Defiance of the Fall

While extremely precious , it was worthless to Zac since it only worked when you had already localized a node . The demon had long since done just that and was working on breaking it open . The treasure allowed him to finish the job in one go and spend his extra Mana on other things .

Having nothing else to work on , Zac focused all his attention on Cosmic Forge] . It took him one year of painstaking effort to reach two Cosmic Cycles with an E-grade item . The technique was the same , but the far more powerful insights and energies made the process more volatile . And while he’d nurtured an almost instinctual understanding of Cosmic Forge]’s concepts , progress only grew more difficult .

A highly anticipated guest provided a break from his practice . Zac had just destroyed another practice axe when a snicker almost made Zac’s heart jump out of his mouth . Zac swirled around , finding Esmeralda standing inside his workshop .

The toad hadn’t appeared once since dropping off the missives , and Zac was shocked at her progress over the past three years . She was over two meters taller and possessed a significantly more powerful aura . It wasn’t enough to pressure Zac , but there was a mysterious depth to her that made him think of his Void Emperor bloodline .

Esmeralda had probably managed to awaken another part of her heritage , which was one of the most important aspects of a beast’s cultivation . She was progressing quickly , which was undoubtedly a benefit of her unique situation . Of course , Zac was certain Esmeralda was working hard on her cultivation , just like him . The Left Imperial Palace was the key to breaking her curse and returning to her former glory .

You scared me , - Zac sighed as he looked at the toad anxiously . - It’s done? -

Esmeralda grinned , making a few signs that said something along the lines of it being child’s play .

And everything’s there? - Zac said with a raised brow .

Esmeralda scoffed and made a series of croaks and explanations . The tirade was both longer and more complex than he was used to , and it took Zac over ten minutes to figure out what the toad was trying to convey . She didn’t want to stay long , saying she had to leave to get something important . The next time they met , it would be in Zecia before the trial started .

My home world is newly integrated and protected by the System , - Zac said . - How will you find me? -

Esmeralda grandly slapped her chest , indicating it wouldn’t be a problem . The next moment , she spat out an opalescent pearl covered in gastric juice . Zac looked at the thing with a grimace . A few signs indicated that Esmeralda could find that sphere , so he just needed to place it on a gathering array on his planet .

In case your method doesn’t pan out , you can send me a message through the mercantile system , - Zac said , handing her an Information Crystal .

Esmeralda huffed with annoyance over Zac’s lack of faith but still took the crystal . After that , she left , leaving Zac to his own devices . Zac didn’t mind , and he eagerly rushed down to the mountain’s base , where he infused a bit of energy into the ring before throwing it out . Even then , Zac was forced to activate Earthstrider] to get out of the way as a mountain of treasure rapidly formed .

The old thief had already explained the situation . Esmeralda had broken all seals and triggers , even those placed on any items inside . However , doing so had destabilized the ring , much like his experiments with Cosmic Extraction] . She’d applied a technique that would keep it temporarily stable , but the moment it was activated , it would spit out everything before collapsing .

Zac’s breaths turned heavy as he gazed upon the mountain of wealth . He almost gave in to the adolescent dream of swimming in a sea of treasure , but he reined himself in . Instead , he called over Catheya and Ogras to help sort through the pile .

I’ve been saying you should invite me more often , - Ogras said , his eyes veritably burning as dozens of shadowy tendrils dug into the mountain .

He even conjured eight Shadow Servants , all looking like beautiful Torrid Demons , to help out . They were part of the prize for incorporating that odd thing inside the Shifting Dream into his Spiritlock Physique . Of course , the appearance of the Shadow Servants was all Ogras . When these things made their first appearance , Catheya had almost blown a gasket . Zac had been forced to seclude himself to avoid listening to her and Ogras’ complaints .

However , something had changed after two months , and Catheya no longer seemed to mind the demon’s antics . She even figured out a way to give the Shadow Servants dazzling dresses made of ice and mist . Around the same time , Zac started to receive positive comments about Catheya from the demon , and he recounted stories where having a stable Dao Companion had gotten one demon or another out of a jam .