Defiance of the Fall

"Kālasūtra," Zac said, not recognizing the name. "A Buddhist realm? Is it related to Samsara?"

"No," Kator growled as he took out a piece of wood. "It's one of the Eight Hells—the Threaded Hell."

Zac looked at the plank with confusion, seeing how the black threads spread far quicker on it than anywhere else. It only took moments for them to join into a pattern filled with deathly intent, one almost completely separated from Zac's understanding of the Dao of Death. Then, it was reduced to pitch-black ash that drifted onto the ground.

There was not so much of a speck of lingering spirituality or aura in the dust, the effect rivaling Zac's [Void Mountain] infusion. Sharp intakes could be heard through the room as people fearfully looked down at the lines on their bodies and the Yphelion itself.

"It was mortal Wood," Galau said, taking out a series of raw materials ranging from Mortal to D-grade.

Zac relaxed upon seeing the stark difference between the weakest and strongest materials. The patterns began as dots that gradually expanded into threads, where the higher the grade or Dao you wielded, the slower the process. Zac estimated even the weakest crew had half an hour before they'd meet the same fate as the plank. Hegemons would last twice that, at the very least, while the Yphelion could withstand the Threaded Hell even longer.

That didn't mean they could sit around. The threads were slow-moving but unrelenting. Even Zac came up empty, whether it was using Void Energy or his Eoz bloodline. Furthermore, the Death-attuned module was gradually losing energy. The lines' slow growth might accelerate if they lost the Yphelion's protection.

And that wasn't even mentioning the other dangers that might lurk in this unfamiliar place.

"Jaol," Zac said.

"I—these readings… what?" Jaol muttered.

"It's useless. The Threaded Hell is an ancient Lower Plane. It doesn't follow the same rules as the prime dimensions, rendering all your readings obsolete. We can't even trust our senses beyond the vessel's protection," Kator said, staring at Zac. " You lunatic, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that we'd be dead unless I took a chance," Zac said. "This feature was something the System installed, and it wouldn't send us to our death. Give me a second to figure things out."

Zac scoured the surge of information that the Yphelion provided through the link. There was no manual, only a large set of seemingly encrypted or incomplete data. Was he supposed to activate the second module to access all the information? No, releasing a burst of Life in a Death-attuned Lower Plane was courting death. The ship might explode right away, or it might attract dangerous denizens.

He'd keep it in case everything else failed. Zac instead activated his Earthly Dao of Sealed Death, pouring it into the administrator link. It was the same approach he used to decipher the secrets in the Chaos Library. It worked. A part of the chaotic data became legible, and Zac quickly transferred some of it into the bridge console.

The pitch-black screen displaying the outside lit up, albeit barely. A gloomy, monochromatic world appeared on the screens. There was no sense of up or down, partly because of the endless number of black threads that stretched beyond their vision in every direction. It was like they'd appeared in the middle of an enormous Array Disk, with pathways hundreds of meters across all around them.

The scene was silent and ominous. Thankfully, there were no signs of any beasts or denizens of hell, though their vision didn't reach very far.

"That's the Kālasūtra, alright," Kator groaned. "What are you doing now?"

"Driving the ship, of course," Zac said.

More than half the data remained incomprehensible. Zac guessed he'd have to evolve his Dao at least once more to decipher everything, which explained why the modules had remained locked away. What Zac did have was barely enough to make do.

He'd sent the ship forward, using one of the huge threads as a tunnel to advance. As scary as the threads were, the hollow emptiness between seemed even more dangerous. Zac could already feel a growing pressure on him, one that stirred his danger sense.

It was manageable for now, but Zac's instincts warned that the Yphelion could only remain hidden thanks to the Death Module masking the ship as part of a thread. They'd stick out like a sore thumb if they popped out for too long.

"Going to explore the underworld, are you?" Kator said.

"What will I accomplish if I jump back out now? The cultists are sharpening their spears as we speak. We need to travel some distance and leave through another node."

"It doesn't look like we're traveling very fast, though," Emily hesitated. "We won't cover much ground before we have to emerge. Should we prepare for another battle?"

"We're actually traveling extremely fast," Zac said. "We're getting closer to our destination with incredible speed. We'll be days away from our pursuers by the time we emerge."

It wasn't an exaggeration. One minute in the Threaded Hell was equivalent to hours of travel on the outside. They were completely cut off from the Imperial Graveyard, excepting one aspect. It was the bond that replaced the [Centurion Beacon] a few days ago. Zac could feel it still giving direction, and the feedback gave a good estimate of their pace.

"So we're safe so long as we're not unlucky enough to appear in the middle of another pack of those bastards? And we'll even reach our destination early?" Ogras nodded. "I'm starting to understand why these toys come with such a hefty price tag."

Zac already knew Attuned Vessels used modes of travel that didn't rely on the Dao of Space. He just hadn't expected the Yphelion to use such a spectacular method. He'd pictured something like his [Abyssal Drive] or possibly traveling through a Dao Tapestry like the great Tree of Life he saw when forming his bond with Haro.

Using the Lower Planes as a shortcut seemed both foolhardy and extravagant, especially for a measly D-grade vessel.

"This is a realm governed by Death. It's to be expected that Space does not work the same way here," Kator said. "And I wouldn't say we're safe. The outside looks empty now, but the Threaded Hell is not unoccupied."

"The Yphelion is masking its aura so long as we stay inside the threads," Zac said. "I'll send us out early if the situation becomes dangerous."

'See if you can figure anything else out now that the module is up and running,' Zac added in a mental communication that only reached Galau's ears.

'I'm already tapped into the system. I'm afraid I'm not much better off than Jaol. This all reads like gibberish to me. Is there something specific you're looking for?'

'Yes. How to get back out.'

'You—' Galau exclaimed, only barely managing to hide his shock.

That was the part Zac left out in his explanation. He had no idea how to leave. The information he could understand through his Early Earthly Dao didn't cover anything of the sort, nor could he sense exits through the Death-attuned scanners. Simply turning off the Death-attuned module wouldn't solve anything. It would only remove the film that hid and probably protected them.

"Tell us what you know," Zac said as he steered the Yphelion.

"It's not much. The eight hells are not places you can freely come and go to," Kator said. "I know all eight have an owner."

"Plane Spirits?" Catheya said with surprise.

"That or extraordinary Innate Existences. I don't know much about them, except they're extremely hostile to outsiders. The Empire has always kept its distance from these particular realms for that reason. There are safer planes to scour for opportunities."

Catheya slowly nodded, elaborating when seeing Zac's curiously. "Lower Planes are very large. Even the smallest would be comparable to Immemorial Realms, with the greatest ones approaching the scope and energy levels of a true dimension. Anything having absolute control over a plane would have to be at the level of the Perennial Vastness' Realm Spirit. Some would be even stronger."

"That powerful?" Zac exclaimed, suddenly feeling the looming pressure even heavier.

"They're not a threat to the natural order. As powerful as they are, they're imperfect. Most are trapped in their plane. The ones able to leave will be severely weakened the moment they step outside, becoming prey to Supremacies looking for unique resources," Kator said, glancing in Zac's direction. "Of course, it's another matter entirely if you barge into their domain uninvited."

Zac was about to answer when the signal suddenly took a sharp twist. One that would force him to jump over to a nearby thread, continuing in another direction. Zac hesitated, putting the matter to the floor.

"I'd recommend following the signal," Jaol said. "It's our only point of direction. Who knows? We might end up outside the Imperial Graveyard if we take the wrong turn."

"Do it," Kator agreed. "We've come this far; we might as well use it to our advantage."

Zac nodded, and the Yphelion emerged from the protective darkness. A deep groan shook Zac to the core, and more than one person in the room was forced to their knees. The sound disappeared as quickly as it came when the vessel entered the other thread.

"What was that? A creature?" Ogras said.

"No idea," Zac said, noting that the intangible pressure had increased after the maneuver. Nothing else changed over the next couple of minutes, though Zac's nerves kept growing tighter.

"There's something in the distance!" Jaol exclaimed.

Zac soon understood what Jaol noticed in the pile of data and adjusted the monitors, prompting a structure to come into view. It resembled an ancient Corinthian temple cut from obsidian instead of marble. Its floor plan was open, yet it was impossible to see anything beyond the pillars. It was as though it was a space of its own, resisting the Yphelion's camera.

It didn't take long before a second and third item came into view, silently drifting between the threads. One looked like an enormous star forged from black metal, the other a stone feather that dwarfed the Yphelion. The structures emitted no energy or aura, nor were there any signs of any beings occupying them. It didn't stop Zac from breaking into a cold sweat after looking at any of them too long, and he didn't dare keep the Yphelion's scanners in their direction.

"What are those things?" Joanna asked, surreptitiously glancing at the lanky reaver.

"Don't ask me," Kator shrugged. "Might be ancient relics that have fallen into hell or something built by the locals. I'd guess the latter."

"Relics of a forbidden plane," Ogras muttered with a greedy gleam in his eyes. "Sounds valuable."

"The Lower Planes hold incredible resources that can't be found on the outside," Catheya said. "They're one of the two most popular destinations for Autarchs stuck in a bottleneck."

"And the other?" Emily asked curiously.

"The Eternal Storm."

"They have to travel so far for resources?" Emily said. "So much for the Heartlands:"

"The Heartlands are a cultivation paradise compared to the frontier, but resources at that level are incredibly rare anywhere. What appears naturally is far from enough and is usually claimed by those with the biggest fist. The rest must find other avenues to progress, and these remote places are the only ones that aren't picked clean or under observation," Ogras shrugged.

"Exploring those structures will have to wait for another time," Zac said. "We have to leave before our crew turns into dust."

"Good. It feels like someone is reaching for my throat." Catheya said.

"I thought I was the only one," Galau said.

Zac looked around with a somber expression. Even the crew was starting to notice the growing threat. It felt as though a vast presence was gradually honing in on their location through the sense of rejection. Could it be the Plane Spirit Catheya mentioned? As bad as the threads were, they paled before being targeted by such an entity. They might have to leave earlier than planned, even if Zac was reluctant. If wasn't actually impossible to reach their destination before the E-grade staff reached their limits.

Minutes passed, and the conversation eventually died down completely. It was like everyone feared so much as a whisper would garner further attention. That subdued silence deepened with each jump between threads and reached a crescendo when they encountered the first denizens of the Threaded Hell. Eyes wide as saucers stared at the monitor, taking in the scene.

A long line of creatures traveled on a neighboring thread, with every ten rows holding up a banner of darkness. The dark shrouds over their faces couldn't hide the fact they came in all shapes and forms. There were everything from gargantuan Beast Emperors dwarfing the Yphelion to humanoids smaller than the Sky Gnomes back on earth.

Big or small, they moved with incredible speed. They'd caught up with their ship in no time, and the first rows became distant dots in seconds. It didn't look like the strange procession was there for them, making Zac hesitate whether he should try to escape. They were so close to the beacon's destination that Zac felt he could almost touch it. If they could endure a few more minutes...

Then he saw the coffin.

It was only three meters or so, yet the enormous beasts carrying it seemed to struggle under its weight. It was simple and unadorned, hewn from black stone. Its design paled before the dozens of extraordinary weapons stabbed into the lid. All of them emitted hair-raising auras that made Zac think of the vision of the Left Imperial Palace and the scars that had adorned its walls.

And yet, none of the weapons had managed to penetrate the simple lid, and eons of erosion had reduced the once-glorious equipment to rusty scrap. The scene was so gripping that it took Zac a second to realize the funeral procession had slowed down when the coffin aligned with the Yphelion.

A scream of alarm was muffled and strangled when the coffin shuddered. The world stopped, from the Yphelion to the endless row of undead. It was locked in stasis by the ancient aura that spilled out from the small crack that had appeared when the lid shifted. Countless eyes gazed in his direction from within, piercing right through the Yphelion.

'You… returned…'

The voice exploded like a series of bombs in Zac's mind, and his surroundings were replaced by a sea of eyes.

'To… us…'

Zac didn't have the luxury of pondering on what the interred being meant by "returned." He wasn't even able to move, let alone ask what he meant. It was possible the corpse wasn't trying to kill him, but that didn't change the fact that his mere words threatened to tear Zac's soul apart.

They needed to leave, even if Galau had yet to find a safe way to exit the Threaded Hell. Void Energy coursed through Zac's body as [Void Mountain] descended. It was like an ant trying to stop a chariot, but it let him extract a sliver of Divine Energy. Zac desperately infused the trickle into the Life-attuned trigger.

A surge of Life swept through the ship, which immediately started to groan and shake. Each second felt like an eternity, where Zac waited to see if the corpse would try to prevent their exit. It didn't. The eyes closed, returning the bridge to its original state. Meanwhile, the threads turned into puffs of smoke that left nothing behind.

"GO!" Zac croaked, unable to hear his voice over the rumbling thunder of 'TO US' being repeated over and over in his head.

The Yphelion jolted, and the screen recalibrated. The deadly turmoil of the Imperial Graveyard had never felt so comforting.

"We're back!" Jaol said, his victorious grin immediately collapsing into a mask of horror. "We're in the middle of a storm! Damn, this is the worst one yet!"

Screams and barked orders joined the cacophony, along with urgent warning signals of shields failing and sections being damaged. It was too much at once. Zac felt like his mind was being torn apart by barbarians fighting over the scraps. He held onto a path to salvation as his vision closed in.

It was the beacon, having transformed again now that they were mere hours from their destination. He pulled at the sensation with all his might, praying it would help them through their plight.

"Follow," Zac whispered before passing out.

The coffin continued its eternal journey, waiting for the destined day.