Chapter 767: Depths of Madness (1/2)

“I guess this is it,” Catheya smiled as she walked up to Zac, or rather the golem that stood at the edge of the basin.

“Looks like it. Most people seem to agree,” Zac nodded.

The whole city was abuzz from the changes, and tens of thousands of warriors streamed toward the four gates. Zac could spot dozens of energy eruptions in the settlements as well, signs of chaotic battles taking place.

The City of Ancients waking up was like a match setting the whole area ablaze, and order was fast crumbling. As things looked, the scene would turn into a full-on war unless something changed. Thankfully, they didn’t need to wait for more than another minute before the gates begun to swing open, prompting the trial takers to freeze in anticipation.

“No quest,” Catheya commented. “At least not here.”

“Is that a clue?” Zac asked.

“Increases the likelihood of this being a man-made event,” Catheya explained. “If it had been a true ancient city appearing by itself, the Ruthless Heavens would be more likely to turn the event into a limited quest. Of course, with people clawing at the gates, the System might deem it unnecessary to increase the incentives.”

Soon enough the doors were completely opened, but Zac still couldn’t see what was going on inside. The entrance reminded Zac of a spatial gate, a shimmering wall giving no hints of what waited on the other side. That didn’t stop those at the front line though, and thousands of people heedlessly rushed into the unknown, wanting to gain the first-mover advantage.

Others adopted a wait-and-see approach, hoping to use the first batch as an experiment to see what kind of dangers waited on the other side. Unfortunately, not a single one who entered emerged again, which almost certainly confirmed that the City of Ancient was sealed from the inside.

Even then, more and more people kept streaming inside, and hundreds of powerful auras started to descend toward the gates from the cliffs. It was the elites who had bided their time, hiding at the edge. Judging by some of the auras, there were more than a few who possessed Dao Branches. But even they were drawn by the dense energies and mysterious fluctuations coming from the city.

Zac’s eyes turned toward the large Havarok encampment in the distance, and he saw how orderly lines of warriors had started pouring toward the gate closest to them as well. The dams had collapsed, and the Havarok had given up on keeping people away. Instead, they joined the fight, though Zac wasn’t sure what their exact objectives inside would be.

The real Zac donned the distraction cloak and stepped out from the submersible for the first time in weeks, stowing away the golem who had been his eyes and ears. It was time to make his move. Zac’s goals in this place differed from everyone else’s, but he still was filled with some anxiety as he saw one warrior after another swimming through the gates into the unknown on the other side.

What if someone somehow managed to get their hands on his splinter and then left?

“Be careful,” Zac said to Catheya as he started to slowly infuse [Abyssal Phase] with Miasma. “Don’t worry about whether I have left or not if things get out of hand. Just exit the trial. I’ll figure something out.”

“Aren’t you sweet,” Catheya smiled as she patted his arm. “And don’t worry. I’ll be fine, as will your followers. Who knows, you might have another planet waiting for you by the time you return home.”

Zac smiled weakly in response, once more filled with urgency. He didn’t know what he could do to help out his people back home, but that didn’t lessen his desire to return.

“Here, use this while you approach,” Catheya said as she handed him an ice shard. “It’ll obscure you, just in case.”

Zac looked at it curiously as he infused it with some Miasma. The ice crystal immediately started expelling motes of ice all around him, hiding him in a shimmering nebula.

“Thank you for all your help,” Zac sighed. “I’ll convey your message to your ancestor as quickly as I can.”

“I have an idea if you’re willing. I can proactively reach out to the Ambassadors, explain your situation, and convey that you are friendly and can be an asset to the Empire. As long as I get the message to representatives of the empire, not even my master would dare make a move on you,” Catheya said. “At least it would give you a window to prepare, no matter what response the empire has. I'll try to send you a message somehow as well, if I'm in a position to do so.”

Zac slowly nodded, feeling the idea made sense. He had already reconciled with the fact that his secret would be exposed soon enough. If not the moment Catheya left the trial, then at least by the time she returned home. And she was right. It was probably better to reach out to the empire preemptively, rather than leave his secret to a declining clan desperate to regain its glory.

Even if Catheya and possibly her father wanted to befriend him, what about the other elders?

“Alright, I trust your instincts,” Zac smiled. “Get me a good deal, alright? I wouldn’t mind visiting the Abyssal Shores in the future.”

“Gods help us,” Catheya laughed.

The next moment Zac was gone, turned into an abyssal wraith. The world slowed down once more as Zac shot toward the City of Ancients. However, he didn’t go for the closest one, but rather the one to the east. The eastern gate was opposite of the one the Havarok Army was heading toward, which would hopefully minimize his interactions with those people.

They had sent out that olive branch, but Zac wouldn’t trust his life on it.

The ancient city came closer and closer, as Zac moved with blazing speed, but he noted that dozens of the cultivators descending from the ledges could match his pace. He even spotted three that were moving slightly quicker than him, most likely talents who had Dexterity as their main attribute.

Luckily, this was not a race, and Zac didn’t rush into the portal when he landed at the edge of the mob waiting right outside. He immediately started walking through the crowd at random to avoid having someone focusing on him. Honestly, though, Zac doubted his distraction cloak was even needed judging by how intently most people were staring at the shimmering barrier that hid the insides of the ancient city.

Not a single warrior who had entered had made it back outside, but neither did Zac sense any battles or suspicious fluctuations within the walls. It was completely tranquil, providing no clues as to what waited inside. Zac hesitated a bit as he circuitously came closer and closer to the gate. Should he really enter? It seemed like a pretty deadly event, and he hadn’t even confirmed if Uona or the splinter was inside.

But suddenly, a shudder rippled through his mind – it was there.

It was distant and obscured, but he had felt a weak hint of oblivion from the depths of the city. Zac hesitated no longer, and with one leap, he entered the City of Ancients.