LoRG 2

All things have a cost

This time as he spiraled the Aether around himself and into the fragments of the Connection to the Alpha Cosmos Skill Randidly created a web of connections between himself and the fragments of Aether in the surrounding area The Aether flickered uncertainly and then slowly settled into place

Then like flicking a light switch power rushed through the array

Congratulations You have

Congratulations You have created the Skill (Domain) Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 1 Warning Rarity cannot be determined Warning effects cannot be determined Warning Skill is beyond understanding

Warning the Heretic Path has grown

Warning notification has been sent to the Cohort Administrator

Warning the Heretic Path has grown to Heretic XLVI

Although Randidly dearly wished to release a breath in relief he ignored that urge Instead his new Domain exploded outward It was only big enough to cover the plaza but that was enough for now And although the System couldnÆt provide him with a tooltip Randidly didnÆt need it Because he could sense what he had done

His Aether and the SystemÆs flowed together into a tapestry Those fragments of Aether that had been the blueprint for his left arm spread and made the edges of the area Suddenly it was as though his body spread across the whole area and that the System was included even more directly within himself

What was within was without What was without within It was another tool the System could use to study the workings of the Alpha Cosmos Randidly realized but it was too late to regret that now

But it had given both a foothold into each other Now it was just a matter of who should step through the opening

Aegiant could clearly sense the change in the air and frowned as he looked around this a Domain How do you know one of the old Domains I had thought they were lost

Then there was a shimmering in the air as two figures emerged accepting RandidlyÆs invitation to step through into the crossroads between his inner world and the outer world

Rejt arrived beaming Ahaha I have long waited for this Oh A battle Randidly donÆt tell me that this isnÆt my well deserved vacation

The Monster Prince was a lot less amused as his eyebrows were quickly smoldering from the heat He had to backpedal rapidly away from the growing fireball Pah Send me back send me back Oh Progenitor I apologize for my sins But I do not deserve this eternal damnation in the pits of hell

Save it Randidly communicated shortly It was cumbersome but he had to use his influence with them to speak Obviously if he actually spoke Breath of the Spear Phantom would be released He slapped the Monster Prince on the back to steady him then pointed to the constantly igniting evaporated lava You fought the mechs to a standstill because you have a very unique image of Ferromancy yes So Ferromance That igniting air is metal Cool it for us

It was another gamble selecting the Monster Prince But Randidly had been shocked to find that the Monster Prince had held his own against Lyra who was piloting a mech And it turned out that was because he had the ability to influence metal A very specific deviation from Influence of the Molten Core

Now the Monster Prince obviously wouldnÆt be able to face AegiantÆs images directly But Aegiant was providing heat to ignite the evaporated metal He didnÆt have an actual image to burn the metal Soon if it became a sun that image would take over but Randidly believed that everything hadnÆt been subsumed in that larger image yet

In addition hopefully the scaling of images would be provided by this Skill too that edge might give them a chance

Gritting his teeth the Monster Prince looked at Randidly then turned and glared at the fireball It wavered Blood began to run out of the Monster PrinceÆs nose There was also a spike of pain in RandidlyÆs Soulspace and suddenly Randidly had a feeling this was a bad idea

The fireball was snuffed out as the Monster Prince gripped the metal and smothered the atom vibrations that produced heat Which promptly caused the Monster Prince to pass out from overexerting himself Randidly staggered too barely holding onto Breath of the Spear Phantom Luckily Aegiant was too shocked by the sudden disappearance to strike at RandidlyÆs Skill or it would have broken

The plaza bubbled and hissed as everything looked in shock at the falling body of the Monster Prince

Wincing Randidly dismissed the Monster Prince His body disintegrated as it collapsed returning to whatever posh tent he was staying in back in the Alpha Cosmos Then Randidly gestured at Rejt Your turn

Sighing meaningfully Rejt turned to face Aegiant Let it be known that my instincts are telling me this is a very bad idea

You and me both Randidly spiritually replied

Chapter 835

As quickly as possible Randidly began to fuel his different Health Regeneration Skills to funnel Health back to himself Ending Aegiant would be a dance on a knifeÆs edge and he couldnÆt afford to be so close to death while moving close enough to strike a serious blow In addition Randidly continued to use Extinguishing Ash Devouring Storm to cool the surrounding lava enough for them to stand on it

He could use Influence of the Molten Core to reduce his weight but he couldnÆt float And Rejt couldnÆt just endure lava

With a flip of the hand Rejt produced a thin saber from his interspatial ring This foe does not look simple

Randidly nodded grimly Aegiant seemed to find himself Instantly the surrounding air rumbled as waves of heat swam outward with all the haste of spooked eels

But Randidly communicated after a hesitation HeÆs been much less mobile recently I think I hope that my suppression of him is gaining traction

So this is a foe we tire out Rejt said

Randidly winced as quickly as possible I have somewhere to be

So many demands For a moment Rejt raised his gaze and considered the surrounding area Yes this place well it is not exactly how I pictured your world Very gloomy Although the sky

But suddenly they were out of time Aegiant roared into motion aiming straight for Randidly Grimacing Randidly blew about half of his remaining Mana to cause a dozen Lava Golems to surge up from the surrounding area These were empowered with Mana as well so they were a bit hardier than the previous wave

To add in the defensive effort Rejt shouted and slashed with his saber A bristling blade of wind screamed forward crashing against Aegiant Leaping to cross the distance the lava golems hurried to add their blows onto the effort

Randidly examined himself briefly His health had now risen up to seven hundred but he still needed to reach about one thousand Health before he would be comfortable closing the distance to Aegiant And obviously with this tier of foe the battle wouldnÆt finish if he did not At least not in the time frame Randidly wanted

Damnit Azriel DonÆt die on me

The wind blade smashed into Aegiant but the man only gritted his teeth and pushed forward Instead of dodging the lava golems Aegiant blasted outward with waves of heat When the reinforced bodies held against the wave of heat he smashed forward with his spear

To Aegiant these distractions could be handled with a blunt instrument he ripped them apart with raw power

Which was the opening Randidly needed to smash Aegiant in the face with an Ignition Bolt and then follow up with an Eruption of the Emerald Essence underneath him It slowed him slightly but it wasnÆt enough And Rejt

Unfortunately Rejt seemed distracted by something Randidly it is strange I hear

Randidly grabbed Rejt by the scruff of the neck with his good arm and threw him to the side Which gave Randidly himself barely enough time to dodge sideways away from the avalanche of heat and weight that was Aegiant The man burned with so much power he crushed their brief island of peace in a single blow

Grimacing Randidly shook his head sadly So much for waiting for a thousand Health

But now Randidly knew for sure the Aegiant was definitely a hair slower than he had been previously And Aegiant was continually smashing against Breath of the Spear Phantom The man was getting desperate

Unfortunately he was also still so fast that he could cross distance faster than Phantom Half Step would open it up between them But that was only when it was a one versus one

Randidly backpedaled wildly as beams of light narrows cut through the air around him With a single step Aegiant launched himself once more rushing up to Randidly like a cataclysmic meteor wreathed in bright orange flames Behind him Rejt just stood staring at the sky RandidlyÆs gaze grew sharp There was a wind around Rejt

Either way Randidly Phantom Half Stepped to Rejt teleporting directly through Aegiant He lost a chunk of Health in the process but it gave him several much needed seconds to gather himself Aegiant crashed out of the plaza and into a nearby building that collapsed into a pile of muck The man simply burned his way out striding out with blazing eyes

It was clear from his red eyed stare that he was past the point of discussion and monologuing now he wanted Randidly dead

But every second that past the struggles against Breath of the Spear Phantom were weakening

Unfortunately that also meant that Randidly could feel his own senses dulling He was more prepared for this contest due to the benefits of his Skill but he also had to endure without air In addition there must be an energy deprivation portion for it to work so quickly Now it would be a matter of endurance between them

with the edge Randidly had being Rejt

But as Randidly turned to Rejt he froze His friend was just standing there his large body covered in scars His face was inquisitive as if listening for something that was just out of earshot

Rejt Randidly began but then he heard it too the soft rustling of leaves

Randidly knew that sound

So an image could be like this Rejt murmured He raised his hand and a light wind circled around his fingers So understated So distinct And to think that the image could hate this man so dearly that it could persist without the individual who created it

But there wasnÆt much time to question the fact that Rejt was touching upon what was clearly VersaultÆs image Aegiant once more arrived burning with the heat of a fading sun Randidly spread his hands pressing with every ounce of his Willpower to strengthen Extinguishing Ash Devouring Storm Beside him Rejt raised his hands and gestured softly

There was a rustling of leaves and Randidly could see the autumn wind dragging the dried leaves across a worn game trail When the blow struck Aegiant it wasnÆt enough to stagger him yet still Aegiant stopped to stare in shock at Rejt

Apparently Randidly hadnÆt imagined the similarity

Before Aegiant could decide to switch targets Randidly gripped Acri with his good hand As far as he could tell because he had used the System template of himself as a base his arm wouldnÆt heal as long as the Domain was active And even if it would heal while he wasnÆt using it Randidly sensed there would be consequences to his arm when he activated the Domain

So he would need to practice using a spear with one arm at some point

I just wish it wasnÆt now

Although it was dumb Randidly rushed forward and crashed into AegiantÆs shocked form smashing him backward RandidlyÆs Health was knocked down to three hundred by the heat and proximity forcing him to scramble backward before he lost any more The point was to distract Aegiant and it seemed to work excellently

But there was also a strange and unlooked for benefit after striking Aegiant Randidly felt the sensation of being able to tighten the grip of Breath of the Spear Phantom while Aegiant was weak Which he did

As Aegiant snapped back to himself and gnashed his teeth Rejt struck again

Two extremely towering blades of wind smashed at Aegiant this time with enough force to actually give him pause RandidlyÆs eyes burned emerald as he tightened his Breath of the Spear Phantom like a python around Aegiant slowly crushing his ability to resist

Aegiant smashed again and again at Breath of the Spear Phantom with enough force that Randidly knew Aegiant had been sandbagging in his attempts previously But the shock followed by the blow had given Randidly and opening And now he shamelessly leveraged that

The wind is the edge of something so large that it would crush the world Rejt said speaking as if reading off of a scroll But since it is but the edge it is limited But in limits it finds strength It can do so much that nothing else can It can brush It can surround It can avoid And most of all it can cut

There was a dull roaring as the wind began to whip around the surrounding area blowing the edge off of the heat from Aegiant Aegiant looked around with crazed eyes and gnashed his teeth once more Then AegiantÆs hands when to his chest and he physically pounded at his ribcage urging his lungs to resume function

For a moment Randidly could see the images that Rejt saw The howling wind the vast sea of air currents that covered the world the endless strength of the air

But he also saw the ramrod straight figure standing behind Rejt putting his hands against RejtÆs back Versault looked grimly over at Randidly and nodded an unwilling recognition Then the spiritÆs gaze turned to Aegiant

Sever Rejt and the spirit of Versault whispered at the same time and the sky fell and split Aegiant in half

Chapter 836

When Shal rushed through the portal he found only the dead

Witch Kings were ripped apart and strewn everywhere in mounds of exposed bone and mashed flesh Shal didnÆt even pause when he saw them But he did pause briefly as he stood over OpheliaÆs body He had served under her almost a year after all

There were tears in her eyes even as her head was twisted around so it faced the opposite direction than the rest of her body Shal also went over and witnessed VersaultÆs body charred to his bones and smashed into a crater Yet something in the air

Shal sensed that this manÆs spirit would not rest peacefully

There was also a large pool of blood where someone had been stricken with a fatal blow But that pool became a trail that led deeper into the strange winding city While standing and considering the blood Shal abruptly sensed someone was watching him He looked up and met the gaze of Aethon Thai

The two held the stare for several seconds AethonÆs eyes were firm but respectful Then Aethon turned away stepping into the shadow of a pillar It was likely that Aethon was wounded and unwilling to fight any longer If so so much the better

The place in the room of the dead where Shal spent most of his time was at the body of the First Propagator Strangely Shal felt a kinship with his thing A being unsure of why it was made following the instincts of its existence without ever knowing if what it was doing was right someone that was born to be reviled

Finally Shal left them all and charged into the core of Icklid

Luckily the trail of blood and destruction was quite easy to follow Based on what Shal saw the Spearman and the Oracle should be the two sources of tracks Which meant Aegiant was either dead and Shal missed that detail or remained back in the hall with Aethon

And if that malicious fuck targeted Randidly Shal wondered But he shook his head His student was smart No doubt he would use his plants to lose the man and then proceed with the plan

As Shal proceeded down the bland and stale hallways there were waves of images riding on the air ones of violence and madness that had so much potency that Shal had to hastily raise his mental guards against them Even enduring them was a strain These strange images seemed to spread outward in waves seeking to infect all that they touched

Shal frowned They didnÆt have much time then The Ascension of that image was nearing

When he rounded the next corner he found the body of the Oracle He proceeded forward carefully and found that hidden around the Oracle were several bodies of Propagators The Oracle was still living but judging by her blank expression she had been knocked out by the mental powers of the Propagators

Shal straightened Just the Spearman remaining then

Down the hall through the shattered doors and then through the carpeted throne room to a small wooden door that led into the deeper chambers

And there Shal found the Spearman gazing up in wonder at Azriel who was floating off of the ground Strange energies crackled around the room Black lightning raced up and down the walls Azriel herself had been warped even further by the energy Obsidian crystals grew on her skin in ugly clusters Her eyes were closed as if sleeping

Ah thank god The Spearman said turning to face Shal If I were to challenge her to duel for Ascension my image would be victorious either way But you can challenge her on your own If you win

No Shal said shortly He leveled his spear at the Spearman No longer would he allow this madman to warp his world It will not be so

The Spearman blinked I donÆt believe you understand SheÆs moving closer to Ascension as we speak Every second she draws nearer We have no more time

Shal blurred into motion and a flash of relief crossed the SpearmanÆs face But Shal only moved to interpose himself between the Spearman and Azriel One request that Randidly had made of him was to save Azriel if possible Randidly had admitted that Azriel likely chose this path willingly but he wouldnÆt abandon a friend for honoring a debt

Shal thought it was a foolish sentiment but one that he shared wholeheartedly Sometimes responsibilities took one to dark places

Her Ascension will ruin everything The Spearman hissed With his hands clenched into fists he took a step toward Shal I will force you to fight her if I have to boy

ShalÆs grin was slow and vicious How

The Spearman considered Shal carefully The violent images began to pound out from Azriel with increasing frequency After a few moments the Spearman sighed You know what I will do That woman of yours was once part of my images Shal I can feel her now I can reach out and crush her

Shal let his expression droop His heart was pounding

My spear is the spear of responsibility Because I have capability I must act Even if it is foolish I cannot afford to sit idle For this world even if I must put myself in danger for this world even if I must sacrifice all that is dear to me

A spear must always advance

Do what you must Shal said lightly There was howling in his ears which might have either been the pounding of his blood or the screaming energies emerging from Azriel Your images have already warped this world far too much No more

It wonÆt be MY images thatÆs the point The Spearman glared at Shal Then he snapped his fingers There ItÆs done She had been broken Without me she will slowly wither and die Rush back to her and maybe you will have a few moments of peace Then prepare your affairs because I will find and kill you for what you have done

Shal felt very cold Do you feel good about yourself That you have become a being that will rip away a personÆs dearest companion because you lost your own love

The Spearman simply glared at Shal The energies in the room continued to escalate The ground around Azriel began to glow as a runic circle appeared out of the air and flowed down to condense on the ground around her

Shal blinked rapidly Even if this wasnÆt their plan he needed to act soon They couldnÆt afford to allow this image to Ascend It would bring Tellus to ruin

For several long seconds the two maintained tense eye contact The storm of energies grew more and more powerful behind them The moments stretched to form a minute and then further into two The energies were reaching a crescendo and Shal was gritting his teeth The Spearman could not act or he would doom the world of his love And Shal didnÆt want to act not while the Spearman was here watching

But if Azriel was just going to Ascend

Even as Shal twisted to handle the escalating Azriel situation the Spearman reached out and gripped his arm with a strange sort of manic glee Oh no It is too late now You wish to spite me Fine Then I will spite you all This world will be consumed with my inner violence Then perhaps you will feel regret There is no one who can now stop this image It has grown

ThatÆs where I come in I suppose

Both Shal and the Spearman twisted around A slow roasted Randidly leaning on a strange giant man of stone hobbled into the room His eyebrows were singed and he had a haphazard robe wrapped around himself Strangest of all RandidlyÆs left arm was burnt away the oozing scar of flesh burned away as clear as day

ShalÆs expression tightened So Aegiant had gone back for Randidly

After walking through the doorway Randidly patted the stone man and the figure just disappeared Then Randidly approached Azriel who floated in the center of the room

The runes on the ground began to glow with power There was a dull rumbling as some great working began to occur

ItÆs too late The Spearman hissed and launched himself to try and grab Randidly but ShalÆs retaliatory hand on his arm was a vice grip that held him back Even though Shal had to strain and lean to restrain the man he managed it

When Randidly walked across the runes energy exploded in a wave and crashed against him testing him for an image to contest the Ascension Very quickly it became clear that it found none worthy due to RandidlyÆs Level and began to try and expel him with waves of violent mental demons

Much to ShalÆs chagrin Randidly ignored them all

Showing off mental strength isnÆt becoming Shal thought grumpily

Almost gently Randidly reached up and put his hand on AzrielÆs knee which was about chest height on Randidly as she floated in the circle of energy At the touch the crystals on AzrielÆs face cracked her eyes slowly opened revealing perfectly obsidian orbs hidden beneath

Alright Azriel this is going to hurt Randidly whispered Strange obsidian crystals began to grow on his hand that was touching Azriel But he ignored them and closed his eyes Inspiration Erode Image

Chapter 837

Randidly could feel a lot at that moment that he pressed his hand to AzrielÆs knee The strange chaotic chimera of an image that she was blasting outward was crystal clear He could feel the fractured images of violence and desperation He could feel that unending hunger He could even feel the uncompromising drive for glory that Randidly knew was all Azriel

He felt how cold the skin of her leg was

And also he could feel that the image was tapping into something deeper across Tellus Although the world had experienced a catastrophic loss of life this image was held in the hearts of most people This was their belief Their Path forward aligned with that image

It made Randidly very sad looking at the warped figure of Azriel covered as she was in crystal growths To have this be the defining image of the world it was a sacrifice to violence an exaltation in unhealthy madness It couldnÆt be allowed What he was about to do would hurt Azriel but it would be better in the long run For all of Tellus

Alright Azriel this is going to hurt Inspiration Erode Image

Erode Image functioned as a way to bring the weight of RandidlyÆs will against anotherÆs image Generally Randidly would be shaken by the experience and the targetÆs image would be weakened semi permanently Which was what he expected when he combined it with Inspiration Boosted by the Skill his mental strength grew to monstrous proportions and simply crush the offending image

Even as his Mana emptied itself out the wave of mental force crashed against Azriel Her body spasmed as the image that had stuck its insidious influence into every inch of her struggled to withstand the overwhelming force from Randidly Very quickly its defenses were knocked away and it began to shudder and fail beneath the force

Then to RandidlyÆs surprise the image acted in its own interest it removed its tentacles from Azriel and was knocked out of her body rather than shattering

The weakened image appeared like a glowing glass orb filled with storm grey mist that obscured a pulsing light It clinked loudly as it bounced against the ground and rolled over to touch the far wall

Immediately Azriel gasped as her eyes shot open Although her entire eyes were originally glassy black that color swiftly faded to a more normal hue and she collapsed toward the ground Moving a step closer Randidly caught her As the strands fell across his arms her hair quickly lightened from ebony to ivory

Gently Randidly set her on the ground The strange energies of the System that had begun to move as she moved closer to Ascension ceased with a whine What was left was four people in a room dominated by a heavy coat rack and a glowing orb

Incredible The Spearman whispered You stopped her Ascension You wounded the images That amazing

Randidly closed his eyes as he kneeled next to Azriel struggling to gather himself Her own images had been wounded worse that the Spearman and the First PropagatorÆs image that had been able to escape her had been by his attack What he needed to do right now is feed her the threads of meaning that Randidly had gathered between them and restart their Aether connection so she could heal

But he hadnÆt escaped unscathed Even now his wits felt dull His mental control was shaky and listless

Here let me help LucretiaÆs voice came in his ear and Randidly felt her influence on his Soulspace as his Domain activated once more When she shared a portion of his mental feedback he felt her involuntarily suck in a breath

Yea this one was rough Randidly thought ironically as he focused his mind and gathered AzrielÆs images With great care he pressed his remaining hand to her forehead and slowly fed her with them For good measure Randidly included an Aether Donation to help her heal while they restored their actual connection

So now we can start again The Spearman announced with a laugh Wonderful We

We finish this here Shal rumbled Randidly glanced upward Shal still had a strong grip on the SpearmanÆs arm One way or another

The foe is dead The Spearman said with a frown Even if you are prepared to ascend you need a foe

Shal shoved the Spearman Go then Absorb your old image and face me And then Tellus can finally escape this place

Slowly the Spearman turned and looked at Shal At first his face was covered in confusion Then it was replaced by rage Until finally it settled on disappointment boy No matter how you have grown you are not my match And I donÆt intend to see my image

Then all you need to do is fight your way past me Easy yes Prove your point old man Shal said There was something ugly and determined in his eyes as he focused on the Spearman

Randidly felt something in the air Shal was using a Skill But even so this wasnÆt part of the plan that they had decided on earlier Letting the Spearman go

But then it clicked as he looked at ShalÆs pale faced grimness Ah The Spearman threatened Rumera Of course So this became personal Well this would be a much easier way to resolve the issue of fighting against another image

I have no weapon The Spearman said as his expression slid back to shock

Shal gave a pointed look toward the coat rack smashed into the center of the room Draw your spear Or prove yourself a coward It is your choice

The SpearmanÆs eyes bulged with disbelieving anger as he tried to sense if Shal was bluffing But Shal simply stared back at him It was clear to Randidly at least that Shal wasnÆt bluffing But RandidlyÆs attention quickly returned to Azriel He couldnÆt afford to mess this up now

Slowly a trickle of Aether began to flow between them

Fine then If you demand a lesson I will give it to you The Spearman spat He raised his hand and the cracked orb trembled and lifted to float toward him Slowly it arrived in his palm and sank into his skin As it did so the Spearman shivered But that was all the response he had But Randidly did note that the SpearmanÆs eyes turned into glassy black orbs that were fixed upon Shal

With deliberate slowness the Spearman walked toward his spear As he did so there was a feeling in the air that set RandidlyÆs teeth on edge Power rolled off the man as he settled back into the mantle that had seen him powerful enough to overpower two Calamities A mantle that had been warped by the presence of the First Propagator but the Spearman had spent seven hundred years stealing small sips from that power hadnÆt he

To have the entire mantle now felt like coming home

Very quickly Randidly felt a flash of relief as Azriel stabilized underneath his and LucretiaÆs tendings She slept deeply her mind recovering from the abscess that had just been cut out of her but it gave Randidly the confidence to look away and stand to face the Spearman as he stalked around to his spear and placed both hands upon the shaft of the weapon

The SpearmanÆs black eyes were locked onto Shal Know that you asked for this

As the Spearman pulled his spear from the ground Shal simply stood his ground and continued to radiate Isolating Fear one of the Skills he had obtained from his Soulskill Path The target of course was the Spearman

For all that Shal was an imperfect son that had not willingly accepted the teachings of Aemont and become the next Spear Phantom he had learned from his father Those were violent and brutal lessons taught briefly and mostly at a distance But they were lessons that Shal took to heart

When one faced a superior foe one didnÆt fight in the way the stronger foe wanted to fight Instead you struck at where they were weak

Their lungs

Or in this case their deep fear A fear of death created by the sudden absence of a loved one A fear that would drive you on a sadistic quest to live for that departed loved one

With a very palpable controlled sort of violence the Spearman hefted his spear and pointed it at Shal There was no way to deduce anything but capability from the SpearmanÆs face he had endured Isolating Fear from Shal without even the slightest response It was as if he was immune to the draining effects of the fear that Shal was radiating

Still Shal continued to activate the Skill No matter how placid things on the surface no one is truly immune yes You taught me that Pronto And by your hand after you became a devourer I spent decades wandering alone Before that loneliness and fear how small a figure is this Auto Rach

I killed gods before you were born Shal You have only one more chance The Spearman said in a low voice The air pulsed with a thick bloodlust It was like the spreading tentacles of a squid its clammy touch running down ShalÆs arm and face in an exploratory brush Do not overestimate yourself

Being inferior isnÆt shameful it is simply the truth Shal thought his gaze falling to RandidlyÆs form standing protectively over his friend ShalÆs gaze hardened And you do not find treasures without seeking miracles

Shal the plan Randidly said lightly but Shal simply held up his hand

With his gaze on Spearman Shal grinned Their gazes had stayed locked for almost three minutes now His Isolating Fear was singing with power Truly if you were as brave as you claim to be we would never have fallen to this point would we Auto Rach

There is no need for the plan There is karma between us Shal said softly

You asked my father to create a Style worthy of a monstrous villain You asked my mother to birth a twisted psychopath And now you have asked me to end this farce and let Tellus Ascend The Karma sewn must now be reaped Auto One way or another I will grant you that wish

Chapter 838

ShalÆs spear was thin and frail compared to the hulking pole of iron that the Spearman removed from the ground But Shal did not care In fact at the moment he didnÆt care about anything

As the two spear users squared off against each other the specific details of the situation fell away as it always did All that remained was ShalÆs determination In front of him was a foe that he had to defeat Other details were irrelevant All that was left was to test the edge of his spear

But at the back of his mind Shal could feel that the typical fighting state didnÆt descend as easily as it would normally All of Tellus stood behind him watching Breathing out through his nose Shal banished that feeling this was just a fight

A movement behind him brought ShalÆs whipped his attention around Slowly Randidly picked up and moved his friend farther away from the two of them Shal forced himself to relax and considered the space The room was small perhaps only ten meters across but it would be enough At their level they could leverage even this size space to their advantage

Shal eyed the large spear the Spearman held Almost half the entire distance it will be difficult

There was no announcement but the silence as Randidly finished the task of drawing Azriel across the room Both combatants moved at the same time The Spearman simply thrust forward with his large spear while Shal sidestepped and thrust at a new angle to knock the SpearmanÆs strike aside and reach the otherÆs throat

With a deft touch the Spearman twisted his spear as the two weapons crossed His spear buzzed like a disturbed hornetÆs nest it was a sharp defensive move ShalÆs strike was knocked up and away from the SpearmanÆs body At the same time the twist brought the SpearmanÆs strike back on target

Shal rapidly withdrew his thrust and brought the butt of his spear up to smash the blow upward

As if predicting the defense the Spearman followed the momentum of the push and allowed his spear to be knocked up Spinning sideways the Spearman displayed an obscene amount of strength as he corralled the momentum and brought his huge spear around After a split second the spear slashed back toward Shal in a horizontal slash

Shal took a step back Then he immediately winced as his heel hit the wall the earlier clash had already pushed him back Better to circle

The humming horizontal sweep of the Spearman stopped as he twisted his spear once more launching himself into a thrust toward ShalÆs heart

ShalÆs eyes narrowed No room to dodge He would need to sidestep but with enough oomph to escape the almost announced counter Reptilian Flexibility

The side stepped he executed was at the last possible moment He wanted until he saw the flash of shock in the SpearmanÆs eye that he didnÆt dodge and then dodged After a quick sidestep Shal moved past the spear point and thrust his own spear toward the SpearmanÆs arm That split second of shock from the Spearman gave Shal a bit of room to breathe

But that reprieve was gone just as quickly as it arrived

Lightning quick the Spearman released the grip on his spear with his left hand and struck with a cutting blow to deflect ShalÆs spear attack that neared his arm But Shal had seen that coming with a flick of the wrist the relatively thin and worn spear of Shal bent and curved under the sudden torque The SpearmanÆs block missed

Shal scored a jagged blow across the SpearmanÆs arm Blood quickly welled up and began to trickle down toward his hand scarred

The lines on the SpearmanÆs face deepened Shal took several steps backward and spun his spear All the while his Isolating Fear continued to pound away at the Spearman

Are these childish tricks all you have The Spearman asked sounding extremely tired

Shal smiled slightly But he wasnÆt really facing the Spearman he was lost in a memory

A ten year old Pronto raised the long stick they were playing with wiggled it until it appeared to be more noodle than wooden shaft Then he stopped and displayed it for ShalÆs inspection

Shal regarded it dubiously Why are you doing that ThatÆs not how you use a spear

Why not Pronto asked his usual wide grin plastered across his face

Because it isnÆt Using a spear isnÆt a game Father says Shal began but Pronto shook his head sadly

Shal we canÆt be heroes like Father if we act like everyone else We need something special So a wiggly spear Cool right

We could act like Father Shal said sourly

Pronto threw his hands up in the air Think about it Imagine it WouldnÆt it be cool to have a spear that was a snake It could bite people instead of stabbing them That would be a hero people would talk about Right

Grunting at ShalÆs lack of response the Spearman rushed forward once more This time when he moved there was the distant sounds of battles and screaming that followed his steps Instantly ShalÆs eyes sharpened So he was finally going to use his images Perfect There would be no point if he did not

The world seemed to agree with that notion This time when the Spearman attacked energies began to spin around their conflict The world was watching waiting for the image that would allow Tellus to Ascend

The Spearman smashed downwards with his spear treating it more like a hammer than a true spear The ground cracked and buckled as Shal stepped to the side and out of the way Roaring the Spearman strode boldly forward after Shal

All the while Shal continued to spend his Mana on Isolating Fear How long will you be able to last Spearman You rage because of fate but you brought yourself here And now that losing will grant you your heartÆs desire will you be able to maintain the cutting edge that made you the Spearman

This time the SpearmanÆs thrust was so fast that the air seemed to shudder with its passage Gritting his teeth Shal danced to the side and feinted toward the SpearmanÆs knee Rather than responding normally to the feint the Spearmen moved to meet ShalÆs supposed strike with a brutal knee It was the response of a confident aggressor

Wincing Shal flexed his spear and then let it bow beneath the brutal knee counter to disperse most of the force Then Shal twisted the spear and smashed the Spearman in the belly The man dully grunted but did not appear any the worse for wear

And while Shal struck at the stomach the Spearman had time to drop his huge spear downward like a guillotine

ShalÆs eyes flashed The SpearmanÆs confidence made him predictable in a way The haymaker style blow would be slow but effective Still in the SpearmanÆs mind Shal had spent the force he could muster All his options now appeared to be either continuing to circle or attempting to block the powerful blow

Unfortunate Auto Rach Now let us dance Coiling Momentum Strike

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Shal exploded into motion Coiling Momentum was a Skill that passively took a little bit of speed off of every move Shal made A minuscule amount so little that none but he would notice Slowly that speed accumulated Like an adder waiting to strike Shal could tap into this momentum for a brief burst of speed But such was the long cost of charging up sufficient speed that Shal had only used the Skill once before

That was in a tryout for the position as OpheliaÆs lieutenant in order to impress her enough to accept him Since then he had endured a slight resistance in his movements for almost a year At this point he didnÆt even notice it anymore It was just part of the way he was

So when time expanded around him into cavernous split seconds Shal almost wasnÆt sure what to do Or rather he wasnÆt sure how to control his body flooded as it was with the overwhelming sense of capability As he activated the Skill his heart pounded with such ferocity that it shook ShalÆs own ribcage The beats were far between in the heightened mode but had a force that was impossible to describe

DUmm

Shal raised his spear or attempted to His arm blurred upward and the spear that had just smacked the Spearman in the stomach ripped up through the SpearmanÆs nose tearing through one of his nostrils and exposing cartilage to the air Blood sprayed in a slow motion arc upward

The SpearmanÆs head slowly leaned back as the SpearmanÆs prodigious reflects kicked in a little too late Shal watched the individual drops of blood with wide eyes then controlled his spear as he lowered it Or at least tried to

Instead he brought his spear down and gored a hole into the thigh of the Spearman The speed was so much that the spear bent as he brought it down into a crescent Then when the blade tip entered into the SpearmanÆs flesh the bowed spear snapped straight ripping the wound much wider than it would have been otherwise

The spear pierced deeply into the SpearmanÆs leg To swiftly dislodge it Shal twisted the spear and ripped through a good portion of the muscle and flesh in the surrounding area It brought Shal a flash of joy the Spearman would not be able to rely on this leg for a while

As Shal raised his spear one more time with the dwindling boost he felt the rage and hate in the SpearmanÆs eyes This time he didnÆt try to control it He simply let his body do what it had done almost one million times raise the spear and thrust

The Skill finished and Shal hurriedly pulled his spear out of the SpearmanÆs midsection Blood followed like a rush of desperate refugees from his body spurting out to pool on the ground

As quickly as possible Shal stepped backward or at least tried to What he actually did was lean and fall backward because his body was wracked by muscle spasms Shal grimaced Too much too fast My body

But that thought was wiped off of the surface of his mind as the Spearman finally brought his brutal blow downward Shal couldnÆt help but notice that it began accelerating as it rushed down to crush him in retaliation for his previous blows Angry are we Good Then perhaps you will cease playing around

Even as his limbs struggled to recover from the overexertion they just experienced Shal gritted his teeth and brought up his spear to block the overhand blow from the Spearman It was a close thing A split second longer and Shal would have been cut in half As it was his spear was there in time and its flexible shaft bowed beneath the pressure

But ShalÆs expression tightened as the power of the violent image contained in the spear continued to press downward Images of bodies breaking surrounded the two fighters Space was already tight in the small room and it seemed like Shal was surrounded by a sea of corpses The weight of a thousand bodiesÆ dripping blood pounded down on Shal with the SpearmanÆs attack

Gritting his teeth Shal strained every muscle he could He could hear the crack of breaking bones the groans and sighs of the dying It was a symphony of noises rising higher and higher Shouting crying screaming

ShalÆs spear trembled underneath the onslaught then snapped

The blow crashed into ShalÆs shoulder shattering his collarbone on the left side and biting deeply into the muscle of his upper body But just as quickly Shal lashed out with the bottom half of his old spear With the splintered and broken end first he shoved it into the deep gash he had made in the SpearmanÆs thigh Then both to propel himself away and make matters worse Shal kicked the shattered piece of the shaft

The head of the SpearmanÆs spear was ripped out of his torso taking with it ShalÆs breath Grunting Shal swayed then took a defensive stance

The Spearman growled and took a step forward but stumbled as the leg with a half meter of wood sticking out of it failed him He righted himself then glared at Shal The two bleeding spear users stared at each other even as the runes in the air began to spin and glitter faster and faster

Chapter 839

The two figures finally slowed down to speeds that didnÆt alarm Randidly facing each other across the room Both were bleeding although Shal seemed to have fared better than the Spearman in the prior two exchanges And yet

A cloud of darkness was gathering behind the Spearman Images from all across Tellus were flowing into this small room and the same portion of the System that accomplished that slowly began restricting RandidlyÆs options

Randidly abruptly realized that he had overlooked something They had planned to face the Spearman and overcome his image directly If that wouldnÆt work they would use the fallback plan they had prepared to overwhelm the image of the Spearman and shift the battle to something that they could handle Then together they would fight for the soul of Tellus

But Randidly hadnÆt thought deeply enough about how the System would actually be designed to have this process play out In addition he didnÆt have enough time when he came in earlier to examine the runes that had appeared around Azriel He had felt their rejection but it was a similar rejection to the suppression jail he had spent a month in he already had ways of counteracting those runes

Randidly should have realized that the reason that the Spearman and his factions had such complex and specified runes was exactly that he had been close to ascending before Those were the runes of Ascension or at least a fraction of them

Now as Randidly watched Shal and the Spearman battle he realized that the web woven by the System was much more sinister than that Not only was he as an individual nearby who was not part of the duel suppressed but the working was much broader than that

The stronger it became the larger its reach Randidly suspected that all over the world people were slowing and looking up at the sky And during that stillness there were other runes that facilitated the gathering of images Slowly in horror Randidly watched as more and more darkness was brought by those sparkling runes to circle around the Spearman

His shadow was tall and wide a hulking monster that feasted on flesh And Shal

A smaller amount of bright fireflies were surrounding Shal but it wasnÆt nearly enough And Randidly recognized that a larger portion of the image support that Shal was receiving was from Randidly and those who were baptized by RandidlyÆs images Without that

What was interesting was that the two fighters were governed by the suppression as well Just not so tight a grip They were slowly being ground down by the weight of the images they bore until all the weapons they could fight with were those images These two individual capabilities mattered but as time passed that difference wouldnÆt amount for as much

And in terms of images the Spearman was clearly dominant

A broken spear the Spearman said with a sneer How appropriate This is what lays at the end of your path Shal When the only reason you wield a spear is due to responsibility you are weak Your spear is weak Step aside Let me pass This all can be averted now before itÆs too late

There is not solely the responsibility There are other reasons my spear will bear this weight I will not retreat Shal said as he straightened before the Spearman His left arm was injured but still it gripped stubbornly to the upper half of the spear he retained

To hold a spear is to embrace violence Look at our world The Spearman hissed At his words the runes in the nearby area flared to life A wave of mental pressure boomed outward A sea of ghastly faces warped with rage and hatred seemed to glare down at the occupants of the room They whispered their grievances their sharp eyes demanding satisfaction

Randidly could see Shal struggling underneath the mental attack and scrambled to think of a way to assist Shal The Spearman continued to speak We have fought for generations against the Wights but do you know what would have happened had I not created the Wights We would have fought ourselves To hold the spear is to acknowledge we will never evolve beyond our baser instincts If there are no enemies we turn on each other That is Tellus That is reality

Yet I hold a spear to stop you the world you would have us inhabit will bleed us dry I will change that truth We need not be sacrificed to your reality Shal announced

Again the Spearman laughed Your spear is broken What more proof do you need

The moment had weight The images were sizing each other up and ShalÆs was objectively inferior Could Randidly donate an image to assist him Or Aether Shal would likely accept neither of these this was his burden to bear And despite the growing desperation in ShalÆs gaze Randidly knew Shal would never compromise That was his image

Or more than an image it was a dream A dream that he had with his brother decades ago A dream of growing up to change the world

That was his spear The Spear he wanted for Tellus

And then as suddenly as if someone has whispered into his ear Randidly had an idea

Even as Shal continued to focus as much as possible on hitting the Spearman with Isolating Fear he had a deepening suspicion that this angle had been a waste of time

This feeling was compounded by his throbbing headache and the strange flood of examples that suddenly popped into ShalÆs mind proving the Spearman right Consider the inter School tournaments And color hunters And the sadistic infighting that occurred between the powerful Styles all across the world

All those things could be found in the mantle of violence that colored the air with maroon and rust the color of old metal and festering wounds

The people of Tellus fought Not for responsibility but for power and privilege And when those were present for pride And when that wasnÆt present because that was what they wanted Tellus was populated by individuals who thrived on violent contests He couldnÆt deny that

But before he lost himself Pronto had a dream A dream of a bright eyed ten year old A dream of a spear that was a snake and a hero who would save the world A hero who would be so strong that he would bring peace to Tellus Behind Shal were tiny motes of light They were small and weak because they were just the whims of children

They were the wistful hopes of mothers whose daughters and sons went off to war They were the dreams of the veterans who had seen far too many bright eyed youths eternally silenced They wanted someone to save them To bring justice to the world To be so powerful that they would be saved from their own flaws

Shal could not claim to be this hero He had risen through violence and strife just like the rest of them But at his core he knew that the people of Tellus were better than this violence

WerenÆt they

Surrender The Spearman said and the runes around the two of them seemed to rumble with the weight of the SpearmanÆs words It seemed at that moment that the Spearman spoke with the will of Tellus Your image is not enough boy

ShalÆs hands tightened on his remaining spear the movement aggravating his broken collarbone It was so hard to keep his grip on the spear in the face of the entire world But he had to This was his dream This was ProntoÆs dream This was the only way that their tragedy wouldnÆt happen again repeated endlessly until Auto Rach ceased playing with dolls to satisfy his twisted desires

But against the wall of darkness and death rising behind the Spearman

Blinking Shal turned Slowly his gaze focused on Randidly who stood at the far end of the room Strange It hadnÆt even occurred to Shal that Randidly was still there watching It wasnÆt like him to forget that they had a witness to this battle In fact everyone was witnessing this battle

They were waiting to see who controlled the Soul of Tellus By the numbers the world was filled with people who saw the same world that the Spearman spoke of And yet

Of all things Randidly held up his strange plant spear offering it to Shal Here Take this

Silence filled the room The Spearman was just as shocked as Shal was and likely just as confused when he was reminded that Randidly was present But Shal grinned The world is against me and all I am given is a spear How typical How heroic

Which sent Shal into a fit of chuckles further aggravating his injuries Even through the pain however he continued to laugh Because Randidly had brought back a very old memory to ShalÆs mind

LetÆs play Hero Pronto said rubbing his hands together excitedly

Pronto was fourteen now and had deep bags under his eyes His skin was turning pale and translucent

This was one of ShalÆs last good memories of Pronto before he had been consumed by his own desire for power Soon the process happening to Pronto would necessitate that he be isolated

But Shal didnÆt know that yet So he frowned at his younger brother Hero Again We arenÆt kids anymore Pronto While Father is on the frontline we need to be training If the Wights attack in numbers

Boo Pronto waved his hands a desperation in his eyes I just really want to play hero okay Please Shal

Shal frowned but slowly nodded

Which he regretted when Pronto hurriedly said And this time IÆm the hero

This confused Shal But arenÆt we both always the hero

Not this time IÆll be the hero I really want I need to feel like a hero today Pronto finished lamely

This brought all of ShalÆs teenage attention to his little brother Even Shal noticed how miserable his brother was But Shal only thought he missed Aemont Pronto always took the separation harder than Shal Not that Shal didnÆt miss him too but Pronto was special to Father in a way that Shal was not To see that man causing Pronto this mental anguish only caused his resentment for his father to grow

So Shal sighed and said Fine So I am the villain

No Again Pronto looked desperate No no villains Just my assistant alright YouÆll give me my spear and stuff

ShalÆs mortified look must have been amusing because soon Pronto was giggling DonÆt give me that face Here uh letÆs practice Shal my spear Æ Now throw me that stick

Shal did throw the stick but point first and Pronto hopped out of the way Very quickly the game devolved into a javelin fight between them and the day was long and warm

Finally ShalÆs chuckles subsided Still he grinned widely and looked over at Randidly Lightly his apprentice switched his grip and tossed the precious spear that he traveled to the Death School to find over toward Shal

At the moment of the throw RandidlyÆs face shifted he saw Pronto bright eyed and grinning

Shal caught the spear and turned to face the Spearman Rather than simply accepting his grip the spear came alive in his hand slithering across him sniffing and chirping as though it was sizing him up After about ten seconds of this it returned to his hand and straightened

And lengthened a few centimeters more than it generally was for Randidly Twisting its head like a snake the spear considered him seeking approval Out of the corner of his eyes Shal saw that out of the deep darkness behind the Spearman several small fireflies emerged floating slowly over toward his side

Shal blinked back tears A spear thatÆs a snake huh watch me Pronto ItÆs time to play Hero one last time

Chapter 840

The Spearman watched the whole process suspiciously From his previous experience the Spearman knew that outside influences should be blocked by the System Yet it allowed the gift of the spear

And immediately after receiving the spear ShalÆs who disposition changed He was glowing with a barely controlled joy He spun the spear as if to test it and the thing hummed beautifully The Spearman tightened his grip on his own spear His spear was not a delicate instrument like ShalÆs It was a thing made to kill

It would bring him great pleasure to crush this unasked for spear that was added so late to the duel

You are weak The Spearman began but he broke off as Shal rushed toward him with his new spear The Spearman could tell that ShalÆs left arm was no more than just stubbornly able to grip at this point it would add no power to his strikes So moving this to a direct confrontation was best

Besides the System suppression was bringing their Stats and Skills into alignment Soon they would be almost the exact same person aside from images And the Spearman had lived on Tellus for seven hundred years He knew the deep darkness that covered this place He felt it now breathing down his neck demanding sacrifice

Did this foolish boy think he wanted such a world Tellus was a hell But even a hell was better than oblivion especially when toiling away in this hell had meaning That was reality

So the Spearman raised his spear to block the attack And watched wide eyed as ShalÆs spear simply twisted around the block and bit into his shoulder

More of this Then this will be even easier than I suspected the Spearman thought savagely His left hand shot out to simply grab the damned spear before it could cause more trouble

A simple twist of ShalÆs wrist straightened the spear in a flash and put it far beyond the close target the spearhead had once been The Spearman froze his hand off his spear and half extended torn between what to do Cursing he brought his hand back to this spear and lowered his weapon to thrust toward Shal

But Shal moved too fast and stomped the jagged and splinter filled wound in the SpearmanÆs thigh

Shal The Spearman bellowed exploding with a wave of the energy that the images of Tellus had granted him He shook and the darkness dislodged itself content to lash out and strike those nearby

Violence and bloodlust dispersed in a wave One great advantage the Spearman had was he fought with images like this in the past when he had betrayed the First Propagator It was not the cleanest victory to rely on this experience but it would show how dominant the Spearman was Like jackals those dark images cackled with glee and rushed forward

The images smashed into Shal and dispersed into tiny motes of light that spun around Shal like a halo The SpearmanÆs confusion only lasted until Shal moved again this time attacking with a simple thrust

Moving quickly the SpearmanÆs weapon came up to intercept the blow But his eyes remained fixed on the spear At some point it would again try and wriggling around his block and

Rather than avoiding the block Shal simply smashed forward with his attack Even if the Spearman was slightly distracted he was floored by the amount of force that the slender spear in ShalÆs hands contained

To his chagrin he was forced to take a step backward which put some weight on his injured leg The only way to avoid falling down was to stagger back a few more steps wincing as blood squeezed itself out of the field of gore that was the SpearmanÆs upper thigh

Shal The Spearman once more began but Shal just thrust again with his spear A simple thrust

A feint the Spearman instantly diagnosed looking down his nose as Shal as his spear rose cautiously You are five hundred years too early to fool me with a basic trick like

But the angle of attack didnÆt change So the Spearman had to overextend himself to block the blow that continued to roll toward his chest

Claanngg

If anything this blow was even more powerful than the previous one But the Spearman would not allow ShalÆs growing momentum to continue he ignored the vicious spike of pain from his thigh and held his ground against the blow

Of course the pain helped the Spearman Because nothing fueled violence like pain The darkness around him was hot and wet the weight of the dead or nearly so clawing and grabbing at the SpearmanÆs back He ignored those hands to acknowledge them was to allow them to drag him down with them All he could do is cut forward

Die The Spearman hissed smashing outward with his spear The blow was a short and sharp horizontal cut aimed at ShalÆs left midsection It was time to test how weak that left spear arm truly was

That obnoxious grin on ShalÆs face didnÆt fade Those small motes of light around him seemed to be getting brighter But before the cruelty of reality

Shal wiggled the spear causing a curving wave to flow through the middle part of the shaft Then Shal snapped his wrist again the spear exploding outward in what was almost a thrust as it straightened With impossible precision the tip of ShalÆs spear blurred sideways and impacted the SpearmanÆs cut

The SpearmanÆs attack was stopped dead The lights around Shal spun faster and faster

Do you know what you never understood

The Spearman blinked straightening to meet ShalÆs gaze Then he hissed in horror as ShalÆs spear spun around like a lasso and grabbed the head of the SpearmanÆs heavy iron spear A sharp yank pulled the Spearman stumbling forward even as both of ShalÆs hands came off his spear

It was clear that the movement pained Shal immensely but he made a fist with his left hand and slammed it into the wound that he had inflicted on the SpearmanÆs side Then ShalÆs right arm came across in a brutal straight that smashed the gored wreckage of the SpearmanÆs nose Howling the Spearman stumbled backward

The Spearman steadied himself and raised his spear as ShalÆs spear hopped off the ground and back into his hand Do you think this is a game This is not an image that will allow Tellus to succeed The spear is not a game for children

ThatÆs exactly right ThatÆs what you donÆt get Shal said lightly as he spun his spear It is a harsh world we live in The reality is one dominated by violence and strife But can you feel it These runes around us sing with the voice of Tellus itself

They whispered to him that press of bodies weighing on the SpearmanÆs shoulders Of what they would do when he finally fell amongst them Their words were so twisted and distorted by their hatred that they no longer spoke a language understandable by the living They tugged at his ankles now urging him to fall To join them

I cannot fail here Ethe IÆll destroy it all IÆll crush it all

Grinding his teeth the Spearman managed to bellow AND TELLUS IS VIOLENCE You lived it Shal DonÆt deny your own world

Shal struck again slashing diagonally at the Spearman ShalÆs glow had shifted from small motes of light to his entire body and the Spearman felt something then that he had not felt for years Something he had not felt since Ethe died

He felt a small thrill of fear A seed planted in his heart slowly taking root Those hands on his wrists and ankles grew more powerful The Spearman could see the faces of those he killed spinning around him with excited expressions waiting for him to join them

Roaring the Spearman smashed those faces They were little parasites but they also gave the Spearman his deep control over the darkness It roiled out in a thick cloud chocking the air But Shal cut right through spear raised

Although the Spearman could block the first strike of ShalÆs the manÆs elastic seeming spear allowed him to rebound it and strike lightning fast at the SpearmanÆs good leg Growling the Spearman shifted his stance and deflected the blow But Shal struck again just as quick

Again and again ShalÆs infuriating spear seemed to evade and nip at the Spearman Its bites might have been small but each bite was another poisonous drop of fear in the SpearmanÆs heart Every time the Spearman marshaled the sea of violence in his heart to explode outward and Shal didnÆt even respond was another hint of hesitation Shal was quickly moving beyond being simply good with a spear he was

IMPOSSIBLE The Spearman howled The ground rumbled as he smashed his spear down at the spot Shal was a second ago But Shal was gone twisting away and scoring another gash across the SpearmanÆs forehead Blood dripped down into his eyes The bodes were draped across the Spearman The cost of violence seven hundred years worth And they were all laughing their teeth clacking against themselves in depressing applause

Auto We are fighting over an image Shal said shortly as he paused in his onslaught The Spearman was incensed as he saw pity in the other manÆs gaze The first image the truest image everyone on Tellus created was not of the violent reality It was of the Hero they yearned to be

The spinning runes were keening now The Spearman trembled as he held fast onto his spear hoping to figure out what was going wrong But although he could see the building light in ShalÆs hands he couldnÆt understand it I refuse to believe that I am beaten by childrenÆs fantasies

Of course those children grow up Their sparkling dreams are dirtied But they never stop holding onto them Shal was just a voice in a sea of light The Spearman stared at it his darkness ebbing Because do you know what your violent image is The tantrum of a worldÆs disappointed children

In spite of himself the Spearman took a step back His image faltered and then failed The dark hands tightened like vice grips around his limbs

You will die here the mountain of dead stacked on his shoulders told the Spearman

The Wraith Viper coiled around ShalÆs body its head sharp and triangular It hissed But to the SpearmanÆs surprise the viper didnÆt even look at him It regarded the sea of bodies that he carried deadly intent in its eyes

You dreamed of this too didnÆt you Auto Shal said softly

He comes not for me The Spearman realized feeling the sea of darkness he carried in his chest tremble in fear The screaming sea of dead their cold fingers scrambling for purchase and their empty eye sockets looking for an escape This was never me I wasnÆt fighting YouÆve been fighting against this darkness the whole time havenÆt you

And the Spearman couldnÆt deny he hated it too Hated how twisted the world had become He couldnÆt deny that he dreamed of this darkness being destroyed someday

I told you time and time again Ethe Auto thought while looking up at the eyes of the Wraith Phantom I would be no good for you That I would only bring you trouble That I carried something that was as deadly as a poison Now at least

At the end of his path the Spearman did not flinch he only closed his eyes His fingers loosened and his spear fell to the ground Here I come Ethe

In a surge of power an image finally Ascended on Tellus as a blade chopped cleanly through the SpearmanÆs neck A worldÆs worth of dead clinging tightly to their grudges howled with indignation as a burning viper made of light bit deeply and flooded them with poison

Chapter 841

Congratulations Your world (error unable to determine origin) has overcome the Second Calamity As such a portal has opened on Tellus to allow the dominant image to proceed to the pinnacle of the Nexus where a trial awaits Warning if your chosen one should fail there will be consequences However incredible benefits await those who are successfully acknowledged by the Nexus

The portal will remain open for a year Only one individual may pass through the portal If your chosen one has not completed the trial by the end of the time limit or chosen not to attempt it your world shall become the Domain of a Patron Warning energy allotment will decrease as a Domain of a Patron

If before the one year deadline your chosen one has completed the trial regardless of success or failure the Third Calamity will prepare to descend

Good luck and congratulations due to passing the Second Calamity your world will enter into a one year period of prosperity and growth This period will continue if your chosen one passes the trial

Randidly read the long System notification and released a breath So a one year time limit and only one person was able to attempt it huh and it wasnÆt related to the Calamities In fact it seemed to be a bonus round For whatever reason Randidly didnÆt like that

The System was sinister enough with its Calamities Now he would need to worry about extra thrown in as well

What then was the motivation for this travel deeper into the Nexus if not to test the world or the image Because the Second Calamity had already made sure the image was well honed From what Randidly recalled from the memories taken from the Creature the third Calamity would weed through the chosen images for something truly special And the notification even said that the Third Calamity could proceed regardless

If itÆs not the main System business Randidly thought slowly His eyes narrowed Perhaps an addition y the overlay on the System

Shaking his head Randidly turned his focus back to the matter at hand The small chamber that Auto Rach had used for seven hundred years was a mess of cracks and broken wood Shal still bleeding profusely stared down at the kneeling and headless figure of Auto His eyes were cloudy as if his mind was somewhere else entirely

After glancing and making sure that Azriel continued to breathe Randidly stepped up next to Shal Shal are you alright

Slowly Shal came back to himself He smiled sadly and shook himself Some of the glow from the Ascension still clung to him making him the brightest source of light in the room He watched in wonder as he raised his hand and looked at his luminescent fingers Perhaps This it was more than I was expecting I suppose To feel chosen but all of Tellus How strange

Once more Shal trailed off But this time his focus returned very quickly He turned toward Randidly and offered up Acri Many thanks for this I was fighting alone before But your simple gift reminded me that I fought for the world I could not have won otherwise As a disciple you have made me very proud

Taking Acri with his remaining arm Randidly immediately grew slightly embarrassed During all the time they had been together Shal had rarely praised Randidly which Randidly appreciated To be complimented now it felt very final DonÆt mention it I mean you needed a spear So

Shal smiled lightly and didnÆt say anything more on the subject Instead his eyes traveled to the stump of RandidlyÆs left arm So Aegiant made it back eh That was my responsibility to check and I failed

Randidly shrugged remembering the creation of his Domain It worked out

All victories have a cost Shal said Grimacing he raised his hand and touched his broken collarbone There were a series of sharp cracks and the wound healed before RandidlyÆs eyes until the flesh knit itself cleanly together

For several seconds Randidly was shocked More than Randidly being shocked Shal seemed flabbergasted He blinked rapidly look at the blood on his hand and then down toward his collar It seemed that he struggled to understand what had happened

But then Randidly looked with his Aether Perception and was floored the room was flooded with System Aether stemming from Shal As he broadened his vision he realized that all of Tellus was being slowly swamped with the Aether Shal was releasing It seems like an era of prosperity and growth was right

Then as one the two men turned to face the glowing portal

I suppose it is best I begin immediately Shal grunted considering the portal Almost idly he looked down at the drying blood on his hand We do not know how long the trial through the portal will take being relegated cannot be risked

Remembering his own thoughts about the possibility of becoming a Patron Randidly asked Would it truly be so bad to become the Domain of a Patron

Yes Shal said harshly then gave Randidly a sharp glance Shaking his head Shal continued Perhaps your Patron was unusual The Patron of Ash yes One who it is counseled to stay away from But most of the popular Patrons they act like gods The people who remain on those worlds are naught but slaves to the Patron It is the way of power To possess it is to be shaped by it Responsibility is a narrow track to walk and easy to fall out of

After speaking Shal looked at his hands again it was clear that he was shaken somewhat by the abrupt healing

Randidly nodded slowly It made sense If you were a godlike being that was approached for assistance by those from a lower Cohort it made sense that some of that went to your head

Feeling at the location where his wound had been Shal said Perhaps that is why I wish to depart so quickly I am connected to Tellus now I feel the influence I can wield I do not like it So I shall go

Randidly blinked Connected to the world In what way Is it more than being an Aether font

But Shal was already walking toward the portal Shal Wait what about the aftermath If you stay a few days set up a government

Bah we both know I am helpless at such things Shal said not even slowing

But the people

Will get along without me They did before Shal said He stopped at the edge of the portal and turned around Also you will return to your own world yes Then this is goodbye

What about Rumera

Shal paused halfway turned toward the portal He wavered this brow furrowed into a maze of ruts and wrinkles When he spoke his voice was soft Rumera

Randidly pressed forward sensing an angle As long as Shal stayed for some time Randidly would get more information on what exact notification Shal received Because it seemed like ShalÆs was very different If there was more information on the connection to the world Randidly wanted it Yes It wonÆt take but a few hours to greet her

Here Shal tossed a small object toward Randidly who was so surprised that he didnÆt even try and catch it Acri flexed and cupped it with its flat spearhead offering it to Randidly Shal looked at the ground then up at Randidly with a warm smile She lives I can sense it You thank you Again But I

Shal grimaced What struck Randidly at that moment was how pale and uncertain Shal looked Something was bothering him deeply I do not like this power I have On this world now I feel Well give that to her I need to ground myself I can hear their whispers their dreams Of an entire world For now I need to isolate myself

Then Shal stepped through the portal

Fucking hell Randidly muttered Then he looked at the object a small ring jesus fuck

Ring of Promise Lvl 100 A ring made of two snakes chasing each other but only finding the oppositeÆs tail Left by the Ascended for his beloved It bears the weight of longing and duty Focus and Willpower +200

Did Shal just create this completely overpowered ring on the spot

No wonder he was a bit overwhelmed by it all and wanted to get some space If he had enough power to create something quite ridiculous like this there had to be a cost right Or that it needed to be related to a strong image Or that there was a limit to such things Otherwise how would the Third Calamity be difficult

Unless the Third Calamity was another sort of test entirely

A new notification pulled Randidly would of his circling thoughts

A chosen one has traveled through the portal toward the Nexus As such all those within Tellus have received a benefit The benefit will increase in power if the chosen one succeeds in the trial

Randidly was slightly amused to see that he received the benefit too

Guidance of the Wraith Adder The spirit of Shal the Wraith Adder remains at your side at all times In your heart dwells the seed of a hero With sufficient preparation that seed will bloom into something that can change the world +2 Bonus stats per Level +4 Agility per Level Speed at which Spear related Skills grow is slightly increased

Randidly laughed out loud A free 6 stats per Level was nothing to sneeze at And to have increased Leveling speed for Spear Skills

Randidly paused Then he frowned He had received a message One from a name he recognized and on that did not fly toward him on the wings of good news

Mr Ghosthound

Considering your recent activities I believe we need to talk At your earliest convenience

Sincerely

Octavius Shrike Overseer of the 7th Cohort

Chapter 842

After meeting and discussing the repercussions of RandidlyÆs presence on Tellus with Octavius Randidly was in a foul mood But he didnÆt have much time to dwell on things there was too much work to be done on Tellus

The first thing he did was deliver the ring to Rumera He had some temptation to keep it just due to the ridiculous stats provided but Randidly knew that he would soon head back to Earth and Donnyton there Randidly didnÆt doubt that Sam would have plenty of high quality equipment prepared for him

Which he badly needed All his previous equipment was damaged beyond repair during his fight with Aegiant Getting an upgrade would be just what the doctor ordered

Randidly looked down at his basic leathers and cotton tunic ItÆs not just my feet that are bare these days

After visiting with Rumera for a time Randidly proceeded to meet with Aethon Thai who was the de facto head of the remaining population of Tellus In the wake of the battle of Icklid the Oracle disappeared So of the leadership of both Hastam and the Northern Camp only Aethon Thai remained

We are so fucked Aethon said head in his hands

Randidly was inclined to agree looking at the map that Aethon had before him Honestly Randidly didnÆt want any part of this either management was not his strong suit Even in the beginning he had relied on Mrs Hamilton to handle those issues But as ShalÆs disciple most people were treating Randidly as one of the leaders in Hastam

Not that most people knew what he looked like but when people heard his name they attempted to mob him Everyone had a son or nephew or granddaughter who would be the perfect disciple or spear attendant

Besides for all Shal really fucked Randidly it wouldnÆt be fair to allow Tellus to slowly crumble to pieces while Shal was away Since Randidly was here he would try and build something that could last

IÆm meeting with the C Corp CEO in fifteen minutes about sending work groups to see what salvageable farmland we can scavenge but it will likely be too late Aethon said During the fighting the few remaining Masters and Pontiffs stole most of HastamÆs food stores and fled to the countryside to start their own cities Without the looming threat of Wights people are turning on each other and fighting over food It hasnÆt happened yet but I expect people to riot soon Personally I donÆt mind suppressing the city I donÆt think anyone remains that can fight me But wasnÆt the point that we would get away from this You spoke to him before he left what did Shal recommend

Nothing Randidly thought sourly but he kept his face neutral Sighing he walked to the window and looked out at the countryside He left me Which will likely be enough I can have some people assist with the food problem As for the chaos Shal won on the image of a dream We need to make a place to feed those dreams

Feed the dreams Aethon said with a frown

Randidly nodded slowly still looking at the busy streets below Those that hadnÆt left the city were pretending like everything was fine setting up stalls and selling their belongings in the manner of C Corp scraping together enough coins for food Of course the price of food was rising far too quickly for the unstable currency of Hastam to keep up

There would be inflation issues very soon but Randidly wasnÆt sure how to address those But in terms of dreams well Earth had given him a very thorough education in dreams

You should found a University Randidly finally said

A university I am unfamiliar with the term Aethon replied

Randidly turned around A place of learning An Academy A place where young spear users can aspire to go There will be classes where skilled spear users instruct any who have the talents to be accepted into the University

Like a big Style Aethon asked with a frown

Shaking his head Randidly said Not exactly It would be better to be a gathering place for dozens of Styles And a place where the taboo against teaching Styles widely is wiped away It will likely be hard to recruit instructors at first so it should be framed as a testing ground for Styles To prove which is superior That will draw in the curious and bold at least at first And once it gains momentum

and if the Styles offered are tempting enough Aethon said slowly The people that split off to the countryside will be drawn back

Randidly nodded Because who doesnÆt dream about proving their Style the best of all And the University will help stabilize the currency if you require payment to attend and provide complimentary meals for the attendees

Which brings us back to the food problem Aethon sighed

Believe me my people can handle it Randidly chuckled Ignition of the Emerald Essence could turn the countryside into a lush jungle in barely a day Two more things The University call it Pronto University And also I need a favor I need help locating a specific Style that I owe a debt to

To RandidlyÆs surprise Aethon was surprisingly helpful on that front Which allowed Randidly to leave AethonÆs office with a pleased expression Which swiftly disappeared as he saw the individual walking toward him

The CEO of C Corp Claptrap stared at the ground in front of Randidly looking sullen

The sight of him was such a surprise that for several seconds Randidly just looked at the other man Randidly stopped dead considering Claptrap feeling the Aether that trapped a soul in his one arm and the strain his body was under holding together all the strangeness that Lucretia had tied into him

But only one real thought came to RandidlyÆs mind as he considered Claptrap You killed Roger you arrogant fuck

Well Claptrap hissed his eyes darting up to him If you have something to say to me

Randidly walked past him without another glance Ah but I donÆt have to say anything do I You will be devoured by guilt for the rest of your days And for all that you sneer like a two bit villain C Corp has done a lot of good for Tellus For that IÆll let my own feelings go

Claptrap flinched as Randidly passed close by and he stared as Randidly didnÆt even acknowledge him Silently Claptrap stood watching and sweating until Randidly rounded the corner and passed out of sight

Next order of business was setting up the giant torches filled with Ignition of the Emerald Essence They were placed near the remaining food producing farms and Randidly actually enjoyed watching the plants greedily absorb the ambient energy it created

The results were satisfying as well It took Randidly and Io two hours to create an acre of harvestable apples that were large and hearty enough that the thick skin had to be cut with a spear

Of course the flesh inside was compensatorily soft and delicious

Once she had the idea of how to create them Io and her team got to work spreading the torches to other areas Which left Randidly free to move on to something else

Humming beneath his breath Randidly walked toward the Northern camp When he approached he didnÆt bother to greet the guards At this point he wasnÆt willing to risk being recognized by one of the guards and being bombarded by questions about TellusÆ future

Well I might be being paranoid Randidly reflected IÆm only known by most everyone who survived in Hastam Outside of that and hopefully there are other communities throughout the world Small ones to be sure but knowing we have survived the trial they will likely explore to find the heroes that saved them

Deep in the Northern Camp he found the group just as described by Aethon ThaiÆs subordinates There were four people sitting outside of one of the ragged tents that mirrored a thousand similar dwellings that populated the muddy outskirts of the camp They were an old woman a young woman and two twin boys likely around fourteen

The survivors of the Willow Tree Spear Style Randidly thought sadly When Randidly had met the group a year ago there had been dozens of them On the run from the Engraving Guilds sure but living

The last year had been brutal on the Style whittling their number down to four But Randidly was pleased to see that both the Matriarch and Jade the woman who had noticed him Engraving and took him to see the Matriarch both survived

The two boys Randidly didnÆt recognize by distinctive features but he recognized their archetype They were the future of the Tellus the brave younger generation who would become the heroes to face tomorrow They were exactly the group that Pronto University needed to draw in order to flourish

As they play fought in front of them the Matriarch looked on fondly Her eyes were fixed on them as she allowed the dull noises of the camp wash over her

After watching the group for a bit of time Randidly approached Jade was the first to notice him among the crowd of wandering spear users and she jumped to her feet as if she had sat on a porcupine The Matriarch was second to notice staring at Randidly with an almost overpowering examination as he neared the four

The boys didnÆt seem to notice Randidly at all They were too busy play fighting with spears Randidly noted with amusement that the boy that appeared to be winning had a shirt that was sewn with HelenÆs tassle

Small world Randidly thought with a work Then he realized that Helen was probably considered the champion of the under 25 Tournament

The four had a small fire and Randidly stopped at a few meters away from it looking across at the Matriarch Eventually she nodded

Well met friend The Matriarch said Then she turned to Jade Jade please begin to gather our things

Huh why Is something wrong JadeÆs eyes flicked from the Matriarch to Randidly fearfully as though he was a harbinger of the return of their hunters

The Matriarch chuckled No I believe Mr Ghosthound was just here to pay back his debts I assume it wouldnÆt be too much to ask for you to find us better living quarters

Randidly grinned He could probably swing that

Chapter 843

Living arrangements were easy and the MatriarchÆs second request of providing a spear master for the one twin Sleval was similarly simple Since Randidly had planned to send both children to the University it worked out wonderfully

Annon the slightly younger and scrawnier brother posed a thornier problem

I will leave this place Randidly warned He will be taken from all he has known And the threats I will face He is young Let him grow up here And your abilities as a Mana Engraver

The Matriarch cast her eyes meaningfully at the large leather bound and handwritten book that lay on the table between them The Skills at Engraving belonged to my husband I was never all that talented And as we were fleeing my guidance served the Willow Tree Spear Style just fine However Annon has displayed talent and interest in Engraving since he was small I wish for him to have the opportunities to learn the Skills of his grandfather And for that I can only rely on you

There is no guarantee that I can learn this Randidly admitted helplessly The book on the table between them was the secret art of the Willow Tree Spear Style creating a runic engraving that could Level like a regular Skill without affecting your ClassÆ Skill limit The basic version of it was to draw a complicated geometric pattern lightly and then fill in a small portion of the geometric pattern with more definitive engravings That way it could function as a Skill and as it grew spread to larger and larger geometric shape in the previously traced whole

The Skill in effect self replicated itself doubling down on the abilities of the Skill Although Randidly wasnÆt sure of the scaling it was clearly a powerful art

There were quite a few caveats however All the interrelations needed to be perfect for the engraving to be stable or it would explode and destroy the item Depending on what Skill the maker was attempting to imbue into the item the geometric pattern used needed to match the SkillÆs or the item would explode And the creator needed to have mastery and understanding of the Skill at all levels or the item would explode

Basically the process was akin to playing with dynamite where you lit the fuse by using the Skill It might grow it might explode There was no way of truly telling without experience making such runes

That experience would only happen if Randidly took the risk of a weapon blowing up while using it

In addition Randidly considered himself talented but the level of fine detail required in the geometric patterns was mind boggling Simply sketching them out on the equipment before creating the kernel of the actual Skill would likely take three days of work

Even so there is no one else The Matriarch turned and looked at Annon and Sleval who were gawking at the new full length Tassle of the Willow Tree Spear Style that hung on the wall It had been a long time since they had felt confident enough to announce who they were to the world Annon was always a strange child Going with you will likely be a good experience for him

Randidly winced Somehow he doubted traveling with Randidly would be a good thing What about his brother I cannot guarantee that I will return soon Or at all If something happens to me

That is the way of life The Matriarch interrupted Nothing is guaranteed And the bond between those brothers is not so weak that distance would destroy it

Randidly gritted his teeth but said nothing Taking Annon and teaching him Engraving was annoying but possible Especially once he returned to Earth and had access to the resources of Erickson Steel But it was just one more responsibility on a long list that Randidly wished he didnÆt have to handle

Yet the Matriarch had given him a precious treasure one that had shaped him in the past To repay that debt he would do it

Alright Randidly finally agreed as he leaned forward and took the book sitting on the table But I would ask one thing of you as well

The Matriarch tilted her head to the side Oh What would that be

Pronto University wonÆt teach just spear fighting I would also like Engraving to be part of the curriculum You might not be a master of this but Randidly tapped the book You have enough knowledge to teach the basics yes

There was a breeze on her face

Azriel struggled to open her eyes and found her eyelids too heavy to move Frowning Azriel focused all of her considerable Willpower on the task Still her eyelids were like beds of drying concrete But she refused to give up She would have this

Slowly light flooded into AzrielÆs mind and showed her the world

It was warm where she was Sunlight was flowing through open windows onto the covers that lay across Azriel Azriel made to sit up but her body groaned painfully Annoyed she wiggled back and forth trying to loosen the covers that were as restrictive as metal bindings across her chest

It was an impossible task She must have been purposefully tied down

Stop that YouÆll tear open your wounds Helen scolded leaning into AzrielÆs view to glower at her

Snorting Azriel ceased wiggling blinking as she tried to get her eyes to focus on HelenÆs face Unfortunately it was a slow process It was strange Why was she having so much difficulty focusing her gaze What

But Azriel stopped short She had been about to ask what happened But she remembered

Holding those images the violence and blood on her hands Broken bones and bloated corpses The whispers of death the demands the creeping madness Ascending transforming Tellus into a place where that image was dominant Where the weak were taken advantage of and killed by the strong

Azriel took a deep breath and faced the fact that if that image had Ascended something precious in Tellus would have been lost forever And she had known that and aided that very eventuality

Would she have chosen that image on her own No of course not But she owed her Master a great debt So much so that she had been willing to sacrifice her own images to give it the chance that it had wanted

This is gonna hurt Randidly said looking up at her with wide eyes He looked so worried and his hand was warm when he touched her

Azriel pressed her eyes closed My Master

Helen said nothing After a few seconds Azriel opened her eyes and looked at Helen The other woman was crying but still remained silent Inwardly Azriel sighed She supposed that was answer enough

Will I cry over you Master Azriel wondered Her eyes were dry But it was possible that this state of being was due to the dire situation of her body When she recovered there might be a different reaction She examined herself carefully and realized how damaged she truly was physically and mentally

The crying will have to wait The debt is paid For now that is enough I hope no simply rest in peace Master You deserved better than the role given to you Even if the devastation you tried to cause wonÆt show that

Azriel Helen began but she was interrupted as the door to the small room opened

Randidly stood in the doorway frowning down at Azriel But as Azriel quirked her eyebrow in askance at him he burst into a wide grin

So young Azriel thought distantly watching the way his smile erased all the lines from his face So much power What will you ask from those that owe you debts Mr Ghosthound Have you even thought about it

Good you are awake Randidly said moving to sit beside the bed How are you feeling

Azriel dismissed her dark thoughts and looked pointedly at the weighted comforter that was pinning her to the bed Like this restraint is unnecessary Now that I am conscious I am prepared to move around once more How long have I been asleep

Almost a week Helen said shooting a questioning glance at Randidly

Azriel made note of the glance

It seemed that they didnÆt mean to keep her long in the dark about their sinister cabal After a brief hesitation Randidly spoke Azriel I donÆt wish to rush your recovery at all but IÆm going to head back to my planet soon For quite a while And I wanted to offer you the chance to come Helen has already agreed

Will you refuse to take off the covers if I do not agree Azriel asked

Randidly chuckled No I will not But I donÆt think you are well enough to move yet There will be some energy problems that I will need to sort out so you should rest up as much as possible IÆm not sure how your body will react to the transition

Azriel nodded If you manage to solve the problem of energy then I would like to accompany you I wonder about the world you come from Mr Ghosthound It must be a strange place

Snorting Randidly shook his head helplessly You donÆt know the half of it

Azriel smiled but she studied RandidlyÆs face Although she had been knocked out some part of her had stayed tuned to the Ascension while she was knocked out She could feel how it had occurred feel the shape of images Likely it was because she had come so close to Ascending herself Some part of her was on that wavelength

And she could feel very clearly how close ShalÆs bright dreams had come close to failing Because the ultimate truth was that dreams were seeds that were born in darkness and would not grow until they sensed warm

And your hand held such warmth Randidly Azriel thought I wonder how much of his debt to you Shal understands I wonder if Tellus would know how hard it would be for it to take this step if you hadnÆt been there touching the images of those you interacted with

Chapter 844

Sam picked up the sword and squinted at it as he held it up to the sun The rays of sunlight reflected off the glossy blue grey metal in starburst motes of light The day was hot and Sam idly wiped away a few beads of sweat and leaned closer to the blade He brought his eye right to the edge scanning up and down the length of the weapon

Grunting in annoyance Sam took the sword from the crate that it had come in with his brothers and into his personal forge Donny hurried after him

Well How is it Donny asked anxiously

Sam snorted Certainly pretty

It was a sword done in the Chinese style likely the closest thing to a wo dao that Sam had ever seen in person But the blade was made so that it continued above and below the handle with a short dagger like blade forming the bottom Sam clucked his tongue helplessly at the idea of having a blade on the hilt more than one idiot would cut off a finger reaching for their blade in the morning

His forge was simple and austere There was the firepit the bellows the anvil the quenching tank and then piles of raw materials and ores All of it was surrounded by tall windows so light would filter in for Sam to forge under Immediately Sam went to the anvil

He picked up a tiny copper hammer and rested the blade against the anvil After releasing all of his breath Sam brought the hammer against the blade

Ting

The sound was clear and clean Frowning slightly Sam shifted his grip and hit the wo dao blade against with the hammer

Balance is a bit off IÆd have to check them all but itÆs likely on purpose These are a chopping weapon Sam offered the sword to Donny The young man took it frowning at the blade It will tire you out damn fast But youÆll hit harder for your first three swings

IÆm just surprised Donny finally said turning the sword over in his hand You are taking this really well This is clearly a challenge to DonnytonÆs production

Sam glared at Donny Helplessly Donny raised his hands

Alright alright all IÆm saying is that Zone Seven makes damn good swords And they connected to New Earth a month ago What are they gonna do after having their economy connected to ours for a year They might move in on DonnytonÆs weapon production monopoly Donny looked solemnly at Sam With growth slowing down now that there isnÆt a constant flow of refugees anymore

Bah our swords are better Sam said looking at the details of the Wo Dao in his hand

Blade of the Republic Lvl 38 A mass produced sword made for the invincible Chinese Army Proficient in cutting attacks Folded Metal II Uniformity I Spirit of the People III Strength +25

Folded Metal II The complex production process has created a beautiful kaleidoscope of color with its folded metal Perception and Reaction +15

Uniformity I As one of many will gain additional stats when it is used in a squad that fight will the same style sword Agility +1 for each nearby weapon with Uniformity I up to a max of 10

Spirit of the People III Each weapon is imbued with the unstoppable spirit of the People enabling a warrior to continue fighting long after their body would usually run out of strength Willpower and Endurance +25

This is a Level 38 weapon that could give the user 115 stats Donny said with a sigh We can obviously do better but we would create higher Level weapons with better materials to rival this There isnÆt even a material component to these bonuses If they find themselves a solid supplier

So we are to worry fret ourselves to death because we make higher Level weapons Sam shook his head Calm down Do not fear competition Besides the Uniformity bonus is the material bonus it is precisely because they use such lackluster metals that they are able to achieve this

Process Materials and Image Those are the three bonuses weapons received in order They were the pieces of a larger story that each weapon told And each of those notes was interconnected with the others on a very spiritual level It was clear to Sam that these weapons were made to glorify the common good Which was why the bonuses were able to be so impressive despite the relatively pedestrian workmanship

And what if they develop a higher end version of this Donny pressed Sam didnÆt even bother to answer Instead he walked over to an iron bar and tested the weaponÆs edge cutting brutally into the solid metal Then he considered the sword

Sharp but the weapon would require regular sharpenings For all of the glorification of the mundane it could not transcend itself

And the secret about a weapon transcending itself was exactly what Sam had spent the last two years of his life chasing Which was why he was unimpressed by these weapons The story they told was uninspiring It wasnÆt a path he had taken but neither was it a revelation

They sent us one thousand as a start Donny said through gritted teeth with Sam continued to simply tap at the weapon He gestured to the crates waiting outside More will come Even if they are inferior to our products they can just flood the market

Do you think most will be willing to switch to using such a style of sword Skills are very specific Sam asked very disinterested in the answer

But Donny wasnÆt done We have more monsters in the countryside than ever Even though refugees have slowed down now we have to deal with NCC bandits harassing our caravans We have had losses in our squads to Raid Bosses unheard of in the history of Donnyton Tension is rising now that the Ogre front is

Sam reached over and placed his hand on DonnyÆs shoulder Then he looked at the young man Really looked at him

Hells Sam thought abruptly looking at DonnyÆs red rimmed eyes and tense shoulders Even with Dungeon time heÆs probably not even twenty And heÆs been acting as figurehead and leader for a long time I can hear the screws coming loose inside of him

Donny Sam said Would you like to come over to my house for dinner tonight Mrs Hamilton will be there

Donny opened his mouth closed it then nodded His expression was still grim but some of the tightness was gone from around his eyes yea alright

Good Sam grunted He walked back out to the crates of interchangeable swords where two of Mrs HamiltonÆs aides were waiting

Take them to market sell em cheap Sam said expansively waving at the crates Keep ten back offer to make an Interim Squad out of individuals who are proficient with the blades within a week oh and send one of the crates to Erickson Steel They will want to look at the stuff They like weird metals

The aides nodded then loaded the crate onto the cart and headed back toward the market Donny clearly wanted to say something about SamÆs decision but Sam silenced the kid with a glare Then the two began to walk South heading toward Donnyton proper

Donnyton was situated in a valley shaped like a stretched out 2 There was a high and curving range of mountains to the West while the Eastern border of the valley was made up of low and rolling hills The original Donnyton was built on a low hill at the center of the valley which was where most of the general market stalls and the System Village buildings were currently located

There it was possible to get a Class learn some basic Skills buy a few Health potions and some basic equipment and get everything you needed to start in the city Even though Donny complained of the dwindling supply of refugees that was largely because everyone who wanted to chase that dream was already here

Donnyton was packed

The System had been designed to allow seeds of settlements to develop and then send increasing numbers of people from the previous world to those places This was an easy way to fuel growth although Sam often felt a strange mixture of pity and envy for the refugees that were frozen for almost two years before being released into the System

After all they didnÆt have to ability to blaze a path forward under the influence of the System The world was largely established by the time they joined But they also did miss the worst of the SystemÆs trials as well

Sam shook his head and kept walking No point in worrying

Above the central hill running north with the valley were the barracks that housed the Squads of Donnyton the pride and joy of the town It was for those brave squads and their selfless patrols all across the different Zones that Donnyton was universally recognized and envied It was those people who planted the seed of the dream of Donnyton

A dream that would see Donnyton through these small troubles Sam had no doubt

Further North was a flooded quarry which was the location of DonnytonÆs arena And above that well that was where Donny and Sam currently were the sprawling production district

The two walked quickly passing through columns of smoke heated discussions about the relative importance of ingredients over process and distributors haggling with artisans over material costs The clang of metal filled the air and around every corner was an individual in a leather apron carrying wood or ore or tools

It was a sound and ambiance that Sam loved Everyone had soot smudges on their face and clasped hands firmly after a successful deal

Of all the places of Donnyton this was SamÆs favorite And it was his

But apart from the Production District there were three other Districts in Donnyton These three were below the central hill that was DonnytonÆs core and stretched into the grasslands beyond to the Southeast

If you walked South from the central hill of Donnyton you would arrive at the Materials District Sam took some exception to this name but he couldnÆt deny that Mrs HamiltonÆs factories where she researched potions and mixtures and solutions were useful It just seemed to him that materials was well and covered by the Production

But this was an argument Sam had had with many a person

And always lost

To the East of the Materials District was the Farming District This was by far the largest of the Districts and sprawled across a space that was about the size of the rest of Donnyton combined For everyone that wanted to come to Donnyton to join a squad there was usually a family that just wanted to pretend like the SystemÆs arrival never happened

Most of DonnytonÆs NCC population was located here

And nestled to the North of the Farming District was the Religious District So called for being the Headquarters of the growing Cults of Arbor but it now also served as a place where all of the Orders had a headquarters in Donnyton Even now each of the Orders was struggling to finagle the way to rope in some of the more powerful squads of Donnyton to wear their symbol

But none of these districts was the twoÆs destination they headed west up the mountain range Due to one particular individual who possessed an extreme knack for digging the mountains were covered in terraces upon which rows of houses were built

Upward they walked past the relatively cheap houses toward the most expensive real estate in Donnyton The houses that were on the overlook above Donnyton

Chapter 845

Pass the salt Edmund Dugg said He also pointed as though no one would understand what he was referring to otherwise

Mrs HamiltonÆs lips twitched But she said nothing as Sam passed Edmund both the salt and the pepper

Edmund looked at the pepper in shock This isnÆt salt I didnÆt want this

I know Ed Sam grunted But my father taught me you passed salt and pepper together They are a couple

I donÆt want the pepper Edmund said with a shrug His impressive black mustache twitched as though the mere thought of pepper made him want to sneeze

Then donÆt use it Sam said harshly glaring at the other man

Mrs Hamilton serenely surveyed the rest of the table Regina Northwind had the blank faced look of a woman making a mental checklist while something beneath her notice was occurring Donny sat with his head down continuing to eat the greek salad in front of them Bekany EdmundÆs wife and the one who brought that salad blinked and smiled

You do that a lot dear Mrs Hamilton thought fondly But for all that Bekany was clearly a ditz she displayed an attribute that Mrs Hamilton found endlessly enchanting Patience And you need it every day to deal with that man

IÆll take the pepper Bekany said brightly

Edmund pushed the pepper grinder across the table with the back of his hand as though using his palm would somehow infect him with its distasteful attributes Bekany took the pepper and tilted it incrementally over her salad No hint of pepper fell out With that same bland smile on her face Bekany righted the shaker and set the pepper down

I donÆt know how you manage the stuff Edmund said with a shake of his head Finding something amiss Edmund suddenly froze Then he reached up removed a rather large piece of ear wax from his left ear and flicked it onto the floor

ReginaÆs face twitched back to wakefulness as she witnessed the callous disrespect conveyed in the gesture but she just frowned Mrs Hamilton covered a smile with her hand Obviously it wasnÆt worth getting the man started on the dangers of over waxed ears

In a respectable effort to move the talk forward Sam said FoodÆs good

Let me tell you something Edmund said as he leaned over the table He propped his elbow up and jabbed his finger at Sam There was this place A hot dog shop spelled with two pÆs and an e Now I know what youÆre thinking I would never dine there I agree I had the same thoughts But the hotdogs they served

This food is a damn sight better than hot dogs Ed Sam rumbled as he glared at Edmund The man shrugged unwilling to back down on his point Bekany just sat at his side and giggled then continued to eat her own pepper less salad

So the dinner went

At the end of it Donny wasnÆt so anxious any longer but he was clearly frustrated So Mrs Hamilton shared a knowing look with Sam and excused herself from the rather idyllic rant Edmund was giving about ovens with the System A short gesture was all she needed to get Donny to follow her

To his credit he walked calmly after her his hands at his sides But his annoyance was clear in the tightness of the lines beside his eyes Donny you truly are so young

So why was I brought here Donny asked Mrs Hamilton sighed and brought him into the private library of Sam and Regina As they sat in the overstuffed leather chairs Donny continued to speak I thought it was to talk business Because all I know is that DonnytonÆs growth is leveling off We have the Undying Hero acting in the Southeast not even Neveah can pin him down The two new arrivals to the new Earth smile politely but are trying to cut into Donnyton business And the OgreÆs

The world is full of terrible truths Mrs Hamilton said lightly to cut him off But you cannot let that get to you You are doing everything you can Working harder than this will just be counterproductive

Yea well itÆs fucking getting to me Donny said Then he shook his head helplessly We had a string of victories early in Donnyton Maybe IÆm just worried about whatÆs going to happen to us Randidly wonÆt just solve all of our problems This might be the beginning of the end for Donnyton

This time Mrs Hamilton flicked Donny in the head Yea we know itÆs getting to you ThatÆs why Sam invited you to this dinner Because you have too many streams of information the line between what you can do and what should be done is blurring You arenÆt Randidly Ghosthound Not even Randidly is Randidly He always has a team of people behind him If you forget that you are going to go crazy trying to keep up

Mrs Hamilton watched DonnyÆs face carefully She was also worried that some of the power was getting to his head All of the capability and power concentrated in one so young Mrs Hamilton had long had countermeasures prepared for the eventuality that Donny fell prey to his darker desires

Fortunately or unfortunately the constant stresses of leading Donnyton kept those creature comforts far from DonnyÆs mind When he wasnÆt in meetings or working with the different factions of Donnyton Donny was training Physical fights against very talented fighters had a tendency to keep a man honest

His eyes were clear and annoyed as he stared at her after the flick but she could see him visibly calming down It seems that the realities of the System aiming to kill us has had some unintended consequences But bright lights just makes deeper darkness when night finally comes

I get it Donny said rubbing his neck IÆve just been stressed And itÆs not something that a sparring session has been able to work out Ever since Randidly went away things have been difficult It just seems like there are more Raid Bosses appearing in the wrong places every week The Nemesai are moving We need to be ready for them

And we will be Mrs Hamilton said with a smile Look IÆm not trying to just be ambiguous we have solid leads on their moves IÆll debrief you on what we know tomorrow if you want to know The Ogre army is dangerous but they are just as wary of us as we are of them They havenÆt moved after Alana and Dozer stopped their probe As for the situation with the Undying Hero

Mrs Hamilton tapped one of her silver rings against the wooden end table next to the chairs In this at least she shared DonnyÆs concerns But she wasnÆt going to voice them Have some faith in Neveah If she hasnÆt had results there is a reason for it Besides her actions have at least kept him at bay for the past several months

Donny grimaced Still It was a waste that someone used one of the Danger Zones to triple his own stats We need those experience buffs so the average Level of Earth rises If we donÆt continue to grow strong

Do you know why we have these dinners Mrs Hamilton asked IÆm sure youÆre curious For all that Edmund Dugg personally installed almost every sewage system in Donnyton heÆs quite a bit draining to be around But thatÆs the point

You enjoy listening to him and his bimbo wife Donny smirked

Mrs Hamilton glared at him for the term but then wiggled her fingers Humanity evolved to have certain needs The System did a remarkable job taking away a lot of those needs But it couldnÆt erase them entirely And let me tell you IÆve never slept as soundly or as deeply as after IÆve listened to one of EdÆs talks

Donny blinked You you take those two like sleep aides

Ha That was a joke Mrs Hamilton said wrapping her ring against the desk once more Did she treat Edmund and Bekany as a drug She just might But that sort of callous treatment of others shouldnÆt be encouraged They are real people Unenamored with the System or its benefits To Ed the trappings of power donÆt mean anything HeÆs just an average guy who wants to come home after work and complain to his wife

Yea well we arenÆt normal people we donÆt have the luxury anymore Donny said We

are not superheroes Mrs Hamilton interrupted Do you know why you are so exhausted ItÆs because you forget that Your mind needs a break DonÆt you have a girlfriend Why donÆt you go spend some quality time with her

Donny just stared at her

Chuckling Mrs Hamilton headed toward the door Also youÆve forgotten one more important thing No one and I mean no one in this world is a threat to Donnyton We are the strongest force on Earth You are just too close to see it

Chapter 846

We should have attacked them when we first spotted them Crushed them to paste Annie grumbled

Dozer shook his head Not our call Better to let them feel comfortable over there

If we end up having to storm this fortress youÆll admit that I was right Annie said pointedly The two sat on a low hill outside of what had once been the Ogre Gorge About two months ago the ogre leadership discovered the portal to Earth and began to move forces here Now they had erected a series of low earthen walls before the entrance to the gorge

And from the sounds that had been echoing out of that crack in the earth for the last few weeks that wasnÆt the only surprise that the ogres had cooked up within those twisting hills

Dozer eyed the opening He had never had a chance to proceed into the inner portion of the Ogre Gorge Randidly had cleared it before they had even arrived And after that they didnÆt really feel any need to explore the inside They were just watching aware that at some point the ogres would find a way back through

But now for all his belief that it was better to not have immediately hammered their expeditionary force Dozer couldnÆt help but wonder how many ogres could be hiding within

Ogres were about twice the size of humans and the ogres that the scouts reported seeing were over Level 50 The Ogre that Alana had smashed backward into the gorge had been Level 62 but he appeared to have been rather high up in the organization So high up that her prompt answer to a call for a duel had seen no further requests

That had been a month ago At this point Dozer and Annie were on here full time watching for movement Each only had their twenty four personal squad members so they wouldnÆt be able to resist a concerted push from the ogres they would give ground But that was the reason that Dozer hadnÆt bother to order his engineers to erect any defensive fortifications Anything they put up would likely end up being taken by the ogres at some point

Fuck this Annie said as she stomped over to the fire IÆm tired of babysitting If I wanted more of this I would have just let you knock me up again

Sensing that the topic was shifting to something less related to fighting Dozer turned toward his wife with calm resignation So what do you want to do

AlanaÆs heading back now so mopping up her leftovers on the Western front LetÆs head there Actually get in the thick of the fighting Feel alive

Dozer thought about it Their entrance was the largest and main entrance to the ogre ravine but too late a second entrance was discovered It seemed that after their failed attempt to duel Alana the ogres believed that she was the only individual worth fearing in this world So they had extracted slowly a few at a time until they had a fighting force of two hundred armored ogres outside With Alana safely posted in front of the main entrance they prepared to rampage across the countryside

It was suspected that they planned to bring that force around and crush Dozer and AnnieÆs defensive force but they were discovered before that could happen By a teenager who wore a Randidly Ghosthound mask and was best friends with a tree

With his warning some of the strange monster populace that inhabited the area to the Southwest of here were able to move up and harass the two hundred strong army until Alana arrived

At that point the ogres fled back into the wilderness around the ravine Deciding that chasing them deeper was a waste of time Alana turned around At the moment she was trooping back with her fifty person squad

what is this about Dozer said slowly They would get to this eventually he had learned that it was better to do it on his own terms

Annie spun around and glared at him Her jaw locked Do I really have to say it

Dozer considered this question Then he nodded because he could see no reasonable alternative How would they communicate if not through speech

We haven’tÆ had sex in weeks Annie hissed What IÆm wondering is if IÆm going to have to slit some bitches throat or not Have you been cheating on me

Dozer blinked

Both looked up sharply Alana with Ptolemy standing nervously at her side was at the edge of the fire She looked from Dozer to Annie and then back again

Not that this isnÆt something worth talking about Alana said shortly rolling her shoulders But someone is walking out of the ravine Simon told me I should hurry back IÆm glad to see it wasnÆt just to walk in on the last few seconds of a soap opera

AnnieÆs eyebrows twitched the way they did when she was royally pissed but she held her tongue She probably noticed as Dozer did how harried and worn Alana looked Her armor was covered in scuffs and her leather pants were clearly splattered with blood Although they had won their few skirmishes with the ogres and suffered no fatalities three individuals were put out of commission until a Classer healer could mend their bodies

And Dozer had heard that the only reason that so few were injured was that Alana was the spearhead that broke the spine of the ogre resistance

After casting and holding AnnieÆs gaze for several seconds to assure her that he would revisit this topic Dozer walked away from the fire and peered toward the rocky opening to the ravine As Alana indicated there was movement there

Dozer was one of the few people that didnÆt have a real Skill that boosted his Perception Instead he relied on something a bit more intuitive Dozer believed it was part of his Soulskill but he took a deep breath in tasting the air Nothing

They arenÆt coming to fight Dozer said shortly There wasnÆt even the faintest tang of violence in the air

Alana gave him a sidelong glance How can you tell

DozerÆs always been good at sniffing out fights Annie said sarcastically Or perhaps not Maybe she meant it genuinely but her foul mood demanded the attitude in her tone

Not that it really mattered Alana gave Dozer a speculative glance and then turned to look back toward the low earthen walls that obscured their gaze The night was dark but there was enough starlight and moonlight to make out the shapes Slowly back and forth several figures were moving

MaÆam Should I rouse the force Ptolemy asked

Alana thought it over then shook her head They need a break Besides letÆs trust DozerÆs nose He isnÆt the hammer of Donnyton for nothing

SomeoneÆs coming out Toward us Dozer said

Alana rolled her shoulders and produced her spear Well well Hands raised no visible weapons it looks like they want to parley But what the hell do they want to say to us

They want to immigrate donÆt they To come to Earth and live on the life energy here right Annie said She gestured to the abandoned surrounding area They probably want to arrange for an area that they can call their own

people wonÆt like it if we really do let them settle around here Dozer said

Better ogres than the frog people that will apparently connect to the Danger Zone finished in the South Annie pointed out Their bodies are covered in slime Imagine Me Cover in gooey slime

Dozer stiffened and shook his head shortly He then took another sniff to focus on the task at hand There still wasnÆt any violence but something warned him that this talk would not be what they expected In addition as the figure walked slowly forward through the lines of fortifications their footsteps grew louder and louder even for an ogre they were huge

Finally Alana took a step forward and held up a hand ThatÆs quite close enough I think Well met ogre I am Alana I assume you have come to speak

AlanaÆs voice was even but Dozer knew that she was staring at the same thing that he was Obyrn Myys Level 79

The towering ogre surveyed the four of them Then slowly it grinned

Of course I am here to discuss the terms of your surrender to me

Chapter 847

When Randidly returned to Earth he did so silently He popped into existence on the same low mountain West of his Erickson Steel headquarters on which he departed The dry stones rattled as he poofed into existence on top of them Clouds spread out like a flax blanket across the morning horizon in an endless expanse

But he didnÆt even look around at the beautiful sunrise Instead his mind was on the talk he had with Octavius Shrike a few days ago

To RandidlyÆs surprise accepting the invitation to talk meant that he once more received a teleportation request At first he was suspicious but ultimately Randidly decided to take the risk and meet with Octavius

It wasnÆt a demand it was a request If Octavius wanted to make trouble for Randidly there was no doubt in RandidlyÆs mind that the strange figure could So he accepted the teleportation and was immediately brought within a cramped little office There was a small fire in the corner and everything else

More than Administrator of the Seventh Cohort OctaviusÆ office reminded Randidly of the cluttered abode of a professor Piles of papers and scrolls formed towering stacks There was an impressive seeming wooden desk that served as the centerpiece of the room Or at least Randidly assumed it was impressive it was largely obscured by the clutter

Some of the papers were crumpled while others were covered in a tightly packed scrawl It was clear that this room saw quite a bit of use

Please Octavius said gesturing ambiguously toward two stiff looking wooden chairs that were both overburdened with boxes of metal knick knacks Dubiously Randidly moved to stand behind one He put his hand on the back of the chair

Immediately Randidly blinked This wood for all that it was being largely reduced to obscurity just from a touch Randidly could tell how smooth and dense the grain of the wood was It was closer to metal than any wood he had ever seen This level of materials was far beyond anything he had seen even on Tellus

With solemn respect Randidly looked around once more at the surrounding office with a newfound curiosity But with Randidly touching the chair Octavius took that as leave to speak

IÆm so glad you could come and speak with me Because of your particular situation I figured it would be best to break the news to you directly you are being carefully observed

Instantly RandidlyÆs gaze sharpened Was this somehow related to the Creature

But Octavius raised his hands before Randidly could speak Wait hear me out You brought this on yourself Although Tellus was still technically a viable planet in the Fifth Cohort most of the Village Spirits that had been assigned there had already retired They left proxies to divvy out Classes but they were largely returned to their home planets It happens a lot a world is very close to passing a Calamity then fails due to infighting or politics or just the whim of an influential person ThereÆs no actual failure but the writing is on the wall

Seven hundred years had passed Some of the Village Spirits might have even died during that span of time So when Tellus passed the Second Calamity not only were all the remaining spirits yanked back to the planet to divvy up increased benefits but the Fifth Cohort was also alerted of the new planet proceeding to the Third Calamity And when they investigated what had caused this I did my own investigation of course And will report that this aberration was a result of the deviant actions of a Nemesis But that Nemesis was dead when most scanned the situation All they found there was you

Octavius grimaced Which was why I was involved Now so you understand there is a whole society of administrators and meta System employees that have raised a fuss about someone from a lower Cohort rising and gaining a knowledge advantage over their incoming Calamity Most of this is simply fuss in response to a surprise but

Grimly Octavius looked at the piles of scrolls on his desk Most will settle Some however will not There is a whole Nexus waiting on the other side of the Calamities Administrators are drawn from worlds that have passed the Third Calamity but failed the Fourth Some however still dream of being able to pass the Fourth Calamity and meet God I suspect that forces will move to understand how you managed to drag a world back from the brink of failure

Randidly frowned But ItÆs not like I did anything special

Perhaps Octavius was contemplative Then he looked up knowingly at Randidly Yet when these old powerful suspicious and desperate entities do some research into you do you think they will believe that it was just a coincidence That there are no untoward influences moving within your body

Suddenly Randidly felt like he had been doused in cold water From OctaviusÆ tone it seemed like these strangers would be able to gather information about him And if they could gather information about his self made Class and Soulskill

Especially when it came to the Soulskill Randidly didnÆt doubt that they would have designs on him It was bad enough dealing with the Creature did this mean he had come to the attention of a dozen entities similar to the Creature

Is there anything you or I can do to make sure that doesnÆt happen Randidly asked slowly It was only implied but Octavius seemed to be on his side in this situation Obviously as Administrator of the Seventh Cohort he wouldnÆt want others sniffing around his job site

Plus a whole society of administrators huh That got Randidly wondered about what exactly the System was

But to RandidlyÆs surprise Octavius waved a hand Oh donÆt worry For obvious reasons the System will prevent them from doing anything while the Calamities are testing the worlds and your world hasnÆt even qualified to receive the first Calamity For this I just wanted to warn you there is a small chance that someone will pull strings to include variance in your Calamity It has only happened once before but there is a precedent when a world has foreknowledge of what is to come

Then Octavius coughed lightly But the real danger is elsewhere Both your Heretic Path passing 40 and also that mark you received for being on Tellus when Shal Ascended

Frowning Randidly crossed his arms and waited for Octavius to continue

Your image cannot Ascend now You are marked And because you are so widely credited for intervening in another world to defeat a Calamity I am required to report even the smallest change in your status Here Octavius Shrike grimaced So as much as I would prefer not to I am bound to report if you were to attempt to remove the mark from yourself

Randidly just looked at Octavius

Octavius shrugged Yours will not be the image your world uses to Ascend I am sorry They can be influenced by you but

What Randidly felt like he was struck with a physical blow For several seconds he scrambled to understand what Octavius was saying to him My image is marked

Octavius nodded with relief Oh I thought this would be more difficult IÆm glad you understood so quickly Much more quickly than I anticipated Onto the next order of business your status as a Heretic As you might have noticed once you pass Heretic XL your Path will tick up automatically after a certain amount of time Essentially facing the final Judgement at fifty becomes inevitable

Pointing at Randidly Octavius continued without seeming to register RandidlyÆs continued shock from his prior statement Based on what I can sense you have about three months Which will be accelerated by actions the System deems deviant and normally impossible So perhaps less than three months in your case

Randidly stood there still struggling to gather himself after the statement about his images that hit him harder than he had expected

Your image will not be the one your world uses to Ascend

It honestly shouldnÆt matter but

If you donÆt have any questions that will be all Mr Ghosthound Then Octavius leaned conspiratorially forward Although your actions have been decidedly disruptive I am quite pleased It is a faint hope but every Administrator dreams of having a planet from his Cohort passing the Fourth Calamity ItÆs a very exclusive club at the moment Only the Second Cohort can boast such

What Randidly began but then he winked out of existence and appeared back on Tellus

Randidly sighed as he finally raised his gaze from the ground toward the kaleidoscope of colors that soaked slowly out from the rising sun into the sky

Octavius Shrike had told Randidly three things and Randidly wasnÆt sure which he was most disturbed by First that his actions on Tellus had brought individual attention to himself by ancient entities that had been able to pass the Third Calamity and now were possibly plotting a method to pass the Fourth

Randidly almost fondly remembered his time of just having to worry about the Creature

Second and perhaps the least worrying that his Heretic Path would now grow naturally as he had passed the point of no return At some time in the next few months he would face the final Judgement Perhaps this was the most imminent threat but Randidly somehow couldnÆt work up any tension toward this trial

He had beaten Judgements before and he had been much much weaker at that time Unless it scaled at a mind boggling (basically Randidly esque) rate it would be manageable

Third and finally ShalÆs image gave him benefits but also prevented his image from being the one used to allow Earth to ascend In addition due to the attention Randidly had gathered they would be watching him very carefully in order to make sure he didnÆt circumvent this restriction

So even though he probably possessed the capability to remove the mark Shrike seemed to warn specifically not to attempt it He hadnÆt been specific as to why but the fact that he had finally been motivated to contact Randidly couldnÆt bode well

Randidly sighed For several seconds he simply watched the majesty of dawn It felt somewhat flippant especially after conspiring to kill Aegiant someone who used images of dawn But at the moment Randidly needed a rest In the starburst colors he found it

The logical conclusion of this tiring truth was that eventually someone else would need an image strong enough to support Earth

And so it comes full circle with myself as the Spearman aiming for someone elseÆs Ascension because my own image is insufficient

Chapter 848

Very quickly Randidly shook his head to dispel the negative thoughts he could dwell later Right now it was time to figure out what was happening on Earth The biggest lead that Randidly had was that Alana was extremely concerned when they connected a few days ago so he spread his Aether Detection and followed the river of Aether flowing between them to locate her

At the same time Randidly reached inside of himself and contacted Helen He closed his eyes and expended a bit of his will and the System blueprint of his arm spread out to cover a small amount of the surrounding area His Domain Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos hummed into existence

Helen appeared next to Randidly then looked around at the surrounding mountaintop with a curious gaze Well this is certainly pretty This is your world

Yea it is Randidly said with a small smile Then his expression turned serious as he examined Helen carefully How do you feel

Helen seemed to consider this as she walked back and forth across the mountain top touching a few rocks and a pine tree She picked up the stone the size of her fist and crushed it to powder Tch everything is so fragile here I feel strange Fine but

Frowning Helen seemed to cast around for the words to explain what she was feeling ItÆs almost like being cold I feel colder the longer IÆm out here Farther away from you She walked a few meters away the worse the cold gets ItÆs not bad right now itÆs not really ever that bad and probably wonÆt be for a while But itÆs not a comfortable sensation

While she was speaking Randidly watched the small interactions of his and the worldÆs Aether around her It was very clear that there wasnÆt any direct reaction to Helen being here from the world The Aether around her behaving normally System Aether and RandidlyÆs donated Aether mixed freely in and around her

But when he examined her closely there was a density to the System Aether inside of her chest that was different from the Aether of Earth This made Randidly do a double take because it was easily missed if you couldnÆt compare the two side by side

Hissing in annoyance for missing this previously Randidly leaned closer and examined the particles Density was the wrong word it was that the earlier Aether was in a tighter arrangement Like molecules Aether floated freely as large particles in certain rigid formations In those formations meaning was stored

The moleculesÆ of Earth Aether were smaller And as Randidly watched they fit into tiny flaws of the System Aether of Tellus and simply broke apart that Aether

At this point Helen was mostly relying on RandidlyÆs Aether anyway But it seemed that Earth was accelerating that process It likely would have some damaging side effects It was hard to say whether it was worth it to allow the process to continue

Right at that moment Randidly found Alana She was fighting Because of course she was The Ogre army was moving

Randidly shook his head Then he regarded Helen There are some negative reactions of being exposed to the Aether here You might lose some of your strength if you stay here for an extended time It should be a one time thing and afterward you should regain it But I want you to understand the risks

Helen spat on the ground IÆm just a little fucking chilly DonÆt coddle me This place it looks peaceful Is it always like this

Sighing Randidly shook his head If she wanted to he would let her stay But he would keep an eye on her If only Come on IÆll take you to something more familiar to you

Obyrn Myys had been born after the Great Darkness descended over his world When energy dried up all across the planet the old edifices of civility and honor that the ogres had lived by for generations fell to the wayside

Which was why Obyrn was raised in the Arena

The Arena was one of the few ways of gathering energy left to people aside from having the dumb luck to stumble across an unexplored energy pocket hidden within the cave systems of the world Without energy you grew weak With energy you could Level and improve yourself

So the fact that the Arena involved killing another and taking their energy didnÆt bother people for very long It was just the reality of the world There was no other way to survive

Obyrn was good in the Arena Very good At 36 so many victories had piled up that he was named Ironfist of the West the youngest to be appointed to that position in written history by almost twenty years

It was a soft life he fought his way into but one that allowed his wife and children to prosper without having to rely on murder He had his very own energy spring which was rather weak but at least constant and a part of the countryside that belonged to him It was rocky and barren but it was his

But honestly all of his world was barren and rocky in the wake of the Great Darkness

The other thing that Obyrn did was never cease accepting duel challenges So very slowly he advanced to the intimidating Level of 79 The hurdle to 80 seemed all but impassible however Obyrn was now nearing the age of 40 and the challenges dried up as he continued to be unbeatable

Without the constant flow of challenges his outlook turned bleak He realized why so many ogres spend most of their life sleeping Because the world was an empty hollow place For a while he found meaning in the Arena but now he had to move past that He had to provide a life for his family

Yet it felt so empty Every day was a hollow echo of the previous one Reports and training and reports and sleep On and on in an endless cycle

But then he heard reports of energy rich and clean flowing from the Western Mountains When he heard the news Obyrn blinked Then he smiled Somehow even then he knew this was it This was the news that would change his life

To be safe he killed the ogres that brought these reports Then he moved his troops out under the pretext of training maneuvers and brought them to the mountains to investigate What he found was so much more than Obyrn had expected

An entire world flooded with rich energy Already the mountain surrounding the portal was a lush forest from prolonged exposure to the energy The energy had probably been flowing for several months already Soon it would drift far enough in a direction that someone else would notice But for now

Quickly he sent up a base camp and began preparations He had brought a little less than a thousand trained soldiers every powerful ogre above Level 50 he could find and sent one of his captains through to pave a path for him while Obyrn made preparations on this side

It was pivotal that Obyrn keep word of this strange portal for as long as possible For all that he was Level 79 there still lived on this planet monsters that were born before the Great Darkness fell across the world If they found out about this energy

Even Obyrn shivered at that thought

What he hadnÆt expected was to have his Captain return bruised and broken after a single night So Obyrn assembled a crack squad of scouts and hunters to sneak out and explore the surrounding area

Within a week he received word that those too failed They were discovered by a clumsy child and a flaming tree Obyrn stared long and hard at the letter that informed him of this but Obyrn knew the author they were not inclined to poorly timed humor So Obyrn contemplated this strange world on the other side of the portal

There the people did possess physical features similar to respectable ogre men and women However they were all tiny More like children than true ogres In addition they had hair like beasts on their heads often in garish colors Their teeth were flat like bovines and their bodies were as skinny as saplings

Perhaps worst of all every report agreed that every human only had one head At first Obyrn believed them to therefore be magicless beings but the reports assured him that they possessed the ability to use Mana despite possessing the inferior arcane talent of a single headed being

But for all that they were strong Strong enough to parry his initial two thrusts to control the surrounding area

So yesterday Obyrn had gone to speak with these humans He did his best to suppress the urgent need in his heart to bring his warriors as quickly as possible into this world to train and gather energy and played it cool He was confident He knew that the highest Level among them was the bright eyed woman Alana who was only Level 67 The difference between 67 and 79 was like that between sea and sky an impassable gulf lay between them

As he expected the humans refused to surrender to him He threatened violence They looked on with grim resolve It was disappointing and yet exciting For all that these tiny people had none of the strength of an ogre they had their pride For that Obyrn respected them

He would still kill them like misbehaving chickens but he respected them As he had respected all of his opponents in the arena The prospect of returning to his days of combat set his heart pounding Already he could feel the subtle influence of energy in his body the longer he stayed in the area the more he could feel his pores opening to absorb the rich air

As he promised them one day later Obyrn strode out with a force of four hundred exactly all of his remaining troops The rest were either dead hiding in the hills of this strange world or making sure word of the portal didnÆt leak out on the other side

This was everything he could muster It had to be enough

What he found waiting for him was an army of gleaming metal beasts Obyrn turned to his trusted aide Duual Having three heads Duual had very powerful magicks and would be able to get to the bottom of these strange beings

They have no souls Duual advised The middle head seemed bored while his left head was actually asleep But the right head had all the brain power Duual needed drawing it from the inert heads They are but puppets Yet I suspect they can fight or they would not be here

Will your spells reach from here Obyrn asked He scanned the line of metal beasts undoubtedly that woman Alana would soon appear She did not seem the type to allow others to fight her battles As it is our numbers appear about equal We cannot risk being slowed down here

Perhaps but I will need time to set up my ritual circles Duual answered Then the ogre hesitated Ironfist must we fight If we explained our situation

If they knew our weakness they would crush us Obyrn said with a heavy heart He waved his hand and slowly the line of armored ogres advanced This was the only way

Chapter 849

As Obyrn had suspected Alana appeared after the ogres had demolished the first wave of metal beasts that harried them Although they were resistant to projectiles the metal beasts ceased functioning after a single hit from an ogre warhammer They were fragile brittle things

Unfortunately about twenty ogres died during the struggle And about ten times that fully half the group were bloody and injured in the aftermath Rather than being designed to fight the metals beasts were experts at maiming the opponent before they were finished

As such Obyrn was in a grim mood when Alana appeared with another army of metal beasts and challenged him to a duel Obyrn turned her down and instead sent another of his Captains This one was Level 66 one below Alana and would likely give Obyrn a good show

The Ogre Captain had been briefed on AlanaÆs fighting style and wore extremely heavy armor Alana stabbed him anyway Her spear glowed with a strange light and turned that heavy armor into paper

Desperate the Ogre Captain tried to use his large body to his advantage yet Alana seemed to have predicted that She tripped him up with some clever spearplay and moved in for a debilitating blow on his larger joints

At this point the Ogre Captain instead simply relied on the thickness of his flesh to protect his vitals and went on an all out offensive This worked in so much as he was able to disarm Alana

Then the tiny human woman used her fists to pummel the larger ogre into submission A bloody and beaten body of the ogre captain crashed to the ground unconscious

For several seconds he didnÆt react Then a furious Obyrn stood and pointed a long finger at Alana Fine then You wish to duel I will duel you

Even though her face was even Obyrn could sense the change in her aura Agitation She had spent quite of a bit of her strength in the prior duel and needed time to recover Even at her height fighting against Obyrn would be difficult To strike her now was to do her a disservice But Obyrn didnÆt care about that

He was about to walk forward when Duual grabbed his arm The left head which had been sleeping previously snapped awake Care Obyrn Bad voodoo is heading this way The hound who rides the ash of calamity has his eyes fixed upon you

Then the left head yawned and fell right back asleep Obyrn looked in askance at the other two heads

They both shook themselves LeftyÆs prophecies are always his own But he is rarely wrong You must be careful

Into the tense atmosphere a voice spoke

WhatÆs going on here

Before he saw the speaker Obyrn saw Duual slowly stiffen Both of his awake heads paled and the sleeping one twitched and frowned as though tormented by a nightmare Obyrn smoothly turned and looked at the new arrival

There were two of them both human One male one female The femaleÆs gaze cut at Obyrn like a knife sharp and jagged enough to draw blood The male was much milder looking but Obyrn couldnÆt help but shiver as he looked at this human Because there was a thickness to the air around him that Obyrn recognized

The day that Obyrn was named Ironfist of the West he was required to report to the ancestral home of the Ogres Nordawn There he witnessed the Bonehelm leader of the world Their eyes met just once when the Bonehelm touched his shoulder and named him an Ironfist in the service of him

It was like sinking into a vat of honey Sticky and heavier than expected that gaze left a persistent residue on you Such was the strength of this character that every aspect of them contained some fraction of their vicious power

So it was with the Bonehelm who left Obyrn shivering for days So it was with this new arrival the dark haired man missing his left arm on a smaller scale

This was not an enemy to offend lightly

Perhaps even worse was that the metal beasts parted and almost a hundred humans flowed forward to gather behind this new arrival They looked at each other and whispered awe in their eyes The relief wafting off of Alana was palpable as she nodded toward the arrival The spirit of the humans was soaring

Meanwhile his people continued to bleed and slowly tire Obyrn ground his teeth and spoke You stand before I Obyrn Myyr Ironfist of the West We have come to conquer this place and seize it for the ogre people

You have ogres on your planet The woman with the sharp eyes interrupted looking at Obyrn with interest

The man shrugged seemingly helpless Well we do now

The woman nodded sagely while seeming to think about this and Obyrn suppressed his rising fury I would not act so relaxed if I were you two You are only Level 39 and 32 respectively I could crush you without breaking a sweat

Again both seemed to ignore Obyrn The woman glared at the man You were Level 39 For our fight

Not for our fight The man seemed exasperated now The gestured for Obyrn to continue But the woman glared at Obyrn to stay silent BothÆs casual reference to him made Obyrn bubble with hot rage He hadnÆt been disrespected like this since he had become Ironfist For all that this was clearly a powerful individual he was still only Level 39 It was time to teach them a lesson for underestimating the ogres

And Levels were a barrier that was impossible to overcome Obyrn knew that all too well

Do it Obyrn said to Duual

The mage nodded and raised his hands to the sky The magic circles behind them began to glow Oh great Gaia grant our people strength Wrathful Avatar

There was a dull rumble as roots curled upward out of the ground They wove together into thick limbs almost three meters across And still the plants grew forming a giant towering tree avatar with burning white eyes After stretching it seemed to form an impossible pillar of strength that these people couldnÆt resist

At almost fifty meters it dwarfed everything in the surrounding area With cold eyes it stared down at the humans as its face twisted into a snarl

Obyrn clapped Duual on the shoulder Plant Shamans like Duual were very important their rituals were some of the only ways to grow food in their barren world But what can be made into nurturing food could also be controlled into a powerful tool of destruction

The plant colossus took a rumbling step forward Between the monstrosity and the humans there were a few score meters The threat was very real Obyrn spread his arms wide Do not forget yourselves You stand in the presence of the Ironfist of the West We will take this land from you one way or another Do you think your weapons can threaten this Before the power of nature you are nothing

Grinning wickedly Obyrn looked around for the looks of helplessness on the faces of the humans Unfortunately they were not present Instead there was an awkward silence after his pronouncement In addition all of the assembled humans seemed rather embarrassed They turned and looked at the new arrival

The man coughed lightly then looked critically up at the towering monstrosity that would undoubtedly soon crush him into a pulp Ah interesting You drew a magic circle beforehand and drastically reduced the Mana cost IÆd like to see that trick again IÆm Randidly Ghosthound by the way I know why you are here your world has no Aether right We can discuss terms for a portion of your population moving here We donÆt need to fight

The hound who rides the ash of calamity has his eyes fixed upon you well met Randidly Ghosthound Obyrn thought darkly He refused on principle to accept the offer to discuss terms If they stopped now before the fighting began they would see that as weakness and leverage it against them

In addition Obyrn did not like the phrase has his eyes fixed upon you For all he knew this world also relied on some ritual like the Arena for energy Perhaps this Ghosthound was simply seeking another source of fuel for some dark ritual They would be allowed to cross then treated like cattle to feed these humans

End them Obyrn said shortly Instantly Duual urged the colossus forward It roared and tightened its hands into huge fists of heavy wood that would smash the humans to mush Two steps and its rumbling charge had crossed almost half the distance to the humans

Grimacing the Ghosthound waved a hand Thousands of roots sprang out of the ground and wrapped around the legs of the animated plant matter Although they were individually weak they still somehow managed to slow the colossus down

Please wait The Ghosthound began but Obyrn just sneered

The colossus roared and ripped through the bindings and took another rumbling step toward the humans Rather than seeming scared or annoyed the Ghosthound just seemed tired Small tongues of emerald flame danced across his body He raised his hand and pointed at the colossus Halt

The colossus stopped dead with a creaking groan Duual blinked in shock then hurriedly began to chant The magic circles behind them began to glow once more It was shuddering at first but the colossus slowly began to move forward

The GhosthoundÆs eyebrows rose And you maintain control through the circles too Fascinating Fine then letÆs stop playing nice

This time when the Ghosthound gestured the whole world began to shake At first was nothing but then the ground between the two groups ripped open The colossus was about fifty meters tall a being made to crush and eradicate these humans The white glow in its eyes was its inner desire to destroy made manifest

And within five seconds a seventy meter tall left hand woven of vines and roots was in front of the colossus Before anyone could react the hand reached forward and seized the colossus Then it squeezed until the colossus cracked and broke Then it squeezed further grinding the bindings that held the summon together into much and pulped wood

The sound of the hand dropping the destroyed colossus to the ground echoed

So are we ready to talk now The Ghosthound said hand on his hip

Chapter 850

Despite the fact that Randidly overwhelmed the strange plant goliath spell the Obyrn Ironfist insisted in continually reiterating his own Level superiority at every chance he got It made for tiresome negotiations Often the discussions about the treatment of ogres would stall out for several minutes after he blurted out extraordinarily unreasonable with his demands and refused to back down

During those time Randidly just stared at the larger ogre and focused on the image of Frigid Ash Extinguishing Storm Despite the fact that the ogre was an impossible sculpted physical specimen Obyrn seemed rather shy and embarrassed when he was exposed to the prolonged chill

Not that Randidly blamed him The cold was biting There were patches of grass underneath the wooden table by RandidlyÆs bare feet that were visibly browning from overexposure And once Obyrn was cold he seemed lost and unsure how to proceed The discomfort literally froze him Honestly the fellow seemed rather socially awkward for someone who claimed to lead a large area of land

But Randidly wouldnÆt waste such meaningful seconds While he was staring blankly at Obyrn and waiting for him to break Randidly was considering what to do about his arm

There was an obvious choice either use a Soulseed and grow a plant to replace his arm or design and build a mechanical arm Of the two Randidly was leaning more toward designing and building his own arm

The real drawback of the Soulseed Skill was that he had very little direct control over what the final plant would look like Well perhaps that wasnÆt the correct way of looking at it

A better way to phrase it would be to say the plants he could grow were bound by his Skills And although there were some Skills that were related to his arms via physical body enhancements there was a chance that he would swing and miss several times with Soulseed And based on how childlike his plants were Randidly didnÆt want to risk not giving them a use

Besides simply using engravings to interact directly with the Aether of his body for control the arm seemed possible And it sure as hell beat trying to figure out how to connect the machinery to his senses Plus if he managed to figure out how to successfully complete his new Mana Engraving Randidly could add a growing Skill to his mechanical arm

Hopefully it wouldnÆt blow up In the middle of a fight

Like he always did Obyrn eventually made a grudging admittance that the two parties at the table were equals and perhaps they both needed to reconsider their stances Randidly eased up on the image Some part of him felt bad at the subtle pressure but he wanted this settled as soon as possible There were more things he needed to address before he could hole up and train

Without the image the talks were able to continue as if the previous demands hadnÆt occurred Which to Obyrn was an admittance that he knew his requests were unreasonable

Honestly as long as the other wasnÆt a fool Randidly wouldnÆt be too hard on him for his pride

Randidly and Alana had only a few scant seconds before the meeting started to communicate but they had plenty of time during ObyrnÆs stall outs to discuss the situation on Earth and what had changed while Randidly was gone

As such RandidlyÆs message to Obyrn was rather simple his group of ogres could come through the portal and settle in some of the unexplored areas North of the Ogre Gorge The different Zones had known about this area for some time and hadnÆt expended much manpower to map out the area

It was a mountainous area but Alana informed Randidly that Mrs Hamilton recommended gathering some sort of allies in the area because she suspected it to be extremely mineral rich However this was made difficult by both the long distance from Donnyton the marauding Monsters that were over Level 65 in the area and some of the other new arrivals to New Earth Basically no amount of minerals was worth the cost

But Mrs HamiltonÆs economic decisions werenÆt the news that held RandidlyÆs attention

During the five and a half months that Randidly had been on Tellus two more Zones had been able to complete their Raid Dungeon and connect Zone Seven and Zone Eleven Zone Seven was some populous prefecture of ChinaÆs that had been forewarned about the arrival of the System They had currently allowed few people to enter into their lands and were rather firm about it

But trade was beginning to flow freely outwards which seemed to be met with muted optimism

What the merchants allowed into the countryside had seen were strange mega cities constructed more like bug nests than human habitations They were given sliding drawers to crawl into for sleeping Rations were distributed as a jello y calorie dense superfood

Alana assured Randidly that it seemed like everyone within was happy but there was another problem Zone Seven also considered itself as something of a production centric Zone and was currently in very aggressive talks with both material manufacturers and production facilities on New Earth They clearly wanted to dominate the new market and had prepared quite a bit to do just that

Coming back to Earth Randidly didnÆt know much about the prices about commodities on the market But some of the numbers Zone Seven was offering seemed ridiculous

Mrs Hamilton suspects that they deliberately delayed their entrance into New Earth in order to stockpile resources to flood the market Alana informed Randidly The only problem was that both Zone One and Donnyton are pretty firmly established as both producers and distributors of weapons And the populations of the Zones were rather unimpressed by Zone SevenÆs products They give a lot of stats for cheap but no warrior worth his salt is willing to skimp on what he spends on a sword

So they are being blocked out of the market Randidly had asked

Alana responded in the negative No Sam said and I quote If they want to inform the market that they use cheap materials why stop em East End was interested in higher end versions of the swords and armor they offered but it seems like the lack of response really threw the government of Zone Seven for a loop TheyÆve been quiet for a week

Zone Seven connected to the world directly North of Zone Thirty Two so this was another Zone that was a near neighbor Meanwhile Zone Eleven connected to the growing world at a spot to the Northwest of Zone One

And Zone Eleven is fucking weird Alana said keeping her face passive during one of the sessions where Obyrn continued to sweat across the wooden table from them The small drops slowly froze on his face They speak in a weird faux British accent and seem more like they are roleplayers than real people Clarissa is ecstatic apparently all of their Classes and Skills are based upon Dungeons and Dragons Not as much population as any of the other Zones seem to have but almost all of them immediately joined an Order once they heard about them They jump at quest opportunities

It was hard to tell the depth of Zone ElevenÆs commitment to roleplay from Alana she was simply too no nonsense to give them very much attention at all But Randidly wanted to determine whether they were dangerously committed or simply enthusiastically trying to make the best of a bad situation

Randidly wasnÆt sure what to think about Zone Seven But he did know that assuming that Obyrn Ironfist managed to settle in those tumultuous mountains it would place this capable enough force of ogres at the flank of these two unknown Zones And it would also act as a stopper to prevent other ogres from slipping through

Because that was the true danger of the Ogre world Randidly knew It wasnÆt this first wave that lucked upon the portal It was the old things that waited within capable of giving him a run for his money when they moved Likely these foes would be near one hundred and have images a damn sight better than Obyrn

Well Obyrn finally grunted He turned to exchange a meaningful glance with Duual whose central and right head remained impassive The left head was clearly gleeful as though they had pulled a fast one on Randidly and his group In exchange for you cedeing these mountains to I Obyrn Myyr Ironfist for seven generations we will consider ourselves an ally of the city state Donnyton and allow their traders safe passage In addition we will maintain control over the portal to our world and control movement between the worlds

It showed some of ObyrnÆs own worry about other forces from his world that it was he not Randidly that insisted he control and have responsibility for that duty Perhaps he didnÆt trust the humans enough to do the job but Randidly didnÆt mind That was a rather large commitment of DonnytonÆs forces that they would no longer need

There was a small chance of Obyrn betraying this world for his own but even if Donnyton had guarded the portal that could have happened It was a risk but one Randidly was willing to take considering ObyrnÆs rather direct personality

The two shook hands Randidly was honestly somewhat amused by how small his own hand appeared in the ogres large and calloused paw Afterward Obyrn took a sharp step backward and looked down at Randidly It is clear you have fought in many battles That woman Alana too

When the ogre didnÆt say any more Randidly nodded sadly It is true It seems like no matter what I do I cannot find peace Perhaps the same is true for you

A dark look passed across ObyrnÆs face I fear the trials that I face differ from yours Well met Ghosthound I hope that this agreement means that we will share a long and beneficial friendship

Helen who had been rather silent for the whole of the meeting finally spoke up When he says it like that doesnÆt it almost seem like the opposite is going to happen

Chapter 851

After the meeting Alana volunteered as an escort to take the ogres to their new living quarters As most everyone else didnÆt want to risk going that deep into monster controlled territory she was the only one that accompanied the ogres

Randidly figured it would be fine he feared more for the ogre that tried to take advantage of her while she was surrounded

Besides at the first hint of trouble Randidly would move to assist and this time he would not pull his punches against the ogres One chance was all that they would get And it would feel good to fight foes that werenÆt fifty Levels higher than him

Around thirty was much more manageable

In the meantime he begged a glowering Annie to wait for Alana to return before they talked and to his surprise she agreed with a prim nod Then she turned and flounced away sparing a sideways glance for Helen before returning to her tent Helen followed distantly looking with sparkling curiosity at the orderly camp of a Donnyton Squad

For their part the Donnyton squaders that were here regarded her with the same wide eyed fascination Randidly hoped he would get to see some poor fool offer to show her how to hold a spear But Randidly couldnÆt help but notice glances shifting from Helen to him and then back

Sighing inwardly Randidly turned back to the hulking form of Dozer

Dozer grunted ItÆs good you returned The ogres make for poor enemies

Randidly grinned at the man What does it feel like facing yourself

Their armies are almost invincible because they are composed entirely of me Dozer agreed with a small smile

Randidly pointed to the few ogre bodies that lay dead on the ground For whatever reason the ogres saw no reason to take their dead with them and left the problem to the humans They couldnÆt have been that tough Not a scratch on you guys and then lost 5% of their forces

Killed by drones Donated to us by Erickson Steel Dozer gave Randidly a sympathetic look You donÆt want to know how much money just was burned to bloody them My boys will gather the metal scraps to send back but

Randidly looked over the battlefield more closely and could see the piles of gears that had once been his carefully engraved drones These were obviously not done by him and therefore less efficient but by the same token they were even more painstaking to make without his presence Therefore what lay before Randidly was likely

almost a monthÆs work of production by the finest workers of Erickson Steel

It was a somewhat sobering thought Randidly clapped Dozer on the back and said seriously You have a kid right So youÆve already started on breeding your own invincible army Your genetics combined with Annies

Again DozerÆs face cracked into a grin Watch your back Ghosthound Then Dozer walked toward his group and urged them into movement Just because the ogres had left didnÆt mean the humans could laze around Now they would need to prepare to return to Donnyton

When he finally had some alone time Randidly asked Helen if she would want to return to his Soulskill with him She refused preferring to head out and speak to RandidlyÆs fellow people She seemed rather excited as though there were some deep secrets hidden amongst them Which was honestly rather cute

Basically she wanted to play with the different weapons that Dozer and AlanaÆs troops had No doubt she wanted to head out and test her edge against these people too

And Randidly saw no reason why not She deserved to enjoy her power and images Hopefully the weird scaling of being moved through RandidlyÆs Soulskill to Earth wouldnÆt affect her actual combat ability too directly

The process of her System Aether being slowly torn apart was accelerating which also meant that it was almost entirely done Although she admitted to being rather short of breath there werenÆt any tangible side effects so Randidly didnÆt think it would be a problem for her to wander around for a while longer

Inside of his Soulskill Randidly quickly found Alicca and checked in on the progress within himself

Luckily the changes here were much more predictable than the changes on Earth They believed they had located two more Lighthouses they could ignite However the monsters were by far too high a Level for them to attempt to conquer the one and another was in a series of caves that were filled with shallow water

Few people wanted to attempt going deeper until they had some Skills that would help with the wet environment They had already run into a few strange glowing monsters in the deeper sections

Oh by the way Allica said after they finished discussing the stabilizing food situation Those warriors you brought in here there were some of them that walked into the mist WeÆve clamped down on the news to prevent a panic we donÆt need that fear mongering getting another bump But I just thought you should know

Wincing Randidly nodded Maybe he should have thought of that Bringing more people into his Soulskill likely roused the semi sentient core of the Alpha Cosmos When it realized there were new arrivals it tested them It was that simple They must crave the exploration of the great unknown or they would be considered dead weight

And just some of the people who were marked by his images had agreed to accompany him to Earth and failed the test That was all there was to it Inwardly Randidly was split part of him wanted to know the number but the other part didnÆt wish to know Because these were lives that were thrust into this situation by his hand

Their deaths weighed heavily up his shoulders and crown So very quietly Randidly asked for the number and spent several seconds with his eyes pressed closed as he computed what that number meant Then he opened his eyes released a breath and moved on

Since Rejt was out exploring with some soldiers Randidly then proceeded to visit another of the denizens the Monster Prince

Go away The skinny Monster shouted out from behind his scarred bodyguard Randidly felt kind of bad for how their previous meeting had ended after he saw how badly he was trembling Mental backlash was never fun IÆve done your bidding for the last time you sadistic deity I will not leave my tent in your company for any reason You speak with the tongue of the devil and I will not listen to it

This little bit of drama had Randidly rolling his eyes For all that the Monster Prince was an arrogant fop he wasnÆt a fool this was all noise so the Monster Prince would be rewarded more richly for his suffering Luckily for this idiot that was exactly why Randidly had come Otherwise if he was acting so purposefully piteous

Well perhaps you are right Randidly said Perhaps itÆs time I do you a favor

The Monster PrinceÆs trembling instantly stopped

Is there anything in particular that you can think for me to do for you Randidly asked

Instantly the Monster PrinceÆs eyes brightened Randidly felt almost bad the Monster Prince was as transparent as glass Although this man was manipulative he was also extremely predictable in the ways he worked Which was why Randidly had asked Alicca beforehand how the Monster Prince had spent his time recently

It turned out that the Monster Prince had been studiously observing LucretiaÆs every move Which was why he was about to walk into a trap that would solve another of RandidlyÆs problems without Randidly having to lift a finger

DonÆt take it too personally Randidly thought with a smirk This is just the way the world works Blame my deific viewpoint

Well I suppose if you twist my arm The Monster Prince walked out from around his bodyguard and considered Randidly with a wounded look At the moment he had an absolutely disturbing resemblance to a mistreated puppy There has been one thing that I have realized recently My strengths with controlling metal arenÆt necessarily best used on the front lines In fact a support role a producer behind the scenes seems most appropriate

The Monster Prince looked at Randidly hopefully Randidly raised his arm to fold it realized that he could no longer do this and turned the gesture into an awkward scratch on the chin If you want something you need to ask for it IÆm not gonna try and read that mind of yours

Eventually the Monster Prince apparently decided to say fuck it and asked Perhaps you could speak to Creta Her engraving intrigues me And I believe that my talents would be uniquely suited to the engraving With my control of metal I would have a fidelity of control that dwarfs that of the other artisans

Randidly gave himself several seconds to think about it He frowned and looked up at the blue sky Not only does this mean youÆve appointed yourself de facto babysitter for Annon but this will also soften the blow of me giving Annon to Lucretia sheÆs gonna raise a much larger fuss about you than him

There was a small chance that Annon might be corrupted by this layabout but Randidly honestly expected the overly serious boy to whip the Monster Prince into shape There was something about the furor of the people of Tellus that was almost irresistible

After all Randidly would be exactly nowhere if not for Shal shaping his own work ethic

Sighing as though he had come to a very hard decision Randidly looked at the Monster Prince Then he nodded slowly

The fuckerÆs glee oozed out of his merry eyes Excellent how wise

There is a catch Randidly said softly

Instantly the other man froze As a swindler he was instantly suspicious of RandidlyÆs sudden request I would love to assist you but as IÆm sure you understand so much of my time will be taken up by my studies that I will be unable

Peace itÆs not something like that Randidly waved a hand I was just thinking you are astute for suggesting the expansion of engraving I know a few talented youths that might also benefit from learning such a skill I would just ask that you look after them as they will be your brothers in craft

Once more that gooey satisfaction returned to the Monster PrinceÆs eyes Of course For the betterment of our world I will sacrifice almost anything

DonÆt be too smug yet Randidly thought with amusement YouÆre still going to be under the tutelage of Lucretia She will not make it an easy process I would know I struggled with her looking over my shoulder for almost a year

Chapter 852

Randidly found Azriel among one of the small cloisters of White Hunters participating in their training regimen The area given to them was filled with towering gnarled trees that kept the area shaded It was cool and breezy and largely silent aside from the small gusts of wind This gave Randidly pause before he approached

The group was moving slowly through some martial art form their bodies moving smoothly from one form to the rest It was clear out of all of them Azriel struggled the most Watching her faltering movements RandidlyÆs expression soured Although she had retained her mental clarity there were some physical repercussions for the failed Ascension

Or more directly for him halting the Ascension by ripping the image out of her chest

It pissed Randidly off that Azriel had considered herself honor bound to go through with the plan of her Master It pissed him off more that he had let her go through with it In retrospect her attitude before he left for the Death School had been decidedly strange At that time it was clear that she had something weighing heavily upon her

Strangely it pissed Randidly off that he had done something similar returning for ShalÆs sake for the tournament Although the actions were different both in specifics and magnitude he had some empathy for her motivations

And also Randidly was pissed that he hadnÆt been more proactive in keeping her from going through with it Could he have taken another action to remove the image from her chest So she wouldnÆt be so damaged by it

I didnÆt know Randidly thought to himself

That doesnÆt make me feel better came the reply

After the two dozen individuals finished moving through the forms all of the martial artists bowed to each other Azriel joined them They held that position of the bow for almost five minutes as leaves drifted softly downward around them

By the end of it Azriel was trembling and supporting herself by leaning on her knees Then two White Hunters came over to her and assisted the white haired woman to sit amongst them by fire

Randidly waited a few more minutes while she at the food given to her before he approached

Immediately she smirked at him You were watching for a long time If I did not know better I would say your intentions were to mate with me

It felt good to roll his eyes at her rather deadpan joke Azriel had been extremely weak for the first week of her recovery so the fact that she reached this point already Doubtful YouÆre much too honest for me

And so it will always be that you steadfastly walk forward while fearing the reality of your own situation Azriel said Randidly frowned at her but she just laughed DonÆt worry there is no need to try and correct that If not for your stubborn ignorance could you have come so far ThatÆs part of what I appreciate about you Besides change is not such an easy thing

That was honestly a bit too close to the mark for RandidlyÆs likely There were a lot of times in the past where he had only been able to succeed because he didnÆt know any better Rather than continuing on that conversation line Randidly rubbed the back of his head and asked It looks like you are up and moving thatÆs good The training will help you recover more quickly

You make for a poor nurse and a poorer therapist Azriel said tersely She dragged her fingers through her hair like a comb and then said Also I was told by Rejt that I need to inform you that I will be accompanying him into the mists IÆm curious

Frowning Randidly asked Why is he taking you into the mists Considering your current condition

Ah was my language ambiguous Azriel asked She tapped her chin then grinned at Randidly IÆm going into the mist and he insisted on accompanying me Really it should be unnecessary Even if IÆm weakened my Skills and images are still there Monsters at this Level honestly I will be more insulted then afraid if they attack me

Do you really still have your images Randidly thought but he didnÆt say anything He knew enough about Azriel that even if he thought it was a bad idea he wouldn’t be able to stop her It was a helpless sort of gentleness that he regarded her Plus if he attempted to stop her she would likely just endanger herself more to get around it

Sometimes it was better to just allow people to take actions you thought were mistakes That was part of life

Besides he suspected that she really had lost her images And if Randidly was in her position he would want to immediately return to the wild in order to reclaim his strength as well

While staying with the White Hunters would be enjoyable but it wouldnÆt help her attain her previous levels of proficiencies

So Randidly agreed and made small talk for several more minutes before returning to the real world Immediately after he returned he winced

I need to stop calling this the real world thatÆs a bad image to support Instead itÆs Earth And inside of me is the Alpha Cosmos my Soulskill

The Soulskill was growing organically to the point that it had stabilized so he could relax knowing that no sudden change was going to occur within

Well until the System made its presence known more directly in the Alpha Cosmos It hadnÆt as of yet and that worried Randidly But he didnÆt doubt that it was only a matter of time before something went haywire

Feeling a bit better about being back on Earth Randidly exited his tent

Helen ground her teeth in frustration

DonÆt feel bad The towering hulk of a man named Brute rumbled There are Illusionists in Donnyton I have experience against fighters like yourself Besides your Skills are damn good

IÆM NOT AN ILLUSIONIST Helen wanted to scream for the hundredth time But she kept her mouth shut and just continued to sit on the ground and brood

Brute scratched his cheek He looked at her in a very analytical way as though trying to parse apart what she was thinking by her dirt covered fingers I suppose you want to try again

If you insist Helen hissed popping up to her feet in a flash Then she walked over to the aide that was standing with the equipment on the side of the training arena After all she had to replace the broken spear that had given out on her in the earlier spar

Mental note blocking Dozer is a waste of time Helen thought venomously Next time attempt to maim while your body is being crushed

The man seemed bemused by her scowl but gave her the spear Then she turned and faced Brute while striking a stance He just casually stood there his huge club resting on his shoulder

The problem was two fold First of all she felt strangely weak and light More so than she had let on to Randidly during his annoying check ins The discomfort had largely left since then but she still felt like something was missing Her images were a little fuzzy Some oomph that she had possessed previously had disappeared during the transition

Which of course only made Helen stubbornly force herself to use those images Which had not worked out well as of yet There were definite improvements but subtlety was largely lost on Brute It was enough to say that she hadnÆt improved enough that her images could overcome him

Other than that it was hard to tell when he just smashed his way through everything

The second problem is that her power was somehow filtered through the Skill that Randidly used to bring her and others into the world inside of himself She could feel it wrapping around her images like a thin net limiting how precise they could be It was getting better true likely due to RandidlyÆs continued activation to allow her to be here

But not fucking fast enough to wipe the mild expression off of this fucking lugÆs face

Plus her Skills and images were pretty well maintained but her stats were absolute shit Which was why he thought she was an illusionist because her Skills were insubstantial due to a lack of stats to back them up And every time he fucking brought it up HelenÆs vision went red

Stamping her foot Helen launched herself toward Dozer

Calmly he stepped to the side and brought his huge club smashing downward Helen spun out of the way and created her Tides of Blood Domain What she had learned in their prior contest was that this fucker was so strong that a casual strike would shatter it to pieces

Dozer followed up by twisting with remarkably light steps and sending a Roundhouse Kick toward her chest Sidestepping she cut at him with several blisteringly fast thrusts

Although she inflicted some small wounds across his chest he obviously had a Skill that toughened his skin And rather than backing off he simply body slammed Helen Hissing her fury at the audacity of the man she hastily danced out of the way But that just opened up enough space for him to stamp his foot

Stamping his fucking foot had enough strength to shatter her Domain The tides quaked and seethed

When really pissed Helen off was that she definitely could withstand this type of force before But because of Randidly and his dumbass teleportation

Hey Dozer

Instantly Dozer hopped backward away from Helen and looked up toward the speaker It was the archer looking down at Helen with frightful intensity

Yea

AlanaÆs back Time to talk with Randidly Oh you come too

A vein in HelenÆs forehead throbbed Was everyone on this godforsaken planet trying to piss her off

Chapter 853

Randidly looked around at the ten or so people inside the tent

Other than himself there was Helen Dozer Alana Annie Ptolemy and a half dozen high Level fighters from the assorted squads It was somewhat nostalgic to see these people again and also somewhat saddening that there were so many people wearing the crest of Donnyton that Randidly didnÆt recognize

This time he wouldnÆt spend his entire time back on Earth hiding from the group in Zone 1

Alana frowned at his arm So maybe start with what happened to your arm

Idly Randidly reached up and touched the stump actually that might not be a good idea The reason I donÆt currently have an arm is rather complicated And I think it would miss out on some of the real meat of the story IÆll just tell you a quick version of what IÆve been doing for the last five months and what it means for Earth I did a fair bit of research while I was over there

So Randidly explained about being called back by Helen for the tournament He told them about the losing war with the Wights and the trek across the Spearman School to Hastam Then he explained to them about Skarch and Azriel and also Silo

Fighting losing retreating pushed all the way back to Hastam Learning about images using images activating Skills with just images some of the people in the back muttered about that but when Randidly fell silent so did they

So he continued

Then he explained a little of what he learned about the Spearman and how the First and Second Calamity worked and what the Earth should expect He did however leave out that Octavius had contacted him and told him that there was a small chance that someone would file for a variance considering they had foreknowledge

Then Randidly explained going to the Death School and learning about bigger images and the specific details of the Second Calamity Then he talked his way through the last fight and finally his MasterÆs Ascension Briefly he laid out what that meant for Tellus

There were times during his telling that the listeners asked questions Mostly Alana and Dozer With HelenÆs help he was able to handle everything and explain how things on Tellus worked The group was also rather bemused that Helen was an individual from this far off world returned with Randidly due to his Domain

Randidly also couldnÆt help but notice the frequent glares that Helen threw at Dozer

In the end Randidly finished and everyone sat silently considering the information Hopefully these people would disseminate the important parts of what he said and then Donnyton would be much more prepared

Alright Alana finally said But what happened to your arm ShouldnÆt have enough time passed for it to regrow I thought nothing wouldnÆt heal with the System around That and avoiding colds are the only benefits

Randidly winced The short answer is that I spliced apart the source code the System made for my body in order to have purchase with my Domain on the world Otherwise I likely would have been prevented from doing this

But that was likely more information than was necessary And Randidly didnÆt feel like being bogged down with the esoteric details of Domains ItÆs a cost of my Domain I had to give up my arm But IÆll probably just build a replacement Which will be enjoyable I suppose

Dozer hummed softly Metal limbs Let me know how they feel

Huh and here I thought youÆd been perfectly happy with your body Annie said lightly Who knew you wanted to make such a sudden and inane change

For one of the first times that Randidly could remember he saw genuine sadness on DozerÆs face The man sighed and casually picked up Annie Okay okay you guys keep going We need to talk

Hey You canÆt just do this hey you throw me my bow Quick Hey wait

Dozer buoyed away the shouting and scratching Annie while everyone else watched awkwardly

In a delightful display of conversational acumen Ptolemy spoke to fill the silence So your Domain has a cost I suppose it must be rather strong then

yes it is in a way Randidly said grateful for the distraction from the continued shouts from outside the tent The gist of it is that I have an entire world in my chest With my Domain I can bring people into and out of that world

So you can hide an army under your sleeve Alana said

Randidly grinned at her and winked Maybe But right now itÆs pretty mentally draining for me to move more than just one or two people across at the same time As I level the Skill I donÆt doubt it will improve

Alana grunted and nodded Learning about the Calamities is helpful too So the First one is just a big fight and the Second will be about deciding on EarthÆs image

Yea and like I said I wonÆt be able to supply that That duty is going to fall to someone else Randidly said with a nod

Ptolemy took a sip of water from his cup What does that mean ImageÆ What actually constitutes an image

ItÆs not a trick term Randidly said with a shake of the head ItÆs legitimately the image of the world It might be easier to understand as a philosophy on the broader narrative role of people For instance Tellus was a world that focused on the spear and their fight boiled down to the spear as a tool of violence or as the weapon of a hero

Everyone considered that

ThatÆs still very vague So almost anything can be an image Ptolemy asked

Randidly shrugged As long as you can picture it

To demonstrate Randidly focused his Willpower and exuded a bit of Frigid Ash Extinguishing Storm Small motes of freezing ash drifted outward from his fingers to touch the canvas wall of the tent Without the Skill it was not immediate but after about ten seconds his image was enough to freeze the wall of the tent Everyone watched mesmerized

Well itÆs good you are back Alana said Thinking about the Second Calamity is getting ahead of ourselves A couple more Zones need to connect to Earth first Oh what are you doing next We will need to head back toward Donnyton in the morning now that this ogre problem is finished Mrs Hamilton will be ecstatic that we finished so quickly YouÆre welcome to join us of course

Randidly looked at Helen She seemed to be sulking and didnÆt even notice his gaze He lowered his eyes to the floor as he thought about it IÆll be heading to Donnyton soon but not immediately Neveah left me a couple of tasks to see to then IÆm going to go South and help her

Helen was still stuck in her own negative world Sighing Randidly put her hand on her shoulder She looked up sharply as though expecting a fight She seemed genuinely shocked to find him standing next to her

What are your thoughts staying with me or do you want to travel with them and see the countryside He asked

Her eyes seemed to tighten with rage She lifted her chin IÆll be going with them

Please donÆt try to kill anyone Randidly wished silently Then he looked in askance at Alana She thought about it then nodded

Should be fine Since we have extra time we were going to stop by Star Crossing for a day or two as well See the sights sample some of the wine that they are shipping East from Providence

Randidly nodded and looked around at the room Everyone he didnÆt know had stayed quiet for the entire discussion and now looked at him with a strange disappointment and longing Inwardly he could feel the Crown of Cataclysm and Gloom pulsing

After sighing he turned to them and said By the way you all are also free to speak If any of you have any questions now is the time to ask them

As one the waiting squad members blinked Then they took an involuntary step forward Their eyes were watery and bright

AlanaÆs sharp voice cut across before any could speak One question each so make it count And then after that we are making preparations for leaving tomorrow So nothing too fancy

Randidly looked at Alana in bemusement but she returned his look with one that indicated she thought that he was crazy Some part of Randidly softened at that look and then he turned back to regard these people that he had never met

But for all that weÆve never met theyÆve probably heard every story about me havenÆt they Or they saw when the Donnyton Squads challenged me

Randidly grinned as he toyed with the idea of doing that challenge once more It would be a hell of a lot more difficult now that everyone was probably higher Leveled than he was But it might be enjoyable

Still he didnÆt have much time to think because they started asking questions of him

Some were strange like when he was asked why he settled Donnyton where it was Another wanted to know what he was doing when the System arrived A third asked how Randidly went about creating so many unique Skills Someone else chimed in asking how he managed to control all of his different vines in his plant moves

One at a time Randidly answered the questions And despite what Alana said he didnÆt say anything when someone asked a second question or a third

These were the elite of Donnyton the rough ones that were always between Donnyton and the worst of the threats that faced them And every one of them had a couple of scars So Randidly didnÆt think anything of it to spend a couple of hours sitting with them and telling them everything he knew about the System and living with it

Very soon he was talking about Aether and images Soulskills and Skillsets Although Earth had the benefit of Mrs Hamilton and Daniel that couldnÆt compare to the generations of knowledge that had been assembled on Tellus and haphazardly distributed to Randidly by Shal All the while they listened and ate the information up

Afterward Alana pulled him to the side said So you arenÆt just top dog for show You sure as hell know a lot about the System

RandidlyÆs smile was thin Understanding is the only way we will be able to overcome it And I donÆt mean to let the System rule my life forever

Chapter 854

There were giant pink clouds floating above Randidly They seemed profoundly puzzling As he stared up at them they seemed to wiggle and wave despite the strange fogginess in his brain he recognized this as strange cloud behavior Very slowly Randidly blinked He sat up and brought a hand to his forehead

Everything was fuzzy Why

Ah good you came awake quickly ItÆs good to see you again Randidly

Randidly twisted around and the surrounding space buzzed with his aggression Simon who was looking quite a bit older than when Randidly saw him previously took several steps back Careful The dream will tear if you think about it too much Or experience too violent emotions Or well I can sense your Willpower Someone like you could tear it apart accidentally Please allow me to deliver my message and then IÆll be on my way

Randidly nodded slowly The hills around him were more like waves rising and falling as if there was a deep beast sleeping beneath

Hey DonÆt go thinking too deeply about things Simon interrupted RandidlyÆs thoughts worriedly This is your dream so things you believe will come true The ground was growing teeth there

Randidly considered the ground It truly had grown teeth They were sharp and yellow But as he watched them they morphed into candy corn Randidly wrinkled his nose and dismissed that immediately he hated candy corn

Perhaps sleeping beneath the ground was a rabbit warren Full of soft bunnies and nothing dangerous

Thinking back Randidly did remember deciding to sleep during the night before leaving to help Neveah with the things she hadnÆt been able to do while she was in the South Mostly he could feel the strain of keeping Helen here start to wear on him and decided sleeping would alleviate that pressure

Hopefully she hadnÆt immediately been transported inside himself when he fell asleep

Slowly RandidlyÆs gaze focused on Simon Clarity returned to the core of his mind while the edges remained blunted by the dream This was a young man Randidly owed a great debt But much of that goodwill had been squandered when Simon had seized the mantle of the Champion without consulting anyone At the time it was mind boggling

Now it just seemed foolish

It was a desperate move of an idiot kid with a crush But from small conversations that Randidly had with Alana the powers Simon as Champion gifted the people of the Zone were rather useful There had been a push for the recreation of the internet until people realized that a little practice with illusion could create even more immersive and useful tools for presentations Besides stats gave most humans enough processing power that they didnÆt need computers in order to handle calculations