LoRG 3

And despite his recent improvements to the image the heat was overwhelming Especially because that image had originally been heat producing itself His body was slowly turning red When he released another breath it came out as steam

Randidly licked his rapidly drying lips Yea itÆs supposed to feel like this He was the inferno incarnate The buzzing of the Aether Mines in his Soulspace and the shuddering fury of his muscles slowly morphed into one giant sense of resonance Wind swirled around RandidlyÆs position gradually forming a tornado as his steaming body heated the surrounding air and pushed it upward

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

With steam flowing out of his nostrils Randidly pressed his foot to the ground and launched himself forward He traveled just at jog at first although each of his strides covered several meters But then Randidly continued to accelerate his momentum steadily rising in time with the slamming beats of his heart Soon the wind was howling past Randidly as he practically flew forward feeling an uplifting sense of freedom in his supreme speed

The grass became a green/brown/gold blur beneath his feet Even the clouds that had previously seemed so distant started to slowly draw nearer as Randidly moved more quickly than any human had a right to Each of his steps shattered the ground destroying several meters of grassland in his passage Nether and blood flowed in reverse of each other drawing an intricate natural diagram within his body

Just a bit more Randidly muttered His veins were sticking out all along his body as they slowly grew accustomed to the new amount of blood they had to handle Randidly could feel his body rapidly adjusting to his new demands helped along by the deft touch of Yggdrasil and the stubbornness of the Grim Chimera Under the internal pressure some part of RandidlyÆs body was finally reaching for the power that he had access to

He released another breath of steam The Stillborn Phoenix hummed with the strain of containing the rampant heat running through his body Feeling that he was close to the limit he had been trying to smash to pieces for the past month Randidly pushed his Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart a little further

Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump

His heartbeat became a constant thrum through RandidlyÆs body And with a rising wave of heat pushing him forward Randidly saw the limit

Congratulations Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 270

Gauze drifted around Randidly with an airy ease that belied the speed at which he was traveling

Time seemed to slow down even as he raced through the landscape around him Randidly could feel each stream of superheated water vapor flowing out of his nose as he rushed forward His foot touched the ground and pushed himself forward even before the dirt he impacted was finished collapsing beneath the force of his step The wind whipped around him in a powerful slipstream

And there hanging in the air and outlined by the revelation energy was the limit of what should be physically possible It shimmered and billowed and absolutely surrounded every inch of him RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed It was spread ahead of him like a spectral cloth only a few meters away from RandidlyÆs body That distance remained constant even as he rushed forward at the fastest speed that he could manage It wasnÆt anything quite so concrete as air resistance or him being able to see the speed of sound however No this was very literally the limit of the human body that Randidly could see

It was a subconscious limit Or perhaps it was the image his subconscious held about what was possible

Or at least to Randidly that was what it was He lengthened his stride and pumped his legs His steaming breaths came out more quickly Everything from his neck down in his body was on fire The sensation wasnÆt painful just all consuming RandidlyÆs physical body was slowly overwhelming the senses of his mind The noises from the engine had largely ceased compensating by releasing a blooming nova of heat

He continued to pick up speed Randidly gained ground on that strange spectral curtain in front of him It looked like a foggy pane of glass preventing Randidly even with his Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold energy from seeing beyond it So Randidly gritted his teeth and pushed himself as hard as he could to catch up with the barrier

Congratulations Your Skill MonstrosityÆs Appalling Physicality has grown to Level 275

Where the Stillborn Phoenix wasnÆt quite enough to push him there the Grim Chimera rose growling to the challenge The muscles of his body flexed and contracted Randidly lifted his left hand and reached forward toward the curtain His fingers tightened on the air closing just short of it

This strength is MINE Randidly roared

And then the taloned hand of the Grim Chimera reached forward and seized that amorphous substance and for a brief instant tore it asunder Just as soon as the gap in the spectral curtain was made it began to close But Randidly had enough Nether Brawn to step forward in that brief opening

Randidly released a sonic boom as he briefly shot ahead liberated from what should be physically possible Space had cracked open and he used that to practically teleport forward The air he passed through shuddered and was blasted apart by his passage But as soon as he blinked in shock at the accomplishment the human limitation caught back up to him and his almost uncontrollable speed and speed vanished

Still huffing out steam Randidly began to slow down When he had come to a stop he turned and looked behind him Then he scratched his head he honestly had no idea how much time he had just spent running Hopefully it wouldnÆt always take him that long to work up to breaking through that limit

But I got it I felt that sensation Randidly looked down at his hands Now that he had seen the roadblock in front of him he could distantly feel the limitations of the world draped over his body like a cloth even now It followed his every move always resisting as he struggled to move beyond it Now I just need to be able to reach that state more reliably

Which means more training Randidly said But he was grinning as he said it continuing to look down at his hands They clenched into fists

Chapter 1363

About twelve hours after Randidly encountered the Aether Mines and then passed one over to Neveah for study Neveah had finally had some progress in examining their structure It had been an extreme distraction from her other work but ultimately more fruitful than she had expected What had given her the inspiration to finally understand the construct was the realization that the structure of the Engraving was slightly different than Aether that the System generally used

Neveah sent Randidly a message to get himself and then made herself comfortable outside of the YyxtrixÆs tomb Without RandidlyÆs Skill with roots she had built a basic mud structure brick by brick Time consuming but she felt rather disrespectful to set up a rest area within the tomb So with a little elbow grease Neveah had created her own rest hut directly outside the entrance

To say the interior was sparsely decorated was generous It was a bit of flat ground where Neveah could stand and stretch her wings in secret The sole piece of furniture was an oak table pressed against one of the walls which was currently covered in papers There she waited for Randidly to respond and began running over her recent notes

When Neveah stopped trying to match the structure of the Aether Mines to an exact shape she had quickly realized that the Aether Mines looked very similar to quite a few things that she had encountered in the past The lines of Aether were just made with slight variations to the shape

The variations were small but the important part was that Neveah tested it and confirmed that the varied shape still had the same main effect with some small differences to the way it behaved and interacted with the flow of energy around it Which meant that a master of varying Aether could tailor each individual symbol within a greater construct to take advantage of the exact nature of the working of which it was a part

With that method Neveah suspected that there could be as much as a 30% increase in the effectiveness of the Aether working Which considering the scale at which Aether generally functioned was a ridiculous boost

It was only after Neveah furiously noted down several avenues worth pursuing in her research that she realized that Randidly hadnÆt yet responded to her message This time rather than just send a message that might be missed Neveah connected to his consciousness directly

Hissing Neveah disconnected as quickly as she could Through their connection a boiling heat spilled over to flood NeveahÆs body Even without the connection the heat didnÆt dissipate It seemed to sink into her limbs and stir her muscles Blinking Neveah considered the heat once again It had been surprising when it had burst through their connection but now that she was experiencing it the heat was actually quite relaxing

Neveah reestablished the connection much more prepared this time for what that would bring But she was slightly disappointed that the heat that flowed through was much reduced compared to before It seemed Randidly had noticed her previous connection and ceased doing whatever it was that created the heat

WhatÆs up RandidlyÆs thought appeared in Neveah’s mind

Neveah passed over the good news and the bad news The good news being her discovery about varying Aether Engravings for minor effects The bad news being that the Aether Mines were rather elegantly done even with a few months’ worth of time to focus on them there wouldnÆt be a hard solution to their presence in RandidlyÆs body other than Nether

Then Neveah sent over a pointed question What was that heat that I felt when I connected to you It was invigorating

For a second there was no conscious thought from Randidly And then of all things there was a flash of worry and envy in RandidlyÆs heart followed swiftly by some wry amusement as he recognized his own reaction Heh IÆm almost unwilling to tell you considering how powerful your physical Stats are already but I think I found a way to make better use of my body ThereÆs this strange limit that I believe has limited us subconsciously That heat you felt is me building up momentum to break that limit

Intrigued NeveahÆs consciousness flew through RandidlyÆs body inspecting the situation directly Immediately she could sense the slight changes to his physical form It was like his already impressive body had been put through a smelter and forged into steel His muscles were elastic and woven together Neveah noticed that his bone density had increased a small amount His veins were thick and clear of obstructions

Despite his earlier reluctance Randidly provided Neveah with all the thoughts and conjectures that he had gathered during his training sessions By this point he had been working on consistently breaking past his limits for almost six hours achieving just over a dozen successes

After understanding the process Neveah clicked her tongue Fascinating But youÆll be happy to know that I donÆt think I can replicate your success A lot is based on the implicit image of your bodyÆs power yes Well I donÆt have that I was well I donÆt really know what I was before I met you and became your Soulbound But I have no history with my body No basis to strengthen my image And also most of my time is spent pretending to be something other than my true form

Randidly immediately released a wave of sadness and shock Ah Sorry I didnÆt mean

No itÆs fine Hundreds of miles away from Randidly Neveah smiled to herself For all that Randidly was growing more powerful he still stepped as carefully around issues like this Such moments revealed a helplessness that was rather endearing But Randidly there is one thing that you didnÆt notice in your experiments

Feeling RandidlyÆs confusion Neveah continued Your images They are growing more solid Or perhaps it would be better to say that they can manifest much more easily From what I can tell it works like this the potencyÆ of your images determines how much of your usual power an image can wield without you physically moving But now you are raising your base power by increasing the specs of your body

I almost suspect that you are touching on a deeper secret than you realize

Then Neveah broke off the contact Alone in her resting area she grinned to herself FINALLY RandidlyÆs getting something that heÆs going to be better at than me I wonÆt have to keep such a low profile anymore to spare his feelings now back to figure out that last Aether puzzle

Vye looked up from the careful map she was drawing of the surrounding region when she heard someone tapping against the sheepskin exterior of her tent Yes

A bearded man pushed his head into the interior of the tent and slowly looked around Vye didnÆt miss the way his eyes lingered on the extremely detailed map of New EarthÆs original 6 Zones With the memory capacity available to most individuals with the advent of the System he had essentially copied it with his lingering gaze

Vye put down her quill and rolled up the map she was currently working on In VyeÆs mind maps should be spread freely to various groups That was why maps existed to assist And the Order Ducis agreed with VyeÆs stance asking her to keep no strategic information back when she made maps But this manÆs crawling gaze was just one more small thing in a deluge of disrespect that she had received since she had arrived

Despite her status as a diplomat this was what she had to endure Well Vye had reached the limit of her patience Tilting her head to the side she let a little bit of her image manifest around her person Did I stutter Why are you here Kevin

The man visibly flinched Then a look of confusion spread across his face as Vye let her image drop As though he was a hound he sniffed the air as he began to speak I know you talked to the foreign minister but our liege has finally agreed to meet with you After talking with some other groups it seems like you werenÆt completely lying about some people being freed earlier than us

Vye twitched One more bit of disrespect She was becoming extremely tired of the attitude that many of the Blighted ParagonÆs subordinates took with her It hadnÆt been so bad at first but after a day of staying nearby they clearly began to test the boundaries What was most humiliating was that they had started by demanding that she help with chores around the camp so long as she stayed here

The Blighted Paragon seemed to take a page out of Communism and lived by expecting every individual to do their part to help the whole It was why despite the annoying badgering that Vye experienced her original report was rather generous when it talked about her opinion on the society

The local overseerÆs request for help was obviously denied When he had pushed Vye on it Vye asked what benefit she was receiving which meant she should help He claimed she had eaten their food so Vye had laughed produced a sandwich from her interspatial ring and eaten it in front of him

Not her most subtle move but even then the subordinates of the Blighted Paragon were getting under her skin

When Tatiana asked Vye a few hours after her original report if she had anything else to add Vye had discussed the problems that were cropping up And TatianaÆs answer had surprised Vye

DonÆt forget you represent the legitimacy of the Order Ducis and by proxy all of the New Earth governments I know it is difficult but donÆt hesitate to teach them a harsh lesson if they push too hard Randidly sent a group of his Riders to stay nearby We have your back

Honestly it might be easiest to make a big deal of things now Then we have justifications to show them the pecking order

But that didnÆt help her right now a bubbling pot that was about to explode Her gaze on Kevin was sharp as she made her decision He had one chance And if he didnÆt take it

Vye stored away all of her materials and walked to the front of the tent Kevin didnÆt move out of the threshold of the tent scratching his beard while his eyes remained fixed on Vye He reminded Vye of dozens of shitty men that had convinced themselves and sometimes her in the past that they deserved a bit of their time

He opened his mouth to say something Unfortunately for him Vye was not confused about how to deal with such attention longer So when she reached a short distance away from Kevin she smiled and raised her hand Ritual Reject

You oof

The strong rejection could only influence objects a short distance away from Vye but Kevin had leaned forward to emphasize height as Vye approached The man folded over like a flicked house of cards and was blasted out of the tent He impacted the ground and rolled through the dirt until he tumbled into a low stone wall along the edge of the camp

Some of the other people in the area looked up from their cooking fires or out of their tents but they quickly lost interest That was the only obvious flaw that Vye had been able to detect in the people who worked underneath the Blighted Paragon If it didnÆt concern them directly most people wouldnÆt bother to stick their nose into something they didnÆt understand Even if it appeared that someone else was being harmed right in front of their eyes In VyeÆs mind the lack of empathy was a serious problem

That and the disrespect of course

Kevin groaned and rolled over With a flick of her wrist Vye threw out another Reject Ritual on her tent behind her Just in case Kevin wanted to test his luck again Luckily she knew where the Blighted ParagonÆs tent was so Vye could stalk forward through the camp without KevinÆs assistance She left without a backward glance

Only one word was appropriate to describe the camp around Vye tidy Almost obsessively so considering that most people were refugees from the cities that the Blighted Paragon had already attacked To dismantle dangerous regimes the Blighted Paragon claimed and the attitudes of the refugees did seem to indicate this environment was superior to their prior circumstances

But even so

Vye was relieved when the guards at the Blighted ParagonÆs tent recognized her and ushered her through to the interior The central tent was smaller than Vye had expected not at all fitting for the man who had gathered such a large group of people to his cause There was no gold silver or precious gems displayed The only hint of its status was the bristling line of guards that surrounded it

When Vye walked into the tent she actually stopped up short only a step past the entrance Because right as she laid her eyes on the Blighted Paragon she felt something invading her body She instinctively activated her newest Ritual Cleanse With the support of her image whatever had invaded her body was instantly eradicated She quickly followed up with a Reject around her bod to prevent it from happening again

Howard Boltmer a man with pale and thin hair very obviously combed over to cover up the fact he was balding simply blinked at VyeÆs actions Vye gritted her teeth Seriously Even you Mr Boltmer was that an act of war

Although she wanted to lose her temper Vye wasnÆt quite that mad yet Suddenly she was very aware of how many bodies were between her and any allies Even if there were Riders nearby would she be able to last here if this man truly intended to take her hostage

But Howard Boltmer just shook his head Just habit donÆt think anything of it But to be fair would you bother to waste your time talking to someone who was weak enough to fall prey to a petty trick like that Now that youÆve proven yourself tell me again about the organization you represent Perhaps it can be one of my partners in the future

Chapter 1364

After she heard the extremely dismissive words that Howard Boltmer had chosen to say directly to her face Vye changed her strategy Tatiana had been right this man didnÆt understand the differences in their perspective yet And the way he dismissed his earlier attack as a mere test that she should willingly endure

Mr Boltmer Vye began slowly but the aging manÆs eyes sharpened at her

I would really prefer if you would call me by my Class the Blighted Paragon Howard Boltmer said with deceptive mildness I find it that such courtesies prevent misunderstandings

At this point Vye was starting to feel like she had encountered a middle schooler that had wildly inaccurate views of his own importance rather than a man who appeared to have been nearing fifty even before the System had arrived She even wanted to ask him where his adult was considering his loose grasp on reality

In fact HowardÆs confidence seemed so baseless that she was slightly worried that she was missing something But the air in the tent was practically inert after spending so much time around the influential group from the Order Ducis how could Vye miss the fact that Howard Boltmer had no image to dominate the surrounding area

There wasnÆt a hint of his influence even at the seat of his power

As her emotions started to run high she could already feel her relatively modest image spreading to fill the surrounding space And Harold Boltmer didnÆt notice at all He really was a child when it came to the System

Vye felt her face easing into a smile that she had often seen on TatianaÆs features Mr Boltmer I think you are sorely mistaken about what this is The Order Ducis isnÆt currying favor to seek a partnership with you the Order Ducis is deciding whether to crush your little movement or allow it to proceed And IÆm the woman who you need to have on your side when my superiors ask for a report

For several seconds Howard BoltmerÆs face was invaded by a genuine wave of confusion Slowly that confusion solidified to a tightly controlled fury He clicked his tongue is that the case Well it appears that further discussion will get us nowhere Please remove yourself from my camp And do be careful it would be a shame to be blamed for your death if monsters rip your arrogant expression off of your face

The Ritual she had seared into her flesh throbbed with pain as her image readied itself VyeÆs eyes were gleaming stars in the dim light of the tent as Vye raised her hands and pressed her palms together She could have walked away but now Vye was thoroughly enraged Someone needed to teach these people a lesson and Vye wanted it to be her Howard BoltmerÆs eyes narrowed at her movements and his skin seemed to ripple until he was covered dense black scales but Vye ignored him

This was a demonstration not a true attack

Vye currently possessed six Rituals Ignite Reject Mirror Donate Consume and Cleanse She began with the easiest and most destructive of her original four Rituals Ignite But as she did so her image manifested in the surrounding space

It was a map but a map of something grander and more ethereal than any physical location It was a byzantine series of interlocking yellow dots and lines that guided the flow of energy from the spiritual plane They floated in the air above Vye following the billowing peaks of the tent roof The image was based on VyeÆs fuzzy memories of her grandmotherÆs ritual altars carefully improved with exhausting practice sessions with the other members of the Order Ducis

It was a floating interlocking rotating shifting series of symbols VyeÆs image didnÆt possess the same sort of definitive correspondence that Engraving did but that wasnÆt the point It was and always would be a plea Her image was the shape of VyeÆs grand prayer It was a humble request It was a lock slowly being undone It was a map

The surrounding air shuddered with its power

That finally got HaroldÆs full attention perhaps his danger sense finally triggered He scrambled to his feet and threw out his hand producing a blast of maroon gas Under the weight of VyeÆs image that gas almost instantly dissipated But the Blighted Paragon wasnÆt done He raised his voice and shouted Guards

Vye sensed the movement outside but ignored it The Ignite she created between her two hands flared up until it encountered one of her palms which she had covered with a Mirror So the Ignite ricocheted sideways into the other palm which was likewise covered in a Mirror Faster and faster it shot back and forth quickly rebounding almost fifty times gaining a little bit of power with each Mirror

Howard Boltmer lowered his stance watching her carefully as he considered his next move Gritting her teeth Vye forced herself to endure through another dozen Mirrors Even with the support of her image behind her it would be difficult to hold on for much longer So Vye didnÆt bother She opened her palms

WHoosshh

A roaring pillar of flame exploded upward blasting Howard BoltmerÆs tent directly up into the air stakes tent poles and all A split second later the heat of that flaming pillar was enough to ignite the various materials and reduce them to ash Even though the heat and pressure was given an outlet upward Vye still winced from the experience of holding the pillar She even earned a couple of Levels in Pain Resistance for her troubles

Rather than being buffeted by any sort of explosion the shock of what he was seeing seemed to send Howard Boltmer reeling several steps back His face was twisted into a grimace As the noise of the flames began to die down Vye glanced over her shoulder to see several guards armed with poleaxes standing transfixed right outside the entrance to the tent It was clear from their deathly pale faces that they were quite thankful they were a half step too slow on their rush to assist their leader

Capture the bitch Howard Boltmer growled His skin rippled again and he seemed to physically shift into a reptilian creature Alive

Oddly Vye simply felt numb Her image stayed in the sky the yellow lines and dotes slowly shifting into a vast new pictogram Without the tent in the way it could spread out and fill the area above the central portion of the Blighted ParagonÆs camp At this point in a spar against Naffur of Helen the opposition would have already expanded their own image threatening to tamper down VyeÆs influence in the surrounding area Then the fight would enter a second stage where there was a mental wrestling match going on between the two fighterÆs Willpower even as they fought physically with Skills

Yet these people really had no answer to Skills If anything VyeÆs influence in the area was only deepening A quick scan determined that aside from the suddenly reptilian Blighted Paragon there were about thirty guards rushing forward Some were dropping their weapons and mutating like the hulk into raging slabs of muscle Others raised their hands and began casting Skills It all seemed so pointless

Even now Vye couldnÆt detect any hint of something that could threaten her It was strange Almost boring Somewhat lonely And in a way that was hard to describe it was exhausting

Was this what the Ghosthound felt when he returned to Earth and the people here thought they were strong

Golden Dragon A man at the back of the guards yelled After blinking Vye recognized him as the foreign minister who she had met previously But at his words his hands erupted in golden flames and a swimming dragon of fire shot forward toward Vye

The projectile moved quickly over the other guardsÆ heads reaching Vye a few seconds before the mutating guards could Even as her left hand continued to throb painfully she threw up a large Mirror Ritual in front of her And despite the fact that the golden flames of the dragon were obviously very destructive Vye barely felt anything as the dragon reached the edge of her Ritual and disappeared

Without an image there was barely any weight to the attack

Congratulations Your Skill Ritual Mirror has grown to Level 198

The surrounding guards were clearly shocked to see the dragon of fire disappear But they were even more shocked a second later when the air rippled and another dragon appeared this one a true dragon with shining golden scales Its eyes were balls of flame but otherwise it physically appeared to be a sinuous dragon whose body was one meter in diameter It was a Chinese style dragon and its long whiskers shook as it opened its mouth and roared Whistling geysers of smoke exploded from its nostrils

Then it blasted forward moving with such violence that flames born of friction skittered across its scales The nearest guard had been about to reach Vye but the dragon bowled him over burning away the swollen muscles of the manÆs left arm in the process The man screeched in agony and collapsed unable to withstand even a brush of that golden dragon Vye could see almost in slow motion the revealed bones of his arm baking before her eyes

The other guards behind him collapsed like bowling pins various portions of their body scorched away Although the guards wouldnÆt ever know it Vye strained to control the reflected Skill so it wouldnÆt kill any of them She pushed it upward and away from the camp so that it shot up into the sky But not before it had passed close enough to some of the surrounding tents that they were ignited

There would be damage but Vye didnÆt let it bother her That was what the modern world was under the System As long as lives werenÆt lost the Order Ducis was willing to teach some harsh lessons to groups that wouldnÆt respect the status quo

While Vye had turned her attention to the guards the Blighted Paragon had made his move His head had almost completely transformed into a lizard at this point and he opened his mouth and belched out a cloud of green smoke around dozens of sharp teeth

VyeÆs eyes flashed Her image projected a Cleanse over the area and extinguished the smoke

But it seemed that the lizardman leader had been aiming for that opening While Vye flexed her image he stepped forward with remarkable speed and shot a scaled hand forward to grab her throat

Narrowing her eyes Vye instinctively activated another Ritual This was her strongest the one branded onto her body Her left hand twitched as the throbbing pain numbed almost her entire arm with its persistent agony Reject

Congratulations Your Skill Ritual Reject has grown to Level 219

Vye could hear the sounds of Howard BoltmerÆs fingers strengthened as they were by this lizard transformation being forced back away from her body until they shattered and the joints were torn apart Even his wrist snapped mangled by the sudden and unexpected resistance Hissing between his teeth the Blighted Paragon stumbled backward

For a second no one moved The only sound was the low whimpers of the guards who had their flesh burned away by the golden dragon

Then Vye smiled Such a pleasure to meet you all But I must be on my way Another agent from the Order Ducis will make contact with you soon and iron out the details of our future relationship I hope you are anticipating that moment as much as I am

Chapter 1365

For several seconds Alana frowned down at the message that she had received from Randidly Ghosthound She rapped her knuckles against the wooden tent pole in front of her considering She didnÆt hesitate because of the content of the message she understood very clearly what Randidly wanted In addition she had been in contact with Tatiana who had said some things that made Alana suspect that Randidly was hiding the seriousness of the situation with his body from her His words made the request casual but she felt the ominous depth laying beneath the surface

But even her hidden worries werenÆt what Alana now considered No the reason that Alana was so annoyed was the fact implied by the message of the four Task Forces created to clear out the Corrupted Invaders in the Danger Zones her independent task force was the slowest

The only reason that Randidly would request she delay was if all the others had already finished Only the final Danger Zone cleared had meaning

Clicking her tongue Alana left her tent and trudged up the sand dune to reach the overlook Immediately after she escaped shelter the low hum around her turned into a dull roar The sandstorm wasnÆt the worst she had seen but it was still quite persistently going She pulled a scarf over her mouth to keep the worst of the sand away as she walked upward Their Danger Zone was called the Desert Maw a land of swirling winds and bitting sands

With the buffeting gusts and the sand scratching at her eyes the passage was an uncomfortable one Alana could obviously leap upward but she didnÆt want to send the wrong message Besides some part of Alana wanted to practice a bit of self discipline

If Randidly could endure pain so could she

At the top of the dune she found Hank spinning his repeater idly Up here the air was mostly clear of sand and visibility was vastly improved This was where Hank waited ready to signal the beginning of the assault His expression immediately brightened when he saw her but Alana quickly smirked and shook her head Tell the troops to stand down and get some rest We are going to delay our attack by two days

HankÆs eyebrows shot upward even as he snapped his fingers and shot a bolt of red light into the sky Across the surrounding dunes their Task Force blinked in confusion and pulled back What the hell Did something happen back on Earth

Alana shook her head No But we are the only Danger Zone that has not yet been cleared It was likely necessary for us to delay in order to prepare all the independent groups to work together but those two days of training exercises seemed to mean we have come in last

We came in last Hank said out loud Then he chuckled Even that haphazard force led by that slug King Phirun beat us ta the punch That man couldÆna outrun a three legged mule

Apparently Sydney moved to reinforce them She apparently fights like a woman possessed Perhaps seeing RandidlyÆs images at his birthday had a strong effect on her Alana said calmly The two began trooping down the sand dune toward the shelter of the tents Around them the rest of the group also returned to the came to hunker down They were close before the System you know

Hank just nodded continuing to shake his head He was probably still thinking about Phirun It was the seventh day after the GhosthoundÆs birthday party which meant that the other Task Forces had cleared their Danger Zones in under a week Considering the two week time limit imposed by Randidly Ghosthound the Earth was currently making good time toward their goal

But it could be seen from the delay that what lay beyond this last Danger Zone would be quite a bit more difficult Despite the approaching deadline the Ghosthound still wanted two days before the final portion of this trial began

Alana glanced at Hank after they walked back into the tent Want to spar

He gave her a withering look Alana sighed You are no fun Just because the last several spars have been your loss that doesnÆt mean you wonÆt figure something out to turn it all around

Cowboys arenÆt much fer spars and skirmishes Hank flashed a smile at Alana Pretty good at last stands though

The weather was currently surreal in a way that Helen had never seen before Just another wonder of Kharon she supposed Thunderous explosions rumbled across the midday sky yet there wasnÆt a cloud to be seen for miles Everything was blue and warm

BooM BooM

Helen hid a yawn behind her hand as Naffur walked up and stood upon the small stage that had been erected for just this purpose He was dressed sharply finally looking more like a man than a lost teenager Seemed like the training with her and Ajax was finally pasting some muscle onto his frame

She was slightly amused to note that the one thousand or so people that were gathered together to listen to his orientation speech werenÆt looking at Naffur at all They were staring in fear up at the crouching form of Kharon the Wandering City that was behind him Even from this distance the growing skyline of the city was buzzing with activity a testament to its rapid development

Yet who was she kidding Even Kharon itself couldnÆt hold these peopleÆs attention More accurately they were staring up at the island floating above Kharon wreathed in silver mists and appearing completely inert and distant except for the intermittent rumbles that it released creating the illusion of constant thunderstorms

RUmmBllee

The crowd shuddered as the noise slammed against their bodies Naffur cleared his throat lightly and folded his arms behind his back like this sort of phenomenon was quite normal Thank you all for accepting the invitation of Kharon to come live and work here I am Naffur Suite the Acting Leader of the Order Ducis For those of you who havenÆt heard that name before we are an independent police force that makes sure other Orders or governments donÆt oppress their citizens For that reason we intervened directly and chased away the Blighted Paragon that you used to follow

Helen twisted side to side with her feet planted and shivered in pleasure as a series of satisfying cracks ran up and down her spine Because the Order Ducis had been the second Task Force to clear their Danger Zone the whole force had been back when VyeÆs follow up report on Howard Boltmer had made it to the Ghosthound And Helen had the great pleasure to lead a group of Riders back to the headquarters of the Blighted Paragon to perform a more thorough investigation

Unfortunately the former Russian got wind of what was going on and fled with about ten thousand of his closest supporters Although teaching the man a lesson was important the half a million people that he had abandoned were more important in the eyes of the Order Ducis So HelenÆs excitement had turned to bitterness as she baby sat the group until Kharon itself arrived on the scene

Zone 7 and Zone 11 both of which needed additional population to fill out their land area had combined their wealth to purchase a portable teleportation array from a Village and sent an elite group to bring it to Kharon when the Order Ducis had spread word of the huge group of refugees With the array Kharon had simply needed to gather up the drifting population and send them to be someone else’s’ problem

Of course they also combed carefully through the group to find anyone who seemed to have great potential or special skills Most of the fighters had gone with Boltmer but that was fine if anything the one thing Kharon didnÆt need was more warriors The one thousand people gathered in front of Naffur now were those that had passed the initial tests and interviews were invited by various organizations in Kharon and had accepted those invitations

After listening to you speak for the last several days allow me to address a few of the common questions that IÆve heard Naffur continued to speak to the crowd ignoring the fact that he wasnÆt the main object of their focus Honestly Helen supposed this might be a normal occurrence for Naffur He often was cast in the roll of a foil by simply being relatively solid and dependable while Randidly Ghosthound made large waves One Kharon and the Order Ducis is a unique existence on New Earth They were both founded by Randidly Ghosthound the most powerful man on Earth As you were informed with your invitations to stay in Kharon

Helen snickered as the rumble from above forced Naffur to pause in his speech But now that I think about it we basically all have to deal with the messes that bastard leaves behind After the noise died down Naffur continued

there was a portion of Earth that was connected to each other unlike the bubble cities These were called Zones Unlike bubble cities they were only beset by monsters at the beginning But the population density was much lower and the people there had to pass both a Tribulation and a Raid Dungeon in order to connect to New Earth From what weÆve gathered there were fifty Zones made on Earth and only six have survived to this point As you have seen the people of New Earth are genuinely far more powerful than those from bubble cities

Two IÆve heard a lot of people ask why we are powerful The answer is simple itÆs because of images You can consider Skills to be a preset image gifted to you by the System People who master image can use Skills without using Skills as it were Which essentially means that those from New Earth can utilize two Skills at once while people stuck in bubble cities are currently stuck with the preset Skills from the System You can utilize half as much power as we can That is why you are weak

As if to emphasize the last line of NaffurÆs speech an extra ominous explosion rocked out from the island floating above The explosion was so loud the concussive force hit the people below like a slap to the face Helen clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked upward toward the source Most disturbingly there wasnÆt even the smallest bit of change happening to the silver mist swirling the floating island

Naffur cleared his throat and continued Three because youÆve accepted an invitation of various organizations of Kharon you will be required to stay on Kharon and participate in certain mandatory evaluations for the next three months You will be trained in this period but a lot of the training is voluntary But IÆll say this all your invitations were preliminary If you do not perform well in the training period you will be asked to leave Kharon when that period is over And do not be surprised if higher performing peers take the jobs that were tentatively offered to you

Kharon is a place of hard work and merit NaffurÆs face was suffused with obvious pride as he spoke Based on your potential youÆve been given the opportunity to join us When not training I would encourage you to explore the city and meet new people Feel the spirit of the Wandering City You wonÆt regret it

There was a smattering of polite applause afterward causing Helen to roll her eyes These fools had no idea the opportunity they were being given

But how could they Helen reflected That first time that I fought against Randidly in the Regional Qualifier for the under Level 25 tournament I really had no idea how much he would affect my life

Her mocking attitude vanished quickly as she reflected on the woman she had used to be Very quickly her thoughts drifted to her mother In front of her other applicants to the Order Ducis stepped forward and began guiding the thousand people into Kharon Despite the power they had achieved within the System these one thousand people trembled with nerves as platforms wreathed in emerald energy floated down to carry them up to their new life

Afterward Naffur walked over to Helen and let the exhaustion show on his face Finally done I really hate giving speeches

You are getting better Helen offered Perhaps it was the stray thought about her mother but she felt like prodding at the obviously overworked young man But we arenÆt done yet We need to head up to visit Randidly Did you think you wouldnÆt be participating in the attack on the Epic Raid Dungeon The planning meeting starts in an hour

Naffur blinked and looked at Helen with a blank expression Then he groaned

Helen smiled wickedly Oh Did I forget to tell you

Chapter 1366

Ace squatted down on the hill and idly rubbed the red brown clay between his fingers Below them a group of several thousand people was hurrying deeper into the hilly land that was as much swamp as solid ground The fleeing groupÆs speed was rapidly slowing as they encountered adverse terrain This only seemed to spur them more quickly forward

Despite the fact that Rose Callaway could sense a hint of danger from the people below none bothered to check the surrounding hills for enemies They were too intent on their escape to bother

Rose braced herself And as she expected after watching the flow of bodies below for some time Ace slowly turned and smiled up at her His eyes were red rimmed from lack of sleep and his continued obsession And because of his strange nightly ritual of merging himself into the memories they had obtained Do you know what it takes to create a villain

ArenÆt you going to tell me no matter what I answer Rose wanted to say out loud but she knew that would just aggravate Ace He was strangely fragile right now The way Ace was now everything had to be arranged in a certain way So instead she just shook her head

AceÆs smile deepened First you need a hero

Randidly Ghosthound Rose supplied mentally She was well aware of the dangerous fixation Ace had developed with his former friend There just didnÆt seem to be anything she could do about it Hopefully after this plan was finished Ace would

Inwardly Rose sighed I guess I just hope he wonÆt be dead

Rolling his shoulders Ace straightened Then he raised his arms above his head and interlaced his fingers pushing his palms toward the sky Next a unique and unusual effect

The Impending Rock

Then and this is perhaps where most people focus their attention to their detriment you need a powerful force of otherness Something that doesnÆt quite fit with the inherent logic of the human world Sometimes it is even a coincidence where two normal elements are juxtaposed in an unexpected way In this case something that doesnÆt even fit in the logic of an Earth that has been empowered by the System

In this case the Lifeblood essence gathered with the image of Straud and then refined by the Winged SerpentÆs unleashed image But even so the power of images that Randidly spread across the Earth is also very powerful Is the Lifeblood Essence really that special

Almost as though he noticed the doubts through RoseÆs expression Ace chuckled This is what IÆm talking about People get too wrapped up in the details of the element of otherness Let me assure you that this amount will be enough

And finally AceÆs eyes turned back to the group of people hurrying below You need an opening A time where a hero diverts from what should have been done due to a misunderstanding or being too distracted by other matters Although even I admit that these Corrupted Invaders are a cause worth addressing but I think Randidly Ghosthound will find that allowing this man to run free is a mistake

Is he truly that strong The Blighted Paragon Rose frowned From what we heard even the mapmaker of the Order Ducis could overwhelm him and his forces

The Order Ducis AceÆs eyes seemed to gleam Not a single one of them can be underestimated Just because Vye works on maps doesnÆt mean her image isnÆt sharp And that situation with her hand well I suspect Randidly will resolve that soon

But no Howard Boltmer isnÆt overwhelmingly powerful Yet his Skills are quite unique I assume youÆve largely been suppressing your Skill Detection but why donÆt you take out your clipboard and take a look at whatÆs going on below

Again Rose basically had no choice but to humor him So she got out her clipboard and a pen Her fingers instantly began scrawling different Skills across the paper Danger Sense Physical Fitness Running Endless Effort Quick Recovery Leap Sense Temperature

Very quickly a dozen basic Skills appeared before Rose She continued to mark them down annoyed at the knowledge that nothing caught her attention meant that she was missing something Chewing on her lip Rose focused her mind and began to parse apart the ambient ripples of Skills coming from the group below her with more care And very quickly she discovered something that made her gasp

They their Skill Levels are so weak Rose blinked several times I barely sense any that are above one hundred and yet they managed to conquer so many other bubble cities

I donÆt know the details but Howard BoltmerÆs Skills appear to be related to the manipulation and creation on a cellular level Essentially he modified the DNA of some of his subordinates to allow them to transform into partial monsters with much higher Stats So why he is quite weak right now he is essentially working with trash

Now that itÆs living you want him to modify the Impending Rock Rose breathed

Ace wagged a finger at her ShouldnÆt it be called the impending flesh now But yes to put it inelegantly that is the case Besides there is another factor at play here that will aid in the grand creation of a villain Mirroring

AceÆs smile widened DoesnÆt Randidly now have an image that looks like an egg Well we have an egg too And when they both hatch which do you think will be more powerful

After the meeting about the Epic Danger Zone most of the members of the Order Ducis and the representatives from the different Task Forces left RandidlyÆs mist shrouded island Now that they had finalized the roster of the 100 person vanguard that would be the first group to test the waters of the Epic Danger Zone there were a lot of preparations to be done Forces and supplies were being moved to the area around Lake Apollo even at this moment Civilians nearby were notified and being evacuated just in case something unexpected happened

But Helen along with Naffur and Tatiana stayed after the meeting and looked at RandidlyÆs sitting form with uneasy eyes

During the entire meeting Randidly hadnÆt said a word What was even more disturbing was that when the Ghosthound moved which was infrequently it was with an exaggerated slowness

At one point Richter from Zone 1 had asked a question directly of Randidly but the leader of the Order Ducis and creator of Kharon hadnÆt responded with words At that time Randidly had been sitting with his eyes closed At RichterÆs question RandidlyÆs eyes slowly opened revealing a bright emerald light

Then his body moved at a glacial pace as he raised his head and simply looked at Richter Perhaps luckily for the Order Ducis the slow speed generated a great amount of tension and weight to the gesture The man had paled and perhaps would have collapsed had he not already been sitting in a wheelchair After Randidly slowly closed his eyes once more Tatiana stepped forward and spoke into the awkward silence to continue moving the meeting along

Perhaps to others it seemed like Randidly found RichterÆs question insulting and not worth his time But the GhosthoundÆs subordinates knew better

Helen tried to control her expression but ended up just glaring at Randidly despite her best efforts Is it truly so agonizing DonÆt you have methods to deal with this You are a recognized Commander at the frontlines Just go there and get involved in a battle with Nether to eradicate the Aether Mines

Randidly moved more quickly than he had when everyone had been on his island but he was still rather reserved The corners of his mouth slowly curled and shifted as he looked over at Helen there are methods to deal with the Aether Mines but its a matter of risk tolerance IÆve tested it in several ways and everything has consequences immediately The Special Investigator always moves no matter what I do Better just to wait a few more days and deal with everything at once

Besides the pain isnÆt nearly as bad as you think Randidly flexed his right hand and every joint popped loudly After about ten seconds of his face gradually shifting he looked down and frowned at his hand

Helen waved her hand Fine then Suffer in silence See if I care I suppose we will just be on our way and you can continue doing whatever the hell you do up here

Randidly chuckled His jaw popped in the process causing him to stop and carefully stretch the joint out But then he raised his hand as his subordinates began to turn away and said Wait I have a request before you go I need you to gather something for me

What is it Tatiana asked curiously She seemed to take RandidlyÆs strange behavior in stride Helen just folded her arms across her chest Naffur truly seemed too exhausted to care

Randidly smiled widely his mouth seeming to seep outward like a spilled liquid Honestly his slow movements were starting to seem rather creepy to Helen It might sound strange but can you get some corn starch for me A lot of it

How much is a lot Tatiana asked quite seriously

Randidly seemed to think about that gradually bringing up his hand to rub his chin The whole process of the movement took almost a minute Maybe a couple of barrels full

Just because you need to move slow doesnÆt mean you think slow Helen snapped at Randidly

His eyes brightened with amusement at such a constant pace for thirty seconds that Helen wanted to punch him in the face Then he chuckled long and low Actually I do need to move slowly right now ItÆs an image thing I pushed my heart rate down to about two to three times a minute and IÆm slowly my movements down establish a baseline so when I speed the heart rate back up everything will speed up

Is the pain really that bad Naffur asked in a low voice

Randidly twisted his arms His elbows came down and his palms gradually went upward It was only ten seconds later that Helen realized he was throwing his hands up in the air Then he scowled slowly around at the three of them his head turning like a millstone Why does no one believe me when I say the pain is manageable

Maybe if you were honest about the pain weÆd believe you Helen growled

Randidly gave Helen a mild glance At the beginning she was determined to hold his gaze but very quickly that ominous heaviness around him began to worm its way into her mind Within a few minutes Helen was gritting her teeth Before five minutes had passed she snorted and turned away Fine then whatever

The three subordinates floated back down to Kharon in silence

Both Naffur and Tatiana kept casting glances HelenÆs way but they werenÆt willing to approach her before she was ready

For that Helen appreciated that Her expression softening she turned and glanced over her shoulder at the floating island wreathed in silver mist Cobalt bolts of lightning periodically snaked their way around the island After hesitating Helen began to speak Do you really think that he

Perhaps because they were so close the noise was especially grating HelenÆs expression quickly hardened WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING UP THERE

She swore to herself that if the noise didnÆt stop by tonight she would head up there and see how well his slow movements handled a spear thrust

Chapter 1367

Randidly carefully lowered himself into the mixture of corn starch and water His movements were slow and controlled as he was still keeping his heart rate extremely low He hadnÆt quite been able to get down to three beats a minute consistently but he was confident that he was below five

Perhaps anticipating the true motive that Randidly had requested corn starch Tatiana had sent up a large tub with the barrels of the stuff And she had the presence of mind to send up a tub that seemed to have been made on the scale of a swimming pool so Randidly truly could completely submerge himself and float down to the bottom Which was exactly what Randidly wanted for this to work the non Newtonian had to completely surround his body and suppress the worst of the vibrations

Non Newtonian fluids were those that did not follow NewtonÆs law of viscosity That meant that its resistance to pressure did not stay constant depending on pressure For the combined corn starch and water an increase in pressure against its surface would cause it to harden into something closer to clay than the runny liquid it normally was

Randidly remembered quite fondly playing with the liquid in elementary school He also believed that with the liquidÆs properties it would be easier to isolate his physical body and the reverberating polarity that was radiating off of him Because the speed of his current training was frustratingly slow with the Aether MinesÆ effect on him So he was willing to try something a bit strange to jumpstart the process

Truth be told Randidly had been slightly misleading about the effect that three Danger Zones’ worth of Aether Mines was having on his body Despite the fact that Randidly’s body was literally a world even he could barely deal with the exponential increase in the pain as the Aether Mines gathered to form more powerful arrays

But the pain was honestly secondary Randidly had endured pain in the past And in his secret heart of hearts he had to admit to himself that he liked a certain amount of pain It helped focus him It kept Randidly’s mind from wandering away from the immediate problems to the looming emotional ramifications of some of the actions he had taken to survive in the System The pain was a constant grind on his focus but it was still within acceptable limits

No the problem was the jolts of polarity For someone who was trying to master the limits of his physical body the jolts made it all but impossible to control his muscles consistently

It was due to that inconsistency that Randidly had been intermittently spasming while reaching for that strange mental veil and release a thunderous boom The first time it had happened Randidly had frozen for several long seconds and tried to figure out exactly HOW loud the noise he had just produced had been When he didn’t receive any questioning message from Tatiana he sighed and believed that he must have simply misunderstood how loud his mistake had been After all he had briefly lost control of his body That loss of control probably added to the abrupt and powerful impression Randidly had of the movement

Perhaps he was completely off base with his memory of the noise released

So Randidly had continued his training without thinking much of it However the more he moved the more spasms had wrecked his carefully controlled form Some of the unexpected movements were relatively harmless such as a leg or an arm straightening of contracting at the same time

One spasm however had been Randidly straightening a leg in the middle of a step with such force that he had catapulted himself perhaps a half mile directly up into the air If his island hadn’t been steadily absorbing the power of the moonlight spirits and Randidly’s images the thunderous force of that step would have likely shattered the ground beneath him and collapsed the former island on top of Kharon

Just to be safe Randidly had controlled his island to float a little bit to the side of Kharon as he continued his training just in case

The reason that Randidly had continued his experiments was that the process was working because the veil that Randidly had determined was mental kept being shattered by the unexpected spasms Since the veil was based on Randidly’s expectations the uncontrolled motions were something of a boon And every time Randidly ripped through the veil he felt it growing a little weaker No longer did he need to rely on an image to forcefully push himself past it Even keeping his heart rate low it was within his reach

Still Randidly couldn’t just flail around for much longer His progress was inconsistent at best Which was why he had switched his focus from destroying the veil to improving his body So he had lowered his heart rate and narrowed his consciousness until he only sensed his own muscles Then he gradually began to spread his Willpower through every inch of his physical body

Of course he had quickly encountered a problem with trying to manipulate his physical body All of the major functions of Randidly’s body were fine but some of his exterior and less well developed muscle groups had experienced the buzzing of the Aether Mines for so long that they were lulled into a senseless numbness For a while Randidly fought against the polarity released by the Aether Mines but it was a force that shifted to the area of least resistance

If Randidly concentrated on his leg and drove the polarity from that area the pressure his arms faced would increase If he focused on his arms and his legs the surface of his skin radiated waves of energy into the air And as soon as he relaxed his guard that energy would come surging back to attack any weaknesses

So Randidly had the idea of the non newtonian fluid Mostly as a way to isolate himself but he hoped that the fluid would react to the reverberations of the polarity and harden to reflect that energy back into his body Because until he could pin the energy down he couldn’t do anything to it

At the bottom of the swimming pool of corn starch and water Randidly released a breath His heartbeat remained in its reduced state only releasing a few strong beats each minute Then Randidly reached out with his Grim Intuition and began gradually controlling the disparate strands of muscle in his body

Randidly freely allowed the Aether Mines to float through his body so they were as far apart as possible Which meant that there was a rather uniform level of pain and vibrations throughout his body As he had hoped the fluid around him hardened under the radiated energy from Randidly’s skin reflecting most of it back into his body Which increased the pain Randidly had to experience but at least meant that polarity could be trapped within the confines of his body

And that made him wonder if he should wait on the muscle control for a bit What if he could completely keep the polarity controlled within his body At the very least it would increase the effectiveness of the training he was about to do With a grin slowly spreading across his face Randidly reached out and focused on his skin For this to work the initial step would be the hardest

Human skin served a lot of function but it was ultimately more of a wall than a garrison it couldnÆt do much in response to external threats It could send signals to other parts of the body to receive the right sort of help but that wasn’t useful for Randidly’s purposes With the non newtonian fluid around him hardening a lot of the polarity was bouncing back and forth across his skin He needed to cut off the avenue of escape for that energy Still even if his skin couldn’t tighten and become more rigid to resist the energy on its own Randidly had some ways of cheating

Congratulations Your Skill Hallucination of the Bloodless Phoenix has grown to Level 220

A wave of gravity spread outward focusing on RandidlyÆs skin The dark edge of the egg of depression appeared above RandidlyÆs head In the darkness at the bottom of the mixture there was no light to bend but Randidly could feel the corn starch and water shiver around him But he ignored the influence of his image and focused on his skin

Although it was painful in its own right Randidly used gravity to press his skin into a tighter denser form Gradually the polarity stopped radiating outward from his skin into the mixture The mixture stopped hardening and began to ooze closer to his body Growling Randidly increased the pressure with gravity His skin needed to be so dense that the polarity couldn’t find purchase within it

Congratulations Your Skill Hallucination of the Bloodless Phoenix has grown to Level 221

Congratulations Your Skill Hallucination of the Bloodless Phoenix has grown to Level 233

As Randidly increased the pressure his skin began to shift to form a cage around the energy of the painful vibrations of the Aether Mines Unfortunately the solution appeared to be far more damaging than the problem His skin began to tremble and tear beneath the powerful forces of gravity The egg of depression pulsed gleefully sucking in the spurts of blood that escape through the tears But just as his skin was about to be ripped to shreds the warm and reassuring golden light of Yggdrasil spread out to cover his body

Congratulations Your Skill Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 244

It was like rain over a land that had been wracked by famine for far too long the restorative energy simply vanished into his skin at first For a while there were no grand effects But gradually the Vitality and Endurance Randidly possessed began to show their value The small tears in his skin were repaired forming an even more powerful seal The compression absorbed the vital energy strengthening the skin

Congratulations Your Skill Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 245

Eventually Randidly’s grin was fully formed he had completely sealed the polarity within his body The waves of force bounced back and forth ravaging his muscles and causing pretty consistent twitches Then his attention could turn inward to the real work

Because as Randidly had theorized before he started he was effectively giving the Aether Mines a smaller space to work with by keeping the polarity from seeping out of his body It had increased the pain until it was nearing Randidly’s limits But he couldn’t stop here his real goal was to gain control of his muscles in spite of the surges of polarity from the Aether Mines This was just some extra training pressure

He couldn’t stop now RandidlyÆs monstrous Control reached out and imposed his will across his body

Every space within RandidlyÆs body was a battlefield First it was surface muscles then the large muscle groups then across the veins and tendons of his body until finally Randidly arrived at his inner organs Each area had to be carefully and evenly controlled pushing the painful vibrations out Each success meant that the road ahead was that much harder Each portion of his body that he reclaimed also needed to be carefully defended to neutralize the increased pressure for the trapped polarity to expand

Two things kept Randidly fighting even as the pain began to feel like a white hot knife of pain being driven into the base of his skull

First his physical Skills rapidly began to earn more and more Skill Levels Yyrwood Flesh had already grown to Level 257 Meanwhile as Randidly had moved through his muscles Monstrosity’s Appalling Physicality had started growing and now reached Level 290

Second his heart rate began to slowly increase And with each beat it seemed to grow more powerful

BA DUM BA DUM

Within the sea of seething polarity it was a steady pulse that was gradually ascending toward dominance

Chapter 1368

At this point Randidly didn’t have the spare attention to try and control his heart rate Besides he felt the demands of his body growing steadily as the battle progressed As the engine of the body the heart was needed to rejuvenate his muscles Blood circulated through him steadily being baptized by the waves of pressure that Randidly was struggling to contain A lot of the blood vessels ruptured but some survived Those survivors continued to circulate gradually thinning out the substance of Randidly’s body until only the superior blood cells remained

A forced evolution began to occur within Randidly Along his skin weaker cells ruptured and stronger ones divided and took their place Within his body the weak or damaged muscles were eviscerated by the waves of polarity allowing stronger ones to quickly grow in their place

Honestly Randidly couldn’t keep track of all the changes going on in his body He could distantly sense that his physique was improving physically in a way that he couldnÆt quite understand But his attention was limited With gritted teeth all his effort was condensed to continue to push back the energy of the Aether Mines The pain was increasing sharply as more and more of RandidlyÆs body toughened and steeled itself against the polarity

BA DUM BA DUM BA DUM

Just as the Aether Mines released periodic pulses of polarity Randidly’s heart began to explode with force with each of its beat It severed as an unexpected blow against the source of the polarity as his heart was situated right in the central area where all of the Aether Mines were congregated The sudden muscle contractions of the heart were powerful enough to eradicate the radiating waves of polarity quickly reducing the strain on the rest of RandidlyÆs body

In that opening Randidly rapidly solidified his control of his muscles With the extra breathing room he didnÆt push deeper toward the central area of his body which was the approximate physical location of his Soulspace The pain was intense but Randidly knew that he wouldnÆt be able to simply rely on grit and his physical body for what came next So in that quiet suspension of corn starch and water Randidly began to experiment

Under his tight control his muscles began to flex individually in vast waves starting from the tips of his fingers and toes running up the limbs and then unleashing the built up muscular momentum to smash toward his core right as the polarity erupted from the massed Aether Mines

Congratulations Your Skill the Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 258

At first his timing was slightly off but Randidly quickly grew more capable of manipulating his body to resist the Aether Mines directly The pain from Aether Mines might only target his non System Aether but RandidlyÆs body began to suppress the effect of the polarity on his physical body Through brute force he gradually quieted the Aether Mines

BA DUM BA DUM BA DUM BA DUM

RandidlyÆs heart rate continued to climb back toward normal levels But after the period of time where he had slowed down to establish a baseline the normal heart rate was completely transformed Perhaps part of the improvement was the baptism of power that his blood and veins had endured as muscle fought polarity across his body but each beat of his heart generated a surge of familiar warmth throughout his person He was ignited by his own physical capabilities

Rather belatedly the image of the Stillborn Phoenix released a wave of its chilling influence to keep RandidlyÆs brain from nearing dangerous temperatures

While the stalemate between the muscular effect and the Aether MineÆs polarity continued raging in RandidlyÆs core Randidly hesitated as he felt gravity pressing against his skin Then he shook his head Around his physical body RandidlyÆs own rumbling waves of physical force echoed outward and caused the surrounding mixture to rapidly harden But compared the polarity the mixture around Randidly was relatively weak very quickly the hardened liquid shattered and cracked allowing more liquid to flow down around him and harden once more

Gradually Randidly began to slowly move his body straightening his limbs so that all the muscle fibers were elongated And after his body was stretched out he carefully examined his situation Releasing a breath Randidly began to gradually improve the efficiency and Control with which he utilized his muscles Within about ten minutes the mixture around Randidly ceased hardening the waves of force radiating from his body were greatly diminished as he controlled himself more directly

Of course this process also had the effect of suppressing the Aether Mines further More and more of RandidlyÆs muscular potential was driven inward to rage across his body Less of the energy was wasted by exploding outward

And at the core of it all his heart continued its acceleration

BADUM BADUM BADUM BADUM BADUM BADUM

The heat had once more risen in his body toward an unbearable level As he released low breaths steam escaped his nose Randidly felt the mixture around him becoming runnier as it was heated by the presence of his body

Which meant it was probably time to stop stalling Randidly released his Hallucination of the Bloodless Phoenix no longer using gravity to keep his skin entirely still Instead the image was entirely focused on keeping his head cool For a few seconds afterward RandidlyÆs skin buzzed with some of the ambient polarity energy that was transferred through But he quickly and systematically used his quiet warmed up muscles to flex and constrict those reverberations Soon the Aether Mines were rather painfully contained in only RandidlyÆs Soulspace

Perhaps due to the tight space the Aether Mines began to shift and rotate it seemed that they werenÆt suppressed just yet The pain radiated out in new in unpredictable ways Unfortunately for this new array of Aether Mines RandidlyÆs body was only too happy to rise to the challenge His heart continued to accelerate

Honestly if there hadnÆt been a challenge Randidly had no idea how his body would have shifted in a low pressure situation Some part of him still needed an external threat to push his body so far beyond what the human body was used to

Once he was able to stabilize in response to the swirling Aether Mine array Randidly did his best to ignore the constant pain and instead marvel at the physical changes that had come over his body Obviously he had started this training to improve his ability to break past the veil of mental restriction that Randidly felt but the results were so much more than that His entire body had been gradually strengthened by the practice in ways that even Randidly wasnÆt sure about yet

At the same time Randidly felt the veil had steadily moved closer to him as his body had grown stronger Now floating in the mixture it wasnÆt even an arm’s length away With a quick movement Randidly could rip through that barrier and

The surprising touch of NeveahÆs mind on his own combined with the constant distraction of the pain made Randidly briefly lose that careful sense of rhythm that allowed his body to suppress the Aether Mines The Aether Mines exploded outward shifting out of the spinning array that was currently giving him so much trouble and returning to their prior formation

Of course this expansion meant that the pain sharply decreased With that little bit of extra help Randidly quickly reasserted his control and pushed the Aether Mines back toward one small spot at his core Once more they began to rotate furiously but they were safely controlled Only then could he spare the attention for Neveah Yes What is it

That swirling formation of Aether Mines NeveahÆs consciousness was there with Randidly indicating different sections that she was focusing on Do you see the contraction Compared to other times the resulting increase in polarity released by the Aether mines is much less than you would expect considering the growth of the polarity in response to pressure so far

RandidlyÆs mind was spinning a dozen plates On the one hand he was manipulating many parts of his body at once to create a surge in muscular strength while also doing his best to monitor and predict the waves of polarity produced by the Aether Mines On the other hand he was doing his best to ignore the sharp pain of housing such a condensed array of Aether Mines So his response to Neveah was rather blank

She chuckled mentally well just believe me when I say that I think you tricked the Aether Mines somehow Because of the rising strength of your body you are producing a force that isnÆt affiliated with any Skills or from the perspective of the Aether Mines a force that is not produced by non System Aether And this spiral array

Neveah paused realizing that Randidly was basically not listening Releasing another amused mental chuckle Neveah just said Just follow my lead I think you are almost out of this Do you have a little gas left in the tank

Randidly just narrowed his eyes

BADUMBADUMBADUMBADUMBADUMBADUMBADUM

The heat was practically unbearable even with the Stillborn Phoenix running damage control RandidlyÆs entire body was wreathed in it He could feel the water in the mixture around him beginning to boil His skin grew increasingly red But on the other hand his muscles were practically gushing with power It grew increasingly hard to control the muscle contractions especially when Neveah tried to guide Randidly to guide the power of his body in a very specific manner

Luckily Neveah began intervening more directly in RandidlyÆs body taking away a large portion of the mental load he was carrying The pain was still a constant companion but Randidly was at his physical peak With Neveah taking half of the stress he followed her in causing his body to precisely invert the rotation of polarity within the Aether Mines

Which was extremely difficult considering the Aether Mines were pressed into a small sphere shaped space and Randidly was dealing with the muscles of his body But Neveah and Randidly worked at the process for almost an hour gradually adjusting the timing until it was perfect By the end of it RandidlyÆs body was exhausted and trembling from dealing with the heightened strain of his overheated state and the pain of the Aether Mines

But just as he was ready to ask Neveah to take a break something snapped into place The physical force produced by his body slid perfectly into the rotation of polarity around the Aether Mines Something there was a click Then first only a single one Aether Mine and then in a rippling cascade the Aether Mines that Randidly held snapped onto one another and fell into an inert state

After a minute the Aether Mines had completely ceased their activity Rather awkwardly an exhausted Randidly hauled himself out of the tub dried corn starch stuck to his clothes He lay on his back and looked upward With a wave of his hand he drove away the silver mist and looked out at the sun sinking toward the horizon

This makes things Randidly blinked still rather stunned Much simpler if Kaan Swacc hasnÆt shown up by now he probably cannot sense they deactivated

We got lucky Neveah replied First your physical body being so much greater than an average person Without the Alpha Cosmos altering you you would have been insensible from the pain far before the point that rotational lock appears Second your ability to generate force without relying on Skills feeding on non System Aether But even with these things we still only have two days to take advantage of this unexpected break

Randidly looked down at his right hand in wonder He could see the mental limitation hovering there perhaps now only a handÆs length away from his body Even as his heart rate slowed down Randidly grinned I think two days will be plenty of time

Chapter 1369

Although he had been confident earlier that the Special Investigator couldnÆt detect the change in the mines after Randidly had lucked into the process of rendering them inert it wasnÆt until an hour passed that Randidly could truly release a sigh of relief Some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed At this point if Kaan Swacc hadnÆt shown up to suppress him he likely wouldnÆt

Finally Randidly had an edge

Still Randidly supposed there was a chance Kaan might check in on him and realize something was wrong at any point so he shouldnÆt completely slacken his guard But after an hour of recovery RandidlyÆs body had gradually settled back into place His heartbeat returned to normal but Randidly somehow knew that the baptism of polarity he had just experienced had greatly increased his physical powers

Each beat sounded like the result of a well made drum his heart was a sonorous and reassuring presence

Due to that shift it had taken him only an hour to recover from the physical and mental strain of dealing with the Aether Mines that might have required a nap from Randidly in the past Sensing that his already monstrous recovery had taken another step further toward ridiculousness Randidly could only shake his head I can feel the difference in the Yggdrasil image especially Now that my body has so much natural health its much easier to create a powerful image of Vitality its practically overflowing into the surrounding area

Randidly glanced around at the surrounding space on his floating island Because night had fallen very little light was filtering through the silver mist Randidly could basically ignore the darkness because of his Grim Intuition but his island was shrouded in heavy shadows Or at least it used to be

While Randidly had been laying still and recovering a strange vine had started to grow in the area around him It was still small and thin but Randidly could see it slithering outward like a snake Along the thin vine faintly glowing lilac buds had formed They didnÆt release a lot of light but with the island shrouded by mist the little light that it could produce carried well

That light softened the surrounding shadows into something fantastical rather than revealing it for the empty land that it currently was

Shaking his head Randidly inwardly criticized the vines for growing near to his position because what came next would be rather destructive But he wasnÆt going to hesitate for a vine especially considering how quickly it had just grown Now with the Aether Mines dealt with and his body better than ever Randidly focused on the strange veil that limited him

With a little bit of focus Randidly tensed and relaxed his body to push his heart rate upward As he did so and the potential power contained in his body grew the veil slowly became detectable in front of him

It was a light barely detectable curtain that hung around him It was a ripple in the air that looked light distortions from heat only uniformly spread around his body If he didnÆt focus on the barrier the limit quickly disappeared from his vision But as he slowly gathered potential energy into his muscles the veil grew ever more tangible

It fluttered around Randidly as he shifted and walked around while observing the way it changed to follow his motions Small movements didnÆt bring Randidly any closer to it but he was interested in how close it now appeared to him

Honestly he couldnÆt make much sense of the difference in perspective Breaking through the veil over and over again might weaken it but what Randidly didnÆt understand was why each attempt made it easier to break through the mental limitation Or more specifically why the mental limit that Randidly had for himself was growing weaker rather than stronger

Because while the first attempt had required him driving his heart up toward the limit subsequent attempts required much less

Frowning Randidly tapped his lips Looks like I was wrong about the source This isnÆt coming from me otherwise it would make no sense for me to have a lowered limit for myself after feeling myself grow more powerful If it isnÆt from me itÆs probably from the System then But there is only one way to find out for sure

Flexing his fingers Randidly grinned Then his arm exploded into motion shooting forward with his fingers rigidly pointed like a falconÆs claw His heart continued to beat at its new normal pace heating his body but not to the point that his skin was red or he was steaming The Talon Strike was a completely normal effort although it was sharp enough to earn him a Skill Level

Congratulations Your Skill Talon Strike has grown to Level 136

With just that casual motion RandidlyÆs fingers encountered the shifting veil of limitations and ripped right through it As soon as he pierced through it the force contained in his strike exploded forward in a tight spiral stretching out beyond the end of the attack The momentum blew a huge hole in the shimmering silver mist of RandidlyÆs island and pierced through the sky Randidly followed it for a bit with his Grim Intuition He could see it impact a cloud and disperse in a wave of billowing water vapor but then he lost sight of the force he produced in the distance

Releasing a breath Randidly pulled back his hand and looked at it Without the distraction of the Aether Mines it was easier to understand the information from his body Or perhaps it was better to say that after the baptism of polarity RandidlyÆs understanding of his body reached a new height

Either way what Randidly had felt when he unleashed the Talon Strike was strange And it made him realize he should have noticed the strangeness of this limit long ago Because after he broke through it before the veil of the limit could capture him once more he experienced a period of boosted strength and speed

Beyond the limit Randidly had been able to throw himself a half mile directly upward with a leg spasm When he threw that Talon Strike the core of force had stayed together for a similar distance without Randidly focusing it at all with an image It spoke to a monstrous amount of physical power Power that Randidly believed he deserved to wield all things considered but it made him reconsider the role of the veil

There must be some suppressing effect while IÆm still within the veil Randidly frowned down at his hand It isnÆt just that I donÆt think I deserve to go to the other side the veil makes it more difficult to approach that limit and when I breakthrough all the force that is denied to me now is returned If it truly is from the System then itÆs unlikely this is a mistake

Randidly began to develop a theory on what the System was doing but he set it aside for now An answer was laying at the end of this Path either way Might as well begin walking

Instead of thinking he began stretching his body After transitioning into a few balancing exercises Randidly conjured the image of the Stillborn Phoenix to float in the around him Mist was blasted away as that dark sphere floated above Randidly It spread its black wings pulling all the warmth and light from the surrounding space Black and dark purple energy seeped out of RandidlyÆs skin until he was entirely covered with it

Then he took a fighting stance

Congratulations Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 273

From stillness Randidly exploded into motion Each strike blasted outward and if it didnÆt tear directly through the limiting veil it brushed against its edge Relying on his recently acquired Cosmic Necessity Randidly began seriously pushing his heart rate upward with repeated combinations of brutal attacks Soon his ears were filled with the echoing thumps of the greatest muscle his body possessed

Congratulations Your Skill Cosmic Necessity has grown to Level 225

RandidlyÆs Grim Intuition carefully kept track of the situation in his body He felt that explosive force fill his limbs every time he ripped through the veil He felt the way the barrier itself shifted slowly creeping closer His limbs cut and sliced through the air releasing huge waves of force The silver mist around RandidlyÆs island was consistently blasted away only to stubbornly gather up once more

The ground shook Cracks spread outward across his island Embarassing as it was he suspected that the people of Kharon could likely hear this training as well

Randidly said a silent prayer for that vine that chose exactly the wrong time to grow around him as he stomped his foot and the island shuddered beneath him Then he exploded forward ripping through the veil In that split second of liberated physical power Randidly engaged in a series of tight steps back and forth changing his direction and momentum with an almost impossible amount of quickness

His weaving steps were so quick that he left after images in his wake The joints of his legs screamed in protest but Randidly ignored them He was a little rusty but this amount of movement wouldnÆt be dangerous

Congratulations Your Skill Cosmic Necessity has grown to Level 226

At this point the spectral veil was pressing against RandidlyÆs skin It was barely holding on underneath the force of his constant assaults Chuckling to himself Randidly accelerated forward Once twice three times Randidly ripped the veil to pieces gradually feeling the physical power he could wield beyond that veil becoming his

Perhaps the twentieth time ripping through the veil after Randidly felt it press up against him something changed The veil began to rip more seriously With a few more powerful moves Randidly had torn it entirely in half The hovering bits of spectral binding dissipated

Even as the mastery of the physical power that Randidly had waited for came to him so too did a notification

Warning The Path you tread is not the one desired from the System Images are the true source of power As such it is encouraged that you proceed to the nearest Village and have your physical manifestation construct repaired This will result in some slight differences in your base physical parameters than you would expect but it is for your own safety

Warning Failure to repair your physical manifestation construct within six hours will be considered a forfeiture of your rights to System provided energy As such all sources of System energy that you currently have access to will be cut off Considering the physical strength required to reach this point this will swiftly lead to your sickness and death

Due to your actions you have unlocked the Path Deathwish I 0/1

Physical Manifestation Construct huh So it was true Randidly allowed the image of the Stillborn Phoenix to fade He rolled his neck from side to side earning himself some satisfying cracks in the process Then he looked at the notifications with bright eyes still wreathed in the Revelation energy That veil I felt wasnÆt a mental imitation from me but it was a limit placed there by the System

Rather than them trying to keep people weak The corner of RandidlyÆs mouth twitched as he read through the notification once again it sorta just seems like they donÆt want to pay the Aether to create warriors with powerful bodies

Chapter 1370

After the Winged Serpent had made the announcement the rest of the Nemesai looked at it in shock They sat in the rather damp cave that they were forced to call their headquarters and still had the pride to balk at the decision that the Winged Serpent had made

The Bandit King spoke first leaning forward and growling across the table Are you being serious

The Winged Serpent nodded slowly Obviously Yes I believe it is our only option

Our worlds will be doomed by this decision The Bandit King hissed Do you truly care about your own life enough to throw away the people that raised you I suppose in your case the things that raised you

The Winged SerpentÆs wings beat slowly It tried to think of a way to comfort the other Nemesai but none were forthcoming The insults were meaningless but it was indicative that the other Nemesis was currently experiencing strong emotions So it simply shrugged Perhaps Even at best taking Randidly Ghosthound up on his offer of collaboration is a gamble But I believe it is a smart gamble He has been able to accomplish much that should be impossible

But still The Bandit King slammed his hand on the stone table but the Grey Lich put a hand on the manÆs shoulder His undead touch was enough to force the other Nemesis to reign in his anger perhaps as much from the disgust from the lich touching him as from the comfort such a gesture offered

Then the Grey Lich turned to glance at the Winged Serpent It is why there is a caveat If Randidly Ghosthound should successfully help the Earth pass the Corrupted Invaders we will accept his offer and work with him We are all aware of the forces arrayed against Earth at the moment a Special Investigator was even dispatched It is enough that was stand neutral for this trial and pick the winner afterward

We are missing a chance to ingratiate ourselves with the Special Investigator The Bandit King countered with another firm thump on the stone table

But this brought a snort from the Obsidian Duke The man leaned back in his seat his obsidian in its liquid form flowing around his limbs DonÆt speak nonsense He is an elite from the Xyrt Brigade In what world would he ever put us in his gaze

The Bandit KingÆs expression soured but he couldnÆt deny that fact The Winged Serpent nodded and then looked around at the Nemesai around him Truth be told the situation on all our homeworlds is tenuous Our people gathered untold resources to earn this chance for ourselves to be Nemesai a chance to hold onto the System for a little longer so we wonÆt be abandoned But even if we succeed here by the time the next Cohort comes around our worlds will be under the same threat

Randidly Ghosthound is an unusual existence His strength cannot be explained And the speed of his growth well It is a gamble But I believe it is for the best It is a distant shot at what might be a permanent solution

And what would that solution be The Bandit King said in a low tone Much of the aggression had gone out of him but his eyes were filled with a poisonous coldness Wait for a miracle

Tier 3 Citizenship in the Nexus The Winged Serpent replied Most of the other Nemesai looked thoughtful And to that even the Bandit King didnÆt have a reply Although it was almost impossible to achieve it was least a known path However it was a fickle hope all of the Nemesai were aware of what the Ghosthound would need to give up in order to save their planets

Slowly the other Nemesai drifted away Eventually only Thea Glasshammer was left looking down at the stone table with a blank expression A lesser being might believe she was confused by the last part of the conversation but the Winged Serpent knew that was not the case In fact Thea likely sensed the true reason that the Winged Serpent felt forced to make this decision

For a few minutes the Winged Serpent gazed at her waiting for her to start the conversation But she did not

Inwardly the Winged Serpent shrugged Then it beat its wings to float away from the table and return to its own quarters If you will not reach out I will not wait for you girl

Winged Serpent I have a question

ItÆs tongue flicking out the Winged Serpent twisted around and looked at Thea It tilted her head to the side in askance It did not intend to make this easy for her

Although the Winged Serpent couldnÆt see TheaÆs hands it was clear that they were balled into fists and pressed to her sides Without the other Nemesai acting as buffers TheaÆs insidious and vengeful image blasted outward and filled the meeting cavern Green spectral flames licked along the walls reminiscent of the flames that animated her Soulbound companion

Is this did you do this Thea even gritted her teeth as she spoke The Winged Serpent blinked lazily Did you make this decision because of me

Yes Then the Winged Serpent turned away from the human Nemesis once again If there is nothing else

You question my loyalty to the cause TheaÆs ominous voice was quiet but the image of flames behind her was not Guided by her reckless rage the other worldly green flames grew taller and taller as the licked up at the walls They spread upward like a disease A swirling pillar of flame began to coalesce directly behind Thea The thing stood and stretched becoming the massive upper torso of a monstrous bear

Definitely powerful And yet The Winged SerpentÆs tongue flicked out Then it nodded Yes I do question your loyalty

The direct answer stopped TheaÆs image short For several seconds she was at a loss The strange green flames flickered and died Emotions warred across her face Then her expression hardened Just because I am human

We both know it is not because of that The Winged Serpent shook its head It hadnÆt noticed it at first but Thea GlasshammerÆs image had a critical weakness It had appeared so dominant because it was desperate It was an image without a strong foundation No the reason that I doubt you is because you chose to become a Nemesis in a moment of strong emotions Afterward I believe someone bound you more tightly to the cause but those bindings have been fading recently have they not Did you think you could hide your flagging resolve

This time Thea was smart enough not to conjure her image But her gaze was cutting as she stared at the Winged Serpent I will never stop searching for vengeance for how Chrysanthemum died What happened to her

And that is the second reason I do not trust you You are broken Thea Glasshammer although you have not yet realized it The Winged Serpent looked at Thea with pity in its gaze It had believed she would soon lead the Nemesai but as her image had grown it was impossible to miss how hollow it was at its core You cannot have missed the way that your bear reacted to Randidly Ghosthound Because we did not And to know that your Soulbound companion is dead to you but responds to another how can you not be shaken by that

Thea went pale Her mouth moved but no sounds came out

Seeing that she was frozen the Winged Serpent continued Your motivation of revenge is derived from ChrysanthemumÆs death but there seems to be more at play than that Even if you wonÆt admit it to us you know it is true That is why I donÆt trust you When it comes down to it you will follow your image So it is better that we fold now to the Ghosthound before itÆs too late

The Winged Serpent turned away for the third time and left the meeting room Thea made no move to stop it

For a few minutes after Randidly received the notifications he was slightly worried about the six hour time limit Not that he had any intention of seeking out a Village Spirit to rebuild some limit of the System especially because of the control that the Special Investigator had demonstrated over Lyra Who knows what a Village Spirit could do if he made himself vulnerable in that way But Randidly did worry that there would be a notification when Randidly was cut off from System Aether if there wasnÆt one already

So Randidly sent out a few messages The first was to Alana and Tatiana telling them to be ready any time to strike Alana to finish off the last Danger Zone and Tatiana to organize the forces that had been assembled to head into the Epic Danger Zone

To that end Randidly rather immediately sent a second pair of messages out The first was to Helen giving her the power to lead the expedition into the Epic Danger Zone as soon as it opened The second was a reply to Heiffal telling him that he and his troops shouldnÆt become involved in this challenge Only if the enemy came for Kharon should they mobilize and then they should act as much as possible to protect the city

The final message Randidly sent was to Octavius Shrike He kept his language as ambiguous as possible but asked whether there had been any sort of warnings based on RandidlyÆs behavior Then he politely asked for a heads up if anything happened

Only afterward did Randidly release a breath and rub the back of his head ItÆs really hard to be in charge Every decision flows through you

Shaking his head Randidly looked at his Path screen at the newly arrived Deathwish I Path The corners of his mouth quirked upward When he had seen it the Path he had immediately remembered was the Heretic Path Randidly wondered whether continually engaging in actions that would be considered suicidal would cause the Path to grow

And then what When I eventually reach Deathwish X will the Nexus send a specialist to gather all my friends and family and stage an intervention for my health Randidly chuckled To convince me to stop engaging in such reckless behaviors

Still if he was only sure of six more hours of peace he couldnÆt hesitate any longer It was time to push his training as much as he could in the remaining time

With a flick of the wrist Randidly produced his Dreamcatcher of the Long Night Not wanting to burn himself out on fighting against Kaan Swacc Randidly chose to head back to that strange moment of Illym before her death As the surroundings blurred in front of RandidlyÆs eyes he soon found himself standing across from Illym in her bedroom The familiar point of IllymÆs sword was about to pierce through her chest and end her own life

While Illym was still dazed with the shock of RandidlyÆs appearance Randidly exploded with the power of images Perhaps NeveahÆs suspicions were correct because as his Willpower flooded through his body each image felt that much more concrete and powerful than before

Congratulations Your Skill Visualization has grown to Level 276

The Grim Chimera raised its head toward the sky and roared Nether and blood mixed freely in RandidlyÆs body pushing his existence toward being more strange and incomprehensible

YggdrasilÆs golden light blasted outward from Randidly His veins became the golden roots his emerald eyes the gleaming and vital leaves His body practically gushed life essence into the surrounding space with each breath

On the other side the chilling aura of the Stillborn Phoenix swirled around Randidly like a familiar cloak It was wrath and hunger and obsession filling RandidlyÆs body with purpose The energy that Yggdrasil produced was almost completely devoured by the Stillborn Phoenix once it had run its course forming a strange almost parasitic relationship

But the three images worked in concert transforming Randidly completely And binding them all together RandidlyÆs heartbeat with exacting precision

Perhaps the effect of using all three images at once was more shocking than what Randidly had expected because for the first time ever Illym spoke at the beginning of their fight You What

Randidly didnÆt give her a chance to say anything more he simply attacked

Chapter 1371

Wearing an apron Roy walked across the modest interior of the home he had made The wooden walls were sturdy and a dark blue carpet covered the floor An icebox sat against the wall next to a bookshelf In that perfectly normal home RoyÆs hands were wreathed in fire weaving together a Skill as he proceeded toward the door and pushed it open

His flaming palm left a hand shaped charred portion on the door As he stepped outside he raised his head and his eyes flashed For a few seconds the human illusion he maintained faded and the necromantic devil he truly was shone through He pointed and an explosion of flame manifested at the base of a pile of oak logs Within a few seconds the fire was happily cracking turning everything to ash

But this isnÆt enough

Roy stepped sharply forward cutting across the intervening space He arrived before another oak tree and his hands curled into claws A shimmering spectral ax manifested in each hand He rapidly cut left and right with his hands that wielded his insidiously powerful image The tree couldnÆt respond at all to his rapid moves it was in fact a completely normal tree Within a second it was cut down and split into more logs It was irreparably broken

Most of these logs were set to the side but Roy threw some on top of his growing fire It warmed his chilled heart to see his fire grow larger

Adjusting his clothes after his frantic motions Roy walked calmly toward the black kettle sitting next to the wooden home he had built With an almost reverent expression he carefully brought the equipment out His hands trembled as he assembled the spit and then hung the large black cauldron above the flame Normal grey smoke wafted upward forming a rapidly dissipating signal in the sky

RoyÆs face tightened as he looked at that column of smoke At this rate my plan will be revealed early His face contorted in a devilish grin I suppose there is no choice but to move up the timeline

After speaking Roy surged into motion He forcefully blasted apart the wooden door of his home in his haste to go inside Then his hands were once more blurred axes cutting and hacking the ingredients he had already prepared and set on the table By the end of it the table had been reduced to a pile of useless timber that collapsed to the floor but Roy ignored the casualty in his preparations he swept everything off the table and spun away to return to the cauldron

The order in which things should be prepared for this ritual was very exact but Roy didnÆt have time for the niceties of ceremony In his mind the black cauldron became an ominous maw that devoured the ingredients wholesale leaving nothing but crumbs behind The liquid within the cauldron grew increasingly turbid

With a wide grin Roy stoked the flames When the heat reached a point that he liked he produced a cold iron spoon and stirred the mixture It was with great relish that Roy felt the hastily cut chunks knock against his tool Soon soon

But even as he said that RoyÆs face twisted in horror A blur shot across the horizon rapidly approaching his position Roy scrambled backward but that blur arrived before he could escape its clutches

The ground cracked and shook as a wave of dust blasted outward from the impact point It was distant enough that the fire continued to burn but the flames wavered and the liquid inside of the cauldron sloshed back and forth

Neveah straightened and brushed herself off Then she looked over at Roy and offered him a winning smile You finish dinner yet hun

Roy stumbled backward fear making him quake Gritting his teeth his pride forced Roy to stop and straightened his spine Even if a vicious punishment was coming Roy refused to retreat from it I no Neveah I havenÆt finished in time ThereÆs no excuse

Neveah rolled her eyes and walked forward to look down into the bubbling cauldron Are you telling yourself another one of your strange stories again I hope you realize you will never make a genuine connection if you refuse to be honest with yourself and other people

Again Roy could do naught but endure NeveahÆs words He didnÆt dare contradict her considering that she controlled his life and death And the current state of his existence was tenuous

Oh This is pretty good Neveah interrupted his thought process having stuck one of her long fingers into the soup and tasting it Her expression brightened further and she waved her hand at Roy Well whatever you are thinking get some plates will you I canÆt just eat it by the handful

Again panic seized Roy No Neveah itÆs not yet finished cooking If you eat it early some of the flavor

IsnÆt it fine Neveah said quickly proving her earlier statement wrong by reaching down into the cauldron and removing a handful of soup that she slurped messily up into her mouth

Roy could only fall to his knees trembling The flavor

DonÆt be so melodramatic And go get those plates Neveah chuckled continuing to inhale the only partially cooked soup

Sighing Roy went into his home He walked around the table that had been hacked to pieces He brought out plates and spoons for them both and a serving ladle Soon Neveah was messily slurping at the edge of her plate before serving herself seconds Roy ate his soup rather more sedately flinching every time Neveah looked over at him

By the end of the meal Neveah was so annoyed at his reactions to her that she tossed her plate still half full of soup at Roy It smashed against his head and shattered sending him stumbling He dropped his own plate which also shattered

Neveah shook her head IÆm trying to help you you know It would be easier if you werenÆt so filled with fear Not toward me obviously you need to stop being so afraid of yourself

Then Neveah left leaving Roy sitting with soup splattered across his face The cooling mixture dripped out of his hair and onto his shirt as he sat and watched her go And after she left RoyÆs expression shifted From fear it settled into a resentful bitterness When he was sure she was gone he pressed his lips together and spat on the ground next to him

There wasnÆt any point in continuing his inner narrative without an audience In fact to do so would just demonstrate how much of a lie it really was

Then with footsteps far heavier than the ones he had when he had walked out of his cabin and created the fire he walked inside and carefully washed off his face

The truth huh Roy sighed as he used a towel to squeeze the potatoes carrots and onions out of his hair He didnÆt have a mirror in the hastily made home but he waved his hand and conjured one Roy looked at his reflection showing the illusion of the heroic human that he had used to be He was middle aged but attractive with a winning smile His bushy brown facial hair framed his face well He was a hero

Then the illusion flickered and Roy stared at what he really was A skeleton with glowing eyes The Undying Hero An abomination who had seen beyond the edge of this life and been eternally scarred by what he found there

But even this was fine It was that third flicker that sent waves of panic through RoyÆs heart When Roy looked at the mirror he saw himself as the man he used to be His hair was oily His eyes were dull His limbs were weak and his stomach was flabby He was the man who had worked in data entry at a cookie cutter insurance company He was the man who ran from himself with the System arrived seeking a new life

Very quickly Roy looked away Then he pressed his eyes closed I hate it I hate who I used to be So why

Part of the problem was Neveah keeping here and forcing him to do menial tasks and play house with her when she wasnÆt studying Engravings or helping Randidly Ghosthound Her treating him respectfully was strange for Roy but he ultimately could have dealt with it while plotting his escape and revenge Which was what he had intended to do in the beginning

That was until the day after Randidly GhosthoundÆs birthday when Roy had received his third Labour the Doldrums of Normalcy

It should have been easy Roy had been flabbergasted at first by how simple his new Labor had been As a hero the Labors were the source of his power Each Labor that he successfully completed would increase his strength and abilities by a large margin It was the way that the Hero Class functioned

His first Labor had been dying which obviously had a profound effect on him His second Labor had been being tortured by the ruler of the frog world And now his third Labor was to live normally if only just for a time

So Roy had told himself that he could do it Since he was captured by Neveah anyway he would put aside his plots to escape and simply live And when he completed this Labor he could use his newfound power to escape

Very quickly memories had caught up with Roy Moments of inexplicable dread left him unable to move when he had no pressing need to do anything Still it wasnÆt like he was an idiot He knew that this Labor would increase his mental strength His images when he finally could escape normalcy would be so much more powerful

But he slowly had begun to panic What if he never escaped normalcy What if he was slowly regressing to the man he used to be What if everything so far was a dream

Normalcy had begun reclaiming him too For the first time since Roy had died he felt the suffocating weight of depression If it wasnÆt for Neveah bossing him around Roy might not even move around during the day

And Roy could try and escape but that would mean he failed to complete Labor And that seemed like it would entail consequences So Roy wanted to complete it

I RoyÆs mouth was dry Well it was obviously dry he was a skeleton Yet he couldnÆt work up even the spit to speak He just stared blankly forward at his own reflection Then he waved his hand and the mirror shattered

Even the secret darkness Roy still held in his body the remnant of dying and experiencing what the System had in store for everyone that it was able to grasp was cowed by the crippling weight of being normal That horrible truth the one that had driven Roy to seek to halt the progress of the Earth through the System no longer made Roy froth at the mouth It was just a truth

It was because the normal Roy felt powerless What was the point of doing anything Nothing would change His prior actions were a childish tantrum

Fuck Roy whispered Then he shifted and walked to a shelf along the wall After a long hesitation he removed a piece of paper from his interspatial ring and began to write a letter

When Octavius Shrike had received Randidly GhosthoundÆs message his expression had twisted in fury The message didnÆt explicitly say anything but Octavius had dealt with Randidly for a long time The fact that whatever he had done had made the Ghosthound nervous enough to reach out was a bad sign

So Octavius had sat at his desk and waited for the inevitable hammer to fall One hour passed then two And to his surprise there was no feedback from the System As far as it was concerned whatever had happened didnÆt require a notification

Around hour five Octavius Shrike was beginning to relax He received a message from a friend in the Nexus which caused him to jump But when he saw it wasnÆt concerning Randidly Ghosthound at all Octavius quickly relaxed

But then Octavius read the message The hammer had come from an extremely unexpected source His eyes widened Dear god

Chapter 1372

Alana glanced sideways at Hank His image was spreading across the top of the sand dune keeping the worst at bay You ready

Hank flashed her a grin and spun his repeater Both barrels are polished Lana Just give the word

AlanaÆs gaze slid sideways along the row of dunes around them They had patiently waited on alert for the past two days Based on the warning from Randidly Alana had made sure that they were partially ready at all times in case the opposition moved before they did But the past two days had been quiet By this point her people were eager to attack and get this over with The waiting had begun to wear on their nerves

They were also tired of being the only task force not to eliminate its Danger Zone

After checking her watch Alana raised her gaze There was a shimmer in the air around her and then two long pearlescent wings spread from her helmet Orange and gold flames exploded from those wings giving Alana an almost holy brightness A clear clarion call spread out over the surrounding desert briefly suppressing the whipping wind As one the independent forces moved with surprising cohesion to assault the Corrupted Invaders

Show off Hank muttered as he adjusted his hat and began to run

Alana grinned at him as the two accelerated down the slope to the force below Next time donÆt call me Lana Hank Howard

Snorting Hank drew his revolver flicked the cylinder to set it spinning and then took aim At the last second he flipped the cylinder back into the gun and fire A screaming bullet ripped forward and hit the center of the Corrupted Invader base with all the subtlety of a cruise missile The Skill that created a dome of white light around the base shattered A building erupted in a blast of fire

Randidly sat in the center of his island with his legs crossed All that was left was to wait for the Special Investigator to arrive for the fated duel AlanaÆs assault had just begun and it wouldnÆt be long before the Epic Danger Zone would be revealed At that point the representative of the Xyrt Brigade wouldnÆt need to hold back any longer

And Randidly was now as prepared as he could be

All three of RandidlyÆs images were held in his chest ready for the fight The Grim Chimera paced back and forth his ashen breath streaming from his nostrils Yggdrasil spread its branches into the surrounding air absorbing energy from the sun and channeling it into RandidlyÆs body The Stillborn Phoenix hovered in RandidlyÆs chest bending the surrounding light as it continued to devour Second by second his newest image was working its emotions into a frenzy Its wild hunger was rapidly growing in power

Neveah sat nearby looking at a scroll and making some notes on it The corner of RandidlyÆs mouth quirked upward Even now she was reviewing the Engravings that she found in YystrixÆs tomb At this point Neveah had made some progress all of the ten different areas in the grand Engraving on the floor of the tomb Each she had deciphered about 20% of the way

Based on her interest Neveah was now pushing forward in only one specific area an Engraving pattern related to giving life to lifeless things At this point she had been able to make it 50% through the complex series of tasks and puzzles of that section But Randidly couldnÆt fault her for her dedication he understood that the reason that she had chosen that area of study was because of his arm

Randidly glanced over at the dark metal of the limb Good timing too because it really is nearing its limit in some of those projected fights against Illym it gave out at very inconvenient times My new physical power isnÆt always a good thing

In particular Randidly remembered a time where he had collapsed IllymÆs house on top of himself and earned a brief counter attack from one of IllymÆs parents It had hurt Apparently losing both daughters had hurt their Willpower because the power that he had felt in the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night was just as intimidating as Kaan Swacc

Sighing Randidly pushed those thoughts away and breathed to calm himself His heartbeat was steady

The minutes ticked past With nothing else to think about Randidly once again considered the decision he made prior to giving Alana the go ahead to attack the final Danger Zone whether or not to complete the Image Cooperation I Path

While training the past two days Randidly had accumulated 617 PP Most he had carried over from his prior look at Paths but Randidly still wasnÆt sure what he wanted to spend it on The only choice that really appealed to him was the Image Cooperation but Randidly didnÆt quite think that his Stillborn Phoenix was quite ready for the merging

With his physical body no longer limited by the System both Yggdrasil and the Grim Chimera rapidly improved their capabilities Both were much easier to manifest in the real world now that Randidly had a more powerful body to channel them through But the Stillborn Phoenix was different His understanding of how it should function was still growing even if most of his Skill training concerned related Skills

So he had decided to wait But now that he was simply sitting here

Too late now Randidly thought with a focused finality He closed his eyes and pushed even those thoughts away Gradually he brought his heart rate up He could feel it now the weight of the moment After the situation at his birthday feeling the importance of the moment and then becoming aware of Kaan Swacc Randidly had been very careful with letting his Nether shift at all But now that the fight was coming

There was no longer a reason to hold back

Nether circulated quickly through his body Sensing the impending storm his Nether Nebula grew increasingly dense In their inert form the Aether Mines didnÆt even react to the growing store of Nether that Randidly had in his body Faint distortions appeared in the air around him as he let the Nether run wild

Come and suppress me Special Investigator A ghost of a grin crossed RandidlyÆs face Neveah and I have prepared a surprise for you

The tension steadily grew Randidly continued to breathe and his heart continued to beat But then Randidly received a message from Alana

Danger Zone cleared Returning to Zone 1 to assist with the Epic Danger Zone

RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed Well if we have a bit of spare time might as well take advantage of it

Get ready Neveah Randidly said aloud WeÆve cleared the last hurdle

Thank god Neveah said flippantly IÆve been getting so bored

Randidly then closed his eyes and sent out his Grim Intuition With Neveah next to him he wasnÆt really worried about being surprised by the Special Investigator Or rather he trusted that Kaan would show himself and want to taunt Randidly before launching a deadly attack

So Randidly sent out his vision to feel the manifestation of the Epic Danger Zone And even Randidly had to admit he was rather impressed with its entrance

Lake Apollo was an enormous lake Or at least to RandidlyÆs knowledge it was extremely large The size was such that even with enhanced eyesight it wasnÆt possible for someone to see across to the other side Yet as Randidly reached out to see the situation he saw the water draining out of Lake Apollo

First gradually but then in a sloshing torrent the billions of gallons of water vanished Aside from the occasional sea monster flobbing around in the revealed ground nothing was left but stone and seaweed With grim expressions Helen led the EarthÆs forces toward the enormous hole that appeared at the heart of Lake Apollo After gathering themselves they followed the missing water down to drive out the threat

Randidly tensed and prepared for the Special InvestigatorÆs arrival and stayed tense for the next eight hours

At which point a notification appeared in the sky

Congratulations people of Earth You have successfully risen to the challenge and defeated the Corrupted Invaders Because you finished the task set to you within the time limit the energy given to Earth has been greatly increased In addition all random Classes offered at Villages will be slightly more valuable The chance of an extremely rare Class appearing has increased by 3% The chance of a unique Class appearing has increased by 001%

In addition in the depths of the Epic Danger Zone there are two tokens Those tokens can be redeemed to gain Tier 1 citizenship in the Nexus Please also note that if someone obtains three such tokens it is possible to combine them to form a Tier 2 token with greater benefits

RandidlyÆs expression was solemn as he looked at the notification the Special Investigator didnÆt come Did we miss something

Perhaps we were tricked Neveah admitted She too was staring at the notification But if so then where didnÆt the Special Investigator want us focusing

A split second later RandidlyÆs heart dropped out of his chest He had checked his Alpha Cosmos directly after he obtained the Aether Mines to see if they affected the wellbeing of the people living there but since then

Without waiting to inform Neveah of his thoughts Randidly appeared in the Alpha Cosmos With a furious roar Grim Intuition exploded outward from him quickly figuring out the situation

not here either Randidly panic turned to confusion He scanned the Alpha Cosmos several times but could detect nothing strange But he supposed maybe fighting against Yystrix for so long just made him paranoid about his Soulspace aside from her Randidly had not met anyone else who could influence it Ileot wanted to duplicate it but he needed RandidlyÆs assistance for that

He left his inner world and then flicked his hand to conjure the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night The complex geometric lines made by the rope between the various hoops were mesmerizing as he entered that world of chimes

He quickly returned to an impression he had purposefully created for later one right before he had sent Alana the order to attack the Danger Zone

In the projection Randidly exploded in a wave of Nether He undid all of the Aether Mines Then he waited in the projection until he began to feel the beginnings of a headache but Kaan Swacc didnÆt show up

Randidly returned to the real world He glanced at Neveah This damnit honestly I want to be relieved that we made it through without trouble but this

Actually I donÆt think we have quite made it through without any trouble Neveah said She pointed upward Look

Randidly glanced upward Then he blinked several times With a hand gesture the silver mist cleared Above him was a bright blue afternoon sky but sitting in the middle of it like an ink stain on a t shirt was a deep endless darkness filled with questing azure veins Circling around that was a dense network of Aether connections burning with intensity as though under fire

Why the hell is the Great Rift here Randidly asked aloud

Chapter 1373

Randidly and Neveah looked up at the sky in silence for several seconds

The only thing that was currently clear was that the Nether in the sky was caged in Aether Constructs that were visibly acting to keep the vast darkness contained Which was something of a relief to Randidly But it was disturbing to be able to see the representation of the Great Rift hovering above Earth It was like a second slightly larger moon Except it looked to be a baseball of darkness surrounded by shimmering red violet lines of energy

Bit by bit Earth is turning into a fantasy world Randidly thought slightly amused despite the worrisome circumstances

People will want to know what happened to put that in the sky Neveah said rather unhelpfully as the duo stood on RandidlyÆs island and stared upward

Shrugging Randidly just said Of all the issues running through his mind that was the least of them Since we just passed the test for the Corrupted Invaders I think most people will just assume it is related to the test the System gave us But in the meantime we need to figure out what is actually going on

Randidly activated Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart A ripple spread out around them It weakened the effect on gravity on both of them allowing them to leap upward and soar toward the sky Honestly this was a good chance to determine whether the Earth had been largely physically preserved in this new form Was it even still a planet now that it was a part of the System

So the two of them shot upward Very quickly Randidly needed to manifest the Stillborn PhoenixÆs image directly in order to strengthen their upward momentum They continued to shoot upward piercing through clouds They blasted through thick swaths of raindrops and then clouds of drifting frost The temperature around them rapidly dropped but both were more than powerful enough to ignore the chill In the meantime Randidly sent a message both to Octavius Shrike and Lady Iellaya to see if they had any idea why such a thing would manifest above Earth

As they went upward no obvious clues manifested themselves The silence of the sky surrounded them But although they didnÆt see any cause for the Great RiftÆs presence after approaching it Randidly and Neveah could see that the cage of Aether in the sky was nowhere near as inert as they had initially assumed It wasnÆt that the Great Rift had been contained They could see the movements of Nether smashing periodically against the Aether cage as though it was about to break out and sweep away the planet below

Not only had the Great Rift arrived but it was actively struggling to break through AetherÆs defenses Feeling the air beginning to thin around them Randidly slowed their ascent and glanced around They had pushed up through the cloud layer and quite a bit beyond but from what he distantly remembered from school they were still well within the EarthÆs atmosphere The horizon around them seemed to bend away in brilliant blue waves It was a pure and austere place

At this point they had closed perhaps half of the distance to where the Great Rift and the Aether constructs were struggling It stretched like a mountain in their vision dominating a large portion of the atmosphere around here It was reassuring to see that it seemed the Earth was a sphere once more but it just made him have as many additional questions as it answered

Probably not the best to just jump up there and figure out how surviving in space works Randidly thought as they decelerated chewing his lip He likely could survive out there for a while but he was slightly leary of unanticipated side effects But then Neveah interrupted his thoughts

Randidly look That Neveah began but even she was cut off as a huge mass azure Nether veins in the shape of an enormous hook slashed at the Aether cage around the Great Rift

There was a deafening physical reverberation that spread out across the sky speaking to the imposing contact between the two energies But what followed a full second later was a more subtle and to RandidlyÆs mind much more dangerous wave

EarthÆs Aether shivered and resonated for a split second And that resonance brought with it a horrible wave of pain as it sheered through his Soulspace Instantly RandidlyÆs expression turned grim

Perhaps most of the reason that he was affected so strongly by the resonance was that he was much nearer to the source and because the cloud of Aether that Randidly carried with him was that much larger than an average person Randidly Ghosthound was quite a big Aether target In fact the Aether that Randidly consistently maintained around his person rivaled that of a small Village

But Randidly also noticed that the painful Aether resonance was mostly through the System Aether It was somewhat more muted when it began flowing through RandidlyÆs pure Aether So if he felt pain here it was likely that everyone on Earth felt at least a sharp stab of pain

Randidly and Neveah exchanged a glance their shared thoughts flitting across their Soulbond Randidly sighed Hopefully those donÆt occur very often But it seems clear that this is going to be a problem It doesnÆt match any aspect of the Calamities that I remember hearing about could it be another detail of the old scenario for these Corrupted Invaders IÆm sure that creatures of Nether are categorized as CorruptedÆ But the notification indicated the trial was over

there is something else that might be possible Neveah said slowly Did you not weaken the control that the Xyrt Brigade had over that Nether King on the frontlines Perhaps this is just the Nether King coming to thank you for your assistance

Both Neveah and Randidly watched the Nether of the Great Rift lash out and attack the cage of Aether around it The red violet lines of energy hissed and spat in response Small bolts of violet energy radiated outward from the Aether constructs evidence of the high degree of strain it was under In some places it was clear that the construct was beginning to warp

Randidly forced out a chuckle This doesnÆt seem like a thank you besides The world doesnÆt revolve around me Neveah Not everything that happens is my fault or is a sign of someone new trying to kill me

well if you are sure Neveah said giving Randidly a decidedly unconvinced look Rolling his eyes Randidly used Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart to carry them back down to land on his island After being up in the thin aired atmosphere for so long Randidly was almost uncomfortably warm back near the ground But he ignored that and pulled out his PhilosopherÆs Key

With his eyes closed Randidly pressed the key forward through the air tasting the various karmas in the universe If no one would answer RandidlyÆs message to tell him what was going on he would simply drop in on one of them and demand answers This seemed like a time sensitive issue perhaps it would also give him an explanation for why Kaan Swacc was MIA

But what Randidly felt in the surrounding air chilled him Gradually he opened his emerald eyes and frowned down at the Philosopher’s Key ThereÆs something obstructing the karmic connections But why

Soundlessly Randidly shook his head Then he closed his eyes again and focused It was almost like those little notes of karma had become murky to RandidlyÆs vision Like the presence of the Great Rift in the sky above Earth cast a long shadow across the bindings of karma But even if they were shrouded in shadow Randidly eventually found the connection he was looking for

The key went partially into the groove in the air but then it slowed and stopped as it encountered resistance RandidlyÆs grip tightened on the PhilosopherÆs Key His heart began to beat steadily faster Thick veins emerged on his arms and ran up from his wrist

Probably not something that can be solved with just physical power but

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Avoidance has grown to Level 253

RandidlyÆs arm began to tremble His images all began to manifest around him RandidlyÆs skin grew pale and his veins turned gold And in that moment of strain an idea of how to make the image of the Stillborn Phoenix clicked into place in RandidlyÆs mind He followed his instincts and suddenly the light in his left eye dimmed

After a blink the emerald brightness had vanished RandidlyÆs left eye became an inky black with light in the surrounding space beginning to dissipate under its intense pull Because of the visual distortions a portion of his face seemed to melt and spin around that black egg that took up residence in his skull

Congratulations Your Skill Cosmic Necessity has grown to Level 241

BADUMP BADUMP BADUMP

All three images pushed with the overwhelming potency of an image built by hand The veil over the karmic connections groaned beneath that force and then collapsed The Philosopher’s Key engaged and built a bridge of impossibility between two distant points Once the portal had been established Randidly released a huge sigh After blinking a few times his left eye returned to normal Only then did he step forward and walk into the office of Octavius Shrike Overseer of the Seventh Cohort

Randidly was rather surprised to find Octavius sitting at his desk and furiously typing away at his terminal And whatever was consuming his attention was so pressing that it took Octavius almost five seconds to realize something had changed in his office And when he looked up his rhinoceros face was curled into a snarl But when he finally recognized Randidly his eyes widened

Randidly Ghosthound how did you manage to come here

Randidly awkwardly scratched the back of his head His body was still slightly heated from activating his physical power earlier which made him further distracted But it was clear that Octavius at least knew something that he didnÆt WhatÆs going on Octavius Why is the Great Rift in the sky over Earth

We are under attack Octavius said grimly The Nether forces wait what did you say You can see the Great Rift ItÆs above Earth as we speak

Randidly frowned DidnÆt you just say there was an attack by Nether

There is but we werenÆt sure where Nether was focusing its offensive I suppose Earth makes a great deal of sense OctaviusÆ eyes flicked away from Randidly and he pulled out one of the drawers on his desk and began rummaging within it After a bit he pulled out a scroll that was covered with complicated Aether symbols that Randidly completely was unable to understand

Octavius looked at the scroll and clicked his tongue But as I was saying the Seventh Cohort is being attacked directly Thirty hours ago one of our smallest frontlines was completely overwhelmed by a surprise attack of a Nether army of unknown size Even the emergency response team from the Xyrt Brigade was slaughtered They were reserve forces as most of the genuine Xyrt Brigade is constantly in the field but still it spoke to the first loss the Nexus has had in twelve hundred years

Why Earth then Randidly said feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he remembered NeveahÆs words Was it really just a coincidence that the Great Rift had manifested above Earth And why would the Nether Forces attack a Cohort directly Are they trying to cut off the flow of images to the Nexus

Randidly was abruptly realizing that he had misread this issue entirely Rather than a plot by someone within the Nexus his home planet might literally be soon overrun by a hostile Nether force

Octavius grimaced No that isnÆt their goal although they probably wonÆt mind doing so But have you ever wondered how the messaging system within the Nexus works No I suppose not I sent out a System announcement about certain functions of the System might not be working for a while but appears not even that made it out to you the truth is Aether isnÆt capable of maintaining the huge network of the Nexus Only Nether principles can keep us connected

Each Cohort in essence is a new expansion of that network Therefore each Cohort runs on the back of a subdued Nether King We expect that this is a rescue mission for the Nether to liberate the Nether King at the core of the Seventh Cohort

Chapter 1374

God fucking damnit Kaan Swacc growled smashing his fist against the locked door in front of him once more The lock was a purely metaphysical one but he was completely barred passage all the same

Timing had not been on his side these past few days In the aftermath of it all it felt like he had a bubbling cauldron in his chest constantly threatening to explode outward and devour what little remaining self control that Kaan possessed Yet Kaan lightly clapped his hands together releasing three harmonious chimes It didnÆt completely rid him of his rage but it did let him focus

Pressed her back up against the stone wall of this secret chamber in the System Ways around Earth Lyra watched him He ignored her for now Once more he reviewed the circumstances of the last few days

The Special Investigator Kaan Swacc had watched with relish as the humans began their attacks on the final Danger Zone He had begun his own preparations to launch an attack on Randidly Ghosthound and force him to reveal his Nether affiliations when he received the emergency distress beacon sent out by the frontline nearest to Cohort 7

Despite the importance of his mission on Earth his duty to the Nexus came first Per regulations he left Earth immediately and proceeded to reinforce the frontlines But by the time that he had arrived there the forces of Aether were already slaughtered So he went to the closest Xyrt Brigade facility to figure out what the situation was

Apparently he had missed the Xyrt Brigade emergency response teamÆs departure by mere minutes Which was good because the entire group had been slaughtered without even having time to send a report as to how many opponents were in the Nether horde But it was bad because when Kaan Swacc had finally established contact with the Xyrt Brigade chain of command they took the fact that he hadnÆt been in time to join the emergency response as a deliberate act on his part

Due to that cowardiceÆ he was relieved of his military rank pending a trial that would happen after the current crisis was resolved In effect Kaan Swacc was dismissed and exiled to Earth in the interim

The frustrating part of that was that when Kaan returned to the planet the Epic Danger Zone had already been cleared Even worse although he noticed the presence of Nether in the sky part of the privileges that he lost when his rank was striped was the use of the Xyrt Brigade dedicated channels of communication So he could not report to the higher command that this was the beachhead of whatever assault Nether was planning and earn merit in that manner

But he supposed that the System would release an emergency beacon as soon as its constructs were breached Already the natural defenses against the Great Rift around Earth were wearing thin He would not have long to wait

Each hour more painful disharmonies radiated outward through Aether Very soon the Nether forces would break through And there was nothing that Kaan Swacc could do about it

All this is your fault Kaan Swacc whispered picturing the smirking face of Randidly Ghosthound In truth Kaan should have been prepared for this from the beginning he had known that Randidly Ghosthound was a talented Nether spy But some part of Kaan hadnÆt quite acknowledged the threat that Randidly represented

Not the boy himself obviously He was just a foolish brat that was in over his head despite all the Nether he held in his body But the fact that he was able to fake several impressive exploits and earn a Commandership on a frontline even a minor one meant that the Nether forces had put significant resources behind him

Was it any shock that they would even send a Nether King with perfect timing to foil KaanÆs plan Or probably Randidly had given the signal giving the Nether inside information to take advantage of the situation once Kaan Swacc had been pulled away from the planet

Still all was not lost Despite all of the rest of KaanÆs life coming crashing down around him one fact continued to make him smile Stretching out his hand Kaan produced the Aether Mine controller and was glad to see that none of the Aether Mines had yet been deactivated by Nether Each remained functional With all four Danger Zones emptied Randidly Ghosthound every breath must be agony at this point

You want to see which of us can hold out longer Kaan Swacc forced his rage down and his mouth stretched wide in a smile I wonÆt fall for your trap IÆll wait until you reveal your true colors and then I will crush you

The long and short of it Octavius explained to Randidly was that the Nexus had been completely caught flat footed Although there were defenses in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening twelve hundred years of relative peace for the Nexus had made its vigilance lax Those protections had atrophied to nothing as could be seen in the fate of the emergency response force

Real power would need to be brought to bear and that would take time Although it was much easier now that Randidly had reported the location of the attack Octavius had known the attack was coming somewhere but hadnÆt had much luck locating its exact position

His initial few searches hadnÆt included Earth at all Apparently the further through the SystemÆs tasks a world progressed the more it would move toward the center So he had started with planets that were deeper in the System process

So Octavius had been arranging for his aides to physically travel to each of the planets that were engaging a Calamity when Randidly had arrived Octavius shook his head continuing to look down at his scroll It makes sense that the Nether would pick a planet like yours however About to engage with a Calamity so near enough to the center of the Cohort But since the Calamity has yet to occur the Nexus isnÆt watching as closely Is there anything else you remember That could explain why Earth was targeted

Octavius Shrike gave Randidly a sharp look as he spoke Randidly thought about it Aside from me do you mean ThereÆs nothing that you donÆt already know but I was curious if it could have to do with the special trial the Earth was given There were additional Aether constructs engaged right

Ah I see Octavius Shrike rubbed his chin That is possible Perhaps they thought the Earth was more important than it actually is because of how much Aether was around it

Randidly let the comment about Earth being unimportant pass without comment After loudly clicking his teeth together Octavius turned back to Randidly IÆve already contacted the Xyrt Brigade Their true experts should deploy within forty eight hours In the meantime spread the word on your planet that there might be some strangeness in the way that the System behaves Unusual Classes Paths or Skills that appear I would recommend that the people of Earth ignore these deviations for everyoneÆs sake

That had RandidlyÆs hackles rising Strangeness

The Nether assault is ripping apart the infrastructure of the System and integrating itself into the wreckage The System will continue to function but there will be errors Octavius waved a hand at Randidly Don’tÆ look at me like that itÆs just a warning ItÆs probably nothing but your planet is already under so much scrutiny because of the fact that you were given this special test And you passed it I think it will be difficult now to avoid the Nexus Council investigating in more detail once this threat has passed since the original Vualla still hasnÆt returned and it would be for the best that they found nothing of note when they did

You are suggesting that people could develop Nether related Skills Randidly said eyebrows rising as he considered the possibility Especially

Especially when the people of Earth realize that the pressure they sense from Nether is the same pressure they felt from you They will think itÆs natural to gain that sort of strength so it will be natural for them to reach for it Octavius Shrike finished the thought for Randidly

Is it still necessary to hide my Nether usage from the Nexus Randidly glanced sideways at Octavius The Cohorts are built on top of Nether Kings for godÆs sake

Octavius Shrike shrugged Until you have the protection of someone of power within the Nexus what does the truth matter You are too eye catching Randidly Ghosthound Perhaps even worse strange things keep happening around you The people of the Nexus do not adapt well to change

Randidly grunted but didnÆt reply After saying goodbye to Octavius he walked up to his portal But at the last moment he looked over his shoulder So what happens if the Xyrt Brigade doesnÆt make it in time If this Nether force frees the Nether King under the Seventh Cohort

It has never happened in the past Octavius said softly Pursing his lips Randidly left OctaviusÆs office and returned to his floating island

He released the portal and reached up to ruffle his black hair This was becoming increasingly problematic And it did nothing to improve RandidlyÆs mood when as soon as he came back and looked upward he saw another huge hook of azure veins striking the cage of Aether that was keeping the forces of Aether out of Earth

Another horrible wave of pain spread out across the planet Luckily Neveah hadnÆt been idle as Randidly went and talked to Octavius She had spread out RandidlyÆs Aether to cover the sky largely muffling the effect that the strike would have on the average person But Randidly didnÆt miss the way that this strike was more powerful than the one he had felt only a half an hour earlier

Neveah landed next to Randidly Looks like the defenses will only hold up for a few more hours Should I try and reinforce it

After thinking about it for a bit Randidly shook his head From OctaviusÆ explanation the forces of Nether donÆt actually need to attack the Earth They just need to get through the defenses so they can access the core construct that connects us to our Cohort Besides Octavius advises us to do nothing to attract attention in the meantime Being too skilled with Aether probably counts as attention grabbing

Neveah snorted If you say so But I doubt things will be that simple

I know I know Randidly sighed Then he sent out several messages informing the leaders of the various Zones of the streamlined version of what he had learned from Octavius Specifically that the darkness in the sky was not an extension of the Corrupted Invaders but in fact a direct attack on the Nexus that the Earth was just an unfortunate casualty of a larger war He also mentioned that due to damage to the System there might be strange Skills and Paths available But he warned that when the System reestablished itself there likely would be consequences for people who had taken those deviant options

Then he sent a message to Heiffal Despite the fact that Nether forces didnÆt need to attack the Earth to accomplish their goals the Earth would be on its own until reinforcements from the Nexus arrived Which was a situation that was profoundly uncomfortable for Randidly

But luckily Randidly currently had an army that had experience fighting against Nether forces For a little while at least the Earth could probably manage

Sitting in her office Theodora Greyman studied the message she had just received from the Ghosthound Humming to herself she pressed a button on her terminal and spoke into it Get me Richter And a group of a dozen individuals whose loyalty to Zone 1 is unquestioned It appears we are being warned away from some deviantÆ Skills LetÆs make sure we arenÆt being scarred away from something extremely advantageous shall we

Chapter 1375

The soft yellow curtains along TessaÆs windows were pushed back to reveal the whole of the situation of the outside world From the 23rd floor of the Rosebud Apartment Complex which was one of the newer housing developments thrown up along FranksburgÆs Westside Tessa had an excellent view of the ominous battle that was happening in the sky above Earth

In her opinion her vision was too unobstructed She almost couldnÆt look away

Tessa winced as another strange tremor of pain radiated outward from the darkness above She couldn’t sense it coming but it hit her and locked out her brain as her soul tried to manage the abrupt pain Turning away from the window she walked across her study out into the hallway then down to the kitchen Her hands were trembling as she removed a glass from the cupboard and began filling it with water from the faucet

But right as she was lifting the glass to her lips another horrible jarring wave hit Tessa She spat out the water on her lips and her numbed hand dropped the glass into the sink It shattered with a loud noise bits of glass skittering across the smooth metal surface before they gradually spun and settled

At first the people of Franksburg had wondered if the darkness in the sky had been a reward for passing the trial but word had quickly come out from the Order Ducis that this was not a reward of any sort It was something much worse And while Tessa was glad to see that the Order Ducis was finally taking some responsibility for keeping the Earth united she only felt despair when those horrible waves radiated downward from what was happening above

It was clear just from experiencing the intermittent waves that whatever was happening was not good for Earth The System that had given them all strength was being attacked directly by an enemy bent on its permanent destruction

Tessa slumped onto the tiled floor of her kitchen too exhausted to address the issue of the shattered glass in her sink She wrapped her arms around herself trying to quell her shaking Her fingers tightened on the fine cotton of her blouse I know I wished the System would be destroyed and we would no longer need to horde power but I didnÆt want things to end like this

It was a small noise but one that made Tessa squirm in immediate discomfort Then her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet It was clear that something had changed with the struggle that was going on in the sky When she rushed back through the hallway and into her study Tessa arrived just in time to see a huge amorphous blob of darkness smash into the rolling hills West of Franksburg Small stones and dust blasted outward in an earthy sort of halo

A few smaller blobs of darkness could also be seen dropping from the sky toward other locations but it seemed that whatever this new foe was it would come toward Franksburg first The largest portion had come here

Due to the fact that the area around the Rosebud Apartment Complex was still being developed Tessa had a completely uninhibited view out of the city Which meant she could see Lucifer striding along the low wall that ran around Franksburg and the smoky crater a few hundred meters beyond the wall where the dark blob had landed

Seeing both set the hairs along the back of her neck to slowly rising The difference in tension gave her a bad feeling

Gradually figures began to stir within that crater with an almost lazy energy about them Strange twisted monsters that seemed to just be silhouettes skittered outward from the shadows raising their heads to examine the air in front of them From her vantage point Tessa could see the air around these inky black monsters rippling and shimmering with their passage It was as though the very substance of their bodies attacked the surrounding space constantly corroding the air

And as Tessa watched that impression of corrosion was reinforced as the area around the impact began to ripple and shudder Tessa even had to blink several times to see if she could clear her vision but the distortions continued to get worse It seemed that the space in the surrounding area was deteriorating before her very eyes Everything was vibrating lines and blurry details

First a dozen of the monsters then a hundred then an additional hundred each second erupted from the impact site in a vibrating swarm They didnÆt form up in any sort of organization as they appeared but each just began to wander outwards radiating a dreadful energy that was practically palpable to the viewer Tessa watched as Lucifer barked out some orders and a hundred of FranksburgÆs most powerful Classers stepped forward to the edge of the wall

As one they fired powerful ranged Skills targeting the strange monstrosities that wandered nearest to the edge of the Village The ClassersÆ aim was accurate but Tessa didnÆt miss the way most of the Skills dimmed and slowed as they neared the foes Several monstrosities were smashed by the attacks and knocked over but they soon straightened and turned their focus toward Franksburg with an animalistic fury The disparate groups of monstrosities began to gather and rumble forward as more and more reinforcements flowed out of the impact point

By this point Tessa was convinced they were corroding the Earth just by their presence Looking toward the crater and all the surrounding visual distortions was enough to give her a headache But she didnÆt dare to tear her eyes away

She was afraid that if she looked away for a second humanity would start to die and she would be taken by surprise when her own death arrived at her doorstep

Her shudders of fear had grown worse Tessa pressed her palm against the cool glass wishing this was all a dream This was why we let you rule over us Randidly despite how poorly suited to the role you were So please just

Seeing that the other attacks werenÆt effective Lucifer stepped forward And his signature hellfire swirled around him as he raised his large saber in challenge With a shout Lucifer brought his enormous weapon downward and released a swirling strike of fire that ripped forward across the ground The monstrosity he had targeted noticed the assault but didnÆt seem to regard it as a threat at all Instead the monstrosity accelerated forward spreading its arms wide as though it was about to embrace the attack like a long lost brother

Yet when the attack hit it for the first time the strange beast began to scream

Unlike its fellows that had rapidly recovered after being hit with a Skill this monstrosity fell to the ground and writhed in obvious agony LuciferÆs strike had split it from shoulder to waist One of its arms and a sliver of its torso flopped on the ground beside it hellfire licking at the wound The defenders on the wall raised their weapons and shouted their approval this was their pride as people of Franksburg Then they unleashed another volley of Skills to streak across the space and strike the shimmering beings of darkness

The dark monstrosities surged forward the frequent attacks having firmed Franksburg as a threat in their eyes The practically trampled the wounded silhouette on the ground in their haste to attack the defenses

But through the press of bodies Tessa couldnÆt help but notice that the wounded monster on the ground didnÆt immediately die It struggled and shifting resisting the deadly properties of LuciferÆs Hellfire

Yet before the monstrosities arrived at the defensive fortifications another change occurred on the battlefield Among the continuing stream of silhouettes coming out of the smoking crater an ominous figure parted the dust cloud still hanging in the area and walked forward All other monstrosities avoided it deferentially giving it space The visual distortions in the area around it intensified drawing TessaÆs gaze Immediately this new horror gaze slid along the wall until it located Lucifer

It raised its arms and howled Very soon every one of these strange monsters of darkness joined its call and the air was trembling with their warbling cries The glass pane underneath TessaÆs hand began to tremble The visual distortions spread beginning to creep nearer to the defenders on the walls Then the new obviously more powerful arrival pointed its claws and the monsters surged forward

Really Just one Nether Gatekeeper I guess the attack is really focused on the Nexus

The visual distortions shrunk and disappeared all at once It was only for a brief second that Tessa saw Randidly GhosthoundÆs now unfamiliar figure appear on the wall next to Lucifer before her vision was blinded by a vast tree that appeared around Randidly

It almost looked like this titanic plant was three was thousands of trees wound together with vast chestnut colored roots winding their way from the ground to merge into an enormous monolith of the tree The trunk was as thick as an entire city block extending upward to such a height that Tessa needed to press her nose to her window in order to see the leafy emerald canopy

And the whole thing radiated light from the spiraling shifting symbols that covered every inch of the trunk The longer Tessa looked at the bark of the World Tree that Randidly had imagined the more she was struck with a certainty that if she looked for long enough she would be able to understand the secrets of the world That tree contained deep secrets

The magnitude of the temptation to lose herself in those twisting symbols quickly brought back the fear that had cause Tessa to tremble for the last hour This was why they needed Randidly Ghosthound Because he was the monster that could scare away all the predators circling around in the darkness

A necessary evil Tessa whispered to her own reflection in the glass pane of the window But even to her own ears her voice was weak and feeble

Suddenly the light from the World Tree dimmed and Tessa found that she could see through the manifested image when she looked at it directly It was like one of those pictures that changed depending on the angle of viewing If Tessa looked directly she could see through it and out onto the battlefield But if she viewed through her peripheral vision the World Tree remained steadfastly present radiating a warm and reassuring glow

Which was why she saw a few of the previously impervious monsters that had been caught in the GhosthoundÆs image writhing and melting beneath that steady golden light Their limbs twisted and cracked as they practically melted before that light Of course Tessa also saw that furious figure that had emerged raising its hand to focus now on Randidly It howled its fury and more and more monstrosities emerged to form a veritable tide of inky black silhouettes that surged toward Franksburg

Looking unmoved the Ghosthound waved his hand From behind the wall several hundred figures leapt up and crossed the barrier of the wall to land on the battlefield Then each exploded in a powerful image that made Tessa gasp

Even the weakest of these is at least as strong as Lucifer maybe even stronger Tessa thought in wonder Where had Randidly found so many powerful Classers Was this the true power of the Order Ducis

What was even stranger was that each of these figures appeared as much animal as human But Tessa was quickly distracted as Randidly hopped down off of the wall as well

It feels like itÆs been a while since I fought against a Nether Gatekeeper but it really hasnÆt been has it Randidly raised his right hand and flexed it the knuckles of his fingers cracking Well IÆve been training for a foe much more intimidating than you Time to see how much IÆve improved in the last two months

Chapter 1376

Randidly let the oppressive pressure he was releasing with Yggdrasil slowly fade as he stalked forward toward the Nether Gatekeeper Although the effect of stabilizing the visual distortions released by the Nether was certainly impressive Randidly was rather sour that his image took so much time to even annihilate a few weak Nether Beasts The raw power of Yggdrasil wasnÆt quite where Randidly wanted it yet

Likely it was because he focused his attention in other places but he was still not yet the equal of Lady Iellaya when it came to the power of his image

Congratulations Your Skill Ruinous Drive has grown to Level 84

Per RandidlyÆs orders Heiffal and the veterans from the frontlines surged forward to meet the horde of Nether Beasts that were emerging from the impact point Randidly could have annihilated all of the weaker beings of Nether on his own but he still wanted to reign in his experience gain until he acquired more Fatepieces or needed additional power Besides HeiffalÆs Squadron had essentially just babied the Order Ducis applicants for the past month

They deserved a chance to expend some of their frustrations And it seemed that they still remembered the feeling of RandidlyÆs Ruinous Drive adding an extra bit of damage to their attacks because they rapidly immersed themselves in the aura that Randidly released They quickly scythed through the charging Nether Beasts despite being outnumbered two to one

Their attacks blasted outward images and Skills making use of the power Randidly offered Immediately the loose assemblage of Nether Beasts buckled and collapsed They began to band together in order to resist HeiffalÆs assault

Of course Randidly could see that the Nether Beasts were being replaced from the crater just as soon as they were being killed But that was fine it would hopefully impress on Earth the dangers of the Nether creatures Meanwhile

DonÆt you think I deserve the chance to work off some stress too Randidly muttered to himself as he continued to walk steadily forward The Nether GatekeeperÆs eyes were locked onto him radiating hate Yet it dared not approach for fear of the power of Yggdrasil that Randidly had previously demonstrated Randidly almost wanted to laugh

Well I have good news Randidly said aloud perfectly aware that the Nether Gatekeeper couldnÆt understand him That wonÆt be the image I kill you with No need to thank me

BA DUMP BA DUMP BA DUMP

Rather than Randidly prodding his own body into action this time it was excitement that began to quicken his heart rate The Nether Gatekeeper was largely humanoid in shape aside from the fact that its hands were double the size of normal appendages and ended in sharp claws Its smoking eyes were locked onto RandidlyÆs form as purple black energy speckled with emerald and orange spread out and coat his skin

Congratulations Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 278

RandidlyÆs body began to heat up Then each object in his vision began to be starkly outlined against the backdrop of the world Even the visual distortions caused by Nether were pierced through by RandidlyÆs Revelation energy The Stillborn Phoenix settled into RandidlyÆs left eye creating an entirely new series of distortions in the area around his face

And although Randidly kept careful control of his own Nether Nebula he couldnÆt help but click his tongue in distaste as he felt the energy from the Nether Gatekeeper Strong but nowhere near the strongest Nether Gatekeeper IÆve seen I can manage this amount of density on my own

The revelation energy chimed lightly and Randidly saw the oncoming attack even before the Nether Gatekeeper had moved It seemed it wasnÆt willing to allow Randidly to control the momentum of this fight The phantom of its left claw shot forward toward RandidlyÆs chest and Randidly moved even as the Nether Gatekeeper stepped forward with enough force to shatter the ground beneath it

Its aura of Nether blasted outward in a wave but RandidlyÆs denser Nether harmlessly guided it away keeping it from eating away at his image overmuch Which meant that Stillborn Phoenix that was housed in RandidlyÆs left eye was free to raise its imagined beak and shriek in fury that this peon would dare attack it Its hungry influence over the surrounding area intensified

Crouching down RandidlyÆs right hand swept across his body to knock the Nether GatekeeperÆs strike to the side A boom echoed outward as the two powerful bodies met and the Nether Gatekeeper came out on the losing end Continuing his rotation Randidly brought his metal arm around and slammed the back of his fist into the Nether Gatekeeper side

It stumbled a half step backward releasing another wave of Nether to eat at Randidly But of course this Nether was dealt with just as easily as the previous one had been And in that split second of pause in its attack Randidly hopped up conjured a Cosmic orb behind him then triggered it to thrust him forward as he brought his head down to forcefully headbutt the Nether Gatekeeper

Congratulations Your Skill Cosmic Necessity has grown to Level 243

DA DUMP BA DUMP BA DUMP BA DUMP

Again the Nether Gatekeeper stumbled backward from the blow But this time Randidly didnÆt attack Instead he leaned lightly backward and avoided the sharp slash upward that the Nether Gatekeeper released after feigning weakness for a split second The pre emptive counter whipped by with enough force that Randidly raised his eyebrows

Randidly grinned over at the Nether Gatekeeper as it looked at him with hateful eyes ItÆs calculating scrutiny was quite obvious to Randidly ThatÆs more like it You might not look it but you possess a predatorÆs tactical calculus donÆt you At the very least you know quite well how to kill

As if in response to RandidlyÆs thought the Nether Gatekeeper controlled the Nether around its body to spiral inward Seeing as Nether only had a negligible effect on RandidlyÆs image of the Stillborn Phoenix it concentrated its efforts around its body Its physical form grew larger and menacing releasing an aura of violence that even impressed Randidly Its already large hands began to swell

What sort of battles do you remember to produce an aura like that Randidly wondered as he considered the Nether Gatekeeper But then he lowered his shoulders and charged forward

The Nether Gatekeeper responded with sweeping its claws downward but Randidly slid to the side to avoid that blow Its other arm shot forward to rake its claws across RandidlyÆs eyes but he ducked under that and arrived before the Nether GatekeeperÆs chest He lashed out his right hand unifying with his image of a spear as he targeted the Nether GatekeeperÆs core

The hit was a direct one and Randidly felt the Nether GatekeeperÆs core crack slightly beneath the force It paused for a half second with its unbalanced limbs stuck without any effective recourse to strike at him but then it unleashed a flurry of blows toward him Randidly took several steps backward weaving through the vicious slashes Yet just as he was about to step forward and finish the job Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold pinged again causing him to pause in his assault

Congratulations Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 279

Randidly tilted his head to the side as the Nether Gatekeeper opened its mouth and shot out a spiked tongue into the space where RandidlyÆs head had just been This time when Randidly smiled his expression was quite a bit crueler Oh You arenÆt just battle instinct are you There is some genuine intelligence in the way you fight

The Nether Gatekeeper just continued to stare hatefully at Randidly Around them the fight between the reinforcements that Randidly had brought and the Nether Beasts began to stall out as RandidlyÆs side began to tire and the reinforcements from the crater began to slow It seemed that the invasions force was not as large as Randidly had feared

Still Randidly released a breath and it came out of his nose in two spouts of steam His heart was solidly pounding in his chest spreading heat and physical power with it IÆm afraid that tactics wonÆt be enough for you to live This time IÆm the one with the overwhelming power You shouldnÆt have let me warm up

All at once the muscles of RandidlyÆs body flexed and released a burst of power into the surrounding area The ground cracked and the Gatekeeper raised its arms warily around itself to protect its core But Randidly charged forward without acknowledging its defenses one eye brilliant emerald and the other radiating sinister darkness

Again the Nether Gatekeeper did a remarkable job of predicting RandidlyÆs path and unleashing a blistering thrust that should have pierced through RandidlyÆs chest But this time Randidly simply smirked and stepped as quickly as he could to the side The muscles of his legs strained and tensed

The force of his step released a sonic boom as he ripped through the air and arrived next to the Nether Gatekeeper with his right arm raised to strike its core once more Despite RandidlyÆs speed the Nether Gatekeeper managed to lean backward and shoot out its spiked tongue to intercept him

With his heart hammering in his ears Randidly continued to smile as that almost invisible tongue was snatched out of the air by his metallic left hand He was about to crush the Nether GatekeeperÆs core when his left arm groaned from the strain of the quick movement and warped slightly underneath the strain A crackling of dispersed energy sounded out even as Randidly swore and stomped the ground

For a brief second the Engravings had been interrupted Like in his battles in the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night it would not be long before his arm failed entirely

The stone beneath Randidly shattered large gashes in the ground spreading rapidly outward over the surrounding space The concussive force of the stomp was enough to knock the Nether Gatekeeper backward which was exactly what Randidly had intended As it scrambled backward Randidly surged forward to finish it off

Of course it unleashed a viciously timed counter once again as Randidly moved forward

Its eyes flashed with a sadistic gleam as its claw neared RandidlyÆs chest The sharp talons passed harmlessly through RandidlyÆs after image at the same moment that RandidlyÆs palm hit the Nether GatekeeperÆs core and shattered it When its body collapsed Randidly straightened and shook his head You are too slow to play this game with me If this is all the Nether that you can manage

Then Randidly turned to look at the surrounding area When the Nether Gatekeeper was killed it took the wind out of the Nether BeastsÆ sails Those that had been working together lost their cohesion and began to be slaughtered by HeiffalÆs troops with the forces of Franksburg assisting Strike by strike they whittled down the Nether BeastsÆ numbers until Randidly could walk unobstructed to the edge of the crater and use his image of Yggdrasil to forcefully eradicate the taint of Nether in the area

For the moment Earth was clean

Congratulations Your Skill Ruinous Drive has grown to Level 85

There were three other projectiles that had dropped from the sky when the Nether had broken through but they were all smaller than this one The smallest was handled by Alana and Hank one went to Helen and the rest of the Order Ducis went after the third

But despite receiving word that the other groups had managed somehow Randidly frowned as he looked up toward the sky The Aether constructs that had been around the Great Rift had shattered and Randidly could see the veins swirling within the Great Rift Yet he could find no sense to the strange movements of those azure veins

Are you really just here to attack the Nexus Randidly thought as he looked upward He hoped it was that simple

Chapter 1377

As the many shorter legs of Kharon shifted robotically and pressed into the ground a barely perceptible rumble drifted upward from the grasslands below to RandidlyÆs ears as he was sitting on his floating island and carefully considering what to do next The dark blotch in the sky held his gaze for a long time

Previously he had allowed the moonlight spirits around his island to drift freely naturally forming a visual screen that added an air of mystery to his floating island But since the Great Rift had sent its attack probes down to the EarthÆs surface Randidly had the moonlight spirits spinning around the island so he could constantly see up into the sky Otherwise he felt vulnerable

Yet even a full day after the forces of Nether broke through the SystemÆs defenses the Earth was not attacked again The darkness in the sky was silent If RandidlyÆs Aether Detection and Nether Sensation hadnÆt been able to see the furious interplay between the Nether and the core Aether defenses of the System he would have been extremely suspicious of the situation

As it was he just felt on edge Truly the Earth seemed to be forgotten Yet with the powerful struggle of energies above him it was difficult to focus on other things

The other result of seeing the way Nether was attacking the core System was to realize that the Earth was lucky that only a cursory force had been sent down Neveah was endlessly impressed by the techniques she saw utilized to protect the System structure But Randidly had eyes for the other side Because the Nether density that Randidly witnessed in the sky was intimidating to say the least

He couldnÆt be sure because of the distance but it definitely seemed like this Nether was much more powerful than what the Nether King possessed when he had attacked the frontlines Which was a relief in a way because it probably meant that this wasnÆt the Nether King that Randidly had helped escape the clutches of the Xyrt Brigade

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 218

As though sensing RandidlyÆs thoughts Neveah nudged him mentally DonÆt sell yourself short Randidly Ghosthound Maybe your assistance gave the Nether King some inspiration and it grew much more powerful in a short amount of time While he was being pursued by the Xyrt Brigade Or perhaps I hesitate to even suggest it but what if this Nether King is a Nether Queen

As Randidly felt a deepening frown begin to spread across his face Neveah continued to happily send him a mental message Ah and the fact that you rescued her truly it is a tale of star crossed lovers worthy of the inheritor of YystrixÆs will oh hum is this what humans refer to as a love triangle I donÆt think Vualla is the sharing type

Randidly grunted Well IÆm glad that you can manage to stay in a good mood

This time Neveah hit Randidly with a jolt of mental energy that was the equivalent of a flick And YOU are accomplishing absolutely nothing sitting there and looking up at the sky all day

You arenÆt wrong but Randidly hunched his shoulder and gritted his teeth I have a responsibility to make sure

Neveah mentally flicked Randidly again Randidly I donÆt mean to be critical but letÆs be realistic about who you are Yes you have a responsibility to the people of Earth but even Mrs Hamilton the greatest mind that I have encountered amongst you humans cannot worry her way out of a problem of this magnitude And you are not Mrs Hamilton

I Randidly opened his mouth to speak then flushed as he realized the communication was mental and he responded out loud

Of course Neveah was connected to him mentally and still understood his intention Did you get to this point by worrying Or perhaps more importantly could Mrs Hamilton predict your growth even with her Skills No to both So why are you doing this

Something shifted in RandidlyÆs heart Gradually he straightened He hadnÆt thought about it in quite some time but Randidly began to recall the sort of crown that he wore No this was not the way that I grew strong And even if I start now I would not do so well with these methods What I need to do is use the method Shal taught me

A spear always advances Neveah asked playfully

Rolling his eyes Randidly shook his head and replied boldly It felt like a weight had been lifted off of RandidlyÆs shoulders His path forward became clear his emerald eyes bright No training until it is monotonous and painful And doing it consistently Because thatÆs the way you improve

Randidly was a leader on Earth He had so many people looking to him for guidance There were threats that only he could handle But because only he could handle them Randidly had almost forgotten that the reason he could handle them was not that he was special at developing solutions to problems No the reason for his current position was simply because he was strong

If he had time right now honing that strength was how he should be preparing for what would be coming next Besides it wasnÆt as though Randidly was alone in facing this threat having over the Earth Now that twenty four hours had passed the Xyrt Brigade would likely be arriving in the next day or two to clean up this issue Perhaps focusing on his training was really for the best

The less involved with this problem he was the less suspicious his behavior would seem All he had to do was to gather up HeiffalÆs group and hide them in the Alpha Cosmos

But now it was time to train So Randidly proceeded to the central portion of the island where the remnants of his training area still remained The worn circle he had carved out in the dirt still remained this was all Randidly needed After steadying his breathing and pushing the speed of his heartbeat upward Randidly began to focus on his three images

Specifically Randidly wanted to experiment further with the combined visualization of his images as manifestations of his own body Because he felt the way it was easier to wield their strength when they were a part of him But just as Randidly was beginning to train something occurred to him Aside from Alana when she fought against me in the Challenge and a few times since no one really becomes an avatar for their image They usually just use their Willpower to create a reality altering projection Is there a reason for that

Humming to himself Randidly produced his PhilosopherÆs Key and searched for AlanaÆs karma Although it was rather sudden to depart Randidly was also interested in creating some space between how he had sat on this island and worried for so long without accomplishing anything productive Going on a short trip before training would help clear his mind

Reaching beyond the limits of the Earth remained difficult due to the presence of the Nether in the sky but within the planetÆs limits it was just as effortless as ever to use his Fatepiece So he pressed the key forward and opened a portal

Randidly stepped out and looked around only to find that he had opened a portal onto a wooden boat Rain slapped him in the face The soaked vessel bobbed and swayed as some meter tall waves flowed beneath it Honestly the cool drizzle Randidly felt on his skin was a relief considering his body had already become somewhat heated as he warmed up to train

With a glance Randidly only saw one figure on the deck of the small boat but he sensed Alana within the bowels of the ship detect his arrival Hank Howard who had been trying and failing to entice the fish below the water to bite at his hook twisted around and smiled Rain was dripping off the wide brim of his hat Well well what a surprise The Ghosthound himself Tuh what do we owe this honor

Just wanted to chat about image utilization Randidly responded honestly Then he looked around at the choppy waters around them With the drizzle filling the surrounding air everything was a muddy mixture of grey and blue as far as the eyes could see The clouds above were dour and disapproving I guess I didnÆt expect to find you two sailing You are pretty deep out here too DidnÆt you just kill a few Nether Beasts

Indeed Hank began to store away his rod Buggers were tenacious but they died all the same

Randidly Alana walked out onto the deck in a simple cotton shirt and jeans With her hair messily down around her shoulders it was quite a different impression from AlanaÆs usually austerity Her image was just as impressive as ever however Every drop of rain that came near her neatly evaporated

After mastering her surprise Alana offered him a sharp smile I suppose itÆs a good thing that Wivanya and her brood are flying above to avoid the storm Otherwise you would need to deal with some awkward questions

Randidly let out a forced laugh as he shuddered at the prospect he had completely forgotten about the almost religious figure he had become in the eyes of the frost dragons He had come in person just because he figured getting away from his island might be helpful to refocus his effort but his haste to do so probably should be tempered by some reflection in the future

Always one more way to improve Randidly sighed inwardly

Anyway why did you come Are you planning on attacking that darkness AlanaÆs smile sharpened further Need some help

Again Randidly could only laugh and shake his head No youÆll have to trust me on the details but that monster of Nether in the sky is to me what I am to ah Theodora Greyman I wasnÆt lying when I said that this is a war above us If the Nether King doesnÆt send more troops to attack Earth IÆll leave dealing with it to the specialists the Nexus forces No the reason I came here was to talk about images

When Alana tilted her head to the side in confusion Randidly continued to speak When Hank began to walk into the cabin to give them privacy Randidly gestured for him to stay No Hank I donÆt mind if you listen In fact it might be helpful What I wanted to ask was why most people donÆt house their images within their bodies Alana IÆve seen you do it with your valkyrie form but do you have any idea why it isn’t more common Am I missing something

Heh Hank chuckled after Alana and he exchanged a glance I do think ya are missinÆ somethinÆ but itÆs to your benefit I donÆt house the image within myself but IÆve experimented with putting it in my gun But if the image gets too strong the gun breaks

Most people canÆt withstand the force of their own images If you donÆt have high physical Stats itÆs impossible Alana supplied But even though IÆve focused on raising my physical stats I often am sore for a day after using the avatar form ItÆs not that my body isnÆt strong but it almost feels like it isnÆt big enough to handle my image Then Alana shrugged Repeated use has helped me acclimate but it isnÆt perfect

ThatÆs part of the reason we are out at sea now Hank said lightly Give her a chance to cool down and my inner Ballad tells me this is the direction we are sposed to be goinÆ Something is going to happen out here soon I just know it

For a few seconds Randidly chewed on his lip as he considered that Then he slowly nodded I see I guess I am very privileged to be unable to answer that question on my own Thank you

Perhaps it was escaping the limits of the SystemÆs physical restriction perhaps it was the presence of the Alpha Cosmos in his body Or even perhaps it was just his ridiculously high Stats But it was clear that being able to house the images in his body was not something that was easy for others to do

Then Randidly frowned as he cast his mind back I did it sometimes in the past but I really didnÆt condense the image on me for anything other than the Grim Chimera Yggdrasil I always summoned outside of myself Hard to know which of my aspects gives me that resilience

Then a strange thought occurred to Randidly was it possible that the true reason the System limited physical strength was to make sure people created images outside of their own bodies To push them toward making separate images that could be more easily stolen and repurposed after the original creator died

Chapter 1378

Want to stay for dinner Alana asked after Randidly had been thinking in silence for several seconds She gestured toward the cooler next to HankÆs stowed rod The lid was slightly open as though Hank had forgotten to close it HankÆs been fishing all day

Ah well I was practicinÆ jus usinÆ the rod Hank mumbled My harvest itÆs a mite slim for three people

Randidly shook his head with a smile on his face No I think I should get back to training But thank you YouÆve given me a lot to think about

The world around them buzzed even through the curtains of rain around them And then a notification appeared flickering in and out of being in front of their eyes RandidlyÆs emerald eyes narrowed

Congratulations people of New Earth At long last a Seventh Zone has passed through its Raid Dungeon and arrived As such Earth now has destroyed countless worlds such as yours

ERROR SYSTEM

Before the Calamities begin cleared all the obstacles in front of it Currently New Earth is only a step away This name will be New EarthÆs Officially recognized name in the future

WARNING

Failure to please locate the Runic Tablet and choose an official Nexus name for New Earth from becoming an official world of the Seventh Cohort an increased chance to develop Skills of a higher Rarity

The individual who names New Earth will receive but beware you donÆt bite off more than you can chew The Calamities have in addition to earning a great deal of prestige

Good Luck Warning space around New Earth is unstable Some minor discrepancies a Tier 1 citizenship coin

Please contact your nearest Village Spirit

Goddamnit Randidly swore quietly after rereading the message several times to make sense of it It looked like exploring his ability to house his images inside of his body and to let that image energy gradually refine his bodyÆs state further would need to wait until he figured out how this Nether attack had fucked up his world

More than that Randidly gritted his teeth If the Calamities are going to be here soon IÆll need to start to be more careful with the Order DucisÆ actions My image canÆt be related to the image that the Earth uses to pass the Second Calamity

Octavius Shrike had arrived early to the meeting but not early enough it seemed Several figures were already seated in crystal chairs when he walked into the gleaming and shining room A door of obsidian slid soundlessly to the side and gave him entry to the location of the sudden meeting

Every object and piece of furniture in the Shining Palace was made of crystal The crystals were unique however in that they responded very directly to the Aether of the beings who touched them So as Octavius looked around it was very easy to identify the various individuals in this strictly unofficial meeting

Considering the by laws of the Nexus Council the current situation on Earth didnÆt absolutely require that the Nexus Council hold an emergency meeting In the eyes of the Nexus a strategic resourceÆ hadnÆt yet been lost to the Nether attack But no one was going to claim that this wasnÆt important Or disturbing

This was the first attack the Nexus had suffered in a long time Which was dangerous but also an opportunity of a sort For those patient forces that had been in an extended stalemate for the last millennium they were ready to use this opportunity to break the uneasy peace of the Nexus Someone would take the fall for this

There were six crystal chairs in the long room two to the left two to the right and one on each end capping things off There was no table so each chair could see the other figures perfectly Octavius lowered his gaze as he crossed the room to his own seat Truthfully he didnÆt deserve to be in this room But as the Overseer of the Seventh Cohort all of the truly powerful figures in the room would open themselves up to scrutiny if he wasnÆt present for the discussion of the attack under his jurisdiction So almost against his will he came when called

As was tradition the seat furthest from the door was left open should a chosen representative of the System show up Compared to the four beings already here the individuals who could claim to be powerful enough to sit in that seat were few and far between But they carefully observed the tradition Now was exactly the wrong time to show any unusual behavior

Octavius sat to the immediate left of the vacant seat in one of the two chairs to the right Opposite him was the leader of the Xyrt Brigade a woman who hid in a thick black cloak that bunched and lay on top of itself like rolls of fat rather than any sort of normal garment The crystal chair beneath seamed to be composed of needles and bones an elaborate construct that shouldnÆt quite manage to support her weight

Octavius only glanced at the chair for a second but already his head began to throb The casual power of her image was horrifying With practiced ease the woman cleared her throat I believe itÆs time we began

For a few moments there was silence Then Divvius Swacc who sat to OctaviusÆ left and represented the civilianÆ population in the Nexus nodded slowly Divvius was a tall willowing humanoid whose body was composed entirely of small maggots writhing and tumbling down and slowly oozing back up his figure He was a hive of constant motion The crystal chair beneath him resembled the corpse of a dragon slowly been digested from the inside Seconded Let us begin

Immediately the man opposite Divvius Swacc leaned forward He was the leader of military high command having influence over every frontline against the Nexus Obviously that included the frontline that had just been overwhelmed and the one that Randidly had been sent to which had been attacked by a Nether King and then allowed the defeated Nether King to escape Vanity where is the Xyrt Brigade We must move quickly to address this threat

The Highest CommanderÆs breathing was heavy out his thick snout and around his long tusks He was more bore than humanoid his prodigious muscles locked in place by his heavy armor Underneath him his crystal chair shifted to become earthy and hairy Like a primordial beast of dirt and flesh

The Highest Commander and the Leader of the Xyrt Brigade glared at each other Octavius couldnÆt see the Xyrt Brigade LeaderÆs eyes but her poisonous hatred was clear The two had been at each otherÆs throats for five hundred years The Highest Commander had been sniffing after the opportunity to send his subordinates on missions that werenÆt just short patrols The Leader of the Xyrt Brigade didnÆt understand why so much Aether had to be sent to the frontlines each year

Each thought the other was at fault for their current predicament

Both the figure at the far end of the table opposite the empty chair and Divvius Swacc remained silent after the Highest Commander spoke They were content to allow the two military representatives to hash out their differences before they made their own moves

The head of the Xyrt Brigade shifted her gaze finally leaving the Highest Commander Her sneer was clear in her voice Do you think this will be the only attack at comes Besides the System is powerful enough to resist one Nether Horde No I do believe the Xyrt Brigade wonÆt be moving to help this Earth We are best served keeping our most powerful force prepared for the true strike of the enemy

Slowly OctaviusÆ face shifted into a look of horror Why hadnÆt it occurred to him that the Xyrt Brigade would simply abandon Earth to avoid the Aether expense it had assumed it would swiftly be rid of

Of course the Highest Commander shared OctaviusÆs feelings albeit for different reasons He slammed his fists together with enough force that OctaviusÆs bones vibrated So you admit it You are going to ignore the directives once more At the next Nexus Council I will strip you of everything

You fool Think about the bigger picture The Xyrt Brigade Leader shifted slightly ripples jiggling out across her fleshy cloak Octavius wondered if she was sitting inside of the skin of a larger monster that she had killed It is because I value the directives that IÆm taking this course of action The Seventh Cohort is less important than the System framework that allows us to create additional Cohorts Or do you fail to understand what will happen to the Nexus if we cannot create additional Cohorts

You The Highest Commander hissed but even though his heavy breathing revealed his fury he had to be careful about what he was about to say Words had meaning here what he said would be remembered and used against him Speaking casually was akin to creating an ideological opening At this tier of power those weaknesses were what his rivals were waiting for

Everyone in the room understood that the Nexus needed more fresh images every day in order to keep going Losing the ability to create additional Cohorts would mean the Nexus itself would soon collapse from the weight of its own existence The Highest Commander couldnÆt claim otherwise And using the words to argue she was wrong would make this a complicated affair

Octavius could barely move He didnÆt like to admit it but the ripples of power from everyoneÆs images were enough to wipe him out of existence Even if he wanted to share an opinion he knew it would not be accepted here He was just a decoration in this room

Divvius stirred sending a waterfall of maggots off of his chair and onto the floor as he raised his arm Octavius tried not to stare as they crawled up the chair to rejoin their fellows So we cannot afford to rescue the Earth Is that what you are claiming Vanity

The Leader of the Xyrt Brigade nodded radiating annoyance that Divvius had used her nickname Also likely because she was forced to take a firm stance But compared to when the Highest Commander had said it the Leader of the Xyrt Brigade was now willing to accept the slight Especially because it seemed like the business tycoon of the Swacc Family was moving to support her

Finally the last figure at the table spoke Her tone was clear and lovely Does no one else care for the potential that the people of Earth possess

Solomon Rex deserved to be sitting in the chair by right but he took every opportunity to slight the other forces within the Nexus So in the chair belonging to him sat his daughter Neshamah Rex with her legs curled up under her like she was at a family dinner rather than a meeting that discussed the fate of a world

She was in a word beautiful Her hair was emerald and it cascaded down the chair around her to the floor Her skin was robinÆs egg blue She was humanoid with a constant smile as she looked at the other individuals seated at the table as though everything was a joke

There was a moment of tense silence as the other three powerful individuals considered whether to agree with her or to speak out against her Honestly for these powerful figures dealing with Neshamah was exhausting Because pining her down with words ignored the true threat her father Engaging her at all was just speaking unnecessarily

Octavius could only look at her and wonder whether she knew what she was doing by intruding in this issue that had been about to be settled Of course Octavius was thankful that she had considering his arrangement with Randidly Ghosthound but still

And then he nearly jumped out of his skin as NeshamahÆs bright red eyes met OctaviusÆ and she winked at him

Finally the Leader of the Xyrt Brigade seemed to sigh and shook her head Apparently she decided to take NeshamahÆs words seriously it is truly a promising planet But we cannot

There was the noise of the Leader of the Xyrt Brigade choking and the whole room froze Octavius had still been peaking at Neshamah so he read the genuine shock and horror in her stunning features as she looked directly across the space toward the empty chair His skin tingling Octavius slowly turned and looked at the figure that had appeared at the head of the meeting

Ah broken so easily

A figure sat in the reserved spot His limbs were long and muscled He wore a simple white robe and had reached out a hand to touch the shoulder of the Leader of the Xyrt Brigade And as OctaviusÆ vision pivoted he watched every atom of that powerful woman crack and disintegrate to dust Soon the chair opposite Octavius was empty

The figure continued to speak The Earth so familiar but her memories were gone I think IÆm forgetting who led me to her

Each word was a hammer against OctaviusÆ brain Being so close to the head of the table he could hardly breathe In his mind there was no doubt who this individual was Elhume the man who had stood on the Pinnacle

Anyway I didnÆt wish this but another can take her place His gaze went around the table There was a fuzziness to ElhumeÆs face as though he had purposefully drawn a veil across his vision But even so when Octavius felt that gaze he felt his Class groan and crack beneath that scrutiny Protect the Earth This bothers me And I was just if I could just find

Slowly the mumbles trailed off And then Elhume disappeared from his seat at the table