Chapter 1223: Hidden Plots
Zac was in a sorry state, especially his Draugr body, after rushing into the sea of lightning to enter the [Epiclesis Bell]. Multiple skill fractals were damaged from cramming Chaos Energy into their delicate circuits, and his pathways were a mess. He'd even damaged his soul and Cosmic Core. It wasn't just the black lightning or the tribulation. The biggest problem was the dozen Chaos Motes he'd absorbed at once as a warning.
His Mental Energy was equally drained. The exhaustion from overcoming the Atavism and digesting the Dao Impartment was fast catching up with him now that he wasn't running on Chaos and adrenaline. Containing the Glimpses of Chaos for so long had provided Zac with valuable insights at the cost of overdrawing his reserves. His Soul Cores looked like dying stars, and swallowing a handful of recovery pills did little to help.
Zac wanted nothing more than to sleep, but having such a dangerous stowaway aboard the Yphelion was an issue that couldn't wait. The audacious Reaver hadn't actually teleported away after slamming him with his mace. Kator had snuck aboard the Yphelion, hiding his presence from the security systems by installing an unfamiliar array directly to one of the vessel's power lines. It created a bubble of isolation that perfectly matched the Yphelion's energy signature.
In hindsight, it was definitely the correct choice. Zac had seen just how far the Heavens and the System were willing to go to erase the threat. Top-tier escape treasures could certainly overcome such a vast distance, but that was when space was normal. The immense pressure from the Heavenly clouds combined with the weakened spatial integrity made any teleportation incredibly dangerous.
Not to mention, activating an escape treasure risked drawing the System's attention. It was a far safer choice for Kator to hide inside the Yphelion, betting on Zac's refusal to let his people come to harm. As such, he was safe and sound, having retreated to safety before Zac even cracked open the bell.
Luckily, Zac had caught him early. Kator's measures couldn't elude Zac's Chaos-augmented senses after activating [Apex Jungle]. Kator was a being of Death, and he'd lit up like a beacon. His subterfuge was even more hopeless after the System had upgraded the ship. Kator's array had to be custom-made to work with the Yphelion model, and it had lost much of its efficacy now that it was plugged into something else.
"I'm back. The plan worked, but we have a problem," Zac said with a muted voice into a communicator. "The Reaver is still here."
"Damn, I was forced to retract my shadows when the monks reappeared," Ogras swore on the other end. "They were coming alive."
"He used the chaos to his advantage," Zac sighed. "Knock out the other one and bring some people."