Chapter 1265: Revenge and Refuel

Chapter 1265: Revenge and Refuel

Rivers of white-hot gold poured through the cracks, melting steel and incinerating wood. The unthinking roots were becoming victims of their gluttony, unable to adapt to the overloaded Stellar Extractor. Them pouring into the endless starlight like moths to the flame provided a much-needed respite.

"Just a little bit more, we're almost there!" Catheya urged, floating just above the ground.

The small expenditure of flight was a cost she could ill afford, but she had no choice. Her left leg was encased in ice to prevent the embedded saplings from sprouting, and even more of her body was frozen to hold together her wounds and accelerate her recovery. She couldn't run even if she wanted, and Kruta was in no state to carry her.

The orc was an arrow at the end of its flight after having displayed a tenacity and ferocity that would make his ancestors proud. It was almost a miracle he managed to put one leg before the other. He'd taken the vanguard throughout their protracted battle, unleashing wave after wave of cutting flames to keep the wilderness at bay. Kruta distractedly grunted, his mind focused on keeping himself moving.

Catheya's promise wasn't an empty reassurance. Zac's short telepathic message had come at the right time. The shakes had begun just moments later, and the whole station was already about to go supernova. If they hadn't gotten the route to the emergency chamber at the end of the corridor, they'd be done for.

The doors to the teleportation chamber slid up without complaint, and Catheya almost cried with relief upon seeing an active gate waiting for them. Catheya had no idea if it was correctly calibrated. She didn't care. The streaks of starlight had already joined into a rising tide that was rapidly catching up.

Kruta's cloudy eyes regained their sharpness upon seeing the gate and the two drew upon their reserves for a final spurt. A painful constriction tried to tear Catheya apart as the world flickered in black and gold. The next moment, she felt solid ground beneath her feet. More importantly, the intense starlight's poisonous radiation was gone.

Catheya slumped onto the ground, unable to muster so much as a thought. Thankfully, the swarm of sparkling roots right on their heels was dealt with by the gate itself as it turned off. Most likely, it had been overloaded by the starlight.

"Finally," Kruta gasped as he lay to her side. "Never doing weed duty again."

"Well, we didn't make our lives easier by stealing their precious fruits," Catheya said with a weak smile, enjoying the sweet caress of Death against her skin from crushing two Miasma Crystals.

"I don't know why. Fruits are meant to be eaten," the orc huffed as he wearily looked around. "Wait, does this look right to you?"

Catheya blinked and turned her head, properly taking in the surroundings for the first time. "That's—"

The gate was supposed to be an emergency teleporter leading to a major hub, where the others hopefully would be waiting. Instead, they were inside a small chamber, with only a single teleportation platform. Worse, the thunderous collisions that started the extractor's collapse seemed significantly closer.

"Don't tell me we've been sent off-course again," Kruta groaned.

"There's no corruption, at least. I only sense—" Catheya's words caught in her throat as she felt a distinct pull of fate. Was this the reward waiting for her after the extremely challenging couple of hours?

'Everything is in order. Welcome aboard the Pernumia Ino.'

"Is that... Carl?" Catheya hesitated as she looked for the source of the familiar voice.

'It's me,' the voice on the intercom confirmed. 'Galau helped reroute the gate. You're aboard a Cosmic Vessel.'

A deep rumble threw the two off the ground, and one of the severed roots took the opportunity to strike.

"No you don't!" Kruta growled as he snatched the snaking vine from the air.

Catheya was about to freeze it but looked on in confusion as she saw the warrior bite into the spiritual root with a wicked grin. "Just what are you doing?"

"Two birds with one stone," Kruta said, looking very pleased with himself. "Revenge and refuel."

'Ahem—As I said, you're aboard a Cosmic Vessel we've commandeered. I'm sorry to impose, but I need your help, and quickly. Follow the guides.'

It was at that moment two floating balls emerged from the wall, and a series of screens popped up above each. Mechanical guides, by the looks of it. It was nice to see the four familiar faces, though Catheya was disappointed that Zac wasn't one of them.

"What's going on?" Catheya asked. "I'm afraid we're not in any condition to face another enemy."

"Not in any condition to move," Kruta added.

Catheya desperately needed rest after having fought the wildlife's increasingly frantic assault. Her mind was utterly drained after having maintained her Heavenly Domain for so long, to the point she had to crush crystals to ward off the hostile energy around her.

"I don't need you to fight. I need your help to control this old piece of junk," Carl answered, his voice coming out of the ball now.

Stealing treasures from his future self was bound to have consequences. It was like he was taking out a loan, not knowing the interest or when the principal would have to be returned. Certainly, the alternative was much worse. Zac would have to make sure he replaced what he'd taken and more, which should hopefully strengthen the Void Realm.

Zac stowed Kator's body after some hesitation, placing his Spatial Rings in a pouch. It'd be a waste to leave him in the Void Space, and Zac didn't know if he might need it down the road. After, Zac rushed forth like a starving beast, fiercely suppressing any discontent in his body. He appeared before a blob of darkness surrounding pieces of an aquamarine rock—vaguely recalling swallowing something similar in the Centurion Lighthouse.

Zac placed a talisman on his chest and pulled. Both energy and matter poured into the talisman and appeared in the quantum space. Spiritual Tendrils were already waiting to make use of the infusion while Zac continued toward the next piece. The next step would normally be upgrading his nucleus. Ultom's enlightenment had only reinforced his belief that retaining his Core Nucleus was the right way to go.

Only, the order of his breakthrough had been thrown on its head, forcing Zac to make some changes on the go. Esmeralda's bet on him had let him recover much of his core, though its state remained precarious after the lightning was gone. Winding back the clock to remove the ravages of the Four Desolates was easier said than done. Many pieces of debris were still so damaged that they couldn't properly accept any cosmic energy.

Zac needed to perform a quick round of field repairs on these pieces before they collapsed from the energy pressure. Only when they were stabilized could he move on with his ascension. The process wasn't difficult, provided Zac didn't have to deal with any more external threats. Even with Kator gone, it was asking for the impossible.

"Damn it!"

A swirl of shadows surrounded the Flying Treasure before Zac needed to act, dragging it beneath one of the control rooms. It wasn't enough to completely avoid the tremendous shockwave that reached them the next moment, but it lessened it enough for Ogras to deal with the rest. Zac couldn't stop his restoration work, so he turned to the demon for answers.

"Damn, that old skipper has some kick to her," Ogras whistled as he emerged from the shadows. "That should have left a dent at least."

Zac looked into the distance with a frown. "It's not enough."

The tremendous shockwave had pushed away the purple mist, giving him a clear view of the distant battle. Adding his still-active connection to the Imperial Faith, he had a good idea of what his companions were up to. The pope had tried to parasitize one of the Eternal Guardians, and his team had used the ancient vessel to sever the connection.

Unfortunately, their attack wasn't powerful enough to destroy the roots. The pope hadn't completely lost his connection with the guardian, and the others were now exposed to his wrath. Zac sighed, knowing he had no choice. He conjured [Void Mountain] and infused the Imperial Faith brand in his mind with everything he had.

The sun, still floating atop the spire, promptly went supernova, and the spire followed. It was the starting call of a wave of destruction that swept through the Centurion Base as the glue that kept everything together was gone. Every scrap of stellar energy and lingering faith ignited for one final burst of glory. The balance inside the subspace was immediately upended as endless gold crushed the purple infiltration.

Most radiant were the two Eternal Guardians. The complex runes across their skin burned brighter than any star, radiating unbending conviction and triumph. Zac's heart shook at the scene, feeling like he'd been brought back to the Pilgrimage of Faith, witnessing the final stands of the interred saints.

The situation far surpassed his expectations. He'd simply planned on blowing up the faith pathways, hoping the disruption would strike the pope's mind. After all, he was still connected to the Ascension Chamber, relying on it to manage the Heavenly descent. Instead, it ignited a fire of purpose that roused the struggling guardians.

Nothing could stand in the way of the holy undertaking engraved on the Eternal Guardian's very essence. Even the Heavens were subdued by their radiance. Zac blinked, suddenly seeing an endless sea of warriors decked in glistening armor. They were echoes of the undying will that had birthed the Imperial Faith.

"The pillars which will uphold the Heavens," Zac muttered, feeling the river of fate buckle and its waters froth.

All corruption withered in the flame's presence, and the pitched battle was pitched no longer. The first Foreign God was reduced into dust by a collapsing sun before it could react. The other didn't get much further as endless energy poured into the guardians. An exacting swing tore reality to shreds, taking the corrupted creature with it.

The pope had no time to worry about the Cosmic Vessel that had interrupted his plans. He was desperately trying to add distance from the Eternal Guardians and their radiance. The hands keeping him safe were crumbling like dry wood before the righteous environment. The Heavens once more found its prey, and a tremendous pillar of destruction overwhelmed all else.

"Holy hells, what did you—" Ogras breathed, his shock only increasing when the air around them shimmered with ripples of Destiny. "What now?!"

"Hey, it's not me," Zac said upon seeing the demon's accusatory look.

He didn't have time to finish his sentence before a familiar aura erupted from Zac's pocket. The [Court Cycle Token] had come alive on its own and flew out on its own. Zac saw small streaks of hollow light emerge from his pores, fusing with the shimmers of destiny. And he knew.

"Uh-huh," the demon said after a similar display appeared on his body. He wasn't the only one, judging by the commotion coming from within the control room.

Zac coughed, opening his status screen to confirm his hunch.

One by Nine (Unique, Inheritance): Form a full cycle of Sealbearers. Reward: Entry to the Left Imperial Palace (9/9) [Complete] [34:11:28:49] [NOTE: Multiple cycles can be formed.]

As expected, the trial had been brought forward once more. The system had cut off over three months from the quest, and it wasn't done there. The pillar's ascent was clearly connected to the Centurion Base for some reason. Each time a piece of it crumbled, the timer lost a couple of seconds in one go.

"Tell everyone to get ready. The trial is starting early," Zac said. "We have some time unless this whole place blows up."

Ogras closed his eyes for a second before releasing a long-suffering sigh. "I wish you'd stop saying things like that."