LoRG 2

Only a second had passed but Randidly winced Using Ashes to Ashes for prolonged amounts of time was simply impossible the cost was so high that even now Randidly could only maintain it for a few seconds He used Scarlet Burst once more

Again the world shivered and flattened further Randidly used it again and again and

Foolish child this is not a Path you are ready to see

For a second before the voice spoke Randidly had seen something It was difficult to describe in words When Randidly was a child he often played with tape measures It was a fun game to see how long you could stretch it out from the base before the weight of it was enough to overcome the crease of the tape But at that moment the weight became too much and the tape would collapse to the ground all sense of structure and shape was lost

It was a sudden shift that reminded Randidly of the evolutions of his image for As the Sun Stills

But here it was his view of the world that collapsed The flattened and monochromeÆd world seemed to struggle for a second and then it crumbled like paper And then

If this world is naught but ashes what happens when those ashes fall away There is only memory and loss Sit in the lonliness and you will feel it breath

Everything became agony It was raw and present in a way that Randidly could only compare to those times he had received dental work in the past life Sometimes a nerve was exposed It wasnÆt pain because something bad was truly happening perhaps but it was so much unknown and overwhelming information the nerve had never experienced The body had no way to understand what was happening except pain

This was the spiritual version of that

Return

And just like that Randidly was back sitting on the ground with sweat pouring down his brow In front of him a dozen or so notifications blinked informing him that he had gains in both Nether Resistance and Pain Resistance

Then a powerful presence pressed down on him It was a familiar one too it was the stony faced Patron of Ash

Do not attempt that again Take it slow Soon you will be on the Path to becoming Chosen and then you will find answers Until them donÆt casually waste a life that belongs to me Don’t you desire to become my vessel

For some reason RandidlyÆs limbs werenÆt working correctly and he collapsed back on his back The domes of moss around them trembled and began to sag Desperately Randidly reached for his Skills but he still felt strangely numb and disconnected from everything For the first time in a long time Randidly felt deeply nervous In those first moments of pain he had completely lost himself He was unconscious within a second If he had stayed in that strange

Randidly coughed out a fat wad of phlegm and then gasped in several batches of air Within a few seconds the numbness began to recede and there was a strange mental tingling that afflicted Randidly Still that was much preferable to the numbness Finally he was able to grip his Skills and stop the domes from collapsing

He leaned his head against the ground and said a silent thank you to the Patron of Ash Then more notifications forced RandidlyÆs eyes open

Congratulations Due to a successful resonance a change has appeared amongst the involved Skills Your understanding of the Skill Ashes to Ashes has deepened Although you do not yet truly understand the dangers present have become known to you From this point on the cost of the Skill is decreased by a small margin Effect increases with Skill Level In addition there is a small chance of an accident while utilizing Ashes to Ashes

Randidly swore quietly That was not a trade worth making Such a risk was impossible to calculate But before he could think too deeply on that the notifications continued

Your Skill Scarlet Burst has taken on some of the characteristics of Ashes to Ashes It has evolved into the Skill

Before that notification could complete Randidly felt something click into place inside of him A whooshing noise filled his ears and abruptly Aether rushed out of him to form something in his core Normally Randidly could have easily handled all of these sudden changes and acted accordingly But at the moment the strange prickling continued The numbness hadnÆt quite fully departed Effectively Randidly was at the mercy of the System at the moment and he didnÆt appreciate it one bit

Warning addition resonance has been detected Synchronicity

Congratulations Your Skill Scarlet Burst has been consumed by a newly created Skill Due to the replacement effect a Skill slot will not be occupied by the new Skill Skill Level will be retained

Congratulations You have created the Third Kata of the Ashen Spear You have gained the Skill When a Shadow Departs Fireflies Dance

Chapter 626

Immediately Randidly opened up his menu and looked at the details of his new Skill Although his vision was spinning somewhat from the shifts in Aether RandidlyÆs recovery ability was roaring back to the forefront In a few seconds he felt the last of the strange tingles departing and he could focus on the notifications in front of himself

When a Shadow Departs Fireflies Dance (Un) Move a short distance in any direction At the initial point of the movement create a burst of ash and several ember fireflies The ember fireflies will seek out nearby enemies and deal minor damage Damaged enemies will be marked with ash Utilizing this Skill towards an enemy marked with ash will double the effects of the Skill but will consume the mark Distance covered and amount of ember fireflies increases with Level Effect on use towards marked enemies increases with Level

All in all Randidly was quite pleased with how the Skill shifted He was relatively low Level in it now but the additional damage from ember fireflies would be at least relevant against these wights More than that it was a Skill that worked best when it was done in a large crowd When there was a bunch of enemies marked with ash around him his ability to move would be unmatched

It also seemed like the ember firefly effect would also be doubled spreading his ability around even further Randidly grimaced at the ceiling of the moss dome Now he would like to see how he would fare against a Witch King With all these assorted Skills

Oh no IÆve made a terrible mistake

Randidly looked up sharply at the voice conscious about how he was trembling very slightly from the remnants of the aftershocks from whatever he had just experienced through Ashes to Ashes Silo was standing in the dome looking down at Randidly It was a testament to how much the experience had interfered with Randidly that he hadnÆt noticed SiloÆs approach

The air around him was roiling with that negative Aether With a great effort Randidly stood up and looked at Silo Yes Is something

I never took into consideration your abilities Silo said with a sad shake of his head He glanced over at Skarch and Azriel who were both sitting down The pace I set is too demanding for your bodies Just look at yourself Randidly your attempts to keep up with me have left you trembling with exertion

Randidly opened his mouth but couldnÆt think of anything to say He was technically trembling

From now on Silo announced putting his hand on RandidlyÆs shoulder When you are unable to keep up say something We are just lucky you collapsed here and not while in battle Otherwise well obviously I would attempt to assist you but

Are you really going to let this farce happen Azriel said looking at Randidly

Silo took her to be addressing him and said No you are correct although I would like to move on quickly we cannot until we are sure that everyone is fully recovered from todayÆs battles To have accomplished all we did in such a short time it is already impressive

IÆm fine Randidly said bluntly frowning over at Azriel She was hiding a smile behind her hand

After shaking his head Silo looked at Randidly with soulful eyes His hand was still on RandidlyÆs shoulder Ah to think our relationship had deepened to this extent look Randidly there is no need to sacrifice your wellbeing Together we can

Ah shit Skarch said cheerfully It looks like we have guests

The attacks came from three wights who seemed to materialize above the moss dome They smashed downwards perhaps expecting to rip right through the strange material but Randidly pumped the remnants of his Mana into the stuff so it thickened and hardened It wasnÆt enough to completely stop their advance but the claws of the wights became stuck as though they were trying to cut a thick cloth with scissors

In an instant Randidly produced Acri and used the Spear Advances Ash Trails to rush forward and smash into the nearest wight that was dropping down Screened by the moss dome it didnÆt see it coming at all and took the spear through the chest Randidly felt the bones there shatter Unfortunately that breaking ripped RandidlyÆs spear out of the thingÆs frame and it flew backward with a howl before he could finish it off The moss dome was quickly ripped to pieces and flapped away in the cold win

Without the cover of the moss dome rain crashed downward inundating them all But they were professionals Silo dropped his strange empathy play and followed the wounded wight into the shallow water nearby

Azriel hissed through her teeth So it was Zeitguard And three How optimistic of them

With a huge movement one of the Zeitguard spread its arms wide Another pair of claws condensed about triple the size of its true claws With these it slashed at Randidly Grinning he utilized his newly created When a Shadow Departs Fireflies Dance His body exploded forward moving within the wightÆs guard Its eyes narrowed and the larger claws dematerialized even as Randidly thrust at the wight with his spear

That energy swirled around and settled into its true claws which it raised to meet RandidlyÆs attack

The wight was smashed backward its right claw shattering from the clash But to his surprise Randidly stumbled to a stop His mouth twisted He overpowered the other party but this momentum was completely stopped His bare feet skittered across the wet stone of the island It only took him a split second to find a grip but by that time the wight was back on its feet its pale eyes filled with pain

Its right claw was held close to its side But before it could act Azriel was beside it and her spear went through its head There was a sound like a scream but also something like the noise a tea kettle made when the water was boiling inside of it The body of the wight collapsed to the ground

Randidly spun around His Skill had only created three ember flies and they seemed to struggle in the downpour But two had made it over to the wight that was fighting against Skarch She seemed to be faring relatively well but still Randidly used When a Shadow Departs Fireflies Dance again to move towards the marked Wight

This time Randidly felt the strange boost It felt like in addition to pushing himself towards the enemy he could pull himself off of the mark left by the ember firefly But just as he appeared in a shower of six more ember fireflies the Zeitguard twisted strangely and used the strength from SkarchÆs hit to move quickly away from the fight

It shrieked as it was moving and Randidly frowned as it avoided the Spear Roots he attempted to blindside it with Raising its claw it scratched at the air and ripped a hole Within a second it had disappeared into the other side of that portal and the rip closed behind it

Cheh pretty good at running Skarch said with annoyance Then she looked over at Randidly and Azriel and seemed to feel a twinge of guilt sorry I couldnÆt delay mine very long Finesse isnÆt my strong suit

Randidly and Azriel exchanged a glance Thunder crashed above as Azriel shrugged no it is my mistake I was well aware of RandidlyÆs ability to control an opponent but I chose to go for the sure kill Perhaps it was unnecessary but

Dammit Silo swore thunderously as he stomped back over to join the group His shoulder was wounded and he took a long swig of a health potion Although that one was wounded it managed to escape with its life still it is an impressive accomplishment to wound one of the Zeitgard They are notoriously slippery Thank you for assisting me Randidly

RandidlyÆs eyebrow twitched What part of that was him assisting Silo WasnÆt the wound struck by him

It is enough that no one else got wounded Silo paused as he casually stepped around the crumpled body of the wight Then he blinked His jaw dropped Wha what

Azriel walked over to Randidly and patted his shoulder with a straight face Thank you for assisting me Randidly

Chapter 627

Drake clutched the fragile edge of the hot air balloon The old man giving him a ride Kairon simply grinned at DrakeÆs obvious discomfort And this was only about 50 meters off of the ground Based upon what Kairon had told Drake they would go much much higher

At this point it was impossible to hide it anymore Drake was afraid of heights Almost cripplingly so Before the System arrived Drake used to love going on carnival rides that strapped him in and took him high up into the ai At that moment the crippling fear and adrenaline mixed in his bloodstream and set his heart a pounding

A breeze blew past causing the entire apparatus to sway DrakeÆs grip on the rope frame tightened into a death grip So much so that Kairon flapped his hand on DrakeÆs hand until he loosened his grip After all with his Stats it was entirely possible to wear through even the most durable of ropes with an overly panicked grip

Grumbling to himself as a way to not pay attention to how fragile the vehicle was Drake sat down in the middle of the basket and reflected on what crimes he could have committed to end up here

After washing up on the shores of a small village island with a dragon in hand he had struggled for several days to talk to the locals Due to the System they obviously understood him But it quickly became clear to Drake that the people living on that island didnÆt care for his plight at all There were probably just under 50 people grouped on the island with about that many people again on a few smaller islands in the surrounding area Every day they would get up and work farming rice and fishing around their islands

If it was a good day they could also harvest fruit from some islands that were a farther distance away On bad days the village gathered and repelled the minions of a Raid Boss that would charge out to ambush the fishermen

DrakeÆs second day was one of those bad days A call quickly went up from one of the fishermen as he spotted the dark forms in the water swimming closer In surprisingly quick fashion the people gathered and equipped themselves with weapons Although they were still dismissive of DrakeÆs request he was pulled into the defensive line although towards the back

They came out in a wave shrieking and screaming The villagers by contrast fought in near silence as they filled the monsters full of holes and drove them back into the bloody water By the end of the attack Drake had worked his way to the front and was using his large frame covered in the Skeleton Armor to knock a half dozen fish monsters back at a time

Perhaps this practical assistance was the key because soon after that the attitudes of the villagers warmed to Drake He was treated to a basic meal of fish and rice fried in a fruit juice and was directly told that no one here could help him

Initially Drake assumed that the small boats that the village possessed were unable to travel the distance necessary to find the large island that served as the core of this Zone Because due to what the villagers said there was only one Village in the whole Zone It was a rite of passage for young men and women seeking a Class to travel there and obtain power

Some returned and others didnÆt It was difficult for the villagers to know if their young chose another island to start their home or died but they seemed surprisingly ambivalent about the outcomes By the end of hearing their explanation Drake was actually starting to be profoundly impressed by the very utilitarian outlook And based on everything he saw everyone contributed and possessed a very high Skill Level in their individual tasks

There was a difference in outlook here that likely originated before the SystemÆs arrival but it made the people here uniquely prepared to embrace the System They were used to struggling to survive on a daily basis The addition of monsters was troublesome but Levels were convenient for the people here Likely that was why they were the third Zone to connect to the new Earth

It made Drake re evaluate what he expected from the most powerful warriors here They were likely not a group to be trifled with

But DrakeÆs strange assumptions about this Zone were popped when Kairon arrived with goods to trade He arrived by hot air balloon from Ifrenne the city of dreams that sat above the clouds

Sitting in the bottom of the hot air balloon basket Drake repressed his dizziness as best he could Sure his Stats were incredibly high But this was more instinctual than that It was an irrational fear

Well not irrational Æ Drake thought to himself as his elemental crawled up onto the lip of the basket and sniffed the air One slip and then Æ

That gave Drake pause With higher Stats exactly how high was it possible to survive the fall from Even into water There is a terminal velocity so in theory at some point

Very quickly Drake lost himself in the details of the fear and the worst of it faded away His hands stopped trembling and his breath came more easily They likely traveled like that for a few hours when Kairon clicked his tongue

We are lucky Kairon announced The city has moved South for the fruit harvest Look friend and witness beauty

Drake looked He didnÆt see beauty To him it looked like several sadistic twelve year olds were given all the materials in the world and were asked to build heaven Instead they built something that looked like a cross between a giant ropes course and a homemade treehouse made with recycled wood

The thing truly was seemingly thrown together by hundreds of different people who were not working towards any common theme There was a clear location where other hot air balloons were docking but other than that it was all plank bridges and ropes between different spires of wood and tarp

From DrakeÆs vantage point there were 6 of these spires that were clustered in a group Rising up from each was thick cables and above there were absolutely enormous balloons hanging above them like a fat and close moon These balloons seemed to be sealed so Drake surmised some sort of Skill kept them all afloat

There were some smaller clusters of wood and rope and these seemed to resemble floating apartment buildings more than anything else They circled around the six main spires like bees with thin ropes stretching to connect them to each other

At least Drake thought with disgust there were several layers of nets hanging underneath the six main spires But the ancillary buildings were floating above nothing A fall from there

You are speechless I was too on my first arrival Kairon said proudly But like all things you grow used to it Come I will show you my home In exchange I only ask you tell me stories of these other Zones haha It is strange to think our narrow world is expanding once more

Heedless of DrakeÆs pale face Kairon continued to chatter idly an abrupt switch from his earlier recalcitrance It seemed that his love for this city was so real that it could make the man ignore the danger of such a floating city What if something was lit on fire What if someone cut the ropes holding one of the spires up WouldnÆt it drag the rest down How much extra weight could the city handle

What was WRONG with these people

Very quickly they approached one of the main spires which did ease DrakeÆs worries somewhat The docks were located near the top of the spire spreading out like branches of a tree in zigzag patterns As soon as they were close Kairon hopped off of the basket with surprising spryness and began tying the balloon to the nearby posts The wood creaked dangerously

Drake winced

Ah before I forget watch your step My family is well enough off but we must dock in the older sections Kairon said apologetically Some of the wood here is beginning to rot from exposure to the elements Watch your step

All of the blood drained out of his face With extreme care Drake leaned over the side of the rope basket and looked down Beneath him there were planks of wood as would be seen on a normal dock But below that there was a 10 meter drop and there was a bulge of buildings and wooden enclosures Ropes crisscrossed seemingly at random But if Drake looked to the side

He saw the top of a cloud A chilly wind brushed at his feet The sun was setting in the West casting a wave of warm color across the cloudscape beneath them Truly it was breathtaking In the same way that death was

Breathing out slowly Drake stood and put his foot on the rickety looking boards of the dock He shifted his weight slowly and then pulled his second foot out and put it onto the dock

The board broke underneath him with a gleeful crack

Chapter 628

The pieces of the broken board fell down ricocheting off of the buildings below Those small bits of debris tumbled through the air until a gust of wind caught them and blew them out towards the clouds Drake did his best not to dwell on the fact that the wind had carried them out past the point where they would have been caught by the nets hanging under the city The fall would be a long one

Standing very still Drake waited for the last of the splinters drifted downwards A portion of the board had fallen away but most of it was still intact The moment stretched as the wind brushed his hair with malicious intentions Still nothing happened

But just as Drake felt a sense of relief the high winds of this place caused the whole structure to sway Immediately a sense of nausea filled Drake

I am going to die here Æ Drake thought very seriously to himself He considered his life so far and wondered whether he was truly satisfied with what he had done

Some part of him answered that if he had to ask the answer was clearly no

Beautiful golden birds with metallic feathers were crossing the skyline heading towards the city They looked like a flowing wave across the sky There must have been hundreds of the things and they were a brilliant shiny thing that Drake could focus on while he let his blood pressure drop back to normal levels

Bah donÆt be such a baby Would the gem of our Zone truly be so fragile Kairon scoffed slapping DrakeÆs back As the blow approached some part of Drake was screaming Leaning into it Drake desperately tried to disperse the force without losing his balance

The hand hit him with a soft pat

of course Kairon was just a trader His Strength stat was negligible Drake overbalanced and began to lean out over the edge of the wooden dock His hands reached for the rope of the balloonÆs basket but in his panic he couldnÆt get his body to work right Instead habits he had gained from long hours of training kicked into gear

His bone gauntlet condensed and stretched outwards latching onto the basket The already wounded board gave out and several of its nearby companions splintered under DrakeÆs abrupt weight

Of course Drake tightened his grip and cut through the rope The next thing he knew he was falling looking up at the sky

For several seconds Drake engaged in a vicious battle within himself One part of him wanted to call in more bones to grab onto something so he wouldnÆt fall There was another part of him that pointed out this was exactly what had gotten him into this problem in the first place So he was frozen

Goddamnit why did Sydney send me out here Æ Drake thought gloomily DoesnÆt she know I Æ

Drake crashed into a building and smashed right through it ceiling and floor He heard a brief screech but he was already smashing into the next floor And then the next floor And then the following floor

Only after breaking down seven floors did Drake stop The ground underneath him was solid but was still swaying slightly in the wind Above him a hole sketched up into the wooden hodgepodge revealing a brilliant blue sky

Are you alright

At least it wasnÆt the rope Drake reflected as he sat up If he was dangling over the Earth by simply a rope Cutting off that intimidating image Drake looked around for the owner of a voice Immediately he blinked

The room he had crashed into was of a much higher quality than the places above Whereas flimsy wood seemed to be the norm here this wood of this room was dark and solid It seemed to be some sort of spacious apartment with wooden floors and simple rugs What was most striking about the place was there was no barrier between it and the outside world This apartment was on the edge of the spire and just opened up

The golden birds continued their sinuous path in front of the setting sun warm red light on brilliant gold feathers They looked like a weapon that had been dipped in blood

sir

Drake spun around somewhat embarrassed His eyes took in the hanging canvas paintings briefly and then settled on the woman was speaking Like most everyone he had met in this Zone she looked vaguely Southeast Asian with a petite frame and expressive eyes Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she was standing in front of a half finished easel On the canvas the flock of golden birds seemed to coil like a serpent In fact their details seemed to almost merge until they were one larger creature

Drake shook his head to focus Then he scratched his cheek sorry to drop in unannounced like this miss I

Ha The woman snorted slapping her knee Then she looked at him and then blushed Ah my apologies It was just it is very bold to brazenly use a pickup line at a time like this You look as green as a fish

It wasnÆt Drake began but he quickly realized that there was little he could do when she was so obviously hiding a smile behind her hand Her face was pretty when her eyes crinkled at the edges Instead Drake said Well perhaps I am a little rattled My name is Drake miss And you

DonÆt usually give out my name to unknown elements the woman said But then she glanced at the ceiling and her eyes crinkled once more But I suppose it is a thing the man who will fix my roof should know I am Mieu May your skies be ever clear

Drake secretly hoped what his skies were would never again matter in his life but he nodded at the familiar greeting It was something he had commonly witnessed in the village below

Silence stretched between them until Drake cleared his throat ah I apologize Yes IÆll do whatever I can to fix this I have some goods I can trade

Well I suspected as much Mieu said simply eyeing him She began storing away her paints and cleaning her brushes in a bucket of water You are not from around here Much too tall Much too heavy for Ifrenne Whoever brought you here perhaps held a grudge against you

Drake pictured KaironÆs wizened face and remembered how much he had needed to beg before the older man had agreed to bring him here Well perhaps But my mission is an important one I come from outside the Zone

Pausing in her work Mieu turned and looked at Drake Then she pursed her lips and studied him Immediately Drake felt very awkward

Really You are the second that I have heard of coming here What does a man from another Zone want with me Mieu asked quietly

No I donÆt want you at all Drake said immediately Then he grimaced Err excuse me maÆam I definitely want ah I want your help With meeting the governing body of Ifrenne

Drake stopped watching as Mieu flushed red But her eyes were to the ground and it was difficult to tell whether it was anger or embarrassment that colored her face Inwardly Drake sighed It had been quite some time since he had dealt with any individuals who were even slightly shy And Mieu seemed relatively well adjusted all things considered

She just wanted as demanding and intense as Sydney But she

Perhaps perhaps it is better we talk about these things another time Mieu said still blushing furiously But she was also holding a small notepad and was scribbling furiously She cast him furtive glances

Feeling extremely awkward Drake looked around Of course Ah if you could just show me out of your home

He glanced upwards He supposed he could just hop up and pull himself up but he didnÆt like the thought of experiencing this strange awkward helplessness with 6 other people as he clambered up through their homes It didnÆt help that his blood was still pounding in his head

A body dropped down through the holes and looked around Are you alive Falling like that was a foolish move why did you

Then Kairon froze his eyes on Mieu L lady Mieu No offense was meant Please allow this humble servant to remove his unworthy visage from your presence This is all a tragic accident I am I am willing to suffer any punishment you see fit

Ah do not worry Mieu blushed again and ceased her scribbling She ripped off the paper and folded it neatly a few times until it was a paper crane She waved her hand and the whole spire swayed A wind blew through the apartment and carried the crane to Drake The door is there But it is perhaps best that you leave quickly This we should not speak of this

Chapter 629

Welcome traveler to Ifrenne The large man said with a grin He was not large like Drake but like a walrus spilling out over the ivory frame of his throne But that was perhaps one of the perks of being the King of an entire Zone It is my delight to share the wonders of our city with you If you have business to attend to my advisors are at your service But may I ask why you have come here

Two hours after scampering out of MieuÆs apartment and being scolded by a pale Kairon Drake had wandered his way to another spire to meet with the King of Ifrenne Apparently DrakeÆs actions in breaking the spire made Kairon more motivated than he was previously because very quickly they arrived at the correct location

But perhaps it was KaironÆs way of withdrawing his invitation for Drake to join him at his table with his family That made Drake sigh but nothing could be done

Well except him being strong enough to face his fears

Perhaps what I am here for is business but I was sent here to be an emissary that can establish political relations between this and the nearby Zone Drake said with a small bow our only interaction with your people was an interaction with what appeared to be a pirate crew that invaded our Zone as soon as it opened

Bah the rats below The King waved his hand as though he was swatting at flies And he only introduced himself as the King of Ifrenne so Drake had no other way of thinking about the man You took care of them yes It is a good thing They constantly covet what is not theirs A few bad seeds have whispered lies into the ears of the young If you worry that is my people rest assured They are scattered and weak

that is good to hear Drake said simply But he wasnÆt really sure if it was Overall he felt somewhat at a loss what to do now SydneyÆs instructions were frustratingly vague Drake suspected this was an instance where she was pushing him with vague ideas to test him and frankly Drake was fed up with it

your warriors must be valiant and quick to so easily take care of those rebels however The King said His gaze turned sly as he considered Drake before him You you are so large and clumsy It is something of a discourtesy to me that one of such a low status was sent here to greet me but with the right gifts I can forget And I will gladly give you the details of the World Crater

Drake bit back a sharp retort about the KingÆs relative size Instead his ears caught the end of the KingÆs phrase and refocused on that With a slight smile Drake said Ah am I so transparent

Of course The King laughed heartily Bah not three hours ago another from your Zone approached me and asked the details of the World Crater Well perhaps it isnÆt wise of me to say this but I am a generous King you who have not seen the World Crater might covet the treasure but it is a Danger Zone beyond all others What waits within is only death

A treasure Someone else had come ahead of him Well it was interesting in a way but also Drake wasnÆt sure what sort of treasure could tempt someoneÆs heart into wandering into a Danger Zone alone Perhaps it was one of DonnytonÆs squads But even then it seemed unlikely that a single Squad could clear a Danger Zone alone

The one they had clear was mostly on the back of Randidly and Neveah both of whom were so far beyond the norm that there was no one close to comparing with those two Perhaps the person was Neveah

Hehehe The KingÆs high pitched laughter interrupted DrakeÆs thoughts I can see it in your eyes Your curiosity is consuming you I will make you a deal Present a gift before us and if it is sufficient I will inform you of the identity of the previous person

DrakeÆs initial thought was to tell the King fuck you and just leave First because he likely could find out who it was rather simple and second because he was a little shit who probably hadnÆt held a sword a day in his life In this Zone where the people were so practical it was extremely strange to Drake that such a man was crowned King

But he stifled that urge Although it wasnÆt useful to Drake it was possible to earn some goodwill from the King and establish a relationship with this gift So Drake thought for a while and then produced a worn silver bracelet from his interspatial ring

Silver Bracelet of ThunderÆs Call « Lvl 42 A roughly made bracelet that was forged in an environment thrumming with the power of thunder Some of that energy has condensed in the Bracelet energizing the wearer Some of the energy may be used to call thunder from the heavens Agility +20 Stamina +100 AndulÆs Hammering Method II Thunder Charged I

AndulÆs Hammering Method II Made with the refined hammering method of Andul While wearing Health +80 Endurance +5

Thunder Charged Once a day may use Thunder Strike to call down thunder from the Sky

It was an item made by a smith who had left Donnyton to gain a Lightning elemental Right now Andul was East EndÆs head blacksmith and was doing his best to push the research on imbuing different elements into equipment in a systematic way Unfortunately Donnyton possessed its own methods But it was still a useful bracelet although Drake preferred not to wear it

Although the bonus stats were fine the extra power he could exert with his full Skeleton Armor was much more important to DrakeÆs fighting style Which was why the only really valuable equipment he utilized was his sword

The King eyes locked onto the bracelet From his heavy breathing it seemed that such a bracelet was extremely valuable in this Zone Although he was perhaps overpaying for the information Drake calmly handed over the bracelet into the other manÆs greasy hands

Without waiting for even a second the King slid on the bracelet and his face settled into a satisfying grin Hohoho although such an object isnÆt too special it is certainly novel compared to this KingÆs many other treasures Well let it never be said the King doesnÆt keep his word The man who came before he was as tall and wide as you and claimed to be a great Hero from your Zone

Drake kept his face studiously blank Really Just some bullshit like that after the King was drooling to get his hands on the bracelet

But then the King held up a finger But That man he smelled of death I did not like him much I believe his name was Roy

That gave Drake pause Very quickly he sent Sydney a message

What am I to you

To DrakeÆs surprise her reply came almost instantly

You are my sword

DrakeÆs eyes narrowed into slits So this this was why he was sent here

Phirun King of Ifrenne watched the tall man boarding the Sky skipper and sail off into the star filled night

Good riddance But then Phirun rubbed his new bracelet for good luck He smiled widely at the sky as he waddled out of his viewing chamber and to his personal dock His attendants were waiting for him there and took him over to a different one of IfrenneÆs spires

The best outcome would be if the two foreigners killed each other Which seemed likely considering the monsters around the World Crater were approaching Level 65 But they also seemed tenacious and based on the quality of their equipment they were not pushovers

Plus their deaths would only delay the arrival of the foreigners Phirun was perhaps a rare person that was overjoyed when the System arrived There were monsters sure but they could now grow strong to fight against the world And the outside influences were barred from entry Only the natives from the islands remained It was a paradise

But history repeats itself Phirun thought as his expression soured The westerners had returned

After briefly knocking on a door Phirun allowed himself into a room Ah Where is my lovely niece Mieu We have arrived to see your perfect face

As Phirun walked into MieuÆs apartment he paused briefly Then he frowned His disposition turned stormy Mieu what is this

This Mieu looked up from her stove towards the center of the room She had gathered up many of her paintings and draped them from a central point on the ceiling forming something like a canvas pillar But of course the paintings were all made from the same vantage point of this apartment so they blended rather well together I believed I would try my hand at making a collage Is it no good

Humm Perhaps a lesser man would enjoy but a KingÆs eyes are more discerning Such a thing does not suit our tastes Phirun said as he seated himself at the head of her sparse wooden dinner Although it was only one day a week he quite liked coming here to have Mieu cook for him It gave him the nerve to imagine other domestic activities they could participate in

MieuÆs humming snapped Phirun out of his small indulgences Mieu was humming a soft tune to herself as she walked around carrying the bowls of food over to the table Did something good happen niece You seem very pleased about something

Am I Mieu said She slowly raised her hand and touched her face as if she was unsure what she would find Dragging her fingers across her curved lips she seemed to consider it Maybe There was a good wind today

Humm Phirun said stiffly He began to eat without waiting for Mieu to sit down and join him This was the KingÆs privilege

Chapter 630

What are you doing

Randidly twisted around and looked over his shoulder at Skarch at her words He and Azriel were sitting at a small stump underneath one of RandidlyÆs moss bulges during a rest between their raids on the Wights Inwardly Randidly winced he and Azriel had been staring deeply into each other’s eyes when Skarch had arrived Likely the image of them was a bit

Training Azriel said her face completely straight Then she frowned as she considered the obvious unease in RandidlyÆs expression We are behind enemy lines as part of a contest that is one of my only chances to earn honor for my master What else would we be doing

Skarch raised her hand up and covered her mouth Hohoho could this be the contrary method of courtship in the Spearman School that I have heard rumors of

Hmph Snorting Azriel stood and turned around She walked to the far end of the rather small mound and sat down in a huff It was slightly surprising to Randidly because he had never seen Azriel look so annoyed before On the other hand it made a certain amount of sense The group had been together for three days of constant rain on these island chains

It was a simple thing for people to get on each otherÆs nerves

What sort of training were you doing Skarch asked again in a quiet voice Randidly wondered why she bothered AzrielÆs Perception was likely high enough for lowering the volume to do nothing

Image training Both Azriel and I have reached the Adept level so we were simply clashing with our images Randidly explained Despite the fact he knew it didnÆt matter he also found himself whispering During the sort of fights weÆve had in the rain images havenÆt mattered much The side that strikes first usually wins So we were working on images

These past three days had gotten busier and busier The rain above continued unabated and the group dutifully continued to hunt Wights As they moved from smaller to larger islands along the chain they had encountered a larger group Part of the reason that the current mood in the moss bulge was so grim was that they hadnÆt been able to totally defeat the last group of wights they had encountered

They had scattered them sure But a few had escaped Perhaps the group would have been able to remain relatively anonymous if the only time they were sighted was by the Zeitguard members but now they had encountered and ambushed a group of foot soldiers It wouldnÆt take a genius on the WightsÆ side in order to figure out that they might be connected with a string of disappearances of soldiers who were active in the area

All in all none of them were sure how the Wight high command would react to their actions So far they had been incredibly successful If a Witch King or another elite was dispatched to meet them

Still Silo seemed sure that Witch Kings werenÆt so numerous that they would come out to minor islands in the Spearman School on a whim But Randidly wasnÆt worried about a whim

He was worried a notable characteristic about himself would cause a certain Witch King to remember him

Oh An image game Skarch said beaming at Randidly IÆve never heard of such a thing before but it should be easy should it not Can I play

Randidly spared Azriel a glance She appeared to be meditating by the far wall Turning back to Skarch he nodded So both settled opposite each other and Randidly explained the finer points of the rules he had created to Skarch

Movement during the contest counted as a loss If an image shattered it counted as a loss The image needed to be precise enough to manifest in the meter of space between them Other than that you were free to switch out images as you chose But of course all the other person had to do was touch you with an image and force you to move and it was a loss

Randidly was inspired over the past few days as he watched his Visualization Skill tick up a few points That along with Child of Rain and Touch from Beyond had been the Skills that had gained the most in the past few days Child of Rain for the omnipresent rain and Touch from Beyond because Randidly was fascinated by the similarity he had felt when he had used Ashes to Ashes Although somewhat worried by the nightmare inducing pain he experienced Randidly wished to try and figure out what had happened there and what the Patron of Ash had saved him from

Since thinking up the Visualization duels Randidly had clashed several times with Azriel which greatly benefitted his Skill growth All in all they were about even on wins and losses but the methods of their respective wins frustrated Randidly

Randidly was clearly more powerful If he could catch AzrielÆs image in a direct confrontation he could crush her and push her backward But her images were constantly shifting and he had never once succeeded in shattering her image On the other hand while her images were clearly weaker they were quick and precise If Randidly lowered his guard for a moment Azriel would strike and shatter his spread out image

With solemn eyes Randidly considered Skarch She displayed overwhelming power if not very much imagination in the times he had seen her fight Her spear was incredibly well made and with just its base power it crushed most wights that attempted to contest her blows Even though she was already so overwhelming she had never had to activate the engravings on the spear That was what gave Randidly some pause

She wouldnÆt be a common opponent

So to start Randidly moved straight to As the Sun Stills It was easy to conjure the image of that Skill and it contained great concentrated power Plus although Randidly had blithely claimed to be an Adept he wasnÆt totally so He could only physically affect the world with images from certain Skills It was another weakness he hoped the Visualization duels would address

The strange pressure of the sun shot upwards Heat roiled out from his image shaking the air with the force of its expansion But soon that heat became heavier and heavier and heavier A sun with a huge diameter slowly dimmed condensing inwards The heat filled the surrounding air growing more and more terrible

Outside of the image Randidly noticed that SkarchÆs initially sly face turned solemn She narrowed her eyes

Just as the sun settled into nothing into that one infinitely heavy dust particle the image of a spear appeared in the area between them It was condensed and small but intimately familiar Without fanfare an image of her own spear appeared The detail was immaculately perfect and there was very little dispersed energy as it formed

With rumbling force Randidly gathered everything he had and smashed towards the spear For the spearÆs part a smoky body appeared grasping the spear There was very little substance and effort dedicated to the spear userÆs body and it seemed to be there only as an illustration of what was happening It made sense considering her School affiliation

The shadowy person took a basic defensive posture The spear glowed brightly

As RandidlyÆs image smashed into SkarchÆs image he felt the other image stutter as it was knocked backward by his force But then something extremely strange happened

As Randidly tried to recover from the rebound of hitting SkarchÆs image so he could attack again his image swirled and rapidly dissipated He let out a breath frowning Why had that

Truly you are strong It is no wonder that you fight so easily against the Wights Skarch said shaking her head But you have not truly consolidated yourself as an Adept Your images cannot withstand their own strength do you see You broke your own image with that attack

Randidly kept his mouth closed as he considered this Well he had to admit that his skill in this area was somewhat lacking That was the point of focusing like this Finally he nodded to Skarch That is likely true Perhaps it is too much to say I am an Adept But your image

Hahaha No Mr Ghosthound you are truly an Adept Such a designation connotes capability not stamina Skarch said with a grin Then her grin widened even further as she looked over towards the spot where her spear lay As for my image is this perhaps the first time you have met someone from the Spear School Our images focus on the spear From a young age those in the Spearman School study art smithing and sculpting so the spear can be imagined and understood perfectly It greatly enhances our strength in battle

Skarch cracked her fingers Your image would defeat mine in a direct contest But my images can be used a thousand times and in a thousand ways without tiring Which is more valuable It is an old discussion But all I know is that the only times I have truly failed was when I have made a mistake and given up with this efficient image that has never happened

Interesting Randidly said It seemed like he had gone down an opposite path but there was definitely value to pursuing some of the resiliency that Skarch demonstrated Would you like to try again

Skarch chuckled You make food yes How about we make a bet every time you lose you will make food for the group Every time I lose well I will take off the outer layer of my spear so you may examine its inner workings You are very interested in this yes It is rare to get to examine a Spear School work such as this easily

Randidly grinned in acceptance He had been wondering whether there were further runes hidden in the depth of the spear but hadnÆt wanted to force the issue But since she brought it up

Randidly lost 13 times in a row

Chapter 631

By the end of it Randidly was mentally exhausted and leaned back against the ground They were still waiting for Silo who was now slowly recovering some distance away from them after using the corrupted Aether source

Laughing Skarch stood I look forward to the meals Mr Ghosthound Something tells me that Silo will return soon so recover quickly before he gets the wrong idea

Randidly considered Skarch as she walked away both due to her words and her images Indeed her powerful consistency was impressive But Randidly had gained four Levels of Visualization during the game and one in As the Sun Stills More than that however he was learning to utilize his images more effectively

He wasted too much time imaging the process by which his image came to be It was important obviously but it had little to no bearing on the power of the final image It simply gave him a consistent start to his image That and the images Randidly created were grand things That added to their power but the lack of detail outside of the process meant his images were fragile

It was the same reason that AzrielÆs relatively weaker images could break his when she struck correctly The only difference was that Skarch was an anvil to AzrielÆs needle

Speaking of Azriel she walked over to join Randidly after Skarch had left I disagree you know

What Randidly said sitting upwards It seemed that some of AzrielÆs snappishness from earlier had persisted because her lips were twisted into a frown

What she was saying earlier Azriel explained About what was more important lack of weakness or great strength I disagree I have spent my days flawlessly almost my entire life And it has never been enough My value my accomplishments they did nothing to sway the leaders of the Northern Domain My Master my master remains an outcast based upon its previous form

To have escaped from the grasp of the System and seized its own Class and to be unanimously oppressed in the North It is a tragedy Then Azriel paused She gave Randidly a bit of a glare But he could sense the distaste was not aimed towards him Perhaps you donÆt recall but my position in the North was not very good Obtaining the Skill Crystal Memory in my Style which was declining in strength the other Styles were out for blood when it happened

To avoid disaster my family auctioned me off AzrielÆs gaze grew distant Not my virginity or hand in marriage but my status as a disciple I would follow whatever Style paid the most for it Imagine my horror when an unknown entity from the deep North purchased me I did not feel fear obviously but I felt a vast disappointment I would never know greatness I was lucky enough to be wrong

Sighing Azriel looked down at her hands I owe everything to my Master I asked it once what I could do to repay it Do you know what it replied Being able to stroll through a city would be nice Æ Such a small thing that I had never considered Such a thing that every Pontiff and Master in the North would beggar themselves to prevent

Randidly coughed awkwardly What what is the form of your master

It is not so simple Azriel said shaking her head Truly my MasterÆs form resembles a monsterÆs But it is not only that The fact that my MasterÆs spearmanship comes from another place is the problem A natural wilder impulse than was used by the Spearman

Ah And now Skarch walked back over her gaze on Azriel And it seemed that within her vision was something like pity This makes more sense You follow an aberrant one that does not seek the Mastery of the Spearman Especially in the Spearman School such a thing but even in my own Spear School

The group fell silent Randidly looked between Azriel and Skarch who were both thinking about the situation It seemed like there was a powerful prejudice against non Spearman things then Randidly was opening his mouth to ask a question when Silo cut his way back into the moss bulge

All of you cease your resting ah you are already up Silo struck a gallantish pose as he smashed into the building splashing them all with rain water that continued to pour down Randidly grimaced He had just gotten dry too

I have good news Silo announced with a flourish of his spear While patrolling I discovered the sight of a nearby battle It seems that a force other than us attacked Wights the next island over I suspect that this is the handiwork of Sergeant Platton or one of his subordinates We have done well gathering energy into our Soulstones but the fastest way to points is to gain the approval of our Sergeant the tactical points they can give us might double our effectiveness in the contest There are still three weeks remaining so I believe now is the time to up our game

The other three exchanged glances and shrugged After all they didnÆt have much choice but to move farther into the chain of islands They had basically cleared Wights completely out of the smaller islands on the edges The larger islands they had avoided much to RandidlyÆs annoyance It seemed clear they could crush these but even he was hesitant at the thought of comeuppance by the powerful Wights

Still Randidly was of the opinion that they could escape quickly and strike often for a short time in relative safety so they should take advantage of the high value targets Meanwhile Silo and Skarch mostly by default thought looking for the Sergeant was the best course of action

Randidly bared his teeth Then what are we waiting for

Silo gave him a hurt look I donÆt mean to hold you back But IÆve been patrolling while you three have been laying here Before we continue a small nap is necessary

So while Silo napped Randidly Azriel and Skarch played more games with images When it wasnÆt RandidlyÆs turns to face someone he did his best to refine his image for his general Spear Mastery Skill The obvious method would be to copy SkarchÆs image by focusing on a spear and working from that But Randidly chuckled as he stroked Acri He probably couldnÆt do his creation justice Intense details werenÆt his strength

He leaned more towards flavor Besides he needed to involve his disparate styles of fighting as well as Sulfur Specifically Randidly supposed he needed to capture the Kata of the Ashen Spear the Spear Phantom Style and the Yggdrasil Skills all at once

The images he came up with were messy to say the least

But he did at least succeed in increasing the durability of his images Unfortunately Randidly couldnÆt help but notice that as they practiced Azriel drew more and more Aether from him She was improving noticeably in real time When they dueled for every bit that RandidlyÆs images grew more durable her images grew sharper and more powerful

All the while her eyes were mild and her mouth was pressed into a thin line Randidly wondered what sort of person her Master was It was clear that it had changed her life in an irrevocable way and Azriel deeply desired the ability to pay that back

Abruptly Randidly realized that he understood Azriel very well in a way DidnÆt he come to this world to fight for Shal because the man had saved his life and gave him a spear with which to defend himself Without that interference

What would Randidly have done in that Dungeon Even if he could eventually escape starting in there for so long would have meant he had very high Skills The Level of Skills he would have needed to beat a Level 30 or so Dungeon would have meant he devoured Aether Would the reward from beating the Dungeon have sustained him in the aftermath or would he have collapsed before fighting against the Sphinx and obtaining an Aether Spring

Randidly shook his head It was strange to think about But it was indeed true he owed Shal much Immediately Randidly had an impulse to send Shal a message but he refrained Mostly it was because Shal must know he was back here and had chosen not to contact him what did that mean

Did RandidlyÆs actions with Lucretia earn ShalÆs ire And Lucretia what was she up to

Randidly sighed There was so much he didnÆt know and currently he was learning very little about the state of the world Hopefully that would change but for now it was slow going But then his eyes sharpened Still his power was growing and that was extremely useful He considered his Status

Level 29 (72%)

Health(/R per hour) 3522/3451 (+730) (1717 (+165

Mana(/R per hour) 4109/4022 (855 (+9

Stam(/R per min) 3211/3176 (+60) (564 (+45

Vit 376 (+15)

End 159 (+20)

Str 402 (+52)

Agi 479 (+24)

Perception 397 (+20)

Reaction 412 (+15)

Resistance 292 (+45)

Willpower 470 (+10)

Wisdom 374 (+9)

Control 689

Focus 298 (+4)

Skills (Soul Skill) Seven Lands of the Spectral Tree Lvl 2099

Combat Spear Mastery Lvl 185 White PhantomÆs Half Step (Un) Lvl 82 Heavy Blow Lvl 99 Dagger Mastery Lvl 10 Iron Skin Lvl 47 Dodge Lvl 99 Fighting Proficiency Lvl 142 Block Lvl 75 Phantom Onslaught Lvl 42 Sweep Lvl 54 Spear Deflect Lvl 10 Calculated Blow Lvl 96 Roundhouse Kick Lvl 74 Idiosyncratic Cut (Un) Lvl 107 Pierce the Skies Shatter the Earth Lvl 60 Body Control Freeze Lvl 37 Stalemate Breaker Lvl 39 Talon Strike Lvl 44 Counter Lvl 67

PoFE Class Skills Plant Dominance « Lvl 121 Spray Holy Sap (Un) Lvl 21 Sharpness Lvl 83 Call Grove Defenders « Lvl 34 Earthquake (Un) Lvl 44 Invigorating Call (Humanity)(Un) Lvl 14 Four Shaded Domain Lvl 29 PhantomÆs Lantern (Un) Lvl 35 Grasp of Lava « Lvl 80 Erode Image Lvl 7 Vengeful Bloom (Un) Lvl 20 Gallant Intervention (Human) Lvl 4 SpriggitÆs Tinkering « Lvl 75 Aether Understanding Lvl 51 Summon Lava Golem (Un) Lvl 46 Aether Infusion Lvl 45 Volatile Ash Lvl 12 Visualization « Lvl 35

The 7 Kata of the Ashen Spear The Spear Advances Ash Trails Lvl 89 As the Sun Stills Lvl 61 When a Shadow Departs Fireflies Dance (Un) Lvl 32

The 6 Signs of the Spear Phantom « The First Sign The Inevitable Phantom Arrives Lvl 104 (Un) The Fifth Sign The Wild PhantomÆs Embrace Lvl 184 The Sixth Sign The Breath of the Spear Phantom « Lvl 65

Spells Spearing Roots Lvl 99 Mana Bolt Lvl 28 Mana Shield Lvl 32 Arcane Orb Lvl 22 Fireball Lvl 30 Magic Missile Lvl 4 Healing Palm Lvl 12 Pollen of the Rafflesia Lvl 20 Summon Pestilence Lvl 55 Wall of Thorns Lvl 29 Yggdrasil Soul Seed « Inspiration « Incinerating Bolt Lvl 95 Circle of Flame Lvl 76 Plantomancy Lvl 35 Hammer of the Dawn Lvl 37 Burning Footsteps Lvl 23 Ashes to Ashes Lvl 64 Touch from Beyond « Lvl 32 Gravity Affinity Lvl 71 Incendiary Eruption Lvl 52

Yggdrasil Glittering Leaves of Yggdrasil Lvl 109 The Golden Roots of Yggdrasil Lvl 130 the Emerald Sap of Yggdrasil Lvl 130 the Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil Lvl 134 the Deific Mien of Yggdrasil Lvl 128 the Cruel Indignation of Yggdrasil Lvl 119 Crown of Yggdrasil Silence and Upheaval Lvl 40

Auxiliary Sneak Lvl 46 Acid Resistance Lvl 22 Poison Resistance Lvl 21 Pain Resistance Lvl 69 First Aid Lvl 16 Pathfinding Lvl 18 Fire Resistance Lvl 102 Sewing Lvl 11 Cutting Vegetables Lvl 2 Manual Labor Lvl 6 Digging Lvl 5 Cooking Lvl 75 Clockwork Mastery Lvl 25 Aether Connection Lvl 15 Soul Bond Lvl 105 ChefÆs Palette Lvl 33 Nether Resistance Lvl 20 Child of the Rain (Un) Lvl 32 Chosen of Fire « Lvl 86 Engineering Savvy « Lvl 78

Chapter 632

Sergeant Platton lowered the Vision Lens with a grim expression on his face The Wights were absolutely teeming with activity in the vicinity of Princet a medium sized island in the Southern Domain It was to the point that it was much more than a hunch to say that they were up to no good in the area Just as he had told his superiors over and over again

But there was a problem the very activity that gave the Wights away now hemmed Sergeant Platton and his group into their small island They were only a few kilometers away from Kraigjist which was likely too small a hideout to be noticed by the Wights But to get there

It was impossible

Over the past three weeks Sergeant Platton and a group of specially trained veterans of the front lines had rushed past the Wight defensive lines to discover what the mass of forces stationed here was up to By the end of this time only 6 of the original twelve strong group remained Luckily their stealth remained intact but they had lost friends in the process of getting here

But it was worth it Sergeant Patton clenched his hand into a fist He was right Damn what high command said the Wights werenÆt just raiding the area and taking the Spear source away They were here to stay What they were setting up was fortification Sergeant Platton couldnÆt get close enough to see exactly what they were planning but he had a very good guess a Hell Maw

These huge poison cannons were one of the main reasons that it was never considered feasible to invade the WightÆs world The portal to cross was covered by these huge monstrosities making any force with legitimate numbers ineffective Although strong individuals could resist the Psychic Poison the average soldier was insensible for an hour after being hit with it Truly it was a weapon that was extremely effective against the people of Tellus who rarely put points into Willpower

Still one Hell Maw in the Southern Domain wouldnÆt really alter the war What Sergeant Platton was afraid of was that this was only one of a vast array The Wights had suffered a crushing defeat in the Spear School and the rumor was that a powerful force was currently active in the Death School annihilating the opponents If the Wights were now aiming at the Spearman School

They would likely get caught unawares Which is why Sergeant Platton needed to make it out of here alive

What now Sarge Daskin asked Sergeant Platton quietly Daskin was a good soldier but he gave in to his nerves too easily He had only been on the front for a few months and his nerve hadnÆt hardened like the rest of theirs Still he was a talented and determined man as evidenced by the fact he had followed Sergeant Platton this far

We wait Platton said shortly There will be an opening in their boat traffic When that happens we move

More and more ghosties keep showing up Daskin urged Although it might be hard perhaps we could make a break for it Or even swimming

Swimming Latta a five year veteran of the frontlines snorted She threw her lengthening hair over her shoulder Kid none of us know the currents in the area We are as likely to wash ashore below their headquarters than make it out alive And thatÆs if we survive Anyone here have a Swimming Skill I didnÆt think so

The group fell into a surly silence Platton looked solemnly around at the five soldiers behind Their faces were tense and their lips were pressed tightly together Latta was the only woman in their group remaining and Platton allowed himself a small bit of joy as he looked at her shoulder length hair It was the longest he had ever seen her hair since they had met

It was just a testament to how hard Platton had worked them the last two months

Not that he had any choice The pressure from the top was intense So much so that he considered

Platton froze Looking over the shoulders of his soldiers he saw a small canoe sliding ashore to their small island There were several tall pillars of stones in the middle of the little island that blocked vision for those heading towards the WightsÆ main base That combined with their stealth focused small group meant that they hadnÆt been spotted There were few enough of them that a cursory search wouldnÆt locate them

But these three Wights landed on the island

Change of plan Daskin Pack us up One minute The rest of you With me Looks like we are going to break out forcefully

Across the island one of the Wights turned Its eyes locked with PlattonÆs A frown crossed its strange stiff face It clearly wasnÆt sure what it was seeing

Viscous Smog

PlattonÆs spear moved softly but his powerful image spread rapidly outwards obscuring them from the WightÆs view Without waiting a second Platton rushed forward following the edge of the fog The distance to the Wights was small and in only a few seconds he was there in front of them hidden by his spreading image

This was the image that had earned himself a spot as a Sergeant Even though he had no truly powerful attack Skill Viscous Smog opened the path for his advancement It was why he could manage to penetrate so deeply behind enemy lines

Perhaps the lead Wight sucked in a breath but it began to cough and vibrate The smog that Platton produced was thick with poison that would rip through victimsÆ throats

After weeks of working together the group tore apart the three confused Wights in a few brutal seconds of violence Within thirty seconds Daskin had the supplies and the group climbed into the thin canoe Saying a silent prayer Platton pushed off and started directing the canoe away from the Wight headquarters The hope was they wouldnÆt be noticed in the flood of traffic around them

They were wrong

Platton had long suspected that there was an aspect of mental communication to the Wights but he didnÆt know how to test for such a thing What Platton did know was that the first boat they passed raised the alarm Without waiting to see whether otherÆs nearby would join the search Platton blew as much Stamina as he could to fuel Viscous Smog and keep paddling

Immediately the group cut sharply left off of their original path In his memory there was a channel in this direction that led to the Western Edge of the Southern Domain which was filled with little islands These were largely controlled by the Wights but if they could find a single one

Within the smoke around them the group paddled for five minutes without incident If anything the silence and smog around them made PlattonÆs feelings sink further The current seemed to be with them however and they seemed to be flying over the surface of the water

Until they hit aground Sergeant Platton looked sharply up cursing as he realized that the boat was badly damaged by smashing upon the rocks of one of the tiny protrusions of rock that were too numerous to name And this one was completely barren It was difficult to see through the mist but there were only a few rocks higher than a man It was not of the size that they could pivot to hiding here to bypass the search To think he committed such a rookie sailing mistake at a time like this

A figure was abruptly there looming in front of Sergeant Platton in the fog He looked sharply up

A smiling face offered a hand Sergeant Platton WeÆve been looking for you My name is Silo and we

The scream of the pursuing Wights cut off his words mid sentence

Chapter 633

For whatever reason the arrival of the fog cheered Silo up Randidly just looked at the approaching fog bank gloomily First constant rain now fog This Southern Domain was a humid nightmare It did slowly push his Child of Rain Skill up but still

Haha believe me this is our good luck Silo announced Just trust me When have I steered the group wrong

Randidly wanted to disprove the other man but as he sorted through his memories of Silo he hadnÆt really led them wrong per se

it was just like Silo was having a conversation with himself that really had no basis in reality so there wasn’t any context to use as criticism In terms of actual results very little of what had occured over the past week was the result of him

The cloud of fog slid over the group With a frown Randidly noticed his Health was slowly ticking downwards This was not normal fog An attack from the Wights

Through the murky fog Randidly saw Silo walk to the shoreline and speak Sergeant Platton WeÆve been looking for you My name is Silo and we

There was a loud shriek from nearby on the water The Wights were coming huh

Snorting Randidly leaped several feet to the side Around them the fog was slowly dispersing but he wanted a better shot than having their forms obscured Although he could feel the wights through the wood of their boats it was less than ideal He pointed towards the attackers with a twisted smile

Several bolts streaked outward and struck the oncoming boats The hyperdense bars of superheated metal instantly ripped a hole in the boats Oftentimes this was accompanied by a scream and a burst of steam as the superheated metal impacted the water It was honestly quite satisfying

But as the smoke dispersed further more of the river was revealed and Randidly began to frown There were an awful lot of Wights coming At least 20 small boats some with as many as two dozen Wights Where had they all come from

Well at least it gave them a good opportunity to gather more energy into the Soulstone Because it was closest Randidly reached out and grabbed the wood of the boat they were using to travel from one island to the other It was much less taxing to manipulate plant matter that was on hand than reaching out and grabbing these oncoming boats

It was slightly tricky but Randidly morphed the boat into a strange six legged death machine bristling with spines and long thorns Then he willed the creature to move It swimming ability was sub par but there was an added benefit of RandidlyÆs attack appearing just like driftwood as it silently approached

Firing off a few more Incinerating Bolts Randidly looked over his shoulder at the rest of the group Silo was talking animatedly with a stern faced man who got off the front of the boat As long as they remained here it was fine

His attention turned back forward and he frowned There must be a current in the area because the boats that were approaching were suddenly much closer

But that also meant that RandidlyÆs surprise was very near to the enemies

Dun

The wood made a soft noise as it bumped up against the largest boat A nearby Wight paused at its strange chanting and leaned over the side of the boat to investigate the noise For a second it looked over the edge of the boat and only saw some useless driftwood floating in the water beneath its own reflection

Then a thorned spear shot upwards and wrapped around the WightÆs spine With a swift yank the thingÆs body cracked and tumbled helplessly into the water An immediate cry rose on the boat but RandidlyÆs wooden thorn horror was already skittering up onto the deck Above six legs sharpened to points tentacle like vines populated with dense vines slithered in the air As they saw it dripping and wiggling the Wights seemed frozen with indecision

Then the plant matter monster’s limbs began to lash outward ripping apart the bodies of nearby Wights Although it was difficult Randidly was slowly becoming more adept at controlling non human avatars His experience started in the root clones he had originally used to practice the spear These past few months Randidly had utilized his Lava Golem than any plant form but the basic premise was the same

Combined with RandidlyÆs powerful image of Thorn well

Within a half minute the largest boat was cleared of Wights The wooden thing had suffered greatly and only two of its legs remained usage But those two legs simply speared into the deck of the large ship As he was guzzling down three more Mana Potions the wood of the large boat groaned Then it reared up and stretched Two large clubs of wood split off

Without any finesse the boat lashed out crushing two mid sized canoes nearby With their strange shrieking song the Wights died

Congratulations You have reached Level 30 +5 Stats distributed between Vitality Perception Resist Intelligence and Control +14 Free Stats +1 Stat to a Mental Stat +1 to a Physical Defense Stat +1 to a Mental Support Stat +2 Control +20 Health +24 Mana +23 Stamina + 5 to all Regenerations +1 to Health and Stamina Regeneration +20 ProgenitorÆs Influence

Congratulations You have learned the Skill Fruit of the Planting of Enmity Lvl 1 You have learned the Skill Absolute Timing Lvl 1

Fruit of the Planting of Enmity Like all trees under sufficient conditions you will bear fruit After four hours of intense concentration produce a single fruit There are multiple possibilities for what sort of fruit will be produced based upon your Skills and images Upon consumption the fruit will provide an appropriate benefit Fruits become more powerful when aged and refined

Absolute Timing Although your inner workings have shifted you Soul is based on a clockwork engine That has given you an inborn talent to spotting and following the timing of opponentÆs Skills It is slightly easier to dodge opponentÆs Skills and your Skill can be utilized more effectively It is easier to take an opponent by surprise Effects increase with Skill Level

Fruit Randidly shook his head A perplexing Skill that he would investigate later and a passive Skill Not the best results for reaching Level 30 but it wasnÆt such an issue Randidly turned back to the group of his allies but only found Azriel standing there The rest of them were sailing swiftly away on a canoe

TheyÆve gone ahead Azriel said with a frown Silo informed Sergeant Platton and his crew that you were a spell spear and would buy them some time When they get close we are to get back into our canoe that is waiting on the back side of the island and meet up with the rest of the group But

There was a fierce pride in AzrielÆs eyes But I believe that enemies of this Level arenÆt enough to push us back The rest would perhaps think twice but Randidly will you stay here with me and slaughter them all

Randidly spared a glance for the 27 boats remaining Likely there was something like 600 Wights here It wasnÆt an insurmountable number Plus

Plus the shattered remnants of their escape canoe had already sunk to the bottom of the sea It was perhaps a hasty action to use their canoe as a weapon Randidly could create another but his Mana was already rather low from creating those two huge maces from a distance Plus Randidly had already blown through half of his stockpile of Mana potions since arriving in Tellus

Mana potions here were much more difficult to acquire especially in wartime Efforts simply werenÆt directed towards making them because no one really used them Which meant Randidly would have to make his own He possessed plenty of the blue sap and could probably buy higher tiered varieties relatively cheaply back at the city but

Likely better to just let his Mana regenerate naturally right now Technically they had little choice but to fight here

Well some truths didnÆt need to be spoken out loud

Then letÆs do it Randidly said firmly Azriel flashed him a smile

Would you like to make it a contest Azriel asked sweetly as she spun her needle spear around in a circle

Randidly frowned at Azriel I assume we compete in kills WhatÆs the prize then

Your master Shal hasnÆt contacted you as of yet yes AzrielÆs crimson eyes sparkled as she looked at Randidly I am relatively well connected in the Northern Domain and have heard some rumors as to his whereabouts If you beat me how about I share some truths about him

Chapter 634

After listening to AzrielÆs short explanation Randidly wasnÆt sure what to say The two were sitting off to the side with the rest of the group after Randidly regained enough Mana to form some of the wood from the broken boats into a seaworthy vessel It took some time to catch back up but that was mainly due to neither of them possessing any sailing Skills

Sergeant Platton and his squad were resting while the four individuals competing in the competition were standing guard Apparently they had been fighting behind enemy lines for almost a month and were completely exhausted mentally and physically They needed the break As Silo was sneaking off to absorb some more energy and Skarch was largely indifferent to Randidly and Azriel when they werenÆt playing the image game it gave the two of them some privacy

For which Randidly was glad that they had some space to speak

Yes it was this prophecy that made the Central DomainÆs response to Aemont and Shal so confusing Azriel said shortly It was foretold that the one who would defeat the great enemy by his works would be capable of slaying Wight royalty a Propagator It is a great monster amongst them that is responsible for their impossibly fast growth The only individual to do this is Aemont

That was his great quest Randidly said slowly Several pieces fell into place in RandidlyÆs head The request of his father in law to marry the woman that he loved he needed to slay a Propagator

An impossible task yes Azriel said with a nod Not only due to their personal strength but they are the royalty of the Wights In a game of chess they are the kings to the Witch KingÆs queen They are rarely seen near the front lines and penetrating into the deepest parts of the WightÆs world is nearly impossible The WightÆs planet it is a dying thing

And Shal is considered to be one of the works of Aemont the Propagator slayer Randidly asked dubiously

Shrugging Azriel seemed relatively non committal The prophecy is well documented and very specific It was thought to be Aemont for the longest time but when he died Shal was all that remained For this reason representatives from other Schools tracked him down and whisked him away to where I know not But he is facing larger enemies than we There was once a lot of debate about who the great enemyÆ was but after the Wights struck

Randidly considered this with a frown He vaguely remembered that there was a prophecy circling around about Shal But it was somewhat hard for Randidly to believe that Shal was supposed to strike against the Wights in a powerful way Shal was half Wight himself although there were probably only a few people other than himself that knew this fact How would a strike even happen

More likely was that the great enemy was the Calamity or the System That perked up RandidlyÆs ears because it was true that Shal was AemontÆs son but Aemont also had a profound effect on Randidly himself Was it possible that the prophecy of this world actually referred to Randidly

Well that might be a bit of a narcissistic thought Randidly thought with a wry smile It was enough to know that people here put emphasis on it Undoubtedly there were powers that were aware that Randidly existed and was also a member of the Spear Phantom Style If they wanted to contact him they would have

Thanks Randidly said shortly Azriel flashed him a smile but it was thorny She turned and walked away in a huff causing Randidly to chuckle Azriel didnÆt appreciate losing to him in their race His Phantom Half Step was simply too useful for moving between the boats giving him a huge advantage No matter the distance Phantom Half Step covered half of it The cost was relatively high for a movement Skill but as his Statistics improved such a thing was very affordable

Huhu if you have the energy of good cheer you have energy to cook Skarch said looking up from her spear She smiled sweetly at Randidly Unless you are in the mood for image training

Glumly Randidly went about preparing food for the group without a word It increased his Cooking Level anyway which wasnÆt a small thing It just wasnÆt exciting But it did give him a chance to consider his new Skills Fruit of the Planting of Enmity and Absolute Timing Very quickly he had created a pot of stew and served Skarch a bowl so he could be alone with his thoughts

Absolute Timing was a passive that gave Randidly an almost scary impression of timing Over the course of slaughtering those Wights he had gained 8 Levels in it and it already gave a fuzzy sense of the timing of the attacks of the Wights All it required was a little understanding of moves and Randidly could accurately predict how they would behave from that point on Honestly it seemed like a version of exactly the Skill that made Azriel so dominant Crystal Memory

On the other hand

Randidly glanced around with a frown They were resting currently so he likely would have the opportunity to try it out right now Four hours in a row was a long time but there likely wouldnÆt be many other chances in the near future The contest was important and hearing of the strange prophecy regarding Shal put Randidly back on the path of finding information while here That prophecy might truly be regarding the Calamity If so then Randidly could learn a lot regarding what it entailed

Finding information about what had happened before didnÆt seem likely but Randidly still had hopes that the true powers in this world would know something relevant The powerful Styles in the Central Domain had existed since the origin of the different Schools beneath the Tassle of the Spearman They were not casual organizations

All of this simply meant Randidly would be busy So he took advantage of this break and spent the next four hours sitting silently with the Skill activated Luckily Sergeant PlattonÆs party seemed extremely drained because they still hadnÆt left their quarters by the time Randidly finished with the Skill With a shocked expression Randidly looked down at the item he obtained after the four hours

The Amber Fruit of Dignity Lvl 1 One of the five fruits of the Forest of Enmity For every day that passes will increase in Level by 1 Consumption will result in certain permanent benefits to the consumer Benefits increase with Level At Level 100 it becomes possible to inherit certain traits from the original creator of the fruit As it is the Fruit of the Forest of Enmity there is a deep unwillingness within the fruit Eating will cause a certain amount of interference with the System of the Nexus Consume at your own risk

Randidly frowned as he looked down to the small fruit in his hand It looked like a golden strawberry and glistened in the light from their fire Honestly he had more questions now than he did before he used the Skill The Skill Level had gone up by 1 which was nice but there wasnÆt really an effective way to figure out the effect of the fruit

Aside from eating it of course

Randidly popped the thing into his mouth It was surprisingly chewy and sour almost as if it really wasnÆt truly ripe as of yet What Randidly was actually interested in was the traits that someone could eat that would inherit from him but

As the creator certain benefits provided by the fruit are no longer applicable The benefits applied to you are reduced by 50% Certain synergies were ignored

Congratulations Your Stamina has increased by 10

Still this was a good haul Randidly thought as he rubbed his chin Attribute increases were valuable 10 was the value at Level 1 with a 50% reduction Plus the other blocked effects could make such things even more valuable It seemed like RandidlyÆs fluids were becoming more and more valuable

Unfortunately Sergeant Platton appeared after only a single hour into his next Skill so Randidly could only release it with a sigh There would be other chances eventually Besides relying on such things werenÆt a way to true strength At RandidlyÆs Level a little bit more of an Attribute was only so valuable Sharpening his Skill utilization was much more important

I have to admit I had heard rumors about you Sergeant Platton began As he spoke his eyes went over to Silo and lingered there It was for that reason only that I departed to take advantage of the opponentsÆ weakness before you had arrived But your capabilities today proved me wrong Thank you

Please we are at war Silo said with a manly nod There is no need to stand on ceremony You were doing your best to fight against the Wights if anything we should be thanking you

Azriel rolled her eyes but Sergeant Platton seemed somewhat touched

Heh maybe it isnÆt true that all of our youngsters have no idea about respect well then As a reward here Sergeant Platton produced a brightly glowing Soulstone We Sergeants were given these Soulstones ahead of time to gather a bit of a reward take 100 souls each for your assistance

The light filtered out and into their individual stones The light of Sergeant PlattonÆs Soulstone barely dimmed at all This seemed strange to Randidly It had made more sense now how the rich Styles could benefit their youth by giving them stronger Sergeants A better Sergeant meant more rewards

But based upon the fact it hadnÆt dimmed after sending away 400 lives wasnÆt Sergeant Platton surprisingly capable

IÆll cut right to the chase Sergeant Platton said I believe that a nearby island is being converted into a Poison Maw in preparation to launch an offensive on the Central Domain But we need proof If you can help me find that the rest of the souls I have gathered can be yours

Chapter 635

After the week of battle to make it to this point and meet Sergeant Platton the next two weeks were relatively tame and nonviolent With Sergeant Platton and his team recovered the focus once more shifted to reconnaissance Slowly the group worked its way circuitously back towards the central island around which the Wight activity centered

They couldnÆt be too active so Randidly couldnÆt practice actual spear moves all that much Even using Plant Dominance to make an avatar out of kelp underwater wasnÆt very effective Instead he focused his efforts on the image battles with Azriel and Skarch as well as on his spells

Due to that Randidly earned almost 50 PP Most of the gains came from the previously unused Sneak Skill and the continually triggered Child of Rain Luckily it appeared that the long storm was finally ending A low mist sat over the islands instead allowing the group to paddle silently in their canoe

A cry went up among the Wights and there was a burst of noise nearby in the darkness All 10 of their group were currently together in the canoe but the feeling was still tense Sergeant Platton turned and inclined his head to Randidly

Grinning Randidly spread his fingers Several Phantom Lanterns popped into being and zoomed off into the mist around them This was the reason that Sergeant Platton had finally ordered them to move forward RandidlyÆs ability to distract with the Phantom Lanterns was unmatched In the thick mist they were just dim enough that a scout might doubt themselves when they chased after the light only to find nothing

But they were currently using the lanterns very aggressively in order to clear a path After two weeks of planning and stalling now was the time to move The goal was to get their eyes onto the Poison Maw the Wights were constructing Only with proof of his obsession could Sergeant Platton bear to leave

It was strange but the more Randidly spent time with Sergeant Platton the more he believed they shared some similar traits Sergeant Platton was a man who had started as a common footsoldier on the front lines and basically survived long enough to finally be promoted Randidly was somewhat unsurprised to learn that despite the nature of this world people with connections were generally those who were promoted

Still some of the scars from the frontline remained Even Sergeant PlattonÆs squad joked about how Sergeant Platton was considered an odd duck by his superiors He wasnÆt one to socialize much and he gave respect only to those who gave it For that reason he remained a Sergeant despite significant capabilities

A friendship slowly blossomed Well perhaps that was too much It was naught but a kinship through small grunts and pointing But Randidly felt strangely impressed by the unassuming and no nonsense demeanor that the Sergeant displayed More than anything else he willingly became silent when it became clear that the other party understood him It was a few blessed moments of silence after spending so many weeks with Silo

Their boat ran aground Everyone grew tense and looked to Skarch Strangely the woman had a Skill that made a perfect map of the area in her mind She could absolutely pinpoint where they were based upon this powerful image she held in her mind constantly After struggling against her so long in the image games Randidly could appreciate just how talented she was

Skarch opened her eyes and nodded Sergeant Platton signaled rapidly and the group crept out of the canoe as silently as possible

Then as one they began to move forward But just as quickly Randidly grabbed onto Sergeant PlattonÆs shoulder and stopped the other man from advancing Frowning Randidly shook his head There was grass on this island so Randidly could feel the Wights around them And there were thousands In front of them there were far too many to sneak past

Platton signaled back Is there a way around

Randidly shook his head PlattonÆs breath came out in a sharp huff But at that moment Silo stepped forward

Randidly eyed the other man carefully Strangely Silo had become sulky when Randidly and Sergeant Platton recognized a kindred spirit in each other It was clearly jealousy but Randidly was slightly mystified as to why it happened Now he worried somewhat that Silo would do something dumb that would invalidate all the effort they spent getting here stealthily

SiloÆs hand moved rapidly Randidly saw the movements but he wasnÆt familiar with the military hand language here and couldnÆt follow Gritting his teeth Sergeant Platton responded even more quickly

Randidly looked at Azriel She shrugged and silently drew her spear Whatever it was it was not a good sign Randidly could sense the coverage going forward and very quickly they would be on something that seemed filled with people

On unspoken agreement Randidly and Azriel raised the spears and touched the bladed ends Their eyes locked

For glory AzrielÆs blazing crimson eyes seemed to say

Win and survive RandidlyÆs emerald eyes responded

After seeming to reach an agreement the glum Sergeant Platton watched as Silo moved off into the mist The group hunkered down to wait Randidly hissed softly People were moving nearby wandering in a slow circle around a base Likely a lazy patrol

Two tense minutes passed as Randidly considered striking at them It now seemed clear that Silo went ahead alone but Randidly would rather be damned that give away their position before Silo did As they moved closer he began weighing the possibilities of hitting them with Spearing Roots with the intent to kill them quietly But at the last moment the two Wights swerved and moved up

Randidly released the sigh he was holding At that same moment a clamor was raised towards the center of camp The activity of the Wights nearby exploded into buzzing activity

Fuck it going in rough Sergeant Platton growled Azriel and Randidly exchanged a glance and a smile

When did it happen any other way

The group began to race forward as a huge growl swept through the island The noise was so loud and deep that it sounded like a powerful bass speaker There was a vibration in RandidlyÆs bones But Sergeant Platton didnÆt pause as he rushed forward so neither did the rest

To soften up resistance Randidly felt the groups with his Plant Dominance and hit them with an Incendiary Eruption In quick succession he exploded almost 15 small groups but suddenly there were shouts of panic from the Wights The movements turned sluggish as the soldiers believed a mass attack was occurring and couldn’t locate the direction

But their dash was well timed the Wights closed behind them in defensive formations Reinforcements streamed towards the edges of the camp and their group reacted quickly to weave their ways through the stragglers It seemed that someone in their group also possessed powerful Perception because they accurately avoided the groups

To keep the Wights guessing Randidly lowered himself to 50% Mana and blew up several more groups at the edge

The growl came again but this time with a vastly increased volume In addition the mist in the nearby area was blown away A body whizzed backward twisted and broken The group skidded to a stop Belatedly RandidlyÆs eyes reported to him that the body that was smashed sideways was Silo

Dear god Skarch whispered beside Randidly Above them a form spread upwards It was humanoid in shape but the limbs were contorted and thin like a stick bug But in terms of size the thing was as large as a giraffe Its arms especially were thick and strong looking and they ended in pointed fingers

The monster’s eyes were three white orbs two in the eye sockets and a third up between them Quite like Shal

This is my mistake Sergeant Platton said gravely His voice was pitched normally as there was no more point to stealth with this thing staring down at them They never were building defensive formations this is a breeding facility

Pro AzrielÆs face was white but her voice was almost excited Propagator

Again the Propagator above them bellowed its fury A concussive force slammed into Randidly and he backed up a few steps Gritting his teeth he raised his spear and pointed it at the monster

No Sergeant Platton interrupted None of us are its match We need to retreat

Before he had even finished the PropagatorÆs body blurred By the time he had finished two of the members of his squad were crushed beneath the PropagatorÆs hand Those pale orbs loomed down studying them seriously

Chapter 636

Specs Randidly asked quickly as he leaped sideways to escape the shockwave of the hand smashing down and crushing the two squad members The sheer force of the thing stumbled all of the members of their expedition but Randidly who moved quickly to avoid as soon as it moved

Well everyone else but Azriel

Immense physical strength practical immortality but all of this was disproved by Aemont Azriel said landing behind the Propagator She had rushed forward beneath its spindly limbs rather than avoiding and had hit it directly with her spear The point skittered off of the strange blue grey material that made up its body

but perhaps it is based upon truth Still attacks of a certain caliber should work

Randidly wanted to explain to her that he knew how Aemont defeated the Propagator and it wasnÆt with power It was with the extremely specific Skill Breath of the Spear Phantom But once more the Propagator blurred into motion

Twisting around it faced Azriel before she could move After opening its mouth it blasted out another roar that physically smashed her into the ground Gritting his teeth Randidly threw himself into motion

Azriel was already standing again but her clothes were ripped Looming above the Propagator raised its hand

How the fuck was it so fast when its body was so large

Before Randidly could arrive Sergeant Platton arrived He smashed into the PropagatorÆs spindly torso which was about as thin as its arms Immediately it seemed like a smoke bomb went off A smoke thicker even than the mist earlier spread outwards to cover the group Randidly sensed Azriel streaking off around to unite with their group

I said RETREAT Sergeant Platton hissed as they rushed through the cover of the mist We are nowhere near capable of defeating it especially behind enemy lines Plus we need to report

GRaahh

The entire group was knocked off of their feet and fell into a tangle of limbs The roar was the beat of a drum against the very planet they were standing on In addition the nearby smoke and mist were blasted away by the force

The Propagator was straight up like a meerkat peeking out of its burrow It rapidly twisted until it spotted their group regaining their feet Its limbs seemed double jointed because its spine bent and it began to skitter towards the group on four limbs its large head twisting around so its three orbs fixed on them

In addition the Propagators are in charge of the reproduction of the Wights Azriel said while facing the oncoming force of nature They gather the dead bodies of Wights and our people to create new Wights There is a theory that Wights

By the SpearmanÆs balls that thing is creepy Skarch said and Randidly chuckled in spite of himself

Then he looked to the Sergeant If you cover us with smoke again I think I have a way of keeping it from knocking away our cover

Platton gave Randidly a hard look You arenÆt staying here

I wonÆt have to Randidly countered Truly he wanted the chance to test himself against this opponent but he had been knocked sideways by simply it yelling The squad Sergeant Platton was moving with were people whose Level was in the upper 40s And yet they were ripped to pieces with a single hand

He just needed to stop its breath

Then the Propagator was there and they didnÆt have the luxury of talking It swiped an arm sideways and Sergeant Platton moved to stop it To even the PropagatorÆs surprise its strike hit the Sergeant as everyone else scattered and it stopped dead The Sergeant spat a fat wad of phlegm on the thingÆs body and then the smoke exploded outwards

Randidly took a breath Then his eyes began to glow A silhouette appeared in his mind proud and lonely Aemont A man who would die silently to take down an opponent His spine was as tall as proud as a spear in RandidlyÆs mind and just as deadly The Skill took hold and Randidly felt the targetÆs body stiffen in confusion

Running quickly Randidly caught up with the rest of the group One of the subordinates of Sergeant Platton was supporting the Sergeant which earned RandidlyÆs confused glance

The Sergeant grimaced That puppet is not as strong as it looks Mostly it relies on how hard its body is

Puppet Also where did Silo go Skarch asked distractedly casting her eyes around The group was back in the smoke and had about three seconds head start Randidly could feel the Propagator taking in a breath

Randidly could sense Silo so he pointed Luckily the guy still seemed mobile although he was clearly limping away Although Silo was about to stumble into a group of Wights Luckily the group took his point seriously and veered to the side rushing through the mist

The Propagator tried to roar Randidly resisted

He felt his left lung pop from the feedback

Craww It was a forlorn and weak cry nowhere near enough to dispel the smoke But Randidly tripped and smashed into the ground as his body shredded at the edges There was a buzzing in his ears as he tried to hop back up But just as soon as he did he fell sideways

Inwardly Randidly swore Looked like his eardrums and god knows what else popped with that Goddamnit how strong was that thing

Instantly energy started channeling up through the ground into him The thick golden waves of power felt revitalizing and instantly he felt his body shift But they needed to move now so he accepted AzrielÆs hand and ignored her worried look to join the rush once more

They were moving through the heart of the camp now The strange crystal buildings that the Wights built blurred into a strange angular background Randidly kept his eyes ahead as his hearing slowly came back He hit the group of Wights ahead of Silo with two Incendiary Eruptions breaking up their ambush

Plus Silo seemed to notice and began to move rapidly to the side Good it seemed he was recovering as well

This time there was nothing Randidly could do to stop the Propagator The force of its scream smashed the air away in a huge circle Wind currents whipped by the group but it was far enough away that the mist around them only thinned it didnÆt disperse completely Which was a good thing because it allowed Silo to turn around and spot them Quickly he fell in with the fleeing group without complaint

His mouth moved Sergeant Platton answered and then began muttering to himself Randidly tapped the side of his head urging his hearing to come back

Bursting through a thick portion of the clouds the group found themselves in front of almost 50 Wights Luckily Azriel and Skarch were waiting for this They ripped into the Wights in front of the group with abandon cutting them down like wheat By the time the opponents had recovered and prepared their Psychic Venom and Claws the others hit the line and tore the rest of the formation to shreds

Unfortunately another one of Sergeant PlattonÆs squad members was hit by Psychic Poison and then mobbed Randidly instantly spent 10% of his Mana to use Spearing Roots to rip apart the nearby Wights but the fellowÆs throat was already ripped out

After a secondÆs pause the group continued

RandidlyÆs hearing came back with a crash as something huge landed in front of them

Fuck this is what I was worried about Sergeant Platton swore The Propagator brought two puppets

The group was forced backward as the Propagator in front of them reared up and screamed A second later there was a dull staccato of thunder as another huge body ran up behind them surrounding them

RandidlyÆs eyes widened This wasnÆt their real form

Then

Instantly Aether Detection spread out over the entire island It was difficult to sense anything but density when so many people were gathered together but there was a powerful concentration about 50 meters Southeast of their current position

Inspiration Incendiary Eruption

The ground cracked and shattered beneath them as a huge plume of fiery lava burst into the sky fifty meters away from the group A veritable volcano opened its greedy maw and screamed at the sky The heat even from this distance away was enormous So much so that one of the squad members screamed The two strange humanoid forms that didnÆt constitute the PropagatorÆs true body swayed and then fell with a crash to the ground

Ash and molten rock filled the sky and slowly fell to hit the ground But Randidly didnÆt feel any more relieved Because the Aether bundle was still there and it was moving slowly towards the group

As if on cue the mist slowly parted Randidly frowned because there was a strange numbness in his skin But he didnÆt have much time to notice it because a form walked out of the mist It had been made to look like the residents of this planet at one point with neon pink hair pulled up into a ponytail But its flesh on the lower half of its body and right arm had been burnt away leaving only that grey blue material that made up the bigger puppets

Behind it the two puppets that collapsed slowly leveraged themselves off of the ground

But RandidlyÆs eyes were drawn to the midsection of the smaller figure In the tattered remnants of the thingÆs clothes there were movements A clicking emerged and then a beetle the size of a small dog climbed up and turned to point its antenna towards the group They twitched

All around them there was a surge of wind The group of fifty Wights they had killed behind them rose off the ground and began to twist and press together The dead became raw materials and within 20 seconds a third giant puppet was looming above the group

Silo coughed Heh I didnÆt want to do this but I guess itÆs time to use that card

Sergeant Platton appeared to ignore him To be honest you all are faster than me We need to get word out about the Propagator We will split up

I donÆt want to leave my new friends Skarch said placidly

Azriel didnÆt say anything but her fingers gripping her spear were white

Sergeant Platton sighed You all remind me of myself when I was younger and thatÆs not a compliment

One of the puppets raised its head and roared and everyone exploded into motion

Chapter 637

Sergeant Platton carefully schooled his expression He couldnÆt show weakness now not while he was standing next to these three youths and the smashed remnants of his squad Latta was dead and with his high Perception Platton could smell that Daskin pissed himself

Above them three tall puppets loomed But Platton kept his eyes on the strange crystalline beetle that climbed out of the scarred body That was the true body of the Propagator and the only way to stop the larger puppets It was information so classified that Platton had to overhear it to learn but now he was glad he had The two months of solitary he received as a reprimand for being where he shouldnÆt was worth it

regardless of your bravery Platton began slowly Word needs to get out We can send a message but I am already considered somewhat radical for my beliefs Hopefully the lives of you elites will be enough One of you needs to escape preferably all of you You are the young talent of our world You donÆt deserve to die here

They had straight spines and burning eyes Platton noticed with a sad expression These four would choose to throw themselves into the fire to pursue the pinnacle of their spear arts The tragedy of it was such that Platton couldnÆt remain silent you know if you stay here it is all but guaranteed that you will die

He considered the four geniuses The charismatic and social Silo who was clearly harboring a deep darkness born of desperation The calm and enigmatic Skarch with the typical overwhelming power of the Spear School Azriel whose small body belied the speed and penetrating power of her spear

Finally there was the one they called Ghosthound Bare feet and a spear that seemed more living vine than weapon were his calling cards His eyes were a brilliant green that seemed to glow His Class of Spellspear had been unbelievably helpful in their approach on the base It was exceedingly rare to find such a talented individual in this world that could use spear arts and spells Platton hadnÆt had a chance to witness the fellowÆs spear arts but he assumed that if he made it this far they were at least passable enough to buy him time to use his spells

No these four definitely needed to survive

But before Platton could say anything further the enemies around them began to move The giant puppets took several steps farther so that they cast long shadows across the group Around them the lesser Wights were forming up into columns and blocking them in

When Daskin spoke the panic in his voice was clear We we need to escape If someone can distract the big ones IÆll

YouÆll stay Platton said harshly And it even came out more harshly than he intended because Daskin jumped We are the enlisted soldiers we wonÆt let these kids be the ones to die for us

You know itÆs been a while since I thought about it That I could die

Platton turned and glanced at Silo The young man drank a potion and his arm snapped back into place After wincing he glared up at the puppets But I doubt I will die here If I was such a tiny existence to fail here I wouldnÆt have gotten so far Do you see Because I have the destiny that carried me this far a small hurdle such as this It isnÆt enough to stop the advance of a hero No matter what they say IÆll prove what IÆm worth

Azriel snorted at her teammate’s words and turned to the Ghosthound Can you bind them up At least one

The Ghosthound shook his head All of my Mana was consumed making that thing He inclined his head towards the huge geyser of flame that was slowly ebbing away I canÆt believe it lived through it In terms of durability well I guess I already knew conventional attacks wouldnÆt work We need to keep them busy the old fashioned way

This will be difficult Skarch said lightly

Frowning Platton bellowed What are you talking about You four fools IÆm the superior officer in this situation youÆll listen to my orders and

Denied

A hero never retreats

The Ghosthound smiled at Platton and his smile was reminiscent of a hungry wolf well there you have it Skarch you are strong but not this strong You are in charge of clearing a path You Daskin right Lead the other members of your squad and follow through the hole We three will buy time Sergeant assist whoever is in the most trouble if you please

Humph your plan is uninspired but at least it gives me the chance to shine Silo said with a wide smile His whole body began to glow with a pale light On cue Skarch flourished her spear and rushed back towards the gathering Wights

DonÆt you fucking dare Platton bellowed but they were already moving A pair of long crimson ribbons condensed behind Azriel stemming from the small of her back Above the GhosthoundÆs head a strange metal crown emerged that seemed to be made by just soldering vicious spikes to a thin circlet

The rest of PlattonÆs squad exploded into motion following Skarch The strange crystalline beetle chirped and the three giant puppets of the Propagator surged into motion One unleashed a booming sonic blast while the other two just turned into grey blurs as they maximized their huge physical capabilities

Something snapped in Platton It truly seemed that these fools would choose death over an easy survival If that was the case

He needed to aim for the true target

In an explosion of smoke he teleported forward to land next to the badly burned body that served as a mount for the beetle The force of the concussive sound hit the ground behind him and Platton hoped the rest had made it out of the way The beetle clicked its teeth threateningly and the gaunt body lashed out with its hand To PlattonÆs surprise the blow was fast Faster even than the larger puppets

Although he raised his spear his weapon was cracked in half and he was thrown sideways All by a casual backhand

Gleefully the beetle buzzed and a strange melodious song rose amongst the Wights

Too loud Wild PhantomÆs Embrace Counter As the Sun Stills

There was a huge crash above where Platton had landed and he looked up to see one of the large puppets stumbling backward Its foot caught on a chunk of molten metal that had fallen from the geyser and it fell backward There was a soft tap as a barefoot form landed next to Platton He looked up and took the GhosthoundÆs hand

He was pulled roughly to his feet

PlattonÆs eyes widened as he looked at the Ghosthound The manÆs hands were ripped to shreds It looked like the force of the hit had ripped apart the membrane between the thumb and the rest of his hands His fingers were twitching softly Luckily his living spear curled around his arm

Help Silo that idiot doesnÆt have the juice for this The Ghosthound said shaking his head Then before PlattonÆs eyes the GhosthoundÆs hands slowly began to heal Grimacing the young man looked down at his hands and sighed This will be difficult

If you have this much power escaping wonÆt be that difficult Platton said shortly eyeing the rapid healing But if we want to strike a blow

It was just watching until you attacked it The Ghosthound said quietly The strange crown above his head seemed to throb with a restrained fury The air around it distorted ItÆs playing with us Perhaps letÆs not force the issue of whether we are a match for it quite yet

Platton nodded shortly deciding not to point out that he had already realized this point Instead he turned and leaped off to help Silo And it was true the young man was being forced backward by the powerful sonic attacks of the large metal puppet He was panting and bleeding and that desperation was growing larger in SiloÆs eyes

As he moved Platton spared a glance for Azriel and was surprised to see that the girl had turned into a streak of crimson that was dashing around the puppet and slamming into it The large puppet was blurring into motion to cope smashing its hands down to block off the avenues for the crimson streak to attack But the streak just avoided the attacks and continued to slowly chip away the body of the giant thing

These two

And ahead of them off to the side Skarch was ripping through the common Wights like she was a warship cutting through shallow waters Her attacks smashed back entire waves of the fools They threw Psychic Poison but as long as she maintained her momentum they would break out of the encirclement

So PlattonÆs attack focused back to one point as he looked at Silo struggling to avoid the powerful attacks of the large puppet Letting out a breath Platton stored his spear away and removed the small leather glove on his left hand There on the palm there was a small chip of topaz embedded into his hand As he prodded it with his consciousness several notifications came up

You have activated your Fate You will not be able to activate your Fate for 24 hours after this moment if it becomes deactivated

Your Fate is Level 2 Exposing your Fate to powerful opponents will increase its Level But be careful it is possible for the Fate to shatter Current Benefits Gain 1 Health for every enemy killed while the Fate is active gain an additional 2 free Stat points per Level Agility is increased by 10

The power of the System fills you Your Patron of Pollution has blessed you with her power The Cursed Topaz on your body has formed into the Vicious Gauntlet All attacks will now include the Skill Corrosive Touch (System) Lvl 16 This Level may increase with use but does not generate PP Level is capped by the Level of your Fate times 10

Corrosive Touch (System) The blessing of the System gained by tying your fate to the System All attacks that hit an enemy will corrode their physical and mental forms The stronger the form the slower the effect is However as this is a blessing of the System the power is great Your ability to channel the SystemÆs great Skill increases with Skill Level

Chapter 638

Randidly felt the power of the Crown of Upheaval and Silence pulse with glee It had been since the fight with the Witch King that he had last used it and the warm rush of its power was a welcome addition to his fighting strength With it active the world seemed to slow to a manageable Level

With a great effort the Propagator puppet he had struck heaved itself back onto all fours Its head twisted around almost independent of its body and the pale orbs of its eyes locked on Randidly

Grimacing Randidly looked down at his hands While Azriel was slowly chipping her opponent to pieces with speed and Skill Randidly had attempted to use the power of those bodies against the puppet to overpower it It was foolish although admittedly a better plan than he had used against the Witch King

KRRii

The screech from the puppet was damaging but Randidly ignored it and focused on his hands Very rapidly the numb pins and needles feeling was receding leaving his hands once more in a whole condition Acri buzzed with pressure and slithered down his arm to form the straight form of his spear once more Randidly chuckled softly feeling the glee of Acri Although he didnÆt obtain any experience from these strikes against the puppets and therefore couldnÆt grow it was the first time that the substance of Acri had really been tested

This finally was a challenge to the intelligent spear

Skarch was clearing an easy path through the Wights some distance away but the remnants of those ranks were reforming and moving on to threaten Randidly Snorting Randidly spun Acri to test out the state of his hands The puppet of the Propagator was straightening slowly and before it could respond Randidly moved like a cold wind among the 20 or so nearby Wights

One raised its arm and a ghastly claw condensed above it but Randidly cut sharply left and avoiding its slash He Countered with a stab the thrust Acri through the skull of the Wight abruptly ending its life Five bolts of Psychic Poison rushed at his back but Randidly used Phantom Half Step to appear in the middle of the group

Acri was like childrenÆs laughter and temptation it spread wildly and could kill gods

These Wights were much less than that

With a bounding leap the Propagator’s puppet rushed towards Randidly There was a projected fury in its movements but Randidly was all too aware of the gaze of that strange crystalline beetle that formed the true body of the Propagator

Although he wasnÆt sure of how it would work it became clear to Randidly that this was the body that he needed to target with his Breath of the Spear Phantom Skill

However that strange body the beetle was walking on was slowly reforming And every time Randidly tried to target the beetle his focused slid strangely sideways towards the body

The flesh of it was slowly regrowing and the body regarded Randidly with bright eyes

As the puppet crashed into the ground around Randidly he rushed forward between its wide legs Instantly it spun on its hands swiping at him Randidly wasnÆt sure if it was just his focus or the effect of the crown but it was simple to weave through the thing’s quick movements Although it could reach a high top speed it didnÆt possess a great ability to change its direction easily

It roared again furious and Randidly stopped underneath its legs and thrust upwards with Acri using the Inevitable Phantom Arrives The chilling form of RandidlyÆs mother floated behind him its gaze locked on the puppet With a huge crash RandidlyÆs attack struck the puppet and chipped a huge piece off of its leg

Within the next second Randidly was forced to use When a Shadow Departs Fireflies Dance to avoid the puppet when it simply dropped its body in an attempt to crush him The fireflies wandered around and landed on the puppet but Randidly was well aware that the damage that they could do to it was almost negligible

Not that his damage appeared to be any better

After a quick landing Randidly hopped upwards to land on top of the puppet Its body twisted as its arms folded back on themselves to grab at him but Randidly ignored it and slashed Acri down at the body of the puppet Just scratches emerged however Although it wasnÆt surprising it was somewhat frustrating that Randidly had no real way to inflict damage on this thing especially with his Mana depleted

It was perhaps foolish but Randidly couldnÆt fault himself for unleashing his Skill immediately upon sensing where the mass of Aether was centered After all how could he know that the thing would fucking live through it without a scratch Although he had burnt off that host’s bodyÆs bottom half as Randidly watched

It was growing back

The hands smashed into the location where Randidly just was causing the puppet to howl again RandidlyÆs eye narrowed as he landed on the ground and looked around It seemed the puppet couldnÆt utilize its large sonic burst unless it was standing which was at least something

His head jerked back as a hand stabbed past the bridge of his nose RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed as he took in the form of the PropagatorÆs host body that had appeared in front of him This level of speed definitely he needed to fall back

Phantom Ha

The thing twisted and smashed a heel into RandidlyÆs back sending him tumbling forward The force was overwhelming Randidly couldnÆt control himself as he smashed into the large puppet

It scrambled around and twisted surging around RandidlyÆs body like a python attempting to get a grip on him

With air wheezing out of his mouth Randidly activated When a Shadow Departs Fireflies Dance His body rushed forward out of the encircling limbs but that host puppet was waiting for him outside of the range of the large puppet Its eyes were glowing mauve now and visibly its hair was growing out in that shade It was curly and stopped at the shoulders and as soon as the hair ceased growing the eyes seemed to refocus

Hoo that was surprising What sort of creature are you boy

Something clicked in Randidly and he blurted out You youÆre like Lucretia

This gave the Propagator a second of pause And looking at her healing form it was easy to see the resemblance to Lucretia She had the same colored hair and matching eyes and the same unnaturally pale skin It seemed that the Propagator in front of him fixated on the name instantly with her eyes narrowing

Worm how do you know It began but RandidlyÆs crown released a huge pulse of power that he had built up in the brief interim The PropagatorÆs words were cut off and he felt some of the strange vibrations that were pressing up against his skin lessen That sharpened his perspective

Was it perhaps possible that the way the Propagator controlled its puppets was through the use of sound waves And the puppets themselves acted like amps and therefore targeting them with Breath of the Spear Phantom was a dangerous proposition The feedback from stifling the larger puppets for just a second was enough to pop a lung but perhaps the crystalline beetle itself

Still when the large puppet slashed outward with is hand Randidly was forced to dodge But his eyes remained on the host body It was a good thing too because the body came forward with its hands raised The fearful part was that there didnÆt appear to be any Skills in use from this thing He tried to dodge but its speed was beyond belief It just rawly scratched at Randidly with enough force to rip deep rivets in Sulfur

Sulfur for its part was just as excited as Acri had been but this was a manic excitement that had Randidly deeply worried Sulfur grew off of pressure and this physical presence was undoubtedly a boon for it However these strikes were too devastating to just consider training How many more could land and consider the armor uninjured

Randidly was stuck between a rock and a hard place however The large puppet had positioned itself behind him while the host body advanced relentlessly towards Randidly

You have my attention The body hissed at him And IÆll have the answers one way or another

Then it moved and this time Randidly barely got a Phantom Half Step off in time to pull himself a dozen meters to the side Instantly he leaped towards the foot soldier Wight he had targeted with the Skill and stabbed his spear through its chest and twisted A headache was building behind his eyes as Randidly was forced to up the Perception boost of the Crown in order to compete with the host body

The Randidly swore because one of the other large puppets turned from its struggle against Azriel and smashed its hand downwards in an overhead blow towards RandidlyÆs position When the Shadows Depart FIreflies Dance carried him out of the physical shockwave but it gave the other large puppet time to get into position

Raahh

As Randidly turned he was hit in the chest with the sonic attack with enough force for Sulfur to groan painfully Staggering backward Randidly rapidly attempted to sharpen his Perception Even with the effect of the SIlence from his crown it was still this powerful

At the last second he caught the small noise of a step and jerked backward The host body of the Propagator seemed to materialize in front of him and the body looked rather puzzled that its attack had missed RandidlyÆs Idiosyncratic Cut slashed off several curly mauve hairs but Acri did little damage against its skin

Abruptly Randidly was very conscious of how low his Health was He was healing rapidly but this thing could hurt him quickly from too many directions And looming above that fear was the realization that the Propagator had some sort of Skills it could use And with these base stats now was not the time for a confrontation

Ready to leave Randidly asked as he used Wild PhantomÆs Embrace to use the momentum from another attack from a large puppet to leap backward Azriel assented and appeared next to him in a crimson streak

Trying to leave Childish Domain Realm of the Crystal Spires

Chapter 639

Congratulations Your Fate is now Level 6 Continue exposing your fate to powerful opponents to increase its Level Current Benefits 101 Health and 12 Stat Points have been gained Agility is increased by 30

Congratulations Your Skill Corrosive Touch (System) has evolved as your Fate grows It is now Level 41 This Level is capped by the Level of your Fate times 10

Platton straightened his left hand throbbing with a dull ache It was not easy for his body to withstand the force of using his Fate for such a long time It was one of the reasons that he had barely increased its Level after having it for almost six months Of course that was the lesser reason

Out of the corner of his eye Platton considered Silo He blazed with a bright light as he struck the giant puppet from afar forcing the thing to turn its attention from Platton to Silo Although most of the frame of its body was intact the inexorable corrosion from PlattonÆs Skill was already beginning to show its effects on the puppet Some of the metal of its chest was thin and brittle as though slowly consume by rust Its head aside from its pale eyes was beginning to have deep holes

That was the power of the System Level Skills but was also its curse

Because once it began consuming it wouldnÆt stop If Silo was hit with even the tiniest bit of PlattonÆs Corrosive Touch

It wouldnÆt happen today or likely even this year but Corrosive Touch would never stop consuming him Someday PlattonÆs Skill would either weaken Silo enough that he would fall to a lesser enemy or it would kill him outright This was the true reason that Platton never trained this Skill Because this power held no discernment it was a weapon of mass destruction

A swift kick from the puppet hit SiloÆs block and knocked the kid backward Platton winced For whatever reason the fool just didnÆt learn how dangerous those attacks were Silo flew backward tumbling when

Domain Realm of the Crystal Spires

A ripple passed through the air and a portion of the cracked and ripped up battlefield they had made for the last 10 minutes was covered by a huge crystalline dome Immediately Platton flew over The portion covered included Silo Azriel and the Ghosthound In addition the Propagator was there with them Perhaps even more shockingly the Propagator was the one who used the Domain Class Skill in order to lock them up

Platton knew that its power in that air would shoot upwards He hadnÆt been watching closely since it had moved to attack the Hhosthound but it seemed clear that he was immensely pressured If that version was too much for him

His gauntlet throbbed Platton looked down at it a frown on his face Domains were almost unbreakable from the outside That was their power But of course a System rarity Skill invalidated that However if he used Corrosive Touch to break through There was a high chance of all three of those young geniuses being afflicted with the Skill

But Platton was a military man Those three might have bravely sacrificed themselves for others but they were here because they were soldiers in name at least Their potential would be ruined but their testimony was necessary Platton raised his gauntlet which emitted a pale light He was careful to keep it well away from his body

Abruptly Azriel found herself in a strange multicolored landscape The sky was deep and dark above them sprinkled with stars Strange almost liquid lights danced in the sky as well flowing red and purple and orange The ground they were standing on appeared to just be a type of snow but a metallic blue variety

But this was a Domain Azriel had only ever experienced her masterÆs Domain and it was not something she was likely to forget The power it could exercise within that Domain

We need to get out of here Azriel said shortly Inwardly she felt somewhat helpless Dearly she wished that she had something more helpful to say at the moment But in most instances her mouth moved and straightforwardly transferred her thoughts into the world without consulting her at all It was something of a curse

Hmm Any ideas Ah it looks like Silo is joining us Randidly said glancing over at a body that rolled up against a crystal spire

That was the other thing about this land It was covered in crystal spires They were somewhere between two and four meters tall and ended at spiraled points Some were almost perfect flawlessly pointing upwards but others were gnarled and leaning It was like being in a strange forest that had been completely stripped bare

This is a lifeless place Azriel announced with the same conviction Generally one fights against a Domain by utilizing their own Domain then it becomes about which individual can exert more dominion over the area It becomes a battle in a mix of the two locations Otherwise you are simply beat up by the owner of the Dominion We are not in a good place

Randidly grunted The strange juxtaposition of the darkness of his crown and the pale light that shined from it drew the eyes and made him seem somewhat otherworldly Although she scanned their surroundings for the Propagator she kept a portion of her attention on him So far Azriel had been repeatedly surprised by his resilience and resourcefulness when adapting to different challenges

It was clear that the strange energy that he had given Azriel access to gave him an almost fraudulent amount of Skills But it seemed the large lava flume he had struck the Propagator with originally had taken a lot out of him

Then it seemed that he was out of cards Azriel wondered if she had anything that would be sufficiently powerful enough to help them here Or perhaps they would die here

Even though she had already experienced the moments when Randidly stole her thunder in the tournament and the time where Azriel had resigned herself to the wound she had received while fighting at NIergem the realization they might die here still hit her like a bolt of lightning

Not that Azriel feared death her life was worth almost nothing to her It was a means to an end And that end was accomplishing the dream of the being that had given her a future Before that dream this was nothing

AzrielÆs eyes hardened Almost subconsciously she raised her spear and looked around at the spears As of yet the Propagator had yet to show itself But as soon as Azriel thought that the thing was there standing amongst the Crystal Spires

Silo also noticed the Propagator at the same moment and snorted Hmph it was foolish of you to challenge us without the benefit of your minions Let me collect the price of your arrogance Defiant Light Pinnacle Spear

A huge amount of golden energy gathered around Silo upon his usage of his first Skill Then he rushed forward towards the Propagator and as he did so all that energy around him coalesced into a giant golden spear sliding towards the Propagator In this form she was a tall willowy woman with red hair But she exuded a danger that wasnÆt there previously From somewhere the Propagator had found a short emerald dress that stopped about mid thigh for its host body

Honestly it reminded Azriel of RandidlyÆs eyes

As the huge golden spear built up momentum the Propagator just smiled It was pretty

Sing my children

Softly at first but then with increasing volume the crystal spires around them began to resonate a strange song It rapidly rose in pitch and frequency until it was a keening wail that seemed to cut through AzrielÆs brain and strike at some vital part of herself The pain slowly built

Just as Azriel began to grimace and tremble the momentum of the giant golden spear shattered and Silo rolled out of it and to a stop He head his head and moaned Still the volume of the song rose higher So high that all other noise was made irrelevant

Azriel saw the Propagator opened its mouth to laugh but it was just a picture without any meaning The sound of the song was so loud now that everything seem to fracture around Azriel She fell to her knees Still the song grew louder

It hurts Azriel whispered or at least she thought she did But the noise had no meaning It was agony and that was it It was honestly not so much different from her life before Stifling exhausting a maze filled with soft faces and reaching hands

But then a hand touched her shoulder Surprisingly as it did so the sound receded somewhat filling AzrielÆs ears with the sound of her own beating and the quick beat of her heart SHe looked up and Randidly stood their His crown was shimmering waves of black power spreading out to cover her

As she watched blurs rushed forward out of the corner of her eye They were crystal shards and they took Randidly in his chest Instantly his expression twisted into one filled agony He took only a single a step back and his grip on her shoulder tightened But in that moment the song grew louder once more

But now Azriel was filled with a numbness that seemed to shrug off the pain With red eyes she turned to look at the Progator Around it another spire broke into pieces and several shards floated up next to her host body points aimed towards Randidly

Ignoring the pain Azriel rushed forward As she pulled out of RandidlyÆs grip the pain hit her like a physical weight That first step seemed like an eternity But with a huge effort of will she took that second step Then she was off her spear raised the crimson trails behind her All the while the Propagator didnÆt even look at her The host body was smiling and fixated on Randidly behind her

It was infuriating Time stretched and Azriel’s perception narrowed to the face of the Propagator looking past her to another enemy

Before Azriel could reach the Propagator its expression twisted The area around them flickered and then the domain shattered A sickly yellow light rushed out and covered them all followed by the billowing smoke of Platton Instantly a message arrived from Platton

Grab Silo IÆll get the Ghosthound We need to get out of here

Chapter 640

There was a sudden explosion of smog that filled the area of the battlefield but the Propagator didnÆt bother to pursue the gene fodder that fled away from it To its surprise the three that had been present within its Domain survived and had enough strength to walk away Even the intriguing one amongst them that was able to directly resist a portion of its Domain moved with surprising quickness

Through the smog the PropagatorÆs focus narrowed on that individual The Propagator could feel his bare feet slapping against the ground A group of Wights stumbled upon him but they were basic drones that were incapable of threatening him With surprising grace he dispatched them without losing any momentum

In the chest of its arcbody the Propagator rubbed its antennae together Instantly the Wights shifted parting before the escaping forces The spear users were profoundly foolish and almost superstitious about the existence of the Propagators This was purposeful on the part of the Wights of course It was easier to have them jumping at shadows than addressing the real threat

Plus this meant that this group would flee directly back towards the position of strength of the spear users They would be traced and then the true offensive of the Wights could begin The Propagator was relatively low in influence among its class but that still was far above these toys

Thinking of their soft bodies and inefficient construction the Propagator felt a flash of hunger but it restrained that impulse

Then just to check the Propagator rubbed its antennae together in a different manner A much higher pitched noise emerged A noise so high on the frequency spectrum that it was almost impossible that any of these spear users would be able to detect it

The intriguing gene resource stumbled as the fragments of crystals in his body vibrated in response to the high frequency Would he notice Well even if he did it would be difficult to remove even the smallest bit remaining in his body would allow the Propagator to track the gene fodder across the world

That was a great weakness of those empowered by the System and why the Propagators developed the way they did It was difficult to remove tiny debris that became a part of the body from a deep wound The body would naturally heal around the wounds but that ended up being a detriment in this case Part of the healing process was the allowance for items like these to be expelled

The fleeing spear users made it to their boat and began to sail quickly away Altogether only 7 of them had made it Sparing a longing glance for those that escaped the Propagator moved towards the bodies of those that had died here It wasnÆt the genetic material that it desired but it would have to suffice

For now

Drake knew that this was the worst week of his life The journey towards the World Crater from the floating city was a slow one The captain of the skyship assured him that this was just because of the season and the winds were almost directly blowing out of the World Crater

Honestly The captain said in a cheap attempt to comfort Drake Be glad the wind is blowing this way During other months the thing acts as a giant whirlwind nearby vessels are sucked right into it ThatÆs why it is sometimes referred to as the Maw of the Sea

Not comforted at all Drake maintained his firm grip on the heavy wooden railing

The skyship that Drake was on was called Slipstream and like all the other skyships that Drake had seen were relatively small This vessel could comfortably fit a dozen people and could make do with as few as four The ship was made from a wooden frame that was something akin to the skeleton of a whale with a platform on top The top platform was where the deck was as well as the three sails one straight upward and one to the left and right

Below that in the ribcageÆ of the whale were the sailorsÆ cabins and other assorted rooms that were necessary for this many people grouped together Below that was a small cell for the rare prisoner and the cargo hold The hold took up most of the space of the ship and gave the lie of the large size of the skyship

Drake had been on the ship for two days now and had only access to a space about the size of the basketball court

Still it wasnÆt like he wanted to wander around It would have been interesting in an abstract way to see the Aviator and his Skills at work but Drake didnÆt care so much The Aviator was a Class or a variant type that provided most of the lift for the skyship The process seemed to be a mixture of ionizing the strange fabric that was covering the skyship and controlling nearby winds but it worked

Well after a fashion Their flight was remarkably loopy One sailor assured Drake that this was simply them riding up on columns of hot air and gliding downwards to save energy but every time they shot upwards on the air currents his stomach did flip flops During that time Drake was careful not to go towards the edge of the boat

Especially after he had already looked off the edge of those sky docks and saw the distant ground Even remembering it now Drake couldnÆt help but shudder

Stilling himself with an effort of will Drake admitted to himself that it wasnÆt all bad Due to that fearful fall he had met Mieu After a quick glance around himself Drake reached into his pocket and removed a piece of paper that had been carefully folded in half Most of the 8 person crew was below decks for the meal with only two remaining up here to watch their course and steer the ship Both were seemingly consumed with their tasks

Drake unfolded the paper

A quick sketch stared back up at him with his own eyes Although it was done quickly his own face and upper torso were cast in sharp relief in graphite or some charcoal variant Drake would have appreciated knowing what it was made of so he could take better care of it but he hadnÆt known to ask

The artist Mieu had taken a few liberties with the way Drake looked His brows were heavier and more stern than he would have believed about himself His chin was raised almost defiantly Or perhaps the better way of saying it would simply to say he looked angry

Most of all though his eyes were almost mesmerizing Drake couldnÆt believe that she had done it but he found looking at his own eyes to be intimidating reassuring and calming all at the same time It was clear that almost half of the time for the whole drawing had been in finishing up the details that she had wanted for his eyes There was a sense about him that seemed to say that he was a dangerous enemy but a steadfast friend

Which Drake supposed rubbing his chin wasnÆt such a bad way to describe him

A gust of wind brought him back to awareness of his surroundings and he carefully folded the paper back up and stored it within his interspatial ring It was a strange gift And one that Drake couldnÆt help dwelling on

The ship lurched strangely to the left as if hit with a battering ram Drake surged to his feet looking around wildly His elemental condensed on his shoulder bristling with anxiety and panic Are we under attack

Drake looked sharply up A young woman Moniky was staring down at him with apparent amusement Drake took a deep breath and said I just mean we seemed to be hit by something so

Ha that was just a bit of rough wind And if that was enough to get a jump out of you the rest of today will be pretty eye opening She flipped as she dropped down and landed next to him on her feet Heh better strap yourself in tight ThereÆs a storm ahead We will ride right over it but it wonÆt be peaceful

That turned out to be the understatement of the century What followed was his worst nightmare By the end of it Drake tied himself to the wooden beam in his private cabin praying for anything to get him out of here He couldnÆt stop thinking about how fragile the craft was and how any sort of untoward wind would spell their doom

Six hours later Drake stumbled out of his room with a pale face Is is it over

Aye The captain answered sharing a grin with the Aviator at his expense

I donÆt get it Drake said and halfway through speaking he realized his mild shock was making him a bit more candid than he would have preferred Why not make the vessels bigger Like a cruise ship from the old world enough size to make sure it isnÆt like a hellbound roller coaster

The Aviator answered rather than the Captain Two reasons First we have to admit skyship technology is relatively new It was based on the old designs of course but the Buoyancy and Lift Skills were only obtained after the System hit and Avrail Silver obtained his Class It is hard to scale up size wise currently The weight becomes too much for your average Aviator

And second The Aviator walked to the edge and gestured to the clouds below them One of my Skills is reading the wind It lets the ship flow through the really powerful gusts without being damaged That only works if the vessel is small Too big and we take those directly on the chin To survive that we would need

Stronger wood bigger boats and suddenly they are too heavy to float Drake said waving his hand I get it

What he also now got was that he was on a vessel that was the cutting edge of research in the field of skyships They were all guessing here

Drake said another prayer to a god he didnÆt believe in just in case it would help

Chapter 641

There it is The Captain announced proudly from the edge of the skyship Come take a look

Drake considered not doing that But ultimately he had a mission He was supposed to be SydneyÆs sword Part of that meant dealing with the unpleasantness of the venue of this mission It was after all perfectly safe

None of the other sailors had died yet and they had been doing this for a while hadnÆt they

With measured steps Drake reached the edge of the skyship He firmly secured his grip on the wooden railing Only then did he look over

The World Crater was not as Drake had expected really a crater Instead it appeared to be a plateau rising above the nearby sea with a large lake in the middle In the middle of that lake there was a huge stone From this height the stone seemed as big as a house which meant that it was undoubtedly much much larger than that

Several rivers flowed out of the central lake and formed beautiful falls that cascaded off the edge of the plateau into the sea below In the surrounding waters in the sea numerous small islands were covered with a patchwork of small buildings with colorful roofs There were so many so tightly packed together that it was difficult to pick out the individual colors But they flashed brightly in the sunÆs rays

Of course each house looked to be naught but an ant from here Drake looked at the large stone in the center of the World Crater

What was also interesting were that there were dozens of Skyships floating above the World Crater There seemed to be a skydock on each side of it DrakeÆs eyes were especially caught by a few sleek ships with golden sails

Is there a meaning to the different ship colors Drake asked

The Captain nodded his face turning solemn You have sharp eyes to spot the Golden Wave from here They are the main army of the Zone although they are primarily used to keep the air clear of monsters We were lucky enough to follow a sweep here so we didnÆt need to fight at all on the way here ThatÆs a blessing Most of those who die on board do so due to a monster attack

Drake nodded grimly This was something about the world he understood

With the view absorbed Drake stepped sharply away from the edge and returned to his perch in the middle of the deck earning a laugh from the Captain and the Aviator Drake didnÆt care He closed his eyes and did the best he could to clear his mind His elemental porcupine Ryx rubbed his nose against DrakeÆs cheek doing his best to comfort him

They landed without incident and Drake disembarked with great relish There was a small cluster of buildings at the edge of the plateau but beyond that stretched the sluggish rivers and vast wetlands that led to the central lake and the stone that set atop it

Drake had talked with the crew at length for what they knew about the World Crater and it boiled down to these four things it was a Danger Zone the monster Level here was 60 no one had ever touched the stone and returned to tell the tale it was rumored that the giant stone was a seal covering the fountain of youth

How anyone would know the fourth thing if the third was true was a detail that Drake didnÆt bother with After all he had done some asking around before he departed for this location and had learned the name of the ship that had carried Roy the Undying Hero After a cursory search he found the Thunderclap docked demurely a few vessels down

The crew gathered to see him off once all was tied to keep the boat here during their stay The Slipstream had brought goods to trade and would wait a week for him Based on the size of the World Crater it should only take two days to cross and reach the stone Drake had no assurance that he would find Roy easily but starting at the goal seemed the best bet

Are you sure you wish to go through with this Moniky asked anxiously Although she had always laughed at his discomfort she seemed to be the one who worried most about him The monsters here are strong Stronger than youÆd think Even members of the Golden Wave dare not come here

People go in and out of the World Crater all the time The Captain said airly not meeting DrakeÆs eye as he spoke Sir Drake will likely

Those are scavengers that stick to the outer crater Moniky blurted out They mostly scavenge monster parts from bodies killed by other monsterÆs Drake means to

IÆll be fine Drake said And standing on the ground he truly felt that way He was itching to walk out and condense his bone armor It had been too long since he had felt the powerful form wrapped around him But he walked over and squeezed Moniky into a quick hug IÆm a soldier miss This is my job And IÆm damn good at it

She seemed unconvinced but Drake wasnÆt willing to spare more time to attend to her feelings He did stop by some nearby traders and question them a bit but none remembered seeing Roy That was fine Drake hadnÆt expected this to be easy

But the fountain of youth Strange And of all people why was the undead Roy seeking it Or was he here for another reason entirely

As soon as Lucretia came back to the world of Tellus she slipped quietly out of Randidly And the reason was one she found somewhat embarrassing she didnÆt want to leave Not that she didnÆt want to have her own body and have the freedom to move around the world but

Not only had she learned a lot about Aether and karma from Randidly she also grew quite fond of him In her heart Shal was her true son of course He was of her flesh and blood even if she didnÆt truly want to imagine how she as a Wight had the ability to reproduce with a person from another world But Randidly was the one who was there with her making the foolish and sudden mistakes of young men

After leaving Randidly Lucretia appeared atop a nearby cliff The wind was good to feel on her actual skin With wonder Lucretia felt her joints and muscles reveling in the heavy truth of her once more being free It was such a delight that she found herself laughing If anyone would have been around the mystique of Lucretia the Undying Witch would shatter

But that thought caused Lucretia to frown What was her purpose now A long time ago she had killed a youth in a small village of this world To keep the ruse effective Lucretia remembered very little of her life before that It was a blur leaving her with the directive to embed herself in TellusÆ culture

Returning to her body also had the effect of giving her a buffer between herself and her threads of karma Losing that was shocking for a number of reasons Now that she came back to her body Lucretia could see that her powers of karma came from a thread of karma that had been wound through the entirety of her being

Lucretia closed her eyes and sat on the cliff turning her focus inward That thread was thick and black releasing a strange grey light The brightness was luminous so Lucretia knew that the thread had been planted and grown full All that remained was for it to be reaped

It filled her with a cold terror Her hands beginning to tremble

Returning to her body also brought something else back to her her deep fear of death

All LucretiaÆs life in Tellus she knew she was different And somehow her subconscious urged that this difference would someday kill her Now Lucretia knew that was true She felt the effects of that from this thread This whole time there was a doom hanging over her Her trembling grew worse If Lucretia encountered the individual who formed this thread of karma

Their power left her dumbfounded Perhaps she would have fled and done her best to hide if this was the Lucretia from a year ago Or an eternity ago as she witnessed thousands of lives flash to life and flicker out while observing RandidlyÆs Soul Skill But now

Well now she was afraid But she had also learned about power Her eyes glowed lilac as she looked the thread that seemed to tie her together Reaping worked both ways It wasnÆt just the person who had created Lucretia that could reap this thread She could do the same to the thread in his chest should she locate him and have an advantage

So what should she do She couldnÆt just wait for this to occur But Lucretia also wanted to find Shal She had never never really had the chance to talk with him

To comfort him To touch his shoulder To teach him to hold a spear

To be his mother

Heavy melancholy shook Lucretia but she did her best to ignore it Instead she reached out and felt the threads of karma that she had tied stretching outward from her Tying a thread of karma couldnÆt be considered a difficult thing but casual threads would not result in powerful effects Everything is momentum There is no actual substance to karma only movement

It was time to marshal her forces LucretiaÆs fingers delicately on several threads to check them After a time she found four that interested her The brightest was the one that led to Randidly If she needed to she could find him at will The business between them it had become messy Just like she had used karma on so many others he used it on her in the past But after that he had continued to sew karma with her until they remained strangely intertwined

When it came to the core of the person no one knew Randidly Ghosthound better than Lucretia Perhaps not in this world specifically but Lucretia understood very well how important he was to the fate of his world Perhaps even the fate of his entire cohort The light gathering around that thread was bewitchingly bright It made her believe that he was here in this world for a reason as well

The dimmest and most plain was her connection to Shal It was less a thread of karma and more the unexciting truth of their intimate connection

The final two threads however Lucretia grinned as she tugged at them They were simply tools

Chapter 642

The man walked calmly across the dusty battleground His chainmail armor was spattered with the juices of deceased Wights There were other people scavenging amongst the remnants of the bodies here but all of them gave him a wide berth After all they had come only after the battle here was won This man had been there during the thick of the fighting From the rumors about him he fought with a manic glee that few could match

And everyone couldnÆt help but stare awkwardly at the manÆs left arm which was tied behind his back The man didnÆt mind the stares after all it was much more annoying to attempt normal life with his left arm twitching constantly Keeping it out of the way when it was not needed was for the best

Ho friend Several spear users wearing the distinctive armor of the Spear School stopped the man IÆm afraid you cannot pass for all that we have heard rumor of your exploits The corpse of the Witch King must remain until the Commander has arrived and inspected it However

There were only three of them and they stood with relaxed postures The speaker was midsentence when he was interrupted The man drenched in gore smiled With a certain sick anticipation that made him tremble the man reached behind his back and tugged on the end of the string binding his left arm The binding fell away His left arm grabbed a spear from his back

Several minutes later the man was walking briskly past the grisly bodies that he had left They had been stronger than he had expected and he wasnÆt able to stealthily kill them But it really didnÆt matter The man was very experienced at hiding himself in this place The Death School was especially convenient for that Their mausoleums and graves were often left undisturbed for years

Pah if I had my old body such a thing would have been simple the soul inside of the man insisted But even to the manÆs ear he sounded whiny Your body might have improved but it remains inefficient You can barely execute my Skills

The man ignored the soul and casually tied his left hand to his belt It had seized a chunk of a dead manÆs flesh and was now massaging it Hopefully that would keep it entertained for some time Instead of wasting time on his spectral passenger the man continued forward until he arrived at a large crater in the ground There were no other spear users around but the man knew it was not for want of trying the air here simply had a powerful image of death pressed upon it

Even now the dirt filled the man with an unavoidable dread The image burned into this ground oozed power But the man had grown very accustomed to how his body felt over the past year Without fanfare he descended to the body of the Witch King It was not a pretty sight

The body had been about as smashed into the ground as it had been sliced in half So the back part of its flesh had split and the juice of its innards had leaked out The man pulled aside the torn cloak of the Witch King and regarded its true body Like all Wights its frame was scrawny and underwhelming It was a thing of iron and rebar but with no true substance Still the man produced a dagger that glowed blue Instantly a layer of frost began to form on the man and the Witch King

Unwilling to keep the dagger out for any longer than necessary the man reached down and cut out the heart of the Witch King One of the weaknesses of the WIghts was that they didnÆt handle rapid changes of temperature well Something about the material they were constructed of destabilized during rapid heats or freezes So it was surprisingly easy to cut into the chest cavity and retrieve the heart

The brain was more difficult but only marginally Then the man stood and sheathed the dagger

It was time to leave

You on your knees A black robed spear user growled at the lip of the hole His eyes were bulging as he gazed down at the man He was one of those rare individuals with a third eye in the middle of his head His skin was brown with strange tattoos over him

Even though he looked very different that third eye was enough to remind the man of a past he would rather not remember It instantly soured his mood

IÆd like to kill this one myself The man said softly his eyes glassy with hate

Yes well DonÆt get injured or anything foolish I require your services later The soul replied It almost caused the man to chuckle But the man was no longer the type to laugh That part of him had died a year ago

Had it only been a year It was hard to keep track sometimes The manÆs memory was stained with blood

As he untied his left arm he tentatively raised it Then he flexed the hand with a pleased expression With his confidence rising the man drew a spear It would be a good day

It had only been a month since Lucretia had returned to Tellus but already her tension was rising rapidly Because as she began slowly moving the threads around her to give her the power she suspected she needed something changed inside of her

It was like something that had long slept in her chest woke up It called her forward It was beckoning It promised peace and rest

That was what scared her so much that Lucretia couldnÆt sit still for a second That some instinctive part of her wanted to capitulate to this instinct To let go and allow herself to be driven by this strange impulse

Lucretia was standing in a cave tapping her fingers against a rock along the wall But at that moment she couldnÆt stand it anymore and lashed out with her nails Her strike ripped a huge amount of rock off of the wall like it was a styrofoam But even that wasnÆt enough She hissed at the debris her hands tightening into fists

Still tense

Lucretia looked up sharply then forced herself to relax Marco I didnÆt expect you would be the first to return

Marco Polo flashed his teeth and winked at Lucretia With a deft mental twitch she ripped at the threads binding his soul together Instantly his smug cheer disappeared as Marco went pale

Still Lucretia let up quickly studying Marco Polo Her interaction was actually not with him directly but with MarcoÆs son Young Holland Polo had allegedly assaulted a daughter of a very prominent Style head As justice gathered around to punish them a desperate Holland had encountered Lucretia and made a deal with him

She would make sure he escaped from this retribution but he needed to work in her debt for 10 years It brought Lucretia a great deal of glee to approach Marco while impersonating a member of the slighted Style and explain what his son had done There was only one way to protect his son Marco needed to take the blame

He was sentenced to 70 years within a prison On a whim Lucretia had Holland serve as a guard in that prison Karma moved in mysterious ways Originally she thought they would find each other and a delightful amount of misery would result At the time Lucretia was so twisted by her fear of death that she delighted in causing others to share her hopelessness

What Lucretia didnÆt expect was for Shal to turn up after so many years of being somehow beyond her abilities to detect had arrived at the prison unbidden Imagine her surprise when ShalÆs young apprentice a then volatile Randidly became acquaintances with Marco Polo and killed Holland Polo while escaping

Even now Lucretia occasionally considered telling Marco But that was a soft part of herself she had learned while watching so many people struggle in RandidlyÆs Soul Skill There were so many times while watching that world that she had dearly wished for the power to assist the people growing up inside of Randidly Not that he could be blamed but he was juggling so many plates it was inevitable some fell by the wayside

The people of his Soul Skill were one of those plates

Like what you see Marco said lightly regaining some of his attitude But this time Lucretia did nothing nodding to the next chamber Both of them walked away from the entrance to the cave and scratched wall and went into the room that truly mattered

It was an altar of sorts Several flat stones had been rolled and stacked to form a stone surface about waist height Several complicated runes were carved into the top stone which was wide and completely smooth aside from the scratches But they didnÆt glow with power because these runes were based upon the workings of Aether not Mana

Right now they were cold but Lucretia believed she would soon have the necessary pieces to activate them

There were three circular spaces in the runes on the stone altar The leftmost one was occupied with the head of a yeti As soon as she entered the room it glared up at her rolling back and forth The rather typical Mana Engraving that covered the face silenced the yeti and kept it from regenerating but Lucretia hadnÆt found a way to prevent it from being able to witness their actions

Not that it mattered It was clearly a lifeform from a higher Cohort one of the few times the System permitted the higher tiered forms to descend to lower Cohorts But besides being a Judgement it didnÆt have much ability to inform the System of the transgressors That was reserved for higher Leveled Heretic Paths

With a flourish Marco Polo produced rusted ancient chains Your son is incredibly capable by the way To think he was already at the Pontiff level of strength it is not easy to touch upon the truths of the Spear source

Lucretia grunted noncommittally Her time with Randidly had informed much of her understandings of things in this case she understood what the spear source was and why it was so important to this world The spear source was a series of images that had been separated and now formed the basis of power in this world It likely had something to do with the person who had defeated the first Calamity the Spearman

Once the concentrated images were formed and affected the world it made sense why spears would become so dominant Anything that was similar to those images from the original person would have a slight passive boost What Lucretia didnÆt understand was how the images could be so perfectly and completely cut away like that Had the System done it after the first Calamity was defeated

Or

Lucretia looked up abruptly as another person walked into the cave Then she smiled

Chapter 643

Her smile at the newly arrived man wasnÆt warm but Lucretia couldnÆt deny her satisfaction in the case of this individual Even now that her sharp personality had been mollified somewhat by decompressing inside of Randidly For all that she lost her sharpness she still enjoyed the twisted nature of human emotion

Welcome back Claptrap

Claptrap shrugged at her giving Lucretia a brief pulse of annoyance But the young kid was relatively quiet now Even when Lucretia turned back up in Tellus and compelled him to begin to work for her he seemed to take it completely in stride

Was this the rare teenage angst she had missed in both Shal and Randidly

Either way Claptrap placed the heart and brain of the Witch King onto the table dripping Wight blood across LucretiaÆs formation With a cough she waved a hand blew the gunk away with pure force His mission accomplished Lucretia watched as Claptrap crossed the room and crouched in the corner

She frowned at him He was altogether too silent for how broken and haunted his eyes looked If she had more time

But no The fear was back pressing down on her Not only was her body limited by a lifespan which she wasnÆt even sure of but also there was this oppressive fatalism that was slowly growing from that dark corner of her brain Lucretia fought and fought against that feeling but still it grew She had even wondered if actual fighting would help so she lashed out at some spear users and some Wights to test her Skills

Nothing changed She needed it to stop

Karma was about symbols With all three pieces present Lucretia began the ceremony Marco the mirror

With a huff Marco Polo carried the large mirror over to the altar Lucretia walked to join him while Claptrap remained in the corner watching with sharp eyes Even now the poisonous emotions roiling off of him tempted Lucretia so badly He had sacrificed so much for her assistance the first time Now that desperation would mean Claptrap would gamble away ten times that much

But no she could not dwell on it If she didnÆt address this problem as quickly as possible

The fear in her was irritation Lucretia knew but it was hard to escape it Her time in Randidly was an escape in a way Her lack of substance meant she wasnÆt mortal But now Those freedoms she had relished in could be the death of her

Lucretia began with the chains With great care she wrapped the chains around her head and torso The metal was extremely precious and so heavy that even Lucretia had difficulty standing under their weight She spared Marco a glance He had what was perhaps the most difficult mission breaking into the grave of the Spearman which was maintained without a body and retrieve some of the metal stored there The idea was to have a binding weighted with age

In addition it worked well because Lucretia was technically a contemporary of the Spearman She had never met the man but she had heard much about him

Next she took the brain of the Witch King and ate it The meat was chewy and cold but she forced it down Then she squeezed the blood from the heart into a wooden bowl and retrieved a brush from her interspatial ring With great care she began drawing symbols on her body LucretiaÆs best guess was that the sense of fatalism emerging inside of herself was related to accomplishing the goal that she had been created for Her role as a Wight hiding amongst Tellites was over She only needed to find out why and who set her to this

After there were three symbols on her hands and feet and one between her eyes Lucretia drank the rest of the blood Instantly the symbols on her body began to tingle

Finally she turned to the head of the Yeti and grabbed it It opened its mouth to roar and a low roar actually came out It was so shocked by the noise that it froze looking at her with a slack jaw Ignoring it Lucretia continued to remove the bindings she had placed upon it Very soon it roared again and the temperature in the cave rapidly dropped It wasnÆt overly oppressive because much of its strength had been siphoned to form a weapon for Claptrap But it was still a proud and advanced creature and its images were from a higher plain

You will all pay for this The yeti bellowed Its body began to form and Lucretia tossed it back onto the stone altar Very soon a torso had formed and then arms and finally legs It stood in an explosion of freezing energy

energy which was absorbed by the runes of the stone altar causing them to flicker to life Instantly there was a low humming in the room The strange sonic interference caused the yetiÆs face to go blank for several seconds before its expression twisted into a snarl It reached out and raised its hand Power flooded to that hand forming a thick blade of ice

The ambient Aether of the System gathered channeled by the runes on the altar They brightened to almost blinding now Almost helpless the yeti struck out although it seemed to realize at the last second that this was exactly what Lucretia had brought it here for It wasnÆt her original plan for the yeti but she no longer believed that escaping to a higher realm would solve the possibility of her death

The humming grew to a roar The yeti had been muted again but this was due to being completely blanketed by the sound of the altar Above Lucretia guessed the clouds would begin swirling as they gathered the already thin Aether in the air to empower the attack from the Yeti The System truly did everything it could to help its Judgements

Quick as lightning the blow fell It struck the chains that Lucretia wore almost as a veil around her face The blood symbols flashed hot and then hotter So hot that Lucretia felt her skin blister and scar The chains shattered There was a whooshing noise as the Judgement imploded from feedback from channeling so much Aether in its body

Lucretia collapsed and look up at the ceiling Her eyes were glowing lavender And she was remembering

Selfia Lucretia gasped feeling pleased in spite of herself

Her one time rival and litter mate Selfia looked sharply up For several seconds SelfiaÆs eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at Lucretia Honestly Lucretia didnÆt blame her She wondered if Selfia even remembered her After she had struggled so hard to free up her pitiful memories of being born in Icklid

Once she had freed them of course several things happened First she remembered how to return to the world of the Wights Second that strange fatalism had grown stronger Lucretia remembered the concept of the Propagator and what that existence meant to her A sense of dread and awe filled her These were the beings that she instinctively remembered she had to fear

Third Lucretia realized she was sure as hell not going to go down quietly If it couldnÆt be avoided she would twist until she came out on top

When Lucretia began her journey to return she was shocked to discover that the Ways had been expanded far beyond what they had been previously Therefore it had taken her quite a while to work her way through the new pathways and find a way back to Icklid her birthplace

Icklid the chariot of the Autarch The city that mobilized the Wight populous The tallest heap of shit in a world that festered and spawned rather than grew

The city had been shifted right to the edge of the portal between the worlds It made sense considering how far along the attack on Tellus had progressed That was worrisome Because one of the things that Lucretia remembered was how much Wights used to fear the people of Tellus If things changed perhaps her preparations would be insufficient

She had grown Grown far more and far faster than any had expected probably more than any knew or expected Even the Autarch

Although she had been constructed by the Autarch with the ability to Level she had not utilized it very effectively in the beginning She relied on her innate racial powers largely ignoring the Levels It was only with her encounter with Aemont that she realized their power And perhaps that was why she had been overwhelmed with emotions towards him

Who Selfia said as she jumped to her feet She was likely posted here to watched the private Way utilized by the group of beings that had been designed by the Autarch If Lucretia had simply given in to that fatalism in her head her instincts would have led her here perfectly It was annoying that it had taken her so long consciously to do what would have been simplicity to accomplish by relying on her memory

Chapter 644

SelfiaÆs alarm departed leaving only confusion in her eyes Lucretia tried to remember how many years she had lived in Tellus So long that this past life seemed nothing but a dream But then Selfia seemed to take in LucretiaÆs lavender hair and her eyes widened LUCRETIA

To LucretiaÆs surprise Selfia rushed up and engulfed her in a hug Some part of Lucretia softened She had come back cautiously not knowing what to expect when she returned as her instincts dictated

Icklid or really any location controlled by the Wights was not a place where emotion was easily shown They were monsters designed for a singular purpose Although the purpose varied the PropagatorÆs prided themselves on their efficacy and none more so than the Autarch Often emotions were seen as superfluous

Thank god you are here Selfia gushed Again Lucretia wondered at her previous cautious attitude Would this be simple Or was the casualness of Selfia an indicator that she hadnÆt been cautious enough Would the fate this black thread was dragging her towards be unavoidable

Pushing Lucretia back Selfia smiled at her alright IÆve informed the Autarch You are to be brought to him immediately Lucretia he requires your strength now more than ever Your timing couldnÆt be any more perfect

LucretiaÆs world was plunged into cold water

That was a familiar term that ripped upwards out of her recently reacquired memories There was only one time that a Propagator would require your strengthÆ It was something of a euphemism amongst the Wights They only spoke that way when you were selected for deconstruction You would be reduced to your parts and would then fuel the assembly of a new generation of Wights

I Lucretia began but she couldnÆt continue Of all times her body chose now to break down on her Not on a truly physical level but she began to tremble so violently that she could barely stand There were two parts of her mind at the moment One yearning to cease

And another grown independent in the System burning with fear that she would soon die

The Way that Lucretia had utilized brought her right into the compound of the Autarch in the fortified center of Icklid Largely ignoring her shakes Selfia began to drag Lucretia through the halls The strange blue grey metals of the building filled her with a strange sense of helplessness and nostalgia If she had any control over herself at all she would resist and fight back She needed time to double check her preparations

Her Skills Her Class All she had worked for The threads of karma she had woven into Tellus during her long tenure there still remained They strengthened her and gave her power Her budding relationship with Randidly her unmade connection with Shal her life witnessing so many tiny lives in RandidlyÆs Soul Skill Did this really mean that all her connections would cease Would anyone remember her

Karma was something that could only be formed by two existences that came into contact with each other in some way or another They were by far her most valuable strength They were what made her HER She was the Eternal Witch She was she was more than a fucking machine that had fulfilled its role and was now returning for parts

Lucretia dug her heels into the ground and Selfia stumbled as she tried to continue to pull her Selfia turned around with a twisted expression You dare keep the Autarch waiting I should

Quiet child Lucretia hissed Immediately Selfia paled as a dangerous aura swirled outward from Lucretia This is what she feared The powerlessness The sense of helplessness Was it so easy to have that fear grow after her adopted parents on Tellus died because she already knew subconsciously how she was being controlled

It was something that Randidly would dwell on for sure He deeply cared about feeling in control of himself which was one way that he was very similar to Lucretia But Lucretia didnÆt fight it on a principled level as Randidly did No Lucretia was just afraid

Afraid of the other half of herself that was born here After all that part of her insisted that this was the Autarch He would undoubtedly have the ability to preserve her strength and use her to improve the Wights His understanding of her exceeded all others He was the architect of the entire species Rumor had it that the Wights had been a meaningless rabble before the Autarch had ascended to become the completely transcendent being that he was It was by his hand that they could progress so far

She was one of his first creations and the finest From that alone

And in the face of the fact that they had captured the spear source

Dammit but if she was deconstructed

Shal

Come

A voice seemed to flow out of the walls and into her legs and feet It took several seconds for Lucretia to notice that she was moving without even intending to That did very little to ease her growing fears Soon the panic and loneliness that animated Lucretia in her darkest hours had emerged from within her All that healing that had occurred inside of Randidly fell away Mentally she flailed around when confronted with her fear

Her inner self reached and it found her old tools Cruelty Viciousness Hatred Manipulation They fit easily into her hands They had a reassuring coldness to them Very soon the trembling that had continued since Lucretia had arrived in this place ceased

The hallways blurred and before she knew it Selfia had brought Lucretia to a door guarded by two of the powerful elite called Witch Kings by the people of Tellus The two opened the door and Lucretia stepped reflexively through with an amused smile as she looked at the guards If people knew that these Witch Kings were just the normal Wights created by the Autarch and not any of the lesser Propagators

Well perhaps they did After all Shal was able to kill one rather easily if the stories were to be believed

Suddenly Lucretia felt a flash of wistfulness Perhaps she should have visited Shal before she had addressed this issue But she was so afraid and she didnÆt want him to become involved If she would endanger him again

Good luck Selfia said cheerily and the door closed behind Lucretia with a click Hopefully coming here didnÆt mean she had to pay with her life

The room was sparsely decorated the Autarch was not an ostentatious individual In fact the only real furniture was a long metal coat rack that was stuck into the floor at the center of the room Hanging from it was the AutarchÆs cloak It was a lush thing of black fur sleek and powerful looking It seemed that strange colors hid in the fur and oftentimes it seemed to glow when viewed out of the corner of your eye Lucretia didnÆt doubt from the right angles rainbows refracted from that fur

Lucretia had never seen the Autarch wearing the cloak but it was rumored that he would wear it when he moved for war and not a minute before Lucretia believed it It was an object that stank of death

The Autarch was standing over the body of a Wight idly staring at it Even when she entered he didnÆt seem to notice just continued to study the Wight Lucretia calmed her beating heart and did her best not to make a sound Freezing calmness spread as Lucretia gripped her cruelty and fear tighter and tighter

Flawless The Autarch whispered waving a hand Immediately the spark of light flowed into the Wight and a Witch King stood its eyes piercingly bright The Autarch waved his hand again and the Witch King shattered into nothing The bits of bone and metal clattered on the ground

The Autarch turned and faced her His expression was distant and tired Beckoning he said Come

Her body obeyed before her mind registered what was going on It was only right beyond his reach that Lucretia managed to stop herself And part of that was because she looked at the Autarch She truly looked at him

He looked old His back was somewhat bent and the hair streaming down his back was a pale grey His bushy eyebrows covered sharp eyes but his face was a maze of wrinkles He was not infallible He could die like they all could Just like she would Perhaps hope was not truly lost In her mind the dark numbness continued to spread outwards

Chapter 645

Sir I think I shouldnÆt be deconstructed

This made the Autarch pause Immediately the strange instinctual compulsion to approach him disappeared Thoughtfully he regarded her and cracked his knuckles Only after he had cracked every single finger did he speak And then it was only a single word Why

I I believe that my karmic abilities can be extremely valuable to the Wights Lucretia said slowly Inwardly she began feeling the rapidly growing pool of Aether in herself as she pulled more and more from Randidly Unlike him she would suffer rather dangerous repercussions if she let it remain unused for too long But somehow Lucretia didnÆt believe that the peace would remain for much longer If I am deconstructed that would be an asset against the people of Tellus that you would no longer

Bah it is of no importance The Wights will live and die no matter what you do The Autarch sighed But then he turned back to Lucretia and squinted at her However I cannot deny that I have sensed something about you that was beyond my understanding To escape my gaze for so long well very few things have done it By all means please demonstrate your karmic abilities Perhaps there is some hope for your life should your methods prove novel

LucretiaÆs lavender eyes flashed but she maintained a strong control over her expression It was not the time to allow him to see through her plan even as the Autarch gave her the perfect excuse His age seemed to hang over him like a weight He looked at her with cold eyes as he raised a hand and beckoned her

Instantly that part of Lucretia that was so ready to die revitalized itself and urged her to unleash her most impressive Skill She allowed a small smile to herself as she gathered the Aether and karma into her hand DonÆt blame me if the demonstration proves deadly Æ

Lucretia didnÆt have a lot of time to prepare as her instincts were slowly shutting down her ability to think of anything aside from returning to the Autarch once she recalled him Combine that with the great fear monster that had rooted itself in her heart and Lucretia could sit still for a very short amount of time

But there werenÆt many things that she needed to prepare All of the elements were already present Lucretia dearly owed the Autarch for all that he had done for her it was time to repay that debt

With a flourish Lucretia removed the dagger that had been fashioned out of the Judgement Even now after studying it for two months she couldnÆt make perfect sense of the capabilities it possessed Not only did the Skill Level seem high but the Skill itself seemed to be constructed at a higher tier The frost it exuded invalidated every defensive Skill that Lucretia had tried it again For all youÆve done for me Autarch here is my greatest attack

Of all thing the Autarch snorted and gestured as if to hurry Lucretia up Her face twisted with a vicious fury and with her Aether empowered hands she seized the powerful black thread that connected the two of them and she heaved upon it The Autarch trembled

But where one object slowly drew towards Lucretia she also threw the powerful dagger towards the Autarch The two objects were connected as though on a chain and the thread began to flow much more rapidly towards her as the dagger approached the Autarch

The AutarchÆs eyes widened as he watched the dagger approach It seemed some part of him finally recognized how dangerous a situation this was He held up his hand which began to glow golden with compressed power This was LucretiaÆs great worry none of her memories covered whether or not the Autarch himself could fight She did remember that the regular Propagators were rather weak when not surrounded by their dolls but this was THE Propagator This was the Autarch the first who created the rest

But as soon as the streaking dagger struck the Autarch Lucretia felt a flash of relief The attack drove the Autarch backward He hissed in fury but he couldnÆt stop the unyielding momentum of that dagger empowered by Skills from another Cohort

More and more rapidly the threads of fate flowed towards Lucretia As she gathered them she sensed something changing within herself Even now the Autarch maintained some control of her that she couldnÆt escape It was an influence at the level of her blood and hair But now that she was gaining this karma

Donngg

The thread halted abruptly causing Lucretia to twist her mouth and pain Some of the mental energy she was expending to gather the thread was shattered by that noise making her cross eyed Cursing silently Lucretia refocused trying to understand what was going on

well you have proven me wrong That certainly was a surprise It was not your karmic abilities of course but to think you had managed to refine such a dangerous weapon The Autarch muttered to himself as he stepped around the coat rack in the middle of the floor The attack of the dagger had pushed him easily back over the ground until the Autarch had been able to dodge behind the coat rack and allow the attack to land

A small amount of material was chipped out of the coat rack but LucretiaÆs attack was stopped dead Without the momentum the AutarchÆs mental strength was such a higher level than hers that she couldnÆt forcefully draw in that thread Even as the Autarch picked up the dagger which had dropped to the floor the black thread of karma began to flow inexorably back towards him

Without any other option Lucretia marshaled that sea of Aether she had been stockpiling and turned her glare on the Autarch Did he truly wish to feel the wrath of her karma Fine then She pulled lightly on her connection to Randidly strengthening their similarity Then she used the move that had made her deathly afraid of the GhosthoundÆs future accomplishments

Erode Image

RandidlyÆs Skill Level wasnÆt high and using it through their connection didnÆt have the same sharp effect that it usually would have but Lucretia didnÆt need sharp in this case Sharp had already failed What she wanted now was enough pure force to stun the Autarch and allow her to seize more of the karma in their relationship

Fueled by the sea of Aether the Skill smashed forward with enough momentum to stun even the most stalwart of images

and it passed right through the Autarch without even stopping It was like he wasnÆt even there It was as if

The blood drained out of LucretiaÆs face as she stared at the AutarchÆs ancient face Those wrinkles scrunched up into thousands of tiny mazes and the man began to laugh It was like he wasnÆt using images at all

How Lucretia began but she had no idea how to complete her sentence

More self control than a bug like you would ever understand the Autarch said and now that the brief amusement passed he looked ancient once more His eyes were flinty and dark as he considered Lucretia still the dagger is interesting I will take it as proof you have exceeded my expectations That hasnÆt happened for a long time But it matters little The stars are aligning A small advantage now wonÆt be enough

Fear That cut into LucretiaÆs heart like a grizzly bear crashing into a shop front But butt She attempted to speak but her mouth couldnÆt keep up with her Her inner workings were slowly turning feral and she couldnÆt maintain her civil veneer But the fucking war

Tellus The Wights Naught but words to placate the foolish I have waited too long for this and now we finally have a chance No what we need is not this strange power you have brought from another Cohort but your body To finally free me from this prison Break for me

Lucretia shattered in body and mind into a thousand pieces Parts of her felt nothing as they become naught but contextless pictures like polaroids spiraling away from a house that was burning down But other parts of her screaming furiously vehemently After everything After it all She had ended just like this Her last strength seized upon hatred and fear and those tools came easily into her grip She raised them even as she was just the remaining spirit as her existence collapsed

Was death truly this simple There was great power and karma in transitions

Upon the black thread that linked the two of them Lucretia used her remaining flakes of Aether to weave a curse that would haunt and weaken this man to his dying day As if sensing this the Autarch smiled and shook his head The curse that Lucretia had made unraveled like nightmares in daylight Her hatred and fear were spent and her hands began to unravel as well

Chapter 646

In her gaze the condescending face of the Autarch was all that remained Her body was dust her personality was collapsing inward Memories flew away like flighty sparrows Would she never see Shal again Was she wrong to visit Icklid before seeking out Shal

Who was Shal

Her son

Her one love

She needed strength

Her consciousness began to disperse as it forgot itself without the vessel to hold it together Desperate Lucretia reached out and touched those karmic bindings that she was so proud of They too were slowly fading into nothing as she ceased to exist All except a strange black thread that seemed to curl around her like a boa constrictor Her thoughts became sluggish and tired They seemed to slow to nothing

But she felt need More keenly than ever before It was a strange feeling one that she had never had before so purely It was so brilliant and demanding that the fear was blown away from her That reckless desire brought her a brief flash of joy the likes of which she hadnÆt experienced in quite some time Not since she had been with Aemont and had Shal that changed her life

That need rose and spun out of the Aether in her chest A male figure seemed to form wiry and intense His hand touched upon her shoulder and LucretiaÆs dwindling consciousness felt a sliver of warmth Her time with Randidly had taught her that a strong enough image and an implacable will would not change the world but they would let her survive until she found the means to seize the Path to lead toward that dearly held wish in her chest

As Lucretia understood what she wanted a strange thought struck her Did Randidly know the true wish he held in his chest Based on how he was acting it was clear he didnÆt

Her thoughts wandered The golden karmic threads drifted downwards like spider silk that had lost its mooring

Lucretia reached She needed another chance another life another body Because what she wanted more than anything else

It was a mistake to give in to fear and make up excuses to stay away For her entire life on Tellus Lucretia had hurt and taken ostensibly to live forever To escape the horror in her chest that was left after her parents died to the Calamity But It was not fear that haunted her it was loneliness She was left alone

In her chest was a small girl that swore never again and gathered wicked power to harden her heart with hatred It was the foolish plan of a child

What Lucretia wanted was simply to feel connected to have a home to go back to To have a family To see Shal

Her thoughts grasped onto the thickest golden thread of karma that was attached to her Even now it was steady and warm As her consciousness faded she could feel her strength growing The shrill screams of a child filled her ears It reminded her of Shal She smiled or tried to but she was naught but a memory at that point

And in the next moment Lucretia the individual disappeared from Icklid leaving only a pile of flesh and images and experiences that the Autarch began to shape with his hands

Far away the spirit of the woman Lucretia settled into a body separated from her home by dimensions In this strange dimension Lucretia opened her mouth wide and screamed

Aw love sheÆs beautiful just like you A warm voice spoke above Lucretia Lucretia rolled her head back to look at the speaker but her head was too heavy and lolled helplessly sideways Annoyed she opened her mouth and cried out again

Already Lucretia was feeling a headache settling in Could babies give migraines to themselves That was a scary thought Was she really a baby Her body certainly was strange and chubby enough for it

Ah Halt thatÆs sweet of you to say But we both know that things would be easier for the child if she was

Nonsense The first voice cut across firmly You are perfect Massy Just like our daughter

Lucretia squirmed as best she could but her arms werenÆt obeying her instructions There was too much information coming from too many raw nerves and only barely did Lucretia suppress her urge to open her mouth and scream again They were in a dimly lit room It seemed to be made of dirt or stone and the only light came from a candle on the table

Lucretia was held by the second speaker a woman in her arms The woman was laying on a bed propped up on several sacks that seemed to be stuffed with goose feathers The first speaker Halt was standing over the two of them

Halt hesitated My serving shift will start soon I would prefer not to leave but

With me like this we have no choice I know Go Halt Stay nimble Massy said with a nod

Halt went to the door but then stopped and looked over his shoulder at Massy Before I go can I hear our daughterÆs name

The corners of MassyÆs mouth turned upwards as she gazed with affection at Halt Creta Our daughter will be Creta

In the beginning there was nothing The monk said sitting on the raised dais above the crowd But in that emptiness their existed three siblings Houn Styx and Creta Styx was the oldest brother and believed that everything was fine how it should be The emptiness and the siblings were all that needed to be Creta was the middle sister and loved her two brothers more than anything else in the world

The youngest brother was named Houn and he was unsatisfied There was an ache in his hands as he looked in the emptiness In his heart he knew that there could be more than this There SHOULD be more than this For several millennia he abided by StyxÆs wishes and refrained from acting But there came a point where he could resist the urge no longer Houn reached out his left hand and smote the nothingness and created stars He stretched out his right hand and clenched it into a fist creating the world His two eyes spread apart to view his new toy and rotated around to view the planet in its entirety forming the moon and sun He became the Progenitor by whose hand we were born

His breath fell on the world forming the wind and the rain Houn poured out half his soul creating a thousand small lives They awakened almost from a slumber and joined in the worship of Houn For a long time the world grew prosperous on the breath of Houn

But then Styx discovered what Houn had done Furious and jealous that his precious brother valued these small lives so Styx used his might to curse the creations of Houn that they might be made but they would always return to the dust that had birthed them So was the world doomed or so Styx believed

Houn believed it too He saw the curse afflict his people and sighed deeply Although he kept his hands as the stars and planet and his eyes as the sun and moon the distraught Houn pulled away and fled deep into the abyss leaving the planet He couldnÆt bear to watch his creation be destroyed by his brother and fled

The monk bowed his head as did everyone else in the congregation After a few seconds of silence for the emotions of a god the monk raised his gaze once more It was then that Creta found that despite StyxÆs trick on Houn that the small lives continued to struggle Although they would each die they possessed to grow more lives and used their brief time on the planet to make it a better place for the next generation In this way life on the First Planet prospered

But soon Styx discovered that his curse was foiled by these inferior beings and was filled with wrath He slit his wrists letting his blood spill until he was naught by skin and bones So the Abyssal Sea was formed and its waters rushed to engulf the world With his bones Styx made a thousand tiny automatons ones far beyond the ken of even the most blessed Spriggit and they marched to the world to end life there