LoRG 2

This then was the first time that Randidly was touching on the wide domain of what a master of Control could manage It was exciting in how many possibilities he had thought of while he had tasted it It was exhausting beyond belief

With exceeding regularity Randidly breathed in and then breathed out The feeling of the stone beneath him and the sounds of the battle cries faded away Bit by bit the headache faded to a distant memory With space to decompress Randidly could feel his inner world changing Sharpening

It was also in this state that Randidly noticed for the first time that most of the Aether that constituted him could no longer be called pure Although it was hard for him to notice it had definitely begun to take a definite shape From the source of Aether deep in his chest most of that Aether quickly was pulled in by either his Class his Soulskill or the plethora of Aether Connections Very soon that slightly adjusted Aether flowed back to his core but was absorbed into another part of himself by the constant swirl of Aether

After being shaped by all three there was an indelible mark on the Aether It was his Aether Those who relied entirely on the System would have an increasingly difficult time utilizing the Aether at all

That was somewhat disturbing to Randidly but he supposed there was nothing he could do That was the way of things There was a definite taste to the Aether that related to Earth and Tellus likely due to his time there People from those planets would have little difficulty utilizing it And in addition it was still possible to reach directly into the area around the Aether Crossroads and grab very pure Aether as he had done with Darrune

But he was changing He was growing up

Randidly chuckled in spite of himself at that rather inane description of what was happening But it was true in a way As a child you held infinite possibilities in your hands That was the wonder of it a wonder that Randidly now viewed so nostalgically But as you grew you would discover paths available to you that you cared enough about that you would cash in your potential for capability

Of course avoiding the decision didnÆt exactly delay it If you didnÆt transform the potential you possessed it would slowly rot away inside of you Which was what Randidly himself did for a long time especially emotionally Even now Randidly wasnÆt sure why he had such a hard time committing to something early on in his response to the System

Perhaps being nothing was less scary than failing to become something

RandidlyÆs eyes slowly opened In the near darkness of the night they were deep forest green Feeling that he had spent quite enough time just sitting and pondering Randidly opened his Path Menu

It wasnÆt like he had gained altogether that many Skill Levels in the past two days Really the largest improvement was Extinguishing Ash Devouring Storm and that was likely just because it was such a low Level Skill currently Improving it was high on his list of goals The fact of the matter was Randidly possessed so many Skills that gaining 1 or 2 Levels in a bunch of them led to him gaining 40 PP in two days

Plus the training with Helen had really put a strain on his use of images It likely helped speed along his Leveling by a lot

Needless to say the first thing Randidly did was finish off the Evolution of Self I Path

Congratulations You have completed the Evolution of Self I Path There is no wrong Path in the world just like there is no perfect Path Only appropriate destinations Your new Path spreads in front of you long and full of possibilities When individuals reach certain extreme criteria it is possible for their existence to follow a narrow Path upward toward the Nexus This is a great boon It is dangerous beyond belief but this is a Path that leads straight toward the pinnacle Seize this chance traveler The Path leads ever onward +10 to all stats

RandidlyÆs glee at seeing a flat +10 to all Stats quickly soured as he reread the Path reward

certain extreme criteria a narrow path upward toward the Nexus

This this almost seemed like a dangerous sort of Path in the way his interactions with the Patron of Ash were dangerous That it would lock him into a weird series of tests Randidly opened up and looked at the Path options

Heretic XXIX 0/ Nexus Traveler Cohort 5 0/50 Experimenter I 0/50 System Transgressor 0/1 Friend to Humanity 0/100 War Leader 0/200 Mantle of the Patron 0/500 Metallurgist 0/300 Advanced Mana Engraving 0/400 Aether Convergence II Perfect Soul Bond 0/1000 the Bell of Doom Tolls 0/600 Growth of Yggdrasil III 0/2000 Fiery Sharpshooter 0/350 The Ashes of Ulaat Patron of Ash 0/1000 Order Ducis Font of Guidance HumanityÆs Torch 0/500 Bearing of a Teacher Limitless Will 0/1000 Evolution of Self II 0/50 Puppet Master 0/100

Another relatively short Path for Evolution of Self II huh And likely increasing gains But Randidly was extremely wary after seeing that reference to the Nexus Plus that text relating to certain extreme individuals gave him the same whiff of meddling that some of the messages he received when he escaped the prison did The overlay System was not pleased that he had escaped its notice and had such profound changes Perhaps this was a roundabout way to control those who had the ability to escape its normal controls

Well Randidly wasnÆt having any of it Of the others Randidly was amused to see that so short a time was enough to earn himself a Puppetmaster Path Likely that would help him in his Helen training But if he was going to focus on improving that aspect of himself it seemed better to just say screw it the consequences and begin on Limitless Will

Biting his lip Randidly considered for several seconds Then he nodded decisively Better to just go fo the Limitless Will Path He had no doubt that there would be an excellent reward waiting at the end of that 1000 PP

It pained him somewhat to start such a long investment but Randidly firmed his resolve and made his selection But then a notification popped up

Warning While you are on the Evolution of Self Path other Paths cannot be selected without forfeiting further gains in the Evolution of Self Path and collecting the rewards you have earned At this level this course of action is not recommended Warning Do you want to continue Y/N

Chapter 776

Randidly snorted Of course it would try and pull shit like this Well this is fine Randidly selected Yes

Warning Your evolution has been aborted halfway Strange changes have manifested inside of your body

You have gained the Skill Vast Potential (Un) Lvl 1 You have gained the Skill Crippling Weakness Lvl 1

Vast Potential You have a great ability to grow Your ability to gain Skill Levels increases Effect increases with Skill Level

Crippling Weakness Your body contains flaws that are difficult to avoid Occasionally Skills will fail without warning This will cause a painful mental backlash in your soul DonÆt say we didnÆt warn you Effects increase with Skill Level

DonÆt fuck with me Randidly fumed His hands flexed Instantly a limb of emerald fire condensed in his Soulspace even as the two Skills were forming inside of himself The vicious claw of brilliant lime fire ripped the Crippling Weakness Skill to pieces With surprising alacrity it began to heal attempting to draw Aether from him but he cut himself off from fresh Aether If he had to he would starve the fucker out

Then he smashed it with Erode Image for good measures The construct of Aether shivered then began to disperse like mist in front of the harsh light of the sun

Suspiciously Randidly stayed in his Soul Space for several minutes making sure every last bit of that skill dissipated into motes of white light They swirled around RandidlyÆs will as if making ready to try and reform But cut off from Aether they could manage nothing

So it was a punishment Skill huh It was nice that it was paired with increased Soulskill growth but having Skills randomly fail would get you fucking killed And would it become more frequent the higher the Skill Level grew It didnÆt specify but Randidly felt sure it would So that it would become a terrible self fulfilling prophecy It would be easy PP to farm Randidly supposed but in life or death struggles it wasnÆt worth the trouble So it was better

Slurp

Randidly froze He had only been slightly distracted but most of his attention was still fixed on the motes of light that had formed the Skill watching for anything suspicious Which is why he had missed the growing golden egg in the core of his Soulspace reaching out and sucking those motes of light within itself

It hummed with pleasure seeming to enjoy devouring the Skill

Randidly awkwardly scratched his cheek The golden seed had been formed by freeing the fragments of Skills from the Skills lost to ash At its core it was RandidlyÆs first chosen Skill Grasping Roots That is where its power and vibrant lifeforce came from

Randidly wasnÆt exactly sure what it would become but he had somewhat hoped that it would form a true seed One from which a world could be grown

But now that it was laced with crippling weakness

With a deep frown Randidly turned to regard the other Skill that he had recently summoned Vast Potential The balance of Crippling Weakness

Vast Potential and Crippling Weakness Randidly thought slowly He glanced once more at the wiggling golden egg inside himself It seemed to be larger than when it had formed but maybe it was his imagination Reminds me of being a teenager

Randidly looked at the egg then looked at Vast Potential Very resigned he summoned another claw of emerald fire Perhaps most annoyingly Vast Potential was so flimsy it could have been shredded to pieces by a stiff breeze RandidlyÆs System Interference Skill ticked upward With an even hand he guided the motes of light produced by this destruction toward the egg

It was only too happy to devour this Skill as well It hummed again then burped

Randidly shook his head in disgust and left his Soul Space But when his eyes opened they were filled with determination This was exactly the reason that Randidly was so motivated to stop the System Although he could work around many of its more annoying ways it tried to fuck a user many others couldnÆt manage it

To make sure those people possessed the freedom to choose what they would become

Finally Randidly dumped his PP into the Limitless Will Path Unfortunately it seemed the System hadnÆt finished trying to spite him for jumping ship so early

Congratulations Do to your inherent mutations resulting from leaving the Evolution of Self your Path Limitless Will 0/1000 has transformed It has become Intrepid Will of a Godling 0/1750

This fucking Randidly fumed Did it add another 750 PP just to fuck with him Inwardly he recognized the tie in with Steps of the Godling could only be a good thing But to have that high of a wall in front of him 1750 was definitely the longest Path that he had attempted By quite a bit There was only one other 1000 under his belt But Randidly supposed it wasnÆt that he would never finish just that it would take a while

Randidly was rather pleased that he received 2 Willpower every 5 PP It did a lot to ease his worries that it would be a waste of time Growth was important especially now that he was stuck in a weird waiting period

So it turned out that Randidly had been right It seemed like the System had arranged the Evolution of Path as an attractive trap Unfortunately it was possible that he was being overly suspicious He had audibled too quickly to determine its true purpose and now found himself on a monolithically long Path But it definitely didnÆt take kindly to his quick switch

Over Hastam dawn was slowly rising Randidly closed his eyes and followed the thin flows of Aether out through the air toward the camp of the Northern Region expedition Even now he could sense that Wights forces were massing for another attack The Northern group had formed rather primitive palisades to give themselves more of a defensive advantage but they were clearly still not used to fortification warfare

Randidly was pleased to see some tower shields in the style he designed At least they could learn But in the face of so many Wights

The distance made things more difficult but Randidly forced himself to the task of creating three root avatars They rose silently out of the ground with no fanfare But as they neared the enemies they blazed with emerald fire

RandidlyÆs goal was twofold The first was to help these people out Despite what political snafu was preventing the powerful Masters of both sides from moving Randidly was determined not to leave the common people out to dry And secondly

RandidlyÆs hands clenched into fists He needed the fucking practice Helen was already improving to the point that she could keep her Domain up almost constantly against him by using the currents of air to bind those focusing on cutting it apart Three root avatars just werenÆt enough

Despite the fact that he was earning himself another headache without a doubt Randidly gritted his teeth and slowly formed a fourth root avatar After all it didnÆt matter much if they were relatively weak They were easily reformed if destroyed It was just time practicing with four root avatars that he needed

Having HelenÆs first hour of practice frequently stumble to a halt because he was unable to effectively control four would not be the sort of experience he wanted for her In fact if there was a way to up the annoying factor of the training by a bit

Randidly blinked Then he began to laugh

Oh Oh this is going to be fun Randidly thought with a smile She is going to be so pissed

Humming a tune to himself Randidly led his four puppets to attack the Wights unsuspecting flanks

Helen couldnÆt believe her ears What do you mean he wonÆt speak with me directly

The two of them were standing outside the training area which was once more covered in vines After being left inside the room to cut herself out the prior day without so much as a goodbye after the training had ended Helen had been spitting mad Resting and eating a meal had given her the longer view of it however She had to admit that she had improved over the course of the day and noticeably too Even if it was eccentric she should give Randidly the benefit of the doubt Perhaps this was the training method that he had used to grow so strong

All of that perspective evaporated as soon as she arrived this morning The pompous toad that Azriel had so blithely smashed the previous day had been waiting for her by the door When he spoke he put on a condescending smile Huhuhuhu Well it is part of the training regimen He and I have put our heads together and developed a special training

Without allowing the fool to continue Helen kicked him in the chest The black thread of flame in her chest wiggled with glee She was honestly surprised by how good it felt The fool tumbled backward into the wall of roots

Of course the roots parted and allowed the man to fall through the hole into the training area Helen stepped through after him a ghost of a smile on her face

Perhaps this manÆs presence wasnÆt such a bad thing For all that he was ugly and weak he was an extremely useful punching bag

HelenÆs smile faltered Her gaze turned solemn as she looked at Darrune God that thought reminded her so much of Roger

Brushing himself off the man stood and flashed a smile as if nothing happened Ahaha such fun banter we have Anyway please listen this is important Today will be a little different At my suggestion Randidly altered the training a bit Instead of simply fighting you will now also be protecting Look at that

Darrune pointed upward Helen struggling to understand what he was saying followed the line of his finger A strange molten sphere floated near the roof of the training area As Helen watched a drop of molten metal gathered and fell to sizzle against the ground

As long as I am safe that Spell of RandidlyÆs will stay out of it But if I am threatened Darrune shrugged As if to punctuate his inane statement Helen felt a strange tugging at her body It felt like someone turned off gravity around her and tossed her body upward For a second she simply floated

HelenÆs face flushed red If that happened mid fight especially if that strange influence pulled her in different directions No matter how small the effect it would completely throw off her momentum

Lending credence to her concerns four root avatars rapidly formed

Helen glanced at Darrune Fine stay behind me And draw your fucking spear you worm

Hmph if I had a spear wouldnÆt I just trounce them all This is training for you Helen Darrune folded his arms Defend me yourself

Ran did Lyy Helen roared

On the roof Randidly grinned Oh Helen DonÆt you have escort missions on Tellus

Chapter 777

The day went extremely well as far as Randidly was concerned With the addition of Darrune as dead weight to protect Helen was nowhere close to pushing his limits of using four avatars to fight with her Just managing to keep the oaf safe was more than enough trouble

However Randidly also acknowledged that HelenÆs improvement wasnÆt as stark on the first day Her rage was sporadic and increasingly tainted by a helpless frustration Part of it was the clearly unusual request that Randidly had put to her but it was also that HelenÆs rage shifted and grew more quickly than Randidly could have anticipated There were several times over the course of the day that Helen decided to say screw Darrune and just used the distraction on the avatars to try and kill them

Of course Randidly used Influence of the Molten Core to mess with her but it wasnÆt a super high Level Skill In some ways she was able to resist it and just kill an avatar if she put her mind to it

Which of course meant that the first thing that Randidly was planning to do today after practice was improve Influence of the Molten Core It was something he was always interested in sharpening but he simply didnÆt have the chance until now Besides it was associated with only a general image of heat That was barely enough to catch the Hellfin ReaperÆs notice

But before Randidly could head out for his personal training Azriel found him on the roof

Are you taking the long view of this She inquired immediately without any preamble To directly empower HelenÆs anger especially toward yourself it is something that you will need to deal with for a long time

Randidly grimaced Yes this was the big flaw in his plan It was all well and good to put Helen in a mental space where she didnÆt care about the consequences and would just fight to her heartÆs content It was another to do so on short notice and make sure that Helen wouldnÆt be any the worse for wear

Considering HelenÆs usual broad anger and snappy temper Randidly had thought focusing on rage would lead to the easiest transition of focus In addition there was something about HelenÆs shouts and outbursts that he could stand

However she had stopped shouting during the second half of the dayÆs practice She had been completely silent

The fuming glaring Helen was much more chilling than her more vocal incarnation Randidly had started to wonder if she would ever be able to look at him the same again So AzrielÆs comments struck too close to home for him to ignore

Releasing a sigh that he had held all day Randidly could do nothing but shrug You are right ItÆs dangerous to indulge further But I am here to give her a path to victory The first day went so well If we can capture that a few more times

You are better at this teaching than I thought Azriel admitted I would have assumed you to be without hope while instructing But no matter how simplified and focused you are you have no experience to rely on It is difficult to judge these things People are complicated

The two fell silent and stared out over Hastam The training sessions had lasted 10 hours and they had started early in the morning so it was only now transitioning from twilight to deep evening In the distance Randidly could feel the faint stirrings of Wights as they gathered to move against the Northern Camps once more At least they would give him a good opportunity to use Influence of the Molten Core

I have a suggestion Azriel finally said

Randidly glanced at her with his eyebrows raised

With a shrug Azriel said Well the worry is that her rage will grow so large she will lose sight of the training and just attack you yes Then perhaps the answer is to fight her once more directly Beat her If you are vastly superior how could she really hope to triumph over you

Scare her into behaving Randidly said lightly His skepticism was thick in his voice but of course Azriel ignored it

Exactly A sufficiently tough lesson will keep her eyes focused on the current threat It is a good plan Azriel said with a nod

There was no point in vocalizing his worries to Azriel Not that she couldnÆt understand but there was a particular focus in her that kept such concerns from being something she would think about Perhaps it was her dogged determination to win glory for herself She fed everything into it and that left her a streamlined and sparse perspective

So what about you DonÆt you have a match soon Randidly asked

Azriel gave him an amused look I fought earlier today It was an easy win You are looking at a semi finalist Mr Ghosthound

After blinking Randidly couldnÆt do anything but laugh Really Perhaps we should have taken a break to come watch

No need it was a weakling Azriel said dismissively Once more my path to the finals is extremely clear It is only a matter of who will rise up out of this bracket to face me

Then AzrielÆs expression turned brooding In a way Randidly could see right through her at that moment For all that Azriel was rather oblivious to some things she couldnÆt escape the way that this scenario resembled the Regional Tournament More than that she also knew that her opponent would either be a friend or companion The winner of Skarch and Helen would face Silo to choose who would meet her in the final match of the tournament

This tournament wonÆt turn out the same Randidly said quietly Hell if it all goes to shit again IÆll fight you myself over the city It will be a firework show the like Tellus has never even seen And it wonÆt even be associated with the dubious label of under Level 25 YouÆll get your glory

Azriel turned and looked at Randidly She didnÆt seem pleased If anything she seemed shocked and agitated It was as though RandidlyÆs words cut through the haze of her day and struck at her secret fears In a moment Randidly reached over and put his finger on her weakness Their gazes locked for several seconds AzrielÆs crimson gaze studying RandidlyÆs emerald eyes

Well in other news Azriel finally said to break the silence Randidly shrugged inwardly If she didnÆt want to speak about it he wouldn’t force it I would also like to extend an invitation for you to come to meet my Master It is very interested in coming to know you Perhaps after HelenÆs match

mm Randidly said with a nod He was actually quite interested in meeting the person that inspired such devotion in Azriel In addition because of his close relationship with Azriel the Master might have a positive enough impression of Randidly that it might reveal some of the history of Tellus That would depend on their age but it was an actual person of power that would likely answer his questions

Randidly paused there Perhaps not today but going and seeing Aethon Thai might also be worth the danger of Aegiant discovering him Helen was ultimately a responsibility that he wanted to fulfill to one so intimately connected with him but it was not the main goal on Tellus

Besides with his Skills he was rather confident of being able to survive most things and Aethon might also be better acquainted with the history of this world

Well I need to head out for now He flashed Azriel a wry smile Keeping ahead of Helen is not easy IÆll consider what you said I believe that something similar had occurred to me Do not worry Azriel IÆll bring Helen into your waiting arms in the final Then she will be your problem

A delightful problem to have Azriel chuckled Then her gaze turned extremely serious and her eyebrows knitted together I cannot fail this time Randidly There are no other chances I can sense it It has to be this tournament IÆll do anything to repay my Master

Then she left

Randidly cracked his knuckles He quickly rushed out of the city and toward the low hills that surrounded Hastam Although it was possible to use this Skill far away he had nowhere near the necessary Mana efficiency for it as he did with Grasp of the World Seed For all that he had a monstrous Mana regeneration total using Influence of the Molten Core from too far away would deplete it in a matter of minutes

He found a detachment of Wights resting in a low valley that would be his first victims There was something disturbing about the Wights at rest They folded themselves up like lawn furniture and hid among the brush and trees When at any time they could spring into motion and attack a passerby

Well today they would pay for their relative lack of readiness

Letting his breath escape his mouth in a low hiss Randidly summoned the sphere of molten metal that was the core of the Skill It produced a small wind with its arrival that rustled the nearby tree canopies But after a single rustle the noise passed The Wights did not stir

Why would they Who fears the wind

The orb was about two meters in diameter and seemed to be constantly oozing molten metal Sometimes the liquid exterior of the core parted and there was wave of light and heat that exploded outward hinting at the fiery furnace that kept it going But very quickly the metal of the ball would ooze downward and it would assume its relatively harmless exterior once more

The power of the core was partially its strange version of Gravity Affinity but also the ability to use the core as a physical battering ram The weight and heat could overwhelm most materials with ease

And that was area Randidly wanted to focus his image and also the reason that he was having such difficulty During the creation of As the Sun Stills he went through an entire process of gathering heat and weight together and then having the combined density of those create a paradigm shift that caused the beginnings of a failing sun But that very image now became a problem for Randidly

Because he wanted powerful heat and weight As powerful as he could image But he didnÆt want the thing to collapse inward

Randidly wasnÆt sure what would happen to his Skill if he imagined it imploded upon itself but he wasnÆt very enthusiastic to find out the answer So he simply raised the core slowly above himself and considered it

Silvery coppery molten metal Thick drops that rapidly hardened to a dark grey when cooling on the ground Randidly pursed his lips Perhaps his earlier thoughts were the correct path What he wanted to focus on was not the heat and weight but the function This was an engine

As if the thought flipped a switch the air around the core began to hum Waves of heat started radiating outwards and the metal began to flow and drip more quickly Randidly grinned He was drawing on someone elseÆs image right now someone connected to him Likely Sam or even Ghost But he could feel the shift as the core switched from a heavy and hot object to the engine that could drive a world for millions of years Randidly didnÆt know who it was but someone connected to him had thought a long time about engines

Perhaps sometimes these connections were worth the trouble of having his Aether settle

Well then Randidly said with a smile The core began to float silently toward the valley Ominously the heat coming from it was so intense that most plants wilted as it passed Wakey wakey Wights

Chapter 778

No Rumera said with her arms folded

It is just dinner You are my woman There is no reason to refuse Shal said firmly

Does that normally work for you Using the my womanÆ line all the time

Shal gave an innocuous smile to Rumera Never before Because I will only have one woman in my lifetime That is you

It was clear from her face that Rumera was torn between vexation and amusement The two were standing near the banister at the edge of a rooftop cafe Although there were few enough restaurants in Hastam especially considering the looming threat of the Wights slowing business down the C Corp was doing its best to ignore that reality of the situation With her hands gripping the railing Rumera leaned back and looked up at the sky to hide her expression

Of course Shal was taller than Rumera It was clear she was grinning toward the sun He felt somewhat smug with this proof that she would soon capitulate to his demands

But to his surprise her expression was serious when she looked down toward him DonÆt you think it’s strange that you were so instantly were drawn to me

Such is the fate of two people who were meant to be Our bond is Shal frowned Not that he questioned the feelings he had for Rumera but he was unsure how to describe them Our physical bodies feel ancillary to the connection If we were to die it feels as though our souls would snap together and form a perfect whole Which is why I look forward to our children

ShalÆs tone was relatively even so it was a few seconds before what he said seemed to register with Rumera Her annoyed smile hung on her lips until it fell right off with her dropping jaw Our our children

Of course Shal said with an amused nod What do a man and his woman do but make children

Rumera punched Shal in the gut with enough force that he grunted in discomfort Instantly his eyebrows rose Truly he had excellent taste What a sharp and decisive punch

We are not having children Rumera said with a sharp gaze There was something else there too in the tightness around her eyes but Shal couldnÆt figure out what it meant If you force the issue IÆll leave

Aye it is a talk for another time It was foolish of me to rush Let me make it up to you Dinner tonight anywhere you want

Anywhere Rumera thought about it Shal stood calmly by her side waiting She purposefully dragged the silence out for almost five minutes and Shal said nothing He was confident that if he simply waited

Well Rumera began but she was interrupted

Shal to me now

OpheliaÆs voice boomed out of the area projected by a strange Skill Instantly Shal grimaced and shot Rumera an apologetic glance but leapt from the roof As soon as he hit the ground he transformed into a phantom weaving through the people at an almost impossible speed Within the minute he was back at the impromptu headquarters that Ophelia had erected

What is it He asked shortly Not that he really thought that Ophelia would purposeful fake the concern and cause a commotion to ruin his time with Rumera but since Ophelia insisted he dine with her there had been some growing suspicions in his heart

But her first words put those worries to rest There is news from East There has been an attack

Have the Wights made landfall in the Heart School Shal asked with raised eyes

But Ophelia shook her head Further The Death School It is we believe

The Death School was under attack since the beginning of the war Shal said somewhat surprised at his own callousness But to be fair he had spent several months cutting down Witch Kings there Even if they gained an advantage

We havenÆt received a message from a single person on the Death School for a week Ophelia said quietly Even Versault Despite our disagreement he would not remain silent for so long willingly He would take every opportunity to lecture We believe the Autarch himself moved The Death School has fallen

Helen rubbed her eyes and looked again Once more the training area was completely clean There were no roots or vines There were just dirt ground and a man with a spear

Randidly stood calmly and watched her approach

So you decided to face me today Helen finally said when they stood only ten meters apart The whole walk up she had proceeded slowly so as not to spook him into running away After yesterday’s hell she had spent all night dreaming of what she would say and do to him But she was somewhat thrown by the fact she had such a chance immediately Her eyes fastened on the training spear in his hands as proof of condescension Why do you not use your own spear Is that training spear all you need to defeat me

The black flame in her heart was perhaps two fingers wide now and it flared greedily to life at this question Her heart pounded with the indignation of protecting that toad And the constant scathing and condescending comments the fact that Randidly allowed it

Unfortunately my spear was stolen from me Randidly said with a sad shake of his head Helen suspiciously watched him for any hint that he was lying but there was none Slowly HelenÆs stance relaxed She frowned That living spear had been stolen It couldnÆt be so easy as that could it

So todayÆs training Randidly said slowly Instantly Helen was back on guard She was aware that Randidly was trying to help her but it was so difficult to remember that when he was so obviously going for every opportunity to goad her into a lathered up fury He rubbed his neck awkwardly and opened his mouth to speak But before he did so another figure sauntered into the room

Huhuh after watching you so closely yesterday I had several trainingÆ ideas Darrune said with a sneer He glanced furtively at Randidly and seeing a neutral expression he continued by saying Err I think you will like what I have in mind Your improvement will be heaven defying but ah I apologize Mr Ghosthound You were about to explain Please do go on

Helen blinked very slowly Wait these training regimens they were your idea

Darrune instantly opened his mouth wide but then seemed to choke on something DarruneÆs gaze quickly returned to Randidly The two just stared at each other Helen grew increasingly annoyed

Just when she was about to say fuck it and try and stab one of them Randidly grinned Oh yes Darrune has been instrumental in developing these training regimes IÆm not well you know me Teaching is not something I have any experience in For all DarruneÆs quirks teaching is something he understands intimately

I ah well that is very kind of you to say ahem my ideas are quite ehehehee truly it is hard for a talented individual such as I to go anywhere without being praised For a while confusion and raw pleasure at the compliment warred on DarruneÆs face Pleasure quickly won and ran away with his body I must admit that err I was instrumental in these training plans Not so much experience as expertise I would say obviously there is no need to thank me

The Tides of Blood Domain exploded outward Quick as a flash Helen was gliding in front of Darrune prepared to cut his head off and stuck it down his dick It was with great pleasure that she imagined the sensation of doing just that

RandidlyÆs spear stopped her strike dead and the two of them faced each other directly HelenÆs face twisted into a snarl and pressed harder RandidlyÆs emerald eyes flashed and he smashed her backward with enough force to throw her several meters

She regarded him warily her eyes darting from his face to DarruneÆs hideously afraid visage behind him The black flame greedily eyed him Get out of the way Randidly He deserves this

His training plan for today Randidly said slowly was to lure you directly I know he can be harsh but heÆs trying to help IÆll be protecting him today so attack to your heartÆs content

I will rip you to pieces to get at him Helen hissed Just as she was about to explode into motion she felt her Domain shudder and fail as it was sliced apart

Helen spun around and saw two root avatars behind her slowly closing the distance Her vision went red as memories of being tormented by these plant men surged to the forefront of her mind Growling Helen conjured a Maw of the Hellfin to gnaw on one while she spun to deflect RandidlyÆs spear strike

Even the contact sent her tapping backward For all her anger HelenÆs face turned grim What she was missing in the fights with the plant avatars was weight They were strong but she was stronger But when her spear crossed with RandidlyÆs she was rapidly reminded that this wasnÆt always the case Others were often stronger than her Skarch would definitely be HelenÆs strength came from other places

But just as soon as clarity returned to her Darrune spoke and ruined it Ah too bad I didnÆt bring a novel well I suppose you wonÆt improve without my instruction Here IÆll add commentary of what you are doing wrong ah behind jeez why did you let that strange plant strike you Just dodge it more Maybe eh that is passable but And THAT Mr Ghosthound might be strong but stop letting him push you around Strike back harder

I WILL MURDER YOU Helen roared smashing her spear as hard and fast as she could at RandidlyÆs guard Infuriatingly he calmly deflected her blows and gave ground until it was clear she was running at a huge Stamina deficit But as soon as she slowed the barrage down Randidly struck back with an Idiosyncratic Cut followed up by As the Sun Stills

Helen had a sudden impulse to tear Randidly to pieces but she shook her head and shed that emotion Instead her eyes locked on DarruneÆs smug face He had produced a canvas chair from his interspatial ring and was now sitting while he called out the most useless advice in the world to infuriate her

You will pay Helen thought grimly Then she focused her attention on Randidly and the plant avatars as they circled around to attack

Chapter 779

So we do nothing Shal said with a frown Knowing that the greater leadership of the Death School had fallen it made his hand twitch The loss of life Spears were the ultimate tools to protect He had such a spear one he prided himself on using and now Ophelia demanded that they stay here and simply allow it to happen

We cannot leave Ophelia said She would not meet ShalÆs gaze Although it is difficult to understand our activities here are so much more important to the fate of Tellus than a minor struggle to save a handful of lives in the fallout Likely all those who were there are already dead Their parts have been used to create another Wight army

Why are we so bound Is the Northern group truly so antagonistic to Hastam ShalÆs gaze was sharp It makes no sense What does Hastam matter We are losing the war Entire Schools are falling The Spearsource is gone

Shal paused If anything the focus of his gaze became even more cutting that is what this is about isnÆt it The Spearsource It was always said to have been taken from Hastam but it is here

OpheliaÆs lips were pressed into a thin line we cannot be sure But it is the only possibility that makes sense For all VersaultÆs abilities he would not be able to spirit it away without leaving traces Yet nothing has been found We believe that he simply hid it somewhere in Hastam before blaming the Wights It is entirely possible that Versault has gone completely rogue and is on his way now to Hastam to claim it Without his support the Death School had no chance Or perhaps the entire silence from the Death School is a ruse to lure us from Hastam

Shal rubbed his hands together trying to gather the truth from the tidbits that were fed to him by Ophelia Too many pieces Too many secrets and alliances behind the scenes He truly couldnÆt gather enough in any semblance of a picture Every time he discovered another piece it simply seemed to be a piece from a larger game altogether

Do you truly believe that Tell me Ophelia I am owed an explanation

OpheliaÆs face seemed to sag Two secrets then The first you have already guessed the war against the Wights is a sham Even now it is designed to sharpen our people To create the ultimate spear user Many are sacrificed on that altar but

She stopped that line of thought seeing the dangerous expression on ShalÆs face Instead she coughed lightly and continued The other secret is that the Spearsource is ultimately a vestige of the Spearman himself Not just a legacy it is him It is all of his images and Skills condensed into a physical form There was a tragic accident right before the Spearman was to ascend granting Tellus eternal peace and prosperity To maintain all he had created the Spearman sacrificed himself to preserve that power That is why spear Skills are so easy to learn on Tellus The Spearman left his heritage for us all

Shal frowned So everyone attempts to become this pinnacle warrior If the Spearsource was stolen should not the person who stole it have used it to become a great fighter

Yes If they could they definitely would have But few others have the means Ophelia said shortly Her expression was bitter

Slowly Shal parsed her silence apart Then whoever stole the Spearsource was not someone who was trying to become this pinnacle warrior They were instead an antagonistic force Or someone who was trying to prevent a different faction from getting a pinnacle warrior Of all his frantic thoughts that was the one that felt the truest Because it was the ugly truth at the heart of most peopleÆs tragedies

It was all politics To have the pinnacle warrior on your side a faction as such would become the ruling order Or at least Shal expected it to be so based upon how grave OpheliaÆs expression was

OpheliaÆs hands tightened on the wooden table She still stared straight downward refusing to look up at Shal A very chilling thought slipped into his mind insidious and serpentine

You believe Shal said slowly This was done to prevent another pinnacle warrior from ascending That it was hidden to allow someone in particular to arrive when they are ready to ascend This is a delaying tactic

Ophelia nodded There are certain criteria for ascension They are difficult criteria You must have reached Level 99 with a Great Path open to you

Another piece The thought in the back of ShalÆs mind grew to dominate his whole consciousness He breathed in and breathed out without any change in expression It was a truth that upon him but the most surprising factor was his lack of surprise

I am the chosen warrior Shal said simply This was done to block me from becoming the pinnacle individual That is why we must stay here because you suspect the Spearsource remains in Hastam hidden That is why we cannot let others of any power into the city because they might take it for themselves We dare not trust others

Ophelia didnÆt answer But that was enough

How long have you been grooming me for this Shal asked The more he reflected on his life the more strange and convoluted it became The experience of his parents his brother the rumors of the devourer the strange darkness and confusion that descended upon him for fifty years his chance meeting with Randidly training Randidly Randidly introducing him to the truth of his half blood existence the debt to go to the prison and the sudden war that gave him the excuse to avoid it the rapid promotions being placed as one of OpheliaÆs lieutenants

ShalÆs voice was much rougher the second time he asked the question How long have you been grooming me for this

Randidly unleashed the Inevitable Phantom Arrives to pin Helen down She growled in displeasure and that huge spectral form of the Hellfin ReaperÆs maw appeared above him to crash down

Randidly simply narrowed his eyes He did not fear a direct contest of strength

The ground cracked Small stones shot away with enough force to leave long cuts along his shin Even during their match Helen was improving very quickly in these direct confrontations Her ability to attack directly was fueled by her rage giving it sharper and sharper teeth But it still wasnÆt enough to slow Randidly down he had too much of a Stat and Skill Level advantage

As Helen was knocked backward Darrune harrumphed You call that an attack Milord Ghosthound has barely broken a sweat Before you even think about reaching me how about you try and give him some decent exercise I believe I saw him hiding a yawn behind his hand between your pedestrian attacks

DarruneÆs new habit of calling Randidly Milord Ghosthound notwithstanding the training was proceeding with frightful efficiency Every time that Helen would settle into a pattern of attacks Darrune would prod her with some useless advice that would push her toward being even more aggressive

Honestly Randidly was a bit worried that she was going too aggressively at this point Perhaps a harsh lesson was in order

Hissing which was HelenÆs main form of communication in her rage state was all the warning Randidly had For all that her main improvements had been in direct conflict Helen was also improving in speed and dexterity But her original Agility Skills were much much higher than her attack Skills which meant the relatively smaller improvement brought her to a much more intimidating tier

With a strange grace Helen zig zagged around Randidly She passed almost close enough to touch Her eyes were narrowed and focused on Darrune sitting behind him

Gritting his teeth Randidly twisted his body to generate torque and then just slammed himself toward Helen Her eyes flicked sideways She sidestepped an attack by a root avatar and then sidestepped again to avoid the corrected trajectory of RandidlyÆs bodyslam

As Helen slipped passed him RandidlyÆs body exploded into motion His spear thrust forward Helen dodged but she hissed again RandidlyÆs target was not her The proud and shining image of Sharpness boomed outward from his spear

The Tides of Blood Domain came crashing down Eyes flashing dangerously Helen paused for a split second With a roar like hiss the Domain exploded out from Helen once more to cover the arena Randidly grinned She was getting much better at that which was the entire point Solidifying her ability to create the Domain was one of the more crucial points for her fight with Skarch

But that moment when it was down allowed Randidly to catch up

Spear Advances Ash Trails

Because she was midair creating the Domain Helen could not dodge She could only block For once Randidly did not hold back Images of heat explosions propulsion trailing ash an inexhaustible engine and sharpness made this Skill a powerful piercing attack

Such was the speed that HelenÆs block didnÆt make it up in time The spear took her in the shoulder and then the concussive force hit her like a block of concrete Her body was knocked backward

Unfortunately that caused Randidly to grimace Helen was flying toward Darrune She had accepted the wound to get at Darrune Foolish Perhaps this lesson needed to be sharper than he had anticipated

The molten core portion of Influence of the Molten Core crashed downward toward her body Again HelenÆs grace and adaptability were impressive She spun mid air and somehow depleted her momentum Although her right arm was largely out of commission from her wound to her shoulder she instantly transferred her spear to her left hand and prepared to dash around the core

She likely would have had not one of RandidlyÆs root avatars split her Domain rendering her half as agile She was still quick but it wasnÆt enough

HelenÆs face twisted in shock when Randidly just tapped his spear against HelenÆs Her powerful defense was made for a strong blow so this soft touch made her overbalance forward RandidlyÆs eyes flashed With his spear still touching HelenÆs he activated Stalemate Breaker and directly crushed her Unprepared for the abrupt force Helen was bounced off the ground She spat out some blood just in time for another root avatar to arrive and Roundhouse Kick her farther away from Darrune

Her body bounced and rolled away leaving a crimson trail

Randidly turned and waited his spear pointed at Helen He likely depleted half of her Health from that combination With sickening slowness Helen pushed herself off the ground and stood Her steps were stuttering but she stayed standing

Chapter 780

It really is tragic that my talents as a teacher are wasted on one such as you Darrune said with a shake of the head After being rather timid before Randidly had tacitly encouraged him his personality had experienced a complete one eighty since then He openly embraced his role as genius teacher even if he displayed none of the traits a teacher would possess If nothing else Randidly was impressed by how brazen Darrune was Do you need a break Or perhaps a nap Would you like me to read you a bedtime story and let you suckle from my teat Hmph hmph this isnÆt child rearing girl This is learning the art of war Grow up

Fuck You Helen wheezed Her eyes were still narrowed but they focused on Randidly this time There wasnÆt anger there but excitement Her rage was giving way to something purer Joy The joy of fighting against an opponent who was stronger than herself An excitement toward learning how to fight and struggle and triumph It almost seemed sexual in its intensity

Well Randidly reflected as he waited for Helen to recover the rage isnÆt gone ItÆs just sharing center stage with a more positive emotion

Glancing up Randidly noticed how long they had been training It had been almost twelve hours since they had begun Truly he grew more wrapped up in the fighting if he was using his actual body then if he was just using avatars

Almost unwillingly he lowered his spear LetÆs end it here

I can continue Helen croaked out Randidly looked at her He could feel her drawing heavily from their Aether Connection in order heal as quickly as possible Several bones were broken in her shoulder and ribs But her eyes blazed with fighting spirit It was true she could continue But it was unnecessary

Randidly closed his eyes and shook his head You may continue as you should but we are done for today YouÆve had your chance to attack Darrune you failed If you so choose reflect on what mistakes you made We will see you tomorrow

Besides HelenÆs injuries there were several things Randidly wanted to do tonight Not the least of which was visit his Soulskill which he had let go a few days In addition he wanted to check how difficult it would be to create a Domain He believed that the training would be even more effective if he could produce his own Domain that would combat Helens But it was likely just a pipe dream at this point

Something like a Domain should not be hastily thrown together

Although she was unwilling Helen couldnÆt refuse what Randidly said She lowered her spear and allowed Randidly and Darrune to walk past She did of course keep a death stare locked on Darrune But she didnÆt say or do anything

But perhaps sensing how volatile Helen was Darrune was uncharacteristically quiet as they walked out of the training area It was only after they were out of earshot that he spoke up

Milord Ghosthound I am wondering if ah it would be appropriate for me to continue to be unaffiliated with you considering our intimate teaching relationship Perhaps as your spear attendant

No Randidly said cutting him off Then he smiled wryly at Darrune Unless you believe you would be capable of fighting directly against Helen without my assistance

Blinking furiously Darrune blubbered Ah How preposterous I am a respected teacher How could I sully my hands with violence against my students

Well then for now letÆs stay like this Randidly shooed the man You are free to explore the city Meet back here tomorrow morning

Then Randidly used Phantom Half Step on distant targets and pulled himself away from Darrune very quickly The less time he had to spend with the man the better Now to find himself a peaceful hill to meditate on outside of Hastam

FUCKING TWIGDICK FARTBAG Helen roared SUCKLE AT YOUR TEAT IÆLL KILL YOU AND YOUR SAD FAMILY

Statistically Azriel opined With the Wight war his family is probably already dead

For a second Helen stood frozen Then she glowered at Azriel this anger for an entirely different reason than for her intrusion

Azriel shrugged Well IÆm just being honest

Yea well you really ruined my mood Helen said sourly Then she sighed How is your training going You should join in on the sparring It will at least give me somewhat of a break if they are training you too

I donÆt think I should Azriel said quietly

Helen opened her mouth to reply and then paused She turned and looked at Azriel Even though Azriel generally said things that were relatively tone deaf the comment about DarruneÆs family was especially so Perhaps Helen wouldnÆt have noticed that on its own but AzrielÆs thin face was especially tense More than anything else Azriel seemed exhausted There were deep bags under her eyes

Azriel is something wrong Helen asked The black flames were annoyed that someone else was making this about them but Helen shushed them

Azriel shrugged I had a talk with my Master About my role About what I need to do To me my Master is everything Yet it asks much of me

Putting her hands on HelenÆs shoulders Azriel faced the other woman directly Its lifeÆs work was to become accepted by spear users To prove that it also possessed this capability I am able to do that I think But my Master has doubts It suggests that if things continue as they are if you continue to improve I will not be able to keep up in the finals And that cannot be allowed to happen

Is this tournament really so important to your Master Helen asked wrinkling her nose So to Azriel this strange crystal scorpion was some sort of warped mother figure If it was about expectations Helen understood how exhausting that was

No not quite The tournament isnÆt important Winning is Helen said with a small smile Spears are a vehicle to ride toward glory It is unimportant where the victories occur all that matters is that they are victories Only then can I accomplish my MasterÆs dream

After a few moments Helen nodded solemnly Then she held out her hand Good luck

Azriel considered the hand then grinned Hmph keep your luck You will need it more than I Skarch is well No doubt whichever of you reaches the finals it will be a glorious battle The two women hugged Both had tight white knuckled grips on the otherÆs shoulders as they faced their own looming inner demons

Shal stood with an iron rod of a spine as he faced the two people in front of him

RumeraÆs expression was brittle Silo What are you doing here ShouldnÆt you be preparing for your match IÆm very excited to watch

You havenÆt come to see me and youÆve been within the city SiloÆs face was pale and wan but somehow his dark eyes seemed to glitter in his gaunt face Shal stayed very still standing a meter behind Rumera This was not his fight to have but Shal refused to budge in case he was needed

Not that he expected there to be any trouble but anger and death seemed to be radiating off of RumeraÆs brother

As if on cue SiloÆs eyes slid to Shal and narrowed But the brother didnÆt say anything to him Instead his gaze returned to Rumera

Rumera bit her lip but spoke with an even voice You know I donÆt like you when you are like this After the tournament

The tournament doesnÆt matter Silo growled We are not just we are family But we are so much more than family Why do you hide from me What is there to fear Our world is violence Rumi Stop trying to deny it What harm is there in embracing what we are Of reveling in our own strength And worst of all of all people to run to you chose him

Gesturing to Shal SiloÆs face turned derisive He wields the same spear I do Violence is in his heart His hands are drenched in blood Yet you seem to think he is any different than me A stranger over your own brother The elders would punish you if they knew

Not strangers we are connected Shal rumbled

SiloÆs glare was scathing And you are suggesting we are not

Before Shal could respond Rumera cut across him Your spear and his are very different If you cannot see that for yourself then you have changed more than I am comfortable with DidnÆt you talk about how noble and heroic our leaders can be Why have you lost that IÆm sorry Silo I love you but

Fine then IÆll prove it to you That the heroism we chased is naught but stories Silo said He stretched his spindly limbs and produced a spear It was a brutal thing with a wide and jagged head affixed to a wrought iron shaft It was a heavy and hulking thing a spear that was made to break bones in addition to cutting flesh You judge me Your pretty little boyfriend is just as violent as me And heÆs weaker

ShalÆs eyebrow quirked up It was quite a day that a foolish boy called him a pretty little boyfriend and told him he was weak

Shal glanced at Rumera With tight lips she made an extremely unwilling gesture of assent If you must Be gentle But sometimes he needs to be reminded of who he is

To defend my womanÆs honor Shal said with a tight smile There are many things that I would do “

Chapter 781

Silo eyed up his opponent Strangely even through the haze of darkness and erratic impulses that was SiloÆs current worldview there was something about Shal that quieted the monstrous voices that whispered to him Which was liberating

And infuriating to the part of him that was lost to the voices

Draw your spear Silo whispered His own spear felt heavy and unwieldy in his hands But that was the point wasnÆt it It wasnÆt a tool of control it was overwhelming The destruction caused by the spear was its ultimate power It could level cities and raze the countryside Before such a spear what could this man do

So foolish Shal replied with a shake of his head But he produced his spear It was a traditional spear with a stiff shaft and a triangular head Unwilling to wait for a more sporting moment Silo rushed forward

They had drawn spears They were opponents Once those two things were determined all that awaited them was contest and bloodshed And Silo was determined to prove to Rumi that he was the one who deserved to received her affections Silo understood the spear so much more than this old fool

Blighted Slash cut sideways toward ShalÆs throat but the other man moved with a surprising elusiveness A few short steps to the side and Shal had completely disappeared from SiloÆs vision Roaring Silo spun around and brought down Weight of the Rotten Hero The parted as it descended grinding away at the substance of the world around Silo The ground shuddered underneath the sudden pressure A nearby chair shattered into splinters as SiloÆs ability became too much to bear

And yet when Silo laid his eyes on Shal the other man sidestepped again and was gone with a smile Although absorbing strength from the jewel had rendered him rather numb Silo could dimly feel that his Skill wasnÆt hitting Shal any longer

Fucking ghost Silo hissed He rapidly gathered the thin threads of violence that he had produced in his attacks to empower his Momentum of Tragedy Skill Already his gaze was sharpening and some of the numbness was starting to wear off Using this Skill was one of the few ways that he could truly felt alive since absorbing enough of the jewelÆs power to rise to Level 70 Without this Skill everything was so thick and murky It was almost impossible to live

It was only through fighting that he could feel truly present That was the true Path of the Spear

ShalÆs counterattack was a brutally quick thrust Such was its force that even though Silo twisted aside and dodged the wind of its passage buffeted him backward Still SiloÆs expression was gleeful as he straightened and readied himself to meet the assault But then he blinked

ShalÆs attack hadnÆt left any threads of violence That was impossi

The next spear thrust came Silo attempted to deflect this one away from his body

Schlick

Looking down at the spear sticking out of his stomach Silo couldnÆt figure out what had happened He had clearly smashed his much heavier spear against the thrust with perfect timing It should have been deflected

Yet the attack was so powerful that the air pressure weakened his attack and the thrust itself didnÆt even seem to notice his attempted interference Just how high was this manÆs stats

SiloÆs expression twisted into something like glee Perfect then Time to go all out

Do you yield Came the bored voice of Shal With a light tap he appeared before Silo and yanked the spear out with enough callous force to rip open a large wound Black blood poured out and spattered on the floor Both looked down at it Silo in mesmerized wonder Shal in revulsion

What Shal began but Silo surged into motion

Once more he brought down Weight of the Rotten Hero This time Shal was within its area of effect but Silo was infuriated to see that the other man didnÆt even flinch So he followed it up with Forsaken Thrust Darkness gathered around the attack as it slid toward ShalÆs heart

Silo blinked The thrust was knocked away

The sound of his nose breaking from ShalÆs elbow hit him before his eyes could even notice a flicker of motion Stumbling backward Silo greedily gathered up the violent threads he himself had made Somehow Shal was avoiding causing his Skill to trigger but that didnÆt matter If he continued to fight he would catch up eventually That was the terrible power that Silo held He was unbeatable It was just a matter of time

For the second time do you yield Shal asked mildly I will not ask a third time

Silo spat blood at ShalÆs shoe in answer The other man snorted

Your simplicity is becoming But you are not my opponent You are a child who does not understand the spear

SiloÆs eyes slid sideways to Rumi She stood with her head lowered and eyes closed not even watching the fight Of all things that infuriated Silo most of all

You have already cut yourself into so many small pieces do you truly think that your little bit of assistance matters You are a fraction of what you once were You are meaningless Only together Silo spat out blood and words together but it didnÆt seem to matter

IÆm sorry Silo Rumi whispered

The fury in his blood bubbled up to steam through his brain The conscious parts of Silo slowly shut down His pumping blood began to sound out low drums that filled his entire frame Mad Cadence activated and took away his last bits of conscious thoughts There was only the spear and the trail of broken bodies he would leave in his wa

Cut

Silo looked down at the stumps of his hands He tried to flex his hands but nothing happened A kick knocked him backward into a ruined building

Sleep monster You are not wanted here

Domains Randidly ruminated were just another Skill But unlike most they directly affected the System in the surrounding area That was key difference that he had isolated from watching Helen use her Domain over and over again Normal Skills could reproduce the same effect of a Domain by causing a large scale effect directly

But the part that made Domains so powerful was that they altered the System in the surrounding area in small ways The most obvious benefit of this shift was efficiency It was much more efficient to alter the System to tilt toward your Skills than to empower them directly The System just had so much more oomph than you did and a backdoor was built so Domains could do just that

A second benefit that Helen didnÆt make use of but Randidly had seen in DineshÆs Domain was that it could also bend the rules of Skills a little This made the expenditure much less efficient but it did mean you could cheat So what Randidly was wondering was whether he should endeavor to make an efficient domain or a cheating one Or perhaps one that did both But focusing on both would mean neither was as powerful for as little expenditure

Randidly made the thin emerald flames he held dance across his hands He sat on a sunken log in the middle of a swamp the only illumination the dim stars above and the emerald flame Its strange light transformed the swamp from a place of stillness to a twisted fever dream Everything seemed to be moving and shifting in its ghastly light

Which it probably was Randidly reflected The light causes plant growth Even now algae was creeping up along the log at a visible rate to create a fluffier seat for Randidly to sit on

In addition to causing the plants in the area to go it also incited the monsters Although it hadnÆt made itself known there was an alligator monster that was Level 35 at the bottom of the swamp staring covetously up at Randidly and his flame Randidly was surprised by this for several reasons The first was that largely Wights had annihilated most antagonistic monsters from the surface of the world in their mad expansion That this Level 35 creature escaped was somewhat impressive

The second surprising bit was that it managed to restrain itself At first Randidly had noticed it as it prepared to attack But the longer the monster looked at the flame the more reserved it became It was envious but it dare not strike

Which was either because it realized that RandidlyÆs ability to produce the flame spoke to how powerful he was or because it realized that without Randidly the flame wouldn’tÆ exist Either way it had grown more intelligent at a rapid clip That was worth considering That even monsters would benefit was something Randidly had not considered

But the effects of concentration werenÆt just for the monster Randidly also had an idea about Domains he hadnÆt before Besides efficiency and cheating there was another effect that only a Domain could accomplish

And that was scale

Chapter 782

Randidly supposed scale was just a very specified application of efficiency but because Domains tapped into the System they could spread far beyond the reach of normal Skills Randidly was already pushing the boundaries of Skills due to his high Perception Mana Pool and the Skill Aether Detection but a Domain would let him expand even further

RandidlyÆs goal for a Domain was to create something that he could use to empower all of Earth A mass buff was the simplest but that wasnÆt appealing to Randidly A mass buff could likely be accomplished by others He had been out of touch with Donnyton for too long Likely another had gotten a similar Domain to lead DonnytonÆs Squads in battle

What then was something that only Randidly could do

Even with Ignition of the Emerald Essence sharpening his mind Randidly was stumped by that question Or rather than stumped too many half baked ideas sprang to mind There were a lot of capabilities he had but mostly he was an amalgamation of a fighter and a mage There was also the growing influence of his Crown of Cataclysm and Gloom That kingly sense of dominance and responsibility was perhaps another avenue that Randidly could pursue

With a sigh Randidly let those thoughts go They could wait until later To have these several categories was enough for now Later he would check in on his Soulskill but first he wanted to proceed to the nearest colony of Wights to cut them to pieces Not just to whittle down their numbers but also because he wanted to use Cycle of the Gloomy Wood some to Level it up

The only way it could grow was by gathering the energy of fallen creatures and Randidly had largely been reaping the Wights from a distance for the past few days Getting his hands dirty would be much more satisfying Plus he might Level up himself a bit as well

Whistling softly Randidly conjured a root spear It was a good night for hunting Barely light enough to see but light enough that they would know fear when they saw the Wild Phantom scything through them

For a while Silo just lay in the wreckage of the building and bled out With his Corrupted Physique there was little chance of him dying from blood loss But he was feeling rather lightheaded

But then again he always felt light headed

Rumi had left with Shal hours ago leaving him without a word Silo couldnÆt believe it In a way this is how it had always been They were twins but Rumi was the more powerful one She was the elder almost a mother But over time in order to plant seeds that could grow she split bits of herself off so that Tellus could once more ascend Silo was one such seed

Just a simple seed Silo thought bitterly After all IÆve done for her is this really all I am

Yet even being a seed wasnÆt enough Of all the twins that were made Silo was the only one that stayed close with Rumi to protect her It was necessary as she carved off chunks of her flesh in order to allow Tellus more chances Yet the world had done nothing for her

Silo was the runt the last resort He had always known that But he had still believed he could be a hero He still believed that his strength and light would create a world where Rumi could smile

And yet

Violence Backstabbing Fake smiles

Those were the forces that populated the world SiloÆs first few years interacting with actual people he tried to stick to his guns He perfected his strength He had preached kindness and honor Yet at every turn he had been dogged by those jealous of him With influence and money Althumber had done everything he could in order to make SiloÆs life a living hell

In spite of it all Silo had beaten Althumber in the finals of the Regional Tournament Which was when the problems truly started

Oh how far we had fallen SiloÆs mouth crept open but it felt like his jaw was dislocated He leered at the darkness of the rubble piled on top of him as he remembered

Accidents like glass being found in his and RumiÆs food strange disappearances of their friends and messages left in blood on the walls of their house drove the two of them out of Hastam to seek shelter in the countryside It was only then that Silo capitulated to the elders and agreed to absorbing strength from the jewel

There was no other way In order to protect Rumi Silo would even sacrifice the picturesque dreams the two had created together So he pursued strength and found only violence

The preliminaries to the tournament were eye opening His teammatesÆ strength Silo tried his best to lead them but they were constantly snubbing him and ignoring him Theirs was a strength that let them do what they wanted They were selfish

It was difficult to stomach but Silo craved that power And he knew he could protect them if only he had more power

Bitterly Silo looked down at the stumps of his hands In the darkness of the room he should not be able to see but somehow the fuzzy darkness parted and let him sense it Strangely the blood flowing out of his body seemed to carry much of the darkness that had built up in his mind these last two months It carried away the darkness and he could see more and more clearly even in the near blackness

Which is why you have staked a claim on another isnÆt it Rumi Silo whispered Because his spear is a different spear entirely A noble and carefree spear A spear or responsibility to protect That was our dream That should have been my

The rest of SiloÆs words were choked off in a low sob

Then his eyes narrowed into slits His heart began to beat with a ragged ferocity More and more blood pumped out of his arms His vision cleared further Even his headaches slowly began to fade There was a shift in him a slow and gradual one But his fury lay coiled around his heart like a tightening python

ItÆs not fair Silo mumbled I am I am a person too IÆm real Why didnÆt you pick me

His heart hammered in his chest As if shivering after a long slumber his Corrupted Physique Skill began to vibrate

IÆll prove it I deserve you This whole world I deserve it Silo tried to reach into his shirt and grab the necklace with the jewel but of course his hands were lying severed on the ground out in the street So Silo just spent several minutes drenching himself in his own blood as he used the blunt instruments of his forearms to produce the gem

The wounds didnÆt hurt per se but they were beginning to ache with a throbbing regularity Wet with blood the jewel looked small and cheap But Silo leaned forward and bit it unsure of what else to do It tasted like blood and dust Then Silo began to suck

The black violent power he had drowned in rushed in like a torrent The strength surged down through his body and reached the wounds Once more his head began to throb

Like a dam breaking a whole wave of blood surged out through the stumps on the ground With a cry Silo fell to his knees His limbs convulsed Although it was difficult to see with the shakes that gripped him this new blood seemed to be a deep burgundy There was a prickling around his chest as a low heat seemed to build in him

More burgundy blood pumped out slowly turning more black as all of his old blood was removed from his body The heat slowly spread Once more the curtains of darkness closed over his vision And hot on the heels of the heat was deep pain His muscles contorted and his bones cracked

IÆm being remade Silo abruptly realized His Twisted Physique Skill began to groan and tremble like his body barely able to withstand the energy running through it The dark energy keened its unwilling stubbornness Silo couldnÆt think

Pain knifed into Silo leaving him screaming The heat was building too much too quickly Fire was running into his heart searing it into seizing up He couldnÆt breathe But the darkness was no escape from the pain Silo continued to scream as the fire wound its way through his veins to his arms

Here the pain slowed and lingered Then it intensified

Silo could sense a few people approach warily but none dark shift the wreckage of the old building to discover who was screeching with such murderous intensity within Silo was vaguely disappointed Killing something was exactly the sort of distraction he needed right now

Then a frigid hatred twisted him If he could even kill right now without his hands

MY HANDS Silo roared

The fire exploded His arms didnÆt exist anymore There was just pain and gore and blood and bone

Eventually Silo awoke to a gasp His eyes struggled to focus for several seconds before he could convince them to do their job

Panting Silo lay in a pool of his own blood as the pain receded like a tide Surprisingly the only consequence of the ordeal he felt was a deep hunger The pain in his stumps vanished Silo attempted to spit out the stone but he realized with a start he had swallowed it A constant flow of energy emerged from the pit of his stomach filling him with images of violence and bloodshed

Although it wasnÆt ideal it at least seemed to be working

Silo attempted to push himself upward but his arms his hands got caught on something He broken nose hit the puddle of blood and throbbed painfully Grimacing Silo rolled over and slowly straightened He had to throw beams and rubble off of himself sometimes and others he just waved his arms and the material was sliced apart without resistance It was only when he stumbled out into the street that he could view himself

So Silo stood above his severed and claw like hands and saw that his elbows were wrapped in a thick coating of bone And from each elbow twisting and hooked were meter long poles of sharpened bone Small but they were spears

They were made to kill SiloÆs eyes flashed

A good spear

Slowly smiling Silo turned to regard horrified onlookers

Chapter 783

After a long walk around the cityÆs area in an invisible undetectable form Randidly sat at one of the low benches of CarthakÆs food market The place was bustling with the sound of feet on stone childrenÆs laughter and the hiss and spit of frying oil RandidlyÆs eyes traced the completely cleared room large enough to be a football stadium from old Earth Twisting paths lined by bamboo stalls made the place a labyrinth aside from the hundred or so tables and benches that formed the center of the room

It was designed this way on purpose Randidly realized So you would have to walk past food on the way in and on the way out if you chose to eat in the center And Randidly had noticed that a lot of the foodstuffs near the edges of the market were tiny finger foods Meatballs on skewers or carefully cultivated and flavorful moss hanging on parchment paper Small things with cheap prices that were easy to justify

It wasnÆt perhaps RandidlyÆs favorite food groups but he could understand why some of these Earth Golems and assorted other refugees that had fled to Carthak would be tempted by one more snack before they headed home Or perhaps they were meant as a gift to bring home to a friend or a loved one as a show of affection

Randidly looked dubiously down at the thin black eels that swam around in his soup With a grimace he scooped one up and sucked it down To his surprise the thing seemed to shiver and then melt on his tongue into the warm and rich taste of fat The soup itself was rather cool with a minty taste To be honest it reminded Randidly of eating lamb chops in a weird way It possessed the same sort of flavor palette

For all that it was a strange alien food Randidly began to dig into his soup with gusto

But these foods were part of a broader trend that was affecting the Seven Lands From what Randidly could gather strange emerald springs had appeared in some of the deeper tunnels His Ignition of the Emerald Essence made manifest Still all was not well in paradise This was a problem because the glowing waters attracted the Soulless and if allowed to feed for extended periods of time they grew at a horrifying rate

Similarly this was a boon to Carthak because it provided them with a much needed food and industry source A single drop of the emerald nectar as they called it fed one of the vast pools that bred these little eels for a week They harvested hundreds of the fuckers a day and more and more spawned every second

Randidly had seen people leave out a bowl of the emerald essence in a small cave and moss would grow overnight on every exposed wall People had begun cultivating the strangely thick and filling moss selecting strains and teasing out the secrets of breeding them for flavor A cottage industry that was a hybrid between breeding spices and growing tea quickly developed

They hadnÆt realized that their fragrant moss could be used in that way but Randidly had pushed a few talented young chefs to try boiling the moss to add a little extra oomph to their recipes

Carthak was slowly blooming into a city But the outlook wasnÆt entirely rosy

We are doomed Grem mumbled Grem was an old Monster that had escaped before the Procession as the mass of bodies devouring the lands as they fled down the World Tree was called had reduced the Monster Land a place of broken people and bandits with no food to be found

We we could bribe them couldnÆt we Ella a young Earth Golem whined Our food stores are growing if we give them enough wouldnÆt they be happy to avoid Carthak Plus all of our stuff is underground

If you think that they wonÆt take it all your brain is softer than the dumplings you are eating Vollusk announced Vollusk was a Spriggit one of the few in Carthak but was extremely respected due to him modernizing of Carthak industry Without VolluskÆs rather cheaply made power frame mechs moving so much rubble to clear the mountain tunnels would have been impossible It was also his team that ensured that the mountain remained structural sound in the face of an increasing clamor for expansion There are three factions in the Procession you know Even if the main baggage train doesnÆt pass near us one of the factions will raid us in order to gain riches to tempt more followers to their side

Grem nodded his typically grim expression in place Each faction has warriors numbering in the tens of thousands Even if we were to put every capable warrior we have out there we would at best be able to beat them back and slink home with half of the forces we came with Fighting will lead to death

Lady Allica wouldnÆt let that happen Ella whispered

Lady AllicaÆs requests to broker an agreement with the Monster Faction fell on deaf ears Vollusk said with a shake of the head Randidly thought that his curly hair made the Spriggit man look like an adorable child next to Ella the towering Earth Golem But it was heartwarming in a strange way to see them leaning toward each other at a small table together

This was the point of the world Randidly reflected To allow people to choose their own paths forward To choose who you wish to walk with

The only option we have left is to fight If I had more of a budget combat mechs Vollusk continued

Grem silenced the Spriggit with a glare You already had to make so many aesthetic alterations to get the people of Carthak to accept your industrial models The memory of the High KingÆs Folly is too fresh for Carthak to realistically deploy anything near combat mechs ItÆs bad enough that the Procession has them

Is the Black Iron Queen really a mech that killed so many that blood magic brought it to life Ella whispered

Vollusk snorted even as Grem nodded sagely

Aye that is one story of her origin Grem said Others whisper that she used to be a beautiful woman who was scarred in the war Such was her twisted heart that she started replacing her body with metal to feel beautiful again but each time she only grew uglier and more twisted But her power is unrivaled The Black Iron QueenÆs faction is the most vicious and powerful in the Procession

RandidlyÆs gaze was sad as he looked down at his soup He had not yet left Carthak to check on the details but there was something inside of him that told him he knew who the Black Iron Queen was

Oh Lucretia must you truly follow this tragedy to its end Randidly thought sadly He felt a great deal of pity for the woman compelled by guilt from missing her real childÆs life to follow a surrogate daughterÆs demise so closely

But The tremor was clear in EllaÆs voice Is she really that strong Stronger than the Scarred One

Grem and Vollusk shared a glance

Grem spoke first Of course not Our glorious Rejt has the blessing of the Progenitor himself The beautiful music of the cathedral risings in joy at his very approach With the support of the Progenitor his strength is unrivaled

well we need not depend wholly on some hypothetical god for support Vollusk said with a sniff I can assure you that Rejt is quite strong He defeated two Behemoth class Soulless at the same time His strength is real

Praise the Progenitor Grem mumbled softly

VolluskÆs dissatisfaction became an outright glare The Progenitor has nothing to do with it That man worked hard

The music of the wind is really so beautiful though Ella said doubtfully

Vollusk looked like he was almost ready to pull his hair out Please It is a wonderful natural phenomenon but it has been replicated in other areas of Carthak The warning system is based upon those same principles and it was made by individuals

Only after studying the mysteries of the Progenitor Grem argued back With doom looming now is the time where we must reaffirm our faith to survive It is said that Lady Allica goes to the dawn ceremony daily

The argument had the familiar cadences of one long rehearsed so Vollusk just threw up his hands rather than continue it The group fell silent for several seconds Randidly took this opportunity to slurp down several of the thin eels in his soup

Maybe he should be a bit more pointed in his lessons about tea had he been too subtle How much interference was too much interference Was there a point to controlling his interference

Well obviously yes His goal was to have the world function safely without his having to micromanage the thing But tea was something that may or may not happen regardless Especially when this city might soon be part of a raid

This is really good Ella finally said to change the subject She patted her very firm stomach after devouring the last of the dumplings What was filling

Eel meat but the larger variety Vollusk said And a new strain of moss mixed in for flavor I believe I tried a prototype before it was available to the public and it was very succulent

Why not just say it was good Grem said with a frown Why use succulent

Randidly finished his soup and stepped away crossing out of Carthak before the rest of the conversation could reach his ears The friendship that had blossomed between those three was a small precious thing Those moments were AllicaÆs source of strength Randidly could feel It was like a complex net growing underneath Carthak with AllicaÆs ideology at its core

Proof of concept it could be called

But perhaps two months of travel away the Procession ground slowly closer It was a bulldozer ripping up the land and taking anything supportive of life for itself At the helm were three factions led by the Weavers Alta and the Monster Prince respectively There was an open war between the first two while the third was likely the largest and neutral

But that third group was slowly shrinking

Suddenly Randidly frowned There was someone here that shouldnÆt be here In an instant Randidly took a step and vanished from the Monster Land

Chapter 784

ItÆs been a while She said with genuine sweetness Her smile was picture perfect So perfect that Randidly felt thrown back in time to the days were airbrushed actors and performers stared out with glassy eyes from glossy covers From a time where surface became substance

Randidly grinned in response but there was very little pleasure in the expression He did not believe in this for a second To find Lyra here of all places certainly warned him that there were more cooks in the kitchen of his Soulskill than he had realized are you on your best behavior Is that what this is Like a child with her hand caught in the cookie jar

They stood surrounded by the shifting images of RandidlyÆs past The Seventh LandÆs strange magic churned around them heedless of their obliviousness of its endeavors Right now they were suspended at the moment that Randidly passed through the first test of the Patron of Ash Where he was required to walk down the steps of a huge amphitheater style area with different levels And at the center there was a strange crystal that pulsed with the power of ash

Now Randidly knew that crystal was the physical manifestation of the Ashen Image but at the time he hadnÆt thought deeply about it He had simply passed through the memories each circle contained for him receiving the chance to redo some of the tensest moments of his life

Then he touched that bit of ash and was reborn tainted by that image implicitly All in preparation of his receiving that terrible power within his body It did not help RandidlyÆs mood to be reminded of how others who were wilier than he had used him to their own ends

Lyra pressed her lips together It did give Randidly a good deal of pleasure to physically watch her suppress a sarcastic response After centering herself LyraÆs expression softened and she said Maybe But I wanted to understand you And you know what The more I watch the harder it is for me to understand

Randidly remained silent but tilted his head in an invitation for Lyra to continue Randidly had a lot of questions about how and why Lyra was here For all she stated it was to understand him Randidly didn’t forget that Lyra was originally an actor And a very good one at that Her existence inside of his Soulskill made everything all the more surreal

Was this a dream Part of the trouble of the Soulskill Or

And he couldnÆt forget her involvement with the Creature She was a poison that it would be so easy to ignore and swallow

IÆm wondering do you want to fight until you are annihilated Lyra said IÆve gone through many of the memories of in this place IÆm not saying that your alternatives were ever easy but you always choose to stubbornly refuse the influence of others You value freedom and independence above safety From my entire viewing I could only find a single example of you accepting anotherÆs help the Ashen Image And I think I know why You value purity and innocence That is what you are trying to protect But purity is dangerous Fragile Brittle Such a world is a utopia it collapses when exposed to reality ThatÆs all IÆm trying to say

Randidly just looked at Lyra Purity Innocence Lofty goals Was she being honest Was that truly what he appeared to value

But she was right about one thing Randidly dearly wanted the Earth to be free from the influence of the System That was the reason he fought and trained so tirelessly Because aside from gathering strength he could see no way to change the course of EarthÆs fate

ItÆs funny that you are here Randidly said quietly I had a thought to look for you when I returned to Earth To apologize To listen to what you had to say even if I would not agree

With flashing eyes Lyra spoke with a hint of hostility And the way you say that makes me believe you have since changed your mind

LyraÆs hair was pulled up in a messy bun Strands of golden hair curled down along the sides of her face in loose and glittering strands Her eyes were still a piercing red violet the SystemÆs Aether made manifest And his Aether too mixed in there Her nose and chin were still sharp but her face had grown more defined since he had seen her With broad and high cheekbones there was no denying that hers was a face that broke hearts

And as Randidly watched her expression softened further No matter what you think the Path you follow leads to a dead end ThatÆs why I had to come to hear to understand The world is much much messier than that Pure things can be chased but never found

So this becomes a warning for me Randidly said slowly He studied her face The red of her lips The barely visible shifts in facial muscles as they stared at each other The tips of her ears The soft movements of her jaw as she spoke

Lyra sighed This is a peace offering I likely should have asked to be here And to find me thumbing through your memories is undoubtedly not an easy thing I just want to help Even though you donÆt agree with my means you cannot deny that dog Randidly And if the only difference is the means I believe there should be a certain amount of civility between us

Randidly chewed on his lip thinking Why was Lyra here now Two possibilities emerged in his mind as sinister objectives with a single genuine alternative coming to mind

The genuine object was as she said a peace offering Certainly a twisted one but Randidly couldnÆt deny that even during the height of their affair Lyra was a strange bird But that was assuming a lot considering that Randidly had only given casual thought to how much work it would have taken for another to build a bridge into his Soulskill without an existing connection and it was not an easy thing

One sinister objective would be to either figure out more about the Calamities or rather what Randidly knew about the Calamities The more worrying possibility was that she was here to somehow warp RandidlyÆs Soulskill Which gave Randidly quite a bit of stress Managing the Soulskill without outside influence was already hard enough

And the Creature had already demonstrated a willingness to interfere with his Soulskill

Randidly looked up sharply Are you still working with the Creature If so there is nothing for us to talk about My opinions remain firm

To his surprise Lyra smiled I am not I should be clear not that I wouldnÆt I still believe her experience in the matters of the System is invaluable But she is currently sleeping As IÆm sure your earlier victory against her taught you she is constantly weakening She currently rests to preserve her strength for later

Later Quirking his brow up RandidlyÆs expression turned increasingly dark Both because of how much Lyra seemed to know about his knowledge and because of what the Creature resting implied

Lyra continued to speak as if she hadnÆt heard Let me offer you something IÆm willing to tell you exactly why she would rest and why you need not to worry for quite a while about what the Creature is doing

RandidlyÆs eyebrows lowered once more Randidly watched LyraÆs tongue flick out and wet her lips IÆm listening

Some part of him cursed himself for listening to her Lyra was a professional liar first and foremost But he couldn’t forget how gentle his feelings for her had been before they soured Betrayal couldnÆt destroy everything he had felt More than that Randidly had been struggling against his looming fear of the Creature for quite some time The fact that he hadnÆt seen any trace of the Creature aside from that strange power plant in Zone 1 made him anxious

LyraÆs smile was brittle as if she could read RandidlyÆs doubts on his face and was intensely burdened by it Honestly she probably could Randidly reflected He was not very good at hiding his feelings

Because because of the second Calamity Lyra lowered her voice to a whisper You chase purity And your image will dominate Earth at this rate You simply have too much influence Even the Ogre invasion wonÆt change that And do you know what you fear the most

Ogre Invasion Randidly thought with a frown Then he recalled that in beating the Ogre Ravine he had connected Earth to a world without Aether His frown twisted further into a scowl Did the Ogres discover the portal so soon And they gathered up enough manpower for an invasion

That would mean war on Earth one which would be difficult to win based on the Levels Randidly had seen on that other world Well maybe Donnyton had improved and if Erickson Steel and Ghost worked together to make drones

But with a shake of the head Randidly focused on LyraÆs original question He could contact Neveah to find out the truth of the matter What do I fear The Earth being destroyed

Lyra grinned True But those are big fears IsnÆt it most common that the fears at the core of people are the smallest

Randidly just looked at her

Lyra couldn’t resist rolling her eyes and then said I believe you will find what you fear the most is what would have happened if you accepted the YystrixÆs influence The Randidly who is a puppet A kept being DoesnÆt the thought set your teeth on edge She doesnÆt feel the need to move because the System will create a version of her that could destroy you all on its own Not one of us including Yystrix can escape our own demons

Randidly closed his eyes For all that Randidly took everything Lyra said with a grain of salt these words rang true

Although perhaps Lyra was barking up the wrong tree in terms of him fearing himself taking the influence the most he certainly had a deep fear of others giving themselves over to the Creature Lyra was a very special case that he had hitherto ignored but if there was a larger segment of the population following the Creature Randidly wouldnÆt know what to do

So this is what you came for To shape my fears in the guise of warning me Randidly asked with a small smile LyraÆs violet eyes just watched him Thank you but it’s unnecessary The Creature is right it is nothing before the System That is why it lives an existence filled with fear Perhaps IÆm nothing too but IÆm going to fight this big fucker For my whole world

You would have the world gamble their lives on you Lyra asked quietly

Would I Randidly asked himself For several seconds he paused and considered

Then he nodded He would That was what it meant to wear the Crown

Seeing his nod Lyra did something that surprised Randidly more than he would like to admit she smiled and laughed Truly this is why you stand at the pinnacle The reasonable do not climb to your position And I can see why you would assume this is done to shape you but know that I would like nothing more than the Calamities to be simple But think on this everything you have faced thus far and will face until the final Calamity descends is something that was defeated by a Calamity

Then she was gone Immediately Randidly reached out to touch the small connection that Lyra had used between them to bridge the gap and tore it to shreds Then Randidly erected a shifting barrier of Aether around his inner world to keep any interlopers out But even then he felt an uncomfortable prickling on the back of his neck

She didnÆt leave Randidly said to himself as he stepped out of the Seventh Land and stood over the entire world tree She simply is hiding Somewhere inside the Soulskill she bides her time But for what

But brooding would get Randidly nowhere So he shook his head and departed from the Soulskill he had learned all he could for now and there would be a little time before the conflict between Carthak and the Procession For now Randidly needed to spend some of the PP he had earned the past few days

Chapter 785

RandidlyÆs gains werenÆt small but it was still only two days worth of PP Most of the Skill Levels he gained were concentrated around Visualization and the Ignition of the Emerald Essence Skills but his Ashen Kata and Yggdrasil groupings also slowly ticked upward That was part of the joy of how wide his Skill base was over time RandidlyÆs Soulskill would grow to impossible proportions The greatest weapon he had was his potential

Yet how short his time always seemed Another deadline perpetually looming ahead

Strangely the greatest gainer was Stalemate Breaker with twelve Skill Levels It was a Skill he had possessed for some time but Randidly really grew to appreciate the feints it allowed him only now Lightly tapping HelenÆs spear would often cause her to lose her balance for a split second when she expected a powerful blow and he could follow that up with a crushing power that never failed to inflict damage

Which brought Randidly back to the speed of his own growth the more he looked at it the more intimidated he got Most of his Skills had just gained one or two Skill Levels but that still brought him to 125 PP over two days Was this just the new normal for improvements Randidly hoped so Maybe reaching the end of this Path wasnÆt as far away as he thought

Yet somehow Randidly suspected that this was a special result of the training that they were doing with Helen Further sledding would not be so simple Still the gains were cumulative The more he grew the more capability he discovered to push practicing to a higher level Using the multiple root avatars with images was one very effective example of that

More concerning was the change in the messages Randidly received when he finished two steps in his Soulskill

In the First Land there is silence Long ago this was a place of dreams but it has become solely populated by nightmares The wisdom here is twisted beyond recognition The day of Judgement approaches Intelligence and Reaction +30

In the Second Land a solitary carving of a grand figure stands on the greatest mountain the world has ever seen No one is there to witness it Silence pervades the land Focus +45

RandidlyÆs tongue slid back and forth like a graceful ice skater across his teeth These were definitely not the previous notifications he received It seemed that the gains he received from the Soulskill were also warning of a great change that would come This Randidly suspected would be the last time he made it through the rotation After this his Soulskill would need to change The bubbling tension would come to a head The Procession would arrive at its destination or implode

Honestly Randidly now had to hope it was successful At least on a small scale The Procession had left a trail in devastation in its wake that would not be easy to heal The Procession continuing to move and plundering more land was the only reason that the great costs of this endeavor hadnÆt caught up to these people And by extension Randidly

In addition to the Skill Level gains Randidly also gained an actual Class Level during his Wight killing Without the help of Acri to absorb experience he was gathering it all for himself Which made Randidly wonder what exactly experience was It didnÆt seem like any form of Aether but it definitely was recognized by Aether

Either way Randidly looked at his new Status screen

Level 37 (6%)

Health(/R per hour) 3522/4589 (2487)

Mana(/R per hour) 4109/5369 (1956)

Stam(/R per min) 3211/4546 (790)

Vit 522

End 203

Str 527

Agi 574

Perception 510

Reaction 582

Resistance 458

Willpower 651

Intelligence 620

Wisdom 419

Control 831

Focus 407

ProgenitorÆs Influence 31119

Combat Spear Mastery Lvl 198 White PhantomÆs Half Step (Un) Lvl 88 Heavy Blow Lvl 111 Iron Skin Lvl 47 Dodge Lvl 109 Fighting Experience (Un) Lvl 155 Block Lvl 75 Phantom Onslaught Lvl 42 Calculated Blow Lvl 99 Roundhouse Kick Lvl 76 Idiosyncratic Cut (Un) Lvl 119 Stalemate Breaker Lvl 57 Talon Strike Lvl 89 Counter Lvl 84

LoBW Class Skills Grasp of the World Seed Lvl 220 Spray Holy Sap (Un) Lvl 25 Sharpness Lvl 104 Call Grove Defenders « Lvl 34 Earthquake (Un) Lvl 47 Invigorating Call (Humanity)(Un) Lvl 14 Reach of the Jade Slag Lvl 99 Erode Image Lvl 11 SpriggitÆs Tinkering « Lvl 89 Aether Understanding Lvl 59 Summon Lava Golem (Un) Lvl 46 Aether Infusion Lvl 46 Volatile Ash Lvl 33 Visualization « Lvl 178 Fruit of the Planting of Enmity Lvl 25 Absolute Timing Lvl 47 Cycle of the Gloomy Wood « Lvl 8

The 7 Kata of the Ashen Spear The Spear Advances Ash Trails Lvl 103 As the Sun Stills Lvl 74 When a Shadow Departs Fireflies Dance (Un) Lvl 64 All is Ash Lvl 93 Frigid Ash Extinguishing Storm Lvl 40

The 6 Signs of the Spear Phantom « The First Sign The Inevitable Phantom Arrives Lvl 115 (Un) The Fifth Sign The Wild PhantomÆs Embrace Lvl 194 The Sixth Sign The Breath of the Spear Phantom « Lvl 73

Aether Skills Aether Detection Lvl 120 Aether Manipulation Lvl 120 Living Aether « Lvl 111 System Interference Lvl 27

Spells Yggdrasil Soul Seed « Inspiration « Ignition Bolt « Lvl 105 Verdant Nova (Un) Lvl 77 Plantomancy Lvl 35 Burning Footsteps Lvl 23 Touch from Beyond « Lvl 37 Influence of the Molten Core « Lvl 81 Eruption of the Blazing Leyline Lvl 73 Ignition of the Emerald Essence Lvl 25

Yggdrasil the Tree of Upheaval Glittering Leaves of Yggdrasil Lvl 130 The Golden Roots of Yggdrasil Lvl 158 the Emerald Sap of Yggdrasil Lvl 144 the Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil Lvl 168 the Deific Mien of Yggdrasil Lvl 143 the Cruel Indignation of Yggdrasil Lvl 136 Crown of Yggdrasil Cataclysm and Gloom Lvl 86

Auxiliary Sneak Lvl 56 Acid Resistance Lvl 22 Poison Resistance Lvl 21 Pain Resistance Lvl 82 Fire Resistance Lvl 102 Sewing Lvl 11 Digging Lvl 5 Cooking Lvl 77 Clockwork Mastery Lvl 25 Aether Connection Lvl 15 Soul Bond Lvl 107 ChefÆs Palette Lvl 33 Nether Resistance Lvl 20 Child of the Rain (Un) Lvl 45 Chosen of Ash Lvl 121 Engineering Savvy « Lvl 106 From Darkness Genesis « Lvl 3

Slowly improving Randidly thought to himself while looking at his Soulskill But Lyra was right about one thing if his opponent was the System itself he had a long way to go It was akin to a single fire ant plotting against a human In mass perhaps it was an attainable goal but alone

Randidly closed his eyes Then he opened them and his emerald eyes flicked to check the sun For all that he had Absolute Timing there was a certain satisfaction in using his very high Perception to read the signs of the world to locate the time Feeling in touch with the world was something Randidly was growing to value quite a bit There was still an hour or so before he needed to arrive and help Helen with her training Plenty of time to grab something to eat

Randidly had eaten inside of his Soulskill but he wasnÆt really sure whether that counted Upon more than a split secondÆs reflection he was sure it didnÆt He doubted that he obtained any nutrients from Soulskill food But did he require nutrients any longer His body basically ran on energy

Still the fact of the matter was that just like he didnÆt need to eat any longer Randidly also didnÆt need to stop eating There were plenty of people who just enjoyed the sensation of food enough that they ate almost continuously Randidly just thought it was a rather foolish way to spend time After enough time you would probably gain an eating Skill but those rather useless PP farming Skills werenÆt really that appealing to Randidly

Still with the chill half light of dawn coloring the air Randidly could use a warm belly to steel himself for what was coming Lyra was moving Could he believe her assurance about the Creature Maybe But it was exactly that plausibility that was so dangerous

After waffling back and forth for a while Randidly chose a small stall that sold crepe like pastries for his breakfast What surprised him most of all was that almost immediately after he sat down Darrune appeared at his side With RandidlyÆs Perception it was the smell that alerted him first Darrune hadnÆt shifted from the frontline mindset of showers only available when necessary

As per usual DarruneÆs face was curled into a satisfied leer Perhaps the man was pleased with himself for locating Randidly But Randidly had no space to ask because Darrune immediately began to speak

Sir Ghosthound I believe we need to speak It is time we had a meeting of the minds about HelenÆs training and your own path sir

Randidly grinned strangely amused by the bold verbal salvo from Darrune Oh Do you have more inspired ideas on how she should be trained Please IÆm all ears

Not how sir Why Darrune said His expression actually fell into something that resembled seriousness I believe itÆs time to talk about what sort of spear she should be wielding

Like the material IÆve done armor but never spears That part is up to her Randidly said with a shrug What sort of question was that

But Darrune shook his head Not the physical The mental spear Image is powerful Your own accomplishments demonstrate that quite admirably Please excuse me for my boldness but we should be aware of how her fight in the under 25 tournament will affect the image of all of Tellus She definitely has that power if she keeps winning Such a lovely young lass many Styles would kill to have her as their poster child So I just want to be clear what is her spear And of course by reflection as her teacher what is your Spear

RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed and he regarded Darrune like he was a snake The man was an incompetent toad And doing his best to try out for the role of a two bit villain in a community theatre production Lovely young lass It was as though his entire dirty veteran veneer had to be followed to the letter

But RandidlyÆs Aether Detection and Living Aether Skills felt that there was a weight hidden behind the manÆs words Aether hovered above them in giant circular machinery A grand whirlpool of images and choices In the sky the heartbeat that began with South Beach continued to pound like a drum

Darrune stared at Randidly his eyes deep and empty wells Anything could exist within this manÆs strange mind His was a dim gaze filled with mist and darkness In spite of himself RandidlyÆs heart began to beat more quickly How had he missed this side of Darrune before Thinking back Darrune had brought himself before Randidly twice

Was it a mistake to bring the man here

My spear is my own Randidly said quietly Deific Mien of Yggdrasil manifested only slightly and with it came the Crown of Cataclysm and Gloom Such were the energies that Randidly released in that moment that Darrune rocked backward the strange emptiness of his gaze cracking to reveal fear LetÆs not try and pigeonhole us in yea

Ah I suppose Darrune seemed disappointed That depth and unflappable mystique disappeared as quickly as it had arrived leaving a smelly man in soiled leathers Then Darrune shook his head Well IÆm just glad to help

Darrune RandidlyÆs voice cut across the other manÆs It would be a mistake to let this go without comment RandidlyÆs emerald eyes were glimmered like fresh cut gemstones Something about the question and the tremors Randidly had sensed in the Aether brought him an epiphany Thank you But never bring up the issue of images again Not so long as Helen hasnÆt yet lost

As Darrune walked away his expression was twisted and bitter

Slowly Randidly turned and regarded the whole of Hastam Now that he knew what he was looking for he could sense almost a half dozen of those same tremors as Darrune had produced Some were small some were larger Images and Aether swirling But all had different flavors to them Different paths forward Different images

My Soulskill and Tellus are going through the same thing Randidly thought somewhat in awe If not for the timing he likely wouldn’t have noticed it Tellus needs an identity in order to even attempt the Second Calamity And it seems like the world is getting impatient considering how overt an ask that was

Randidly filed that information away but ultimately it wasnÆt relevant to him Tellus would find an answer he suspected He just wondered what sort of answer it would be What sort of spear did this world want to wield

Chapter 786

In the week before her match Helen barely had time to breathe It all blended together as the group trained day after day By the evening before her fight with Skarch Helen believed she had improved more than she had thought was possible

Yet some part of herself told her it wasnÆt enough

Part of it was the strange conversations that the sicko Darrune would initiate after training sessions while Randidly was away doing whatever the fuck he did Part of her wanted to rip DarruneÆs skin off his body and roll him across salt but another part recognized that he was barely helping Therefore she left him alive

It was a generous act on her part

But the conversations that he started were strange and awkward and left her feeling vaguely disappointing Most of them were weird logic problems that he asked with a large amount of backstory In the end Darrune would always ask what a true spear user should do in different ethical dilemmas

Helen didnÆt know It was hard to listen to his stupid ideas Plus she was exhausted She had just spent all fucking day being dragged across the floor like a misbehaving child by Randidly Questions were not high on her list of priorities So she just said whatever she felt like Often Darrune seemed to be surprised and pleased by her random answers often leaving with a chuckle and a pleased expression Which was the most frustrating thing Helen had encountered

Immediately after he would leave Helen could release her tight control of the fist sized flame of black rage in her chest Obviously had she not controlled herself the whole salted Darrune thing would occur in a heartbeat Part of it was his assistance but part of her leniency against this bug of a Tellite was respect for Randidly

For all that this was a trash person worthy of agony Randidly had brought him So just for that reason Helen would let him go But all of these small flighty thoughts scattered when the larger truth looming over them all settled down in her psyche

Tomorrow was the fight

That thought hung in her head shading her every emotion as she stood on the roof of the Hall of Stances and looked out at the cooking fires of the Northern Camp Strangely she felt an impulse to visit her mother That feeling was quickly smothered Her mother was like a witch thinking her name summoned her Better to keep all of those thoughts to a minimum

Am I going to win Helen whispered to herself She had seen the raw power that SkarchÆs spear possessed It was overwhelming That combined with the extremely solid and impressive basic spear moves that Skarch used left Helen feeling somewhat pale and insubstantial

Just the thought caused the black flames of rage to stretch themselves upward in fury Helen chuckled

That was the point wasnÆt it To create this unwillingness in her that would even deny reality in order to get her way A part of her believed that she should be resentful of Randidly for so forcefully planting this in her chest but she couldnÆt muster up any true rage toward him That path was sealed when she lost her fight to him

A different life A different fate A different ending for the two of them

Not any longer Helen shook her head slowly

Penny for your thoughts

Helen turned to regard Randidly who stood on the low wall at the edge of the roof His gaze was intense as he looked at her

Helen bared her teeth What are you here for Nervous I will bring shame to you

It was strange that Helen had thought her mother would be summoned by her thoughts and yet it turned out to be Randidly that was brought to her side But it made its own sort of sense Since he had returned Randidly had devoted a lot of time and attention to making sure she was able to win this duel

She should have known he would come to her in the long night before the match It would be the last push he would give her It had better fucking be a hefty sort of push She had no need of emotional speeches

Her face softened into something closer to a true smile while Randidly considered his answer Helen spoke again before he could You know what I could really use was a good lay I hold a lot of tension in my

But Helen began to blush furiously as her tongue and brain argued and debated which word she should use to finish the joke ItÆs a good joke Just make it you dumb bitch Helen hissed at herself as the silence began to stretch Oh god now he probably thinks I was serious was I serious Why am I STILL fucking silent

pelvis Helen finished in a small voice

Randidly chuckled then shook his head IÆm here to remind you how to win

I remember just be a better Helen than I am Be the Helen that was designed to beat Skarch Helen said still somewhat bitter at her awkward comment Why the fuck had she tried to act playful She was a spear Stab stab

Stab ThatÆs what she was good at

Like a pine tree tiredly shaking off snow Randidly shook his head back and forth Well thatÆs one way But no What I wanted to say was have fun

Helen blinked Her mouth moved before she thought about what she was saying ThatÆs dumb ThatÆs something a parent says to a child when they think they will lose

This time when Randidly laughed it was quite a bit harder After he settled down Randidly scratched his head Well that certainly was brutally honest And maybe thatÆs true But I think look a lot of times we write ourselves into weird narratives We have an image of what we are what we should be We have the perfect image of the why we do the things we do The reasons we wield a spear

A dozen images flickered past her eyes dirt kicked up by those stupid conversations with Darrune Protecting her family Making her mother proud Proving herself to the world

Making Randidly proud Making him look at her with something Some sort of passion even if it would always only be pride

But RandidlyÆs dragged out syllable brought Helen back to the moment Like skittish hares the images fled towards the deeper and darker parts of her mental underbrush Randidly was standing in front of her looking at Helen with a serious expression Who the fuck cares

This time Helen snorted

Randidly said I think the most important point is that this spear is your spear You are wielding HelenÆs spear Everything else can be left to storytellers to piece together later Narratives can be retrofitted much more easily than they can be created in advance So have fun Be true to your spear Make the strike that Helen would make DonÆt leave room in yourself for regret Everything else will follow

HelenÆs mouth twisted upward So much for no emotional speeches But it wasnÆt all bad There were actually very few emotions involved Even so Helen felt a tingling down her spine as she accepted his encouragement as inane as it may be You basically said the same thing you said before It isnÆt helping

Randidly grinned Did I Well there are only so many words in the world It’s inevitable that some will be repeated Good luck Helen

Randidly turned to depart and Helen felt a flash of boldness The black flames of rage stretched upward in her chest She needed this to blow off steam Lightning fast she drew her spear and created the Tides of Blood Domain Before Randidly could leave she launched herself spear first at his back

He turned His eyes were so bright and clear that Helen felt more in a tropical oasis than in a city surrounded by war Then he smiled

Her Domain sagged and disintegrated into thousands of motes of ash And when her spear pierced RandidlyÆs body he began to deteriorate too After a few seconds his soft laughter was all that remained of him

HelenÆs frowned was murderous

So unsatisfying She muttered to herself Then she stored her spear away and took a seat to meditate It took twenty three seconds for her to snap and throw her hands up in the air This is the last moment before the match IsnÆt this where you are supposed to teach me an Ancient Skill to seize victory

No answer came from the night It appeared that Randidly had truly left her alone with her thoughts

Randidly grimaced The whole School Fallen

Truly Shal replied with a nod It has been quite some time since we have heard from them And if you believe your equipment was truly stolen and taken to the East the Death School is the most likely location You say this was taken by one of the Engraving Guild members yes

ShalÆs expression grew complicated I have inquired with Ophelia about them I have learned some disturbing things It is known that the Wights and the Engraving Guild have close relations But it is not as I believed The Engraving Guild it is too simple to say that the Wights control the Engraving Guild

Shal trailed off For several seconds he remained silent Randidly felt a strange fluttering in his chest What secret could leave his master so uneasy

Finally Shal sighed It is not such a deep thing that it is worth it to dwell on But the Wights are not so different than us All the people of Tellus Almost exactly the same Rather than being controlled by Wights the Engraving Guilds members are simply those with Wight blood Can only be those who possess at least a drop of Wight blood It is said that those who can use more than spears as Skills possess Wight blood So all of the Engravers are descended from Wights There are signs as well of the mixed bloods Skin colorations Strange physiques Third eyes

Shal trailed off

Slowly a huge picture seemed to form for Randidly in his mind Tellus was more like his Soulskill than he would have believed This was a created world on one individualÆs whims There likely had been a very real Second Calamity but the Spearman had overcome the difficult part of what he had feared His image was superior

Why the process failed after that was still a mystery but the Spearman survived And he inherited a whole world which he has been tinkering with ever since With the broken pieces of two worlds he settled down to build something very specific

But why

Chapter 787

Randidly glanced at Azriel The two stood outside the entrance to the tall stone colosseum As they were both finalists even though Randidly had been eliminated they had a priority entrance that was free of the long lines of chatting people But Azriel was not coming with Randidly through the door Really What for

Training Azriel said with a shrug You are a better teacher by far than I would have expected My Master thinks that I need special training as well to keep up Besides I can sense that my spear is not yet enough for my Master I am not yet a being that will bring it the glory that it deserves So in that way I agree I must train

This wonÆt take long Randidly said with a frown It really wasnÆt his business but this sudden announcement by Azriel took him quite by surprise He had believed that Helen and Azriel were quite close What arenÆt you saying It isnÆt like you to be vague

AzrielÆs smile was for a split second warm and genuine and then it settled into something quite pained Perhaps Randidly this is it This is everything I have trained for This is my last chance With the surrounding war everyoneÆs eyes will be on this tournament It is the distraction they need I cannot be found wanting They must see me and revel in the glory Besides your spear and by extension HelenÆs are so strangely carefree It is like you do not feel the weight of those that are behind you Being near you has rubbed some of that off upon my style Yet I cannot have such a spear Mine will be the spear that shines with glory That weight of expectations is my strength

Azriel paused Well all that to say that I want to refine my spear to feel that weight more You have already rubbed off that carefree attitude on me too much My Style has shifted

RandidlyÆs brows furrowed I changed the way you fight Is this just the stress talking If itÆs a matter of glory

Yes you have affected me How could you not No this is not the stress It is simply easy to forget you are part of something larger when staying near you Azriel poked Randidly in the side You have an infectious ego

What point is there if you arenÆt fighting for yourself Randidly said somewhat annoyed

To bring glory to the people who raised me To be their champion AND the point is that my spearÆs failure wonÆt kill me like yours will you fool Although I will be ashamed for one hundred years if I fail my master it will not be the end of me How well can you endure when you bet everything on your spear and you lose Would not your ego collapsed

Randidly recalled the long month of darkness inside the prison It wasnÆt a collapse per se But it was certainly a restructuring of himself I would manage well enough I think youÆll find I bounce back quickly Much more quickly than one hundred years

Azriel threw up her hands Talking to you is pointless See to it I meet Helen in the finals Randidly There we can have this argument with spears

Randidly nodded even while he knew that after this match he would break the news to Helen that he needed to go to the Death School Both to try and save anyone remaining in the wake of the Wight invasion but also to locate Acri and Sulfur In addition Shal had informed him that Versault the Head of the Death School was perhaps the most knowledgeable history expert in all of Tellus Perhaps Randidly could find him and finally gather some answers about the Spearman

If Versault yet lived

Walking slowly Randidly scanned the faces of the other patrons of the under 25 Tournament The masses were tightly packed and loud in the stands below Truly it seemed like all of Hastam had turned up They were shouting and laughing and waving pennants representing the tassels of the different competitors Based on the colors bobbing left and right it seemed like Helen was definitely the favorite

For all that Skarch was the lone representative of the Spear School in the tournament it was hard to compete with HelenÆs looks in the court of public opinion That was true no matter which world it was

Plus

RandidlyÆs expression grew sad It was very likely that the attacks of the Wights had meant that most of the Spear School could not make it to watch the finals Their champion was perhaps a footnote in their demise It was a sobering thought Which only made Randidly more furious that this tournament continued while the Wights rampaged across the countryside

The last few days of this week Randidly had begun ranging farther from Hastam In addition he had bought a very expensive interspatial ring After killing Wights he gathered their bodies Even though he only worked for around 6 hours a night for four days he had thinned out Wights in the surrounding area quite effectively Attacks on the Northern Camp had decreased precipitously

So much so that a Witch King had ambushed Randidly last night The memory made him grin Truly he relished the sight of Reach of the Jade Slag crushing the Witch KingÆs body into kindling

But the problem with the spectators below was the very clear edge of hysteria that they possessed The weight of the Wights presence was clearly felt There was a frantic quality to it The Aether continued to swirl above the crowd seeking an answer

All of that was far from him however Randidly enjoyed the rest from training When he found his seat he sat and closed his eyes Images and Skills danced across the blank vision out of habit but as he didnÆt reach for any of them they all faded Soon he found the emerald warmth of Ignition of the Emerald Essence and just sat in it

With a gradual relaxation Randidly felt all the worries and mental strain melting away Randidly ignored the starting announcements such was his enjoyment of the sensation

Finally the match began Only then did RandidlyÆs eyes snap open

Skarch stood tall her powerful spear humming with energy In spite of himself Randidly grinned Truly his modification of that spear had been well done Ugly perhaps but effective

Opposite her Helen stood slender and defiant Already Randidly could sense the growing rage and frustration in HelenÆs expression Good it would be better if she started out hot

The Tides of Blood Domain spread its red haze and draped it over the entire arena Skarch snorted Hers was a spear of pride prepared to rely on the inherent power of the spear in any situation In her mind the spear was the pinnacle And she had put in the hours of hard work to back it up With only a simple thrust without even moving from the starting position 10 meters away Skarch destroyed the Tides of Blood Domain

RandidlyÆs eyebrows rose Even he couldnÆt do that so simply

DonÆt bother Skarch announced Your Domain will not cage me Come letÆs

Without a change of expression Helen summoned the Tides of Blood Domain once more SkarchÆs mouth twisted and her spear slashed sideways The Domain fell apart But this time before even Skarch could open her mouth the Domain returned like a bolt from a clear sky

Also most everyone else wouldnÆt have noticed the small changes But they hadnÆt spent as much time with the Domain as Randidly had There was a small increase in the current complexity that wasnÆt there before Randidly noticed Although it was called Tides of Blood it was largely just a shift in the air that gave Helen increased Strength and Agility But now

Skarch cut Helen summoned Skarch thrust Helen summoned SkarchÆs face turned furious and she simply stepped forward The ground quaked The Domain fell to pieces Helen took a seat in a meditative posture and summoned the Domain once more

You truly wish to waste your Stamina on this Skarch said with a disgusted voice I had assumed you were the headstrong type but you insist on this foolishness Fine I will bleed you dry

Skarch was correct that it couldnÆt be going very well for HelenÆs Stamina But there were a few tricks that Randidly had been sure to beat into HelenÆs body these last few days One of them was an old Skill that had been subsumed into his Yggdrasil Skills Second Wind And Randidly had been sure to keep Helen well below half Stamina during their training sessions Undoubtedly her mastery of the Skill had soared

It was somewhat surprising Randidly reflected that Skarch would forget his own tireless fighting style Well she would learn the hard way that trying to outlast Helen was a foolÆs decision

Helen sat in a meditative stance with her eyes closed Continually she reformed her Domain after Skarch scattered it to the four winds Every time RandidlyÆs eyes traced the small but growing currents that ran through the Domain Sometimes they were stronger than others between iterations but Randidly could understand that what Helen was trying to do was strengthen the Domain by creating a constant flow But with no real knowledge of ocean currents she could basically just use her images of rivers to create mini slipstreams through the Domain

It was trial and error and the progress was halting at best

After about two minutes of the standoff and having scattered the Domain fifty times Skarch finally seemed to realize that this wasnÆt having the effect that she expected The whole while Helen stayed seated which undoubtedly added to the humiliation Honestly Randidly was surprised that HelenÆs rage allowed her to be still But he supposed it was stubbornness that urged her forward now

ThatÆs my girl Randidly laughed aloud A few nearby spectators paused in their cheers and boos to give him a weird look

Fine Skarch bellowed She stepped forward once again and destroyed the Domain But this time the Tides of Blood spun and trembled before collapsing underneath the weight of SkarchÆs simple moves If you refuse to come to me then donÆt blame me for taking the initiative

Helen smiled her eyes were still closed The Tides of Blood Domain descended and swirled around them With a fluid grace only possible within her own Domain Helen did a strange pirouette to stand

Snorting Skarch rushed forward The speed of her passage parted the Tides of Blood but still the currents swirled The parted Domain trembled then slowly inched back together behind Skarch

Just before Skarch arrived HelenÆs eyes opened Although the area directly around Skarch and behind her was not covered by the Domain the place where Helen was standing remained thick with the color of blood Helen raised her spear defiantly

Chapter 788

HelenÆs eyes snapped open

Congratulations You have created the Skill Blood Walker Master of Tides « Lvl 1 Warning energy will be taken from your body This may result in sickness and death

Blood Walker Master of Tides « Using your inherent abilities as the soul of the Bloodfin Reaper you sense the currents in the surrounding area The range of this ability increases with Skill Level With simple movements of your body it is possible to affect and empower currents in the surrounding area Effect increases with Skill Level You sense the connections between the myriad currents and develop an intuition as to their uses and influences Effect increases with Skill Level

Once Helen had asked Randidly how the fuck he managed to control three or four root avatars use spells and also fight with his physical body After laughing he confessed that he just had a monstrous amount of Control Which wasnÆt something Helen could ever hope to possess But repeated losing her Domain made her extremely frustrated The problem was she couldn’t gather the image to create it while moving at the same time It took a little extra oomph to assemble the thing This she assumed was a good sign for the DomainÆs strength But not for her own survivability

Such was her frustrated that she had fixated on it And now the world answered

Skarch was about to arrive and Helen raised her spear The black flames of rage that she had kept cage roared in triumph as they were unleashed Their flickering forms stretched and danced Helen took a step forward and met Skarch at the edge of her Tides of Blood Domain

Decimate Helen hissed as her spear slashed forward

Simple Thrust Came the response filled with tightly controlled fury

To HelenÆs relief she was blown backward by the force but only a few meters In fact right back into her Tides of Blood Domain

Congratulations Your Skill Blood Walker Master of Tides has become Level 2

Congratulations Your Skill Blood Walker Master of Tides has become Level 3

Congratulations Your Skill Domain Tides of Blood has become Level 79

Congratulations Your Skill Blood Walker Master of Tides has become Level 4

Helen began to ignore the notifications as the Domain closed up behind Skarch Luckily the recovery speed was noticeably increasing The other woman also seemed somewhat surprised that her attacks had such a muted advantage over Helen and SkrachÆs brows furrowed But she slashed and Helen had to scamper to the side to avoid the fissure that opened up in the Tides of Blood Domain

Skarch eyed the trembling domain that slowly healed with visible annoyance Then her eyes locked onto Helen This is how you choose to fight

It was a simple question Helen reasoned with herself There was no reason to get pissed off about it This was a tournament Best to keep it professional

Helen spat a globe of blood onto the ground and rushed toward Skarch The other woman grinned and raised her spear

Simple Overhand Blow

But Helen cut her off Maw of the Hellfin

Helen danced to the side as a giant bloody specter dug its teeth into SkarchÆs back Or at least attempted to SkarchÆs eyes flashed The butt of her spear ripped backward and shattered the Maw Behind it the Domain also collapsed in a large cone The currents of the Tides of Blood Domain attempted to heal it but Skarch twisted and thrust her spear toward Helen

With two large chunks ripped out of it the Domain shuddered and collapsed

Burst of Speed Helen whispered A huge amount of her remaining Stamina disappeared but she gracefully ducked under SkarchÆs quick blow SkarchÆs eyes widened in shock but she brought her spear up in time to deflect HelenÆs attack Instantly Helen brought her Domain back up around them

Feeding Frenzy The black flames of rage roared with glee and Helen unleashed a fury of blows on Skarch But SkarchÆs expression remained unperturbed HelenÆs flames of rage hissed and spat Without a flicker of warning from her face SkarchÆs spear began to glow Just as SkarchÆs mouth opened Helen managed to slash open a shallow cut on SkarchÆs forearm

Worth it

I Reject

A wave of force emerging from the spear exploded outward Helen was sent spinning backward but landed on her feet with a light tap One thing she had definitely perfected during her fights with Randidly was landing on her feet when she was knocked around A sad truth But once more her Domain collapsed as the concussive force ripped through her currents

Which left Helen with the choice of taking the risk with SkarchÆs attack and conjuring the Domain or dodging The black flames of rage muttered to each other how unfair this was Helen ignored them Instead her mind went to RandidlyÆs words Leave no space for regrets

Her smile was all hard edges and teeth After all what was the fun in dodging She was the Hellfin Reaper And before her everything else was prey

Tides of Blood surrounded them just as Skarch arrived Helen detected the flash of contempt in her opponentÆs eyes It was shocking in a way But Helen supposed that one who lived on pride wouldnÆt understand the desperate madness of the underdog

But at that moment as the tip of SkarchÆs spear flashed forward toward her chest Helen wondered how Randidly lived like this Every fight gambling his life on the edge of his spear If he failed he would die He needed to win so he did It was an exhausting life

Yet why am I smiling

Simple Thrust

Helen could barely block And this time it wasnÆt just a few meters that she was thrown backward Such was the force of SkarchÆs attack that she was blown out of the arena Into an area that was completely cleared of her Domain But HelenÆs smile stayed plastered to her face As she was twisting she forced the Domain back together with a rumble

And when the Domain arrived the currents did too

With the currents help she was able to slow herself to the point where she could land on the ground There were no rules in the tournament about being knocked off the arena but many conceded the minute they were forced off the large dueling platform It was a great dishonor to be so inferior that you couldnÆt control your body

When she stood up without an injury the audiences laughs and boos smashed into her back like a landslide They expected her to concede They thought the match over

Helen calmly walked back to the arena and hopped up Skarch waited for her with a scowl hung on her face It was beneath her to strike at one who had been so obviously bested

You wonÆt concede A frosty Skarch asked when Helen regained the stage

Seriously Fuck you Helen countered with all the wit she could muster The currents in the air around her twisted and strengthened themselves They folded back and wove together in a larger system of currents In those desperate moments her Skills stretched themselves and became more capable Grinning wildly HelenÆs eyes grew red as she looked at SkarchÆs expression

She liked and respected Skarch the woman She was generous and honest

But Skarch the opponent Pride dominated her every inch She was a being created based on the premise that the spear was a dominant force in the world Randidly fought to win because losing meant death Skarch represented the people that considered dishonor worse than death Her family name was worth more than her life

As if to give example to HelenÆs thoughts Skarch opened her mouth and said Have you no pride in your spear You are a member of the greatest warrior race in existence and yet you donÆt have the self respect to know when you are bested Do not bring shame to those brave spear users of Tellus Either act like a champion or get out of the way for those who truly deserve that honor

Seriously fuck you Helen spat But even through the haze of rage she felt something strange Her currents Skarch was doing nothing to part the Domain at the moment and it felt like Helen could use her currents to siphon off SkarchÆs energy Her Domain growled hungrily Was there a portion of her Skill that she missed that allowed her currents to sap anotherÆs strength

That wouldnÆt be a surprise She was a predator It made a certain amount of sense that she could grow stronger on her victims

The black flames of rage were on the same page as Helen Fuck that

Does this make me like her Helen wondered as she refused to take some of SkarchÆs power More willing to lose than to give up my pride

But that didnÆt seem true To have principles wasnÆt just the purview of beings motivated by pride

I donÆt need to be you to beat you Helen said And then she launched herself forward If Skarch wanted to continue to monologue fine But for Helen it was time to fight

And in fact Skarch blinked in surprise Do you not

But then the sound of their spears clashing buried the rest of her words Skarch growled something else and waved her spear The Tides of Blood Domain parted but only partially And within a second it was back up

Feeding Frenzy Decimate HelenÆs speed jumped up Her eyes were fixed on the blood dripping from SkarchÆs wrist Instincts of the Predator

Simple Block Simple Counter Skarch said through gritted teeth But every time she tried to strike back Helen flitted sideways and attacked at an unexpected angle Skarch brought her spear down and Helen spun to the side and thrust at SkarchÆs thigh Skarch brought her spear up to knock away the thrust and followed up with a thrust of her own But Helen leaped up over the blow and aimed a kick at SkarchÆs head

SkarchÆs strike parted the Tides of Blood Domain but Helen leaped up to a portion still dominated by blood Furious Skarch brought her thrust up into a cut toward HelenÆs midsection Helen grinned and spun midair when she brought a current across her body Borrowing momentum like this was childÆs play With the extra boost her thrust blurred outward

SkarchÆs head jerked to the side but Helen scored a long cut above SkarchÆs eye

Fine LetÆs make this messy Skarch said Their eyes met even around the shaft of HelenÆs spear Overdrive

Once more light began to gather around SkarchÆs spear Helen rode a current to land some distance away and warily watched the transformation that was occurring Strange energy began to emerge from the large runic sigil right below the blade of SkarchÆs spear Of all of the runes that crossed it that one was the largest And now it thrummed with power

Skarch stepped and HelenÆs eyes widened as she moved with such speed that she tore a large gash in the Tides of Blood Domain The force of her passage overwhelmed HelenÆs Domain

Yield Skarch rumbled even as her spear slid toward HelenÆs torso

Chapter 789

With Skarch looming in front of her Helen simply chuckled Get fucked

SkarchÆs spear hit HelenÆs stomach with enough force to crack a few ribs even as the long spearhead slid between them to inflict the most worrisome wound Helen grunted feeling the sharp flash of panic and the fiery waves of pain as though she was just an observer But just as quickly as those feelings had arrived the black flames of rage devoured them to grow larger and higher

Twisting her wrists HelenÆs barely controlled spear ripped through SkarchÆs bicep Then she twitched her hands and sent the spear skittering up across SkarchÆs face The other woman was too shocked to react to the first attack but she leaned back to avoid the worst of the second attempt All that she received was a shallow gash across her cheekbone

Step forward damnit Helen urged her uncooperative trembling legs For all that her mind could endure such a wound her body was much less resilient

With a worried expression on her face Skarch took a step backward What was particularly infuriating was that she didnÆt seem worried for herself Helen your wound

After a hesitation that felt cavernous Helen stepped forward after Skarch Such was the other womanÆs shock that the spear slid right back into the deep wound in HelenÆs side This time however it was accompanied by another burst of worrisome pain as Skarch twisted the spear to disentangle it Some of HelenÆs shattered ribs complained painfully

Strike Helen whispered to herself It was difficult to focus Helen didnÆt dare check her Health lest she lose her nerve

Whatever else it did a few things were certain SkarchÆs Overdrive on her spear increased SkarchÆs Agility and Strength much more than HelenÆs Tides of Blood Domain improved her own Continuing the fight normally wasnÆt an option Skarch was scrambling It was perverse but it seemed like Helen holding her own life hostage was giving the other woman pause

It was a dirty trick Almost cheating to win Taking advantage of the otherÆs good intention to win but

I want to win STRIKE

Skarch was too close to properly get her form together so the best Helen could manage was wielding her spear like a club and whacking Skarch upside the head To her pleasure this ripped open the small cut above SkarchÆs eye and caused a cascade of blood to roll down Very soon Helen knew that a huge blind spot would open up in SkarchÆs vision

This time when Skarch stepped backward Helen didnÆt attempt to follow Instead her eyes were locked on the gush of blood from her own side It wasnÆt drops that fell out of the wound but full handfuls of blood The red globes fell and splattered in strange patterns Steam wafted upward a reminder of her own bodyÆs vitality Slowly Helen raised her gaze and pressed her hand to her side She needed to slow the bleeding

But Helen still had the presence of mind to summon the Tides of Blood Domain Somehow it seemed easier to summon and more powerful than ever the coloration of the Domain was much closer to true blood as well

In a somewhat amusing irony Skarch seemed furious

You fool She whispered What have you done You will die

HavenÆt yet Helen grunted She felt the burning and freezing flow of energy from her connection to Randidly It was rushing through her to fix the gash in her side Blood oozed out between her fingers Blinking rapidly Helen did the best she could to focus her vision Perhaps perhaps this had been a very dumb decision

Her wound began to ripple painfully as the energy arrived and did its work Luckily Skarch looked just as bloody with a would across her arm and head But Helen understood such wounds were largely superficial combined with SkarchÆs still glowing spear

From heat suddenly the wound was cold And with that chill came clarity once more to Helen Suppressing a pang of fear she took stock of herself Her breath came in rattling gulps Thank god she had held onto her spear through the onslaught of shock fucking bodies Trying to lose her the match

I will not ask again Skarch said Yield Without treatment you will die

Helen grinned The coldness was such she could barely suppress a shiver But she moved her hand away from her side and no further blood pumped out onto the stage

Thanks Randidly Feeding Frenzy Burst of Speed

With the two buff Skills roaring through her veins Helen rushed forward SkarchÆs right arm tightened on her spear and she raised it Rather than waiting Skarch advanced In addition her attack was still so fast that Helen could only throw herself to the side in order to be impaled on the spear

Twisting around Skarch angled the spear to point at Helen It looked like the kid gloves had come off With only one arm Skarch wasnÆt willing to take chances

Panic set HelenÆs heart to beat faster Those reverberations filled the entire Tides of Blood Domain Her control over the currents flowing through it trembled and fell to pieces The red color darkened further But Helen couldnÆt focus on that She leapt sideways into the blind spot created as blood ran down SkarchÆs face into her right eye in order to avoid another attack

Skarch twisted to the right to find Helen but her speed wasnÆt as overwhelming as when she moved Helen hoped Skarch would lose herself in this task for a bit but only after a half second Skarch stopped and snorted SkarchÆs spear blurred and one third of the Tides of Blood Domain was destroyed

And yet it didnÆt fall

Helen blinked It was heavier Bloodier Darker And it simply oozed back to fill the empty space The heartbeat continued seeming to sink into some deeper part of the Domain

Skarch also froze and blinked when she noticed the Domain didnÆt scatter and that was the chance Helen needed Maw of the Hellfin

The dangerous crimson specter appeared with a roar that instantly caught SkarchÆs attention It was of course subsequently ripped to pieces by a vicious thrust of the spear Another chunk of the Tides of Blood Domain collapsed But again the whole didnÆt even tremble

But this time Helen had strained herself to use a trick from RandidlyÆs playbook As the loud Maw of the Hellfin attracted SkarchÆs attention to the front another struck at her silently from behind And it sunk its spectral teeth into SkarchÆs valuable right arm

Roaring Skarch produced a wave of force that shattered the maw and seemed to punch Helen in the gut Windmilling her arms Helen barely was able to stay on her feet But her stomach wound opened back up Thin fingers of blood ran down her shirt and into her pants

Looking down Helen could only grimace Her front was a mess of gore like some prepubescent girlÆs nightmare Already the burning of the healing energy had returned but Helen could only glare at Skarch better to let the healing complete No matter how wide open SkarchÆs flank was

But she supposed Skarch didnÆt know that Decimate

Skarch spun toward HelenÆs voice and brought her spear up in slash so fast it was invisible that likely would have cut Helen in half had she actually been attacking When her spear met nothing Skarch swayed side to side searching for Helen She finally found Helen and glared at her

Helen did not miss the blood running out of SkarchÆs wounded arm after the sudden strike Around her the Tides of Blood Domain grew heavier and heavier The pounding of her heart became fainter Yet there was a tingling along the back of HelenÆs neck What the hell It was like

This is how you want this tournament to be decided A test of endurance Skarch asked in a low voice Is your spear truly so shameless

Just shut up You had a leg to stand on earlier but now you just sound like a sore loser Save me the trouble and surrender Helen snapped But her mind was elsewhere The flames of rage sank low Her strength was being summoned elsewhere

Blood trickled out of the wound in HelenÆs side and pooled on the ground The audiences crazed yelling faded away The haze of the bloody domain around them darkened from crimson to maroon The pounding became faint and distant another heartbeat not her own But it was growing closer

Skarch chuckled Truly I am surprised I had never expected that you could push me to such a point without relying on the spear truly your strange image is wonderous And growing stronger But now I know you You are a minor piranha nothing deadly And this spear can easily slay one such as you

That earned a wry smile from Helen but it swiftly lost any true amusement as her attention was once more grabbed by that faint heartbeat The Domain continued to darken The beat slowed

The reason she smiled was a conversation she had with Randidly during their training

Fuck me Æ Helen had said

Randidly grinned Then he said Remember your images canÆt beat Skarch at her own game In terms of small detail her mastery over the Spear will destroy you if you are just a Hellfin Reaper Æ

So I lose Æ Helen muttered She lay on her back and looked toward the ceiling with Randidly standing over her

But RandidlyÆs smile didnÆt waver The one Hellfin Reaper wonÆt be enough but what if you had the whole Blood Sea Æ

Slow and constant that heartbeat sounded like it was growing closer

Chapter 790

Randidly sat up straighter He could sense something There was a shift in HelenÆs Domain At first he was very worried when the currents were destroyed by SkarchÆs attack that was not good for HelenÆs chances But then the Domain endured SkarchÆs thrust and simply oozed back together

With the color darkening it was clear to Randidly that it was going through some sort of evolution Aether was rushing toward Helen gathering in a thick whirlpool But what was coming

And was it really powerful enough to give even him pause

Randidly ignored the roar of the crowd and focused on Skarch and HelenÆs interaction

Perfection That is what the spear is Skarch announced She was constantly blinking to keep blood from clouding her vision but her conviction was palpable My family worked for generations to create this spear I am but the most recent bearer of their great legacy To someone like you I will not let that legacy be tarnished

Then RandidlyÆs eyes widened Because he felt the distinctive flow of Aether through SkarchÆs body The air around her seemed to distort A few others in the audience around Randidly muttered in surprise so they were seeing it too Rather than it being due to RandidlyÆs ability to sense Aether somehow Skarch was using Aether to mask something

Rather than relying on sight then Randidly focused on Aether Detection his expression turned grim SkarchÆs wounds both on her head and on her arm were healing Aether flowed through her just as easily as it did for Helen

Where the hell is this Aether coming from

All I really have is myself and my way of life Helen said with surprising gentleness She looked down at the ground The Tides of Blood Domain darkened further Perhaps you are right I am not the Apex Predator I would have chosen to be But that does not mean I canÆt beat you

So then Skarch began but then she paled and spun

Something huge loomed behind her The Domain was so dark and hazy that it was difficult to see anything but a silhouette Something that was all teeth and a body the size of a whale It had a long tail and at least a dozen smooth fins covering its body Tentacles wriggled back and forth like drunk tongues tasting the air As though it had been waiting for Skarch to notice it the huge monstrosity launched itself at her that very instant

Screaming in defiance SkarchÆs spear began to glow with an even more overwhelming light RandidlyÆs mouth quirked upward Skarch was certainly burning through the soul energy he had given her quickly Once more Skarch Strength and Agility shot upward to a ridiculous degree Even Randidly wouldnÆt dare take that blow directly Not without relying on a Skill and an overwhelming image

Skarch brought the beast to a standstill slicing through it and the Domain in a ridiculously powerful strike The waves of forces radiated outward People nearest to the stage screamed in fear as the ground quaked and cracked So far this was by far the most powerful exchange of the tournament

Which was why it was easy to miss the small movement in the epicenter of the explosion

I may just be a scavenger Helen whispered But I can still beat you

Her spear took Skarch in the small of the back With widening eyes Skarch spun around and smashed her spear against HelenÆs guard It caused HelenÆs eyes to narrow but the real point of interest was that SkarchÆs wound once more began to heal at a prodigious rate

RandidlyÆs frown deepened Was Skarch a Heretic Both her and Silo were Heretics and he didnÆt notice But this didn’t feel like the SystemÆs Aether There was something very special about this Aether

Helen didnÆt let up Feeding Frenzy

SkarchÆs eyes flashed and she raised her spear but the light from it flickered and sputtered Finally her store of soul energy was running dry For all that she was unstoppable while using it it came at a commensurately great cost

YOU Skarch roared Helen slashed back and forth easily avoiding the clumsy strikes of the unempowered spear The Tides of Blood Domain remained dark and thick It undoubtedly shifted to more of a debuff Domain than a boost for Helen With such an oppressive force around them HelenÆs increased mobility began to shine Her spear streaked back and forth leaving large gashes across Skarch

Very quickly Skarch recovered from her shock and began to put up her usual firm defense but by that point Helen had struck multiple deep blows Her Feeding Frenzy Skill only grew more powerful the longer she could land attacks Her speed had already increased to an order of magnitude above SkarchÆs ability to cope

Even though that strange Aether continued to heal Skarch it was too little too late Skarch was receiving wounds faster than she could heal them And Randidly could sense that Skarch was also running short of Aether

Helen had outlasted her

This wasnÆt how it was supposed to go A pale faced Skarch mumbled

Helen grinned You have no idea how long IÆve waited to hear those words

To the roars of the crowd Helen cut Skarch down

Once more Darrune somehow tracked Randidly down while he was packing up to go

What is it now Randidly said lightly With Helen victorious in the match even DarruneÆs dubious value as a coach had fallen to nothing Honestly Randidly had a little bit of an impulse to give Helen some time alone with Darrune now It would certainly be the reward that she deserved

But besides that

The question of SkarchÆs Aether still nagged at him But it was just one of a thousand things he felt like he needed to address Comparatively more pressing were his goals in the Death School

When he returned perhaps he could investigate Skarch then

Ah Sir Ghosthound I had heard you intend to head out to fight the Wights Gone was the confidence that Darrune had possessed during their previous conversation In its place he was just worried

That softened RandidlyÆs expression somewhat Yes What of it

You will need soldiers yes You cannot do everything by yourself I understand you have already contacted Captain Platton In addition

How did you know that Randidly asked sharply He had sent a message to Platton And yet Darrune was somehow aware of his plans Immediately his focus sharpened to a point His powerful Willpower converged on Darrune

The man whimpered uncomfortably I I simply have acquaintances among his staff He is obviously making preparations to accompany you I IÆm sorry if I have offended

Randidly let the pressure drop That made sense he supposed Platton had steadfastly defended the South approach to Hastam for almost a month He had acquitted himself admirably It wasnÆt like he wouldnÆt need to make preparations before a departure or tell his superiors

There was a very feasible excuse for why Darrune would be able to find out But would Darrune who had been involved in the Northern Camp really have the connections to gather that information Perhaps

But that didnÆt mean that Darrune was someone who he should trust So

Darrune nodded hurriedly Before I departed from the Northern Camp I had predicted that you might be fighting against the Wights I told some subordinates to gather a group together To be an army for you IÆm not sure how many they

You predicted I would be fighting against the Wights RandidlyÆs gaze turned sharp again Darrune seemed to bring up more questions with every sentence For all that Randidly could use the extra manpower to help the Death School it wasnÆt strictly necessary

It seemed Darrune sensed RandidlyÆs opinion turning against him You are you not a Pontiff PontiffÆs are required to go to the front lines occasionally to thin Wight forces I thought perhaps if you had some more protection

Randidly glared at Darrune to silence him What Randidly received in exchange was a whimper The man seemed helpless Not an ounce of guile in his body Was what he said true Randidly never noticed it

But to be fair he had always avoided interfering with actual battles where the Spear users were winning

And in addition more bodies would make RandidlyÆs other plan much easier

Fine Randidly said lightly LetÆs go visit the Northern Camp quickly Show me this army

Chapter 791

The woman and tall man who Darrune had told to gather an army stood nervously in a sloping field They exchanged meaningful glances Around them the crowd slowly grew

They had through small channels made it known that a Pontiff was gathering a personal army to fight against the Wights That had some weight but it wasnÆt enough to sway the hearts of many The road from the North to Hastam was too long and hard Few had energy left in their bodies It was easier to hide behind Pontiffs than follow them

For all that Tellus was the world of the greatest spear users the universe had ever known not many of those were remaining in the Northern Camp It was a broken people that had arrived at Hastam only to be denied entry That most recent sting was still a sour taste in the mouths of many

But in all honesty the tall man and the woman were quite disappointed with the reaction Although they had but a few seconds of interaction with Sir Ghosthound they took this deliberate slight against their master rather personally He was a Pontiff One of the chosen leaders of Tellus Who were these people to sneer at such a generous offer

So they put their heads together and discussed methods to gather more followers so as to prove themselves to the much revered Pontiff

Their second try was to exclaim loudly how wonderful it was to be under Sir Ghosthound They made sure many overheard It was only when the woman overheard a very lewd joke at her expense that she flushed and started exclaiming how wonderful it was to be a subordinate under Sir Ghosthound

This effort was met with an even quieter response than the first And the few that seemed interested were the most jelly spined and lazy group of people that either had ever seen Besides the entire Northern Camp had a good laugh at the woman and the tall manÆs expense

Most of those that joined were the tall manÆs and the womanÆs old friends But both had moved onto a higher station and barely deigned to recognize their previous association Still such a lazy group could not stay lazy unless they were clever

The tall man and woman went to the group with the problem and made a deal they assist and they can be subordinates to the subordinates in the new world order There was a lot of chin rubbing but the group agreed So the fifty or so supporters they had currently all grouped up and had a brainstorming session

Finally the new followers just looked at the tall man and the woman and asked them Well what made you follow Sir Ghosthound

The two thought about that The first answer was jealousy and to see Darrune proved wrong But when they thought about it

Sir Ghosthound will be coming to the Northern Camp in a few days to perform a demonstration and seek pupils The tall man and woman told everyone who would listen quite pleased with their lie And if anyone called them on it they would play dumb and blame Darrune If you manage to pass his test he will take you away from the Northern Camp To where Well Sir Ghosthound has large plans

He was taking them all to die on the frontlines of course Or at least he was taking the average recruit to the frontlines Those with seniority like the tall man and the woman would likely barely encounter danger It was a rich and relaxed life waiting for them if only they could gather enough underlings

The womanÆs mouth was very dry This seems a bit much donÆt you think

Ten thousand people milled around the field talking excitedly about being inducted into an official Style

The tall man licked his lips and coughed Erm well we canÆt be blamed for our effectiveness can we

But the promises

The tall man waved his hand Even if most of them were disappointed isnÆt that better Then those that passed will feel pride Even if we lied

Both froze as a voice spoke out behind them Oh so you admit this was all your doing Your own lie Ah my apologies Sir Ghosthound I should have chosen my subordinates more carefully

Slowly they turned Darrune looking plump and pleased as a pig after a week of fattening stood next to a barefoot man wearing expensive combat leathers His eyes were bright green so much that to see them causes both the tall man and the woman to gasp

But instead of fury Sir Ghosthound seemed amused Well this is fine IÆll conduct a test of a sort But it will not be related to the spear It will be focused on Willpower Spread the word It will begin at sunset So about three hours

DarruneÆs expression grew uncomfortable Sir Ghosthound there is no need

The temperature probably dropped twenty degrees as Sir Ghosthound gave Darrune a slow glare He visibly wilted beneath the focused attention The tall man and the woman could tell that Darrune wished to apologize but the attention had him frozen Both inwardly rejoiced

Ohohoh soon Sir Ghosthound will choose me as is direct subordinate after all this was mostly my idea Both the tall man and the woman thought

Then Sir Ghosthound turned away IÆm going to check something DonÆt disturb me until the time of the test

Then he was gone

All three stood still for another few seconds just in case Only when it was clear that they were alone did the three turn on each other and begin to bicker

Alta felt cold Most of her body felt cold now after she had systematically replaced the flesh of her body with technology DanzÆ death made her realize how fragile the Spriggit body truly was Unlike the Earth Golems or the Monsters they possessed no natural defenses against the twisted machinations of their enemies

The tragedy was that Danz had died so quickly he couldnÆt even struggle He was choked to death by someone so quickly that all Danz could manage was to froth at his mouth

Metal and technology were AltaÆs sanctuaries With them she could become so much more than a physical body she could become strong Although they had never tested it Alta privately believed that she would now even be able to rival Creta in terms of battle potential

But there was one part of her that was always warm Too warm

At her core the resonator constantly burned even when she didnÆt attempt to draw on the image of ash It was a constant annoyance but likely it was due to AltaÆs own growing power

Standing at the head of the Procession Alta turned to Creta They have not replied at all

Nothing Creta said with a shake of the head Her beautiful hair was finally beginning to lighten Now it seemed to fall like snow around CretaÆs unlined face That irked Alta somewhat No matter the passage of time Creta barely seemed to be touched by it Although her hair gave away her age somewhat Creta could be twenty five fully fifty years less than her true age One third of how old she really was Meanwhile Alta

Grunting Alta lumbered forward

Skrrch clang

As Alta walked one leg dragged against the ground while the other was over engineered and impacted itself after a year of repeated use It turned out that creating technology that functioned as well as the flesh and blood you were born with was difficult AltaÆs first attempt at a leg was patently poor an overly armored thing that ended up being a small distance shorter than her natural leg

And of course AltaÆs brain had extreme difficulty adjusting to the new length of its legs

Several attempts were made to correct the length but nothing felt right But Alta used the knowledge she had learned to create a leg in a different fashion But if it wasnÆt oiled the knee joint stuck and that leg would always drag These past few days Alta simply hadnÆt had time to oil the damn thing She was too busy preparing for this day

Carthak loomed above them Or at least the mountain that hid Carthak The doors had been sealed and the windows filled The only greeting that awaited them was the strain obnoxious keening that was produced by the chapel in the rear

Did they think that they could survive this way Isolating themselves from the world and waiting for the storm to pass That was foolish

Carthak I ask that you open your doors and share your riches with us simple pilgrims or we will force your hand Alta spread her metal limbs waiting for the response This was generally how these raids would go and there were only two ways these things eventually ended up The first was that Carthak would use this chance to attack trying to scare them off

A foolish choice if one that at least proved that those within had retained enough of their lust for life that they were willing to fight for it

The second way

No attack came AltaÆs expression turned derisive

Fine then The heat in her chest grew more intense as she drew on the image of ash she held in her chest Alta realized that it was a reflection of the ash of this terrible world but somehow she felt closer to this image Perhaps it was because her heart was one of the truly organic things left in her body It was easy to feel an instinctual familiarity with it

And yet she hated it all the same That Alta believed was why it was so powerful Why she was so powerful That hatred

Slowly she formed a huge fireball while her army behind her watched Only when it was a veritable lake of fire did she release it spearing her Skill through the Carthak The mountain rumbled and collapsed with the top portion blown to smithereens

With a whoop her raiders rushed forward eager to empty out CarthakÆs coffers

Chapter 792

What do you mean Alta hissed

Creta gave Alta the look that meant she needed to watch her words They werenÆt alone Some of the influential figures who formed the core of AltaÆs faction were present With great difficulty Alta reigned in her emotions

Empty Edmund said He was an old spriggit man who likely would like nothing better than to be in another faction But besides being intelligent the man was also an unrepentant racist Because Alta was Spriggit he had no choice but to ally himself with her No people no clothes no nothing It is empty Carthak left

Fled into the cave Systems beneath the city Creta cut in And a long time ago At least a month If they truly are running we will not catch them

So what can we take We need to keep the faction happy Alta said breathing through her nose

Creta grimaced but said nothing

Edmund the old fuck chuckled DidnÆt you hear Nothing ItÆs empty

Randidly watched with mixed emotions as the girl turned cyborg burning the entire mountain to the ground in order to make sure the people of Carthak had nothing to return to Both because of how he could sense the infection that had set in around her heart and because he could feel how far away Allica had led her people It was a useless gesture The tantrum of a child

But even from this distance he could see the violet and grey bulb that was swelling from AltaÆs core The reckoning would be soon Whatever karma she held it would soon bloom

But AllicaÆs decision was one that made even less sense to him To leave Randidly had thought her focus had been on developing a home That sense of growth was what Randidly was going to rely on to combat the karma that Alta may claim

Still there was something enjoyable about not completely understanding the goings on in his Soulskill Her exodus delayed her ideas conflict with AltaÆs Her group was already down another Land in the realm of the Soulless Even as Alta howled and burnt everything they had left away

During the chaos Randidly found Lucretia

Almost over He said with a sigh He didnÆt relish saying it

LucretiaÆs smile was bitter SheÆs sick isnÆt she

Randidly nodded The two stood on a low hill and watched Alta determinedly melting stone Then he asked Her karma is growing ripe She will force my hand soon

She cannot force your hand the whole world couldnÆt even force your hand Are you not the god of this world Lucretia said wryly She looked at Randidly with a glimmer of amusement Truly your understandings of karma are shallow

Frowning Randidly said It is owed Twice they have sacrificed for me

Twice you have asked for favors Lucretia said softly All that matters is what favor you ask for next By that you will be damned Such is karma Such is a pattern

With a laugh Lucretia waved her hand Now please leave me This is hard enough to watch as it is But I must Such is my karma

After a brief hesitation Randidly left He slid back out of his Soulskill and to the world once more He checked the time finding to his amusement that there was still a half hour to sunset It seemed like recently he had lost his knack for arriving right on time for occasions for all that he had a Skill that gave him the absolute time But increasingly Randidly found himself with downtime

And with those opportunities he allowed himself a few spare moments where he didnÆt ponder or think or refine He simply existed

Meditation he would have once called it but it wasnÆt that either Meditation was a Skill that involved focusing to gather Mana more quickly It was absorbed into one of RandidlyÆs other Skills he seemed to recall This

The whole point wasnÆt to think The point was to loosen the gaps in himself so the whole of him could be taken apart cleaned and reassembled into a more streamlined machine

After twenty minutes of this delicate process RandidlyÆs emerald eyes cracked open

The tall man and the woman were nervous once again But as promised when dusk fell a voice filled the value

Open space in the middle

The voice was powerful More so than either the tall man or the woman could understand When they heard the voice they felt energized In fact the more they moved the more the sense of untapped potential filled them Both stared at their hands in wonder When they came to themselves and stared around furtively they found that everyone shared this strange feeling

Within a few minutes a large circle had emerged in the middle of the thousands of people who filled the sloping field As all watched four figures emerged out of the ground made of roots They walked like people gracefully moving around in the space around them They made two circles one was 50 meters away from them and the other was 10 Then the four plant men settled in the center

Everyone looked on with curiosity

There are four tests Each is related to a different Style Passing only one is sufficient Pick the one that you feel suits you the best You will begin to feel the effects when crossing the first circle A pass will be for those who can reach the second circle The first test the Ashen Spear

One of the plant men raised its leafy hands A rippling grey spear formed solely of images descended from heavens and landed in its hands The air surrounded him filled with strange waves of energy Some moments it was hot the next it was freezing

The second the Spear Phantom Let me again emphasize mastery of the spear will not help you here It is a matter of will

Darkness descended over the area where the second avatar stood A figure seemed to hover above the plant man a thing of shadow and bone and screams and too many eyes It never seemed to move but you would always notice it turning to look at you when viewed out of the corner of your eye

The tall man shivered

The third the Emerald Essence

Emerald light exploded outward to fill a quarter of the field It flickered and grew and at the core was the leaf avatar who had been consumed by the playful green fire Yet the man didnÆt burn To look at the emerald fire was to feel a spiritual cleansing It was mesmerizing in a way because it seemed to suggest an entirely different world from our own It was an alien thing a fire that inspired and grew rather than consumed

Finally and this is likely the most difficult of the tests The voice paused There was a rumbling from that circle The plant man trembled seemingly struggling to bear the image that was being imparted upon it Yggdrasil the World Tree

The plant man exploded His legs twisted like serpents growing thick and powerful They dug into the ground and formed roots His arms split into a dozen different branches forming the canopy and foliage And the plant manÆs torso thickened and darkened until it possessed a strange glittering brown thickness that only the most vibrant trees could possess

After it clearly formed the image of a tree it continued to grow stretching further and further upwards The higher it grew the more one could barely breathe while looking at it It was overwhelming just to witness

The woman greatly feared what it would feel like to be tested by such an image

You may begin You have until dawn Good luck

Then the voice was gone and the ten thousand applicants slowly shook themselves awake

Chapter 793

The six thousand three hundred and ninety individuals that managed to pass sat in a rather numb silence while the sun rose over the horizon These were even the ones that passed but it had been a brutal twelve hour span where they slowly struggled forward through the haze of images that were presented to them

Every second was another trial Every step brought a deeper and more lifelike image Every breath was through clenched teeth

Of the tests the Tree of Yggdrasil was definitely the most difficult by the result Only at the last moment did five people manage to force their bodies forward in the face of the overwhelming aura that the image emitted Several hundred had passed out directly after prolonged exposure to the Yggdrasil images That path wasnÆt one for the faint of heart

But it was hard to say which was the easiest Definitely the test passed most commonly by the applicants was the Emerald Essence Yet when looking at those who managed to pass that test at least four thousand gaunt eyed individuals sat on the ground and looked at the ground The grass had grown up around their bodies twining up their legs as it drew strength from the emerald essence Some people were entirely covered with the plant growth and now sat so exhausted they looked more like the leaf men than the people they used to be

By far the most widely attempted was the Ashen Spear During the preparation for the event some research was done into Sir Ghosthound It was learned that he was a rather successful Spellspear that originated out of the Northern Domain under the guidance of Shal the Spear Phantom

The emerald fire and the tree were widely believed to be related to Sir GhosthoundÆs spells while the Spear Phantom and Ashen Spear were considered to be his actual spear moves And as the Spear Phantom was likely inherited from Shal the Ashen Spear

It was something directly from Randidly Ghosthound His lifeÆs work A PontiffÆs own Skillset available to the public

That didnÆt happen

Even those that were selected as core disciples of larger Styles rarely received direct instruction from Pontiffs Those Skillsets were carefully guarded in order to prevent rival Styles from rising up

True the story everyone talked about on Tellus was the pure spear user that created his own Skillset and Style That was why Aemont the original Spear Phantom was so famous For all that he was a common man without any backing he had worked hard and seized his own future Few others could say that

It seemed like that Sir Ghosthound was one of those few who could claim that very thing

The woman lay panting looking up at the sky She was one of the five that had passed the Tree of Yggdrasil challenge Or at least that was what she had been informed by the congratulatory voice of Sir Ghosthound To that information she had said nothing She had not even wanted to say anything she was too tired

Yet in fact she had stopped two meters away from the inner ring of the test unable to move forward In a fit of desperation as dawn drew closer she had collapsed forward to try and pass the line even if it was just by a finger length Unfortunately she was short by about half a meter

For whatever reason all she could manage at that point was to spin over on her back She lay and looked up at the thick green foliage from the imaginary tree during those last minutes The branches moved just slightly tiny leaves seeming to savor the freedom of the air Spreading and flapping enjoying the night breeze Thick ruts in the bark seemed to be carved by ancient spear strokes hiding the mysteries of time within

The woman had breathed The trial had ended

And when she sat up the woman found herself past the line It didnÆt make any sense

After what seemed like an hour she stood and wandered amongst the exhausted individuals until she found the tall man The light of the dawn was illuminating the field in portions she found him in the darkest portion down by the Ashen Spear trial

Welcome to our new life The woman said with a tired smile She tried to sit on a mound next to the tall man but she overbalanced and just smashed her face in the soft grass Even simple tasks were impossible with this level of sourness Wincing she straightened With a deliberate stubbornness she began to scrape the clinging grass that had latched onto her legs as she hobbled over here That fucking emerald flame turned this whole field into a wild jungle Which one did you choose

I didnÆt pass

The woman paused Her ears informed her brain what was said and her brain asked for confirmation It received it She turned and looked at the tall man His face was still in shadow Her eyes couldnÆt see his expression but she knew the look that was likely on his face

It was an expression that she had known for years looking at her own reflection in the water bowl every morning Her own face tight and loose in all the wrong places Bitterness and exhaustion Disappointment A look searching for purpose Wondering what it could have been like to have truly mattered To have meant something

The face that said for another day life wouldnÆt change This is how things would stay

Why was I past the line The woman wondered even as she searched for the right words to say to the tall man

Rascule

Forget it This was fun but I have my place in the Northern Camp yanno Who would take care of my crew if I left And honestly being with Darrune more than necessary ItÆs the worst right You are going to regret this ItÆs so much better to just stay here

Rascule The woman mumbled DawnÆs light was slowly approaching The rays slid over the nearby grass turning forest green into vermillion But at the last minute as the light was about to reach RasculeÆs face the woman turned away

She knew the face he was making There was no need to look For whatever reason the woman began to cry

Well I guess I should get back TodayÆs the extra rations day at the camp Honestly it would be it would be hard to miss that This time RasculeÆs words ended in a hiss Like a bear he twisted warily back and forth until he could languorously push himself up off the ground Then when he was standing he offered the woman a hand RasculeÆs face was studiously blank

Goodluck Yonna DonÆt work yourself too hard

YonnaÆs throat seemed to close The best response she could give him was a nod Then the sun passed the edge of the horizon and the whole world was filled with light

Platton glanced at Randidly Who are these people

Some strays I gathered When we arrive at the Death School I want to build something Randidly said with a shrug Besides if Wights have the whole School then we need to hit hard

Grunting Platton took a closer look at the several thousand spear users that had followed Randidly from the Northern Camp to the fort South of Hastam Most were skinny like hungry rats all bones and bright eyes They certainly possessed armor but whether they would be able to hold out on the frontlines was a different matter

If you believe itÆs best Platton finally said When can you depart

Now if possible Shal told me that he had already arranged for suitable transportation Whenever that is prepared we can move out

Hmm Platton rumbled The transportation has been arranged but it seems like a foolÆs errand In addition the provisions we had in the base are nowhere near enough for all of these people Hell I am not sure how C Corp managed this long but even their stores are running dry This mission does not seem well advised

Randidly looked at Platton Platton stared back his eyes serious

Randidly this doesnÆt add up We are barely managing to contain to Wight threat as it is toward the end before the Northern Group arrived Things were bad And now we get these orders to accompany you on an offensive Someone wants you out of Hastam This isnÆt a true mission ItÆs a death sentence Even making it to the Death School would be

I know Platton Randidly said patiently

And the orders come from somewhere high Randidly Platton whispers So high that even my superior

I know Platton Believe me Randidly said quietly Then he turned and looked toward the horizon with a frown My Master warned me He came to me this morning Truly something wishes me out of Hastam But

Randidly smiled I think they will find that this little challenge isnÆt enough to finish me off

Chapter 794

Shal stood with his hands behind his back My disciple is gone as you requested Are you prepared to tell me why

The room was cold and bare Stone floors and a still hearth kept the temperature low Which considering the steadily cooling days pushed the room toward uncomfortable For the past several days he had willingly made plans to send his only disciple away All because of a favor It wasnÆt even an order Just a favor

Of course the treasure that he offered his disciple was true if Versault yet lived he would be the most knowledgeable individual regarding TellusÆ history Aside from the Oracle but even now Shal suspected the Heart School would let no one near their precious Oracle Such was their pride even as Tellus inched closer to disaster

A different disaster than most people expected but a disaster nonetheless Were actions like this truly the kind of actions they believed their champion should have

RumeraÆs smile was sad He is not of our world Shal IsnÆt that reason enough

Shal looked at Rumera He loved her She had asked him this favor And she was right Randidly was not of Tellus For a long time this had confused Shal but very quickly he realized that it didnÆt matter For all that the boy was from another world he had been the inheritor of the Spear Phantom Style that Aemont would have wanted Capable and determined Confident without falling prey to arrogance He was ideal

But this is not your battle Shal thought sadly as he turned and looked East May you find what you seek boy And may I still live when you return triumphant

What next Shal asked How am I to help Tellus ascend

Unfortunately we wait Rumera said with a shake of her head To ascend your Path must emerge victorious against anotherÆs the second Path has not yet emerged As such we can only wait and allow it to grow in strength

Shal frowned It seems foolish to allow an enemy to grow strong Why is this necessary

An old story One so old not even I know it Rumera walked to stand with Shal and also looked out to the East And I think the very story that your disciple seeks I hope he finds it I do not like

Wait a moment Shal said mock seriously Older than you Are you trying to tell me that my woman is older than I am

She obviously isnÆt Rumera said with a smile tugging at her mouth because you have no woman Just daydreams and arrogance

Randidly allowed a ghost of a smile to flit across his face as Platton hissed in obvious displeasure They truly expect us to push off onto the Hallat River on this glorified driftwood and survive until we reach the Eastern Sea They will tear us to shreds The Psychic Venom bombardment alone

IÆll handle it If they had given us anything of actual use I would have worried that Hastam would fall to Wight attacks after we left With your troops there are almost ten thousand of us thatÆs not a small number Longboats like this will serve us best Randidly said reasonably

LongboatsÆ was perhaps a generous term for these Truly they looked rather musty and old as though most of them had come from ancient interspatial rings They were however long and thin ships with a small cabin for individuals to rest in Which would do nothing to stop the Psychic Venom that would incapacitate most of the crew on hit but still

PlattonÆs expression grew sourer mm You may be right But this will also mean slow going A seaworthy clipper would take almost a week in order to cross the Eastern Sea About half that to navigate from here to the open waters But if all we are doing is floating down with the current

We should have teams rowing yes Io interrupted

Randidly turned to face Io She was a squat powerful woman with hands that could crush an apple to a pulp Of all of those who had passed RandidlyÆs test Io had seized the position of leadership for herself Partly because of her gruff no nonsense demeanor but also because she passed the Emerald Essence portion of the test and all her fellow passers readily admitted IoÆs insight into the far was far beyond theirs

Randidly even felt slightly impressed by how quickly her body adapted to the Emerald Essence Aether that he released Even now he could feel small Aether reverberations from the womanÆs body as she absorbed the ambient Aether he gave off It was almost intimidating

I thought something similar Perhaps more direct intervention on my part to reshape the boats Randidly murmured The group was standing at the rickety docks that housed the boats they would use With a sharp movement he gestured behind to the group of milling spear users who were wondering what they were doing Io can you see that they are split into enough groups to man the boats

It will be done Sir Spellspear Io said with a bow Then the woman turned sharply and stomped back toward the group

Platton gave Randidly a sidelong glance You truly intend to bring this group with us They are untested untrained and perhaps worst of all unknown elements The instruction you provide will bring some kind of loyalty but I fear it will not be enough When we are out in the open water and the Wights attack

I think you will be surprised Randidly said with a grin Loyalty Perhaps not But I think what IÆm doing is closer to a bribe Well we shall see

After rolling his eyes Platton walked up to one of the longboats they had been given Rather dubiously he kicked the vessel It bobbed up and down in the water The numbers might be a problem Could you have made your bribe a little less effective

Randidly remained silent at that Truly he hadnÆt understood both the number of people that would attempt the tests he provided and also how many would pass The tests were mostly a test of fortitude and will but there was also a very particular requirement that Randidly had for passage

That of course was the ability to easily absorb his specific forms of Aether

And contrary to what Randidly had expected when exposed to mostly his Aether people very quickly adapted to his Aether At the same time there was a subtle shift in the way his Aether Detection Skill felt people Randidly didn’t doubt that there would be subtle shifts in the type of images these people had even after a taste

The process of the test was relatively strenuous for Randidly Because he was looking mostly at how people processed Aether he wanted to not simply steamroll everyone with a powerful image Instead he tailored the difficulty to each person based upon how their body could respond to his Aether

Basically he kept increasing the density of his Aether relative to what an individual could endure so it constantly remained quite uncomfortable It wasnÆt too difficult but when stretched over twelve hours

Honestly Randidly expected that some of the individuals could have finished in under an hour That was how surprisingly quick their bodies adapted Had they simply pushed forward they could simply have rushed through the area But setting the time limit at twelve hours made a lot of the test takers believe that they should take their time

And of course no matter how light the weight was being carried extra weight will drag even the strongest individual down eventually

I didnÆt mean to gather so many Randidly finally said But they deserved it They passed the test I had set

Well not all had There had been a few individuals including the woman who had always been hanging around Darrune for which he had purposely made the test difficult Impossibly difficult Yet right before dawn when Randidly had checked on her

The branding of the Tree of Life was already upon her Randidly was looking for support for confirmation that his Skills were powerful enough to carry him forward With the looming threat of his Soulskill imploding strengthening his base seemed natural So despite his personal feelings Randidly looked with unbiased eyes toward the womanÆs attempts

And she was marked The Aether had changed her Aside from Io the woman Yonna was one of the most impressive adapters So Randidly would accept a woman who so desperately walked down the path of Yggdrasil

Fine then Platton said Then he turned and showed Randidly a rare smile IÆm just glad that I wonÆt be in charge any longer I hate being the head honcho Leaving the decisions to you will be such a relief Besides if you were under me I would be forced to try and keep you from doing something stupid

In spite of himself Randidly laughed Platton you already said it this entire mission is stupid Now itÆs just a matter of punishing the Wights for forcing us to this point

Chapter 795

Randidly shook his head I canÆt stay for the same reason that you need to stay You have more to do in the tournament I do not

IÆm not fucking Jesus I get it Wight are everywhere Sorry ItÆs not about the tournament That’s not why I came to talk to you Helen shook her head She was wearing casual leathers right now but she was still attracting the gazes of many of RandidlyÆs newfound converts While ostensibly making preparations for the upcoming departure there were so many people that many had nothing to do They clustered just a little bit away from the two so there was an illusion of privacy They were just far enough away that it was possible that the listeners couldnÆt overhear the conversation

Randidly snorted and glared At this point just a focused gaze was enough to send the group scattering They still remembered clearly the pressure they had been under during the tests Just the suggestion of such a weight brought back unpleasant memories

After a second of watching the surrounding spear users scatter from RandidlyÆs glare Helen said quietly ItÆs not not the tournament ItÆs Skarch

Randidly looked up with a frown

SheÆs weakening Helen whispered That last strike it did something Hurt something inside of her permanent I donÆt regret attacking but

Are you asking me to heal her Randidly asked Honestly he hadnÆt realized that Skarch was doing so poorly that it would be brought to HelenÆs attention Not that Tellus was particularly emotional but this under 25 Tournament was a friendly endeavor It still hurt to see a spear user injured when the Wight problem was looming

There hadnÆt been anything particularly special about HelenÆs last strike it was simply timely In a fit of rage she had broken the platform on which Skarch had been based It wasnÆt a spear which struck down Skarch it was a scavenger of the Blood Sea

Which Randidly reflected was perhaps the problem Was Skarch afflicted with something like what he had dealt with after facing Aegiant Some part of that battle had fractured one of SkarchÆs core Skills It didnÆt seem likely but it was possible He had certainly sensed a disturbance in Aether in the wake of that fight

Randidly had just figured that it was Tellus slowly settling on the image of what it would be But perhaps

No she doesnÆt need healing Helen shook her head I was wondering if I donÆt know She just wonÆt leave the bed And she wonÆt see me I just figured since something similar happened to Drak

Helen looked at Randidly expectantly Immediately he felt awkward With a shake of his head Randidly said IÆm not sure what youÆve heard I left right after my match against Drak Since being back IÆve heard he was reduced to a vegetable but I have not seen him Or attempted to It was made known to me that Aegiant still held a grudge Right now I have no wish of clashing with a Master level spear user

Oh Helen said HeÆs not a vegetable just

Just what Randidly asked Some part of him immediately was disappointed in himself that he hadnÆt investigated someone who he had clearly injured Another wanted him to go immediately Both were quickly snuffed out by an overarching sense of practicality Randidly could not spare the time Already he was wasting enough time speaking with Helen

Honestly if he hadnÆt suddenly found himself burdened by the thousands of people who had passed his tests Randidly likely would have disembarked already Alone if he had to

Just he refuses to allow spears anywhere near himself Just bringing one into his sick room sends him into a fit Helen grimaced Luckily Skarch isnÆt that bad If she was fuck IÆm not sure how I would handle it

Randidly gave her a sour look Helen laughed mirthlessly and shrugged