Chapter 1281: Tide
Zac had brought three long-range trackers into the trial to find his companions. One was the official device provided by the Undead Empire for their mission. Zac had left that tracker in a danger zone shortly after arriving. It had most definitely been tampered with, and there was no way he'd carry that thing around after Kator's betrayal.
Kator's Spatial Ring should hold a superior version without the hidden pitfalls. Esmeralda was still working on unlocking the ring's seal. The second was a tracker Tavza gave him in hopes they could gather up before Kator took charge. It was a special treasure only the upper bloodlines of the Draugr Race could use, meaning only he and Tavza could sense each other.
The final one was the Atwood Empire's tracking treasure shared between him and his sealbearers. It was this treasure that had suddenly activated. Zac had opted for range over complex features, so he couldn't tell who it was. It didn't really matter, anyway. Zac couldn't simply leave them alone. The beast tide was only one of the dangers to consider.
They were dealing with a memory domain, and what identity his companion held would greatly impact their treatment. What if they entered with the brand of a low-ranking soldier? They might have been directly sent to the frontlines as cannon fodder.
Back inside the natural formation, Zac sighed and turned to Esmeralda. "I'm sorry. I have to go in."
"Just don't swallow any treasures that'll leak to this side. Even small fluctuations can disrupt the balance," Esmeralda urged.
"I'll be careful," Zac promised as his human half rushed into the sandstorm at the memory's edge.
Zac immediately found himself in the middle of a confusing battle, surrounded by thousands of powerful auras and clashes. It had been impossible to sense any of it outside, and suddenly receiving such strong feedback from every direction made Zac's senses seize up. He felt like he'd been hit by a flashbang, yet he knew he couldn't stay in place.
The battle continued beyond the memory domain's border, so the edge was the most dangerous place. Attacks and combatants could appear out of nowhere and without any warning. Zac activated [Skystriker] and rushed deeper into the battlefield. He crushed anything in his path while digesting the input.