Chapter 542: Crusade (1/2)

Zac returned to his compound and just visited his sister for a bite before turning in for the night. Neither Billy nor Thea had returned from their trials just yet according to Kenzie, which hopefully was a good thing. It might mean they managed to get opportunities similar to himself, where he got an additional trial that increased the time that the trial took.

Ogras’ Inheritance had passed quicker, only taking him a few hours. The demon hadn’t divulged everything that happened, it did seem like his haul wasn’t all too impressive apart from the weird creature he was bonded with. Zac guessed his encounter was similar to Zac's if he only defeated the golem and simply got some contribution points to shop for.

The harrowing experience of using the [Bone-Forging Dust] left him utterly unable to find the tranquility to ponder on the Dao, especially not with his bones still throbbing painfully. His mind was far too muddled to go over any plans for the war with the Zhix traitors as well, so he just fell on top of his bed and entered a dreamless slumber.

He woke up the next day expecting to be met with a wave of pain, but he was surprised to notice that he felt fine. In fact, better than fine. The pain was completely washed away, and his body felt like he just had spent the last hour stretching and limbering up. He didn’t know if it was thanks to his high Vitality or if it was just how the powder worked, but he felt a lot lighter as he walked toward the teleporter.

He had already gotten all the pertinent details yesterday from Kenzie, and his destination had appeared on his Teleportation Screen.

Zac cracked his neck before he stepped into the teleporter, ready to withstand an assault at moment's notice. He was expected by the Zhix War Council, but you never knew what that meant. There might be a hundred Anointed on the other side of the teleporter waiting to welcome him with their massive fists for all he knew.

Or even worse, a banquet full of all the disgusting things Ibtep had tried to feed him before.

He appeared in a dark cave the next moment, with ten Zhix warriors standing guard. Two of them shot toward him without hesitation, their short spears aiming for his vitals the moment he materialized. Zac didn’t panic at all, and simply materialized the crude club he had used against the Zhix before.

Two hollow bonks later and the two attacking warriors lay sprawled out at the ground at the other side of the room.

“Strength to your hive,” Zac said. “I am Zachary Atwood. I am expected.”

The still-standing Zhix didn’t answer with anything but a bow, and two of them stepped off and led him through an intricate series of tunnels, ignoring their unconscious brethren. Zac looked at the surroundings with interest, as this was the first time he had actually been inside a Zhix hive. He had always meant to revisit his local Hive to meet with Nonet, but there was always some fire or another he had to put out.

Zac had always pictured something a bit like a mix of an Ayr Hive and the town caves he had visited, but he realized he had severely underestimated the love for architecture among the Zhix. It would be fairer to compare the Zhix Hive with a dwarven subterranean city. There was extraordinary attention to detail, no matter whether you looked at the intricately tiled floor or the engraved patterns adorning the walls.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he was walking in a restricted part of the complex structure as he saw almost no Zhix warriors while they proceeded deeper into the hive, and there were no buildings or rooms to give an insight into how they lived their day-to-day. It was clear they walked further into the earth though, into the heart of the hive.

It only took them a few minutes to reach their goal though, a large chamber with no point of interest apart from a massive set of doors. In front of it, a familiar figure stood waiting, and Zac walked over with a smile. Zac looked at Ibtep with interest, feeling that the past months had transformed him from a harmless oddball to a warrior emitting a solid aura. Zac could still discern the inquisitive light in his eyes though, the thing that somewhat set him apart from most other insectoids.

The two hadn’t actually seen each other since they split ways at Marshall Manor. Ibtep had been in one long deployment against the undead hordes, both working as a liaison due to his knowledge of humans, and as a scout. Zac had felt a bit bad that this guy wasn't there to join in the opportunity of the Dao Funnel, but it felt like he had improved tremendously even without it.

“Greetings, Lord Atwood,” Ibtep said with a bow, almost topping over due to the weight of the massive backpack that he still carried around. “Care for a snack? They are quite delicious, and they can calm a warrior’s mind, readying you for combat.”

He produced a small jar the next moment, and Zac blanched when he saw it contained a few extraordinarily fatty larvae. It looked like some of the Zhix’s odd customs remained, and it made him worry about what came next.

“No thank you,” Zac said with a somewhat forced smile. “It’s good to see you’re okay. How is Nonet?”

“Nonet has fought valiantly for Hive Kundevi and Port Atwood, and our Hive can now join the council,” Ibtep said with pride before he slightly deflated again. “Of course, Lord Atwood might be a part of that reason.”

“Are the others already here?” Zac asked.

“Yes, they are waiting on the other side of this door. I cannot follow inside, it is not my place,” Ibtep explained.

Zac nodded as he looked up at the massive gates once more. They reached over ten meters into the air and were covered in a painstakingly detailed mural that depicted various battles. It was a vivid reminder that the Zhix wasn't just a barbaric tribe of insectoids, but an ancient society with thousands of years of history.

“Your people actually managed to open these things before the integration?” Zac asked as he looked up at the enormous doors.

“Just the greatest of the Anointed,” Ibtep said with a shake of his head. “Normal warriors would never be able to step through these gates. It requires both renown and enough power to actually open the doors.”

Zac only smiled as he put his hands against the doors and pushed. There was some resistance, but they soundlessly opened and let him inside. However, he was still inwardly shocked when he realized just how much power was required to open these things. There was no way that anyone beneath level 40 or 50 would be able to open these doors, proving just how powerful the Zhix Anointed were even before the integration.