Defiance of the Fall

e in surprise when he learned of the details.
Apparitions above the 54th level happened every decade or so, but the 63rd was once every couple of thousands of years? That was over a hundred times more difficult from the time it took.
Then what about the 72nd level? The young ranger seemed to understand Zac ’s thoughts, and he was obviously happy to showcase his expertise.

“You’re wondering about the higher tiers, right? The last time an apparition for the 63rd level appeared was around 4600 years ago now.
It was actually a loose cultivator called Parvan Beradan, though most know him as Lord Beradan now that he’s become a C-Grade Lord.
As for the 72nd level?” the young man said, pausing for dramatic effect.

“That was the Eveningtide Asura.”

Both Zac and Ogras blankly looked at the young man after his grand proclamation, neither of them ever having heard that name before.
The ranger seemed a bit embarrassed about the lack of reaction, and he coughed while scratching his chin.
But just as he was about to explain the origin of the so-called Asura, an attendant stepped up to his side.

“Young Master, your reception is waiting,” the young girl next to him discreetly said.

’

The man gave a start before he sighed with annoyance.

“Anyway!” he said as he started to move away from Zac and Ogras.
“Witnessing those top apparitions is an opportunity that one can hope for, but never control.
If you need to stock up on goods or intelligence before you try your luck in the tower, remember to visit the Trentach Society!”

After that the ranger started ascending the stairs with rapid steps, and a retinue of ten people quickly followed behind.
Only then did Zac realize that the people around him were all elites that completed a quest for the tokens.
But even elites who qualified to get a token were only assistants to that guy, so they might just have met a bigshot.

Zac’s eyes followed their figures as they pushed forward, and he realized that the endless stairs simply led up to a vast plateau that the tower itself stood on.
The plateau itself was crafted from some black stone, and Zac guessed it was a few kilometers in height.
The only reason it didn’t feel so massive was since its size was dwarfed by the tower itself.

“Well, let’s go,” Ogras said with a shrug.
“And remember to keep a low profile.
There’s no law and no restrictions here, and anyone can be a true monster.”

“That guy told us to visit his store.
Do people live here permanently?” Zac asked as the two started to walk up the stairs.

The steps were hundreds of meters wide, so it wasn’t cramped in the slightest even though quite a few people were appearing on the platform.

“Rydel and I were the only ones who had gone to the Tower in my family among those who entered the Incursion, and no one had gone for well over a decade before us,” Ogras said.
“But some forces are so big that they always have some people here.
Maintaining a compound or a business here is a show of strength since it proves that the force is flourishing with young talents.”

“So any place up there is controlled by some real powerful families?” Zac asked with a whistle.

“Not all,” Ogras corrected him.
“The top forces control the structures closest to the entrance of the towers.
But most buildings don ’t have a permanent owner, especially at the outer parts of the town.
Anyone could live or set up a temporary business there if they want, and close it down when they leave this place.”

The two kept walking and soon enough they reached the summit of the plateau.
A sprawling town full of palaces and luxuriant compounds entered his eyes, and it felt extremely bustling.
The architecture was extremely varied as well, making Zac believe that the System had simply stolen a bunch of large mansions from different parts of the multiverse.

’

There was no way that there was a single society that had created all these buildings.
But even though the mansions and storefronts varied in both style and size it all seemed to blend perfectly into some sort of cultural melting-pot.
It also wasn ’t cramped at all, with the streets being over a hundred meters wide.

Even though there were dozens of people ascending the stairs at any moment, the enormous town didn ’t seem to have any trouble swallowing them all.
Some walked in certain directions with purpose, while others simply chose to meander around.
The new arrivals were walking along both in groups or alone, and Zac was shocked to see some of the creatures.

The cultivators they passed came in all shapes and forms, including quite a few Humans.
Zac already knew that humans were one of the most populous races in the multiverse, but yet it was a bit mindblowing to see all these humans who were probably from all corners of the universe.

It was a far cry from how many believed that Earth might be the only planet housing life back in the day.

Still, humans were only a somewhat large minority in the mix of people around.
Zac couldn’t help look over at a dour contingent of undead warriors silently walking toward the center of the town, all of them releasing dense clouds of miasma to avoid the Cosmic Energy in the environment.

Most cultivators took a wide berth around them, some out of fear and others not wanting to get sullied by the death-attuned energy.
There were also enormous golems, flying pixies only as large as a hand, and all kinds of other odd beings.

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There was one thing that essentially looked like a flying disco ball, and it slowly flew forward with a low hum.
There were also a couple of Stargazers as well, and when Zac accidentally looked into their cosmic eye he couldn’t help but twitch a bit as his mind got a small shock.

He remembered that these guys almost always used mental classes, and just looking into one ’s eye was to ask for trouble even if they weren ’t hostile.
Abby was different since she was an administrator without any combat capabilities.

Zac also noted with some interest that the groups of cultivators were more diverse than he had expected.
He had thought he might stick out by traveling together with a demon, but he realized that was an unnecessary worry.
At least a third of all groups were comprised of a mix of races, so they weren’t exactly unique.

But even though all these diverse groups of people were put on the same street it was all surprisingly harmonious.
There should be quite a few grudges between races, especially with the System’s instigation, but people seemed to get along just fine.

Of course, Zac believed that this serenity was only the surface of the Base Town.