Chapter 841: The Path Forward
Saying that he could save the planet was pretty bombastic, but Zac was somewhat certain he could make it happen. The reason he was late was just to make sure he could put forth his proposal. But first, he needed to make these flighty ghosts and the demons trust him.
“You don’t have to worry about this being some ploy. I don’t need to play any games – if I wanted to, I could simply eradicate both you and the demons now that I’m back,” Zac added. “My strength is my truth.”
His words could be seen as a threat, yet he could sense both the demons and some of the ghosts relaxing somewhat. A few of the demons even looked at him with reverent eyes, their stares creeping him out a little bit. Then again, he had read up a bit on the Mavai, and he knew that his Branch of the Kalpataru must be extremely attractive to a species whose elite warriors had Life-attuned constitutions.
A sudden shake that gripped the whole courtyard made Zac freeze in place, and he felt how the odd energies around him grow erratic. It was an extremely weird sensation, almost the opposite of the Twilight Ocean. There was both life and death in the air, yet they refused to mix. They were like two oils forming a chaotic and everchanging mix, where people had to wear specially designed arrays to cultivate.
In return for the chaos, the energy was weirdly animated, and it was apparently quicker to cultivate in this place than normal as long as you managed to filter the energy. For Zac himself, he could simply rely on the same method here as he did in the Twilight Ocean; use one half of the energy for himself while his [Void Heart] transformed the other half.
“Now, let’s finish this summit before this blasted planet falls apart,” Zac sighed.
“You are the Lord of the Atwood Empire we’ve been hearing about. The Deviant Asura,” the leading demon said with a glimmer in his eyes. “I am delighted to finally meet you, warchief. I am Ra’Klid, the current leader of the Mavai. My son visited the Tower of Eternity three years ago. You are the one who left that tree in the center?”
“That was me,” Zac nodded as his Tower of Eternity-title appeared in front of him, drawing loud exclamations from demons and ghosts alike.
Most likely, this was the most powerful title anyone on this world had ever seen.
“They really spoke the truth. It is an honor standing in front of such a warrior. My shameful son only reached the latter half of the third floor. He said he couldn’t imagine how someone could reach the ninth,” the demon praised before he looked around. “There is another one, yes? Some king of the undead?”
Zac inwardly laughed, feeling that this demon was a bit interesting. Ra’Klid even reminded him a bit of Ogras; a crafty mind surrounded by meatheads. Not that demons were stupid, it was just that most of their subraces preferred straightforward communication – like an axe through a skull.
“Arcaz is dealing with some other matters, but we are both back,” Zac said before turning to the ghosts. “For now, send your soldiers back and have them return my people. Meanwhile, we’ll resume this meeting.”
‘We don’t seem to have any casualties from this engagement, only a lot of wounded,’ Vilari’s voice appeared in Zac’s mind again. ‘Looking at it now, it really seems they were planning on holding back until Eomid disrupted the connection to Earth. No unforgivable sins have been committed either over the past years.’
Zac glanced in Vilari’s direction, knowing what the mentalist was getting at. She wanted him to go easy on the Undead, most likely so that they could become an asset down the road. Zac wasn’t usually in the business of just forgiving someone who attacked his people, but he ultimately trusted in her judgment.
A moment later, the spectral army was gone, leaving a befuddled guard who wasn’t sure what to do. However, after a few barks from the remaining leaders, order was restored. A new table had replaced the one that had been destroyed, and the leaders of the three factions once more sat down, though Zac was the one who represented his side this time around.
“So, as you probably know, I am Zachary Atwood, ruler of the Atwood Empire. I have just returned after a cultivation journey, so I am not up to date with all the details of this world. But I know the broad strokes,” Zac began.
It turned out that his real identity had finally been exposed not long after he left, and all of the Zecia Sector knew his surname was Atwood rather than Piker. It was one of the first things mentioned in the missives, and his people believed it was the result of some unaffiliated citizen of Earth choosing to spill the beans in return for a payout upon visiting the Tower of Eternity.
His name being exposed was honestly a matter of time, and it ultimately didn’t matter. Zac had already confirmed there were no curses or karmic skills that worked from just having a name. Besides, he could still keep reinventing himself every time he left Earth by changing his face. It was, however, a reminder that not even Earthlings could be trusted, and he would have to make his preparations watertight for when Earth finally got assimilated.
Until he reached Monarchy himself, Earth would be a weak point of his, and he needed to make sure it was protected or hidden away.
“This world is about to collapse, and there are no easy solutions. The Kingdom of Raun chose war,” Zac said as he glanced at the wraiths who shuddered nervously. “Meanwhile, the Mavai chose to sit on the sidelines. Trust is the biggest issue, where you are unable to believe in our promises.”
“There was no consensus,” Carva, the Ghost Queen, hurriedly said. “We wanted to avoid war if possible, but with our whole race on the line...”
“No matter. I can understand your position, seeing as I have undead under my banner as well. I probably would have made the same choice as Eomid did. After all, I was the one who personally slaughtered most of the factions who invaded Earth a decade ago, when we were the ones in your current situation,“ Zac said, which seemed to have calmed the ghosts down a bit.
Zac extending an olive branch didn’t mean he had completely put the matter of the attack behind him. He had faith that Vilari and the others would’ve pulled through even with this scheme, considering Nexus Hubs weren’t something you could just break willy-nilly.
Honestly, Zac had no idea if what he said was true. What did he know about Realm Spirits? If not for there being one in the Twilight Ocean, he still wouldn’t have known they existed. However, the shakes should stop as soon as the realm spirits integrated with the core. Hopefully, the process would be quick and painless, which would allow him to quickly move on to his other matters.
“What are your requests?” Aouvi asked, immediately getting to the crux of the matter.
“Nothing comes for free,” Zac nodded. “You cannot imagine the cost of stabilizing a life-death world. Truthfully, this whole planet is only worth a fraction compared to the solution I prepared.”
“Essentially, Vilari’s offer still stands,” Zac said. “Both your factions will swear allegiance to the Atwood Empire, and we will name this planet Ensolus after this central continent. The details of the deal will still be negotiated by Vilari and her people as they are better versed in those matters.”
“Why are you doing this?” Carva hesitated. “If it is so expensive to heal this world...”
“Two reasons,” Zac said. “First, I want to turn this planet into the front-facing side of my Empire, a commercial hub that outsiders can visit after the Assimilation.”
“While your world will hide in the shadows,” Ra’Klid concluded.
“Exactly,” Zac said, not bothering to hide anything. “My identity is sensitive, so I want to hide my planet until I have the strength to protect it. This will shift some of the danger to Ensolus. However, with risk come opportunities. This can drastically improve the prosperity of this world. I will even place an extremely valuable inheritance site on this planet, something your warriors can visit in exchange for a fee. These kinds of things can turn planets into money-making machines that benefit all their citizens.”
“I guess it’s not much different compared to a normal assimilation,” Carva hesitated. “We do not possess the means to hide our world in either case.”
Zac only nodded in response before continuing. “As for the second reason, war is coming to Zecia.”
“I am not sure how much your people have managed to find out about the bigger world, but you should have been able to gather some snippets of information by now. Simply put, a massive war is about to break out. Standing to the side is not an option, so I need to bolster my forces,” Zac said. “The war will break out before our Assimilation, meaning we will stand alone unless we join hands.”
“War against who?” Ra’Klid asked with confusion.
“I don’t know the details yet,” Zac said, glancing at Vilari.
“Something called a space gate has appeared in our sector, connecting our part of space with another one. Normally, it’s impossible to travel such distances, but this gate makes it possible. We do not yet know the details of these invaders either, but early indications are the whole sector will soon be embroiled in a massive struggle,” the mentalist explained.
“So, what is your answer?” Zac asked.
“The Kingdom of Raun has already surrendered,” Carva said with a bow. “We will accede to whatever demands you have, and we will pay restitution for our actions today. We will discuss the details with your followers.”
“Good,” Zac nodded. “And you don’t need to worry about the Undead Empire. Arcaz Black is a pureblood Draugr with connections of some of the peak clans of the Empire Heartlands. With one word from him, the Kavriel Clan of the Zecia Sector will invite the Kingdom of Raun with open arms, no questions asked.”
Once again, Zac was kind of stretching the truth. It all depended on Catheya’s performance after he fled the Twilight Ascent. If all worked out, she would have spoken for him with the Umbri’Zi Clan and perhaps even the Abyssal Shores. In either case, it would be effortless for them to make some arrangements with a Draugr border clan that could barely be considered pureblooded.
Catheya and he had worked out a few methods to communicate through relay after he returned to Zecia, but he hadn’t been able to check things out yet. Besides, he needed to plan some countermeasures before trying to reconnect with the Draugr Scion. After all, there was a distinct possibility they chose to place the blame of the chaos in the Twilight Harbor on him, an unaffiliated Draugr.
Perhaps some Monarch was lying in wait the moment Zac went to check his messages.
“You lead by strength, and your Dao carries the true divinity of legend,” Ra’Klid added after exchanging a few looks with the elders next to him. “We have no issues joining under your banner the moment this world is healed, provided you continue to lead with truth and honor.”
“Then today’s meeting is over,” Zac nodded, happy things were dealt with so quickly.
This was why Zac made such a grand entrance, putting his Dao and Killing Intent on full blast to the point he even activated [Spiritual Void]. With some shock and awe, a lot of annoyances could be side-stepped. “Both your delegations are welcome to stay either here or camp outside while we iron out the details of this merger. After the quakes have stopped, I will visit you both, and you will officially join the Atwood Empire.”
“You have no idea how lucky you are,” Vilari smiled from the side. “Your future paths just grew quite a lot wider.”