LoRG 2

Randidly paused If I didnÆt meet Neveah

Just like there were similar mindsets which indicated that Randidly could have gone down the same path of foolish resistance that Ki Kunot there were reasons that it hadnÆt happened And all of these reasons were not things of his own doing Rewards that he had fought and earned but nothing that made Randidly believe he could have done any better in Ki KunotÆs shoes

There was even a grudging admittance in RandidlyÆs chest that he owed a deep debt to the Creature In seeking to shape his environment he had been indelibly shaped to be a monster Just like he had learned a deep determination from the Spearman Mercy had been beaten out of him by the cruel hand of reality Perhaps if the lessons hadnÆt been so harsh Randidly wouldnÆt have felt only small qualms at the thought of allowing the monster resistance to run itself through on the blade of RandidlyÆs Riders

So many other Paths So many choices I could have made that would have made it almost impossible for me to survive

but I did survive Randidly tossed the head into the hole and began to fill it in with dirt Several shadows crawled out of the grave and joined the thousands of others that rejoiced in the sea of shadow that Randidly cast behind them

With great care he watched those shadows join him Although they appeared like shadows they were truly threads of karma But what I canÆt tell is if these are chains that will behind me or a Path I will use to walk forward

Chapter 990

The smell of smoke dragged Vye out of her sweet dream about growing wings and flying away It was with that fresh loss that VyeÆs eyelids fluttered open

Wrinkling her nose she tried to sit upwards and find out what dumb thing Tatiana did this time to light something on fire in the office Maybe she brought a half finished piece of metal into the board room and left it on the table If she had to make one more call to that holier than thou carpenter to repair the board room table

Vye couldnÆt sit up And this made her puzzle Then she remembered that she had left Erickson Steel behind to finally try to find her own place in the world Her first step toward seizing the capability to control her own destiny The wide sky seemed to spread out before her in every direction

Which was probably why in her dream

Then a powerful throb of pain from her left hand jerked Vye back to the present and left her wincing No I was in the Lottery I had the duel against Roland and then he

As her eyes grew used to activity after so long resting the details of the room swam into focus Her thoughts stumbled to a halt as she finally looked down at the blackened flesh of her left hand Her fingers twitched outward like the legs of an electrocuted spider But after some movements the muscles eased back into their familiar serviceability

On the one hand Vye comforted herself that it was only painful not crippling in any way As she carefully flexed her fingers the muscles continued to move smoothly as they always had Her creation of rituals wouldnÆt be encumbered by this injury which was VyeÆs initial fear

Yet the wizened and burned skin of her hand looked like she had smashed her digits with a well greased waffle iron The ambient energy wafted up out of the ritual markings she had made directly onto the surface layer of her hand The whole reason that Vye needed to spend so much extra time making the paper for the Rituals was exactly due to the danger involved in inscribing them There were high demands on the paper to prevent some of the energy from escaping

What Vye did during her rituals was carefully balancing the ambient energies within the paper Only when they were precisely released with the correct timing would they display their true ability During that intervening period the energies had to be completely contained by the paper Leaks generally led to more leaks which would see the paper light up like a match

Or like my fucking hand Vye thought with a grimace

Unlike the paper VyeÆs skin hadnÆt been reinforced to be a medium for the energies Skin was incredibly poorly suited to being able to contain the complex interactions of a ritual So she could only grit her teeth in chagrin as she looked at the wretched state her skin had been reduced to from only a split second of containing those energies

If she had done anything other than draw out the ritual and then unleash it immediately the possibilities made Vye shiver It was likely that the strain of containing it would have spread the strange variance through her own body As it was Vye quickly used her right hand to feel around her body

She was sprawled on a bed with covers twisted around her which was likely the real reason she hadnÆt been able to sit up It seemed like dream Vye had been highly mobile The burned skin stopped at the wrist it seemed like the damage was localized to the ritual she had drawn on the back of her hand

Because based on the bandages and the fact that Vye felt completely fine other than her hand it seemed that she had been healing for several hours already Her Health had returned to full After the hit Roland put on her Vye had no delusions about the state she had been reduced to

Yet her hand remained injured even though the Systems usual healing could have addressed it And the answer to why seemed to be staring her in the face

Reject Vye thought sadly cradling her left hand in her right and raising it to examine the inflamed red skin at the site of the ritual The warped remnants of the ritual she had very quickly added on to her hand stood out from the blackened skin like a raised brand Looking at it now it was clear that there were many slight flaws in the ritual that had led to energy leaking out before she had unleashed it

And perhaps due to the leaking the shieldÆ that the ritual should have been morphed into something similar but not quite the same Not just a rejection but also a firm refusal of any sort of concession Although it had been transformed by the process that Reject still remained firmly planted on VyeÆs hand continuing to somehow persist even though she wasnÆt feeding it Mana any longer

Vye carefully moved her hand It hurts but it definitely also possesses power If I figure out what happened here If I can use it in the future

There was a sudden jolt in her surroundings and Vye winced in pain Finally distracted from her hand Vye looked around to see that her bed was in a train compartment Out the nearby window Vye could see rolling farmlands and soft hills as far as the eye could see blurring at the edges as the train cruised across the countryside

There was a soft knock at the door and Vye twisted around to see Naffur Suite looking quite a bit more like the teenager that he was smiling at her He ruffled his own hair as he looked in at her Feeling better

yea Vye carefully lowered her marred hand to her side Even when she moved it just a little thorns of agony would spread outward from the still buzzing Ritual she had carved onto her hand But the fact that it hurt so much meant that there was power in it If Vye could figure that power out maybe this was the Path she needed to take to find her own independence

Good because there is something we need to talk about and the sooner the better Naffur stepped into the room and peered around as if he was looking for something Eventually he frowned but he turned and focused his gaze back on Vye Your performance at the Lottery was exemplary You managed to disperse a strike from someone who had condensed a Fate and live through it

Barely Vye smirked But even she couldnÆt suppress the thrill of excitement at the words She was definitely correct If she could learn to freely utilize that power and perhaps also slightly reduce the pain that resulted from it Goddamnit if this continues IÆm gonna just cut this thing off

Do you know how many things IÆve barely accomplished in my life Naffur sighed I learned that from Randidly Ghosthound No one else ever remembers to put barely in front of your successes once they start to pile up But after taking the blow you were unconscious We brought you along with us but that was a little bit forward So I want to officially ask you now would you like to join one of ten finalists to join the Order Ducis Because otherwise we will need to let you off at the next stop

Yes More than anything yes

But Vye did her best to play it cool while a mental version of herself was frantically resisting the urge to grin like a village idiot and prance about Ah of course IÆm interested in the Order Ducis I really respect all of the many deeds youÆve accomplished Definitely done a lot of good stuff but what do you mean by finalists

Heh you are much sharper than most people we make the offer to Naffur chuckled Currently there are only five official members of the Order Ducis But Randidly has finally decided to expand our number We will be hosting a six month long training camp to determine who to actually induct into the order At the moment five seems the top limit should we receive enough applicants who successfully complete the camp

so there is a fifty percent chance to get in VyeÆs internal excitement dimmed somewhat Being a finalist seemed like it would just get her entry into the training camp From there she would be forced to prove herself But based on the Order DucisÆ track record six months of training with them would definitely see her Skill and Level improve six months was a little less than the amount of time Vye had taken to get to this point

After six months of the most intensive training on Earth

Ah actually finalist is a bit misleading NaffurÆs smile seemed abruptly guilty But you will immediately be taken to the training camp with the distinction of someone we actively recruited In addition to the finalists we have about twenty individuals who have assisted with our other tasks TheyÆve earned places in the camp Finally we are going to have twenty open slots in the training camp first come first served But we will kick anyone out that doesnÆt align with our beliefs or canÆt keep up with the training regimen It was designed for high turnover

Naffur scratched his head RandidlyÆs training methods are not gentle And the Order Ducis definitely hopes to embody his spirit

Of course results demand trials to manifest Without strife humanity would collapse

Vye paused She had been about to open her mouth and reply to Naffur but someone else had beat her to it As one she and Naffur looked upward toward the source of the voice

AldoÆs head was popping out of the luggage compartment above where Vye had been resting VyeÆs eyes slowly widened as she looked up at him as he nonchalantly looked down at the two of them Clearly he had been listening into their conversation

Ah Aldo I had been looking for you Naffur looked blankly up at the other man What are you doing up there

There isnÆt any evidence that indicates that Randidly Ghosthound has ever used Manatech trains as a form of transportation Aldo lifted his chin and peered around As such IÆve done a lot of thinking about that Perhaps that is a more important detail than most people think As someone who investigates the source of Randidly GhosthoundÆs power IÆm currently in the middle of an experiment So if youÆll excuse me

Aldo pulled his head back into the luggage compartment like a turtle withdrawing into its shell The compartment shut itself with a snap

weÆve also asked Aldo to participate Naffur said quietly Then he rubbed his neck clearly feeling quite awkward I hope you two get along well We should be arriving at our destination in two hours

Ah where is the training camp taking place Vye asked idly still staring up toward AldoÆs small hideaway

Naffur smiled Erickson Steel Headquarters

VyeÆs mouth eye twitched IÆm sorry

Chapter 991

Randidly sat with his legs crossed in the half light of this strange place In front of him the Grim Chimera raised its head and howled until Randidly felt the vibrating hate of the noise in his diaphragm Its hunger was a physical thing tugging at RandidlyÆs clothes Around the two individuals spiraled thousands of motes of ash sucked upward into the endless maw of need that was birthed by fear and fury

It seems that my senses were right Randidly reflected Something is off here

Then the Grim raised its wickedly sharp claws of its left hand and the ground beneath them was covered in a sea of ants They marched in formation toward the horizon commanded by a higher purpose to seek the edge of the world All of this information flowed into Randidly naturally connected as he was to the substance of the Grim Chimera

Then the terrible monster at RandidlyÆs core raised the bone spear covered in dried blood that was its right arm and the horizon shifted One thousand towering pyres appeared like open mouths

With a predictable fatalism those innumerable ants marched into the fire without any complaint Their population swiftly dwindled The only proof of their existence was the small pops their body made as the air inside their thorax was heated to the point that their exoskeleton was torn open by the super heated air The howling of the ash grew louder as more and more drifted upward into the vortex

Randidly smiled sadly at the Grim Chimera They were not mindless ants They were people Monsters that grasped intelligence after being exposed to Aether and opportunity And although their nature drove them to refuse to concede I hold the responsibility for their deaths There is no need to try and comfort me with this pointless spectacle

Gnashing its invisible teeth the Grim Chimera spun Its body twisted and morphed sucking the images of the ants and the funeral pyres into itself In its place the severed head of Ki Kunot sat on top of a spear Unlike the head that Randidly had actually received the image projection that the Grim Chimera made was rotted until the lower half of its head was nothing but a bone and beak

You look similar to a very old image I had Randidly said quietly Seemingly not caring that Randidly could see it moving the Grim Chimera raised its left arm Thin wires of ash wove themselves downward from its deadly fingers to connect to the skull Then the dead thing that was meant to be Ki Kunot began to speak

With a clacking rotten beak Ki Kunot asked Why did YOU murder my people

Despite how contrived the situation was Randidly softened somewhat Until he understood why this was necessary he would play along All blades belong to the King even if he does not wield them I will not shift blame to my Riders

Waggling the jaw of the dead puppet side to side the Grim Chimera seemed to think about that Then Ki KunotÆs severed head opened its disintegrating beak Is humanity truly the most important thing What is sacred in your crusade to save Earth

All things have a price Randidly said tiredly He had asked the number of monsters they had eliminated in that strange cave system It was nine thousand one hundred and six IÆm doing my best

Ah the conscious of a King is a broad thing to shrug off the guilt of strangling an entire people in its cradle The skull said with a skeletal smirk

It fucking sucks Randidly said bitterly The ash floating around them paused in its constant upward rotating It began to drift without destination filling the air with smoky butterflies It wasnÆt a perfect solution because IÆm not a perfect person It hurts to know I could have saved those lives but didnÆt But I would do the same thing again

DoesnÆt your justification give you succor You have continued for a week without stopping your Riders from slaughtering the other small rebellions You must be confident in the price you would pay for their lives

IÆm not Randidly shrugged helplessly His eyes studied Ki Kunot then the Grim Chimera Finally he began to carefully examine those lines of ash that connected the two But I donÆt have time and I am not a person who can afford to wait for certainty to take action I offered them three choices That was the best I was willing to do

You donÆt have time HA What do you have but time The puppet roared

Shrugging Randidly said I might be the first to possess an Aether Crossroads but the System has dealt with enough Heretics that it has an automated response The Judgement is coming

Ki Kunot sneered at Randidly You have an eternity here if you want it You can minimize the danger

IÆm not so arrogant to believe that IÆm the first person that has found this loophole And also not the first to find a way around Aether Sickness Yet what I find funny is that the Judgment sets a date and descends based on that timeline Because I received the information on normal time Dungeon time gives me room to prepare Could I have gone into a deeper Dungeon while in that time accelerated jail and put off the Dungeon I actually counted on the Judgment at that time but if I had wanted to was that an option

Randidly leaned forward If thatÆs the case the System is built as though it’s less important that it is coming and more important that I know its coming Which is the reason I have a hunch that this Judgment will be slightly more complicated than just another fight IÆm not in here just to prepare for the Judgment

For several minutes the skull was quiet The Grim Chimera didnÆt move Then like cut power had finally been restored it spoke again on a completely different topic Three choices You gave us only two choices join you as slaves or die

Randidly smiled There was a third choice I urged them to leave that base and flee They could have left and started a new life elsewhere

Your Riders burned our homes and extracted the raw materials Not just ore and lumber but you also gather less intelligent species and use them to harvest food and textiles The expression on Ki KunotÆs face was bitter What choice did we have You would have steamrolled our culture and way of life Without that what would we be but monsters

Culture Pressing his eyes closed Randidly breathed out slowly Yours was a culture of violence before you achieved self awareness You killed each other heedlessly LIkely for thousands of years

It was tradition The skull hissed But Randidly also sensed he was close to the core of the issue now and didnÆt stop

And what you are saying now is that your lives meant less to you than your culture Randidly bared his teeth His hands tightened to fists So not only do I need to spare your lives but when you threaten to harm your own lives to protect other interests I need to respect that as well No I will not do that

YOU SPEAK SO GRANDLY OF YOUR VIOLENCE Ki Kunot bellowed The ashen butterflies were moving in a frenzy now crashing into each other in small explosions of grey Yet how could we trust you You came in a frenzy of fire and killing You did not bother to learn about us There is so much that we could have done for each other if you would have given us the chance

I don’t think I’m better than you I simply was stronger And the bottom line is that I didnÆt care about you Randidly said truthfully He took several steps forward to stand above the rotting head of Ki Kunot Nine thousand one hundred and six Just another pile of lives lost under the rules of the System But I do care about something you said trust

The hundreds of ashen butterflies froze Their wings glittered in the half light of what Randidly considered his source of images Effectively what he could see by right now was the light of his own soul

ItÆs trust that caused this isnÆt it Grim Chimera RandidlyÆs lip curled and then he looked down the ashen strings connecting his image to the rotting projection Trust fueled by a deep guilt that is too fresh and raw to truly cope with IÆm sorry I left you down here with it

How can you know you havenÆt doomed your humanity by slaughtering us Ki Kunot whispered

I donÆt Randidly said frankly He scratched his head Your potential for growth your stubborn determination I can admire those things You could have joined my Alpha Cosmos and become a part of me But in the end I couldnÆt truly believe that it was solely my Aether that pushed you all to this Until I understand that plateau I cannot dislodge the suspicion I hold I was afraid

We died for suspicion Ki KunotÆs expression was bleak

But Randidly looked at the Grim Chimera with luminous emerald eyes We died for suspicion eh IsnÆt this taking this ruse a little too far Or

With a single finger Randidly reached out and touched the ashen threads that bound the projection and his image together Grim Chimera I wonder who is speaking through who here IÆm surprised you were so easily devoured by guilt

The ashen butterflies disappeared So did the Grim Chimera What remained was the bloody and rotting head of Ki Kunot You should be happy that guilt has taken root at least somewhere in your vicious soul What sort of king kills for suspicion and feels nothing

Nine thousand one hundred and six Compared to the total number of people who I could have saved and didnÆt it’s truly insignificant But it is not nothing Trust me I feel the weight of the lives IÆve ended every day And those lives IÆve let end themselves when I could have easily acted and saved them

HOW CAN I TRUST THAT YOU HAVENÆT DOOMED US TO DIE Suddenly the Grim Chimera was back They were buried in ash

You are afraid too arenÆt you Of course you are you are a part of me

Randidly brushed the unending sea of ash all away They were suddenly alone in the half light I wonder that every day with every second I spend on different activities What will end up being the Skill I need to survive tomorrow How will the System try and doom Earth next The stream of threats doesnÆt seem to end And before we came here well you know

That being inside the crystal thought we were as insignificant as dust And it wasnÆt wrong about our relative power But I will never again be nothing

The Grim Chimera shook its head Its limbs split and merged If you truly feel these things WORRY CONSIDER You are just calmly refusing to look away from your Path The things you are missing due to your stubborn pride And if your Path is the wrong one

There it is Randidly grinned He reached up and grasped above his head You are me but you are also Ulaat and also Alta You are corrupted by the emotions you feel and you assume that the fact others arenÆt corrupted means that they donÆt feel the same things Or they donÆt feel them with the same authenticity But let me demonstrate something to you

When Randidly grabbed above his head his fingers closed over the Crown of Upheaval and Gloom The Crown hummed softly gleaming like polished bone in the half light of RandidlyÆs soul Extending his hand Randidly offered it to the Grim Chimera There was a flicker and suddenly it was KI KunotÆs bleeding head that was sitting before him With a small smirk Randidly placed the Crown onto her head

It is not expressive to let your emotions control you Randidly said quietly as he adjusted the Crown It is childish We have so much more to do We have so many more foes to face This well I canÆt say it wasnÆt a mistake But in moments like this where the fate of Earth wonÆt be affected those mistakes can happen I canÆt be perfect every moment So then when push comes to shove IÆm in a better position to not make a mistake Because I am the King here

Do you know what helps no one Whining when you fail And fuck Randidly gritted his teeth I canÆt deny I failed here I didnÆt take the time to make a perfect solution I was too rushed to respect these lives I faced my own foolishness and turned away without a second glance because I believed my other tasks were more important I was arrogant

You believe your numbness to be a virtue Ki Kunot muttered but Randidly knew that it wasnÆt any real spirit that was talking We have done terrible things We deserve

Because of how the Crown was never truly worn physically by him it was difficult for Randidly to fit it on the decapitated headÆs rotting flesh It came down to minute adjustments to the image itself to make it possible But still he labored at it You know what I detest more than anything Making someone elseÆs tragedy about yourself Focus on your own shit Grim Chimera

You feel guilty too Suddenly the Chimera was back its arms stretched wide to as if to embrace Randidly Otherwise you wouldnÆt have gone and buried all the bodies

I mourned then in my own way rather than torturing myself and feeling self righteous about it Randidly said Then he smiled the Crown finally was in place Suddenly it felt like chains of cold iron were jettisoned off from his shoulders Releasing a long sigh Randidly savored the tingling sense of freedom that came over his soul space

Increasing the power of images didnÆt occur without a commiserate cost And for the first time in a long time Randidly was freed from that cost

When Randidly finally had the Crown sitting as he wanted a connection was established between this small manifestation of his emotions and his Crown The head of Ki Kunot screeched in agony for a second before it was squelched like a rotten grape Then the Grim Chimera began to roar its fabric ripped to shreds by the swirled doubts and fears that plagued the Crown

For several seconds Randidly let the image bear that weight It will hurt to the point of damaging the image But it needs to learn this lesson Just because I do not panic and flail does not mean I need these victories any less

Then Randidly took back his Crown do you understand now Nine thousand one hundred and six is only the most recent pile of bodies I have created They wonÆt shift my resolve Even if IÆm making a mistake I wonÆt know until I reach the end of my Path DonÆt get in my way

The Grim Chimera didnÆt have any strength remaining to reply It faded to nothing in the dark half light of RandidlyÆs soul to lick its wounds

Chapter 992

After eight months of being within the Dungeon almost all of the land area that was not the plateau was under RandidlyÆs control Or had been rather hastily stripped of resources and left barren Currently his Riders were chomping at the bit to be allowed onto the plateau but still Randidly hesitated There were a few things that he wanted to do before he exposed himself to the risk implied by those strange arrows

The most pleasant of which is spending all the PP IÆve earned Randidly frowned at his Status screen I wanted to wait so I could work on the Growth of Yggdrasil Path but it seems increasingly foolish to only have 348 Endurance Better to work on the Physique of the Grim Chimera and try to push that number upward Surviving is more important than ever Especially after

Randidly shook his head unwilling to be distracted by his run in with the being inside the enormous crystal

Over the past eight months Randidly had been focused on working on his metallurgy engraving images and spear Skills There were only a few Skills that gained quite a chunk of PP like Sigil of an Approaching Fate and Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos but there were dozens of Skills that had gained somewhere between three and ten Skill Levels With RandidlyÆs amount of Skills that was more than enough

Therefore he had been able to gather 623 PP It wouldnÆt finish Physique of the Grim Chimera but it would get Randidly halfway to that goal And he hoped that would be enough spent PP that he would earn some Physical Defense related Stats

Even gaining Vitality as a reward for proceeding through it wouldnÆt be the worst thing in the world although that wasnÆt his goal It was with bated breath that Randidly began putting points into the Physique of the Grim Chimera Path

Thankfully twenty five PP earned him three Endurance and one Vitality When he spent all of his PP he had already improved his Endurance by 72 and his Vitality by 24 It wouldnÆt completely address his lagging physical Stats but it was definitely a start With about three and a half more months in his self imposed time limit Randidly could gather another chunk

And with that start to boosting his physical capabilities Randidly wanted to try something a little dangerous

RandidlyÆs focus for the past few months was Engravings Specifically more and more of RandidlyÆs attention went to having some progress in the Engravings that could Level And certainly Randidly was much closer to success than he had been previously His experience with Engraving let the uniformity of the Mana depth in each stroke stabilize

But Randidly quickly realized that was only half of the problem Randidly also hadnÆt been permeating his guiding image in the engraving evenly

Just like with the problem of Mana depth image needed to be as close to uniform as possible through the Engraving Basically for similar reasons So not only did the Engraver need to maintain a careful watch over how the actual engraving was proceeding but they also needed to enter a pseudo hypnotic state where a constant and even amount of the image was projected

Which would have been easy if the Engraving Randidly was making was a circle and not a complicated runic sigil

Although it was an aggravating realization Randidly felt somewhat foolish for not thinking about it before So he adjusted and tried to control his images After all so much time had been spent refining them while he was here His control had improved a lot in that time To the point he was relatively confident in maintaining a constant production of image while Engraving

Unfortunately production didnÆt matter as much as accumulation

Due to the nature of the Engraving there were portions of the design Randidly Engraved that were more line intensive than others Therefore images naturally accumulated there whereas relatively less dense portions had fewer images And those variances became weaknesses for the Engravings that could Level

As if that wasnÆt enough what ultimately stopped Randidly dead was the fact that his sense of images wasnÆt exact enough to determine how much more or less the portions of the Engraving possessed Sure he was very familiar with his own images but Randidly had been making up new images most times he made the Engravings to broaden his experience

Therefore he wasnÆt sensitive enough to determine anything more helpful than there is too much of the image here and not enough there In effect Randidly had become so soaked in his own images that he was rather numb to the passing images that he created for the Engraving

A single day spent experimenting produced so little results that Randidly gave up on accomplishing this goal the old fashioned way

Until he saw that he had unlocked a new Path Living Engraving I 0/500

If All Things Succumb Yet Time Whirls the Earth benefits from specificity will it make it much easier if I just imagine finishing the one Path Randidly wondered However he didnÆt want to try it immediately Even if what he wanted was to move to a specific Path Randidly still had the very focused goal of creating an Engraving that could Level on top of that

In addition there was one more thing that Randidly needed to verify before he made the attempt was using the Skill for the same goal easier over time Was there some sort of memory or familiarity with what he had done that would remain to make a second attempt easier

So Randidly experimented And finally Randidly discovered some good news When he attempted to accomplish the same thing a second or third time with that Skill the physical damage he had to endure dropped drastically After seven attempts using the Skill to make food Randidly barely felt any tiredness in the wake of creating whatever food he was making

Suddenly the quality of RandidlyÆs meals showed marked improvement Although he was a little worried about his real Cooking Level no longer improving his Skill Level for All Things Succumb Yet Time Whirls the Earth was even more important

So for the past few days Randidly was using All Things Succumb Yet Time Whirls the Earth to shift to a world where he had completed the Living Engraving I Path As his attempts became easier and easier Randidly also developed and slowly refined an image to use for a Levelable Engraving However today would be the first day that he finally created something

Randidly frowned down at his hands Although IÆm slowly starting to understand how it can be used that doesnÆt bring me any closer to knowing why it happens I might have gotten 70 more Endurance but what if part of the moving sideways to finish those other Paths takes that away Perhaps it would have been more reliable just to finish the LIving Engraving Path directly

but that wouldnÆt help me use this Skill for other things

Shaking his head Randidly quieted his thoughts After his surreal interaction with the Grim Chimera about a month ago both his images had really quieted and been more easy for him to manipulate Randidly had no real proof being isolated in the Dungeon but he sensed that he was coming up to a limit in terms of the detail he could add to his images in a short amount of time

Soon there wouldnÆt be much more point in him constantly refining them they had reached a hard to break through level of saturation That accumulation would only come with practice And the practice of a lifetime not of an intensive year

So I suppose letÆs not dance around the issue any longer Time to go

All Else Succumbs Yet Time Whirls the Earth

As he activated the Skill RandidlyÆs mind focused through the familiar route of finishing the Path then added the craving that he then create a successful Engraving that could Level He felt his skin burn and tingle as the Skill activated The Grim Chimera condensed behind him as silent and intense as it had been since he had forced it to bear the weight of his Crown

It released a long breath

Its claws danced across his shoulders Its spear gleamed dully in the illumination from the Ignition Essence that hung in the air around Randidly in the workroom Then the Grim Chimera split into two then four then sixty four and then

When Randidly woke up his Absolute Timing Skill told him helpfully that almost five days had passed Groaning Randidly sat up Or at least tried to Randidly collapsed to his left when he tried to leverage himself into a sitting position

Blinking away a pounding headache Randidly looked down at his left arm The metal had been warped and destroyed Rather than an arm it was more accurate to describe the arm as a series of rust based jigsaw puzzle pieces that hadnÆt been put together very well Everything lower than RandidlyÆs wrist had snapped off as he had tried to straighten into a sitting position

ItÆs not like I wasnÆt going to make another This just accelerates the timeline

Randidly coughed and spat out dirt and dust from his parched mouth Leaning back Randidly accepted his fate as a person who lays and produced a water bottle from his interspatial ring After sucking the bottle dry and giving a few minutes for the liquid to spread through his body Randidly was prepared for another attempt

When Randidly was finally back on his feet there was another surprise waiting for him Rather than the usual ceiling there were only glittering stars above It seemed that he had destroyed his rather fragile dome while using the Skill

Well itÆs not like it was disguise enough to fool anyone who was looking anyway Randidly rubbed his neck and limped out to the surface He wasnÆt injured really His physical body had healed with the assistance of the System while he was sleeping His muscles were simply sore and stiff from so long without moving

Luckily RandidlyÆs Vitality now brought tingling capability back to his extremities at record speed

But when Randidly left his base he was forced to pause With a furrowed brow Randidly regarded the huge tube of copper that was standing next to the timeless stone monolith It was almost three meters long and was one meter in diameter

At first Randidly was confused But after a few seconds of considering it a grin crept out across his face

Heh I can see why this hurt like a bitch Randidly shook his head If I still canÆt control the uniformity of the images in the tiny Engravings why not just size them up to make the control less delicate

A Crown of pale metal condensed above his head RandidlyÆs grin turned sharp as his eyes light up like fresh grass in summer Just make a really big Engraving huh

Chapter 993

One unfortunate side effect of Randidly’s experiment with making a working Engraving that could Level was that the mollusk mayor asked for a private meeting after Randidly had destroyed half of the secret base Not that the little guy could really be blamed Whatever had occurred when Randidly used All Else Succumbs Yet Time Whirls the Earth had caused a general junk slide to crash into the side of the mollusksÆ town

As Randidly walked toward the pools he had made for the mollusks his expression was quite serious ItÆs unfortunate that I still don’t understand how the Skill works I thought I had an idea but based on the destruction caused when I used it Did some of the physical damage I had to endure get shunted off onto the surroundings because I couldn’t handle it

that feels way too convenient for it to be true

Randidly wasn’t sure if yes or no was the more worrisome answer

When Randidly entered into the room with the pools he was relieved to see that the collapse of the dome hadn’t meant the sky had fallen on the mollusks That would have been a little difficult to explain and Randidly felt quite tired of bringing calamities upon strange other populations But one of the more recent piles of chopped up failed experiments had been smashed and shattered by falling stone Still these past eight months had seen the mollusks become increasingly enterprising Their clockwork automatons dutifully marched out to gather the materials that the mollusks required

Honestly Randidly was impressed by their quick technological development Basically he had given them a clockwork rosetta stone but it was still impressive that they had managed to achieve so much just based on the watch that he had given them The mollusks town had become a little shell and clockwork steampunk dystopia Mollusks had shells made of shiny brass and whirling gears as they moved about their daily business And for the difficult work they had created some basic robots which had largely freed up the population from survival concerns Which in turn had led to something that Randidly supposed was most closely related to an opera

Of course the mollusks turn toward self indulgence is a little bit too predictable to be funny Do they need some sort of external threat Randidly thought rather sourly

The mayor was waiting for Randidly on top of a mound of clockwork that they had built for Randidly as a ‘gift’ Despite the fact that they had used the materials that he had provided and shaped for them it was still a somewhat touching gesture To Randidly’s surprise the mayor had brought one of the clockwork automatons

“Oh great bringer of thunder I have a favor to ask of you ” The mayor said with an elaborate bow of its flexible body When it straightened it spoke in a quite serious tone “Due to the recent thunder I would hope that you would grant me my one true wish “

“What’s your wish ” Randidly asked in a rather deep voice he affected for the mollusks

The mayor gestured to the automaton And then before he spoke the mayor stared at the automaton with its small beady eyes “After much thought I wonder if we are not inferior creatures to the race that we created These beings they are perfect themselves They never deviate from their routines They never “

Sighing the mayor didn’t speak for several seconds Then it said “I suppose there is no use hiding it from you Our town while perhaps it is peaceful on the surface there have been recent changes Individuals have gone missing Parts have been stolen Factions have emerged and I I believe they are secretly stockpiling an army of automatons for a sinister purpose “

Furtively the mayor looked up at Randidly they wish to slay god And I led them to this Not purposefully But If I had taken a firmer hand early on I just thought

What’s with the beings around me and guilt these days Randidly thought through gritted teeth But he simply asked “The wish “

” please as you did with us give the automatons self awareness Create create a peaceful place filled with beings that won’t fall to temptation They deserve this world much more than we do “

If this situation didn’t give someone a god complex I’m not sure what would Randidly shook his head and forced his shoulders to relax He sat down cross legged bringing his head almost level with the mollusk mayor

” I suppose I have two things to say before I agree to anything ” Randidly said lightly “The first is that for all my capability some things are beyond me I did not purposefully grace you creatures with intelligence I provided the energy but that final transformation is the result of your own determination Be proud of that there are certain Paths I can open but only you control your own two feet to walk forward As for the second thing “

Scratching at his short black hair Randidly tried to figure out how to explain “The place I was born had a story about a perfect place very similar to what you describe It was called Eden And in Eden lived Adam and Eve It was known to them that they could remain in Eden free and happy for as long as they wanted On one condition that they didn’t eat the fruit of knowledge

“Ultimately curiosity drove them to devour the fruit The knowledge inside the fruit was perspective and as promised they left Eden of their own free will They discovered the names of the many strange impulses they had thus far ignored and became tainted by those names In some cases to know desire is to fall prey to it “

“You you’re saying that it was the intelligence itself that drove our people to this ” The mayor said slowly Frowning down at the clockwork being next to him the mayor asked “What is this knowledge that is so damning Perspective “

Randidly chuckled in spite of the situation “Perhaps people from my home would be offended by this interpretation but the knowledge obtained from the fruit was the greatest inferiority complex that has ever existed ‘Because we are not divine because we have flaws because we are insufficient we should feel shame’ But it’s true that knowledge comes with costs “

Randidly indicated the clockwork and shell creation that the mayor held in such high esteem I need to point out that the growing flaws in your people that are such a problem might be the same sort of traits that result from these beings reaching self awareness They will covet and envy and hate just like other intelligent creatures They might even

Randidly trailed off for a second go to war Without even a true justification

But what greater justification is there than to kill the god who created this damned world

Clockwork is perfection The mayor replied stubbornly But Randidly could tell from the erratic clicking of its claws that he had gotten through to the mayor

Think about it Randidly said gently In the meantime I might know of a way to keep your people busy Would you be interested in traveling with me

Sitting in her newly renovated office situated on top of a private workshop Wendy felt immense satisfaction The whole buildingÆs exterior was constructed with hewn sandstone and ivory creating the illusion that the building was some ancient tomb of the most accomplished artificer in the world In fact Wendy spent the scant few moments of leisure time designing an array of complex traps to employ once she was nearing the end of her life

The idea of people nervously excavating her tomb

Knock

Massaging her temples Wendy opened her mouth to reprimand her diminutive assistant However the words caught in her throat before she could even spit them out

The whole reason I installed a steel door was so Jannen couldnÆt knock frivolously sheÆs too weak Wendy frowned toward the door With her tiny frame has she gotten a Class I thought

These most recent knocks echoed around the open and spacious office Wendy shivered Suddenly she wished she would have gone with a more cluttered design As the only piece of furniture in the room the desk was supposed to have a powerful psychological effect on anyone who walked into the office

The desk was heavy oak and dominated the space When another person came into the office the desired effect was that the individual feel adrift and isolated Meanwhile Wendy had a powerful desk that served as the base of her authority

But now Wendy simply felt like she had nowhere to hide

Am I behind on a project If Jannen didnÆt force them to wait it must be someone important but no I should have a few days for private pursuits Who would be obnoxious enough to just barge in here and force a meeting

Knock Knock Knock Knock

Yes Come in for godÆs sake Wendy finally spat out She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach Somehow she knew who was on the other side of that

With an ominous groaning the steel door was pushed open to reveal Randidly Ghosthound He grinned over at Wendy Wendy I really like what youÆve done with the place It definitely feels like you are walking into an ancient ruin when you walk in the front door

Not even compliments to her precious workshop would make Wendy lower her guard in front of this man Ah M Ghosthound What a pleasure Unfortunately IÆm so terribly busy today In a few minutes I need to

IÆve spoken to your assistant Randidly chuckled How strange She said your whole day had been cleared

WendyÆs polite smile cracked like ice in spring Ah well some of my personal experiments are in a very sensitive state

Perfect IÆll keep this short then Two things First I want you to design for me a giant moving city WonÆt that be fun And second does your company offer internships

Chapter 994

Before Randidly left his Soulskill he sought out someone who was the closest thing that Randidly had to a friend

To his surprise he found Azriel standing in an ornate courtyard quite deep within the continent of his Soulskill And after he arrived it took not a little doing just to try and get inside the ornate courtyard The courtyard was located in the capital of the largest political entity on the continent the Armgrast Empire From the little that Randidly heard about it the Empire was not kind to the new arrivals in the continent

If there was a war soon it would start with the ambitious Armgrast Empire and its bloodthirsty emperor

In addition to being in one of the largest and most bustling cities in his Alpha Cosmos the tiny courtyard itself was extremely well protected and tucked within the grounds of some nobleÆs estate Plus four people with a Level of 40 or higher stood around the courtyard preventing anyone from entering without their permission

For a place that had only had Classes readily available for eight months having so many who were above Level 40 instantly made Randidly suspicious of who owned it But when he scanned them with his Aether it was clear that they were locals These were not people that Randidly had brought with him from Tellus

Unfortunately for them these people didnÆt benefit from the knowledge that Classes were important but not as important as Skill Levels As such it was clear that they had relatively few and unimpressive Skills and Paths available to them Therefore they were more like scarecrows than true warriors who had obtained Level 40

Ultimately Randidly was able to rely on his extremely high Agility and Reaction to just brute force the issue of sneaking When he entered Randidly whistled quietly The courtyard was filled with flowering bushes and paper lanterns It honestly seemed like the sort of place used for a loverÆs tryst Which made Randidly even more confused

The third and final shock was probably the one that hit Randidly the hardest When he entered the courtyard he saw Azriel

at least that explains the decor of the courtyard wait fuck no now it makes even less sense

Now Randidly was always aware that Azriel was beautiful in a stark intense sort of way but he had never seen her in a moment where she had taken pains to highlight that side of herself Tonight Azriel was dressed to the nines She wore a flowing crimson silk dress that stopped mid thigh Her eyes were bright and luminous in the dark night Her pale ivory hair seemed to catch the light and refract it to illuminate her thin and sharp features

Azriel you dressed up Randidly blurted out

Azriel tilted her head to the side and looked over toward Randidly She didnÆt seem very surprised at his sudden appearance but she offered him a half smile Based on that reaction you seem not to be the one who called me out here Interesting But yes IÆve tried over the past few months to slow down a bit in my training and experience the small joys of existence ItÆs really quite thrilling

No Randidly thought to himself in awe This fourth surprise is the one that is the most stunning

Did something happen You want to slow down And someone called you out here huh RandidlyÆs questions skittered out of his mouth like nervous lizards This was Azriel The one who pursued speed and strength to perfection A quick Aether scan indicated that she had obtained the Class Mourning Star Vanguard She wanted to slow down

Azriel shrugged and then pushed her hair up behind her ear She was wearing obsidian studs in her ears Nothing has really happened aside from having my soul emptied out and used as a vessel for my masterÆs image and almost dying from it So nothing specific IÆve just Traveling with Rejt and fighting monsters I donÆt know For the first time I donÆt have a concrete goal It disturbs me I think thatÆs why I came here at all

I received an invitation that demanded I come to this address and look like a queen It seemed amusing and IÆve quite enjoyed the process

Randidly was silent Setting aside the issue of this strange invitation it was hard for Randidly to imagine the glory and image focused Azriel switching to take things easy How long had this been going on

You are still very poor at controlling your facial expressions Azriel commented She shook her head But I understand well enough what you are feeling RejtÆs expression was even more exaggerated when I told him He thought it was a joke for almost a month before he believed it and tracked me down So IÆve had plenty of time to think about why I felt compelled to do this

how long have you been taking a break Randidly asked

As she chuckled at RandidlyÆs continued surprise Azriel brought up her hand to cover her growing smile Ha truly terrible at hiding emotions ItÆs been almost six months I still participate in daily training but I donÆt worry as much about pushing my limits IÆm more focused on experiencing the essence of the moves I use And honestly IÆve continued to grow In a different way but itÆs somewhat fascinating

Six months Randidly frowned as he tried to understand what Azriel was saying She had slowed down her training personally Azriel The one so driven that she had been willing to sacrifice her soul for the plots of her Master

Although RandidlyÆs thoughts stuttered back to the same point like a broken record that was because Randidly was still scrambling to understand the situation

Azriel sighed Admittedly I have no doubt that you would be able to kill me within a minute if we were to fight right now I am growing in a way I cannot put a value on but it wouldnÆt have been enough for me in the past But for me now it is just enough

When Randidly was silent again Azriel snorted But then her expression grew sad Randidly IÆll just say this The sort of world that you can create by being good at fighting isnÆt that what we have already earned

Not that I plan on ceasing my efforts to improve Azriel shrugged But I am simply attempting different methods of growing stronger Without the goal of assisting my Master Even though I came here to help you grow There are many ways to grow Perhaps I will someday be the key for you to evolve beyond your current means

Azriel Randidly couldnÆt find words to explain what he was feeling This strange twist came too suddenly Perhaps a reason that it felt like such a strange betrayal was that it smelled suspiciously similar to the slow corruption that Alta experienced In this case it pushed Azriel toward a peaceful Path but it definitely wasnÆt something that felt like a positive development

Again his Alpha Cosmos seemed to be slipping out from his fingers while he dealt with other things Even though RandidlyÆs talk with Lucretia about letting this place developed as it would was still fresh in RandidlyÆs mind that didnÆt mean that this didnÆt send a fresh sliver of fear crawling into his heart

But Randidly seized that sliver of fear with an iron fist of Willpower

And this is exactly why the Grim Chimera was so affected IÆve kept my insecurities too tightly bundled to let them breathe Randidly thought sadly Then Randidly shook his head wildly God damn it spending so much time working on images had made me almost maudlin in terms of self reflection ItÆs a double edged sword

Thanks Randidly released a deep breath His heartbeat slowed to deep even strokes AzrielÆs eyebrows rose Randidly shrugged I just mean IÆve become more and more of a leader to the people around me ItÆs honestly kinda a relief that you donÆt give a shit what IÆm doing and you are looking for your own Path

Ha No thanks is necessary The relief of not having to rely on you is reward enough Azriel smirked Randidly punched her shoulder lightly The glittering curtain of her hair swayed as she took the blow in good cheer

Also I feel compelled to ask Azriel studied RandidlyÆs face Why did you feel the need to take up the reigns of leadership now You had avoided them for so long And you certainly donÆt have any natural talent in that area

RandidlyÆs expression turned sour I have a question for you what came first the king or his Crown Recently IÆve discovered

Well well well A low voice cut Randidly off Both he and Azriel turned to regard the new arrival to the courtyard Striding out of the lantern lit paths a tall man who looked like an anthropomorphic lion regarded the two sitting on a bench with blazing eyes IÆm glad to see that you arrived here safely Azriel Blanche But what I wonder is how did this man slip past my guards

Azriel looked at Randidly in amusement Ah the mysterious host has arrived So you were not invited

I was not Randidly said slowly His eyes began to glow emerald But I do know this man

Indeed Then let my introduce myself I am Lazar Stone the finest diamond merchant in the capital The manÆs gaze flickered as he studied Randidly but then his eyes were drawn to Azriel like metal to a lodestone Azriel after seeing you once I I had to admit that it hit me like a physical weight IÆve been watching you from afar for weeks

Liar Azriel interrupted the lion man in turn Then she frowned slightly Well not about the watching Has that been you ThatÆs good it seems that I wonÆt have to go looking for the culprit

Then she turned to Randidly You know his real name

Strangely I do Randidly said quietly Even now he was surprised he hadnÆt realized the other man was approaching After all Aether flowed cleanly between the two of them This man was one of the four individuals who responded when Randidly needed to ground his connection to the Alpha Cosmos when he had created the Domain His name is Lazareth Armgrast Prince and heir apparent to the Armgrast Empire And it appears he has a crush on you

Chapter 995

LazarethÆs face flushed red Do I look like the type to whose feelings are so mediocre that they can be described with the term crushÆ And you now that I have given you a look I recognize you as well Not your name or your face but I can feel the energy that flows through you Which means you are the key to leaving this forsaken world

Randidly raised his eyebrows Not that it should be surprising that Lazareth could recognize their connection but his motivation seemed strange Oh

I felt your call when all the strange happening began occurring in this world Lazareth said quietly His smile was wide enough to show his razor sharp canines IÆve lived one hundred and fifty years here struggling every day under the burden of this cursed place And I can sense that you hold the secret to escaping YouÆve connected me to the world and when I seize control of it

Ah so your emotions fall somewhere between a crush and just one more meaningless event within this cursed place Azriel smirked How genuine

Lazareth immediately flushed No I this this and that are Azriel for you

While Lazareth was stumbling over his words Randidly watched the lion man with serious eyes Although it was somewhat shocking to hear what he had said wasnÆt wrong Randidly Lazareth and three others were intimately connected in a stabilizing formation to anchor his Domain on this side just like his physical body and his original four Aether connections attached him on Earth

Therefore it seemed theoretically possible for Lazareth to use that connection to usurp RandidlyÆs control of the connection But Randidly didnÆt have the faintest clue how one would go about accomplishing that or what it would concretely mean if it occurred Would Lazareth then be able to possess RandidlyÆs body on Earth while Randidly was stuck here in the Alpha Cosmos

LazarethÆs panicked eyes settled on Randidly Undoubtedly RandidlyÆs puzzlement was clear on his face as he considered the implications of what Lazareth suggested It seemed that this was enough of a provocation for Lazareth to roar and leap toward Randidly

This is your fault

The ground beneath Lazareth cracked and shattered from the physical strength of his charge His hands spread outward and long claws emerged from his fingers Randidly grinned it seemed it wasnÆt just his head that looked like a lion

Randidly had somewhat expected this When Randidly touched Lazareth in order to make the connection he felt a brief impression of who Lazareth was And that was someone who was motivated by a deep loss that had been contained in his chest for so long that it had slowly curdled into hate and fury Honestly his path was quite similar to the one walked by Alta

But Lazareth had no Lucretia to carefully arrange the situation to his benefit Which lowered the threat of Lazareth to the point that Randidly hadnÆt bothered to keep tabs on him but it might also make him more unstable

Seeing that Azriel was simply amused by the display of emotion Randidly sighed and hopped to his feet in a flash He didnÆt bring Acri into the Alpha Cosmos with him but Randidly had been studying the spirit of his Skills for the last several months Even without a spear Randidly was nowhere near harmless

Molten Fang of the Pariah

A cherry red glow gathered around RandidlyÆs right hand as heat condensed HIssing from the sharp pain of the burning heat Randidly raised his right hand and prepared to meet Lazareth

Although this man was only a denizen of the Alpha Cosmos and therefore didnÆt have any real grasp of how images could be used yet Randidly knew that Lazareth was powerful He immediately scanned Lazareth and saw that the other man was a staggering Level 72 More than that when Randidly looked at his Skill Levels

Randidly frowned imperceptively Wait why is reading his Aether so difficult

But by that point LazarethÆs claws were about to land RandidlyÆs hand speared outward to intercept The collision shook the air causing the nearby bushes and trees to sway Azriel delicately crossed her legs and watch the confrontation with amusement

how Lazareth seemed genuinely shocked that Randidly had been able to stop his attack Randidly was surprised too but he just tightly pressed his lips together

Seems like being Level 72 wasnÆt just for show

Sidestepping quickly Randidly moved to the side and slammed his leg against the side of LazarethÆs knee Grunting the other man endured the blow and stalked forward with blazing eyes It seemed like the fact the two of them possessed similar levels of Strength wasnÆt enough to shake his mentality for long And Randidly had a rather critical weakness

Even if I have the essence of my Skills pretty well fixed fighting with only one arm is difficult Randidly thought with a grimace But in the few breaths before Lazareth attacked Randidly was able to determine why the reading of LazarethÆs Aether was so difficult

It was somewhat like a doctor trying to perform an examination on himself Although it was theoretically possible the difference in perspective and feedback made some of the seemingly effortless judgment calls he usually made much more difficult What was most disturbing about this realization was that it corroborated LazarethÆs theory about seizing control here in the Alpha Cosmos

Of course it gave no true insight on what would happen if this beast man was able to accomplish that It wasnÆt that anything would really change RandidlyÆs physical body and the Alpha Cosmos were one connected by RandidlyÆs soul But the Alpha Cosmos being connected to RandidlyÆs body was somewhat unusual So unusual that it hadnÆt been seen in the history of the System As Randidly was pioneering and had done it while under extreme duress he had been rather haphazard in his anchoring

Did that give this monster an opening

RandidlyÆs emerald eyes refocused once more Lazareth lashed out at him

Chimera Weeps But Man Mourns

RandidlyÆs one good arm struck out eight times in quick succession His blows smashed into LazarethÆs chest and arms bypassing his defense simply on the virtue of pure speed And although RandidlyÆs hand wasnÆt a weapon his powerful physical improvement passives gave him the ability to leave deep gashes with just his fingers

However Lazareth didnÆt take these strikes lying down While Randidly was inflicting wounds on him his body shifted One of his arms became covered in thick scales The slash abruptly shifted into a thrust and RandidlyÆs arm was too busy striking to defend

Lazareth smashed Randidly downward into the ground shattering the cobblestone path RandidlyÆs bones groaned uncomfortably from enduring the strike Thankfully Randidly had started putting more on an emphasis on his Endurance or he likely would have quite a few fractures in his torso Again Lazareth was shocked by RandidlyÆs continued resistance His eyes widened in surprise and there was a split second where his focus slackened

Man is Proud but the Chimera Craves

With his hand curled into a claw Randidly ripped into LazarethÆs side The Skill that was the combination of Spear Advances Ash Trails and As the Sun Stills threw both of them across the courtyard and buried Lazareth into the wall Rumble clattered down burying Lazareth in a short pile of stone

Breathing heavily Randidly walked back over to Azriel

She quirked her eyebrow up at him You werenÆt surprised by his abilities

Randidly shook his head slowly No I was not

In their original moment of connection Randidly had felt Lazareth and his capabilities Lazareth didnÆt truly have any active Skills at all Instead he had created a body that was extremely powerful and was able to switch the constitution of its muscular structure at the drop of a hat Dangerous and erratic and almost impossible to beat in a battle of stamina Lazareth was not an easy foe to fight Especially with one arm

But for the same reason Lazareth was nowhere near the threat of Alta even though he was the prince of the Armgrast Empire He was a man focused on improving his individual power through training and repetition not by modifying himself into a metal monster And he didnÆt have access to images yet

Striking with enough force to knock him out therefore was all Randidly

But of course as Randidly had that thought the wall quaked and rumbled Huffing in irritation Lazareth pushed himself out of the collapsed wall You do you think this will stop me Even if you win this fight all I need to do is try again until I defeat you

For a second Randidly was consumed by the impulse to kill Lazareth right here It might destabilize his Alpha Cosmos but it would eliminate a threat that could sabotage him from within in the future Just like Alta Lazareth could perhaps turn the whole Soulskill against him Even if he was currently a lesser threat images were spreading in the Alpha Cosmos Soon LazarethÆs abilities would grow

But just as quickly Randidly sighed and shook his head To be fair he didnÆt really understand what Lazareth could accomplish the manÆs poisonous optimism aside Did he really pose a threat against Randidly How would he seize control of the anchoring point

And also Randidly was somewhat exhausted It seemed like too many times in the past year he had been forced to make decisions regarding the lives of others HIs Crown weighed heavily upon his head

The question he had half jokingly asked Azriel came back to him in a flash Which came first the king or the Crown

One of AzrielÆs questions buzzed in his mind

The sort of world that you can create by being good at fighting isnÆt that what we have already earned

With a small smile Randidly turned to Azriel I suppose youÆll be fine here

Quite so Azriel smirked If I withhold first aid from him wonÆt he just bleed out Go on IÆll take care of things

DonÆt ignore me Lazareth spat Randidly shifted his gaze to the wounded man Although Azriel had exaggerated the state of his wounds Lazareth was definitely not in a good state Anger wafted off of him like a pungent smell Just like he had been hoping to surprise Randidly with this quick switch of tactics he had been blindsided by RandidlyÆs sudden attack and was now paying for it

Am I a hypocrite Randidly wondered Just a month ago he had calmly allowed his Riders to kill a minor threat out of fear and preoccupation But now that this man was before him Randidly felt his determination to kill waning Setting aside the damage it might do to my anchoring here in the Alpha Cosmos IÆve always wondered what I should have done or said to Alta to prevent what happened Maybe this is just my chance

Guilt responsibility grief I canÆt really even tell which is which anymore

RandidlyÆs smile as he gazed at Lazareth was sad DonÆt destroy the old world before you have the strength to build a new one Lazareth IÆm sure we will meet again

Then Randidly turned and walked away I always thought I had finally found what kind of Crown I wore what sort of man I was But perhaps the truth isnÆt so simple

Chapter 996

The world spun and training continued Even as the benefits accruing to Randidly slowly decreased his determination didnÆt waver His mentality seemed to split in half one part of him sharpened while the other broadened and deepened Tension and healing spiraled together in harmony

It had been eleven months since Randidly had arrived in the Dungeon Time and haste seemed to have receded slightly What was left were determination and Willpower

Randidly had told the mayor of the mollusks that the knowledge that doomed humanity was perspective but at that moment he was extremely thankful for perspective Perspective became image and image was the weapon that began to animate every single movement that Randidly executed Slowly but surely he was becoming the master of his images

Someday but not quite yet

Perhaps the true reason that he was preparing to move on from training was that Randidly sensed that his images had reached the cusp of something Randidly had tried several times to create a clone based on the image as the Masters on Tellus could but that was still beyond him However he could now reliably become an incarnation of the image greatly boosting its power and effect

So for the last several weeks the time he spent on images waned This wasnÆt something that he could grasp simply by wishing hard enough

With some time freed up from refining his images Randidly had also done a much more thorough examination of his damaged Class As he had prevented any more experience from fueling its flawed growth all had remained as it had been after he arrived But he was able to see the specific places where his images and thoughts had been scattered by the attack from that strange being He could slowly detail the parts of himself that had been irreparably ruptured by that casual glance

It wasnÆt truly a fruitful way to spend time but at least Randidly would be able to directly treat the problem areas when he had NathanÆs assistance

His training of his combat Skills had also hit a plateau but this was one that Randidly had seen a long way off At this point RandidlyÆs Skill Levels were so high that it was difficult to force them any higher in a short amount of time Training was important but it didnÆt possess any sort of necessity that would drag out Skill Levels So Randidly did the only thing he could he accepted that he was as strong as he could be without a very long training session

And after being isolated in the Dungeon for so long Randidly was comfortable considering a few months to be a short amount of time Although Randidly believed he had been able to balance the relaxation in his mindset somewhat he didnÆt want to risk it without definitive need

It was only in the field of Engraving that Randidly continued to experience noticeable improvement His flair for runes improved as well as his proficiency in containing energy with elegant runic sigils Studying his Sigil of an Approaching Fate was invaluable in this regard RandidlyÆs understanding of meaning and syntax within the system of Engraving finally hit the level where he didnÆt need Lucretia to polish the finer points of his designs

But perhaps the project that made Randidly the most excited was the moving city that he had delivered to Wendy to design She had resisted mightily at first but ultimately the temptation that Randidly offered was too sweet to resist Rather casually he had simply delivered to her the accumulated resources he had gathered by ruthlessly harvesting the Dungeon for almost a year The mountain of metal ingots gemstones precious plants and magical materials was too large of a bribe for her small stature to withstand

Plus Randidly had gleefully taken the mollusks into his Soulskill and given them to her to distract them from their current decline into petty squabbles Although they were a low level their innate understanding of clockwork would make them invaluable additions to the project It also didnÆt hurt that their small bodies would help them work on the finer pieces of the grand design freeing Wendy up to focus on larger issues

As Randidly had slowly run out of steam in his training he had a new hobby that he enjoyed quite frequently thinking He thought about the System about how it was constructed about Classes Fates and Calamities

In particular Randidly reflected on why there was a limit on the amount of Skills that someone could earn Of course this wasnÆt a hard limit it worked more based on a series of coincidental rules that conveniently fit together to form a cap on Skill use

The main culprit was the fact that Skills and Paths demanded Aether to form and grow When the ambient energy in the air wasnÆt enough to sustain the Level of Skills that you possessed people began to suffer from Aether Deprivation The only reliable way to acquire more Aether was to accept a Class Once a Class was constructedÆ in an individualÆs Soulspace it would take up room where Skills could have been made

Yet the more Randidly thought about this the stranger it seemed Not that there would be a limit on Skills but that a Class would take up so much room in someoneÆs Soulspace that the number of additional Skills they could learn would be reduced to a discrete number Which was even more suspicious because Randidly knew first hand that different quality Skills had different sizes Yet why could the System provide a number

Finally RandidlyÆs fervent of the SystemÆs Aether and his own damaged Class began to provide tangible benefits by examining his Class he discovered the function of a very specific arrangement of Aether at the base At first Randidly was somewhat appalled at having included it in his Class but some research on Classless individuals in his Soulskill revealed everyone had this construct

And everyone he scanned who had a Class had this at its base The construct was one of the core portions of the SystemÆs grip on the people it slowly indoctrinated

Once Randidly identified the construct it was another thing altogether to investigate it This was a tiresome process where Randidly basically just did various activities and checked whether it would react But it was undoubtedly effective It turned out that one of the main functions of this construct was to serve as a cover to test an individualÆs image densityÆ

When Randidly realized this he performed some additional tests in the Alpha Cosmos To his horror it wasnÆt just a function of Classes People who hadnÆt yet received a Class also were affected by this construct it was just in a rather reduced state It seemed designed to activate once a Class was earned

Knowing that the System desires images I think I can see whatÆs going on here Randidly thought Skills are premade images What the System wants is a strong image It doesnÆt want people to have a bunch of Skills and improve by simply improving their versatility it much prefers a world slowly focusing their Aether in a specific direction

Due to the Aether Deprivation restriction people wonÆt have many Skills until after they have a reliable source of Aether Which is when this construct activates

Image density was a relatively inaccurate term but effectively the Aether constructed tasted the surrounding images to determine if they were at a certain threshold Randidly even watched some people in his Soulskill use a lighthouse to get a Class Depending on the outcome of the taste as someone activated the lighthouse a variation of a Class with a different Skill limit would be given

Perhaps the bitterest truth about the image meter serving as a base for Classes was that it evolved into a much more complicated mechanism after it was part of a Class At a much higher frequency it would continue to taste people From this and from the baffling esoteric series of runes that surrounded it Randidly made a logical leap to a very disturbing conclusion

That this image meter shifted to a more active role when you possessed a Class Specifically it monitored you more carefully and was the sensory organ of the System that gave birth to Paths

Therefore it was likely this fucker that tipped the System off that something was up with Randidly and slapped him with a Heretic distinction RandidlyÆs immediate reaction was a powerful urge to rip it out and leave the eviscerated shards of energy on the ground But at this point it seemed like a rather pointless thing to do RandidlyÆs secrets were already largely recorded by this device Even his Alpha Cosmos was discovered

Besides his Class was damaged enough at this point

Instead Randidly had continued to study the Aether construct to understand its functions Randidly had a vague notion of using it to give himself access to Paths he hadnÆt yet earned But RandidlyÆs next discovery finally gave him a hint about a problem Randidly had spent quite a lot of time considering why his Alpha Cosmos was treated like such an original occurrence

It was only when Randidly started fiddling with the mechanism of the Aether that he realized it To his surprise it circled right back around to the original question that pushed Randidly to ponder why did the System limit Skills

The recent readings of the construct seem to indicate that my images are relatively thin After all this training how is that possible Randidly had frowned at the realization Am I misinterpreting the construct Or was I wrong about Skills being suppressed to limit how many images one would possess

Again Randidly returned to his Alpha Cosmos And again he carefully studied the Aether of other individuals This time he was forced to engage in a much more focused and extended examination in order to find the reason

Because at first Randidly was frustrated Based on what he could infer about a personÆs images from their strength RandidlyÆs construct kept returning a reading of extremely low image density To make sure he had everything accounted for Randidly relentlessly looked for images among individualÆs Aether

It was hard but once Randidly had the knack it quickly became second nature And all the people he examined had their images in the same space the Skill area That same area that Randidly used to think about the core of himself

But now When Randidly went to his Soulspace he saw his Skills and his Class But then he could walk beyond it out into a vast darkness that seemed to have no end in sight That was where his images waited

Did my connection to the Alpha Cosmos expand my Soulspace

Chapter 997

Sighing Randidly stood up and stretched It seems like IÆm almost at my limit here The only thing left is

His eyes drifted across the reconstructed training area to the ancient arrow that pointed meaningfully to the East Randidly cracked his fingers and walked casually over toward it After staring at the stone for several seconds he straightened and began to walk out of his base His direction was due East

It was time to get to the bottom of this mystery

Already the signs of RandidlyÆs touch were waning here The immediate area surrounding RandidlyÆs base had been cleared out of basically everything but was now slowly filling with flowers and ferns Although a towering jungle had once stood here now it was just the faintest covering of flora As he walked Randidly idly wondered how long it would take for the Dungeon to rest to its previous state

As he moved Randidly couldnÆt help but smile Flowers bobbed their heads as the wind whispered amongst them Even though so much of what this place had been was robbed and plundered it was still a sight that could move RandidlyÆs heart

What Randidly liked most of all about the field was the lack of noises Whereas it had been a symphony of howls and squawks before now the horizon was simply filled with the soft rustling of leaves And even that was barely audible The muted soundscape was proof of the destruction that Randidly had wrought

Yet that small sound could barely begin to describe the rebirth that was occurring around him

Randidly walked among the silence easily it flowed around him like water The prolonged exposure to the image of timelessness he had shamelessly stolen from the monument wrapped around him like a cloak Because it was only when the demanding sounds of the surface level were stripped away could a deeper sound be heard

Although the surroundings around Randidly were mostly silent he knew that forces were furiously gathering to bring this environment back to its former glory In near silence the worldÆs slow justice was being unwound The heartbeat of the world pulled the land up from nothing

In a hundred years the damage done by Randidly and his Riders would likely be impossible to spot In a thousand years new tribes and societies will have risen to fill the void left from the massacre that occurred in the Dungeon The crimes Randidly committed were terrible but they were also so small in the grand scheme of things

Just as perspective could damn you or be used as a weapon it was also one form of healing as well

Randidly continued to quietly walk forward to say it was just absorbing the image of timelessness would be missing the point ItÆs everything thatÆs happened in the Dungeon ItÆs the space the silence the Riders meeting Ki Kunot the mollusks IÆm changing In a way I cannot really understand

With a disturbing alien quality a new noise cut through the quiet sound of rustling plants the sound of hooves

Riding in formation the Legion of the Unbreakable Bulwark stomped out of the North to fall into formation behind Randidly Almost at the same time the Legion of the Unavoidable Pivots delicately scuttled from the South to join the column Randidly also had no doubt that the Legion of the Marching Cadence would be scouting the way forward toward the plateau

Suddenly the noise around Randidly had transformed into a dull rumbling as the three hundred Riders moved toward their destination This too Randidly walked through calmly His footfalls soon matched the rhythm of the noise The Riders were his cape and he was their lord His Crown hummed in pleasure greedily devouring the various feelings and sensations of rule that Randidly embraced

Although Randidly was somewhat sad to leave behind the silence of growth he did not slow As he considered todayÆs mission his gaze grew strangely heavy RandidlyÆs instincts warned him that this would not be simple

It had been a long time since those instincts had steered him wrong

It was without any sort of fanfare that RandidlyÆs army marched up toward the plateau Like a flood of panicked rats the windswept highlands exploded with monsters when Randidly brought his Riders onto the raised land Monkeys toads birds and raptors all of the refugees from the other monster civilizations that they had destroyed had gathered here and were now risking their lives to kill the Riders

Honestly from the pale eyes of the monsters Randidly had a strong suspicion that these monsters welcomed the eventual attack It seemed very likely that they had been waiting for this day for a long time Some of them appeared to have been hiding in these caves for months Every day they wondered when the eventual blow would fall and this last bastion of peace would be destroyed by the Riders

Randidly delaying for several months was an extended form of mental torture for the monsters The constant unpredictable threat of doom left some of them unwound

Without bothering to interfere Randidly left his Riders behind They could handle this rabble well enough And if they couldnÆt

Randidly sighed inwardly as he accelerated across the plateau ItÆs not a soft world that IÆm making but thatÆs just my Path My world is large enough for other credos to exist safely That is my greatest weapon

There were a few monsters remaining on the plateau but they hid as Randidly streaked past them Most of the forces appeared to have been concentrated on the Western edge of the plateau waiting for the Riders Which simultaneously made RandidlyÆs job much easier and also made Randidly quite suspicious

As he proceeded Randidly scanned the surroundings constantly Although the arrows had been a clear sign Randidly didnÆt want to rush forward quickly enough that he would run into a trap Randidly followed the flow of the sloping cracks and slopes He read the surrounding Aether multiple times a second looking for minute changes that could indicate an impending attack

For almost an hour Randidly found nothing And then all at once he took a step forward and froze There is Aether here ItÆs System Aether but itÆs been modified

As soon as Randidly detected the modified Aether he proceeded forward with a much larger degree of caution The windswept plateau stretched out before him almost stubbornly boring despite the presence of the foreign Aether But RandidlyÆs eyes did catch the glimmer of a distortion spiraling upward to the Southeast

Still cautious Randidly adjusted his direction and headed toward it When he arrived it was immediately clear that this was what he was seeking Someone had drawn him here deliberately and had not been subtle about it

A huge hole stretched downward in front of Randidly Honestly he was shocked that it took so long for him to spot it Based on the size of the hole and his understanding of the plateauÆs size the hole was probably one fourth of the total size of the plateau Even when Randidly strained it was difficult for him to spot the far lip of the hole

Although Randidly thought of it as a hole it was perhaps closer to a giant crater At the edge the slope angled sharply down but it was still a distinct slope Not comfortable to walk down but doable Around the edges of the crater there were several beaconsÆ that were the source of the strange Aether warping the nearby air Holding his breath Randidly approached the beacon expecting the worst

Are you fucking kidding me Randidly muttered Of course what he found pissed him off

The beacon was another arrow and an Engraving that shot off Aether in order to attract attention Like the arrows underneath the dome this arrow was built on a platform that had been repeatedly engraved to withstand the test of time

Without much choice Randidly followed the direction the arrow was pointing around the circumference of the hole Every ten minutes or so Randidly would find another beacon pointing in the same direction and producing Aether After encountering a few of these Randidly increased his speed

Soon the blurred form of Randidly had gone about one fourth of the way around the huge hole For the longest time there was just Randidly the rushing air scrub grass to his right and the hole to his left But eventually Randidly discovered a change

Breathing out through his nose Randidly stopped next to a series of tall stone pillars Just like the stone monolith next to RandidlyÆs original base in the Dungeon these possessed a palpable aura of timelessness In fact the aura here was much stronger than the aura that Randidly had been using for his training

Randidly felt a small impulse to stay here for a bit and train his World Tree image but he suppressed it Even if the image was helpful Randidly wasnÆt comfortable training here without understanding what was going on Someone or something had taken great care to lead him here Before he found out why Randidly wasnÆt going to let down his guard

With even steps Randidly walked between the four stone pillars Immediately a huge stone staircase that led from the edge into the depths of the hole drew RandidlyÆs attention But there was also a small stone table between the four pillars

Likely it had been impressive at one point but now it was just a few fragile pieces of slate But there was something extremely strange about the small stone table Randidly hadnÆt been able to tell when he was farther away but the aura of timelessness spiked upward as he approached the table Or more specifically Randidly could sense with Aether Detection that there was an object within the table that seemed to be the personification of that timelessness

The staircase or the table first Randidly thought with a frown From the look of it the table had once been covered in writing Perhaps it included some instruction what the maker had desired But time simply was too powerful Now the message was barely traces on the stone surface

Even so Randidly reached out and touched the top of the table with his eyes closed Although he wasnÆt able to see the writing his fingers were extremely sensitive Unfortunately Randidly had overestimated the integrity of the stone table The slight touch sent fractures racing across the top of the table

Instantly RandidlyÆs face twisted into a snarl The ground beneath him cracked as he threw himself backward The table was definitely weak but it also triggered off of the ambient Aether Randidly was producing colliding with the timeless image that it was shooting off That friction acted as a key that released something within

The vicious aura of the Grim Chimera gathered around RandidlyÆs right hand Even though it was painful his fingers began to glow with Molten Fang of the Pariah But as he glared at the stone table nothing happened Slowly Randidly rose out of his combat stance Then feeling rather foolish he walked back over to the stone table

Sitting within an alcove was a glove that was gushing with the image of timelessness With a root Randidly retrieved it

Randidly shook his head after examining it Of course itÆs a left handed glove I should have repaired my arm before I came here but still what the hell is an item like this doing here

Chisel of Chulroon Lvl 99 The personal weapon of Chulroon Made by a talented artisan from the Nexus Slightly damaged from heavy use followed by an extended period of disrepair Can build and destroy in equal measure All Stats +100 Strength evolves into Primordial Strength while the weapon is equipped Warning Weapon possesses a small amount of intelligence and might reject the user The rejection will have consequences

Randidly scratched the back of his head There was so much wrong with this glove that he didnÆt even know where to start Not the least of which was the fact that it referred to itself as a Chisel A chisel that was forged by someone from the Nexus

RandidlyÆs eyes slid to the staircase Was this a lure Well even if Randidly knew that was the goal of leaving this item here he couldnÆt resist his own curiosity now Shaking his head he brought the glove with a root and began to walk slowly down the wide stone stairs Still Randidly had no plans to directly touch the glove for now The warning about rejection made him wary

Although the staircase itself had been reinforced with heavy engraving to resist the passage of time those Engravings had slowly dimmed to nothing Now it was simply stone and the corners of most steps were cracked and chipped But luckily the maker of this grand hole had taken care to make the base extremely stable

Plus as Randidly processed downward it became clear that the staircase was in better shape it seemed that somehow this area had to endure the elements somewhat less In addition the Aether in the area thickened even further It was getting to the point that it rivaled the thick torrent of Aether that Randidly was throwing off constantly

Ah Randidly mumbled as he descended His eyes flashed emerald as he looked around At least this explains why there were no monsters around her Well no it doesnÆt but still

Randidly trailed off unsure of what he was thinking After descending for a while he began to see bones laying along the slope of the hole Individual bodies at first but as he proceeded deeper there were piles and piles of bone

Was this place a tomb

Very soon the sounds of the wind on the plateau faded away Now Randidly was alone with his steps Here too his Crown spread and embraced this noise This was another aspect of being a King the silent descent into the abyss

Soon a soft purplish glow began to rise from below Randidly quickened his pace

But when he reached the bottom of the stairs Randidly stopped dead Is that liquefied Aether

Chapter 998

RandidlyÆs eyes were locked on the flickering violet liquid that he saw at the base of the staircase for almost a full minute But even as that sight dragged him inexorably forward the presence of the towering piles of bones reminded Randidly that he couldnÆt approach this strange water casually In haphazard piles the bones stretched up so high that stacks teleported Randidly from a staircase into a corridor leading down toward the flickering luminous liquid below

ItÆs the same color as LyraÆs eyes Randidly thought with a distant sigh For a second he pictured LyraÆs playful smirk but he quickly banished that memory and focused on the task at hand Whirling his Aether defensively around himself he proceeded down amongst the tall walls

However one thing became abundantly clear as he moved downward As Randidly approached and could examine every detail of the almost unnaturally placid liquid Aether he could also sense that the Aether itself was slowly evaporating It was extremely minute but the natural laws of the world were forcibly pulling up the unnatural liquid Aether and spreading it in the air

That would explain the sharp change in Aether around here but what sort of process can liquify energy

Randidly arrived at the last unsubmerged step and looked down at the tranquil red violet barrier in front of him Its light painted the surrounding bone walls like some freshly used torture chamber of hell all shadows and fresh blood By this point the bones around the staircase were like towering mountains The staircase was several meters across but all but the center portion of the steps were covered in small bits of bones that had rolled down to settle on the staircase

For almost a minute Randidly just looked downward mesmerized by the sight A violet red reflection of Randidly looked back up at him The liquid served as a distinct and constantly shrinking boundary Yet there was no distinctive runic marking to show what Randidly should do next Which probably meant

IÆm supposed to just walk down into the water Randidly wondered He glanced around at the bones which sat in the Aether That set RandidlyÆs teeth on edge Because if the Aether was slowly becoming gas and this particular spot held no meaning it meant that this entire hole was once filled with liquefied Aether

Therefore these bones were the remains of those who had attempted to walk the staircase in the past The boundary had no real meaning it was just part of the journey to follow the makerÆs plan With a grim smile Randidly squatted next to the edge of the liquid Aether and stuck his toe into it

Immediately Randidly felt even his body slowly being eroded by the incredibly dense and volatile energy The pain started as a dull throb but quickly shot upward toward roasting his foot over an open flame Even as RandidlyÆs gaze began to shine with a luminous emerald light he did not move his foot

He let the pain build and build savoring it Then as it neared a white hot spear that shot up to his thigh Randidly wove his own Aether together and slipped it around his limb like a sock Almost immediately the pain died down to nothing His body was bitterly sour but it the damage after exposure wasnÆt permanent

Was the boost from the glove supposed to somehow negate this Randidly was skeptical One hundred of Endurance and Vitality wouldnÆt swing the needle at all in regards to something like this

The liquid Aether was Randidly realized perhaps the most physically demanding substance he had ever encountered Immediately Randidly couldnÆt help but be rather impressed with its ability to destroy It would be a better weakening liquid than even his activated blood

Assuming all went well with whatever the maker had planned Randidly planned on stealing all of the remaining liquid It might be a bit troublesome to find a substance to contain it but Randidly was used to being creative But for the actual descent into the liquid Aether

Randidly focused and the twisted form of the Grim Chimera superimposed itself on his body Gnashing its teeth the Grim Chimera scowled at the liquid Aether and stepped down into the dangerous substance This time the pain was much more slow to build But as the Grim Chimera waded deeper the Aether covered his legs his waist his chest Breathing felt like dragging a rather dull knife repeated through an open wound

But the Grim ChimeraÆs body had an incredible power of adaption Very soon Monstrous Physicality caused the monsterÆs skin to shift and warp The pain diminished somewhat as somehow the Grim Chimera began to absorb a portion of the liquidÆs energy and use that to heal himself Honestly Randidly was impressed at the rather impromptu evolution

With the problem of the liquid taken care of Randidly proceeded downward at a slightly faster clip Soon he was completely submerged but luckily there wasnÆt any buoyancy that slowed his descent Which was good because even if he could manage to resist the Aether right now the damage was accumulating to the Grim Chimera And the threat of an ambush made Randidly continually on edge

Finally after five minutes of drifting slowly downward through the ooze like liquid Aether Randidly was smacked in the face with the image of timelessness One that was so strong that Randidly had to press his Willpower more tightly over his Grim Chimera incarnation in order to maintain it

Strong unbelievably strong Randidly thought rather solemnly as he peered the perspective warping red violet energy surrounding him But this also confirms that the maker of the arrows and the originator of the image are at least related It probably shouldnÆt but that makes it easier to believe the arrows werenÆt some elaborate trap

Huffing out a breath Randidly continued downward The last few steps of the staircase were warped and semi melted but they were clearly usable

So Randidly took the final step and stood at the bottom of the lake of liquid Aether before a maroon crystal box For several seconds he studied it honestly the box was rather damaged The corners appeared to have crumbled off But as Randidly leaned forward the skin of the Grim Chimera began to sizzle from the proximity to the box

Two things occurred to Randidly at once The first thing was what this crystal might be The second thing was why the crystal appeared so familiar to Randidly HIs heart pounded in his head and the incarnation of the Grim Chimera flickered and faded RandidlyÆs shocked face was all that remained

Aether swirled like a cyclone around him to push away the foreign Aether Because Randidly knew this crystal Or at least he had seen a crystal like this in the past One with the same structure A crystal so vast that it had more in common with a continent than a piece of expensive jewelry

ItÆs fucking Randidly sucked in a sharp breath His hands clenched into fists and veins bulged out like tenacious worms on his arm Solidified Aether That means that the being at the middle of that huge continent of crystal

Almost reflexively RandidlyÆs high Intelligence began doing some idle calculations Based on a brief observation of the liquid Aether Randidly estimated it was about one hundred times as potent as its gaseous relative It was weak logic but if the conversion from liquid to solid was a similar matter of quantity

Ten thousand times It was no wonder that fucker shook Randidly to his core and ripped apart his Class by glancing at him

It took several minutes for Randidly to control the surging sea of emotions In this regard his Crown was extremely useful As it manifested above him it cowed the surrounding energy Although partly the aura of timelessness he had infused into his Yggdrasil image likely marked him as a friendly entity to the uncontrolled Aether Immediately the pressure on him from the liquid Aether lessened as it seemed to recognize a kindred spirit

Once Randidly had control of himself he examined the crystal box more carefully There were runic markings around it but the function of the box was immediately clear RandidlyÆs face twisted into a smile So I was right about this being a tomb

The body was obscured by the cracked and pitted crystal but there was clearly someone lying within The only problem was the carved message in front of the coffin As with the arrows there were dozens of engravings around it designed to make sure that the Engraving would not fade easily with the passage of time

Break

RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed The maker of this place had brought Randidly here to open up the coffin That seemed like a gamble Even setting aside the dangerous liquid Aether that was greedily devouring RandidlyÆs skin even at the moment the rather quiet image of timelessness that Randidly was used to had grown to a mammoth of determination It was the potent image that was ultimately more difficult to deal with than the Aether

After all Aether needed a master to be put to use This image persisted without someone guiding it for quite a long time It might even be that the maker of this arrangement had been one that Tellus referred to as a Master so the body within the coffin might be the sleeping image

The size of this crystal box and that continent of crystal were incomparable But they both signaled that the two associated individuals were at a higher tier of existence than Randidly They were beings with true power Did that mean it was too dangerous to risk following the instructions on the Engraving

The other option was just to steal the remaining liquid Aether and leave without attempting to break the coffin But not only was Randidly unsure of how to store the liquid Aether Randidly also believed that the liquid Aether lake was just a byproduct of the coffin slowly decomposing

Which made Randidly wonder how impressive this place had originally been Perhaps there was once a whole temple made of solidified Aether on the plateau Until it began to fracture and flood the surrounding area

Idly Randidly commanded the root that was waiting outside of the lake of Aether to shoot toward him Almost immediately the root began to disintegrate as it bravely dived downward But Randidly forced more and more Mana into the root in order to delay the inevitable decomposition By the time it reached him it was nothing more than a gnarled and dehydrated branch With a deft movement Randidly snatched the glove that was hanging off the end

It was clear then that this was meant to be the key This chisel was the way to break the coffin

The maker of this place had never hidden their intentions to lead individuals here The only true question was why go to so much trouble And that question had bothered Randidly so much in the past that he had rather casually allowed the deaths of Ki Kunot and her people

But something shifted now that Randidly knew definitively that the creator of the timelessness image was also the maker of these signs Randidly had spent so much time seeking the truth of the image of timelessness that it was difficult for him to not associate that image with himself

More than that the timelessness of this image that Randidly had thoroughly injected into the World Tree was very different than the begrudging resistance to change that the Grim Chimera possessed That was an energy fueled by unwillingness and spite It thrived on negative emotions Yet this timelessness was just endurance A will that had stretched beyond exhaustion to simply persist as a force of nature

There was no malice there only determination It was a Willpower usage that was based on acceptance

While Randidly awkwardly wiggled his fingers so the left handed glove was on his right hand he turned and bowed slightly to the West IÆm so sorry Nine thousand one hundred and six I wonÆt forget But IÆll learn from this

Then Randidly turned and struck the crystal coffin

Chapter 999

Doonngg

The effect was immediate the entire hole began to shake around Randidly with violent aggression Engravings that Randidly hadnÆt even recognized as existing began to glow brightly snaking outward Randidly hissed in displeasure as he scanned them No wonder the Aether was difficult to detect from far away these Engravings were designed to siphon off the Aether to fuel other workings likely the Engravings that maintained the arrows

The shaking continued to intensify Cracks seemed to simply fade into existence along the lines of the crystal coffin Then the pieces began to buckle and shatter along its surface Within the coffin something shivered

Randidly stored away the glove and spread his arms The Indomitable Mien of Yggdrasil exploded out from him pushing away the overwhelming image of timelessness that shined out of the broken coffin Even with it spewing its own indomitable image Randidly was slowly losing ground to that light

Gritting his teeth RandidlyÆs mouth spread into a manic grin You fucking want to compete with me you dead thing ThereÆs more than one way to learn about another image One way is to simply devour So if you

But just as RandidlyÆs focus and tension were spiraling upward to the pinnacle the light of the supernova like image flickered off The shaking shuddered to a halt In the silence Randidly stood frozen with his arms spread dramatically wide

A dark hand reached up and pressed aside the broken shards of the coffin Then the previously trapped individual sat up

An ancient red haired monkey with milky white eyes looked slowly around Finally his gaze settled on Randidly He seemed to sigh and offered Randidly a small smile You are not one of my people are you It seems my suspicions were correct but IÆve slept for far far too long

Randidly remained silent

Without waiting for an answer the monkey leveraged himself up from the coffin His legs were skinny and frail with the hair so thin that Randidly could see the milky skin of its legs But what drew RandidlyÆs eyes was the monkeyÆs side

A wriggling black darkness sat there slowly consuming small chunks of the monkeyÆs flesh and devouring them The image of timelessness seemed to be concentrated in that area to resist the darkness but it was a losing battle Seeing his gaze the monkey chuckled Heh I see you are familiar with this then Good that will make my explanation easier But before I begin I have a question for you youngster No need to be scared I mean you no harm Just tell me where are we

Randidly considered the question The figure in front of him was made of such dense Aether that Randidly couldnÆt even begin to parse it apart in a short amount of time Even injured he was far beyond RandidlyÆs capability The monkey was correct about one thing though Randidly felt a slight sense of recognition when he looked at the monkeyÆs side He was being devoured by Nether as had come from his Touch from Beyond Skill

But what Randidly couldnÆt figure out was why the first question the monkey had was where they were Was the reassurance the monkey offered genuine

Some part of Randidly was furious that he had so thoughtlessly cracked open the coffin But there was another part of him that believed in that image and trusted this strange individual who appeared to have been sealed long ago

As the silence between them stretched Randidly cleared his throat We are in a lake of Aether on a plateau

No no The monkey feebly waved a hand Then he winced and brought his hand to his side Perhaps itÆs better to ask how you got here youngster This is not your homeworld correct

RandidlyÆs mouth twisted You are correct I came here through the System This place is a Dungeon

The monkeyÆs mouth stretched wide and revealed a mouth full of rotten and broken teeth Of course My precious world relegated to a fucking Dungeon After everything I sacrificed but what did I expect That is the way of the Nexus to toss aside all those angels and devils who are deemed no longer useful

For just a second a ripple of raw fury spread insidiously outward through the image of timelessness Instantly Randidly was back on his guard But just as quickly the monkey sighed and that poisonous rage disappeared from his image Everything returned to its original immaculate state And strangely the liquid Aether eased up around Randidly flowed away from him Drop by drop the monkey absorbed all of the Aether in the surrounding area until they were standing alone amongst the partially stained bone piles

Youngster it seems you are aware of some things in the System But I want to warn you do not trust it in the least The monkeyÆs milky white gaze was intense as he stared at Randidly Please listen to my story My world was part of the fourth Cohort We slew the First Calamity We overcame the Second Calamity We endured the Third Calamity And then

The Third Calamity Randidly blurted out Can you tell me what it is

Even if this particular bit of knowledge was all that Randidly gained from this strange interaction it would be more than enough to justify the risk he had just taken

Of course you canÆt use that to justify the risk blindly taken in retrospect Randidly winced But at least it will have a definite benefit

Rather patiently the monkey nodded despite the interruption to his story He opened his mouth but no noise came out Panting his grin spread wide once again Heh do you think you can stop me now from saying this The Third Calamity is a lesson

After heaving out a loud sigh the monkey continued But Randidly couldnÆt help but notice that the inky black creature that was eating into its side had grown marginally larger He could resist the restriction of the System but it had cost him It is surviving a year as though you had failed the Calamities Aether becomes incredibly sparse across the world Without a reliable source of energy strong individuals need to monopolize a high Level Dungeon and periodically clear it to gather the reward Otherwise they will suffer from Aether Deprivation and weaken It was designed I learned later to keep the worlds hungry To add ferocity and viciousness to the images

Randidly nodded solemnly If what the System was really looking for was a strong image it made sense to continually refine these images in different ways It was just unfortunate for the System that Randidly was a direct counter the Third Calamity which was a relief One less thing to worry about at least for the time being

But I canÆt forget about OctaviusÆ warning that some things may be changed due to the fact I caught their attention with Tellus

Randidly gestured to the monkey IÆm sorry for interrupting Please continue your story

The monkey chuckled In fact he seemed to gaze at Randidly with a good deal of kindly nostalgia Heh no need to worry I was in your position in the past So desperate to protect my homeworld but as I said none of it matters Because even though I surpassed all but the fourth Calamity and was promised peace for my world look at this Millennia later my world has been chopped up and suppressed down to a Dungeon My people have regressed to the level of monsters

I know that a change was made in the distant past but the fourth Calamity that I encountered was to join the Great War It is exactly this war effort that the System was designed to further There on the frontlines I was required to fight against the invaders for one hundred years I was daunted but I resolved myself to pass this test and earn freedom for my world

But there was a problem Time on the battlefield was strange The creatures of Nether seemed to interfere with my perspective I returned after what I believed to have been almost a dozen years for a break only to discover that five days had passed in my test In fact I believe that the System incorporates some of the NetherÆs power to create the functioning Dungeons Or perhaps Those are worlds that have been abandoned and are slowly being consumed by Nether If so my world

Again the monkey gritted his teeth The darkness in his side flared higher Shaking his head he finally said Suffice to say I failed I returned home wounded as you see Poisoned by Nether It was considered to be my failure After so much success in my word it was a bitter result to have failed the Fourth Calamity The final time I was credited with was one year out of my hundred I was not even close

Still I had earned full citizenship rights in the Nexus over the course of my adventures My wound would kill me eventually but I could use my strength to suppress it and retire to my homeworld in peace As I could feel myself slowly aging and dying I at least comforted myself with the knowledge that my world would be safe

As I grew weaker it seemed that time was slipping further and further away from me At first I would close my eyes and a few weeks would pass But soon every blink seemed to capture years in that brief darkness

The monkey looked sadly down at the wound in his side His expression was bitter This strange power of Nether it was slowly taking away my understanding of time You might not know this looking at me now but I was a powerful warrior that grew out of an artist My image was always to make an eternal and enduring piece of art and strangely Nether gave me a small clue into that truth Even if my physical Strength has been consumed my image well you can feel it now canÆt you I sense it on you

Suddenly the monkeyÆs smile became almost apologetic In fact that was the only reason that I came out assuming you were one of my people due to the similar image If I hadnÆt sensed that I might have

This time as the monkey trailed off his eyelids began to flutter Randidly jolted into wakefulness Ah your name is Chulroon isnÆt it

Once more the monkeyÆs eyes opened wide He smiled at Randidly Ah yes it is You found my chisel correct

Nodding Randidly produced the glove and offered it to Chulroon With great care Chulroon took the item He cradled it in his arms like a favored grandson smiling down at it with crinkled eyes

Ah yes Chulroon hummed in pleasure Then he looked up at Randidly As I was saying time passed quickly But my wits werenÆt gone I began to realize that something was wrong with my world Most others wouldnÆt notice it but I had almost reached the pinnacle of the Nexus I felt as the quantity of Aether in the air slowly dropped

At first I assumed it was a mistake on my part Or perhaps my own weakening led to the Aether losing its robustness in my world It was after all my image that overcame the Calamity But hundreds of years passed and it grew worse and worse Due to my failure I had been largely cut off from the Nexus so my wound couldnÆt hurt the supply of energy to other individuals But I did understand Aether

A suspicion began to grow in my heart A suspicion that everything that the System had promised for passing the Third Calamity was a lie

Chulroon slipped his hand into the glove His aura instantly sharpened into something towering and deadly The timelessness quality swirled into something closer to inevitability Randidly felt like he was standing at the lip of an abyss as Chulroon whispered his next words Which was fine I have been betrayed before But I knew one thing for sure If my suspicions were true I would make the Nexus bleed for this

Chapter 1000

Chulroon walked slowly toward Randidly his hands raised There wasnÆt any aggression in the movement so Randidly simply watched But he couldnÆt help but notice that there was a slowly growing circle around the inky tentacles on his side where ChulroonÆs red hair faded to white and began to wither

Which is why I gathered all the strength I could muster and sealed myself away taking care to make the method of freeing me abundantly clear However ChulroonÆs face turned bitter It turns out that my preparations were inadequate I did not foresee that my coffin would slowly break down flooding the surrounding area with caustic liquid Aether I suspect my people noticed too late what was happening These bones

ChulroonÆs gaze was sad as he stared around at the towering piles are likely hundreds of generations trying to reach me I

Randidly felt a flicker of kinship with Chulroon at that moment Randidly had plenty of skeletons in his closet Without Randidly noticing his previous Soulskill had slowly begun to devour itself Hundreds of thousands of people died And Randidly could have prevented it Even if he didnÆt know a perfect solution it wasnÆt so complicated a problem that he couldnÆt imagine a less disastrous outcome That weight had been incorporated into his Crown but that didnÆt mean it wasnÆt a painful subject

With a sigh Randidly said Mourning the past is important but itÆs too late to save them now

Chulroon nodded HIs eyes refocused once more And although you are not of my people you have a fraction of my image inside of you It is a small thing but for that I will give you the three gifts I have prepared for my descendants In exchange I hope you will help me accomplish my wish make the System pay

I hold no love for this System or what it has transformed my world into Randidly said bitterly I might not have reached the point where IÆve declared my war but I swear to you that I will not balk from striking out at them

Chulroon nodded in approval As I said previously the System is nothing but a glorified recruitment drive for a war against oblivion Therefore the time before the Calamities is the equivalent of a boot camp It brutalizes you until you possess some capability Then the Calamities determine where you fall in the grand scheme of the war effort Are you trash Simply feed for other worlds Reserve forces that will have your Fates extracted for weapons Or do you truly possess the capabilities to fight on the front lines

Wait Randidly spoke out before Chulroon got too far along in his explanation Fates the things you condense at Level 50 those are used for weapons

Ah of course ChulroonÆs face darkened into a snarl There is so much you donÆt understand about the System Undoubtedly you have wondered why some people are partially scarred or consumed by their Fate yes It is because the powerful resonance that an individual can have with their own Fate is only secondary essentially at Level 50 the System injects individuals with unstable energy in order to transform them into a harvestable raw material It serves as an assurance that the investment in the world is worth it Even if a world cannot pass the Calamities the System can take the condensed Fates from the world and equip its other soldiers The Aether spent to grow those individuals to Level 50 would have borne some fruit at least

Chulroon indicated his glove This chisel was made from the most powerful Fate of a fallen world With the strange methods that the Nexus possesses it was made to align perfectly with my own image and Great Fate Needless to say the original owner did not survive the process

Randidly dragged his teeth across his lip considering this new information What effect would NathanÆs interference have then Well the Villages did sell areas to help focus the Fate so it was likely an insignificant change from the SystemÆs perspective

But as I was saying I was strong enough to be given a place on the frontline There I fought for the System across countless battlefields We won more than we lost but there is a deeper problem Chulroon sadly looked down at his side But Nether stains Aether The reverse is also true of course but we all fight using the SystemÆs energy it is only the images that we individually provide

Even if individuals like me are used like gloves to protect the System itself from danger we eventually become wounded and are poisoned by this sadistic Nether The System then cuts off our worlds and lets them die to prevent the contamination from spreading but across millions and millions of wounded or dead soldiers do you think the System has avoided all damage No it must be festering and resisting the Nether even now That accumulated Nether is its weakness

Which is why the first gift IÆll give to you is a bomb

Chulroon began to laugh but quickly the laughter turned to hacking coughs Doubled over Chulroon spat out green bile that splattered across the large stone steps Straightening his face was twisted in a grimace of pain But he still indicated his side I cannot overcome this But I can use the remaining Aether I have here to imprison it along with an ignition Engraving that will spread the Nether in a wide area Keep it in case you ever get the chance to hit the System where it hurts

The second gift is my chisel With trembling hands Chulroon removed his glove His fingers were so weak that he dropped it Smiling weakly Chulroon nodded toward the dropped piece of armor It it was the only thing on which I could rely on the frontlines I hope I hope it serves you as well as it served me for so long

With a point of his finger the air around Chulroon dimmed The aura of timelessness in his body dispersed while the glove began to glow with power RandidlyÆs gaze softened as he saw that almost all of the hair on ChulroonÆs body has turned white Now it began to fall out in large chunks while the greedy blackness in his side grew

The final gift ah youÆve already had someone bless you with a Disciple Path That is unfortunate But still Chulroon coughed into his hand Wiping the filth he coughed out on his side Chulroon studied Randidly for several seconds There is something else I can do for you The Aether around you you are a Heretic are you not Ha the System certainly does detest your kind I will not ask how you came by your Aether that karma is yours alone to bear But I can tell you what you will be facing for the Level 50 Judgement

Instantly Randidly straightened So as I suspected itÆs not just another fight

ChulroonÆs eyes crinkled in amusement It is a fight in a way But the SystemÆs thought process is simple If you wonÆt obey our rules or follow the correct Path we designed fine But that does not mean it wonÆt expect you to pay your dues So it will stop nitpicking over your methods as long as you can prove you are powerful enough to be valuable to the System And there is only one place that truly matters to the System

RandidlyÆs mouth was dry as he licked his lips the frontlines But isnÆt that

A death sentence Yes of course Chulroon bared his teeth Normally there would be no doubt However your requirement will be nowhere near the requirement to pass the Fourth Calamity But even if it is just a single year that same time period was all that I could manage at Level 100 with a Level 99 Fate at the height of my power Tell me youngster could you manage to endure for the same amount of time

Randidly kept his mouth closed Part of him wanted to say yes but

Chulroon chuckled Arrogance is dangerous youngster So IÆll just say this All you truly need to do is prove that you are powerful enough to belong to the Nexus If you cannot survive on the frontlines on the short lease they give you donÆt you just need to triumph over the lease

RandidlyÆs eyes glittered in understanding But as he opened his mouth to ask something Chulroon was consumed by another bout of coughing For five long minutes Randidly watched rather helplessly as more and more of ChulroonÆs hair fell out Now that the aura of timelessness was gone the air began to smell like sulfur and charred skin The black poison on ChulroonÆs side seemed to recede but that made Randidly even more worried

Through ChulroonÆs thin and pale skin Randidly could see the black tentacles moving within his torso and focusing their damage on ChulroonÆs internal organs

Heh timeÆs almost up So I want to know one thing youngster Why do I smell the scent of Nether on you Why did you recognize this terrible darkness

I Randidly began but he trailed off His mind drifted backward in time to a much simpler point in his life Where no one was relying on him to survive Even at the time Randidly had been suspicious of the Path that had given him access to Touch From Beyond « But now it seemed like an avoidable truth that it had originated from the Creature

Rather than trying to explain Randidly simply raised his right hand and looked at it It was a Skill he hadnÆt used in quite a long time likely since he had given this terrible Skill to a denizen of his Soulskill to resist the CreatureÆs mental invasion The damage it had inflicted on the wielder was more than enough proof that Randidly wouldnÆt risk using it casually And then slowly RandidlyÆs Skills became strong enough that it didnÆt even cross his mind

This time he maintained a careful focus on his Soulspace and the Skill as he activated Touch from Beyond During the several year interim since he had used the Skill last his understanding of Aether constructs and Skills had improved to the point that the old Randidly was as helpless as a child

So this time when he activated the Skill Randidly could see the Aether carefully unfolding within the Skill to create something akin to a portal And from that portal a small spec of darkness drifted outward and manifested in his palm

Despite the increases in his physical prowess the pain was just as achingly debilitating as Randidly remembered Gritting his teeth he forced himself to keep his hand aloft as it began to glow with that luminous blue black darkness Chulroon just stared for several seconds aghast

And at that time a string of notifications popped up in front of Randidly

Warning The Skill

Danger Please proceed directly to the nearest Village Spirit Your soul will soon be corrupted

Recal

Congratulations Your insight has revealed the hidden function of a Skill Touch from Beyond « has unfolded to reveal its natural form NetherÆs Caress Skill Level will be maintained

He hehehe HAHAHAHHA Chulroon burst out laughing Even as vomit and blood mixed with his laughter he didnÆt stop

The blue light on RandidlyÆs hand grew as the Skill evolved From a spec that seemed to devour all surrounding light it stretched to form a small triangle that whispered of death in the night and eternal rest

Truly perhaps destiny did have a plan for me after all For you to come to my Dungeon out of so many well I suppose there might be otherÆs like me but Chulroon wiped his excrement from his mouth I will die gleeful after leaving my gifts with you For some reason heh itÆs like you were designed in a laboratory to be used as a dagger against the System isnÆt it What a cruel fate you bear youngster Before I go tell me your name

Randidly looked at that blue black triangle The pain was piercing but even more intimidating was the slowly spreading numbness down his forearm Randidly tightened his hand to a fist and extinguished the Skill already sweating

My name is Randidly Ghosthound

Chapter 1001

For Wendy the month after Randidly Ghosthound had requested a mechanical city built was the most hectic one of her life During that time she slept mostly underneath her work table or huddled beneath her desk in her office Half finished coffee cups and sheaves of paper were left behind her in some haphazard parade of an overworked engineer

An overworked GENIUS I might add Wendy often comforted herself with similarly phrased affirmations so that she remained grounded in front of RandidlyÆs almost careless treatment of her assistance

It wasnÆt enough that the man could produce a kingÆs ransom in metals at the drop of a hat in an attempt to bribe her It wasnÆt even that he even also brought a bunch of chattering and scuttling miniature mollusks that asked an embarrassing number of questions that left Wendy stumped and tearing out chunks of her hair Questions that required her to use some of her nonexistent free time to develop acceptable responses

It also wasnÆt the uncomfortable truth that Randidly brought Lucretia and her apprentices to assist with the construction and Lucretia made Wendy extremely nervous That woman slept with one eye open and one hand always brushing her hair so it eternally possessed salon quality glossiness

Too many mornings this past month had seen a frumpy Wendy rolling out of a sleeping bag carefully constructed of research papers and scribbled notes only to find that Lucretia was hard at work as though exhaustion was only a concern for lesser creatures

No what truly drove Wendy insane was Randidly Ghosthound himself and his oblivious attitude he had claimed a large portion of her magnificent office to make a personal workspace despite the fact that Wendy had made several comments about how she worked better without oversight

To which Randidly responded flippantly that honestly I wonÆt be watching you at all I have my own work to do Æ

That Wendy thought while grinding her teeth is beside the point

Which was why Wendy was currently standing outside of her own office fiddling with the lock mechanism offering a silent prayer that Randidly wasnÆt currently here And because Randidly could somehow manifest himself inside her office without using the corridor the only way for Wendy to find out if he was actually present was to open the door

But if he was there

Wendy rubbed her eyes furiously HeÆs been locked in my office for the past week I just want some space to do a crossword puzzle in peace and hell no matter what heÆs doing if heÆs there IÆm just going to demand he go work somewhere else This is my office after all IÆm a genius with my own office and I need some alone time

After a few pump up jabs into the air Wendy opened the door She raised her chin and glared around in her best imitation of a hawk prepared to chase away the pest like Ghosthound But of course what she found rendered her speechless for several seconds

Are those scars

The slender form of Randidly Ghosthound was shirtless standing in the middle of her office Without any covering the vicious wound that left him without a left arm was readily apparent But even worse than that were the terrible markings that stretched upward from the severed limb like inflamed earthworms

Randidly glanced up at Wendy offered her a short smile then turned back to the mirror he had set up in the middle of the office With his hands and the reflective surface Randidly was carefully examining a series of deep runic markings on his shoulder Tapping his lips thoughtfully he finished and turned back to Wendy yes in a way Your design for the arm was good but it quickly became clear that the counter would be to target the harness that kept it in place Therefore I needed a more permanent solution

Wendy silently regarded the stump of RandidlyÆs arm and the surrounding shoulder Deep grooves that sparkled with the distinct hint of Mana radiated outward from the shoulder in complex lines When Randidly dragged his fingers across the markings they flashed with brighter with reinforced might It was clear from the tight set of his jaw that he was making adjustments and it was not a painless process

The wounds themselves werenÆt bleeding or anything but they were certain inflamed and swollen Just from looking Wendy could tell that the process of using Mana to carve them into his skin would have been a bit

Did it hurt Wendy blurted out unable to control her curiosity

Randidly nodded Quite a bit And thatÆs from someone who hasnÆt shied away from pain for a few years But pain is a lot milder than the more internal forms of torture so it worked out in the end

Will you need to ah how can you adjust the Engravings now that they are a part of you like that They seem a bit WendyÆs fingers flexed Compared to RandidlyÆs tan skin the inflamed lines of the Engraving on his shoulder seemed like the result of some terrible illness It marred his body in a way that the System didnÆt usually allow

Perhaps that was why Wendy found herself so fascinated by it

mm ItÆs actually not that much trouble for the current me I can do a lot with simply adjusting the relative Mana density in all of the lines Even if the design I made at the time is a bit crude it reeks of necessity That sort of image in the Engraving would be difficult to reproduce on a second attempt in less dangerous circumstances Which reminds me I m almost finished with my preparations Did you make the final schematics

Which of the dozens of designs you are extorting out of me might you be referring to Wendy mumbled her resentment once more surging up in her heart Even if she enjoyed the individual making of the intriguing things that Randidly requested his expectation that she would do work for him without any sort of warning rankled

With a grin Randidly pointed to the stump of his shoulder This obviously With that glove as the core I have pretty high expectations But IÆll be leaving our current location soon so I would like it finished before we get back

Sighing Wendy could do nothing but shrug Well yes The design is well urgh it should work ItÆs just that glove where did you get it Even among all the other impossible materials youÆve given me this one

Although she wouldnÆt admit it on the surface part of WendyÆs recent resentment stemmed from the fact that as a designer she hadnÆt been invited to any of the actual hands on work Randidly brought her around for proof of concept demonstrations for her innovations but then had to do the assembly and crafting work himself

The stated reason was that Wendy couldnÆt handle the materials they were too high Level

When Randidly approached her a month ago Wendy had sneered at this idea So she had been sneaking off bits of scrap metal to experiment with to prove him wrong In her mind Wendy imagined a scenario that she could triumphantly display her capability to him and he would be forced to allow her to participate in the juicy finishing touches

After all the past year had seen Wendy rise to Level 33 She was no longer an amateur

To her great disappointment all of her experiments ended in failure A failure so complete that Wendy had wanted to crawl under all the scavenged bits of spare metal and allow them to crush her to death

It was around that depressing realization that Randidly requested that she make another replacement arm and use a special glove as the core of the arm Naturally Wendy ran some tests to determine the power inherent in the glove

The results made her want to vomit

Quite the opposite of the materials Randidly gave the problem with the glove was that Wendy hadnÆt been able to find anything that the retractable claws of the glove couldnÆt cut through Which made it extremely difficult to handle the glove without casually destroying a portion of her own workroom

It was somewhat satisfying that even RandidlyÆs metals were ripped to shreds by the glove but it was a short lived pleasure It only took a few accidental eviscerations of WendyÆs carefully assembled work tools for only a dull rage to remain in her heart

But Wendy was a professional above all else Even if Randidly Ghosthound seemed intent on destroying her sense of perspective With a haggard face Wendy nodded to his question and offered him a dense packet of designs Yes the design is done

Perfect IÆll need to start work immediately Randidly waved a hand and produced another pile of metal ingots Apparently all he needed to do was wish hard enough to create something more valuable than Wendy had ever encountered What was even more aggravating was one of his emerald flames condensed around him and quickly began to melt in a well behaved glob of molten metal

Fucking showoff

Ah before you begin ThereÆs one thing I want to ask you about Wendy interrupted Not that she wanted to stay here and watch him work but there was quite a bit of business for them to discuss about the project

Sure letÆs talk while I get things ready ah shit I canÆt wait to have a left arm back Randidly muttered The molten metal began to spin rapidly While Randidly somehow maintained control over the molten metalÆs movements it stretched out mid air until it was as thin as a pancake Then he increased the speed of the rotation further and brought it all back into a gleaming and unblemished sphere

At the same time Randidly quickly scanned through the plans that Wendy had slaved over for the past two days to make the best use of the gloves appalling destructive potential and structural integrity

Flick flick flick

Randidly quickly proceeded through the dozens of sheaves of paper that contained all the condensed knowledge that Wendy possessed Even though she knew that the result would upset her Wendy began to count inwardly

One two three

Randidly stored away the papers with a pleased nod

Three seconds WendyÆs expression was abysmal

Randidly looked at her in confusion Something wrong I thought you had some issues you wanted to talk about

Chapter 1002

Wendy kept her expression carefully neutral as she nodded with authority You will not let this manÆs unpredictable behavior confuse you Stay focused

The metal whirled faster More emerald flames appeared sending the metal through another phase of melting By flicking his fingers Randidly began to pull out individual drops of the metal The current plan that Wendy had created involved creating an elaborate scale mail arm that would stretch upward from the glove

Wendy cleared her throat From my calculations most of the strain on the legs of the city will be concentrated in the third joint Based on the the ambitious size you gave me the number of legs you will individually need to make for the project to be a success is in the thousands Can you manage that within our agreed upon timeline

This was WendyÆs secret weapon Due to the constant pressure from Randidly and LucretiaÆs work ethic Wendy hadnÆt dared let any of the deadlines slip past without a very good excuse for why she hadnÆt succeeded But Wendy quickly realized this sort of pace was unmanageable So she had spent a few minutes each night pouring over the work assigned to the other two

If Wendy didnÆt want to look like a failure didnÆt one of them just need to miss a deadline first

After careful consideration Wendy deduced that this was the area that would likely pose the biggest snag It was a time intensive process to create the third joint and no one could create the metals required to withstand that amount of torque except for Randidly

Randidly blinked at her in shock Then he offered a rueful smile and shook his head Heh IÆm honestly impressed I didnÆt think anyone else would notice that difficulty

Wendy allowed her face to shift into a sympathetic smile to cover her triumphant one but Randidly continued to talk

Thankfully IÆve had some success with localized gravity reduction Outside of the runic array the total weight of all the things within wonÆt change but within the array the weight will be reduced ItÆs a pretty big energy sink to put them on every leg but since youÆve had so many breakthroughs regarding the power source it seemed like it was an easy fix

Almost a hundred small drops of molten metal were floating around Randidly at this point His right hand swam among them like a conductorÆs baton moving them all to an unseen rhythm The metal began to gleam and flash as the individual scales were assembled

Ah well IÆm glad IÆm could help No need to push yourself to take on all this work alone Wendy had to force a smile but her eyes gleamed with determination

No engineer would only create a single back up plan

While we are on the subject of energy IÆd like to talk about the cooling system for the power source I made The runoff heat will likely be quite rampant

Ah that Actually I think the heat is a good thing If we redesign the layout to put our refineries next to the engine we can actually save some power by using all of that heat from the engine to fuel the furnaces

WendyÆs hands were clenched into tight fists Oh thatÆs well honestly I should have thought about that Did you take into account radiation The purity of the energy my reactor will produce isnÆt in doubt but without testing for trace elements over a long period of time

Honestly the little bit of randomness is good for them They are much too used to controlling for everything They need to get used to relying on only their own image and their Willpower It will be good training

Wendy tottered over and leaned on her desk for support Well great So great But IÆve been wondering about the industrial density near the housing complexes People canÆt just live around machines

Hehe when it comes to plants IÆm extremely confident DonÆt worry I have already started refining a plant that will become the heart and soul of the moving city Besides the mollusks seem very interested in shifting their habitat so they spend more time around the core engine which will give us more space to work with for parks and recreation

Ah the Engravings in the arrival bays are a bit

Right I think so too But actually Anon have you met him The kidÆs damn bright Well Anon developed an Engraving pattern that reduced the impact problem Honestly itÆs genius

Ah urgh Wendy fake coughed into her hand several times when Randidly looked at her with concern Ahum just allergies So I suppose there isnÆt anything more to talk about I think IÆll just

No damnit donÆt you dare walk out without saying anything WendyÆs inner demonic incarnation howled KICK HIS ASS OUT

Actually there was one more thing Wendy managed to spit out No matter what excuse Randidly gave she would not give him the slightest bit of wiggle room to avoid acknowledging that this was her office

Oh Randidly asked All the while more and more small drops of liquid metal flew out of the increasingly shrinking main ball and became flattened and purified by RandidlyÆs emerald fire Just as quickly those scales flew over to the glove Before her very eyes the arm was being assembled

I feel like I havenÆt had much ahem space in my office WendyÆs voice dipped rapidly down in volume the more she talked WouldnÆt you ah prefer a larger office

Oh thatÆs a good idea Randidly said very seriously He rubbed his chin idly with his right arm while bits of metal continued to whizz around him Plus the connection process to my shoulder might be a bit dangerous IÆll just head outside for the rest of the procedure

Wendy blinked It was that easy

Randidly walked toward the door his emerald flames and floating metal hovering about him like a swarm of eye catching bees But at the door he paused and turned back to Wendy Oh I just want to let you know that I wonÆt be able to help with anything tonight There are some tasks I need to accomplish Good luck

Then he was gone The heavy door clicked shut behind him

For a second there was silence Then WendyÆs eyes turned red

WHO THE HELL NEEDS YOUR HELP Wendy bellowed Growling in pent up fury Wendy slumped into her chair Then she placed her head against the cool wood and did her best to breathe

Breathe out breathe in

Once more transformed into hawk mode Wendy scoured the room for the preyÆ she had just detected Quick as a flash Wendy crossed her office to the rows of tables that Randidly had installed in his plundered corner

There steaming on the table was an untouched bowl of fettucini alfredo with chicken and broccoli

For whatever reason Randidly had taken to creating a rather sumptuous meal every few hours The process was rather confusing but Wendy couldnÆt deny that the food he made was better than the standard fare served in the cafeteria

Hehehe thatÆs right Mister Ghosthound all you are to me is a glorified chef Wendy whispered She fantasized about torturing him as a strong and sadistic boss while she slurped the pasta quickly into her mouth

At the end of the meal Wendy froze Randidly hadnÆt prepared any napkins Her face went red as Wendy considered walking all the way down to the restroom in order to clean the sauce off her chin

Randidly you will pay for this Wendy mumbled

Alana used her spear as a walking stick and grimly trudged upward through the knee deep snow The mountain path was constantly bombarded with wave after wave of heavy precipitation and the four figures forcing their way upward could have seen their tracks disappearing before their very eyes if they turned around

To their left was a towering mountain of stone ice and snow To their right was a sheer cliff about twenty meters above ridges from a smaller nearby mountain that stood in Mount OlympusÆ shadow

Alana didnÆt find the grandiose naming sense of Zone Eleven amusing

“Is this really necessary ” Annie shouted The wind around the group was so wild that it was all too easy for the words to be lost dragged away into oblivion by the surrounding elements But it seemed that some element of AnnieÆs Class let even her voice cut through the chaos and reach the other three

Alana wondered why Annie didnÆt simply rely on their group message through the System but Alana suspected it was just because Annie enjoyed taking the difficult route

Warlord reached out and tapped both of their shoulders Then he jerked his thumb at the groupÆs hunter and guide Annie heaved a sigh of relief but Alana just set to the unpleasant task of scraping away at the soft snow on their left Although they had followed the ascending path around Mount Olympus for several hours they hadn’t found any sort of shelter So they could only carefully attempt to make their own

After a small alcove had been cleared all four pressed their bodies against the mountain and huddled into the space The wind still howled gleefully around only half a meter away but at least there was now a small break in the noise for the group to converse without resorting to shouts or system messages

I saw it Ivan was a bearded man with heavy lidded eyes And Alana could also smell the familiar scent of tobacco on every inch of his leather covered body The beast had descended to the bottom of the mountain to hunt If we allow it to establish itself here

Annie pursed her lips but said nothing Still that was enough for Ivan to bristle with indignation Before the two could argue Warlord leaned forward

“Ivan wouldn’t have lied he definitely saw a dragon while hiking this mountain A young one but a dragon is still a dragon With all our other difficulties can we let this be Mount Olympus should have been our base of operations ThatÆs impossible if this threat hangs over our heads We need to find its home as soon as possible and verify its Level This might be the first dragon we’ve seen but I hope I don’t need to point out how powerful they likely are “

Chapter 1003

At the mention of Dragon Annie’s face twisted in an unwilling frown but it seemed the same curiosity that had seen her volunteer for this mission also let her endure IvanÆs scowl She just pulled her bearskin cloak closer around her thin frame

By unspoken agreement the group remained out of the wind for almost five minutes massaging their hands and consuming small amounts of food and water Then Warlord gestured and the group began to move

Shivering slightly Alana led the way as they left their small alcove and began to ascend the mountain once more When they had started out on their climb Alana had assumed that the drop in temperature wouldn’t be much of a problem so she had only brought a thin cloak as extra equipment on the quest to track down the dragon

However it quickly became apparent that there was some System related variance occurring in the area around the mountain The temperature at their current location perhaps halfway to the peak was far lower than what could be explained by elevation As far as Alana could tell this mountain didnÆt contain a Danger Zone but she wouldnÆt be surprised if some other surprise had been squirreled away here

Which might explain what drew a dragon here Alana thought in wonder How often had she read stories about quests to slay wicked dragons growing up

But of course based on IvanÆs report the Dragon was only an infant It had a wingspan of almost a dozen meters but its body was only as large as a dog Quite a bit less grand than fighting against a Dragon that had gathered a careful cache of gold but the System had made fantasy much more like a job than like an adventure

Alana flexed her fingers and tried to push the current unpleasantness of their mission away The distribution of their forces appeared before her eyes Donnyton’s reinforcements to Zone Eleven had arrived about a week ago and during that time it swiftly became apparent why Zone Eleven came to them for help

It wasn’t just a matter of numbers although the flow of monsters out of the Epic Dungeon was certainly intimidating But more dangerous was how intelligent and organized the various monster tribes were The area surrounding the Dungeon was now thick with fortifications and defensive structures Primitive ones but it was clear that the monsters intended to protect the Epic Dungeon from being cleared so additional waves of their fellows could explode outward

Mount Olympus was in the Southeast portion of Zone Eleven and it and the surrounding mountain range served as a deterrent to keep the Eastern half of Zone Eleven relatively safe from marauding monsters As such the combined forces of the two Zones had set up a base camp on the Western slope of Mount Olympus

While preparations were being made to organize their newly combined forces against the monsters Warlord had invited Alana and Annie on this quick trip because they were already based at the foot of Mount Olympus and it seemed that he truly trusted the report of the hunter Ivan

Plus there was the word Dragon Like magic it drew them all upward in search of the mythic beast

Still for Alana this couldn’t have come at a better time I’m tired of being stuck in my own head Alana’s fingers tightened around her spear I just need to stop worrying about the image thing Better to just let my body remember it naturally

The rather peaceful trek up to Zone Eleven had done nothing to alleviate Alana’s secret fears that she had missed some crucial piece of Randidly’s lesson about images and now was doomed to never master he own Although she could generate a huge amount of ambient energy she had no progress in creating more concrete and detailed images As some of the other warriors of Donnyton sharpened their abilities Alana was floundering

That helpless feeling was one she liked not very much at all

Alana blinked slowly There was nothing but snow and wind around them but she felt something change in the air Small hedrons of ice landed on her fluttering eyelashes Then her gaze burned orange

The only other warning the trio had was a small waning of the wind then a navy blue blur shot upward past their path and toward the summit of the mountain Annie was already on her knees with a bow knocked and Warlord was gazing seriously upward

But it was Ivan who caught AlanaÆs attention The rather serious and silent man was staring slack jawed upward Then his message popped into the group message

That is much bigger than I remember

But it certainly looks like a dragon In WarlordÆs sharp response Alana could feel the manÆs sharp hunger It was apparent too on his face as he gazed upward Like all of the people from Zone Eleven that she had met Warlord was constantly driven by a strange urge to embrace all the whimsical and wondrous elements of the System

It certainly made the people she had met much more accepting of their current circumstances But it was in that almost jealous gaze of Warlord that Alana sensed the darker side of that implicit acceptance It was only after Alana checked all of her party that she too looked upward toward the Dragon

Unlike the winged snake description that Ivan had given this being of leather and scale had a torso that was about as large as a horse But its wings and tail likely stretched ten meters out from its body in each direction Its scales were a lovely navy blue color that made it almost look black compared to the swirling white snow around it

Alana was able to make out the text Level 49 Frost Dragon as the beast beat its wings and ascended upward into the storm swirling above them Although Ivan hadnÆt gotten a visual on its Level before if its Level growth was commiserate with its physical expansion

“If it grows this quickly ” Alana gritted her teeth Thank god we decided to investigate

Annie had to bellow to be heard above the wind “Taking the shot “

A split second later Annie’s arrow whistled upward into the swirling snow Even with Alana’s high Perception she soon lost the projectile in the storm of frost above them There was a part of Alana that even wondered if it would be effective There were so many wind currents and temperature changes to calculate that it would be a miracle if the arrow found its mark

For several seconds there was only the suffocating noise of the wind Then

RAwwrr

The low rumble cut through the wind In the darkness above Alana could see the form of the dragon slide side to side then ungracefully alight on the side of the mountain Snow tumbled off of the ledge where it had crashed

Warlord gave a sharp gesture with his hand and all four of them exploded into motion They had moved upward with stealth to this point in order to keep the possible dragon from being spooked but now that it was located and wounded they would rush forward for the kill And for all AlanaÆs momentary doubts AnnieÆs sharp image these days specialized in tracking down foes that shouldnÆt have been hit

Alana couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that the dragon only ended up being Level 49 but there certainly was something about the dragon that seemed to transcend that Level If it had time to grow it would have been a powerful opponent Perhaps so powerful that Alana wouldn’t be able to beat it

For the first time in a while Alana felt a faint stirring in her heart That image that Alana just couldn’t bring into focus finally relaxed The thought of that fight seemed to free up the image to flow down into her limbs bringing with it warmth

Eyes burning Alana exploded upward in a swirl of orange energy Sorry if I take this too seriously dear dragon but I think you are the key I need to finally figure out how to refine my image I’ll be taking your heart as a souvenir

Although Annie was quick Alana’s explosive assent was even faster Ice and wind parted before her rapid launch Ignoring the tumbling snow behind her Alana reached up and gripped the edge of the cliff Partly she grabbed the lip to flip herself over but also to disperse some of the momenta from her explosive jump upward

As she gripped the edge she felt it give a small amount as it cracked It was ice not rock But Alana still rolled forward and came up in a low crouch with her spear aimed forward A buckler shield condensed on her right arm and her Valkyrie Helmet formed around her eyes Which was good because the wind was dangerously cold and aggressive on this new portion of the mountain

The snow here was so intense that it rendered Alana almost blind Rather than precipitation the heavy veil of snow and cold settled over the area like a persistent mist

But Alana’s eyes quickly located the dark silhouette of the wounded dragon which appeared to be scuttling forward toward a tall darkness that must be the mountain proper Just as the other three ascended to the cliffside behind her Alana accelerated forward toward the dragon It seemed that Alana’s arrow had struck accurately because its left wing was awkwardly extended Alana could see half of the shaft sticking out exactly from the shoulder joint of the dragon

No one I would rather have at my back Annie Alana thought with a confident grin

As Alana stalked closer the long neck of the dragon spun its triangular head around Eyes glittering it opened its mouth and belched out a dark blue bolt of cold energy that shot toward Alana Striding confidently forward Alana condensed her energy around her spear She was a Valkyrie and she would pierce through this

The image of a gleaming spear without flaw or equal flickered hesitantly in the air around Alana as she activated her Skill It was feeble but Alana felt it This was her own image The confidence that had been anemic for the past week showed immediate signs of life

Which meant of course that the dragon was not her equal

Her spear drew a brilliant line through the air and smashed apart the blast released by the wounded dragon It seemed to immediately realize the danger of her strike because it shot several cobalt bolts back toward her and then began to hurry toward the mountain Although it could not fly its powerful limbs could still move its body through the mountainous terrain with ease

Alana cut down these projectiles just as she had the first Then she exploded into motion again to cut down the distance between them Two arrows cut past Alana and ripped toward the dragon’s back legs as a silent reminder of her reinforcements AlanaÆs mouth twisted again in a grin

But Dragon had seen the terrible power contained in the arrows before It flung its already wounded wing backward preferring to allow two new holes in the wing that losing functionality in another limb Alana chuckled imagining Annie grinding her teeth in frustration at such tenacious prey

More and more sandy orange energy swirled out from Alana She moved forward less like a hunter and more like a sandstorm ready to devour the dragon until all that remained were cracked bones She was a force of nature Her image beat in her chest filling Alana with confidence

When she caught up to the dragon Alana thrust her spear forward with almost insulting familiarity Hissing in fury the dragon used its long tail like a whip to strike at Alana’s legs With a calm detachment Alana felt her body shift The arm holding her buckler shield dropped downward and deflected the attack away Then she completed her thrust

She had meant to spear the dragon through the chest but it wriggled out of the death blow Instead it allowed its wounded shoulder and a portion of its neck to be pierced by Alana’s spear

Mewing in fear it wildly beat its wings The impaled flesh of its shoulder tore and ruptured Snow stained red with blood and chill wind buffeted Alana but she was beyond the reach of such things Alana was a force of nature She raised her spear to finish the dragon off with the same thrust that had brought her to this point

The mountain behind the dragon shifted abruptly Snow tumbled down on the sheer face of the near black stone wall behind the Dragon and suddenly a huge glittering sapphire was revealed in the mountainside So large that it might even be larger than Alana herself And it was such a pure color that Alana hesitated in her attack it had the same magical entrancement that Alana had seen in the eyes of Randidly Ghosthound

For a split second Alana considered the sapphire The snow must have been shifted by the dragon’s struggles And based on the color there was quite a bit of energy in the gemstone Perhaps it was the very reason that it was so cold on top of the mountain It was possible that there was a very rare variety of ore that was present up here

But this new surprise didn’t delay Alana long Her spear slid forward and into the chest cavity of the desperate dragon despite its struggles It shrieked in agony With its trembling claws it attempted to rend her flesh as life left its body But once more Alana’s buckler shield casually smashed away the attacks

Alana retreat Now

Alana blinked Why did Warlord

The color of the sapphire gemstone swirled like it was a snow globe that had been set spinning by a flick of the wrist A thin black strip with a fist of gold emerged in the two meter long sapphire That black line slid forward

Moving as quickly as she could manage Alana stored the body of the dragon in her interspatial ring But as she did so a cave yawned open in the side of the mountain The cave opened wider and wider until it stretched almost five meters wide

Those aren’t stalagmites Alana thought with a chill

A burning river of blue energy flowed quickly out of the cave toward Alana Rather than dodge she settled into her defensive stance with buckler shield forward and spear high Orange energy swirled around her All the while Alana’s gaze was upward toward the monstrous beast that loomed above her

Level 79 Ice Dragon Broodmother

Its terrible sapphire eye regarded Alana dispassionately Its head was the size of the sort of mansion that sat tall and empty on expensive beachfront a gaunt thing that screamed of opulence Even as the sea of frigid energy rushed toward her Alana saw almost a dozen dragons similar to the size that she had just killed take flight in the surrounding area

They circled like crows seeking to make mischief

Alana bit her lip I am the spear of Donnyton There are people behind me I am the shield and the spear I will not fall My image

The orange energy around Alana faltered and then failed Like a river carrying away a fallen leaf the blast of cobalt energy from the Dragon Broodmother wasn’t stopped in the slightest by Alana The cold of its Skill immediately seeped into her bones The pain was immediate and debilitating as the world around Alana transformed into a swirl of white and grey

Chapter 1004

It really would be so easy to just let go Alana thought idly She was cold Bites of snow nibbled at her face and shoulders leaving only numbness in their wake She felt colder than she had ever experienced in her entire life It felt like the left side of her body was so covered in so much ice that she would never move again But thatÆs not my Path I wonÆt just give in here

IÆll pierce through this And then

Roaring AlanaÆs eyes snapped open to the cascade of ice and frost around her She was tumbling backward which made it difficult for her to gather her bearings for several seconds AlanaÆs heart was pounding and a rising sense of urgency was percolating upward through her chest But for whatever reason her mouth stretched into a wide grin

I must look like Randidly Ghosthound right now Alana thought And although she had no idea where that impression had come from it took root in her heart and surged upward in a gleeful manifestation of her refusal to give into this foe Energy filled her limbs That wild freedom his savage joy as he fought

But the threat of danger spun Alana around in a mid air pirouette The cobalt bolts of frost energy that had been about to hit her whizzed harmlessly past With sharp eyes Alana glared upward Large chunks of stone and ice tumbled lazily in her field of view but Alana could make out the blurred shapes of the lessor dragons coming to finish the grisly job their Broodmother started

Skree

The harsh shrieks of the Dragons cut even through the cold blast of wind unleashed by their Broodmother Alana raised her spear but her mouth dipped into a fierce frown as she realized that her left arm was pinned to her side by a thick layer of frost And yet that only meant that her smile stretched even wider

The air was so thick with snow that it was difficult to understand how far Alana had been blasted off the ledge Winds buffeted her from every angle and the only real sense of direction that Alana could obtain was from seeing the approach of the Dragons Some part of her mind wanted to try and return to the mountain but Alana knew that Annie and Warlord would likely be fine

Then she might as well have some fun out here

The howling of the wind grew more intense as AlanaÆs horizontal momentum from being blasted backward tapered off and she was pulled inexorably down toward the frozen abyss below Alana spun the spear across her fingers as more and more orange energy swirled around her in a protective bubble to take the edge off the wind The cold was getting so bad she was having difficulty taking a full breath into her lungs Yet that joy in her chest was a tenacious thing

She was the Valkyrie of the Red Clay a mishmash of theological references that meant she was the first warrior shaped by god Her spear was sharp and peerless and this would not be the end of her

Two dragons cut in toward Alana from each side bringing the total number of her foes to four The ones on the right were blasted helplessly backward when they collided with AlanaÆs sharp energy from a spear thrust but the two on the left wove past each other with sinuous grace to strike One came high with claws while the other nipped at her legs

Luckily AlanaÆs left leg was simply numb not incapacitated A sharp kick cracked the jaw of the lower dragon There wasnÆt enough force to deal any real damage but it appeared that it was briefly stunned by the impact as it drifted to the side

The higher dragon lashed out with its claw which ripped through the frost on AlanaÆs upper torso and dug deeply into her vulnerable flesh Alana almost chuckled as the ice covered her body weakened and fractured Gasping in pain Alana regarded the dark blue Dragon in front of her with a look of almost gratitude

Blood and hungry orange energy burst from AlanaÆs wound like tongues of flame Hissing in displeasure the dragon pulled back somewhat and raised its neck to unleash a bolt of its breath directly toward Alana

With a snort Alana lashed out and kicked it in the chest As it spiraled away in agony Alana also dodged two more cobalt bolts fired by its allies with the rebounding force from her kick Alana spun around mid air until she caught sight of a chunk of rock that likely weighed as much as she did She twisted her body controlling her tumbling momentum to flow quickly toward that stone

Her eyes burned as Alana shoved her hand through the exterior rock and gripped the surface with a desperate glee Then she twisted bringing the rock in a full orbit around her body Twisting her abdominal muscles even further to force the movement while midair AlanaÆs spin accelerated As the dragons gathered above her once more she smashed aside their long range breath attacks with the whirling stone

In an infinite helix downward Alana and the stone became a halo of orange energy and evaporating ice The dragons seemed to sense that she was regaining her strength because they roared and surged closer Wind and darkness seethed around them

Alana knew that all she really had to do was buy time At some point the howling wind would give way to their inevitable landing It would hurt like a bitch but AlanaÆs confidence in surviving was surging back with every moment As she struggled at the edge of her capability her image felt like it was weaving itself into existence at her slightest whim

And once they were on the ground these dragons would be nothing to her Yet some part of Alana urged her to take a different Path One that involved fighting now and damn the consequences That was the part of her that identified with Randidly Ghosthound her own savior What had he felt like struggling against the entirety of Donnyton

AlanaÆs mouth curled into a smile

This time the Dragons came with a plan One dragon wildly beat its wings ascending upwards to blast periodic ice bolts downward to limit AlanaÆs mobility The smallest of the dragons circled rapidly around them all while the two largest spiraled downward and came at Alana from either side Their mouths were open and their fangs were so bright and white that they seemed to have been carved from the purest snow

Ice is truly so fragile Alana gaze caught on their luminous teeth for several seconds Then she began her counterattack

The muscles of AlanaÆs right arm bulged as she twisted her body out of the tight spiral with the stone The vein along her bicep wriggled with the exertion But then with a bellow Alana managed to break the holding pattern and whip the stone upward like an asteroid

The Dragon above Alana squawked and had to twist to the side and use its wing to awkwardly deflect the projectile Wind whipped at AlanaÆs hair around in a wild tangle as her toss threw her downward out of the path of the two Dragons that had struck to surround her

But of course the fourth and smallest Dragon swept downward with its claws outstretched and received a spear through its chest for its troubles Alana regarded it coolly before looking upward to the weapon that had mortally wounded the Dragon

A long gleaming silver spear that stretched almost three meters long a full meter beyond the usual range for her spear was clearly stretching out of the DragonÆs chest Orange energy radiated outward from the gleaming attack like drunk dragonflies It was an attack made entirely with the image that extended as Alana used a Skill

In the classification that Randidly and Helen popularized in their clear demonstration of power this would be the abilities of an Adept AlanaÆs heart beat faster at the sharp joy she felt at finally making a step forward in the art of images

And this step was not a small one

Do you think you will be the end of me Alana barred her teeth at the struggling dragon Then she looked up with a dark smile toward its companions Her orange energy surged forward flooding into the wound to burn the body of this dying Dragon from the inside out in some terrible method of torture

AlanaÆs gaze swept between the suddenly hesitant Dragons No need to come one at a time I will personally end you all one way or another

The metal of her Valkyrie helmet felt hot against her skin even as her smiling face was numbed by the tumultuous wind For several long seconds Alana considered her foes But then the Dragons abruptly spread their wings wide and their speed seemed to drop to nothing To AlanaÆs vision the Dragons seemed to zip upward as though yanked by a long rope

Alana glanced downward and grimaced She stored her spear in her ring and twisted so the feebly writhing Dragon was below her to break the fall

Stone shattered and ice flew up in a chilly plume Her knees ached but Alana forced herself to remain on her feet Beneath her she could feel the ribcage and organs of the Dragon rupture

Alana staggered several steps forward Even though she had braced herself and used the body of the Dragon as a cushion her teeth still ached painfully after they crashed into one of the ridges below the peak of Mount Olympus And the impact would have been even worse if the ice or rock of the outcropping they smashed into hadnÆt cracked and splintered from the mountain proper

Due to the constant swirl of snow in the dark night Alana couldnÆt tell their exact position relative to the peak But due to the direction of the wind it was likely that she had blown into the dangerous northern foothills surrounding Mount Olympus

Even as Alana looked slowly around to the grey slate and dark ice around her the sensation of rumbling traveled up through the soles of her feet The ground underneath her feet began to rumble and turn slowly as the shattered ridge began to tumble down toward deeper crevices

Alana looked sharply up The Dragons circled having difficulty seeing her through the debris from the crash She should really be focusing on preparing for her next attack but on the other hand

As the Dragons took a few moments to gather themselves Alana poured some of her gathered PP into her Path that was very close to completion With big jumps in Elemental Resistance Sun Strike and Fighting Proficiency Alana was just barely able to complete the Path

Congratulations You have completed the Heretical Ascendant of the Red Star Alaihym Path Guided by one of the seven false stairs held by the World Tree Yggdrasil you have embarked upon the Path to change your very nature It is difficult to predict this Path because it is tied to the growth of an unpredictable world that is not a world but a body

But like all Paths there is great meaning in continuing to walk forward We wish you luck All Stats +25 Your Stat Resistance has evolved to become Inviolability

Inviolability In addition to increasing your ability to resist external influences you have gained a spark of celestial energy All specific weapons and methods will be ineffective at ending your existence the first time they are used to do so

Congratulations A distant resonance was detected Energy and meaning flood to fill the gaps

Your Soulskill has evolved to become The Life of Alaihym the Angel with no Lineage

Chapter 1005

Before Alana could truly examine the notifications she had received the huge boulder she was currently riding cracked further splitting directly underneath her feet Immediately the Dragons roared in triumph as they spotted her moving through the swirling snow She sidestepped quickly and looked upward toward her attackers

As she suspected the Dragons were wasting no time in pouncing downward in order to strike while she was vulnerable Cobalt bolts began to crash against the ground around her scattering shards of stone that left tiny paper thin cuts on her legs Unfortunately for them Alana felt that the change that resulted from the evolution of her Stat was much more potent than the rather short paragraph would indicate

Although being able to live through the first time anything would kill me is already benefit enough Alana thought grimly For a second her gaze stretched upward beyond the three remaining Dragons that were moving to hunt her and to the peak of Mount Olympus where a beast that was almost Level 80 waited with half closed eyes

Hell at this point it had probably returned to its lazy doze on top of Mount Olympus without another thought to AlanaÆs fate the arrogant fuck A resolution had firmed in AlanaÆs heart that she would rip that things heart out and eat that precious organ in front of its children Then she would kill the rest of them to make sure another monster like this would never exist

The wild violence of the sudden resolution shocked some part of Alana but her stoic side accepted it as natural If the Broodmother itself would have moved after its breath attack Alana likely would have died For whatever reason it hadnÆt But the truth that Alana could have died in those desperate moments was not an easy one for her to swallow

How long before Donnyton would find out that she had been crushed like a fly on top of this distant mountain What would they feel so soon after the loss against Randidly in the challenge

This humiliation would be paid back with interest Alana glared upward But then she refocused on those who were currently in front of her

The Dragons above Alana blasted out a heavy rain of cobalt bolts and some strange whim caused Alana to just take a long look at them as they approached her She ceased dodging and simply followed their bright track across the sky toward her Then she flexed her left hand feeling the tingling numbness recede as blood and energy flooded back into the previously frozen limb

Almost casually Alana reached up and chopped with her hand Somehow her instincts told her that attacks of this level werenÆt enough to reach her any longer

With almost comical ease Alana simply smashed aside the Ice DragonsÆ Skils Her hand blurred outward with methodical efficiency as if she was swatting away lazy and fat flies

The Dragons paused in their bombardment and regarded Alana with their bright sapphire eyes Alana chuckled and raised her right hand Her Skill Vengeful Javelin condensed into a bright orange weapon above her hand With practiced ease she threw the javelin of burning energy with enough oomph that the snow in the surrounding area was vaporized by its passage Such was its speed that the targeted Dragon didnÆt even have time to blink its sapphire eyes before one of its wings was ripped off its body

Screaming the dragon spiraled downward to crash into one of the splintering pieces of the shattered ridge Stone continued to fracture and break The two other dragons dived quickly downward hoping to avoid meeting a similar fate to their companions

Alana walked calmly forward unphased by the crumbling ridge beneath her After all she was the tip of DonnytonÆs Spear She bore the weight of all of their hopes and dreams She couldnÆt afford to die here Fights like these

The orange energy around her eddied and began to wane Whereas before the image had felt painted on her Willpower like a glove it now felt fuzzy and difficult to manage The energy continued to deteriorate as Alana blinked in shock for a full second And for the first time since she had encountered this problem Alana had an inkling as to the cause

Was I trying to utilize an image that was too big for me to handle this whole time Alana thought in wonder The energy around her continued to stutter and swirl It wasnÆt that the concept of an image had left her it was more akin to the rare occasions that Alana had tried DozerÆs huge pillar of a weapon out of curiosity

Even if she had the Strength enough to use it there was some implicit understanding of the forces and momentum involved that was missing Her flailings with DozerÆs weapon had been comically bad Perhaps should could master the usage with practice but she had felt uncomfortably unable to exert her Strength while wielding it

Is that why Randidly stepped away from authority for so long To focus his image on himself as an individual Alana looked down at her hands The orange energy around her had died down to almost nothing now The cold and the snow came howling back The passage of the wind shrieked in her ears Some distance away Alana could sense the Dragons pause again unsure of this new change in her behavior

But then as all of the orange energy around her faded to nothing and the wind triumphantly blasted her face AlanaÆs eyes began to smoke and burn When she released a breath the energy blasted outward like a beam of light Fine then I donÆt need to be anything to Donnyton if I canÆt even manage myself IÆm simply Alana Valkyrie of the Red Clay Alaihym Angel with no Lineage And I will spear the heart of the Ice Dragon Broodmother and roast it over a fire

AlanaÆs images came surging back She could feel the glittering feathers stretching out from her helmet and the perfect gleaming spear she wielded in her hand But one small thought swam nervously around the base of her mind

just how much has RandidlyÆs image grown in order to cow the image of Donnyton with brute force He wielded an image so large that it completely suppressed us all Is that a matter of practice or is there something else that IÆm missing

Yet AlanaÆs thoughts had to stop because the present danger demanded her attention

Three Dragons scuttled forward to attack Alana as she stood alone in the ridge at the base of Mount Olympus Two more were swirling downward in the sky above much larger than the four that had come before She had fallen far enough down in elevation that the snow transformed to sleet pasting her hair to her skull and running down the back of her neck to her spine like curious fingers The ground beneath her continued to crumble and split Around her what had once been a ridge was slowly devolving into an avalanche

And Alana laughed as she rode it all into darkness burning like a bonfire

Tatiana scratched her neck as she looked uncomfortably down at the terminal Please make this quick Helen I have a meeting with the government in about ten minutes

Plenty quick HelenÆs reply was short and clearly annoyed Tatiana crossed her fingers under the desk hoping this walking timebomb hadnÆt done something else that would keep Tatiana up at night with stress dreams ItÆs just itÆs so damn boring around here I have to go farther and farther to find monsters worth fighting Do you know how much I walk each day Can we like ship some strong monsters into the area Maybe buy a high Level Dungeon

Tatiana kept her smile polite At least sheÆs focusing her violence on monsters I can work with that There arenÆt any Villages close to us you know that But the Level of monsters is slowly rising Have you tried going down to Lake Apollo IÆve heard

Of course HelenÆs tone was bitter I found a good amount of grubby fish monsters but I cleaned out the entire lake area yesterday IÆve had to go further South to the river And even there the monsters have started running away from me Has there been anyone else suspicious up there That bloodthirsty guy wasnÆt strong but at least he was mildly fucking entertaining

Nothing here just paperwork Tatiana replied as brightly as possible

Ugh Helen hung up the call after a brief pause and a sky Although she didnÆt know much else about the minutia of running a company she certainly understood that she wanted nothing to do with paperwork Which was why Tatiana had kept Helen at bay by bringing it up as much as possible

How long will you be gone Randidly ItÆs only been a few days but IÆm already at my witÆs end The government has been quiet since Helen assaulted the police but how long will that last And now that their representative requested a meeting

Shaking her head Tatiana checked the time 1 19 Which mean her half hour of break time had already dwindled to eleven minutes When you included the time Tatiana planned to spend reviewing her notes about the specific government representative that was visiting her time had basically gone up in smoke

Tatiana sighed and collected her notes

Lee Holloway was originally a lobbyist that was at the center of Zone 1Æs scientific block that controlled Congress for the greater portion of the post System government Eventually he was pulled from the lobby groups to working for Congress proper as an aide for one of the top ten most influential figures in Congress Since then Lee had moved rather rapidly between a number of aide positions for different Senators but they had one thing in common they were all known associates of Senator Heathridge

Tatiana tapped her lip as she regarded the series of names Then she tried to recall as much as she could about Senator Heathridge YouÆve never held this specific dagger but itÆs clearly one youÆve kept with your friends And I predicted the individual targeting Erickson Steel would soon make a move has it been you this whole time Heathridge

Tatiana looked up sharply at the sound of the intercom It was from the front desk it appeared that Lee Holloway had arrived early

Clicking a button to indicate the man should be sent up immediately Tatiana walked over to the cabinet and removed the completely empty bottle of her favorite Donnyton whiskey and set it on the desk next to her work area Then she pulled several piles of meaningless earning reports and set them haphazardly around her chair and desk

Tatiana paused briefly in her work when several papers fluttered to the floor around her desk but that only made her smile in satisfaction She then walked to the windows and pulled the blinds closed The office became dark and disheveled

Suddenly it seemed that Tatiana was beset by a sea of accumulating problems in paper form

To finish off the illusion Tatiana poured herself a glass of a rich amber colored iced tea She took a sip and smacked her lips in pleasure Bitter as the day I was born Perfect LetÆs see what sort of hammer is about to fall LetÆs hope to god that this man doesnÆt think he can play chicken with Randidly Ghosthound

Lee Holloway looked exactly like someone who worked in government as a career wheedler he wore a three piece suit and his dark hair was slicked back with oil His beard was impeccably trimmed

When he entered the room Tatiana took careful note of the way his gaze went to her face and never once flicked down to the empty bottle of whiskey on the desk or the glass of amber liquid in her hand He was good at what he did but that also made him relatively predictable He would save that card for when he meant business

Tatiana He boomed with a confident laugh as he strode forward and took a seat at one of the leather chairs in front of her desk How are you You truly as young and beautiful as the rumors say

Ah well thank you Tatiana looked down demurely for just long enough Then she quickly looked back up to his face and then away IÆve been expecting I mean how are you What ah what brings you here

Of course I should have guessed Lee winked at Tatiana Business before pleasure I should have expected as much from a successful woman like yourself So IÆll get right down to it I represent certain interest groups and IÆm sure you realize that considering the recent activities of Erickson Steel Zone 1 would eventually need to find a solution to this strange conundrum that makes every happy

Tatiana forced her face into a polite smile To have no reaction prepared would be too amateur might alert him that this is just a ploy Better to immediately buckle down and show some capability Ah You must be referring to the recent shift in distribution strategy I had no idea that Senators would be interested in such things

yes of course Holloway seemed amused He winked at her again Based on that specifically IÆd like to inform you that the government of Zone 1 would like to sponsor a Village being founded on Erickson Steel land We really think that if Erickson Steel wants to become a traveling hub we should do everything to support that venture You continue to supply the quality steel and we will build the infrastructure to make this the second Orchard What do you think

Chapter 1006

What Tatiana blinked in surprise not even needing to fake her slightly bewildered surprise Her mind danced around touching all of the connecting threads She forced her face not to shift from that shock as she rapidly calculated what such a move by the government that would mean Based on HollowayÆs phrasing he seemed to indicate that the government would be the one funding this venture And she didnÆt think that he would lie to her face

If they were offering something that would obviously benefit Erickson Steel it meant that they were confident on getting a return on the investment A lot of return Which meant that they would ask for an assurance that

Of course itÆs a business deal In exchange for such a partnership Erickson Steel simply has to sell back its land to the government We would enter into a lessor/lessee relationship and could begin the project immediately Suddenly Lee HollowayÆs gaze turned sympathetic He spared the empty liquor bottle on TatianaÆs desk a glance IÆm sure youÆve realized it but Erickson Steel is in a somewhat precarious situation

Previous laws allowed the creation of special business districts as Zone 1 was developing in New Earth under the discretion of designated officials vetted by Congress But it is a rather murky issue of whether those special officials could sell the special business districts to third parties without leave of Congress Honestly it seems highly unlikely that such arrangements would stand up in court

Tatiana just looked at Lee Holloway Her face continued to smile politely

IÆll give you some time to think it over Lee stood and headed to the door with the abruptness and capriciousness of a prowling cat

Of course you will leave you smug prick Tatiana thought as she suppressed the urge to yawn I havenÆt looked into the way Randidly obtained the land rights here so IÆll need time to realize whether your threat is a genuine one At that point I bet you expect me to panic for a while No need to force the issue immediately

But of course Lee stopped at the door This would be the looming blade above Erickson SteelÆs back But the threat about HelenÆs interaction with the police didnÆt emerge Instead Lee took an entirely different tack

Ah there is one more thing Since we will be moving into a more working relationship I wanted to give you a heads up Due to bureaucratic oversight that resulted from the rising threat of monsters in the South some of our patrols in the area have been erratic Forced to return early due casualties forced to avoid growing Raid Bosses due to lack of supplies suffice to say the normal patrols have not occurred Intelligence operatives predict that monsters are massing in the South around Lake Apollo

TatianaÆs face twitched She carefully raised her hand and pretended to cough into it in order to cover her mouth

HollowayÆs smile was sharp Unfortunately I donÆt know if we will be able to rectify the situation in a short amount of time Please take some precautions to protect Erickson SteelÆs interests

You wonÆt help until we sell out you mean

After Holloway left Tatiana waited three seconds During those stretched moments Tatiana demonstrated a depth of character and Willpower that she hadnÆt realized she possessed Then she laughed so loud and long she was holding her belly and gasping five minutes later

IÆm sure they would be extremely surprised to find that one bored spear hellion eradicated your carefully cultivated threat in a single afternoon Tatiana thought with amusement Then she shook her head and wondered what she could get for Helen as a gift for taking away one more problem Tatiana had to deal with

But very quickly TatianaÆs focus shifted to what the government was after Giving the government the land would obviously put Erickson Steel at their mercy but it wouldnÆt be a rapid death for the company They could slowly charge higher and higher rent and tolls but Tatiana doubted they would use such a roundabout approach if their goal was really to destroy or dominate Erickson Steel

Tatiana thought for sure they would ask for a controlling interest But instead they targeted the land What did it mean

Humming softly to herself Tatiana leaned back in her chair and let her thoughts slowly sift through the information she possessed

Randidly shook his right hand but the annoying numbness wouldnÆt disperse Since his trip to the center of the plateau and discussion with Chulroon four weeks ago he had begun working to raise his Nether Resistance as much as possible before he returned to normal time He didnÆt truly dare to try and attack himself with that dangerous blue black triangle but unleashing the mythic rated Skill inflicted more than enough damage to push the Skill Level up to Level 53

Now with only one week remaining in his self imposed time limit Randidly was beginning to feel some extended wear from exposure to Nether And this was just from utilizing it as a weapon which proved how dangerous a substance it was Randidly had considered staying here longer but a few extra months wouldnÆt matter much to Nether Resistance Because of how the damage took an almost pre System amount of time to heal he would likely need another year in the Dungeon to show significant progress

Yet Randidly still hesitated to isolate himself for that long Part of it was keeping his mentality sharp but part of it was beginning to actively develop Erickson Steel He couldnÆt avoid this tiresome task forever Besides his growth in all areas but Engraving was slowing to a crawl It was time to stop avoiding the march of time

I hope this is fucking worth it Randidly frowned down at his hand With his brand new metallic left arm he flicked his right forearm repeatedly to restore some of the feeling back to it the unresponsive flesh

Thankfully the new arm performed admirably with an even higher articulation than the original design And although Randidly hadnÆt Engraved any Skill into it he really felt no need to do so without a specific goal The physical destructiveness of ChulroonÆs chisel was practically a broken Skill all on its own The capability of a Level 99 weapon made from a Fate lived up to the hype

Besides not Engraving now kept the option open for the future in case he encountered a problem that he couldn’t easily solve on his own

Combined with the extremely thick image of timelessness that was slowly radiating outward from the limb Randidly was immensely satisfied with how things had turned out Even if it was difficult for Randidly to do anything to improve his images at the moment he knew that the constant nurturing of the image would cause a qualitative change eventually

Plus his newfound arm had the added benefit of allowing Randidly to resume his Engraving training Engraving with a single arm was possible when he relied on Influence of the Molten Core to manipulate an item but it also split his attention in too many directions His precise control of the image he was using wavered frequently

Even with RandidlyÆs high Control he had his limits

Which in turn had made Randidly finally realize the big issue that was holding him back from improving his image Uniformity Like Mana in Engraving the level of detail in his image needed to be uniform In his enthusiastic attempts to increase the detail in his image he had painted in broad but haphazard strokes As such the image was like a poorly balanced weapon with a heavy tip

It was possible for him to grow more skilled in its usage but it was probably better to just spend some time shifting the weapon back toward balance before he learned bad habits

Therefore with his other areas of training at a plateau almost all of RandidlyÆs final days were consumed by the pursuit of Engraving

While Randidly continued to methodically move his limbs to keep from stiffening he walked out of his training area and headed East toward the plateau After walking for about ten minutes he reached the sprawling bones of the moving city that he had begun to assemble out of the pieces that Wendy had designed

Like rib bones of an ancient clockwork giant the curving metal legs and knobby rivets gleamed like silver and brass in the late afternoon light Piles of intricate gears lay stacked in containers covered by canvas overhangs to protect the pieces from the elements More than anything else the area that Randidly used for the assembly of the moving city reminded Randidly of an abandoned paleontological dig It was all deep pits dust and strange bones laying scattered about

At first Randidly was rather worried about the assembly and movement between the outside world and the Soulskill but it seemed that the restriction that his Domain placed upon people didnÆt affect items in the same way Therefore Randidly had workshops in both the Dungeon and his Soulskill so he could experiment and tinker with working pieces whenever he had time

Therefore he was rather free to assemble portions both within and without of his Soulskill However the larger the object was the more exhausting it was to move between the two realms As such Randidly had no plans to make any single piece any larger than these large legs Then he could move them between the Soulskill and outside world with reasonable ease and assemble the final product near Erickson Steel

But Randidly continued past through the towering architecture of steel and bone to another area After all today was another day that Randidly planned on throwing himself into further study of Engraving This work area was another ten minutes jog East right at the edge of the plateau Along the way Randidly politely nodded to several patrols of his Riders that were moving through the area

Not that it was really necessary Now an entire year later there was basically no hostile force remaining the Dungeon But new resources harvested from the plateau came through this area before being processed by Randidly so he couldnÆt exactly blame them for taking their jobs seriously

Finally he reached his Engraving practice ground

Here Randidly had his Riders bring him huge stones to construct a tower that stretched upward toward the sky in an approximation of the lighthouses found within his Soulskill The heavy stone building was so tall that it stretched up past the lip of the plateau and into the sky beyond Once he had the building made Randidly had used All Things Succumb Yet Time Whirls the Earth to develop a series of plans for a complex vast Engraving that would cover the surface of the tower

Even though all Randidly did was develop concepts with the Skill each use found him exhausted And the next day he would try again with a more specific image in mind and let the plans get refined just a little further In a way it felt like Randidly was working with another individual to make the final Engraving Which was slightly disturbing