Defiance of the Fall

Esmeralda's ticket into the inheritance was through the [Enshrinement of Kanba], the unusual beast-contracting technique Lova discovered in the Eternal Storm. The Kanba priests formed small subspaces within their bodies to house their beast deities and gained some of their abilities in return. Esmeralda had picked this particular method to form a contract as it had less impact than most pet contracts. There was no need for any System-authorized link or a Skill Fractal like [Adaptive Symbiosis], and the space could be dismantled as soon as they were done with the trial.

Zac had vigorously scoured the technique both inside the Perennial Vastness and after, and there really didn't seem to be anything amiss. As such, he'd erected the shrine's foundations after stepping into Middle Hegemony, but it was impossible to finish the process without Esmeralda's help. Activating the shrine required the 'deity's anointment,' meaning Esmeralda had to infuse her blood and Dao to stabilize it.

'Then let's go. Do you have anything tasty on your world?'

"I'm not sure what you'd consider tasty, but you'll probably get along with my friend Ibtep. Hey, where'd you go?"

Zac looked around with confusion. Esmeralda had disappeared so thoroughly that she may as well have winked out of existence.

'Down here.'

Zac felt a weak nudge, and was shocked to find a black bracelet added to his left hand. He hadn't noticed at all, and his Soul Sense still couldn't tell it was there. It was affected by the same mental blind spot she'd used to sit openly among hundreds of humans. If Esmeralda hadn't nudged him, he might never have noticed the bracelet was there.

"What are you doing? And how are you still communicating through Dao?"

'Why can't I? The Dao's still here, isn't it? And this is just a small trick any decent thief should know. Do you know how much work it is to break into certain places? More often than not, it's easier to have a rube bring you along. You should understand the concept, being one of the rubes.'

"So why bother with the subspace if you can do this?" Zac sighed as he left the teahouse, once again wondering if he was making a mistake taking on this shifty troublemaker.

'I'm just a little tadpole who's forgotten the upper layers of my techniques. How could I trick the System like this? But I'll be back.'

The answer contained an intense mix of emotions. Sorrow, longing, and existential weariness held at bay by unbreakable conviction. Zac felt the ichor course with greater vigor as his bloodline resonated with Esmeralda's firm certainty she'd return to her prime one day. Zac nodded, flashing past the guards protecting the teleporter.

He had to stop letting his guard down because of Esmeralda's antics. No matter how she acted, she was a master who'd conquered a corner of the Heavens. That wasn't something you just stumbled into while messing around. Even the greatest Innate Existences needed immense determination, luck, and smarts to avoid becoming some old monster's ingredient before reaching adulthood.

The teleporter activated, prompting shouts of alarm. Zac didn't bother with the incoming guards as they were whisked away. They soon reappeared in his compound, where his human half already waited. The Acheron Company had already returned two weeks ago, shortly after news of the Endemire Sage's fate became known.

Doing so hadn't taken nearly as much effort as taking out a Warfortress hidden on a distant moon. The Everfast Monarch had kept true to his word to this day, remembering the favor even during adversity. He'd used his status as a Field Marshall to sign a release order, allowing the Acheron Company to return without being marked as deserters by the System.

'I heard from that dusty old spirit you got split in two,' Esmeralda said, returning to her normal form to curiously study his doppelganger. 'How did you accomplish this? I can't figure it out.'

"We all have our secrets," Zac said as he walked toward the undead side of the compound. "Let's go."

He wasn't surprised Esmeralda knew about his situation already, and it didn't matter much. The contract they'd signed was no joke, and it included extremely harsh clauses to protect any of his secrets. Besides, she was bound to have figured it out one way or another. If nothing else, she could probably come and go as she pleased without anyone being the wiser on Earth.

'You're up to some mischief, aren't you?' Esmeralda grinned. 'I can smell the stink of a plot from a mile away.'

"Well, two bodies means I can split up and loot more effectively, right?" Zac said.

'I've tried that. Easier said than done,' the toad signed. 'So, which one am I bonding with?'

"Me," Zac said from his Draugr half. "Makes more sense for undead to stick together. It'll be easier for me to provide Miasma when necessary."

'Fine, though I'm not undead. I'm just slightly dead to slow down the curse. It's strictly temporary.'

"What? Really?" Zac said with surprise. "Do you have a way to turn back?"

'It's not very hard. I just need to borrow a couple of treasures from some stingy old guys.'

"Do you know any method that'd let a Tool Spirit regain their life?" Zac asked, ignoring the wave of displeasure filling his mind.

'Regain life? That weapon of yours?' Esmeralda said, glancing at the necklace around Zac's neck. 'Reforming a vessel is easy. Any decent treasure connected with the Heavens is enough to birth a body that can house true life. Turning an immortal spirit into a soul is another matter. I can't remember any solution, but I know it's possible. You'd have to look into Serelius... Uh... Serelius something.'

"Who?"

'An ancient Tool Spirit who seized true life. Forgot his last name.'

"That's fine. Thank you," Zac said, engraving the name in his heart.

Alea had made her stance perfectly clear, but the path of cultivation was long and full of turns. Who was to say how she'd feel in a thousand years, in a million? And there was also the question of whether the Heavens would tolerate her continued advancements. Her tribulations were almost as bad as his. Just having a name was a weight off his shoulders, a clue in case something should change.

The trio soon reached his courtyard, which was shrouded in dense puffs of Miasma. The energy density was almost as high as his Cultivation Cave before upgrading Earth, despite only being supplied by a decent Gathering Array. It was a huge step up, one that everyone across Earth had benefited from.

'Okay, let's do it,' Esmeralda urged. 'I've been running around for months. I need a nap.'

"Wait. Before we start, we need to make some changes to our deal to account for the latest developments," Zac said.

'Changes? Your deal is more than fair already,' Esmeralda looked at Zac with suspicion. 'I knew it. You're up to no good.'

"You're overthinking things," Zac said and threw over a paper. "It's just a small expansion on our agreement, nothing that will impact you overly much."

The toad caught the document, glancing at the short clauses. "This is it? No binding contract?"

"That's it," Zac said. "You'll help me break into a set of temples connected to the trial, and we share the opportunities within, except for anything that might help in Zecia's war efforts. Of course, if it's beyond your abilities, we'll leave it be. You do seem a bit rusty."

'Do you think I'm so easily goaded?' Esmeralda said while angrily stomping her feet. 'Bah, some dusty old ruins won't be a problem. The Limitless Empire's arrays have been dissected and studied for eons. But explain the other clause.'

"I want to use the shrine to store something, so we need to expand its dimensions. I've already done the heavy lifting—you just need to expend a bit more energy than the original method requires to fill it up."

'A bit more energy?' Esmeralda huffed. 'Everyone could become a Monarch if it were so easy to open subspaces. And you'd have to add the essence of whatever you wanted to bring inside to the scroll, which will destabilize the method. I'd have to sacrifice even more blood to keep it stable.'

"I know, but I don't need much. Just enough to fit a—"

'A clone? I see where you're going with this.' Esmeralda smirked, glancing at Zac's other body. 'It's not impossible, but I see no mention of what I get in return. How can there be trust without reciprocity?'

"I'll use my human body to help you look for the thing you need inside the Lower Courts, depending on how the trial is designed. Although, protecting the lives of my subordinates will take precedence if the two goals clash."

'What good are you for my mission? Staying with me longer than planned will benefit you more than me.'

"You don't know that. The only thing we know about this trial is that it's dictated by fate, and I'm standing in the middle of it. Meanwhile, you're sneaking in through the back door. Can you guarantee you can accomplish your goal with your current limitations?"

'With these terms, I would have to pay up now. Meanwhile, your thing is only after the trial begins. Worse, you don't wish to sign an official agreement.'

"What's the point? We're almost the same level and have unusual means. We can both find ways to break any agreement we enter alone. You'll have to take a leap of faith. How can there be reciprocity without trust?"

The toad seemed to be struggling for a minute until she croaked with annoyance. 'Fine!'

Zac grinned and activated the ancient scroll holding the [Enshrinement of Kanba] before the toad could change her mind. A weak pulse made his right lung vibrate, and six unusual runes lit up. They were the foundation he'd built over the past month through a process that mixed chanting, Mental Energy, and very specific breathing patterns. It wasn't actually that different from his [Void Vajra Sublimation], with a splash of [Thousand Lights Avatar], making the process very smooth.

"I'm starting!" Zac shouted as he began the contracting chant.

The humming runes added an otherworldly cadence to Zac's voice. He almost felt like a priest as he held up the scroll before his patron saint. Six runes had appeared on its edges, with smaller scripts forming weblike patterns leading toward an empty circle in the scroll's middle. Esmeralda still looked reluctant as she spat out a blob of shimmering blood that exuded an immense, ancient aura.

The toad's aura flickered, and the liquid in her vats receded by over 30%. The blood landed in the middle of the scroll and was rapidly absorbed by the old parchment. The script gradually lit up under Zac's chants, and energy streamed toward the larger runes, gradually activating them. Esmeralda looked exhausted, but she readily supplied the required energy and Dao.

It wasn't just a bargaining trick when Esmeralda complained of the difficulties. The enshrinement required Esmeralda's Essence Blood, a pure extract holding her bloodline. You only had so many drops of it, and adding a few more would further weaken the toad. She'd have to waste weeks on recovery instead of progress when the trial was drawing closer.

But what could he do? He needed that extra room as a safeguard. Minutes passed as one rune after another lit up, forming a resonance with the ones in his chest. When the fifth one came alive, Zac spat out a drop of golden blood holding his Void Vajra Constitution. It was a necessary evil, as only those bonded by blood could enter Kanba's Shrine.

"Just a little bit more!" Zac urged from his human body while his Draugr half continued the chants.

An angry croak was followed by a small spurt of blood adding to the scroll, and the final rune lit up after five more minutes of energy infusion. The writings atop the scroll came alive, and the scripts dragged the larger runes into the center. The runes fused into an incredibly intricate pattern, and the scroll combusted.

A powerful shockwave interrupted Zac's tantric chants as a rippling ball of energy appeared within his lung. It looked like it would collapse at any moment, but the six runes he'd crafted melted into the shrine and stabilized it. A connection similar to Haro's formed, and Zac felt a surge of ancient power pour into his body. Zac enjoyed the sensation of being imparted the gift of Esmeralda's bloodline. Any one of her talents could become a huge asset during the trial.

The feeling lasted for roughly one second before Zac's eyes snapped open with alarm.

"What the hell is this? What is this?" Zac almost shrieked while pulling on the black, coarse skin on his suddenly paunchy cheeks. His horror only mounted upon spotting the almost translucent webbing between his fingers, reaching up to the second knuckles. "What did you do?!"

He'd become part-toad, and his cheeks weren't the only spots looking like they'd suffered necrosis after frostbite. An urgent scan found four similar spots on his back. Worst of all, he'd actually gained a stubby little proto-tail at his tailbone, jutting out roughly an inch.

'Ah, so tired,' Esmeralda said, almost looking like she'd melted on the spot. 'What? Your beauty marks? I think it's an improvement.'

"Don't mess around!" Zac shouted. "Why did my skin change? Where are the bloodline talents?"

'Look, you wanted a nice expansion for your alter ego. Do you know how much energy it would have cost to pick one of my bloodline—'

"Pick?! A talent should have been extracted at random from the Blood Essence," Zac squeezed through grit teeth. "You manipulated your blood? You're already breaking the agreement!"

'Huh? There's nothing covering this scenario in the contract. I infused the energy and essence like I was supposed to. It never mentioned which part I had to use,' Esmeralda countered. 'And hey, I did give you one of my skills. Didn't you see your hands?'

Zac glanced down at the webbings, desperately trying to find some light in the darkness. Perhaps the webs were part of why Esmeralda became such a successful thief? If he combined it with his own techniques—

'They can secrete a sticky substance that'll let you climb up the smoothest surface without any problem.'

"WHY WOULD I WANT TO CLIMB UP A WALL WHEN I CAN FLY?!"

"Pft!"

Zac swirled around, [Death's Duality] already tearing through the air where the laugh came from. His attack hit nothing, and he only narrowly avoided a flash of steel going for his throat. His Danger Sense gave nothing, his Soul Sense remained blind, yet dozens of more stabs were already descending on him from every direction with very real force within. He was under attack by a powerful assassin, yet a smile crept up Zac's lips as rattling chains began weaving an inescapable web.

A storm was kicked up in the courtyard as Zac flickered back and forth, trying to catch his unseen attacker. The assassin showed incredible skill, holding his own against Zac's refined technique while constantly attacking from unexpected and hard-defended angles. However, death was inexorable.

"Do you want to keep going? You're about to run out of room," Zac smiled, glancing at the nearby corner.

"Damnit! Couldn't even let me have this, could you?"

The attacks stopped, and Ogras stepped out of thin air, looking like he'd swallowed a fly. He wore an exquisite set of black leather armor beneath a hood covered in silver fractals. Both were obviously of extremely high quality, with the former being a proper War Regalia. Zac couldn't make much of the demon's aura, but their brief spar clearly indicated the demon's progress was more than enough to retain his position as the Atwood Empire's number two.

The biggest change was in the demon's demeanor. Ogras still carried himself like a shifty hoodlum, but Zac could feel stability and confidence he hadn't seen before in his friend.

"One was a headache, and now there's two of you? How are the rest of us supposed to live?" Ogras continued, a teasing grin tugging at his lips. "Well, At least the Heavens have some conscience, giving you such a… unique makeover."

Zac gritted his teeth and entered Void State to take control of his new ability. He suppressed the link with the shrine and almost cried with relief when his body returned to normal. Zac couldn't completely stop the transformation without also severing his connection with Esmeralda. The huge splotches were reduced to small black dots at least, while the webbing almost fully disappeared.

"That's better," Zac exhaled with immense relief as a smile spread across his face. "It's good to have you back, buddy."

"It's good to be back. You don't know half of it," Ogras grinned, slapping Zac's shoulder. "Senior Esmeralda, you're looking more beautiful than ever!"

'This is a good one,' Esmeralda grinned, clearly pleased.

"How did you get inside without triggering any of my alarms?"

'He hid in the shadows of this building's arrays,' Esmeralda lazily said, looking at Ogras up and down. 'Why do you have Ponel's smell on you? That greedy guy's no good.'

"Ponel? Who's that?"

"Ponel Pustori. The Faceless Patriarch, The Hidden Heart. Slayer of Supremacies and the bane of my existence," Ogras said, his eyes veritably burning as the grip on Zac's shoulder turned into a vise. "Bastard, just let me stab you once, or I might just form a Heart Demon. Sending me to such a lunatic, do you have any conscience?"

"I'm sorry about that. I only asked the owner of the Perennial Vastness to provide an opportunity that could help you before the trial," Zac coughed.

"Don't mind me; I'm just a bit strung up after a hectic couple of years," Ogras shook his head. "Thank you. I do appreciate the chance you gave me. I'd say I'll pay you back, but I don't know how."

Zac smiled and took out a vat of incredibly expensive wine he'd prepared for just this occasion. "Sounds like you have a few stories. Tell me about it over a glass, and I'll catch you up to speed on this end?"

"A drink doesn't sound bad at all," Ogras said, his eyes gleaming upon smelling the exquisite aroma coming from the D-grade liquor. However, he shook his head and looked at Zac seriously. "But before that, I need you to do me another favor. Can you bring me home?"