Defiance of the Fall

Ogras slowly exhaled , steadying his mental state . - You’re right . You’re right . There’s still the Dreamgeist . -

Continuing into the realm , they soon reached depths neither would have reached alone . Zac would never have managed to stop the shifts , and he would never have been able to withstand the nightmarish onslaught that followed . Every figment was at the D-grade . They’d even sensed a Late D-grade aura .

They soon managed to unearth one quest target after another . They were odd anomalies , dreams that had failed to form spirituality yet had become more than an illusion . Instead , they’d turned into rocklike formations that contained dense deposits of the Dao of Dreams . They couldn’t quite be considered Natural Treasures , but they held far greater truths than Dream Crystals . And there were quite a few of them .

They spent two full weeks in the heart of the dream , fighting dozens of waves of beings brought from the depths of Ogras’s mind and then twisted by the dream . Then , they finally found what they were looking for . What he was looking for , anyway . Hiding far in the distance to ensure they weren’t discovered , Ogras’s cheeks burned as Zac slowly turned to him . He studiously avoided meeting Zac’s gaze , but he could guess the kind of thoughts they held .

That’s . . . That’s the thing you want to fuse with? -

67

KARMIC DEBT

Well . . . - Ogras said , his voice trailing off as his perfect plan suddenly felt in need of revision .

Zac’s voice held an unmistakable mix of disbelief and mirth , and Ogras couldn’t blame him . The description of the Shifting Dreamgeist had painted a vivid picture , yet it paled to the real thing .

The Dreamgeist was only one meter tall , looking like an incredibly fat floating baby . A baby born from the unholy union of an ogre and a de-feathered rooster , with three tentacles instead of stubby legs . The thing had thin purple eyes whose pupils moved independently of each other as it took in the surroundings , and a wide , flat beak that seemed perpetually locked in a brainless smile .

No feathers or scales adorned it . Rather , it seemed born from the clouds that made up most of the Dream Shift . Except the clouds were more condensed , like they’d been crammed into a container too small a size . Its whole body shuddered and rippled like it would erupt at any moment . Altogether , it looked one part ugly and two parts stupid—a far cry from the intimidating creatures Ogras had first considered for the next layer of the Spiritlock Physique] .

Won’t you turn into that thing if you fight? - Zac said , looking at him askance .

Not necessarily , - Ogras coughed . - I can choose which aspects I use when activating the lock . Besides , I don’t want this thing for its appearance . I want it for the affinities and Bloodline Talent . I walk the path of the Illusory Shade , but my affinity to the Peak of Fantasy will hold me back unless something changes .

The two beasts provided by master drastically improved my affinity to Shadows , and the Dreamgeist’s bloodline is far greater than both . Its Bloodline Talent is also a perfect match to my flag . Who cares what it looks like? -

Ogras normally wasn’t one to share the details of his path , but what could he do? This odd bastard would ruin his good name if he didn’t clarify things . A little bit of pillow talk and that obsidian-eyed vixen would have ammunition for the next couple of years .

If you say so , - Zac said , clearly holding back a laugh .

Whatever , - Ogras spat . - Just help me deal with its minions , and I’ll do the rest . Be careful not to harm it . -

That bastard Rez hiding in the Towers of Myriad Dao obviously had a plan with his soul-grafting experiment , even if his execution had been laughably crude . The Umbra had been an assassin , and he’d picked creatures useful for his own craft . The planeswalker was a shadow elemental who excelled at moving unseen . Its enemies were dead before they had a chance to realize someone was targeting them from the shadows .

The Umbric Recluse was a silent hunter , using shadows to bind and weaken their enemies . The moment its prey stepped out of the sun’s protective rays , they were already doomed . Its unique shadow manipulation allowed an assassin to force an opening without so much as a Cosmic Energy ripple that could be exposed .

Both were useful , and things worked out well in the end . Although , that was no thanks to his dear master , who never intended to leave a true inheritance . To do so would potentially have exposed his techniques , and a paid dagger couldn’t have that . So , the Towers of Myriad Dao was filled with random things he’d picked up , along with a few mad ideas he never dared try on himself .