Chapter 323: Sowing Grudges (1/2)

Even though Zac was placed face to face with the largest threat to Earth he didn’t panic. The reason was that The Great Redeemer was obviously not there in person. With his hazy appearance it was clear it was a projection or a splinter of his soul like the one inside Salvation’s protective talisman. He had already survived a hologram of this man before, and that was when he was far weaker than now.

But after observing the man for a second Zac felt that the former was more likely than the latter. While the man who appeared from destroying the token was clearly The Great Redeemer, so was it also clear that he looked a lot older than the man Zac saw during the hunt.

The version of the Redeemer that saved Salvation looked to be around Zac's own age or even younger, a man in the prime of his life. But the figure currently glaring at Zac and Ogras was a lot older, looking like someone in his fifties or sixties. That wasn’t the only difference as a large scar ran across his face, and the wound contained some sort of sinister energy. It seemed like the result of an extremely powerful attack, one that couldn’t be easily healed.

Zac knew there was only one reason that a cultivator would look this old. There was a large difference to how aging worked with cultivators compared to mortals. Most of one’s lifespan was spent looking pretty young and when you evolved further you gained enough control to change one's apparent age without using any skill. At the same time, you would be at peak physical capacity all the while.

It was only when one was truly closing in on the end of one’s lifespan would one begin to age physically, and most races even lost attributes as the body degraded. The undead was one exception to this rule, as they became stronger as they lost their sanity due to the degradation in their minds.

That meant that the Great Redeemer was nearing the end of his life, and might be dead in just a hundred years unless he managed to break through his current bottleneck and improve his race once again. It was no wonder he had concocted such a cumbersome method to harvest new worlds that took thousands of years; he was out of options and running out of time.

“The two of you are not mine, and you have broken my beacon,” the Great Redeemer said with a raspy voice as he looked back and forth between Zac and Ogras. “It looks like you know of my grand design.”

Zac was about to answer, but Ogras quickly motioned for him to be quiet as a muzzle of shadows appeared around his mouth.

“Clever child. A bit unusual for your race,” the man snickered with a sinister light in his eyes. “But it will not be enough. Those who try to cut my lifeline will inevitably be condemned to a lifetime of suffering. If I cannot find you now then I will find you a hundred years later.”

The next moment the projection disappeared, leaving the two alone by the Mystic Realm.

“That was close,” the demon muttered as he put away Salvation again.

“Why didn’t you want me to speak with him?” Zac asked.

“A precaution, and it looks like I was right. That man was truly here in person this time, who knows what means he possesses,” the demon explained. “He obviously has some insight into Karma, and I don’t think he would do something so taxing as to project himself all the way here without reason. He was likely trying to form a new Karmic connection with us.”

Understanding dawned in Zac’s eyes, and he once again felt lucky to have the demon by his side.

“What about his threat? Do you really think he will try to find us in a hundred years?” Zac asked with some skepticism. ”Even if we lose our protection from the System we wouldn't be that easy to find in the multiverse.”

“Hmm,” Ogras mused. “Probably?”

“What, really? He would be that petty?” Zac blurted.

“Well, he seems to be at the end of his line. If he fails his promotion because of us he might as well kill us as revenge before he passes on, right? And if he manages to evolve in spite of us he might still go for us to nip any potential revenge in the bud, or just because he can,” Ogras said. “It’s pretty common. Keeping grudges in one’s heart is detrimental to concentration and can even negatively impact one’s cultivation. And he does not look like the person who will just let go of his grudges.”

Zac remembered the crystal about Galvarion he read in Thea’s Library. That man had been the same. The moment he broke through to the next stage he would start a round of revenge against everyone that had slighted him while he was weak. Perhaps it was not only due to being unforgiving but also to clear his mind of any demons that might haunt him as he pushed toward new heights.

“So even if we defeat the Dominators he will still be a threat?” Zac asked.

“There is always a threat,” Ogras laughed. “If not him then some other bastard that either has what you need or needs what you have. That is what it is to be alive. But it would at least buy us 100 years to get stronger. Don’t dwell too much on it.”

“You’re right,” Zac nodded, “No point in taking his words to heart when there's a century to go.”

“Well sure, but it might also be another ploy by him. Why would he expose his plans like that like some second-rate villain? He seems more calculating than that. Perhaps he wants us to obsess about the looming threat of his arrival to the point that we actually form a connection with him that way,” Ogras said.

“Is that even possible?” Zac asked after a brief pause.

“No idea, Karmic Cultivators are pretty secretive about what they can and cannot do. It’s best to focus on the tasks at hand anyway. What will be will be,” Ogras said and walked over to the chest with the array flags. “For now let’s squeeze that asshole’s disciple for all benefits we can get.”

“I’ve asked my sister to look into a way of getting the Origin Dao inside the fractal. She should arrive when the gate is stabilized. If you're in the area help her out if you're able to,” Zac said, drawing a surprised look from the demon.

”What does that lass know about arrays? She's an Elemental Mage,” he said with confusion.

“She’s pretty good with energy control and she has started looking into inscriptions and arrays lately. Besides, we don’t have any other experts in that area, and I trust her. Unless you want me to ask around with the Tal-Eladar?” Zac explained.

“Don’t bring those beasts into the mix. We should keep the Origin Dao for a small circle to maximize our gains,” Ogras said.

Zac snorted, knowing he was mostly thinking about his own benefits. However, he did agree with keeping the Dao for a small group. He did not know the effect of the Origin Dao, but he didn’t want to dilute it if it was anything like the Dao impartment he got from Yrial.