Lova wordlessly looked at Zac for a few seconds . - The invasion of such a powerful consciousness can easily create dangerous turbulence in the realms used for the Cosmic Gallery . To ensure no one is hurt , we’ll disable the ability to leave the Perennial Vastness for two weeks . Everyone will have to visit Vastness City to reset their bracelets at a Temporal Obelisk by the teleportation square .
As for who knows your identity . . . Your new companion knows that better than me . -
Zac breathed out in relief upon hearing the decree . Lova was probably right in her assertation , but this was still a hidden danger that needed to be dealt with before Zac could truly feel safe . Vastermal’s descent had been something of a wake-up call .
He’d always known the powerful factions from the Heartlands were aiming for the Left Imperial Palace , but it had felt distant . Like the struggles between the Supremacies were kept apart from the competition between the younger generation . That feeling had been reinforced by the System sealing Zecia . He should have realized that didn’t mean squat when it came to such important matters .
Lova stepped through the portal the next moment , and Zac thoughtfully looked on as the gate closed . He wasn’t so naïve to believe her only goal in this meeting was to act as an interpreter for Esmeralda . When those kinds of people made a move , it generally involved their benefits or cultivation . The level of obsession that pushed you to Autarchy and beyond wasn’t something you just turned off .
Did she want to drive a wedge between himself and the Undead Empire by divulging dangerous secrets? Or was she perhaps helping the Primo? After all , Zac now felt a far greater pressure to make sure the mission succeeded . She seemed to have a conflict with the Sangha . Was this an - enemy of my enemy’ type of thing? It would explain why she used such a flaky excuse not to share anything beyond the details of the Hollow Court .
Zac shook his head and turned back to the toad . He ultimately had no way to tell what was going on . However , Lova had one thing right : he could only follow his instincts as he worked toward his goals . Everything else was out of his hands .
Do you really know who’s exposed my connection to the pillar? - Zac asked .
Esmeralda eagerly nodded and made a series of signs .
Not a single one escaped your notice? - Zac said . - Who are they? -
Esmeralda snickered , pointedly looking at the contract crystal in Zac’s hand . Zac glared at the toad , but she won the staring contest . Filled with helplessness , he resumed his inspection of the old parchment and the agreement .
Lova said he shouldn’t feel pressured and that they could always find someone else . But that on its own was a threat . After all , Esmeralda knew his identity , and Zac sincerely doubted Lova or this toad were bound by the same restrictions as normal guests . Now , they even held hostage the identities of potential informants while adding a deadline .
It made him warier about the whole thing , even if the underhanded method didn’t necessarily mean their offer wasn’t genuine . Esmeralda croaked with annoyance at the delay . She even produced an Information Crystal and waved it tantalizingly in front of his face .
Hey , don’t look at me like that . I still have two weeks , - Zac snorted . - Didn’t you spy on me for years before you decided to approach me? Why can’t I take my time? -
Esmeralda stomped her foot and made some signs .
Not the same? - Zac said with a raised brow . - I know . I’m doing things above-board while you snuck around in the shadows . -
Esmeralda responded by mimicking his words and expressions with a series of clearly sarcastic croaks . This creature was possibly the second oldest being he’d ever met after Sendor himself , but it was difficult to treat this oddball with that kind of deference . Whether it was her actions or weirdly human expressions , she felt more like a mischievous kid than anything else .
Of course , it might all be a guise to make him lower his guard . However , no matter how hard Zac looked , he couldn’t find anything amiss . The contract was quite generous , no matter how you looked at it . And while he couldn’t pierce the workings of the mysterious parchment of the Kanba , he felt what Lova said was mostly true .
The inherent instincts provided by years of bathing in the waters of the Lost Plane indicated it really was a very weak contract along with a spatial technique . He couldn’t sense anything like the hidden traps he’d run into before , like with the Essence of the Abyss] or the array for the Twinned World Cores .
There was even a section guaranteeing the effects of the Enshrinement of Kanba , and Lova personally guaranteed the effects to the System . If something went wrong , she’d be severely punished . Still , getting a second pair of eyes on the contracts wouldn’t hurt .
