Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Chapter 454: Zach

The Return

Zach watched the training courtyard from the parapet. Down below, Hiro was fighting an opponent wielding a large two handed hammer. Hiro was being quick, running around his opponent and trying to strike from odd angles. The minotaur with the hammer didn't bother with trying to catch him, instead he stomped the ground and shook it, making Hiro lose a step, then in that moment of vulnerability he attacked.

The bout was finished quickly, with Hiro on his back and a hammer pressed against his chest, pinning him to the ground.

The minotaur laughed, and the two of them exchanged words.

Zach made his way down as Hiro and Okim left the training field. Hiro noticed him first.

"Zach, you're back!" He yelled, then made his way over, stopping just a step before running straight into him. He seemed to collect himself and then he smiled and bowed over his fist as Cultivators did.

Zach returned his smile, then put a hand on his shoulder. The moment he made contact with the young man, he experienced a flash of thoughts blasting through his mind. He grimaced, then focused and pushed them aside as he tried not to let them overwhelm him. He had gotten a lot better at controlling it, but it still slipped through sometimes.

Thankfully, Hiro didn't notice.

"Where's Naha?" Hiro asked.

"She stayed in the Ethereal," he answered. "There were a few things she had to take care of."

Hiro nodded, but Zach could tell that he was a bit disappointed.

"She's not coming with us?" Okim said as he walked over and offered his hand.

Zach took it, making sure to block out the bout of knowledge insight that tried to enter his head.

"No," Zach said. "You've been well?"

Okim nodded. "As well as we can be at least," he said. "The Exalted Empire is pressuring everyone, but so far we're good."

Knowledge was a strange thing to experience. It came to him as raw data, just knowledge of things that weren't always coherent. His new Blade ability allowed him to siphon knowledge from sources of it, things like books or data orbs, and pull it all directly into his head. He of course was using his Band of Memory's Hall in order to sift through that knowledge with greater ease. But, there was more, ever since he had taken the core of who Knowledge was, he had felt strange. And now, it felt like how that core idea behind the Grand Spirit's being was seeping into him from the blade. It was getting worse. When he touched anyone living, he got insights into them. For example, he knew that Hiro was nervous and that he felt resolute. And he knew that Okim didn't tell the entire truth, that he was feeling stressed.

He got the knowledge, but without context. And it had been happening with things other than people. Not individual Essences, otherwise he wouldn't have even been able to walk as Air was constantly in touch with his skin.

But if he touched something that had an idea, an Essence that was more than just the basest material, if it was concentrated and elevated. Then it gave him an insight too. For example if he touched a sword, he would gain knowledge of what it was. Of course, he already knew that, but it gave him a deeper insight into what that sword was made for. It didn't give him knowledge about how to use it though.

Though just standing above the courtyard as others trained had given him flashes of insight about the styles they were using. But he had already realized just how much knowledge was useless without understanding. The Grand Spirit of Knowledge had proven that. It had known a lot, but it didnt know how to properly use that knowledge. It lacked understanding and mastery. And there was a lot that he didn't quite understand about this power that was now part of him, and he didn't know if he wanted to continue using it.

But, he didn't have a choice. The Grand Spirit of Horror had made it clear to Zach that losing a Grand Spirit would spell a change for the Ethereal Realm, and right now, Zach was fulfilling that role. If he was being honest, he didn't even know if he could remove it. The power that his soul weapon had taken felt a lot more solid than the others were.

Zach focused back on Okim, then spoke. "Did Bera come?"

The minotaur nodded. "Of course, we brought the strongest squad we have, as you've requested. We are honored for this chance," he inclined his head to him.

Zach nodded, but he did feel slightly uncomfortable with it. He had agreed to be... he didn't even know what, a leader of kind, for the Wardens. And he did have ideas, but all of it would require for them to change, and he hadn't yet shared all his plans with them.

"Good," Zach said. "Just being a part of a Dome attack should give you some value for your next Class up."

"Yes," Okim added. "We are all looking forward to it."

Zach needed them to be strong, to become a force that could stand up to the monsters of this world, both literal and those wearing faces.

Hiro opened his mouth, then paused.

"Not yet," Zach said before Hiro could. The prior insight made what he wanted to say easy enough to figure out.

Hiro grimaced. "I am ready," he said. "I have my pillars set already, and I..." he trailed off as he looked up at him.

Zach took a deep breath, then opened his mouth to refuse him again. Then, he paused. There was so much happening, and there were so many things that they had to do. He wanted to teach the newer generations to be good. To value virtue and a certain morality more than just power.

Hiro, like many in this world, sought power. And Zach remembered Ryun's training of him, and how that had ended up. Sometimes, people had to be given a chance to rise on their own.

"I'll speak with Bera, and then we'll see," he said, they would be on the perimeter of the battle anyway, unlikely to even see a Dome monster.

Hiro's expression brightened, but then Zach spoke again.

"Actually, let's have you earn it," he said with a smile, trying to channel Ryun and failing spectacularly. "I want you to fight with Okim here, if you manage to defeat him, then you can come."

Hiro turned to look at the much older minotaur and narrowed his eyes. Okim burst into laughter, then patted Hiro's shoulder with such force that the young man nearly toppled. "Ha, do you need some time to prepare young'un?"

Zach turned around and left them as they started talking about their upcoming fight, he went looking for Bera. They needed to talk.

"The Castle of Knowledge?" Bera asked.

Zach nodded. "I am thinking about finding a territory of our own, then link it with the Castle. Use it as our base of operations."

Bera pushed her glasses up her snout then tilted her head. "That is a lot more than what we have the numbers and honestly the power to do right now," she said slowly, then continued. "This is about what you talked about before, your school?"

Zach nodded. "Wardens as a group can no longer operate. After all these wars, factions will not let strangers arbitrate on their lands. Sects have their own laws, and most of the smaller factions beyond are under the influence of other big factions," he said. "Our purpose has to change."

Bera nodded, they had talked about this many times. "I'm still telling you that we are not strong enough for what you want."

And that had been the crux of their issue. Bera didn't think that Wardens had enough influence and power to be able to keep something like a school Zach had in mind safe and free for all.

Her concern was that inevitably outside influences would try and come in. Zach was powerful, but one person couldn't do everything alone.

"I'll get you there," Zach said. "This Dome is a step in the right direction. I need as many Wardens as possible to get better Classes, to advance."

Bera was the only one among them that had hit tier nine in her Class. And she was very powerful, it was just that her skillset didn't lend itself to direct combat. She could support a faction, she could prop up their weaknesses, but she couldn't make them stronger on her own.

Which was why Zach had been pushing her to get her secondary focus up as well.

"We'll try, as much as we can at least," Bera sighed.

They had already agreed on this, but Zach knew that she wanted the best for her people. And she had put her trust in Zach to make it happen.

He didn't intend to fail.

Their group numbered twelve Wardens, with Hiro and Zach making it fourteen. Okim led them, while Bera oversaw the loading of their supplies. Zach had to borrow an airship from Anrosh, as his couldn't hold that many people, and he also wanted a ship that could be used in combat. His was fast, but not really durable.

The airship that Anrosh gave to them was one of the warships they purchased from Dragon Heart Sect. It was one of their older models, but it was in good condition, and had solid barrier formations that could protect them. Like most Sect flying vessels, it resembled a flying piece of a fortification. From afar, it looked like a piece of a wide and long defensive wall with a tower in the middle flying on top of green clouds. It was fairly large, almost the size of the entire training yard in the Consequence inner Palace, which was about a hundred meters across. The walls were made out of stone, and had windows open every few meters. On top of the wall was a wooden railing, with opening made to allow four turrets on each side to peak through. The formations on the turrets allowed the crew to fire focused beams based on their own power, as they fueled them with their own Qi. As most of the Warden's weren't actually Cultivators, Anrosh had let a group of Twilight Melody Sect warriors to come with them as support, the young Kri included among them.

Once everyone was ready, Zach boarded the ship. He let Bera lead the way, and soon enough she ordered them to set out.

Zach took a deep breath, and then released it slowly, getting ready for another Dome fight.