Chapter 362: Time Pressure (1/2)
“What?” Zac couldn’t help but blurt out. “Impossible, the array is far from finished.”
“It doesn’t need to be finished to work, but it will charge much faster if it is,” Void’s Disciple said.
“Changing the alignment of a whole planet is an enormous undertaking for people at our level, so all hope is not yet lost,” Void continued, throwing over a crystal. “The information is there. I guess that you have between one month and two to take the undead down. When the process starts you have a week at best to stop it before the damage becomes irrevocable.”
“And you expect me to believe you will stand down and let the Undead go through with the transformation?” Zac asked. “That would ruin your lord’s plans as well.”
“If the undead succeed we will stay as long as possible, and hopefully our Lord will take mercy on us and pick us up. If not, then that’s our fate,” Void said with equanimity as he stood up. “We will not be the source of causing new enmities for our Lord, especially not with a force like the Undead Empire. We are not the only seeds as you are no doubt aware of.”
Zac’s thoughts flashed to the Medhin Royals, immediately understanding what he was referring to. There were at least two worlds that The Great Redeemer had planted his seeds of Karma on, and perhaps there were many more of them. It was both a relief and troubling that The Great Redeemer didn't place all his bets on this planet alone, because that meant that he might still manage to evolve to C-Grade even if Zac saved Earth. Forming a grudge with a C-Grade Hegemon would result in all kinds of trouble.
“And when do you expect your boss to come and pick you up?” Zac asked though he wasn’t really expecting a truthful answer.
“Some mysteries are best left unanswered,” the Zhix smiled, confirming Zac’s guess.
Zac tried to figure out what other information he could try to weasel out of the insectoid now that they stood face to face, but he was dragged out of his musings to once again get ready for battle when he saw the Zhix move. Energy churned around Zac's body and he was ready to unleash everything he got at moment’s notice.
“I’ve said what needed to be said. The rest will depend on you,” Void’s Disciple said as he calmly looked at Zac. “Of course, if you want you’re welcome to try your hand against me. Killing me will solve one threat to your planet instantly. My children are strong, but they are not able to rein in their bloodthirst. Their carnage would sooner or later result in their demise.”
“So how about it?” Void’s Disciple his eyes even showing some anticipation as the space behind him shuddered.
The next moment it looked like a window to the cosmos appeared behind the Zhix.
Zac squeezed the handle of his axe, a pearl of sweat running down his forehead. This truly was an opportunity that was hard to come by. They still had no idea where Void’s Disciple hid, and they didn’t have any special sight like Abbot Everlasting Peace to track him down again if he disappeared now. The Dominators had been elusive since the integration, only appearing when they wanted.
But as much as he hated to admit it, Zac was afraid. The fight with the Cyborg had utterly crushed his sense of invulnerability, and he wasn’t ready to take on the Dominators. Especially not Void’s Disciple, who felt like a far larger threat than Inevitability and Harbinger, even if those two had passed Void’s Disciple in levels after the hunt.
Zac eventually he lowered his axe, and silently shook his head slightly.
”Another time then,” the Zhix laughed as he threw something at Zac. ”I will not assist you directly, but you emerging victorious against the Lich King would be in my best interest, so I will help out a bit. This array is specifically designed to interrupt the arrays in the Lich King's castle, though the effect will only last for a second or two. Perhaps it will create an opportunity.”
”Is this why you visited him earlier?” Zac asked with a frown as he looked down at the black crystal in his hand.
He was unsure whether to trust the Zhix, but he couldn't find any reason he would lie at this juncture. The best thing for Void would truly be if Zac won, at which point the Dominator could simply stay hidden until his boss arrived and culled the planet. The Zhix didn't answer the question, and he only smiled as he turned around to walk into the cosmos he had opened a door into.
But Zac wasn’t ready to just let him go. The whole meeting had been on the Dominator’s terms, and Zac only knew what Void’s Disciple wanted him to know. He needed to get something more out of him, and his mind immediately turned to one matter that so far eluded them.
“I thought you wanted to talk about the Mystic Realm since you came all this way,” Zac said, throwing out a hook open for interpretation.
The Zhix immediately stopped in its tracks, and a monstrous aura rife with killing intent blanketed the whole area in an instant. It was far beyond what he encountered when fighting Inevitability, and Zac unhesitantly activated [Hatchetman’s Rage] since he was afraid he would get instantly killed if he didn’t go all-out from the start.
But the aura disappeared as quickly as it came, and the Zhix took a deep breath before looking into Zac’s eyes.
“The item that is being birthed has no fate with you. Only death awaits if you enter the battle for that thing, even if you are our fated fulcrum. The same goes for the Church and even the Undead Empire. That thing can only go to our Lord,” he tersely said, before entering the cosmos and disappearing.
Zac stared at the spot where Zoid’s Disciple disappeared for a few seconds before he took a deep breath to steady himself. The aura Void’s Disciple released was shocking, but Zac was ecstatic with the result of dangling that bait.
The fact that Void’s Disciple would stop at nothing to gain the treasure of the Mystic Realm, but was willing to let the Undead Empire terraform Earth, was an extremely important revelation. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do with the information just yet, but it was a great clue on how to proceed in their war against The Great Redeemer.