A finger of pure lightning pushed out of the dark clouds, intent to squash the bug intent on defying the natural order. Meanwhile, Alea radiated an aura of conviction, the swirling energies around her so familiar they might as well have been Zac’s own. She was like a celestial general, and the world answered her call.

Alea had been drawing large amounts of energy from the Gathering Arrays since the process started, but it was nothing compared to the torrential current that rushed out of the ground to bolster her domain. The Heavens descended while the Earth rose to meet it. Zac found himself pushed over a hundred meters back as a pillar of purple light purified the whole region of Death.

The third bolt’s momentum felt unstoppable, pushing through the layers of Death like they were made out of paper. Alea didn’t back down. The chains stabbed into the pillar as it closed in, each siphoning some of its force before disintegrating. However, the accumulated lightning was simply too much. It continued down, barely weakened.

Then, everything stopped as Zac felt the familiar seal on reality in a small pocket around the demoness.

“Wh—” Zac exhaled with shock, in disbelief that Alea dared to activate Fate’s Predestination on the Tribulation Lightning.

Zac felt a tearing pain through his link, but her face was a stony mask of determination. The axe containing her body’s core and the new materials’ essence turned into a blur, the sole source of movement in a frozen reality. It ripped into the Tribulation Lightning just before it broke free.

A large scar had been carved into the purple pillar, and the angry red in its center was gone. However, the bulk of the tribulation remained, submerging Alea in a sea of lightning. The last thing Zac saw before she was swallowed whole was Black Death melting while Alea curled into a fetal position. Then, the connection was gone, leaving Zac caught between despair and hope.

Zac felt his nails dig into his palms while deliberating whether he should force his way inside or trust Alea’s capabilities. The Heavens didn’t make things easy for him. It was like a purple sun had been born, a sun made from lightning and fury. Its boundless energy overwhelmed Zac’s attempts to see or sense what was happening inside.

He ultimately chose to stay put, even though each second felt like an eternity. Thankfully, the lightning sphere eventually began shrinking. Part of it dispersed as the clouds above parted, but some of the lightning was clearly consumed by something within. Eventually, the situation inside was exposed, and Zac breathed out in relief.

Alea was gone, and there was no sign of the coffin reforming. Instead, there was a two-meter-tall crystal covered in the same runes that he had briefly spotted across the coffin’s surface before. Alea had taken a similar form the last time she broke through, meaning she had begun the next step of the process. Lingering arcs of lightning sizzled across the cocoon as it descended, and it released unstable fluctuations surpassing those of the E-grade.

Zac didn’t care so much about the strength of the aura as the fact there were spiritual fluctuations at all. It meant Alea was alive, even if Zac temporarily couldn’t sense her presence in his mind. Anything else was secondary. Zac took a moment to calm down while waiting for Alea to settle and the tribulation clouds to fully disperse.

There was no Toll of Hegemony accompanying Love’s Bond’s evolution. The only proof Alea was no longer in the E-grade was the aura she exuded. Then again, she wasn’t quite in the D-grade either. Not yet, anyway. Alea’s breakthrough would eventually create a similar effect, but the order of things was a bit different with Spirit Tools.

Alea had absorbed the necessary materials, and the Tribulation Lightning acted the part of a furnace. Right now, Alea should be fast at work integrating the new materials into her body. Normally, a blacksmith would manage this process, but the Divine Investiture Array made that unnecessary. A skilled craftsman could still speed up the upgrade, but Zac wasn’t comfortable handing Alea to some Kavista artisan.

Of course, evolutions normally didn’t take things as far as Alea had, completely disintegrating their old form to rebuild everything from the ground up. Zac had experienced the same thing when evolving his Void Vajra Sublimation, and he knew just how dangerous it was. The slightest hesitation or weakness and your soul would scatter before it could drag your body back together.

Zac waited another hour for the lingering lightning to disperse and Alea’s fluctuating aura to stabilize before walking over. He placed his hand on the smooth surface, trying to reconnect with his companion. Eventually, he found a weak consciousness brush against his.

“Are you okay?” Zac quickly asked. “That appearance—”

‘I told you, it’s a surprise. Two years,’ Alea whispered before Zac felt her consciousness retreat into the crystal’s depths.

Zac sighed and picked up the cocoon, carefully carrying it to the teleportation array. He wasn’t about to leave Alea here, even with the puppets standing guard. There wasn’t much point either, considering the ambient energy was greatly weakened. Instead, he transported the crystal to his Cultivation Cave, where he placed Alea in the heart of the Death-attuned side.

He’d hoped to ask her about her transformation and the fact she’d hidden so much from him, but it would have to wait. Two years was longer than he’d expected, likely a consequence of her taking things so far. Then again, it wasn’t a big deal. He already had a solution that wouldn’t leave him unarmed until the final stretch of the war; the Temporal Chambers in the Merit Exchange. However, putting only Alea inside one of those chambers wasn’t cost-effective.

As long as he provided enough resources, he could also fit Verun’s Bite. Letting them evolve next to each other might come with some unexpected benefits, such as harmonizing better with their new affinities. Verun would be enlightened to the Evolutionary Path by contrasting it to the Inexorable nature of Love’s Bond, and vice versa. Such a plan would need someone to feed them and push them out of the temporal field when they were about to finish their breakthrough.

In a perfect world, Zac would have done it himself. He wouldn’t have minded a few years to work on his skills and shore up his foundations. However, he could still feel the lingering mark of cheating the River of Time so much over the past decades. Right now, it was manageable, but entering another temporal space again so soon would come with severe repercussions. Instead, he’d let one of his followers use the opportunity in return for managing his weapons.

Getting the chamber and a volunteer was easy, but Verun’s Bite still lacked a few key materials. There hadn’t been anything suitable inside the Kavriel repository. Even if the Undead Empire had life-attuned treasures, they definitely wouldn’t give any to Zac with the current circumstances. Even the Spiritual Treasures had contained at least some hints of Death, making them unsuitable for the primal axe.

Zac knew he could always get the stuff he needed from the Merit Exchange along with the Temporal Chamber, but he’d already calculated the items he wanted would cost him 70,350 Merit. If possible, Zac wanted to avoid spending what little merit he had, letting him use it on things he couldn’t get any other way. And as luck would have it, he had a good idea of how to get the other things he needed.

The Allbright Empire and other peak factions had initially only treated him cordially because of his connection with the Undead Empire and the potential he represented. However, that had all changed after the war broke out. The whole sector was screaming for his Cosmic Vessels, making him a key player in the war. In other words, it was time to renegotiate the old contracts, reaping some benefits along the way.

“How are things?” Zac asked as he stepped into Calrin’s offices on the top floor of the Thayer Consortia.

The little Sky Gnome was still trapped in Kavista with his Draugr body, but the chairman’s position couldn’t be left empty at such a critical time.

“I’m trying to keep things under control, but Calrin’s expertise and personal connections are a large part of what keeps operations running smoothly,” Vikram sighed.

Zac inwardly laughed as he sat down on a sofa. His human liaison and Calrin constantly bickered like an old couple when working together, but they clearly missed each other. Calrin had similarly fussed about Vikram during their short exchanges in the Kavriel province.

“I’m sure you’re doing fine,” Zac smiled. “Don’t worry. He’ll be back in a week or two.”

“We should manage until then,” Vikram nodded. “How may I help you?”

“I need a better understanding of the ship sales,” Zac said. “Or rather, the orders and where they come from.”

“Most major coalitions have standing orders where they’ll take anything they can get their hands on,” Vikram said. “These orders offer sixty to seventy percent more than our original pricing. We also have hundreds of individual orders from various factions, some of them for over five times the price.”

Zac had expected as much and nodded for Vikram to continue.

“We have already switched our sales to consist almost solely of the Sunstreak, with a few Starflash and Farsight. Production of all other models have essentially halted,” Vikram explained.

The Starflash was the mid-range destroyer Ogras had, while the Farsight was the speedy scouting vessel. Both were good options if your goal was to send a small squad of elites to a neighboring planet and conquer two for the price of one. But as expected, the Sunstreak was the most popular version, simply because it was both the cheapest and quickest to manufacture.

It was a smaller raider vessel that could house roughly 800 men. It didn’t have the sustainable flight speeds of the other two ships, but it had a burst function that would provide a momentary eruption of velocity. It also had a few powerful weapons that could hit hard and fast before running away—perfect for striking a Town Protection Array when launching a blitz attack.

“What’s the situation with our agreement with the Allbright Empire?” Zac asked.

“They have benefitted greatly by signing such a large deal right out the gate,” Vikram said.

Zac wryly smiled. The Allbright Empire had essentially signed that agreement under coercion rather than from actual need, allowing Zac to secure a steady stream of money over the past years. Now, that agreement had turned into a goldmine for them. That was about to change.

“It’s still running out in two months?” Zac asked to confirm.

“Yes,” Vikram said. “They have contacted us repeatedly since the war began to negotiate a new contract, but we felt it better to wait for your instructions before making any decisions. After all, this is not only a matter of revenue.”

Vikram was right. If Zac only wanted to maximize profits, he’d just sell a bunch of Sunstreaks to whoever paid the highest. However, he already had more money than he could spend, while the ships could bring other benefits such as connections and rare materials. Selling the ships for a lower price to the established factions was preferable if it meant getting Zac could get his hands on strategic resources.

There were also the matters of putting the ships where they best could help Zecia and his quest to upgrade his shipyard.

“Perfect,” Zac said. “Send a message to the Allbright Empire. Tell them a representative is visiting in an hour.”

Not much later, a familiar face stepped into the office. It was Zakarith Azh’Rodum, and seeing the little demoness filled Zac with nostalgia. She was one of the first demons he spoke with. They’d met just after the chaotic events surrounding the Fruit of Ascension and Clan Azh’Rezak’s subsequent withdrawal. He’d temporarily kidnapped Zakarith and her father to get some answers.

Since then, she’d risen through the ranks, and she was today one of the top officials in charge of procurement and equipment for the Atwood Army. It turned out her doe-eyed look and diminutive frame hid a skilled and unyielding negotiator, and Vikram believed she was the best person to send on this mission.

“Emperor Atwood,” Zakarith exclaimed when she spotted Zac. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Zac nodded in satisfaction upon sensing her stable aura and demeanor. He’d been worried she’d lose her composure if sent out alone, but she had matured over the past years just like everyone else.

“Good to see you,” Zac said, jumping into the matter without preamble. “I have a mission for you, if you’re up to it.”

“Whatever I can do to help,” Zakarith said.

An hour later, the demoness stepped onto the teleporter, beginning her journey toward the Red Sector. Zac would have liked to come along but knew it was too risky after seeing the names on the ladder. The Allbright Empire held three positions in the top 100 on the Early D-grade ladder, with Pretty Peak appearing in the 73rd spot.

Three names wasn’t anything special for such a powerful faction, but the problem was that one of the three was Ventus Kalavan appearing on the 29th. In other words, the Radiant Temple group Ventus mentioned was staying with the Allbright Empire, adding an unpredictable variable that made him leery of visiting in person.

He even suspected Helian Ailo, the current 7th rank holder on the global ladder, belonged to the Radiant Temple. After all, if there were such a powerful local, Zac should have heard of him already. A similar situation could be seen with the Dravorak Dynasty housing individuals from the Havarok Empire, including the all-too-familiar name of Ykrodas Havarok.

Zac smiled, wondering what expression the princeling had after seeing the name Arcaz Umbri’Zi appearing on the ladder. Their encounter should have left quite the impression on Ykrodas, with Zac being filled with the power of Chaos as he executed Uona Noz’Valadir right in front of him and his men.

He had no idea how the Havarok Dynasty had caught onto the scent of the Left Imperial Palace, but he was almost certain that was why they’d showed up. The presence of these people complicated things, and Zac would be like a pig presenting himself for the slaughter if he joined Zakarith on her journey to the Red Zone. The Havarok, especially, had ample reasons to hate him based on his surname alone. The war between the Umbri’Zi Clan and the Havarok Empire still raged as far as Zac knew.

Just sending Zakarith was risky, but she hadn’t even blinked when he explained the dangers. She had said that the soldiers put their lives on the line every day, so how could she back down from something like this?

Zac spent another hour with Vikram until a notification told him it was time to go. A few minutes later, he stepped into a large office in a secured wing of the government building. The office was actually his own, but he had barely spent any time there. It was perpetually empty, yet a figure was standing by the windows this time.

“You’re back!” Emily exclaimed, turning into a blur that crashed into his chest.

“I’ve missed you,” Zac said with a smile as he embraced his disciple. “I hear you’ve become a pillar for Earth while I was gone. I’m so proud of you.”

A slight blush appeared on Emily’s face as she dug deeper into his chest.

“And yet you blew my score out of the water the second you returned. Twice,” she murmured before looking up at Zac. “What’s going on? Is that why you wanted to see me privately before the meeting?”

“Let’s sit,” Zac sighed, and he spent the next minutes going over the situation.

“So half of you is over in the Undead Empire scamming those rich kids?” Emily giggled.

“Something like that,” Zac laughed. “I have to be a bit shameless to get my hands on materials. It’s rough out there. Even my little disciple beat me to Hegemony.”

“How could something like a Cosmic Core hold me back?” Emily grinned. “Besides, my path is much more straightforward than yours.”

“Is there anything you need?” Zac asked.

“I’m fine,” Emily said. “I have everything I need between your Contribution Exchange and the Merit Store. I don’t want to keep relying on your help to progress. True strength needs to be earned; I’ve learned that the hard way.”𝒪𝑣𝗅𝐞xt.𝗇𝓔t

“You’ve really grown up. I feel like a parent sending off their kid to college,” Zac said with a shake of his head. “But don’t try to carry everything on your shoulders. Everyone needs help now and then.”

“I know,” Emily grinned. “I could say the same to you.”

The two spent the next hour catching up. Zac shared some of the stories he could still remember from the Perennial Vastness, while Emily detailed her war exploits.

“So you’ve taken down two D-grade worlds now,” Zac said. “That’s great.”

“Honestly, I could have doubled that number, but the harder we push, the more people will die,” Emily said. “It seems impossible to strike the right balance. Each victory is paid for in blood, but it leaves the survivors stronger. The Dao comes alive in our camps after every time we’ve finished a campaign. People are evolving their Seeds and Fragments left and right, while others use merit or conquered resources to progress.”

Zac agreed. You both wanted to push to strengthen your force and hold back to keep your subordinates safe. It turned out that Rhubat’s lead wasn’t due to personal strength but rather a difference in mentality between Zhix and Humans. None had fought harder than Rhubat’s Second Battalion, and none had seen as heavy losses. Rhubat was pushing the Zhix hard, hoping it’d let them better adapt to their new reality. As for those who died, it was simply weakness leaving the hives.

He still wasn’t sure how he should go about completing his Campaign Mission or how he should act in the long term. He wanted to conquer as many planets as possible to maximize Personal- and Faction Merit, but was that something he could ask of his army? He’d have to be blind not to realize that his population couldn’t keep up with his pace, but he also didn’t want to adopt Tavza’s approach, where he spent most of his time back on Earth.

Luckily, it looked like Emily had an idea.