A/N: And that's it for April. Sorry about the rocky releases the last two weeks. Getting hit by a chain combo of illnesses did some heavy damage to my chapter stockpile. We're should be settled for now, and May's a normal release month. See you next time, Space Cowboys!
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Zac woke up with a start and looked around wildly. The generous space of the upgraded [Shrine of Kanba] greeted him. He had survived, and he was back in his own body. Zac thought back, vaguely recalling that the curse lost its power just before a terrifying backlash knocked him unconscious. The memory made his heart grow cold as he realized his mind currently had only one vantage point.
The other side was simply nothing. Not even a sense of touch was conveyed through the Duplicity Core. No pain, no raging energies. Nothing. Zac trembled as a horrifying thought struck him. He remembered his head getting blasted off. Had the Primo's Eye claimed the rest while he was defenseless?
"Why are you acting like someone stole your wallet? It's just a missing head. Start by extending your Soul Sense," Esmeralda said before Zac could start to spiral.
Zac did as he was told and finally gained a second point of reference. His human body was lying prone atop a thin earthen pillar, headless but otherwise mostly whole. His body was in an odd condition, seemingly neither living nor dead. There was no heartbeat, and none of his organs were working. Nevertheless, his body gave off a powerful vitality, and parts of his throat had already regrown on their own. His wriggling flesh was autonomously drawing on his reserves to recover the damage.
The Primo's Eye was lying right next to his right hand. The left had been annihilated when he tore off a piece of the seal. Thankfully, the two feathers had adjusted themselves to cover the gap, and the eye was once more inert. Zac almost felt he could sense satisfaction conveyed through the treasure, though it was probably his imagination.
A chasm stretched out beyond the pillar. There was nothing familiar within his perception range. No forest, no trees, nothing. Naturally, there was no sign of the Buddhist temple or Gimuz. Only a diamond-shaped patch of land five meters across had survived the outburst of Apocalyptic death. It was standing on a thin cone of bedrock that looked like it had been neatly cut by a gargantuan blade. There were a handful of similar peaks behind him, indicating the damage was mostly centered in the direction he'd pointed.
It was for that reason that Zac had survived the ordeal. The streak of Apocalyptic Death had been so concentrated and fast-moving that it only took off his head. No Apocalyptic Death ever entered his body, saving him from being ground to dust while unconscious. After confirming the eye was sealed and there were no remaining energies nearby, Zac emerged with his Draugr half.
Any thoughts of dealing with his wounded body flew right out of Zac's mind as he was able to properly take in the scene with his eyes. His Soul Sense could only cover a few hundred meters in every direction. Anything beyond that perimeter was a mystery. His eyes didn't have that limitation, and the devastation that greeted him made his head spin.
"Was this all me?" Zac whispered as Esmeralda emerged by his side.
"All you, my mischievous little protégé. Don't even think of dragging me into this mess," Esmeralda snickered.
A sinking feeling gripped his heart as the ramifications of his gambit settled. He'd been confident in using the Primo's Eye because he'd seen its power once before. Sure, its burst had destroyed most of the Rapture Observatory and continued a few hundred miles beyond. While a bit overboard, that kind of damage was only a blip to the massive Wekaia Forest.
Now, Zac couldn't see the bottom of the chasm he'd created, and it continued for thousands upon thousands of miles. Even the errant streaks continuing behind him had destroyed countless acres of woodland. It was like he'd cut the whole Anima Court in two, possibly leaving a scar on the Left Imperial Expanse that would be visible from outer space.
Contrary to what he'd sensed through Soul Sense, the Apocalyptic Death hadn't fully dispersed. There was plenty of it in the depths of the chasm, and more of it the further away you looked. It was only Zac's immediate surroundings that were clear. Even the sky was filled with streaks of death, confirming the blast hadn't just torn through the ground.
The only good news was that the rootless energy was swiftly being dispersed by the powerful spirituality of the Anima Court. It didn't seem like a Dead Zone would emerge in the Outer Court. Still, the ramifications were too much to shoulder on his own. Zac's hands grew clammy as he stuffed the sealed eye into his [Purity of the Void].
After confirming he hadn't died, the bag holding the [Pasho'Har Bell] went inside as well. Successfully transporting the eye through his Void Realm had indicated it should be safe, yet he hadn't dared test it to confirm. Now, it didn't seem like he had much of a choice. The commotion he'd caused was too great to leave the supreme items exposed on the outside.
Hiding the most damning evidence didn't help absolve him of the guilt. A quick check with his mental map of the Anima Court indicated there was no major settlement caught in the line of fire. That didn't mean a massive extinction event hadn't just occurred. There were countless traveling disciples and hidden realms filled with civilians that were connected to the space. A blast of this level of power could very well have barged into such spaces and killed everyone inside.
Forget about getting a recommendation letter for the [Well of Forgetfulness]; he'd be lucky if he wasn't struck down where he stood.
"What changed? Why did it cause so much damage?" Zac said in disbelief.
"What did you think would happen?" Esmeralda rolled her eyes. "This is an A-grade treasure we're talking about. A Supremacy has enough strength in their pinky to shatter worlds. If anything, the damage is quite contained. Primal Heavens are indeed tough."
"But last time—"
"Last time the eye was spent after keeping an artificial realm going long beyond its expiration date, no?" Esmeralda countered. "Of course it would bounce back after ridding itself of such a burden."
"We need to leave," Zac said in a hushed tone.
"Forget it. A very powerful perception swept past us a few times while you were unconscious. The leaders should already know everything," Esmeralda said.
"So why aren't you panicking?"
"First off, I'm just a clone," Esmeralda said with a wide grin. "More importantly, they would already have descended here if they wanted to deal with you. An Autarch could arrive here in a single bound. These streaks of death are not enough to keep them at bay."
"That's a lot of guesswork you're basing my survival on," Zac muttered as he looked around for a path out of the mess.
"We don't have much of a choice. How are we even supposed to escape?" Esmeralda said, waving at her surroundings.
She was right. There was no clear path through the maze of death, much like the last time he used the eye. Even if he got out, Zac had no way out of the court itself. Most of Anima Court's memory domain had no clear borders. It was erected inside the confined space of a Soul Aperture. The only ways in or out were the official pathways or the backdoors that had opened through time's erosion or the Lost Era's corruption. Those passages were deathtraps without Esmeralda's real body to lead the way.
"Besides, it's not just a wild guess," Esmeralda said. "I saw a bit more of what happened after you got taken out. I think your attack was so scary that it startled the remnant psyche of the Daynight Dreamer awake. And when it came to, it realized it was filled with Buddhist Dharma. It instinctively shed the unfamiliar Dao before it fell asleep again."
"You're saying..."
"These imperials are using this creature for something important, and the host was infected with the most stubborn disease of all. The commotion you caused worked in their favor. Rather than being punished, you're probably in for a reward," Esmeralda said.
"I'm not so sure about that..." Zac said as he checked his disciple token. "I haven't gained any Erudition."
"It's held in escrow until we can make the pertinent calculations."
Zac turned around and found Castain Estruvo landing on one of the other surviving pillars. Zac tried to force out a smile as he faced the Peak Monarch.
"About all this. I'm not sure what you think you heard or saw happen, but—"
"Let me guess, you're an innocent bystander?" Castain said with a raised brow. "The no-good monks made a desperate attempt to damage the dreamer when you thwarted their insidious plot?"
"Actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Let's go with that," Esmeralda nodded, completely unabashed.
"It's as we believed, then," Castain smiled. "And do not worry. The court's Grand Array will restore the damage after the hostile energy has dispersed. There were also no casualties beyond some local spirits."
"How's that possible?" Zac said with surprise.
"The Court Mistress intervened and moved everyone out of the way. The cost of her intervention and having to activate the Grand Array is what's being discussed at the moment."
"So... that's it... I'm free to go?" Zac said slowly.
"That's it," Castain said as he threw out a jade disk with a golden tassel attached. On it were two runes; one meaning forgetfulness and the other was the sigil of the Estruvo Clan. "As promised, the recommendation."
Zac's eyes lit up. "Thank you!"
"Don't put too much hope in receiving further payment. The commotion you caused was simply too exaggerated," Castain said with a helpless expression. "And no more explosions, please."
"Sakra's mortal seeds are all dead, along with Gimuz. How could there be any further explosions with them gone?" Zac said, adopting Esmeralda's shameless expression, much to her delight.
"Sakra? Interesting," Castain murmured before glancing at Zac's headless body. "I would recommend sorting out your situation before entering the well. A Hegemon's body is functionally the same as a mortal's. The brain still has an actual function. Without it, you'll have to control everything manually with your soul. You can ill afford such distractions inside the well."
"I'll keep that in mind," Zac said.
"The realm will be restored within half an hour," Castain said as he faded. "Thank you for your assistance, fatebender, and farewell."
"You have to hand it to these imperials; they're pretty good at keeping their promises. Just a shame they're also maniacs who keep trying to take over the world," Esmeralda said before turning to Zac's human half.
"I guess you have to take the good with the bad," Zac smiled, both surprised and relieved he was let go just like that. Then again, what use did a living dead like Castain have for riches?
Esmeralda clapped her hands. "Alright, time to get moving. Try controlling yourself like a puppet. It shouldn't be too difficult for you since you still have a fully formed body."
Zac nodded and urged the headless limbs into moving. Eventually, he got himself into a sitting position. It was surprisingly difficult. He had fought with his body punched full of holes, bones snapped, and muscles torn without missing a beat. He'd simply used spirit to move flesh according to his will. Now, it really felt like he was manipulating a badly configured puppet rather than his own body.
"Not bad for your first time," Esmeralda nodded. "With enough practice, you'll learn to intercept the signals sent through your nerves. It'll make things feel more natural. You can even fashion a spiritual brain to replicate all the original's functions."
"What's the point? I'm not planning on making a habit of losing my head," Zac said as he called on his reserves of Creation Energy.
"No one ever does. Somehow, people still keep ending up without one," Esmeralda said with a pointed look.
"Fair point."
Zac crushed a few powerful healing pills and mixed them with water. Then he smeared the mix atop his human body's throat. The medicinal power joined forces with [Surging Rebirth], his Void Vajra Constitution, and a good helping of Creation Energy to quickly regrow his head. Most of it went without a hitch, and a perfect replica was soon produced.
As usual, his regrown head lacked the spirituality of the real thing. It would take a while for his flesh to be tempered and elevated as his spiritual body reintegrated with it. Until then, it would remain a weak spot of his. That much was expected, yet Zac was left frowning at his creation. His brain didn't seem to work.
His limbs twitched and refused to properly follow the orders of his brain, and he would have died from arrhythmia if he were still a mortal. It also felt as though he'd suffered a bad concussion. His mind kept losing the thread or almost shutting down. Thankfully, this was not much of a problem since his Draugr half could think for both his bodies.
It was like the hardware was in place, but the wiring was all out of order. Zac had no idea how to fix it. After scanning himself three times, he couldn't find any more errors.
"Your body will need a while to reconnect. It'll sort itself out in time," Esmeralda said. "Until then, you'll have to control your body with Mental Energy."
"This never happened when I created my second body," Zac frowned.
"It probably did, you were just unconscious for it," Esmeralda said.
"How long will this take?"
"Not long. A couple of hours," Esmeralda shrugged.
"Thank God," Zac said before looking down at his companion. "How do you know so much about this? You don't seem like the type to get your head blown off."
"You're right. Why would I take a beating when I can just run away?" Esmeralda said. "I did blow my head off myself a few times after I formed my Inner World, though."
"What? Why?"
"Practice. When you become a Monarch, the most essential part of you will be moved into the Inner Realm, but your body is still important. It's the gateway between the self and the Cosmos," Esmeralda said. "Imagine you're in a pitched battle and your head gets blown off. Suddenly, you find yourself in the same condition as your body is now. Blind and insensate while an enemy is bearing down on you."
"Practice. Got it," Zac quickly nodded.
Zac spent the next five minutes gradually getting used to controlling his body while dealing with a faulty brain. It was enough to fix his unwieldy motions in everyday use, though infighting was out of the question. That didn't mean he was helpless. He could just hide inside [Apex Jungle] and hound the opponent to death with [Primal Edict]. Not everyone had Samsara powers to cancel out their ceaseless rebirths. Dropping an [Arcadia's Judgment] on their head to seal the deal shouldn't be too difficult either.
The Apocalyptic Death had mostly dispersed at that point. As if on cue, a tremendous pulse recreated the world in the bottomless chasm left from his impulsivity. The scene took Zac's breath away even if he'd already seen a similar feat from Sendor. Naturally, the Grand Array didn't restore the hidden Buddhist realms, so there was no sign of the temple ever having existed in the clearing.
The path to Soulwrest Chapter was clear, and Zac started to make his way back. He wasn't in a hurry, so he walked on foot like when he entered. He used the trek to further rehabilitate himself. It wasn't like there were any threats left to worry about in the Wekaia Forest, and the court's upper brass probably kept an eye on him.
That comforting certainty only lasted Zac an hour. He snapped around with a scowl, trying to see any hints through the thick foliage. [Inborn Predator] warned that Killing Intent was pointed in his direction, and the source was swiftly moving toward him. Zac didn't know what kind of maniac would be so brazen as to launch an open attack on him.
Shouldn't everyone be walking on eggshells at this moment? Did the Sangha really have leftover deathsworn to spare? Or was it Gimuz's family who'd come to settle the grudge? After some thought, Zac continued in the open with his human half while Esmeralda hid his Draugr counterpart in a spatial bubble nearby.
Any plans for a swift and deadly counterattack went out the window when he saw who was bearing down on him. His would-be assailant was, if possible, even more shocked. Her expression froze, and the sinister blade edge that was about to deforest the whole area popped like a soap bubble. For seconds, neither side said anything. They simply stared at each other, grappling with the reality they found themselves in.
Zac didn't need to rely on his Heart Realm to know the truth. He'd seen it clearly in the Sword Intent. While vastly more powerful than what she used in their weekly spars, its core remained the same. It was her. Zac thought he was mentally prepared to face Thea after getting Vilari's early warning. He was not, and his baby brain didn't help. His thoughts were utter chaos, and only incoherent stutters came out of his mouth.
Thea eventually exhaled and walked over. "Your mom is a real piece of work."