Chapter 691: Suspicions and Auctions (1/2)

The skills in the public section of the repository were mostly Middle-stage, which meant the equivalent of a skill you’d get from an Uncommon Class, though slightly weakened from the transcription. A few skills were high-grade, but most of them were either out of stock or had some sort of drawbacks that made them less popular.

The Eldritch Archivals were in the same situation as most other merchants in the Twilight Harbor; a lot of high-end stock geared toward E-grade warriors had been sold out long before Zac arrived. After all, the Twilight Ascent only opened so often, and many would be dead or long past the E-Grade by the next time it opened.

Everyone wanted some final upgrades before entering since it would increase their survivability rate and the potential returns they could get.

Zac walked through the stores for an hour, and he ultimately settled on just two more skills for himself. The first was called [Gorehew], and it was a pure Strength-based Medium E-Grade skill meant for axes, two-handed swords, polearms, and other larger bladed weapons. It was meant as an upgrade for [Unholy Strike] since Zac had essentially given up on that skill by now.

It was pretty suited to his constitution, but Zac ultimately had to prioritize using his skill fusions on transforming his other skills into ones that suited his path better. [Unholy Strike] worked fine, but charging up his muscles with enough miasma to make a difference at his current level took way too much time. [Force of the Void] didn’t work on that skill either, perhaps because the skill worked by gradually expanding his muscles.

[Gorehew] was a skill he could use repeatedly in battle, just like [Nature's Edge]. It obviously wasn’t at the level of his own skill, but it did have a good feature. As he slaughtered enemies with the skill, the attack would gain a temporary boost in power and area of effect. Furthermore, the boost was stackable to a degree. It was a decent skill to clear out a large number of weak enemies at a low cost, when using his tactic of whittling down enemies was a waste of time.

Zac didn't have any plans on using it in the future. It was simply a temporary skill that would serve him well until he reached the D-Grade.

The second skill was called [Undying Mark], and it was a healing skill. The skill allowed you to continuously infuse Miasma until you formed a mark on your body. That mark was essentially like a stored healing spell. At low proficiency, you’d be able to create three marks and at peak proficiency five of them. Of course, the healing effect would also increase with every increase in proficiency.

Its strong point was that the healing skill could actually be used in battle for an almost instantaneous regeneration. The downsides were that it took hours to form the marks and that the effect wasn't anything special. Zac still figured it was better than nothing, and he added it to his repertoire. Vilari had a better haul, and she actually got three skills for herself, two of which she even felt were usable as a base for skill fusions.

Zac was about to exit the Repository, but he stopped when he saw Catheya waiting by the gates. It was the first time he had seen her since their initial meeting, and Zac once more put his guard up.

“I heard you’ve made your choice. Be careful. [Abyssal Phase] was a skill an external elder of my clan learned around eighty thousand years ago. He was killed by a lightning-quick strike before he had a chance to activate the evolved version of the skill,” Catheya smiled. “It’s quite lopsided, with both immense strengths and demerits.”

“I have other defenses to rely on,” Zac smiled back. “Is everything arranged?”

“You’re so business-minded, just like your… junior brother. He kept asking me one question after another, like his time was gold,” Catheya laughed. “But yes, everything is arranged. My master was quite impressed with you, and he’s signed off on you. As for the auction, I'll come pick you up tomorrow.”

“Your master has checked up on me?” Zac said with surprise, his heart almost jumping up into his throat. “He’s free enough to spy on an E-grade cultivator?”

Zac had been alert all the time while traveling through the Twilight Harbor, but he hadn’t felt a single thing. His bracer usually warmed up when someone was trying to inspect him, but the few times it had happened he had always managed to find the source. It was usually curious onlookers who hung outside the shops, perhaps looking for marks to scam or just gathering intelligence.

But nothing had warned him of a probe from a hidden C-Grade Monarch. It was an important reminder. If some of those old monsters wanted him dead, then it was over. He wouldn’t even have a chance to start generating an annihilation sphere or his defensive bangle before he was turned into atoms.

“He worries considering he can’t enter that place. More than one promising Imperial has fallen inside the Twilight Ocean over the years,” Catheya shrugged before he gave him a deep look. “Besides, he was curious about the one who has some sort of connection to my ancestor. He could confirm that you are pureblood Draugr just like we thought, but not even slightly related to Ancestor Be’Zi... Just where did you pop up from?”

“The universe is full of little mysteries. You’ll go crazy if you try to understand everything,” Zac smiled.

“For a while I guessed you were a progenitor just like Zac Piker, perhaps even from the same planet,” Catheya mused, ignoring Zac’s comment. “After all, some unintegrated worlds hold the uninitiated unliving. An undead forming alliance with the living against the Undead Empire? What a scandal that would be.”

“But now you’ve changed your opinion?” Zac said with a raised brow.

“I can’t confirm any exact numbers, but I would say that you have spent over 3,000 D-grade Nexus Coins over the past week. Even if you sold 10 recently integrated planets in a place like Zecia you wouldn’t reach such a net worth. That kind of wealth can't be found on a progenitor, it needs millennia to be accumulated. You must have a very powerful master, probably at peak C-grade. Perhaps even a Divine Monarch,” Catheya said with a slightly victorious smile.

“You’ve been keeping track of my purchases?” Zac asked with a frown.

“Of course I have,” Catheya snorted. “But more importantly, word of a mysterious pureblood Draugr spending a prodigal amount of wealth on all kinds of basic necessities have spread all across the Harbor in certain circles. Mind telling me what you’re up to?”

“I’ve just recently started gathering some followers of my own,” Zac shrugged. “I took the opportunity to buy some basic items for them.”

Zac kept his face impassive, more than happy to let Catheya form a misguided hypothesis of his origin. In fact, that had even been part of the consideration when going on such a wanton shopping spree. Catheya had participated in an integration herself, and she should be clear about the potential gains that came with it. Zac himself was good for just over 100 Billion F-grade Nexus Coins before Leandra threw money at him, and most of that was dividends his sister had generated.

As for Divine Monarchs, he had heard something about it before. Apparently, it was a stage a bit similar to a Half-Step D-grade cultivator. But while Half-Step D-grade essentially signified failure, a Divine Monarch was the opposite. Each grade evolution was a larger step than the one before, and there were some preparations needed to even attempt reaching B-grade.

Zac didn’t know the details, but if you managed to become a Divine Monarch you essentially had the base qualifications to attempt a breakthrough. Of course, there were no doubt a bunch of other requirements to become an actual Autarch, considering none appeared over millions and millions of years in the frontier sectors.

“I am starting to believe your story. You might actually be a real disciple of Ancestor or her partner,” Catheya muttered. “I still can’t understand the connection between you and Zac Piker though… But I will figure it out sooner or later.”

“Best of luck,” Zac said, trying his best to hide his discomfort. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“What a bore,” Catheya sighed. “I’ll pick you up at your place.”

Zac quickly returned to his compound with the help of Nala, feeling like a thousand eyes were peeping at him all the while. He knew that he was playing with fire getting along with Catheya, but he had already started reaping the rewards. He held a lot of expectations for [Abyssal Phase], and his other skills weren't too shabby either.

Besides, it looked like his mother hadn’t lied to him down when it came to the array. It looked like Catheya’s master couldn’t find anything wrong with him, which meant that not a single person in the whole Zecia sector should be able to spot his perfected Duplicity Core. At least he worked under that assumption. He would probably have been caught by now if his human ancestry or real identity was exposed.

Zac shrugged off any errant thoughts as he started walking toward his courtyard, but a cough from behind stopped him in his tracks.

“This, ah, young master… This is the last day I was hired,” Nala hesitantly said.

“Oh, right,” Zac thoughtfully nodded. “If you’re available, I’d like to hire you until the Twilight Ascent starts. Same rate.”

“Ah? Really?” Nala exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “Absolutely. I will work hard to help out. I’ll talk with my father if he has some more information he can share.”

“That’s fine,” Zac nodded, though he honestly didn’t hold much hope for him divulging some high-value secrets. “You don't need to come tomorrow though, I'll be busy.”