Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 917: Alava'Har

Bastard.Ogras watched the two social outcasts walk in pace, and it was hard to tell who was more uncomfortable. Zac wore it plainly on his face, but Ogras could almost hear the gears turning in the head of that sheltered lass. They looked like a teenage couple full of hormones and awkward love. Double-bastard.

He’d spent ten years in this godforsaken realm with not a woman as far as the eye could see. All the while, this guy was living it up while pretending otherwise. The more he heard, the more Ogras’ teeth itched. The Peak lass, Leyara, even that little doe-eyed re

However, Zac’s relief was short-lived as the ball’s destruction released a splatter of flames in every direction like a Dao-infused Molotov Cocktail. A few of them managed to reach his body, and his robes immediately became a tattered mess. A searing pain soon followed as parcels of fiery Dao dug into his body. It was almost as though the flames were alive, in a tangible way that was completely different from the fire left behind by [Flashfire Flourish].

These little flames were connected with the boundless universe.

Sensing them with his soul felt like looking at the primordial soup from which the Big Bang created the universe. It was a fire of endless possibility, almost reminding him of one aspect of Creation. At the same time, it held the ability to reduce anything to ashes, leaving nothing in its wake but utter destruction. A facet of Oblivion.

Was this Iz’s Dao? Her vision of a supreme Dao of Fire that was one with all?

A deep and angry thud from the depths of his chest brought him out from his reverie as [Void Heart] woke up, and it started to drag the wayward embers toward its maws. But the flames were unwilling to go quietly into the night, and they desperately struggled against the pull. The Hidden Node managed to swallow a few, but most embers made their way out of Zac’s body, leaving a second scorch mark behind before returning to Iz’s side.

The apocalyptic surroundings died down a moment later, confirming it was indeed not real but an effect brought by the Dao infused into the attack. Ogras was just fine, even though it looked like the flames had consumed him for a moment, and he was looking at Iz with wide eyes.

“Well?” Zac grimaced as he looked down at his ruined clothes with dismay.

It looked like he had returned to his roots, where he looked like a mix of a burn victim and a homeless person.

“I am very curious just what your Bloodline is. It is the first time I’ve seen someone dare consume the flames of my family,” Iz said with interest. “Or at least succeed in doing so.”

Her words made Zac pause. It looked like she didn’t know quite everything about him, at least.

“Well, there’s always a first,” Zac eventually grunted as he walked over. “The stone?”

“I left a mark on you during our first meeting,” Iz said, and Zac wasn’t surprised.

Zac remembered the flame touching his chest but not actually harming him. He had long since guessed it was a tracking mark, but he hadn’t been overly worried about it since she came from a different part of the Multiverse. So much for that theory.

“You managed to destroy it, but I had an elder bring it back and reinforce it,” Iz said, making both Ogras and Zac looked at her with alarm. Just how powerful did you have to be to bring back a destroyed tracking mark on someone across half the Multiverse? “It is through that mark I’ve been able to find you.”

“Well, that explains some of it, but it doesn’t explain how you know about the stone?” Zac said, putting the matter of her elder aside.

“The mark can create a lingering resonance in weaker cultivators that would let my family identify them,” Iz nodded. “That would allow us to do all kinds of things. Such as finding the clerks you had been in contact with while living in the mutated Voidcatcher.”

Zac looked at Iz suspiciously. It was as plausible as anything else, but he worried it wasn’t the whole truth.

“In either case, the brand barely works by now,” Iz continued. “It would have to get bolstered by my elder again since you weakened it when you conjured Chaos.”

“How do I know you’re not just making things up?” Zac asked.

“Every word I’ve said was true,” Iz said, but she looked a bit hesitant. Eventually, she spoke up again. “The price for the knowledge might be off. Do you want to know anything else?”

“How about you remove the mark instead?” Zac said. “After all, you’ve already found me.”

“Impossible,” Iz said with a shake of her head. “Even if damaged, it has been bolstered by my elder. It’s not something that I can remove.”

“Alright,” Zac grunted. “Then can you tell me if a bunch of Autarchs, or even stronger beings, will come to Zecia to contend for the inheritance? You should know that’s not something a small frontier sector can withstand.”

“Oh, you do not need to worry about that,” Iz said. “The Boundless Heavens has shielded this sector. My elder believes this inheritance is targeted at the younger generation, and the Heavens do not want undue interference. When we entered, only a Middle Monarch could be sent through.”

Zac and Ogras shared a glance, the relief evident in their eyes. This was their biggest worry, but it looked like the System had already dealt with the problem for them. Of course, Monarchs from the outside were difficult to deal with, but they were nothing compared to Supremacies.

“Ask her something else,” Ogras urged as a grin spread across his face.

“You ask her, bastard,” Zac swore as he looked down at his charred body. “I’m about well done over here. If I get any more toasty, you’ll have to fight the next battle yourself.”

“Fine,” Ogras sighed. “We’ll talk more after we’ve rested.”

“I know many things,” Iz added as she hopefully looked at Zac.

“Isn’t that great,” Zac muttered. “Now, where is that cave?”