, I'd do it myself, because if what they said was true, he may even be a bigger threat than the Undead Empire. The Dominators were also the servants of the Great Redeemer.

"What is Earth's plan for the Dominators?"

"For now," Zac said, "nothing. They are almost certainly going to wait to make their move against us until after we've dealt with the Undead Empire. That's why, beyond just their defenses, keeping the Undead Incursion open is to our advantage. We think that the Dominators don't want to cause problems for their master. The Great Redeemer harvesting the Origin Dao, potentially killing everyone here, will not be viewed nicely by a faction that powerful."

"Is it likely the Dominators have figured out we know this?" I asked.

Zac shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Just a thought. If they suspect that's the case… we might be able to set up some sort of ambush when they aren't expecting it, if we can figure out where the Dominators base themselves." I paused for a moment. "Now that our negotiations for my Salamanders' involvement have been finished, I'd like to bring up two other issues. The first is the sharing of Titles and how they can be achieved. I'm not asking for a full list of Titles, just those that are achievable by others. For example," I said as I pulled out my Status screen to the right spot and shared it.

[Butcher: Kill 100,000 beings in a solo battle. Reward: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence +3.]

A few people around the room looked at me with wide eyes, though Zac didn't seem surprised at all, which probably meant he had the same Title.

"Creating a repository for earned Titles that others can earn would be beneficial for all of humanity."

Others apparently disagreed. I was rather baffled, but whatever. Let them keep their secrets.

"The second issue is I would like to know when you intend to attempt the Tower of Eternity and to time your ascent with other Tower of Eternity token holders. I am not asking for people to join you on your climb, mostly because I suspect you will do well going solo. Additionally, when a climber does reach the higher Floors of the Tower of Eternity, apparitions form that allow others to advance their Dao. By taking advantage of your climbs, we can improve our Dao Seeds."

Zac smirked. "Well, I haven't decided… but it will cost you."

"I've given quite detailed information to the Marshall Clan on my climb, but I can also prepare a Recording Crystal that you can use to make introductions with important scions of powerful factions within Base Town You can gain access to the more exclusive auctions and social gatherings with my help. Though, that would necessitate you to not wait too long. Pretty Peak and Leyara Lioress will ascend within the next several months, according to what they shared with me."

The number 1 ranker looked positively shocked at the name Pretty Peak. Somehow, he knew about the Allbright Empire, was my only guess.

Zac looked at his companions and muttered something.

"Well… I'll need to talk with Ogras, but perhaps something can be arranged."

Some final preparations needed to be arranged and exact figures from Port Atwood on the composition of their army would be needed. And my pay, of course. I could have gone back through the Teleportation Array, but the cultivation rooms the Marshall Alliance had were pretty decently set up and I just needed one more session for [Quick as Thought] to yield its first tangible fruits. It was good timing, as having seven hours of uninterrupted cultivation time may be difficult to find as we faced off against the Undead Empire.

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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 38

Chapter Text

Special thanks to @Massgamer for proofreading!

Chapter 38

While Tanya and some of the others were away at the Marshall Alliance summit, Jared was with Kim, Toby, and Will hunting for the right beast to act as his companion. Thanks to intelligence sharing with the NWG and the Sino-Indian Alliance, as well as convenient Teleportation Arrays, it had been easy to scout out several potential cat breeds. He ended up choosing a type of mutated panther. The black furred beasts were similar to the normal variety of black panther, except these ones were slightly larger and had a smoky aura around them.

"Am I seeing smoke rise up from them? Or am I seeing things?" Will asked.

"I see it too," Kim said.

Toby frowned. "It is strange, it feels… hazy. Like it almost isn't there. It might have some camouflage properties."

Jared thought they looked quite majestic. The cycle of life and birth seemed to have been accelerated by the System, and this section of rainforest was teeming with black panthers. Their goal was to find a den where there were hopefully some little panther cubs they could snatch.

They fought off the adult black panthers themselves when needed, but they were only around Middle F-grade, which meant they were chopped liver when the Salamanders rolled over them. Jared saw that Toby was happily 'farming' proficiency with [Frightful Grasp] while Will abused his Loam-based powers anytime a black panther touched the ground. The Cosmic Energy gains weren't great, but soon they had found what they were looking for.

"You want just one, or more?" Kim asked.

"One is fine, ma'am. The Beast Mastery Manual said that a proper Beast Tamer can tame multiple beasts, but one is typically the extent just from using the Manual. We'll leave its siblings alone."

"Might be kinder to kill the others, pretty sure we killed the momma on the way here," she replied.

Toby shook his head. "No, there's still a chance we didn't. Or maybe they'll mutate further and find a way to survive without their mother. Better to give life a chance."

Kim shrugged. "Jared? This is your shindig, what's the call."

"Uh… I guess Toby is right. I'll take this one. He seems feisty."

Jared used the instructions from the Manual and offered up a morsel of spirituality enriched meat. The creature eagerly pounced on it and Jared hummed in the frequency the Manual had taught him. Soon the little panther was sleeping in his arms as they headed back to the Teleportation Array.

"Well, that was easy," Will remarked.

Kim glared at him. "Do not jinx it!"

***

I wasn't happy that I'd have to deal with a future government that might be awful, but there were options to prevent the worst if it came to that. All out war would be a last resort.

I am a woman of peace, after all.

With my Class and rate of advancement, I would almost certainly be the strongest crafter on Earth for a very long time. That made me valuable, and I could leverage that to prevent the worst excesses.

I could also see about leaving Earth completely. Zhou would be going to the Tower of Eternity soon, and I hoped more of my Salamanders would get that opportunity too. Collecting teleportation tokens could continue for some time, and if things got very dicey, I could try booking it with everyone I cared about.

But Fury-filled flames if Zac or someone else tries to put the screws on us will always be an option.

The seven hours of Body Tempering required a lot of focus, but the techniques in my Soul Mastery Manual still allowed for a portion of my Soul to continue contemplating the Dao. With only three Levels until 75, I was getting antsy for what would ultimately be my first Fragment. Unlike the Dao Seeds, I had a lot of input on the direction of my Dao at this stage. It wasn't a perfect 'I will get this Fragment', but I could heavily influence the direction.

With my main Soul I finished the seven hours of Cosmic Energy-led internal body sculpting and finished the first layer. I felt something change and eagerly checked my Status Screen.

Constitution: [Speed of Thought] (1st Layer) Dexterity +10, Intelligence +5, Dexterity +5%.

The percentage bonus was the real winner for long-term growth, but I had honestly hoped for a bit more. I knew that the next layer would take far, far longer to get through. Eventually it would also improve the activation speed of my Skills, but that was still a ways away. I glanced at my Skill list.

[F] [Book of Babel] – Proficiency: –

[F] [Lasting Breath] – Proficiency: –

[F] [Reusable] – Proficiency: –

[F] [Disenchantment] – Proficiency: –

[F] [Careful Path] – Proficiency: –

[F] [Fireball] – Proficiency: Peak.

[F] [Temporary Enchantment] – Proficiency: Peak.

[F] [Suppression] – Proficiency: High.

[F] [Blink] – Proficiency: Middle.

[F] [Minor Healing] – Proficiency: Middle.

[F] [Mind Splinter] – Proficiency: Middle.

Skills, or perhaps I should say Class abilities, that did not create a fractal on my body were not listed. Abilities like [Enchantment] and [Crafter's Wisdom] did not create fractals in my body. I guess that meant pretty much anyone could do similar things like my Class could if they had the knowledge and sufficient talent with moving around Cosmic Energy. After all, I could also inscribe like Dorel and mix concoctions to create a variety of pills even though I was not an Inscriber nor an Alchemist. However, my Class had granted me an insane amount of knowledge and a 'feel' for doing it. Not to mention that when I Enchanted, I gained Cosmic Energy, but if another person did so without my Class, they would not. Just like I did not gain Cosmic Energy if I followed an Alchemist recipe.

Skills like [Reusable] I had not used often because the juice really wasn't worth the freeze. Eventually, items that had a year-long cooldown would be worthwhile when things settled down, but until they did, it was just faster to create one-use items. [Minor Healing] was something I rarely used anymore, and I would one day probably try to merge it with another Skill or try to upgrade into something better. Some of the Information Crystals I had received in Base Town talked about how in E-grade that was another important aspect of cultivation to master. Class Skills were your bread and butter, but with mine being focused on crafting, I needed to make sure my additional Skills were up to snuff.

In the morning after a very brief catnap after I finished my Body Tempering, there was news. Port Atwood's delegation had arrived with a Zhix named Nonet who had briefly met with the leadership of a nearby Zhix hive. The Zhix explained that the more traditional hives were being slaughtered by the Dominators. As the delegations gathered once more to confirm the details, it was announced that dozens of hives have been eradicated in the last few weeks.

"More alarming," Zac said grimly, "just as many have chosen to join the Dominators instead of facing annihilation."

"This is a problem," I said, "and one that potentially has a solution, but we cannot be everywhere at once. What is more pressing? The Undead, the other Incursions, or the Dominators? We can split our force into two, but three creates tremendous risk. Ideally, if we were to target the Dominators by picking a likely hive that would come under assault, we can lay in wait with Arrays to lock down the area, entrap whichever Dominator is leading the attack, and strike with the combined might of as many of the top Ranks as we can."

"It might not be enough," Zac said glumly. "I fought with Inevitability. Thea and I were being toyed with."

Details? Come on!

"I trust you've documented your fight and have the details of the types of attacks, defenses, and Dao they have?" I questioned.

Thea shifted, looking mildly embarrassed. She then spoke up, "I recall the fight. I can provide a list of the types of attacks used. Chains that could shatter defenses and block attacks were their primary weapon."

"Thank you," I replied, "knowing that, are our priorities still the same?"

Henry and the Marshall Alliance said they should continue as planned. Zac looked torn, but eventually agreed as well.

Henry is probably happy that the Dominators are culling more of the Zhix. I still fear they are the greatest threat… but I'm getting my payment and I've agreed to fight for the next two months.

"I'll do my part then. The Port Atwood army will join the Sino-Indian Alliance within 48 hours, right? That gives me some time to do some Enchanting work. I look forward to working with you all."

With that I went to collect my people. My goal would be not only to shatter the horde headed for the Sino-Indian Alliance, but also to relieve the Everlasting Monastery from imminent siege and assault. Additionally, I was curious as to how strong the Demon captains were. From what Ogras had said, Peak F-grade was the maximum his Clan would take into an Incursion, but maybe some had advanced beyond that?

Or some weren't even Peak F-grade to begin with… costs go up with Level, and the Torrid Demons seem like the rather penny-pinching sort.

Either way, I hoped they would be honest with me about their abilities so I could plan a more effective strategy with them.

***

Zac was glad for some delay before the start of the offensive. He still needed to activate the Inheritance in the Towers of Myriad Dao and get a better understanding of everything that had happened since the Eastern Trigram Hunt. Before heading in to deal with the haughty Tool Spirit, he held a war council. Ilvere, Alea, and Janos would be the heavy hitters that would lead the Port Atwood army. Meanwhile, Ogras, Johanna, and several of the Valkyries would join him.

He turned toward Alyn. "Is our army ready to be deployed? Tanya will technically be leading them in order for her to grant them her buff, but I really don't want to be embarrassed."

"Honestly? Barely," Alyn said with some annoyance on her face. "A lot of the people are too soft. War is exactly what's needed to get a few of them into shape. And if they die, we at least save on costs."

Zac frowned a bit at Alyn's callousness, but she was adamant.

"Months and months have passed, and some have never even risked their lives. Many of those who joined the army were people who had huddled in fear within walls on the various islands and were thirsting for power. But now that they are faced with real risks, many are balking, and we have even had to publicly execute a few people who tried to cause a disturbance," the schoolmistress continued. "There is a good core of over eight thousand men and women, though; they will all be able to put up a fight."

He was surprised by the number. Mr. Trang had steadily helped grow his kingdom and their number of high-grade ocean vessels had swelled to twenty. Still, eight thousand was nothing compared to a horde of tens of millions of zombies. Even if they killed a hundred zombies each, they would barely have scratched the surface.

"Well, it is settled then. Ilvere, you will have the ability to countermand orders from Tanya, but try to avoid doing so unless it is truly necessary. She went into her ability a little bit, but basically, if you don't view her as the actual person leading you, her bonus won't apply to you. She has experience fighting the Undead already, and she seems pretty sure of herself, but if she causes our people to get killed pointlessly, we'll pull out of the deal and responsibility goes to you to lead the Port Atwood army. Alea and Janos are your seconds."

"I understand," the large Demon said solemnly.

Johanna then explained they had managed to get the War Arrays working for up to eighteen people. Zac was confident in his own defenses, but Billy was not as well-rounded as he was. The huge man was almost entirely geared to hit things, not get hit.

"We will be able to form a shield that covers Billy and our small squad. With such a small area of protection, the shield will be extremely sturdy."

"You should bring the feral child as well," Alyn suddenly added.

"Who? Emily?" Zac exclaimed. "Absolutely not."

"She's only Level 31, but her attributes are a match to many of the Valkyries," Alea added. "Especially with the way we made sure she obtained those early Titles as soon as she was able to gain Cosmic Energy. Besides, she is a Support Class, so she gains Cosmic Energy by empowering her allies. As long as you kill something under that effect of hers, she will gain a part of the experience."

He was eventually convinced to bring her along. She was sixteen, but in the Multiverse that was often considered the age of adulthood as that was when the System recognized someone as a cultivator who could gain Cosmic Energy. There was one final issue that Ogras brought up.

"Between the Origin Dao and the ample resources provided by Port Atwood, there are a decent number of demonkin warriors who are able to evolve by this point," Ogras said.

"So what's the problem?" Zac asked.

"Most are still only able to gain a Common Class, and they are afraid we will force them to upgrade before the wars. They want to hold off on upgrading in favor of improving further. As for the few who are able to gain an Uncommon Class, they are afraid to evolve because of us," Ogras said.

Zac did not understand, so Ogras further explained.

"None of the leadership are E-grade yet. Evolving at this stage might be seen as a power play," Ogras explained. "It's extremely uncommon for anyone apart from the core group to hold the highest levels in a force."

Zac was not worried. With his dual Classes he could handle other cultivators in Early E-grade, not to mention aside from the likes of Ogras and Alea the Demons… well, they weren't all that impressive compared to the likes of Thea, Billy, Tanya, and himself. Levels were important, as were the Class Skills that came with them, but Titles and Classes mattered quite a bit. He knew that Thea could defeat any Level 75 Azh'Rezak Clan member with ease, with the exception of Ogras. And that included Ilvere and Alea, though he suspected they could probably take her if they worked together, or if Alea was able to spring an ambush with a specially made poisonous concoction.

Speaking of which…

"Have the ones who are able to evolve into an Uncommon Class go ahead and do so if they desire. Will they be able to evolve before we head out tomorrow?"

"It's only Uncommon Classes; the tribulation they have to endure is nothing much," Ogras replied confidently.

"Good. On that note, I don't want any of you thinking of trying to solve our Tanya problem in the field. I am expressly forbidding any of you from attempting to assassinate her. If we have to come to blows in the future, that's a future problem. Humanity needs her and if you go behind my back, I will personally execute you. Are we clear?"

Alea's gaze hardened and Zac felt bad for having to make the threat, but he knew how the Demons thought. If he hadn't said anything and they saw an opportunity, they would almost certainly take it.

Ilvere nodded. "Very clear, Lord Atwood. Who will be your first target?"

"The Tal-Eladar Incursion." Zac saw Ogras grin. "After that, we'll assess how everything is going. There's two other Human Incursions on the list as well. We'll see how long each Incursion takes, but I'll want to hit the Cradle of God and Salvation as soon as I hit Level 75."

***

I called a meeting of the full Salamander Group. To my surprise, Shella, Dorel, and Sofia ended up deciding to join the army directly.

"We talked it over already," Dorel explained, "and there might be a need for some ad-hoc crafting. Besides, we can bring our crafting supplies with us. I'm having difficulty getting a proper puppet made for you, but I have found some success with Purifying Arrays that mimic what Purifiers do for a person, but for the land and air itself."

Shella nodded. "With so many people potentially facing Miasma poisoning, I'm experimenting with extremely Low-grade but high-volume [Antidote Pills] that I may need to correct for future batches based on observations."

The goal here wasn't to create a pill that did a lot, but to create tens of thousands of doses quickly to distribute to the Sino-Indian Alliance.

"And I'm going to make sure Cosmic Energy gains remain high for you and Zhou," Sofia said resolutely.

I was glad to have them along. As best as I could tell, Ilvere, Alea, and Janos were either Level 75, or close to it. The armies of Port Atwood were a great deal stronger than those of the Sino-Indian Alliance or the NWG. Backed by the vast reserves of the Sino-Indian Alliance and a total of eight heavy hitters, I honestly was not worried about our success. Daoist Chosui, Guru Anaad Phakiwar, Zhou, Vhorra, Alea, Janos, Ilvere, and I represented quite a bit of firepower. Kim and the 'boys', along with Zoey and my dad, also punched quite a bit above their weight.

My dad had muttered about fairness when I gave him the mace-shaped Spirit Tool too to go along with his Spirit Tool armor. However, he found no one would agree with him, and I was stubborn on that end. The Dao Treasure of Ice I gave to Kim. She had raised her Dao Seed of Sanctuary to Late-stage, but had not uncovered any new Dao insights yet. Ice felt defensive in nature, or at least it had the potential to be, and it seemed to fit better for her with that thought in mind compared to others.

The Attribute Fruits I split up and kept a Vitality one for myself. There were diminishing returns for eating the same kind of Attribute Fruit too often, so from an efficiency standpoint I didn't consume more of the ones I had already gained stats from recently.

Dorel had been over the moon for the Arrays that came from Port Atwood. There was so much he could do with them; however a lot would need to wait until he had an opportunity to study them. From detection, defense, cultivation, and more, they were a massive advancement in the long-term functionality for his Class.

I upgraded [Sword from Stone] with a Dao Braid of Fire and Volition. It had grown easier to mix two Dao Seeds together for things, and the Middle E-grade weapon that had no affinities was now a Late E-grade weapon that could slice through almost anything while leaving burning wounds in its wake. It was frankly quite close to being a lightsaber in terms of how good it was at cutting through things.

I also Enchanted some powerful offensive talismans that would unleash the same potency as one of my Peak-proficiency Dao Seed of Fire infused Fireballs. It was one-use only, and would act as a trump card for anyone not named Zhou or Vhorra. That was all the time I had for crafting, but I felt it had been a very productive time. Especially since the entire time I had been able to meditate on the Dao. Between making a High-grade fire sword and Peak F-grade offensive fire-attuned talismans, I was able to raise my Dao Seed of Fire to Peak.

Talk had continued and I encouraged my people to be friendly with the Port Atwood people, but also warned them that the Demons had their own views on things that likely didn't mesh well with our own sensibilities.

Vhorra had laughed at that. "Torrid Demons are not like you lot at all. They are sneaky, conniving, and always scheming to take each other down. There will be other reasons for you to mislike them as well."

"Like what?" Zoey asked.

"Slavery, for one. Not all forces use slave labor, but the Torrid Demons certainly do," the Yrd cultivator replied.

"I doubt they have any slaves currently, Port Atwood is primarily a Human faction, after all," I explained. "But again, there is some… difference of opinion between me and their Lord Atwood, Super Brother-Man, but there's no need to diminish operational effectiveness by getting into heated arguments. The Undead Empire are the enemy."

"For now," Jared muttered.

I looked at him. "Yes, for now, and hopefully in the future as well. Perhaps it is my eternal optimism, but the better showing we have against the Undead, the less likely conflict later springs up between us. And even in the worst-case scenario, wouldn't you rather have had the opportunity to know them a bit better and see their way of thinking before a conflict with them occurs?"

Kim chortled. "Now you're talking."

"Is there anything we should hold back, information wise?" Zhou asked.

I shook my head. "Don't go blabbing about your trump cards, but I'll leave that to your discretion. You know how I run things – if I didn't trust each of you, you wouldn't be here."

"Hell yeah!" Will said with a grin, "The boss trusts us, guys. Time to show these Atwood people just how badly they want to stay on our good side!"

I smiled; they got it.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick, eh?" Dad said with a smile.

The carrot and stick, the prime motivators of humanity. Extend a hand in friendship while also showing a would-be rival how dangerous you were. Extend only the carrot, and you were a target. Extend only the stick, and you were a threat. The combination was what motivated people in the right direction. It was time to show the Demon commanders and Port Atwood as a whole just how big of a stick we carried.

***

Alea had seen Zac Atwood fight. The ruggedly handsome man radiated power and simply smashed through all opposition with his incredible prowess. Individually, none of the Salamander Group had such power. Not even Tanya, though she might even be better than Zac in ripping through hordes with her combination of flight and seemingly endless deadly Fireballs.

The way the Salamander Group worked together was something to behold. They turned the chaotic battlefield into a symphony of slaughter. The enemy consisted primarily of mindless zombies with the occasional pack of elite zombies who still weren't proper sentient, but fought more like rabid barghests in a pack. There was some crude instinct at work and they were powerful enough to kill even the higher ends of the Atwood army.

But not the Salamanders.

Vhorra, the Yrd, was frightening in her power. She could turn the ground into a field of ascending spikes that shattered scores of zombies with a simple wave of her hand. Even deadlier, she could rip rocks from the ground, pack them tightly into the size of a Human truck or jeep, then hurl them directly forward at the speed a Human truck could travel, but weighing several times more. The tremendous force simply smashed aside even elite zombies and splattered them with contemptuous ease.

Zhou was quite potent... His spear was a weapon of power, a rarity on a world like this. Even among the Azh'Rezak Clan back home, it would be rare for an F-grade warrior to wield such a weapon. He used it like a man possessed, every move flowing into another, and the combination of a movement skill and what had to be an E-ranked treasure that allowed him to fly made it impossible for the horde to ever successfully surround him.

Kim, Toby, Will, and Jared worked flawlessly together like all four of them were Dao Companions. Alea doubted they were, but the sixth sense they seemed to have in covering each other's backs made her envious, wishing she had that with Zac. Kim was an immovable wall that used her shield as much as her sword in smashing aside any foe, even elite zombies. Will's hammer cracked the earth almost as often as it did zombie bodies, but each time it struck the ground, the zombies collapsed under the tremors. Jared and Toby were less impressive in Alea's eyes, but she wouldn't underestimate them either.

Zoey also held a weapon of power and she moved as swift as the wind, carving apart zombies at the edges of their formation, leaving a trail of limbs and heads in her wake. The medic, Edwin, had not fought directly at all yet, but one of the Demons and two of the Port Atwood recruits had lived because he had pulled them back from the fighting after suffering wounds that may well have killed them.

And in the skies, the blond-haired mage reigned supreme. Fire descended with unerring accuracy and explosive power. For all the might of the Atwood Army and her Salamanders, it was her massive spells that reaped the majority of the dead.

"No wonder the other Incursions were closed. What is wrong with this planet?" Alea asked Ilvere during a lull in the fighting. The original plan had been to slowly whittle down the horde's edges, but Tanya had opted for something… else. Ilvere had argued it was too risky, but Tanya had provided a demonstration and the last two days had seen millions fewer zombies. Only the Miasma stopped them from smashing further in. But when any zombie stepped out of the Dead Zone, there they were.

Ilvere just shook his head. "First Lord Atwood, now Tanya. This Zhou character is rising fast as well. Thea Marshall is another obscene outlier. And Billy? That's a bloodline or I'm a Sky Gnome."

Alea could only agree. Something was definitely different about Earth compared to other newly integrated worlds. The Dominators and the Humans both seemed monstrously powerful. The path of a cultivator was often harrowing, but both Zac and Tanya would have been scooped up by their Clan's few Hegemons for personal tutelage as potential future Hegemons themselves. Were they Demons, of course.

The Undead Empire are still a Peak faction. We haven't encountered their generals yet, or the massive Corpse Golems we know they have at their Incursion Beacon. When the Undead Empire starts getting serious, we will see just how close in power Tanya and the Salamanders are to Zac.

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Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out

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tip: "uchiha sasuke/uzumaki naruto" angst kudos>10

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Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download

Work Header

Rating:

Not Rated

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Fandoms:

Characters:

Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

Additional Tags:

Crossovers & Fandom FusionsStrong Female CharactersPost-ApocalypseLitRPG

Language:

English

Stats:

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

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 39

Chapter Text

Chapter 39

Zac had hit Level 75, but I was hot on his heels. If there was a world's first Title for reaching Level 75, he had accomplished it. The Undead, at least so far, hadn't given us much trouble. Their zombies did not seem to have almost any unique Undead, being mostly just variations of typical zombies. None of the Port Atwood warriors, let alone any of my Salamanders, would lose to a normal zombie. The same, sadly, couldn't be said for the Sino-Indian Alliance, but their casualties were still fairly light.

The more elite zombies who occasionally burst out in packs could cause trouble, but even then the Port Atwood soldiers could work together and dispatch them when a true elite was not nearby. Casualties did mount, but all in all we had greatly diminished one of the main hordes of zombies.

Alea and Ilvere reported how things were going elsewhere.

"Lord Atwood succeeded in dealing with the filthy Tal-Eladar," Ilvere growled, "but the cost was high."

I arched an eyebrow. I didn't expect Super Brother-Man to have many difficulties.

Alea's smooth features were marred by her frown. "They had a number of E-grade beasts, with the Incursion Leader herself having three. Between defensive arrays, numbers, and several elites, there were losses. Ogras was wounded, but that scoundrel will be fine. The loss of Harvath will be greatly mourned."

"I'm not sure of your relation, but my condolences, regardless," I said diplomatically.

They both took it in stride and shared that the Marshall Alliance was also holding up, but things had been touch and go for a while until the Zhix armies provided support. It was rather ironic that Henry Marhsall wanted to eliminate the Zhix, but the insectoids were what was keeping his Alliance from suffering a lot of casualties.

Intelligence was also shared. The zombies were almost completely mindless, except for a controller variation that often hid next to the elite zombies. They didn't quite have enough sentience to do more than accept instructions from higher up, and then act as a sort of relay to the lesser zombies around them. Thea would regularly go in and assassinate them so large numbers of zombies would disperse and fail to act in unison.

More than one way to skin a cat.

The approach had merit, but so did igniting hundreds of thousands of zombies with powerful Fireballs. Alea had asked me how I was able to stay flying so long during battles, and I had explained how I created a Dao Field with my Dao Seed of Structure to literally stand on a platform of air. It still used Cosmic Energy and Mental Energy, but the Cosmic Energy cost was a fraction of what my E-grade boots went through. I really only ever used boots when I had to relocate to rain down hell on another section of the battlefield.

I went to check on how Dorel's new Arrays were doing. He was able to mimic what the Purifiers in the Sino-Indian Alliance could do to a certain extent. It required someone to sit underneath an Array for several hours, but we could cram a lot of people within fairly tightly. The time was typically also not wasted, as they could still cultivate while they bathed in the Miasma cleaning effects. Each Array could handle around forty people at a time and, as long as we had enough Nexus Crystals, they could run 24/7.

And we had a lot of Nexus Crystals. The slaughter of so many zombies gave us a large amount of Nexus Coins due to the sheer quantity of the Undead we killed, so we were fairly flushed for cash. After some negotiating, and me pointing out Dorel was willing to share the design of his Array, Ilvere forked over a large quantity of Nexus Crystals, with more regularly coming.

It's pretty fair, all things considering, even if we are letting the Sino-Indian Alliance also use them.

We probably wouldn't need to use them all that much if it wasn't for the fact we were pushing in with our slaughter. My goal wasn't just to shrink this horde, but to wipe it out completely and then relieve the Everlasting Monastery.

After speaking with Dorel and Shella I wandered over to Zoey petting Haze, the black panther cub that Jared had picked up as his beast companion. The creature was definitely mutated, or perhaps 'evolved' might be a better term. While not useful in a fight currently, the dark mist that coated it had hints of the Dao. I suspected it would be an excellent ambush asset in the future.

"Just remember, it's my pet, not yours!" Jared said.

"Yeah, yeah, you're just mad that he likes me more," Zoey said and stuck out her tongue before making cooing sounds.

I shook my head, said hello, and made sure they didn't need anything. Zoey had not had to activate her shield amulet in the last few fights. Her quick darts in and out were now far more controlled than her usual flying leaps into the air.

"What's the word, boss?" Kim asked.

"The Zhix have joined in against the Undead. Their movements are a bit strange, though. At first we pegged it as the fact zombies might wander where they please, but the Marshall Alliance is saying they are actually being directed deliberately. However, their movements don't make a whole lot of sense at this point. It might be misdirection, or perhaps they are looking for an entrance to the underworld like a lot of others."

"Naw, I wasn't talking about that, I meant when are you going to hit Level 75? Time for you to put 'Lord Atwood' behind you or these Demons are never going to stop strutting."

The Demons were the ones we most interacted with, but that was primarily due to their leadership position and experience. The Humans and the crazy Ishiate Tinkers who made up the bulk of the Port Atwood army were likely also equally pleased to see their leader in the top spot.

I should probably not let Shella and Dorel's bias affect me… but the Tinkers are a bit crazy.

They were one of our aces, along with the powerful brew of anti-Undead poison Alea was concocting. The Tinkers had cannons, only they were far more powerful and temperamental than the cannons of old from Earth. They were not being used currently, because it was very likely many of them would explode or damage themselves while firing. They would be useful in a tight spot, but currently the Undead Empire was just not posing that much of a challenge.

Not even two hours later, that changed a bit. The Undead had not used their Unholy Beacons offensively till now. Some had been arrayed around the monastery, but they hadn't been used against the Sino-Indian Alliance before. The ten meter tall constructs, sometimes larger, converted the ambient Cosmic Energy into Miasma. This empowered the local Undead and created additional risk of overexposure to the toxic energy.

Being near the Dead Zone, but not within it, could be withstood for months without too many adversarial effects. Being close to zombies amplified that, however, and with the addition of these Unholy Beacons, it would likely get worse. The issue was more pronounced at lower Levels.

Ilvere approached and asked if anything needed to be changed now that two of their Unholy Beacons were headed our way.

"I'll deal with them."

Sadly, blasting them with Fireballs from the air did not destroy them, which surprised me a bit. The next step in testing their defense was using [Suppression] on them, which unfortunately didn't weaken them very much, but it did slow their conversion rate of Cosmic Energy into Miasma. Annoyed, I dove down to deal with them up-close. Most of the zombies in the immediate area had already been incinerated, clearing the way. As I neared them, two Offensive Arrays that had been buried in the ground revealed themselves.

I zipped to the side while summoning a magical barrier with [Temporary Enchantment]. The first sent out a blast of lightning that my quick movements managed to avoid, while the second was more like a solid beam of black light. That one struck my magical barrier, and the harsh energies had a Death-aligned Dao coursing through them. Fortunately, my Daos of Structure and Sanctuary provided my magical barrier with immense levels of protection.

I crashed down into the lightning Array, destroying it while charging up [Blink]. I waited until the other Offensive Array recharged and its energy coiled up. Right as it reached a crescendo, I activated my Skill and the black beam lashed into empty air as I ripped apart the revealed Array Flags. Before I could turn to focus on the Unholy Beacon, however, specters rose from the ground and lunged at me.

Specters were difficult for regular people to deal with. F-grade weapons, especially those not infused with a Dao, just went right through them. E-grade weapons were better, but the key difference was using your Dao. A life-attuned Dao worked best, but Fire worked well enough against these things. None of them were all that powerful, so I ripped them apart with [Sword from Stone] while I dodged their attacks with my quite high Dexterity. The Cosmic Energy that filled me from the kills was not all that significant, which meant these specters were below Level 60. This could have been a deadly trap for others, but for me, it was just a speed bump.

I then slashed open an Unholy Beacon with my sword. The material was tough and lined with fractals of power, but against [Sword from Stone] it was easy to carve up. Before I could focus on the next one, however, I paused for a moment due to a System prompt. It was a Dynamic Quest. I had started to think that after refusing to kill the Yrd Stonemen Incursion Leader that the System was done giving me more Quests.

Beacon Breaker (Unique): Destroy 17 Unholy Beacons in combat. (1/17) Reward: Limited Title, Beacon Breaker.

I was planning on destroying these things anyway, but I was once again reminded of my hate for the System and its inability to provide details. I knew from the stack of Information Crystals and general knowledge I had spent tons of Nexus Coins on back in Base Town that there were two different types of Titles. You could have as many regular Titles as the System gave you, but you only had three Limited Title slots. In many cases, Limited Titles could be won through specific Trials. I had read a snippet that joining certain C-grade Factions in the sector allowed you to participate in Trials that could earn you a Limited Title.

Hmm, I wonder if the Eastern Trigram Hunt provided any Titles like that? Unfortunately, I'm willing to bet people won't easily part with that information. At least not for free. Oh well, it isn't like I can go back and do it now.

The Unholy Beacons would now be my priority. I believed the Port Atwood soldiers could handle being around them for a day or more without too much harm, but they were all over Level 30. Most of the Sino-Indian Alliance might sicken and die within minutes given how low their Levels typically were. Still, I was quite excited to complete this Quest. There was something addicting, probably purposefully so, in earning Titles. It gave a little pep in my step and an eagerness to fight that I normally would never have while on the frontlines.

***

"That is just the way it is done in the Multiverse, it is best not to hold grudges," Vhorra explained to the Degurechaff patriarch. He didn't act much like a patriarch, but then again, Earth had just joined System Integrated Space. Still, she didn't understand why he found the concept so difficult.

He rubbed at his temple, a gesture of frustration this type of Human had.

"So the solution is just to kill someone? That way you don't hold animosity or hatred for the person any longer? That… that's so bloodthirsty!"

"Heart Demons can form through jealousy. They can form through anger at another. They can form when enemies or rivals advance and you do not. It is just a prudent risk to slay someone so you can no longer worry about it."

"And the thought of making peace and just getting along never enters the equation?"

Vhorra's rock-like shoulders gave a Human-like shrug. "It can, but we were speaking of rivals and enemies. Alliances happen all the time within the Multiverse. And while it is better to just end your rivals, the danger of a Heart Demon forming is often not as great as certain death by risking the ire of a more powerful Clan. But that is not the case for Earth."

Edwin frowned at her.

"My daughter isn't the envious type, in fact, she tends to view envy as the root of the worst sort of ideologies that came from our world. Zac Atwood also seems focused and self-assured. Even if the Demons encourage him to 'deal' with Tanya at some point, I didn't get the impression that he would stoop to murder just to avoid the possibility of forming such a thing."

"So, uh, are we talking about an actual entity… or?" Will asked in confusion.

"No," Vhorra replied, "not normally."

"'Not normally'? You mean little demons can grow in your heart?" Will asked, alarmed.

Vhorra didn't truthfully know, outside of legends and rumors. But it would make sense for C-grade Monarchs, since they had entire Inner Worlds.

"It isn't something we need to worry about at this Level," she said.

"Either way," Edwin said firmly, "Tanya isn't going to try to plan to murder Lord Atwood unless he does something unconscionable. And talk like this, in the middle of this camp, is unwise."

Vhorra understood the logic behind that. Who knew if the members of the Atwood army had some Skills to listen in on their conversations. Her basic privacy treasure was only Middle F-grade, after all.

"Since we are changing subjects…" Will began, "can you explain again how you are using your Dao Seed of Loam to manipulate the ground and rocks without a Skill?"

"I do use a Skill for some things, but as you perceive the Dao at higher levels, you can adjust the world around you. For example, someone with the Dao of Hardness can make their skin tougher without using a Skill. Do you think Zoey, before gaining some tactical sense, was merely using her Strength to leap so high? She was unconsciously using her Dao Seed of Lightness. The difference is that I can manipulate my Dao deliberately."

These people were so ignorant. She idly wondered if this world was one of the System-run experiments that occasionally occurred where the Tutorial Pixies altered what they shared. It could also be that it was due to Earth being originally F-grade. It seemed to have been particularly lacking in spirituality prior to Integration.

Perhaps they did not go into more complicated subjects so that locals could understand the basics of cultivation easier?

Many worlds prior to Integration with the Multiverse could cultivate. Not every planet was ignorant of Cosmic Energy, especially ones that teamed with it. Earth being a tiny rock at the lowest classification could have altered what they shared. Ultimately, it didn't matter, as the lack of proper information was swiftly being remedied by her and the information Tanya brought back from her trip to the Tower of Eternity. Her conquering the 6th Floor was a shocking testament to her prowess. Vhorra herself had the goal of clearing the 5th Floor as something that would set her apart among her Clan. Prior to the Incursion she did not give high odds to her success, but now that she was bathed in the Origin Dao and had been given so many opportunities… the odds might rise as high as fifty percent.

"Okay, so, when I get my Dao Seed of Loam to Peak, I'll be able to make giant boulders float and send them sailing miles away?"

Vhorra laughed. "I have a bloodline that helps, so probably not exactly like that, but once you rise to E-grade and develop your understanding of Loam enough to build a Fragment, you will be able to. Alternatively, finding a Skill, perhaps from your odd Class, could also accomplish that."

She knew her talent was quite strong, though her bloodline was not as pure as one could hope. Fortunately, there were ways to improve it. Her immediate goal was to form a Fragment before she reached Level 75. It wouldn't have been possible without the Origin Dao, and in normal circumstances she would not rush such a thing, but this place… it had so many opportunities for the truly strong. Making sure she didn't fall too far behind Tanya and become dead-weight was of utmost importance. Her foundations could be shored up later. E-grade would give her several centuries to work with, and after her one hundred years here was up she could enter into seclusion and ensure everything was ready for the possibility of D-grade.

Me? A Hegemon? It was beyond my wildest dreams only a year ago, but now I see the road before me. And… these Humans are not a burden. They rarely have their guard up; it is a nice change of pace.

***

Zac had returned victorious over Salvation. Ogras had been wounded again, but the Demon was surprisingly tough. He'd need several days to fully recover, but that was fine, as Zac also hadn't left the fight unscathed. Closing down Incursions was difficult enough, but Salvation and all of his damned puppets had been much tougher.

I still can't believe how tough the Tal-Eladar were. Losing some of my Valkyries and Harvath was horrible.

Harvath had already evolved into E-grade and he still had been taken down by the deadly Tal-Eladar. It had been a struggle, but Zac's massive attributes thanks to his two Classes had enabled him to put down the deadly beasts the Tal-Eladar had.

Salvation had, unfortunately, also managed to smuggle puppets into various Towns, mostly in the Sino-Indian Alliance and in the NWG, and when he died, they all had exploded. Death tolls were not readily available, but he'd been informed that probably close to a million people had died when he had killed Salvation. There was really no way to prevent it, but he felt a bit uneasy about it, and it dimmed the joy of victory.

"Have you heard anything from the battle with the zombies?" Zac asked.

"I get an update every evening from Adran," Kenzie replied. "The Zhix have really helped out the Marshall Alliance and they are doing okay. Our own troops are absolutely mopping the floor with the horde they've been assigned to. The only reason the entire horde hasn't been smashed into bits is that they don't want to push too deep into the Miasma-filled Dead Zone."

Zac smiled, it was good to hear his people were doing well. "No issues with Tanya leading them?"

"Not that I've been told. Adran said that Alea and Ilvere have zero complaints. Although Janos says it feels too easy, like they are being lured into a trap. But he's always gloomy, so who knows. Tanya also brought along some crafters with her who are helping the Sino-Indian Alliance with Miasma sickness."

Good. Tanya seemed a bit unreasonable at Westfort about some things, but at least she's willing to listen to people with experience managing armies. It really is the best of both worlds, the army gets her leadership buff, while Ilvere can still call the tactical shots.

Zac knew he didn't have much clue about how to direct other warriors in battle. If he was 'leading' the army, he'd just bulldoze through whoever was the toughest opponent and leave the military planning to people who knew their stuff. Tanya had a decade less life experience, but young people tended to be arrogant and that was why he had made sure Ilvere had the ability to veto anything crazy she tried to pull. Unlike some of the more suspicious minded Demons, he didn't think Tanya would deliberately pull anything shady, but youthful overconfidence could get you killed just as easily as maleficence.

The other massive news was they had been able to link their Teleportation Array to one in the Underworld. No one had gone through yet though because they couldn't be sure it wasn't a Cradle of God situation. Zac was reasonably confident that he was powerful enough to stop any sort of trap from killing him, but precautions needed to be taken. Before he could do that, though, word had also been sent that Abbot Everlasting Peace was asking for him to visit.

"Are the Undead going to attack him soon? I didn't ask because I assumed you would have told me if anything changed on that front."

"Right, I would tell you," his sister said while rolling her eyes. "No, nothing has changed, but he asked for you regardless. I'd say go and see what he wants while we get together the party you want to take to the underworld."

Zac agreed and decided to head to the Everlasting Monastery despite his wounds. His last visit had been a good one where he had enjoyed his talk with the man. What followed made his head absolutely spin. A powerful cultivator, the 84th incarnation of the Lotus Emperor, had arrived. Through links of Karma he had pierced the System shroud and taken Abbot Everlasting Peace and all of his fellow monks into his Inner World and left Earth altogether.

It was disappointing that he was gone. It was also disappointing that he wouldn't help, but the '84th Fatty', as the Monarch in child-like form had jokingly called himself, explained that by helping he would create links of Karma to everyone on Earth. And that tie could be dangerous as he had many enemies, enemies who would gladly attack Earth and torture the populace just to create havoc on his Karma. Cultivators who focused in Karma had to be detached and avoid unnecessary ties, or they could be used against them.

Zac still felt it sounded a bit sketchy, but Abbot Everlasting Peace had interceded and he at least had received an item that could help with cleansing the 'seeds' that the Great Redeemer had planted. So much was happening in so little time. He needed to take some days off to process everything, as well as get healed up, before he tackled the underworld.

***

Dorel felt a great deal of satisfaction in completing his Quest. While improving oneself was important for survival, that was not why pride radiated throughout him.

Purify the Living (Unique): Purify living beings of Miasma with your creations. (100,000/100,000) [COMPLETE]

The reward had been gaining a powerful Dao insight that unlocked the Dao Seed of Purity. The Undead were a breakpoint in the natural cycle of life and death. Death was not evil. Death could be sad, but death allowed room for new life. But the Undead? They were an abomination that made the worst excesses of the Tinkers seem benign.

"I've done it my dear, I've completed the Quest and unlocked a new Dao Seed; the Dao of Purity."

Shella's ears flickered with excitement. "A joyful day then. Will you be able to use your new Dao Seed to improve the Arrays?"

He could and he would. Dorel felt a little bad that the puppet project kept being pushed back, but Tanya had understood. Keeping people alive was more important. 'Defeating the Incursions had to take precedence over some esoteric Soul Mastery process', was what she had said.

"I have some other ideas as well. Pills often have a toxicity component. I believe I will be able to set up an Array that cleanses some of those impurities away from your creations. This concept is similar to that Array for Alchemy spoken of in the information we gained from Lord Atwood, but it is expensive due to the Nexus Crystal requirements. By improving its effectiveness with my Dao Seed of Purity, I believe it will be worth that sort of cost. When you learn the [Year Pill] Skill, we will want everything to be perfect."

Shella nodded excitedly. One of the best things that had come from Tanya's trip to the Tower of Eternity was the wealth of information about Skills for Common Classes. His wife now knew what her Level 50, 60, and two 'ultimate' Level 75 abilities would be. One of them was [Year Pill], which allowed for an Alchemist to craft a powerful pill that eclipsed what they would normally be able to do. As the name suggested, it could only be done once a year.

As to what pill Shella would decide to use that ability on, they weren't sure. More than likely more recipes would fall in their laps before she finally reached the Peak of F-grade, so it wasn't something that needed an immediate answer. More grimly, he thought, was that unless they were able to close down the Incursions and make sure the new combination planet was safe, it wouldn't matter.

I am glad we decided to join Tanya all those months ago. We are making a difference in ways another warrior may not have been able to do.

***

Getting to Level 75 granted me not just one Free Point in addition to my normal attribute upgrades, but a total of twenty Free Points. I decided to dump all the points in Wisdom because my ace in the hole was [Mind Splinter] and Wisdom directly improved Mentalist-type of attacks. On top of that I also gained a new Title.

[The First Step: Reach Peak of F-grade. Reward: All Stats +5.]

Having reached Level 75, I had to make a decision. Advancing to E-grade would provide an immediate boost, but at the potential cost of long-term strength in my foundations. With only two Dao Seeds at Peak, and my regular meditation on the Dao, I knew what would be my first Fragment if I combined the two Seeds.

The Fragment of the Forge.

I didn't have issues with that sort of Fragment, other than I had wanted to combine Structure with Pledge and Fire with Fury. Fury was the odd man out in terms of my Dao Seeds. It wasn't a part of me that I relished. Anger could serve a purpose, but it was very easy for it to slip beyond motivation and into outright irrationality. Subsuming that Seed into a physical, fiery spectacle would pull the nature of my Dao away from the emotional aspect of Fury.

I delayed my decision by looking at my current Class Quests.

Cosmic Reserves (Class): Upgrade to a Dao Fragment using the Dao Seed of Structure or the Dao Seed of Insight. (0/1)

Crafter's Fortune (Class): Obtain a Breakthrough Result on an E-grade or D-grade item. (0/1).

The second Class Quest made me want to spit fire. I did not like leaving things to chance. I rather liked [Careful Path], but when the timing to use it was too long I almost never attempted something with a failure rate above 5%. Now I had to craft an item and hope that it would hit that .01% or .02% chance? One out of every 5,000 to 10,000 items would hit a Breakthrough. That was ridiculous!

I knew that this Class Quest would remain active even after I ascended into a new Class, but I found the idea of just waiting on pure luck to gain my next Class Skill immensely frustrating. Granted, by the time I was Level 125, I could churn out E-grade items like I could currently churn out fire knives by the dozen, so in time, it was a certainty that I would achieve it.

Cosmic Reserves was easier to achieve. However, my leveling spree in the Tower of Eternity had come back to bite me a bit, because the Dao of Insight was likely the 'free' Dao insight finishing one of my Class Quests was supposed to give me. Due to the temporal fuckery inside the actual Tower, it meant I had missed out on that Dao. I supposed that it wasn't the end of the world, because if eight was my natural maximum, it would have just led to me not gaining the Seed of Investment. And I felt my own nature veered more toward Investment than Insight in the end.

Investment was something I did with my people. Investment was something I held deep value for. Insight was a useful tool, of course, but people weren't hard to figure out. Except for the irrational idiots like the employee who shoved me to my death in my 1st life, I was an exceptional judge of character and able to understand what motivated rational people. Insight was good, but it wasn't a core part of my identity the way Investment was.

On the other hand, it probably would have been very helpful with these chance-type crafting elements. Though, the idea of Breakthrough Crafting creating a much more powerful item than you normally could craft did explain why some treasures seemed so much more valuable and useful even if they were of the same grade. Though, as people tend to do, they have extra classifications.

Beyond Peak quality was Supreme, but Supreme was often colloquially exchanged for Pseudo-Grade of the next tier up. What was fascinating was how the System sometimes exchanged the two without any strict rhyme or reason. I supposed it made sense as certain Titles were clearly only culturally relevant to Humans from Earth. The System screens also appeared in whatever language you preferred, so it wasn't as if the titles and names of things were hard-coded into the Multiverse.

Returning to my conundrum about fusing my Dao Seeds, I decided that I just had to bite the bullet. I still greatly desired a peaceful life one day. Creating the Fragment of the Forge would almost certainly ensure I qualified for an Epic Crafting Class. It wasn't as if I had a shortage of powerful Dao Seeds I could still manipulate Fireball with. And the Fragment of the Forge would absolutely still be useful for using [Temporary Enchantment] for creating magical barriers.

I had made my decision and I could tell I was close to a breakthrough in my Dao anyway. This time I would be focusing both my primary self and my faux Soul split on meditating on the Dao Fragment I wanted to… forge.

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Chapter 1619 - 37-39