Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 130: The Motley Crew

“WHAT?!” Zac asked, shocked. “That’s impossible.”

He wasn’t saying that without any reason. He had proof in the form of his own titles. He was the first to reach level 25 and attain a class, and it was just impossible that someone not only caught up to him, but even gained another 50 levels.

“Can you please show me, I need to verify the truth of it,” Zac finally said.

After explaining how to show status screens or other menus of the System, he soon blankly stared at a small hovering box.

[3. Inevitability. Level 98]

The Zhix was unwilling to share the whole list, but that single line was all Zac needed to know the Zhix wasn’t lying.

“Holy shit…” Zac could only mutter.

Countless questions whirled in his head suddenly, the foremost one being how the hell this was possible. The only explanation he could come up with was that these Dominators didn’t start at level one since they already used Cosmic Energy before the integration. He actually had no idea what happened in that case, and missive didn’t really say anything about it either. It did, however, mention that sometimes the invaders encountered extremely strong resistance.

As for the titles they were either split up between the races like the ladder, or old cultivators weren’t eligible for them. Zac could only hope it was the latter since it was bad enough if the Dominators were level 100 E-Rank powerhouses. If they also had the “First”-Titles as well with all their big percentage bonuses they might as well pack it up and look for ways to get off this planet.

Level 100 was no joking matter. It was a full 25 levels past the bottleneck at 75. Since they were actually past the bottleneck it meant that they all held Dao seeds and an E-Ranked Class by now. Not only that, the improvements per level after the bottleneck were a lot larger compared to before. They would be in a completely different league compared to beasts like the Fiend Wolf he fought earlier, who barely had passed the threshold.

If you combined that fact together with the extremely strong bodies the leaders seemed to possess, it made a truly terrifying image. He held no illusions that he’d be able to defeat something at level 100 even with all his titles, especially not considering their natural endowments.

With that amount of power, they were even a larger threat than the incursions. After all, they didn’t just possess monstrous individual power, they also had large Zhix hives full of zealous warriors who were happy to go on a rampage against anything with cosmic energy. He even suspected that many had no idea they were following a so-called Dominator since they clearly were hiding and biding their time for some purpose.

“I think you understand my worry, human. I need to gather more information, and hopefully we can warn other hives,” Ibtep said.

Though it was like a risk Zac felt he had no choice but to bring Ibtep by this point. The Zhix was right, humans needed to be aware of this fact. And a real walking and talking Zhix would be far more effective than just him saying it without any real proof.

“Ok, you can come. Talk to Adran and get a crystal for the language skill [Book of Babel]. Otherwise, the humans won’t understand your words. We leave in the morning in two days, so make sure you finish your report home before that,” Zac finally relented.

The crystals came from various demons who bought it at the Contribution shop and then traded it for Nexus Crystals or Nexus Coins with Adran. Since Zac felt it was an extremely important skill, and Calrin still wasn’t able to buy a batch through the Mercantile System, he offered quite generous prices for them.

“Oh, and figure out a way to pass the message to the hives without anyone approaching. There are few humans who are willing to do what I did, and force themselves into a hive to leave a message. We can probably drop a message down from the sky or shoot it at them from a long distance though,” Zac added after some thought.

The next day was quite uneventful, as Zac simply trained most of the time except when he went back to his mansion to eat something and perhaps watch some movies. The new building held a proper viewing room almost looking like a luxurious cinema. Except for the fact that there were large soft leather couches placed in groups and a myriad of pelts and pillows created with soft wolf fur. Unfortunately, with the new looming threat it was hard to relax, even with his improved living conditions.

Finally the day of the Auction arrived, and Zac got himself ready. This time he didn’t wear any shoes as he didn’t know what would happen when a blue Gnome and a Zhix stepped through the teleporter, and he needed to be able to block a potential attack.

He’d already handed the Zhix one of the armors that held a single defensive charge through an inscription, the very same type that he’d used in the beginning before he got his upgrade. As for the little Gnome he wasn’t as worried since he was quite sure that many of the various items he wore were defensive treasures.

He said goodbye to a brooding Emelie who was angry she wasn’t allowed to come with them this time either and headed toward the array. Everyone else was already waiting outside the teleportation building, the Zhix once again donning his huge backpack instead of using the Cosmic Sack.

It wasn’t the first time he did it, and when Zac asked why the first time Ibtep explained that his snacks couldn’t enter the pouch while they were fresh.

“I hear there are exciting things going on. Count me in,” Zac suddenly heard as the shadows of the building congealed into a familiar person.

Zac felt a headache coming on as he saw Ogras emerge with an excited face.

“I thought you were busy training,” Zac could only say with a sigh.

“It’s all done. I can’t leave all the fun to you and that blue little bastard,” he said with a sneer at Calrin, who responded with a gesture that Zac could only assume was offensive.

“What about your identity?”

“I got the report from Ilvere. There are supposedly four worlds that got knocked together, right? So why shouldn’t there be a fourth species? I’ll just say that we didn’t spawn in your mainland area since we prefer hotter climates. That should match well with your silly old depictions of us demons,” Ogras said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Clearly, nothing would detract him from joining in on the fun.

“Hello, demon leader. I am Ibtep, ambassador of the Zhix. Would you like a snack?” the Zhix suddenly said as he walked up with a large squirming larva in his hand. “It’s freshly caught.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Ogras. Here’s a fruit that you can’t find on this world, give it a try,” the demon responded as he took out a nasty-looking thing from his cosmos sack.

The fruit looked twisted and shrunken and had quite an acrid smell. It wasn’t anything Zac had seen before, and more importantly not something he’d ever put in his mouth. He suspected it was a prank Ogras pulled as a response to being fed insects, but clearly the Zhix didn’t mind. Soon the two of them were munching away, and Zac wasn’t sure who he should be more grossed out at.

“Um, Ibtep, why do you keep offering… Snacks to people?” Zac couldn’t help asking, as Ibtep and his larva were starting to become a talking point in Port Atwood.

“I learned this trick from the previous Anointed. If you need to make a good impression offer the other party a snack, and they will be more amenable afterward,” it said with some pride in its eyes, and Zac had to admit that it made some sense, though it might need to change what was considered a snack.

Zac was silently looking over his small team that would represent Port Atwood, and couldn’t help but start sweating. He wasn’t sure whether the team looked like an alien invasion or a traveling circus. They were only missing Karunthel, the Creator Foreman with his monstrous spider legs, to round out the image. Sap Trang seemed to understand what was going through his mind, and could only wryly smile and shrug.

Zac still brought the old fisherman as he wanted to have someone represent humans, and not just bring aliens, and it felt even more poignant now with Ogras entering the fray. Mr. Trang had even gotten a makeover for the occasion, now donning clothes similar to the E-Grade Robes Zac wore. Of course, they were without the powerful inscriptions.

Zac could only sigh shrug his shoulders and turn toward the array.

“Wait a few seconds before entering. I have to warn them or something. And don’t do anything stupid,” he said as he activated the array.

In a short moment he once again arrived in New Washington. To his surprise he found himself in another building compared to the one he arrived in last time. They had moved the array from the claustrophobic little room without windows into a huge lobby.

For a second he felt that he was at an airport, as in front of him there was a security checkpoint. There was a counter with thick bulletproof glass, and a person sat behind it. There were also quite a few soldiers walking around, and a prickling sensation told him that a gun was pointed at him from some hidden angle.

Before he had time to do much of anything a man rushed toward him.

“Mr Monk, it is good to see you again. I am Adam. We have be-“ the man began, but Zac quickly spoke over him.

“Sorry to interrupt, but instruct your soldiers to not fire. A few more are arriving from Port Atwood, and they are not human,” Zac quickly said.

The man looked surprised but acted quickly as he turned around and shouted a few orders.

Not long after the array flashed again and the party arrived one by one. The first who entered was Mr. Trang, making the greeter throw a confused glance at Zac. However, with every new person emerging after Sap his eyes widened a bit further.

The last to emerge through the teleporter was Ibtep, who curiously glanced around until his eyes landed on Adam, who by now was openly gaping as he stared at the odd party. Any activity had stopped in the lobby as well, as everyone was warily looking at the group, the silence almost palpable.

The Zhix didn’t hesitate and resolutely walked up to Adam, making many aim their weapons at Ibtep.

“Hello, human leader. Would you like a snack?” he said, holding a large wriggling grub up to the startled man.

“This is Ibtep, he’s a part of Port Atwood and not an enemy,” Zac quickly added.

“Ah.. uh… Well, welcome everyone,” Adam managed to say as he hesitantly accepted the large larva. “I am sorry, but could you please wait here? I am not sure about the protocols when encountering new species. I need to contact my superiors.”

“That’s fine,” Zac said and ushered the group to a group of sofas closeby.

“What’s with all these rules and regulations?” Ogras muttered annoyed, but still went with the others. “It shouldn’t be so complicated. If people make trouble after arriving, kill them. If not, leave them be.”

“Basic bureaucracy is a cornerstone of a civilized society,” Calrin said after casting a scathing glance at the demon. “Not like you demons would understand, with your clusters being lawless hellholes.”

Ogras didn’t seem to mind and only grinned back at the Gnome.

“What other laws do you need except the law of the jungle?” he retorted.

The two had developed a rapport over the months that made Zac unsure whether they were good friends or bitter enemies. It was clear that the two were gearing up for an argument, but luckily something interrupted them.

The teleportation array flashed into life once again, and not long after a group of people emerged. They all wore high-quality gear that Zac assumed could only be bought through the system as he could spot fractals on various spots.

There were three of them, with the one in the front being an elderly man in at least his sixties. However, he looked to be in good vigor with sharp eyes and a ramrod-straight back. His beard and hair were meticulously cut, and he even radiated a bit of an aura. Everything about him oozed authority, and Zac guessed he was someone in power before the fall. Either a prominent businessman or a politician.

Another man looked like a bodyguard, warily looking around. He also had a large shield fastened to his back, and Zac assumed he was able to equip it at moment’s notice if needed. When the man saw Zac and the others his brows furrowed, and he slightly repositioned himself toward them.

His movements were ignored by the old man who looked straight ahead, but they were noticed by the last person, a woman somewhere in her twenties. She was quite tall, reaching over 170 cm, and she seemed to possess an almost feline grace. Her movements reminded Zac of the demon scout he fought long ago. She had been slippery as an eel, freely moving through the treetops as easily as walking on the ground. But the woman in front of Zac right now gave even him a distinct sense of danger, far more than any human he’d met thus far.

She was beautiful, but not overly so. The most memorable thing about her, however, was her piercingly blue eyes. She looked quite intrigued as she glanced at their odd group, particularly at Ogras and Calrin.

“Grandpa,” the girl softly said, bringing the old man’s attention to Zac and his group.

When he saw the Zac’s motley crew his face changed the first time since exiting the teleportation array. The trio was known clearly known to the people of New Washingon, as another representative hurried up to them and wanted to show them the way out.

However, the old man simply ignored the liaison and walked toward the sofa group.